Council President Parker unveils bold plan for 24-hour COVID-19 testing and vaccinations at Legion Field

With cases of COVID-19 continuing to spike locally and nationwide, Council President William Parker said bold steps need to be taken to maximize testing and vaccination efforts in Birmingham.

His plan is to transform Legion Field into a 24-hour COVID-19 testing and vaccination site for the public. On Monday, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona began their efforts to provide vaccinations 24/7, beginning with first responders. Officials estimate that the site will be able to handle 250–500 people an hour, or potentially 6,000 to 12,000 vaccinations a day.

President Parker said he will be presenting similar plans to state and local leaders this week and the Birmingham Park Board as early as next week.

“We are currently experiencing a massive spike in the number of cases,” Parker said. “We have to take bold and swift action to not only make testing sites more accessible for residents, but also to distribute vaccines as quickly and as efficiently as possible. I believe Legion Field is the perfect location to accomplish these goals. This is going to require city, county, state and federal funding through the CARES Act, and we will be working with our partners to secure that funding.”

Currently COVID-19 testing continues to be available at Legion Field, from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This is a developing story, more information will be released as it becomes available.