SACRAMENTO, Calif. — ABC10 is following the latest coronavirus statistics and vaccine news for the Sacramento region and the state of California.
This blog will be updated throughout the day with the latest COVID-19 news. Click HERE to learn when and where you can sign-up to get the coronavirus vaccine near you.
My Turn vaccine scheduling system now available in 12 languages
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced Monday the state's vaccination scheduling system, My Turn, now offers services in 12 languages. Officials say this move will allow more residents to comfortably navigate the website.
“California’s remarkable wealth of diversity is always top of mind as we create and perfect the tools that will ensure every resident can easily access life-saving COVID-19 vaccines — regardless of the language they speak,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “The My Turn website and hotline play a key role in alerting Californians when they are vaccine eligible, and helping them schedule an appointment, so we want to ensure it is accessible to everyone.”
The website is now available in the following languages:
- Armenian
- Japanese
- Khmer
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Korean
- Spanish
- Tagalog
- Vietnamese
- English
Band, Drumline, Choir & Drama added to approved activities list
The California Department of Public Health updated its guidance to now allow band, drumline, choir and drama to the list of approved, "low-contact recreational activities" under California's youth and adult recreational sports guide.
More guidance is being developed for fans in attendance for youth and adult sports.
Solano County asks state for more vaccines
Following a "steep decline" the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division, are asking the state to provide them more vaccines.
Solano County has administered 134,000 vaccines, as of March 22. However, the county says over the past two weeks, its vaccine allocation per 1,000 residents has dropped to the third lowest in the state.
“The lack of adequate supply has caused us to pause scheduling many first-dose mass-vaccination clinics, drastically slowing our effort to target and vaccinate our most vulnerable populations," Bela T. Matyas, Solano County Health Officer, said in a press release.
More counties OK California's centralized vaccine plan
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to centralize vaccine delivery, tracking and appointment making is taking shape. Ten county and city health jurisdictions have signed on and more than half are using the state's online portal to allow people to make vaccination appointments.
Newsom said when he announced the change in January that he wanted a seamless system to tell him where doses are, who has received them and who needs to get them. Under the state plan, counties can’t reallocate vaccines without state approval. They must follow state criteria on eligibility and opening appointments to vulnerable communities.
Blue Shield is expected to take full administrative control on March 31st.
Latest COVID statistics in California
On Monday, California announced a state total of 3,547,278 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
California reported 427 new deaths from COVID, bringing the total to more than 56,545 since the start of the pandemic.
The state reported at least 14,819,755 vaccine doses had been administered to Californians.
California's vaccine inequality still prevalent
Over the weekend, Gov. Newsom tweeted that the state crossed 14 million vaccines administered, putting California at sixth in the world for vaccines administered.
However, the most recent data from the California Department of Public Health shows that vaccine inequality is still an issue for the state. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are just over two million Black residents in California, but they've only received 3% of vaccines administered in the state. On the flip side, white Californians have accounted for just over 30% of vaccine recipients.
While examining the data, the Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF] points out Hispanic people make up 40% of the state's population, and while they've received 21% of California's vaccines, they still make up more than half of all COVID-19 cases in the state, and account for 46% of the state's deaths.
The percentages for Sacramento County aren't much better. Only 4% of Black residents in the county have received the vaccine.
California aligns school guidelines with CDC for a minimum of 3 ft. physical distancing between students in classrooms
California Department of Public Health [CDPH] updated K-12 Schools Guidance to align with the latest science from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].
The state’s updated guidance recommends distancing of at least three feet for students in classrooms. The guidance also newly allows all schools to reopen if case rates are below 25 per 100,000 population.
The state announced these recommendations over the weekend, a day after federal health officials relaxed social distancing guidelines for schools nationwide.
In all tiers, schools that have not yet opened must post a COVID Safety Plan five days before reopening for in-person learning. Schools within counties that are in the purple tier must also submit their COVID Safety Plan to their local health officer and the State Safe Schools team.
Local leaders will have the final say on distancing. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, said it would stick with the 6-foot rule.
Resources guide for California families
- San Joaquin County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Yolo County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Stanislaus County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Sacramento County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Where to find help in Placer County: A resource guide for struggling individuals and families
- Northern California Help: A resource guide for struggling Families and individuals
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