Sacramento County COVID-19 Digest

“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."

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.

From a new fire engine to a renovated public pool: Elk Grove’s Cosumnes Community Service District allots $5 million in federal and state COVID relief funds for citywide projects.

Galt City Council reinstated the hotel tax at its Sept. 20 meeting and ended the city’s state of emergency, bringing a close to two pandemic policies. It also approved new housing design standards.

Republicans sense opportunity in school board races because of the parent activism COVID-19 inspired. Parent Revolt recruits and trains parents to run for school board positions.

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.

The Folsom City Council adopted an ordinance to make outdoor dining “parklets” a permanent option for businesses in the city. The ordinance will replace a temporary program established under to help support restaurants during the pandemic.

Downtown Sacramento and other older, large cities have not fully recovered from the COVID-19 economic downturn more than two years into the pandemic, according to a study from the University of California, Berkeley.

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.

COVID-19 transmission among the student body in Elk Grove Unified, the largest school district in Northern California, was above average in comparison to other schools in the Sacramento region.

Sacramento County Public Health officials once again are encouraging residents to keep their masks on.

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.

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.

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?

Sacramento County supervisors “abandoned” the public health department in the early months of the pandemic, failing to quickly provide support, oversight and funds to the agency at the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis, a grand jury report concluded.

The Elk Grove Western Festival, a 65-year-old springtime tradition, has been canceled again. Festival Board President Ken Johnston said the board decided to nix this year’s festival and instead focus on the 2023 event.

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.

California state departments are requiring employees who have been working remotely to return to their offices. Some employees are resisting going back to the office, saying they have performed at least as efficiently working from home.

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

A project called Healthy Davis Together put UC Davis and its adjoining city inside a coordinated health bubble. Both town and gown have experienced COVID-19 infection and test positivity rates markedly lower than those in the surrounding region and statewide.

Millions in federal funds for COVID-19 response went to the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, which vowed to not follow pandemic protocol, and now the Sacramento Grand Jury is calling for an independent audit.

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.

Community-based organizations can apply for the Sacramento Get Vaccinated campaign, which is aimed at ZIP codes with the lowest vaccination rates. Stipends between $2,500 and $5,000 will be awarded by the city of Sacramento.

Rising revenue as the economy reopens from pandemic restrictions has Galt’s finances “trending the right way,” City Manager Lorenzo Hines said at a Galt City Council meeting.

El Dorado Union High School District issued a statement to parents saying the district will change its mask protocol, saying enforcement will involve educating students “but no further action of exclusion from class will be taken.”

The woman Gov. Gavin Newsom called California’s “vaccine czar” is leaving state service for a job in San Francisco, she told employees. Yolanda Richardson will take over San Francisco’s Medi-Cal plan. Her last day will be March 2.

Omicron is quickly moving across the country, resulting in surges of coronavirus cases and increased demand for testing. Areas in Elk Grove, Sacramento and Florin with the postal codes 95624 and 95823 have seen the highest numbers.

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?

The state has extended indoor mask mandate until Feb. 15 in response to the spread of the omicron variant, citing face coverings as a key component of making sure hospitals are not overwhelmed.

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.

CSU and UC employees and students will be required to have boosters in order to come onto campus, it has been announced. Deadline is Feb. 28.

Governor Newsom has expanded state COVID testing hours and availability as Omicron continues to tear through California.