Consistent wastewater testing begins again this week in Santa Cruz in an effort to know more earlier about local COVID trends. How does the testing work and how might it help track the virus faster?
COVID Today
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Newsom, S.F. and L.A. mayors get blowback for maskless photos with Magic Johnson at 49ers-Rams game
The group was attending the game that saw the Los Angeles Rams defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl.
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COVID-19 sick pay in California would return under deal between Newsom, lawmakers
California officials hope the return of state-mandated COVID-19 sick pay will encourage infected workers at businesses employing 26 or more employees to stay home and help slow transmission.
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Pharmacies are turning away immunocompromised patients seeking fourth COVID shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly changed its guidance to allow an extra shot in certain cases, but some pharmacy personnel are confused about who is eligible.
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Omicron wave could be waning, according to the White House
The coronavirus surge caused by the Omicron variant looks to be on the decline in some parts of the country, White House officials said Friday.
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California child-care workers struggle with COVID-19 test kit shortages
Child-care providers are hoping the state will supply them with rapid COVID-19 tests and other supplies that could help curb closures caused by virus outbreaks and quarantine measures.
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California approaches pandemic record for all hospitalizations
Last week, California averaged 52,000 hospital patients daily, just under the 55,000 hospitalized for all reasons during last winter’s COVID-19 surge.
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Here’s what’s changed as California’s new COVID workplace rules go into effect
Several of the changes in place as of Friday increase protections for vaccinated workers amid the current Omicron surge.
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Here ‘to spread care, not COVID’: Dominican nurses frustrated with hiring delays, new state guidelines
The national nurses union, which represents about 670 nurses from Dominican Hospital, held a day of action Thursday. Local healthcare workers said more nurses need to be hired and said they’re concerned the hospital may implement looser COVID guidelines as recently allowed by the state. The hospital responded it has sped up its hiring process and nothing, as yet, has changed.
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‘Hard month’ continues, but health officials hope vigilance, including mask upgrades, will make it end soon
“Cloth masks are no longer preferred,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said Thursday. Instead, everyone should be upgrading to N95, KN95 and the increasingly popular KF94 models of face masks.