COVID-19 Vaccine Update From CI Health CEO Jason Paret

Dear Catalina Island Community,

The first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived on Catalina Island last week and we began vaccinating the medical center team and first responders. I remain hopeful that we are moving closer toward closing this challenging chapter. But we aren’t there yet, so we need your help.

I would like to ask each of us to continue doing our part to curb the rise in cases. We all know what to do: stay home as much as possible, keep your mask on when you are out, and refrain from gathering – including the holiday parties and family get-togethers we all are yearning for.

In a year of great sacrifices, this is a huge one to make during a holiday season. But the greatest gift we can give each other this year is to practice staying home and not gathering and let that be the celebration of our love, compassion, and kindness to each other. Your actions could make all the difference.

While COVID-19 cases have risen on Catalina Island, our rates are lower than that of Los Angeles County. I credit that to our community doing the best they can to observe social distancing and wearing masks in public. And I am immensely proud of our residents, visitors and CI Health team for working together to keep our island healthy and safe.

Please know that if you are facing a healthcare challenge, CI Health is here for you. If you have a medical emergency, come to our ER. If you need a COVID-19 test, primary care, mental health support, or physical therapy, the CI Health Health Clinic team is ready to care for you in our safe, well-equipped facilities.

And in this season of giving, whenever you see front-line healthcare professionals or first responders out in the community, please take the time to thank them for all they do to care for us and keep us healthy. Your appreciation for their sacrifice and acknowledgment of their hard work means the world to our healthcare providers.

So please do your part this holiday season. Stay safe and continue doing all that you can to avoid circumstances where you could become vulnerable to the transmission of the virus.

Let’s all do our part to give the gift of good health to one another!

Happy Holidays,