State Earmarks $7.6 Million for Bay Area Counties
Nine Bay Area counties will receive $7.6 million from the state in an effort to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The allocations are as follows:
- $1.5 million each for Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda
- $750,000 each for San Mateo and San Francisco
- $400,000 each for Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma
The funds will be used to expand vaccination sites and scheduling services before May when the state anticipates a large increase in supply. California is expecting to receive 4 million doses per week from mid-May through early June.
The additional funds have been applauded by Bay Area leaders, but some have said they don’t go far enough. When the state first announced its equity-based rollout last month, some Bay Area counties were left high and dry. Santa Clara and San Mateo counties were entirely omitted from the list of hard-hit zip codes, which received 40% of the state’s vaccine supply.
“This is a step in the right direction, but not nearly all that is needed to assist those that are suffering from a clear geographic and socioeconomic disadvantage,” Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) told San José Spotlight. “COVID-19 has only underscored the urgency of eliminating socioeconomic barriers and advancing health equity in our state.”
Elected officials and community leaders in Santa Clara have said the most pressing issue is still supply. They need more doses to fill the gap — and fast.
