Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death
Americans are avoiding hospitals and clinics by the millions, even when they shouldn’t, and many experts expect a jump in preventable disease diagnoses after the COVID crisis eases. Paradoxically, the pandemic may have been good for some heart patients, however. (John M. Glionna, )
California Sets COVID Record—Again: For the third time in the past week, California set a new record for daily deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, sparing few corners of the state. Six counties reported at least 10 fatalities, including 51 in Los Angeles. The seven-day average climbed higher than it has ever been, 119 deaths per day over the past week, even as the number of new cases has plateaued around 9,215 per day, with another 10,006 reported on Tuesday. The state previously set a daily record last Wednesday, then broke that mark the next day. Read more from Evan Webeck of The Mercury News.
In related news: Last California County Without COVID-19 Now Has Positive Cases
San Francisco Priest Slams Parishioners For Choosing ‘Safety Above Sacraments’: A San Francisco Catholic priest, who called the pandemic a political ploy, chastised his parishioners for putting fears over faith and skipping Mass to “avoid the remote possibility of dying from Covid.” Father Joseph Illo wrote the letter in the July 26 Star of the Sea parish bulletin. “During the pandemic we have chosen safety above sacraments,” he said. City officials blasted the message. “It is absolutely irresponsible for anyone to use their spirituality to spread potentially deadly misinformation,” said Mayor London Breed. Read more from Jill Tucker of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage and the best of the rest of the news.
More News From Across The State
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Mateo County Added To State Coronavirus List, Bringing Bay Area’s Reopening To A Standstill
San Mateo became the latest Bay Area county added to California’s coronavirus watch list Wednesday, threatening to bring the region’s economic reopening to a complete standstill. The county fell under the state’s monitoring protocol for exceeding the threshold for coronavirus cases and hospitalizations for more than two weeks. (Vaziri, 7/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Mateo County Businesses Face Renewed Closures With Watch List Designation
After teetering near the state’s thresholds for coronavirus cases and hospitalizations for more than two weeks, San Mateo finally joined the Bay Area’s other eight counties on the California watch list Wednesday and now faces further business restrictions if it remains on that list another two days. If that comes to pass, barbershops and salons, gyms, malls, nonessential offices and places of worship will have to close completely or shift to outdoor-only operations by 12:01 a.m. Saturday. (Simmons, 7/29)
Fresno Bee:
COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 400 In Fresno, Neighboring Counties
Fresno County experienced its biggest one-day increase in confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday, as the number of people who have tested positive for the virus lurched upward by nearly 600. And across the central San Joaquin Valley, a grim milestone was reached as the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 climbed to more than 400. Madera and Merced counties collectively reported that COVID-19 claimed 11 more lives – five in Madera County, six in Merced County. Kings County also reported one additional death Wednesday evening. (Sheehan, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Where COVID-19 Cases Are Growing Fastest In Sacramento County
Reported COVID-19 cases roughly tripled in Sacramento County during the past four weeks, and several densely populated, economically disadvantaged areas were among the hardest hit, county data show. There were about 9,300 reported COVID-19 cases in Sacramento County on Monday, up from about 3,100 four weeks prior. That’s the equivalent of almost 40 new cases per 10,000 residents. (Reese and Levine, 7/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Charts Show The New Coronavirus Hot Spots Bordering The Bay Area
The Bay Area was California’s first coronavirus hot spot. Los Angeles and the larger Southern California counties were next. Now, in the latest phase of the pandemic, the epicenter has shifted inward, to the agricultural regions of the Central Valley. And some of the hardest-hit counties are those that border the Bay Area. (Hwang and Massa, 7/30)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Adventist Health Receives Field Units In Bakersfield, Tehachapi From International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps is deploying emergency medical field units, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to support Adventist Health Bakersfield and Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley in the fight against COVID-19. The International Medical Corps field units enable hospitals to expand triage and treatment space at existing facilities, improve patient flow and keep COVID-19 patients separated from other patients, according to a news release. (Sasic, 7/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline Through August Due To Coronavirus
California has extended the special enrollment period for health insurance through the end of August on the state’s Covered California insurance marketplace. The state’s recent surge in coronavirus cases drove the decision to extend the enrollment period, officials wrote in a statement. The California Department of Managed Health Care, which manages the state’s Medi-Cal program, and the California Department of Insurance also extended special enrollment deadlines to August 31, “which applies to all health plans on the individual market.” (Kramer, 7/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Approves $40 Million Sale Of Daly City Hospital With Conditions
After months of negotiations, the state has conditionally approved the $40 million sale of Seton Medical Center in Daly City and its Moss Beach facility. The hospital system, long plagued by financial instability, serves many low-income and elderly patients in the Bay Area. (Echeverria, 7/29)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Sacramento County Health Officials Say Young People, Essential Workers And Seniors Are Of Major Concern In Current COVID-19 Surge
Sacramento County officials are hoping that the recent move to close indoor dining, bars and other social hubs will lead to a decline in COVID-19 cases soon. But for now, they’re trying to stem the rising numbers. Over the past seven days Sacramento has reported an average of 247 new cases, compared to 88 over the same time period a month ago. That includes 400 new cases reported Tuesday, a new single-day high. (Caiola, 7/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Missing A Mask? An L.A. Politician Is Ready To Fine You $100
Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz called Wednesday for the city to issue financial penalties to those who fail to wear masks in public — starting with $100 for the first violation. Koretz, who represents a district stretching from the Westside north to Encino, wants the council to impose a series of escalating fines for those who fail to comply with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s three-month-old emergency mask order. (Zahniser and Money, 7/29)
Fresno Bee:
Family Sues Visalia Nursing Home After COVID-19 Death
The family of Santiago Gonzalez, a, 87-year-old former resident of Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia, is suing the nursing home for wrongful death after he contracted COVID-19 and died. The family alleges in the lawsuit, filed by their attorney Warren Paboojian, that the healthcare center failed to protect its staff, employees and residents — even as COVID-19 was gaining a foothold in Tulare County. (Rodriguez, 7/30)
Sacramento Bee:
Dozens Of California Youth Inmates Infected With COVID-19
Jane Faalataina’s son is among the 47 teens and young adults who have tested positive for COVID-19 inside the walls of California’s youth prisons. So far, his symptoms are minor, but he’s locked in an isolation unit inside a Stockton facility, and his studies are suffering, she said. The state adult prison system has seen thousands of inmates released early as the coronavirus has surged through those institutions. Faalataina said she wonders why California isn’t willing to do the same for incarcerated youth offenders like her 20-year-old son. (Sabalow, 7/30)
The Bakersfield Californian:
GET: 3 More Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus
Three more Golden Empire Transit employees have tested positive for coronavirus, the bus district announced Wednesday, noting that brings to 16 the total number of workers who have tested positive since March. GET noted in a news release that the employees are quarantined at home and receiving care. (7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
COVID Eviction Fears Rise Among Black, Latino Californians
Latino and Black tenants in California are much more worried than their white and Asian counterparts about paying their rent in the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to data taken by the U.S. Census Bureau. The fears reflect the disproportionate economic impact of the pandemic Latino and Black communities. The Black and Latino unemployment rates have been significantly higher the white unemployment rate, and those groups have also had higher COVID-19 infection rates. (Irby, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Latinos, African Americans Most Likely To View Pollution As A Serious Health Threat
Latinos and African Americans are more likely to view pollution as a serious health threat than other groups, according to a new statewide study by the Public Policy Institute of California. “African Americans and Latinos are more likely than others to say that air and water pollution in their part of California are very serious health threats to themselves and their families,” said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, in the study. Two-thirds of Californians surveyed said air pollution is a very serious or somewhat serious threat. (Bojorquez, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Republic FC Game With Orange County Postponed By Coronavirus
Thirty minutes before Sacramento Republic FC’s match against Orange County SC on Wednesday night, it was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test from a previous opponent. Republic FC last played LA Galaxy ll on Saturday and Orange County last played Phoenix Rising FC on the same day. Galaxy II was also supposed to play Wednesday night against San Diego Loyal SC, but their game was also canceled. Orange County played Phoenix last Saturday. (Salerno, 7/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California Scales Back Coronavirus Testing Task Force Despite Long Lines, New Outbreaks
In the early days of coronavirus testing, California public health officials teamed up with private industry executives for an immediate impact. The group, established by Gov. Gavin Newsom, added over 100 new test sites in three weeks, launched partnerships with new innovative labs, and managed the flow of swabs, chemicals and gear through the state’s sprawling new testing infrastructure. But as the state now grapples with surging infection rates and looming test supply shortages, the task force has shrunk in size and influence. Dozens of task force members have departed and not been replaced, and the senior health official who oversaw the team has resigned. (Baumgaertner, 7/30)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Federal Coronavirus Surge Testing Site Arrives In Bakersfield As Central Valley Becomes Hot Spot
As coronavirus continues to spread in Kern County, a federal surge testing unit arrived in Bakersfield on Wednesday. In a press conference announcing the opening of the facility, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and others expressed hope that the federal site could help local officials bring COVID-19 under control in Kern County. (Morgen, 7/29)
CalMatters:
Is Your County Tracing Contacts Of People Sick With COVID?
Twenty-eight of the 38 California counties with surging cases of COVID-19 report that they are attempting to investigate everyone infected and trace everyone they expose. But at least seven counties aren’t, and another one is asking all people with the virus to notify their contacts themselves. (Sohn, Ibarra and Tobias, 7/29)
Los Angeles Times:
O.C. Board Of Education Will Sue Newsom To Reopen Schools
The Orange County Board of Education doubled down on its battle with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus school closure orders, voting to sue the governor in an effort to open campuses across high-risk counties. Law firm Tyler & Bursch, which is currently suing Newsom over another coronavirus rule temporarily banning singing in churches, announced Wednesday it would represent the county board pro bono. The decision to sue during a closed session vote Tuesday night comes after the board approved recommendations on July 13 calling for Orange County schools to teach students in person and suggested guidelines against students wearing masks and social distancing. (Sheridan, 7/29)
AP:
Some California Schools Want Waivers To Reopen Despite Virus
Fairmont Schools has been preparing for weeks to welcome back students to its five campuses in Southern California’s Orange County and never stopped even though Gov. Gavin Newsom has said classroom instruction won’t be possible in most places. The private school with about 2,000 students is hoping to obtain a waiver allowing for classroom instruction but like others interested in providing in-person education they still are waiting on the state to provide details on the requirements. (Taxin, 7/29)