COVID-19 live updates: West Contra Costa Unified approves vaccine mandate

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A surge in coronavirus cases has been reported in the Bay Area and across California as well as the country due in part to the emergence of the highly-contagious delta variant.

The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC's 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7's daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

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Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the Bay Area:

West Contra Costa Unified approves vaccine mandate

A vaccine mandate has been approved for West Contra Costa Unified School District. The school board voted last night to require students, employees, volunteers, board members, vendors and contractors to be vaccinated. Eligible kids will be required to have one shot by November 15 and their second shot by December 15. Officials say students with exemptions will be required to submit to rapid testing once every two weeks, in accordance with district policy.

6 a.m.

Napa County vaccine clinic opens today

Starting today, you can get your COVID-19 vaccine or a booster shot at a clinic in Napa County. The St. Helena Hospital Foundation will be administering first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 12 or older. They're also offering booster shots for eligible people who got their second dose at least six months ago. You'll also be able to get a flu shot. The vaccine clinic will be held at Napa Valley College's Upper Valley Campus on College Avenue in Saint Helena starting at 10 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

Santa Cruz County drops indoor mask mandate

Santa Cruz County announced it's dropping its indoor mask mandate effective immediately. That comes as a new CDC forecast model shows that COVID hospitalizations are likely to drop by nearly half in the next two weeks. And that same model shows cases and deaths will continue to decline over the next four weeks.

5 a.m.

Vaccine mandate ordered for CA senior car workers

The California Department of Public health issued a new order mandating vaccinations for all workers at adult and senior care facilities. The order applies to all adult and senior care facilities, certain persons who provide In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), certified home care aides, and Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) providers, hospice workers who provide services in the home or a licensed facility, and all employees, as well as service provider workers, who provide services through the state's regional centers that serve individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

7:10 a.m.

CA has lowest transmission rate in US

California is moving in the right direction when it comes to controlling the spread of the virus. According to new numbers from the CDC our state continues to have the lowest transmission rate. It's the only state in the U.S. in the "moderate" virus transmission category. All other states have "high" or "substantial" virus transmission. As for COVID-19 testing, California's positivity rate dropped to 2.6 percent over the past eight weeks. Data from the state that the Bay Area is doing better than California as a whole. Marin County has the lowest 7-day average in the state with just 8.5 cases per 100,000.

Folsom Street Fair returns to SF after 2 years

The Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco returned after a 2-year delay because of COVID. While the one-of-a-kind event hasn't changed, the pandemic is prompting new rules and guidelines. Proof of vaccination was required for entry as were masks. Before COVID, about a quarter-million people attended the festival. This year, the crowd was much smaller at about 40,000. Another new rule this year - no alcohol sales on the street. Instead organizers wanted people to support local bars that have had a tough time during the pandemic.

2:30p.m.
CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid offering COVID-19 booster shots

Today, with guidance from the CDC, three drug stores have announced they are giving Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot to eligible populations.

CVS announced it has started giving booster shots today. You may book your appointment here.

Rite Aid started offering shots for walk-ins today and will start taking appointments online tomorrow.

Walgreens says it will be also be taking appointments online starting tomorrow as well.

The drug stores listed the following guidelines set by ACIP and CDC:

8 a.m.
CDC director overrules panel, recommends COVID-19 boosters for frontline, health care workers

The CDC panel on Thursday voted against saying that people can get a booster if they are ages 18 to 64 years and are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky disagreed and put that recommendation back in, noting that such a move aligns with an FDA booster authorization decision earlier this week. Here's the full story.

5 a.m.

WHO endorses antibody treatment for some people

The World Health Organization is recommending a pricey antibody treatment for certain coronavirus patients in the latest update to its guidelines for treating people with COVID-19. The new guidelines, published Friday in the journal BMJ, say the two antibodies - casirivimab and imdevimab - made by Regeneron should be given to people infected with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of hospitalization and to people whose own immune systems have not mounted a response.

2 p.m.
CDC advisory panel backs Pfizer boosters for people 65+, at-risk groups

The U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 stands on the verge of a major new phase: Government advisers on Thursday recommended booster doses of Pfizer's vaccine for millions of Americans

The advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the extra doses for people 65 and older, nursing home residents, and people who are 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions. It also said boosters can be offered to people 18 to 49 with underlying conditions.

The shots would be given at least six months after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Here's the full story.

11:30 a.m.

Calif. considering school vaccine mandate

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the state is considering a vaccine mandate in schools, but they do not have a plan in place at this time. Ghaly made the announcement during an update this morning California's COVID-19 vaccine action plan. Among the top priorities: Number one: getting the unvaccinated, vaccinated; two, the important efforts of working with healthcare systems, which are playing a greater role in getting people vaccinated, and three, working with schools, to get children vaccinated as they become eligible.

7:15 a.m.

Fremont Festival of Arts canceled

For the second year in a row, the Fremont Festival of the Arts won't be happening. It was set to take place this weekend but the Fremont Chamber of Commerce called it off because of COVID concerns. The chamber's CEO told the East Bay Times -- controlling safety would've been hard because the event often draws more than 300,000 people.

5 a.m.
Oakland Unified School District approves COVID vaccination mandate for students 12 and up

The Oakland Unified School Board voted to approve vaccine mandates for those 12 and older. Those with certain medical cases and religious beliefs are exempt -- but no doubt, it is a major step with the Delta variant spreading so quickly among children. Here's the full story.

11 a.m.
Biden doubles US global donation of COVID-19 vaccine shots to 1 billion Pfizer doses

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is doubling its purchase of Pfizer's COVID-19 shots to share with the world to 1 billion doses as he embraces the goal of vaccinating 70% of the global population within the next year. Get the full story here.

5 a.m.

Oakland Unified to consider student vaccine mandate

Oakland Unified will consider a proposal today that would require all eligible students get vaccinated for COVID-19. The resolution would give students until October 3 to get their first dose and until October 31 to get their second. Vaccination rates within the district are already on the right track.

12 a.m.
FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID vaccine boosters for at-risk groups

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer booster shots Wednesday for seniors and other high-risk Americans, paving the way for third doses to be offered as early as the end of the week. Full story here.

11 a.m.
San Francisco airport workers required to be vaccinated under new mandate

All airport workers in San Francisco will now be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday morning. The vaccine requirement takes effect immediately and applies to airline, service, concession and construction employees. Some workers may be eligible for an exemption from the vaccine for a medical disability or a "sincerely held" religious belief. Those individuals will have to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The mayor says San Francisco is the first U.S. airport to issue a mandate like this.

5 a.m.

Dreamforce kicks off at Moscone Center in San Francisco today

Dreamforce kicks off today at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Salesforce's annual convention will be scaled down -- drawing about 5,000 people instead of the typical 170,000 people. In-person events are "invitation only" because of COVID protocols. Everyone else will be able to watch it online. Vaccines are required for anyone attending in-person. Dreamforce runs through Thursday.

7:05 a.m.

SF Marathon returns with new protocols

Runners are back racing on the streets of San Francisco. The San Francisco Marathon got underway early Sunday morning. Runners headed north along The Embarcadero, into the Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Richmond District and back to the Ferry Building. Runners had to wear masks while on National Park property. COVID forced organizers to cancel the marathon last year. This year on the men's side, Greg Billington of San Francisco came in first. The women's winner was Judith Corachan from Spain.

12:15 p.m.

Apple to add testing mandate for employees

Apple is adding a testing mandate for its workforce in stores and at offices. For employees who are vaccinated, they will be tested from time to time. Unvaccinated workers will be tested far more frequently. Unlike several other tech companies, Apple has not issued a vaccination mandate. The testing mandate will take effect next month. Corporate employees are not supposed to return to the office until the beginning of next year.

6 a.m.

SF offering free public performances

San Francisco is bringing some life back to the streets with free public performances. It's called SF Wednesdays and the idea is to bring entertainment to some of San Francisco's iconic locations. The performances continue every Wednesday through October 20, in Union Square, Embarcadero Plaza, and Mint Plaza in SoMa.

CDC COVID-19 Transmission Categories by California County

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CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County

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VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine

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