COVID-19 Reopening Roundup: Thousands Swarm To Local Beaches; More Teens Struggling With Anxiety; Newsom Criticizes 'Weaponization' Of Post Office
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The tsunami of news about the coronavirus outbreak, reopenings and school classes starting 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.
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Heat Drives Surge in Coastside Crowds Flouting Beach Distancing Directives
PACIFICA -- Pacifica's mayor is urging people to stay away from the city's beaches this weekend as temperatures rise around the Bay Area. "The beaches are jam-packed, they're jam-packed during the week," said Mayor Deirdre Martin. "I'm seeing volleyball games, I'm seeing drinking games going on, I'm seeing football games and it's just highly suspect that those folks are not from the same family." KPIX captured video of throngs crowding Pacifica beaches, including at Linda Mar Beach. Some were not wearing masks or social distancing. Bay Area residents said that type of activity is not only happening in Pacifica. "It's been packed and we're suffering, I think, what Lake Tahoe is feeling," said Half Moon Bay resident Brent Turner. Read More
Family Demanding Answers About Recently Released San Quentin Inmate's Death
NOVATO -- A diabetic San Quentin inmate, who claimed he was dropped off at a Novato hotel to quarantine with little state support after his early release from prison during the facility's deadly COVID-19 outbreak, has died and his family is demanding answers. Mike Madeux first talked with KPIX 5 on July 31, complaining that during his first two weeks in quarantine he was left there for days without food. Finally, Madeux told KPIX 5, his meals where beginning to arrive. But about a week after the interview, his family sensed something was wrong when he didn't answer any of their phone calls. Then just 2 days away from being fully released from his quarantine, his mother in Tennessee got the call she hoped to never receive. "I was 16 when I had him so we grew up together," said Teri Sue Madeux, Mike's mother. "I just can't believe he's gone. It's going to take a long time to get over this one." Read More
Student Distraction Widens Digital Divide For Distance Learners During Pandemic
SAN JOSE -- Parents and educators have feared that online learning during the pandemic would leave some students behind, with the digital divide between wealthier and poorer families widening the achievement gap. But the divide in distance learning goes beyond technology. "You can get distracted very easily," says Junior Tello. The 11th grader says the transition to online learning has proven challenging even with his own laptop and a reliable Internet connection. "It would be better if we could just go to the regular public school. We could meet in person with the teachers. And if we had an issue, we could resolve it right there," says Tello. Eleventh grader Anthony Rodriguez agrees. "I'd rather go to regular school because I wouldn't get distracted as much," says Rodriguez. Read More
More Teens Struggling With Anxiety, Loneliness, Mental Health Issues During COVID-19 Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- The coronavirus is taking an emotional toll on teenagers. In fact, seven in ten teens say they've struggled with their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Colby Peck was thriving -- playing lacrosse, acting, taking campus leadership roles, and hanging out with friends, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her life. "It's like a lethargy. Everything blurs together," Peck said. She felt more than the typical teenaged moodiness. "It's been anxiety that leads to insomnia. And because I have insomnia, I'm not getting enough sleep, which results in more anxiety, and then you just fall into a slump or it's never ending," she described. Read More
Bay Area Beaches Remain Open During Hot Weekend
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA -- Looking to cool off at a beach this weekend? There's plenty of options in the Bay Area. Some counties on the Californian coast announced new restrictions and closures before the record heat this weekend. The city of Monterey announced Friday it planned to restrict activities on San Carlos and McAbee beaches to ocean play only -- no sunbathing or other activities on land allowed. Parking at its waterfront will be restricted to prevent crowding. But in the Bay Area, nothing's changed. What to be aware of is how counties differ in the restrictions these impose to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read More
Newsom Criticizes 'Weaponization' Of U.S. Postal System By Feds
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday criticized what he described as the "sabotage" of U.S. Postal delivery by the federal government, accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing the postal system. Newsom was asked about recent issues that had arisen with the U.S. Postal Service due to controversial new policies imposed by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, including eliminating overtime and slowing some mail delivery. Lawmakers from both parties and postal union leaders have sounded alarms over disruptive changes instituted by DeJoy this summer. Democrats claim he is intentionally undermining postal service operations to sabotage mail-in voting in the November election -- a charge he denies. Newsom pointed out that the issues were impacting more than just voting by mail. Read More
Fresno-Area Private School Holds In-Person Classes For 2nd Day, Defying Orders
REEDLEY, Fresno County -- Students at a private school in Central California attended their second day of in-person classes Friday despite state and county orders to close the school. Immanuel Schools in Reedley was ordered to close Thursday after it reopened classrooms in violation of a state health order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Fresno County also issued a health order against the school, ordering it to close its classrooms until the county is removed from a state monitoring list for two weeks. But news reports said students gathered in groups at the school for the first two days of the new school year without practicing social distancing or wearing masks. Read More
Newsom Touts COVID-19 Support Provided To School Districts As Fall Semester Begins
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday outlined the progress California has made in recent months to prepare school districts for the start of the fall semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In his midday speech, Newsom detailed how the state has helped districts with the early start of the school year by providing technological and financial support for distance learning. The state expects that at least 90 percent of public schools to implement distance learning protocols through the fall semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Newsom opened his speech by noting the importance of a safety-first approach and "a robust distance learning plan" to cover the period before teachers and students are able to return to classrooms. Read More
San Francisco Fitness Studio Coalition Demands City Rescind Health Order
SAN FRANCISCO -- The lawyer for a group of independent San Francisco fitness studios has demanded that city officials rescind the health order prohibiting indoor training after the health official who issued the order admitted there was no rational reason behind the ban. Trenton H. Norris, who is working as pro bono counsel for the San Francisco Independent Fitness Studio Coalition, sent a letter to Mayor London Breed, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragón calling on San Francisco to rescind the health order that has shuttered fitness studios from indoor activity since March 16. The letter cited a recent admission by Aragón during a virtual meeting of the city's Small Business Commission. Read More
California Judicial Council Votes To End Eviction Protections As Lawmakers Mull Fix
SACRAMENTO -- California will resume eviction and foreclosure proceedings on Sept. 2, stoking fears of a wave of evictions during the coronavirus pandemic unless the governor and state Legislature can agree on a proposal to extend protections into 2021. The Judicial Council of California voted 19-1 on Thursday to end the temporary rules that had been in place since April 6. Since the pandemic began in March, more than 10 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in California. A survey from the U.S. Census shows more than 1.7 million renters in the state could not pay their rent on time last month. California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has been reluctant to let the rules stay in place much longer, saying it's the job of the judicial branch to interpret the laws, not make them. Read More
