Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
In California, Caregivers of People With Disabilities Are Being Turned Away at COVID Vaccine Sites
Parents and caregivers of people with disabilities in California are supposed to be near the front of the line for the covid-19 vaccine. But some are hitting roadblocks at vaccination sites. (Jackie Fortiér, LAist, )
California Hashes Out Plan To Reopen Elementary Schools: California officials on Monday announced details of a plan to offer school districts $2 billion to reopen elementary schools for in-person learning by April 1. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, EdSource, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee and San Diego Union-Tribune.
In related news —
Teachers Union Balks At Plan, Says It’s Biased Toward Whites: The United Teachers of Los Angeles, California's largest local teachers union, slammed the state's school reopening plan as "a recipe for propagating structural racism." UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz accused white, wealthy parents of increasing the political pressure and "driving the push behind a rushed return." Read more from Politico.
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
Bay Area News Group:
California Launches New COVID-19 Vaccine System. What Bay Area Residents Should Know
California on Monday launched a new COVID-19 vaccine distribution system operated by insurance giant Blue Shield of California, a shift that state officials say will speed up the rollout of doses and unify a county-by-county patchwork of eligibility standards. But for Bay Area residents, it will take a few more weeks to notice any difference. One glaring change is that the state’s My Turn online system, which can be accessed at myturn.ca.gov, will serve as the central site for all Californians to sign up for vaccination appointments. Individual counties and health care providers will still play an essential role in immunizing people at their vaccination sites and mobile clinics, but the central booking system hopefully will make obtaining appointments more efficient and straight-forward. (Angst, 3/1)
Bay Area News Group:
New COVID-19 Vaccine Type Is On The Way, But May Not Mean People Can Pick Their Shot
With doses of a new vaccine possibly arriving in California within days, health officials are pondering how best to deploy the still-scarce resource – and whether to offer people a choice in the type of shot they get. The federal Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, Feb. 27, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said the state could receive about 300,000 doses of it this week. But it’s not clear whether the millions of residents still waiting to be inoculated will get to select among the new J&J vaccine and the ones from Pfizer and Moderna that have been in use since mid-December. (Robinson, Sforza and Rosenfeld, 3/2)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Q&A: Johnson & Johnson's Vaccine Is Coming To San Diego. Here's What You Need To Know About It
A third COVID-19 vaccine is coming to town — this time from American pharma giant Johnson & Johnson. On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the vaccine’s use among those 18 and up. The move came a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine, heeding the recommendation of an independent panel of doctors and researchers. Infectious disease expert Dr. Mark Sawyer of Rady Children’s Hospital served on that panel. We reached out to him to understand how this vaccine works and how it compares to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. (Wosen, 3/1)
LA Daily News:
LAUSD To Receive Extra Vaccine Doses, Keeping Alive Hope Of Reopening Elementary Schools In April
Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed to set aside 25,000 additional COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next two weeks for Los Angeles Unified school employees, Superintendent Austin Beutner said Monday, March 1, in an announcement that keeps alive the superintendent’s hope of reopening elementary schools in April. “This is a game-changer,” Beutner said during his weekly community update. “This plan will allow us to complete during the next two weeks vaccinations for school staff who are already working at school sites, staff who are working with our youngest learners and those working with students with learning differences and disabilities.” (Tat, 3/1)
Los Angeles Times:
LAUSD To Get Enough Vaccines To Open Elementary Schools
The Los Angeles school district will get the COVID-19 vaccines it needs by the end of next week to inoculate staff and reopen its elementary school campuses, state and local officials confirmed Monday morning. Despite that welcome news, the nation’s second-largest school district hedged on a previously announced target reopening date of April 9, shifting instead to “mid-April” in documents released Monday. An early April timeline would be tight if local officials waited until school district employees achieved maximum immunity, which takes five to six weeks after the first dose of the two vaccines most widely available. (Blume, 3/1)
LA Daily News:
More Than 40% Of California Prisoners, Employees Vaccinated For COVID-19
More than 40% of prisoners and employees for the state’s prison system have gotten the first round of vaccinations for COVID-19, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said Monday, March 1. As of Sunday, about 43% of the 94,644 in-custody population and about 42% of 61,408 employees have received the first round of COVID-19 vaccines, the CDCR said in an email. Vaccines started rolling out on Dec. 22 and the goal is to offer vaccinations to all employees and inmates, according to the CDCR. (Rasmussen, 3/1)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego County Law Enforcement Officers Get COVID-19 Vaccine At Scripps Hospital
After months waiting their turns, law enforcement officers and teachers are now front and center in San Diego County’s coronavirus vaccination effort. About 3,000 local teachers were vaccinated over the weekend at locations operated by UC San Diego Health and Sharp HealthCare, according to the California Schools Voluntary Benefits Association, while local police officers and deputy sheriffs began rolling through a drive-through vaccination clinic operated by Scripps Health Monday. (Wosen and Sisson, 3/1)
Fresno Bee:
COVID-19: Fresno Grows Vaccine Eligibility As New Cases Slow
More than 175,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccines have been given to people in Fresno County, and that number is expected to grow steadily as eligibility for shots expands significantly this week. The state Department of Public Health reported Monday that 175,792 shots have been administered in the county. Across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, Mariposa and Tulare counties in the central San Joaquin Valley, more than one-third of a million doses have been injected into arms with the goal of protecting people from COVID-19 and serious complications related to the disease. (Sheehan, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California's Vaccine Sites Don't All Require Proof Of Eligibility, Leaving Room For Line Jumpers
The state has issued no guidelines on how vaccination sites should verify eligibility. Counties have varying rules, with some leaving it up to the vaccination site to decide what verification, if any, to require. The lack of uniform rules and enforcement underscores the porous nature of California’s approach to vaccination. While relying largely on the honor system helps advance the urgent public health goal of quickly vaccinating as many people as possible, it also leaves the rules open to abuse. But because many vaccination sites are not checking for proof of employment-related eligibility, it's unclear how many individuals have cheated the system, or tried to. (Ho and Bobrowsky, 3/1)
Orange County Register:
Disneyland Super POD To Close To Create Drive-Thru Option
A county-run mass coronavirus vaccination site at Disneyland will be closed Wednesday, March 3, so staff can transform part of the tented outdoor site into a drive-thru for patients with disabilities. It is set to open the drive-thru lanes Monday. The Disneyland Super POD (point of dispensing), using one of the theme park’s parking lots, will be reconfigured to offer in-car vaccinations, which are set to begin next week, the OC Health Care Agency announced in a tweet Monday evening. The vaccination center will be set up to serve eligible people with disabilities who have placards or license plates to show they are disabled, officials said. Patients also must have appointments. (Wheeler, 3/1)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Clinica Sierra Vista Offering COVID-19 Vaccines For Those In Phase 1b Tier 1 Of County’s Vaccination Schedule
Clinica Sierra Vista is now offering COVID-19 vaccinations at select locations for patients and residents in Phase 1b Tier 1 of Kern County’s vaccination plan. The vaccinations are for Clinica Sierra Vista patients only at this time, according to a news release from the healthcare provider. Individuals in Phase 1b Tier 1 include those 65 and older, as well as workers in the education and childcare fields, the emergency services sector, and the food and agriculture work forces. (3/1)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Adventist Health To Bring COVID-19 Vaccination Mobile Clinic To McFarland
Adventist Health will hit the road on Tuesday, bringing its new Adventist Health Mobile Clinic to McFarland in an effort to provide COVID-19 vaccines to the community in northern Kern County. According to a news release from the heath care provider, Adventist Health is attempting to provide access to rural and underserved communities in Kern County. The news release stated that the mobile clinic was made possible with the help of a $200,000 donation from Chevron. (3/1)
Los Angeles Times:
CVS, Walgreens Challenge Newsom Comments About Unused Vaccine
Gov. Gavin Newsom stood in front of local government leaders and lawmakers in Fresno on Friday and told Californians the state had taken swift action to reallocate thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses from a provider who “was not administering the vaccines quickly enough.” “And yes, forgive me, we decided to send them to the Valley because you deserve them,” Newsom added. It wasn’t the first time Newsom had publicly said the state was asserting its authority to ensure life-saving doses were not languishing on drug store shelves, going unused. Last month, Newsom said the state reallocated 200,000 vaccine doses because a large pharmacy chain was “sitting on those doses.” (Gutierrez, 3/2)
Los Angeles Times:
As California COVID-19 Cases Drop, Newsom Warns Of 'Plateau'
The darkest days of California’s winter coronavirus surge are shrinking in the rearview mirror, prompting new optimism — as well as continued pleas for vigilance — as the state moves forward with a wider reopening of businesses, as well as schools for in-person learning. Although the state’s coronavirus numbers have plummeted to levels not seen in months, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged on Monday that “we are seeing a little bit of a plateau, and one needs to be mindful of that.” His remarks echo sentiments recently shared by federal health officials, who warn that, despite the recent progress, it would be premature to declare victory over the pandemic. (Money and Lin II, 3/1)
LA Daily News:
Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Continue To Dip As A Million More In LA County Become Vaccine-Eligible
A whole new slate of folks who live or work in Los Angeles County are now eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, officials announced Monday, March 1, as the county’s inoculation program continues to move forward. The county on Monday expanded those eligible for the vaccine to include people who work in education, child care, food, agriculture, emergency services and law enforcement. About 30% of the county’s vaccine allocation will be set aside specifically for educators, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said in a Monday afternoon briefing. (Munguia, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Coronavirus Deaths Fall 33% In February Vs. January
COVID-19 remains a deadly disease — but it took fewer lives in February than it did the month before. The virus killed an average of 403 Californians each day in February, a shocking figure that is nevertheless 25% lower than the average number of daily deaths in January, which was 482, according to a Chronicle analysis of county figures. In all, the virus claimed 11,286 Californians in February. In January, the death toll was 14,953. (Asimov, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Second Case Of Worrisome South Africa Variant Found In Alameda County
Alameda County officials have reported a second case of coronavirus infection caused by the variant from South Africa that is known to reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines. The second case, which was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, is not connected to the first one that was identified Feb. 9. In both cases, the individuals were residents of Alameda County who had recently returned from traveling internationally, and almost certainly became infected with the variant overseas, public health officials said. (Allday, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco Is Poised To Move To The Red Tier. Here's What It'll Take To Get To Orange
San Francisco is poised to advance from California’s purple reopening tier to red this week, and as cases continue to drop throughout the Bay Area, many in the city may already be looking toward the next step: orange. California’s counties continue to see progress, with an additional seven likely to move to less restrictive tiers when the state announces updated assignments this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Mayor London Breed had signaled last week that she expected San Francisco to be among those counties. (Hwang, 3/1)
Bay Area News Group:
Despite Falling Case Rates, Mount Diablo Schools Not Open
A steady decline of coronavirus cases in Contra Costa County would allow the Mount Diablo Unified School District to bring students in lower grade levels back to campus right away, but the district still has no firm reopening date as March begins. Ongoing negotiations between the district and labor unions have been the driving force behind the holdup. The school board, as well as the superintendent, are angling to begin a hybrid learning model soon, but labor representatives maintain they want safety guaranteed before educators return to classrooms. (Mukherjee, 3/1)
Fresno Bee:
ACLU Accuses Tulare Sheriff Of ‘Cruel’ COVID-19 Policies
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has been accused by the ACLU of instituting “cruel” COVID-19 policies that have caused “physical and psychological harm” to county jail inmates, new court documents show. The claims are part of a class-action lawsuit filed last summer on behalf of the inmates by the ACLU Foundation of Northern California and the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. The initial complaint accused the sheriff of failing to implement state-mandated health protocols to protect inmates across the county’s five facilities, which resulted in a court-ordered mandatory mask policy and increased distance between inmates. The most recent filings are the latest accusations to draw attention to the sheriff’s handling of the pandemic, raising concerns over the inmates’ health and safety and questioning the constitutionality of the sheriff’s COVID-19 policies and practices. (Lopez, 3/2)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Nursing Home 'Dumped' Residents To Bring In Lucrative COVID Patients, Authorities Say
A nursing home accused of illegally “dumping” patients onto city streets and into ill-equipped homes in order to take in more lucrative COVID-19 patients will nearly double its nursing staff, allow increased oversight and pay $275,000 in penalties and costs to settle a lawsuit brought by the Los Angeles city attorney’s office. City Atty. Mike Feuer on Monday announced the legal agreement with the Lakeview Terrace skilled nursing facility, which he had accused of “sustained” and “intentional” misconduct in failing to adequately tend to some patients, while pushing others out of the 99-bed home. (Rainey, 3/1)
LA Daily News:
City Says L.A. Nursing Home Accused Of ‘Cover-Up’ Dumped Elderly Residents To Take In More Expensive COVID-19 Patients
A Los Angeles skilled nursing facility accused of dumping elderly and seriously ill residents to take in COVID-19 patients who brought in higher Medicare reimbursements will pay a fine and comply with a court-ordered monitor after settling a lawsuit with the city. The Lakeview Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility in Westlake agreed last week to the city’s demands for reforms and to pay $275,000 in penalties. In a July lawsuit, City Attorney Mike Feuer accused the facility of committing numerous abuses, then orchestrating “a fraudulent cover-up to conceal its misconduct.” Prosecutors said Lakeview Terrace staff discharged elderly and seriously ill patients “onto the street or into lower level-of-care facilities that were unable to properly care for them.” (Cain, 3/1)
The Bakersfield Californian:
After 'Insane' Few Months, Emergency Medical System In Kern Shows Signs Of Recovery
Emergency medical services workers may finally get to breathe a sigh of relief after Kern County’s emergency medical services system finally hit levels not seen since the early part of the coronavirus winter surge. In another sign that COVID-19 is declining, Kern County Public Health Services has returned the county’s EMS System Surge Plan to the lowest of four tiers due to improvement in 911 call volume, increased ambulance availability, lower offload times and percentage of staff impacted by COVID-19. Enacted as COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing at the end of December, the plan was meant to protect the county’s medical system as patients threatened to overwhelm it. Using lessons learned from the summer surge, the plan allowed the county to remain self-sufficient throughout the worst of the winter surge. (Morgen, 3/1)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Surgeon On Court Video Pays Fine, Avoids Trial
A Sacramento plastic surgeon, whose mid-operation Zoom call before a traffic court judge last week garnered national headlines, quietly resolved his case Monday morning in Sacramento Superior Court. Dr. Scott Green is off the hook for what was to be a Thursday court date. Court officials Monday said Green paid fines and fees for the speeding and license tag violations he faced and his traffic trial was vacated. But Medical Board of California officials have since said they will look into the doctor’s livestreamed multitasking while academics and others are weighing in on the appearance’s ethical implications. (Smith, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Oakland's Homelessness Chief To Leave After Less Than A Year
Oakland’s homelessness chief will leave his position with the city next week after less than a year in the position, according to an email obtained by The Chronicle. Daryel Dunston was appointed as the city’s homelessness administrator in February in charge of leading homeless policy, but didn’t start in the position until June due to the pandemic. Dunston’s last day with the city will be March 8. He starts a new position with the San Francisco Foundation’s Place Pathway program, which focuses on housing solutions, on March 15. (Ravani, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Could Move More Than 500 People Off Streets Into Hotels - But Where They Go Next Is Uncertain
In the latest push to keep people off San Francisco’s streets, the Board of Supervisors is poised to pass an emergency ordinance to move 560 more homeless people into shelter-in-place hotels over the next two months. The ordinance— expected to pass at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting — simply formalizes a plan already under way. It will extend the federally reimbursed program that leases hotel rooms for around 2,000 vulnerable homeless individuals, fill even more hotel rooms and make available permanent housing for those in hotels, although people may turn it down if they find it less appealing than their current situation. (Moench, 3/2)