SAPC Issues/Actions

COVID-19 Update:

Public Health Modified its Health Officer Order Adding Vaccination Verification Requirements at Select High-Risk Settings
Public Health issued a modified Health Officer Order late last month vaccination verification or a negative test within 72 hours prior to attending outdoor mega events. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=3383

School Cases Decline:
Public Health continues to work closely with schools to prevent COVID-19 transmission and to monitor safety as school settings are seeing declines in COVID-19 cases. The week of October 11, there were 568 student cases and about 2,100 student close contacts. Among staff, there were 79 cases and 186 close contacts. These numbers represent a 37% decline in school cases and a 45% decline in staff cases from the prior week. Given there are more than 1.7 million children and staff attending or working at over 3,000 schools countywide, these are strikingly low numbers. This amounts to 0.04% of students and staff testing positive and 0.1% identified as close contacts.

COVID-19 Vaccinations:
These are available at County-run sites and many community sites without an appointment. To find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

Delta 8-THC Alert:
SAPC Prevention staff joins LA City and County in coordinating outreach/education efforts on Delta-8THC. This is an emergent public health threat to minors due to a loophole in the Farm Bill that legalized hemp statewide. Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as Delta-8 THC, is a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties. Delta-8 THC is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant that has psychoactive and intoxicating effects. If there is less than 0.3% THC contained in the cannabis plant, it is defined as hemp. Hemp, unlike cannabis, can be sold anywhere, whereas cannabis can only be sold at licensed dispensaries
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-things-know-about-delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-delta-8-thc

State/Federal News:

SAMHSA Launches “Recovery Office”
In organizing this new office, SAMHSA will now have a dedicated team with a deep understanding of recovery to promote policies, programs, and services to those in or seeking recovery. https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/202109300228

NIDA: The Hidden U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic: Orphaned Children
More than 140,000 U.S. children lost a primary or secondary caregiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study highlights stark disparities in caregiver deaths by race and ethnicity and calls for an urgent public health response: https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2021/10/

Upcoming Events and Deadlines:

November 17: A Virtual Cannabis Town Hall: What is Delta 8?. A bilingual event for parents and youth hosted by Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. For more information, contact: Lorena Velasquez: lorvelasquez@chla.usc.edu

Community Prevention Initiative Trainings: See upcoming free trainings

November 3, 2021, Transformative Prevention
http://ca-cpi.org/training-event/transformative-prevention-a-trauma-informed-resiliency-oriented-approach/

November 10, 2021, Environmental Prevention
http://ca-cpi.org/training-event/environmental-prevention-promoting-health-and-safety-through-changed-policies-settings-and-community/

PTTC Fall Programming to Support Grief Leadership
As of today, COVID-19's impact nationwide continues to fuel our individual, familial, communal, and collective grief. As of October 2021, our region has experienced enormous loss: 71,350 deaths in California and 26,552 deaths in Los Angeles County. As we approach the winter season and holidays, the Pacific Technology Transfer Training Center offers two programs and resources intended to help with workforce leadership, to be grief-attuned, and to promote mentally well people and systems. To register, click: https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/pacific-southwest-mhttc/event/mental-health-impacts-surviving-covid-19-implications-0

Save the Dates:
December 1st: World AIDS Day and The Wall/Las Memorias’ Monument Rededication Celebration

December 9th: Quarterly Prevention Provider Meeting: LA County’s Network Highlights and Lessons for the Year!