Bay area

Other community groups are also heading the pop-up route, and not waiting for counties or medical systems. In the Napa Valley, the St. Helena Hospital Foundation switched from operating a mobile coronavirus testing van last week to running a vaccination clinic at Napa Valley College. In four days, 2,006 people, referred by their doctors or via an online posting to Nextdoor, received vaccinations, said Joe Schoendorf, a volunteer with the foundation who helped organize the event. … [Read more...] about Two Bay Area community clinics cut through red tape to speed vaccines for seniors

The first approval of a rapid test came in September when the FDA granted emergency use authorization for a palm-sized, disposable PCR test developed by Visby Medical in San Jose. That test, which can return results in less than 30 minutes, must still be administered by authorized laboratories, but Visby officials expect it to soon be made available for home use. … [Read more...] about Rapid home coronavirus testing kits are finally coming to the Bay Area. Why did it take so long?

The companies that provide app-based employment have long insisted that workers are not employees under their control. That highlights the precarious position California gig workers remain in after the passage last year of Proposition 22, which enshrined some gig workers’ independent contractor status into law. … [Read more...] about The gig economy wants its coronavirus shots

Now, he’s looking to the cherry blossom trees as a symbol of hope for the future. Although Osaki doesn’t yet know how much it will cost to tear up the sidewalk and remove the damaged trunks, using the money from the GoFundMe campaign and other contributions, he hopes to have new trees planted by spring so they can bloom along with the rest of the neighborhood’s cherry blossoms. … [Read more...] about Vandalized cherry blossom trees in S.F. Japantown receive $30,000 in crowdfunding

PG&E said it does not expect to turn off power in the Bay Area thanks to recent rains, high humidity and the lack of red-flag warnings of high fire danger in the region. But the winds arriving Monday could still fell electrical wires and cause localized outages across the company’s service area. … [Read more...] about Unusual winter fire risk may prompt unique winter power cut to 21,000 California customers