As omicron surges, more Bay Area school sickouts are planned for this week
Educators at more Bay Area schools are planning sick-outs this week: They say the move is needed to put pressure on school districts to provide more COVID safety measures.
Biden administration to send schools additional 10M COVID-19 tests per month
The White House said it will send 5 million rapid COVID-19 tests and 5 million lab-based PCR tests to schools each month in an effort to keep them open.
Unauthorized COVID test site in San Francisco has murky ties
An unauthorized COVID test site in San Francisco with murky connections is on the radar of the city attorney.
San Jose City Council approves booster-shot requirement at city-owned facilities
San Jose City Council on Tuesday approved COVID-19 booster shot requirements to access large indoor events at city-owned buildings. The new rule impacts both city workers and the public.
Sonoma County imposes COVID restrictions
Sonoma County is imposing restrictions that prohibit some large indoor gatherings and encourage people to stay home as much as possible.
Cold medicine shortage: COVID surge, flu season leading to empty shelves
Shoppers across DFW are encountering medicine shelves that are empty or close to it. One employee at an East Dallas pharmacy called it "the new toilet paper shortage.”
Bay Area school district reopens after deep cleaning, teacher shortages persist
At Korematsu Middle School in El Cerrito Tuesday, school was back in session after a four-day weekend where the district had each school deep cleaned.
Palo Alto schools recruit hundreds of parents to cover staff shortage
Palo Alto Unified is asking hundreds of parents to volunteer on campuses to help with increased staff absences.
California makes it easier to hire teachers amid shortages
California is making it easier for school districts to hire teachers and other employees amid staffing shortages brought on by the latest surge in coronavirus cases, the governor said Tuesday.
Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in US and Britain
Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.
Fauci Senate hearing on pandemic gets testy: ‘What a moron’
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, angrily accused Senator Rand Paul of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him -- all to raise political cash.
Family accuses employer of making their loved one work on-site despite pleas to work remotely
A family is accusing a Riverside County employer of not letting their beloved family member with pre-existing conditions work remotely during a COVID-19 surge. He died in February 2021.
Health officials let COVID-infected nurses and healthcare workers keep working
California health authorities announced over the weekend that hospital staff members who test positive but are symptom-free can continue working. Some hospitals in Rhode Island and Arizona have likewise told employees they can stay on the job if they have no symptoms or just mild ones.
US finalizing plans to ship free COVID-19 tests via USPS, shares 1st contracts
The White House is finalizing plans to ship free at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans nationwide and has awarded its first contracts as part of this pledge.
Oakland School for the Arts temporarily shuts down for COVID
Oakland School for the Arts has shutdown for the remainder of the week, blaming staff shortages because of quarantines.
New Sonoma County health order prohibits large gatherings through mid-February
Sonoma County's public health officer issued an order that prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people indoors or more than 100 people outdoors. Situations exempt from the health order include schools, outdoor recess, workplace settings, courthouse activities, places of worship, cafeterias, but also shopping malls, stores, restaurants/food facilities and museums.
With rising demand, Berkeley lab cranks out thousands of PCR tests a day
One Berkeley lab can process 4,000 samples a day.
China locks down third city, raising affected to 20 million
A third Chinese city has locked down its residents because of a COVID-19 outbreak, raising the number confined to their homes in China to about 20 million people.
Unauthorized COVID testing site in San Francisco has outdated license
As omicron cases surge, the demand for COVID testing is through the roof, but health experts in San Francisco are warning people to be careful which sites they go to for testing.
Private insurers to cover home COVID-19 tests starting Saturday
Under the new policy, Americans will be able to either purchase home testing kits for free under their insurance or submit receipts for the tests for reimbursement, up to the monthly per-person limit.