Stories by Issue
Health
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How Covid-19 mutates and its new strains
Viruses constantly change through mutation, so new variants of a virus are expected. They naturally mutate as they spread through a population and happen by chance.
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Primex, Wasco State Prison, Kingston Healthcare Center receive fines from state for violations in COVID-19 infection prevention
Multiple Kern County-based companies and facilities have received fines from the state these past few months for not following COVID-19 infection prevention in the workplace.
These fines, issued between October to December of 2020, were issued to five companies based in Wasco and one in Bakersfield.
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Kern County moves into the third tier of the first phase of Kern’s COVID-19 vaccination plan
The Kern County Public Health Department announced Friday it is moving into the next tier of its vaccination plan, now allowing for more Kern residents to receive the vaccine.
Pandemic puts strain on local EMS system as it experiences ‘sharp’ increase in 911 calls, resulting in longer off-load times, shortage of ambulances
As Kern’s hospitals get closer to reaching max capacity, local emergency medical services are forced to become the temporary emergency departments for many patients seeking ambulances during this COVID-19 surge.
Taking COVID-19 precautions could help decrease chances of contracting Valley Fever, experts say
Some medical experts say taking COVID-19 precautions, such as wearing masks and social distancing, will likely decrease the number of Valley Fever cases.
During holidays, Kern’s active case rate increases to record numbers
In just two months, Kern County went from having less than 5,000 active cases of COVID-19 to having more than 50,000 cases during the holiday season.