Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Want Fries With That Vaccine? Even at a Fast-Food Restaurant, Pop-Up Clinics See Slow Traffic
At a pop-up vaccine clinic in a McDonald’s parking lot in the city of San Bernardino, fewer than two dozen people agreed to get a shot, offering a snapshot of the faltering vaccination effort. (Anna Almendrala, )
In Bay Area, Sense Of Dread Rises Along With Covid Cases: The Bay Area appears to be hurtling into a fourth surge, and across the region — which has some of the highest vaccination rates in the world — there’s a collective sense of frustration and despondency. People are asking: How can this be happening again? Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. In related news, Marin County announced its first covid fatality in more than two months. Read more from Bay City News/KRON4.
Opioid Overdose Reversals In San Francisco Outpacing All Of Last Year: Narcan, the commercial name for the opioid reversal drug naloxone, has already been administered more than 4,200 times in San Francisco in just the first six months of 2021 by the Drug Overdose Prevention and Education Project (DOPE), compared to about 4,300 for all of 2020. DOPE’s figures represent only about 20% to 30% of the total number of incidents of naloxone administered across the city. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
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
Bay Area News Group:
COVID Spreading Fast In Well-Vaccinated California Counties
California and its big coastal cities have embraced vaccines to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic. But a Bay Area News Group analysis shows not only are cases rising fast in much of the Golden State, they are soaring in many urban counties that boast high vaccination rates. Five California counties have both a higher percentage of their eligible residents fully vaccinated and a higher average daily case rate than the statewide average: Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco. The five counties with falling case rates — Modoc, Glenn, Lassen, Del Norte, San Benito — have below-average vaccination rates. (Woolfolk and Rowan, 7/24)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
COVID-19 Explodes In San Diego With More Than 1,200 Cases In A Day
In a week where coronavirus cases were already on the rise, the situation grew more ominous Friday with the county health department announcing that it received notification of 1,264 new cases, the biggest single-day bump since Feb. 5 when the winter’s holiday surge was still filling local hospitals. The number signifies a worrisome new reality given that it was 717 Wednesday. The number of new positive test notifications nearly doubled in only one day. (Sisson, 7/23)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Sees Over 2,000 New COVID Cases Daily Due To Delta
Los Angeles County health officials reported 2,089 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with hospitalizations rising as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread. There are 716 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 452 on July 16, officials said. The county also reported four new deaths, bringing the total to 24,628 fatalities since the pandemic began early last year. (Mejia, 7/25)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Has 1,073 Deaths To COVID-19 And 57,000 Cases
Hospitalizations tied to COVID-19 in Stanislaus County have doubled in 10 days, according to the latest data released by the Health Services Agency. There were a reported 77 patients Friday with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the five hospitals within the county, up from 34 on July 14. There were a 22 patients in adult-staffed intensive care unit beds, up from nine on July 15. (Clark, 7/25)
The Bakersfield Californian:
State Model Predicts Third Wave Of COVID-19 Headed For Kern County
A predictive model managed by the California Department of Public Health says Kern County is at the start of a third wave of coronavirus infections that will continue to increase over the next several months. Under the worst-case scenario outlined in the model, the wave will peak in mid-November, with around 230 new cases per day. The figure is short of both the roughly 590-case peak from COVID-19’s first wave in July 2020 and the 916 new daily cases from the peak of the second wave in January of this year. (Morgen, 7/23)
VC Star:
COVID Upswing Could Reach Hundreds Of Cases A Day, Health Officer Says
It's possible the resurgence of COVID-19 driven by the delta variant could infect several hundred Ventura County residents a day, mirroring the surge that peaked in January, according to the county health officer. "It's that much more contagious," Dr. Robert Levin said Thursday of a variant that officials say is almost certainly now the dominant strain in the county. (Kisken, 7/24)
AP:
California Man Who Mocked COVID-19 Vaccine Dies Of Virus
A man who mocked COVID-19 vaccinations died this week at a Los Angeles-area hospital after contracting the virus. Stephen Harmon was 34.Harmon died on Wednesday at Corona Regional Medical Center, about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles. Stephen Harmon posted photos of himself in his hospital bed, wrote that he had pneumonia and critically low oxygen levels and was going to be intubated. In a tweet Wednesday, Harmon wrote: “Don’t know when I’ll wake up, please pray,” KCBS-TV reported. Three days before his death, Harmon tweeted: “If you don’t have faith that God can heal me over your stupid ventilator then keep the Hell out of my ICU room, there’s no room in here for fear or lack of faith!” (7/23)
Southern California News:
Coronavirus Patients In LA County Hospitals Continue To Increase
Los Angeles County reported 2,089 new cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths on Sunday, July 25, though officials said the number of cases and deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. The number of coronavirus patients in county hospitals continued to rise Sunday, increasing to 745 from 716 a day earlier, according to state figures. There were 161 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, up from 154 on Saturday. (7/25)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Ramil The Snow Leopard Tests Positive For COVID-19 At The San Diego Zoo
Ramil, a 9-year-old male snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an announcement from the organization on Friday. Zoo staff first tested the animal’s stool for the virus after noticing Thursday that he had a cough and runny nose. When that test came back positive, the wildlife care team sent samples to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System so that the state-level lab could confirm the result, which it did. (Wosen, 7/23)
KRON4/Bay City News:
San Mateo County Facilities Requiring Masks For Everyone
Starting Monday, face coverings will be required at San Mateo County facilities, the county announced. The requirement is out of an abundance of caution, due to a “troubling rise in coronavirus cases,” county officials said in a news release. Visitors and county employees will need to wear face coverings at county offices, clinics or other public facilities, regardless of vaccination status. (7/26)
Orange County Register:
Masks Are Mandatory Again At OC Superior Court In Santa Ana After 2 Test Positive For COVID-19
The Orange County Superior Courthouse in Santa Ana will return to a mandatory mask mandate for all employees and visitors on Monday, July 26, regardless of vaccination status, after two people in the building tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced on Sunday. Officials were notified Friday evening that the two people may have contracted coronavirus, Orange County Superior Court spokesman Kostas Kalaitzidis said. Those cases were confirmed at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. (Licas, 7/25)
Los Angeles Times:
Montclair Unmasked Workers Must Wear COVID Vaccine Stickers
The city of Montclair will require employees to wear stickers proving they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they don’t want to wear a mask while working. Starting Monday, city workers who choose to shed their masks will be required to wear a sticker showing they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, officials said. (Hernandez, 7/23)
Deadline:
California Support For Indoor Mask Mandate Up As Covid Cases Jump 43%
Asked earlier this week if there is a Covid-19 data point that would push the state to reimplement restrictions, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, “We’re not looking at physical distancing or closing anything down.” The recall-challenged governor then insisted, “The answer to the Delta variant is vaccination…We don’t need masking. Just get vaccinated.” Newsom’s state on Friday reported a 2,000-case jump in its daily Covid case numbers, from 5,577 on Thursday to 7,984 on Friday. That’s a 43% rise in new cases in one day. (Tapp, 7/23)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County’s New Mask Recommendation Provokes Concern, Anger
Astride his bicycle and on his lunch break, Drew Merritt went zipping past the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg on a recent afternoon, bound for the takeout counter at El Farolito. The mercury was pushing 90, yet Merritt, the head mechanic at nearby Spoke Folk Cyclery, was rocking a mask as he rode, almost as if he’d forgotten it was there. “I’ve been wearing it for so long,” he explained, “it’s just not that big a deal anymore.” (Murphy, 7/25)
CapRadio:
Sacramento Businesses Create Their Own COVID-19 Protocols In Face Of Delta Variant
Fueled by concern about rising cases of the delta variant, a number of Sacramento-area businesses are adopting their own stepped-up COVID-19 protocols. The county is averaging 16.7 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, which would have put it in the purple tier under the state's former reopening system. “I decided I wanted to get ahead and be more on the preventative side and try to minimize the spread,” said Marina Texeira, owner and operator of the Torch Club. The long-standing downtown Sacramento blues venue began asking customers to show proof of vaccination last weekend. (Fletcher, 7/25)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
With A Wave Of New Coronavirus Cases, Will It Soon Be Masks Up In San Diego?
Unlike Los Angeles County, San Diego has not reinstated an indoor mask mandate for all residents, regardless of vaccination status. But exploding local case rates are making many wonder whether it’s just a matter of time. (Sisson and Wosen, 7/25)
EdSource:
California K-12 Covid Safety Practices For The New School Year: Q&A
State health officials say schools are ready to open for in-person instruction now that vaccines have been widely distributed, but districts face two major challenges: Children younger than 12 are still not eligible for Covid vaccines, and cases have begun to surge again a month after the state dropped most of its Covid restrictions. The California Department of Public Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued detailed guidance on how to safely get students back in classrooms, relying on mask-wearing, frequent testing and other practices to prevent Covid transmission. (Tadayon, 7/23)
Bay Area News Group:
Mobile Vax Clinic Set To Roll Into Sunnyvale
El Camino Health’s mobile clinic is set to roll into Columbia Middle School on Aug. 7 to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations to all community members ages 12 and older. No appointment is necessary; the clinic will be taking walk-ins from 3-6 p.m. at the school, 739 Morse Ave. A parent or legal guardian is required to be present for anyone under age 16 who wants to be vaccinated. A photo ID is required, and those who have health insurance should also bring a copy of their insurance card. (Gelhaus, 7/25)
Sacramento Bee:
California Faces Labor Shortage For Low Pay Caregiving Work
Data from The Century Foundation shows that employment in non-residential services for the elderly and people with disabilities is down 3% from pre-COVID times, and residential employment is down 10%. But anecdotal evidence from service providers highlights the severity of the shortage.“Less and less people are coming to do this work. That is clear,” Macbeth said. “And that’s consistent with a lot of other low-wage jobs. The service industry, the retail industry, they can’t find people either, post-pandemic. So we are in that same bucket.” (Bloom, 7/26)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Local Hospitals Strive To Comply With Price Transparency Rule
Kern County hospitals are rolling out new pricing information, behind schedule for the most part, as part of a federal push to give prospective inpatients a better look at estimated charges for standard services. A rule that took effect Jan. 1 requires hospitals to post estimates of how much they charge different parties, including insurers, for at least 300 medical procedures. (Cox, 7/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Telehealth Leapt Forward With COVID-19. Who Was Left Behind?
Telehealth, which went up dramatically in use during the COVID-19 pandemic, has long been envisioned as a way to help patients without forcing them to trek to a clinic. Reaching a doctor by computer or phone can be easier for patients who can’t take time off work, need to juggle child care or have to take a string of buses to get to a medical office. But the rise of telehealth has also raised concerns about perpetuating unequal access to care, partly due to the “digital divide.” Poorer residents remain much less likely than wealthy ones to have broadband internet access, according to the Pew Research Center. Rural areas are also at a disadvantage for broadband. (Alpert Reyes, 7/25)
The Bakersfield Californian:
During The Pandemic, The Role Of Hospital Chaplains Evolved
Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic altered the job of the hospital chaplain. "The situation changed, so we changed with it," said Tony Andrews, director of mission and spiritual care at Adventist Health Bakersfield and Tehachapi Valley. "As a faith-based organization, we care about the whole person, not just the physical body," he said. "I like to say we take care of the soul." (Mayer, 7/24)
The Bakersfield Californian:
City Of Bakersfield Improves Parks' Accessibility Structures
The city of Bakersfield has been constructing new structures at many parks; much of the renovations include adding amenities that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The five parks include Patriots Park, Grissom Park, Wilson Park, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Siemon Park. Construction began in May and is complete for Patriots Park, Grissom Park and Wilson Park, said Frank Hinojosa, a park supervisor with the Bakersfield Recreation & Parks Department. (Desai, 7/25)
The Bakersfield Californian:
KCSO Sees Improvements With New Mental Health Program For Inmates
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office's creation of a full-time staff position charged with responding quickly to mental health needs of inmates has reduced suicide attempts within Lerdo Jail, according to the KCSO. The position is part of the Inmate Stabilization and Assessment Team. Within the team, KCSO appointed Detentions Senior Deputy Patrick McNeill to consistently monitor inmates' mental health and to be a liaison between the prisoner and mental health specialists, said Chief Deputy James Morrison. (Desai, 7/23)
Orange County Register:
New Hope In The Fight Against Prostate Cancer: ‘We Can Win This War’
According to Almaguel, thousands of men have successfully been treated with theranostics in Germany over the past decade. He believes the FDA is close to approving theranostics for use in the United States for prostate cancer patients. Global clinical trials are wrapping up. “We’re really close,” he says. “The results are really clear. The FDA is going to have a lot of pressure if they don’t approve this.” (Basheda, 7/24)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Despite Brain Injury And Blindness, Family Finds Freedom In Tandem Biking
Before Karen Riggott suffered a traumatic brain injury in an electric scooter crash two years ago, her husband Dean Riggott said she was a fearless force of nature who would run toward any challenge. Life hasn’t been easy for the Chula Vista couple since then. Besides focusing on Karen’s gradual recovery, Dean is awaiting his own spinal surgery for old injuries, which was postponed again and again by the pandemic. (Kragen, 7/25)
CapRadio:
Some Permanent Residents Who Left The U.S. During The Pandemic Are Finding It Difficult To Get Back Home
Immigrants who are trying to get back home to the U.S. are having to navigate complex legal situations. Some left for their own health and safety while others left to take care of loved ones. "They've done everything to maintain their residency here. They are paying taxes here," says Allen Orr, the president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "And now we have said to them, 'We don't care about you.' " (7/25)
Sacramento Bee:
Dixie Fire And Fly Fire Merge
The Dixie Fire has merged with a smaller blaze burning along its eastern edge, continuing its spread Sunday into Plumas County. The Fly Fire, at 4,300 acres and 5% containment, started just east of the Dixie on Thursday. Overnight, the smaller blaze was subsumed into the Dixie Fire, now at 190,625 acres burning near the border of Butte and Plumas counties. (Moleski, 7/25)
Los Angeles Times:
Northern California Wildfires Merge, Forcing More From Their Homes
California’s largest wildfire so far this year merged with another, smaller fire overnight, swelling to 192,849 acres by Sunday evening as it burned through some area neighborhoods. Authorities on Sunday issued new evacuation orders as the massive Dixie fire in Butte County, north of Sacramento, continued to spread rapidly to the north and east and burned together with the nearby Fly fire, which had previously scorched about 4,300 acres. (Wigglesworth, 7/25)
Bay Area News Group:
Dixie, Fly Fires Merge Overnight Sunday As Crews Fear The Blaze Could Create Its Own Thunderstorm Again
The Fly and Dixie fires burning in remote parts of Butte and Plumas counties merged together overnight near the town of Twain and emergency crews expect fire conditions to worsen and increase chances of lightning storms Sunday, CalFire officials said. Almost two weeks after it broke out near the fire-ravaged town of Paradise in Butte County, Dixie Fire spokesman Mitch Matlow said Sunday the blaze is about 21% contained after burning about 190,625 acres and continues to threaten more than 10,000 homes. (Toledo, 7/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Dixie Fire Slows After Destroying At Least 23 Structures, But A Dangerous Week Lies Ahead
California’s largest fire this year grew slightly Sunday, held in check partly by its own thick plumes of smoke that hung overhead and darkened the skies. But strong dry winds in coming days could renew intensified and fast-spreading danger from the vast Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas counties, officials said Sunday evening — potentially threatening more than a dozen communities in the mountainous and forested northeast section of the state. (King, 7/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Air Quality In Tahoe Area 'Hazardous' Because Of Smoke From Nearby Fires
Air quality in some parts of the northern Lake Tahoe area deteriorated to “hazardous” levels Sunday as smoke from nearby fires blanketed the region. Smoke from the Dixie Fire — which is burning northwest of Lake Tahoe — rolled in Friday evening, making the air quality “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” near Truckee and Kings Beach this weekend, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Smallcomb. (Flores, 7/25)