Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Air travelers into the US won’t have to test for COVID-19 starting Sunday

FDA hearings to decide the fates of vaccinations for kids

Small businesses are facing a ‘summer of uncertainty’

New Novavax COVID-19 vaccine may be an option for those with religious concerns

WHO says COVID-19 origins are still unclear

10:28 a.m.: Air travelers into the US won’t have to test for COVID-19 starting Sunday

The Biden administration plans to drop the requirement for air travelers coming to the United States to test negative for COVID-19 before departure, starting on Sunday, as reported by NPR .

According to an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the requirement is no longer needed and will lift on Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Since December, travelers have had to present a negative COVID-19 test results taken no more than a day before departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days.

However, the CDC said it’ll reassess the decision in 90 days and could reinstate it if a new variant of concern developed.

9:39 a.m.: FDA hearings to decide the fates of vaccinations for kids

Next week brings a marathon of hearings as the U.S. decides whether to open COVID-19 vaccinations to kids younger than 5, as reported by the Associated Press.

On Wednesday, both Moderna and Pfizer will argue their case. Each company aims to offer a different dose and number of shots.

If the Food and Drug Administration authorizes one or both types of shots, there will still be another question — should young children get vaccinated or just those at high risk?

Kids under 5 are the only group not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S.

If all the steps fall into place, the shots should be available later this month.

9:25 a.m.: Small businesses are facing a ‘summer of uncertainty’

Small businesses that depend on outdoor crowds and free-spending tourists aren’t sure what to expect this summer.

Consumers likely have a lot of pent-up demand after more than two years of the pandemic. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Travel Association predicts travel spending will be slightly above pre-pandemic levels.

But consumers are also facing some significant financial headwinds. Inflation is making day-to-day living more expensive, which could leave less money for discretionary spending.

Gas prices are up more than 60% from a year ago and hotel rooms and airfare are pricier as well, putting pressure on travel budgets.

COVID-19 still remains a looming presence.

9:53 a.m.: New Novavax COVID-19 vaccine may be an option for those with religious concerns

A COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal authorization may offer a booster for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused the other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons.

Already, at least 175 active duty and reserve service members have received the Novavax vaccine, according to the Associated Press .

Some have traveled overseas at their own expense to get it.

The Novavax vaccine meets the Defense Department's requirements because it has the World Health Organization's emergency use approval and is used in Europe and other regions.

Military officials say many troops who refuse the shots cite certain COVID-19 vaccines’ remote connections to fetal tissue.

Lab-grown cell lines descended from fetuses from decades ago were used in some early-stage testing of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and to grow viruses used to manufacture the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The vaccines do not contain fetal cells.

Novavax says that “no human fetal-derived cell lines or tissue” were used in the development, manufacture or production of its vaccine.

9:33 a.m.: WHO says COVID-19 origins are still unclear

Experts drafted by the World Health Organization to help investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, further research is needed to determine how COVID-19 first began.

As reported by the Associated Press, the WHO say they need a more detailed analysis of the possibility it was a laboratory accident. That request makes a sharp reversal of the U.N. health agency’s initial assessment of the pandemic’s origins.

The WHO concluded last year that it was “extremely unlikely” that COVID-19 might have spilled into humans from a lab.

In a report released Thursday, WHO’s expert group said “key pieces of data” are still missing to help scientists understand how the pandemic began.

9:22 a.m.: Virus testing pop-ups are the new normal in China as a part of its 'zero-COVID' strategy

Thousands of coronavirus testing sites have popped up on sidewalks across Beijing and other Chinese cities in the latest development in the country’s “zero-COVID” strategy, according to the Associated Press.

Regular testing of residents is becoming the new normal as the Chinese Communist Party sticks steadfastly to the “zero-COVID” approach that is increasingly at odds with the rest of the world.

The move follows a recent outbreak in Shanghai that spread so widely that authorities locked down the entire city for two months to end it.

Authorities have decided that early detection is needed if they’re going to control omicron outbreaks without extreme measures that cause major economic disruption.

9:43 a.m.: FDA to approve more traditional vaccine, Novavax, as fouth COVID-19 shot option

A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to becoming the fourth option for U.S. adults.

According to the Associated Press, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted Tuesday to recommend authorization of shots made by Novavax.

It’s a protein vaccine, a more conventional technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option.

If the FDA ultimately agrees, the Novavax shots could be an option for adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated.

The company eventually hopes to offer its shots as a booster, like they’re used in some other countries.

9:34 a.m.: Moderna says updated COVID-19 vaccine offers even better protection against omicron

Moderna says its experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, according to the Associated Press.

COVID-19 vaccine makers are studying updated boosters that might be offered in the fall.

Moderna says its combination booster candidate increased omicron-fighting antibodies more than just another dose of the original.

Today’s vaccines still offer strong protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death, but protection against milder infections wanes, especially as the virus continues to mutate. Health authorities are considering whether to order a change in the vaccine recipe.

Moderna announced its preliminary study results on Wednesday.

9:15 a.m.: New Hampshire vaccine protesters who shut down meeting won’t face charges

New Hampshire’s attorney general says he won’t bring criminal charges against protesters who disrupted an executive council meeting in September before it began and forced its postponement.

As reported by the Associated Press, angry opponents of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate moved around the room at St. Anselm College on Sept. 29.

They shouted “shut it down” before the meeting could get underway. Attorney General John Formella said Tuesday that the state would not have been able to prove any potential criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

The postponement delayed a council vote on $27 million in federal aid to boost New Hampshire’s vaccination efforts.

9:44 a.m.: An FAQ for some of your questions about COVID-19 reinfection

Here’s a scenario — let’s say you got sick with COVID-19 back in January, so you figured you were done with the virus for a while.

But then you began feeling a scratchy throat, a runny nose and more, so you took an at-home test just in case. You’ve just tested positive for COVID-19 again.

You may be wondering, how could this happen? Is it possible to get COVID again just a few months or weeks after recovering from a case?

NPR asked four specialists to answer some frequently asked questions about reinfection .

Two things they found: Newer omicron variants are more transmissible and make reinfection more likely than earlier in the pandemic, but vaccination can also help prevent reinfection.

9:31 a.m.: Special Olympics drops COVID-19 vaccination requirement after threatened with fines

The Special Olympics has dropped a coronavirus vaccine mandate for its games in Orlando after Florida moved to fine the organization $27.5 million for violating a state law against such requirements.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced the organization had removed the requirement for its competition in the state, which is scheduled to run from June 5 to June 12.

The Florida health department notified the Special Olympics in a letter Thursday that the organization would be fined $27.5 million for 5,500 violations of state law for requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination for attendees or participants.

9:12 a.m.: Beijing restaurants and shops reopen as COVID-19 cases fall

Diners are returning to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month as authorities further ease pandemic-related restrictions.

According to the Associated Press, the move comes after a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital was largely eradicated under China’s strict “zero-COVID” approach.

Museums, cinemas and gyms are allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers can once again bring packages to a customer’s door.

The Community Party remains wedded to a “zero-COVID” strategy that exacts an economic cost and keeps people in their homes, even as many other countries take a more relaxed approach.

1:04 p.m. Sacramento County continues to 'strongly recommend' but not require masking

Sacramento County health officials continue to advise all people to wear masks in indoor public places as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increase in the region, but will not be requiring it.

"We continue to follow state guidance and strongly recommend masking," Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said Monday. "Businesses can choose to make masking mandatory, especially if they have a lot of interaction with the general public or if they are seeing an increase in cases among employees or if they have an outbreak."

Last week the county was placed in the highest COVID-19 risk level by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as cases and hospitalizations continued to increase. In what's known as the "high" community level, the CDC recommends that all people wear masks in indoor public spaces.

As of Friday, 167 patients were in hospitals in the county with COVID-19, including 21 in the ICU. Kasirye said that while hospitalizations are high, they are far below the peaks earlier this year.

The county saw many of its highest numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first months of 2022, including 657 patients on January 25, the county’s all-time highest number since the start of the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 297,787 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,052 deaths in Sacramento County.

Kasirye said she's hopeful that those figures may soon plateau but that summer travel and other gatherings mean residents should still be careful.

"There are some early indications that there may be a slowdown, but it's too early to tell," she said. 

"Of course, our hope is that we are getting to the peak of this recent surge and that we will start seeing a decline. But …  with [an] increase in travel, there is that increased risk of exposure, so people do need to be careful. People do need to continue wearing masks."

10:05 a.m.: Sacramento City schools mask mandate starts today

The Sacramento City Unified School District is reinstating an indoor masking mandate, according to the Associated Press.

The district suggested that students resume wearing masks on Friday as a soft start to the renewed masking requirement that takes effect today .

The move comes amid a rising tide of COVID-19 cases in California. The school district announced the move Thursday when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved Sacramento County into the “high” level of community transmission.

Alameda County became the first county in the state to reinstate indoor masking requirements, and last month UCLA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo were among schools returning to masking requirements.

9:50 a.m.: First shots for children under 5 may be here as soon as June 21

The Biden administration says children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21 if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group as expected.

As reported by the Associated Press, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the administration’s planning for the last remaining ineligible age group to get the shots.

He says the Food and Drug Administration's outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger kids.

Shipments to doctors’ offices and pediatric care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, with the first shots possible the following week.

9:39 a.m.: US Interior Secretary tests positive for COVID-19

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms, according to the Associated Press.

The Interior Department says Haaland is isolating in Nevada, where she took part in a roundtable discussion last Tuesday about clean energy production on public lands.

The agency says Haaland began experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus on Wednesday and tested positive.

She has canceled further travel around the U.S. West and is working remotely. The Interior Department says the 61-year-old Haaland is confident she’ll recover quickly as she’s fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots.

8:59 a.m.: Indoor masking returns to several California school districts

School districts across California are reinstating indoor mask policies as COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily increase in the nation’s most populous state.

Daily new hospital admissions of patients with COVID have exceeded last’s summer peak, according to the Associated Press.

The Sacramento City Unified School District will require masks indoors starting Monday for all students and staff.

This change comes only 45 days since the district originally dropped its indoor mask requirement on April 18, despite being one of the last California districts to do so. California dropped its state school mask mandate for K-12 students on March 12.

SCUSD isn’t the only district reinstating masking rules. Alameda County Unified School District is reinstating its mask rules starting Friday at midnight. It’s the first in the county to bring masking rules back.

Alameda County is also reinstating a county-wide indoor mask policy.

Statewide hospitalizations topped 2,500 after falling below 1,000 at the lowest point in April.

8:35 a.m.: First shots for children under 5 may be rolling out by the end of June

The Biden administration says children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21 if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group as expected.

According to the Associated Press, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the administration’s planning Thursday for the last remaining ineligible age group to get shots.

He said the Food and Drug Administration’s outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger kids.

Shipments to doctors’ offices and pediatric care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, with the first shots possible the following week.

4:16 p.m.: Sacramento moved in CDC's highest COVID-19 level with 12 other California counties

Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties were placed in the highest COVID-19 community level by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Thursday as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in the region.

Overall, 13 California counties moved into the CDC's "high" community level. The measurement tracks the impact of COVID-19 on a community, and is based on a combination of case rates, hospitalization rates and the percentage of hospital beds used by COVID-19 patients.

Over the past week, Sacramento County recorded 283 new COVID-19 cases and 12.1 COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people. The limit to stay in the CDC's low tier is 200 cases and 10 hospitalizations.

The other California counties in the high tier are Del Norte, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.

At the high community level, the CDC recommends all people wear masks indoors in public places, stay up to date on vaccinations (including booster shots if you are eligible), and get tested if they have symptoms

The Sacramento City Unified School District has said it will return to universal masking if the county moved to the high community level. Sacramento County health officilas have not yet responed to questions about if they will change any COVID-19 policies.

9:42 a.m.: Some local governments turning down $73 million in federal pandemic relief funds

Local governments across the U.S. have turned down a potential total of $73 million in federal pandemic relief funds.

An Associated Press analyst found that 1,468 smaller cities, towns, villages and counties effectively said “no” to their share of the American Rescue Plan.

Some local officials told the AP they had no need for the money. Others said they didn't want the hassle of dealing with the federal government.

In a few cases, some expressed political opposition to the relief package enacted last year by the Democratic-led Congress and President Joe Biden.

The rejected money amounts to a small percentage of the $350 billion of government aid.

9:34 a.m.: Latest COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax, hopes to win out vaccine holdouts

Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option — a more traditional kind of shot known as a protein vaccine.

According to the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration is evaluating the vaccine made by Novavax. It’s late in the pandemic for a new choice, but with millions still unvaccinated or needing boosters, the Maryland-based company is hoping to find a niche.

The vaccine is made very differently from the widely used Pfizer and Moderna shots. Novavax’s COVID-19 shots are authorized in numerous other countries, but U.S. clearance is a key hurdle.

9:10 a.m.: Brace yourself for sticker shock if you’re traveling this summer

If you haven’t booked your summer vacation plans, you’re already too late to snag the best deals, according to travel experts.

Airfares are up, hotel rates are up, and airlines are bracing for a big summer, as reported by the Associated Press.

High prices are not the only thing travelers need to worry about.

Airlines have thousands fewer employees than they did before the pandemic, which means they could struggle to handle the expected crowds. During Memorial Day weekend, United Airlines canceled 2% or 2,800 flights from that Thursday to Monday.

Delta canceled 800 flights and said it faced several issues, with rising COVID-19 cases among staff being one of them.

Despite all of this, consumers seem to be burnt out from pandemic fatigue and seem to be taking it all in stride. Airlines say bookings are running at record levels, and spending on U.S. flights is running ahead of 2019 levels.

9:48 a.m.: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has reinstated indoor masking

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has reinstated indoor masking due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, as reported by the Associated Press.

The decisions taking effect on Tuesday cover all campus facilities and applies to all students, employees and visitors regardless of vaccination status.

A university statement says the numbers are not on the order of what was seen during the worst of the winter omicron surge, but they are still concerning from a health and safety standpoint.

The mandate had previously been lifted in February.

9:23 a.m.: Political gridlock could delay COVID-19 funds until fall or later

The Biden administration foresees unnecessary deaths if lawmakers don’t approve billions of dollars more to brace for the pandemic’s next wave, yet the push to provide the money is in limbo in Congress.

It’s the latest victim of election-year gridlock that’s already stalled or killed a host of Democratic priorities, according to the Associated Press.

President Joe Biden’s request for funds for vaccines, testing and treatments has run into opposition from Republicans.

The GOP has also complicated the election-year fight by fusing it with the politically precarious issue of immigration. If the issue isn’t resolved soon, the next best chance of handling it may not come until the fall.

9:14 a.m.: WHO greenlights China’s CanSino vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization has granted an emergency use authorization for the coronavirus vaccine made by China’s CanSino Biologics.

According to the Associated Press, it’s the 11th coronavirus vaccine to receive WHO’s greenlight.

In a statement on Thursday, the U.N. health agency said the single-dose vaccine was found to be about 92% effective against severe COVID-19 and 64% effective in preventing people from getting symptoms.

WHO’s expert vaccine group recommends the CanSino vaccine for everyone 18 and over.

Last year, China’s top infectious disease official acknowledged that the country’s vaccines offered low protection against COVID-19 and that mixing them with booster doses of messenger RNA vaccines might be needed.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here

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