Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Essential Worker Shoulders $1,840 Pandemic Debt Due To COVID Cost Loophole
Carmen Quintero had symptoms of COVID-19, couldn’t get tested and ended up with a huge bill. She also was told to self-isolate and assume she had the coronavirus — which is hard when you live with elders. (Sarah Varney, )
Workers Filed More Than 4,100 Complaints About Protective Gear. Some Still Died.
As health workers in California and other states were dying of COVID-19, federal work-safety officials filed just one citation against an employer and rapidly closed complaints about protective gear. (Christina Jewett and Shefali Luthra and Melissa Bailey, )
Doctors, Nurses Angry As Cases Soar: Hospitalizations have increased 43% in the last two weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday, and many hospital workers aren’t the least bit shocked. “I’m not sure why everyone is so surprised that we’re surging again,” said one emergency room physician in Los Angeles County who wrote to the Los Angeles Times. “(The problem) never went away, and we opened up” while mask-wearing was being “politicized.” The physician called the situation “very frustrating.” Along the same lines, Erin McIntosh, 37, a rapid response nurse in the Inland Empire, said the last few months leave "us feeling like we’re not enough. I feel like this is all setting us up to fail.” Meanwhile, Riverside County intensive care unit beds nearly hit capacity Sunday. Read more from Anita Chabria, Emily Baumgaertner, Stephanie Lai, Taryn Luna and Kristi Sturgill of the Los Angeles Times.
Health Officials Cope With Being Intimidated, Threatened: A colleague texted Dr. Erica Pan, the health officer for Alameda County, a photo of the yard sign. It showed a photo of her with the words “Financially destroyed families and businesses” and “#A--holeMD.” Across California and the country, public health officers have become targets of protests, intimidation and even death threats from people who resent mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus by sheltering in place, closing businesses and wearing masks. “I’m getting antagonism in all sorts of ways,” said Dr. Pan, who has been trolled on social media, received threats to come to her house and been vilified on websites that rate doctors. “Where I get upset is if it tries to invade my personal and family life. I really don’t want my family to be dragged into this.” Read more from Carolyn Said of the San Francisco Chronicle.
In related news —
Alameda County Health Officer Erica Pan Leaving Position: https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Alameda-County-s-health-officer-resigning-to-15375534.php
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Breaks Record — Again — For Most Coronavirus Cases In A Day, Exceeding 8,000
California broke its record for new coronavirus cases Monday as health officials in Los Angeles County warned of “alarming” spikes in cases and hospitalizations. California counties recorded 8,086 new cases as of late Monday with all but a few counties reporting daily totals, according to data compiled by The Chronicle. Some counties reported higher-than-normal tallies after not updating their case data over the weekend. (Kawahara, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California In Perilous Phase As COVID-19 Spread Intensifies
California plummeted deeper into a new coronavirus crisis Monday as new cases spiked to record levels, some hospitals filled up, and officials expressed growing alarm and frustration with people refusing to follow safety rules despite the increasingly perilous conditions. The state broke its record Monday for the greatest number of new coronavirus cases reported in a single day, tallying more than 8,000. That’s the third time in eight days the state has broken a record of new daily cases, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker. (Shalby, Lin II, Dolan and Cosgrove, 6/30)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus Cases Climb, Bay Area Counties Pause Reopening
Coronavirus cases in the Bay Area and across California climbed Monday after several days of record-breaking numbers, prompting two East Bay counties to pause reopening plans amid local surges and troubling jumps in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19. The state saw a new-record 8,086 cases on Monday, though that number was artificially high due to recent data collection problems and many counties not reporting cases over the weekend. The bulk of cases were in Los Angeles County, which reported a one-day record 2,878 cases to push past 100,000 total cases. (Allday, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Hints At Renewed Restrictions In California: ‘We Don’t Like The Trend Line’
California added four more counties Monday to its watch list of places with concerning growth in their local coronavirus outbreaks, including Solano County, as Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted that he could renew some restrictions on public life. State public health officials are now closely monitoring the conditions in 19 of California’s 58 counties, including Contra Costa and Santa Clara in the Bay Area, representing nearly three-quarters of the state population. In addition to Solano, Glenn, Merced and Orange counties were added to the list Monday. (Koseff, 6/29)
CalMatters:
Newsom Expands County Watch List As Coronavirus Spreads
With the July 4 holiday weekend only days away, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that 19 counties home to 72% of the state’s population are now on a “watch list” for additional COVID-19 restrictions. Four new counties — Solano, Merced, Glenn and Orange — were added Monday to the list of hard-hit locales where state health officials are monitoring infection data, providing technical assistance and weighing new measures to slow the spread of the virus. (Hepler, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times:
California Coronavirus Spread Took A Turn On Memorial Day
The seeds of the latest surge in coronavirus cases in California appear to have been planted around Memorial Day. People had been pent up in their homes; businesses shuttered for months amid the stay-at-home order began to open. And as the reopening accelerated, a lot of people were ready to get out. (Lin II, Lee, Greene and Karlamangla, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Charts Show The Hot Spots Driving California’s ‘Sobering’ Coronavirus Surge
California reported record new daily coronavirus case counts this week and a surge in hospitalizations, as the state continues to reopen businesses and allows for more outdoor and indoor activities. But what about in the Bay Area?Cases here have nearly doubled in the past month, and sharp spikes this week indicate an alarming trend. But a Chronicle analysis of county-by-county data shows that the Bay Area has not been among the biggest contributors to the statewide surge thus far, with cases-per-capita remaining below the state average for the past 14 days and well below the hot spots driving the surge. (Hwang and Massa, 6/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Bars Closed To Slow Spread Of Coronavirus
Less than three weeks after giving bars the green light to reopen, Sacramento County health officials on Monday ordered them to close again, saying patrons are not social-distancing enough, especially after a few drinks, and are contributing to a dramatic surge in new cases. The county bar closure order is set for 6 p.m. Monday. (Bizjak and Egel, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bars Are In Spotlight As Coronavirus Cases Rise. But In This Bay Area City, They're Open And Hopping
A couple embraced, masks pushed aside, and kissed outside the Roaring Donkey in Petaluma. Inside the bar, under low lighting, unmasked patrons filled nearly every seat sipping cocktails, many of them seemingly oblivious to the blue tape on the floor marking the 6-foot distance they were supposed to keep from each other. “Clean your hands ya filthy animals,” read a sign next to the bar-front entrance with a bottle of hand sanitizer beside it. A masked DJ bobbed his head to the beat and played loud music while masked bartenders mixed drinks. (Ravani, 6/29)
Ventura County Star:
Coronavirus Update: Ventura County Bars Remain Open, No New Closures
A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended bars that don't provide dine-in meals be closed in Ventura County and seven other regions to slow the spread of the coronavirus, local officials said no new closures will be ordered. Bars in Ventura County already are forced to meet the state's new guidelines, they said. (Kisken, 6/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Caltrans Road Workers Test Positive For Coronavirus Around CA
At least 10 state road workers at Caltrans maintenance yards have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks, according to notices sent to employees. The union representing the workers filed a grievance over the infections on Monday, saying the department isn’t doing enough to protect workers’ safety. “I’m just extremely alarmed by the increasing numbers,” said Steve Crouch, director of public employees for the International Union of Operating Engineers, who filed the grievance. (Venteicher, 6/30)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno County Adds 337 COVID-19 Cases, State Closes Bars
Fresno County reported another 337 positive cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total to 4,811 cases since the pandemic began. The new cases are the latest Fresno County has reported since Saturday. No new deaths related to the virus were added Monday to the 72 tallied since March. (Miller, 6/29)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Elected Official’s Son Tests Positive For COVID-19
Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias announced on Monday that his young son tested positive for COVID-19 and he is awaiting his own test results, prompting this week’s city council meeting to revert to online. Arias was notified Friday evening that his son Diego, 8, tested positive after a visit to his pediatrician earlier in the week for coronavirus symptoms. Diego had a fever, body aches and headaches. Arias said he also was tested and expects to receive his results Tuesday. (Calix, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Quentin Coronavirus Outbreak: Death Row Prisoner Who Was Found Dead Tested Positive
A 71-year-old man who died last week while serving time on San Quentin’s Death Row tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first known death of a coronavirus patient inside California’s oldest state prison. Richard Stitely’s test results, announced by Marin County officials late Monday morning, come as a monstrous outbreak continues to overwhelm San Quentin State Prison, now infecting more than 1,000 incarcerated people and 89 employees at the facility. (Cassidy and Fagone, 6/29)
Bay Area News Group:
Sick San Quentin Prisoners Sent To Bay Area Medical Center
As California contends with climbing coronavirus cases throughout the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday laid out plans to address a massive outbreak at San Quentin Prison — including moving inmates to a Bay Area medical center. More than 1,000 inmates of the Marin County prison have tested positive for the virus — comprising nearly half of all current infections within the state’s prison system. Newsom called the outbreak a “deep area of focus and concern” and said his team would consider releasing inmates who are at high risk or are close to finishing their sentences. (Kelliher and Kendall, 6/29)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Jail: 507 Inmates, 25 Officers COVID-19 Positive
A total of 507 Fresno County Jail inmates have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in results released Monday by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, 25 correctional officers and one court deputy have tested positive. Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said a total of 979 inmates have received test results for the virus, and there are additional 186 pending test results. Three inmates refused to be tested. The jail is in day 11 of a 14-day quarantine. (Guy, 6/29)
Ventura County Star:
Coronavirus Ventura County: Outbreak At Farmworker Site In Oxnard
A coronavirus outbreak at a farmworker housing facility in Oxnard has infected at least 95 residents there, officials said Monday. Test results are pending for another 100 people, they said. News of the outbreak came as other sobering numbers rolled out with Ventura County's latest COVID-19 update: 404 new cases over the weekend and 70 patients hospitalized Monday, including 27 being treated in an intensive care unit. (Wenner, 6/29)
Bay Area News Group:
San Mateo County Prosecutor Contracts Coronavirus, District Attorney Says
A prosecutor in the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office contracted COVID-19 earlier this month and a defense attorney who was in court with her is miffed that he and others weren’t told about it until five days later. District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe has confirmed that the prosecutor contracted the disease and has been in quarantine since testing positive June 17. (Toledo, 6/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs $202 Billion Pandemic Budget
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $202 billion budget Monday with emergency pandemic funding, expanded unemployment aid and billions of dollars in cuts forced by the coronavirus-caused recession. The budget that takes effect Wednesday assumed a $54 billion deficit brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and Newsom’s March stay-at-home order, which halted much of the state’s economy. (Bollag, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Signs California’s $202.1 Billion State Budget
The budget, which takes effect July 1, maintains spending on schools and health and safety net programs by tapping reserve accounts, borrowing from special funds, delaying billions of dollars in payments until future years and temporarily limiting corporate tax credits to raise new revenue. Some programs are nevertheless hit with steep reductions, including public universities, the court system, affordable-housing grants and state worker compensation. State officials hope to reverse $11 billion of those cuts if California receives a federal bailout by Oct. 15. (Koseff, 6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Stanford’s Plan For Fall Quarter: Most Classes Online, Half The Students On Campus
Stanford freshmen will have an extraordinary introduction to college in the 2020-21 academic year, spending the fall quarter on campus and not returning until the summer quarter begins about seven months later. That’s one notable element of Monday’s announcement, in which school officials revealed more details of their effort to resume in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Stanford will stagger student attendance, to limit the on-campus population and allow for physical distancing. (Kroichick, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times:
What Are The California School Rules For Online Learning?
When it comes to education, the new state budget goes beyond providing $70.5 billion in funding for K-12 schools — it sets fundamental accountability rules for a new era of distance learning in California by requiring teachers to take online attendance and document student learning. The budget bill, which Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign, anticipates that schools will continue to rely heavily on online instruction when campuses reopen in the fall. It also implicitly acknowledges the deep learning losses of the last semester, especially among students from low-income families, when school systems struggled to get all students online. (Blume and Esquivel, 6/29)
Ventura County Star:
Royal, Simi Valley Teams Stop Workouts After Coach Tests Positive For COVID-19
Summer workouts for two high school sports teams in the Simi Valley Unified School District — one each at Royal and Simi Valley highs — have been halted after one coach tested positive for COVID-19 and another coach was exposed to the virus. The Royal girls basketball team and the Simi Valley girls volleyball team have immediately paused their conditioning programs, the district announced. A coach in the Royal basketball program tested positive for the virus. The coach in the Simi Valley volleyball program has been exposed and is awaiting test results. (Ledin, 6/29)