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California Watch

News stories in this section spotlight activities in California, including actions by the state Assembly and state Senate; proposed legislation; regulators like the Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance; and the state ACA exchange, Covered California.

Another New Coronavirus Variant Found Across California, Including L.A. County

As the total number of coronavirus infections in California approaches 3 million, health officials said Sunday that a new strain — different from a highly contagious variant first identified in the United Kingdom — is popping up more frequently across the state. Researchers have identified the strain in a dozen counties and have linked it ...

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California Becomes First State To Top 3 Million Virus Cases

California on Monday became the first state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections. The grim milestone, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, wasn’t entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases on Dec. 24. The first coronavirus case in ...

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California Pauses Covid-19 Shots From One Lot Of Vaccine Containing More Than 330,000 Doses

Health officials in California are telling medical providers across the state not to administer doses from one lot of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine while they investigate possible severe allergic reactions last week in a number of people who got shots at a community vaccination clinic. More than 330,000 doses from the lot were distributed to 287 ...

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California Budget Reflects ‘Pandemic-Induced Reality,’ Governor Says

The coronavirus pandemic doomed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans last year to combat homelessness, expand behavioral health services and create a state agency to control soaring health care costs.

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California Oks Expansion Of Who Can Get COVID-19 Vaccine To Avoid Doses Going To Waste

In an effort to avoid wasting COVID-19 vaccine and help speed up the vaccine rollout, the state is instructing local health departments and providers to expand vaccine prioritization to community healthcare workers, public health field staff, primary care clinics, specialty clinics, laboratory workers, dental clinics and pharmacy staff. The state has also told officials that ...

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California Hospitals Prepping For Grim COVID-19 Choices

California hospitals struggling with a skyrocketing coronavirus surge are trying to prepare for the possibility that they may have to ration care for lack of staff and beds — and hoping they don’t have to make that choice. The state avoided surging cases for months, but now the virus is raging out of control there ...

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California’s Vaccine Rollout Has Been Too Slow, Newsom Says, With Only 35% Of Doses Administered

Only about 35% of the COVID-19 vaccine doses that have arrived in California have been administered so far, a rate Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged Monday was “not good enough” as he pledged new funding and efforts aimed at ramping up the rollout.

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With More Vaccine Doses Coming, California Counties Scramble To Make Distribution Plans

Sacramento health care workers and nursing home residents have been receiving COVID-19 vaccines since last week, and county health departments are beginning to make plans for wider distribution. But health officials say it will still be several months before the general public is lining up for shots. California has mapped out several phases of vaccine ...

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Ambulance Crews Told Not To Transport Patients Who Have Little Chance Of Survival

The situation in Los Angeles County hospitals is so critical that ambulance crews have been advised to cut back on their use of oxygen and to not bring to hospitals patients who have virtually no chance of survival. Officials say they need to focus on patients with a greater chance of surviving. The measures were ...

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Newsom Recall Effort Gets $500K Boost From Orange County Firm

A campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has received its first six-figure infusion, underscoring the effort’s potential. Irvine-based consulting firm Prov 3:9, LLC contributed $500,000 to one of the committees seeking to put a recall election before California voters. The effort also received roughly $100,000 from Sequoia Capital partner Douglas Leone and his wife Patricia ...

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