• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced improvements to the state’s vaccination plan on Jan. 25 after a tripling in the pace of vaccinations “exposed key improvements needed to administer even more vaccines when increased supply becomes available,” according to the governor’s office. After going from more than 43,000 vaccines administered on Jan. 4 to more than 130,000 on Jan. 15, Newsom said in a statement, “To reach the pace needed to vaccinate all Californians in a timely manner, we are simplifying and standardizing the process statewide,” including eligibility to receive the vaccine and data tracking. “Moving forward, there will be a single statewide standard and movement through the tiers,” the statement said. “The state will continue through 65-plus, health care workers, and prioritize emergency services, food and agriculture workers, teachers and school staff. From there, the state will transition to age-based eligibility, allowing California to scale up and down quickly, while ensuring the vaccine goes to disproportionately impacted communities.” Newsom also announced a new system for eligibility, making appointments, and tracking data called My Turn. Through the online platform, people can sign up to receive a notification when they are eligible for the vaccine as well as schedule their appointment when it’s their turn. Providers can also use My Turn to share vaccine data. Then on Jan. 27, Newsom signed an executive order that reaffirms existing laws that protect health care professionals and providers from legal liability when they do things at the request of local or state government. In this scenario, it protects those health care professionals when they participate in the state’s vaccine administration program. The order additionally directs the Department of Consumer Affairs to prioritize “investigations against licensees who are alleged to have diverted vaccine supplies for financial gain, providing reassurance to vaccinators that they are protected from professional discipline when otherwise performing their duties.”
• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) is the co-author of Let Them Play, an Assembly resolution that urges the California Department of Public Health “to issue new guidance that will permit youth sporting activities and competition in California state to resume immediately, with proper safety protocols in place,” the resolution states. “As a youth sports coach and father of four young athletes, I personally know how important organized sports are for many of our kids,” Cunningham wrote in a Jan. 28 Facebook post. “We’ve got to get our kids back on the field.” The resolution cites that more than 3 million children haven’t been able to participate in their sports since March 2020 when the pandemic started. “California coaches are capable of following local, county, and state guidelines and creating an environment where students and coaches work together with extremely low COVID transmission with zero hospitalizations and zero deaths,” the resolution concludes.
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced in a Jan. 30 Facebook post that the Veterans Administration (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System is now offering COVID-19 vaccinations at its Santa Maria clinic to veterans who are “health care personnel, long-term care facility residents, and 65 years and older, high-risk, or front-line essential workers,” Carbajal said in the post. “Veterans do not need to take any action as the clinic will contact you to schedule an appointment.” He directed people to find out more information about vaccine opportunities for veterans at losangeles.va.gov.
This article appears in Feb 4-11, 2021.
