COVID-19
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Alameda County First Responders Face Vaccine Mandate
Get vaccinated or be tested: that's the latest mandate for first responders in Alameda County. They join neighboring counties like Santa Clara, San Francisco and Contra Costa with similar mandates for employees. Alameda County says getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and others from the virus and they are doubling down on that notion with a new vaccine mandate for employees engaged in 9-1-1 ambulance transport, non-emergency medical transport and first responders (including law enforcement and fire). "Having people vaccinated when you're exposed to thousands of people, whether it be in our jail setting or out in the public, makes everyone safer," Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern said. "It makes first responders safer and the people that we come in contact safer if everyone is vaccinated." ABC7 News Read more
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Santa Clara County Offers COVID Vaccine Booster To All Adults
When federal health authorities authorized COVID-19 vaccine boosters in September, they said the extra shots should be given to older adults or people at high risk. But Santa Clara County health officials took that a step further Wednesday, saying they will give any adult vaccinated six or more months ago another dose. It was a bold pronouncement that once again puts Santa Clara County at the forefront of battling the virus, with a more generous interpretation of the federal and state booster eligibility guidelines than is being used elsewhere. “No one will be turned away who wants a booster,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s COVID-19 vaccine officer, setting new rules for county vaccination clinics. Mercury News Read more
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Thousands Of Northern California Teachers And School Staff Are Still Unvaccinated For COVID
Thousands of Bay Area teachers and other school staff have not been vaccinated for COVID-19, and state officials have not explained why they’re waiting to make the shots mandatory for educators. Gov. Gavin Newsom has already made the vaccine a requirement for all K-12 students once it’s fully approved for those age groups by federal officials, but so far, the adults in classrooms and on public and private school campuses don’t have to get the shot, despite full authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for those 16 and older. SF Chronicle Read more
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Sonoma County Launches School-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Mason Keller had the perfect analogy for the pain he felt when he got the COVID-19 vaccine shot Tuesday. “The shot felt like I forgot to wear green for St. Patrick’s Day and someone took the pinching a little too far,” the smiling seven-year-old said as he moved his arm up and down to ease the discomfort. Mason, a student at Guerneville Elementary School, was among dozens of Sonoma County school children who received pediatric COVID-19 inoculations at the county’s first school-based vaccine clinic. The clinic was held in the school’s multipurpose room. The Press Democrat Read more
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Santa Clara County Jails See Biggest COVID-19 Surge Since January
The Santa Clara County jail system is seeing its largest surge in COVID-19 cases since a string of record-setting outbreaks in January, underscoring the ongoing infection risk in custody environments even amid wide availability of vaccines. There were 60 active cases in the county jails as of Monday, with the majority reported at the Elmwood men’s jail in Milpitas, according to county data and accounts from family members of people being held in the jails. The biggest one-day surge of the last nine months was on Nov. 2, when 15 new in-custody infections were recorded. In the next five days, at least 45 new cases surfaced. Mercury News Read more
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Should You Fly This Holiday Season? Here's What Bay Area Experts Say
After sticking close to home for the holidays last year, millions of people will take to the skies this year to reunite with families and make up for lost travel time. The three major Bay Area airports anticipate a significant spike in passenger traffic over the next few weeks as vaccination rates steady and carriers increase their flight schedules. But at a time when COVID-19 cases are creeping back up in the region - a possible early indicator of another winter surge - is it safe to fly again? How about those with unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children, or who may be more vulnerable to severe illnesses? SF Chronicle Read more
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Cal’s Home Game Vs. USC Postponed Because Of Additional COVID-19 Cases
Cal’s home football game scheduled for Saturday against USC has been postponed until next month because of additional COVID-19 cases that have left the Bears without enough players to field a team, the school announced Tuesday afternoon.
The Bears were without seven starters and 24 players, including quarterback Chase Garbers, as well as several coaches because of a combination of injuries and COVID protocols over the weekend in a 10-3 loss at Arizona. Additional players on Tuesday tested positive, according to Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton, who Tuesday night said “it left us with an inability to compete safely.” East Bay Times
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Why It May Be Hard To Get Your COVID Booster Of Choice Right Away In The Bay Area
In the days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended COVID-19 booster shots for higher-risk Moderna recipients like himself, Louie Cinti of San Francisco called the clinic where he’d originally gotten his first two Moderna shots in hopes of getting his Moderna booster there as well. He said he was told on three separate occasions to either call back to check, or that the clinic was not yet offering the Moderna booster. So he went online and found a nearby vaccine clinic in the Excelsior, booked a Moderna booster appointment for the next day, and got it Saturday. SF Chronicle Read more
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White House Says About 900,000 Kids Ages 5 to 11 Got A COVID Vaccine In First Week
About 900,000 kids ages 5 to 11 have received their first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine since U.S. regulators cleared the shots for the younger age group last week, the White House said Wednesday. Roughly 700,000 more young children have appointments at local pharmacies to get their shots, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters. “Families across the country are breathing giant sighs of relief,” he said during a White House briefing on the pandemic, adding the Biden administration will continue to work with states and health-care providers to provide more doses. CNBC Read more
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Protein-Based Novavax Coronavirus Vaccine Simple And A Likely Pandemic Game-Changer
A protein-based vaccine platform used for decades to guard against hepatitis and shingles could be a pandemic game changer. Novavax is preparing to seek approval of their protein-based vaccine for COVID-19. And, in a user-friendly development, it comes with no major side effects. That means no headaches, fevers, nausea or chills associated with mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. The journal Nature reports the Maryland company has already filed for use in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, and Indonesia just awarded emergency use authorization. East Bay Times Read more
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Moderna And U.S. At Odds Over Vaccine Patent Rights
Moderna and the National Institutes of Health are in a bitter dispute over who deserves credit for inventing the central component of the company’s powerful coronavirus vaccine, a conflict that has broad implications for the vaccine’s long-term distribution and billions of dollars in future profits. The vaccine grew out of a four-year collaboration between Moderna and the N.I.H., the government’s biomedical research agency - a partnership that was widely hailed when the shot was found to be highly effective. A year ago this month, the government called it the “N.I.H.-Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.”
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Here's Why People With Depression And Mood Disorders Now Qualify For COVID Booster Shots
Millions of people who experience mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are now eligible for COVID booster shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added mood disorders to the eligibility criteria in October, a step seen by experts as an important addition that recognizes the linkage between mental and physical health, a connection too often overlooked by the public. Prior to this action, eligibility for booster shots was limited to adults 65 and older, people with immunocompromising diseases and those who work in high-risk or long term care settings. SF Chronicle Read more
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Surgeon General Releases Guide To Combating COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation
The government's top doctor released a step-by-step toolkit Tuesday morning to help people combat misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines in their own close circles. "We need people in communities all across our country to have these conversations," Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said. The guide provides a road map for vaccinated people to talk to unvaccinated people who have bought into conspiracy theories or lies that spread on the internet about the COVID-19 vaccines. ABC News Read more
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The Vaccine Mandate Kicks In At 100 Employees. What If You’re At 98?
Christie Thompson’s company, which sells and services semitrailers, is looking to fill a handful of open positions. But the challenge isn’t just finding qualified workers. Currently, 98 people work at the company. Adding two more employees would mean crossing the 100-person threshold that the Biden administration set as its standard for compliance with a new rule requiring large companies to mandate coronavirus vaccines. “As the person who’d be in charge of making all this work, it’d be a nightmare,” said Ms. Thompson. NY Times Read more
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State/National/International News
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COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising In Parts Of California, A Potentially Ominous Sign
COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen significantly in the Inland Empire and Central Valley, bringing new concerns about whether the shift represents a precursor to a wider spike in COVID-19 in California as the winter holidays approach. Across the state, both cases and hospitalizations hit a plateau after months of decline. Hospitalizations have remained fairly flat in some areas with relatively high vaccination rates, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. LA Times Read more
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People "Unvaccinated By Choice" In Singapore No Longer Can Receive Free COVID-19 Treatment
Eighty-five percent of people in Singapore eligible for coronavirus vaccines are fully vaccinated, and 18 percent have received booster shots. But the Singaporean government said Monday that it will no longer cover the medical costs of people “unvaccinated by choice,” who make up the bulk of remaining new coronavirus cases and covid-19 hospitalizations in the city-state. “Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our health care resources,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement Monday. Washington Post Read more
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So You've Got Long COVID? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know
Right now, an onslaught of people who are getting COVID-19 are not fully recovering - their divergent symptoms falling into the bucket known as long COVID. According to a study in the medical journal the Lancet, however, the majority of people with long COVID that lasts more than six months say that ME/CFS symptoms are their main concern. As many as 50% of people with long COVID qualify for an ME/CFS diagnosis, according to the Mayo Proceedings. Researchers are predicting that more than 4 million Americans could develop ME/CFS from COVID-19, nearly tripling the number of pre-existing people with the disease. And nobody is talking about it. SF Chronicle Read more
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I Was Ultracareful For 18 Months. Then I Got COVID.
When I first received the invitation to the wedding where I would eventually get COVID, I was on the fence about attending at all. My best friend had gone through a tough divorce and was remarrying. I was thrilled for him. His wedding had been put off repeatedly because of COVID, and this was the couple’s second try at a real ceremony. As a bonus, the wedding would take place in New Orleans, where my friend lives. I hadn’t seen him since before the pandemic. New Orleans is a miraculous place, and my favorite city to visit in America. The notion of a trip there shone out of the fog and dreariness of this whole era of history. The Atlantic Read more
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The U.S. And Europe Have Finally Reconnected, But They're Moving In Different Directions On COVID-19
In September, when the White House announced its long-awaited plan to welcome vaccinated European travelers, the United States was consumed by a COVID-19 surge that far outpaced Europe's. At that point the US rate of new cases per capita dwarfed Europe's by nearly three to one. While European governments were plotting their roadmaps towards normality, America was battling a rise in infections and warning of pressure on hospitals. But by Monday, when the new rules came into effect and thousands of tourists jetted across the Atlantic to American cities, the two regions had experienced a dramatic reversal in fortunes. CNN Read more
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France Brings In Booster Requirement For Over 65s
Over-65s in France will soon only be allowed to travel or visit restaurants and museums if they have a COVID booster jab, President Emmanuel Macron has said. "From 15 December, you will need to provide proof of a booster jab to extend the validity of your health pass," he warned in a TV address. The new rule further tightens one of the strictest COVID regimes in Europe. Despite high vaccination rates, France is seeing a spike in daily infections.
On Tuesday, the country reported 12,476 new confirmed infections within 24 hours - the highest level since early September. COVID has claimed the lives of more than 118,000 people in France since the start of the outbreak. BBC Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 605,064
California: 4,985,297
U.S.: 46,786,237
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,597,884
Total Cases: 120,167
Total Deaths: 1,463
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 1.3%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 11/10): 81
ICU Beds Available (as of 11/10): 106
As of November 10, cases have stayed about the same recently and are still high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has fallen the Alameda County area. Deaths have remained about the same level. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is relatively low, suggesting that testing capacity is adequate for evaluating COVID spread in the area. NY Times
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 6,714
California: 72,857
U.S.: 758,877
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 1,855,141
Total Cases: 100,172
Total Deaths: 1,028
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 1.9%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 11/10): 48
ICU Beds Available (as of 11/10): 50
As of November 10, cases have stayed about the same recently and are still high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has fallen in the Contra Costa County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is relatively low, suggesting that testing capacity is adequate for evaluating COVID-19 spread in the area. NY Times
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COVID-19 Tests: Does Accuracy Vary Throughout The Day?
When a COVID-19 test returns a false-positive result - meaning a person does not have a SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet the test is positive - this disrupts that person’s life unnecessarily. However, a false negative - when someone does have an infection, but the test is negative - is more detrimental. This is because treatment is mistakenly deferred, and the individual may infect others as they continue to participate in their regular daily activities. A new study from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, suggests that the time of day at which a person takes an RT-PCR COVID-19 test may affect the likelihood of an inaccurate result. Medical News Today 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 118 new cases and 3.7 new deaths per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 94 new cases and 0.4 new death per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 11/10/21
Oakland: 37,552
Hayward: 17,275
Fremont: 10,719
Eden MAC: 7,505
San Leandro: 7,402
Livermore: 6,502
Union City: 5,104
Berkeley: 5,101
Castro Valley: 3,767
Newark: 3,562
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 11/10/21
Richmond: 15,092
Antioch: 14,604
Concord: 11,285
Pittsburg: 9,541
San Pablo: 6,596
Brentwood: 6,299
Oakley: 5,314
Walnut Creek: 4,355
Bay Point: 3,795
San Ramon: 3,269
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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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