Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Role Reversal: Covid Increases Ranks of Child Caregivers
Millions of teens and preteens help care for ill parents or grandparents. The pandemic has boosted their numbers while making it harder for them to get social and emotional support outside the home. (Heidi de Marco, )
More Californians Eligible For Shots — If They Can Find Them: California opened up vaccine eligibility to roughly 4.4 million younger residents with disabilities and underlying medical conditions such as obesity on Monday, but access to appointments remained spotty for some. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, SF Gate, Deadline and KQED. Continued coverage, below.
Go For Green? New Color Tier In The Works: Since California first rolled out its four-tier, color-coded system last August, the least restrictive level has been yellow. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state is working on a green tier “in anticipation of this bright light at the end of this tunnel.” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
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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:
California's COVID Vaccine Expansion Relies On Honor System
California on Monday began a new phase of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, making nearly half of all residents eligible for a shot — and relying more than ever on public trust and honesty to make sure the doses get to those who need them most. The changes add to the eligibility list more than 4 million people, most notably those 16 and older who have disabilities and underlying health conditions. Previous eligibility tiers focused on certain jobs and age groups — factors that are easily verifiable to determine whether those seeking the vaccine are entitled to it under state guidelines. (Shalby and Smith, 3/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How To Know If Your BMI Qualifies You For A Vaccine In San Francisco Now
San Francisco began allowing individuals ages 16 to 64 with a body mass index, or BMI, higher than 30 to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday — a requirement that is less stringent than the state’s eligibility rules. State and city officials expanded the COVID-19 vaccination eligibility list Monday to include people ages 16 to 64 with disabilities and severe underlying conditions, like obesity and diabetes. (Flores, 3/15)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
First Two Homeless Shelters In Sacramento County Receive COVID-19 Vaccines
The first two homeless shelters in Sacramento County received COVID-19 vaccine doses on Monday, marking a milestone in the effort to keep some of the area’s most vulnerable residents safe from the deadly virus. Meghan Marshall, a division manager at Sacramento County’s Department of Health Services, said both facilities received 80 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only a single dose. (Nichols, 3/15)
The Bakersfield Californian:
The Mission At Kern County Brings Vaccinations To Its Homeless Population
Bearded and blue-jeaned, Bobby Higgins never expected to be homeless — and he never thought getting vaccinated against COVID-19 was a likely option for him, either. On Monday morning, both were on his calendar. The 59-year-old Bakersfield native has been living at The Mission at Kern County for a while now, and on Monday morning Higgins was happy to be rolling up his sleeve to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the homeless shelter on E. 21st Street. (Mayer, 3/15)
KPBS:
New Oceanside Vaccination Site Has The National Guard Delivering Shots
A new COVID-19 vaccination site is opening in Oceanside Tuesday at the North Coastal Health and Human Services Facility. This is one can delivery up to 700 vaccines per day and is located in the 92058 ZIP code, identified by the state as being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. (Hoffman and Mae, 3/15)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Petco Park COVID-19 Vaccine Superstation To Close Permanently After Saturday
After putting more than 200,000 coronavirus vaccine shots into the arms of San Diegans, the mass immunization site near Petco Park will close permanently at the end of Saturday. A spokesperson for UC San Diego Health, which runs the site, informed The San Diego Union-Tribune of the closure on Monday. She added that UCSD hopes to get anyone still waiting for a second vaccine dose at the site their shot by the end of the week. (Wosen and Diehl, 3/15)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Congressmen Promise Sharp Increase In COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Coming Soon
Sonoma County’s congressmen Monday assured local residents big waves of coronavirus vaccines would be arriving in the coming weeks. U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said recent steps taken by the Biden administration, including last week’s passage of the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and the deployment of the Defense Production Act, finally will alleviate the scarcity of available vaccine doses in the county, California and across the country. (Espinoza, 3/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
A West Oakland Church Hosted A Vaccine Clinic For Black, Latino People. Most Shots Went To Whites, Organizer Said
A West Oakland church hosted a clinic intended to vaccinate Black and Latino communities. But the majority of vaccines went to white people after hundreds of people waited, some overnight, for a chance to be vaccinated at the first-come, first-served clinic, its organizer said. “I’ve had people camping out starting at 2:30 a.m. to be first in line,” said the clinic organizer, Pastor Michael Wallace of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. As he spoke Friday afternoon, the final vaccine recipients were being ushered through the gate of his church’s parking lot, where the fifth and final day of a swiftly organized vaccine clinic was wrapping up. (Mishanec, 3/14)
Napa Valley Register:
Napa County Reports Nearly 14% Of Residents Are Now Fully Vaccinated
Napa County’s COVID-19 case count continued downward Monday with 19 new cases since Friday’s report. As of Saturday, 19,034 county residents have now been fully vaccinated. This is 13.6% of the county’s population. At the end of last week, the county said almost 64,000 vaccine doses had been administered to people living or working in the county. (Courtney, 3/15)
Politico:
Why Newsom Still Isn't Getting The Vaccine
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have it. The governors of Texas, Iowa and West Virginia have gotten theirs. But in California, elected officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom on down have largely chosen not to get vaccines yet. (Kahn, 3/15)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Vaccinating Joshua: Autistic Youth Finally Gets His Turn
Before the pandemic, 16-year-old Joshua Espinoza was able to visit his family every weekend. But for the last year, time with his mother, father and brother has been limited to quick sessions at his group home to reduce the chances of coronavirus infection. As of Monday, the 11th grader with severe autism is among an estimated 4.4 million statewide with high-risk medical conditions and disabilities who will join the state’s vaccine priority list, significantly increasing his odds of receiving the doses he needs to once again travel to his family’s home in Paradise Hills. (Sisson and Pearlman, 3/15)
Capital & Main:
Baffling Illness In Children Follows In The Wake Of COVID
It was toward the end of last summer that Martha Kuhl began to notice the numbers. With increasing frequency, parents were bringing their kids to the emergency department of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, the young patients complaining of an array of symptoms – fever, pain in the stomach or neck, rash, bloodshot eyes – that at first glance appeared to mimic other childhood ailments. “Some of the parents were really afraid that it was COVID-19, and we had been seeing some cases of acute COVID,” said Kuhl, a registered nurse in pediatric oncology at Benioff. “But these were a kind of post-COVID case that was different.” (Disclosure: Kuhl is a member of the California Nurses Association, which is a financial supporter of Capital & Main.) (Kriedler, 3/15)
KPBS:
Judge Rules In Favor Of North County Parents Suing Over School Reopening Rules
A judge Monday ruled in favor of a group of North County parents who sued the state to overturn pandemic-related rules they allege have unfairly prevented school districts from reopening for in-person learning. The temporary restraining order issued by San Diego Superior Court Judge Cynthia Freeland prohibits the state from enforcing the provisions of its January framework for reopening schools, which the plaintiffs allege has interfered with local school districts' reopening plans and includes "arbitrary" restrictions that have impeded in-person instruction from resuming. (3/15)
Bay Area News Group:
Pittsburg Schools To Remain In Distance Learning During COVID
While schools in nearby districts are preparing to reopen with hybrid learning models, Pittsburg Unified School District trustees have decided to remain in full-distance learning through the end of the school year. Superintendent Janet Schulze announced the decision in a letter to parents late last week after the board voted on March 10 to not begin in-person/hybrid classes this semester. (Prieve, 3/15)
LA Daily News:
Why Do We Feel Grief Even As Things Are Improving With The Coronavirus?
March 19 marks the day California became the first state to enter lockdown because of COVID-19. But now, almost a year later, we are rounding the corner on the pandemic thanks to the arrival of vaccines. Good news, right? So why might so many of us feel sad? Los Angeles-based author and grief expert Hope Edelman has some answers. (Dunn, 3/15)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern County DA, State Attorney General Sue Brookdale Senior Living Over Alleged Patient Health Violations
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office has sued Brookdale Senior Living, the largest nursing home operator in the country, over allegations the company ignored patient safety laws and manipulated a “star rating” system to attract new clients. Three other counties, the city of Los Angeles, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra have joined Kern in the lawsuit, which seeks a $2,500 fine for each of the infractions allegedly committed by Brookdale across its 10 state facilities. (Morgen, 3/15)
AP:
California Sues Major US Nursing Home Operator Over Ratings
The company endangered the health of “tens of thousands” of patients and forced families to hurriedly find them new homes by failing to give at least 30 days notice of transfers or discharges as required for skilled nursing facilities, the suit alleges. It says the company also failed to adequately prepare patients to be discharged or transferred. (Thompson, 3/15)
The New York Times:
California Sues Nursing Home Chain, Saying It Manipulated Ratings System
California prosecutors sued the country’s largest chain of senior living communities on Monday, accusing the company, Brookdale Senior Living, of manipulating the federal government’s nursing-home ratings system. The lawsuit was filed by California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, and other prosecutors against Brookdale, which operates multiple nursing homes in the state. (Silver-Greenberg, 3/15)
The Hill:
California Sues Nursing Home Chain Over Alleged Medicare 'Manipulation'
California prosecutors on Monday filed a lawsuit against Brookdale Senior Living, the state’s largest nursing home chain, accusing it of manipulating ratings on the federal government’s rating system, as well as illegally discharging patients. The New York Times reports that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, filed the lawsuit along with other prosecutors in the Superior Court in California. They accuse Brookdale of winning “undeserved higher star ratings” up until April 2018 by submitting false reports about its staff members. (Choi, 3/15)