COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Americans Can Order Another Round Of Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Next Week
Americans can order additional free at-home COVID-19 tests supplied by the US government starting next week. "If you already ordered free tests, tonight, I'm announcing you can order another group of tests. Go to Covidtest.gov starting next week and you can get more tests," President Joe Biden said during his Tuesday State of the Union Address. In January, the government launched its effort to provide free rapid antigen tests to any household that requested them through that website or by calling 800-232-0233. There was a limit of four tests per residential address. CNN Read more
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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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Alameda County Health Officer To Issue Decision On Masking In Schools By End Of Week
Alameda County residents will know by the end of the week whether their children will need to wear masks in school, county health officer Dr. Nicholas Moss told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. If Alameda County wants to maintain its own mask mandate for schools, county health officials will need to issue a new local health order. On Monday, California officials announced the state’s mask mandate for schools will end March 11. KPIX5 Read more
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Hayward Mask Mandate For Fully Vaccinated Members Of Public When Inside City Facilities Ending Monday, March 7
Effective Monday, March 7, the wearing of masks or other face-coverings will no longer be required of members of the public who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when inside City of Hayward facilities, the City announced today. Members of the public not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will continue to be required to wear masks or other face-coverings when inside City facilities until further notice in compliance with the current Alameda County public health order. Additionally, Alameda County public health officials continue to strongly encourage the wearing of masks when inside public spaces regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, especially when unvaccinated individuals may be present. City of Hayward Read more
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San Francisco Public Schools Won’t Drop Masks Despite City’s Health Officials And California Lifting Mandate
For the first time in two years, many students across California will get to walk into class without a mask starting on March 12, but those at San Francisco public schools won’t be among them. While vaccination rates are high and transmission rates are low in San Francisco, school officials said Monday that there will be no change to masking protocols. “Universal indoor masking will continue to be in effect at SFUSD as part of our layered approach to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools,” said district Deputy Superintendent Gentle Blythe. SF Chronicle Read more
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Number Of Food Assistance Recipients Skyrockets In S.F., Other Bay Area Counties - Including Alameda - Due to Pandemic
Two years into the coronavirus pandemic, use of the CalFresh food-assistance program in the Bay Area remains much higher than it was before, and shows no signs of declining even as the rest of the economy continues to recover from the pandemic’s early days. Affluent counties that had the lowest share of CalFresh users before the pandemic are seeing the biggest increases in food stamp use, according to a Chronicle analysis. CalFresh is the California version of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once known as food stamps. The program provides low-income individuals with financial assistance to purchase non-prepared food items.
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How San Francisco CIO Built A COVID-19 Data Collection System From The Ground Up
When the number of COVID-19 cases began ramping up in California as they did elsewhere across the country in March 2020, San Francisco Department of Public Health CIO Eric Raffin was tasked with tracking cases, test counts and hospitalizations. Raffin built a team to collect data from the estimated six acute care hospital systems in the Bay Area. The information was inputted, sometimes manually, onto a spreadsheet. Hospitals were contacted daily for the information, at a time when staff were doing all they could do to care for patients during pandemic surges. Healthcare Finance Read more
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San Jose Drops COVID Booster Mandate For Venues Like The SAP Center
As COVID-related health orders are being eased across the Bay Area, San Jose is joining the trend by ending one booster shot mandate and potentially loosening up another. San Jose no longer will require people attending events at city-owned facilities like the SAP Center and Center for Performing Arts to show proof of having received a booster shot before entering.
Similarly, city employees may soon see some bending in a policy that demanded them to get a booster shot or face up to a week of unpaid leave. About 750 employees have resisted that rule so far, according to the city. Mercury News
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Biden Says U.S. Will Deploy New COVID Vaccines Within 100 Days If Another Variant Emerges
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the U.S. stands ready to rapidly deploy new vaccines in the event another COVID variant emerges, while reassuring Americans the U.S. is moving toward normalcy after two years of disruption caused by the virus. “I cannot promise a new variant won’t come, but I can promise you we’ll do everything within our power to be ready if it does,” Biden said during his first State of the Union speech Tuesday evening. “If necessary, we’ll be able to deploy new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years,” the president said. CNBC Read more
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Pfizer COVID Vaccine Is Less Effective In Kids 5 To 11, Study Finds
Newly emerging data suggest the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine works substantially less well at preventing infection and hospitalizations in children aged 5 to 11 than it does in those aged 12 to 17 — a finding that is raising questions about whether the companies chose the wrong dose for the younger children. The data, from New York state, show a rapid and substantial decline in protection after vaccination in children in the younger age group, with efficacy against infections dropping off more quickly and dramatically than the declines seen in children aged 12 to 17. The study also found a significant, but less steep, decline in protection against hospitalizations. STAT
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Department of Defense Gives $1.1M To Seattle Startup That Will Collaborate With Lawrence Livermore National Lab To Help Find New Antibodies Against COVID-19 Variants
Seattle-based A-Alpha Bio will support research into new therapies for COVID-19 variants in a collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The partnership is powered by a $1.1 million sub-contract awarded to the biotech company by the U.S. Department of Defense. Monoclonal antibody therapies such as sotrovimab are key countermeasures against COVID-19. But not all antibodies work against all variants, and researchers are on the hunt for new therapies. A-Alpha Bio’s technology offers a systematic approach powered by machine learning for the discovery of new antibodies. GeekWire Read more
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One Big Motivator to Get COVID Vaccine: Travel
Wanderlust has become a strong incentive for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccines, a new study finds. The bucket list beckons, and "many people consider travel an essential part of their lifestyle and a contributor to their sense of well-being," said study lead author Dogan Gursoy, a professor in hospitality business management at Washington State University. "They'll weigh the value of travel experiences they might miss by not being vaccinated against the vaccines’ possible risks,” Gursoy said in a university news release. The study included more than 1,000 U.S. residents who were asked to rate their travel desire on a 5-point scale. Those with a strong travel desire were less likely to say they were concerned about potential vaccine side effects or long-term complications and were more likely to say they would get vaccinated. U.S. News & World Report
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Vaccine Hesitancy: Convincing The Ambivalent May Be Key
A new study, published in the Journal of Community Health, emphasizes the importance of outreach to people who have mixed feelings about getting vaccinated. The study looked at the attitudes of participants aged 55 years and older about vaccines at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical News Today
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His Wife Died From J&J COVID Vaccine Complications. Why He's Still Pro-Vaccine
Monica Melkonian wanted the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. It was only one shot and then she would be protected against the virus. So she was thrilled when the vaccination clinic at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center on April 7 had her first choice. NBC News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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California Says Even Unvaccinated Now Can Unmask Indoors
California will no longer require unvaccinated residents to wear masks in most indoor public settings starting Tuesday, state officials said Monday, removing one of the last COVID-19 restrictions regarding face coverings in the nation’s most populous state. The state had dropped its universal indoor mask mandate on Feb. 16, allowing vaccinated people to stop wearing masks in most indoor settings, but the easing did not extend to unvaccinated people — they still were required to wear masks at that time. Monday’s announcement is the first time health officials explicitly said that unvaccinated people can go mask-free in most indoor public settings. SF Chronicle Read more
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People Who Test Positive For COVID Can Receive Antiviral Pills At Pharmacies For Free, Biden Says
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the Americans who test positive for COVID-19 can receive antiviral pills for free at local pharmacies and community health centers under a new program that launches this month. :We’re launching the ‘Test to Treat’ initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost,” Biden said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday. CNBC
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140 Million Americans Have Had Coronavirus, According To Blood Tests Analyzed By CDC
More than 140 million Americans have had the coronavirus, according to estimates from blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection — about double the rate regularly cited by national case counts. The estimates, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that about 43 percent of the country has been infected by the virus. The study shows that the majority of children have also been infected. The data goes through late January, when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was causing more than 500,000 cases a day, meaning the number of Americans now infected is considerably higher. The data comes from 72,000 blood samples taken in January. Washington Post Read more
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Scientists Seek To Solve Mystery Of Why Some People Do Not Catch COVID
Phoebe Garrett has attended university lectures without catching COVID; she even hosted a party where everyone subsequently tested positive except her. “I think I’ve knowingly been exposed about four times,” the 22-year-old from High Wycombe said. In March 2021, she participated in the world’s first COVID-19 challenge trial, which involved dripping live virus into her nose and pegging her nostrils shut for several hours, in a deliberate effort to infect her. Still her body resisted. The Guardian Read more
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They Got "Long COVID." It Cost Them Dearly
Mike Heidenberg was forced to step away from his job at a New York college when he developed COVID-19 symptoms in the spring of 2020. Almost two years later, he still feels too sick to return to work. Heidenberg, 48, is one of an untold number of Americans grappling with the mysterious effects of what has become known as long COVID. His concerns now go beyond his health. “We can’t sustain living in this apartment we have called our home for 13 and a half years,” said Heidenberg, who had been working as a student adviser at Berkeley College in Westchester County. NBC News Read more
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Biden Extends FEMA Coronavirus Aid For States Through July 1
President Joe Biden is extending the federal government’s 100% reimbursement of COVID-19 emergency response costs to states, tribes and territories through July 1, the White House announced Tuesday. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients informed governors on a conference call that Biden is approving the extension of Federal Emergency Management Agency support to help continue FEMA-backed efforts like vaccination clinics, mass testing sites and surging hospital resources to deal with local case spikes. ABC News Read more
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Several Common Rapid Antigen Tests Work Well For Omicron, According To a New Study
Several rapid antigen tests that are widely used in the United States — Abbott BinaxNow, BD Veritor At-Home and Quidel QuickVue — are effective in detecting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, according to a new real-world study that eases concerns about possible false negative test results. The tests performed similarly for Omicron and the Delta variant in the study, which was released on Monday. NY Times Read more
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Hawaii Is Ending Certain COVID-19 Safety Precautions For Domestic Travelers Later This Month
Hawaii's Safe Travels program, established to slow the spread of COVID-19 through safety precautions for travelers, will come to an end on March 25, the state's governor announced. Domestic passengers arriving in Hawaii after the program ends won't need to follow earlier regulations, like showing proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to bypass quarantine, according to Gov. David Ige. CNN Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,271,200
California: 8,985,461
U.S.: 79,127,541
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,526,710
Total Cases: 253,473
Total Deaths: 1,758
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 2.7%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 3/2): 140
ICU Beds Available (as of 3/2): 91
As of March 2, cases have decreased recently but are still very high. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen 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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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 7,892
California: 85,688
U.S.: 954,075
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,444,480
Total Cases: 188,025
Total Deaths: 1,231
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 4.0%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 3/2): 62
ICU Beds Available (as of 3/2): 41
As of March 2, cases have decreased recently but are still very high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have also fallen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted. NY Times
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Cloth Masks Don't Cut It For Keeping COVID Away
If you're counting on a cloth mask to protect you from COVID-19, you may need to re-think that strategy, a new study shows. Researchers found that cloth face masks do little to fend off tiny airborne particles, while concluding that specialized N95 and similar masks do a much better job. "Masks are air filters, and woven fabrics, such as cotton, make for good jeans, shirts, and other apparel, but they are lousy air filters," said study co-author Richard Sear. "So, use woven fabric for clothing, and N95s, FFP2s or KF94s for masks," added Sear, of the University of Surrey in England.
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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 611 new cases and 5.7 new death per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 224 new cases and 4.3 new deaths per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 3/2/2022
Oakland: 74,405
Hayward: 33,189
Fremont: 25,732
San Leandro: 15,541
Eden MAC: 14,480
Berkeley: 12,825
Livermore: 12,740
Union City: 11,173
Alameda: 8,683
Castro Valley: 8,668
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 3/2/2022
Richmond: 27,775
Antioch: 25,303
Concord: 20,292
Pittsburg: 16,406
San Pablo: 11,854
Brentwood: 11,269
Oakley: 9,470
Walnut Creek: 9,266
San Ramon: 7,975
Martinez: 6,219
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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 Ed Hernandez. 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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