Monday, February 28, 2022 – California Healthline

J&J-Vaxxed, mRNA-Boosted, and Pondering a Third Shot

Many of the nearly 17 million U.S. members of J&J Nation, myself included, are wondering whether to set aside the current official guidance and get a second booster. Some experts say: Chill out. (Bernard J. Wolfson,
2/28)

AP:
California Governor Ends 12 Emergencies, But Not For COVID

Multiple California emergencies declared by the last two governors officially ended on Friday — including for heat waves, an oil spill, wildfires and the civil unrest in reaction to George Floyd’s murder — but Gov. Gavin Newsom said the threat from the coronavirus lives on and so does the emergency he declared for it nearly two years ago. In all, Newsom signed an order ending 12 state of emergency declarations, which automatically terminate any associated executive orders relating to those events. But he offered no timeline for ending the statewide coronavirus emergency, meaning he will continue to wield broad authority to change or suspend state laws in response to the pandemic. (Mendoza, 2/25)

Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Records Sudden Spike In COVID-19 Deaths 

Stanislaus County public health over a two-day period reported 19 deaths caused by COVID-19 amid a continued decline in coronavirus transmission locally. An update on the county online dashboard Friday recorded 138 new cases of infection and 10 deaths. It followed the nine deaths reported Thursday. (Carlson, 2/26)

City News Service:
LA County’s Hospitalizations Still Falling As Focus Intensifies On COVID Mask Rules

There were 1,071 people with the coronavirus at county hospitals, down from 1,105 on Friday. Of those patients, 220 were in intensive care, down from 230 a day earlier, according to the latest state figures. Officials have said that some patients entered the hospital for other reasons and discovered they had COVID after a mandated test. (2/26)

Orange County Register:
Two OC Teens With COVID-19 Died In February, Health Officials Say

A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, both Orange County residents who had COVID-19, died this month, according to OC Health Care Agency officials. The news was mentioned in the first episode of “Your Health Matters OC,” a new program the health agency is producing and streaming on its YouTube channel and Facebook page. (Robinson, 2/26)

San Francisco Chronicle:
New Omicron Variant BA.2 Is 30% More Transmissible. Should You Be Worried?

New studies of the BA.2 sub-variant of the omicron strain of COVID — known as “stealth” omicron — show that the lineage is more transmissible than the original omicron, but may not be more severe. And so far, it doesn’t seem to be provoking another surge in cases. While experts are keeping a close eye on BA.2 as it circulates around the world — it is already in all 50 U.S. states — many aren’t worried that it will upend recent progress in winding down the pandemic. (Echeverria, 2/26)

Los Angeles Times:
CDC Suggests More Time Between 1st And 2nd COVID Vaccine Doses For Some People. Here’s Why 

After recommending for more than a year that people wait only a few weeks between their first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has adjusted its suggested timeline for some people by another month or so. (Lin II and Money, 2/26)

San Francisco Chronicle:
CDC Mask Guidelines: How The Rules Have Changed Over Time In California And The Bay Area

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced its latest change in mask guidelines, saying most of the country is now in a stable enough position vis-a-vis the coronavirus to no longer require indoor masks. Constantly changing mask mandates and recommendations at the federal, state and local level have been one of the hallmarks of the pandemic, leaving many feeling confused for the last two years. Here’s a look back at where we’ve come from and where we’re heading. (Ho, 2/25)

Bay Area News Group:
Map: New Mask Guidelines In California, County By County

Revised guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use each county’s “community risk level” in advising where masks should be worn inside. Under the revision announced Feb. 25, communities are rated low (green), medium (yellow) or high (orange) risk, based on rates of new cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 and on hospital capacity. (2/26)

Sacramento Bee:
Could CA Schools That End Mask Mandate Lose Their Insurance?

Earlier this month, fed up with the state’s continued school mask mandate, the board of trustees at Roseville Joint Union High School District voted to allow its students to remove their masks in the classroom, if they preferred. … The move was praised by conservatives and some parent groups across the state. But a week later, the district got a letter from their insurance provider, warning they could lose their benefits and coverage for refusing to follow a state law. (Korte, 2/26)

CalMatters:
California Mask Mandate: It’s Fracturing Student Life 

As debates over mask and vaccine mandates heat up, the polarization is extending into student life in California. Students on both sides are being harassed for their beliefs, while education officials caught in the crossfire have to reconcile how to enforce COVID-19 protocols and provide an education to all students. Meanwhile, a Feb. 28 update from state officials about school masking policy looms. “Friend groups have fractured over this,” said 18-year-old Pritchett, who serves as a student member on the board at Nevada Joint Union High School District, about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. (Hong, 2/25)

EdSource:
Teacher Sickout In Opposition To Decision To End Mask Mandate Closes Nevada Union High School

Some Nevada Union High School teachers pushed back against a decision by their school board to defy state mask mandates by staying home, resulting in the closure of the school on Thursday. The school board voted Tuesday to make wearing a mask optional for students despite state law and an agreement with their teachers union that masks would be required. In an interview with CBS13, Brett McFadden, superintendent of the Nevada Joint Union High School District in Grass Valley, said he felt forced to write the policy approved by the school board because students and parents were protesting the mask requirement, making it “untenable.” (2/25)

San Francisco Chronicle:
Parents Rally In S.F.’s Golden Gate Park Against School Masks

About 200 parents and kids, most every bit as angry as Selig were out in front of McLaren Lodge in the noonday sun, at a rally that drew supporters from Berkeley, Marin County and elsewhere. It was organized as a final push ahead of Monday when the state is expected to announce the date on which schools can remove mask requirements. Beyond what Monday’s announcement brings, the moms rallying on Sunday were worried that even when the state does ease up, individual school districts may still set their own mask guidelines more stringent than state rules or recommendations. (Whiting, 2/27)

CalMatters:
Many Immigrants Still Can’t Get Medi-Cal Under Expansion

Lucia Marroquin knows what it’s like to wait out pain in hopes that it will go away on its own. She is suffering from kidney stones and may need surgery. But because she lacks health coverage, her first question when she falls ill is always “how much will that cost me? ”So when California officials announced plans to extend Medi-Cal coverage to more undocumented adults, the Fresno County resident was hopeful that she would finally qualify for health insurance. But her farmworker husband’s annual income of $35,000 puts the couple over the limit to qualify for Medi-Cal, which is reserved for low-income residents. So even under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s planned expansion, she’ll likely be left with no health insurance. (Ibarra, 2/28)

Bloomberg Law:
Health-Care Worker Job Status Proposal Scuttled In California

A proposed California ballot initiative that would have cleared the way for health-care workers to be independent contractors under the state’s rigid worker classification law has been withdrawn. The proposal would have benefited the burgeoning industry of app-based companies offering flexible options for nurses and home health aides who don’t fall into the traditional employment model for the staffing agencies. The group Californians for Equitable Health Care Access proposed the initiative amid labor shortages and burnout from Covid-19 in the health-care industry. (Mulvaney, 2/24)

The Bakersfield Californian:
CDCR Begins Accepting Inmates After Pausing Because Of COVID-19 Uptick In Prisons

State prison officials confirmed two facilities in Kern County can start taking prisoners again, as local law enforcement officials worked last week to address a backlog of hundreds of state inmates in need of transfer who are being housed in local jails. Both police and sheriff’s officials recently shared the challenges created by the COVID-19-related capacity restrictions, which include not being able to house a number of their suspects, among other obstacles. (Desai, 2/27)

AP:
California Reps Ask US For New Water Study At Former Base

Two California congressmembers are asking the federal government to study whether there’s evidence that potential toxic and contaminated drinking water at Fort Ord can be tied to specific cancers and other diseases. “Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our servicemembers and their families,” said Reps. Katie Porter and Jimmy Panetta in a letter to the director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “By conducting a new study at Fort Ord, we may guarantee that those harmed while serving our country get the medical care they need.” (Mendoza, 2/25)

VC Star:
Planned Water Facility In El Rio To Improve Drinking Water Supply

An unusual military grant will help launch a new groundwater treatment facility in El Rio that will improve drinking water supplies for thousands of Ventura County residents. The $10.3 million project from the United Water Conservation District will put the plant’s first phase at the district’s groundwater recharge facility on North Rose Avenue in El Rio, north of Oxnard city limits. (Wenner, 2/27)