COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Help your family, friends and colleagues stay informed and safe during this rapidly evolving pandemic by sharing this Bulletin with them and encouraging them to subscribe.
To subscribe: scan the QR code at right. You'll be directed to a page where you can sign up for the Eden Health District COVID-19 Bulletin featuring the latest local, state, national and international news, as well as important vaccination updates and the most current coronavirus statistics.
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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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What The New CDC Quarantine Guidelines Mean For Each Bay Area County
New guidelines announced by the Centers for Disease Control on Monday were adopted by California officials, which shorten the isolation period for those who test positive for COVID-19, and the quarantine period for people who are exposed to the virus. Most of the Bay Area’s counties have followed California’s and the CDC’s guidelines on COVID policies over the course of the pandemic. However, only Marin, Napa and San Mateo counties have confirmed to The Chronicle that they are following the new quarantine guidance. SF Chronicle Read more
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COVID Cases More Than Quadruple In Bay Area As We Await Data On Holiday Surge
COVID cases linked to the contagious Omicron variant continue to rise in the Bay Area. Experts say the data looks like a vertical wall with cases rising so much, so quickly. Doctors believe we will continue to see cases rise through the holidays, similar to the big surge in 2020. But the good news is that Omicron infections seem to be milder and more people are protected by vaccines than they were at this time last year. "With the other variants it was a much slower uptick, like Delta and Alpha, but this goes fast," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF. "But the good news is that if you look at South Africa, it’s already starting to come down very dramatically. So it goes in very quickly, but it also leaves very quickly and that’s what I’m hoping will happen." KTVU Read more
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Omicron Prompts Berkeley And Alameda County Health Officials To Require Masks In All Indoor Settings
The rapid rise of Omicron has led Berkeley and Alameda County health officials to order residents to wear masks whenever they are anywhere indoors in a public setting, including offices, gyms, and houses of worship. The new rules, which go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, will not impact the face masking requirements for school and youth settings, according to a press release sent out today. "The Omicron variant requires us to use all the tools at hand to reduce the chance of transmission,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the city of Berkeley Health Officer. “Masks are more important than ever to minimize the spread of COVID to our most medically vulnerable community members.” Berkeleyside Read more
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Chase Center Will Require Proof Of Booster Shot
Those hoping to attend a concert or Warriors game at San Francisco's Chase Center in the coming weeks will have to be fully vaccinated and boosted. The Chase Center announced Wednesday that it has updated the venue's entry requirements in accordance with the public health order issued by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Starting Feb. 1, Chase Center will verify proof of up-to-date vaccinations, which includes proof of a booster shot at least one week prior to an event for entry. KTVU Read more
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Contra Costa County First Responders, High-Risk Workers Must Take COVID Booster By Jan. 10
Contra Costa County will require its first responders and other high-risk workers to get boosted against COVID-19 by Jan. 10 if they don’t want to be tested weekly for the coronavirus. The requirement will apply to the county’s law enforcement officers and firefighters, as well as emergency medical workers who enter high-risk facilities such as hospitals, jails, nursing homes and assisted-living centers as part of their jobs. Non-emergency ambulance drivers who transport people from those facilities are also expected to get their booster doses, along with workers in homeless shelters.
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San Francisco Cancels New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show Amid Omicron Surge
Bay Area residents hoping to ring in the new year with San Francisco’s traditional midnight fireworks display are in for some disappointment. Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday afternoon the city has canceled the show amid the ongoing surge in coronavirus cases. “While we are all understandably eager to ring in a new year with San Francisco’s customary New Year’s Eve fireworks show, we must remain vigilant in doing all we can to stop the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant,” Breed said in a statement. “By canceling the New Year’s Eve fireworks show we are reducing everyone’s exposure to COVID-19, while ensuring continuity of citywide public safety o perations.” The show requires extra police officers, firefighters, paramedics and others to deploy. East Bay Times Read more
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San Leandro Offers $750k In Grants To Small Businesses Hit Hard By COVID-19
The city of San Leandro announced a new program last week that will provide $750,000 in grants to small businesses to help pay back rent owed as a result of the pandemic. The San Leandro Small Business Recovery Grant Program is aimed at local businesses hit hard by COVID-19 and struggling to get financial assistance. The city will offer training and ongoing services for businesses to continue operations and grow beyond the pandemic. The San Leandro City Council allocated the $750,000 from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for small business assistance. The city estimates 50 small businesses will receive grants of up to $15,000 each, paid to their landlords to cover overdue rent accrued since the pandemic’s onset. KPIX5 Read more
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WHO Warns New COVD Variants Could Emerge That Are Fully Resistant To Vaccines As Pandemic Drags On
The World Health Organization warned Wednesday that new coronavirus variants could emerge during the pandemic that render the current vaccines useless. “As this pandemic drags on, it’s possible that new variants could evade our countermeasures and become fully resistant to current vaccines or past infection, necessitating vaccine adaptations,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva. CNBC Read more
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COVID Vaccine Cocktails: A Guide To Mixing And Matching Pfizer, Moderna, J&J Booster Shots
So, you’re thinking of getting your COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. As recently as mid-October, only select populations that had completed their primary, two-dose Pfizer series were eligible for a booster. Now, not only is everyone 16 and older eligible, they’re also free to choose which type of booster they want — regardless of which pharmaceutical company manufactured their first dose(s). That’s right: If you got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, you can get a Moderna or Pfizer booster two months later. Completed the primary, two-dose Moderna series? In six months, you can opt for the Pfizer or J&J booster. And if you started with Pfizer, you can get a Moderna or J&J booster after six months. USA Today Read more
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Who Invented COVID-19 Vaccines? Drugmakers Battle Over Patents
A high-stakes legal battle is taking shape over lucrative patent rights for COVID-19 vaccines, with drug companies pitted against each other and government and academic scientists over who invented what. The U.S. government and Moderna Inc., whose collaboration led to one of the most widely used shots, have fought over who discovered a key component and owns its rights. Meantime, Pfizer Inc and BioNTechSE, makers of another leading vaccine, are in a patent battle with a smaller company, and some analysts think they could end up facing off against Moderna. At the heart of the disputes: Who can claim to have invented important elements of the COVID-19 vaccines?
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He Died After Waiting 15 Days For A Hospital Bed. His Family Blames Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients
Throughout his life, Dale Weeks was characterized by family and friends in Iowa as “a good neighbor,” someone who would do anything for anyone. So when he was diagnosed with sepsis last month, the retired schools superintendent and his family hoped he would get immediate care and be okay to reunite with them for the holidays. But at a time when unvaccinated COVID-19 patients have again overwhelmed hospitals because of the fast-spreading Omicron variant, finding an available bed at a large medical center able to give him the treatment he needed proved to be difficult. Washington Post Read more
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One City’s Effort To Raise Vaccination Rates Among Black Residents
About 72% of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. During much of the vaccine rollout, Hispanic and Black Americans have been less likely than white Americans to get vaccinated. The gap between white and Hispanic Americans has largely closed, but the vaccination rate for the Black community still lags significantly behind. KHN correspondent Sarah Varney and PBS NewsHour producer Jason Kane report on how Hartford, Connecticut, has tried to close the gap in vaccination rates.
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Front-Line Physicians Describe How Vaccination Affects Patients In Latest COVID Wave
Physicians around the country facing the latest surge of COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, have a straightforward message based on what they're seeing in their emergency rooms: Vaccinations and boosters are having a positive effect. “The general trend that I’m seeing is, if you’re boosted and you get COVID, you really just at worst end up with bad cold symptoms. It’s not like before where you were coughing, couldn’t say sentences and were short of breath,” said Dr. Matthew Bai, an emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai Queens in New York City. NBC News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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The U.S. Just Hit A Record Average Of Daily New COVID-19 Cases
The U.S. hit a seven-day average of 265,427 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, blowing past the country's previous record of about 252,000 daily cases, reported nearly a year ago on January 11. The new peak, according to Johns Hopkins University data, comes amid a rapid acceleration of infections in the United States - and across the world - since last month. And experts predict the Omicron variant - the most contagious strain of coronavirus yet - is going to make the start of 2022 very difficult. CNN Read more
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California To Shorten COVID Quarantine, Isolation Times Following New CDC Guidance
California public health officials said Monday that the state would follow recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortening isolation and quarantine times for people who test positive for COVID-19. The new guidance shortens the isolation time from 10 days to five days for people infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic or who are no longer symptomatic. After the five days, those individuals can leave isolation if they continue to mask for an additional five days, the CDC said. But people with a fever or other symptoms after five days should continue to remain at home. SF Chronicle Read more
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California COVID-19 Hospitalizations Up 25% In Last Week
COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising rapidly in California, placing fresh strain on healthcare systems worn thin by nearly two years on the frontlines of the pandemic. Though the number of COVID-19 patients statewide remains far below the high marks seen during last winter’s surge, the daily count has swelled — a likely byproduct of a spike in coronavirus cases that officials say is being fueled by the heavily mutated Omicron variant. California recorded 4,378 coronavirus-positive patients in hospitals Monday, an increase of 377 from the day before. The number of Californians hospitalized with COVID-19 has swelled by nearly 25% since Dec. 20. LA Times
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After An Off Year, Flu Making A Comeback In The U.S.
The U.S. flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported. Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, likely because COVID-19 measures — school closures, distancing, masks and canceled travel — prevented the spread of influenza, or because the coronavirus somehow pushed aside other viruses. “This is setting itself up to be more of a normal flu season,” said Lynnette Brammer, who tracks flu-like illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. East Bay Times Read more
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Do You Have A Cold, The Flu Or COVID-19? Experts Explain How To Tell The Difference
Do you have a sore throat, a runny nose and muscle aches? It could be a common cold, a case of the flu - or COVID-19. The illnesses all share similar symptoms, sometimes making it hard to distinguish which is putting you under the weather. Many COVID-19 infections may look like a cold or flu. The best way to know is to get a test, said Dr. Sarah Ash Combs, attending physician at Children's National Hospital. "Short of getting a test, I would say it's really tricky to distinguish right now," Combs said. "We need to just treat cold-ish symptoms in pretty much the same bucket" as COVID-19. CNN Read more
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Omicron Plays Havoc With Return-To-Office Plans
If you’ve been working from home for going on two years, and your spouse bought you some new pants because your company was planning to reopen its offices in January or February — well, you’ll probably have to stand up to show them off on Zoom. The fast-spreading, highly contagious COVID virus mutation dubbed Omicron isn’t just making people sick — it’s gumming up the plans for many companies that had hoped to reopen their offices for hybrid or full-time in-person work early in 2022.
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New Year’s Parties? Indoor Dining? Skiing? Which Activities Are Safe As Omicron Spreads
A sharp spike in coronavirus cases, in part fueled by the new Omicron variant, is prompting health experts to urge that New Year’s Eve gatherings be toned down. Revelers can still hold indoor parties, but they would be safer if smaller, with guests who have been fully vaccinated and gotten a booster shot, officials say. Larger gatherings can be held more safely outdoors, but people should still mask up in crowded settings, regardless of whether they are inside or out. LA Times Read more
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COVID-19 Spreads To 89 Cruise Ships, Prompting A U.S. CDC Investigation
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection identified 89 cruise ships with COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, nearly all of which have met the threshold for a formal investigation. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal urged cruise companies and health agencies to stop ships from sailing, saying they are “repeating recent history as petri dishes of COVID-19 infection. Operators such as Carnival Corp. have implemented safeguards including mandatory masking and proof of vaccination, but the fast-spreading omicron variant has triggered an increasing number of infections and reports of ships being turned away at ports.Time Read more
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Flight Cancellations Continue For 6th Day As COVID Hits Airline Crews
Hundreds of flights were cancelled Wednesday as the Omicron variant creates havoc both for travelers and for airlines that are having to cobble together flight crews as pilots, flight attendants and ground crews become infected or are exposed to others who have been. More than 850 flights were cancelled by midday Wednesday and that number has ticked higher throughout the day, according to data from the flight-tracking website FlightAware. There were nearly 1,300 cancellations for flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. Tuesday, and about 1,500 on Monday.
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 661,685
California: 5,390,798
U.S.: 53,371,587
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,115,204
Total Cases: 129,508
Total Deaths: 1,540
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 7.8%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 12/29): 156
ICU Beds Available (as of 12/29): 104
As of December 29, cases have increased recently and are very 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 relatively low, suggesting that testing capacity is adequate for evaluating COVID-19 spread in the area. NY Times
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 6,964
California: 76,310
U.S.: 821,793
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,183,008
Total Cases: 108,532
Total Deaths: 1,073
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 9.1%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 12/29): 81
ICU Beds Available (as of 12/29): 24
As of December 29, cases have increased recently and are very high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area 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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How To Talk To Your Roommates About COVID-19 — When They're Still Hosting Parties
Living with roommates isn't always ideal. Especially since you're usually choosing your roommates out of necessity and not desire. But even if you didn't get along with roommates, at least before COVID-19 you'd have a place to go to get away from them, like work or a coffee shop. During the pandemic, those escape routes don't exist anymore. You're stuck with people you would have never expected — or even wanted — to get stuck with. KQED 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 631 new cases and 1.7 new deaths per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 415 new cases and 0.6 new death per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 12/29/21
Oakland: 40,320
Hayward: 18,164
Fremont: 11,757
Eden MAC: 7,888
San Leandro: 7,900
Livermore: 7,112
Berkeley: 5,953
Union City: 5,495
Castro Valley: 4,151
Newark: 3,807
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 12/29/21
Richmond: 16,019
Antioch: 15,386
Concord: 12,060
Pittsburg: 10,007
San Pablo: 6,918
Brentwood: 6,911
Oakley: 5,739
Walnut Creek: 4,990
Bay Point: 3,996
San Ramon: 3,826
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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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