California coronavirus updates: New booster could provide better immunity against future variants, UC Davis doctor says

4:05 p.m.: New booster could provide better immunity against future variants, UC Davis doctor says

In an interview with CapRadio on Monday, UC Davis Dr. Dean Blumberg mentioned the hospital system is seeing a lower in each numbers and severity of COVID-19 circumstances.

He mentioned COVID-19 an infection price within the area is in “a much better place” than it has been because the pandemic started, partially as a result of quantity of people that have been vaccinated. 

“The vast majority of people have been vaccinated, or they’ve been infected, or a combination of the two,” Blumberg mentioned. “So we do have some widespread immunity throughout the population. Now most infections that are occurring will not be that severe because of the previous immunity.”

Blumberg mentioned that new booster photographs may provide better public immunity forward of future variants.

“You know, one of the really interesting things about these boosters is that the immune response — not only will [the vaccines] be fine tuned to protect against the original strain and against current variants, but the broader immune response that’s achieved with these vaccines likely is going to provide better protection against future variants,” he mentioned. “So I think that’s a real advance that we’re going to see with the immune response to these vaccines.”

Blumberg additionally mentioned that the well being system is seeing fewer circumstances of monkeypox. 

“People can die from [monkeypox] and there are other consequences, too, such as brain inflammation or scarring or other problems that may occur,” he mentioned. “So it’s still something to be concerned about. However, since late August, the cases have been decreasing.”

11:35 a.m.: No suspension for teacher who refused to censor student vaccination report

Los Angeles faculty officers have rescinded their suspension of a highschool journalism advisor who refused to censor a pupil’s news article naming an unvaccinated campus librarian, in accordance with the Associated Press.

The instructor, Adriana Chavira, was dealing with a three-day suspension with out pay due to the report about staff who declined to observe the district’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Chavira, a former journalist, stood behind her college students’ reporting and refused to bow to stress to alter the story. She cited a California legislation that protects pupil journalists from censorship. 

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Chavira appealed the suspension and received, with a district official rescinding the suspension Friday at an after-school assembly.

12:36 p.m.: WHO says COVID-19 deaths at lowest reported number since the outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization says the variety of coronavirus deaths final week was the bottom reported quantity within the pandemic since March 2020, marking what could be a turning level within the years-long world outbreak.

As reported by the Associated Press, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned the world had by no means been in a better place to cease COVID-19.

In its weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. well being company mentioned deaths fell by 22% previously week, at simply over 11,000 reported worldwide. Still, the WHO warned that relaxed testing and surveillance signifies that many circumstances are going unnoticed.

12:32 p.m.: House OKs bill to safeguard US Census

The House has handed laws on a party-line vote that goals to make it more durable for future presidents to intervene within the once-a-decade headcount that determines political energy and federal funding.

According to the Associated Press, the invoice is a Democratic-led response to the Trump administration’s failed efforts to position a citizenship query on the 2020 census.

Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the invoice.

The 2020 census was one of the difficult in current reminiscence due to the makes an attempt at political interference, the COVID-19 pandemic and pure disasters.

10:22 a.m.: More people have shifted their lives to work from home due to the pandemic

During the primary two years of the pandemic, the variety of folks working from house tripled, house values grew and the proportion of people that spend greater than a 3rd of their earnings on lease went up.

That’s in accordance with current survey outcomes, which provide essentially the most detailed knowledge on life modifications within the U.S. beneath COVID-19.

As reported by the Associated Press, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey 1-year estimates present that the share of single {couples} dwelling collectively rose, fewer folks moved, Americans turned extra wired, preschool enrollment dropped and the individuals who determine as multiracial jumped.

9:47 a.m.: A report finds TikTok riddled with misinformation about COVID-19 and more

A U.S. agency that displays false on-line claims experiences that searches for information about outstanding news matters on TikTookay are more likely to flip up outcomes riddled with misinformation, according to the Associated Press.

The NewsGuard agency says its researchers ran searches on news matters, together with COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the 2020 U.S. election, and located that almost 1 in 5 of the movies advisable by TikTookay contained misinformation.

Searches about “mRNA vaccine,” for example, yielded 5 movies — out of the primary 10 — that contained misinformation, together with baseless claims that COVID-19 vaccines trigger “permanent damage in children’s critical organs.”

Researchers additionally discovered that TikTookay’s personal search instrument appears designed to steer customers to false claims in some circumstances.

When researchers typed the phrases “COVID vaccine” into the search instrument, for example, the instrument steered key phrase searches together with “COVID vaccine exposed” and “COVID vaccine injury.”

The firm launched a press release in response to NewsGuard’s report, noting that its group pointers prohibit dangerous misinformation.

Sacramento County officers will host profession gala’s on Thursday and Friday to rent extra behavioral well being professionals. The county has skilled a extreme scarcity of behavioral well being employees as demand for his or her companies has elevated in the course of the pandemic.

The county is searching for certified candidates to function psychological well being counselors, psychiatric nurses and therapists, amongst different positions, officers announced in a news release. County managers are anticipated to interview and rent folks on the spot.

The profession gala’s on each Thursday and Friday might be held at 9310 Tech Center Drive in Sacramento. Thursday’s truthful will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday’s truthful will run from 9 a.m. to five p.m.

11:15 a.m.: California to end weekly COVID-19 testing of state workers

To better align state COVID-19 steering with essentially the most present federal suggestions, the California Department of Public Health is ending COVID-19 insurance policies that require weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals in high-risk workplaces and colleges.

In a press launch, they detailed that employees at well being care services, colleges and different congregate settings will not be required to get these weekly checks achieved.

The modifications take impact on Sept. 17.

However, the state’s vaccination and booster necessities for workers in well being care, correctional well being and grownup residential settings stay in impact. In addition, modifications to the vaccine-or-test coverage concerning state employees might be introduced individually by CalHR.

State public well being leaders nonetheless urge all people to say up-to-date on the COVID-19 vaccine to guard themselves from extreme sickness and sluggish the unfold of the virus.

Omicron subvariants are nonetheless rising, which means an up to date booster shot is a vital instrument against extreme sickness, hospitalization, lengthy COVID and loss of life.

California expects to obtain greater than 1 million doses of the up to date booster and could have ample provide to fulfill demand.

The state has additionally distributed one other spherical of 10 million at-home checks to Okay-12 colleges. It continues to help further testing sources for colleges, together with faculty and group testing websites, a few of which supply COVID-19 therapies.

10:20 a.m.: Wealthy countries have once again left African nations to deal with another outbreak with less resources

The monkeypox outbreak is subsiding in Europe and elements of North America, as reported by the Associated Press.

Many scientists are actually calling for sources to be redirected to stopping epidemics in Africa, the place the once-rare illness has been established for many years.

The U.N. well being company designated monkeypox as a world emergency in July and appealed to the world to help African international locations in order that the catastrophic vaccine inequity that plagued the COVID-19 outbreak wouldn’t be repeated.

However, little has modified on the continent months later.

No wealthy international locations have shared vaccines or therapies with Africa. Some specialists concern curiosity in funding essential questions just like the seek for monkeypox’s animal reservoir could quickly evaporate.

11:45 a.m.: Court rehears fight over vaccine mandate for federal workers

The query of whether or not the Biden administration can require federal staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has been argued in an appeals court docket in New Orleans for a second time.

As reported by the Associated Press, earlier this yr, a three-judge panel of the fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Biden requirement.

But the complete appeals court docket determined to rehear the case. The administration argued Tuesday that the president has the identical authority because the CEO of a non-public company to require that staff be vaccinated. 

Opponents say the coverage is an unconstitutional encroachment on federal employees’ lives and that Biden lacks the authority to impose it.

11:01 a.m.: First US death due to monkeypox confirmed in Los Angeles 

A hospitalized Los Angeles County resident with a compromised immune system has died from monkeypox.

According to the Associated Press, it’s believed to be the primary U.S. fatality from the illness.

LA County well being officers introduced the reason for loss of life on Monday and mentioned it was confirmed by way of post-mortem. No different information on the affected person was launched.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks monkeypox circumstances and has not confirmed any U.S. deaths.

LA County officers mentioned they labored with the CDC on their case. A CDC spokesperson confirmed the cooperation however didn’t instantly reply when requested if this was the primary U.S. loss of life.

Monkeypox is unfold by shut skin-to-skin contact and extended publicity to respiratory droplets. It isn’t a sexually transmitted illness.

11:39 a.m.: Americans give failing marks to US health care system, according to poll

A majority of adults within the U.S. say well being care isn’t dealt with properly within the county, in accordance with a brand new ballot from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The ballot reveals public satisfaction with the U.S. well being care system is remarkably low, with fewer than half of Americans saying it’s dealt with properly normally.

Only 12% say it’s dealt with extraordinarily or very properly. Americans have related views about well being look after older adults.

Overall, the general public provides even decrease marks for the dealing with of prescription drug prices, the standard of care at nursing houses and psychological well being care.

A majority of Americans, roughly two-thirds, have been joyful to see the federal government step in to provide free COVID-19 testing, vaccines and therapy. Roughly 2 in 10 have been impartial concerning the authorities’s response.

The authorities’s funding free of charge COVID-19 checks dried up at first of the month. And whereas the White House mentioned the newest batch of advisable COVID-19 boosters might be free to anybody who needs one, it doesn’t have cash available to purchase any future rounds of booster photographs for each American.

11:27 a.m.: Teacher shortages are here, and pandemic money is hoping to fill in the gaps

Everywhere, it appears, the return to highschool has been shadowed by worries of a instructor scarcity.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. training secretary, has known as for funding to maintain lecturers from quitting. A lecturers union chief has described it as a five-alarm disaster.

In actuality, there may be little proof to recommend that educators are leaving in droves.

Certainly, many faculties have struggled to seek out sufficient educators, however the challenges are associated extra to hiring, particularly for non-teaching workers positions.

Schools flush with federal pandemic reduction cash are creating new positions and struggling to fill them at a time of low unemployment and stiff competitors.

10:30 a.m.: Jehovah’s Witnesses resume in-person evangelizing after stopping for two years due to the pandemic

Jehovah’s Witnesses have resumed knocking on doorways once more after a 30-month hiatus as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, from coast to coast, members of the Christian denomination fanned out in cities and cities final week to share literature and converse about God for the primary time since March 2020.

Members have continued evangelizing in the course of the pandemic by letters and telephone calls, however they missed in-person interactions. Some say it is a simpler means of getting their message out.

In the phrases of 1 Witness, door-knocking evangelizing “feels Christ-like.”

12:57 p.m.: Tech CEO convicted of fraud over misleading COVID-19 and allergy testing kits

A Silicon Valley government who prosecutors mentioned lied to traders about inventing know-how that examined for allergic reactions and COVID-19 utilizing only some drops of blood was discovered responsible of well being care fraud.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Justice mentioned {that a} federal jury convicted Mark Schena of Los Altos of defrauding the federal government after his firm billed Medicare $77 million for fraudulent coronavirus and allergy checks.

Prosecutors say the 59-year-old touted that his Sunnyvale-based firm, Arrayit Corporation, had the one laboratory on the earth that provided “revolutionary microarray technology” that allowed it to check for allergic reactions and coronavirus with the identical finger-stick take a look at equipment.

11:57 a.m.: India and China clear nasal spray COVID-19 ‘vaccine’

India and China have cleared two needle-free choices for COVID-19 vaccinations, as reported by the Associated Press.

India says individuals who haven’t but been vaccinated can attempt a squirt within the nostril to battle the virus the place it enters the physique.

It’s not clear how properly it really works as a result of Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech hasn’t launched research outcomes. In China, Can Sino Biologics says an inhaled model of its COVID-19 shot has been cleared as a booster and cites preliminary research outcomes that the puff revved up immune defenses.

While COVID-19 photographs nonetheless provide safety against extreme sickness and loss of life, scientists are exploring new methods to better battle an infection.

11:02 a.m.: Here’s what to know about the latest booster shots. Read more here.

New COVID-19 boosters concentrating on as we speak’s commonest omicron strains needs to be arriving inside days, as reported by the Associated Press.

The new photographs provide Americans an opportunity to get essentially the most up-to-date safety at one more essential interval within the pandemic — however well being officers advocate ready not less than three months after their final booster or a COVID-19 an infection earlier than getting the brand new booster to make sure the perfect outcomes.

They’re a mixture or “bivalent” photographs that include half of the unique vaccine that’s been used since December 2020 and half safety against as we speak’s dominant omicron variations, BA.4 and BA.5.

It’s the primary replace to COVID-19 vaccines ever cleared by the Food and Drug Administration.

10:34 a.m.: United Airlines’ revenues higher than same quarter pre-pandemic

United Airlines is elevating its estimate of third-quarter income due to robust demand for tickets over the summer time trip season.

According to the Associated Press, the airline big mentioned that income might be 12% greater than in the identical quarter of 2019 earlier than the pandemic. That’s one share level better than beforehand forecast.

Meanwhile, United says it’s going to droop its restricted service at New York’s JFK Airport except it may well get extra takeoff and touchdown rights there.

11:23 a.m.: Biden administration hopes you get a COVID-19 shot with your yearly flu shot

The Biden administration hopes to make getting a COVID-19 booster as routine as getting in for the yearly flu shot — that’s on the coronary heart of its marketing campaign to promote the newly licensed shot to an American public that’s broadly rejected COVID-19 boosters since they first turned out there final fall.

Shots of the latest boosters could begin inside days, and Pfizer and Moderna particularly designed them to answer the omicron pressure.

The federal authorities has bought 170 million doses and is emphasizing that anybody who needs a COVID-19 booster will get one free of charge.

10:56 a.m.: Virtual pandemic education has some parents asking to hold their children back a grade

As some kids struggled to maintain up with faculty within the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many states noticed important will increase within the variety of college students held again to repeat grades.

Twenty-two of the 26 states that offered knowledge for the current educational years, in addition to Washington D.C., noticed a rise within the variety of college students have been held again, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Experts have cautioned about dangers to college students’ social lives and educational futures, however many mother and father have requested for do-overs to assist their kids get better.

Research within the training world has been essential of constructing college students repeat grades. The danger is college students who’ve been retained in a earlier grease have a two-fold elevated danger of dropping out, in accordance with a University of Minnesota professor.

Generally, mother and father can ask for kids to be held again, however the remaining resolution is as much as principals, who make choices based mostly on elements together with educational progress.

California and New Jersey have handed legal guidelines that make it simpler for folks to demand their kids repeat a grade — however the choice was solely out there final yr.

2:20 p.m. Reading, math scores fell sharply during pandemic, data show

A brand new nationwide research finds math and studying scores for America’s 9-year-old college students fell sharply in the course of the pandemic, underscoring the impression of two years of studying disruptions. 

According to the Associated Press, studying scores noticed their largest lower in 30 years, whereas math scores had their first lower within the historical past of the testing routine achieved by the National Center for Education Statistics, a department of the federal authorities. A federal official mentioned college students are performing “at a degree final seen twenty years in the past.” 

In math, the typical rating for 9-year-old college students fell 7 share factors between 2020 and 2022. The common studying rating fell 5 factors.

1:37 p.m.: Biden seeks $47B for Ukraine, COVID-19, monkeypox, disasters

President Joe Biden is asking Congress to provide greater than $47 billion in emergency {dollars} that might go towards the battle in Ukraine, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued monkeypox outbreak and assist for current pure disasters in Kentucky and different states. 

The request comes as lawmakers are getting ready to return to Washington and fund the federal government. It consists of $13.7 billion associated to Ukraine, together with cash for gear, intelligence help and direct budgetary help, the Associated Press experiences. 

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young mentioned that greater than three-fourths of the $40 billion authorized earlier this yr for Ukraine has already been disbursed or dedicated.

10:45 a.m.: California extends COVID-19 supplemental sick leave until end of the year

California lawmakers on Wednesday authorized an extension to the state’s COVID-19 supplemental sick go away till the tip of the yr.

Originally, the go away was set to run out on Sept. 30.

Workers can use the sick go away if they’re contaminated with COVID-19 to look after a sick member of the family or to obtain a vaccination/booster.

The invoice would additionally allocate a further $70 million — on prime of the $250 million authorized earlier this yr — to help small companies in paying for the supplemental go away.

10:27 a.m.: US regulators authorize updated COVID-19 boosters

U.S. regulators have licensed up to date COVID-19 boosters, the primary to immediately goal as we speak’s commonest omicron pressure.

According to the Associated Press, the transfer by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of photographs made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that have already got saved tens of millions of lives.

The hope is that the modified boosters will blunt one more winter surge. Until now, COVID-19 vaccines given within the U.S. have focused the unique coronavirus pressure.

The new boosters are half the unique recipe and half safety against the latest, super-contagious omicron variations.