COVID-19 Reopening Roundup: Beach Towns Tell July 4th Visitors To Stay Away; COVID-19 Raging Out Of Control At San Quentin
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The tsunami of news about the current coronavirus outbreak and now the reopenings 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 so you can start your day with the latest updated developments.
Good News -- Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Ex-Cal Star Ivan Rabb Assists With Free Meals At Mom's Restaurant
OAKLAND -- Ivan Rabb was one of the most dominant high school basketball players in Bay Area history. He won a state championship at Bishop O'Dowd High School before playing two seasons at Cal. In 2017, the Orlando Magic selected him 35th overall in the NBA Draft. Rabb's season with the G-League's Westchester Knicks was cancelled because of the pandemic, and during the idle period he's been spending time at home with his family. That means quality time with his brother Tamarik who attends the Haas School of Business at Cal, and his mom Tami who owns DeVaughn's Cajun Kitchen in Oakland. "My boys keep me going," Tami Rabb said. And when business slowed because of the outbreak, Tami's sons encouraged her to stay the course. Read More
For Uplifting Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Visit Our Better Together Section
Pacifica, Half Moon Bay Asking Out-Of-Town Beachgoers To Stay Home On 4th Of July
HALF MOON BAY -- The mayors of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay have a message to all out-of-towners: If you don't live here, stay away this Fourth of July. "Let's start off with the fact that we are a tourist town, and that we totally embrace tourists coming to Half Moon Bay," said Mayor Adam Eisen. "I get the allure of the beach, but you know, then you want to flip it and say, 'I've got people in the community, constituents that are literally fearful of their lives, as we've seen droves of people come at an unprecedented level.'" Eisen and Pacifica Mayor Deirdre Martin said that throngs of beachgoers have been flocking to their cities recently, and packing parking lots to the point where cars are filling up neighborhoods. Read More
Neighbors Say Homeless Encampment In Mission Bay Is Growing During COVID-19 Pandemic
SAN FRANCISO -- Residents in Mission Bay say the problem of homeless encampments, particularly on the backside of the Caltrain station on King Street, has worsened in just the last few weeks. It's hard to miss the growing mix of tents, junk, and trash covering the sidewalk leading to I-280 South. "I am not happy with it, actually it's getting worse and more people, homeless people there and stands and bicycles," said Iryna Fedorchuk. Tanner Fornesi also lives in the neighborhood. "I drive to work at 5 o'clock every morning to south city and sometimes a lot of people are already awake and in the street," he said. "Little nerve-wracking going to hit anybody, and I've noticed in the past there's been more presence to help these people out." Read More
Stanford Unveils Plan To Welcome Students Back To Campus During COVID-19 Pandemic
STANFORD -- Stanford has unveiled its plan to welcome students back to campus during the coronavirus pandemic. "While we very much look forward to welcoming undergraduates back to campus, we need to be clear about what you should expect: The safeguards we will need to implement will fundamentally change the student experience," said Vice-Provosts Susie Brubaker-Cole and Sara Church in a letter posted on the campus website, on Monday. Most classes will remain online even for students living on campus. Students are not required to return to campus but for those who do will come in phases. Freshman and sophomore students will be able to return for the Fall and Summer quarters. Juniors and seniors can return in the Winter and Spring quarters. Read More
San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak Reaches 1,100 Cases Among Inmates, Staff
SAN QUENTIN -- An out-of-control COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison grew to 1,100 confirmed cases among inmates and staff members Monday with seriously ill convicts being transferred to ICU units across the San Francisco Bay Area. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCT) on Monday said it was setting up air-conditioned tent structures within the prison to help deal with the outbreak was determining the best was to use the additional medical triage and housing space. According to the CDCR's web site, there were 1,016 active cases Monday morning among the 3,776 inmates housed at the facility. Of those cases, 973 have been confirmed over the last 14 days. None of the infected inmates have recovered from the virus. Among the staff, prison officials said 89 have been confirmed as being infected with six recovering enough to return to work. Read More
Hotel Rooms Alameda Co. Leased For Homeless Sit Empty Months Into COVID-19 Pandemic
OAKLAND -- At the start of the coronavirus pandemic California officials knew immediately if it spread into the homeless population a disaster could occur, so the state leased hotels to house people living on the streets. Now, months into the pandemic, many of the rooms sit empty. The state identified, and Alameda County leased the Comfort Inn and Radisson Hotel near the Oakland Coliseum as places for homeless people to recover or seek refuge from the virus. "It was a win-win when it came up because they were empty. We don't have tourists anymore," said James Vann, co-founder of Oakland's Homeless Advocacy Working Group. But what sounded like a great way to get the homeless off the streets hasn't exactly panned out. Read More
Newsom Signs CA Budget Closing Estimated $54.3 Billion Deficit With Taxes, Spending Cuts
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget on Monday that closes California's estimated $54.3 billion deficit by temporarily raising taxes on businesses, delaying payments to public schools and cutting billions of dollars in spending on state services and worker salaries. The $202.1 billion budget mostly spares public schools and health care programs from spending cuts by pulling heavily from the state's primary savings account and putting off billions of dollars in expenses to future years. But it carries $11.1 billion in spending cuts, including $2.8 billion from state worker salaries, $1.7 billion from public colleges and universities and $248 million from housing programs. "In the face of a global pandemic that has also caused a recession across the world and here in California, our state has passed a budget that is balanced, responsible and protects public safety and health, education, and services to Californians facing the greatest hardships," Newsom said. Read More
AMC Delays Reopening Theaters After Months Shut Down Due To COVID-19
SAN FRANCISCO -- AMC Theaters, the nation's largest chain, is pushing back its plans to begin reopening theaters by two weeks following the closure because of COVID-19. The company said Monday that it would open approximately 450 U.S. locations on July 30 and the remaining 150 the following week. The company had planned to begin opening theaters in mid-July, but last week the July theatrical release calendar was effectively wiped clean when Disney and Warner Bros. decided to delay the releases of "Mulan" and "Tenet" to August dates. AMC CEO and President Adam Aron said that its general managers across the U.S. started working full time Monday to get their buildings ready to reopen. AMC has several Bay Area multiplex theatres in the Bay Area, including AMC Bay in Emeryville and AMC Metreon in San Francisco. Read More
Oakland Coliseum Parking Lot Could Be Converted To Drive-In Theater For A's Games, Movies
OAKLAND -- The Oakland A's are looking to get fans involved once the season starts up again with a unique idea one city leader hopes will attract more people to the Coliseum. Oakland City Council member Rebecca Kaplan and others are working with the Coliseum Authority to install massive screens in the parking lot of the Coliseum to show movies and live baseball to socially-distanced fans. In addition to showing movies, there are discussions to possibly project A's games when the season finally starts. Sports consultant and retired A's Executive Vice President Andy Dolich likes the idea."Anybody that has a pickup truck, they have their own luxury suite," said Dolich. Read More
Deceased San Quentin Death Row Inmate Richard Stitely Tests Positive For COVID-19
SAN QUENTIN -- Richard Stitely, a condemned inmate at San Quentin State Prison that was found unresponsive in his cell last week and pronounced dead, was confirmed Monday to have tested positive for COVID-19 as an outbreak at the prison was spreading exponentially. The Marin County Coroner's Office said the positive test was conducted by the California Department of Public Health as part of a forensic examination of the 71-year-old Stitely, who had been on Death Row since 1992. The coroner's office said the cause, mode and manner of death were undetermined pending additional investigation and toxicology testing. Read More
Alameda County Joins Other Bay Area Regions In Pausing COVID-19 Reopening
ALAMEDA COUNTY -- Health officials in Alameda County announced Monday afternoon that they would be pausing the county's current reopening plans due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The announcement comes as other parts of the Bay Area including Contra Costa County, Marin County and San Francisco made similar moves in recent days due to rising coronavirus cases. Alameda County health officials said they would be extending their timeline for phased reopening and pulling back a request for the Board of Supervisors to support the county's planned variance attestation on June 30. According to the statement issued by health officials, Alameda County's case rate per 100,000 people has risen from 63.2 to 71.1 over the past week. Read More
Newsom: Rising COVID-19 Numbers Leading State To Toggle Back Reopenings, Increase Enforcement
SACRAMENTO -- California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday said the state is pausing the reopening "dimmer switch" in a number of counties facing alarming coronavirus spikes, as well as increasing enforcement of the state's health orders. During his Monday address on the state's response to the pandemic, Newsom noted that he has frequently said there was a possibility that changing data might force officials to step back from phased reopening in parts of the state showing a rise in case numbers. "The approach is a dimmer switch, and that approach is different in each county," said Newsom as he outlined some of the rising COVID-19 numbers. "We don't like the trend line." Read More
Contra Costa County Pauses Reopenings As COVID-19 Infections, Hospitalizations Spike
MARTINEZ -- Contra Costa County announced Monday it would delay any more reopening of businesses and activities planned for July 1 as COVID-19 outbreaks soar in the county. The decision comes a day after Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a number of counties to close down bars and recommended to other counties, including Contra Costa and Santa Clara, to not reopen bars. The county was slated to open bars, indoor dining, gyms, outdoor leisure activities, personal services, and hotels for tourism on July 1. "With the sharp rise in community spread and hospitalizations, it does not make sense at this time to open additional business sectors that could further accelerate community transmission," said a statement from Contra Costa Health Services. Read More
Gilead's $2,340 Price For Coronavirus Drug Remdesivir Draws Criticism
FOSTER CITY -- The Bay Area maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients says it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries. Gilead Sciences of Foster City announced the price Monday for remdesivir, and said the price would be $3,120 for patients with private insurance. The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance, income and other factors. "We're in uncharted territory with pricing a new medicine, a novel medicine, in a pandemic," Gilead's chief executive, Dan O'Day, told The Associated Press. Read More
San Francisco Pride Celebration Looked Very Different In COVID-19 Era
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pride celebration in San Francisco's Castro District didn't have the normal crush of celebrants Sunday as in past years so the unified message of equality was expressed in many different ways. This year's event took place amid the COVID-19 outbreak that kept local bars shuttered and forced the cancellation of the annual Pride Parade. Still some came to the Castro to dance while others marched in protests and rallies with friends. "This just gave people a reason to gather and celebrate that we are still alive and fighting for something that is bigger than all of us," said San Francisco resident Katie Dyas. Read More
Contra Costa County Officials To Delay July 1 Bar Reopenings
CONCORD -- Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen says she and her colleagues will heed Gov. Gavin Newsom's warning and not give local bars approval to reopen on July 1. On Sunday, alarmed at increases in new cases and hospitalizations, Newsom ordered bars that have opened in seven California counties to immediately close and urged eight others including Contra Costa and Santa Clara to follow suit voluntarily. "We were slated to open them on July 1, but given the governor's announcement, we will definitely not be opening bars on July 1st," Andersen told KPIX, citing contact tracing as one of the biggest challenges. "It is very difficult in a bar where you have lots of people interacting," she continued. "Whereas in other settings, a workplace, even a hair salon where you know who's coming, who's going, where you can then alert them when they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19." Read More
