Coronavirus Roundup: Santa Clara Ramps Up For Surge; Statewide Moratorium On Evictions; New Cases, New Deaths
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.
Good News -- Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Silicon Valley Nonprofit Making 3D Face Shields To Fill Urgent Need For Coronavirus Medical PPE
SUNNYVALE -- Innovation is part of the fabric of the Bay Area, so when the medical community said that they were running low on their personal protective equipment, the Maker community, and all their 3D printers, came to the rescue. Dozens of specialized 3D printers are building face shields. One makes headbands that will be attached to plastic sheets while another makes reinforcement parts for the bottom of the shields. Read More
For More Inspiring Stories -- KPIX 5 Better Together Section
The Latest Local Coronavirus Headlines
'I Want To Live' - Friends, Family Stunned By The Death Of East Bay Woman From COVID-19
OAKLAND -- Friends and family awakened to the news of the death of Barbara Johnson Hopper, one the first five deaths from COVID-19, in Alameda County. She was 81. They news of Hopper's has stunned her community, and brought the reality of the coronavirus's tragic reach close to home. "'I want to live!' was one of the last things I heard my mother say while lying on her hospital bed," wrote her daughter Adriane Hopper Williams in a Facebook post on Friday. Her mom's lungs were wracked by pneumonia from the virus. "She was struggling to get air, but we heard this loud and clear." Read More
Grand Princess Passenger Confirmed As Marin County's First COVID-19 Death
SAN RAFAEL -- Health officials in Marin County on Friday confirmed that a man who had been a passenger on the Grand Princess has become the county's first death related to coronavirus. In a press release, Marin County's Department of Health and Human Services announced that the patient who passed away was an adult male in his 70s who had been hospitalized for nearly three weeks. On March 9, the man was reported as the first case of COVID-19 in a Marin County resident having been exposed to the virus as a passenger on the Grand Princess, the cruise ship that returned to San Francisco on February 21. The patient died Friday afternoon. Read More
National Guard Preps Santa Clara Convention Center As COVID-19 Treatment Center
SANTA CLARA -- With help from the National Guard Reserves, the Santa Clara Convention Center is being transformed into a make-shift hospital for an expected surge in COVID-19 patients. 250 hospital cots were set up inside the convention center's main hall as part of Santa Clara County's emergency plan to handle the crisis. Santa Clara County's health department on Friday announced 32 additional novel coronavirus cases, along with one new COVID-19 related death, bringing the number of deaths in the county to 20. Read More
Santa Clara County Ramps Up Health Care Infrastructure As COVID-19 Cases Surge
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County is preparing for a surge of coronavirus cases and treating the very ill by hiring more nurses, building a makeshift hospital and adding intensive care units to hospitals, officials said Friday. But, they said, there is one tool that will help stop the spread of the virus -- social distancing. "The treatment is still social distancing whether you're infected, sick, not sick, not infected; social distancing is the treatment," said County of Santa Clara Executive Officer Dr. Jeffrey Smith. Read More
2 Additional Santa Rosa Police Officers Tests Positive For COVID-19
Two more Santa Rosa police officers were confirmed to have contacted the novel coronavirus Friday, according to the police department. Police Chief Rainer Navarro said the two cases bring the total number of positive cases in the police department to five. Read more
San Mateo County Announces 34 New Cases, 6th Death
REDWOOD CITY -- San Mateo Health officials announced Friday 34 new positive conornavirus cases and another death -- the county's fifth fatality from the virus this week. With Friday's announcement, San Mateo County's number of coronavirus cases since the outbreak began more than 2 months ago rose to 239 -- third most in the Bay Area. The death was the sixth in the county over that time span. Officials did not release any other information about the latest fatality in regards to the victim's age, sex and likely initial exposure to the disease. Read More
Coronavirus Update: 32 Additional Cases, New Death In Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County's health department on Friday announced 32 additional novel coronavirus cases, along with one new COVID-19 related death, bringing the number of deaths in the county to 20. The county's Public Health Department said Friday's total of 574 confirmed cases is the most of any Bay Area county and the second-most of any county in the state after Los Angeles County. Read More
Newsom Issues Statewide Moratorium On Evictions Until May 31 Due To Coronavirus Outbreak
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an executive order temporarily banning eviction of renters statewide due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The order (.pdf), which goes into effect immediately, prohibits landlords for evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent and prohibits enforcement of eviction orders by law enforcement or the courts through May 31st. Read More
Google Donating $800 Million To Help With The Coronavirus Crisis
Google is committing to donate more than $800 million to support businesses, organizations and healthcare workers as part of its coronavirus response -- most of it in the form of free advertising. The tech company headquartered in Mountain View said it will give the World Health Organization and global government agencies a total of $250 million in ad grants — up from the $25 million it announced a few weeks ago — to share information on how to battle the spread of the virus, CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post on Friday. Read More
Oakland City Council Approves COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Through May 31
The Oakland City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting on Friday to approve an emergency ordinance imposing a moratorium on residential and commercial evictions, rent increases and late fees during the novel coronavirus epidemic. The move by the City Council follows similar eviction moratoriums that have been passed by other local governments in the Bay Area in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Read More
56 New Coronavirus Cases In San Francisco; City's 3rd Death
San Francisco health officials Friday announced 56 new positive tests for the coronavirus and the city's third death from the illness. With Friday's announcement, the number of coronavirus cases in San Francisco since the outbreak began more than two months ago rose to 279 — second most in the Bay Area. The death was the third in the city/county over that time span. Read More
Bay Area Parks Close Campgrounds, Block Car Access But Many Trails Remain Open
PLEASANTON -- As Californians approach the second weekend of the shelter-in-place order, many state and regional parks are making big changes to avoid seeing big crowds. The East Bay Regional Parks District announced it is closing 20 of its most popular parks starting Friday, March 27 until April 30. The other 73 parks will stay open -- at least for now. "Weekends it gets overrun because everyone is out at the same time," said Crystal Reiss. She comes over to Crown Beach in Alameda from her house in Oakland and says people are starting to understand the concept of social distancing. Read More
Apple Releases Coronavirus Screening App, Website In Partnership With CDC
Apple on Friday released a website and an iOS app that allows users to screen themselves for coronavirus symptoms, marking another response to the pandemic by a major tech platform. Both tools were developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the White House's Coronavirus Task Force and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Apple said in a statement to CNN Business. The app and website include a questionnaire and information about the novel coronavirus. Read More
SF Health Director Warns Of COVID-19 Outbreak At Laguna Honda Hospital
San Francisco Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax Friday warned of an oncoming outbreak of coronavirus at Laguna Honda Hospital following news of new infections at the hospital, as well as a new case at Zuckerberg San Francisco General hospitals. San Francisco Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax made the announcement during a press conference updating the city's response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Read More
Contra Costa Officials Setting Up Makeshift Care Unit At Alhambra High School
MARTINEZ -- Beds, medical equipment and other supplies were scheduled to arrive over the next few days at Alhambra High School in Martinez as county health officials set up an alternative care site to treat patients with "less complicated" medical needs during the anticipated surge of coronavirus cases, school officials said. News of the the medical care site came in a joint statement Thursday from Contra Costa Health Services and the Martinez Unified School District. Read More
San Francisco Health Officials Opening Drive-Thru Testing Sites In Chinatown, Sunset District
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mayor London Breed announced Friday the city would be opening three new mobile coronavirus testing sites next week in Chinatown, the Sunset District and near Oracle Park. The sites will be run in collaboration with North East Medical Services and Brown & Toland Physicians. They will be open to the public, but patients will need a clinical referral to be tested. Read More
Social Distancing Proving To Be Elusive At San Francisco Stores
SAN FRANCISCO -- Social distancing restrictions were still proving to be elusive at many Bay Area stores, despite attempts by shoppers and store owners. Two Safeway stores in San Francisco observed by KPIX5 had lines inside and outside where people appeared to be attempting to keep apart, but ended up standing closer than 6 feet away. Read More
San Leandro Police: Alleged Shoplifter Claimed Being Ill With Coronavirus To Avoid Arrest
SAN LEANDRO - An Oakland man allegedly tried to avoid being arrested on suspicion of shoplifting by saying he was infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus, San Leandro police said Thursday. Serrell Gordon, 40, was apparently seen taking about $780 of energy drinks from Walmart at 15555 Hesperian Blvd. on March 17. Read More
Berkeley's California Shakespeare Theater Cancels 2020 Season; Forced To Furlough Employees
BERKELEY -- California Shakespeare Theater announced Friday it was canceling its 2020 season and furloughing 65 percent of its full-time employees due to safety concerns and financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic. The theater was set to open up its 46th season on May 30 with William Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" and begin rehearsals in April. Read More
Sen. Kamala Harris Pushes To Close National Parks In State
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator for California Kamala Harris is calling for the closure of all 28 national parks in the state during the coronavirus health emergency. On Thursday, Harris sent a letter making the request to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela and Jean Fraser, Chief Executive Officer at Presidio Trust. The letter pushed for the closure of all 28 California national parks for the remainder of the current COVID-19 state of emergency. Read More
Brentwood-Based Publisher Suspends Printing Of 4 Local Newspapers During Shelter-In-Place
BRENTWOOD (CBS SF) -- Add your local weekly newspaper to the economic victims of the coronavirus pandemic. The Press newspapers based in Brentwood announced Thursday the "suspension" of the print publication of their four editions that also included papers in Oakley, Antioch and Discovery Bay. The east Contra Costa company had been distributing the paper to about 30,000 subscribers a week. Read More
San Jose Church's Live Webcast During Coronavirus Shelter Reaches Followers Across The Globe
SAN JOSE -- With only a skeleton staff and bare-bones set-up, a San Jose church has found an unexpected international audience during the coronavirus outbreak, live-streaming its daily mass on Facebook and Instagram. "Doing a daily mass with a very small group of the most essential people is a way to nourish our parishioners -- not just in the area we're in but around the world," said Fr. Antonio Silveira, the pastor at Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish on the outskirts of downtown San Jose. Read More
Landlords Face Ethics Of Public Safety Vs. Personal Privacy When Tenants Test Positive For Coronavirus
SAN FRANCISCO -- Navigating tenants' rights during this CoronaVirus pandemic between the right to privacy and the need for disclosure has neighbors in uncharted waters. Do tenants have the right to know if someone in their building tested positive? Can landlords demand an infected person to tell them? Some landlords are starting to email and post signs in the lobbies asking tenants to inform the landlords if they tested positive. Existing laws say landlords can't do that. They cannot ask tenants about their medical conditions. Read More
