West Nova News

Loudoun County Health Department issued the following announcement on Apr. 8

The Loudoun County Health Department encourages all Loudoun County  residents who are 16 years and older and who have not yet pre-registered  for a COVID-19 vaccine online or by phone to do so now in preparation  for Phase 2 of the county’s vaccination efforts. Everyone age 16 years  and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2 of Virginia’s vaccination plan.  Please note that anyone under 18 receiving the vaccine must be  accompanied by a parent or guardian at their vaccination appointment.

“We  have made significant progress in offering appointments to people in  the Phase 1c priority group that opened up earlier this week and as a  result, we will be ready to advance to Phase 2 soon,” said Loudoun  County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend. “When we’re able to offer  vaccination appointments to everyone, we will offer appointments to  people in Phase 2 in the order in which pre-registration forms were  received while also continuing to prioritize people in groups who are at  greater risk of illness and for spreading the virus.”

Loudoun  County will join all health districts in Virginia in advancing to Phase 2  of the vaccination plan no later than April 18, 2021.

This week,  the county began vaccinating more than 4,000 people each day at the  county’s COVID-19 vaccination site at the Dulles Town Center. As vaccine  supplies continue to increase, the county has the capacity to vaccinate  even more people each day. Currently, for people in the Phase 1a, 1b  and 1c priority groups, the time between pre-registration and receiving  an invitation to make a vaccination appointment has been shortened to a  few days.

“The waitlist of people in the Phase 1 priority groups  is nearly exhausted, which is why we’re encouraging everyone else to get  in line for a vaccine now by submitting a pre-registration form,” added  Dr. Goodfriend. “We also encourage people in Phase 1 priority groups to  continue to pre-register and will prioritize them for appointments.”

How to Pre-Register

Anyone who lives or works in Virginia can pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine in one of two ways:

• Online: Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov.  The fastest method for receiving a vaccination appointment is to  include a unique email address in separate pre-registration forms for  each individual who will receive a vaccine.
• Phone: Individuals who do not have access to the internet can pre-register by calling 1-877-829-4682.

In  addition to receiving a vaccine from Loudoun County, people can also  look for available appointment slots at pharmacies and other locations  near them by visiting vaccinefinder.org. These entities do not coordinate their registrations with the Health Department.

Already Pre-Registered, But Have Not Heard from the County?

The  Health Department encourages anyone who has already pre-registered for a  vaccine and is in the Phase 1a, 1b or 1c priority groups, but has not  yet been contacted by the county for a vaccination appointment, to take  two actions:

• First, check your spam or junk email folder for  an email from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),  which is used to pre-register, to ensure the invitation for an  appointment was not sent there.
• Second, if you have not received  an email, contact the county by calling 703-737-8300, Monday through  Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Stay Vigilant in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19

The CDC has published guidance for fully vaccinated people;  however, the CDC also recommends that even people who are fully  vaccinated keep taking precautions in public places. The Loudoun County  Health Department encourages Loudoun residents who received a COVID-19  vaccine to continue taking the steps that help prevent the spread of  COVID-19, including:

• Avoid crowds of people.
• Stay 6 feet away from others who do not live in your household at all times.
• Wear a face covering when in public to protect yourself and others.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Avoid non-essential travel, particularly carpooling with people who do not live in your household.
• Avoid visiting unvaccinated people who are at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.

Learn more about how to protect yourself and others on the CDC’s website.

COVID-19 Testing

Loudoun  County continues to offer free COVID-19 testing weekly. More  information about COVID-19 testing opportunities is posted online at loudoun.gov/covid19testing. 

Original source can be found here.