COVID Roundup: Diners Rush For Last Indoor Restaurant Meal; Newsom Apologizes For French Laundry Party; Holiday Travel Warning Issued
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With a surge in coronavirus cases, the information you need to know is coming fast and furious. Here's a roundup of the COVID stories we've published over the last 24 hours.
Anxieties Rise As New Cases Surge And Business Restrictions Return
SANTA CLARA -- Anxieties were rising in Santa Clara late Friday night as the county was teetered on the edge of slipping back into the state's more restrictive reopening tier in the wake of a new wave of COVID cases. The stormy weather seemed to put an exclamation point on the already gloomy news that COVID is surging and the county will be cancelling indoor dining in Santa Clara County next week. That throws restaurant workers and managers into yet another financial tailspin. "We're not feeling overly happy or confident right now, but it is what it is and we just do our best to get through," said David Mulvehill of O'Flaherty's. Read More
San Francisco Diners Get Last Meals Inside Before City Reinstates Indoor Dining Ban
SAN FRANCISCO -- After Friday night, diners in San Francisco will temporarily be unable to eat indoors as rising COVID-19 cases force health officials to roll back some reopenings. Earlier this week, city leaders said a 250 percent spike in COVID cases since October would require renewed restrictions on indoor activities to help reduce the spread. The temporary indoor dining ban starts at midnight Friday. Fitness centers and movie theaters will have to operate at reduce capacity and high schools that haven't opened will remain closed for indoor instruction. Many restaurants complained the ban is a big step backward. They said removing the indoor dining option will result in massive layoffs and likely lead to even more permanent restaurant closures. Read More
Santa Clara, Marin Counties To Halt Indoor Dining; Move Back To Red Tier Imminent
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara and Marin County will halt all indoor dining amid a sudden spike of COVID-19 cases, with other Bay Area counties set to follow suit, health authorities announced Friday. In addition, the dramatic increase in cases will assure the counties will be moved to the state's Red Tier of coronavirus risk beginning on Tuesday when the state provides its next assessment. Unless the current surge is quickly brought under control, both counties expect to be moved to the Purple Tier in the next few weeks, according to health officials. The shutdown for indoor dining in the county will go into effect on Tuesday, November 17 at 12:01 a.m., officials said. Read More
Gov. Gavin Newsom Regrets Attending Party at French Laundry
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed regret Friday for attending a birthday party at an exclusive Wine Country restaurant last week, ignoring his own state's advisories on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Francisco Chronicle broke the news earlier Friday that the governor attended the Nov. 6 50th birthday party for Jason Kinney, one of his political advisers, at the world-renowned French Laundry in Yountville. The party hosted more than 12 people, which defies state guidelines on public gatherings during the pandemic. Asked for a comment about the party, Newsom released the following statement: "While our family followed the restaurant's health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner." Read More
Golden State Warriors Propose Plan for 50% Fan Attendance at Chase Center Games
SAN FRANCISCO -- Many of the details of the 2020-21 NBA season -- including actual team schedules -- remain unknown but the Golden State Warriors are planning to have fans attend games at the Chase Center in some capacity. Warriors owner Joe Lacob came up with this plan called "Operation Dub Nation" to test every person before they walk into Chase Center. He's even willing to pick up the estimated $30 million bill. The Warriors would like to fill the empty seats at Chase Center to 50 percent capacity. Lacob, who has a masters in epidemiology, came up with a testing plan. Warriors chief operating officer Rick Welts promised in a video statement, "Everyone from our employees to our part-time workers to every fan will be tested." Read More
Dr. Mark Ghaly: 'We Are Concerned' As California Sees Fastest Growth In New Daily Coronavirus Cases
SACRAMENTO -- After reaching the grim milestone of 1 million COVID-19 cases, California is seeing the fastest rate of increase in the number of daily reported infections since the start of the pandemic, public health officials said Friday. There has been a 47.1% increase in the number of new cases in a one-week period since the beginning of this month, according to Dr. Erica Pan, who is currently serving as the state's acting public health officer. "This is almost a 20% faster rate of rise and the fastest rate of rise we have seen in California," Pan said. "When cases are increasing at this pace, it is really important for us to act quickly." The state reported 6,893 additional cases of Covid-19 on Friday, a higher number of new infections than the state's seven-day average of 6,773 cases. The two-week test positivity rate has also increased from 3% to 4%, according to Pan. Read More
Contra Costa County Suspends Indoor Dining, Movie Concessions, Indoor Gyms Over Surging Cases - 'We Must Act Now'
MARTINEZ -- Health officials in Contra Costa County on Friday announced that indoor dining, movie concession stands and indoor fitness centers will suspend operations next week as COVID-19 cases rise in the Bay Area, the state and across the country. Contra Costa Health Services announced the above businesses are being ordered to close as of Tuesday, November 17 at 8 a.m. "Indoor interactions at restaurants, movie theaters, and indoor gyms and fitness centers are high-risk activities," county health officer Dr. Chris Farnitano said in a statement on Friday. "And given what we're seeing happen across the country and the region, we must act now." Read More
West Coast States Issue Holiday Travel Advisories as Cases Climb
SACRAMENTO -- The governors of all three states along the west coast issued a joint travel advisories Friday as cases of COVID-19 continue to rapidly increase across the nation. The advisories urged visitors heading to the west coast or returning home from other states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. They also recommended postponing all non-essential out-of-state travel and were requesting everyone to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country. "California just surpassed a sobering threshold – one million COVID-19 cases – with no signs of the virus slowing down," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. "Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers and vulnerable Californians. Travel increases the risk of spreading COVID-19, and we must all collectively increase our efforts at this time to keep the virus at bay and save lives." Read More
Golden Gate Bridge To Lay Off Nearly 150 Employees Due To Budget Shortfall To Avoid Toll Hike
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden Gate Bridge District Board of Directors voted Friday to lay off nearly 150 employees to help shore up the district's projected budget shortfall of some $48 million due to reduced ridership during the coronavirus pandemic. By an 11-5 vote, the board chose to eliminate 146 filled staff positions and 59 vacant ones in early January. The board elected the layoffs in lieu of raising the bridge toll by up to $2 to replace the district's lost revenue. Dennis Mulligan is General Manager of the Golden Gate Bridge. He says Friday was a hard day for the Bridge. "About 155 will be laid off. The total number of effected positions is a little over 200 and we have about 840 employees so, about a quarter of our workforce will be impacted," said Mulligan. Read More
Elon Musk Says He May Have COVID-19 As SpaceX Astronaut Launch Gets Delayed
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX delayed its second astronaut flight by a day because of high wind and weather conditions that could jeopardize the recovery and recycling of the rocket booster, pushing the launch to Sunday. Friday's postponement news came after SpaceX chief Elon Musk disclosed he had gotten mixed test results for COVID-19 and was awaiting the outcome of a more definitive test. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said anyone testing positive for COVID-19 must quarantine under NASA policy and remain isolated. Officials said contact tracing by SpaceX found no link between Musk and any personnel in close touch with the four astronauts, who remain cleared for flight. Read More
Cal Football To Begin Season At UCLA On Sunday After Pac-12 Calls Audible
BERKELEY -– Hours after having their second football game canceled due to the coronavirus, the California Golden Bears announced their season will start this Sunday. The team will play UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with an early kickoff time at 9 a.m. "The date became available after both the Golden Bears' and Bruins' previously scheduled games were canceled. Neither of the teams' opponents – Arizona State for Cal, Utah for UCLA – were able to play due to COVID-19 protocols," Cal Athletics said in a statement. "As I've told our team many times, the one thing we have learned is to expect the unexpected," head coach Justin Wilcox said. "We appreciate all of the hard work that everyone has done on so many levels to allow us to play this weekend, and we are thankful the opportunity has arisen to play at UCLA. Read More
