California Latino Legislative Caucus Leadership Responds to Governor Newsom's Prioritization of Hardest Hit Communities for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

SACRAMENTO - In response to Governor Gavin Newsom's announcement that California will allocate 40% of the state's vaccines to our hardest hit communities using the Healthy Places Index (HPI), California Latino Legislative Caucus Chair Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) and Vice Chair Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) issued the following joint statement: 

"On behalf of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, we want to commend and thank Governor Newsom for prioritizing equity in the state’s distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine—specifically, his announcement last week that the state will begin using the Healthy Places Index to allocate 40% of the state’s vaccines to our hardest hit communities. The HPI captures the most impacted communities throughout the state, including the Central Valley, Central Coast, Inland Empire, Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Northern California. Thanks to the Governor’s action, more frontline, essential workers in these regions will access the vaccine – workers who’ve faced the brunt of this pandemic and who our state quite simply cannot function without. The Governor boldly proclaimed in his State of the State address earlier this week that, 'we’re not just talking about equity, we are building it into the very fabric of all of our programs.' We are grateful that his recent actions match his words.”

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CONTACT

Senator Durazo
Michael Tonetti - michael.tonetti@sen.ca.gov - (213) 280-6917

Assemblymember Rivas
Elizabeth Stitt - elizabeth.stitt@asm.ca.gov - (916) 802-1276