Vaccine will be available to disabled

Long Beach: State will permit city to expand its inoculation campaign

Long Beach became one of the first health jurisdictions in the state to expand into the next tier of coronavirus vaccines on Monday when the city began offering inoculations to people with disabilities ages 16 and older.

The city received permission from the state to begin these vaccinations ahead of the March 15 rollout planned statewide “due to the Health and Human Services Department’s success in vaccinating people in the current available phases,” according to a Long Beach statement. The California Public Health Department did not respond to a request for comment.

“We are grateful to now

have the ability to start vaccinating people with disabilities,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a Friday statement. “We are going to immediately prioritize this group for our clinics and home visits when needed.”

The city’s vaccination program expanded as another six Long Beach residents died from coronavirus-related causes since Thursday, when the city last reported data. Long Beach’s death toll is now 863.

Officials also reported 37 more coronavirus cases. There have been 51,516 cases identified in Long Beach since the pandemic began. About 49,045 people — or 95% of those who have tested positive— have since recovered.

Long Beach’s vaccination program also continued to make progress. The city administered another 12,793 vaccines since Thursday, bringing the total so far to 129,811. So far, 17.5% of Long Beach residents has been inoculated.

BRITTANY MURRAY — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER National Guardsman Angel Zepeda, a combat medic, prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine Monday at a clinic set up in the Long Beach Convention Center.