TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN) — COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available to Tucson Unified School District teachers and staff.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo says the District might be limited significantly to as few as 100 to 200 vaccine appointments within the first month.
This comes after the Pima County Health Department announced receiving a limited vaccine supply.
“We are going to be prioritizing the employees physically working on our campuses at the present. So we will be prioritizing our custodians, our bus drivers, food service, preschool teachers and their aides, ExEd teachers and paraprofessionals, and of course any additional staff assigned supervising students in on campus learning spaces,” added the Superintendent.
TUSD’s health director Nikki Stefan says Pima County is working on getting vaccination sites up and running.
“It is University of Arizona, the Rillito, Kino, and the Tucson Convention Center. And when our 1B school personnel start to go, all school staff will have their vaccine through the drive-thru site on the mall at the UofA,” she said during the TUSD Board meeting.
The school district has also set up on-site testing at schools for students and staff who are on campus, and a rapid-testing site at Hi Corbett Field.
“You never get out of your car at the site. You can bring your dog or other people in the car, but the priority is Monday through Wednesday, and then after that time other people can register as well,” Stefan added.
As far as sports, the Arizona Interscholastic Association just voted to reverse course to cancel winter sports.
Trujillo says the board should have a decision within 48 hours.
“The majority of cases affecting students between the ages of 14 to 18 are not happening in our schools. They’re happening through interscholastic sports and extracurricular sports. So we certainly have to look at the data and look to what our sister districts are now going to do,” said the TUSD Superintendent.
