COVID-19 cases fall in California, but state could experience a fourth wave

Plus: New CDC necessities for vaccinated people, and a push for gender-neutral youngsters’s sections at giant retailers

I’m Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and particular sections editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs. I hope your week has began on a good observe. Here are a few of immediately’s headlines from this nice state of ours.

In California brings you high Golden State tales and commentary from throughout the USA TODAY Network and past. Get it free, straight to your inbox.

COVID-19 cases fall in California

California reported 32,775 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 6.5% over the previous week.

California ranked thirty ninth among the many states the place coronavirus was spreading the quickest on a per-person foundation, based on a USA TODAY Network evaluation of Johns Hopkins University information. In the newest week, the United States added 420,773 reported cases of coronavirus, a lower of 10.7% from the week earlier than.

Across California, cases fell in 30 counties, with the steepest declines in San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.

A complete of three,599,689 individuals in California have examined optimistic for the coronavirus for the reason that pandemic started, and 54,225 individuals have died from the illness, Johns Hopkins University information reveals. In the United States, 28,999,273 individuals have examined optimistic and 525,036 individuals have died.

California could face a fourth COVID-19 wave

Don’t throw away your face masks simply but. While this information is encouraging, KTLA 5 reports that the state could still experience a fourth wave of infection.

According to Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious illnesses skilled at UC San Francisco, roughly 67% of a inhabitants wants immunity to COVID-19 earlier than the unfold of illness between individuals is unlikely.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. authorities’s high infectious illnesses skilled, has beforehand mentioned round 70% to 85% of a inhabitants wants immunity.

About 40% of Americans are believed to have immunity to COVID-19, says Rutherford, both from vaccination or as a result of they’ve been beforehand contaminated and have survived.

In different COVID statistics, ABC 10 reports that health officials in the Northern California county of Butte say they have diagnosed one case of the UK coronavirus variant, bringing the full cases of the UK variant in the Golden State to 250, as of March 4.

CDC: Vaccinated Americans can collect inside with out masks or social distancing

Have you obtained each of your COVID-19 vaccination doses? If so, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some new pointers for you.

The company says those who have received a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine may get together with other fully vaccinated individuals in small groups inside their homes without masks or physical distancing. They can even go to with unvaccinated individuals from one different family who’re at low threat for extreme illness.

In addition, totally vaccinated individuals don’t have to quarantine or take a COVID-19 take a look at in the event that they’ve been uncovered, except they’re symptomatic.

The tempo of vaccinations has ramped up so greater than two million Americans are getting vaccinated per day.

The Biden administration mentioned Tuesday there will probably be sufficient vaccine for each grownup in the U.S. by May due to a deal brokered between pharmaceutical giants Merck and Johnson & Johnson, but well being consultants say the U.S. could attain that milestone by mid-April.

Work-for-shot volunteer program launched in California

How keen are you to get vaccinated? Enough to assist vaccinate others? NBC Bay Area reports that the state of California has created a work-for-a-shot program for volunteers.

Working along with California Volunteers, the governor’s workplace introduced on Monday the launching of MyTurnVolunteer, the place individuals who signal as much as work volunteer shifts at vaccination websites will change into eligible for a shot.

A California Volunteers spokesperson told SFGate that anybody who works 4 hours or extra can get a shot, even when they don’t but qualify underneath state pointers.

According to officers, alternatives are restricted, but in the event you join on the web site, you’ll obtain a notification when a volunteer slot opens up.

Newsom recall leaders say they’ve sufficient signatures to set off an election

Leaders of the trouble to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned this weekend they’ve collected 1.95 million signatures, a quantity they consider will probably be greater than sufficient to set off a particular recall election.

County and state elections officers nonetheless have to confirm that almost 1.5 million are legitimate signatures from registered California voters earlier than the recall can qualify for the poll. But recall supporters mentioned Sunday that they are assured they’ve collected sufficient.

The most up-to-date signature verification numbers from the Secretary of State’s Office discovered that about 83% of the signatures counted by early February had been legitimate. There’s no assure that validity price will maintain for the remaining signatures, but if it does, proponents would attain the edge wanted to set off a particular recall election.

Opponents of the recall have argued Newsom doesn’t should be faraway from workplace and have dismissed the trouble as a Republican scheme to problem Newsom in a particular election, when decrease voter turnout tends to favor extra conservative causes and candidates.

California considers invoice requiring gender-neutral youngsters’s sections at giant retailers

Last week, we reported that Mr. Potato Head had formally dropped the honorific “Mr.” and can be recognized henceforth as “Potato Head.” And now comes information that proposed legislation might require California retail stores to become more gender-neutral.

State lawmakers are debating a new invoice that will prohibit department shops with greater than 500 staff from dividing merchandise for youngsters by gender.

The restriction would ban separate areas and signage and mandate online retailers which have a bodily location in the state use gender-neutral phrases to label youngsters’s objects in a part of their web sites. It would apply to toys and different children’ objects but not clothes right now, the invoice’s co-author, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, informed USA Today. 

If handed, the measure would go into impact in Jan. 1, 2024, and would include a tremendous of $1,000 for violations.

“It’s really important that toys and kids’ sections be neutral in order to give kids as many opportunities to flourish and develop and be creative,” mentioned Garcia, a Democrat who leads the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. “We should allow our kids to explore and try different things and let them come to their own conclusion of how they will identify themselves.”

In California is a roundup of stories from throughout USA Today community newsrooms. Also contributing: ABC 10, KTLA 5, NBC Bay Area. We’ll be again in your inbox tomorrow with the newest headlines.

As the philanthropy and particular sections editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and individuals who give again in the Coachella Valley. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

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