Campus

As of March 4, Chico State has been hosting a free COVID-19 testing site at Shurmer Gym every Thursday and Friday, by appointment. Free parking is available at the Nettleton Stadium parking lot, and appointments can be online and by calling 1-888-634-1123. More campus information is available on the CSUC COVID-19 News & Information website.

County

Butte County’s vaccine program can be found on their website, including eligibility, both federal  and community vaccination sites, frequently asked questions and vaccination company-specific information.

Youth in Butte County age 16 and older became eligible for vaccination on March 29, but only the Pfizer vaccine is available and individuals must go to Oroville. All other adults in the county are now eligible for getting the vaccine.

To set up an appointment by phone, Butte County residents can contact the Butte County COVID Call Center for assistance at 530-552-3050.

State

California is ahead of the national curve, this time regarding vaccine eligibility. Starting April 15, all citizens 16 years and older will be eligible to receive shots. Some counties have already taken this step, including Butte.

Governor Gavin Newsom maintains that, despite receiving a vaccine, Californians will still be required to wear face coverings and maintain public health safety measures for the foreseeable future.

“This disease is as deadly as it’s ever been,” Newsom said. “The only thing that we have done is suppress the spread because of the number of vaccines that have been administered and because of mask wearing.”

Eligibility and appointment setting are available at myturn.ca.gov, along with information provided by the California Department of Health, frequently asked questions and volunteer opportunities.

More general information about California’s vaccine program can be found here.

Newsom also announced that full economic reopening in the Golden State is scheduled for June 15 if COVID cases retain their current trajectory.

Approximately 42% of Californians over 16 have received their first shot, and 23% are fully vaccinated.

Federal

The Biden administration promised doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 100 million arms within 100 days of the president’s inauguration, but the effort exceeded that goal by 50 million doses within 75 days since he took office.

Last month, Biden urged all states, tribes and territories to confirm eligibility of the vaccine for all adults by May 1.

However, the White House announced on Tuesday that the date of eligibility is now pushed forward to April 19.

Caution is still advised, as the Centers for Disease Control maintains that wearing masks, frequent hand washing and keeping socially distant remain effective measures to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

“The virus is spreading because we have too many people who see the end in sight [and] think we’re at the finish line already,” Biden said from the White House on Tuesday. “We’re still in a life and death race against this virus.”

Ian Hilton can be reached at [email protected].