Just how risky was the birthday party that Gov. Gavin Newsom attended at a ritzy Napa Valley restaurant? According to a modeling tool, if held today, there’s an 11 to 12% chance — odds of about one in nine — that one of the dinner guests was infected with the coronavirus....
Opinion: The (Back) Rent Is Too Damn High
Did someone say that suspending the responsibilities for renters to make their payments due to the pandemic on time would create problems? Of course they did. And of course it has. By the end of the year, Californians will owe as much as $1.7 billion in back rent, says a...
Daily COVID-19 Deaths in US Reach Highest Level Since May
The surging coronavirus is taking an increasingly dire toll across the U.S. just as a vaccine appears at hand, with the country now averaging over 1,300 COVID-19 deaths per day — the highest since the calamitous spring in and around New York City. The overall death toll has reached about...
Health System CEO Says He Had Virus, Won’t Wear Mask
MINNEAPOLIS — The head of one of the largest regional health systems in the Midwest has told his employees that he has recovered from COVID-19 and is back in the office — without a mask. Sanford Health's president and chief executive, Kelby Krabbenhoft, said in an email Wednesday that he...
Fresno Pastor on COVID-19: “You’re Gonna Get It, Eventually”
Churches are supposed to move all their worship services outside under state COVID-19 rules for counties, like Fresno, in California's 'purple' reopening tier. 'The Well Community Church' said it will continue meeting indoors this weekend, but will require people who attend in person to wear masks. In a video posted to...
Pfizer Seeking Emergency Use of Its COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer said Friday it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic -- but not until after a long, hard winter. The...
California Agency Exposed 38M Social Security Numbers, Says Audit
California’s unemployment benefits agency has sent out at least 38 million pieces of mail containing Social Security numbers since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, putting residents at risk of identity theft, according to a state audit released Thursday. The Employment Development Department continued mailing forms without concealing sensitive information...
Will Social Distancing Weaken My Immune System?
Will social distancing weaken my immune system? In short, no. Some worry a lack of contact with others will weaken their immune system by reducing its active contact with germs. But even when we're staying 6 feet from others or spending most of our time at home, our bodies are...
Heading Into Holidays, US COVID-19 Testing Strained Again
NEW YORK — With coronavirus cases surging and families hoping to gather safely for Thanksgiving, long lines to get tested have reappeared across the U.S. — a reminder that the nation’s testing system remains unable to keep pace with the virus. The delays are happening as the country braces for...
CDC Begs Americans Not to Travel for Thanksgiving
NEW YORK — With the coronavirus surging out of control, the nation’s top public health agency pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household. It was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on...