CSAC media relations have increased exponentially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following are a sampling of media clips, organized by topic and date featuring various California County Supervisors and CSAC Executive Director Graham Knaus.

Vaccine Stories

1-Feb, How California counties stack up in their vaccination efforts, ABC News 10 San Diego. Derek Staahl reporting on COVID-19 vaccine rollout in various counties. CSAC helped coordinate county response to Staahl. Contra Costa and Marin were cited in story.

27-Jan, Nearly 100K Vaccine Doses Unused in Santa Clara County, Smaller Providers Struggling​, NBC Bay Area. Candice Nguyen spoke with CSAC Executive Director Graham Knaus regarding the County perspective on underperforming providers and state data. “Those that are in disadvantaged communities are most at risk of not receiving the vaccine in a timely matter,” Graham Knaus with California State Association of Counties said. “We are doubling down on our efforts to try to reach those communities in a system that is incredibly complex and changing by the day.”

This interview sparked a second story as well.

“You cannot attack a public health and logistics challenge blindfolded,” said Graham Knaus, Executive Director of California State Association of Counties. “You have to have complete information about who’s doing what in the community. And that has not been true for the beginning part of our vaccination effort.”

27-Jan, Despite months to prep, why California lags on COVID vaccination, CalMatters. Ben Christopher interviewed Graham Knaus on what the recent changes to the state’s vaccine distribution plan will mean at the county level. “There have been so many fits and starts and changing directions of the vaccine rollout that it’s really tied the hands of counties,” said Graham Knaus, executive director for the California State Association of Counties. We “have gotten in our own way, in terms of the instability of what the game plan is.” 

“If there’s an expectation in a community that they’re now eligible and can hop into a provider or make an appointment and get it, but we can’t deliver that, that’s a very difficult place to be,” said Knaus at the California State Association of Counties.

26-Jan, California seizes control over struggling vaccine delivery, Associated Press. Janie Har on the new vaccine framework and impact on counties. This story appeared in multiple outlets including KTLA. “We would see this change moving from a system that was not working, that was piecemeal in structure, to a new system that could work, if it is structured carefully and doesn’t risk those populations that we’re most trying to protect,” said Graham Knaus, executive director of the California State Association of Counties.

25-Jan, As Newsom lifts stay-at-home order, new COVID-19 reopening questions emerge​, CalMatters. Interview with Lauren Hepler about state lifting regional stay-at-home orders. “The lifting of the regional stay at home order shows signs of progress that can continue if we avoid letting our guard down,” Graham Knaus, executive director of the California State Association of Counties, said in a statement. “Together we can move the needle on COVID-19, rebuild our economy and begin to resume our near-normal lives.”

COVID-19 Response

19-Nov, As Pandemic Balloons Statewide, Some Rural Counties Explore Making Their Own Rules, Capitol Public Radio. “Supervisor Ed Valenzuela of Siskiyou County said the rising case counts have changed his perspective. As the chair of the rural caucus at the California State Association of Counties, Valenzuela has participated in weekly calls with the state’s top health official Dr. Mark Ghaly.”

1-Oct, California leaders unveil tool aimed at reducing inequity in COVID-19 tests and deaths, Sacramento Bee. Cathie Anderson contacted CSAC about new health equity measure.
“Leaders of the California State Association of Counties had been expecting the new metric and had offered feedback to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on it and the Blueprint for a Safer Economy released a month ago.

“‘The state health equity metric represents a new ‘goalpost’ for counties…,’ officials said in a statement provided to The Sacramento Bee on Thursday. ‘Counties appreciate the multiple opportunities provided by the Newsom Administration to provide thoughtful feedback to arrive at a workable solution.’”

28-Aug, With improving coronavirus data, California looks to reopen again, Associated Press. “Counties need to understand clearly “what thresholds to aim for and the public health data that will determine success or failure,” the California State Association of Counties said in a statement.” This article ran in multiple outlets including the Press Democrat, CBS 13 Sacramento, KPBS and KRCR 7.

28-Aug, Indoor haircuts are back as California tries reopening again, CalMatters. “We do not yet have the full clarity on the new tiers,” the California State Association of Counties said in a statement.

15-Jul, Facing COVID-19 on California’s rural front, Capitol Weekly. “Whenever there is some kind of gathering or public opening, the potential for the virus to spread is massive,” said Ed Valenzuela, vice president of the California State Association of Counties and a member of the Siskiyou County board of supervisors.

“A lot of rural counties in California are tourist focused economies, so all it takes is one asymptomatic person to bring it into the community for it to infect the county,” he said.

Project Roomkey/Homekey

30-Dec, All Homekey properties close escrow: Program included housing units in San Mateo County, San Mateo Daily Journal. 
“From crisis comes opportunity and that certainly has been the case for COVID-19 and homelessness,” said Graham Knaus, the executive director of the California State Association of Counties.

“Counties across the state rose to this challenge and joined the state in an extraordinary partnership to create new housing on an unprecedented timeline,” he said.