Bay Area News Group: U.S. Extends Face Mask Requirement For Planes, Trains, Buses
Though COVID-19 cases remain low and face mask requirements have vanished from most public settings, U.S. health officials Wednesday extended for two more weeks the mask mandate for airlines and public transportation that was set to expire Monday, citing concerns about an upturn in cases in the Northeast. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the order, which applies to planes, trains, buses, boats, stations, airports, marinas and other transit hubs, will remain in effect until at least May 3 while it monitors the BA.2 omicron subvariant now responsible for 86% of U.S. cases and a similar share worldwide. (Woolfolk, Kamisher and Lin, 4/13)

KQED: CDC Extends Transportation Mask Mandate Until May 3 
The Biden administration is extending its face mask requirement for public transit for another 15 days. That means travelers will still need to mask up in airports, planes, buses, trains and at transit hubs until May 3. The mask travel requirement had been set to expire this coming Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping in place its mask rule "in order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity," according to an agency spokesperson. (Huang, 4/13)

Bay Area News Group: Over 400 VTA Employees Are Unvaccinated Ahead Of An April 29 Deadline
For months, the Valley Transportation Authority lacked a COVID vaccination requirement for its employees, even as the virus surged and every other Bay Area transit agency cracked down. But now that cases have plummeted, it is about to implement a tough policy that could lead to the firing of hundreds of unvaccinated workers. According to the latest tally provided by the VTA 379 employees — nearly 20% of the total workforce — have not reported receiving a single dose of the vaccine. Of these employees, 59 have received exemptions on medical and religious grounds. While some are expected to submit vaccination records this month, the rest face the possibility of losing their jobs in the coming weeks, a move that would exacerbate staffing shortages and could lead to cuts in light rail and bus service in Santa Clara County. (Kamisher, 3/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Has Omicron XE Arrived In California? Here’s What We Know About The New COVID Subvariant
Even as the highly transmissible BA.2 omicron subvariant extends its dominance across the U.S., including the western region that incorporates California, a new coronavirus mashup combining BA.2 and the original omicron strain is gaining attention. Omicron XE, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, has been found in the U.S. and, most recently, in Japan. While much is still unknown about the subvariant and what effect it will have on COVID-19’s spread, here’s what we know so far. (Hwang, 4/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area COVID Cases Are Rising. How Worried Are Public Health Officials?
Coronavirus cases are ticking up across California after a month of relative stability, but Bay Area health officials say they’re encouraged by low rates of COVID hospitalizations — particularly for patients needing intensive care, which are at their lowest levels since the pandemic began — and they’re not bracing for another surge or expecting an imminent need to restore preventive measures like mask mandates. California is not yet experiencing a swell of cases similar to what has been reported across parts of the Northeastern U.S., where large outbreaks have infected high-profile policymakers and Broadway stars. With the highly infectious BA.2 variant of the coronavirus taking hold across the country and case reports creeping up in many regions, federal health officials on Wednesday extended the mask mandate for all public transportation that was set to expire next week. And earlier this week, Philadelphia became the first city in the country to reinstate a local indoor mask mandate in response to rising cases. (Allday, 4/13)

Orange County Register: Coachella 2022: Fans Talk About Return To Festival In Post-COVID-19 Environment 
The festivals will be packed and festivalgoers, performers, artists and vendors are thrilled to be back. But no one can guarantee that COVID-19 won’t be present in the Coachella crowds this month, as festival organizers Goldenvoice made explicitly clear on the festival’s website. “There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place or place where people are present,” a bolded statement on Coachella.com reads. “And there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19.” (Larsen and Horseman, 4/13)

CBS News: Pfizer And BioNTech To Ask FDA To Authorize COVID-19 Booster For Kids As Young As 5 
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to ask the Food and Drug Administration to clear a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5, the companies announced Wednesday, citing trial results showing a "robust response" of antibodies in this age group after the booster shot. In the trial, 140 children ages 5 to 11 years old were given a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after receiving their second shot. Blood drawn from the children showed a six-fold increase in antibodies compared to the amount seen one month after the second dose, indicating "a strong immune response in this age group," the companies said. (Tin, 4/14)

USA Today: Pfizer COVID Booster Provides Strong Immune Boost In Kids Ages 5-11, New Study Shows
Healthy children ages 5 to 11 mount a safe, strong immune response to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster, according to a new study from the companies. Blood samples from 30 children showed a 36-fold increase in antibodies against the omicron variant after receiving the third shot. In 140 children, a third dose also increased antibodies six-fold against the original strain of the virus. (Weintraub, 4/14)

Bay Area News Group: How To Find COVID-19 Anti-Viral Medication
With 1,400 Americans hospitalized with the disease each day, the key goal of President Biden’s “test to treat” initiative is to get antiviral pills to at-risk patients fast and on the spot — right after they test positive for the virus. Even with case numbers low and anxieties easing, the program is considered a critical tool in the country’s strategy of living with the virus — especially with the East Coast facing a new surge. But at CVS pharmacies participating in the Bay Area, there’s no signage to promote the program. To find their in-store MinuteClinics – which offer everything from ear wax removal to TB tests, yet fail to mention the life-saving treatments – a visitor must navigate past rows of holiday baskets, pink marshmallow Peeps and Cadbury Crème Eggs.(Krieger, 4/13)

Sacramento Bee: Dignity Health Opens Surgery Center In Citrus Heights
Dignity Health opened a $13 million surgery center Tuesday in Citrus Heights as part of the company’s 10-year-old joint venture with Dallas-based United Surgical Partners International. “Providing high quality, compassionate care is what Dignity Health is known for and where we provide that care continues to vary as technology and the needs of our community evolve,” said Michael Korpiel, president of Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Medical Center. (Anderson, 4/13)

Oaklandside: Once Berkeley’s Only Black Dentist, Dr. Happy Tooth’s Family Practice Marks 48 Years
Dr. Thomas Arnold and his wife, Dr. Wendi Wilson, have broken lots of ground in Berkeley. When he began practicing in 1974, Arnold was the only Black dentist in the city, taking over the Grove Street practice of Dr. Bill Pittman, once the only Black dentist in the entire East Bay. When Wilson married Arnold in 1983 and joined his practice, she became the city’s first Black female dentist. (Furio, 4/13)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego's Halozyme Therapeutics To Buy Antares Pharma For Nearly $1B In Cash
San Diego’s Halozyme Therapeutics, which provides technology to biopharmaceutical companies to help them develop treatments that are delivered quickly and easily to patients, has inked a deal to buy Antares Pharma for $960 million in cash. Halozyme will pay $5.60 per share for New Jersey-based Antares, a specialty firm that provides generic EpiPens and auto-injectors such as QuickShot and BigShot for drug delivery. It also has testosterone replacement therapy products. (Freeman, 4/13)

Bay Area News Group: Feds Link Dark Web Drug Dealer's Profile To Many Vids Page, Raid Hotel Room And Seize 10,000 Fentanyl Pills
Federal prosecutors here have charged two people with selling fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, after an undercover investigation that started when authorities linked an online drug market page to a pornography subscription profile belonging to one of the suspects. Holly Adams and Devlin Hosner were charged last week with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, a federal offense. The criminal complaint, unsealed this week, says that federal task force agents started ordering drugs from the defendants after linking them to a profile that advertised painkiller shipments on the Dark Web site ToRReZ. (Gartrell, 4/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: At Least 9 Claims Of Drugged Drinks At Wine Country Bar Shock Healdsburg
The Facebook post appeared on April 3, the day after a woman’s Saturday night out at a popular Healdsburg bar, and almost immediately created a stir that has left many in the small Wine Country city reeling. Her claim of being drugged while drinking there fueled a slew of similar allegations involving the same bar, Duke’s Spirited Cocktails. At least nine police reports have been filed since October related to incidents there, yet police have no suspects or concrete evidence to prove that recurring druggings are in fact happening. (Lander, 4/13)

Orange County Register: OC District Attorney’s Office Launches Diversion Program For Cases That May Involve Mental Health Issues, Substance Abuse 
Orange County has launched a program to connect eligible people arrested for low-level crimes with mental health and substance abuse services before criminal charges are filed in an effort to curb reoffending, the District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. The FIRST (Focused Intervention Route to Services and Treatment) Point Diversion Program  plans to target specific people with possible behavioral issues, including mental health challenges or substance abuse, who have committed victimless misdemeanor crimes or misdemeanor crimes where the victim is cooperative. (Antonios, 4/13)

Los Angeles Times: Abortion: Some Christians Challenge Meaning Of 'Pro-Life' 
The Republican Party, evangelical Christianity and the antiabortion movement have been inextricably joined in a battle that for the last five decades has shaped the contours and passions of American politics. The powerful alliance is a major reason President Trump was elected and able to shift the Supreme Court rightward. As the nation awaits the court’s opinion on a case that could dismantle Roe vs. Wade, the ruling that guaranteed the right to abortion, Berghoef is among an increasingly vocal minority of former conservatives who have been condemned by many in their faith as supporting a grave sin. (Kaleem, 4/14)

KQED: An Unlikely Form Of Abortion Rights Protest: Crossword Puzzles 
"I have been angry and anxious about reproductive rights for a long time," says Kate Chin Park, a custom furniture maker from Oakland. "And unfortunately, because abortion services have been made so scarce in many places, donations from private individuals are a really important way to try and get people access to the care they need. "Chin Park is one of four Bay Area creatives who constructed crossword designs for These Puzzles Fund Abortion Too, a pack of 16 puzzles created to raise money for reproductive rights, which launched on March 1. (Alexandra, 4/13)

Voice of OC: Grocery Store Quality Food Or Rotten Bologna? State Inspects Food Conditions In OC Jails
After an unannounced inspection last month, state inspectors concluded that food served by Orange County Sheriff deputies to people in jail is consistent with “grocery store standards” and not rotten or moldy.“ Despite assertions, the findings from (California Board of State and Community Corrections) after an unannounced inspection show exactly what we have said time and time again – we provide nutritionally balanced and healthy meals that meet or exceed requirements for incarcerated persons entrusted to our care,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes in a news release Monday. (Elattar, 4/13)

The Bakersfield Californian: Valley Fever Institute Creates Support Group To Educate, Ease Pain For Patients 
A mystery illness struck Larry D. Williams in December 2017. Williams lost roughly 30 pounds in three weeks, though he engulfed about 10 meals in a day. As a veteran and leader of an active lifestyle, the now-56-year-old felt imprisoned once his skin started shedding and he no longer left his house. Deep depression overtook him as medical professionals struggled to name the culprit, he said. (Desai, 4/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Why Wildlife Officials Are Warning Northern California Dog Owners To Keep Their Pets Away From Raw Freshwater Fish
State wildlife officials are warning dog owners of the dangers of their dogs consuming salmon, steelhead, trout and other freshwater fish that are infected with potentially fatal bacteria primarily found in Northern California waters. Salmon Poisoning Disease can affect dogs and potentially kill them after they consume raw or cold smoked fish, including freshwater fish carcasses, that are infected by a “bacteria-like organism” which is transmitted by a flatworm, also known as a fluke, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said in a news release. (Hernandez, 4/13)

Los Angeles Times: Man Gets Prison For Derailing Train Near Hospital Ship At L.A. Port 
A former train engineer at the Port of Los Angeles was sentenced to three years in federal prison for intentionally derailing a locomotive near the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy in 2020, prosecutors said. Eduardo Moreno, 46, pleaded guilty in December to committing a terrorist attack and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems in connection with the incident, which came as the Mercy was docked in L.A. to relieve healthcare systems strained by skyrocketing COVID-19 cases in the early weeks of the pandemic. (Martinez, 4/13)

Los Angeles Times: Formerly Homeless People Want Voice In Service Agencies 
They were all once homeless. Now they work within the system as advocates, case managers and advisors. And they say that their experience is too often taken for granted.“ People with lived experience are not recognized at the top, executive level,” one said. “We get brought in because people want to just hear our stories. But when it comes to implementation, decisions are made by those who don’t know what it’s like to be homeless.” (Smith, 4/13)

Berkeleyside: Berkeley And Alameda County’s Eviction Moratoriums Are Still In Effect
City policies in Berkeley, paired with Alameda County eviction moratorium policies, still provide a double layer of protection to most local renters. Berkeley was the first city in the state to create an eviction ordinance when the pandemic began in March 2020, followed closely by Oakland and Alameda County. The protections are largely the same in all three. (Orenstein, 4/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Colleagues Worry Dianne Feinstein Is Now Mentally Unfit To Serve, Citing Recent Interactions
When a California Democrat in Congress recently engaged in an extended conversation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, they prepared for a rigorous policy discussion like those they’d had with her many times over the last 15 years. Instead, the lawmaker said, they had to reintroduce themselves to Feinstein multiple times during an interaction that lasted several hours. (Kopan and Garofoli, 4/14)

The Washington Post: Grassley Says Republicans Won’t Repeal Affordable Care Act If They Retake Senate 
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said this week that Republicans will not try to repeal the Affordable Care Act if they retake the Senate in November’s midterm elections, the latest signal that the GOP is abandoning its long-running effort to scrap the health-care law also known as Obamacare. Grassley, 88, was among the most vocal opponents of the law when it was being debated by Congress more than a decade ago. Back then, some Republicans had falsely claimed a provision in the ACA would create “death panels” that would decide whether older Americans should live or die. At the time, Grassley did not push back against those claims and told Iowans that they had “every right to fear” the health-care law. (Sonmez, 4/13)

AP: Bipartisan Push On Mental Health Crisis That COVID Worsened
A major effort to overhaul care for people in the United States with mental health and drug problems is gaining traction as Congress and the Biden administration work on overlapping plans to address concerns across dividing lines of politics, geography and race. Top goals include responding to the mental health crisis among youth, increasing the supply of professional counselors and clinicians, narrowing a persistent gap between care for physical and mental health problems, and preserving access to telehealth services that proved their usefulness in the pandemic. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/13)