Two of Columbus' largest COVID-19 vaccine sites closing down

COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- Just as Ohio begins to lift its health orders, two of Columbus' largest COVID-19 vaccine sites, located at the Celeste Center and the Schottenstein Center, will be closing their doors later this month.

"You know there were times we were getting close to 3,000 people a day through the Celeste Center, and now if we get 500 a day, it's a good day," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts with Columbus Public Health.

Roberts said with only a few hundred visitors, the amount of space provided by the Celeste Center wasn't needed.

On top of that, she said the city's lease with the building expires at the end of June.

Meanwhile, the Schottenstein Center will no longer be providing vaccinations after this Thursday and will instead return to hosting events.

However, other locations will continue to offer the vaccine including Jesse Owens North Recreation Center and Ohio State East Hospital.

With only 40 percent of Ohio's population fully vaccinated, Roberts said they won't stop providing ways for people to get the vaccine.

"I feel confident that the community has access to the vaccine, and Columbus Public Health will continue to provide the vaccine here at the health department,” Roberts said. “So there will be a stationary clinic here, and then we'll also have mobile units that'll go out in the community and meet people where they are.”

Roberts said that while the city choose to not renew its lease on the center, that doesn't mean it won't be utilized again in the future.

"We actually talked about that, and we would be prepared to open either again at the Celeste Center or at another venue if necessary,” she said. “We don't know what's going to happen in the future, whether there's going to be a need for boosters and so we will be preparing ourselves to either reopen at the Celeste Center or some other venue if that becomes a need for our community.”