LONG BEACH, Calif. – The City of Long Beach announced plans to offer COVID-19 vaccines to older California residents beginning this Saturday. City officials said residents who are 75 years and older can get the vaccine at one of the city’s vaccination clinics by signing up for an appointment.

The city has vaccinated 13,000 health care workers and this week, it will start offering the vaccine to group 1B which includes educators, emergency workers and grocery and food distribution workers along with residents over the age of 75. Starting January 23, people between the ages of 65 and 74 can also get a vaccination at city clinics and on January 25, the Long Beach Unified School District will start vaccinating its employees.

The vaccine rollout has been bumpy in some parts of L.A. County but in Long Beach, it has been relatively smooth according to health officials.

“We’ve been running very smoothly because we have the organization. We have all the necessary people to get things done, on time and efficiently,” said Dr. Sarah Mohtadi, a public health physician with the city of Long Beach. “We have enough supplies to accommodate anyone that needs a vaccine or even to get tested.”

Even though Long Beach has a population of almost half a million, Dr. Mohtadi says there is a close-knit feel. The city has developed relationships with its businesses, colleges and residents to get information out during the pandemic.

Officials encourage eligible residents to reach out to their employer first to get a vaccine. If they are not able to get a vaccine through their employer, then they can get one from the city.

Residents can email COVID19Vaccine@longbeach.gov to schedule an appointment through the city. Also, next week the city plans to launch an online portal called “VaxLB” where residents can enter their email to receive an alert when it’s their turn to receive a vaccination.