 |
|
1/26/2021
|
Sen. Raptakis calls for online registration process for COVID-19 vaccinations, mirroring testing portal already in place
|
 State Senator also rejects proposal to vaccinate legislators, saying “I may be in the General Assembly but I will stand with the general public and not jump the line to receive the vaccine.”
STATE HOUSE – With a change in leadership in the Governor’s office, there has been considerable discussion about the priorities and procedures for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. State Senator Lou Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich) is calling for an online registration process for vaccinations for the general public, similar to what was done with COVID-19 testing in the state, where there was an online portal on the RI Department of Health website to schedule testing. He had sent a letter last week to the Department of Health Director, Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, asking her to establish a process of registering the remaining general public. "I want to suggest considering using the testing portal created by the department as a potential tool in rolling out vaccinations,” said Senator Raptakis in the letter.
“Once we take care of the elderly, those with medical conditions requiring immediate vaccination and our frontline workers, we should have a registration system in place to schedule vaccinations for the general public,” said Raptakis. “Once we have a majority of Rhode Islanders registered, there could be a lottery system based on birthdate similar to what FDR did with the military service draft in October 1940 as the most fair and reasonable approach.”
Senator Raptakis is also rejecting the notion that General Assembly members be prioritized for the vaccination.
Senator Raptakis added, “When it comes to prioritizing legislators for vaccination, I may be in the General Assembly, but I will stand with the general public and not jump the line to get the vaccine. I think we need to focus on having a process that prioritizes getting vaccines into the arms of the groups that need it most and legislators should not be given special consideration.”
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
|
|