SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Fire Department is telling people not to call 911 to try to schedule coronavirus vaccine appointments. It’s become a problem since SAFD announced it would be assisting with getting seniors who are homebound and unable to leave.
In San Antonio, Coronavirus transmission is going down which is good news.
“We need to celebrate when we can, so I’m celebrating the fact that we’re on the downward side of this surge. It is our hope this is our last major surge,” UT Health San Antonio Chief Medical Officer Robert Leverence said.
The bad news is, as a city we’re still running into issues getting people vaccinated consistently.
“The shipment of COVID-19 to tomorrows scheduled second dose appointments has been delayed by the Texas state health department,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
Due to a processing error people looking to get their second doses of the coronavirus vaccine at the Alamodome this week will now have to wait another two weeks.
“Moving forward we hope this issue won’t arise again,” Metro Health Assistant Director Anita Kurian said.
SAFD is working with Meals on Wheels and the San Antonio Housing Authority to get a list of seniors together.
“I know folks heard this and have been calling 311, and they’ve actually been trying to call 911 to sign up. It’s clogging our 911 system,” Public Information Officer of the San Antonio Fire Department Joe Arrington said.
It is because of this SAFD is reminding people to only use the 911 number for emergencies only.
“Unfortunately there is no way to sign up for it. It’s the people through SAHA and meals on wheels that we’re first approaching now yesterday afternoon and this morning,” Arrington said.
Arrington says they hope to get more people added to that homebound list but until then those still waiting to be vaccinated should go to the cities website for the latest information on how to do so.
“When we get vaccines available, they will open it up to sign up for," Arrington said.