Cases of COVID-19 in California remain persistently high, with the percentage of those infected in the Gulf region still ahead of other regions in the state. Hate crimes in California rose 33 percent to nearly 1,800 reported incidents in the second year of the pandemic. Vaccination campaigns have reduced disparities in mortality from COVID in California, especially for the Latin American community, which was disproportionately affected in the early days of the pandemic.
The trial of convicted murderer Scott Peterson has been postponed due to COVID
The hearing of convicted murderer Scott Peterson in Redwood City has been postponed because of COVID-19, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Court said on Tuesday. One of Peterson’s lawyers tested positive for the virus, according to court deputy Sarah Lind, who spoke to KTVU. Peterson was also exposed to COVID in San Quentin, she added, and is under “free quarantine.” He has been seeking a retrial since he was convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Lachi Peterson, and his unborn son 20 years ago.
The FDA’s advisory panel is facing a “crystal ball” on vaccines
Government advisers discussing whether Americans should receive a modified booster injection of COVID-19 this fall battled on Tuesday the uncertainty of what lies ahead regarding viral mutations. “That’s the problem – we want more or less a crystal ball today,” said Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan, who heads the vaccine advisory committee at the Food and Drug Administration. Current COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives worldwide and still offer strong protection against hospitalization and death – especially after a booster dose. However, their ability to block infection is significantly reduced when the superinfectious omicron mutant appears. The FDA intends to decide early next month whether to modify vaccines to better respond to specific new mutations in the virus.
Omicron BA.4, BA.5 subvariants cause more than half of COVID cases in the United States
Omicron’s rapidly spreading sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 accounted for a combined 52% of COVID-19 cases in the United States last week, according to estimates released Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Highly transmitted sub-lines displace BA.2 and BA.2.12.1, with BA.5 accounting for about 36.6% of new cases at the national level and BA.4 for about 15.7%. The proportions are roughly the same in the Northern California region. Many public health officials are unsure of the impact these newer BA.4 and BA.5 mutations will have on more severe disease outcomes.
Hate crimes in California are on the rise again in the second pandemic year
Hate crimes in California rose 33 percent to nearly 1,800 reported incidents in 2021, the highest since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday. Crimes against Americans of Asian descent, which increased dramatically in 2020 after the appearance of the coronavirus in China, rose again, rising 178 percent to 247 incidents, said Attorney General Rob Bonta. Crimes against blacks were again the most common in 2021, rising by 13% in 2021 to 513 reported incidents. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation increased by nearly 50% to 303 incidents. “One difficult truth in our country, just as we see it across the nation, is that the hate epidemic we saw caused during the pandemic remains a clear and current threat,” Bonta, a Democrat, told a news conference. “Each of these incidents is an attack on a person, a neighbor, a family member, a citizen of California. Bonta blamed the rise in crimes against Asian Americans, the “fanatical words of our former president,” which turned a “trickle” of racial hatred into a “flood.”
Healthcare workers in California must receive pandemic bonuses of up to $ 1,500
California’s frontline health workers who worked during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic must receive a state bonus under a budget agreement reached by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. Eligible full-time employees can receive up to $ 1,500: part-time employees $ 1,250 and doctors up to $ 1,000 under Bill 184. to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and address other public health issues facing Californians, ”lawmakers said.
What does the evolution of COVID-19 mean for our future?
Will we ever be able to overtake the ruthless coronavirus? It has exceeded the expectations of health experts and scientists: with each mutation it is more infectious than ever and, aside from pandemic fatigue, is about to retain a major role in our lives. In The Fronth & Mission podcast of The Chronicle, Chronicle health reporter Erin Olday explains the evolution of the virus in a discussion with host Cecilia Leigh. Listen to hear what the experts have to say about this cunning coronavirus and what they are learning.
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