Or weekly negative test in spite of mild omicron variant symptoms and CDC discontinuing PCR tests as of Friday; includes police, firefighters, paramedics, ambulance drivers, and workers in hospitals, jails, nursing or congregate care facilities, and homeless shelters.

By Allen Payton

On Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, Contra Costa County Health Officer, Dr. Chris Farnitano issued another order mandating county first responders and workers in homeless shelters to verify they have received a booster dose of vaccine or a weekly negative COVID test.

Contra Costa Health Services claims it’s being done, “to better protect the county’s health system from becoming overwhelmed by the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19.”

This requirement applies within the county to law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel who work in or may respond to emergency calls at high-risk facilities such as hospitals, jails, nursing or congregate care facilities, as well as all workers in homeless shelters. It also applies to non-emergency ambulance workers who provide medical transport for such facilities.

The order, which takes effect on January 10, requires unboosted workers to test weekly with either a PCR or antigen test for COVID-19.

Yet, the CDC issued a Lab Alert on their website on July 21, 2021, that “After December 31, 2021, CDC will withdraw the request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, the assay first introduced in February 2020 for detection of SARS-CoV-2 only.”

In addition, the FDA posted on their website the CDC’s Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, dated that same day, which reported the tests do not necessarily work. It reads, “Positive results are indicative of active infection with SARS-CoV-2 but do not rule out bacterial infection or co-infection with other viruses. The agent detected may not be the definite cause of disease. Laboratories within the United States and its territories are required to report all results to the appropriate public health authorities. Negative results do not preclude SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or other patient management decisions. Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history, and epidemiological information.”

CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel – Instructions for Use (fda.gov)

“The omicron variant is much more infectious than previous strains of COVID-19,” said Farnitano. “Boosting is necessary for the best protection from omicron infection and transmission. Our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed if a large number of our must vulnerable residents get sick. Our goal is to ramp up the protection around places where there is an elevated risk of exposure, and people who are at high risk of serious illness if they become infected.”

However, as previously reported, according to reports from throughout the U.S. and internationally, symptoms have been described as mild, and “extremely mild” by Dr. Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first discovered and announced the new strain.

The order requires applicable workers to test weekly for COVID-19 and provide the results to their employers, or if fully vaccinated, provide proof that they have received a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine within one month of becoming eligible. Employers are required to keep vaccination records for these employees.

Anyone 16 or older is eligible for a booster dose six months after they become fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two months after they receive a dose of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.

On Dec. 22, California added a similar statewide requirement for healthcare workers, home care workers, and employees of congregate care and detention facilities.

Omicron is already the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.S. The average daily number of newly detected COVID-19 cases in the county has risen about 156% in the past week with an average of 313 new cases per day, a trend expected to continue and potentially accelerate throughout California this winter.

Contra Costa identified the county’s first patients infected by this variant last week – two of the three initial cases were fully vaccinated, but none of them had received booster doses.

According to the Health Services announcement, about 36% of Contra Costa residents aged 16 and older have received a booster dose, which they claim reduces risk of infection from the omicron variant and dramatically reduces risk of serious illness, hospitalization or death from all variants of COVID-19.

Farnitano was asked specifics about his new health order including, “how many of the newly detected cases of COVID-19 in our county are from the omicron variant?” and “how many people who have been diagnosed with the omicron variant in our county been hospitalized?”

In addition, he was asked, “why mandate a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for county first responders and workers in homeless shelters when both the vaccines and boosters are proving not to work, since people who have had both of them are still contracting COVID?”

Farnitano was also asked, isn’t this an unnecessary overreaction to the omicron variant, since the symptoms are being reported as mild.? He was then asked, with more than 1.3 million reported adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines, why continue to mandate them and the boosters, putting first responders at risk, especially since the symptoms of the omicron variant are so mild?”

The unelected county health officer, whose orders can’t be overruled by the elected county supervisors, was asked, why he was including the PCR test as one of the mandate options when they have proven to give false reports and have been discontinued as of Dec. 31.

Finally, Farnitano was asked “are you not aware the FDA posted on their website the CDC’s Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel dated that same day, which reported the tests do not necessarily work which is the reason the CDC discontinued their use?”

Dr. Farnitano didn’t respond. Instead, Will Harper, a spokesman for the county Health Services did, but he didn’t answer all the questions.

“Over the past two weeks, a growing number of lab samples in CoCo being sequenced are omicron,” Harper wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon. “We expect omicron to become the predominant variant in the county very soon. Check back in after the holidays.”

“Clearly, Omicron is extremely contagious as we see cases in Europe and parts of the U.S. spiking. While there are indications omicron is more mild than earlier strains, we don’t know that for sure. Even if it is milder, the sheer volume of cases from omicron could still have major impacts on our healthcare system,” he continued. “In Contra Costa, hospitalizations are up 39% from two weeks ago — a troubling sign, although still manageable right now.”

“The vaccines work — but we’re learning that their effectiveness wanes over time, which is why it’s so important for everyone ages 16 and older to get their booster shot, especially people in high-risk settings like first responders,” Harper added. “You can see on our vaccine dashboard that people who’ve gotten boosters have lower case rates.”

Additional questions were sent Wednesday night after work hours, asking, “but if the COVID vaccines wane in just months, while vaccines we received as kids, such as for smallpox, chickenpox and polio, etc. last a lifetime, how can anyone claim the COVID vaccines work? Or were they designed and developed with obsolescence so people would be required to get booster shots? What happens when the booster shots wane? Will people be required to get another, and another? When will it end?”

The text of the order is available at cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Please check back for any updates to this report.

Only 60 COVID cases hospitalized in county as of Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

Three requirements to lift order, one met, one close; admits vaccines don’t last

“An exception remains for religious gatherings” – Will Harper, Health Services spokesman

With the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant circulating in Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) announced a health order today requiring masks in all public indoor places without exceptions for certain indoor settings. That’s in spite of the fact only 60 people infected with COVID are currently hospitalized in the county according to the health services’ dashboard. But that’s the only one of three requirements the county currently meets in order to lift the order.

It’s also in spite of reports from throughout the U.S. and internationally, symptoms have been described as mild, and “extremely mild” by Dr. Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first discovered and announced the new strain, as has been reported by the Herald. (See related article)

Previously, fully vaccinated public speakers and performers, and fully vaccinated groups of 100 or fewer people were allowed to remove their face coverings under controlled conditions.

The order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2021, now requires all people in Contra Costa, regardless of vaccination status, to mask in public indoor settings.

Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Contra Costa County deputy health officer, who issued the order, offered an explanation for it.  “Based on the increase in the number of people who are fully vaccinated becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus, exempting groups of people from the face covering requirement applicable to public indoor spaces based only on their fully vaccinated status can no longer be justified,” he wrote. “On the contrary, continuing to allow for these exceptions could lead to additional exposures, cases and hospitalizations.”

Many other Bay Area counties already require everyone to mask in all indoor public settings. But not all do.

According to the health order, “Since the issuance of the Prior Order, the protection offered by all three of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States has been found to wane after a period of time.”

“The omicron variant is very contagious, and we now know that anyone, regardless of vaccination status, can spread this variant to other people,” said Dr. Tzvieli. “We anticipate the case rate and hospitalization numbers to increase over the coming weeks. To reduce spread, cases and hospitalizations, we all need to wear masks anytime we are in an indoor public setting.”

The first case of the omicron variant was first identified in the county on Dec. 18, and since then case rates and hospitalizations have significantly increased. The average number of daily new COVID-19 cases has increased 149% over the last week and hospitalizations have risen 31%.

Because cases and hospitalizations involve both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people, CCHS strongly urges everyone to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as they are able.

COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses, continue to offer the most effective protection against hospitalization and death from all variants of COVID-19 circulating in the county.

Three Requirements to Lift Order, One Met, One Close

The county currently meets only one of the three requirements for lifting the indoor masking order. They will remain the same, progress can be tracked on the county’s Indoor Mask Dashboard and include: Contra Costa County must be in the CDC’s Moderate (yellow) tier for at least three consecutive weeks. Currently the county is in the next highest orange tier. In addition, in order to lift the indoor masking order, there must be fewer than 75 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Contra Costa County. Currently there are 60, meeting that requirement. The final requirement offers two options, both of which are close to being met: 80% of the total Contra Costa County population must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Currently 78% of the total population in the county is. The other option is 8 weeks after FDA/CDC/Western States Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 vaccine of 5- to 11-year-olds. It has been 7 weeks since that occurred, so this third requirement will be met next week.

Questions were sent via email to county health services staff after work hours on Tuesday, asking if the order applied to those working out inside a gym or health club and to those attending worship services.

UPDATE: According to Health Services spokesman Will Harper, “An exception remains for religious gatherings, but pretty much all other indoor settings (including gyms and fitness centers) require masking. See our Health Orders page for details.”

That page provides more specifics of the mask order:

Requiring All People to Wear Masks in Indoor Public Settings

Date of Order: 8/2/2021, Amended: 8/6/2021, 9/1/2021, 10/14/2021, 12/28/2021

All people in Contra Costa, regardless of vaccination status, must wear face coverings in indoor public settings until further notice. Public settings include but are not limited to:

• Business offices
• Retail stores
• Restaurants
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Theaters
• Family entertainment centers
• Meeting rooms
• State and local government facilities where services are provided to the public

This order does not apply to people in the following circumstances:

• When alone in a room.
• When actively eating or drinking.
• When swimming or showering.
• When receiving care or other service that requires removal of the face covering, including by way of example and without limitation, medical care requiring exposure of the nose or mouth, cosmetic services involving the face, and dental procedures.
• When participating in a religious activity at a religious gathering, to the extent that removal of face coverings is necessary for participation.
• When exempt from wearing face coverings under the State Face Covering Guidance or other applicable California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance. The State Face Covering Guidance exempts the following individuals from wearing masks:
  • Persons younger than two years old. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation.
  • Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask, including persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.
  • Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
  • Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined.

The text of the order is available at cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Copies of this Order shall promptly be: (1) made available at the Office of the Director of Contra Costa Health Services, 1220 Morello Avenue, Suite 200, Martinez, CA 94553; (2) posted on the Contra Costa Health Services website; and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Order. Questions or comments regarding this Order may be directed to Contra Costa Health Services at (844) 729-8410.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

The holidays can be a joyful time filled with good tidings and cheer, but not everyone feels happy during the busy holiday season. Whether it’s the pressure of gift-giving, an increase in obligatory events or the worry of the COVID-19 pandemic, the holidays can spike an uptick of depression and anxiety. The holidays also leave many people feeling isolated and lonely.

The “holiday blues” is a real phenomenon that can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as excessive drinking, overeating and insomnia.

“The holidays can be a very difficult time of the year,” said Curtis Arthur, MFT, director of addiction medicine and recovery services at Kaiser Permanente, Walnut Creek. “We see individuals on a consistent basis using substances as a way to manage their holiday stress. This coping mechanism can be problematic and have unintended negative consequences. Due to the difficulty associated with this time of year, having healthy options to manage one’s stress during the holidays is of paramount importance.”

Here are some stress management coping tips for the holidays:

• Get support when mourning the loss of loved ones: The holidays can seem extra hard when you are facing the loss of a loved one. Seek out the support of family and friends who can help you during this difficult time. Or seek out a professional or grief support group. Try not to isolate yourself; it’s OK to ask for help and let others be there with you through the grieving process.
• Be realistic: Try not to put pressure on yourself to create the perfect holiday for your family. Focus instead on the traditions that make holidays special for you. Discard the rituals that you don’t truly enjoy but may feel obligated to do, such as sending out holiday cards to everyone, extensively decorating or preparing a six-course meal.
• Know your spending limit: Money worries are among the biggest causes of stress during the holiday season. Try to resist the “holiday hype” of retailers. Set a budget, and don’t spend more than you’ve planned. Resist buying gifts that you’ll spend the rest of the year trying to pay off.
• Learn to say no: It’s OK to say “no” to events or gatherings that aren’t meaningful to you. This will give you more time to say “yes” to do the things that bring you the most joy.
• Give something meaningful:You can show love and caring with any gift that is meaningful and personal. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. The gift of shared time or experiences creates lasting memories. A photo album or scrapbook of those experiences can also be meaningful.  You might want to express your appreciation with a handwritten letter. Use words instead of an expensive gift to let people know how important they are to you.
• Get enough sleep: Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. Get at least eight hours of sleep per night to ensure you are well-rested and energized, which can help improve your mood.
• Exercise regularly: Even a brisk 10-minute walk a couple of times a day, can help to get your heart rate up and clear your head. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
• Limit alcohol.Taking care of yourself will help you deal with stressful situations during the holidays. Drinking too much can affect your mood and amplify negative feelings.

For more information about Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Services, visit www.kp.org/mentalhealth

 

Two fully vaccinated; symptoms described as mild and “extremely mild”

By Allen Payton

Contra Costa Health Services announced, Monday, that genomic sequencing of positive COVID-19 test results from the county has identified three cases with the Omicron variant of the virus. The results confirm the presence of the highly contagious variant in the county. However, according to reports from throughout the U.S. and internationally, symptoms have been described as mild, and “extremely mild” by Dr. Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first discovered and announced the new strain.

None of the three people in Contra Costa infected with Omicron had gotten a booster shot, although two were fully vaccinated. So far, no one has been hospitalized.

According to the CDC, the first confirmed U.S. case of Omicron was identified on December 1, 2021. In addition, “CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.”

“We knew it was just a matter of time before the omicron variant appeared in Contra Costa County,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County health officer. “We’ve been encouraging anyone who is eligible to get a booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to do so. With today’s news and the holidays just around the corner, that message is even more important. People who get the booster are far less likely to get gravely ill or be hospitalized. That’s our wish for this holiday season.”

Omicron likely circulated in the community for several weeks. It had previously been detected in several other Bay Area counties, and genetic evidence of the variant was detected in a wastewater sample from central Contra Costa on Dec. 8.

Just Over One-Third of County Residents Have Had Booster Shots

As of today, just over one-third of eligible Contra Costa residents had received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

While public health experts are not recommending that those who are vaccinated and or who have received the booster dose cancel holiday plans, they are urging caution. Ways to reduce risk of becoming exposed or spreading COVID-19 include:

• Staying home and isolating themselves if they develop COVID-19 symptoms, which can often resemble cold or flu symptoms
• Getting a COVID-19 test promptly if symptoms develop
• Getting a COVID-19 test before traveling or gathering with people who do not live with you, and again three to five days after traveling or gathering
• Wear masks or face coverings in indoor public spaces, and when gathering indoors with people who do not live with you

Home COVID-19 tests are fast, convenient, and available at many drugstores. No-cost testing is also available through CCHS by calling 1-833-829-2626 or making an online appointment.

The 7-day average number of daily new COVID-19 cases reported in the county has increased about 5% over the past two weeks, and the number of people hospitalized in Contra Costa because of the virus has remained stable so far, this month.

The delta variant of COVID-19 remains the predominant strain in Contra Costa, accounting for more than 97% of genetically sequenced COVID-19 samples collected in the county.

Visit cchealth.org/coronavirus for updates and more information about Contra Costa’s emergency response to the pandemic.

 

By Renée Saldaña, Media Relations, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West

ANTIOCH, Calif. –  Following two strikes, more than 350 healthcare workers won their effort to improve patient care at Sutter Delta Medical Center by ratifying a contract agreement that will address safe staffing levels, a top issue for the frontline caregivers who earlier this year went on strike twice due to difficult working conditions. (See related article)

“This agreement was possible because we as a union stood together to improve patient care and advocated for safe staffing levels. We are relieved to know that dozens of positions have now been posted,” said Stefanye Sartain, a respiratory therapist at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch. “We are proud to have negotiated a four-year agreement that recognizes the skill and dedication we bring to our work and gives us the peace of mind to focus on safely caring for our patients.”

Details of the agreement include:

• Posting all 37 unposted staff positions, many of which have already been filled
• Emphasizing the need to attract and retain quality caregivers by providing annual raises of 3 or 4 percent in each of the four years, with bonuses to recognize the dedication of long-term employees
• A 4-million-dollar investment in Futuro Health, a non-profit dedicated to training thousands of healthcare workers to address the workforce shortage

SEIU-UHW members at Sutter Delta Medical Center include frontline workers such as emergency room technicians, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, transporters, and licensed vocational nurses.

Sutter Health Responds

A Sutter Health spokesperson responded with, “We enter every labor negotiation with the same mindset: putting patients above politics. While we understand the union’s desire to position this agreement as a win, the truth is that it’s consistent with the agreements that every other SEIU-represented hospital in our integrated network of care approved months ago. Despite the disruptions of two strikes called by SEIU representatives who claim they prioritize patient safety, we reached an agreement that hits the critical benchmarks we set for ourselves: supporting and rewarding our employees for their important work and maintaining the strength and stability of our hospital for everyone who depends on us.”

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Will provide garage, medical clinical office, and expanded radiology lab at Contra Costa Medical Center in Martinez; following crackdown, one restaurant still violating COVID-19 health orders as cases increase; appoint new Public Defender

“If you want to send me an email and still want to call me a ‘b***’ go ahead.” – Supervisor Karen Mitchoff in response to critics of her crusade to crack down on restaurants out of compliance with county health orders

By Daniel Borsuk

On a 4-0 vote, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors paved the way for officials of the over-used Contra Costa Regional Medical Center to spend $75 million of Measure X half-cent sales tax funds to construct a parking garage, a medical office complex and a state-of-the-art public health laboratory at Tuesday’s final board meeting of the year. (See CCRMC Proposed Master Plan)

With Board Chair Diane Burgis absent because of the death of her husband Richard Clayton for whom supervisors adjourned the meeting in honor of, supervisors narrowly met the super-majority requirement to tap into 2020 vote-approved sales tax measure revenues for the purpose of enhancing facilities at the over-used medical complex in Martinez.

Contra Costa Public Health Director Anna Roth pitched the three CCRMC capital improvement projects based on the fact the publicly funded medical center in the past year has treated 142,000 patients due to COVID-19, a 540 percent increase.  The center has saved the lives of about 26,000 county residents, 70 percent of whom are on Medi-Cal. Seventy percent of the CCRMC patients do not speak English, Roth noted.

She said the medical center has been crushed with a 540 percent increase in patients seeking medical care over the past 20 years while the physical components of the medical center have been unchanged. Roth also shared there has been at least one case where a pregnant woman had safely delivered her baby in the medical center parking lot because of the unavailability of parking. According to the presentation, three babies were born in the parking lot during the last year. The proposed 325-space parking structure along with valet parking would help alleviate the parking problem, she asserted.

Marianna Moore, chair of the board of supervisors’ appointed Measure X Advisory Committee, cast concern that the supervisors’ action on the medical center capital projects might be premature and negatively hit future Measure X funding of other public services.

“This is a one-time expenditure,” responded District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill. “There will be money for other projects. The longer we delay on capital improvement projects like these the more expensive it becomes.”

Upon acknowledging Measure X chairperson Moore’s comments, District 1 Supervisor John Gioia remarked “I hear the concerns of the Measure X panel for this board to be transparent and open.” Yet, he pointed out how three major local nonprofit health providers – Kaiser Permanente, John Muir and Sutter Medical – skirt regulations that county-operated medical institutions must obey.

“They get an equity worth $25 billion in tax breaks and don’t have to encounter public scrutiny that publicly operated health care operations like Contra Costa County’s have to abide by. I am proud of the public health successes in Contra Costa County, but we need help from the nonprofit health care organizations too.”

In addition to the proposed parking garage, the supervisors’ action paves the way for the medical center to have a $30 million 40,000 square foot medical-clinical office building constructed and a $5 million 5,000 square foot state-of-the-art intervention radiology suite built.

One Restaurant Remains Out of Compliance With COVID-19 Health Order, Mitchoff on the Defense

In a follow up to last week’s meeting where Supervisor Mitchoff questioned the Health Department’s code enforcement capabilities in shutting down 13 restaurants willfully out of health code compliance, Roth announced there is currently only one eatery that is still not following health code requirements.

She did not identify the business. “All but one of the establishments are now in compliance,” said Roth.

Roth said her department has added four code enforcement officers since last week when Mitchoff blew the lid off the health department’s health code performance.

“I appreciate the progress the health department has made,” said Mitchoff. “There is still one restaurant to follow up on. One restaurant will probably have to close.”

Mitchoff, who will serve as board chair next year instead of vice chair Federal Glover of Pittsburg in recognition of her public service as she has announced she won’t seek reelection in 2022, attacked her critics on her crusade to shut down out-of-compliance restaurants.

“There’s recently been vitriolic and unclear language and comments lodged at me,” said Mitchoff, whose been a frequent target of hate emails. “If you want to send me an email and still want to call me a ‘b***’ go ahead. It would be much better if those who dislike me to write letters and that everyone gets vaccinated and wears masks. I hope to start the new year with much more appreciated language.”

County COVID-19 Cases Increase

In the meantime, Roth said Contra Costa County’s vaccination rate of 76.8 percent remains above the national average of 69.9 percent.

The county’s active COVID-19 case load stands at 1,463, an increase of 18.9 percent over a two-week period. Forty-three patients were in hospitals in the county because of COVID-19.

“Ninety-seven percent of the cases in Contra Costa County are of the Delta strain,” remarked Roth. She said there have been signs of the new Omicron variant appearing in wastewater in the county, but nowhere else.

Because of wintertime conditions forcing Californians to hunker down indoors, Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano informed supervisors the State was expected to announce a new indoor public face mask order. The order would be in place through Jan. 15, 2022.

In a related action, supervisors adopted an ordinance calling for the continuation of remotely conducted meetings into January 2022.  The ordinance also applies to commissions and advisory committees.

Ordinance Temporarily Halts North Richmond Fulfillment Center Openings  

In response to increasing vehicle emission air pollution and traffic-pedestrian safety concerns issues stemming from the buildup of fulfillment centers in the unincorporated North Richmond and Richmond areas, supervisors imposed a 45-day moratorium on the opening of new fulfillment centers.

“Richmond and North Richmond have become a major destination for fulfillment centers,” said Supervisor Gioia, whose District 1 cover those areas. “We don’t want North Richmond to become a wall-to-wall fulfillment center magnet.”

The purpose of the ordinance Gioia has introduced is to compel these enterprises to deliver their products with electric vehicles.   It aims to have 33 percent of a company’s fleet of vehicles electrified immediately and by 2027 100 percent of a business’s fleet of vehicles must be electrified.

At least five fulfillment centers are either under construction or planning phase, said John Kopchick, director of the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Department.

No one from the fulfillment center sector spoke on the ordinance regulating the electrification of vehicle fleets, but Donald Gilmore of North Richmond Recreation said the ordinance does not go far enough.

“North Richmond is significantly impacted by these warehouses and the traffic coming from them. Pedestrian safety is a pressing problem. We need more time to figure out a plan,” said Gilmore.

Appoint New Public Defender

Supervisors promoted Deputy Public Defender Ellen McDonnell as Contra Costa Public Defender at an annual salary of $340,510 in addition to $93,131 in pension annual compensation.  She will officially take over the role of Public Defender from the retiring Robin Lipetzky effective Jan. 1, 2022.

She started with the department in 2001 and will oversee a $36 million budget and 145 employees.

McDonnell holds a Juris Doctors degree from California Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree and double major in Spanish and Italian from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

She has been a member of the California State Bar since 2011. (Read more about McDonnell in a separate article.)

 

 

The International Hospital Foundation recognizes Kaiser Permanente Northern California with the Autsco Excellence Award for Quality and Patient Safety

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

OAKLAND, Calif., – An early detection system that helps care teams predict when Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s hospitalized patients are at risk for clinical deterioration was recognized by the International Hospital Foundation with the Autsco Excellence Award for Quality and Patient Safety.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California received the Gold Award, the highest level possible, for its Advance Alert Monitor (AAM) program, which is in place at all 21 Northern California hospitals. The program is a sophisticated monitoring system that analyzes electronic hospital patient data to identify those at risk of deteriorating and alerts a specialized team of virtual nurses who determine if on-site intervention is needed. The nurses contact a rapid response team, which perform an assessment, and then work with the care team and the patient and/or family to develop a patient-centered treatment plan.

AAM predicts the probability that hospitalized patients are likely to decline, require transfer to the intensive care unit or emergency resuscitation, and benefit from interventions. Early warnings could be helpful for patients at risk of deterioration where intervention may improve outcomes.

An analysis of the program in a recent publication of the New England Journal of Medicine showed outcomes associated with lower hospital mortality, a lower incidence of ICU admission, and a shorter length of stay in the hospital.

“This program reflects our commitment to providing the safest care possible by using technology in the hands of our expert care teams to identify those patients who need immediate attention,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “Because of this program, we are saving lives and providing the high-quality, exceptional care our patients and families deserve.”

The vital signs of Kaiser Permanente patient Erin Fowler-Jones of Pacifica triggered her to be included in the Advance Alert Monitor program when she was hospitalized last month after developing complications from foot surgery. She said she only knew that nurses were always rounding on her, making sure she was receiving the care she needed to recover.

“Staff was constantly monitoring me, which was a huge comfort,” said Fowler-Jones, a retired Kaiser Permanente nurse. “I had no idea I had been flagged for a special monitor program. I just knew that I was getting good care and safe care.”

The 2021 International Hospital Foundation Awards were revealed during the 44th World Hospital Congress in Barcelona, Spain in November. The IHF Awards celebrate and recognize hospitals and health care organizations with demonstrable excellence, innovations, and outstanding achievements in the health care industry. This year 250 entries were submitted from more than 38 countries/territories – a record since the awards were established in 2015.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s monitoring program was heralded as an example of how hospitals are committed to providing high-quality care and patient safety. The success of the program has reached other health care systems, which are inquiring about implementing it in their hospitals.

“This program demonstrates our expertise in using a predictive algorithm and standardized response workflow to provide the best care possible to our patients,” said Dr. Vanessa Martinez, DNP, MHA, RN, who is the Director of Virtual Nursing Care at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “This innovative program is a major step forward in making sure our hospitals are the safest in the world and ensuring our patients are well-cared for as we focus on identifying problems, intervening early, and providing the appropriate medical treatment.”

About Austco

Austco is a worldwide provider of IP Nurse Call Solutions with over 27 years’ experience in the healthcare market, across 4500+ sites, in over 60 countries. With products designed to comply with global healthcare standards, the Austco team is fully committed to providing quality products and global support services to all our clients. Our flexibility to integrate into various technologies enables a healthcare facility to continue to drive efficiencies to achieve an overall quality healthcare solution. Austco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Austco Healthcare Ltd (ASX:AHC).

About International Hospital Foundation

The International Hospital Federation (IHF) is an international not for profit, non-governmental membership organization.

Our members are worldwide hospitals and healthcare organizations having a distinct relationship with the provision of healthcare. We provide them with a platform for the exchange of knowledge and strategic experience as well as opportunities for international collaborations with different actors in the health sector.

Established in 1929 after the first International Hospital Congress in Atlantic City, USA as the International Hospital Association, it was re-named after the Second World War in 1947. With its Headquarters in Geneva the IHF is constituted under the Civil Code of Switzerland. The IHF recognizes the essential role of hospitals and health care organizations in providing health care, supporting health services and offering education. Our role is to help international hospitals work towards improving the level of the services they deliver to the population with the primary goal of improving the health of society.

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Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve almost 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. http://about.kaiserpermanente.org

By Contra Costa Health Services

A new statewide masking order now requires everyone to wear masks in indoor public spaces regardless of their vaccination through Jan. 15, 2022. Since Contra Costa already has a local masking order in place, the new statewide masking mandate doesn’t affect us – and we will retain limited exceptions for certain indoor settings not open to the general public such as offices and gyms where everyone is vaccinated.

People in Contra Costa, regardless of vaccination status, will have to keep wearing face coverings in public settings as they have been doing since August.

While cases in Contra Costa have gone up since Thanksgiving, the county has one of the highest vaccination rates in California and hospitalizations are far below levels seen during the past summer and lower than in many other counties.

“The limited exceptions we made are for very low-risk scenarios where everyone is vaccinated,” said Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano. “Our community already understands and is following these rules and it would be confusing to change them for just one month.”

Contra Costa’s indoor-masking order will stay in place unless the county meets criteria for lifting the local mandate. The order is as follows:

The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley will lift the indoor masking requirement in public spaces not subject to state and federal masking rules when all the following occur:

1. The jurisdiction reaches the moderate (yellow) COVID-19 transmission tier, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and remains there for at least three weeks;
   AND
2. COVID-19 hospitalizations in the jurisdiction are low and stable, in the judgment of the health officer
   AND
3. 80% of the jurisdiction’s total population is fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson (booster doses not considered) OR Eight weeks have passed since a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by federal and state authorities for 5- to 11-year-olds

To see our progress for meeting those criteria, visit our Indoor Mask Mandate Dashboard.