CoViD-19: CA Expands Incentives; Moves Beyond The Blueprint | UK Pushes Back Opening | Keep An Eye On That Delta Variant | CDC Mask Guidance Reminder |

  

Is That A Panda? NO! It's An Aardvark's Knee! (Taken San Diego Zoo 6.15.21)

I was finishing up this post when I got a little pop-up from live video by this news chaser dude. He listens to police scanners, then goes to the scene to film and broadcasts live. I'm not sure if he even sells his footage to news channels, but not really my point. 

He was driving around North Park, just a couple blocks from me, and the cops were looking for a man with a rifle who'd been in an altercation at the 7-11 on Meade and 30th. I don't know if they gave up their search, but they didn't find him. They bust out the police chopper for all kinds of stuff but that didn't warrant a deeper search? 

I guess there really wasn't that much news that I didn't cover in the last post. I was going to watch Governor Newsom's press conference from the morning but it wasn't online, so instead you can just read the press releases where he is expanding the vaccine incentives to include California vacations, which include travel for 4 to specific destinations and $2,000 travel money. The news showed that there was a gathering of some of the people who've put their names on the ballot for the recall and showed stupid Jenner talking about the border crisis. This person who killed someone while driving doesn't vote, doesn't understand basic government, and thinks the state has any control over the international border. And yet the news just has to show her. Kevvie didn't even show up, he must've been so burnt by the Bloomberg article raving about California's economy. 

There has been a lot more talk about the Delta variant, which has now pushed back opening in the UK and is said to be doubling in the US every two weeks, so it will be interesting to see if vaccinations step up before those low-uptake states start seeing even more death or cases among children. Let's hope those of us who are vaccinated can repel it enough to prevent that. 

Stay safe out there. 

• COVID-19:
• Experts Confident About COVID Vaccines' Long-Term Safety — "I know of no precedent of a long-term effect that comes up 5 or 10 years later," expert says. - MedPage Today (6.11.21)
• US COVID-19 cases no longer declining; Delta variant's rapid spread — 4 things to know - Becker's Hospital Review (6.14.21)
• WHO Director-General's COVID-19 updates - WHO (6.14.21)
• Globally, the number of new cases of COVID-19 reported to WHO has now declined for 7 weeks in a row. Deaths are not falling as quickly. And the global decline masks a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries. The steep increase in Africa is especially concerning.  
• At the G7 Summit on Saturday, I said that to end the pandemic, our shared goal must be to vaccinate at least 70% of the world’s population by the time the G7 meets again in Germany next year. I welcome the announcement that G7 countries will donate 870 million vaccine doses, primarily through COVAX. This is a big help, but we need more, and we need them faster. More than 10 thousand people are dying every day.  
• The emergence of more transmissible variants means public health and social measures may need to be more stringent and applied for longer, in areas where vaccination rates remain low. To improve the evidence base on the effectiveness of public health and social measures, WHO is collecting data from around the world on which measures are used and the level at which they are applied. We have also established a new WHO working group, with the support of Norway, to study the impact of public health and social measures during COVID-19 and other health emergencies.  
• CDC Mask Guidance: CDC recommends that unvaccinated people age 2 and older wear masks in public. For people who are unvaccinated, masks should be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially if indoors around people who don’t live with you. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance, such as on a ferry or the top deck of a bus. 
• Increased household transmission of COVID-19 cases associated with SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern B.1.617.2: a national casecontrol study - Public Health England 
  A study from Public Health England finds that the Delta variant (first identified in India) has a 64 percent higher household transmission rate than the Alpha variant (first identified in the U.K.). Previous studies have already estimated the Alpha variant to have a 60 percent higher household transmission rate than previous non-variants. - Summary by COVID Act Now (6.14.21) 
• Governor Gavin Newsom Updates:
• Governor Newsom Statement on Legislature’s Passage of State Budget Bill 6.14.21
• Governor Newsom Highlights Travel and Tourism Comeback, Announces New Vax for the Win California Dream Vacations on the Eve of State’s Full Reopening 
• Californians aged 18+ who are at least partially vaccinated will have the chance to win vacation packages in a drawing on July 1 
• Destinations include Anaheim, Greater Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco
• News:
• Covid: Lockdown easing in England to be delayed by four weeks - BBC News (6.14.21)
• COVID-19: 'Unprecedented and remarkable' change needed to derail 19 July 'terminus date', Michael Gove says. Michael Gove says the 21 June postponement is "regrettable", but the government wants to be sure that "we don't go back". - Sky News (6.15.21)
• Other Reading:
• 18 Amazon Prime Perks You Might Not Be Using. Your membership gets you more than free two-day shipping. Here’s what you may be missing. - Wired (6.14.21)