COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Oakland Coliseum Site Offers Second Pfizer Shots For Anyone Who Missed Theirs (For Limited Time)
The Oakland Coliseum mass-vaccination site is winding down on May 23, and Alameda County is putting out a last call for anyone who received a first Pfizer dose and may have missed their second appointment. The Coliseum site no longer comes up under the options on MyTurn.gov, but county officials want anyone looking for a Pfizer dose to take advantage of the site's appointment availability in the next five days. Look for appointments here, using the county's CarbonHealth portal - or alternately you can call 510-462-5139, or email vaccine-AL-support@carbonhealth.com. SFist Read more
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COVID-19 Vaccination Volunteers Needed in Alameda County Public Schools
Volunteers are needed to safely and efficiently vaccinate school children, members of their households, and other members of Alameda County public school communities at their local public school site. Get more details
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Bay Area ICU Hospitalizations Back at Pandemic Low
Experts Cite "Marvelous Vaccines"
The Bay Area’s high rates of COVID-19 vaccinations and low coronavirus case rates are paying off in a big way when it comes to hospitalizations. According to data collected and analyzed by The Chronicle, ICU admissions of COVID-19 patients in Bay Area hospitals are at an all-time pandemic low. On May 14, there were 55 ICU patients with COVID-19 in Bay Area hospitals, which ties the pandemic low of 55 a year earlier on May 29, 2020. Overall Bay Area coronavirus hospitalizations totaled 234 on May 13, which was nearing the all-time low of 220 on June 18, 2020. SF Chronicle Read more
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Salesforce Kicks Off Staged Reopening, Bringing 100 Workers Into Bay Area HQ
A hundred vaccinated employees of business-software giant Salesforce are coming to work in its San Francisco headquarters office Monday in part of a three-stage reopening process as the COVID pandemic comes under control, the firm said. East Bay Times Read more
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The Risk That You'll Become a "Breakthrough" COVID Case is Lower in The Bay Area Than Elsewhere
Several Bay Area medical experts say that the evidence is quite clear that vaccines provide strong protection not just against severe illness and death, but against getting infected at all. “The ability of this virus to transmit from asymptomatic individuals has been the reason why it is so difficult to contain, but multiple studies at this point show us that vaccines massively reduce asymptomatic infection,” said Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. SF Chronicle Read more
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Alameda Schools Plan to Be Full-Time, In-Person By Fall
Alameda Unified School District plans to provide full-time, in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. Parents do not need to sign up for this; students will be automatically enrolled in it (as long as they are already enrolled in AUSD). The current plan is to also provide remote instruction with priority given to students who are at risk or living with people at risk for severe illness from COVID-19. East Bay Times Read more
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Santa Clara Moves Into Yellow Tier
Santa Clara County, the Bay Area’s most populous county with 1.9 million people, has joined San Francisco and San Mateo counties in the least restrictive stage of California’s color-coded pandemic reopening plan - allowing businesses to expand capacity, indoor bars to reopen and Silicon Valley companies to bring employees back to the office. “We are in a very different and much safer place than we have been before,” Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer, said.
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California's Vaccines Vs. Variants Race: The Vaccines Are Winning
For the first few months of the year, the situation was urgent and the potential consequences devastating: Just as California was ramping up its vaccination campaign, new variants of the coronavirus were emerging that threatened to trigger a fresh surge of cases. The end of the pandemic was in sight, but variants that were more infectious and potentially able to evade vaccines could still knock California off course. A fourth surge, and the countless associated deaths, would be unconscionable after the life-saving vaccines had arrived. But aggressive public health restrictions, a frantically sped-up vaccine rollout - and probably a fair amount of luck - appear to have paid off. The variant wave that briefly lapped at California never swelled into a surge.
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Biden Announces U.S. Will Share More Vaccines Globally
President Joe Biden said Monday his administration would share millions more doses of COVID-19 vaccines with other countries in addition to the 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine he has already committed to sharing by July 4. Biden said the U.S. would share at least 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of next month, totaling 80 million doses that are set to be sent abroad. Those additional 20 million doses will consist of Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as well as AstraZeneca, which has to be approved by federal regulators before being shipped overseas. That effort is underway. CNN Read more
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600,000 Children, Ages 12-15, Have Received Their First COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine Dose
At least 600,000 children, ages 12 to 15, have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a media briefing Tuesday. The count comes just over a week after the Food and Drug Administration greenlighted it for emergency use in this age group, a total of 17 million in the U.S. - though many major pharmacies and hospitals did not start administering the shots until last Thursday, after the CDC also signed off on it. NBC News Read more
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COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Underway For Kids 5 And Younger
Eloise LaCour clutches her dolly as a nurse takes her blood pressure, then swabs the 3-year-old's delicate arm with alcohol. "Tickle tickle," says Eloise's mom, Angelica LaCour. She's trying to get a smile. "Mommy's going to hug you, OK?" A Stanford University nurse carefully gives the little girl her shot. Eloise is one of 144 children in the country who are part of a Phase 1 clinical trial to test Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines in the most adorable of study cohorts - those 5 and younger. NPR Read more
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COVID Vaccines Can Block Variant Hitting Asia, Lab Study Finds
Gold-standard experiments on two COVID-19 vaccines suggest that they confer immunity against a subtype of the SARS-CoV-2 variant tearing through India. But the research also hints that this subtype is more resistant to antibodies than are other forms of the virus. “These vaccines are working,” says Mehul Suthar, an immunologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who led the research. Nature Read more
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Your Boss, Your Bartender or Your Government: Who Should Know if You’ve Gotten The COVID-19 Vaccine?
As California studies whether to create a statewide system that would verify who has been vaccinated against COVID-19, Santa Clara County officials forged ahead Tuesday with a new requirement that employers find out which of their workers have gotten their shots. The South Bay county’s rule, which appears to be the first of its kind in the Bay Area and possibly the Golden State, could free vaccinated employees from requirements to wear masks and socially distance the workplace.
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Pfizer/BioNTech COVID Vaccine Has Approved Storage Period Extended
The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine can be stored at fridge temperature for much longer than previously recommended, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The previous advice was the vaccine needed to be kept at an ultra-low temperature, between -70C and -80C, until a few days before use when it could be transferred to a standard medical fridge. The EMA said in a statement it had extended the approved storage period for an unopened thawed vial when kept in a fridge between 2C and 8C from five days to one month. The Guardian Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Californians Back Proof of COVID Vaccine or Negative Test at Workplaces, Other Venues
As California’s businesses reopen, a majority of state residents are in support of allowing entertainment venues to require proof that their patrons are vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19, and for some employers to require vaccinations of workers, according to a statewide poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies that was funded in part by The Los Angeles Times. Read more
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Employers Announce COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements as Workplaces Reopen
A growing number of businesses - from airline giant Delta to Broadway production "Hamilton" - have announced new workplace requirements surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. The announcements come as the pandemic eases in the U.S., and offices around the country commence reopening plans. Even as vaccination rates rise across the U.S., however, many business leaders have mulled over the tripwire of potential legal or PR issues related to requiring the vaccine in the workplace. ABC News
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COVID Impact: State Sees 3% Drop In K-12 School Enrollment
A report released over the weekend showed statewide enrollment numbers for K-12 public schools for the 2020-21 school year dropped nearly 3%, or 160,000 students, compared to the year before, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The figures were similar for Bay Area counties, which had enrollment drop between 2% and 4%. Before the pandemic the Department of Finance projected a decline of about three-tenths of a percent this year. The much steeper than anticipated decline, which is most pronounced in the younger grades, may be due to parents keeping their kids out of school, enrolling them in a private school or homeschooling them. KPIX 5 Read more
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Millions of Immunocompromised Americans May Not Be Fully Protected by Vaccines
Maria Hoffman feels as though she has been left behind. Her adopted hometown of Charleston, S.C., is hopping - with restaurants and bars fully open, park concerts in full swing and maskless friends reuniting with hugs on streets. Hoffman, 39, is fully vaccinated and eager to rejoin the world. But as a kidney transplant patient, she is hesitant to participate for fear of becoming infected. “Risk is very different for people in my situation,” she said. “I am 100 percent acting like I am not immunized.” The state worker is among millions of immunocompromised Americans, about 3 to 4 percent of the U.S. population, for whom the shots may not work fully, or at all, and who are unsure of their place in a country that is increasingly opening up. Washington Post Read more
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As Pandemic Eases, Many Seniors Have Lost Strength, May Need Rehabilitative Services
Ronald Lindquist, 87, has been active all his life. So, he wasn’t prepared for what happened when he stopped going out during the coronavirus pandemic and spent most of his time, inactive, at home. “I found it hard to get up and get out of bed,” said Lindquist, who lives with his wife of 67 years in Palm Springs, California. “I just wanted to lay around. I lost my desire to do things.” One little-discussed, long-term toll of the pandemic: Large numbers of older adults have become physically and cognitively debilitated and less able to care for themselves during 15 months of sheltering in place. California Healthline Read more
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It's Time For America's Fixation On Herd Immunity To End
The end of this pandemic sometimes gets boiled down to two words: herd immunity. But now, as an academic debate swirls over when or even if America can get to a high enough percentage of people with immunity to reach that goal, some scientists say it's time for the public to stop worrying about it. "I think we're focusing too much of our time, our effort, on quibbling over a number," says Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and head of the university's COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. Instead, Meyers and others say the public should follow one simple piece of advice: Get vaccinated.
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COVID's Next Challenge: The Growing Divide Between Rich and Poor Economies
COVID-19 is reopening a rift between economies in the world's richest and poorest nations, driven by growth rates that are moving firmly in opposite directions. In the U.S., economists are forecasting a return to boomtime growth levels of the “roaring 20s”; China’s economy expanded at a record 18.3% in the first quarter; and the U.K. is growing faster than at any time since the end of World War II. Yet across the developing world, economies are falling further behind. Wall Street Journal
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Ohio Sees Boost in Shots After it Announces $1 Million Vaccination Lottery
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's $5 million lottery to encourage vaccinations appears to be an early win. State health officials said Monday that more than 25,400 COVID-19 vaccine shots were administered Friday, two days after the program was announced, making it the highest vaccination day in three weeks.
Maybe more telling were the people who got vaccinated. Vaccinations for residents ages 30 to 74 spiked by 6 percent after weeks of steady decline. NBC News
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Luck is Not a Strategy: The World Needs to Start Preparing Now For The Next Pandemic
As countries grapple with the worst global pandemic in a century, it’s hard to think about preparing for the next one. But if we don’t, it could be worse than COVID-19. Over the last 30 years, infectious disease outbreaks have emerged with alarming regularity. The World Health Organization lists an influenza pandemic and other high-threat viral diseases such as Ebola and dengue among the top 10 biggest threats to public health. STAT Read more
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Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 441,712
California: 3,771,705
U.S.: 33,018,808
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 1,768,816
Cases: 88,207
Deaths: 1,671
Test Positivity: 0.9%
Hospitalized Patients: 84
ICU Beds Available: 101
Cases have decreased over the past week but are still high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has remained at about the same level in the Alameda County area. Deaths have increased. 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: 6,511
California: 62,752
U.S.: 587,737
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered: 1,243,081
Cases: 69,035
Deaths: 795
Test Positivity: 1.5%
Hospitalized Patients: 33
ICU Beds Available: 68
Cases have decreased over the past week but are still high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has risen 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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How Do You Persuade Someone to Get Vaccinated?
Tips For a Productive Conversation
These are frustrating times. In the span of about a month, American society seemingly went from “we must reserve our precious doses of the vaccine for only the most in need” to “everyone go get one right now.” There’s a shot available for everyone who wants one. But what about the people who don’t? LA Times 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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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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Over the last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 321 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 20 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 346 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 31 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 5/19//21
Oakland: 27,478
Hayward: 13,669
Fremont: 8,019
Eden MAC: 5,939
San Leandro: 5,487
Livermore: 4,271
Union City: 4,016
Berkeley: 3,608
Newark: 2,813
Castro Valley: 2,576
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 5/19/21
Richmond: 11,616
Antioch: 9,577
Concord: 8,056
Pittsburg: 6,822
San Pablo: 5,253
Brentwood: 3,814
Oakley: 3,209
Walnut Creek: 2,872
Bay Point: 2,776
San Ramon: 2,109
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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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