San Francisco city officials on Tuesday announced the opening of a new large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site in the city's Bayview District -- one of the neighborhoods most impacted by the virus.
The new site at the SF Market at 901 Rankin St. will become the city's third large-scale site; ready to vaccinate as many as 10,000 people once the city can acquire enough vaccine doses.
"With this site at the SF Market, we're bringing access to the vaccine closer to people who live in the Bayview Hunters Point are and the southeast of the city," Mayor London Breed said in a statement. "Throughout this pandemic, we've made sure our city's response to COVID-19 is equitable, and we're continuing that work by locating vaccination sites in the communities that have been hit the hardest. Supply remains very limited right now, but we're making sure that we have the infrastructure in place throughout our city."
Last week, the city opened a mass vaccination site at the Moscone Center, and in January, another mass site at City College of San Francisco.
The launch of the third mass site comes just two days after city officials said the sites at the Moscone Center and City College would be slowing down operations as the city lacks enough vaccine doses. As a result, for now, vaccinations at the Bayview location will be by invitation only.
City officials are hoping to get more vaccine by the end of the week.
"Vaccine supply coming to San Francisco continues to be insufficient to vaccinate all eligible populations, but we are working tirelessly to establish a distribution infrastructure that will allow us to swiftly end equitably distribute every dose of the vaccine that we receive," San Francisco Department of Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said.
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Per state guidelines, the sites are giving the vaccine to just health care workers and those 65 years old and above. The city has said the sites could begin vaccinating other groups like educators, child care workers, emergency service workers and food service and agriculture employees later this month, if enough supplies are available.
In addition to the new large vaccination site, city officials on Tuesday also announced the opening of a new Essential Services Resources Hub also in the Bayview.
The hub at 1800 Oakdale Ave. will provide an array of services, including COVID-19 testing and food, financial assistance and public benefit resources, for the area's hardest-hit residents.
The Bayview and surrounding neighborhoods like Hunters Point and Visitation Valley have some of the highest COVID-19 case rates throughout the city. In addition, historical disparities for the area's Black and Latino residents only further makes them vulnerable to COVID-19.
Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton, whose supervisorial district includes the Bayview, said, "We are excited to open up a new COVID-19 service hub where residents from our district can walk in for in-person assistance and connect to a variety of essential services needed during this pandemic."
Residents can make an appointment at the hub by contacting Tracy Taper at (415) 822-3491 or at ttaper@ycdjobs.org.
Residents interested in making an appointment to get a vaccine can visit www.sf.gov/getvaccinated.
