Editorial: COVID vaccination rollout is Newsom’s moment of truth

Only 2% of the California population has received a shot. Nearly a month into this, that doesn’t cut it

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rollout of coronavirus vaccine distribution in California has been disappointing.

There have been computer glitches. Shortages of people to administer the vaccines. Sudden discoveries about the time it takes to administer each individual dose. All predictable. All remedied by better planning.

What there hasn’t been is a vaccine supply shortage. California has distributed only 28% of the doses received, placing it 44th worst of 50 states. Only 2% of the California population has received a shot. Nearly a month into this, that doesn’t cut it.

Newsom last week promised the state would administer 1 million more shots by the end of this week, more than doubling the number of injections so far.

“I would expect — and you should expect — that we are going to see a substantially higher number of vaccines administered in the coming days and coming weeks,” said Newsom, later adding: “Hold me accountable.”

Governor, we will.

We understand that there’s a lot to juggle. But now it’s time for less talk — please focus those rambling daily briefings! — and more action.

It’s time for Newsom to be proactive rather than reactive, as he has been with his COVID orders. Unlike the testing-capacity fiasco, the vaccine distribution snags cannot be blamed on the federal government. Money is not the issue; the state has plenty. The Newsom administration has had months to plan for this critical moment. Yet, other states are doing much better.

The urgency to fix this backlog is highlighted by the state’s frightening surge in COVID cases and deaths, the severe shortage of intensive care unit availability at our hospitals, and the onslaught of a more contagious virus strain infiltrating the country.

It’s all going to get worse in the next several weeks as more people are stricken because too many Californians refused to stay home over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

The state is fighting a three-prong health battle: getting people to behave responsibly, addressing the medical crisis exacerbated by irresponsible behavior and trying to bring an end to this nightmare with the widespread administration of vaccines. And it’s overlaid by an economic crisis, for which the administration’s distribution of unemployment benefits has been an embarrassment.

Now is Newsom’s opportunity to show he’s up to the task. That he will focus on medical solutions rather than political ones. And that he has learned to practice what he preaches.

Sadly, Newsom will forever be remembered for the French Laundry dinner — the Napa Valley gathering during a pandemic with his lobbyist buddies for a dinner most Californians could not afford. The best thing the governor could do to live down that reckless moment is to lead on the health care front — especially the distribution of vaccines.

We’re starting to see some positive steps, most notably the launching of large-scale inoculation centers at sports facilities and the focused effort to expand the pool of vaccinators to include pharmacists, dentists, emergency medical technician and National Guard strike teams. But the proof will be in the inoculation numbers.

The state needs to ramp up vaccinations as fast as possible. While the state has been slow to use the doses it already has, the federal government, with the incoming Biden administration, is expected to further open the spigot.

California must be prepared to meet the challenge. Saving lives and rebuilding our tattered economy depend on it. So does the governor’s reputation.