ST. CLAIRSVILLE — With demand for COVID-19 vaccination declining in Belmont County, the health department’s weekly shot clinic at the Ohio Valley Mall is expected to end May 20.

After that, Belmont County Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul said, health department staff likely will continue to set up clinics around Belmont County by request.

“We’re going to try and go around the community,” Sproul said. “We’re going to try to reach out to different communities and different locations, so that way we can be in the community with the shot, so they wouldn’t have to drive to our place. If Bethesda wanted, we would find some place in Bethesda to sit down and give the shots and come back in 28 days and do the second shot.”

Sproul reviewed this and other matters during Monday’s meeting of the Belmont County Health Board.

This follows two weeks of vaccination clinics in Belmont County’s school districts, offering the first of two shots to students 16 and up before summer vacation.

“All the ones that have requested us go out, we have gone out to,” Sproul said. “It varied at location, but we had a fair number at each one.”

The Pfizer BioNTech version, cleared for use on recipients age 16 and older, was approved Monday for use on those as young as 12.

“We may go back out again to the schools,” Sproul said.

“They’re also talking about getting full FDA approval. … They could ship directly to the doctor’s offices. … That’s on the horizon.

“We were a little bit slow last week,” Sproul said.

He said close to 300 people received their second dose during last week’s clinic.

During the meeting, Director of Nursing Linda Mehl said there were about 75 walk-ins.

“A few people have taken advantage of it, but the numbers are still way, way down,” Sprould said.

Mehl said a little more than 100 second doses are scheduled for this Thursday’s clinic at the mall.

Meanwhile, another clinic is scheduled for Thursday, with people able to walk in with no appointment for first doses from 1-5 p.m.

Other outreach is scheduled at different residences this week.

“This coming week, we have a couple close pods,” Sproul said. The vaccination sites will be the Shadyside Manor in Shadyside and Wayne L. Hayes Colonial Apartments at Flushing.

“We reached out to a few businesses. We’re waiting to hear back from them about doing business locations and doing their employees,” Sproul said.

The next health board meeting will be held at noon June 14 at the Emergency Management Agency building at 68329 Bannock Road, St. Clairsville.

Sproul said Belmont County has an average of eight new COVID-19 cases daily, but the number can vary. The county has had a total of 6,242 cases since the pandemic’s onset, with 294 people isolated with active cases or hospitalized, and 5,831 recoveries. A total of 117 residents have died after contracting the virus.