COVID PM: Surfing in El Salvador + the day’s top pandemic recovery news

By Mark Conley

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Here are your headlines of the day — and I’m starting with one close to my heart since the only exotic surf trip I’ve embarked upon was to El Salvador. Even though it was long past a “secret surfing oasis” by then, I still very much want to go back to that special place. Away we go...

How three surfer dudes left California to find a secret surfing oasis in El Salvador

The Olympic trials for surfing are being held in El Salvador: It was the early 1970s and El Salvador was known primarily for coffee, sugar and staggering economic inequality that eventually sparked a revolution. But the surfers were drawn by the narrow, rocky beaches and the spectacular point-break waves, which break to the surfer’s right and are more consistent than the sandy-bottom beach-break waves common in California. More from the LA Times here.

The ‘Grief Pandemic’ will torment Americans for years

Panic attacks and depression that make it hard to get out of bed: More than 5 million Americans lost a loved one to COVID, and the ripple effects could lead to serious illness down the road. More from Kaiser Health News here.

Doctor visits down; deaths, severe diseases likely to surge

Patients “have to overcome a lot of obstacles to get to me”: Public health restrictions put in place during the pandemic are loosening, meaning it’s OK to go back to your doctor’s office. But will virtual visits remain an option? KHN with more on what you should do to get the most out of it.

Are rewards for getting COVID-19 vaccinations really such a great idea?

Is this the best plan? As demand for the vaccines waned, the prizes began: Fishing licenses in Maine. Crawfish in New Orleans. Baseball tickets in New York. “A shot and a beer” in New Jersey — plus (perhaps less enticing) a chance to have dinner with the governor. The LA Times dissects this topic more here.

California bill calls for $7 billion in bonuses for healthcare workers

$10,000 in hero pay: Assembly Bill 650 by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates) would award $10,000 bonuses to California healthcare workers. The pay would be spread out in hopes that the cash would entice healthcare workers to remain in their job. More from the Times on that here.

Parents frustrated by pandemic education launch activist group to raise their voices: The group OpenSchoolsCA coalesced around parent anger over how long it was taking to reopen California campuses that were closed for a year or more amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Their discontent simmered for months when reopenings offered students much less than a full five-day-a-week school experience. More from the Times here.

More California counties allowed to reopen their economies as COVID-19 fades: Four more counties — Marin, Monterey, San Benito and Ventura — move into the least restrictive yellow tier of California’s COVID-19 reopening roadmap. More from the Times here.

How an underground fight club was born during the pandemic

A small man and a much larger man box in a ring.

‘When I get hit, it feels like a blessing’: At Backyard Squabbles, an underground fight club born in the pandemic, contenders are split between athletes with dreams and local guys with grudges. More from the Times.

More from here & elsewhere

➤ New science chief wants next pandemic vaccine ready in 100 days (NBC News)
➤ Disney to launch two-day ‘simulation’ cruise to test COVID safety (SF Gate)
➤ Thousands of Fauci’s emails from the pandemic’s early days were published. Here’s what they show (CNN)
➤ Ohio Lottery announces 2nd Vax-a-Million incentive winners (ABC News)
➤ White House prepared to announce next steps in global vaccination effort after months of debate (CNN)
➤ Where to find Evolvetogether’s new KN95 masks (NBC News)

We will do it again tomorrow.

Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor