- Under pressure that hasn’t eased since the pandemic, some health care workers are preparing to strike CNN
- Kaiser Permanente employees issue strike notice Scripps News
- Nearly 4,000 DMV Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers threaten to strike Saturday WJLA
- More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers will strike next week if they don’t get a deal Chief Healthcare Executive
- Kaiser unions representing 75000 workers are threatening to go out on strike in early October – Silicon Valley Business Journal The Business Journals
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Hiring, Wage Gains Eased in December, Pointing to a Cooling Labor Market in 2023
The U.S. labor market is losing momentum as hiring and wage growth cooled in December, showing the effects of slower economic growth and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate increases.
After two straight years of record-setting payroll growth following the pandemic-related disruptions, the labor market is starting to show signs of stress. That suggests 2023 could bring slower hiring or outright job declines as the overall economy slows or tips into recession.
Employers added 223,000 jobs in December, the smallest gain in two years, the Labor Department said Friday. Average hourly earnings were up 4.6% in December from the previous year, the narrowest increase since mid-2021, and down from a March peak of 5.6%.
All told, employers added 4.5 million jobs in 2022, the second-best year of job creation after 2021, when the labor market rebounded from Covid-19 shutdowns and added 6.7 million jobs. Last year’s gains were concentrated in the first seven months of the year. More recent data and a wave of tech and finance-industry layoffs suggest the labor market, while still vibrant, is cooling.
“I do expect the economy to slow noticeably by June, and in the second half of the year we’ll see a greater pace of slowing if not outright contraction,” said
Joe Brusuelas,
chief economist at RSM U.S.
Friday’s report sent markets rallying as investors anticipated it would cause the Fed to slow its pace of rate increases. The central bank’s next policy meeting starts Jan. 31. The Fed’s aggressive rate increases aimed at combating inflation didn’t significantly cool 2022 hiring, but revisions to wage growth showed recent gains weren’t as brisk as previously thought.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 700.53 points, or 2.13%, on Friday. The S&P 500 Index was up 2.28% and NASDAQ Composite Index advanced 2.56%. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield declined 0.15 percentage point to 3.57%. Yields fall as bond prices rise.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in December from 3.6% in November, matching readings earlier in 2022 and just before the pandemic began as a half-century low. Fed officials said last month the jobless rate would rise in 2023. December job gains were led by leisure and hospitality, healthcare and construction.
Historically low unemployment and solid hiring, however, might mask some signs of weakness. The labor force participation rate, which measures the share of adults working or looking for work, rose slightly to 62.3% in December but is still well below prepandemic levels, one possible factor that could make it harder for employers to fill open positions.
The average workweek has declined over the past two years and in December stood at 34.3 hours, the lowest since early 2020.
Hiring in temporary help services has fallen by 111,000 over the past five months, with job losses accelerating. That could be a sign that employers, faced with slowing demand, are reducing their employees’ hours and pulling back from temporary labor to avoid laying off workers.
The tech-heavy information sector lost 5,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department report showed. Retail saw a 9,000 rise in payrolls, snapping three straight months of declines.
Tech companies cut more jobs in 2022 than they did at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to layoffs.fyi, which tracks industry job cuts. On Wednesday,
Salesforce Inc.
said it would cut 10% of its workforce, unwinding a hiring spree during the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal reported that
Amazon.com Inc.
would lay off 18,000 people, roughly 1.2% of its total workforce. Other companies, such as
parent
Meta Platforms Inc.,
DoorDash Inc.
and
Snap Inc.,
have also recently cut positions.
Companies in the interest-rate-sensitive housing and finance sectors, including
Redfin Corp.
,
Morgan Stanley
and
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.,
have also moved to reduce staff.
Months where overall jobs gained
Months where overall jobs declined
By the end of 2022, the U.S. had added nearly 2 million jobs since the end of 2019
More than 20 million jobs were lost near the start of the pandemic
Employment returns to prepandemic level
A monthly gain of more than 4 million jobs
Months where
overall jobs gained
Months where
overall jobs declined
By the end of 2022, the U.S. had added nearly 2 million jobs since the end of 2019
More than 20 million jobs were lost near the start of the pandemic
Employment returns to prepandemic level
A monthly gain of more than 4 million jobs
Months where
overall jobs gained
Months where
overall jobs declined
By the end of 2022, the U.S. had added nearly 2 million jobs since the end of 2019
More than 20 million jobs were lost near the start of the pandemic
Employment returns to prepandemic level
A monthly gain of more than 4 million jobs
Months where
overall jobs gained
Months where
overall jobs declined
By the end of 2022, the U.S. had added nearly 2 million jobs since the end of 2019
More than 20 million jobs were lost near the start of the pandemic
Employment returns to prepandemic level
A monthly gain of more than 4 million jobs
Months where
overall jobs gained
Months where
overall jobs declined
By the end of 2022, the U.S. had added nearly 2 million jobs since the end of 2019
More than 20 million jobs were lost near the start of the pandemic
Employment returns to prepandemic level
A monthly gain of more than 4 million jobs
Other data released this week point to a slowing U.S. economy. New orders for manufactured goods fell a seasonally adjusted 1.8% in November, the Commerce Department said Friday. Business surveys showed a contraction in economic activity in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Manufacturing firms posted the second-straight contraction following 29 months of expansion, and services firms snapped 30 straight months of growth in December.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal last fall saw a 63% probability of a U.S. recession in 2023. They saw the unemployment rate rising to 4.7% by December 2023.
“We’ve obviously been in a situation over the past few months where employment growth has been holding up surprisingly well and is slowing very gradually,” said
Andrew Hunter,
senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. “There are starting to be a few signs that we’re maybe starting to see a bit more of a sharp deterioration.”
Max Rottersman, a 61-year-old independent software developer, said he had been very busy with consulting jobs during much of the pandemic. But that changed over the summer when work suddenly dried up.
“I’m very curious to see whether I’m in high demand in the next few months or whether—what I sort of expect will happen—there will be tons of firing,” he said.
Despite some signs of cooling, the labor market remains exceptionally strong. On Wednesday, the Labor Department reported that there were 10.5 million job openings at the end of November, unchanged from October, well more than the number of unemployed Americans seeking work.
Some of those open jobs are at Caleb Rice’s home-renovation business in Calhoun, Tenn., which has been consistently busy since the start of the pandemic. The small company has raised pay and gone to a four-day week in an effort to hold on to workers.
“If I could get three more skilled hands right now, I’d be comfortable,” Mr. Rice said. “The way it goes is I’ll hire five, two will show up and of those two one won’t be worth a flip.”
Fed officials have been trying to engineer a gradual cooling of the labor market by raising interest rates. Officials are worried that a too-strong labor market could lead to more rapid wage increases, which in turn could put upward pressure on inflation as firms raise prices to offset higher labor costs.
The central bank raised rates at each of its past seven meetings and has signaled more rate increases this year to bring inflation down from near 40-year highs. Fed officials will likely take comfort in the slowdown in wage gains, which could prompt them to raise rates at a slower pace, Mr. Brusuelas, the economist, said.
“We’re closer to the peak in the Fed policy rate than we were prior to the report, and the Fed can strongly consider a further slowing in the pace of its hikes,” he said. “We could plausibly see a 25-basis-point hike versus a 50-basis-point hike at the Feb. 1 meeting.”
Write to David Harrison at david.harrison@wsj.com
Corrections & Amplifications
A graphic in an earlier version of this article showing the change in nonfarm payrolls since the end of 2019 was incorrectly labeled as change since January 2020. (Corrected on Jan. 6)
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
US consumer price inflation eased more than expected in November
US consumer price inflation eased more than expected in November to its lowest level in almost a year, bolstering the Federal Reserve’s plans to slow the pace of interest rate rises this week.
The rate of increase in the consumer price index fell to 7.1 per cent last month, lower than the 7.3 per cent forecast by economists and down from 7.7 per cent in October. It is the lowest level since December 2021.
Overall CPI rose 0.1 per cent from the previous month, less than the 0.4 per cent increase in October.
US stocks initially soared after the release, as investors bet that the central bank might not have to squeeze the economy as aggressively as feared to bring inflation under control. Those gains ebbed throughout the trading day, with the S&P 500 up 0.6 per cent.
Government bonds also rallied, sending the yield on two-year US Treasury bonds, which is sensitive to changes in interest rate expectations, down by 0.22 percentage points to 4.18 per cent at one point. It later traded around 2.24 per cent.
The inflation report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday, came at the start of the Federal Open Market Committee’s final two-day policy meeting of the year.
On Wednesday, the central bank is set to raise its benchmark policy rate by half a percentage point, breaking successive 0.75 point interest rate increases.
If that increase is implemented, the federal funds rate will move up to a new target range of 4.25-4.5 per cent, which most officials believe is still not high enough to bring inflation back down to the Fed’s longstanding 2 per cent target.
“One [inflation] number won’t be enough for the Fed, but it certainly is going to put the Fed in a better mood than they have been over the past number of weeks,” said Padhraic Garvey, regional head of research for the Americas at ING. But he warned that inflation could “quite easily” surprise next month.
“The sensible thing from [the Fed’s] perspective is to deliver the [half-percentage point move], do it in a hawkish manner and don’t have a victory lap just yet.
“If they go all dovish tomorrow, the market will read that and will loosen up financial conditions further and it just takes away the value of the hike in the first place.”
Energy and goods prices have begun to slow this year, having previously helped to push up the annual increase in the CPI index to 9.1 per cent in June. But services-related costs have risen at an alarming pace, bolstered in part by an acceleration in wage growth as a result of the surprisingly resilient labour market.
In November, housing-related costs were the biggest driver of the monthly increase in consumer prices, rising 0.6 per cent compared to October and 7.1 per cent on an annual basis. Home prices have fallen materially this year as mortgage expenses have jumped, but those declines take time to show up in the data, suggesting further downward pressure on inflation next year.
Transportation costs and those related to medical services posted monthly declines, despite having increased 14 per cent and nearly 5 per cent respectively compared to November last year. Food prices remain elevated, however, registering a 0.5 per cent monthly increase.
Fed officials have acknowledged that getting inflation under control will require a sustained period of low growth and higher unemployment, but have stopped short of forecasting an outright recession. Most economists say an economic contraction will be necessary and anticipate a mild one next year.
President Joe Biden cheered the slower increase in the CPI in a statement from the White House on Tuesday.
“In a world where inflation is rising at double digits in many major economies around the world, inflation is coming down in America,” he said. “Make no mistake: prices are still too high. We have a lot more work to do, but things are getting better.”
Biden said he hoped prices would be “much closer” to “normal” by the end of next year. “We could see setbacks along the way . . . We shouldn’t take anything for granted. But what is clear is my economic plan is working and we’re just getting started. My goal is simple: get price increases under control without choking off economic growth.”
Additional reporting by Harriet Clarfelt in New York and James Politi in Washington
Baby formula boss warns crisis will last ALL YEAR as Biden claims it will be eased in weeks
The head of one of the four companies that control 90 percent of the U.S. market for baby formula has warned that the shortages nationwide could last until the end of the year, as President Joe Biden’s critics mocked his claim that ‘only a mind reader’ could have predicted the current crisis.
On Friday CEO of formula giant Perrigo Murray Kessler, told Reuters he expects shortages and heightened demand to last for the ‘balance of the year.’
Kessler said their factories in Ohio and Vermont are running at 115 percent capacity, to compensate for Chicago-based Abbott’s shutdown – but added that supplies would remain erratic for the remainder of 2022.
‘We have stepped up and are killing ourselves to do everything we can,’ Kessler said.
At the request of the FDA, Perrigo is focusing on four items: the store-brand versions of Similac Pro Sensitive and Pro Advance, and Enfamil Gentle Ease and Infant, Kessler said.
The company added that it is making other formulas as well.
It also has a smaller business making some national formula brands, including Bobbie.
Murray Kessler, head of formula giant Perrigo, has warned shortages of baby food could last throughout 2022
The closure of Abbott’s infant-formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, exacerbated national pandemic-related shortages, leading to empty shelves in big box stores and supermarkets and panicked parents.
Abbott’s brands include Similac formulas.
Perrigo is working with retailers including Walmart and Target Corp so they ‘get something each week,’ Kessler said.
Retailers’ allocations are based on an average of what the retailers received prior to ‘this crisis,’ he said.
Meanwhile President Biden has sparked fury after claiming that the issue could be sorted within weeks – the same as what the FDA has previously said – without offering further unique detail on how he plans to tackle the issue.
He was also accused of being glib after telling reporters Friday that he’d have needed psychic powers to predict the crisis, despite alarm bells sounding as far back as summer 2021.
The nationwide ‘out of stock’ level has been consistently above 10 percent since August, and in January this year The Wall Street Journal warned of an impending problem.
Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council, said on Friday morning that the White House had been urging states to take action to combat the issue in February – after the shortage was exacerbated by a February 17 recall of some products produced by Abbott Laboratories, and a shutdown of one of their plants.
Joe Biden on Friday claimed that no one could have predicted the current shortage of baby formula – despite his own National Economic Council chief saying on Friday morning that they asked states to do more in February
‘We actually gave states the guidance on using flexibility the day after this recall happened in February,’ he told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins.
Yet Biden on Friday insisted no one could have predicted the crisis, which has seen desperate parents go from store to store, trying to find the urgently-needed formula.
The president was hosting an event about community policing when he was asked about the baby formula situation. He said he would only answer questions on policing, before somewhat reluctantly addressing the crisis at hand.
Asked if his administration should have acted sooner, Biden replied: ‘If we’d been better mind readers, I guess we could have.’
His answer was seized upon by critics.
The FDA has completed its investigation, but has yet to offer further details on when Abbott’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan, can reopen
This chart shows how quickly the nationwide crisis has escalated. The scale of the crisis is revealed in the new analysis, which shows that only 43 percent of the usual national supply of baby formula is available
‘America doesn’t need a mind-reader as president. It needs a Wall Street Journal reader,’ said one.
‘Per Jim Geraghty, the Journal had a story about the formula shortage back on … January 12.’
Another noted: ‘people have been talking about a looming shortage for months.’
Another added: ‘@POTUS I’m not a mind reader, I listen to people talking about Baby Formula & look at store shelves, I could see the problem weeks ago.
‘As could everyone else, nothing to do with price gouging like you’ve said before, nothing to do with hording. Common Sense is all it takes.’
Others pointed out that the Abbott factory shutdown should have set alarm bells ringing.
‘#Biden joked & said he wished he was a mind-reader, in light of the #BabyFormulaShortage,’ one man tweeted.
‘But, the White House admitted that, ‘We were aware…back in February…we have had a team on this from the FDA & interagency process since then.’
‘Then, sent PALLETS of baby formula to BORDER.’
Another sarcastically referenced Biden’s new ‘Disinformation Governing Board’ – an advisory council on online disinformation dubbed by critics the Ministry of Truth.
‘Call disinformation board!
‘Biden just said he would have moved quicker on the baby formula if he was a mind reader. HE KNEW ABOUT THIS IN FEBRUARY!!’
The anger at Biden’s off-hand dismissal of the question came as the CEO of Perrigo – one of the big four baby formula manufacturers – warned of lasting shortages.
The issue has been compounded by the pandemic, and supply chain issues going back since the start of the outbreak.
It has been exacerbated by the fact that 98 percent of baby formula is domestically-produced, and the U.S. regulations will not allow many external producers to import their products, despite frequently higher standards, because the labelling does not meet FDA regulation.
Furthermore, the four companies – Abbott, Reckitt Benckiser, Nestlé and Perrigo – control nearly 90 percent of the U.S. market for baby formula, meaning that an issue in one has a huge impact.
Swiss-based Nestle is the world’s largest producer of baby formula.
Perrigo, an Irish-American firm with its headquarters in Dublin and U.S center in Allegan, Michigan, makes roughly 8 percent of the market, selling store-brand baby formulas for retailers, including Walmart and Amazon.
Some retailers including CVS Health Corp and Target are rationing baby formula.
The White House on Thursday announced steps it is taking to alleviate the shortage, including permitting more imports from countries such as Mexico, Chile, Canada, the Netherlands and France.
Biden said on Friday he expects more formula on shelves in weeks.
French food and beverage company Danone, which also makes infant formulas, said the ‘unexpected Abbott Nutrition recall in February has led to a surge in demand in the U.S. market.
‘We are in discussions with the U.S. authorities to see how we can support them in addressing their shortages.’
Abbott closed its manufacturing facility in Michigan after complaints of bacterial contamination.
The FDA later cited five bacterial infections reported in babies given the company’s formula, including two deaths.
Empty shelves are pictured in a Brooklyn store on Friday, as the nationwide shortage continues
Parents in Tennessee are the hardest-hit by the baby formula shortage, new data obtained by DailyMail.com shows
Abbott has said its plants are ‘not likely the source of infection’ and is able to reopen the facility in the next two weeks.
It will then take six to eight weeks for the products to hit the shelves, meaning a delay of at least 10 weeks even if reopened tomorrow.
‘Subject to FDA approval, we could restart the site within two weeks,’ the company said.
‘We would begin production of EleCare, Alimentum and metabolic formulas first and then begin production of Similac and other formulas.
‘We deeply regret the situation and since the recall, we’ve been working to increase supply at our other FDA-registered facilities, including bringing in Similac from our site in Cootehill, Ireland, by air and producing more liquid Similac and Alimentum.
‘We also began releasing metabolic formulas that were on hold earlier this month at FDA’s request to those who need these unique formulas.’
The FDA has not set a date for reopening, and told DailyMail.com they were still monitoring the plant.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said there was no timeline.
‘So our message to parents is we want to do everything we can, and we’re going to cut every element of red tape to help address this,’ she said.
‘TRY BREASTFEEDING! It’s free and available on demand’: Bette Midler is slammed by parents for making light of baby formula crisis as she claims Biden does have a plan to end it
Bette Midler sparked outrage on Friday by responding to the nationwide shortage of baby formula with the message: ‘TRY BREASTFEEEDING! It’s free and available on demand.’
The tweet sent by Midler, 76, was immediately met with a wall of criticism from figures as diverse as Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s hardline speechwriter, and John Oliver’s executive producer.
In response to Midler’s tweet, many pointed out that a significant percentage of women are unable to breastfeed, despite their best attempts – one lactation consultant and author, Diana Cassar-Uhl, put the figure at 12-15 percent of all mothers.
Others noted that some babies have specific dietary conditions, and do not respond well to breastmilk.
Others still pointed out that tens of thousands of babies are adopted, and others born via surrogates.
And gay men – who comprise a huge faction of Midler’s fan base – were also angered by Midler’s remark, highlighting that a gay male couple wouldn’t be able to breastfeed their baby or toddler.
Tim Carvell, the executive producer of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, tweeted: ‘Imagine having a large gay fanbase, many of whom are raising kids in two-dad households, and thinking this is a good suggestion.’
Miller, the staunchly loyal Trump aide, tweeted in response to Midler: ‘What a profoundly offensive & ignorant statement.
‘There are countless reasons why breastfeeding is not an option for many mothers—too many to get into here. And if you’ve been using formula you can’t just flip a switch. Not to mention millions of babies with milk/food allergies…’
Bette Midler, 76, is seen in December at the Kennedy Center Honors. On Friday she sparked anger by saying the baby formula shortage could be averted if women breastfed their babies, as many pointed out it was not a simple solution
Ilyse Hogue, president of the progressive social change campaign, Purpose, tweeted: ‘Bette, respectfully, this is a very bad take. I had twins. I didn’t produce enough milk for both. Without formula, I would have had to have chosen which one got to eat. To say nothing of kids that get separated from the birth mothers very young.’
One replied: ‘I love you Bette, but this is not okay. I fought to breastfeed my son, he kept losing weight, despite my best efforts, including lactation experts.
‘It was emotional and heartbroken I felt like a failure and at 3 months switched to formula, because of the stress it put on me and my son.’
Another joked: ‘No biggie, Bette says just get a wet nurse! (Never mind they charge $1000+ per week and that’s something working families cannot afford, especially in a time where EVERYTHING costs more.)’
Nationwide, supplies of baby formula are at 43 percent, with some states such as Tennessee, Delaware and Texas reporting that their ‘out of stock level’ is running as high as 54 percent.
The problem was spurred by a February shutdown of one of America’s largest baby formula producers, in Michigan, after the facility was found to be contaminated and two babies died after consuming the products – although the factory insists the bacteria in their factory did not contribute to the infants’ death.
The shutdown exacerbated shortages and supply chain issues already caused by the pandemic. And it highlighted the strong monopoly of baby formula, with 98 percent produced within the United States, and three companies controlling over 90 percent of the supply.
Many products from Europe cannot be imported, despite being produced to a higher standard in many ingredients, because they do not have the FDA-required labelling on the packaging.
WHO warns of rise in Covid cases across Europe for third consecutive week as restrictions are eased
A Covid patient breathes oxygen through a mask at the sub-intensive care unit of the Casalpalocco hospital, south of Rome, on October 13, 2021.
Alberto Pizzoli | AFP | Getty Images
Covid-19 cases in Europe have increased for the third consecutive week, World Health Organization officials said at a briefing Wednesday, urging caution as temperatures fall and work, travel and leisure activities return to normal.
Europe is the only area among the WHO’s six regions of member states where cases are climbing, researchers wrote in an epidemiological update published Tuesday. There were more than 1.3 million Covid cases reported across the continent over the week ended Sunday, a 7% jump from the prior seven days.
“That’s three weeks of progressive increase,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said during a Q&A streamed on the organization’s social media channels. “So while the overall global curve looks like it’s tracking down, Europe has gone up three weeks in a row.”
The situation in Europe is being partially driven by surges in Czechia, Hungary and Poland, where Ryan said Covid cases jumped 50% over the last week. With winter approaching, Ryan said Covid’s already starting to weigh heavily on health-care systems in some countries, limiting the availability of intensive care beds.
Ryan blamed the surge, at least in part, on the easing of Covid restrictions.
“The Northern hemisphere is heading into another winter, and just need to be a little concerned about that uptick across Europe as we enter the late, late, deep autumn,” Ryan said. “And as societies are opening up, we’re seeing those numbers rise, and in a number of countries, we’re already seeing the health system begin to come under pressure, we’re seeing the number of available ICU beds decreasing.”
And as people prepare to travel and meet in person for the holiday season, Ryan called for unvaccinated individuals to get immunized against the virus in hopes of preventing Covid outbreaks in the months ahead.
“There’s good news in the sense that we’re not seeing this massive increase, but it’s still concerning even in the context of relatively high levels of vaccination,” he said.
In addition to the highly transmissible delta variant — which fueled global Covid spikes over the summer — researchers are now monitoring an evolution of the strain that could be even more dangerous. Known as delta plus, experts in the U.K. are seeing the mutation in a growing number of Covid patients.
But there’s currently no proof that delta plus is more contagious than its predecessor, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Tuesday.
And amid a surge in Covid cases and deaths, Russian President Vladimir Putin is requiring most workers to stay home for one week beginning Oct. 30, according to the Associated Press. Russia reported a seven-day average of nearly 31,700 new Covid cases as of Tuesday, up from more than 27,200 a week prior, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Some Sydney school students return as more COVID-19 curbs eased
Shoppers wait to get inside stores with limited capacity at a city centre mall as businesses re-open to vaccinated patrons in the wake of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) regulations easing, following months of lockdown orders to curb the rise in the number of cases, in Sydney, Australia, October 12, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
SYDNEY, Oct 18 (Reuters) – Thousands of children returned to school in Sydney on Monday, putting an end to months of home learning as Australia’s largest city eased more COVID-19 curbs, thanks to rising rates of vaccinations.
Masks are no longer mandatory in offices and larger groups are to be allowed in homes and outdoors after the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, hit a double-dose inoculation rate of 80% at the weekend among those older than 16.
The latest in a series of planned relaxations is part of a shift in strategy by Australia’s largest cities towards living with the virus, though officials have warned it will bring more COVID-19 cases.
“This is not over,” state premier Dominic Perrottet said on Monday, urging people to stick to the remaining health rules. “There is a long journey to go.”
Shops, gyms and pubs can allow more vaccinated users while nightclubs can re-open to serve drinks to seated patrons, and limits on the number of guests at weddings have been dropped. But all must follow social distancing measures.
Monday’s return to the classroom has been staggered, as the youngest and eldest – those in kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 go back – with all the rest scheduled for next week.
New South Wales’s 265 new cases were the lowest single-day rise in 10 weeks, far off September’s high of 1,599.
The neighbouring state of Victoria reported 1,903 new cases, up from 1,838 the previous day. Its capital, Melbourne, is on track to begin exiting its lockdown on Friday, as full vaccination levels near 70%.
The city has spent about nine months under strict stay-home orders since March 2020, the world’s longest such stint, say Australian media. read more
BORDER RE-OPENING
Authorities in northeastern Queensland, which is free of COVID-19, said quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated residents from Sydney and Melbourne would begin from Dec. 17, when the state’s full vaccination rate is expected to top 80%.
“That is good news for families to be reunited for Christmas,” said the state’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.
The two cities have been hotspots of Australia’s virus outbreak.
Fully vaccinated individuals can travel to Queensland when the level of inoculations stands at 70%, but must quarantine at home for two weeks.
As states begin to ease curbs, the federal government said it would roll out its vaccination passport for international travel from Tuesday, a crucial step in its plan to let citizens travel abroad from next month.
Last week, authorities said vaccinated international travellers, initially only citizens and permanent residents, would be allowed to enter Sydney from Nov. 1 free of quarantine. read more .
With a tally of 145,000 infections and 1,543 deaths, Australia’s exposure to the coronavirus has been relatively low.
Reporting by Renju Jose and Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Jane Wardell and Clarence Fernandez
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Eased visiting rules urged for nursing homes
TOPEKA, Kan. — Families and advocates for the elderly in Kansas argue that with most nursing home residents vaccinated against the coronavirus, some facilities need to relax visiting rules.
A state official who investigates complaints against nursing homes as well as the elder-care focused Kansas Advocates for Better Care called on the state Tuesday to intervene when nursing homes aren’t open enough.
Some industry officials still see a need for caution because of the growing presence in Kansas of the faster-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus.
Operators feel they are still facing tough choices after nursing homes were COVID-19 hot spots earlier in the pandemic, but advocates for residents worry the delta variant could cause homes to lock down again.
___
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:
— Dr. Fauci, Sen. Paul trade charges of lying about virus
— CDC: Delta variant accounts for 83% of U.S. cases
— Britain hits most daily virus deaths in 4 months
— Research: Millions may have died in India during pandemic
___
Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
___
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi state health officer is imploring people to get vaccinated as a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus is spreading in the state, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.
Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Tuesday: “Y’all, we’re going to have a rough few weeks.”
He says intensive care units are full in 13 Mississippi hospitals because of the recent increase in cases, and many other hospitals have under 10% of ICU beds available.
Dobbs says unvaccinated people should take “common sense steps” to reduce transmission, including having social activities outdoors rather than indoors. He adds that people can choose to wear masks to mitigate the spread of the virus, but he is not asking Gov. Tate Reeves to reinstate widespread mask mandates.
___
With COVID-19 cases soaring nationwide, school districts across the U.S. are again confronting the realities of a polarized country and the lingering pandemic as they navigate mask requirements, vaccine rules and social distancing requirements for the fast-approaching new school year.
Students in Wichita, Kansas, public schools can ditch masks when classes begin. Detroit public schools will probably require them only for the unvaccinated. In Pittsburgh, masks will likely be required regardless of vaccination status. And in some states, schools cannot mandate face coverings under any circumstances.
The spread of the delta variant and the deep political divisions over the outbreak have complicated decisions in districts from coast to coast.
School officials say decisions about whether to require masks have been complicated not only by community pressure and the delta variant but also conflicting advice from public health officials.
___
BOSTON — Boston health officials are urging recent visitors to Provincetown to self-isolate and get tested after a cluster of coronavirus cases was linked to the popular Cape Cod tourist town.
The Boston Public Health Commission said Tuesday that at least 35 coronavirus cases in Boston have been traced to Provincetown, with the vast majority of cases involving people who were fully vaccinated.
Anyone who has traveled to Provincetown since July 1 is being asked to get tested at least five days after returning. The travel guidance also asks recent visitors to self-isolate and avoid gatherings for at least five days and until they receive a negative test.
Provincetown officials issued a new mask advisory on Monday after more than 100 people tested positive following the Fourth of July holiday.
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ST. LOUIS — The head of the St. Louis region’s pandemic task force says the area is facing a third wave of coronavirus infections that could cause more deaths and serious cases if residents don’t get vaccinated and return to wearing masks in public.
Dr. Clay Dunagan said Tuesday that seven COVID-19 patients have died in the St. Louis region and 91 were admitted to intensive care units during the previous 24 hours.
Dunagan says even people who have been vaccinated should wear masks in public, in part because only 46.3% of Missourians had been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.
He says that although the CDC has approved allowing vaccinated people to go without masks, the St. Louis area’s vaccination rate isn’t high enough to follow that recommendation because of new cases caused by the more infectious delta variant.
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HAVANA — The COVID-19 pandemic is slamming Cuba like never before, even as the country races to roll out its homegrown vaccines — the only locally developed shots being widely used in Latin America.
The island had seen far fewer infections that most other Latin American nations over the first year or so of the pandemic, imposing strict quarantines, isolating the infected and shutting down its tourism industry despite devastating economic consequences.
But new cases have been soaring in recent week. The first three weeks of July have accounted for about 100,000 of the nearly 300,000 infections recorded altogether in Cuba. Cuba’s national director of epidemiology said Tuesday that 717 people have died so far this month in Cuba — a heavy share of the 2,019 who have died in all.
Anxiety over that spread was one of the factors that fed into the wave of street protests that broke out across the country on July 11.
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A health leader says Alabama is suffering a “self-inflicted” wound from COVID-19, with hospitals filling up as the state trails the nation in vaccinations.
Nearly 500 people are being treated for the virus statewide, according to state statistics. Only 166 people were hospitalized a month ago with COVID-19 after thousands were vaccinated and before the new delta variant took hold.
Hospitals are far from the critical point they reached in January, when some 3,000 people were being treated at one time. But the president of the Alabama Hospital Association says the delta variant threatens to worsen the situation barring an increase in vaccinations,
Only 38% of the state’s population has received at least one vaccine dose and just 31% are fully vaccinated, according to state statistics.
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LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas school district says it is sticking with its plan to only require face masks this fall for some students despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to follow stricter guidelines.
The district plans to require face masks for fourth and fifth grade students but make them optional for students in preschool through third grade. Students in sixth through 12th grade and teachers will not be required to wear masks if they are vaccinated. The district with more than 300,000 students is scheduled to start its school year Aug. 9.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending schools require face masks for children older than 2 and all adults regardless of vaccination status.
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NEW ORLEANS — The city of New Orleans is considering new restrictions following a ninefold increase in daily coronavirus cases and the percentage of positive tests.
City spokesman Beau Tidwell says rules involving masks are “certainly a strong possibility” when the city’s plan is announced Wednesday.
The average daily number of cases skyrocketed from 11 two weeks ago to 99 on Monday. Most new cases involve the delta variant of the virus. The city eased most virus-related restrictions, including masking requirements for businesses and individuals, in May.
An infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans says that while equipment and supplies are readily available as virus cases rise, nurses are not. Sandra Kemmerly says that “the health care personnel are tired. ”
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WASHINGTON — A recurring clash between the government’s top infectious disease doctor and a U.S. senator has erupted again on Capitol Hill, with each accusing the other of lying.
Dr. Anthony Fauci angrily confronted Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in testimony before a Senate committee. Fauci rejected Paul’s insinuation that the U.S. helped fund research at a Chinese lab that could have sparked the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fauci spoke to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, saying a study the senator mentioned referenced a different sort of virus entirely from the one responsible for the coronavirus outbreak.
Fauci said: “If anybody is lying here, senator, it is you.”
It was the latest in a series of clashes between Paul and Fauci about the origins of the virus that caused the global pandemic.
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LONDON — Britain has recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus-related deaths in four months, following a spike in infections amid the spread of the delta variant and lifting of lockdown restrictions.
Government figures Tuesday showed 96 new virus-related deaths, the highest since March 24. The U.K. also recorded 46,558 confirmed cases. The numbers on Tuesday have traditionally been higher because of a weekend reporting lag.
The increase in deaths comes a day after the British government ended lockdown restrictions in England, including on social distancing and mask-wearing. Critics warn it will lead to further spread of the coronavirus and potential deaths in the coming weeks.
Britain’s confirmed virus-related death toll stands at 128,823, the seventh highest in the world.
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NEW YORK — Health officials say the delta variant of the coronavirus continues to surge and accounts for an estimated 83% of U.S. COVID-19 cases.
That’s a dramatic increase from the week of July 3, when the variant accounted for about 50% of genetically sequenced coronavirus cases.
“The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants is to prevent the spread of disease, and vaccination is the most powerful tool we have,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday.
The delta variant is a mutated coronavirus that spreads more easily than other versions. It was first detected in India but now has been identified around the world.
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MEXICO CITY — Authorities in Mexico say they have found fake doses of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir offered for sale on the internet and at a private hospital near the U.S. border.
The federal medical safety commission said late Monday that the fake antiviral drug, which it called “a health risk,” was found at a hospital in the Gulf coast city of Tampico, in the border state of Tamaulipas.
The commission said the doses had been purchased in an “irregular manner” on the internet but didn’t say whether the medication had been used there.
The drug’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, confirmed the falsification. The appearance and lot numbers on the packaging didn’t match the original.
The U.S. and Mexico have approved remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19.
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NEW DELHI — The most comprehensive research yet estimates India’s excess deaths during the coronavirus pandemic were a staggering 10 times the official COVID-19 toll.
Most experts believe India’s official toll of 414,000 dead was a vast undercount, but the government has dismissed those concerns. A report released Tuesday estimates excess deaths to be 3 million to 4.7 million between January 2020 and this June.
It calculated its figures by comparing deaths to those in pre-pandemic years, considering the virus prevalence in the population and using an existing economic survey. The report also estimated that India’s initial virus surge last year killed many more people than reported, breeding complacency that set up conditions for the horrific surge earlier this year.
The report was published by Arvind Subramanian, the Indian government’s former chief economic adviser, and two other researchers at the Center for Global Development, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, and Harvard University.
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CAIRO — Muslims around the world are observing the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s holiday comes amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant that’s prompted some countries to impose new restrictions.
Indonesia is facing a devastating new wave of coronavirus cases and has imposed various restrictions.
Already, the pandemic has taken a toll for the second year on a sacred mainstay of Islam, the hajj, whose last days coincide with Eid al-Adha. The Islamic pilgrimage has been dramatically scaled back due to the virus.
US Coronavirus: The CDC is tracking a recent uptick in Covid-19 cases. Its chief says spring breakers and eased restrictions concern her
“What concerns me is the footage of what’s happening in spring breakers, in people who are not continuing to implement prevention strategies while we get fully scaled up,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 briefing.
“We need to hang in there for just a little while longer because we can see a time in the next couple of months where we will have a lot more people vaccinated and we will really be able to blunt infection rates,” she added.
“If we choose to invest in prevention right now, we will ultimately come out of this pandemic faster and with fewer lives lost,” the CDC director said.
So while the US is getting closer to turning the corner, it’s not there yet. The country continues to add tens of thousands of new cases and hundreds of virus-related deaths every single day.
“When you are at that level, I don’t think you can declare victory and say you’ve turned the corner,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said during the briefing. “You’ve got to continue to do what we’re doing: more vaccinations and continue to do public health measures until we actually do turn the corner.”
You asked, we answered: Your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines
‘A jolt of hope for all of us’
The good news: Vaccinations are already making a difference.
More than a quarter of Americans have gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. About 14% of the US population is fully vaccinated.
The pace of vaccinations has doubled in less than two months, the CDC data shows, and now more than 70% of people 65 and older have received at least one shot.
That 65 and older population has also seen a larger decline in Covid-19 case rates, death rates and hospitalizations than any other age group and now account for a smaller share of total hospitalizations than they did a few months ago, according to an analysis of CDC data.
Track Covid-19 vaccinations in the US
In nursing homes, which were prioritized for vaccinations nationwide since the start of the rollouts, Covid-19 cases and deaths among residents are the lowest they’ve been since tracking began back in May, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Several recent studies also showed vaccines protected healthcare workers, Walensky and Fauci said during the Wednesday briefing.
“These findings should be a jolt of hope for all of us and to serve as a catalyst for everyone to roll up their sleeves when the vaccine is available,” Walensky said.
In total, vaccines have likely already saved at least 40,000 American lives so far, former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden told CNN on Wednesday night.
“They’re remarkably effective, they’re remarkably safe,” Frieden said.
What could stand in the way of more vaccinations
As more states try to get more shots into arms faster, officials have unveiled timelines for expanded eligibility — and in many cases have set a date for when the vaccines will be open to anyone 16 and older.
Pfizer’s vaccine is the only one available for use by people who are 16 and older while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are both authorized for people 18 and older.
Vaccine eligibility across the country
As eligibility opens up, some local officials worry that soon the challenge will be short demand, rather than short supply.
That could happen within the next four to six weeks, says Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“We will get to the point pretty quickly where we’re saying, ‘OK, now we’re into the really hard phase of this where we’re down to the population that is not so willing to get the vaccine,'” Freeman said.
It’s that last mile of “people that are hesitant” that will be challenging, she added. And other experts and officials have also expressed concern about that last stretch.
“The hesitancy is worrisome not just here, but all across the country, and I expect as a country we’ll get to 50% vaccination rate of the population. But we’re going to have a harder time getting from 50% to 70%,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told CNN earlier this week.
“It’s about overcoming the skepticism, it is about education,” he said.
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips, Jacqueline Howard, Deanna Hackney contributed to this report.
US Coronavirus: The race between variants and vaccines in US will be a close call, expert warns, and eased restrictions aren’t helping
“It’s going to be a close call,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health told CNN on Tuesday. “We are vaccinating really well, that’s the good news. These variants are spreading pretty quickly across the country, that’s the bad news.”
“To me, I think the vaccine should win out,” Jha added. “Here’s the big but: What Texas, Mississippi, other states are doing to relax and get rid of the mask orders and kind of act like everything is back to normal, that is definitely coming down on the side of the variants.”
The governors in Texas and Mississippi are among at least a dozen state leaders that have eased restrictions this month — many crediting improved Covid-19 numbers and increased vaccinations.
But in 15 states, new Covid-19 cases reported over the week that ended on Tuesday were at least 10% higher than a week ago, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In two of those states — Minnesota and Michigan — cases were more than 40% higher than a week before, according to the data.
New cases are still trending down in the US overall and experts say that typically more sustained data — of at least a couple weeks — is needed to identify a trend. But with multiple concerning variants circulating in the country, catching early warning signs may be key to limiting continued spread.
You asked, we answered: Your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines
US creating ‘perfect storm’ scenario for variant spread
There are several variants that worry experts right now.
They include two coronavirus strains first detected in California that are now officially “variants of concern,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variants may be about 20% more transmissible, the agency said citing early research, and some treatments may also be less effective against the strains. The CDC did not say that vaccines would stop working against them.
But there’s one that’s “front and center,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
It’s the B.1.1.7 variant, that was first detected in the UK and is now projected to become the dominant variant in the US in just a matter of weeks, according to the CDC.
“Our current models … project that by end of March, early April, B.1.1.7 will be the dominant variant,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Monday.
There have been at least 4,690 cases of the variant reported in the US — and that likely doesn’t represent the total number of cases across the country, but rather just those that have been found by scientists analyzing positive samples. The variant has been detected in at least 48 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
“I think the next several weeks are going to be all about B.1.1.7 and the race we have between vaccine and the variant,” Osterholm said. “Loosening up as we are right now… we are creating a perfect storm scenario for this virus to spread.”
Different approaches to St. Patrick’s Day
At a time health officials say is critical in determining how the pandemic continues to unfold, celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day will also look different in some parts of the country.
Some Irish pubs in New Orleans announced they will not be opening for the celebrations, citing concerns of Covid-19 spread and restrictions on businesses.
Finn McCool’s Irish Pub, located in the Mid-City area, wrote on Facebook on Monday that the crowds “would not allow us to stay compliant with state and city rules.”
“As much as we would love to be open and see everyone’s faces, doing so would endanger not only our staff but also the community,” the post said.
New Orleans officials had further eased restrictions last week, allowing retail stores, restaurants, salons, and other businesses to increase to 75% capacity. Bars, breweries, gyms and other venues are now able to operate at 50% capacity.
Meanwhile in Georgia, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said Tuesday the city is open, while urging Covid-19 mitigation efforts be upheld.
“It’s important to note that Savannah is wide open. We’ve been wide open. And the way we stay open is to require the use of masks,” the mayor said, highlighting how important St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are to the local economy.
Despite the pandemic and a city-issued mask mandate, thousands of residents and tourists, some maskless and many not socially distanced, packed the city’s streets and businesses over the weekend.
All states have vaccinated at least 10% of adults
The partying in Savannah and the spring break crowds in Florida are examples of the hunger for a return to normal — but experts say now is not the time to ditch safety precautions. A safer future is just a few months away, when more of the country is vaccinated.
More than 72 million Americans have so far received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. More than 39 million are fully vaccinated — some 11.8% of the US population.
Among the country’s 65-and-older population, more than a third are fully vaccinated and nearly two-thirds have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Additionally, all states have fully vaccinated at least 10% of their adult population.
To boost vaccination numbers faster, many state leaders have recently announced expanded eligibility guidelines, adding millions of Americans to the list of people who can get a shot. President Joe Biden has said he wants all American adults to be eligible for a vaccine by May 1 — and some states have said they’re planning on getting there sooner.
Here is what vaccine eligibility looks like across the US
But while vaccinations have accelerated, challenges — including vaccine hesitancy and disinformation — remain.
And the church can play a leading role in increasing Covid-19 vaccine confidence, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Tuesday.
“Many who could most benefit, because they are at highest risk of serious and even life-threatening infections, are still holding back,” Collins said, speaking at the Washington National Cathedral, where faith leaders gathered to help bolster vaccine confidence.
“Today, all of you are putting hope into action,” he said. “Hope for an end to the terrible suffering and loss of life from Covid-19, hope for an end to the economic devastation it has caused, hope that the vaccine can not only protect you, but also — if we do this together — your family, your friends, your community, your nation, your whole world.”
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips, Jamiel Lynch, Gregory Lemos, Gisela Crespo and Michael Nedelman contributed to this report.
Sacramento business owners hesitant, hopeful for eased restrictions
Sacramento business owners hesitant, hopeful for eased restrictions
BACK TO YOU. TY: BACK TO OUR CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE. MILLIONS MORE CALIFORNIANS ARE NOW ELIGIBLE TO GET VACCINATED. TONI: THE STATE IS OPENING UP THE REQUIREMENTS TO THOSE WITH CERTAIN HEALTH CONDITIONS AND DISABILITIES, AS WELL AS THOSE EMPLOYED IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES. TEO TORRES IS WORKING FROM HOME. HE HAS MORE ON WHO CAN NOW GET THE SHOT. GOOD MORNING. TEO: GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU. THIS WILL ALLOW AN ESTIMATED FOUR AND A HALF MILLION MORE CALIFORNIANS TO GET THE VACCINE. THERE IS SPECIFIC CRITERIA. LET’S GO THROUGH THESE HEALTH CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, ANYONE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 64 WITH CANCER. KIDNEY DISEASE, PULMONARY DISEASE, DOWN SYNDROME, ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, PREGNANCY, SICKLE CELL DISEASE, HEART CONDITIONS, OBESITY, AND TYPE TWO DIABET ALSO NO QUALIFIES. PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL OR HIGH-RISK DISABILITY ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE. DR. VANESSA WALKER SAYS ITS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE AT HIGH-RISK TO GET THE VACCINE. >> I HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS WITH COVID FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND ITS NOT ALL ABOUT AGE. I’VE HAD MANY PATIENTS IN THEIR 50’S, 40’S, WITH DIABETES, OBESITY AND THEY ARE FREQUENTLY ON VENTILATORS, HIGH-RESOURCE UTILIZERS, VERY VERY SICK, OFTEN TIMES DI SO, I THINK IT IS VERY GOOD TO GET THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY AT RISK OF GETTING SEVERE COVID OR HOSPITALIZED AND EVEN DYING, LET’S GET THEM VACCINATED. TEO: ELIGIBILITY IS ALSO EXPANDING TO INCLUDE PEOPLE IN JAIL, PRISON, OR TREATMENT FACILITIES AND THE HOMELESS. UTILITY WORKERS WHO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES, PUBLIC TRANSIT WORKERS, JANITORS AND DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS, MASSAGE THERAPISTS AND LIBRARIANS WILL ALSO BE ELIGIBLE, STARTING TODAY. LAST WEEK, THE STATE RELEASED GUIDELINES THAT SAID PEOPLE WITH THESE CONDITIONS OR DISABILITIES WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO VERIFY THEIR DIAGNOSIS. BUT THEY MAY BE ASKED TO SIGN A SELF-ATTESTATION THAT THEY MEET THE CRITERIA. BACK TO YOU. TONI: THANK YOU. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS NEARLY 11.8 MILLION VACCINE DOSES HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA. THAT’S ABOUT 75% OF THE 15 MILLION DOSES THAT HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO THE STATE, AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THERE WERE JUST OVER 1400 CASES REPORTED STATE-WIDE ON SATURDAY. THAT’S THE LOWEST NUMBER IN MONTHS. THE 7-DAY POSITIVITY RATE IS DOWN TO 2%. THAT’S THE LOWEST IT’S EVER BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. AS A RESULT, STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS EXPECT ANOTHER 13 COUNTIES WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE TO THE RED TIER TOMORROW. ON THE LIST, SACRAMENTO, SAN JOAQUIN, AND YUBA COUNTIES. WHILE IT’S NOT OFFICIAL YET, THE NUMBERS APPEAR TO BE ON PACE WITH RE-OPENING, JUST IN TIME FOR SAINT PATRICK’S DAY. MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE PROMISED TO BRING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE RED TIER. YESTERDAY THE NATOMAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTIFIED PARENTS THAT IF THE COUNTY MOVES INTO RED TOMORROW, THEY WILL REOPEN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS NEXT MONDAY, WITH MINIMUM DAYS. THOSE WHO OPTED TO CONTINUE DISTANCE LEARNING WO
Sacramento business owners hesitant, hopeful for eased restrictions
Updated: 8:42 PM PDT Mar 15, 2021
Sacramento County is expected to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.The county’s anticipated move to the red tier would allow some businesses to reopen indoors with limited capacity. Sacramento had been in the purple tier previously — the state’s most stringent tier for reopening — for months when case rates and deaths were at record levels across the state.Moving to the red tier means indoor dining and movie theaters can reopen at 25% capacity or up to 100 people, whichever is fewer. Gyms can open indoors at 10% capacity. Museums, zoos and aquariums can open indoor activities at 25% capacity.KCRA 3 News spoke with business owners and city leaders about the possible shift.David Gull, New Helvetia Brewing Company”I’m hopeful. I’m definitely hopeful that the 25% indoor allowance now will give us a little bit of a boost. I think this industry — not just breweries, but restaurants, pubs, bars, hospitality in general, has really taken such a huge hit over the course of the year. Obviously, we want to get it to 100% as soon as possible. It also brings with it risks. We’re going to continue with mask-wearing mandates and encourage customers to be courteous as they’re moving about in our shared indoor space.”Dave Parker, The Tower Theatre”Well, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. It’s been a year, obviously. We opened for a few weeks last fall. Effectively, we’ve been closed for a year. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been selling food every weekend since summer. I’ve been able to keep up on the maintenance. The place is pretty much ready to go right now.”Mike Testa, Visit Sacramento”It’s been a tough year for everybody. I think we have that chance to do a little more to bring people back into restaurants. It’s a big deal and it’s a cause for celebration because it means we’re moving in the right direction.”
Sacramento County is expected to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.
The county’s anticipated move to the red tier would allow some businesses to reopen indoors with limited capacity. Sacramento had been in the purple tier previously — the state’s most stringent tier for reopening — for months when case rates and deaths were at record levels across the state.
Moving to the red tier means indoor dining and movie theaters can reopen at 25% capacity or up to 100 people, whichever is fewer. Gyms can open indoors at 10% capacity. Museums, zoos and aquariums can open indoor activities at 25% capacity.
KCRA 3 News spoke with business owners and city leaders about the possible shift.
David Gull, New Helvetia Brewing Company
“I’m hopeful. I’m definitely hopeful that the 25% indoor allowance now will give us a little bit of a boost. I think this industry — not just breweries, but restaurants, pubs, bars, hospitality in general, has really taken such a huge hit over the course of the year. Obviously, we want to get it to 100% as soon as possible. It also brings with it risks. We’re going to continue with mask-wearing mandates and encourage customers to be courteous as they’re moving about in our shared indoor space.”
Dave Parker, The Tower Theatre
“Well, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. It’s been a year, obviously. We opened for a few weeks last fall. Effectively, we’ve been closed for a year. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been selling food every weekend since summer. I’ve been able to keep up on the maintenance. The place is pretty much ready to go right now.”
Mike Testa, Visit Sacramento
“It’s been a tough year for everybody. I think we have that chance to do a little more to bring people back into restaurants. It’s a big deal and it’s a cause for celebration because it means we’re moving in the right direction.”