The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health March 3, announced that the Court of Appeal recognized that during a pandemic, it is vitally important for public health officials to quickly take affirmative measures to reduce transmission of COVID-19, in order to combat an ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The Court acknowledged that Public Health recognized that while temporarily restricting outdoor dining at restaurants would have an economic impact, the restriction was an appropriate exercise of public health discretion because dining with others creates a circumstance where non-household members are gathering in close proximity with each other without COVID-19 infection control precautions, such as face mask, thereby increasing the risk of transmission. Importantly, the Court of Appeal found that the trial court stepped outside of a court’s appropriate role by “mandating a nebulous risk-benefit requirement” on public health decision-making. This ruling will help public health officials continue to protect the health and safety of all Californians.
COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Decline; Public Health Planning for Additional School Re-openings and Increases Access to Vaccine
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health has confirmed 116 new deaths and 1,759 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 1,195,913 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 21,669 deaths.
The seven-day average number of cases by episode date has decreased to less than 900 per day as of February 23.
There are 1,476 people with COVID-19 hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. As cases decline, the average number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 decline, though the County is not back to pre-surge levels. In Early November before the surge, there were around 800 daily hospitalizations and now daily hospitalizations are averaging 1,500.
The seven-day average number of daily deaths continues to decline yet remains far too high. On January 13, the average peaked to 254 daily deaths, and today, as with far too many days during the week, over 100 deaths are reported.
Testing results are available for nearly 5,860,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.6%.
L.A. County is very close to meeting the metric thresholds for the less restrictive red tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safety Economy. This week, L.A. County’s adjusted case rate dropped to 7.2 new cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate is 3.5%. Our case rate needs to remain at or below 7 new cases per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks to move to the less restrictive red tier. If L.A. County moves into the red tier next week and stays in that tier for two consecutive weeks, schools will then be eligible to reopen in-person learning for students in grades 7 through 12.
Currently, schools throughout the county have reopened for high needs students and for grades TK through 6. As of March 1, 1,799 schools are providing on-campus services for high needs students.
Public Health is working in partnership with Los Angeles County school districts to establish the Public Health Ambassador Program for students and parents. This program will actively engage school communities in preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19 by empowering students and parents as essential partners in each school’s prevention effort. For parents, the program offers a one-time 90-minute virtual session that covers proven safety practices for home and in the broader community. Student Ambassadors meet weekly and learn about the impact of COVID-19 on wellbeing, and about social determinants of health and how the pandemic has impacted some groups more than others.
The Public Health Lab has tested 679 specimens of COVID-19 virus in L.A. County to assess the presence of mutations — with more than 400 of these sequences performed since Jan. 1 of this year. To date, Public Health has confirmed a total of 27 cases of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 U.K. variant and one case of the P.2 Brazil variant in Los Angeles County. All of the U.K. variant cases have been identified since January 15, and the first case of the P.2 variant from Brazil was identified late last week. In addition, there have been 239 California variant cases with the vast majority of these cases identified since Dec. 1 of last year. In the most recent run of 55 specimens in the Public Health laboratory, 31 (56%) included the 5-mutations characteristic of the California variant, so this strain continues to be widely circulating in Los Angeles County. There have been no cases identified in L.A. County with the South African variant.
Los Angeles County continues work mitigating barriers and increasing access to vaccine to eligible residents and workers in the hardest hit communities. Because navigating an online registration system is a major barrier for many people, Public Health is working with a number of community leaders and organizations who are handling the registration process for those who are eligible and are not able to easily use online registration. In addition, the Public Health call center is also able to register people without requiring individuals to go through the online interface. Approximately 3,000 appointments this week at the county run sites are being filled through these efforts. Many community vaccination partners are also eliminating on-line registration requirements for their patients, and helping individuals register on site.
Mobility limitations and transportation are a challenge to many people. Public Health is continuing to send mobile teams, with its partners Curative, to senior residential communities, especially in areas that have had low vaccination rates. The county is coordinating with rideshare companies to provide additional transportation options for people eligible to be vaccinated.
For many people, needing to provide a government-issued ID is a barrier to being vaccinated. There are many options for verifying your age, where you live and where you work when you come to a vaccine appointment that do not require government issued ID. Vaccinations are always free and available to all immigrants. Getting vaccinated doesn’t impact current or future immigration status and doesn’t affect green card eligibility. It is not considered in a public charge test. As a reminder, medical information, including information about vaccinations, is private and not shared with immigration officials.
Details: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).
California Leads with Public Health and Vaccine Equity to Safely and Sustainably Reopen
SACRAMENTO – The Newsom Administration March 4, announced that California will lead with safety protocols and vaccine equity to end the pandemic and reopen the economy. To that end, the state has set aside 40 % of vaccine doses for the hardest-hit communities and established a vaccine equity metric – which seeks to increase vaccinations in those communities – as a prelude to adjusting the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which governs the conditions under which California’s economy can safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
California’s approach will continue to focus on masking and effective use of testing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation. Today the state is also updating its recommendations about the most effective use of masks and when to consider double masking.
“With more vaccines online and administered, California is now in a position to take steps toward ending this pandemic by keeping our guard up and by vaccinating those Californians most at risk and most exposed,” said Governor Newsom. “Vaccinating our most impacted communities, across our state, is the right thing to do and the fastest way to end this pandemic.”
With three vaccines online and nearly 10 million doses administered statewide, vaccines have made a difference and overall disease trends have improved dramatically over the past six weeks. Case rates, test positivity, transmission rate, hospitalizations and ICU admissions are all on a steady decline since the winter surge.
This approach recognizes that the pandemic did not affect California communities equally. Forty percent of COVID cases and deaths have occurred in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), which provides overall scores and data that predict life expectancy and compares community conditions that shape health across the state. The rate of infections for households making less than $40,000 per year (11.3) is more than double that of households with an income of $120,000 or more (5.2). At the same time, California’s wealthiest populations are being vaccinated at nearly twice the rate of our most vulnerable populations. The state is committed to doing better.
Consistent with the disproportionate impact of the virus, the state is modifying the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to lead with opening activities when vaccines have been deployed to the hardest-hit communities. This modification will shift Blueprint tier thresholds to allow slightly higher case rates per 100,000 population once more inoculations have occurred in the communities suffering the most, allowing counties to move to less restrictive tiers.
The initial goal of the vaccine equity metric is to deliver a minimum of 2 million doses to the hardest-hit quarter of the state as measured by the Healthy Places Index. The state has currently delivered 1.6 million doses to this quarter of the state. It is estimated that 2 million doses will be delivered in the vaccine equity quartile sometime in the next two weeks.
Once that threshold is reached, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy will be updated to allow for somewhat higher case rates in each tier, with an overall effect of allowing counties to loosen health restrictions at a somewhat accelerated, but still responsible, pace. The Blueprint will be updated again when 4 million doses have been administered in the vaccine equity quartile.
Using data to inform vaccine allocations, California will strategically increase the proportion of vaccines distributed to regions hardest hit by COVID-19 to help lower the rate of community infection, hospitalizations and deaths; reduce potential new variants that might emerge with each additional case; and, perhaps most importantly, ensure equitable distribution of the state’s still limited vaccine supply.
The state will accomplish these goals by doubling the allocation for disproportionately-impacted communities (allotting 40 percent to them) as compared to the rest of the state; reserving appointments for members of communities severely impacted by the pandemic; and increasing funding for safety net providers to cover start up costs and for navigation assistance. More information about the state’s efforts to end the pandemic through equitable vaccine administration is available via this fact sheet.
“Increasing vaccinations in our hardest-hit communities is both morally right, and good for public health, because it will slow the spread of disease,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “Even with these changes, California will retain some of the most robust public health protections in the nation.”
Details: covid19.ca.gov.
HCBF Releases $290,831 In Port Community Mitigation Trust Funds For Community Health And Wellness In San Pedro And Wilmington
Harbor Community Benefit Foundation or HCBF, announced that its board has approved the release of $290,831 in grant funds to American Cancer Society, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Memorial Medical Center Foundation/Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma, and St. Mary Medical Center Foundation. HCBF confirmed its commitment to investing in the health of Wilmington and San Pedro residents saying it is honored to work with these organizations.
Below is an overview of the projects that will be immediately awarded through the Healthy Harbor Communities Initiative Grant Program.
HCBF Grant Awardees American Cancer Society
Grant Purpose: American Cancer Society will use these funds to establish medical and cancer related care in San Pedro and Wilmington to improve access by building on partnerships. These partnerships will ensure that those with abnormal screening results will receive timely follow-up and treatment.
Serving: Low income households and medically vulnerable individuals within San Pedro and Wilmington.
Amount Awarded: $21,637
Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
Grant Purpose: Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation will provide 150 air purifiers and hand sanitizer refills to low-income households for free. They will provide education on the proper use of the air filters. Flyers will be distributed highlighting additional healthcare services and resources. Buddhist Tzu Chi plans to partner with Providence Little Company of Mary Wellness and Activity Center, Harbor City Community Job Center, and A Needy Wilmington to ensure residents have access to a full spectrum of care.
Serving: Low income and medically vulnerable residents of Wilmington
Amount Awarded: $35,000
Memorial Medical Center Foundation/Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma
Grant Purpose: These funds will work to expand LBACA’s Asthma Intervention, Education and Outreach Program. Forty children with uncontrolled asthma and their families will be enrolled into the program. Community Health Workers will conduct 3-4 virtual home visits to educate the children and their families about proper asthma management to improve asthma-related health outcomes.
Serving: Vulnerable children with asthma and their families living in San Pedro or Wilmington.
Amount Awarded: $60,000
St. Mary Medical Center
Grant Purpose: Through the Respiratory Rescue Program, the St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) Mobile Care Unit will address the risks associated with asthma and other cardiopulmonary issues among adults and seniors. Over a span of 18 months, the Mobile Care Unit team will provide respiratory health screenings, diagnostics, and pulmonary health education services, providing access to much needed medical care resources to adults and seniors in the medically underserved communities of Wilmington and San Pedro.
Serving: Seniors and other medically underserved communities of San Pedro and Wilmington with respiratory health issues.
Amount Awarded: $174,194
Grocery and Drug Retail Workers To Receive Hazard Pay in the City of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES – Grocery and drug retail workers will receive a $5 hazard pay increase as members of the Los Angeles City Council passed, 14 to 1, an ordinance giving the temporary pay to grocery and pharmacy workers in the City of Los Angeles.
The measure, which will be effective for 120 days, will lift pay for over 26,000 grocery and drug retail workers and only awaits a final signature by Mayor Garcetti.
The employees and their union UFCW 770 have been fighting for hazard pay for essential workers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus enters its second year, grocery and drug retail workers are still getting infected and even dying.
Dozens of community organizations have shown their support for essential workers to receive hazard pay.
Major grocers, including Kroger, which owns Food 4 Less and Ralphs, agreed to pay Los Angeles grocery store workers a $2 an hour hazard pay increase in March 2020, only to end it six weeks later. Meanwhile grocery store companies have seen their net earnings skyrocket in the last year, with Kroger reporting a 15.8% increase in sales and net earnings increase of just under 100% in the first three quarters of 2020 as compared to the first three quarters in 2019.
Grocery store and pharmacy workers continue to face the risk of infection. To date, over 5,800 UFCW 770 members have contracted COVID-19.
At the end of February, workers won hazard pay in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County.
Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup Recommends Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, Confirms it is Safe and Effective
SACRAMENTO – The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has completed its review of the federal process and concluded the Johnson & Johnson or Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for use in the Western States. The Workgroup provided its confirmation to the Governors of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington Tuesday evening, making the J&J vaccine the third COVID-19 vaccine supported for use in these states. Initial shipments of the vaccine were received this week.
Washington, Oregon and Nevada joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup in October. The Workgroup, made up of nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health, has concurrently and independently reviewed the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccinations. It will continue to evaluate other COVID-19 vaccines as they go through the federal process.
Newsom Announces Federal Approval of Medicaid Funding for Expanded COVID-19 Testing for Low-Income Students
SACRAMENTO – On the heels of announcing a $6.6 billion school reopening agreement with the Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom March 3, announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has approved California’s request to utilize Medicaid or Medi-Cal in California funding to provide voluntary COVID-19 testing for low-income students covered by the program, further supporting schools in underserved communities to reopen for in-person instruction.
On December 24, 2020, the California Department of Health Care Services requested permission, using the federal demonstration authority, to provide COVID-19 testing in schools for Medi-Cal children in grades transitional kindergarten through 12. This request to the Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been approved retroactive to Feb. 1, 2021, and will continue for 60 days after the end of the federal public health emergency.
Medi‐Cal is the primary health care system for more than half of the state’s population under the age of 20. For schools electing to implement COVID-19 testing as an additional mitigation layer – especially those serving communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – the state and federal governments will now shoulder much of the costs. Medi-Cal provides coverage to 50-55 percent of school-aged children in California.
The Governor, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon on Monday announced a $6.6 billion budget package to accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction across California and empower schools to immediately expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer. The package builds on the state’s ongoing efforts to accelerate safe school reopenings, which have included the delivery of three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost, direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.
For more information about safe returns to in-person instruction, please visit schools.covid19.ca.gov.For more information about testing in schools, please visit testing.covid19.ca.gov/school-testing.
Barrágan and Clark Urge CDC to Include Asthma in COVID-19 Medical Comorbidity Guidelines And Insure Equity In Vaccine Distribution
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmembers Katherine Clark (MA-05), Nanette Diaz Barrágan (CA-44) and 38 other Members of the U.S. House of Representatives March 2, sent a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urging the agency to add moderate-to-severe asthma in its list of underlying medical conditions that increase the risk for severe illness from coronavirus or COVID-19. The Members point out that asthma disproportionately impacts communities of color and failure to prioritize this form of lung disease contributes to inequitable vaccine distribution.
“We have grown increasingly concerned by the inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and believe the failure to list asthma, a lung disease that disproportionately impacts communities of color, is a contributing factor in that unequal distribution,” wrote the lawmakers. “The science is clear, individuals with preexisting lung conditions are more susceptible to severe COVID disease. The omission of asthma from the CDC’s list of underlying conditions means that asthma patients who live in states that closely adhere to CDC guidelines do not have priority access to vaccines.”
A nationwide study conducted by Harvard’s public health researchers found that fine particulate matter, which causes respiratory illnesses like asthma, increases the risk of dying from COVID-19. As with many medical conditions, the burden of asthma is disproportionately experienced in communities of color that already face greater COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates compared to their white counterparts. According to the American Lung Association, nearly 11% of all Black individuals were estimated to have asthma compared to 7.7% of white individuals in 2018. Multiple states like Delaware, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York have already acknowledged moderate-to-severe asthma as a significant risk and prioritized asthma patients for vaccination access.
Details: A pdf of the letter with the list of signers is here.
New $6.6 Billion Package to Reopen Schools and Deepen Student Supports
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon March 1, highlighted an agreement on a $6.6 billion budget package to accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction across California and empower schools to immediately expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer.
Public schools throughout the state will be allocated $6.6 billion under the proposed budget package. $2 billion would fund safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and COVID-19 testing. $4.6 billion would fund expanded learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring and mental health services. Together, the funds empower schools to develop and execute comprehensive strategies to both reopen and expand programs to address the social-emotional, mental health and academic needs of students.
All public schools would be required to offer in-person instruction to grades K-2 for all students and for high-needs students in all grades by the end of the month, losing 1 percent of eligible funds every day thereafter if they do not. Schools in the state’s Red Tier or better would be required to offer in-person instruction to all students in all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade, or risk the same penalty. Together, these requirements help ensure schools begin to reopen as soon as possible, in order to build trust and confidence to continue phased reopenings.
As students return to in-person instruction, all public schools would also be empowered to meet the needs of the whole child. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants allocate $4.6 billion to local educational agencies based on the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $1,000 for each homeless student. These funds would be for supplemental instruction and support for social and emotional well-being. Schools would be able to use the funds for providing more instructional time, like summer school, and accelerating progress to close learning gaps through tutoring, learning recovery programs, mental health services, access to school meal programs, programs to address pupil trauma and social-emotional learning, supports for credit-deficient students and more.
The package would also codify multiple successful state programs to support safe school reopenings:
Vaccine Prioritization for K-12 School Staff. The package codifies the Governor’s commitment to set aside 10 percent of vaccines for education workers. This commitment ensures that the state prioritization of school staff, in place since January, is made real in all 58 counties. Since the Governor’s announcement two weeks ago, the state has collaborated with county health departments, the Biden Administration and providers such as Kaiser Permanente to accelerate vaccine access for K-12 school staff starting March 1.
Data Reporting. The package codifies data reporting requirements, including requirements for schools to report reopening status and COVID-19 safety measures. These statutory requirements will help build on efforts to increase transparency, including interactive geospatial maps displayed on the Safe Schools Hub.
State Safe Schools Team. The package also allocates $25 million to the State Safe Schools Team, which serves to provide technical assistance, oversight and accountability to the over 10,000 public schools in the state. The capacity will enhance the Team’s reach, and the Team will conduct a safety review of any school with two or more COVID-19 outbreaks.
The state’s efforts to accelerate safe school reopenings to date include delivery of three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost, direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.
Details: https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/.
State Outlines Equity-Centered Plan to Accelerate Access to COVID Vaccines for Education Workers
SACRAMENTO — Beginning March 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at least 10 percent of vaccine supply would be dedicated to education workers – including teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, child care workers and site-based administrators – the state outlined its plan to execute on the Governor’s commitment.
Just over half of states currently authorize vaccines for education workers. California was among the first to do so, and vaccine prioritization has been a core component of the Safe Schools for All Plan since December. Counties have been authorized to vaccinate education workers based on supply since January and, at the state’s encouragement, at least 35 counties are actively vaccinating education workers. Since the Governor’s announced commitment, several counties have announced plans to expedite access starting March 1, including Los Angeles and Fresno counties.
To ensure communities throughout the state are prioritizing education workers, the state will true up local efforts to the 10 percent minimum through dedicated access to Myturn.ca.gov – education workers will receive up to 75,000 single-use codes statewide to make an appointment to be vaccinated. The state is also prioritizing education workers for vaccination through dedicated mobile units and vaccine drives coordinated through the state-federal vaccination sites at California State University, Los Angeles and the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. The Oakland and Los Angeles sites will conduct two dedicated vaccine drives per week for the next two weeks for education workers.
Vaccines will be directed to counties and school communities weighted by equity, including the proportion of students from low-income families, English learners and homeless youth. In turn, education workers will qualify for vaccine prioritization based on occupational health exposure – whether they are currently reporting or will imminently report in person.
Details: schools.covid19.ca.gov.