Levi's Stadium vaccination site breaks record for most shots administered in single day in CA, officials say

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Friday, April 16, 2021
Levi's Stadium vaccination site breaks record as eligibility expands
Crowds are back at Levi's Stadium, although numbers are nowhere close to game-day levels. The COVID-19 vaccination site was bustling with thousands throughout the day on Thursday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- Crowds are back at Levi's Stadium, although numbers are nowhere close to game-day levels.

The COVID-19 vaccination site was bustling with thousands throughout the day on Thursday.

The site, also announcing a major milestone for Santa Clara County.

On Twitter, the Levi's Stadium account posting on Thursday, "Yesterday, we broke the record for most vaccinations administered at a single site in California."

RELATED: CA doctor worries vaccines won't make it to underserved communities as eligibility opens up

According to the county, 10,000 appointments were made on Wednesday.

"I think what it signals is that we're getting close to helping everybody get across the finish line," County Supervisor Cindy Chavez told ABC7 News.

Supervisor Chavez said appointments jumped to 12,000 on Thursday. She added 15,000 appointments can be made, daily.

"It's one of the few places that you can put that many people through," she elaborated. "Thousands and thousands of people know this. They feel comfortable and safe there."

SKY7 was overhead and captured the crowd of thousands outside the stadium on Thursday afternoon. Those waiting to get vaccinated were kept at a social distance from one another.

RELATED: How can I register for a COVID-19 vaccine in California? Here's how it works in every Bay Area county

For some, the lines were reminiscent of a theme park, before the pandemic.

"The lines were moving quicker than Disneyland," Agustin Gonzalez, 17, told ABC7 News. "So, I'd rather be here than wait in a line at Disneyland."

Vandana Prabhu shared, "I think they had amazing organization. We just walked and walked. I got my daily steps in."

While Thursday marked California's expanded eligibility to people 16-years-old and over, Santa Clara County took that step on Tuesday.

You'll remember, local Public Health leaders announced the county was set to receive 300,000 doses from the federal government. The move would open tens of thousands of additional vaccine appointments in the weeks ahead.

RELATED: Vaccine hesitancy in San Francisco is the lowest in California

At Levi's Stadium on Thursday, people told ABC7 News that from start to finish, the process could take up to two and a half hours.

"I know it's a little bit of a hassle, but once you get over this... Imagine, you can get back to the Great America Park on the other side," Sunny Dua shared. "And watch a stadium match, rather than coming for a vaccination."

He admitted the wait was a small price to pay after spending more than a year under the pandemic.

Gonzalez added, "Coming out and seeing all these people, it's kind of like, hopeful that we could go back to where we once were."

To book an appointment through Santa Clara County, click here.

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