COVID Recovery: Half Of Eligible Berkeley Residents Fully Vaccinated, Positivity Rate Stays Low
BERKELEY (CBS SF) – Officials in Berkeley announced that half of the city's eligible residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, outpacing the state and nation in the vaccination rollout.
As of Thursday, city data shows 52,560 residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated (50%), which is defined as two weeks after the final dose. By comparison, about 32% of Americans and 32% of Californians are fully vaccinated.
"The success of Berkeley's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is a testament to the tireless efforts of our frontline workers and the resiliency of this community," Mayor Jesse Arreguin said in a statement.
Arreguin urged people to remain vigilant and to sign up for a shot if they haven't done so. "This is how we get back to business in Berkeley," the mayor said.
While much of the state and the country struggled to keep the pandemic under control, Berkeley case rates have remained relatively low. During the winter surge, Berkeley's 7-day test positivity rate peaked at 4.92% in early January. Around the same time, the state's test positivity rate rose to 17.1% before declining.
As of Thursday, the 7-day test rate in Berkeley was at 0.22%, with two average daily cases over the same period. By comparison, California's positivity rate, the lowest among all 50 states, is at 1.3%.
Since the start of the pandemic, 3,582 Berkeley residents have contracted COVID-19 and 45 residents have died.