Detroit Regional Chamber > Business Resources > COVID-19 > Duggan: 5,000 Detroit Residents Per Day Could Get COVID-19 Vaccine in 2021

Duggan: 5,000 Detroit Residents Per Day Could Get COVID-19 Vaccine in 2021

December 1, 2020
On Sunday, Nov. 30, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was the first of two major city leaders to appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to discuss the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine in Detroit to a national audience. Duggan told host Margrett Brennan the nation has never faced a challenge as significant as administering vaccines to so many people.

“The magnitude of what we’re talking about, this county has never experienced,” said Duggan.

Duggan’s administration is developing a plan to put the power of the Motor City to work, with drive-through vaccination centers, utilizing the city’s stadiums and parking infrastructure to facilitate these centers. Among the first to be prioritized for these vaccinations include health care workers, first responders, those older than 65, and other high-risk populations. Though there is no concrete timeline in place for this vaccine rollout, Duggan expects availability to the broader public to begin in early 2021.

Duggan believes that the city can vaccinate 5,000 people a day, which means it would take several months to distribute to the nearly 700,000 residents. Widespread vaccination will be a significant boon to businesses in Metro Detroit. Public health officials hope that a combination of vaccines and continued preventative measures, like mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene can lead to a significant reduction in COVID-19 restrictions in 2021.

Watch the full “Face the Nation” interview.


Related:

U-M Economists: Vaccine Could Boost U.S. Growth in 2021