The Redwood City Council celebrates love in all its colors, because love is love! And to share the feeling, the city joins the Pride month with the raising of the flag belonging to the LGBTTTIQ+ community.
In collaboration with the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission, Pride Month will be kicked off with a Pride of Progress flag raising ceremony on May 31 at 5:30 p.m. on the plaza of the Courthouse located at 2200 Broadway Street in Redwood City.
In addition to the flag raising, the city said there will be LGBTQ resources, information booths, a poetry reading, a photo booth and even a delicious rainbow cookie for the first 150 guests.
To learn more about the event, those interested can give click here.
The hearts of the nation are in shock following the Texas elementary school massacre that took place on Tuesday, May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old youth killed 19 children and two teachers, in addition to wounding several others. In response to the incident, schools in the Bay Area have decided to reinforce security and increase the number of police officers surrounding school zones.
After the terrible event, parents across the country woke up wondering if it was safe to send their children to school.
San Mateo County Schools Superintendent Nancy Magee expressed her deep regret for what happened in Uvalde, Texas, where she said in a letter that there is nothing "more horrible, more senseless and more heartbreaking than this news."
She said that as the investigation progresses and more is known about why the tragic event happened, “we will do everything we can to support our students, staff, schools and families. We will share more about how San Mateo County Schools works every day to support our students and keep our schools safe.”
Finally, he sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the Robb Elementary School community.
"I urge everyone to find comfort in others, to share our grief and pain, to hug our loved ones, to go for a walk, to stay strong for our children and young people," he stressed.
For its part, the San Francisco Unified School District reported that it is taking security plans and precautions "very seriously" and that it will have a comprehensive crisis plan in place for any emergency.
He also highlighted that the schools that are part of the School District have security measures such as: visitor registration, procedures for closing doors after the start of the school day and surveillance cameras.
The District noted that it has been informed by the San Francisco Police Department that there will be an increased police presence around schools beginning Wednesday, May 25, through June 1.
Contra Costa County's sheriff tweeted that while there are no known threats in his jurisdiction, he has ordered additional patrols around all of his schools and Mountain View.
For its part, Oakland Unified School District encourages parents and students to contact its Mental Health Services.
It all comes about a week before many students finish the school year ahead of summer break.
California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that the shooting, which left at least 19 children and two adults dead, was preventable.
“Another shooting. And the Republican Party won’t do anything about it. Who the hell are we if we can’t keep our children safe? This is preventable. Our inaction is a choice. We need common-sense, comprehensive national gun security NOW,” he said.
He added that gun safety laws work, with California cutting the rate of gun deaths in half since the 1980s.
"We're not going to solve this overnight, but let's stop pretending that these mass shootings are an inevitable horror that we have to experience on a regular basis," he added.
For his part, President Joseph Biden lamented the tragedy and offered his condolences to the families, friends and community who lost and experienced what happened yesterday at Robb Elementary School.
"Parents will never see their child again. They will never be able to take them to bed and cuddle with them again. Parents will never be the same. Losing a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped out. There is a void in your chest. You feel like you are being absorbed into them," she said in a message to media on Tuesday night.
"As a nation, we have to ask, when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? We all know in our guts that we have to do it," the president asked, recalling the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012, where six adults and 20 children were killed by gunfire fired by Adam Lanza, who had previously killed his mother in their home.
Since then, he said, there have been more than 900 incidents of gun shots being fired on school grounds.
Just 10 days earlier, in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, seniors — mostly African Americans — were killed by an 18-year-old self-proclaimed white supremacist.
“I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on these massacres. I spent my career as a senator and vice president working to pass common sense gun laws. We can and will prevent every tragedy, we know these laws work and have a positive impact,” he stressed.
He stressed that the fact that a young person can walk into a store and buy assault weapons "is wrong."
"For God's sake, we must have the courage to stand up to the arms industry."
In a message lasting approximately 7 minutes, he explained that there are massacres all over the world, for different reasons, but never with the frequency that there are in the US.
"We need to make it clear to every elected official in this country. It's time to act. It's time for those in power to delay or block common-sense gun laws. We need to let them know that we will not forget, we can do much more, we have to do more," he stressed.
San Mateo County Executive Officer Mike Callagy reported that a one-day count found that there are 1,808 homeless people in the county. Saint Matthew, indicating that providing shelter and affordable housing, as well as health and mental health services are key to ending the problem.
“While that number may seem daunting to some, we know we have the capacity and commitment to end homelessness here in San Mateo County,” Callagy said during a virtual meeting of community leaders held last Friday.
During her participation, she explained that the local government is already working to gather the necessary resources and support "to create a clear path from homelessness to permanent homes."
During the second in a series of events titled “2022: Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness,” she detailed that getting people off the streets is supported by significant new shelter resources that have recently opened and additional ones that will arrive in a matter of months.
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Horsley said systems can be put in place to ensure that when individuals and families become homeless, it is infrequent, brief and unique.
"We know we have work to do and we are committed to providing the resources necessary to complete that work," he stressed.
Homeless in San Mateo County: By the Numbers
Based on a “point-in-time” count that tallies the number of people experiencing homelessness at a given time on one day, it was conducted on Feb. 24 by teams of community members who fanned out across San Mateo County to find and count unsheltered people.
In addition, a count was made of those who are in shelters and temporary housing.
On that day, the county was found to have 1,092 homeless people. That represented a 21 percent increase — 191 people — from the one-day count in 2019.
Meanwhile, 716 people were identified as living in collective shelters and hotels that have been converted into temporary housing. This represented a 17 percent increase (105 people) compared to the same count two years ago.
“While numbers are up, we believe the situation could be much worse without the supports we have put in place due to the impacts of the pandemic,” said Ken Cole, director of the County Human Services Agency.
“The last few years have been incredibly hard on many individuals and families. They deserve our compassion and, more than that, our promise that we will do everything in our power to ensure that every homeless person can enter a shelter and work toward finding a permanent home,” she added.
These point-in-time count results are intended to provide data that will help inform policymakers and providers about the homeless population and understand trends.
It is noteworthy that agencies receiving federal funding are required to conduct a point-in-time count every two years; the 2021 count was rescheduled to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county detailed that it has set a goal of creating enough shelter beds and transitional housing units to achieve “zero functional homelessness,” which means ensuring that every homeless county resident who chooses assistance can be safely housed in an emergency shelter or in temporary or permanent housing.
It also means that outreach staff will continue to engage with those who are not currently interested in accessing services, they said.
She added that providing temporary and permanent housing options is a key component of the initiative, along with expanding support services for homeless residents on the streets, in shelters and in transitional housing.
Supportive services address an individual's or family's housing barriers and include connecting people to employment opportunities, social service benefits, and health and mental health services.
To build momentum, Callagy announced 2022 as “Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness.”
The next event in the series, “Moving to a Permanent Home,” will take place on Friday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m.
To address urgent shelter needs, in April the county began construction of 240 safe living spaces at a shelter now taking shape in Redwood City, east of Highway 101.
The shelter, which will replace the Maple Street shelter, which currently provides emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for up to 110 people each night, will allow people to have private bedrooms and 20 units will accommodate couples.
The new facility will also offer outdoor space and expanded space for support service providers. Construction of the shelter is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
In addition to that construction, the county noted that it has purchased five former motels/hotels to convert into temporary or permanent housing for people who are unsheltered or at serious risk of becoming unsheltered.
Pride Parade in San Francisco, Calif. on June 24, 2018. (Photo courtesy Nader Khouri) Bay City News
San Francisco police officers and firefighters said Monday they will not march in the city's annual Gay Pride Parade after organizers told them they would not be able to wear their uniforms during the parade.
The San Francisco Police Officers Pride Alliance and LGBTQ+ members of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office issued a joint statement in response to the San Francisco Pride Committee calling on police officers to attend the parade without their uniforms.
LGBTQ+ firefighters from the San Francisco Fire Department also signed the statement and said they would not participate in the Pride Parade in solidarity with the city's law enforcement officers.
Law enforcement and firefighters argued that Pride organizers, who voted in 2020 to ban uniformed officers after a summer of nationwide protests against police brutality, are being punished for the actions of other officers.
“The San Francisco Pride Committee has called on LGBTQ+ law enforcement officers to come out,” the law enforcement officers and firefighters said. “San Francisco and the San Francisco Pride Parade have always embraced radical inclusion as one of our core values.”
San Francisco officials and firefighters also argued that Pride organizers would not take similar action against other groups that regularly participate in Pride, such as the drag and kink communities.
“This committee would not order the leather community to wear polyester to the parade. This committee would not order the drag community to wear flannel,” they stressed. “But they have told us peace officers that if we wear our uniforms, we cannot attend.”
SF Pride did not respond to a request for comment on the joint statement.
For their part, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey, one of two LGBTQ+ members of the city's Board of Supervisors, said they would also not attend the parade in solidarity with law enforcement.
Dorsey, who was communications director for the San Francisco Police Department before Breed was appointed to the board earlier this month, called the policy “exclusive.”
He also called on Pride organizers and law enforcement officials to find common ground in an effort to attract more LGBTQ+ officers to fill the city's police shortage.
“All San Franciscans share a compelling interest in solving our public safety staffing crisis in a way that attracts the most diverse and qualified pool of candidates we can,” she said. “We can do that by showing our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our police, fire and sheriff departments.”
However, she explained, an exclusionary policy, which prohibits LGBTQ+ first responders and allies from marching in uniform, “sends exactly the wrong message at a time when we cannot afford to do so.”
The 52nd annual San Francisco Pride celebration will take place at Civic Center Plaza from noon to 6 p.m. on June 25 and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 26.
As the fifth month of the year draws to a close, here is your roundup of local news from May 16-21 with the information you need to know to stay up to date on a variety of topics.
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Cal Fire crews contained a roughly half-acre grass fire Saturday night near State Highway 92 at Canada Road in San Mateo County after illegal fireworks were set off, sparking the blaze.
Cal Fire Division Chief Rich Sampson reminded the public that the purchase, possession and use of fireworks is illegal in San Mateo County and fines can reach $1,000.
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San Francisco police are investigating the discovery of a man's human remains on Muni train tracks on the city's South Side. The cause of death may have been the result of the victim being struck by a vehicle.
However, the exact cause of death is being investigated by the San Francisco Police Department's Traffic Collision Investigation Unit (SFPD), but authorities report that there is evidence that he was hit by a vehicle.
The man’s identity has not been released and the medical examiner is currently working to identify him and notify his next of kin, police said. SFPD is asking for the public’s help and anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411 and begin the message with “SFPD.” You can remain anonymous.
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Monday opened a new 160-unit permanent supportive housing complex in the city's SOMA district for adults and families with histories of homelessness.
The site, located at 1321 Mission, consists of 40 multi-bedroom units for families and 120 units for individuals.
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As we have previously reported on P360P, police in East Palo Alto are investigating a shooting that left one person dead and at least two others injured last Tuesday, following a shooting at Jack Farrell Park located in the 2500 block of Fordham Street.
Responding officers located one gunshot victim who succumbed to his injuries in an ambulance en route to the hospital. Two additional shooting victims were transported to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District fire station and then transported to the hospital. A fourth shooting victim was identified but did not seek treatment, police said.
Investigators said it appears the shooting was a targeted attack and not a random act.
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A South San Francisco Police Department motorcycle officer was injured Tuesday in a traffic collision while conducting a traffic stop in Redwood City.
Police said the driver of the vehicle entered the intersection without complying with a posted stop sign and struck the motorcycle officer from the side. However, the motorist stopped at the scene and cooperated with the Redwood City Police Department's investigation.
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A 49-year-old man was shot during an attempted robbery in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood Tuesday night, the San Francisco Police Department said. The shooting was reported around 5:30 p.m. in the area of Eddy and Hyde streets, where four suspects attempted to steal the victim's backpack and then shot him during a struggle over it.
The 49-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries, which are not considered life-threatening.
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San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Thursday announced the filing of a felony charge against Aaron Jonathan Hurley of Los Angeles for harassing a doctor who provides health care services, including abortions, to women in the Bay Area.
Hurley is allegedly the leader of an anti-abortion group called Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. The charges stem from a series of incidents in which Hurley and others allegedly attacked the doctor with threatening behavior.
According to the District Attorney's Office, a woman claiming to need counseling arrived at the door of the family planning center. When the door was opened to admit her, Hurley and several others ran into the clinic. They began filming, both staff and patients, and attempted to enter an operating room. Hurley was charged with harassment and several misdemeanors. An arrest warrant is pending for one of the other participants.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalates, the world is gravitating toward a conflict on the scale of World War II, with the possibility of the world's greatest military and economic powers engaging in open and devastating war.
The possibility of humans extending an armed conflict beyond our planet, in a space war, may seem like science fiction, but the fact is that it is already happening.
Eyes in the Sky
“If the enemy is strong on all sides, prepare yourself. If he has superior strength, evade him… Attack where he is not prepared, appear where you are not expected.” ‒Tsun Zu, The Art of War, 5th century BC‒.
It was the invention of radar that changed the face of air combat in World War II. Britain erected a wall of radio bases that enabled them to detect Nazi aircraft before they reached their territory. Wherever the Germans attempted an attack, they found the Royal Air Force ready to meet them in the air.
This is a small example of the importance of intelligence and reconnaissance in armed conflicts.
Of course, in the 21st century we have left radar behind to make way for satellites that reveal every corner of our planet in real time and in full colour.
The Union of Conscious Scientists ‒UCS, for its acronym in English‒, which is an organization of scientists and engineers who seek to develop and implement practical and innovative solutions to solve some of the most pressing problems on the planet, such as reducing the threat of nuclear war, among others, estimated the existence of 6,542 satellites around our planet in 2021, of these, only 3,372 are actively operating.
This means that there are thousands of satellites constantly transmitting information and images to Earth.
It is impossible to imagine a scenario in which the national army of one of the military powers of our planet would advance or plan an attack with thousands of eyes in the sky transmitting its every move. That is why, in November last year, Russia conducted a test and demonstration of an anti-satellite missile – ASAT – aimed at one of its inactive satellites.
China, the US and India also possess anti-satellite weapons, but they are not the only ones interested in the militarization of space. France and England have begun to discuss defensive space policies.
Experts predict that these discussions will lead to international space treaties, thereby initiating regulations in Earth's orbit.
Former US President George W. Bush envisaged allocating the budget of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to build a network of orbital weapons. Its aim was to intercept "enemy" missiles as well as shoot down other satellites.
The budget proposal was rejected by the US Congress in 2009 for being “too futuristic” and “underdeveloped” as indicated by the Arms Control Association report.
The scientific community warned at the time that the creation of orbital or space weapons would mean the beginning of an unprecedented arms race. But above all, it would put at risk the security of American satellites and communications, as well as that of its allies.
The problems arising from a first war outside Earth imply a serious threat of creating space debris. Any object that is set in motion in space will continue moving until it is attracted by the gravity of a planet or collides with another object. In this sense, any debris that enters Earth's orbit increases the possibility of damaging satellites, space stations and, in general, increasing the risk of collisions in any future space incursion.
The Cold War is not over, it just changed borders
"Introducing the principle of moderation into the theory of war itself will always lead to absurdity" ‒Carl von Clausewitz, On War, 1832‒.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, an era of nuclear tensions seemed to have ended. We emerged from a world clouded by fear of the atom with an attitude of hope for the future and international cooperation. We were no longer divided but united under a single doctrine of global trade and cooperation.
The International Space Station was one of the key moments in this dream of prosperity. Space then belonged to no one nation, the final frontier would be explored by humanity as a whole as we approach the edge of the unknown.
However, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has not only revived distrust between neighbours with weapons of mass destruction, it has also put the question of who owns space back on people's minds. Is it an act of aggression to place military satellites over another country? Where does a nation's sovereign area end? Are there Chinese satellites spying on us right now?
Satellite image of a replica of an American ship mounted on rails in the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang, October 2021. Source Maxar Technologies.
Los científicos de los Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‒CDC, por sus siglas en inglés‒ están colaborando con el Departamento de Salud Pública de Massachusetts para investigar un caso de viruela símica ‒viruela del mono‒ en un residente de Massachusetts que había viajado recientemente a Canadá en transporte privado.
Las pruebas en Massachusetts encontraron una infección por el virus de la orthopox ‒virus en especies aisladas de mamíferos no humanos‒ el martes por la noche, y los laboratorios de los CDC confirmaron que era viruela del mono la tarde del jueves.
La agencia gubernamental detalló que ya se encuentran rastreando múltiples grupos de viruela del mono que se informaron en las últimas dos semanas en varios países que normalmente no tenían casos de dicha enfermedad, incluidos Portugal, España y el Reino Unido.
Destacó que no está claro cómo las personas en esos grupos estuvieron expuestas a la viruela del simio, pero los casos incluyen a personas que se identifican a sí mismas como hombres que tienen sexo con hombres.
Los CDC han instado a los proveedores de atención médica en los EE. UU. a que estén atentos a los pacientes que tienen enfermedades cutáneas consistentes con la viruela del mono, independientemente de si han viajado o tienen factores de riesgo específicos para dicho virus.
Agregó que cualquiera, independientemente de su orientación sexual, puede propagar la viruela del simio a través del contacto con fluidos corporales, llagas de la viruela del simio o elementos compartidos ‒como ropa de cama‒ que hayan sido contaminados con fluidos o llagas de una persona con la viruela del mono.
El virus de la viruela del mono también se puede propagar entre las personas a través de gotitas respiratorias, por lo general en un entorno cerrado, como el mismo hogar o un centro de atención médica, detallaron los CDC.
Sin embargo, los desinfectantes domésticos comunes pueden matar el virus de la viruela del mono.
«Muchos de estos informes globales de casos de viruela del mono ocurren dentro de las redes sexuales. Sin embargo, los proveedores de atención médica deben estar atentos a cualquier erupción que tenga características típicas de la viruela del mono. Estamos pidiendo al público que se comunique con su proveedor de atención médica si tiene un nuevo sarpullido y está preocupado por la enfermedad», dijo Inger Damon, experta en poxvirus con más de 20 años de experiencia y directora de la División de Alta Infección de los CDC.
What people should do about monkeypox:
Las personas que pueden tener síntomas de viruela del mono, particularmente los hombres que informan tener relaciones sexuales con otros hombres y aquellos que tienen contacto cercano con ellos, deben estar al tanto de cualquier erupción o lesión inusual y comunicarse con su proveedor de atención médica para una evaluación de riesgos.
Lo que deben hacer los proveedores de atención médica:
Si los proveedores de atención médica identifican pacientes con una erupción que se parece a la viruela del mono, deben considerarla, independientemente de si el paciente tiene antecedentes de viaje a países de África central u occidental.
No deben limitar las preocupaciones a los hombres que informan haber tenido relaciones sexuales con otros hombres, pues aquellos que tienen algún tipo de contacto personal cercano con personas con viruela del mono también podrían estar en riesgo de contraer la enfermedad.
Algunos pacientes han tenido lesiones genitales y la erupción puede ser difícil de distinguir de la sífilis, la infección por el virus del herpes simple ‒VHS‒, el chancroide, la varicela zoster y otras infecciones más comunes.
Asimismo, deben aislar a cualquier paciente sospechoso de tener viruela del simio en una sala de presión negativa y asegurarse de que el personal comprenda la importancia de usar el equipo de protección personal adecuado y que lo usen cada vez que estén cerca de casos sospechosos.
Finalmente, los médicos deben consultar al departamento de salud estatal o al centro de llamadas de viruela del mono de los CDC a través del Centro de operaciones de emergencia de la agencia al 770-488-7100 tan pronto como se sospeche de un caso de viruela del mono.
La viruela del mono es una enfermedad viral rara pero potencialmente grave que generalmente comienza con una enfermedad similar a la gripe e inflamación de los ganglios linfáticos y progresa a una erupción generalizada en la cara y el cuerpo.
El virus que provoca la viruela del mono resurgió en Nigeria en 2017 después de más de 40 años sin casos informados. Desde entonces, ha habido más de 450 casos reportados en Nigeria y al menos ocho casos conocidos exportados internacionalmente.
By Cristian Carlos, special for Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
Los estados deben volver a verificar la elegibilidad de todos los beneficiarios de Medicaid, incluidos los niños, para mantener la cobertura en servicios médicos continua durante la pandemia, con la inminente terminación de la financiación de la Emergencia de Salud Pública (PHE) COVID-19, se estima que entre 800 mil y 1.2 millones de californianos perderán su cobertura de atención médica de MediCal como resultado.
For this reason, Ethnic Media Services ofreció una sesión informativa donde oradores abordarán la importancia de mantener servicios médicos infantiles, los pasos que los estados y los legisladores federales deben tomar para asegurar que los niños estén adecuadamente protegidos, como la AB 2402, que garantiza un mínimo de cinco años de asistencia sanitaria para los niños de California.
Mayra E. Álvarez, presidenta de The Children’s Partnership, dijo que «no podemos pasar por alto el papel tan importante que tiene el acceso a la atención médica» en las infancias. Dijo que los programas de atención médica terminarán en el mes de julio de este año, como el Medicaid, pero que tiene la confianza en que se renueve y se conserve por más tiempo del inicialmente previsto.
Álvarez prevé que hasta 40 millones de estadounidenses se verán afectos dada la interrupción de los programas de atención médica, tal es el caso de Medicaid para antes de 2023. 2.3 millones de estas personas se encuentran en el estado de California, refirió Álvarez; de ellos, hasta 1.2 millones de infantes que perderán su cobertura de MediCal en California. Señaló que es la población infantil afrodescendiente la que se vuelve más vulnerable ante la falta de cobertura de servicios de salud. Aseguró que esta situación se ve todavía más agravada para la comunidad latina. Indicó que el senado se encuentra en ello para evitarlo y asegurar el correcto desarrollo de la sociedad futura.
Opinó que espacios como los que ofrece Ethnic Media Services sirve para que información como esta llegue a las familias y sepan sobre su situación.
Joan Alker, profesora de investigación y directora ejecutiva del Centro para Niños y Familias de la Universidad de Georgetown dijo que se generó un reporte por parte del mismo centro en el que se puede concluir, para 2023, hasta cinco millones de niños perderán la cobertura del seguro médico. Esta pérdida de cobertura sanitaria, señaló, podría tener efectos devastadores en la salud y el bienestar futuros de estos niños. Por ejemplo, la falta de acceso a la atención médica periódica puede provocar un aumento de las tasas de enfermedades crónicas como el asma y la diabetes. Estos problemas de salud pueden tener un impacto significativo en la capacidad del niño para aprender en la escuela, así como en su calidad de vida en general.
Sugirió Alker que los niños suelen ser los miembros más vulnerables de la sociedad. «En consecuencia, los niños suelen tener dificultades para recibir una atención sanitaria adecuada. Esto es especialmente cierto para los que no tienen seguro», dijo. Y es que la niñez vulnerable está expuesta a todo tipo de amenazas, desde la enfermedad hasta la pobreza, y pueden no tener voz para hablar por sí mismos.
«Sin embargo, el futuro de este programa es incierto», mencionó. Si el senado estadounidense no hace algo al respecto, muchos niños podrían perder el acceso al seguro médico. Esto podría ponerlos en riesgo de sufrir todo tipo de problemas de salud.
Los niños necesitan un seguro médico ahora más que nunca. No hay razón para que se les prive de este recurso esencial. «Podemos garantizar que millones de niños puedan recibir la atención que necesitan», finalizó.
Georgina Maldonado, directora ejecutiva de la Iniciativa de Salud Comunitaria del Condado de Orange, inició su participación diciendo que este fenómeno no es exclusivo sólo de la población infantil, sino que afecta a personas de todas las edades.
«Existen varios retos para lograr el acceso a los planes de salud para todas las edades en EE.UU.», dijo.
Explicó Maldonado que durante muchos años, los latinos han sido el grupo de población más numeroso de Estados Unidos y «sin embargo, todavía se enfrentan a una serie de problemas de salud». Cabe señalar que la población infantil latina que vive en Estados Unidos tiene tasas más altas de obesidad, presión arterial alta y diabetes que los blancos no latinos.
«Las razones de estas estadísticas son complicadas, pero una gran parte es que muchos latinos carecen de seguro médico. Sin seguro, es difícil recibir revisiones periódicas y tratamiento para enfermedades crónicas», dijo Maldonado. Y es que enfermedades como la obesidad y la diabetes, son factores de riesgo ante epidemias.
En respuesta a este problema, la Iniciativa de Salud Comunitaria del Condado de Orange ha estado trabajando para hacer que el seguro médico sea más accesible para los latinos. La iniciativa ha ayudado a dar cobertura a cientos de miles de personas en Estados Unidos, incluidas muchas familias latinas.
Y es que, por ejemplo, aunque Medicare, Medicaid y otras opciones de seguro público están disponibles para las personas de 65 años o más, la cobertura es insuficiente para el creciente número de personas que mantienen la salud y la función cognitiva hasta bien entrados los 70, 80 y más años. Es decir, muchos adultos mayores no pueden optar a los seguros públicos porque no cumplen los criterios de elegibilidad o han agotado las prestaciones de Medicare.
No sólo los adultos mayores tienen problemas para acceder a la cobertura en servicios médicos en EE.UU.
Los más jóvenes también luchan por obtener una cobertura de seguro médico adecuada. Por ejemplo, una parte importante de las personas sin seguro en EE.UU. son adultos jóvenes de entre 18 y 34 años que no cumplen los requisitos para obtener un seguro público. Pueden no ser elegibles para el seguro público porque no califican para la expansión de Medicaid de la Ley de Cuidado de Salud Asequible (ACA) o porque ganan demasiado dinero para calificar para los planes subsidiados del mercado ACA.
Además, muchos adultos jóvenes pueden renunciar a la cobertura sanitaria incluso cuando es asequible porque están más sanos que los adultos mayores y creen que no la necesitarán. Sin embargo, los adultos jóvenes a menudo subestiman su riesgo de sufrir una enfermedad o lesión que ponga en peligro su vida o que les incapacite y que pueda dar lugar a costosas facturas médicas.
Conversely, some older adults may overestimate their health care needs and take out insurance that is too broadly based, resulting in high costs.
Yingjia Huang, Departamento de Servicios Sanitarios de California, dijo que se pretende proteger a las personas que dependen de MediCal. El estado ha recibido más de mil millones de dólares en fondos federales para ayudar a garantizar que las personas actualmente cubiertas por MediCal puedan seguir recibiendo atención. El Departamento de Servicios de Salud de California actuará para reducir el número de personas que perderán la cobertura en los planes de MediCal y para garantizar que nadie pierda su cobertura de seguro médico como resultado de los recortes federales.
Los esfuerzos del estado se centrarán en puntos clave como la ampliación la elegibilidad para la cobertura de MediCal y fomentar la inscripción a través de la divulgación y la asistencia.
En 1973 la ley de Texas refería que el aborto estaba prohibido, pero una mujer, actualmente conocida como Jane Roe, que no quería estar embarazada por problemas económicos, puso de cabeza las leyes que lo impedían no solamente en dicho estado sino que lo volvió un derecho constitucional en todo Estados Unidos.
Norma McCorvey una mujer estadounidense de 22 años recibió en aquel entonces el alias de Jane Roe, otorgado por los abogados debido a términos de protección y confidencialidad que su caso implicaba.
Esto debido a que, incluso cuando en 1973, el año en que explotó a la luz pública el caso de Jane Roe, en algunos estados de Estados Unidos ya estaba aprobado el aborto, como por ejemplo, en California y Nueva York, no lo era así en Texas el sitio en donde Jane Roe residía.
En la década de los sesenta y setenta el aborto era extensamente legal en cuatro estados y permitido bajo circunstancias limitadas en otros 16 estados.
Fue en 1968 cuando Ronald Reagan en aquel entonces gobernador republicano de California que se firmó la «Ley de aborto terapéutico» mientras que en 1970 en la ciudad de Nueva York, se firmó el derecho al aborto sin necesidad de que las mujeres dieran algún tipo de explicación ante las autoridades siempre y cuando se realizara dentro de los primeros dos trimestres de gestación.
By July 1, 1970, the first abortion clinic was reportedly opened in New York City.
Jane Roe, la mujer que luchó en pro del aborto, tendría preparado un camino más complicado y agridulce pero no por ello menos ganador.
The case «Roe vs. Wade»
Soltera, desempleada y esperando a su tercer hijo, Norma McCorvey, una camarera originaria de Dallas, demandó en un proceso histórico a Henry Wade, el fiscal del distrito de Texas para reclamar su derecho a abortar.
Hence the lawsuit that served to constitutionally legalize abortion in the United States acquired its name, "Roe vs. Wade."
La batalla no fue nada sencilla pues la demanda implicaba una disputa federal contra el fiscal Wade de Texas abogando que las leyes que prohibían el aborto en ese estado eran inconstitucionales.
En enero de 1973 los jueces federales en el Distrito Norte de Texas finalmente fallaron siete votos a dos a favor de la demandante, sin embargo, para ese entonces, Jane ya habia dado a luz a su tercera hija a quien puso en adopción.
Actualmente, la sentencia aprobada «Roe vs. Wade» es sinónimo de «la decisión más controvertida de la historia del Supremo» hecho que continua siéndolo pues el pasado 2 de mayo de este mismo año se han reabierto las tensiones sobre el derecho al aborto mediante la filtración de un documento escrita por el juez Samuel Alito, que indicaba que la Corte Suprema anularía Roe vs. Wade dando pie a múltiples manifestaciones en pro y en contra de este derecho a lo largo y ancho de Estados Unidos.
Después de la reunión realizada este jueves por el Comité Asesor sobre Prácticas de Inmunización, los Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‒CDC, por sus siglas en inglés‒ han ampliado la elegibilidad de las dosis de refuerzo de vacunas COVID-19 de Pfizer – BioNTech a todas las personas mayores de 5 años.
Así, los CDC ahora recomiendan que los niños de 5 a 11 años de edad reciban una vacuna de refuerzo 5 meses después de su serie inicial de vacunación de dos dosis de la vacuna hecha por la farmacéutica Pfizer.
Desde que comenzó la pandemia, más de 4.8 millones de niños de 5 a 11 años han sido diagnosticados con COVID-19, 15 mil han sido hospitalizados y, trágicamente, más de 180 han muerto.
La acción se da en medio de un registro de aumentos de casos de COVID-19 en todo el país, por lo que una dosis de refuerzo ayudará de forma segura a restaurar y mejorar la protección contra enfermedades graves, aseguró la agencia.
Además, los CDC reforzaron su recomendación de que los mayores de 12 años que están inmunocomprometidos, así como los mayores de 50 años, deben recibir una segunda dosis de refuerzo al menos 4 meses después de la primera.
«Durante el último mes, hemos visto aumentos constantes en los casos, con un aumento pronunciado y sustancial en las hospitalizaciones de estadounidenses mayores. Si bien los estadounidenses mayores tienen la cobertura más alta de cualquier grupo de edad de las primeras dosis de refuerzo, la mayoría de los estadounidenses mayores recibieron su última dosis hace muchos meses, dejando a muchos que son vulnerables sin la protección que pueden necesitar prevenir enfermedades graves, hospitalizaciones y muertes», señaló la directora de los CDC, Rochelle P. Walensky.
La doctora puntualizó que ya sea su primer refuerzo o el segundo, «si no ha recibido una dosis de vacuna desde principios de diciembre de 2021 y es elegible, ahora es el momento de obtener una».
«Hoy, respaldé el voto de ACIP para ampliar la elegibilidad para las dosis de refuerzo de la vacuna COVID-19. Los niños de 5 a 11 años deben recibir una dosis de refuerzo al menos 5 meses después de su serie primaria. La vacunación con una serie primaria entre este grupo de edad se ha retrasado con respecto a otros grupos de edad, dejándolos vulnerables a enfermedades graves», agregó.
La funcionaria explicó además que, con más de 18 millones de dosis administradas en personas de 5 a 11 años de edad, se sabe que «estas vacunas son seguras y debemos seguir aumentando la cantidad de niños protegidos. Animo a los padres a mantener a sus hijos al día con las recomendaciones de vacunas contra el COVID-19 de los CDC».
