California Healthline Daily Edition

Latest California Healthline Stories

Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Doctors, Nurses Angry As Cases Soar: Hospitalizations have increased 43% in the last two weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday, and many hospital workers aren’t the least bit shocked. “I’m not sure why everyone is so surprised that we’re surging again,” said one emergency room physician in Los Angeles County who wrote to the Los Angeles Times. “(The problem) never went away, and we opened up” while mask-wearing was being “politicized.” The physician called the situation “very frustrating.” Along the same lines, Erin McIntosh, 37, a rapid response nurse in the Inland Empire, said the last few months leave "us feeling like we’re not enough. I feel like this is all setting us up to fail.” Meanwhile, Riverside County intensive care unit beds nearly hit capacity Sunday. Read more from Anita Chabria, Emily Baumgaertner, Stephanie Lai, Taryn Luna and Kristi Sturgill of the Los Angeles Times.

Daily Edition for Friday, June 26, 2020

Surge In Cases Shows Signs Of Being A Second Wave, Experts Say: The deluge of coronavirus infections continued in California as fears of another shutdown circulated, prompting health officials and infectious disease specialists to issue a familiar public warning: Wear masks, and keep your distance from people. The state has added 15 counties — including Contra Costa and Santa Clara — to its watch list for dangerous coronavirus outbreaks. The surge is mostly happening because people let their guard down when the state and counties relaxed safety measures and began opening up businesses, according to health officials. “It’s a second wave of behavior,” said Robert Siegel, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University. “The virus is responding to people’s behavior, and this represents failures to maintain the recommended control procedures.” Read more from Peter Fimrite and Tatiana Sanchez of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Daily Edition for Thursday, June 25, 2020

Newsom Says He May Punish Cities That ‘Thumb Their Nose’ At Rules: Gov. Gavin Newsom says he may withhold financial relief from local governments that don’t follow guidelines that he says are necessary to tamp down the spike in coronavirus cases in California. At a news conference Wednesday, the governor called out those who “simply thumb their nose” at state guidelines. Newsom did not specify how cities and counties would be expected to prove their compliance, though he added that he was trying to encourage good behavior rather than punish bad behavior. “We give an enormous amount of power, control and authority to local government, but what we’re now looking for is accountability,” Newsom said. Read more from Alexei Koseff of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Daily Edition for Wednesday, June 24, 2020

COVID-19 Cases Show No Sign Of Slowing As Nursing Facilities Deal With Tragedy: Coronavirus cases in California continued a troubling spike this week, but it remains unclear how much worse conditions must get before officials move to slow the rapid reopening of the economy. For the second consecutive day, California shattered a daily record for new cases Tuesday. More than 6,600 infections were reported — the largest single-day count in the state since the pandemic hit the U.S. Adding to the alarm, 13 residents of a skilled nursing facility in Concord have died with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, according to state data. Additionally, 62 residents at San Miguel Villa have tested positive for the coronavirus as well as 13 workers. It remained unclear Monday afternoon when the residents of the 190-bed facility died. “My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19, and I am deeply concerned with the recent outbreak at a nursing home in Concord,” State Assemblyman Tim Grayson, D-Concord, said in a statement. “Our Contra Costa Health Officer and County Supervisors have been extraordinarily cautious in reopening, and these recent heartbreaking deaths and positive cases illustrate that no matter how cautious the policies, it still comes down to individuals self-regulating their actions.” Read more from Colleen Shalby and Rong-Gong Lin II of the Los Angeles Times, Alejandro Serrano of the San Francisco Chronicle and more stories in the listings below.

Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Newsom Issues Shutdown Warning As Cases Spike: Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Monday that he could shut down part of the economy again if California loses control of the coronavirus pandemic as the state shattered its single-day record for most new coronavirus cases. “It’s your individual decision that will determine our fate and future ... to mitigate the likelihood and need that we ever have to toggle back on these stay-at-home orders,” Newsom said at a news conference. As of Monday evening, county health departments had reported more than 6,000 new cases, with several counties still yet to report, according to data compiled by The San Francisco Chronicle. California hadn’t exceeded 4,515 new cases in a single day previously, according to the state’s health department. Read more from Dustin Gardiner and Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Daily Edition for Monday, June 22, 2020

Californians To Be Required To Wear Masks As Cases Continue To Spike In State: After weeks of mixed messaging and leaving the decision of implementing mask mandates up to counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom said face coverings will be required in spaces where people can’t maintain 6 feet of distance from one another. Masks may help people who are asymptomatic and don’t realize they have COVID-19 from spreading the disease when they go out. Face coverings don’t replace social distancing and other measures, but work alongside them to slow the spread. The CDC sums it up: “Your cloth face covering may protect them. Their cloth face covering may protect you.” Read more from Alexei Koseff of the San Francisco Chronicle; Ana B. Ibarra of CalMatters; Vincent Moleski of the Sacramento Bee; and Fiona Kelliher of the Bay Area News Group.

Daily Edition for Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Hospitalization Rates, Not Confirmed Case Totals, Give Insight To State Of California’s Outbreak, Officials Say: California on Tuesday posted its highest daily coronavirus-related death total in nearly a week, even as the state continues to move forward with reopening. But health officials have said that the public needs to look beyond the rising number of coronavirus cases in California and focus on whether hospitalizations are increasing as a sign that reopening the economy is leading to new outbreaks. Statewide, coronavirus hospitalizations have been relatively flat for the last six weeks, even as officials have allowed myriad businesses to open their doors and people begin to resume old routines. But in some parts of California, hospitalizations are again on the rise — and if the trend continues, it could force officials to slow the pace of reopenings. Read more from Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II and Iris Lee of the Los Angeles Times, and Wes Goldberg of the Bay Area News Group.

Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom Defends Reopening Of California, Says COVID-19 Has Stabilized Despite Spikes In Some Counties: As COVID-19 cases in California continue to climb, and the death toll tops 5,000, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday defended his administration’s decision to allow counties to ease the stay-at-home order and other restrictions. Newsom said COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state remain stable weeks after restrictions started to be modified, during a period that included the busy Memorial Day weekend, and maintained that the safeguards in place continue to effectively slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The governor said requiring residents to remain isolated would threaten their overall well-being, including physical and mental health and finances. Read more from Phil Willon of the Los Angeles Times, Maggie Angst and Joseph Geha of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Sheeler and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks of The Sacramento Bee, and Dustin Gardiner of the San Francisco Chronicle.