As Variant Spreads, LA County Again Urges Mask-Wearing Indoors: With the highly contagious delta variant continuing to spread statewide, the L.A. County Department of Public Health is urging all residents to wear masks in public indoor spaces — regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated for covid-19. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and AP. Continued coverage about the delta variant, below.
Newsom Signs Extension Of Eviction Moratorium: California will shield struggling tenants from eviction for at least three more months, as the state acted Monday to renew protections that were set to expire this week. The Legislature overwhelmingly passed AB832, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill hours later, touting “critical relief to renters.” 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
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Santa Cruz County Health Officials Alerted Of First ‘Delta’ COVID Variant Case
The “Delta” COVID-19 variant has touched down into Santa Cruz County. Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci told the Sentinel Monday that the county had received word of its first Delta variant case detected through genomic sequence testing done by the state. Previously, only the B.1.1.7 or “Alpha” variant, the P.1 or “Gamma” variant and California variants B1427 and B1429 have been detected. The Delta variant, which originated in India, is proving to be one of the most easily transferrable COVID-19 variants. (Hartman, 6/29)
Modesto Bee:
Do The Vaccinated Need Masks As Delta Variant Spreads?
The COVID-19 vaccines will never be perfect; fully vaccinated people can still get infected, though they’re much less likely to be hospitalized or die from the disease. Yet, the Delta coronavirus variant first discovered in India has some experts concerned. The World Health Organization suggested on Friday that fully vaccinated people still wear face masks whenever possible, citing the Delta variant’s increased transmissibility and risk of serious COVID-19 across the globe. (Camero, 6/28)
Bay Area News Group:
Contra Costa County Publishing COVID Rates By Vaccination Status
Contra Costa’s public health department is now reporting COVID-19 case rates separately for the vaccinated and unvaccinated people who live in the county. The data shows that case rates for unvaccinated residents are about 10 times higher than the rate for vaccinated residents. (Rowan, 6/28)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Public Health Reports 101 New Coronavirus Cases, 1 Death Monday
Kern County Public Health Services reported 101 new confirmed coronavirus cases Monday, and one new death. That brings the county's case count since the pandemic began to 111,049, and deaths to 1,406. Last week, public health officials said they would no longer provide daily updates, but rather move to reporting each Monday, Wednesday and Friday due to a decrease in cases. (6/28)
Marin Independent Journal:
Marin COVID Data Reveal Scope Of Workplace Outbreaks
COVID-19 outbreaks occurred at least 72 locations in Marin County during 2020 and 2021, according to information obtained through a public records request by the Bay Area News Group. Data supplied by Marin County for a period from May 2020 until April 6 provide a look behind the curtain at what was happening when the virus was spreading rapidly through the community. Three or more cases within a two-week period at any location were classified as an outbreak. “This was at a time when COVID-19 was active throughout our community,” said Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis. “The virus was spreading in virtually all settings in our community.” (Halstead, 6/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Nearly 30% Of Americans Think The Pandemic Is Over: Poll
Roughly one-third of Americans consider the pandemic over — but more think their lives will never return to pre-pandemic norms. A Gallup poll released Monday found optimism about the COVID-19 situation has hit a record high, with 89% of respondents saying they believe it’s getting a lot or at least a little better. But Americans are divided on whether the pandemic is over and whether their lives are back to normal or ever will be. (Aldridge, 6/28)
Los Angeles Times:
What Is 'Long COVID'? Causes, Symptoms, And Risks May Vary
It’s a condition that has come to be known as “long COVID,” also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID, or PASC. However, it remains steeped in mystery. Scientists can’t say for certain how many people ultimately suffer from the lingering symptoms, why exactly they occur or whether any particular population is more at risk. But given that more than 33.4 million people nationwide — including almost 3.8 million Californians — have tested positive for the coronavirus at some point during the pandemic, and the true infection count is likely even higher, officials say it’s important for people to be aware of the possibility, as well as the warning signs. (Lin II and Money, 6/28)
CIDRAP:
White House Begins Final COVID-19 Vaccine Push
The White House launched a week-long blitz to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 this weekend, 1 week before the Fourth of July holiday, which the president has said will mark the country's independence from the pandemic. The administration had hoped 70% of Americans over age 18 would have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Jul 4, but last week officials said they miss that mark. (Soucheray, 6/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Moves Into Vaccine Long Game: 'One Person Getting Vaccinated Is A Success'
On a recent afternoon in San Francisco’s Excelsior district, Katherine Flores waved down a stranger to ask: “Have you been vaccinated?” Joel Marquez said he had not — he’d had an appointment a few weeks ago, but missed it because his wife was sick that day. Flores sprang into action, firing off a series of questions she’d been trained to ask as a “vaccine ambassador” who goes door to door, street by street, to try to get San Franciscans vaccinated against COVID-19. (Ho, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California COVID Vaccine Code Not Scanning? Here's Why
After accessing their digital COVID-19 vaccination records, some Californians have noted an apparent glitch: The state-generated reports include QR codes that, when scanned, don’t seem to retrieve any information. But that’s a feature — not a bug — of the 11-day-old verification system, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Money, 6/28)
Modern Healthcare and Canadian Press:
U.K. Study Reports Mixing AstraZeneca, Pfizer Vaccines Produces Better Immunity
A vaccine study in the United Kingdom reports that getting a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine four weeks after a dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca produced a much stronger immune response than two doses of AstraZeneca. The results are similar to those reported earlier this year from small studies in Germany and Spain and will reinforce the decision to mix and match vaccines in much of Canada. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization in Canada said June 1 there was enough evidence about the safety of mixing two vaccines to tell that provinces could begin to offer Pfizer or the other mRNA vaccine from Moderna as a second dose to people who got AstraZeneca first. (6/28)
AP:
California Governor To Weigh Budget That Nixes Pandemic Cuts
In some ways, the new spending plan approved by the California Legislature on Monday is about going backward: Back to a time before the pandemic, when California’s roaring economy fueled budget surpluses. The $262.6 billion proposal now on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk would restore spending cuts to public schools, colleges and universities, the courts, child support services and state worker salaries — all things that were cut last year when state officials thought they were facing a record budget deficit because of the coronavirus. (Beam, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California Bans Government Travel To States With Laws Deemed Discriminatory To LGBTQ People
California is expanding to 17 the number of states to which it is restricting government-financed travel because of laws deemed to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the state attorney general said Monday. The states added to the sanctions list are Florida, Montana, West Virginia, Arkansas and North Dakota, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said. Bonta said new laws in those states are part of a recent wave of bills harmful to LGBTQ people, including a Florida law that he criticized for preventing transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. (McGreevy, 6/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Heat Wave Shattered Records In California, Too: 121 In Coachella, 90 In Tahoe
The heat wave baking the Pacific Northwest — pushing Portland and Seattle into record-setting triple digit weather on consecutive days last week, also made its way into the northernmost parts of California — according to the National Weather Service. Northern California counties including Lake, Shasta, Butte, Modo and Lassen experienced triple-digit heat. On top of an excessive heat warning, Oregon-bordering Siskiyou County was also issued a red flag warning — which refers to critical fire weather conditions including strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures. South Lake Tahoe hit 90 degrees Sunday, breaking the previous heat record by three degrees, set in 1981. (Shaikh Rashad, 6/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Dental Hygienists Strained As COVID Eases, Patients Return
Dental hygienist Jeannette Diaz’s patients sometimes cry. Lately, she’s been crying with them. It’s not just because so many people refrained from getting dental work during much of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her to scrape off more than a year’s worth of tartar and plaque. It’s not just because the labor of cleaning teeth can take a toll on hygienists’ bodies. It’s also because the patients are unburdening themselves on her — describing the tragedies and heartaches that have bombarded them during the pandemic. Many tell her how the coronavirus took their loved ones. (Mendez, 6/29)
AP:
GOP's Cox: California Should Force Homeless Into Treatment
John Cox, a Republican candidate for California governor, said Monday that he would force homeless people into mental health or addiction treatment before providing them with housing as part of his effort to cut homelessness in half in five years. In his second bid for governor, Cox also said he would step up enforcement against people living on the streets and work to speed housing construction. If elected, he would likely face resistance to many of his proposals in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature. (Ronayne, 6/28)
Capital & Main:
Street Medics Battle Bureaucracy To Bring Health Care To The Homeless
Circling the streets of East Los Angeles in their red family minivan, physician assistants Brett and Corinne Feldman find their patient where they thought he would be: crumpled on a bus stop bench in Monterey Park. The Feldmans, who lead the street medicine team at the University of Southern California, kneel in front of Johnny in “servant’s pose,” placing him in control of the interaction as they examine a burn that seared his cheeks and knuckles the color of summer strawberries. Johnny’s gout medicine makes his skin light sensitive, and he lives outside, with little respite from the Los Angeles sun. “The new skin coming in, it’s like baby skin,” Corinne Feldman says. “It’s going to burn really easily. That’s why we wrap it.” (Ross, 6/28)
Healthday News:
Blood Donors Needed Now To Help With Severe Shortage, Surging Demand
There's a severe shortage in the United States due to a recent surge in trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries, the American Red Cross says. The Red Cross is appealing to Americans to roll up their sleeves and donate blood immediately. “Our teams are working around the clock to meet the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and patients — distributing about 75,000 more blood products than expected over the past three months to meet demand — but we can’t do it without donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. (6/29)
The Washington Post:
America’s Workers Are Exhausted And Burned Out — And Some Employers Are Taking Notice
Meg Trowbridge’s plans for the week are pretty simple. She’ll take long, meandering walks and explore some new parks and visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for the first time since 2019 — all on company time. “I’m so excited to take a morning or afternoon walk when I’m not in the crowd of after-work people,” said Trowbridge, a copywriter for Mozilla, which produces the Firefox Web browser. “I’m definitely going to hit SF MOMA and just stroll and see how long I can just get lost in the museum again because it’s been so long, and I feel like just getting inspired.” ... Mozilla is shutting down the entire company for a “Wellness Week,” which will lead into the Fourth of July weekend. It dovetails with another initiative the company formalized this past January, a “Wellness Day,” or companywide day off, once a month every month this year. All 12 are scheduled for Fridays to tack onto the weekend. (Youn, 6/28)