As California began offering vaccinations to everyone age 16 and older regardless of occupation or health condition last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged more residents to sign up for appointments. He said Californians should not let apprehension about inoculations get in the way of protecting themselves against the illness. Nearly half of Californians eligible for vaccination have received at least one shot so far, Newsom said.

California’s coronavirus cases have plummeted from a deadly fall and winter surge. About 2,300 people are hospitalized with the virus, compared with nearly 10 times as many earlier in the year, Newsom said. The state’s seven-day positivity rate for new coronavirus cases is 1.7 percent, according to the Associated Press.

California has administered 24 million doses of vaccine and is pushing residents to get the shot through community/media outreach and mobile clinics. This comes as California and other states have received increased vaccine supplies in recent weeks, despite the recent pause of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. U.S. government health advisers are evaluating whether a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to that vaccine.