COVID-19 vaccine now available for people 65 and over in county



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San Diego County officials announced on Saturday that they have expanded the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to include anyone 65 and older.

Previously, the vaccine was only available to healthcare workers and people 75 years of age or older, although some health care providers vaccinate their clients at age 65 or older.

“With a number of health care providers now vaccinating in the age group, and the UC San Diego Super Health Station having a surplus of appointments, the decision was made this afternoon,” said Dr Wilma J. Wooten, county public health official. in a press release. “Appointments are always necessary and vaccines are available depending on the supply.”

Eligible people are encouraged to contact their doctor or health care provider first to request the vaccine, but if none are available, they should make an appointment at the county site. Reservations can be made at vaccinationsuperstationsd.com. Anyone without an appointment will be refused.

Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health and UCSD are asking patients not to call about vaccinations to avoid overloading phone lines. Healthcare providers will contact eligible patients by phone, text, email, or other service.

About 80% of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are in people aged 65 and over. San Diego County has 473,000 residents in this age group.

As the rate of new coronavirus infections plummeted across California, associated deaths have reached new highs. The state reported 593 deaths on Saturday, up from a one-day record of 764 on Friday.

Last week, the state recorded an average of 29,000 new cases per day, down 6,000 cases from the previous week.

“Although we have come a long way this week with community transmission, we have a long way to go and must continue to practice infectious control measures: wear a face mask and maintain a physical distance when you are away from home. A statement from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said.

San Diego County has received 173,000 doses of the vaccine in recent days as part of the launch of a second mass inoculation site in Chula Vista, operated by Sharp. Located in a former Sears department store, the site is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

The site is set to vaccinate 5,000 people a day, a county official said. About 1,800 people made an appointment on Thursday.

A site in the Petco Park tailgate parking lot, managed by UCSD, has immunized more than 35,000 people to date.

County officials said they plan to create two more mass vaccination sites in Eastern and Northern counties, as well as a total of 16 smaller sites across the region by February 1. .

The county intends to inoculate 1.9 million people in the county by July if enough vaccine is available. So far, a total of approximately 442,000 doses have been shipped to the region.

Statistics released by the county on Saturday showed an additional 2,980 cases reported through Friday, bringing the total to 225,558. The county also reported 111 additional hospitalizations and on Friday there were 1,578 COVID patients in local hospitals, including 434 in intensive care units.

The county had added 43 more COVID-related deaths as of Friday, bringing that total to 2,344, or 1% of cases.

Despite the staggering statistics, some people remain reluctant to follow state and county health orders. Owners of small businesses like restaurants say they will lose their livelihood if they are forced to close. Some churches say their right to worship together indoors is protected by federal and state constitutions.

However, courts have repeatedly recognized the need to protect the public from the community spread of the virus.

The U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals on Friday again upheld public health orders that restrict indoor worship in a case the United Pentecostal Church of Chula Vista in South Bay has been battling for several months. Under current orders, churches are allowed to assemble outside without capacity limits.

The appeals court ruled that “California’s restrictions on indoor worship are closely tailored to meet the state’s compelling – and immediate – interest in stopping the community spread of the deadly coronavirus.” However, the court said the state-imposed limits of 100 and 200 people on counties at the less restrictive levels could be unconstitutional.

The decision comes in addition to a separate ruling, also on Friday, by a state appeals court overturning a ruling allowing in-person meals at restaurants. The lower court had exaggerated by expanding a preliminary injunction to include restaurants, since the case was brought only by two strip clubs challenging COVID-19 restrictions limiting live entertainment, the panel ruled.

Editor-in-chief Kristina Davis contributed to this report.



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