Placer County Local News

12/14/2022
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to end the rule in part because it has become harder to enforce. Only people who caught the virus on the job are eligible to keep getting paid, but it is so widespread that it's hard to tell where someone got sick.

12/01/2022
As several respiratory illnesses circulate locally and across the state, OptumServe testing sites have rolled out combination COVID and Flu A/B tests to help residents stay better.

11/22/2022
Just 67 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and and 38 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds have had the primary two-shot COVID-19 vaccine series.

11/20/2022
Stanford launches the nation’s first study of an antiviral strategy for long COVID.

11/01/2022
On Nov. 1, the South Lake Tahoe City Council officially ended the local COVID-19 emergency that began March 19, 2020. Among other items of business, the council denied an appeal of a special use permit for The Landing at Tahoe Resort and Spa.

10/27/2022
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control decided to list COVID-19 among the vaccines it recommends for children, but each state decides whether to adopt those guidelines. It's unclear what California will do.

10/24/2022
As the number of COVID-19 infection surged during the pandemic, deaths from heart attacks rose sharply as well, with adults ages 25-44 experiencing the most significant increases, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

10/23/2022
“It's a cloak-and-dagger, spy-versus-spy game. … These variants that are bubbling up now are trying to get past some of our immunity."

10/17/2022
After more than two-and-a-half years, California is retiring its COVID-19 emergency proclamation. Governor Gavin Newsom will lift the state of emergency declaration on Feb. 28.

09/19/2022
As California settles into a third year of pandemic, the demographics of those falling victim to COVID-19 has shifted notably from the first two years. Each week, the virus is killing hundreds of Californians, hitting hardest among the unvaccinated.

08/17/2022
Although COVID-19 cases in California have started to plateau, some may face another infection as new variants spread. UC Davis infectious disease specialist Dr. Natascha Tuznik talks about reinfection, and if repeated bouts can worsen health risks.

04/14/2022
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to the first COVID-19 test that detects chemicals associated with the coronavirus in breath. The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer gives results in less than three minutes.

04/13/2022
California is delaying a coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren until at least the summer of 2023. The state was the first to announce a mandate, but it will not take effect until federal regulators give final approval to the vaccine for children.

04/10/2022
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, telehealth visits in California increased by 61 percent, with one in five patient visits now being conducted remotely. But how long will this major boost to telehealth services last?

03/31/2022
For the first time in more than two years, UC Davis Health said its hospital had no COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit for two consecutive days, and other local hospitals said their ICUs had seen a similar trend.

03/12/2022
Placer County was ground zero for the COVID culture wars. The Sacramento Bee examines how the county’s approach worked out.

02/16/2022
On Feb. 16, California officials said that the state’s long-range plan for COVID-19 will focus on flexible responses to future variants and shift from an emergency mindset into one that assumes coexistence with the virus.

01/05/2022
As the omicron COVID-19 variant continues to spread through California, many are using over-the-counter testing kits. If you test positive, what do you do with your result?

01/03/2022
With the Omicron variant surging throughout Placer County, the county extended its late summer health warning, encouraging residents to wear high-quality masks and to take other measures to avoid overtaxing the hospitals.

12/27/2021
U.S. health officials have lowered isolation restrictions from 10 to five days for patients with coronavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance reflects evidence that people are most infectious two days before and three days after symptoms develop.