The Hill: FDA Authorization Of Pfizer Vaccine Will Come 'Days To A Week' After Panel Meeting 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators may not make a decision about authorizing Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine until next week, according to an agency official. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA division overseeing vaccines, said Wednesday that a decision would come "days to a week" after an agency advisory panel meeting Thursday. (Weixel, 12/9)

AP: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Faces Last Hurdle Before US Decision
The FDA panel functions like a science court that will pick apart the data and debate — in public and live-streamed — whether the shot is safe and effective enough to be cleared for emergency use. The non-government experts specialize in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics. The FDA is expected to follow the committee’s advice, although it is not required to do so. (Neergaard and Perrone, 12/10)

USA Today: 'Very Inconsistent': 2 Allergic Reactions In The UK To COVID-19 Vaccine Puzzle Researchers
Allergic reactions were not a significant problem in the U.S. trial in which more than 20,000 people have received both two doses of the vaccine, but the U.S. trials kept out subjects who have had severe allergic reactions, said Moncef Slaoui, co-head of Operation Warp Speed – the government program tasked with developing, manufacturing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines. (Weintraub, 12/9)

NPR: 'Kind Of A Chess Game': For States, Distributing COVID-19 Vaccine Poses Myriad Hurdles
The first COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. could get authorized for emergency use in a matter of days. But for state health officials, any excitement over any potential breakthrough is tempered by an overwhelming logistical test: distributing a vaccine to millions of Americans. Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said there's "no shortage of challenges" for the people charged with planning the vaccination rollout for their state. (Bowman, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Coronavirus: California Was Faring Better Than The U.S. What Happened? 
It wasn’t long ago that COVID-19 infections in California were coming at half the rate of the nation, per capita. But in just the past few days, the explosion in California’s case counts has wiped out its advantage. Wednesday marked the state’s third consecutive day of more than 30,000 cases, after never before hitting that threshold. And now, California’s infection rate has pulled even with the national average for the first time in more than three months. (Webeck, 12/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Warns That Hundreds Will Die If Guidelines Ignored: ‘The Virus Knows No Holidays’
Another 500 San Francisco residents could die of COVID-19 over the next few months if people continue to disregard pleas to stay away from others and the virus keeps spreading widely, according to a dire forecast from public health leaders Wednesday. The reproductive value for San Francisco currently is 1.5, which roughly means every person infected will spread the coronavirus to one-and-a-half other people. At that rate of transmission, hospitalizations could increase more than ten-fold by Feb. 10, said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, in a news briefing. (Allday, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Why Intensive-Care Unit Beds Are Focus Of California’s Coronavirus Shutdowns 
At the heart of the state’s latest coronavirus stay-at-home orders, which Southern California triggered over the weekend, sits a single metric: Available intensive-care unit beds. That metric, established by the California Department of Public Health, is the most-recent wonky medical term to take a starring role in gauging the state’s fight against the coronavirus — and it is one that officials say is key to preventing the healthcare system from being overrun. (Rosenfeld, 12/10)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Region’s ICU Capacity Falls Below 15%. COVID Stay-At-Home Order Coming
The Greater Sacramento region will be placed under the state’s strictest shutdown order Thursday night, just before midnight, state health officials said. The new restrictions will require all restaurants to close outdoor dining, and will force barbers, hair salons and nail salons to shut doors. Retail outlets will be required to limit customers to 20% capacity at a time. Residents will be asked to remain at home except to go to essential jobs or to do basic chores. The restriction will be in place for at least three weeks — stretching from Friday through Christmas Day to at least Dec. 31 if ICU capacity improves. (Bizjak, Pohl, McGough and Kasler, 12/9)

Fresno Bee: Fresno, Valley Reaches 100,000 Coronavirus Cases As Hospital ICUs Brace For More Patients
The total number of people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Fresno County and neighboring counties in the central San Joaquin Valley since March surpassed 100,000 on Wednesday, marking yet another milestone in a surge that has seen cases grow by almost one-third in just the past month. The escalation of COVID-19 infections reflects a corresponding and unrelenting increase in the number of people hospitalized for treatment of the virus in the Valley. The lag time between the time that a person may be infected and when they find themselves sick enough to go to a hospital has doctors bracing for what they expect will be even more cases from Thanksgiving gatherings after a two-week incubation. (Sheehan, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Coronavirus: California Quietly Reverses Outdoor Playground Ban In New Stay-Home Order 
To the relief of parents, California quietly reversed the outdoor playground ban Wednesday in its regional stay-home order, which is now in effect for the state’s southern half and many Bay Area counties to control spread of the coronavirus. The stay-home order announced last Thursday listed outdoor playgrounds as off limits in affected regions. It also bans outdoor dining at restaurants, but encourages other outdoor activity like hiking or going to the beach. The California Department of Public Health confirmed the update Wednesday. (Woolfolk, 12/9)

Fresno Bee: Fresno Council To Consider Gathering Rule, Official Says 
The Fresno City Council will discuss a revised ordinance related to gatherings two days after a separate controversial order was pulled from discussion, according to Councilmember Luis Chavez. The new version of the proposed order gives the city leeway to enforce coronavirus safety orders for large backyard gatherings or concerts if the number of intensive care unit beds continue to dwindle in Fresno County, according to the resolution. (Miller, 12/10)

Fresno Bee: Code Enforcement: No Indoor Dining. Fresno Restaurant Cited 
The Waffle Shop in northwest Fresno recently received another citation for not complying to measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus. Its owner, Ammar Ibrahim, described that as “BS.” “I think everyone is essential and has the right to make a living,” Ibrahim said Tuesday. “It’s our constitutional right to make a living and support our families.” (George, 12/9)

San Diego Union-Tribune: 'Stay Open And Fight For Your Rights,' Say San Diego Businesses Defying Shutdown Order 
After spending thousands of dollars on a tented, outdoor dining space for customers at her nearly year-old vegan restaurant in North Park, owner Alondra Ruiz made a risky decision. She would stay open in defiance of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest stay-at-home order barring indoor and outdoor dining. (Weisberg and Nikolewski, 12/9)

Orange County Register: Orange County Expands Coronavirus Saliva Testing Program To All Residents
Orange County leaders this week doubled down on the latest push to make COVID-19 testing easier and more accessible to the masses. Starting Monday, Nov. 7, county leaders expanded a saliva testing program so anyone in Orange County now can order a do-it-yourself kit to their doorstep. After the campaign’s successful first phase, Orange County residents already are clamoring for the free kits, said Dr. Clayton Chau, OC Health Care Agency director and county health officer. (Wheeler, 12/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Said It Would Track COVID In LGBTQ Community. It Largely Hasn’t
California is largely ignoring a new law requiring county health officers and providers to track the toll of the coronavirus pandemic among LGBTQ people, advocates say. The law took effect immediately when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in September. But the state has yet to enforce the mandate consistently or report any COVID-19 data among LGBTQ people. (Gardiner, 12/9)

Sacramento Bee: ‘We Have Failed’: A Look At How COVID-19 Affects California’s 800,000 Farmworkers
A new study released by the Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas and the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health underscores the COVID-19 pandemic’s unequal toll on agricultural workers in California. The majority of participants in the study, conducted between July and November, were from Mexico and identified as Latino. “We have failed to protect this population, while they have continued to engage in essential work through the pandemic,” said Joseph Lewnard, a researcher and assistant professor of epidemiology at the school, in a statement. (Bojórquez, 12/10)

Modesto Bee: ‘Major’ COVID-19 Outbreak At Foster Farms In Fresno Under Investigation, Top Doctor Says
Foster Farms has two active outbreaks at their Fresno poultry plants, according to officials at the Fresno County Health Department. The company shut down their plant on Cherry Street in southeast Fresno over the weekend to deep clean because nearly 200 asymptomatic employees tested positive for the virus. The plant has since reopened. (Tobias, 12/9)

Modesto Bee: Free COVID-19 Program Provides Food, Wellness Calls To Seniors
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to isolate seniors, a free program offering weekday meal deliveries and wellness phone calls is accepting applicants. Residents of Stanislaus and northern Merced counties age 65 or older can apply for the Well Check program designed to alleviate depression and food insecurity. Run by Covenant Care at Home in Turlock and funded by the Legacy Health Endowment, the program has served 10 pilot participants since September, said Home Health Administrator Ronda Malmberg. (Lam, 12/10)

Bay Area News Group: Families Flee Bay Area And COVID-19 Rules So Their Kids Can Play Soccer 
Paul Kim had had enough of Santa Clara County’s strict COVID-19 policies for youth contact sports. In early September, he packed up his two soccer-loving daughters and relocated from San Jose to Phoenix. (Almond, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Coronavirus Economy: California Recovery Will Lag U.S. Rebound
California’s weak economy will take longer than the nation to recover from its coronavirus-induced maladies due to strict business lockdowns imposed by state and local government agencies, according to a downbeat economic forecast released Wednesday. One bright spot: Santa Clara County has recovered the jobs it lost during months of business shutdowns at a notably faster pace than California, the Bay Area, and every other major metro center in the state, the UCLA Anderson Forecast reported Wednesday. (Avalos, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Hitting Families That Are Already Struggling
According to a new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California, 43% of households making less than $40,000 a year have seen their earnings shrink. And with little to nothing to spare, 42% of low-income families are cutting back on food. In contrast, 36% of households earning $80,000 or more have seen their work hours or pay reduced, and just 12% have had to scale back at the grocery store. (DeRuy, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Lifting Eviction Bans Sparks Higher COVID Case Rates, Deaths: UCLA Study
As the state faces its most stringent business shutdowns since spring and as moratoriums protecting many from eviction threaten to sunset, California lawmakers have started debating more protections for vulnerable renters and landlords whose finances were affected by the pandemic’s deepening economic crisis. Now, a new study of 44 states that enacted eviction moratoriums links evictions to an increase in coronavirus deaths and cases. (Du Sault, 12/9)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Advocates: San Diego's Black Residents Face Worsening House Ownership Disparities Because Of COVID 
San Diego’s Black residents already had the lowest homeownership rate in the region compared to other demographic groups, even before COVID-19. It’s an issue that housing and racial equity advocates have been working on for years. But many now worry that the coronavirus pandemic and recent housing trends are making it worse. (Lopez-Villafana, 12/9)

Bay Area News Group: Proposed Bill Would Require In-Person Instruction At California Schools When A County’s COVID Stats Improve 
Several California lawmakers are proposing an urgency bill to require California schools resume in-person instruction once their county progresses out of the most restrictive tier of the state’s coronavirus tracking system. If adopted by the state Legislature, AB10 would require after March 1 that once a county enters at least the red tier, schools would have to reopen classrooms within two weeks, following public health guidance. Currently school district leaders make the decision when to return students to campus once a county is out of the purple tier, and some in California have delayed that transition over local virus concerns. (Albano, 12/10)

The Bakersfield Californian: Golden Valley High Students Form A Support Group For Struggling Students 
Golden Valley High School students started their own peer counseling group called THRIVE that is quickly becoming a model for schools across the Kern High School District looking to reach struggling students. The project is the brainchild of Golden Valley High School senior Jayden Reyes Sarmiento. She and fellow senior Gerardo Bernal were invited to be student representatives on the school's support team. The idea came up during a discussion in October. "We were discussing the struggles that students were going through academically and emotionally," Sarmiento said. "I was thinking, 'What would be better than students helping students?' Because we really relate to what they're going through, and we know exactly how their struggles feel." (Gallegos, 12/9)

San Diego Union-Tribune: CVS To Hire 100-Plus San Diego Pharmacists, Technicians Ahead Of COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout 
CVS Health, owner of the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chain, plans to hire 120 San Diego pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in preparation for the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine. The move is part of a nationwide effort to hire 15,000 new staffers, many of whom will vaccinate residents in long-term care settings, such as skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. (Wosen, 12/10)

LA Daily News: Ralphs Will Provide COVID-19 Vaccine At Its Pharmacies
The owners of the Ralphs supermarket chain said Wednesday that their stores will provide access to the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available in California. Ralphs has 77 pharmacies in the Southern California area. The timing of when the vaccine would be available at those pharmacies was not immediately clear. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County health officials said initial allocation of roughly 84,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses would begin as early as next week, with initial priority given to health care workers. (12/9)

Los Angeles Times: California Hospices Under Fire For Mistreating Patients 
Nicolas Tuparan was eating breakfast at a Pasadena nursing home when he suddenly gasped for air. “Your father choked on eggs and oatmeal,” a nurse with Vitas Hospice Services would later tell Tuparan’s daughter, according to his family’s lawsuit. “He was very demanding and keep on telling me: feed me, feed me! So I kept on feeding him.” Tuparan, 88, stopped breathing and fell into a coma. The nurse said she did not perform CPR because it was against Vitas policy, even though Tuparan had explicitly requested lifesaving measures in the event of a medical emergency, the complaint alleged. Vitas attorneys did not respond to messages seeking comment. (Christensen and Poston, 12/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: Black S.F. Employees File Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against City
Three Black San Francisco employees filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday against the city, accusing agencies of failing to provide Black workers with equal employment opportunities and prevent discrimination. The plaintiffs work in the Municipal Transportation Agency, the Department of Public Health and the Public Utilities Commission. The lawsuit alleges they were paid less than non-Black colleagues, denied promotions due to their race and subjected to racist comments, harassment and treatment, including an anonymous note that called one a “monkey.” (Moench, 12/9)

The Bakersfield Californian: Flu Activity Is Low In Kern, Across The State 
Seasonal influenza is off to a slow start so far in Kern and the rest of California perhaps due in part to precautions taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Flu activity is lower than normal for this time of year, according to the California Department of Public Health, with just two deaths in the state so far. Last year at this time, 16 people had died from flu in the state and flu activity was elevated in most areas of California. (Shepard, 12/9)

KQED: Thousands Of California Inmates Waiting For Access To Addiction Treatment
More than 6,000 California prison inmates are awaiting the doctor's appointments they need to receive addiction-treatment medication, according to a prisoner advocacy group. Attorneys with the Berkeley-based Prison Law Office say many of them have faced months of delays, including one man who had an appointment rescheduled three times over multiple months after being found unconscious in his cell from an apparent opioid overdose. (McDede, 12/9)

Fresno Bee: Toxic Drinking Water Stems From Racist Government Policies
In the San Joaquin Valley, agricultural runoff from fertilizer and manure leaches into groundwater, contributing to some of the highest levels of nitrate pollution in community water systems in the country. (Vaughn and Vera, 12/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: Lake Tahoe Is Shutting Down To Tourists On Friday
Vacation travel to Lake Tahoe will be banned for at least three weeks starting Friday due to a regional rise in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations. The state’s stay-at-home mechanism was triggered Wednesday afternoon for a vast region of 13 counties spanning from Sacramento east to the Nevada border. Though not unexpected, the news that Christmas travel would be off-limits came as a blow to the state’s premier winter tourism destination, which first went into lockdown with the rest of the state in March. (Thomas, 12/9)