Than 500000 Coronavirus Vaccine Doses Given to San Bernardino

3/17/2021 More than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses given to San Bernardino County residents – San Bernardino Sun ___

LOCAL NEWS •• News More than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses given to San Bernardino County residents

By DEEPA BHARATH || [email protected] andand NIKIE JOHNSON || [email protected] || OrangeOrange CountyCounty RegisterRegister PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 3:10 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 17, 2021 at 3:10 p.m.

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San Bernardino County crossed an important landmark Wednesday, March 17, with county residents now having received more than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses.doses.

This means that 21% of the countyʼs adult population has now received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 11.2% have been fullyfully vaccinated.vaccinated. AA monthmonth ago,ago, onlyonly 7.6%7.6% ofof thethe adultadult populationpopulation hadhad receivedreceived atat leastleast oneone shot.shot.

County officials also reported 50 coronavirus-related-related deathsdeaths Wednesday,Wednesday, whichwhich takestakes thethe totaltotal toto 383383 fatalitiesfatalities overover thethe pastpast weekweek —— thethe highest seven-day total ever. However, more than half of these people died in January, and more than 90% died between December and February. Only two people died in March.

This reflects the long period of time it could take for deaths to be confirmed as coronavirus-related and then make their way into data systems.

The county reported 125 new virus cases Wednesday. The overall case positivity rate in the county has dropped to 2.7%. State data show 186 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized as of Tuesday, March 16, including 42 in intensive care units.

Here are the latest numbers as of Wednesday, according to county and state public health officials.

San Bernardino County

Confirmed cases: 289,057289,057 total,total, upup 125125 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 132132 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Deaths: 3,5813,581 total,total, upup 5050 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 54.754.7 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Hospital survey: 186186 confirmedconfirmed andand 3232 suspectedsuspected patientspatients hospitalizedhospitalized Tuesday,Tuesday, includingincluding 4242 confirmedconfirmed andand oneone suspectedsuspected patientpatient inin thethe ICU, with 25 of 25 facilities reporting. The number of confirmed patients is down 21.5% from a week earlier.

Tests: 2,601,7642,601,764 total,total, upup 4,3474,347 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 6,8876,887 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Resolved cases (estimate): 284,096284,096 total,total, upup 206206 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 135135 perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Vaccinations: SanSan BernardinoBernardino CountyCounty residentsresidents havehave receivedreceived 511,762511,762 vaccinevaccine doses,doses, withwith 179,646179,646 peoplepeople fullyfully vaccinatedvaccinated

Reopening plan tier:tier: RedRed (substantial(substantial riskrisk level;level; somesome nonessentialnonessential indoorindoor businessbusiness operationsoperations areare closed)closed) basedbased onon thesethese metricsmetrics asas ofof Tuesday:

https://www.sbsun.com/2021/03/17/more-than-500000-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-given-to-san-bernardino-county-residents/?utm_content=… 1/4 3/17/2021 More than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses given to San Bernardino County residents – San Bernardino Sun

New cases per day per 100,000 residents: 5.2 Case rate adjusted for testing volume: 5.2 Test positivity rate: 2.7% (3.0% in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods) Whatʼs next: To advance to the orange tier and reopen more businesses, San Bernardino County would need an adjusted case rate below 4.0 and a positivity rate below 5.0% for the whole county and 5.3% in disadvantaged neighborhoods for two consecutive weeks, and to have been in the red tier for three weeks. If metrics get worse, it could move back into the more restrictive purple tier.

To see a map and list of cases, deaths and vaccinations by community, click here..

Here is a look at how the countyʼs numbers have changed each day:

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Deepa Bharath | Reporter Deepa Bharath covers religion for The Orange County Register and the Southern California Newspaper Group. Her work isis focusedfocused onon howhow religion,religion, racerace andand ethnicityethnicity shapeshape ourour understandingunderstanding ofof whatwhat itit isis toto bebe AmericanAmerican andand howhow religionreligion inin particular helps inuence public policies, laws and a region's culture. Deepa also writes about race, cultures and social justicejustice issues.issues. SheShe hashas coveredcovered aa numbernumber ofof otherother beatsbeats rangingranging fromfrom citycity governmentgovernment toto breakingbreaking newsnews forfor thethe RegisterRegister sincesince MayMay 2006.2006. She has received fellowships from the International Women's Media Foundation and the International Center for Journalists to report stories about reconciliation, counter-extremism and peace-building eorts around the world. When she is not working, she loves listeninglistening toto IndianIndian classicalclassical musicmusic andand travelingtraveling withwith herher husbandhusband andand son.son.

[email protected]

 Follow Deepa Bharath @reporterdeepa Nikie Johnson | Data Reporter Nikie Johnson has been a journalist in Southern California since 2005 when she started at The Press-Enterprise, now part of the Southern California News Group. A Midwestern native, she graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in communications and previously worked at the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. She has been a copy editor, metro editor, digital editor and breaking news editor, and now uses data and public records to tell stories on the crime and public safety beat. She has trained with the Poynter Institute, Investigative Reporters & Editors and USC's Center for Health Journalism, and has won several awards for breaking news coverage and reporting on housing permits.

[email protected]

 Follow Nikie Johnson @nikiesnews

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Riverside, San Bernardino See Slight Uptick In COVID Hospitalizations

Ventura Holding Steady With 53 COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized

By CBSLA Staff March 17, 2021 at 8:25 pm Filed Under: Coronavirus, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura MOST VIEWED counties all reported additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 on Wednesday. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/03/17/riverside-san-bernardino-see-slight-uptick-in-covid-hospitalizations/ 1/5 3/18/2021 Riverside, San Bernardino See Slight Uptick In COVID Hospitalizations – CBS Los Angeles Riverside County added 203 cases and 41 additional fatalities, Trade Group Asks California Theme Parks To Mitigate The Effects Of bringing countywide totals to 292,606 cases and 4,052 deaths. Of Screaming On Rides those who contracted the virus, 284,693 had recovered. Vanessa Bryant Names 4 LASD Deputies Accused Of Sharing Photos READ MORE: Problems, Delays In Law Enforcement Response To From Kobe Bryant Crash Site In Borderline Bar Massacre, Report Finds Lawsuit

2 Killed In Massive Fireworks There were 190 coronavirus patients hospitalized Wednesday, 43 Explosion That Rattled Ontario of whom were being treated in intensive care units — both slight Neighborhood; Dozens Evacuated upticks from Tuesday. Police: 2 Men Killed In Crash Into Garden Grove Pool Were Convicts With Catalytic Converter, Loaded As of Wednesday, Riverside County reported that 738,795 vaccine Gun doses had been administered to county residents, including Apparent Catalytic Converter Thief 495,902 rst doses and 231,777 second doses. More information Crushed To Death By Collapsing Car about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found In Anaheim on the county’s website. Missing Cousins Identied In Ontario Fireworks Explosion; Evacuation San Bernardino County health ofcials reported 125 newly Orders Remain In Place conrmed cases and 50 additional fatalities, bringing countywide 'I Set Up A Studio In My Garage': totals to 289,057 cases and 3,581 deaths. Of those who contracted Texas Woman Recalls Losing Nearly the virus, 284,096 had recovered. $200,000 To Bruno Mars Imposter

Beached Whale At Dockweiler State There were 186 coronavirus patients hospitalized Wednesday, 42 Beach Dies of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a slight uptick in overall admissions from Tuesday. Deputies Shared Graphic Images From Scene Of Helicopter Crash That READ MORE: Six Flags Magic Mountain To Reopen April 1 Killed Kobe Bryant, Source Conrms

Help Needed Identifying Woman Health ofcials reported 511,762 COVID-19 vaccine doses had Found Dead 30 Years Ago In New been administered to county residents. More information about Mexico who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website. Ad Ventura County health ofcials reported 97 newly conrmed COVID-19 cases and three additional fatalities, bringing countywide totals to 78,968 cases and 937 deaths. Of those who contracted the illness, 77,592 had recovered.

There were 53 coronavirus patients hospitalized Wednesday, 18 of

whom were being treated in intensive care units — a decrease in Zenni Women's Artsy Round Prescription Glasses Pattern ICU admissions from Tuesday. Plastic Frame $27.95 Let your inner librarian out with these round glasses. The medium-sized high... Ventura County reported that it had administered 281,751 COVID- 19 vaccine doses: 195,297 rst doses and 86,454 second doses. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

MORE NEWS: Missing Cousins Identied In Ontario Fireworks Explosion; Evacuation Orders Remain In Place

As of Wednesday evening, Riverside County had performed 2,611,423 COVID-19 tests, San Bernardino County had performed 2,601,764 tests and Ventura County had performed 1,207,406 tests. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/03/17/riverside-san-bernardino-see-slight-uptick-in-covid-hospitalizations/ 2/5 ___

NEWS •• News Coronavirus tracker: California reported 2,115 new cases and 153 new deaths Tuesday

By JEFF GOERTZEN || [email protected]@scng.com || OrangeOrange CountyCounty RegisterRegister PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 3:15 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 17, 2021 at 3:15 p.m.

According to the end-of-day totals from California public health websites for Tuesday, March 16, there were 2,115 new cases of the coronavirus statewide, bringing the total number of cases there have been to 3,603,698.

The 14-day average of new cases daily, 3,555, is down 91.6% from the Jan. 1 high of 42,268.

There were 153 new deaths reported Tuesday, for a total of 56,095 people in California who have died from the virus.

California reported an increase of six hospitalizations bringing the total to 3,462 people in hospitals with coronavirus-related infections.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University, thethe WorldWorld HealthHealth Organization,Organization, thethe CaliforniaCalifornia DepartmentDepartment ofof PublicPublic Health,Health, TheThe Associated Press, reporting counties and news sources

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LOCAL NEWS •• News More than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses given to San Bernardino County residents

ThisThis criticalcritical coveragecoverage isis beingbeing providedprovided freefree toto allall readers. Support reporting like this with a subscription to The Sun. Special Offer: Just 99¢ for 3 months.

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San Bernardino County crossed an important landmark Wednesday, March 17, with county residents now having received more than 500,000 coronavirus vaccine doses.doses.

This means that 21% of the countyʼs adult population has now received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 11.2% have been fully vaccinated. A month ago, only 7.6% of the adult population had received at least one shot.

County officials also reported 50 coronavirus-related-related deathsdeaths Wednesday,Wednesday, whichwhich takestakes thethe totaltotal toto 383383 fatalitiesfatalities overover thethe pastpast weekweek —— thethe highesthighest seven-dayseven-day totaltotal ever. However, more than half of these people died in January, and more than 90% died between December and February. Only two people died in March.

This reflects the long period of time it could take for deaths to be confirmed as coronavirus-related and then make their way into data systems.

Here are the latest numbers as of Wednesday, according to county and state public health officials.

San Bernardino County

Confirmed cases: 289,057289,057 total,total, upup 125125 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 132132 reportedreported perper day in the past week

Deaths: 3,5813,581 total,total, upup 5050 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 54.754.7 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe past week

Hospital survey: 186186 confirmedconfirmed andand 3232 suspectedsuspected patientspatients hospitalizedhospitalized Tuesday,Tuesday, includingincluding 4242 confirmedconfirmed andand oneone suspectedsuspected patientpatient inin thethe ICU,ICU, withwith 2525 ofof 2525 facilitiesfacilities reporting.reporting. TheThe numbernumber ofof confirmedconfirmed patientspatients isis downdown 21.5%21.5% fromfrom aa week earlier.

Tests: 2,601,7642,601,764 total,total, upup 4,3474,347 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 6,8876,887 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Resolved cases (estimate): 284,096284,096 total,total, upup 206206 fromfrom Tuesday,Tuesday, averagingaveraging 135135 perper day in the past week

Vaccinations: SanSan BernardinoBernardino CountyCounty residentsresidents havehave receivedreceived 511,762511,762 vaccinevaccine doses, with 179,646 people fully vaccinated

Reopening plan tier:tier: RedRed (substantial(substantial riskrisk level;level; somesome nonessentialnonessential indoorindoor business operations are closed) based on these metrics as of Tuesday: New cases per day per 100,000 residents: 5.2 Case rate adjusted for testing volume: 5.2 Test positivity rate: 2.7% (3.0% in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods) Whatʼs next: To advance to the orange tier and reopen more businesses, San Bernardino County would need an adjusted case rate below 4.0 and a positivity rate below 5.0% for the whole county and 5.3% in disadvantaged neighborhoods for two consecutive weeks, and to have been in the red tier forfor threethree weeks.weeks. IfIf metricsmetrics getget worse,worse, itit couldcould movemove backback intointo thethe moremore restrictive purple tier.

To see a map and list of cases, deaths and vaccinations by community, click here..

Here is a look at how the countyʼs numbers have changed each day:

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Tags: All Readers,, Coronavirus,, health,, public health,, Top Stories IVDB,, Top Stories RDF,, Top Stories Sun 3/18/2021 Redlands middle, high schools could return to in-person learning in April – San Bernardino Sun ___

LOCAL NEWS •• News Redlands middle, high schools could return to in-person learning in April

Redlands East Valley High’s message is true blue for its Class of 2020 on the Redlands campus Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Redlands Unified secondary school students could return to in-person learning in April 2021. (File photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

By JENNIFER IYER || [email protected]@scng.com || RedlandsRedlands DailyDaily FactsFacts PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 4:07 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 17, 2021 at 6:31 p.m.

In-person instruction for Redlands Unified secondary students could begin April 12, the school district announced Wednesday, March 17.

The Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 23, to consider the plan for secondary students, instead of waiting forfor thethe nextnext regularlyregularly scheduledscheduled meetingmeeting onon AprilApril 13.13.

Following a presentation on schedule details and the recommended return date, the board will take formal action.

“I am confident that the members of the Board of Education will find the plan to be thorough, safe, and positive for our staff and students,” Superintendent Mauricio Arellano wrote in his Wednesday message.

In-person summer school also would be available under the proposal, Arellano wrote in another message to middle and high school familiesfamilies onon Tuesday.Tuesday.

On March 9, the board approved a reopening plan for the districtʼs 16 elementary schools.. FamiliesFamilies whowho chosechose in-personin-person instructioninstruction willwill see their children back in classrooms on April 5, the day schools return from spring break.

The reopening of middle and high schools was made possible when San Bernardino County moved from the stateʼs purple coronavirus riskrisk tiertier toto thethe lessless restrictiverestrictive redred tiertier onon Sunday,Sunday, MarchMarch 14.14.

https://www.sbsun.com/2021/03/17/redlands-middle-high-schools-could-return-to-in-person-learning-in-april/?utm_medium=social&utm_cam… 1/4 3/18/2021 Redlands middle, high schools could return to in-person learning in April – San Bernardino Sun

As with the elementary school plan, families of secondary students will get to choose if they want students to return to in-person instruction,instruction, oror toto remainremain inin distancedistance learning.learning. DistrictDistrict officialsofficials saidsaid 58%58% ofof elementaryelementary familiesfamilies chosechose toto havehave studentsstudents returnreturn toto campuses.campuses. Families are asked to make the choice for their middle and high school students by Sunday, March 21. Those who do not select a preference will continue with distance learning.

With state and county public health guidelines calling for schools to maintain “stable groups” with minimal mixing, and requiring social distancing, the in-person plans for all students follow a hybrid model, which includes some virtual learning as well. The plan that will be voted on Tuesday would offer in-person learning two days a week for secondary students.

The district also is moving forward with plans for in-person and online high school-level summer school, as allowed by public health guidelines. Middle school-level summer school plans are in progress as well.

The district is preparing for both virtual and in-person high school graduations, which will allow members of the class of 2021 to walk across a stage. Arellano said the district has reserved the Redlands Bowl for in-person ceremonies, if the city opens it to the public and health guidelines allow gatherings.

Arellano invited families to watch the school board meeting, as the information presented could answer many questions. More informationinformation onon thethe meetingmeeting livestreamlivestream isis availableavailable atat redlandsusd.net..

The district serves students in Redlands, Loma Linda, Highland, Mentone and part of San Bernardino.

The districtʼs safety plan is available at redlandsusd.net/ReopeningofSchoolPlan..

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Jennifer Iyer | Reporter Jennifer Iyer graduated cum laude from UC Riverside in 2000 with a bachelorʼs in creative writing and started working at The Press-Enterprise newspaper that year. Aer stints as night metro editor, assistant features editor, videographer, community reporter and other roles, she transferred to sister paper the Redlands Daily Facts in March 2018. Jennifer has covered wildres, war games, courtrooms and blimp rides, been sprayed with re retardant, and covered in bees (in a protective suit). She has interviewed celebrities on the red carpet at the Palm Springs Film Festival and homeless people in the rain. A nature enthusiast, Jennifer sold some of her nature photography prints to raise money for local nature centers and collaborated with her mother on the book “Wildowers and Important Native Plants of the Inland Empire” by the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District.

[email protected]@scng.com

 Follow Jennifer Iyer @Jen_Iyer

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CALIFORNIA

When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s what we know

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 1/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times

EMT specialist Andrew Roberts give Eloisa Campos, 70, a COVID-19 vaccination Monday in the gym at Villa Intermediate School in Santa Ana. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

By COLLEEN SHALBY, LUKE MONEY

MARCH 17, 2021 10:19 AM PT

Supplies of COVID-19 vaccines in California continue to be in short supply as millions more people became eligible for it this week.

But officials said they are hopeful that more vaccine is coming and that California could soon loosen eligibility rules and allow even more people to get shots.

The big questions is when.

Here is what we know:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 2/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times

Where do we stand now?

Providers throughout California have administered more than 12.6 million total doses of COVID-19 vaccines — and roughly 1 in 5 residents has gotten at least one shot, Times data show.

Over the last week, an average of 286,921 doses were doled out per day statewide. Two of the available vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, require two doses, administered weeks apart.

The other, from Johnson & Johnson, entails a single shot.

CALIFORNIA California’s huge COVID-19 vaccine expansion relies on trust. Will cheaters stay away? March 16, 2021

When can we expect more supply?

That remains the big question. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 3/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times President Biden said last week that by May 1, restrictions on who can make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment will be lifted nationwide and that the current limitations no longer will be needed because vaccine supply will be adequate to meet demand. All American adults should be able to get at least a first shot by the end of May, federal officials said.

Although states set the rules for who can get shots, the federal government controls the vaccine supply; if necessary, Biden can use that authority to direct states to drop restrictions as of May 1, officials said. To speed up vaccinations, Biden will expand the pool of medical professionals allowed to administer shots to include dentists, EMTs, paramedics, physician assistants and even veterinarians. The government will double the number of community health centers and mass vaccination sites in the coming weeks.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said that residents should expect to see the vaccine eligibility tiers loosen in the state.

“We’re going to be in a completely different place in six or so weeks, as we see significant increase in manufactured supply,” he said.

But it was unclear how soon the guidance for eligibility would be relaxed following Monday’s expansion, which opened priority to people with disabilities and underlying

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 4/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times conditions, among others. The update increased the number of vaccine-eligible people in the state by millions, making nearly half of all Californians qualify for a shot.

CALIFORNIA 5 things to know as millions become eligible for COVID-19 vaccine (including don’t cheat) March 15, 2021

Newsom noted the state’s goal to focus vaccine outreach in the hardest-hit communities remained the priority.

“Our North Star continues to be equity,” he said.

The state recently shifted its vaccine rollout to reserve about 40% of doses for the most vulnerable communities — a plan that is entwined with the state’s latest reopening strategy. Residents in marginalized communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Many are wondering when California might allow people 50 and older to get vaccinated.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 5/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times “It’s too soon to tell,” said Dr. Tomas Aragon, director of the California Department of Public Health to KGO-TV. “We’re going to look at supply, we have analysts who are projecting all of this out and we’re going to be seeing how many people are getting vaccinated. That really helps determine when we’ll make the next announcement.”

What do the next few weeks look like?

On Monday, millions more Californians — including those with underlying health conditions and disabilities — qualified to get vaccinated.

But many are expected to have to wait because there is not enough vaccine for everyone.

California is reserving 40% of its supply for people in underserved communities and 10% for teachers. And there are still many people 65 and older who are waiting for their vaccinations as well.

Further straining tight supplies: The state on Monday expanded eligibility to people who live or work in high-risk congregate residential settings, such as homeless shelters and incarceration facilities, and to public-transit and airport employees. In Los Angeles County, the entire homeless population will be eligible, regardless of shelter status.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 6/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times

Eligibility rules vary by county. Solano County this week opened up vaccines to anyone over 50,

The new guidance’s allowance for self-attestation clears up confusion about how high- risk people can prove their eligibility. Advocates have long pressed for a process that would not create unnecessary barriers, especially for those who are less mobile or intellectually disabled.

Under the guidelines, people do not have to disclose what condition they have, only that they are eligible.

The state guidelines for at-risk people essentially trust residents to accurately disclose their eligibility, but some officials have expressed concern that the lenient rules will be abused by people faking underlying conditions. People have forged documents and used access codes intended for high-risk communities.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-17/when-will-california-get-more-covid-19-vaccine 7/13 3/17/2021 When will California get more COVID-19 vaccine? - Los Angeles Times

Officials are urging residents to work with their healthcare providers to seek vaccinations as their first step.

“Check first with your usual healthcare provider to see if they have vaccines and available appointments. Healthcare providers who have vaccines may also begin reaching out to you, as a patient with a significant, high-risk medical condition or disability known to the provider, to schedule your vaccine appointment,” the state said.

Other options include local pharmacies, local health departments, community pop-up clinics or using the My Turn website. Access details:

Online at myturn.ca.gov. The MyTurn website is accessible to people with disabilities and in eight languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese. Calling the COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday- Friday or 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

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NEWS •• News Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own

Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer, left, with Christina Ghaly, director of health services, Sachi Hamai, CEO of LA County, and Kevin McGowan, director of LA County Office of Emergency Services, during a press conference on coronavirus concerns in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, 2020 where the mayor called for events of more than 50 to be canceled or postponed. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

By HAYLEY MUNGUIA || [email protected] andand BRADLEY BERMONT || [email protected] || LongLong BeachBeach Press-TelegramPress-Telegram PUBLISHED: March 18, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 18, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 1/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin As the coronavirus transformed from nascent oddity to deadly pandemic early last year, a previously obscure government agency rose to newfound prominence:

Local health departments.

Thousands of frightened people tuned in regularly to hear public health officials discuss the latest developments of the virus and its spread. Those officials offered safety guidelines and blunt warnings.

InIn turn,turn, theythey becamebecame householdhousehold names.names.

InIn LosLos AngelesAngeles County,County, thatthat householdhousehold namename waswas PublicPublic HealthHealth DirectorDirector BarbaraBarbara Ferrer, who provided televised updates daily during the pandemic’s onset.

Yet, as frequent viewers likely noticed, there were two cities — Long Beach and Pasadena — that received special mention. That’s because they’re the only two cities inin thethe countycounty withwith theirtheir ownown healthhealth departments.departments.

For now.

As the pandemic wore on, many residents and business owners became frustrated with government mandates intended to stem the further spread of the coronavirus, particularly county rules that were at times stricter than statewide guidelines. As the months passed, and shutdown orders remained, some cities began to wonder: If Long Beach and Pasadena have their own health departments, why can’t we?

InIn recentrecent months,months, nearlynearly aa dozendozen cities,cities, fromfrom BeverlyBeverly HillsHills toto WestWest Covina,Covina, havehave contemplated breaking from the county’s health department. Their reasons largely center around greater autonomy and flexibility in dealing with health crises.

But making a clean break isn’t so simple. Health departments deal with more than justjust society-alteringsociety-altering pandemics,pandemics, afterafter all.all. TheyThey managemanage mosquitomosquito abatement,abatement, anti-anti- smoking campaigns and restaurant inspections, to name a few.

Still, some city officials remain undaunted.

“Everything has to be local, based on local data and local policy to take care of the locallocal issue,”issue,” saidsaid WestWest CovinaCovina CouncilmanCouncilman TonyTony Wu.Wu. “That“That isis thethe onlyonly way.”way.”

It’sIt’s alsoalso anan untraveleduntraveled way:way: LosLos AngelesAngeles CountyCounty hasn’thasn’t seenseen aa newnew healthhealth department created in more than a century.

Getting started

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 2/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin Besides Beverly Hills and West Covina, the cities of Azusa, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Lancaster, Palmdale, San Dimas, Santa Clarita, Walnut and Whittier have all expressed interest in breaking from the LA County Department of Public Health in recent months.

Most of those, however, have opted not to rush in. It would take, they acknowledge, at least another year — and likely even longer — before they could get their own health departments up and running.

The Whittier City Council, for example, voted in December to research possible options for leaving the county Public Health Department, including setting up a joint-powersjoint-powers authorityauthority withwith otherother towns.towns.

City staff and attorneys told the council they probably couldn’t create a health department until July 1, 2022, at the earliest — and, more realistically, a year from then.

And even that could be optimistic, with Councilman Fernando Dutra saying he thinks there is only a 10% chance of success.

Still, he said, it would be unfair “not to close the loop on this and have some resolution.”

Santa Clarita got an even earlier start – but a local health department there is still a ways off.

The City Council voted in September to spend $25,000 on a consultant to look into creating a health department, a report on which, city spokeswoman Carrie Lujan said, is expected to be released at the end of the month.

West Covina, though, has moved quickly.

The City Council, with Wu as one of its most outspoken advocates for a local health department, voted late last month to end its agreement with LA County, effective July 1.

Wu, in a recent phone interview, said that while the city’s approach may seem aggressive, government officials must do everything they can to protect their residents.

Relying on LA County for health services, he said, would not be in the best interest of West Covina residents. There’s too much bureaucracy within the agency, he said, to adequately respond to the needs of all 86 cities and more than 100 unincorporated communities under the health department’s jurisdiction.

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 3/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin “The county health department is just too huge,” Wu said. “You have a big health department with 4,000 employees — that sounds like a lot, but you’re taking care of a 10-million-or-more population, with a vast geographic area.”

The LA County Public Health Department did not directly respond to criticisms from Wu or others. But it did say, in a statement, that it will support West Covina as the city creates its own agency.

One major step, the county said, is to have the state recognize West Covina’s new department, once it exists, as a “local public health jurisdiction.”

Then, the county said in its statement, it “will work with the City to transfer all of the work required by a local public health department.

“Until West Covina has a state recognized city public health department,” the statement added, “LA County Public Health will continue to serve the residents of West Covina in its current capacity.”

It’sIt’s unclear,unclear, however,however, whatwhat WestWest Covina’sCovina’s alternativealternative willwill looklook like,like, howhow muchmuch itit willwill cost – or how long it will take to set up.

But it’s taken the first step.

Frustration with the county

Each town has individual reasons for considering its own health department, but some refrains resonate across city borders.

Many cities have been frustrated that they’ve had to go along with LA County’s coronavirus health restrictions. And some have also said they want more control over health measures, such as contact tracing and vaccine administration.

InIn Whittier,Whittier, forfor example,example, thethe councilcouncil votedvoted toto exploreexplore separationseparation soonsoon afterafter LALA County banned outdoor dining in November. Long Beach followed suit in that prohibition — but Pasadena did not.

“When we found out on a Sunday night that they’re going to shut down all these businesses the day before Thanksgiving at 10 p.m., with no discussion,” Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said during the council’s December meeting, “that gave me a very good lesson.

“We don’t have the ability to deal with our destiny.”

Wu, in West Covina, said that one of his primary criticisms of LA County was the lack of adequate contact tracing early on, which he said could have helped contain the virus’s spread. https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 4/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin And if West Covina were in charge of its own coronavirus response, Wu said, its officials would also be more accountable.

“Otherwise, the city manager won’t be the city manager for long,” he said, “and the City Council won’t be the City Council and the mayor won’t be the mayor.”

Limits of independence

The last year in Long Beach and Pasadena, though, has shown the limits of independenceindependence fromfrom LALA County.County.

Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Pasadena’s health director and medical officer, said she’s fielded calls from officials in other cities wanting insight on starting their own departments. They have thought, she said, that if a city with its own health department disagreed with the county’s rules, it could forgo those restrictions.

“Our understanding,” Goh said, “is that’s not the case.”

Rather, a local health agency’s own restrictions can’t be looser than the state’s requirements. And even under California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” which introducedintroduced thethe coloredcolored tierstiers forfor coronaviruscoronavirus management,management, citiescities likelike LongLong BeachBeach andand Pasadena don’t control when they can reopen further. That’s because the state judgesjudges reopeningreopening criteriacriteria byby countycounty —— notnot city.city.

So they must move through the tiers with Los Angeles County.

And while wanting more control of epidemiology programs is understandable, Goh also pointed out that health departments handle far more than disease control.

They inspect residential homes. They run the city’s tobacco prevention program. They examine how economic and social conditions impact health outcomes. They record birth and death certificates, promote maternal and child health, and work to reduce chronic diseases.

“All local public health jurisdictions must be able to provide” those services, the county health department said in a statement. “The LA County Public Health provides these services to all of its contracted city partners at no cost.”

The perception that an independent health department can disregard state rules, though, isn’t limited to cities looking to create their own agencies.

InIn LongLong Beach,Beach, forfor example,example, residentsresidents havehave criticizedcriticized shutdownsshutdowns there,there, thethe city’scity’s Health and Human Services director, Kelly Colopy, said in a recent phone interview.

“People want us to move more quickly than the state,” she said, but “with the state, we can choose to be more restrictive, but we can’t be less.” https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 5/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin More flexibility

IndependentIndependent departmentsdepartments dodo havehave somesome advantages,advantages, however.however.

Pasadena’s Goh and Long Beach’s Colopy, for example, said their teams could be more nimble, in many cases, than LA County in changing testing or vaccine distribution strategies.

And building community trust, in some ways, is easier.

“Because we are smaller — because we’re a city, because we work where we live — we have a lot of relationships that are just one step away from us,” Goh said. “I think inin aa largelarge jurisdiction,jurisdiction, thosethose samesame folksfolks mightmight bebe manymany stepssteps away.”away.”

Those tight relationships have helped with vaccination efforts and combating misinformation.

Pasadena, for example, worked with nearly three dozen community organizations, fromfrom churcheschurches toto politicalpolitical advocacyadvocacy groups,groups, duringduring thethe recentrecent pushpush toto makemake vaccinevaccine distribution more equitable.

And Long Beach has vaccinated nearly every employee in its entire public education system, thanks, in part, to relationships with the local school board, community college and university.

Close connections to other city agencies, like the Convention & Visitors Bureau, allowed Long Beach to quickly launch sites for mass testing and vaccinations.

“Because we’re a local health department, we actually have the authority and access to get resources from the federal and state level to put things into place quickly,” Colopy said. “And Long Beach has the opportunity to really be more flexible at a local levellevel basedbased onon thethe relationshipsrelationships wewe have.”have.”

Heightened focus

For cities considering independence from the county Public Health Department, one question looms above all else:

IsIs thethe massivemassive undertakingundertaking worthworth it?it?

Such an effort won’t be quick. Or cheap. Pasadena’s 2021 public health budget, after all, was about $16 million, and Long Beach’s was $157 million.

But for Wu, in West Covina, the answer is simple — even if the process is not.

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 6/9 3/18/2021 Heightened focus on health departments has some LA County cities wanting to create their own – Daily Bulletin “Money comes and goes; you fall in love, you break up,” he said. “The only thing that’s irreplaceableirreplaceable isis people’speople’s lives.lives. HowHow dodo youyou getget thatthat back?”back?”

A local health department is necessary, he said, because “you’re sworn in to protect your residents, so you have to do that.”

Health department strategies can make the difference between life and death. And the heightened focus on local health departments, officials said, could be a much- needed correction to the ambivalence most people felt pre-pandemic.

Goh, for her part, said she hopes that focus doesn’t fade.

“I don’t want us to come out of this pandemic and be in the situation we were before,” she said, citing annual decreases in funding. “That would just be shameful for us to continue that mistake, that error.”

IfIf officialsofficials likelike WuWu havehave theirtheir way,way, thatthat mistakemistake won’twon’t happen.happen.

IfIf theythey havehave theirtheir way,way, locallocal healthhealth departmentsdepartments —— afterafter perpetualperpetual pre-pandemicpre-pandemic obscurity — will remain in the public spotlight for years to come.

Staff writer Mike Sprague contributed to this report.

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https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/03/18/heightened-focus-on-health-departments-has-some-la-county-cities-wanting-to-create-their-own/?u… 7/9 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968

WORLD How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout More than half the country of 9 million has gotten the shot in a mass mobilization by a network of health-management organizations serving every resident

By Felicia Schwartz and Yaroslav Troﬁmov March 18, 2021 1122 am ET

Listen to this article 12 minutes

TEL AVIV—In the world’s fastest coronavirus vaccine rollout to date, Israel has given at least one shot to nearly 60% of its residents, a feat propelled by an ample supply of doses and an uncommon healthcare system that combines competition with tax-funded universal coverage.

Israel, a small, wealthy nation with a young population, was uniquely qualified to confront the pandemic: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had secured enough vaccine stocks by paying more, as well as by offering access to Israelis’ personal health data to gauge the vaccine’s effectiveness. Its healthcare system had the means to quickly deliver the shots into the arms of Israelis.

The country’s four health-management organizations used centralized data-keeping, technology and the cradle-to-grave ties between Israelis and their doctors to speed up the vaccination drive, targeting residents nationwide with text messages, emails and phone calls. The eﬃciencies of Israel’s HMOs have been honed by years of competing for patients —and for the tax revenue gained by adding each new member—as they try to outdo each other in quality and availability of care.

“It’s really a unique structure,” said economist Moshe Bar Siman Tov, who oversaw Israel’s coronavirus response last year. “I’m not sure it’s possible to duplicate it. It’s a mixture of socialist fundamentals and entrepreneurial spirit.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 1/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ Israel’s bars and restaurants reopened last week to vaccinated people, prompting street parties in Tel Aviv, and the country is now looking ahead to a broader economic rebound.

Crowds of masked people passing through Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. PHOTO: KOBI WOLFBLOOMBERG NEWS

The tiered “green passport” system has drawn protests by some who don’t want to get inoculated. But, in a country where anyone can get a jab on the spot, this strategy has been broadly accepted. Mr. Netanyahu, who is up for re-election Tuesday, is campaigning largely on the vaccination drive’s success.

Agam Rafaeli-Farhadian, 33 years old, received his first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in January. “I got the text and was like, ‘Whoa, this is cool,’ ” he said, adding that it took 30 seconds to sign up and five minutes to get each of his two shots.

While Israel’s vaccination rate is the world’s highest, its HMOs are still struggling to overcome reluctance in some population groups. Health oﬃcials say full herd immunity will require inoculating 80% of the population, a number that includes children under 16, for whom no approved vaccine exists so far.

Meanwhile, vaccinating as many remaining adults as possible will be key to avoiding more lockdowns and not overloading health systems. Trying to reach that goal, the HMOs are working with Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency response services, to set up pop-up vaccination points on busy streets, at workplaces and in night-life districts.

Unlike Israel’s healthcare providers, many of Europe’s national health services buckled under the wave of coronavirus infections last year, and European Union nations are still struggling with the vaccine rollout. The U.S., after initial diﬃculties, is rapidly gaining

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 2/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ speed. The U.K., which has the fastest vaccination rollout among large countries, has an inoculation rate that is a third of Israel’s.

Since the start of the pandemic, 6,057 people or 700 per million have died from Covid-19 in Israel. In the U.S., the latest number is 536,914 people or 1,625 per million. In the U.K., the death rate was 1,857 per million.

Percentage of population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine

Israel

U.K.

U.S.

EU World Jan. 2021 Feb. March

Source: Our World in Data

Many in Israel credit its hybrid healthcare model with providing high-level care that kept the death toll low. Israel’s relative youth—the average age is 30—has also blunted the pandemic’s severity. Most of the coronavirus deaths world-wide have been among older people.

Another advantage: Israelis agree to share personal information with government- supervised systems, part of a cohesive social compact forged in a country where men and women must serve in the army and where military conﬂicts break out every few years. Patient data allowed Israel’s four HMOs to monitor individuals who contracted the virus and to intervene early as the disease progressed.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 3/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ Amanda Lounsbury, a 33-year-old environmental researcher in Tel Aviv, tested positive in January. Right away, she started receiving daily calls from her HMO’s family doctors and nurses. The provider sent her a pulse oximeter to check her blood oxygen level and report the reading during their calls, a standard practice.

“I felt very much not alone,” said Ms. Lounsbury, who is originally from Connecticut. She has since made a full recovery.

Supply side

Pﬁzer Inc. and BioNTech agreed to supply their vaccine to Israel ahead of other nations, in part, because the country’s assent to share medical data would provide them insights for future research. Privacy experts say the agreement shows how far Israel lags behind European nations in protecting conﬁdential personal data.

An Israeli woman gets a coronavirus vaccine shot at the Kupat Holim Meuhedet clinic in Jerusalem. PHOTO: MENAHEM KAHANAAGENCE FRANCEPRESSEGETTY IMAGES

“We’re all very, very happy about the results of the vaccine eﬃciency research, but you need to take a very, very careful look at the process,” said Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based, nonpartisan think tank. “Israel is a kind of lab for the world. It’s frightening. We need to have stricter rules in terms of asking for consent.”

Israel’s healthcare system is mandatory. All residents pay up to 4.8% of their income in health taxes, part of their overall tax bill. Residents can switch their HMO provider, though only 1% to 2% actually do each year.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 4/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ “There is no competition over money, because everybody pays the same.” said Ehud Davidson, chief executive of Clalit, the largest Israeli HMO. Many medical services are free with the occasional copay.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

What can other countries learn from Israel’s experience with the vaccination rollout? Join the conversation below.

Clalit and the three other HMOs, all of them not-for-proﬁt entities, are reimbursed by the state according to a formula based partly on the number of members, their ages and where they live. Providers that lose patients to rivals also lose revenue. To retain members, the HMOs have an incentive to provide better levels of service and easier access to doctors, clinics and diagnostic facilities.

“We based our conversations with Pfizer on the very existence of Israel’s HMOs,” Israel Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said. “We were able to say to Pfizer, ‘If we get the vaccine quickly, we will run such a massive operation and such a quick one, the whole world will be talking about the Pfizer vaccine.’ ” Israel has almost exclusively relied on the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine.

During the peak of the pandemic, hospitals in Italy, the U.K. and parts of the U.S. were overrun and had to ration access to lifesaving treatments. Israel escaped those shortages, even though it had similar or higher infection rates and signiﬁcantly fewer hospital beds per 1,000 people. Some of this can be explained by the relative youth of Israel’s population. But with one of the world’s highest life expectancies, there are many Israeli’s in their 80s and 90s.

“There was enough equipment, ventilators, monitors and drugs,” said Mr. Davidson of Clalit. “There was never a situation of collapse in any Israeli hospital, and every patient received maximum treatment.”

Cradle to grave

Israel’s healthcare reform of 1995 required the country’s four HMOs to accept everyone and to provide similar medical services, regardless of either pre-existing conditions or aﬃliation with labor unions or political parties. Clalit accounted for 63% of the market at

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 5/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ the time and has since seen its share dented by rivals, particularly Maccabi, now the second-largest.

A medic of Israel's Maccabi health-management organization collects a swab sample at a mobile- testing station for Covid-19. PHOTO: AHMAD GHARABLIAGENCE FRANCEPRESSEGETTY IMAGES

In Israel’s system, family doctors aﬃliated with an HMOs each supervise between 1,000 and 1,500 residents, developing lifelong connections.

“In healthcare, Israeli citizens are very traditional. When they have a relationship with a doctor, they have it from birth to death,” said Sigal Regev Rosenberg, chief executive of the Meuhedet HMO, with 1.2 million members.

All four HMOs operate their own networks, in addition to providing coverage for independent and state-owned hospitals and, if care is unavailable in Israel, for treatment in specialized facilities overseas.

While all of Israel’s 9 million Jewish and Arab citizens have the same basic healthcare coverage, the quality of service is higher in aﬄuent secular Jewish communities, such as in Tel Aviv, compared with poorer ultra-Orthodox Jewish and Arab neighborhoods.

Dr. Osama Tanous, a pediatrician in Haifa who is currently at Emory University on a fellowship, said the system, with its roots in the Jewish settlement movement in the early 20th century under Ottoman and British rule, never adjusted to the needs of Israel’s 1.6 million Arab citizens. As a result, Israel’s Arabs have worse outcomes than Israel’s Jews in parameters that include heart disease, diabetes and neonatal health.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 6/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ Unlike Israel’s Arab citizens, the 5.1 million Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip aren’t covered by the Israeli healthcare system. The exception are some 340,000 Palestinians, who are not citizens of Israel, living in annexed East Jerusalem.

The 1993 Oslo agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that established the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza transferred the Israeli- run health infrastructure there under the Palestinian ministry of health, which provides far more limited services. In Gaza, where the Islamist Hamas movement seized power in 2007, a United Nations agency has become the most important healthcare provider.

Palestinians who work in Israel stand in line for a Covid-19 vaccine shot at the Tarkumiya crossing between the West Bank and Israel. PHOTO: SEBASTIAN SCHEINERASSOCIATED PRESS

The cash-strapped Palestinian Authority has been much slower than Israel in organizing a vaccination campaign, which will mostly rely on the Covax program led by the World Health Organization. Criticized by human-rights groups for neglecting to share with the Palestinians, Israel recently donated about 5,000 vaccine doses to healthcare workers in the West Bank. Last week, it began vaccinating some 120,000 Palestinians who work in Israel and the Jewish settlements in Israeli-run sites at border crossings and industrial areas inside the settlements. Covax doses also began arriving this week.

The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, shipped some 20,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to the Gaza Strip, as part of its world-wide vaccine diplomacy campaign.

Israel’s swift vaccine rollout ﬁgures prominently in Mr. Netanyahu’s re-election campaign. He showed up to receive the ﬁrst shipment of vaccines at the Tel Aviv airport and got inoculated during a prime-time TV broadcast. In recent weeks, he has hosted the https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 7/8 3/18/2021 How Israel Delivered the World’s Fastest Vaccine Rollout - WSJ leaders of Austria, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Hungary to share Israel’s vaccination experience.

Mr. Netanyahu, who faces a trial on corruption charges that he denies, is running to retain power in Israel’s fourth national election in two years after a previous coalition collapsed. His ﬁnal campaign poster, released ahead of the vote, shows him standing with two thumbs up, surrounded by ﬂying confetti; above, a motto proclaims: “Back to Life.”

A woman getting a Covid-19 vaccination at a temporary Clalit clinic, set up on a basketball court in Petah Tikva, Israel. PHOTO: AMMAR AWADREUTERS

Write to Felicia Schwartz at [email protected] Troﬁmov at yaroslav.troﬁ[email protected]

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-israel-delivered-the-worlds-fastest-vaccine-rollout-11616080968?mod=hp_lead_pos5 8/8 This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/booking-a-covid-19-vaccine-more-tools-and-tips-plus-help-from-apple-facebook-and-google-11616068801

PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY: JOANNA STERN Booking a Covid-19 Vaccine? More Tools and Tips, Plus Help From Apple, Facebook and Google Tech giants join effort to help you search for a vaccine with mapping tools and links; tricks and resources might prove even more helpful

Joanna Stern March 18, 2021 800 am ET

Listen to this article 7 minutes

Me: “Hey Siri, refresh the pharmacy websites until there’s an available vaccine appointment within 50 miles, then book it as fast as robotically possible. If you can’t do that, sound your loudest alarm to get my attention.”

Siri: “I didn’t get that. Can you try again?”

Alright, maybe I got a bit overzealous after Apple announced it is making it easier to ﬁnd Covid-19 vaccines.

Can you blame me? As I detailed in a column a few weeks ago, in many states getting a vaccine appointment is an experience somewhere between Vegas poker and the Hunger Games. The combo of poorly designed websites and scarce appointments will make you wish you could simply stand on a line 15 miles long, on a freezing cold day, no snacks in sight. People waiting for a Covid-19 vaccine at the Javits Center in New York on March 2. PHOTO: MIKE SEGARREUTERS

The big tech companies now are pitching in to help with a small part of the struggle:

ﬁnding the vaccine locations. Earlier this week, Apple AAPL -1.87% ▲ and Facebook ▲

FB -0.05% ▲ joined Google GOOG -1.12% in oﬀering some new tools:

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Alerts from Joanna Stern

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• Apple: In Apple Maps, you can now search for vaccine locations and see local results plotted out. You can even ask Siri, “Where can I get a Covid vaccination?” But that just prompts you to open the Maps app to see the results. Each location has an info card with the store address, hours, phone number and a link to the website. The information comes from VaccineFinder, operated by Boston Children’s Hospital, but Apple will also vet submissions from other providers for possible inclusion in its database.

• Facebook: Located in the Covid-19 Information Center of your Facebook app, you can now ﬁnd a vaccine-location search tool, also powered by VaccineFinder. On mobile, tap the three lines in the bottom right, select See More and tap “Covid-19 Information Center.” In a web browser, click See More on the left toolbar and it should be listed. Facebook also launched an information center on Instagram, with information about vaccine eligibility among other resources.

• Google: Google Maps has oﬀered search for vaccines since late January. In the app, search for “Covid vaccines” and you’ll get a list of locations oﬀering the vaccines. In addition to contact information and their hours of operation, there is eligibility information. When you search Google proper for “Covid vaccine,” you will be taken to a vaccine page with a breakdown of how many doses have been given in the country, recent news and other information.

Apple, Google and Facebook now each oer a vaccine map and search tools. PHOTO: JOANNA STERNTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL

It’s helpful—sorta. Those tools tell you where shots are being given, but they don’t tell you if doses are available or let you book appointments, which go faster than a plate of free samples at Costco in the before times.

My previous column and video provided lots of specific tech tips and tools to help with that, specifically for booking at pharmacies such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. I’m thrilled that since publishing, I’ve heard from dozens who have successfully booked appointments using those tricks. To those who have written to say it’s insane that we need tricks in the first place, I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve also continued to book appointments for friends and family across the country and have learned a few more things along the way. Here they are:

Facebook Groups are your best friend. I never thought I’d say that, but no resource has proven to be more useful than Facebook in this process. Members of local groups post as soon as they see new appointments, and generally answer questions. In a number of them, they’ll post when the pharmacies are live with a bunch of new appointments.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

If you’ve already booked a vaccination, what tips or resources do you recommend to others? Join the conversation below.

Not every city or state has a group, but the ones where vaccines are harder to come by— Florida, Oregon, New Jersey, Philadelphia—can be very active. For instance, moderators in the New Jersey group post screenshots of CVS openings almost daily at around 5 to 6 a.m. (That’s around the time CVS usually drops new openings. See my original article for information on appointment release timing for the leading pharmacies.)

Inside a Facebook group, go to the Discussion tab. Where it says “New Activity,” toggle to “Recent Posts” so you’re seeing the latest ﬁrst and can jump on appointment availability.

Important safety reminder: Be on the lookout for scammers. Don’t pay anyone to make an appointment for you, and don’t share highly sensitive info, like Social Security numbers and passwords. Also, misinformation about the vaccine is all around Facebook. When looking for information about the shots and side eﬀects, check trusted news and medical organizations.

Try Find A Shot. This site, started by MBA student David Newell, has become one of my go-tos for searching pharmacy locations in a speciﬁc ZIP Code. Unlike the tools from Apple, Google and Facebook, this site also lists availability—or at least it tries to. Things can move so quickly that sometimes the information on the site can be outdated. Find A Shot not only shows you a list of local places to get a shot but also includes appointment availability information. PHOTO: JOANNA STERNTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Still, I keep the site open, which refreshes on its own every four minutes. Then when I see an appointment available, I automatically launch the pharmacy website (and make use of those tips from my previous column).

Search for speciﬁc vaccines. I’ve had a few people request that I book the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine for them. If you’re interested in getting a speciﬁc shot, you’ll have to do more legwork.

A good place to start is VaccineFinder, the Boston Children’s Hospital site used by the big tech companies. When you search by ZIP Code directly through the website, it tries to look for the type of vaccine oﬀered at speciﬁc locations.

When it comes to the specific pharmacy sites, the info on offered vaccines varies. CVS specifies the type of vaccine available during the online booking process but only when slots open. (A company spokesman says each location offers just one type of vaccine.)

Rite Aid doesn’t specify the type of vaccine, so I’d suggest calling the store to ﬁnd out what it might have. Other chains I’ve seen give you the option when you sign up. For example, ShopRite’s online booking system lets you sign up for either the single-dose Johnson & Johnson or the two-dose Moderna. Once you sign up for Dr. B, you'll receive this text message. If there happen to be leftover vaccines and you're eligible and it's your turn, you'll be texted and will have 15 minutes to respond. PHOTO: JOANNA STERNTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Try for a leftover vaccine. Some vaccine locations have unused supply at the end of the day or have no-shows for appointments. Instead of these going to waste, services are popping up to get them to people struggling to ﬁnd appointments.

One service, called Dr.B, works with local providers. Sign up on the website with your phone number and some other personal information, and it may alert you if there are extra doses in your area. It’s likely not a way to skip the line, however. When you ﬁnish your registration, you get a text message saying, “We prioritize extra doses based on local government criteria & your order in line.” Also, you’ll need to act fast when you get the text saying a shot is available.

Vaccine Hunter is another group with a similar mission. It has worked to set up diﬀerent state-based Facebook groups, which scout and alert others of open vaccine appointment and excess vaccine availability. Check out the groups for more local information. An 80-year-old patient, Arlene She, received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in New York City’s Queens borough. PHOTO: DESIREE RIOS FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

—Portions of this article previously appeared in the WSJ Tech Weekly newsletter. Wait, you haven’t subscribed yet? Click here to do that right now.

Write to Joanna Stern at [email protected]

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com. ___

NEWSCALIFORNIA NEWS •• News California’s new COVID-19 strain reduces immune response The dominant strain in Bay Area counties, now a 'variant of concern,' it is more transmissible and resistant to drugs used to treat patients

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. – DEC. 30: Dr. Charles Chiu of UCSF is sequencing hundreds of Northern California viruses from recent UK travelers to help understand the latest virus mutations. He checks on samples from COVID patients, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

By LISA M. KRIEGER || [email protected]@bayareanewsgroup.com || BayBay AreaArea NewsNews GroupGroup PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 5:29 a.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 18, 2021 at 9:07 a.m.

Californiaʼs more infectious strain of the COVID-19 virus is now the dominant variant in the state and has been proven to thwart protective antibodies used in vaccines and therapeutics, according to a new UC San Francisco study.

In response, the Centers for Disease Control has labeled the California strain a “variant of concern,” joining a designation shared by strains firstfirst identifiedidentified inin GreatGreat Britain,Britain, SouthSouth AfricaAfrica andand Brazil.Brazil.

Within just the past six months, it has exploded in prevalence. By the end of January, when the study was completed, the variant represented more than 50% of genomes sequenced from infected people tested at UCSFʼs hospitals and clinics, Alameda Countyʼs community sites and Santa Clara Countyʼs congregate facility, community and acute care sites.

With a reproductive rate that doubles more than once a month, its prevalence is now likely higher.

Vaccines will likely remain effective against the variant, according to lead investigator Dr. Charles Chiu of UC San Francisco, whose lab is collaborating with the stateʼs Department of Public Health to seek cases of the new variant.

But its behavior is worrisome. Scientists found a two-fold decrease in neutralizing antibody activity against the California variant. The South African variant, which is proven to elude vaccines, causes a six-fold reduction. Antibody levels are a marker of protection.

The growing prevalence of this more contagious pathogen, combined with its ability to reduce immune protection, means it must be watched, Chiu said.

“I donʼt think itʼs going to lead to a ʻvaccine breakthrough, where the vaccine doesnʼt work,” he said. “But this study gives us some initial ideaidea ofof thethe infectivityinfectivity andand thethe potentialpotential resistanceresistance toto neutralizingneutralizing antibodiesantibodies forfor aa variantvariant that,that, upup untiluntil now,now, hashas notnot beenbeen studied.studied. ThisThis isis key information that we need.”

The discovery comes as hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus are on a continued downswing in California, reflecting the continued health practices — from distancing and masking to getting vaccinated — that experts warn are vital to control the virus as it evolves.

The so-called California variant has been found to be about 20 percent more infectious than the original virus, according to the study.

Previous studies linked the variant, called B.1.427/B.1.429, to increased risk of severe disease and death, as well as longer stays in intensive care units and the need for mechanical ventilation.

The variant has been reported in 44 states but most of the cases are in California, Nevada and Arizona, according to outbreak.info, a website that tracks epidemiological data around the world.

Also concerning are the results from new lab studies: There was a 6.7-fold decrease in antibodies in the blood of seven out of eight people who had received treatment with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma.

“What that means is itʼs likely that thereʼs some element of what we call ʻantibody escapeʼ — where, if you were infected before, you will not necessarily be protected against reinfection,” said Chiu.

What the findings mean for how well the vaccine and treatments will protect real people from the variant is hard to tell.

Antibody levels are only one part of the immune response; the vaccines also trigger T cells, scientists say.

It is possible that vaccines trigger such high levels of antibodies that their efficacy would drop only slightly. Immunity is not binary, turning on or off; instead, itʼs on a spectrum.

But the new findings raise concerns about a potentially higher risk of re-infection among vaccinated people. The risk of reinfection might be highest for people who produced low levels of antibodies after vaccination.

A drop in antibodies also could have more subtle effects, such as immunity waning a bit faster, according to the journal Science.

Like all viruses, the COVID-19 pathogen makes tiny changes in its genome as it reproduces. Understanding this evolution — and especially which mutations can change its behavior — is essential for estimating the threat of new strains.

The virusʼs genetic makeup, stored in a single strand of RNA, determines whether it might suddenly turn resistant to medicine, or whether a vaccine is protective or futile.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently halted shipments of an Eli Lilly treatment, called bamlanivimad, to California, Nevada and Arizona, citing concerns that it may be less effective against the strain.

Officials said that another COVID-19 therapy made by Eli Lilly, a combination of bamlanivimab and another drug, etesevimab, can still be ordered. Early results show the drug combination may significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. A different antibody treatmenttreatment mademade byby RegeneronRegeneron PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals waswas alsoalso notnot affectedaffected byby thethe HHSHHS action.action.

The California variant has four unique mutations, including three that change the shape of virusʼs spiked protein, which the virus uses to attach to cells and slip inside. That is likely why the variant is more contagious.

It is not known exactly where the variant emerged. Back in January, a key mutation, called L452R, was found in 53% of 630 COVID-19 cases inin SanSan FranciscoʼsFranciscoʼs MissionMission District.District.

No coronavirus variants currently rise to the US governmentʼs highest threat level, “variant of high consequence.” Coronavirus strains shown to significantly reduce vaccine effectiveness would fall under that category.

Wire services contributed to this article.

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Lisa M. Krieger | Science/Research Reporter Lisa M. Krieger is a science writer at The Mercury News, covering research, scientic policy and environmental news from Stanford University, the University of California, NASA-Ames, U.S. Geological Survey and other Bay Area-based research facilities. Lisa also contributes to the Videography team. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in biology. Outside of work, she enjoys photography, backpacking, swimming and bird-watching.

[email protected]@bayareanewsgroup.com

 Follow Lisa M. Krieger @lisamkrieger

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IfIf youyou seesee commentscomments thatthat youyou findfind offensive,offensive, pleaseplease useuse thethe “Flag“Flag asas Inappropriate”Inappropriate” featurefeature byby hoveringhovering overover thethe rightright side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or,, contactcontact ourour editorseditors byby emailingemailing [email protected]@scng.com. Coronavirus Reinfections Are Rare, Danish Researchers Report People over 65 are more likely to experience a second bout with the virus, according to a large study of medical records.

By Apoorva Mandavilli

Published March 17, 2021 Updated March 18, 2021, 11:35 a.m. ET

The vast majority of people who recover from Covid-19 remain shielded from the virus for at least six months, researchers reported on Wednesday in a large study from Denmark.

Prior infection with the coronavirus reduced the chances of a second bout by about 80 percent in people under 65, but only by about half in those older than 65. But those results, published in the journal Lancet, were tempered by many caveats.

The number of infected older people in the study was small. The researchers did not have any information beyond the test results, so it’s possible that only people who were mildly ill the ﬁrst time became infected again and that the second infections were largely symptom- free.

Scientists have said that reinfections are likely to be asymptomatic or mild because the immune system will suppress the virus before it can do much damage. The researchers also did not assess the possibility of reinfection with newer variants of the virus.

Still, the study suggests that immunity to a natural infection is unpredictable and uneven, and it underscores the importance of vaccinating everyone — especially older people, experts said.

“You can certainly not rely on a past infection as protecting you from being ill again, and possibly quite ill if you are in the elderly segment,” said Steen Ethelberg, an epidemiologist at Statens Serum Institut, Denmark’s public health agency.

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Because people over 65 are at highest risk of severe disease and death, he said, “they are the ones we are most eager to protect.”

Rigorous estimates of second infections have generally been rare because many people worldwide did not initially have access to testing, and laboratories require genetic sequences from both rounds of testing to conﬁrm a reinfection.

But the ﬁndings are consistent with those from experiments in a wide variety of settings: sailors on a ﬁshing trawler in Seattle, Marine Corps recruits in South Carolina, health care workers in Britain and patients at clinics in the United States.

The new study’s design and size beneﬁted from Denmark’s free and abundant testing for the coronavirus. Nearly 70 percent of the country’s population was tested for the virus in 2020.

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The researchers looked at the results from 11,068 people who tested positive for the coronavirus during the ﬁrst wave in Denmark between March and May 2020. During the second wave, from September to December, 72 of those people, or 0.65 percent, again tested positive, compared with 3.27 percent of people who became infected for the ﬁrst time.

That translates to 80 percent protection from the virus in those who had been infected before. The protection fell to 47 percent for those over 65. The team also analyzed test results from nearly 2.5 million people throughout the epidemic, some longer than seven months after the ﬁrst infection, and found similar results.

“It was really nice to see that there was no difference in protection from reinfection over time,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. She and other experts noted that while 80 percent might not seem superb, protection from symptomatic illness was likely to be higher. The analysis included anyone who was tested, regardless of symptoms.

“A lot of these will be asymptomatic infections, and a lot of these will likely be people who have a blip of virus,” noted Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Eighty percent risk reduction against asymptomatic infection is great.”

The ﬁndings indicate that people who have recovered from Covid-19 should get at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine to boost the level of protection, Dr. Krammer added. Most people produce robust immune response to a natural infection, “but there’s a lot of variability,” he said. Following vaccination, “we don’t see variability — we see very high responses in basically everybody, with very few exceptions.”

Experts were less convinced by the results in people over 65, saying the ﬁndings would have been more robust if the analysis had included more people from that age group.

“I wish it had actually been broken down into speciﬁc decades over 65,” Dr. Pepper said. “It would be nice to know whether the majority of people who were getting reinfected were over 80.”

The immune system grows progressively weaker with age, and people over 80 typically mount weak responses to infection with a virus. The lower protection in older people seen in the study is consistent with those observations, said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University.

“I think we kind of tend to forget how the vaccines have been pretty amazing in offering protection in this age group, because you can see that natural infection doesn’t confer the same kind of protection,” she said. “This really does emphasize the need to cover older people with the vaccine, even if they have had Covid ﬁrst.” Some Long Covid Patients Feel Much Better After Getting the Vaccine It is too soon to tell whether the shots have a broad beneﬁcial effect on patients with continuing issues, but scientists are intrigued and beginning to study the phenomenon.

By Pam Belluck

Published March 17, 2021 Updated March 18, 2021, 3:17 a.m. ET

Judy Dodd began struggling with long Covid symptoms last spring — shortness of breath, headaches, exhaustion. Then she got the vaccine.

After her ﬁrst Pﬁzer-BioNTech shot in late January, she felt so physically miserable that she had to be persuaded to get the second. For three days after that one, she also felt awful. But the fourth day, everything changed.

“I woke up and it was like ʻOh what a beautiful morning,’” said Ms. Dodd, a middle-school teacher who is also an actor and director. “It was like I’d been directing ʻSweeney Todd’ for months, and now I’m directing Oklahoma.”

Ms. Dodd, who continues to feel good, is among a number of people who are reporting that the post-Covid symptoms they’ve experienced for months have begun improving, sometimes signiﬁcantly, after they got the vaccine. It’s a phenomenon that doctors and scientists are watching closely, but as with much about the yearlong coronavirus pandemic, there are many uncertainties.

Scientists are only beginning to study any potential effect of vaccines on long Covid symptoms. Anecdotes run the gamut: Besides those who report feeling better after the shots, many people say they have experienced no change and a small number say they feel worse.

Reports from doctors vary too. Dr. Daniel Grifﬁn, an infectious disease physician at Columbia University, said about 40 percent of the long Covid patients he’s been treating cite symptom improvement after the vaccine. “They notice, ʻHey, over the days, I’m feeling better. The fatigue isn’t so bad, maybe smell is coming back,’” Dr. Grifﬁn said.

Other doctors say it is too early to know.

“Too few of our participants have been vaccinated so far to really be able to provide insight into this question,” said Dr. Michael Peluso, an infectious disease specialist working on a study of long-term Covid patients at the University of California, San Francisco. “I’ve heard anecdotes as well, but I’ve seen too little data so far.”

This month, a small study by British researchers that has not yet been peer reviewed found that eight months after people were hospitalized for Covid-19, those who were vaccinated experienced improvement in more long Covid symptoms than those who weren’t yet vaccinated. The 44 vaccinated patients in the study were older and had more underlying medical conditions, since people with those characteristics qualiﬁed for vaccines earlier.

One month after vaccination, those patients reported improvement in 23 percent of their long Covid symptoms like joint pain and breathing, while 5.6 percent of their symptoms had worsened. The 22 unvaccinated people questioned at that time said 15 percent of their symptoms were better, while 14 percent of their symptoms were worse. There was no difference in response between people who received the Pﬁzer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.

Additional information comes from two surveys of several hundred people with long Covid symptoms, many of whom were never hospitalized for the disease. Jim Golen, a former hospice nurse in Saginaw, Minn. He said his long Covid symptoms have gotten worse since his vaccination, but he’s still glad he got the vaccine. Tim Gruber for The New York Times

One survey of 345 people, mostly women and mostly in Britain, found that two weeks or more after their ﬁrst vaccine dose, 93 felt slightly better and 18 felt back to normal — a total of 32 percent reporting improved long Covid symptoms.

In that survey, by Gez Medinger, a London-based ﬁlmmaker who has experienced post-Covid symptoms, 61 people, just under 18 percent, felt worse, most of them reporting only a slight decline in their condition. Nearly half — 172 people — reported feeling no different.

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Another survey, by Survivor Corps, a group of over 150,000 Covid survivors, found that as of March 17, 225 of 577 respondents reported some improvement, while 270 felt no change and 82 felt worse.

Jim Golen, 55, of Saginaw, Minn., feels some long Covid symptoms have worsened since his vaccination. Mr. Golen, a former hospice nurse who also has a small farm, had experienced months of difﬁculty, including blood clots in his lungs, chest pain, brain fog, insomnia and shortness of breath with any exertion. Late last year, after seeing several doctors, “I was ﬁnally starting to get better,” he said.

Since receiving the second dose of the Pﬁzer vaccine in mid-January, he said, his chest burning and shortness of breath have returned with a vengeance, especially if he taxes himself with activities like collecting sap from the maple trees on his farm. Nonetheless, Mr. Golen said he was “very happy” to be vaccinated, emphasizing that the effects of Covid were worse and preventing it is crucial.

Some people shared stories of stark symptom improvements that took them by surprise.

Laura Gross, 72, of Fort Lee, N.J., rattled off a lengthy list of debilitating long Covid symptoms she’d experienced since April, including exhaustion, joint pain, muscle aches and a “zizzy-dizzy-weaky thing that was like an internal headachy all-over-body vibration.”

Her cognitive fuzziness and forgetfulness were so intense that “brain fog barely describes it,” she said. “It’s more like brain cyclone.”

She also felt uncharacteristically “hopeless, sad, lonely, unmotivated,” she said. Three days after her ﬁrst Moderna shot in late January, everything changed. “It was like a revelation,” she said. The brain fog cleared completely, muscle aches were gone, joint pains were less intense and she suddenly had much more energy. It felt, she said, “like the old me.”

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That continued after the second dose. “It’s like my cells went kerﬂooey last year when they met Covid,” she said, and the “vaccine said, ʻWait, you dopes, that isn’t how you ﬁght this, do it this way.’”

Recently, she walked briskly for 23 minutes and even “ran a little bit because I was so happy,” she said. “I’m a very happy little chappy.”

Laura Gross of Fort Lee, N.J., said brain fog is inadequate in describing her symptoms: “It’s more like brain cyclone,” she said. She reports feeling much better since being vaccinated. Nancy Borowick for The New York Times

Scientists say that understanding whether vaccines help some long Covid patients but not others could help unravel the underlying causes of different symptoms and potential ways to treat them.

“They might be different disease processes and you manage them differently,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, a virologist and infectious disease physician at the University of Michigan. “It might be that there’s a subset of people who have a certain type of long Covid, who respond well to vaccines, but there might be other people who have a different subtype that we haven’t quite deﬁned yet.” Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale, said that a vaccine, by generating antibodies to the coronavirus’s spike protein, could potentially eliminate vestiges of the virus or remnants of viral RNA that may linger in some patients.

If this is occurring, she said, it could suggest that the vaccine “might be like a permanent cure” for those patients.

Dr. Iwasaki said the vaccine might also help people whose long Covid symptoms may be caused by a post-viral response resembling an autoimmune disease if “the vaccine stimulates innate immune responses that dampen these kinds of autoreactive responses,” she said. But based on experiences of people with other autoimmune diseases, that relief would “not be very long-lasting and they would kind of revert back” to having symptoms like fatigue, she said.

Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, said he is starting a study to measure physiological information like heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature and markers of immune system response in people with long Covid before they receive a vaccine and weeks afterward.

It’s plausible that “you have your immune system revved up when you’re ﬁghting a reservoir” of virus or RNA remnants, he said, “and that could be an explanation of why you’re in overdrive with your heart rate.” He wants to see if these biological indicators improve post- vaccine.

“We’d really like objective metrics that show that you not just feel better,” Dr. Topol said. “You could feel better from the placebo effect, but it’s unlikely your heart rate’s going to go from 100 to 60 because of a placebo effect. And if we keep seeing that pattern, that would be like Eureka.”

He added, “I think there’s probably something there, but I just don’t know what is the magnitude, how many people are going to beneﬁt.”

There are many other questions: Are there specific characteristics, like age, gender, type or duration of symptoms, that might make some long Covid patients more likely to feel better? Would a vaccine be less effective for people with more complex conditions: people whose symptoms are driven by multiple biological pathways (perhaps both an RNA remnant and autoimmune activation) or whose symptoms have changed or fluctuated over time? Are certain types of vaccines more likely to produce benefit?

“It was awful thinking it may never get better, like ʻIs this my new normal, am I now damaged this way?’” recalled Bridget Hayward of her symptoms, which she says have eased since her vaccination. Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Bridget Hayward, 51, an operating room nurse in Alexandria, Va., said that after contracting Covid a year ago, her body ached from her hands to her hips and she became so brain-fogged that instead of asking for a scalpel, she would say “Give me that sharp thing we cut with.”

Almost daily, she would brieﬂy pass out while bending down to ﬁx a patient’s intravenous line or plug in the cord of a hospital bed.

“It was horrifying,” she said. “It was awful thinking it may never get better, like ʻIs this my new normal, am I now damaged this way?’”

After several months, her worst symptoms improved, but she still tired easily, felt hot even in cool weather, and found it too taxing to do some ordinary tasks, she said.

One day after her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in late December, “it was like click, everything is fine,” she said. Her body temperature has normalized and “it felt like a darkness lifted.”

While “it’s not 100 percent every day,” she said she has so much energy now that “I’m not just getting from A to B, I’m like leaping up.”

One recent day, she did several long-overdue errands. “This may not sound like much but it is a 180-turnaround from three months ago,” she said. “I’m back!”

Kim Leighton, 64, of Vancouver, Wash., has had a similar experience. She was hospitalized last March and had long Covid symptoms that included mini blackouts, shortness of breath, getting lost in her own neighborhood, depression and fatigue.

“It really has been hell,” she said.

When she started feeling better in late January, she didn’t even think to connect it to the vaccine, but later realized her stark improvement had started four days after receiving her ﬁrst Moderna shot. She is delighted that she can now take walks in downtown Portland and has the desire to reconnect with friends.

“Every day, I feel like I’m feeling stronger,” Ms. Leighton said. “All the stuff I had to let go of, I’m trying to get it back.”

Ms. Dodd, like several others, said she wasn’t taking her improvement for granted. “I’m still sort of wary of what’s around the corner, this disease is so unpredictable,” she said.

But, she added, “even if, God forbid, I have a relapse, to have this time now when I feel better, it’s really amazing.” This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/irs-said-to-delay-tax-iling-deadline-until-mid-may-11616005038

POLITICS IRS Delays Tax-Filing Deadline Until Mid-May Extension will give taxpayers more time to grapple with late law changes, pandemic

The tax-iling season started later than usual and has been messy as taxpayers deal with the ripple eects from the pandemic and late changes to the tax law. PHOTO: ERIN SCOTTREUTERS

By Richard Rubin Updated March 17, 2021 646 pm ET

Listen to this article 6 minutes

WASHINGTON—The Internal Revenue Service delayed the main April 15 tax-ﬁling and payment deadlines for individuals until May 17, giving taxpayers and preparers a bit of breathing room in an unusually complicated tax season.

The move comes after lawmakers and accountants urged the government to allow more time to complete 2020 tax returns and adjust to tax-law changes implemented during the pandemic.

The tax-filing season started later than usual and has been challenging for taxpayers dealing with the effects of last year’s economic disruptions and late changes to the tax law. Typical in-person assistance, which can be particularly valuable for low-income filers, has been more complicated this year as well.

The automatic extension applies to individual returns and payments for 2020 that are due on April 15; they will be extended to May 17 without penalties and interest. It doesn’t apply to 2021 estimated-tax payments due on April 15, the IRS said late Wednesday. Many questions remain unanswered, including whether states will follow suit and extend their income-tax deadlines.

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The IRS, seeking a return to something resembling its normal schedule after 2020, had been reluctant to change the deadline. It delayed the start of the ﬁling season to Feb. 12 from the typical late January date so it had time to implement tax-law changes that Congress wrote in December. Calls for another delay came this month as Congress changed 2020 tax law again.

Notably, the coronavirus relief package that President Biden signed into law last week retroactively changed the tax rules for unemployment benefits received in 2020, making the first $10,200 exempt from taxation for tax filers making less than $150,000. THE LATEST IN TAX POLICY

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“We are gratiﬁed that the IRS has recognized the need and heeded our calls for additional time, and while we are pleased with this 30-day extension, we will continue to monitor developments during this hectic ﬁling season,” Reps. Richard Neal (D., Mass.) and Bill Pascrell (D., N.J.) said in a statement.

Bloomberg News ﬁrst reported the delay. The IRS will release further details in the coming days.

“This continues to be a tough time for many people, and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic, while also working on important tax administration responsibilities,” IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in a statement.

Last week’s late change in the tax law compounded diﬃculties facing tax preparers, taxpayers and the IRS, which is still working through a backlog of 2019 tax returns. The government has received 18% fewer tax returns through early March this year compared with 2020.

The IRS hasn’t yet offered guidance for people who already filed their tax returns and included unemployment benefits as taxable income. These filers have been told only not to send in amended returns yet.

Lawmakers, including Messrs. Neal and Pascrell, and accountants had been pressing the IRS to push back the April 15 deadline. Until now, Mr. Rettig had resisted, saying there was no need for a delay. Mr. Rettig is set to appear Thursday before the House Ways and Means subcommittee chaired by Mr. Pascrell. More than 100 House members signed a letter this week urging the delay.

“The various coronavirus relief programs created over the last year, including the bill signed into law just last week, have resulted in a large amount of extra paperwork for taxpayers this year and have required tax preparation ﬁrms to constantly update their systems,” Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said earlier Wednesday.

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Because of the recent winter storms, taxpayers in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma were already granted a blanket extension. Their returns aren’t due until June 15, and Wednesday’s action doesn’t change that. Last year, all taxpayers had until July 15 to ﬁle returns for 2019 as the pandemic disrupted the tax-ﬁling season.

“Thirty days is not enough time for the problems in the system to be resolved,” said Jeﬀrey Porter, a certiﬁed public accountant in Huntington, W.Va., adding that all taxpayers should get that same June 15 deadline that the disaster-stricken areas have. “Why not make the rest of the country consistent?”

In addition to the ﬁling season, the new relief law gives the IRS a signiﬁcant amount of work to do in the coming months. The agency has already sent out more than half the money from the latest round of stimulus checks. In addition, the IRS must set up a new system for making periodic payments of the child tax credit. And it must implement other tax changes in the new law, including expansions of the child and dependent-care tax credits.

The extra month is a great relief, said Rafael Efrat, director of a clinic at California State University, Northridge that typically prepares about 9,000 returns a year for low-income taxpayers. Given the challenges of the pandemic, the clinic had been running about 33% behind its usual pace so far.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Mr. Efrat said, adding that the clinic had planned for its student volunteers to work only through April 15. “We may have the time, but we may not have the volunteers to do it.” —Andrew Restuccia and Laura Saunders contributed to this article.

Write to Richard Rubin at [email protected]

Appeared in the March 18, 2021, print edition as 'IRS Extends Tax-Filing Deadline to May 17.'

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com. ___

BUSINESS •• News Treasury: $242 billion in new relief payments already sent

FILE – In this Feb. 5, 2021 file photo, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a virtual roundtable with participants from Black Chambers of Commerce across the country to discuss the American Rescue Plan in Washington. The Treasury Department says it has sent out 90 million economic impact payments totaling $242 billion since President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan. The bulk of those payments were made by the IRS as direct deposits, which recipients starting seeing in their bank accounts last weekend, officialsficials saidsaid Wednesday,Wednesday, MarchMarch 17.17. (AP(AP Photo/JacquelynPhoto/Jacquelyn Martin,Martin, File)File)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS || PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 11:54 a.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 17, 2021 at 12:20 p.m.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department says it has sent out 90 million economic impact payments totaling $242 billion since President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan last week.

The bulk of those payments were made by the IRS as direct deposits, which recipients starting seeing in their bank accounts last weekend, officials said Wednesday.

In addition, Treasury has mailed out roughly 150,000 checks worth about $442 million.

Processing of the payments began last Friday, the day after Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, which authorized direct payments of up to $1,400 to qualifying individuals.

Treasury said the first batch of payments went to eligible taxpayers who provided direct-deposit information on their 2019 or 2020 tax returns. Included were people who donʼt typically file a return but who used a non-filers tool at IRS.gov last year to be included in two earlier rounds of COVID-19 relief payments.

Officials said additional batches of payments will be sent in coming weeks by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card.

No action is needed by most taxpayers to receive the payments, which will be automatic and similar to how people received their first and second round of economic impact payments in 2020.

The payments, which are being made to cushion the blow from the coronvirus pandemic, started with $1,200 payments in the first round lastlast springspring andand $600$600 paymentspayments inin aa secondsecond roundround ofof paymentspayments approvedapproved byby CongressCongress inin December.December.

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Mar 15, 2021

San Bernardino County has regained 58 percent of jobs lost during the early months of the COVID- 19 pandemic, far outpacing the state average as the local economy continues to show signs of a healthy recovery.

Newly released gures from the California Employment Development Department show unemployment in San Bernardino County dropping to 8.6 percent in January, down signicantly from its April 2020 peak of 14.2 percent.

Since the end of May, employers in the county have added more than 80,000 non-farm jobs, out of 138,500 that were lost during the rst three months of the pandemic. That 58 percent recovery rate compares to 39 percent for the state as a whole.

“San Bernardino County has become a major business and economic hub for the region and all of California, so it’s not surprising to see us leading the state out of pandemic downturn,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We’re a great place to do business and to nd that right job.” The EDD report showed a 0.2 percent improvement in the county’s unemployment rate from December, continuing a trend that has seen the rate fall in eight of the last nine months. Although total employment dipped slightly during January, it was offset by a post-holiday decline in the labor force.

For the Inland Empire as a whole, total employment (1.89 million) is now within 6 percent of its prior year total, with supply chain-related jobs showing strong gains during that period. The Transportation and Warehousing sector was up 17 percent from January 2020 to January 2021 -- an increase of more than 25,000 jobs.

Phil Cothran, a Fontana resident and chairman of the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board, said the recovery shines a light on the work WDB does in building a pipeline of trained and qualied workers to meet the needs of businesses.

“Our county is one of the fastest growing in the U.S., which is a tremendous asset for companies looking to relocated or expand. Between our America’s Job Centers of California and our Business Services team, we’re committed to connecting job seekers to the great employment opportunities that are out there -- and in the process, to ensure companies have the employees necessary to grow and succeed,” Cothran said. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/weekly-jobless-claims-coronavirus-0318202111616022152

U.S. ECONOMY U.S. Jobless Claims Hover Near Pandemic Lows Worker filings for benefits have eased since the start of the year. February’s winter storm could have affected recent claims.

Weekly claims for jobless beneits are still well above pre-pandemic levels. PHOTO: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZASSOCIATED PRESS

By Sarah Chaney Cambon Updated March 18, 2021 1058 am ET

Listen to this article 5 minutes

Worker ﬁlings for jobless beneﬁts are hovering near the pandemic’s lowest levels, adding to evidence of recent economic improvement.

Jobless claims rose last week to 770,000—still elevated above the pre-pandemic peak of 695,000—but have declined since January. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, fell last week to about 746,000, near November’s pandemic low. Since surging last March, new claims for unemployment each week have been above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 set in October 1982.

Initial unemployment claims

million

Previous record: 695,000

2019 weekly average: 218,000

July 2020 '21

Note: Seasonally adjusted Source: Labor Department

An increase in Texas accounted for about half of last week’s overall rise in jobless claims, which could reﬂect delayed eﬀects from last month’s winter storm, some economists said.

More broadly, declining jobless claims are one sign of economic improvement. U.S. employers added 379,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 6.2%. The U.S. manufacturing industry has exhibited steady signs of expansion. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s tracker of credit- and debit-card transactions showed consumer spending climbed in early March.

Economists expect widespread distribution of vaccines and a fresh round of government stimulus to fuel growth in the ﬁrst half of this year.

“The economy is on a very solid path,” said Jim Baird, chief investment oﬃcer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors. “Strong consumer spending should be the primary driver not only of growth in the economy, but improvement in labor-market conditions in the coming months.”

Consumer spending on in-person activities, such as travel, entertainment and dining out, will likely trigger hiring in services sectors that were hard hit by the pandemic. Early evidence signals this dynamic is already at play. In February, leisure and hospitality added 355,000 jobs. Employment in the sector is still down 20% compared with pre-pandemic levels, suggesting the recovery will take time. Unemployment claims for the past year have remained above the highest level recorded during any previous recession.

YOUR MONEY BRIEFING Retirement Savings: How to Catch Up Aer a Break

0000 1x

Table 301 Restaurant Group—which includes a juice bar, restaurants and a catering business in Greenville, S.C.—implemented a hiring freeze after initial reopenings in mid- 2020.

In late February, the company needed to begin seeking workers as demand ﬁred up, said Carl Sobocinski, the restaurant group’s president. Business is heavily dependent on travel to downtown Greenville, which has been picking up as people get vaccinated, he said.

“The consumers are coming back out, the restaurant seats are ﬁlling up and it will be an upward trajectory between now and the end of the year,” said Mr. Sobocinski. Continued unemployment-beneits recipients, regular state programs

million

Jan. 2020 '21

Note: Seasonally adjusted Source: Labor Department

Millions of laid-off workers continue to receive unemployment aid. Total continuing claims, which gives a good approximation of the number of people receiving benefits, fell to 18.2 million in the week ended Feb. 27 from 20.1 million a week earlier. The number of individuals collecting regular state benefits declined. Fewer people also received aid through two federal pandemic programs, though those figures have been particularly volatile throughout the pandemic.

Some state claims numbers continue to be plagued by attempted fraud, a problem throughout the pandemic. In recent months, thousands of Americans have received 1099- G tax forms, surprising them with the news they are victims of unemployment-insurance fraud.

President Biden recently signed a $1.9 trillion relief package into law. The stimulus package extends supplemental beneﬁts originally set to expire March 14. Workers claiming state or federal jobless beneﬁts can now receive an additional $300 a week through early September.

Economists expect the aid package to help propel the U.S. economy to its fastest annual growth in nearly four decades. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development separately forecast that the U.S. economy would expand by 6.5% this year, in part because of trillions of dollars in government stimulus.

“You’re looking at people who are looking to get out,” said Mr. Baird. “They’re looking to dine out, they’re looking to travel for recreational purposes. That’s that next wave that we see coming.”

How would a $15 federal minimum wage aect you or your business? The Journal wants to hear from workers, small business owners and other employers about the implications of raising the federal minimum wage.

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Write to Sarah Chaney Cambon at [email protected] ___

NEWS •• News LAUSD teachers scramble to find child care for own kids as they prepare to head back to campuses Educators with young children want the district to letlet themthem workwork fromfrom homehome thethe restrest ofof thisthis termterm oror toto expand its child care program to accommodate more children of employees

Maya Suzuki Daniels, a teacher in LAUSD, has started an online petition (which has over 1,000 signatures now). She and others want the district to offerfer aa waiverwaiver forfor teachersteachers withwith youngyoung childrenchildren toto continuecontinue teachingteaching remotelyremotely fromfrom homehome atat leastleast forfor thethe restrest ofof thisthis schoolschool year.year. SomeSome alsoalso wantwant thethe districtdistrict toto expandexpand itsits childchild carecare servicesservices soso thatthat moremore teachersteachers cancan benefitbenefit fromfrom it.it. MayaMaya withwith herher 11 aa halfhalf yearyear oldold sonson Silas.Silas. (Photo(Photo byby ChuckChuck Bennett,Bennett, ContributingContributing Photographer)Photographer)

By LINH TAT || [email protected]@scng.com || PUBLISHED: March 17 2021 at 4:17 p m || UPDATED: UPDATED: March 17 2021 at 6:11 p m PUBLISHED: March 17, 2021 at 4:17 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: March 17, 2021 at 6:11 p.m.

As teachers for the Los Angeles Unified School District prepare to return to campus in several weeks as in-person instruction likely resumes, many are scrambling to figure out child care arrangements for their own children.

A petition thatʼsthatʼs beenbeen circulatingcirculating inin recentrecent daysdays callscalls onon thethe districtdistrict toto grantgrant educators with young children waivers to continue teaching remotely from home forfor atat leastleast thethe restrest ofof thisthis schoolschool yearyear —— similarsimilar toto accommodationsaccommodations beingbeing mademade forfor certaincertain employeesemployees withwith healthhealth issues.issues. TheThe petitionpetition waswas launchedlaunched SundaySunday andand had been signed by more than 1,200 people by Wednesday afternoon, March 17.

In addition to allowing teachers with child care issues to continue working from home for the rest of this term, educators say they want the district to expand its Beyond the Bell program so more employees can benefit from it.

Currently, the program provides on-campus supervision to students in elementary and middle school from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but some teachers must be inin theirtheir classroomsclassrooms beforebefore 88 a.m.,a.m., theythey said.said. Additionally,Additionally, onlyonly studentsstudents enrolledenrolled inin anan LAUSDLAUSD schoolschool cancan bebe inin thethe program,program, leavingleaving outout childrenchildren inin privateprivate schoolsschools and those too young to be in transitional kindergarten.

Tomia Mitchell-Haas, a teacher at Hale Charter Academy in Woodland Hills, has threethree children,children, agesages 13,13, 44 andand 2.2. SheShe saidsaid sheshe andand herher colleaguescolleagues havehave lookedlooked intointo outside day care options, but due to reduced capacity at many sites because of health and safety restrictions related to COVID-19, space is more limited than usual. Maya Suzuki Daniels, a teacher in LAUSD, has started an online petition (which has over 1,000 signatures now). She and others want the district to offer a waiver for teachers with young children to continue teaching remotely from home at least for the rest of this school year. Some also want the district to expand its child care services so that more teachers can benefit from it. Maya with her 1 a half year old son Silas. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

Sheʼs also heard from others, she said, who pulled their children out of day care lastlast yearyear atat thethe startstart ofof thethe pandemicpandemic andand havehave sincesince lostlost theirtheir spots.spots. Now,Now, toto re-re- enroll in day care, theyʼll have to go back on the wait list.

“People arenʼt realizing what the situation is,” Mitchell-Haas said. “Thereʼs been a lotlot ofof pressurepressure toto openopen upup schools.schools. AA lotlot ofof parentsparents dodo needneed toto sendsend theirtheir kidskids toto school … but also theyʼre not really thinking too much about the (teachers) who have to work and donʼt have a school to send their kids to right now.”

Maya Suzuki Daniels, a teacher at San Pedro High School who started the petition, said colleagues have checked with day care facilities within a 40-mile radius of theirtheir homes,homes, onlyonly toto bebe toldtold thatthat allall placesplaces havehave aa waitwait list.list. SomeSome facilitiesfacilities havehave closed down since the pandemic, some are experiencing staffing shortages and others are raising their rates, she said.

The district and United Teachers Los Angeles reached a tentativetentative agreementagreement toto return to in-person instruction last week. The school board has ratified the deal,, and UTLA members — which include teachers, counselors, school nurses and other certificated employees — will be voting this week on whether to support it. If the agreement is fully ratified, the district is looking at a mid-April reopening forfor elementaryelementary schoolsschools andand toto welcomewelcome middlemiddle andand highhigh schoolschool studentsstudents backback around late April.

Given that teachers only have about a month to figure out their child care situations and that there will be just several weeks left in the academic year by the timetime classroomsclassrooms reopen,reopen, bothboth Mitchell-HaasMitchell-Haas andand SuzukiSuzuki DanielsDaniels saidsaid thethe districtdistrict should allow teachers with child care issues to finish out the term working from home. That would buy them a few months to arrange for child care before fall semester.

Kari Miller, a secondary school teacher at the Santee Education Complex in South L.A., has two young children. Her 6-year-old son used to be enrolled in a before- and afterschool program, but the programʼs capacity has been reduced to 25% of what it was pre-pandemic. To re-enroll, her son would have to go back on the wait list.list.

Since many of her students have indicated that they plan to remain in distance learninglearning full-time,full-time, andand thethe onesones whowho choosechoose thethe hybrid model will still be logging inin onlineonline toto herher classes,classes, MillerMiller doesnʼtdoesnʼt understandunderstand whywhy moremore teachersteachers canʼtcanʼt continue to work from home.

“Canʼt there be some way teachers can still teach from home? Theyʼre going to do Zoom all day anyway,” she said. Itʼs “disappointing,” she said, that the tentative agreement UTLA reached with the district did not address child care issues for teachers.teachers.

As for taking a leave of absence, Miller said sheʼs not sure if doing so could put her at risk of being reassigned to another school when sheʼs ready to return — or if it would be unpaid time off.

Others may not even have the option to take a leave of absence.

Suzuki Daniels said she used up her accrued time off when she went on maternity leave.leave. Now,Now, sheshe fears,fears, eithereither sheshe oror herher husbandhusband maymay havehave toto quitquit theirtheir jobjob toto carecare forfor theirtheir 1-and-a-half-year-old1-and-a-half-year-old son.son. SheʼsSheʼs hopinghoping itit wonʼtwonʼt comecome toto thatthat butbut isis bracing herself to make the tough call.

“I donʼt want people to have to choose between their jobs and their children,” she said. “I love teaching, but I can find another job. I canʼt find another child.”

Having taught for eight years, Suzuki Daniels is also concerned that other colleagues similarly situated will quit, which could result in an exodus of a number of experienced educators. A spokeswoman for LAUSD said in an email the district is aware of the concerns raised and are looking into the matter.

UTLA, meanwhile, issued a statement sayingsaying “society“society mustmust dodo moremore toto addressaddress affordable child care options … but this problem canʼt be resolved in UTLA and LAUSDʼs hybrid return agreement.”

The union is advocating for the district to accommodate employees with child care needs and said LAUSD should survey employees to find out how many would require accommodations.

“Women make up 70% of the teaching profession, and as such, UTLA calls on the state legislature and congress to proactively work to provide better childcare support for all working families in California,” the union said.

Suzuki Daniels said sheʼs hoping this dilemma will move the district to provide expanded child care options in the fall for its employees.

It bothers her, as a multi-racial woman of color, to feel as though, once again, a section of the workforce is forced to make sacrifices.

“Weʼve seen millions of women leave the workforce” during the pandemic, she said. “We are looking at an unemployment crisis.”

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Desk spacing arguments rage as big school districts plan April reopening

BY RICARDO CANO MARCH 17, 2021

Alisal Elementary School first grade instructor Erin Salcido teaches class on March 4, 2021, in Pleasanton. Photo by Aric Crabb, Bay Area News Group

IN SUMMARY While most of California’s largest school districts plan on having in- person instruction in April, there’s still widespread disagreement on how close desks can be as well as other safety concerns. Lea este artículo en español.

A majority of California’s largest school districts plan on bringing students and teachers back on campuses by early April, even as local officials grapple with state social distancing requirements they say are unclear and limit kids’ in-person options.

Rapidly declining case rates and teacher vaccinations have drastically changed California’s reopening landscape after a year of most K-12 campuses staying closed. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that 9,000 of the state’s schools — an “overwhelming majority” — are either open for some in-person instruction or will be by next month. As of Tuesday, 88% of Californians lived in counties that now allow in-person instruction for middle and high school students.

But whether the state’s schools will expand to offer full-time in-person instruction this spring or in the fall will largely depend on state distancing requirements that school officials say effectively prevents most schools from operating full-time in-person schedules, particularly for middle and high school grades.

Spacing requirements

California’s rules for reopening, updated in late January, allow schools to physically reopen if they follow strict safety measures, which includes spacing desks no less than four feet while making a “good-faith effort” to maintain six feet of spacing. Recent studies have suggested schools can safely operate with three feet of distancing versus six feet. The Centers for Disease Control recommended six feet of distance in its latest February guidance, but doesn’t set a minimum standard. The CDC said this week that it would reconsider easing its spacing guidance.

Now, health experts, parents and administrators want California to clarify its distancing requirements for reopening campuses. “Six feet (of distancing) is not difficult for a hybrid model,” said John Malloy, superintendent of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. “But we don’t think the hybrid model, where kids are only on campus half the time, is conducive for everyone. We want our kids in school full time, five days a week.”

“We look forward to working through that in real time once we have more clarity from the feds.” — GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM

The Contra Costa County school district brought middle and high school students back on campus Wednesday under a hybrid model — similar to how most other California schools have so far physically reopened. In a March 11 letter to the governor pleading for clarification on state guidance, the San Ramon Valley school board said it wants to be able to offer students and families full-time in-person instruction this fall, noting that distancing “is the most critical factor when determining what school will look like in the fall.”

“We desperately need clear and consistent communication and guidelines from the state,” the school board wrote to Newsom.

Speaking at an elementary school in Alameda, Newsom said the state would revisit its own rules for reopening schools based on whether the CDC updates its guidance while touting the state’s progress in reopening schools.

“We look forward to working through that in real time once we have more clarity from the feds,” Newsom told reporters.

Parents sue Last month, parent advocates in San Diego County sued the state in an attempt to undo school-reopening rules they argued has arbitrarily kept schools from offering full-time in-person instruction. A judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday.

“(The judge) essentially indicted remote learning as a failed learning model and slammed the state for creating rules that arbitrarily forced some students into remote learning while allowing others to attend in-person,” said Scott Davison, co-director of the Parent Association of Carlsbad and a supporter of the suit.

Tustin Unified in Orange County began offering in-person instruction via hybrid scheduling for all grades starting last September and has not experienced any cases of in-school transmission, according to Gregory A. Franklin, Tustin’s superintendent. Six in 10 students are attending school in person in Tustin, with most campuses operating at 30% capacity.

“We have yet to talk to a health official who’s able to explain why 4 feet is different than 3 feet. I’m not sure how much science is involved in those decisions about the distancing.” — GREGORY A. FRANKLIN, TUSTIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

Teachers are instructing students who opted to remain online while also directing the students in their physical classrooms. Engaging students under hybrid instruction remains a challenge, Franklin said, because “it’s much easier for a kid to struggle anonymously online,” without continuous interactions with educators.

When the 2021-22 school year begins, Franklin envisions schools will continue operating with many of the same measures — everyone wears masks, washes their hands, travels hallways in one direction. Unclear yet is whether the rules will allow for a full-time return.

“What’s a little frustrating is when we talk to the health officials, they talk about doing distance as much as practicable but not less than 4 (feet),” Franklin said. “We have yet to talk to a health official who’s able to explain why 4 feet is different than 3 feet. I’m not sure how much science is involved in those decisions about the distancing.”

What’s next

The Legislature will decide this spring to what extent it will allow school districts to operate under hybrid and distance learning next school year, but schools are anxious for guidance on spacing; some year-round schools begin their terms in July.

“Physical distancing is a huge barrier to reopening schools for full five-day-a- week schedules,” said Dr. Jeanne Noble, director of COVID-19 response for UC San Francisco’s emergency department.

“So it’s really time to look closely at the data and say is it necessary, because it’s going to keep millions of kids out of full time school. The data tells us it’s not necessary, that masking is really the key to this.”