Need a COVID-19 shot or booster? Pop-up clinics coming to locations throughout Summit

Summit County Public Health is taking its COVID-19 vaccination clinics out into the community as the area and nation experience an uptick in cases.

COVID-19: Summit County's COVID cases up 48.2%; Ohio cases surge 43.3%

The health department will have free walk-in clinics at sites throughout the county the weeks of May 17-20 and June 6-10.

All clinics will offer both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Staff will administer any shot in

the series according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

The clinics are for individuals 5 and older. No appointments are needed.

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"We are taking clinics into the community to make COVID-19 vaccinations more accessible for all Summit County residents, especially in those areas with the lowest vaccination rates," Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said. "The best way to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19 is to be vaccinated. As we see cases starting to increase again, we want to remove as many barriers as possible."

Here are the locations of the clinics:

• May 17, 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium, 2345 4th St.

• May 18, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Springfield High School, 1880 Canton Road.

• May 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Kenmore-Garfield High School, 2140 13th St. SW, Akron.

• May 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Akron METRO Transit Center, 631 S. Broadway, Akron.

• June 6, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Ellet Community Learning Center, 309 Wolf Ave., Akron.

• June 7, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Barberton Farmer's Market, downtown Barberton.

• June 8, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Nordonia High School, 8006 Bedford Road, Macedonia.

• June 9, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Glover Community Learning Center, 935 Hammel St., Akron.

• June 10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Akron METRO Transit Center, 631 S. Broadway, Akron.

The agency also offers weekday vaccine clinics by appointment or walk-ins at its headquarters in West Akron at 1867 W. Market St. Appointments can be scheduled at https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov for that clinic and many pharmacies.

Uptick in COVID cases

Spokeswoman Marlene Martin said the health department is "seeing an uptick in cases here in Summit County and it is likely that our case numbers could be under reported as people need to self report after testing positive on an at home test."

Anyone who tests positive on an at-home test is asked to self-report at tiny.cc/hometest19

The CDC has a new isolation and quarantine guideline calculator where people can enter in details, like when they were exposed or tested positive and what steps they should take next. The calculator can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html

Hospitalizations remain relatively low

Despite the uptick in COVID cases, Akron-area hospitalizations for COVID-19 remain relatively low.

On Wednesday, a total of 25 patients were being treated for COVID at the four Akron-area hospitals: 14 at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, seven at Summa Health, one at Western Reserve Hospital and three at Akron Children's Hospital.

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Pop-up COVID-19 shot clinics coming to locations throughout Summit