COVID-19 Reopening Roundup: Imperial Valley Patients At SF Hospitals; Indoor Dining Shut Down In Marin; Coastside Beaches Eerily Deserted
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. Here a roundup of stories from over the July 4th weekend.
Surge In New Cases Forces Marin To Shutdown Indoor Dining
SAN RAFAEL -- Citing a surge in new cases, Marin County health officials Monday shutdown indoor dining at local restaurants as they paused the pace of business reopenings during the current COVID-19 pandemic. As of Friday, Marin has had 1,311 confirmed coronavirus cases since mid-March. Seventy patients were hospitalized and 19 have died. The order -- which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday -- means indoor dining will not be allowed for a minimum of three weeks in Marin because of the ongoing public health emergency. The mandatory closure comes only one week after restaurants were allowed to offer inside seating for the first time since March. Read More
Seriously Ill COVID-19 Imperial Valley Residents Moved To San Francisco Bay Area Hospitals
SAN FRANCISCO -- Seriously ill COVID-19 patients from Imperial Valley were being treated early Monday in two major San Francisco Bay Area hospitals after an outbreak of the virus has overwhelmed medical facilities along the California-Mexico border. In emails to KPIX 5, officials at both UC-San Francisco and Stanford confirmed patients have been transferred to their hospitals from border communities. UCSF spokeman Scott Maier confirmed that their facilites were treating "three COVID patients from Imperial County in Southern California." Meanwhile, Stanford Medical officials also confirmed patients have been transferred. on their medical need and when Stanford is able to provide unique treatment for high-acuity patients," officials said in an email. "Stanford Health Care has received a small number of COVID-19 patients in transfer from counties outside the Bay Area. This has included but is not limited to Imperial County," Stanford official said. Read More
Californians Avoid Holiday Crowds As Coronavirus Cases Surge
LOS ANGELES -- Californians mostly heeded warnings to stay away from beaches and other public spaces during the long weekend as state officials urged social distancing amid a spike in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. Many communities canceled July 4 fireworks shows and other annual festivities, changes that appeared to successfully keep crowds at bay. Volunteers were acting as "goodwill ambassadors" to remind people about closures at Los Angeles County waterfronts, Department of Beaches and Harbors spokeswoman Nicole Mooradian said Sunday. "In terms of compliance, most beachgoers have been staying away. But surfers, not so much," Mooradian said. A weekend swell brought big waves that proved irresistible to some, she said. Read More
Marin County Placed On California COVID-19 Watch List
SAN RAFAEL -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that Marin County has been added to the list of California counties that are being closely monitored for increased COVID-19 activity. Marin joins Contra Costa and Santa Clara as the San Francisco Bay Area counties on the list. The California Department of Public Health created the watch list of counties as the COVID-19 situation has changed significantly over recent days such as a spike in confirmed cases, hospitalizations, outbreaks in congregate settings, or an increase in community transmission in workplaces. The watch list is based on COVID-19 data and triggers a review by state health officials of open business sectors and current COVID containment strategies among other factors. Read More
Giants Star Buster Posey Uncertain He Will Play In COVID-19 Shortened Season
SAN FRANCISCO -- As the San Francisco Giants gathered Saturday for a pre-season workout, the team's star catcher Buster Posey was still on the fence over whether he will play in Major League Baseball's COVID-19 shortened season. While he took part in the socially distanced workout, he said it will make up his mind over the next few weeks. "I just really think there's no way we can give a hard line answer one way or another to what this is going to look like a week from now much less two months from now," the six-time All-Star said. Read More
Coronavirus Closures Leave Coastside Beaches Eerily Deserted on Fourth of July
HALF MOON BAY -- Two coastside towns that rely heavily on tourism are turning visitors away this holiday weekend due to an uptick in coronavirus cases across the state. Pacifica and Half Moon Bay closed off their beaches and associated parking lots to keep people out. Parking along Highway 1 in the two cities was also prohibited. "The best way we know how for folks to be safe right now is to not congregate in large groups," said Pacifica mayor Deirdre Martin. "The more alcohol goes into somebody's system, they seem to get looser, generally speaking. And people let their guard down, take their masks off," said Half Moon Bay mayor Adam Eisen. Read More
Marin County Beaches See Lighter-Than-Normal Holiday Crowds on Saturday
STINSON BEACH -- As one of relatively few beaches in California that was easy to get to on Saturday, Stinson Beach in Marin County was expected to be jam-packed. A lot of people did show up but it wasn't the problem it might have appeared to be. "If you look down the beach you see how incredibly crowded it was," said Jessica Tracy from Berkeley. "We were sort of giving ourselves a pat on the back for being more safe. But, once you go down there, you see that it's also equally spread out." It's actually a trick of the eye. Objects seen from a distance appear to be closer together so it seemed like everyone was right on top of each other. But the truth was, despite being a large gathering by pandemic standards, for the most part, people were trying pretty hard, and doing a pretty good job, of keeping their distance. Read More
Fifth San Quentin Death Row Inmate Dies During Prison COVID-19 Outbreak
SAN QUENTIN -- While California has not executed a death row inmate since 2006, an out-of-control COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison may have contributed to the death of a fifth condemned inmate on Saturday. To date, more than 1,300 prisoners and 120 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at the state prison in Marin County. Among those who have fallen victims to the deadly illness have been San Quentin's aging population on death row. On Saturday, Dewayne Michael Carey, 59, died at an outside hospital from what appear to be complications related to COVID-19. An exact cause of death has not yet been determined. Read More
California Woos In-State Travelers Stuck At Home Due To COVID-19
SAN FRANCISCO -- Californians starved for travel aren't welcome in New York and can't even land in Europe because of the surging coronavirus outbreak in their home state so they are being wooed by local tourism boards promising safe and clean lodging, dining and sightseeing in a bid to boost their devastated economies. Sonoma County's tourism bureau rolled out its "Life Opens Up" campaign this week, aimed at people within an easy drive of California's San Francisco Bay Area wine country. Visit Santa Cruz County also launched an advertising campaign this week, inviting people to "Let's Cruz Again" even as it reminded visitors to wear a mask. Read More
Oakland McDonald's Worker Alleges Attack By Customer Refusing To Wear Mask
OAKLAND -- A worker at a McDonald's in Oakland has filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA alleging a customer at the drive-thru attacked her after she refused him service for not wearing a mask, as well as claiming prior incidents of worker abuse by customers and management's lack of concern for worker security. The worker, 19-year-old Maria Resendiz, was working at the drive-thru window at the McDonald's on the 6600 block of San Pablo Avenue on June 27 at around 3 p.m. when a customer pulled up to the window without a mask. Resendiz said after she asked the customer to wear a mask as required by the county and the restaurant, the customer told her "I don't need no Mexican b---- to tell me what to do," according to the OSHA complaint filed this week. Read More
