CA Gov. Gavin Newsom receives second booster on video, urges others to do the same

California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the district of GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday to tout the benefits of a second booster shot.

Newsom, a Democrat, received his second Moderna booster at the Clinica Sierra Vista in downtown Bakersfield, California, joking with reporters to get the “right angle” to capture “the contours of his muscles.”

“Vaccines have saved tens of thousands of lives in California, and with COVID-19 still prevalent, we can’t afford to let our guard down,” Newsom said in a statement.

“The best protection against serious illness and hospitalization is getting vaccinated and boosted. I encourage all eligible Californians to get your second booster – for you, for your family, for your friends, for your community.”

Newsom added that he hopes his visit to Kern County bolsters efforts to reach underserved communities.

“I love Kern County,” Newsom said when asked why he decided to get his vaccine here, reports the Bakersfield California.

Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern, which is known for agriculture, oil and aviation. It ranks second in the nation for agricultural production at $7.6 billion gross value in agricultural commodities.  

Republican Rep. McCarthy has served as a representative of the area to Congress since 2017.

Michelle Corson, spokeswoman for the Kern County Public Health Department, noted the county’s current case rate is 6.4 per 100,000, up from 1.9 per 100,000 in April in an email to the Californian.

She added that COVID cases will peak on June 25 and hospitalizations on July 7.

Kern’s COVID transmission rate is still considered “Low” by the CDC.

Last month, California pushed back its vaccine requirement for students for another year. Its pandemic response was rated an “F” by a recent study based on number of deaths, economic factors like unemployment and impact on in-person schooling.