FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination site

State officials say everyone 16 and up will be eligible for vaccine starting April 5

DETROIT – The Joe Biden Administration officially announced Friday morning it will be working with state officials to build a new major Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in Detroit.

With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site.

UPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford Field

RELATED: Here is Michigan’s updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and when

According to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the CVC at Ford Field will be administering 6,000 shots daily.

It was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site.

The CVC will serve the entire southeast Michigan region.

President Joe Biden laid out his administration’s plans to speed up the vaccination process Thursday night and Michigan officials announced Friday morning that all residents age 16 and up will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5 -- nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by Biden.

Ford Field’s use as a CVC will be a large part of Metro Detroit’s vaccination process.


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About the Authors:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.