Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
New Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom’s Political Peril
With the introduction of a single-payer bill Friday, a group of California Democratic lawmakers set the terms of the health care debate in the Capitol this year. The move puts Gov. Gavin Newsom in a delicate political position, threatening to alienate voters as he faces a likely recall election. (Angela Hart and Rachel Bluth, )
‘We’re Not Doing Enough’ To Distribute Vaccine Equitably, Newsom Says: Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged Sunday that state and local health officials have stumbled in distributing the covid-19 vaccine equitably among Latino and Black communities in California. Speaking at a mobile vaccination clinic in Inglewood, Newsom said the state needs to “do more and do better." Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
In related news —
‘Promotoras’ Help Latinos With Vaccine Rollout: A group of community health workers, or promotoras, is taking information about the covid vaccine directly to Latino communities. They are outside supermarkets. They carry flyers with phone numbers to call for help. “We know our families are not used to, especially our culture, to go to a website to get information,” said Miriam Rodriguez, a promotora in City Heights for 15 years. Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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
LA Daily News:
L.A. City-Run Coronavirus Vaccine Sites Will Reopen Tuesday, Garcetti Says
Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday, Feb. 21, that doses of COVID-19 vaccine delayed by the crippling storms in the East and South have now been shipped to Los Angeles, and all six city-run vaccination sites will resume operations on Tuesday, Feb. 23, after being closed through the weekend. Garcetti said appointments from Friday and Saturday will be rescheduled immediately and those people will be notified by Monday. Residents seeking further information were directed to call 213-634-3059. (2/21)
LA Daily News:
Newsom Touts New Southern California Vaccine Pop-Ups As Counties Transition To Blue Shield Network
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited two federally funded pop-up coronavirus vaccination sites in Southern California on Sunday, Feb. 21, part of a statewide tour of such spots aimed at immunizing the state’s hardest-hit communities. The visit coincided with the launch of the transition to a new centralized system — which will include Riverside County in its first wave — to manage the state’s thus-far bumpy rollout of the badly needed vaccine. Newsom, flanked by several local elected leaders, said the mobile vaccination sites are vital to amp up the state’s ability to deliver vaccines equitably to the state’s poorest neighborhoods, where case rates among Latinos and Blacks far surpass more affluent and Whiter areas and where vaccination rates lag far behind. (Carter, 2/21)
AP:
New Vaccine Delivery System Launches In Parts Of California, Including Riverside County
California’s new system of delivering, tracking and scheduling coronavirus vaccines is being rolled out in select counties — including Riverside County — a first step in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to smooth out what has been a confusing and disjointed rollout hampered by limited national supply. Newsom announced last month that his administration had tapped insurer Blue Shield to design and manage a centralized system to get doses out quickly and equitably. He said the state also needs robust data to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably and reach low-income communities, largely Latino and Black, disproportionately affected by the pandemic. (Har, Taxin and Ronayne, 2/21)
Bay Area News Group:
Costco Begins Offering COVID-19 Vaccines In The Bay Area
Costco on Saturday became the latest pharmacy chain to announce that it would begin offering coronavirus vaccines to Bay Area residents. Starting this week, Costco will be administering vaccines, typically Moderna, at select stores across California, including one in Marin County, according to a company statement released Saturday. The Costco store located at 300 Vintage Way in Novato will be the first in the Bay Area to offer vaccination appointments. Eligible people — currently limited to essential health care workers — can book an appointment at the Novato store for as early as Friday, according to Costco’s booking page. (Angst, 2/20)
Los Angeles Times:
Orange County Will Save Vaccine For Education, Food Workers
Orange County this week will start setting aside doses of COVID-19 vaccine for workers in education, child care and food and agriculture, officials said. The county plans to dedicate 30% of its vaccine allocation to workers in those sectors, as well as to those in emergency services. The remaining 70% will go to residents 65 and older, Jessica Good, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said Sunday in an email. County officials have instructed vaccine providers to similarly divvy up the allocations they receive directly, according to a presentation given Saturday to the county’s vaccine task force. (Wigglesworth, 2/21)
Sacramento Bee:
COVID Vaccine Distribution Starts For Sacramento Teachers
Sacramento County began vaccinating teachers and child care providers last week. It’s a key step toward reopening school campuses, but health officials warned it will take weeks – or even months – to offer the vaccine to the roughly 25,000 school employees in the county. Teachers are finding that appointments are limited and some are booking their first shot in mid-March. Appointments will be required, and vaccines are available on a first come, first served basis. Delays may occur for a variety of reasons, including storms that hit the U.S. this week. But school officials are hopeful. (Morrar and Bizjak, 2/22)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Disparate Testing, Vaccination Rates In San Diego And Baja Show Challenges Of Re-Opening
Nearly a year after the coronavirus forced Nadley Morales into a harsh and lonely isolation, public health officials showed up on her door-step in one of Tijuana’s upscale neighborhoods. It took the researchers almost 15 minutes just to persuade the 61-year-old to open the door so her son could get a COVID-19 test. “And with good reason,” she later said, given Tijuana’s high rate of positive tests and high death rate from the disease, and her own diabetes. Scientists and students from the Autonomous University of Baja California began ringing Baja doorbells on Feb. 1, offering free COVID-19 testing as part of a research study to better understand the infection rates of a disease that moves freely between borders. (Fry, 2/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Kaiser Expands COVID Vaccinations To 65-And-Older Group: Here's What You Need To Know
On Saturday, CEO Greg Adams said in a statement that Kaiser is now reaching out to members 65 and older to schedule vaccine appointments — a result of a big influx in new doses as the state aligns Kaiser’s supply with the size of its membership. Adams said the company’s vaccine share is increasing starting with the receipt of 20% of the state’s supply this week, upping Kaiser’s capacity to eventually deliver 600,000 doses a week. As a result, the provider is also starting to schedule appointments several weeks in advance. (Hwang, 2/21)
Bay Area News Group:
Kaiser Is Expanding Who It’s Vaccinating. Here’s What You Need To Know
Kaiser Permanente is ramping up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination for senior members in a development being welcomed in the Bay Area and across California. After weeks of lagging behind in its distribution that left some people 65 years and older frustrated, Kaiser chief executive Greg Adams announced this weekend that California officials had increased the healthcare giant’s vaccine allotment to more accurately reflect its large share of the state’s healthcare market. As a result, Kaiser is starting to schedule appointments several weeks out and will offer vaccine appointments to members who are 65 and older. (Angst and Almond, 2/20)
Bay Area News Group:
COVID Vaccines: Which Bay Area County Is Doing The Best Job Vaccinating Older Residents?
For older Bay Area residents, the chances of snagging a coronavirus vaccine appear to depend a great deal on where you live. An analysis by the Bay Area News Group found there is a significant variation by county when it comes to who is getting the shot. In Contra Costa County, more than 70% of the population who are 75 and older had already gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, as of Feb. 19. But in Alameda County, it was around 45%. In Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, roughly 54% of residents 75 and up had gotten a shot. Those percentages dropped for residents who are 65-74 years old: More than 40% in that age bracket in Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties had received at least one dose, while only 36% had been vaccinated in Alameda. (Deruy and Rowan, 2/22)
Fresno Bee:
‘Glitch’ In California Vaccine Website Sent People To Valley County That Denied Them Shots
A “glitch” in California’s COVID-19 vaccine registration website incorrectly allowed anyone in the state to register for shots in Kings County, a top public health official there said. One man who registered, Harinder Singh, 66, of Fresno, was turned away from a Hanford clinic by staff because he’s not a Kings County resident. In registering for a coronavirus vaccine, Singh’s city of residence, Fresno, and zip code were first entered into the state’s MyTurn portal, which then told him an appointment in Hanford was available, said his son Jasjit Singh, who made the appointment for his father. (George, 2/22)
LA Daily News:
Why Some Senior Living Communities Are Struggling To Get COVID-19 Vaccines For Their Residents
General Manager Sachiko “Koko” Woods struggled for weeks to get the COVID-19 vaccine for dozens of mostly elderly residents living in her San Gabriel Valley retirement community. While some residents at Bridgecreek Holiday Retirement Community in West Covina were taken by family members to vaccination sites, the vast majority don’t drive and had no way to get vaccinated on their own, she said. After “screaming and yelling” for weeks — and after losing two residents to COVID-19 this year — a mobile team coordinated by L.A. County’s Department of Public Health arrived Sunday, Feb. 21, to offer residents their first Moderna vaccine dose. “One thousand pounds have been lifted off my shoulders,” Woods said by phone Sunday after 53 of her residents and six employees were vaccinated by Curative Inc. “It was great. Everyone was excited.” (Gazzar and Haddock, 2/21)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: When Will There Be More Than Enough Vaccine?
With shortages hitting vaccination sites from San Francisco to San Diego, news that Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine could win emergency authorization this week comes as a relief to health officials worried about the spread of dangerous new variants, and raises hopes there could be enough doses this spring to vaccinate anyone who wants a shot. But is that a realistic timeline? Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other health experts earlier this month said vaccines would be widely available to anyone as soon as April, though Fauci has since moved back his projection and said it could be late summer before most are inoculated. President Joe Biden last week said deals to secure 600 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by the end of July will provide enough for every American to get inoculated. (Woolfolk, 2/21)
Bay Area News Group:
Why Vaccines Could Make Us Mask-Free
You’re vaccinated. They’re not. When visiting, is it safe to toss the tiresome mask? Perhaps. There’s growing evidence that vaccines not only save lives, but can stop or greatly slow spread of the COVID-19 virus – portending a day when we can see each other’s faces again. But because the findings are not yet conclusive, the impact of vaccines on viral transmission remains one of the biggest issues affecting the shape of a post-pandemic world. Still, UCSF’s infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi is so confident of the emerging clues that an upcoming family gathering – elders vaccinated, youngsters not – will be mask-free. “I’m convinced by all the data,” she said. (Krieger, 2/21)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Low Coronavirus Transmission Rates Show A Pandemic In Decline, But For How Long?
Estimates of coronavirus transmission in San Diego County and across the state reached new lows last week, providing a bit of good news after the deadly holiday surge, which continues to deliver deaths nearly a month after daily case totals started to fall. Those with their fingers closest to the pulse of this persistent pandemic, however, urge the public not to tear off their masks and gather for a round of victory celebrations. This particular virus, they warn, will surely respond to any such gaiety with a fresh attack. (Sisson, 2/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Terrifying 'Post-COVID Syndrome' Is Next Focus For Researchers In Bay Area And Beyond
Doctors call the medical conundrum “post-acute COVID syndrome.” Scientists prefer “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.” But those suffering from the multitude of frightening symptoms that don’t go away just call themselves “long-haulers.” “Thousands of researchers across the United States are going to be developing projects to study this problem,” said Dr. Michael Peluso, an infectious disease expert who manages a UCSF study of long-haulers with funding for 250 participants. “There will be a huge effort to do this now, and it will far exceed the small studies that have existed so far.” (Asimov, 2/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
More Children Suffer Ailment Linked To Virus After Bay Area's Winter Surge In Infections
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals saw their first case of MIS-C in July, according to Dr. Ted Chaconas, chief medical officer of the Oakland location. Since then, he said the two children’s hospitals — one in Oakland and the other in San Francisco — have jointly treated one to three patients for the syndrome each month. That was until January. In the first month of the year, Chaconas said the hospitals saw 12 cases of MIS-C. In February, so far, the hospitals have treated five patients for the syndrome. “At first, I think most pediatric centers had felt that we had been let off the hook a little with COVID because acute COVID rarely causes severe diseases in children,” Chaconas said. “But then this MIS-C definitely has us worried.” (Bobrowsky, 2/20)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Joins National Effort To Track Dangerous Virus Variants
As Sonoma County finally pushed down coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, local public health officials have joined critical work going on around the country of trying to outmaneuver virus mutations, some more transmissible and lethal than the dominant viral strain the world has battled for a year. (Espinoza, 2/20)
Los Angeles Times:
For Two COVID Patients, Life And Death Rests On Intubation
They call it el tubo, and it haunts places like South Los Angeles, the Latino-majority neighborhoods hit harder by COVID-19 than almost anywhere in the U.S. Intubation has become more than a medical procedure. It represents the terrible crossroad of this disease: the moment patients must decide whether to have a tube inserted into their trachea so a machine can take over their breathing. (Mozingo, 2/19)
ABC News:
California District's School Board Resigns Over Comments Bashing Parents During Virtual Meeting
A California school district's entire board of trustees has resigned after several were heard making disparaging comments about parents during a live virtual meeting this week. The Oakley Union Elementary School District announced the resignation of the board members on Friday, two days after the public meeting, a portion of which was recorded and shared on YouTube. (Deliso, 2/20)
Orange County Register:
Six Flags Magic Mountain Announces Plans To Reopen With Roller Coasters And Thrill Rides
Six Flags Magic Mountain has announced plans to reopen with roller coasters and thrill rides after more than 11 months of coronavirus closures that have left the Valencia amusement park shuttered except for a string of drive-thru events. Six Flags Magic Mountain plans to return with rides in spring 2021, according to the park’s Twitter account. (MacDonald, 2/21)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
With Apple's Help, COPAN Diagnostics Ships Millions Of COVID Sample Collection Kits From New Carlsbad Factory
Before COVID-19, Norman Sharples ran a company that was a market leader in a very niche business — supplying nasal swabs collection kits for detecting respiratory viruses such as the flu. Obviously, that all changed with the pandemic. Demand for nasal swabs and the media that keep samples viable on their way to diagnostic labs blew up to unheard of levels. Sharples, chief executive of COPAN Diagnostics in Murrieta, knew he needed more manufacturing capacity in the U.S. But he questioned whether he could get a factory up and running soon enough to make a significant impact. (Freeman, 2/22)
Bay Area News Group:
New Santa Clara County Board Aims To Address Racial Disparities In Health Care
In Santa Clara County, residents who identify is Latino are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for half of all cases. This is far out of proportion with the county’s population, of which Latino residents make up only about 25 percent. Across the board, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color. But the virus is not the only health outcome where racial disparities are playing out, and the county is hoping to address some of the underlying causes with a new community board. The Race and Health Disparities Community Board was conceived of by county supervisors Susan Ellenberg, whose District 4 includes Campbell, West San Jose and San Jose’s Cambrian and Burbank neighborhoods, and Joe Simitian, whose District 5 includes Cupertino, Saratoga, Palo Alto and portions of Sunnyvale and San Jose. (Pitcher, 2/21)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Retirees’ Health Suffers During COVID-19 Pandemic
After nearly one year of isolation to avoid contracting COVID-19, Fresno’s older adults are voicing the invisible ways the pandemic is affecting their health. In a survey completed by readers, many retirees told The Bee that isolation from family, friends and other social outings is taking a toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing. Similarly, in a survey conducted by the Fresno Madera Agency on Aging, 42% of respondents reported feelings of depression, loneliness or isolation. (Calix, 2/19)
inewsource:
Poor Care For Guests Reported At San Diego County COVID-19 Hotel
Two months after inewsource reported a spike in police calls, a lapse in mental healthcare and a suicide death at a COVID-19 isolation hotel, San Diego County shifted the operation of its sheltering program to a staffing agency for $30 million. But problems at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Mission Valley appear to be no better today. Hotel guests and employees told inewsource the program is mismanaged, staff aren’t properly trained and security guards harass those who are under a public health order to isolate. It’s all causing some to leave the hotel before they’re supposed to. Records show the high volume of police calls to the Crowne Plaza also has continued, as have reports of suicide threats and overdoses. (Dulaney and Castellano, 2/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Women's Wellness At Risk From COVID-19 Pandemic
The problem is significant. A study published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that during Southern California’s first stay-at-home order, cervical cancer screenings plummeted 80% among 1.5 million women in Kaiser Permanente’s regional network. The findings have “important public health implications,” said Chun Chao, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Delayed or missed cancer screenings could lead to increased risk of cancer and more advanced disease when diagnosed.” Dr. Maureen Miller, an epidemic intelligence service officer at the CDC and one of the study’s lead authors, said cervical cancer screening rates are generally the same year over year, so the change between 2019 and 2020 marked a “substantial difference.” (Smith, 2/22)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Online Interfaith Event Addresses Domestic Violence During The Pandemic
The San Diego Regional Interfaith Coalition is hosting an event Tuesday to address domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, “Family Violence: A Pandemic Within the Pandemic. ”Advocates and experts in domestic violence have reported increases in calls to support hotlines since sheltering in place began in the U.S. in 2020. With the health guidelines urging people to limit outings, work from home, and shelter in place, victims of abuse have been trapped at home with their abusers all day, every day. (Deaderick, 2/21)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Air Quality Notifications Keep Public In The Loop
There's nothing wrong with sticking your head out the window to see if you can spot a mountain. But there's another way to check local air quality that can offer more … clarity. The regional air district has put out a concise update every day for years offering a county-by-county summary of the previous day's air quality and a forecast for the current and next day. Numbers offer detail but the system comes down to assigning one of five colors to signify different levels of health risk. (Cox, 2/21)