California coronavirus updates: The latest on the pandemic

Economy

Disneyland, stadiums get green light to start reopening April 1

State officials announce that outdoor sports and live performance venues, as well as amusement parks, will be allowed to begin reopening on April 1 — with restrictions.

By

Lauren Hepler

• March 5, 2021

People come to the St. John's Well Child And Family Center to get inoculated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in South Los Angeles on Feb. 09, 2021. Photo by Shae Hammond for CalMatters

Coronavirus

California upends how it’s divvying up scarce vaccines

How will vaccines get into the arms of people in low-income communities? And the 40% allotment also raises questions about whether other Californians will be pushed lower on the priority list — particularly people with high-risk health conditions

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

and

Ana B. Ibarra

• March 4, 2021

A photo illustratio shows someone walking past a vacant building, hands on a computer keyboard, masks and a vaccine. In March of 2020, Californians had no idea how much a new coronavirus would upend their way of life. This timeline highlights pivotal moments in the state's struggle to defeat a pandemic. Illustration by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters; iStock

Coronavirus

Remember when? Timeline marks key events in California’s year-long pandemic grind

In early March 2020, an elderly man died in Placer County. Health officials ruled the Rocklin resident’s death to be a result of COVID-19 — the disease caused by a novel coronavirus that, to this point, had appeared in a handful of cases up and down the West Coast. The man, in his 70s with […]

By

Richard Procter

• March 4, 2021

Children play in the backyard of Ana Ballesteros home where she runs a day care in Delano on Feb. 26, 2021. Photo by Shae Hammond for CalMatters

Coronavirus

More than 12,000 coronavirus cases have been reported at California child care centers

Experts aren’t sure if the numbers are good or bad because of the number of variables involved and lack of similar data. Child care providers hope new relief from the state will help.

By

Elizabeth Aguilera

• March 4, 2021

TK student Jake Schuman, 5, holds up a sign during a rally to reopen schools at Astro Park in Oakland on Feb. 28, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

Newsom, lawmakers unveil plan to push some schools to reopen by April 1

The decisions to reopen, however, still rest with school officials and labor unions. Newsom hopes the funding bill will prod them into holding in-person classes. Parent activists say it's not enough.

By

Ricardo Cano

,

Laurel Rosenhall

and

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• March 1, 2021

Larry Yabroff and his wife Mary greet each other during a visit at Chaparral House, the skilled nursing facility where Mary is a resident, in Berkeley on Feb. 25, 2021. The Yabroff’s have been married for more than 50 years but have been living separately since Larry had to place Mary in the care facility in February of last year. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

When will nursing homes reopen to visitors? State officials won’t say

COVID-19 cases at California’s nursing homes have plummeted 98% since December. But long-term care facilities say they are waiting for state guidance before reopening to family visits. “The sacrifice our seniors have made has been very, very difficult and caused a lot of harm. Now is the time to stop sacrificing them," one doctor said.

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• March 1, 2021

Patients enter Levi’s Stadium to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines on Feb. 9 2021 in Santa Clara. The 49ers arena opened on Tuesday as a vaccine distribution site for Santa Clara County residents 65 and older and is expected to inoculate up to 15,000 people per day once supplies become available. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

California’s new COVID-19 vaccine system to start Monday

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.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

and

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• February 26, 2021

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General. Photo by Christopher Michele via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Coronavirus

‘I feel your frustration’: In podcast, state surgeon general gets personal about pandemic

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 […]

By

CalMatters Staff

• February 26, 2021

Detainees wait to be processed at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto on Aug. 28, 2019. Because detainees are in federal custody, state health officials said last week that they aren’t sure who is responsible for vaccination at the detention centers. Photo by Chris Carlson, AP Photo

Coronavirus

Immigration detention centers showcase California’s vaccine chaos

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.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• February 22, 2021

Family daycare provider Lucre-ce Lester takes a student’s temperature as he arrives for the day at her home-based daycare in Antioch on Feb. 17, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

Burgeoning child care union secures COVID-19 relief funding approval

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.

By

Elizabeth Aguilera

• February 22, 2021