NBC News: Covid Boosters: CDC Panel Recommends Pfizer Shots For Kids 12-15
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel on Wednesday voted to recommend Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster shot for kids ages 12 to 15, a critical step in distributing additional shots to adolescents this week. The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, voted 13-1 in favor of giving 12- to 15-year-olds the boosters at least five months after their second dose. That's in line with newly released guidance from the CDC for people age 16 and older who were initially immunized with the Pfizer vaccine. Hours later, CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, signed off on the recommendation. (Lovelace Jr., 1/5)

The Hill: White House: No Plans To Change Definition Of 'Fully Vaccinated' 
The Biden administration said Wednesday it has no plans to change the definition of "fully vaccinated" against the coronavirus to include getting a booster shot. "Individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they've received their primary series, that definition is not changing," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing. (Sullivan, 1/5)

USA Today: CDC Says COVID Boosters Mean People Are 'Up To Date' With The Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have changed their recommendations for vaccinated Americans, urging staying "up to date" on one's COVID-19 shots means getting a booster shot. "CDC surveillance data and other studies from around the world have demonstrated the benefit of a booster dose after receiving only a primary series, including decreased risk of infection, severe disease and death," CDC director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky said at a White House news briefing on Wednesday. (Thornton and Ortiz, 1/6)

The Bakersfield Californian: Familiar Faces Help Youngest Kern County Residents Get Vaccinated, One By One 
When Maria Vazquez made the decision to have her son vaccinated against COVID-19, she brought him to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County where her son had once been a member. "It's a very safe place. I recommend it," she said. "The staff is really nice. "As if on cue, a staff member who remembered him walked over and greeted him, after he received his second dose. A seventh-grader at Chipman Junior High, Salvador Macias had grown up a bit since his last visit to the club, but he was still a familiar face at the Armstrong Youth Center on Niles Street. (Gallegos, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: Family Courts Begin To Weigh In On Vaccination Requirements 
Flanked by their lawyers, the divorced parents hashed out an agreement outside the Pasadena courtroom and returned to inform the judge: They had agreed their young son would get the COVID-19 vaccine. “Absolutely he needs to be vaccinated,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Harvey A. Silberman said. (Alpert Reyes, 1/6)

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Santa Cruz Hospitals, County Ask Patients With Mild COVID-19 Symptoms To Stay Home
The County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency issued a message to its community on Wednesday afternoon: Unless the symptoms of your illness are severe, please don’t visit a local hospital. County health officials made a formal request that those with asymptomatic or mild symptoms of the coronavirus or a non-serious illness, such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose or body aches, to recover from their illness at home and seek primary care treatment through discussions with their doctor. (Hartman, 1/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: When Should You Go To The ER With COVID Symptoms As California Hospitalizations Rise?
When Santa Cruz County announced its latest COVID public health guidance on Wednesday, officials included a stark plea to people with only mild symptoms: "AVOID TRIPS TO HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS." COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising across California amid a record spike in cases from the omicron variant, and while levels so far don’t compare to last winter’s surge, officials are concerned about stress on medical facilities and resources. (Wu, 1/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Hospitals Struggle With Omicron Surge And Nursing Shortage As California Extends Mask Mandate
California public health officials on Wednesday extended the state’s indoor mask mandate for another month, to Feb. 15, in hopes of tamping down the coronavirus surge that is causing COVID-19 hospitalizations to hurtle upward in a postholiday backlash. The Bay Area has not been spared from omicron’s infamous infectiousness. Although the new variant generally causes less severe illness than delta, a record-high number of coronavirus cases is feeding an explosion of hospital admissions. Statewide, 8,032 people were hospitalized with COVID on Tuesday, a 57% increase from 5,125 a week earlier. “We are concerned about our hospitals,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s health secretary. (Asimov,1/5)

Reuters: Fauci Warns Against Complacency As Omicron Strains U.S. Hospitals
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned on Wednesday against complacency about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, saying the sheer number of cases could strain hospitals despite signs of lower severity. The staggering pace of Omicron's spread has snarled life across the country, upending the restart of school after the holiday break, halting air travel, shuttering entertainment venues and throwing a monkey wrench into back-to-office plans. (Stapleton and Caspani, 1/5)

Southern California News Group: Los Angeles Fire Trucks Are Transporting Patients Now As COVID Surge Hits Firefighters, Ambulance Companies
Los Angeles County firefighters are transporting patients to hospitals in their trucks rather than ambulances, an unprecedented move required because of surging coronavirus cases within the county Fire Department and among paramedic companies. That’s according to acting Assistant Chief Brian Bennett, who said during a recent report to the Carson City Council that 450 Los Angeles County firefighters have tested positive for the coronavirus and are off work, putting a massive strain on the emergency response system, both in the South Bay town and across the county. (Hutchings, 1/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: COVID-19 Hits San Diego Police: Almost 200 Employees In Insolation Or Quarantine 
Almost 200 San Diego Police Department employees were in isolation or quarantine this week because of COVID-19, although officials said the police force is in a position to continue to respond to calls as usual. “The Police Department is very much open for business and working to keep the community safe,” Lt. Adam Sharki, a police spokesperson, said. (Hernandez and Winkley, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: Surge In COVID-19 Cases Among L.A. Police, Firefighters 
More than 1,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the Los Angeles region were ill or at home quarantining on Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus, spurring additional concerns about public safety as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread. A spokesman for L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti called it an “unprecedented surge” in cases which the mayor is focused on and working to mitigate — including by authorizing additional overtime funds to cover the shifts of those out sick. (Rector and Winton, 1/5)

KQED: Omicron Leaves SF With Hundreds Of Public Employees Out Sick
With the number of new COVID-19 cases rapidly increasing once again, San Francisco is seeing its public services short-staffed, city officials said at a virtual press conference on Tuesday. The surge, directly linked to the omicron variant, has affected key city agencies, from Muni to the police department. As of Tuesday, 167 police officers were reported to be in quarantine — that's roughly 8% of the city's police force. One hundred and thirty-five members of the fire department and 68 SFMTA employees also are isolating due to COVID-19 infections. And the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) confirmed separately with KQED that 626 educators across the city's public schools called in sick on Tuesday. (Thorsen and Cabrera-Lomelí, 1/5)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Daily COVID-19 Cases Again Pass 8,000 As County Warns Of Testing Scams 
Near-record coronavirus case totals continued in San Diego County Wednesday as hospitals saw the total number of patients with COVID-19 climb past 700. The county health department’s weekly coronavirus report came on the same day that Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, extended California’s indoor mask mandate for locations accessible to the public. (Sisson, 1/5)

Politico: California Intends To Keep Super Bowl In Los Angeles
California officials and the NFL said Wednesday they expect Los Angeles to host the Super Bowl as planned, despite surging coronavirus cases in the area. “The Super Bowl is coming to L.A. I think Californians are excited to see that event occur,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly told reporters at a briefing, “and the work is to be sure that, as it is moving forward as planned, the mitigation strategies that create safety around that event are in place.” (White, 1/5)

The Washington Post: Grammy Awards Indefinitely Postponed Over Omicron Variant Concerns 
The Recording Academy and CBS announced Wednesday that they are indefinitely postponing the 2022 Grammy Awards due to concerns over the omicron coronavirus variant. The ceremony was previously set for Jan. 31. (Rao, 1/5)

The Washington Post: Every U.S. Cruise Ship With Passengers Has Covid Cases On Board 
Coronavirus cases have been reported on every cruise ship sailing with passengers in U.S. waters. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 92 ships with passengers have met the threshold for investigation by the public health agency. In every case, the CDC has either started an investigation or has investigated and continues to observe the ship. (Sampson, 1/5)

Reuters: Walmart Halves Paid Leave For COVID-Positive Workers 
Walmart Inc workers in the United States who must isolate or who have tested positive for COVID-19 will receive one week of paid leave instead of two under a new policy that aligns with a change in U.S. health guidance. A memo, seen by Reuters, sent on Tuesday to U.S. hourly store employees and long-haul drivers said COVID-19 positive workers and those required to quarantine - by Walmart, a health care provider or a government agency - are eligible for one work week of paid time off. (Cavale and Naidu, 1/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: Omicron Is Disrupting The Return To Offices. Why These Workers Don’t Ever Want To Go Back
Jessie Palmatier had only been working at her job at an East Bay nonprofit for a few weeks before the pandemic forced offices to close across the Bay Area. Since then, she’s been working “fully remote with no end in sight.” She’s only been back to the office once, she says, and that was in May 2020 to grab her computer monitor. Now, as the omicron variant once again scrambles well-laid plans, possibly killing the return-to-office date altogether, Palmatier, like millions of others, finds herself hoping she’ll never have to work in an office full-time again. (Kost, 1/5)

Sacramento Bee: Popular Sacramento Restaurants Close As COVID Omicron Spreads 
Well-known restaurants around Sacramento are temporarily closing, eliminating indoor dining and taking other drastic steps amid the COVID-19 omicron variant’s rapid spread. Patrick Mulvaney spoke at a March 2021 press conference to ring in restaurant employees’ vaccine eligibility, encouraging his peers to get theirs. Everyone at Mulvaney and his wife Bobbin’s midtown restaurant, Mulvaney’s B&L, tested negative for the virus last Friday. (Egel, 1/5)

CBS News: Actress Abigail Breslin Slams Instagram User Who Criticized Her For Wearing A Face Mask 
Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin, known for her role in "Little Miss Sunshine," shut down a social media user who criticized her for wearing a mask. Breslin has publicly stressed the importance of wearing face masks ever since her father died of COVID-19 last year. (Garner, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: Kelly Ernby Stood Against Vaccine Mandates. Her Death From COVID Made Her A Symbol 
After Kelly Ernby succumbed to complications related to COVID-19 at age 46, the internet exploded with comments blaming her for her own death. As an outspoken critic of vaccine mandates and a rising star in the Orange County Republican party, Ernby has become, postmortem, a lightning rod for a conflict that has split a nation entering the third year of a pandemic. (Fry, 1/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: A New Highly Mutated Variant Has Been Detected. Should The Bay Area Be Worried About IHU?
Hard on the heels of the omicron variant, another new highly mutated coronavirus strain has popped up on the world stage. But unlike omicron, which quickly raised alarm bells when it was detected, health experts so far are not viewing the new variant as a significant threat. (Hwang, 1/5)

Sacramento Bee: What Are COVID-Safe Things To Do In Sacramento This Weekend?
The post-holiday weekend is coming, but with the omicron variant pushing coronavirus cases to record highs, going out or being around large crowds might not be ideal. For those who want a socially-distanced weekend, here are some events where you can enjoy your free time and stay COVID-safe in Sacramento. (Truong, 1/6)

The New York Times: Emerging Data Raise Questions About Antigen Tests And Nasal Swabs 
A small, new real-world study suggests that two widely used at-home antigen tests, the Abbott BinaxNOW and Quidel QuickVue, may fail to detect some Omicron infections even when people are carrying high levels of the coronavirus. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, focused on 30 people infected with the virus at five workplaces that experienced what were most likely outbreaks of the Omicron variant in December. The people received both saliva-based P.C.R. tests and rapid antigen tests using nasal swabs. (Anthes and Jewett, 1/5)

Stat: Study Casts Doubts On Rapid Covid Tests' Reliability Right After Infection
A new study raises significant doubts about whether at-home rapid antigen tests can detect the Omicron variant before infected people can transmit the virus to others. The study looks at 30 people from settings including Broadway theaters and offices in New York and San Francisco where some workers were not only being tested daily but were, because of rules at their workplaces, receiving both the antigen tests and a daily test that used the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, which is believed to be more reliable. On days 0 and 1 following a positive PCR test, all of the antigen tests used produced false-negative results, even though in 28 of the 30 cases, levels of virus detected by the PCR test were high enough to infect other people. In four cases, researchers were able to confirm that infected people transmitted the virus to others during the period before they had a positive result on the rapid antigen test. (Herper, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: If You Give Yourself A COVID Test, Who Tracks The Results? 
The wildfire-like spread of the Omicron variant may have inspired you, like many Californians, to snap up a few rapid coronavirus test kits — if you could find them, that is. And when you started worrying that you’d caught the coronavirus, you may have put one of those kits to use. You carefully swabbed the insides of both nostrils, mixed your sample with a few drops of reagent, placed it on a test strip and waited 15 minutes to see your results. (Healey and Garcia, 1/6)

Orange County Register: ‘Flurona’ Co-Infection Of Flu, COVID-19 Surfaces In LA, Orange Counties 
It promises a special kind of hell — the misery of both flu and COVID-19 crashing down at exactly the same time. “Flurona,” as it has been dubbed, was detected in a teenage boy who tested positive for both flu and COVID-19 at a privately operated site near the Getty Center in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. The boy had recently returned from Cabo San Lucas, but had only mild symptoms. (Sforza, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Detects First 'Flurona' Case, A Co-Infection Of Flu, COVID
A coronavirus testing site said it has detected its first “flurona” co-infection of the flu and the coronavirus in Los Angeles County. The case, involving a teenager, was detected four days ago at a testing site near the Getty Center in Brentwood, said Steve Farzam, chief operating officer of 911 COVID Testing. The teen, who tested positive for both influenza and COVID, had just returned from a family vacation in Mexico. (Mejia, 1/5)

The Washington Post: What Is Flurona? Coronavirus And Influenza Co-Infections Reported Amid Omicron
New year, new coronavirus term? Many people around the world kicked off 2022 by searching for more information about “flurona,” after Israel reported that two young pregnant women had tested positive for both the coronavirus and the flu. Doctors have long been concerned about the potential impact of a “twindemic” — with influenza cases rising as covid-19 cases threaten to overwhelm hospitals — and called on people to get flu shots and coronavirus vaccinations. (Hassan, 1/5)

ABC News: What To Know About 'Flurona'
In the midst of a new pandemic surge, another seemingly new ailment is now grabbing headlines: flurona. Despite the catchy name, "flurona" is not new. It is a term coined to describe what happens when a person tests positive for the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. (Salzman, 1/6)

Verywell Health: 'Flurona' Is Not New: COVID And Flu Co-Infection Explained
Flurona is neither a medical term nor a description of a new coronavirus variant. While the term is new, cases of simultaneous COVID-19 and flu infections are not. One of the first instances of COVID-19 in the United States, reported in early 2020, was a double infection case, according to The Atlantic. (Bugos, 1/5)

The Washington Post: USPS Seeks Delay Of Biden Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate
The U.S. Postal Service has asked federal labor officials for a temporary waiver from President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, setting up a showdown on pandemic safety measures between the president and one of the government’s largest agencies. In a letter dated Jan. 4 to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Deputy Postmaster General Douglas A. Tulino wrote that requiring workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or present weekly negative tests would hurt the agency’s ability to deliver the mail and strain the nation’s supply chains. (Bogage, 1/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: East Bay School District To Close Classrooms For Two Days Under ‘Strain’ Of Omicron
After a “challenging” few days back in classrooms and a significant number of teacher absences, West Contra Costa officials announced schools will be closed Friday and Monday to alleviate some of the pressure on district staff. “The virus and a large number of absences is putting an immense strain on our system,” said Superintendent Chris Hurst in a letter sent to families Wednesday. “The rapid spread of the virus requires an aggressive response to ensure safety.” (Tucker, 1/5)

AP: Spike In California Virus Cases Hitting Hospitals, Schools 
California is struggling to staff hospitals and classrooms as an astonishing spike in coronavirus infections sweeps through the state. The fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 is sidelining exposed or infected health care workers even as hospital beds fill with patients and “some facilities are going to be strapped,” Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Wednesday. (Melley and Gecker, 1/6)

Sacramento Bee: COVID Cases Spike In Sacramento, Folsom Schools Amid Omicron 
Hundreds of public school students in Sacramento County have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. But so far, district officials say they have no plans to close campuses or return classes to distance learning. In addition to the students, hundreds of staff at local school districts have also returned positive COVID-19 test results as the omicron variant continues its surge through the region. (Lillis and Yoon-Hendricks, 1/6)

Bay Area News Group: Getting COVID-Positive Bay Area Students Back To School
Thousands of kids stayed home from school Wednesday after COVID-19 tests provided over the holidays turned up infections across the state. But how and when those students — and many teachers — will be able to return is a much bigger question. California health officials recently adopted new federal guidance that shortened the recommended COVID-19 isolation and quarantine period from 10 days to five for people who had tested positive but are symptom-free and test negative after five days. Schools are expected to shift to that shorter timeline but haven’t yet. (Jimenez, 1/5)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Nearly 67,000 Rapid COVID Tests Distributed To Sonoma County School Districts
School district officials from across Sonoma County on Wednesday headed to the Amarosa Academy campus in Santa Rosa to pick up their district’s share of nearly 67,000 rapid antigen tests for students. (Tornay, 1/5)

CapRadio: COVID-19 Test Kits Sent Home With SCUSD Students Identified Over 500 COVID-19 Cases 
With students returning from winter break this week, school districts around the region have been scrambling to provide adequate testing in hopes of keeping COVID-19 off their campuses and school buildings. Thanks to an early allotment of testing kits, Sacramento City Unified was one of the few districts to send the majority of their students home for the holidays with a test kit.SCUSD’s Director of Student Support and Health Services, Victoria Flores, said they sent home 38,000 kits that ultimately helped identify 500 cases. (1/5)

Modesto Bee: Turlock School Board Meeting Stopped Over COVID-19 Mask Rule 
Turlock Unified canceled its school board meeting Tuesday just before it was scheduled to start, citing a “failure to adhere” to California’s mask rule. The board has struggled to enforce mask-wearing since Stanislaus County’s mask order expired in November. (Isaacman, 1/5)

Modesto Bee: COVID Not Delaying Stanislaus State CA Spring Semester Start
Despite spiking COVID-19 cases in the county, Stanislaus State University plans to start in-person classes as scheduled for its spring semester starting later this month. Rosalee Rush, senior associate vice president for communications, marketing and media relations at the university, said classes will begin at the Turlock campus as planned Jan. 28. (Rowland, 1/5)

San Diego Union-Tribune: SDSU, Cal State San Marcos Temporarily Return To Online Classes Due To Pandemic 
San Diego State University on Wednesday joined the wave of schools nationally that are temporarily returning to online instruction due to a historic surge in COVID-19 infections. The campus says that nearly all of its 35,000 students will be taught online for a two-week period when the spring semester begins on Jan. 19. (Robbins, 1/5)

Los Angeles Times: California Seeks To Speed Credentials For 10,000 Direly Needed School Mental Health Counselors
Confronted with a shortage of school mental health counselors, the California Department of Education is seeking to bring 10,000 more professionals to campuses at a time when federal public health officials are calling for action to address the nation's growing youth mental health crisis. (Gomez, 1/5)

EdSource: Kid Cooks And Tasty Lunches: One Elementary School’s Recipe For Survival 
At Pacific Elementary School, lunches are cooked from scratch daily with local produce and pasture-raised chicken donated by a nearby farm. Meals combine old favorites — tacos and homemade pizza — with the exotic: Filipino chicken adobo, Brazilian pumpkin stew, latkes for Hanukkah and Nigerian jollof rice for Kwanzaa. It’s no wonder that families from nearby Santa Cruz fill up many of the seats in the seaside town of Davenport’s only public school, intrigued by the food and the school’s renowned chefs: their own 10- and 11-year-old children. (Fensterwal, 1/6)

Sacramento Bee: Marshall Medical, UCD Partner To Fight Cancer In El Dorado County 
Placerville’s Marshall Medical Center announced Wednesday that it is entering into an affiliation with UC Davis Health to allow its patients access to the nationally recognized cancer treatment that the academic health system provides. “It’s exciting to expand and elevate cancer services in a way that will also preserve our standing as a nonprofit, independent hospital,” said Siri Nelson, Marshall’s chief executive officer. “Under the agreement, our cancer center will stay under the Marshall umbrella, with the hospital retaining ownership, licensure, and clinical oversight for patient care.” (Anderson, 1/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Federal Courts Suspend In-Person Jury Trials For Three Weeks Due To COVID
Jury trials in the Bay Area’s federal courts will be suspended for three weeks because of the latest coronavirus surge, court officials said Wednesday. The announcement by the Northern District of California affects both civil and criminal trials at U.S. District Courts in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. It does not apply to state trials in Superior Court, which are still being held in San Francisco and other counties, with measures designed to protect participants and jurors. (Egelko, 1/5)

Voice of OC: Orange County’s Poor Residents Most At Risk From Bad Air Quality
Researchers say Orange County’s poor and ethnically diverse residents are at greater risk of air pollution and its resulting in health effects more than predominantly white communities. Urban areas in Orange County are overwhelmed with traffic and are susceptible to emissions from fossil-fueled vehicles. Green spaces with plants and trees can lower the number of pollutants in the atmosphere, yet many cities lack the resources or space for such areas. (Thompson, 1/5)

The Washington Post: For The First Time In Over 30 Years, The EPA Adds To Its List Of Hazardous Air Pollutants
It took over three decades, but the federal government finally expanded its list of chemicals too dangerous for Americans to breathe. By one. The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to add a powerful dry-cleaning solvent, 1-bromopropane, to its list of hazardous air pollutants was long overdue, environmentalists and industry officials say. (Grandoni, 1/5)

Voice Of San Diego: Homeless Shelter Outbreaks Test Isolation Efforts
A surge in coronavirus cases that clobbered San Diego during the holidays also hit a few of the city’s homeless shelters, setting off a scramble last week to isolate residents who had been staying in packed shelters. Dozens of residents of shelters operated by Alpha Project and Father Joe’s Villages have for days stayed in party tents used as stopgap shelters, which providers have struggled to keep warm amid cold weather and a shortage of county-backed hotel rooms meant to provide a safe refuge. (Halverstadt, 1/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Delays 250-Bed Homeless Shelter In Lower Nob Hill Amid Neighborhood Backlash
San Francisco leaders have delayed the potential opening of a new 250-bed homeless shelter in Lower Nob Hill after local residents and businesses objected to the plans. City officials had proposed entering into a two-year, $18.7 million contract with the nonprofit Urban Alchemy to rent and operate the shelter at 711 Post St., a currently vacant hostel building just north of the Tenderloin and a few blocks west of Union Square. (Morris, 1/5)

Orange County Register: State Offering Up To $80,000 In Grants To COVID-Impacted Homeowners
California leaders unveiled plans to keep pandemic-impacted homeowners from losing their homes, offering up to $80,000 in grants to owners behind on their mortgage payments. The one-time grants are part of a new $1 billion federally-funded program to aid homeowners facing the threat of foreclosure because they lost income during the pandemic. (Collins, 1/5)