Alameda County’s top health official, Dr. Nicholas Moss, joined The Oaklandside on Instagram yesterday for an hourlong live conversation with our managing editor, Jacob Simas, to address some of the confusion, questions, and ongoing concerns we’ve been hearing from our readers about COVID-19 and the local vaccination rollout plan.
For those who couldn’t join us live, you can watch the entire interview below (no Instagram account required):
During the talk, Dr. Moss fielded questions being submitted live by viewers on topics ranging from local vaccine distribution (Why have fewer people per capita been vaccinated in Alameda County than in other parts of the Bay Area?), to the safety of the county’s reopening plans (What has contact tracing taught us about where COVID-19 does and doesn’t spread?), to the danger of virus mutations possibly prolonging our recovery from the pandemic (Will vaccines also protect us from variants? And which ones have been found in Alameda County?).
What was clear is that there are still few certainties when it comes to COVID-19, and it could be months before we know for sure whether the worst days of the pandemic are behind us. Until then, Dr. Moss encouraged patience with the vaccine distribution process, and stressed the importance of continuing to practice what we already know works: social distancing, hand washing, and wearing masks.
If you have specific questions about the vaccine rollout in Oakland, please don’t forget to also check out our online guide, which we’re updating with new information on a weekly basis.
