Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Déjà Vu? Consumers Scramble for Covid Tests in Hard-Hit Areas
As the nation confronts the delta variant, many consumers are again facing delays getting tested. The problem appears most acute in the South and Midwest, where new infections are growing the fastest, but Californians are also encountering bottlenecks. (Phil Galewitz and Rachel Bluth and Rae Ellen Bichell, )
Kern and Humboldt Counties See Dramatic Leap In Covid Cases: As of Thursday, Kern County recorded 121 hospitalized covid patients, up from 25 a month before. And in Humboldt County, “the rise in cases seen in many counties has now hit here, with 400% increases in cases in a matter of a few weeks,” Public Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said. Read more from The Bakersfield Californian and Eureka Times-Standard.
West Nile Virus Found In Fullerton: The West Nile virus has been found in mosquito samples collected from two different parts of Fullerton, health officials announced Friday. The mosquitoes were the first in the county to test positive for West Nile this year. Read more from the Orange County Register. Also, The Guardian explains how West Nile — once associated with humidity and moisture — has become an alarming side effect of drought.
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
Fox News:
Fauci: Allowing Virus To Replicate Could Make 'Worse Variant' That 'Could Impact The Vaccinated'
Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that allowing the coronavirus delta variant to circulate freely among unvaccinated individuals could lead to a more potent variant that could harm even vaccinated individuals. The delta variant has already given rise to a small variant known as "delta plus" variant that has a spike protein mutation that may cause it to spread faster. So far, the variant has appeared in only a few cases in several countries, but the original delta variant rapidly spread through the United States and became the dominant strain after only a few months. (Aitken, 8/8)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Reports 3 More COVID-19 Deaths, Bringing July Spike To 14
Sonoma County public health officials Thursday reported three more deaths attributed to the coronavirus, including two local residents who were fully vaccinated. The fatalities add to the virus-related death spike, raising the July total to 14. That’s after four deaths in June and a single death in May related to COVID-19. (Espinoza, 8/5)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Reports More Than 4,000 New Coronavirus Cases, Attributed In Part To Increased Testing
Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday reported 4,283 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily number reported in months and which public health officials attributed to the continued high rates of transmission of the Delta variant and significant increases in testing. Although Department of Public Health officials expressed concern for the increasing case numbers, they cautioned that some of it could be attributed to more adults and children headed back to work and school and getting screened for the virus. (Cosgrove, 8/7)
City News Service:
LA County Posts Only Slight Increase In COVID-19 Hospitalizations Sunday
The surge in hospitalizations due to the coronavirus slowed down in Los Angeles County on Sunday, Aug. 8, increasing by just four patients to 1,437, with 333 of those people in intensive care, also an increase of four from Saturday — according to the state dashboard. The figures came one day after county health officials reported 4,283 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional deaths, which they attributed to continued high rates of transmission and significant increases in testing. (8/8)
Modesto Bee:
Modesto Hospital Sees Patients With COVID Breakthrough Cases
COVID-19 is again surging in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, sending patients to hospitals in Stanislaus County with symptoms of fever and trouble breathing. In contrast to previous surges, more young adults are being admitted. Most are people with no vaccine protection against the coronavirus, but some are “breakthrough” cases in people who are vaccinated, a hospital medical director said. (Carlson, 8/7)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Vaccination Advantage: How S.F.'s COVID Hospitalizations Compare With Places With Similar Case Rates
COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in San Francisco as a result of the spread of the extra-contagious delta variant. But data shows not as many San Franciscans are getting hospitalized for the virus compared with other U.S. counties with similar transmission rates. What sets San Francisco apart is its exceptionally high share of people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. A Chronicle analysis found that among 20 counties with similar levels of community transmission, San Francisco had the highest vaccination rate and among the lowest hospital admission rates for COVID-19. (Jung, 8/6)
Bay Area News Group:
Delta COVID Is Making More Kids Sick. Do They Get Sicker?
The COVID-19 delta variant is driving up infections among children in California and across the country, many of whom are too young to be vaccinated against the disease, just as they prepare to head back to classrooms this month.After declining from April through June, cases among U.S. children rose sharply in late July, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, which reported 110,380 youth tested positive for the virus in the second half of the month, more than double the 43,033 cases reported in the first half. (Woolfolk, 8/8)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
COVID-19 Testing Site Opening In Lemon Grove Tuesday
In partnership with San Diego County, Lemon Grove will offer free COVID-19 testing starting Tuesday at the Lemon Grove Senior Center at 8235 Mt. Vernon St. Hours of service will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The site is for walk-ins, not drive-up. No appointment is necessary. (Pearlman, 8/8)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Officials To Consider Requiring Proof Of Vaccination For Some Indoor Public Spaces
Los Angeles County officials on Tuesday will consider drafting a proposal that would require proof of vaccination to enter certain indoor public spaces. Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose 4th District includes several beach cities, created the proposal to be discussed at this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting that asks staff and attorneys to draft a report in two weeks about what the county’s policy could look like. (Cosgrove, 8/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Why Are Vaccination Rates So Low? We Found The Worst County In Each State And Asked The Politicians
The Los Angeles Times set out to understand how such politics play out at the local level. We looked at the percentage of people who are fully vaccinated in each U.S. county with a population of at least 20,000 and for every state except Hawaii — for which no county-level data were available — identified the county with the lowest rate. (Kaleem, Castleman and Read, 8/9)
Politico:
Frontline Service Workers Left Out Of The Vaccine Mandate Trend
Employers in California — like much of the country — are rushing to mandate Covid-19 vaccines as the Delta variant spreads, but they’re leaving out a key group: the essential service workers who have borne the brunt of risky conditions since the start of the pandemic. Requiring vaccines is more complicated in sectors like retail and agriculture, where employers risk losing workers in a tight labor market and vaccine enforcement could be expensive. Some labor leaders who represent low-wage service workers also have pushed back against strict mandates. (Colliver and Nieves, 8/8)
Bay Area News Group:
Free COVID Vaccines At Rocketship On Monday
Anyone over 12 who still nees a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get one on Monday at Rocketship Delta Prep, a public elementary charter school. The school will host the Contra Costa County Health Department Mobile Vaccine Clinic to provide free COVID-19 vaccines from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Both Janssen and Pfizer will be available for first doses, with Moderna available for anyone who need a second dose of that vaccine. (Prieve, 8/8)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Haven’t Been Approved. Some San Diegans Are Getting Them Anyway
Anita Emde jumped on her chance to get both doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in April. And now, with another COVID-19 surge in full swing, the 64-year-old Scripps Ranch resident is clamoring for a booster shot. “I wish they would accelerate this whole process,” she said. “I would get it in a heartbeat. ”Some already have. (Wosen and Warth, 8/7)
Daily News:
Q&A: When Can I Get My Coronavirus Booster Shot? Here’s What You Need To Know
Throughout the region, public health departments are reporting increased case rates, and are facing renewed public health mandates, such as masking up in public. It’s prompted talk of vaccine requirements at local businesses, and already set them for many public workers, including employees of Los Angeles County. And, as the months wear on, and immunity wears off, the question emerges for the community’s vaccinated: How much and when — and when can I get my booster shot? Here’s a brief Q&A on what experts have told us about boosters. (Carter, 8/7)
AP:
Canada Begins Allowing Vaccinated US Citizens To Visit Again
Canada on Monday is lifting its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but the United States is keeping similar restrictions in place for Canadians, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from COVID-19 travel bans. U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents must be both fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 within three days to get across one of the world’s longest and busiest land borders. Travelers also must fill out a detailed application on the arriveCAN app before crossing. (Baumann and Ring, 8/9)
Politico:
Education Secretary: 'We're Clearly At A Fork In The Road' In Opening Schools Safely
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Sunday that the country is at a “fork in the road” when it comes to opening schools amid a resurgent coronavirus wave. “We're clearly at a fork in the road in this country,” Cardona said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “You're either going to help students be in school in-person and be safe, or the decisions you make will hurt students. While I understand the argument around not wanting to wear masks because we're fatigued, without question student safety and staff safety come first.” (Greene, 8/8)
New York Post:
AFT Union Boss Calls For Mandated COVID-19 Vaccines For Teachers
The head of the country’s second-largest teachers union said Sunday that COVID-19 vaccines should be required for educators before they return to the classroom. “As a matter of personal conscience, I think that we need to be working with our employers, not opposing them, on vaccine mandates and all their vaccine policies,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, to NBC’s “Meet the Press.” (Salo, 8/8)
CalMatters:
California Lawmakers And Teachers Unions Stop Short Of A Vaccine Mandate
Maribel Ahumada says she lost her sister and nephew to COVID-19 last December. So when the vaccine became available this spring she took her 16-year-old triplet sons to the grand opening of a vaccination center at San Pedro High School in Los Angeles so they could all get their shots. Today, as California confronts another wave of the pandemic, she’s frustrated that school districts aren’t acting with the same urgency. She said vaccinations should “100 percent” be required for teachers. (Hong, 8/9)
Modesto Bee:
Modesto Charter Schools Report COVID-19 Exposure, Quarantine
Two Modesto-area charter schools reported COVID-19 cases within their first 10 days open. A spokesperson confirmed one case each at Aspire Summit Charter Academy, a TK-5 school sponsored by Ceres Unified School District, and Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy, a 6-12 school sponsored by Modesto City Schools. Their first day was July 28. (Isaacman, 8/7)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Schools Prepare For Kids' Return As Health Officials Offer Advice
Schools are opening on the heels of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in California, attributed to a more contagious delta variant. This has worried some local parents. Administrators at Delano Union, which opened weeks before most Kern County school districts, noted that as news of delta cases spread, it prompted some to opt for the district's independent learning option. Other parents have complained about the statewide school mask mandates. One local group, Kids First Kern, is lobbying against them. (Gallegos, 8/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Delta Variant Is Sucking The Joy Out Of Back-To-School 2021
Back-to-school 2021, with California campuses fully open for 6 million children, was supposed to herald relief — even celebration — for a mostly normal school year ahead. But a surge in the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has reignited parents’ anxiety — and, for many, the safety and quality of schooling once again feel uncertain and tenuous. “I wanted to be excited about a new school year, but now I am having to think: ‘Am I putting our health at risk by going to school in person?’” said Irma Villalpando, who has two high school daughters at the Maywood Center for Enriched Studies. “I am feeling very sad because I think that it is going to be another very difficult year.” (Blume, 8/9)
KQED:
Families, Teachers Fret Over Delta Variant As Schools Reopen
Bay Area students are beginning to head back to school for the start of the fall semester, with some seeing the inside of a classroom for the first time in 18 months. It’s a big moment, but the timing couldn’t be worse. COVID-19 cases are spiking across the region, fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant. California is now averaging more than 10,000 new cases a day, about a 10-fold increase from a month ago. In several Bay Area counties, hundreds of people are testing positive daily. (McClurg, 8/7)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Schools Brace For Wave Of Pandemic-Scarred Students: 'We're Going To Heal Together'
Bay Area schools are expected to fully reopen over the coming weeks, with all students stepping into classrooms full time after more than a year when many learned mostly in a virtual world marked by online chat boxes and Zoom breakout rooms. But along with new backpacks, too many will be shouldering the impact of 18 months of stress, anxiety and isolation. Students will also be trying to catch up academically if they’ve fallen behind. (Tucker, 8/8)
Orange County Register:
More Than 10,200 LAUSD Students Choose Independent Study, Won’t Return To Campus
More than 10,200 Los Angeles Unified students had enrolled in the district’s independent study program for the upcoming school year as of Friday morning, Aug. 6 — a nearly eightfold increase in enrollment compared to before the coronavirus pandemic — according to a district spokeswoman. LAUSD officials had asked families to enroll by Friday if they do not wish to send their children back to campus for in-person instruction when the school year begins on Aug. 16. The number of students that had signed up for the City of Angels independent study program by the close of the business day on Friday was not immediately available, but as of the morning, 10,280 pupils, or just over 2% of district students, had enrolled, the spokeswoman said. (Tat, 8/6)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Dixie Fire Now 2nd-Largest Wildfire In California History, Sprawling Across 4 Counties
The Dixie Fire became the second-largest wildfire in state history on Sunday after gobbling an additional 15,000 acres to sprawl across 489,287 total acres in four Northern California counties, Cal Fire said. Containment of the blaze Sunday remained unchanged at 21%. The huge fire burning across Plumas, Butte, Tehama and Lassen counties has destroyed 404 structures, including the historic Gold Rush town of Greenville, and damaged 27 others, a damage assessment finds. More than 5,000 firefighters were battling the blaze. (Talley and DiFeliciantonio, 8/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Dixie Fire Now 2nd-Largest Wildfire In California History
The Dixie fire is now the second-largest wildfire in California history, burning more than 463,000 acres through a large swath of Northern California and destroying more than 400 homes and commercial buildings as firefighters on Sunday struggled to get the upper hand. More favorable weather conditions slowed the spread of the fire over the weekend, but it remained a dangerous monster, burning across four counties — Plumas, Butte, Lassen and Tehama. Thousands of residents of small mountain communities remained evacuated and more evacuation orders were issued for Plumas County on Sunday. The fire was 21% contained as of Sunday morning. (Wigglesworth, 8/8)
Sacramento Bee:
Containment On California’s River Fire Rises As Firefighters Continue To Mop Up Hot Spots
Crews continue to make progress on containing the River Fire and total acreage burned remained unchanged. Officials with Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit said in a Sunday morning update that containment has increased to 62% on the 2,600-acre fire, up from 48% on Saturday. The blaze started Wednesday near the Bear River Campground. (Shaikh, 8/8)
AP:
Fire-Friendly Weather To Return To Northern California
Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of fire-friendly weather. The winds weren’t expected to reach the ferocious speeds that helped the Dixie Fire explode in size last week. But they were nonetheless concerning for firefighters working in unprecedented conditions to protect thousands of threatened homes. (Weber and Cooper, 8/8)
AP:
'Nowhere To Run': UN Report Says Global Warming Nears Limits
Earth’s climate is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.” “It’s just guaranteed that it’s going to get worse,” said report co-author Linda Mearns, a senior climate scientist at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. “Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.” But scientists also eased back a bit on the likelihood of the absolute worst climate catastrophes. (Borenstein, 8/9)
Politico:
‘Get Scared’: World’s Scientists Say Disastrous Climate Change Is Here
Additions to the report not found in previous assessments were included in response to political demands as climate change-driven extreme weather events battered towns, torched crops and upended livelihoods. That included new research in the analyses using cutting-edge scientific methods to compare the intensity of specific weather events with and without human-caused emissions, as well as modeling the predictions on regional climate effects. The additions reflect both the advancement of the science and the political urgency of the moment, authors said. (Colman and Mathiesen, 8/9)
Los Angeles Times:
What Does It Take For A Doctor To Lose Their License?
The Medical Board of California was established to protect patients by licensing doctors and investigating complaints when things go wrong. But even when it accuses a doctor of causing patients to lose limbs, become paralyzed or die, the board often lets the doctor continue to practice. There’s no limit on the number of times the board can put a doctor on probation. (Arellano, 8/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Bacteria Brings Warnings At Santa Monica Pier, Mother's Beach
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continues to advise that visitors to Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey and the Santa Monica Pier avoid the water due to high bacteria levels. The advisory comes nearly a month after 17 million gallons of raw sewage were discharged from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey into the Santa Monica Bay. (Ramsey, 8/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Questions Arise Over Video Of San Diego Deputy's Contact With Fentanyl
A public service video from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department about the dangers of fentanyl — with footage of a deputy allegedly overdosing after brief exposure — has sparked a backlash and allegations that the anti-drug effort could harm the very people it’s meant to help: law enforcement officers and drug users. The body-worn camera video is stark and dramatic. A young sheriff’s deputy opens the back of a suspect‘s car, sees a white powder he thinks is fentanyl and then collapses to the pavement. His field training officer rips open a package of naloxone, the antidote to the deadly drug, and vows: “I’m not going to let you die.” (La Ganga, 8/8)
Orange County Register:
Medical Professionals Push For Wider Screening For Lung Cancer
Lung cancer might be going undetected because not all physicians are unaware of screenings that can save the lives of those between the ages of 50 and 80 years old with a history of smoking or being exposed to living conditions where smoking was a norm, according to medical professionals. Even those who never smoked, but because of environmental or genetic conditions, could be candidates for lung cancer, the health experts said during recent interviews. (Love, 8/7)
CalMatters:
Human Composting: Will California Allow Bodies Turned To Soil?
Two wheelbarrows full — that’s how much soil a composted human body creates. In California, it could soon be legal for people to be transformed into soil after death. Only three after-death options are available now in California: burial and cremation — by fire or water. But a bill moving through the Legislature would legalize “natural organic reduction,” or the composting of human remains, adding a greener funerary option to the mix. (Garcia, 8/9)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Leads US In Homeless Veterans Sleeping Outdoors
There are an estimated 646 homeless veterans in Sacramento County, 75.5% of whom are sleeping outdoors or in vehicles, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report released this year. Only one other major city in the country, Los Angeles, had a higher percentage of its homeless veterans sleeping outdoors. (Clift, 8/9)
Voice of OC:
San Clemente Advocates Rally For Homeless People Ahead Of CalTrans Eviction
Housing advocates want San Clemente elected officials to accept responsibility for their role in solving homelessness in the city. The San Clemente Affordable Housing Coalition held a rally Friday evening on the front lawn of the city’s community center. Over 50 people showed up — some of them counter protesters. The majority demanded change from city officials to house unsheltered people. The protest was, in part, triggered by the planned removal of a homeless encampment with advocates pushing city officials for more money to address homelessness. (Elattar, 8/7)
CalMatters:
California Housing: Why Is It So Hard To Get Bills Passed?
Again and again, Californians name housing affordability and homelessness as the biggest issues facing the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom made building more housing a key promise of his gubernatorial campaign, and Democratic leaders in both the state Senate and Assembly have named housing as some of their top priorities this year. Yet the state has failed repeatedly to pass legislation that tackles California’s housing crisis. Why is that? (Tobias, 8/9)