CapRadio: California Lays Out Shifting Pandemic Response As Case Rates Drop 
After Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted last week of new COVID-19 policies coming for California, state health officials on Thursday instead laid out a change in mindset with few immediate changes for residents to follow as the next phase of the pandemic emerges. Standing in a Southern California warehouse filled with boxes of COVID-19 supplies, Newsom said that the state is moving out of the pandemic phase and into “a phase which should allow you confidence that we are not walking away. That we’re taking the lessons learned and we’re leaning into the future.” (Nixon and Hooks, 2/17)

CalMatters: ‘SMARTER’: California Officials Outline Future Plans For COVID 
Vowing to be smarter after lessons learned over the past two years, the Newsom administration today gave a glimpse of what the next few months — and potentially years — may look like in California with COVID-19 likely to stick around. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s health secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, said the state’s new plan marks a shift in the handling of the pandemic toward preparedness, acknowledging that officials will have to be flexible to respond to any new variants of concern. (Ibarra and Hwang, 2/17)

KQED: California's New COVID-19 Plan Means Being Prepared To Live With It
If the first two years of the pandemic were like driving in heavy rain with worn-out brakes and no windshield wipers, then the next phase will be like driving the same road in good weather with brand-new brakes and wipers. That’s how California health officials are viewing the future of living with the coronavirus, and they unveiled a plan Thursday that provides a road map for doing just that. (Lagos and Dembosky, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: CA Senate Leader Announces Hearing On Ending COVID Emergency 
The California Senate next month will begin debating an end to the state’s COVID emergency – an announcement that comes on the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out his post-pandemic strategy. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, said the Governmental Organization Committee will hold a March 15 hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, which would end the state of emergency Newsom declared in March 2020. (Holden, 2/17)

Los Angeles Daily News: Newsom Suggests LA County ‘May Take A Little More Time,’ But Expects Indoor Mask Rule To Ease ‘Shortly’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Thursday, Feb. 17, that Los Angeles County is likely not far from relaxing its public health order to shed the requirement that people wear masks indoors, but that local rules and policies come first. Newsom’s forecast comes as county officials are exploring a potential loosening of  certain masking rules that could come as early as next week. (Carter, 2/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Here’s How California Masking Rules Differ In Workplaces Versus Public Settings
Life, and COVID rules, come at you fast. And while many Bay Area and California residents are breathing more freely now that masking rules have been relaxed, workplaces statewide are continuing to operate under somewhat different and often shifting rules set by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board. The workplace rules mostly track what is required by the California Department of Public Health, after last summer’s disjointed lifting of mask mandates that required Gov. Gavin Newsom to step in. But there are differences. (DiFeliciantonio, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: Retail Workers Prepare As Sacramento Indoor Mask Mandate Ends 
California’s universal indoor mask mandate has once again been lifted for vaccinated residents. But with the coronavirus still present in Sacramento County, customers, workers and business owners now face a patchwork of masking rules and etiquette. Some businesses have already started letting vaccinated customers and workers come in without masks, going by an honor system. But others are choosing to maintain their indoor face coverings policy. (Yoon-Hendricks, 2/18)

Bloomberg: Apple Update Lets Face ID Unlock IPhone With Mask On
Apple Inc.’s next iPhone software update will finally address a grumble that’s been bugging users since the Covid pandemic started: You’ll finally be able to unlock your phone without first taking off your mask. The updated Face ID feature is expected to work on iPhones and iPads and is likely to be included in iOS 15.4, expected to be released sometime in the first half of March. (McKay, 2/18)

Los Angeles Times: Masks May Be Going Away. I'll Use Mine To Fight The Flu
This is how the mask mandate is going in our house: On Monday, the sixth-grader, who wore her surgical mask all day at school, including when she ran a mile in P.E., came home and plopped onto the couch to start her Mandarin homework. “You can take off your mask now,” I said. “I don’t want to!” she said. “It’s so comfortable.” (Robin Abcarian, 2/16)

The New York Times: Oscars Will Require Covid Tests For All, Vaccines For Most 
After much internal discussion, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has come to an agreement on coronavirus safety measures for attendees of the 94th Oscars, which will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles: The audience of 2,500 invited guests — including all nominees — will be required to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus and at least two negative P.C.R. tests. Performers and presenters also must undergo rigorous testing — but those people will not need to show proof of vaccination, a decision that an academy spokeswoman said on Thursday was in keeping with virus safety protocols on some television sets and return-to-work standards set by Los Angeles County. (Barnes, 2/17)

Orange County Register: Coronavirus: L.A. County Is 74% Fully Vaccinated With 3,312 New Cases And 67 New Deaths 
Los Angeles County public health officials reported 3,312 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 2,772,569, as of Thursday, Feb. 17. The total number of cases represents 28% of Los Angeles County’s population. Officials reported 67 more deaths linked to the coronavirus since Wednesday, for a total of 30,146 deaths since tracking began. The total number of deaths represents 0.29% of Los Angeles County’s population. (Goertzen, 2/17)

CNN: As BA.2 Subvariant Of Omicron Rises, Lab Studies Point To Signs Of Severity 
The BA.2 virus -- a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant -- isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some of the key weapons we have against Covid-19, new research suggests. New lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants of Covid-19, including Delta. And like Omicron, it appears to largely escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection, making illness after infection about 74% less likely. BA.2 is also resistant to some treatments, including sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody that's currently being used against Omicron. (Goodman, 2/17)

CIDRAP: Study: COVID-19 Vaccination Protective Against Developing Long COVID
A new review of 15 studies analyzed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows COVID-19 vaccination is protective against developing symptoms of long COVID, or symptoms lasting longer than 4 weeks after the initial infection. The UKHSA said approximately 2% of people in the United Kingdom with COVID-19 have gone on to develop long COVID, with the most common symptoms being lingering fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle and joint pain. (2/17)

The Atlantic: COVID Is More Like Smoking Than The Flu
It’s suddenly become acceptable to say that COVID is—or will soon be—like the flu. Such analogies have long been the preserve of pandemic minimizers, but lately they’ve been creeping into more enlightened circles. Last month the dean of a medical school wrote an open letter to his students suggesting that for a vaccinated person, the risk of death from COVID-19 is “in the same realm, or even lower, as the average American’s risk from flu.” A few days later, David Leonhardt said as much to his millions of readers in the The New York Times’ morning newsletter. And three prominent public-health experts have called for the government to recognize a “new normal” in which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus “is but one of several circulating respiratory viruses that include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more.” (Mazer, 2/17)

CapRadio: UC Davis Students Are Back In Classrooms, But Some Remain Concerned About Health And Safety 
UC Davis students are waving goodbye to Zoom and saying hello to professors, friends and classmates — face-to-face and bike-to-bike. The university resumed in-person classes on Jan. 28. While professors teaching hands-on courses like labs, performance and studio art were allowed to teach in-person starting Jan. 10, all lectures are now held in-person unless instructors previously made arrangements for their class to be virtual throughout the quarter. The switch back isn’t universally welcomed. (Salanga, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: Roseville School Board’s Divisive Attack On CA Mask Mandate 
Before last week’s Roseville Joint Union High School District board meeting even began, staff members had to be ushered into a separate room for their safety, and dozens of community members were forced to wait outside. One audience member was heard yelling and cursing, while another shouted across the room to ridicule an elementary-school-age child for wearing a mask. The school mask debate has divided Roseville for two years. Thursday’s meeting marked a disturbing victory for the selfish, loud and dangerous side. (Hannah Holzer, 2/16)

Modesto Bee: Roseville, El Dorado Schools Push Against CA’s K-12 Mask Rules 
At Roseville Joint Union High School District, defying the state’s K-12 mask mandate is now stated policy. Schools there will not enforce face coverings in class. Hours away, in Tuolumne County, the tiny Soulsbyville Elementary School Board voted to do the same and ignore the state’s mandate on masking and, for good measure, any K-12 vaccine requirement that may come down the pike. El Dorado Union High School District also changed its mask enforcement to one that in its words, educates, not excludes. (Smith and Sullivan, 2/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Is It Time For A Second COVID Booster Shot? Not So Fast, Experts Say
New research on the waning immunity of COVID boosters is prompting many people to wonder whether they should seek a second booster shot — a fourth dose for those who originally got Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Experts say there’s not enough data to recommend fourth shots for everyone, and that people who’ve had the normal course of vaccination plus a booster remain well protected against severe disease and death. Vaccine protection against COVID hospitalization fades from 91% effectiveness two months after the third shot to 78% four months after the third shot, according to a study published last Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first major look in the U.S. at the waning immunity of boosters. Vaccine effectiveness against emergency department and urgent care visits fell from 87% to 66% over the same period. (Ho, 2/18)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Stipends To Target Low COVID Vaccination Rates 
A new funding opportunity within the city of Sacramento is available for community-based organizations aimed at combating coronavirus. The city is inviting community groups to apply for the Sacramento Get Vaccinated campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Sacramento residents, emphasizing on the ZIP codes with the lowest vaccination rates. (Smith, 2/17)

The Bakersfield Californian: DOJ Resolves Lawsuits With Bakersfield Doctors Over HIV Patients' Access To Treatment 
Federal officials announced consent decrees Thursday for a pair of OB-GYN doctors in Bakersfield who were being sued for refusing treatment to patients with HIV. The consent decrees, which are subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, resolve the department’s lawsuits against the doctors, Dr. Umaima Jamaluddin and Dr. Chibuike Enyereibe Anucha, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title III of the ADA prohibits doctors and other health care providers from discriminating against people with disabilities, including HIV. (2/17)

AP: FDA: Do Not Use Recalled Infant Formulas Tied To Infections 
U.S. health officials warned parents on Thursday not to use three popular powdered infant formulas manufactured at an Abbott plant in Michigan that investigators recently linked to bacterial contamination. The Food and Drug Administration said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died. The agency said one of the cases involved salmonella and three involved Cronobacter sakazakiim, a rare but dangerous germ that can cause blood infections and other serious complications. (Perrone, 2/18)

CBS News: Abbott Recalls Baby Formulas After Four Infants Reportedly Fall Ill 
Cronobacter bacteria can cause sepsis or meningitis, which can be severe and life-threatening illnesses, according to the FDA. Symptoms of sepsis and meningitis include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths and abnormal movements. Salmonella can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis, the FDA said. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Severe cases of salmonellosis can cause a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes and blood in urine or stool. It can become fatal. (Reardon, 2/17)

USA Today: Abbott Recall: Similac, Other Baby Formula Recalled After Illnesses
The FDA said it initiated an onsite inspection at the facility and findings to date include several positive "Cronobacter sakazakii results." “As this is a product used as the sole source of nutrition for many of our nation’s newborns and infants, the FDA is deeply concerned about these reports of bacterial infections,” said Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, in a statement. (Tyko, 2/17)

Los Angeles Times: Healing Sounds: TikTokers, Musicians Debate Best Frequency
For the Los Angeles-based Maejor and millions of others meditating to or creating so-called “frequency music” on YouTube, Spotify and TikTok, the frequency of 432 hertz, though, is more aligned with nature’s patterns. As such, they say, when that root frequency activates the eardrums, it fills you with positive vibrations. Prolonged listening to these 432-hertz tones, claim various believers, reduces stress, “detoxifies” cells and organs, eliminates fear and wipes out negativity. Some advocates of a different pitch-based system argue that its particular root tone “repairs DNA and brings positive transformation.” Other frequencies are said to bring love and compassion and allow the attuned to connect to a higher self. (Roberts, 2/18)

CBS News: Sure And Brut Deodorant Sprays Recalled Nationwide After Benzene Detected 
Sure and Brut aerosol deodorant sprays sold nationwide are being recalled due to the presence of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, according to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. The recall includes all lot numbers with expiration dates on or before August 2023, TCP Hot Acquisition dba HRB Brands, which markets the products, stated Wednesday in a news release. (Gibson, 2/17)

Los Angeles Times: A Drug For Pregnant Women Doesn't Work, According To The FDA. A Company Is Selling It Anyway
American babies are at far higher risk of dying before their first birthdays than those in almost any other wealthy country. A big reason for those deaths, more than 21,000 each year, is that too many are born too soon. For more than a decade, a pharmaceutical company has said it holds the key to helping those infants: a drug called Makena, which is aimed at preventing premature birth. But the drug doesn't work, according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Peterson, 2/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Contra Costa County Marina Becomes The Site Of A Nightmare Eviction Battle
Finding another place to go isn’t easy, since many of the marina’s longtime residents rented spaces for trailers and live-aboard boats after death, divorce, disability or addiction put more stable housing out of reach. The fire, which residents believe was sparked by a propane heater, is an extreme example of the chaos they say has ensued as the Bay Area’s housing crisis creeps further inland and officials point fingers over dangerous living conditions. “It’s the Wild West,” said Robbie Powelson, a North Bay housing activist who helped organize legal challenges in Sausalito and is now doing the same on Bethel Island. “There’s nobody watching out for people.” (Hepler, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Tows Vehicles In Largest Homeless Sweep Of 2022 
The city Wednesday towed 13 vehicles from the homeless encampment at Evergreen Street and Arden Way, said Kelli Trapani, a city spokeswoman. City crews on Jan. 20 issued tow notices to 110 vehicles in the area that were in violation of city codes and state laws, such as parking in the same spot for more than 72 hours or failing to register it. (Clift, 2/17)

Bay Area News Group: New Santa Clara County Homelessness Stats Show Progress
Homelessness is continuing to improve in Santa Clara County, according to data released Thursday, with 6,000 people housed since January 2020 and a decline in the number of people seeking help for the first time. The new numbers suggest the county’s beefed-up efforts to get people off the streets, and prevent them from ending up there in the first place, are working, according to county officials. But the region has a long way to go to meet its goal of housing 20,000 people by 2025. And large homeless encampments, including along the Guadalupe River Trail in San Jose, continue to shine a spotlight on the crushing magnitude of the crisis. (Kendall, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: Affordable Housing Apartments Coming To Sacramento Area 
Sacramento’s housing crisis is exacerbated by a severe lack of affordable options. A report this week by Sacramento appraiser and real estate expert Ryan Lundquist showed that just 39% of households in Sacramento County can afford the median-priced home. That’s about the lowest that figure has been in more than a decade as the median price for a home sold in the county hit $522,031 in January, according to Lundquist’s analysis. (Lillis, 2/18)

Los Angeles Times: As California Mask Orders Ease, A New Phase Of Uncertainty 
So here we go, California, jumping from pandemic to endemicity — dragging with us a new word and the heavy psychological baggage that the COVID emergency is over, but COVID-19 isn’t. What am I supposed to do with that? (Anita Chabria, 2/18)

The Mercury News: Keep Those Masks On In Public Indoor Spaces And Schools
or the past few weeks, Californians have been witnessing a politically fueled national push to lift mask mandates not only in red states but also in blue ones. Perhaps most disturbing is the misguided insistence by some on abandoning masks in our children’s classrooms, which only exacerbates an already challenging effort to keep schools open. The debate among public health experts is not over whether to lift indoor mask mandates, but when. The data indicate that, despite the political push, now is a time to show patience — to keep wearing masks in public indoor spaces. (2/16)

East Bay Times: Keep Those Masks On In Public Indoor Spaces And Schools
No, we’re not there yet. For the past few weeks, Californians have been witnessing a politically fueled national push to lift mask mandates not only in red states but also in blue ones. Perhaps most disturbing is the misguided insistence by some on abandoning masks in our children’s classrooms, which only exacerbates an already challenging effort to keep schools open. (2/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: California’s Indoor Mask Mandate Just Ended. Schools May Be Next. There Are Smarter Ways To Protect Kids
As with every policy decision related to the pandemic, California’s lifting of the indoor mask mandate on Wednesday brings celebrations for some and fear for others. The state has announced that it will soon reconsider its mask mandate for schools, so administrators may again face decisions that require balancing keeping classrooms open to support learning and social emotional development with mitigating the risks of contributing to community transmission. With omicron cases dropping, there are already calls to end indoor masking in schools. But if two years of COVID-19 and its variants have taught us anything, it’s that rolling back protections prematurely leads to a confused public and can be an invitation for yet another surge. Instead of doing away with masks immediately, there are other, smarter policy changes for schools that would allow them to get closer to pre-pandemic operation without increasing health risks for students and staff. (Naomi Bardach, Elizabeth Rogers, Theodore Ruel and Lee Atkinson-McEvoy, 2/17)

Sacramento Bee: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Can Help Make COVID Endemic
Gov. Gavin Newsom keeps threatening to unveil his strategy for a transition from pandemic to endemic COVID-19, by which Californians are apparently meant to stop regarding the coronavirus as a life-endangering emergency and start treating it as a moderately unfortunate part of life. But Newsom could do much more to make COVID endemic than merely declaring it so. Bay Area Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks provided the latest opportunity by introducing sensible legislation to require COVID vaccination in the state’s workplaces. Like Sacramento Sen. Richard Pan’s recently introduced bill to require vaccination of schoolchildren, it deserves the governor’s support, especially at a time when masks and other precautions against the virus are being abandoned even in supposedly cautious states like California. (2/16)

Los Angeles Times: San Francisco School Board Members Ignored Parents And Students. So They Were Ousted 
Like most people who leave the city they grew up in and build a life somewhere else, I did not pay much attention to my hometown school board — until the barrage of bad decisions out of San Francisco became so extreme that I couldn’t turn away. Voters there clearly felt the same. In a landslide Tuesday, they threw three San Francisco Unified school board members out of office in the city’s first recall election in nearly 40 years. (Lauren Rosenhall, 2/16)

Modesto Bee: Turlock Homeless, COVID And Public Safety Efforts
With the appointment of Turlock City Manager Reagan Wilson after a comprehensive process, I want to update Turlock residents on their city government. I visited with Mr. Wilson on his first day of work at City Hall. He was already delving into how our government works and where it can be streamlined and improved to ensure city services are delivered to our residents in the most economical and effective manner. One of his first tasks will be to fill out the ranks of our department directors and to decide if any restructuring of the organization should occur. (Amy Bublak, 2/16)