COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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CDC Updates COVID-19 Isolation Recommendations With Guidance On Testing
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on the recommended COVID-19 isolation period Tuesday. See story under State/National/International news section below
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COVID Test Resources
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Alameda County Reaches Milestone: More than 50% Of 5- To 11-Year-Olds Have Received At Least One Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Yesterday, the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) announced that 51 percent of county residents, ages 5-11, have now received at least one dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. In marking this moment, Alameda County strongly encourages residents to continue wearing face masks, avoiding large and crowded indoor settings, and getting fully vaccinated and boosted with family and friends. With recent COVID-19 case increases and the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the Agency also asks residents to stay home if ill or tested positive, to test if symptomatic or exposed, to avoid crowded and poorly ventilated indoor settings, and to test if gathering or traveling, both before and after. Alameda County Health Care Services Agency
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Oakland Unified Says Mass Testing Over Holidays Finds Nearly 1,000 Cases Among Staff, Students
Officials at the Oakland Unified School District credited a COVID-19 mass testing effort over the holidays in helping find nearly 1,000 cases among students and staff before classes resumed Monday. OUSD officials said that they learned of 985 positive tests between New Year’s Eve and when classes began. Out of the positive tests, 920 were of students and staff, while another 65 were family members or others in the community. "Although we know the Omicron variant is spreading across the country, we are pleased to see this testing regimen work the way we hoped it would, keeping sick people at home,” superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said in a statement Tuesday. “The high number of tests taken and results reported show that people in our community are looking out for their health and the health of everyone around them.” KPIX5 Read more
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UCSF Doctor Sees Omicron Peak In 7 To 10 Days, Says We Should Prepare For Pre-Pandemic Life
The director of COVID Response at UCSF's emergency department expects the number of cases brought on by the Omicron variant to peak in the next seven to 10 days, but she doesn't expect deaths and hospitalizations to spike as they have in the past. Dr. Jeanne Noble says there is a steady volume of patients testing positive for COVID but few hospitalizations. We've seen "skyrocketing case numbers, the number of people testing positive, but low levels of significant disease from COVID," said Dr. Noble. "In fact, our death rate from COVID has actually been declining." There's a reason for that, says Noble, "the virus replicates better in the upper airways, causing more of a common cold, less replication in the lower airways causing less of pneumonia and serious disease." ABC7 News Read more
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It's Super Hard To Get A COVID Test In The San Francisco Bay Area Right Now - Here's What To Know
Lines wrapped around multiple blocks at COVID-19 testing sites around the San Francisco Bay Area at the start of this week, as everyone from teachers and students to restaurant workers sought testing amid an omicron surge that started over the holidays. San Francisco's popular Alemany Farmers Market testing site, which has been a go-to source for people seeking last-minute testing without an appointment, closed to drop-ins Tuesday. A weekly pop-up on Treasure Island that usually doesn't have long waits ran out of PCR tests and had a 2-hour wait for a rapid test Tuesday afternoon. At Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, which requires appointments, the line of cars stretched across four blocks yesterday and the wait was an hour or more. SFGate
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San Francisco Now Has 3rd Highest COVID Transmission Rate In California
San Francisco now has the third-highest coronavirus transmission rate in California, with a daily average case rate of about 104 per 100,000 residents. The county recorded a seven-day average of 896 cases per day on Dec. 30, the most recent available data. That is more than double the previous peak of 388 cases, a seven-day average recorded on Jan. 12 last year. SF Chronicle Read more
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Napa County Reaches ICU Capacity As U.S. Reaches Single-Day Record Of 1 Million COVID Cases
Health officials in Napa County on Monday said they have reached the maximum number allowed for intensive care patients on the same day that the United States reported a record single-day number of daily COVID cases, with more than one million new infections. But the chief medical officer says that does not mean hospitals have to turn away new ICU patients. However, the hospital staffing has to be readjusted if more intensive care patients are allowed in. Napa County says it has a lower ICU capacity now than it did at the start of last year. KTVU Read more
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Marin Sports Teams Brace For Omicron Surge — Spectators No Longer Allowed At Indoor Events
Athletes were enjoying the opportunity to play in front of their families and friends this season, after playing in front of empty bleachers in quiet high school gyms last season. Now, they are flashing back to the early days of 2021, when athletes weren’t even certain they would have a full season of competition. Gyms will be empty during basketball games and wrestling matches once again starting this week as Marin County health and school officials try to battle a post-holiday COVID-19 surge.
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Ditch The Cloth Mask — Or At Least Double Up — Say Bay Area Health Officials
With the Omicron coronavirus variant sweeping across the Bay Area and California, it’s time to upgrade your face mask, or at least double down on safer masking habits, San Francisco's health officer said Tuesday. That means ditching your plain cloth mask and using high-quality medical grade face coverings. “Cloth masks are least effective right now during omicron,” said S.F. Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip. SF Chronicle Read more
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How To Manage Your COVID Quarantine Or Isolation In The Bay Area
With coronavirus infection rates on the rise in the Bay Area, an increasing number of people are isolating or quarantining at home. Although some medical experts are optimistic about the future of the pandemic in the Bay Area, they say Omicron surge is likely to get worse before it gets better. If you’re caught in the thick of it — through infection or exposure — you might need a guide on what to do as you stay home, or recover. SF Chronicle Read more
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The CDC Endorses Pfizer-BioNTech Boosters For Children Ages 12 And Older
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 12 to 17, citing rising infections in teens and young adults and a troubling increase in pediatric hospitalizations. An advisory committee recommended the changes following a meeting on Wednesday. They were endorsed by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, on Wednesday night. Adolescents ages 12 to 15 may begin to receive boosters immediately. Adolescents ages 16 and older were already permitted to receive booster shots, but on Wednesday the C.D.C. panel strengthened the recommendation.
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CDC Shortens Waiting Period For Pfizer COVID Boosters To 5 Months
People who received the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID vaccine can now get a booster shot five months after their second dose, a month sooner than the federal government’s previous guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday updated its recommended waiting period for people who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series with Pfizer’s shots. People who received the Moderna vaccine must still wait at least six months after their second dose before getting a booster, while those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must wait at least two months after their first shot before getting a booster. CNBC Read more
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A Texas Team Comes Up With A COVID Vaccine That Could Be A Global Game Changer
A vaccine authorized in December for use in India may help solve one of the most vexing problems in global public health: How to supply lower income countries a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe, effective and affordable. The vaccine is called CORBEVAX. It uses old but proven vaccine technology and can be manufactured far more easily than most if not all of the COVID vaccines in use today. "CORBEVAX is a game changer," says Dr. Keith Martin, executive director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health in Washington, D.C. "It's going to enable countries around the world, particularly low-income countries, to be able to produce these vaccines and distribute them in a way that's going to affordable, effective and safe." NPR Read more
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Starbucks Imposes COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing Requirements For U.S. Workers
Starbucks is requiring its U.S. employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing, one of the first large restaurant chains to take such a step ahead of potential federal vaccination mandates for large employers. Starbucks said Monday that workers in its U.S. cafes, offices and manufacturing plants must be vaccinated by Feb. 9 or get tested weekly. Workers who choose testing must have a pharmacist or doctor administer it instead of taking one at home, and workers will need to themselves obtain and cover any costs for the tests, the company said in a message to U.S. stores.
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Doctors Bemoan Limited Supply Of Game-Changing Antiviral Pills Amid Winter Surge
Easy-to-take antiviral pills, authorized just before Christmas, were hailed as a potential turning point in the fight against the coronavirus because of the medicines’ ability to keep high-risk people out of the hospital. But doctors say the limited initial supply of the pills, especially Pfizer’s Paxlovid, means they are unlikely to alleviate the strain on many hospitals confronting climbing admissions and staffing shortages made worse by omicron infections. In communities with soaring case numbers, physicians are especially eager to offer the pills, which people can take at home to avoid serious illness. Washington Post Read more
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Early Israeli Findings Show Fivefold Boost From Fourth COVID Vaccine Dose
Researchers from Israel reported promising preliminary findings from a study on fourth COVID-19 vaccine shots, which suggest the second booster produces a fivefold increase in antibody levels. Israel pioneered the use of booster shots and is among the first to recommend them for high-risk groups. Two days ago, the country announced that it would begin offering fourth doses to those over 60, along with health workers. CIDRAP Read more
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Mayo Clinic Fires 700 Workers Who Failed To Comply With COVID Vaccine Mandate
The Mayo Clinic fired roughly 700 employees who failed to comply with the nonprofit medical center's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. Workers at the Mayo Clinic had been given until Monday to get their first dose of a vaccine or obtain a medical or religious exemption to the rule. They were also expected not to delay on receiving a second dose if they had already gotten the first jab. NBC News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Facing Criticism, CDC Updates COVID-19 Isolation Recommendations With Guidance On Testing
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on the recommended COVID-19 isolation period Tuesday, telling people that if they have access to a COVID-19 test and want to take it, the best approach is to use a rapid test toward the end of their five-day isolation period. The agency has faced pressure over the past week from outside medical experts to include a testing component in its new shortened isolation period. The updated recommendations do not advise a test for isolated people, but they offer guidance on how those people should respond to a test result if they choose to take one. If the test is positive, isolated people are advised to continue their isolation until 10 days after their symptoms started. If the test is negative, isolated people can end their isolation but are advised to wear a mask around other people until day 10. CNN Read more
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California Blows Through Record For New Daily Cases As Omicron Surges
The numbers from the holiday weekend are in — and California has broken every record for new coronavirus cases. Obliterated them, actually. The California Department of Public Health reported more than 230,000 new cases on Tuesday, more than twice as many as has been reported in a single day before. The holiday data dump brings California’s closely-watched 7-day average of new daily cases to a record high of 45,466 — nearly doubling the data available the day before. That figure appears poised to soar past 50,000 average daily cases as new data is confirmed and the highly contagious Omicron variant continues its head-spinning spread. Mercury News Read more
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"It’s Chaos" As Schools Confront Omicron
The Omicron surge threatens to upend any sense of peace in the nation’s education system. After a holiday break that saw COVID-19 cases spike unrelentingly, a small but growing list of districts — including Newark, Atlanta, Milwaukee and Cleveland — moved temporarily to remote learning for more than 450,000 children. Districtwide closures, even those that last for a week or two, are a step backward after months in which classrooms largely remained open, even during a fall surge of the Delta variant.
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Why Are So Many Vaccinated People Getting COVID-19 Lately?
Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately? A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places. People might mistakenly think the COVID-19 vaccines will completely block infection, but the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, says Louis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota. And the vaccines are still doing their job on that front, particularly for people who’ve gotten boosters. AP Read more
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In South Africa, COVID Cases Fall As Fast As They Rose — Suggesting The Omicron Wave Could Be Brief
As goes South Africa, so goes the rest of the world. That sentiment might capture the hope of the health care community as they observe the infection pattern of Omicron variant in the Southern Hemisphere nation of nearly 60 million people. When cases of the newly discovered COVID-19 mutation skyrocketed in South Africa in November and December 2021, the world took notice, fearful that it would soon reach the shores of all nations. But now, merely a month since cases began spiking in South Africa, numbers have dropped precipitously. Indeed, recent COVID-19 case numbers in South Africa resemble a very steep mountain — an incredibly fast spike, followed by an equally fast fall. Salon Read more
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Novak Djokovic Is Refused Entry Into Australia Over Vaccine Exemption
Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, traveled all day Wednesday from Dubai to Australia, a journey that was supposed to begin his defense of the Australian Open singles championship. On Thursday, he was told he would need to leave the country, following a 10-hour standoff with government officials at a Melbourne airport, where he was held in a room overnight over the validity of his visa and questions about the evidence supporting a medical exemption from a coronavirus vaccine. The exemption was supposed to allow Djokovic, a 20-time Grand Slam tournament champion and one of the biggest stars in sports, to compete in the Australian Open even though he has not been vaccinated. NY Times Read more
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California's First Known "Flurona" Case Found At Testing Site In Southern California
A COVID-19 testing site has found the first known case of "flurona" in Los Angeles County, according to a report by KNBC. Flurona is what public health officials are calling a double infection of influenza and the coronavirus. The case was detected at the Getty Center testing site in Brentwood, KNBC reported Wednesday. It was detected four days ago in a child returning from a trip to Mexico. So far, the only other known case of flurona in the United States was found in a Houston teenager who had been vaccinated against the coronavirus but not the flu. San Leandro Patch Read more
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Grammys Postpone Ceremony, Citing Omicron Variant Risks
The upcoming Grammy Awards were postponed Wednesday due to what organizers called “too many risks” due to the Omicron variant. No new date has been announced. The ceremony had been scheduled for Jan. 31st in Los Angeles with a live audience and performances. The Recording Academy said it made the decision to postpone the ceremony “after careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners.” KRON4 Read more
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What Is California’s Hospital Capacity Amid COVID Omicron Surge And When Should I Go?
Only 22% of California’s staffed adult intensive care unit beds are available, with 23.7% of them taken by COVID-19 patients as of Sunday, according to the California Department of Public Health. California has a total of 1,329 ICU patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases — an increase of 73 patients from Sunday’s total. There are 1,765 ICU beds currently available, which is nine more beds than Sunday. California also has a total of 7,314 total hospitalizations due to COVID-19 — an increase of 9%, or 605 patients, from Sunday. Sacramento Bee Read more
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A Frustrating Hunt For Coronavirus Tests: Long Lines, A Lot Of Driving And Anxious Waiting
Bertha Carrillo is vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer. She rarely ventures from her Santa Ana home apart from her job as a school bus driver. When she does, the 52-year-old religiously wears a mask in indoor public spaces, including her bus. Carrillo said she’d done her best to keep COVID-19 at bay. But this year she rang in the New Year in shock, afraid and in quarantine after testing positive for the virus on Dec. 23. Carrillo’s husband fell sick, and her adult children, who live with her, soon followed. LA Times Read more
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California Engaged In Groundbreaking COVID Antibody Study
California’s COVID-19 data collection — a tally of infections, hospitalizations and deaths — is an essential tool in fighting the pandemic. But it paints only part of the picture. The California Department of Public Health, however, is now engaged in an ambitious study aimed at beefing up its COVID-19 database by determining the percentage of Californians who carry antibodies against the virus — and whether these antibodies were acquired by infection or vaccination. East Bay Times Read more
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French Scientists Discover New Coronavirus Variant
As the world continues to struggle with the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and the still-lingering delta variant, scientists in France say they have discovered a new variant that contains multiple mutations. Experts at the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille said they had discovered the new variant in December in 12 patients living near Marseille, with the first patient testing positive after traveling to the central African nation of Cameroon. The French scientists said they had identified 46 mutations in the new variant. VOA Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 726,420
California: 5,809,692
U.S.: 57,761,881
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,183,184
Total Cases: 137,425
Total Deaths: 1,569
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 17.7%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 1/5): 199
ICU Beds Available (as of 1/5): 84
As of January 5, cases have increased recently and are extremely high. The total reported for the past week was the highest of the pandemic. 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: 6,992
California: 76,760
U.S.: 832,148
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,228,056
Total Cases: 118,038
Total Deaths: 1,078
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 19.6%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 1/5): 119
ICU Beds Available (as of 1/5): 31
As of January 5, cases have increased recently and are extremely high. The total reported for the past week was the highest of the pandemic. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also risen in the Contra Costa County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted. NY Times
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Returning To Your Office? There's Likely An App For That
You’re about to return to the office for the first time since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, at least assuming the Omicron variant doesn’t mess with those plans. But the workplace you left behind, and the protocols for even being allowed in the building, will barely resemble pre-coronavirus norms. Before the pandemic, you might have had to flash an ID or wear a badge to get past the lobby of your office building. That still will be the case. But to gain entry now you’ll likely have to go through an additional set of hoops to demonstrate that you won’t infect your colleagues. AARP 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 1,848 new cases and 1.6 new deaths per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 1,264 new cases and 0.4 new death per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 1/5/2022
Oakland: 42,609
Hayward: 18,967
Fremont: 12,463
San Leandro: 8,383
Eden MAC: 8,159
Livermore: 7,470
Berkeley: 6,761
Union City: 5,787
Castro Valley: 4,494
Newark: 3,969
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 1/5/2022
Richmond: 17,304
Antioch: 16,404
Concord: 12,938
Pittsburg: 10,595
Brentwood: 7,509
San Pablo: 7,407
Oakley: 6,155
Walnut Creek: 5,623
San Ramon: 4,410
Bay Point: 4,203
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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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