I never got through. And I had two other people trying for me, too.”

Louise Bermon

It was busy the whole time.”

Douglas Anderson

We don’t know what the plan is, because we’re waiting for the department of health to tell us.”

Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha

Ruth Oppenheim pushed through a bitterly cold wind as she made her way to the front door of Barrington Town Hall early Friday morning.

The 93-year-old Barrington resident was hoping to register to receive a Covid-19 vaccination through the town. A day earlier, Ms. Oppenheim learned that Barrington had 47 doses to administer to residents 75 and older.

For most of Thursday afternoon, she called the number provided on the bottom of an email distributed by town officials, waiting to speak with a town employee who could reserve a shot for her.

“I tried for four hours,” Ms. Oppenheim said. “I left a message.”

Having not heard back, Ms. Oppenheim decided to stop by the town hall on Friday morning — the email shared details about registration taking place inside the town council chambers from 9 to 11 on Friday morning.

She climbed the steps outside the town hall’s main entrance and tried to enter the building, but realized quickly the front door was locked — the town hall has been closed to the public for weeks because of the pandemic.

Eventually, one of the employees at the town hall cracked the door open, asking Ms. Oppenheim if she was on the list to receive one of the 47 doses. She was not.

For those who had not made the initial cut, town employees took their names and contact information — the plan was to alert those folks when the next round of doses became available. Initially, it appeared town employees turned the first few people away without collecting their names and contact information.

Barrington resident Louise Bermon said the town needs to establish a new process where residents can register by phone for the vaccinations. Ms. Bermon and her husband are both 76 years old. She said she is his caretaker, and was hoping to register for a vaccination. She said she called the number provided by the town yesterday but was unable to reach anyone.

“I never got through,” she said. “And I had two other people trying for me, too.”

So on Friday morning Ms. Bermon braved the 10-degree temperature and drove to the town hall. She waited outside the building and finally had a chance to speak with one of the workers there. Ms. Bermon said she understands that there are a limited number of doses available, but believes the town should have created a better system to register those who qualified to receive a vaccination.

Wendy Sheehan felt the same way.

Ms. Sheehan said she tried calling for the better part of Thursday afternoon but was unable to speak with anyone. The Barrington resident arrived at the town hall early Friday morning, still hopeful that she could register for a vaccination. But once she reached the front door of the town hall, she received the disappointing news: all 47 doses were spoken for, and she would have to wait.

Elana Winter was making her way up the front steps at the town hall, while Ms. Bermon began her trek back to her car. Ms. Winter was one of the fortunate residents who made the cut on Thursday and showed up Friday morning to register for the vaccine appointment. She will receive her first dose of the vaccine on Monday at a facility in Bristol.

“I guess I made it,” Ms. Winter said.

When asked how she found out about the vaccines, Ms. Winter said her neighbor had called her on Thursday.

Douglas Anderson, 84, said he started calling the town hall on Thursday around 3 p.m. after he saw a report on the TV about the available vaccine doses.

“It was busy the whole time,” he said. Mr. Anderson decided instead to stop by the town hall Friday morning, only to hear the same news as many other residents. He said he understands the situation and is more frustrated that there are not more doses available nationally.

Early arrivals

Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said elderly residents began arriving early at the town hall on Friday morning, hoping to secure a vaccine dose.

From 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Mr. Cunha stood outside his office greeting people as they approached the town hall. Those who had made the list he allowed to wait inside the town hall. Those who had not made the list, he assured there would be more opportunities in the future for receiving a vaccination. He said most residents were very polite and understanding, but a few were not.

“There were some that were angry,” he said, adding that about two dozen folks showed up by 8:30.

Mr. Cunha said town officials did the best they could with this first wave of doses. He said the state initially told Barrington officials that the town would received 160 doses, but a day later they dropped that amount to 80.

Mr. Cunha met with Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette, Captain Scott Carroll and Senior Center Director Michele Geremia and discussed how to distribute the vaccines. They decided to offer the vaccines to residents 75 and older living at Barrington Cove Apartments — 33 residents registered, leaving 47 remaining doses. Mr. Cunha said town officials decided to offer the remaining allotment on a first-come, first-served basis.

On Friday morning, Mr. Cunha said he was not sure what the distribution plan for the town would look like when the next wave of doses arrives in mid-February.

“We don’t know what the plan is, because we’re waiting for the department of health to tell us,” he said.

The town manager added that each community in the state appears to be handling the vaccination roll-out differently.

The voter registration roll in Barrington includes between 1,400 and 1,500 residents who are 75 or older.