Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
New State Law Banning Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Will Transform Industry
The law will ban the manufacture and sale in California of personal care products that contain 24 toxics, including asbestos, formaldehyde and lead, and is expected to fill a gap in federal regulation as companies sell the new formulations nationwide. (Miranda Green, )
Diverse, Low-Income Neighborhoods To Get The Vaccine First: As COVID disproportionately ravages California’s low-income communities, the state plans to prioritize early rounds of the eventual vaccine to these communities in the name of fairness. Read more from the Sacramento Bee and LA Daily News.
Don’t Gather For Thanksgiving, Experts Advise: The alarming spike in COVID cases has led public officials to sharpen their language around their recommendations for Thanksgiving. “I know everybody wants to know what to do for Thanksgiving, and the basic answer — to be the Grinch who stole Thanksgiving — is not to do it,” said Dr. George Rutherford, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
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
Los Angeles Times:
Why The Third California COVID-19 Wave Could Be The Worst
Faced with a third COVID-19 wave just as we enter the holiday season, it would be fair for Californians to pose some existential questions. Why does this virus seem to be targeting us yet again? Why have we struggled to control it? Where did we go wrong? The simple answer is: We actually do know how to fight the virus. We just got tired of doing it. (Lin II, 11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Hospitals Could Soon Be Overwhelmed Amid COVID-19 Surge, L.A. County Officials Say
The COVID-19 pandemic is hurtling toward crisis levels in Los Angeles County, with officials saying hospitals are in danger of being overwhelmed and significant new restrictions are possible. The dire picture painted Wednesday illustrates the ferocity with which COVID-19 has roared back to life over the past few weeks, and underscores the grim consequences facing the county if that trend continues. (Money, 11/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Task Force Rolls Out More Free COVID-19 Testing
As Kern County slides back into the state's most restrictive purple tier, the Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force is encouraging residents to take advantage of free testing. “This is a critical time for our County,” Jay Tamsi, co-founder of the Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force, said in a statement. “We need to ensure that our community stays safe and we work towards restoring our economy especially through this pandemic. Through testing and tracing we are able to slow the transmission rate having people self-isolate properly to slow the spread of the virus locally." (11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. COVID-19 Surge Perplexes Local Officials
The virus itself hasn’t changed, and there has been little relaxation of the rules. Interviews conducted with people who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus don’t show any significant shifts in behavior compared with a month ago, such as more visits to restaurants or other businesses, said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, L.A. County’s chief medical officer. For the vast majority of people sick with COVID-19 in L.A. County, officials cannot determine where they contracted the virus, he said. This mirrors national data showing that fewer than half of people with the virus know where they caught it. (Karlamangla, 11/19)
Sacramento Bee:
The New COVID-19 Surge In Placer County Is ‘Escalating Much Faster’ Than Officials Feared
The recent wave of coronavirus infections is hammering Placer County. The county, home to more than 400,000 residents, reported its test positivity rate and case rate doubled in the last month pushing the county, along with most of California, into the most restrictive tier of business and religious service openings. The spike is the highest in three months. And it’s not showing any signs of letting up. (Sullivan, 11/18)
Fresno Bee:
These California Counties At COVID-19 ‘Tipping Point’ As Thanksgiving Nears, Data Show
Daily COVID-19 cases in around one-third of California’s counties have reached a “tipping point” before the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Harvard University data. Researchers are mapping coronavirus risk by state and county by the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 people. As of Wednesday, at least 17 of California’s 58 counties are in the “red” zone, with 25 or more cases per 100,000 people. (Lin, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
Yolo County Reports COVID-19 Outbreak At Nursing Facility. It’s The Second One This Week
Yolo County on Wednesday afternoon announced another nursing facility has reported a coronavirus outbreak. This time it’s Cottonwood Post-Acute Rehab in Woodland, where 22 residents and six staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Out of 28 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, one resident infected with the virus has been hospitalized, Yolo county officials said in a news release. No deaths have been reported from this outbreak. (Ahumada, 11/18)
Orange County Register:
California Coronavirus Curfew? Gov. Newsom Considering It
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he is considering imposing a statewide curfew to try to keep the rising number of coronavirus cases from exploding out of control.But what exactly does that mean? We don’t know for certain, but other areas that have imposed or considered curfews offer clues.Officials in Los Angeles County have set a 10 p.m. curfew starting Friday for restaurants, breweries, wineries and non-essential retail. (DeRuy, 11/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Chula Vista To Get Tough On COVID Enforcement
“We are seeing the highest numbers that we’ve seen since the beginning of this pandemic,” he said. As a result, city and county officials will start taking more aggressive enforcement actions against individuals and businesses. Until now, Chula Vista has taken an education-first enforcement approach. (Solis, 11/18)
LA Daily News/Orange County Register:
LA County, Kaiser And Smithfield Foods Among Those Fined For Alleged COVID-19 Violations
Los Angeles County, Kaiser Permanente, Smithfield Foods and CitiStaff Solutions are facing a combined $191,380 in fines for COVID-19-related violations at their Southern California operations, according to state officials. Other businesses cited by the California Department of Industrial Relations, also known as Cal/OSHA, that have received lesser coronavirus penalties include Panorama Meadows Nursing Center in Panorama City, Western General Insurance Co. in Calabasas, Amazon in Eastvale and Cotti Foods Corp. in Rancho Santa Margarita. (Schwebke, 11/18)
The Desert Sun:
COVID-19: Cal/OSHA Cites Riverside County Sheriff For Violations At Murrieta Jail
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited the Riverside County Sheriff's Department last week for several COVID-19 related violations at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta related to the department's infection control procedures and lack of training on the danger of aerosol transmissible diseases. (Damien, 11/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Bakersfield Nursing Home Issued Major Fine For COVID-19 Workplace Violations
State workplace regulators have issued one of the largest fines yet for failing to protect employees from COVID-19 on the job to a Bakersfield nursing home where nearly 200 staff and residents were infected with the coronavirus. Kingston Healthcare Center, a 184-bed skilled nursing facility on Real Road in Bakersfield, was fined $92,500 as a result of numerous violations detailed in a 23-page citation report issued by Cal/OSHA last month. (Shepard, 11/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Newsom French Laundry Dinner Raises Question Of What Counts As Outdoor Dining
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been busy apologizing to a pandemic-weary public about his decision to attend a dinner party earlier this month at the exclusive French Laundry in Napa County despite his daily pleas urging Californians not to congregate. But photos that surfaced this week of the get-together on an enclosed patio that the governor’s office had said was “outdoors” are raising another question: What exactly constitutes outdoor dining? And, definitions aside, what’s safe? (DeRuy and Zavoral, 11/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
At Least 750,000 Californians Could Lose Unemployment Benefits By End Of 2020
Somewhere between 750,000 and 1.6 million Californians will abruptly lose federal unemployment benefits at the end of December, unless Congress passes and the president signs a bill extending them, according to two reports issued this week. An analysis released Thursday by the California Policy Lab estimates that 750,000 Californians will no longer receive benefits when two programs created under the federal Cares Act expire Dec. 26. (Pender, 11/19)
Bay Area News Group:
East Bay Teens Develop Sanitizing Drone To Help Clean School During Pandemic
Dublin High School’s robotics team has come up with a creative solution to help clean parts of the school outside during the pandemic — a sanitizing drone. They call it the TERSUS Project — meaning “clean” in Latin, and also an acronym for Technologically Effective Rapid Smart Unmanned Sanitizer. The drone was designed by the Gael Force Robotics Team, and the project has 10 students working to design, construct and eventually fly the sanitizing drone. (Ruggiero, 11/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
In California, Science Guides Whether To Reopen Hair Salons — But Not Always Schools
Eight months into the pandemic, California school districts are struggling with whether to reopen classrooms as public health experts warn that the risks of returning students to class might be outweighed by the harms of keeping classrooms closed. Frustrated parents, politicians and health experts say that too frequently, politics rather than science determines which children are now in classrooms learning in person and which are still sitting in front of a computer. (Tucker and Allday, 11/18)
inewsource:
Veterans And Their Therapists Decry San Diego VA’s Handling Of Mental Health Care
Amid a worsening pandemic, the San Diego VA is making access to mental health care harder for local veterans, outraging therapists who say the agency’s actions are dangerous and irresponsible. “I don’t understand how this is ethical nor taking care of our veterans. People who have served should never have to fight for this,” said Devin Price, a psychotherapist with a practice in Mission Valley that treats around 40 veterans under a VA contract. (Racino, 11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Court Dismisses Cities’ Lawsuit Challenging Cannabis Deliveries In California
In a win for California’s struggling cannabis industry, a Fresno judge has dismissed a lawsuit by 24 cities seeking to invalidate state regulations allowing delivery of cannabis to homes in communities that have outlawed sales in shops. Fresno County Superior Court Judge Rosemary McGuire said in a ruling made public Wednesday that she agreed with attorneys for the state Bureau of Cannabis Control that the state regulation does not prevent cities from enforcing local ordinances restricting home delivery. (McGreevy, 11/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Groups Prepare To Distribute Food, Household Essentials To Seniors
As COVID-19 cases surge in the San Diego region and stores reinstate limits on household item purchases, a group of nonprofits plans to assist seniors by delivering groceries and toiletries. Volunteers with the People’s Alliance for Justice nonprofit will begin delivering donated items on Wednesday and continue through the end of December. The goal is to serve 1,000 seniors before the end of the year, said the Rev. Shane Harris, president and founder of the People’s Alliance for Justice. (Lopez-Villafana, 11/17)
Modesto Bee:
Coronavirus Is Driving Sharp Increase In Eating Disorders In Modesto And Bay Area
Isolation at home and the stress of the coronavirus pandemic evidently is driving a large number of referrals for people seeking help for eating disorders.“ Never in my career has the caseload been so full,” said Signe Darpinian, a certified specialist who helps these clients. Darpinian, who has practice offices in Modesto and the Bay Area, said it’s happening not only in this region but is a national trend this year. She cited media reports that the National Eating Disorder Association has seen an 80 percent increase in calls to its helpline. (Carlson, 11/19)
The Desert Sun:
Visiting Family, Friends At California Nursing Home: What To Know
Thousands of long-term care residents in California nursing homes have been sequestered from family and friends for much of the pandemic, and they may need to stay that way for awhile longer amid a surge of COVID-19 cases across the state. Nearly 75% of California counties — collectively making up 94% of the state's population — are currently in the most stringent level of the state's pandemic restrictions, in which many businesses must shut down indoor operations; this includes in-room visits at skilled nursing facilities. (Sestito, 11/18)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno TV Reporter Corin Hoggard To Undergo Surgery For Tumor
A popular veteran reporter in the Fresno market will not be on TV for the remainder of the year because of an upcoming medical procedure. Corin Hoggard of ABC30 revealed Wednesday evening on social media that he has a tumor on his pancreas and will undergo surgery Thursday. (Anteola, 11/18)
San Jose Mercury News:
Milpitas Residents Denied In Bid To Block Housing For Homeless
A plan to convert a hotel to housing for more than 100 homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic can proceed, a judge has ruled. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Patricia Lucas on Monday rejected the bid of a group of Milpitas residents to stop the sale of a hotel that Santa Clara County wants to turn into supportive housing for the homeless, according to the county’s attorney, James Williams. (Geha, 11/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Will Slow Down Plan To Move 500 Homeless People Out Of Hotels, But Mounting Costs Still A Worry
San Francisco’s homeless department said it will slow down a much-criticized plan to move more than 500 homeless people out of city-funded hotel rooms before Christmas, following news that it will get millions of dollars from the state to support the program. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $62 million in funding for counties sheltering vulnerable residents in hotel rooms during the pandemic. It’s unclear how much funding will go toward San Francisco, where more than 2,600 homeless people are staying in hotels. (Thadani, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
CalPERS Approves Price Hikes Of Up To 51% For Health Plans Favored By Young, Healthy Workers
CalPERS approved steep rate hikes for its cheapest health insurance plans Tuesday in an effort to save its most expensive plans from collapse. California state workers who are enrolled in the cheaper plans face estimated price increases of up to $270 per month starting in 2022 under the plan, according to CalPERS projections. (Venteicher, 11/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
New Nonprofit Breast Milk Bank Launches In San Diego
Every year, about 260 of the tiniest premature babies in California hospitals develop an often-fatal bowel disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC. Nobody knows what causes NEC, but a common factor in many cases is the use of formula to feed these very low-birth-weight babies because the mother’s breast milk is not available. Replacing that formula with pasteurized breast milk in every California hospital newborn intensive care unit could be a positive step in reducing NEC cases. Currently, only 50 percent to 80 percent of NICU preemies in California hospitals have access to this milk. That could soon change. (Kragen, 11/19)
CalMatters:
California Psych Hospitals May Have To Take COVID Inmates
In an Oct. 23 hearing, attorneys representing mentally ill prison inmates awaiting state psychiatric beds argued the hospitals are violating court-imposed timelines for transfers and should start accepting the prisoners without first requiring negative COVID tests. To avoid delays, they say, the hospitals should even start admitting prisoners who have tested positive. (Romney, 11/18)