Eligibility
Questions continue to come in about who is eligible for vaccines. One nuance that some don’t know about is related to caregivers. The state and county have stated that both formal and informal caregivers are eligible to get the vaccine as part of Phase 1A. This could include family members.
Caregivers need to show a letter from the doctor of the person receiving care, and that letter needs to confirm their role as an “informal caregiver.” Here is a link to a notice from the county that explains this eligibility and here is a full list of people who fall under Phase 1A.
More vaccine background
At last week’s COVID-19 update to the City Council, our fire chief did a great presentation that explains the vaccine process, from how vaccinators get certified to give vaccines to how the prioritization works. I asked him to share this information in a video so people could get a better understanding of the process. Please take a look.
Local health order and pickleball
Once we were allowed to reopen our popular pickleball courts at Poinsettia Park, players were understandably thrilled to return. Under the current health order, only singles play is allowed. We updated signs around the courts and had our park monitors on hand to remind players to follow that rule. Unfortunately, too many players continued to play doubles, even after we later posted a warning that the courts would be closed if the health order was not followed. So, unfortunately, now the courts have been temporarily closed for everyone.
Please know that no one at the city wants to restrict the public’s access to our beautiful parks and amenities. But, as I have explained before, we have the ability to be stricter than state and county rules, but we cannot be less strict.
Popular art program goes virtual
Family Open Studios is one of the city’s most popular art events, and staff from our Cultural Arts Office has found a way to continue the experience virtually. These hands-on art-making events are, as the name implies, tailored for kids and adults alike and feature themes from exhibits on display at the city’s William D. Cannon Art Gallery.
The next event, this Saturday, Feb. 20, will showcase the artwork of San Diego artist, Anne Mudge, whose work is also being displayed in the Cannon Art Gallery’s current exhibit, Four Visions: A Celebration of the Year of the Woman. Participants will have the opportunity to watch a live interview with the artist, learn about the history of wire art, view artwork from other wire artists, engage in live arts instruction for the art kit project, get tips for creating a wire sculpture and ask questions.
Carlsbad teen recognized
Carlsbad High School senior Skyla Nelson was just chosen to represent California in the Distinguished Young Women’s program and will compete at the national level in June. I know I may be biased, but I can’t help but notice that teens here in Carlsbad are pretty darn amazing. You can see what I mean by watching this news interview with Skyla.
A new addition
Finally, I would like to extend my warmest wishes and congratulations to City Council Member Priya Bhat-Patel. This week Dr. Bhat-Patel and her husband welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby boy.
I’ll be back next Tuesday with more updates. You may have noticed we relaunched our regular weekly e-newsletter. That comes out on Fridays and features stories about things going on at the city beyond just COVID-19 related news. If you know anyone who would like to sign up, please pass along this link.
I know it can sometimes feel like two steps forward, one step back, but we really are making progress toward a return to some kind of normalcy. With another new vaccine on the way and the expanded infrastructure in place to administer vaccines, the light at the end of this tunnel is getting brighter every day. Thank you for hanging in there, and thank you for continuing to #Care4Carlsbad.
Scott Chadwick
City Manager
