President Joseph R. Biden Jr. this week proclaimed September 2021 as National Preparedness Month and urged all Americans to recognize the importance of preparedness and work together to enhance resilience and readiness. President Biden indicates the theme of this year’s preparedness month is “Prepare to Protect” and reiterates steps available to Americans to prevent and…
Read More »On Thursday, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón issued a public health order amending his August 5 order that requires visitors to general acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and intermediate care facilities, when making indoor visits, to verify their full vaccination status or provide proof…
Read More »On Wednesday, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued a notice to all employers and workers in California encouraging workplaces to follow the recent update from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommending that all individuals wear face coverings while indoors regardless of vaccination status. The notice from Cal/OSHA comes after…
Read More »Late last week, California State Auditor Elaine Howle issued an update to Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders on statewide issues and state agencies that represent a high risk to California or its residents. By way of background, the State Auditor’s Office maintains a “High Risk Government Agency Audit Program” that enables the auditor to…
Read More »Given recent wildfires throughout the state, California this week secured federal resources and support to support the state’s ongoing response and recovery efforts. Earlier in the week, California requested and successfully received from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for the Dixie and River fires in Lassen, Nevada, Placer, and Plumas…
Read More »U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday this week launched the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hanoi, Vietnam, during a ceremony that featured the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. CDC Director, and Deputy Prime Ministers and Health Ministers from 11 countries. According to…
Read More »On Thursday, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón issued a state public health officer order requiring all paid and unpaid personnel providing health care services to inmates, prisoners, and detainees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to regular testing if exempt from the vaccine requirement. The…
Read More »This week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced modifications to its “Beyond the Blueprint” COVID-19 guidance for large events to strengthen COVID-19 precautions for large events. Beginning September 20, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to the event will be required for indoor gatherings with 1,000…
Read More »Following a move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week to allow for the administration of an additional Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine dose to certain immunocompromised individuals, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup convened and concurred with the FDA move, paving the way for third doses to be administered to…
Read More »On Thursday, the Medical Board of California (MBC) notified all physician licensees and the public that a physician who grants a mask or other exemption without conducting an appropriate prior examination and without finding a legitimate medical reason supporting such an exemption within the standard of care may be subject to disciplinary action by the…
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