Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Listen: The ACA in Court Again
KHN’s Julie Rovner joins public radio station KQED in California to discuss the stakes in the latest case challenging whether the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. ( )
11 Counties Move Backward In COVID Tiers: Eleven counties moved back to more restrictive tiers in California’s coronavirus reopening system Tuesday, an unprecedented regression as the state contends with an increasingly worrying surge in infections. Among the backsliders were San Diego, Sacramento and Stanislaus counties, all of which moved into the purple tier — the strictest category. Read more from the Los Angeles Times. Continued coverage, below.
LA Convention Center Might Be Used As A Homeless Shelter: The Los Angeles Convention Center, which ended up unused as an overflow medical center for COVID-19 patients, may now be converted into a homeless shelter, under a plan city officials are exploring. Read more from the LA Daily News and Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
Supreme Court Justices Appear Ready To Uphold Obamacare
Supreme Court justices on Tuesday sounded ready to uphold the Affordable Care Act for the third time and reject the latest challenge from its conservative critics, including President Trump. Most of the justices gave a skeptical hearing to Texas Republicans and Trump’s lawyers, who insisted the entire law, also known as Obamacare, should be voided because Congress had eliminated the tax penalty for those who did not have insurance. (Savage and Levey, 11/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Supreme Court Hears California Arguments To Uphold Obamacare
Justices delivered mixed messages at a Supreme Court oral argument that will determine the fate of the Affordable Care Act, with multiple justices expressing doubts that they had the authority to strike down the whole law in this case. The Supreme Court heard arguments in California v. Texas via teleconference Tuesday morning. The nine justices — including the recent conservative addition to the Court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett — are likely to issue their decision on the Affordable Care Act in the spring or possibly early summer of 2021. (Irby, 11/10)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado Counties Moved Into More Restrictive COVID-19 Tiers
Sacramento County is moving back into the most restrictive coronavirus tier, making it one of 11 counties that will need to increase restrictions this week under California’s COVID-19 reopening system. Sacramento County has moved from the red, or “substantial,” tier to the purple, or “widespread,” tier. Nearby Placer and El Dorado counties are also moving backward in the system this week from the orange, or “moderate,” tier to the red tier. (Zentner and Hagan, 11/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego County Officially Falls Into Most-Restrictive COVID-19 Tier
The day many have dreaded for months has now come to pass. San Diego County fell to the most-restrictive level of the state’s COVID-19 reopening system Tuesday, meaning that restaurants, houses of worship, movie theaters and other organizations must cease or significantly reduce their indoor operations by 12:01 a.m. Saturday. (Sisson, Winkley and Mapp, 11/10)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus On Rise All Over California, But Especially Bay Area
Practically nowhere in California has been exempt from the rising number of COVID-19 cases around the state, which could mean the most extensive backward movement yet in its tiered reopening system Tuesday afternoon. On Monday, counties around the state reported their highest total of coronavirus cases in a single day since late August — 7,761, according to data compiled by this news organization — and the seven-day average also rose to its highest point, now about 5,880 per day, since the same time, Aug. 25. (Webeck, 11/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Coronavirus Surge Could Mean A Huge Reopening Reversal As Soon As Next Week
As coronavirus cases spike across California, three more Bay Area counties could backslide as soon as next week to a more restrictive tier in the state’s reopening plan — which would place new limits on businesses as the critical holiday season gets under way. Napa and Santa Clara counties are on track to regress from the “moderate” orange tier to the “substantial” red tier in the state’s next assessment on Nov. 17. Solano County could move backward to the most restrictive “widespread” purple tier after hovering on the edge for several weeks. (Hwang, 11/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Fearing Coronavirus Surge, San Francisco Shuts Indoor Dining
San Francisco health officials announced Tuesday that they would be rolling back several coronavirus reopenings, meaning that indoor dining will be suspended, capacity at gyms and theaters will be reduced and the city’s high schools will have to wait to reopen. The city has one of the state’s lowest rates of coronavirus cases and deaths and was not forced by state health officials to implement the new restrictions. But health authorities have noticed a recent uptick in cases and decided to act to prevent another surge of infections. (Rust, 11/10)
Orange County Register:
First Reopened California Amusement Park Closes Back Down After Only One Weekend
The first California amusement park to reopen under the state’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines has been forced to reclose after only one weekend of operation following a rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the surrounding area. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will reclose after Santa Cruz County moved back to the red/substantial tier 2 risk level under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The Beach Boardwalk reopened roller coasters and thrill rides on Nov. 7 and 8 after the county moved into the orange/moderate tier 3 risk level. (MacDonald, 11/10)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Kern County 'On Notice' Most Severe COVID-19 Restrictions Could Return
Kern County is now officially “on notice” that tighter economic restrictions could return if coronavirus trends continue for another week. In the California Department of Public Health weekly update, Kern County exceeded one of the metrics state officials use to determine the level of social and business activity that can take place locally. (Morgen, 11/10)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno County’s Top Doctor Expects ‘A Purple Thanksgiving’ As New COVID-19 Cases Rise
Fresno County’s top doctor said he expects the county to return to a higher degree of business-reopening restrictions next week and beyond as a rise in new coronavirus cases continues to create concern. “Speaking frankly, I think we’re going to have a purple Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer for the Fresno County Department of Public Health, in a video call with reporters Tuesday. (Sheehan, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Thanksgiving Threatens New Super-Spreading COVID-19 Dangers
California is approaching 1 million coronavirus cases at a crucial moment in the pandemic. After months of declining infections amid stricter reopening rules, the virus is again spreading, with Los Angeles County and Silicon Valley seeing new surges that are sparking alarm among health officials. (Lin Il, Money and Lee, 11/10)
LA Daily News:
With Coronavirus Surging Again, LA County Approves New CARES Act Spending
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 10, approved a new round of more than $65 million in federal CARES Act funding. The funding enables the county to continue its response to COVID-19, providing a range of services, from rental assistance, food and childcare to efforts to fund county employees who provide essential services. (Carter, 11/10)
LA Daily News:
L.A. County Moves To Create Worker-Driven Coronavirus Compliance Councils
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday, Nov. 10, to create worker-run public health councils in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus in work environments. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment and I’m proud that L.A. County is launching this first-in-the-nation program,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who authored the motion. “As COVID-19 caseloads rise again, it is imperative that every employer and employee do their utmost to fully implement public health protocols to ensure the safety of members of the public as well as employees and their families.” (11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Approves Program For Workers To Form Public Health Councils To Curb Coronavirus Spread
Los Angeles County supervisors have unanimously approved a program in which workers from certain sectors will form public health councils to help ensure that employers follow coronavirus safety guidelines — an effort to expand the county’s enforcement of health orders and address the pandemic’s toll on essential workers. The motion, which passed Tuesday morning, will pair councils in the food and apparel manufacturing, warehousing and storage, and restaurant sectors with third-party organizations that will educate workers on health orders and help them report violations. (Miller, 11/10)
LA Daily News:
Ballyhooed State Coronavirus Testing Lab In Valencia Plagued With Inconclusive Tests
A recently opened state COVID-19 testing lab in Valencia has produced an unexpectedly high number of inconclusive test results, the state’s top health officer confirmed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, but he said problems that caused the issue have been identified and addressed. Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the opening of the PerkinElmer lab on Oct. 30, hailing it as a dramatic advancement in the state’s coronavirus-testing system, with an ultimate capacity of processing 150,000 tests per day by next March. (11/10)
LA Daily News:
Garcetti: Dodger Stadium To Be Open 8 A.M.-8 P.M. For Daily Coronavirus Testing
Daily coronavirus testing at Dodger Stadium has been expanded to 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday, Nov. 10. During a COVID-19 status update, Garcetti said the capacity of Los Angeles testing sites will be increased to 32,400 tests per day and the city’s other testing sites will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. “This is one of the most precarious and dangerous and fragile moments in our fight against COVID-19,” Garcetti said. “Just yesterday, the most Americans to ever get COVID-19 got it.” (Bray, 11/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Places Of Worship Go Virtual Amid COVID Rules
Drive-through communion will continue indefinitely at St. John’s Lutheran Church in midtown. Virtual worship services will be the norm going into the holidays at Bayside Church. Next month’s outdoor menorah lighting at Congregation B’nai Israel is still planned but, like so much else, subject to the spread of COVID-19. (Pohl, 11/11)
LA Daily News:
UCLA, UC Irvine Nurses Rally Over COVID Exposure, Staff Shortages
Registered nurses employed by UCLA rallied Tuesday to demand that medical workers be informed when they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 and be properly tested — the way UCLA athletes are tested. At the same time, nurses working at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange held a rally to alert the public to what they consider insufficient staffing at the facility. (11/10)
LA Daily News:
LA County May Tap Schools As COVID Vaccine Sites
As the possibility of a vaccine for COVID-19 takes shape, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to look at using schools as a key resource in rolling out vaccinations. Supervisor Janice Hahn recommended that the Department of Public Health work with school districts to evaluate the feasibility of setting up mass vaccination sites at local schools. “We’re going to be faced with one of the largest vaccination efforts ever, and we need to be prepared,” Hahn said. (Marcellino, 11/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Public Health Workers Demand Sacramento CEO Nav Gill Resign
Several public health officials are calling for the ouster of Sacramento County’s top executive, accusing him of creating a culture where sexism, racism and intimidation tactics were used to silence dissent and undermine the public health department’s work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The allegations were spelled out in a two-page letter sent to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Monday, adding fuel to the criticism surrounding Navdeep Gill, the county’s top administrator. It was signed by Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the county’s public health officer who leads the coronavirus pandemic response, and other women who currently or previously worked for the county. (Finch II, 11/11)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Offers Drive-Thru Flu Shots Friday
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley will give free flu shots this Friday. Those getting a shot do not need to make an appointment, but they are asked to wear a mask. The shots are intended for those ages 18 and over. The flu clinic goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or whenever doses have run out. Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley is located at 1100 Magellan Drive. (11/10)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Veterans Groups Add Meals To Help In Pandemic
As veterans groups appeal to the state to loosen restrictions on posts and halls during the COVID-19 pandemic, some local chapters have been leaning heavily on takeout and limited-seating meals to stay afloat. Weekly breakfasts and dinners long have been a steady source of income for posts to maintain facilities and offer programs and services, but the loss of canteen revenue and facility rentals because of the outbreak has made them more crucial. (Farrow, 11/11)
Bloomberg:
Carbon Health Raises $100 Million To Expand Clinic, Virtual Care
Carbon Health, a San Francisco-based chain of clinics that also offers telehealth services, said it raised $100 million in venture funding for expansion as the coronavirus pandemic changes the way Americans access medical care. With the infusion of capital, the company plans to increase its clinic footprint to 150 locations in 2021 and to 1,500 locations by 2025, focusing on increasing access in areas of the U.S. with few health-care providers. (Brown, 11/10)