The United States is currently suffering from a skills shortage. Overall, there are not enough qualified electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and carpenters in the country to meet demand. A recent study found that many of the most in-demand positions remain unfilled for at least a month. This comes as millions of Americans laid off in the early days of the coronavirus are looking for work.

However, not all labor markets are the same. While it should be relatively easy to find work in all 50 states, wage levels vary by state. To find out which states pay homeworkers the most, ServiceTitan analyzed Payscale's June 2020 data. The average salary of a homeworker was calculated by averaging the salary of entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level workers in each States were identified. HVAC technicians, plumbers and electricians were all included in the data set, which can be viewed nationwide here.

California in numbers

– Average annual salary: $59,511 ($28.61 per hour)
— Plumber: $58,400 ($28.08 per hour)
—Salary increase for entry-level to senior plumbers: $15,100 ($7.26 per hour)
— HVAC Technician: $59,433 ($28.57 per hour)
— HVAC Technician Salary Increase from Entry Level to Manager Level: $17,800 ($8.56 per hour)
— Electrician: $60,700 ($29.18 per hour)
—Salary increase for entry-level to managerial electricians: $17,900 ($8.61 per hour)

There is a gap between knowing that an industry needs workers and actually absorbing workers into the industry. California is investing $200 million to improve job training – training that can add tens of thousands of dollars to the average trade worker's salary. However, the sheer size of California means that not all metropolitan areas are equally suitable for home workers. THe The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area is the highest paid in the country for both electricians and plumbers and the fourth highest for HVAC technicians.

Meanwhile, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Merced areas are also among the top 10 metros in the country for electricians, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks top for plumbers and HVAC technicians do well in Napa, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metros. Additionally, the total employment for plumbers in the state is expected growth of 12.4% until 2028. But it's not all rosy: the premium for paying home workers is partly explained by this California has the third highest cost of living in the country.

Check out the statistics below to find out where your talents are most and least valued and to better assess whether or not a move is worth it for your career.

States that pay home workers the most

#1. Alaska: $61,156 average annual salary ($29.40 per hour)
#2. Massachusetts: $59,700 average annual salary ($28.70 per hour)
#3. California: $59,511 average annual salary ($28.61 per hour)

States That Pay Home Workers the Least

#1. Arkansas: $47,944 average annual salary ($23.05 per hour)
#2. West Virginia: $48,178 average annual salary ($23.16 per hour)
#3. Idaho: $49,433 average annual salary ($23.77 per hour)

This story originally appeared on ServiceTitan and was produced and distributed in collaboration with Stacker Studio.

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A coalition of environmental organizations under the name Zero Waste Massachusetts released a report Thursday morning that examines the effectiveness of waste bans, and calls on officials in Massachusetts to demand stricter enforcement of existing rules.

The state Department of Environmental Protection implemented waste ban rules in 1990, prohibiting materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, metal and wood from being deposited into landfills and incinerators, which can lead to pollution and public health problems.

But the coalition’s new report claims that banned materials account for about 40% of the waste burned and buried in Massachusetts. The state disposed of 5.5 million tons of waste in 2019, and the report says more than 2 million tons of waste could have been recycled instead.

Massachusetts has only six landfills — and almost all are due to reach capacity by 2030, according to Keep Massachusetts Beautiful, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate focused on waste reduction and recycling.

“The bottom line is: this should not be hard,” said Elizabeth Saunders of Clean Water Action, which is one of the Zero Waste Massachusetts organizations. “There are many environmental problems that are incredibly complicated to solve, but this is straightforward. We could drastically reduce waste in Massachusetts by doing the basics – enforcing the long established DEP waste bans.”

The report, which was released Thursday morning, compares the implementation of Massachusetts’ ban to three municipalities — the island of Nantucket here in Massachusetts and the cities of Seattle and San Francisco — and one state, Vermont.

Nantucket developed strict waste bans in 1995. Among other strategies, the town banned traditional curbside trash bins. The Department of Public Works requires residents and waste haulers to separate waste into three streams: recycling, compost and other waste, stored in separate bins. In addition, the DPW requires that all waste be disposed of in clear bags, which makes inspections of disposed waste easier, the report says.

In 2018, the most recent reporting year, 12% of what ended up in Nantucket landfills consisted of banned materials, compared to the 40% statewide.

In each of the four areas explored in the study, officials implemented separated waste streams and education programs either for the public or for waste haulers.

Based on the study results, Zero Waste Massachusetts recommended that MassDEP better enforce the state’s ban.

The coalition called on the state agency to require waste haulers to inspect trash bins and issue warnings and financial penalties for noncompliance. The state should also devote more resources to waste ban inspections by hiring additional inspectors whose sole job is to enforce the bans, according to another recommendation.

Using Nantucket’s policies as reference, the coalition also recommends mandating the use of clear trash bags and instituting waste stream separation. Another important piece of their strategy is a multilingual public education campaign, which the report says will help all residents understand the MassDEP regulations.

MassDEP did not respond to requests for comment about its waste ban enforcement in time for publication.

Executive director of MASSPRIG, Janet Domenitz, said the report was just the beginning of a process of working with MassDEP and lawmakers to better enforce the bans.

“If you walk down the street and ask 10 people if they know what items are banned from disposal in Massachusetts, maybe one of them will know,” she said. “We can’t fix what we don’t recognize. This is our first step in outreach to everyone from the DEP to lawmakers and everyday people.”

Domenitz said Zero Waste Massachusetts wants to meet with MassDEP to discuss their recommendations, and plans to organize a webinar on the topic. Domenitz herself is on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee at the department, and said she will bring up the results of the report at their next meeting.

Additionally, she said the timing of November’s upcoming election provides the coalition with the opportunity to “reach the next group of decision makers in Massachusetts and make sure they pay attention to this issue.”

“The next governor of Massachusetts needs to make reducing waste a top priority,” said Janet Domenitz of MASSPIRG. “Disposing of waste that could be reused or recycled harms our environment and health, adds to climate change, and is literally throwing away our tax dollars which subsidize disposal. We need enforcement of these bans, and we need a more ambitious plan to make Massachusetts a zero-waste state.”

Zero Waste Massachusetts is made up of the Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, Community Action Works and MASSPIRG.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — From 1983-1985, Andy Reid got his coaching career started at Division II school, San Francisco State. The football program was discontinued but his coaching legacy still lives on.

Joe Lopiparo played under Andy Reid back in the mid-80s at Cox Stadium, where little remains as a reminder of the former Gators football program.

Mecole Hardman leads Chiefs on slaughter over 49ers

Lopiparo visits Reid anytime he’s nearby with his family at a hotel before a game. Despite being a defensive player, he hung out with the players Reid coached most, the offensive line, and not just for his wife’s meals:

“She would have a dinner weekly with the lineman. I got invited once.”

Lopiparo also spoke on the time when he ran into Reid at a hotel.

“The last coach out I saw was Reid, now I haven’t seen him in 10 years. I turned and said, ‘Hey Coach!’ And he said ‘Joe Lopiparo.’”

But when he stood on the same sidelines as the future head coach of the Chiefs, the players learned from Reid and Reid learned from his mentor, Vic Rowan.

“Vic Rowan was a great teacher of coaches, and he had this huge library of playbooks from every school. He’d call up a coach and go, ‘Hey, can I get your playbook?’ And guys would send him their playbooks,” Reid said.

No wonder Reid has such a vast knowledge of plays to run.

Gil Haskell, a retired coach, Super Bowl winner, SFSU alum and coached with Andy Reid while he was in Green Bay, spoke on Reid’s playcalling ability.

“Now when I see his teams play on the goal line, you know they run that flip pass, damn near every week, well they had it back then and when we did it, we did it with Brett Farve and he’d just, wham. It would hit him right in the rear end. And Mike [Holmgren] would go, ‘Hey Andy and Gil, what the hell was that play?’” Haskell said.

“We’d play in these packed houses and he’d say, ‘Gil, remember State?'”

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“He never used foul language, just like our head coach Vic Rowan, he never did that, they coached the way coaches should coach, they could actually host a clinic on how coaches could coach,” Lopiparo said.

Times were a little lean at the DII school, so Andy Reid would come to a patch of grass in front of the school gymnasium and sell hot dogs.

“What he learned from Coach Rowan: organization. They had one room, with four coaches in it and Coach Rowan, you know, you didn’t have your own office,” Haskell said.

“You had all this stuff you could look at, you could dive into. And he was great about teaching you, sharing with you his knowledge,” Reid said.

Reid learned to be good at many sports while at SFSU.

“He was a fabulous racquetball player. Really good, and if you didn’t get out of the way he hit you,” Haskell said.

He used the city known for it’s Golden Gate Bridge, as a gateway to being one of the most successful coaches in NFL history.

“He was a good coach then, and he paid attention to a lot of detail and, you know, coaching is a lot of breaks and the fact that he knew Coach Holmgren, who got him to Green Bay, had a lot to do with it. It’s who you know too,” Lopiparo said.

But never forgetting the former coaches he coached with and players he coached.

“It makes you proud because his roots are here and just being around him and getting to see him once in a while and talk to him, is awesome.”

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Next November, San Francisco will play host to major heads of state and other international officials at the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit, known as APEC.

APEC is an intergovernmental forum promoting free trade in the Asia-Pacific region, and San Francisco was announced as the 2023 host city at this year’s summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

“San Francisco has long been recognized as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific—and thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are proud to host the Leaders’ Meeting of the 2023 APEC Summit,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a statement .

In an Aug. 12 letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Mayor London Breed pitched San Francisco as the “perfect candidate” to host the gathering given its large Asian American population and status as a destination for direct investment from Asia.

Participating countries at next year’s APEC include the United States, Canada, China, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand.

Northern California firms sell an estimated $60 billion dollars of goods and services to APEC buyers. The city is also home to more than 75 consulates along with many other trade commissions.

Breed said the city is ready to accommodate a summit that will bring major heads of state and other luminaries, noting its 34,000 hotel rooms and experience in hosting events with heightened security needs, such as the 2016 Super Bowl.

The APEC summit will bring in President Joe Biden and other major heads of state to the city. Vice President Kamala Harris is attending this year’s APEC conference, currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand.

So see

Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, called the APEC summit “a big win” for the city.

“APEC will bring global attention to the city, as well as thousands of international visitors that will help support our economic recovery and the hundreds of small businesses that depend on visitor dollars,” he said.

Next year’s APEC conference will kick off in November 2023.

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San Francisco’s building buying spree has been granted millions more dollars from the state to set up permanent housing for homeless young adults and families.

Mayor London Breed’s office said Wednesday that it’s receiving $73.4 million in new funding from Project Homekey, a statewide program that gives out grants for counties to purchase housing for people living on the streets or in other marginal circumstances. The new award will support the city’s acquisition of two properties totaling 250 units, including one apartment complex for families.

Those properties, City Gardens at 333 12th St. and Mission Inn at 5630 Mission St., are two of eight acquisitions the city has made since the pandemic with a combination of local, state and federal dollars.

A Google Street View of Mission Inn at 5630 Mission Street in San Francisco.

The 52-room Mission Inn, formerly a motel, will serve as housing for transitional-age youth, or young people between the ages of 18 and 24. Dolores Street Community Services will operate the housing, and Larkin Street Youth Services will provide on- site social services.

City Gardens, formerly owned by the developer Panoramic Interests, is a 200-unit apartment complex in SoMa intended to house homeless families, which Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing spokesperson Emily Cohen called a “game-changer” for families who may be staying in shelters or packed into small SROs.

“We had been struggling, frankly, to find a property to accommodate families with children,” said Cohen. “When we found City Gardens, it was a natural good fit.”

The city’s ongoing acquisitions are part of a broader statewide effort to house California’s growing homeless population in underused hotels, motels and apartment buildings. Since first launching Project Roomkey, which funded temporary lodgings during the Covid pandemic, the state has rolled that effort into the more permanent Project Homekey and awarded $3.5 billion in grants so far.

So see

The city began soliciting applications from building owners looking to offload their buildings in 2020 and has sought to find places fit for permanent supportive housing, or low-cost housing that wraps in on-site social services. The city has not yet identified a property manager and social service provider for the City Gardens site.

The new $73.4 million grant will offset the costs of the latest two buildings and free up funds to buy more property, part of an effort by Breed to buy or lease at least 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing.

Since launching that initiative in July 2020, the city has added 2,918 units, which includes property purchases and rental vouchers, to the city’s supportive housing portfolio.

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California is the #3 highest paying state for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians

The United States is currently in the throes of a skilled trades worker shortage. Across the board, the country doesn’t have enough qualified electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and carpenters to meet the demand. A recent study found that many of the most in-demand jobs remain unfilled for at least a month. This comes as millions of Americans who were laid off during the early days of the coronavirus are looking for work.

That being said, not all job markets are the same. While it should be fairly easy to find work in all 50 states, how much that work pays is different depending on the state. To find the states where home service workers are paid the most, ServiceTitan analyzed June 2020 data from Payscale. The average salary of a home service worker was calculated by averaging the pay of entry-, intermediate-, and senior-level workers in each state. HVAC technicians, plumbers, and electricians were all included in the dataset, which can be seen nationally here.

California by the numbers

– Average annual salary: $59,511 ($28.61 hourly)
— Plumbers: $58,400 ($28.08 hourly)
— Plumber pay increase from entry to senior level: $15,100 ($7.26 hourly)
— HVAC technician: $59,433 ($28.57 hourly)
— HVAC technician pay increase from entry to senior level: $17,800 ($8.56 hourly)
— Electrician: $60,700 ($29.18 hourly)
— Electrician pay increase from entry to senior level: $17,900 ($8.61 hourly)

There’s a gap between knowing an industry needs workers and actually getting workers into the industry. California is investing $200 million into the improvement of the delivery of vocational education—education that can add tens of thousands of dollars to an average trade worker’s salary. However, the sheer size of California means that not all metro areas are created equal for home service workers. They San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area is the highest-paying in the nation for both electricians and plumbers, and fourth-highest for HVAC technicians.

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Merced areas, meanwhile, are also in the top 10 metros in the nation for electricians, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks high for plumbers, and HVAC techs fare well in the Napa, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metros. Plus, the overall state employment for plumbers is expected to grow 12.4% by 2028. But it’s not all rosy: The premium placed on home service workers’ pay is partially explained by the fact that California has the nation’s third-highest cost of living.

Check the statistics below to discover where your talents are valued the most and least, and to get a better handle on whether or not making a move for your career would be worth it.

States that pay home service workers the most

#1. Alaska: $61,156 average annual salary ($29.40 hourly)
#2. Massachusetts: $59,700 average annual salary ($28.70 hourly)
#3. California: $59,511 average annual salary ($28.61 hourly)

States that pay home service workers the least

#1. Arkansas: $47,944 average annual salary ($23.05 hourly)
#2. West Virginia: $48,178 average annual salary ($23.16 hourly)
#3. Idaho: $49,433 average annual salary ($23.77 hourly)

This story originally appeared on ServiceTitan and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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We work every day to create a Bay Area where everyone has a chance to get a good job, live in a healthy and affordable home, and have a strong political voice.

Our elections are one of the most critical tools to move us closer to this vision. The measures on our state and local ballots this year give us some clear choices. We can choose a California which protects reproductive freedom and recognizes the critical role that arts education plays in our schools. We can choose communities that build affordable housing, strengthen our democracy, and ensure that all pay their fair share. Our votes will help set the course for our communities and state.

Our voter guide shares our recommendations on two statewide initiatives and eleven local ballot measures closely aligned with our work, which will help us move toward our shared vision. Download a PDF version of the voter guide.

Click on the sections below to see the descriptions for the state and local propositions we recommend.

State Propositions

	Short Description	Long Description
	Yes on CA Prop 1 Prop 1 would provide a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, including the right to an abortion.	Yes on Proposition 1 to ensure reproductive freedom By stripping away reproductive freedom, the U.S. Supreme Court condemned many families into poverty, particularly Black and Brown families. Proposition 1 creates a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom. Ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive services is critical for individuals and our movement to end poverty in this country. Ultimately, there is no economic freedom without reproductive health choices and rights. More information at protectabortionca.com
	Yes on CA Prop 28 Prop 28 would provide additional funding for arts and music in K-12 schools.	Yes on California Proposition 28, to support arts and music education funding. Prop 28 funds arts education which is essential to young people’s educational experience. The arts have the power to transform perceptions of power and privilege, preserve endangered cultural practices, and shift how we think about ourselves and our society. Proposition 28 does not raise taxes. It provides additional funding for arts from the state’s general fund, equal to 1% of the required state and local funding for public schools. It provides a greater proportion of the funds to schools serving more students with low incomes. Schools with 500 or more students must spend at least 80% of the new arts funding on teachers. More information at voteyeson28.org

San Francisco Propositions

	Short Description	Long Description
	Yes on SF Prop L Prop L would renew an existing sales tax to fund important transit infrastructure projects	Yes on Proposition L to support racial justice and equity in transportation services. Proposition L supports racial justice and equity in transportation services, a key part of building a just and inclusive Bay Area. Proposition L renews an existing sales tax to fund important transit infrastructure projects in San Francisco. Proposition L ensures investments in communities that have been actively harmed by displacement and past transit decision-making. Investments include a new Caltrain station in Bayview, significant investments in making Muni and BART more reliable in priority communities, a new 30-year investment plan, and $40M specifically for investments in equity priority communities. More information at keepsfmoving.com
	Yes on SF Prop M Prop M would encourage the use of vacant properties through a vacancy tax and use the proceeds for affordable housing.	Yes on Proposition M to tax keeping residential units vacant. San Francisco faces some of the worst housing shortages in California, driving up prices and pushing out residents with low incomes and communities of color. Proposition M could make about 4,500 vacant units available over two years and generate more than $38 million in annual revenue for essential services. It would do so by taxing buildings with three or more units when at least one of them has been unoccupied for more than six months in one year. Single-family homes, two-unit buildings, primary residences, leased properties, or affordable housing projects would not pay the tax. Half of the generated revenue will fund rental subsidies for seniors and low-income families. The rest will help the city convert empty buildings into affordable housing. More information at fillemptyhomes.com

Oakland Measures

	Short Description	Long Description
	Yes on Oakland Measure T Measure T would modernize Oakland’s business tax structure and raise $20m for services.	Yes on Measure T to create a more equitable and progressive business tax.   Measure T would bring millions of dollars into Oakland by ensuring big corporations pay their fair share and taking the burden off small and mid-size businesses (many of which are owned by women and people of color). Oakland’s smallest businesses generate less than 20% of the total revenue but pay over 33% of all local business taxes. Oakland’s largest companies account for 25% of revenue but pay only 13% of local business taxes. By modernizing Oakland’s business tax system, Measure T will cut taxes for over 20,000 small and mid-size businesses while raising over $20M annually in new general fund revenue to strengthen critical city services. Oaklanders will gain increased access to good jobs and bolster public services in education, public safety, transit, and affordable housing. More information at investinouroakland.com
	Yes on Oakland Measure U Measure U would authorize $850 million in bonds for affordable housing and infrastructure improvements.	Yes on the Measure U to authorize $850 million infrastructure bond measure to invest in affordable housing. Preserving affordable housing is critical to ensuring low-income communities of color can afford to live and remain in Oakland. Measure U authorizes an $850 million general obligation bond. $350 million is for preserving affordable housing. $290 million is for transportation improvements such as paving and traffic calming. $210 million will improve city facilities like parks, fire stations, and libraries. More information at sayyesoakland.org
	Yes on Oakland Measure W Measure W would create a “democracy dollars” program and make election spending more transparent.	Yes on Measure W will create new “democracy dollars” program and create additional transparency in elections expenditures.  Measure W will help level the playing field and ensure that Oakland’s local elected officials are accountable to Oaklanders of color by putting more campaign funds in the hands of Oakland voters. Currently, half of all contributions from Oakland residents for local elected officials come from Oakland’s whiter, more affluent neighborhoods. About half of the contributions come from outside the city. Measure W encourages candidates to campaign in all neighborhoods by giving each Oakland voter four $25 campaign vouchers they can assign to the certified city and school board candidates. In Seattle, a similar measure increased small donors, donor diversity, and first-time voters. Measure W mandates more transparency in contributions, requires participation in debates and limits additional money in politics. More information at fairelectionsoakland.org
	Yes on Oakland Measure Q Measure Q would authorize Oakland to build or acquire up to 13,000 affordable housing units.	Yes on Measure Q to authorize up to 13,000 affordable social housing units. Oakland – and the rest of California – doesn’t produce nearly enough housing, and low-income residents of color disproportionately bear the brunt of the crisis through increased housing costs and rates of homelessness. California’s State Constitution requires voter approval for low-income housing developments subsidized by public funds. (Segregationists added this requirement in the 1950s.) Though Measure Q does not include funding, pre-authorizing the construction or acquisition of low-rent housing will allow the city to pursue financing for many affordable homes rather than one-off approval processes. More information at protectoaklandrenters.org/measure-q
	Yes on Oakland Measure V Measure V would expand Oakland’s Just Cause eviction protections to most rental properties.	Yes on Measure V to expand just cause eviction protections. Protecting renters from unjust evictions is essential to providing the stability people need to thrive. Under current law, all rental units in buildings built before 1996 — including rented single-family homes and condominium units – require landlords to offer one of 11 eligible reasons for evicting a tenant. Measure V expands Just Cause eviction protections to most rental properties in the city, including those in newly constructed units and vehicular residential facilities. Additionally, it prohibits no-fault evictions of teachers and children during the school year, thus giving them the stability they need to focus on education. More information at protectoaklandrenters.org/measure-v

Berkeley Measures

	Short Description	Long Description
	Yes on Berkeley Measure L Measure L would invest $650 million in affordable housing and infrastructure projects.	Yes on Measure L to authorize infrastructure bond Berkeley, along with other cities across our region, faces an extreme housing shortage and has been slow to produce enough affordable housing. Measure L is critical to making the investments needed to address affordability for Berkeley residents. This $650 million bond measure would raise money for infrastructure projects and affordable housing. $200 million would be devoted to building an estimated 1,500 units of affordable housing and continue rehousing the homeless. $450 million will be dedicated to projects such as rehabilitating streets, installing underground utility wires, and improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and seniors. More information at renewberkeley.org
	Yes on Berkeley Measure M Measure M would encourage the use of vacant properties through a vacancy tax.	Yes on Measure M to tax keeping residential units vacant. Berkeley’s housing shortage is driving up prices and pushing out residents with low incomes and communities of color. Measure M would tax property owners who keep a residential unit vacant for more than half a calendar year. Owners of apartments with four or fewer units who live on their property and don’t own any other homes will be exempt. The Measure also includes exemptions for situations like repair and rehabilitation when the property is considered vacant. The city estimates nearly 700 homes would be subject to the tax in its first year and that it could raise $3.9 to $5.9 million per year. More information at vacancytaxberkeley.org

Richmond Measure

	Short Description	Long Description
	Yes on Richmond Measure P   Measure P would protect renters by capping allowable rent increases.	Yes on Measure P “Rent Control Amendment” to cap allowable rent increases.   Measure P provides important protections for Richmond residents struggling with housing affordability as rental prices continue to climb. Richmond passed rent control in 2016, but landlords can still raise the rent up to 100% of the Consumer Price Index. With inflation surging, landlords can increase rent by over 5% yearly. This is a significant percentage of a family’s annual income. Measure P would reduce the allowable increases to 60% of the Consumer Price Index, with a cap of 3%. More information at Argument in Favor of Measure P

Menlo Park Measure

	Short Description	Long Description
	No on Menlo Park Measure V Measure V would make it more difficult for the city to produce affordable housing by requiring that any changes to the General Plan land use designation be approved during a general election.	No on Measure V  “General Plan Restrictions” to prevent housing production in single-family zones. Measure V would cement and exacerbate racial and economic segregation by blocking the development of new homes in high-opportunity neighborhoods which are predominantly upper-income and white. The Measure prohibits the City Council from changing the General Plan land use designations or rezoning certain properties to support multi-family units unless first approved by a majority vote during a general election. An independent report concluded that Measure V would decrease the city’s ability to provide affordable housing. To ensure a community where all can thrive, we must ensure that low-income communities of color can access high-resource communities More information at protectteacherhousing.org

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a state of emergency Thursday over the rapidly growing number of monkeypox cases in the city.

The legal action, which goes into effect Monday, allows officials to mobilize personnel and resources and cut through red tape to get ahead of the mounting public health crisis. City officials hope that the declaration will also pressure the federal government to increase the available supply of the monkeypox vaccine.

“We are at a very scary place,” Breed said at a press conference held at City Hall on Thursday. “We don’t want to be ignored by the federal government.”

Earlier this week, San Francisco had to shut down its primary monkeypox vaccination clinic at SF General Hospital for the second time this month after it again ran out of doses, turning away long lines of people. The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) said it was expecting to receive an additional 4,220 doses of the vaccine this week, bringing the total number of vaccines received to roughly 12,000 — about a third of the supply they’ve requested from the federal government.

“We have a solution in the vaccines and we want to make sure that everyone who is requesting a vaccine gets one,” Breed said.

News of the declaration — which comes amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — was welcomed by LGBTQ+ advocates who have grown increasingly frustrated by what they call a lackluster response from the city and the federal government to a virus that can infect anyone, but has so far primarily affected communities of gay and bisexual men, and men who have sex with men.

“We know the challenges of what happens in San Francisco when we put public health on the back burner,” said Breed. “During the AIDS crisis … San Francisco was virtually left on its own to fend for itself.”

During the initial onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis in San Francisco during the 1980s, the majority of infections were among gay and bisexual men, and men who have sex with men. City Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax praised the way local care providers reacted to HIV/AIDS back then and said that response has informed the way San Francisco is responding to monkeypox now.

“As a gay man who came out and did my medical training during the peak of the AIDS epidemic,” Colfax said, “I personally and professionally experienced the indifference, the homophobia and the stigma by the medical and public health institutions in regard to prioritizing HIV prevention and care.”

“But San Francisco’s community-driven and responsive care systems were a notable exception.”

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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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The post California coronavirus updates: San Francisco state Senator desires to declare monkeypox a public well being disaster appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.