A Colorado Springs-based drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site is closing its doors, according to a Monday news release from El Paso County Public Health.

Located at the Citadel Mall, the vaccine site’s last day of operations will be Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to county health spokeswoman Michelle Beyrle.

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The closing comes as the state has begun to see an uptick in COVID infections and hospitalizations, according to state public health data. More than 50 Colorado Springs residents have been hospitalized with COVID-related illnesses in the past two weeks, officials said.

As vaccines are readily available at a number of locations throughout El Paso County and the health department looks to return to normal operations, residents are being encouraged to get vaccinated at their normal medical providers or local pharmacies, officials said.

The Citadel vaccine clinic was one of two large community-based drive-thru sites – opened in July 2021 – that offered both COVID testing and vaccines. The second site was located at the Chapel Hills Mall. Both sites closed at the end of March, but the Citadel clinic reopened in September to support the rollout of the new bivalent booster, Beyrle said.

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More than 500,000 El Paso County residents have been vaccinated so far, according to the county’s COVID-19 online dashboard.

Residents seeking vaccinations and boosters can still get them through County Health, officials said. The county’s immunizations clinic, located at the Citizens Service Center at 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, offers vaccines by appointment. Organizations can also schedule an El Paso County Public Health mobile outreach van for community events, according to the release.

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Residents seeking a nearby vaccine location can visit elpasocountyhealth.org/how-can-i-get-a-vaccine. To search for a location by ZIP code, visit vaccines.gov.