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Rep Cartwright and NEPA State lawmakers advocate to bring mass vaccination sites to region

Fox 56

Northeastern PA, Fox 56 Newsroom, March 9, 2021

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) sent a letter to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield with the support of 14 state representatives and two state senators from the Northeastern Pennsylvania area urging the agency to set up mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in the region as soon as possible.

Rep. Cartwright wrote that streamlining distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through mass vaccination sites is critical to not only reducing severe illness and death from the virus, but also staying ahead of new virus variants.

“As vaccines become more readily available, mass vaccination sites will be crucial for ensuring that everyone who can receive a vaccine gets a vaccine. Time is critical in these efforts. A faster rollout not only reduces rates of severe illness and death, but also lessens the potential impact new COVID-19 variants could have and makes it less likely that new variants emerge,” Rep. Cartwright wrote.

Rep. Cartwright also noted resources the American Rescue Plan would provide to launch a national vaccination program. He said he is working to ensure it is swiftly enacted, so Pennsylvania receives more resources for vaccine distribution quickly.

“I am confident that the legislation’s $20 billion investment establishing a national vaccination program will significantly bolster vaccine manufacturing and distribution capacity and offer the needed assistance to establish and sustain mass vaccination sites across the nation,” Rep. Cartwright added.

The House passed the American Rescue Plan on February 27, and the Senate passed a slightly modified version on Saturday, March 6. The House is set to approve that version this week and send it to President Biden for signature.

Co-signers of the letter are State Sen. Lisa Baker (R-SD-20); State Sen. Mario Scavello (R-SD-40) and State Reps. Michael B. Carroll (D-HD-118); Marty Flynn (D-HD-113); Jonathan Fritz (R-HD-111); Aaron Kaufer (R-HD-120); Bridget M. Kosierowski (D-HD-114); Maureen E. Madden (D-HD-115); Gerald Mullery (D-HD-119); Kyle Mullins (D-HD-112); Eddie Day Pashinski (D-HD-121); Mike Peifer (R-HD-139); Jack Rader (R-HD-176); Tara Toohill (R-HD-116); Karen Boback (R-HD-117); and Rosemary Brown (R-HD-189).