Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
As Vaccine Demand Slows, Political Differences Go on Display in California Counties
California officials are optimistic they can vaccinate millions more before hitting a hard wall of vaccine resistance. (Anna Almendrala, )
Disneyland Reopens Today: The gates to the "Happiest Place on Earth" will open Friday morning for the first time in 412 days — the longest closure in its 65-year history. Things won’t be the same as they were pre-pandemic, but Friday marks the first time in more than a year that guests can board rides. The move also highlights California's significant covid turnaround, reports AP. Read more from USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.
In related news —
What You Need To Know If You’re Going: It takes three steps to actually get in, and you’ll need to follow the rules. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and LAist.
The 'Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance' Ride Is Shorter: Health protocols mandate that all indoor rides last no longer than 15 minutes. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly.
Disney Cast Members Happy To Be Back: Employees say they're eager to reunite with co-workers and relieved to be added back to the Disney payroll. Read more from Yahoo Finance.
Dodgers Stadium Enters Final Innings as Mass Vaccine Site: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that covid vaccine operations will close at Dodger Stadium by the end of May. Officials say that shifting doses will increase appointment-free vaccine availability at other city-run sites. The move is also representative of a declining number of appointments for shots reported by many providers around California. The Los Angeles Times and CBS Los Angeles have more on the plans for Dodgers Stadium and LA's vaccination efforts. And scroll below for much more coverage of vaccine demand.
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
Los Angeles Times:
More Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccines On Way To California
California is poised to receive almost 90,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week as U.S. officials resume supplies of the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. The expected allocation of 87,800 doses would be the first direct federal shipment of J&J shots since the week of April 12 — when administration of the vaccine was temporarily halted while health officials investigated reports of a rare blood-clotting disorder among a handful of recipients. (Money and Lin II, 4/29)
Orange County Register:
Orange County Vaccination Sites Will Resume Use Of Johnson & Johnson Shot
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will again be offered at county-run mass vaccination sites starting Sunday, May 2. The OC Health Care Agency and many other public and private care providers followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration’s April 13 recommendation to temporarily shelve the one-dose vaccine for a safety review after rare, severe blood clots surfaced in a handful of people who had received it. (Wheeler, 4/29)
KQED:
If You're Offered The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, Take It, Experts Say. Here's Why
This week, news of a rare blood clot in a patient at UCSF, after he received the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, brought this very small risk close to home.The chance of developing these blood clots is tiny — only 2 in 1 million. And UCSF reported Monday that the patient is doing well and expected to go home in a few days. Still, knowing there is a risk at all is upsetting and confusing. Health experts agree Johnson & Johnson is still a great vaccine. (Dillon, 4/29)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Healdsburg Event Offering Coronavirus Vaccine To Homeless Sonoma County Residents
Homeless Sonoma County residents can receive the coronavirus vaccine, supplies and bike repairs at a free event in Healdsburg on Friday. The Spring Refresh Give-a-Way will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (209 Matheson St., Healdsburg) from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. It is hosted by Reach For Home, a nonprofit that provides services to people facing homelessness in northern Sonoma County. (Chudwin, 4/29)
Sacramento Bee:
COVID Vaccinations Lag Among Men In Sacramento
Though more men than women in Sacramento County have died from COVID-19, fewer men are getting vaccinated against the virus. About 56% of the 1,663 deaths in Sacramento County were among men, despite the fact that more women have contracted the virus in the county. Of the more than 563,000 people who’ve received a dose of the vaccine in Sacramento County, about 43% are men and 57% are women. (Yoon-Hendricks, 4/29)
Napa Valley Register:
These Napa Residents Decline COVID-19 Vaccine — At Least For Now
Thousands of Napans have happily bared their arms to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but some locals won’t be rolling up their sleeves for the shot just yet, if at all. For a variety of reasons, these residents have chosen not to be immunized. “I’ve always been on the fence about it,” said Joe Molina, age 56, about getting the shot. “I’m not anti-vaxxer,” said Molina, “But I like to have a lot more information” before getting immunized. (Huffman, 4/29)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Fewer LA County Residents Are Getting Vaccinated – And Ferrer Calls This ‘Worrisome’
In a trend described as “very worrisome,” the number of people getting their first COVID-19 vaccination at Los Angeles County sites dropped significantly over the past week, marking the first such drop and leading to more calls today for people get the shots and propel the county toward a return to normalcy. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer didn’t have exact number of how many appointments went unfilled over the past week, but said county-operated vaccination sites saw sharp drops in people coming in for their first dose. That means the county, for the first time, will likely fall short of its goal of administering 95% of the doses it receives within one week. (Evains, 4/29)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern High And Kern Medical Seek To Vaccinate Residents, School By School
The effort to vaccinate eligible Kern high school students — and anyone else in the community who wants a COVID-19 shot — is in full swing. The Kern High School District and Kern Medical, which already partnered to vaccinate school staffers, have teamed up again. So far Kern Medical has brought its mobile clinics with the Pfizer vaccine to Golden Valley, Foothill and Arvin high schools. On Thursday afternoon, the mobile clinic arrived at the gymnasium at Shafter High School decked out in a Cinco de Mayo theme that Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force co-founder Jay Tamsi said represented a celebration of hope. (Gallegos, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
First-Dose Vaccine Appointments Drop By Half In L.A. County
Appointments for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine have decreased by about 50% in Los Angeles County, alarming public health officials who call it a worrisome trend that reflects the slowdown in vaccination rates across the state and country. The slowing demand probably means that, for the first time, the county will not reach its goal of administering 95% of its weekly supply, officials said. The revelation follows the announcement from officials earlier this week that about 18% of residents have missed their second-dose appointments. (Shalby and Money, 4/29)
KQED:
A Lot Of People In Solano County Are Skipping Their Second Vaccine Dose
In Solano County, 15% of people who got their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine missed their appointment for a second dose. That's twice the national rate reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of the people who skipped completing their inoculation were scheduled to get it this month. Solano County Health Officer Bela Matyas says the no-shows are most likely younger people who became eligible for the vaccine more recently. (Dembosky and Wolffe, 4/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Here's When Kids Age 12-15 Might Get Vaccinated In The Bay Area
The first coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds is expected to receive federal approval in May, and public health and school officials are preparing for how best to reach this young group and persuade kids — and their parents — to get the shots. Pfizer filed its formal request for vaccine authorization in this age group two weeks ago. Public health experts anticipate the Food and Drug Administration will approve it, though the exact timing is not known. Moderna is expected to file for authorization for the same age group soon. Thus, two vaccines may be available for children 12 and older by the end of summer. (Allday, 4/29)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Reporter Notebook: Vaccine Proof For Federal Jurors? Not Likely.
Add this to the list of places you probably won’t have to show your vaccine card: federal court. “We’re not asking jurors if they are vaccinated,” Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said in his annual State of the Court address Wednesday. The remarks — delivered virtually — come as the San Diego federal court eyes a return to normal operations, likely within the next few months. As with many places that serve the public, the court must also consider to what degree, if at all, vaccines factor into plans moving forward. (Davis, 4/29)
Fresno Bee:
If You Had COVID-19, Do You Need To Get The Vaccine? Fresno Doctors Shares The Latest
Today’s Ask the Ed Lab question comes from Denyce Butler; who asks: “As a faculty advisor for elementary teachers, I have been relieved that all of my future teachers have been vaccinated. Unfortunately, it is not a requirement for the teachers already in the classroom. When asked ‘Why,’ the most common answer I hear is, “I’ve had COVID, so I don’t need the vaccination.” What do these people need to know about this situation? ”In other words, if you had COVID-19, are you now naturally immune, or should you still get vaccinated? (Dieppa, 4/30)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Here Are Scenarios In Which Vaccinated People Still Need To Get COVID Tests
As more and more people get vaccinated, it’s not always clear when someone should get a COVID-19 test, or how testing will continue to play a part in our lives. But even as the percentage of vaccinated people rises each day, huge parts of the population — including children and adolescents — are not inoculated. That means access to reliable coronavirus tests will remain critical for the foreseeable future. (Hwang, 4/29)
KQED:
In California, Known Infections After Vaccination Are Very Low So Far
California and Bay Area health officials are tracking cases of people who have contracted COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. As of April 21, nearly 1,400 Californians have been identified since Jan. 1 as falling into this category, the state Department of Public Health says. That equates to just 0.01% of fully vaccinated people in California. (Klivans, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California Is Allowing Water Parks To Reopen
More than a year after business dried up because of the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s water parks can now reopen under new health guidance released this week. Along with providing an extra splash of fun heading into the summer, the imminent return of the aquatic play areas adds to a tidal wave of reopenings that has washed over the state as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to recede. (Money, 4/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Bars Could Reopen Indoors As Soon As May 7
San Francisco is expected to reach the yellow tier on Tuesday, allowing bars that don’t serve meals to open indoors for the first time since last March’s shelter-in-place orders. City officials plan to institute the changes on Friday, May 7. Bars will be able to open indoors at 25% capacity with with a maximum of 100 people — though customers must be seated at tables and not walk around with drinks in hand. Restaurants will have to stay at 50%, but the current orange tier’s 200-person maximum goes away. The capacity limits don’t change for wineries and breweries, which can continue operating indoors at 25%. (Bitker, 4/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco Is Set To Enter The Yellow Tier. Here's What Will Reopen
San Francisco is on track to move back into the most lenient category of California’s pandemic reopening blueprint, the yellow tier. If current COVID-19 trends hold, city officials expect to hit the threshold Tuesday, when the state’s health department updates tier assignments. Once it reaches that level indicating minimal virus risk, a spot San Francisco held only once briefly before the winter surge hit, the city can open most businesses indoors with modifications. (Vaziri, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Relaxes Outdoor Mask Rules For Vaccinated People
The L.A. County Department of Public Health has revised a pandemic health order to align itself with new federal guidance that eased rules on when fully vaccinated people should wear masks. The updated health order, which goes into effect Friday, states that unless they are in crowded settings, fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask when outdoors alone, with members of their household or with a small group of fully vaccinated people. They also can go without a mask when intermingling with a small group of people who are not fully vaccinated but not at high risk for experiencing serious illness or death from the coronavirus. (Miller, 4/29)
KQED:
Hayward's Downtown Library Branch To Reopen To Public For 2-Hour Visits
Hayward Public Library's downtown branch will reopen for walk-in services with limited capacity starting Monday. The library will allow people to enter for two-hour sessions, in which they will be required to adhere to Alameda County protocols, including mask and social distancing requirements. Up to 125 people will be allowed in the building at 888 C St. during each "HPL Express" two-hour session. The branch will be open from 2-4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as 5-7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. (4/29)
Orange County Register:
Coronavirus: Orange County Reported 43 New Cases And Four New Deaths As Of April 29
The OC Health Care Agency reported 43 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, April 29, increasing the cumulative total in the county to 253,780 cases since tracking began. There have been 976 new infections reported in the last 14 days. Four new deaths were reported Thursday – the total number of COVID-19 fatalities there have been in the county is at 4,948. (Goertzen, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Outbreak In Humboldt County Is Linked To Local Church
Health officials in Northern California’s Humboldt County are attributing a recent spike in coronavirus cases to mass gatherings in the area, including one outbreak linked to a Pentecostal church. “After seeing the case rate decline for weeks, Humboldt County is currently experiencing an uptick in cases, many of which are related to one or more super-spreader events,” county officials said in a statement. (Smith, 4/29)
KQED:
'Do What's Right By The Science:' Why The CDC Updated Outdoor Mask Guidance (And When You Can Ditch Yours)
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California would be moving to align with new guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, relaxing the mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.The new guidance from the CDC says that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear a mask outside if they're walking, running or biking, attending small outdoor gatherings or eating outside at a restaurant. Fully vaccinated people now only need to wear a mask in large crowds of strangers, says the CDC. (Sarah, 4/29)
The Mercury News:
COVID Economy: Layoffs Surface In Bay Area Despite Jobs Upswing
Several Bay Area companies — some tech firms among them — have revealed layoffs affecting hundreds of workers, fresh staffing cutbacks that run counter to recent reports of job gains in the region, official state government reports show. Lumentum, Boston Scientific, Hitachi Vantara, Off The Grid Services (also known as The Whole Cart), Target, and MobiTV have revealed layoffs or facilities closures that together affect more than 800 workers, according to official notices posted by the state Employment Development Department. (Avalos, 4/30)
CapRadio:
California Coronavirus Updates: Californians Are Still Struggling With Pandemic-Induced Unemployment, And Feel Like Students Are Falling Behind
All of California is still struggling with unemployment because of the pandemic, according to new research from the Public Policy Institute of California. “But the Sacramento region is doing better than the state overall due to the stability of state government employment, which is a bit of a surprise during this recession,” said Senior Research Fellow Sarah Bohn. Bohn also said that the public health crisis has hit city and county government agencies in the rest of the state harder as they grapple with fiscal problems and displaced workers. (4/29)
Modesto Bee:
How COVID-19 Closures Left More Children Vulnerable To Abuse
The coronavirus pandemic made the safety of vulnerable children even more precarious because children were secluded at home and no longer seeing the mandated reporters like teachers, school counselors, medical professionals and faith leaders who often report suspected abuse. Supporting that fact, Stanislaus County child protective services saw a drop in calls to its hotline of more than a third in 2020. (Tracy and Mink, 4/29)
Bay Area News Group:
At-Home COVID-19 Test Arrives In Bay Area
First, the bad news: You still have to stick a long swab up your nose. But scientists say there’s a lot to love about a quick new at-home COVID-19 test called BinexNOW, the latest tool in a growing movement that empowers people to take control of their own health. Available at Bay Area retail pharmacies this week, the test can be taken in the comfort and privacy of your home. You get results in 15 minutes. And it’s convenient, sparing you the hassle of finding a test site before going to see family or grab a drink with friends. (Krieger, 4/29)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Hospitals Seek Legislative Help As COVID-19 Costs Mount
The COVID-19 pandemic has “left a majority of California’s hospitals financially challenged, unstable and in some cases, broken,” while proposed and existing state regulations are pushing them further over the brink, said the CEO of California’s top hospital trade group. Speaking to media in a conference call Wednesday, Carmela Coyle of the California Hospital Association said 58% of the state’s hospitals operated in the red in 2020, up from 40% a year earlier, according to a financial analysis released by health-care management consultant Kaufman Hall. (Anderson, 4/30)
Patch:
Kaiser Permanente Redwood City: "A" Grade For Patient Safety
The Leapfrog Group recognized 16 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals with a top score of "A" in its biannual Hospital Safety Grades report, which examined and graded approximately 2,700 hospitals throughout the United States. (Sonkin, 4/29)
Chico Enterprise-Record:
Leapfrog Gives Enloe Medical Center An ‘A’ Grade For Patient Safety
Enloe Medical Center earned an “A” grade in the spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Enloe’s achievements in providing safe health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent, national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety, the hospital said in a press release. The Hospital Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country, and is updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients. (4/30)
Undark:
An Unorthodox Allergy Clinic Seeks To Disrupt Medicine
SoCal Food Allergy, as the institute is popularly known, grew out of a one-man operation that started in the basement of a nearby hospital in 2004. The institute offers individualized treatment using a method that some allergists say resembles OIT but which its founder argues is fundamentally different. Unlike OIT, which exposes patients to incrementally increasing amounts of their allergens alone, SoCal’s program leans on mathematics and machine learning to determine customized dosing schemes using a range of foods. The goal is to build patients’ tolerance to related foods and then introduce the allergen once their immune systems are less reactive. (Landhuis, 4/28)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Behavioral Health And Recovery Services To Hold May Events In Recognition Of Mental Health Awareness Month
Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services announced key dates and events planned for May, which marks Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the news release, Kern BHRS is in its 22nd year conducting some of the activities. (4/29)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Lawsuit Over New Veterans Clinic Could Delay Construction Once Again
Kern County veterans have waited patiently for the construction of a new veteran’s clinic for over 10 years, but just as momentum appears to be swinging in the project’s favor, a new lawsuit threatens to stop it in its tracks. Filed in Kern County Superior Court in early April by Progress for Bakersfield Veterans, a limited liability company run by the owners of the existing veterans clinic on Westwind Drive, the lawsuit claims the city of Bakersfield improperly disregarded the California Environmental Quality Act when it approved construction of the new clinic in March. (Morgen, 4/29)
Fresno Bee:
A Fresno-Area Senator Blocked A Black Health Bill. Here’s How Lawmakers Responded
A California Senate committee pushed through health legislation for Black women and other underprivileged groups that had been held up by a Fresno-area senator. Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, pulled Senate Bill 65 before it could be debated or voted upon on April 20 to the consternation of advocates for low-income mothers and their babies, primarily those of color. (Miller, 4/29)
CapRadio:
With Latest California Single Payer Health Care Bill Shelved, Advocates Push Newsom For Support
Californians who support a single payer health care system say it’s time for Gov. Gavin Newsom to keep his campaign promises and take steps toward making the model a reality. Calls to move away from private insurance and have the state government take on all health care costs have come and gone during the past four years. But a contingent of progressive advocates, including the prominent labor union California Nurses Association, has continued to push for the change. (Caiola, 4/29)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Bill To Ban Sale Of Gas-Powered Leaf-Blowers, Lawnmowers
California would ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf-blowers, lawnmowers and other “small off-road engines” as soon as 2024, under a bill being considered by state lawmakers. If approved, the ban would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, or as soon as the California Air Resources Board determines it is feasible. Members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee this week advanced the proposed law, Assembly Bill 1346. Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, wrote the bill and described it as an important effort to reduce air pollution. (Sheeler, 4/29)
CalMatters:
Capitol Mum On Eviction Moratorium Extension As Renters Seek More Time
With two months to go before a statewide eviction moratorium expired in January, lawmakers, lobbyists and the governor’s staff were already deep into negotiations on an extension. They reached it just days before the deadline, providing six more months of a ban on eviction. Now, with two months left before that extension itself expires on June 30, there is no proposed legislation on giving renters more time before the moratorium ends, and lawmakers expressed uncertainty that there would be. (Duara, 4/29)
The Mercury News:
Will California Spend $20 Billion On Homelessness?
Bay Area mayors on Thursday urged the state to do something unprecedented — spend $20 billion in a multi-year effort to combat California’s massive homelessness crisis. Their proposal would dedicate $4 billion every year for five years to continue the historic efforts California has made to house and shelter people during the pandemic. That sum would be roughly half of the state’s projected 2021 budget surplus, when factoring in $26 billion California was allocated in federal stimulus money. (Kendall, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
FDA Vows Menthol Cigarette Ban, Which Could Save Black Lives
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it would move to ban menthol tobacco cigarettes and flavored cigars, a historic step the agency said would significantly prevent death and disease, particularly among Black Americans. A ban would “significantly reduce youth initiation, increase the chances of smoking cessation among current smokers, and address health disparities experienced by communities of color, low-income populations, and LGBTQ+ individuals, all of whom are far more likely to use these tobacco products,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. (Logan, 4/29)
KQED:
FDA Moves To Ban Menthol Cigarettes And Flavored Cigars
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is moving to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, based on the evidence of the addictiveness and harm of the products. Tobacco companies have long targeted African Americans with advertising for menthol cigarettes."Banning menthol — the last allowable flavor — in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement Thursday. (Wamsley, 4/29)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Prop. 22 Health Care Subsidies Go Unused, Union Poll Says
California drivers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other app-based companies are eligible for a health insurance stipend stemming from the ballot initiative voters approved last fall exempting those companies from a new state labor law. But only 15% of the drivers polled have applied for the stipend, months after the ballot measure became law, according to a survey released Thursday and commissioned by SEIU 721. (Park, 4/29)
CapRadio:
FACT CHECK: Did San Francisco Have ‘Twice As Many Drug Overdose Deaths As COVID Deaths’ In 2020?
San Francisco’s early and dramatic response to the coronavirus last year earned it praise as a model for fighting the pandemic. But during that time, was the city also experiencing a surge of fatal drug overdoses that far outpaced its COVID-19 deaths? That’s what Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley of Rocklin claimed on social media this week. (Nichols, 4/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
After Legendary Bay Area Bicyclist Dies In Car Crash, Cyclists Crusade For Safety
Simmering anger between cyclists and motorists on Bay Area roads hit a new level this month when a cult cycling hero from the East Bay, 86-year-old Joe Shami, was struck and killed by an SUV April 13 at a roundabout in Lafayette. Shami was closing in on 100,000 miles ridden on his bicycle. The local cycling community is rallying around the tragic loss to try to make roads safer for bike riders, and in the process remove some of the anger between them and drivers. (Stienstra, 4/29)
Modesto Bee:
Investigating An Infant’s Death Can Prevent Future Tragedies
In 2020, the number of Stanislaus County infants who died in their sleep doubled compared to the previous five-year average. Last year, eight infants died in their sleep, with five attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or asphyxia and three babies with the cause listed as “unknown/undetermined,” by the coroner. The coroner’s reports for all three “undetermined” cases noted unsafe sleeping conditions. (Mink and Tracy, 4/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Man Faces Hate Crime, Battery Charges In Attack In El Cerrito
A Richmond man faces hate crime and battery charges Thursday after police said he approached a Middle Eastern man in El Cerrito, punched him in the head and made race-based comments. Nicholas Andre Kimmons, 40, was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of felony battery and elder abuse with a hate crime enhancement, El Cerrito Police’s Sgt. Scott Cliatt said in a statement. Kimmons was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility, he said. (Mishanec, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Banning Menthol Cigarettes Is A Racial Justice Issue
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s announcement Thursday that it was moving to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars this year is not just the single most important step the federal agency has taken reduce the deadly impact of tobacco use in the U.S. It’s also one that comes with significant racial justice implications. How so? Although smoking has plummeted in the U.S. since its heyday in the mid-20th century, tobacco-related ailments are still the main cause of preventable death. And even while Black Americans smoke at lower rates than other ethnic groups, they are more likely to die from tobacco-related disease. And, finally, about 85% of Black Americans who smoke choose menthol cigarettes, which are easier to get hooked on and harder to quit. (4/30)
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Vaccine Passports Are Needed To Achieve Herd Immunity
To hear some people tell it, vaccine passports are just another effort by Democrats, progressives and Satan to take away your freedom, just like when they told you to wear a mask and made you shut down your business. In a hyperventilating Wall Street Journal op-ed a couple of weeks ago, two medical school professors lit viciously into the idea of vaccine passports, calling them, among other things, “a coercive scheme to encourage vaccination.” (Nicholas Goldberg, 4/27)
Los Angeles Times:
There Is No Absolute Right To Refuse COVID Vaccination
More than half of American (and Californian) adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly a third are fully vaccinated. Vaccination has now been opened to everyone 16 and older. Our biggest worry in the coming months isn’t whether we’ll be able to deliver enough doses; it’s whether enough people will seek them. We’re getting closer to the point where every American who wants to be vaccinated will have gotten their needle stick. A quarter of Americans say they don’t plan to be vaccinated; in vaccine-friendlier California, that’s 1 in 5. (4/28)
Modesto Bee:
Supreme Court Conservatives Side Against Newsom’s COVID Rules
The Supreme Court’s ruling late Friday night, April 9 in Tandon v. Newsom is just the latest indication of a conservative majority determined to aggressively protect religious freedom, even when it means ignoring both the Constitution and public health in doing so. In a 5-4 decision, with the five most conservative justices comprising the majority, the court issued an injunction against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that limited at-home religious worship gatherings to no more than three households. (Erwin Chemerinksy, 4/29)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Should Make Remote Participation In Democracy Permanent
Being able to participate in public meetings is as crucial to our democracy as voting or protesting. Many of us have long been told that enabling our participation was not possible, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that it is. During the pandemic, many cities and municipalities around California have moved their meetings online and allowed comment by Zoom, Facebook Live or calling in by phone. Many seniors and people with disabilities have found public participation much easier as a result. Now, as policymakers begin to envision the pandemic’s end, we’re concerned that some of the ways we’ve made more public participation possible will be tossed aside in a rush to return to “normal.” But let’s be clear, “normal” never worked for our communities. (Jessica Lehman and James Burrell, 4/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Hate-Crime Law Is A Start To Making Asian Americans Feel Safer
There is much to celebrate about the Senate approving legislation that would help combat the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. It passed on a 94-1 vote, reflecting the growing clout of Asian American legislators in Congress and a new, fierce sense of activism within the broader Asian community. It shows that, at least on rare occasions, lawmakers can unite and act on a matter of national urgency — and for the first time, the welfare of Asian communities is considered that important. The measure would make it easier for law enforcement to investigate hate crimes against Asian Americans. It provides for faster federal review of hate crimes and sets up better channels for reporting them. But will it make us safer? (Stewart Kwoh, Connie Chung Joe, and Connie Rice, 4/26)
The Mercury News:
Bay Area Must Stand In Solidarity Against Racism
Recently, several leaders I greatly admire led “Fight the Hate” rallies, spurred by the growing hate crimes against our Asian-American neighbors. We’ve witnessed, with horror, similar attacks against Blacks and Latinos, and we must continue to stand in solidarity to rally against racism. Yet we must do more than “Fight the Hate.” We must also take positive, proactive steps to “Spread the Love.” In San Jose alone, where our population is nearly 40% Latino, 35% Asian and nearly 5% Black, we can show with our words, our wallets and our deeds our appreciation and admiration for the rich cultural and ethnic diversity that is the bedrock of our society. (Carl Guardino, 4/30)
Los Angeles Times:
Are L.A. Leaders Serious About Homeless Housing?
On the same day that U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued an order lambasting L.A.’s political leaders for failing to treat homelessness like the humanitarian crisis it is, Councilman John Lee moved to kill one of the few homeless housing projects in his affluent North San Fernando Valley district. The timing was a coincidence, but the message was clear: At least some of Los Angeles’ political leaders are paying lip service to solving the homeless crisis. (4/29)