Santa Clara County teamed up with the San Francisco 49ers to launch the largest Covid-19 vaccination hub in California.
Starting next week at Levi’s Stadium, public health officials expect to vaccinate 5,000 people a day with plans to boost daily capacity to 15,000 people as supplies increase.
“We recognize the urgent need for an effective and equitable vaccination effort for our community and are proud to partner with the County of Santa Clara to bring this vaccination site online as quickly and efficiently as possible,” 49ers President Al Guido said in an announcement of the vaccine site. “We have brought every resource at our disposal to bear on this challenge to ensure members of the community we live in each and every day can be vaccinated safely and quickly.”
County supervisors Mike Wasserman, Susan Ellenberg and Cindy Chavez applauded the NFL franchise for lending its space and resources for the effort. “Sports bind communities together,” Wasserman said in a prepared statement, “and the 49ers helping to vaccinate our community shows true leadership and winning teamwork.”
The announcement comes as local health officials unveil an online dashboard with statistics and demographic data about the county’s coronavirus vaccine rollout.
According to the data portal, more than 10 percent of county residents over the age of 16 have already received at least one vaccine dose. County officials aim to vaccinate at least 85 percent of residents in that age group by Aug. 1. Meanwhile, more than 37 percent of residents aged 75 and older have received at least one dose.
The data also underscores the need to ensure that vaccines are administered equitably to people most vulnerable to the virus, county Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody noted in a news release about the dashboard.
“Addressing health disparities and ensuring equitable access to the Covid vaccine for our hardest hit communities is and remains the top priority for the county,” she said. “These data will help us identify which communities are not getting vaccinated fast enough so that we can remove any barriers to vaccination.”
Click here to view the vaccination dashboard.
Source: Santa Clara County
Outside the stadium, Howard Myers is picketing while Burt Field is checking IDs.
Some of us (ahem) had referred to stadiums as possible sites, along with polling places and the like if finer distribution were a possibility.
Santa Clara joins Oakland and the Coliseum. (I won’t use the irritating commercial name.) Hopefully security concerns might not be as great in Santa Clara.
Considering how the 49ers play…It may be the only way to “fill-up” the stadium.
At least the 49ers won’t have to place cardboard fans in the seats.
David S. Wall
How does a nurse apply to administer vaccines?
All right. Ok I guess. But I don’t want em giving it to white people. This white privilege business has gone far enough. White people can have the vaccination but it should be in a separate but equal facility.
You do realize that “the 49ers” (as well as the City of Santa Clara) are providing the place and some logistical help, but “Levi’s Stadium staff are working with County of Santa Clara Health System leaders, local contractors and other healthcare workers to ensure the vaccination site can open by next week. The county’s health system, the second largest in the state, will staff and operate the site.” (You did read the LocalNewsMatters.org article, right?)
The 49ers know squat about vaccines, so they couldn’t possibly set this up by themselves. Also, other stadiums in the state, like the Oakland Coliseum and the Dodger’s Stadium in LA are being used. Surely there is coordination, but I’m betting the state is primarily responsible for picking these sites.
Details are important. Is parking free? A map should be provided showing parking,
entrance route and where the line starts. Any needed documents such as identity or
drivers license should be indicated. If an appointment is needed than how does one get it.
Thank You