E.U. Starts Effort to Vaccinate 450 Million

 

  How to stay up to date: Coronavirus.gov is the source for the latest information about COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and answers to common questions.  CDC.gov/coronavirus has the latest public health and safety information from CDC and for the overarching medical and health provider community on COVID-19. USA.gov has the latest information about what the U.S. Government is doing in response to COVID-19.   Medicare wants to help protect you from COVID-19: Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine Protecting yourself & others Staying safe during the holidays Coping with stress Medicare covers related needs Telehealth & related services Your health, safety, and welfare in the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is our highest priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for ...

  President Trump is asking Congress to amend the coronavirus relief bill by increasing cash payments to $2,000 per individual and $4,000 for couples — despite the fact that it was Republicans who stood in the way of higher payments for months.  President Trump granted pardons or clemency to 20 people on Wednesday, including former Congressmen and people who pleaded guilty in the Russia probe. The president also pardoned four Blackwater guards who killed more than a dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007. France has reopened its doors to Britain, which the French government closed after a new COVID-19 strain was detected in England. The shutdown caused chaos for the crucial freight route between France and the U.K., with thousands of truck drivers stranded in the port of Dover and drivers unable to return to the continent.  Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, says she will retire after the Biden transition. Birx described her expe...

  Thank you for your past participation in the Love Your Heart blood pressure screening event. As we look to 2021, things will look a little different from past events. Due to COVID-19, we anticipate having less public-facing screening sites, with a shift toward at home screenings – but there is still a lot that you and your organization can do. High blood pressure is the most common underlying condition identified in San Diego County’s COVID-associated deaths. Together, we can bring awareness to this condition and help San Diegans get treatment and better manage their blood pressure through education and promotion. In-person screening sites are still needed for the 2021 event. However, due to COVID-19, we will not be able to provide medical volunteers for screening sites. If your site is a self-sustaining site (meaning you can provide your own medical volunteers and equipment to perform blood pressures), please let us know.

  Disease Outbreak News SARS-CoV-2 Variant - United Kingdom On 14 December 2020, authorities of the United Kingdom (UK) reported to WHO that a new SARS-CoV-2 variant was identified through viral genomic sequencing. This variant is referred to as SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 (Variant Under Investigation, year 2020, month 12, variant 01). Initial analysis indicates that the variant may spread more readily between people. Investigations are ongoing to determine if this variant is associated with any changes in the severity of symptoms, antibody response or vaccine efficacy. A total of 1108 cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 have been detected in the UK as of 13 December 2020. The variant was picked up as part of an epidemiological and virological investigation initiated earlier in December 2020 following an unexpected rise in COVID-19 cases in South East England. It was characterized by a more than three-fold increase in the 14-day case notification rate from epidemiological wee...

  Seasonal Rain Advisory Issued by Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services With the current rainfall, the Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services Division reminds residents about health issues associated with storm water runoff. Storm water is untreated rain water that flows through the drain system into creeks, the ocean, and other waterways. Contact with storm water may increase the risk for certain types of illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unlike the municipal sewer system, water carried by a storm drain system is not treated.  To minimize potential health risks, it is recommended that people do not swim, play or surf in the ocean and creeks for at least three days following a rain event.  Beachgoers should also avoid areas near the outfall from drainpipes and creeks that enter the ocean following a rain event as storm water runoff may carry high levels of bacteria and pollutants.  Sport harvest...