COVID-19: HHS Drops FDA Review Requirement For Tests | County Approves School Openings Without Waivers 9/1 | County Stats Relatively Stable

Lioness at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 6.28.2020)

Davey is a hero and fixed my laptop and you should totally support his shop, Red Brontosaurus Records. Besides that, I lazed around watching "Love In The Time Of Corona" on Hulu which was actually pretty great. Darren and Nova kept busy shuffling the air conditioners around the upstairs and downstairs and checking fuses and buying new power cords so that Nova could have a window box in her room. Like many people, I was shocked about the announcement that Dr Wooten said all San Diego County schools can open without waivers next Tuesday, September 1, but after reading the announcement and the state guidelines, it's not really as crazy as it sounds, except that it feels like many schools (as did restaurants, bars, gyms, salons) will adhere to the guidance at first, but it will quickly fall by the wayside. The main thing in the new guidance is that class "cohorts" may not be more than the same 14 students with the same 2 adults, which fundamentally would change junior high and high school. And on top of that, SDUSD has already made their own more stringent criteria for reopening. So read the state guidance, which was updated today for childcare, day camps, higher education, schools, and youth sports, and don't let crazy headlines get you all worked up (like I did). 

• California COVID-19 Stats:
• 4,480 New Cases/673,095 Total Cases (0.7% increase)
• 105 New Deaths/12,257 Total Deaths (0.9% increase)
• 6.3% 14-day test positivity rate
• San Diego County Stats
• State Data:
• 3,752 New Cases (Last 14 Days)/36,729 Total Cases
• 66 Deaths (Last 14 Days)/660 Total Deaths
• 111.3 cases/100k population 
• 4.6% Test Positivity (Last 14 Days)
• County Data:
• 267 New Cases/36,994 Total Cases 
• 5 New Daily Deaths/665 Total Deaths
• 80.9 cases (81.0 State Reporting)/100k population 
• 5% Daily Test Positivity/3.6% Test Positivity (14-day average)
• Case Investigation is 96%
• 1 New/21 Community Outbreaks (7-day)
• County Gives Schools OK to Reopen for In-Person Instruction Next Tuesday - Times of San Diego (8.25.2020)
• COVID-19 Reading
• HHS Decision to Allow COVID-19 Tests to Market Without FDA Review Provokes Congressional Backlash - Homeland Preparedness News (8.24.2020)
  “Given the importance of testing for our ability to control the spread of COVID-19 and the Administration’s past blunders with serological tests, I do not believe that now is the time to reduce oversight of COVID-19 tests,” Pallone said. “The Trump Administration has continuously failed to grasp the scope of this pandemic. Flooding the market with unregulated and potentially inaccurate tests will only further undermine our nation’s response efforts. As FDA has repeatedly stated, inaccurate lab-developed tests present a higher risk during a public health emergency and ‘should not be used for clinical diagnoses without FDA’s approval, clearance, or authorization.’”
• FDA authorizes plasma treatment despite scientists' objections: Until now, most Covid-19 patients who have received plasma have gotten it through an expanded-use program the FDA set up with the Mayo Clinic.- Politico (8.23.2020)
• Elizabeth Warren, others seek details of Warp Speed co-chief Moncef Slaoui’s contract: He has been criticized for maintaining pharmaceutical investments while leading the Trump ,administration’s coronavirus vaccine efforts - The Washington Post (8.25.2020)
• A woman spread COVID to 27 customers at a Starbucks. Its mask-wearing employees escaped infection - Fortune (8.24.2020)
• Urinals and toilets may spread COVID-19, new research shows, adding fuel to the mask debate - Fortune (8.19.2020)
• America's Dive Bars Face an Uncertain Future: Crowded, cramped, and a little wild, dive bars are at odds with social distancing—and struggling to reopen. - Conde Nast Traveler (8.24.2020)
• A Huge Covid-19 Natural Experiment Is Underway—in Classrooms: As K-12 students head back to school, epidemiologists are watching for clues about how kids spread the virus, and what can stop it. - Wired (8.25.2020)