Vaccine notices going out

Email required for eligibility notification

OROVILLE » Amid confusion in the registration process for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, Butte County Public Health said it has begun notifying people 75 years of age and older by email to confirm their eligibility to receive the vaccine.

The county health department said in a release Monday the email notifications began on Friday, however, it is sending email notifications at different times over the next few weeks, based on the large number of people in this age group and the current vaccine clinic capacity.

Residents have been asked to complete a “Vaccine Request Form” at Butte County Public Health’s website, www.buttecounty.net/ph, in order to be notified when they are eligible to receive the vaccine. Currently, individuals 75 years of age and older are eligible under Phase 1B, Tier 1.

A valid email address is required for notification, Butte County Public Health said. Those without internet are advised to call the COVID-19 call center at 530-552-3050 for help in completing the form, however, an email is still required. Those who do not have an email address are advised to get help from family, friends or neighbors who may be able to receive an email on their behalf, the county health department said.

After sending the first round of notification emails, Butte County Public Health said it received nearly 130 undeliverable emails returned, likely caused by incorrectly entered emails. Butte County Public Health said residents should check the accuracy of their email address prior to submitting the request form.

In addition to email notifications on vaccines, Butte County Public Health has also added data on vaccination numbers within the county to its COVID-19 dashboard.

As of Thursday, Jan. 21, a total of 41,975 doses of the

vaccine had been allocated to the county, with 36,425 received so far. A total of 30,350 first doses and 9,525 second doses have been ordered, and 11,303 have been administered so far. The latter figure is likely to lag behind by several days on average because it doesn’t “include clinics happening in real time,” the county health department stated in a note on the dashboard.

The number of new cases, meanwhile, increased by 112 in the latest dashboard update on Monday. However, the case numbers are only current through Saturday, Jan. 23, and do not include cases received on Sunday or Monday.

According to California state hospital data, a total of 55 COVID-19 positive patients were hospitalized in Butte County as of Sunday, which continued a downward trend seen in the last two weeks, though still remained high relative to other points in the pandemic prior to the third surge the county first experienced in late November.

A total of nine patients are hospitalized in intensive care units, while 12 ICU beds are available across the county.