Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen
In the Los Angeles County Jail system, many inmates hope being vaccinated will get them transferred more quickly to state prison. Some just want to protect themselves against covid, while others are distrustful and refuse vaccination. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
Newsom May Adjust Mask Mandate: California’s mask mandate will remain in place for now, but Gov. Gavin Newsom says changes could be coming in light of new federal guidelines released Tuesday stating that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors “except in certain crowded settings and venues.” Read more from The Sacramento Bee. Continued coverage, below.
LA County Gets Taste Of Yellow Tier: Los Angeles County’s daily rate of new covid cases fell low enough — barely — on Tuesday to qualify for a move to the least restrictive yellow tier, a momentous achievement for a region that was once so ravaged by covid that it was considered the epicenter of the pandemic in California. The county must meet the threshold for another week before it can actually advance. Read more from the Southern California News Group and Los Angeles Times.
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
USA Today:
CDC Updates Mask Mandates, Rules For Vaccinated People Outdoors
Fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear a mask outside, except in crowded settings, under new guidelines released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During a White House briefing, public health officials said fully vaccinated individuals can unmask while walking, running, hiking, or biking outdoors alone or with members of their household. (Rodriguez, 4/27)
Los Angeles Times:
New CDC Mask Guidance Emphasizes COVID-19 Vaccine Benefits
In the eyes of U.S. health officials, there are two groups of people: those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who are not. And they’re stepping up their efforts to get unvaccinated Americans to switch sides. New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding when people can safely shed their masks make the benefits of vaccination abundantly clear. Instead of focusing on the serious and potentially deadly risk of COVID-19 to those who aren’t immunized, they emphasize the extent to which those who are can return to an almost-normal life. (Kahn and Kaplan, 4/28)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Vaccinated Sonoma County Residents In No Hurry To Shed Their Masks
Sitting on a park bench at Healdsburg Plaza, Lisa Budesa and her sister Julie Young spent Tuesday afternoon in dappled shade and soft breezes, listening to a local musician playing guitar in the nearby gazebo. Budesa, 65, of Forestville, and Young, 61, of Petaluma, both wore face masks, even though they didn’t have to. On Tuesday, federal health officials eased guidelines for Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying they no longer have to cover their faces outdoors unless they are in a large crowd of strangers. (Espinoza, 4/27)
CNN:
Six-Foot Social Distancing Rule Misses Bigger Risks, MIT Experts Say
When it comes to being indoors, the six feet rule of social distancing misses the bigger point of how coronavirus spreads, according to two Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts. When it comes to being indoors, the six feet rule of social distancing misses the bigger point of how coronavirus spreads, according to two Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts. While staying six feet apart can help prevent the spread of large droplets of saliva or mucus that carry coronavirus and other germs, that distance does nothing to protect people from tiny airborne particles of virus called aerosols, MIT engineer Martin Bazant and mathematician John Bush write in a report published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Fox, 4/27)
CNBC:
Pfizer At-Home Covid Pill Could Be Available By Year-End, CEO Albert Bourla Says
Pfizer’s experimental oral drug to treat Covid-19 at the first sign of illness could be available by the end of the year, CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Tuesday. The company, which developed the first authorized Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. with German drugmaker BioNTech, began in March an early stage clinical trial testing a new antiviral therapy for the disease. The drug is part of a class of medicines called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells. (Lovelace Jr., 4/27)
Orange County Register:
Orange County’s Three Main Coronavirus Metrics Remain Low, But Fall Short Of Yellow Tier
Orange County’s progress against COVID-19 was mixed this week as its latest pandemic report card – which determines the strictness of a county’s coronavirus-curbing rules – showed a slight gain in one metric and a minor setback in another, according to a state Department of Public Health update Tuesday, April 27. But compared to more dire periods of the pandemic, California’s public health gauges show the coronavirus has slowed to a crawl amid a resurgence in other parts of the world. (Wheeler, 4/27)
The Mercury News:
Map Of California COVID Tiers, April 27
Four California counties improved their COVID restriction status with the latest reassignment announcement Tuesday. Mendocino moved into the yellow tier, and Glenn, Sutter and Amador to the orange tier. The looser restrictions in those counties will take effect Wednesday, April 28. (4/27)
Napa Valley Register:
Napa County Reports 2 COVID-19 Deaths
Napa County reported its first COVID-19 deaths in over a month — a man under age 65 who died out of county and a woman over 65 who died in county. These were the county's 79th and 80th deaths since March 2020 and the first deaths since the week of March 22. (Courtney, 4/27)
Modesto Bee:
Hospital Cases Of COVID-19 Increase Again In Stanislaus
Hospital cases of COVID-19 jumped to 118 in Stanislaus County on Tuesday, one of the highest counts in recent months. The five hospitals had topped triple digits for the first time since March 12 with the 102 reported Monday. The figures remain well below the 300-plus in early January. (Holland, 4/28)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Health Officer Predicts New COVID-19 Surge
As Stanislaus County keeps making progress with coronavirus vaccinations and tamping down cases, its top health officer said Tuesday she doesn’t see how California and its counties will avoid a new surge of COVID-19 illness. California remains on a path of fully reopening its economy in mid-June and some experts believe that vaccinations and public precautions will lessen the impact of a new surge, if it does arrive. County public health officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan pointed to surges in the eastern United States and in Michigan, and said an increase in cases was making steady progress across the country. (Carlson, 4/27)
KQED:
The Lasting Impact Of COVID-19 In San Quentin State Prison
Last summer, confirmed COVID-19 cases ballooned inside San Quentin State Prison. Now, with many incarcerated people and staff now vaccinated, infections are very low and the worst of the outbreak seems to be over. But the programs that many relied on before the pandemic still haven't returned — and incarcerated people are still coping with the scars of a traumatizing year. (Katayama, Wolffe, Cruz Guevarra, Martos, and Montecillo, 4/28)
AP:
Young Boy Dies With COVID-19 After Family Travels To Hawaii
A child who traveled to Hawaii with his vaccinated parents has died after contracting COVID-19.The Hawaii Department of Health said Tuesday the boy is under 11 and had a known underlying condition. It was the first coronavirus-related death of a child in that age range in Hawaii. ... The child’s parents were fully vaccinated and were tested for COVID-19 before traveling to Hawaii. (Jones, 4/28)
Los Angeles Times:
It's Very Easy To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine In California
It’s never been easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine in California, officials say, with Los Angeles County and many other counties now offering vaccines at some sites without requiring an appointment. “This will be our first full week where everybody can just walk in, and you don’t need to make an appointment,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday. “It is really easy to get vaccinations now.” (Lin II and Money, 4/27)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
No Appointments Necessary As County Vaccination Sites Invite Walk-Ups
Lower appointment demand drove the county to announce walk-in availability at 16 of its smaller vaccination locations Tuesday, providing a new no-appointment-necessary option for those who have not yet received a first dose. The county health department announced the bold step midday Tuesday just after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweaked mask-wearing guidance, stating that those who are fully vaccinated need not wear masks outdoors unless they are in crowds. (Sisson, 4/27)
Napa Valley Register:
To Regain Vaccination Momentum, Napa County Is Working On A New COVID-19 Strategy
Napa County's public health officials realized they had a problem when they assessed the disappointing turnout at last week's vaccination clinics at the Meritage Resort. There was enough vaccine to give first shots to 11,700 people, including youths 16 and older who were eligible for the first time for protection against COVID-19. Things went well that first day, with takers for nearly all 3,000 available doses, said Janet Upton, the county's public information officer. (Courtney, 4/27)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Public Health Reaffirms Amenities For Public In Fight Against COVID-19
The Kern County Public Health Services Department is reminding residents that protection from COVID-19 is not far away. In a news release, the health department reaffirmed that administration of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine can be re-implemented by local providers after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted the pause on its use last week. (4/27)
Orange County Register:
Orange County Officials Put Digital Vaccine Records On Hold
How Orange County might provide people proof they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine is in limbo, after county supervisors heard numerous complaints alleging a proposed digital record would violate people’s privacy or allow them to be tracked somehow. In early April, OC Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau said the county planned to test a digital vaccine verification, likely in the form of a QR code that could be scanned, and then make it widely available to the vaccinated public. But on Tuesday, April 27, Chau told county supervisors a pilot program for county employees needs their approval to move forward, and that it’s a policy decision for the board whether to offer the option of digital records to everyone vaccinated at a county-run site. (Robinson, 4/27)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Capitol Employees Asked To Submit Vaccinations Status
Employees for the California state Assembly and Senate are being asked to submit their COVID-19 vaccination status as a way to assess whether the building is ready to safely reopen to more people. In nearly identical memos sent to staffers on Tuesday, Assembly Rules Committee Chief Administrative Officer Debra Gravert and Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras requested employees and members to electronically or physically submit their vaccine record cards to Capitol Health Services. (Wiley, 4/27)
Capital & Main:
California Faces Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Dilemma
From Gov. Gavin Newsom on down, there’s general agreement about the status of COVID-19 vaccination efforts in California. Unless the state’s most vulnerable populations are inoculated at rates that fit their risk profiles, the thinking holds, broad attempts at stamping out the virus are going to fall short. Some of the state’s own numbers suggest the scope of that challenge. Through April 21, the most recent day of data available, 30.1% of California’s doses of vaccine had been administered in what the state says are communities that already enjoy the healthiest living conditions. Among communities with the least healthy conditions, only 21% of the state’s supply has been administered. (Kreidler, 4/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
'Unhelpful And Wrong': Bay Area Health Experts Denounce Joe Rogan's Remarks On Vaccinations
Defying public health guidance, Joe Rogan, the host of Spotify’s most popular podcast, said last week he does not believe healthy young people should get vaccinated against coronavirus. His remarks — likely heard by millions of people — didn’t sit well with Bay Area health experts. (Mishanec, 4/27)
KPBS:
San Diegans Encouraged To Sign Up For Health Care Through Covered California For New Savings
Covered California on Tuesday was pushing for San Diegans to take advantage of lower-cost health insurance thanks to a new federal law, the American Rescue Plan. Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable insurance from various companies. The American Rescue Plan, recently passed by Congress, makes 2.5 million Californians eligible for lower health care costs or new coverage if they’re uninsured. (Mae, 4/27)
CBS Sacramento:
Paralyzed Davis Woman In Battle With Pension Giant CalPERS For Medical Care
A Davis woman who was paralyzed from the neck down in a car crash as a teenager is now in another fight for her life. Sara Granda is forced to fight CalPERS for medical care that, she says, her survival depends on. (Large, 4/27)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern Supervisors Approve Two New Psychiatric Health Facilities
The Kern County Board of Supervisors have approved construction of two psychiatric health facilities that officials hope will counter an increase in those seeking treatment. Still in an early phase of the process, the Board’s unanimous vote on Tuesday allows Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to seek out design firms and financing for the facilities, which would add 32 beds to Kern County. (Morgen, 4/27)
USA Today:
Community Health Centers To Get $1 Billion To Become 'State-Of-The-Art' Facilities, Improve Equity
Hundreds of community health centers across the country can begin applying for a share of $1 billion in new funding for major construction and renovation projects, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services, which provided the information first to USA TODAY, said the money will help meet President Joe Biden's goal of improving equity in battling COVID-19 and in providing health care services generally. (Groppe, 4/27)
Stat:
Biden Administration Will Let Nearly All Providers To Prescribe Buprenorphine
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced it would move forward with a dramatic deregulation of addiction medicine first proposed by the Trump administration in January. The change would allow almost any prescriber to treat patients using the drug buprenorphine, the most effective medication for opioid addiction. Currently, doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners must undergo a separate training and apply for a waiver before they’re allowed to prescribe the drug to patients. (Facher, 4/27)
NPR:
As Opioid Deaths Surge, Biden Team Moves To Make Buprenorphine Treatment Mainstream
The Biden administration says new federal guidelines released Tuesday will allow far more medical practitioners to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug proven to reduce opioid relapses and overdose deaths. The change lowers regulatory hurdles that critics believe sharply limit use of the life-saving medication at a time when drug deaths are surging. "We have made this much easier for physicians but also for other medical practitioners," said Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary of health, speaking with NPR. (Mann, 4/27)
CapRadio:
San Joaquin County Takes Action To Lower Rate Of Black Mothers And Infants Dying From Pregnancy Complications
San Joaquin County is taking action to diminish the alarming rate of Black mothers and infants dying from pregnancy complications. African American mothers are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than any other race. Rally Around Our Sisters is a countywide awareness campaign on the health-related inequities facing African-American women leading to maternal and infant deaths. In San Joaquin County, more than 50% of pregnant Black mothers are single, separated or divorced, compared to an average of 16% of white mothers. (Ibarra, 4/27)
KCRA:
Latinos, Hispanics In CA Unable To Receive Mental Health Services
New data shows nearly 4 million Hispanic and Latino people across the country are not receiving the mental health care services that they need, and some say it's even become a luxury. Of that roughly 3.8 million, nearly 1 million of them are in California. Hispanics and Latinos have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in California, accounting for the highest number of positive cases and deaths. (De La Cruz, 4/27)
AP:
Burning Man Cancels 2021 Festival In Northern Nevada Desert
Burning Man organizers announced Tuesday they are canceling this summer’s annual counter-culture festival in the Nevada desert for the second year in a row because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Francisco-based group posted a video on its website that said there are too many uncertainties to resolve in time to hold the event as scheduled Aug. 26 to Sept. 3 in the Black Rock Desert 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Reno. (Sonner, 4/27)
AP:
Largest Firefighting Plane May Be Sold For COVID-19 Response
As Western states prepare for this year’s wildfire season, the world’s largest firefighting plane has been grounded and could be converted to help fight against another crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. After investing tens of millions into upgrading the Global SuperTanker and its technology, the revenue coming mostly from contracts with the U.S. government and California did not produce enough profit for the company to continue the funding the tanker, said Roger Miller, managing director at Alterna Capital Partners LLC, the investment company that owns the plane. (Nieberg, 4/27)
The Fresno Bee:
How Much Is Rent Relief Helping Californians?
A state law passed in January extended eviction protections for tenants through June 30, as long as tenants show they lost their income due to COVID-19 and pay a quarter of what they owe. The law also allocates a whopping $2.6 billion in federal money for rent relief. Trejo, however, is one of many desperate Californians who won’t benefit because her debt is not to a landlord. (Tobias, 4/27)