350 new COVID cases in county jails heightens concerns over lack of vaccination requirements for detention

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East County News Service

(Photo by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson)

January 21, 2022 (Santee)  -- With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the nation, San Diego County jails are also seeing a spike in the number of positive cases among incarcerated individuals. Over the past few days, more than 350 people in custody have tested positive for COVID-19 at local detention facilities.

“To ensure the health and well-being of those in our care, as well as deputies and jail staff, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department will be temporarily transferring about 200 male inmates to the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee,” a press release from the Sheriff’s office today states.

Insurance coverage will be available starting February 1st for farm owners, wineries, and other outdoor businesses previously ineligible  

East County News Service

January 21, 2022 (Sacramento) -- Acting to address the growing needs for a competitive insurance market for farm owners, wineries, ranchers and other outdoor agricultural businesses, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today approved the FAIR Plan to offer new commercial coverage for farm structure risks starting February 1, 2022. The FAIR Plan is an association made up of all admitted insurance companies to be the state’s property “insurer of last resort.”

By Elijah McKee

January 21, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — The Lemon Grove City Council moved forward with several key agenda items on Tuesday at their first meeting of the new year.

New policy & procedures aim to preserve remote access to meetings

Source:  City of La Mesa

January 21, 2022 (La Mesa) – In an ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in local government, La Mesa City Council adopted a new public comment policy for City Council, Boards, and Commissions meetings. Currently, these meetings are held virtually, but the new policy preserves remote access to these meetings when in-person sessions return.

January 20, 2022 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• San Diego ERs strain under crushing patient loads, but staffing shortages appear to be easing (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• New COVID-19 antiviral treatments are here, but supplies are limited  (KPBS)
• Lost dog? Babs Fry is on it.  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Santee plane crash victim saved from burning home speaks out for first time (KUSI)
• Stopped by police in San Diego? A lot depends on where you live, drive (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Ordinance Sets Table for San Diego County Chefs to Sell Meals Prepared at Home (NBC San Diego)
• Preserve Alpine’s Heritage aims at coalition building (The Alpine Sun)

STATE

• Thieves in LA are looting freight trains filled with packages from UPS, FedEx and Amazon (CNN)
• California now requires boosters, negative COVID test for most nursing home visits (Sacramento Bee)
• Tsunami reaches California coast with high waves, local flooding and dangerous currents (Los Angeles Times)
• Signs of Inbreeding Among SoCal Mountain Lions Raise Extinction Fears  (NBC 7)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom denies parole for RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

January 20, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• How to get at home COVID tests reimbursed or delivered for free  (KPBS)
• COVID Deaths and Cases Are Rising Again at US Nursing Homes (NBC 7)
• How long can you wear your N95 mask, according to experts (CNN)
• United Airlines CEO: Before vaccine mandate, one employee a week died of COVID-19 (10 News)
• No, You Should Not Inhale Hydrogen Peroxide in an Attempt to Treat COVID-19 (Self)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Airlines suspend U.S. flights in response to 5G deployment The Hill
• REvil ransomware gang arrested in Russia (BBC)
• More than 80 fact-checking organizations call out YouTube's 'insufficient' response to misinformation (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Melissa Montalvo and Nigel Duara, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Protestors wave to passerbys, on Sept. 25, 2021 in Yountville, CA, as they make their way towards PlumpJack Winery, owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to protest the governor’s veto of bill AB 616. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

January 19, 2022 (San Diego) - When the nation’s high court effectively forbade union representatives from accessing fields and orchards to recruit workers last June, the United Farm Workers union turned to Sacramento for help. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2022 (San Diego) – Sheriff Bill Gore today announced that he will retire effective February 3 after 51 years in law enforcement, nearly a year before his term of office would have ended in January 2023. Gore was appointed Sheriff in 2009 to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Bill Kolender, later winning elections three times.

By Elizabeth Aguilera, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  CC-by NC-ND via Bing

January 18, 2022 (San Diego) - COVID-19 hospitalizations among California’s children — especially those too young to go to school — are the highest they have been since the pandemic began.

By Miriam Raftery

Image via Pixabay

January 17, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Over 850,000 Americans have died of COVID-19.  But many families don’t know about a federal program that can pay for funeral expenses such as burial or cremation. 

The program will pay up to $9,000 per death, or a maximum of $35,000 per application if an applicant paid for funerals for multiple people.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CC by SA via Bing 

January 16, 2022 (San Diego) – California homeowners who have fallen behind on housing payments due to pandemic-related hardships can now apply for help to pay back payments through the California Mortgage Relief program, which is funded by the 2021 federal American Rescue plan Act’s Homeowners Assistance Fund.  Qualified applicants do not have to repay any funds awarded.

By Alexei Koseff, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a nearly three-hour press conference to unveil his budget proposal for 2022-23 in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

January 15, 2022 (Sacramento) - It’s been a tumultuous few years in California, with record wildfire seasons, a worsening drought and a wave of smash-and-grab retail theft amid a coronavirus pandemic that just won’t seem to end.