SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Online registration has opened for Ohio’s COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinic at the Summit County Fairgrounds.

Any Ohio resident can sign up for an appointment using the state’s online portal by entering ​ZIP code 44278.   

Appointments begin on April 3. The portal will only list the fairgrounds clinic if appointments are available, so check back often.

Appointments are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. three to four days per week, depending on dosage allocation, according to Summit County Public Health, which is overseeing the eight-week clinic.

The fairgrounds clinic will dispense the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires a single dose, officials said. Only people 18 and older are eligible for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Summit County Fairgrounds is located at 229 E. Howe Road in Tallmadge. Anyone needing assistance scheduling an appointment should call 330-926-5795.

The fairgrounds clinic will set up multiple drive-thru lanes, with the health department assisted by the Medical Reserve Corps and the Ohio National Guard, as well as workers from the state and local hospitals. https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage

Those with appointments should bring an I.D. and plan to spend 15 minutes in an observation area after being vaccinated, officials said.

The fairgrounds clinic expects to receive 5,000 doses per week and will begin administering 1,000 doses per day and gradually increase the number to ensure everything is running well, officials said.

Multiple transportation options are available to COVID-19 vaccine appointments at any Summit County location, including the fairgrounds. Summit METRO TRA is offering free rides on all fixed routes to those who can show proof of a same day appointment.

RTA riders with appointments will be taken to the transit center near Chapel Hill Mall, where a shuttle will take them to the fairgrounds and then return them to the transit center. The buses are equipped with hand sanitizer and are regularly disinfected, the county said.

Medicaid recipients are also eligible for free transportation to and from any vaccine appointment, and can register for a ride by calling 330-643-8200. Once registered, they can call 330-376-5353 to schedule a ride to the appointment.

Anyone receiving the COVID-19 vaccine should continue social distancing, washing their hands and wearing a mask, officials said, because COVID-19 infection rates in and around Summit County are creeping upward.