LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles is temporarily closing five mass vaccination sites including Dodger Stadium for lack of supply as the state faces continuing criticism over the vaccine rollout.
Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city will exhaust its supply of Moderna first doses — two are required for full immunization — forcing it to close drive-through and walk-up vaccination sites Friday and Saturday.
They may not reopen until the city gets more supplies, perhaps next Tuesday or Wednesday. Smaller mobile vaccination clinics will continue operating.
Garcetti says Los Angeles uses about 13,000 doses in a typical day but received only 16,000 this week.
"This is not where I want to be," Garcetti said. "It's not where we deserve to be."
California has now recorded the most confirmed deaths from the coronavirus with 45,496, edging past New York's toll of 45,312, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Other coronavirus numbers are improving in the state, however.
The seven-day test positivity rate has fallen to 4.8%, and the most recent daily number of confirmed positive cases was 8,390, down from 53,000 in December.