California On Brink Of 1M COVID Cases: California is on the cusp of surpassing 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections — demonstrating both the toll the pandemic has taken so far and the dangers it continues to pose. California will be the second state — behind Texas — to reach the grim milestone. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area News Group and AP.
Fauci To Receive Communication Award From San Jose State: Next week, San Jose State will present infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci with the William Randolph Hearst Award, an honor that usually goes to someone in the news business. Read more from the Bay Area News Group.
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
San Francisco Chronicle:
How Biden’s Win Could Help S.F. Address Skyrocketing Drug Overdoses And Other Issues
San Francisco officials spent the past few years trying to open a safe injection site where people struggling with addiction could use drugs indoors and around nurses who could help them if they overdose. The idea, which would need state approval, has widespread support in San Francisco as overdoses skyrocket amid the coronavirus pandemic. But city officials face another hurdle: threats of arrest from the Trump administration, which said the sites violate federal law. (Thadani, 11/11)
Sacramento Bee:
Avoid These ‘High-Risk’ Behaviors As COVID Rates Rise, California Health Officials Warn
As the holidays approach and COVID-19 rates trend up in California, government health officials are urging residents to avoid activities where people easily spread the coronavirus. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly on Tuesday outlined which “high-risk” behaviors people should avoid to prevent another debilitating spike in disease rates. (Bollag, 11/11)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: Oregon Posts Workplace Outbreaks Weekly, California Has No Such Plan
California and Oregon were lauded for their early response to the pandemic, with swift and broad shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus. In reopening their economies, both states imposed stringent requirements for masks and face coverings. But eight months into the public health crisis, the neighboring states have made starkly different choices on tracking and reporting workplace outbreaks — decisions that shape how much the public knows about the spread of coronavirus as hotspots appear at meat-packing plants, stadium construction sites, warehouses and other essential worksites. (Du Salt, 11/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Coronavirus Surge Could Mean A Huge Reopening Reversal As Soon As Next Week
As coronavirus cases spike across California, three more Bay Area counties could backslide as soon as next week to a more restrictive tier in the state’s reopening plan — which would place new limits on businesses as the critical holiday season gets under way. Napa and Santa Clara counties are on track to regress from the “moderate” orange tier to the “substantial” red tier in the state’s next assessment on Nov. 17. Solano County could move backward to the most restrictive “widespread” purple tier after hovering on the edge for several weeks. (Hwang, 11/11)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
As COVID-19 Cases Increase, Sacramento-Area Restaurants Worry About Returning Restrictions
As COVID-19 cases in California rise many counties are reinstating restrictions on businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But some business owners are concerned how that will impact them as the holiday shopping season approaches. California Restaurant Association President and CEO Jot Condie told CapRadio's Insight that while elected officials have explained the reopenings as a “light dimmer” instead of a light switch, that is not the case for the restaurant industry. (Manata, 11/11)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: Capacity Restrictions Could Provide Outsized Impact, Study Says
Capacity restrictions at highly trafficked indoor businesses could have an outsized effect on slowing the spread of COVID-19, as well as reducing the economic and racial disparities of the pandemic, according to a new study. Certain “super-spreader” locations, such as restaurants, gyms and grocery stores, made up just 10% of all “points of interest” but accounted for 85% of infections modeled in the study published Tuesday in the Nature peer-reviewed journal and included researchers from Stanford as well as the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub. (Webeck, 11/11)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Free COVID-19 Tests Available Locally Through Sunday
Anyone looking for a free COVID-19 test that doesn't require preregistration can get one through Sunday at one of four new test sites the Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force is promoting as the county veers toward another shutdown. “We are seeing an alarming rise in local cases,” task force co-founder Jay Tamsi said in a news release. “I can’t stress the seriousness of this pandemic and the importance of our entire community to get tested." (11/11)
Ventura County Star:
Ventura County Resumes Free COVID-19 Antibody Testing For Two Weeks
One of the country's most ambitious COVID-19 antibody studies is being conducted in Ventura County. Residents of the county can once again get a free test for COVID-19 antibodies thanks to a new study funded by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation. Testing will be offered in almost every city in the county from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 20 and will be conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is only available to Ventura County residents. (Childs, 11/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
What It’s Like To Participate In A Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine Trial? This Bay Area Man Can Tell You
By the time Dan Horowitz signed up to participate in one of the most closely watched experiments on the planet — a global clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine made by the drug company Pfizer — he had been interested and closely tracking vaccine developments for a while. Horowitz had not seen his parents since March, and was hoping he’d be selected for the study and receive an effective vaccine so he could fly and visit them. (Ho, 11/11)
Capitol Weekly:
Santa Clara Judge Creates ‘Gold Standard’ For Mental Health Courts
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Manley refers to defendants in his courtroom as “clients” – an indication of the unusually informal and conversational tenor of the Behavioral Health Court he created more than two decades ago. “It tends to break through a barrier,” Manley said in a recent interview with Capitol Weekly. “Defendant is the word of the court. Client or patient is the word of treatment. Stigma is still a major issue. . .They all know they’re defendants. If we act like they’re ‘bad’ or charged with a serious crime, the focus is only on the negative. Obviously, there are consequences, but I try to get them to focus not solely on their criminal charge, but on treatment and changing behavior. ” (Basthen, 11/11)
Los Angeles Times:
A Coronavirus Vaccine Could Come Soon. Could MLB Mandate Players And Fans Take It?
Cover your face. Do not take an Uber. Do take your regular coronavirus test. Do not leave the team hotel, unless you’re going to the ballpark on a team bus. Keep your distance on the bus, and in the clubhouse, and in dining areas. The health and safety protocols that governed the 2020 season had one goal: keep the virus from spreading within baseball. By the time the 2021 season starts, Americans might have access to a coronavirus vaccine. (Shaikin, 11/11)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Sacramento Bans Leaf Blowers On Bad Air-Quality Days
The city of Sacramento voted Tuesday to ban leaf blowers on days when the air quality is unhealthy. City Councilman Jeff Harris first floated the idea in February. The case against using both gas and also electric blowers on bad-air days is that they stir dust and particulate in the air, which can make asthma and other upper respiratory problems worse. (Miller, 11/11)
Sacramento Bee:
California Hospitals Get Ready For Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
News this week from Pfizer pharmaceuticals of a coronavirus vaccine breakthrough is prompting Sacramento and Northern California healthcare providers to step up preparations for mass distribution. That includes the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, which is in talks with state officials about serving as a vaccine storage and distribution site for Northern California. The vaccine requires specialized low-temperature freezers for storage, and UC Davis has some and is buying more. (Bizjak and Wiley, 11/11)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Supervisors Delay Approval Of Mental Health Facilities After Two Hospitals Raise Concerns
A proposal to build two new psychiatric health facilities has been delayed once again after concerns arose the county may be spending money where it's not needed. Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services had hoped to get a go-ahead for the estimated $25.5 million project Tuesday from the Board of Supervisors, but objections from two local health care companies threw the entire undertaking into question. (Morgen, 11/11)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Eagle Scout Project Keeps Hospital Patients' Phones Running
A local Eagle Scout project is putting hospital patients in more reliable contact with their loved ones and medical providers. Fourteen-year-old Jeremy Hall, of Troup 99 in Boy Scouts of America's Tejon District, solicited donations of phone cables and wall chargers, accepting money as an alternative, then organized deliveries to three local hospitals. (11/11)