TimesOC: Vaccines are mandatory for some workers as COVID-19 rises in OC

Hello and welcome to TimesOC Bulletin.

We are on Friday August 13th. My name is Ben Brazil and I bring you the latest summary of Orange County news and events.

We may be seeing another wave of COVID-19 in Orange County largely caused by the highly contagious Delta variant.

As of late Thursday afternoon, 497 people were currently hospitalized with the virus, the highest number in about six months. We are also coming back to more daily cases. There were 465 cases reported Thursday.

Reporters Rong Gong-Lin II and Luke Money wrote that the numbers are not as high as the winter wave, when 2,259 people were hospitalized. But this remains a matter of major concern.

California is taking action.

The state is now forcing residents who visit loved ones at hospitals, nursing homes or care facilities in Orange County to show full proof of vaccination or show a recent negative COVID-19 test. Reporter Sara Cardine wrote that the health order was put in place to help stop the rapid spread of the virus.

“Recent epidemics in health facilities have often been attributed to unvaccinated staff members, demonstrating the risk of unvaccinated people in these facilities,” the order said. “As we respond to the dramatic increase in cases, measures to prevent transmission must be strengthened to protect patients by [these] facilities. “

The state has also made vaccination mandatory for school workers, including in Orange County. The warrants are in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement that government employees and healthcare workers should be vaccinated.

Journalist Lilly Nguyen wrote that California health officials have said the state is currently experiencing the fastest growing COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began last year.

“We think it’s the right thing to do, and we think it’s a sustainable way to keep our schools open and address the # 1 anxiety parents like me have… and that’s to knowing that schools are doing everything in their power to keep our children safe, to keep our children healthy, ”Newsom said.

A student arrives on the bus as the children return for an in-person learning at Top of the World Elementary School.

(Roger Wilson)

NEW

With Irvine’s approval of an aggressive climate resolution this week, the city became the first in Orange County and the third in the state to commit to carbon neutrality. As California begins to explore ways to become carbon neutral by 2035, cities are facing the rapid adoption of their own climate action plans to help the state meet its goal. The Irvine ACHIEVES resolution, which calls on the city to achieve a zero carbon economy by 2030, will guide its climate action plan. Timetable OC

For more than a year that Hector Hernandez was shot dead by a policeman in his backyard, his family and friends awaited the results of an investigation into his death. When Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer’s office released this eagerly awaited report last week, it hasn’t delivered the justice they hoped for. Instead, Spitzer’s investigation concluded that no charges will be laid against Fullerton Cpl. Jonathan Ferrell, who she said was justified in shooting and killing Hernandez. Timetable OC

City of Hope, the center for cancer treatment and research, has only been to Newport Beach since last year, but it is expanding rapidly. The center this week announced a partnership with Pacific Shores Medical Group, one of the nation’s largest medical groups and oncology / hematology infusion programs. All three Pacific Shores locations in Orange County will now be part of the City of Hope network. Daily pilot

Laguna Beach City Council this week censored a council member for leaking confidential information of a closed meeting. City Councilor George Weiss has apparently revealed information about the Laguna Hotel renovations that was not meant to be shared publicly. Weiss said the board needs to be more transparent at board meetings so that important things are not hidden behind closed doors. Daily pilot

West Nile virus detected in Orange and Los Angeles counties. The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District reported last week that a batch of mosquitoes in Fullerton tested positive for the virus. There are no human cases in Orange County. West Nile virus causes serious illness in about 1 in 150 people. Los Angeles Times

LIFE & LEISURE

Irvine was awarded $ 14.5 million this week to complete the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, which connect the coastline with the Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest. The trail is currently 3.5 miles long, stretching east to west along Jeffrey Road from Portola Parkway to the 5 Freeway. With the new funding, the last 1.5 miles can now be developed. The trail pays homage to 500 years of local history, with exhibits along the trail providing a timeline dating back to 1510, when the first Spanish explorers arrived – although native tribes are already there. Timetable OC

The Jeffrey Open Space Trail on Trabuco Road in Irvine.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The opening of Paradise Dynasty at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is one of the largest The Orange County restaurant is making its debut in recent memory. People pile up the queues to enter the restaurant, which specializes in dumplings. The Singapore-based company has restaurants in nine other countries, but it’s the first in the United States. Timetable OC

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts hosts a Tuesday night dance series during the rest of August at the open-air Argyros Plaza. This week, participants were able to test their cardio during a capoeira class, which combines martial arts, rhythm and singing. Daily pilot

SPORTS

Corona del Mar and Ocean View high schools have both have hired new coaches. Longtime assistant Jason Simco is now in charge of the Sea Kings CdM and Steve Harris, an assistant coach, takes over from the Ocean View Seahawks. Daily pilot

Two Huntington Beach men’s soccer players take home All-CIF honors this week after helping carry their team to the Division 2 quarterfinals this season. Reid Fisher and Josh Lucas were the only players from the region to take home honors in all divisions of the section. Daily pilot

OPINION

Columnist June Casagrande wrote about what it takes for a word to be added to the dictionary. A few words that did but don’t really seem to have made their way into the general population: crisphead, hahnium, axion, buppie and digerati. Daily pilot

Question of the week

Orange County is a large, diverse community with a vibrant entertainment and tourism industry. Yet the county has major hurdles to overcome – homelessness, climate change, political corruption and law enforcement misconduct. Oh, and a pandemic. We want to hear your opinions on these topics!

Each week we will ask you a new question and post some of the answers in the next newsletter.

Last week we asked you: As businesses and local governments contemplate vaccination mandates, what do you think of those who are forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19? To explain.

Here are some of the answers we got:

“It has come down to the only thing left to save lives and have hope for a fully functioning society.” —Susan Eaton

“The question is both scientific and a question of individual freedoms against the common good. Medical science tells us that vaccines and masking are the best tools to fight the pandemic. Yet some refuse to believe it or simply do not want to comply with these conclusions. Well guess what – the believers and the naysayers are also American. Free to shop where they want and free to vote as they want. Our democracy works when politicians represent ALL of their constituents. And capitalism works when businesses meet the needs of their customers. I hope businesses find enough customers that they need the best tools we have. —Tim Holland

“Let freedom reign and avoid compulsory vaccinations. Wearing masks and testing should be an option in order to keep your job. Putting economic pressure on people to get vaccinated without FDA approval is a real concern. What is the deadline for getting approval? I might have missed the news, but which medical research companies are working on a CURE for the disease? “—Arlène Bernholtz

Now for this week’s question (please limit your answer to 75 words or less):

With the new wave of COVID-19, do you plan to return to quarantine mode? Why or why not? What other precautions will you take?

Send your response to Ben at [email protected].

Staying in touch

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