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Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here. Latest Updates Here’s what we know about ‘stealth omicron’ Philadelphia first city in the US to reinstate indoor mask-wearing Shanghai discharged over 11,000 recovered COVID-19 patients two weeks into …
Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here. Latest Updates Grand jury finds Sacramento County Board undercut public health response during pandemic Biden administration gives green light for another COVID-19 booster for people 50 and older COVID-19 hospitalizations …
Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.
Global COVID-19 death toll surpasses 6 million
NFL and NFL Players Association drop face masking rules
China sees new COVID-19 cases despite ‘zero-tolerance policy’
UC Davis will no longer require masks in most indoor settings
Senators introduce bill to fund research into long COVID
9:47 a.m.: Global COVID-19 death toll surpasses 6 million
The death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 6 million, according to the Associated Press.
The tragic number confirmed on Monday is believed to be a vast undercount and shows that the pandemic in its third year is far from done. It’s also a reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic, even as people are shedding masks, traveling and moving around the globe.
The last million deaths of the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University were recorded over the previous four months.
That’s slightly slower than the previous million but highlights that many countries are still struggling with the coronavirus. Overall, some 450 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded.
9:39 a.m.: NFL and NFL Players Association drop face masking rules
The NFL and NFL Players Association recently announced that they have agreed to suspend all COVID-19 protocols going into the 2022 football season, effective immediately.
NPR reports that both the NFL and the player’s association announced the suspension, which means the NFL will no longer conduct mandatory testing for any of its players or staff.
With the change in protocols, players and staff will no longer have to wear face coverings at team facilities, regardless of vaccination status. However, each club can require face coverings “if they elect to do so.”
While no NFL games were canceled during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to COVID-19, many teams ended up moving games during the 2020 schedule, according to the Associated Press. Nearly 95{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of NFL players and about 100{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of NFL staff were fully vaccinated.
9:23 a.m.: China sees new COVID-19 cases despite ‘zero-tolerance policy’
China is seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, despite its “zero tolerance” approach to dealing with outbreaks.
According to the Associated Press, the mainland reported 214 new cases in 24 hours on Monday. The southern province of Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, reported the most cases at 69.
Hong Kong has been recording tens of thousands of cases per day. No new cases were reported in Beijing, which was essentially back to normal.
In his annual report to the national legislature on Saturday, Premier Li Keqiang said China needs to “constantly refine epidemic containment” but gave no indication that Beijing may switch up its current “zero tolerance” strategy.
10:59 a.m.: UC Davis will no longer require masks in most indoor settings
On March 19, UC Davis will drop their current masking policies and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to no longer require masking in most indoor settings.
This change will apply to both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. However, masks will still be required in clinical settings and on public transit, following federal, state and local guidelines.
Despite this change, masks are still strongly recommended by public health officials and by the school for vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike. The school said it will support those who continue to wear masks indoors for any reason.
Employees and students who are not fully vaccinated must continue testing every four days. Davis campus employees and fully vaccinated students must continue testing every 14 days.
As a reminder, people who are up to date on their vaccinations have a much lower risk to their health.
Further updates will be provided in Chancellor Gary S. May’s next letter to the community on March 11.
10:50 a.m.: Senators introduce bill to fund research into long COVID
Nearly two years after getting COVID-19, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he still has mild symptoms, according to the Associated Press.
The Washington Post reports that’s why Kaine joined fellow Democratic senators Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois in introducing a bill to fund research aimed at better understanding long COVID.
The little-understood phenomenon in which symptoms linger for weeks or months after a coronavirus infection could affect thousands.
The Comprehensive Access to Resources and Education (CARE) for Long COVID Act would centralize data about patient experiences and fund research into the effectiveness of treatments.
It would also expand resources to help those with lingering symptoms.
10:44 a.m.: Here’s why vaccine rates are still low in some countries.
Experts say there are several reasons why COVID-19 vaccination rates are still low in some countries, in addition to limited supplies.
Other challenges now include unpredictable deliveries, weak health care systems and vaccine hesitancy. According to the Associated Press, many countries with low vaccination rates in Africa. Other places include Yemen, Syria and Haiti.
For most of last year, developing nations were struggling with a lack of supplies, but other setbacks have emerged, such as poor infrastructure to distribute the shots and a lack of materials like syringes.
At the same time, rich countries were hoarding doses, while many countries didn’t have the facilities to make their own vaccines. COVAX, the initiative to distribute vaccines equally around the world, faltered in delivering shots to countries that needed them.
Vaccine hesitancy has also contributed to low uptake.
9:43 a.m.: Some of Nevada’s school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency
In a move prompted by the pandemic, the state has cleared the way for Nevada’s largest school districts to hire substitute teachers with only a high school diploma during states of emergency.
According to the Associated Press, the Legislative Commission on Monday unanimously approved a permanent rule change covering school districts with over 9,000 students attending district schools or public charter schools within a district’s geographic boundaries.
The covered districts include Las Vegas, Clark and Washoe counties.
The new permanent regulation replaces a temporary measure that expired Nov. 1. It was put in place during the pandemic because of Clark County’s severe staffing shortage.
9:39 a.m.: As demand for COVID-19 vaccines drop, states scramble to figure out what to do with soon-to-expire doses
As demand to get COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. collapses in many areas, states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire.
Millions of doses have already gone to waste across the nation, as reported by the Associated Press.
From the least vaccinated states like Indiana and North Dakota to some of the most vaccinated states like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around their states in hopes of finding providers that can use them.
In California, the percentage of wasted doses is only about 1.8{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a}, but in a state that’s received 84 million doses and administered more than 71 million of them, that’s about 1.4 million wasted doses.
All this comes only about a year after the vaccines were released, and people such as hospital board members, their trustees and donors jumped the line to get early access before those deemed a higher priority.
9:34 a.m.: Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill treatment takes months to produce
Pfizer’s new COVID-19 treatment came with a catch when it debuted late last year — it can take months to make tablets.
According to the Associated Press, company leaders said they have since expanded production and expect big gains in the next several months. That could help if another wave of cases develops later this year.
The drugmaker uses more than 20 different sites in over 10 countries to produce Paxlovid, however making the complex drug involves chemical reactions that need time to develop. Pfizer said it has reduced production time from nearly nine months to about seven.
9:56 a.m.: California man allegedly stole $1 million in COVID-19 tests
Authorities say they are seeking a Southern California warehouse manager who is accused of stealing more than $1 million worth of COVID-19 tests from his employer’s clinic.
Santa Ana police say 33-year-old Carlitos Peralta had access to his employer’s shipping and delivery system, according to the Associated Press.
His employer has seven warehouses nationwide that are used to store and ship COVDI-19 tests to customers, including clinics, pop-up testing sites, schools, and hotels.
Police say Peralta diverted nearly 100 separate shipments from multiple warehouses to his home.
The police department asked the public on Thursday to contact the agency with information about his whereabouts.
9:51 a.m.: Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines protect young kids against omicron, report shows
A new government report shows Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge.
As reported by the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data on Tuesday.
A day earlier, a study from New York raised the question of whether the vaccine is less effective in children ages 5 to 11, especially against milder infections, particularly since younger kids get an even smaller dose than teens.
However, CDC data from additional states doesn’t suggest any age-related issues with the vaccine. While vaccines are generally less effective against omicron, they still protect against severe outcomes.
9:40 a.m.: Los Angeles County set to drop indoor mask mandate this week
Los Angeles County is set to lift its indoor mask mandate this week as coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations plummet, according to the Associated Press.
Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday that California’s most populous county would likely issue a revised health order that would take effect Friday and along with new state guidelines.
Ferrer told the county’s Board of Supervisors that it would still be recommended but not required for vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear face coverings in public indoor settings.
9:41 a.m.: Sacramento County public health officer to virtually attend State of the Union
Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye will be a virtual guest, due to safety protocols, at tonight’s State of the Union address.
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) made the announcement Monday night. The address will cover some of the achievements of the Biden presidency, from the economy to the government’s COVID-19 response.
“I am thrilled to have Dr. Olivia Kasirye join as my virtual guest … and thank her for her guidance, vigilance and service for the Sacramento community,” Matsui said in a press release.
Kasirye said that she’s worked together with Matusi to “provide the people of the Sacramento region with timely and accurate information and the resources they need to stay safe during the battle with COVID-19.”
CapRadio will broadcast the speech live at 6 p.m. You can also watch it live on our website.
9:06 a.m.: US Treasury Department says overwhelming amount of federal rental assistance during pandemic went to low-income tenants
The U.S. Treasury Department has concluded that more than 80{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the billions of dollars in federal rental assistance went to low-income tenants during the pandemic.
According to the Associated Press, the Treasury also found that the largest percentage of tenants receiving pandemic aid were Black households, in which many were led by women.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Treasury also found that more than 40{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of tenants getting help were Black and 20{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} were Latino, while two-thirds were woman-headed households.
Lawmakers approved $6.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance last year, and through 2021, the government body said more than $25 billion has been spent or allocated, representing 3.8 million payments to households.
Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here
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Locate an current count of COVID-19 scenarios in California and by county on our tracker in this article. Latest Updates Sacramento County community health and fitness officer to virtually show up at Condition of the Union Western States are all dropping masking prerequisites for youngsters …
People line up to get on the Air France flight to Paris at OR Tambo’s airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 26. The United States, Israel and other European nations have already imposed travel restrictions on South Africa and other nations in the region. …
“Any time we’ve seen a new variant, it’s already spread around the world. So the fact that Omicron is in multiple countries in Europe, in the US, is not necessarily an ominous sign. And I think that’s a key point to keep in mind,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN’s Jim Acosta Saturday. “And also remember we’ve not seen any evidence that Omicron produces more severe disease than any of the other variants.”
The Omicron variant, which was first identified in South Africa, was deemed a variant of concern by the World Health Organization Friday — sounding a heightened alarm globally over the state of the coronavirus pandemic, which has spanned nearly two years.
But Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC Saturday that he would “not be surprised” if the Omicron variant is already in the US.
“We have not detected it yet, but when you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility and you’re having travel-related cases they’ve noted in other places already, when you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is going to go all over,” Fauci said.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that travel restrictions allow health experts to have additional time to study the variant and understand it in a more significant capacity — including whether the current vaccines are effective against Omicron.
“The vaccines we use may very well be able to contain this. And then it won’t be as serious as some people are surmising it might be. A lot of unknowns,” Fauci told NBC. “You don’t want people to panic, but you want to know we’re doing everything we can to stay ahead of this.”
US federal health officials are working around the clock to learn more about Omicron, one official told CNN Saturday, but it could be several weeks before they know whether the fears of the highly mutated variant are justified.
The concern over the new variant comes as Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the holiday travel season in the US and passengers pack airports at near pre-pandemic levels. The Transportation Security Administration said it screened about 2.3 million people at airports across the country on Wednesday, making it the busiest day at security checkpoints since March 2020. The number is 88{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the traffic seen on the equivalent Wednesday in 2019, prior to the pandemic. And it is more than twice the number of people TSA screened on the same day last year.
The Omicron strain of coronavirus is concerning to scientists because the variant’s significant number of mutations could make it more contagious than the original novel coronavirus strain.
But with so much still unknown, Dr. Saju Mathew, a public health specialist, told CNN Saturday that the priority is on learning more about the variant and vaccination.
“I take the whole position that we shouldn’t panic just yet. The most important thing is to study the virus. Just because this virus is more contagious, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s more dangerous,” Mathew said, noting vaccinations are still vitally important. “This is the time to show up at your local pharmacy and get the vaccinations.”
Vaccine maker Moderna said Friday that it’s moving quickly to test the ability of its vaccine to neutralize Omicron, and data is expected in the coming weeks.
The strain includes mutations “seen in the Delta variant that are believed to increase transmissibility and mutations seen in the Beta and Delta variants that are believed to promote immune escape,” Moderna said in a news release.
“The combination of mutations represents a significant potential risk to accelerate the waning of natural and vaccine-induced immunity.”
If its current vaccine and booster are insufficient against the variant, Moderna explained one possible solution is boosting people with a larger dose, which the company is testing. It also testing an Omicron-specific booster.
Scientists at BioNTech, the German company that partnered with Pfizer to make its Covid-19 vaccine, are also investigating the impact of the variant on their shot, with data expected within the upcoming weeks.
A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told CNN in a statement the company was also testing the effectiveness of its vaccine against Omicron.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, echoed that the variant could be in the US, noting he anticipates stricter Covid-19 mitigation efforts to return.
“It’s going to make its way around the world. It looks like that way,” Schaffner told CNN Saturday. “I think we may, indeed, be in for a phase of many more masks, much more social distancing, and more restrictions and obligations for vaccination going forward.”
He added that even if the Omicron variant isn’t in the US, it’s bound to be “soon.”
“I think we need to just get our mind set that the virus is still in control. I don’t care about your covid fatigue,” Schaffner said. “We’re going to have to deal with this in an ongoing way very, very seriously. … Tighten your seat belts.”
CNN’s Jacqueline Howard, Virginia Langmaid, Michael Nedelman, Frederik Pleitgen and Kaitlan Collins.