Coronavirus

The L.A. County Dept. of Public Health is allowing clinics to throw unused vaccines in the trash rather than inoculate thousands of residents who are desperate to get the shot, and it has enraged at least one county leader who is on a mission to reverse this insane policy.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn is reacting to a story TMZ broke last week, where a clinic administering the vaccine to health care workers ended the day with 150 unused vials of the COVID vaccine that were about to spoil ... because a huge number of people who signed up were no shows.

The clinic -- the Men's Health Foundation in Inglewood -- contacted people who were not on the priority list but desperately wanted the vaccine, and these folks got the remaining doses. Incredibly, that runs afoul of the County Health Dept's guidelines, which say ONLY people on the priority list should be vaccinated, EVEN IF THE VACCINES WOULD OTHERWISE END UP IN THE TRASH.

We worked this story for 4 days, and went back and forth with the Health Department, which never gave us an answer to our question -- ISN'T IT BETTER TO VACCINATE NON-PRIORITY RESIDENTS THAN THROW THE PRECIOUS VACCINES IN THE GARBAGE? We never got an official answer to that question, but sources who were on a call with the Health Dept. tell us they decided they would not take punitive action against clinics that replicated what the Men's Health Foundation did. But, that's a terrible solution.

Here's the problem ... the policy still says non-priority people cannot get the vaccine now, so clinics are essentially being told it's still wrong to vaccinate non-priority residents, even if the vaccines would otherwise go to waste. What's even worse, the County Health Dept. has NEVER EVEN STATED PUBLICLY THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ACTION AGAINST THESE CLINICS, so the fear is that vaccines are getting thrown in the garbage.

Supervisor Hahn is outraged, and wants the Health Dept. to get with the program and clarify this insane regulation ... IMMEDIATELY.

Fact is, the Department, led by Barbara Ferrer, has been utterly unprepared for the vaccine rollout, and folks inside her Dept. are enraged. There was no real plan for vaccinations, despite the fact everyone knew for months the vaccines were on the horizon.

To get real ... it defies common sense to throw these life-saving vaccines out rather than create a waiting list for ANYONE when there are unused vials that are no longer frozen and about to spoil.

This is probably an issue all over the country, and it must be addressed now ... as in NOW.

Post Malone is making sure hospital workers working on the pandemic frontlines are comfortable while spending hours on their feet by gifting thousands of pairs of his custom Crocs.

The Post Malone x Crocs Duet Max Clog II are still sold out after hitting the market last month, but Posty is pulling strings to hook up 10,000 hospital workers with the impossible-to-find footwear.

Post and Crocs teamed up with a charity called Musicians on Call -- which brings tunes to hospital bedsides - to donate the shoes to frontline caregivers, housekeeping staff and healthcare workers busting their tails at about 70 facilities across the nation.

Now, the custom Crocs are being worn around various hospital units ... including, COVID, cardiac, ICU, oncology, surgical care and pediatrics.

When is a win really a loss? You're looking at it ... 'cause after Alabama hoisted the national championship trophy Monday night -- Tide fans packed the streets of Tuscaloosa to celebrate, and it was a COVID nightmare.

Just minutes after 'Bama finished drubbing Ohio State, 52-24, students and fans near the school's campus decided to flood the local roadways -- many sans face coverings.

The scene was surreal -- particularly after government officials have repeatedly said that any sort of large gatherings without social distancing could lead to massive spreads of the coronavirus.

Check out footage from the celebration -- there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people within inches of each other ... all hooting, hollering and yelling.

Of course, Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox advised fans to do the exact opposite of this last week ... explaining to Tide fans a block party of this magnitude after a championship victory could have dire consequences.

"There will be a time and place to celebrate, but this is not the time," Maddox said in a video posted to his social media page on Jan. 8.

"All of us have friends, family members, people that we know and love who have been impacted by COVID-19. Presently, our hospital is stretched."

It's all made even worse by the fact that Alabama's cases are currently surging ... the state had over 2,000 more positive COVID results on Monday -- with a reported 13 people dying from the virus on Monday as well.

Goes without saying ... celebrate the win -- 'cause the Tide truly did earn it this season -- but for everyone's sake, please do it safely!!!

CNN correspondent Sara Sidner hit her breaking point while reporting live on the rising COVID-19 body count in L.A. -- she couldn't hold back her tears, showing the pandemic's emotional toll.

Sara was on Monday morning with anchor Alisyn Camerota, reporting live from Los Angeles before the sun was even up ... detailing stories from families she'd encountered at L.A.'s MLK Jr. Community Hospital, including many who'd lost loved ones to COVID.

As she was talking, Sara choked up ... and tried to start again, saying she'd been to 10 hospitals where people were being ravaged by the coronavirus. Eventually, she had to stop and sob for a bit.

Alisyn jumped in to thank Sara for her passionate coverage over the last year -- she's literally been on the ground for every major news cycle since the start of the pandemic, covering COVID, George Floyd's death, social justice protests and everything in between.

Shortly after her live shot, Sara took to Twitter to express what she was feeling. She attached a CNN story she and another reporter had worked, detailing how one woman who lost her mother to coronavirus had to hold the funeral in a chapel parking lot.

Nurses on the front lines of the country's COVID-19 epicenter are getting some mental relief in a unique way ... puppies are live streaming inside a Los Angeles hospital.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... a hospital on Los Angeles' Westside recently installed a puppy cam in the nurses' station, beaming in live video of adorable pooches to help boost morale.

Our sources say the puppy assist is the brainchild of the hospital's chief nursing officer, who wanted to help nurses feeling stressed out by the pandemic, which is overwhelming L.A. hospitals.

Not surprisingly, puppy cam is a huge hit ... we're told folks working at the hospital absolutely love seeing the dogs, and even taking a small moment in a hectic day to watch the pups is helping decrease stress levels.

L.A. hospitals are scrambling to find beds for COVID patients as the virus continues to surge, so the nurses really need the morale boost.

Dr. Payman Simoni -- the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who died from COVID-19 -- performed the same procedure that led to his death weeks before ... for a reality show.

Patrik Simpson, who appears on "Gown and Out in Beverly Hills," tells TMZ ... he filmed with Dr. Simoni in November and December for an upcoming episode, going under the knife -- without a mask -- for a lip lift.

Remember, Dr. Simoni died Friday after being hospitalized with COVID-19 ... and family sources told us he contracted the virus after performing a lip injection on a maskless patient who coughed on him, and tested positive for COVID days later.

Patrik tells us he was instructed to get a COVID test before surgery, and he tested negative. The woman who allegedly infected Dr. Simoni, however, was not tested beforehand and only did a temperature check and COVID questionnaire at the practice.

We're told Dr. Simoni was wearing a mask during Patrik's elective surgery, just as he was with the other patient, but get this ... the doc posed for a maskless photo with Patrik last month during a post-op appointment.

While filming 'Gown and Out' with Dr. Simoni, crew for the show also had to test negative to keep working and there were a small number of folks involved in production, with no other patients ... Patrik tells us.

It's super sad ... Patrik says he and Pol Atteu from the show sent Dr. Simoni texts on Christmas and New Year's Day, but was alarmed when there was no response. The doc died Jan. 8 from a brain hemorrhage after being placed in a medically induced coma.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has tested positive for COVID-19, and she's squarely blaming fellow lawmakers who refused to wear masks while they were sheltering in place during the Capitol attack.

The Congresswoman from New Jersey announced her diagnosis Monday ... linking the positive test to last week's events that forced her to take refuge with other lawmakers in the Capitol Building. She tweeted, "Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test."

The 75-year-old lawmaker added, "I received a positive test result for COVID-19, and am home resting at this time. While I am experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, I remain in good spirits and will continue to work on behalf of my constituents.”

The lawmaker is now isolating and awaiting the results of PCR testing. Interestingly, Coleman is among a score of lawmakers who have already received the first dose of Pfizer's COVID vaccine.

Remember, members of congress had to shelter together in an undisclosed location after President Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in the failed coup. There's video showing several Republican members refusing to wear masks being passed around by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester.

The news comes one day after the attending physician of the U.S. Congress said members and their staff may have been exposed as a result of the riots.

Dr. Brian Monahan sent a memo to all members of Congress to inform them that sheltering with other members in a room for a long period of time may have exposed them to the virus.

The NBA season is stumbling out of the gates ... with multiple games being postponed due to COVID-19.

The league has been hit hard with the virus over the past week ... as the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and more have been struggling to put enough men on the court due to the NBA's Health and Safety protocols.

Fresh off the Heat's matchup with the Celtics being postponed Sunday, the Association has now pushed back 2 more games -- Mavs vs. New Orleans Pelicans and Celtics vs. the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, the league requires an 8-man roster in order to compete ... and the Heat and Mavs have been unable to fit that requirement as they conduct contact tracing following positive or inconclusive tests within their organizations.

The Philadelphia 76ers have also dealt with COVID-related issues after Seth Curry tested positive last week.

Despite the mess, the league officials say they will NOT postpone the season ... as they anticipated some hiccups along the way.

A plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills has died from COVID-19 ... and it appears to be entirely because he was able to keep working on patients during a pandemic.

Dr. Payman Simoni -- who's been featured on "The Doctors" show -- passed away while hospitalized in L.A. -- this after he contracted the virus while performing a cosmetic procedure on a patient who turned out to be COVID positive ... so say family sources.

We're told Dr. Simoni was doing a lip injection on a woman last month ... obviously an elective procedure. She was temperature checked and filled out a COVID questionnaire. She was not tested.

While the doc was hovering over the maskless woman, our sources say she coughed in his face. He had his mask on, but still ... she sprayed on him. She contacted the office a few days later to inform them she had tested positive for COVID.

Dr. Simoni then went into quarantine and began experiencing symptoms -- shortness of breath, etc -- and in short order, he was on a ventilator at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. We're told Dr. Simoni was eventually placed in a medically induced coma as his lungs started failing. He died Friday from a brain hemorrhage.

It's a cautionary tale ... one that might've been avoided if the City of Beverly Hills hadn't passed a resolution allowing cosmetic surgery offices to remain open while cases continue to surge. Some docs have opted to hold off -- others obviously haven't.

Simoni was 50.

There was a frightening call to arms this past week ... "When the ballot box is gone, there is only the cartridge box. You have made bullets expensive. But luckily for you, ropes are reusable."

Thing is ... this was the day before the insurrection, and 2,800 miles from the Capitol.

Last Tuesday, the day before the attempted coup on Capitol Hill, there was a scheduled meeting in Northern California of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. The meeting was supposed to be all virtual, because the pandemic in California has spiraled out of control.

That didn't sit well with a couple of supervisors, including newly-elected Patrick Jones, and a bunch of residents who wanted inside the official chambers. The Supervisor let dozens of angry residents inside, most of whom were angry over COVID restrictions, but there were threats ... plenty of threats, like, "Civil war is brewing."

Timothy Fairfield is the man who talked about the cartridge box. He added, "Flee now while you can, because the days of your tyranny are drawing to a close and the legitimacy of this government is waning."

Carlos Zapata, who has reportedly been a member of California State Militia and appears on Alex Jones' "InfoWars," is active in Shasta County and thinking of running for office. After the coup attempt in D.C., he told the L.A. Times, "Without the threat of physical violence, our words are empty ... By calling for violence, am I saying, 'Hey, let's go kill people?' Absolutely not, and I never have ... But I am saying that we're at the point now where we have to consider the threat of violence to protect ourselves."

Zapata had some choice words about the Capitol riots ... "People say, Oh, man, those people at the Capitol, they were violent. That's un-American ... I'm like, the most American thing they could have done is burned that f***** down."

Zapata is on video from last August at a Supervisor's meeting, threatening war and a rebellion.

As for Supervisor Jones, he called the attempted coup in D.C. "unfortunate."

The Attending Physician of the United States Congress says members of Congress and their staff have a new concern as a result of the Capitol riot -- coronavirus.

Dr. Brian Monahan sent a memo to all members of Congress, noting they were all taken to a safe room for a long period of time during the insurrection. The doctor writes, "The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others. During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection."

What's unclear ... is this memo based on specific knowledge of a person or persons who were in the room and COVID-positive?

As you may know ... most members have received the first installment of the vaccine.  Doctors say that should provide around 50% protection from the virus ... not near the 95% achieved with the second dose.

The room they were in was a large committee hearing space, but it's unclear if there was social distancing since a large group populated the space.

Thousands are dying, hospitals are at capacity and Los Angeles is on lockdown ... but that didn't matter to Kaash Paige, who celebrated her bday with dozens of her maskless friends.

Paige rented out a mansion in Encino Thursday night to ring in her 20th -- with plenty of celebs in tow ... including Lil Mosey, 24kGoldn and members of the Sway and Hype House.

The videos we obtained make it clear ... there's absolutely no social distancing and almost everyone is without a mask as they belt out "Happy Birthday."

L.A. County recorded more than 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday. The hospitals are full. There's no place to store bodies, and hundreds of thousands of people are out of work.

We're told cops were never called to the bash, and if the kitchen looks familiar, it's the same pad Jake Paul rented out for his afterparty after knocking out Nate Robinson.

Shots of Capitol police officers letting pro-Trump rioters easily pass their line and facilitate the storming of the Capitol appears to be a practice that's been in place from sea to shining sea since at least December ... because something similar happened in Oregon.

Republican State Representative Mike Nearman was caught on surveillance video -- which was just released -- opening a side door to the Oregon State Capitol ... and then letting a sea of Trumpers in by allowing the door to slowly close behind, and never looking back.

This happened Dec. 21 during a special legislative session regarding COVID restrictions in the State, where pro-Trump demonstrators had gathered outside to protest shutdowns ... while literally banging on the glass doors trying to break their way in (just like at the U.S. Capitol).

Well, thanks to Rep. Nearman ... he made their breach a whole lot easier, because the guy literally pops open the door to the outside and casually passes the waiting mob -- which then proceed to storm inside. They were quickly met by cops and security, who pushed them back, but it looks like at least a few guys were able to get inside, if only for a bit.

The legislative session continued uninterrupted, and after a few invaders were arrested. Still ... things could've quickly turned left here. As for Nearman, he's been mum thus far about this -- refusing to respond to questions about it.

With a smoking gun as clear as this -- not to mention what we saw with our eyes just a few days ago in D.C. -- it's obvious that some people in power want to unleash mayhem.

The coronavirus vaccine is going to people who are NOT currently on the priority list, but various health experts say ... it's actually a very good thing.

The best way to explain is by example. The Men's Health Clinic in Inglewood, CA is inoculating people who are first on the L.A. County priority list -- health care workers. The clinic has been taking appointments, but there's been a problem. A large number of people with appointments have ended up being no shows. The clinic had vaccines for these folks that were hours away from spoiling. So, their solution ... a waiting list for people who might not be health care workers but were eager to get vaccinated.

A clinic staffer tells TMZ, last Tuesday, for example, they ended the day with 150 unused vials that were about to spoil. Rather than throw them in the garbage, the staff stayed until 11 PM ... vaccinating people on the list and some who just showed up.

One of the people in line ... reality star Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd. Ken got vaccinated -- Lisa did not -- because his doctor told him to go to the clinic since he's 75 with 2 underlying health conditions. He waited and got vaccinated.

Now here's the problem ... the CDC, which should be providing guidance to the counties, has done a poor job, so each county is left to its own devices. We contacted 2 dozen places where the vaccine is being administered and the policies are all over the place. L.A. County has guidelines and so does the State of California, and they are confusing.

We've learned there was a meeting Friday where L.A. County Health officials talked about this very problem and agreed that it is better to put the vaccine in people's arms instead of the trash. We're told they're working on developing a clear vaccine distribution protocol STAT.

They would take nonpunitive action against any clinic that chooses vaccination over waste.

As for how to sign up, there's no clear policy. The staffer at the Men's Health Clinic in Inglewood told us there's a waiting list that, as of Tuesday, was 730 people strong. We could not find that list.

By the way ... the staffer at the clinic said anyone who got their first vaccination at the clinic could get the second one as well.

Bills Mafia beware -- the Mayor of Buffalo says there will be NO table-smashing tailgates on his watch ... telling TMZ Sports the home playoff game is not an excuse to break COVID-19 protocols.

Bills fans are notorious for their wild pre-game antics -- from bowling ball shots to dousing themselves in condiments to assaulting tables in support of their beloved team.

With Buffalo hosting its first home playoff game since 1996 on Saturday, fans may be eager to go back to their crazy antics -- but we're told officials will NOT be turning a blind eye to large gatherings, considering the pandemic is still in full force.

We spoke with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown ... who tells us, "We are advising people to stay away from tailgating. Tailgating will NOT be allowed by the county or the county sheriffs department."

"We are encouraging people to watch the game, cheer loudly, celebrate the Bills but do it with people in their own household."

FYI -- Buffalo is currently in "Orange" phase, which means no dining unless outdoor and otherwise approved.

Around 6,700 Bills fans WILL, however, be able to attend the game -- the team required each spectator to get a COVID-19 test this week -- but as the mayor said, they won't be able to do their usual pregame routine.

And, get this -- Mayor Brown had tickets to the game ... but tells us he gave them to 2 essential employees in the city's public works department who deserve to have some fun.

"Those are the people that been on the front lines keeping our city going through this pandemic, picking up garbage, plowing the snow so I thought it was absolutely the right thing to do."

We also spoke with Buffalo PD Chief of Staff Jeff Rinaldo, who tells us they aren't expecting any issues ... and praises Buffalonians for following guidelines throughout the pandemic so far.

Aside from the pandemic, another factor that could keep Bills fans at home?? It's expected to be 36 degrees on game day.

But hey, this is Bills Mafia we're talking about.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says while the 305 was once a hot spot for COVID-19 infections, his city's found a way to turn the page ... while other major cities are struggling.

The Mayor joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and touted Miami's progress in battling the coronavirus -- a stark contrast to what L.A. County is dealing with right now. He harkened back to some dark days last summer when Miami averaged 3,500 new cases per day, but says they're down to 2,500 per day.

Suarez says their hospitalization numbers are even better.

As for why L.A. is doing so much worse ... with much stricter restrictions and business closings -- Mayor Suarez says Miami's citizens are "hardwired" to do the basics ... wear masks, social distance and frequently wash their hands.

Doesn't seem like there's any magic solution there, but it's hard to argue it's not working. L.A.'s nightclubs, bars and restaurants are closed -- indoors and outdoors -- while Miami's wide open. Celebs like Diddy, Teyana Taylor and others are taking full advantage ... though we didn't see much social distancing at those events.