COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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“We are starting to see the horizon beyond the surge, with cases starting to plateau in the last week, albeit at very high levels, still higher than other earlier phases of this pandemic. It’s as if we’re still at the top of a mountain, having to climb down it before we can rest.”
San Mateo County Chief of Health Louise Rogers
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Vacancy On The Eden Health District Board of Directors
Due to the resignation of Varsha Chauhan, there is a vacancy on the Board of Directors of Eden Health District. Eligibility requirements to be appointed to the Eden Health District Board stipulate a person must be a resident of, and registered to vote in, the District, which comprises the communities of Castro Valley, Hayward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, and the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland and Fairview. The term for the person appointed to the Eden Health District board due to this vacancy runs until the November, 2022 election. Persons interested in being considered for appointment to the District Board of Directors should contact Barbara Adranly, District Clerk, Eden Health District, by email or at (510) 538-2031, ext. 201, for details on submitting an application and statement of interest/qualifications. Applications must be received no later than Friday, January 28, 2022. Get more details
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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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Here’s Where In The Bay Area Omicron Is Still Surging
The winter Omicron surge appears to have peaked in most parts of the Bay Area — but a few counties are still at a plateau, indicating the region is not entirely out of the most meteoric phase of the pandemic. While slipping downward, case numbers are still at a strikingly high level, especially in Marin, Sonoma and Solano counties, where the count appears to have stalled over the past few days. SF Chronicle Read more
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"Stealth Omicron" Sub-Variant Found In Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County health officials Tuesday said they have identified two COVID-19 cases of a worrisome sub-lineage of the fast-spreading omicron variant. Health officials had little information Tuesday about the two cases of the sub-lineage, known as BA.2, and said it’s not yet known whether it is more transmissible or virulent than the dominant omicron sub-lineage, known as BA.1. "The BA.2 sub-lineage is much rarer, but has begun to pop up in places, including California and Santa Clara County and other places around the world,” Santa Clara County Deputy Health Officer Dr. George Han said Tuesday. Mercury News Read more
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"Get The Shot," Pleads Oakland Minister And COVID Survivor
Lady Yvonne Willis had just spent the summer mostly breathing through a portable oxygen tank with assistance from her children. “That in itself was just so demeaning,” said the Oakland native, and pastor, as she recalled her harrowing journey with COVID at a virtual gathering of Black women organizations, leaders and COVID survivors back in September. Like Willis, Chubby Powe also recounted his personal battle with COVID, hooked onto a respirator for weeks. “Get the shot,” pleaded Powe, a minister and small-business owner. “You would be unwise to walk through playing Russian Roulette with your life.” Berkeleyside Read more
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Oakland School District Reaches Agreement With Teachers Union On COVID Safety, Avoiding A Strike
The Oakland Unified School District and the teachers union reached an agreement Monday night on COVID-19 safety measures, averting a possible strike amid a student boycott and after a series of teacher “sickouts.” OUSD said it reached its 10th agreement with the Oakland Education Association since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a Tuesday news release. The agreement is scheduled to be voted on by OEA members before being ratified by the Board of Education. East Bay Times
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Alameda County Scam Alert: Beware Of Unauthorized COVID Testing Sites
As the demand for COVID testing increases, consumers should be wary of unauthorized “pop-up” COVID testing sites. Warning signs that a pop-up testing site may be unauthorized include: asking for too much information; unsanitary conditions; and not returning tests in a timely manner. In addition, pop-up sites should be able to provide the name and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification number of the laboratory used to process their tests. Office of the Alameda County District Attorney
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Free Tax Help For Bay Area Families
The Federal and California Earned Income Tax Credits (Cal EITC) are cash-back tax credits for working people that provide a critical boost in income. Free Tax Help Bay Area ensures that all of our clients access these credits, along with California’s Young Child Tax Credit which is available to working Californians with young children.
In 2022, the Cal EITC and Young Child Tax Credit will be available to all eligible working Californians, including younger workers, those over 65, and those filing a tax return with an ITIN. California residents who made less than $30,000 in 2021 may be eligible for up to $8,000 in state and federal tax credits, depending on income and family size. Get help
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COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Drive Is Faltering In The U.S.
The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious Omicron variant. Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week. Also, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are more likely to see the initial vaccinations — rather than a booster — as essential. AP Read more
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Pfizer Begins Study Testing Omicron Vaccine In People
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech have started a trial evaluating an adapted version of their COVID-19 vaccine that targets the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The drugmakers said Tuesday they began enrolling adults ages 18 to 55 in the U.S. and South Africa to examine the safety, tolerability and immune response generated by the vaccine if it is given either as a primary series or as a booster dose. One subject has already received the shot, Pfizer said. Initial study results are expected in the first half of the year, Pfizer said. The drugmaker could ask U.S. regulators for authorization and begin distribution in March, should the Omicron-targeted shot prove to work safely, Chief Executive Albert Bourla has said. Wall Street Journal Read more
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Biden Administration Withdraws COVID Vaccine Mandate For Businesses After Losing Supreme Court Case
The Biden administration is formally withdrawing its vaccine and testing mandate for businesses, after the Supreme Court blocked the requirements earlier this month. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will pull the rule for businesses effective Wednesday, Jan. 26, the agency said in a statement posted to its website Tuesday. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that OSHA had exceeded its authority. CNBC Read more
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Bill Would Eliminate COVID-19 Vaccine Personal Belief Exemption For California Students
California legislators will soon debate a proposal that would require all students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to attend schools, eliminating the state’s existing personal belief exemption. The bill would add COVID-19 to the list of vaccines that students must get to enroll in public or private schools, starting Jan. 1, 2023. It would apply to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, unveiled the proposal Monday during a news conference with teachers at a school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Pan, a pediatrician, has long been the Legislature’s most outspoken advocate for tighter vaccine requirements. SF Chronicle Read more
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It's Very Difficult To Get Access To Antiviral COVID Treatments
Antiviral COVID treatments are hailed as a pandemic game-changer, but they're currently in very short supply — and that's only one of several barriers to access for high-risk patients. Even when supply ramps up, it will still be tricky to connect some of the most vulnerable patients to the pills without changes to the process. Recently approved antivirals reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by up to 89%. Axios Read more
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Government Medical Advisers Urge ICE To Expand COVID-19 Vaccinations For Immigrant Detainees
Two medical advisers for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implored the U.S. government on Wednesday to expand COVID-19 vaccination access and other mitigation measures at immigration detention centers, where infections have surged by over 800% in 2022, according to a whistleblower disclosure obtained by CBS News. CBS Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Omicron Blazes Through California Child Care Providers Already Reeling From COVID
Child care providers already were struggling to meet demand even before COVID’s Omicron variant tore through California — forcing shutdowns and stranding parents whose own jobs depend on their ability to find child care. One day last week in San Diego County, only three of 22 sites operated by Educational Enrichment Systems could be open, said Celine Krimston, a vice president at the company. The rest were temporarily shuttered because of positive COVID cases or exposures among staff or children. CalMatters Read more
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How Long Is Omicron’s Incubation Period?
As we learn more about the Omicron variant, it appears to have some significant differences from Delta and other coronavirus variants that came before. One big difference is the kinds of symptoms that show up, especially in vaccinated people. Another difference, early research shows, is the virus’ incubation period. An incubation period is the amount of time between when you’re exposed to a virus and when symptoms start to show. A small study by the Centers for Disease Control found that Omicron’s incubation appears to be about a day shorter than Delta’s. With delta, the incubation time was typically about four days; with Omicron, the period shortened to three days. KRON4 Read more
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Seniors Are At High Risk Of COVID, But Medicare Doesn't Pay For Rapid Tests
What group is especially vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19 even if fully vaccinated and boosted? Seniors. And who will have an especially tough time getting free at-home COVID tests under the Biden administration's plan? Yes, seniors. As of Jan. 15, private insurers will cover the cost of eight at-home rapid COVID tests each month for their members — for as long as the public health emergency lasts. Finding the tests will be hard enough, but Medicare beneficiaries face an even bigger hurdle: The administration's new rule doesn't apply to them. NPR Read more
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Early Evidence Suggests Omicron Infection Could Give People "Superimmunity" Against Future Coronavirus Variants, But Experts Warn COVID-19 Is Still Unpredictable
As people rack up boosters and breakthroughs, immunity has become a complicated buzzword in our coronavirus vocabulary. "Breakthrough" infections surprised a small portion of the vaccinated population and showed us all that our protection is not necessarily variant-proof, although vaccines still work well for preventing severe outcomes. However, emerging evidence suggests there may be a silver lining for people who got COVID after vaccination: People who are fully vaccinated and have immunity from a prior COVID-19 infection seem to be very well protected against future infection. Business Insider Read more
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COVID-19 Sick Pay In California Would Return Under Deal Between Newsom, Lawmakers
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers reached an agreement Tuesday to again require employers to provide workers with up to two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave to recover from COVID-19 or care for a family member with the virus.The legislation, which lawmakers would likely fast-track to the governor in the coming weeks, would apply to all businesses with 26 or more employees. A similar law from 2021 that provided 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave expired Sept. 30. LA Times
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Super Bowl Guests To Get KN95 Masks At SoFi Stadium
Face masks will be given to spectators watching the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, officials announced Tuesday, to ensure COVID-19 protocols are met at the event, which is a little more than two weeks away. The masks — KN95 varieties — will be handed out as part of health and safety plans ahead of the Feb. 13 game. LA Times Read more
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Dying Man Removed From Heart Transplant List Because He's Not Vaccinated
A hospital in Boston has removed a 31-year-old father from a heart transplant list because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. DJ Ferguson is near death and was at the top of the list, but officials at Brigham and Women's Hospital said he is not eligible for the transplant unless he gets vaccinated. iHeart
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COVID-19 Strain: Healthcare Workers Increasingly Seek Mental Health Help
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen a steep decrease in mental health across different groups, while new research finds doctors are also reaching their limits during the pandemic. Canadian researchers analyzed anonymous data from an Ontario database involving 34,000 physicians who had 50,000 mental health visits during the first year of the pandemic. Healthline
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,103,754
California: 8,036,220
U.S.: 72,477,749
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,375,706
Total Cases: 211,053
Total Deaths: 1,591
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 15.9%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 1/26): 447
ICU Beds Available (as of 1/26): 75
As of January 26, cases have increased recently and are extremely high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also risen in the Alameda County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted.
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 7,162
California: 79,037
U.S.: 874,510
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,351,191
Total Cases: 167,648
Total Deaths: 1,095
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 19.6%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 1/26): 283
ICU Beds Available (as of 1/26): 17
As of January 26, cases have stayed about the same recently and are still extremely high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has risen in the Contra Costa County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. NY Times
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How Long You Can Wear An N95 Mask, And How To Sanitize It
You’re ready to swap your old cloth masks for N95s as some experts recommend, but the higher price tag and two little words — “single use” — are giving you pause. How long can you really wear an N95 and still protect yourself and others from COVID-19 risk? “I wear mine for a week,” said Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech. Mercury News Read more
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- 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.
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A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
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An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.
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Over the past week, Alameda County has averaged 3,282 new cases and 2.6 new death per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 2,024 new cases and 1 new deaths per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 1/26/2022
Oakland: 62,937
Hayward: 28,076
Fremont: 20,608
San Leandro: 12,997
Eden MAC: 12,067
Livermore: 10,738
Berkeley: 9,840
Union City: 9,229
Castro Valley: 7,171
Newark: 6,472
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 1/26/2022
Richmond: 25,050
Antioch: 22,684
Concord: 17,995
Pittsburg: 14,833
San Pablo: 10,662
Brentwood: 10,171
Oakley: 8,439
Walnut Creek: 8,077
San Ramon: 6,985
Bay Point: 5,649
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About Eden Health District |
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The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Chair Mariellen Faria, Vice Chair Pam Russo, Secretary/Treasurer Roxann Lewis, Gordon Galvan and Varsha Chauhan. 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.
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