The rise within the variety of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations within the Bay Area continues unabated, pushed by fast-moving subvariants. Those new cases are as soon as once more wreaking havoc on the Bay Area’s eating places, as the surge collides with an trade staffing scarcity. The U.S. formally marked 1 million COVID-related deaths, a determine that’s nearly definitely an undercount.
Boosters for teenagers 5-11 may roll out as quickly as this weekend
Federal approval of COVID-19 booster pictures for the youngest group of Americans presently eligible for the vaccine units the stage for rollouts to Bay Area kids ages 5 to 11 as quickly as this weekend. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday granted emergency use authorization of Pfizer/BioNTech’s booster for the brand new age group. But earlier than mother and father can take their youngsters for the shot, the CDC should formally suggest the booster. The company’s advisory committee is anticipated to debate the shot and situation its suggestion at a gathering Thursday. Read what you want to find out about booster pictures for youthful kids.
No let-up in Bay Area’s swell of COVID cases
There’s no aid for Bay Area counties from COVID-19. The newest tallies present new cases and hospitalizations pushed by subvariants of the coronavirus persevering with their upward trajectory. The Bay Area reported about 42 new day by day cases per 100,000 residents on Tuesday, up from 35 per week in the past. Eight of the 9 counties within the area are amongst these with the best an infection charge in California, with San Francisco reporting 54 day by day cases per 100,000 residents. Health officers say the precise variety of infections is probably going a lot larger as a consequence of folks testing at residence or not getting examined in any respect. The variety of folks hospitalized in San Francisco with COVID-19 climbed to 76, up from 61 final week. Read extra concerning the renewed rise of the virus within the Bay Area and past.
UCSF’s Wachter says spouse is unfavourable however nonetheless has mind fog
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of medication at UCSF, reported from private expertise Tuesday on the vagueries of how COVID-19 performs out in people. He tweeted that his spouse Katie Hafner, who examined constructive after not too long ago touring out of state, has “tested neg on day 7, but still brain fog & bad fatigue on d9.” He added it was not “like a cold” and mentioned they had been watching for brand new signs which may point out a rebound. Wachter mentioned he’s nonetheless testing unfavourable, as have the aged associates he and his spouse stayed with earlier than she knew she was constructive.
Death toll at 1 million is sort of definitely an undercount
COVID-19 has killed greater than 30 out of each 10,000 folks within the United States for the reason that pandemic started. Since March 2020, a median of almost 1,250 folks per day have formally died of COVID-19 within the U.S. That rely, which peaked in January 2021 with as much as 4,400 deaths a day, has slowed down not too long ago, with a median of 350 to 600 day by day deaths in April and May, in keeping with monitoring by Johns Hopkins University. While this dying toll is staggering, it’s nearly definitely a critical undercount. Read extra concerning the tragic milestone and the course of COVID-19 in California and the Bay Area.
Hyper-transmissible BA.2.12.1 subvariant is sort of half of latest U.S. cases
The BA.2 subvariant of the omicron coronavirus variant is being crowded out by its sublineage BA.2.12.1, which accounted for 47.5% of latest cases within the U.S. final week, in keeping with genomic sequencing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BA.2 made up the opposite half of final week’s cases, a drop from its almost 60% proportion the prior week. The hyper-transmissible BA.2.12.1 is believed to be behind the swell of cases inflicting a pointy uptick of infections within the Bay Area and different U.S. areas. “The bunk that cases are not important is preposterous,” Dr. Eric Topol, a scientist with Scripps, wrote in an evaluation of virus variants. “They are infections that beget more cases, they beget long COVID, they beget sickness, hospitalizations and deaths.”
School district in Monterey County reinstates masks mandate
Pacific Grove Unified School District, a small district on the south finish of Monterey Bay, started requiring indoor face masks once more on Tuesday after county well being officers reported a leap in infections. The county reported a seven-day common check positivity charge of 5.2% and a seven-day common of 12.4 cases per 100,000 residents. Last month, the district’s board set thresholds for indoor masking when the check positivity charge exceeded 5% and the case charge surpassed 10 per 100,000 residents. The district enrolls about 2,050 Okay-12 college students in 5 colleges.
With cases rising, right here’s the way to get eight free COVID-19 exams
The Biden administration mentioned it might make eight extra free, at-home COVID exams accessible to the general public, the Associated Press reported, as new coronavirus cases rise throughout the nation. Households can request a further eight exams at https://www.covid.gov/exams, and the exams will ship by way of the U.S. Postal Service.
Apple once more delays three-days-in-office plan
Apple has indefinitely postponed plans to require its staff to return to the workplace three days per week, Amid rising COVID-19 cases throughout the Bay Area, the corporate knowledgeable its staff by e mail Tuesday that it was suspending the requirement past the deliberate date or May 23. The delay marked the most recent back-to-the-office setback for Apple, which initially deliberate to convey staff again three days per week by final September. Many staff have lobbied the corporate to grant extra flexibility for telework. Read extra about Apple’s efforts to get better from the pandemic.