Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty ImagesBY: ZOHREEN SHAH AND ARIELLE MITROPOULOS, ABC NEWS
(NEW YORK) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom patiently waited for the day that all Californians 50 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination, and on Thursday he received a dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Newsom told ABC News’ Zohreen Shah- in an exclusive interview that he was thrilled to be “one and done,” as he recalled the first vaccine administered in Southern California, to nurse Helen Cordova, on Dec. 14.
“Eighteen million doses later, it’s finally my turn,” he said. “Today we’re making it eligible for everyone 50 and over. In two weeks, everybody 16 and over. We have that supply now.”
Newsom received his vaccine in hard-hit south Los Angeles to emphasize vaccine equity in a community that’s suffered immensely throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has reported more coronavirus cases — more than 3.57 million — and virus-related deaths — 58,269 — than any other state.
In Los Angeles County, residents identifying as Hispanic of Latino have accounted for approximately 53% of COVID-19-related deaths despite accounting for 48.6% of the population.
“This is why all our work has to be focused, mindful of the issue of equity, not just as a platform, not just as a promotion, not just as a promise,” Newsom said. “It’s tough. It’s gritty work. It’s hard. It’s stubborn. We know that as it relates to the issue of testing. Seven, eight months ago, that was our biggest issue — equity on testing and access to testing opportunities. Now it’s the same with vaccines.”
Last month, the CDC issued a report that measured county’s vaccine rollouts with regards to “social vulnerability.” The vulnerability index included several factors, including race, education, poverty level and housing, which the agency noted has also been linked to higher coronavirus rates.
The report examined roughly 49 million shots distributed between Dec. 14 and March 1. Of the 48 states surveyed, California ranked 44th when it came to vaccinations among residents in the most socially vulnerable counties.
To date, California has delivered nearly 19.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, more than any other state. However, it ranks 30th for vaccines administered per 100,000 people.
Newsom also added that getting children back to school will be of critical importance in returning to “normal,” especially children in minority communities that have been among the hardest hit during the pandemic.
“We have a unique moral responsibility to address systemically, once and for all, not just as a state, but I expect as a nation,” he added.
As California takes step to ease restrictions, coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the state have all declined significantly after peaking earlier this year. Since mid-January, the state’s seven-day average of cases has declined by over 94%.
But other states have seen surges recently — two dozen have seen cases increase by at least 10% over the last week while 18 also have seen 10% increases in reported hospital admissions.
And cases are increasing elsewhere. In France, for instance, said Newsom, schools and businesses are closing once more because of the virus’s mutations and community spread.
“We have to be mindful this disease is not going away. It’s not disappeared. It’s as virulent. It’s as deadly as it’s ever been,” Newsom said.
Newsom also addressed the mounting controversy over his handling of the pandemic, which has resulted in an attempted recall election.
“I don’t think it advantages the state of California,” he said. “Forget the Democratic Party. Forget the current occupant that happens to be the current governor. And so, for me, this is really an assault on California — California values — and I hope we can stay united.”
(TACOMA, Wash.) — A 15-year-old has been arrested for allegedly assaulting an Asian couple in an attack caught on video in Washington state.
The Tacoma Police Department announced Friday that a male teen was arrested and charged with second-degree assault in connection to the attack on a Korean-American couple on Nov. 19, 2020.
Video of the attack, where the teen appears to punch an Asian man, 56, repeatedly as the woman with him looks frantic, circulated on social media recently. The suspect was 14 at the time, according to local ABC affiliate KOMO.
The arrest comes amid a spate of rising attacks against Asian Americans.
Police said they received a report about the video of the attack on March 31 and asked the public for information regarding the incident.
On Thursday a family member of the victims in the video contacted police, officials said.
The victims did not know video of the assault was recorded, police said.
Investigators used the video to identify the suspect and realized he was scheduled to show up on Friday for a detention review hearing for an unrelated robbery charge and officers took him into custody at the courthouse, police said to KOMO.
The attack on the Asian couple has not immediately been classified as a hate crime. The suspect has not been named because he is a minor.
From March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, there were more than 3,795 hate incidents, including verbal harassment and physical assault, against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit organization that tracks such incidents.
On March 16, a gunman killed eight people, including six Asian women, in three separate shootings at spas in the Atlanta area.
The attack, and other acts of violence against the Asian community, have sparked rallies in dozens of U.S. cities in recent weeks calling for an end to anti-Asian violence.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesBY: LEIGHTON SCHNEIDER, ABC NEWS
(NEW YORK) — Oklahoma has announced the hiring Loyola-Chicago’s Porter Moser as its next head coach.
Moser takes over for Lon Kruger, who retired after 45 years in coaching last month, including the last ten with the Sooners.
In a statement announcing the hiring, Oklahoma Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione said Moser checked off the boxes they were looking for.
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce and welcome Porter Moser as our next great OU head coach,” said Castiglione. “As we dug deep into the backgrounds of candidates, his attributes, acumen and record of success totally aligned with what we were seeking. He’s a purposeful and proven leader who prioritizes positive culture, accountability, academics, player development, innovation, transparent communication and a holistic approach to the student-athlete experience.
Moser led the Ramblers to the Final Four in 2018 and led them to a 26-5 record and the Sweet 16 this year.
“Our family is so excited and honored to join the Sooner family,” said Moser. “Joe Castiglione has a reputation for building championship programs at the University of Oklahoma. I’ve always said there are reasons why you win. If you look at the standards that the programs at Oklahoma have set, there are reasons why they’ve won. The coaches, infrastructure and community are all championship caliber. You just want to be a part of that. To play in a premiere league like the Big 12 and be a part of this championship culture excites me.
Moser has been a head coach for 17 years and has a 293-242 record, including a 188-141 record during his ten years with Loyola.
(HOUSTON) — The first bus carrying unaccompanied migrant girls arrived at a Houston shelter Friday evening, amid a surge of children entering the country and growing concern for their well-being.
The shelter, run by the National Association of Christian Churches, has a capacity for 500 beds.
Rep. Sylvia Garcia toured the facility on Friday and tweeted Houston “has always been a welcoming region,” promising to monitor the shelter and “do whatever it takes to ensure that children are protected, treated with dignity and respect.”
Garcia said the facility will have beds, medical facilities and equipment to properly house and process the children, per local ABC station KTRK-TV.
The Biden administration has differed from former President Donald Trump’s in that it stopped using a public health policy called “Title 42” to turn away unaccompanied minors at the border. Instead, unaccompanied minors are being taken to their own facilities, tested for COVID-19, and connected to family or sponsors in the country.
The arrival of the girls in Houston comes amid rising concerns for the well-being of young children crossing into the U.S.
Last week, startling video emerged showing smugglers dropping two children, a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl from Ecuador, over a 14-foot border fence on the U.S.-Mexico Border.
The influx of migrants and Biden’s policy to allow unaccompanied minors to stay has led to overcrowding at border facilities as well as concern over COVID-19 infections among the newcomers due to cramped conditions.
On Friday Texas Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News that from March 1 to March 30, there has been a total of 647 COVID-19 cases in 40 out of 50 Texas HHSC Office of Refugee Resettlement operations. These are self-reported positive COVID-19 cases in migrant children in care.
As of an April 2 the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services report there are a total of 19,236 children in Customs and Border Patrol custody and HHS care, officials told ABC News.
There are nine migrant housing facilities located in Texas, according to KTRK. They are located in Carrizo Springs, Dallas, Houston, Midland, Pecos and San Antonio and Fort Bliss, which is the largest and holds 5,000 beds.
The United States has been grappling with a surge in migrants arriving at its southern border in recent months.
The number of children and families attempting to cross the border increased by more than 100% between January and February. Meanwhile, the amount of children trying to cross the border alone jumped by 61% to over 9,400, the highest monthly total since the spring of 2019, according to statistics released last month by CBP.
iStockBY: ABC NEWS
