Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Doctors Now Must Provide Patients Their Health Data, Online and On Demand
A new federal regulation makes it easy to get test results and see what your doctor is recording about your health. One downside: You might not understand what you read. (Sarah Kwon, )
Nurses Criticize CDC's New Mask Rules: The largest union of registered nurses in California is asking state officials not to follow new CDC guidance on masks. The California Nurses Association called it “a big blow to the safety and welfare of the nurses, front line workers, as well as the patients,” CNA president Zenei Triunfo-Cortez said Sunday. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and ABC7 News. Continued coverage, below.
67% Of Californians Have Covid Antibodies, Data Show: More than two-thirds of Californians have antibodies to the covid-19 virus, according to new data, offering evidence that the state is approaching so-called herd immunity. Read more from the Bay Area News Group.
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
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Supervisor Urges Newsom To Lift State Mask Order
The announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that vaccinated people can forgo masks outdoors and indoors caught many off-guard this week and created plenty of debate, particularly at the local level. In a letter sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger spoke in support of dropping masks for vaccinated people, breaking ranks with county public health officials. She called on the governor to follow the eased guidelines set by federal officials. (Bermudez, 5/15)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Despite CDC’s New Guidance, Masks Required Indoors In Sonoma County
Despite federal health officials Thursday saying fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in most settings or maintain social distancing, Sonoma County remains under a mask mandate as state officials consider the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said Friday the state still requires everyone, including those who have been inoculated against the coronavirus, to wear a mask anywhere indoors outside the home. (Espinoza, 5/14)
USA Today:
Starbucks Masks Optional For Vaccinated Customers Starting May 17
Starbucks is making face coverings and masks optional for vaccinated customers starting Monday. The coffee giant is the latest to update its mask policy after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new masking guidelines. Masks will still be required at locations where local or state regulations mandate them. "Facial coverings will be optional for vaccinated customers beginning Monday, May 17, unless local regulations require them by law," Starbucks said on its website. "As we continue to ensure the health and well-being of our partners and customers, our restrooms generally remain temporarily closed to the public in stores where the café or café seating is unavailable." (Tyko, 5/15)
Modesto Bee:
Target Customers Do Not Have To Wear COVID Masks, Chain Says
Target customers who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to wear masks, the retail chain announced Monday. It joins Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s in the decision to lift mask requirements for vaccinated individuals. The change comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new recommendations Thursday saying people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.” There are exceptions, including while traveling on planes, buses and trains. (Stunson, 5/17)
Bay Area News Group:
Trader Joe’s Drops Mask Requirement For Fully Vaccinated Customers
If you’re fully vaccinated, Trader Joe’s welcomes you to shop without a mask. The Southern California-based specialty grocery store became one of the first retailers in the nation to drop the mask requirement after the Centers for Disease Control issued new COVID-19 guidance Thursday. (Zavoral, 5/14)
Los Angeles Times:
Trader Joe's Drops Mask Rules But Many Customers Keep Them On
The CDC’s guidance caught many off guard in California, including local and state health officials as well as business owners and front-line workers. Opinion was largely divided: Some said the move felt premature and could hurt front-line workers. Others said it was about time, with California and many other states experiencing the lowest number of daily coronavirus cases in a year. Retailers are taking different approaches. Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Costco will no longer require fully vaccinated shoppers to don masks, making them some of first major businesses to change their face-covering policies after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines Thursday. (Campa and Seidman, 5/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Middle Finger, Dirty Looks And Yelling: S.F. Mask Shamers Are Still Going Strong
Now that the Centers for Disease Control has dramatically scaled back where and when fully vaccinated people must wear masks, some San Franciscans are stripping down — well, their faces anyway. And they’re not always met with acceptance.Dr. Susan Philip, the health officer who’s responsible for writing the city’s health orders related to COVID-19, said she’s heard several reports from San Franciscans about ditching their masks and facing derision because of it. And she has a message for city residents: Nobody needs to play the Mask Cop. (Knight, 5/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
CDC'S Mask Guidance May Come As A 'Psychological Shock.' But Here's The Data Behind It
When historians reflect back on these chaotic COVID times, May 13 may stand out as particularly memorable: the day federal health officials said most Americans can ditch their masks, the clearest signal after more than a year of restrictions that the end of the pandemic was at hand. The abrupt relaxation of mask guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday came as a surprise to many people, including public health and infectious disease experts who follow pandemic trends closely and weren’t expecting the move for another few weeks, or even months. (Allday, 5/15)
Bay Area News Group:
The Bay Area Has The Highest Coronavirus Vaccination Rates In The State — And Some Of The Lowest Hospitalization Levels
There’s an emerging truth showing up at hospitals across California: The more vaccines in arms on the outside means fewer patients sick with COVID-19 on the inside. And nowhere is that clearer than the Bay Area. The region’s counties have the highest percentage of vaccinated residents in California and among the lowest hospitalization rates, according to a Bay Area News Group analysis of state data. (DeRuy and Rowan, 5/16)
Orange County Register:
Coronavirus: About 39% Of Orange County’s Population Is Fully Vaccinated As Of May 16
The OC Health Care Agency reported 52 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, May 16, increasing the cumulative total in the county to 254,744 cases since tracking began. There were 700 new infections reported in the last 14 days. That is down from a 14-day average of 891 cases two weeks ago. (Snibbe, 5/16)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Mayor Garcetti Extends Hours To Expand Appointment-Free Vaccine Access
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday, May 16, announced a series of steps to expand vaccine access among Angelenos, including extending hours to 8 p.m. at nine fixed city-run site and offering appointment-free access for a choice of any of the three approved vaccines. “We can end this pandemic, restore public health, and rebuild our economy, but only if we can put vaccines within reach of every Angeleno, regardless of income, ZIP code, or neighborhood,” said Garcetti. “With expanded hours and growing eligibility, we are doing everything we can to reach residents who have yet to get vaccinated — and make it as easy and safe as possible to deliver doses across our communities.” (5/16)
Modesto Bee:
As Numbers Improve, Stanislaus County Reveals Vaccine Sites
As Stanislaus County’s COVID-19 positivity rates and hospital numbers take big steps in the right direction, the percentage of adults fully vaccinated trickles slowly upward. Through Saturday, 35.9% of adults and 26.8% of all residents in the county have received their full doses of vaccine, a roughly 2 percentage point increase from a week ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Clark, 5/16)
Bay Area News Group:
Go To School, Get A Shot: Contra Costa Campus Clinics Offer Vaccines For All
Contra Costa County will open COVID-19 vaccination sites at designated middle and high school campuses, offering doses to anyone 12 years or older, health officials announced Friday. The free clinics will be open for several days at a number of schools around the county, some of them in communities that have been slower to receive vaccine doses, such as Antioch and Concord. (Mukherjee, 5/14)
Los Angeles Times:
As California Expands Vaccine Eligibility To Adolescents, Parents Weigh The Risks
Nearly every phase of California’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been met with a mixture of enthusiasm and angst. But few groups have been as eager — or as concerned — as the latest to wrestle with the availability of vaccines: parents. The state on Thursday expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to adolescents from the ages of 12 to 15. In Los Angeles and many other counties, people in that age group must be accompanied by or receive consent from a parent or guardian to receive their shot. (Smith, 5/17)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
El Cajon Council Is Microcosm Of Vaccination Debate
After meticulously and accurately recounting the significant benefits of coronavirus vaccination, and all of the reasons why people still might choose not to get the shot, El Cajon City Councilman Steve Goble came to a sobering conclusion. The time for convincing grows short. (Sisson and Pearlman, 5/16)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Local Biotech Working On A Vaccine Against Present And Future Coronavirus Strains
As the coronavirus mutates, scientists are scrambling to modify vaccines to work better against specific viral variants. Local biotech Inovio Pharmaceuticals is taking a different tack — a single vaccine that could work across strains, maybe even against strains that are virtually unknown or don’t exist yet. (Wosen, 5/15)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus Stats Continue To Decline As Local Officials Await Word On Mask Mandates From Newsom
While local agencies await action from Gov. Gavin Newsom on the future of mask mandates, coronavirus enforcement and workplace safety, the pandemic appeared to continue to ease its grip on Southern California. Los Angeles County reported 240 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths on Sunday, May 16, though health officials said the number of cases and deaths reported likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. (5/16)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Officials Report Continued Decline In COVID-19 Cases As They Urge Vaccinations For Children
Los Angeles County officials on Sunday reported 240 new coronavirus cases and seven new related deaths, reflecting the continuing decline in the spread of infection as the local vaccination campaign builds. Just over half of L.A. County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine thus far, amounting to a total of 8.7 million doses administered, according to The Times’ tracker. This is slightly more than the 47% of Americans nationwide who have received at least one dose. (Karlamangla, 5/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area ICU Hospitalizations Back At Pandemic Low - Experts Cite 'Marvelous Vaccines'
The Bay Area’s high rates of COVID-19 vaccinations and low coronavirus case rates are paying off in a big way when it comes to hospitalizations. According to data collected and analyzed by The Chronicle, ICU admissions of COVID-19 patients in Bay Area hospitals are at an all-time pandemic low. On May 14, there were 55 ICU patients with COVID-19 in Bay Area hospitals, which ties the pandemic low of 55 a year earlier on May 29, 2020. (Hwang, 5/16)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Public Heath Reports 26 New Coronavirus Cases Sunday
Kern County Public Health Services reported 26 new confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, and no new deaths. The county's count of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began is 109,298. There have been 1,376 deaths. Public Health reports that 38,970 people have recovered from the illness, and 67,540 people are presumed to have recovered. (5/16)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Mendocino, Lake Counties Expect To Remain In Current Reopening Tiers Until June
With a month to go before the state intends to ditch its four color-coded reopening tiers and fully reopen on June 15, Mendocino and Lake counties are expected to remain in their respective stages until that date, the counties’ health officers said. In Mendocino County, new coronavirus cases began to tick up after the county moved into the least restrictive yellow tier, denoting minimal viral transmission, about two weeks ago. Still, Public Health Officer Dr. Andy Coren said average daily case rates have not been consistently high enough to threaten knocking the county back to the orange stage. (Varian, 5/14)
Modesto Bee:
UC Merced Scientist Is Using Wastewater To Help Track COVID-19 Outbreaks
Scientists have found different ways to track coronavirus outbreaks, but one of the more interesting methods been under our noses forever. And much of this cutting-edge scientific research at UC Merced has been fueled by a humorous social media hashtag that’s likely to please most elementary school students. It’s kind of a good old-fashioned poop joke. Under the Twitter handle of “CovidPoops19,” UC Merced School of Engineering Professor Colleen Naughton has helped create a space for scientists and other experts to monitor and track data on coronavirus pathogens found in wastewater. That data is then funneled into an online dashboard Naughton also helped create with students. (Dieppa, 5/17)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Houchin Puts Out A Plea: We Need Blood
Houchin Community Blood Bank on Sunday put out a call: We need blood, of all types, to replenish supplies. As more people return to their normal routines, fewer people are donating, especially at the beginning of the week, Houchin said in a news release. The blood bank is sending out more units of blood per day than it is collecting. "Not much happens in a hospital without blood,” Houchin President and CEO Sean McNally said in a news release. (5/16)
Sacramento Bee:
How New Monthly COVID-19 Child Tax Credit Payments Will Work
Eligible parents can get up to $300 per child from Washington as a monthly tax payment starting July 15, the Treasury Department said Monday. That means the 2020 tax return that’s due to be filed by the end of today with the Internal Revenue Service now could determine how much, if anything, they can get. (Lightman, 5/17)
Orange County Register:
Plugging Deadly Holes In California’s Addiction Treatment System
Juli Shamash’s son, Tyler, died in 2018 of an overdose in the bathroom of a sober living home right around the corner from her house. He was 19. “They don’t’ teach you this in ‘Mommy and Me,’ ” Shamash said. “You have no clue where to start, what to do, when your child is an addict. Which programs are good? Which are bad? I’m a researcher, it’s what I do. I looked up everything I could, but you’re blind. You just don’t know.” After years of study, a first-of-its-kind coalition of more than 50 groups intends to change that. The Behavioral Health Action’s new Blueprint for Behavioral Health offers a new path forward for addiction treatment and much more. The need for a new approach can be seen in public parks, under freeway overpasses and even in sober living homes. (Sforza, 5/16)
KQED:
Decriminalizing Psychedelic Drugs In California: As Senate Considers Bill, Debate Continues
A bill to decriminalize psychedelic drugs is currently being considered by the California state legislature. Senate Bill 519, introduced by State Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco), would allow doctors to prescribe psychedelics for treating mental health disorders such as depression and PTSD. It would also allow psychedelics for personal use, and expunge criminal records for people with prior convictions for possession. (Dembosky and Sarah, 5/16)
Modesto Bee:
Domestic Violence Prevalent In All Communities
The warning signs of domestic violence were there in Susana Torres’ case. Family members witnessed and heard of her husband’s controlling behavior, but that knowledge didn’t prevent her abduction. Intimate partner violence in the U.S. is a serious problem. Every 15 seconds, a woman is beaten, according to the website of the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. And Latina immigrants such as Torres appear to be among the most vulnerable. (Briseño, 5/17)