COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Castro Valley Fall Festival 2021 Canceled Due To Health Concerns
Castro Valley's Fall Festival, a community event held for nearly 50 years in Castro Village and later along Castro Valley Boulevard, is canceled for 2021, with organizers citing health and safety concerns stemming from rising rates of COVID-19's Delta variant. "The Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce Board has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Fall Festival due to concerns for the safety of all attendees," the organization said, adding that, "This decision was not reached easily." Castro Valley Patch Read more
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Back On Campus With New Rules, Bay Area Colleges Are Laboratories For "Normal" Life in COVID Era
As colleges and universities resume face-to-face instruction for the first time since early 2020, Bay Area campuses are emerging as laboratories for learning whether people can push forward with normal life while coexisting with the risk of COVID-19. Students are packing into college dorms. They’re dining in the student union and partying at the frat house. They’re also required to be tested for the coronavirus, wear masks indoors and upload vaccination cards to the school databases to show they got their shots.The balance reflects a new reality of college life, as inevitable as a midterm exam, public health experts say. SF Chronicle Read more
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Proof of Vaccination For Indoor Spaces In SF Causes Confusion
Eyes continue to be on San Francisco as it rolls out it's proof of vaccination mandate for indoor spaces like restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues. However, the mandate gets a bit complicated to implement at malls which have a mixture of businesses. Monday marked the fourth day of requiring proof of vaccination at the Westfield Mall in San Francisco where security guards have been checking vaccination cards to eat at the mall's food court, but not to shop. NBC Bay Area Read more
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Bay Area Healthcare Workers Describe Latest Round Of COVID Burnout
Some Bay Area healthcare workers said they’re dealing with another round of COVID burnout as they manage a surge of cases driven by the Delta variant. "We are a lot like all the other humans who are tired about COVID and talking about COVID," said Stanford Intensive Care Unit Physician Dr. Angela Rogers. It has been an exhausting 18 months for doctors like Dr. Rogers. She works in the ICU at Stanford treating COVID patients. As she watches COVID cases climb once again at her hospital, she thinks about how it could have been prevented. KTVU Read more
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San Jose City Council Unanimously Approves Vaccine Mandate For City-Owned Facilities Despite Protests
After a day of raucous protests to stop it, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s proposal to mandate a vaccination at any event of 50 or more people at city-owned facilities was unanimously approved by the San Jose City Council. Attendees will have to show proof of vaccination for events at city-owned buildings and facilities. Earlier on Tuesday, dozens of protesters, many unmasked and carrying anti-vaxx signs, forced city councilmembers to halt the meeting for about an hour because of interruptions. KPIX Read more
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S.F. Schools Plan To Spend $2.9 Million On Air Purifiers To Combat Wildfire Smoke, Coronavirus Risk
Classrooms in San Francisco public schools that open their windows to curb the spread of the coronavirus may soon get more portable air cleaners to keep kids from inhaling unhealthy smoke from wildfires - a step that some parent groups welcomed but said was long overdue. The San Francisco Unified School District on Monday announced a plan to spend $2.9 million on air purifiers, saying that only a fraction of its classrooms have them. SF Chronicle
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Livermore Lab Scientists Find Heat Can Decontaminate N95 Masks For Reuse
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have discovered a method to decontaminate N95 respirator masks without compromising their facial fit and ability to filter airborne particles. The scientists determined that heating the N95 respirators up to 75 degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes deactivates a surrogate coronavirus, lab officials said in a statement.
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Pentagon: U.S. Troops Must Get Their COVID Vaccines Immediately
Military troops must immediately begin to get the Covid vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo Wednesday, ordering service leaders to “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.” More than 800,000 service members have yet to get their shots, according to Pentagon data. And now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the Defense Department is adding it to the list of required shots troops must get as part of their military service. NBC News Read more
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It's Not Easy To Pronounce. But One Thing Is Certain About FDA-approved Comirnaty: It Works
The Food and Drug Administration issued full authorization Monday for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Soon, millions of Americans will face a confusing, difficult task: How in the heck do you pronounce Comirnaty? That's the brand name for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. It's pronounced "co-MER-na-tee" according to Scott Piergrossi, president of creative for the Brand Institute, which crafted the name. It's a little easier to say than BNT162b2, the research name of the vaccine while it was first being studied, but not much. USA Today Read more
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How FDA Approval Will Change COVID-19 Vaccinations
Federal drug officials on Monday announced the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19, a long-awaited step that will give employers a stronger legal foundation to impose vaccine mandates and could help persuade the unvaccinated to get their shots. As a new surge of illness tears through parts of the U.S., the historic move adds the vaccine to the long list of routine and trusted inoculations that includes shots against tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and other potentially deadly pathogens. Mercury News Read more
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The U.S. Could Enter Spring Of 2022 With COVID-19 "Under Control" If Enough People Get Vaccinated, Fauci Says
Dr. Anthony Fauci urged the public to get vaccinated and said if the "overwhelming majority" of the population does so the US could have the pandemic "under control" by spring of 2022. "We hope we'll be there ... but there's no guarantee because it's up to us," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the President's chief medical adviser, said Monday. CNN Read more
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A Group Of Moms On Facebook Built An Island Of Good-Faith Vaccine Debate In A Sea Of Misinformation
Anthony Buchanan considers himself a scientific, independent thinker. But for months, the Foreman, Ark.-based arborist couldn’t decide what to believe about vaccines. Google searches turned up conflicting information, and his Facebook feed was dominated by vaccine-skeptical posts and memes. Then Buchanan came across a private Facebook group called Vaccine Talk that billed itself as “an evidence based discussion forum” for pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine folks alike. Washington Post Read more
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No Off-Label Prescribing COVID-19 Vaccines To Kids Under 12: FDA
Children under 12 should not yet receive COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as regulators await data on safety, efficacy and dosing. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine won full FDA approval on Monday for individuals 16 years and up, and in May the shot saw expanded emergency approval for use among adolescents ages 12-15. "Ordinarily, as you know, when a medical product is approved, physicians often do use off-label prescribing," Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said. "However this is a different situation." KTVU Read more
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A Vaccine For Young Children Is Not Likely Until The End Of Year, NIH Director Says
Parents and caregivers may have to wait until the end of 2021 before a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for young children ages 5 to 11. The news comes from Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition. Collins said both Pfizer and Moderna are still collecting trial data, trying to understand - among other things - whether young children should receive a smaller vaccine dose than what has already been approved for adults. NPR Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Is "Close Contact" Still 6 Feet For 15 Minutes?
Experts Say COVID Guidance May Be Outdated
The Delta variant has forced a quick pivot on key pandemic public health recommendations, including the return of universal indoor masking and the green light for vaccine booster shots. There’s another long-standing core guideline, however, that experts say could use new scrutiny: the definition of “close contact” with an infected person, which dictates at what point someone exposed to the coronavirus should get tested or self-isolate. Scientists have speculated that Delta’s higher potency could greatly reduce the time it takes the virus to cause infection to as little as a few minutes or even seconds in an enclosed place. SF Chronicle Read more
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Group Of Florida Doctors Stage Walkout To Protest Unvaccinated Patients
A group of 75 doctors from South Florida staged a walkout in protest of the high number of unvaccinated patients. According to a report on MSNBC's Morning Joe, the doctors, who work at various hospitals in Palm Beach County are frustrated as the number of coronavirus cases continues to skyrocket around the country, leaving many hospitals at or near capacity. The doctors urged people to get vaccinated and said they are safe and can help prevent people from ending up in the hospital. iHeart Radio Read more
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Schools, City Works, And Football Shut Down As Texas Town Surpasses 40% COVID Positive Rate
The town of Iraan (pronounced Ira-Ann), in Texas, is shut down. According to The Texas Tribune, the oilfield town, with a population just north of 1,200-1,300 people, had its local school shut down last week after about 25% of the staff and 16% of the student body tested positive or were in quarantine for COVID-19. The West Texas town only has a 14-bed hospital with zero critical care facilities. The Tribune reports that the closest hospitals with the equipment and services needed to handle serious COVID-19 cases are “all 80 miles or more away.” The Iraan-Sheffield Independent School District made this announcement last Monday after only five days of classes. Daily Kos Read more
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A Lucky Few Seem "Resistant" To COVID-19
Scientists Want To Know Why
Thais Andrade has avoided infection with COVID-19 though her husband, Erik Soares de Araujo, fell seriously ill and had to be hospitalized. She never wore a mask in the home with him. They shared the same bed. They were physically intimate. Yet when tested for an active or past infection - twice - her bloodwork came up negative. A University of São Paulo genetics professor, Mayana Zatz, is part of a growing effort to identify factors that may make people resistant to COVID, with the goal of finding clues to treatments, as well as understanding resistance against viruses more broadly. STAT Read more
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Hawaii’s Governor Discourages Travelers From Visiting As Virus Rates Surge In The State
Facing a surge of COVID-19 cases that is straining hospitals, Gov. David Ige of Hawaii asked tourists to stay away. “It’s not a good time to travel to the islands,” he said. “The visitors who choose to come to the island will not have the typical kind of holiday that they expect to get when they visit Hawaii.” NY Times Read more
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The C.D.C. Adds Several Countries to List That Travelers Should Avoid
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its health advice for travel to six countries it now considers to be “very high” risk given the rapid spread of the coronavirus and the Delta variant. It is suggesting that people avoid traveling to these countries altogether, or if they must go, to get vaccinated beforehand.
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Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 517,517
California: 4,266,957
U.S.: 38,081,322
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 2,226,429
Cases: 105,471
Deaths: 1,311
Test Positivity: 3.3%
Hospitalized Patients: 235
ICU Beds Available: 92
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 spread in the area. NY Times
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Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 5,969
California: 65,259
U.S.: 630,873
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered: 1,559,005
Cases: 85,338
Deaths: 854
Test Positivity: 5.7%
Hospitalized Patients: 244
ICU Beds Available: 60
Cases have increased recently and are very high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have also risen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted. NY Times
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COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections: What You Need To Know
If you're fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the chances you'll contract the disease are much, much lower than they were before you got your shots. But they're not zero. However, research has found that the existing vaccines are still highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death. San Leandro Patch 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 2,720 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 165 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 2,488 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 220 cases per 100,000 residents. |
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 8/25/21
Oakland: 33,655
Hayward: 15,648
Fremont: 9,242
Eden MAC: 6,784
San Leandro: 6,612
Livermore: 5,403
Union City: 4,604
Berkeley: 4,360
Castro Valley: 3,183
Newark: 3,122
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 8/25/21
Richmond: 13,511
Antioch: 12,472
Concord: 9,728
Pittsburg: 8,323
San Pablo: 5,941
Brentwood: 5,108
Oakley: 4,239
Walnut Creek: 3,617
Bay Point: 3,341
San Ramon: 2,669
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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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