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Dear neighbor,
With more and more Americans becoming vaccinated every day, the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter. President Biden announced this week a new goal – to administer 200 million COVID-19 vaccine shots within his first 100 days in office. I encourage everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine to do so as soon as possible to help save lives and put an end to this pandemic. In the meantime, we must do our best to stay safe, which means washing our hands frequently; engaging in social distancing; and wearing a mask in public.
I am proud that the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive and far-reaching stimulus and relief package that Democrats and President Biden worked to pass, is starting to provide desperately needed relief to American families and businesses. The plan lowers health care costs and expands access to affordable, quality health care coverage for millions of Americans. It also supports women and families by increasing the Child Tax Credit, expanding child care assistance, and delivering financial relief to most households. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to see how this legislation helps our communities in a variety of ways to Build Back Better from the COVID-19 crisis.
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Starting last year, there has been increased violence and discrimination towards members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. If you experience or witness a hate crime or hate incident against a member of the AAPI community, please call 2-1-1 or go to stopAAPIhate.org to report it.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE
Los Angeles County has administered about 3.8 million doses of the vaccine to residents, meaning 31.4% of people over 16 have been given at least one dose, and 15.9% of people over 16 have been fully vaccinated. The increasing rate of vaccinations is likely reducing COVID-19 transmission. For countywide data on vaccine distribution, please view the LA County Public Health Vaccine Dashboard.
I’m pleased that this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a federal grant of $54.5 million to the City of Los Angeles to support vaccine distribution efforts. These resources are vital to helping the City of LA vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
LA County is currently vaccinating individuals in the following groups:
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If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit VaccinateLACounty.com to book an appointment. Residents with disabilities or without computer access may call 833-540-0473 between 8:00 am and 8:30 pm 7 days a week for assistance.
Vaccines are now available to those ages 16-64 who have qualifying health conditions and/or disabilities that put them more at risk of severe illness from COVID-19. For a complete list of what qualifies as one of these conditions, please click here.
STATE AND LOCAL COVID-19 UPDATES
From California
In California, 27.2% of people have received at least one dose, and 13.2% of people are fully vaccinated. This ranks California 28th out of all states and territories. As California continues to administer vaccines, it’s okay to have questions. For more information on how the COVID-19 vaccine works and why you should get vaccinated, please visit VaccinateAll58.com.
Starting April 1st, California will be expanding vaccine eligibility to Californians age 50 and older. On April 15th, eligibility will open to all Californians over the age of 16.
From LA County
This week, Los Angeles County’s adjusted case rate and test positivity rate dropped to a level beginning to meet the threshold to move into the less restrictive, orange tier of California’s Blueprint for A Safer Economy. If the county maintains current levels or drops in case rate and positivity rate, it is possible it could move into the orange tier by early April.
With Spring Break coming up, please remember to quarantine for 10 days after returning to LA County following out of state or out of county travel. Quarantining after travel will help to slow the spread.
TESTING
All LA County residents who would like to get tested for COVID-19 should first contact their Primary Care Provider to see if they offer tests. If you cannot access a test through your health care provider, please visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing or corona-virus.la/covid-19-testing to sign up for a no-cost COVID-19 test. Testing is recommended for those who:
- Have symptoms related to COVID-19.
- Were asked to get tested by LA Public Health because of a contact tracing investigation.
- Were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
- Work or live in a skilled nursing facility; group home; residential care facility; homeless shelter; or correctional facility.
- Are experiencing homelessness.
- Are essential workers with frequent contact with the public.
- Don’t have symptoms but believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Need health care? Enroll now! Due to COVID-19, Covered California established a special enrollment period that allows any eligible Californian to enroll in health coverage.
- Round 5 of California’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program is now open! Eligible applicants can visit careliefgrant.com to learn more.
- The West LA VA is now offering COVID-19 vaccines to veterans of ALL ages who are eligible for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare and enrolled with VAGLAHS. Veterans can call the VAGLAHS COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Line at (310) 268-4900 to schedule an appointment.
The vaccine is one of our most powerful tools in ending this pandemic. By getting vaccinated when it’s your turn, you are saving lives and helping us get back to doing the things we love. In the meantime, please continue to wash your hands frequently; engage in social distancing; and wear a mask in public. For more information on COVID-19 and vaccines, please visit covid19.ca.gov/vaccines and VaccinateLACounty.com and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Stay safe.
Sincerely,
Ted W. Lieu
Member of Congress
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