Danville Case Count; Oakland Coliseum Vaccine Megasite To Open

BAY AREA, 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.

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 and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The vaccine and all Personal Protective Equipment, such as gloves and masks, will be provided by FEMA.

“In the fight against COVID-19, partnership is key, especially when it comes to reaching Californians in underserved areas,” said Newsom in a 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 administration of President Joe Biden, which plans to open other vaccine megasites across the country. 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.

Back here in Contra Costa County, there have been 58,248 COVID-19 cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic, as of Thursday. That total includes 54,285 recovered cases and 542 deaths.

There have been 1,399 COVID-19 cases reported in Danville and another 1,757 cases reported in San Ramon.

— Patch editor Courtney Teague contributed to this report