This story was updated at 4:30 Thursday, Feb. 4.

The Allegheny County Health Department, in partnership with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is trying to make it easier to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning at noon Thursday, you can dial 2-1-1 for help in registering or to have all of your vaccine questions answered.

The phone registration support is intended only for those 65 and older without internet access or who are having trouble navigating the registration website. Appointments are for the Health Department’s vaccine distribution site inside the DoubleTree Hotel in Monroeville only. Appointments remain extremely limited and the 750 slots that were available Thursday morning were gone by late Thursday afternoon. It’s not clear when new slots will open because of the current shortage of vaccine doses.

“Navigating the online registration can be a challenge for some of our county’s seniors, and vaccinating this group is a top priority for the Health Department,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the County Health Department.

Other vaccine providers in Allegheny County have separate registration systems, and 2-1-1 will not be able to sign up people for appointments with those providers. Links to register at the vaccine distribution site in Monroeville will continue to be posted on the Health Department’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information Page.

Super Bowl Parties

Dr. Bogen and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald are asking people to use “common sense” regarding Super Bowl parties this weekend.

“The safest Super Bowl parties are ones with only members of your household,” Bogen said. “Gatherings of others outside or at the television where there will be cheering, eating, puts people at risk for spreading or catching the virus.”

Cases in the country continue to drop, now averaging around 240 a day, roughly 50 cases less than a week ago. The test positivity rate is also down to 6.8%.

Vaccine supplies remain tight by Bogen is optimistic that will improve soon with increased allocations to the state and the likely approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one dose, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines which require two.