City of New Orleans seeking volunteers to assist with COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort

The City of New Orleans is looking for volunteers to assist with medical and nonmedical COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts.

Volunteers will help with patient registration, triage, supply restocking, post-vaccination observation, traffic control and other operational and logistical support. Volunteers with a medical license may volunteer to administer vaccines to patients.

Anyone 18 years or older who lives in or near New Orleans can volunteer with the NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps. Residents who speak Spanish or Vietnamese or use American Sign Language are especially encouraged to volunteer.

Training sessions will take place online.

On Tuesday New Orleans reported a 6.6 percent positivity rate and 251 new COVID-19 cases.

Louisiana is now in its second stage of vaccine distribution, meaning — among others — patients 70 or older, health school students and staff, end-stage renal disease patients, hospital workers and nursing home residents and staff are eligible to get the vaccine. According to Tuesday’s numbers, 159,698 Louisianans have received at least one injection of the vaccine. Of that number, 21,652 have received both doses.

Gov. John Bel Edwards last week expressed his dissatisfaction with the state’s vaccine distribution at that point, but said it is “a tremendously complex logistical exercise and it will improve over time.”

Those looking to sign up to volunteer with vaccine distribution in New Orleans can sign up here.