Updating . .   

L.A Unified reports 13.5% of students, staff test positive for coronavirus, its highest rate -- Coronavirus infection rates have shot up to 13.5% among students and staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a nearly 10-fold rise since before winter break, as officials said Friday they are moving forward to safely open classrooms for in-person learning on Tuesday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

California is limiting nursing home visits again amid omicron surge -- Just as it’s crept into schools, hospitals and offices, omicron has made its way into California’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities, prompting warnings from industry leaders that they’re likely to need help from the state to shore up staffing in the coming days and forcing families to contend, once again, with visitor restrictions. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22

California sets more records as omicron disrupts schools, government, more -- The daily case rate for COVID-19 in California is officially the highest it has ever been, state health officials reported Friday. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

California prison officials suspend in-person visits after spike in COVID-19 cases -- California prison officials are suspending in-person and family visits to inmates starting Saturday because of increasing COVID-19 cases among staff and inmates, officials announced Friday. The halt is effective for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities statewide for 15 days. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

This Bay Area county says proof-of-vaccination mandates won’t ‘make a huge difference’ -- The county said that considering its high inoculation rates, a requirement would put unnecessary strain on businesses and have “limited impact.” Gabriel Greschler, Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22

Despite Omicron, L.A. sees far fewer critically ill patients compared to last winter -- Officials emphasize that the healthcare system still faces serious challenges because so many people are being infected, and it’s unclear how close the Omicron wave is to peaking. L.A. County ambulance services and hospitals also are contending with coronavirus-related staffing shortages as more of their workers become infected. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Official: California COVID surge could ease next month -- The California surge in coronavirus cases has shut down schools and sidelined thousands of police, firefighters, teachers and health care workers but officials are hoping it will be short-lived. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/7/22

Unboosted: California COVID-19 booster rate falls below 40% in most counties -- In 19 California counties, less than a third of vaccinated residents are boosted. In some counties, it’s less than 25%. One health official blames “pandemic fatigue.” Kristen Hwang and Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 1/7/22

FDA shortens booster timeline for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine -- The FDA authorized Moderna’s booster shot to be given to adults five months after the initial two-dose vaccine series instead of six months, aligning with a change approved earlier this week for Pfizer’s vaccine. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22

Some Bay Area restaurants are taking an additional step against omicron: closing indoors indefinitely once again -- As Monk’s Kettle owner Christian Alberton anxiously watched the Bay Area’s coronavirus case rates shoot up in recent weeks, he decided to get ahead of another potentially devastating hit to the restaurant industry. Janelle Bitker, Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

LA County theaters aim to keep doors open amid omicron surge -- On the chilly, post-rainstorm afternoon of Christmas Eve in Hollywood, theatergoers were packed shoulder-to-shoulder into the red velvet seats of the historic Pantages Theatre, gleefully starting to nibble snacks as they awaited the start of “Hamilton.” Dany Margolies in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/7/22

COVID School  

Hundreds of Sacramento-area students and teachers have COVID. Will schools remain open? -- Hundreds of public school students in Sacramento County have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. But so far, district officials say they have no plans to close campuses or return classes to distance learning. Ryan Lillis and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

COVID Economy  

Despite shortfall in year-end hiring, workers’ wages rise sharply as unemployment rate falls below 4% -- The government’s report Friday that employers added a disappointingly low 199,000 jobs in December seemed even more discouraging because the survey was taken before the full impact of the Omicron surge. Analysts warn that the Omicron variant may yet deal a bigger blow to the labor market in the next couple of months. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Mattress king builds Rialto factory to meet ‘floodgate’ of demand in California -- The CEO of Bedding Industries of America says demand in his second-largest market is 'growing like crazy.' Samantha Gowen in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/7/22

Policy and Politics  

Which California lawmakers have had COVID-19? 10 have revealed positive tests -- Ten of California’s 120 state legislators have disclosed that they’ve tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic almost two years ago, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Myers: The state budget’s mountain of cash -- The one sure thing about the budget Gov. Gavin Newsom will present to the Legislature on Monday is that it will project the collection of more state tax revenue than ever before — and much more than was expected when he signed off on California’s current state spending plan last June. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Sheriff Villanueva raises $1.25 million for re-election campaign -- Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s campaign for re-election has raised more than $1.25 million, it was announced Friday. His campaign has about $1 million on hand and has raised more than $900,000 in 2021. Villanueva was elected as Los Angeles County sheriff in 2018 and ran a campaign of “reform, rebuild and restore.” The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/7/22

Barabak: Scraping bottom, Kevin McCarthy manages to sink even lower -- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Crazytown) has a history of spewing anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-science claptrap. This week her wacky effusions led to permanent suspension of her personal Twitter account. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Powerless  

‘Truly a nightmare’: 11,000 Sierra Nevada residents now almost 2 weeks without power -- Nearly two weeks after a fierce storm raked across the Sierra Nevada and knocked out their power, Elisabeth Jones and her wife were still in the dark Thursday 11 days later. “Outraged” doesn’t begin to describe their fury, Jones said. Rosalio Ahumada and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Two utility workers fall 50 feet while repairing electrical lines in Sierra foothills -- The incident happened near Rollins Reservoir, north of Colfax along the Nevada-Placer county line, Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit said in a social media post around 9 p.m. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Climate  

Clash of the kitchens: California leads the way in a new climate battleground -- The most luxurious gas stoves and ovens a home chef could desire fill the cavernous Snyder Diamond showroom in Van Nuys, but the cooking appliance the owner seems most excited about doesn’t use gas at all — or look like an appliance. Evan Halpe, Jessica Q. Chen, Maggie Beidelman, Jackeline Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Education  

Priest abuse victims group takes aim at Mater Dei over alleged hazing -- In an effort to bring deeper scrutiny to Mater Dei High School, an advocacy group for survivors of Catholic Church abuse has filed three complaints with government and church officials over allegations of hazing involving the school’s powerhouse football team. Laura J. Nelson, Connor Sheets, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Street  

S.F. City Hall corruption: Mohammed Nuru pleads guilty to fraud two years after his arrest -- Mohammed Nuru, the former director of San Francisco Public Works, officially pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal fraud charge, marking perhaps the most definitive development to date in the City Hall corruption scandal that has ensnared department heads and city contractors. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Alameda County deputy sheriffs group offers $10,000 reward in fatal freeway shooting of recruit -- The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of Alameda County is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for fatally shooting an Alameda County sheriff’s recruit on an Oakland freeway earlier this week, authorities said Thursday. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Housing  

Burlingame’s industrial sweet spot could become Bay Area’s next creative mixed-use neighborhood -- Burlingame’s Rollins Road, the flat industrial neighborhood squeezed between Highway 101 and the Caltrain tracks, is not the prettiest part of town. But it might be the sweetest smelling. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Peninsula school district’s huge housing plan would be ‘unaffordable’ for renters, critics say -- An ambitious plan by a Peninsula school district to build more than 1,100 apartments on a former high school campus is poised to take a key step forward next week — but some community members are pushing to double the affordable housing proposed. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Homeless  

This Northern California mayor wants to give everyone a right to housing -- Mayor Darrell Steinberg is pushing a “right to housing” ordinance in Sacramento that he hopes will spark similar measures throughout California. The first-of-its-kind proposal would require Sacramento, which has committed to spending $100 million on homelessness over the next two years, to offer every homeless resident a housing placement. Marisa Kendall in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Also . . .   

How the pandemic made hotel housekeeping more difficult — and disgusting -- Cristina Velasquez has cleaned up almost every imaginable mess during her 21 years as a hotel housekeeper, but the scene awaiting her when she opened the door to a room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hollywood a few months ago still haunts her. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning  

Orange County reports third COVID-19 death of a child younger than 5 -- The announcement comes as cases are climbing in Orange County and throughout California, driven by the Omicron variant. No COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for use in children younger than 5. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Coronavirus tests are nearly impossible to find in the Bay Area. Nobody knows when it’ll get better -- As the omicron surge worsens, pushing COVID-19 numbers across California to record highs, many frustrated Bay Area residents are unable to access coronavirus tests, either over-the-counter kits or more rigorous lab versions — a problem that has persisted since before the holidays. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Coveted COVID tests causing four-hour traffic jams as omicron explodes in Bay Area -- On Wednesday, the backup on the Auto Mall Parkway was four hours. On Thursday, it was shorter, but Deven Chandani gave up, found a place to park and walked to Irvington High School instead. All to get his hands on one of the most-coveted items in any medicine cabinet on the planet: COVID-19 tests so his kids can return to school when class resumes Monday. John Woolfolk, Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22

Pandemic sidelines police, fire and teachers in California -- A dramatic surge in coronavirus cases has sidelined more than 800 Los Angeles city police and fire personnel and led to slightly longer ambulance and fire response times, adding to concerning absences statewide of public safety officers, health care workers and teachers. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/7/22

L.A. officials hope Omicron surge among public safety workers fades as fast as it rose -- Following a major spike in coronavirus cases among Los Angeles’ public safety workers — including a fivefold increase in the LAPD just in the last week — city officials are ramping up overtime, canceling some leave and eyeing additional contingency plans in order to maintain critical services. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Sacramento County orders public boards to suspend in-person meetings due to omicron -- Sacramento County health officials have ordered that all public board meetings, council meetings and commission meetings be conducted virtually rather than in-person in response to extremely high transmission rates of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

‘Flurona’ arises during omicron surge: What you need to know about flu, COVID co-infection -- Adding another layer of concern atop the astonishingly swift surge of the omicron variant, cases of “flurona” have emerged. The term, a portmanteau of “flu” and “coronavirus,” refers to being infected with both illnesses at the same time. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

When should you go to the ER with COVID symptoms as California hospitalizations rise? -- When Santa Cruz County announced its latest COVID public health guidance on Wednesday, officials included a stark plea to people with only mild symptoms: "AVOID TRIPS TO HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS." Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

A Bay Area couple spent 8 days at sea after South American ports turned their cruise ship away. When they’ll get home is unclear -- A Palo Alto couple was sailing on the Viking Jupiter ship around Cape Horn, halfway through an 18-day cruise, when they got the news: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had warned the public to avoid traveling on cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

COVID School  

Surge and sickout: 20% of S.F. educators absent as district struggles to supervise classrooms -- Nearly 900 San Francisco teachers and aides were not in their classrooms Thursday, a significant increase in absences over the previous day, deepening a crisis that’s been unfolding since Monday as district officials scrambled to make sure enough qualified adults could fill in and families worried about whether their children’s education would be interrupted — again. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Omicron stresses schools across California to the limit as they fight to stay open -- With students returning from winter break, schools across California are fighting to stay open amid severe staffing shortages, high student absences and infection rates fueled by the record-breaking surge of the Omicron variant. Howard Blume, Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Wildfire   

PG&E has been blamed for the Dixie Fire. Now what’s in store for the company? -- Critics of the utility say the company is still doing too little to reduce fire risk while its regulators are not doing enough to hold it accountable. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Judge halts mega-resort in California wildfire zone, says residents could die trying to flee -- Development of a $1 billion resort and housing project in one of the state’s most wildfire-prone communities has been placed on hold after a judge ruled developers didn’t adequately plan for what might happen when a wildfire erupts and thousands of people have to run for their lives. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

COVID on Campus  

UC Davis extends remote 2022 start to four weeks due to COVID omicron surge -- UC Davis will hold classes virtually for essentially all of January due to the omicron variant surge, extending what was originally announced as a one-week transition to four weeks of classes. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is isolating COVID-positive students at hotels due to on-campus bed shortage -- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo started housing students who test positive for the coronavirus at off-campus hotels after campus isolation beds filled up during the first week of classes this week, a university official confirmed. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Policy and Politics  

California Democrats revive universal health care bill -- What could be the nation’s first universal health care system found new life on Thursday after California Democrats proposed steep tax hikes to pay for it, prompting strong opposition from insurers, doctors and Republicans at the start of an election year. Adam Beam Associated Press Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

California lawmakers stay home after possible COVID exposure at going-away party -- Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon did not attend Thursday’s legislative session at the Capitol after potentially being exposed to COVID-19 at a going away party earlier this week. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Republican Tom McClintock will run in new California congressional district -- The new 5th Congressional District captures parts of Modesto and Fresno along with the western Sierra Nevada, combining parts of districts currently held by McClintock and former Rep. Devin Nunes. David Lightman and Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

Capitol Siege  

At S.F. vigil, marchers demand prosecution of Trump, Capitol insurrectionists -- Nancy Latham remembers the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 with a sense of anger and sorrow. One year after the riot, the images of smoke and Trump flags rising above the Capitol steps remain with her as symbols of a democracy under attack. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Nation finds no solace a year after Jan. 6 attack -- The anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol brought no sense of healing to a country that remains deeply divided over the deadly riot, with the nation’s leaders failing to demonstrate a shared commitment to American democracy. Chris Megerian, Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Street  

California AG: Don’t file murder charges in stillbirths -- Attorney General Rob Bonta acted after prosecutors in the San Joaquin Valley’s Kings County twice charged women with “fetal murder,” alleging their drug use led to stillbirths. He issued a statewide alert intended to advise law enforcement officials on how to interpret state law. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/7/22

Garcetti, Moore say tactics will be examined after LAPD killing of 14-year-old girl -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday he promised “transparency and justice” to the mother of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the 14-year-old who was fatally shot by a Los Angeles police officer inside a North Hollywood store two days before Christmas. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Sacramento sheriff hit with pair of $100 million lawsuits over Carmichael shooting death -- The family of a 25-year-old man shot to death by a Sacramento sheriff’s gang unit in Carmichael a year ago have filed a pair of federal lawsuits seeking more than $100 million in damages and alleging that deputies needlessly shot the man while he was sitting in a car with his hands up. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/7/22

LAPD captain whose home was raided is latest to sue city over gun store scandal -- A high-ranking Los Angeles police captain has sued the city of L.A. and the nonprofit gun store that operates out of its police academy, alleging he was unjustly “swept up” in an embarrassing gun theft scandal due to their collective negligence and malfeasance. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/7/22

Group breaks cases at San Jose shopping center, steals jewelry before fleeing -- Police said the robbery was reported at 3:32 p.m. Monday when between eight to 10 people broke into a business in the 1600 block of Story Road and smashed jewelry cases. The people stole jewelry and fled the scene. The investigation is ongoing and authorities haven’t identified the suspects as of Thursday. Summer Lin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22

Education  

High Covid rates, staff shortages and confusing legislation challenge schools' reopenings -- California’s schools are reopening after the holiday break amid a sharp spike in Covid cases and test scarcity, but some school officials are concerned that outbreaks and staffing shortages will make it difficult to stay open in the coming weeks. Diana Lambert, John Fensterwald, and Ali Tadayon EdSource -- 1/7/22

California education issues to watch in 2022 — and predictions of what will happen -- The 2021-22 school year was supposed to have been a rebound to normalcy, with Covid in the rear-iew mirror. Instead, midway through, the year has been “shock and overload,” with teachers and administrators “working harder and losing ground,” as Mike Kirst, former president of the State Board of Education, put it. John Fensterwald and Yuxuan Xie EdSource -- 1/7/22

Homeless  

San Francisco delays 250-bed homeless shelter in Lower Nob Hill amid neighborhood backlash -- But a board committee voted unanimously Wednesday to have the city spend another month vetting the issue amid outcry from residents near the building who said they were not adequately consulted and had serious reservations about how the project would impact their neighborhood. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Border  

Biden administration asks court to toss family separation suit brought by Bay Area families -- The Biden administration says three Bay Area immigrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy have no right to sue the government for damages. The families and their lawyers say the administration’s legal argument is a betrayal of President Biden’s campaign promises. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/7/22

Water  

Anderson Dam: Cost to rebuild key Bay Area dam nearly doubles to $1.2 billion -- In the latest setback for a project that has been fraught with delays and cost overruns for more than a decade, the price tag to rebuild Anderson Dam — Santa Clara County’s largest — to improve earthquake safety is nearly doubling, from $648 million to $1.2 billion. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/7/22