Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents. (Samantha Young, )
Newsom Blocks Funds For Defiant Cities: Gov. Gavin Newsom is using new powers to withhold money from two cities in California’s Central Valley that are defying his health orders by allowing all businesses to open during the pandemic. Newsom blocked nearly $65,000 from Atwater in Merced County and more than $35,000 from Coalinga in Fresno County, the first installments of $2.5 billion in federal funds that cities and counties across the state risk losing if they don’t toe the line on coronavirus safeguards. The city councils in both cities met Monday and stuck with their resolutions. Read more from Don Thompson of The Associated Press.
Free COVID Testing Offered At San Francisco BART Station: UCSF infectious disease specialists and community partners are setting up a free pop-up testing site at the 24th Street and Mission Plaza BART station in San Francisco, aimed at the Latino population. For three weeks, the program will offer free coronavirus testing on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., beginning July 29. The organizers of the project believe it is the first low-barrier testing site at a central transit hub in the U.S. Read more from Aidin Vaziri of the San Francisco Chronicle.
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:
Branch, Gold And Hog Fires Prompt Evacuations Across California
Residents in a rural area of San Luis Obispo County have been evacuated as a brush fire exploded and burned at least one structure Tuesday afternoon. The Branch fire was initially reported as a 40-acre brush fire in the area off of Highway 58 and Soda Lake Road in the California Valley at about 2 p.m. By 9 p.m., the fire was nearly 3,000 acres and 30% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Reyes-Velarde, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus Cases Across The Bay Area Top 50,000
The Bay Area topped 50,000 coronavirus cases Tuesday, an ignominious milestone in a seemingly interminable year loaded with misfortune, heartache and numbing restrictions on people’s movements that are likely to continue for some time. The Bay Area’s nine counties together recorded 50,230 cases in the midst of a statewide surge in infections. The number of fatalities caused by COVID-19 in the Bay Area stood at 784 on Tuesday. (Fimrite, 7/28)
Los Angeles Times:
California Won't Conquer The Coronavirus, And Fully Reopen, Until It Can Protect Essential Workers
Five months into the pandemic, it’s becoming increasingly clear that California is not going to conquer the coronavirus until it dramatically improves safety measures for essential workers at the epicenter of the health crisis. From farming communities to urban centers and suburbs, workers in retail, manufacturing, agriculture and logistics are bearing the brunt of COVID-19 outbreaks, and state and local officials are struggling to control the infections even as the outlook in more prosperous communities has improved. (Lin II and Chabria, 7/29)
Fresno Bee:
Hospitalizations Ease In Fresno, But COVID Infections Are Up
The number of people hospitalized in Fresno County and neighboring counties for confirmed coronavirus infections has declined in recent days. But as the average daily number of new cases continues to climb, Fresno County’s top doctor said Tuesday he fears that will drive future hospitalizations and fatalities in the coming days and weeks. (Sheehan, 7/28)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Weighs How To Climb Out Of Low Point In COVID-19 Crisis
The worst coronavirus fears for the central San Joaquin Valley are becoming reality. The region’s hospitals are at capacity and face staffing and supply shortages. The chronic health conditions many Valley residents endure are exacerbated by COVID-19. (Calix, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Where COVID-19 Cases Are Growing Fastest In Sacramento County
Reported COVID-19 cases roughly tripled in Sacramento County during the past four weeks, and several densely populated, economically disadvantaged areas were among the hardest hit, county data show. There were about 9,300 reported COVID-19 cases in Sacramento County on Monday, up from about 3,100 four weeks prior. That’s the equivalent of almost 40 new cases per 10,000 residents. (Reese and Levine, 7/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Palm Springs Orders All Restaurants, Bars To Close Early
Starting Friday, Palm Springs revelers gathering in restaurants, bars, wineries, distilleries and breweries will be asked to leave early due to the persistent threat of the novel coronavirus, city officials said in a news release. The new rule, ordered by the city’s director of emergency services on Tuesday, dictates that these establishments must close by 11 p.m. or risk facing fines, orders to shut down or the revocation of licences, including a facility’s business license. (Reyes-Velarde, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus Shutdown Leads To Oracle Park, Chase Center Workers Being Fired
More than 2,000 game-day workers who served hot dogs and garlic fries at Oracle Park and Chase Center in prepandemic times have been fired, effective Wednesday. The 2,154 food-service employees of Bon Appétit were informed Monday evening via email that their positions were eliminated. The employees had been on furlough status since the coronavirus shutdown began. (Ostler, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Coronavirus Devastated The Market In SF’s Twitter Building. It’s Still Expanding
The coronavirus has crippled sales at the Market grocery store and food hall in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters building — but the Market is pressing forward with an expansion. With thousands of workers at companies like Twitter, Uber and Square no longer commuting to the Mid-Market area, grocery sales at the Market have been cut in half. Some individual food vendors in the Market who previously saw monthly sales over $100,000 now have 10% of that business, said Market owner Chris Foley. The Market has cut staff from 103 to 87, and more potential layoffs loom. (Li, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Napa’s Foley-Johnson Winery Closes After Worker Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
Foley-Johnson Winery in Napa Valley has closed temporarily after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. “One Foley-Johnson winery employee tested positive for COVID-19 in early July,” the Rutherford winery posted on Instagram Tuesday morning. “No other employees were in close contact with this person as defined under Napa County health directives.” The winery will be sanitized, and all other employees will undergo testing or quarantine for 14 days, the post added. (Mobley, 7/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Outdoor Dining Is A Lifeline For Restaurants
At 6 p.m. on a recent Friday, as the sun was sinking over Sawtelle Boulevard in West L.A., chef and restaurant owner Toshi Sakamaki wheeled his prized yakitori grill onto the sidewalk in front of his 23-year-old Japanese restaurant, Yakitoriya. A cluster of tables, arranged six feet apart and sectioned off from the street by ad hoc plastic dividers, sat a few feet from the grill. Reservations for the night were already booked, Sakamaki said from behind his mask. Plumes of the poultry-scented smoke filled the air as the chef flipped skewers of thigh and liver over glowing charcoal, intermittently popping out from behind the grill to deliver perfectly charred chicken parts to diners. (Snyder, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Backlogs Mean Some Californians Have To Wait For COVID Tests
California officials say it’s no longer possible for everyone who wants a COVID-19 test to get one because of lab delays and supply shortages. So who can get a test? That depends on where a person ranks under new guidance the Newsom administration unveiled this month for testing sites and labs to determine whom to schedule for testing and which samples to test first. (Bollag, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
$5M Competition Hunts For Rapid, Low-Cost Coronavirus Tests
Hoping to expand testing capabilities for COVID-19, scientists, business leaders and humanitarians said Tuesday that they are funding a $5 million competition to encourage an easy, low-cost diagnostic tool that will turn around results in minutes or, at the most, hours. The nonprofit XPrize designed and will run this incentive competition, as it has done with other contests to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. In this case, XPrize is working with another nonprofit called OpenCovidScreen founded by scientists and business leaders who want to get schools and workplaces back to everyday life. (Anderson, 7/28)
Sacramento Bee:
Will CA Get More Money For COVID Testing, Contact Tracing?
The next coronavirus relief bill from Congress is expected to have billions of dollars for COVID-19 testing, but competing plans from Republicans and Democrats are far apart on how much money to provide. The outcome matters in California, where medical labs can’t keep up with demand for coronavirus tests and patients are often waiting days for results. Contact tracing teams have been overwhelmed in some areas due to staffing shortages. (Irby, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The SF Schools Plan: Weeks — Or More Likely Months — Of Distance Learning
San Francisco students will spend several weeks if not months in distance learning, followed by a limited return to in-person instruction, with no more than a third of the district’s 53,000 school children allowed back on any given day. The 61-page plan was approved unanimously by the city’s school board Tuesday evening after five hours of public feedback, questions and discussion. (Tucker, 7/28)
Fresno Bee:
Private Schools In Fresno Seek COVID-19 Waivers To Reopen
The largest public schools in the Fresno area have said they are not applying for waivers to open schools in August, but some private schools and smaller public schools will move forward with the option. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced July 17 that public and private K-12 school campuses in the state could not reopen until their counties have been off the coronavirus watchlist for 14 days. (Panoo, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Quarantine, Social Bubbles Will Define On-Campus Experience For Bay Area College Students
For UC Berkeley students, move-in day this fall will lack much of the commotion of a regular year. There will be no meeting roommates, no families unloading cars and carrying boxes through the halls. This year’s cohort will have an entirely new set of challenges. (Echeverria, 7/28)
Sacramento Bee:
Coronavirus Forces Poor Families To Find Aid To Buy Food
Rarely does a mother try to stop her child from drinking a glass of milk. But with schools closed and unemployment spiking during the pandemic, Lissete Frausto, a mother of two in Oakland, finds she has little choice. Her 4-year-old son normally gulps it down.“I’ve been trying to figure out things so that he doesn’t want to drink milk as often,” she said. (Kanaaneh Tapper, 7/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Yolo County Fines Woodland Gym Still Open During Coronavirus
Yolo County officials fined a Woodland gym $2,500 last week after county enforcement staff found the gym was continuing to operate despite a mandated countywide closure because of the coronavirus pandemic. The county fined NSFit, known until recently as Fit Republic Woodland, after a long education and warning process, according to Yolo County spokeswoman Jenny Tan. Enforcement staff found the gym operating on multiple occasions, the county said. County officials first made various attempts to contact the gym to inform them of the county’s July 13 order to close indoor businesses. (Tahui Gomez, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
$100 For Not Wearing A Mask? Contra Costa Approves Fines For Health Order Violators
Contra Costa County on Tuesday approved fines for individuals and businesses that violate coronavirus health orders, including not wearing a mask. The county’s board of supervisors passed an urgency ordinance establishing fines for individuals starting at $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second and $500 for each additional violation within one year of the initial violation. (Ho, 7/28)
KPBS:
Hospital Exec Wants San Diegans To Remember What’s At Stake During Pandemic
A local hospital executive said he worries the public is becoming desensitized to the rising number of San Diegans who have lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic and many are being too relaxed or defiant toward policies to prevent its spread. The global outbreak has sparked national debate over fatalities attributed to the virus, as well as public health measures, such as orders to wear facial coverings. Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, said not enough attention is paid to the individual victims of the virus as the overall tally increases. (Mento, 7/28)
CalMatters:
Worker Says Hanford Company Disregarded COVID-19 Outbreak
Maria Pilar Ornelas felt she was suffocating when she asked her supervisor at Central Valley Meat Company in April to go home and test for the coronavirus, according to the lawsuit she filed last week. She had a headache, blurry vision and difficulty breathing, but her supervisor denied Ornelas a test and told her to keep working, despite having been exposed to a person who tested positive for the virus, according to the lawsuit. (Tobias, 7/28)
Sacramento Bee:
Latinos Are More Than Half Of California’s COVID-19 Cases
California plans to collect more data on the ethnicity of coronavirus patients after recording a disproportionate increase in infections among Latinos, the state health secretary announced on Tuesday. There’s been a “significant increase” of COVID-19 cases among California’s Latino population since May, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in announcing the plans. (Bojorquez, 7/28)
Sacramento Bee:
CA To Report Coronavirus Data, Impact On LGBTQ Community
The California Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that they would begin collecting data regarding COVID-19 patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity. The announcement was also made by Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the department, during Tuesday’s daily briefing on the pandemic. (Burke, 7/28)
CalMatters:
Audit: Don’t Force More Mentally Ill Into Treament, Improve It
California’s half-century-old involuntary mental health treatment law isn’t broken, but much of the system meant to serve those with serious mental illness is, state auditors concluded in a much-anticipated report released today. Some critics have called for rewriting state law to make it easier to force people into involuntary treatment, particularly by expanding the state’s definition of “grave disability” — something many recent bills have attempted – and failed— to do. (Wiener, 7/28)
CalMatters:
Imperial County Proceeded With Evictions, Against Court Rules
Imperial County, the rural county in southeastern California beset with overrun hospitals and the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the state, has allowed landlords to pursue court-ordered evictions during the novel coronavirus pandemic despite state judicial rules barring such proceedings. The Imperial County Superior Court has issued notices of eviction lawsuits to renters and engaged in other eviction proceedings that violate state judicial protocols, according to documents reviewed by CalMatters. (Levin, 7/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Theo: Homeless At Age 7
Theo pops his head through the door of his tent and scrunches his nose against a cold breeze. A mop of coarse black hair sticks up as the 7-year-old rubs his eyes and puts on his glasses. No time to waste. The school bus will arrive in minutes. Theo steps gingerly toward a stream at the edge of Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek Park. He slides down an embankment and disappears for a few moments as he relieves himself by the creek. (Ravani, 7/29)