Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay
The costs of personal protective equipment and disinfecting offices while seeing fewer patients have some doctors and dentists demanding that insurance companies step up. (Rachel Bluth, )
New Mask Rules Announced: California updated its guidance on face coverings for fully vaccinated people Monday. Face coverings are no longer required outdoors for fully vaccinated people except in crowded settings such as performances, festivals and sports events. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, and see how California’s rules differ from the CDC’s.
California Sees Dramatic Drop In Covid Cases: The state has made a dramatic and sustained recovery since the beginning of the year. During the weekend of April 24-25, California reported fewer than 1,000 new daily coronavirus cases, the first time the state has dipped below that benchmark since April 19, 2020. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. Continued coverage, below.
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
Sacramento Bee:
Could COVID Vaccine Be Available Soon For Ages 12-15 In CA?
California’s campaign to mass vaccinate against COVID-19 is continuing at a pace of a few hundred thousand jabs per day, as the state approaches two-thirds of its adult population with at least one dose. The California Department of Public Health reported Monday that about 12.9 million people are now fully vaccinated, and another 6.2 are partially vaccinated with one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. That puts the total that has had at least one dose at just over 19 million, which is close to half of California’s roughly 40 million residents and about 61% of its 31 million adults. (McGough, 5/3)
Deadline:
Los Angeles Prepares To Vaccinate 12-15 Year Olds As FDA Approval Nears
Local officials in Los Angeles said Monday that they are getting ready to act once approval is issued. “We are working with people across the county so that as soon as we can use that vaccine — the Pfizer vaccine — on 12- to 15-year-olds, we’re ready,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. (Tapp, 5/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA Will Send Emergency Alert To Cell Phones To Urge COVID Vaccinations
A citywide emergency alert will be sent to cell phones in Los Angeles Monday to remind people to get a free COVID-19 vaccine. “We’re using every tool at our disposal to encourage Angelenos to get vaccinated,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter Monday morning. The Wireless Emergency Alert will be sent to mobile devices Monday afternoon and include information on vaccine options offered by the city that are open to all L.A. County residents. (Rosenberg, 5/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Despite Dwindling Demand For COVID-19 Vaccines, Bay Area Counties Plan To ‘Double Down’ On New Strategy
As the waves of people rolling up their sleeves to get once coveted COVID-19 vaccine shots continue to recede, Bay Area public health officials are ramping up community-focused inoculation clinics and making mass vaccination sites more convenient by doing away with appointments to reel in the most hesitant. Take the Santa Teresa VTA station in San Jose, for example, where on Monday morning dozens of people lined up to get their shots — the latest of a growing number of vaccination clinics in Santa Clara County that’s open to anyone who wants to walk or drive up on the spur of the moment without an appointment. (Angst and Toledo, 5/4)
Orange County Register:
OC’s Vaccination Efforts Shift From The Vulnerable To The Hesitant
As Orange County pushes toward a goal of having most residents vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4, health officials, healthcare providers and local nonprofits are trying everything they can think of to find and persuade people who haven’t yet gotten a shot. They’re calling, texting, sending emails and letters; putting out public service announcements in multiple languages from doctors, religious leaders and community pillars; and using the old-fashioned method of going to where people live, work and worship to talk to them. Sometimes with a bullhorn. (Robinson, 5/3)
Bay Area News Group:
East Bay Nonprofit Hosts Free Walk-Up Vaccines Thursday
Free Covid-19 vaccines will be offered to anyone 16 and older on Thursday at St. Vincent de Paul Family Resource Center in Pittsburg. Walk-ins will be welcome, but appointments are encouraged at 707-252-9992 as only 100 vaccine doses will be available. The clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the nonprofit’s parking lot at 2210 Gladstone Drive. (Prieve, 5/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Medical To Host COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics At Mira Monte, North High Schools
Kern Medical is hosting two COVID-19 vaccination clinics this upcoming week in partnership with the Kern High School District. The clinics are available to students 16 and older and their families and any community members who would like to walk in. On Tuesday, Mira Monte High School is hosting a vaccination clinic from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Wednesday, North High School is hosting a clinic from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (5/3)
KQED:
South San Jose Gets New VTA Rail Station Vaccination Site Amid Concern Over Slowing
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority on Monday opened a new vaccination site at the Santa Teresa light rail station in South San Jose. The new location comes shortly after Santa Clara County health officials raised concerns over the region’s decrease in vaccine demand and the need to vaccinate younger residents. “There’s plenty of supply, and anything we can do to help to make it easier for people who want to get vaccinated, we’re trying to do,” said Stacey Hendler Ross, a VTA spokesperson. (Frenes, 5/3)
KQED:
Fresno County Is Diverting COVID Vaccine Due To Low Demand. Why Don’t People Want It?
Celia Maldonado has made three appointments to get a COVID-19 vaccine since late March, and she’s canceled each one of them. … Maldonado, who lives in Fresno, is one of thousands who have not been vaccinated in that county, either because of hesitancy, barriers to access or some other reason. And now in response to the low demand, Fresno County’s Department of Public Health is diverting a portion of their allocated vaccines elsewhere, after local health officials were concerned the coveted doses they had once fought tooth and nail for would suddenly go to waste. (Hall, 5/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Bay Area Employers Wait And See On Mandatory COVID Vaccines
Of the many problems confronting Bay Area companies as they move out of pandemic lockdowns and into the workplaces of the future, one issue is proving especially thorny: Do they make their workers get COVID shots? “The thing that I’m getting the most calls about right now is really, ‘What do we do about vaccinations? Can we mandate that all our employees get vaccinated? If we don’t mandate it, what happens if we have employees who don’t want to return to work unless everybody is vaccinated?’” said Bay Area labor lawyer Sandy Rappaport, who represents companies in matters of employment. “Employers are really struggling with it.” (Baron, 5/3)
NPR:
Can't Help Falling In Love With A Vaccine: How Polio Campaign Beat Vaccine Hesitancy
The mass inoculation of millions of American children against polio in 1955, like the vaccinations of millions of American adults against COVID-19 in 2021, was a triumph of science. But the polio vaccine had overwhelming public acceptance, while stubborn pockets of vaccine hesitancy persist across the U.S. for the COVID-19 vaccine. Why the difference? One reason, historians say, is that in 1955, many Americans had an especially deep respect for science. (Brink, 5/3)
CBS News:
Sports Stadiums Asking Fans For Their "Vaccine Passports"
Top officials at the NBA and MLB hope the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind them as teams start to welcome fans back into stadiums. But to watch the game live, a growing number of venues are asking visitors to prove they've gotten their shots by displaying what's called a "vaccine passport." Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, are among a longer list of sports spaces that now require digital vaccine verifications. Those teams and others have been using an app called Health Pass from technology company Clear for COVID-19 screening. In some cases, showing your status on Health Pass could be the difference between watching a game in person or at home. (Brooks, 5/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Needle Phobia Is Common. Here's What To Do About It
Marie, 38, of North Hollywood, is afraid of needles, and she’s not the only one. One in four adults — some 76 million Americans — likely feel some fear, surveys show.Most deep-seated fear of needles comes from childhood, after a negative experience. For Marie, it was barrages of allergy shots as a kid that she found painful and scary. In some cases, autism or other developmental disabilities can make the experience of getting a vaccine distressing. (Hall, 5/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA County Reports No New Coronavirus Deaths Again, Although Reporting Lags Contribute
Although the numbers are likely due to weekend reporting lags, Los Angeles County announced zero COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row on Monday, May 3, as the public health director expressed confidence the county will move up to the least-restrictive tier of the economic-reopening blueprint this week. COVID-19 case and death numbers are traditionally low on Sundays and Mondays as a result of delays in reporting from the weekend, but the back-to-back days of zero deaths still offered a glimmer of hope about a waning of the pandemic’s deadly toll. (5/3)
Orange County Register:
Coronavirus: 55 New Cases, Hospitalizations Dip Below 100 In Orange County As Of May 3
The OC Health Care Agency reported 55 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, May 3, increasing the cumulative total in the county to 254,044 cases since tracking began. There were 891 new infections reported in the last 14 days.There were no deaths reported Monday, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities is 4,969. (Snibbe, 5/3)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Has 1,046 Deaths To COVID-19 And 54,989 Cases
Stanislaus County announced two deaths to COVID-19 on Monday and another 111 positive tests. A total of 1,046 residents have died from the virus since April 2020, the Health Services Agency said. Positive tests total 54,989 as of Monday. The county has 578,490 negative test results and 53,386 people who are presumed recovered. (Holland, 5/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
In One County On California's North Coast, COVID Is Surging
California’s coronavirus case rates are approaching an all-time low, but in one county on the North Coast, the numbers are moving in the wrong direction. Humboldt County, whose biggest city, Eureka, is 230 miles north of San Francisco, recorded 137 new cases last week. That was the most since early February. Over the weekend, the county health department reported 33 additional infections, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began to 3,885. (Vaziri, 5/3)
CapRadio:
California Coronavirus Updates: Children Now Account For 22% Of New COVID-19 Infections In US
The number of children contracting COVID-19 in the U.S. is much lower than the record highs set at the start of the new year, but children now account for more than a fifth of new coronavirus cases, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This number is based on states that release their data by age, but still, it’s a statistic that’s surprised many — just one year ago, child COVID-19 cases only made up around 3% of the U.S. total. Now, children represent 22.4% of the new cases reported in the past week as of this Monday. (5/3)
Bay Area News Group:
California Lawmakers Demand: Where’s The COVID Data?
Rarely has the public been so captivated by government statistics as it has since the pandemic. COVID-19 data on infections, hospitalizations and fatalities determine where Californians can go, with whom they can associate and whether their businesses and other institutions can operate. Public health officials say they used the numbers to initiate sweeping shutdowns, mask mandates and other unprecedented interventions. But several Bay Area politicians and epidemiologists say the most noteworthy thing about California’s public health data during this pandemic is its incompleteness and inaccessibility. (Moore, 5/4)
USA Today:
US Nearing Vaccine Tipping Point, Dramatic Decrease In COVID Cases Could Come Without Herd Immunity, Some Experts Say
It may not take true "herd immunity" to see a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases. Some researchers say another 30 to 40 million first shots could be enough for the United States to reach a vaccine tipping point and containment of the disease caused by the coronavirus. "It's just another 10% to 15% more people," said Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. (Weise, 5/4)
Los Angeles Times:
LAUSD Reopens School Playgrounds With COVID-19 Restrictions
Los Angeles Unified on Monday reopened its playground equipment, following the lead of many other school districts and local city and county parks. Access will be limited to one class of students at a time, and the equipment will be sanitized regularly. The closed equipment has been a sore spot for many parents, who complained that city and county playgrounds — with no coronavirus safeguards — were accessible, but their children faced unnecessary restrictions on their ability to play, exercise and socialize at campuses. They also noted that many other school districts were allowing children to use playground equipment. (Blume, 5/3)
KQED:
What's Reopened In The Bay Area? Your Updated Guide To Movies, Art, Music And More
With vaccinations rolling along and Bay Area counties moving out of restrictive tiers, we're seeing more and more reopenings of movie theaters, museums, attractions and even live music. Below is a regularly updated list of what we know is open. Check back for updates to guide your weekend planning, and as always, adhere to your county's mandates and guidance for COVID-19. (Meline, 5/3)
Modesto Bee:
COVID Relief For Restaurants And Bars: How To Apply
Starting Monday, eligible businesses can apply for federal COVID-19 relief through the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, established by the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package signed into law in March. Here’s what to know and how to apply. (Aldridge, 5/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Pandemic Accelerates Use Of Robots Instead Of People
As the U.S. economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are turning to greater use of automation, including robots, rather than calling back workers or hiring new ones in many cases. The trend is affecting almost every sector, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation, retail, restaurants and many kinds of personal and government services. (Lee, 5/4)
Southern California News Group:
How Workplace Investigations Have Pivoted Amid #WFH Pandemic
Scores of business activities have have ground to a halt or suffered delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Developers have pulled back on construction projects, business conventions have been canceled and in-person meetings are largely nonexistent. But workplace investigations? They have continued, although the way they’re conducted is decidedly different in a world of remote working and social distancing. (Smith, 5/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
No Signs Of Relief In Scripps Ransomware Shutdown
A ransomware attack continued to plague Scripps Health Monday, creating confusion for patients and their families, especially those who were scheduled for appointments this week. After fighting to regain control of its systems since the incident occurred on Saturday, Scripps said early Monday afternoon that it still had not resolved the technical terrorism that put its patient records, scheduling and other critical systems offline, forcing medical personnel in hospitals and other facilities to revert to paper for the time being. (Sisson, 5/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA County’s Nursing Home Complaint Backlog Won’t End Soon
A rise in complaints and the coronavirus pandemic are delaying resolution of a backlog of complaints involving nursing homes and other health care facilities in L.A. County, officials say. About a quarter of “significantly backlogged complaints” that involve these facilities and are about three years old are expected to still be pending in October, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (Gazzar, 5/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Grossmont Healthcare District Names New CEO
Christian T. Wallis, who has more than 25 years of experience in the health care field, was named the new CEO of the Grossmont Healthcare District on Monday. The district’s five-member Board of Directors unanimously approved a two-year contract for Wallis. (Pearlman, 5/3)
Capital & Main:
Inside Kaiser Permanente’s Broken Mental Health Care System
When the nation’s leading association of professional psychologists singled out California health industry giant Kaiser Permanente last year as the worst mental health care provider it has encountered, the group was expressing what had become common knowledge to many mental health therapists and patients alike: Too many of Kaiser’s members cannot get in the door for behavioral health treatment. (Hutchings, 5/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Fewer Pharmacies In Urban Areas Impact Residents Of Color, USC Research Says
Black and Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities had fewer pharmacies than white or diverse neighborhoods in 2007-2015, a fact that may be an overlooked contributor to persistent racial and ethnic health disparities, according to USC research published today. Pharmacies are increasingly vital points of care for essential health services. In addition to filling prescriptions to treat chronic health conditions, pharmacists dispense emergency doses of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, contraceptives to prevent unplanned pregnancy and COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. (5/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Painting-By-Numbers Mural A Celebration Of Gratitude, Hope For Front-Line Health Care Workers
It was 7:30 a.m. Monday and Stella Oluwakotanmi was coming off an overnight shift at Adventist Health in downtown Bakersfield. But instead of going home for some shut-eye, the registered nurse was carefully brushing green paint onto a wall across the street from the hospital. "It's been really, really rough," Oluwakotanmi said of the past year, an extraordinary period that has generated pandemic-related stress for many RNs and other medical staff. (Mayer, 5/3)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento County Eyes New Health Director From State Ranks
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is expected to name Chevon Kothari as the next director of health services, a job with broad authority over programs from psychiatric services and public health to primary care and medical services delivered inside the county jails. Kothari was most recently the chief deputy director in the California Department of Social Services, overseeing the agency’s community care licensing, legal, disaster services and state hearings divisions. She was sworn in for the position in July 2020. (Finch II, 5/3)
Politico:
Jenner Hits California Nerve By Siding With GOP On Transgender Athletes
Caitlyn Jenner improved her national GOP bona fides with weekend comments embracing the party's prevailing view on transgender athletes — but now finds herself firmly at odds with a key California policy as she runs for governor. Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist who is transgender, told TMZ that banning participation of transgender student athletes in girls' competitive sports is "a question of fairness," the same position Republican leaders in red states have taken. (Marinucci and White, 5/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Greenlawn Funeral Homes To Host 'Day Of Healing' Ceremony
Greenlawn Funeral Homes is holding a “Day of Healing” this week for those who have experienced loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a news release from Greenlawn, Kern County residents have experienced loss over the past year in many different forms — whether it be a loved one to the coronavirus, a job or income, security, personal connections and more. (5/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Adventist Health, Garden Pathways To Unveil Tattoo Removal Program This Week
Adventist Health has partnered with Garden Pathways to implement a laser tattoo removal program at Adventist’s downtown Bakersfield facility. According to a news release from Adventist Health, the program is with Astanza Duality laser and is aimed to help residents such as former gang members, those with past negative lifestyles, and victims of human trafficking start a new chapter and remove any barriers to employment and an improved quality of life. It will officially launch on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at 1616 29th Street. (5/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Gun Violence In L.A. Surged During COVID-19 But Isn't Receding
At Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Brant Putnam has watched the intense weight of the COVID-19 pandemic finally begin to lift in recent months — only to be replaced by another, relentless stressor.In the first four months of 2021, gunshot victims have arrived at a much greater rate than usual. The Level 1 trauma center in Torrance treats about 3,500 patients a year; an average of 15% experience “penetrating trauma” such as a shooting or stabbing, said Putnam, chief of the trauma and acute care surgery division. (Rector, 5/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
STD Cases Have Plunged During COVID - But Not Because People Aren't Having Sex
Reports of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, appear to have dropped sharply in the Bay Area in 2020. But public health officials fear it’s not because people stopped having sex during the pandemic — it’s because STD testing was pushed aside while everyone’s attention was on COVID-19. In other words: People were still getting STDs, but many of them didn’t know it. (Allday, 5/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
'There Is No Vaccine For Hunger': Pandemic Urgency Pushes S.F.-Marin Food Bank To Start $40 Million Expansion
When the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank started planning its $40 million warehouse expansion five years ago, the idea was to put the organization on pace to meet demand expected to grow gradually over the next two decades. Then came the pandemic. Layoffs and furloughs skyrocketed, increasing the number of households turning to the food bank for help by more than 60% from 32,000 to about 55,000. Traffic to the “find food” page on the food bank’s website is four times what it was pre-pandemic. Suddenly the expanded warehouse was no longer about planning for 2040. It was about getting groceries to families right now. (Dineen, 5/4)
CapRadio:
Project Roomkey Sheltered Thousands Of California’s Homeless Residents. Will The Model Live On Post-Pandemic?
As COVID-19 spread across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration started Roomkey last spring to shelter homeless Californians in motel rooms and other non-congregate settings such as trailers. Supporters say the program prevented major outbreaks of the virus in the homeless community and offers a better way to connect residents with housing and social services. They say the rooms offer simple but profound benefits — clean water, the chance to take a shower and dignity. But one year after Roomkey started, some local governments are winding down their motel programs citing their high cost, calling into question whether the system will continue or be phased out once the pandemic is over. (Nichols, 5/3)