Coronavirus Roundup: Golfers Flock To Reopened Links; What Is 'COVID Toe'; 'Thin Blue Line' Face Coverings Controversy
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
Donor Says Thank You To Santa Cruz Hospital Employees With $1 Million Donation
SANTA CRUZ -- It's become a common practice in the San Francisco Bay Area for first responders and others to gather outside local hospitals and cheer health care workers during shift changes. One individual has taken that appreciation a step further. An anonymous thank you note left Dominican Hospital came with a $1 million donation with a request that the money be used for bonuses to the facility's staff. "Thank you for standing up (and staying up!) to care for our community," the note said. "This humankindness is what makes you heroic." Read More
Antioch Woman Who Served in World War II Gets Rolling Thunder Surprise on 100th Birthday
ANTIOCH -- The coronavirus has been spoiling a lot of parties these days but the celebration of Teresa Conley's 100th birthday wasn't one of them. For her centennial, Teresa thought she would have a quiet brunch with her daughter and son-in-law at their Antioch home."In fact, I was about to take a nap and my daughter said, 'you can't, there's something going to happen outside,'" Conley told KPIX. That's when her normally quiet life got a little louder as an honor guard of firefighters, police and veterans on Harley Davidson motorcycles rolled by outside. Conley served in World War II -- mostly in Alameda -- and achieved the rank of a Navy chief petty officer. That is most of what her family knows about her service. Read More
For Uplifting Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Visit Our Better Together Section
Coronavirus Headlines
Virus May Have A New Symptom -- What Is 'COVID Toe'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Swollen, inflamed, and puffy red toes are common when exposed to cold and damp conditions, but doctors are noticing a spike at the wrong time. "In the past two weeks I've seen more toes in my clinic than I have in the rest of my entire career combined," said Dr. Ester Freeman, the Director of Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health Dermatology Director. "We are seeing something that is a real trend and tells us about the prevalence of infection in our communities," said Dr. Lindy Fox, a dermatologist at UCSF. Read More
Bay Area J. Crew Stores Future In Doubt; Company Files For Chapter 11
SAN FRANCISCO -- The owner of J.Crew is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a financial casualty of the coronavirus outbreak and the fate of its five San Francisco Bay Area stores remains in jeopardy. Some reports Monday said the fashion retailer may not be reopening some stores that have been shuttered since mid-March. J. Crew has stores in San Francisco, Emeryville, Corte Madera, Walnut Creek and Palo Alto. "Throughout this process, we will continue to provide our customers with the exceptional merchandise and service they expect from us, and we will continue all day-to-day operations, albeit under these extraordinary COVID-19-related circumstances," said Jan Singer, Chief Executive Officer, J.Crew Group. Read More
Experts Expect A Slow Return Of International Visitors To San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- International tourism will not resume its normal pace until 2023, according to a new report by Tourism Economics, a data and consulting firm. In the Bay Area, the coronavirus shutdown is costing jobs and livelihoods. "Business is all gone right now, Fisherman's Wharf is a ghost town," said Joseph Amster, a San Francisco tour guide who has been laid off one of his jobs. He still runs his own walking tour portraying Emperor Norton, but he hasn't been working at all "The last time I gave a tour was March 7th and half the people canceled that day," Amster said. "So I'm making it, but it's difficult. It's definitely difficult." Read More
New Modifications To Shelter in Place Start Monday
SAN FRANCISCO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he'll be able to announce some new modifications to the shelter-in-place order as early as this week if statewide case and hospitalization numbers continue to show progress. On Sunday, in a virtual town hall from inside the Lincoln Memorial, President Trump said struck a note of urgency to reopen the nation's economy. He said repeatedly, a vaccine to prevent the coronavirus will be available by the end of the year. "The doctors would say, no you shouldn't say that. I say what I think," said Trump. Over the weekend, there were more protests to re-open state economies. Read More
Golfers Counting Down The Hours Before San Francisco Bay Area Links Reopen
WALNUT CREEK -- Boundary Oaks golf course general manager Mike Ash hasn't seen anything quite like the rush for tee times starting early Monday morning. But there hasn't been anything quite like the coronavirus stay-at-home order that has idled his greens for more than two months. The ban on golf is lifted as of Monday morning with players still required to maintain social distancing during their round. Ash's course fielded calls for a record 300-plus tee times for a single day. "It's gonna be something like we've never seen before," he said. Read More
Business Owners Eager to Get Back to Work With Lockdown Rules Set to Ease Monday
LAFAYETTE -- Monday the state and counties will begin cautiously relaxing some of the shelter-in-place orders, allowing some businesses and activities to resume. For some of them it may be just in the nick of time. Nese and Edward Ganch, who own Floral Arts flower shop in Lafayette, picked up their first load of fresh flowers in weeks. They're excited that the stay-at-home orders will allow their store to be open for business in time for Mother's Day. "For florists, Mother's Day is actually the busiest week of the year," Nese explained. "It's busier than Valentine because everyone has a mom, you know!" Read More
San Francisco Police Chief Bans 'Thin Blue Line' Face Coverings
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's police chief Bill Scott said the city's rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy that was sparked when officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the "thin blue line" flag. The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle. The symbol is associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement, a display of unity among police officers in response to the national Black Lives Matter movement. Read More
Protests, Open Defiance Test Newsom's Resolve as California Counties Push to Reopen
SAN FRANCISCO -- People in Northern and Southern California ignored closures at public parks and beaches on Sunday, defying stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus as pressure to reopen parts of California continues to build. Santa Cruz County began on Saturday to close all beaches between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to let residents visit the beach in the early morning or sunset hours and keep day-trippers away. Beaches are just the latest focus for frustrations over Gov. Gavin Newsom's six-week-old order requiring nearly 40 million residents to remain mostly indoors. Read More
Marin County Health Officials Opening Test Site In San Rafael's Canal Neighborhood
SAN RAFAEL -- In the latest expansion of coronavirus testing facilities, Marin County health officials have announced they will be opening a site on Monday in San Rafael's Canal neighborhood. Testing will be free and by appointment only, with priority for essential workers and people experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. There will be multilingual staff available to assist with appointment booking and testing. The testing site is a partnership between federal health services contractor OptumServe, the State of California, Marin County Public Health and community organizations. Read More
Coronavirus Robs The Spotlight From The World's Ugliest Dogs
PETALUMA -- Call it the polar opposite in the dog world spectrum from the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, but annually the Sonoma-Marin Fair has cast a spotlight on pooches only their owners can love. No best of breed, regal trots across the stage or litany read of a pedigree. The fair has given a brief spotlight to what it terms are the ugliest dogs on the planet. But this year, the coronavirus has turned off that spotlight. Sonoma-Marin Fair CEO Allison Keaney has announced the fair, scheduled for the last week in June, has been cancelled because of fears of spreading the coronavirus. Read More
Defiant Vacaville Barber Becomes Symbol Of Stay At Home Resistance
VACAVILLE -- A defiant barber in Vacaville is becoming the voice of the shelter-in-place resistance and stirring up controversy. He's opening up his business way before the Governor is saying it's okay. He's been making national headlines on CNN and Fox News-- getting both support and visceral hate messages on social media. The former CHP officer says he has faith in leaders trying to open up the economy, but he has to hustle to make ends meet now. Juan Desmarais is a single father who has a son and two daughters. Read More
