The highly contagious Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is behind the latest surge across California and the U.S., and familiar measures — getting vaccinated, wearing masks, social distancing — are a good start for protection.
Vaccine Watch
Posted inVaccine Watch
For parents of unvaccinated kids, worsening Delta variant brings alarm, questions
The variant’s ability to spread among the vaccinated is worrisome, experts said, but it shouldn’t preclude kids from heading back to school.
Posted inCOVID Today
How the Delta variant could shake up the 2022 midterm election
Democrats must contend with plunging optimism and frustration with new rules on masking and vaccinations, while Republicans risk being blamed for the large number of vaccine holdouts in their party.
Posted inCOVID Today
CDC document paints more dire picture of threat posed by Delta variant
The Delta variant is more formidable than previously believed, due to its ability to infect and be spread by people who are vaccinated, a CDC document says.
Posted inCOVID Today
As fears of the Delta variant grow in the San Lorenzo Valley, are vaccine numbers keeping pace?
Vaccination rates in the upper parts of the San Lorenzo Valley, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek in particular, “are about 10% lower than the rest of the county,” Santa Cruz County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
What is it about the Delta variant that makes it spread so easily?
By now, we all know that the Delta variant is about twice as transmissible as the original coronavirus. As one virologist put it: “If you think of the individual particles as machine-gun fire, the Delta variant is shooting at us at 1,000 rounds per second, while previous variants were only shooting at one round per second.”
Posted inBusiness & Technology
COVID vaccinations lag for people on Medi-Cal
In all California counties, Medi-Cal enrollees have been vaccinated at substantially lower rates than the overall population. Santa Cruz County is above the state average with 54.4% of eligible Medi-Cal enrollees having had at least one shot, but that figure is nearly 20% lower than the county average. Experts point to several factors for this economic divide, like the inability of low-income people to take time off work.
Posted inVaccine Watch
California sees small boost in vaccinations but needs much more
With California’s coronavirus surge worsening, officials are unveiling new rules and redoubling efforts to get more people to wear masks in an urgent push to boost vaccinations and slow the spread of the Delta variant.
Posted inVaccine Watch
Can employers force workers to get vaccinated? Here’s what we know
A growing number of government agencies are requiring employees to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing.
Posted inCOVID Today
With coronavirus surge worsening, California urges wearing masks indoors
The new recommendation appears to be more expansive than the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.