Coronavirus Reopening Roundup: Bishop Defies Sonoma County Health Order; Alameda County 'Zero Bail' Suspect Jailed 4 Times
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
Lake Tahoe, Reno Casinos Preparing To Reopen With Social Distancing In Early June
LAS VEGAS -- Casinos from Lake Tahoe to Laughlin started announcing plans Wednesday to lure back customers beginning June 4, with one downtown Las Vegas hotel owner buying more than 1,000 one-way airline tickets to boost interest around the country. The promotions began the morning after Gov. Steve Sisolak lifted the casino shut-down order he imposed in mid-March to prevent people from spreading the coronavirus. "It's on us," Derek Stevens, owner of the D Las Vegas, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino and Circa Sports said in a 30-second video about his airline ticket giveaway that doesn't require bookings at his properties. "Las Vegas needs you." Read More
Diocese of Santa Rosa Green Lights Sunday Services In Defiance Of Local Health Officials
SANTA ROSA -- As they have watched businesses in Sonoma County reopen, officials with the Diocese of Santa Rosa have waited patiently for approval to allow parishioners to return to churches for Sunday services. Now, they say it's time. Bishop Robert Vasa has given pastors the green light to open churches starting on Sunday without Sonoma County health officials approval. Bishop Vasa's order covers not only Catholic churches in Sonoma County but also parishes stretching to the Oregon border. In five of those six counties, services have been allowed. But Sonoma County has been slow to join the trend. County health officials say it's too soon in light of a rapid increase in cases over the last 14 days. Read More
Palo Alto Teachers List COVID-19 Safety Demands Before Return To Classrooms
PALO ALTO -- Teachers in the Palo Alto Unified School District are asking for personal protective equipment for themselves as well as their students before they feel safe to walk into a classroom again. The proposal, by the Palo Alto Educators Association, which represents 900 employees, also asks for plastic face shields, disposable gloves, smocks, hand washing stations and COVID-19 or antibody testing. But the requests go beyond PPE. The proposal also includes an increased nursing staff, a deep cleaning of classrooms before the start of school and protocols on how students will line up, enter and exit classrooms. The teachers are also asking that their sick time remain untouched if they must quarantine. Read More
San Francisco Supervisors Renew Demands For Hotel Room For Homeless During COVID-19 Outbreak
SAN FRANCISCO -- Several San Francisco Supervisors were once again voicing their displeasure with what they say is the city's slow pace in placing homeless people in hotel rooms amid the coronavirus pandemic. They renewed pleas to Mayor London Breed Wednesday, demanding the process be sped up. Last month, the city's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an emergency ordinance authored by supervisors Matt Haney, Hillary Ronen, Dean Preston and Shamann Walton requiring the city to lease 8,250 hotel rooms, with at least 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
Contra Costa County Health Director Urges Caution When It Comes To Reopenings
MARTINEZ -- Health Director Dr. Chris Farnitano is well aware of the growing frustrations among Contra Costa County residents with what feels like a glacial pace in reopening area businesses, recreation, schools and society in general amid the coronavirus pandemic. That restlessness was clear from reading the running public commentary on Farnitano's live Contra Costa Health Services Facebook discussion Wednesday afternoon. But during the 40-minute discussion and question-answer session, Farnitano was steadfast in saying he and his fellow Bay Area health officers will let data and science drive their decisions as to when the next phase of "phased reopening" is appropriate. Read More
Between Infection Rates Or Hospitalizations, Which Data Paints Most Accurate Picture?
BERKELEY -- When it comes to coronavirus infection rates versus hospitalization numbers, health officials must determine which data paints the most accurate picture. The changing numbers and data of new COVID-19 cases, rates of infection at any given time, and trends in different counties can lead to some confusion. Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly said the first set of numbers he looks at in the morning are COVID hospitalizations and how many are currently in the intensive care unit. That's what some leading epidemiologists are emphasizing as well. The constant flow of new numbers and data may be difficult to interpret. Read More
Small Turnout Of Shoppers Greets Reopening Of Solano Town Center In Fairfield
FAIRFIELD -- As shelter-in-place rules are relaxed, some counties are beginning to allow in-store shopping again, But the process is proving to be a slow one. The Solano Town Center shopping mall in Fairfield reopened Wednesday. Those who expected there to be huge crowds and booming business may have underestimated the depth of the pandemic's impact. For people who have been cooped up in their homes for two months, a trip to the mall must feel like a rare moment of freedom. At least that's how 7-year old Jonathan Bowers felt as he ran through the mall corridors. "I feel so happy," said Jonathan breathlessly. "I ain't never been this happy because I just hate quarantine sometimes." Read More
Few Options For Contra Costa Residents Seeking To Escape Heat Wave During Pandemic
ANTIOCH -- Typically, when the temperatures reach the century mark in Contra Costa County, there are standbys to cool down. But amid the pandemic, Concord's Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is closed, as is Antioch's water park, and no free air conditioning at malls or movie theaters, either. Even going for a social-distanced walk on the boiling concrete is a non-starter for just about everyone. Meaning if you are leaving the house, the choices are limited to one -- the cooling waters of the Delta. "This is the only option with this corona stuff going on. We have to stay indoors. This the only way to have fun right now," said jet-skier Dave Page. Read More
BART Unveils 15-Step Plan For Service As COVID-19 Restrictions Ease
OAKLAND -- BART unveiled a 15-step plan Wednesday to renew passenger confidence in the safety of riding public transit amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The plan continues and builds on the health and safety protocols BART enacted as the pandemic began in earnest in mid-March, including more frequent disinfection and sanitization of train cars and stations and making hand sanitizer available at all stations. The agency has procured enough hospital-grade disinfectant misters to fully disinfect each train car each night, which BART General Manager Bob Powers said should give passengers peace of mind as they try to avoid spreading or catching the coronavirus. Read More
Santa Clara County Health Officer Says Gov. Newsom Moving Too Quickly
SACRAMENTO -- Gavin Newsom has crafted himself as a data-driven governor, letting the facts dictate what has been a largely cautious approach to public safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now some California health officials are wondering if that's still the case as he moves rapidly through his four phases for reopening the state. "The pace at which the state has made these modifications is concerning to me," said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County's Health Officer, who issued the first stay-at-home order in the country in March. Speaking off-camera to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Dr. Cody made her strongest critique yet of the governor's approach and how the pace of re-opening could be endangering lives. Read More
North Bay Gym Owners Make Adjustments Before State Releases Reopening Guidelines
MARIN COUNTY -- Gyms, yoga studios and fitness centers may not be open to the public just yet, but during an online meeting with Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday, owners made it clear that physical fitness is key to good health. During the Zoom conference call, fitness center owners were hoping to learn more about guidelines for reopening. The governor didn't offer much in the way of details. "Guidelines that will be meaningful, that we hope to put out in the very, very near future," said Newsom during the call. "And I say very near future, because I don't want to say next week; but within a week or so." Many of the gyms are small businesses, like Sonoma Fit. Owner Adam Kovacs said he is prepping with the information that he thinks is coming. Read More
Oakland Coliseum Among Dozens Of DMV Field Offices Reopening Thursday
OAKLAND -- The Oakland Coliseum field office is among dozens field offices the California Department Motor Vehicles is opening on Thursday, after being closed March 27, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers with appointments may go in-person, to some 71 locations across the state, which will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of opening at 9 a.m. Wednesday. The DMV is currently reaching out to people with previously canceled appointments to reschedule them. To ensure health and safety during the pandemic, the DMV is requiring all customers to wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart in line. Read More
U.S. Death Toll From Coronavirus Tops Grim Milestone Of 100,000 Lives
NEW YORK -- More than 100,000 people have died from coronavirus in the U.S., the highest death toll of any nation, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. There have been nearly 1.7 million confirmed cases of the virus across the country (out of more than 5.6 million cases worldwide). New York continues to have the highest number of deaths of any state in the U.S., with more than 29,000. New Jersey, the state with the second-highest toll, has lost over 11,000 people to the illness. The state of California has fared better, with a total of 3,884 deaths total and 98,980 total cases reported as of Wednesday. Read More
Express Lane Tolls To Resume On Highways 237, 580, 680 After 2-Month Hiatus
WALNUT CREEK -- Tolls will resume on express lanes in the Bay Area next week as traffic volumes have increased amid the easing of restrictions in the region's shelter-in-place orders related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced Wednesday. Beginning at 5 a.m. Monday, express lanes on Interstate Highway 580 in Alameda County, Interstate Highway 680 in Contra Costa County, state Highway 237 in Santa Clara County and southbound Highway 680 over the Sunol grade in Alameda and Santa Clara counties will resume weekday tolling that has been suspended since March 20. According to the MTC, weekday traffic in most Bay Area highway corridors is now at least 60 percent as high as the levels reported during the same period last year. Read More
'Zero Bail Fail'; Alameda County Suspect Jailed 4 Times Since March, Released Each Time
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is publicizing the latest arrest of a man who has been arrested multiple times and released on zero bail, only to be arrested again. In social media posts on Facebook and Twitter, the sheriff's office posted four booking photo images of Aubrey Crowder with the hashtag #ZeroBailFail. The posts said Crowder has been arrested four times since March 27 for alleged robbery, assaults on officers, trespassing, drug and court order violations. Crowder was released again after trying to assault deputies, the sheriff's office said. Read More
California Schools Superintendent: $500 Million Needed To Give All Students Internet Access
SACRAMENTO -- The state of California will need at least $500 million to ensure all students across the state have Internet access and the technology required for at-home education during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday. According to Thurmond, about 600,000 students in California are in need of a computer or tablet and as many as 400,000 students lack Internet access at home. Thurmond said the state wouldn't discriminate in reaching that total, whether the funds came from a federal stimulus package or philanthropic internet service providers. "You can just break it down into small parts," Thurmond said in a Wednesday morning briefing on the so-called "digital divide." Read More
Napa Hair Salons, Barbershops Reopen For First Time In Over Two Months
NAPA -- The reopening of barbershops and hair salons is providing relief for some North Bay business owners as well as some residents in need of a haircut. Salons and barbershops across the state were given the green light to reopen by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday as part of Stage 3 of California's COVID-19 response. At Country Cutters on the north side of Napa, stylists were ready to go at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Kimberly Phelps, the owner of Country Cutters, said her phone was ringing nonstop since before sunrise. Read More
