In a few months, people may be lining up at the OC Fair and Event Center for live music, corn dogs and the giant Ferris wheel. But first they are lining up there for COVID-19 vaccinations – which could help make the in-person fair planned this summer a reality.
The county on Wednesday, March 31, opened its latest mass vaccination site at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds, adding a fourth option to the Soka University site in Aliso Viejo and twin sites in Anaheim (a walk-up clinic at the Convention Center and drive-thru site at Disneyland).
OC Supervisor Katrina Foley, whose Board of Supervisors District 2 includes the fairgrounds, called it “the beginning of what is to be the future for fun in Orange County.”
But she also shared a sobering reminder of the past year: at this time in 2020, the county had seen roughly 500 cases of COVID-19; today more than 250,000 positive tests have been logged. About a dozen OC residents had been killed by the virus then, a figure that has now grown to more than 4,700 people.
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley speaks during the announcement of a newly opened drive through COVID-19 vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Listening is Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Car of people wait in line at a newly opened COVID-19 drive through vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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OC Fair & Events Center Board of Directors Chair Natalie Rubalcava-Garcia speaks during the announcement of a newly opened drive through COVID-19 vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Car of people wait in line at a newly opened COVID-19 drive through vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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People wait in line at the walk-up section of a newly opened COVID-19 vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. People can also stay in their cars to get the vaccinated. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau speaks during the announcement of a newly opened drive through COVID-19 vaccination site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A worker gives a COVID-19 vaccination at a newly opened drive through site at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
But county officials pointed to hopeful news too: more than 527,000 people have been inoculated at the county’s mobile clinics and “super PODs” (points of dispensing), and more than 1.5 million doses have been given to OC residents (the two main vaccines in use are two-shot regimens) through local health care providers, pharmacies, the county and other sources.
About 2,000 vaccinations a day are expected at the fairgrounds site.
Expanding vaccine eligibility
Starting Thursday, April 1, the state is opening vaccinations to anyone 50 and older, after bringing the eligible age down from 75 to 65 in mid-January. Other specific categories, including people with certain disabilities or health conditions and workers in education, food industries and health care, also are eligible regardless of age.
Here’s what to know:
- If you already registered through Orange County’s Othena app or website (www.othena.com), you don’t have to do it again. Othena will send notifications inviting people in the order they registered to schedule an appointment once they’re eligible and a vaccine dose is available for them.
- Othena schedules appointments for county-run sites in Anaheim, Aliso Viejo and Costa Mesa and some smaller or mobile sites. You can also use the state’s My Turn website (www.myturn.ca.gov), check with your medical provider, or try a local pharmacy (CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens are among those with federal contracts to give shots).
- There’s no out-of-pocket cost for vaccination, though you may be asked for health insurance information if you have coverage.
- Not 50 or older yet? Wait two weeks. The state is expanding eligibility to everyone 16 and older on April 15.
- Need proof of vaccination? It will be available through Othena sometime in April, in the form of a QR code you can display on your smartphone. If you didn’t make your vaccine appointment through Othena, you can still register there and get your QR code when the option rolls out – the county has access to state data on who’s gotten their shots.
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