With COVID-18 vaccination efforts across most of the country moving much slower than many would like, two women decided they were going to try and skip the line by wearing old lady disguises in an attempt to qualify to be vaccinated.
via People:
The incident occurred at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Dr. Raul Pino, the director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said in a press conference on Thursday.
The women had on bonnets, gloves and glasses, according to Pino.
“We haven’t had any lack of willing arms to get vaccinated. We also have people faking to be old to be vaccinated,” he said. “Yesterday, we realized a couple of young ladies came dressed up as grannies to get vaccinated for the second time.”
While Pino is unsure how the women got their first dose of the vaccine, he said they did have valid vaccination cards with them.
Pino said workers at the vaccination site were alerted when there were “some issues with their IDs and their driver’s license.”
A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office tells PEOPLE the birthdates of the women — identified by authorities as Olga Monroy-Ramirez, 44, and Martha Vivian Monroy, 34 — did not match those they had used to register for the vaccines.
The women’s names did match the registration, the spokesperson says.
Deputies on scene were asked by Department of Health personnel to issue trespass warnings against the women, according to the sheriff’s office. No other law enforcement action was taken.
According to the Florida Department of Health in Orange County’s website, Florida residents who are 65 or older qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Pino said during Thursday’s press briefing that officials have “increased security” around the vaccination site.
“This is the hottest commodity that is out there right now,” Pino said of the COVID-19 vaccine. “We have to be very careful with the funds and the resources that we are provided.”
We’re sure there’s a lot of this type of stunt going on.
