Symptoms among the vaccinated are mostly mild. But hospitalizations are increasing and officials fear hospitals could be stressed in the coming weeks due to omicron.
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Posted inHealth & Environment
Omicron prompts Alameda County and Berkeley health officials to require masks in all indoor settings
Now face coverings will be required in offices, gyms and houses of worship.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
COVID-19 outbreak shutters West Oakland homeless shelter
The St. Vincent de Paul shelter—which has served unhoused residents throughout the pandemic—was no match for the ruthlessly contagious omicron variant.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland expects to receive up to $192 million in federal COVID-19 relief
The American Rescue Plan includes financial assistance for cities. The money could help Oakland avoid severe budget cuts.
Posted inEducation Equity
Wildfire season is complicating efforts to keep schools safe from COVID-19
On bad air days, schools are instructed to close windows and doors and let the air purifiers work. But during the pandemic, that solution comes with its own problems.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland Unified could be next to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for students
A majority of the school board supports the idea, but some say a mandate will harm students who refuse by pushing them out of the classroom. A decision could be reached as soon as Sept. 22.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Bay Area health officers recommend mask use indoors amid rising COVID-19 cases
The mask recommendation applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents in an effort to prevent COVID-19 virus spread among all groups.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How I helped my grandmother get the COVID-19 vaccine
It took weeks to get an appointment and hours of standing in line, but my 90-year-old grandmother finally received her first dose.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
How will homeless people get the COVID-19 vaccine in Alameda County?
The county has begun administering shots at shelters, ahead of the state’s schedule, but it’s a challenge to reach everyone living on the streets.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
As COVID-19 surges, Alameda County’s jail is getting crowded again
After an unprecedented effort to shrink the jail population last spring, the number of people inside Santa Rita Jail is rising back to pre-pandemic levels.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Indoor dining closed again in Alameda County due to COVID-19 surge
After three short weeks, indoor dining is once again closed in Oakland as the state grapples with a rise in COVID-19 cases and Alameda County returns to the purple tier.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Get text updates about the COVID-19 vaccine in Oakland
The Oaklandside is launching a text number to help English speakers ask questions and get new info. Our partner El Tímpano serves Spanish-speaking residents with its own text service.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland tenants and landlords left in limbo waiting for COVID-19 rent relief
Households are accruing debt as they try to navigate confusing applications and a patchwork of city, county, and state programs. Meanwhile, fear of eviction looms.
Posted inHealth & Environment
FDA warns that Curative’s COVID-19 tests—including many conducted in Oakland and Berkeley—could produce false negatives
The healthcare startup’s mouth swabs may be failing to show COVID infections, potentially leading to the spread of the virus in Oakland and Berkeley.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Oakland and Alameda County
How to sign up to get notified when it’s your turn, who’s next in line, and more answers to your questions about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Posted inEducation Equity
How Oakland Unified could spend millions in COVID relief funds
Oakland Unified has a limited amount of time to spend nearly $300 million from COVID legislation.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Two epidemics: Oakland’s Punks with Lunch tackles drug overdoses and COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept California, fentanyl overdoses increased and access to sterile syringes dwindled. Alejandra del Pinal’s harm-reduction group was one of a few to respond.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Covid-19 outbreak grows in Santa Rita Jail
Coronavirus cases have suddenly exploded in Alameda County’s massive jail, calling into question whether the virus can be stopped.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland enters yellow COVID-19 tier, one week shy of state reopening
It’s the first time since the state began its tier system last summer that Alameda County has entered the least-restrictive, yellow tier.
Posted inOaklandside
Cómo ayudé a mi abuela a recibir la vacuna COVID-19
Me tomó semanas conseguir una cita y horas en largas filas, pero mi abuela de 90 años finalmente recibió su primera dosis.
