Here's Who's Now Eligible For Vaccination In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As Riverside County continues to offer hundreds of COVID-19 vaccination slots across the region, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that more California residents may now sign up.

Effective immediately, anyone 16 or older who accompanies an eligible family member to a vaccination appointment may also get the vaccine in the state.

"We will accommodate the family member, no questions asked," Newsom said during a news briefing in Orange County.

Additionally, beginning April 1, people 50 and older may receive the vaccine; starting April 15, the age eligibility drops to residents 16 and older, Newsom said.

The "stair-stepped manner" means that anyone in California who wants the vaccine can get it by mid-April, according to the governor.

During his news briefing, the governor said the supply of vaccine doses to the state is increasing weekly. Riverside County, which had been in short supply of the vaccine initially, now finds demand is not keeping pace with inventory.

"We're shifting," Riverside University Health System's Dr. Geoffrey Leung told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. "Vaccine supply is improving. We have more appointment slots ... than we have demand." (Related story: Dr. Geoffrey Leung Appointed To Public Health Officer In Riverside County)

A look Thursday at the county's vaccine portal shows hundreds of available appointments.

Kim Saruwatari, director of public health for the county, told the board Tuesday that only about 13.6 percent of county residents 16 and older have been fully vaccinated.

Along with expanded vaccine eligibility, Newsom said he expects the state will soon move into a new "green tier" that will be less restrictive than the current yellow tier of the state's Blueprint for Safer Economy.

"We're well on our way to a green tier in a foreseeable future," the governor said, although he didn't offer firm timelines or details.

"It will end when we defeat this virus," Newsom said in response to a reporter's question about the ongoing tiering system.

Restrictions have saved lives, the governor said, saying Thursday that only "a couple of states in America" have a lower COVID-19 positivity rate than California's current 2 percent rate. A report from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention corroborates the governor's claim. For the week March 10-16, only Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and Hawaii had better positivity rates than California.

However, the governor warned of variants currently being monitored statewide. The United Kingdom, Brazilian, South African, New York, and West Coast variants have all been detected in California. Even as restrictions ease, the governor said face masks, distancing and frequent hand-washing will remain in place.

Related story: People Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Can Still Contract Virus, Study Shows

Updated COVID-19 figures for Riverside County

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Riverside County were unchanged Thursday, while two dozen additional virus-related deaths were reported amid a minor increase in total overall infections.

According to the Riverside University Health System, the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 293,707, up 107 from Wednesday.

COVID-positive patients in hospitals countywide currently number 143, and that includes 32 intensive care unit patients — both figures unchanged from a day ago.

RUHS officials said a total 4,214 deaths from virus-related complications have been recorded in the last 12 months. On Wednesday, the number was 4,190. The fatalities are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates. (Related: Riverside County Eligible For FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance)