COVID-19 Reopening Roundup: Santa Cruz Closes Out Summer Season In Pandemic Doldrums; Many Beaches Shut Down For Holiday Weekend
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- While the wildfires have raged in Northern California, the coronavirus outbreak, reopenings and school classes starting has continued. To keep you updated on the COVID-19 news you need to know here's a roundup of the top coronavirus and reopening-related stories.
Airbnb CEO: People Booking Months-Long Stays During Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- Airbnb has seen longer-term bookings rise during the Covid-19 pandemic. The San Francisco-based company revealed in June its bookings were actually higher than they were a year ago, before the pandemic put a stranglehold on the broader travel industry. "There's this really new trend where traveling and living are starting to blur together," the company's CEO, Brian Chesky, told CNN Business' Richard Quest on Thursday. "People are booking for weeks at a time or even months at a time." He suggested most of those bookings are from people looking to break up the quarantine boredom. Travelers are "not crossing borders, they're not traveling for business — but what they're doing is they're getting in a car, and they're going for two or 300 miles to nearby destination dive destinations, and they're staying at home," Chesky said. Read More
Many Bay Area Beaches Shut Down for Labor Day Weekend
SANTA CRUZ -- A number of beaches across the Bay Area will be closed over Labor Day weekend to prevent events that could spread COVID-19. Recent heat waves sent thousands to their local beaches, despite state guidelines prohibiting large gatherings. Temperatures are expected to reach the 90s over the weekend, so areas like Santa Cruz and Pacifica announced this week they are shutting down their beaches. "With the continuing health concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, the City is taking the necessary measures to promote the health and safety of our community," Pacifica Mayor Deirdre Martin said when her city announced its beach closures Tuesday. Napa County announced Friday that Lake Berryessa Recreation Area will be closed for Labor Day weekend -- not to prevent gatherings, but for recovery work from the LNU Lightning Complex fires. Read More
Six Bay Area Employers Cited By Cal/OSHA For COVID-19 Safety Violations
BAY AREA -- Cal/OSHA has cited six employers in the greater Bay Area for failing to adequately protect employees from the novel coronavirus, the agency said Friday. Cal/OSHA cited Uni-Kool Partners in Salinas, Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in Berkeley, Serve Max Farm Labor in Vacaville, Ruiz Farm Labor in Dixon, Michel Labor Services Inc. in Dixon, and M and J Williams Inc. in Santa Clara, which is doing business as Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The six are included among 11 employers cited statewide, in the food processing, meatpacking, health care, agriculture and retail industries. Penalties for the citations ranged from about $2,000 to a penalty of more than $50,000 for a food processing company in Monterey Park. Read More
Santa Cruz Closes Out Summer Season In Pandemic Doldrums
SANTA CRUZ -- The summer season in Santa Cruz is ending much the way it began, with closed beaches. For the coming holiday weekend, beaches will be closed except for certain hours for exercise to limit the spread of COVID-19. "I like to go to the boardwalk and lay out on the beaches so it feels like they're trying to keep the tourists away," said Santa Cruz resident Katherine Evans. Santa Cruz police will be patrolling in special beach vehicles looking for violators. The closure is another blow to the local tourism industry coming as it does on the last big holiday weekend of summer. The season has been marked not just by the pandemic, but by the devastating CZU Complex fires that filed the air with smoke and ash. Read More
Survey: Commuters Who Switched To Remote Work From Home Due To COVID-19 Saving Billions Of Dollars
SAN FRANCISCO -- If the pandemic shutdown has you working from home in the Bay Area, you are probably saving thousands of dollars by not commuting. A new survey says since switch to remote work last March, U.S. workers have saved more than $90 billion and ranks the Bay Area as one of the top 5 regions in the country saving the most. Upwork, an online remote job site for workers and employers, did the survey and published the results in an article titled, How the Shift to Remote Work has Impacted Commuting. The survey looked at 1000 workers, including about 300 who were working from home due to COVID-19 and another 150 prior to the pandemic, and asked them how much time they were saving without a commute. Read More
Pac-12 Partners With SoCal Pharma Company for Daily Coronavirus Testing
BERKELEY -- Having college football back by Thanksgiving has been a dream for many but there's new optimism that it can become a reality. The Pac-12 canceled all sporting events until next January but, with a rapid-testing option now available, the commissioner is saying we could see football return next month. "My initial reaction was excitement because I want to get back in the field. I want to be with my teammates," said Treyjohn Butler, a defensive back for the Stanford Cardinal. Nikko Remigio, a wide receiver with the Cal football program added, "Any hint of playing a season is great news for everybody, especially for us players. We're all itching to get out there." Many local college football athletes are celebrating the possibility of playing again on Saturdays. Pac-12 has partnered with San Diego-based Quidel Corp. to offer coronavirus test results in about 15 minutes. Read More
