COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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California’s Largest Coronavirus Vaccination Site Opens at Levi’s Stadium
In a bid to dramatically boost the number of residents receiving the coveted coronavirus vaccine, the 49ers and Santa Clara County on Tuesday opened Levi’s Stadium as what officials hope will become California’s largest vaccination site in the coming weeks. On Tuesday, just 500 people were slated to get a shot, but that figure is expected to rise to several thousand a day by next week, and the stadium could accommodate up to 15,000 appointments a day if California can get enough vaccine, which is currently very limited in supply. Mercury News Read more
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Bay Area Vaccine Rollout Picks Up Speed, May Even Exceed Projections
After a rocky start, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is starting to pick up the pace and there may be a dramatic shift in a matter of weeks. When the vaccine rollout was just beginning in early and mid-January, experts were predicting a long timeline to widespread vaccinations. They thought logistics might be in place in a couple of months, and vaccine deliveries ramped up by summer time. That schedule may have been too conservative. CBSN Bay Area Read more
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White House Tells Governors It’ll Boost Vaccine Allocation Another 5%
The federal government plans to increase vaccine allocations by another 5% for the next three weeks, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. The additional 5%, announced on a White House call with governors Tuesday, follows an initial 20% increase and then a subsequent 5%. Cuomo, during a call afterward with reporters, said he doesn’t expect a major supply boost until Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose. Bloomberg Read more
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California Uses ZIP Codes, Outreach to Boost Vaccine Equity
Targeting vulnerable ZIP codes is one way San Francisco and other U.S. cities and counties are trying to ensure they vaccinate people in largely Black, Latino and working-class communities that have borne the brunt of the pandemic. In Dallas, authorities tried to prioritize such ZIP codes, which tended to be communities of color, but backtracked after the state threatened to reduce the city’s vaccine supply. AP Read more
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Vaccine Drive Complicated by 1st, 2nd Shot Demand
The U.S. has entered a tricky phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort as providers try to ramp up the number of people getting first shots while also ensuring a growing number of others get second doses just when millions more Americans are becoming eligible to receive vaccines. The need to give each person two doses a few weeks apart vastly complicates the country’s biggest-ever vaccination campaign. East Bay Times Read more
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Tracking COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution
How quickly are people getting vaccinated for COVID-19? Track the progress of vaccine delivery and administration on the Wall Street Journal website. Data are updated regularly, using the latest available numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Our World in Data, a collaboration between researchers at the University of Oxford and the nonprofit organization Global Change Data Lab.
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What to Do When There's a
COVID-19 Vaccine Glut
The Food and Drug Administration announced new steps last week to help ensure that COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines stay ahead of new, potentially more transmissible and virulent, variants, whose emergence makes widespread vaccination even more urgent. The longer it takes to get the virus under control, the harder it may become. And soon, the problem may be a vaccine glut if demand is weaker than expected. Wall Street Journal
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Uber and Walgreens Partner to Offer Free Rides to Vaccination Sites
Uber and Walgreens on Tuesday announced they will join forces to offer communities of color free rides to vaccination sites. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to many interrelated factors that hinder vaccine access for communities of color, including vaccine hesitancy and lack of access to transportation," Uber said.
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Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 389,582
California: 3,444,077
U.S.: 27,249,586
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 207,902
Cases: 77,133
Deaths: 1,051
Test Positivity: 6.8%
Hospitalized Patients: 300
ICU Beds Available: 72
Cases are very high but have decreased over the past two weeks (-37%). The number of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Alameda County area have also fallen. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted.
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Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 4,657
California: 45,087
U.S.: 470,200
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered:182,099
Cases: 59,751
Deaths: 580
Test Positivity: 7.7%
Hospitalized Patients: 141
ICU Beds Available: 46
Cases are very high but have decreased over the past two weeks (-44%). 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.
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Coronavirus Variant from South Africa Found in Two Bay Area Counties, Including Alameda County
Two cases of a coronavirus variant first found in South Africa that reduces the effectiveness of some vaccines have been identified in the Bay Area, in Alameda and Santa Clara counties. They are the first two cases of this variant, called B.1.351, to be found in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom said they had been identified by Stanford scientists Wednesday morning. SF Chronicle Read more
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Mass COVID Vaccination Sites Open or Planned Across the Bay Area
Mass vaccination sites are a crucial piece of California’s efforts to speed up its sluggish coronavirus vaccine rollout, including one at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara that opened Tuesday, and another at the Oakland Coliseum expected to open February 16.
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Here's How Coronavirus Is Affecting Castro Valley Nursing Homes
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated nursing homes across the U.S., with thousands of cases and deaths among residents reported weekly. However, nursing home resident cases in recent weeks have been on the decline.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been tracking the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in nursing homes, including some in Castro Valley. Castro Valley Patch Read more
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CVS Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccination Launch Pushed Back One Day
CVS Pharmacy on Tuesday announced it is pushing back the start date for its COVID-19 vaccination program at California stores to Friday to ensure sufficient supplies of doses. The program was originally scheduled to launch today, February 11. The pharmacy chain will be administering COVID-19 vaccines at 100 locations across California, including in at least three Bay Area communities, as part of an 11-state rollout, the company announced last week. NBC Bay Area Read more
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Bay Area Counties Hope to Soon Reach Red Tier as Virus Data Improves
While Gov. Gavin Newsom is not expected to announce any Bay Area counties moving out of the purple tier, new data shows hopeful signs of reopening on the horizon. Positivity rates are improving, but case rates are well above the required threshold of seven cases per 100,000 residents.
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793,000 Bay Area Residents Already Vaccinated
As of the last available data, nearly 793,000 residents of the nine-county Bay Area have had their first doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which amounts to approximately 10.2% of the population over the age of 16 (the vaccines are only recommended for people 16 and up).
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State/National/International News
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The CDC Says Tight-Fit Masks or Double Masking With Cloth and Surgical Masks Increases Protection
Wearing a mask - any mask - reduces the risk of infection with coronavirus, but wearing a more tightly fitted surgical mask, or layering a cloth mask atop a surgical mask, can vastly increase protections to the wearer and others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (read about proper masking techniques) reported on Wednesday.
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COVID-19 May Have Taken 'Convoluted Path' to Wuhan, WHO Team Leader Says
The head of a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of COVID-19 said bats remain a likely source and that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility that warrants further investigation, but he ruled out a lab leak. Mercury News
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Teacher Vaccines in California Determined by Location, Luck
How soon teachers can expect to get vaccinated depends largely on where they live and could determine whether the bulk of California’s students return to campuses this spring or next fall. Teacher vaccinations have emerged as a central point of contention in California’s charged debate over reopening schools as unions representing teachers and school employees have listed vaccine access as one of their demands before returning to campuses. CalMatters Read more
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Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Adults at Greater Risk from COVID-19
The odds of contracting a severe case of COVID-19 appear to be greater for American adults who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual than for heterosexuals, according to a new report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the study, published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC researchers found that a greater proportion of gays, lesbians and bisexuals than heterosexuals report having underlying health conditions and behaviors associated with a higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 illness. AARP Read more
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Californians With Disabilities to Get Dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine Plan
This week, both county and state officials are discussing best practices around vaccinating those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers against COVID-19.
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People With Dementia Are Twice as Likely to Get COVID
People with dementia had significantly greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, and they were much more likely to be hospitalized and die from it, than people without dementia, a new study of millions of medical records in the United States has found. NY Times Read more
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The Pandemic Wall is Here
Of all the things that could have caused Ashley Murcia to come undone, she did not expect it to be tacos.
The 42-year-old, who lives in Sycamore, Ill., had mostly kept it together for the past 11 months. She’d been holding things down at her marketing job, making sure her two kids were logged in for virtual school and keeping her family clothed and fed and virus-free. Washington Post Read more
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Community Health Workers, Often Overlooked, Bring Trust to the Pandemic Fight
For 11 months, Cheryl Garfield, a community health worker in West Philadelphia, has been a navigator of pandemic loss and hardship. She makes calls to people who are isolated in their homes, people who are sick and afraid and people who can’t afford their rent or can’t get an appointment with a doctor. Kaiser Health News Read more
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Beware of Robocalls, Texts and E-Mails Promising COVID-19 Cures or Stimulus Payments
Coronavirus scams are spreading nearly as fast as the virus itself. As of February 8, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had logged nearly 339,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments, 69 percent of them involving fraud or identity theft. Victims have reported losing $332.6 million, with a median loss of $315.
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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 last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 2,448 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 149 cases per 100,000 residents.
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Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 1,773 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 156 cases per 100,000 residents.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 2/10/21
Oakland: 23,940
Hayward: 12,129
Fremont: 6,764
Eden MAC: 5,292
San Leandro: 4,737
Livermore: 3,889
Union City: 3,576
Berkeley: 3,001
Newark: 2,502
Castro Valley: 2,222
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 2/10/21
Richmond: 9,180
Antioch: 8,230
Concord: 7,105
Pittsburg: 5,885
San Pablo: 4,691
Brentwood: 3,168
Oakley: 2,665
Bay Point: 2,489
Walnut Creek: 2,443
San Ramon: 1,773
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Mask On!
Protect Yourself While Protecting Others
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Working in collaboration with the Alameda County Public Health Department, the cities of Hayward and San Leandro, and the Castro Valley and Eden Area Municipal Advisory Councils, the District has printed "Mask On" posters for each city in the Eden Health District area. These posters are free of charge and intended for businesses, health clinics, schools, churches, public agencies and nonprofit agencies to display in their entrances. The posters are available in English, Spanish and Chinese languages.
The public is welcome to download and print or share "Mask On" posters from our website.
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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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