Coronavirus Vaccination Appointments Available To All Walnut Creek Residents Aged 65 And Older

Press release from the City of Walnut Creek:

January 25, 2021

Vaccine information:

In response to new guidelines from the state, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) and other healthcare providers in the county are now offering safe, effective, no-cost COVID-19 vaccine to all residents who are 65 or older. Click here to request an appointment from CCHS.

Vaccine appointments are not first come, first served. Contra Costa follows state and federal guidelines for prioritizing immunization. That means someone in a higher-risk group, especially someone who is 75 or older, might receive an earlier appointment than a younger person, even if they requested their appointment later.

It is important to know that, even though any county resident who is 65 or older is eligible for vaccine, appointments may be weeks away for some people. CCHS is working hard with many partners, including other health providers in the county, to increase capacity so everyone can be vaccinated more quickly. We will promptly respond to your request with an email that contains more information.

Click here for the latest about COVID-19 vaccination in Contra Costa. For questions about COVID-19 vaccine, call 1-844-729-8410 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. This call center cannot assist with scheduling immunization appointments.

Health Order Update:

Contra Costa County is urging residents and businesses to continue practicing health safety measures and avoiding risky activities after California lifted its regional stay-at-home order today in the Bay Area.

The state order helped the region meet the deadly surge in COVID-19 infections following the winter holiday season. But per capita, the adjusted average number of new infections reported every day in Contra Costa was 46.2 in the last week – nearly seven times the threshold for a county to enter the purple tier of the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

"Under no circumstances should anyone view the state action today as a reason to let down their guard. We have made progress, but we need to continue what we are doing to keep our families and communities safe," said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County health officer. "It is just common sense."

The state lifted the order Monday morning, effective immediately.

Health guidelines regarding physical distancing and use of face coverings outside the home remain in effect, as do occupancy caps for indoor businesses and requirements limiting close-contact gatherings of people from different households. Check the state's web page for industry-specific guidance.

Some significant changes resulting from Contra Costa's return to the purple tier include:

• Restaurants may offer outdoor dining, following the state health guidelines.
• Hair salons, barber shops and personal services such as nail salons may reopen following state health guidelines.
• Outdoor social gatherings involving 25 or fewer people, from three or fewer different households, are now permitted.
• More information available at cchealth.org/coronavirus

The purpose of the state's regional stay-at-home order was to slow COVID-19 transmission to protect the intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity of hospitals and healthcare systems from overwhelming medical surge.

Staffed ICU beds in Contra Costa hospitals continue to see heavy use, with 137 of 163 beds occupied on Saturday, including both COVID-19 patients and patients with other major health problems. All hospitals in the county remain on contingency care status, and most elective surgeries continue to be postponed.

"Our county continues to experience a winter surge in COVID-19 transmission," Dr. Farnitano said. "While we are making progress in vaccinating our most vulnerable residents, we are still weeks or months away from seeing the effects of immunization in our community."

Contra Costa has kicked off a countywide drive to provide 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. County residents who are older than 75 can now get a vaccination appointment by calling 1-833-829-2626 or using Contra Costa Heath Services (CCHS) online request form at cchealth.org/coronavirus. The county expects to extend vaccine eligibility to more people in coming weeks.

This press release was produced by the City of Walnut Creek. The views expressed here are the author’s own.