COVID PM: About that great reopening, and this digital vaccine verification

By Mark Conley

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Happy weekend time, everyone.

As we get further past the big June 15 milestone here and keep one ear out for the dreaded variants we still hear murmurs about, we’ll be seeking ways to broaden this newsletter beyond COVID coverage.

As you’ll see below, that doesn’t mean its reverberations are going away anytime soon. And fortunately, beyond our own great local reporting, we’ve got solid content partners when it comes to keeping you up to speed on the national and statewide implications that will absolutely continue.

But those content partners are also great sources for non-COVID stories — think climate, transportation, entertainment and other statewide trends — and we’ll be serving up more of that here under the umbrella of “A Wider Lookout” in the coming days and weeks.

I’d love to hear more from you about your interests. Hit reply and let me know.

Meanwhile, here are the headlines to send us into the weekend...

We’re reopened ... technically

Why the post-June 15 life remains a mixed bag for business owners: Complicating matters for business owners already struggling to find workers is new masking guidance. On Thursday, Gov. Newsom signed an executive order that would expedite the wait time on those rules, giving businesses less time to figure out what to do. More from Neil Strebig on that here.

ICYMI: The Great Santa Cruz Reopening: Business owners welcome new reality — even if that’s still being figured out (Lookout)

California’s new digital vaccine verification

What you need to know: California on Friday unveiled a way the public can access digital copies of their COVID-19 vaccination records. Just don’t call it a passport. Officials say it’s actually a convenience, an easy way to display the same information listed on the physical cards handed out when someone is inoculated. More from the LA Times here.

‘Hungry to celebrate being alive’

California reopening fuels job growth: Unemployment in California fell to 7.9% in May, the fourth month state payrolls grew by more than 100,000 jobs. Still, full recovery will be slow. More here from the LA Times.

The ‘No Jab, No Job’ mandate for health care workers

Syringes at the Marin County Vaccination Point of Dispensary

Pressure mounting: Despite a hearts-and-minds campaign and millions spent in incentives, managers struggle to get staffs vaccinated against Covid. Some workers have threatened to quit over the pressure to get a shot, which employers can’t afford. More from Kaiser Health News here.

Getting unemployment benefits in California is changing

What you need to know: Starting next month, Californians who receive unemployment benefits will have to show that they are looking for work, a requirement that the state waived last year when COVID-19 led to economic upheaval. More from the Times here.

More from here & elsewhere

➤ Daughter prepares for Father’s Day without beloved dad who died from COVID-19 (ABC News)
➤ Canada extends US Covid travel restrictions (CNN)
➤ Europe opens to American tourists: Spain’s (cruise) ship finally comes in (LA Times)
➤ Senior citizens lost almost $1 billion in scams last year: FBI (ABC News)
➤ This doctor became an early Covid patient. Now, he’s one of potentially millions dealing with lingering symptoms (CNN)
➤ Biden announces 300 million COVID vaccines given: Will we hit 70% by July 4? (USA Today)
➤ NFL player swears off vaccination, suggests he’ll defy rules (NBC News)
➤ Why Some States Push Back As The Biden Administration Doles Out Relief Money (NPR)
➤ Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine In Teens And Myocarditis: What You Need To Know (NPR)

See you on Monday.

Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor