As a third of hospitals report critical staffing shortages, California’s health department is considering issuing an order postponing many elective surgeries. Many procedures, including a lung transplant, already have been canceled.
COVID Today
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Why are rapid tests for COVID-19 in such short supply?
Government officials and private companies failed to anticipate the spike in demand for rapid COVID-19 antigen tests, but they are scrambling to close the gap.
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Bad news, good news: COVID cases spike, tests are hard to find … but fewer serious illnesses with Omicron
As COVID cases surge, pharmacies and testing sites are being flooded by people hunting for tests. However, leading health officials agree with evidence that Omicron is less dangerous, particularly in vaccinated people.
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Vaccine update: Rates, where to find a COVID shot or test; wait, cost and turnaround times
A weekly overview of COVID-19 vaccine progress and availability around Santa Cruz County, plus updates on booster shots, testing and more.
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Big push for Californians to switch to N95 or KN95 masks as Omicron surge worsens
Last month, California’s public health director and health officer, Dr. Tomás Aragón, wrote that with the increasing airborne spread of the coronavirus, it’s important to improve the fit of masks and their filtration — making enhancements that go beyond old, loose, cloth face coverings that became popular in 2020.
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California extends indoor mask mandate as Omicron surges
California will extend its statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces for another month as an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections continues to wash over the state.
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As coronavirus cases explode in California, next few weeks are ‘absolutely critical’
California has reported a massive backlog of 237,084 new coronavirus cases, pushing the seven-day average of new infections to 50,267, a record high.
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As Omicron wave inundates California, here’s how you can protect yourself and others
Officials are urging Californians to do their part to help keep themselves and others safe during the latest coronavirus surge.
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With Omicron surging, California calls for stricter COVID isolation for infected people than CDC
The state has issued new recommendations for when people infected with COVID-19 can end their isolation, guidance that is stricter than the CDC’s.
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Omicron’s spread through one family shows variant’s frightening speed
The rapid increase in COVID cases reflects ‘the exceptionally transmissible’ quality of the Omicron variant, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says.