Assembly Member Santiago Responds to Gov. Newsom’s Vaccine Equity Announcement

(Los Angeles, CA) – Following the announcement of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) new vaccination equity plan, Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) released the following statement:

“The devastation COVID-19 has caused to California and my district brings me to tears,” Assembly Member Santiago said. “I represent Assembly District 53, which is the district with the second lowest average income in California, and communities in my district have been hit hard by COVID-19. For example, roughly 1 out of 5 Boyle Heights residents, 9 out of 50 Huntington Park residents and 1 out of 6 Pico Union residents have tested positive at some point during the pandemic, some of the highest rates in Los Angeles county and the state of California. Vulnerable communities across California and in my district are in an urgent emergency, we need help now.

By allocating 40% of the vaccine to the state’s most vulnerable communities and loosening tiers only after our most vulnerable communities receive more vaccinations, I am confident Gov.

Newsom’s plan will help us. I applaud him for his commitment to vaccination equity and standing up for the communities that need the most help. We need to see further decreases in COVID rates so we can bring down deaths and allow small businesses and schools to reopen safely.”

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committee on Health, Public Safety, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy.

He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.