WASHINGTON (CBS/CNN) — The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan legislative financial relief package in the early hours of Saturday morning following intense negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Trump administration.

The bill passed with broad, bipartisan support and a final tally of 363-40 with 40 Republicans voting against it and Independent Justin Amash of Michigan voting “present.”

“We are proud to have reached an agreement with the administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues.

Late in the day on Friday, President Trump Donald tweeted his support for the measure that includes provisions for paid emergency leave and free testing for COVID-19, after Pelosi announced that Democrats had struck a deal with the administration.

Trump’s backing cleared the way for a broad, bipartisan vote in the House with the Senate expected to take up the measure when it returns to session next week.

In a series of tweets, the President said, “I fully support H.R. 6201: Families First CoronaVirus Response Act, which will be voted on in the House this evening.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

“This Bill will follow my direction for free CoronaVirus tests, and paid sick leave for our impacted American workers. I have directed the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor to issue regulations that will provide flexibility so that in no way will Small Businesses be hurt. I encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES!”

The announcement from the President put an end to uncertainty that had loomed over negotiations all day.

Despite the announcement of an agreement, however, the White House and Pelosi’s office were still sorting out issues into Friday evening with the legislative language, according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Pelosi said in her letter that the legislation is made up of a number of provisions, including “free coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test, including the uninsured.”

The legislation will also provide, according to Pelosi, “paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave.”

It will also expand federal funding for Medicaid “to support our local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems, so that they have the resources necessary to combat this crisis.”

House Democrats had been planning to vote Friday on a coronavirus relief measure with or without bipartisan support amid uncertainty over when exactly the vote will happen and whether the Trump administration will ultimately get behind the bill.

Trump earlier criticized the legislative package during a news conference on Friday afternoon from the White House even as Pelosi and Mnuchin continued to negotiate.

In remarks delivered from the US Capitol roughly an hour before the President publicly expressed his dissatisfaction, Pelosi insisted that the House of Representatives will move to pass the legislation, saying definitively, “Today, we are passing a bill.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer echoed that priority in a letter to House Democrats saying that the House would vote on a relief bill one way or another.

“The speaker has literally been working around the clock to achieve a bipartisan agreement on our further response to the crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic,” the Maryland Democrat said. “If we reach agreement, we’ll vote on it. If not, we will vote today on our bill, which incorporates nearly all of what the Administration and Republicans have requested.”

The House has been gearing up for a vote after top negotiators spent the past day in discussions over how to reach a consensus agreement between House Democrats and the Trump administration.

The concern over coronavirus has scrambled leaders to try and pass a comprehensive package that would address paid sick leave and expand the social safety net for vulnerable children and families whose lives may be disrupted by the virus.

The effort comes as concern and anxiety mounts over the rapid spread of coronavirus across the United States — a development that has jolted the financial markets.

Throughout the day on Friday, however, uncertainty over whether the President would ultimately get behind the legislative package complicated negotiations.

During a Friday afternoon press conference, however, Trump did not say he would support the legislation.

“Well, we just don’t think they’re giving enough. We don’t think the Democrats are giving enough,” the President said.

“We’re negotiating. We thought we had something, but all of a sudden they didn’t agree to certain things that they agreed to. We could have something but we don’t think they’re giving enough. They’re not doing what’s right for the country.”

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy convened a last-minute conference call with his members, walking them through remaining sticking points even as he remained upbeat a deal could still be clinched over the upcoming hours.

The California Republican told members that there were plenty of good things in the bill — particularly on the testing elements, which have strong GOP support. But McCarthy also addressed that there were some glaring technical mistakes, and that the GOP wanted to do more to ensure concerns about supporting small business jobs were addressed.

Congress passed an $8.3 billion total coronavirus response package last week, but there is a strong sense among lawmakers that more needed to be done to respond to the economic fallout from the spread of the virus.

© Copyright 2020 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

OAKLAND (KPIX) — As of 6 p.m. Friday, all classrooms in the Oakland Unified School District are closed, joining many others across the Bay Area. The closure is expected to last at least three weeks.

It’s not only schools. Starting Monday, libraries and senior and recreation centers will also be shuttered. This has left some parents scrambling to find a way to juggle their jobs and find child care.

Evelyn Odidike is helping care for her grandchild. “We need to work so having these kids will be difficult for me but we need to find a new solution,” Odidike said.

After the Alameda County Department of Public Health discovered four new cases of the coronavirus this week — two via community transmission — the need to close schools became a top priority.

“We have an opportunity to prevent human suffering. That is what we are doing today,” said Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf.

The closures, of course, have far-reaching impacts. Linda Jones, a crossing guard in Oakland, will miss a paycheck or two.

It’s new, it’s brand new to me. I’m 68 years old and I’ve never been through anything like this before,” Jones said.

Teachers have also been jamming to prepare lesson plans for kids to take home. “We’re in frantic mode setting packets out so there some accountability when they are out,” said Malayphet Insixiengmay.

It’s a community effort to try to stop the spread of the virus, one that many are willing to do.

“There’s nothing I can do because the government is trying to protect us from the virus I was not all that sad,” Odidike said.

Mayor Schaaf is urging families who have to take time off from work to care for their children to look into their rights and access any benefits that are available to them.

“As players, we wanted to do something, along with our ownership and coaches, to help ease the pain during this time,” star guard Stephen Curry said in a press release.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob added, “Our players, coaches, ownership and management have been focused on creating a way to assist our part-time employees. We are addressing the potential hardships these hard-working individuals may encounter during this hiatus in the NBA season. While everyone and every business is impacted, those who are fortunate enough to be in a position to help, need to help.”

Other teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, have made commitments to workers at not just NBA events but also the building’s minor-league hockey games. The Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks were among the earliest NBA franchises to reveal they’re working on how they’ll take care of arena staffs. So have the NHL’s Washington Capitals, among others, and the ownership group for Detroit’s Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers on Friday said they were setting up a $1 million fund “to cover one month’s wages for our part-time staff for games, concerts and events that they would have otherwise worked.”

Thousands of workers would have staffed the 450 NBA and NHL games that will not be played over the next month in response to the pandemic. And then there are the more than 300 spring training and regular-season baseball games, 130 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s tournament games, 50 or so Major League Soccer matches, all international golf and tennis tournaments, and who-knows-how-many high school, small college and other entertainment events canceled or postponed because of the global health crisis.

The total economic impact of the loss of sports and other events because of the pandemic — assuming only a month shutdown — is impossible to calculate but will reach the billions, easily.

The San Jose Sharks said part-time arena workers would get paid for all games not played and Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said he was giving $100,000 to workers in that club’s arena — a donation matched by his teammates and followed by another pledge from the team’s ownership group.

© Copyright 2020 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a city moratorium on housing evictions effective immediately Friday as a response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The moratorium will prevent any resident from being evicted due to a loss of income related to a business closure, loss of working hours or wages, layoffs, or out-of-pocket medical costs caused by the pandemic.

The mayor issued the executive order under the authority of the local emergency she declared on Feb. 25. The order will last for 30 days and may be extended depending on the health crisis conditions.

“Protecting public health means keeping people secure in their housing, which we know is a challenge right now as our economy and our workers are being severely impacted by this crisis,” Breed said in a news release.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Under the order, a tenant must notify their landlord that they cannot pay rent due to a coronavirus-related impact. Within one week of the notice, the tenant must provide documentation or other objective information that they cannot pay rent. Tenants will have up to six months after the termination of the emergency declaration to repay any back due rent.

The mayor’s announcement cited a variety of city officials and tenant advocates who have expressed support for the moratorium. Calls to the San Francisco Apartment Association for comment were not answered.

Recommendations from the San Francisco Department of Public Health can be found at http://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/coronavirus.asp along with up-to-date coronavirus news and information. Residents can also call 311 for information or can sign up for the city’s alert service for official updates by texting COVID19SF to 888-777.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

MARTINEZ (KPIX 5) — The effort to increase coronavirus testing capacity in the United States is about to get a big boost from a Bay Area lab.

“Right at the beginning of February we started to work on the development of this test,” explained Paul Brown, Global Head of Roche Molecular Solutions. “People have literally worked night and day across all of our organization.”

Brown and his team have been working on a coronavirus test for six weeks. Now they can use it.

“Pretty much the stroke of midnight when we got the call with the authorization from the FDA,” Brown said of the emergency authorization to distribute the test. It will be shared with 37 labs around the country. Roche is also scaling up production. 400,000 tests will go out in the coming days.

“Then, thereafter, we’ll be able to supply about 400,000 tests a week, so 1.5 million per month,”  Brown said.

The Rosche test is a large piece of President Trump’s plan to expand testing capacity nationwide through a number of private labs. As for who should be tested, that process will start with a website that is supposed to go live on Sunday.

“The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car,” President Trump said in the White House Rose Garden. “Want to thank Google. Google is
helping to develop a website. It’s going to be very quickly done.”

However, Google’s communication arm later posted a tweet that refuted the president’s claim.

Statement from Verily: "We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.

— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 13, 2020

“People are frustrated,” said Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. “We were promised at the federal and state level that everyone could be tested and that was not a reality. We’re doing our best to test those that meet the criteria.”

In Contra Costa County, health officials have just started using private labs to expand their testing capacity.

“From the past few weeks we’ve got to work with what we have, not what we’ve been promised,”  Radhakrishna said of the testing challenges. “Testing gives us more information about how much community transmission is there.”

While more testing will ease the minds of sick patients and frustrated doctors, we have already done enough testing to know that the virus is circulating in our community.

“Our advice of isolation, quarantine, social distancing,”  Radhakrishna says. “That can be more powerful than testing. So more important than getting a test if you’re getting anxious, is ‘When in doubt, don’t go out.'”

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — Health officials in the South Bay early Friday evening confirmed the second coronavirus death in Santa Clara County.

According to officials, the patient who died was an adult woman in her 80s. She was hospitalized March 9 and was among the COVID-19 cases reported by the County Public Health Department on March 13.

The Public Health Department said it was saddened to share the news and expressed its condolences to the woman’s family. The death was the fifth death from coronavirus in the state.

The death was the latest development in the Bay Area county that has been hit hardest by the coronavirus.

Earlier Friday, officials banned all gatherings of more than 100 people and announced that all public schools will be closed beginning Monday to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The announcement began to have a ripple effect in the community. Carlos Diaz, who is a deejay and is the owner of Knight Sounds Entertainment in San Jose, said he immediately had four clients cancel their events.

“It’s unprecedented, ” Diaz said. “We had four cancellations for this Saturday; those four events alone could pay the rent for multiple months.”

He’s not alone. His entire industry is expected to feel the impact of the coronavirus impact.

“Unfortunately, we had a bunch of cancellations last minute,” said Ramyar Siasi.

He’s owned Blackistone Florist in Saratoga for 37 years, and said he’s had future wedding parties cancel as well as a bridal show that could’ve brought him potential clients.

He said Santa Clara county’s ban would not only impact him, but venues, caterers and photographers in the entertainment and wedding industry as well.

Next door, at Bijan Bakery & Cafe, the owners said sales are down about 40% as customers cancel their cake orders.

“It’s a big part of our business and so we’re concerned about going forward,” Bijan owner Curtis Alling said.

He and Diaz said they’re hoping government officials consider giving small business owners relief if they start to struggle in paying rent, similar to relief being given to renters during the outbreak.

“All the deejays and musicians bars and nightclubs, I can’t even think of what’s going to happen, because if we’re going to honor that, basically, we shut down,” Diaz said.

On Monday, county officials announced a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people to limit the spread of coronavirus. The new ban, of 100 people, will be in effect for a minimum of three weeks and goes into effect 12 a.m. Saturday.

The ban also includes restrictions on gatherings of 35 to 100 people, ensuring organizers have a six-foot distance between attendees, that they prevent the attendance of anyone with sickness, fever, or symptoms, and additional guidelines.

According to the health department, a gathering is any event or convening that brings together people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, theater, restaurant, bar, or any other confined indoor or confined outdoor space.

Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s director of public health, said the county is following guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for testing, through support from academic and commercial labs. The county did not confirm how many people have been tested, but said capacity for testing will expand in the coming weeks.

“This is a rapidly changing situation,” Cody said. “I think that right now it’s a priority that people with more severe symptoms get tested.”

As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, 79 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Santa Clara County – 36 more cases than were reported on Monday and an increase of more than three-fold within the last week.

Of these cases, 37 people are hospitalized, and 43 cases were contracted from community transmission, not travel. The county reported its first death on Monday.

“Based on these data and patterns of disease that we see around the world, we know that the outbreak of COVID-19 in our county will continue to accelerate and we anticipate many, many more cases in the days and weeks to come,” Cody said.

Officials also confirmed that coronavirus outbreak among San Jose firefighters grew to eight confirmed cases Friday with 46 others who may have been exposed still being monitored.

In Santa Clara County, there are more presumed community transmission cases than there are cases contracted by travel and person-to-person combined. Nearly half of the known cases reported here have been hospitalized.

Mary Ann Dewan, Santa Clara County Superintendent, announced the closure of all schools from March 16 to April 3. District offices will be open for essential services.

Jeff Smith said the county has purchased several hotels in case anyone in the homeless population contracts coronavirus and is required to self-quarantine. Smith said no unsheltered people have been quarantined as of Friday.

Sheriff Laurie Smith said two inmates at a county jail were exposed to one visitor who tested positive for coronavirus, but they were quarantined and tested and no cases have arisen as of Friday. The Sheriff’s Office is working with courts to explore the possibility of postponing court dates and moving inmates out of jails if they are eligible for electronic monitoring, with an emphasis on keeping the public safe.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. KPIX 5’s Maria Medina and Bay City News Service contributed to this report

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A union vote for workers from San Francisco’s renowned Tartine bakery was still up in the air as of Friday afternoon, but workers are claiming a landslide union victory at the Berkeley location.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, workers in San Francisco were voting on whether to join the union with those of the original Tartine bakery.

Friday afternoon, the vote was reportedly 89 workers in favor of unionizing, and 84 against it. Both sides are challenging the vote totals and a winner has yet to be announced.

However, workers at the Tartine Berkeley location voted 18-0 to unionize, according to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union.

In a statement, Tartine co-owner Elisabeth Prueitt said, “The process from here can take weeks, months or potentially years to resolve in court, unless the union agrees to unseal [all the votes]. I don’t know why they are claiming victory.”

The ILWU said the National Labor Relations Board supervised both elections and NLRB officials will decide the winner in the coming weeks.

SAN CARLOS (KPIX 5) — Doctors are urging people to pay extra close attention to some key symptoms that might help determine if someone is at risk of having contracted the coronavirus versus a common cold or flu.

“The coronavirus is causing respiratory symptoms. So, certainly if you’re having respiratory symptoms — again cough, shortness of breath — if you’re experiencing any of those symptoms you should definitely be talking to your primary care provider’s office,” says Dr. Rob Nordgren, CEO of the Sutter Bay Medical Foundation.

Dr. Nordgren says the novel coronavirus can mimic the symptoms of other common ailments like a cold or flu. But if you’ve spiked a fever, have a cough and are short of breath, Dr. Nordgren says err of the side of caution and contact your doctor’s office immediately.

Fears and anxieties have spread alongside the widening epidemic, fundamentally reshaping how people are working and living, at least temporarily.

“I was packed, ready to go, bags at the door Friday evening to go from San Francisco to Miami for a cruise. But then I was talking with my parents and looking at precautions. I didn’t want to get stuck,” said Mallori Macklin.

Macklin says she’s become hyper-aware of her health, never straying far from the hand sanitizer she often carried even before the outbreak.

In anticipation of a surge of cases and perhaps even for calls from the worried well, Sutter Health in San Carlos has set up a drive-through clinic for people to be examined for the virus.

“Some of those patients can be cared for in their cars. We can do a basic assessment that way,” Dr. Nordgren said. The drive-through clinic is for Sutter Health patients. The healthcare system is urging patients to contact their doctor before simply showing up. They say it’s possible a healthcare worker can help you on the phone or online without treating you in person.

MILL VALLEY (CBS SF) — On the same day organizers of the fabled Boston Marathon announced a race postponement, organizers of the Dipsea Race, the oldest cross-country running event and among the oldest foot races of any kind in the U.S., announced the cancellation because of coronavirus fears.

The annual 7.5 mile (12 km) race from Mill Valley, over Muir Woods and down to Stinson Beach, ran its 109th race last year. Dipsea committee member Chris Knez offered the following statement:

It is with great regret that the 2020 Dipsea Race has been canceled.

The health and safety of our community is of utmost importance to the Dipsea Race Committee. Given the rapid developments and danger involving the COVID-19 coronavirus, we regretfully have chosen to cancel this year’s race.

Due to many other circumstances beyond our control we are also unable to reschedule the Dipsea Race for later in the summer. The race used to be held in August back in the 1970’s but concerns from the county over fire danger and congestion caused by the race along with first responders occupied with the race deemed it critical that the race not be held in fire season. We also have the issue with the Muir Woods creek levels, the salmon spawn and owl mating season to contend with. These are but a few of the complications that prevent the race from being rescheduled.

The next Dipsea Race will be on Sunday, June 13th, 2021. We thank you all for your continued support and involvement with the Dipsea Race and look forward to meeting up again at next year’s race.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Effective immediately, San Francisco is banning all non-essential gatherings and events of 100 people or more to slow the spread of coronavirus, Mayor London Breed announced Friday.

Effective immediately, San Francisco bans all non-essential events of 100 + people to slow the spread of #coronavirus #COVID19 #Covid_19 #coronapocalypse @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/azKsRbPm6U

— Betty Yu (@BettyKPIX) March 13, 2020

The announcement is the result of a public health order issued by both the Public Health Officer of the City and County of San Francisco. “This measure is necessary to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community,” Breed’s office said in a statement.

The San Francisco Dept. Of Public Health previously recommended cancelling or postponing events of 250 or more people, so reducing the number to 100 is the latest set of moves imposed by the city Friday to protect public health, such as the city’s school district promising to feed children impacted by the outbreak.

The SF Public Library and the Parks and Recreation Department also said they will begin operating public libraries and recreational centers as emergency care centers for children and low-income families who are suffering from the school closures.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The SFDPH also recommends that organizations that serve vulnerable populations cancel gatherings of more than 10 people.

“We need everyone to follow the recommendations of public health officials to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community, This order mirrors actions being taken by other local governments and the state, and is informed by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention guidelines,” said Breed.

“We know cancelling events and gatherings is a challenge for everyone, but it is essential that we take this step.”

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Fears over data security, government misuse of personal information and the COVID-19 virus are all shaping up to put a damper on the 2020 U.S. Census.

Those were some of the concerns raised in a national conference call Friday with representatives of several nonprofit organizations working to help the U.S. Census Bureau count as many people living in the United States as possible.

On Thursday, invitations went out to nearly 150 million American households asking for participation in the census.

But the drive to ensure a full count is being seriously tested by many communities’ distrust of the federal government and the rapidly spreading effects of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Over the past several days, response to the growing pandemic has included the shuttering of schools, limitations on public access to government offices, the suspension of professional sports seasons and wide-spread “social distancing” by individuals.

Fear over contracting the virus could damage the Census Bureau’s efforts to hire the 500,000 enumerators it needs to go out and physically contact as many U.S. residents as possible in an effort to encourage their participation in the count, according to Jeri Green, the 2020 Census senior advisor for the National Urban League.

“In a lot of our communities, especially in the black community, a significant number of our community waits for that knock on the door,” Green said, referring to the house-by-house contacts made by census enumerators.

Green said the Census Bureau is already behind in its hiring efforts and worries that potential new hires will be scared off by concerns over the virus.

To try to mitigate this, the National Urban League and other groups working to encourage census participation are pushing people to “self-respond” by filling out the forms before anyone needs to come knocking.

Given that this is the first U.S. Census to prioritize online participation, many people missed by enumerators will have the chance to make sure they are counted remotely.

Communities without access to computers or broadband internet services, however, are in serious danger of an undercount.

This is particularly true for many Native American populations, said Lycia Maddox, vice president of external affairs at the National Congress of American Indians.

“The online form creates a big barrier in Indian Country,” Maddox said, adding that some tribal groups are buying laptops and physically bringing them to people who would otherwise likely go uncounted.

The lack of online access is compounded by the fact that many tribal nations are responding to the virus by severely restricting who is allowed onto their territories.

“Some nations actually have physical guard stands where they check if you’re a tribal citizen and if you’re not, they will ask you to not enter,” Maddox said.

John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said that some companies are looking into providing free wireless hotspots and that Comcast recently announced that it will be expanding its program to bring internet services to low-income households and increasing the bandwidth of its broadband services in an effort to cope with the expected demand prompted by the virus, which has resulted in huge numbers of people working and attending classes from home.

“There is still a lot of groundwork to be done,” Yang added.

Also, many grass-roots organizations involved in public awareness campaigns focused on the census are shifting their focus from face-to-face contacts to phone banking, group texting and distributing informational materials to super markets, community centers and health clinics, Yang said.

“In person opportunities are becoming restricted and we all want to exercise caution,” he said.

The virus and the response to it have only exacerbated long-standing barriers to full census participation, especially among immigrants and in communities of color, which are among the country’s hardest to count populations.

These groups have historically cast a wary eye towards the federal government and are reluctant to provide even the most basic personal information for fear that it will somehow be used against them.

It’s a fear that has intensified in recent years over what many see as vitriolic anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies espoused by the Trump Administration.

To combat this distrust, many community groups are trying to hammer home the message that any information provided to the U.S. Census Bureau is protected by law and can only be used in statistical analysis that, among other things, helps the government decided where to allocate $1.5 trillion in federal spending and how to determine the number of congressional representatives that should be apportioned to each state.

“Our number one priority has been to ensure that our communities understand that their data is safe and confidential and that it can’t be shared with law enforcement or any other government agency,” Green said.

SAN RAFAEL (CBS SF) — Police in San Rafael said the body of a male teen — believed to be a student — was found in a vehicle behind San Rafael High School Friday morning.

Police responded to a call for a welfare check around 8:20 a.m.  

The death is considered suspicious, San Rafael police Lt. Dan Fink said.

In an email to the San Rafael City Schools community, Superintendent Jim Hogeboom said a Madrone High School student passed away.

Members of the school district’s crisis response team met with Madrone and San Rafael high school students individually and in groups and will be available over the coming days and weeks, Hogeboom said.

The investigation comes the day after a lockdown on the San Rafael High campus.

Police placed San Rafael High School on lockdown Thursday afternoon due to an unidentified “threat situation” which resulted in a person being detained.

San Rafael police said at about 2:30 p.m. they were working on gathering more information about the threat to the high school at 150 3rd St.

By 3 p.m. police issued a notification canceling the alert and that the situation had been handled. Neither police nor school officials provided details on the detained person’s identity or whether or not the person was a student at the school.

Police did not say whether the body found on Friday had any connection with the Thursday incident.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — Word came down late Thursday evening, the week-long ordeal for Darla Curtis and the last remaining American passengers aboard the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess had come to an end. The final bus had been loaded at the Oakland dockside and those passengers were beginning the next phase of their return to a normal life.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s office emailed KPIX 5 — “Yes, the state informed us the last passenger disembarked around 8 p.m.” By Friday evening there were just 14 foreign travelers aboard the boat, awaiting passage to their native countries.

“Plans for the crew are still be finalized,” Princess Cruise officials said on a statement.

The Americans headed to one of four military bases across the United State for a secure, federally mandated 14-day period of quarantine.

Curtis had reached out to KPIX.com on Thursday, pleading for someone, anyone, to press the case of the 200 or so passengers who were still held in their staterooms to finally be allowed to leave the ship, which has been moored in Oakland since Monday.

“We do get an announcement from the captain three times a day,” she said in a phone. “Yesterday they said it was likely we get off the ship. Today they said it was likely we get off the ship.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

But still she remained in her stateroom, with her one allowed carry-on packed and ready to go.

“No one has been documented the days we’ve spent quarantined in our room and then we’re going to be quarantined another 14 days,” she said the frustration evident in her voice. “No one’s talked to us about our health, taken our temperature or given us a test.”

She said while the crew had been attentive, they also were wearing down, losing patience with the process.

“I was doing ok with the situation and dealing with it the best I could until the crew started being mean,” she said.

Meanwhile, several of her fellow passengers who had already departed the ship found themselves in the center of a dispute in the city of San Carlos. Seven passengers who had tested positive for the coronavirus, but did not require hospitalization were being housed in a hotel and more were on the way.

On Thursday night, city leaders said that those passengers had been taken to the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Skyway Road and that more were expected throughout the night. The passengers were taken by ambulance where they will stay until they test negative for the virus.

The 120-room hotel is enclosed by a fence perimeter and is guarded by U.S. Marshals, with the help of California Highway Patrol officers.

The passengers, officials said, are not allowed to be taken to military bases because the Department of Defense doesn’t allow those who are ill on its properties.

Meanwhile, city leaders used a special meeting where they voted for a state of an emergency to last as long as the governor’s order, to address concerns from the public.

“Those folks are not going to be in downtown San Carlos on Laurel Street having dinner,” said San Carlos city manager Jeff Maltbie. “They are stuck in that hotel until they pass the testing procedures.”

The announcement from government officials the day prior that passengers would be taken to the small town of San Carlos sparked concerns and questions from residents.

One resident who posted on Nextdoor.com wrote,”If they really assured us that these people will not be leaving and walking around town people would feel better.” Another resident wrote,”How are they really going to enforce the quarantine orders?”

The ship, with its crew of 1,100 including at least 19 suffering from the coronavirus, has delayed its departure from the Bay Area until at least Sunday.

Initially, officials said it would immediately depart to an undisclosed destination once the final passengers left. But on Thursday, Schaaf sent an email saying the ship would not be leaving until Sunday.

“The duration has changed but the mission is the same – to ensure the safety of Oakland residents and reunite stranded loved ones with their families,” Schaaf said in a press release. “I support extending the stay of the Grand Princess because the operation has proven to be safe, meticulous, and at no risk to our residents.”

“We will support the effort to repatriate as many crew members as possible – they are mostly low-income, low-wage, foreign nationals, and true to our Oakland values we will extend the same courtesy and care to crew as passengers.”

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — A coronavirus outbreak among San Jose firefighters grew to eight confirmed cases Friday with 46 others who may have been exposed still being monitored, officials said.

In a press release, city officials said that “after a review of the employees’ work assignments, the Fire Department has proceeded to order deep cleaning of Fire Stations 9, 31 and the Fire Training Center.”

First word of the outbreak came on Thursday with city officials announcing a single firefighter had tested positive for the virus and may have exposed others in the firehouse to the illness.

“Because our firefighters work in teams and train together and they eat together and sleep in the same areas, they are at risk for possible exposure,” Assistant Fire Chief Reggie Williams said. “We don’t know how the firefighter contracted the illness. He is in a hospital in the city where he resides being treated by medical professionals.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Within hours, San Jose Fire Fighters union — IAFF Local 230 — said the illness had spread to include four firefighters with two more in isolation at home with symptoms and awaiting test results. In addition, the union said, nearly 80 firefighters have been restricted from work because of documented exposure.

The sick firefighters also have multiple family members who have tested COVID-19 positive, the union added, while other family members with symptoms of the virus were waiting for their test results.

“As firefighters, we commit our careers and lives to serving the public in their time of need. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as it grows among our residents is an unprecedented challenge, and we are up to that challenge,” said IAFF Local 230 President Sean Kaldor in a prepared statement. But it is also taking a tremendous toll on us as we fall ill and support our ill family members.”

Per the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a firefighter exposed without protective equipment to an coronavirus patient is removed from serving the public for 14 days as their symptoms are monitored.

Williams said other firefighters who were at risk of exposure have been placed on leave.

“Because our firefighters work in teams, the live together, eat together, sleep in the same areas, they are at risk for possible exposure,” Williams said. “As firefighters are either emergency medical technicians or paramedics, they are able to self monitor for signs of the illness.”

Williams said all city fire stations would be soon be undergoing deep cleaning as a safety precaution and suspended all visits by the public. He said the department has been able to back fill with other firefighters on mandatory overtime to cover the impacted duties.

Meanwhile, department is issuing extra protective gear for all firefighters to wear on virtually every call they respond to from now on.

“That includes N-95 masks, gloves, goggles, gowns for protections, tie-back suits and high protection respirators,” said Kaldor. “Our goal right now is to prevent those infections.  Not get them on the line, not get them bewteen each other, and not get them from casual contact out in the community.”

Len Ramirez contributed to this report.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — After originally vowing to play its inaugural Indoor Football League game in an empty Oakland Arena, the Oakland Panthers announced their Saturday evening game would be canceled to help stop the coronavirus spread.

The team issued a statement on Friday afternoon:

Dear Oakland Panthers Fans,

As we have stated since the beginning of the COVID-19 global crisis, the safety of our fans, players, and staff remains our top priority.​ ​After continually monitoring the situation nationally,​ we have decided to cancel our Opening Game March 14, against the Iowa Barnstormers.

Though we enter an almost unprecedented period of uncertainty in sports history, our team, our community and our fans will come out of it stronger than ever. ​Oakland is still Oakland. The Bay is still the Bay.​ The world is dealing with a crisis, and we owe it to our community to take responsible actions. We, as an organization, must take the necessary steps to contribute to the global fight against COVID-19. We know that this postponement is disappointing to many fans, players, coaches, but we will be back as soon as it is responsible. We have been deeply touched by all the positive support the Panthers have received from the Oakland community, and we are unwavering in our mission to keep professional football in Oakland.

Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support during this time.

The Panthers were hoping to kick off the team’s inaugural IFL game against visiting Iowa Barnstormers at Oakland Arena Saturday evening without any fans in attendance. The game was set to be broadcast on KBCW 44/Cable 12 and streamed on YouTube.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

One other IFL game scheduled for Saturday in San Diego to be played without fans in attendance was also canceled.

The IFL said its season would be postponed after Saturday’s games until further notice.

The league had postponed one game on March 12 between Duke City Gladiators and the Frisco Fighters in Texas after two games to start the 2020 season, the league’s 3rd in existence.

In a statement on the team’s website, the Panthers said the March 21 game vs. Duke City and the March 28 game vs Arizona, both at Oakland Arena, have been canceled and refunds would be issued for all three games.

“We know that this postponement is disappointing to many fans, players, coaches, but we will be back as soon as it is responsible,” the team said. “We have been deeply touched by all the positive support the Panthers have received from the Oakland community, and we are unwavering in our mission to keep professional football in Oakland.”

Before word of the game’s cancellation, the notion of Oakland being the site of the only official pro sporting event on the West coast was not lost on Panthers quarterback Brian Hicks.

“We’re the only show in town. That’s kind of what our coach has been preaching and so. We’re hoping to be a benchmark in the community,” said Hicks. “I know Oakland is a legendary sports town is very proud of their sports. So with everything that happened with the Raiders leaving in the Warriors kind of hopping over the bridge, we’re hoping to bridge that gap and be a home stay for Oakland and something they can buy into and believe in and be a part of.”

The franchise was launched last September by NFL great and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch and entertainment and gaming entrepreneur Roy Choi.

MARTINEZ (CBS SF) — The Contra Costa County Superior Court will be temporarily closed at all locations through the end of March due to the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Friday.

The closure begins Monday, March 16 and court officials said they hope to reopen locations by 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1. The court’s website will be posted with updates.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The closure will be in effect for most court cases. Jurors who have been ordered to appear in court for criminal trials for Monday, March 16 must still report to the court as ordered, and judges in those cases will provide further guidance on how the cases will proceed.

“The Court appreciates the careful balance that must be maintained between the timely administration of justice and the protection of public health and safety,” the court said in a statement.

An emergency order was issued by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court for the court closure to effectively be a public holiday in regards to statutory or other timelines.

The court had these instructions for people who were scheduled to come into the courthouse during the closure:

• If you have a hearing scheduled, it will be reset to a later date. Notice of the new date will be mailed to you or your attorney
• If you have scheduled jury duty service, your service will be rescheduled and the new date will be mailed to you
• Any in custody arraignments will be handled in Martinez, but all courthouses are closed to the public

Court officials emphasized that the closure is “not in response to a specific notice of exposure at any Court facility or to any Court staff,” but was just in an abundance of caution to limit the spread of the novel virus.

The Santa Clara County Superior Court also issued an emergency order Friday, mandating that many court matters be rescheduled until after April 5. The matters include:

• Civil and Probate Jury and Court Trials, except for ongoing trials
• Small Claims Motions, Trials and Appeals
• Most Traffic Matters, except for trials
• Many Family Hearings
• Most Guardianship and Adoption Proceedings
• Many Criminal Trials

If you have a matter you want to check on, you do so here: http://www.scscourt.org/online_services/case_info.shtml 

·I

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — While he didn’t order that Sunday mass be cancelled, San Francisco Catholic Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone on Friday asked priests within the archdiocese to shorten services as much as possible and to give abbreviated homilies to lessen parishioners chances of exposure to the coronavirus.

Catholic services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area had already dispense with shaking hands during the sign of peace portion of the mass and encouraged if possible social distance seating during ceremonies.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

But Archbishop Cordileone made it very clear in his memo that Sunday masses will go on as scheduled and were not subjected to local ordinances governing crowd size.

“There is to be no cancellation of regularly-scheduled Sunday and weekday Masses (the latter very rarely if ever draw more than 250 people),” he wrote. “For us as Catholics, Sunday worship is essential.”

Read The Archbishop’s Memo For Yourself

Archbishop Cordileone was on a conference call with other bishops of the California Catholic Conference prior to issuing further recommendations for parishes in San Francisco and Marin and San Mateo counties.

Completely cancelling Sunday service was not a consideration, but the Archbishop said the elderly and vulnerable parishioners were exempt from the obligation to attend. He also extended that to any parishioner who was afraid of being in a crowd during the current outbreak.

Other religious services that are not essential, or for which it is not essential that they be held at this time, were to be cancelled or postponed.

“Some services, such as funerals and weddings, may or may not be deemed essential at this time, depending on circumstances,” the Archbishop wrote in his letter to parish priests. “I leave that decision to your discretion.”

But what the Archbishop did encourage was to stream line Sunday services as much as possible.

“Priests are encouraged to take steps to avoid prolonging the time of Mass insofar as the liturgical norms allow, in order to minimize the length of time people are potentially exposed to the contagion,” he wrote. “Examples of this would include abbreviated homilies, abbreviated Prayers of the
Faithful, omitting the procession with the offerings, and minimal music.”

The Archbishop also asked younger priests to take over more of the public responsibilities at the parishes for their elderly colleagues.

And the Catholic church wasn’t the only religious institution to implement such changes. Also on Friday, the Congregation Emanu-el in San Francisco and the Temple Sinai in Oakland announced they are suspending all in-person programming.

Congregation Emanu-el officials said they’re not aware of any confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community but, since many of their congregation are over 60, they want to help slow the virus’s spread as best as possible. In-person programming is cancelled until April 5.

The temple’s Friday night services will be livestreamed on Facebook starting Friday. “On March 13, we will Livestream the One Shabbat service at 6:00 pm on the Temple Facebook page and the Late Shabbat at 8:30 pm on the Young Adult Facebook page to offer the peace and sanctuary that is the gift of Shabbat. Please continue to check this page for updates,” officials said.

For Shabbat services at Temple Sinai, in-person events will not be held until further notice. Friday night and Saturday morning services, including the Shabbat Minyan, will be streamed only. The WTS service scheduled for tonight, March 13th, will be postponed until the summer. A PDF of the service they will use in the coming weeks for Friday nights can be viewed. Temple ervices can be streamed live on their Facebook page or Vimeo page

ALAMEDA (CBS SF) — Eight Alameda firefighters have been quarantined following the confirmation that one of their colleagues has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The City of Alameda announced Friday that following a positive test of the firefighter, the county’s health department was able to identify anyone the firefighter may have been exposed to COVID-19. Eight firefighters were identified and are now in isolation waiting for their test results.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The statement from the city reiterated that all Alameda fire stations were fully staffed with no reduction in capability to respond to calls.

Alameda County officials said Friday that there were four new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county, two of which were the first reported instances of community transmission. The county now has a total of seven coronavirus cases as of Friday afternoon, county health officials said.

News of the firefighter infection also came on the same day that a coronavirus outbreak among San Jose firefighters grew to six confirmed cases, with 70 others who may have been exposed still being monitored, officials said.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The city of San Francisco will start converting public libraries and indoor recreation facilities into emergency care centers for children and parents impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, Mayor London Breed’s office said Friday.

The SF Recreation and Park Department is working with the San Francisco Public Library on this operation. Both agencies will suspend regular indoor programming starting Friday at 6 p.m.

The emergency centers will operate through the end of March. SF Parks and Recreation’s facilities will be reserved for grades K-5 on Monday-Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The SF Public Library will provide homework help and educational enrichment for older students in grades 6-12, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For younger children ages 0-5, the Office of Early Care and Education will provide support and guidance for private childcare providers.

Each childcare center will follow state and city-mandated guidelines such as social distancing and sanitizing. Three meals will be provided a day to all participants.

As public school closures due to the outbreak affect many children and their families, the city made the decision to respond to the spread. The centers aim to assist both low-income families impacted by the virus’s spread and the families who are on the front lines of the outbreak.

Parents who are on the front lines of the outbreak include city-based hospital staff, Dept. of Public Health employees and Disaster Service Workers.

Detailed information on emergency youth care locations, eligibility and registration will be forthcoming at https://www.dcyf.org/care.

“During this time, health care workers and other essential staff need to be able to keep working and responding to this public health emergency,” said Breed. “With this change to our libraries and recreation facilities, young people whose parents need to respond to COVID-19 will have a safe place to go.

ALSO READ: 

• Coronavirus School Update: Oakland, San Francisco Schools Districts To Feed Students During Closure
• Updated Bay Area School Closures; Oakland, Mt. Diablo, Pittsburg District Schools To Close
• Bay Area Students Adapt As Education System Grapples With Coronavirus Outbreak

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

“San Francisco Public Library has long served as a safe haven for youth and an essential provider of educational and recreational resources,” said City Librarian Michael Lambert. “By focusing our organizational capacity on serving as Emergency Youth Care Centers, we are fulfilling our mission and supporting the City’s overall resiliency at a time of critical need.”

“The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department is the largest provider of youth programming outside of the school district,” said Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “We will offer engaging activities akin to a summer camp in order to ease the impact of school closures on San Francisco families.”

“Health care workers are on the front lines every day, keeping our community healthy and safe,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The growing concern over the coronavirus pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area has led many museums and attractions in the region to close in addition to a rising number of event and concert cancellations.

Below is a list of closures and cancellations, but residents should keep in mind that other locations and events may be effected. Always check with a venue beforehand to see if it has been effected by the latest recommendations by city, state or county health officials.

Closed museums and attractions

• The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco – closed at least until March 28
• SFMOMA – closed at least until March 28
• The de Young Museum – closed at least until March 31
• The Legion of Honor – closed at least until March 31
• The Oakland Museum of California – closed at least until March 27
• The Contemporary Jewish Museum – closed at least until further notice
• The Exploratorium in San Francisco – closed at least until March 31
• The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco – public programs and services suspended until at least March 27
• The Tech Interactive in San Jose – closed at least until March 28
• Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose – closed at least until March 17
• Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito – closed until March 31
• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo – closed at least until March 31
• Winchester Mystery House in San Jose – closed at least until April 1
• Great America in Santa Clara – park opening postponed until April 4

Postponed and canceled events

• The 110th Dipsea Race in Mill Valley scheduled for June 14th has been canceled
• Jack London Square in Oakland – all events scheduled through April 1 suspended; businesses in the Square remain open
• Sonoma Raceway – all events scheduled through April 1 canceled
• Curran Theatre in San Francisco – all performances of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ canceled through March 31
• Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco – all performances of Sting’s musical ‘The Last Ship’ canceled through March 22 (the date of the last scheduled show); performance of ‘Book of Mormon’ on March 31 canceled
• Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco – all performances of ‘Hamilton’ canceled through March 31
• Marines Memorial Theatre in San Francisco — March 21-22 performances of ‘Men Are From Mars — Women Are From Venus Live!’ canceled
• Chase Center in San Francisco – all Golden State Warriors games cancelled after NBA suspends season indefinitely; Tame Impala (March 13), Bell Biv Devoe (March 19) and Celine Dion (April 10) postponed; Post Malone (March 19) canceled
• Oracle Park in San Francisco – opening game for SF Giants delayed by at least two weeks; preseason games canceled
• Oakland Coliseum – opening game for Oakland A’s delayed by at least two weeks; preseason games cancelled
• Oakland Arena – Oakland Panthers indoor football league game March 14 was to be played without fans in attendance, but the team has canceled the game; Ana Gabriel (March 19), Andre Rieu (March 22), Celine Dion (April 9), Pearl Jam (April 18-19), Rage Against the Machine (April 21, 23) postponed
• SAP Center in San Jose – all San Jose Sharks games canceled after NHL suspends season indefinitely; Tony Robins (March 13-15) and Marc Anthony (March 20) postponed; Cirque Du Soleil: Axel (March 24-28) canceled
• Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco – all March events postponed
• Regency Ballroom in San Francisco – all events through March 25 postponed or canceled
• The Warfield in San Francisco – all events through March 25 postponed or canceled
• Paramount Theater in Oakland – Cécile McLorin Salvant’s Ogresse (March 11), Prince Royce (March 13), Dark Girls 2 screening (March 14), Keith Sweat (March 21), Baby Shark: LIVE! (April 1) postponed
• Fox Theater in Oakland – all March events postponed
• UC Theatre in Berkeley – all March events postponed
• Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa – all March events postponed
• The Independent in San Francisco – all March events postponed
• The New Parish in Oakland – all March events postponed
• Yoshi’s in Oakland – Bobby Caldwell (March 18-19), Kurt Rosenwinkel (March 25), Angie Stone (March 27-29) postponed; Amy D. (March 16) and Moreau Catholic High School Jazz Program (March 24) canceled
• SFJAZZ Center – all events through April 5 postponed
• War Memorial Opera House – all SF Ballet events through April 5 canceled
• Slim’s in San Francisco – all events through March 27 postponed or canceled
• Great American Music Hall – all events through March 27 postponed or canceled
• Davies Symphony Hall – all SF Symphony March events canceled
• A.C.T. in San Francisco – productions of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Gloria (dates through April 12) and Lydia R. Diamond’s Toni Stone (dates through March 29) canceled
• New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco – all performances through March 21 canceled
• Berkeley Rep in Berkeley – all performances of Culture Clash (Still) In America and School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play through April 5 canceled
• San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 14) canceled
• Dublin St. Patrick’s Day festivities (March 14-15) canceled
• International Ocean Film Festival (March 12-15) at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco postponed
• Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose — Week 2 events (effective March 9) postponed to be rescheduled for August 16-30

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — School districts in Oakland and San Francisco will continue serving meals to students who would miss meals because of the school closures as a result of the coronavirus spread.

Friday both the Oakland Unified and San Francisco Unified School Districts announced meals would be handed out at select locations and campuses to all students who need them during the temporary closure of schools.

Twelve schools in Oakland will open for “grab and go” breakfast and lunch meals for students, who would also be able to pick up multiple days worth of food to take home, OUSD said.

The Oakland schools will be open Monday and Thursday between 8 a.m. and noon at the following schools:

Northwest/West Oakland: Sankofa Elementary, West Oakland Middle School, Hoover Elementary
Central Oakland: Oakland High School, Garfield Elementary
East Oakland: Bret Harte Middle School, Life Academy/United for Success, Coliseum College Preparatory Academy, Madison Park Upper, Fremont High School, Castlemont High School, Elmhurst United Middle School

The district said it would also be working with other community partners and local agencies to ensure that students have access to food throughout the school closure.

In Oakland, about 71 percent of the students, which is almost three out of every four students, are on free or reduced-price meals. All of these students are likely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, hence the move by the school district.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

In San Francisco, SFUSD said the meal distribution would begin Tuesday with free breakfast and lunch to all children 18 and younger at eight pick-up sites across the city and six more sites to be added on Wednesday.

“We are committed to continuing to provide healthy meals for our students over the next several weeks while students are not in school,” SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful for the support we already receive to make this happen, and would appreciate additional support from the community to help us keep our students fed.”

A list of pick-up sites and schedules is available at sfusd.edu/schoolfood.

SFUSD also said it was also collaborating with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank  about possibly co-locating food pantries at sites where students will receive free meals.

The district added it was working with city organizations to identify childcare options for families and that information would be shared soon.

Oakland children on Friday told KPIX what the free lunches were like. Fourth grader Israel Sanchez-Ortiz and his younger brother get free breakfast and lunch at Encompass Academy. He pointed out what he had for lunch: “Salad with ranch and a pasta.” He says a full stomach makes learning a little easier.

His mother, Yosdelhi Ortiz, said school work and food are her biggest concerns during the school closures.

“Very worry, because we don’t have any saved food. We need to go (to the store.) Like I said, it’s crazy,” said Ortiz. She went to many stores and found empty shelves. She plans to stock up on food this weekend.

“The lines are horrific at Costco. We couldn’t get in this morning,” said another OUSD parent, Alejandra Hernandez.

Ninth grader Jaimie Lopez said she’ll likely cook for her younger sister while her parents work during the school closure.

“It’s going to be difficult cause I have to do work and everything for school online. And then I have to see my sister and help out my mom,” said Lopez.

Oakland Unified has just under 37,000 students. Educators recognize the challenge. That’s why a district leader said students can pick up multiple days worth of food on Monday and Thursday instead of everyday.

“The big factor that we’re considering is social distancing and making sure we’re not having students interact and families interact over and over again over the week,” said Preston Thomas, the chief systems and services officer at OUSD.

KPIX 5’s Da Lin contributed to this report.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — Alameda County health officials confirmed four new positive cases of coronavirus on Friday, two of which are the first reported incidences of community transmission in the county.

The county now has a total of seven cases as of Friday afternoon, the Alameda County Public Health Department said. The remaining two out of the four cases confirmed on Friday were linked to other confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The county will not be sharing any other information about the new cases to protect medical privacy.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The last reported case in the county came on March 6. It was a passenger from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship that traveled to Mexico.

Also on Friday, ACPHD said it will comply with the California Dept. of Public Health’s mass gathering guidelines by prohibiting gatherings of over 250 people at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

All non-essential gatherings of 250 people or more are recommended to be canceled or postponed, both by the county and the state of California. County health officials also emphasize social distancing by leaving at least six feet in between each person in gatherings inside confined spaces.

“Taking these additional preventive measures now will help us reduce the number of people who get sick, and avoid prolonged adverse impacts on our health care system, workforce, and communities,” said county health officer Dr. Erica Pan.

“We have the opportunity to slow down this pandemic and decrease its impact by reducing the spread of virus from person-to-person. This means substantially limiting the number of individuals and places that people come together.”

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) — As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew by the hours in Northern California, President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is declaring the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.

Just over the last six hours, four new cases have been confirmed in Alameda County, the first two by community spread, and over the last week cases in Santa Clara County have gone up three fold to 79.

Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County’s director of public health, said at a Friday news of the 79 cases, 37 people are hospitalized, and 43 cases were contracted from community transmission, not travel. The county reported its first death on Monday.

“Based on these data and patterns of disease that we see around the world, we know that the outbreak of COVID-19 in our county will continue to accelerate and we anticipate many, many more cases in the days and weeks to come.”

Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency.”

He said it would free up as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. Trump also waived interest on federally held student loans and moved to prop up energy markets, by directing the Department of Energy to buy oil to fill the strategic petroleum reserve “’right up to the top.”

Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.

“Through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus,” Trump said.

He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow roll-out of testing.

The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested.

Still, Trump said that officials don’t want people taking the test unless they have certain symptoms. “It’s totally unnecessary,” Trump said. He added, “This will pass.”

Trump said the White House and Congress have yet to agree on a broader aid package, claiming that he doesn’t believe House Democrats are “giving enough.” Lawmakers are preparing to vote on their own measure Friday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday the House would approve its coronavirus aid package, imploring the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to “put families first” by backing the effort to provide Americans with relief.

The House Democratic leader spoke from the speaker’s balcony at the Capitol ahead of Trump’s news conference at the White House, as the power centers of Washington were shuttered to visitors.

“Our nation, our great nation has faced crisis before,” Pelosi said. “And every time, thanks to the courage and optimism of the American people, we have prevailed. Now, working together, we will once again prevail.”

Trump has not yet publicly backed the package, making its outcome uncertain in Congress.

Central to the package is free testing for the virus and guaranteed sick pay for workers who are taking time away from jobs, along with an infusion of dollars to handle unemployment benefits and boost food programs for children, families and seniors.

Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whom Trump tapped to negotiate for the administration, have engaged in around-the-clock negotiations.

But Republican leaders in Congress slowed the deal, wanting assurances that Trump would publicly support the agreement before signing off on it ahead of any vote, according to a top congressional aide unauthorized to discuss the private talks and speaking on condition of anonymity.

GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, huddled with Mnuchin and Trump at the White House earlier Friday.

“We can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope, so that we can pursue the precise science-based response that is necessary to put families first,” Pelosi said.

The White House is under enormous pressure, dealing with the crisis on multiple fronts as it encroached ever closer on the president.

The virus has swept in alarming ways across American life, sending the financial markets into a dangerous slide and shuttering schools and sporting events and limiting everyday interactions in communities across the country.

The administration’s federal task force managing the crisis was working furiously to break a bottleneck in the nation’s ability to test for the new virus, and weighing what sort of emergency powers Trump would need to invoke to provide needed aid to overwhelmed state and local governments.

And a personal health scare intensified as White House officials worked to determine the level of exposure by the president and senior aides to several foreign officials who have since tested positive for the virus.

Trump said he was gratified that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested negative for the virus, after the pair sat next to each other for an extended period of time last weekend. A senior aide to Bolsonaro tested positive. “We have no symptoms whatsoever,” said Trump, who has not gotten tested for the virus or taken steps to self-isolate.

In one welcome announcement, the administration said Friday it was awarding $1.3 million to two companies trying to develop rapid COVID-19 tests that could detect within an hour whether a person is positive for the new coronavirus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to be over it.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo Courtesy of Simon And Schuster

Earlier this year, Star Trek boldly returned with an all-new adventure fans had never seen before with the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard. As the name suggests, the latest chapter of the Star Trek anthology focuses on the legendary Captain Picard portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart. Picard picks up years after the good captain’s departure from Star Fleet with an all-new outlook on life.

In order to understand the events that lead to the show’s opening episode one needs only to look towards the work of acclaimed Star Trek author Una McCormack’s latest novel, Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope. CBS Local’s Matt Weiss spoke to McCormack to discuss her latest book and the path that took her from writing fan fiction to legitimately adding to the Star Trek universe.

MW: First off, I just want to know, where did your love of Star Trek begin? It’s a big part of your life. Where did it all begin for you, your earliest memories? 

UM: I think most people my age in the States were watching it in syndication. Of course, I’m in Britain so we didn’t get the original show until the late 70s. My first introduction was with the movies in the 80s. I was a teenager and they were brilliant. Then the Next Generation started and couldn’t get them in Britain so I got them at Blockbuster and rented them out two episodes at a time. I was about 16 or 17, really excited to get to see them and obviously reading the novels at the same time.

I really got into it as a teenager, but not with the original Trek, it was that cast and the movies, The Next Generation with Patrick Stewart playing Captain Picard, so same sort of age but different rooting. 

MW: Do you just pinch yourself now that you get to add to the Star Trek universe the way that you do? 

UM: Yeah, it’s absolutely incredible. I’ve written a lot of books with Star Trek being more than half of them, but the show has been off the air for most of the time I’ve been doing those novels which has its own fun. To work right alongside a show like this it’s coming on air, it’s really exciting, a lot of people are really interested in it. Picard is such a cultural icon, it’s an absolutely brilliant dream come true. 

MW: Awesome. What was your initial reaction when you heard that Picard was returning with his own series? 

UM: My initial reaction was ‘ooh I hope I get to write a book.’ [laughs] 

I was really excited, wondering where are they going to take this. The team around it is just so brilliant. After what they’ve done with this, it’s going to be worth seeing. Even if I wasn’t involved in this in any way, I would’ve been really excited for the show, just to see what they were going to do with it and this team of writers in particular. 

MW: Have you actually met Sir Patrick before? 

UM: Oh, I’ve never met him. I’ve been at a convention hall and he was sort of on the other side of it. So that’s probably the closest I’ve ever got, no. 

MW: Oh no, we have to work on that for you. 

UM: Oh yeah, I would love to!

MW: The Last Best Hope actually ties directly into the All Access series, can you share how exactly the book fits in and what fans can expect? 

UM: Absolutely, so if you watch the show now, it’s a prequel novel. It’s set about 14-15 years before the action of the show, so we see what leads up to Picard leaving Starfleet. I don’t want to spoil the plot. The Picard we meet at the start of that is much closer to the one that we remember from all those years ago. We see the events that sort of lead up to Picard being the man that he is at the start of the current show. We meet a few other characters that we know already, Geordi La Forge but also, we meet some people from the new show. So, they’ll read more about Jurati or about Raffi. There’s also a lot of new characters there that we make up for the book, telling their stories. 

So, it’s a prequel novel, leans back into the old show, but also gives a kind of background, further exploration of people and settings of the new show. People will see the Elnor and the Qowat Milat. So, lots, lots to sort of see back in the old show and feed into the current viewing. Which I don’t think spoils the plot. 

MW: I’m curious when you’re writing these books, they’re your ideas but they are part of a much bigger universe that has a lot of hands in it. How much freedom do you have when you’re writing these books to put in your own ideas versus how much of it is collaborative?

UM: The show is really high profile and people working on it are really vested in it. I work really closely with Kirsten Beyer in the writer’s room, so we were really working on what’s the story we really want to tell that’s really going to serve the show and serve the book as well. We were reading scripts as they were coming in and being rewritten, but that’s part of what you do with a job like this you write about parts, filling in parts. It’s really enjoyable. I really like it.

I’ve done this job for 15 years or so and I write fan fiction for pleasure, so I love filling in these little corners that we haven’t explored. I’ll watch something on screen and wonder what’s the story behind that or something leading up to that, exactly the kind of thing this book can explore, I just really love that. I love spending more time with characters I love off TV shows or novels that I’ve read. I think Michael Chabon talks about fan fiction and how he sees it deep in the show; his version of Trek fever and things like that. It’s all really good fun. I never see it as a lack of freedom, I see it as a process of me getting to enrich my own appreciation of something. 

MW: I’m glad you brought up the fan fiction. That will be the last question for you here today and we will kind of end at the beginning in a way. You started writing fan fiction and that’s how you got discovered. What was that like going from writing fan fiction to where you are now? Also, what advice do you have for other aspiring people out there who are writing fan fiction who want to get to the levels that you are at? 

UM: I was doing it for fun, and someone said would you like to be commissioned to do this. I think I was very lucky. I was commissioned for a Deep Space 9 novel and it was off the air, so it was a bit easier to break into it. This was back in the late 90s so, there wasn’t as much fan fiction online, it was a bit easier to get noticed.

I would say to people, there aren’t that many slots for these kinds of books these days. I would say that the best routine is to be writing your own new stuff and get that published and get that out. Then get an agent and express interest in books or series being done at the moment. It’s good for people to see you have a track record of these kind of things. It’s sound like saying you need the experience to get the job but if you can show you can do it that goes a long way because often you have to train to the story because a new script is coming or you need to be prepared to alter things quite close to a deadline. You have to show that you’re quite good at coping with deadlines and be able to change or finesse a story.

So, the way to get into these kinds of things is to write and to write as much as possible, send your stuff out and hopefully a gig like this will come and it will be huge fun for people too. 

MW: Very valuable insight from someone as accomplished as yourself. Thank you for speaking with me Una and all the best moving forward!

UM: Very kind. Same to you Matt!

Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope is available now from CBS sister company Simon & Schuster wherever books are sold. Be sure to catch new episodes of Star Trek: Picard streaming on demand with CBS All Access.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Federal prosecutors announced the grand jury indictment of 17 alleged MS-13 gang members and their associates Friday for a reign of terror on San Francisco streets that included a series of vicious assaults.

U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson said the alleged gang members — including Kevin Reyes Melendez, Elmer Rodriguez, Alexis Cruz Zepeda and Ronaldy Dominguez — had been indicted for a litany of crimes — racketeering, attempted murder and assault — committed in and around the city’s Mission District.

“San Francisco continues to suffer from gang violence and gang claims on our public spaces,” Anderson said.

If convicted of all the federal counts they have been charged with Reyes Melendez, Rodriguez, Cruz Zepeda and Dominguez could all spend the rest of their lives in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent In Charge Tatum King said the gang members were responsible for “committing the most heinous violent acts against their victims.”

The indictment alleges 14 of the defendants conspired to engage in racketeering for the purpose of preserving the power, territory, reputation, and profits of the local MS-13 clique, known as MS-13 20th Street. It describes how MS-13 20th Street members bear tattoos, wear certain colors, and display gang signs to demonstrate allegiance to the clique.

Also described was how the gang seeks to maintain control of drug “turf” by relying on robbery, extortion, and other violent crimes, including stabbings and shootings.

Among the crimes described in the indictment was September 16, 2016 assault by Cruz Zepeda (who always was known as Zorro) and Reyes Melendez (also known as Neutron) where they brazenly fired shots at a suspected gang rival on a San Francisco street. Zepeda and Melendez then fled the scene in a vehicle allegedly driven by Dominguez (also known as “Smokey”) leading to a high-speed chase, evading police by driving the wrong way down the Vermont Street off ramp of Highway 101. The victim suffered five gunshot entry and exit wounds but survived.

Similarly, on November 26, 2017, when MS-13 gang members attempted to extort cash and drugs from street dealers, Rodriguez (known as Gordo) shot a victim in the chest at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun.

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE (CBS Sacramento) — People inside the Travis Air Force Base Coronavirus quarantine are describing a poorly-planned operation they call “Camp Corona.”

Robert Archer, 65, and Robert Graham, 61, are two of the 800 people quarantined at Westwind Inn on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. Asked how they would describe what they were going through right now, and they both picked the same word — “hell.”

“We’re surrounded by chainlink fences and there’s armed guards outside,” Graham said.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Besides describing stark surroundings, the pair also described a scene inside with little regard for isolation. Photos show the quarantined passengers sharing common space, lining up together for food and drinks, and sitting at tables in close quarters.

READ MORE on CBS Sacramento

CUPERTINO (CBS SF) – Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for this June will be going online this year, the latest major tech conference making adjustments amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“The current health situation has required that we create a new WWDC 2020 format that delivers a full program with an online keynote and sessions, offering a great learning experience for our entire developer community, all around the world,” Phil Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement.

Schiller said additional details will be released in the weeks ahead.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

One of the Apple’s most prominent annual events, WWDC is a showcase to developers of the Cupertino-based company’s newest technologies.

Since 2017, the conference has been held at the San Jose Convention Center. Apple announced it would commit $1 million to local San Jose organizations to offset revenue losses.

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

With the coronavirus outbreak ongoing, numerous tech conferences have either been canceled or have been turned into online events. Facebook F8, which was scheduled to take place at the San Jose Convention Center in May, was canceled late last month.

Meanwhile, Google canceled the I/O conference scheduled for May at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. The company’s Google Cloud Next conference scheduled for April at the Moscone Center in San Francisco has been turned into an online event.

Another Moscone Center tech event, Amazon’s AWS Summit at the Moscone Center scheduled for April 14th, has also been canceled.

VALLEJO (CBS SF) — Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo announced a temporary closure Friday to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus, while Jack London Square officials also suspended events in Oakland through the end of the month.

The closure will also be in effect Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles County.

The two parks announced they will close operations through the end of March, at which point they will re-evaluate the risk of spreading the virus to determine whether to continue the closure.

“While there have been no reported cases of (coronavirus) at either property, the safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority,” the parks said in a statement. “We will continue to

closely monitor these evolving conditions and will follow the most current guidance from federal, state and local officials.”

Park guests can visit the park’s website for information about previously scheduled visits.

Additionally, Jack London Square officials said on Thursday that they’ve suspended all public events through the end of the month due to the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Officials at the entertainment and business destination near the Oakland waterfront said they made the decision in response to recommendations by local and state public health departments to reduce the risk of community transmission of the virus, also known as COVID-19, via large events.

Events affected by the suspension include the The Buck, which was scheduled for Sunday, and Jack London Square Farmers Markets scheduled on Sundays the rest of the month.

Although public events are suspended, Jack London Square officials said all restaurants and businesses remain open and welcome the community’s patronage and support.

Jack London Square officials said in a statement, “The health and safety of all visitors, employees, and event volunteers is of utmost importance and our top priority.”

They said they “look forward to resuming spring and summer public events as soon as conditions allow, in line with the recommendations of health officials.”

Jack London Square officials said people can check their website and social media channels for updates.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose also announced Thursday that it will be closed until April 1, following guidelines by the California Department of Public Health.

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco similarly announced it would be closed to the public from March 14 through March 27, reopening to regular hours on Saturday, March 28. The museum will evaluate whether the closure’s time frame needs to be extended.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

While not identifying what the employee’s job was, the team said the individual last work the March 3rd home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“This person is under self-quarantine and receiving care from medical professionals,” the team said in its release. ” We have been informed that this employee is recovering and feeling better.”

In coordination with the public health department, the Sharks were following the health authority’s determination that risk to the public from that exposure is low and that no additional precautions are necessary. As a precaution they were notifying ticketholders.

The Sharks along with the rest of the NHL teams have had their season halted by the threat presented by the spread of the coronavirus.

“In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing that it will pause the 2019-20 season beginning with tonight’s games,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement Thursday.

The league cited that with so many NHL teams sharing facilities and locker rooms with NBA teams that it “now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point” and that it is “no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Hours earlier, the NHL posted on social media, “Given the uncertainty regarding next steps regarding the coronavirus, Clubs are advised not to conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings today.”

The Sharks already were being forced to play any future games in an empty arena after Santa Clara County announced a ban on any public event with over 1,000 people in attendance.

It left the players trying to grasp what their game may be evolving into in light of the outbreak.

“I’ve never been in the NHL when we played a game without any fans,” star Evander Kane said. “It would definitely be very different. I know they have announced a couple different scenarios. I think we are all just waiting to find out to see what actually happens so obviously the empty building is one of them.”

“It would be very strange to play in an empty building, that’s for sure.”

TRUCKEE (CBS SF) — After a historic dry February, Mother Nature zeroed in Friday on the Sierra with a fierce winter storm front that could dump as much as four feet of much needed snow on the higher elevations and ski resorts.

But forecasters were not yet using the Northern California term — March Miracle — for the wintry blast and its impact on the water supply.

The snowpack, source of drinking water for much of the San Francisco Area, was ravaged by an unusually dry, unusually warm month of February. For the first time since 1864, San Francisco went without even a traceable amount of rain.

The culprit was a high pressure system stalled off the Northern California coast that split incoming storm front sending rains into Southern California or the Pacific Northwest. Finally, a cold front has pushed the system away and re-opened the storm door.

“Along with cooler weather, this low will bring with it the chance of rain by early Saturday morning, beginning in the North Bay and spreading south across the district,” the National Weather Service said. “This low will hang around for quite a while as it meanders down the coast from Saturday through Wednesday, all the while maintaining the chance of rain over the area.”

But the brunt of the storm’s fury will not be experienced in the Bay Area.

“Unfortunately, this system does not have a significant moisture tap as we see with Atmospheric Rivers,” weather forecasters said. “Therefore, rainfall amounts will be light. Saturday’s rainfall amounts are expected to be a 0.30″ to 0.50″ across the Bay Area with upwards of 0.75″ to 1″ over the North Bay hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains.”

“When all is said and done,” the weather service added, “storm total accumulations will be anywhere from around 1 inch at lower elevations, 2 to 3 inches across the coastal ranges.”

So the Bay Area will still remain in the abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The storm will batter the Lake Tahoe area with extremely heavy snow and strong winds at the higher elevations.

“Snow will move into the Sierra tonight becoming heavy and lasting through the weekend,” forecasters with the weather service in Reno said. “The largest accumulations over the weekend are expected in the central Sierra with 2-4 feet along the crest and 12-18 inches around the Lake Tahoe basin.”

A winter storm warning will go into effect for the region from 11 p.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Monday.

“Total snow accumulations of 12 to 18 inches, with 2 to 4 feet above 7000 feet,” forecasters said. “Winds gusting as high as 50 mph with ridge winds gusting to 100 mph.”

(CBSNewYork/CBS Local) – The world of professional wrestling is not immune to the ill effects of coronavirus. Nothing is.

The global pandemic is forcing arenas to shutter their doors and major conferences and leagues to postpone or outright cancel events. March Madness will have to wait until next year. Major League Baseball is postponing the start of the regular season. The NBA and NHL hope to resume their seasons at some point, but there is no guarantee that will happen. NASCAR drivers will be zooming around empty tracks for at least the next two weeks. And Vince McMahon’s relaunched XFL has scrapped the remainder of its season.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

However, that is not the only one of McMahon’s properties being caught in COVID-19’s rapidly expanding web.

WWE began taking action Thursday afternoon with the announcement that Friday’s SmackDown, which was to take place in front of thousands of fans in Detroit, would instead go down at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando with only essential personnel in attendance. On Friday, PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Monday’s Raw, which has advertised the return of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, would likewise be shifting to the PC rather emanating from Pittsburgh as originally planned. Additionally, this weekend’s non-televised events in Toronto and Youngstown have been cancelled.

There is also significant doubt surrounding the March 22 show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where a reunion of the popular Degeneration X faction had been advertised. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has banned gatherings of 500 people or more for the foreseeable future in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. A statement on the Garden’s website says the arena supports Cuomo’s decision. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who declared a state of emergency in the city, said the venue as well as Brooklyn’s Barclays Center may be closed for months.

Meanwhile, WWE’s NXT brand shows that had been scheduled for this weekend in Venice and Daytona Beach, Fla. are also being impacted after local officials implemented a ban on mass gatherings.

>>READ: Latest from the world of Pro Wrestling

Other wrestling promotions are scrambling to put together contingency plans on short notice.

Ring of Honor made the decision to cancel Friday’s 18^th Anniversary pay-per-view in Las Vegas with little more than 24 hours notice after consulting with local officials. A second show scheduled for Saturday was also scrapped.

“This extremely difficult decision was made in conjunction with the most recent developments surrounding COVID-19, known as the Coronavirus,” the promotion stated. “While the marquee ‘18th Anniversary’ and the very special ‘Past v Present’ events were ready to show the world why Ring of Honor is truly the ‘Best Professional Wrestling on the Planet,’ the safety and health of our fans, talents and staff are always our utmost priority.”

ROH officials are now weighing the possibility of rescheduling the show.

At least one top star in the promotion was unafraid of performing in front of a live audience despite the elevated risk of transmitting COVID-19.

“I’m not worried yet, because I was always taught until you know somebody that knows somebody that has this thing, you have nothing to worry about,” Flip Gordon told CBS Local Sports exclusively. “So far, I don’t know a single person that knows a single person that has it. And so therefore I’m not worried.”

Gordon also stated that he trusts local officials are taking the proper precautions to ensure fan and performer safety.

“If it’s not safe, the authorities make sure that the events are unable to happen for safety reasons. But me personally, I’m not scared,” he reiterated.

Elsewhere, All Elite Wrestling is making changes to its schedule for at least the next two weeks. Next Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite, which was to take place in Rochester, NY, will now take place in Jacksonville, Fla. under a restricted attendance policy. The March 25 episode, which had been promoted as the special “Blood & Guts” show, will no longer take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. A new venue has not been announced, but the company says that a restricted attendance policy will also be in effect that night.

AEW President and CEO Tony Kahn has also told talents and crew members that they will not be punished if they opt not to attend shows during the outbreak, according to Wrestling Observer Radio.

There is still one major domino left to fall — WrestleMania. Although Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging municipalities statewide to cancel events that could be considered mass gatherings for the next 30 days, WWE is hoping to move forward as planned. And for now it remains on the calendar.

“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues,” the company said in a statement. “The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay.”

Tampa officials stated Thursday that they would not be stepping in to cancel the show at this time but will reassess their decision next week. Should action be taken, it is possible that WrestleMania will be moved to another date later this year.

Theoretically, a postponement would allow European fans impacted by the Trump administration’s 30-day restriction on travel to the U.S. to attend.

The entirety of the situation is almost too much to grasp.

“There’s never been anything at this level and the sheer amount of cancellations across the scope of pro wrestling,” said longtime wrestling reporter Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com. “From major WWE television tapings to small independent wrestling events this is indicative of what’s happening across the country. …  We’ve never had everything shut down like this with the exception of a terrorist attack.”

The timing is especially unfortunate for diehard wrestling fans who plan week-long vacations around WrestleMania. For many, the trip represents most if not all of their disposable income for the year. WrestleMania week isn’t exclusively about WrestleMania anymore. WWE’s schedule has swelled to a five-day extravaganza that begins Thursday with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and runs through Raw on Monday. There are also dozens of smaller promotions, including ROH and top-tier independents, who converge on the region to capitalize on the mass numbers of fans.

“[Usually] we’re building up to an insanely excited fan base looking forward to descending upon what has become the Woodstock of professional wrestling,” said Johnson. “Instead there is a lot of hesitation, a lot of concern, and honestly a lot of confusion.”

Many of those events are now in limbo as well.

With its stock already in a free-fall, WWE is warning investors about the potential financial impact of COVID-19.

“It should be noted that the Company may be directed to cancel, postpone or relocate certain upcoming events and the number of these changes is unknown at this time,” a statement from WWE reads. “The Company is currently unable to quantify the potential financial impact of COVID-19, but the financial impact to the Company may be material.”

WWE also states that the health and safety of fans, performers and employees are top priorities.

So what will happen with WrestleMania? Stay tuned. A decision must be made sooner rather than later.

Chuck Carroll is former pro wrestling announcer and referee turned sports media personality. He once appeared on Monday Night RAW when he presented Robert Griffin III with a WWE title belt in the Redskins locker room.

Follow him on Twitter @ChuckCarrollWLC.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — As the novel coronavirus spreads in the Bay Area, an emotional support line will continue to operate all day, every day, according to the Mental Health Association of San Francisco.

The California Peer-Run Warm Line is a free, non-judgmental, emotional, non-emergency support line that allows people with mental health challenges to talk to a peer who is trained to help.

The phone number is (855) 845-7415. Chat is also available at https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline/.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, all group services and support and in-person, one-on-one support will be canceled and transitioned to virtual, telephonic, mobile and video methods to the extent possible.

Last October, the Warm Line became available to all Californians after receiving a $10.8 million cash infusion from the state, which funds the line for three years.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

SACRAMENTO (AP) — A Northern California judge on Thursday approved prosecutors’ request to take more DNA samples from a man charged with being the infamous “Golden State Killer” who eluded arrest for decades.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Steve White also told prosecutors to informally decide who is empowered to consider defense attorneys’ offer have Joseph James DeAngelo plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. So far, prosecutors have not wavered from their intent to seek DeAngelo’s execution if he is convicted.

The 74-year-old former police officer is suspected of at least 13 murders and more than 50 rapes across California, including the Bay Area, in the 1970s and 1980s. Six counties have consolidated their cases in Sacramento County, and four of those counties are seeking the death penalty.

Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo in court Dec. 6 (CBS)

“Who’s in charge? Who can make decisions? We want to settle the case,” said defense attorney Alice Michel, adding later that “I don’t know who I’m supposed to talk to.”

Defense attorneys questioned in court filings whether Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert could alone negotiate a plea deal, of if she would have to have agreement from prosecutors in Santa Barbara, Orange and Ventura counties. He also faces lesser penalties from Tulare and Contra Costa counties.

That “is something that you probably should be entitled to know,” White said while urging the attorneys to work it out among themselves.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has a moratorium on executions while he is governor. But DeAngelo’s trial is likely several years away after what is projected to be a weeks-long preliminary hearing set to begin in May.

White allowed prosecutors, over defense objections, to take four more cheek-swab DNA samples from DeAngelo as they try to link him to old crimes.

Investigators surreptitiously collected DNA from DeAngelo more than two years ago that they say proves he is the rapist who broke into couples’ suburban homes at night, binding the man and piling dishes on his back. The armed and masked rapist would threaten to kill both victims if he heard the plates fall while he raped the woman.

Collecting more DNA “is a minimally invasive procedure, unlike the crimes committed against so many of our victims,” said Cheryl Temple, a prosecutor from Ventura County who handled that portion of the hearing.

Investigators pioneered a method of building a family tree from old crime scene DNA, using a popular online DNA database to find a distant relative and eventually zero in on DeAngelo. The new process has since been used nationwide in other cases.

DeAngelo haltingly entered a courtroom cage supported at the elbows by two deputies. As usual, he never glanced at the crowd of spectators, looking instead in the general direction of the judge and nearly a dozen video and still cameras. He usually has stood ramrod straight during his hearings. On Thursday periodically slumped his gaunt head.

His defense is currently being handled only by the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office, which says it is overwhelmed by the voluminous evidence in the case. It wants assistance from public defenders in the other counties.

White said what he called “an imbalance of resources” is “not right, it’s not appropriate,” though he had no immediate solution.

“It’s legitimate to coordinate these cases into one county,” White said, though defense attorneys are separately arguing that they have not been properly consolidated. “It’s another thing, though, to say one office, the public defender of Sacramento County, takes the burden of the entire defense and all its cost.”

© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In the statement, the chairman said that while the tournament had announced on March 4th that they would continue to hold the the event as scheduled, the “ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus Covid-19” caused the association to reconsider.

“Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.

We will continue to work with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the City of Augusta and all other local authorities. We are grateful to all of these entities for their exceptional efforts and guidance” 

The statement went on to say that updates about the tournament would be posted to Masters.com as more information becomes available. The move to postpone the tournament comes in the wake of the PGA Tour’s decision late Thursday night to cancel the rest of the Players Championship and all events up through the Valero Texas Open.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announced a moratorium on disconnecting utility service for nonpayment in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

According to a statement from the San Francisco-based utility on Thursday, the moratorium in place will apply to both residential and business customers until further notice.

“Our most important responsibility is the health and safety of our customers and employees,” PG&E Chief Customer Officer and Senior VP Laurie Giamomma said. “We also want to provide some relief from the stress and financial challenges many are facing during this worldwide, public health crisis.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The utility said it would also offer flexible pay plans to customers who demonstrate a hardship due to the outbreak.

PG&E does not anticipate any disruption in gas or electric service due to the coronavirus outbreak.

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Jack London Square officials said on Thursday that they’ve suspended all public events through the end of the month due to the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Officials at the entertainment and business destination near the Oakland waterfront said they made the decision in response to recommendations by local and state public health departments to reduce the risk of community transmission of the virus, also known as COVID-19, via large events.

Events affected by the suspension include the The Buck, which was scheduled for Sunday, and Jack London Square Farmers Markets scheduled on Sundays the rest of the month.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Although public events are suspended, Jack London Square officials said all restaurants and businesses remain open and welcome the community’s patronage and support.

Jack London Square officials said in a statement, “The health and safety of all visitors, employees, and event volunteers is of utmost importance and our top priority.”

They said they “look forward to resuming spring and summer public events as soon as conditions allow, in line with the recommendations of health officials.”

Jack London Square officials said people can check their website and social media channels for updates.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The tsunami of news about the current coronavirus outbreak can be overwhelming. To help you navigate through what you need to know — KPIX.com/KPIX 5 News/CBSN Bay Area — will be publishing a news roundup each morning so you can start your day with the latest developments impacting you, your family and your daily life.

Two San Francisco Elementary Schools Closed; 11 Students Suffering From Severe Respiratory Illness
SAN FRANCISCO — While saying they have no confirmed coronavirus cases yet among their students, San Francisco officials have ordered the immediate closure of two elementary schools after 11 students have come down with severe respiratory conditions including pneumonia-like symptoms. Both Lakeshore Elementary and Glen Park Elementary School have been closed ahead of the three-week coronavirus shutdown of the entire San Francisco public school system. Read More

4 San Jose Firefighters Contract Coronavirus; 80 Others Exposed, Restricted From Work
SAN JOSE — Four San Jose firefighters have been confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus, with another several dozen fire department staffers now being restricted from work, a firefighters’ union announced Thursday. The news followed word earlier Thursday from the city that one San Jose firefighter had tested positive for the coronavirus and may have exposed others in the firehouse to the illness. Read More

Shipboard Ordeal Finally Ends For Last Remaining Grand Princess Passengers
OAKLAND — Word came down late Thursday evening, the week-long ordeal for Darla Curtis and the last remaining passengers aboard the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess had come to an end. The final bus had been loaded at the Oakland dockside and those passengers were beginning the next phase of their return to a normal life. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s office emailed KPIX 5 — “Yes, the state informed us the last passenger disembarked around 8 p.m.” Read More

Elderly Residents of San Pablo Seniors Facility Face Eviction During Coronavirus Crisis
SAN PABLO — Seniors are surely the most vulnerable population when it comes to the coronavirus. Yet more than a dozen elderly residents of the San Pablo Brookdale senior-living facility are being evicted. “This was going to be my stairway to heaven. It’s turned into my corridor to hell,” said 73-year-old resident Vince Dunn. Senior citizens at Brookdale aren’t just worried about where they’re going to live, they’re worried about where they’re going to die. Read More

San Carlos Officials Answer Questions About Local Hotel Housing Cruise Ship Passengers
SAN CARLOS — A San Carlos hotel closed to the public and opened up Thursday for Grand Princess cruise ship passengers who tested positive for the coronavirus but who are not sick enough to be hospitalized. On Thursday night, city leaders said that at least seven passengers had been taken to the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Skyway Road and that more were expected throughout the night. The 120-room hotel is enclosed by a fence perimeter and is guarded by U.S. Marshals, with the help of California Highway Patrol officers. Read More

Kaiser San Francisco Launches Drivethru Parking Lot Coronavirus Testing
SAN FRANCISCO — In the wake of a swelling number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Francisco, Kaiser health care officials have launched the first Bay Area drivethru testing operation in a hospital parking lot. Located at the hospital complex at the corner of Geary Boulevard and 5th Ave. in the Richmond District, the entire testing procedure can be done while you are in your car in the parking lot. Health officials want to keep the sick patients away from the building and the people inside, but not anyone can just randomly drive up. Read More

Berkeley Small Businesses Struggle to Survive Coronavirus Downturn
BERKELEY — Fears of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 have Bay Area business owners and their employees on edge, wondering if they’ll be able to financially survive the ongoing crisis. In downtown Berkeley, coronavirus concerns keep patrons away from shops and restaurants. The Revival Bar and Kitchen would normally be booming with business on theater night. “It’s frightening,” said Revival chef and owner Amy Murray. Read More

Coronavirus Cases In Santa Clara County Jump To 66
SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County health officials announced 18 new cases of coronavirus in the county, bringing the total number of cases as of Thursday afternoon to 66. Santa Clara County Public Health Department says 31 people remained hospitalized with COVID-19. The 66 cases in the county are the highest total in the Bay Area. The county confirmed its first death from COVID-19 on Monday, the same day it banned mass gatherings of 1,000 people or more to help stop the spread of the virus. Since then, Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide order barring gatherings of more than 250 people. Read More

Oakland City Council Declares Coronavirus Public Health Emergency
OAKLAND — The Oakland City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a resolution confirming former City Administrator Sabrina Landreth’s declaration of a public health emergency on Monday because of the 2019 novel coronavirus. The council’s action extends the emergency for up to another 60 days so the city can exercise emergency powers to address the coronavirus, which is also known as COVID-19. Read More

Napa County, Palo Alto And Mountain View Declare Local Coronavirus Health Emergencies
BAY AREA — Officials in Napa County, Palo Alto and Mountain View on Thursday declared local health emergencies in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. While Napa County did not have a confirmed case of the virus as of Thursday, the declaration by Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio will mobilize county resources, accelerate emergency planning and response and allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to ratify the declaration on Tuesday. Read More

Coronavirus Outbreak In Italy Nixes U.S. Tour Plan For Bay Area Rock Violinist
SAN FRANCISCO — While the coronavirus outbreak in Italy seems like it’s a long way from the Bay Area, a local artist says related travel restrictions are wiping out her income and a great opportunity. Yoko Miyakawa is a professional musician. She is a classically trained violinist, but she is equally skilled at playing rock music. The COVID-19 pandemic has cost her a chance to tour with a visiting heavy metal group. Read More

Plunging Stock Market From Coronavirus Fears Provides Investment Opportunities
LAFAYETTE — While fears over the coronavirus outbreak have slammed financial markets around the world, there are those who think this may actually be a golden opportunity for those with money to invest. Read More

Broadway SF Cancels Hamilton, Last Ship, Book of Mormon, ACT Goes Dark
SAN FRANCISCO — Two of San Francisco’s major theatre houses have gone dark due to concerns over coronavirus. The move comes after the City of San Francisco banned mass gatherings larger than 1,000 people across the city. Broadway SF has canceled shows at both its venues, The Golden Gate Theatre and the Orpheum, through Wednesday, March 25. Read More

Gov. Newsom: Missing Coronavirus Test Kit Components Delaying Testing Process
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom bemoaned the current status of lab testing for coronavirus as he gave an update of COVID-19 cases in the state Thursday. At a press conference in Sacramento Thursday morning, Newsom said 198 people in the state have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, 21 more that the previous day’s total. A fourth death from the virus was reported in the Los Angeles area, said Newsom. Read More

SFO Largely Deserted Days Before Coronavirus Travel Ban Goes Into Effect
SAN FRANCISCO — Travelers in the Bay Area and around the world are scrambling to rearrange plans after President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban related to most of Europe to help stop the coronavirus. Under the new order, only foreign nationals who have traveled to any of the 26 European countries with open border agreements will be banned from flying into the U.S. American citizens and legal residents will still be allowed to fly from Europe, but they’ll be directed to limited airports where screening will take place. Read More

NCAA Cancels March Madness, Remaining Winter And Spring Championships
NEW YORK — NCAA officials announced Thursday afternoon that the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments were cancelled due to the coronavirus, along with all remaining winter and spring NCAA sports championships. The announcement was issued shortly after 1 p.m. on the official NCAA website and was attributed to NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors. Read More

BART Ridership Sees Major Declines In Last 10 Days Amid Coronavirus Worries

OAKLAND — BART’s Wednesday ridership was down 35 percent compared to an average Wednesday last month and has declined precipitously in the last 10 days, the transit agency announced Thursday. BART ridership on Wednesday was 268,192, the agency said. On Tuesday, ridership also fell 30 percent compared to an average Tuesday in February from 415,760 to 292,011. Read More

Bay Area Catholic Bishops Lift Mass Obligations For Seniors, Tell Ill Parishioners To Stay Home
SAN JOSE — Catholic Church officials in the Bay Area have urged the faithful to stay home if they are ill amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, with two bishops lifting the obligation to attend Sunday Mass altogether for seniors and people at risk. On Wednesday, Bishop Michael Barber of the Diocese of Oakland covering Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, issued an order lifting the Mass obligation for Catholics 60 and older. . Read More

Coronavirus Concerns Shut Down Disneyland, California Adventure
ANAHEIM — Disneyland has announced that the Anaheim theme parks will be closing beginning Saturday and last through the end of the month. The closure affects both Disneyland and the California Adventure parks. Disney hotels are said to remain open through Monday. Read More

MLB Cancels Spring Training, A’s, Giants’ Opening Day Pushed Back
SAN FRANCISCO — MLB announced today that all remaining Spring Training games will be cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic and unfolding national emergency. The suspension in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, in Florida and Arizona respectively, began Thursday afternoon. Opening Day, previously set for March 26, will be delayed by at least two weeks. Both actions, according to the League’s statement, are “being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, clubs and our millions of loyal fans.” MLB will continue to monitor events as the tentative April 9 start date approaches. Read More

Grand Princess Departure From Oakland Delayed; Frustrated Passengers Still On Board
OAKLAND — The final passengers were supposed to walk down the gangplank of the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess to end their week-long ordeal Thursday, but some passengers still in the dark about when they are leaving the ship. Meanwhile, the ship will remain docked in Oakland at least until Sunday. Initially, officials said once the final passengers left the massive cruise liner, it would depart with its 1,100 crew members — including at least 19 diagnosed with the coronavirus — to an unknown destination. Read More

NHL Halts Season In Wake Of Coronavirus Outbreak
SAN JOSE — Hours after the National Basketball Association put its season on hold after a player was confirmed to have contracted coronavirus, the National Hockey League sent out word Thursday to the San Jose Sharks and the league’s other teams that it would also pause their season. Later Thursday both Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball announced they were also putting a hold on their seasons.
Read More

San Francisco Providing Small Business Support Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
SAN FRANCISCO — Small businesses in San Francisco experiencing a slowdown following a citywide ban on large events in response to the coronavirus will get support from the city. Announced by city leaders on Wednesday, the efforts include deferring business taxes and licensing fees, launching a relief fund, supporting city-funded nonprofits so that workers don’t lose income, and working with partners in the philanthropic and private sectors. Read More

Coronavirus Threat Wipes Out Hoops Dreams For California High School Teams
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Interscholastic Federation announced Thursday it was cancelling the remaining regional high school basketball games and the upcoming state high school state championship tournament because of fears surrounding the spread of the coronavirus. Less than 24 hours after the NBA halted its season and less than an hour after the Pacific-12 Conference announced it was calling off its post-season tournament, California high school officials followed suit. Read More

Major League Soccer Suspends Season For 30 Days Over Coronavirus
SAN JOSE -— Major League Soccer has joined the National Basketball Association as the second U.S. pro sports league to suspend its season because of concerns of spreading the coronavirus. In a statement posted on the league website and social media accounts, the league stated the suspension was effective immediately as the league continues to assess the impact of the COVID-19 virus. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — While saying they have no confirmed coronavirus cases yet among their students, San Francisco officials have ordered the immediate closure of two elementary schools after 11 students have come down with severe respiratory conditions including pneumonia-like symptoms.

Both Lakeshore Elementary and Glen Park Elementary School have been closed ahead of the three-week coronavirus shutdown of the entire San Francisco public school system.

Lakeshore happens to be right next to Lowell High School, which reopened Wednesday after a multi-day closure started last Friday, when it was determined that the parent of a student was one of the first two patients in San Francisco diagnosed with the coronavirus.

SFUSD announced that it was immediately closing Lakeshore on Wednesday night after learning from the Dept. of Public Health that four students from the school and some of their family members were reporting severe respiratory illness.

School Board President Mark Sanchez characterized those ill students at a Thursday news conference as having pneumonia-like symptoms likely the result of the coronavirus.

On Thursday night, district officials announced they were immediately closing Glen Park Elementary School after public health officials told them that 7 students were suffering from respiratory illness and were being tested for COVID-19.

Staffs and students families at both schools were asked to self quarantine and report any medical conditions to their personal physicians or the city’s public health department.

In the wake of the growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Francisco, School Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews announced on Thursday that all the city’s public schools would shutdown for three weeks. He said officials were “taking the time to prepare their school communities in the likelihood of a prolonged COVID-19 epidemic.”

Matthews said the break would begin on March 16 and run through April 6th. Spring break for the district was already scheduled to start on March 30.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

“This is not business as usual,” he said. “It is likely we will see many more COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks and months. This is will require a measured, sustained response.”

According to Matthews, during the break, teachers and administrators will receive training “on how to run schools during this epidemic.” The training will include practicing more universal precautions and increasing social isolation practices.

“An informed community, is a safer community,” he said.

Among those pushing for the closure were teacher and staff unions, along with some elected officials at San Francisco’s City Hall.

“If there was somebody who was affected by the virus, it could spread very quickly in a school,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney. “So let’s take a couple weeks where we don’t have school, and figure out what we need to do next.”

During the extended break all school campuses will be close and thoroughly cleaned, kid care programs shut down and any other student-related activities will be cancelled.

Matthews had forewarned parents that such a drastic step may be coming after the district closed Lakeshore Elementary School. He called the decision to close the schools a change in strategy.

“We have been in a reactive mode — the school by school closures are reactive,” he said. “We, the board, the staff determined to become preemptive. We know we need time to prepare for this new world that we are in right now.”

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — In the wake of a swelling number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Francisco, Kaiser health care officials have launched the first Bay Area drivethru testing operation in a hospital parking lot.

Located at the hospital complex at the corner of Geary Boulevard and 5th Ave. in the Richmond District, the entire testing procedure can be done while you are in your car in the parking lot.

Health officials want to keep the sick patients away from the building and the people inside, but not anyone can just randomly drive up.

Kaiser officials said the patients need to go through three layers of screening before driving up for the test. They can either met in person or speak over the phone with a nurse, a primary doctor, and finally a specialist. Only after those three medical professionals have determined a patient exhibits COVID-19 symptoms can the patient can get an appointment for the drive thru.

It’s a quick process where a nurse takes a nasal swab of the patient while seated in the car. Kaiser said the results typically come back in a week.

“Especially if you’re older than 65, especially if you have underlying medical issues already, you need to call (your doctor) and not wait until things have progressed,” said internal medicine physician Dr. Runjhun Misra.

Misra, who is not affiliated with Kaiser, said there were some specific symptoms to watch out for before calling your doctor.

“I know some people are going to say it’s very hard to distinguish from the flu, which it is, yes,” Misra said. “But shortness of breath is not seen that often in the flu or allergies or the common cold. So if you’re having fever, cough, and shortness of breath, you need to contact your provider.”

Neighbors walking by the drive-thru test tent for the most part were supportive.

“Sounds like a very good idea,” said Hugh McMenamin, who lives a few blocks away. ” A couple levels of screening and have them outside so it doesn’t get into the hospital.”

“It looks kind of scary, you know, because people are going through there,” said another neighbor Liberty Neubarth. “It’s kind of safe, but at the same time, kind of scared, you know, why they’re all here.”

Doctors turned away people who randomly drove up to try to get a test. They reminded people it’s only for Kaiser members and after they’ve gone through a screening.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — School districts across the Bay Area have announced closures and cancellations that will put students on a multi-week hiatus because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

BAY AREA SCHOOL CLOSURES

• Marin County public schools to close starting on Monday, March 16th for at least two weeks; full list here
• Pittsburg United School District to close starting on Monday, March 16th for two weeks
• Oakland Unified School District to close at end of classes Friday through at least Sunday, April 5
• Mt. Diablo Unified School District to close beginning March 17
• Santa Cruz County Public Schools to close for the week of March 16-20
• Tamalpais High School to close beginning Friday March 13
• San Francisco Unified: Glen Park Elementary to close Friday; other S.F. schools close Monday, March 16
• Berkeley Unified: Berkeley High closed Friday; other city public schools close Monday, March 16
• Diocese of San Jose: all diocese schools close beginning Friday March 13
• San Mateo Union High School District: schools close Monday, March 16
• Hillsborough City School District: closing Monday March 16
• West Contra Costa County Unified District: closing Monday
• Archdiocese of San Francisco: closed through through March 25

Mt. Diablo Unified School District Superintendent Robert Martinez wrote in a message Friday that the district’s schools will be closed starting next week. Monday was already a professional development day for teachers with no students present, so the closures will officially take effect Tuesday.

“More specifics will follow this afternoon regarding the parameters of the closure, and plans to maintain some services for students during the formal closure to schools,” Martinez wrote.

“We do not make this decision lightly, as we understand that school closures can be difficult on our families,” he continued. “We believe that this decision is in the best interest of our students and we will continue to monitor the situation and to communicate openly with our community.”

On Thursday, SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews made the announcement closing San Francisco schools for 3 week starting Monday, saying officials were “taking the time to prepare their school communities in the likelihood of a prolonged COVID-19 epidemic.”

Matthews said the break would begin on March 16 and run for three weeks until April 6th. Spring break for the district was already scheduled to start on March 30.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

“This is not business as usual,” he said. “It is likely we will see many more COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks and months. This is will require a measured, sustained response.”

According to Matthews, during the break, teachers and administrators will receive training “on how to run schools during this epidemic.” The training will include practicing more universal precautions and increasing social isolation practices.

“An informed community, is a safer community,” he said.

Among those pushing for the closure were teacher and staff unions, along with some elected officials at San Francisco’s City Hall.

“If there was somebody who was affected by the virus, it could spread very quickly in a school,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney. “So let’s take a couple weeks where we don’t have school, and figure out what we need to do next.”

During the extended break all school campuses will be close and thoroughly cleaned, kid care programs shut down and any other student-related activities will be cancelled.

Matthews had forewarned parents that such a drastic step may be coming after the district announced Wednesday night that it was immediately closing Lakeshore Elementary School after learning from the Dept. of Public Health that four students from the school and some of their family members reported respiratory illness.

School Board President Mark Sanchez characterized the ill students as having pneumonia-like symptoms likely the result of the coronavirus.

Matthews said the decision to close the schools was a change in strategy.

“We have been in a reactive mode — the school by school closures are reactive,” he said. “We, the board, the staff determined to become preemptive. We know we need time to prepare for this new world that we are in right now.”

Additional information about the San Francisco Unified School District’s planned closure can be found on the district website.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco had already announced the closure of 90 schools in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties on Tuesday. Those schools are set to reopen on March 26.

Meanwhile, the West Contra Costa County School District made a similar announcement Thursday evening. While Contra Costa Health Services said there have not been any confirmed cases of coronavirus among students or staff at any schools, the district has decided close all schools for the next three weeks, starting Monday, March 16.

School in the district is set to resume on Monday, April 6. In order to minimize disruption to the calendar, the district’s spring break is being moved up to the week of March 30.

Additionally, all students will be dismissed early at noon on Friday, March 13. Staff will work their normal schedules.

District officials acknowledged the burden of closing schools for a long duration and will try to provide as many services as possible during this time. Students will be expected to continue instruction through their laptops or tablets and meals will be available for students at selected schools during the closure.

Additional details regarding the closure will be released by the district on Friday, March 13 and made available online at the district’s website. Parents with questions can contact their school principal.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Berkeley Unified School District is canceling classes for its high schools effective Friday and the rest of its schools starting on Monday because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Brent Stephens said the earlier closure for the high schools is so their staff can work on options for students’ home learning programs. The schools are all tentatively set to reopen on April 6.

The district office will also be closed to the public during the next few weeks, although district staff will keep “essential operations” going including communications to the public, district officials said.

“I have been deeply touched by the overwhelming concern I hear in our community about protecting our most vulnerable individuals from the coronavirus,” Stephens wrote. “We hope that this step will support the regional effort to slow the spread of coronavirus in our area.”

DIOCESAN SCHOOLS IN SAN JOSE

The Diocese of San Jose announced it would close schools for two weeks, beginning Friday.

Starting Monday, students will be able to learn via distance learning plans that each school has developed.

“These measures we are taking not only protect our students, but also our neighbors” and others “who may be most vulnerable” to the virus, Bishop Oscar Cantu said in a statement.

The closure affects all planned in-person classes and school events, including sports, activities and community gatherings.

None of the school facilities will be open to parents or students during the closure.

As of Thursday, there were no confirmed cases of the virus in the diocese. Updates on the closure and additional guidance can be found at http://www.dsj.org/coronavirus

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