Coronavirus updates: Moderna vaccine OK’d for use in California after experts’ endorsement
Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for adults, shipments are set to begin on Monday, rolling out the second preventative vaccine after Pfizer’s.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported that a group of scientists and public health experts endorsed Moderna’s vaccine to governors of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Their review of the vaccine was separate from the FDA, which granted official approval on Friday.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup completed its review Saturday night, and California officials agreed to adopt the vaccine.
“While California is in some of the darkest days of our COVID-19 surge, with too many families grieving lost loved ones, there is light as more vaccines are approved for distribution,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a prepared statement. “With the Moderna vaccine in circulation, we have another tool to fight this deadly disease. I am grateful to the best-in-the-nation scientific experts who lent their time and expertise to ensuring that Californians can have confidence in the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. This major step forward is welcome news to all who have experienced loss and hardship during this pandemic — those we hold in our thoughts this holiday season.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that nearly 6 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine will soon be sent to states. Additionally, 2 million more doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are set to be shipped as well.
California, which had previously expected a larger shipment from Pfizer, will be receiving 233,000 doses in the upcoming week. The state is also expecting more than 670,000 doses from Moderna, the Mercury News reported.
Coronavirus cases continue to surge in California, threatening to overwhelm hospitals as more people fall ill with COVID-19.
As of Sunday, the California Department of Public Health was reporting 1.85 million people have tested positive for the virus since the onset of the pandemic, and 22,593 have died of COVID-19.
More than 16,800 people are hospitalized across the state with confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 3,614 are being treated in intensive care units. There are currently 1,353 ICU beds available in total.
The state’s available ICU capacity is just 2.1%. Both the Southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley region have hit maximum ICU capacity due to a surge in infections. Greater Sacramento has 11.6% capacity remaining and the Bay Area has 12.4% left. Northern California has thus far avoided increased restrictions from the latest statewide stay-at-home order, staying well above the 15% capacity threshold which triggers the restrictions with 24.2% of ICU beds still open.
Republican group holds in-person, maskless party
Unmasked guests from the Sacramento Republican Assembly gathered in a home in Arden Arcade on Saturday evening despite the ongoing shelter-in-place order for the Greater Sacramento region to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The event had a virtual option for members of the SRA to attend, but the flier described “absolutely an in-person, no-need-to-wear-a-mask event.” The party was attended by conservative activists and politicians, promising discussion of matters like opening up California from its coronavirus restrictions and recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom.
On the original flier, special guests included Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost, Board of Equalization member and former Sen. Ted Gaines, former Assemblywoman Beth Gaines and some conservative candidates running for office.
Prior to the event, the SRA released a statement clarifying that the flier had been made prior to the shelter-in-place order and that the elected officials would not be attending.
“I want it to be clear that elected officials were invited to the Christmas Party Prior to the Governor’s Shut-down order and will not be attending, Our fliers and ads were made months ago and do not reflect on the Special Guests in any way,” the statement said.
Candidates running for public office attended the event, which gathered large crowds inside the San Ramon Way home, including two gubernatorial candidates, Grover Coltharp and Diego Martinez.
Guests were almost all not wearing face coverings and gathered in close settings. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended the use of face coverings and social distancing to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
United Airlines passenger dies of COVID-19
A passenger died following a United Airlines flight from Orlando, Florida, to Los Angeles on Dec. 14, potentially due to COVID-19, and others on the flight are now reporting coronavirus symptoms.
United flight 591 was forced to divert to New Orleans after the man suffered a medical emergency, and he died at a hospital. A passenger on the plane claimed to have heard his wife tell EMTs that he had previously tested positive for the virus.
Airline officials, who have been in contact with the Centers for Disease Control, said the man had been presenting symptoms of COVID-19. Later in the week, an EMT who performed CPR on the man for nearly an hour is also showing signs of infection.
“Knowing I had the knowledge, training and experience to help out, I could not have sat idly by and watched someone die,” Tony Aldapa wrote on Twitter. “I knew the risks involved in performing CPR on someone that potentially has COVID but I made the choice to do so anyways.”
United Airlines flights do require a self-assessment in order to board, which ask passengers to confirm they do not have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive recently.
Sacramento-area COVID-19 data
Sacramento County has reported a total of 54,003 infections since the onset of the pandemic and 741 people have died of COVID-19. As in the rest of the state, the infection rate has been rapidly rising as winter approaches.
County health officials reported 1,130 additional cases and 12 deaths Wednesday, followed by 1,003 cases and 16 deaths Thursday. On Friday, 818 new cases and 14 deaths were reported.
Sacramento County has 73 ICU beds available, down from an average closer to 100 earlier in the fall and in late summer, but up from 55 last week. Across the county, 486 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, 108 of whom are being treated in ICUs. The county’s most recent weekly average test positivity rate is 10.6%, up from 10.6% from last week’s data.
Yolo County has reported a total of 6,873 infections and 104 deaths. On Thursday, 70 infections were reported and 167 were reported Friday. Two deaths were reported Thursday and 11 deaths total were reported over the last week.
The county’s most recent weekly test positivity rate is 12.03%, which has risen from less than 4% at the start of October. As of Friday, Yolo County has five ICU beds available, with 11 patients already being treated for the virus in ICUs. In all, 23 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Placer County health officials have reported a total of 10,776 infections and 103 deaths. On Friday, 222 new cases and five more deaths were reported. On Wednesday, 250 infections were reported and on Thursday, 582 were reported.
Over summer, the highest daily infection total was just 68, on July 27. Health officials say more than 7,700 of the people with reported infections are likely recovered, which means there are over 3,000 people in Placer County currently sick with coronavirus.
Recent data indicates a weekly positivity rate of 12.5%. Since late September, the average per capita infection rate has soared. Currently, 190 people are in Placer County hospitals with COVID-19 and 28 are in ICUs. The county has 23 ICU beds available.
El Dorado County has reported 4,412 positive test results and eight deaths. In the last week, more than 780 new cases have been confirmed. The current test positivity rate is 12% and the county is also averaging 829 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people. Health officials say 28 people are hospitalized with the virus, 10 of them in ICUs. State data shows four ICU beds available in El Dorado County.
In Sutter County, 5,449 people have been infected and 43 have died. Of those, 83 were confirmed infected Thursday and three were reported dead. On Friday, 88 more were infected and one death was reported. County health officials reported a daily record for infections with 204 new cases on Dec. 8. Currently 51 people are hospitalized.
Neighboring Yuba County has reported 3,260 infections and 15 dead, with 81 new infections on Thursday and 47 infections plus one death reported Friday. Its daily infection record was broken on Thursday, when 89 people were confirmed to have coronavirus. On Dec. 6, 87 people were confirmed infected. Twenty people are currently in the hospital.
The test positivity rate in Sutter County is 23.7%, and it has reported 98.1 coronavirus patients for every 100,000 people. Yuba County’s test positivity rate is 20.1% and it has 68.6 coronavirus-positive residents for every 100,000 residents.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 1:50 PM.
