SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) – Across the Bay Area, people and businesses were ready to help each other during the lockdown, but a plumbing company that delivered pharmacy medications was likely a first.

Discount Plumbers has been in business for more than 30 years and has a fleet of nearly 50 trucks.

“This is a crazy time for all of us!” says CEO Kevin Griffin.

Even though business is down 40 percent, Griffin says he is still grateful and giving back.

“If you don't want to go out, go to the pharmacy, which not many people are doing right now. We pick up your prescriptions and leave them at your door,” he says.

Griffin first made the unusual announcement to his customer list and then expanded it to everyone.

You get a call or email, and if a truck is available, it goes to the right pharmacy.

Inside, the medication is handed over to the customer after an exchange of signatures and identification.

Alyssa Broduer stayed safe at home. She asked the sanitation service to pick up and deliver her medication.

“I have that. I have that,” says Broduer. “It will be a service that will actually be used. It’s aimed at people who could really use the help.”

“If we have a unit in your area, we just assign it at the end of the day or in the middle of the day, depending on how busy we are,” Griffin explains.

The idea that despite the downturn in business, Griffin is helping those in need.

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Half Moon Bay’s Plunjr has an innovative way of addressing plumbing issues amid the coronavirus pandemic and could potentially change the industry’s business model.

The recently launched mobile app uses live video calls to assist customers as they fix their own plumbing problems, rather than sending a plumber to homes. The app gives people immediate access to union technicians and minimizes the chance of coronavirus exposure, with a lower cost.

“This is going to do good things in communities and change how people do plumbing forever,” said co-founder Aaron Gianni.

Plunjr’s prices are low compared to traditional plumbers, which average around $500 for an in-person visit to the Bay Area, said Plunjr co-founder Andrew Turner.

Plunjr’s video calls average about $45, based on $3 per minute for a 15-minute calls. Until shelter-in-place orders are lifted, the app is dropping its price to a penny per minute. However, customers must also pay for parts, which can be shipped or picked up at any of the country’s 1,500 Ferguson Plumbing Supply stores.

After 18 months of coding and building the app, Plunjr launched a beta test in December. The company has more than 200 customers and the founders believe usage will rise as people try more do-it-yourself projects during the pandemic.

The company isn’t profitable, but Gianni hopes to be profitable by next year and would need to average about 100 calls per day to reach the goal. He wants to average 500 calls per day by 2022 and 1,000 per day by 2023.

Plunjr hopes to build out a network of partners across the country and is in talks with Ben Franklin Plumbing in Novato.

“I know that sounds like a lot, but Larratt Bros., does 50 calls a week with two plumbers,” Gianni said. “If we can build a network of plumbing companies using this, adding a tool to their bucket, we can expand across the nation.”

Gianni, 38, has been a plumber since 2001 and bought Bayview’s Larratt Bros. Plumbing in 2014. Gianni and Turner haven’t taken any outside funding and invested about $500,000 of their own money in the past three years.

“That’s a lot of money for two guys kind of scraping around,” Gianni said. “I don’t have 500 grand sitting around. I’ve given up a second home and other investments. That 500 grand probably could have done me a whole lot better in the stock market.”

Gianni’s parents owned and operated a restaurant supply shop and a debris-removing company during his childhood.

Gianni drives to work at 4 am every day with the radio silenced and a cup of coffee in his hand. The idea for Plunjr came to him during one of those silent drives when he was working as a plumber in 2017.

He called Turner, who had a background in technology sales, including working about 11 years for AT&T and working for Cloud-based videoconferencing service BlueJeans Network. The two got together at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, and in front of the fire pit, Gianni presented the idea on a cocktail napkin.

“There’s really something here,” Turner thought to himself.

Even with a mortgage to pay and three young daughters on his mind, Turner decided to go to work for Gianni.

About a year-and-a-half ago, Gianni got a phone call at about 4 pm on a Friday. A woman had a problem with her faucet and needed immediate help at her Palo Alto home in advance of a party scheduled for the next day.

Knowing he couldn’t get from San Francisco to Palo Alto to diagnose the problem, buy the parts and complete the repair before the close of business, Gianni asked the woman to do a FaceTime call. He talked her through the repair.

“After I finished that call, I was like: ‘I’ve got to get on this,'” he said.

A customer downloads the app, creates a profile, and chooses either to talk to a technician immediately or to schedule a video call. The plumber tells the customer where to aim the camera phone, so the problem can be diagnosed, and coaching can begin.

Just by having the customer hold a pencil as reference, Gianni said he can tell the difference between one-quarter, three-eighths and five-eighths supply lines.

The technician talks the customer through the repair or explains the needed parts. Then, a follow-up video call may be scheduled to complete the project.

If the customer still can’t fix the problem, Plunjr dispatches a plumber. But most calls don’t get that far, according to the company.

Kathy Winslow, a retired hospital administrator from Boston, moved to the Bay Area about 10 years ago. In January, her dishwasher was gushing water, so she used the app.

Gianni talked to Winslow’s husband through pulling the dishwasher away from the wall and reconnecting a hose as she directed the camera phone. Within 30 minutes, the problem was solved.

“That’s one of the beauties of it,” Winslow said. “You call, you get an answer, and you’re helped immediately.”

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron

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Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Latest Updates

San Francisco state Senator wants to declare monkeypox a public health crisis

COVID-19 pandemic has set back global efforts to end HIV/AIDS

Studies bolster theory that COVID-19 originated in live animal market in Wuhan, China

U.S. signs off on buying 800,000 more monkeypox vaccines

President Biden comes out of isolation and tells everyone to get vaccinated

COVID-19 By The Numbers

Thursday, July 28

12:09 a.m.: San Francisco state Senator wants to declare monkeypox a public health crisis

San Francisco state Senator Scott Wiener is calling to declare monkeypox a public health crisis to enact a state of emergency.

Wiener says the state of emergency declaration will give California flexibility around testing, contracting for services and administering vaccines. He blamed the federal government for the slow response in acquiring vaccines to prevent an outbreak.

Wiener also said that given that gay and bisexual men and trans people are the most impacted, it’s “clear we are being left behind once again.”

There are more than 600 confirmed monkeypox cases in California, with San Francisco and Los Angeles County accounting for more than two-thirds. At the time of this reporting, Sacramento has reported 29 cases.

Last week, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced he has sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra asking the former California Congressman and state Attorney General to declare a national state of emergency.

11:42 a.m.: COVID-19 pandemic has set back global efforts to end HIV/AIDS

Hard-won progress against HIV has stalled, putting millions of lives at risk — that’s according to an alarming report Wednesday on how the collision with the COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises set back efforts to end AIDS.

According to the Associated Press, declines in new infections are leveling off, but cases are rising in some spots.

COVID-19 disrupted HIV care and widened inequalities, leaving vulnerable people at more risk.

Experts are calling for fast efforts to start getting back on track. The report from UNAIDS was released at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal.

Wednesday, July 27

12:39 a.m.: Studies bolster theory that COVID-19 originated in live animal market in Wuhan, China

Two new studies provide more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China market where live animals were sold.

According to the Associated Press, this further bolsters the theory that the virus emerged from the wild rather than escaping a Chinese lab.

The research was published online Tuesday by the journal Science.

It shows that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was likely the early epicenter of the scourge that has now killed nearly 6.4 million people around the world.

Scientists also concluded that the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, likely spilled from animals into people two separate times.

11:26 a.m.: U.S. signs off on buying 800,000 more monkeypox vaccines

Health regulators say nearly 800,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine will soon be available for U.S. distribution.

The Wednesday announcement follows weeks of delays and growing criticism that authorities have been too slow in deploying these shots, according to the Associated Press.

The Food and Drug Administration needed to inspect and certify the standards of a Danish manufacturing plant where the doses are manufactured. The agency said two weeks ago that the inspection had been completed, but the final go-ahead came Wednesday.

U.S. health officials say they will announce allocation plans on Thursday.

Health departments in San Francisco and other major cities say they still don’t have enough shots to meet demand.

10:44 a.m.: President Biden comes out of isolation and tells everyone to get vaccinated

President Joe Biden has emerged from five days of isolation after contracting the coronavirus, telling Americans that “COVID isn’t gone” but saying serious illness can be avoided with vaccines, booster shots and treatments.

As reported by the Associated Press, Biden spoke after testing negative for the virus Tuesday night and again Wednesday morning.

Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, says the president has completed his course of treatment with the drug Paxlovid and remains free of fever.

O’Conner says that given those factors and the pair of negative tests, Biden will discontinue his “strict isolation” measures. The 79-year-old president tested positive last week and had mild symptoms.

Tuesday, July 26

11:40 a.m.: New COVID-19 boosters may be available in the fall

The Biden administration may scrap plans to let more younger adults get second COVID-19 boosters this summer.

Instead, officials are trying to speed up the availability of the next generation of boosters in the fall, NPR has learned.

The new strategy is aimed at trying to balance protecting people this summer with keeping people safe next winter when the country will probably get hit by yet another surge.

But the possible shift is being met with mixed reactions. The Food and Drug Administration could make a final decision by the end of the week.

11:11 a.m.: Families and caregivers brace themselves for another school year amid COVID-19

COVID-19 infections are again on the rise and filling families with dread as a new school year approaches.

The Associated Press says parents and caregivers fear the return of the pandemic scourge of outbreaks that sideline large numbers of teachers, close school buildings, and force students back into remote learning.

Some school systems around the country have moved to bolster staffing to minimize disruptions. However, many districts are hoping for the best without doing much else differently compared with last year.

Even some of the districts that had the most disruptions to in-person schooling amid the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant point to a few specific changes in their prevention efforts.

10:49 a.m.: Micronesia becomes last nation with population over 100,000 to undergo a COVID-19 outbreak

Micronesia’s first outbreak of COVID-19 has grown in one week to more than 1,000 cases and is causing alarm in the Pacific island nation.

According to the Associated Press, Micronesia likely became the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of the disease.

Micronesia had largely avoided the virus for two-and-a-half years thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls.

Health officials said cases were rapidly increasing. It’s reported that there’s been 140 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 1,261, a figure which includes some border cases from before the outbreak.

Monday, July 25

11:05 a.m.: WHO declares monkeypox a global emergency

The chief of the World Health Organization says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency.

The head of the U.N. health agency decided to issue the declaration Saturday after WHO’s expert committee didn’t reach a consensus.

Monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades. It wasn’t known to spark large outbreaks or spread widely among people until May.

As reported by the Associated Press, that’s when authorities detected epidemics in Europe, North America and more. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries.

10:56 a.m.: Biden still suffering from sore throat caused by COVID-19

President Joe Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Conner, says Biden continues to “improve significantly” despite a lingering sore throat, as reported by the Associated Press.

Biden tested positive for the virus on Thursday, and he’s been taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid. The White House COVID-19 coordinator, Dr. Ashisha Jha, says Biden is feeling “much, much better,” and “thank goodness our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it.”

Officials have emphasized that Biden’s symptoms are mild because he received four vaccine doses and had started taking Paxlovid.

O’conner said the president likely became infected with a highly contagious variant known as BA.5 that’s spreading throughout the country. Jha confirmed it on Sunday.

10:38 a.m.: North Korea relies on herbal medicines to fight COVID-19

North Korea has recently reported fewer than 200 daily fever cases amid its first domestic COVID-19 outbreak and says its traditional Koryo herbal medicines are playing a key role in curing patients.

According to the Associated Press, outside experts say North Korea’s emphasis on the role of Koryo medicines means it will likely claim that it’s overcoming the outbreak on its own without international help.

Observers say North Korea is mobilizing Koryo medicine because it lacks modern medicine to treat COVID-19 illnesses. They say traditional medicines could effectively treat fevers and minor symptoms, but not serious illnesses.

Friday, July 22

5:45 p.m.: Sacramento County to keep two Project Roomkey motels open for unhoused residents this summer

Sacramento County has extended its Project Roomkey program, a move that allows two motels that are sheltering 168 people experiencing homelessness to remain open this summer. 

The statewide program shelters older and medically vulnerable unhoused residents. It was established at the start of the pandemic to keep people protected from COVID-19. 

The Vagabond Inn in downtown Sacramento had been set to close on June 30 while the Comfort Inn in Rancho Cordova was to close August 31. 

Both will stay open as needed after county officials learned the federal government would pay for the program through September, Janna Haynes, a county spokesperson, said on Friday. 

But Haynes said the region’s lack of affordable housing and available shelter space will make it difficult to end the program, which the county has extended several times. 

Haynes said 168 people remain in the motels.

“We can service people forever, but unless we have somewhere that they can be housed, we cannot end their homelessness,” Haynes said. “And so that is our No. 1 challenge, not only with Project Roomkey, but with homelessness in general.” 

Each motel room costs nearly $4,000 per month. That includes rent, meals, security, laundry and medical expenses. 

The county initially opened four motels but has closed two as participants have slowly transitioned out of the program, either to housing, shelter or back to the streets. 

The statewide program has sheltered hundreds of people in the county and thousands across California since the start of the pandemic. It provides rooms used as shelter, as well as those designated as “isolation rooms” for unhoused residents who contract COVID-19.

11:07 a.m.: Here’s what we know about Biden’s COVID-19 infection

President Joe Biden is reporting a runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough from his COVID-19 infection.

According to the Associated Press, Biden tested positive Thursday at the White House, and he’s been taking Paxlovid, an antiviral pill that’s been shown to reduce the chances of severe disease.

His infection was detected first with an antigen test, the same type that many Americans use at home. His infection was later confirmed with a PCR test.

Biden felt tired Wednesday evening and didn’t sleep well.

The president is fully vaccinated and twice boosted. The White House says the president will work in isolation until he tests negative.

10:57 a.m.: Oregon encourages a return to masking in 21 counties

Oregon health officials are urging people in 21 counties with high COVID-19 cases, including three Portland-area counties, to return to mask-wearing because the hospital system is again under extreme strain.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports while COVID-19 hospitalizations are lower than in past surges, staff shortages, patients who delayed care and elevated COVID-19 infections have substantially reduced hospital systems’ capacity to care for patients.

Oregon Health Authority epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger suggests people reconsider summer plans to protect themselves and others during what he called “this extremely challenging time.”

He says Central Oregon hospitals have been particularly hard-hit but that no part of the state has been spared.

Thursday, July 21

12:02 p.m.: President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19

President Joe Biden says he’s “doing great” after testing positive for COVID-19. 

According to the Associated Press, the White House said the 79-year-old Biden is experiencing “very mild symptoms,” including a stuffy nose, fatigue and cough. 

He’s taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease. Biden is also fully vaccinated and has received two boosters.

When a fully vaccinated person experiences infection, the chance of severe illness or death is low. The White House says Biden is isolating at the White House but carrying out his duties via phone and Zoom.

He canceled a planned visit to Pennsylvania on Thursday and tweeted: “I’m doing great. Thanks for your concern.”

11:58 a.m.: WHO considers declaring monkeypox a global emergency

The World Health Organization has convened its emergency committee to consider for the second time within weeks whether the expanding outbreak of monkeypox should be declared a global crisis. 

According to the Associated Press, some scientists say the striking differences between the outbreaks in Africa and in other continents will complicate any coordinated response and possibly deepen existing inequities between the rich and poor.

While African officials say they are already treating the continent’s epidemic as an emergency, experts elsewhere say the mild version of monkeypox in Europe and North America makes an emergency declaration unnecessary.

Yet, while the U.S., Britain, Canada and other countries have bought millions of vaccines, none have gone to African nations.

10:29 a.m.: San Diego Comic-Con is back in full swing

The pop culture extravaganza that is Comic-Con International is back to its old extravagance. 

Stars, cosplayers and fans are filling the San Diego Convention Center in full force after the pandemic forced it to go virtual for two years, as reported by the Associated Press.

The pandemic necessitated virtual versions of the event in the summers of 2020 and 2021, including a scaled-back in-person version in November. However, those events were nothing compared to the huge spectacle that happened before COVID-19.

It’s not clear whether the convention will draw the estimated 135,000 people who flooded San Diego before the pandemic, but during yesterday’s preview night, fans came in droves, mobbing the floor. 

Far bigger crowds are expected tonight when the event begins in earnest.

Wednesday, July 20

5:10 p.m.: Top California lawmaker calls U.S. monkeypox response ‘maddeningly slow’ despite two years of COVID 

The number of confirmed monkeypox cases continues to grow in California and the country — and with it calls for the federal government to do more.  

It has been almost eight weeks since the first case of monkeypox was confirmed in California. Since, there have been more than 265 in the state, with more than 2,100 nationwide.  

On Wednesday, Democratic Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said more could have been done to slow or prevent the spread.

“Despite two years of experience with COVID, our response to monkeypox has been maddeningly slow,” Rendon said.

The speaker, one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state, says he has sent a letter asking U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to declare a public emergency for monkeypox. He says such a declaration would ramp up vaccination, testing, education and outreach.  

“We should always have a quick response. Had monkeypox primarily affected men identifying as heterosexual, we might have seen that rapid action,” Rendon said.

The LGBTQ-plus community has been hardest hit by the outbreak, and Rendon says opportunities were missed for treatment and messaging during Pride month celebrations in June. 

1:13 p.m.: Sacramento City Council meetings going back to in-person

The Sacramento City Council is headed back to City Hall chambers after holding virtual meetings all pandemic long.

The city has argued for months it should continue with virtual meetings while under a state of emergency. They said it’s an effort to keep the most vulnerable safe while physically distancing is still recommended.

But after two years of video meetings, the council is going back to the dais on Aug. 9.

The following week, residents will be able to attend meetings in person, but the chambers will only be half-full. People will also have to wear a mask and sit one seat apart from each other.

11:53 a.m.: Southern California man sentenced for pandemic PPP fraud

A Southern California man who tried to obtain $27 million in unemployment benefits by falsely claiming his business was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison.

The Associated Press reports that Robert Benlevi submitted 27 applications for forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.

Benlevi made applications to four banks on behalf of the eight companies he owned. He claimed that each company had 100 employees when in fact, they had none.

Authorities say Benlevi sought $27 million and obtained $3 million.

11:40 a.m.: FDA approves Novavax, a ‘traditional’ vaccine option for COVID-19

Health officials say U.S. adults who haven’t gotten any COVID-19 shots yet should consider a new option from Novavax.

According to the Associated Press, the protein-based shot is a more traditional kind of vaccine than the three mRNA brands available in the U.S.

Federal regulators authorized the two-dose vaccine last week for adults. Recently advisers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unanimously recommended the option on Tuesday and the agency agreed.

The company hopes to also clear booster doses and teen use fairly soon.

Tuesday, July 19

11:55 a.m.: Dr. Fauci plans to retire by 2025

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, says he plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January 2025, as reported by the Associated Press.

Fauci, 81, became director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984 and has advised seven presidents.

Fauci said on CNN Monday that he doesn’t have a specific retirement date in mind and hasn’t started the process.

He was thrust into the national spotlight at the height of the coronavirus pandemic under then-President Donald Trump, who suggested the pandemic would “fade away,” promoted unproven treatment methods and vilified scientists who countered him.

11:24 a.m.: Scars of COVID persist for sickest survivors, their families

While more than 1 million people in the United States died of COVID-19, many more survived ICU stays that have left them with anxiety, PTSD, and a host of health issues, the Associated Press reports.

Research has shown that intensive therapy starting in the ICU can help, but it was often hard to provide as hospitals teemed with patients.

Families find themselves in a tough place as the world moves on and mask mandates disappear. The COVID-19 pandemic is not gone for them and it may never be. Those that survived are left dealing with long-term consequences.

Monday, July 18

11:32 a.m.: Ballot boxes used during COVID-19 pandemic for 2020 election are safe, survey says

An Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. found that the expanded use of drop boxes for mailed allots during the 2020 election didn’t lead to any widespread problems.

The survey revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism, or theft that could have affected the results — contrary to false claims made by former President Donald Trump and his allies, who have intensely criticized their use and falsely claimed they opened the door to fraud.

Drop boxes are considered by election officials to be safe and secure. They became a mainstay in states with extensive mail voting for years and had not previously rained any alarms.

They were used widely in 2020 as election officials sought to provide alternative ways to cast ballots with the COVID-19 outbreak, creating concerns about in-person voting and U.S. Postal Service delays.

Despite mail-in ballot boxes being nearly universally agreed to be a safe voting method, conspiracy theories and efforts by some Republicans to eliminate or restrict them persist.

11 a.m.: The UK to offer a fourth booster dose to residents 50 and older

Everyone in Britain who is 50 or older will be offered a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the fall, lowering the age threshold from the previously announced 65.

According to the Associated Press, the U.K.’s Department of Health said it had accepted advice from the Union’s independent vaccines adviser about the autumn booster program.

Fourth doses will also be given to health care workers, nursing home staff and residents, and everyone 5 and older with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19.

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the booster campaign would “keep our defenses strong over autumn and winter.”

The U.K. has one of Europe’s highest official death tolls in the pandemic, with almost 178,000 confirmed deaths.

Friday, July 15

11:41 a.m.: 25 million kids worldwide missed their immunizations due to misinformation surrounding COVID-19

About 25 million children worldwide have missed out on routine immunizations against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, largely because the coronavirus pandemic disrupted regular health services or triggered misinformation about vaccines.

According to the Associated Press, a new report published Friday by the World Health Organization and UNICEF said their figures show that 25 million children last year failed to get vaccinated against those three diseases, a marker for childhood immunization coverage.

That continues a downward trend in childhood immunizations that began in 2019.

UNICEF called it “a red alert” for child health, warning that the lack of vaccinations and the current rise in global malnutrition would result in many lives lost.

11:35 a.m.: Canada approves Moderna vaccine for preschoolers

Canadian regulators have authorized Moderna’s COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, according to the Associated Press.

Health Canada said the Moderna vaccine can be given to children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years in doses one-quarter the size of that approved for adults.

U.S. regulators authorized the first COVID-19 shots from Moderna and Pfizer for infants and preschoolers last month.

Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years was submitted to Health Canada last month and is still under review.

Thursday, July 14

3:38 p.m.: Los Angeles County may soon require masks

The nation’s most populous county is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate as new omicron variants are again driving hospital admissions and deaths higher. 

Health officials say Los Angeles County, home to 10 million residents, could reinstate the mandate on July 29, the Associated Press reports. In recent weeks, states and cities began to rethink their responses to COVID-19. And the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public. 

Some experts say the warnings are too little, too late. The highly transmissible variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination.

The highly transmissible variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by infection and vaccination — especially as protection from vaccinations are warning for Americans overdue for booster shots. 

Less than half of all eligible U.S. adults have gotten a single booster shot, and only about 1 in 4 Americans age 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have received one. 

1:23 p.m.: You can reduce the time you wait between COVID-19 infection and a booster shot, Yolo County health officer says

With new, highly contagious variants like BA.5 and the even newer BA.2.75, COVID-19 cases are increasing. Hospitalizations in California are rising, but deaths remain low thanks to vaccines, treatments and therapeutics.

Dr. Aimee Sisson, the public health officer for Yolo County, said she’s now encouraging people not to wait as long after an infection to get up to date on their vaccination or booster shots if they need to.

“I used to encourage people to wait about 90 days after an infection before getting boosted because the infection itself can serve as a booster dose,” Sisson said. “But I think, you know, now with the variants that we have that are escaping immunity, any additional boost that you can get from a vaccine in addition to the booster that you get from infection is important.”

Sisson said you still need to wait at least 10 days after infection and not show symptoms such as a fever before getting a vaccine or booster shot.

11:04 a.m.: Food banks are seeing long lines again

Long lines are back at food banks around the U.S. as working Americans overwhelmed by inflation increasingly seek out charity to feed their families.

As reported by the Associated Press, food banks struggle to help even as federal programs provide less food, grocery store donations wane and cash gits don’t go nearly as far while U.S. inflation hits a 40-year high. 

Charitable food distribution has remained far above amounts given away before the coronavirus pandemic, even though demand tapered off somewhat late last year.

Wednesday, July 13

11 a.m.: Officials look to expand monkeypox vaccine access as outbreak continues

While COVID-19 continues to spread, another virus outbreak is on the rise in California: Monkeypox.

There are over 140 possible and confirmed cases of the virus in the state California as of this week. At least 10 possible cases have been reported in Sacramento County, according to KCRA.

The Biden administration announced last week that almost 300,000 doses of the vaccine would become available nationwide throughout the country in the upcoming weeks to address an ongoing vaccine shortage.

Currently, the vaccine is only available now for those who have had suspected or confirmed exposure to monkeypox.

In Sacramento County, it’s also being offered to men who have sex with other men and trans people if they fit specific criteria. County health officials said those interested in getting the vaccine should check with their healthcare provider or contact the Sacramento County Public Health Immunization Assistance Program at (916) 875-7468 to schedule an appointment.

Tuesday, July 12

11:34 a.m.: White House urges caution on latest COVID-19 variants and is pushing for more booster shots

The Biden Administration is calling on people to exercise renewed caution about COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of getting booster shots for those who are eligible and wearing masks indoors.

According to the Associated Press, the warning comes as two new highly transmissible variants are spreading rapidly across the country.

The new variants, labeled BA.4 and BA.5, are offshoots of the omicron strain that has been responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. and are even more contagious than their predecessors.

White House doctors pressed the importance of getting booster doses and said people shouldn’t wait until the fall when vaccines targeted at the variants in addition to the original strains.

11:06 a.m.: European Union urges another booster for people ages 60 to 79

The European Union says it’s “critical” that authorities in the 27-nation bloc consider giving second coronavirus booster shots to people between the ages of 60 to 79 years and other vulnerable people.

As reported by the Associated Press, a new wave of the pandemic is sweeping across Europe.

European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a statement that with cases rising in many nations, “there is no time to lose.”

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and European Medicines Agency said that the second booster can be given at least four months after the first booster.

The recent advice comes after the agencies in April recommended that people over 80 years of age be considered for a second booster.

10:48 a.m.: London’s Heathrow will limit daily passengers amid travel boom

London’s Heathrow Airport is capping daily passenger numbers for the summer and telling airlines to stop selling tickets as it steps up efforts to quell travel chaos caused by soaring travel demand and staff shortages.

According to the Associated Press, Britain’s busiest airport said that it’s setting a limit of 100,000 passengers that it can handle each day through Sept. 11.

The restriction is likely to result in more canceled flights even after airlines have already slashed thousands of flights from their summer schedules.

Booming demand for summer travel after two years of COVID-19 travel restrictions have overwhelmed European airlines and airports that had laid off tens of thousands of staff amid the depths of the pandemic.

Monday, July 11

11:02 a.m.: New coronavirus mutation is causing concerns among scientists

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the U.S.

Scientists say the variant, which is called BA.2.75, may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection, according to the Associated Press.

It’s still unclear whether it could cause more serious disease than the globally dominate omicron variant BA.5.

Scientists are concerned about the fact that this new variant is geographically widespread — it’s already been detected in India as well as about 10 other nations.

10:32 a.m.: Weddings derailed by pandemic got to celebrate their union at a ‘re-wedding’ event in New York

Hundreds of couples whose weddings were derailed or scaled back due to the COVD-19 pandemic got a do-over thanks to a New York City landmark.

According to the Associated Press, the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City hosted “Celebrate Love: A (Re)Wedding” on Sunday in the pavilion outside the center.

Lincoln Center’s website called it “a special day for newlyweds, those whose weddings were canceled or diminished and people who want to recommit their love to their partners and the city we love.”

The event featured a multicultural ceremony, music, dancing and more. The website notes that the ceremony is not legally binding.

10:05 a.m.: Baby formula production once again resumes at the troubled Abbott Nutrition factory

Abbott Nutrition says baby formula production has resumed at the Michigan plant, whose February shutdown over contamination contributed to a national shortage.

As reported by the Associated Press, damage from severe thunderstorms had halted the Sturgis plant operations in mid-June after just two weeks of renewed production. Abbott says EleCare, a specialty formula, is being made at Sturgis following a July 1 reboot and that Similac production will resume as soon as possible.

Abbott is just one of four companies that produce 90% of U.S. baby formula.

Its recall in February of several leading rands squeezed supplies already strained by supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns.

Friday, July 8

10:38 a.m.: Biden awards Medal of Freedom to first nurse in the US to receive coronavirus vaccine

President Joe Biden has presented the nation’s highest civilian honor to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles and the late Arizona Republican Sen. Jon McCain.

The president who took office during the coronavirus pandemic also honored Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine that was administered in the U.S. outside of clinical trials.

Others receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom include gun safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. women’s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe and late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

10:30 a.m.: Uruguay pauses vaccinations for children under 13

Uruguay has stopped administering coronavirus vaccines to children under age 13, the Associated Press reports.

The halt began after a judge ordered on Thursday that all inoculations in that age group halt until officials present documents relating to contracts signed with vaccine manufacturers.

The government says it’ll apparel the ruling, characterizing the stoppage as a threat to public health.

Vaccination for children under 13 in Uruguay has been on a voluntary basis. The Health Ministry says vaccinations for those older than 13 will continue.

10:16 a.m.: Beijing residents push back against vaccine mandate

Beijing, China’s capital, appears to be backing off a vaccine mandate it announced just two days ago.

According to the Associated Press, the mandate would require vaccinations for entry into certain public spaces, including gyms, museums and libraries, starting next week. It drew intense discussion as city residents worried how the sudden policy announcement would disrupt their lives.

While not explicitly saying the government had dropped the plan, a city official was quoted in state media late Thursday saying that people could enter venues with a negative virus test result and a temperature check, as has been the norm.

They also said vaccinations would continue on the principle of informed, voluntary consent.

Thursday, July 7

10:41 a.m.: Pharmacists can now prescribe COVID-19 pill to patients

U.S. pharmacists can now prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to consumers, according to the Associated Press.

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible and then prescribe Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid.

Previously only doctors could prescribe it. Paxlovid has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19, but it has to be started within five days of symptoms.

Paxlovid is intended for people with COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill, including older people and those with health conditions.

10:19 a.m.: The Sacramento Food Bank’s two Oak Park locations are closing

The Sacramento Food Bank is closing its two Oak Park facilities to consolidate services at its North Sacramento Location.

The closures came with little warning to the community it’s served for 50 years. Residents were outraged on social media and were left confused by the decision.

The organization’s Family Services building had adult education, clothing programs and provided legal assistance for immigrants.

In response, the food bank’s president and CEO, Blake Young, answered a few questions about the closure at a recent public meeting.

“We’re lucky in that we can provide some of those other family services,” they said. “But with the pandemic, with inflation, with where we saw the demand for food resources in our own county going, we needed to focus on that.”

He said a number of services offered at Oak Park locations had been suspended because of the pandemic. Since then, the food bank has leaned on other community organizations to help.

9:52 a.m.: Canada is throwing out 13.6 AstraZeneca vaccine doses

Canada is going to throw out about 13.6 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines because it couldn’t find any takers for it either at home or abroad.

According to the Associated Press, Canada signed a contract with AstraZeneca in 2020 to get 20 million doses, and 2.3 million Canadians received at least one dose of it, mostly between March and June 2021.

Following concerns in the spring of 2021 about rare but potentially fatal blood clots from AstraZeneca, Canada instead focused on using its ample supplies of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

In July 2021, the country promised to donate the rest of its procured supply, about 17.7 million doses, but in a statement on Tuesday, Health Canada said that despite efforts to meet the pledge, 13.6 million doses have expired and will need to be thrown out.

Wednesday, July 6

10:56 a.m.: COVID-19 vaccine requirement dropped for Nevada university employees

The Nevada Board of Regents will no longer require staff at the state’s public universities and colleges to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

According to the Associated Press, a majority of the regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education voted Thursday to rescind an employee vaccine mandate after it was first approved last year.

Regents met on the issue in December but could not come to a majority vote.

Hundreds of employees statewide ended up quitting or losing their job because they would not get vaccinated. It was not immediately clear if those employees would be offered their jobs back.

According to the regents, roughly 97% of 22,000 current system employees have gotten vaccinated.

10:40 a.m.: CDC urges counties in high-risk areas to start masking again. Sacramento County is on this list.

People in 24 Oregon counties, 15 counties in Washington and over 30 counties in California should resume mask-wearing indoors in public and on public transportation, according to recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data from the CDC shows that those aforementioned counties are considered at high risk for COVID-19 infection as of June 30, the Associated Press reports.

California counties labeled as high risk include: Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado and the rest of the surrounding area.

High risk means the counties have had 200 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days or more than 20 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 within a seven-day period.

Emerging research suggests reinfections could put people at higher risk for health problems.

Unvaccinated people have a six times higher risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with people with at least a primary series of shots, the CDC estimated based on available data from April.

10:36 a.m.: Shanghai and Beijing are forced to undergo more COVID-19 testing

Residents in parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing following the discovery of new cases in the two cities.

According to the Associated Press, restaurants have also been restricted to takeout only in the northern city of Xi’an, which endured one of China’s most sweeping lockdowns under the hardline zero-COVID policy.

The gambling hub of Macao has also shut down one of its most famous hotel casinos after cases were discovered there.

The strict measures have been retained despite relatively low numbers of cases, with mainland China reporting 353 cases of domestic transmission on Wednesday, 241 of them asymptomatic.

Tuesday, July 5

12:17 p.m.: US warily treads forward through another pandemic summer

The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations.

Keep in mind that COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day even though many people feel it’s not as dangerous as it once was.

It’s easy to feel confused by the mixed picture — repeat infections are increasingly likely and a sizeable share of those infected will face the lingering symptoms of long COVID-19.

According to the Associated Press, how long this interlude will last is impossible to know since more dangerous variants could be around the corner.

10:03 a.m.: About half of US adults would continue using virtual services

A new poll shows that about half of Americans would think it’s a “good thing” if virtual options continue, as reported by the Associated Press.

Digital services like exercise classes, telehealth and so forth are all examples of services that moved remotely during the pandemic.

However, a poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that close to half of U.S. adults say they won’t return to virtual activities like having groceries delivered or use curbside pickup once the pandemic ends.

9:56 a.m.: Monkeypox cases triple, worrying health officials

The World Health organization’s European chief has warned that monkeypox cases across the region have tripled in the last two weeks and called on countries to take stronger measures to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched in the continent.

According to the Associated Press, in a statement on Friday, Dr. Hans Kluge said increased efforts were needed despite the U.N. health agency’s decision not to declare the escalating outbreak a global health emergency last week.

To date, more than 5,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 51 countries worldwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

Kluge said the number of infections in Europe represents about 90% of the global total.

Friday, July 1

9:32 a.m.: Two people accused of $5 million in fraud from CARES Act loans

Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in New Hampshire on multiple fraud charges alleging that they falsely applied for $5 million in federal CARES Act loans for companies and misused some of the proceeds, including one man’s purchase of a Rolls Royce.

According to the Associated Press, court documents say both men were based in New Hampshire, but one later moved to Irvine, Calif.

Prosecutors allege that the two applied for over two dozen loans in 2020 and in 2021, submitting fabricated tax documents.

The California man was arrested in Hawaii on Thursday.

It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney. The New Hampshire man was arrested, released and faces a hearing.

9:16 a.m.: When can you stop isolating after a COVID-19 infection? Here’s what you need to know

With inections on the rise in some places, some Americans are wondering — when can you stop isolating after a COVID-19 infection?

It can feel extra stressful and confusing if you’re feeling good but still testing positive on a rapid test.

NPR reports that even with the new subvariants, the basic rules haven’t changed since omicron first developed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says someone can stop isolating after five days if they’re fever-free for 24 hours and are starting to get better.

Just keep wearing your mask for another five days.

Some researchers don’t agree and point out that some people are still infectious after day five. But if you’re feeling alright and are tired of waiting, here’s what you need to know.

8:32 a.m.: Summer travel numbers are all over the place due to pandemic recovery

Summer travel is underway across the globe, but a full recovery from two years of coronavirus could last as long as the pandemic itself.

Interviews by the Associated Press in 11 countries in June show that most passionate travelers are thronging to locales like the French Riviera, Amsterdam and the American Midwest.

But even as safety restrictions fall, places like Israel, India and Rome are reporting only fractions of the record-setting tourism of 2019.

For them, a full recovery isn’t forecasted until at least 2024. China, once the world’s biggest source of tourists, remains closed per its “zero-COVID” policy, which is holding down the rebound in many countries.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here

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Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Latest Updates

San Francisco and Los Angeles to drop proof of vaccination requirements in certain instances

Two years into the pandemic and Americans take cautious steps forward

Chinese city of 9 million goes back into lockdown as new cases crop up

National mask mandate on public transportation has been extended to April 18

Experts look to the past to predict how COVID-19 will end

COVID-19 By The Numbers

Friday, March 11

10:13 a.m.: San Francisco and Los Angeles to drop proof of vaccination requirements in certain instances

Los Angeles and San Francisco are moving toward ending requirements that certain businesses require patrons to show proof of vaccination as new cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations fall.

According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles City Council ordered the city attorney on Wednesday to craft an ordinance that makes vaccine verification voluntary for indoor locations such as bars, restaurants and gyms and eliminates proof of vaccination for large outdoor events.

A final will be required when the ordinance is ready. San Francisco on Friday will stop requiring proof of vaccination to enter those businesses.

Vaccination verifications will still be required to enter indoor events with 1,000 or more people in both cities.

9:38 a.m.: Two years into the pandemic and Americans take cautious steps forward

On the two-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic, people are shedding their masks and getting back to normal as COVID-19 deaths and cases plummet, as reported by the Associated Press.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the U.S. have dropped 80% in the last six weeks, since a mid-January pandemic peak down to the lowest levels since July 2021.

Case counts have followed the same trend line, and even the death tally, which typically lags, has slowed significantly in the last month.

People are headed back to gyms, bars, restaurants and even crowded concerts — things that seemed too risky just last month.

8:53 a.m.: Chinese city of 9 million goes back into lockdown as new cases crop up

China has ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant, according to the Associated Press.

Residents are required to remain home with one family member permitted to venture out to buy food and other necessities every two days. All have to undergo three rounds of massive testing.

The latest lockdowns also include Yucheng, with 500,000 people in the eastern province of Shandong.

Despite some earlier indications that authorities would be implementing more targeted measures, the latest happenings show that China seems to be planning to stick to its strict approach to the pandemic.

China reported 397 cases nationwide on Friday, with just two cases being detected within Changchun.

Thursday, March 10

9:56 a.m.: National mask mandate on public transportation has been extended to April 18

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing guidance that will ease the nationwide mask mandate for public transit next month, according to the Associated Press.

But the existing face-covering requirement will be extended through April 18.

The masking requirement had been set to expire on March 18 but is being extended by a month to allow the public health agency time to develop new, more targeted policies.

Currently, the requirement extends to planes, buses, trains and transit hubs.

9:31 a.m.: Experts look to the past to predict how COVID-19 will end

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and most of the world has seen a dramatic improvement in infections, hospitalizations and death rates in recent weeks, signaling the crisis appears to be winding down — but how will it end?

Experts believe past epidemics may provide clues, according to the Associated Press.

One thing experts have learned is that it can be a long-drawn-out process. This includes different types of endings that may not all occur at the same time.

Generally, there are three types of “endings,” including a “medical end,” when disease recedes, the “political end,” when government disease prevention measures cease, and the “social end,” when people move on. These ends may happen in any order.

9:19 a.m.: Here’s how the pandemic has evolved since it started in late 2019

Two years after the pandemic began, more countries are shifting towards a return to pre-pandemic life and are attempting to adapt to living with the virus.

Safe and effective vaccines have been developed at record speeds. As reported by the Associated Press, as of early March, 10 vaccines have been cleared for emergency use by the World Health Organization.

Experts have learned a lot more about keeping the coronavirus under control since it emerged in late 2019.

“The world has watched us learn in real-time how to treat COVID-19,” says Neil J. Sehgal, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Still, the distribution of vaccines has been unequal despite an international effort to deliver shots more fairly, and misinformation has fueled hesitancy about the shots.

However, there are still some questions experts have about the virus. Studies are underway to better understand how long COVID-19 affects the body months after an initial infection.

And with all of this new information, scientists are still on the lookout for the next fast-spreading variant.

Wednesday, March 9

10 a.m.: Nevada’s Clark County School District loosens remaining masking requirements

Nevada’s largest school district is loosening some of its COVID-19 restrictions, effective Wednesday.

As reported by the Associated Press, the Clark County School District no longer requires wearing masks on school buses and employees don’t have to participate in mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing.

The district took these steps as the numbers of COVID-19 cases dropped in the previous week. Last month, the district lifted its requirements for masking indoors at schools and other facilities immediately after Gov. Steve Sisolak lifted the state’s mask mandate.

Sisolak said school districts could set their own policies. CCSD measures remaining in place include a mandate that parents or guardians ensure children are free of symptoms when going to school.

9:32 a.m.: Minor league baseball and hockey teams turn to COVID-19 relief funds to stay afloat

Over 100 minor league baseball and more than a dozen minor league hockey teams are hoping to get COVID-19 relief from the U.S. government to offset millions of dollars of losses from the pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, minor league sports teams and their facilities were left out of the first round of small business subsidies. Most had to rely on Paycheck Protection Program loans to keep their staff together.

Unlike major league teams, minor league teams are very reliant on in-person attendance to stay afloat due to a lack of TV and streaming ad revenue. A Minor League Baseball survey found that the average team lost over 91% of revenue from pre-pandemic levels — a result of the entire 2020 season being canceled — while the American Hockey League reported revenues are down 85-95% from its last full seasons in 2018-2019.

An influx of funds from a bill that could go through Congress as soon as next week would allow teams to hire more people, payback debts and dig out of the hole they’ve been in for the past two years.

9:23 a.m.: WHO says globally COVID-19 cases and deaths have fallen

The World Health Organization said the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths globally have continued to fall in the past week, as reported by the Associated Press.

Only the Western Pacific is reporting an increase in COVID-19.

According to the latest report from the health agency, the WHO said new COVID-19 infections dropped by 5% in the last week, continuing a declining trend that first started more than a month ago.

Deaths were also down by 8% and have been falling globally for the last two weeks.

Tuesday, March 8

10:02 a.m.: Black-owned businesses dropped 41% during the start of the pandemic, study shows

Recent research from UC Santa Cruz shows a dramatic drop in small businesses early in the pandemic, especially those owned by people of color.

In particular,  there was a loss of about 450,000 Black-owned businesses, a 41% drop.

The Inclusivity Project aims to raise $100 million to help 1,000 Black entrepreneurs in California.

Jay King, president and CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce,, is involved in this effort.

“My hope is that what it does is, it starts to build those micro and mini-micro businesses into a small business that can house two to four employees and then scale it up,” King said on CapRadio’s Insight.

He said the goal of the Inclusivity Project is to provide mentorship and business development expertise.

9:56 a.m.: WHO says booster shots are now needed, in reverse from last year’s stance

An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to coronavirus vaccines, including booster doses, according to the Associated Press.

The call caps a reversal from the U.N. health agency’s previous insistence that booster doses weren’t necessary and contributing to vaccine inequity.

In a statement on Tuesday, WHO said its expert group concluded that immunization with authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death amid the global circulation of the hugely contagious omicron variant.

Last year, WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for a moratorium on booster doses, pleading with rich countries to donate their vaccines instead.

9:32 a.m.: Hong Kong experiences COVID-19 surge, could lead to lockdowns again

Hong Kong has reported more than 34,000 new coronavirus infections on Monday — a record — as authorities assess the possibilities of locking down the city.

According to the Associated Press, Hong Kong is grappling with a coronavirus surge driven primarily by the omicron variant. Daily cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago.

Health authorities say the government could implement measures that may involve “asking people to stay at home.”

Several supermarkets’ shelves were wiped bare as residents stockpiled daily necessities after rumors of a lockdown circulated on social media. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has called for calm, saying that food supplies were normal.

Monday, March 7

9:47 a.m.: Global COVID-19 death toll surpasses 6 million

The death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 6 million, according to the Associated Press.

The tragic number confirmed on Monday is believed to be a vast undercount and shows that the pandemic in its third year is far from done. It’s also a reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic, even as people are shedding masks, traveling and moving around the globe.

The last million deaths of the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University were recorded over the previous four months.

That’s slightly slower than the previous million but highlights that many countries are still struggling with the coronavirus. Overall, some 450 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded.

9:39 a.m.: NFL and NFL Players Association drop face masking rules

The NFL and NFL Players Association recently announced that they have agreed to suspend all COVID-19 protocols going into the 2022 football season, effective immediately.

NPR reports that both the NFL and the player’s association announced the suspension, which means the NFL will no longer conduct mandatory testing for any of its players or staff.

With the change in protocols, players and staff will no longer have to wear face coverings at team facilities, regardless of vaccination status. However, each club can require face coverings “if they elect to do so.”

While no NFL games were canceled during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to COVID-19, many teams ended up moving games during the 2020 schedule, according to the Associated Press. Nearly 95% of NFL players and about 100% of NFL staff were fully vaccinated.

9:23 a.m.: China sees new COVID-19 cases despite ‘zero-tolerance policy’

China is seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, despite its “zero tolerance” approach to dealing with outbreaks.

According to the Associated Press, the mainland reported 214 new cases in 24 hours on Monday. The southern province of Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, reported the most cases at 69.

Hong Kong has been recording tens of thousands of cases per day. No new cases were reported in Beijing, which was essentially back to normal.

In his annual report to the national legislature on Saturday, Premier Li Keqiang said China needs to “constantly refine epidemic containment” but gave no indication that Beijing may switch up its current “zero tolerance” strategy.

Friday, March 4

10:59 a.m.: UC Davis will no longer require masks in most indoor settings

On March 19, UC Davis will drop their current masking policies and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to no longer require masking in most indoor settings.

This change will apply to both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. However, masks will still be required in clinical settings and on public transit, following federal, state and local guidelines.

Despite this change, masks are still strongly recommended by public health officials and by the school for vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike. The school said it will support those who continue to wear masks indoors for any reason.

Employees and students who are not fully vaccinated must continue testing every four days. Davis campus employees and fully vaccinated students must continue testing every 14 days.

As a reminder, people who are up to date on their vaccinations have a much lower risk to their health.

Further updates will be provided in Chancellor Gary S. May’s next letter to the community on March 11.

10:50 a.m.: Senators introduce bill to fund research into long COVID

Nearly two years after getting COVID-19, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he still has mild symptoms, according to the Associated Press.

The Washington Post reports that’s why Kaine joined fellow Democratic senators Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois in introducing a bill to fund research aimed at better understanding long COVID.

The little-understood phenomenon in which symptoms linger for weeks or months after a coronavirus infection could affect thousands.

The Comprehensive Access to Resources and Education (CARE) for Long COVID Act would centralize data about patient experiences and fund research into the effectiveness of treatments.

It would also expand resources to help those with lingering symptoms.

10:44 a.m.: Here’s why vaccine rates are still low in some countries.

Experts say there are several reasons why COVID-19 vaccination rates are still low in some countries, in addition to limited supplies.

Other challenges now include unpredictable deliveries, weak health care systems and vaccine hesitancy. According to the Associated Press, many countries with low vaccination rates in Africa. Other places include Yemen, Syria and Haiti.

For most of last year, developing nations were struggling with a lack of supplies, but other setbacks have emerged, such as poor infrastructure to distribute the shots and a lack of materials like syringes.

At the same time, rich countries were hoarding doses, while many countries didn’t have the facilities to make their own vaccines. COVAX, the initiative to distribute vaccines equally around the world, faltered in delivering shots to countries that needed them.

Vaccine hesitancy has also contributed to low uptake.

Thursday, March 3

9:43 a.m.: Some of Nevada’s school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency

In a move prompted by the pandemic, the state has cleared the way for Nevada’s largest school districts to hire substitute teachers with only a high school diploma during states of emergency.

According to the Associated Press, the Legislative Commission on Monday unanimously approved a permanent rule change covering school districts with over 9,000 students attending district schools or public charter schools within a district’s geographic boundaries.

The covered districts include Las Vegas, Clark and Washoe counties.

The new permanent regulation replaces a temporary measure that expired Nov. 1. It was put in place during the pandemic because of Clark County’s severe staffing shortage.

9:39 a.m.: As demand for COVID-19 vaccines drop, states scramble to figure out what to do with soon-to-expire doses

As demand to get COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. collapses in many areas, states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire.

Millions of doses have already gone to waste across the nation, as reported by the Associated Press.

From the least vaccinated states like Indiana and North Dakota to some of the most vaccinated states like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around their states in hopes of finding providers that can use them.

In California, the percentage of wasted doses is only about 1.8%, but in a state that’s received 84 million doses and administered more than 71 million of them, that’s about 1.4 million wasted doses.

All this comes only about a year after the vaccines were released, and people such as hospital board members, their trustees and donors jumped the line to get early access before those deemed a higher priority.

9:34 a.m.: Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill treatment takes months to produce

Pfizer’s new COVID-19 treatment came with a catch when it debuted late last year — it can take months to make tablets.

According to the Associated Press, company leaders said they have since expanded production and expect big gains in the next several months. That could help if another wave of cases develops later this year.

The drugmaker uses more than 20 different sites in over 10 countries to produce Paxlovid, however making the complex drug involves chemical reactions that need time to develop. Pfizer said it has reduced production time from nearly nine months to about seven.

Wednesday, March 2

9:56 a.m.: California man allegedly stole $1 million in COVID-19 tests

Authorities say they are seeking a Southern California warehouse manager who is accused of stealing more than $1 million worth of COVID-19 tests from his employer’s clinic.

Santa Ana police say 33-year-old Carlitos Peralta had access to his employer’s shipping and delivery system, according to the Associated Press.

His employer has seven warehouses nationwide that are used to store and ship COVDI-19 tests to customers, including clinics, pop-up testing sites, schools, and hotels.

Police say Peralta diverted nearly 100 separate shipments from multiple warehouses to his home.

The police department asked the public on Thursday to contact the agency with information about his whereabouts.

9:51 a.m.: Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines protect young kids against omicron, report shows

A new government report shows Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge.

As reported by the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data on Tuesday.

A day earlier, a study from New York raised the question of whether the vaccine is less effective in children ages 5 to 11, especially against milder infections, particularly since younger kids get an even smaller dose than teens.

However, CDC data from additional states doesn’t suggest any age-related issues with the vaccine. While vaccines are generally less effective against omicron, they still protect against severe outcomes.

9:40 a.m.: Los Angeles County set to drop indoor mask mandate this week

Los Angeles County is set to lift its indoor mask mandate this week as coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations plummet, according to the Associated Press.

Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday that California’s most populous county would likely issue a revised health order that would take effect Friday and along with new state guidelines.

Ferrer told the county’s Board of Supervisors that it would still be recommended but not required for vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear face coverings in public indoor settings.

Tuesday, March 1

9:41 a.m.: Sacramento County public health officer to virtually attend State of the Union

Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye will be a virtual guest, due to safety protocols, at tonight’s State of the Union address.

Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) made the announcement Monday night. The address will cover some of the achievements of the Biden presidency, from the economy to the government’s COVID-19 response. 

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Olivia Kasirye join as my virtual guest … and thank her for her guidance, vigilance and service for the Sacramento community,” Matsui said in a press release.

Kasirye said that she’s worked together with Matusi to “provide the people of the Sacramento region with timely and accurate information and the resources they need to stay safe during the battle with COVID-19.”

CapRadio will broadcast the speech live at 6 p.m. You can also watch it live on our website.

9:06 a.m.: US Treasury Department says overwhelming amount of federal rental assistance during pandemic went to low-income tenants

The U.S. Treasury Department has concluded that more than 80% of the billions of dollars in federal rental assistance went to low-income tenants during the pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, the Treasury also found that the largest percentage of tenants receiving pandemic aid were Black households, in which many were led by women.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Treasury also found that more than 40% of tenants getting help were Black and 20% were Latino, while two-thirds were woman-headed households.

Lawmakers approved $6.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance last year, and through 2021, the government body said more than $25 billion has been spent or allocated, representing 3.8 million payments to households.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here

Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

The post California coronavirus updates: San Francisco and Los Angeles to drop proof of vaccination necessities in sure cases appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7’s daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

Feb, 28, 2022

2 p.m.
SFUSD to continue indoor masks following CA announcements
SFUSD announced Monday that indoor masking rules will continue to be in effect in San Francisco public schools despite new state guidelines ending the mandate starting March 12.

11:25 a.m.
CA releases new masking guidelines schools
Starting March 12, masks won’t be required in schools and child care facilities in California. They will be strongly recommended. March 12 is a Saturday. So effectively, the lift will take place Monday, March 14 or two weeks from today. It’s still unclear if Bay Area districts will lift their mandates.

8:25 a.m.
New masking guidelines expected for CA schools
California’s top doctor is set to provide new masking guidelines for schools today. That update is expected to include a date when the current mask mandate will be lifted, according to our news partner, the East Bay Times.

Today’s announcement comes after the CDC changed its guidance for masks in schools on Friday. Communities with low to moderate COVID-19 cases can ease masking mandates if they choose to do so. Seven Bay Area counties are in the medium to low risk of community spread category. Solano and Napa remain in the high risk category.

Feb, 25, 2022

5 a.m.
CDC expected to significantly ease mask guidelines
Today, the CDC will make a highly anticipated announcement, easing mask-wearing guidelines. It comes as the agency is shifting to new benchmarks to guide the U.S. on rolling back COVID restrictions.

Feb, 24, 2022

11 a.m.
Moderna officials ‘firmly’ believe 4th vaccine dose will be needed in fall
Moderna officials said Thursday that a second COVID-19 vaccine booster dose will be needed globally in the fall, given waning immunity and concerns over omicron and the potential for emerging variants. The company says it now believes a seasonal COVID-19 booster will be needed in the future, particularly for vulnerable populations

Feb. 23, 2022

1:20 p.m.
Target lifting mask mandate for employees and customers
Target announced Wednesday that the company will not require U.S. employees or guests to wear masks, as regulations allow. The company says it will follow state and local COVID-19 safety regulations.

6 a.m.
3 Bay Area counties improve to ‘moderate’ COVID levels

Three Bay Area counties have reached a new milestone. San Mateo, Alameda and Marin have improved to “moderate” COVID levels. Those three counties have lower transmission rates than the rest of the Bay Area, according to federal data. The region is averaging 26 new cases a day per 100,000 residents, down from 127 at the start of the month.

5:30 a.m.
New data shows COVID vaccines aren’t likely to trigger rare virus complication in kids

The CDC says new data shows COVID vaccines are not likely to trigger a rare complication from the virus in kids. The condition involves fever, swelling and heart problems.

Since Feb. 2020, more than 6,800 cases have been reported in the U.S., all in children who were previously infected with coronavirus.

That prompted the CDC to re-examine the vaccine. They found it is safe.

Feb. 22, 2022

5:30 a.m.
Vallejo to vote on lifting mask mandate

Vallejo’s City Council will vote Tuesday night on whether to rescind an indoor mask mandate.

The city says 80% of Vallejo residents are now fully vaccinated and COVID case counts are low.

With California allowing its statewide indoor mask mandate to expire, Vallejo believes it can make masks optional in municipal buildings and other city-owned venues.

The city council is meeting remotely, but it plans to resume in-person meetings March 8.

Feb. 21, 2022

6:30 a.m.
UK expected to lift all remaining COVID restrictions
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to lift all remaining COVID restrictions in England. Johnson will lay out the country’s “Living with COVID” plan later today.

It would lift the requirement to self-isolate for 5 days after testing positive for the virus. He’s also expected to scrap free COVID tests because of the cost.

But scientists say that will leave the country vulnerable to a new variant. More than 80 % of English adults have gotten their booster shot.

5 a.m.
Experts say 2nd booster shot not needed yet
Is it time for a second booster shot? Not yet, that’s according to experts. They are telling the Chronicle three shots is proving to be enough to fight off severe illness and death from COVID.

Antibodies wane months after a person gets their first booster shot, but so far, a total of three shots is still enough to fight off the most serious impacts of the disease.

Some people, like folks who are immunocompromised, are urged to get a second booster shot to be considered “fully vaccinated.”

Feb. 17, 2022

9 a.m.
Deaths projected to drop in weeks to come
Forecast models used by the CDC suggest that daily COVID-19 fatalities will finally begin to fall in the U.S. in the weeks to come. The ensemble model estimates that only eight states have a greater than 50% chance of having more deaths over the next two weeks compared to the past two weeks, and two states and territories have a greater than 75% chance of seeing an increase.

Feb. 16, 2022

9 a.m.
California among 15 states with increasing deaths
The U.S. is reporting an average of 2,200 lives lost to COVID-19 each day. Fifteen states are reporting at least a 10% increase in daily death rates over the last week: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.

Feb. 15, 2022

9 a.m.
Calif. hospital admissions down 60% in last month
Hospital admissions in California are down more than 60% in the last month. Our test positivity average is just over 6%. It was close to 23% a month ago.

Feb. 14, 2022

9 a.m.
Black, Latino teens in Bay Area less likely to be vaccinated
Black and Latino teens ages 12 and up in the Bay Area are less likely to be vaccinated against COVID than their White and Asian counterparts, according to our media partner, the Bay Area News Group. They looked at local school district and public health department data to come to that conclusion. Experts say the disparity is a reason why school districts should not enact vaccine mandates for students. They believe a student vaccination mandate would result in tens of thousands of Bay Area students not being able to go to school — with many of them being students of color.

Feb. 11, 2022

7:15p.m.
San Mateo County libraries giving out free at-home COVID-19 test kits starting Saturday
Libraries in San Mateo County will be giving away free at-home COVID-19 test kits and free masks beginning Saturday, Feb. 12.

The county says it will distribute the following per household while supplies last:

No appointments are necessary, and tests and masks are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Families in need will be able to pick up at the following locations:

Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley, San Carlos and Woodside Libraries.

You can get more information by visiting this page.

9 a.m.
NYC’s unvaccinated workers face termination
About 3,000 municipal workers in New York City — less than 1% of the city’s workforce — face termination Friday after refusing to abide by a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The requirement, established under former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, applies to municipal employees hired after Aug. 2, 2021, who were told to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment and to unvaccinated police officers, correction officers, firefighters and others who opted to forego city health benefits and are currently on leave because they are not vaccinated.

Feb. 10, 2022

9 a.m.
Washington state to lift mask mandates
Washington became one of the latest states to announce it will be easing mask requirements. Gov. Jay Inslee said the state’s outdoor mask mandate will be lifted on Feb. 18, and he will provide a date next week on when the indoor mask mandate will end.

Feb. 9, 2022

9 a.m.
SF to drop indoor mask mandate for vaccinated next week
SF Mayor London Breed says San Francisco will match the state’s dropping of indoor mask requirement. Vaccinated people will no longer be required to wear masks in most indoor settings, including restaurants, bars, gyms, grocery stores, offices, museums, and other locations. The unvaccinated will still be required to wear masks indoors.

8:45 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. indoor mask mandate to stay in place
Santa Clara Co. Public Health Director Dr. Sara Cody announced she will not be lifting the indoor mask mandate next week with the rest of the state. Dr. Cody says hospitalization rates are still too high and metrics must be met to lift the mandate.

6:45 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. to make announcement on indoor masks
Santa Clara County is expected to make an announcement about when vaccinated people can stop wearing their masks indoors. The state of California is set to drop the rule next week. But it’s up to local counties to issue their own guidance. Dr. Sara Cody is set to give an update this morning at 8:30 on where Santa Clara stands.

Feb. 8, 2022

8:30 a.m.
CA COVID sick leave law returns
California’s COVID sick leave law has returned. Workers will receive up to two weeks of paid time off if they get coronavirus. It’s retroactive to the beginning of the year and expires at the end of September.

8:30 a.m.
New Berkeley mandates for workers, customers starts today

Feb. 7, 2022

8:30 a.m.
New Berkeley mandates for workers, customers starts today
There are big changes starting today in Berkeley, anyone older than 5 needs to show they are vaccinated before stepping inside a restaurant or gym. Employees have even stricter requirements. Workers have to show they are boosted. This is for places like restaurants, gyms, pharmacies, dental offices and childcare facilities. If they aren’t vaccinated- they can show proof of a medical exemption or religious belief that prevents them from getting inoculated. If you have tickets to an event that will have a crowd of 500 people or more you have five weeks to get vaccinated, Starting March 14th- you will be required to be vaccinated at an event like that- and a negative COVID test won’t be enough you have to be vaccinated.
Berkeley’s health officer say this requirement will help lower people’s risk for severe illness and will improve the community’s safety.

7 a.m.
New Jersey governor to end mask mandate for schools
New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy is expected to announce Monday that the state’s requirement to wear face masks in schools will end the second week of March. Murphy, a Democrat, has imposed some of the strictest pandemic-related mandates in the United States. The move would follow a decision last month by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, also a Democrat, to rescind his state’s mask mandate for schools.

Feb. 6, 2022

11a.m.
New Berkeley mandates for workers, customers starts on Monday
Two new mandates go into effect for Berkeley starting on February 7.

The City of Berkeley must require proof of full vaccination from customers 5 years old and up who enter indoor areas, according to city health officials.

Per the city’s website, it’s required for customers who enter the following:

Second, Berkeley employees must be boosted, “up to date” with their vaccination. These include employees at the following:

The city says this includes employees, contractors, volunteers, custodians, maintenance and other workers who enter those businesses, even after business hours.

You can read more on City of Berkeley’s website.

Feb. 4, 2022

2:15 p.m.
US death toll from COVID-19 hits 900,000, sped by omicron
Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has hit 900,000, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The number of deaths, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is more than the populations of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlottes, North Carolina. COVID-19 has become one of the three top leading causes of death in America, behind the big two – heart disease and cancer. To public health experts, the milestone is made all the more tragic because so many of the recent deaths were preventable. Just 64% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated.

12 p.m.
Sonoma Co. to let restrictions on large gatherings expire Feb. 10
With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declining, Sonoma County health officials said Friday that the health order temporarily restricting the size of large gatherings will expire as scheduled at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 10.

However, they strongly encouraged seniors over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions and people who have not yet been boosted or vaccinated, to avoid large gatherings and continue wearing masks indoors around people outside their household, noting that the omicron surge is not yet over.

10:30 a.m.
Contra Costa Reaches 80% vaccinated, sunsets vaccine verification requirement
With 80% of all county residents now fully vaccinated, Contra Costa Health Services lifted its order requiring certain businesses, including restaurants and gyms, to verify the vaccination status or recent negative test results of customers.

4:45 a.m.
US death rate on the rise
The U.S. is now reporting an average of over 2,300 COVID-19-related fatalities each day — the highest daily death average in nearly one year, according to federal data. In the last week alone, the nation’s daily death average has increased by more than 31%. Overall, however, the nation’s average is still significantly lower than last winter, when the U.S. peaked at about 3,400 deaths per day.

Feb. 3, 2022

11:05 a.m.
Warriors home game booster requirement goes into effect
Starting tonight, Chase Center will require proof of either an up-to-date vaccination, including proof of a booster shot for eligible guests received at least one week prior to the event, or a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 24 hours (for antigen tests) or 48 hours (for PCR tests).

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

Feb. 2, 2022

10:45 a.m.
US death toll expected to approach 950,000 by end of month
Forecast models used by the CDC predict about 32,000 more Americans will die from COVID-19 by Feb. 26, bringing the nation’s virus death toll to nearly 947,000. The ensemble model estimates that 38 states have a greater than 50% chance of having more deaths over the next two weeks compared to the past two weeks.

Jan. 31, 2022

9:35 a.m.
Moderna gets full FDA approval for vaccine

Moderna has now received full FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine, the second vaccine maker to be granted full approval, after Pfizer. All three vaccines currently available in the U.S. were granted emergency authorization based on large clinical studies and at least two months of safety data. Moderna said the full approval was “based on a comprehensive submission package including efficacy and safety data approximately six months after second dose.”

Jan. 28, 2022

8:15 a.m.
VTA adds vaccine mandate for employees
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is adding a vaccine mandate for its employees. They have until April 29 to prove they’re fully vaccinated. Boosters are not required. Employees will have the option to request an exemption for medical or religious reasons. If approved, the unvaccinated employees would then be tested weekly for COVID-19.

Jan. 27, 2022

11:30 a.m.
SF to change indoor mask rules
Beginning on February 1, San Francisco office workers, gym members and other “stable cohorts” of people may remove masks indoors again, reinstating the mask exemption that was in place before the latest omicron surge.

6:15 a.m.
Deaths increasing to highest point in nearly 1 year
Daily COVID-19-related deaths — which are a lagging indicator — are steadily increasing to their highest point in nearly one year, according to federal data. The U.S. is reporting an average of more than 2,100 new fatalities each day, surpassing the average from last summer’s delta surge. However, the nation’s death toll remains significantly lower than last winter when the U.S. peaked at about 3,400 deaths per day.

Jan. 26, 2022

11:15 a.m.
East Bay teachers to meet over COVID safety
Teachers and the West Contra Costa County Unified School District will meet today to try and prevent a strike over COVID safety measures. The teachers union is demanding mandatory COVID testing, plans in case of an outbreak, and more substitute teachers. They also want KN95 and N95 masks provided to students and staff daily something the district says is already happening. While the demands are being negotiated, the district says more students need to be vaccinated to contain this surge. 54% of students 12 and older reported being vaccinated – a low rate compared to other local school districts.

Jan. 25, 2022

8:45 a.m.
The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm over rising cases of a new omicron sub-variant. In an updated post to its website on Monday, the WHO said the new sub-variant, called BA.2, is a descendant of omicron, the now-dominant, highly contagious variant of the novel coronavirus. Unlike omicron, BA.2 is currently not considered a “variant of concern.” But because it is spreading in many countries, the WHO is asking governments and scientists across the globe to monitor the situation and study the new sub-variant, as many have already been doing.

Jan. 24, 2022

9:10 a.m.
Conditions ‘ideal’ for more variants WHO warns
The head of the World Health Organization warned Monday that although people across the globe must learn to live with COVID-19 “for the foreseeable future,” we cannot “give this virus a free ride.”

“There are different scenarios for how the pandemic could play out and how the acute phase could end,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, said in opening remarks at an executive board meeting in Geneva. “But it’s dangerous to assume that omicron will be the last variant or that we are in the endgame.”

“On the contrary, globally, the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge,” he added.

Jan. 21, 2022

11 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. offering free at-home antigen tests with signups
Santa Clara Co. is offering a limited number of free at-home COVID-19 antigen tests to those who live, work, or attend school in the county. You can sign up through www.sccfreetest.org to obtain four at-home tests.

Those able to secure an appointment may choose from one of the distribution locations for pick up at a chosen time. Each person will be assigned a unique QR code which must be displayed to receive the tests. Tests are not available on a drop-in basis without an appointment.

6 a.m.
2-year anniversary of 1st COVID case in US
Today marks two years since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the U.S. It happened in Washington state and came just two weeks after the novel coronavirus was first identified in China.

Since that initial case, more than 68.5 million people have tested positive across the U.S. The infection has claimed more than 855,000 lives in the nation.

The pandemic has also impacted almost every aspect of American life since sweeping across the country soon after that first case two years ago.

VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine

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The post Coronavirus Bay Space stay updates: San Francisco colleges will proceed to require indoor masking appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Health officials in San Francisco and six other Bay Area counties have announced that they are reinstating a mask mandate for all indoor settings as COVID-19 infections surge.

Monday’s order applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, and starts on Tuesday.

California last week recommended that people wear masks indoors, but stopped short of issuing a mandate, following guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control.

Three other California counties have already adopted mandates as COVID rates rise because of the highly contagious delta variant.

The post Masks mandate reinstated in San Francisco Bay Space amid surge | Coronavirus appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Latest Updates

San Francisco eases mask rule, but Los Angeles isn’t ready

This is how often you can reuse your N95 or KN95 masks

Moderna will also begin testing omicron-formulated booster shot

COVID-19 hits one of the last uninfected places on earth

Sol Blume music festival returning to Sacramento after two-year pandemic hiatus

COVID-19 By The Numbers

Friday, January 28

10:12 a.m.: San Francisco eases mask rule, but Los Angeles isn’t ready

COVID-19 case numbers are decreasing in Los Angeles County, but a top health official says it’s too soon to consider relaxing mask and vaccination requirements in LA — as San Francisco plans to do next week.

According to the Associated Press, LA County reported just over 26,000 new coronavirus cases, down over the past two weeks from 46,000, the highest daily numbers since the start of the pandemic. 

Health director Barbara Ferrer says LA County has likely passed the peak of omicron transmission. San Francisco health officials say that the city’s rapidly dropping case rates will allow the lifting of some indoor mask mandates starting Feb. 1.

10:10 a.m.: This is how often you can reuse your N95 or KN95 masks

Experts say how often you can safely wear an N95 or KN95 mask will vary depending on how it’s used.

According to the Associated Press, using a mask to run to the grocery store, for example, is very different from wearing it all day at work.

Richard Flagan, who studies masks and aerosols at the California Institute of Technology, says the amount of time a mask is worn is more important than how frequently it’s worn.

But in general, he recommends limiting the use of an N95 mask to about two or three days. N95s can’t be washed and should be thrown away once you can no longer use them.

9:45 a.m.: Moderna will also begin testing omicron-formulated booster shot

Moderna has begun testing an omicron-specific version of its COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier this week, competitor Pfizer began similar research with its reformulated shots. It’s not clear that global health authorities will decide the vaccines need to be changed. 

The current shots still offer strong protection against death and severe disease, and a booster also improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection. 

The newest study will give an omicron-matched booster to about 600 people who’ve already received either two or three Moderna shots.

9:37 a.m.: COVID-19 hits one of the last uninfected places on earth

Kiribati and several other small Pacific nations were among the last on the planet to have avoided any virus outbreaks, thanks to their remote locations and strict border controls.

However, as reported by the Associated Press, the island nation’s defenses appeared to be no match against the highly contagious omicron variant.

After tight lockdowns, Kiribati finally began reopening this month, agreeing to allow the U.S.-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to charter a plane to bring home 54 citizens.

Many had left before the border closure to serve missions abroad for what’s widely known as the Mormon church. 

Officials tested each returning passenger three times in nearby Fiji, required they be vaccinated, and put them in quarantine with additional testing when they arrived home. It wasn’t enough.

Thursday, January 27

1:14 p.m.: Sol Blume music festival returning to Sacramento after two-year pandemic hiatus

After missing out the past two years due to the pandemic, Sacramento’s Sol Blume festival of new age R&B, soul and hip-hop artists plans to return this spring.

The festival is expanding to two days, April 30 and May 1, and will grow into larger digs at Discover Park, after previously going down for one-day-only at Cesar Chavez Plaza in 2019.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to continue to bring a carefully curated & unique R&B experience to Sacramento. We took two years off due to the pandemic, which gave us more time to evolve,” Festival Founder Fornati Kumeh wrote in a statement.

Festival headliners this year include Jorja Smith and PartyNextDoor on Saturday, and Jhene Aikoand Summer Walker on Sunday. Aiko headlined the inaugural Sol Blume in 2018. Walker was scheduled to perform at the festival in 2019, but pulled out in the weeks leading up to the show.

Tickets for the two-day festival go on sale Monday, Jan.31, at 10 a.m., and prices range from $200 for weekend passes to $400 for VIP tickets.

9:12 a.m.: COVID-19 booster shot rates are slumping in the US

The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious variant.

The Associated Press reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose.

The average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week.

9:01 a.m.: Health experts monitoring a ‘stealth’ version of the omicron variant

Scientists and health officials are keeping their eyes on a descendent of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 counties, called BA.2.

According to the Associated Press, it’s widely considered the stealthier version of the original omicron variant because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect.

Some scientists worry it could also be more transmissible, but they say there’s a lot they still don’t know, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.

To protect against it, doctors urge vaccination and the usual coronavirus precautions.

8:50 a.m.: Most Americans believe the pandemic is over when COVID-19 becomes a ‘mild illness’

Will the pandemic ever really be “over”? And if so, what would that mean? 

According to the Associated Press, a new AP-NORC poll shows that few Americans, just 15%, said they’d consider the pandemic over only when COVID-19 is largely eliminated.

By contrast, 83% said they’ll feel like the pandemic is over when it’s essentially a mild illness, like the seasonal flu.

The poll also shows that strict precautions like avoiding socializing and travel are making a comeback for many Americans because of the omicron variant.

Wednesday, January 26

10:53 a.m.: Gov. Gavin Newsom, top lawmakers want to give workers more COVID-19 sick time

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins want to give workers more paid sick time as the state grapples with the omicron surge. 

Earlier in the pandemic, employers were required to provide up to two weeks of paid sick leave if a worker contracted COVID-19 or needed to care for a family member who was ill. That supplemental sick leave expired in September 2021 and labor unions have been pushing to revive it, especially during this latest surge.

Newsom and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders announced they’ve agreed on a new policy: It will once again require employers with 26 or more workers to provide up to two weeks of paid sick time.

The agreement would also retroactively cover sick days from the beginning of this year through September 2021. Employers can request proof of a positive test. The legislature still needs to approve the new policy before it takes effect, which will likely happen in the coming weeks.

10:48 a.m.: Chico State begins spring semester with mostly in-person classes

Chico State started its spring semester this week and held the majority of its classes in-person, one of a handful of the 23 CSU campuses which began their spring semesters with in-person learning.

Students must be vaccinated or obtain a medical or religious exemption to attend in-person classes, and are required to wear masks indoors. The campus was bustling between classes this week, and many students said they preferred in-person learning to online classes.

“I know a lot of professors in their syllabus are putting in more precautions,” said senior Meliese Menchaca. “Even one of them was like, ‘If you don’t wear your mask, or you’re not wearing it correctly, I will cancel the class and we will move online.’ So I think everyone wants to be here. They don’t want to be online.”

Some students feel the university’s COVID-19 policies are enough to keep them safe. Chico State announced last year it would require students and staff to receive a booster by the end of February. However, not everyone is satisfied. Senior Seana Watkins said her classes were in small rooms with no windows or ventilation, and not enough space between students.          

“I think even if we waited a couple of weeks to get through the surge that’s about to happen and hit Chico,” Watkins said. “I think that would have probably been the safest. Even though I do work better in person. Public safety and health is more important, I think.”

10:27 a.m.: Free N95 masks will be available at some pharmacies and grocery stores

Free N95 masks are starting to arrive at pharmacies and grocery stores around the country nearly a week after the Biden administration announced it would deploy 400 million of the high-quality face coverings to the public, NPR reports.

Pending availability, every person is allowed up to three masks, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Masks are available at Walgreens while supplies last, and will be available at CVS Pharmacy stores in the coming weeks.

The White House launched this effort after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that cloth masks are no longer as effective in preventing the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The coveted nonsurgical N95 masks are coming from the Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of them on hand.Tuesday, January 25

Tuesday, January 25

10:22 a.m.: New bill would eliminate ‘belief’ exemption for COVID-19 school vaccination

All California K-12 students would have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for in-person instruction under a bill introduced Monday. 

The requirement would go into effect Jan. 1 if passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Sacramento state Senator Richard Pan, a pediatrician, authored the bill.

“Students in California are currently required to be vaccinated for many serious diseases to prevent their spread in schools,” Pan said. “And given the tragically high number of people — and those do include children and teens — who suffer from death and disability from COVID-19, we must make sure our students are vaccinated against COVID as well.”

The legislation would also bar personal belief exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Pan also authored the 2015 bill which eliminated personal belief exemptions for all other childhood vaccines required to attend school. That bill drew fierce opposition.

Pan’s proposal follows legislation introduced last week that would allow California children 12 and up to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent. 

9:25 a.m.: California lawmakers to consider allowing teens to get vaccines without parental consent

California lawmakers will consider a proposal allowing adolescents to get vaccines without their parents’ consent.

The legislation would apply to minors ages 12 to 17, which could allow them to get any vaccine approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC.

Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco authored the bill. At a press conference, he said some minors are being prevented from getting the COVID-19 vaccine by their guardians.

“Teens do get sick. There are teens in the hospital, teens on ventilators, and tragically, teens who die,” he said.

Supporters said the legislation builds on state laws that already allow adolescents to seek STI vaccines and reproductive health services without parental consent. But Wiener’s office expects the proposal will spark spirited debate in the state Legislature.

9:10 a.m.: Pfizer to begin testing omicron-matched booster shots in adults

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun studying a COVID-19 vaccine tweaked to match the omicron variant in healthy adults, according to the Associated Press.

COVID-19 vaccine makers have been updating their shots in case global health authorities decide a change is needed. The recently announced study will include more than 1,400 volunteers ages 18 to 55.

Most are already vaccinated and will get boosters of the omicron-based vaccine or the original version. Some unvaccinated volunteers will get three omicron-based doses.

The original vaccines still offer good protection against severe illness and death, while a booster improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.

Monday, January 24

9:51 a.m.: Los Angeles schools will prohibit students from wearing cloth masks, require ‘well-fitted’ ones

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it’ll prohibit students from wearing cloth masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant continues to spread.

As reported by the Associated Press, the district said that students must wear “well-fitted, non-cloth masks with a nose wire” at all times starting today.

Higher grade masks will be made available to students upon request. The shift away from cloth masks was prompted by guidance from county health authorities. LAUSD will allow exemptions to mask rules for some students with disabilities.

The LA County Department of Public Health said that the seven-day testing positivity rate remained “very high” at 16%.

9:34 a.m.: Booster shots are needed against the omicron variant, CDC study shows

Three new U.S. studies offer more evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who have gotten booster shots.

According to the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the studies on Friday. The results echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

They found available vaccines are less effective against omicron than they were against earlier versions of the coronavirus.

One of the papers found that two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines offered no significant protection against omicron. Several studies have concluded that a booster shot can significantly improve protection.

9:28 a.m.: Omicron surge leaves food banks understaffed

Food banks are experiencing a critical shortage of volunteers as the omicron variant frightens people away from group activities, according to the Associated Press.

Individual volunteers are shying away from their usual shifts, and companies and schools that regularly supply large groups of volunteers are canceling their participation over virus concerns.

The end result in many cases has been a severe increase in spending by food banks at a time when they’re already dealing with higher food costs due to inflation and supply chain issues.

The extent of the problem was highlighted this past week during the national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day when many food banks have traditionally organized mass volunteer drives as part of a day of service.

Friday, January 21

8:55 a.m.: Sacramento County sees omicron surge level off but still has record-breaking hospitalization rates

While Sacramento County is starting to see the omicron surge taper off, hospitalization rates are still at record-breaking levels.

As of Wednesday, there were 615 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals — more than at any other time during the pandemic. The number of daily cases has been higher this week than during last winter’s surge before vaccines were available.

The cause of the surge isn’t just due to the omicron variant, explained Sacramento County Public Health Epidemiology Program Manager Jamie White.

“We are still seeing delta in addition to omicron, so delta has not gone away,” White said. “There is no guarantee that if somebody gets [a] COVID infection today that it’s going to be the omicron variant, so people should be very cautious about that.”

While omicron has become the more dominant variant, studies have shown delta leads to a higher risk of hospitalization, ICU stays and death.

Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s epidemiologist, said that while health officials think they’re seeing the peak in cases, they’re also seeing the highest level of virus transmission so far during the pandemic and that hospitals are at capacity.

“Some of our hospitals are 20-25% over what we could call a baseline at our lowest points of COVID for total patients. And as you’ve been hearing, a lot of staffing shortages,” she said.

Pan said it’s very difficult to predict the future course of the virus. She adds that one key variation is unvaccinated people, as they could be vulnerable to new variants.

8:40 a.m.: California lawmaker proposes allowing kids 12 and older get vaccinated without parental consent

California would allow children age 12 and up to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent under a state senator’s proposal, as reported by the Associated Press.

This would be the youngest age a teen could receive vaccinations without an adult guardian’s consent. Alabama allows such decisions at age 14, Oregon at 15, Rhode Island and South Carolina at 16. Only Washington, D.C. has a lower limit, at age 11.

California Sen. Scott Wiener proposed the change late Thursday night, arguing that the state already allows those 12 and up to consent to certain vaccines and treatments.

Wiener’s legislation is permissive, not a mandate, but any vaccination legislation has been hugely controversial in California and elsewhere.

8:11 a.m.: San Francisco subpoenas unauthorized COVID-19 testing operators

San Francisco’s city attorney has issued subpoenas seeking records from a COVID-19 test operator and laboratory suspected of trying to scam people out of money or valuable personal information.

According to the Associated Press, City Attorney David Chiu announced the legal action yesterday after the companies in question — Community Wellness America and Crestview Clinical Laboratory — missed a Monday deadline to provide valid licenses.

They’re under investigation for offering free COVID-19 tests at several pop-up tents earlier this month. Investigators believe the test operator was collecting sensitive personal information and had a profit motive.

Last year, state officials began investigating Community Wellness America after receiving tips about unauthorized testing sites in Marin, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties.

Thursday, January 20

3:05 p.m.: Sacramento County asks residents to leave emergency services for life-threatening symptoms

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Sacramento County may be at a plateau, but the number of new cases each day is still high and hospitals in the county are overwhelmed, public health officials say.

As of Jan. 19, 615 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Sacramento County, the most ever since the start of the pandemic. While many patients coming to emergency rooms with symptoms may require care, officials say nearly 25% of patients are coming in with mild symptoms seeking a COVID-19 test. 

County health officials say that is not a productive use of the ER or a reason to call 911, and ask people not to seek emergency services unless you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms

“If you’re experiencing mild symptoms, while it is uncomfortable, and potentially a disruption to your daily life, most symptoms such as cough, fatigue, headache, sore throat or a low-grade fever, can be treated with over-the-counter medications and will likely resolve in just a few days,” said county spokesperson Janna Haynes. 

The county is asking residents to reserve the emergency room for people with life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms like difficulty breathing, very high fever or pressure or pain in your chest, or for people with other severe injuries or issues not related to COVID-19.

9:25 a.m.: Chico State offers some return to in-person learning

Next week, many colleges and universities will return from a winter break marked by record numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Seventeen of the California State University campuses will begin their spring semesters remotely, but Chico State is not among them.

Though 93% of students and faculty are vaccinated, the virus transmission rate in Butte County remains very high.

Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson said the decision to start the in-person semester was made in conjunction with county health officials.

“Spring 2022 will mirror that of Fall 2021, which is about 60% of our classes in person,” Hutchinson said. “And a number of services and activities will be available on campus, but we’re not really fully 100%.”

Hutchinson told CapRadio Insight host Vicki Gonzalez that she believes the success of the fall semester can be attributed to the school’s high vaccination rate. She also added that there’s a mask requirement in all buildings and officials are encouraging testing, which is available on campus.

“Students really wish to be in person. They struggle with social isolation, and social isolation can contribute to anyone who is having mental health challenges and even depression, so having opportunities then to engage safely on campus is so very, very important,” she said.

Chico State plans to hire more mental health professionals to help students cope with their struggles as the pandemic drags on.

9:18 a.m.: Ambulances wait hours with patients before being admitted to California hospitals

Emergency health workers in California say they’re waiting hours to transfer patients from ambulances to hospital emergency rooms due to chronic delays worsened by the nearly two-year coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, during a state legislative hearing, first responders said taking more than 20 minutes to receive a patient at a hospital emergency room isn’t good for patient outcomes. Responders also noted that keeping patients in ambulances for too long impedes their ability to head out on new emergency calls.

Doctors say delays in lab work and insurance authorizations contribute to the hospital bottleneck.

They also say too many non-urgent patients are seeking emergency room care. California is grappling with a rise in hospitalizations following a spike in coronavirus infections that began late last month.

9:03 a.m.: Here’s what it means when COVID-19 goes from pandemic to endemic

Some European countries such as Spain, Portugal and the countries that comprise the U.K. are making tentative plans for when they might start treating COVID-19 as an “endemic” disease since these countries have some of the highest vaccination rates in the continent.

However, according to the Associated Press, the World Health Organization and other officials have warned that the world is nowhere close to declaring the pandemic over.

Diseases are endemic when they occur regularly in certain areas according to established patterns, while a pandemic refers to a global outbreak that causes unpredictable waves of illness.

The idea is to move from crisis mode to control mode, approaching the virus in much the same way countries deal with the flu or measles.

COVID-19 vaccines, medicines and other measures widely available in wealthier countries with low rates of vaccine hesitancy will likely help them curb their outbreaks before the virus is brought under control globally.

Wednesday, January 19

10:25 a.m.: UC Davis Medical Center sets new record for COVID-19 patients admitted

With the highly contagious omicron variant surging in California, UC Davis Medical Center is reporting a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Providers are caring for more COVID-19 patients now than at any other time during the pandemic, with 126 hospitalized patients with active COVID-19 cases at the medical center. The number surpasses last winter’s peak of 125 patients.

Most patients have severe symptoms, while a few have mild or asymptomatic cases detected through routine screening. Still, providers say those patients still strain hospital resources since they must be isolated to avoid infecting staff and other patients.

Some mild cases still need treatment because the virus can complicate other conditions that ultimately bring people to the hospital.

According to state and local health dashboards, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and emergency department visits set all-time-record high numbers for all of Sacramento County last week. Adults aren’t the only patients being admitted either, according to hospital staff.

“A growing number of children are being admitted to the hospital, and we can expect this to continue to increase for both acute COVID infection, but also due to Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, which may follow acute COVID infection by two to four weeks,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

On Jan. 1, there were two pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at UC Davis. A recent study by the health center identified certain predictors of severe outcomes in children.

The medical center also recently announced that it’ll be one of the few hospitals in the region to partner with the California Department of Public Health to provide extra staffing to care for the increasing number of patients.

10:14 a.m.: US begins offering 1 billion at-home COVID-19 tests

For the first time, people across the U.S. can log on to a government website and order free at-home COVID-19 tests, as reported by the Associated Press.

However, the experts say this latest push by the White House may do little to ease the omicron surge, and Washington will have to do a lot more to fix the country’s long-troubled testing system.

The website, covidtests.gov, allows people to order four at-home tests per household and have them delivered by mail, but the tests won’t arrive for seven to 12 days, after omicron is expected to peak in many parts of the country.

9:49 a.m.: Biden administration to distribute over 400 million N95 masks

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, according to the Associated Press.

This step comes after federal officials emphasized the masks’ better protection against the omicron variant compared to cloth face coverings.

The White House said the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand.

Masks will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country and will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week.

Tuesday, January 18

4:32 p.m.: You can now order free COVID-19 tests from the U.S. Postal Service

You can now order your four free at-home COVID-19 tests from https://special.usps.com/testkits. You can only place one order per residential household, and the kits will ship for free beginning in late January.

The site’s rollout comes a day before the Biden administration had previously announced it would be available. The president also said the administration would set up a number for those without computer or internet access to order at-home tests, but that number is currently unavailable on the COVID-19 test landing site, https://covidtests.gov. 

However, there have been multiple reports from people on Twitter saying they are unable to order tests since the U.S. Postal Service is recognizing their apartment building as a singular residential address, rendering residents of other units in a building unable to order if another unit has already done so. Some people have also posted potential work-arounds, such as using the U.S. Postal Service ZIP Code look-up to enter the precise address.

U.S. Postal Service spokesperson David Partenheimer confirmed “very limited cases” of people experiencing difficulties with ordering their four COVID-19 tests if they are inputting an address not registered as a multi-unit building.

“This is occurring in a small percentage of orders,” he said via email.

He said that those who need additional assistance during the ordering process can file a service request on the USPS website or or call the U.S. Postal Service help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS.

Additionally, the COVID-19 test landing site has been updated with a banner acknowledging the site is up and running a day earlier than planned.

“Please check back tomorrow if you run into any unexpected issues,” it reads.

The banner text also affirms that the administration has tests available “for every residential address in the U.S.”

10:16 a.m.: US faces waves of omicron-related deaths in the coming weeks

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, yet COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing, as reported by the Associated Press.

Modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the omicron wave subsides this spring. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November.

COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate of 10 times less than last year, before most residents were vaccinated.

The unprecedented level of infection means vulnerable people will become severely sick. However, the notion that a milder disease on average could still take thousands of lives is difficult for health experts to convey.

9:53 a.m.: Omicron likely won’t be the last variant, experts say

Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind spread across the globe practically ensures it won’t be the last worrisome coronavirus variant.

According to the Associated Press, every infection provides a chance for the virus to mutate. Research shows that omicron is at least twice as contagious as delta and at least four times as infectious as the original version of the virus.

What that boils down to is now there’s more people in whom the virus can further evolve.

Experts don’t know how subsequent variants might shape the pandemic, and they say there’s no guarantee the sequels of omicron will cause milder illness or that existing vaccines will work against them.

All they can hope for is to urge broader vaccination rates now while today’s shots are still effective.

9:35 a.m.: The pandemic’s impact on shipping is affecting small business owners

Sharply higher costs of goods are yet another challenge thrown at business owners by the global pandemic, according to the Associated Press.

The unpredictability of shipping, labor and the coronavirus itself have created an environment where owners are often left guessing about when products might arrive and how much they’ll cost.

In response, businesses are raising prices, cutting staff hours, dropping some goods and services, nixing free shipping and more in a delicate balancing act.

However, with low visibility into how long the higher inflation will last, some owners are increasingly worried about keeping their doors open in the long run.

Monday, January 17

12:23 p.m.: Sacramento County sets new high for COVID-19 hospitalizations

Sacramento County set a new high for confirmed hospitalized COVID-19 patients over the long weekend — 533 on Jan. 15 and 547 on Jan. 16. The previous high was 518 reported on Dec. 22, 2020, during a deadly winter surge

The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the county’s ICUs has also been rising, but at a slower pace than general hospitalizations have. The county reported 96 patients with COVID-19 in its ICUs on Jan. 16, which is far off from the county’s previous high of 130 last January.

While some have expressed less concern about the omicron variant as it seems to provoke milder illness for many people, UChicagoMedicine infectious disease physician Dr. Emily Landon told NPR that there are still a lot of risks. Landon says that the truth of the matter is that omicron is “probably somewhere in between what you think of as a common cold or flu and the COVID that we had before.”

While the New York Times reported last week that California hospitals were finding that the omicron variant causes fewer hospitalizations and shorter stays than previous variants, hospitals are still feeling the strain. A third of hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages, and California’s health department is considering issuing an order postponing many elective surgeries, according to CalMatters.

Sacramento County public health officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye advises people to get vaccinated against the virus, and to refrain from going to the hospital unless it’s a true emergency.

9:40 a.m.: Omicron variant continuing to affect small Sacramento businesses

The omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to rip through the Sacramento area, affecting small businesses and the people that run them.

Shane Twilla owns Identify Boutique, a small clothing and gift shop. He said the last two years of the pandemic have been rough for business, and when omicron hit, “it was like a gut punch.”

Twilla said he and his fiance and business partner are just trying to be positive, adapt and stay afloat as the virus flares.

“We’re just working harder than we’ve ever worked, to not lose any ground, without really gaining any ground,” he said. “And it’s exhausting.”

Exhaustion is felt elsewhere too. Hundreds of members of a California grocery and food workers union were out sick this month. More than 20% of Sacramento City Unified school staff were absent in early January.

UC Davis Public Health Sciences Dean Brad Pollock said the exhaustion is “producing a strain on many aspects of society.”

“When you have a bug that is much more infectious, you’re going to see what we call spikier curve, epidemic curves,” Pollock said. “So they go up very fast, and likewise they’ll peak and they’ll go down very fast.”

Sacramento County’s public health officer said people should avoid emergency rooms for COVID-19 tests so hospitals can focus on true emergencies.

9:13 a.m.: COVID-19 infections rising in nursing homes again

COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too.

According to the Associated Press, that’s leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted.

Nursing homes were the lethal epicenter of the pandemic early on before the advent of the vaccines allowed many of them to reopen and welcome visitors again.

Now the highly contagious variant has dealt them a setback. Nursing homes reported about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, a nearly sevenfold increase from about a month ago.

A total of 645 COVID-19 related deaths were reported during the same week, a 47% increase from a month earlier.

9:09 a.m.: China to not sell tickets for this year’s winter Olympics

Tickets will not be sold for the upcoming winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing due to the “grave and complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to NPR.

Instead, organizers announced that they would invite groups of spectators to attend the games in person.

“The organisers expect that these spectators will strictly abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures, before, during and after each event as pre-conditions for the safe and sound delivery of the Games,” the Beijing 2022 organizing committee said in a statement.

The International Olympic Committee previously said they would sell tickets only to spectators living in mainland China who met certain COVID-19 safety requirements.

During the summer Olympics in Tokyo last year, fans weren’t allowed in the stands.

The winter games won’t require athletes to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but those who remain unvaccinated will have to quarantine for 21 days when arriving in Beijing.

The IOC also implemented other policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the competition, such as a “closed-loop” system that limits participants to certain Olympics-related areas and other permitted locations that isolate them from China’s general public.

Friday, January 14

9:17 a.m.: US Supreme Court says ‘no’ to Biden’s vaccine mandate

The Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination rate: a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.

According to the Associated Press, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health care workers in the U.S.

The court’s orders coming out on Thursday during a big spike in coronavirus cases was a mixed bag for the administration. The court’s conservative majority concluded the administration overstepped its authority by seeking to impose the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s vaccine-or-test rule on U.S. businesses with at least 100 employees.

9:07 a.m.: Retail sales dropped after holiday spending and omicron surge

Americans, beset by product shortages, rising prices and the arrival of omicron, sharply cut their spending in December after a burst of early spending in the fall that helped bolster the holiday season, according to the Associated Press.

Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 1.9% in December compared with the previous month when sales increased 0.3%, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday.

Sales rose 1.8% in October compared to September. Still, retail sales rose 16.9% compared with the year-ago period.

The World Health Organization identified omicron in late November, and the December report from the Commerce Department is the first to capture its effects on consumer behavior.

8:49 a.m.: Unemployment is once again on the rise, possibly due to omicron cases skyrocketing

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since mid-November.

According to the Associated Press, jobless claims climbed by 23,000 last week to 230,000, which is still slow by historic standards.

The four-week moving average, which smooths out week-to-week blips, was up nearly 6,300 to almost 211,000. The weekly applications — a proxy for layoffs — have now risen four of the last five weeks, possibly a sign that the omicron variant is having an impact on the job market, which has bounced strongly from last year’s coronavirus recession.

Thursday, January 13

10:28 a.m.: Biden to double free at-home COVID-19 testing supply, also will add in N95 masks

President Joe Biden announced Thursday plans for the government to double free rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests for Americans to a total of 1 billion, according to the Associated Press.

Speaking at the White House, Biden said the administration will also make the most protective N95 masks available for no charge.

He spoke at an event aimed at highlighting the federal government’s efforts to “surge” COVID-19 testing and send personnel to help overwhelmed medical facilities.

The effort comes amid the upswing in coronavirus cases and staff shortages due to the omicron variant. Starting next week, 1,000 military medical personnel will begin arriving at COVID-19 hot-spots to help mitigate staffing crunches at hospitals.

10:07 a.m.: COVID-19 pills stymied by long production times and shortages

Two brand-new COVID-19 pills that were supposed to be an important weapon against the pandemic in the U.S. are in short supply and have played little role in the fight against the omicron wave of infections.

According to the Associated Press, the problem is that production is not yet at full strength and that the pill considered to be far superior — Pfizer’s formulation — takes six to eight months to manufacture.

The supply is expected to improve dramatically in the coming months, but doctors are clamoring for the pills now, as omicron causes an explosion of cases.

Adding to the pressure is that two antibody drugs that were once the go-to treatments for COVID-19 don’t work as well against the omicron variant.

9:55 a.m.: California democrats move forward with single-payer health plan

California Democrats have taken their first step towards creating a universal health care system.

According to the Associated Press, a legislative committee in the state Assembly advanced a bill on Tuesday that would replace California’s current private insurance market with a plan paid for by the government.

However, the proposal is still a long way from becoming law. It faces strong opposition from the state’s powerful business interest.

If approved and does become law, voters will have to approve an income tax that’ll be applied to companies earning more than $2 million, businesses with more than 50 employees, and workers that make over $150,000 a year.

Carmen Comsti, the lead regulatory policy specialist with the nurses association, said the tax would generate somewhere between $160 and $170 billion annually.

“We are talking about ensuring that everybody gets comprehensive benefits without copays or deductibles,” Comsti said.

Bill author Ash Kalra, a San Jose assemblymember, said the primary reasons single-payer has failed in the past have been due to cost, opposition from health insurance giants and monied business interests.

The proposal has a long way to go, but Democrats still hailed the vote for jumpstarting one of their long-stalled policy goals.

Wednesday, January 12

10:02 a.m.: Newsom gives school districts more flexibility with substitute teachers

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Tuesday, giving school districts more flexibility to hire substitutes, extend the contracts of those already on the job and bring back retired teachers.

The order comes as districts face a critical staffing shortage largely caused by a surge of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

As he sometimes does when discussing issues dealing with kids and school, Newsom brought up his own children as he talked about the need to make sure students continue with in-person learning.

“I’m very, very sensitive to this and the learning opportunities that are lost because kids are not safely in school, the challenges and vagaries of going online,” Newsom said. “My son, and we had fits and starts, he’s in and out of school, said ‘please daddy, no more Zoom school.’ And you hear that echoed all throughout the state of California.”

9:34 a.m.: Omicron variant affects local high school sports

The omicron variant of COVID-19 is once again upending many communal activities, including school sports.

The California Interscholastic Federation guidelines require weekly testing, with a positive test resulting in isolation for at least five days and a negative test required before returning to play.

The CIF’s Sacramento-San Joaquin section encompasses some quarter of a million students. Will DeBoard, the assistant commissioner, said there’s been some unique challenges.

“Sac-Joaquin section, we’re kind of an interesting situation because we have 16 different counties where we deal with high schools,” DeBoard said. “Merced County may say something completely different than what Yolo County is saying. So we have to navigate, not only from a state side of things, but also each county.”

DeBoard also said some counties and schools are allowing players a little more leeway, but with virus cases increasing, teams need to be more flexible and ready to make last minute changes.

9:29 a.m.: Only 17% of children aged 5 to 11 in the US are vaccinated

Suspicions, misinformation and other factors have combined to produce what authorities say are alarmingly low COVID-19 vaccination rates in U.S. children ages 5 to 11.

According to the Associated Press, as of Tuesday, just over 17% of children in this age group were fully vaccinated more than two months after shots for them became available.

There was a pre-holiday surge after the shots were introduced last fall, but the numbers have crept up slowly since then. Omicron’s out-of-control spread appears to have had little effect in encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated.

9:14 a.m.: Inflation in the US at highest point since 1982

Prices paid by U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, and it’s now the highest inflation rate since 1982, according to the Associated Press.

 This is just the latest evidence that rising costs for food, fuel, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households.

Inflation has spiked during the recovery from the pandmeic recession as Americans have ramped up spending on goods such as cars, furniture and appliances. Those increased purchases have clogged ports and warehouses, exacerbating supply shortages of semiconductors and other computer parts.

Tuesday, January 11

10 a.m.: SCUSD schools are short on substitute teachers due to coronavirus infections

Surging COVID-19 cases are having an impact on attendance and instruction at Sacramento City Unified District schools.

According to an email sent to parents last Friday, 21% of district staff called in sick that day.

The district said there were only enough substitute teachers to cover half of the absences. In order to cover teacher vacancies, the district is turning to principals, credentialed central office and site staff. Even parents have been asked to help supervise classrooms.

Between staff and students, the district recorded nearly 1,600 COVID cases last week. The surge comes amid a nationwide explosion of cases brought on by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

9:41 a.m.: Sacramento restaurants brace themselves for continuing omicron surge

Restaurants are once again bracing themselves as case counts of the omicron variant are continuing to rise in Sacramento.

At Binchoyaki in Southside Park, the people lined up under the restaurant’s overhang aren’t always waiting for food — instead, the restaurant’s owners have set up their outdoor patio as a COVID-19 testing site.

Owner Tokiko Sawada said they’ve been offering free testing to anyone who needs it since August. They’ve noticed that the lines seem to have gotten longer in the past few days.

“We’ve been doing, on average, almost a hundred [tests] a week, but the last two weeks, it’s been really over a hundred easily,” Sawada said.

She explained that the restaurant is taking the surge seriously. They haven’t had any positive cases amongst the staff, but they’ve been closed for two weeks and will reconsider indoor dining when they return.

“It’s like one thing after another, it’s rough. You can’t really forecast anything ahead, you can’t expect anything, any changes you decide to make, you have to change it again because the waves change constantly,” she said.

A number of other restaurants have stopped offering indoor dining or closed entirely for the next few weeks due to the omicron surge and the shortage of workers. Sawada said they hope to be reopening for outdoor service soon.

9:35 a.m.: Rural California hospitals affected by omicron surge

The omicron variant of COVID-19 is causing cases and hospitalizations to rise dramatically in California, and rural areas aren’t immune.

Dr. Marcia Nelson is the Chief Medical Officer at Enloe Medical Center in Chico. She said that the more transmissible and contagious omicron variant is leading to a surge in cases and hospitalizations.

“To put that into context, we have 29 to 30 patients this week in the hospital with COVID,” Nelson said. “And about two weeks ago, that was 16, in the middle teens, so we’re seeing a consistent increase.”

She said the surge is expected to peak in California towards the end of January. With Butte County likely being a week or two behind that curve, Nelson said the hospital is currently expecting to see an increase in cases through early February.

She asked that the public help keep caseload numbers down by taking the pandemic seriously.

“And just be acting as if this is real because it is real,” she said. “We’re living this every single day. We’re having staff members, physicians, who are having breakthrough cases, fortunately mild, but this omicron variant is different than anything we’ve dealt with before.”

Nelson said of the COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Enloe, 89% were not fully vaccinated against the virus.

Adventist Health and Rideout in Marysville are also seeing an overwhelming number of hospitalizations. Yuba and Sutter County health officials said the surge is driven by COVID-19 cases and non-COVID-related medical conditions.

Officials are asking residents not to go to the emergency room for COVID-19 testing as hospital staff are overwhelmed.

Monday, January 10

9:58 a.m.: Go to work sick or miss a paycheck? Many American workers are grappling with this question.

Millions of workers whose jobs don’t provide paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck as the omicron variant of COVID-19 rages across the country.

While many companies instituted more robust sick leave policies at the beginning of the pandemic, some of those have since been scaled back with the rollout of vaccines, despite omicron managing to evade shots.

According to the Associated Press, the current labor shortage is adding to the pressure of workers having to decide whether to show up to their jobs sick or forgo a paycheck.

Low-wage workers are especially vulnerable. Only 33% of workers whose wages are at the bottom 10% get paid sick leave, compared with 95% in the top 10%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

9:53 a.m.: Poll shows Americans more worried about economy than pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic is beginning to recede as a top priority in the minds of Americans, according to the Associated Press.

Instead, many are growing increasingly concerned about the economy, personal finances, and inflation. That potentially spells political trouble for Democrats heading into the midterm elections.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds just 37% of Americans say COVID-19 is a top priority for the government to work on in 2022, compared with 53% who said it was at the start of last year.

This year, 68% of Americans polled named the economy as the government’s top concern, while 14% mentioned inflation — including 18% of Republicans and 10% of Democrats.

9:33 a.m.: Pope Francis says COVID-19 vaccinations are a “moral obligation”

Pope Francis recently spoke about getting the coronavirus vaccination as a “moral obligation,” according to the Associated Press.

Francis used some of his strongest words yet, calling for people to get vaccinated in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Monday. He denounced how people had been swayed by “baseless information” to refuse one of the most effective measures to save lives.

Francis has generally shied away from speaking about vaccination as a “moral obligation,” though his COVID-19 advisory body has spoken of a “moral responsibility.”

On Monday, he said individuals had a responsibility to care for themselves, “and this translates into respect for the health of those around us.”

Sunday, January 9

12:27 p.m.: Gov. Newsom requests $2.7 billion to fight omicron surge 

Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking the Legislature for $2.7 billion to pay for increased testing, vaccination efforts and support for hospitals, which are filling up with patients amid a COVID-19 surge.

The governor will ask lawmakers to fund $1.4 billion immediately rather than in June, when the state budget is typically completed. The ask comes before Newsom presents a full budget proposal Monday morning, including plans for spending an estimated $31-billion surplus.

The total COVID-19 package would include $1.2 billion to boost testing, including millions of antigen tests for local health departments, schools and community clinics. 

Administration officials say 9.4 million test kits have now been delivered to county offices of education as part of Newsom’s promise that every student would get a test after the holiday break. According to the Los Angeles Times, less than half arrived before many students returned to classes on Monday, and as of Friday, 17 counties still had not received any tests.

California’s total number of hospitalizations is dangerously close to the peak of 53,000 during last winter’s surge. As of Saturday, 52,057 hospital beds were occupied, including patients with COVID-19 and other ailments. The administration is asking for $614 million to pay surge staff at strained hospitals.

The package also includes:

• $583 million for in-home vaccinations, transportation and outreach to encourage more Californian to get vaccines and booster shots.  
• $200 million to support the California Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Services.
• $110 million to test and vaccinate people at the California-Mexico border and expand statewide contact tracing.

Friday, January 7

9:58 a.m.: California seeing a surge of children hospitalized due to COVID-19

California hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients, with an uptick in children being admitted. Experts say it’s going to get worse.

Just over the last month, hospitalizations jumped 165% in the state. Health officials said more children are being admitted now than they were this time last year, with hospitals seeing staffing shortages due to the virus.

Stanford University immunologist Dr. Anne Liu said children in regions with low vaccination rates are at the highest risk.

“I worry about the ability of these health systems to be able to take care of sick kids as well as other sick adults who have conditions besides COVID,” Liu said.

The surge is a significant concern for parents — especially those with kids younger than 5, who aren’t eligible for their shots yet.

Sacramento resident Pahelen Parker has a kindergartner and a 3year old. He’s found that it’s “added a whole layer of stress and caution to our behavior.”

His older child is immunized, but since she’s attending school in person, it makes him nervous for his toddler.

“He probably wouldn’t have much more than a cough for a fever,” Parker said. “But also his body and his mind is developing, and I’d rather not have him have that exposure, if possible.”

Health officials are urging people not to go to the emergency room unless they have an urgent problem.

9:53 a.m.: A California health official says current COVID-19 surge could ease next month

A surge in coronavirus cases has shut down California schools and sidelined thousands of police, firefighters and health care workers, but officials hope it’ll be short-lived.

Los Angeles County’s public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said that she hopes the surge will start easing in February, according to the Associated Press.

Ferrer also said vaccinations and boosters are protecting many people from severe illness. California’s number of confirmed COVDI-19 cases has soared five-fold in two weeks, leading to hours-long waits for COVID tests and straining school systems.

All 54 schools in one San Francisco Bay Area school district closed Friday, and some Oakland teachers planned a sickout to demand more virus protections.

9:38 a.m.: US governors have little appetite for mandates during omicron surge

Governors across the U.S. took sweeping action during earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic but are taking a much different approach during the record-setting caseloads caused by the omicron variant.

According to the Associated Press, previously, many of them closed schools or ordered businesses to shut down. They also issued mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and in some places, quarantines for those who had traveled to hot spots out of state.

While governors are sending help to hospitals, there seems to be little appetite for widespread public orders or shutdowns again, even as the omicron surge shatters COVID-19 case records.

Even Democratic governors who passed strict mandates early on are relying more on persuasion than dictates.

Thursday, January 6

10:05 a.m.: Sacramento County issues new public health order to stem omicron spread

New COVID-19 cases in Sacramento County have had sustained day-over-day case rate increases, causing the county public health officer Dr. Olivia Kasiyre to issue a health order to require all public boards, councils, commissions, and other similar bodies to suspend in-person public meetings and transition to virtual.

The county’s previous public health order passed on July 29, 2021 and required all people in Sacramento County to wear face coverings indoors. This order remains in place, and is unaffected by the new order.

The rapid emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant, coupled with holiday gatherings, has led to an unprecedented case rate in the county.

On Dec. 30, there were 1,917 new cases reported, which is 51.3% higher than the highest episode date of the winter surge of 2020. On Jan. 4, 2022, the county reached an all-time high of 80.3 cases per 100,000 residents.

“The steep increase in cases and high transmissibility of the omicron variant is very concerning,” Kasirye said. “This order is necessary to protect essential government functions.”

Getting vaccinated, getting a booster, getting tested, and following local mask guidance while avoiding crowded places are all important things to do to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If you can’t avoid or postpone traveling or gathering, it’s recommended to get tested one to three days before and three to five days after the event. For a list of vaccination clinics, visit the Sacramento County Public Health Vaccination website, call 2-1-1 or visit www.MyTurn.ca.gov. Homebound residents can contact 2-1-1 to request in-home vaccination services.

9:34 a.m: Californians still struggling to find at-home testing kits

The omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in California. Experts say testing is key to slowing transmission, but it’s still not that easy to find test kits.

Across the state, at-home test kits are in low supply and high demand. California Association of Health Officers Director Kate Deburgh said there’s a huge dearth of testing kits.

“There just simply aren’t enough to test everybody who needs to be tested,” Deburgh said.

When at-home test kits are available, health departments try their best to distribute them to neighborhoods hardest hit by the virus.

Meanwhile, lines at testing sites are exceedingly long because there isn’t enough staff. Deburgh said that if you’re struggling to find a testing appointment, just keep checking.

“Check with your provider if you have one. Check to see if your local pharmacies test, which they probably do, or if they have over-the-counter tests that you can use,” they said.

The state is distributing at-home test kits for school-aged children. Some counties are also giving away home tests at libraries and other sites, though Sacramento County libraries ran through their supply this week and don’t expect to receive more.

9:27 a.m.: Masking mandates in California are extended for another month

A spike in COVID-19 cases is driving an extension of California’s indoor mask mandate.

The month-long mask requirement was initially set to expire on Jan. 15, but the state’s top health official Dr. Mark Ghaly said it’ll stay in place for another month.

“It will be extended until February 15,” Ghaly said. “At that time, we will again re-evaluate the conditions across California, our communities and our health care delivery settings.”

Health officials recommend a tight-fitting mask or double masking in public places. The omicron variant is causing cases and hospitalizations to spike, but Ghaly said the state is better prepared to handle a surge than it was last winter when vaccines were just rolling out.

Masks will also be required at large events, including next month’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles, where Ghaly said pandemic measures will be in place, including a mask requirement.

“The work is to make sure that as it is moving forward as planned, that the mitigation strategies create safety around that event are in place.”

However, Ghaly said he and Gov. Gavin Newsom were not discussing business or school closures during the surge.

Wednesday, January 5

9:56 a.m.: COVID-19 test kits sent home with SCUSD students identified over 500 COVID-19 cases

With students returning from winter break this week, school districts around the region have been scrambling to provide adequate testing in hopes of keeping COVID-19 off their campuses and school buildings.

Thanks to an early allotment of testing kits, Sacramento City Unified was one of the few districts to send the majority of their students home for the holidays with a test kit.

SCUSD’s Director of Student Support and Health Services, Victoria Flores, said they sent home 38,000 kits that ultimately helped identify 500 cases.

“We know that we prevented a lot of exposure with those 500-plus positive cases because they did not come to school,” Flores said. “They knew to stay home from work or from school and care for themselves.”

In December, Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to provide kits so students could be tested “as they return to school from winter break.” Many districts are just now receiving those kits.

Sacramento County Office of Education Spokesperson Tim Herrera said 213,000 tet kits are in the process of being delivered to area school districts.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure everyone is safe. We want everyone to feel safe, for sure,” Herrera said. “And that’s one of the reasons why we’re making sure that these tests are available to our students.”

State public health officials have yet to respond to questions about the uneven allot of COVID test kits.

9:45 a.m.: Mental health challenges abound during pandemic

Mental health challenges have gained more attention as the pandemic wears on, contributing to feelings of anxiety around health, safety and attending school or work in person.

Plus, many have found the loss of regular in-person activities like concerts and movies upsetting.

Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services clinical psychologist Dr. Andrew Mendonsa said that this confusing and distressing time has caused some people to struggle to adapt to a post-covid world.

“There’s really this uncertainty that I think folks have, some have adapted to … and have gotten used to. Things are changing every day,” he said. “And others are still really struggling to really get a firm base underneath them to be able to really kind of forge forward in what’s ahead.”

To cope, he recommended going out for a walk, healthy eating and maintaining contact with friends and co-workers. The goal is not to retreat or isolate oneself.

9:37 a.m.: Pediatric COVID-19 cases continue to rise

Cases of the omicron variant are on the rise, and in the last week of December, cases in Sacramento County more than tripled from around 600 to almost 1,900 a day.

The number of children being admitted at hospitals is also starting to tick up, according to Dr. Dean Blumberg, UC Davis Health’s chief of pediatric infectious diseases. In an interview with Insight, he said the silver lining is that while child admission rates are increasing, it’s still below last summer’s surge.

However, Blumberg stressed that this doesn’t mean children aren’t at risk.

“There is no vaccine available for children less than 5, so they remain vulnerable to infection,” he said. “And for the 5- to 11-year-olds, we only had a recent recommendation for immunization, and we only have about 25% vaccination rate in that group.”

Because of this, he said pediatric cases are likely to continue rising. He cautioned that while COVID-19 infections tend to be less severe in children, thousands have been hospitalized and over 1,000 in the U.S. have died.

Tuesday, January 4

9:55 a.m.: Sacramento County Public Health to distribute at-home COVID-19 test kits at libraries, though some locations already out

Updated at 3:01 p.m.

Sacramento County announced Tuesday morning it would distribute more than 91,000 free at-home COVID-19 test kits through public libraries, but by the afternoon many locations were out. In a note on its website, the Sacramento Public Library system said that it hopes to “have a limited supply available tomorrow, January 5 at all locations.”

3:20 p.m. Update: Folsom’s allotment of COVID-19 home test kits from Sacramento County Public Health has been exhausted. We do not anticipate any additional supply. For more COVID-19 testing resources and locations, visit https://t.co/r0HJJuBUMh.

— City of Folsom (@CityofFolsom) January 4, 2022

The kits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There’s also a limit of two test kits per person. The Sacramento County Public Health Department is partnering with the county library system and the Folsom Public Library to provide the free at-home test kits.

Those seeking at-home test kits through the Sacramento Public Library can visit any of the library’s 28 locations during regular hours of operation for curbside test kit pick up, or indoors at the library counter at some locations. 

The kits are free to the public, and no library card is required. 

Each rapid test kit will contain two tests and results are available  within 15 minutes of completing the test.

“Testing before and after gathering in groups or attending large events help lessen the spread of COVID and the new omicron variant,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said. 

Getting vaccinated, getting a booster when eligible, getting tested following local mask guidance, and avoiding crowded places are the most important things people can do to prevent the spread of omicron and other variants, according to health officials.

For more information, please visit the Sacramento Library system or the Folsom Library’s website.

9:44 a.m.: CDC shortens waiting period for Pfizer booster shot

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention has signed off on two measures to increase access to additional doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

According to the Associated Press, the CDC recommended shortening the waiting period between the original Pfizer vaccinations and when a person should receive a booster shot, from six months to five months.

The agency has not changed the recommended booster interval for people who got other vaccines — Johnson & Johnson booster interval is two months, while the Moderna vaccine can be given six months after initial doses.

The CDC also recommended that kids ages 5 to 11 with moderately or severely weakened immune systems receive an additional dose 28 days after their second Pfizer shot. Currently, the third vaccine is only recommended for that age group and pharmaceutical brand.

This latest decision follows the Food and Administration’s approval of Pfizer booster shots for kids ages 12 to 15. While the CDC has not announced a recommendation about that, an expert advisory committee is expected to take up the matter during a meeting tomorrow.

9:31 a.m.: Here’s why some fully vaccinated people are still getting infected with COVID-19

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately? A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant, according to the Associated Press.

Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make everyone sick. Plus, the surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places globally.

Some mistakenly think that COVID-19 vaccines will completely block infection, but experts say the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, not stop all possibility of infection.

However, vaccines are still doing their job at protecting people from serious illness, particularly for people who’ve gotten boosters. Experts noted that breakthrough infections appear to be much more likely with omicron.

Monday, January 3

4:40 p.m.: Sacramento County records new high for daily cases, hospitalizations spike

Updated at 4:40 p.m. with new hospitalization data

Sacramento County set new records for daily COVID-19 cases by episode date and the seven-day daily average of cases per 100,000 residents over the holiday as the omicron variant continues to spread.

The county reported 1,871 cases with an episode date of Dec. 30, the highest ever reported. A cases’ episode date is the closest estimate of when the illness started, and refers to the earliest of these dates that is available in the case: symptom onset, diagnosis, specimen collection, specimen receipt or death. 

The high during this summer’s delta variant surge was 853 cases with an episode date of Aug. 11, and the high during last winter’s surge was 1,267 on Dec. 14, 2020.

As of Dec. 30, Sacramento County’s seven-day case average for every 100,000 residents was 72.4, another record high, compared to 46 statewide as of that date. The county reported 6,504 new cases over the long holiday weekend. 

No new deaths were reported over the long weekend, but hospitalizations have risen starkly. There are 267 people hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sacramento as of Jan. 2, up nearly 95% from two weeks ago.

11:13 a.m.: FDA expands booster shot eligibility to teens as omicron surges

The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge. According to the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration on Monday allowed extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.

Boosters are already recommended for everyone 16 and older, and the FDA said they’re also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds.

The FDA also said everyone eligible for a Pfizer booster can get one as early as five months after their last dose, rather than six months.

But for the move, coming as classes restart after the holidays, isn’t the final step. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must decide whether to recommend boosters for the younger teens.

11 a.m.: Winter weather plus coronavirus delays flights, trains

A winter storm hitting the mid-Atlantic combined with the pandemic to further frustrate air and train travelers whose return trips home from the holidays were canceled or delayed in the first few days of the new year.

According to the Associated Press, the tracking service FlightAware reports that more than 2,600 U.S. flights and more than 4,100 worldwide were grounded as of midday Monday. Another 8,500 flights were delayed, including 3,100 in the U.S.

In the last 24 hours, the Sacramento International Airport has canceled 25 flights and is reporting a change in flight activity of -22% when compared to the same week in 2020, before the pandemic rocked the airline industry.

That follows Sunday’s cancellation of more than 2,700 domestic flights and more than 4,4000 worldwide.

Due to a mix of weather issues and coronavirus cases among workers, about two dozen Amtrak trains on both the Northeast Corridor and long-distant routes will be affected. Travelers could take hope from an improving weather forecast.

10:10 a.m.: Roadmap to making coronavirus endemic is clouded by omicron

The fast-moving omicron variant is complicating a key question — how does the COVID-19 pandemic end and the world coexist with the virus?

Experts agree that the coronavirus is here to stay and that ending the pandemic won’t be like flipping a light switch, according to the Associated Press.

Scientists also do not expect omicron to be the last mutation either. However, at some point, different parts of the world — probably at different times — will tamp down the virus enough to ease up on the constant state of red alert and to consider it another of the health threats we live with.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here.

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The post California coronavirus updates: San Francisco eases masks rule, however Los Angeles isn’t prepared appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A sign is posted at a COVID-19 vaccine site in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco on February 8, 2021. California is exempting San Francisco from a rule going into effect requiring all people to wear masks indoors. Haven Daley/AP Hide Subtitles

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Port Daley/AP

A sign is posted at a COVID-19 vaccine site in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco on February 8, 2021. California is exempting San Francisco from a rule going into effect requiring all people to wear masks indoors.

Port Daley/AP

The state of California says the city of San Francisco is exempt from the state’s newly introduced mask requirement — everyone must wear a mask indoors.

The San Francisco Department of Health said Tuesday the city will continue to allow those who are fully vaccinated to remove their masks in gyms and workplaces, even as the state’s reinstated mandate requires that masks be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status Need to become. The nationwide mandate went into effect on Wednesday.

“This refinement recognizes the hard work of the people of San Francisco during the pandemic, including how we have maintained adequate protective measures during the holiday season,” the San Francisco Department of Health said in a tweet.

According to the department, about 86% of eligible San Francisco residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with more than 753,000 residents vaccinated.

So far, California has administered 62 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s a recognition of all the thought and care that San Francisco residents have put into staying as safe as possible,” said Dr. San Francisco Health Officer Susan Philip told the Associated Press.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday news of the reinstatement of the indoor mask mandate as cases of the state’s coronavirus surged 47% over the past two weeks.

Earlier on June 15, state officials lifted the mask requirement for vaccinated residents.

“We know people are tired and hungry for normality. Honestly, so am I,” said California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly to AP. “Nevertheless, this is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and can work.”

The nationwide indoor mask mandate is set to last until at least January 15, 2022.

The post California exempts San Francisco from statewide indoor masks mandate : Coronavirus Updates : NPR appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7’s daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

Jan. 11, 2022

10:30 a.m.
San Francisco issues new testing guidelines for health care providers
New San Francisco guidelines require all large health care facilities to provide access to COVID-19 testing for people with symptoms and people who have been a close contact within 24 hours of a request from a member patient. Under the new order, the largest health systems will now be required to produce documentation twice a week to the SF Department of Public Health with proof of meeting patient testing needs in a timely manner.

The city also announced more support for SFUSD, including providing more masks for students and teachers, and adding to the District supply of rapid antigen tests to support educators who are in quarantine being able to test back into the classroom.

An average of 1,386 San Francisco residents a day are testing positive for COVID-19 at testing sites, which is more than four times that of last winter’s peak at 373 cases per day.

5 a.m.
Hayward Unified returns to remote learning
Today the Hayward Unified School District is going back to remote learning for one week. More than 500 students have tested positive for COVID and there are fewer teachers available, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Making the switch to online learning means the district risks losing $2.5 million a day in funding. Students received Chromebooks yesterday. The district has set up learning hubs for students who need access to virtual learning from a school facility.

Jan. 10, 2022

5 p.m.
Sonoma Co. to temporarily ban large indoor, outdoor gatherings

Sonoma County health officials issued a temporary restriction Monday banning large gatherings as omicron variant spikes in the community. Large gatherings of more than 50 people indoors, or more than 100 people outdoors (where social distancing is not feasible), are prohibited for the duration of the order. The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12 until Feb. 11.

The county also issued an appeal to residents to stay home as much as possible for the next 30 days and limit interactions with those outside of their immediate household.

5 a.m.
West Contra Costa Co. Unified schools closed today
Schools in West Contra Costa Unified will be closed today because of the spike in omicron cases. When classes resume tomorrow all staff will be required to wear a medical grade KN-95 mask. Each person will be provided one new mask every week through the end of the school year. All schools got a deep cleaning on Friday. Students and staff are asked to get a COVID test before returning to class, although this is not a requirement.

Jan. 8, 2022

7a.m.
UC Berkeley to start semester remotely, plans to resume in-person learning Jan. 31

UC Berkeley announced it will begin the semester with most classes being offered remotely.
Some students and staff had expressed concern that Berkeley was the only University of California undergraduate campus not planning to offer virtual learning.
Remote classes will begin January 18, and plans to go full in-person instruction will resume on January 31.
You can read the university’s statement here.

5a.m.
Vallejo City Hall Closed until Feb. 28

Vallejo City Hall will be closed to the public until at least March because of a spike in COVID cases.
City Council, Board, and Commission meetings will still happen in-person for now.
City Council will consider switching to completely virtual meetings in its next session on Tuesday.
If you need to reach a certain department, it’s taking virtual appointment meetings Mondays through Thursdays.
Drop boxes for bill payments are open.

Jan. 7, 2022

11p.m.
Hayward Unified to remote for 1 week

The Hayward Unified School District voted on Friday go back to remote learning for a week starting Monday.
The debate went on for several hours and the majority of the discussion and public comments focused not so much on whether to go back to distance learning, but if one week was actually too short.
There were several parents and even board members urging the kids be kept out of class for two weeks or even until the start of February.
The school board will revisit the decision and its next meeting and consider an extension for remote learning.

7:30p.m.
Gov. Gavin Newsom sends CA National Guard to help with state’s COVID-19 testing capacity

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday he has sent the California National Guard to help communities throughout the state with additional testing sites as COVID-19 cases continue to grow.

In a statement by the governor, “the National Guard plan will deploy more than 200 Cal Guard members across 50 Optum Serve sites around the state, providing interim clinical staff while permanent staff are hired adding capacity for walk-ins, assisting with crowd control and back-filling for staff absences – all in an effort to conduct more tests for more Californians. “

The COVID-19 testing site in Antioch located at 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531, started receiving aid from the National Guard on Friday, the governor’s office said.

“On Monday, the site will double the number of testing windows to four and double the number of appointments per day. The site is open Saturday from 11a.m. – 7p.m. Additional sites in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties will also receive assistance from the National Guard beginning today and through the coming days.”

Additional members of the national guard will be deployed next week in similar capacities.

“California has led the country’s fight against COVID-19, implementing first-in-the-nation public health measures that have helped save tens of thousands of lives,” said Governor Newsom in written statement. “We continue to support communities in their response to COVID by bolstering testing capacity.”

The activation of the CA National Guard is on top of the additional 6,000 testing sites across the state as well as the nearly 10 million tests given to schools since early December, the governor said.

12 p.m.
CA reports more than 100,000 new COVID cases
The state of California released new coronavirus numbers on Friday. See the breakdown below:

103,606 new cases
5,634,357 total cases
292 new deaths
76,341 total deaths
7 day test positivity rate = 21.7%
9,279 hospitalized patients
(up 608)
1,500 icu patients
(up 70)

San Jose City Council set to approve booster mandate
Next week, San Jose’s city council is set to approve an update to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. If approved, it would require people who visit city-owned facilities like SAP Center, where the Sharks play and the San Jose Convention Center to provide proof that they have received a booster vaccination. The proposal would also require city employees to get a booster, if eligible, or prove that they have received one.

Jan. 6, 2022

Noon
Cal State East Bay going remote for first 2 weeks of spring 2022 semester

Cal State East Bay is the latest CSU to announce it will delay in-person learning.
The university said it will begin the first two weeks of the spring 2022 semester remotely, according to its website.
Class and labs scheduled between Jan. 18 through Jan. 28 will be “delivered via remote modalities,” the school wrote. “We have made the decision to start the Spring semester virtually to greatly reduce population density on our campuses,” said Cal State East Bay President Cathy Sandeen.
The school plans to return to in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 31.
San Francisco State University announced today it has delayed in-person learning until Feb. 14.
You can read the posting by visiting this page.

Cal State East Bay will temporarily begin the first two weeks of Spring 2022 semester with remote instruction. Classes and labs offered between Jan. 18 through Jan. 28 will be online and will return to the planned instructional modality Jan. 31. https://t.co/63kMhPOnDm

— Cal State East Bay (@CalStateEastBay) January 6, 2022

11:35a.m.
San Francisco State University to delay in-person learning until Feb. 14
San Francisco State University announced on Thursday it has delayed in-person learning until Monday, Feb. 14 due to the omicron surge.
“The escalation in positivity rates and increased hospitalizations across the state,” said SF State President Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D. in a written statement on the university’s website.
She also said most campus services will be held remotely until February 7.
However, she wrote the school semester will start as planned on Monday, January 24.
You can read the full statement by visiting this page.

CAMPUS ALERT: SF State President Mahoney announced today that the University is temporarily moving to remote modalities until February 14 due to the current Omicron surge. The semester itself will start as planned on January 24.

Read the full message: https://t.co/Q3itFgejhd pic.twitter.com/84spHkzSYn

— SF State (@SFSU) January 6, 2022

9 a.m.
Oakley will distribute free at-home COVID test kits
Supervisor Diane Burgis’ office and the city of Oakley will distribute free at-home COVID test kits to families. The testing kits will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis at a drive-through event at the Oakley Recreation Center on O’Hara Avenue, the East Bay Times, reports. It will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or while supplies last. Test kits are limited to two per family. Each kit contains two tests.

Jan. 5, 2022

7 p.m.
West Contra Costa Unified School District cancels classes for Friday and Monday due to omicron surge
The West Contra Costa Unified School District announced it is cancelling classes for Friday, January 7 and Monday, January 10 due to the omicron surge
Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Superintendent of West CoCo unified said on the school’s website on Wednesday all district schools will be closed for students and staff on both days as schools will undergo a deep cleaning on Friday, January 7. You can read the full statement on this page.

3 p.m.
CA extends indoor mask mandate
California is extending its indoor mask mandate for at least one more month – through Feb. 15 – state officials said Wednesday.

The state had brought back the mandate last month amid a surge in new COVID-19 infections fueled by the more-contagious omicron variant. Holiday gatherings and related activities are also playing a role in a continuing sharp increase in cases. Here’s the full story.

8:25 a.m.
SJPD taking measures to reduce spread
Local jurisdictions are taking action to try and stop the spread of COVID 19. The San Jose Police Department is reducing services at its main headquarters and it’s temporarily barring any in-person filing of police reports. Fingerprinting will only be available for court orders, bookings, registrations, and warrant requests. San Mateo County is following the lead of Contra Costa County and stopping jury trials for two weeks.

Jan. 4, 2022

5:45 p.m.
Bay Area school district to provide faculty 1 KN95 mask every week through end of school year
The West Contra Costa Unified School District will require all faculty at school sites to wear a KN95 mask while at work starting Jan. 10. The District has ordered enough masks for each employee to have one KN95 mask per week through the end of the school year.

1:15 p.m.
Marin Co. public schools to prohibit indoor gatherings, spectators at indoor sporting events
Marin County public schools plan to prohibit indoor gatherings like assemblies and prohibit spectators, including parents, at indoor sporting events due to the surge of omicron, ABC7 News has learned. Marin County public health officer Dr. Matt Willis says most of the positive cases have been from asymptomatic people, and have more likely to have been involved in indoor sporting activities, attended at least two indoor gatherings over holidays and likely have traveled out of the state.

1 p.m.
Stanford announces new winter sports attendance policies
Stanford athletics announced Tuesday that spectator attendance at all indoor winter events will be temporarily reduced to a limited number of student-athlete families, while outdoor events will require social distancing and mask-wearing for all attendees. The changes come as the university sees rising COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

11:30 a.m.
Hundreds of SF essential workers in quarantine
SF health officials say 186 SFPD members, including 167 sworn officers, 135 SFFD staff, and 85 SFMTA personnel have been exposed to COVID-19 and have entered or are entering quarantine. These departments say they are prioritizing essential operations and establishing emergency contingency plans to minimize disruption to services.

11 a.m.
SF health officials give COVID update
San Francisco health officials provided an update on the surge in omicron cases in the city. An average of 829 SF residents a day are contracting COVID-19 (as of December 27), which is more than double that of last winter’s peak at 373 cases per day. Officials say 81% of SF residents are vaccinated, and 54% have been boosted. San Francisco Department of Public Health sites have expanded to more than 25,000 tests a week across the city, nearly doubling capacity from three weeks ago.

10:30 a.m.
CA releases 1st full update on numbers since Dec. 31
California released its latest coronavirus data on Tuesday, our first full update since Dec 31 so these numbers all look exceptionally high, especially the new cases. The positivity rate sets a new record, but remember you do have more people testing so that contributes to the increase. See a breakdown of the numbers below:

237,084 new cases.
5,428,522 total cases
77 new deaths
75,924 total deaths
7 day test positivity rate = 20.4%
7,914 hospitalized patients
Up 600
1,343 icu patients
Up 14

6:15 a.m.
San Mateo reopens vaccine clinic
San Mateo County is reopening a vaccination clinic at the San Mateo Event Center today. The clinic reopens at noon and closes at 7 p.m. It will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays going forward. You are encouraged to sign up through the state’s MyTurn website for an appointment, but people without appointments will not be turned away. The county is offering first, second, and booster doses.

Jan. 3, 2022

7 a.m.
FDA takes actions to expand Pfizer vaccine use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to:

• Expand the use of a single booster dose to include use in individuals 12 through 15 years of age.
• Shorten the time between the completion of primary vaccination of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a booster dose to at least five months.
• Allow for a third primary series dose for certain immunocompromised children 5 through 11 years of age.

Jan. 2, 2022

8:45 a.m.
SF Unified to offer rapid testing to students starting today
Starting today, San Francisco Unified will offer mobile rapid testing at the district office. Appointments are required. School sites will also be testing students throughout next week.
The site at Franklin St. will be open from 9a.m. to 4p.m. on Sunday at 555 Franklin Street (parking lot). For more information, you can visit this page.

Jan. 1, 2022

11:25 a.m.
SF Unified to offer rapid testing to students
Many families in the Bay Area are struggling to get their children tested for COVID before they return to school on Monday. COVID testing appointments or rapid tests are hard to find in some areas. Starting tomorrow, San Francisco Unified will offer mobile rapid testing at the district office on Franklin Street. School sites will also be testing students throughout next week.

Dec. 31, 2021

8:15 a.m.
California’s positivity rate rises
California’s 7-day test positivity rate is now up to 12.9 percent. It was in the single digits only on Tuesday.

Dec. 30, 2021

2p.m.
SF Sketchfest postponed due to rise in omicron cases, organizers say

The 2022 SF Sketchfest has been postponed due to the rise in omicron cases, organizers said on Thursday.

The event was originally slated for Jan. 7 to Jan. 23. Organizers said in a statement online, in part:

“The safety of our artists, staff and audiences is our number our priority. Over the past week, we have had many artists reach out to us to express concern about traveling and performing at a time when the COVID omicron variant is causing increased positive cases and breakthrough infections around the country. We have also had some artists and staff members test positive for COVID.”

The site says a new date will be announced in the coming weeks.

To read the full statement, you can visit this page.

12p.m.
California’s positivity rate is 12.9%, new data shows
The state positivity rate is now at 12.9%, according to the California Department of Public Health which just released new data today.

There are a reportedly 37,673 new cases with a total of 5,135,071 COVID-19 cases.

Here are the latest numbers:
109 new deaths
75,738 total in deaths
5,516 hospitalized patients which has increased by 318
1,194 ICU patients, up 115
64,562,129 individuals have been vaccinated in California

6:30 a.m.
California’s COVID positivity rate now 11.2%

6:30 a.m.
California’s COVID positivity rate now 11.2%
Here in California, the test positivity rate is now in the double digits, at 11.2%. Remember, before Christmas it was around 5%. The week of Thanksgiving, it hovered around 2%.

Dec. 29, 2021

2 p.m.
Sonoma County to reinstate indoor mask mandates
Sonoma County joined other Bay Area counties Wednesday in rescinding exemptions that allowed stable groups of fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors in some workplaces, gyms, churches and other public settings. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask in all indoor public settings according to the updated guideline, set to begin at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.

11:45 a.m.
San Francisco temporarily tightens vaccine, indoor masking requirements
San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday a updated vaccine and indoor masking requirements due to the surge of the omicron variant, effective February 1, 2022.

The changes include:
1) Requiring boosters among workers in healthcare and high-risk settings as well as some additional higher-risk settings not covered by the State requirements
2) A temporary suspension of the indoor universal mask exemption that allowed removal of masks for stable groups of 100% fully vaccinated individuals in certain settings
3) Attendees and staff of indoor megaevents are up-to-date on vaccinations, including boosters if eligible

In addition, San Francisco Department of Public Health plans to align its guidance on the quarantine with the recently announced modifications recommended by the CDC and California Department of Public Health.

10 a.m.
Alameda and Marin counties update indoor masking mandate
Marin County, Alameda County and the city of Berkeley announced that their health officers are rescinding the facemask amendments allowing fully vaccinated people to go unmasked in some limited settings, effective 12:01 am on December 30, 2021. Everyone, regardless of their vaccination status, must mask in all indoor public settings. This change does not impact face masking requirements for school and youth settings.

5:10 a.m.
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose offers free passes to vaccinated guests
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose is offering to help families get vaccinated and visit the museum for free. It’s happening this Sunday, January 2, and on the 23. All you have to do is show up on one of those dates, get vaccinated, and the museum will give you a free museum pass. You can use it the day you’re vaccinated or anytime within 6-months.

Dec. 28, 2021

2:45 p.m.
Contra Costa Co. updates indoor masking mandate
Contra Costa County health officials announced a new order requiring masks in all public indoor places without exceptions for certain indoor settings. The order, which goes into effect on Dec. 29, 2021, now requires all people in Contra Costa, regardless of vaccination status, to mask in public indoor settings.

Previously, fully vaccinated public speakers and performers, and fully vaccinated groups of 100 or fewer people were allowed to remove their face coverings under controlled conditions.

10:30 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. updates vaccination requirement for high-risk work settings
Santa Clara Co. health officials issued a health order requiring up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination for workers in certain higher-risk settings in light of the rapid surge in cases due to the omicron variant.

Under the new order, by Jan. 24, 2022, workers must be up-to-date on their vaccination (both fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 if eligible for a booster) in these higher-risk settings:

• Skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, adult day care facilities, and memory care facilities

• Healthcare delivery facilities (such as hospitals, clinics, medical offices, dialysis centers) where patient care is provided, as well as medical first responders

• Jails and other correctional facilities

5:30 a.m.
Contra Costa Co. mandates booster shots for first responders
Contra Costa County has mandated booster shots for first responders and other at-risk workers. The order will take effect on January 10. Workers who don’t get the booster shot will have to test weekly for COVID. The mandate covers law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel as well as workers in homeless shelters.

VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine

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Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Friday, October 8

10:02 a.m.: San Francisco Bay Area Counties will be easing indoor mask mandates soon

Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area will start easing their requirements for people to wear masks inside many public spaces, according to the Associated Press.

A group of eight counties in the region said that the rules will be dropped when overall vaccination rates are above 80% and COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations are low.

In San Francisco, where places like gyms and offices already require people to show proof of vaccination, some will be allowed to drop masks next week.

The Bay Area has the highest vaccination rates and lowest case rates in the nation. In August, counties had reinstated the indoor mask mandate as infections surged because of the highly contagious delta variant.

9:27 a.m.: Training delayed due to COVID-19 contributed to accident that killed nine Marines

A new military investigation found the coronavirus pandemic curtailed training in 2020 and contributed to nine service members drowning off San Diego’s coast.

According to the Associated Press, the findings released Wednesday were from the latest investigation into the sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle on July 30, 2020.

It was one of the Marine Corps’ deadliest training accidents in recent years. A previous investigation by the maritime branch found the sinking off San Clemente Island was caused by inadequate training, shabby maintenance of the 35-year-old amphibious assault vehicles, and poor judgment by commanders. The latest probe looked at the troops’ readiness.

9:18 a.m.: Health officials sounding the alarm again about a possible ‘twindemic’ of flu and COVID-19 this winter

With a second pandemic winter approaching, there are promising signs that the worst of the delta surge has run its course, but the short-staffed and backlogged American hospitals are still a cause of concern.

As reported by NPR, many hospitals are staring down a tough stretch of cold months with the threat of a potentially bad flu season combined with an influx of patients trying to catch up on delayed care and a depleted workforce that’s had little time to regroup from the latest surge of COVID-19 infections.

“It’s like a perfect storm, right? High volume, high acuity and low staff,” says emergency physician Dr. Gregg Miller, the chief medical officer for health care staffing group Vituity. “Winters are already tough for hospitals and emergency departments.”

And while some of the leading COVID-19 modeling suggests the U.S. will be spared another major COVID-19 onslaught during the holiday season, recent history has shown hospitals that nothing is predictable with this virus.

Thursday, October 7

10:11 a.m.: Kaiser Permanente puts 1% of employees on leave until they are vaccinated

Health care giant Kaiser Permanente has put about 1% out of 216,000 total employees nationwide — around 2,220 people — on unpaid leave for refusing all coronavirus vaccines.

According to the Associated Press, the company says the employees have until Dec. 1 to get vaccinated, and those who choose not will be terminated.

The company said that since announcing the requirement on Aug. 2, the vaccination rate among employees has gone from 78% to 92%. The mandates have proven to be successful, with many companies and employers seeing high compliance rates.

Kaiser did not disclose how many exemptions it has approved for religious and medical reasons.

10:03 a.m.: Despite deadly month, state health officials say COVID-19 trends in Nevada are improving

September was the third-deadliest COVID-19 month in Washoe County since the pandemic began, as reported by the Associated Press.

But Nevada state health officials have said that coronavirus trends are continuing to improve in Reno-Sparks, Las Vegas, and across most of the state after a summer surge in cases and hospitalizations began to plateau late last month.

The 14-day average for new daily cases statewide fell to 620 on Wednesday, the lowest it’s been since mid-July.

The 14-day average for the positivity rate statewide dropped to 8.5% on Tuesday. It was nearly double that much in August and hovered above 10% during most of September. Now, it’s 6.7% in Clark County and 13.5% in Washoe county.

9:45 a.m.: Pfizer asks US government to allow COVID shots for kids ages 5 to 11

Pfizer is asking the U.S. government to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11, according to the Associated Press.

If regulators agree, shots could be arriving within a matter of weeks. The pharma giant has already announced that a lower dose of its vaccine worked and appeared safe in a study of young children.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech officially filed its application with the Food and Drug Administration. FDA advisers are scheduled to debate the evidence later this month. Until now, the vaccine was available only for children as young as 12.

The AP reports that many parents and pediatricians have been clamoring for protection for younger kids.

Wednesday, October 6

10:24 a.m.: While vaccines are effective at preventing illness, vaccinated people can still transmit COVID-19, according to UC Davis study

A new study by UC Davis researchers shows no significant difference in the amount of virus shed by vaccinated and unvaccinated people who develop COVID-19.

The study appears to confirm what other research has found — that while vaccines are still effective at preventing illness, vaccinated people can still infect others.

“Vaccines still protect you from getting sick,” said David Coil, a researcher on the project. “This doesn’t say anything about that. It’s just that the people who do get sick, they still have similar viral loads to people who weren’t vaccinated.”

The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, also shows asymptomatic people shed similar amounts of virus to those with symptoms.

“Public health recommendations need to not give people a free pass because they’ve been vaccinated or just because they’re asymptomatic,” Coil said.

In high-risk areas, people should still consider continuing mask usage and giving crowds and others enough space.

10:14 a.m.: Yosemite National Park drops reservation system for park visitors

A fall trip to Yosemite has become a little easier to arrange, as reservations are no longer required to visit the national park.

For months, the National Park Service has required reservations even to drive into Yosemite or to make a day trip. The goal of the reservation system was to reduce the number of visitors due to COVID-19 safety protocols but also to avoid overwhelming the reduced staff and services.

Now, the NPS has lifted the requirement. Entrance fees of $35 per vehicle can be paid online or at any park entrance station. Admission is good for seven consecutive days.

Masking wearing is required everywhere in the park, regardless of vaccination status. As it was in the “before times,” campsite or lodge reservations are still highly recommended — if you can get one.

9:46 a.m.: City of Los Angeles looking to enforce strictest vaccine mandate in the country

Los Angeles leaders are poised to enact one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates — a sweeping measure that would require shots for everyone entering a bar, restaurant, nail salon, gym or even a Lakers basketball game.

The City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal, and most members have said they support it as a way of preventing further COVID-19 surges.

Critics say the measure raises concerns about enforcement and will sow confusion because a similar but less-sweeping vaccination mandate is scheduled to take effect next month in LA County as a whole and only applies to bars, breweries and nightclubs.

Tuesday, October 5

9:57 a.m.: Nevada adds COVID-19 rapid test results to COVID infection tally

Nevada health officials are now counting results from rapid antigen tests in the coronavirus data that they present to the public instead of only counting the traditional molecular tests processed in the laboratories, according to the Associated Press.

The state updated its health response dashboard on Monday and added more than 600,000 tests to its count. Before Monday, only Nevada and Maryland did not publicly display probable case data from rapid tests in their online tallies.

Nevada health officials say the change will give them a more comprehensive picture of the pandemic as the rapid tests become increasingly common in the United States.

9:49 a.m.: Johnson & Johnson is looking to get US clearance for booster shot

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has asked U.S regulators to allow booster shots of its COVID-19 vaccine as the U.S. government moves toward shoring up protection in more vaccinated Americans.

According to the Associated Press, J&J said it filed data with the Food and Drug Administration on giving a booster dose between two to six months after vaccination.

The U.S. government last month authorized booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in vulnerable groups. A panel of FDA advisers meets next week to consider boosters for both J&J and Moderna vaccines. It’s part of an all-out effort by the Biden administration to boost protection amid the delta variant and potential waning of vaccine strength.

9:31 a.m.: Parents still worried over their children attending school

A year and a half in, and the pandemic is still agonizing families.

As reported by the Associated Press, the pandemic adds weight to the exhaustion of worrying about exposure to COVID-19 itself and the stress of policies at schools and daycares where children spend most of their time.

The spread of the more infectious delta variant, particularly among people who refuse vaccinations, has caused a big increase in infections in children. But there’s also COVID-19 exposures and illnesses — and even minor colds — at schools and daycares that mean children get sent home, forcing parents to scramble for child care.

For many parents, deciding what’s OK for children to do and what isn’t can feel fraught.

Monday, October 4

11:09 a.m.: Nevada will require COVID-19 vaccines for employees at all public universities and colleges

Employees at all public universities and colleges in Nevada are required to get their COVID-19 vaccinations by Dec. 1 or face potential termination.

According to the Associated Press, all new hires also will have to prove their vaccination status under the new policy. Meanwhile, coronavirus case trends are improving in urban areas but have worsened in most rural parts of the state, where vaccination rates are the lowest.

The 14-day moving average for newly confirmed cases has fallen to 321 per 100,000 residents in Clark County, including Las Vegas.

That compares to 1,704 in all counties outside Carson City, Clark and Washoe counties, including Reno-Sparks.

11:01 a.m.: Doctors and front-line health care workers are exhausted of COVID-19 denial and misinformation

Front-line medical workers are growing weary of COVID-19 denial and misinformation in treating unvaccinated patients during the delta-driven surge, according to the Associated Press.

Some doctors report being constantly asked to prescribe an unproven parasite drug, and patients sometimes lash out when they’re told no.

The AP reports that some doctors are hearing patients telling them that microchips are embedded in DNA mutating vaccines, that the vaccines are killing people and not COVID-19, and much more.

One doctor found themselves resorting to showing patients a list of Twinkies ingredients, reminding those who are skeptical about the makeup of vaccines, are also consuming everyday products that have a lot of safe additives that they may not understand.

Such misinformation has been a significant driver of vaccine hesitancy that has contributed to the deadly delta surge and lifted the COVID-19 death toll past 700,000.

10:25 a.m.: Las Vegas sees protests against state coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates

A weekend protest of coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates drew several hundred people to the Las Vegas Strip, where marchers with signs and t-shirts declaring “freedom of choice” snaked around sidewalks and into some resorts.

According to the Associated Press, police did not immediately report any citations, arrests, damage or injuries during the Sunday evening demonstration against Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates.

Sisolak last month ordered mandatory vaccination for state workers, including those working with at-risk populations in state-operated detention and health care facilities.

State university regents last week said employees at all public universities and colleges in Nevada must COVID-19 vaccinations by Dec. 1 or face the loss of their jobs.

Sunday, October 3

1:16 p.m.: The U.S. hits 700,000 COVID deaths

In 3 ½ months, the U.S. went from 600,000 to 700,000 COVID deaths—driven by the delta variant’s spread through unvaccinated Americans.

An estimated 70 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, even though vaccines have been available to all eligible Americans for nearly six months and the shots overwhelmingly protect against hospitalizations and death.

Read more here.

Saturday, October 2

12:56 p.m.: California’s COVID-era eviction moratorium expired at midnight Thursday

California’s COVID-era eviction moratorium expired at midnight Thursday, meaning Californians behind on their rent are now in danger of being kicked out of their homes.

“It turns out that about one out of every seven renters are currently behind in rent,” said Hans Johnson a demographer at the Public Policy Institute of California, which examined Census Bureau surveys. “Meaning that they are not paid up through the current month.  And that amounts to over one million renters in California.”

Half of those people say they believe it’s likely they’ll be evicted, which could add up to half a million people to California’s unhoused population, at least temporarily. 68% of those surveyed are at least two months behind on rent.  More than a quarter are five months or more behind.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development is offering assistance, as is the City of Sacramento. Qualified renters who apply for assistance are automatically protected from eviction through March of next year, and landlords must apply on their tenants’ behalf before beginning eviction proceedings.

Friday, October 1

9:56 a.m.: Chico hospital is experiencing another coronavirus surge

Enloe Medical Center in Chico said it’s experiencing another coronavirus surge, according to the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marcia Nelson.

She said the hospital’s first COVID-19 surge began after the 2020 Fourth of July holiday weekend. The second was after Thanksgiving and lasted through the Christmas holiday. This latest surge started about two months ago, coinciding with the rise of the delta variant.

“That means we’ve had more admissions — more people on ventilators — than we’ve had over the several months prior,” Nelson said.

The hospital said it was caring for 83 patients with COVID-19, with 20 of them in intensive care. Nelson said this is the most COVID-19 patients they’ve had in the ICU since the start of the pandemic.

She’s concerned about Chico residents who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 since she said they end up spending more time hospitalized than vaccinated patients.

“If you are unvaccinated, your length of stay will be about a half to a full day longer than somebody who is unvaccinated,” she said. “So, people who are unvaccinated are sicker when they come into the hospital.”

Nelson said most of their COVID-19 patients are not fully vaccinated.

9:44 a.m.: Nevada gambling is returning to pre-pandemic levels

Nevada state regulators say casinos continued to ride a hot streak in August, recording more than $1 billion in house winnings for the sixth straight month as gambling statewide returns to pre-pandemic levels.

According to the Associated Press, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported Thursday that casinos statewide said they’re taking in almost $1.2 billion in August, following a record nearly $1.4 billion in July.

Overall, casino winnings were up 22% compared with August 2019. The solid winnings tally came despite the restoration of indoor mask mandates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people due to the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant.

The report shows the state reaped $74 million in revenues based on the August monthly winnings.

9:29 a.m.: New Merck pill regiment may cut the worst effects of COVID-19

Pharmaceutical giant Merck says its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus.

According to the Associated Press, this could potentially be a leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic. The company said it will soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize the pill’s use.

A decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could come within weeks after that. If cleared, the drug would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require IV or injection.

The results have not been peer-reviewed by outside experts. An independent group of medical advisers monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early because the interim results were so strong.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here

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