Alameda County Hits 1,200 Coronavirus Deaths, 500k In U.S.

FREMONT, CA — The coronavirus death toll in Alameda County reached 1,200 on Monday, the same day that the national toll hit 500,000.

Those two grim statistics are a testament to the fury of COVID-19, but pushing back against the formidable disease are advancements in delivering vaccines to residents.

Kaiser Permanente's CEO shared upbeat news with members in an email on Saturday. "I’m pleased to share that the state has increased Kaiser Permanente’s weekly vaccine allocation to better match the number of members we serve," said Greg A. Adams. "For example, next week we’re scheduled to receive 20% of California’s vaccine supply."

"And, as the state receives more vaccine from the CDC," Adams continued, "we expect our supply to continue rising to help us vaccinate the 1 in 4 Californians who are Kaiser Permanente members, as well as residents of the broader communities we serve."

Through last week, Kaiser had vaccinated 666,419 people, including at large vaccination centers such as Moscone Center in San Francisco. Members can check online if appointments are available.

Costco also announced that it will begin giving vaccines in four California counties. The only one in the Bay Area is Marin.

Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push for schools to reopen. The Golden State is setting aside 10 percent of its weekly vaccine allotment for teachers, school staff, and child care providers beginning March 1.

"It's foundational in terms of getting this economy open," Newsom said. "If you care about women, you care about moms, particularly single mothers, there's nothing ... more important we can do to support working women and single moms in particular than getting our youngest kids back into school in cohorts where we can do it safely."

Across Alameda County, there have been 79,587 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 7,015 in Fremont.

>> When Will CA's Coronavirus Vaccine Supply Improve?