STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN

Effective Feb. 28, Santa Clara County will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination tiers, which includes workers in education and childcare; food and agriculture; and emergency services.

County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said at a press conference today that now is the “optimal time” to expand vaccination eligibility, asserting that the county has enough capacity to serve more residents; she noted that nearly half of the county’s 65-and-up bracket has now been vaccinated.

“As everyone knows, the more people we can get vaccinated, the better off we all are,” Cody said. “This is our best estimation of the optimal timing to make that transition.”

When asked for an estimation of when the county will hit the red tier of coronavirus restrictions, Cody contended that it’s “difficult to know,” noting a decline in case rates since the first week of January but also the emergence of new, more easily transmissible COVID-19 strains.

“Everyone, when you do become eligible, please get vaccinated,” Cody said. “We’ve made great progress — and we want it to continue.”