Date: January 7, 2021
Number: NR21-008
Contact: CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov

Doses may go to individuals in lower priority groups when high-priority demand subsides or when doses are about to expire

SACRAMENTO – Today the state issued vaccine recommendations to local public health departments and providers focused on accelerating the pace of COVID-19 vaccine administration. The recommendations clarify the state's vaccine prioritization process and that after appropriate efforts to reach highest priority groups, health departments and providers may offer doses to lower priority groups when high-priority demand subsides, or when doses are about to expire.

"California's health care providers have done incredible work thus far in vaccinating hundreds of thousands of Californians," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "On behalf of our state, I thank our hospitals, doctors, nurses, and others for joining us in this all-hands-on-deck commitment to safely and quickly Vaccinate All 58. When Californians join together, our spirit of resiliency and innovation always wins. By continuing to take the precautions we need to get through this surge, and by ramping up safe and equitable vaccinations, we can and we will get through this darkest part of the tunnel to the light."

To maximize vaccine administration and reduce the potential for waste, local health departments and providers should immediately administer COVID-19 vaccines to individuals in all tiers of Phase 1a. In addition to frontline health care workers, this includes a wide range of people in health care settings such as community health care workers, public health field staff, primary care clinics, specialty clinics, laboratory workers, dental clinics and pharmacy staff.

Local health departments and providers should make special efforts to administer vaccine to vaccinators and consider partnering with others to provide vaccinations for individuals in prioritized tiers. They may also allocate doses on the assumption that immunization will be accepted by some but not all who are offered the vaccine, and then continue to offer vaccinations in progressive priority tiers. For example, if a county has maximized use of the vaccine to administer individuals in Phase 1a, they should move to Tier 1 of Phase 1b while continuing to offer vaccines to those in higher priority groups.

Today's COVID-19 Data

CDPH announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19, including data on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity across the state. Based on ICU data, four regions, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area continue under the Regional Stay at Home Order. Once a region's four-week ICU projection shows a capacity of greater than or equal to 15%, the order will be lifted for that area.

Current Available ICU Capacity by Region

• Bay Area: 3.5%
• Greater Sacramento: 9.2%
• Northern California: 25.4%
• San Joaquin Valley: 0.0%
• Southern California: 0.0%

Current Status of Regional Stay at Home Order in Affected Regions

• San Joaquin Valley: Remains under order; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.
• Southern California: Remains under order; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.
• Greater Sacramento: Remains under order; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.
• Bay Area: Will remain under the order until at least January 8 with potential to extend depending on four-week ICU capacity projections. The region's ICUD projections will be announced on Saturday, January 9, based on January 8 data.

ICU capacity projections for regions that are eligible to exit the order are calculated daily based on four factors: current estimated regional ICU capacity available, measure of current community transmission, current regional case rates and the proportion of ICU cases being admitted. Decreasing community transmission and increasing the health system capacity can help a region's projected ICU capacity so they can exit the order.

Read the full Regional Stay Home Order, Supplement to the Order, and frequently asked questions.

Due to high rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations impacting the health care system, California is also under a Limited Stay at Home Order. The order applies to all counties that are currently under the Regional Stay at Home Order and those in Tier One (Purple) of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The Limited Stay at Home Order will expire after the Regional Stay At Home Order has been terminated in all regions of the state.

Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Today

• California has 2,518,611 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
• There were 36,385 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday.
• The 7-day positivity rate is 14.3% and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.9%.
• There have been 34,760,355 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 211,734 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
• As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase. There have been 28,045 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
• As of January 7, a total of 586,379 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. As of January 7, a total of 2,052,025 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped to local health departments and health care systems that have facilities in multiple counties.

Tracking COVID-19 in California