COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Thousands Of New Vaccine Appointments Available In Santa Clara County For Those Who Live or Work in the County
Pre-pandemic, more than 75,000 people a day commuted from Alameda or Contra Costa counties to Santa Clara County for work. Each one of them is now eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine there, and the Santa Clara County Health System just released thousands of new appointments for the week, including 10,000 for the weekend. Everyone 16 and older is eligible, so long as you work or live in the county.
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Eager Bay Area Vaccine Hunters Have Gotten Their COVID-19 Shots What Will The Rest Do Now?
Eager Bay Area vaccine hunters have driven hundreds of miles, added their names to lengthy waitlists and refreshed appointment web pages dozens of times a day - all so they could snag what shots are available whenever and wherever. And as of Monday, most of those people are among the 55.7% of California adults 18 and older who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. By and large, they weren’t the ones who had to be swayed to get a shot. Mercury News Read more
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One UCSF Doc Says Outdoor Mask Mandate Should Be Lifted; Another Says He Still Won't Dine Indoors
It's getting to the point when infectious disease experts may start diverging in their levels of relative caution when it comes to public safety mandates. And while two UCSF doctors don't necessarily disagree in some recent statements, one is urging a lifting of SF's mandate on wearing masks at all times outdoors in public. SFist Read more
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A Race Against the Virus: How UC Davis Health Created Its COVID-19 Test in 19 Days
In January 2020, Nam Tran and his colleagues in the UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine were scaling up testing platforms for seasonal influenza and the common cold. Tran, a professor of clinical pathology in the UC Davis School of Medicine, was following reports out of China about a mysterious new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2. Not much was known at the time about how the novel coronavirus spread or what the mortality rate was. UC Davis Read more
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East Bay High School Pauses Athletics Tryouts After COVID Cases in Basketball Program
A trio of COVID-19 cases stemming from tryouts for the boys basketball team has prompted Berkeley High to pause all athletics tryouts, district officials said. Within a week of the first tryouts, three people involved had tested positive for the virus, district officials said in a statement on Monday. Mercury News Read more
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Cell Phone Data Shows Bay Area Remains Extreme When it Comes to Staying at Home During Pandemic
With vaccines now widely available and pandemic restrictions loosening, the U.S. is opening back up. But San Franciscans are moving more slowly to return to normal routines and get out of the house than residents of any other city in the country, according to mobility data. SF Chronicle Read more
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Bay Area Grocery Store Owner "Flagrantly" Price Gouged Customers at The Start of The COVID Pandemic
A Bay Area grocery store owner pled guilty last Wednesday to two counts of "flagrant" price gouging after officials found that items in the shop were marked up by up to 300%. Rajvinder Singh, the 51-year-old owner of Pleasanton grocery store Apna Bazar, struck a plea bargain with the Alameda County Superior Court - dismissing seven of the nine counts leveled against him in May.
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Boredom, Anxiety And Hope: Bay Area High School Students on Their Year of COVID
As their younger peers have returned to physical classrooms, high school students in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco have mostly remained in distance learning, though some are due to come back next week. KQED spoke with three students at Berkeley High School and one at Oakland's Fremont High School to hear how they have coped with this year of COVID, and what they are looking forward to when they finally make it back inside their schools. KQED Read more
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J.&J. to Resume Its Vaccine Rollout in Europe
Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that it would resume the rollout of its coronavirus vaccine in Europe after the European Union’s drug regulator said that a warning should be added to the product indicating a possible link to rare blood clots, but that the shot’s benefits outweigh the risks. The E.U. drug regulator’s endorsement - even with the caveat - not only clears a path for Johnson & Johnson in Europe, but could presage how the United States will handle the vaccine in the days to come. New York Times
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U.S. Regulators Cite Shortcomings After Inspecting a Baltimore Plant Where J.&J. Doses Were Ruined
Federal regulators on Wednesday issued highly critical findings from their inspection of a Baltimore plant that was forced to throw out up to 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine and ordered to temporarily stop all production. The Food and Drug Administration cited a series of shortcomings at the massive plant, which is operated by Emergent BioSolutions. The violations included failure to properly disinfect the factory and its equipment, as well as failure to follow proper procedures designed to prevent contamination of doses and to ensure the strength and purity of the vaccine manufactured there. NY Times Read more
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Actors Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldana Debunk COVID-19 Vaccine Misconceptions Among Latinos
The Oscar-winning actor Benicio Del Toro lost his uncle to COVID-19 exactly one year ago, and his brother, the chief medical officer of a hospital in New York City, contracted the virus while on the front line of the fight against the pandemic. “Because of that, I have been closely informed, almost play-by-play, of the incredible challenges that front line and health care workers have had to face in 2020,” Del Toro said during a press briefing Tuesday. But he saw “a light at the end of the tunnel” in December when the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began across the nation. Several weeks later, his brother opened up to Del Toro about his concerns regarding low vaccination rates in Latino communities. NBC News Read more
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3 Things Scientists Have Learned About Vaccine Hesitancy
More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans may be finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. More than a quarter of the country has been fully vaccinated, and more than 200 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered as of April 16. As of Monday, all adults in the country - not just those most vulnerable to the virus - are eligible to get vaccinated. But a troubling challenge remains in a country that has access to millions of doses while some nations still have none. A sizable portion of the population has what experts call "vaccine hesitancy." ABC News Read more
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Lagging Vaccination Rates Among Rural Seniors Hint At Brewing Rural-Urban Divide
When looking at vaccination rates of all adults 18 and older, rural counties appear to have largely kept pace with their urban counterparts, with rural rates on average landing within 5 percentage points of urban rates in most states. However, among people who are 65 years old or older, the gap between rural and urban counties is wider in most states. Urban counties' vaccination rates outpace rural ones in all but seven states for which there's complete data. In 17 states, urban rates exceed rural rates by 5 or more percentage points. NPR Read more
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What COVID Vaccine Side Effects Can And Can’t Tell You About Your Body’s Immune Response
If someone gets a headache or feels a bit under the weather after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s become common to hear them say something like “Oh, it just means my immune system is really working hard.” On the flip side, when people don’t notice any side effects, they sometimes worry the shot isn’t doing its job or their immune system isn’t reacting at all. PBS Read more
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Q&A: Can You Skip The Second Dose of Your COVID-19 Vaccine?
You dread the prospect of aches and pains. That trip to the clinic is inconvenient and takes time. And that first dose already offers some protection. Tempted to skip that second dose of your COVID-19 vaccine? Don’t do it, experts say. The second dose is an insurance policy. In the short term, one dose is probably going to be fine. The reason for a second dose is that you’ll have a more durable response. Mercury News
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Vaccine Resources
Food Pantries
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Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 432,363
California: 3,723,604
U.S.: 31,811,188
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 1,313,307
Cases: 85,468
Deaths: 1,477
Test Positivity: 1.5%
Hospitalized Patients: 102
ICU Beds Available: 90
Cases have increased over the past week and are high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Alameda County area have fallen. 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
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Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 6,160
California: 61,122
U.S.: 568,733
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered: 955,440
Cases: 67,157
Deaths: 768
Test Positivity: 1.8%
Hospitalized Patients: 49
ICU Beds Available: 50
Cases have increased over the past week are high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has fallen in the Contra Costa 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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State/National/International News |
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Biden Announces Tax Credits For Small Businesses Offering Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a tax incentive for businesses to give employees paid leave to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the U.S. approaches his goal of 200 million shots administered during his first 100 days in office. The White House is trying to overcome diminishing demand for COVID-19 shots by offering the incentive. Over the last week, the pace of inoculation in the U.S. has slowed slightly. That is partly a reflection of disruptions from the "pause" in the administration of the Johnson & Johnson shot for a safety review, but also of softening interest for vaccines in many places even as eligibility has been opened to all those older than 16. KTVU
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No-Prescription, Rapid COVID-19 Home Tests to Be Sold at CVS, Walgreens and Walmart Beginning This Week
Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNOW coronavirus self-test kits will be shipped to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart locations, and also will be sold online. The two-test kit, which last month received Food and Drug Administration emergency-use authorization for serial screening, will cost $23.99, the company said. USA Today Read more
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COVID-19 Cases Rise in Parts of U.S. Even as Vaccinations Pick Up
Although half of all U.S. adults have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a constellation of factors are complicating the country's fight against the virus. States are scrambling to reorganize vaccination efforts after pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while U.S. health officials investigate rare but severe cases of blood clots. The seven-day average number of new COVID-19 infections eclipses the 14-day average in about half the country, with 40 states hitting that benchmark last Wednesday. Wall Street Journal Read more
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Californians to Start Receiving One-Time $600 Payments as Part of State's COVID Relief Package
Eligible Californians are about to receive a one-time $600 check as part of the state's coronavirus relief package. Those who are eligible to receive the Golden State Stimulus check must have qualified for the state's earned income tax credit on their 2020 tax return or be an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) filer with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000. Payments should already be on the way for those who filed their taxes before March 1. ABC7 Read more
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U.S. Warns Against Travel to 80% of World Due to Coronavirus
The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world’s countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic.The advice issued by the department isn’t a formal global advisory. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. Because of those standards, about 80% of countries will be classified as “Level 4” or “do not travel.” AP Read more
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After Fully Vaccinating a Majority of Its Population, Israel No Longer Requires People to Wear Masks Outdoors
With more than half of its population fully vaccinated, Israel on Sunday dropped its outdoor mask mandate. Masks are still required in indoor public spaces, like stores, malls, and places of worship. But the change was a stark signal of the country's progress against the pandemic, powered by one of the earliest and fastest vaccine rollouts. The outdoor masking rule was in place continuously for about a year. Business Insider Read more
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An American Epidemic of "COVID Mania"
What are the lessons of COVID-19? It depends who you ask. Some believe politicization of the pandemic response cost lives. Others believe a stronger U.S. public-health system would have reduced COVID-19 deaths significantly. Still others say lockdowns should have been longer and more stringent, or that they were ineffective. But one lesson that should transcend ideological differences: Don’t put one illness above all other problems in society, a condition known as “COVID mania.”
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California Allows Fans For U.S. Opens If Vaccinated or Tested
A limited number of spectators will be allowed at the U.S. Women’s Open in San Francisco and the U.S. Open in San Diego in June provided they are vaccinated or can show proof of a negative test for the coronavirus. While the U.S. Opens will not be the first majors to allow fans, they will be the first to hold spectators to a standard of health through the COVID-19 vaccine or testing. Washington Post Read more
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Work From Home Forever? After COVID, Californians Want to Ditch Daily Commutes, Survey Says
Californians who swapped mind-numbing traffic and packed trains for “commutes” to a home office or living room don’t want to go back to their old daily grind. That’s according to a University of Southern California survey released Monday, which found more than half of those surveyed who are now telecommuting want to keep working from home at least three days a week after the pandemic ends.
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Learning to Breathe: German Clinic Helps COVID Long Haulers
Simone Ravera rolls up her trousers, slips off her shoes and socks, then gingerly steps into the chilly waters of the Baltic Sea.
The 50-year-old rheumatology nurse is slowly finding her feet again after being struck down with COVID-19 last fall, seemingly recovering and then relapsing with severe fatigue and “brain fog” four months later. Close to despair, she found a clinic that specializes in treating people with what have been called post-COVID-19, or long-term COVID-19, symptoms.
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There’s a Name For The Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing
At first, I didn’t recognize the symptoms that we all had in common. Friends mentioned that they were having trouble concentrating. Colleagues reported that even with vaccines on the horizon, they weren’t excited about 2021. It wasn’t burnout - we still had energy. It wasn’t depression - we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless. It turns out there’s a name for that: languishing.
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After My First COVID Vaccine Dose, I Dined With a Friend Who Tested Positive. What Do I Do?
From Pandemic Problems, an advice column from The Chronicle’s engagement reporters that seeks to help Bay Area residents solve their pandemic-related conundrums - personal, practical or professional.
I am 2½ weeks after my first Pfizer dose, and had an unmasked outdoor lunch with someone who tested positive a day later. Am I considered exposed? What about my 13-year-old daughter, who was not at lunch but with whom I live? 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 last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 676 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 41 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 590 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 52 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 4/21/21
Oakland: 26,589
Hayward: 13,329
Fremont: 7,721
Eden MAC: 5,791
San Leandro: 5,305
Livermore: 4,175
Union City: 3,904
Berkeley: 3,525
Newark: 2,712
Castro Valley: 2,502
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 4/21/21
Richmond: 10,126
Antioch: 9,309
Concord: 7,858
Pittsburg: 6,644
San Pablo: 5,149
Brentwood: 3,705
Oakley: 3,096
Bay Point: 2,706
Walnut Creek: 2,784
San Ramon: 2,019
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Mask On!
Protect Yourself While Protecting Others
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Working in collaboration with the Alameda County Public Health Department, the cities of Hayward and San Leandro, and the Castro Valley and Eden Area Municipal Advisory Councils, the District has printed "Mask On" posters for each city in the Eden Health District area. These posters are free of charge and intended for businesses, health clinics, schools, churches, public agencies and nonprofit agencies to display in their entrances. The posters are available in English, Spanish and Chinese languages. The public is welcome to download and print or share "Mask On" posters from our website. |
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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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