Covid Vaccination Rates For Black and Latino Males Is Rising In L.A. County: Los Angeles County has made significant progress vaccinating Black and Latino males in recent months after a slow start. Between May 9 and Oct. 24, the percentage of vaccinated Black males 12 years and older rose from 36% to 54%. Among Latino males in the same age group, the vaccination rate rose from 39% to 61%. Still, Black males continue to have the lowest vaccination rate in the county, and mistrust lingers. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
State Health Officials Promote Idea of Covid-19 Boosters For All: Health officials in California are starting to promote the idea of universal covid-19 booster shots before the holidays — marking a subtle but important shift in messaging even before federal agencies have recommended the policy. On Wednesday, Santa Clara County’s Health Officer, Dr. Sara Cody, strongly urged county residents to get boosters – remarks echoed by San Francisco’s Health Director, Dr. Grant Colfax. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a public appearance alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom that anyone who wants a booster should “absolutely” get one. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and The Sacramento Bee.
More News From Across The State
City News Service:
COVID-19 Remains Threat To Homeless Population, LA County Says
COVID-19 continues circulating among the homeless population, Los Angeles County health officials said Wednesday, Nov. 10, noting that five people who were homeless died from the virus over the past week while saying preparations are underway for the anticipated winter rise in shelter populations. The county Department of Public Health confirmed 101 new COVID-19 cases among those who are homeless in the past week, although the majority of them actually occurred previously but were only recently verified. (11/10)
CBS News:
U.S. Surgeon General: Americans Could Get To The Point Where They "Learn To Live With" COVID-19
COVID-19 is likely to become a long-term issue for Americans to "learn to live with," according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. "As we look to the future, I think what is likely to happen is that there will be coronavirus around for some period of time. But I do think we can knock it down in terms of its severity, and second, we can reduce the number of cases," Murthy told "CBS Mornings." (Novak, 11/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Cal's Football Team Was 99% Vaccinated Before A Big COVID-19 Outbreak. What Happened?
Cal’s football team is experiencing a major COVID-19 outbreak, with 44 students and staff testing positive, causing the team to postpone Saturday’s scheduled game against USC. But 99% of the people involved in the program are vaccinated, according to Cal officials. It’s the first major-college football game in the country postponed this season because of a COVID outbreak. (Echeverria and Kroichick, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
Cal COVID Controversy: Expert Criticizes Decision To Test Entire Team
An infectious disease specialist at one of the nation’s foremost medical centers roasted Berkeley Public Health for its decision to test the entire Cal football team for COVID — a move that resulted in numerous positive tests and forced the Bears to play one game with a depleted roster and call off Saturday’s date with USC. Dr. Monica Gandhi, the associate chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, pushed back on the notion that 44 cases within Cal’s football program over the past 10 days was cause for concern. (Wilner, 11/11)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Top U.S. COVID Doctor, Fauci Answers Questions From Santa Cruz, Nearby Residents
Each week, 18th District Rep. Anna Eshoo hosts a town hall for her constituents. This week, her town hall was especially well attended — all, she credited, to President Joe Biden’s advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. Eshoo, who represents parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, hand-selected questions from more than 800 residents of her district. Upon each question, Fauci answered at length for approximately 2,000 viewers. Fauci conveyed one main message — our future in relation to the COVID-19 virus can be just as positive as we act to make it. (Hartman, 11/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
These Charts Show The Geography Of California's COVID-19 Deaths Has Completely Changed
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s COVID deaths were concentrated in densely populated counties with lots of essential workers. But once vaccines became widely available, death rates soared primarily in rural counties with low vaccination rates, according to a Chronicle analysis. This trend has experts worried about what could happen this winter if another surge collides with low and waning immunity levels. (Nielson, 11/10)
Pasadena Star-News:
COVID Spiked Last Holiday Season, Gov. Newsom Reminds California
Gov. Gavin Newsom stopped by the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center Wednesday morning, Nov. 10, to encourage Southern Californians to get vaccinated as the state prepares for winter and a looming flu season. Newsom joined Sen. Alex Padilla, Health and Human Services Agency Director Dr. Mark Ghaly, and local health experts to talk last holiday season’s deadly winter surge and address the state’s ongoing efforts to ensure all of California’s communities have equitable access to a coronavirus vaccine. (Dixson, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Should California Worry About Another Winter COVID-19 Surge?
There are continued concerns that California could see a resurgence of COVID-19 over the coming weeks and months. What that might look like, and how severe it may ultimately turn out to be, remains an open question. (Lin II and Money, 11/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Should You Fly This Holiday Season? Here's What Bay Area Experts Say
After sticking close to home for the holidays last year, millions of people will take to the skies this year to reunite with families and make up for lost travel time. The three major Bay Area airports anticipate a significant spike in passenger traffic over the next few weeks as vaccination rates steady and carriers increase their flight schedules. But at a time when COVID-19 cases are creeping back up in the region — a possible early indicator of another winter surge — is it safe to fly again? How about those with unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children, or who may be more vulnerable to severe illnesses? (Vaziri, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
Santa Clara County Offers COVID Vaccine Booster To All Adults
When federal health authorities authorized COVID-19 vaccine boosters in September, they said the extra shots should be given to older adults or people at high risk. But Santa Clara County health officials took that a step further Wednesday, saying they will give any adult vaccinated six or more months ago another dose. It was a bold pronouncement that once again puts Santa Clara County at the forefront of battling the virus, with a more generous interpretation of the federal and state booster eligibility guidelines than is being used elsewhere. (Woolfolk, 11/10)
Orange County Register:
California’s Fully Vaccinated Rate Drops From 73% To 66.3% As Kids 5-11 Vaccine Eligibility Is Factored In
Last week 24.87 million Californians (73.3%) were fully vaccinated, up from 24.67 million two weeks ago. This week about 25 million Californians are fully vaccinated, which equated to 66.3% of the population eligible for vaccination.There are approximately 3.5 million kids ages 5 to 11 in the state, the age group that recently became eligible for vaccination. (Snibbe, 11/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Nearly 7,500 Kids Vaccinated In San Diego County Six Days After Federal Approval
The county’s immunization registry recorded 7,320 coronavirus vaccine doses administered to San Diego County kids in the six days after federal approval, according to the latest weekly COVID-19 report released Wednesday. That number is about 2.4 percent of the 310,643 of those age 5 to 11 who started queueing to get their shots on Nov. 3. Out of the gate, that’s a bit off the statewide pace. On Wednesday, the state’s vaccination tracker said that 3.1 percent of the 3.5 million kids in that age range had been vaccinated. (Sisson, 11/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Biotech Sees Global Potential In Its COVID Vaccine
Inovio Pharmaceuticals told investors and The San Diego Union-Tribune this week that it’s forging ahead with global trials of a coronavirus vaccine it says is well-suited to reach those living in rural communities, low-income countries and other remote areas. That’s because the biotech’s vaccine can be stored at room temperature for more than a year. By comparison, Moderna’s vaccine must be kept in a freezer, and Pfizer’s shots require ultracold storage of around -112 degrees Fahrenheit — chillier than the lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica. (Wosen, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
COVID: Alameda County Mandates Vaccines For First Responders, With Testing Option
Hoping to continue curbing the spread of COVID-19, the Alameda County Department of Public Health has issued a new order requiring all first responders to be fully vaccinated against the virus by Dec. 21, or submit to weekly testing. The order, issued Tuesday, applies to all police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and anyone whose work requires them to enter “high-risk health care facilities” such as hospitals, nursing facilities, or those who are involved with both emergency and non-emergency medical transports in Alameda County. (Geha, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Whittier Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Selling Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Cards
Authorities this week announced the arrest of a 31-year-old Whittier woman who allegedly imported counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards from China. Charlene Bohorquez was arrested Friday on suspicion of possession and sales of a counterfeit or deceptive identification document. She was ultimately issued a ticket and ordered to appear at Downey Superior Court at a future date, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. (Yee, 11/10)
Reuters:
U.S. Postal Service Warns Vaccine Rules Could Affect Deliveries
The U.S. Postal Service raised concerns on Wednesday that the Biden administration's new rules requiring large employers to require vaccinations or weekly COVID-19 testing could result in "high levels of absenteeism" and affect deliveries. Last week, the Labor Department issued rules that require businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate weekly testing or vaccines by Jan. 4. The rules also require that employers ensure unvaccinated employees working in-person must wearing masks by Dec. 5. (Shepardson, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Los Angeles County Records First Flu Death Of 2021-22 Season
Los Angeles County recorded its first influenza-related death of the 2021-22 season, public health officials announced on Wednesday. The middle-aged man had multiple underlying medical conditions and hadn’t gotten his flu shot, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. He tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times over the course of his illness. (Yee, 11/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
Biden’s Vaping Tax Sparks Concerns People Will Go Back To Cigarettes
Some public-health experts say that adopting an e-cigarette tax without raising the tax on cigarettes would push people back to cigarettes because it would eliminate the price differential that makes vaping a more attractive option financially. The House bill considers a 5% Juul refill pod to be equivalent to a pack of cigarettes, though users’ consumption patterns vary and the body absorbs nicotine from smoke and e-cigarette aerosol at different rates. A two-pack of the Juul refill pods sells for $9.99 on Juul’s website. The average pack of cigarettes in the U.S. costs $7.01 as of November 2020, including local, state and federal excise taxes, according to the economic consulting firm Orzechowski and Walker. (Maloney and Rubin, 11/10)
ABC News:
Risk Of Measles Outbreaks Growing As 22 Million Infants Miss 1st Vaccine: Officials
More than 22 million infants across the globe didn't get their first measles vaccine dose last year, according to a joint statement Wednesday from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two-thirds of those children live in just 10 countries: Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Angola, the Philippines, Brazil and Afghanistan. (Salzman and Shapiro, 11/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Pac Bell Will Remove Old Lead-Leaching Phone Cables From Lake Tahoe
Pacific Bell will remove nearly 8 miles of abandoned underwater telephone cables that have been leaching toxic lead into Lake Tahoe, according to a settlement agreement reached last week in federal court. For decades, the telecommunications company that is now Pacific Bell, a subsidiary of AT&T, has used a network of copper cables strung across Tahoe’s lakebed for its phone and internet services. Some of those old telephone cables, sheathed in lead, were installed as early as the 1920s and subsequently abandoned, according to a civil lawsuit filed in January. For at least 30 years, two inoperable cables containing 137,000 pounds of lead sheathing have been discharging contaminants into Lake Tahoe — a violation of state and federal law, according to the lawsuit, filed by the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. (Thomas, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Is Port Shipping Congestion Worsening L.A. Pollution?
Over the first weekend of November, residents across the region were puzzled by a surprising fog that seemed to roll in from nowhere and failed to burn away like any other overcast morning. Was it wildfire smoke? Was it smog? Was it mutant June gloom? Now, in the wake of last weekend’s mystery pall, some clean air advocates are blaming the long line of idling cargo ships anchored off the coast of Southern California for triggering the haze. (Solis, 11/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California High Court To Consider Law On Misgendering Nursing Home Patients
The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether nursing home workers can be criminally prosecuted under state law for deliberately and repeatedly using the wrong terms when referring to transgender patients, terms like “him” or “Mr.” for a transgender woman. The justices unanimously granted review of the state’s appeal of a lower-court ruling in July that said the 2017 law, though well-intended, violated freedom of speech by making it a crime to intentionally “misgender” patients. Violations would carry misdemeanor penalties of up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine. (Egelko, 11/10)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
Benefield: Maria Carrillo High School Student At Forefront Of Fight To Ban Vaping Products
Riya Ramakrishnan first saw a peer vaping in seventh grade. Then she saw another person doing it, then another friend. All of a sudden, the sticky sweet smell of exhaled e-cigarette toxins felt like it was everywhere. “Vaping is huge,” said Ramakrishnan, a junior at Maria Carrillo High School. (Benefield, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
Santa Clara County Eyeing Expansion Of Its Health Insurance Program
Santa Clara County supervisors will vote Tuesday on a proposal that would open up the county’s healthcare plan eligibility requirements for an additional estimated 30,000 residents in an effort to chip away at the number of uninsured people in the region as well as reduce costs for those on tight budgets in an area known for high living costs. The county’s Primary Care Access Program, or PCAP, currently serves 8,000 adults and is available for those with an income of less than 200% of the federal poverty line, or $53,000 per year. (Greschler, 11/10)
Modern Healthcare:
Employers Expanded Telemedicine Coverage Amid Pandemic
Employers increased access to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic this year, according to survey results published Wednesday. Ninety-five percent of businesses with 50 or more workers offered at least some telemedicine coverage, up from 85% last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual survey on employer benefits. Nearly half of employers surveyed expect telemedicine will continue to be an important access point. (Hellman, 11/10)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno CA Legal Battle Involving Sante Up To Four Lawsuits
The legal battle involving a major physicians’ group in Fresno has grown to four lawsuits in the space of about two months. The latest lawsuit involving the Sante Health System makes several allegations including breach of written contract, breach of oral contract, fraud for concealing facts, and fraud for intentional misrepresentations, among others. Meanwhile, an eviction lawsuit against Sante is scheduled for a trial in early December, and a management conference is scheduled for early January for another suit against the group, court records show. (Amaro, 11/11)
Bloomberg:
J&J Wins Halt To 38,000 Baby Powder Lawsuits Amid Bankruptcy
Johnson & Johnson won court approval to halt tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder caused ovarian cancer and other health problems in women, clearing a hurdle in front of its plan to pay $2 billion or more to end claims related to baby powder and other talc-based products. The plan is part of a legal strategy known as the Texas Two Step in which J&J created a unit in Texas to hold all of the lawsuits, then transferred that unit to North Carolina and placed it in bankruptcy. The proceedings halted suits against the unit in court protection, but still left Johnson & Johnson exposed to some 38,000 lawsuits, some of which are nearing jury verdicts. (Church, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Bitter Theranos Investor Takes The Stand
A retired Texas money manager testified bitterly Wednesday in Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ fraud trial about his lost investments in the company, but refrained from repeating before the jury that he wanted Holmes to go to prison. Alan Eisenman told the jury that he and his family invested $1.1 million in Theranos in 2006. He grew frustrated at what he described as an unwillingness by Holmes to provide information on the company. Despite the suspicions that the lack of information raised for him, Eisenmann put another $100,000 into Theranos in 2013, based on claims from Holmes and Balwani, and press reports about Theranos, that persuaded him the investment would pay off, he testified. (Baron, 11/10)
CNBC:
Elizabeth Holmes Theranos Fraud Case: Government Will Rest Next Week
In a surprise announcement, the government said Wednesday that it would likely rest its case next week against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in her criminal fraud trial. “It is likely that the government will rest next week,” Jeffrey Schenk, an assistant U.S. attorney, said adding that the government would not have enough witnesses to fill the week. (Khorram, 11/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Seasonal Affective Disorder: What It Means, Symptoms, Help
As the fall season comes and gloomy weather rolls in, so do the feelings of sadness and fatigue for many. One Sacramento area clinical psychologist said she gets more calls — and an increase in reported depression symptoms — this time of year. According to non-profit Mental Health America, seasonal depression usually occurs as the seasons change and typically begins in the fall and continues into the winter months. (Truong, 11/11)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern BHRS To Host Two Career Fairs To Recruit Mental Health Professionals
Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services will host two career fairs on Nob. 17 and 20. at its Administration Office located at 2001 28th St. Agencies that contract through Kern BHRS will also be present at the events, including Flood Ministries, Mental Health Systems, Clinica Sierra Vista, College Community Services and Henrietta Weill Child Guidance Clinic. (11/10)
Bloomberg:
YouTube Hides ‘Dislike’ Counts To Avoid Creator Pile-Ons
“We also heard directly from smaller creators and those just getting started that they are unfairly targeted by this behavior,” the company wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. The button itself isn’t going away -- only the public view of the count. YouTube, part of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, needs to keep creators happy because it’s facing its first real competition for talent in years from rivals like Instagram, TikTok and Spotify. Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram let users hide their like counts on posts earlier this year, responding to criticism about the stress the feature places on young users. Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s chief executive officer, said in September that YouTube was a “really valuable resource” for teenage mental health. The company has pledged to provide more internal research on the subject to U.S. Congress. (Bergen, 11/10)
Bloomberg:
Instagram Tests ‘Take a Break’ Tool to Let Users Self Regulate
Instagram is testing a feature that will encourage its users to, well, stop using it. “Take a Break” will allow the social media app’s users to get a notification after they spend a certain amount of time on the Meta Platforms Inc. service. The feature is similar to Apple Inc.’s Screen Time tool that tracks and can set limits on how long users spend on apps and websites. “Take a moment to reset by closing Instagram,” a sample of the service says, encouraging users to do other things like “take a few deep breaths” or “write down what you’re thinking.” (McGrath, 11/10)
CNBC:
Retail And Trucking Trade Groups Sue Biden Administration To Overturn Vaccine Mandate
National industry groups representing retail, truckers and independent businesses sued the Biden administration Wednesday over its vaccine and testing requirements for private companies, claiming they would cause “irreparable harm.” The National Retail Federation, the National Federation of Independent Business and the American Trucking Associations, told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in their lawsuit that businesses would lose employees, incur “unrecoverable compliance costs” and face deteriorating conditions in “already fragile supply chains and labor markets.” (Kimball, 11/10)
CIDRAP:
White House: COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements Are Working
Today, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said vaccine requirements are working, as the nation is averaging 300,000 first shots per day, the highest rate since early this summer. This week, 9 million vaccines were administered in the United States. "The simple truth is vaccine requirements are working, reducing the number of unvaccinated Americans by 40% from this summer to under 60 million," Zients said. (Soucheray, 11/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
Justice Department Sues Uber Over Charging Wait-Time Fees For Disabled People
The Justice Department said Wednesday that it was suing Uber Technologies Inc. for charging wait-time fees to passengers with physical disabilities. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act for charging fees to passengers who, because of disability, need more time to enter a car. (Rana, 11/10)