CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With high demand and limited supplies, it's already hard enough to get a COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina. But for many seniors, it's practically impossible without a car.
Many seniors in the Charlotte area don't drive or have access to reliable transportation to get to one of the vaccination clinics, like Bojangles Coliseum. That's why the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Department of Health and Human Services are teaming up to pay for rides for those seniors in need of a vaccine.
The program was announced Thursday. Local participating transit agencies, like CATS in Charlotte, will receive a part of the almost $2.5 million which will go towards rides for those in need. State officials say it should cover about 30,000 people.
"We did an average of cost per transit trip," said Eric Boyette, secretary of NCDOT. "It's about $22 a trip for this, and it would be four trips. There and back twice for a shot."
On Thursday, Charlotte Motor Speedway opened the state's largest mass vaccination clinic, with up to 16,000 people expected to receive their first shot through Sunday. The clinic was an initiative with Atrium Health, who has a stated goal of administering 1 million vaccines by July 4.
Dr. Mandy Cohen reported Thursday that 99 of North Carolina's 100 counties are in the red or orange zones for COVID-19 spread. Cohen said 86 counties are in the critical viral spread/red zone, which is up from 84 two weeks ago. There are 13 counties in the substantial spread/orange zone, which is up from 12.