LOS ANGELES, Calif. Aug 26 – With many school districts countywide now reopening, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health), School Technical Assistance (STAT) teams are reaching out to schools proactively to assess COVID-19 preventive readiness and advise on options for improvement.
During recent visits, STAT educators found that schools with significant safety enhancements have broad support within the school community for promoting/implementing masking guidance. They also have symptom pre-screening tools that allow for early detection of sick students, consistent COVID-19 screening testing programs, and signage campus-wide to remind staff and students about safety, masking, distancing, and sanitation. Meanwhile, areas for improvement at many schools included preventing crowded situations, creating safety compliance teams, identifying space to use as isolation rooms, and implementing mealtime-specific prevention strategies. Additionally, teams noted the potential for improved communication with parents and faculty about testing and vaccination opportunities and case identification and contact tracing requirements. Many schools would also benefit from more signage, updated reopening protocols and sharing those with the entire school community, and increased disinfection in shared spaces.
Public Health teams plan to add additional support to schools to assist with contact tracing and appropriate quarantining of students and staff. As a reminder, fully vaccinated students and staff at K-12 schools are not required to quarantine as long as they remain asymptomatic during the 14-day quarantine period. Public Health will be sending County staff to schools that identify large numbers of exposed students to help manage quarantining of students and staff, recognizing how stressful and disruptive quarantining is to a stable learning environment and to parents/caregivers.
Participating in contact tracing is critical for ensuring that close contacts get notified that they may have been exposed and need to quarantine to prevent infecting other people if they become infected. This week, Los Angeles County will update the County Health Officer Order to require everyone who receives an isolation order to call Public Health within 24 hours of receiving the order to participate in a case investigation and contact tracing interview, unless they have already been interviewed by Public Health.
It is important to note that identifying close contacts of a confirmed case is always required in all settings, including workplaces, social gatherings, and places of worship, to try to identify and inform those who may be at risk of infection and of spreading COVID-19. Isolation and quarantine are very effective at reducing transmission if implemented in a timely manner.
In K-12 school settings countywide over the week of August 16 through 22, 3,186 new cases were reported, many from LAUSD, where everyone is tested weekly, with the second highest number coming from other K-12 schools in L.A. County. The overwhelming majority of school sites with cases reported only one case. However, 15 LAUSD and 48 other school sites reported 2 cases, and 84 LAUSD and 39 other school sites reported 3 or more cases.
It is worth noting that of the 14 school outbreaks that opened in August, half were associated with school sports. Because youth sports programs are high-risk environments for COVID-19 transmission, Public Health has issued requirements and best practices for youth sports leagues. L.A. County’s current youth sports guidance attempts to align with CDC while not precluding those not vaccinated from engaging in high-risk sports or extracurricular activities and instead adding in layers of protection.
Today, Public Health confirms 31 new deaths and 3,226 new cases of COVID-19. Due to the increased volume of testing in L.A. County, there have been recent delays in the processing of lab results into our data systems. Recent days have been underreported and today’s counts include backlogged data from prior days that were processed into the system yesterday. Public Health is working on increasing the processing speed and capacity and expect processing will soon keep up with the increased testing volume.
Of the 31 new deaths reported today, five people who passed away were over the age of 80, seven people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,394,488 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,181 deaths.
There are 1,731 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,012,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 2.7%, a decrease from last week’s same-day rate of 3.7%.
“To everyone who has lost friends and family during this difficult time, we are wishing you peace and comfort, and our prayers are with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Staying away from others when you are sick or have been exposed means you’re less likely to spread infection to others – and that makes it less likely that the other people will need to quarantine themselves. Participating in case investigations and contact tracing and following isolation and quarantine orders can make the difference between having a handful of kids or hundreds of kids out of school. For kids in middle school and high school, the best way to keep your school open is to get vaccinated if you are eligible. When you’re vaccinated, you’re less likely to catch COVID-19, even if you’re exposed. That means that even if you’re exposed, you do not need to quarantine. And you’re less likely to get really sick if you do get infected, which means a quicker return to life as usual once an infection resolves.”
As of August 22, 90% of L.A. County residents 65 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 75% of residents 16 and over and 74% of residents 12 and over. Sixty-four percent of residents 12 and over have been fully vaccinated. Of L.A. County teens between the ages of 12 and 17, 61% have received at least one dose and 53% are fully vaccinated. Out of the nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 63% have received at least one dose, and 55% are fully vaccinated. Countywide, 17,364 third doses have been administered to immunocompromised people.
Among the more than 5.2 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 32,678 people fully vaccinated who tested positive for COVID-19 as of August 24. While this is an increase of 20% from last week, less than 1% of all those vaccinated have become infected with COVID-19. Of those who tested positive, 881 were hospitalized, up from 742 the week prior. This translates to 0.017% of all fully vaccinated people. Deaths in this group over this interval increased, from 68 to 95, to 0.0018%. In these incremental increases, we see the reality that vaccines do not provide 100% protection from infection. When the community transmission is high, more fully vaccinated people are likely to get infected. However, we also see in these numbers the reality that fully vaccinated people continue to be extraordinarily well protected from hospitalization, and continue to be very unlikely to die from COVID-19.
Teens 12 and over can receive Pfizer vaccine at any County and city sites without an appointment. Additionally, many school districts and individual schools, including Los Nietos Middle School, Whittier Union, and Wilsona, are offering vaccinations over the next few weeks. LAUSD, which has over 45 standing school sites, will be rolling out a mobile vaccine campaign administering vaccines at every middle and high school in its district. You can ask your school site for a vaccination schedule.
10月15日，国际能源署（IEA）今天发表声明称，在全球燃料价格飙升之际，其成员国已同意“尽快”释放超过2000万桶柴油储备。国际能源署今天公布的此次投放量，相当于全球不到一天的柴油需求量，或略高于美国五天的柴油消费量。美国柴油期货价格今天下跌超过1%，报4.86美元。 国际能源署在今天的声明中并未明确具体的投放时间表。由法国牵头的七国集团（G7）曾于10月2日表示，将在20天内投放大量柴油储备。如果这就是国际能源署所设定的时间表，那么其成员国将在近三周内，每天供应约100万桶柴油。 总部位于巴黎的国际能源署拥有30多个成员国，其中包括美国以及欧洲和亚洲的主要盟友。该机构成立于1974年（当时正值阿拉伯石油禁运期间），其使命是通过投放石油储备来维护能源安全，以应对中东或东欧战争等各类危机。 特朗普总统本月初曾表示，欧洲已同意投放“其大量库存柴油中的一部分”。9月份，美国国内柴油价格飙升至历史高位，在此背景下，特朗普政府一直敦促欧洲释放柴油库存。根据美国汽车协会（AAA）的数据，美国柴油零售均价今天为每加仑6.32美元，较去年同期上涨了70%以上。 随着11月3日美国中期选举的临近，特朗普总统正面临着解决燃料价格问题的政治压力。上周，特朗普总统与俄罗斯达成了一项柴油协议，但分析人士指出，该协议对于平抑价格恐怕收效甚微。 本月初，以法国为首的七国集团（G7）宣布，将通过国际能源署投放石油储备，以应对柴油危机，但未透露具体数量。 近期，由于乌克兰持续打击俄罗斯炼油厂，加之伊朗及其盟友胡塞武装袭击了波斯湾周边的能源设施，油价出现飙升。 今年3月，国际能源署成员国曾同意投放4亿桶石油，以应对当时由伊朗相关冲突引发的全球供应中断。该组织周四表示，成员国已同意将3月承诺中剩余的1亿桶石油“根据各国具体情况，适时”投放市场。 国际能源署理事会称，迄今为止已投放了3.3亿桶石油。由于部分成员国的实际投放量超过了最初的承诺额，最终投放总量将超过3月份商定的4亿桶。
10月15日，美国总统特朗普今天在社交媒体上表示，在遭到两党人士的反对后，针对胡德堡枪击案凶手尼达尔·哈桑（Nidal Hasan）的枪决执行过程将不会进行直播。 特朗普总统在社交媒体平台“真实社交”上写道：“在尼达尔·哈桑，前美国 陆军少校变成了叛徒，是一个非常坏和邪恶的人，他杀死了13人，包括一名怀孕的士兵，他和她未出生的儿子一起死亡，还有32名无辜的人非常严重受伤。 奥巴马（Barack Obama）的联邦调查局（FBI）截获了哈桑和激进的也门裔美国神职人员安瓦尔·阿瓦拉基（Anwar al-Awlaki）之间的电子通信。 在联邦调查局恐怖主义工作组审查后，调查人员得出结论，哈桑的电子邮件不是威胁。 对奥巴马政府行动的评估后来被认为是关键的情报失败。” 特朗普总统还写道：“话虽如此，我认为让所有人观看处决可能对世界见证美国如何处理像哈桑这样的恐怖分子和人渣（SCUM）有很强的威慑力，但许多非常善良和善意的人宁愿不通过流媒体或任何其他视觉设备看着他死去。 他将按计划死于行刑队，但这一事件将不会被直播。” 特朗普总统还表示：“也就是说，如果受害者的直系亲属选择的话，他们可以亲眼看到处决。 他们理应见证正义！ 感谢您对此事的关注。”
10月15日，美国劳工统计局（BLS）今天公布的9月份生产者价格指数（PPI）涨幅远超经济学家预期，凸显出在伊朗战争的背景下，能源因素持续带来的通胀压力。 根据美国劳工统计局的数据，衡量潜在通胀压力的指标在9月份环比上涨1.3%，同比上涨6.3%。这是自2022年3月环比和2022年12月同比以来的最大涨幅。 这两项数据均高于道琼斯（Dow Jones）调查的经济学家们的预期；此前他们预测环比涨幅为0.6%，同比涨幅为5.5%。美国能源价格是导致这些涨幅的主要原因之一，伊朗战争限制了石油供应，推高了油价。剔除波动较大的食品和能源价格后的“核心生产者价格指数”环比上涨0.7%，同比上涨5%。 此外，有迹象表明，美国能源价格飙升正对其他类别的商品产生连锁反应。 美国劳工统计局在今天发布的报告中指出，9月份“即时需求加工商品”（processed goods for immediate demand）价格的上涨，近一半与柴油价格上涨有关。 这是近期一系列报告中的最新一份，显示通胀仍在持续冲击消费者和企业。 此前，美国劳工统计局10月14日公布的消费者价格指数（CPI）显示，9月份该指数环比上涨0.6%，同比上涨3.7%。此前，道琼斯调查的经济学家曾分别预测环比增长0.6%，同比增长3.6%。 数据显示，9月份零售额增长了0.8%，超过了经济学家此前预期的0.4%。与前一个月零售额超过1%的增幅相比，这一增速有所放缓。 若剔除汽车和加油站的消费支出，9月份零售额较8月份增长了0.25%，低于此前约1.1%的增幅。这种放缓迹象表明，与燃料相关的高物价正促使消费者在其他方面的支出上“勒紧裤腰带”。 剔除食品和能源价格后的核心消费者价格指数环比上涨0.3%，同比上涨2.6%。经济学家此前预期的涨幅分别为0.2%和2.5%。…
10月14日，针对乌克兰军方突然被限制使用“星链”(Starlink）旗下的“星盾”(Starshield）系统，导致多个对俄罗斯作战任务失败的问题，亿万富豪埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）今天在社交媒体X上发帖指出：“关于速度或使用量的任何限制，均由美军及最终由美国总统决定。 尽管“星盾”是由马斯克旗下的 太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）建造和运营，但其具体的卫星和基础设施均归美国政府所有并由其管控，身兼太空探索技术公司、特斯拉首席执行官马斯克的帖文暗示，限制乌克兰使用“星盾”空袭俄罗斯的是特朗普政府。 此前，乌克兰方面紧急采取行动，试图撤销马斯克旗下公司针对“星盾”服务实施的新限制措施；这些限制曾干扰军事行动，并威胁到基辅拦截俄罗斯攻击型无人机的能力。 据多家媒体报道，一位知情人士透露，尽管乌克兰是依据与美国政府签订的“星盾”服务合同有效期至2027年5月15日，但在相关限制措施于一夜之间生效前，乌方并未收到任何预先通知。 乌克兰军队在遇到网络连接问题并联系“星盾”的客户支持后发现了这一变化。据消息人士透露，乌克兰军队被告知，对于时速达到或超过100英里的平台，“星盾“服务将受到限制。 马斯克并未说明特朗普总统、美国战争部长赫格塞斯（Pete Hegseth）或其他美国官员是否亲自批准了这项新限制，也未解释实施该限制的原因。 马斯克还将特朗普政府管控的“星盾”（Starshield）服务与商业网络服务“星链”（Starlink）区分开来，并指出后者不能用于进攻性军事行动。 做出该区分的背景是，美国与乌克兰之间因乌克兰袭击俄罗斯能源基础设施而关系日益紧张。马斯克几天前曾就这些袭击批评泽连斯基，并在社交媒体X上发文称乌克兰总统泽连斯基“做得太过分了”。 在“星盾”受限调整的消息传出数小时后，乌克兰前国防部长米哈伊洛·费多罗夫（Mykhailo Fedorov）表示，低于新阈值的网络连接正在恢复，同时也明确指出，乌克兰方面仍在寻求彻底取消该速度限制。 费多罗夫今天在社交媒体X上写道：“时速高达 160…
10月14日，美国最大的私营雇主沃尔玛宣布，将从2027年起向符合条件的员工免费提供包括用于治疗2型糖尿病的特定GLP-1药物，以及超过250种免费处方药。此举是其扩大员工健康福利计划的一部分，但该计划在涵盖扩大处方药报销范围和专科医疗服务的同时，也提高了其入门级健康保险计划的保费。 沃尔玛公司首席人力资源官唐娜·莫里斯（Donna Morris）10月13日致员工的一封信显示，该公司正在扩大其多数医疗保险计划中的处方药承保范围，其中包括特定的胰岛素产品和吸入剂。 莫里斯在信中写道：“我们正在增加更多途径，通过全面且经济实惠的医疗保健与福利服务，帮助您和您的家人过上更好的生活。” 此次福利扩充正值雇主与员工共同面临医疗成本上涨之际，尽管沃尔玛同时也计划提高其入门级健康保险计划的保费。该公司网站的信息显示，该员工健康保险计划的保费将每两周上调1.50美元，达到39.80美元。 沃尔玛还在扩大其“卓越中心”（Centers of Excellence）项目，旨在为那些正接受评估或已被确诊患有多发性硬化症、帕金森病或肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）的员工提供专业医疗护理。 根据沃尔玛大多数医疗福利计划，符合条件的该公司员工可获得由梅奥诊所（Mayo Clinic）或克利夫兰诊所（Cleveland Clinic）专家提供的免费评估及治疗方案审查服务。 沃尔玛还将为子女在新生儿重症监护室（NICU）接受护理的员工提供最长12周的专项带薪假。这项福利将于11月17日生效，并可与现有的产假、育儿假及其他带薪休假福利合并使用。 该公司仍将继续提供现有的福利，包括每年20次免费心理健康治疗，以及最高2万美元的生育治疗、收养或代孕经济援助。 零售商巨头沃尔玛在美国拥有约160万名员工，目前正值其年度福利登记期，该公司也正在推行相关调整措施，年度福利登记期将持续至11月6日。
10月14日，美国社会保障局（SSA）今天宣布，2027年的美国生活成本调整（COLA）幅度为3.6%。此次生活成本调整（COLA）将适用于2027年1月发放的美国福利金，涵盖“老年、遗属及残疾保险”（OASDI）和“补充保障收入”（SSI)。 此举旨在确保美国人的社会保障福利购买力不因通货膨胀而缩水。美国生活成本调整是根据该年度第三季度，即7月、8月和9月的“城市工薪族和文职人员消费价格指数”（CPI-W）数据确定的。 社会保障局长弗兰克·比西尼亚诺（Frank Bisignano）表示：“社会保障部门将为7600万美国人实施这项生活成本调整，从而增强他们的财务稳定性。” 平均而言，此次美国生活成本调整将使美国人的社会保障退休福利每月增加75美元。 2027年的生活成本调整幅度是自2023年以来的最大值；当时，美国为了应对居民消费价格指数（CPI）通胀的急剧上升，福利金曾上调了8.7%。 随着美国过去三年通胀放缓，生活成本调整（COLA）幅度也相应下调，分别为2024年的3.2%、2025年的2.5%以及2026年的2.8%。 2027年生活成本调整（COLA）幅度之所以较大，部分原因是今年能源价格的上涨；这些价格在伊朗战争爆发后飙升，并因石油和汽油供应链中断而持续维持在高位。 无党派机构“负责任联邦预算委员会”（CRFB）指出，3.6%的生活成本调整“将使每位退休人员的平均福利增加约900美元，但对于最富裕的受益人而言，增幅将超过2200美元”。 该机构认为：“对于今年达到正常退休年龄退休的高收入夫妇，其合计福利将增加3600美元，这一增幅足以使其年度合计福利超过10万美元。”