Coronavirus Reopening Roundup: Newsom Green Lights Haircuts; Morgan Hill Fish Processing Plant Outbreak
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 and reopening-related stories from the last 24 hours so you can start your day with the latest updated developments.
Coronavirus Reopening
Sonoma County Health Officials Delay Reopening Of Salons And Barbershops
PETALUMA -- Hairstyles in Sonoma County are going to have to grow a little longer after health officials announced a delay for the reopening of hair salons, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom giving the green light Tuesday. Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County's public health officer, announced the decision Tuesday night. Mase said even though Newsom earlier in the day declared that hair salons were eligible to reopen in most of the state including three Bay Area counties, Sonoma County will hold off. Mase said Sonoma County is not ready after a spike of more than 200 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks, including some hospitalizations. Read More
Newsom Announces Expanded Stage 3 Reopening Of Businesses Including Barbershops, Hair Salons
SACRAMENTO -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced further modifications to the state's current shelter order Tuesday with barbershops and hair salons being allowed to reopen under specific guidelines for the first time in over two months. The announcement on Tuesday marks the state's first move into expanded Stage 3 reopening involving higher-risk workplaces beginning with limited personal care and recreational venues. The governor opened his comments with remarks about how he was happy to see California residents enjoying themselves during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but that people needed to keep their guard and awareness about the continuing deadly pandemic up. Read More
Some SF Businesses Going Outside To City Sidewalks, Streets, Parks
SAN FRANCISCO -- Some San Francisco businesses will be allowed to operate on city sidewalks, streets or parks thanks to a new program being launched by the city's COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. The Shared Spaces Program aims to support local restaurants providing takeout service, as well as beverage vendors and some retail stores by expanding their ability to operate in outdoor public spaces while simultaneously allowing for social distancing among customers and employees. The COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force is made up of dozens of elected city officials, business owners, union officials, and nonprofit leaders. The task force aims to help businesses and employees recover from the economic fallout of COVID-19. Read More
Bay Area Courthouses Begin Process To Resume Jury Trials In Age Of COVID-19
MARTINEZ -- Across the Bay Area, court systems are starting to reboot after being largely shut down since the middle of March. The changes necessary to proceed during the coronavirus pandemic, however, will be significant. "We are all sort of making it up as we go," said Presiding Judge Barry Baskin of Contra Costa County Superior Court. "It isn't going to be the normal jury trial that we are all familiar with." Judge Baskin will be the first to admit it. They don't have all of the answers yet as jury trials begin to resume in Contra Costa courthouses. For the foreseeable future, judges will be looking at a very different courtroom. Read More
Pac-12 To Allow Voluntary In-Person Workouts, Releases COVID-19 Guidelines For Safe Return To Campuses
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 will soon be lifting restrictions on voluntary in-person workouts and has released guidelines and protocols for the safe return of student athletes to campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voluntary in-person workouts may begin on June 15. Universities may determine how and when to open their sporting facilities. Tuesday's announcement updates the organization's March 14 decision cancel all Pac-12 conference and non-conference sport competitions and championships through the end of the academic year, which was extended through May 31. Read More
NHL Season Restart Will Not Include San Jose Sharks
SAN JOSE -- If the National Hockey League does restart its season, the plans do not include the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings or the Anaheim Ducks. For the first time in league history, no team from California will qualify for the post-season. Without releasing a timetable, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday the league would abandon the rest of the regular season and go straight into the playoffs with 24 teams instead of 16. "While we are disappointed that the San Jose Sharks will not be able to complete our 2019-20 season, we understand and respect the decision made by the NHL and the NHL Players' Association," said San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson. Read More
Contra Costa County Extends, Modifies Eviction Moratorium Ordinance
MARTINEZ -- Contra Costa County's moratorium on evictions directly caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been extended from May 31 until July 15, and starting soon will no longer allow businesses over certain employee and gross-receipt thresholds to defer rent payments. The revised ordinance, approved by a 5-0 vote, narrows the definition of "commercial real property" to property where small businesses, manufacturers or non-profit organizations operate. Such businesses must be independently owned, have 100 or fewer employees and have average annual gross receipts of no more than $15 million over the previous three years. Chief Assistant County Counsel Mary Ann Mason said the changes are modeled on the city of Oakland's eviction moratorium ordinance. Read More
Trump: Newsom Providing Mail-In Ballots In California Will Lead To 'Rigged Election'
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Monday singled out California Governor Gavin Newsom for criticism over plans to provide mail-in ballots in the state, claiming those votes will be "substantially fraudulent" in a general election November. The President and the Republican Party have been highly critical of any states that have announced plans to provide registered voters with mail-in ballots out of safety concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Newsom announced earlier in May that he signed an executive order that would give all Californians who are registered to vote a mail-in ballots for the November election. Read More
State Lawmakers Meet In Rare Session With Gov. Newsom To Address $54.3 Billion Budget Deficit
SACRAMENTO -- The California Assembly met in an extraordinary session Tuesday to question Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration about its plan to fill an estimated $54.3 billion budget deficit created by the effects of the coronavirus. It marked the first time in 25 years that the Assembly gathered as a so-called "committee of the whole." Normally when the Assembly meets, no one is allowed to speak except lawmakers. But this time, lawmakers will hear testimony from Newsom administration officials and ask them questions. Lawmakers gathered in the ornate Assembly chamber on Tuesday wearing masks and staying at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from each other. Read More
Marin County Issues Guidelines For Opening Childcare Center And Summer Camps
SAN RAFAEL -- Carpools were being discouraged as Marin County has issued guidelines intended to let childcare businesses and summer camps make plans to safely reopen and accept children of non-essential workers starting June 1. Steps mandated by the county and approved by county public health officer Dr. Matt Willis to prevent the transmission of CODVID-19 include social distancing, hand-washing, face covering, surface cleaning and disinfecting. Group sizes are limited to 12 children or fewer and keeping the same group together for three weeks. Arrival times should be staggered and carpooling by parents is discouraged. Read More
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Hurricane Harbor Release COVID-19 Guidelines For Parks' Reopening
VALLEJO -- Vallejo's Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Concord announced new health and safety guidelines Tuesday that will be implemented when the parks reopen following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Six Flags visitors over the age of 2 will be required to wear a mask while they are at either park and must have their temperature checked using contact-free infrared thermal imaging before entering. Masks will also be available for purchase at the front gate of both parks. Park tickets will only be available online, allowing Six Flags staff to manage attendance, which will be capped well below the park's maximum occupancy to encourage physical distancing. Read More
Coronavirus And Health
Coronavirus Cluster Discovered At Morgan Hill Fish Processing Plant
MORGAN HILL -- The Santa Clara County Department of Public Health is scrambling to prevent a cluster of three dozen coronavirus cases at a fish processing plant in Morgan Hill from becoming a wider outbreak. "A couple of weeks ago, an employee from this company, their spouse was hospitalized with COVID. They got tested as a contact and discovered that they were positive as well," said Dr. Sara Cody, the county's Chief Health Officer. Dr. Cody says the company, Lusamerica Foods, Inc., quarantined and tested all of the employees with whom the infected person had been in contact. But when some of those people tested positive as well, the county stepped in. Read More
UC Study: U.S. COVID-19 Victims Endure Long Hospital Stays, Higher Rates Of ICU Admissions
BERKELEY -- University of California-Berkeley researchers have crunch the numbers surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak across the country and found that patients in the U.S. were enduring longer hospital stays and facing higher rates of intensive care unit admission than patients in China. The new study released on Monday was led by researchers at the UC-Berkeley and Kaiser Permanente. The researchers said the results suggest that some hospitals in the U.S. may have been harder hit by the coronavirus pandemic than initially thought, as many forecasts of disease burden — particularly the number of hospital beds and ICU units needed at the peak of infection — were based on data out of China. Read More
South Bay Nurses Unions File Complaint, Allege Unsafe Conditions At Nursing Homes
SANTA CLARA COUNTY -- Two local unions are accusing Santa Clara County of endangering nurses by failing to inform them of coronavirus-infected patients or provide them with the required protective equipment. The Santa Clara Registered Nurses Professional Association (RNPA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have joined forces in leveling a slew of charges against the county. The complaint, filed May 6 with the Public Employment Relations Board, alleges unfair labor practices and unsafe working conditions at private nursing homes. Kerianne Steele, an attorney at Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld who represents the unions, claims in a letter that the county assigned employees to skilled nursing facilities and gave "employees false assurances that they would treat only COVID-19-negative patients, and be adequately supervised, trained and provided with Personal Protective Equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth." Read More
Coronavirus And Shelter In Place
Santa Rosa Homeowner Goes On DIY Remodeling Spree During Shelter In Place
SANTA ROSA -- A lot of people are looking for ways to occupy their time during the shelter in place. At one home in Santa Rosa, what started as a small painting project became so much more. "I was kind of bored and I wanted to be productive," said attorney Robin Estes.
She had to shut her family law practice down during the shelter in place so, with only her dog Bella for company around the house, she decided give one of the bedrooms a fresh coat of paint. Read More
Keeping Cool In San Jose A Challenge For Seniors, Homeless During COVID-19 Heat Wave
SAN JOSE -- A heat wave sweeping across the Bay Area in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis has created an even more dangerous situation for homeless people and seniors in the South Bay. The places they would normally go to beat the heat such as community centers, libraries and shopping malls have been closed because of the pandemic. "Normally we would even say go to a mall, but that's not available during this time period," said Dr. Clifford Wang, an internist at the Santa Clara Valley Medical center. "So people just need to find a cool shaded area would be important for people to find." 78-year-old Javier Victoria came to the King library in downtown San Jose, one of the places he would normally go during a heat wave to cool off. Read More
Coronavirus And Business
Cash-Strapped Oakland A's Place Scouts On Furlough; Halting Pay To Minor Leaguers
OAKLAND -- The Oakland Athletics are placing their scouts and a significant number of other front office employees on furlough, suspending pay for minor leaguers and cutting the salaries of other executives as part of a cost-cutting move in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A's owner John Fisher announced the moves Tuesday in a rare public statement on what he called a "tremendously difficult day." "Baseball is more than a job — it is a way of life," Fisher wrote in a letter to fans and staff. "People who work for our team are our family — our very foundation — and they work tirelessly to help the A's compete in this most precious game. COVID-19 has brought a tragic loss of life and sickness to so many in our community, and it has impacted us all in ways we could have never imagined." Read More
San Ramon Valley Board Of Education Approves Administrator Raises Amid Huge Budget Cuts
SAN RAMON-- The San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education on Tuesday night voted to give the district superintendent and other top administrators a raise, even as the district looks to make roughly $8 million in cuts. According to the school district officials, this is something they have done routinely in the past, applying the same salary increase negotiated for the teachers to top administrators. However, parents argue this is not just another regular school year amid budget shortfalls exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. "Our district is saying OK, face cutbacks for teachers, more kids in classrooms and fewer teachers on our campuses, but we're going to give a golden parachute to our outgoing administrators?" asked parent Nancy Datz. "It makes absolutely no sense to me." Read More
Justice Dept. Ends Probe Into Stock Trading By Sens. Feinstein, Loeffler, Inhofe Weeks Before Pandemic
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has closed investigations into stock trading by Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, according to people familiar with notifications sent to the senators. The senators came under scrutiny for transactions made in the weeks before the coronavirus sent markets downhill. The developments indicate that federal law enforcement officials are narrowing their focus in the stock investigation to Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C, the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman. Agents showed up at his Washington-area home about two weeks ago with a warrant to search his cellphone. Read More
COVID-19 Safety Measures Are Essential Business When The AC Breaks During A Pandemic
PLEASANTON -- For the second day in a row, the heat is still on. A Pleasanton homeowner's air conditioning unit is all turned off, and that's quite a predicament during this pandemic. That means calling a service company to get it repaired, and right now, proper COVID-19 safety measures are essential. Since Service Champions Heating and Air is an essential business. It means they have to enter homes safely.
"Well we've always had a lot of safety precautions even before COVID, we've just taken it to a different level to protect our clients," said owner Kevin Comerford. Read More
SF Supe Presses City To Hire Service Officer To Oversee Needs Of City's Veterans During Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- Supervisor Matt Haney on Tuesday proposed that the city of San Francisco immediately begin searching for a new county veterans service officer, tasked with overseeing the needs of the city's veterans, many of whom have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus. During a news conference with the city's Veterans Affairs Commission, Haney said he plans on introducing a resolution that would require the city to begin the process of hiring a county veterans service officer. According to Haney, although the position has gone empty for more than a year, now is the time to begin providing assistance to the city's 27,000 veterans, many of whom are currently homeless, living on the streets of the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. Read More
Stocks Surge To Highest Levels Since Shutdown As U.S. Death Toll Nears 100,000
NEW YORK -- Stocks surged on Wall Street to their highest levels since the business shutdowns took hold in the U.S. over two months ago, climbing on optimism Tuesday about the reopening economy even as the nation's official death toll from the coronavirus closed in on 100,000, a mark President Donald Trump once predicted the country would never see. With infections mounting rapidly in places like Brazil and India, a top global health official warned that the crisis around the world is far from over. In a largely symbolic move, the New York Stock Exchange trading floor in lower Manhattan reopened for the first time in two months, with plastic barriers, masks and a reduced number of traders to adhere to the 6-foot social-distancing rules. Read More
