Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Crushed By A Hospital Bill? Stand Up For Yourself
Most hospitals must offer free or reduced-cost care to certain patients, based on income, even if they have insurance. But some hospitals erect barriers to charity care, so it’s up to patients to advocate for themselves. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
Newsom Declares State Of Emergency, Will Fly Test Kits To Cruise Ship After Passenger Becomes California’s First Coronavirus Death: Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a coronavirus state of emergency Wednesday, hours after California announced its first death, involving a person who got sick on a cruise ship possibly more than half-filled with passengers from the state. By the time public health authorities made the connection between the two ill former passengers and the ship, the Grand Princess was at sea again with a new group of about 2,500 passengers.
Newsom said the boat would not be allowed to dock in San Francisco until passengers deemed at risk had been tested for the virus. "We are going to be flying testing kits to the cruise ship, and we are going to be sending those quickly back to the state," Newsom said at a news conference late Wednesday. "We'll be able to test very quickly within just a few hours." Eleven passengers and 10 crew members were showing symptoms of COVID-19, the governor said. He added that the number "may significantly understate" the presence of the coronavirus on the cruise ship.
Ten Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers and five emergency responders who were exposed to the patient before they were put in isolation are now in quarantine. They are not exhibiting symptoms but are being quarantined and monitored, county officials said.
California has reported one death and 53 cases of COVID-19. The state is monitoring an additional 9,400 individuals who either traveled to affected areas or had close contact with someone who did.
Read more from the Los Angeles Times; the Sacramento Bee; Capital Public Radio; the San Francisco Chronicle; and NPR.
In related news from the Los Angeles Times: On Grand Princess, Confusion, Missteps Reigned As Coronavirus Spread, Passengers Say
What You Need To Know About The Emergency Declaration: An emergency declaration gives cities and counties the ability to ask the state or other counties for aid if their local resources are exhausted. The declarations have been preparation-based, not because an outbreak currently exists. Los Angeles County and the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach made emergency declarations Wednesday, while Marin and Placer counties made declarations Tuesday. The announcements follow similar decrees in San Francisco, Orange County, Solano County and other places over the last few weeks. Officials stress that the declarations should not cause panic because they are designed to help focus resources and get a government response moving more quickly. Read more from Colleen Shalby and Soumya Karlamangla of the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
The New York Times:
California Shooting Leaves One Dead, With 7-Year-Old Among The Wounded
A gunman opened fire on a party outside an apartment complex in Tulare, Calif., on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding five others, including a 7-year-old girl, according to the Tulare police. The girl was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds at Valley Children’s Hospital, said Sgt. Ed Hinojosa, a police spokesman. Four other people were taken by ambulance to hospitals. Little was known about the gunman, who opened fire around 10:20 p.m., Sergeant Hinojosa said. Dozens of people were gathered outside the apartment complex to celebrate the life of someone who had been killed in a car accident a few days ago, he said. (Victor, 3/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Plan For California Prisons Raises Inmate And Advocate Concerns
California prison administrators preparing for the threat of coronavirus within the state’s sprawling lockup system are basing those plans off their existing protocol for inmate flu. But they will not discuss details of what changes might be made to a virus protection plan that currently calls for placing lines of tape on the floor to create isolation zones, and warns that ill individuals might have to share toilets with those who are well. The lack of information has inmate advocates and others worried. (St. John, 3/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus And Kids: What Bay Area Parents And Pregnant Women Need To Know
When the coronavirus hit the Bay Area, Novato mom Naomi Thorne pulled out all the hand sanitizer bottles she had. She’s avoiding indoor play areas and making sure to spray her 2-year-old Everett’s hands even at outdoor parks. At a recent work event with a buffet, she was so nervous about using the utensils that she went to the bathroom to wash her hands afterward. She and her wife, Katherine, both real estate agents, decided to not shake hands with prospective buyers at house tours. (Moench, 3/4)
KPBS:
San Diego Has A Coronavirus Hotline Available, But Few Are Using It
2-1-1 San Diego phone operators are ready to answer the public’s questions about novel coronavirus — the global outbreak of a new pneumonia-like illness that’s reached the U.S. — but so far calls are barely trickling in.Despite international concerns about coronavirus misinformation, the nonprofit county contractor said few San Diegans are seeking its 24/7 services for updates on the disease that has infected more than 94,000, killed at least 3,200 worldwide, including people in Washington State and California, which declared a statewide emergency Wednesday. (Mento, 3/4)
Orange County Register:
Coronavirus, Supply-Chain Issues Raise Fears In California Manufacturers
The spread of the coronavirus, questions over how bad it could get and what authorities should do to fight back are casting shadows across the manufacturing sector. The crisis has become a double-edged sword for Paulson Manufacturing, a Temecula company that makes protective face shields. As the novel virus spread from country to country, the company upgraded its production capabilities to make as many as a million medical shields a month. “We had to move heaven and earth to get that done,” said President and CEO Roy Paulson. (Katzanek, 3/5)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: Bay Area Residents, Venues Wrestle With Events
James Burnett says he’s not a “panicky, overreacting-type” of person. But when his first-grade daughter came home this week with a permission slip for a field trip to attend a packed theater — in the midst of a cascade of canceled corporate and social events over coronavirus worries — he fired off an email to the principal. “I am very concerned about actions that seem reckless in the current environment,” he wrote. (Sulek and Baron, 3/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus: California Colleges Cancel Study Abroad Programs, Hundreds Of Students Return
Hundreds of California students are returning home early from study abroad programs because of coronavirus outbreaks in China, South Korea, and Italy. The University of California system canceled its program in China in January and ended semesters in South Korea and Italy, which included Rome and Florence, last week. (Moench, 3/4)
Sacramento Bee:
Coronavirus: How Are California Schools Addressing COVID-19?
Hours after Placer County officials reported that a resident died of the new coronavirus, marking the first death of the illness in California, the Placer County Office of Education held its weekly meeting with local health officials to discuss what’s next. The news of the death came just hours before Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak, which has stricken dozens of people in 12 counties since last month. Schools have been communicating with concerned parents in recent weeks. Some Northern California schools and universities canceled international trips, study abroad programs. (Morrar, 3/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Peninsula Private School Closed After Staffer’s Relative Tests Positive For Coronavirus
A private school in San Mateo County will be closed through the weekend because a staffer had recent contact with a relative who tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. Officials at Menlo School, a private middle and high school in Atherton, said the school will be closed out of “an abundance of caution and for the safety and well-being of our community.” The relative of the staffer, whose identity was not released, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, school head Than Healy said in a letter sent to parents of the school’s 795 students. (Serrano, 3/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Menlo School Girls Basketball Playoff Game In Limbo After School Closes Over Coronavirus Concerns
A number of Menlo School-Atherton spring sporting events have been postponed or canceled because of concerns over the coronavirus, and a CIF Northern California Division 1 girls basketball game between Menlo and Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland scheduled for Thursday is in limbo. According to Menlo athletic director Earl Koberlein, school officials found out late Tuesday night that a relative of a staff member tested positive for the virus, and as an “extreme precaution,” the school is closed for the rest of the week. (Stephens, 3/4)
Fresno Bee:
Valley Children’s Limits Visitors To Due Coronavirus Concern
Valley Children’s Hospital announced a change to its visitors policy Wednesday because of concerns of the coronavirus. Effective immediately, only parents/guardians and direct caregivers of patients will be allowed to visit Valley Children’s for the time being.Other visitors and non-essential vendors will not be allowed in the hospital. (Anteola, 3/4)
PBS NewsHour:
How San Francisco Is Fighting Novel Coronavirus — And The Stigma That Comes With It
On Wednesday, California officials confirmed the state’s first death from novel coronavirus, as the number of infections nationwide continues to rise. But beyond the serious medical implications of the virus, it is also provoking fear, suspicion and ethnic stereotyping. (Nawaz, Baldwin, Fritz and Kuhn, 3/4)
Sacramento Bee:
LAX Medical Screener Tests Positive For Coronavirus
A health worker who screened passengers at Los Angeles International Airport has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The worker for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last screened passengers on Feb. 21 and wore “proper protective gear while working,” DHS officials told NBC News. (Lin, 3/4)
The Beach Reporter:
Medical Professional At LAX Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Seven Cases Now In LA County
The individual at LAX, who is now under quarantine at home, last worked a shift at the airport on Feb. 21, more than a week before they began experiencing symptoms, according to the spokeswoman. The person felt cold-like symptoms and went to the doctor where a diagnosis of coronavirus was given on Feb. 29. (Rosenfeld and Grigoryants, 3/5)
Fresno Bee:
LAX Medical Screener Tests Positive For Coronavirus
“Late last night, DHS headquarters was alerted to a situation where one of our contracted medical professionals conducting screenings at LAX international airport had tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus,” DHS state in a statement to the outlet. “This individual is currently under self-quarantine at home with mild symptoms and under medical supervision. Their immediate family is also under home quarantine.” (Lin, 3/4)
Los Angeles Times:
LAX Screener Tests Positive For Coronavirus And Is Under Isolation, Sources Say
L.A. joins a growing number of California jurisdictions to declare health emergencies, which is designed to better marshal resources from across government agencies and give the fight against the virus more focus. (Winton, 3/4)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Sacramento County Is Testing For Coronavirus, But Officials Say Kit Shortage, Federal Approval Present Challenges
As more and more COVID-19 cases emerge in Northern California and the state grapples with its first death from the illness, counties are working through how to monitor potential cases and when to test patients... The California Department of Public Health says 515 people have been tested for the virus. California health officials say they’ve dispensed enough COVID-19 testing kits for 1,200 people. Those kits have been distributed to county public health labs across the state, including one in Sacramento. (Caiola, 3/4)
Sacramento Bee:
Coronavirus: CA To Get Funding, Testing After First Death
Millions of dollars in federal funding are flowing into the state to bolster the public health response to COVID-19, officials announced Wednesday as laboratories across the state ramp up their ability to test for the virus that claimed its first California victim earlier in the day in Placer County. Calling the elderly Rocklin man’s death, a “profound moment in our state,” Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency to combat and contain the virus. (Anderson, Smith and Yoon-Hendricks, 3/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Deserted Oil Wells Haunt Los Angeles With Toxic Fumes And Enormous Cleanup Costs
Thick oil was once so abundant beneath Southern California that it bubbled to the surface, most famously at the La Brea Tar Pits.But after more than a century of aggressive drilling by fossil fuel companies, most of Los Angeles’ profitable oil is gone. What remains is a costly legacy: nearly 1,000 wells across the city, in rich and poor neighborhoods, deserted by their owners and left to the state to clean, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of state records by the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity. (Olalde and Menezes, 3/5)
The Associated Press:
Supreme Court Divided In 1st Big Abortion Case Of Trump Era
A seemingly divided Supreme Court struggled Wednesday with its first major abortion case of the Trump era, leaving Chief Justice John Roberts as the likely deciding vote. Roberts did not say enough to tip his hand in an hour of spirited arguments at the high court. The court's election-year look at a Louisiana dispute could reveal how willing the more conservative court is to roll back abortion rights. A decision should come by late June. (Sherman, 3/4)
Reuters:
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Divided In Abortion Case; Roberts May Hold Key
Roberts appeared to acknowledge in his questions that he might feel bound by the court's 2016 finding that admitting privileges laws provide no health benefit to women. But his questions also indicated he may stray from the 2016 finding about the specific impact of the Texas law, which led to multiple clinic closures, because Louisiana's situation could be viewed differently. Two of Louisiana's three clinics that perform abortions would be forced to close if the law is allowed to take effect, according to lawyers for the clinic. Louisiana officials have said no clinics would be forced to close. (Hurley and Chung, 3/4)
The New York Times:
Justices Give Few Hints On How They Will Rule On Louisiana Abortion Law
The members of the court who may hold the key votes — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Kavanaugh — focused their questions on whether they were bound by a 2016 decision by the court that struck down an identical Texas law. They suggested that at least half of the cost-benefit analysis was identical in the two states, and they wondered whether that was sufficient to decide the case. “I understand the idea that the impact might be different in different places,” Chief Justice Roberts said, “but as far as the benefits of the law, that’s going to be the same in each state, isn’t it?” The court’s four liberal members seemed convinced that the Louisiana law, like the one from Texas, imposed the sort of “undue burden” on the right to abortion prohibited by the court’s 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. (Liptak, 3/4)