Officials announced on Wednesday that the Oakland Coliseum would be used as a mass vaccination site as part of State Governor Gavin Newsom’s pilot program with the help of the Biden administration.
Oakland leaders chose the Coliseum as one of two areas included in the state’s pilot program, the other being the California State University, Los Angeles. Officials said under the Biden administration; they plan to open 100 vaccination sites across the United States in the first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s seat in office.
Mass Vaccination Sites
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FMEA) and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will help in running the vaccination sites.
“In the fight against COVID-19, partnership is key, especially when it comes to reaching Californians in underserved areas. These new sites will help us get available supplies to some of the California communities most in need. I thank the Biden Administration for standing with us as we continue our efforts so safely, swiftly, and equitably vaccinate all Californians,” Newsom’s statement said.
Officials chose the two areas because they are in locations that are most challenged by the coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s office said the regions were also home to workers who have been working tirelessly to keep the economy open.
The Coliseum is expected to start administering vaccines by February 16 and will be able to accommodate at least 6,000 shots per day. The governor’s office said residents who wanted to register for vaccination would be able to on California’s MyTurn scheduling system in the next few days.
A’s general manager, Dave Kaval, was with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other local officials to announce the new pilot program during the new conference on Wednesday.
“We are proud to partner with local and national officials to do our part, and we are grateful to the individuals whose efforts at this vaccination center will help our community move forward,” a Twitter post by the officials said.
The two vaccination sites will be equipped with two mobile vaccination clinics that authorities can use to send out the doses to multiple locations. The governor’s office said it would help in assisting areas that lacked sufficient resources, NBC Bay Area reported.
Amid concerns, officials said that the supply of the vaccine in other vaccination sites in Alameda County would not be impacted by the addition of the new centers. Officials are also planning to open a mass vaccination site in the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
A Kaiser Permanente spokesperson said the San Francisco center is expected to be operational by Friday. Additionally, it will only be on an appointment-only basis and serve only healthcare workers and residents who are at least 65 years old. Authorities noted the site could administer up to 10,000 vaccine doses per day.
