DETROIT – The city of Detroit is teaming up with the Detroit Pistons for a special COVID-19 vaccination event this weekend.
To help encourage Detroit residents and employees to get vaccinated for COVID, the city and the Pistons are hosting “Family Vaccination Day” on Saturday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pistons Performance Center.
Anyone aged 16 and older who lives or works in the city is eligible to receive a vaccination at the event Saturday. First doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered. Appointments are required to receive a vaccine dose Saturday -- call 313-230-0505 to schedule an appointment.
There will be free food, giveaways and special appearances by Pistons greats Rick Mahorn and Earl Cureton!
Learn more from Cureton in the video above and hear why he thinks it’s important for the Pistons to take part in the vaccination effort.
Not able to attend Saturday? There are plenty of options available for Michiganders to receive their COVID shot.
Find an appointment: Tracking COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan: New openings, clinics, appointments
The vaccination event comes just after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the state’s new reopening plan in which virus restrictions will be lifted based on the number of residents who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Here are the steps in Whitmer’s newly-announced “MI Vacc To Normal” plan:
- Step 1: Two weeks after 55% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will allow in-person work for all sectors of business.
- Step 2: Two weeks after 60% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will increase indoor capacity and sports stadiums and indoor capacity at conference centers, banquet halls and funeral homes to 25%. It will also increase capacity at exercise facilities and gyms to 50% and lift the curfew on restaurants and bars.
- Step 3: Two weeks after 65% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will lift all indoor capacity limits and require only social distancing between parties, as well as further relax limits on residential social gatherings.
- Step 4: Two weeks after 70% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will lift the gatherings and face masks order so MDHSS won’t broadly mitigate it unless there are unanticipated circumstances (variants that resist the vaccine, etc.).
As of Thursday, April 29, the state of Michigan reports that more than 6.8 million coronavirus vaccines have been administered, with more than 48% of residents having received their first shot. Only about 37% of Michigan residents are considered fully vaccinated, as of Thursday.
Vaccinations have recently slowed in the city of Detroit -- not due to lack of supply, but rather just lack of participation.
More: How long will it take Michigan to reach a 70% vaccination rate?