CoViD-19: "This Disease Is Now A Choice" | Put Kids First; California Requires Vax or Tests For School Employees | Senate Passes Budget Proposal | San Diego: Unvaxxed 9x More Likely For Infection, 51x For Hospitalization |

  

(Taken 5.3.21)

What a day. I told you that on Monday while Darren and I were in the speakeasy, some truck was idling and turns out maybe the guy fell asleep or something, so numerous cops came to handle that situation until like 3 or 4 in the morning. So then Tuesday night I'm working on listings so I was up super late and when I finished, watched some smut on Bravo before going to bed and some prowler comes in my yard (no thanks to Ficus who was sound asleep). He was casing but I yelled and he left. But then he came back at 5am and stole our entire trash canister full of recycling, probably $100 worth of cans and bottles. I called police but a prowler is apparently not an emergency and I wasn't gonna wait around for them to come do a police report. This morning the bin was back, but the jerk actually zip-tied our gate open. Now we have a lock back on it and all the neighbors are aware and I've asked for a security light and I'll be sleeping with one eye open. I'm trying to be compassionate that the person needed the recycling more than us, but you don't get to case a house and steal shit. Not okay. 

Wednesday is the day the County gives all their weekly data and it is kind of alarming, but there is still good evidence that cases in unvaccinated people far exceed by 9-fold breakthrough infections, so businesses considering vax requirements or negative tests should still proceed to stifle infections. 

Nova and I went to the San Diego Zoo tonight and then Darren met us a little later after he worked on his new bike for awhile and it was so muggy and gross but also empty as I guess the summer travelers are diminishing. I met a chatty 4 year old whose family was trying to find the exit, so they followed us to Skyfari as she asked me about my day, what animals I saw, and gushingly thanked us for our help to the "bucket ride". At one point she asked me a question and asked the 3 ladies with her to talk quieter because we were having a very important conversation. And they were all masked, as were we. Adorbs. 

There's a lot today, so sorry to be posting so late. Good news, though. The City of San Diego got the emergency permit to close the sea lion rookery, so barriers went up this morning. 

Stay safe out there. 

 

• COVID-19:
• WHO Weekly Epidemiological Update 10 August
• On 5 August, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases globally surpassed 200 million, just six months after reaching 100 million cases. This week alone, over 4.2 million new cases and over 65 000 new deaths were reported, a slight increase as compared to the previous week. The largest proportionate increases in new cases were reported by the Region of the Americas and Western Pacific Region, with 1.3 million and over 375 000 new cases reported, respectively. Additionally, a substantial increase in the number of new deaths was reported this week in the Western Pacific Region
• Use of COVID-19 Vaccines After Reports of Adverse Events Among Adult Recipients of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): Update from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, July 2021 - CDC MMWR (8.10.21 Early Release)
• Here's why now is one of the most dangerous times of the pandemic for children, expert says - CNN (8.12.21)
• Is Delta Also More Severe in Kids? — Data are in short supply, but hard-hit children's hospitals are sounding alarms - MedPage Today (8.10.21)
• A WHO official on why we need a global tech strategy to fight vaccine misinformation - STAT News (8.11.21)
• COVID patients have doubled in California hospitals - CalMatters (8.11.21)
• Pfizer and Moderna Go Head to Head Against Delta— Variant knocked down effectiveness of one vaccine more than another, preprint finds - MedPage Today (8.10.12)
• Politics: 
• The Senate Passes A $3.5 Trillion Budget Proposal. It's The Latest Win For Biden - AP News/npr (8.11.21)
• Public Favors Masks in Classrooms but Balks at Mandating Vaccinations for Students - khn (8.11.21)
• White House: 
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 11, 2021
• Readout of the National Climate Task Force Meeting
• Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with Business, University and Health Care Leaders on COVID-⁠19 Vaccination Requirements
• Remarks by President Biden on the Build Back Better Agenda
• The Cost of Living in America: Helping Families Move Ahead with the Build Back Better Agenda
• Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Need for Reliable and Stable Global Energy Markets
• Readout of the First Listening Session of the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable
• President Biden to Convene Leaders’ Summit for Democracy
• State Dept:
• Poland’s Troubling Legislation
• Dept of Labor:
• US Department of Labor announces funding to states to modernize unemployment insurance system, combat fraud, address equity
• News:
• County Opens Four More COVID-19 Testing Sites; Capacity Now at 6,500 Daily Tests - County News Center (8.11.21)
• Sample Ballot Pamphlets Go Out for Recall Election - County News Center (8.11.21)
• Super Saturday Child Support Backpack Giveaway - County News Center (8.11.21)
• San Diego begins temporary closure of Point La Jolla to separate people and sea lions - La Jolla Light (8.11.21)
• Other Reading:
• Corporate PR will not solve the climate crisis - Popular Information (8.11.21)
• A new Plandemic-like misinformation video has earned tens of millions of Facebook engagements via streaming platforms - Media Matters (8.10.21)
• As COVID-19 cases surge and schools assess safety measures for the new year, Facebook is allowing anti-mask groups to thrive. Nearly 100 new anti-mask groups -- including groups focused on children and schools -- were created this year, despite Facebook’s policy against anti-mask content - Media Matters (8.10.21)
• Global COVID-19 Stats (JHU 8.12.21 12:21am):
• 204,738,271 Known Cases/16,394,628 28-Day Cases
• 4,324,615 Known Deaths/262,229 28-Day Cases 
• US COVID-19 Stats 
• CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker
• JHU
• 36,190,342 Cases/2,242,949  28-Day Cases
• 618,479 Deaths/10,465 18-Day Deaths
• CDC Data Tracker:
• +132,384 New Cases/36,125,176 Known Cases 
• +664 New Deaths/616,459 Known Deaths
• 409,566,315 Doses Delivered
• 353,205,544 Doses Administered
• 196,077,952 Partially Vaccinated
• 167,105,507 Fully Vaccinated 
• 50.3% of Total Population
• 58.9% of Population ≥ 12 Years of Age
• 61.3% of Population ≥ 18 Years of Age
• California 
• California Implements First-in-the-Nation Measure to Encourage Teachers and School Staff to Get Vaccinated. California continues to lead the nation in implementing vaccination strategies and measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom (8.11.21)
• What They’re Saying: Education and Labor Leaders Support New Measure Encouraging Teachers and School Staff to Get Vaccinated
• Media Questions:
• Is this cutting it too close to school openings? Districts/schools indicated that NPIs were not enough to keep schools open. 
• State level, private sector have already implemented similar measures. State is following the data and as Delta has gotten worse, the need for more specific interventions is required. State has been monitoring more than a dozen variants. This is following the epidemiology at scale.
• Will vaccines be required for students? This is the announcement today, we will monitor and be flexible and consider is student vaccine mandate is necessary when/if the time comes to make it so.
• Once vaccine gets federal authorization, we will evaluate where we land on that and . Give this initiative a chance to work. Most teachers are already vaccinated. 
• QOTD: "I continue to remind people, In closing, the importance, the imperative, if we wanna end this pandemic, a disease, we could do it in a month. That's a choice. This disease (is) now a choice. The one thing that could end this pandemic once and for all is available in abundance to everybody that wants it, regardless of your ability to pay, regardless of your immigration status, it is available today. And that's a vaccine. Not only will it save your lives, but allow us to sustainably keep our kids back in in-person instruction, keep our economy moving, support our small businesses. I don't know that there's a more damn patriotic thing you can do, on behalf, not only yourself, your community, but your fellow Americans than getting vaccinated and encourage everybody to take advantage of that-- what I would argue--responsibility, not just opportunity that is available in abundance here in our state." - Gavin Newsom  
• California COVID-19 Stats:
• State of California Safe Schools For All Hub
• Vaccination progress dashboard
• Coronavirus: Resources for Californians
• R-effective: 1.16
• 50,755,455 Doses Delivered/44,854,015 Doses Administered
• 3,377,591 Partially Vaccinated/21,651,782 Fully Vaccinated
• 9,925 New Cases/3,969,722 Total Cases (23.1 new cases/100k)
• -352 New Deaths/63,976 Total Deaths (0.04 new deaths/100k)
• Negative death rate results after audits for double-counts, etc. 
• 6.4% 7-day test positivity rate
• 7,007 COVID-19 Hospitalizations (+320 patients, +4.8% from prior day)
• 1,479 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized in CA (+62 patients, +4.4% from prior day)
• 1,807 ICU beds available (-138 from prior day)
• San Diego County 
• Free Testing Sites and Schedule in San Diego
• Vaccination Locations San Diego
• Vaccination Dashboard
• San Diego County Of Education School Reopening Dashboard
• COVID ActNow Daily Updates for San Diego Metro
• CDC Data:
• 1,490,302 Fully Vaccinated 
• 44.6% of Total Population
• 52% of Population ≥ 12 Years of Age
• 53% of Population ≥ 18 Years of Age
• State Data:
• R-effective: 1.07
• 1,433 New Cases/308,288 Total Cases
• 8.7% (7-day avg after 7-day lag)
• 4 Deaths/3,815 Total Deaths
• 507 COVID-19 hospitalized patients (+4 patients, +0.8% from prior day)
• 113 COVID-19 ICU hospitalized patients (+14 patients, +14.1% from prior day)
• 201 ICU beds available (-14 from prior day)
• County Data:
• County Opens Four More COVID-19 Testing Sites; Capacity Now at 6,500 Daily Tests - County News Center (8.11.21)
• 1,134 New Cases/309,406 Total Cases 
• 27.7 cases per 100k residents
• 3 New Daily Deaths/3,818 Total Deaths
• 4,549,305 Doses Received/4,400,037 Doses Administered
• 2,330,157 Partially Vaccinated/2,040,609 Fully Vaccinated
• +24,909 Newly Fully Vaccinated Since Last Week
• 72.8% 12+ Population Fully Vaccinated/61% Total Population Fully Vaccinated
• 9.4% Daily Test Positivity/8.8% (7-day avg after 7-day lag)/7.8% Test Positivity (14-day average)
• 39.9% Case Investigation 
• +56 Day Over Day COVID-19 Hospitalizations
• +0 Day Over Day COVID-19 ICU Patients
• 9.6% Day Over Day COVID-19 Hospitalizations (485 patients. 375% over 30 days)
• 26% ICU Capacity (111 patients. 383% over 30 days)
• 35 Staffed ICU Beds Available 
• 47 Community Outbreaks (7-day)/145 Active Community Outbreaks
• 18 in restaurant/bar settings
• 11 in business settings
• 3 in daycare/preschool/childcare settings
• 3 in retail settings
• 3 in hotel/resort/spa settings
• 2 in faith-based settings
• 2 in TK-12 school settings
• 1 in a health care setting
• 1 in a government setting
• 1 in a grocery setting
• 1 in a restaurant setting
• 1 in a distribution warehouse setting
• Universities:
• SDSU COVID-19, UCSD COVID-19, USD COVID-19, CSU San Marcos, PLNU