Sacramento Bee: As Omicron Variant Spreads, CA Issues New Travel Advisory
Travelers arriving in or returning to California should get tested for COVID-19 within three to five days of their arrival, according to new guidance released this week by the California Department of Public Health. The new recommendation comes as the state begins to deal with the omicron variant of COVID-19, which state officials believe is spread more easily than other variants of the virus. (Sheeler, 12/15)

City News Service: As Anticipated, Omicron COVID Cases Mount In LA County 
Local cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 officially doubled on Tuesday, Dec. 14, as Los Angeles County announced eight additional infections of the virus mutation, while Pasadena health officials verified that city’s first case. The new cases confirmed by the county Department of Public Health brought the number of Omicron cases in that agency’s jurisdiction to 15. Long Beach and Pasadena, both of which operate their own health departments separate from the county, have now each confirmed one Omicron case. (12/14)

Sacramento Bee: COVID In Sacramento: Updates On Case Rates, Omicron Variant 
Citing a post-Thanksgiving increase in the statewide COVID-19 case rate, California health officials on Monday announced the state will return to a universal indoor mask requirement, lasting from this Wednesday through Jan. 15. Half of the four-county capital region — Sacramento and Yolo counties — already had returned to local mask mandates in July, doing so in response to the delta variant. (McGough, 12/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘The Virus That Takes Over The World’ Or A Hopefully Milder Pathogen? Two Views Of Omicron Emerge
While the number of omicron infections in the Bay Area remains low, infectious disease experts say there are worrisome signs indicating things could soon change. The number of cases in California tripled over the weekend, with the state health department reporting 39 confirmed cases of the highly mutated coronavirus variant as of Monday, up from 13 cases reported on Friday. (Vaziri, 12/14)

The Washington Post: Omicron Spreading Rapidly In U.S., Infections Could Peak In January, CDC Warns 
Top federal health officials warned in a briefing Tuesday morning that the omicron variant is rapidly spreading in the United States and could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January, according to new modeling analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prevalence of omicron jumped sevenfold in a single week, according to the CDC, and at such a pace, the highly mutated variant of the coronavirus could ratchet up pressure on a health system already strained in many places as the delta variant continues its own surge. (Sun, Achenbach, McGinley and Pager, 12/14)

The Hill: Biden Marks 800K COVID-19 Deaths By Urging Americans To Get Vaccinated 
President Biden on Tuesday marked what he called a "tragic milestone" of 800,000 Americans dying of COVID-19 by urging those who are still unvaccinated against the virus to get the shot. "As we head into the winter and confront a new variant, we must resolve to keep fighting this virus together. This means getting vaccinated and getting your booster shot, and taking other prevention measures, such as masking," Biden said in a statement, calling the vaccines "our best tool to prevent more loss and pain." (Samuels, 12/14)

Politico: Covid By The Numbers: How Each State Fared On Our Pandemic Scorecard
From the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the toughest decisions about how to combat the virus fell on state leaders. Which businesses should stay open and which should shut their doors? Should schools close and for how long? Should masks be mandated? The answers weren’t obvious. State officials had limited information about the virus, and the trade-offs were difficult. Protect residents’ health and instruct them to stay home – but risk driving companies out of business and accelerating unemployment. Keep businesses open – but risk a rise in hospitalizations and deaths. Close schools to control spread – but risk damaging kids’ education. (McMinn and Crampton, 12/15)

inewsource: San Diego’s Vulnerable Neighborhoods Still Report High COVID-19 Rates
The South Bay quickly became the hardest-hit part of San Diego County as COVID-19 shut down schools and businesses almost two years ago. Now, it boasts the highest vaccination rates in the region and has served as a model for administering doses to vulnerable populations. But that hasn’t quelled transmission. As the vast majority of the county continues to grapple with high or substantial COVID-19 numbers, the most vulnerable neighborhoods — including those in the South Bay — are still being disproportionately impacted. (Bowman, 12/15)

Axios: Fighting COVID Misinformation Among Latinos With Cartoons 
Latinos are using cartoons to combat the coronavirus-related misinformation that is prominent in their communities. The project, "COVID Latino," aims to disseminate COVID-related information to U.S. Latinos through art and social media posts that prominently feature visual staples of Latino culture, with an emphasis on the U.S. Southwest. (Reyes, 12/14)

Ukiah Daily Journal: 'Fully Vaccinated' Child Dies Of Covid-19 In Mendocino County
Mendocino County officials announced that a minor died recently from Covid-19, marking the youngest patient so far to succumb to the virus locally, and the first under 18 years of age. According to a press release disseminated by the Mendocino County Public Health Office on Dec. 10, the 100th county resident to die from the virus was identified only as “a minor less than 18 years of age, from the Fort Bragg area.” The patient was reportedly “fully vaccinated with comorbidities.” (12/14)

KQED: When A Covid Expert Gets Covid: Lessons We Can Apply To Our Holiday Planning 
Alexis Madrigal was super-cautious about COVID-19 from the beginning. He co-founded the COVID Tracking Project through The Atlantic and has been reporting on the virus since the earliest days of the pandemic. But in the summer 2021, he got invited to a wedding where he would eventually contract COVID (despite being fully vaccinated). The positive test turned his life upside down and sent ripples of anxiety through his family and extended network.  His story points to where we are right now — a unique moment with Omicron looming and holiday parties enticing us to gather. Reflecting on his experience, Alexis shared his advice for how to weigh risk, make decisions deliberately, and have a plan for how to deal with an infection. (Cruz Guevarra, Madrigal, Harvin and Dillon, 12/15)

Politico: Pfizer's Covid-19 Pill Cut Risk Of Hospitalization And Death By 89 Percent, Final Results Show 
Pfizer's antiviral Covid-19 pill reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent in high-risk patients who’d been experiencing symptoms for three days or less, according to final results from a trial of 2,246 adults the company released Tuesday. The results tracked with interim findings the company reported last month, which prompted it to petition the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of the pill, called Paxlovid. (12/14)

The New York Times: Pfizer’s Covid Pill Works Well, Company Confirms In Final Analysis 
Pfizer announced on Tuesday that its Covid pill was found to stave off severe disease in a key clinical trial and that it is likely to work against the highly mutated Omicron variant of the virus. The results underscore the promise of the treatment, which health officials and doctors are counting on, to ease the burden on hospitals as the United States braces for a mounting fourth wave of the pandemic. If the Food and Drug Administration authorizes the drug, which could happen within days, then patients might begin receiving it by the end of the year. Although supply will be limited at first, public health experts are hopeful that the pills might curb the worst outcomes from the disease, no matter the variant. (Zimmer and Robbins, 12/14)

Orange County Register: Yorba Linda School Quarantines Entire 6th Grade Class Due To COVID-19 
All sixth graders at Travis Ranch School in Yorba Linda are taking classes from home this week, after numerous students tested positive for COVID-19 and potentially exposed hundreds of their classmates as close contacts to the virus. Officials at the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District and the OC Health Care Agency have been monitoring “dozens of cases,” mostly among sixth graders at the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade campus, with “very few cases taking place among other grade levels and staff members,” according to a news release from the district. (Robinson, 12/14)

Bay Area News Group: San Jose Sharks Watch NHL COVID-19 Cases Increase
The growing number of COVID-19 cases around the NHL — and the subsequent postponement of several more games — has caught the attention of the Sharks, who already had a round of positive cases more than six weeks ago. The NHL announced the postponement of Carolina’s game Tuesday with the Minnesota Wild after four more Hurricanes players were placed in the league’s COVID protocol. Carolina was already without four other players. (Pashelka, 12/14)

Los Angeles Times: Lakers Join Rest Of Pro Sports Impacted By Spike In COVID-19 
The Lakers canceled a practice Tuesday. That shouldn’t be the type of action that can send fans spiraling into doomsday scenarios, ones in which the league locks its doors, keeps its fans at home and, worst case, cancels games on one of its biggest days — Christmas. But the Lakers didn’t cancel this practice because the team was tired or players wanted to keep their old legs rested. No, the Lakers canceled this practice because their roster had been infected. (Woike, 12/14)

CBS News: Pro Sports Taking Big COVID Hit As Omicron Variant Spreads Rapidly
Professional sports leagues across North America are on alert as a surge of COVID-19 cases leaves dozens of players sidelined, prompting teams to shutter facilities and forcing the postponement of a growing number of games. The NFL, NBA and NHL were scrambling to counter a sharp uptick in coronavirus cases as the Geneva-based World Health Organization warned the new Omicron variant was spreading at an unprecedented rate. (12/15)

Sacramento Bee: Golden 1 Center Updated COVID-19 Protocols: Tests And Masks
The Golden 1 Center has yet again tightened its COVID-19 safety protocols for unvaccinated patrons. Starting Wednesday, the day the center is set to host the Washington Wizards against the Sacramento Kings, unvaccinated people attending an event of more than 1,000 people will have to adhere to stricter testing requirements. The Golden 1 center is requiring a negative PCR test within two days or an antigen test within one day of entry. (Taylor, 12/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: 49ers’ Game-Day COVID-19 Policies Won’t Change Because Of California Mandate
The 49ers’ season-long policies regarding COVID-19 won’t change once California reimposes indoor mask mandates in public settings for all residents Wednesday, a team spokesman said. The 49ers will host the Falcons at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, and the organization has required masks this season in all of the stadium’s indoor spaces, such as club areas, restrooms, elevators and the press box, regardless of vaccination status. Fans who attend Sunday’s game won’t be required to provide a proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. (Branch, 12/14)

San Diego Union-Tribune: One-Year Vaccine Anniversary Arrives On Eve Of Mask Mandate Resumption 
Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the first coronavirus vaccine doses arriving in San Diego. On Dec. 14, 2020, enough Pfizer product arrived to begin the inoculation process for 12,000 front-line health care workers. It began an effort that has fully vaccinated 2.41 million residents, 72 percent of the region’s 3.34 million population. (Sisson, 12/14)

Bay Area News Group: A Year Into Vaccination Effort, COVID-19 Remains A Menace
A year ago Tuesday, nurses received the first shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, offering a glimmer of hope amid the country’s deadliest winter outbreak of the pandemic that immunity and a return to normal were within reach in the coming year. Six in 10 Americans and two out of three Californians have since had the shots, and although they no doubt saved countless lives and eased fears among the vaccinated, the ever-mutating SARS-CoV-2 virus remains very much with us, with normal fading like a desert mirage. (Woolfolk, 12/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: How You Can Help End Global Vaccine Inequity With $5
Worldwide vaccine inequity has been a topic of conversation almost since the moment the first doses were being offered to the public. And still, a year later, the world’s poorest countries are struggling to secure shots for their citizens. One stark fact: 80% of the world’s vaccines have gone to higher-income countries, according to one estimate from the WHO Foundation, an independent grant-making organization that supports the World Health Organization. (The most recent New York Times analysis puts the number closer to 73% for high and upper-middle-income countries, while also noting only 0.8% of vaccines have gone to low-income countries.) (Kost, 12/14)

Los Angeles Times: COVID-19 Vaccine Disparity Raises Alarms In California 
Concerns are mounting over the continued low vaccination rates among Black and Latino residents in Los Angeles County as California heads into winter facing another coronavirus surge and bracing for the rise of the Omicron variant. Los Angeles County’s vaccination numbers in communities of color now lag significantly behind several San Francisco Bay Area counties — including San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara — data show, despite what L.A. area officials describe as aggressive outreach in Black and Latino neighborhoods. (Evans and Lin II, 12/15)

Modesto Bee: Side Effects After COVID Booster Normal And Expected: Experts 
Side effects following a COVID-19 vaccine are normal and should be expected, yet they aren’t guaranteed. While some people are delighted to have a pain-free vaccination experience, others may worry their lack of reactions is a sign the shot isn’t working .No immune system is like the other, so some people may not experience side effects at all, even though their bodies are working just as hard. (Camero, 12/14)

Los Angeles Times: Why Do We Get Side Effects From Vaccines? Experts Say That Means It's Working
Whether you’re getting your first shot, a second dose or a booster, you’re likely to experience some side effects. They may be inconvenient, and they certainly can be uncomfortable. But immunologists and virologists say they are to be expected. And you might even welcome them. (Amato, 12/14)

The Hill: Google Says Unvaccinated Employees Will Lose Pay, Eventually Be Fired 
Google has told employees they must get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 18 or face a series of escalating consequences that will include pay deductions and the eventual loss of their jobs, according to an internal memo to staff obtained by CNBC. A memo said the company would contact employees who hadn't declared their vaccination status and uploaded proof of vaccination — or applied for an exemption on medical or religious grounds — by Dec. 3. (Rai, 12/14)

The Washington Post: Amtrak Loosens Vaccine Mandate, Averts Service Cuts 
Amtrak said Tuesday it is suspending a vaccine mandate for employees, averting the termination of about 500 people and service cuts that were expected next month. Railroad employees who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus will be allowed to submit to weekly testing, Amtrak Chief Executive William J. Flynn said in a memo to workers. The policy applies to the company’s 17,000 employees. (Lazo, 12/14)

Los Angeles Times: California Reinstates Doctors Who Sexually Abuse Patients 
Six female patients — including one in her mid-teens — told police and state regulators about sexual misconduct by Dr. Esmail Nadjmabadi. In 2009, he pleaded no contest to a criminal charge of sexual exploitation by a physician involving two or more women and the following year surrendered his medical license. It appeared his career was over until five years later, when he petitioned the Medical Board for reinstatement. The board granted his wish. It was a surprise to Ramirez and the other women he abused. (Dolan, Mejia and Christensen, 12/15)

Los Angeles Times: Full Coverage: California Medical Board And Troubled Doctors 
The Medical Board of California was established to protect patients by licensing doctors and investigating complaints when things go wrong. The board has a long history of going easy on troubled doctors, a Times investigation has found. Here’s the full Los Angeles Times coverage. (12/15)

The Bakersfield Californian: Kern Health Care Providers Highlight Achievements, Challenges As They Prepare For Fourth Pandemic Surge 
Local health care leaders took stock Tuesday of lessons learned so far during the pandemic as they brace for a fourth, possibly more virulent surge of COVID-19 cases expected to arrive in Kern in February or March. Representatives of Memorial Hospital, Clinica Sierra Vista and the county's Public Health Services Department said during an online forum staffing has been a particularly tough challenge that could have repercussions in the years ahead. But at the same time, technology and a new spirit of collaboration have brought improvements that may prove helpful over the long term. (Cox, 12/14)

KQED: Can Virtual Reality Be Used To Combat Racial Bias In Health Care? 
Black patients overall are 22% less likely to be prescribed pain medication than white patients, according to an analysis of 20 years of research. These treatment disparities are often traced to bias among physicians, many of whom, research shows, falsely believe Black people feel less pain than white people. Such beliefs and behaviors are seen across medical fields and can contribute to fatal consequences. Black people are more likely to die from conditions like heart disease, diabetes and COVID compared to white people. Now Taylor is leading the research team at UCSF to see whether virtual reality might play a part in reversing trends like these, testing the simulation to see whether it can raise awareness of medical mistreatment and mitigate unconscious bias among doctors and nurses. (Dembosky, 12/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Becomes First City To Require Sick Leave For Nannies, Cleaners, Gardeners
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously passed ground-breaking legislation to provide paid sick leave for cleaners, nannies, gardeners and other domestic workers. The measure — the first of its kind in the country — would affect some 10,000 people in San Francisco who work in private homes to clean, cook, tend children, garden, do personal organizing, or provide non-medical care for disabled people or seniors. This workforce is typically low-paid with many women and immigrants, supporters said. (Said, 12/14)

The Bakersfield Californian: Kaiser Permanente, Adventist Health Tehachapi To Offer Free COVID, Flu Shots 
Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health Tehachapi are teaming up to offer free COVID-19 and flu shots to the community members in Tehachapi from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Moderna and Pfizer will be available for adults and children ages 12 and up at Slice of Life Enrichment School, 48771 W Valley Blvd. Ste. A, Tehachapi. (12/14)

KQED: 'It Saved My Life': Depression Treatment Is Turning Lives Around In Five Days 
Three years ago, Emma’s psychiatrist urged her to enroll in a study at Stanford University School of Medicine designed for people who had run out of options. When she arrived, scientists took an MRI scan to determine the best possible location to deliver electrical pulses to her brain. Then for 10 hours a day for five consecutive days, Emma sat in a chair while a magnetic field stimulated her brain. At the end of the first day, an unfamiliar calm settled over Emma. Even when her partner picked her up to drive home, she stayed relaxed. “I’m usually hysterical,” she said. “All the time I'm grabbing things. I'm yelling, you know, ‘Did you see those lights?’ And while I rode home that first night I just looked out the window and I enjoyed the ride.” (McClurg, 12/14)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Much Less Likely In Homeless Housed In Hotels: Study 
People experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Chicago were 2.5 times less likely to have a COVID-19 infection if they were housed in individual hotel rooms along with medical and social support than if they stayed in a city shelter, according to an observational study yesterday in JAMA Network Open. A team of University of Chicago, Lawndale Christian Health Center, and Chicago Department of Public Health researchers studied infection rates, blood pressures, and hemoglobin A1c of 259 PEH recruited from 16 shelters and housed in hotel rooms leased by the City of Chicago from Apr 2 to Sep 3, 2020. Their results were compared with those of people staying in shelters, which the authors noted may house as many as 400 people in open rooms. (Van Beusekom, 12/14)