Coronavirus update: California at nearly 3.4 million cases; pharmacies begin vaccinations

California reached a total of 3,399,878 cases of the coronavirus on Valentine’s Day, according to the state Department of Public Health. The state also reported a total of 46,843 deaths related to the virus.

By Sunday, the state reported that a total of 45,703,217 residents had been tested for COVID-19.

CVS, Walgreens and Walmart began vaccinations for the virus, as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a state and federal program intended to broaden the protection effort to a wider, more diverse audience.

To find a vaccination, Californians were told to go to the state website myturn.ca.gov. CVS also listed locations where vaccinations were available at its stores. In the Fresno area, the vaccine was administered at the store at Shaw Avenue and Fresno Street on Friday and Saturday. But by Sunday, there were no locations at pharmacies in California, according to the website.

As the spread of the coronavirus slows, experts are warning that the spread of more contagious variants could undo strides made to control COVID-19. The B.1.1.7. variant that was first reported in the United Kingdom is spreading rapidly in the U.S., according to The New York Times, doubling roughly every 10 days. Scientists are scrambling to determine why the variant appears to be more deadly than the original virus.

This story was originally published February 14, 2021 at 12:01 PM.