The Orange County Board of Supervisors has approved a partnership with Blue Shield to administer COVID-19 vaccines. The board during its March 23 meeting approved a memorandum of understanding with the insurance company on a distribution contract. The partnership will allow Orange County to continue using its Othena scheduling platform. During the meeting, Orange County’s public health officer, Dr. Clayton Chau, said the region has seen a dramatic drop in hospitalizations, positivity rate and infections in Orange County. Right now, the county is vaccinating the highest risk individuals first, especially those hindered by what Chau referred to as a “barrier of inequity”. To bolster its efforts, Orange County will extend weekend hours at its Santa Ana vaccination site, enabling those who work during the week to have better access to the vaccine, Chau said. If the extended hours are well-attended, other sites could begin offering weekend appointments. “We still recommend …