x
Breaking News
More () »

"A Herculean effort": Gov. DeWine and Health Director McCloud detail success of Wolstein Center mass vaccination site as 31,000 doses administered

During a Monday afternoon COVID-19 briefing, Director McCloud announced that more than 31,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at CSU.

CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published on March 15, 2021. 

During his Monday afternoon press conference, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud discussed the success of the state's first mass vaccination site at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center. 

"Today, I am pleased to report that we broke the 30,000 barrier at 31,000 doses of Pfizer in the community," Director McCloud said during the briefing. "This is taken, as you might imagine- and as you know- a Herculean effort to undertake." 

RELATED: COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center: Everything you need to know

Health Director McCloud also detailed that some Pfizer vaccines sent to the Wolstein Center were actually taken off the line and used to vaccinate the underserved community in Cleveland. 

"As I mentioned, 31,000 doses of the vaccine, of Pfizer, we have also taken some of those doses off- kinda off-campus from here- to those underserved neighborhoods. We've vaccinated nearly 500 people at the Elizabeth Baptist Church in Cuyahoga County on Saturday."

McCloud also thanked the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, and all other agencies and organizations that have helped to make the first mass vaccine site in Ohio a success, thus far. 

RELATED: Ohio's COVID-19 vaccination registration site: How to sign up for an appointment near you

"Folks and community members and volunteers from all over, the Cleveland Fire Department, the Department of Defense, the Ohio National Guard and the 101st Airborne have put together over 500 service members who work in shifts," Director McCloud said while speaking from the Wolstein Center. "Cleveland State University, we obviously want to thank them for hosting as well as providing us opportunity." 

The mass vaccination site opened last week after a soft-opening with 1,500 doses administered on Tuesday. The state slowly ramped up shots in arms, reaching 6,000 doses administered daily, shortly after officially opening on Wednesday. 

"It's a team effort, it's a local effort, it's a state effort, it's a federal effort," Gov. DeWine responded to the report from McCloud. "And it's working very very well."

RELATED: Ohio expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility: Ages 40 and older now permitted, ages 16+ eligible March 29

Editor's note: the video in the player below is from a story published on March 17, 2021.

Before You Leave, Check This Out