CSUB’s COVID-19 vaccination center to open this week
A hub that can administer 5,400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccination daily is scheduled to open at Cal State Bakersfield on Friday. It will be open seven days a week.
Details of the first mass vaccination center on the west side of Bakersfield were offered in a news release by Kaiser Permanente. Bakersfield was chosen because surrounding communities have high rates of COVID-19 while having some of the lowest rates of vaccination, the news release stated.
The health care provider is coordinating the mass vaccination hub at CSUB as part of a consortium with Adventist Health, Dignity Health, the California Medical Association, the California Primary Care Association and Futuro Health. The American Red Cross is providing its expertise on mass site planning.
Though the site can administer 5,400 doses a day, how many it will actually offer is dependent on vaccine availability. Supply is coordinated with the state of California and Blue Shield of California, which is the state’s third-party administrator of vaccine distribution, according to Kaiser.
Those seeking appointments at the center can find them 48 hours in advance of the opening at MyTurn. Ca.Gov.
The Assembly Transportation Committee passed Assembly Bill 3 on Monday, designed to curb illegal street racing locally and statewide.
The bill, which was authored by Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, will apply the penalties used against illegal speed racing and implement them against exhibitions of speed as well. Such exhibitions include the burning out of tires, revving of engines, performing stunts, and other activity intended for an audience or “sideshow” that ultimately leads to a speed contest, the news release stated.
The bill provides judges the authority to suspend an offending individual’s driver’s license for up to six months, according to the news release.
Illegal street racing has emerged as a prevalent issue throughout Bakersfield and Kern County in recent years. It garnered significant headlines in November 2019 after a street racer struck a minivan in southwest
Bakersfield. The accident killed the minivan’s driver, Maria Blaney Navarro, 58, of Bakersfield, and seriously injured her two grandchildren.
“I authored this bill in response to what our local law enforcement officials have conveyed as a troubling trend throughout our community,” Fong said in a statement. “This dangerous activity of street racing and exhibition of speed has spiked tremendously statewide, leading to tragic accidents and senseless deaths of our youth. This bill sends a strong message that this illegal activity will not be tolerated.”
Although National Pancake Day was last month, IHOP is doing things differently this year.
In lieu of its annual instore one-day event, the pancake chain is offering an IOU coupon good for a free short stack of pancakes, which can be redeemed throughout the month of April.
You must sign up for the MyHOP email club (at IHOP. com) by March 31 to enjoy the offer, which is good for dine-in meals as well as to-go orders via IHOP.com or the IHOP Mobile App.
Those who don’t want to sign up for emails can still receive a free short stack with a minimum $10 purchase in restaurant or to-go by downloading a coupon via IHOP.com or the IHOP app.
This year, donations made during this promotion will benefit the local Children’s Miracle Network program for children treated at the Lauren Small Children’s Center at Dignity Health Memorial Hospital.
“For the past 16 years, funds raised during IHOP’s National Pancake Day have helped local children’s hospitals treat millions of kids and their families,” Teri Nestel, president and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, said in a news release. “We are grateful to IHOP’s customers and franchisees for confronting the many challenges of 2020 and adopting a monthlong fundraising campaign to help us continue to change kids’ health, and change the future — for all of us.”
Anyone who wants to donate can simply text “IHOP” to 51555 or make a donation at any of the four area IHOPs: 3252 Riverside Drive, 9220 Rosedale Highway, 29541 Stockdale Highway or 710 Woollomes Ave., Suite 101, in Delano.