NORRISTOWN, PA – During their virtual COVID-19 briefing today, the Montgomery County Commissioners provided an update on COVID-19 vaccine operations and announced the launch of two new Saturday clinics at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Spring House and Bethel Community Church in Pottstown. Bethel Community Church in Pottstown will hold vaccine clinics every Saturday, and Bethlehem Baptist Church will hold a Saturday clinic this Saturday, April 17 and every Saturday in May.
Per federal and state directives the Montgomery County Office of Public Health has paused the use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its vaccine clinics. Anyone who had an appointment to receive the J&J vaccine with the county has been contacted and given the opportunity to reschedule their appointment for a later date. Pfizer vaccine will be given at all clinics until further notice.
"We have taken inventory of all our remaining first doses of Pfizer and have updated our clinics schedule accordingly to only distribute Pfizer through next Tuesday, April 20," said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. "Taking a pause to evaluate a potential side effect is exactly how a data driven, scientific process should work, and I hope Pennsylvanians will be reassured by this step. We have to balance speed and safety as we try to get more shots in arms, and this pause gives me confidence science and safety are guiding that process."
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates: Registration for the COVID-19 vaccine is now available for everyone age 16 and over who lives or works in Montgomery County. The C
ounty is booking appointments for people in Phases 1A, 1B and 1C. Appointments are available by reservation only. Walk-up registration is not accepted. To learn more about criteria for each phase or to pre-register for an appointment, visit www.montcopa.org/covid-19vaccine.
To ensure equitable access for all, vaccine appointments within each phase will be released randomly, not by date registered. Demand for the vaccine remains high, therefore residents are asked for their patience as the vaccine rollout continues. Eligibility does not equal availability. Appointments will be released in accordance with supply.
Montgomery County COVID-19 Hotline: A COVID-19 hotline is available for general COVID-19 questions and pre-registration for the COVID-19 vaccine. The number to call is (833) 875-3967. Vaccine pre-registration by phone is available to seniors and those without internet access. The Montgomery County COVID-19 hotline is operational six days a week, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with live operators. Phone pre-registration for vaccine appointments is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, the hotline has LanguageLine support for over 100+ different languages.
County Vaccination Clinics: Appointments are required to receive the vaccine at the following Montgomery County vaccine clinics. No walk-up registration is accepted.
- Bethel Community Church, 575 North Keim Street, Pottstown, PA 19464 (Weekday and Saturday hours)
- Bethlehem Baptist Church, 712 Penllyn Pike, Spring House, PA 19477 (Saturday, April 17, All Saturdays in May)
- Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446
- Montgomery County Community College, Health Sciences Center, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422
- Norristown Area High School, 1900 Eagle Drive, Norristown, PA 19403
- Parkside Shopping Center (between Planet Fitness and Rally House), 2522 West Moreland Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090
Transportation to vaccine appointments at Montgomery County vaccination clinics listed above is available at no cost to the rider. Calling ahead is encouraged.
Vaccine Pre-registration with Other Providers: There are a number of other providers in the County and region that are receiving the vaccine. Residents can look these up on the PA Department of Health (DOH) vaccine provider map as they change weekly. Each site has its own registration process that is separate from the County. The Montgomery County Office of Public Health does not distribute vaccines to these locations and does not have any control over how the vaccine is distributed. The PA DOH distributes the vaccine directly to them. Wherever a resident goes to receive their first dose of vaccine is where they need to go to get their second dose.
COVID-19 Rent & Utility Relief: The COVID-19
Rent and Utility Relief Program, administered by
Your Way Home, allows eligible households to receive up to 12 months of assistance for rent and utility bills dating back to March 13, 2020. Assistance can be for past due rent and/or utility payments or future rent payments. Funding for security deposits, first and/or last month of rent is also eligible as part of the program. There is no financial limit on the amount of assistance a household can receive.
COVID-19 Testing Sites Schedule: Montgomery County COVID-19 testing sites are open various hours each weekday at six locations across the County weather permitting. Testing is available to anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Montgomery County. Appointments can be made on weekdays starting at 7 a.m. online or starting at 8:30 a.m. by calling (610) 970-2937.
COVID-19 Cases & Data: A full breakdown of all Montgomery County COVID-19 cases can be found on the COVID-19 Data Hub. The Hub hosts the County’s COVID-19 maps, data, and charts that show the number of daily cases and deaths related to COVID-19, including hospitalizations and ventilator use. There is also demographic information on cases by age, gender and race. For all other COVID-19 resources in Montgomery County, please visit https://www.montcopa.org/COVID-19.
COVID-19 Virtual Media Briefings: The next press briefing on COVID-19 mitigation efforts will be held Wednesday, April 21, at 1:30 p.m. A link for media to register will be announced through a media advisory. It will be streamed live to the public on Montgomery County’s Facebook page and a recording will be uploaded on the County’s Public Safety YouTube channel.