Coronavirus Roundup: Virus' Cruel Impact: Mourning Alone; Advisory To Wear Masks; Easter Week By Livestream
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The tsunami of news about the current coronavirus outbreak and now the shelter-in-place 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 of the top coronavirus-related stories from the last 24 hours so you can start your day with the latest updated developments.
Good News -- Neighbor Helping Neighbor
Small Berkeley Business Retools Operations To Build PPE Face Shields For Hospitals
BERKELEY -- A family-run company in Berkeley has changed their daily operations to help Bay Area hospitals by creating protective face shields for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the fight against coronavirus. This is a wonderful example of American ingenuity during a crisis. From recognizing the need, to concept and now a face shield prototype, it took only about an hour. Carl Bass and Chris Taggart own a private machine shop. The two retired successful software engineering executives now build whatever they want, and they brainstormed to come up with a new face shield design. Read More
Oakland Zoo Launches Live, Interactive Virtual Tour
OAKLAND -- Since there are no visitors due to the shelter-in-place, the Oakland Zoo says it will bring the animals to the people virtually with a new subscription-based feature video segment on the zoo's website. The segment is called "Oakland Zoo Behind the Scenes." President and CEO of Oakland Zoo, Joel Parrott, says starting Thursday the segment will be live and interactive at 2:30 p.m. Read More
Silicon Valley Firm Fixes 500 Ventilators In Coronavirus Crisis After Engineer Figures Out How
SAN JOSE -- It was late when engineer Joe Tavi's boss called with an odd question: Could their Silicon Valley company, which makes fuel cells, learn how to fix a ventilator? California had a bunch of broken ones, and the governor had asked if San Jose-based Bloom Energy could repair them so coronavirus patients could breathe. Tavi, an engineer who grew up taking apart the family vacuum cleaner to see if he could put it back together, said he would sleep on it. Read More
For Uplifting Stories Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Visit Our Better Together Section
Coronavirus Pandemic In Bay Area
Santa Clara County Tops 1,000 Cases, 36 Deaths; 11 Percent Tested Are Positive
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County health officials reported a grim milestone Thursday for the county which has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic in the Bay Area. As of Thursday afternoon, 1,019 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the county, an increase of 63 cases since Wednesday. There were four more deaths reported, for a total of 36 in the county. Read More
Feds, Contra Costa Officials Set Up Emergency Medical Station In Richmond
RICHMOND -- Federal and Contra Costa County health officials were working Thursday to set up an emergency medical station at Richmond's Craneway Pavilion to help handle the anticipated surge in coronavirus patients. Contra Costa began the day with 250 confirmed positive coronavirus cases among county residents since the outbreak began in January. There have also been three deaths. Once it's completely built, the Craneway facility will be able to handle 250 COVID-19 patients. Read More
San Mateo County Officials Announce 75 New Positive Coronavirus Tests
SAN MATEO -- Following a pattern across the state, San Mateo County officials announced Thursday 75 new confirmed coronavirus cases among county residents. On a positive note, health officials said the county's death toll remained at 10 with six of those victims being local residents 80 years old and older. It was the county's second largest single day increase since the outbreak began in January and raised San Mateo's overall number to 453 confirmed cases. Read More
Marin Health Officials Report New Death, 10 New Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
SAN RAFAEL -- The coronavirus death toll in Marin County has grown to five and the total number of confirmed cases among the county's residents has risen to 108, health officials announced Thursday. There were no details released about the virus' latest victim in terms of age, gender and how they may have been exposed to the disease. Fifteen patients remained hospitalized in the county while a total of 774 local residents have been tested for the virus. The death toll for the 10-county San Francisco Bay Area stood at 70 early Thursday. Read More
San Francisco Reports 53 New Coronavirus Cases; First In A Homeless Shelter Resident
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco health officials announced Thursday 53 new coronavirus cases among local residences and the first among those living in the city's homeless shelters. The city/county saw the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began in January climb to 450. No new deaths were reported as San Francisco's death toll remained at 7. Read More
Solano County Reports First Death Of Resident From COVID-19
FAIRFIELD -- Solano County health officials reported the first death of a resident from the novel coronavirus on Thursday. The patient was at least 85 years old, recently traveled out of the country and had "multiple severe underlying health conditions." Public health officials said they aren't releasing additional data about the patient, such as exact age, city of residence or gender. "Solano Public Health extends our deepest condolences to the patient's loved ones in the wake of this tragedy," said county Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas. Read More
Gov. Newsom: Good News On Coronavirus Testing Coming, Despite Backlog
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he was hopeful that California would soon catch up on an existing backlog of coronavirus tests, even as the state ramped up COVID-19 testing. During his afternoon address on California's response to the coronavirus outbreak, Newsom confirmed there is currently a backlog of 59,000 tests still being processed by labs. That backlog has created delays in results, with some patients waiting as long as 12 days before learning whether or not they have COVID-19. Read More
Feds, Contra Costa Officials Set Up Emergency Medical Station In Richmond
RICHMOND (CBS SF) -- Federal and Contra Costa County health officials were working Thursday to set up an emergency medical station at Richmond's Craneway Pavilion to help handle the anticipated surge in coronavirus patients. Contra Costa began the day with 250 confirmed positive coronavirus cases among county residents since the outbreak began in January. Read More
Seton Medical Center Nurses Plead For More PPE
DALY CITY -- Across the Bay Area, state and nation, the plea is the same from nurses and frontline healthcare workers: there is not enough personal protective equipment (PPE). "One N95 per shift, one face shield for a paper if you're lucky enough to be using a paper and one face shield, and it is your one and only one that you're responsible," Phoebe Minkler, an ICU nurse at Seton Medical Center told KPIX via FaceTime Thursday. Read More
SF Supervisors Say City Lags In Moving Homeless From Shelters to Hotel Rooms
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed said putting homeless people in hotel rooms during the coronavirus crisis is not proving as easy as it may seem. "The first thing I thought was, 'wow, we're going to be able to get everyone in a hotel, like, yesterday,'" the mayor told Manny Yekutiel in a video interview for Manny's Livestream. "But then the finances and public health realities sank in. This is a public health crisis and we have to make every decision based on that." Read More
Coronavirus Impacts Our Daily Lives
Being Buried Alone -- Coronavirus' Cruel Impact On Family Mourning In Our New World Of Isolation
SAN LORENZO -- In the grim new reality of the coronavirus pandemic, the way we grieve for our loved ones who have died has changed. Grissom's Chapel and Mortuary in San Lorenzo was one of the first in Alameda County to prepare arrangements for a COVID-19 victim and not a single person was able to be here to celebrate that person's life. "Because the family was under mandatory quarantine ... my staff and I thought outside the box and we had a whole funeral over the phone," said Grissom's owner Lisa Bradshaw. Read More</b.
Bay Area Health Officials Recommend Covering Face When Leaving Home
Marking a shift in previous instructions, Bay Area health officials on Thursday started recommending residents cover their nose and mouth with cloth when leaving home for essential travel such as doctor appointments and grocery shopping. The regional recommendation was made in alignment with new guidance from the California Department of Public Health. Read More
FBI Warns Of Costco Coronavirus 'Stimulus Check' Scam
SAN DIEGO -- Text messages claiming to offer "goodies" from big box chain Costco as part of a "COVID-19 stimulus package" for the store's "loyal customers" are not only fraudulent, but they also include links that may contain malware or ransomware, the FBI says. "$110 goodies from Costco! That's our stimulus package for Costco loyal customers," states an example of one of the scams, which then prompts the recipient to click a link and complete a survey. The scam refers to the massive $2 trillion relief package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Security (CARES) Act, that President Trump signed last week. Read More
'Education Via Computer Needs To Be Limited': Psychologist Says Parents Must Step Up To Nurture Kids In Age Of Coronavirus
SAN FRANCISCO -- With schools closed for more than 55 million children across the country in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, students, parents and teachers are facing a host of new and unexpected challenges. Schools all over the country have created virtual classrooms online, but many parents and caregivers find themselves managing the workload and tools like Google docs and Zoom meetings -- all in addition to working remotely, taking care of finances and putting food on the table. Read More
New Study From China Suggests Cats, Not Dogs, Can Catch COVID-19
SAN FRANCISCO -- A newly-hatched study out of China -- so raw that it has not yet been peer-reviewed -- has some disturbing news for cat lovers. Our furry feline friends appear to be susceptible to catching COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Even worse, the cats in the study were able to infect each other, although they showed no signs of illness. Read More
Coronavirus Closings And Postponements
Oakland's Popular Burger Boogaloo Festival Rescheduled For Halloween Weekend
Organizers of annual East Bay punk festival the Burger Boogaloo on Thursday announced that, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the upcoming eleventh anniversary edition of the fest was being rescheduled for Halloween weekend with the previously announced line-up intact. Read More
Alameda County Health Department Orders Golden Gate Fields To Suspend Racing Activities
The Golden Gate Fields horse racing track in Albany suspended all racing activities Thursday morning due to the coronavirus pandemic after being contacted by the Alameda County Public Health Department. The track has been closed to the public since mid-March, but was still running races that people could watch and bet on remotely. Read More
Coronavirus Impact: Catholic Easter Week Services Go Virtual During Current Outbreak
SAN JOSE -- Nestled in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Diocese of San Jose announced Thursday that traditional Holy Week ceremonies will have a definite non-traditional look this year. All services will be livestream from an empty church and many of the traditional practices -- like the Palm Sunday procession by parishioners -- will not be held. As of Thursday, the surrounding Santa Clara County has had 956 confirmed coronavirus cases and a region-high 32 deaths. Read More
Coronavirus Pandemic Cancels Annual '420 Hippie Hill' Cannabis Celebration In San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- The annual celebration of all things cannabis in San Francisco, the 420 Hippie Hill celebration in Golden Gate Park on April 20th, has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The organizers of the event made the announcement on the official 420 Hippie Hill website. Due to the ongoing concerns around COVID-19 The 420 Hippie Hill celebration on April 20th, 2020 in Golden Gate Park has been cancelled. Read More
Coronavirus Business Impacts
Undocumented Workers Face Tough Choices Without Stimulus Relief
OAKLAND -- Some of the most vulnerable members of the Bay Area workforce aren't able to shelter in place as undocumented laborers hit the streets searching for work with few prospects during the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment numbers are through the roof, but one subgroup of workers will get very little to no help from the recently passed federal COVID-19 stimulus package: people who don't have legal immigration status. Read More
Gov. Newsom Promises Help For Small Businesses, Launches Jobs Website
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday afternoon tried to offer some reassurance to small-business owners and workers employed by those businesses that the state would be providing financial support during the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. During his noontime address on California's coronavirus response, he noted that applications for unemployment insurance benefits had skyrocketed in recent weeks, with 1.6 million Californians applying since March 12. A single-day record was set Monday, March 30, with more than 150,000 people filing for benefits. Read More
'We Have Fallen Short' - Zoom CEO Apologizes For Privacy, Security Issues Amid Coronavirus Spike
SAN JOSE -- The founder and CEO of San Jose-based Zoom has apologized to the video conferencing app's millions of users after coming under fire for a host of privacy issues at a time when it has emerged as a vital social and professional lifeline for many. "We recognize that we have fallen short of the community's -- and our own -- privacy and security expectations," Eric Yuan said in a blog post on Wednesday. "For that, I am deeply sorry." Read More
South Bay Leaders Address Misinformation About County's Coronavirus Eviction Moratorium
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County and San Jose leaders on Thursday addressed misinformation surrounding the new countywide eviction moratorium, emphasizing that residents have to communicate with landlords and that late fees and interest are prohibited during the novel coronavirus response. The moratorium is not a rent freeze, but rather allows tenants 120 days of deferred payment on their rent if they've suffered financial or medical setbacks due to COVID-19. Read More