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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

As Delta Variant Grows More Prevalent, L.A. County Reports Largest Daily Increase in Coronavirus Cases Since April Thursday, July 1 (KTLA 5) – On Thursday, Los Angeles County reported 506 new infections, the highest daily number since mid-April, while the number of delta variant cases reported doubled to 245. The variant accounted for 44% of all cases sequenced in labs, according to county health officials. L.A. County public health Director Barbara Ferrer said there’s been

Delta COVID-19 Variant a Growing Concern in Los Angeles County Tuesday, June 22 (Fox 11) – On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Heath reported 258 cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths, bringing the totals to 1,247,618 cases and 24,441 fatalities in the county. State figures revealed 213 people hospitalized on Sunday, down from 219 on Saturday; the number of COVID patients in intensive care rose to 45. The highly transmissible Delta

LA County Sees Alarming Spike in Corona Virus Cases Wednesday, July 21 (Los Angeles Times) – On Wednesday, public health officials reported 2,551 new coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County, which is the highest total since early March. The report coincides with increased transmission of the Delta variant and a pattern of overall increased transmission since California’s June 15 reopening. The average case rate among unvaccinated residence, for the week of July 7 to 14,

California Turns a Page on the Pandemic, Lifting Most COVID Restrictions Wednesday, June 16 (NBC Los Angeles) – At midnight, most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in California. Billed as the state’s “Grand Reopening”, Tuesday marked the end of state rules on social distancing and limits on capacity at restaurants, bars, gyms, stadiums, and other locations. However, some measures will remain in place for large indoor concerts, sporting events, and gatherings of over 5,000 people. Masks

Fauci Warns Delta Variant Still a Threat to US, Appears to Infect Younger People More Than Others Wednesday, June 9 (ABC 7) – On Tuesday, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci warned of the threat of COVID-19 variants and that they are a reason more people need to be vaccinated. Overall cases have declined 94% since January as vaccinations have been administered. New case numbers are at the lowest since March

LA Clinicians Rush to Vaccinate Community as Delta Variant of COVID Spreads Wednesday, July 7 (CBS Los Angeles) – On Wednesday, Bell Gardens Veterans Park clinicians said the push to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 is more important than ever, as the number of Delta variant cases increases. The variant is spreading rapidly across Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health said. It now makes up about half of cases in the area.

Moderna Seeks Full FDA Approval for Its COVID-19 Vaccine Tuesday, June 1 (NBC Los Angeles) – Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was previously cleared for emergency use by the FDA and in other countries, but the company has revealed it has begun seeking full U.S. regulatory approval for the its use in adults. On Tuesday, the company announced beginning a “rolling submission” of data to the FDA on studies of its two-dose mRNA vaccine. Over 124 million

California to offer $116 Million in COVID Vaccine Prize Money Thursday, May 27 (CNBC) – On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a total of $116.5 million in prize money to get millions more people vaccinated in California before June 15, when the state is set to fully reopen. The prize money, and single vaccine prize of $1.5 million, are the largest in the country. Additional prizes include $50,000 to another 30 people each, and $50

Newsom Defies CDC Guidance, Will Wait Until June 15 to Ditch COVID-19 Mask Mandate Monday, May 17 (KUSI) – Officials announced on Monday that California will wait until June 15 to begin following federal guidelines that no longer require fully vaccinated individuals to wear face coverings. According to California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, California plans to fully reopen the economy on that date if positive trends continue. The U.S. Centers for

L.A. County to Offer Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine to Children Ages 12 to 15 Starting Thursday Wednesday, May 12 (KTLA 5) – On Wednesday, officials announced Los Angeles County will begin providing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12 to 15 on Thursday, May 13. The decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation to expand emergency use of the vaccine. According to the L.A. County Public

Los Angeles Prepares to Vaccinate Kids Ages 12-15 As FDA Approval For Teens Nears Monday, May 3 (Deadline.com) – In light of word that the Food and Drug Administration was preparing to authorize use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to kids 12 to 15 years old, officials in Los Angeles said Monday they were prepared to act once the FDA granted approval. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer discussed plans to administer vaccines

LA to Administer 150K COVID Vaccines This Week; Increase Partially Due to City Resuming Administration of J&J Vaccine Monday, April 26 (ABC 7) – On Sunday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced nearly 150,000 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines could be administered at city vaccination sites this week. The city expected to receive nearly 42,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and over 63,000 does of Pfizer, while 29,000 doses of the Johnson &

6 Million Vaccine Doses Administered in L.A. County Monday, April 9 (Los Angeles Blade) – On Monday, Los Angeles County public health officials announced more than 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the county. These include 4,080,126 first doses and 2,239,672 second doses. Two million people are fully protected against the coronavirus, while over 70% of residents 65 and older have had at least one dose. This week 711 vaccination sites

LA County Remains in COVID Orange Tier as City Expands Vaccines to 16+ Wednesday, April 14 (NBC Los Angeles) – State figures released Tuesday show that, in Los Angeles County, the seven-day average rate of new COVID-19 cases increased from 3.1 to 3.2 per 100,000 residents, while the city of Los Angeles expanded vaccines to people aged 16+. To move from the orange to less restrictive yellow tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy,

COVID Vaccine Passport: Fauci Says Federal Government Won’t Mandate Monday, April 5 (FOX 11) – Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser for President Joe Biden, said he does not believe the use of vaccine passports will be mandated by the federal government, in a discussion with Fox 11’s Elex Michaelson on Friday. Saying it could happen on a local level, Dr. Fauci discussed the practicality, scientific, and legal merits of the idea. He also gave

Four Dead, 2 Wounded, Including Suspect, In Shooting Near Los Angeles Wednesday, March 31 (Reuters.com) – Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at an office building in the city of Orange on Wednesday. The incident took place about 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Police reported that the suspect engaged in gunfire with authorities and was taken into custody. This marks the third deadly mass shooting in the U.S. in

Los Angeles Lakers Star and Former LA Clippers Exec Elgin Baylor Dies at 86 Monday, March 22 (ESPN.com) – Hall of Fame forward and former LA Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor died at age 86 on Monday of natural causes, according to a statement by the Los Angeles Lakers. Baylor played 14 seasons with the Lakers, from 1958 to 1971, and was an 11-time All-Star and 10-time All-NBA selection. For his career, he averaged 27.4

Californians with Certain Health Conditions, Disabilities Can Now Sign Up for COVID-19 Vaccine Monday, March 15 (KTLA 5) – On Monday, California expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to about 4.4 million people. People aged 16 to 64 with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic pulmonary disease, down syndrome, are immunocompromised from an organ transplant, are pregnant, have sickle cell disease, heart conditions, severe obesity, or Type 2 diabetes mellitus can receive the vaccine. The decision

House Passes $1.9T COVID Relief Bill in Win for Biden, Dems Wednesday, March 10 (NBC Los Angeles) – On Wednesday, Congress approved the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill with a party line vote in the House (aside from Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine). The bill was passed with a 220-211 vote with unanimous opposition from Republicans, seven weeks after Joe Biden entered the White House. It provides for up to $1,400 direct payments to most taxpayers

California to Receive An Initial 380K Doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Monday, March 1 (CBS Los Angeles) – California Governor Gavin Newsom said about 380,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine were expected to arrive in the state this week. On Saturday, the vaccine received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The single-shot vaccine can be stored in standard refrigerators for up to three months, CBS News

Newsom Signs COVID Relief Package That Will Send $600 Payments to Nearly 6 Million Californians Tuesday, February 23 (CBS Los Angeles) – On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several bills into law to provide assistance to people and businesses affected by COVID-19. One bill includes $7.6 billion of direct relief to go to about 5.7 California residents, Newsom said during a Tuesday news conference. It will provide one-time stimulus payments of $600 to people