California's new COVID-19 vaccine and testing order covers state employees and healthcare workers, but what about the millions of unvaccinated residents who aren’t in either group?
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday outreach efforts will continue.
"We're never gonna give up," Newsom said Tuesday in a press conference. "Absolutely, we're gonna meet people where they are. The answer’s no? Ask a better question."
Newsom said the state will continue its persuasion campaign to vaccinate the millions who haven’t received a shot, attempting to push back on vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
The state is focused especially on minority communities and rural areas, partnering with nearly community-based organizations, pushing media blasts and launching a grant program to support primary care physicians.
Newsom said California’s phone banking has led to over a million phone calls, with the overall goal of casting a very wide net.
"We are in every part of the state," Newsom said. "Not just in large urban settings, but all throughout the state in rural and even very remote parts of the state, where we still have a lot of work to do."
Nearly 72% of eligible Californians had received at least a single dose of the vaccine as of Monday, according to figures the state released a day later. Newsom said all those shots in arms have made a difference as the delta variant spreads throughout the U.S.
"Because of your work, we're doing better than the vast majority of states in this country," Newsom said.
California averaged 11.9 new cases per 100,000 residents over the seven days preceding Tuesday, according to state data.
