Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Providence-KP Team Up to Attract Patients in California’s Growing High Desert Region
Providence, the country’s 10th-biggest hospital chain, says it’s too expensive to upgrade an older hospital, so it will join forces with giant Kaiser Permanente to build a new one. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
California Vaccinations Tick Up: In the face of the highly transmissible delta variant, more Californians are getting the covid shot, the Los Angeles Times reports. Also driving the increase is the growing list of big employers -- including Kaiser Permanente, Facebook, Tyson Foods and Microsoft -- who are telling their workers that they must get vaccinated. Meanwhile, local governments are also weighing new mandates: Los Angeles is considering one for county employees; and San Francisco officials could require businesses to check for proof of vaccinations for indoor service like New York just announced.
San Francisco Allows Booster For Those Who Got J&J Shot: While stopping short of recommending it, city-run clinics will now administer second doses of Pfizer or Moderna's mRNA vaccines to residents who previously received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab. Only those who have consulted with their physician should do so though, the city's health director said. Current CDC guidance does not promote a mix-and-match booster. Read more from San Francisco Chronicle, Modern Healthcare and CNN.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
10th LAPD Employee Dies Amid Low COVID-19 Vaccine Rates
A 10th employee of the Los Angeles Police Department has died from complications of COVID-19 amid rising coronavirus cases across the region and within the department. The death of Officer Becky Strong and the increasing number of infections among the LAPD’s ranks come as the department struggles to persuade more officers to get vaccinated and as activists continue to call out examples of officers appearing to violate mask mandates and other COVID-19 protocols on the street — including when they interact with members of the public. (Rector, 8/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Supervisors Hahn, Kuehl Urge Vaccine/Testing Mandate For LA County Workers
Mirroring moves by the state and cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pasadena, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Sheila Kuehl will ask their colleagues next week to approve a policy requiring all 100,000 county employees to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. “We have a responsibility to protect our employees, the residents who depend on them and lead by example,” Hahn wrote in a Twitter post on Tuesday, Aug. 3, announcing the motion, which will go before the board next week. (8/3)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Medical Providers Move To Compel Employees To Get COVID-19 Shots
As coronavirus transmission escalates, certain Sonoma County health care providers are taking the lead in requiring vaccinations for their employees. On Monday, Kaiser Permanente, one of the county’s largest hospital and health care systems, said all of its employees in California and beyond would have to get inoculated against COVID-19. The goal is having the entire workforce vaccinated by Sept. 20. (Espinoza, 8/3)
KABC:
Nearly A Quarter Of Healthcare Workers At Southern California Hospitals Have Not Gotten The COVID-19 Vaccine, Federal Data Shows
Nearly a quarter of hospital workers across Southern California still haven't gotten a COVID-19 shot, according to federal data. The federal figures self-reported by 98 hospitals across the region indicate 22% of their healthcare personnel remain unvaccinated. (Dador and Manthey, 8/3)
CNBC:
Facebook To Require All U.S. On-Campus Employees To Wear Masks
Facebook on Monday announced it will begin requiring all of its employees to wear masks when on its campuses in the U.S., regardless of an employee’s vaccination status. “The health and safety of our employees and neighbors in the community remains our top priority,” a spokeswoman for the company said in a statement. “Given the rising numbers of COVID cases, the newest data on COVID variants, and an increasing number of local requirements, we are reinstating our mask requirement in all of Facebook’s U.S. offices, regardless of an employee’s vaccination status.” (Rodriguez, 8/2)
Sacramento Bee:
Here Are Sacramento Bars Requiring COVID Vaccines For Entry
No shot, no shots. That’s the new edict from a growing number of Sacramento concert venues, which bars, concert venues and restaurants. If customers can’t show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, they’ll be turned away at the door. (Egel, 8/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco Will Now Bring COVID Vaccines To People's Homes
In another push to reach the unvaccinated in San Francisco, the city will be bringing COVID-19 vaccines to people’s homes, Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday. If a person can get anywhere from five to 12 people together who want to get vaccinated, the city will send a mobile vaccine unit — doctors or nurses plus vaccine equipment — to their home or workplace to administer the vaccine. (Echeverria, 8/3)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LAPD To Set Up COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics At Police Stations As Cases Surge
About a week after Mayor Eric Garcetti and the city council announced they would seek to require city employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing, the Los Angeles Police Department is grappling with how to ensure its officers have access to the shots. The plan will involve mobile clinics set up at every community police station, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said at Tuesday’s Police Commission meeting. (Cain, 8/3)
Times Standard:
Former Anti-Vaxxer In Northern California Urges Vaccinations After Severe Case Of COVID-19
When Jonathan and his family contracted COVID-19 earlier this month, they assumed their symptoms would pass in a few days. Slowly but surely, his wife and children got better but Jonathan’s condition only worsened. “I was told my whole life not to take experimental drugs and I was 100% against an experimental vaccine,” he told the Times-Standard. “I was so strong-willed against it…Then I lost my breath and I wished I was vaccinated.” (Vanderheiden, 8/3)
Sacramento Bee:
Where To Find COVID Vaccine Appointments In California & Rates
To date, about 25.8 million people in California have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. (Albright, 8/3)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. COVID Mask Mandate Vs. Delta Variant: Is It Effective?
When Los Angeles County last month imposed a mask requirement for indoor public settings, it seemed like an outlier. Some wondered whether officials were going too far. But the Delta variant has wreaked more havoc since then, causing COVID-19 to spread, primarily among people who have not been vaccinated. People who are vaccinated are strongly protected against contracting the coronavirus and, if they are infected, tend to get less sick. (Seidman, Dolan, and Wigglesworth, 8/3)
San Francisco Chronicle:
'How Hard Is It To Get A Shot?' For Weary San Franciscans, The Masks Are Back
Masks were required indoors once again in seven Bay Area counties and Berkeley — in restaurants, bars, theaters and offices — with the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases linked to the delta coronavirus variant. Visitors to a science museum seemed perhaps more inclined than others to understand the reasonings behind the mask renaissance. Most of them said they would gladly follow the recommendations of epidemiologists but had hoped that the availability of vaccines would have made masks obsolete by now. (Rubenstein, 8/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Return To Bay Area Mask Wars On First Day Of New Coronavirus Mandates
The social media showdown over the store’s mask mandate was the latest in the ongoing culture war over COVID-19 that kicked up a notch Tuesday — the first day of the Bay Area’s latest mask requirements to combat a surge in infections from the highly contagious delta variant. The campaign of anti-maskers has been ongoing the past couple of weeks, also targeting The LEGO Store and the Disney Store at Valley Fair shopping center in San Jose. Both stores had their own mask mandates already in place because children under 12 aren’t eligible for vaccination. Larger protests, some with several dozen people, have broken out around Los Angeles County in recent weeks, including at the Century City mall where anti-maskers carried signs and store employees locked the doors. (Prodis Sulek, 8/3)
KQED:
The Race Against Time To Stop The Delta Variant In The Bay
Just when there was a palpable sense that everything might be OK, the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 came along. The race to vaccinate more people is now even more urgent; healthcare workers who are seeing more patients say another surge is entirely preventable, if only more people would get vaccinated. (Katayama, McClurg, Guevarra and Montecillo, 8/4)
Southern California News Group:
LA County Reports Rise In COVID-19 Cases At Highly Vaccinated Nursing Centers
With COVID-19 infections continuing to spread thanks to the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, Los Angeles County on Tuesday, Aug. 3, reported another slight uptick in cases at skilled nursing facilities, despite high rates of vaccinations among residents and staff. For the week that ended July 18, the county documented 33 new cases at nursing facilities — six among residents and 27 staff members. That’s up from a previous weekly average of 22 total new cases. (8/3)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento COVID Hospitalizations Climb To 6-Month High, Halfway To Winter 2021 Peak
Hospitals in Sacramento County are treating more than 250 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19, the highest total in about six months as the region deals with one of California’s sharpest surges of the delta variant. The 256 patients reported Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health represents a quadrupling in the past month, as hospitals in the county had just 62 COVID-19 patients in their care July 3. Fifty-two are in intensive care units, up from 12 a month earlier. (McGough, 8/4)
Bay Area News Group:
COVID Battle Strategies: California Vs. New York City
The battle lines are drawn. New York City and California’s big metropolitan cities have issued new orders to fight back against the COVID-19 summer surge. In the Big Apple, you’ll need to be vaccinated to eat in a restaurant or work out in the gym. In the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Sacramento, you must wear a mask to step inside, vaccinated or not.Is one strategy better than the other in repelling the aggressive delta variant? (Woolfolk, 8/3)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Adds New COVID-19 Testing Sites To Meet Growing Demand
Sonoma County health officials on Tuesday announced more than a dozen new COVID-19 testing sites in response to growing demand as coronavirus cases rise. The expanded testing comes amid a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, which health officials have attributed in part to the increased spread of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. (Pera, 8/3)
AP:
CDC Issues New Eviction Ban For Most Of US Through Oct. 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. The ban announced Tuesday could help keep millions in their homes as the coronavirus’ delta variant has spread and states have been slow to release federal rental aid. It would temporarily halt evictions in counties with “substantial and high levels” of virus transmissions and would cover areas where 90% of the U.S. population lives. (Boak, Mascaro and Lemire, 8/3)
Orange County Register:
Orange County Board Of Education Will Sue Newsom Over Face Masks
Claiming that wearing masks harms young children, the Orange County Board of Education announced Tuesday that it plans to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom over what it calls an “unwarranted” state mandate that students wear masks in classrooms this school year. The board voted 4-0 during closed session in favor of filing the suit, and then had an attorney read a press release in which they said Newsom has abused his authority by indefinitely continuing to issue health edicts under a state of emergency. (Kopetman, 8/3)
The Mercury News:
Brentwood District Schools Reporting COVID-19 Cases
With in-person classes open less than a week, dozens of students and staff at two Brentwood school districts are being quarantined after being exposed to 13 peers in elementary schools and 10 in high schools who apparently have COVID-19, authorities confirmed Monday. Brentwood Union School District Superintendent Dana Eaton said that through contact tracing, it’s been determined that none of the 13 elementary school students caught the virus on campus. (Prieve, 8/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Infections Increased During LAUSD Summer School
Coronavirus infections found at Los Angeles Unified schools rose steadily during the five weeks of summer school, but appear to have affected a small proportion of students and staff, according to data provided to the Los Angeles Times. The increase in infections found through regular coronavirus screening corresponded with the rise of the Delta variant. The summer program began with a few cases detected among about 44,000 students and staff who attended in-person classes and were tested weekly. The nation’s second-largest school district enrolls about 465,000 K-12 students during the regular academic year. (Blume, 8/4)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
SSU Reports 2 New COVID-19 Cases As Fall Term Approaches
Sonoma State University reported two more cases of COVID-19 on campus last week but, because exposure was limited, campus officials said no buildings had to be closed. The most recent cases, which were made public on Friday, are the third and fourth infections reported among campus community members during the summer, according to notifications sent out since the spring term ended in June. (Tornay, 8/3)
AP:
Pushback Challenges Vaccination Requirements At US Colleges
The quickly approaching fall semester has America’s colleges under pressure to decide how far they should go to guard their campuses against COVID-19 while navigating legal and political questions and rising infection rates. ... California State University, the country’s largest four-year public university system, joined the list last week, along with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. Their announcements cited concerns about the highly contagious delta variant and came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated mask guidelines based on new research regarding its spread. (Davies, 8/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Fresno County Summer Camp Suspended After Rise In COVID Cases
A Fresno County youth camp has suspended its remaining summer sessions after more than 15 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the last few weeks, amid a surge in cases across the state. The decision to suspend the camps was made after consulting with the Fresno County Department of Public Health and through an “abundance of care for the health and safety of our campers and staff,” according to a Hume Lake Christian Camp statement. (Mejia, 8/3)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
How California’s Medi-Cal Expansion To Undocumented Immigrants Could Affect Sonoma County
It’s only within the past year that Sonoma Valley native Angie Sanchez and her six siblings have seriously considered sending their parents to Mexico in hopes of increasing their access to affordable health care. Sanchez’s parents, who live in Northern California and moved to the United States from Mexico as children, are both undocumented. As such that means — despite being low-wage earners — they do not qualify for full Medi-Cal benefits. (Chavez, 8/3)
CalMatters:
Newsom Beset By Environmental Woes
California’s environment is not cooperating with Gov. Gavin Newsom. By Aug. 16, local elections offices must start mailing recall ballots to Californians. That same day, state regulators could begin issuing formal orders to temporarily block thousands of farmers, landowners and others from pumping water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed — the result of the state water board voting unanimously Tuesday to authorize the aggressive action for the first time in California history. (Hoeven, 8/4)
AP:
Drought Prompts California To Halt Some Water Diversions
Some farmers in one of the country’s most important agricultural regions will have to stop taking water out of major rivers and streams because of a severe drought that is threatening the drinking water supply for 25 million people, state regulators said Tuesday. The Water Resources Control Board approved an emergency resolution empowering regulators to halt diversions from the state’s two largest river systems. The order could apply to roughly 86% of landowners who have legal rights to divert water from the San Joaquin and Sacramento river watersheds. The remaining 14% could be impacted if things get worse. (Beam, 8/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Displaced By The Camp Fire, California Nomads Fear Eviction
The nomads of Butte County must hide or keep moving — scope out a little wooded draw to park a trailer unnoticed, head down the mountain to rotate between driveways in Chico, or bivouac in tents deep in the Cascade foothills. The Camp fire displaced roughly 50,000 people in 2018, and many are still living in limbo, off the grid and out of compliance, as the nearby Dixie fire stirs up smoke and the past all over again. (Mozingo, 8/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Water Samples At Dockweiler State Beach Return To State Standards
The water quality of several beaches near Dockweiler State Beach has returned to state standards after a sewage spill, according to the California Department of Public Health. Beachgoers had been warned against swimming along a stretch of coastline after an emergency discharge from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant sent 17 million gallons of raw sewage into the waters off Dockweiler and El Segundo beaches on July 11 and 12. (Hernandez, 8/3)
Bay Area News Group:
San Jose Study: Lead From Reid-Hillview Airport Matches Flint, Michigan Water
Thousands of children in predominantly low-income neighborhoods near East San Jose’s Reid Hillview are at higher risk of permanent developmental issues due to lead emissions from planes flying in and out of nearby Reid-Hillview Airport, a new study has found. The study, which was commissioned by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last year, analyzed 17,000 blood samples collected in 2011-2020 from children under the age of 18 who lived within a mile and a half of the county-owned airport. It found that those who lived within a half-mile of Reid Hillview had significantly higher levels of lead in their blood than those who lived farther away — a difference of about .40 micrograms per deciliter, or one-tenth of a liter. (Angst, 8/3)
NPR:
One Medical Employees Accuse Concierge Care Provider Of Less Focus On Patients
The health care company One Medical, under government scrutiny for allegedly using vaccine distribution to increase its bottom line, is facing a new challenge from within: employees who accuse the company of placing profits over patients. Dozens of One Medical employees are trying to unionize as a response to what they say has been mismanagement of the organization's COVID-19 response, poor working conditions for staff and, they allege, a declining focus on patients. ... NPR was also made aware of a second probe initiated by the California Department of Consumer Affairs after the agency reached out to NPR in March and late July as part of its investigation on behalf of the Medical Board of California (the board would not confirm or deny whether its investigation was ongoing). (Mak, 8/4)
Southern California News Group:
LA County’s First Human Case Of West Nile Virus This Year Reported In South Bay
Los Angeles County confirmed the year’s first case of West Nile virus on Tuesday, Aug. 3, noting that the patient was hospitalized but is recovering. The patient was identified only as a South Bay resident who was hospitalized in late July. “We all have to take steps to prevent West Nile virus infections,” county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement. “Spread by mosquitoes, this virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Mosquitoes bite during the day and night. So, once a week empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water, both indoors and outdoors. This stops mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water.” (8/3)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Reports Year’s First Human Case Of West Nile
Stanislaus County announced its first human case of West Nile virus this year, a woman with a moderate form of the disease. The age and hometown of the woman were not disclosed in Tuesday’s news release from county Public Health. It urged residents to guard against the mosquitoes that carry the virus. (Holland, 8/3)
Modesto Bee:
Names Of Note: Grants Help Five Become Mental Therapists
EMC Health Foundation is paying the education costs for five local students studying to be mental health therapists. Recipients will receive full funding to cover the degree they are working toward through the Linda M. Stuhmer fellowship in exchange for serving 19 zip codes from south Modesto to north Merced County. It’s an effort to expand mental health services in the area. (Holland and Briseño, 8/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Zoo And Safari Park Race To Vaccinate Animals As COVID-19 Surges
How do you vaccinate a tiger? Or a cheetah? Or a baboon? Carefully — very carefully. And with lots of training and treats. As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the region, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are hustling to immunize an array of animals that could give Noah’s Ark a run for its money, from tigers to Vervet monkeys to hyenas and other critters staff think could be vulnerable to the disease. By the end of this week, they’ll have doled out first doses to roughly 250 animals, many of them endangered species. (Wosen, 8/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Future Alameda Wellness And Medical Respite Center Moves Forward
Plans to build a center that will provide medical and other services for people without homes has reached a milestone now that the Planning Board has signed off on its design. The Alameda Wellness and Medical Respite Center will be just off Central Avenue on what was once federal property on McKay Avenue, which leads into Crab Cove Visitor Center. (Hegarty, 8/4)
CapRadio:
Run To Feed The Hungry Returns After Being Held Virtually Last Year
A Sacramento Thanksgiving tradition is set to return this year. Organizers say Run to Feed the Hungry is coming back after being held virtually last year because of COVID restrictions. The race's return wasn't officially declared until today, but somehow word leaked out to eager runners. (8/3)
KQED:
Former SF Political Aide Announces End To Hunger Strike After City Leaders Pledge More Action On Drug Overdose Crisis
Gary McCoy once lived on the streets of San Francisco, where he experienced substance use disorder and witnessed drug overdose deaths firsthand. Years later, he rose to the upper echelons of San Francisco's City Hall. On Sunday, McCoy began a round-the-clock hunger strike on its steps, urging the city to take action to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths. On Tuesday, McCoy ended his strike at 60 hours after receiving support from the majority of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. McCoy said officials will introduce a resolution urging the mayor to declare a state of emergency and authorize the use of safe consumption services. (Fitzgerald Rodriguez and Hossaini, 8/3)