Suddenly it is mid-April and the state’s April 15 deadline for
providers to utilize the MyTurn statewide vaccination reservation
and data system for first-dose appointments is here. This also
coincides with the Governor’s expansion of vaccine eligibility to
all residents aged 16 and older – as well as a 33 percent drop in
the state’s vaccine allocation and the news halting Johnson
and Johnson vaccinations.
Late last week Californians learned that the number of vaccine
doses coming to the state would decline by at least 33 percent.
On the heels of that news, it was announced today that California
will temporarily halt the administration of the Johnson and
Johnson single-dose vaccine due to concerns about blood clots in
a tiny percentage of recipients.
California Volunteers, launched by the Governor’s office in 2020
will utilize the My Turn volunteer platform to connect medical
professionals and the general public who wish to volunteer, with
clinic volunteer directors across the state.
The National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF)
has invited county officials to join in celebrating the Week of
the Young Child. Beginning April 10 and ending April 16 counties
can join national convenings on Prenatal to Three Peer Learning
and share how counties are prioritizing young children.
President Biden kicked off Public Health Week with a
proclamation on April 5, 2021. The proclamation looks to
everyone to do their part in regards to the health of the country
and to use this week for actions to improve health. Additionally,
the President made a commitment to investments that rebuild the
economy.
Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
announced changes to indoor and outdoor gathering guidance that
will go into effect April 15, 2021. These modifications provide
counties additional flexibility within the Blueprint for
gatherings to occur with safety precautions.
Governor Newsom announced his
Beyond the Blueprint plan for reopening California and
lifting nearly all statewide coronavirus restrictions on June 15
– if vaccine supply remains sufficient and hospitalization rates
remain low.
Governor Gavin Newsom
announced sweeping changes to vaccine eligibility based
on expected supply increases. Starting April 1, vaccine
eligibility will expand to all Californians ages 50+. On
April 15, eligibility expands broadly to all Californians ages
16+.
No counties moved to a more restrictive tier this week after the
state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy “Tier Tuesday”
announcement.
Kern, Nevada, and Stanislaus Counties moved from purple to red,
while Lassen, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Trinity, and
Yolo Counties moved from red to orange. This comes on the heels
of a terrific 7-day average case positivity rate of 1.7
percent and 5.5 cases per 100,000 residents statewide.
On March 15, CSAC hosted a virtual webinar, moderated by Inyo
County Supervisor Jeff Griffiths, on the Master Plan for Aging
(MPA). The webinar featured panelists who passionately engaged
and supported the two-year effort to form a statewide roadmap to
support and improve the lives of our growing older adult
population. Please find the webinar recording here.
The California Government Operations Agency (GovOps) issued a
clarification letter to counties considering or that have signed
the state/county vaccine MOU yesterday. The clarification letter
ensures that counties have an equal seat at the table for
recommending providers to the state’s Third-Party Administrator
(TPA) and may continue to distribute vaccine doses to
county-supported sites.
Coronavirus cases in California continue to decrease, with a 2.3
percent 7-day positivity rate and 11 more counties moving to a
less-restrictive tier. This improvement comes together with 13
counties moved to the red tier on Sunday as a result of the
statewide vaccine equity metric being met.
