E-Newsletter

PHYSICIANS: The County of San Diego, the San Diego County Medical Society, and the Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties are hosting a Clinical Town Hall about the COVID–19 pandemic. Topics will be vaccine updates and boosters, vaccines and pregnancy, updates on COVID in San Diego County, COVID therapies including monoclonal antibodies, and COVID and children. These virtual sessions are designed by physicians, for physicians to share timely information and discuss issues specific to medical professionals.

Yesterday, the San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) and Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties (HASDIC) in a formal letter to Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma J. Wooten and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, called on the Supervisors to “require indoor masking for all people regardless of vaccination status. We also call upon you to further safeguard our community by requiring vaccination for indoor dining, bars, gyms, and entertainment venues.”

The letter declares that the “highly–contagious Delta variant has changed the situation” and makes these actions necessary due to rapidly increasing case numbers and hospitalizations due to COVID–19.

The letter states, “The California counties of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Sacramento, and Yolo, as well as the City of Berkeley already have an indoor mask requirement. Los Angeles County has gone further to instate a requirement to wear a mask outdoors at major events as of August 19^th, 2021. Requiring all people to wear a mask indoors makes scientific sense. We need to be able to treat people with and without COVID in our hospitals, and we may get to the point of having to delay needed procedures and surgeries once again if we don’t act now. The current rise in infections and hospitalizations is not sustainable without swift action to protect our community.”

“Further, San Francisco, New York, and New Orleans have instated requirements for proof of vaccination for indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, and entertainment venues. This also makes scientific sense. We know the Delta variant is extremely contagious and we need to make being indoors during these higher–risk activities as safe as possible. Those who have chosen not to get vaccinated or are not yet eligible could continue to eat, drink, work out and be entertained outdoors, which is a safer setting for all involved. No solution is perfect and none of us want to be in this new wave. However, other communities have done these things to protect their citizens.”

The organizations also cite the heavy toll that COVID–19 has taken on the local health care community and the strain on the health care system that increased COVID–19 caseloads and hospitalizations present. The letter continues, ”We are tired. Our healthcare community is smaller as people have cut back, quit, or retired early due to the toll this pandemic has taken. We remain committed to caring for the health of the community of San Diego to the best of our ability and we need your help to do it. We call upon you to institute these measures before we are once again overwhelmed.”

The San Diego Union–Tribune ran a front page article on this action by SDCMS and HASDIC which you can read HERE.

A reminder that the CalVax Grant deadline has been extended until September 10^th at 11:59 PM. Individual practices may receive up to $55,000 to support vaccination efforts, and to be eligible, practices must complete Section A of the myCAVax application process.

Small practice providers can apply to receive $10,000 for up to five vaccination sites for a total of $50,000. Additionally, small practice providers can receive an additional $1,000 per site (up to five sites for an additional $5,000) if their vaccination sites match high priority areas as noted by the CDPH.

Contact calvaxgrant@phcdocs.org or call (916) 551–2565 for more information.

As always, let me know if you have any questions! Paul Hegyi, CEO