Quick Take:
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Hey, everyone, we head over the Wednesday hump knowing we will wake up in a world where we can hear classic Boardwalk noises in the air and we can see the 50-and-over crowd getting jabbed in the arm.
Thursday is the day when those 50+ become eligible for inoculation in California. A few counties have lapped the state’s plans and are already vaccinating 16-and-up, but that remains a few weeks away for Santa Cruzans. What we know …
➤ WHERE TO GO: So now you’re eligible … great. But what does that mean from a practical sense? Lookout tries to steer you in the right direction.
➤ A MAJOR J&J FAIL: The shipment of 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were suspended due to an ingredients issue.
➤ TEACHER LESSONS: EdSource talked to teachers for their advice on things they learned over the past year.
And now onto those headlines …
Where to find that shot in the arm
Vaccine eligibility has expanded throughout California. So what do I do in Santa Cruz County? California is opening the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults, but the timing of scheduling an appointment remains in flux. The vaccine rollout has been confusing and frustrating for many, as state and local public health officials send mixed, often-changing messages. To learn more about how to troubleshoot this process, go to our cheatsheet put together by Tulsi Kamath & Mallory Pickett here.
Johnson & Johnson issues
VACCINE WATCH: Workers at a Baltimore plant manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the vaccines’ ingredients several weeks ago, ruining about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines. Read the New York Times’ story via SF Gate here.
➤ Advocates warn: The clock is ticking on new variants (Axios)
Teachers on COVID adaptations
PANDEMIC TAKEAWAYS: California teachers have had time in distance learning — more than they ever imagined — to crystallize their thoughts about teaching during COVID: How did the pandemic affect students and relationships with students and families? How did it affect their outlook on teaching? How might schools be structured differently based on what you learned from distance learning? EdSource used findings from a survey of 121 California teachers to examine what was learned and what to incorporate in the future.
➤ What we learned about classroom reopenings from top Santa Cruz County education officials (Lookout)
➤ Easing the transfer path in California from community colleges to universities (EdSource)
More from here & elsewhere
➤ Biden officials urge states to ‘buckle down’ amid virus resurgence but avoid issuing federal guidance (CNN)
➤ COVID-19 was third leading cause of death last year, CDC confirms in early data (CNN)
➤ With older Americans largely vaccinated, more new COVID-19 cases among younger adults (ABC News)
➤ New rise in COVID cases shows that, yes, the vaccines work (NBC News)
➤ The Fourth Surge Is Upon Us. This Time, It’s Different. (The Atlantic)
➤ CDC director says Americans may soon return to everyday activities, but ‘we’re not quite there yet’ (CNN)
#BOLO
The Boardwalk reopens approximately 12 rides on Thursday — and Lookout has it on good authority that there could be a local celebrity helping kick things back into gear. Be On the LookOut for news on that tomorrow afternoon.
Tell us your vax story
If you are just becoming eligible on Thursday and beginning to sign up, tell us about that process. What tips can you pass along to others? Hit reply, share your details and we’ll pass your knowledge on to the rest of the vax-hungry world.
Meantime, enjoy the warm evening and we’ll do it again tomorrow!
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor