The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reminding residents to remain vigilant as the holidays approach and to use the preventive tools available to protect the County’s most vulnerable populations […]
No! We Did Not Survive the First Term
As a seemingly comforting phrase for those struggling with the results of the recent U.S. presidential election, I’ve heard variants of “It’s okay, we survived the first term.” While this may be […]
COVID-19 Update: Recent Increase in COVID-19 Activity in Orange County
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Communicable Disease Control Division is reporting an increase in the percentage of positive COVID-19 PCR tests in Orange County residents over the past month. To minimize […]
COVID-19 Update: Orange County Moves From “LOW” to “MEDIUM” Community Level Based on CDC Metrics
Orange County has moved to the Medium COVID-19 Community Level according to the latest Community Level metrics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the OC Health Care Agency […]
COVID-19 Update: New Bivalent Booster Vaccine Now Available for kids as young as age 5
New COVID-19 (bivalent) boosters for children ages 5 and older are now authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The […]
Orange County Moves to ‘HIGH’ Transmission Rate on CDC’s COVID-19 Data Tracker
Due to recent increases in COVID-19 case counts, Orange County was moved to “High” community transmission status as of July 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 […]
State and Local COVID-19 Updates
by Adrian Meza Mask Mandate Update The state of California will be lifting its indoor mask requirement that was set December last year amid the soaring COVID cases on February 15. This […]
Join Virtual Discussion on COVID-19 Testing
As the Omicron surge has started to crest, confusion about COVID-19 testing remains. When getting tested, many people have questions about the types of tests available, how they work, and their accuracy. […]
Free at-home COVID tests now available to order
The Biden administration has launched a new web site (covidtests.gov) on which every household can order four free at-home COVID tests. Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of […]
COVID-19 Updates
New COVID Variant prompts travel restrictions Following the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant (Omicron) in South Africa, President Biden announced travel restrictions from eight African countries on November 26. The World […]
As Delta surge eases slightly, health officials urge caution
Voice of OC questions County Health officials Orange County residents are breathing a little sigh of relief as the Delta outbreak has loosened its grip ever so slightly, with new infections and […]
Young Observers: August Edition
In two weeks, Fullerton schools will reopen to regular in-person classes despite the renewed threat from COVID-19 variants and the significant rise in daily new cases. I reached out to a small […]
Grand Jury Releases Report Critical of County’s Pandemic Preparedness
The Orange County Grand Jury released a much anticipated report on May 11 detailing the results of their months-long investigation of Orange County’s pandemic preparedness and plan. The report had little, if […]
COVID-19 Cases and Vaccinations in Decline
In early May, Orange County officially passed the mark of 5,000 of its residents dead from COVID-19. Deaths reported daily on the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard site are now in the single or […]
Orange County Moves to Less Restrictive Red Tier
The county of Orange announced on Friday, March 12 that effective March 14 OC would move into the Red or “Substantial” Tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy (covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy). The four-tiered […]
Elected Officials Host Virtual Town Hall Meetings to Urge Vaccinations
Since mid-February the overall number of Fullerton residents who have died from COVID-19 has risen from 193 to 242. Of those deaths, 84 have occurred in Skilled Nursing Facilities—up from 73 two […]
Superando el COVID-19 con la fe y fortaleza en ausencia de dinero y seguro de salud
La Voz Latina es una columna en español. La Voz Latina is a Spanish language column (English translation below). A un año del comienzo de la pandemia de Coronavirus, las vidas de […]
State and Local Officials Frustrated by Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Orange County is currently (as of February 14) hospitalizing 790 COVID-19-positive patients; 257 of them are in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), a drop from over 400 ICU hospitalized patients just two weeks […]
State Lifts Stay-At-Home Order, Many COVID-19 Restrictions Remain
The state of California has lifted the Regional Stay-at-Home Order imposed on December 5, 2020 intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Order affected the San Joaquin Valley, Bay […]
Small Business Adapting
Business as usual has taken on a whole new meaning. Teleconferencing, cleaning, and juggling a slew of new concerns for employees and owners alike can be formidable. However, small business owners in […]
State Lifts Suspension of Moderna COVID-19 Batch
A January 21 press release from the County of Orange advised health care providers that they may once again dispense Moderna COVID-19 vaccines from Lot # 041L20A. An earlier press release, provided […]
Disneyland Supersite Begins Mass Vaccinations in County
The Orange County Healthcare Agency’s first COVID-19 mass vaccination site began administering vaccines Wednesday January 13 in the parking lot of Disneyland in Anaheim. The site is the first of five so-called […]
First OC Vaccination Super Site to Open at Disneyland Resort
The first of five planned “Super Point-of-Dispensing” (POD) sites is scheduled to open at Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort later this week to provide vaccinations against COVID-19. Orange County residents and those who work […]
County Announces Supersites to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines
Orange County’s Health Care Agency (OCHCA) has announced that it will be partnering with the Orange County Fire Authority to help administer COVID-19 vaccines through a program called Operation Independence, a County […]
Eviction Moratorium Protections
There are three concurrent rental eviction moratoriums intended to protect families and, in Fullerton, businesses that can’t pay rent due to COVID-19 health and financial complications. These eviction moratoriums are as follows […]
St. Jude Expands Hospital Space for Unprecedented Surge of COVID-19 Patients
California has just reached the count of 2 million COVID-19 cases, the most of any state in the country. In Orange County 1,854 people are hospitalized, a rate more than twice as […]
Fullerton Will Not Join Sheriff Barnes’ Opposition to COVID-19 Inmate Release/Transfer Order
Fullerton City Council voted 3-2 at a special meeting on December 21 to not join an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in support of OC Sheriff Barnes’s opposition to releasing […]
Council to Consider Joining OC Sheriff’s Opposition to Inmate Release Amid COVID-19 Spike
Fullerton Mayor Bruce Whitaker has called for a special virtual City Council meeting to take place on Monday, December 21 to discuss Fullerton filing a legal brief in support of OC Sheriff […]
Dramatic Increase in COVID-19 Forces Return of Restrictive Health Measures
Rising Cases of COVID-19 Orange County’s rates of coronavirus transmission are spiking once again, with metrics in most categories steadily rising in recent weeks. Daily reports of new COVID-19 cases are now […]
COVID-19 Surge Could Push County Back to Most Restrictive Tier
Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Orange County’s cumulative case count is 64,058, with 1,522 recorded deaths. The number of new cases reported in the County during the first part of November […]
Fullerton and Orange County COVID-19 Update
Nearly 60,000 cases of COVID-19 are known to have occurred in Orange County to date. 1,475 people have died as a result of contracting the virus. As case numbers rise, hospitalizations have […]
OC Health Care Agency Invites Students to Enter Art, Writing or Video Contest
County offering tech grants to schools for creative entries that help normalize mask-wearing. With many teachers, parents, and students struggling with the changing school re-opening models, the OC Health Care Agency is […]
Young Observers: Back to School
Over 8,000 or about 60% of total enrolled students returned to in-person classes last Tuesday, Oct 13, as the Fullerton School District reopened its schools. Due to the unique circumstances surrounding the […]
Orange County Remains in 2nd Most Restrictive Tier of COVID-19 Reopening Plan
Orange County COVID-19 Statistics More than 8 million people in the United States have contracted the coronavirus, with the pace of new cases increasing in many parts of the country. But in […]
Women’s Transitional Living Center Activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Because survivors of domestic abuse are one of the most vulnerable groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Fullerton nonprofit Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) has announced a list of public activities designed […]
