Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Omicron Subvariants Fuel Covid Surge Across California
Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Cases Soar In L.A. County, But This Is Different
Super-contagious Omicron subvariants that can reinfect people within weeks are fueling a new wave of the pandemic across California. Hospitalizations are rising, and Los Angeles County is moving toward an indoor mask mandate, perhaps by the end of the month. (Lin II, Money and Reyes, 7/18)
Los Angeles Times: California's Summer COVID Wave Could Top Winter Surge
New coronavirus infections in parts of California may be surging even higher than winter’s Omicron wave, potentially explaining why so many people seem to be infected simultaneously. The concentration of coronavirus levels in San Francisco’s wastewater is at even higher levels than during the winter, according to data tweeted by Marlene Wolfe, an assistant professor in environmental health at Emory University. (Lin II and Money, 7/18)
inewsource: San Diego County Surge Has Experts Concerned About Long COVID
San Diego County has been moved into the high-risk level for COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as confirmed case numbers have continued to increase over the last few weeks, which has experts worried about the risk for severe outcomes as a result of infection. The CDC Community Level tracking system is designed to determine the impact of the virus on communities and guide preventative action. While it is not clear whether San Diego County will reimplement any previous measures to slow the spread of the virus, this shift is concerning to experts, particularly given fears around the long-term implications of infection. (Dawson, 7/18)
On the potential return of masks —
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Counties Are Not Now Looking To Follow L.A.’s Mask Mandate — Here’s Why
COVID-19 case numbers are surging, hospitalizations are up and at least one California county — Los Angeles — is moving toward a new indoor mask mandate. But the Bay Area isn’t planning to follow suit, at least not yet. Health experts in the region say that approach makes sense for now. County health departments across the Bay Area told The Chronicle they have no plans to resume requirements that people don masks in indoor public places. They haven’t set benchmarks for when that might or should happen. The story is different in Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, where public health officials said they’ll return to indoor masking requirements as of July 29 unless the number of COVID hospitalizations drops. (Cabanatuan, 7/19)
