The mass vaccination site that opened in the Oakland Coliseum complex parking lot on Tuesday expects to run for about eight weeks and vaccinate up to 6,000 people a day, according to state and local authorities.
The facility, run in coordination with the federal government, will be open seven days a week, delivering doses until 7 pm every day.
Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking at the opening of another massive coronavirus vaccination site in Cal State Los Angeles, said the Oakland site and site would administer 3,000 vaccines each on Tuesday and expects to double that number by the end of the week.
The vaccine for the Coliseum (as well as the Cal State Los Angeles website) comes straight from the federal government and not from the state’s general allocation – so officials said they did not anticipate the same supply problems that forced other major vaccination centers in the states to close .
Authorities strongly encouraged those planning to obtain a vaccine at the Oakland site to make an appointment in advance, and not to wait outside the facility in hopes of receiving a remaining dose. The groups eligible for the vaccine at the Colosseum include those aged 65 and over and essential workers in the sectors of education, food, agriculture and emergency services. Eligibility is not limited to Alameda County residents.
Appointments can be made online at myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255.
Although Oakland A’s home debut is scheduled for April 1, the A’s don’t expect the site to interfere with games – which remain fanless. “We are predicting that the vaccine site will remain open as long as necessary,” said a spokesman for A. “We are confident that operations at the vaccine site will not prevent our games.”
On Tuesday, a alphabet soup from state, local and federal agencies was parked on the site, including FEMA, Cal Fire, the state Emergency Services Office, the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Forest Service.
Dozens of California National Guard soldiers wearing military uniforms were also available for logistical support and traffic control, officials said.
Three tents were available for arriving people. The facility is also connected to public transport, including the BART and Capitol Corridor train stations, and bus drivers will be available to take people there.
About 600 people are working on the site, including 100 vaccinators provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The site will hire about 180 additional residents to help administer vaccines.
The authorities recognized that the martial feel of the place can make people uncomfortable. But they promised not to check the immigration status of those looking for a vaccine.
“We are not immigration,” said Tammy Littrell, FEMA administrator in the region that includes Alameda County.
Both the Cal State and Oakland sites will also provide vaccines for mobile units that will go directly to underrepresented communities.
Oakland Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kaplan said the local mobile units should be up and running by the end of the week.
“There will be other places in the neighborhoods that people can go to if access to this place is uncomfortable and logistically difficult,” said Kaplan.
Chronicle team writer Matt Kawahara contributed to this report.
Michael Williams and Aidin Vaziri are editors of the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: michael.williams@sfchronicle and [email protected]