COVID-19 Roundup: Death Toll Mounts During Surge; SF Priest's Controversial Newsletter; Oakland Teachers Push Back On Reopening Plans
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 here's a news roundup of the top coronavirus and reopening-related stories from the last 24 hours.
Oakland Teachers Spar With District Over Back-to-School Plans
OAKLAND -- Oakland schools are scheduled to open for distance learning in less than two weeks but the district and teachers are at odds with no concrete plan in place. The Oakland teachers' union is making some striking allegations against the Oakland Unified School District. The union directly attacked the superintendent, Kyla Johnson-Trammell, for her lack of leadership. The union says that, after three weeks of negotiations, there's no distance-learning plan or any agreement on what's expected from teachers. "I have to say it's very disappointing that the district took the time to disrespect the work educators yesterday," said Oakland Education Association president Keith Brown. Brown took offense to a labor negotiations update released by the Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday. Read More
San Francisco Priest Stirs Controversy, Downplays Pandemic Calling Virus Reports 'Largely Unreal'
SAN FRANCISCO -- A Bay Area Catholic priest is stirring up controversy about politics, the coronavirus and the media. Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco's Richmond District is following city and county orders by holding mass outside and limiting the number of attendants. But Fr. Joseph Illo says many Catholics have stopped going to church to avoid the "slightest chance" of getting sick because they are more concerned about "safety than sanctity." These days, Star of the Sea doesn't hold "mass gatherings" but, rather, mass is celebrated with face coverings and social distancing in the church parking lot for no more than 12 people with overflow parishioners moved back to the sidewalk. Read More
Residents Push San Francisco Officials To Clear More Homeless Encampments
SAN FRANCISCO -- Facing a lawsuit from residents, business owners, and UC Hastings, San Francisco launched a massive effort to resolve homeless encampments in the Tenderloin earlier this month.. While that effort appears to be enough to settle the lawsuit, city leaders are now hearing from other neighborhoods. The city had just over a month to clear 70% of the tents in this area, and they did it. Many streets reflect that, but others do not. The conditions on Willow, for example, are getting a lot of attention. And then there's the neighborhoods beyond the Tenderloin. "I have been here since 1973, in this neighborhood and this residence since 1988," explains David. "It has never been this horrific." Stepping outside his Castro home, David walks right into the city's homeless crisis within a block, and in just about any direction. Tent encampments, the most visible bellwether of the crisis, seem to be arriving in waves again. From the Mission and South of Market, through the Panhandle, even in the farthest reaches of the avenues. Read More
California Records 194 New COVID Fatalities; State Death Toll Approaches 9,000
SACRAMENTO -- California came close to setting another single-day record for coronavirus deaths with 194 recorded Thursday, just three short of the single-day mark set only 24 hours earlier. The state is closing on another sobering milestone with the total number of COVID-19 deaths hitting 8,909. In all likelihood, California's total death toll from the virus will probably pass 9,000 on Friday. The previous daily high of 157 deaths was reported just a week ago ago on July 23. However, not all of the news provided by the state's latest numbers was bad. While the total number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases on Thursday was 10,197, figures indicate that the 7-day average number of new cases has dropped to 8,555 per day from 9,920 a week prior. California has 485,502 confirmed cases to date. Read More
At Least 31 Workers Infected With COVID-19 At Costco Stores In Santa Clara County
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County health officials are investigating clusters of COVID-19 cases at four Costco stores in the South Bay. At least 31 workers have been infected; 13 at the store in Sunnyvale, 8 at the one on Senter Road in San Jose, 6 cases in Gilroy, and 4 in Mountain View. Health officials define a cluster as three or more cases within two weeks. The Sunnyvale Costco on Lawrence Station Road reported the infections occurred between July 23 and July 26. Regular shopper Craig Lee said he was hesitant to return at first, but was assured by a friend who works there it was safe to shop there. "Originally it was like, 'Ooh, we're not going to go shopping,'" said Lee. "They completely cleaned the place up. So I didn't have any problem at all." Read More
California Lawmakers Slam EDD For Slow Payouts During COVID-19 Pandemic
SACRAMENTO -- California lawmakers accused the leader of the state's unemployment department of failing the public in a tense hearing Thursday that featured stories of people waiting weeks or months to receive their benefits after losing their jobs because of the pandemic. More than 1.2 million claims, about a fifth of all applications, haven't been paid out, either because the applicants haven't taken the right steps or they are ineligible, said Sharon Hilliard, head of the Employment Development Department. It will take until September to process about 239,000 of those that are mostly ready to go but backlogged, she said. "It's difficult to say this as someone who generally believes in government's ability to help, but EDD has been failing California," said Democratic Assemblyman David Chiu. "Our constituents are depleting their life savings, going into extreme debt, having trouble paying rent and putting food on the table." Read More
49er RB Jeff Wilson Jr. Placed On COVID-19 List
SANTA CLARA -- The San Francisco 49ers revealed Thursday that the team placed backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. on its Reserve/COVID-19 list. According to the team's announcement, the list is for players "who either tests positive for COVID-19 or has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons." "If a player falls into either of these categories, his club is required to immediately place the player on the Reserve/COVID-19 List," the statement read. "Clubs are not permitted to comment on a player's medical status other than referring to roster status and may not disclose whether the player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19." Wilson is the second player to be placed on the list, as the team announced Monday that wide receiver Richie James Jr. was added. But Wilson is the first member on the list after the team started testing team veterans for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Read More
Owners of San Francisco's Cliff House Restaurant Sue Insurers
SAN FRANCISCO -- Owners of the Cliff House restaurant in San Francisco announced Wednesday they are suing the insurance firm Allianz and its affiliates, claiming the companies didn't honor the national park concessionaire's business interruption policy. In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, Dan and Mary Hountalas said they closed the Cliff House temporarily on March 16 to comply with emergency orders imposed to stanch the coronavirus pandemic, but Allianz and its affiliates refused to cover their resulting losses. For 47 years, the Hountalases have run the Cliff House concession, which sits on San Francisco's western edge and overlooks the ocean. They laid off nearly all 185 of their employees amid the pandemic, according to a statement they released Wednesday about their case. Read More
Second San Francisco Sheriff's Staff Member At Hall Of Justice Tests Positive For COVID-19
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Sheriff's Office confirmed that a second sworn staff member assigned to the Hall of Justice tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday. The Sheriff said it is not yet known where the employee may have contracted the virus. "We are testing both staff and justice-involved people in our custody to identify and isolate individuals who are infected," said Sheriff Paul Miyamoto in a press release issued Thursday afternoon. "Given the spread of the virus and the prevalence of asymptomatic positive cases, there are bound to be positive results. We follow up immediately with contact tracing, alerting people who may have been exposed and could potentially expose others. This is how we prevent further spread." "The risk of transmission is mitigated with Sheriff's Office policies that include physical distancing, masking at all times and frequent hand washing," added Dr. Lisa Pratt, the San Francisco Director of Jail Health Services. Read More
California Pizza Kitchen Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Pizza Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Thursday as San Francisco Bay Area restaurants continue to struggle for survival amid COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting indoor dining. The popular chain has 14 restaurants throughout the Bay Area. The 35-year-old pizza chain warned that it will close unprofitable locations, but didn't say how many of its 200 global restaurants will be affected. "The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on our operations certainly created additional challenges, but this agreement from our lenders demonstrates their commitment to CPK's viability as an ongoing business," CEO Jim Hyatt said in a release. CPK secured nearly $47 million in new financing to ensure operations continue normally. It has around $13 million cash on hand and hasn't paid rent for the past several months on a majority of its locations. Read More
United States Economy Shrinks By Record 32.9 Percent In Second Quarter
NEW YORK -- The United States economy endured its worst quarter in recorded history this spring. The real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) -- the value of all the goods and services produced in an economy -- declined at an annual rate of 32.9 percent. That's according to the advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The decline reflects the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced much of the country to stay home and limit spending.The previous record occurred in the first quarter of 1958, when the economy shrank by 10 percent. The coronavirus contraction this past spring far exceeds the first quarter of 2020, which included two months of normal economic activity, and any quarter during the Great Depression. Read More
Santa Clara County To Place Census Kiosks At COVID-19 Testing Sites
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County announced on Wednesday that it will set up Census 2020 kiosks at pop-up COVID-19 testing sites to mitigate the effects of President Donald Trump's claim that he will exclude undocumented immigrants from the counts used in congressional redistricting. The kiosks are part of a larger effort to ensure that all county residents are counted and will provide tablets for people waiting to get tested to fill out the census on the spot. "Our team is committed to make sure we have a full count here in Santa Clara County because that is our right," said Nick Kuwada, manager of the county's Census 2020 Program. "When you fill out the census, you are helping yourself, you are helping your community, especially in this time of COVID-19." Read More
San Francisco Unveils Continuing Medical Care Facility In Presidio; 'Current Situation With COVID-19 Is Serious'
SAN FRANCISCO -- With COVID-19 cases on the rise, San Francisco health officials announced Thursday they would be opening up a continuing medical care facility in the Presidio to allow for more beds to be freed up in local hospitals to handle the current surge. San Francisco Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax said the facility will handle non-COVID-19 patients who require short-term, non-intensive medical care that normally would be treated during an extended hospital stay. If and when it is needed, the facility will be ready to serve up to 93 patients. Currently, the empty building is being converted and was hoped to be completed in the near future. "The current situation with COVID-19 is serious," San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a release. Read More
OUSD To Reform Online Makeup Courses After Harsh Jury Report
OAKLAND -- Oakland Unified School District recently took steps to reform an online program designed to help failing students following a scathing civil grand jury report released last month. The district hired a consultant earlier this year to review its online credit recovery program before it will allow Castlemont High to use it in the upcoming school year, which starts Aug. 10 with district-wide distance learning. The credit recovery programs enable students to make up traditional classes they failed. In the report released in June, called "Castlemont High: Cheating its Students," an Alameda County civil grand jury found that the Oakland school and the district had "failed" its students awarding some students unearned grades and allowing unqualified students to graduate. Read More
'That Was Weird'; Giants Hands-Free Walkoff Victory Celebration A Sign Of The COVID-19 Era
SAN FRANCISCO -- As San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski rounded third base after launching his second homer of the night, a towering solo shot into McCovey Cove in the ninth inning to defeat the San Diego Padres, he could have anticipated the mob greeting he would have at home plate. But this is Major League Baseball in the COVID-19 Era. No one would rip off his jersey. There would be no human pig-pile of joyous teammates. No shower of water and shaving cream. Instead, the players stood in a circle and waved their arms. Some even wore their face masks. "That was weird. I didn't know what to expect," Yastrzemski said. "Obviously we're trying to do our best to stay safe and avoid as much contact as possible. Sometimes in that situation you just have to follow the lead and everybody was doing the right thing. We just jumped around." Read More
