San Francisco Bay Area COVID Roundup: Major Outbreak At Golden Gate Fields; FDA Approves Trump Treatment; Curfew Greeted With Defiance
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.
San Jose Protesters Defy New State COVID Curfew; Health Order Greeted With Anxiety, Resignation And Anger
SAN JOSE -- The night-time curfew for most of the Bay Area, for counties in the purple most-restrictive tier, went into effect late Saturday. It was met with anxiety, resignation and anger. Some two dozen protestors gathered down the street from San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo's house a little after the 10 p.m. curfew deadline. Most of the crowd dispersed and left about an hour later. A couple trucks with signs saying, "Recall Newsom" also drove by a few times. San Jose police officers set up cones and a few police vehicles on each side of 15th street and Washington. "There is no curfew," said San Jose resident Chris Griffin. "They can't do that." "This is an illegal curfew at 10 o'clock," added Danville resident David Gaskell. "We're not going to abide by it. It's ridiculous." Read More
FDA Allows Emergency Use Of Trump Treatment Antibody
WASHINGTON -- U.S. health officials Saturday agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month. The Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug to try to prevent hospitalization and worsening disease from developing in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms. The drug is given as a one-time treatment through an IV. The FDA allowed its use in adults and children 12 and over who weigh at least 88 pounds and who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 because of age or certain other medical conditions. Emergency authorization allows use of the drug to start while studies are continuing to establish safety and effectiveness. Early results suggest the drug may reduce COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression, the FDA said. Read More
Raiders Activate 7 Defensive Players From COVID-19 List In Time For Chiefs Rematch
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Raiders have activated seven players off the COVID-19 list after they missed practice this week as "high risk" close contacts to a teammate who had tested positive. Safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, defensive end Arden Key and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers all were activated Saturday and are on target to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Defensive end David Irving was also activated from the practice squad COVID-19 list and activated from the practice squad. Those players still need to get negative tests back Sunday before they can be cleared to play. Read More
San Jose Police: No Heavy Enforcement Of COVID Curfew Violators Planned
SAN JOSE -- California health officials said 94% of the state's population, 37 million people, will be affected by the curfew that starts at 10 p.m. Saturday. The big question is how authorities will enforce the curfew. San Jose police told KPIX they're not going to pull anyone over for driving at night or walking on the sidewalk pass 10 o'clock but they will make contact and talk to serious offenders such as those who host small or large gatherings. State health officials said the curfew is an updated version of the stay-at-home order we dealt with back in mid-March. This time, it restricts non-essential nighttime activities. Authorities said people can still walk their dogs, pick up food and perform other essential duties. "They stay out late, chances are they're drinking more and hanging out together more and not paying attention," said Janet Tillman, who supports the curfew. Read More
Coronavirus Warnings Slow Holiday Travel at Bay Area Airports
SAN FRANCISCO -- Health officials pleaded with people to not travel this Thanksgiving. From the look of things at Bay Area airports, many took that advice to heart. "In the Chicago suburbs where I live, the prevalence of Covid, it is almost nonexistent," said Scott Peterson after landing in San Francisco International Airport. "We've been traveling through all of this. It has not been a problem. Just take the proper precautions and try to do it right." For a pre-Thanksgiving weekend, it was a very quiet SFO Saturday with plenty of space in the parking lots and short lines at the security gates. There was no sign of a holiday rush. "I've been on far too many flights this year," said Cade Shipman. "I'm not too concerned, I know everyone is taking the right precautions. I am too." Shipman had just landed at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International airport where there was even less evidence of a travel rush. Read More
Few Signs of Pre-Thanksgiving Pandemic Panic Buying in East Bay
CONCORD -- The surge in COVID-19 cases has reportedly caused a new round of panic buying days before the Thanksgiving but worries about a lack of toilet paper may be overblown. The Costco in Concord is busy most weekends. It may have been busy by pandemic standards but there were parking spaces available in the lot. Inside, crowded aisles and long checkout lines were nonexistent. "All I hear is 'Panic shopping! Panic shopping!'" said Robert Stewart of Walnut Creek. He avoided Costco and went to Safeway in Alamo instead. What he found there was also unexpected. "There's plenty of paper towels, there's plenty of toilet paper in there," he said. "I was actually shocked. I actually found sanitizing wipes as well." Read More
COVID Outbreak Keeps Live Racing At Golden Gate Fields On Hold; More Than 200 Workers Test Positive For COVID
ALBANY -- Golden Gate Fields will extend its suspension of live racing through the end of the month due a major COVID-19 outbreak among the horse track's staff, officials said. Golden Gate Fields officials originally announced they would close for one week because two dozen cases had been confirmed. During the ensuing weeks, the number of positive tests has climbed to "more than 200 people living or working on-site at the racetrack." Berkeley health officials said they were working with track management to address the outbreak. "City of Berkeley Public Health continues to work closely with Golden Gate Fields on a significant outbreak," health officials said in a statement Saturday. Read More
Hawaii Imposes New COVID-19 Travel Restrictions; Holiday Travel Plans Disrupted
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) -- Less than a month after several airlines restated flights to Hawaii from San Francisco Bay Area airports, the surge in new COVID cases threw holiday travel plans to the sunny Islands into jeopardy. Gov. David Ige has announced that anyone flying to Hawaii will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test result prior to their departure for the state, with the new rule going into effect two days before Thanksgiving. Until now, passengers flying to the islands using a pre-travel testing program were permitted to arrive and then upload their negative test results to a state database, allowing them to skip two weeks of quarantine. However, some travelers who arrived in Hawaii without their test results wound up later testing positive. That, in part, prompted the rule change, Ige said at a news conference. Read More
Other Trending Bay Area COVID stories
San Francisco Braces For Move Into Purple Tier And Wave Of Renewed Restrictions
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Health Department says the city is in the middle of a dramatic surge - cases are rising faster than ever. The numbers have quadrupled over the past few days. "SF is in the red tier and not immediately impacted by the order," said SF Public Health Department Director Dr. Grant Colfax. "However, our trajectory could have us in the purple tier as early as Sunday. At that point we will need to abide by the shelter-in-place order." UC San Francisco said its COVID admissions on Thursday were double the average. "Even though we were doing really well, it's only a matter of time before we catch up," said UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. "There's been increasing travel the week before Thanksgiving, there were the political celebrations, all these things make it such that our numbers are going up." Read More
Pared-Back Pandemic Feasts Goose Demand for Tiny Turkeys
BERKELEY -- Not only will there be fewer people around Thanksgiving tables this year, COVID-19 has also spurred a demand for downsized turkeys. Smaller birds are almost sold out everywhere as people and businesses adjust to Thanksgiving during a pandemic. "The one consistent thing about the pandemic is that it keeps changing," said Amy Murray, owner and chef of Revival Bar & Kitchen in Berkeley. Since the pandemic began in March, Murray has overhauled her restaurant repeatedly, from take-out only to building a parklet outside to offering Thanksgiving dinner to go. The best seller this year is the half turkeys. "Not everyone wants to cook. Families will be smaller and not everyone will be coming home and traveling this year," Murray said. Read More
Gov. Newsom's Child Quarantined for Possible COVID-19 Exposure
SACRAMENTO -- One of Gov. Gavin Newsom's children may have been exposed to the coronavirus at school and is in quarantine, a spokesman said Friday. The child began a 14-day quarantine "from the date of exposure" after the family was told a classmate at the private school had tested positive for COVID-19, Nathan Click said in an emailed statement. The rest of the governor's family is not quarantining because they weren't directly exposed. "The family has taken the potential exposure seriously and is following all state protocols," Click said. The governor, his wife and all four of their children have tested negative for the virus, Click said. He didn't identify the child who was in quarantine. Read More
California Health Care Experts Plan for Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine When Available
SAN FRANCISCO -- With COVID-19 cases surging, an extended evening curfew and California counties now mostly all in the purple tier, there is pandemic fatigue but also hope. While Californians continue to socially distance, wear masks and practice good hand-washing hygiene, the focus is shifting to promising reports of progress toward approval of an FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine. "If it happens on Thanksgiving Day, it happens on Thanksgiving Day but we'll be ready to go," remarked Stanford University professor Dr. Yvonne Maldonado. Early Friday, Pfizer applied for emergency approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. A large team of medical officers and compliance experts are now poring over piles of data, not yet made public, which detail the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. Soon, experts in California get to dig in. Read More