San Francisco Bay Area COVID Roundup: Newsom Party Controversy Continues To Simmer; SF Officials Slam Door On Warriors Reopening Plans
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.
UC Berkeley Students Weigh Risks Of Going Home As Holidays Approach
BERKELEY -- With holiday travel being discouraged as COVID-19 cases keep rising, students at UC Berkeley and at colleges across the country are left in a predicament, to go or not to go home. Not only is the concern that students can potentially infect their loved ones when they go home but can also bring back the virus to the Bay Area. Michael Kramer, a recent graduate said, "It's just sad, thinking that things are on the rise and I'm imagining with people traveling in and out for the holidays, cases are only going to go up." College students from across the country will be heading home for the holidays. Some will be coming back to the Bay Area while others like Kramer will be heading down to Orange County to see his Mom and Dad for Thanksgiving. Read More
Gov. Gavin Newsom Remains On Hot Seat Over French Laundry Dinner Party After Photos Surface
YOUNTVILLE -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week he made a "bad mistake" by attending a friend's birthday dinner during a spike in coronavirus cases and promised to "own it" and move forward. But there was more to the story than he revealed. Photos obtained by Fox 11 in Los Angeles show the governor in the company of multiple lobbyists and raise questions about how truthful Newsom was in claiming the dinner was outdoors. The images threaten his credibility at a time when he and health officials are pleading with Californians to stay home and not gather with friends and relatives outside their households. "I just think it's a very poor judgment," said attorney and California GOP committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who told KPIX 5 that business owners have emailed her Wednesday, very upset about the Governor's actions. "I have had Californians write to me desperate about the schools being closed about their business … which was already on its knees now having the boot of the state on its neck. Yet, for Gavin Newsom it's like Mardi Gras or something," Dhillon said. Read More
San Francisco Rejects Golden State Warriors Plan To Bring Fans Back To Chase Center
SAN FRANCISCO -- A plan proposed by the Golden State Warriors to bring fans back to the Chase Center in San Francisco when the next NBA season starts in December was rejected Wednesday. The San Francisco Department of Public Health said in its rejection, "In the present circumstances, bringing thousands of individuals (and households) together - many of whom would travel and return from other counties - creates too much risk of widespread transmission in transit and while visiting San Francisco." Warriors owner Joe Lacob introduced his plan called "Operation Dub Nation" that would test every person before they walk into Chase Center last week. Lacob was even willing to pick up the estimated $30 million bill. Team management was hoping to fill the Chase Center to 50 percent capacity with the plan. Lacob, who has a masters in epidemiology, came up with the 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
San Rafael In-Person Learning Sees Zero Virus Transmission So Far
SAN RAFAEL -- Some schools in Marin County show a possible path to reopen in-person learning safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of San Rafael has a unique challenge. It has to transport children from one of the most underserved parts of the city to schools that have started to re-open. The city started busing the youngest students last week. It's not an easy task, but school officials think they can do it safely, even as Marin County has moved into a more restrictive tier. Each day, more than 300 children from parts of San Rafael are bused into schools like Venitia Valley, which have more space, but are too far from their homes. Read More
Local Businesses Express Frustration Over Coronavirus Shutdown
NAPA -- As COVID case rates continue to surge across the Bay Area and the state, some North Bay businesses feel they are taking an unnecessary hit. In Napa County, health officials say 33 percent of virus spread is coming from household exposure, with another 24 percent from friends and family. That is very much in line with what the state health officials are describing across California: the surge is being driven largely by people gathering together -- in homes and in other places -- and contributing to the spread. That has a lot of business owners in Napa asking why they are the subject of the new virus crackdown. "You know, it's a desolate street," said Erin Riley, owner of Be Bubbly wine bar. "The restaurants are closed. Retail shops are closed. With the rain, it was almost like it was crying for us." Read More
Tests Ahead Of Holidays May Give People A False Sense Of Security
PLEASANTON -- COVID test sites have been packed around the Bay Area this week as residents rush to get swabbed before Thanksgiving, hoping to get the all clear before family gatherings. There are many testing options around the Bay, but lately just getting the test seems to be the hard part. And when you do get tested and get your results, it doesn't mean you're in the clear next week. Carma Cheng and her two sons got their COVID test Wednesday in the CVS drive-thru line. "We just wanted to before the holidays, to make sure we were healthy. We plan to stay with our own family," said Cheng. She said securing appointments meant booking them at the strike of midnight, and even then there was no guarantee. Read More
49ers: Kinlaw Placed On COVID List While Team Claims Takk McKinley
SANTA CLARA -- Just weeks after a positive COVID-19 test kept several of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive weapons off the field, the virus appears to be plaguing the team's defense. The team announced Wednesday that it placed rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw on the COVID-19 list, mere days after the team added defensive lineman Arik Armisted to the list. The team also noted that it just began contact tracing, so other players could be added to the list. The announcements come after the team went through an ordeal with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne testing positive, then negative twice, then positive again before testing negative before the 49ers played the New Orleans Saints. The original positive test and contact tracing prevented Bourne, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams from playing against the GReen Bay Packers, who beat the 49ers 34-17. Read More
COVID-19 Pandemic Sending Additional Trash Into Bay Area Waterways
OAKLAND -- The Bay Area received its first significant rainfall in months this week. While early rains often wash a lot of debris into San Francisco Bay, COVID is introducing additional unusual trash to the water. As the rain water drains through cities, it is carrying much of that COVID-related trash to the Bay. "This year, the problem is even worse because there's so much extra trash being generated cause of COVID," said David Lewis, the Executive Director of Save the Bay. "There are gloves, mask and much more Styrofoam and plastic from the takeout food." Face mask are floating down drainage canals, washing up on the banks of channels near the Oakland Coliseum. Rotting gloves are getting stuck in thorny grass. That pandemic-related trash is in addition to the increased number of food containers that litter the shore. "It's great that people are protecting themselves with PPE, but when this trash gets out on the street, it goes directly into the Bay," said Lewis. Read More
Raiders Add 7 Players To COVID-19 List Ahead Of Rematch Vs. Chiefs
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Raiders have placed seven more players on the COVID-19 list as "high risk" close contacts with teammate Clelin Ferrell after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Ferrell, a starting defensive end, was placed on the list Tuesday following his positive test, along with defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. Safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, defensive lineman David Irving, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, defensive end Arden Key and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers were added to the list on Wednesday after contact tracing. If those players all keep testing negative and have no symptoms they will be able to return to play Sunday night at home against Kansas City, even though they will miss the week of practice. "We practiced today and we'll be ready for the game on Sunday," coach Jon Gruden told Kansas City writers during a conference call after the news came out. Read More
Pac-12's Postseason Dreams Dimming Due to COVID-19
BERKELEY -- It's been a mess of a season for Pac-12. With so many games canceled due to the COVID-19, it's looking unlikely that a Pac-12 team will go to a bowl game. Teams are doing everything they can to make sure they get enough games in to legitimately be considered for a bowl. Any bowl. UCLA and California even got together and scheduled their own Sunday morning game at the Rose Bowl. But time is quickly running out as the league enters its third weekend with coronavirus cases spiking across the nation. No Pac-12 team has had it worse than Utah. The Utes have seen their first two games of the shortened season canceled because of COVID-19 outbreaks, but on Saturday night they're set to host No. 20 USC (2-0). Asked what Utah can accomplish this season with limited games, coach Kyle Whittingham said the Utes just want to play at this point. Read More
Contra Costa DA Preps For Anticipated Health Order Violation Complaints
MARTINEZ -- With Contra Costa County falling back into the most restrictive category of COVID-19 business and social gathering guidelines, District Attorney Diana Becton knows her office will be seeing more complaints about businesses and individuals flouting the rules. To that end, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office has set up a task force to educate merchants and others about the rules, and to investigate complaints if needed. So far, Becton told the county Board of Supervisors this week, it's been more guidance and less punishment. "We are noticing an uptick in complaints" about businesses ignoring restrictions on mask-wearing, social distancing, customer capacity and other directives spelled out in Contra Costa Health Services health orders, Becton said. Read More
Some Residents Resist California's New Coronavirus Restrictions
YUBA CITY, Sutter County -- Rick Patrick wears a mask and thinks those who don't are "asinine." He rarely leaves his home. He disapproves of what he calls the "stupidity" of people gathering in crowds. But Patrick, 64, won't stop eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant in Yuba City even though it's supposed to be closed to inside dining following California Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest health mandate aimed at curbing a frightening spike in coronavirus cases. "You've got to support these mom and pop businesses," he said Tuesday morning while sitting inside Linda's Soda Bar and Grill on Plumas Street, the city's main street. "What are we going to do? We're going to lose all of them." In the midst of a record rise in new cases, state officials on Monday pulled the "emergency brake" on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening. Read More
