COVID PM: Don’t miss your chance to get answers straight from the experts
Good evening, folks, and thanks for clicking into your COVID-19 catchup this Wednesday evening.
If you were going to put together an all-star cast of local health experts to wrap its collective head around the ongoing pandemic, well, you’d have tomorrow night’s Lookout-hosted event. This is the COVID 2021: The Experts Answer Your Questions lineup, hosted by our own Chris Fusco and Mallory Pickett:
- County Health Officer Gail Newel
- UC Santa Cruz infectious disease expert Marm Kilpatrick
- Erica Padilla-Chavez, CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance
Sign up for the 6 p.m. kickoff and submit your questions about COVID-19, vaccinations, mental and physical health ramifications of this pandemic — anything you want to ask. In English or Spanish.
Locally on the COVID-19 front, we learned today that more people are recovering than are being diagnosed — and other data points showing similar trajectories. We also got a bit of news on the paused batch of the Moderna vaccine. More below on that and please help spread the word: Text “Covid” to (831) 508-7524 to get my daily mobile alerts.
Local numbers trend in the right direction
COVID TODAY: The 14-day rolling average of new active cases dipped slightly to 187, after being around 190 for several days. New confirmed cases had been increasing steadily since the beginning of November, but began to level off around Jan. 15. The 14-day average positivity rate also paints a hopeful picture, as it has decreased to 17.7% from a high of 20.7% on Jan. 10.
Paused Moderna batch could be released ‘soon’
VACCINE WATCH: In a meeting of the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee on Wednesday, California state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan gave an update on the batch of 330,000 Moderna vaccines that are on “pause” due to concerns over allergic reactions. “I think we are likely able to release that pause,” Pan said. “We will be issuing a statement very soon.”
➤ READ MALLORY’S UPDATE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS HERE
More from here & elsewhere
➤ As Biden takes the reins, he calls for a united front against COVID-19 and other threats (Kaiser Health News)
➤ Judge rules city can’t clear San Lorenzo Park homeless encampment amid COVID-19 concerns (Isa Cueto)
➤ Did shutting down outdoor dining contribute to California’s COVID-19 surge? (SF Gate)
➤ Schwarzenegger among first residents age 65 and older vaccinated at Dodger Stadium (Politico)
➤ Despite COVID-19, standardized testing may force English learners back to school campuses (USA Today)
➤ Emerging coronavirus variants may pose challenges to vaccines (New York Times)
Oh, one more thing: Don’t forget about that event!
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor