Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
A case study of COVID-19 testing in Sacramento, California, shows that bottlenecks in the testing supply chain this summer limited people’s access to tests and dramatically delayed results. Similar scenarios played out in communities across the country. (Hannah Norman, )
COVID Cases ‘Stabilizing’ In California, Ghaly Says: The coronavirus pandemic in California is stabilizing and showing other signs of improvement, the state’s top health official said Tuesday. Statewide, cases and hospitalizations are trending downward overall, said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “The state picture is stabilizing and coming down some,” he said. Read more from Catherine Ho and Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle.
In related news: Slowing COVID-19 outbreak has California weighing what next reopening will look like
Californians Ease Up On The A/C, Avoid Blackouts: For the second day in a row, the California Independent System Operator called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide, crediting conservation efforts by consumers. “Everyone pulled together and responded to our warning,” said Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich. Read more from Leila Miller, Alex Wigglesworth and Sammy Roth of the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage and the best of the rest of the news.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
Fires Explode Across Bay Area, Burning Homes And Sparking Mass Evacuations
A series of fast-moving fires in the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California — many caused by intense lightning storms — exploded overnight, burning homes and causing thousands to flee. The fires stretched from wine country to the Santa Cruz Mountains, moving with ferocious speed amid an intense heat wave that also has brought rolling blackouts. Smoke from the fires has caused terrible air quality across the region. (Lin II, Miller and Shalby, 8/19)
San Jose Mercury News:
Wildfire Evacuations In Santa Cruz Mountains, From Near Pescadero To Boulder Creek
Cal Fire issued evacuation orders for communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains from Loma Mar to Boulder Creek overnight because of wildfires. The map of the affected area was expanded into the early hours of Wednesday, with the addition of Bonny Doon and Swanton Road. (Miedema, 8/18)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Latinx Coronavirus Disparity Improves In Sonoma County, But ICE Arrests Threaten Public Health Progress
Sonoma County has made strong progress in reducing the portion of coronavirus cases in the Latinx community, but there’s concern recent federal immigration arrests could hurt ongoing work to battle transmission of the infectious disease. Today, Latinx residents represent 51% of the county’s virus infections, still the majority of about 4,500 cases. But the disparity is much improved from two months ago when this group comprised 77% of COVID-19 case countywide. That alarming figure prompted public health officials to aggressively test people for the virus in Latinx neighborhoods and conduct education and outreach efforts. (Espinoza, 8/18)
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Refers Three Party Houses For Potential Utility Cuts
Los Angeles is considering cutting power to at least three houses for violating coronavirus-related rules against social gatherings, according to police and city officials. One is a Hollywood home linked to a social media star who allegedly threw a birthday party with many guests. (Rector, 8/18)
EdSource:
A Tiny School In Northern California Opens For In-Person Teaching With Six Of Its 14 Students
Six students walked into their Indian Diggings Elementary School classroom on Monday for the first time since March when Covid-19 shut down all classes statewide. One of the smallest districts in the state in a county with comparatively low infection rates, Indian Diggings Elementary School District has still had to cope with the challenges of fighting the coronavirus — demonstrating that even the smallest of schools are feeling the invasive impact of Covid-19 in the classroom. (Marquez Rosales, 8/19)
Sacramento Bee:
County Orders Sacramento School To Stop In-Person Classes
Sacramento County health officials on Tuesday ordered Capital Christian School to stop on-campus instruction, saying the school was violating state and local coronavirus orders by claiming to be a day care center. Under emergency orders issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sacramento County schools are not yet allowed to open for in-class learning. Child care centers are, however, allowed to be open with restrictions. (Bizjak, Morrar and Davidson, 8/18)
Sacramento Bee:
West Nile Virus Activity Intense In Sacramento-Area Mosquitoes
The dangerous heat spell over California has made the Central Valley the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, allowing larvae to reach adulthood in as little as four to seven days, the leader of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District has warned local residents. (Anderson, 8/18)
Sacramento Bee:
What You Need To Know About Plague If You Live In California
A South Lake Tahoe resident is recovering at home from a case of bubonic plague, public health officials announced late Monday — that is the same Black Death that killed millions of people across Europe in the 1300s. Fortunately, the modern world has something that didn’t exist back then: antibiotics, said Dr. Stuart Cohen of UC Davis Health, and these medicines can cure the illness if it’s diagnosed in time. (Anderson, 8/18)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
‘There Is No Redo On This’: Eviction Crisis Looms As Lawmakers’ Timeline Dwindles
Californians who have fallen behind on housing payments due to the coronavirus are set to lose protections and could face evictions beginning Sept. 1 — unless state lawmakers step in. Two bills to address what one lawmaker described as a “massive wave of evictions” with “catastrophic” consequences are moving through the state capitol, but legislators are running out of time as their own Aug. 31 session deadline approaches. (Nixon, 8/18)