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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.
The physical meeting location will be limited to the board members and selected senior administration to ensure recommended guidelines for social distancing are practiced.
Members of the public can participate in the public session of the meeting via Zoom: https://lakeportusd.zoom.us/j/82436949714.
On Tuesday night, the deficit recovery plan is one of the main agenda topics.
“Due to the District’s declining enrollment and increased pension contributions, the District may be unable to meet its financial obligations within the next three years,” wrote Chief Business Official Joseph Silveira in a report to the board.
Silveira said the Lake County Office of Education requires districts in “qualified status” – those that can’t meet their financial obligations – to formulate a deficit recovery plan.
“Based on the First Interim Report, it is recommended that the District reduce at least $300,000 for the 2021-22 school year,” Silveira wrote. “To address this ‘deficit spending,’ the District has worked in collaboration with the Local Control Accountability Plan and Budget Stabilization Committee, school site personnel and the administrative team to formulate a deficit recovery plan that maximizes resources and minimizes the impact to student programs.”
In a letter to Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg, Lakeport Unified Superintendent Jill Falconer wrote, “The District believes that it must reduce expenditures by $668,000 to address the structural deficit, costs to negotiations, and the cost for two additional teachers.”
She said the deficit recovery plan is due to the Lake County Office of Education by March 15.
In other business, the school board will consider a resolution regarding the reduction or continuance of particular kinds of services in order to lay off the equivalent of one full-time teaching position.
The services to be cut include one period each of 21st century life skills, current events, earth science and computer skills, and two periods of physical education.
Due to an increase in the minimum wage requirement, the board will separately need to consider updating the classified substitute salary schedule.
The board also will consider approving an application to the US Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Grant Program to complement the new Clear Lake High School agriculture class, which includes a greenhouse and outdoor planting area.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
“We continue to receive shipments of vaccine, and our clinics are accepting people at a higher capacity,” Dr. Gary Pace said on Monday. “About 2,000 doses are expected to be available this week. It is our goal to minimize confusion, and remove obstacles surrounding COVID-19 vaccination.”
He offered updated information regarding vaccine eligibility and appointment scheduling.
Who is eligible to be vaccinated now?
Starting March 1, groups eligible to be vaccinated in Lake County are those outlined in the state guidelines. People now eligible include:
– Individuals 65 and older;
– Long-term care residents;
– Health care Workers;
– Emergency services workers;
– Food and agricultural workers;
– Education and childcare workers.
If you aren’t sure whether your specific job qualifies you, this February 13 Guidance from the California Department of Public Health may be helpful: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/VaccineAllocationGuidelines.aspx#.
Jobs that qualify as “emergency services” and “food and agriculture” are listed here: https://covid19.ca.gov/essential-workforce/.
If you are eligible, visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm and schedule an appointment.
When will people aged 16-64 with qualifying chronic conditions and severe disabilities become eligible?
Starting Monday, March 15, people with certain chronic medical conditions and those with severe disabilities can get vaccinated. Guidance is here.
People eligible on this basis will need a note from their medical provider, simply confirming they have a qualifying condition; there is no need to include any sensitive medical information.
If you qualify but do not have a medical provider, send your name, date of birth, phone number, email address and qualifying condition(s) to
First dose appointments
Step 1: Make sure you are eligible. See the list above.
Step 2: Visit http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm to schedule your appointment.
New links to schedule first dose appointments are posted every few days, as we ensure vaccine supply is adequate.
Step 3: Report to your appointment at the assigned time and place, and bring the following:
· Photo ID; and
· Proof of your eligibility (proof of employment, if you are eligible because of your job).
No walk-in appointments are available at this time. If you do not have an appointment, or you do not have proof you qualify, you will be turned away.
Need help with scheduling?
Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Lake County residents 65 and older, who do not have the ability to schedule online, can call 707-993-4644 for assistance.
The Health Services Department’s MHOAC line, 707-263-8174, is also monitored Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Special lines are available for farmworkers on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; call 707-262-4162, 707-262-4153 or 707-262-4159 for help.
Don’t call these numbers if there are no appointments available online. They have no additional appointments.
Ready for your second dose? Online scheduling now available
Current guidance notes second doses of the Moderna vaccine can safely be given four to six weeks following the first dose; it can almost certainly be even later, but Pace said they try to observe the recommended interval of 28 days as closely as possible.
The Public Health team typically calls or emails people to schedule their second dose appointment. Notices have, at times, been 24 to 48 hours prior in recent weeks. “We recognize this creates a hardship for some and apologize for any inconvenience,” Pace said.
If you are approaching 28 days, and haven’t received a call, you can use our new “Second Dose Appointment” links to schedule. New links will be regularly posted at http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm.
It is important people schedule their second dose no fewer than 24 days from the date of their first appointment. You will need to present the vaccine card you received at your first dose appointment to get your second dose.
Individuals who had their first dose on or before Feb. 4 can schedule for “Recall Clinic” (i.e., Second Dose Clinic) on Tuesday, March 2, at Lakeport Auto Movies, 52 Soda Bay Road, by visiting https://www.calvax.org/reg/9610629075 .
Individuals who had their first dose on or before Feb. 7 can schedule for the Recall Clinic on Friday, March 5, at Redbud Park, 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, here https://www.calvax.org/reg/0310296089.
Pace asked that people not use the first dose appointment links to schedule a second dose appointment; those links should be used for first dose appointments, only.
If you are unable to schedule online, you can write to
Need general information on covid-19 vaccination?
Vaccine questions can now be answered by dialing 211 or texting “covid19” to 211-211. Additional resources are also available here.
Looking ahead: MyTurn platform to become standard, statewide
Pace said the State will soon require all counties to use the MyTurn appointment scheduling system.
Last week, Pace reported that Public Health had temporarily suspended use of the platform due to issues with it allowing out-of-county residents to schedule appointments in Lake County.
Pace said that at the appropriate timing, Public Health will provide detailed instructions for Lake County residents.
More information from the California Department of Public Health is available here.
Condado de Lake, CA (1 de marzo de 2021) - Seguimos recibiendo envíos de vacunas y nuestras clínicas están aceptando personas con mayor capacidad; Se espera que esta semana estén disponibles unas 2.000 dosis. Nuestro objetivo es minimizar la confusión y eliminar los obstáculos que rodean la vacunación COVID-19. Aquí hay un recurso actualizado sobre la elegibilidad de la vacuna y la programación de citas:
¿QUIÉN ES ELEGIBLE PARA SER VACUNADO AHORA?
A partir del 1 de marzo, los grupos elegibles para vacunarse en el condado de Lake son los que se describen en las pautas estatales. Las personas que ahora son elegibles incluyen:
• Personas mayores de 65 años
• Residentes de cuidados a largo plazo
• Trabajadores de la salud
• Trabajadores de servicios de emergencia
• Trabajadores de la agricultura y la alimentación
• Trabajadores de la educación y el cuidado infantil
Si no está seguro de si su trabajo específico lo califica, esta Guía del 13 de febrero del Departamento de Salud Pública de California puede ser útil:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/VaccineAllocationGuidelines.aspx#
Los trabajos que califican como "Servicios de emergencia" y "Alimentos y agricultura" se enumeran aquí: https://covid19.ca.gov/essential-workforce/ .
Si es elegible, visite http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm y programe una cita.
¿CUÁNDO SERÁN ELEGIBLES LAS PERSONAS DE 16 A 64 AÑOS CON CONDICIONES CRÓNICAS QUE CALIFICAN Y DISCAPACIDADES GRAVES?
A partir del lunes 15 de marzo, las personas con ciertas afecciones médicas crónicas y aquellas con discapacidades graves pueden vacunarse:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Provider-Bulletin-2-12-21.aspx .
Las personas elegibles sobre esta base necesitarán una nota de su proveedor médico, simplemente confirmando que tienen una condición que los califica; no es necesario incluir información médica confidencial. Si reúne los requisitos, pero no tiene un proveedor médico, envíe su nombre, fecha de nacimiento, número de teléfono, dirección de correo electrónico y condiciones de calificación a
NOMBRAMIENTOS DE PRIMERA DOSIS
Paso 1: asegúrese de ser elegible. (Ver arriba, para la lista actual)
Paso 2: Visite http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm para programar su cita.
Cada pocos días se publican nuevos enlaces para programar citas para la primera dosis, ya que nos aseguramos de que el suministro de vacunas sea adecuado.
Pasó 3: Preséntese en su cita a la hora y lugar asignados, y traiga lo siguiente:
• Identificación fotográfica; y
• Prueba de su elegibilidad (prueba de empleo, si es elegible debido a su trabajo).
No hay citas sin cita disponibles en este momento. Si no tiene una cita o no tiene pruebas de que califica, se le rechazará.
¿NECESITA AYUDA CON LA PROGRAMACIÓN?
De lunes a viernes, entre las 8 a. m. Y las 5 p. m., Los residentes del condado de Lake de 65 años o más, que no pueden programar en línea, pueden llamar al 707-993-4644 para obtener ayuda.
La línea MHOAC del Departamento de Servicios de Salud, 707-263-8174, también se monitorea de lunes a viernes, de 8 am a 5 pm.
Hay líneas especiales disponibles para los trabajadores agrícolas los viernes, de 9 am a 5 pm: llame al 707-262-4162; 707-262-4153; o al 707-262-4159 para obtener ayuda.
No llame a estos números si no hay citas disponibles en línea. No tienen citas adicionales.
¿LISTO PARA SU SEGUNDA DOSIS? PROGRAMACIÓN EN LÍNEA AHORA DISPONIBLE!
Las guías actuales señalan que las segundas dosis de la vacuna Moderna se pueden administrar de forma segura 4-6 semanas después de la primera dosis; Es casi seguro que puede ser incluso más tarde, pero tratamos de respetar el intervalo recomendado de 28 días lo más fielmente posible. El equipo de Salud Pública suele llamar o enviar correos electrónicos a las personas para programar su cita para la segunda dosis. En ocasiones, las notificaciones se han realizado entre 24 y 48 horas antes en las últimas semanas. Reconocemos que esto crea una dificultad para algunos y pedimos disculpas por cualquier inconveniente.
Si se acerca a los 28 días y no ha recibido una llamada, puede utilizar nuestros nuevos enlaces de "Cita de segunda dosis" para programar. Se publicarán nuevos enlaces periódicamente en http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm . Es importante que las personas programen su segunda dosis no menos de 24 días a partir de la fecha de su primera cita. Deberá presentar la tarjeta de vacuna que recibió en su cita de la primera dosis para recibir la segunda dosis.
Las personas que recibieron su primera dosis EL 2/4/2021 pueden programar la “Clínica de retiro del mercado” de mañana (martes 2 de marzo) (es decir, Clínica de segunda dosis) en Lakeport Auto Movies (52 Soda Bay Rd): https://www.calvax.org/reg/9610629075 .
Las personas que recibieron su primera dosis EL 2/7/2021 o antes pueden programar la Clínica de retiro del mercado del viernes (3/5) en Redbud Park (14655 Lakeshore Dr., Clearlake): https://www.calvax.org/reg/0310296089 .
No utilice los enlaces de citas de la primera dosis para programar su cita de la segunda dosis; esos enlaces deben usarse solo para citas de primera dosis.
Si no puede programar en línea, puede escribir a
¿NECESITA INFORMACIÓN GENERAL SOBRE LA VACUNACIÓN COVID-19?
Las preguntas sobre vacunas ahora se pueden responder marcando 211 o enviando un mensaje de texto con “covid19” al 211-211. Los recursos adicionales también están disponibles aquí: http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm .
MIRANDO HACIA ADELANTE - MI PLATAFORMA DE GIRO SE CONVIERTE EN ESTÁNDAR A NIVEL ESTATAL
El estado pronto requerirá que todos los condados usen su sistema de programación de citas MyTurn. En el momento adecuado, proporcionaremos instrucciones detalladas para los residentes del condado de Lake. Para aquellos interesados en mirar hacia el futuro, este comunicado de prensa del Departamento de Salud Pública de California tiene información valiosa: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR21-066.aspx .
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- Written by: Tinglong Dai, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
If you’ve tried to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you know how frustrating the process can be. People are spending hours obsessively refreshing websites, hoping an appointment will open up somewhere. They scan Facebook groups for tips and insider information. One writer compared it to Soviet-style queues for cabbage.
The competition for slots will only worsen when the COVID-19 vaccination priority list opens to the broader public.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Much of this misery comes from poorly designed vaccine sign-up websites, but the problem is more fundamental.
As an expert in health care operations and vaccine supply chains, I have closely followed the difficulties in connecting COVID-19 vaccine doses with people. I believe the best solution to vaccine appointment scheduling lies in building a trustworthy one-stop preregistration system.
The U.S. has now surpassed half a million deaths from COVID-19, and new fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus are adding to the urgency. As states scramble to speed up vaccinations and try to prevent their limited doses going to waste, a handful of them are testing this approach.
Why did the traditional model go so wrong?
The traditional vaccine sign-up model does not work when the demand for vaccines far exceeds supply.
Under that model, the only way to get vaccinated is to reserve an appointment slot. Naturally, the fear of being left out drives people to attempt to sign up as soon as appointment slots become available. This leads to a rush of people endlessly refreshing the same websites for the few appointments available.
Even if all states had one-stop appointment websites that did not crash under high volume, the limited vaccine supply would mean most appointment slots would quickly be taken. That could make it even harder for people who aren’t tech-savvy to get the vaccine.
To fix the broken vaccine scheduling system, we need to break this cycle.
What preregistration can solve
Most people have fairly realistic expectations about when they will be vaccinated. Their anxiety comes from the fear of being left out. To address this anxiety, the system must be designed to reassure people that they will receive vaccines within a reasonable time frame.
In Israel, which leads the world in COVID-19 vaccination, citizens do not need to actively sign up for vaccine appointments. Rather, they are notified when they become eligible via text messages and can then make an appointment.
States can echo this “push” system by creating a one-stop preregistration portal where everyone registers once and is notified to schedule appointments when their turn arrives. The preregistration step helps avoid waves of people trying to get appointments at the same time, which can crash computer systems, as Massachusetts experienced on Feb. 18.
A good system will make it easy for people to check their position in the vaccine queue at any time, provide an estimated time to vaccination based on frequently updated supply information and then send notifications when their date is getting close. Underlying the system, vaccine doses can be allocated among eligible users on the registry using a lottery system.
A well-designed preregistration system can also help avoid vaccine doses going to waste because of no-shows. With an active waitlist, vaccine planners can match supply with demand in an agile manner and offer appointments to people a few days in advance rather than scheduling appointments weeks out when the supply isn’t certain. Research in appointment scheduling has shown that no-shows are more likely under long lead times.
West Virginia sets an example
West Virginia uses a statewide preregistration system and has so far been more successful at vaccinating its population than almost every other state. It controls the process from preregistration to appointment. To get the vaccine, almost all residents, with a few exceptions, are required to use the state system, with options to register either online or by phone.
Minnesota just launched a similar system. “We still have a frustratingly limited vaccine supply from the federal government, but every Minnesotan should know their chance to get a vaccine will come. Today, we are connecting them directly to that process,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in announcing the preregistration system on Feb. 18.
More states should follow their lead as more of the general population becomes eligible for the vaccine in the coming months.
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In Massachusetts, where a vaccine sign-up website crashed shortly after launching, nearly every member of the state’s congressional delegation has urged Gov. Charlie Baker to launch a preregistration system. A few other states already have limited preregistration systems that could be expanded.
It still takes coordination
Preregistration can still create confusion if the process isn’t coordinated and users don’t know what to expect.
In Virginia, for example, counties created their own preregistration systems, but when the pharmacy chain CVS announced it was taking appointments, users didn’t know what to do. Most Virginia counties are now shifting to a statewide preregistration system. In Santa Cruz County, California, residents have struggled with a preregistration portal that doesn’t provide confirmation or an estimated time to vaccination.
“Efficiency-equity trade-off” has become a buzzword in discussing COVID-19 vaccination. With limited vaccine supply, the traditional sign-up model has proven to be both inefficient and inequitable. Moving away from that model and establishing one-stop preregistration systems is one key to resolving the painful vaccine scheduling process.
Tinglong Dai, Associate Professor of Operations Management & Business Analytics, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Dr. Giovanni Annous told Lake County News that the situation shouldn’t warrant any anxiety from the community, as the Upper Lake Elementary School staffer who tested positive for the virus doesn’t work directly with students.
Annous and Upper Lake Elementary School principal Stephanie Wayment released a statement to staff and the community on Sunday explaining that at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday the staffer reported to Wayment that they were not feeling well.
The staff member was immediately sent home and directed to schedule a COVID-19 test. On Sunday, the test results were received confirming the employee has having COVID-19, the statement explained.
“Thanks to diligent safety protocols, we feel confident in the safety of students and staff,” Annous and Wayment said in the statement.
Over the next few days, district officials said they will be working with the Lake County Department of Public Health to conduct contact tracing and help identify and contact possible close contacts as quickly as possible. People identified as close contacts will be notified through Public Health.
The district said a close contact in terms of contact tracing means a person who has been within 6 feet of the infected person for 15 minutes or more within a period of 24 hours without wearing a mask. A person who has been identified as a close contact should be quarantined for 14 days after the last exposure.
Annous and Wayment told parents it’s important to stay home if they or their children feel ill, to contact their doctor as soon as possible and continue to communicate with their school.
Annous told Lake County News on Sunday evening that this is the first instance of a district staff member testing positive for COVID-19 during instructional time since returning to school on Aug. 12.
He said one staffer also had tested positive in June and over the Christmas break one or two district employees may also have tested positive but the district wasn’t formally notified of it.
The Upper Lake Unified School District and the Lucerne Elementary School District both started school in August in a “hybrid” model that allowed for having students back on campuses.
After Christmas break, Annous said the district agreed to a request from Public Health to delay in-person instruction for several weeks because of the county’s high case rate, so they began with distance learning and had students back on campus on Jan. 25.
Annous said 72 percent of the district’s elementary students are now on campus five days a week and 55 percent of students in the middle and high school grades attend classes in person.
He credited the district’s 99 staff members with their diligence in maintaining safety protocols each day for the fact the district has not had more cases.
In addition to hospital-style air purifiers that the district uses – and that were brought in before COVID-19 in order to deal with wildland fire smoke – Annous said every staffer gets a new K95 mask every day.
The schools also have been using partitions, foggers and hand sanitizer, among other measures.
“We’re always managing risk,” Annous said.
Two-thirds of the district’s staff also has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Annous said he was the last district staffer to receive the second dose on Friday.
Annous said the safety of students, teachers, staff and the community is paramount.
At the same time, he said they want to make sure they provide an atmosphere offering academic, social and emotional support for students.
“Our kids deserve the best,” he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at