California coronavirus updates: The latest on the pandemic

Alameda County Fire Department employee Max Shih, left, administers the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Julia Jackson, a volunteer at a Berkeley needle exchange program, at St. Rose hospital in Hayward on Jan. 27, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

Who’s getting vaccinated in California? A county-by-county look at racial data

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.

By

CalMatters Staff

• February 19, 2021

Parents and students gather for a quiet protest and sit-in at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley on Jan. 13, 2021. Berkeley Unified School District parents are calling for schools to reopen for in-person learning in accordance with public health guidelines. Photo by Anda Chu, Bay Area News Group

Education

Lawmakers blitz governor on school reopenings

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.

By

Ricardo Cano

• February 18, 2021

Patients and hospital staff wear masks outside of Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center on Feb. 12, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

State fines Kaiser $499K for COVID worker safety violations

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

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• February 15, 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 shifts vaccine priorities again: People with health conditions are eligible next month

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.

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• February 12, 2021

Kindergarten student Nima Alipour uses the no-touch hand sanitize dispenser class at Sun Valley Elementary School in San Rafael on Nov. 10, 2020. Nearly all of Marin County schools have been open for in-person instruction since January. Photo by Sherry LaVars, Marin Independent Journal

Education

School reopenings more common in rural areas and in private schools, state data shows

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.

By

Ricardo Cano

• February 12, 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 left clinics off vaccine list, so low-income patients are underserved

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.

By

Caitlin Antonios

• February 10, 2021

Thomas Cowan surrendered his medical license in December 2020. He has promulgated COVID-19 and 5G misinformation. Image via iStockImage via iStock

Health

Conspiracy theory doctor surrenders medical license

Thomas Cowan, a purveyor of debunked theories, can no longer practice medicine in California. He plans to become an “unlicensed health coach.”

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• February 5, 2021

Crowds gather to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather at Dolores Park on Jan 16, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Coronavirus

In race to vaccinate, could California see another surge?

Will California's bumpy vaccine rollout, more contagious coronavirus mutations, and decision to open up the state send COVID-19 cases surging again?

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• February 5, 2021

Orange County residents wait in line outside tents for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim Jan. 13, 2021. Advocates had hoped a state panel would give higher COVID vaccine priority to disabled Californians. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

Coronavirus

COVID advisory panel rejects higher vaccine priority for disabled Californians and those with chronic conditions

An influential state committee holds fast, for now, to California’s decision to make age — not disability or chronic health condition — the primary criteria for getting a faster COVID vaccine.

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• February 3, 2021

Two new surveys show Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval among Californians plummeting from its highs early in the coronavirus pandemic. He's shown here at a press conference in the state Capitol following the first COVID-19 death in California on March 4, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Politics

Two job performance polls give Gavin Newsom bad news…and worse news

Two fresh polls indicate that California voters may be falling out of love with a governor who just three years ago was elected by a record-breaking margin, and who early in the pandemic ranked as one of the country’s most popular state leaders. How worrisome is this for the governor facing a burgeoning recall effort? […]

By

Ben Christopher

• February 2, 2021