January 25, 2021
Eden Health District COVID-19 Bulletin
“We may be past the winter surge, but COVID-19 is still with us. We are only in the early stages of our vaccination campaign, and the virus has shown us it is capable of returning again and again. That means that, even as we cautiously reopen, we must continue to do the things we know work to keep each other safe.”
Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer, 1/25/21
Artist honors frontline workers with free portraits
The Covid-19 pandemic has put enormous stress on health care workers around the Bay Area. At Stanford, doctors, nurse and others have found a way to keep their spirits strong with music and what has become a schedule of regular performances.

Raji Koppolu, a nurse practitioner, loves performing classical and just about any other kind of music. So does Dr. Matias Bruzoni, but the idea of performing together first took shape under a different kind of spotlight. Dr. Bruzoni is a pediatric surgeon at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford where Koppolu is a pediatric nurse. While working together, they started talking about music.

"And we started practicing some songs just the two of us…we named our group the 2-0 Vicryl, which is one of the sutures we use in the operating room," Koppolu explained. "And we were able to blend nicely our music, tastes and likes, and the harmonies and all of that which has always been my passion," said Dr. Bruzoni.
Now, roughly a decade later, they've found an important new audience. Koppolu and Bruzoni have joined with dozens of doctors and nurses and others across Stanford for a popular series of virtual performances known as the Stuck@Home Concert series. The weekly concerts were launched after the Covid-19 lockdown forced Stanford to cancel a symphony performance. Organizer Jackie Genovese says they've grown into a kind of antidote for the stress and pressures doctors and nurses are facing from the pandemic.

"It's really turned into this really amazing way to have a space of joy and music and sort of contemplation for what we're all going through," says Genovese.

Source: ABC 7 News
By the Numbers
CONFIRMED CASES
Bay Area: 358,786

California: 3,163,404

U.S.: 25,188,728
Alameda County

Cases: 70,823

Deaths: 894

Test Positivity: 9.3%

Hospitalized Patients: 445

ICU Beds Available: 70
REPORTED DEATHS
Bay Area: 3,816

California: 37,136

U.S.: 419,696
Contra Costa County

Cases: 55,245

Deaths: 489

Test Positivity: 11.6%

Hospitalized Patients: 259

ICU Beds Available: 25
Bay Area ICU Capacity: 8.2%

Sources: Johns Hopkins UniversitySF Chronicle, and dashboards for California and Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
Test positivity is based on a 14-day average. Hospitalized patients refers to patients with confirmed and suspected Covid-19.
Bay Area News
Alameda County Public Health Department Press Release, January 25, 2021
Effective at midnight tonight, Alameda County will return to the Purple Tier (widespread risk level) of the State's Blueprint for Safer Economy.

Businesses must comply with the State’s Industry Guidance, which requires a work-site specific protection plan; and CalOSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards
There are no additional local restrictions at this time. 

The following businesses/activities may resume outdoors only with modifications:

  • Campgrounds 
  • Cardrooms and Racetracks 
  • Family Entertainment Centers and Movie Theaters 
  • Gyms 
  • Museums 
  • Places of Worship and Cultural Ceremonies 
  • Restaurants, Wineries, and Tasting Rooms 
  • Zoos and Aquariums 

The following businesses/activities may resume indoors with modifications:

  • Hair Salons and Barbershops
  • Hotels and Lodging (indoor gyms and fitness studios remain closed) 
  • Personal Care Services, including Massage, Nail Salons and Skin Care Services 
  • Grocery Stores may increase capacity to 50 percent 
  • Other Retail may increase capacity to 25 percent 


Oaklandside, January 22, 2021
Oakland city and county staff held a virtual town hall on Thursday, Jan. 21 to field questions that community members had shared. The county is administering vaccines received by the state in locations called PODs, or points of distribution. Three PODs are up and running in Oakland, Castro Valley, and Hayward. “These are opportunities for people to make an appointment and come get vaccinated,” said county spokesperson Neetu Balram, who added that the PODs are currently vaccinating only healthcare workers and 911 first responders. 

After vaccine supply increases and the state provides a clearer framework for prioritizing individuals, the county will open “mega pods.” These are mass vaccination sites that could see thousands of individuals every day. “We’re working on standing those up by mid-February,” said Balram. “We’re looking at a couple of different locations right now.” 
Vaccine & Health News
STAT, January 25, 2021
Moderna is studying adding booster doses to its vaccine regimen after finding its Covid-19 vaccine was less effective against a coronavirus variant that was first identified in South Africa, the company said Monday. In lab research that involved testing whether blood from people who had received the vaccine could still fend off different coronavirus variants, scientists found that there was a sixfold reduction in the vaccine’s neutralizing power against the variant, called B.1.351, than against earlier forms of the coronavirus, Moderna reported.

There was no loss in neutralization levels against a different variant, called B.1.1.7, that was first identified in the United Kingdom. Both variants are thought to be more transmissible than other forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

NY Times, January 25, 2021
Merck announced on Monday that it was abandoning a pair of Covid-19 vaccines in clinical trials. The news came as a disappointment at a time when the U. S. and other countries are struggling to accelerate their sluggish vaccination campaigns and new coronavirus variants threaten to bring surges over the next few months.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, January 22, 2021
Anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction, was seen in 10 cases out of more than 4 million people vaccinated with the Moderna coronavirus vaccine Dec. 21 to Jan. 10. “In nine cases, onset occurred within 15 minutes of vaccination. No anaphylaxis-related deaths were reported." The CDC recommends providers screen vaccine recipients for contraindications and be prepared to treat the reaction.

STAT, January 25, 2021
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said recently the agency’s best prediction was that the government will have received 40 million doses in total by the end of January, and 200 million doses by the end of March. That’s only enough to vaccinate 20 million and 100 million people, respectively.

We expect to see clinical trial data this week or next on a one-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. If the vaccine is protective enough, the company can apply for an emergency use authorization from the FDA. If all goes well, that EUA could be issued in mid-February. J&J has hedged its bets; in addition to the one-dose shot, it is testing a two-dose vaccine, but data from that part of its clinical trial will take longer to come in.
Eden Health District Community Advisory:
Employees With Covid-19 May Return to Work Without Obtaining a New, Negative Test Result After The Isolation Period Ends
Summary 

Workplace guidelines for individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been updated and a negative test is no longer required to return to work after the individual has completed a 10-day isolation period and no longer have a fever and their symptoms have improved.

In an effort to provide clarity, the CDC and Alameda County Public Health Department recommend that employers should not require an employee to provide a negative Covid-19 test result if the employee has met the criteria to end home isolation.

What is Recommended

If an employee has tested positive for Covid-19, but not had a severe illness from Covid-19, the employee should stay home and isolate for at least 10 days from when the employee took the Covid-19 test.

  • On the 11th day, if the employee no longer has a fever without taking fever-reducing medication and other symptoms of Covid-19 have improved, the employee may leave isolation and return to work without obtaining a new, negative Covid-19 test result or note from the employee’s healthcare provider.

  • If on the 11th day, the employee still has a fever or her/his symptoms have not improved, the employee should stay in isolation until she/he recovers.
Special circumstances and notes:

1) If an employee had severe illness from Covid-19, defined as being admitted to a hospital and needing oxygen, the employee’s healthcare provider may recommend she/he stay in isolation for possibly up to 20 days after symptoms first appeared.

2) Loss of taste and smell caused by Covid-19 may persist for weeks or months after recovery. If an employee has only these symptoms, the employee may return to work after the isolation period ends.

Why it is Unnecessary For Employees To Get Tested Again After They Recover From Covid-19

The CDC states: “If you have recovered from your symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19, you may continue to test positive for three months or more without being contagious to others. For this reason, you should be tested only if you develop new symptoms of possible COVID-19. Getting tested again should be discussed with your healthcare provider, especially if you have been in close contact with another person who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.”

What is Isolation?

Isolation is used to separate people infected with Covid-19 from those who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use a separate bathroom (if available).

US and California Data: Last 90 Days
Covid Tracking Project, 1/24/21 (bold lines are 7-day averages)
United States
California
California News
East Bay Times, January 25, 2021
California officials lifted the regional stay-at-home orders across the state Monday morning, meaning that outdoor dining, gyms, hair and nail salons could soon reopen in many counties.

The Bay Area was one of three regions that had still been under the order, along with San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. Monday’s shift will return the state’s 52 counties back to its colored tier reopening system, which is determined by indicators such as case numbers and rates of positive COVID-19 test results rather than ICU availability.

Individual counties will resume control over which activities and businesses can open, based on case rates and test results. All Bay Area counties, and almost all throughout the state, remain in the “purple” tier for the most severe restrictions. Under the purple tier, certain activities and business sectors such as outdoor dining, gyms and nail salons would be permitted to resume operations with limited capacity.

Sacramento Bee, January 25, 2021
There are about 40 million Californians. Current vaccines require two doses. From January 14 through January 24, the state used, on average, about 122,000 doses per day. At that pace, about 20 million Californians would be fully inoculated against the disease around Thanksgiving. Three-quarters of the state would be inoculated around Memorial Day 2022.

If the state increases the pace of its vaccinations by 50%, half of its residents could be vaccinated by Labor Day. If the pace of vaccinations doubles, half of the state could be vaccinated by the Fourth of July. If the pace triples, half of the state could be vaccinated by Cinco De Mayo.

These simple projections come with caveats: The vaccination effort is still fledgling and restricted to certain populations. It’s possible that the current pace of vaccinations doesn’t tell us much about the pace in a month or two. The pace over the last four days was significantly higher than the days before — about 165,000 vaccinations reported per day.

Mercury News, January 25, 2021
The downward trend for new Covid-19 cases continued this weekend as Californians look for hopeful signs that their hard-hit state is on the road to recovery from the worst health crisis in a century. On Saturday, California counties reported 24,111 new Covid-19 cases, according to data analyzed by this news organization. The number represents 620 cases fewer than the previous day after California experienced record numbers in a post-holiday surge. The seven-day average decreased from 29,122 new daily cases to 27, 405 cases — the lowest average since Dec. 11.

SF Chronicle, January 25, 2021
More than 1 million California households are sinking further into debt even as local, state and federal lawmakers scramble to extend protections against evictions for nonpayment of rent during the coronavirus pandemic. In total 1.1 million renters owe $3.6 billion, which works out to $3,300 per household, according to a survey by the affordable housing advocate Housing NOW and Bay Area Equity Atlas, a research group focused on equity issues. About 32% of low-income households are behind on rent, compared with 9% of which are not low-income.

CalMatters, January 23, 2021
Facing criticism for its chaotic Covid-19 vaccine rollout, California has quietly launched a long-promised statewide website to help residents learn when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and schedule appointments. 

Called MyTurn (myturn.ca.gov), the online registry has not yet been widely promoted and still is a work in progress. Californians can register on the website to be notified when it’s their turn for the vaccine in a number of counties. But for now, it only can be used to schedule appointments for health care workers and people 65 and older. 
US News
NPR, January 25, 2021
President Biden will reimpose a ban on many non-U.S. citizens attempting to enter the country. The move is an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 and contain new variants of the disease that have cropped up in several countries around the globe, according to media reports Sunday.
The ban, expected to start Monday, would prohibit travelers from the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders, called the Schengen Area, according to Reuters. It will also block entry to travelers from Brazil and South Africa, where researchers discovered new variants of the virus.

Reuters, January 25, 2021
The world’s largest syringe maker does not have the capacity to substantially increase U.S. supplies of specialty syringes needed to squeeze more doses from Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine vials in the coming weeks.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, one of two authorized for U.S. emergency use, is shipped in vials initially indicated to hold five doses. Six doses can be drawn with special syringes, called low dead space syringes, which minimize the amount of vaccine left in the syringe after use. If healthcare providers can reliably extract the sixth dose it would allow supplies to be stretched 20% further and could be a financial boost for Pfizer, which is paid per dose.

Kaiser Health News, January 25, 2021
With Covid caseloads still high despite their recent decline from peak levels, and mutant strains of the virus threatening to fuel new outbreaks, some senior public health officials say testing remains an equally vital part of the effort to contain — and ultimately suppress — the pandemic. And it could become even more important in the coming months, as the inoculation campaign gains steam, since the tests could prove a valuable tool for assessing how well the vaccines are working.

Balancing vaccinations with testing and other Covid-related tasks is a significant challenge for public health officials across California and the nation, because those functions draw on many of the same resources — especially the staff needed for administration and record-keeping.

Sacramento Bee, January 24, 2021
An Associated Press analysis of federal hospital data shows that since November, the share of U.S. hospitals nearing the breaking point has doubled. More than 40% of Americans now live in areas running out of ICU space, with only 15% of beds still available. Encouragingly, hospitalizations appear to have either plateaued or are trending downward across all regions. It’s unclear whether the easing will continue with more contagious versions of the virus arising and snags in the rollout of vaccines.

NY Times, January 24, 2021
West Virginia offers a remarkable example of a state that has successfully given out almost all of its shots. Yet it provides perhaps the clearest picture of a more fundamental problem that looms ahead for the country: Even the most efficient state vaccine operations do not have enough shots for all who want them.

Early on, the state got a significant head start because it initially opted out of a federal program to vaccinate people in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. While other states chose the federal plan, which partnered with Walgreens and CVS to inoculate people in nursing homes around the country, officials decided the idea made little sense in West Virginia. The state created a network of pharmacies in the state, pairing them with about 200 long-term care facilities. As a result, West Virginia finished its first round of vaccinations at nursing homes last month, while many states were just getting started. By the end of this week, officials expect to have delivered a second round of shots to all nursing homes.
CA Education News
SF Chronicle, January 25, 2021
Pushed to the front of the line, more than 1,000 Bay Area school workers received the coronavirus vaccine in recent days, but it could be weeks or months before additional teachers and staff get the shots, with the state now rethinking who should get them first.

The uncertainty of when teachers and school staff will get their turn is just one aspect of a confusing and chaotic vaccine rollout in California, plagued by a shortage of doses and the logistical challenge of saving shots for only those who are eligible.

Counties and medical providers have made their own decisions on how to prioritize immunizations within state guidelines, with many choosing in recent weeks to fast-track educators so schools can reopen. But federal and state authorities now say vaccines should be given to everyone older than 65, and the state is considering scrapping all the existing tiers in favor of an age-based priority system. In some cases, it appears there’s been little rhyme or reason to who’s getting vaccinated. 

EdSource, January 25, 2021
With a multilayered approach to detect and prevent the spread of Covid-19, campus leaders at the University of California, San Diego say they have created something rare in higher education this year: a safe on-campus experience for thousands of students. Credit for UCSD’s good fortune lies with science. Students and employees at UC San Diego are tested for Covid-19 every week. A lab on campus frequently tests the wastewater in dorms and other buildings for signs of the virus. Most of the campus uses CA Notify, a mobile app that alerts individuals via Bluetooth if they have come into contact with another person who has tested positive for the virus. 

The resources at UC San Diego’s disposal — including its own health care system and medical school — make those programs possible and have given the university an advantage over most other colleges and universities throughout the state. As important as any single strategy is student behavior. The campus uses a peer engagement approach with hundreds of student health ambassadors who patrol campus to educate and ensure that students and others are following health protocols, such as wearing masks and not gathering in groups. 

LA Times, January 25, 2021
In the dark days of the pandemic’s “surge upon a surge” — with available intensive care unit beds at or near zero and nursing staff maxed out — several Southern California hospitals reached beyond their own desperately needed staff and tapped into a ready and willing population of student nurses who could help give vaccines.
US Education News
USA Today, January 25, 2021
Almost three out of four urban districts are still offering only online instruction, according to a new report from the Center on Reinventing Education at the University of Washington. And some districts that have recently gotten some kids back to schools are facing major pushback from unions, predominantly around safety measures and the spike in Covid-19 infection rates in the community.

Studies have shown schools that reopened with mitigation tactics have not contributed to major outbreaks, in places with mild to moderate community transmission. But the research is less conclusive about the safety of reopening in places with higher rates of infections. And a new study by researchers in Florida and China shows that while children are less likely to get sick themselves, they were 60% more likely than adults over 60 to spread the infection. That's why some doctors are recommending schools stay closed, like Vin Gupta, an ICU doctor now acting as a medical consultant for the Chicago Teachers Union. But others from Chicago, the San Francisco Bay area and Ann Arbor, Michigan, have urged local schools to reopen.

NY Times, January 25, 2021
With about half of American students still learning virtually as the pandemic nears its first anniversary, the president’s push to reopen schools is far from certain to succeed. His plan is rolling out just as local battles over reopening have, if anything, become more pitched in recent weeks.

Teachers are uncertain about when they will be vaccinated and fearful of contagion. With alarming case counts across the country and new variants of the coronavirus emerging, unions are fighting efforts to return their members to crowded hallways. Their reluctance comes even as school administrators, mayors and some parents feel increased urgency to restore educational business-as-usual for the millions of students who are struggling academically and emotionally.

Washington Post, January 24, 2021
For 13 seconds, eyes were fixed on the maskless members of the Board of Education in Cobb County, Ga. School district employee Jennifer Susko pleaded with those on the board who were not wearing masks to put them on in honor of Hendricks Elementary School kindergarten art teacher Patrick Key, 53, who died Christmas Day after he was hospitalized for about six weeks with covid-19. For the next 13 seconds, some members looked down, a few shifted in their seats. All were quiet. Most were already wearing masks, but at least two men, including Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who were not wearing face coverings remained maskless.
International News
CNN, January 25, 2021
People in the United Kingdom have been living under lockdown for the past three weeks, hoping their sacrifice would bring the country's latest coronavirus surge -- caused by the new, more contagious variant of the virus -- under control.

But despite the harsh restrictions, case numbers are not dropping as fast as experts have hoped. Deaths continue to rise and public health experts and government are starting to warn people that the country will be in this battle for the long run. The new variant, known as B.1.1.7, has wreaked havoc in the UK, fueling a surge in cases towards the end of 2020 despite a national lockdown being in place. Data showing an uptick in cases in younger people suggests this was largely because schools had stayed open, enabling the variant to spread rapidly.

Reuters, January 25, 2021
A little over one million vaccine shots administered so far, India is at the start of the first phase of a vaccine program that India hopes will eventually protect its 1.4 billion people from the coronavirus. Only when the much larger third phase is launched, aimed at 270 million people deemed vulnerable, will the government know if its plan to distribute shots across sometimes hostile terrain and amid high temperatures will succeed.

Supplying vaccines is one thing. Convincing people to take them is another. Skepticism of the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 shots is high in India, particularly in rural areas, officials say, and misinformation via social media platforms and word-of-mouth could undermine the effort.

Reuters, January 25, 2021
Despite his Covid-19 diagnosis at the weekend, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador continues to run the government and should recover soon, a senior minister said on Monday, sounding an optimistic note on the leader’s health.

The Hill, January 25, 2021
Japan is unlikely to achieve herd immunity from the coronavirus by summer, when it has scheduled the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games, Reuters reported.

Although the country has Asia’s largest supply of vaccines, the herd immunity benchmark of around 75% of the population vaccinated is likely to come around October, Rasmus Bech Hansen, the founder of British research firm Airfinity, told the news service.

Associated Press, January 25, 2021
As the ruling Communist Party faces growing questioning about China’s vaccines and renewed criticism of its early Covid-19 response, it is hitting back by encouraging conspiracy theories that some experts say could cause harm.

State media and officials are sowing doubts about Western vaccines and the origin of the coronavirus in an apparent bid to deflect the attacks. Both issues are in the spotlight because of the rollout of vaccines globally and the recent arrival of a World Health Organization team in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins of the virus. Some of these conspiracy theories find a receptive audience at home.
Analysis/Opinion
Lisa M. Krieger, health reporter, Mercury News, January 25, 2021
A year ago, so many things were supposed to be different. A new virus in China was worrisome, but it appeared to pose so little threat to Bay Area residents that joyful Lunar New Year festivities and Super Bowl parties went on as planned. Masks were discouraged. Good viral tests were imminent. Toilet paper was plentiful. Ocean cruises were still a special travel pastime. Unemployment was low and commercial office space was in tight supply.

These things, and so much more, have all changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has upended our daily lives — the way we work, shop, socialize, exercise, even walk down the street. Many are out of work, struggling to get by. Some have lost friends or family to the deadly disease.

Yet even as the state struggles with its mass vaccination campaign, and worrisome variants of the virus loom on the horizon, we’re making notable progress. Tests are cheaper and faster. Patients are living longer. Dangerous pastimes, like concerts and large sporting events, are restricted. Businesses are redesigning precarious supply chains of essential products. Jobs and workers are slowly returning — and with them, our future.
The lessons learned will help science and society the next time around. Because once we recover from this pandemic, we can ill afford another.

Robinson Meyer, January 25, 2021
In the past week, a new picture has emerged in COVID-19 data: The pandemic seems to be receding from its high-water mark in the United States. But while the trajectory of the pandemic is encouraging, the overall level of infection is staggering. Since the pandemic began, two trends have defined the virus’s behavior. First, when cases and hospitalizations start to fall in a region, they continue on that path for some time.

Second, when a community has a high level of ongoing infection—when the virus is simmering in the background but not yet boiling over and overwhelming hospitals—a new surge will soon start up again. Today, several key metrics are in decline, but overall community transmission remains at high levels.

NY Times, January 25, 2021
How should the local and federal authorities coordinate? Who should get vaccinated first? What should officials do about resistance in communities? Should the hardest-hit places be prioritized? Who should pay? Some answers can be found in the successes and failures of vaccine drives over the past two centuries.

Washington Post, January 25, 2021
At least 225 million full-time jobs disappeared worldwide last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report published Monday by the International Labor Organization, losses four times worse than those from the global financial crisis in 2009. But the ultrarich have seen their wealth soar.

According to another report released Monday, by the anti-poverty nonprofit group Oxfam, the combined wealth of the world’s 10 richest men has risen by more than $500 billion since the crisis began — enough to vaccinate the entire planet and then some, according to the organization.
East Bay Focus
by day as of 1/24/21
by day as of 1/24/21
Over the last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 4,655 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 283 cases per 100,000 residents.
Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 2,805 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 248 cases per 100,000 residents.
Top 10 Locations of Cases in Alameda County, as of 1/24/21
Oakland: 21,4836

Hayward: 11,125

Fremont: 6,154

Eden MAC: 4,862

San Leandro: 4,294

Livermore: 3,615

Union City: 3,249

Berkeley: 2,512

Newark: 2,290

Castro Valley: 2,063
Top 10 Locations of Cases in Contra Costa County, as of 1/25/21
Richmond: 8,579

Antioch: 7,469

Concord: 6,651

Pittsburgh: 5,484

San Pablo: 4,389

Brentwood: 2,881

Oakley: 2,412

Walnut Creek: 2,292

Bay Point: 2,270

San Ramon: 1,676
East Bay Resources

Where to get a Covid-19 Test

Vaccine Distribution Plan

Reopening: List of Businesses and Activities

Food Pantries
Bay Area Vaccine Distribution Focus
SF Chronicle, January 21, 2021

• Alameda County is currently vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, and will move on to individuals 65 and older and frontline essential workers soon. People can fill out this form to be notified when it’s their turn. The county’s latest update on vaccine eligibility says: “For those who are age 65 and older and are interested in getting vaccinated, we encourage you to please reach out to your health care provider to see if they have vaccine available at this time. Otherwise, we anticipate being able to start vaccinating this group in the coming weeks.”

• Contra Costa County: This online form currently allows health care workers and individuals 65 and older to request vaccination appointments.

• San Francisco: The public health department and private providers — including UCSF, Kaiser and Sutter — will help open the city’s first mass vaccination site at City College on Ocean Avenue near Interstate 280 today. Those eligible for a vaccine, such as health care workers and those 75 and older, will be contacted by their provider and invited to the site, which is appointment-only. San Francisco residents can go to www.sf.gov/vaccinenotify and submit contact and eligibility information, and then be notified via email when it’s their turn to get vaccinated.
East Bay Times, January 22, 2021

• Kaiser Permanente: After earlier saying it would schedule appointments for those 65 and up and providing a phone number, the HMO has scaled back. According to the vaccine page on its website, Kaiser now is saying it will mail a letter or send an email to patients 75 and older to schedule an appointment. It no longer provides a phone number for people to proactively make an appointment. Kaiser is allowing health care workers, long-term care patients and staff and emergency medical services workers to set up an e-visit to book a vaccine.

• Sutter Health's vaccine website says it is scheduling appointments for health care workers and those age 75 and up, prioritizing patients at the highest risk. Sutter patients can call 844-987-6115 to schedule an appointment or sign into their My Health Online portal to reserve a time online.

• Stanford Health Care's coronavirus site says it is vaccinating its primary care patients, but eligibility varies by county. Residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who are at least 75 years old can be vaccinated at 2585 Samaritan Drive, San Jose. Beginning Friday, Jan. 22, it will also offer vaccinations at the Arrillaga Center at 341 Galvez Street on the Stanford campus. As of Thursday, Stanford patients 65 and up in Alameda and Contra Costa counties can schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at 6121 Hollis Street in Emeryville. Eligible patients can make an appointment via the MyHealth portal or by calling 650-498-9000.
Mask On Eden Area
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 and community in the Eden Health District area. The posters are free and intended for businesses, health clinics, schools, churches, public agencies and nonprofit organizations to display in their entrances.

The public is welcome to download and print or share “Mask On” posters from the District’s website. Posters are available in English, Spanish and Chinese languages.
Your feedback is welcome. Please share the Bulletin.
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Mariellen Faria, Chair, Pam Russo, Vice Chair, Roxann Lewis, Treasurer, 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 publish the Bulletin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, unless the day falls on a public holiday.

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We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact Bulletin editor Stephen Cassidy.