COVID-19
breaking news & updates
|
|
|
COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
|
|
|
Bay Area Colleges Divided On Public Health Unmasking Orders
Elementary, middle and high school kids will soon be pulling off their masks, but young adults and twenty-somethings will have to keep them on at some local universities and colleges. San Jose State and San Francisco State are among several Bay Area colleges maintaining tougher face-covering rules than the state and local counties. Those schools will require students to keep their masks on at least for the rest of the spring. State and local public health officials across the region and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention have all issued guidance they will no longer require masks to protect against COVID-19 in public settings. East Bay Times Read more
|
|
|
S.F. Public Schools Will Lift Mask Mandate, Reversing Earlier Stance
In a sudden about face, San Francisco public school officials announced Friday they would move to a voluntary mask policy starting on March 12, aligning with the state’s decision to drop the mandate. The district, after discussions with several labor unions, will allow middle and high school students to ditch masks when the state mandate lifts, with elementary schools and all other sites following on April 2. The decision is a reversal of the district's stance last week that it would retain the mandate indefinitely.
|
|
|
Bay Area Traffic Patterns Show How Much The Region Lags The U.S. In Returning To Offices
While commuters are once again clogging roadways at pre-pandemic levels in many U.S. cities, traffic congestion in the Bay Area hasn’t seen a similar rebound. According to data from location technology company TomTom, San Francisco ranked fifth among large cities in the nation in 2021 for traffic congestion, down from fourth in 2020 and third in 2019. The city’s big Bay Area neighbor to the south, San Jose, saw a much larger decline, with its traffic congestion ranking dropping all the way to No. 30 in 2021 after registering at No. 6 in 2020 and No. 4 in 2019. SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
East Bay Landlords Sue To Overturn COVID Eviction Bans
A group of East Bay landlords is suing Alameda County and the city of Oakland, hoping to overturn two of California’s strongest remaining eviction bans. The city and the county, like many others throughout the state, placed a moratorium on most evictions early in the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to prevent people from ending up homeless as the economy floundered and many tenants struggled to pay rent. Now, two years into the pandemic, tenants’ rights groups argue those protections are still just as important as ever. But a collection of landlords, who filed suit this week in federal court, say the eviction bans have outlived their purpose and are being abused by tenants.
|
|
|
Bay Area Organizers Work To Officiate "National COVID Memorial Day"
Nearly one million people have died of COVID-19 in the United States and a number of victims' families in the Bay Area are now working to make a National COVID Memorial Day. Nora Juarez-Faddis of Hayward lost both her dad and father-in-law to coronavirus on the same day, April 29, 2021. “For our family it was traumatic. It was extremely traumatic,” she said. “Our children lost their grandfathers, both of their grandfathers on the same day.” Almost six million have died from the virus around the globe and in the U.S. that number is more than 955,0000, each with a family upended by their loss. NBC Bay Area Read more
|
|
Google And Twitter Reopenings Launch Grand Experiment On The Future Of Silicon Valley Work
A grand Silicon Valley experiment in how and where work will be done in a post-pandemic world has just gotten underway, with technology giants Google and Twitter this week announcing sharply different office reopening plans as other local firms wrestle with how and when to bring workers back to company desks. Google wants most workers back in its Bay Area offices for three days a week in a “hybrid” workplace scheme, while Twitter said it would open all offices March 15 but let most employees come in whenever they wish — or even work full time and permanently from home. East Bay Times Read more
|
|
|
As Vaccine Demand Falls, States Are Left With Huge Stockpile
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines collapses in many areas of the U.S., states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire and have to be added to the millions that have already gone to waste. From some of the least vaccinated states, like Indiana and North Dakota, to some of the most vaccinated states, like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around in the hopes of finding providers that can use them. State health departments told The Associated Press they have tracked millions of doses that went to waste, including ones that expired, were in a multi-dose vial that couldn’t be used completely or had to be tossed for some other reason like temperature issues or broken vials. AP Read more
|
|
|
The F.D.A. Rejects An India-Made COVID Vaccine For Those Under 18
The American pharmaceutical company Ocugen said on Friday that the Food and Drug Administration had rejected its application seeking emergency authorization for an India-made COVID vaccine for those ages 2 to 18. The vaccine, made by the Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech, has not yet been tested in the United States, nor has it been authorized for any age groups in the United States. It is not clear if the vaccine has a path forward with American regulators, when the country already has a surplus of authorized doses. NY Times Read more
|
|
|
When Teens Blow Off Parents’ Pleas To Get Vaccinated, The Consequences Can Be Deadly
Kennedy Stonum, a high school junior, deflected repeated entreaties from her father to please just get vaccinated against COVID-19. “I would send her articles. I would send her studies. I would send her whatever I thought might either scare her enough about COVID to get the vaccine or allay her concerns enough about the vaccine,” said Lee Stonum, 41, a public defender in Orange County, California. His mother, who lives in Cleveland, also sent emails to her granddaughter urging her to get the shots.
|
|
|
High Demand For Drug To Prevent COVID-19 In The Vulnerable, Yet Doses Go Unused
Sasha Mallett, Sue Taylor and Kimberly Cooley all have immune deficiencies that make them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and all have tried to get the same thing: a new treatment that can prevent the disease in people who either cannot produce antibodies after receiving a coronavirus vaccine or cannot get vaccinated at all. Cooley, a liver transplant recipient in Duck Hill, Mississippi, got the antibody drug, called Evusheld, from her transplant team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center with no trouble. But Taylor, of Cincinnati, was denied the treatment by two hospitals near her home. And Mallett, a physician in Portland, Oregon, had to drive five hours to a hospital willing to give her a dose. Mercury News Read more
|
|
|
Behind The Scenes Of The Pfizer Vaccine
At the New York labs of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla showed correspondent Alina Cho where scientists are working on the next generation of COVID vaccines, testing vaccinated and unvaccinated cell samples against new variants. These are the same labs where they helped pioneer the original vaccine. Think back to two years ago, as COVID-19 spread across the world, when the normal timeline for the development of a vaccine was eight to ten years. CBS News Read more
|
|
How Many COVID Vaccines Have Gone To Waste? Millions In The U.S. Alone—And The Total Is Climbing
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines collapses in many areas of the U.S., states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire and have to be added to the millions that have already gone to waste. From some of the least vaccinated states, like Indiana and North Dakota, to some of the most vaccinated states, like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around in the hopes of finding providers that can use them. Forbes Read more
|
|
|
State/National/International News |
|
COVID-19 Deaths In California Among Vaccinated Rose Sharply With Omicron
During a three-week stretch at the height of this winter’s devastating Omicron case surge, Santa Cruz County health officials lost 10 patients to COVID-19. All but one were vaccinated, and five had received booster shots. As the Omicron wave recedes, California data reveal an unsettling trend. Compared to the Delta variant case surge last summer, deaths among the vaccinated rose sharply with Omicron, a variant said by many experts to cause milder illness. A Bay Area News Group analysis of state COVID-19 deaths found that in the four deadliest weeks of the Delta and Omicron surges, the number of unvaccinated people who died were nearly identical, and far higher than the totals for the vaccinated. Even so, three times more vaccinated people died during the Omicron peak than during Delta’s heyday. Mercury News Read more
|
|
|
For People Who Never Got COVID, What Are The Odds They Never Will? Here’s What Experts Say
As pandemic restrictions ease, some of the estimated 57% of Americans who have not yet contracted the virus may be wondering: If I start to live more like normal — going mask-free at restaurants, shopping and even parties — what are the odds that I will never get COVID-19? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently estimated that around 43% of people in the U.S., or about 140 million people, have been infected with the coronavirus, which leaves almost 60% never having had it. The estimate counts each person once, so some of the more than 140 million Americans estimated to have had COVID may have been infected more than once. SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
The Surgeon General Calls On Big Tech To Turn Over COVID-19 Misinformation Data
President Biden’s surgeon general on Thursday formally requested that the major tech platforms submit information about the scale of COVID-19 misinformation on social networks, search engines, crowdsourced platforms, e-commerce platforms and instant messaging systems. A request for information from the surgeon general’s office demanded that tech platforms send data and analysis on the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation on their sites, starting with common examples of vaccine misinformation documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NY Times Read more
|
|
|
Millions Of Californians At Risk Of Losing Health Coverage When Federal COVID Programs End
Millions of Californians could lose or transition into new health coverage as two federal programs that helped many keep or afford insurance are set to expire this year. Two to three million Californians could lose their Medi-Cal coverage, some as soon as this summer, after the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency ends, now scheduled for next month. In addition, 150,000 Californians might not be able to afford their Covered California health plans unless federal subsidies from the American Rescue Plan, which are set to expire at the end of this year, are renewed, according to a report released Wednesday. CalMatters Read more
|
|
|
Only 16% Of California's COVID Rent Relief Applicants Have Received Their Checks, New Study Finds
California is far behind in its efforts to help people with COVID 19-related hardships pay their back rent. That’s according to a report out this week from the National Equity Atlas, which found that a year into the state’s rent relief program, only 16% of applicants have received any money, largely due to bureaucratic delays. The analysis is based on data from the state's Housing and Community Development Department tracking all rental assistance applications submitted through Feb. 23, 2022. It shows that hundreds of thousands of applicants are still waiting for rent relief. KQED Read more
|
|
|
Top U.S. Health Officials Say They Intend To Offer Other Nations Tech That Might Be Used Against COVID
Top federal health officials said Thursday that they intended to begin offering low and middle-income nations access to the technology developed by government scientists that might be used to prevent or treat COVID-19. They did not specify which technologies might be included, but hinted that the policy could eventually apply to the Moderna vaccine if the Biden administration won a patent dispute with the company.
|
|
|
The Post-COVID Era May Present Special Challenges For Seniors
Glimpses of life after the COVID-19 pandemic are coming into view.
New COVID-19 cases as well as hospitalizations and deaths are on the decline. Mask mandates are also ending at businesses, entertainment venues, and, in some cases, school classrooms. The news does put some people in a quandary about what to do in terms of mask wearing, attending indoor events, and seeing friends again. These questions can be particularly acute when it comes to the emotional well-being of adults 65 years and older, who tend to be at risk of experiencing severe illness more often. Many have spent the past 2 years at home and still fear the potential effects of the coronavirus because they know someone who was hospitalized for COVID-19 or who died from the disease. Healthline Read more
|
|
|
Virginia Senator Says He Has Long COVID And Introduces A Bill To Help Those Struggling With It
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who says he has long Covid, introduced a bill this week to help those who have long-term symptoms from the disease. The Virginia Democrat said ever since he contracted the coronavirus in March 2020, he's had full-body nerve tingling "like 24/7." "I describe it as like every nerve has had five cups of coffee, and it just hadn't gone away," he explained. "I can feel every nerve ending in my body right now." CNN Read more
|
|
New Mexico Man Returns Home After More Than 500 Days In Hospital Due To COVID
A New Mexico man has returned home after spending more than 500 days in the hospital battling COVID. Donnell Hunter spent more than a year hospitalized, finally leaving Kindred Hospital Albuquerque, according to NBC News affiliate KOB4. As Hunter returned home, neighbors lined the road with signs of encouragement. His return even garnered a police escort "I can’t even put it into words," Hunter told KOB4 of his return home. NBC News Read more
|
|
|
Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,273,645
California: 9,005,322
U.S.: 79,289,638
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,530,686
Total Cases: 254,779
Total Deaths: 1,776
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 2.5%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 3/7): 108
ICU Beds Available (as of 3/7): 84
As of March 7, cases have decreased recently but are still high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen in the Alameda County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is relatively low, suggesting that testing capacity is adequate for evaluating COVID-19 spread in the area. NY Times
|
|
Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 7,923
California: 86,286
U.S.: 958,890
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,447,221
Total Cases: 188,630
Total Deaths: 1,256
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 3.6%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 3/7): 66
ICU Beds Available (as of 3/7): 36
As of March 7, cases have decreased recently but are still very high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have also fallen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted. NY Times
|
|
|
2 Years Of COVID-19 By The Numbers
Two years ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and life as we knew it changed in an instant. Countries locked down, schools met online, movie theaters went dark, workplaces shuttered, and hospitals became overrun with illness. We now know a lot more about the virus that causes COVID-19 and how to protect ourselves from the worst of it: We have lifesaving vaccines and disease-defeating treatments, and we know that good ventilation, high-quality masks and several feet of distance can help minimize its spread. Still, COVID-19 continues to play a role in the everyday lives of many — especially those who have lost loved ones or continue to battle the pandemic’s physical and mental toll. AARP Read more
|
|
|
- COVID-19 testing is a good idea, but keep in mind, people who test negative can still harbor the virus if they are early in their infection.
|
|
-
A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
-
An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.
|
|
|
Over the past week, Alameda County has averaged 165 new cases and 6.6 new death per day.
|
|
Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 157 new cases and 3.9 new deaths per day.
|
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 3/7/2022
Oakland: 74,899
Hayward: 33,308
Fremont: 25,868
San Leandro: 15,602
Eden MAC: 14,516
Berkeley: 12,964
Livermore: 12,762
Union City: 11,235
Castro Valley: 8,728
Alameda: 8,719
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 3/7/2022
Richmond: 27,842
Antioch: 25,383
Concord: 20,360
Pittsburg: 16,436
San Pablo: 11,891
Brentwood: 11,310
Oakley: 9,491
Walnut Creek: 9,311
San Ramon: 8,015
Martinez: 6,232
|
|
|
About Eden Health District |
|
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Chair Mariellen Faria, Vice Chair Pam Russo, Secretary/Treasurer Roxann Lewis, Gordon Galvan and Ed Hernandez. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
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.
We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact editor Lisa Mahoney.
|
|
|
Follow Us on Social Media |
|
|
|
|
|
|
