Los Angeles Times: Groups Fear Being Left Out As California Shifts Vaccine Priority 
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Monday that the state would shift vaccine priority to an age-based eligibility structure has sparked concerns from groups representing some essential workers and disabled people who may now have to wait longer to get vaccinated. Little has been shared as to what that would mean in practice. Before Newsom’s announcement, the state intended to give priority to several new groups after California is done vaccinating people 65 and older, including residents in incarcerated and homeless settings, essential workers and individuals with underlying health conditions. (Shalby, 1/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: Rumors Are Flying That California Restaurant Workers Won’t Be Prioritized For Vaccines. They’re False 
Restaurant workers, even young ones, are among the group considered essential workers that will be prioritized for vaccines, the state has confirmed, despite rumors to the contrary. When Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday a major change to the state’s vaccine rollout, in which many essential workers will no longer be prioritized in favor of an age-based system, rumors swirled on social media that this meant young restaurant workers would go to the back of the line. Some vocalized frustration that this change coincided with the reopening of outdoor dining, which forces servers to come into close contact with maskless members of the public. But a California Department of Public Health spokesperson confirmed that restaurant workers will indeed be prioritized for vaccines. (Bitker, 1/26)

Southern California News Group: California Launches My Turn Coronavirus Vaccine Eligibility Tool
State officials on Tuesday, Jan. 26, launched a trial run of the new vaccine eligibility tool My Turn, which all Californians will eventually be able to use to check if they’re eligible for a coronavirus shot and be notified when it’s their turn. Only healthcare workers and people age 65 and older in Los Angeles and San Diego counties can immediately book appointments during this pilot, but the program is expected to be expanded to all state residents “in coming weeks,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Yolanda Richardson, who is heading California’s vaccine distribution and operations. The goal is to standardize vaccine information and data across the state for both users and administrators, Richardson said Tuesday during a news conference. Across the state, mass vaccination pushes have been hindered by low supply, a lack of administrators and confusion among target groups, such as seniors. (Wheeler, 1/27)

Fresno Bee: Here’s How Californians Can Sign Up For Vaccine Notification 
When are you eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine? California has launched a new system, My Turn, that tells you exactly that. At myturn.ca.gov, you can sign up now to find out if you are eligible. An appointment sign-up feature is currently limited to Los Angeles and San Diego counties, but will be available statewide by early February, state officials said. (Sheeler, 1/27)

Sacramento Bee: COVID-19 Vaccine Update: How California Is Doing On Doses
California is weeks into a mass vaccination campaign to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, administering tens of thousands of shots a day. The California Department of Public Health on its vaccine tracker reported Tuesday that providers had administered 2,587,736 out of about 4.7 million that have been distributed to hospital systems and local health departments, an increase by 150,232 from the total reported Monday. About 186,000 additional doses are marked as “ordered” but not yet shipped. (McGough, 1/26)

Fresno Bee: Fresno County To Start Vaccine Effort To First Responders 
Fresno County’s top health officials said Tuesday they will begin a program to vaccinate Fresno’s first responders early next month. The Fresno County Department of Public Health has received 99,000 vaccine shots through Tuesday, according to Joe Prado, community health division manager for the department. (Miller, 1/26)

Voice Of OC: OC’s Coronavirus Vaccination Woes Continue, Some County Supervisors Lambast Rollout
Some of Orange County’s most vulnerable residents are blocked from getting coronavirus vaccines because the rollout has been plagued by bugs and oversights, drawing criticism from OC Supervisors. Since the vaccination registration program, called Othena, was launched a couple weeks ago, scores of people have complained about glitches and outages, which is preventing them from signing up. Some people were mistakenly getting their vaccine appointments through Othena, only to be turned away when they went to the vaccination supersites. (Custodio, 1/26)

LA Daily News: How Will The Second Coronavirus Vaccine Shot Be Given In Riverside, San Bernardino And Los Angeles Counties? 
It’s hard enough to get the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. But what about the second shot? It’s a question on the minds of Inland residents lucky enough to be injected with the first of two shots needed for maximum COVID-19 protection. With the second dose recommended for at least 21 or 28 days after the first, many who got the first shot wonder when, or if, they’ll get the next one. (Horseman, 1/26)

LA Daily News: Though Plagued By Supply Shortfalls, LA County Maps COVID Vaccine Strategy 
Los Angeles County supervisors aim to make the mammoth task of delivering millions of vaccines equitable, accessible and brisk — but the enduring lack of doses still prevent their ambitious plans from truly shifting into gear. Supervisors nonetheless responded to lingering confusion about first and second doses, as well as concerns about access for low-income residents, in communities of color and among technology-challenged senior citizens by pushing forward on the county’s under-construction vaccination strategy by tapping neighboring cities, community centers and school campuses around the region. (Carter, 1/26)

LA Daily News: Thousands Of LAPD Officers Waiting To Get Vaccinated; Chief Says Supply Is ‘Severely’ Limited 
At least eight Los Angeles Police Department employees are currently in the hospital suffering from COVID-19, the city’s police chief said, as the department waits to start mass vaccinations of officers in earnest. Chief Michel Moore said on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at least three of those hospitalized employees are in “very critical condition. ”So far, six LAPD employees, including four officers, have died from COVID-19. Moore announced the sixth death, Officer Philip Sudario, on Monday. (Cain, 1/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Health Department Reveals Hidden Virus Metrics After Pressure
Following strong criticisms about the secrecy in which California’s stay-at-home orders are decided, the state health department on Monday released previously hidden projections for ICU capacity throughout the state. The release of the regional projections — the metric that decides when to lift the coronavirus stay-at-home orders — came on the same day that Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled those orders. Counties now will use the state’s color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy reporting system, under which restrictions will no longer be tied strictly to the number of available intensive care beds in hospitals. (Williams, 1/26)

San Diego Union-Tribune: UK Variant, UCSD Researcher Warns, Looks Like A COVID-19 Time Bomb 
Many are celebrating Monday’s lifting of California’s regional stay-at-home order and the increase in opportunities for outdoor dining, youth sports competition and other social gatherings. But a group of researchers at UC San Diego, Scripps Research and other respected institutions warned Tuesday that the coming dominance of a new viral variant first spotted in the United Kingdom makes this precisely the wrong moment to take any action that could increase the community’s collective amount of social contact. (Sisson, 1/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: How The Bay Area Coronavirus Variant Differs From Those In U.K., South Africa And Brazil
The new coronavirus variant linked to some recent Bay Area outbreaks is one of several circulating in the U.S. and around the world that are worrying experts amid the race to vaccinate enough people to stem the pandemic. Concerns were heightened when, earlier this month, the CDC warned that the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant first reported in the United Kingdom could become the dominant strain by March. On Monday, an individual infected with the Brazil variant was confirmed to be in Minnesota. On Monday, President Biden extended travel restrictions on Brazil and most of Europe, and banned travel starting Saturday for non-citizens from South Africa due to another variant circulating there. (Hwang, 1/27)

Voice Of OC: OC Supervisors Spent More Covid Response Money On Sheriff Staff Than Health Workers
When it comes to federal dollars meant for “responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency,” Orange County officials have been spending far more of it on sheriff officials than public health workers, according to official data. After months of pushing from Voice of OC under the state’s Public Records Act, County of Orange officials this month released a summary of payouts from CARES Act funds to county agencies as well as individual vendors. When it comes to public agencies, county administrators spent $93 million of their CARES Act funds on payroll at the Sheriff’s Department, compared with $58 million on Health Care Agency employees, according to the latest-available data from the county, which runs through the third quarter of last year. (Gerda, 1/25)

Voice Of San Diego: State: School Districts Like San Diego Unified Cannot Reopen Now  
A lot stands in the way of most public schools reopening their campuses to all students during the pandemic but one unexpected hurdle is confusion about whether they are even allowed. Dizzying government guidance has confounded some school officials, teachers and parents. County health officials were off when they interpreted the state’s rules in an “inconsistent” way last year, a problem flagged by the county superintendent of schools. A San Diego Unified trustee complained to the state Legislature. And the dissonance has helped derail reopening plans in different parts of the county. (McGlone, 1/26)

Voice Of San Diego: Schools Want COVID-19 Vaccines, But Not Necessarily Mandates  
Though public school leaders near and far are pushing for greater access to the coronavirus vaccine for school employees and many tout the vaccines as essential for school reopenings, few are talking about making vaccines a mandate. The importance of the vaccine in solving the crisis and getting kids back to school campuses cannot be overstated, said Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, a medical consultant for San Diego County’s health and human services agency. (McGlone, 1/26)

Los Angeles Times: Santa Clara Cuts Vaccine To Hospital That Let Teachers Skip Line
A Bay Area hospital has had its supply of COVID-19 vaccine cut off after offering doses to teachers who were not in the state’s priority group. Good Samaritan Hospital in Santa Clara County will no longer receive COVID-19 vaccine after county officials learned that the hospital gave teachers from a nearby school district a chance to jump the vaccination line, which prioritizes healthcare workers and people primarily 75 and older. “We became aware of this email that had gone out basically saying there was this special deal for vaccination,” Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams said during a news conference Monday. (Lu, 1/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: Good Samaritan Hospital Executive Disciplined After Allowing Los Gatos Teachers, Staff To Jump Vaccine Line
The chief operating officer for Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose has been disciplined following a scandal in which the hospital gave dozens of Los Gatos teachers and staff coronavirus vaccinations ahead of groups with priority and amid a vaccine shortage. Gary Purushotham, Good Samaritan’s chief operating officer, received “disciplinary action” in response to the hospital inviting 65 teachers and staff members from Los Gatos Unified School District to get vaccinated, and hospital officials are conducting a “thorough review of the incident,” hospital spokesperson Sarah Sherwood told The Chronicle on Tuesday. Santa Clara County suspended the hospital from receiving coronavirus vaccine doses in response to the incident. (Hernández, 1/26)

Modesto Bee: Stanislaus County Hospitals Still Stressed By COVID Patients
Stanislaus County’s health officer said Tuesday the county continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, even though the state lifted a regional stay-home order Monday. The state decision was based on a projection that hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley region will have at least 15 percent of intensive care beds available for patients four weeks from now. “We still have a lot of people in our hospitals,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county health officer. “We still have a lot of people in our ICUs. The lifting of the stay-home order does not mean we are out in the clear.” (Carlson, 1/26)

Voice Of OC: OC Hospital With The Biggest Known Covid Safety Problems Got The Most Federal Relief Dollars Distributed By County
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, a for-profit hospital that has had the biggest known safety problems of any Orange County hospital during the Covid pandemic, ended up getting the most federal taxpayer relief dollars distributed by County of Orange officials. The county awarded the hospital $2.9 million in federal CARES Act money, more than any other hospital in Orange County, according to a list of vendors and amounts the county released to Voice of OC this month. (Gerda, 1/26)

The Bakersfield Californian: Brynn Carrigan Appointed As Next Kern County Public Health Director 
The Kern County Board of Supervisors has appointed Brynn Carrigan as the next director of Public Health Services. Serving as assistant director since 2012, Carrigan’s position will become effective Monday. She and outgoing director Matt Constantine will work in a dual leadership role until he retires in March. (Morgen, 1/26)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Supervisors Approve Needle Exchange For Drug Users 
County supervisors on Tuesday agreed to create a needle exchange program as part of a strategy to reduce health risks for intravenous drug users. The board’s three Democrats — Chairman Nathan Fletcher and Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Nora Vargas — supported it. Republican Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson opposed it. (Warth, 1/26)

The Bakersfield Californian: Pesticide Report Renews Debate On Health Risks 
A new report showing greater use of pesticides in Kern and other Central Valley counties has rekindled a discussion about whether enough is being done to protect local communities from health risks presented by certain agricultural practices. The state released numbers late last month indicating the total volume of pesticides applied statewide rose 1.3 percent between 2017 and 2018 to reach 209 million pounds, the second-highest total in at least 20 years. More recent figures have not been released. (Cox, 1/26)

Voice Of OC: How Safe Is It To Surf Or Live Near The San Onofre Nuclear Reactor?
The ongoing demolition of the San Onofre nuclear plant has long fueled unease among locals over the periodic release of diluted, radioactive material from the reactor into this iconic surfing spot’s waters. Such dumping has been going on since the 1960s, for years without public notice. That was until 2019, when state regulators required the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) parent company — Southern California Edison — to publicly notify surrounding communities of such releases. (Pho, 1/25)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Mayor Upset About Warming Centers Closed In Storm
Temperatures in the capital city at 10 p.m. reached 42 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. However, with the strong winds buffeting the region, the temperature with wind chill has reached 32 degrees, or freezing. While temperatures are expected to continue to drop and winds will continue to remain strong through the night, Sacramento’s warming centers for the homeless were closed. The lack of warming centers upset Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who spoke out during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. “There’s a huge storm out here. People are gonna die tonight,” he said by video. “We can’t get a goddamn warming center open for more than one night because the county has rules? I’m sick of it.” (Clift, 1/26)

Capital Public Radio/KXJZ: Newsom Promised To Tackle California’s Homelessness Crisis Head-On. Has He Delivered?
Advocates cite Project Roomkey as one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top accomplishments halfway through his four-year term. During his campaign, Newsom promised his administration would tackle California’s homelessness crisis head-on, making it a top priority after past governors had largely left the problem to local governments to solve. But while advocates are hopeful Newsom will build on Roomkey to address what remains a massive homelessness crisis in the state, some say the governor must act with even greater urgency, something he’s proven can be done in the past year. “Given the nasty curveball of [COVID-19], I think he’s proven that the governor’s office along with the State of California — when properly pushed — can do a lot of things really fast as they demonstrated with Project Roomkey,” said Joe Smith, advocacy director at Loaves & Fishes, which provides services and shelter for the unhoused in Sacramento. (Nichols, 1/27)