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.
Lodi Unified School District students to return to full in-person learning April 12
All students, kindergarten through 12th grade, in the Lodi Unified School District will return to in-person learning Monday, April 12.
According to a letter from Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer, Ed.D., all students will be back on campus five days a week with a regular schedule. Distance learning will remain an option for students throughout the rest of the school year.
"We are grateful to our Board of Education for their commitment to our students and community," said Nichols-Washer. "We know that our students will greatly benefit from full-time in-person instruction."
City of Turlock to provide free rides to vaccination sites for all residents
The City of Turlock will begin providing free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites for all residents.
According to a press release from city officials, the free roundtrip service will begin Thursday, April 1 and continue until further notice.
Passengers needing a ride to a vaccination site can use the Dial-a-Ride service. City officials say the service aims to remove financial barriers to vaccinations, including access by transit-dependent passengers.
Dial-a-Ride is a reservation-based, point-to-point transportation service that operates Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. While some same-day requests will be accommodated, passengers should call (209) 668-5600 at least one day in advance to guarantee a reservation.
Passengers will not share a ride with other people outside of their household.
“We recognize the critical role that vaccinations play in safeguarding the health of our most vulnerable citizens, as well as the opportunity for public transit to provide transportation to vaccination sites for our transit-dependent citizens,” said Wayne York, Transit Manager. “We are leveraging all of our available resources to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for those that want it, while still maintaining regular transit services and schedules.”
Vaccine supply remains limited as eligibility expands, Kaiser says
While California counties continue expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccinations, Kaiser Permanente says supply is not keeping the same speed.
Starting April 1, people 50 years old and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and people 16 and up will become eligible two weeks later on April 15.
"We look forward to vaccinating all our members and communities, but for now vaccine supply remains limited," said Kaiser in an email to members Tuesday. "We haven't received enough doses yet to vaccinate everyone who is eligible."
Kaiser Permanente has more than 900,000 members between 50 and 64 years old and over 2 million members 16 to 49. However, Kaiser claims to only receive 55,000 to 75,000 doses each week.
Kaiser members are encouraged to sign up on the state's My Turn website to find appointments at other community vaccine sites if they cannot find an available appointment on their COVID vaccine website.
"We respectfully ask you not to contact your doctor for an appointment," said Kaiser in the same email to members. "Your doctor can discuss vaccines with you but can't schedule an appointment for you."
Kaiser says with the current supply available, members with appointments will be vaccinated but not the family members or those who accompany them to the appointments.
Monterey Bay Aquarium announces reopening plans
On Tuesday, the Monterey Bay Aquarium announced it plans to reopen in May.
Members will get first crack at visiting the aquarium that's been closed since March 2020 with access from May 1 - 14. On May 15, the aquarium reopens to all guests.
The aquarium is implementing safety procedures when its reopens, which includes:
- For all visitors, tickets will need to be reserved online prior to visit
- Anyone above 3 years old will need to wear a mask.
- Guests will need to follow a one-way path once inside to help everyone be spaced out
Stanislaus County opening vaccinations to more residents later this week
During Tuesday's Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors meeting, it was announced the county is diverging from the state’s plan to open up vaccine eligibility on April 1 to those aged 50 and above, announcing that vaccinations will open up for everyone 16 years old and over on April 1 in the county.
Chairman Vito Chiesa said that the county was aware that some people may not agree with the change.
Gov. Newsom announced that the state will soon allow all residents age 16 and up to receive the vaccine starting on April 15.
In a presentation on the decision, Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan said that the MyTurn appointment system may not allow people who are under the age of 50 to make appointments before April 15, since MyTurn is a state-run system.
Dr. Vaishampayan said that the county will still host walk-up clinics, which it hopes younger people will take advantage of the available spots in the coming weeks.
Latest coronavirus numbers in California
California has 3,566,464 confirmed coronavirus cases to date, according to the latest figures from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
There have been 57,788 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic, with the state only announcing 10 new deaths on Tuesday.
As of March 30, a total of 17,649,015 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.
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
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10