ELLSWORTH, Maine — Northern Light Health plans to open a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site at the former Family Dollar store in Ellsworth around April 1.
James Jarvis, MD, COVID-19 senior physician executive, incident command for Northern Light Health made the announcement during Wednesday's briefing with the press.
Dr. Jarvis said they hope to do more than 500 shots per day when running at full capacity. He said the site is a joint partnership with Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital and Blue Hill Hospital.
When the new Hancock County site in Ellsworth launches, the Maine Coast Hospital clinic will close, but the small site at Blue Hill hospital will stay open.
He said the plan to open another mass vaccination site at the Piscataquis County Ice Arena in Dover-Foxcroft is on track, with a target date of Friday, March 19. He said they hope to eventually ramp up to 1,000 shots per week.
Jarvis said all of Northern Light Health's clinics are capable of putting more shots into arms if given the supply of the vaccine. He said the clinics could easily operate more days of the week or extended hours.
"We feel that we can meet the challenge, not only here at the Cross Insurance Center, but at all of our clinics across the Northern Light Health spectrum In particular the two new clinics I just spoke about are set up just like we did at all of our other sites so they can be expanded if and when we have the vaccine and the need to do so," Jarvis said.