[ad_1]
Hello the
Like Los Angeles. and many other cities in California are struggling to distribute the coronavirus vaccine, Long Beach – a city of nearly 500,000 people – is changing rapidly.
In late January, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said the city’s healthcare workers were almost all vaccinated. Now the next level of inoculations are well underway. Garcia told my colleague Sharon mcnary this 6,500 educators and 2,500 food workers received at least one dose. City police, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, emergency responders, and residents over 65 are also eligible.
TO THE city and countyIn comparison, vaccines are currently only available for health workers and people aged 65 and over.
Garcia attributes his town’s success so far to Long Beach having its own health department, which saves him some bureaucratic hurdles. Plus, he said, city officials took a calculated risk from the start.
“We have made some decisions not to hang on to the supply, but to run out as quickly as possible,” he said. “It helped us move forward very quickly.”
Across the country, the states that have been most successful in securing gunfire have designed distribution plans tailored to the particular needs of their populations. Alaska has vaccinated the second highest percentage of its population (after West Virginia), and there, medical teams cross snowy and mountainous terrain to administer doses “on snowmobiles, on four-wheeled vehicles, in trucks, in planes, standing on tarmacs with a -20 wind chill… virtually anywhere, ”Dr. Ellen Hodges, Chief of Staff, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, told the Pew Charitable Trusts.
And West Virginia counted a lot on independent community pharmacies and clinics, where staff often know residents personally and trust is high.
Meanwhile, California officials are website launch they hope to streamline the vaccination process and rely on eligibility by age to help immunize more people. Waiting, Lawmakers may well turn to Long Beach for advice – because for Garcia, it’s personal. The 727 coronavirus deaths in the city include her mother and stepfather.
“Because I have also lost both of my parents,” he said, “I definitely feel that every vaccine we distribute is a potential lifesaving opportunity.
Read on to find out more about what’s happening in Los Angeles today.and stay safe there.
What else you should know today
Before you go… Meet the pop art nun from Los Angeles
Corita Kent screen printing was known in the art world as Pop Art Nun. Member of the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Feliz between 1936 and 1968, his work was a rebellious vision of religious art. In 1966, she was named LA Times Woman of the Year.
So when Nellie Scott, director of the Corita Art Center, discovered that the small East Hollywood studio where Kent was doing some of his most important work was going to be razed to the ground for a parking lot, she was devastated.
“It was really just a punch,” she said. “A plaque wouldn’t do him justice.”
Help us cover your community
- Ever wanted to know about Southern California and the people who live there? Is there an issue you want us to address? Ask us anything.
- Got a tip for what news we should dig into? Let us know.
The news cycle is changing rapidly. Some stories don’t unfold. Others are added. Consider this first draft today and check it out LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Never miss a LAist story. Subscribe to our daily newsletters.
[ad_2]
Source link