Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Will Impose New Stay-At-Home Measures In Hard-Hit Regions
San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom To Impose New Stay-At-Home Orders In California’s Hardest-Hit Areas
Vast swaths of California will fall under new shutdown orders in the coming weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced additional restrictions Thursday to try to slow the coronavirus surge in areas where intensive care unit capacity is dwindling. Newsom said he was “pulling the emergency brake” to help California through a third surge of the pandemic, one he hoped would be a final ordeal before a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available after the winter months. (Koseff and Fimrite, 12/3)
San Jose Mercury News: Gavin Newsom Announces New California Stay-At-Home Order, Determined By Regional ICU Capacity
Schools that are already open will be allowed to remain open, and retail will be allowed to remain open at 20% capacity. Sports and other entertainment will be allowed to continue, though without any live audiences. Restaurants will be restricted to takeout only, and places of worship will be forced outdoors. Hotels and offices can remain open only for “critical infrastructure” employees. Forced to close entirely: all personal care services, including barbershops and nail salons; playgrounds inside and outside; bars, breweries and wineries; and all entertainment centers, including amusement parks, movie theaters, card rooms and casinos. (Webeck, 12/4)
In related news from California —
Los Angeles Times: Supreme Court Gives Win To California Churches Fighting Ban
The Supreme Court told California judges on Thursday to take another hard look at state rules that ban most indoor worship services. A week ago, the justices in a 5-4 decision lifted tight limits on churches and synagogues in neighborhoods of New York City where the virus was spreading. The court said those restrictions violated the 1st Amendment’s protection for the free exercise of religion. (Savage, 12/3)
Los Angeles Times: Megachurch Pastor Dies Of COVID-19 After Church Reopens
An associate pastor for a megachurch in San Bernardino County died of COVID-19 about a month after the facility reopened indoor services. Bob Bryant of the Water of Life Community Church in Fontana tested positive for the coronavirus in November and soon developed an aggressive pneumonia in his lungs, according to a post on the church’s Facebook site. He then suffered a heart attack. He ultimately was placed on a ventilator and died Monday. He was 58. (Lin II, 12/3)
San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Supes Again Condemn Zuckerberg’s Name On City General Hospital
A committee of San Francisco supervisors on Thursday condemned the naming of San Francisco General Hospital for Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, citing a long list of grievances against the social media giant and claiming its practices endanger public health. The three-member Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted to condemn the hospital’s name and to develop a better policy for future naming of public facilities. The resolution, which carries no legal mandates, was mostly a statement of opinion by the board — and a chance to bash Facebook. The board is constrained in its contract with Zuckerberg in removing his name from the hospital. (Cabanatuan, 12/3)
Politico: California Politicians Skewered For Social Crimes In The Age Of Coronavirus
California politicians are drawing scorn for the unthinkable: dining out, spending Thanksgiving with relatives and traveling out of state. Such malfeasance is considered the height of hypocrisy during a pandemic in which leaders have discouraged a long list of social activities. Few places have as many errant officials as California, a deep blue state with some of the strictest rules in the nation — and where politicians have wagged their fingers this fall in an effort to control surging infections. (Marinucci, 12/3)
