Bay City News. [BCN]. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
California's COVID-19 rental support application website is available starting Monday, which will help eligible landlords and tenants cover last year's unpaid rent.
Funding for the support comes from the $2.6 billion in rental support California's federal share of the U.S. Treasury Department's emergency rental assistance program.
Although some counties or cities have their own application portal for administering rental assistance, Russ Heimerich, spokesman for the California Housing, Consumer and Business Services Agency, said you can apply at any portal. The California state website will direct people to the appropriate website by city or county.
Eligible landlords and tenants may apply for reimbursement of 80 percent of the tenant's outstanding rent between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 if they accept the remaining 20 percent remission.
Tenants may also apply on their own if their landlords choose not to participate. Those who meet the eligibility requirements can receive 25 percent of the rent in forgiveness accrued between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. This is the amount tenants must pay by June 30 to avoid eviction under California's COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (Senate Bill 91).
Some tenants may also receive assistance to cover 100 percent of utilities for the past year and 25 percent of future rent when these protections expire to stop evictions.
Applications are not assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, but will be accepted on a rolling basis. Eligible tenants must earn 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI) for their location and the state will give priority to those earning less than 50 percent of the AMI for their location.
Community organizations in each county are also available to assist with such requests. A list of support organizations and their contact information is available at https://housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/partner_resources.html.
For more information and eligibility requirements, you can visit HousingIsKey.com or call toll-free (833) 430-2122.
The form will be available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese and Korean. Support is available in over 200 additional languages via telephone.
Police have arrested Nestor Lopez, 66, in Redwood City for allegedly making threats with a gun Friday night in the 500 block of Shorebird Circle.
Police responded to a call at 8:46 p.m. for a report of a domestic disturbance involving, they say, a suspect with a gun.
Police arrested Lopez on suspicion of threatening bodily injury with a firearm and injury with a firearm. They also recovered a .38 caliber handgun.
Police urge anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective Sergeant Nick Perna at (650) 780-7672 or the department's communications line at (650) 780-7107.
Police are looking for a group of men who beat up a person early Monday morning at a bar located at 840 Brewster Avenue.
Redwood City Police responded to a report, generated at 2:18 a.m., of a fight at Wine Bar and found a victim unconscious with head injuries. Witnesses told police that the victim was assaulted by a group of men who had been drinking at the bar, that the men punched the victim, he fell to the ground and the men continued to punch and kick the victim.
Witnesses told police that the group of men fled the scene in several vehicles in different directions.
The victim was transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.
Police encourage anyone with additional information about this incident to contact Detective Joe O'Gorman at (650) 780-7147 or the department's tip line at (650) 780-7107.
The state of California announced Tuesday that, as of tomorrow, March 17, San Mateo County will move to the "orange level," a less restrictive level that allows for the easing of certain limitations and where most indoor businesses will operate with modifications.
The change to orange will happen in the first minute of this Wednesday. The move comes a year to the day after the first stay-at-home order in the Bay Area.
"This is an important milestone for San Mateo County and all residents should be proud of the role they played in bringing us here by continuing to wear a mask, maintaining social distance, getting tested and receiving the vaccine when eligible," said Board of Supervisors Chairman David J. Canepa.
Through a statement he stressed that "this is not the time to become complacent. This is the time to stand strong as a community and help those around us so that we can continue to open up our economy even more.
The county moved to the orange or "moderate" level because of two metrics calculated by the state: the adjusted case rate has dropped to 2.8 per 100,000 in the population and the test positivity rate, excluding prisons, is 1.1 per 100,000.
They also noted that the health equity quartile positivity rate is 1.9 per 100,000 population. The health equity quartile measures rates of HIV infection in the county's most disadvantaged communities according to the California Health Place Index.
With the change to the orange level, malls are now allowed to open with indoor modifications, where common areas must be enclosed, and food courts with reduced capacity.
Meanwhile, places of worship can now open indoors with modifications, where they can be at 50 percent capacity or 200 people, whichever is less, as can restaurants.
Non-essential business offices, bars/breweries where food is not provided, as well as movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, including indoor swimming pools may also operate with modifications and a maximum capacity of 25 percent. However, indoor hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms must be closed.
Climbing walls can be opened as well as family entertainment centers, go-kart racing, miniature golf, batting cages, bowling alleys, amusement parks and theme parks, all with modifications and limited capacities.
Attractions may only open by reservation or advance ticket sale, and only with local attendants - from the same county as the park location.
As for hotels, lodging and short-term lodging rentals, these will also begin operations with the necessary modifications.
Museums, zoos and aquariums will be limited to 50 percent of their capacity.
For schools, California has updated guidance and framework for reopening 12 schools for in-person learning by the 2020-21 school year.
It was reported that, in the state of Florida, a mother, a frontline health care worker, gave birth to a baby girl with antibodies to COVID-19.
The mother, at 36 weeks of pregnancy, reportedly received the Moderna vaccine because she was a frontline health worker caring for COVID-19 patients.
The birth took place at the end of January; however, the specialized media MedRxiv reported the findings of the investigation recently.
Once the mother gave birth, the researchers took a blood sample from the umbilical cord immediately after it was cut, and plasma was obtained from the placenta to see if an antibody test resulted in any reaction to the S protein of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease thought to have originated in a market in the Wuhan region of China.
It is important to note that the vaccine from Moderna Pharmaceuticals requires two doses. The mother would have received the second dose during her postpartum period, after 28 days of receiving the first dose of vaccine to achieve immunity.
The study urges the scientific community to thoroughly investigate the safety and efficacy of vaccines against the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus during pregnancy, as the effectiveness in newborns is unknown even when clinical studies show the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 to prevent disease derived from the new coronavirus: COVID-19.
In addition to its effectiveness in newborns, the researchers also called for research into the ideal time for pregnant women to get any of the available vaccines.
Bay Area health officials expressed full support for the three vaccines currently available in the U.S. against COVID-19, issuing a letter emphasizing the safety of the immunizations and calling on the public to get their doses.
"As local health officials, we fully support the three vaccines currently available for COVID-19. All three vaccines are safe and have been shown to be highly effective in preventing symptomatic disease and hospitalizations," notes the letter, which was released March 15.
The document notes that clinical trials of all three vaccines showed that they were 100 percent effective in preventing deaths from COVID-19, and that there is growing evidence that such immunizations also help prevent asymptomatic disease.
This, they said, means that people who have been vaccinated are unlikely to transmit COVID-19 to others who are not immunized.
"There has been much debate about the advantages of one brand of vaccine over another, but it is difficult to compare their efficacy. The different brands of COVID-19 vaccines have not been studied in head-to-head comparisons," they explained.
They noted that each of the vaccines has been studied in slightly different groups of people and tested in different phases of the pandemic.
They also noted that community transmission rates and the presence or absence of COVID-19 variants differed between studies.
"What we can say with certainty is that all three vaccines provide levels of protection that are comparable to some of the best vaccines we have for other serious infectious diseases for which we routinely vaccinate people," they stressed.
Experts advised that while working toward community immunity, "the best vaccine is the one you can get as soon as possible. Different immunizations have different storage requirements, and with current limited vaccine supplies, the same brand may not be available at all vaccine sites on a consistent basis.
They called on the public to talk to their medical provider if they have questions about the vaccine, and more information about the vaccines is available on the state's COVID-19 website.
It was March 5, 2020 when Sacramento County declared a health emergency due to COVID-19, and since then, for residents, organizations and government "it's been quite a journey" of learning, which will make the word "normalcy" take on a whole new meaning, as despite efforts it has not been able to break free of the Purpura level of restriction.
The return of some travelers who had been on a cruise ship was the beginning of the county's "Stations of the Cross" that brought with it guidelines, restrictions, tests and more tests and additional measures that were never enough, recalled Olivia Kasirye, an official with the Sacramento County Department of Public Health.
As of March 12, Sacramento had 4,770 cases of COVID-19, with a stable pattern where about 60 percent of those infected are residents between 18 and 59 years of age, which speaks of a mobile population, said the official during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
In that regard, he noted that of the deaths recorded due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus - 1,525 - about 80 percent of them were in people over 65, and of those, 50 percent were in residents who were in long-term care facilities, which made it "one of the most affected populations.
This population was joined by those who, because of their geographic location, were underserved, those where the zip code makes a difference in services and care. So when the Department of Public Health received funds to help the community, part of that response was allocated to serve these vulnerable areas.
Kasirye recalled that through different collaborations they were able to help homeless people by giving them access to clean water, sanitation and testing.
The team of firefighters and paramedics made a difference, because thanks to them, older adults from various long-term care facilities were able to be diagnosed with tests, and if necessary they themselves transferred them to hospitals, he said.
He explained that another vulnerable group were farmers, who could not stay at home and continue to work during the pandemic, a situation that placed them in the most vulnerable spectrum, the positive cases were not long in coming.
In response, she said, the Housing for the Harvest program provided comprehensive services for people in the agriculture sector, and community-based testing was also offered at 11 sites, which helped ensure that even people without health care, without a home or medical facility to go to for testing or with transportation issues, could be tested. "So we made sure that these testing sites were in communities that were underserved."
Vaccines have arrived in the county, however, Sacramento remains at Purple, the most restrictive level of all due to the still high incidence of COVID-19 positive cases.
"-Contagion- is way down compared to where it was at the end of 2020. So we've definitely turned the corner, we've passed the peak and now our efforts are focused on vaccination," determined Olivia Kasirye.
Mike Nguy, Health Equity Lead for the Sacramento County Department of Public Health, noted that the deployment of vaccine doses in the area has been thanks to multiple partners who have sought to make Cuellar the most efficient route for these immunizations to reach everyone.
In that regard, he said that with a limited number of vaccines, "we were really working very hard and closely with our community partners to ensure equity and inclusive outreach, especially in those zip codes that have been disproportionately impacted by SARS-CoV-2.
Currently, the county has two mass vaccination sites, one of which is in one of the hardest hit and underserved areas, in an effort to level the "playing field" and ensure that disproportionately impacted communities and areas have equitable access to the resources needed to address the pandemic.
Added to this, she recalled, have been community pop-up clinics, in which they work closely with areas and organisations to reach out to those residents who face digital language barriers.
"We not only talk about how to provide vaccines equitably, but also how to combat misinformation and align some of the communication to build trust among community members, especially in indigenous people and communities of color," she added.
Mike Nguy, Sacramento County Department of Public Health Health Health Equity Leader
He reminded that it is necessary that residents can have access to resolve all their doubts regarding the vaccine, so that they can apply it and enter a new phase of the pandemic.
In that sense, he explained that the best vaccine is the one that is available, and given the shortage of doses it is necessary that people accept the vaccine that is currently available to them, which will prevent further spread of the virus and the disease.
"Especially at this time when we have so few doses available and the demand is so much greater than the number of doses, if you go to a site, whatever vaccine they offer, it's the best," he added.
Mike Nguy, Sacramento County Department of Public Health Health Health Equity Leader
Currently, Sacramento County has administered 429,212 doses to its residents, of which 33.8 percent have been to Caucasians, 11.1 percent to Asian Americans, 11.1 percent to multiracial, 8.4 percent to Latinos, 4.1 percent to African Americans and 4.1 percent to Native Americans, 11.8 percent were of other ethnicities, and the origin of 18.3 percent of those immunized is unknown.
The Sacramento Native American Health Center, led by Britta Guerrero, is one of the sites serving one of the communities most affected by COVID-19, and one that has been disproportionately underserved in health care throughout history, as well as serving other underserved communities such as those of color who do not have health insurance.
"About 80 percent of our patients suffer from more than one chronic condition and also have some mental health issue. So there are a lot of social determinants that we need to work on," he stressed.
He added that his patients bear the burden of disproportionate health disparities, which has led to very high rates of COVID-19 and deaths from the disease.
This, he said, is mainly due to the limited access that minority communities have to adequate health facilities, in addition to the poverty they face and the need to keep their jobs, many of them without adequate protection, in order to meet their basic expenses.
Recently, she said, they've increased 106 percent in psychiatric appointments, which meant patients were suffering from depression and anxiety and dealing with all the additional stressors of being isolated, missing work and caring for children, and perhaps dealing with substance abuse issues while separated from their families and community.
"As one of the most vulnerable communities, we decided to start vaccinating all Native Americans 18 years of age and older who have had the opportunity to participate in the Indian Health Services vaccine program. So we are using the Indian Health Services vaccines for our patients who are Native," she said.
"I have a lot of hope and also a lot of concern about the current situation. The peace of hope is that native people have a sense of sharing or collective responsibility for each other and protecting our most vulnerable, so many of the young people have been rushing to get vaccinated. We wanted to work with other communities to make sure that we are doing our part to protect other communities that are underserved or vulnerable," he stressed.
Finally, she said she is hopeful that for the first time, there will be equity for all in obtaining vaccines and that systemic racism in Native communities will be openly discussed, so that barriers can be removed and the Native community can be valued.
For Rachel Rios, executive director of La Familia Counseling Center, it is very clear that the Latino community has been heavily impacted both in terms of COVID-19 positive cases and deaths, so many of the disparities that exist are represented.
He pointed out that when the pandemic arrived, they did not have the "luxury" of closing the doors of the organization, due to the services they provide to the Latino community that has diverse needs to meet their day to day life.
Currently, he noted that services are focused on telehealth or remote health, with virtual services, however, they recognize that the community suffers from a lack of digital devices, so they cannot access services in any way other than face-to-face.
He explained that since the beginning of the pandemic, infection rates were increasing for Latinos and no one seemed to be paying attention to that, a situation that could have been controlled if they had been "a little more proactive.
"People say Latinos are rallying, but the data shows that Latinos are the essential workers. They are the backbone of our economy in California. They're the ones who go to work. They didn't have the opportunity to telecommute and stay home. They had to show up to work or lose their jobs," he stressed.
Rachel Rios, executive director of La Familia Counseling Center
Given this, she urged that there be a Spanish-speaking testing center in the community where people can feel comfortable, especially people with mixed immigration status or who are undocumented, "so they can come and feel comfortable giving their information and getting a COVID-19 test, because there are a lot of fears, we know that there is a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric before this pandemic happened.
Because of this, he explained that he is hopeful that the narrative around immigrants will change, "that we will see the value and finally recognize that they have been working and that they have been holding our economies together, that we will see the value of all of our diverse communities, but I worry that once the infection comes back, we will go back to the way things were."
Stephanie Nguyen, executive director of Asian Resources, explained that we must ensure that we continue to educate communities to collaborate with each other and to ensure that information, resources and health equity reach everyone.
In that sense, he said that before a new pandemic arrives or a new serious health situation arises in the country, it is necessary to unite and work in the communities to prevent a disproportionate number of lives from being lost again.
For Nancy Xiong, director of development and communications for Hmong Innovating Politics, she noted that two of the biggest challenges right now are access to vaccines and misinformation that exists for some non-English speaking communities.
She explained that many members of the Asian community are ready and interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but in the absence of accurate information about immunization in their language, they are distrustful and sometimes choose not to seek access to the doses.
In addition, there is a lack of data to quantify the real impact on the Asian American community.
"We don't know how many Southeast Asian people have died or if any of our Southeast Asian-owned businesses have received recovery dollars and I think both of those numbers are going to be really important moving forward in terms of how we can take the next steps to really address the issues at hand and find solutions around that," he referenced.
Today, Sacramento County is struggling to make progress on health disparities and is seeking to get more and more residents vaccinated and cared for in the face of a relentless war against COVID-19.
Without immediate and drastic intervention, humans face a "frightening future," including declining health, climate devastation, tens of millions of environmental migrants and more pandemics, in the coming decades, according to an international team of 17 leading scientists.
According to an article published in January in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, researchers cite more than 150 scientific studies and conclude that "we are already on the path to a sixth major extinction, which is now scientifically undeniable."
Because too many people have underestimated the severity of the climate crisis and ignored the warnings of experts, scientists must continue to speak out, said Daniel Blumstein, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Berkeley. UCLA and a member of the UCLA Institute for Environment and Sustainability.
The author of the book "The Nature of Fear: Lessons in Survival from Nature," also noted that experts should avoid "sugarcoating" overwhelming challenges or inducing feelings of despair.
"Without fully appreciating and publicizing the scale of the problems and the enormity of the solutions required, society will not be able to achieve even the most modest sustainability goals, and catastrophe will surely follow," he said.
"What we are saying is frightening, but we must be honest and vocal if humanity is to understand the enormity of the challenges we face in creating a sustainable future," he added.
The paper details that the Earth has experienced five mass extinctions, each representing a loss of more than 70 percent of all species on the planet. The most recent was 66 million years ago.
Currently, the study notes, projected temperature increases and other human attacks on the environment mean that approximately 1 million of the planet's 7 million to 10 million species are threatened with extinction in the coming decades.
Blumstein said the level of damage could occur in the next few decades; an extinction affecting up to 70 percent of all species could potentially occur in the next few centuries.
There are now 7.8 billion people, more than double the population of the Earth just 50 years ago, and by 2050, the number is likely to reach 10 billion, scientists write, which would cause or aggravate numerous serious problems.
In view of this, they said that more than 700 million people die of hunger and more than a billion are already undernourished, so it is likely that both figures will increase as the population grows.
In that sense, they noted that population growth also greatly increases the risk of pandemics, because most new infectious diseases are the result of human-animal interactions, "humans live closer than ever to wild animals and the wildlife trade continues to increase significantly".
Thus, "population growth also contributes to rising unemployment and, when combined with a warmer Earth, leads to more frequent and intense floods and fires, poorer water and air quality, and worsening human health," they said.
The authors write that there is a "near certainty that these problems will worsen in the coming decades, with negative impacts for centuries to come" and that adverse global trends are obvious.
"Humanity is running an ecological Ponzi scheme in which society robs nature and future generations to pay today for short-term economic improvement," said Paul Ehrlich, professor emeritus of population studies at Stanford University and co-author of the study.
He added that "while it is welcome news that President-elect Biden intends to re-engage the U.S. in the Paris climate agreement within his first 100 days in office, it is a minuscule gesture given the scale of the challenge."
In the face of the situation, experts said that completely and quickly ending the use of fossil fuels, strictly regulating markets and property acquisition, reining in corporate lobbying and empowering women could help avert catastrophe.
However, they detailed that humans' innate "optimistic bias" has led some to ignore warnings about the future of our planet.
"By the time we fully understand the impact of ecological decline, it will be too late," Blumstein said.
Research has shown that engaged parenting helps children develop cognitive and emotional skills. However, too much parental direction can sometimes be counterproductive, according to a new study led by Jelena Obradović.Associate Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
In the paper published March 11 in the Journal of Family Psychology, researchers looked at parents' behavior when kindergarten-age children were actively engaged in playing, cleaning up toys, learning a new game and discussing a problem.
The study revealed that children of parents who intervened more often to give instructions, corrections or suggestions or to ask questions, even though the children were appropriately focused on the task, showed more difficulty regulating their behavior and emotions at other times.
These children also performed worse on tasks measuring delayed gratification and other executive functions, skills associated with impulse control, and the ability to switch between competing demands for attention.
According to Obradović and his co-authors, such reactions in children occur across the socioeconomic spectrum, so all children are susceptible to such treatment.
"Parents have been conditioned to find ways to get involved, even when children are focused and actively playing or doing what they were asked to do," said Obradović, who also directs the Stanford Project on Adaptation and Resilience in Children (SPARK).
However, she added that "too much direct involvement can take a toll on children's abilities to control their own attention, behavior and emotions. When parents let children take the lead in their interactions, children practice self-regulation skills and develop independence.
Obradović's research sheds new light on how "helicopter" or "snowplow" parents hinder their children's development during the critical transition to primary school.
Finding the right balance when interacting with children is especially important in kindergarten, said Obradović, whose research examines how nurturing environments contribute to children's health, learning and well-being over time.
She added that the beginning of elementary school is an especially challenging time when children are expected to manage their attention, emotions, and behaviors without direct help from parents.
"This is a really important change, when parents have to learn to push back," he said.
For their research, Obradović and his co-authors, Michael Sulik, a research scientist at SPARK, and Anne Shaffer, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Georgia, gathered a diverse group of 102 children ages 4 to 6 and their primary caregivers in a Stanford lab.
For their analysis, Obradović and his collaborators created a measure of what they called "excessive parental involvement. They noted times when a child worked independently or led an activity, and calculated the ratio of times when parents intervened in ways that should be helpful (not harsh or manipulative) to times when they followed the child's lead.
Thus, the researchers found a correlation between high levels of parental involvement when a child is focused on a task and infants' difficulties with self-regulation and other behaviors.
The researcher said that the aim of the study is not to criticize parents.
"When we talk about excessive parental engagement, we're not saying it's bad or obviously intrusive engagement," she said. "There's nothing wrong with suggesting ideas or giving kids advice."
However, she said it is important for parents to be aware that teachable moments have their place.
Helping a preschooler complete a puzzle, for example, has been shown to support cognitive development and build independence. And guidance is important when children don't pay attention, break rules or only half-participate in an activity, she explained.
She added that sometimes children just need to be left alone or allowed to be in charge.
This message may be especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, Obradović noted, when parents may wonder how much direct involvement their children need, especially as everyone balances new obligations.
"Have that honest conversation with yourself, especially if your child is doing well," she said. "As stressful as this time is, try to find opportunities for them to take the lead," she finished.
Los Angeles County has moved to "Red" in the state's four-tiered reopening system, which will allow many businesses and services to resume serving the public, due to the large number of people who have been able to get immunized against COVID-19, but now is not the time to let down our guard, experts said.
After an extremely difficult year for the county health-wise due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the area is taking a breather and beginning to enter a renewal of sorts, as thoughts of returning to "normalcy" are far removed and thoughts of becoming a better county are closer.
So said Los Angeles County, California, Second District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who said during a briefing by Ethnic Media Services that "regaining a sense of normalcy is difficult, because I hope that what we're going to learn from this pandemic will make us a better county rather than a return to normalcy.
Switching to a "red" level, he noted, will allow the opportunity to experience the reopening of indoor canteens, cinemas, museums and schools, but with restrictions and limited capacity.
She said she is aware of the needs of the district's small businesses and businesses that have struggled with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and announced that through an organization, a free 30-day supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being offered to any business in LA County with 100 or fewer employees.
He noted that the organization through which this action is being carried out is PPE Unite, for which, businesses must register through the website www.ppeunite.org and then pick up the protective equipment.
He also shared that the county has launched a small business stabilization loan program, which ranges from fifty thousand to three million dollars, capital that can be used for equipment, inventory purchases, or to refinance existing loans.
In this regard, he said that loan applications will be accepted until April 16, 2021. Applications can be processed through the site https://bizstabilization.lacda.org/.
"You have my personal commitment that we will deliver these critical resources to our neediest businesses," Mitchell said.
On the other hand, he assured that there is a concern in the county, due to the lack of equity and distribution of vaccines, so actions were taken that resulted in the vaccination against COVID-19 to more than 70,000 African American and Latino residents in South Los Angeles.
"The county has partnered with community organizations to make sure our communities of color are not disproportionately impacted by this pandemic, and have access to the vaccine they need so they can return to work safe and protected," he said.
A year ago, no one would have imagined that schools and small businesses would be opening until now. But the health guidelines have paid off, the Los Angeles County supervisor said.
"We have reached this moment because of our collective effort to socially wear our masks, get tested and get vaccinated when it's our turn to get vaccinated," he stressed.
For his part, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health official Dr. Muntu Davis recalled that last Friday the state announced that two million doses have been administered to people in the lowest-income communities across the state.
He reported that, as of today, Los Angeles County is aligning with the state's red reopening framework, which includes mandatory face shielding, social distancing, and infection control practices for every business and permitted activity, so additional safety modifications are required or recommended for certain sectors.
He noted that museums, zoos and aquariums may operate indoors with a maximum occupancy of 25 percent, while gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios must have a maximum capacity of 10 percent, and masks are required for all indoor activities.
In the case of movie theaters, they may have a 25 percent maximum occupancy with reserved seating only and with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between people who do not live together.
In retail and personal care services, occupancy increases to 50 percent with mandatory masking at all times.
In the case of restaurants, they may operate indoors with a maximum of 25 percent occupancy, provided they have the best possible ventilation, distance between tables of 8 feet, one fireplace per indoor table with a limit of 6 people, outdoor dining with up to three different fireplaces per table, with a limit of 6 people.
He also noted that the County Health Department strongly recommends that all restaurant employees who interact with patrons indoors wear additional face shield protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be N95 tested masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield.
Similarly, all restaurant employees should be informed and offered opportunities and time to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Shopping centers shall have a maximum occupancy of 50 percent with areas remaining closed. Food courts may be at 25 percent maximum occupancy attached to the restaurant with protocols for indoor dining.
Davis further stated that institutes of higher education may reopen all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the spring semester.
At last, schools will be allowed to reopen for face-to-face instruction for students in grades 7-12, adhering to all state and county guidelines.
In private homes, meetings may be held with up to three different households, in a maximum of 15 people, all with masks and required distancing at all times, without ingesting food and beverages inside.
For those who are fully immunized, they can gather indoors in small numbers, and in the event that they are living with others who are fully immunized they can be without the use of masks and distancing.
He reminded that outdoor activities are safer, continue to wear masks, keep a physical distance, if you are exposed or have symptoms, get tested, and get vaccinated when it is your turn.
"These reopenings are the result of hard work and sacrifice on the part of businesses and individuals. Thank you to all those who have had to endure sacrifices and who have made the prevention of COVID-19 transmission part of their daily lives," he stressed.
He added that new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may spread more easily or cause more severe disease in the county, but "their impact on our local pandemic is largely unknown.
Both officials explained that although there is still fear of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, it is necessary to get it in order to move forward and get out of this pandemic.
Dr. Sarah Lopez, patient safety officer for Harbor UCLA Medical Center's Department of Health Services, emphasized that the three vaccines available in the United States, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are highly effective and safe, "all preventing severe COVID, which requires hospitalization and results in death.
He further stressed that, to get to herd immunity without the use of vaccines, it would take about 159 months - 5 years, "I don't know about you, but I feel like 2020 was very long and to have to do this for another five years is really unimaginable."
He explained that if 25 percent of the population is vaccinated, herd immunity would be reached in 30 months, if 50 percent is vaccinated, herd immunity would be reached in about 10 months, and if 75 percent is vaccinated, herd immunity will be reached by this summer.
Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John's Well Child and Family Center, recalled that what was seen on the front lines of those fighting COVID-19 "was unbelievable suffering and unbelievable infection rates."
"People who worked on the front line and essential workers didn't have the ability to quarantine themselves at home and so they got infected and took it home and infected their families, and we're talking about factory workers, garment workers, warehouse workers, restaurant workers, grocery store workers, who live primarily in South Los Angeles. If they tested positive they weren't allowed to come back. They lost their homes. So we saw a tremendous amount of suffering," he added.
He explained that the organization he works for has been able to vaccinate, as of this weekend, 80,000 people and is now immunizing 25,000 residents a week.
