Dear Friend --

We hit a major milestone today with 75% of adults in Long Beach vaccinated against COVID-19. This accomplishment is thanks to the efforts of our dedicated Health Department, community medical partners and everyone who has made it a priority to get vaccinated. The undisputed fact remains the vaccine offers us the best chance at ending this pandemic, once and for all.

I’d like to take a moment to thank our partners at Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach City College, and the Long Beach Unified School District for their commitment to moving towards mandatory vaccination or weekly testing of all staff. In the two weeks after the City of Long Beach announced that vaccination or testing would be a requirement for all City employees — the rate of residents receiving their first vaccine dose rose by more than 40%. The importance of vaccinating as many of our community members 12 and older as possible cannot be overstated.

We know the Delta variant is more contagious than any variant of the virus to date, and to beat it, we have to stop its spread. Being fully vaccinated is critically important. To everyone who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, please make sure you get your second dose.

Many of you are also aware the Federal Government is in the process of authorizing a COVID-19 booster shot for those who are fully vaccinated. Our Health Department is prepared to support this effort and is already administering booster shots to those who are immunocompromised. As more information on booster shots becomes available, we will be sure to keep you informed.

For assistance and information about our vaccination locations and hours of operation, visit longbeach.gov/vaxlb or call 562-570-4636.

Thank you and Go Long Beach,

Mayor Robert Garcia