Coronavirus Roundup: No Trace Of COVID-19 In Bolinas; Vacaville Hair Stylist Reopens In Defiance Of Order
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.
Coronavirus Testing
No Trace Of Coronavirus Found During Mass Testing Of Bolinas Residents
BOLINAS -- Apparently, even the coronavirus has a hard time finding its way to Bolinas. Marin County health officials announced Tuesday evening that a study that involved testing all the residents of the notoriously recluse coastal community has revealed no evidence of COVID-19 among the town's residents. "It's a relief," Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County's chief public health officer, told the Marin IJ. "This is a sign to me that we really did get in front of this and interrupt transmission." Read More
San Francisco COVID-19 Testing Sites Falling Short Of 5,000 Test Daily Goal
SAN FRANCISCO -- The capacity for San Francisco to conduct COVID-19 testing has expanded, but the number of tests being offered is still falling far short of what is needed, a San Francisco public health official said Tuesday evening. Dr. Susan Philip, the director of infectious disease prevention and control with the city's public health department, told the Board of Supervisors in a video hearing that the city has the capacity to test 5,800 people per day if you include the CityTestSF free test sites, the public hospitals and other medical sites, but right now only 500 people per day are being tested. Read More
Coronavirus Outbreak
9 Inmates At Santa Rita Jail Still Recovering From COVID-19
DUBLIN -- Alameda County Assistant Sheriff Thomas Madigan told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that nine inmates at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin currently have confirmed coronavirus infections. Madigan said a total of 35 inmates at the county jail have tested positive for COVID-19 at some point but all but nine of them have completely recovered. In response to a question from Supervisor Wilma Chan, Madigan said none of the inmates who have tested positive for the virus have had to be hospitalized. Read More
Feds Charge Michigan Man With N95 Mask Scam Which Burned Bay Area Victims
SAN FRANCISCO -- A Michigan man has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly operating a fake website that purportedly sold N95 masks but never delivered them, according federal prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California on Tuesday unsealed charges against Rodney L. Stevenson II for his operation of an e-commerce website that allegedly scammed people seeking to buy N95 masks. Three of the victims live in the San Francisco Bay Area, including one hospital worker. Read More
Coronavirus Shelter In Place
Vacaville Hair Stylist Reopens Salon In Defiance Of Health Order
VACAVILLE -- A Solano County hair salon owner says she is re-opening her business in defiance of the stay-at-home order and striking a blow for small businesses shut down by the COVID-19 outbreak. "I mean, honestly, what else do I do?" said Lia Rivera as she arrived at work Tuesday for the first time in six weeks. She's not reopening her Hairendipity Salon in Vacaville because it has suddenly been deemed "essential." Essentially, she's doing it because she's fed up with not working. Read More
San Francisco Supervisors Blast Mayor Breed Over Failure To Secure Hotel Rooms For Homeless
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco city supervisors and homeless advocates on Tuesday denounced Mayor London Breed's refusal to acquire more than 8,000 hotel rooms to protect the city's homeless from the coronavirus as part of an emergency ordinance approved unanimously by supervisors earlier this month. Although Breed had the power to veto the emergency ordinance since supervisors approved it on April 14, she did not, allowing it to become law. The ordinance, initially introduced by supervisors Shamann Walton, Matt Haney, Hillary Ronen, and Dean Preston, required the city to secure at least 8,250 hotel rooms, including 7,000 reserved for the city's homeless, regardless of their age, health status, or whether they're on the streets or in the city's shelter system by this past Sunday. Read More
San Mateo Deputies Handed Out More Than 1,000 Citations And Stay-At-Home Warnings Over Weekend
SAN MATEO -- During the weekend surge to the San Mateo coastline, sheriff's deputies handed out more than 1,000 citations and warnings for violations of the county's stay-at-home order, officials announced Tuesday. While being heralded by Gov. Gavin Newsom in his daily coronavirus update on Monday for clamping down on the homebound residents exodus to the coast, the numbers show that it wasn't without a great deal of effort in San Mateo County. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office issued hundreds of verbal and written warnings and parking tickets in an aggressive campaign to prevent county beaches from becoming overcrowded during the emergency stay-at-home order. Read More
Some Sonoma County Parks Reopening For Walking, Cycling
SANTA ROSA -- Sonoma County residents will be free to walk or bike to their neighborhood park starting Wednesday amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the county's Public Health Officer said. Dr. Sundari Mase confirmed the "soft opening" of the parks during Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting. The parks have been closed since March 23, less than a week after Mase's countywide shelter-at-home health order on March 17. Parking lots at the parks will be closed except to disabled residents with a placard in their vehicle. Parks on the Sonoma Coast will remain closed. Read More
Newsom Says California 'Weeks, Not Months' Away From Opening Some Businesses, Schools
SACRAMENTO -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom offered additional details Tuesday on plans for the state's economic recovery from the effects of coronavirus pandemic, saying some businesses, schools and child care facilities could be weeks away from reopening. Newsom said Tuesday progress had been made in each of the six key indicators to that would lead to the shelter-in-place order being lifted in California, leading to some cautious optimism about the ability to begin the process of modifying the stay-at-home order. Read More
Alameda Co. Defense Lawyers Concerned About Long Delays For Jury Trials In Coronavirus Pandemic
OAKLAND -- A defendant in a criminal trial has a constitutional right to a speedy trial, but three veteran Alameda County defense attorneys said this week that they're concerned that jury trials may be on hold for a long time in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on March 23 ordered that all jury trials in state superior courts be suspended for 60 days because courts are not able to operate as usual while observing social-distancing and other health directives. The defense lawyers said they understand the concern about protecting public health, but warned if jury trials are delayed indefinitely, defendants' rights will be harmed and they will ask appellate courts to step in. Read More
Major Street Closures Go Into Effect At 2 San Francisco Parks
SAN FRANCISCO -- New road closures went into effect at two major San Francisco parks on Tuesday in an effort to give people looking to exercise more space to work out. The closures are on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park and John F. Shelley Drive in McLaren Park. City officials say the closures are meant to ensure there is enough space for people who want to exercise but also maintain social distancing. Read More
California Maritime Academy In Vallejo Gets OK To Start Limited Classes
VALLEJO -- California Maritime State University Academy has received permission to resume limited in-person classes this semester and hopes to send 350 students and staff on its annual summer training cruise — a graduation requirement for cadets, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Cal Maritime is a specialized campus of California State University offering licensed and non-licensed degree programs serving the maritime industry, including training ships' officers. The move to reopen it comes as California's other public colleges remain in remote learning mode. Read More
San Francisco Police Toughening Stay-At-Home Enforcement
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police officers issued 17 citations to both individuals and businesses and issued warnings to 78 others for violating health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic over the weekend, toughening their enforcement of the stay at home restrictions. San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott broke it down on Monday -- of the 17 citations, eight were to businesses and nine were to individuals. With an increased number of people stepping out of their house this past weekend because of the nice weather, Scott said his department did receive some complaints of public health order violations, but "there were no significant issues." Read More
'Shop This Way': Walmart Begins Enforcing One-Way Aisles Mandate To Increase Social Distancing
BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Walmart has started implementing one-way aisles to encourage customers to practice social distancing while shopping inside their stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-way aisles mandate was enforced beginning on Thursday, April 23, Walmart said in a statement posted on Facebook. "One-way aisles are designed to increase social distancing and give customers more space on each aisle," the company wrote. Read More
Coronavirus And Schools
Oakland Parents, Teachers Call On Mayor, District To Guarantee Internet Access For All Students
OAKLAND -- A coalition of parents, community members and more than 340 teachers represented by the Oakland Education Association union called on Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to guarantee internet access to all students in the district. In a letter to the two officials, the group of educators argued that while internet access is a necessity even in normal times, students who lack internet during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will be unable to participate in remote classes and will inevitably fall behind their peers who do have internet access and the requisite technology. Read More
Coronavirus And Sports
Golden State Coach Steve Kerr Says Warriors Season Likely Over
SAN FRANCISCO -- If the NBA does return to finish the 2019-20 season, Steve Kerr believes the Warriors will not be apart of it. "It feels like the end of the season for our team. It just does. We don't know anything officially. There's still a chance the league could ask us to come back and play some games... but everybody is just sort of assuming that this is kind of it. We're not going to be involved much anymore," Kerr said Tuesday on a zoom conference call for the University of San Francisco with Hall of Famer Jennifer Azzi and Warriors President Rick Welts. Read More
MLB Allows Each Team To Decide Ticket Refund Policy
NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball told teams on Tuesday they could decide their own ticket refund policies. Spring training was suspended on March 12 and the regular season was delayed from its scheduled March 26 start because of the new coronavirus pandemic. A revised schedule has not been announced, and teams had treated the missed games as postponements and not announced refund policies. Read More
Former Cal Bears Lineman Mitchell Schwartz Indulging His Passion For Grilling During NFL's Virtual Offseason
SAN FRANCISCO -- NFL players, like many of us, have had their schedules upended by the coronavirus pandemic. With facilities closed league-wide, teams have moved to virtual meetings and OTAs for the time being while players are at home with their families. All players are training in one form or another as they prepare for a new season in 2020. How they do so may differ, but the end result is the same. They want to be in shape for the upcoming season. It's how players are spending their time outside of the hours of training where the hobbies and interests begin to come out. For former Cal Bears and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz, that has meant indulging a lifelong passion: cooking. Read More
Coronavirus Business Impact
Major Changes Coming To Airline Industry For Travelers And Flight Attendants
SAN FRANCISCO -- JetBlue has become the first major US airline to require passengers to wear facial coverings. Most airlines, including United, Delta and American are requiring flight attendants wear masks. And several airlines are no longer booking the middle seats, and have also eliminated or reduced food services. These changes come as passengers have complained about crowding on planes. Read More
San Jose Facing A $45 Million Budget Shortfall Due To COVID-19 Pandemic
SAN JOSE -- The city of San Jose is facing a $45 million budget deficit, much of it rapidly brought on by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. "This is the quickest turnaround I've ever seen," said City Councilmember Johnny Khamis, who said San Jose was in good financial shape at the start of the pandemic. "We were looking at a $25-$35 million budget surplus and we went to a projected $45 million dollar deficit. That's about an $80 million swing within one month," Khamis said. Read More
UC, CSU Students File Suit Seeking Coronavirus-Related Refunds
OAKLAND -- The California State University and the University of California systems were sued Monday by students demanding refunds of some campus fees since the virus pandemic closed schools and forced learning online. The class-action lawsuits, filed in federal courts in Los Angeles and Oakland, say that the systems that serve more than 700,000 students have refused to refund unused portions of fees for campus-related services that spring-semester students aren't using, such as health facilities, student association dues and student centers. The campuses have been closed since March because of the COVID-19 outbreak and athletic events have been cancelled. Read More
Stanford Health Care Workers Facing Mandatory Furloughs Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
STANFORD -- Stanford Health Care workers are being forced to take mandatory furloughs during the coronavirus outbreak, which is basically asking frontline healthcare workers to take pay cuts during a crisis, according to the workers' union. In a news release Monday, Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers West said Stanford Health Care is requiring its employees to take 12 furlough days over a 10-week period. The workers were reportedly notified of the upcoming furloughs via email. "We have been putting our lives on the line treating COVID-19 patients and Stanford Health is thanking us by cutting our pay and harming our families," Chuck Fonseca, a nursing assistant with SEIU UHW said in a statement. Read More
Advocates Call On Gov. Gavin Newsom To Cancel Rent, Mortgage Payments During Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- California residents, activists, advocates and legislators called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus outbreak to save low-income and working class individuals and families from homelessness. During a teleconferenced town hall meeting Monday afternoon, Newsom was called on to cancel the rents by several advocacy organizations throughout the state including Tenants Together, Housing Now!, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, Housing Is A Human Right, PICO California and the Partnership for Working Families. Read More
California 'Gig' Workers Now Allowed To File For Unemployment Benefits
SAN FRANCISCO -- After of waiting weeks for some form of state assistance, thousands of unemployed gig workers in California could finally begin filing for unemployment benefits on Tuesday. The office of the California Employment Development Department unveiled its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program The newly available emergency unemployment assistance program falls under funding from the federal CARES Act. PUA provides assistance for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance and who are unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 outbreak. Read More
