SANTA ANA, Calif.—The Orange County Health Care Agency announced on Dec. 28 free at-home COVID-19 tests kits—saliva-based and nasal swab options—have been made available for those who live or work in the county. Individuals can order “self-collection” test kits through the agency’s website. The test kits may be delivered to Orange County zip codes only…

SANTA ANA, Calif.—As travelers pack their bags for the holiday getaway, John Wayne Airport is offering free self-collection COVID-19 testing kits to travelers beginning Dec. 8. “The holidays are about spending quality time with family and friends,” County Supervisor Doug Chaffee said in a statement. “This is also a time for us to come together…

SANTA ANA, Calif.—As travelers pack their bags for the holiday getaway, John Wayne Airport is offering free self-collection COVID-19 testing kits to travelers beginning Dec. 8. “The holidays are about spending quality time with family and friends,” County Supervisor Doug Chaffee said in a statement. “This is also a time for us to come together…

Officials in Orange County, Calif. launched on July 14 a new interactive mapping tool that monitors the health and social equity of residents. The digital tool—developed in partnership with the Orange County board of supervisors, Orange County Health Care Agency, and Advance Orange County—was funded as part of a $22.89 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The…

More than 70 percent of adults in Orange County, Calif. have been vaccinated against COVID-19, health officials say. The milestone was reached shortly before July 4, a date previously attached to the county’s Operation Independence. It aimed to have all eligible residents who wished to be vaccinated inoculated by the holiday. Public health officials said…

Orange County is shutting its super point of dispensing (POD) sites in June, its top bureaucrat said May 6. “Now that we satisfied the majority of that demand for people that want to come through that process… we think that there’s an opportunity for us to shift to a mobile platform.” Frank Kim told reporters. The shuttering sites include those at…

Concerns regarding digital vaccine passports and mandatory vaccines for children prompted the Orange County Board of Education (OCBE) May 5 to oppose the measures. Its vaccine passport resolution came despite the County of Orange previously assuring the public such a platform, if approved, would be strictly voluntary. The OCBE’s decision followed an April 7 rally that…

After an uproar of 215 public commenters spoke during a recent Orange County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, county officials are reiterating to the public that the upcoming vaccine verification program is voluntary. “I really respect people’s freedom to voice whatever their opinion is, whether it be anti-mask, or anti-vaccine because that’s the beauty of our country…you have a freedom of…

After an uproar of 215 public commenters spoke during a recent Orange County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, county officials are reiterating to the public that the upcoming vaccine verification program is voluntary. “I really respect people’s freedom to voice whatever their opinion is, whether it be anti-mask, or anti-vaccine because that’s the beauty of our country…you have a freedom of…

The Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) has suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its point-of-distribution sites. The pause in administering the one-dose vaccine, which was approved for emergency use by the FDA Feb. 27, came under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The recommendation…