Magic Mountain COVID-19 vaccine site is closing
Los Angeles County’s large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site at Six Flags Magic Mountain will close Sunday — a move that comes shortly after the reopening of the theme park, which had been closed for more than a year due to the coronavirus.
To replace the Valencia location, where about 129,000 doses have been doled out since January, officials will open two new sites in the county’s northern reaches: one at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita and the other at the Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center.
Those locations will open April 19, according to the county. Both will be able to administer up to 2,000 vaccinations per day and will offer walk-up appointments.
For more information on available vaccine sites or to schedule an appointment, visit the county public health website.
There were 470 coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals as of Saturday, a drop of nearly 28% from two weeks earlier.
“Ensuring equitable vaccine access for communities in the north county is a priority and I appreciate the collaboration between the county and our community partners, including Magic Mountain, to run efficient operations that support our monumental task of vaccinating our residents,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. “Moving forward, we are continuing to provide crucial vaccine accessibility for residents in both the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys.”
Magic Mountain was one of five large county-operated vaccine sites. The other four — at the Pomona Fairplex, the Forum in Inglewood, Cal State Northridge and the L.A. County Office of Education in Downey — will remain open.
“The partnership with Six Flags Magic Mountain has proven invaluable to the county’s vaccination efforts, as the site provided vaccine to so many residents living in our hardest-hit communities,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “We are forever grateful for their partnership, and are committed to providing vaccines to northern Los Angeles County residents through these two additional sites.”
Magic Mountain, like theme parks throughout the state, closed last spring as the COVID-19 pandemic began. The park was allowed to reopen this month at limited capacity and with additional safety measures in place.
County health officials also announced that the El Sereno Recreation Center vaccine site will close Tuesday and be replaced starting Wednesday with a new location at Eugene A. Obregon Park in East Los Angeles.
The move will boost the number of doses that can be administered daily — from 1,500 to 2,000 — and “allow us to provide a more centralized option for our most vulnerable in the Eastside,” county Supervisor Hilda Solis said.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter for our families in this region — one that will get us closer to the end of this pandemic,” she said in a statement.
California will make all residents 16 and older eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, but many vaccination sites are not waiting until then.
More than 5.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in L.A. County to date, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
Although inoculation access has been limited — with residents prioritized based on age, occupation or underlying health conditions — that will change this week.
California will open statewide vaccine eligibility to residents 16 and older starting Thursday, though many areas have already done so. Among them is the city of Los Angeles, which has opened appointments to people age 16 and up at its sites.
People who are seeking shots must provide valid identification and be a resident of Los Angeles County. City-run sites are open from Tuesday through Saturday.
With coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations climbing nationwide, is California also headed for a fourth wave in the COVID-19 pandemic?
Newly eligible Angelenos can book appointments at county-run sites for Thursday and beyond through the state’s My Turn platform starting Wednesday, Ferrer said.
During a briefing Monday, she noted that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to decline countywide — a promising trend, especially as some other parts of the country contend with new spikes of the disease.
“I do feel hopeful for the first time in a long time, which makes it even more critical that we all follow the safety measures. We cannot let up, not now,” she said.
“Please continue wearing your mask and physically distancing from others when you’re in public. And please review information about the safety and effectiveness of the three vaccines currently available to protect from COVID-19, so when it is your turn to get vaccinated, you feel comfortable taking this important step.”
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
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