The New York Times: Biden Raises Daily Vaccination Target And Extends Travel Bans 
President Biden, under pressure to speed up the pace of coronavirus vaccination, said on Monday that he was now aiming for the United States to administer 1.5 million vaccine doses a day — a goal that is 50 percent higher than his initial target but one that the nation already appears on track to meet. The president made his comments just hours after he banned travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and moved to extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, Europe and Britain. Those bans were set to expire on Tuesday. (Stolberg, 1/25)

AP: Biden Orders COVID-19 Travel Restrictions, Adds South Africa
President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries that allow travel across open borders. He also added South Africa to the list. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said South Africa was added to the restricted list because of concerns about a variant of the virus that has spread beyond that nation. “This isn’t the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” Psaki said. (Madhani and Miller, 1/25)

Fox News: Fauci Backs 'Double-Masking' In Coronavirus Fight, Says 'Likely More Effective'
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser on COVID-19, said two face masks are likely more effective than one against the novel coronavirus, despite significant uncertainty on the subject. "If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective," Fauci told NBC News on Monday. Infectious disease experts from Stanford Health Care, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University recently told Fox News there is little to no evidence on the issue. Neysa Ernst from Johns Hopkins University, where she serves as nurse manager of the Biocontainment Unit, agreed, though she proposed that anecdotal evidence suggests additional layers could offer "psychological safety" to some. (Rivas, 1/25)

CalMatters: California Activates Statewide 'MyTurn' Vaccine Clearinghouse Website
Facing criticism for its chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout, California has quietly launched a long-promised statewide website to help residents learn when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and schedule appointments. Called MyTurn (myturn.ca.gov), the online registry has not yet been widely promoted and still is a work in progress. Californians can register on the website to be notified when it's their turn for the vaccine in a number of counties. But for now, it only can be used to schedule appointments for health care workers and people 65 and older. (Feder Ostrov, 1/25)

Bay Area News Group: California Food And Farm Workers Next In Line For COVID Vaccine 
What jobs put workers at the greatest risk of death during California’s COVID-19 pandemic? Cooks, agricultural workers, bakers and those in other food-related fields – “essential workers” who are still waiting in line for their vaccines, behind healthcare workers and elders, according to a new UC San Francisco study. (Krieger, 1/25)

Fresno Bee: Fifty Mendota Farmworkers First To Receive Vaccine For Ag Workers 
Fresno County Health Department partnered with Pappas Family Farms to begin the initial vaccination for farmworkers with 50 of its workers lining up Monday morning, Jan. 25, 2021 in Mendota. (Zamora, 1/25)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Sonoma County Office Of Education Could Start COVID Vaccines For School Employees Monday
The Sonoma County Office of Education is planning to vaccinate school employees, starting with those within the ranks who are 65 and older, in phases that could begin as soon as next Monday. The plan, unveiled in a conference call with more than 100 county education officials representing educators educators from both public and private schools from the preschool level through Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, comes with a significant caveat: It all depends on the amount of vaccine allotted to the county Office of Education. (Benefield, 1/25)

LA Daily News: LA County Touts Improved Vaccine Signup Site As Coronavirus Numbers Continue To Decline 
With coronavirus statistics continuing to budge downward and a reimagined vaccination signup website to show off on Monday, Jan. 25,  Los Angeles County health officials expressed guarded optimism that the pandemic was started to ease up at last — with fingers crossed that they would get enough vaccines soon to make a bigger dent in the mammoth task of inoculating 10 million county residents. (Lee, 1/25)

The Bakersfield Californian: Appointments For COVID-19 Vaccine At Kern County Fairgrounds Now Available 
Appointments can now be made to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the county's clinic at the Kern County Fairgrounds for health care workers and people 65 and older. The site will be open to the public Wednesday, according to the Kern County Public Health Services Department. Only those with appointments can get the inoculation. (1/25)

The Bakersfield Californian: Wonderful Co. Expands Free Vaccinations Program 
Wonderful Wellness Centers in Delano and Lost Hills have expanded their free COVID-19 vaccinations program to serve Kern County residents 65 or older. Initially, only frontline health-care workers were invited to receive free inoculations at the centers. (1/25)

Modesto Bee: Stanislaus County Opens Another Site For COVID-19 Vaccinations
A third public clinic for coronavirus vaccinations in Stanislaus County will debut in Oakdale on Tuesday. The clinic at the Gladys Lemmons Senior Center will provide vaccinations for healthcare workers and other people in the Phase 1A category, as well as seniors age 65 and older. The Oakdale senior center is at 450 A St. The vaccinations are for eligible Stanislaus County residents or people who work in the county. The clinic running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. can administer no more than 500 doses Tuesday because of a limited supply of vaccine, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, which will operate the clinic. (Carlson, 1/25)

Sacramento Bee: Placer Sheriff Defends Post On COVID Vaccine Recipient Death
California state health leaders on Monday said they have joined a review of the unusual death last week of a person in Placer County shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, describing the case as “complex,” but saying they have not determined if there is link between the vaccine and the death. “We are working closely with the coroner to determine the details around the death,” state health official Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a Monday press briefing on COVID-19 issues. He called the case complex and “worth further investigation,” but declined to offer further details. Ghaly sought to assure residents that the vaccines currently in use have been vetted and are generally safe. (McGough and Bizjak, 1/25)

CNN: Everyday Activities Are More Dangerous Now That New Covid-19 Variants Are Circulating, Expert Says
While the US seems to be heading in the right direction on infection rates -- with 42 states reporting downward trends -- that progress could be erased if variants take hold, emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Preventing that will mean extra vigilance. "If there is something more contagious among us, if we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those every day activities," she said. (Maxouris, 1/26)

NBC News: What Do Coronavirus Variants Mean For Your Masks?
Which mask should you wear? The key is to strike a balance between comfort and effectiveness. "If you put three or four masks on, it's going to filter better because it's more layers of cloth," said Dr. Scott Segal, chair of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "But you'll be taking it off because it's uncomfortable." (Edwards, 1/26)

LA Daily News: 6th LAPD Employee, 4th Officer, Dies From Coronavirus Complications 
The Los Angeles Police Department’s sixth employee, and fourth officer, died from coronavirus complications on Monday, Jan. 15, officials said. Philip Sudario was a patrol officer for the department’s southeast area, police Chief Michel Moore said Monday. He is survived by his wife, two adult sons and a 15-year-old daughter. (Rasmussen, 1/25)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Zoo Safari Park Gorillas Close To Full Recovery From COVID-19 
Weeks after gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park contracted COVID-19, park officials said Monday the animals will make a full recovery. The troop of eight gorillas was likely exposed to the coronavirus by a keeper who tested positive for COVID-19 in early January. Days later, a few gorillas began coughing. Nearly the entire troop seemed a bit less energetic than usual, according to Lisa Peterson, executive director of the Safari Park. (Wosen, 1/25)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Closer To Switching Ambulance Providers After City Rejects Protest By AMR 
San Diego’s plan to switch ambulance providers took a key step forward Monday when the city rejected an appeal by incumbent provider American Medical Response, paving the way for rival Falck USA to take over later this year. Falck, a Danish company that operates ambulances in Northern and Southern California, will boost ambulance coverage in San Diego by more than 20 percent compared to what AMR has been providing, city documents say. (Garrick, 1/25)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Blood Bank Puts Out Call For Rare Type Of Blood For Mother Battling Cancer 
The San Diego Blood Bank has put out a call for blood donations to help a La Jolla teacher and mother of three in need of a rare blood type for transfusions to fight bone cancer. Stacie Buechel, 47, needs blood transfusions as part of her treatment, but her situation is complicated because she has a rare blood type. (1/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Would Extend Eviction Moratorium Through June Under Deal Between Newsom, Lawmakers
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders have agreed to extend California’s partial eviction moratorium by five more months as they prepare to hand out billions of dollars in federal rent relief to struggling tenants and property owners. The deal, which still must pass the Legislature, was put into print on Monday morning, so lawmakers could vote on the bill as soon as Thursday. It would allow tenants who are facing financial hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic to stay in their homes until at least the end of June, when property owners could again pursue evictions for nonpayment of rent. (Koseff, 1/25)

Capital Public Radio/KXJZ: Sacramento To Open Downtown Library As Overnight Warming Center With Freezing Temperatures On The Way
The city of Sacramento plans to open a warming center at its downtown library Monday night for those without a home or heat amid expected freezing temperatures. This is the second time in as many months the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, at 828 I St., will operate as a warming center. It will open from from 9 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. on Tuesday according to a city press release. (Nichols, 1/25)