Second-tier healthcare workers in Odessa, including physicians, nurses, clinical and pharmacy staff can now sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the City of Odessa COVID-19 Incident Command and Medical Center Hospital.
To register, or receive more information, email [email protected]. Others who are included in the second-tier category include corrections and detention facilities staff, embalmers, school nurses and employees at outpatient care settings who interact with symptomatic patients.
Healthcare officials say local vaccination efforts are ahead of schedule, with most first-tier healthcare staff having already received vaccines during the past week. As of 2 p.m., Tuesday, MCHS has vaccinated a total of 1,591 front-line health care workers, MCHS Director of Public Relations Trevor Tankersley, confirmed on Tuesday.
A total of 65 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at MCH on Tuesday, according to a hospital news release. Twenty-five patients were in critical care and 21 on ventilators.
The hospital so far this year has tested a total of 15,164 people for COVID, with 10,834 negative results and 14 tests still pending.
According to the Ector County website, a total of 181 people have died of COVID-related illness in 2020. The County has recorded a total of 11,541 cases this year, with 9,911 people recovered. The County currently has a total of 1,649 COVID-19 cases pending.
Sixty-four percent of county residents who have contracted COVID are of Hispanic descent, versus 36 percent non-Hispanic. About 61 percent of county residents are Hispanic.
Fifty-five percent of residents who have tested positive for COVID this year are female, 45 percent male. The average age of those diagnosed with COVID was 39; the youngest person so far, was four.
