Vaccines Open to Everyone 50+ Beginning April 1, Everyone 16+ on April 15
San Bernardino County’s effort to vaccinate all of its residents will shift into high gear on April 1 when everyone age 50 and over will be eligible for vaccination, and accelerate even more on April 15 when everyone 16 and over will be eligible, regardless of health condition or occupation.
And effective immediately, those who accompany an eligible family member to an appointment are eligible, too, even if they don’t fall into an eligible category – but they must have an appointment at the same location and at approximately the same time as their eligible family member. Those accompanying someone 65 or over, a person with a serious underlying health condition or disability, a food worker, or anyone else who is eligible should sign up for an appointment as a member of that eligible cohort, and accompany that eligible person to the appointment.
“The light at the end of this pandemic tunnel is now much brighter,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “Vaccinations are our shot for hope, and San Bernardino County has the staff and the facilities to vaccinate everyone who wants protection from COVID-19. If the federal and state governments supply the vaccines, which they have promised to do, we will get the job done quickly, efficiently, and equitably.”
The decision to expand vaccine eligibility is a result of increasing vaccine supplies. California currently receives 1.8 million vaccines per week, which is expected to increase to more than 3 million per week by the end of April.
San Bernardino County has been making great progress in vaccinating its residents since Dec. 16, when we became one of the first counties in the California to receive and administer vaccines. Almost 23 percent of the county’s adults have been vaccinated (at least one dose) and almost 13 percent have been fully vaccinated, and that is with eligibility limited to people in select occupations, with certain severe health conditions, and people age 65 and over.
People can check eligibility and make an appointment by visiting the county’s vaccination website. Those who need further assistance can call the county’s COVID-19 hotline at 909-387-3911 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
County, Mexican Consulate Team Up for Presentation on Vaccines
As part of its ongoing effort to administer vaccines to traditionally underserved communities, San Bernardino County, in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico, is hosting a Facebook Live presentation devoted to the County’s vaccination efforts.
The online event, which will be held on Tuesday, March 30 at 9 a.m., is designed to provide the latest information on the vaccines and vaccination eligibility, while dispelling common myths and misconceptions. It can be viewed on both the Department of Behavioral Health’s Facebook page and Ventanilla de Salud San Bernardino.
The presentation will be led by Dr. Javier Melendez Sanchez of Kaiser Permanente and conducted in Spanish.
“Our Latino community has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we feel an urgent need to ensure its members are given an opportunity to receive a vaccine as soon as possible,” said Chairman Hagman. “Our County has enjoyed an excellent, long-standing relationship with the consulate, so it makes sense for us to work together on this initiative.”
The event will focus on how the pandemic has affected the local Latino population and discuss the status and availability of all three FDA-approved vaccines. It will also discuss common misunderstandings regarding the vaccines and seek to alleviate any concerns among Spanish-speaking residents.
The County and the consulate are promoting the event through the distribution of Spanish-language flyers and notices on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Local ABC7 News Reporter Leticia Juarez Featured in New
Vaccine Commercial
ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter Leticia Juarez, a graduate of Cajon High School and San Bernardino County native, lent her talents to record a public service announcement (PSA) that encourages residents to take their “shot for hope.”
The PSA begins running next week on Spectrum, Frontier and Verizon Fios cable systems throughout San Bernardino County, as well as through streaming platforms for these and many other online viewing platforms. Juarez, who has reported from the Inland Empire for KABC-TV for 10 years, encourages residents to get vaccinated.
“As a reporter, I’ve witnessed many everyday heroes, right here in San Bernardino County. Now is the time for all of us to be a hero,” Juarez says in the 30 and 15 second commercials. “COVID-19 vaccines are here -- they work and they’re safe. When you can, please get vaccinated. This is our Shot for Hope!”
Juarez went to UCLA after graduating from Cajon High, and worked as a general assignment reporter for television stations in Bakersfield and Houston before joining ABC7. She is a familiar face covering stories throughout the Inland Empire.
“We have looked to trusted messengers like Leticia to help us encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated,” said Chairman Hagman. “She is a respected name and voice in television broadcast news, and we so appreciate both her and ABC7 for supporting our educational campaign about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines.”
The “Shot for Hope” PSA by Juarez, as well as another from NFL star Alex Mattison, also a San Bernardino native, will run through April on local cable networks.
County Vaccination Events Assist Contract Hospital Laundry Workers
This new video spotlights special vaccination events being hosted by the County to make vaccines available for contract hospital laundry workers. These are workers who have been actively working in hospitals throughout the pandemic. To make an appointment for a vaccine, visit sbcovid19.com/vaccine or call (909) 387-3911 for assistance.
Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 990 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 984 inmates have recovered from the illness.
A total of 1,017 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating at home; 1,006 employees have recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks. It is unknown when or where the employees were infected with the virus. The department continues to encourage all department members to heed the warnings of health officials.
Latest Stats
290,155 Confirmed Cases (up 0% from the previous day)
3,803 Deaths (up 1.2% from the previous day)
2,660,404 Tests (up 0.3% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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