County of Ventura: Covid 19 Update March 12, 2021

Two Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Delivered to California’s Hardest-Hit Communities, Prompting Update of State’s Reopening Plan

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced that 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Californians in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities, increasing immunity where the state’s transmission rates and disease burden have been the highest during the pandemic. With this equity metric met, and because vaccines slow the spread of disease and serious illness, the previously announced update to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to account for progress with vaccine administration goes into effect.

After reassessment using new thresholds, 13 counties will move to a less restrictive tier, from Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial): Amador, Colusa, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Mono, Orange, Placer, San Benito, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Sonoma and Tuolumne. Twenty-one counties will remain in the Purple (widespread) Tier, 33 will be in the Red (substantial) Tier, three remain in the Orange (moderate) Tier and one remains in the Yellow (minimal) Tier. These changes will take effect on Sunday, March 14.

On Tuesday, we also expect Sacramento, San Diego and 11 additional counties (Kings, Lake, Monterey, Riverside, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura and Yuba) to shift from Purple to Red based on current data and projections. These tier adjustments will be assigned on Tuesday and take effect on Wednesday. There is potential for additional counties to move tiers next week based on next week’s Blueprint tier assessment and assignment. Going forward, the Purple Tier threshold is greater than 10 cases per 100,000 people.

“California is doubling down on its mission to keep equity a top priority as we continue to get COVID-19 doses into the arms of all Californians as safely and quickly as possible,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency. “Focusing on the individuals who have been hardest hit by this pandemic is the right thing to do and also ensures we are having the greatest impact in reducing transmission, protecting our health care delivery system and saving lives.”

On March 4, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state had set aside 40 percent of vaccine doses for the hardest-hit communities and established an equity metric to increase vaccinations in those communities. Doing so recognizes that the pandemic did not affect California communities equally. Forty percent of COVID cases and deaths have occurred in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), which provides overall scores and data that predict life expectancy and compares community conditions that shape health across the state.

“While we have reached a milestone today, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to help ensure we can put an end to this pandemic,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “We must all do our part by getting vaccinated as soon as it’s our turn and continue to wear masks and practice physical distancing to keep our communities safe.”

The Blueprint will be updated again when 4 million doses have been administered in the vaccine equity quartile.

More information about the Blueprint for a Safer Economy is available here and additional details on state’s efforts to end the pandemic through equitable vaccine administration is available here.

www.cdph.ca.gov

When is the red tier happening locally?

The County of Ventura will likely be able to move to the red tier on Wednesday the 17th.

COVID-19 Update

There are 108 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 5,546 new tests performed.

There have been 8 additional deaths: 47 year old male, 52 year old female, 68 year old male, 66 year old male, 91 year old female, 103 year old male, 88 year old female and a 66 year old female

We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who have passed away.

The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .56 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .71 right now.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

COVID-19 Vaccines are available for adults age 65 and older, healthcare, food and agriculture, education and childcare, emergency services and qualifying regional center family caregivers. More information at the following link: www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/.

Appointments open each week on Mondays at 7 am online am on the phone line for those with limited internet access: www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/

If you have limited internet access you can also call the registration hotline at 805-477-7161. The phone line is staffed M-F 8-5. Appointments are set aside for both online registration and the phone line.

The Area Agency on Aging provides transportation services for older adults that are in need of transportation to a vaccine appointment or for COVID-19 testing. This includes people that need lift assist as well as gurney transportation. The driver will take the individual, wait for them, help them at the site and take them home. To schedule a ride call 805-477-7300. Please note, you must have a vaccine appointment before you schedule a ride to a vaccine site.

Next Phase Beginning March 15: Individuals aged 16-64 who are deemed to be at the very highest risk to get very sick from COVID-19 because they have the following severe health conditions:

Cancer, current with weakened immune system
Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent
Down syndrome
Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system
Pregnancy
Sickle cell disease
Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension)
Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)
Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

OR

If as a result of a developmental or other severe high-risk disability one or more of the following applies:

The individual is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection
Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival
Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability.

To protect confidentiality, verification documentation of the diagnosis or type of disability is not required but instead anyone meeting the eligibility requirements will be asked to sign a self-attestation that they meet the criteria for high-risk medical conditions or disabilities. Learn more here: Vaccines for People with High-Risk Medical Conditions or Disabilities

Frequently Asked Question: How do I get my 2nd dose appointment?

After receiving your first dose, you will become eligible for your second dose after a waiting period of 21 days if you received Pfizer and 28 days if you received Moderna.

You do not need to receive your second dose on the exact date you become eligible. You have a window of 6 weeks from getting your first dose to receive your second dose. Please do not schedule your second dose earlier than recommended. Refer to your vaccination card, which will list the date you received your first dose.

Appointments open weekly. There are three ways to secure a 2nd dose appointment:

1) You will receive an email from Public Health with links to appointments the week before your 2nd dose is due. You select a link and make an appointment.

2) You can also make an appointment on our website when appointments are available. Appointments open weekly: www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/registration-d2/?elig=p1.

3) You can also call the registration hotline 805-477-7161. This hotline is intended for those with limited access to the internet.