County Launches Redistricting Website; Commission Meets Tuesday | Political | Highlandnews.Net

5/11/2021 County launches redistricting website; Commission meets Tuesday | Political | highlandnews.net

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BREAKING

County report County launches redistricting website; Commission meets Tuesday

May 10, 2021

San Bernardino County's 2021 supervisorial redistricting effort is underway with the launch of an interactive website and the scheduling of the County Redistricting Commission's rst meeting on Tuesday, May 11.

"The Board of Supervisors is looking forward to utilizing the latest technology and in-person meetings throughout the county to involve every county resident and each of our communities in the 2021 redistricting process," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.

Every 10 years, upon the release of new U.S. Census data, the county is required to redraw the boundaries of the ve Board of Supervisors districts (sbcounty.gov/Main/Pages/BOSDistricts.aspx) to ensure each has very close to the same number of residents and that the new districts comply with the Voting Rights Act and meet other criteria. The process will begin in earnest when detailed U.S. Census data is released by the federal government in the fall.

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On Friday, May 7, the county launched a website, sbcountyredistricting.com/, that contains information about the redistricting process, alerts visitors to upcoming meetings, allows them to view live and archived meetings, submit questions and other feedback, and read the latest news on https://www.highlandnews.net/news/political/county-launches-redistricting-website-commission-meets-tuesday/article_17222f2c-b1c7-11eb-afb5-5bc9c… 1/2 5/11/2021 County launches redistricting website; Commission meets Tuesday | Political | highlandnews.net redistricting.

The site also allows visitors to become familiar and experiment with a map-drawing tool that will allow anyone to create and submit their own redistricting plans incorporating the latest data on population, demographics and city boundaries. The data on which the 2021 redistricting will be based won't be available until the federal government releases it in the fall.

"Our goal is to make the redistricting process transparent and to provide many opportunities for public input. The new website is a great way for the public to stay up to date on the redistricting process and to have their voices heard," said Second District Supervisor Janice Rutherford, who with Hagman comprises the Board of Supervisors Redistricting Subcommittee.

The redistricting website also includes information about the county's new Advisory Redistricting Commission.

In compliance with a new County Charter approved by voters in November, the board in March created a seven-member Advisory Redistricting Commission to receive comments and suggestions from the public and recommend at least two supervisorial district boundary maps for consideration by the board.

In April, each board member appointed one commissioner and one alternate commissioner, who will join two members appointed by the presiding judge of the Superior Court of California, county of San Bernardino, to sit as the commission.

The commission will be sworn in and conduct its rst meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 11, in the Covington Chambers on the rst oor of the County Government Center in San Bernardino. The public can view live and archived meetings on the county's redistricting website, sbcountyredistricting.com/. The commission will conduct many of its future meetings at various locations throughout the county.

https://www.highlandnews.net/news/political/county-launches-redistricting-website-commission-meets-tuesday/article_17222f2c-b1c7-11eb-afb5-5bc9c… 2/2 5/11/2021 Controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution could have major impact on warehouse development in Fontana | News | fontanah…

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/controversial-new-rule-which-aims-to-reduce-pollution-could- have-major-impact-on-warehouse-development/article_69c5ddb4-b1ae-11eb-92c3-5fedfbcf9b.html Controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution could have major impact on warehouse development in Fontana

By RUSSELL INGOLD May 10, 2021

A child holds a sign outside City Hall during a protest in opposition to a proposed warehouse in Fontana earlier this year. Despite the protest, the City Council recently approved the warehouse.

A controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution in Southern California could have a signicant impact on warehouse development in Fontana and surrounding areas.

On May 7, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board adopted Rule 2305, also known as the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule (ISR). This rule requires warehouses greater than 100,000 square feet to directly reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and diesel particulate matter (PM) emissions, or to otherwise facilitate emission and exposure reductions of these pollutants in nearby communities, the AQMD said. https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/controversial-new-rule-which-aims-to-reduce-pollution-could-have-major-impact-on-warehouse-developmen… 1/4 5/11/2021 Controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution could have major impact on warehouse development in Fontana | News | fontanah…

Environmental organizations praised the decision while business groups opposed it, saying the rule would cost many jobs.

The rule was approved by a 9-4 vote, with San Bernardino County 2nd District Supervisor Janice Rutherford (whose district includes part of Fontana) voting no. AQMD is the air pollution control agency for major portions of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.

“About half of the air pollutants that contribute to smog come from the goods movement industry, with the largest source being heavy-duty trucks heading to warehouses across Southern California,” said Wayne Nastri, AQMD’s executive ofcer. “After many years of development, today’s adoption of the warehouse rule is a major step towards reducing air pollution and protecting the millions of people directly impacted by this type of pollution.”

The Inland Empire has some of the worst air pollution in the nation, according to recent studies. Environmentalists say the increase in the number of warehouses in Fontana and other cities has contributed greatly to the problem.

"Warehouses are a key destination for heavy-duty trucks and have other sources of emissions like cargo handling equipment, all of which contribute to local pollution, including toxic emissions, to the communities that live near them," the AQMD said in a news release. "Emissions from sources associated with warehouses account for almost as many NOx emissions as all the reneries, power plants and other stationary sources in the South Coast Air Basin combined. Reductions in NOx are essential to meeting upcoming federal clean air standards. Those living within a half mile of warehouses are more likely to include communities of color, have health impacts such as higher rates of asthma and heart attacks, and a greater environmental burden."

Fontana ofcials have said that the warehouses that have been built in the city have all met the proper standards and are a huge boon to the local economy.

The new warehouse rule is a menu-based points system requiring warehouse operators to annually earn a specied number of points, the AQMD said. These points can be earned by completing actions from a menu that can include acquiring and using natural gas, Near-Zero Emissions and/or Zero-Emissions on-road trucks, zero-emission cargo handling equipment, solar panels or zero- emission charging and fueling infrastructure, or other options.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/controversial-new-rule-which-aims-to-reduce-pollution-could-have-major-impact-on-warehouse-developmen… 2/4 5/11/2021 Controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution could have major impact on warehouse development in Fontana | News | fontanah… Alternatively, warehouse operators can choose to pay a mitigation fee. Funds from the mitigation fee will be used to incentivize the purchase of cleaner trucks and charging/fueling infrastructure in communities nearby.

The warehouse rule is expected to reduce smog-forming emissions by 10-15 percent from warehouse-related sources, the AQMD said.

"The rule was carefully developed over the course of four years through extensive research and discussions with environmental justice groups, regulated industry and government agencies. Warehouses will phase-in to the program over the course of three years, beginning with the largest warehouses," the AQMD said.

----- THE CENTER for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), a group which has protested against the creation of new warehouses in Fontana, issued a news release commending the AQMD for adopting the ISR.

“This isn't just a big policy victory, this is a victory for communities and organizers that have been mobilizing against the Diesel Death Zones in our backyard. The signicant 9-4 vote demonstrated SCAQMD's commitment to prioritizing the community and the environment,” said Alma Marquez, the executive director of CCAEJ, which is based in Jurupa Valley.

The passage of a strong ISR will hold industry accountable for the diesel pollution that imposes health burdens in the Southern California basin, especially in its most vulnerable communities, the CCAEJ said.

“While this rule is a crucial step in pushing for cleaner trucks, this only is one piece of a larger strategy and we need local, state and federal agencies to come together and make real change," said Liz Pinney Muglia, policy director for the CCAEJ.

However, Paul Granillo, the president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, called the new rule "misguided" and said it could be a "devastating blow to Black and Hispanic communities, jeopardizing jobs and hindering any real chance at an equitable economic recovery."

Granillo said the ISR would affect at least 3,000 warehouses across the region and could have "disastrous effects for those working in warehouses while doing nothing to curb emissions."

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/controversial-new-rule-which-aims-to-reduce-pollution-could-have-major-impact-on-warehouse-developmen… 3/4 5/11/2021 Controversial new rule which aims to reduce pollution could have major impact on warehouse development in Fontana | News | fontanah… "This is because it would be nearly impossible for warehouse operators to fully comply with the regulations any time soon -- specically the goal of shifting existing truck eets to zero-emissions (ZE) vehicles. As the clean transportation group CALSTART has noted, ZE commercial vehicles will not be commercially viable until 2025. Even the AQMD itself has admitted that there is insufcient evidence to support that there will be enough zero- and near-zero emission large trucks available by 2031."

Granillo said the goods movement industry is a vital artery of the broader Southern California economy, moving more than $1.7 trillion of products across the region each year while supporting more than 850,000 jobs.

On April 27, the Fontana City Council voted 4-1 to approve the development of a 194,212 square- foot warehouse which will be built on about 8.68 acres of land on the southeast coroner of Slover and Citrus avenues, directly north of Jurupa Hills High School. Supporters of the project said it would generate hundreds of jobs, while opponents said it would increase trafc and harm the environment.

The City Council is expected to consider additional warehouse projects later this year.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/controversial-new-rule-which-aims-to-reduce-pollution-could-have-major-impact-on-warehouse-developmen… 4/4 5/10/2021 San Bernardino County coronavirus hospitalizations fall to 61 – San Bernardino Sun ___

LOCAL NEWS •• News San Bernardino County coronavirus hospitalizations fall to 61

By DAVID DOWNEY || [email protected] || TheThe Press-EnterprisePress-Enterprise PUBLISHED: May 10, 2021 at 3:54 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: May 10, 2021 at 3:54 p.m.

San Bernardino County coronavirus hospitalizationshospitalizations havehave reachedreached thethe lowestlowest levellevel since the first day of pandemic recordkeeping.

State data show that 61 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, were being treated Sunday, May 9. For the fifth consecutive day, there were fewer than 70 coronavirus patients in area hospitals.

Only on the first day of the stateʼs hospital survey — March 29, 2020 — were fewer hospitalizations reported: 33. On March 30, 2020, the total was 67.

Hospitalizations have remained below 100 for nearly one month. By comparison, thethe numbernumber ofof patientspatients withwith confirmedconfirmed casescases peakedpeaked atat 1,7851,785 inin earlyearly JanuaryJanuary during the holiday-season surge.

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

San Bernardino County

Confirmed cases: 296,655296,655 total,total, upup 230230 fromfrom Friday,Friday, MayMay 7,7, averagingaveraging 7373 reportedreported per day in the past week

Deaths: 4,4944,494 total,total, upup 2828 fromfrom Friday,Friday, averagingaveraging 1010 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast week https://www.sbsun.com/2021/05/10/san-bernardino-county-coronavirus-hospitalizations-fall-to-61/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw… 1/4 5/10/2021 San Bernardino County coronavirus hospitalizations fall to 61 – San Bernardino Sun Hospital survey: 6161 confirmedconfirmed andand ninenine suspectedsuspected patientspatients hospitalizedhospitalized Sunday,Sunday, includingincluding 2121 confirmedconfirmed andand threethree suspectedsuspected patientspatients inin thethe ICU,ICU, withwith 2323 ofof 2525 facilitiesfacilities reporting.reporting. TheThe numbernumber ofof confirmedconfirmed patientspatients isis downdown 26%26% fromfrom aa weekweek earlier.

Tests: 2,997,6492,997,649 total,total, upup 22,20022,200 fromfrom Friday,Friday, averagingaveraging 6,5386,538 reportedreported perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Resolved cases (estimate): 291,122291,122 total,total, upup 141141 fromfrom Friday,Friday, averagingaveraging 6666 perper dayday inin thethe pastpast weekweek

Vaccinations: SanSan BernardinoBernardino CountyCounty residentsresidents havehave receivedreceived 1,289,7351,289,735 doses,doses, with 199,023 people partially vaccinated and another 565,015 fully vaccinated, as of Saturday. The number of residents who have received at least one dose is up 28,035 in the past week. More recent numbers were not available.

Reopening plan tier:tier: OrangeOrange (moderate(moderate riskrisk level;level; somesome indoorindoor businessbusiness operations are open with modifications) based on these metrics as of Tuesday, May 4:

New cases per day per 100,000 residents: 3.0 Case rate adjusted for testing volume: 3.0 Test positivity rate: 1.7% (1.8% in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods) Whatʼs next: To advance to the yellow tier where more businesses can open or expand capacity, the county would need an adjusted case rate below 2.0 and a positivity rate below 2.0% for the whole county and 2.2% in disadvantaged neighborhoods for two consecutive weeks, and to have been inin thethe orangeorange tiertier forfor threethree weeks.weeks. SanSan BernardinoBernardino CountyCounty movedmoved toto thethe orange tier April 6. If metrics get worse, the county could move back into the more restrictive red tier.

For information on cases, deaths and vaccinations by community in San Bernardino County, click here..

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

Staff writer Nikie Johnson contributed to this report.

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NEWSNATIONAL NEWS •• News COVID: US authorizes Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 Nearly 46% of people in the US has received at leastleast oneone shotshot ofof aa COVID-19COVID-19 vaccinevaccine

FILE – In this Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, a vial of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 sits on a table at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. Many parents and educators are excited over the news that the Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine soon for youngsters ages 12 to 15. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

By REUTERS || PUBLISHED: May 10, 2021 at 2:41 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: May 10, 2021 at 2:41 p.m.

By Michael Erman | Reuters https://www.sbsun.com/2021/05/10/covid-us-authorizes-pfizer-vaccine-for-children-12-15/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&… 1/5 5/10/2021 COVID: US authorizes Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 – San Bernardino Sun U.S. regulators on Monday authorized Pfizer and BioNTechʼs COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12, widening the countryʼs inoculation program as vaccination rates have slowed significantly.

The vaccine has been available under an emergency use authorization (EUA) to people as young as 16 in the United States. The vaccine makers said they had started the process for full approval for those ages last week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was amending the EUA to include thethe millionsmillions ofof childrenchildren agedaged 1212 toto 15.15.

It is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized in the United States for this age group, seen as an important step for getting children back into schools safely. U.S. President Joe Biden has asked states to make the vaccine available to the younger adolescents immediately.

“Todayʼs action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thoroughthorough reviewreview ofof allall availableavailable data,data, asas wewe havehave withwith allall ofof ourour COVID-19COVID-19 vaccinevaccine emergency use authorizations.”

Most children with COVID-19 only develop mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, children are not without risk of becoming seriously ill, and they can still spread the virus. There have been outbreaks traced to sporting events and other activities for children in this age range.

ʻAʻA godsendʼgodsendʼ

Dr. William Gruber, a top vaccine scientist at Pfizer, said the EUA would help the United States reach further immunity and protect an age group that has not been completely spared from severe disease.

“I hear from pediatricians and people out in the community, what a godsend this isis goinggoing toto bebe forfor thethe adolescentadolescent populationpopulation whowho havehave beenbeen restrictedrestricted inin termsterms ofof sports activities, drama club, and the other sorts of things that naturally we want themthem toto engageengage in,”in,” GruberGruber said.said.

Vaccines are crucial to ending the pandemic. But many health officials are concerned vaccine hesitancy in some adults will be even more pronounced when itit comescomes toto theirtheir children.children.

Parents may question the risks versus benefits, given the unknowns about the vaccinesʼ long-term impact on childrensʼ development and data on how few young kids have been hit hard by COVID-19. https://www.sbsun.com/2021/05/10/covid-us-authorizes-pfizer-vaccine-for-children-12-15/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&… 2/5 5/10/2021 COVID: US authorizes Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 – San Bernardino Sun The companies said in March that they found the vaccine produced robust antibody responses and was safe and effective in 12- to 15-year olds in a clinical trial.trial.

In the trial of 2,260 adolescents aged 12 to 15, there were 18 cases of COVID-19 in thethe groupgroup thatthat gotgot aa placeboplacebo andand nonenone amongamong thosethose whowho receivedreceived thethe actualactual vaccine, resulting in 100% efficacy in preventing the illness, the companies said at thethe time.time.

Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA to expand their EUA to include the younger age group in early April.

Nearly 46% of people in the United States had received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Sunday, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But the pace of U.S. vaccinations has slowed significantly since topping out at a 7- day average of more than 3.3 million doses a day in mid-April. That average had fallenfallen byby moremore thanthan aa thirdthird toto aroundaround 2.12.1 millionmillion shotsshots aa dayday asas ofof MayMay 4,4, according to CDC data.

Pfizerʼs vaccine is the only one authorized for 16 and 17 year olds in the United States. Nearly 2 million people in that age group have received at least one shot, according to CDC data. Many states only opened to non-high risk individuals in thatthat ageage groupgroup inin earlyearly April.April.

Widely vaccinating 12- to 18-year olds could allow U.S. schools to relax masking and social distancing measures suggested by the CDC.

Pfizer has said it expects to have safety and efficacy data for children ages 2-to-11 inin September,September, whenwhen itit plansplans toto askask forfor furtherfurther expansionexpansion ofof thethe EUAEUA forfor thatthat ageage group.

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Tags: Coronavirus,, politics https://www.sbsun.com/2021/05/10/covid-us-authorizes-pfizer-vaccine-for-children-12-15/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&… 3/5 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times

SCIENCE

COVID-19 vaccine is now authorized for kids as young as 12. Here’s why that matters

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 1/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times

Eighth graders in San Diego County join a sit-in to protest virtual learning. A fuller return to in-person learning could be one of the beneﬁts of oering COVID-19 vaccines to younger teens. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak / Pomerado News)

By DEBORAH NETBURN | STAFF WRITER

MAY 10, 2021 3:17 PM PT

In a first, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids ages 12 to 15 — terrific news for adolescents (and their parents) who have been waiting anxiously for this cohort to be eligible for the shot.

In some cases, Monday’s FDA action on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will allow entire families — not just mom and dad — to safely eat indoors at a restaurant, watch a movie in a theater, attend a baseball game or even hang out at a friend’s house with minimal risk of becoming ill.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 2/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times That could be life-changing for some families. But beyond that, will the availability of a vaccine for younger teens make much of a dent in our collective fight against the coronavirus?

After all, kids in this age group make up just over 5% of the U.S. population, according to the Kids Count Data Center, and there’s no reason to assume that every one of these kids will get the vaccine as soon as it’s available.

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In addition, this group does not face a particularly high risk of becoming very sick with COVID-19 and taking up hospital beds. Indeed, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that while kids between the ages of 5 and 17 account for

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 3/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times 16.3% of the U.S. population, they represent 10.1% of COVID-19 cases and 0.1% of deaths (a total of 350 as of May 10).

Still, experts say the authorization is worth celebrating.

“Immunizing this group won’t bring us to the herd immunity we are longing for, but it is going to help big time,” said Dr. Miguela Caniza, a pediatrician and director of the infectious disease program for St. Jude Global in Memphis.

WORLD & NATION FDA clears Pfizer shot for children as young as 12 May 10, 2021

Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, put it this way: “It’s not revolutionary or game changing, but to my mind it’s significant. The path to beating this virus is taking lots of small steps. This is one of those small steps.”

Here’s more about why this matters.

Every vaccination helps

Most experts agree that total herd immunity to the coronavirus is not likely in the United States. But chasing that elusive goal isn’t the only reason to get the shot.

ADVERTISEMENT https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 4/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times

As more people are vaccinated, the risk that our healthcare system will be overwhelmed by future outbreaks drops precipitously. So does the chance that a new variant will develop that is immune to our current vaccines or treatments.

According to U.S. census data, there are about 18 million kids ages 12 to 15 in the United States — that’s more than the entire population of two-thirds of countries around the world. If even half of these kids ultimately get vaccinated, that’s about 2.5% more Americans who will be much less likely to contract and transmit the virus if they encounter it.

“Every little percentage point counts in this game,” Dowdy said. “We win if we build up that immunity 1% at a time. We fail if there are gaps we’re not able to fill.”

12- to 15-year-olds can secretly carry the virus

Over the course of the pandemic, many parents found comfort in data that showed children infected with the virus generally did not get nearly as sick as infected adults.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 5/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times But that blessing can also be a curse because kids who exhibit no symptoms of an infection can still pass the virus along.

“In this age group, the disease is often asymptomatic or it can present as just a little runny nose, or the kid doesn’t smell that well,” Caniza said.

WORLD & NATION Children are the next frontier in the U.S. vaccination campaign against coronavirus April 2, 2021

And since adolescents don’t always communicate well, they may not tell family members that they are feeling under the weather — especially if their confession might interfere with being able to hang out with friends.

“They might not tell you they are sick, and they might continue mingling,” Caniza said.

We love them, but can we trust them?

Sometime over the past year you’ve probably seen a pack of teens or tweens roaming the streets — some wearing masks, some not, and some with a mask pulled uselessly https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 6/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times beneath the chin.

“Just knowing how teenagers are, they may not be as careful as other people about washing their hands, or keeping their distance or wearing masks,” Caniza said.

And if they are infectious, that could be a real problem.

“Youths can have a role in transmission of the virus in the community,” said Julie Swann, an expert in healthcare systems at North Carolina State University. “It’s thought that in Michigan, schools and sports were associated with the big surge in the state along with a mutation.”

SCIENCE I’m vaccinated and my kids aren’t: What’s safe for us to do as a family? April 23, 2021

Swann added that managing the behavior of early adolescents can be harder than the behavior of younger children.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 7/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times “They tend to go out with their friends, away from the house, and parents have less control,” she said.

That might help explain data that show teens were more likely to get COVID-19 than younger children. According to the CDC, adolescents ages 12 to 17 were twice as likely as children ages 5 to 11 to test positive for the virus.

They like to mix it up

Being with friends is important for teens, and their normal daily lives are rife with opportunities to transmit the virus — while playing sports, having sleepovers, gathering at parks or huddling over each other’s phones.

Swann said she is particularly worried about summer camp.

“Moving into summer, some kids will go to camp where they are with different groups of kids every week,” she said.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 8/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times ADVERTISEMENT

She also worries about overnight settings, where kids are not likely to wear masks.

“I’m anticipating that we could see a surge of cases in the summer associated with children and youth in summer camp settings,” she said.

Middle and high schools could reopen more fully

While many elementary schools across the nation are offering in-person education that looks pretty similar to what kids got before the pandemic, the same cannot be said for many middle and high schools, which generally serve a larger number of students who typically mix more throughout the day.

SCIENCE CDC eases school COVID guidance, allowing desks to be closer March 19, 2021

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 9/17 5/11/2021 Kids who take Pfizer COVID vaccine will help herd immunity - Los Angeles Times

Dowdy said making COVID-19 vaccines available to 12- to 15-year-olds could dramatically improve the safety of these schools, allowing them to open more fully.

“Now you are getting to a point where you can say all high schoolers are eligible for the vaccine,” he said. “Even if a few don’t get it, you can feel much more comfortable that opening up schools is not creating outbreaks in the making.”

You got vaccinated — great! Now what?

Once you reach full immunity, your risk of getting a moderate to severe case of COVID-19 is greatly reduced, and you’ll want to go places and see people. Here are some guidelines and resources.

Now that I'm vaccinated ...

Do I still have to wear a mask?

Only in public or around unvaccinated people, according to the CDC. If you’re around other fully vaccinated people in a private setting, go ahead and take your masks o. The CDC has relaxed its guidance for wearing masks outdoors SHOW MORE

SCIENCE WORLD & NATION COVID-19 PANDEMIC COVID-19 VACCINES ADVICE, RESOURCES & GUIDES

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https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/kids-who-take-pfizer-covid-vaccine-will-help-herd-immunity 10/17 5/11/2021 OC officials to face crowd, again, over stalled plans for digital vaccine records – Orange County Register ___

LOCAL NEWS •• News OC officials to face crowd, again, over stalled plans for digital vaccine records

Orange County supervisors stress the county’s proposed ‘vaccine passport’ (via the Othena app) would not be mandatory or that any information regardingregarding people’speople’s vaccinevaccine historyhistory wouldwould bebe mademade public.public. (Photo(Photo byby LeonardLeonard Ortiz,Ortiz, OrangeOrange CountyCounty Register/SCNG)Register/SCNG)

By ALICIA ROBINSON || [email protected] || TheThe OrangeOrange CountyCounty RegisterRegister PUBLISHED: May 10, 2021 at 7:48 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: May 10, 2021 at 7:48 p.m.

A contract Orange County officials have already signed includes a provision to offer people an optional digital record of their vaccination, but after repeated complaints from a group of anti-vaccine activists who fear mandates will follow, that option won’t be available unless county supervisors give staffers the green light.

The county had planned to give anyone who received vaccines at sites run by the OC Health Care Agency the choice to get an electronic QR code they could keep in their smartphone and show if requested to get into a business or entertainment venue.

County administration has already approved changes to a contract withwith thethe creatorcreator ofof thethe OthenaOthena vaccinevaccine schedulingscheduling appapp thatthat wouldwould allow the addition of digital vaccine records, but county CEO Frank Kim said he won’t move forward unless the Board of Supervisors specifically directs him to, and no vote on the contract amendment or the electronic records is on Tuesday’s meeting agenda.

OC officials have said repeatedly they are not requiring and don’t plan to require thatthat anyoneanyone getget vaccinated,vaccinated, oror showshow proofproof thatthat theythey have been, to receive county services. State and federal officials also have said they don’t plan to mandate a so-called “vaccine passport” system; California does allow large venues such as stadiums and convention centers to admit more people if they show proof of vaccination.

While a few businesses are requesting proof of vaccination (for example, Dodger Stadium has special seating sectionssections withwith nono socialsocial distancing for fully vaccinated fans) and others are considering it, the practice is not widespread and there’s no universal verification system.

But opponents of digital vaccine verification say they fear a voluntary system will evolve into a mandate that would prevent some people fromfrom travelingtraveling freelyfreely oror conductingconducting dailydaily business,business, andand itit couldcould enableenable anyoneanyone whowho getsgets aa digitaldigital vaccinevaccine recordrecord toto bebe tracked.tracked. https://www.ocregister.com/2021/05/10/oc-officials-to-face-crowd-again-over-stalled-plans-for-digital-vaccine-records/ 1/4 5/11/2021 OC officials to face crowd, again, over stalled plans for digital vaccine records – Orange County Register

Attorney Leigh Dundas, who has been lobbying Orange County supervisors for a year to oppose mask requirements and business closures, planned to hold a press conference before the Board of Supervisors’ Tuesday, May 11, meeting to oppose creation of any digital vaccine record, which she argues would create a two-tiered society that shuts out of public life anyone who doesn’t own a smartphone or can’t get vaccinated.

Dundas and dozens of other residents have showed up at the supervisors’ last several meetings to object to the passports, even after county leaders said they would not be required.

InIn aa MondayMonday phonephone interview,interview, DundasDundas saidsaid aa significantsignificant numbernumber ofof seniorsseniors don’tdon’t useuse cellcell phonesphones thatthat cancan displaydisplay aa digitaldigital code,code, andand “those people should have a right to go about their business in the county and elsewhere.”

A media release about the press conference describes “invasive vaccine passport requirements” that could “potentially restrict an individualindividual fromfrom shoppingshopping forfor necessities,”necessities,” althoughalthough DundasDundas saidsaid sheshe waswas unawareunaware ofof anyany grocerygrocery storestore requiringrequiring shoppersshoppers toto showshow proofproof of vaccination.

OC Supervisor Katrina Foley said the suggestion that the county will require anyone to obtain or show proof they’ve been inoculated is “100% false” and added that inaccurate comments about it are undermining the county’s vaccination efforts.

Providing a digital record to people who opt in “is just a professional courtesy to businesses,” Foley said. She added that anyone worried thatthat vaccinevaccine recordsrecords wouldwould bebe usedused toto tracktrack theirtheir activitiesactivities “should“should throwthrow awayaway theirtheir iPhonesiPhones andand getget offoff Facebook.”Facebook.”

County vaccination sites already provide the common white CDC cards with the recipient’s name, the type of vaccine used and when it was given. County officials also considered offering a paper version of the QR code that could be mailed out to those without smartphones.

Supervisor Don Wagner said the digital vaccine record county officials intended “is only basically to answer the question, ‘Has this person been vaccinated by the county,’ and the individual has to request the information from us. What the patient does with the record is up to thethe patient.”patient.”

Private sector businesses can decide whether to ask patrons for proof of vaccination, and as to the suggestion that Grandma may starve because she can’t buy groceries, Wagner said, “This is nonsense.”

Dundas said the state allowing large venues to admit more people if they show proof of vaccination is “the functional equivalent” of a mandate, and she doesn’t trust Gov. Gavin Newsom not to change the rules at some point.

Orange County leaders should pass a resolution to prohibit local businesses from asking customers for vaccine records, Dundas said.

The press release suggests hundreds of people are expected at the supervisors’ meeting to speak against digital vaccination records. Some in the county’s business community, on the other hand, want to see the county proceed with something they think will help tourismtourism andand commercecommerce return.return.

“Business has an obligation to keep its employees and customers safe, and businesses could choose this as an option without it being a mandate,” OC Business Council CEO Lucy Dunn said.

“It is a voluntary choice held with each individual,” she said. “For this small band of folks to prevent the use of a benign tool is troubling.”

As of Saturday, state data logged more than 1.18 million of Orange County’s 3.2 million residents as fully vaccinated and another 1.6 million had received one shot of a two-dose vaccine.

Anyone who’s been vaccinated at an Orange County-run site and needs to replace their vaccine record card should email [email protected].

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Alicia Robinson | Reporter Alicia Robinson covers cities and local government for the Orange County Register. She has also reported at the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, the Daily Pilot in Costa Mesa, and at small daily and weekly papers in the midwest, before she became an honorary Californian based on hours spent in traffic. Besides government and policy, she's interested in animals both wild and domestic, people who try to make the world better, and how things work. https://www.ocregister.com/2021/05/10/oc-officials-to-face-crowd-again-over-stalled-plans-for-digital-vaccine-records/ 2/4 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times

SCIENCE

Confidence grows that COVID-19 vaccines hold their own against variants

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 1/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times

A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccination at a mobile clinic in Chinatown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By RONG-GONG LIN II | STAFF WRITER

MAY 10, 2021 11:38 AM PT

Confidence is growing that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. are holding their own against the coronavirus variants now in circulation.

“Everything we’ve seen with the variants should provide marked reassurance, as far as the protection that is afforded by vaccines — particularly the vaccines that we have in the United States,” said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla.

The upbeat view is accompanied by a growing sense that California is emerging from the worst of the pandemic. For weeks, California has reported one of the lowest per-capita https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 2/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times daily coronavirus case counts of any state in the U.S.

Studies have offered reassurance that existing vaccines work well against the two most dominant strains in California — the one first identified in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) and the homegrown variant identified in California (B.1.427/B.1.429).

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There were early concerns in the U.S. about the variant first identified in South Africa (B.1.351). The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca — which is not authorized for use in the U.S. — was not especially effective against preventing mild disease in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant dominates (although that vaccine does provide better protection at preventing severe disease and death).

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 3/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times Thankfully, B.1.351 has kept a low profile in the U.S., with only 18 confirmed cases in California and 453 nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Also, new data from Israel and Qatar show that B.1.351 and B.1.117 “are very well covered” by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, Topol said. (Those two vaccines account for the vast majority of vaccinations in the U.S.)

In Qatar, among nearly 386,000 vaccinated people, two doses of the Pfizer vaccine proved to be 89.5% effective against any documented infection with B.1.117, and 75% effective in cases involving B.1.351. And both doses of the vaccine were 100% effective against severe illness and death, according to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented to reporters on Friday by Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical advisor.

In Israel, both doses of the Pfizer vaccine were 95.3% effective against coronavirus infection, Fauci said, citing data published in the Lancet.

Israel did face a winter surge, fueled by the variant first identified in the U.K. But Israel managed to turn the corner with a robust vaccine campaign and tough lockdown orders. Now, even as Israel has progressively reopened its economy, new daily coronavirus infections are still declining, Fauci said.

“Other countries can similarly achieve sustained decline if they achieve a high vaccine uptake,” the authors of the Lancet study wrote.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 4/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times

SCIENCE Studies of hospital workers suggest COVID-19 vaccines really do prevent coronavirus infections May 6, 2021

In Brazil, a variant known as P.1 is thought to be responsible for a second COVID-19 surge that has resulted in a death toll of more than 422,000. Only the United States has reported more COVID-19 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

A study published last month in the journal Science reported that the P.1 variant is about twice as transmissible as earlier coronavirus strains.

The good news, however, is that data show that “in the lab, the vaccines we have now worked quite well against P.1,” Topol said.

The latest on the other variants is also reassuring. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 5/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times Across the U.S., cases involving the variants first detected in California (B.1.427/B.1.429) and New York (B.1.526) seem to be waning, Topol said. “There’s no reason to think that our vaccines are not having a potent protection from them,” Topol said.

SCIENCE I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19. How long will the protection last? April 21, 2021

And finally, there are early indications that vaccines are effective against a variant first reported in India, a country in the throes of a devastating surge. B.1.617 is known as the double mutant variant because it includes two specific genetic changes that are concerning to scientists.

An off-shoot of that variant, called B.1.617.2, emerged late last week at a London nursing home, Topol said, but the AstraZeneca vaccine seems to have provided protection against it.

“We don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Topol said. “We haven’t seen a variant yet that’s going to escape protection from our vaccines.” https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 6/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times There have been some reports of fully vaccinated medical staff in India becoming sick with COVID-19 anyway. But that is to be expected.

When health officials say a vaccine is 90% effective, that means that 10% of the time it’s not effective, said Dr. George Rutherford, epidemiologist at UC San Francisco. The more people that are exposed to the coronavirus, the higher the number of so-called breakthrough infections.

“It may not have to do with variants as much as it just has to do with the intensity of the exposure,” Rutherford said.

CALIFORNIA Scientists scramble to see why, in rare cases, even the vaccinated can get COVID-19 May 3, 2021

The growing catastrophe in India is probably not a sign that B.1.617 is especially good at infecting people who have survived a previous bout with the coronavirus or been immunized, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at UC San Francisco. Rather, it is likely the result of the Indian government lifting pandemic

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 7/14 5/10/2021 COVID vaccines hold their own against coronavirus variants - Los Angeles Times control measures prematurely when only a tiny percentage of the nation’s population was immunized.

Officials may have been under the false impression that India’s population had widespread natural immunity based on estimates of coronavirus exposure in poor urban areas, Gandhi said. But a study in the journal Lancet Global Health found that while rates of exposure in slum areas were indeed high (ranging from 55% to 61%), exposure in other areas was much lower (between 12% and 19%).

That helps explain why the current surge is taking a toll on India’s middle and upper classes after largely sparing them last year.

“Only mass vaccination will get us through the pandemic,” Gandhi said. “You don’t want to get to mass immunity through massive deaths.”

Times staff writers Amina Khan and David Pierson contributed to this report, as did special correspondents Parth M.N. from Mumbai and Varsha Torgalkar from Pune, India.

SCIENCE WORLD & NATION CALIFORNIA COVID-19 PANDEMIC COVID-19 VACCINES

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-10/covid-vaccines-holding-their-own-against-coronavirus-variants 8/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA

Do I still need to wear a mask outdoors? There is a growing debate

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 1/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times

Shoppers walk along Santee Alley in downtown Los Angeles. Dr. Anthony Fauci says mask wearing could eventually become seasonal. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

By HAYLEY SMITH | STAFF WRITER

MAY 10, 2021 UPDATED 2:50 PM PT

As COVID-19 vaccinations increase and nationwide case rates continue to decline, the country’s top health experts are considering whether and when face mask guidelines can become more lenient.

“We do need to start being more liberal as we get more people vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

But Fauci also said the country was averaging about 43,000 coronavirus cases daily and noted that “we’ve got to get it much, much lower than that” to effectively reduce the risk https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 2/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times from the virus.

When the case count drops lower, he said, “the risk of any infection — indoor or outdoor — diminishes dramatically.”

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Fauci’s statements were, in part, a response to comments Sunday by Dr. Scott Gottlieb on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” The former Food and Drug Administration commissioner said the country was “at a point now where we could start lifting these ordinances and allowing people to resume normal activity.”

Gottlieb said outdoor mask restrictions should be lifted and that indoor restrictions could begin to be loosened in states where prevalence of the coronavirus was low, vaccination rates were high and testing was successfully identifying infections.

“If you’ve been vaccinated with the mRNA vaccines or the J&J vaccine, your risk is very low for having a bad COVID outcome, and your risk of getting an asymptomatic infection that you could spread to others is also substantially reduced,” said Gottlieb, who also sits on the board of Pfizer. “The data now does support that, so we could start drawing some firm conclusions and basing our public health advice on that.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 3/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times But even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated Americans could stop wearing masks outdoors unless they were in a crowd of strangers, many Los Angeles residents are continuing to mask up as they weigh the risk. Some say it’s hard to break the habit.

“It’s been ingrained in us over the last year,” said Aaron Lemos, 54, of Northridge, who still pulls a mask over his face whenever he passes strangers outdoors. A teacher, Lemos said he wouldn’t yet feel comfortable teaching a room full of maskless students even though he had been vaccinated, both for his own safety and for the safety of his students and their families at home.

“Would I like to not wear a mask? Yes. But for the sake of of my family and community, I feel I should still wear it,” he said. “Until we ensure that COVID will be manageable, like the seasonal flu, then I will still wear a mask.”

CALIFORNIA Getting the COVID-19 vaccine has never been easier. Here’s how May 10, 2021

The larger conversation around face masks came just days after the CDC updated its COVID-19 science brief to emphasize the virus’ airborne transmissibility.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 4/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times

Transmission occurs in three principal ways, the agency affirmed, including the inhalation of aerosol particles, deposition of virus droplets onto mucous membranes such as the mouth, nose and eyes, and touching mucous membranes with “soiled hands contaminated with the virus.”

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, said the CDC’s update was not new information but that it was a “reinforcement that some settings are much riskier than others,” including indoor gatherings.

And although there is some consensus around outdoor rules, Chin-Hong said, it may be too soon to throw masks off completely while indoors.

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” he said. “Even if you are vaccinated, the more people you bring together, the higher the chance of non-responders getting together where they can transmit.... The larger the group, the higher the chance that two people didn’t get protection.”

He also noted that many people might continue to wear masks out of habit or for personal reasons that might have nothing to do with COVID-19. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 5/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times “Essentially, it’s one thing that we have control over in the pandemic,” he said. “And if, at the end of the day, we have better acceptance of people wearing masks to protect other people when they have a cold or something, I’m all for that.”

Fauci echoed that notion Sunday when he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that mask wearing could become a seasonal habit. The flu season this year was “practically nonexistent” because of COVID-19 public health protocols, he said.

“During certain seasonal periods, when you have respiratory-borne viruses like the flu,” Fauci said, “people might actually elect to wear masks to diminish the likelihood that you’ll spread these respiratory-borne diseases.”

CALIFORNIA Tracking vaccinations in California Jan. 22, 2021

California, as a whole, is faring well. Nearly half of the state’s residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to The Times tracker, and hospitalization numbers continue to tumble. Statewide, there are 1,546 people hospitalized with COVID-19 — a 10% decrease from two weeks ago. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 6/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times Los Angeles County also is making progress with vaccines and reopenings. Nearly 49% of residents are at least partially vaccinated, and the county last week moved into yellow tier, the least restrictive category in the state’s color-coded reopening system. Public health officials on Monday predicted that the county could reach herd immunity by the end of July.

“We are making great progress because we have so many people that are getting vaccinated, and that is absolutely the opportunity to move forward,” Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County public health director, said during a news briefing Monday, noting that it is “already safe” for fully vaccinated people to take their masks off indoors when they are with other fully vaccinated people.

But it is difficult to apply broad guidance to an entire population, Chin-Hong said. Varying levels of herd immunity, as well as large disparities in vaccination rates within communities, mean that a one-size-fits-all approach probably won’t apply.

“Population guidance is always very crude and applies to everyone in general, whereas on an individual level there are tons of different situations, not just [from] person to person but place to place,” he said. “That makes it very challenging to make an overall guidance that hits everyone, and every location in the country, equally.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 7/14 5/11/2021 How Fauci, other experts feel about easing mask guidelines - Los Angeles Times Some L.A. residents have taken that individual approach to heart, forging standards that give weight to expert guidance and to personal comfort levels.

“I no longer wear a mask if I’m walking outside alone, or if I’m around other fully vaccinated people,” said Hollywood resident Geoff Pilkington, 39. But Pilkington will still wear a mask if he’s uncertain whether those around him have been vaccinated, he said.

“People should not be shaming fully vaccinated people for choosing not to wear masks and not social distance around other fully vaccinated people. Fully vaccinated people have that right and are following updated CDC guidelines,” he said. “However people should also not be shaming those who are fully vaccinated who want to be extra cautious and choose to wear a mask at all times.”

CALIFORNIA COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The perils of parenting through a pandemic What’s going on with school? What do kids need? Get 8 to 3, a newsletter dedicated to the questions that keep California families up at night. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/how-fauci-other-experts-feel-about-easing-mask-guidelines 8/14 5/10/2021 L.A. County to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July - Los Angeles Times

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L.A. County expected to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/l-a-county-expected-covid-19-herd-immunity-by-end-of-july 1/11 5/10/2021 L.A. County to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July - Los Angeles Times

Diners eat inside E.P. restaurant in West Hollywood on Saturday. Public health ocials say Los Angeles County could reach coronavirus herd immunity in the next three months. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

By RONG-GONG LIN II, HAYLEY SMITH

MAY 10, 2021 2:42 PM PT

Los Angeles County could reach herd immunity from the coronavirus among adults and the oldest teenagers by mid- to late July, public health officials said Monday.

Herd immunity, sometimes referred to as community immunity, occurs when enough people have been inoculated or have obtained natural immunity to protect the larger population against the virus.

Experts had previously expressed concern that waning demand for the COVID-19 vaccines and uneven vaccination rates could make it hard to reach that goal.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/l-a-county-expected-covid-19-herd-immunity-by-end-of-july 2/11 5/10/2021 L.A. County to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July - Los Angeles Times With about 400,000 shots administered weekly, the county has about 2 million first doses to go before 80% of all residents 16 and older will have received at least one shot, Los Angeles County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer said in a news briefing Monday.

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“At the rate we’re going, we expect that we can reach this level somewhere in mid- to late July, and that assumes that we continue to have at least have 400,000 people vaccinated each week that will include both first doses that people need, as well as their second doses,” Ferrer said.

More than 3 million people have received at least one vaccine dose, Ferrer said, and 84% of those have received their second dose on time (7% received their second doses late and 9% have not received their second dose).

“The focus from here on in for us is to make it as easy as possible for eligible residents to get vaccinated,” Ferrer said.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/l-a-county-expected-covid-19-herd-immunity-by-end-of-july 3/11 5/10/2021 L.A. County to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July - Los Angeles Times The prediction comes amid growing signs COVID-19 is fading in California. The state recorded its lowest hospitalization rate since the first few weeks of the pandemic, according to data reviewed by The Times.

The numbers come just months after the fall and winter surge left hospitals across Southern California overwhelmed with patients and caused a spike in deaths.

CALIFORNIA Shorter lines and TikTok ads: California’s push to beat vaccine hesitancy May 10, 2021

But over the last three months, COVID-19 has receded rapidly across the region, allowing a massive reopening of the economy and the hope for a return to some kind of normality by the summer.

California is now close to the bottom of the nation when it comes to coronavirus case rates over the past week. Los Angeles and San Francisco counties last week progressed into the least-restrictive tier of California’s color-coded closure system.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/l-a-county-expected-covid-19-herd-immunity-by-end-of-july 4/11 5/10/2021 L.A. County to hit COVID-19 herd immunity by end of July - Los Angeles Times Officials in some parts of the Bay Area said they could soon reach herd immunity soon as well.

Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, said he thought the Bay Area region would experience some form of herd immunity first — perhaps by mid-June or early July — followed by urban and suburban Southern California sometime later and with agricultural California coming after that.

But that’s all contingent on vaccine rates remaining steady and not declining more steeply than they have recently.

There are now more than 750 sites offering vaccinations in Los Angeles County, including pharmacies, clinics, community sites and hospitals. Many are concentrated in areas with lower levels of community health, which have been hit hard by the pandemic, Ferrer said.

“We want to make it super easy to get a vaccine if you live in these communities,” she said, noting that mobile vaccination teams are also working to reach people with limited mobility or other barriers.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/l-a-county-expected-covid-19-herd-immunity-by-end-of-july 5/11 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA

Newsom promises additional $600 stimulus checks and $5 billion toward rental assistance

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 1/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, pictured last year, proposed Monday for the state to send most Californians a second round of $600 state stimulus checks. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

By PATRICK MCGREEVY, JOHN MYERS

MAY 10, 2021 10:54 AM PT

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a second round of $600 state stimulus checks on Monday to hasten California’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to expand the payments from low-income residents to also include middle-class families, and noting that doing so would ensure benefits for two out of three state residents.

The proposal to deliver $8 billion in new cash payments to millions of Californians is part of a $100-billion economic stimulus plan made possible in part by a budget that has swelled with a significant windfall of tax revenues, a surplus the governor put at $75.7 billion.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 2/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times Newsom also proposed $5 billion to double rental assistance to get 100% of back rent paid for those who have fallen behind, along with as much as $2 billion in direct payments to pay down utility bills, proposals that were supported by legislative leaders on Monday.

“Direct stimulus checks going into people’s pockets and direct relief — that’s meaningful,” Newsom said during a visit to the Unity Council, a nonprofit social equity development corporation in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland.

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Under the governor’s proposal, which still requires approval from the Legislature during state budget negotiations, households earning up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income will be able to receive $600 direct payments if they did not receive a payment in the first round earlier this year. State officials said the expanded program, when combined with the first round of state stimulus checks, would provide financial assistance to two-thirds of Californians.

Newsom said the state stimulus proposal represents the largest state tax rebate in U.S. history. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 3/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times In addition to the $600 stimulus checks for eligible Californians, the governor proposed that families with children would get an additional $500, along with $500 in direct payments to undocumented families.

“We recognize the acuity of stress associated with back rent and we recognize the acuity of stress as it relates to gas, electric and water bills,” Newsom said. “We can keep people housed. We can keep people warm and safe, and make sure that they are getting the kind of resources that they deserve during this very challenging period of time.”

In January, the Legislature extended a moratorium on evictions through June 30 for those who pay at least 25% of their rent each month, offering to pay landlords 80% of the total amount of rent in arrears between April 2020 and March 2021 as long as landlords agree to forgive the remaining 20% and not pursue evictions.

The governor’s new proposal would provide funds to cover the remaining unpaid rent for low-income tenants.

The proposal was a relief to Tom Bannon, chief executive officer of California Apartment Assn., which represents landlords.

“Many of our members have provided housing for more than a year without compensation,” Bannon said. “We thank the governor for understanding the difficulties that both tenants and rental property owners have endured during the pandemic.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 4/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times

POLITICS Essential Politics: Newsom’s $100-billion budget plan May 10, 2021

The stimulus payments are part of what Newsom is calling a California Comeback Plan, pitchedas he fights back against a Republican-led campaign to recall him from office. State elections officials recently announced that proponents of the recall have turned in a sufficient number of signatures to trigger a special election in which voters could remove Newsom from office this fall.

Millions of Californians lost jobs or income since the pandemic began more than a year ago and the state ordered businesses to restrict operations and people to stay home. As vaccines and social-distancing have significantly reduced the spread of the virus, the state is poised to reopen much of its economy by June 15.

Still, many Californians are still struggling to pay rent and cover other expenses.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 5/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf welcomed the new round of financial help, which she said is “an unprecedented moment where government is coming to the aid of those who need it the most.”

“Oakland is a city that has been hit hard by this pandemic,” she said. “Direct aid to people is what is going to get our economy roaring back.”

Newsom’s proposal is also supported by Chris Iglesias, the chief executive CEO of the Unity Council.

“We are not going to leave anybody behind during this pandemic,” he said at the news conference. “We need that recovery.”

However, Newsom drew criticism Monday from Republicans including former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the candidates running in the recall election.

“Californians need permanent, real tax relief, not just one-time stimulus checks,” Faulconer said.

Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), whose lawsuit challenging Newsom’s use of executive powers during the pandemic was rejected by an appeals court this month, said he is generally supportive of what he called the “recall refund.” https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 6/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times “The California government has surplus revenue and putting this money back into the hands of taxpayers is the right thing to do,” Gallagher said. “It’s really the least Newsom could do considering the devastation caused to jobs and small businesses, the failure to provide timely unemployment assistance.”

This would be the second round of state stimulus checks proposed by the governor. In February, the governor signed legislation to provide low-income Californians with $2.3 billion in state stimulus checks. The money was provided for residents including those earning $30,000 a year or less who receive the state Earned Income Tax Credit. It also went to people who file tax returns with an individual taxpayer identification number but who don’t have a Social Security number, the bulk of whom are immigrants in the country illegally.

CALIFORNIA California legislators approve $7.6-billion COVID-19 package, including $600 stimulus checks Feb. 22, 2021

“They were left out of the federal supports. They will not be left out of the support coming from the state,” Newsom said of including people in the country illegally in the state stimulus program. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 7/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times Families that file with an identification number and receive CalEITC have been eligible for up to $1,200 in the first round. The state said this month that so far 2.5 million Golden State Stimulus payments worth $1.6 billion have been issued.

“We passed the recovery package to get money into the pockets of Californians who were hit hardest by this pandemic, and that’s exactly what the Golden State Stimulus is doing,” Newsom said on May 6, noting that some Californians have not yet filed their 2020 taxes and may still qualify.

State officials said the cash payments were triggered in part by a 1979 voter-approved state constitutional amendment that requires tax rebates when revenues exceed a cap on government spending. That appropriations limit, loosened by subsequent ballot measures, has been significantly higher than state spending levels for the better part of the past four decades — allowing lawmakers to exclude billions of dollars in spending from the final calculation.

This year, awash in cash from a tax windfall and facing a historic slowdown in population growth used to determine the maximum spending allowed, the Newsom administration projects $16 billion in excess revenue. By law, half of that must go to public schools and the other half to taxpayer rebates — in this case, targeted toward middle-class adults and families.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 8/15 5/10/2021 Newsom's California stimulus checks: Who gets $600, $1100? - Los Angeles Times The projected windfall is largely the result of strong capital gains on investments earned by California’s wealthiest taxpayers. The taxes paid by the top 1% of the state’s earners have accounted for as much as half of all income tax revenue in some years.

“That budget surplus is going back to the most vulnerable Californians, the ones who need help the most,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, who joined the governor at the news conference in Oakland.

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-10/gavin-newsom-new-stimulus-checks-californians-rent-assistance 9/15 5/11/2021 Flores Fire in Summit Valley north of Silverwood Lake held to 27 acres

FIRE Flores Fire in Summit Valley north of Silverwood Lake held to 27 acres

RenePublished Ray 4:37 De p.m. La PT Cruz May 10, Victorville 2021 Updated Daily 11:33 Press p.m. PT May 10, 2021

Firefighting crews held a wildfire to about 27 acres after it broke out Monday in the Summit Valley of Hesperia and north of Silverwood Lake, authorities said.

Smoke could be seen in parts of Hesperia and Oak Hills as multiple agencies responded by air and ground to the vegetation fire — dubbed the Flores Fire — reported just before noon near Highway 173 and Las Flores Road, according to the Cal Fire Twitter account.

San Bernardino County Fire and U.S. Forest Service firefighters helped with the blaze. The crews stopped its forward spread at about 2 p.m.

No immediate homes were in the area threatened by the fire. Also,the fire was adjacent to a recent training burn area, but was unrelated to the fire on Monday, SBC Fire said.

Cal Fire originally reported that the fire had burned more than 20 acres but later said that “with more accurate mapping, (the) fire was contained to 12 acres.”

On Monday night, SBC Fire said the fire was stopped at 27 acres.

Fire crews will remain at the scene to reinforce control lines, mop up and patrol the area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Cal Fire reported.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/fire/2021/05/10/flores-fire-summit-valley-north-silverwood-lake-held-12-acres/5030332001/ 2/2 5/11/2021 Fontana deputy revives one-year-old boy who was not breathing | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-deputy-revives-one-year-old-boy-who-was-not- breathing/article_22228636-b1d3-11eb-8ed3-c3f224e3fb.html Fontana deputy revives one-year-old boy who was not breathing

May 10, 2021

Deputy Lesly Ramirez is pictured in a Facebook post by the San Bernardino County Sheri's Department in 2019.

A deputy at the Fontana Sheriff's Station revived a one-year-old boy who was not breathing, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

On May 8 at about 5:04 p.m., Fontana Station personnel responded to a report of a child not breathing in the 14000 block of Cambria Street in the unincorporated area of Fontana.

Deputy Lesly Ramirez was the rst to arrive on scene, and she found the baby limp and not breathing. She immediately rendered aid and quickly began CPR and rescue breathing. After a few rounds of CPR, the child regained consciousness and began to cry. https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-deputy-revives-one-year-old-boy-who-was-not-breathing/article_22228636-b1d3-11eb-8ed3-ffc3f22… 1/2 5/11/2021 Fontana deputy revives one-year-old boy who was not breathing | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

The child was transported to a local hospital, where his condition has improved, but he remains hospitalized.

Ramirez started her law enforcement career in 2016 at West Valley Detention Center and then began working at the Fontana Sheriff's Station in August of 2019, according to a Facebook post by the Sheriff's Department.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-deputy-revives-one-year-old-boy-who-was-not-breathing/article_22228636-b1d3-11eb-8ed3-ffc3f22… 2/2