Coronavirus Roundup: Graduations Disrupted; Teachers Bring Smiles To Homebound Students; Record 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.
Good News -- Neighbor Helping Neighbor
Mill Valley Hair Stylists Help Stuck-At-Home Clients With DIY Coloring Kits
MILL VALLEY — The shelter-in-place order shut down barbers and hair salons, which means before long, people will begin looking a little different. So, some stylists are helping their clients who want to become do-it-yourselfers. With salons closed, it looks like that haircut or coloring is going to have to wait. But with the advent of video conferencing, we still have to be seen, and for some that's a harrowing thought. Read More
Pleasanton Teachers Parade In Students' Neighborhoods, Lift Spirits Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
PLEASANTON -- People shut in their homes in Pleasanton were jolted by the sounds of honking horns and shouts reverberating through their streets Wednesday, coming from a rolling parade of teachers saluting their students and families amid the coronavirus sheltering in place. The parade was organized by teachers at Donlon Elementary School in Pleasanton on Wednesday. Led by members of the Pleasanton Police Department, the Donlon teachers rode in a caravan of vehicles throughout the neighborhoods served by the school, bringing smiles to the faces of those who were roused out of their homes. Read More
Talking To Your Child About Coronavirus and Shelter-In-Place
SAN FRANCISCO -- Life has come at us fast these past few weeks. Malls have shuttered, parks are off limits and the streets are quiet. Most people are working from home, their only interaction is the people they live with or the ones they see via video chats. As adults try to navigate this new way of life, another chore to tackle is explaining all of this to our children. Read More
For Uplifting Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Visit Our Better Together Section
Coronavirus And Jobs
Record Numbers File For Unemployment In California, Nationally
SAN FRANCISCO -- With Californians who have lost their jobs or been furloughed during the coronavirus shutdown signing up for unemployment at a record rate, national figures released Thursday revealed that more than 6.6 million Americans applied for benefits across the country last week. In a Tuesday talk with Californians, Gov. Gavin Wilson said 1.6 million state residents had applied for unemployment insurance with a single day record of more than 150,000 people filing on Monday. Read More
JOB SEARCH: Whose hiring in the San Francisco Bay Area
Coronavirus Pandemic Surge
Desperate For Protective Equipment, Seton Medical Center Nurses Plan Thursday Protest
DALY CITY — Nurses at Seton Medical Center in Daly City are planning a protest at noon Thursday because they say they are critically low on personal protective equipment (PPE). At the protest, registered nurses will demonstrate in front of the hospital in a gathering organized by the California Nurses Association. The nurses plan to wear bandanas to draw attention to the fact that there are not enough masks right now to meet the COVID-19 crisis. Read More
Santa Clara County COVID-19 Cases Approach 1,000; 32 Deaths Confirmed
Health officials in Santa Clara County on Wednesday confirmed a total of 66 new coronavirus cases in the county, raising the total number of cases to 956. The two new COVID-19 deaths from the virus confirmed on Wednesday raised the total number of deaths in Santa Clara County to 32. The numbers were reflected on the county's coronavirus data dashboard webpage that is providing the latest figures from the Santa Clara County Department of Health. Read More
Coronavirus Pandemic: Napa Health Officials Announce County's First Coronavirus Death
NAPA -- The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak grew to 63 late Tuesday when Napa health officials announced the county's first death from the illness. Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio said the death occurred on March 31st. She said the patient was being treated at a local hospital. Pending notification of immediate family and due to confidentiality laws, no other information was being released at this time. Read More
San Mateo Health Officials Announce 79 New Confirmed Cases
REDWOOD CITY -- With additional testing facilities coming online, San Mateo County health officials announced Wednesday they have 79 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus -- the largest single day jump among county residents since the outbreak began in January. County officials said the county's death toll remained at 10 -- 6 victims over the age of 80, 4 of them female. The new cases swelled the number of San Mateo County residents suffering from the coronavirus to 388 since the outbreak began. Read More
San Francisco Officials Announce New Death; 37 Additional Confirmed Cases
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco health officials announced Wednesday a new coronavirus death and 37 additional positive tests for the virus including a 10th staffer at the city's massive Laguna Honda senior care facility. While they did not release any additional details surrounding the city's latest virus victim, the fatality did raise the local death toll to 7 and the 10-county Bay Area's to 64. The city/county now has had 434 confirmed cases -- the second highest number in the Bay Area -- since the outbreak began in January. As of Wednesday morning, there have been 2,533 confirmed cases region-wide. Read More
Treatment Center Established At San Mateo County Event Center
SAN MATEO -- In a cavernous room at the San Mateo County Event Center, 250 hospital beds lie waiting for an emergency that county officials hope will never come. County officials showed off the new treatment center planned to reporters on Wednesday. The medical station at the San Mateo County Event Center will not house patients who are positive with coronavirus, but would be used to take on overflow from surrounding hospitals. The county has set up RVs and hotel rooms for patients who are positive with COVID-19. "We hope that we never need this facility, but we want to be absolutely prepared," said San Mateo County Manager Michael Callagy. "Because when that time comes, and you need space, you want to have it." Read More
130 People Return Positive COVID-19 Results At Hayward Test Site
HAYWARD -- Approximately ten percent of the over 1,300 people tested at the free coronavirus testing site in Hayward returned positive results during the first week of screening, according to officials. The city of Hayward's COVID-19 testing center returned 130 positive results for the new coronavirus infection, according to laboratory results. Officials said a total of 1324 people were tested during the first seven days of operation. Read More
All Grand Princess Passengers Complete Quarantine At Travis AFB
FAIRFIELD -- All 850 passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship have completed their federal coronavirus quarantine at Travis Air Force Base and have departed, federal health officials said Wednesday. The passengers arrived at the Fairfield site on March 9 and received daily screenings for COVID-19 symptoms and basic medical care for other health conditions. Each passenger was offered COVID-19 testing. Passengers who tested positive were transferred to other non-military facilities to be taken care of by federal medical staff. If their symptoms worsened during that time, they were transferred to area hospitals. Read More
San Jose City Council Passes Emergency Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
SAN JOSE -- The San Jose City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved an emergency paid sick leave ordinance, providing much needed relief for essential employees who are still working during the coronavirus pandemic. The citywide expansion for paid sick leave was first proposed by city councilmembers Sylvia Arenas, Maya Esparza, and Magdalena Carrasco in early March and a final draft of the ordinance is expected to be voted on at a meeting on April 7. Unlike other large cities in the state, San Jose has no mandatory sick leave requirements for businesses. Workers are covered under California law, but only for three days of sick time. Read More
Desperate For Protective Equipment, Seton Medical Center Nurses Plan Thursday Protest
DALY CITY -- Nurses at Seton Medical Center in Daly City are planning a protest at noon Thursday because they say they are critically low on personal protective equipment (PPE). At the protest, registered nurses will demonstrate in front of the hospital in a gathering organized by the California Nurses Association. The nurses plan to wear bandanas to draw attention to the fact that there are not enough masks right now to meet the COVID-19 crisis. "We're very, very upset and we're...desperate," said Shane Ward, a registered nurse at Seton Medical Center. "We desperately need the supplies." Read More
Shelter In Place
Rents Come Due For First Time Since Coronavirus Shelter-In-Place Began
SAN FRANCISCO -- On this April 1, rents across the country, state and Bay Area are due while many are out of work and sheltering in place. Among them is florist Terra Thomas of Oakland. "It's starting to get terrifying actually. I work in events, and I really have no work for the foreseeable future," she told KPIX via FaceTime. The story is the same for Ricardo Zepeda of Richmond, only his daughter still has a job. "Her job has reduced her hours to one day and my spouse was laid off from her employment and my son too," he said. Read More
Weekend Showers Will Aid Bay Area Shelter-In-Place Enforcement
SAN FRANCISCO -- While San Francisco Bay Area health officials have issued tougher new shelter-in-place restrictions, Mother Nature may also play a role this weekend in stemming surges of visitors to parks, outdoor spaces and local beaches. The new restrictions went into effect Wednesday for many counties in the Bay Area as the shelter in place has been extended to May 3rd in an effort to reduce the spread and number of new cases of the coronavirus. Read More
Rep. Devin Nunes: Closing Schools Over Coronavirus 'Way Overkill,' Again Questions Social Distancing
TULARE -- Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) on Tuesday complained that his state's decision to close schools is "way overkill" and unnecessarily harms the economy despite experts' urgent calls to maintain social distancing to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. The comments by the Central Valley congressman, who has repeatedly questioned experts' guidance, were made hours after President Donald Trump warned Americans that the coronavirus death toll could exceed 100,000 nationwide and as more states are issuing stay-at-home orders in an effort to prevent further spreading. Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said schools were likely to be closed for the rest of the school year. Read More
Coronavirus Business Impact
Gov. Newsom Signs Executive Order Providing Expedited Funds For COVID-19 Response
SACRAMENTO -- California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday day signed an executive order that allows for the immediate use of funds to support the state's continuing response to protect the public's health amid the coronavirus crisis. The executive order will facilitate expenditures from the state's Disaster Response-Emergency Operations Account as well as from any other legally available fund to help with the COVID-19 response. Read More
Oakland To Issue Grants For Small Businesses Impacted By Coronavirus
OAKLAND -- City of Oakland officials are making grants available to small businesses to help them stay in business through the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, the officials said Tuesday. The emergency grants will come from the Small Business Emergency Grant Fund, which is getting funding from the recently established Oakland COVID-19 Relief Fund. Grants of $5,000 will be given to small businesses owned by low-income people and the grants can be used to pay for rent and utilities, workers, outstanding debt and other immediate costs for operations. Read More
Contra Costa County Budget Faces Big Challenges Due To COVID-19 Impact
Contra Costa County's 2020-2021 budget is currently balanced, but COVID-19 coronavirus-related expenses and other future obligations make for a less rosy future forecast, according to the county administrator. Chief among the looming costs in the near future, County Administrator David Twa told the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors this week, are $43 million a year to treat mentally ill jail inmates and an estimated $77 million a year in general fund money to support the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez -- both significant increases. Read More
Virtual Rally Calls For Cancellation Of Rent, Mortgage Payments During Coronavirus Pandemic
Oakland City Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas and other Bay Area speakers joined a national digital rally on Wednesday calling for government entities to cancel rent, mortgage and utility payments in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Rally participants also called for a guarantee of homes for everyone under the banner of their "Beyond Recovery" campaign. Read More
Zoom Faces Scrutiny Over Privacy Amid Rising Use During Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN JOSE -- The coronavirus outbreak has seen millions of people ordered to stay in their homes flock to Zoom, using the video conference app for everything from brunches and birthday parties to religious events and even a UK cabinet meeting. But the spike in popularity is leading to a wave of scrutiny of the San Jose-based company, particularly around privacy. While video chat apps in general have seen a surge in usage, including Microsoft's Skype and Teams platforms and Cisco's Webex, Zoom has emerged as the go-to contender thanks to its ability to host a large number of users — up to 100 in the free version — and fun social features such as customizable photo backgrounds. The company's stock price has nearly doubled in the past two months. Read More
Some Businesses On A Hiring Binge During Coronavirus Pandemic
PLEASANTON -- While many people in the Bay Area have been furloughed or had their hours cut because of the coronavirus pandemic, there are other companies in the Bay Area on a hiring binge. Because so many are sheltering at home, there is a new demand for jobs having to do with home delivery. The U.S. Postal Service is hiring entry-level positions to keep up with the massive increase in package volume. Amazon is adding to its workforce opening up 100,000 new and part time jobs. Some have advertised to start within a week with no resume or previous work experience. Read More
Bay Area Construction Sites Shut Down After Strict Coronavirus Shelter-In-Place Order Goes Into Effect
SAN JOSE -- Bay Area construction workers are off their jobs because of a strict new shelter-in-place order that closed most construction sites. Until now, most construction sites that were building some type of housing were allowed to stay open. But not anymore. "We sent everybody home due to the coronavirus. We started shutting down yesterday, into today," said Chris Hernandez, one of hundreds of constuction workers sent home from a highrise under construction near San Jose City Hall. "We're just cleaning up and locking up and making everything safe before we leave." Read More
Coronavirus And Education
University Of California System Eases Admission And Testing Requirements
University of California officials on Wednesday announced administrators will relax undergrad admissions requirements for students hoping to enroll in the system for the fall of 2020 and future years, easing SAT testing and grading conditions. The decision was made by the UC system's Board of Regents Tuesday night to implement the new temporary measures, according to a release issued by the University of California. The release said the changes would "help mitigate some of the extraordinary challenges students and their families face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic." Read More
Google To Provide Chromebooks, Internet Access Across California; Schools To Remain Shut
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday Google was providing more than 100,000 Wi-Fi broadband access points across the state to help bridge the digital divide for people who need internet access during the coronavirus shelter-in-place. In addition, Google would also be providing thousands of Chromebooks for people who needed a device to be able to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi access points, which would be provided at no charge for at least three months. Read More
Coronavirus Pandemic Disrupts Graduations For Thousands Of College, High School Seniors
SAN JOSE — Stanford student Jenna Garden is the first in her family to attend college, but because of COVID-19 she won't be celebrating years of hard work with her family, friends and teachers on graduation day in June. Instead, Stanford has planned to recognize its graduating class of 2020 "at a distance," and has postponed its on-campus commencement to a later date. The last time Stanford postponed its commencement weekend was in 1906, because of an earthquake. Read More
Other Local Key Coronvirus Headlines
California Cities Want Transparency Rules Waived In Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- Citing the unprecedented challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, city officials across California are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend or delay numerous state laws, saying they can't comply with everything from environmental regulations to public records laws that give people a window into how the government is spending public money. Noting that "city resources and personnel are stretched thin" responding to the pandemic, the executive director of the League of California Cities asked Newsom last week to "take immediate action to pause certain statutory requirements." Read More
'I'm Preparing For No Season At All': Coronavirus Pandemic Means Grim Outlook For 2020 MLB Season
Major League Baseball, like the NBA, NHL, MLS and many other sports leagues, is still trying to figure out how to go about having their 2020 season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. But what if there isn't a season at all? Sadly, some experts believe this reality appears more and more likely by the day. Read More
Coronavirus Pandemic Prompts More Citations Instead Of Arrests For Some Offenses In Santa Clara County
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County law enforcement will issue citations instead of making arrests for a handful of offenses to promote safety and prevent jail crowding during the spread of novel coronavirus, the county court system announced Wednesday. This includes anyone who would be arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court for pending misdemeanors, diversion matters, or post-conviction matters other than violent felonies, and those who would be arrested for felonies with standard bail set at $25,000 or less. Read More
