Purple Tier COVID Roundup: Mayor Breed's French Laundry Gathering 'Particularly Problematic'; Lawmakers Wants Kids Back In Classrooms
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With a surge in coronavirus cases, the information you need to know is coming fast and furious. Here's a roundup of the COVID stories we've published over the last 24 hours.
Surge Puts Christmas Travel And Gathering Plans In Jeopardy
SAN FRANCISCO -- The CDC urged people to not travel on Thanksgiving and now that warning has been extended into December as many contemplate what to do for Christmas. Some say they have ruled out holiday travel when at all possible but many feel it's been hard to keep up with the guidelines that seem to change daily. Doug Mackenzie grew up on Alameda's Christmas Tree Lane and now he's carrying on the family tradition with his wife Tia. "Some people are not decorating as much but we want to decorate more we want to bring some happiness," Tia said. The Mackenzie family has been closely following the local and federal guidelines and haven't left Alameda County since the pandemic began. "We miss going on vacation, we miss seeing family but what are we supposed to do? Ya, what do we do?" Tia said. Read More
Santa Clara County Approaching ICU Bed Capacity; Vaccines May Be Weeks Away
SAN JOSE -- Officials in Santa Clara County on Wednesday warned that South Bay hospitals were edging closer to being full from the spike in COVID-19 cases, with ICUs in some areas already at over 90 percent capacity. Santa Clara County officials spoke at a late Wednesday morning press conference about the stark reality of the county's current case numbers and looked ahead to possible vaccine distribution within the next few weeks to frontline workers. "We continue to be at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity, with typically used beds in our hospitals potentially exceeding capacity by mid-December if the trend continues," explained Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. As of December 1st, ICU occupancy was at 93 percent at hospitals serving the southern part of the county including East San Jose, Tong said. ICU occupancy was slightly better in other parts of the county, but still extremely high at 84 percent. Read More
Hawaiian Couple With COVID Arrested After Flying Home From San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- Police in Hawaii arrested a local couple after they flew home from San Francisco knowing they both had COVID-19. On Nov. 29, the Kauai Police Department arrested 41-year-old Wesley Moribe and 46-year-old Courtney Peterson, both from Wailua, Hawaii, after they boarded a flight at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) despite having tested positive for the coronavirus. The couple had a 4-year-old child with them on the flight. After Moribe and Peterson tested positive for the virus, they ignored directions from workers at SFO's quarantine station to isolate themselves and not board the plane. They boarded their United Airlines flight anyways. Kauai Police arrested the two after their flight landed at Lihue Airport. Police charged them with reckless endangerment and placed their child with a relative. Read More
Bay Area Charities Say Donations Down Drastically As Need Rises During Holidays
SAN FRANCISCO -- Some Bay Area charities and nonprofits report donations are down drastically due to the pandemic at a time when the demand has become dramatic. "The need is growing because more people are without work," said Sally Casazza, chairperson of the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program, which donates toys to 31,000 children each year. This year, Casazza said, it is harder to shop for toys to donate and also, money is tight. "We are probably 50% down in donations with at least 20% more children in need," Casazza told KPIX 5. "The situation is pretty desperate right now," said Nestor Fernandez, the executive director of Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center, also known as Tel Hi. This year, the center had to adapt to COVID-19, canceling its in-person afterschool program and creating an all-day learning hub for San Francisco Unified School District students. Read More
Nurse Struggles To Get Tested As Pleasanton Site Runs Out Of Tests - 'Just Stressful'
PLEASANTON -- With COVID-19 cases surging, testing sites like the one at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton continue to reach capacity each day, with tests running out by midmorning. Infectious disease experts told KPIX 5 COVID cases are skyrocketing in Alameda County and that it's going to get worse before it gets better. And what happens when a health care worker gets sick? KPIX 5 spotted a nurse who showed up at the test site to get tested but it was too late. "It's not just a head cold. I have to get tested," said the health care worker, who did not want to be identified. It was three in the afternoon Wednesday when the front line hospital worker tried to get tested for the coronavirus at the Fairgrounds with no luck. The gates had been locked since 11 in the morning when tests ran out. Read More
California Shatters Record For Most COVID Cases Reported In A Day
SACRAMENTO -- California reported 20,759 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, shattering the state's previous record for most new cases confirmed in a single day, according to data on the California COVID-19 website. Numbers on the state's COVID dashboard website confirmed nearly 21,000 new cases over the past 24 hours, almost 2,500 more cases than the previous high of 18,350 cases set Tuesday of last week. The 20,759 cases reported represented 1.7% of the total number of cases confirmed in the state during the pandemic, according to data on the website. The state's current 14-day average positivity rate also rose dramatically to 6.9% -- up nearly 2% over what was recorded two weeks ago.Read More
Mayor London Breed Faces Major Scrutiny Over Dinner At French Laundry - 'Particularly Problematic'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mayor London Breed's recent visit to a famed Napa Valley restaurant for a birthday party is drawing heavy scrutiny from critics who say politicians aren't practicing what they preach. A day after the mayor's office confirmed the dinner, it's still unclear how many households took part in that meal at The French Laundry in Yountville in November KPIX 5 reached out to the mayor's office multiple times to get an answer to that question, but have not yet heard back as of Wednesday night. This is the latest incident of a Bay Area politician facing scrutiny over bending COVID restrictions. Back in September, there was Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing without a mask at a hair salon. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom apologized after attending a party of 12, also at The French Laundry. Read More
San Francisco's Muni Says Layoffs Possible As Agency Faces $68M Budget Deficit
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency may have to lay off nearly a quarter of its staff to shore up its projected budget deficit during the next fiscal year if the agency doesn't receive federal relief funding, agency officials said this week. The SFMTA is currently on pace for a $68 million deficit by the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, with revenue down 12.7 percent since the fiscal year began July 1 as San Francisco residents avoid public transit during the coronavirus pandemic. The agency has also exhausted many of its one-time tools to save money such as implementing a hiring freeze, reducing overtime and utilizing federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Even so, SFMTA Senior Budget Manager Jonathan Rewers told the agency's Board of Directors Tuesday, the agency's actual and projected revenue losses are so great that reductions in service and layoffs are fully on the table as a method of cutting expenditures. Read More
Maskless Shopper At Morgan Hill Target Arrested For Pulling Gun On Employees
MORGAN HILL -- A man who was confronted at a Target store in Morgan Hill about not wearing a mask was arrested after brandishing what appeared to be a handgun from his pocket, police said. Morgan Hill police said officers were dispatched to the Target store at 1061 Cochrane Rd. at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday on a report of a man with a gun inside the store. Officers who arrived learned that after a man entered the store without a mask and two female employees went up to him to ask him to put on a mask. Police said a verbal confrontation followed with the suspect seeming to be agitated and who then grabbed what looked like a gun out of his pocket. The employees, fearing for their safety, backed away and called 911. The suspect stayed in the store as police responded to the scene. Read More
Outbreak Reported At Two Santa Clara County Youth Detention Facilities
SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County health officials on Wednesday confirmed an outbreak of over a dozen cases among youths and staff at two of the county's juvenile detention facilities. "After nine months without a single detected case of transmission within its juvenile facilities, today the County of Santa Clara is reporting that nine youth have recently tested positive at Juvenile Hall and William F. James Ranch facilities, as well as four staff members," the press release issued by the county health department read. According to the release, one youth detained at the William F. James Ranch facility reported symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 last Saturday. The following day, a second youth detained at Juvenile Hall also tested positive for COVID after exhibiting symptoms. After the two positive tests, officials proceeded to test all youth housed as well as staff members working at both facilities. Read More
State Lawmakers Urge Bay Area School Districts To Bring Kids Back To Class
SACRAMENTO -- In a letter, California Assembly members Phil Ting and David Chiu, as well as state Senator Scott Wiener urged school districts in San Mateo and San Francisco counties to get kids back into the classroom and they say public health experts back them up. "We believe based on what they told us - there is a roadmap for schools all over the state to really be opening," said Assemblyman Ting in an interview via Zoom. The letter cited excessive screen time for young minds, as well as mental health issues that students are facing. It also spoke about how many public schools remain closed for in-person learning, while many private schools have re-opened. "You're seeing an even bigger gap between those who have the means to get a private education versus those going to public education," says Ting. It is a sentiment echoed by UCSF professor of medicine and infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong who calls re-opening schools a moral imperative. Read More
San Mateo County Leaders Urge Precautions As Surge Grows, Vaccine On The Way
REDWOOD CITY -- As COVID-19 cases surge in San Mateo County, hospital capacity remains high and the death rate low, but officials are concerned about the coming weeks and urge people to take necessary precautions. The county's case rate shot up by 85 percent from October to November, according to data from San Mateo County Health. Data shows that the number of new cases in a day reached an all-time high of 168 cases on Nov. 16. There have been 14,812 cases in total and 170 deaths. State data shows that the county's unadjusted case rate per 100,000 is 16.3 new cases per day (8.2 adjusted) compared to 4.1 new cases per day (2.2 adjusted) at the end of October. The test positivity rate remains low at 2.6 percent. As a result, the county moved to the most restrictive tier (purple tier) of the state's reopening system on Saturday, which prohibits many indoor activities and imposes a curfew on non-essential activities from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Read More
Pac-12 Football Coaches Keep It Simple Amid Game Cancelations, Disruptions
STANFORD -- Pac-12 coaches have had to keep game planning simple as schedules shift, sometimes on the fly, during a truncated and uncertain season. Staffs across the league have had to chuck plans made for opponents that don't materialize and then crammed for their replacements. They've adjusted to not having key players available — sometimes for an extended period — both in practice and for games. That means playbooks are often whittled down. "You want to pick a couple things your kids are really good at, master those," USC coach Clay Helton said. "I've always thought that if you create confusion, you create hesitation, and hesitation in this game is going to get you beat and get you hurt. So we've really taken the opposite approach of really shrinking the bible down and picking a couple of things we can get good at per game and letting our kids play fast." Nine Pac-12 games have been canceled this season because of COVID-19. It's not just the verified cases: contact tracing protocols mean teams have players that are unavailable even though they haven't tested positive. Read More
Parents, Education Advocates Sue California Over Remote Learning
OAKLAND -- A coalition of education advocates and families sued the State of California Monday over its failure to "meet its Constitutional obligation to ensure basic educational equality," according to the attorneys who filed the lawsuit. The public interest law firm Public Counsel, representing seven families, Community Coalition and Oakland REACH, filed their suit in Superior Court in the hopes of urging the state to better serve its most vulnerable students. "These families and organizations are coming forward to hold the state accountable for educating children in their communities," Jesselyn Friley, Staff Attorney at Public Counsel's Opportunity Under Law Project, said. "The education children were offered before the pandemic did not meet the standards set by California's constitution, and what they've received since March 2020 is education in name only." Nine months after California locked down to slow the spread of COVID-19, children are still learning from home. Read More
