Two cases of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa have been detected in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday. The cases were detected in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Newsom said while speaking in Fresno County. “The issue of mutations is top of mind,” Newsom said from the site of The Big Fresno Fair. Over the weekend, health officials in South Africa announced a temporary hold on the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a study suggested it offered “minimal protection” against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 due to the variant, the University of Oxford said. That yet-unpublished study included a relatively small number of people who were young and healthy on the whole. It was not able to measure how effective the vaccine was against severe disease, hospitalization or death.Newsom also said Wednesday that there were also 159 cases of the U.K. variant detected in the state and 1,203 cases of the two known West Coast variants. Overall, 30 labs across the state have done genomic sequencing on 12,000 samples, he said. Some hecklers could be heard during a livestream of Newsom’s briefing yelling “recall Gavin.” It was unclear how many were protesting the governor. Meanwhile, Newsom said he did not yet have a date to announce a new mass vaccination site in California’s Central Valley. On Monday, he said vaccinations at the new site would be aimed at “equity” and in partnership with the federal government. He cited the need to inoculate farmworkers, workers in meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses.Newsom has visited several other mass vaccination sites recently, as the state ramps up its effort to inoculate more Californians. Those sites also include Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Petco Park in San Diego and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.More than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered, according to a dashboard maintained by the state.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Officials have been encouraging Californians to sign up for My Turn, a notification system about vaccine eligibility. The tool is expected to eventually allow people across the state to book vaccination appointments. –CNN contributed to this story.
FRESNO, Calif. —
Two cases of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa have been detected in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.
The cases were detected in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Newsom said while speaking in Fresno County.
“The issue of mutations is top of mind,” Newsom said from the site of The Big Fresno Fair.
Over the weekend, health officials in South Africa announced a temporary hold on the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a study suggested it offered “minimal protection” against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 due to the variant, the University of Oxford said.
That yet-unpublished study included a relatively small number of people who were young and healthy on the whole. It was not able to measure how effective the vaccine was against severe disease, hospitalization or death.
Newsom also said Wednesday that there were also 159 cases of the U.K. variant detected in the state and 1,203 cases of the two known West Coast variants. Overall, 30 labs across the state have done genomic sequencing on 12,000 samples, he said.
Some hecklers could be heard during a livestream of Newsom’s briefing yelling “recall Gavin.” It was unclear how many were protesting the governor.
Meanwhile, Newsom said he did not yet have a date to announce a new mass vaccination site in California’s Central Valley.
On Monday, he said vaccinations at the new site would be aimed at “equity” and in partnership with the federal government. He cited the need to inoculate farmworkers, workers in meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses.
Newsom has visited several other mass vaccination sites recently, as the state ramps up its effort to inoculate more Californians. Those sites also include Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Petco Park in San Diego and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
More than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered, according to a dashboard maintained by the state.
Officials have been encouraging Californians to sign up for My Turn, a notification system about vaccine eligibility. The tool is expected to eventually allow people across the state to book vaccination appointments.
–CNN contributed to this story.