HENRICO COUNTY, Va -- A Central Virginia entrepreneur who owns a popular delivery company planned to expand to offer vaccinations during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Chandler, the owner and founder of the local food delivery app Chop Chop RVA, is preparing to open a vaccination site at Short Pump Town Center.
Alongside his business partner, Michael Damon, they currently offer COVID-19 testing at drive-thru Test Here sites at Willow Lawn Shopping Center on West Broad Street and in Short Pump.
Chandler said he saw the demand for testing dropped as more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were made available to the public.
Chandler and Damon have since worked with the Virginia Department of Health to secure the necessary insurance, licensing, and medical professions to offer COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We are certified to give out those vaccines and that process will begin a little bit later in April. It’s been interesting to learn all that needs to be done so you can give out those and make sure you have the certification,” Chandler explained.
The pair are waiting for their vaccine supply and they don’t yet know what type of vaccine they will receive.
They’ve requested roughly 9,000 doses of the vaccine, but that number will be determined by VDH.
“This sounds like a perfect way to give back to the community,” Chandler stated.
Meanwhile, testing for the coronavirus continues at his two Test Here sites.
They offer next day RT-PCR testing and rapid COVID-19 testing with results available within ten minutes. Results of antibody tests arrive in 15 minutes.