Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: Dec. 10-16
Chronicle Staff
FacebookTwitterEmail
The Chronicle began covering the coronavirus crisis before the first cases were reported in the Bay Area and a pandemic was declared in 2020. We reorganized the newsroom to dedicate nearly every resource to stories focusing on the health and economic disasters. Every day we have published live updates to reflect the most critical local, national and global updates on COVID-19, and this news is free of charge in an effort to keep our community safe and informed.
Read the previous updates from Dec. 4-9
Read the next updates from Dec. 17-23
Dec. 18, 2020
FDA authorizes Moderna s COVID vaccine for emergency use
The Food and Drug Administration authorized a second COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The new Moderna vaccine is similar to Pfizer s which was authorized for use last week. It also requires two doses, but it does not need to be kept as cold as Pfizer s.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn says delivery could begin nationwide by Monday. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna s is approved for use only in adults.
You can more read more details here.
Today, FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the second vaccine for the prevention of #COVID19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. The emergency use authorization allows the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S for use in individuals 18 years and older. https://t.co/w4BQVg0n2Gpic.twitter.com/cw5JwYqxsh U.S. FDA (@US FDA) December 19, 2020
Dr. Robert Harrison, MD, MPH
There has been considerable pressure nationally and locally to reopen public schools, as many recognize that online teaching does not meet the educational needs for students who need to be working directly with teachers in classrooms.
Locally, there was a move to prepare to reopen on Jan. 25, 2021 – a date that the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) submitted to the county as its reopening date. But that proposal was canceled as the COVID-19 tsunami spread uncontrollably across the county and the state.
“Our plan is to reopen schools in phases beginning when our county is in the Orange tier of our state’s color-coded tracking system,” said OUSD Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, in a December 14 letter to the community. “Alameda County and most of California being in the most restrictive Purple tier, and the coming holidays, (makes) it is highly unlikely that we will move into the Orange tier in time for the original proposed date.”
Benicia Unified School District had 330 fourth grade students during 2018-2019 school year, according to the California Department of Education. Los Angeles Unified School District had the highest number of fourth grade students enrolled in California with 45,361.
According to numbers provided by the National Center for Education Services, California is expected to see a decrease of three percent in public elementary and secondary school enrollment from 2017-2029. The state expected to see the largest drop in enrollment is New Mexico with a projected 12 percent decrease, while Washington D.C. is projected to see a 14 percent increase over the same time period.
Los Angeles Unified School District had 45,857 third grade students during 2018-2019 school year, according to the California Department of Education. Los Angeles Unified School District had the highest number of third grade students enrolled in California.
According to numbers provided by the National Center for Education Services, California is expected to see a decrease of three percent in public elementary and secondary school enrollment from 2017-2029. The state expected to see the largest drop in enrollment is New Mexico with a projected 12 percent decrease, while Washington D.C. is projected to see a 14 percent increase over the same time period.