NORFOLK, Va. — (Editors note: The video above is from a previous story)
Some will say they experienced challenges in 2021.
“We’ve lost loved ones," said Judi Laney the president of Upsilon Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. "Some people lost employment.”
The start of a new year means the chance to start over and continue the fight against COVID-19.
“You have to mitigate and one of the first things we should be doing is getting vaccinated,” she said.
Monique Hemingway is one of many who seized the opportunity to get a shot at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
“My mother is a breast cancer survivor and I spend the majority of my days during the week with her,” Hemingway said.
So, she got a booster shot to keep her mother safe as cases climb in Hampton Roads but she didn’t come alone.
“My family came out today to get their booster shots as well as my youngest. She was able to get her first shot,” she said.
Nearly 50 people received a dose at the Basilica of St. Mary. The clinic offered the Pfizer vaccine to adults and children.
Some even walked away with a special gift, an at-home COVID-19 test. The church partnered with the Upsilon Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Bayview Pharmacy and VDH to host the clinic Sunday afternoon.
“This is a new start, new year," Laney said. "This is the best way I can think of and the best place to do it.”
Although most people at this clinic received a booster shot, Dileep Potnuri, the pharmacy manager at Bayview Pharmacy says he’s seeing more people looking for a first dose.
“I think it’s most likely because of the recent uptick in covid cases because of Omicron,” he said.
He's relieved to see people taking necessary precautions against the virus.