By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California is experiencing a COVID-19 surge this summer, experts warn, as numbers of infections increased for the third month this year.

State public health authorities attribute the summer COVID surge to more infectious subvariants that have emerged as the coronavirus evolves.

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, stated that subvariants of COVID-19 called FLiRT increased in recent months, particularly one named KP.3.1.1 that has become the most common strain in the country.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said that the subvariant KP.3.1.1 seems most adept at transmission.

“The subvariant is the one that people think will continue to take over, not only in the United States, but … around the world,” Chin-Hong said.

According to data estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus in California’s wastewater has spiked for eight consecutive weeks. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits have also increased since the rise of the new subvariants. Over the last month, Los Angeles County experienced an average of 389 hospital patients per day that tested positive for the coronavirus. The FLiRT subvariants such as KP.3.1.1. Made up over 2% of coronavirus samples nationwide, an increase of more than 7% last month.

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The majority of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 complained of a sore throat and a heavy cough. Risk factors that can increase the illness include age, underlying health issues, and vaccine dosage.

Health experts stated that the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has increased in Northern California. However, people are having a hard time getting the vaccine due to the increasing number of cases.

Oakland Post

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By Carla Thomas

On Jan. 6, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley (D6) presented a $30,000 check to small business owner William “Bill” Owens, owner of Cascos Martial Arts Studio at 74th and MacArthur in Oakland.

Miley, whose business has been facing financial challenges due to COVID Pandemic restrictions, says he was nearing bankruptcy. “This check will go a long way and is greatly appreciated,” he said.

For Miley, starting 2024 on a high note was important. “I can’t think of a better way to start the new year,” he said. “Small businesses are vital to our communities and when you help a committed business owner, you help a community. It’s an honor to add value by contributing to a small business that has trained so many young people, watched them grow up and have viable careers.”

OPIC Business Outreach Team Members Diane Lewis and Frank Smith celebrated the new collaboration with the martial arts studio.

“It’s always exciting to launch new programs,” said Lewis. “It’s encouraging to see Black men supporting one another and helping them rise to another level,” said Smith.

The check was presented to Owens along with the Oakland Private Equity Council (OPIC).

Pastor Raymond Lankford of the Oakland Community Church and president of the (OPIC) was also present.

“This is martial arts studio has been a big part of this community and helping support Mr. Owens is a win-win for the community,” said Lankford.

OPIC Board Member Kitty Epstein also praised Owens.

“It’s important to support this business and its contribution to the community,” said Epstein.

Cascos Martial Arts Studio has been in business for more than 50 years. Owens and his wife Mary have taught the community the art of self-defense together. “When COVID happened, we were hit with social distancing regulations in our small space,” explained Owens. “We went from having a couple hundred students to a few.”

After the check presentation, Owens invited attendees to see his training in action.  For him, teaching the art of self-defense has included naming his moves and techniques after cultural icons like Martin Luther King, Jr. and other activists.

Owens says he bridged the innate rhythms and movements of African American culture with the techniques of Asian martial arts. However, upon traveling the world, Owens noticed many of the moves were less fluid.

“Often the moves are more frigid, and our influence has added more fluid movements,” said Owens as he moved, mimicking some boxing movements and fancy footwork.

“We want to ensure Owens is in business for years to come,” said Pastor Raymond Lankford, president of the Oakland Private Industry Council.

Owens also demonstrated how women and the elderly can protect themselves from theft, injury, or even being trafficked. 2022 statistics noted that of the 1500 people reported missing, over half were African American.

“We have to teach our young people these techniques. We can all support small businesses and expand services throughout the community,” added Owens who plans to add a mobile service to his business.

Oakland Post

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By Magaly Muñoz, Post Staff

Developers and business owners in the Bay Area came together for the “Oakland Structures” event hosted by San Francisco Business Times to discuss economic development projects in Oakland last Thursday.

Mayor Sheng Thao opened up the event as the keynote speaker, sharing her experiences from her first year in office and the measures her administration has taken to address the key issues plaguing the city.

Thao inherited the largest deficit Oakland has ever seen- $360 million- and came into her position as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were hitting the city hard. The once bustling city has faced difficulties as people transitioned to hybrid or work-from-home jobs, which has caused foot traffic to slow down and businesses to lose clientele.

“I refuse to stop until we get our businesses back up and running at full capacity, and make sure that people feel safe, not just safe in the commercial corridors, but safe everywhere,” Thao said.

Thao shared that the economic development in Oakland is slowly, but surely, growing as new companies bring their business to downtown. PG&E has recently been among the bigger corporations that’s settled in Oakland, bringing 7,000 jobs with them, which will not only open up potential opportunities for Oaklanders, but also increase foot traffic for businesses in town.

Thao acknowledged several initiatives that have already been implemented to give the city a boost, including Five After Five, a cost-effective parking program; Activate Oakland grants, which gives businesses up to $15,000 to host events that will bring the community to downtown; and the film initiative to encourage filmmakers and TV shows to shoot their projects in Oakland.

The city of Oakland is taking steps to streamline permits for businesses to entice them to stay and bring new projects to the city. Additionally, the city is committing $200 million for affordable housing, which is “unprecedented in the city of Oakland” says Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, who was also at the event.

“We have committed to supporting our community, supporting our local businesses and really showing that we can work together for safer communities,” Fortunato-Bas emphasized in an interview with the Post.

As the holiday season approaches, Fortunato-Bas urges the community to shop and dine locally, all the way from the Fruitvale to Grand Lake, areas she represents, as this will help boost and support these businesses.

During a panel with investors and business owners who have new projects breaking ground as early as 2024, a pressing question emerged among the attendees and panelists was “Is Oakland the right city to maintain and bring in businesses?”

Real estate developer Riaz Taplin, CEO and founder of Riaz Capital, said that people need to want to come back to the office and revitalize the commercial corridors of the city, but also that businesses need the support of the government sector to thrive.

He feels as though new entrepreneurs who are starting out in Oakland today do not have the advantage that many, like himself, did pre-COVID, where they could just walk into a city office and be helped on how to get the right permits because everything and everyone was so accessible.

More people would feel enticed to come back downtown if they felt that they were safe, so public safety needs to be high on the list of priorities for the city, Taplin said, emphasizing issues such as litter, vandalized business fronts and homeless encampments.

“Something needs to happen to make Broadway a place people want to go,” Taplin said after sharing a story about downtown Alameda being the busiest area with the most foot traffic out of Oakland and San Francisco.

Another panelist, Oakland Roots president Lindsay Barenz, shared that although Oakland is struggling to keep sports teams, the time is now to invest in those projects to keep the sports culture in the city.

“A sports team can be a critical component to that [a place where people enjoy living],” Barenz said.

She emphasized that the Oakland Roots see themselves as significant to the culture of Oakland as institutions like the zoo, museum, and Fairyland. She believes that the morale boost that a sports team can provide is what Oakland needs.

When asked to give a headline of what is to come in Oakland in the next five to 20 years, Taplin said, “Clean it and they will come.”

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