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Portage prepares for presidential visit to Pfizer manufacturing facility


Portage prepares for President Joe Biden's visit to Pfizer on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. (WWMT/File)
Portage prepares for President Joe Biden's visit to Pfizer on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. (WWMT/File)
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Kalamazoo County and White House officials are being tight lipped about President Joe Biden’s Thursday visit to Portage, during which he will tour Pfizer’s facility where tens of millions of doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine have been produced.

The Portage City Manager’s office and Portage Department of Public Safety referred questions about the president’s visit to the White House.

A White House spokesperson said the schedule and estimated time of arrival has not been set.

After a meeting with the Secret Service over the weekend, local law enforcement officials tell News Channel 3 they expect President Biden to touch down in Kalamazoo County on Thursday afternoon.

“This is about letting those employees and that company know how valued they are and what they mean to literally this entire world,” said Portage City Manager Joe La Margo. “You can’t say that very often, but they have such an impact.”

La Margo called the presidential visit a privilege, and said it means a lot to the community to see the Portage facility under an international spotlight, especially for producing a vaccine that could save thousands or even millions of lives.

Pfizer is producing one of two COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States.

La Margo said Portage Public Safety’s Police Department is ready to help the Secret Service with road closures and other security measures, adding he couldn’t give details on the logistics of Biden’s visit

He also said the city isn’t expecting much if any overtime costs resulting from the president's visit.

“We’re ready to stand and help,” La Margo said. “Our police department has been working with the Secret Service to make sure that his trip is safe.”

News Channel 3 reached out to Pfizer for an interview or statement about President Biden’s visit, but has not heard back.

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