What to Know
- A mass vaccination site at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium could be a key part of reopening LAUSD classrooms.
- The LAUSD says it plans to work closely with Los Angeles County on the plan and start vaccinations at the site as soon as possible.
- The site would have the capacity to vaccinate up to 10,000 people a day, the LAUSD says.
A large-scale coronavirus vaccination site opening on the grounds of Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium could serve to vaccinate teachers and school staff as Los Angeles charts a path to reopening classrooms, it was announced Wednesday.
The site at the NFL stadium will be a collaborative operation that includes the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Rams, Hollywood Park and the city of Inglewood.
The location could serve to vaccinate teachers and school staff in Los Angeles County for schools that wish to participate, according to a LAUSD statement. The school district said it plans to work closely with the county on this program and seek approval to begin operating as soon as possible.
The site would have the capacity to vaccinate up to 10,000 people a day, the LAUSD said.
On Monday, the LAUSD and its partners, including Anthem Blue Cross and Cedars-Sinai, sent a letter to County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer and L.A. County Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo seeking authorization to operate the site.
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“Returning students, teachers and staff to campus in the safest way possible is essential to the well-being of our entire community,'' said Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner. “A dedicated vaccination site and comprehensive effort for the education community would allow schools to re-open sooner and in a more coordinated manner.''
Earlier this week, county officials said Los Angeles County reached the virus case threshold necessary to begin reopening elementary schools. It was not immediately clear when schools would reopen.
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“In speaking with Superintendent Beutner and Inglewood Mayor (James T.) Butts about how we can best support our community during this time, it became clear that assisting schools to reopen safely would have wide-ranging impacts for all Angelenos,” said Rams COO Kevin Demoff.
Butts has committed to seek the support of the County Board of Supervisors for this effort to protect school staff and bring the children of Inglewood and Los Angeles County back to the classroom.
Under the plan, 600 LAUSD school nurses and other licensed healthcare professionals would administer the vaccine. In addition, Anthem would provide volunteer clinical personnel to supplement LAUSD staff. Cedars-Sinai is already providing training to support this vaccination effort.
