Additional vaccine appointments beginning Sunday for the University of Arizona POD will be made available soon, said UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins at a press conference this morning.

Robbins asks the public to continue to check for appointments and reminded the public that the number of appointments available is directly proportional to the number of vaccine doses.

The university is scheduled to receive 16,380 doses this week and has distributed more than 35,000 doses, said Robbins.

The POD continues to run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, but with an increase in vaccines, the hours may be expanded to become a 24/7 POD by the end of March or the beginning of April, said Arizona Health Director Dr. Cara Christ during a news conference last week.

Robbins said the issue is a supply problem, as with the expanded hours, the vaccine distribution center could deliver 6,000 to 7,000 doses per day with 24-hour service.

"As soon as the state can give us the vaccine that we need, we'll gladly go 24/7, seven days a week, until we get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible," said Robbins.

As vaccines become available at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, Dr. Richard Carmona, UA's reentry task force director, hopes people will go to where they can get a vaccine as quickly as they can.

“The more places we have that allow vaccines to be given is clearly part of our value proposition to accelerate herd immunity,” said Carmona.

Online registration for the UA POD is available at podvaccine.azdhs.gov. If you need assistance call 602-542-1000.

UA Remains in Stage 2, but Warns of “COVID Exhaustion”

The University of Arizona will remain in Stage 2 for instruction this week and anticipates the same for the week of March 8, said Robbins.

From Feb. 22 - 26, the UA POD administered 10, 727 COVID-19 tests with only 19 positive results, for a positivity rate of 0.18%, well below the 5% positivity rate goal, Robbins said.

However, Carmona urges the community to continue to practice social distancing and wearing masks.

For the week of Feb. 22, the university saw an increase of large group incidents, with eight more incidents reported this week than the week before, according to a report provided to the university by UAPD in conjunction with the Tucson Police Department.

“We understand that you're getting tired,” said Carmona. “Students come because they want to recreate. They want to socialize. It's part of their education. But we can't go back to that old normal yet.”