Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California’s Data Failures Stymie Efforts to Curb the Virus
Counties say the ripple effects of the state’s COVID-19 data failures are impeding their ability to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even as they must make life-or-death decisions about business and school reopenings. (Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Angela Hart, )
Swab, Spit, Stay Home? College Coronavirus Testing Plans Are All Over the Map
2020 will be a year like no other on college campuses, as every institution makes its own rules. Some have no plans to routinely test students for the coronavirus; others aim to test every student and staff member twice a week. (Michael McAuliff and Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, KBIA and Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media and Stephanie O'Neill Patison, )
Evacuees Struggle To Make Safe Choices: Thousands of evacuees fleeing more than 300 fires rampaging through the Bay Area and across Northern California are being forced to make quick decisions about where to go and what to do after the coronavirus pandemic forced dramatic changes in emergency procedures. Many are reluctant to crowd inside shelters and evacuation centers with strangers for fear of spreading COVID-19. Read more from Peter Fimrite and Trish Thadani of the San Francisco Chronicle and Kellen Browning of The New York Times.
LA Schools Hit A Few Technical Snags As Doors Reopen: It wasn’t problem-free and frustrations flared through the day, but as formal instruction began Thursday in Los Angeles public schools, students, parents and teachers attempted to put on positive faces. Also on Thursday, L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner provided details on how the district’s nascent COVID-19 testing and contract tracing would work. Read more from Howard Blume and Andrew J. Campa of the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage and the best of the rest of the news.
More News From Across The State
San Francisco Chronicle:
Trump On California Wildfires: ‘You Got To Get Rid Of The Leaves’
President Trump renewed his criticism of California’s forestry practices Thursday as wildfires burned up and down the state, saying “many years of leaves and broken trees” are contributing to the disasters.“I see again, the forest fires are starting. They’re starting again in California,” Trump said at a campaign event in Old Forge, Pa. “And I said, you’ve got to clean your floors. You’ve got to clean your forests.” (Byrne, 8/20)
Los Angeles Times:
At DNC, Newsom Criticizes Trump For California Fire Comments
In a video appearance Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, Gov. Gavin Newsom tore into President Trump for threatening to strip federal funding for wildfire prevention in California after nearly 500,000 acres burned in storm-related lightning strikes, criticizing him further for trying to dismantle the state’s landmark vehicle emission standards. “Just today, the president of the United States threatened the state of California, 40 million Americans who happen to live here in the state of California, to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he said we hadn’t raked enough leaves. I can’t make that up,” Newsom said in a three-minute video. (Willon, 8/20)
Bay Area News Group:
‘My God, We’ve Got Nobody’: Strained Firefighters Struggle To Stop Bay Area Wildfires
Firefighters struggled Thursday to stop the advance of dozens of fires burning out of control across the Bay Area that have forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, as shorthanded crews warn they don’t have the manpower they need to contain blazes that threaten to swallow up neighborhoods and entire towns. Authorities reported some progress against fires in Contra Costa and Sonoma counties overnight Wednesday and believed they had slowed the spread of a particularly destructive blaze in Vacaville. (Savidge, Angst and Debolt, 8/21)
The Wall Street Journal:
California Wildfires Rage Despite Break In Heat Wave
Firefighters took advantage of a break in extreme heat wave conditions to gain more control over numerous wildfires that have prompted evacuations and blanketed wide swaths of the state in smoke. Still, many of the major fires in and around the San Francisco Bay Area are no more than 7% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Carlton and Ansari, 8/20)
Capital Public Radio:
The Air Is Full Of Dangerous Wildfire Smoke And Viral Particles. What’s The Best Protection For Your Health?
If you don’t need to be outside this week, don’t be.
Smoke from wildfires across the state carries tiny particles that can damage the lungs, especially for those with existing respiratory conditions. Public health officials and air quality experts also say staying indoors is the best way to protect yourself from the haze, the heat and exposure to COVID-19. (Caiola, 8/20)
The New York Times:
Poor Planning Left California Short Of Electricity In A Heat Wave
Everybody had known for days that a heat wave was about to wallop California. Yet a dashboard maintained by the organization that manages the state’s electric grid showed that scores of power plants were down or producing below peak strength, a stunning failure of planning, poor record keeping and sheer bad luck. All told, power plants with the ability to produce almost 6,000 megawatts, or about 15 percent of the electricity on California’s grid, were reported as being offline when temperatures surged last Friday. The shortfall, which experts believe officials should have been able to avoid, forced managers of the grid to order rolling blackouts in the middle of a pandemic and as wildfires across the state were spreading. (Penn, 8/20)
Los Angeles Times:
It’s Deja Vu In The Bay Area As Fires Again Force Evacuations And Cloud The Skies
Fires across California continued to expand Thursday, most critically in the North Bay and Santa Cruz mountains, propelled by erratic winds near the coast and hampered by resources stretched thin by dozens of blazes. From the Salinas Valley to wine country, smoke as thick as fog in some places made it feel as if flames were everywhere. Thousands fled to shelters and hotels, the pandemic ever present but posing a distant risk compared to fire. In the Sonoma County town of Healdsburg, under an evacuation warning, residents prepared to leave, some for the third time in four years. (Chabria, Mozingo and Serna, 8/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
64,600 Displaced By Raging Fires In San Mateo, Santa Cruz Counties
Sunshine bathed the cheery town of Pescadero on Thursday afternoon, even as a plume of gray and orange smoke rose ominously over the ridge to the east. “Warning! Prepare to evacuate!” sheriff’s deputies repeated over a loudspeaker as they drove up and down Stage Road, Pescadero’s main street. (Moench, Cassidy and Fracassa, 8/21)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
50,000 Acres Burn In Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley And UCSC Evacuate
Thursday evening, Scotts Valley residents were given the official notice to evacuate after Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart warned earlier in the day it would come. “Now, as the city of Scotts Valley was warned, we’ve moved into a mandatory evacuation in the city of Scotts Valley and we’ll be systematically evacuating folks there, Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chief Chris Clark said. (York and Ibarra, 8/20)
Los Angeles Times:
UC Santa Cruz Evacuates Amid Fires; Students Urged To Shelter At The Beach
A raging and unpredictable complex of wildfires forced authorities Thursday to order the evacuation of UC Santa Cruz, one of the few times students and faculty at a top California learning institution have been forced to flee from flames. State and local authorities ordered the campus to evacuate late in the day after previously warning that evacuations might be necessary. (Leavenworth and Lin II, 8/20)
Orange County Register:
Orange County Could Exit Coronavirus Watch List On Saturday, Which Would Start Countdown For In-Person Schooling
Orange County is in the running to be removed from the state watch list for coronavirus-distressed counties, which, if downward trends continue, would happen Saturday, Aug. 22. That would start a 14-day countdown until Orange County schools could be cleared to resume in-person teaching by the second week of September. If the local school boards make that call, their K-12 students could be back in classrooms after Labor Day. (Wheeler, 8/20)
Bay Area News Group:
Richmond Police Officer Dies Of COVID-19 Complications, After Catching It On The Job
Sgt. Virgil Thomas, a 24-year veteran with the city’s police department, died Thursday morning of complications related to COVID-19, which he caught during the course of his work, authorities said. He was 52. In a social-media post, police said Thomas had served with Albany and Novato’s police departments before holding assignments with schools, neighborhood services and officer-training units in Richmond. Colleagues described him as a popular officer seen as a leader within the department. (Kelly and Gartrell, 8/20)
Los Angeles Times:
The Surprising Tale Behind The First L.A. COVID-19 Case
The family arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on the way home from a Mexican vacation that had been short-lived and unpleasant. They had been exhausted, the father was battling a nasty stomach bug, and even before they settled into their Cancun hotel, they got word of the sudden death of the wife’s mother in their hometown: Wuhan, China. The couple and their toddler son wanted to get back for the funeral and planned to be at LAX just long enough to switch planes. But as they passed through Tom Bradley International Terminal on Jan. 22, the father was overcome with a fever and body aches and approached a customs officer for help. (Ryan, St. John and Liang, 8/21)
LA Daily News:
Coronavirus: Hypertension, Diabetes Lead Underlying Conditions In LA County Deaths
Los Angeles County officials announced 57 new deaths and 1,603 new confirmed cases of coronaviruss Thursday, Aug. 20. Hypertension and diabetes are the most common underlying health conditions in COVID-19-related deaths, county officials added. (Littlejohn, 8/20)
Fresno Bee:
Visalia School Will Reopen Despite Coronavirus Watch List
[Central Valley Christian Schools’] elementary and middle school will have a morning and afternoon session with half of each grade level attending one session a day, according to the school. High schoolers will come to campus either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and work outdoors or in large spaces. Masks or face shields and social distancing is required, according to the school, and students and staff will have their temperature taken before entering campus. (Panoo, 8/20)
(Riverside) Press-Enterprise:
Riverside County Could Start Accepting School Reopening Waivers Next Week
Riverside County next week could start accepting waivers from school districts and private schools that want to offer in-person instruction at elementary schools if the county’s coronavirus case levels stay the same, a spokeswoman said Thursday, Aug. 20. Students in more than 30 California counties, including Riverside County, are starting the school year online to help control the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Gavin Newsom in mid-July announced the move as counties set records for new virus infections and deaths. (Horseman, 8/20)
Sacramento Bee:
Botched Coronavirus Job Thwarts Newsom’s White House Hopes
Jerry Brown got it right: The job of California governor is usually a “career-ender,” not a stepping stone. Gov. Gavin Newsom, facing an apocalyptic portfolio of multiplying crises, has learned this the hard way. The speech Newsom delivered via video to the Democratic National Convention on Thursday officially marked his transition from a potential future president to a likely future has-been. (Gil Duran, 8/20)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Chair Of GOP Decries High COVID-19 Response Costs
Gov. Newsom’s policies are creating heavy burdens for the people of California. Instead of limiting the economic impact of the coronavirus shutdown, the governor with the Democrat majority Legislature is creating new and oppressive laws. These recent laws are increasing the financial strain on families and businesses. California is facing a $54 billion budget deficit, yet the governor recently signed a new budget that raises taxes on businesses. How can employers continue to provide jobs when they are being taxed out of business? If the federal government hands over billions of taxpayers’ dollars to help California’s budget problems, the state should first solve the root of its financial insolvency — high taxes and anti-business policies promoted by the Democrats. (Fred Vanderhoof, 8/17)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Secretary DeVos: Where Is The Justice In Denigrating Survivors?
What were you wearing? Why were you drinking? Did you fight back hard enough? This is the nightmare that survivors will be subjected to both in K-12 schools and on college campuses in Trump’s America, starting last week, because of the administration’s rule on Title IX, the landmark civil rights law protecting students against sex discrimination in education. The administration’s Title IX rule mandates that colleges force survivors of sexual assault to endure live cross-examination by their perpetrator’s adviser of choice — anyone from an angry parent to an aggressive frat brother or a criminal defense attorney. (Jackie Speier and Fatima Goss Graves, 8/17)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Homeless People Are In The Suburbs, But Adequate Services Are Not
Another sad end to the life of a local outcast. A homeless man I knew, who battled drug and alcohol abuse for a long time, died on the grass of a small Livermore park on Aug. 2. His friends said he had just turned 63.Rich had told me he was a Vietnam vet, a former Marine. I knew him as mainly a gentle soul in the local homeless community. He could be ornery, and he suffered from multiple physical ailments, in addition to his addictions, which could make him demanding. But he was mostly upbeat, positive, friendly and he always said “Thank you and God bless you,” when I gave him a hot meal — which I regularly did for the past 3 years as a member of Open Heart Kitchen’s Street Outreach Team. (Stephen E. Wright, 8/16)
Los Angeles Times:
How California Beat Trump And The Auto Industry
On Aug. 17, California finalized its agreements with five major automakers aimed at upholding its stringent vehicle emissions standards against an effort by the Trump administration to roll the rules back. In doing so, the state delivered an unmistakable warning to the rest of the auto industry: California’s rules are likely to remain in place, and if you’ve got brains, you’ll join us. (Michael Hiltzik, 8/21)