Coronavirus Vaccine Megasite To Open At Oakland Coliseum

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — A coronavirus vaccine megasite will open at the Oakland Coliseum on Feb. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at a news conference at the Coliseum on Wednesday. He was joined by state and local officials, and by the president of the Oakland A's who made the site available.

The megasite is expected to administer 6,000 doses of vaccine each day.

A second megasite will open at California State University, Los Angeles on the same day.

Residents will need to make an appointment for a vaccine. The appointments will be made through the state’s MyTurn scheduling system. Appointments are not yet available, but you may register at My Turn now and you will be notified when you are eligible to get the vaccine.

My Turn is touted as a one-stop vaccine access point for all area locations. The state has been testing it in Southern California, and it is now being rolled out statewide.

The governor praised Alameda County during the news conference, noting that as of Wednesday morning, 94 percent of vaccines delivered to the county had been administered. In contrast, the governor said that at least one county has given less than 30 percent of available vaccines.

Alameda County has given nearly 138,000 doses of the vaccine. The county’s population is 1.6 million.

Statewide, the governor said that California will receive 1,060,000 doses of vaccine this week, and the state is now averaging 1,000,000 shots each week. California's population is 40 million. Both of the vaccines currently available in California require two doses.

Oakland’s vaccine megasite is a pilot project that will be co-run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The vaccine and all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gloves and masks, will be provided by FEMA.

The governor called this a new source of vaccine that will not diminish the amount that is already being allocated to the state and Alameda County.

“In the fight against COVID-19, partnership is key, especially when it comes to reaching Californians in underserved areas,” said Gov. Newsom in a prepared statement. “These new sites will help us get available supply to some of the California communities most in need.”

Oakland is the hardest-hit city in the county, with more than 23,000 cases since the start of the pandemic.

The two California pilot sites will work out the kinks for the Biden Administration, which plans to open other vaccine megasites across the country. In fact, the goal is to open 100 vaccine megasites in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration.

“Both of these sites are perfect examples of how FEMA is working around the clock to support state led, federally supported vaccine delivery,” said Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton. “Today’s announcement is a significant step forward in the ongoing effort to ensure every American who wants a vaccine will receive a vaccine.”

In addition to the vaccine and PPE, FEMA will provide federal staffing and operational support.

The announcement of a vaccine megasite comes as Alameda County is on the cusp of recording its 1,000th coronavirus death. On Wednesday, the county's death toll rose to 999, with 74,959 cases.

Here in Albany, there have been 282 cases since the start of the pandemic.