January 24, 2022 Media Brief
Orange County
OC Register: Coronavirus: Weekend reports 18,927 new cases, 15 more deaths in Orange County
On Monday, 1,162 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 in Orange County, including 195 patients in intensive care units. That’s an increase of 18 people hospitalized since Friday’s report.
OC Register: Orange County reported 15,427 new cases and five new deaths over the holiday weekend
Also different is how the current omicron variant appears to affect most people, resulting in fewer falling seriously ill. But don’t take that to mean the health care system is in the clear or that people should dismiss the virus, medical experts say.
Voice of OC: Review of OC 211 calls shows vulnerable residents mostly need but rarely get housing help
The people on the other side of 2-1-1 say it’s a heartbreaking place to be in Orange County, given a lack of local support services they can connect callers with and the fragmented nature of what does exist, leaving hotline staff unable to connect callers to adequate help – much less any hope.
Voice of OC: Placentia Yorba Linda school district can’t hold meetings because residents refuse to wear masks
District spokesperson Alyssa Griffiths said the meetings were adjourned under state law and board bylaws. Other parents in the district like Misty Janssen applauded Buck for ending the meetings over people not wearing masks or not wearing them properly.
OC Register: Status Update: JWA passenger traffic surpasses 2019 numbers
Passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport in November finally looked like the old days, rising above 2019 numbers since air travel was stalled by COVID-19. The milestone is likely due to Thanksgiving holiday travel and coronavirus vaccines that emboldened more travelers to board crowded airplanes.
Daily Pilot: Measure Y could have Costa Mesans deciding fate of One Metro West — if it stays intact
Developers of One Metro West, a 15.23-acre mixed use complex with 1,057 apartments proposed for Northwest Costa Mesa, are requesting a special election be held to allow voters to weigh in on a plan approved by the City Council in June.
California
OC Register: State senator’s bill would require all California students to be vaccinated against COVID
State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, announced Monday, Jan. 24, legislation he’s sponsoring that would prohibit families from being able to claim a personal belief exemption when it comes to California’s COVID-19 student vaccine requirement, a mandate that could take effect as early as this fall.
Nation
Associated Press: Justices to hear challenge to race in college admissions
The court said it will take up lawsuits claiming that Harvard University, a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, a state school, discriminate against Asian American applicants. A decision against the schools could mean the end of affirmative action in college admissions.
Labor
Labor 411: California Starbucks workers file union petition with the NLRB
Twenty-two of the store’s 31 workers signed union cards. The Santa Cruz store experiences a high rate of incidents of harassment, indecent exposure and threats of violence, and employees don’t feel supported by management, say organizers.
Publication Date: January 24, 2022
