■ California said it will start vaccinating anyone 16 and over against the coronavirus in three weeks.
More doses on way, allowing state to expand eligibility
SANTA ANA, Calif. — California will start vaccinating anyone 16 and over against the coronavirus starting in three weeks, expanding eligibility to the shots with several other states as a long-awaited boost in vaccine supplies is in sight.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the nation’s most populous state would start vaccinating anyone 50 and over in a week and the population more broadly — except those under 16, for whom vaccines have not yet been authorized — on April 15.
The decision comes as California, which was slow to roll out the vaccines but has ramped up inoculations in recent weeks, expects to receive 2.5 million doses a week in the first half of the month and more than 3 million a week in the second, a big jump from the roughly 1.8 million doses a week currently.
“In just a few weeks, there’ll be no rules, no limitations, as it relates to the ability to get a vaccine administered,” Newsom said at a news conference in Orange County. “This state is going to come roaring back.”
The move comes as some California counties have veered away from the state’s eligibility criteria by opening up the shots for people with a broader range of medical conditions than those required in most places, and in some cases, at younger ages.
It also comes as governors across the country have expanded eligibility for the vaccine as supplies have increased. This month, Alaska opened eligibility to any resident over 16. Florida said Thursday it will open eligibility to anyone 18 and over on April 5, and Texas will start inoculating all adults next week.
President Joe Biden’s administration wants all states to make every adult eligible for the vaccine by May 1.
Even with the expansion, it will take several months for willing Californians to be vaccinated, state officials said.
In other developments:
■ The White House announced Thursday that it is dedicating another $10 billion to try to drive up vaccination rates in low-income, minority and rural enclaves throughout the country. The effort, which is funded through the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed this month, will include $6 billion in funding for community health centers to expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing and other preventive health care for populations at higher risk for the virus.
■ New York City is taking steps toward the reopening of the city’s theaters, creating vaccination and testing sites for stage workers to restore a key part of New York’s draw. “It’s time to raise the curtain and bring Broadway back,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a virtual news conference Thursday.
■ Michigan is confronting a spike that some experts worry could be a harbinger nationally. “It’s a stark reminder that this virus is still very real. It can come roaring back if we drop our guard,” said Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who does not plan to tighten restrictions on indoor dining, sports and other activities that were eased in recent months.