By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Maria Jimenez swabs her daughter, Glendy Perez, 7, for a COVID-19 test at Canal Alliance in San Rafael on Sept. 25, 2021.

September 27, 2021 (San Diego) - Sarah Voit likes to keep 10 to 15 rapid test kits on hand in case any of the residents of the Family Emergency Shelter Coalition in Hayward need to be tested for COVID-19. They’ve had some infection scares, and the antigen tests — which return results in minutes — have been crucial to curbing the virus in the family shelter.

National survey by ResumeBuilder finds 63% of hiring managers prefer candidates who list vaccine status—and many reject unvaccinated applicants

Source:  ResumeBuilder.com

September 22, 2021 (Seattle, Wash.) – If you’re looking for a job, you may want to roll up your sleeve and get the “jab” first.  A nationwide survey of 1,250 conducted by  ResumeBuilder.com, a resource for professional resume templates, found that one-third of hiring manages will ignore resumes without a COVID-19 vaccine status – and 63% say they prefer candidates who list vaccine status on their resumes.  A growing number of companies are now requiring vaccines and/or giving first preference in hiring to those job-seekers who are fully vaccinated.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 17, 2021 (San Diego) - A 53-year-old San Diego County resident is the first locally acquired case of West Nile Virus this year, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.

Online discussion hopes to decrease vaccine hesitancy in local Black community

Source:  San Diego Association of Black Journalists

September 15, 2021 (San Diego) - On the heels of the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors declaring misinformation as a public health crisis, the San Diego Association of Black Journalists (SDABJ) will host a thoughtful virtual discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 22 to debunk myths about the coronavirus, and discuss vaccine hesitancy in the San Diego Black community. A panel of five distinguished Black doctors from the San Diego community will lend their expertise on these topics and answer any questions or concerns the community has about the coronavirus. 

East County News Service

September 9, 2021 (Sacramento) -- Covered California announced a special-enrollment period for an estimated 138,000 Californians who will soon be losing federal financial help to keep their medical benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as COBRA, which expire September 30.  People who sign up by Sept. 30 with Covered California can potentially save hundreds of dollars a month on health insurance, with coverage starting October 1 – and many will be able to stay with the same brand-name insurance company that they currently have.

By Miriam Raftery

September 3, 2021 (San Diego) – After more than 14 hours of heated testimony, San Diego County Supervisors voted 3-2 late Tuesday night to declare medical misinformation a public health crisis. 

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

September 2, 2021 (San Diego) - As in many other technologically advanced democracies, the U.S. is blessed with highly trained medical personnel and superb facilities. However, we are also by far the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Our taxes fund 65% of the total costs of our healthcare system (Harrison, 2008). More than 30 cents on every dollar goes to large partly unaccountable administrative bureaucracies that, on the whole, do not make a positive contribution to actual health care (Harrison, 2018).

August 31, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• CDC study shows unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with Covid (CNBC)
• Covid-19 hospitalization risk doubles with Delta variant, UK study suggests (CNN)
• As Children's COVID Cases Surge, There's Another Virus On The Rise (NPR)
• Judge: Norwegian cruises can require proof of vaccination (ABC)
• Hospitals still not protected from dangerous vulnerabilities (Help Net Security)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• U.N. climate change report sounds 'code red for humanity' (Reuters)
• Computer Models Of Civilization Offer Routes To Ending Global Warming (NPR)
• .Is Amazon heading to shopping malls? Online giant plans to open department stores, reports say (USA Today)
• NHTSA investigating Tesla autopilot crashes, fatalities (Car and Driver)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 26, 2021 (San Diego) - Amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency is recommending all San Diegans wear facial coverings in indoor public settings.

By Joe Hong, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom announces all school teachers and employees will be required to be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing at a press conference at Carl B. Munck school in Oakland on Aug. 11, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

August 24, 2021 (Sacramento) - After months of reluctance, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday mandated that all California school employees be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

August 23, 2021 (Del Norte/Tuolomne/Lake/Humboldt/Nevada/Mendocino Counties) - Hospitals in six rural California counties — all in remote, northern parts of the state  — are now treating more COVID-19 patients than ever, breaking records by exceeding their winter surges.

Fox News hosts falsely touted drug as COVID treatment. FDA says it is not anti-viral, is used mainly to deworm horses, and can be dangerous for humans.

By Miriam Raftery

August 21, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – A Mississippi Poison Control Center reports that 70% of recent calls are from people who ingested Ivermectin purchased at livestock supply stores which they mistakenly believed could treat or prevent COVID-19, a view falsely touted by multiple Fox News hosts. Seeking to protect the public from harm, The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has issued a statement titled “Why you should not use Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.”

East County News Service

August 20, 2021 (Washington D.C.) -- The Biden Administration has announced actions to improve the health of rural communities by making billions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funding available expand telehealth in rural and other under-served communities, help rural hospitals and medical providers meet COVID-19 needs, expand Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing benefits, and expand Veterans’ Administration (VA) training for rural providers, among other key goals.

Source: TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through January 18, 2022.

On January 31, TSA announced the initial face mask requirement with an expiration date of May 11. On April 30, TSA announced an extension to the face mask requirement through September 13, 2021 amid a surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19.