Coronavirus Roundup: Local Death Toll Rising; Grand Princess Passengers Fate; Millions File For Unemployment
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The tsunami of news about the current coronavirus outbreak and now the shelter-in-place can be overwhelming. To help you navigate through what you need to know -- KPIX.com/KPIX 5 News/CBSN Bay Area -- will be publishing a news roundup each morning of the top coronavirus-related stories from the last 24 hours so you can start your day with the latest updated developments.
Unempolyment
California Unemployment Soars As U.S. Jobless Claims Hit 3.3 million In A Week
SAN FRANCISCO -- A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a sharp rise in Californians filing for unemployment, federal officials on Thursday revealed that a staggering 3.3 million Americans had filed jobless claims last week. That number is more than quadruple the previous national record set in 1982 and showed the dramatic economic impact the coronavirus outbreak has taken on the nation. Read More
Economic Stimulus Package
Senate Passes $2 Trillion Economic Rescue Package, Largest Relief Bill In U.S. History
WASHINGTON -- The Senate has passed an unparalleled $2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic. The 883-page measure is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history. The unanimous vote comes despite misgivings on both sides about whether it goes too far or not far enough. It caps days of difficult negotiations as Washington confronted a national challenge unlike it has ever faced. Read More
Better Together -- Neighbor Helping Neighbor
Oakland Pitmaster Serves Up Free BBQ To Families Affected By Coronavirus
OAKLAND -- Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue and a team of volunteers offered free, smoky and meaty meals to families affected by the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday. The team set up outside its Mandela Parkway pop-up spot and served pulled pork and barbecue chicken. The team placed the food in styrofoam containers on a table while trying to maintain healthy social distancing guidelines. Read More
South Bay High School Students Join Grassroots Effort To Create Medical Protective Shields
CUPERTINO -- While they have been forced out of the classroom by the coronavirus outbreak, a group of students from Monta Vista High School in Cupertino have jumped in to join the grassroots effort to produce medical protective shields needed by hospital workers on the front line of battle against the virus. The students found designs for the masks online and using a 3D printer have began a makeshift assembly line to produce the most needed equipment that is in short supply right now. Read More
National Guard Troops Provide Much-Needed Help At Bay Area Food Bank
FAIRFIELD -- The first deployment of the California National Guard is underway, with one group of soldiers arriving in Fairfield Wednesday to help with what could become a vital humanitarian mission. Since the shelter in place began, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has had trouble getting the volunteers the organization needs to operate. But on Wednesday morning, just like in the movies, the cavalry arrived. Read More
More Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors -- KPIX 5 Better Together Section </
New Deaths, New Cases
San Mateo County Reports 4 New Deaths Including Atria Senior Living Resident
SAN MATEO -- San Mateo County health officials announced four new coronavirus deaths Wednesday, including a second resident of the Atria Senior Living facility in Burlingame. Five residents of the Burlingame care facility have fallen ill with the virus since March 15. Two have died and the three others remain under treatment. On Monday, facility officials released a statement announcing the first death. Read More
Two Grand Princess Passengers Die From Coronavirus
SAN FRANCISCO -- As the Grand Princess sat in San Francisco Bay Wednesday, federal officials released some startling data as to the fate of the more than 2,000 passengers who departed the coronavirus-stricken ship when it was unloaded at a secure dock at the Port of Oakland. According to a statement Wednesday from Health and Human Services officials to USA Today, two passengers who departed the boat have died as a result of complications from a coronavirus infection. Read More
San Francisco Laguna Honda Hospital Locked Down After 5 Staffers Test Positive
SAN FRANCISCO -- Five staff members of San Francisco's Laguna Honda have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, prompting hospital officials to place the facility on lockdown beginning Wednesday evening, according to a published report. Laguna Honda, one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in the United States, is a 750-bed facility where the majority of the residents are over 65 years old with serious health conditions. Read More
3rd Santa Rosa Police Officer Tests Positive, 6 Under Self-Quarantine
SANTA ROSA -- Three Santa Rosa police officers have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and six other employees are self-quarantined, Santa Rosa Police Chief Ray Navarro said Tuesday afternoon. One of the three officers who tested positive is a patrol officer who has limited contact with the public while at work, and another is a patrol officer assigned to a position in the department who has not had contact with the public. Both officers received medical attention and are in stable condition, Navarro said. Read More
Stanford Health Expert: Hospitalization Figures, Not Positive Cases, Best Indicator Of COVID-19
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County may have seen its largest single-day increase in positive COVID-19 cases, but one Bay Area doctor said Wednesday the number that gives a better sense of what is happening with the pandemic are the hospitalizations. "It shouldn't be a cause for alarm, in fact, it's totally expected as we increase the amount of testing," said Steven Goodman, Stanford Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine. Read More
Alameda County Health Officials Say 20-44 Year Olds Account For Large Share Of Positive Test Results
OAKLAND -- Alameda County health officer Dr. Erica Pan told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the largest group of people who've tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus so far were those 20 to 44 years old. In her weekly briefing to the board, Pan said that among the first group of COVID-19 cases to be analyzed by county health officials, more than one-third are between 20 and 44 years old. However, Pan said most of those people haven't developed serious symptoms and haven't had to be hospitalized. Read More
Oakland CHP Officer Tests Positive For Coronavirus
OAKLAND -- A California Highway Patrol officer stationed in Oakland has tested positive for the coronavirus, the latest Bay Area law enforcement officer to be diagnosed with the virus, authorities said. CHP officials said there have been two positive tests for the agency's staff -- one in Sacramento and now one in Oakland. Read More
25 People With Ties To Stanford Test Positive
STANFORD -- At least 25 people with ties to Stanford University have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced Tuesday. The university said one of the cases is a student, who is currently self-isolating on campus. Meanwhile, the 24 others who have tested positive include faculty, staff, students and postdocs "residing in a variety of communities in the Bay Area and beyond." Read More
SFMTA Transit Employee Tests Positive
SAN FRANCISCO -- An employee with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced Wednesday. According to a SFMTA statement, the employee tested positive on Tuesday.
The agency said they responded swiftly and have coordinated with the city's Department of Public Health. Read More
Gate Worker At Oakland International Airport Tests Positive For Coronavirus
OAKLAND -- A gate agent who recently at Oakland International Airport has tested positive for coronavirus, airport officials said Wednesday. Airport officials noted that the agent was not a direct employee of the Port of Oakland or the the Oakland Airport, which is owned by the Port. The individual last worked a shift on Sunday, March 22, in the airport's Terminal 2, officials said. The agent also worked at Gates 23, 24, 26 and 27 on that day. Read More
13 Elderly, Ailing Immigrants At Risk For Coronavirus Sue ICE For Immediate Release
SAN FRANCISCO -- Thirteen elderly or ailing immigrants who are being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sued the agency in federal court in San Francisco Tuesday, asking for their immediate release because they are at risk of serious illness or death from the COVID-19 coronavirus. The lawsuit claims that in the crowded and allegedly unsanitary conditions in detention facilities in Marysville and Bakersfield, it is impossible to maintain the social distance and hygiene needed to protect from the virus. Read More
Giants Broadcaster Jon Miller Awaits Coronavirus Test Results
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Giants radio and TV broadcaster Jon Miller revealed on KNBR's Murph and Mac Show that he and his wife Janine were recently tested for COVID-19. Miller said he was exposed in Arizona to his son and his son's fiancé after they returned from Europe at the beginning of the month. The couple got engaged on the trip. "We've had no symptoms," Miller told KNBR. "It's been several days since we got tested." Read More
2nd SFPD Officer, Work Partner Of SVU Sergeant, Tests Positive
SAN FRANCISCO -- A second San Francisco police officer assigned to the Special Victims Unit has tested positive for coronavirus, SFPD said Wednesday. The individual is the partner of the first officer who tested positive on Tuesday. The second officer did not come into work on Monday or Tuesday but still reported feeling unwell. On Wednesday morning, the officer tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently self-quarantining at home. Read More
Coronavirus Closings -- Schools, Parks
Pacifica, Half Moon Bay Shut Down Beach Parking Lots
PACIFICA -- In a effort to enforce social distancing, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay officials have announced they were shutting down parking areas of their popular beaches during the coronavirus shelter-in-place. Both cities said the beach parking lots would be closed and blocked beginning Wednesday morning in the wake of a surge of visitors over the weekend. Read More
8 Bay Area Counties Extend School Closure Through May 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Officials with eight Bay Area counties announced Wednesday that the current school closure due to COVID-19 would be extended through May 1. The initial announcement focused on Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. "Seven Bay Area county health officers, in collaboration with their six county superintendents of schools have made a unified, regional decision to extend school closures and student dismissals from regular school attendance through May 1, 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 to the maximum extent possible," the joint statement issued by the Santa Clara County Office of Education read. Read More
East Bay Regional Park Officials Announce Additional Closures
OAKLAND -- East Bay Regional Park District officials on Wednesday announced additional park area closures to address recent overcrowding and public safety issues related to the current coronavirus health emergency. The issues surfaced over the weekend when a number of park and beach areas in Northern California were overrun by visitors as people sought relief outdoors in the wake of the stay-at-home order imposed on residents to curb the spread of COVID-19. Read More
Coronavirus Health Care Impact
Stanford Health Expert: Hospitalization Figures, Not Positive Cases, Best Indicator Of COVID-19
SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County may have seen its largest single-day increase in positive COVID-19 cases, but one Bay Area doctor said Wednesday the number that gives a better sense of what is happening with the pandemic are the hospitalizations. "It shouldn't be a cause for alarm, in fact, it's totally expected as we increase the amount of testing," said Steven Goodman, Stanford Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine. Read More
BAUER Hockey Now Producing Medical Shields To Help Protect Doctors Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
NEW YORK -- he coronavirus pandemic has affected companies across the world as production grinds to a halt amid closures and social distancing measures put in place to attempt to prevent further spread of the disease. On Wednesday, BAUER Hockey, the maker of hockey equipment for much of North America, announced that it will use its manufacturing facilities to begin producing face shields for doctors. Read More
State Opens Coronavirus Treatment Operations At Seton Medical Center
DALY CITY -- Preparing for a surge of coronavirus patients, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that state operations have begun at Seton Medical Center. The bankrupted hospital has been leased by the state in a plan to quickly expand the number of hospital beds available for victims suffering from the serious symptoms of the virus. The facility can house up to 220 patients. Read More
San Francisco Mayor Renews Plea For State, Federal Help For Anticipated COVID-19 Surge
SAN FRANCISCO -- In the wake of one death and 178 cases of the novel coronavirus in San Francisco as of Wednesday, city leaders are calling for more federal and state funding ahead of an anticipated surge of cases. During a briefing at the city's Emergency Operations Center, Mayor London Breed said while the city's hospital system was in good shape to deal with the current cases, she predicted that could change. Read More
Warriors Star Steph Curry To Host Coronavirus Social Media Summit With Dr. Anthony Fauci
SAN FRANCISCO -- One of basketball's biggest superstars is set to meet with the emerging 79-year-old superstar in the world of health. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry announced he will host a virtual Q&A on Instagram with Dr. Anthony Fauci who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is a high-profile member of the White House Task Force on the coronavirus pandemic. Read More
Coronavirus Shelter-In-Place Presents Challenges For Disabled People, Caregivers
DUBLIN -- The shelter-in-place order is keeping people who have disabilities from getting some of the services they need, especially now that they must stay home without their caregivers. "All right Peter. You stay safe, Wash your hands," advised Maribeth Wilson to one of her disabled clients. Wilson is with the Mission Hope Day program in Dublin. She spends her days now calling clients to check in and connect with them. Read More
Coronavirus And Transportation
Santa Clara VTA Reducing Service As Coronavirus Sheltering Sharply Reduces Ridership
SAN JOSE -- With ridership numbers down sharply amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority announced Wednesday that it is reducing service effective next week. Beginning Monday, VTA will reduce light-rail service to two-car trains running every 30 minutes, with all bus and light-rail trips after 9 p.m. canceled except for Route 22, which goes between the Palo Alto and Eastridge transit centers and will continue to run 24 hours a day. Read More
BART To Receive 'Critical Lifeline Funds' In $2 Trillion Federal Aid Plan
OAKLAND -- A $2 trillion federal novel coronavirus stimulus package will include $25 billion in relief funding for public transit agencies across the country, an allocation BART General Manager Bob Powers called "critical lifeline funds" Wednesday. The package is the result of a bipartisan deal that will include an expansion of unemployment benefits, emergency funding for state and local governments, funding for hospitals, a pool of grants and loans for small businesses and $1,200 checks given to most Americans. The House of Representatives and Senate are expected to vote on the economic aid package this week. Read More
Economic Impact Of Coronavirus
Contra Costa To Waive Some Late Payment Fees For Property Tax Payments Over Coronavirus
MARTINEZ -- The Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office reminded homeowners Wednesday of the April 10 property tax delinquency deadline and said it will cancel late payment penalties and interest for people affected by the novel coronavirus. The Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office doesn't have the authority to extend the deadline, but said it will waive penalties for late payments if a taxpayer can document that the outbreak is hindering their ability to pay their property tax on time. Read More
Newsom Announces Mortgage Payment Relief, Increased Unemployment Funds
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday hailed an agreement between the White House and the U.S. Senate on a $2 trillion emergency package aimed at blunting the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to announcing a pause for Californians facing mortgage payments or foreclosures. Newsom offered praise for California legislators for their leadership in negotiating the national relief package, singling out Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, before going on to outline a waiver for mortgage payments and foreclosures that had been negotiated with banks for the state's homeowners. Read More
San Jose City Council Proposes Extended Paid Sick Leave
SAN JOSE -- The coronavirus pandemic could be spurring a needed benefit for San Jose workers: extended paid sick leave. An estimated 35% of San Jose workers don't have any paid sick leave, with women, blacks and Latinos particularly at risk, according to a city council memo. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo says that's a big concern during the coronavirus outbreak. Read More
Other Top Local Coronavirus Headlines
Napa Winemaker Imprisoned In College Admissions Scandal Out Early Over Coronavirus
NAPA -- A Napa Valley winemaker who was found guilty in the college admissions scheme is out of prison early due to concerns about the coronavirus. According to the Los Angeles Times, Agustin Huneeus Jr. was released two weeks early after a judge approved his request, citing "unique health circumstances." Huneeus is serving the rest of his term under home confinement. Read More
San Francisco Man Says 80s AIDS Crisis Feels Far Different From Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Bay Area has become one of the hot spots for the coronavirus, but it's not the first time doctors here have faced a menacing outbreak. In the 1980s, AIDS ravaged the gay community and one man who was there says it's far different this time. In 1981, the Castro was a place of freedom for gay people, but then a mysterious illness began killing young gay men. It came to be known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, and for a long time no one understood how it was transmitted. Read More
Organizers Accused Of Planning 'Rogue Event' Dispute SF City Attorney's Allegations
SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco party promoter accused by City Attorney Dennis Herrera of organizing an illegal event amid the city's COVID-19 shelter-in-place order said Wednesday he canceled the event days ago and called the situation a misunderstanding. In fact, the promoter claimed his ability to address the situation was hampered by his being confined to bed and sick after catching the coronavirus. Read More
