Two South African COVID-19 mutants found in California

Sacramento, CA-The first case of a South African strain of coronavirus was reported Wednesday in California. The state’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations plummeted, causing anxiety, but vaccination deployments continue to be criticized.

Cases were found in Alameda and Santa Clara counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. In total, there are less than 1,500 identified cases of various variants in the state, according to Newsam. Alameda County officials said they had just begun an investigation and provided little details about the individual, but Santa Clara County health officials said the individual had extensive international travel history and was required after returning home. Said it was quarantined.

Scientists and health officials fear that variants are more contagious, less responsive to treatment, and more likely to re-infect people who are already infected with the virus. The South African variant was first identified in South Carolina, USA at the end of last month.

“The issue of mutation is paramount,” Newsom said during his visit to Fresno. This is the latest in a series of stops throughout the state to highlight vaccination efforts.

Relation: Governor of New Vaccine Site in Central California Meets Protesters Saying “Remember Newsom”

Broadly speaking, the state is in control of the virus. Currently, less than 5% of people tested are positive, and the number of cases of infection confirmed daily has dropped from a high of more than 50,000 a month ago to about 8,400, he said. Stated.

Newsom has advertised more than five million vaccinations, but the state continues to face doubts and criticisms about the long-awaited development of shots. The state plans to move from a county-led vaccine effort to a centralized approach implemented by California’s Blue Shield next week. Newsam said he would announce by this weekend, but the state has not yet announced details or costs of contracts with major health insurance companies.

Local governments, meanwhile, have stated that they have not received enough vaccines for mass vaccination sites to operate at full capacity.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Garsetti said he would run out of supply of his first vaccination by Thursday and would be forced to close Dodger Stadium and vaccination sites in four other cities on Friday and Saturday.

According to the Mayor of Los Angeles, Los Angeles has received only 16,000 new doses this week.

“This is not the place I want to be,” Garsetti said. “It’s not the place we deserve.”

At an afternoon legislative hearing, two county health officials said the state’s current vaccine database underestimates the number of vaccines administered.

“The system isn’t broken, probably because it doesn’t show the dose being administered,” said Dr. Amy Sisson, Yolo County Public Health Officer. She said the county had received 14,000 doses so far and 10,400 doses. However, according to the state system, the county has taken 14,500 shots, giving only 7,500 shots.

Dr. Paul Simon, Chief Scientific Officer of Los Angeles County, said his county had received 1.2 million doses, 80% within four days of receiving them. But he’s not sure that the state data system reflects those numbers.

Incomplete data make it difficult to track how many doses go to black and Latino residents who appear to be underserved, the two health officials said. .. State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan submitted a breakdown of racial and ethnic data on vaccines to another legislature on Monday. However, the state does not publish that information on its website.

State officials say the Blue Shield partnership will improve some of the data collection issues. According to Newsam, the new centralized system will be designed to provide “clearer, more transparent and more accountable” when it comes to vaccine distribution.

He said the Biden administration is currently providing a three-week preview of the expected vaccine dose to the state, and the state is trying to provide a similar forecast to the county.

“It’s dynamic, and as you know, it’s been adapted and started in the last few months,” says Newsom.

Relation: According to the CDC, fully vaccinated individuals can skip COVID quarantine if exposed to infected individuals.

Still, the county says it lacks information on how the new system works correctly. Santa Clara County wants to demand an exemption from the use of a new state portal for residents to sign up for a vaccine called MyTurn, but the state requires all counties to use it. Health officials in Orange County said they didn’t want to ask people who had already registered reservations with the county system to have to sign up for the state again.

The state plans to integrate the county’s vaccination site into the new system, said state chief information officer Amy Ton.

Dr. Thomas Aragon, director of the California Public Health Service, repeatedly acknowledged in legislative hearings that the state’s vaccine approach needs improvement.

“What we’re doing isn’t working,” said Riverside Democrat Jose Medina. He said the development so far was “nothing but chaotic.”

“We fully agree with what you are saying,” Aragon replied.

But in Fresno, Newsom won praise from elected local and state officials, as he did at similar events around the state this week. Democratic officials have praised Newsom for handling the virus in a clear attempt to refute the criticism as a campaign to recall Newsom’s gaining momentum. In contrast, protesters using megaphones shouted, “Remember Gavin,” during a press conference.

“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. I care that you’re healthy and safe,” Newsom replied when asked to respond to the recall efforts.