San Francisco, LA Reach Coveted Yellow Tier: San Francisco and Los Angeles took wildly divergent paths to arrive at the same place on Tuesday: the yellow tier in California’s reopening blueprint. It signaled a remarkable shift in the pandemic, public health experts said: In the north and in the south, California is on the mend. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Bay Area News Group and KQED.
In related news —
Covid Cases Going Up In Stanislaus County: Stanislaus County didn’t make much progress toward looser coronavirus regulations in a state update Tuesday: Its daily case rate went in the wrong direction. The county will remain under red tier restrictions for the seventh consecutive week. Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
San Francisco Chronicle:
Here's How Close The Bay Area Is To Reaching Biden's July 4 Vaccination Goal
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a new COVID-19 vaccine goal to deliver at least one dose to 70% of American adults by July 4. Most of the Bay Area has already surpassed that goal, according to county data. Six of the region’s nine counties report more than 70% of their adult population have received at least one vaccine shot. (Flores, 5/4)
Napa Valley Register:
Napa County Reports 54,590 Residents Now Fully Vaccinated
Napa County reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with four people in local hospitals. The county said that 75,440 of the county's 138,000 residents are at least partially vaccinated and 54,590 are fully vaccinated, or 40% of the total population, with children under age 16 not yet eligible. (Courtney, 5/4)
Bay Area News Group:
Walmart And Sam’s Club Now Administering Walk-Up COVID-19 Vaccines At 308 California Pharmacies
COVID-19 vaccines are now available to customers and associates in all of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s more than 5,100 pharmacy locations nationwide, across 49 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. This includes the 308 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in California. Vaccines are being administered via both walk-up and scheduled appointments. Additionally, the company is rolling out new programs to both encourage people to get a vaccine and continue efforts to increase access across the country. (5/5)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Bakersfield College Hosting Two Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics This Weekend
Bakersfield College’s Student Health and Wellness Center is partnering with the college’s nursing students to operate two COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Friday and Saturday, according to a news release from the school. The Friday afternoon clinic will be held from 1-3 p.m. at David Nelson Pocket Park, 1511 Niles Street. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be distributed at the event, which is being put on as a collaboration between BC, City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, Upside Productions and the Centric Health Foundation. (5/4)
Orange County Register:
Which Ethnic Groups Are Most Eager To Get Vaccinated In Southern California Counties?
While California has much to crow about when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign — 30 million doses have been administered and 18.4 million people have received at least one shot — the vast majority of its Black and Latino residents remain unvaccinated.Those also happen to be the groups most heavily impacted by the pandemic. Across the region as well as statewide, Asian Americans were the most eager of the major groups to get vaccinated. White residents were more willing to get jabbed in areas with a politically liberal bent, and less willing in areas with a politically conservative bent. (Sforza, 5/4)
Voice of OC:
Efforts To Vaccinate People Are Stretching OC’s Community Groups And Clinics Thin
Orange County’s community groups and local clinics are being stretched thin as they work together to vaccinate as many residents as possible ahead of the slated June 15 statewide reopening. “The nonprofit organizations such as ourselves, Abrazar, Latino Health Access — we’re funded on soft money from philanthropic organizations. So I guarantee you all the work we’re doing is by volunteers and on shoestring budgets,” said Isabel Becerra, CEO of the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers. (Custodio, 5/4)
Orange County Register:
Orange County School Board Perpetuates False Idea About Mandatory Vaccines For Students
A month ago, as many as 200 parents came to a meeting of the Orange County Board of Education to express outrage over what they heard was a mandate to vaccinate their children in schools without their approval. That information was false. The next morning, the county’s public health director, Clayton Chau, felt the need to call a press conference to set the record straight and say, flat out, that he never contemplated vaccinating children without parental approval. He did this because his name had been repeatedly invoked as the person behind the alleged COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Now, a month later, the misinformation is being repeated — this time by the Board of Education. (Kopetman, 5/4)
Orange County Register:
Why Can’t Orange County Move To The Less Restrictive Yellow Tier?
As Los Angeles County prepares to enjoy the further relaxed restrictions that will accompany moving to the state-designated yellow tier, some in Orange County are wondering: When is our turn? New state data released Tuesday, May 4, showed one of Orange County’s COVID-19 metrics, the number of new daily cases per 100,000 residents, continues to dwindle but has stayed stubbornly in the range of the orange (second-best) tier. (Robinson 5/4)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego County Records First COVID-19 Case With India Variant
San Diego County has recorded its first COVID-19 case caused by the same variant suspected of overwhelming India, according to the region’s top public health official. During an update to the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday, Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego’s public health officer, said that the case came to her department’s attention on Thursday, April 29. (Sisson, 5/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Amazon Warehouse In Rialto Fined $41,000 For COVID Violations
The California agency that oversees workplace safety fined Amazon.com Inc. $41,000 for failing to record COVID-19 infections among employees at a Rialto facility and to generally protect workers there against potential exposure to the virus. It’s the second round of fines the state agency has levied against the e-commerce giant during the pandemic. After a months-long inspection that began in October, investigators with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, found that LGB7, an Amazon fulfillment center in Rialto, didn’t implement adequate physical distancing, face coverings and physical barriers such as plexiglass screens that would help block infectious particles. (Hussain, 5/4)
Los Angeles Times:
LAUSD Drops Plan To Extend School Year Amid Opposition
A few weeks ago extending the school year seemed like an obvious move to confront pandemic learning loss. But Los Angeles school officials on Tuesday gave up on the idea for the next academic year in the face of opposition from the teachers union and no consensus from parents. The union argued that teachers and families are too exhausted to extend learning by reducing time off. In a district survey, parents were closely divided over the issue. (Blume, 5/4)
Patch:
Anti-Mask Protesters Harass Students, Parents Outside Schools
A group of anti-mask protesters stood outside Santa Monica schools Monday, harassing students and parents just outside the campus. "You're not supposed to talk to other people's children, OK?" One father, who confronted the group outside the school said. "You're walking around a school. Creepy." He told them to stay away from kids at John Adams Middle School and Will Rogers Elementary. A woman confronted the group and described losing three loved ones to the coronavirus. Another man walking his dog told the group to get out of his neighborhood. Students even told them to go away. (Charky, 5/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Vallejo High School Shuts Down In-Person Instruction For A Week Due To Positive COVID-19 Tests
Two students with confirmed cases of COVID-19 shut down Vallejo High School for the rest of the week barely two weeks after the Vallejo Unified School District opened up its high school campuses for in-person instruction. The district said there was a confirmed case of a student with COVID-19, and a suspected case of another student, who has since been confirmed. (O'Donnell, 5/5)
KQED:
As Pandemic Slows In The Bay, Diaspora Turns Attention To India
Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area are facing a dual reality when it comes to COVID-19: while businesses start to reopen here, COVID-19 cases and deaths are exploding in India — and many are worried for the safety of friends and family thousands of miles away. The Indian diaspora is also turning that worry into action, raising money for oxygen tanks and setting up virtual doctor's visits. (Katayama, Sarah, Cruz Guevarra and Montecillo, 5/5)
Voice of OC:
The Foggy Picture Of The Pandemic’s Impact On Some Of OC’s Racial, Ethnic Groups Stems From Lack Of State Data
The Coronavirus has exposed numerous inequities between communities, but because of the way the state categorizes ethnicities and captures data, it’s unclear where specific groups may fall into those gaps. Questions on how certain racial and ethnic groups are being impacted by the virus and on their vaccination rates are popping up because of a lack of state data — often forcing community health leaders to make educated guesses on where and who to send resources. (Elattar, 5/4)
CBS News:
At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Tests Could Play Critical Role During Pandemic
For Americans, getting tested for the coronavirus just got a little easier. The Food and Drug Administration authorized five over-the-counter COVID-19 tests that can give you results at home in just minutes. In San Francisco, before watching Steph Curry lead the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, unvaccinated fans at home games are required to score a negative COVID test either at the arena or before leaving home. The Warriors are offering ticket-holders the Lucira Test. It's one of the five over-the-counter COVID-19 tests authorized. (5/4)
Fresno Bee:
FEMA COVID Funeral Funds Exclude Most Undocumented Families
After Claudia Medina’s husband died from COVID-19 in late March, she was left with a $14,000 bill for his funeral expenses. Pedro Cruz Mendoza was an undocumented immigrant from Oaxaca who worked in the Central Valley’s fields for 21 years. Medina, a 50-year-old from Mexico City who also is not authorized to live or work in the United States, didn’t know how she would cover those costs. Like many other low-wage workers in the Central Valley, Medina lives paycheck to paycheck. (Lopez, 5/5)
Berkeleyside:
Some Oakland Trader Joe's Employees Will No Longer Get $5 Hazard Pay
In March 2020, Trader Joe’s, a major grocery chain with locations in 43 states, announced that it was giving its employees an additional $2 per hour in “thank you” pay for working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then earlier this year, the company upped this pay to $4 for all of its locations. The move came as some cities were passing “hazard” pay ordinances for grocery workers, in recognition of the dangers they’ve faced.But in an April 12 email sent to all of its employees, including its two Oakland locations, Trader Joe’s executives wrote that “Given the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, we will be returning our ‘thank you’ pay to $2 an hour for all hourly crew members.” The memo was sent by company’s CEO Dan Bane, President Jon Basalone, and Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Bryan Palbaum. Trader Joe’s employees shared a copy of the letter with The Oaklandside. (Rodas, 5/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Hope Grows For An L.A. Summer Economic Boom As COVID-19 Fades
Los Angeles County is seeing new signs of a resurgent economy, with plummeting coronavirus cases allowing for a faster-than-expected reopening of bars and expanded capacity for restaurants and other businesses. In progressing Tuesday to the least restrictive yellow tier of California’s color-coded reopening system, the nation’s most populous county can now unshackle its economy to the widest extent possible, sparking hope for significant recovery in sectors long battered by the pandemic. (Money, Pinho, Zahniser and Lin II, 5/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
'It's Time' - State Travel Officials Urge Californians To Plan Summer Vacations
From a podium in Moscone Center on Tuesday morning, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis urged Californians to start planning their summer vacations. Where does she want them to go? California. “It’s time. You can safely get out in public again,” Kounalakis said. “I think we all need a little weekend getaway.” Encouraging pandemic-fatigued Californians to step out of their homes and spend money touring their own state was the message of a news conference hosted by Visit California, the state tourism bureau, ahead of Gov. Gavin Newsroom’s plan to fully reopen the state on June 15. (Thomas, 5/4)
National Law Review:
SB 642 Clears California Senate Health Committee
California Senate Bill 642 (“SB 642”) cleared the California Senate Health Committee on April 28, 2021. If enacted, SB 642 would, among other things, significantly impact management and governance rules applicable to California medical practices. (5/4)
State Of Reform:
California Democrats And Republicans Lay Out Their Mid-Session Priorities
Democrats and Republicans laid out their current priorities at the 2021 Northern California State of Reform Health Policy Conference on April 22nd. As the deadline for committees to hear and report non-fiscal bills to their respective chambers floor approaches, legislators are having to prioritize the bills they believe to be the most important. (Kurle, 5/4)
Bay Area News Group:
Kaiser Just Laid Off Hundreds. Are More Job Cuts Coming In The Health Care Industry?
More than a year into a deadly pandemic that has pushed health care workers to the brink, Kaiser Permanente announced last week it was laying off more than 200 workers. Earlier this year, Sutter Health made similar reductions. The job cuts — which come just as doctors, nurses and other employees who help keep hospitals and clinics running are finally allowing themselves to feel hopeful the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is in the past — have prompted backlash from unions and others. But COVID-19 also has dealt a financial blow to many health care providers, raising the question of whether more layoffs are on the horizon. (DeRuy, 5/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Looks To Dramatically Reduce Number Of Sheriff's Deputies Guarding Hospitals, Clinics
The number of sheriff’s deputies who guard public hospitals and clinics in San Francisco would be dramatically reduced under a plan proposed Tuesday by San Francisco health officials who want to hire more psychiatric nurses and non-sworn staff to respond to crises. The Department of Public Health presented a plan to the Health Commission at its Tuesday meeting to drop the number of deputies from 29 to about 18 at San Francisco General and replace around seven more at Laguna Honda Hospital and four community clinics. (Moench, 5/4)
Sacramento Bee:
CA County Sought Protection For Health Officer After Threats
Days after reports surfaced that a Yuba-Sutter area podcaster told his listeners that the local health officer “should be set up against a wall and shot,” he appears to have secured a new gig: hosting a talk show on a conservative radio station in Marysville. Lou Binninger has disputed that comments he made on his “No Hostages Radio” podcast constitute threats, though he hasn’t denied calling bicounty health officer Dr. Phuong Luu a “nutcase” who “should be set up against a wall and shot after (the pandemic) is over,” as outlined in court filings first reported by the Marysville Appeal-Democrat newspaper. (McGough, 5/5)
Bay Area News Group:
Pregnant Theranos Founder Holmes' Defense Takes Shape At Hearing
Theranos founder and accused felony fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, pregnant and expecting a baby in July, appeared in federal court in San Jose on Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started last year for a hearing that showed how her defense strategy is taking shape. Holmes’ legal team, defending her against a dozen fraud charges connected to her failed Palo Alto blood-testing startup, accused prosecutors of failing to obtain a Theranos database that they suggested would show that the inaccurate blood testing central to the alleged crimes was extremely rare. (Baron, 5/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Record-Low U.S. Birth Rate Fell Another 4% In 2020, CDC Says
2020 was a grueling year, but at least the number of Americans born into it was lower than it had been in more than four decades. A total of 3,604,201 babies were born last year in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 4% lower than in 2019 and the sixth year in a row that the number of births declined. (Kaplan, 5/4)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Deadly Virus Detected In Two Wild Rabbits From Ramona
A highly contagious and deadly virus targeting wild and domestic rabbits has been detected in two rabbit carcasses found in the Canada de San Vicente Ecological Reserve in Ramona. Wildlife officials said two desert cottontails tested positive for the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) infection on April 8. (Vardon, 5/4)
Sacramento Bee:
Third Of Cinco De Mayo Crashes Are Suspected DUI, MADD Says
About a third of all U.S. auto crashes that happen on Cinco de Mayo have historically involved a drunken driver, according to federal traffic data, but the leader of Mothers Against Drunk Driving said revelers can avoid tragedy by taking precautions. Alex Otte, MADD national president, urged anyone planning to celebrate the day with alcohol to make a plan for how they will get home before they begin indulging. (Anderson, 5/4)
NPR:
Entire U.S. West Coast Now Covered By Earthquake Early Warning System
Residents living on the west coast don't know when the next earthquake will hit. But a new expansion of the U.S. earthquake early warning system, gives 50 million people in California, Oregon--and now Washington--seconds to quickly get to safety whenever the next one hits. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, cell phone users in California, Oregon, and Washington should receive a mobile alert from the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system when tremors are detected. Alerts are sent from FEMA's Wireless Emergency Alert system, third-party phone apps, and other technologies. (Diaz and Romo, 5/5)
Sacramento Bee:
Which Parts Of Sacramento Have The Hottest Temperatures?
The Sacramento sun is already beginning to bake the city, and poorer neighborhoods are more likely to be hotter than wealthier areas. In areas with lush tree canopy and shade, the air stays cooler and more tolerable. But in neighborhoods where the sun roasts exposed pavement and sprawling warehouses, temperatures soar. The differences often fall on familiar lines of race and wealth, reflecting the country’s history of racial redlining and disinvestment in underserved neighborhoods. (Yoon-Hendricks, 5/5)
Bay Area News Group:
Bay Area Is Fed Up With Homelessness
Homelessness — not COVID, not wildfires and not even the sky-high price of housing — is the problem Bay Area residents are most concerned about, as massive encampments shine a spotlight on the issue in nearly every corner of the region. In a new poll, 60% of respondents said they are very concerned about homelessness in the nine-county Bay Area, according to results released Tuesday by the Bay Area Council. At the same time, residents are less worried this year about housing affordability and availability — and slightly less willing to support new residential development. (Kendall, 5/4)