More vaccine appointments will open this week in Inland Northwest

The Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena mass vaccination site will give shots to about 4,000 people in the coming week, and appointments will become available online 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

People with no internet access can schedule an appointment by calling 509-444-8200 starting 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Only Washington residents eligible to be vaccinated – health care or frontline workers, and people 65 years and older (or 50 and older in multigenerational households) – will be given an appointment. CHAS is asking that people use the state’s Phase Finder tool to confirm their eligibility.

In the past two weeks, the arena vaccination site has vaccinated nearly 7,500 people, and thus far, the site has not wasted doses, CHAS Chief Administrative Officer Kelley Charvet told reporters on Monday.

Demand for vaccines remains high in the Inland Northwest where thousands of people are eligible for the vaccine but supply is limited.

Charvet said CHAS is now working on plans for second-dose clinics. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses, with 28 days between the two. Organizers are trying to decide whether they should have second-dose appointments scheduled on certain days or keep the setup similar to what it is now.

Starting Wednesday, the arena site will vaccinate about 800 people a day, with a break on Sunday and Monday.

The Spokane Arena is not the only place offering vaccines in Spokane County, and providers who receive new first doses will get those shipments early in the week. The Department of Health has an updated list of pharmacies, clinics and providers in each county that have signed up to vaccinate community members in the public.

The Panhandle Health District will open up about 650 appointment slots for vaccines each week online for Panhandle residents at the district’s clinics, starting on Wednesday at 9 a.m. For Panhandle residents without internet access who need assistance, they can call 877-415-5225.

These appointments will be held at the Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah County sites; clinics in Boundary and Bonner counties are being scheduled by providers there. There are other community health care providers offering COVID-19 vaccines in the Panhandle as well.

The health district is asking Panhandle residents to bring proof of their eligibility to their appointments. In Idaho, health care workers, frontline workers, K-12 employees, correctional facility staff and people 65 and older are eligible for the vaccine.

Local cases

The Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 101 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, and four new deaths since Sunday. There have been 531 deaths due to COVID-19 recorded in Spokane County.

There are currently 70 patients with COVID-19 in Spokane hospitals.

The Panhandle Health District confirmed 151 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend and on Monday. There are 47 Panhandle residents hospitalized with COVID-19, and the district reported no new deaths on Monday. There have been 247 deaths due to COVID-19 among Panhandle residents.