COVID-19 live updates: Pediatric COVID cases rise for 3rd week

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:

7:20 a.m.

Pediatric COVID cases rise for 3rd week

The U.S. has reported an increase in pediatric COVID-19 cases for the third week in a row. Nearly 142,000 children tested positive in the last week, which is a 16% increase from the week prior and a 41% jump over the last three weeks, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. Nearly 6.8 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

11 a.m.

Newsom gives update on boosters while visiting Bay Area vaccine clinic

Gov. Gavin Newsom is in the Bay Area on Monday, where he discussed the importance of boosters during an event held at a vaccine clinic.

7:20 a.m.

Indoor mask mandate in effect in Santa Cruz Co.

An indoor mask mandate is now in effect in Santa Cruz County and it covers private settings like a home. If you are getting together with others who don't live in the same household the county says you should mask up regardless of vaccination status. Businesses are also required to follow the guidelines. You can take off your mask when eating or drinking.

6:20 a.m.

Apple sets Feb. 1 deadline for employees to return to office

Apple has a new deadline of February 1 for employees to return to the office. Many will have to come in at least three days a week, but some workers will have to be in the office four to five days a week. The company will offer some teams up to four weeks of remote work each year. Vaccinations aren't mandatory, but unvaccinated workers will have to test every day.

8 a.m.

Oakland Unified hosting a vaccine clinic today

The Oakland Unified School District is hosting a vaccine clinic today. It will include a visit by the State Epidemiologist. The clinic runs from noon to 6 p.m. at Markham Elementary School. If you can't make it to that one -- you have options. The district says it's planning 21 vaccination pop-ups this week at elementary schools. It's also offering COVID testing and take-home tests during the week-long break.

7:30 a.m.

Alameda Co. releases vaccination data

Alameda County says it's continuing to ensure vaccinations are accessible to all. It announced that 81% of Latino residents and 74% of Black residents 12 years and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Latino and Black residents have lower vaccination rates than other races and ethnicities in the county, and are among the most disproportionately impacted.

5:30 a.m.

Pfizer agrees to let other companies make its COVID-19 pill

Pfizer has signed a deal with a U.N.-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental COVID-19 pill. The deal will provide equitable access to more than half the world's population living in 95 countries. The oral treatment is shown to reduce the risk of COVID-related hospitalizations and death by 89%. This agreement is similar to an agreement made by Merck last month.

7 p.m.

Dozens of inmates under quarantine after outbreak at Santa Cruz County Jail

A dozen inmates at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail tested positive for COVID-19 last week in what authorities say is the most significant outbreak at the lockup since the start of the pandemic. The cases came to light on Nov. 12 during routine testing using rapid tests, according to a release on Monday from Sheriff Jim Hart. The prisoners who tested positive are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and have been quarantined. Another 35-40 inmates who were exposed have been quarantined as well, the sheriff said.

7:10 a.m.

Israel to begin vaccinating younger children

Israel's Ministry of Health announced that children ages 5 to 11 would be eligible for vaccination against COVID-19. The decision follows an advisory panel's approval last week of the low-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.

7:30 a.m.

Sonoma Co. to hold vaccine clinics for kids

The Department of Health Services will host three COVID-19 vaccination clinics for children this afternoon in Sonoma County. A clinic at Healdsburg Fitch Mountain Elementary School starts at 3. Roseland Elementary in Santa Rosa will hold its clinic at 3:30. And Dunbar Elementary in Glen Ellen will open its doors starting at 4.

7:30 a.m.

Somoma Co. expands health order to include flu vaccinations

Sonoma County is expanding its county health order to include flu vaccinations. Workers at certain health care and congregate facilities will need to get their COVID and flu shots. County officials say flu shots are especially important this year to prevent hospitals from being overrun by both influenza and COVID-19 patients -- or the so-called "twindemic."

7 a.m.

Cases, hospitalizations climbing in Calif.

California is reversing course in the battle against COVID-19 with cases climbing once again. The state is up to 6,000 new cases per day and hospitalizations have jumped 4% in just two weeks. That's put the state back in the red category for high transmission. And experts say the next few months are critical because of the holidays for whether we'll see another winter surge.

7 a.m.

Grand Princess cruise ship returns to SF

The cruise ship that captured international attention during the earliest days of the pandemic returned to San Francisco. The Grand Princess was back in the city yesterday, for the first time since the cruise industry restarted sailings. One of the earliest major COVID outbreaks happened aboard this ship in March 2020. The ship was held off our coast for days as authorities scrambled to come up with a quarantine plan for the thousands of passengers on board.

7:15 a.m.

Viva Calle returns to San Jose

Viva Calle has returned to San Jose as part of a citywide program to get people outside to enjoy parks and outdoor spaces following COVID-19 closures. Several miles of San Jose streets were closed to cars yesterday.

5:45 a.m.

Vaccine clinics for kids filling up fast

County clinics set up for this weekend in the Bay Area are filling up fast for kids 5 to 11-years-old. San Mateo County even created a kid friendly vaccine site at the Event Center to make the experience a little more enjoyable.

5:15 a.m.

San Mateo Co. to open kids vaccine clinic Saturday

San Mateo County wants to help children feel at ease when they receive their COVID vaccines. The county is opening its first pediatric vaccine clinic at the San Mateo County Event Center. Kids ages 5 to 11 will be greeted by superheroes on a red carpet. There will be TV's and life-size games of Chess and Connect Four. The clinic is open this Saturday then Wednesday through Saturday of next week. Appointments are required.

6:45 a.m.

Don't give kids pain reliever before vaccine, CDC says

The CDC is reminding parents to not give kids a pain reliever before the vaccination to try to mitigate side effects. The CDC says pain relievers prior to a shot are not recommended because it's not known how it might affect the vaccine. Instead, the agency urges parents to talk to their doctor about a non-aspirin pain reliever after the shot if needed.

6:15 a.m.

COVID infections rising in 2 Bay Area counties

Alameda and San Mateo Counties have regressed from a "moderate" level of spread to a "substantial" one. San Mateo was in the yellow, or moderate tier for about two weeks. On Monday, the county reported a seven-day case rate of 53 per 100,000 residents, which now puts it into the orange tier that specifies substantial spread. Alameda County was in the yellow for about a week, but its case rate has now climbed to 51 cases per 100,000. Neither county meets local metrics for the removal of indoor masks because vaccination rates are below the required 80% mark.

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

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