Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Hospitals, Nursing Homes Fail to Separate COVID Patients, Putting Others at Risk
COVID patients have been commingled with uninfected patients in California, Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, New York and beyond. While officials have penalized nursing homes for such failures, hospitals have seen less scrutiny. (Christina Jewett, )
Paradise Residents Relive Trauma Of 2018 As Fire Takes Aim At Homes: Last year, Victoria Sinclaire and her family were the picture of triumph — the first residents in Paradise to move into a newly rebuilt home after the state’s most destructive wildfire burned theirs down in 2018. But on Wednesday, an explosive blaze that scorched an estimated 230,000 acres in 24 hours was inching closer to Paradise. “It’s that same feeling of being afraid,” she said. “I can’t seem to stop shaking. … It feels like it’s happening all over again, except this time I get to take my clothes.” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and the Bay Area News Group.
Trick-Or-Treating Is On Again In Los Angeles: A day after issuing guidelines that restricted trick-or-treating, Los Angeles County health officials walked back some of the rules. The updated guidelines stop short of prohibiting kids from going door to door to collect candy, but “[we are] recommending that trick-or-treating not happen this year,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a public briefing Wednesday. Read more from the Associated Press and LA Daily News.
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
Bay Area News Group:
‘It’s Kind Of Like Nuclear Winter’: Unprecedented Smoke Layer Darkens Bay Area Skies As West Coast Burns
Smoke from massive wildfires burning throughout the western United States blotted out the sun across the Bay Area and much of Northern California on Wednesday, casting skies in an orange glow that looked like the stuff of science fiction and scrambling weather forecasts that could not account for the unprecedented blanket of haze in the atmosphere. In a phenomenon never before seen at such a scale, wildfires are changing the weather of an entire region, meteorologists said. And with 28 major fires burning in California alone, forecasters don’t know when it will end. (Savidge, 9/9)
The Desert Sun:
The Coachella Valley Got A Break From The Smoky Sky, But It Won't Last Long
The Coachella Valley got a reprieve from wildfire smoke Wednesday and triple-digit temperatures thanks to wind that's pushing it out of the region, but the break shouldn't last long. Northerly wind from Utah was expected to dissipate Wednesday night and allow smoke from the 163,138-acre Creek Fire east of Fresno to shift inland and engulf the desert on Thursday like it did Tuesday. (Atagi, 9/9)
Fresno Bee:
Yosemite National Park Likened To Mars As Fire Changes Sky
Yosemite National Park — the nation’s fifth “most visited” national park — has taken on the qualities of an alien world as a 163,000-acre Creek Fire burns out of control 60 miles to the south. (Price, 9/8)
The Bakersfield Californian:
California Wildfires Growing Bigger, Moving Faster Than Ever
When it comes to California wildfires, it now takes days, not decades, to produce what had been seen as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Last weekend, a fire burning in California’s Sierra National Forest exploded in size, trapping hundreds of Labor Day holiday campers who could only be rescued by helicopters that made a series of white-knuckle flights into the smoke. Fire officials said they’d never seen a fire move so fast in forestland — 15 miles in a day. (Thompson, 9/9)
The Bakersfield Californian:
California Fire That Killed 3 Threatens Thousands Of Homes
A Northern California wildfire threatened thousands of homes Thursday after winds whipped it into a monster that incinerated houses in a small mountain community and killed at least three people. Several other people have been critically burned and hundreds, if not thousands, of homes and other buildings are believed to have been damaged or destroyed by the North Complex fire northeast of San Francisco, authorities said. (Chea & Melley 9/10)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Emergency Fire Shelters Can Save Lives But Raise Questions
After flames trapped 14 firefighters in California and they had to use last-resort fire shelters to survive, questions are emerging about how well the emergency devices work and how often crews are forced to use them during wildfires. “They are for an extreme emergency, never to be considered as an alternative to safe firefighting,” National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Carrie Bilbao said Wednesday. “They’re to be used as a last resort if there’s no planned escape out or safety zones become inadequate.” (Boone, 9/9)
The Bakersfield Californian:
County Residents Experience First Public Safety Power Shutoffs Of 2020
After Kern County customers experienced their first public safety power shutoff of 2020 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the threat of future shutoffs is likely to remain throughout the remainder of wildfire season, according to Katie Allen, local marketing and communications manager for PG&E. (Wilson 9/9)
LA Daily News:
L.A. County Takes ‘Cautious Steps Forward’ Amid Coronavirus; 61 More Deaths Reported
Sixty-one more people have died from COVID-19 in Los Angeles, officials said on Wednesday, Sept. 9, a solemn reminder that the county is not out of the woods as leaders called for “cautious steps forward” into the winter and the holiday season. (Carter, 9/9)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Five More Coronavirus Deaths In Sonoma County, Lifts Pandemic Death Toll To 98 Victims
With five additional victims of the coronavirus, Sonoma County’s pandemic death toll stands two short of 100 people. Each of the latest fatalities involved people 65 or older with underlying medical issues who were residents of area senior care homes, county public health officials said Wednesday. One was a man who died Sept.1 at a local hospital, while the other four were women who lived in skilled nursing homes and died there between Sept. 1 and Sept. 4. (Espinoza, 9/9)
Ventura County Star:
Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Rise At Ventura-Area Long-Term Care Sites
Three long-term care COVID outbreaks that emerged this summer in Ventura and Ojai have been linked to at least 235 infections and 11 deaths with dozens of more cases in a new outbreak at a Simi Valley nursing home, public health officials said Wednesday. (Kisken, 9/9)
LA Daily News:
LA County Leaders Announce New Contact Tracing App To Fight Coronavirus
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, along with mayors of Long Beach and Pasadena and county leaders announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9 a new mobile app, capable of notifying residents when they might have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. The app, called Citizen SafePass, is related to the Citizen app that already has roughly 1 million users in Los Angeles. The app provides real-time 911 alerts, instant help from crisis responders and safety tracking for friends and families. (Rosenfeld, 9/9)
Fox News:
Pelosi’s San Francisco Salon Going Out Of Business, Owner Describes Receiving 'Nothing But Negativity'
San Francisco hair salon owner Erica Kious is shutting her doors for good after controversy over a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week destroyed her business, she told “Tucker Carlson Tonight" Wednesday. “I am actually done in San Francisco and closing my doors, unfortunately,” she announced. (Stabile, 9/9)
The Desert Sun:
Palm Springs Fines La Bonita's Restaurant $5,000 After Its 'Peaceful Protest' Invites Customers To Eat Indoors
A Palm Springs restaurant allowed customers to dine inside Wednesday as part of a “peaceful protest” against state orders aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. But the establishment ended the protest after the city fined it $5,000. (Atagi, 9/9)
LA Daily News:
Oktoberfest 2020 Hasn’t Been Canceled By Coronavirus In Southern California
Munich canceled its world-famous Oktoberfest celebration back in April, but in Southern California a few places are willing to keep the party going with beer and brats. Those venues will be required to have social distancing, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. State COVID-19 guidelines also ask businesses to “consider limiting excessive consumption of alcohol.” (Buck, 9/9)
Fresno Bee:
California Supreme Court Rules Against Fresno Area School
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied an attempt by Immanuel Schools of Reedley to allow in-person teaching on their campus, despite a Fresno County health order against it. (Rodriguez, 9/9)
LA Daily News:
California Supreme Court Denies O.C. Board Of Education Petition To Reopen Campuses
The Orange County Board of Education’s bid to force California to re-open school campuses for in-person learning ended Wednesday when the California Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Board of Education President Ken Williams expressed disappointment with the ruling. (Kopetman, 9/9)
Ventura County Star:
Coronavirus Cases Reported At Ventura-Area Colleges, Universities
Area colleges have reported four recent cases of students testing positive for COVID-19 on their campuses, according to officials. CSU Channel Islands was the most recent college to share news about a positive case involving a student. The student was on the Camarillo campus Sept. 3 and is currently isolating at an off-campus residence, according to a news release. (Patel, 9/9)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Disneyland Workers Accuse Park Of COVID-19 Cover-Up
Disneyland's reopening has been difficult, to say the least. Fearing the spread of COVID-19, Disneyland unions demanded the park delay its reopening plans in an open letter. Now, it appears their concerns were warranted. (Gentile, 9/9)
Bay Area News Group:
Oakland: Firefighters Find No Sign Of Radiation Leak In East Oakland
A feared possible radiation leak from materials on a truck Wednesday morning at an East Oakland business turned out to be a false alarm, according to officials. The possible leak was reported about 10:30 a.m. at a scrap-metal and specialty-metal processing business in the 8900 block of Railroad Avenue, prompting a shutdown of streets in the area, but no evacuations (Harris and Kelly, 9/9)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Thousands Should Quarantine After Attending Large Religious Gathering At Capitol, California’s Top Health Official Says
California’s top public health official is asking thousands of people who attended a religious concert at the state Capitol Sunday to quarantine for potential exposure to COVID-19. Acting State Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan called the event “very concerning,” in part because of the health risks stemming from about 3,000 maskless attendees singing while gathered in close proximity on the west side of the Capitol. Health experts say singing allows the novel coronavirus to spread faster. (Nixon, 9/9)
Sacramento Bee:
CHP Reviews Permit Rules After Capitol Christian Concert
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said that he is directing the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Public Health to develop new protocols for public safety in the aftermath of Christian concert at the Capitol that drew thousands of mostly unmasked participants. The governor said that there is real concern that people who attended the event may not only get sick themselves, but spread COVID-19 to others who were not in attendance. (Sheeler, 9/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Calif. Supreme Court Lets 2018’s Prop. C Stand, Frees Up $300 Million In Homeless Funds For SF
The state Supreme Court cleared the way Wednesday for San Francisco to fund programs for the homeless with hundreds of millions of dollars in business taxes approved by a majority of city voters in 2018 — it’s an important case for tax measures on local ballots throughout California. Proposition C, which would raise $250 million to $300 million per year with a tax on gross receipts of corporations with annual revenue above $50 million, received 61% of the vote in November 2018. It was immediately challenged by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and other business-supported groups, which argued that Proposition 218, a 1996 state ballot measure, required a two-thirds majority for any tax increase proposed by a local government for specific purposes. (Egelko, 9/9)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Homeless Housing Costs Have Risen To $531,000 A Unit
The average cost of building a single unit of housing for the homeless in Los Angeles has risen to $531,000, according to an audit from the city controller, who recommends that L.A. rehab motels and open dormitory-style buildings to save money and get people off the streets quickly. Controller Ron Galperin, in a report due Wednesday, also cited two projects whose costs soared to nearly $750,0000 per unit and assailed delays that he said have driven city-funded homeless construction expenses up from initial projections of $350,000 a unit. (Holland, 9/9)
LA Daily News:
LA Needs To Build HHH Homeless Housing Faster And Cheaper, Says City Controller
Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin released a report Wednesday that claims if the costs to build Proposition HHH-funded permanent supportive housing aren’t reduced, delays will continue, prices for materials will rise, and the city’s homeless population will increase. “Nearly four years after voters approved spending a billion-plus dollars to reduce homelessness, only three new housing projects are open and most won’t begin welcoming homeless Angelenos for two, three or even four more years,” Galperin said. “Meanwhile, the crisis has gotten far worse, compounded by pressing COVID-19 health and safety concerns. (Staff, 9/9)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Hitches Conditions To Funding Rent Assistance For Homeless People
The Los Angeles City Council decided Wednesday to allocate tens of millions of dollars in federal grant money for “rapid rehousing” — a program that includes rent assistance for homeless people — but will hold off on handing over much of the money until the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority shows progress in housing people with the funds. Council President Nury Martinez, who rejected a staff proposal to immediately authorize $97 million in spending for rapid rehousing and related programs, argued that the city needed to hold the agency accountable because it “frankly has underperformed in the past.” (Alpert Reyes, 9/9)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Bakersfield City Council Rejects Proposal To House Medically Vulnerable Homeless At Rosedale Inn
The Bakersfield City Council unanimously rejected a permit approval during a meeting on Wednesday that would have allowed medically vulnerable homeless individuals to be housed at the Rosedale Inn over the next five months as part of Kern Project Roomkey. (Morgen, 9/9)
Bay Area News Group:
Bay Area Renters Making Fewer Payments As Pandemic Lengthens
A growing percentage of Bay Area tenants missed rent in September as persistent unemployment and shrinking federal aid compounded the stress on renters and landlords. Rent payments in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco during the first week of September dropped roughly 9 percent from the previous year, according to data released Wednesday by real estate data firm RealPage, among the biggest drops in the nation. The percentage of renters making at least some payment in September fell, year-over-year, across the region. (Hansen, 9/9)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Hospital Gets Warning From County: Fix Trauma Services
Community Regional Medical Center has until 5 p.m. Friday to restore neurosurgical trauma services, or it risks losing the hospital’s designation as a Level I Trauma Center, the hospital’s chief of trauma and surgery told The Bee. (Amaro, 9/9)