We’ve just embarked on February of 2021, and alongside this month, a new administration and reformed vaccinations plans have arrived. California is no doubt the state that has suffered the most from COVID-19 because it is the most populated state in the country. We have had more than three million confirmed Covid cases and more than 40,000 deaths. In the Bay Area, there is an approximate of more than 140,000 confirmed cases. Unfortunately, California is still the second to last when it comes to vaccine distribution, with 4.4 million doses given that have been administered. In the Bay Area, more than 150,000 doses have been administered as seniors 65 and older are slowly starting to be vaccinated.
With the stay-at-home orders lifted and as outdoor dining reopens in the Bay Area, even more people are prone to contract the virus. That’s why an efficient and fairly fast vaccination plan is essential, especially in California. Now, the state will plan on expanding eligibility by age, aiming those at risk of exposure in the sectors of transportation and sheltering facilities and services. Some websites have also been created to help people in California to find vaccination sites nearby, like Vaccinateca. Or if you want to see exactly how many people in different counties have been vaccinated Covid19.ca.gov/vaccines deals with all that. The state is working with hospitals, like San Mateo Medical Center, mobile clinics, like the one in the Mission District, and pharmacies, like Safeway and Walgreens, to distribute vaccines.
We might also see a change regarding stay-at-home orders, since the relatively new U.K. Covid-19 variant has been spotted in the Bay Area. We’ve been reading and revisiting the schedule frequently and that won’t change, but we do know that there are currently two phases broken into tiers. Plus, states throughout the country are working with predictions. As of this month, California is expected to vaccinate those who find themselves in phase 1B and by March, vaccine rollouts should be expected to be given to persons 50-64 years old and people 16-49 years old that have an underlying health condition.
So what’s the“good news?” Well, LA county, the most populated and affected state in California, lists everyone else in phase two, which is expected to happen in mid-May or early June, right in time of the end of the semester. Though, since the state has not been well-paced at vaccine rollouts, we may have a considerable delay regarding the distribution of vaccines to the public, not mentioning how much Covid-19 vaccination provides under real-life conditions is still unknown. Even though we don’t know exactly when this will come to an “end”, especially in populated cities, vaccines will roll out and infections will eventually drop, aiming for the second semester of 2021. Remember, patience is a virtue.