Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
With Restrictions Tightening Elsewhere, California Moves to Make Abortion Cheaper
California lawmakers are debating a bill that would eliminate out-of-pocket costs that often prevent people from obtaining abortions, proponents say. (Rachel Bluth, )
New Covid Cases Plummet To Early 2020 Levels: California is averaging the fewest new daily covid cases since March 31, 2020, a time when testing was limited and pandemic lockdowns had just begun. On Friday, counties reported 1,062 new covid cases, according to data tracked by the Bay Area News Group. Read more here. Continued coverage, below.
Covid Deaths Fall In Alameda County After It Tweaks Methodology: The official covid death count in Alameda County fell 25% after officials changed the criteria for fatalities to match state and national definitions. The county will now only report deaths as covid-related when people died as a direct result of the virus, had it as a contributing cause of death, or if it couldn't be ruled out. Read more from AP and 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
CBS News:
CDC Says Hospitalizations Are Rising In Teens With COVID-19
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging parents to get their teenagers vaccinated against COVID-19 after an alarming spike in hospitalizations among young coronavirus patients. About 24% of kids ages 12 to 17 have received at least one dose. Before most were eligible for the vaccine, about one-third of teens who were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 wound up in the intensive care unit, according to the CDC. Nearly 5% of those cases were put on respirators. None of the patients died. CDC Director Rochelle Walenksy said she is "deeply concerned by the numbers of hospitalized adolescents." (Lenghi, 6/5)
USA Today:
COVID Vaccine: CDC Report Finds Teen Hospitalization Rates On The Rise
About 70% of hospitalized adolescents had one or more underlying medical conditions, with the most common being obesity, chronic lung disease including asthma and neurological disorders. But Dr. Henry Bernstein, pediatrician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, said it’s important to note that nearly 30% of hospitalized adolescents were “perfectly healthy.” (Rodriguez, 6/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California One Of Just Two States At CDC's Lowest Level Of COVID Transmission
California continues to help set the pace for U.S. COVID-19 recovery, now ranked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of just two states at the lowest level of coronavirus community transmission. In fact, according to the CDC’s four-level color-coded system, California’s transmission metrics were the lowest out of all 50 states as of Saturday. (Hwang, 6/6)
Southern California News Group:
Covid Tracker: California Reported 525 New Cases And 19 New Deaths, June 5
In California, 525 new cases of the coronavirus were reported Saturday, June 5, according to end-of-day totals on public health websites, bringing the total number of cases so far to 3,766,745. There were 19 new deaths reported statewide Saturday, for a total of 62,695 people who have died from COVID-19. The state reported 53 fewer hospitalizations from the previous day, bringing the number of hospitalizations of those infected with the coronavirus to 1,309. (Goertzen, 6/7)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Santa Cruz Deputy Health Officer Explains County’s Increased Pediatric COVID-19 Rate
Santa Cruz County’s pediatric COVID-19 case rate is higher than the statewide figure — a statistic that sounds intimidating but really isn’t. Dr. David Ghilarducci, the county’s deputy health officer, explained that there are likely two factors that contribute to the total: accessible, encouraged testing for kids and a lower number of cases in adults. “It may be unique to Santa Cruz. We have so many vaccinated adults, so the percentage of cases attributed to children will go up,” Ghilarducci said this week. “It’s a numerator/denominator situation.” (Hartman, 6/5)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Public Health Reports 22 New Coronavirus Cases Sunday
Kern County Public Health Services reported 22 new coronavirus cases Sunday morning, and no new deaths. That brings the county's case count since the pandemic began to 110,372. There have been 1,398 deaths. Public Health reports that 39,642 people have recovered from the illness, and 68,265 people are presumed to have recovered. (6/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Los Angeles County Reports 15 COVID-19 Deaths, 285 New Cases
Two months ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that California would be able to reopen its economy on June 15. Statewide, increasing vaccination rates and low hospitalization numbers seem to guarantee his prediction. But even with the prospect of lifted restrictions less than two weeks away, COVID-19 continues to spread in Los Angeles County with 15 new deaths and 285 new cases of the virus reported Saturday. (Curwen, 6/5)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA County Posts 15 New Deaths, 285 New Cases Of COVID-19 On Saturday
Los Angeles County reported 15 new deaths and 285 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, June 5, with the county in the midst of promoting the coronavirus vaccine while transitioning from sprawling parking-lot centers to smaller vaccine clinics, many in hard-hit neighborhoods. Since the pandemic began, county Public Health officials have identified 1,244,917 positive cases and 24,390 COVID-19-related deaths. (6/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Facing Tough COVID Calls, Ferrer Charts Steady Course In L.A. County
The pandemic was spreading fast across Los Angeles County. Barbara Ferrer was trying to stop it, but her moves were turning many against her. Business owners lamented her lockdown orders, preachers ignored indoor worship bans, and politicians pressured her to loosen mandates. Social media lit up with hate and, in a few cases, death threats against the county’s director of public health. (Cosgrove, 6/5)
Sacramento Bee:
FAQ On California OSHA’s New COVID Workplace Safety Rule
California has new COVID workplace safety standards, but only after weeks of delay, nine-plus hours of discussion and multiple votes. Here is what to know about the updated standards from the standards board of the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly called Cal-OSHA. They are scheduled to go into effect around June 15 pending administrative approval. (Park, 6/7)
KQED:
As The Pandemic Wanes, Newsom's Emergency Powers Remain In Place
There have been vanishingly few upsides to the COVID 19 pandemic, but take-out cocktails might be one of them.
Last week in San Francisco, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his decision to allow restaurants to keep offering cocktails to-go and be able to maintain expanded outdoor seating through the end of the year.“ To allow these businesses to expand their footprint and expand their opportunity to recover from this pandemic," Newsom said. " And, moreover, to create new business opportunities in the future.”The move is just one of dozens Newsom has taken on his own, without Legislative approval, since the beginning of the pandemic. (Orr, 6/6)
Axios:
Exclusive: People Who Wore Masks Were Less Likely To Get Sick
Turns out that wearing a mask and social distancing really weren't a waste of time. Exclusive polling data from our Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index, which started in March 2020, shows that the respondents who reported never wearing masks were twice as likely to test positive for COVID as those who said they wore masks all the time. (Nather, 6/7)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Armed With Robots And 12,000 Molecules, Scripps Scientists Hunt For The Next COVID-19 Drug
A scientific team led by Scripps Research published promising initial results this week from their ongoing search for the next big COVID-19 treatment. After scanning 12,000 molecules, researchers found several that make it harder for the coronavirus to infect cells in the lab. Some of these compounds have already been approved or are in clinical trials for other conditions, meaning researchers may be able to quickly pivot to using them against COVID-19. (Wosen, 6/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How Scientists Are Already Hunting For California's Next COVID Variant
At the start of the year, infectious disease experts across California were, in their own words, stumbling around in a blind frenzy. A new variant of the coronavirus was raging across the United Kingdom, causing unprecedented spikes in cases and deaths. California was similarly overwhelmed by a surge in winter cases — but here, very little high-tech testing was being done to identify the source of those infections. When California scientists finally discovered a locally bred variant, it was almost by accident. The mutant virus had long since gained a foothold and spread widely. (Allday, 6/6)
Bay Area News Group:
COVID Lab Leak Theory: Why Berkeley Scientist Wants Answers
Rasmus Nielsen, a professor of integrative biology at the UC Berkeley, was among 18 researchers from respected universities around the world who in a May 14 article in Science called for the scientific community to explore the lab-leak theory. We asked him why this is suddenly gaining interest. His responses, which have been edited for length and clarity, reflect his personal opinions. (Woolfolk, 6/6)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
You Could Be One Of Three San Diegans Who Just Won $50,000 In The State's Vaccine Lottery
If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine in San Diego County, you may have just won $50,000. Congratulations. On Friday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom held a drawing for the first 15 Californians who’ll be offered cash prizes as part of the state’s “Vax for the Win” program, a bid to encourage those who haven’t yet gotten their shots to do so now that they could possibly win as much as $1.5 million. Three San Diegans were among the winners. (Wosen, 6/4)
Bay City News Service:
Richmond Cannabis Company Offering Products For One Cent To Vaccinated Customers
A Richmond-based medical cannabis company announced this week that it will offer select products for one cent when customers show their valid COVID-19 vaccination card. The promotion is an effort to help Contra Costa County further increase its vaccination progress, according to 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, and is available to anyone who has received at least one vaccine dose. In particular, 7 Stars hopes to help the county reach underserved areas that may not have equitable access to the vaccine. (6/5)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Northridge Vaccine Center Will Close Monday, First LA County-Run Coronavirus Mega-Clinic To Shut Down
Some major venues around Los Angeles County will get their parking lots back starting Monday, June 7, as public health officials launch their plan to phase out sprawling coronavirus vaccination operations, shifting the focus to smaller, more focused clinics and mobile/pop-up operations. … As the caseload has declined, so has the pace for people getting vaccinated, spurring local officials to make the call to scale back on large-scale vaccine “supercenters.” The mammoth county-run site at Cal State Northridge will shut down Monday, with operations shifting to a smaller location at the Balboa Sports Complex in Encino. (6/6)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Vaccine Fight Shifts To Doctors' Offices
Dr. Bryan Fox, a Spring Valley family medicine specialist, has found himself sliding into a new routine with each patient. “It has become, ‘good morning, what are you in for, have you had your vaccine?’”Fox said. Some have comedic comebacks to the question of the moment. “The funniest comment I’ve heard all month from an unvaccinated person is, ‘I identify as vaccinated,’” Fox said. (Sisson, 6/6)
CapRadio:
New Kind Of COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Available This Summer
A “protein subunit vaccine,” likely from the biotech company Novavax, could be available as soon as this summer. It works differentially from the current batch of vaccines and doesn’t require refrigeration. It contains the spike protein itself (no need to make it) as well as an adjuvant that enhances the immune system's response—making the vaccine even more protective. (6/6)
The Bakersfield Californian:
First West Nile Virus Mosquito Located In Southwest Bakersfield
The Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District has confirmed the first West Nile Virus positive mosquito this year has been located from southwest Bakersfield. Most active during the summer and fall, West Nile Virus infects an average of 25 Kern County residents per year. Most infected people will suffer mild or no symptoms. However, up to 20 percent will experience fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, nausea, vomiting and possibly a skin rash, according to a press release from the district. (6/4)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Ticks On A 'Quest' For Blood At California's Beaches. Is Lyme Disease A Rising Risk?
Millions of people enjoy hanging out at California beaches in the warmer months. So do ticks carrying Lyme disease. That's one finding from four years of field work in California's San Francisco Bay Area and nearby wine country involving the collection of some 3,000 Western black-legged ticks. The abundance of the blood-sucking arachnids surprised some tick biologists and experts, in part because it is unclear what animals may be spreading them around. (Rust, 6/6)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Inmates Get Access To Lifesaving Drug For Opioid Overdoses
The men were showing signs of having overdosed on an opioid — probably fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug. Until recently, critical time would have been lost waiting for jail staff to come to their aid. But security cameras captured other inmates gathering around the men, then one inmate hustling down a flight of stairs. He grabbed two small canisters that were mounted on the wall next to a pay phone and rushed back up. In his hands were doses of naloxone, a drug that can quickly reverse the effects of opioids. He and another inmate administered the nasal spray to the two men who had overdosed — a move sheriff’s officials credit with saving their lives. (Tchekmedyian, 6/7)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Schools Need More Nurses And Counselors, Educators Say
When a student shows up at school sick, when a student has an emotional breakdown or a seizure during class, when a family needs to know where to find medical care or housing or food, chances are they will turn to their school nurse or counselor for help. School nurses and counselors are charged with keeping children healthy and safe so they are able to learn and enjoy school. Educators say those jobs have never been more important than during this pandemic, as students cope with the physical and mental trauma of closed schools, COVID-19 and other struggles. (Taketa, 6/5)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Is County Ready To Meet Demands Of Growing Number Of Residents With Dementia?
Solana Beach caregiver Steve Whitecotton started his Wednesday as he always does, by writing the day’s schedule for his wife on a small whiteboard in the living room of their one-bedroom apartment. Throughout the day, it’s displayed prominently in front of the couch, and he erases each line as it’s completed. Writing out a schedule helps Steve, 66, ease feelings of anxiety for his wife Marilynn, 82, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago. (Mapp, 6/5)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Adventist Health Recognizes, Celebrates Cancer Survivors
All the speakers at Friday morning’s cancer survivors celebration at Adventist Health Bakersfield had a story to tell. All the tales were uplifting, inspirational and provided hope.That word, hope, was the central theme of the event held in recognition of National Cancer Survivors Day, usually celebrated the first Sunday in June. (6/4)
CapRadio:
‘Food Hubs’ In Sacramento’s Low Income Neighborhoods Could Combat Hunger, Support Entrepreneurs
Argyros owns Boone’s Red Onions and currently uses a nonprofit-run community kitchen in north Sacramento. He says it’s an ideal way to meet other food entrepreneurs in the area. The city is hoping to create more spaces like this for residents like Argyros through their new ‘food-anchored resiliency hub’ program. Sacramento is one of 13 communities selected by the Biden administration for the project, which is designed to boost the local food economy by investing in small businesses. The city will help nonprofits apply for federal funding. (Caiola, 6/7)
KQED:
'We Still Need A Cure': Maitri's Executive Director On The Changing Face Of HIV/AIDS And Lessons From The 80s
It's been 40 years since the first AIDS cases were reported by the federal government. The decades have brought pain, death, community trauma, but also life-saving medical breakthroughs, perseverance, and hope. That journey was honored at Golden Gate Park at the National AIDS memorial grove, June 5, as Dr. Anthony Fauci, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and AIDS activists recalled another pandemic, another struggle, in another time. (Chang, 6/6)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The 'Missing Middle': These S.F. Neighborhoods Have High Eviction Rates, But Little Help From City
Over the past seven years, the Mission District has become San Francisco’s busiest neighborhood for affordable housing development, with 1,100 units in the pipeline and a steady drumbeat of groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings blessed by ceremonial Aztec dancers and lauded by politicians. At the same time, the nonprofit Mission Economic Development Agency has worked with the city’s Small Sites Program to buy more than 25 rent-controlled buildings — totaling 240 units — that were at risk of being snapped up by investors, emptied of their largely working-class Latino residents and turned into expansive tenancies in common. (Dineen, 6/6)