Health

The new system, operated by Blue Shield, aims to streamline a confusing county-by-county patchwork of vaccination efforts. “Give us a chance to make this work,” Blue Shield’s CEO said.

California’s initial vaccine rollout was “slow — we were last.” The current numbers on vaccine equity “look awful.” The fact that so many children are still not able to attend in-person school is having “a significant impact, developmentally, mentally and emotionally.” California’s first surgeon general, Nadine Burke Harris, didn’t flinch from acknowledging the challenges the […]

Who takes responsibility for vaccinating detainees? “I don’t know,” said California’s surgeon general. Facing such confusion, some county officials are sending doses to immigrant detention centers, while others are awaiting state guidance.

The state Senate budget committee approved disbursement of $144 million in federal funds to give child care providers some financial relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved by the Legislature, it will be a major win for Child Care Providers United, which is still negotiating a master contract with California.

Although data is incomplete, in nearly all counties, white people received the largest percentage of vaccine doses — even in counties with large Latino populations. Latinos are the biggest group vaccinated in Los Angeles and two other counties.

Members of the Legislature put forward a bill to require schools to reopen by mid-April and guarantee that teachers get offered a COVID-19 vaccine beforehand. The lawmakers have said they’ll vote on the bill next week without hearings and Gov. Gavin Newsom has signaled that he'll veto it if it reaches him.

Kaiser Permanente has been cited more than any other California health system for violations of worker safety during the pandemic.

Under the new state guidelines, people ages 16 to 64 with chronic, high-risk conditions and disabilities will join older Californians, food workers and educators. But not until March 15.

The California State Department of Public Health has for the first time during the pandemic published public-facing data about which schools in the state have reopened for physical instruction. The maps show a clear difference between rural areas in the state and the most populous school districts, and private schools versus public schools.

A Los Angeles network of 19 community clinics had a plan to administer thousands of vaccine doses each week. But state officials said they’d have to wait. Why? Hospitals were prioritized over clinics that serve Latino, low-income communities.