COVID PM: To the yellow will we go? Parsing through the new vaccine guidelines for kids
Hello everybody,
It was another busy day on the pandemic beat. Here are your COVID PM storylines for Tuesday, May 11 ...
On the local front
The yellow for real this time? With case counts down, Santa Cruz County in line to make move next week: Will Santa Cruz County make it into the yellow tier this time? We will find out in one week’s time whether case counts, and other criteria, remain at a level that meets standards to leave the orange. More from our Mallory Pickett on that here.
PREVIOUSLY: The elusive yellow: Slight increase in case counts again keeps Santa Cruz in orange tier
Quick Take
Colorful Santa Cruz Victorian unit with an attractive open floor plan and a large backyard available now. Ready for your...
On the vaccine front
When can 12- to 15-year-olds start getting COVID-19 vaccines? What we know: The next step in the COVID-19 vaccine campaign is about to begin. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccine distribution for use in children ages 12 to 15. COVID-19 vaccine appointments for Californians aged 12 to 15 could become available as soon as Thursday. What we know from our LA Times content partners.
How is your workplace handling the COVID-19 vaccine? As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available in the U.S., and employees who were working remotely are being called back to the office, The Times is interested in learning how your workplace is handling the question of employee vaccination. More from the Times here.
On the state front
There’s growing confidence that the worst of COVID-19 is behind California: If those forecasts hold fast, California will enter the summer in a better place than many thought. State officials hope to have the economy largely reopened by June 15. And while coronavirus variants caused concerns earlier this year, officials and experts say they have generally been less aggressive than feared and vaccines seem to be offering protection against the various variants. More from the Times on that here.
Quick Take
Thomas Sage Pedersen dives in deep with Arts Council Santa Cruz County’s Executive Director, Jim Brown, and Deputy...
More from here & elsewhere
➤ One of Italy’s most idyllic islands is ‘COVID-free’ (CNN)
➤ More GOP-led states drop federal pandemic unemployment benefits early (CNN)
➤ ‘This government has failed us’: Anger rises in India over PM Modi’s COVID response (NPR)
➤ Everyone wanted a puppy when the pandemic began, but now those dogs are being returned (USA Today)
➤ Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci argue over theories about COVID-19’s origin (USA Today)
➤ ‘Americans are not safe’: In Uganda, a plea as vaccine shortages prolong pandemic (NBC News)
➤ Biden promotes Lyft, Uber plan to provide free rides to vaccination sites (NBC News)
➤ Trader Joe’s is slowly getting rid of its seniors-only shopping hours (SF Gate)
That’s it for today — but we’ll do it again tomorrow.
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor