Coronavirus Reopening Roundup: Tom Hanks Salutes High School Graduates; Church Leaders Remain Cautious
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The tsunami of news about the current COVID-19outbreak 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 and reopening stories from the last 24 hours so you can start your day with the latest updated developments.
Coronavirus Stories
Oscar-Winner Tom Hanks Gives Heartfelt Video Message To Oakland's Skyline High Class Of 2020
OAKLAND -- Members of the graduating Class of 2020 at Skyline High School on Friday had a surprise message from a special guest speaker during the school's online commencement: Oscar-winning actor and world famous Skyline alumnus Tom Hanks. The online commencement exercise forced by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic was the first such ceremony of the year for the Oakland Unified School District. Like all ceremonies being held this year in the district, the virtual graduation was being watched by students, faculty administrators and families on their computers. A press release by the district noted that it was possibly "because of the extraordinary circumstances of the shelter in place and all that the Class of 2020 has had to endure this year" that the school was able to arrange the video message from Skyline's most recognizable graduate. Read More
Newsom Promises Guidelines For Reopening Houses Of Worship By Monday Despite Trump Order
YOUNTVILLE -- Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the state of California would issue updated guidelines for religious gatherings by Monday, following the announcement by President Donald Trump ordering governors across the country to open places of worship this Memorial Day weekend, deeming them essential services. While California is opening larger sections of the economy and some counties have been granted variances to move deeper into Phase 2 reopenings, house of worship have not yet been given a prospective date for reopening in the state. Read More
Reopening: Solano County Restaurants Prepare For The Return Of Dine-In Meals
FAIRFIELD -- As of Friday, diners in Solano County can dine out, instead of take out. The county has received a variance from the state to move further into Phase 2 of Gov. Gavin Newsom's reopening plan. Still, in downtown Fairfield, the restaurants hardly a diner in sight. Customers say they do not know about the new rules and some still prefer to take the food to go. "To me, I feel it's too soon," said Fairfield resident Jackie Polanco. Read More
SJ Businesses Struggle To Bring Back Workers Laid Off Due To COVID-19 Making More On Unemployment
SAN JOSE -- The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown caused employers to shed 2.3 million payroll jobs, the largest one-month job loss ever recorded in California. A quarter of the state's workers could be left jobless, a rate akin levels during the Great Depression, But not all of the people who have lost their jobs want to go back to work, and not only because of health and safety concerns. Some people are actually making more money by staying at home on unemployment than they would if they still had their job. "So far it's wonderful because they're giving me a lot of income, more so I would say than if I was working right now," said Natalie Matheson, who lost her job as a hostess in a hotel restaurant last March. Read More
San Francisco To Reopen Modified Summer Camps And Programs June 15
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Friday that the city's summer camps and youth programs would reopen on June 15 with some modifications limiting capacity and certain activities to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The announcement provides some relief for parents of children who have been home-schooled during the past two months of the shelter order and were facing a summer break without the activities the camps and programs provide for children in terms of seasonal child care. Under the new order, San Francisco summer camps and programs can open this summer for children and youth ages six to 17. The camps and programs are open to all children and youth in San Francisco. Read More
'California Connected' Contact Tracing Program, PR Campaign Unveiled To Limit Spread Of COVID-19
SACRAMENTO -- California is launching a comprehensive contact tracing program to help stop the spread of coronavirus along with a public awareness campaign to educate Californians about the program, with emphasis on underserved communities, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. The program, dubbed California Connected, is in collaboration with the state Department of Public Health, local health departments and the University of California, San Francisco and Los Angeles, which have each launched contact tracing training academies. California Connected will pair public health workers with individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to find people they have been in close contact with and ensure they have access to testing, medical care and other services. Read More
Technical Glitches With Website Hamper Santa Clara County COVID-19 Testing
SAN JOSE -- As Santa Clara County launched a new campaign to provide expanded access to coronavirus testing Friday, technical problems with the county's website prevented countless residents from making appointments online. "They don't know whether you're asymptomatic and have the virus. So, I can imagine -- especially for older people -- it's a matter of life and death for them," said Daniel Elder. South Bay resident Elder and his roommate drove to PAL Stadium in San Jose hoping for a walk-up appointment for a test, but were turned away. A spokesperson for Santa Clara County Health acknowledged that demand for tests has not kept pace with the county's testing capacity. Read More
Bay Area Confectioner See's Candy Reopens Kitchens, Offers Contact-Free Pick-Up Service
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- Bay Area based confectioner See's Candy announced on Friday that it has reopened its kitchens in South San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as launching contact-free pick-up service at some stores. The candy maker had shut down all operations in late March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The closure has been the longest in the history of the nearly 100 year old company. "In these uncertain times, See's is focused on taking care of our people and being of service to our communities," read a letter from CEO Pat Egan that was posted on the See's Candy website. "Since March, we have reconfigured how we make and sell candy. Our production floors have fewer people making and packing our candy with care. We have taken the past few weeks to review all of our operations and ensure we can work safely in all aspects of our business." Read More
Sonoma County Moves To Late Stage 2 Reopening Of Dine-In Restaurants, Malls
SONOMA -- Sonoma County is following in the footsteps of its North Bay neighbors and moving deeper into Phase 2 of reopening. The California Department of Public Health made the announcement to allow the county to advance to late Stage 2 on Friday afternoon, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Sonoma joins two other Bay Area counties already in the more advance stage of reopening, Napa and Solano. Sonoma County, along with dozens of other California counties filed a Variance Attestation with the state, saying it meets the criteria established by Governor Newsom for Phase 2 reopening. Read More
San Francisco Custodian Testifies Before Senate About Job Safety During Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- A custodian from San Francisco testified remotely before a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday about the impact of coronavirus on essential workers. Marcos Aranda told the committee that custodians spend entire shifts cleaning high-risk surfaces, so they can be safe for everyone else. His only protection: latex gloves and a dust mask. Aranda said it wasn't enough to shield one of his coworkers, who recently caught the virus. "I stayed home for 2 days afterward, but then I had to return to work," Aranda recalled. Read More
California To Spend $1.8 Billion More On Coronavirus Response
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom took an extra $1.8 billion from the state's dwindling coffers to pay for more protective gear and extra hospital beds to aid the state's response to the coronavirus. Newsom said Thursday he expects the federal government will reimburse the state for 75% of that spending, which comes as state lawmakers are debating what government services will be cut to cover an estimated $54.3 billion budget deficit caused by the virus-induced economic downturn. The Newsom administration says it has authority to spend the money because he has declared an emergency under the state's Emergency Services Act. Read More
San Francisco Opens Unique Civic Center COVID-19 Pandemic 'Safe Sleeping Village'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Pandemic Circles -- outlined areas for social distancing -- have cropped up in at least two popular gathering spots in San Francisco -- Mission Dolores Park and the Civic Center. About 80 tents are now neatly spaced out on a wide street near San Francisco City Hall as part of a "safe sleeping village" opened last week. The area between the city's central library and its Asian Art Museum is fenced off to outsiders, monitored around the clock and provides meals, showers, clean water and trash pickup. In announcing the encampment, and a second one to open in the famed Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, San Francisco's mayor acknowledged that she didn't want to approve tents, but having unregulated tents mushroom on sidewalks was neither safe nor fair. Read More
Hayward City Personnel To Take Pay Cuts, Forego Raises In Wake Of Coronavirus Crisis
HAYWARD -- The coronavirus crisis may deplete Hayward's $36 million in General Fund reserves in one year unless spending slows and sales tax and other key revenues improve from recent levels, city officials said Thursday. So far, Hayward fire personnel including firefighters and the city manager have agreed to give up planned pay raises. The mayor and members of the City Council are reducing their salaries by 2 percent for the next fiscal year and planning to cut their budgets for travel and other expenses by 50 percent. All told, the reductions will save the city about $500,000 in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. Read More
2 Million Jobs Lost: California's April Jobless Rate Soars To 15.5%
SACRAMENTO -- California's unemployment rate soared to 15.5% in April as the nation's most populous state lost 2.3 million jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic that shuttered most businesses. The state's unemployment rate increased 10.2 percentage points since March, the largest one month rise since 1976, when the state began using its current formula to measure job losses. It broke the record set in March. And it shows, just one month after the pandemic took hold, that California had already surpassed the 12.3% unemployment rate it reached during the Great Recession a decade ago. Read More
San Francisco Nurse Shares Shocking Photos Of Body Ravaged From Severe COVID-19 Battle
SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco nurse, recovering from a bout of COVID-19, has taken to social media and posted shocking images of what a severe battle with illness can do to your body, no matter how healthy you are. Mike Schultz said he contracted the virus sometime in early March, likely at a party in Florida, according to CNN. A few days later, Schultz flew to Boston to see his boyfriend and started showing symptoms. On March 17th, Schultz had a fever that spiked to 103 and started to have trouble breathing. He was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator for four-and-a-half weeks. Over that time span, he lost 50 pounds. Read More
Trump Announces Churches Will Be Deemed 'Essential Services,' Says He'll Override Governors
WASHINGTON -- President Trump announced Friday afternoon that his administration would declare houses of worship "essential services," allowing them to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The people are demanding to go to their church and synagogue, to go to their mosque," Mr. Trump said. He said the U.S. needed "more prayer." He also said he would "override" governors who did not agree to reopen houses of worship. Read More
