Press Release 21-22

03-29-21

21-22

Beginning March 29, 2021 Governor DeSantis has determined that Florida residents over the age of 40 are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning April 5, 2021 Florida residents over the age of 18 will be eligible.

The City of Marco Island hosts a registration link at http://vaccine.cityofmarcoisland.com where residents can add their name, date of birth, and contact information to a list to be contacted for an appointment for an on-Island vaccine administered by the City. The City of Marco Island has successfully delivered over 2,000 vaccine doses to residents of Marco Island since the beginning of February thanks to a partnership with California-based technology firm Merit. Merit utilizes the City’s registration database and prioritizes the list by zip code and age, with the oldest residents getting appointments first. Due to the large number of vaccination sites that are now available in the area, many registrants have been getting vaccines elsewhere before they get an appointment with the City. To update the database, Merit will begin sending emails every two weeks to everyone registered asking if they would like to remain on the list or be removed. Beginning March 29, 2021, an individual’s registration will expire after two weeks unless they respond to the email asking to remain on the list.

At the weekly vaccination clinics facilitated by the City of Marco Island Fire Rescue Department and Collier County EMS, 95 percent of the vaccines allocated to the City are administered due to Merit’s efforts and persistence in personally contacting Marco Island residents to ensure that appointment slots are filled. “We initiated the partnership with Merit to connect with the senior residents of Marco Island and provide vaccination appointments on the Island as soon as possible. We are grateful for how Merit was able to work with City staff to develop a new registration and appointment system that meets the needs of our residents” said City Manager Mike McNees. “Their team has gone above and beyond to support us, and our residents are equally as impressed and thankful for the effort Merit has put forth on their behalf.”

In a recent Marco Island City Council meeting held on March 15, 2021 Councilor Erik Brechnitz noted, “I think the [City of Marco Island] staff hit a home run with this vaccination program that they’re doing in Mackle Park. It’s fair, the people know it's fair, the people administering the shots are getting rave reviews from everybody I’ve talked to, [...] and the credit clearly belongs with the staff. [...] It’s a really good program."

“We’ve seen firsthand that City of Marco Island officials make it their priority to educate, engage, and ensure the well-being of their residents,” said Tomer Kagan, CEO of Merit. “We are proud to be able to help partners at the state, county, and city-level more effectively serve their communities, especially during this massive effort to vaccinate individuals against COVID-19.”

For questions about receiving a vaccine on Marco Island, please call City Hall at 239-389-5000 or contact Merit Customer Care at 239-970-4022.

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