Los Angeles County’s large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site at Six Flags Magic Mountain will close Sunday — a move that comes shortly after the reopening of the theme park, which had been closed for more than a year due to the coronavirus.
To replace the Valencia location, where about 129,000 doses have been doled out since January, officials will open two new sites in the county’s northern reaches: one at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita and the other at the Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center.
Those locations will open April 19, according to the county. Both will be able to administer up to 2,000 vaccinations per day and will offer walk-up appointments.
For more information on available vaccine sites or to schedule an appointment, visit the county public health website.
There were 470 coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals as of Saturday, a drop of nearly 28% from two weeks earlier.
“Ensuring equitable vaccine access for communities in the north county is a priority and I appreciate the collaboration between the county and our community partners, including Magic Mountain, to run efficient operations that support our monumental task of vaccinating our residents,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. “Moving forward, we are continuing to provide crucial vaccine accessibility for residents in both the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys.”
Magic Mountain was one of five large county-operated vaccine sites. The other four — at the Pomona Fairplex, the Forum in Inglewood, Cal State Northridge and the L.A. County Office of Education in Downey — will remain open.
“The partnership with Six Flags Magic Mountain has proven invaluable to the county’s vaccination efforts, as the site provided vaccine to so many residents living in our hardest-hit communities,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “We are forever grateful for their partnership, and are committed to providing vaccines to northern Los Angeles County residents through these two additional sites.”
Magic Mountain, like theme parks throughout the state, closed last spring as the COVID-19 pandemic began. The park was allowed to reopen this month at limited capacity and with additional safety measures in place.
California will make all residents 16 and older eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, but many vaccination sites are not waiting until then.
More than 5.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in L.A. County to date, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
Although inoculation access has been limited — with residents prioritized based on age, occupation or underlying health conditions — that will change this week.
California will open statewide vaccine eligibility to residents 16 and older starting Thursday, though many areas have already done so. Among them is the city of Los Angeles, which has opened appointments to people age 16 and up at its sites.
People who are seeking shots must provide valid identification and be a resident of Los Angeles County. City-run sites are open from Tuesday through Saturday.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
