Board Joins Families and Survivors to Unveil Memorial Concept
The Board of Supervisors this morning observed the fifth anniversary of the December 2, 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack by joining survivors of the attack and the families of those who were taken from us on that day in a private memorial ceremony at the County Government Center.
The occasion also marked the unveiling of concept renderings for a permanent memorial to the 14 people who were killed, those who survived, and the first responders who put themselves in harm's way on that day. World-renowned landscape architect and artist Walter Hood, who was selected by the December 2 Memorial Committee to design and construct the memorial, will work closely with the families and survivors to finalize the details of the project.
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Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Josie Gonzales chairs the
Memorial Committee that is made up of family members of the deceased, survivors of the attack, first responders, and key County staff members.
"This process has been challenging, given the tremendous responsibility laid before us as we lived through the stages of healing," Vice Chair Gonzales said.
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"It took time, it took effort, and it took a great deal of understanding of how difficult it was for the Committee Members to begin the discussions of what would ultimately be the ideal way to remember those who were lost, those who were wounded and those who responded."
Gonzales and Wood created a powerful video message to mark today's events.
Hood is the creative director of Hood Design Studio in Oakland, Calif. and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He received the 2017 Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award, the 2019 Knight Public Spaces Fellowship, and the 2019 MacArthur Fellowship. In April 2018, Hood gave a TED Talk on how urban spaces can preserve history and build community.
A timeline for the memorial's construction and completion will be developed and announced as ongoing work with the families and survivors comes further into focus. The Memorial will be located at the east side of the County Government Center campus at 385 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino.
Vaccine Test Results Offer New Hope
While new COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates have continued to increase, news from several vaccine manufacturers has been very encouraging — leading to widespread hope that two vaccines will gain regulatory approval and begin mass production as early as this month.
We thought it would be helpful to briefly explain how vaccines are being tested and share up-to-date information on the vaccine-development status. Once one or more vaccines are approved, we look forward to providing additional information on the county’s plans for distributing the new drugs locally.
Although vaccines typically require years of research and testing before being approved for use, over the past several months scientists around the world have been racing to produce a safe and effective vaccine for the coronavirus. Currently, 55 vaccines are in clinical trials on humans; three have recently announced extremely promising results, with a fourth promising candidate still in Phase 3 trials.
On Nov. 9, Pfizer and the German company BioNTech released preliminary data indicating their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90 percent effective — the first time anyone had found such evidence. A week later, Moderna reported comparable findings with a similar vaccine.
Both research teams have submitted approval requests to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other global agencies. The FDA is scheduled to meet to consider the request for emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 10 and the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 17.
Meanwhile, another research team, from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, has also shown intriguingly favorable results — though there has been some controversy regarding the group’s data. In addition, researchers from Johnson & Johnson and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have also enjoyed initially positive results and are currently completing Phase 3 trials.
The vaccine testing process — from lab to clinic
Initial vaccine safety trials in humans started in March. Today, 13 vaccines have reached the final stages of testing.
Some of these vaccines will no doubt fail, and others may show ambiguous results. But it appears that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna research teams, at least, have succeeded in safely stimulating the immune system to produce effective antibodies — achieving results well beyond FDA minimum requirements. (It’s important to remember that these vaccines may potentially prevent infection; they are not intended to cure the disease.)
Once a company develops what it considers to be a viable vaccine candidate, it must perform a series of tests to ensure the vaccine is both safe and effective. Only after these tests are successfully completed will the FDA approve the vaccine for widespread use. Following are the primary test phases:
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Preclinical testing involves testing a new vaccine on cells, and then on animals such as mice or monkeys, to see if it produces an immune response.
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Phase 1 safety trials: Here the vaccine is given to a small number of people to test safety and dosage, while confirming its ability to activate the immune system.
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Phase 2 expanded trials: In this phase researchers give the vaccine to hundreds of people segmented into groups (e.g., children, the elderly) to see if it acts differently in them. These trials also further test the vaccine’s safety and ability to stimulate the immune system.
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Phase 3 efficacy trials: Researchers administer the vaccine to thousands of people and wait to see how many become infected (compared with those receiving a placebo). The FDA advised the drug companies that vaccines must show evidence to protect at least 50 percent of those who receive it. Phase 3 trials are large enough to uncover evidence of any rare side effects potentially missed in earlier studies.
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Approval: The FDA reviews trial results and decides whether or not to approve the vaccine. During a pandemic, a vaccine may receive emergency use authorization before getting formal approval. Once a vaccine is licensed, researchers continue to monitor people who receive it to further ensure it’s safe and effective.
If investigators observe worrying symptoms in volunteers, they can put a trial on pause. For example, in September, AstraZeneca suspended trials when one volunteer developed a form of transverse myelitis. Following an investigation, the company determined the affliction was unrelated to the vaccine and resumed trials.
As noted, both Moderna and the Pfizer team have completed Phase 3 trials and submitted their test results to regulatory authorities in the U.S. and elsewhere. If FDA authorization is granted, the first shots may be available before Christmas.
Tips on How Controlled Breathing Can Help With Stress
During stressful moments we tend to hold our breath causing it to become shallow. This causes our heart rate to speed up, further increasing the experience of stress and limiting our ability to utilize our best judgement. But Deana Kahle, wellness coordinator for the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, shares a video message that we have the ability to intentionally change how we breathe in order to affect changes in our body.
A complete breath is a four to six count; inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of six. It doesn’t have to be exact, the key is lengthening the exhale longer than the inhale. When we inhale and exhale in controlled ways, we can alter our feelings in the moment and consequently our behavior.
Kahle also suggests this visual breathing exercise: https://www.calm.com/breathe
COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program will END Dec. 13
The extension of the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program with increased funding amounts will expire on Dec. 13. All county small businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.
A business or nonprofit with no more than 100 employees that has been in business prior to January 1, 2020 is eligible to receive the funding, providing they comply with State health orders and incorporate safety measures in business operations. For those who already applied, for the moment there is nothing you need to do. The County will contact you in the very near future to coordinate the additional funding.
The amount funded for these operations is now $5,000 for an initial location and $2,000 for each additional location, with an additional amount of $2,500 for any business that is relocating operations to outdoors. For business partners that participated in the program earlier this year, they will receive additional funding to bring their total allotment to these new levels. Short-term rentals and private schools are not eligible for the additional funding.
Upcoming Webinars to Help Business Owners and Workforce
San Bernardino County in conjunction with other partners both regionally and throughout the state are pleased to bring business owners and interested residents ongoing webinars on a variety of important topics. We aim to do everything we can to help businesses succeed during this difficult time. To see all upcoming webinars, visit the Workforce Development Board events page.
Simple Success - Optimizing Your Workload
This virtual training will be based on a book “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. The presentation will discuss the value of simplifying one's workload by focusing on the one most important task in any given project.
Thursday, Dec. 3, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/simple-success-optimizing-your-workload-tickets-126487656987
Harassment Prevention for Supervisors
This virtual training will take a fresh look at harassment, discrimination, retaliation and governing laws. We will examine scenarios and workplace incidents and discuss possible appropriate responses, as well as review a supervisor’s role in harassment prevention
Thursday, Dec. 10, 10:00 a.m. to noon
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harassment-prevention-for-supervisors-tickets-126480499579
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 515 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 474 inmates have recovered from the illness.
A total of 364 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating at home; 249 employees have recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks.
Latest Stats
96,657 Confirmed Cases (up 2.7% from the previous day)
1,136 Deaths (up 0.6% from the previous day)
1,138,049 Tests (up 1.5% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile
tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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