Eden Health District COVID-19 Bulletin
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“There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way.”
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister, 4/29/20
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Alameda County:
1,568
Contra Costa County:
862
California:
48,883
U.S.:
1,046,022
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Alameda County:
57
Contra Costa County:
25
California:
1,956
U.S.:
61,288
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We are proud to partner with the
East Bay Community Foundation
in publishing this bulletin. Through donations to its
COVID-19 Response Fund,
the EBCF provides grants to East Bay nonprofit organizations delivering essential services to those most impacted by the economic fallout from the pandemic.
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SF Chronicle, April 29, 2020
Public health officials in six Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley released new health orders Wednesday extending mandates to shelter in place through May 31, while relaxing restrictions around some outdoor businesses and recreation activities.
The new orders will take effect Monday. The orders continue to require all persons to shelter at their place of residence and to venture out only for essential errands. But health officials have made several changes:
- All construction will be allowed to resume, provided that builders can comply with health and safety guidelines.
- Real estate transactions also will be able to start again with limitations on open houses and in-person viewings.
- Outdoor businesses, like plant nurseries and gardening services, flea markets and car washes, also will be allowed to resume operations.
- Some outdoor recreation activities can start again, including the reopening of golf courses and skate parks. Any recreation facilities that involve shared equipment, like playgrounds, or physical contact remain off limits.
SF Chronicle, April 29, 2020
The number of COVID-19 patients in Bay Area intensive care units has declined nearly 30% in three weeks, even as numbers of persons infected with the coronavirus statewide have increased in that time. State data reviewed by The Chronicle show there were 149 confirmed coronavirus patients in ICU care in the nine Bay Area counties Tuesday, down from a monthly peak of 212 patients on April 7.
East Bay Times, April 30, 2020
State and local emergency measures have protected renters from evictions, but the uncertainty of mounting debts as shelter in place orders have shuttered businesses and left workers without paychecks has prompted demands for greater relief. Hayward City Councilmember Aisha Wahad, a renter, said her family lost their home and business during the 2008 Great Recession. A repeat of that crisis without substantial government aid would devastate families for generations, she said. “Cities can do more and our state legislature can do more,” Wahad said. “And that isn’t happening.”
Berkeleyside, April 29, 2020
It’s a dizzying exercise to try to keep track of the
emergency legislation passed to prevent evictions
during the pandemic. An
eviction moratorium
passed this month by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors bans evictions during the pandemic for any reason other than a non-COVID-19 health or safety issue. Tenants who keep their jobs but miss rent payments can’t be handed eviction notices until 90 days after the moratorium was passed or when the shelter-in-place order expires. That order gives tenants a full year to pay off their debt.
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NBC News, April 29, 2020
An experimental drug for the coronavirus has a proven benefit, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases."The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery," Fauci said at the White House. Fauci said the remdesivir study group was able to be discharged from the hospital within 11 days, on average, compared to 15 days in the placebo group. "What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus," Fauci said.
Nature, April 29, 2020
Despite conflicting data, results from largest trial that show the antiviral speeds up recovery will make the treatment a standard of care in the United States. Gilead began to ramp up production of remdesivir well before the NIAID results. By the end of March, the company had produced enough to treat 30,000 patients. By streamlining its manufacturing process and finding new sources of raw materials, Gilead announced that it hoped to produce enough remdesivir to treat more than a million people by the end of the year. That calculation was based on the assumption that people would take the drug for 10 days, but new results suggest that a 5-day course of treatment could work just as well. If so, that would effectively double the number of people who could be treated.
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Nature, April 30, 2020
While the fatality rate is highest among seniors, children are as likely as adults to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 after close contact with an infected person, according to a study of people in Shenzhen, China. Researchers found that 7% of close contacts younger than age 10 became infected, roughly the same as in the population overall.
Washington Post, April 29, 2020
Toe rashes may be an early marker of disease, or possibly one that it has resolved and passed. Most patients with “Covid toes” were asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms. The cases tend to be mild and resolve on their own. Nearly all were children or adults in their 20s and 30s, a group that as a whole tends to have a less severe bodily response to the disease than their older counterparts.
Asymptomatic staff, untested at many nursing homes, are spreading the coronavirus
SF Chronicle, April 29, 2020
Nearly 33% of coronavirus deaths in California occur in nursing homes, residents and staff members, according to state figures. Testing in
nursing homes must be the state's top priority argues UCSF Dr. Charlene Harrington, “We can’t protect people otherwise. There are just way too many asymptomatic people.”
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Thousands of local researchers, scientists, and scholars have joined forces in an unprecedented level of cooperation to focus on fighting coronavirus. Usually taking years, the timeline for research and discovery on coronavirus-related solutions has been compressed to weeks in the hopes of saving as many lives as possible.
Efforts so far include a project that converted the design for a scuba mask into a reusable medical mask, an early detection system that uses social media to locate Covid-19 conspiracies and misinformation, and the establishment of a “Covid catalyst fund” to fund research without a lengthy application process.
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LA Times, April 29, 2020
Reopening California has been complicated because the coronavirus outbreak is behaving differently in various parts of the state.
The
San Francisco Bay Area
has seen consecutive weekly declines in the number of new cases, while Southern California has seen the pace of new cases increase. Los Angeles County has become the
heart of the coronavirus crisis
in California, recording more than 1,000 deaths. Even adjusted for its larger population, its rate of 9.9 deaths per 100,000 people is 80% higher than Santa Clara County.
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LA Times, April 29, 2020
Total deaths across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic are more than 9% higher than historical averages, according to
newly released federal statistics
,
suggesting the toll could be hundreds or even thousands of deaths more than what’s been attributed to the disease thus far. The new CDC data show roughly 4,500 additional deaths from all causes have occurred in 2020 over what would be expected from historical averages, according to a Times
analysis.
With the agency’s coronavirus death total for the state at 1,017 as of Monday, the difference of about 3,500 suggests a broader implication on mortality attributable to the disease, experts say.
Sacramento Bee, April 29, 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed Friday after tens of thousands of people flocked to the seashore last weekend during a heat wave despite his stay-at-home order, according to a memo sent Wednesday evening to police chiefs around the state. Eric Nuñez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said it was sent to give chiefs time to plan ahead of Newsom’s expected announcement Thursday.
Politico, April 29, 2020
California teachers unions are fighting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s suggestion that schools open this summer and making clear that they will have a say at the bargaining table.
The unions say teachers were stunned by Newsom’s suggestion Tuesday that
schools could reopen in July
in an attempt to help reduce learning gaps caused by the coronavirus and allow parents to return to work in a greater capacity.
Cal Matters, April 29, 2020
Despite investing more than any other state, California's response rate is off more than 10% from the final 2010 count. Even with extensions, there’s a possibility for a record low turnout that would sink the state's $187 million investment.
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Bloomberg, April 30, 2020
Millions more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, sending the six-week total above 30 million since the coronavirus pandemic began to shutter businesses across the country. Initial jobless claims totaled 3.84 million in the week ended April 25 following 4.44 million in the prior week, according to Labor Department figures Thursday. The number of claims, assuming each person is counted as unemployed, could imply a jobless rate of around 22%, which would be the highest since the Great Depression in the 1930s. That’s also far above the peak of 10% reached in 2009.
Reuters, April 29, 2020
U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 60,000 on Wednesday and the outbreak will soon be deadlier than any flu season since 1967, according to a Reuters tally. America's worst flu season in recent years was in 2017-2018 when more than 61,000 people died, according to the CDC. The only deadlier flu seasons were in 1967 when about 100,000 Americans died, 1957 when 116,000 died and the Spanish flu of 1918 when 675,000 died.
The Hill, April 30, 2020
The business community is pressuring the White House and Congress to shield companies from lawsuits as they seek to reopen. Major labor unions like the SEIU and AFL-CIO also have been vocal against companies providing inadequate protections for workers during the pandemic.
USA Today, April 29, 2020
Starting May 4, most Costco locations and gas stations will return to regular operating hours, which vary by location. But customers and employees alike will be required to wear face-coverings or masks.
Associated Press, April 29, 2020
Even though officials have stressed infection and death rates inside prisons are lower compared with outside, new figures provided by the Bureau of Prisons show that out of 2,700 tests systemwide, nearly 2,000 have come back positive, strongly suggesting there are far more COVID-19 cases left uncovered.
WBZ4 (CBS Boston), April 28, 2020
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said on Tuesday the state will not reopen on May 4. Instead, the date for non-essential businesses to remain closed due to
coronavirus
has been pushed back to May 18. The stay-at-home advisory remains in place as well. There have been 3,405 coronavirus deaths and 60, 255 total cases in Massachusetts.
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Associated Press, April 29, 2020
The U.K. has the third-highest coronavirus death toll in the world after the British government published new figures Wednesday that include deaths outside of hospitals. After factoring in deaths in all settings such as care homes, the number of people in Britain who have died after testing positive for the virus has now hit 26,097, way ahead of the 21,678 announced on Tuesday. Until now, hospital deaths have been reported daily, while deaths in nursing homes and other settings were reported separately on a weekly basis. Under the new measurement, the U.K. has leapfrogged Spain and France in Europe, with only Italy ahead. The U.S. has the world’s highest death toll.
The Guardian, April 30, 2020
South Korea has reported no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since February. The nation's caseload has been slowing in recent weeks after it recorded hundreds of new cases every day between late February and early March. The government has subsequently relaxed some of its social distancing guidelines. It expected to ease up on more restrictions in coming days if its caseload maintains a decline.
Reuters, April 29, 2020
Vietnam, a country of 96 million people which shares a border with China, is signaling that it has succeeded where many wealthier and more developed countries have not by containing the new coronavirus. The government is officially reporting a relatively small 270 cases and zero deaths. That puts the country on course to revive its economy much sooner than most others.
Associated Press, April 30, 2020
Brazil’s virtually uncontrolled surge of COVID-19 cases is spawning fear that construction workers, truck drivers and tourists from Latin America’s biggest nation will spread the disease to neighboring countries that are doing a better job of controlling the coronavirus. Brazil has reported more than 70,000 cases and more than 5,000 deaths, far more than any of its neighbors.
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Politico, April 29, 2020
The Trump administration’s “Stay at Home” guidelines will quietly expire Thursday with little fanfare — letting states decide what’s next. But as President Donald Trump repeatedly declares that “we’re opening our country again,” the inconsistent patchwork of state, local and business decision-making is exactly what could drive a second wave of the coronavirus — or potentially prolong the current outbreak.
Amanda Mull, staff writer, The Atlantic, April 29, 2020
Public-health officials broadly agree that reopening businesses—especially those that require close physical contact, in places where the virus has already spread
will kill people
. By acting with particular haste in what he calls a crucial move to restore economic stability, Gov. Kemp has positioned Georgia at the center of a national fight over whether to stay the course with social distancing or try to return to some semblance of normalcy.
STAT, April 29, 2020
On Wednesday Gilead Sciences, best known as a maker of HIV medicines, sent out a 177-word press release that led to a sigh of relief around the world: A
study
had shown that its experimental drug, remdesivir, had reduced the time it took for patients with Covid-19 to get better. O’Day joined STAT on a Zoom call to answer his critics and to offer assurance. “We’re going to make sure that access is not an issue with this medicine,” he said, promising again and again that Gilead takes its responsibility seriously.
NY Times, April 29, 2020
The executive order, which allows the Department of Agriculture to invoke the Defense Production Act, does not explicitly mandate that plants stay open, but it signals that the decisions around whether to close or reopen a plant should be driven by the federal government, not local authorities. The action followed weeks of lobbying behind the scenes and in public by meat companies led by Tyson Foods, a beef, pork and chicken processor that generates $40 billion in annual revenue.
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The ever changing scarves of White House's coronavirus taskforce coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx have gained their own following on Instagram.
@deborahbirxscarves
created Victoria Strout of Texas has over 35,000 followers. “It’s a combination of people that admire Dr Birx and also like scarves,” Strout told
The Guardian
. “It’s kind of created its own little community, which has been really fun and something I absolutely didn’t expect.”
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Chris Erskine, columnist for LA Times,
writes
:
"In the last few weeks, this lowbrow national comedy show has prompted cultural critics to ask what they always ask in the midst of a national trauma. Is it appropriate? How soon is too soon? But anyone who has poured through their social media accounts in search of a moment of levity might ask a different question: Why do we keep laughing at simple, crowd-sourced content made in somebody’s bathtub?
'No one is making jokes about the disease,' says Karen North, a clinical professor of digital social media at USC. 'People are making jokes about our hugely altered lifestyles.'"
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Donate PPE To Area Hospitals
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Hospitals throughout the East Bay are experiencing
a shortage of medical supplies. They are seeking donations of new Protective Personal Equipment (masks, gowns and other products). For more information visit:
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Your feedback is welcome. Please share the Bulletin.
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The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed
by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please share our bulletin with your contacts. If you would like to submit feedback or stories on the local response to the pandemic,
please contact bulletin editor Stephen Cassidy at
stephen.cassidy@ethd.org
. And if you are operating a local food bank and would like your organization profiled in our nonprofit spotlight, please contact us.
The
Eden Health District Board of Directors
are Gordon Galvan, Chair, Mariellen Faria, Vice Chair, Charles Gilcrest, Secretary, Roxann Lewis and Pam Russo. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
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