Bay Area COVID-19 Roundup: Crimes Linked To Lockdown-Violating Underground Gatherings; Santa Clara Relaxes Outdoor Gathering Rules
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 Unveils Vaccine Plan Aiming To Reopen California Classrooms
SAN FRANCISCO -- California released a new plan Thursday outlining how the state will allocate vaccines to education workers as Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push to reopen more schools to in-person instruction. The Democratic governor announced last week that at least 10% of the state's vaccines would go to education workers starting in March, which translates to roughly 75,000 dedicated doses a week. On Thursday, his office released an overview showing how those vaccines would be distributed. Each week, the state will provide 75,000 doses to county offices of education for distribution. Teachers and other education workers will get single-use codes to make expedited appointments online. If that many vaccines do come through, it could be a matter of weeks for California's 320,000 K-12 public school teachers to be inoculated. Read More
San Jose Mayor Joins Parents Calling For Speedup In Reopening Classrooms
SAN JOSE -- San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo waded into the battle over reopening schools, urging the leaders of the numerous school districts covering the city to find ways to accelerate the reopening of campuses for in-person learning. "Schools can be open -- elementary schools -- and teachers and staff and children kept safe even without vaccinations," Liccardo said at a press conference Thursday in front of the padlocked gates of Horace Mann Elementary. The challenge for Liccardo and parents calling for the resumption of in-person learning in San Jose is daunting. In the city of San Jose, there are 19 different school districts -- each with their own leadership and reopening plans. Read More
San Francisco's Moscone Center Vaccination Site Resumes Operations
SAN FRANCISCO -- One of San Francisco's three mass vaccination sites reopened Thursday after being shut down for 10 days due to ongoing COVID vaccine supply issues. The Moscone Center site was busy when it reopened at 11 a.m., but the lines outside were orderly and moved quickly. Each cordoned-off section was designated for appointments scheduled for every 15 minutes. Despite being closed for 10 days, the site resumed operations without missing a beat. Staff was distributing 4,000 doses a day before they closed. They are aiming to hit that same number right out of the gate. San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney told KPIX 5 the Moscone site now has enough doses on hand to keep operating at the pace of 4,000 a day for the next two weeks. Read More
Lockdown-Violating Underground Gatherings Investigated Over Recent Spate of San Jose Shootings
SAN JOSE -- A violent week in San Jose led police to uncover underground gatherings that violate state and county public health orders amid the pandemic, investigators confirmed Thursday. "These shootings occurred indoors where people should not be gathering for alcohol service, food service, etc.," said Sgt. Christian Camarillo. On Saturday, police discovered indoor activity at Agave Sports Bar & Grill on Alma Avenue after two women were shot. The victims, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, were bystanders of a scuffle between a security guard and a patron. The guard had confronted a customer who had brandished a gun inside the establishment and a struggle ensued. Sgt. Camarillo said they had been investigating the business for a few months after complaints of activity that appeared to violate the county's restriction on indoor activity. Read More
Oakley School Board Interim Trustees Vote to Fill Vacant Seats; Reject Special Election
OAKLEY -- There is now a plan in place to fill the vacant seats on the Oakley Union Elementary School District board after four trustees resigned over controversial comments about parents made during a virtual meeting they mistakenly believed was closed to the public. Some parents in Oakley are still upset about those board members bad-mouthing them for wanting kids back in the classroom. Thursday night, they learned they won't have a say about who fills those vacant seats. Contra Costa County School Board member Mike Maxwell, who filled in Thursday as an interim trustee, felt a special election would have delayed the effort to fill those empty seats. "The community got what they wanted however it slows the process down a little bit," Maxwell said. Read More
Santa Clara County Relaxes Outdoor Gathering Rules, Says Red Tier Move May Happen Next Week
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County announced that restrictions on outdoor gatherings and youth sports are being relaxed as of Friday, Feb. 26, with additional changes expected once the county enters the Red Tier, possibly as soon as next week. The county, currently in the Purple Tier, announced the changes Thursday citing progress made in vaccinating the community, along with declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations. "With vaccinations now reaching more broadly into the community, including over half of those age 65 and older, we are making significant progress in protecting our most vulnerable community members," county health officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement. Read More
Oakley School Board Resignations Likely to Slow Classroom Reopening Plan
OAKLEY -- Less than a week has passed since the entire Oakley school board resigned after being caught on a hot mic bashing parents, and now the district is working to figure out how to fill their empty seats. Thursday night's Oakley School Board meeting was only able to happen because two members of the County Board of Education stepped in to fill seats. For parents hoping the big shakeup will speed up school reopening, things may not move as fast as they would like. "Unfortunately, you gotta be careful what you wish for," said Contra Costa Board of Education Member Mike Maxwell. "When the board left, all of that board work kind of got set aside." Read More
California Allocates $1.4 Million To Track And Stop Attacks Against Asian Americans
SAN FRANCISCO -- Lawmakers in California this week allocated $1.4 million in state funds to help Asian Americans report hate incidents after a string of recent violent attacks in the Bay Area and across the state. "The rise in hate incidents against Asian Americans during the pandemic is alarming. But, we can't solve a problem without knowing how big it is," said Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco and chair of the state's budget committee. The funds will support the work of researchers at the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California Los Angeles as well as several initiatives including the Stop AAPI Hate website, which began collecting reports of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans on March 19 last year. Ting said he hopes the new state funding will "lead us to solutions that will make all communities safer." Read More
San Mateo County Hosting Clinic in Daly City For Residents 65 and Older
DALY CITY -- San Mateo County announced Thursday that it's hosting a two-day COVID-19 vaccination clinic for residents 65 years and older at Jefferson High School in Daly City. The clinic will offer first doses of the Moderna vaccine to county residents for free, regardless of insurance. The high school is located at 6996 Mission St., Daly City. Appointments will be available on Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day. People can sign up for a Friday appointment at signupgenius.com/ or for a Saturday appointment here. The clinic has the capacity to administer 300 doses each day. Read More
Nearly Half Of MDUSD Survey Respondents So Far Prefer Online Learning
CONCORD -- Early results from a survey of families in the Mount Diablo Unified School District show nearly half of them would prefer their students to remain in distance learning for the rest of the school year rather than return to campus via a proposed hybrid model, the district's superintendent said Wednesday night. Superintendent Adam Clark gave an update Wednesday to the MDUSD Governing Board on negotiations with labor unions and plans to reopen schools in the district. A survey sent out to families last weekend offered two options: continue with 100% distance learning or participate in a hybrid model where they would do distance learning in the morning and then come to the school two days a week in the afternoons for "in person" support. Read More
