Three new COVID-19 vaccination sites will open next week, San Diego County public health officials announced, as they reported 226 new infections and 15 additional deaths Saturday.
Saturday's data from the Health and Human Service Agency increased the county's cumulative totals to 269,275 cases and 3,540 deaths.
Of 11,937 tests reported Saturday, 2% returned positive.
The number of coronavirus hospitalizations in the county decreased Saturday to 180, from the previous day's 197. Of those, 59 were in intensive care units, down from Thursday's 70.
There were no community outbreaks reported Saturday. There have been 16 community outbreaks over the last seven days.
A clinic will begin administering vaccines from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the North Inland First United Methodist Church, 341 Kalmia St. in Escondido. Appointments are required for the walk-through clinic which will have the capacity to vaccinate 250 people daily.
Starting Tuesday, vaccinations will be administered from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, at the Mountain View Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean Blvd. in Southeastern San Diego. The appointment-based walk- up clinic will have the capacity to administer 500 doses initially but can ramp up to 1,000 each day. The new clinic replaces the Central Region Immunization Clinic at 3177 Ocean View Blvd., which had a capacity of 100 vaccinations each day.
COVID-19 vaccines will also be available on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at a one-day, walk-up, no-appointment clinic at the Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Ave. A total of 300 doses will be administered that day on a first-come, first-served basis exclusively to residents of the 92102 and 92113 ZIP codes. Proof of residence such as a driver's license or utility bill will be required.
The Del Mar vaccination site was closed Saturday through Sunday, due to vaccine supply shortage.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher said the county will continue to ramp up vaccine distribution sites in spite of a shortage of doses in case supplies increase.
According to Fletcher, the county has the ability to administer 35,000 vaccines every day. Limited doses mean the actual number being injected is around 12,000 per day.
More than 1.66 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered to San Diego County, according to the county's Health and Human Services Agency, and more than 1.57 million have been logged as administered. This number includes both county residents and those who work in San Diego County.
The HHSA on Saturday reported 869,504 people — or 32.3% of San Diego County residents over the age of 16 — have received at least one dose of the two-shot vaccines, and 527,691 people — or 19.6% — have been fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to everyone in the state age 50 and older beginning April 1, then to everyone age 16 and up on April 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
