Bay Area COVID-19 Roundup: Massive Santa Clara U Frat Party Controversy; Inmate Transfers Caused 'Public Health Disaster'; Lafayette Pop-Up Vaccination Clinic Shut Down
CBS San Francisco Staff Report
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With the surge in new coronavirus cases beginning to ease and demand for vaccination growing, 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.
Santa Clara University Warns Of Suspensions After Photos Surface Of Massive Frat Party
SANTA CLARA -- Officials at Santa Clara University have warned students of possible suspensions for violating COVID-19 protocols after photos surfaced of a recent frat party with dozens of people in attendance. Photos posted on an Instagram account called "@snitchscu" showed a large backyard gathering at the California Phi house. According to The Santa Clara student newspaper, the party drew more than 75 people. "While most students have done an excellent job abiding by the important health directives, it is disappointing that others have blatantly disregarded those directives, to the detriment of other community members," university provost Lisa Kloppenberg and vice provost for student life Jeanne Rosenberger said in an email to the student body last week. The school's Office of Student Life said they have received complaints from large gatherings and are actively following up. Read More
Report: Transfer Of COVID-Positive California Prisoners Caused 'Public Health Disaster'
SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation risked the health and safety of thousands of inmates and prison staff last year by transferring potentially COVID-19-positive inmates to San Quentin State Prison, according to a report released Monday by the state's inspector general. The CDCR and California Correctional Health Care Services, which oversees health care within the state prison system, transferred 189 inmates from the California Institution for Men in Chino between May 28 and 30 of last year amid a coronavirus outbreak at the facility. Read More
Parents, Board Members Meet To Plan Safely Reopening Oakland Schools
OAKLAND -- Under California's COVID-19 restrictions, schools may reopen once the county they operate in is under the red tier. But while some Bay Area schools have welcomed back students, others aren't ready to take that step just yet. "We are in a pandemic, and there are no good solutions," said Oakland Unified School District Board Member Mike Hutchinson. OUSD is recommending that students return to the classroom when Alameda County is in the orange tier. Hutchinson said Oakland currently has more COVID-19 cases than any other city in the county. School board members held a virtual meeting with parents on Monday night to ask for their input on how to get students back to campus safely once full in-person learning is reinstated. The meeting is one of several that board members plan to hold with parents and the community. Meanwhile, Monday marked an important day for students in the Los Gatos Unified School District. Kindergarten through second graders were allowed on campus, which opened up for the first time in almost a year. Read More
Los Gatos Elementary Students Return To Class For In-Person Learning
LOS GATOS -- A South Bay school district at the center of a vaccine controversy on Monday began welcoming elementary school kids back into the classroom to resume in-person learning. The Los Gatos Unified School District has been focused on distance learning since last March, so the anticipation and planning to reopen schools was huge. "I'm super excited!" one student told KPIX. It was a big day at Blossom Hill Elementary in Los Gatos. As the district phases students back to school for in-person learning, the children are adjusting to a whole new set up. "The gates are laid out by grade level at this point. When the children enter, they have their temperatures taken and they sanitize their hand," said principal Lisa Reynolds. "And there's social distancing markers all around the school." Read More
Major League Baseball To Start On Time After Players Reject Delay
NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball will proceed with an on-time start to spring training and the season after players rejected a plan Monday night to delay reporting by a more than a month. "In light of the MLBPA's rejection of our proposal, and their refusal to counter our revised offer this afternoon, we are moving forward and instructing our clubs to report for an on-time start to spring training and the championship season, subject to reaching an agreement on health and safety protocols," MLB said in a statement. "We were able to complete a 2020 season through Herculean efforts and sacrifices made by our players, club staff and MLB staff to protect one another," MLB said. "We will do so again, together, as we work towards playing another safe and entertaining season in 2021." MLB proposed to the players' association on Friday that the start of spring training be pushed back from Feb. 17 to March 22, that opening day be delayed from April 1 to April 28 and that each team's schedule be cut from 162 games to 154. MLB believed the virus situation would improve during the month delay. Read More
Lafayette Pop-Up Vaccination Clinic Shut Down After Complaint Shots Went To Wrong People
LAFAYETTE -- A pop-up community COVID-19 vaccination clinic set up at Stanley Middle School, in Lafayette, has come under fire because of complaints that the wrong people were getting shots. The complaint alleges leftover doses were given to people who shouldn't have received them. Monday was a community-driven vaccination day with more than 600 people getting their first round of the COVID vaccine. "Our oldest patient was 100-and-a-half," said Dr. Rebecca Parish who, along with other volunteer health professionals, set up the pop up vaccine clinic mid-January. "It was a really exciting thing, it was great ," Dr. Parish said, describing the vaccination day. But afterward, a complaint was filed with the County Health Department and Medical Board alleging doses were given to people who shouldn't have gotten them. Read More
Neighborhood Vaccination Site Opens In San Francisco's Mission District
SAN FRANCISCO -- Monday morning, San Francisco officials toured a new COVID-19 vaccination site in the Mission District which signals a new approach in reaching out to the City's marginalized communities. The site located at 24th and Mission is considered the heart of SF's Latino Cultural District and is one of the neighborhoods most impacted by the pandemic. Health officials said testing continues to show that the Latino community is experiencing high rates of new infections, with recent results revealing more than 1 in 10 Latinos who are tested are testing positive for the virus. UCSF, Unidos en Salud (United in Health) and the Latino Task Force created the COVID testing site. By bringing testing to the neighborhood they generated a lot of goodwill with the people. But even the Task Force members were surprised by the response when it came time to vaccinate. "I will characterize it as shocking," said Health Committee Chair, Jon Jacobo. "I honestly thought that the surveys we were gonna do would come back much more negative." Read More
Great America Theme Park Seeks To Reopen In May With Limited Capacity
SANTA CLARA -- Great America in Santa Clara has announced that the amusement park would reopen with limited capacity on May 22. "We continue to monitor state guidelines and work with industry and government officials to ensure our reopening plan meets all required health and safety regulations," read a statement on Great America's website. New COVID-19 safety measures will require guests to plan their visits in advance, to download the park mobile app to their phones, to pass health screenings and temperature checks before entering the park and to use contactless payment methods like credit cards, Apple Pay or Android Pay. All guests ages 2 and older will be required to wear face coverings that cover the nose and mouth except while dining at a table or bench. Also, guests will be asked to maintain 6 feet of distance from other groups and to wash their hands every 20 minutes. Read More
CA Allows Camping To Resume On State-Owned Lands
SACRAMENTO -- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed camping to resume Monday on state-operated lands and wildlife areas and federal wildlife refuges. The CDFW allowed camping to resume in light of the state lifting its coronavirus-related stay-at-home order statewide. A full list of CDFW-controlled properties that allow camping can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Closures. Campers are advised to observe the California Department of Public Health's travel advisory to avoid non-essential travel of more than 120 miles from a person's home to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Campers should follow state and local public health guidance by physically distancing from people from other households, wearing a face covering when within six feet of another person and planning for some services like bathrooms to be unavailable or closed. Read More
