Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued Executive Order N-83-20 addressing a series of issues in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The order directs the Department of Transportation to develop and implement a process to issue and administer temporary encroachment permits allowing businesses located on state highways to expand their outdoor dining options onto sidewalks…
Read More »This week, the Essentials for Childhood Initiative (EfC), a project of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Department of Social Services (CDSS), published a report on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in California that provides an overview of data from 2011-2017 collected through the California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The report…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has opened the application process for 2021 Model Practices and Innovative Practice Awards. Each year, NACCHO’s Model Practices Program nationally honors and recognizes outstanding local public health practices and shares them through the Model Practices Database. These practices are rigorously reviewed by a committee of…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the formation of the COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, comprised of nationally acclaimed California physician scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. The workgroup will be tasked with independently reviewing the safety and efficacy of any COVID-19 vaccine that receives approval for distribution from the U.S. Food and…
Read More »The Newsom Administration and legislative leaders this week reached an agreement to allocate an additional $400 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to support Homekey, as well as other social supports including childcare, food banks, and diaper banks. Recall, late last month, the Newsom Administration requested from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) an additional…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report indicating that from late January to early October 2020, the United States experienced nearly 300,000 more deaths than the typical number during the same period in previous years. Notably, at least two-thirds of the 300,000 excess deaths were related to COVID-19….
Read More »On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antiviral drug Remdesivir for use in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. The drug becomes the first FDA-approved treatment for COVID-19 and should only be administered in a hospital or healthcare setting. A…
Read More »This week, the Senate Health Committee convened an informational hearing entitled “The Affordable Care Act in Jeopardy: What does it mean for California?” bringing together several experts and consumers to discuss what would happen in California if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is struck down by the US Supreme Court. The hearing featured several panels…
Read More »Thursday marked the deadline for the federal government to approve flexible financial assistance to state and local governments amid the economic downturn ushered in by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With Congressional leaders and the White House still not in agreement on a COVID-19 relief measure, budget cuts included in the 2020-21 state budget are here…
Read More »Earlier this week, the State of California was notified that the Trump Administration rejected the state’s major disaster declaration following a series of recent historic wildfires, including fires in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Siskiyou counties. According to press reports, the state learned of the Trump Administration’s decision on late Wednesday…
Read More »