Bay Area COVID-19 Roundup: Many Feeling 'Zoom Fatigue'; Fry's Electronics Shutting Down Stores; Bay Area Counties Move To Red Tier
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.
Newsom Signs $7.6 Billion State COVID-19 Stimulus Package; Millions To Get $600 Check
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $7.6 billion coronavirus relief package on Tuesday that will give at least $600 one-time payments to 5.7 million Californians while setting aside more than $2 billion in grants for struggling small businesses. Newsom signed the law as Congress is debating a much larger stimulus package for the nation, a proposal that could also put money into the pockets of most Americans. And it comes as the governor is facing a recall effort fueled in part by widespread anger over his handling of the coronavirus, particularly its impact on businesses "The backbone of our economy is small business. We recognize the stress, the strain that so many small business have been under," Newsom said at a bill-signing ceremony at Solomon's Deli in Sacramento. "And we recognize as well our responsibility to do more and to do better to help support these small businesses through this very difficult and trying time." Read More
Many Feeling 'Zoom Fatigue' After Months Of Video Conferencing During Pandemic
STANFORD -- Nearly a year into the pandemic, and many of us are experiencing what a Stanford University study has dubbed "Zoom fatigue." The term was coined after millions of people across the country began relying on Zoom to work or connect with friends and family, but the study says the fatigue can come from any type of video conferencing platform. Marinelle Carino, who is in advertising sales, said she has experienced Zoom fatigue after traveling and meeting clients face-to-face became non-existent as COVID-19 swept across the country. "Building that repertoire that has just come down to Zoom only so it's been kind of challenging," Carino said. David Ramirez, chief executive officer of Contractors.com and California.com, said he works even more now because there's no excuse for commute time or grabbing lunch. Read More
San Francisco Lifts 10-Day Quarantine Requirement For Travel Outside Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO -- Health officials in San Francisco announced Tuesday that residents who travel outside the Bay Area for nonessential purposes are no longer required to quarantine for 10 days upon returning as COVID-19 cases continue to decline. The Department of Public Health lifted the quarantine order as the city recorded a seven-day average of 89 new cases per day, far below the 374 cases per day during the recent surge. The order was put in place during the height of the holiday travel season in mid-December. While the quarantine order is lifted, health officials stressed that a state travel advisory discouraging travel more than 120 miles away from home is still in effect. Travel destinations further than 120 miles from San Francisco include Lake Tahoe, Big Sur and Mount Shasta. Read More
No Return Date Yet For San Francisco Schools; District, Unions Still Far Apart
SAN FRANCISCO -- As the one-year mark approaches since the last time San Francisco public school children were in class, it appears the school district and the teachers union are not any closer to agreeing on a plan to open up classrooms. The United Educators of San Francisco teachers union is calling for a mediator to step in. "I'm really frustrated. I'm hurting. My heart hurts for my kids every day. Keeping kids out of school can't be our answer to stop the spread of the virus," said San Francisco resident and parent Lillian Archer. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) held a Zoom news conference Tuesday to update the progress toward an agreement with the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) union and indicated both sides have very different proposals for in-person teaching. Read More
Fry's Electronics Shutting Down Operations; Victim Of COVID-19 Fiscal Woes
SAN JOSE -- Long-time San Francisco Bay Area retail mainstay Fry's Electronics has announced it will be shutting down its 31 stores across nine states as a result of the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, the company has struggled to keep its doors open in the wake of shutdowns forced by surges of the illness in California and across the nation. On Wednesday, the San Jose-based chain shutdown its website, posting a good-by message to its customers. "After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry's Electronics, Inc. has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic," the company said. Read More
Bay Area Counties Move To Red Tier Easing Restrictions On Businesses, Public And Private Gatherings
BURLINGAME -- At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, San Mateo and Marin counties moved from the purple tier to the red tier, easing COVID-19 restrictions for businesses and individuals. Exiting the purple tier means indoor dining is now allowed at 25 percent capacity in San Mateo and Marin Counties. For Crepevine in Downtown Burlingame that means it can offer up to 4 tables inside. "It helps for customers, especially when we have adults or seniors that they don't want to sit outside with this weather, so it helps a lot," said Manager Giovanni Cea. The red tier also means that museums, movie theaters and gyms can reopen at reduced capacities. Reopening public schools are up to districts. Read More
Marin and San Mateo Counties Move into Red Tier; San Francisco Still in Purple
SACRAMENTO -- The California Department of Public Health updated the state's COVID-19 tier map Tuesday, showing that both Marin and San Mateo counties had moved into the less restrictive red tier. Other California counties that progressed from the purple tier into the red Tuesday were Humboldt, Shasta and Yolo counties. Trinity County moved from the moderate orange tier to the more restrictive red tier. Sierra and Alpine counties are currently the only counties in the state that have moved into the orange tier. While San Francisco was anticipated to possibly be one of the counties to move from the purple to red tier, it remained one of the 47 counties still in the most restrictive purple tier. Read More
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Clears Major FDA Hurdle
WASHINGTON -- In an analysis released Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration said the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has met the requirements for emergency use authorization. The efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against moderate to severe/critical Covid-19 across all geographic areas was 66.9% at least 14 days after the single dose vaccination and 66.1% at least 28 days after vaccination, a new analysis meant to brief the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee said. "There were no specific safety concerns identified in subgroup analyses by age, race, ethnicity, medical comorbidities, or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection," the analysis said. In a briefing document, the FDA said that it has reviewed the data for the vaccine and has determined that it is "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19." Read More
'Let's Reopen Them' Parents Protest To Restart In-Person Learning In Sunnyvale
SUNNYVALE -- Frustrated parents in Sunnyvale and Cupertino have threatened to launch a recall of school board members if there's not an aggressive plan to reopen elementary, middle and high schools after a year of distance learning due to COVID-19. "We're not going to sit quietly anymore. We are the voice for our kids. They have no one else. The system is not taking care of them," says Karen Boiman, a mother of four. Roughly a hundred parents and students protested outside Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, voicing their frustration with the slow pace of school reopenings in the area. "We know how to open school safely. Let's reopen them," says Raj Singh. Singh pulled his second-grade son out of his neighborhood school in favor of a private school where he could attend classes in-person. Read More
SamTrans Latest Transit Agency To Offer Free Rides To Vaccination Sites
SAN MATEO COUNTY -- The San Mateo County Transit District announced that it will offer free rides to county COVID-19 vaccination sites starting Thursday, joining other local transit agencies. SamTrans said in a statement that bus passengers presenting proof of appointment or a vaccination card upon boarding can receive the free rides. Passengers on the Redi-Wheels and Redi-Coast paratransit services can also receive free rides to and from vaccination sites. "As a public agency, it is important to provide our communities with transit-friendly options to vaccination sites that will help ensure equitable access in San Mateo County, especially for vulnerable communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic," said SamTrans board of directors chair Charles Stone. Read More
San Francisco Supervisors Approve Fund To Help Save Music and Entertainment Venues
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously passed Supervisor Matt Haney's legislation to create a fund to support the city's music and entertainment venues, city officials announced. The San Francisco Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund will aim "to provide financial support to San Francisco's venues which have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic," according to a release issued by Haney. "It's a good day for our city and for our city's nightlife community. We are creating a fund that will provide relief, at a time when our venues need it the most," Haney said in the release. The fund will be administered by the Office of Small Business in consultation with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Entertainment Commission. Read More
Mount Diablo District Calls On Families To Fill Out Reopening Survey
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY -- Mount Diablo Unified School District is asking for all families to fill out a survey by next Monday to help the district in its planning for how to reopen schools for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. The survey asks families to choose between having their student continue with 100 percent distance learning or participating in a hybrid model where they would to come to the school two days a week in the afternoon for "in person" support. In both options, students would keep their currently assigned teachers for morning instruction via distance learning, but may see a different teacher in the afternoon, according to the district. Read More
Vaccination Site Opens At Church In Hard-Hit East San Jose
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County health officials announced on Tuesday the opening of a large COVID-19 vaccination site at a church in East San Jose, as it seeks to improve vaccine access in hard-hit communities. The site located at the Emmanuel Baptist Church located on 467 North White Road would have the capacity to vaccinate 500 people per day, officials said. "Having vaccination sites in communities that are most adversely affected is key to getting beyond this pandemic. We here at Emmanuel are glad to be able to offer our site as a space of hope and help during this time," said Jason Reynolds, Senior Pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Emmanuel Baptist Church has partnered with the county before, serving as a COVID-19 testing site since the fall. At least 40,000 tests have been conducted at the site. Read More
