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COVID Transmission Rates Are Falling Across California, Bringing Cautious Optimism Thursday, January 20 (KTLA 5) – Health officials in California see indications that the surge related to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is beginning to flatten and wane. On Thursday, officials in San Francisco said they believe they’ve passed the peak of the wave. In Los Angeles County, they expressed cautious optimism that the exponential growth in cases may be behind them. The Los

Nurses Protest California Ruling Allowing COVID-Positive Nurses to Work Thursday, January 13 (Fox11 Los Angeles) – The California Department of Public Health issued a change in guidance on January 8, allowing healthcare providers who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 but who are asymptomatic to return to work. As a result, nurses across Southern California protested on Thursday to speak out against working conditions. A registered nurse at Dignity Health California Hospital in Los Angeles told FOX11

New California COVID-19 Guidelines: What to Know Saturday, January 1 (Times-Herald) – Recently updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidelines from the California Department of Public Health ease some restrictions. Mainly aligning with updated federal rules, the new guidelines reduce the quarantine times for healthy individuals exposed to someone infected from 10 to 5 days. The recommended isolation time for those infected has been cut to 5 days as well. The CDPH, unlike federal guidance, suggests

L.A. County Reports 91% Increase in COVID Cases Over Past Week Wednesday, December 29 (KTLA 5) – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 16,510 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (up from 8,633), an increase of 91% over the past week. This represents one of the highest daily case counts of the pandemic. The department also said test positivity rates have doubled to 17.6% and daily hospitalizations jumped over 30% to 1,069. Public

New California Workplace COVID Rules to End Distinction for Vaccinated Workers Thursday, December 16 (KTLA 5) – On Thursday, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board extended coronavirus pandemic regulations, with new rules starting January 14 and set for three months. The revised regulations treat vaccinated and unvaccinated workers the same, prohibiting both from workplaces if an employee comes in close contact with an infected person. Employers have expressed concern that the rules (adopted

California Coronavirus Cases Rising, Showing Early Signs of Winter Surge Thursday, December 9 (Los Angeles Times) – In the wake of Thanksgiving gatherings, health officials in numerous California counties are reporting a rebound in coronavirus cases. Many are concerned of a fifth COVID-19 surge this winter. New infections have risen more than 30% (and 33% in Los Angeles County) while the number of Californian’s hospitalized has climbed by 21% since November 22. The highly infectious

Stockton, CA – Bicyclist Injured After Being Struck by Car at N El Dorado St & Ponce de Leon Ave Wednesday, December 1 (Torem & Associates) – A bicyclist was injured after being struck by a car in Stockton on November 30. The accident occurred at about 3:37 p.m. at the intersection of North El Dorado Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue. The victim was treated on-site and transported to a local medical center, although

4 People Killed in Wrong-Way Northern California Crash Were Family on Vacation Wednesday, November 24 (ABC 7) – Brittney and Antonio Montano, both 29, their 9-year-old daughter Marianna, and 5-year-old son Antonio Jr. were killed in a head-on crash on Interstate 80 in Nevada County on Saturday. Their son Julian, 4, survived the crash strapped into a car seat. According to relatives, the family was headed to The Grand Canyon on vacation. A website has

Bakersfield, CA – One Dead in Head-On Accident on I-5 Near Hwy 46 Thursday, November 18 (Torem & Associates) – One person was killed in a head-on car accident in Bakersfield on Wednesday. The crash, which involved two cars, occurred on the southbound side of Interstate 5 near Highway 46 at about 3:20 p.m. An investigation has not yet determined the cause of the accident, which caused officials to close the southbound #1 lane of

California Turbo-Charges Push for COVID-19 Booster Shots Friday, November 12 (Los Angeles Times) – Health officials in California are pushing for more adults to get COVID-19 booster shots amidst sluggish demand and worries over a potential winter coronavirus surge. So far just 34% of Californian’s over age 65 and 14% of fully vaccinated adults have received a booster. Based on federal guidance, any adult is eligible if they’re at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure, while

Young Children Can Receive COVID Vaccines Soon. Here’s What You Need to Know Wednesday, November 3 (Cal Matters) – On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved so last week. California is expected to begin vaccinating young children and anticipates receiving over 1 million doses during the next week. Santa Clara County has

Crash on East Bay Highway Closes Four Lanes, Sends Driver to Hospital Wednesday, October 27 (East Bay Times) – A collision between a silver Acura MDX and dump truck occurred on Highway 24 on Tuesday, leaving one person hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol. The car struck the dump truck, which was stalled in an eastbound lane, at about 6:45 a.m., said a CHP spokesman. All but two far left lanes

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (10/18-10/24) COVID Economy Woes: California Unemployment Claims Rocket Higher Thursday, October 21 (The Mercury News) – According to the U.S. Labor Department, 80,700 first-time unemployment claims were filed in California during the week ending October 16, the most in six months (the week ending April 3). The number was up from the 63,100 initial claims filed the week ending October 9. Nationwide, there was a decrease in claims from

Nearly 40% of California State Workers Are Unvaccinated Against COVID Despite Newsom Order Friday, October 15 (The Sacramento Bee) – Data from California’s Human Resources Department reveal only about 62% of state workers have received a COVID-19 vaccination as of October 7. In July, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered workers to be vaccinated or submit to regular testing. The rate remains low compared to the general state population, of which 72% are vaccinated. Caltrans reported a

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (09/20-09/26) California Now Requires Proof of COVID Vaccine or Negative Test at Indoor ‘Mega’ Events; Here’s What to Know Wednesday, September 22 (KTLA 5) – A state mandate issued this week requires attendees of large indoor events in California to have proof they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before the event. When introduced on August 18, it was the first such

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (09/13-09/19) California First to Drop High COVID Transmission Status, Has Lowest Case Rate in U.S. Wednesday, September 15 (Newsweek) – On Wednesday, a map by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed California as the only state below a high level of community COVID-19 transmission. Every other state was shown in red, meaning community transmission levels averaged 100 or more cases per 100,000 people over seven

California’s Central Valley Overwhelmed by COVID-19 Delta Surge Wednesday, September 8 (Los Angeles Times) – The fourth surge of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit California’s Central Valley especially hard, and many hospitals are overwhelmed with critically ill patients. Some patients must be transported over 100 miles because local intensive care units are full. These trends are affecting the San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento, and rural Northern California. Monthly COVID-19 deaths here have tripled between July and

Riverside County Becomes County with the 2nd Highest COVID Hospitalizations in California Tuesday, August 31 (KESQ) – On Tuesday, Riverside County officials reported 3 new COVID-related hospitalizations, bringing the current total to 664. This is the most since February 12, 2021 and the county now has the second most COVID hospitalizations in California. At 1,699, Los Angeles County has the most hospitalizations in the state. In Riverside County, 6 more patients were admitted to the

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (08/23-08/29) COVID Burnout: Nurse Shortages in California Reaching Crisis Point Thursday, August 26 (Fort Bragg Advocate-News) – Nurses across California are leaving their high-pressure jobs to change careers, retire early, or take on less demanding assignments. Staffing shortages are affecting many hospitals, including one in Eureka where four emergency room nurses have quit in the past month. At Scripps hospitals in San Diego, job openings have increased 57% since

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (08/09-08/15) California Orders All Teachers to Be Vaccinated or Face Testing Thursday, August 12 (The New York Times) – On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all teachers and school staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or face weekly testing. This is the first such mandate in the nation and applies to public and private schools serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The policy goes into effect

Millennials Hit with Biggest Increase In California Covid Cases Wednesday, August 4 (The Guardian) – Since early June, infections in young adults in California have jumped 554%, according to epidemiologist George Lemp. Millennials, or those between the ages of 18 and 34, had the highest climb in COVID-19 infections, while the next highest were those between ages 35 and 49. Officials are stressing the importance of getting vaccinated as a similar trend has been seen

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (07/26-08/01) New Pushes of Masks: Vaccines Highlight Urgent Battle to Slow Corona Virus Thursday, July 29 (Los Angeles Times) – State officials unveiled new rules this week, urging even fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks indoors while in pubic, as the coronavirus surge in California worsens. They are also urging more people to get vaccinated to protect against the highly contagious Delta variant. Providers administered over 64,000 vaccines a

Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (08/16-08/22) Raging Wildfires Linked to Thousands of COVID-19 Cases and Hundreds of Deaths in 2020, Study Says Tuesday, August 17 (USA Today) – Hundreds of thousands of people and billions of dollars in insured losses have resulted from the record-setting 2020 wildfire season. In addition, researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found a connection between high levels of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and the number

California Doctor Faces Federal Charges in Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Scheme Thursday, July 15 (CNN.com) – The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a licensed naturopathic doctor from Northern California was arrested Wednesday for running a fake COVID-19 immunization and vaccine card scheme. Juli A. Mazi, 41, is facing one charge of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health matters, the Justice Department said. According to prosecutors, the Napa woman sold homeoprophylaxis immunization