COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Districting Process for Eden Health District
We are in the process of developing five districts or zones to replace our current system of district wide at large voting. This switch will ensure that we get representation from diverse areas within the Eden Health District. Learn about the process, view draft maps, and see the timeline of how you can participate.
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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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Experts Chart Bay Area Life After COVID — And When It Might Arrive
Coronavirus cases have plummeted across the Bay Area since the peak of the omicron surge a month ago, and health officials increasingly are talking about the next phase of the 2-year-old pandemic: specifically, what living with endemic COVID might look like. But first it would help, these officials say, to define what endemic means. Or rather, what it doesn’t mean. “‘End’ is in the word ‘endemic,’ and people are so sick of all this that they’re interpreting endemic as the end. And it does not mean that,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, the San Mateo County health officer. COVID would instead join the ranks of dozens of other endemic diseases, including seasonal threats like the flu and illnesses of varying degrees of severity from the common cold to malaria. SF Chronicle Read more
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Why Are So Few People In The Bay Area Getting COVID Booster Shots?
It is well established that the protection offered by the initial series of COVID vaccines wanes over time. But despite months of availability, booster shots remain comparatively unpopular, even in a highly vaccinated region like the Bay Area, where hundreds of thousands of people have so far taken a pass on the third dose. Many public health experts think that low uptake of boosters not only exacerbated the devastating winter Omicron surge, but is extending the tail of the pandemic. That means it will take longer to lift restrictions — and it could leave the population vulnerable to other variants and more waves of cases and hospitalizations. SF Chronicle Read more
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New Berkeley Mandate For Employees, Customers Starts Today
There are big changes starting today in Berkeley, anyone older than 5 needs to show they are vaccinated before stepping inside a restaurant or gym. Employees have even stricter requirements. Workers have to show they are boosted. This is for places like restaurants, gyms, pharmacies, dental offices and childcare facilities. If they aren't vaccinated, they can show proof of a medical exemption or religious belief that prevents them from getting inoculated. ABC7 News Read more
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Contra Costa County Lifts Vaccination Requirement For Certain Businesses
Contra Costa Health Services is no longer requiring certain businesses to check COVID vaccination status or verify negative COVID test results. The county said it’s because 80% of all residents are now fully vaccinated. However, they still want people to keep up with their booster shot and get children 5 and older vaccinated against COVID-19. “We believe now is the right time to loosen a requirement that made a lot of sense last summer, when a different variant of COVID-19 was dominant and there was less community immunity,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, acting Contra Costa County health officer. “But by no means are we back to normal. There are still many more cases of COVID-19 in our community now than there were in mid-December, so we need to continue to take precautions when we go out.” KRON4 Read more
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Bay Area Figure Skater Vincent Zhou Out Of Individual Olympics Competition After Positive COVID-19 Tests
U.S. men’s figure skater Vincent Zhou has tested positive for the coronavirus, and is out of the individual competition at the Beijing Olympics. In a five-minute video posted to Instagram on Monday night, a teary Zhou announced that he would have to withdraw. He had initially tested positive as part of a routine COVID-19 screening, and underwent additional testing that confirmed his status. “The enormity of the situation, the pain of it all is pretty insane, but I do recognize that this absolutely does not define me as an athlete, as a person,” Zhou said in the video. Mercury News Read more
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Hayward City Hall To Remain Closed To Public On Fridays And City Council To Continue Online Only Meetings Through February
Hayward City Hall will remain closed to the public today and Fridays through the month of February as a continuing measure to prevent workplace transmission of coronavirus while still maintaining telephone and online access and customer services. In addition, meetings of the Hayward City Council and Planning Commission will continue to be held online only on the Zoom virtual meeting platform. City of Hayward Read more
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U.C. Berkeley Poop Sleuths Discover Mysterious Coronavirus In California’s Sewage
A mysterious lineage of the COVID-19 virus – containing a large and startling collection of mutations — has appeared in California’s wastewater system, proof that the fast-moving pathogen is continuing to test new survival strategies. Oddly, the virus has been found only in poop, not people. First detected in an undisclosed community by UC Berkeley scientists, it has shown no signs of causing illness. It’s led to no new outbreaks.So where is it coming from? And should we worry about it? No one knows for sure. East Bay Times Read more
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CDC Recommends FDA-Approved Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine For Adults
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed a recommendation from the CDC's vaccine advisers Friday for use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for adults. "We now have another fully approved COVID-19 vaccine," Walensky said in a statement. "If you have been waiting for approval before getting vaccinated, now is the time to join the nearly 212 million Americans who have already completed their primary series. CDC continues to recommend that people remain up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including getting a booster shot when eligible." Earlier in the day, the CDC's vaccine advisers voted 13-0 to recommend the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week. CNN Read more
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New Guidance For Some Americans To Get Additional Booster Shot
The CDC has shortened the amount of time people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised need to wait before getting a fourth COVID vaccine booster dose. They now recommend that the severely immunocompromised can get an additional Pfizer or Moderna shot three months after their third dose instead of five months. The CDC also encourages people with weakened immune systems who originally got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine to take two additional doses, instead of just one. ABC7NY Read more
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Study Suggests Omicron-Specific Booster May Not Provide More Protection
A new study conducted in primates suggests there may not be a benefit from updating COVID-19 vaccines to target the Omicron variant at this time. The work, by scientists at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’s Vaccine Research Center, shows that animals boosted with the original vaccine had similar levels of protection against disease in the lungs as did primates that received an updated booster based on the Omicron strain. The work was done with Moderna’s licensed vaccine and a booster shot based on the Omicron variant. STAT Read more
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Low-Income, Uninsured Face Hurdles To Obtain COVID Antivirals
When Regina Schearack and her 85-year-old father began to develop COVID symptoms last month, they went to get tested at a pharmacy in Midway, Georgia. After the tests came back positive, their pharmacist, Pete Nagel, said they had two options if they wanted treatment: Get a doctor to write a prescription and then return to the pharmacy for the newly authorized antiviral drugs or get four monoclonal antibody shots right away — two in the arms and two in the stomach. Schearack, 59, who had to quit her job to help her ailing father, knew going to the doctor wasn’t an option. She didn’t have one for starters and wouldn’t be able to afford one without insurance. So she and her elderly father, both of whom had been vaccinated, spent an hour in a cold parking lot waiting to have needles poked in their arms and bellies. NBC News Read more
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Online Pastors, Form Letters: The Cottage Industry Helping Workers Avoid Vaccine Mandates
The request arrived at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in early September. Written on letterhead with a gold seal, it warned the city agency that forcing an employee to wear a mask, get tested or be vaccinated against COVID-19 would be an “affront to a Christian” and a violation of federal laws that ban religious discrimination. The document looked and sounded official. It was signed by the pastor of True Hope Ministry in San Clemente. It can be purchased online for $195 as part of a vaccine exemption “concierge program.” LA Times Read more
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CDC Advisers Weigh Delaying Second COVID Shots To 8 Weeks
A wider gap between the first two doses of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines could improve the shots' effectiveness and help reduce the risk of a rare type of heart inflammation called myocarditis, experts told a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Friday. Members of the group, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, largely supported extending the recommended interval between the first two doses of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to eight weeks. Currently, the first two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are given three weeks apart, while the first two doses of the Moderna vaccine are given four weeks apart. NBC News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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California Reaches 80,000 Virus Deaths, 8 Million Confirmed Cases
California reached a pair of milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday: 8 million lab-confirmed infections and 80,000 deaths from the virus have officially been recorded, according to the state health department. More than 3 million cases have come in the past six weeks amid the Omicron wave, California Department of Public Health data show, compared to 5 million in the preceding 96 weeks. CDPH reported the state surpassing 5 million cases immediately after the Christmas holiday weekend. The official tallies as of Friday were 8,006,410 positive cases and 80,022 COVID-19 deaths. Case totals do not include unreported at-home test results. Sacramento Bee Read more
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Californians Feel Less Optimistic About The Pandemic Than They Did Last Spring
As you’re probably aware by now, COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are plummeting in California — the first pandemic-related good news in months. And while there’s no way to know what the coronavirus will do next, many hope the Omicron surge was the last big one, since the variant’s extreme infectiousness means that millions of Americans now have an added layer of immunity. Californians, however, aren’t feeling all that hopeful. A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California released this week uncovered the lowest levels of optimism about the pandemic since last spring. NY Times Read more
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N.J. Governor To End School Mask Mandate In Move To "Normalcy"
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat who has imposed some of the nation’s most stringent pandemic-related mandates, will no longer require students and school employees to wear masks, signaling a deliberate shift toward treating the coronavirus as a part of daily life. Mr. Murphy, the vice chairman of the National Governors Association, said on Sunday that he would officially announce the elimination of the mandate on Monday afternoon. NY Times Read more
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Medicare Opens Up Access To Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
The Biden administration, seeking to fill a frustrating gap in coverage for COVID-19 tests, Thursday announced that people with Medicare will be able to get free over-the-counter tests much more easily in the coming weeks. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Medicare will cover up to eight free tests per month, starting in early spring. The tests will be handed out at participating pharmacies and other locations. They’ll be available to people who have Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient benefit, which about 9 in 10 enrollees sign up for. Last month, the administration directed private insurers to cover up to eight at-home tests a month free of charge to people on their plans. AP Read more
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The 1918 Flu Didn’t End In 1918. Here’s What Its Third Year Can Teach Us
In New York City in 1920 — nearly two years into a deadly influenza pandemic that would claim at least 50 million lives worldwide — the new year began on a bright note. “Best Health Report for City in 53 Years,” boasted a headline in the New York Times on Jan. 4, 1920, after New York had survived three devastating waves of the flu virus.The nation as a whole, which would ultimately lose 675,000 people to the disease, believed that the end might finally be in sight. Within a few weeks, however, those optimistic headlines began to change. Before the end of the month, New York City would experience a surge in influenza cases. Chicago and other urban centers reported the same. Washington Post Read more
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Austria Signs Into Law Strict COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Austria became the first country in Europe to introduce a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults on Friday after President Alexander Van der Bellen signed it into law. Austria's sweeping measures will see those without a vaccine certificate or an exemption potentially slapped with initial fines of 600 euros ($680). Checks to see if the mandate is being adhered to begin from March 15. Pregnant people and those who cannot be vaccinated without endangering their health are exempt from the law, according to the Austrian Health Ministry's website. CNN Read more
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Ready for Another Pandemic Malady? It’s Called "Decision Fatigue"
Most all of us have felt the exhaustion of pandemic-era decision-making. Should I travel to see an elderly relative? Can I see my friends and, if so, is inside OK? Mask or no mask? Test or no test? What day? Which brand? Is it safe to send my child to day care? Questions that once felt trivial have come to bear the moral weight of a life-or-death choice. So it might help to know (as you’re tossing and turning over whether to cancel your non-refundable vacation) that your struggle has a name: decision fatigue. California Healthline Read more
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Officials Stress COVID Safety Measures At Super Bowl, Including, Yes, Masks
NFL and SoFi Stadium officials joined with local leaders to reiterate that masks will be required for fans at the Super Bowl in Inglewood to help protect against Omicron transmission. The mask requirement in outdoor stadiums, an order issued in L.A. County last August, was criticized as unnecessary this week by a member of the Board of Supervisors, Kathryn Barger, who represents a northern part of the county, after photos emerged of many fans maskless in their seats at the Rams vs. 49ers game. LA Times Read more
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Ottawa Declares State Of Emergency Over Trucker-Led COVID Vaccine Mandate Protests
Canada's capital declared a state of emergency on Sunday because of trucker-led protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions. The move by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson "reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government," according to a statement from the city.
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,202,294
California: 8,627,403
U.S.: 76,513,221
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,434,145
Total Cases: 240,392
Total Deaths: 1,652
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 10.3%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 2/7): 347
ICU Beds Available (as of 2/7):78
As of February 7, cases have decreased recently but are still extremely high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Alameda County area have risen. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. NY Times
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 7,346
California: 81,065
U.S.: 902,650
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,388,896
Total Cases: 180,034
Total Deaths: 1,130
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 14.6%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 2/7): 237
ICU Beds Available (as of 2/7): 25
As of February 7, cases have decreased recently but are still extremely high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have risen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. NY Times
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My Drugstore Now Offers Antibody Tests. Is It Worth Getting One?
Although antibody tests are increasingly available, the answer is, unfortunately, no. We put this question to experts, who explained why these tests — also called serology tests — are not yet useful for most individuals and why you definitely shouldn't change your behavior based on the results. A COVID-19 antibody test measures one component of your body's immune response to the coronavirus or a COVID-19 vaccine. Unlike PCR tests and often hard-to-find rapid antigen tests, an antibody test is not a test of whether or not you currently have COVID-19. NPR 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 1,515 new cases and 4.7 new death per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 1,177 new cases and 2.3 new deaths per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 2/7/2022
Oakland: 70,272
Hayward: 31,840
Fremont: 24,267
San Leandro: 14,803
Eden MAC: 13,852
Livermore: 12,284
Berkeley: 11,535
Union City: 10,653
Castro Valley: 8,225
Newark: 7,492
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 2/7/2022
Richmond: 26,689
Antioch: 24,327
Concord: 19,469
Pittsburg: 15,854
San Pablo: 11,377
Brentwood: 10,829
Oakley: 9,111
Walnut Creek: 8,768
San Ramon: 7,592
Bay Point: 5,984
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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, and Gordon Galvan. 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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