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California lawmakers strike a deal to bring back COVID-19 paid sick leave By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE
Gov. Gavin Newsom
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(The Center Square) – California workers could receive up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they are infected with COVID-19 under a new deal struck Tuesday between California lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Gov. Newsom, alongside Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, announced a new agreement on a framework for supplemental COVID-19 sick leave on Tuesday that would last through September 30, 2022, and apply to businesses with 26 or more employees. The framework would provide 40 hours of
paid sick leave for workers in the public and private sector and an additional 40 hours for workers who test positive for COVID-19. Additionally, part-time workers would be eligible for sick leave equal to the amount of time they typically work and double that amount if they test positive for COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles Times. “By extending sick leave to frontline
workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive,” the lawmakers and Newsom said in a joint statement Tuesday. “We will continue to work to address additional needs of Please see LEAVE on A2
COVID-19 cases down Board of Supervisors hears update; meeting also covers industrial hemp regulation and vegetable greenhouse project
Russia conducts military drills U.S. seeks to bolster gas for Europe By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS
Dr. Henning Ansorg
Dr. Van Do-Reynoso
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By FORREST MCFARLAND NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors heard a COVID-19 update and discussed industrial hemp regulation and a vegetable greenhouse project at its meeting Tuesday. Dr. Van Do-Reynoso and Dr. Henning Ansorg represented the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to provide a COVID-19 update to the board. Dr. Do-Reynoso, the public health director, noted cases are down from the previous update. There are 181 cases per 100,000 people currently. This is lower than the previously reported 256 cases per 100,000 people. Based on this information, Dr. Do-Reynoso concluded omicron cases have most likely peaked. According to Dr. Do-Reynoso, unvaccinated individuals are four times more likely to contract COVID-19. There are currently 631 cases per 100,000 among unvaccinated individuals while there are 154 cases per 100,000
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Chair Joan Hartmann expressed concerns over a large-scale vegetable greenhouse project in Solvang during Tuesday’s Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting.
among vaccinated individuals. Hospitalizations of COVID19 positive patients have more than tripled over the past month, Dr. Do-Reynoso said during the board’s meeting in Santa Maria. After a meeting with hospital executives, Dr. Do-Reynoso concluded that about 25-33% of these patients tested positive for COVID-19 after coming to the hospital for other reasons. The remaining percentage were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19-related reasons. Dr. Ansorg, the public health officer, shared strategies that he predicts are important for COVID-19 to move from the pandemic stage to the endemic stage. The endemic stage would mean COVID-19 exists in the world
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without putting a heavy strain on healthcare systems. In order for this to take place, Dr. Ansorg said there must be high vaccination rates with booster, easy access to testing and self isolation, readily available antiviral medications, newer vaccines that protect against all variants and social distancing and masking until the omicron surge is over. In other business, the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office proposed an ordinance to the board that would regulate industrial hemp cultivation in the county. This ordinance would require a county license to grow industrial hemp alongside the state license. Additionally, the grower must own the property or have written
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additional stipulations to increase their regulation of industrial hemp. “I very much support a cap that holds the acreage to what we are now and focus on getting our regular cannabis market stabilized,” Chair Joan Hartmann said during the meeting. “We need to step up now, or it’s going to get out of control.” The board passed a motion four to one to approve staff recommendations with the added clause that puts a 180 acre cap on industrial hemp cultivation in the county. On another matter, the board revisited an appeal against the denial of a large-scale vegetable greenhouse project that was discussed in Feb. of last year. This project was denied by the
email: dmason@newspress.com
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The Biden administration is working with suppliers to boost oil and crude oil for Europe in case Russia responds to possible sanctions by cutting off supplies.
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consent to grow industrial hemp, and no other cannabis product may be grown on the property. There were previously no stipulations on cultivating industrial hemp. While industrial hemp is derived from the same species as cannabis, there are insignificant traces of THC in this derivative. Growers would be subjected to testing to prove their plants have traces of THC that are deemed insignificant. There are currently eight cultivation sites in the county. Altogether, these sites make up a little less than 180 acres. The Board of Supervisors was altogether supportive of these regulations, and several supervisors wanted to add Please see BOARD on A3
Tensions continued Tuesday as Russia announced military drills near Ukraine and elsewhere in Russia. Meanwhile, the Biden administration said it was working with gas and crude oil suppliers in case Russia responds to possible economic sanctions by cutting off fuel shipments to the European Union. Russia provides about a third of the crude oil and gas that the European Union imports. The Biden administration announced it is working with suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to boost gas and crude oil supplies for Europe. Many European officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin waited until now for a possible invasion of Ukraine because of Europe’s need for gas during the cold winter.. Various media sources reported Russia is planning military drills in areas near Ukraine and on the Crimean peninsula that Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. The Moscow Times, a news outlet that is independent of the Russian government, quoted the Defense Ministry as saying 6,000 troops and 60 warplanes had been deployed during the readiness drills. Two weeks ago, 3,000 Russian troops and 300 tanks were deployed around Ukraine.
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