Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Watch: Fauci, Other Health Officials Weigh California’s COVID Response
California Healthline’s Samantha Young helped lead a discussion about the state’s response to the novel coronavirus. Infections and hospitalizations are surging across the state. ( )
Surge In Cases Shows Signs Of Being A Second Wave, Experts Say: The deluge of coronavirus infections continued in California as fears of another shutdown circulated, prompting health officials and infectious disease specialists to issue a familiar public warning: Wear masks, and keep your distance from people. The state has added 15 counties — including Contra Costa and Santa Clara — to its watch list for dangerous coronavirus outbreaks. The surge is mostly happening because people let their guard down when the state and counties relaxed safety measures and began opening up businesses, according to health officials. “It’s a second wave of behavior,” said Robert Siegel, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University. “The virus is responding to people’s behavior, and this represents failures to maintain the recommended control procedures.” Read more from Peter Fimrite and Tatiana Sanchez of the San Francisco Chronicle.
In related news—
Los Angeles Times: Rising infections in younger people fuel California’s new coronavirus spike
Kids’ Dreams On Hold As Make-A-Wish, Other Groups Cope With Pandemic: The Los Angeles chapter of Make-A-Wish has granted over 10,000 wishes — funded by donations and grants — since it was founded in 1983. It staged its largest fundraising gala in November, pulling in $1.5 million, and has received $5,000 in donations through another fundraiser, half of what it usually garners under normal circumstances. But even as government officials ease restrictions and give some businesses the green light to reopen, it’s going to be a while before the organization is functioning at a pre-pandemic level. Each wish — many of which involve a trip — costs an average of $11,000, and more than half of the requests include air travel. “You don’t really know for sure what the kids are going through in their head,” said Mike Kallhoff, chief executive of Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles. He is also the father of a child who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4, and his family was granted a Make-A-Wish Trip to Walt Disney World in 2008. His understanding of what such a trip can do is profound. “They’re going through so much more than we are. It hurts me to take one more thing away from them right now.” Read more from Priscella Vega of the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
Despite Alarming California Coronavirus Spike, Don’t Expect Stay-At-Home Orders To Quickly Return
Despite an alarming spike in both coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, California health officials appear to have little appetite at least right now for a widespread retreat from reopening of the economy. Over the last few weeks, California has seen itself go from coronavirus success story to cautionary tale as COVID-19 cases hit new record daily highs and the number of people getting sick enough to require hospitalization spiked. (Lin II and Greene, 6/26)
Los Angeles Times:
California Program To Assist Immigrants Affected By Coronavirus Continues To Be Plagued By Delays
Two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged money to help as many as 150,000 immigrants without legal status who have lost work or wages during the coronavirus crisis, fewer than half that number have received the $500 payments, officials say as the program nears its original end date. The state deadline to apply for the funds is Tuesday and only 69,000 debit cards providing the cash have been issued as of Thursday. In all, about $33 million has been paid out from a total of $75 million allocated by Newsom, officials said. (McGreevy, 6/26)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Health Department Announces One More Death, 74 New Cases Of COVID-19
The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced 74 new COVID-19 cases Thursday morning and another local death. There have now been 4,192 cases reported in the county since the first was announced March 13. The county health department also has confirmed 64 COVID-related fatalities during that time. A total of 2,999 patients in the county have recovered from the virus, according to data. Currently, 1,049 individuals are recuperating from the virus at home and 70 are being treated at local hospitals. (6/25)
Fresno Bee:
Coronavirus: Hundreds Of New Cases In Central San Joaquin Valley
Fresno County on Thursday reported an additional 161 coronavirus cases, bringing its total number of positive cases up to 4,053, according to the county’s dashboard. No additional deaths were reported in Fresno County, and the number of patients who have died due to COVID-19 remained at 71. A total of 342 patients were hospitalized, while 1,104 had recovered, according to the county’s dashboard. There were 2,878 active cases on Thursday in Fresno County. (Amaro, 6/25)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento County CA Sees Coronavirus Hospitalizations Surge
Sacramento County hospitals have seen a sudden rise in COVID-19 patients in the last few weeks, causing some local concern and landing the county on the California health department’s coronavirus “watch list” on Thursday. Ten Sacramento County hospitals report they were treating 50 virus patients, the highest number in two months, and up substantially from just seven patients a month ago. (Bizjak and Chesler, 6/25)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno CA COVID-19 Hospitalizations Up About 60% In 14 Days
The number of people hospitalized for coronavirus in the central San Joaquin Valley climbed about 20% in the past seven days, and almost 60% over the past two weeks, driving concern over the region’s lack of progress in stemming the spread of COVID-19. Across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties, 226 patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses were being treated in hospitals as of Wednesday, according to the most recent data available from the state Department of Public Health. That’s almost eight times as many as required hospitalization on April 1, in the early stages of the pandemic in the region. (Sheehan, 6/25)
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Union Director Touts Reform But Embodies Force's Troubled Past
The full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times and two other California newspapers seemed like an olive branch from three California police unions to thousands of people marching in the streets for police reform. “No words can convey our collective disgust and sorrow for the murder of George Floyd,” read the advertisement. The ad called Floyd’s death a murder — a rarity for law enforcement organizations — but it also advocated an early warning system to find cops in need of retraining, supported a national database to track officers fired for gross misconduct and backed “a publicly accessible use-of-force analysis website.” (Rainey, 6/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Sheriff's Deputy Who Fatally Shot Andres Guard
A week after a deputy shot and killed an 18-year-old man in Gardena, setting off heated demonstrations, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has yet to fully explain how the shooting occurred and has not interviewed the two patrol deputies involved. But details are emerging about the deputies, including earlier allegations faced by the officer who fatally shot Andres Guardado. Sources with knowledge of the case identified them to The Times as Deputies Miguel Vega, who opened fire, and Chris Hernandez, who did not shoot. (Tchekmedyian and Lau, 6/25)
Los Angeles Times:
California Confronts Racist Past As Confederate Statues Fall
Across California, the massive antiracism protests that have followed the police killing of George Floyd have led to an unprecedented reckoning with public symbols of slavery and oppression. This month, statues have been toppled. Mascots have been changed. A coastal town’s Confederate-linked name has been reconsidered. At this moment of global outcry against racism, Californians are saying en masse that, for too long, the state’s history has been whitewashed, the ugly parts ignored. (Branson-Potts, 6/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
BART Board Member Calls Confederate Leader An ‘Exemplary General’
A BART board director called the leader of the Confederate Army an “exemplary general” in a public meeting Thursday — an abrupt and controversial statement that briefly derailed a discussion on Black Lives Matter and policing. Director John McPartland, whose district includes Hayward, Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton and Castro Valley, praised General Robert E. Lee and said he is troubled by the toppling of Confederate monuments, a cathartic expression of rage as the nation grapples with its long history of racial oppression. (Swan, 6/25)
Fresno Bee:
Many Fresno County, CA Jail Inmates Test Positive For COVID-19
At least 108 inmates inside the Fresno County’s North Annex jail have tested positive for the coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The sheriff’s office said it administered 1,200 COVID-19 tests this week.Just 400 results have come back and the other 800 are expected by Saturday, department spokesman Tony Botti said. (Galaviz, 6/25)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Mexican Consulate Offering Free COVID-19 Tests
Maria del Carmen Ortega, who is from Jalisco, Mexico, used to work cleaning schools. She was laid off shortly after the state dismissed classroom instruction in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making her one of the first employees to feel the virus’ unemployment toll. “Now, they want us to get back to work to clean the schools deeply so that when the kids return to school, the classrooms are disinfected,” she said in Spanish. But, before she can get back to cleaning, she wanted to make sure she was “clean” of the virus herself. (Bojorquez, 6/25)
Sacramento Bee:
Becerra, Sutter Clash Over Delaying $575M Antitrust Settlement
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked a San Francisco Superior Court judge on Thursday to deny a request from Sacramento-based Sutter Health to delay finalizing a $575 million antitrust lawsuit settlement reached in December 2019. In a news release issued about the filing, Becerra stated: “We are in the midst of a global pandemic, so it is more important than ever that we make health care more accessible and affordable for patients who need it.” (Anderson, 6/25)
Los Angeles Times:
Toll Of Bribery In Huizar Case: Less Affordable Housing
It was Halloween of 2018 and a real estate developer had just gotten a treat: The blessing of the Los Angeles City Council for a new high-rise in the Arts District. The real estate executive crowed in an email that it was a “truly amazing” accomplishment — the council had approved the tallest building yet in the Arts District, and with “minimal” requirements for affordable housing, according to federal prosecutors. Now federal investigators are describing the Arts District project as one of the real estate developments entangled in an alleged criminal scheme headed by Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar. (Albert Reyes and Zahniser, 6/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Santa Cruz Reopens Beaches After 2-Month Restriction
Santa Cruz County will reopen its beaches to the public beginning Friday, ending a two-month near-ban on beach activity, county health officer Gail Newel said in a video announcement Thursday morning. The county issued strict shelter-in-place limitations on beach access in May as a means of discouraging outsiders from visiting the region and potentially exacerbating the spread of the coronavirus. The county had planned to keep beaches off-limits through the Fourth of July weekend and had indicated earlier in June that beaches could remain closed through the summer. But on Thursday, Newel said the county is reversing course. (Thomas, 6/25)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern County Administrative Official To Businesses: ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask, No Service’
Kern County officials are asking businesses to make the wearing of face masks a requirement for service. The urgent request was made as the county teeters in and out of compliance with state coronavirus guidelines that could result in measures being taken should cases rise. Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an order requiring the wearing of masks in most public spaces. On Wednesday, the governor threatened to withhold $2.5 billion in funding from local governments that don't uphold state mask requirements. (Morgen, 6/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
One Man Dead, 40 Infected At Sonoma County Nursing, Senior Homes
A man who died Sunday was one of 40 people who have been infected in Sonoma County senior care and nursing homes since the start of the month, officials said. County health officer Dr. Sundari Mase announced the new cases, which include 21 residents and 19 staff members, as well as the death Tuesday. She did not say which senior and nursing homes have been affected. (Simpson, 6/25)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Anti-Vaccine Groups Already Protesting A Coronavirus Shot
They’ve resisted the stay-at-home order, denounced contact tracing as government control and disregarded a statewide mask mandate. At every stage of the pandemic, California’s anti-vaccine activists have foreshadowed what their fight against a future vaccine to prevent COVID-19 could look like. (Wiley, 6/26)
Sacramento Bee:
What Now For Three Sacramento Kings Who Have Coronavirus?
Kings guard Buddy Hield seemed to be in good spirits Thursday, a day after he and two teammates revealed they tested positive for the coronavirus. In a brief exchange with The Sacramento Bee, Hield said “I’m good” and he believes he will “be fine by Monday,” but it will probably be at least two weeks before the 27-year-old sharpshooter is cleared to resume basketball activities under the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. (Anderson, 6/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Districts Weigh How Big Of A Risk To Take In Reopening Schools: ‘It’s A Gamble’
The Marin County schools superintendent was gushing. “Isn’t it just great?” Mary Jane Burke asked, as she summarized the county’s recommendation to reopen schools and bring all kids back to classrooms full time in the fall, with masks and social distancing. Marin was among the first counties in the state to release such a specific plan for a return to in-class instruction, a nearly back-to-normal environment, with more liberal guidelines than recommended by the state. (Tucker and Allday, 6/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Schools Move To Reopen, Facing Huge Uncertainty About How Coronavirus Affects Kids
Research into the new coronavirus has moved “lightning fast” since the global pandemic began, but uncertainty around how the virus affects kids and how infectious they might be has made decisions around reopening California schools especially fraught. Children appear to be less likely to become infected with the coronavirus and when they do, they’re not often seriously ill, but it’s not clear how easily they spread the virus to others — a key question facing public health and education leaders. (Allday and Tucker, 6/26)
Sacramento Bee:
CA School Kids Might Have To Wear Masks In Schools This Fall
California issued a mandatory mask order last week, but state officials are still debating whether students should have to comply once schools reopen. During a Thursday press conference to provide COVID-19 updates, Gov. Gavin Newsom said a mask mandate for students remains under discussion. (Wiley, 6/25)
The Bakersfield Californian:
BCSD Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19
A Bakersfield City School District employee has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the district. Public Information Officer Tabatha Mills said the district was notified of a positive COVID-19 case from a member of the BCSD Ed Center late Wednesday afternoon.The Kern County Public Health Services Department is in the process of contact tracing and notifying anyone who may have been exposed. In addition, the district's Human Resources department is working to make contact with employees who may have been exposed, Mills said. (6/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Don’t Hide Away Amid Virus, But Take The Perils Seriously
Stores are open again. There’s talk of hair salons and movie theaters welcoming patrons back. Much to my delight, we recently enjoyed dinner at an outdoor restaurant. And yet I’m pretty sure people are contracting and dying of COVID-19 every single day. There does not seem to be an official plan for how we’re going to get through this pandemic other than, you know, hoping for the best. (Beth Spotswood, 6/24)
San Jose Mercury News:
What Gov. Newsom Should Be Doing To Curb Coronavirus Spread
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision last week to require Californians to wear face coverings in indoor public places — and outside when they can’t physically distance — was a smart move that will save lives and help reopen the economy safely. But there are many more steps that Newsom and local health officials should be taking to ensure that California doesn’t follow Arizona, Texas, South Carolina, Florida and other states into a spike of COVID-19 cases that could require a second widespread shutdown just as our economy is struggling to recover. (Sen. Steve Glazer, 6/26)
CalMatters:
We Can Ditch Office Culture For A Healthier Future By Teleworking
The COVID-19 shelter in place orders have demonstrated that many of us can work successfully from home and adopt healthier lifestyles. In the past three months, we have reduced traffic on our streets and highways, and more people are teleworking. (Dean Florez, 6/25)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno CA Sheriff’s Duties Don’t End With Mask Enforcement
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide mask order will not be imposed on Fresno County residents. Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims made that clear last week in an emailed statement to The Bee, writing her agency lacks “the resources to direct toward this type of enforcement.” On Monday, spokesmen for the Fresno and Clovis police departments echoed Mims’ view. The bottom line: Going maskless in public is not a citable offense. (Marek Warszawski, 6/23)
CalMatters:
Building In The Time Of COVID-19: Why Walls And Not Community?
We are in a time of global pandemic and the U.S. Southern border wall is progressing. More than 180 miles of new wall has been constructed, without recent push-back from those of us who have long protested the building of a wall. But we are not silent nor unconcerned. (Lupe Renteria Salome and Minerva G. Carcano, 6/23)
Fresno Bee:
California Officials Aim To Make November Election Safe
Planning for an election during the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge that election officials have faced in our lifetimes. To help uphold our democracy, I am asking every Californian to do their part in helping us maintain an accessible, secure, and safe election in November. (California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Must Take Bold Action To Support Schools And Feed Children
We recently paid a visit to Garfield Elementary School in Oakland’s San Antonio neighborhood, one of the largest and most diverse schools in Oakland. Twenty-two different languages are spoken there. Since closing its classroom doors on March 13 because of coronavirus, Garfield has become a vital hub for distributing food to tens of thousands of kids and families in Oakland struggling with a sharp increase in food insecurity. (Stephen and Ayesha Curry, 6/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
This Isn’t The Comeback California Wants From Coronavirus Pandemic
California is coming back: the restaurants, the gyms, the attractions and, unfortunately, the coronavirus. Recent days have provided a host of warnings that the state’s reopening is proceeding rapidly and carelessly enough to undermine the relative success of its early lockdown to slow the outbreak. (6/24)
Sacramento Bee:
NBA Should Cancel, Three Kings Test Positive For Coronavirus
The NBA should cut its losses and cancel the remainder of this season before more players test positive for COVID-19. Honestly, what are we doing here? (Marcos Breton, 6/25)
San Jose Mercury News:
Shut Down Sports During COVID-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the lie that professional sports leagues put the health and safety of their players before the teams’ bottom line.It’s the height of irresponsibility for MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, NFL, MLS and NWSL teams to resume play while COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise. And that goes double for California colleges and high school programs that are moving forward with plans to play games this fall. (6/25)
Fresno Bee:
US Men Need To Start Wearing Masks To Prevent COVID Spread
The next time Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to encourage Californians to wear face masks to fight COVID-19, he should step out of the picture and introduce Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sporting a big, black, macho mask. That’s because new research finds that men have a particularly difficult time putting on face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. (6/25)
San Jose Mercury News:
Nothing Funny In Trump's Clueless Coronavirus Testing Quip
Such a wit. We’re just rolling on the floor with laughter from President Trump’s latest joke. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. The United States leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths. The situation is worsening in this country. And the president, according to his aides, was joking when he told supporters at a rally over the weekend in Oklahoma — a state experiencing a rapidly increasing rate of positive tests — that our country should slow down its testing. (6/23)
CalMatters:
Electric Trucks Rule Will Create Jobs And Cut Cancer-Causing Pollution
The coronavirus crisis and subsequent economic fallout have challenged California leaders with a series of difficult decisions, but choosing how to vote on the nation’s first electric truck rule shouldn’t be one of them. This commonsense, achievable standard will create thousands of clean transportation jobs, inject billions of dollars into the economy and slash cancer-causing pollution. (Sam Appel and Patricio Portillo, 6/25)