Sundance Square Now Part Of Tarrant County's COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A COVID-19 vaccination strategy to move doses into more places where people gather prompted a pop up clinic Friday, May 28 in Fort Worth's Sundance Square, although the outdoor space is still closed to the public.
Tarrant County Public Health employees used an indoor pavilion at the downtown outdoor plaza to offer a choice of vaccines to anyone who stopped by.
By the end of the day, through off and on rain, 52 people had received a dose.
The location was chosen because of the Square's reputation as a gathering spot in the city, but people have not returned in pre-pandemic numbers.
Ropes still lines the sidewalks, to prevent people from leaving the sidewalk.
Trees and shrubs were brought in to create a barrier and only allow people to walk across the space. Children are not allowed in to play in the large fountain as they were before. Tables and chairs have been removed.
Restaurants and shops on all sides of the square have also closed since the pandemic began.
Zach Murphy with Sundance Square said management had plans for opening up in the near future, but did not have a specific date.
"We're being very careful about the health of our community, and we want to be as safe as possible, and we took a lot of care in creating the environment and putting stuff together and that's one of our main considerations," he said.
Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks who was there for the opening of the pop-up clinic said there were no negatives to the closure, as it related to the vaccine clinic idea.
"Sundance Square is still a pivotal crossroads in downtown Fort Worth,"he said. "I'm very pleased to be here and I think it's going to be very successful."
The county plans to repeat the clinic on Fridays through July 2.