Vough

Vough

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Approximately 90 Luzerne County residents have volunteered to transport the elderly to coronavirus vaccine appointments, county Cares Commission Chairman Matthew Vough announced Thursday.

The commission sought volunteers earlier this month to take county residents 75 and older to obtain their COVID-19 vaccinations if they don’t have transportation.

“That is incredible. We should have more than enough drivers,” Vough said during Thursday’s virtual commission meeting.

Volunteers will be authorized to provide transportation after they sign a release form drafted by the county law office, Vough said.

The commission is working with the county agency on aging to identify seniors needing rides, said Vough, a county councilman.

Volunteers will be grouped in four regions and receive emails requesting assistance when someone needs a ride in their area, he said. If someone accepts an assignment, they also will be asked to transport that senior for their second required shot unless they have a scheduling conflict.

Although the commission is still formalizing the volunteer plan, Vough said any residents over 75 who need a ride can contact him at [email protected] so they can be assigned to a volunteer who already signed a release form.

More assistance

The county Transportation Authority also will provide van transport to groups of residents from the same senior living facilities or apartments, Joe Roselle, the authority’s administrative services/information technology director, told commission members Thursday.

An orderly block-scheduling process must be worked out to ensure no groups are stuck waiting outside for pick-up and to maximize the number of people served by the vans, Roselle said.

Roselle commended the commission for recruiting volunteers and said the authority administration and board wanted to offer its services to boost efforts to get residents vaccinated.

“I think it’s fantastic that you have 90 volunteers. That shows a lot about the makeup of Luzerne County,” Roselle said.

The authority’s vans can accommodate up to three wheelchairs and 13 people, although fewer would be permitted to allow for social distancing, Roselle said.

The authority would not charge the residents and is working with the state and other agencies on reimbursement options, he said.

Vough thanked the authority for stepping up to assist and said the two entities will work together on a plan.

Commission Vice Chairman Joseph Grilli asked if volunteers will be alerted of individual ride requesters with special needs, such as use of oxygen or wheelchairs, so they can assist them in the most helpful way.

Vough said he is working with another transportation entity that has offered to help individuals with wheelchairs and other special needs, which would allow the transportation authority vans to be focused on groups. More details on that plan will be discussed at the next commission meeting, he said.

Roselle and Vough said the transportation authority vans would be particularly helpful if the state health department decides to activate and provide medical staff for a mass vaccination clinic in this area as more vaccines become available.

If a mass clinic is authorized by the state, it would be a drive-through setup in which motorists who receive their shots would then be directed to a different section of the parking area for 15 minutes of medical monitoring before they can leave, county Emergency Management Agency Director Lucy Morgan has said.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.