In A First, Culver City Will Require Students To Get Vaccine: The Culver City Unified School District has issued a covid vaccine requirement for all eligible students — believed to be the first such requirement in California — a move the district superintendent said has the overwhelming support of parents, teachers and staff members. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and EdSource.
State Tightens Restrictions On Large, Indoor Events: California health officials are expanding the requirement for vaccination or a negative covid test for those attending large indoor events. The previous order applied to events of 5,000 people or more. The new order, which takes effect Sept. 20, expands that to 1,000 people or more, and requires proof of full vaccination rather than “self-attestation.” Read more from the Bay Area News Group and Los Angeles Times.
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
KQED:
COVID Booster Shots To Roll Out In September In The U.S., Health Officials Say
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling.The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20. (8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
New Data Shows Waning COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy, Building Case For Boosters
COVID-19 vaccines are losing their effectiveness against infection over time and might become less protective in preventing severe illness and death, the nation’s top health officials said Wednesday. These new medical findings, announced at a White House press briefing, are spurring the campaign to boost Americans’ immunity by administering a third dose of the vaccine. (Krieger, 8/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco To Offer Third Vaccine Dose To Immunocompromised People
San Francisco will now offer a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccine to certain immunocompromised patients, including those who have had organ transplants, received treatment for blood cancers or are in the advanced stage of an HIV infection. The city’s health department says vaccine trials have shown that those with moderate to severe immunosuppression can benefit from a third dose. Their guidance aligns with recent advice from the both the state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Kost, 8/18)
Orange County Register:
Orange County Has The Resources In Place For Doling Out COVID-19 Booster Shots, Officials Said
With COVID-19 booster shots on the horizon, efforts to dole out the jabs in Orange County are expected to utilize the sources already in place – disseminating the shots through clinics, pharmacies, hospitals and other channels where residents can already get vaccinated now, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong with OC Health Care Agency said Wednesday. “In terms of the public and even the clinical settings, nothing’s really going to change,” Chinsio-Kwong said during a regularly scheduled COVID-19 press briefing. “It’s going to be pretty much status quo as it is right now.” (Sheets, 8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
What To Know About Getting COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it plans to offer booster shots starting next month to many people who have been fully inoculated against COVID-19. Here we answer four frequent questions concerning such booster shots. (Venkataramanan, 8/18)
Modesto Bee:
COVID Vaccine Clinic Is Set For Beyer High In Modesto
A leading medical group will provide COVID-19 vaccines at a free public clinic Friday at Beyer High School in Modesto. Sutter Gould Medical Foundation is teamed with Modesto City Schools to offer the two-step Pfizer vaccine and one-shot Johnson & Johnson. (Carlson, 8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Blue Shield Stops Overseeing California Vaccine Program
As public health officials continue their push to vaccinate millions of hard-to-reach Californians against COVID-19, they are doing so largely without the help of Blue Shield of California, the company whose oversight Gov. Gavin Newsom said was essential to improving the state’s slow distribution of doses earlier this year. The company’s reduced role announced last month closes a controversial chapter in the state’s ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19, one that began with questions about the Newsom administration’s handling of who should be first in line when supplies were limited and culminated in the governor’s surprising decision to put the insurance giant, a longtime political donor, in charge. (Gutierrez, 8/18)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA City Council OKs Vaccine Mandate For City Employees
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday, Aug. 18 to make vaccination a condition of employment for city workers by Oct. 20, unless they can show they have medical or religious reasons to be exempt. Representatives of some city employee unions raised concerns over this ordinance, which was approved 13-0, by the council. Two of the council members, John Lee and Marqueece Harris-Dawson were not present for the vote. The mayor is expected to sign the ordinance when it reaches his desk. (Chou, 8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
San Jose To Mandate Vaccination Proof At SAP Center, City Facilities
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo unveiled a new plan Wednesday to require proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus for events held at city-owned facilities, including the SAP Center, exerting more pressure on unvaccinated residents to get their shots. Under Liccardo’s plan, attendees and staff of events with 50 or more people held at city facilities — such as the SAP Center, Convention Center, Montgomery Theater, San Jose Civic and Center for Performing Arts — will be required to show proof of full vaccination prior to entering. A negative COVID-19 test would not serve as a substitute for vaccination. (Angst, 8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Another Step Toward COVID Vaccine Passport? California, San Francisco, San Jose Gear Up For New Mandates
California took another step toward a vaccine passport on Wednesday with a new rule that requires more than a ticket for indoor events of 1,000 people or more: You’ll have to show proof that you are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours to get in the door. The Golden State’s vaccine verification for concerts, conventions and sporting events, which begins next month, is the first for a state in the U.S., expanding on an earlier state order for events with a minimum of 5,000 people. And it mirrors a growing list of similar vaccine requirements — in public and private workplaces and imposed by individual cities and counties — as the state battles another surge of infections from the highly contagious delta variant. (Sulek and Harrington, 8/19)
McClatchy-Tribune, MediaNews:
L.A. County Inches Closer To 25,000 Total COVID-19 Deaths, Posts 4,046 New Infections
Another day of more than 30 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County came and went on Wednesday, Aug. 18, as local and federal officials began gearing up for booster shots among those who have been fully vaccinated and local venues geared up for a new mask mandate set to go into effect Thursday night. Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed 34 new deaths and 4,046 new infections in the department’s daily update on Wednesday. (Carter, 8/19)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Hospital Cases Of COVID-19 Increase Again
Stanislaus County added 363 cases of COVID-19 as the summer surge continued Tuesday. The death toll rose by one to 1,109 residents since April 2020, the Health Services Agency reported. (Holland, 8/18)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Leaders Don’t Take Action Against COVID Variant
Stanislaus County leaders gave no indication Tuesday they would take action to slow a fast-spreading delta variant, which is sickening hundreds of residents with COVID-19 and filling beds in local hospitals. While other jurisdictions are requiring proof of vaccination to enter bars or restaurants or enforcing rules for masking, the county hasn’t taken specific action to slow the spread of the delta variant. Last month, the county issued guidance that fully vaccinated people “may want the extra protection of wearing a mask indoors.” (Carlson, 8/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
There's A Gaping Divide In COVID Cases Between Fully Vaccinated San Diegans And Everyone Else
San Diego County’s latest coronavirus numbers paint a stark picture of the wider-than-ever divide between those who’ve been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and those who haven’t. Cases for the region as a whole continue to go up, with the county reporting 1,117 cases on Wednesday. Two months ago, daily infections were routinely below 100. And there are now 599 San Diegans in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to less than 200 a month ago. (Wosen, 8/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Public Health Reports 5 New COVID-19 Deaths, 434 New Cases
The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 434 new cases of coronavirus and five new deaths Wednesday. There have been 118,794 cases and 1,441 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Recovered residents, or presumed recovered, include 113,703 individuals, according to Public Health. (8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Fluvoxamine, An Old Drug That Might Help With COVID
The quest for COVID-19 remedies has led patients and doctors into a few dead ends among old established drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin. But there’s promising news that another generic medicine has shown the ability to moderate the course of the disease. The drug is fluvoxamine, an anti-depressant that has been prescribed chiefly by psychiatrists for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. (Hiltzik, 8/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
With School Year Beginning, Health Officials Note More Children Being Treated For COVID-19 In Hospitals
A slight uptick in children hospitalized with COVID-19 has caused concern that further increases may follow, especially since most students are returning to campuses for the first time since the pandemic began. On Wednesday, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital had two children being treated in its pediatric unit. Also, a newborn was being investigated for COVID-19 at Mercy Hospital Downtown. Memorial Hospital President and CEO Ken Keller said in a virtual press conference a higher percentage of its COVID-19 patients were children, but commented the increase was “not material.” (Morgen, 8/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Group Says Schools Need More COVID Safety Measures
As some parents accuse schools of being too strict about COVID safety measures, others are saying they’re not doing enough to keep kids safe. The state of California already is requiring all students and staff in public and private K-12 schools to wear masks while indoors. All public and private school staff also are required to be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID testing. (Taketa, 8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Pac-12 COVID Vaccination Rates Climb As Football Season Approaches
Two weeks from the 2021 season, the majority of Pac-12 football programs are approaching a COVID vaccination rate that could limit the disruption caused by the Delta variant. At least seven teams have reached or surpassed the 90% mark, while two more have topped 85%, according to data provided to the Hotline by the schools. (Wilner, 8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Bay Area Weather: Extreme Fire Conditions Fill Sky With Smoke
The overcast above the Bay Area grew a little darker Wednesday. The smoke dropped a little bit lower. The events were as expected, weather and air quality officials said, and they insisted the two did not mean the air was as unhealthy to breathe as it appeared to be. (Hurd, 8/18)
CapRadio:
Air Quality Forecast To Remain Unhealthy In Sacramento Region Through Thursday
Northwesterly winds are blowing smoke from the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County to the Sacramento area, leaving a thick layer of haze over the valley that is unhealthy to inhale. "Everybody's going to be sucking smoke for a long time," Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said Wednesday. "These are fuels-driven fires as much as weather-driven fires." (Milne, 8/18)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Wildfires: What You Need To Know About Evacuating
With wildfires like the Caldor blaze displaying what officials have called “extreme” and “unprecedented” growth, Californians need to be prepared for evacuations. According to the California Office of Emergency Services, more than 31,000 people have been evacuated due to wildfires in Northern California as of Wednesday morning. Currently, 11 counties are under states of emergency as designated by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Jasper, 8/18)
Sacramento Bee:
Caldor Fire: Thousands Evacuate From Rural Northern CA Blaze
Conditions have gotten so bad on the Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County that Cal Fire transferred 30 engines early Wednesday from the Dixie Fire — the largest fire in the state this year and second-biggest in state history. The engines and their crews had been stationed in Reno. (Stanton, McGough and Kasler, 8/18)
CapRadio:
Caldor Fire Conditions, Evacuations And Closures As Fire Grows Near Pollock Pines
Firefighters took advantage of calmer winds than expected and an inversion layer to limit the growth of the Caldor Fire Wednesday, but officials say it is still an "extremely active fire. "Now 62,586 acres, the Caldor Fire has grown explosively since starting Saturday evening south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County. More than 23,000 people have been evacuated, the town of Grizzly Flats has been devastated and at least two people have been injured. (8/18)
Bay Area News Group:
‘They Just Can’t Stop These Fires’: Caldor Fire Explodes As California’s Already Nightmarish Fire Season Drags On
An “unprecedented” wildfire southwest of Lake Tahoe has exploded dramatically, forcing thousands to flee their homes in late-night evacuations and prompting the emergency closure of a national forest as firefighters struggle to catch up with the blaze’s overwhelming spread. In just four days, the Caldor Fire has charred 62,586 acres in El Dorado County, burning through the 1,200-person town of Grizzly Flats and encroaching rapidly on other small communities nestled in the Sierra foothills. At least two civilians have been injured so far. (Kelliher and Kendall, 8/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Caldor Fire Doubles In Size As More Than 5,000 El Dorado County Residents Evacuate
Joseph Lopez soaked the yard surrounding his home with sprinklers for three days before the flames arrived. But like nearly everything else in this small mountain town, only smoldering ashes remained after the Caldor Fire swept through. Lopez was one of the few residents who managed to return to Grizzly Flats on Wednesday, albeit briefly due to road closures, to see the carnage left behind. He said it appeared as if a “hurricane fire” had ripped through. (Gardiner and Tucker, 8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Dixie Fire Races Toward Susanville, Forcing Some Evacuations
With the Dixie fire speeding closer to Susanville, some residents are beginning to leave. Amid recent gusty winds, the Dixie fire — California’s second-largest wildfire on record — grew to 635,728 acres by Wednesday morning. After burning for more than a month, it remains only 33% contained. A red flag warning extends until 11 p.m. for the east zone of the fire. (Branson-Potts, 8/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Cache Fire Destroys Structures Around Clearlake, Hundreds Evacuated
A wind-whipped wildfire destroyed buildings on the edge of Clearlake on Wednesday afternoon and forced more than a thousand people to evacuate, including two schools, before firefighters stopped the spreading flames. The Cache Fire was about 80 acres and 20% contained as of Wednesday evening, but officials said its forward progress had been halted. Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin estimated 50 to 60 structures were lost, while stressing that a precise tally of damages was still to come. (Morris and Johnson, 8/18)
Southern California News Group:
Caregiver Suspected Of Shocking Patients At California Care Facility Arrested
A caregiver at a Buena Park facility admitted using a stun gun to shock three patients with intellectual disabilities, and was arrested Monday, police said Wednesday, Aug. 18. The victims were women between the ages of 30 and 50 living at the Steadfast Residential Care Facility at 6052 Western Avenue, Buena Park police Sgt. Chad Weaver said. They all have cognitive disabilities and 39-year-old Timothy Jay Tovera was one of the caregivers assigned to look after them. (Licas, 8/19)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Defying U.S. And EU Regulators, San Diego Biotech Illumina Acquires Cancer Detection Firm Grail
San Diego sequencing giant Illumina announced Wednesday that it has acquired Bay Area cancer detection firm Grail, a move sure to rankle regulators in the U.S. and European Union fiercely opposed to the deal. Illumina first announced its $7.1 billion bid to buy Grail last September. The Menlo Park startup has developed a test known as Galleri, which can spot early signs of 50 different cancers from a blood sample. (Wosen, 8/18)
CalMatters:
Colleges Help Students Apply For Food Stamps, As Rules Ease
During the Covid emergency, the federal government has expanded food stamp eligibility for college students, who have typically had trouble accessing the aid even though many suffer from food insecurity. California colleges are stepping up their efforts to get students enrolled. (Salgado, 8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Behind The Story: Giving Birth While Covering Midwives
Last summer, as deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic were spiking, I was looking for a story about life when I came across a GoFundMe page where two Black midwives, Allegra Hill and Kimberly Durdin, were raising money for a birth center called Kindred Space LA in Hyde Park. At a time when people of color were disproportionately being sickened and killed by the pandemic, Allegra and Kimberly were bettering life from the core, caring for mothers and their infants. My goal was to document their important and compassionate work. What I didn’t expect was how their story would affect me as a journalist and a mother. (Maxwell, 8/18)