Coronavirus Roundup: Elon Musk's Defiant Stand; Western States Ask Feds For $1 Trillion In COVID-19 Aid Funding
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 And Tesla
Defiant Musk Confirms Tesla Fremont Plant Reopening; Gov. Newsom Unaware
FREMONT -- Telsa CEO Elon Musk continued to defy state and Alameda County authorities by restarting production at the Fremont assembly plant Monday, saying he was ready to be arrested himself if necessary. Earlier Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was unaware that the Telsa plant had restarted operations. When asked at his daily coronavirus news briefing to comment on Musk's previous demands that Tesla be allowed to resume production at the plant, Newsom said he hoped the company would be given a green light to start up next week. Read More
Tesla Employees Forced To Make Tough Decision As Elon Musk Takes A Defiant Stand
FREMONT -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed in a tweet Monday that he would be restarting his production line against Alameda County orders and that "if anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me." "If any car manufacturing is happening then that's not in keeping with the order," said Fremont City Council Member Raj Salwan. County leaders said in a press release Monday afternoon that they were in talks with Musk on a reopening plan, and that they hoped the company would comply with the shelter-in-place order to avoid implementing further enforcement measures. Read More
Tesla's Defiance To Alameda County Health Order Raises Questions Of Fairness
FREMONT -- Elon Musk's move to reopen the Tesla plant in defiance of Alameda County's health order doesn't just raise safety concerns; it also raises questions about fairness to other businesses. The parking lot at the Pacific Commons shopping center in Fremont is deserted with most of the large anchor stores shut down. But just down the road, the employee parking lot at the Tesla factory was jammed as CEO Elon Musk spearheads a campaign to get the factory operating again despite ongoing shelter-in-place restrictions. "He's putting workers at risk, I think," said Fremont resident Carol Quinn. "I'm sure they haven't done all the protocols that need to be done to keep people safe in that factory." Read More
Coronavirus And Gov. Newsom
California, Western States Seek $1 Trillion Federal Lifeline For 1st Responders, Health Care, Public Education
SACRAMENTO -- California is joining with other western states to request a collective $1 trillion lifeline from the federal government to fund essential first responders, health care needs and educational systems as states grapple with historic budget deficits because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he and the governors of Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado, along with the states' legislative leaders, signed a letter asking congressional leaders for the emergency funding as the costs of managing the pandemic and huge outlays of unemployment benefits plunge states' coffers into the red. Read More
Questions Swirl Over Newsom's Threat To Withhold Federal Aid From Counties Defying COVID-19 Stay Home Orders
SAN FRANCISCO -- There are a lot of questions surrounding Governor Gavin Newsom's threat to withhold federal emergency funding from counties that aren't abiding by the state stay at home order. Many are wondering if the governor has the authority to withhold that money, what that could mean for local counties, and if the state will actually follow through with the threats. The health departments for Sutter, Yuba and Modoc counties have all relaxed restrictions beyond the Gov. Newsom's statewide stay-at-home order because of a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases. Read More
Gov. Newsom Expected To Announce Reopening Plans Involving Restaurants
SAN FRANCISCO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce plans to open some restaurants and malls in certain counties on Tuesday. Heath experts say there is no doubt that as California starts to return to a new normal, cases of the coronavirus will increase. And they are concerned that we may not know for weeks if the reopening is moving too fast. "We're going to be in a level of uncertainty for many months to come," Dr. Art Reingold, an UC Berkeley epidemiologist said. Read More
Reopening San Francisco Bay Area Becomes A Numbers Game
SAN FRANCISCO -- For weeks, data has been the mantra of state, county and city leadership trying to explain when California can move in to Phases 2 and 3 of coronavirus response. "That's what guided us into this stay at home order - data, evidence," Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his daily news conference Monday. The five key benchmarks that must be met are number of cases, number of hospitalizations, testing, contact tracing and personal protective equipment. The problem areas in the Bay Area are the last three. Read More
Coronavirus Outbreak
Analysis Shows Santa Clara County COVID-19 Cases Concentrated In Poor San Jose Zip Codes
SAN JOSE -- The toll from the coronavirus in Santa Clara County is hitting neighborhoods largely populated by low-income people of color harder than anyone else, according to a new study. An analysis by the San Jose Mercury News showed a third of the first 100 deaths from COVID-19 occurred in just four zip codes in East San Jose. "The rich people, they don't even need to go out. They can just stay home and be tended to. And the people around here? They struggle to survive," said Carlos Madriz, who works as a cell phone salesman in San Jose. Read More
Bay Area Doctor: Frontline Workers May Deal With PTSD Long After Coronavirus Pandemic
PALO ALTO -- It can be hard to imagine what it's like facing the coronavirus on the front lines. A Bay Area doctor said the emotional toll on health care workers could linger long after the pandemic ends. Dr. Shali Jain of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System said she is concerned not only about the physical well-being, but the emotional and mental health of workers who are helping coronavirus patients. Jain believes they could deal with symptoms of PTSD for weeks and possibly months after the outbreak itself. Read More
Alameda County Adds 4 New COVID-19 Testing Sites
OAKLAND -- Alameda County on Monday announced the addition of four new COVID-19 coronavirus testing sites around the county. Two of the sites -- the REACH Ashland Youth Center at 16335 E. 14th St. in unincorporated Ashland/Cherryland and the Alameda County building at 224 W. Winton Ave. in Hayward -- will be run in partnership with OptumServe Federal Health Services. The REACH Youth Center site opened Monday while the county building will open later this week; both testing sites will offer walk-up testing by appointment only. The other two testing sites, both located in East Oakland, are launching through a partnership between the city of Oakland, the Community Organized Relief Effort nonprofit and Verily Life Sciences. Read More
Coronavirus And Travel
United Rolls Out Changes After Photos Of Packed SF-Bound Flight During COVID-19 Pandemic Go Viral
SAN FRANCISCO -- A doctor returning from New York to San Francisco on a United Airlines flight posted pictures of his packed plane, raising serious concerns about air travel safety during the coronavirus pandemic. In apparent response to photos showing full flights with little social distancing, United Airlines announced a brand new policy giving passengers 24-hours warning and an opportunity to cancel or re-book a flight that's expected to be near capacity. The airline also said it would notify passengers at check-in if the flight was full by 70 percent, or more. Read More
Napa Valley Vineyards Preparing To Resume Wine Tasting With Modifications
NAPA -- With Napa County wineries being idled now for almost two months, the Napa Valley Vintners group says it is developing a plan for the eventual reopening of wine tasting, with modifications. The tasting rooms are still closed but that may change soon said Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supery Winery and member of the vintners association task force. "We're in the hospitality business, we're here to make great wine, we're here to have people enjoy themselves, we're here to make sure people are safe while they're doing that," said Swain. Read More
Coronavirus And Business
Richmond Among Bay Area Cities Looking At Tough Cuts As They Face Huge Deficits
RICHMOND -- The coronavirus pandemic has hit the city of Richmond with a $27 million deficit for the next fiscal year. "It's not going to be easy," Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said. There are 59 potential budget items on the table, including city furloughs, hiring freezes, and closing or reducing hours at the city's libraries. Butt says public safety is the top priority for residents. There has been only one homicide in the city this year. Read More
Bay Area Economists Weigh In On Whether U.S. Is Headed For Depression From COVID-19
OAKLAND -- With new unemployment figures showing 20 million American jobs lost in the month of April alone, KPIX 5 asked two Bay Area experts to explain where the U.S. could be headed at this historic economic moment in time. "We are definitely in a great recession," said Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor at St. Mary's College. He added that it does not quite fit the criteria of a depression. "[It's] an abnormally deep contraction of the economy," said Dr. Rasmus. "But if you look at history, depressions are always associated with financial crashes as well. Read More
Tech, Health Care Stocks 'Resilient' Amid Widespread Losses During COVID-19 Pandemic
NEW YORK -- Wall Street was split on Monday, as continued gains for technology and health care stocks helped cover up for more prevalent losses elsewhere. The S&P 500 ended the day at a virtual standstill, up just 0.39 points at 2,930.19, despite a lot of movement going on underneath. It rallied back from an earlier loss of 0.9% in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 109.33 points, or 0.4%, to 24,221.99, while the Nasdaq composite added 71.02, or 0.8%, to 9,192.34. Read More
Corte Madera Mall Stores Threatened With Eviction For Unpaid Rent During COVID-19 Pandemic
CORTE MADERA -- Store owners in the Corte Madera Town Center have received letters threatening eviction for unpaid rent, despite efforts by local lawmakers to protect tenants who cannot pay because of the coronavirus pandemic, and prohibit landlords from harassing them, according to a report. Several stores received the letters, signed by Ken Valinoti, a principal at the Valinoti, Specter and Dito law firm in San Francisco, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Corte Madera Town Center is owned by Florida-based 770 Talmalpais Drive, Inc. According to the report, Valinoti told the owners that despite the shelter in place mandate during the pandemic, "tenant's refusal to pay any rent is not acceptable." Read More
Coronavirus And Crime
Suspect Arrested 7 Times In Alameda County During Coronavirus Shelter Order Has Bail Set At $200K
ALAMEDA COUNTY -- The Alameda County Sheriff's Office leveled some pointed criticism of the state's current zero bail policy in a social media post Monday, announcing that a suspect who had been arrested a record seven times during the coronavirus shelter-in-place order now had his bail set at $200,000 after his latest crime. Last month, judges issued an order to release suspects accused of misdemeanors and non-violent felonies without bail over concerns about endangering jail inmates during the coronavirus pandemic. While officials have maintained that communities can be kept safe despite the policy change, law enforcement have been highly critical of the change. Read More
Coronavirus And Sports
San Jose Barracuda Done For Season As Minor League AHL Focuses On Next Year
SAN JOSE -- The American Hockey League, which includes the San Jose Barracuda, canceled the rest of its season Monday because of the coronavirus pandemic and shifted its focus toward returning next season. President and CEO David Andrews announced the league "has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions." The AHL's Board of Governors made that determination in a conference call Friday. The 84th season for the NHL's top minor league was suspended March 12 with 209 games remaining. That was the same day the NHL stopped play, though it still hopes to resume and could have many AHL players as part of expanded rosters. Read More
