ALBANY, Ga. — The Southwest Public Health District encourages healthcare organizations and congregate living facilities to request the Covid vaccine for their employees through the district’s website, Dr. Charles Ruis, district health director, said in a press release late Tuesday.

Now that the vaccine is arriving in all Southwest Georgia Health Departments, healthcare workers and facilities are able to obtain it, Ruis said. Among the facilities qualified to register are hospitals, urgent care facilities, long-term care facilities, EMS, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, home healthcare agencies, hospice organizations, and certain specialty care facilities.

Healthcare organizations in the 14-county district can fill out the vaccine request form on the district’s website at www.southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org. A member of the public health staff will contact each facility as soon as they are able to schedule the vaccine service, the press release said. Individuals who are self-employed as healthcare workers may call their local health department for information and scheduling.

Colquitt Regional Medical Center received a separate allotment of vaccines and began vaccinating its employees on Thursday, Dec. 17.