25 Percent Vaccinated

Good Morning, I’m Annica Colbert….it’s Friday March 12th. A quarter of the way there. We’ll have more on San Diego’s vaccination status, But first... let’s do the headlines…. The California Department of Public Health updated public guidance on thursday that will allow modified re-openings of breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Starting tomorrow, any of those venues that don't serve food may reopen outdoors-only. Under the red or purple tiers, these venues must use a reservation system, enforce a 90-min time limit per customer, and close up on-site consumption by 8pm. Bars that don’t serve food, however still have to remain closed. The Del Mar Vaccination Superstation will close down today through sunday due to a low vaccine supply. All appointments will be automatically rescheduled through their online MyTurn System. Meanwhile, San Diego is still in the purple tier -- county public health officials reported more than 400 new coronavirus cases on thursday and 9 additional deaths. We still have one more day-ish of scattered showers in the county today. That storm system is still crawling it’s way through, bringing light rain inland and light snow in the mountains. The National Weather Service has a winter storm warning in effect until 10pm tonight. The weekend and next week are all expected to be dry. From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need. 25 percent of San Diegans have now received at least one-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 15 percent are fully vaccinated. KPBS’Jacob Aere reports. Overall the region has put over 1.12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of San Diegans. While many receive their shots at a county-run site, others have received their vaccine at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. CVS Health’s Lisa Kalajian (Kuh-lee-gin) says they have seen a surge in vaccination appointments, but are getting steady allotments of vaccines. “We are ready as a company to deliver 20 to 25 million shots a month across our company. And we definitely have that infrastructure, over 10,000 locations, to be able to do so.” Starting Monday, March 15 vaccine eligibility will expand again, this time to people aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, subject to vaccine availability. 70 foster youth are in danger of losing their home with the state’s proposal to close San Pasqual Academy. KPBS North County reporter Tania Thorne gives us the details. San Pasqual Academy in Escondido is the first program of its kind to provide a home and school for foster youth. The pilot program was supposed to run until December, but the state of California wants to end it early, in October. Shane Harris with The People’s Association of Justice Advocates says it’s because federal law discourages funding for congregate living in foster care facilities. He’s seeking an exception for SPA. “It is a boarding school, and it should be carved out as a boarding school.we have boarding schools all over the country, thats not illegal. Advocates are presenting a letter to the San DIego County board of supervisors next week, asking the state to delay the closure until June 20-22. There has been strong community backlash after the release of an image of what appears to be a San Diego Police Officer pointing a gun at an 8 year old boy during a traffic stop on Tuesday. SDPD has since released bodycam footage of the incident that they say shows the responding officer never had his gun drawn on the child. In either case, many have begun calling on the San Diego police to review their protocols and treatment of children during traffic stops. David Hernandez covers law enforcement, crime and public safety for the San Diego Union tribune. He spoke with KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon. And that was David Hernandez a reporter for the San Diego union tribune, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition Host Jade Hindmon. Imperial County’s repeated pleas for a better way to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine may have been answered. inewsource reporter Jennifer Bowman has more. Imperial County is among more than four-hundred ZIP codes the state is pushing to the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccines. These communities will get 40 percent of California’s supply. They’re being prioritized because they rank low in factors like housing, income and education. Imperial has been one of the hardest hit areas during the pandemic. But County Health Officer Dr. Stephen Munday said last week that few details about the new initiative have been released. MUNDAY: “We just don’t know exactly how they’re going to roll it out and redistribute it amongst other local health jurisdictions.” (00:06) This week Imperial received its largest vaccine shipment so far. inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS. The Metropolitan Transit System board voted on (THURSDAY) to bring back free bus and trolley transfers. KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen says it's part of a fare system overhaul coming this summer. AB: The new system, called PRONTO, eliminates the guesswork some transit riders have to use when figuring out whether a daily or monthly pass will be worth the cost. MTS board members also voted to lower one-way youth fares from $2.50 to $1.25. San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno notes the changes were made possible thanks to federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars. VM: And in this context it makes sense to do whatever we can within reason to boost our ridership to pre-pandemic levels while we have this cushion of federal funding. AB: If approved by the regional transit planning agency SANDAG, the fare changes will take effect with the new fare system launch this summer. And that was KPBS Metro Reporter Andrew Bowen. Coming up.... Climate change has done a number on California’s tidepools, but artificial tidepools have come to the rescue in Harbor Island. That’s next along with our weekend preview, just after this break. California’s tidepools are under assault from a warming planet and rising seas, but the fragile ecosystems are getting a boost in San Diego Bay. KPBS Environment Reporter Erik Anderson says artificial tidepools are now in place along harbor Island. The long bayside sidewalk on San Diego’s Harbor Island drive is a favorite for locals and tourists. It is also close to the region’s only artificial tidepools. 15:14:52 – 15:14:56 “We need to be thinking about sea level rise, right now.”Port of San Diego commissioner Rafael Castellanos says the interlocked concrete blocks at the base of the Island’s armored rip rap seawall create an extra buffer against rising sea levels.15:11:27 – 15:11:46 “This technology obviously benefits the Port because we can start to create living shorelines which will help accommodate sea level rise which will armor our coastline with nontraditional technology, not just rip rap, but now using technology that will enhance our ecosystems along the bay.”Over the next few months, Castellanos says sea life in the bay should start to move into the new tidepool and set up house.15:22:06 – 15:22:23 “you’ll get algae. You’ll get seagrass. You’ll get barnacles, sea anemones among other forms of marine life. 15:22:13 That all will serve to sort of gell a biosphere over this artificial tidal pool system.”In addition to the sea-life, the tidepools make the rocky concrete barrier along Harbor Island a few feet wider.15:11:48 --- 15:11:58 “We are protecting against coastal flooding and are also making for a greener more productive ecosystem here at the Port of San Diego.The Port of San Diego is investing 200-thousand dollars in EConcrete the Israeli company that developed the idea. If the company builds other projects in California, the port could more than double its investment. It is part of the Port’s effort to encourage businesses in the Port’s blue economy incubator.00:09:54 – 00:09:57 “ In the end you’re adding infrastructure into the water.Ido Sella is a co-founder of EConcrete and he’s working on the Coastallock tidepool armor.00:09:58 – 00:10:08 “Why not harness your existing infrastructure to provide similar existing services and save this effort of putting extra structures in the water.”Sella says the 77-hundred pound concrete blocks interlock, to give the structure stability. But he says the key to the project is how the concrete is mixed. Unlike commercial or industrial concrete this mix contains ingredients that are plant and animal friendly what Sella calls salt and pepper.00:02:41 – 00:02:48 “That modify the concrete to become a better substrate for the balanced biology to grow on.”00:04:30 – 00:04:39 “I know there’s more sustainable types of concrete that don’t have as many additives, dyes, lye, thing of that nature that can seep out over time.”Cory Pukini is a conservationist working with Wildcoast to preserve the coast’s unique assets. He welcomes the addition of the artificial tidepools because the natural habitats are under fire from climate change. And he’s optimistic the ocean species will find the habitats welcoming.00:03:40 – 00:04:08 “yeah, and actually a lot of marine life that lives in that tidepool or that coastal zone, is highly adaptable. I mean they already have to, and when I say they I mean the species in tidepool systems, they have to adapt daily to rising and falling tides. Its fluctuating currents, temperatures, storms, incursion of freshwater. So they’re highly adaptable species.”Port officials will check in on the project every six months to measure progress.Standup 15:31:41 – 15:32:00 “And if this project does work, if it does take hold in San Diego there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll probably see the technology deployed elsewhere. It could be in California it would be anyplace around the world where there’s a manufactured shoreline. That reporting from KPBS environment reporter Erik Anderson. KPBS/Arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans has some weekend arts and culture picks for you, ranging from the virtual ballet to alt country. Here's Julia…. That was KPBS Arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans That’s it for the podcast today. Be sure to catch KPBS Midday Edition At Noon on KPBS radio, or check out the Midday podcast. You can also watch KPBS Evening Edition at 5 O’clock on KPBS Television, and as always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Annica Colbert. Thanks for listening and have a great day.