Coronavirus Roundup: Experimental Drug Sparks New Hope; Richmond Church Cited For Easter Gathering
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
Orinda Sisters Mask Making Efforts Gain Community Support
ORINDA -- What started as a "fun project" for two sewing sisters during the ongoing coronavirus emergency has grown into a humanitarian effort involving the sisters, their family and a group of 15 to 20 friends, so far creating and donating about 200 cloth face masks to area hospitals, senior care homes and individuals. Larissa Kosla of Orinda said her daughters Audrey and Grace Kosla - both avid sewing fans - recently received from one of their aunts a link showing how to sew fabric into the sort of face masks that have been immensely popular, and in some places, mandatory when going out into public. Read More
Valley Medical Hospital Workers Cheered By First Responders As They Report To Work
SAN JOSE -- Hundreds of doctors, nurses and staff members at Valley Medical Center in San Jose arrived to work Wednesday morning, amidst applause and cheers from law enforcement and fire personnel. Patrol cars and fire engines from Campbell Police, Gilroy Police, Los Altos Police, Milpitas Police, Morgan Hill Police, San Jose Police, San Jose State University Police, CHP, San Jose Fire And Santa Clara County Fire Department parked along walkway between the employee parking garage and the main employee entrance, with emergency lights turned on, and officers maintaining social distancing. Read More
For Uplifting Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Visit Our Better Together Section
Coronavirus Path to Reopening
Trump On COVID-19 Guidelines To Reopen States: 'You're Gonna Call Your Own Shots'
WASHINGTON -- President Trump's guidelines on reopening the country leaves much up to governors, states and businesses as they look to find ways to restart their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a copy of a White House "Opening Up America Again" document obtained by CBS News. The plan is expected to put much of the onus on states to develop sufficient testing and contact tracing systems. Read More
Coronavirus Surge
Alameda County Health Officials Call On State To Investigate Hayward Facility
HAYWARD -- Amid an ongoing investigation by the Alameda County District Attorney into the deadly coronavirus outbreak at a Hayward nursing home that has left over a dozen dead, health officials on Thursday confirmed a new COVID-19 case. The Alameda County Public Heath Department reports 42 patients at Gateway Care and Rehab in Hayward have tested positive. So far, 13 residents have died from the virus. The facility says they have roughly 65 residents there. The county says 26 workers are also infected. The situation has gotten so dire the Alameda County Health Department is asking the state to investigate what's going on inside. County health officer Doctor Erica Pan said they're having a hard time getting information and daily updates from staff members. Read More
Most COVID-19 Patients In Experimental Gilead Drug Trial Recovering Quickly
FOSTER CITY -- Bay Area biotech company Gilead Sciences is in the spotlight after the firm's drug remdesivir got positive results in a trial treatment on COVID-19 patients. But some experts are not celebrating yet. Researchers at the University of Chicago conducted a trial on the Foster City based company's drug remdesivir with 125 coronavirus patients, most of whom were severely ill. Read More
Major League Baseball Teams Up With Stanford Researchers in Fight Against COVID-19
STANFORD -- Ballparks across the country have shut down but Major League Baseball's 30 teams are playing a big role in finding out how widespread COVID-19 really is. It's a first-of-its-kind, nationwwide antibody study that could be key to opening up America's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. It's being conducted in the Bay Area at Stanford University and involves the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants. New data from the research is coming in this week. Read More
Inmate At San Francisco Jail Tests Positive
SAN FRANCISCO -- An inmate being held in the San Francisco County jail system has tested positive for the coronavirus leading to renew pleas from the public defender's office to continue the early release of detainees to ease the facilities crowded conditions. San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju announced the facility's first positive case. Within the city, public health officials reported Thursday there have been 17 new confirmed cases to bring the total number of cases since the outbreak began to 1,019 with 17 deaths. Read More
Newsom Orders Sick Leave For Food Section Employees
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he had signed an executive order to provide supplemental paid sick leave for frontline workers in the state's food sector impacted by the coronavirus emergency. The governor's daily address on the state of California's response to the coronavirus was delayed until 12:30 p.m. as he had to participate in a national call involving President Trump, Vice President Pence and governors from across the country to discuss the guidelines for what he called "a phased reopening of the American economy." Read More
Coronavirus Pandemic: UCSF Testing High-Tech Gene Technology To Detect COVID-19 Infections
SAN FRANCISCO -- University Of California-San Francisco researchers have begun using CRISPR gene-targeting technology to test for the presence of the coronavirus. While the procedure has yet to receive formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration, researchers have been using it in their labs in an effort to build a case that it should receive fast-track federal approval for wide-scale use. Read More
Coronavirus Shelter In Place And Social Distancing
Richmond Church Cited for Violating Ban on Mass Gatherings
MARTINEZ -- The congregation of a Richmond church flouted a state ban on large gatherings Sunday and the pastor was cited, according to a statement released Thursday by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. The violation involved some 40 congregants who met for an Easter service at the All Nations Church of God in Christ in North Richmond. No one present was wearing a face covering or appeared to be practicing social distancing, according to the statement. A deputy, responding to an anonymous complaint of unlawful assembly, attempted to speak to the pastor but was refused and left the church to file a report which resulted in a misdemeanor citation issued on Monday. Read More
Bay Area Transit Agencies Struggle To Match Service To Ridership During Pandemic
PLEASANTON -- With ridership down by as much as 90 percent, Bay Area transit agencies are grappling with lowered revenues and uncertain estimates for when the shelter-in-place orders will be eased. State leaders are discussing easing the shelter-in-place restrictions, but that leads to other challenges. BART reports their daily ridership is down 96 percent from this time last year, so right now social distancing on the trains isn't a problem. "We have so many fewer passengers and we have longer trains, and that is creating the opportunity to socially distance," said BART spokesperson Jim Allison. Read More
Coronavirus Update: Santa Cruz Co. Beaches, Parks Reopen; Social Distancing Still Enforced
SANTA CRUZ -- Santa Cruz County is reopening its beaches, parks, open spaces and the Santa Cruz Wharf to the public effective Thursday at midnight after they were closed in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic last week. The initial order to close came from county Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on April 8 in advance of the Easter weekend, but was not extended this week past the original closure date and time of Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. Read More
Facebook Canceling Gatherings With 50 Or More Until June 2021
MENLO PARK -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said they are slowing plans to return employees to the office and canceling events with 50 or more people well into next year due to coronavirus. In a statement on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg said such gatherings are not going to be held until June 2021 at the earliest. Some events would be held virtually instead. The Menlo Park-based social media giant had previously canceled its F8 developer's conference scheduled for May at the McEnery San Jose Convention Center, making it an online event. Read More
East Bay Reporter, Former War Refugee Offers Perspective On Sheltering In Place
CONCORD -- As a young child Musadiq Bidar lived through a war in his home country, and he has some words of wisdom and comfort for those struggling with the current coronavirus pandemic, and shelter-in-place order. Just last fall, Bidar was working as a reporter, following presidential hopefuls like Montana Govenor Steve Bullock and Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, criss-crossing the state of Iowa on the campaign trail as a special correspondent for CBSN, the streaming video channel from CBS News. Read More
Facebook Canceling Gatherings With 50 Or More Until June 2021
FREMONT -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said they are slowing plans to return employees to the office and canceling events with 50 or more people well into next year due to coronavirus. In a statement on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg said such gatherings are not going to be held until June 2021 at the earliest. Some events would be held virtually instead. Read More
Coronavirus Update: Fremont Requires Face Coverings For All At Essential Businesses
FREMONT -- The city of Fremont has issued an executive order requiring the wearing of face coverings for workers and customers at essential businesses due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The order states workers at essential business, such as grocery stores, auto repair shops and restaurants offering takeout, must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths while performing their jobs to slow the spread of the virus. Read More
Power Shut Off For Danville Residents Sheltering-In-Place For PG&E Fire Prevention Work
DANVILLE -- On top of the daily grind of quarantine life and sheltering in place, more than 200 PG&E customers in Danville also had to deal with a planned power shutoff Thursday. But for eight hours, the electricity and internet that we are all so heavily relying on these days was offline for 227 customers. PG&E says, despite the shelter-in-place, they still have to get ready for fire season.
"The funny thing is, is when we started to be sequestered, we're like, 'Ah, thank goodness it's not fire season, so the power's not off.' Well, guess what? The power's off," laughed Danville resident Bill Colston. Read More
Coronavirus Cancellations And Postponements
Coronvirus Update: San Jose Summer Fest Cancelled Over Coronavirus Fears
SAN JOSE -- Joining a growing litany of annual events to be cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers announced Thursday they will not be holding the annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest this year. The outbreak has forced dozens of local music concerts to be cancelled and the rescheduling of Napa's Bottle Rock Music Festival until the weekend of Oct. 2-4 where it will compete for fans with the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival on San Francisco. Read More
Other Top Bay Area Coronavirus Headlines
'OK, This Is Insane': Coronavirus Stimulus Checks Are Being Sent To Dead People
SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government's economic stimulus payments are being distributed to a broad spectrum of Americans, including a number of people who are dead. The payments designed to help combat an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic are meant to cover as many people as possible. The Internal Revenue Service is relying on data that goes back two years in some cases, resulting in payments to people who are no longer alive. Read More
Theranos: Trial Of Elizabeth Holmes Pushed Back Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN JOSE -- The criminal trial of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the failed blood-testing company Theranos, has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Initially set to begin on July 28, the trial will now start on October 27, said Judge Edward Davila of the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Davila, who presides over the case, announced the change during a status conference held by telephone Wednesday. Read More
Elon Musk's Promised Ventilators Never Delivered To California Hospitals, Governor's Office Says
SACRAMENTO -- Elon Musk said last month he had obtained more than 1,000 ventilators to help California hospitals treating patients infected with the coronavirus, an effort California Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed as "heroic." Now, more than three weeks later, the governor's office says none of the promised ventilators have been received by hospitals. Read More
