California coronavirus updates: LA County moves out of high COVID-19 infection tier

10:29 a.m.: LA County moves out of high COVID-19 infection tier

Los Angeles County has dropped out of the high COVID-19 community level under federal guidelines, as infections and rates of hospitalizations continue to fall, according to the Associated Press.

The move to the medium tier under criteria set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes two weeks after LA County dropped a plan to impose a new mask mandate as the latest coronavirus surge eased.

LA County health director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday that the trends are encouraging — but she reminded residents that face covering remains an effective tool to reduce spread.

10:03 a.m.: Polio detected in NYC’s sewer system, indicating spread

Health officials say it’s possible that hundreds of people in New York state have gotten polio and don’t know it.

As reported by the Associated Press, the pronouncement came Friday after they said the virus that causes the potentially deadly disease has been detected in New York City’s wastewater.

Authorities say the presence of the virus in wastewater suggests that it’s circulating locally.

They are urging parents to get their children vaccinated.

One person suffered paralysis weeks ago because of a polio infection north of the city. Most people infected with polio have no symptoms but can still give the virus to others for days or weeks.

10:59 a.m.: Can the monkeypox outbreak be stopped? Experts believe it’s possible

Since May, barely 90 countries have reported more than 31,000 cases of monkeypox, as reported by the Associated Press.

The World Health Organization classified the escalating outbreak of the once-rare disease as an international emergency last month.

The U.S. declared it a national emergency just last week, but that doesn’t mean the monkeypox is the next global pandemic.

Since it doesn’t spread as easily as COVID-19, it’s not spreading into every country. Outside of African nations, 98% of cases have been reported in men who have sex with men.

However, this does not mean it couldn’t spread to any person regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Scientists say stopping the outbreak among vulnerable groups could halt the disease’s transmission in Europe and North America.

10:27 a.m.: North Korea blames South Korea for COVID-19 outbreak in their country

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister says he suffered a fever while guiding the country to victory over the coronavirus.

According to the Associated Press, in a speech before thousands of North Koreans, she blamed rival South Korea for the country’s outbreak and vowed “deadly” retaliation.

Kim Yo Jong, a powerful official in charge of inter-Korean relations, glorified her brother’s leadership during the outbreak as he jubilantly described the country’s widely disputed success over the virus as an “amazing miracle” in global public health.

Experts believe the victory announcement signals Kim Jong Un’s intention to move to other priorities and are concerned his sister’s remarks potent a possible nuclear or missile provocation.

11:02 a.m.: COVID-19 deaths fall by 9% globally

The World Health Organization says in its latest weekly pandemic report that the number of coronavirus deaths fell by 9% in the last week while new cases remained relatively stable.

According to the Associated Press, the U.N. health agency said there were more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths last week and nearly 7 million new infections.

The Western Pacific reported a 30% jump in cases, while Africa reported a 46% drop.

The WHO said that the omicron sub-variant BA.5 remains dominant globally, accounting for nearly 70% of all virus sequences shared with the world’s biggest publicly available virus database.

10:31 a.m.: Pandemic restrictions encourage Chinese residents to take up cycling

Cycling is growing in popularity in China as a sport, not just a way to get to work.

A coronavirus outbreak that shut down indoor sports facilities in Beijing earlier this year encouraged people to try outdoor sports, including cycling, according to the Associated Press.

Organized rides in the Chinese capital take cyclists to outlying suburbs or city landmarks. The sport’s rising popularity has boosted sales of bicycles and signals growing public awareness of environmental protection and low-carbon lifestyles.

5:55 p.m.: Sacramento declares monkeypox a local public health emergency

Sacramento County declared monkeypox a local public health emergency Tuesday afternoon, allowing the county to access funding and be more proactive in its response to the outbreak

The county’s board of supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of the declaration, with District 4 supervisor Sue Frost the “no” vote. The emergency declaration allows. 

“The proclamation of the state of local emergency, and local public health emergency does not signify an increase in risk to the residents,” said the county’s public health officer, Dr. Olivia Kasirye, at the meeting. 

California state health officials announced a state of emergency on Aug. 2. 

The county was notified of its first monkeypox case on May 21. As of Tuesday, the county reports 80 monkeypox cases.

Along with a vaccine, there is a treatment for monkeypox — a two-week series of pills known as TPOXX. But it is currently only being offered at UC Davis Medical Center and Kaiser. 

Click here for more information about monkeypox signs and symptoms and where you can get a vaccine in Sacramento County. 

11:26 a.m.: Incoming college students turn to bridge programs to prepare after COVID-19 disruptions

After the disruption of online learning, first-year college students are arriving on campuses unprepared for the demands of college-level work, experts say.

The Associated Press reports that colleges from New Jersey to California have expanded summer bridge programs aiming to get students up to speed in math and English before they arrive this fall.

Experts say it’s clear that for some, remote instruction caused learning setbacks, most sharply among Black and Hispanic students.

The stakes are high — research shows that students who start college a step behind are less likely to graduate.

11:10 a.m.: 80,000 tourists stranded at a beach resort town in China due to COVID-19 outbreak

Some 80,000 tourists are stranded in the southern Chinese Beach resort of Sanya after authorities declared it a COVID-19 hot spot and imposed a lockdown.

According to the Associated Press, the restrictions came into force on Saturday morning as authorities sought to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the city on tropical Hainan Island.

There were 229 confirmed cases on Friday and an additional 129 on Saturday.

Railway authorities banned all ticket sales and all flights were also canceled. Tourists wanting to depart Sanya have to test negative for the coronavirus on five PCR tests over seven days.

China sticks steadfastly to a “zero-COVID” approach. A recent outbreak in Shanghai spread so widely that authorities locked down the entire city for two months, trapping millions of people.

12:14 p.m.: Flushed with cash from COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer buys another drug maker

Pfizer is buying sickle cell drug maker Global Blood Therapeutics in an approximately $5.4 billion deal as it looks to accelerate growth after its revenue soared during the pandemic, according to the Associated Press.

Pfizer said that its latest acquisition will boost its work in rare hematology.

Global Therapeutics produces Oxybryta tablets for treating sickle cell disease. The pharma giant Pfizer has been flush with cash since its COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, and treatment, Paxlovid, have hit the market.

It has now announced deals valued at a total of nearly $19 billion, counting debt, since late last year.

12:07 p.m.: Texas man sentenced to 25 years in prison for attacking an Asian family over COVID-19

Federal prosecutors say a Texas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attacking an Asian family because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Associated Press reports that court records show 21-year-old Jose Gomez III of Midland, Texas was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime.

Gomez admitted that he used a knife to slash the man and his 6-and 2-year-old sons inside a Sam’s Club in Midland because he believed they were Chinese and spreading the coronavirus.

The man Gomez attacked is from Myanmar.

The March 2020 attack occurred as Asians faced verbal harassment and physical assaults across the U.S. after the virus began to spread nationwide.

11:28 a.m.: Spain struggles to limit monkeypox infections

Spain is struggling to curtail Europe’s leading monkeypox outbreak since the disease spread beyond the continent of Africa.

According to the Associated Press, the southern European nation counts 4,942 cases and two men have died from the disease.

Authorities and groups in the LGBTQ community are honing their campaigns to get vaccines to the neediest members of the demographic so far.

In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of monkeypox infections have happened in men who have sex with men.

However, health experts warn that if cases continue to rise, they will inevitably spread to other groups, similar to HIV/AIDS.

Given the dearth of vaccines, the focus is now on getting out the message that reducing sexual partners is critical.

12:03 p.m.: Polio samples found in New York state wastewater

New York state health officials have issued a more urgent call for unvaccinated children and adults to get inoculated against polio, citing new evidence of possible “community spread” of the virus.

According to the Associated Press, health officials said that the polio virus has now been found in seven different wastewater samples in two adjacent counties north of New York City.

So far, only one person has tested positive for polio — an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County who suffered paralysis.

But based on earlier polio outbreaks, Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said there may be hundreds of other people who have been infected but have no symptoms yet.

11:32 a.m.: Las Vegas-based rental property management company faces probe over pandemic evictions

A Las Vegas-based corporate owner of thousands of residential rental properties in several U.S. states is investigating whether it improperly evicted tenants during the coronavirus pandemic while receiving millions of federal dollars to keep people in their homes.

The Associated Press reports probes of the Siegel Group announced by Nevada state Attorney General Aaron Ford and Clark County officials followed findings last week by a congressional oversight panel that company executives used deception, harassment and “potentially unlawful” tactics last year to force tenants out.

Siegel Group says it wasn’t called or interviewed by the U.S. House committee that produced the report. The company says it operates lawfully.

11:44 a.m.: Federal coronavirus relief funding local tourism projects

Hundreds of tourism projects nationwide are collectively getting about $2.4 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding, as reported by the Associated Press.

The money has aided everything from a gas station expansion in California to new sports facilities in Georgia and culturally diverse music in Nashville, Tennessee. Portland, Oregon, has categorized the purchase of 200 graffiti-resistant trash cans as a tourism project.

All the money comes from the American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden last year.

The flexible aid program for governments lists tourism as one of its eligible purposes, along such things as health care and housing.

11:03 a.m.: Germany announces COVID-19 measures will remain for fall and winter

The German government says basic coronavirus requirements will remain in place during the coming fall and winter when experts expect COVID-19 cases to rise again as people spend more time indoors.

According to the Associated Press, under rules recently announced, face masks and presenting proof of a negative coronavirus test will be mandatory from October until early April at hospitals, nursing homes and other locations with vulnerable people.

Passengers on airplanes and making long-distance trips by train and bus also will have to wear masks during that period, as they do now.

However, Germany’s 16 states have the authority to adopt their own rules. State governments could decide to require masks and adopt regular testing at schools.

2:46 p.m.: Newsom declares California in state of emergency over monkeypox

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to speed efforts to combat the monkeypox outbreak.

It makes California the second state in three days to take the step — nearly 800 cases have been reported in the state, according to the Associated Press.

Gov. Newsom said his Monday declaration will help California coordinate a government-wide response. He says the state will continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk and stand with the LGBTQ community in fighting stigmatization.

The move came after a similar declaration in New York state on Saturday and in San Francisco on Thursday.

2:37 p.m.: President Biden tests positive for COVID-19 for the second day

President Joe Biden’s “loose cough” has returned as he faces a rebound case of COVID-19, his doctor said, though he “continues to feel well.”

According to the Associated Press, White House physician Kevin O’Connor provided an update on the president’s condition as he continues to test positive for the virus.

He said Biden “remains fever-free” and that his temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation “remain entirely normal.”

Still, Biden is required to remain in isolation through at least Thursday under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines — and perhaps longer under tougher White House protocols if he continues to test positive.

11:41 a.m.: In the race to acquire monkeypox vaccines, lower-income countries lose

Public health officials warn that moves by rich countries to buy large quantities of monkeypox vaccine could leave millions of people in African nations unprotected against a more dangerous version of the disease.

As reported by the Associated Press, scientists say that, unlike campaigns to stop COVID-19, mass vaccinations won’t be necessary to curb monkeypox outbreaks. Targeted vaccinations and other measures could be enough to shut down the multiple outbreaks.

Monkeypox is much harder to spread than coronavirus, but experts warn that the need for vaccines could intensify if the disease spills over into the general population.

Brazil and Spain have just reported monkeypox deaths, the first in their nations.

11:38 a.m.: President Biden tests positive again in COVID-19 rebound case

President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second straight day, in what appears to be a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

According to the Associated Press, White House Physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that the president “continues to feel well” and will keep on working from the executive residence.

After Biden tested positive on Sunday, he canceled upcoming plans to travel and hold in-person events. He’s isolating for at least five days per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

The 79-year-old Biden first tested positive on July 21. He was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, and he had ended his isolation on Wednesday.

11:27 a.m.: Florida man accused of selling bleach as COVID-19 cure, is arrested abroad

A man accused of selling a toxic industrial bleach as a coronavirus cure through his Florida-based church has been returned to the United States after being arrested in Colombia.

According to the Associated Press, records show 64-year-old Mark Grenon made his initial court appearance Thursday in Miami federal court.

Grenon and his three adult sons were indicted last year on one count each of conspiracy to commit fraud and two counts each of criminal contempt. He is the archbishop of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing in Bradenton, Florida.

Officials say the church sold chlorine dioxide and claimed the toxic solution can cure a vast variety of illnesses.