Category Archives: California

California, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

As cases and hospitalizations climb, California scrambles to tamp down the surge

July 7, 2020 Roger Straw

San Francisco Chronicle, Catherine Ho, Alexei Koseff, July 6, 2020

People at Dolores Park on Saturday, July 4, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continued to climb in California and many parts of the Bay Area over the weekend, as the state that found early success in containing the virus is now scrambling to tamp down outbreaks in prisons and spiking new cases among young people.

Statewide, the average number of new cases per day doubled from just under 2,000 in May to 4,000 in June. That number jumped to a daily average of 6,700 new cases the first four days of July alone, according to Chronicle data.

“The damage that COVID-19 can do — this pandemic — is still in front of us,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. “It continues to spread at rates we have not experienced here in the state of California since the beginning of this pandemic.”

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in California hit a record high, 5,690, for the 17th consecutive day. As of July 5, according to Chronicle data, the Bay Area had 494 patients hospitalized, down from its all-time high of 508 on July 3. Prior to the recent spike in cases, the Bay Area had reached a high of 471 hospitalizations on April 7.

The rate of positive tests has also climbed to 6.8% — up from 5.6% last week. It had been holding steady at 4.9% the previous several weeks, and its steady climb indicates the infection is spreading more quickly now than before.

Deaths, however, are declining statewide and in the Bay Area — from an average of 69 per day in May to 64 per day in June in California. The average number of deaths went from 4.8 to 4.5 in the Bay Area during the same period. That may be because more young people are getting diagnosed and hospitalized, but the severity of disease among younger patients is not as acute as it is in older patients, Newsom said.

People line up to buy fireworks from a stand in San Bruno on Friday, July 3, 2020.Photo: Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle
In the Bay Area, the average number of new cases per day spiked 114%, from 182 in May to 390 in June, and 800 the first four days of July. The Bay Area reported a record-high 1,010 new cases Thursday — the first time the region has surpassed 1,000 new cases a day since the pandemic began.

As of Monday evening, there were 2.9 million confirmed cases in the United States, including 130,284 deaths. California reported 273,303 cases, including 6,450 deaths.

Much of the recent increase has come from large clusters of infections at prisons and nursing homes, as well as community transmission among members of the public as counties have reopened restaurants and businesses over the last several weeks.

Marin County on Sunday said it will suspend indoor dining for at least three weeks, after previously allowing it. Marin is one of 23 counties on a state watch list of counties that are showing warning signs of coronavirus spreading at concerning rates.

The outbreak at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, where nearly 1,400 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, is putting new strain on hospitals that are admitting the patients — in particular at nearby Marin General, Newsom said. The prison is now also sending inmates to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco and Seton Medical Center in Daly City so those hospitals can help share the responsibility of caring for the patients, Newsom said.

The San Quentin outbreak accounts for more than half of the 2,445 cases that have emerged inside state prisons.

The state over the weekend rejected Santa Clara County’s application to move faster toward reopening. A July 2 county order that allows some activities to resume — including outdoor gatherings of up to 60 people and indoor gatherings of up to 20 people, with some restrictions — is scheduled to take effect on July 13 or when the county gets state approval, whichever date comes later.

Over the holiday weekend, state regulators visited nearly 6,000 bars and restaurants and issued just 52 citations for violations of coronavirus safety guidelines. Newsom said it was an encouraging sign that most Californians are doing the right thing as the state struggles to reopen amid a surging caseload.

After ordering bars and indoor dining closed in most of the state last week, Newsom said that agents with the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control stepped up their enforcement during the Fourth of July weekend out of concern that more people would be out celebrating and visited 5,986 businesses between Thursday and Sunday.

The governor said his administration sent enforcement teams to six key regions across the state with known violators or high-risk workplaces, though he did not specify where those were. He said the effort was more about educating business owners, and state regulators cited only those who were unwilling or unable to make changes to their operations.

“There were only a handful of citations because the overwhelming majority of people were doing the right thing,” Newsom said at a news conference. “I was very encouraged by the team that came back and said that even if people were out of compliance, the engagement got people back into compliance very quickly.”

California is trying to control a coronavirus outbreak that has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, following a loosening of restrictions on businesses and public life.

The state is closely monitoring 23 of California’s 58 counties, including Contra Costa, Marin and Solano in the Bay Area, because of their high rate of new infections, positive tests or increasing hospitalizations. Of the 20 most populous counties in the state, all but five — Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma — are on the watch list. Napa County is also not being monitored.

Santa Clara County, which was previously flagged for an accelerating rise in hospitalizations, fell off the list over the weekend. After being removed late last week, Contra Costa County was added back.

Counties that have been on the list for three consecutive days must close bars and indoor dining, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, movie theaters, museums, zoos and card rooms for at least three weeks.

#Masks4All, California, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Mandatory face coverings, Solano County CA

Solano County wake up! Gov. Newsom threatens counties that don’t order mandatory masks

June 26, 2020 Roger Straw

Newsom threatens California counties that defy coronavirus rules as cases spike

San Francisco Chronicle, by Alexei Koseff June 24, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference in Sacramento on June 5. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom could withhold financial relief from local governments in the upcoming state budget if they do not follow guidelines that he says are necessary to tamp down the spike in coronavirus cases in California.

The budget deal with legislative leaders announced this week ties $750 million in funding to replace lost tax revenue for county services, as well as $1.3 billion for counties and $500 million for cities from the federal bailout package, to local governments’ compliance with the stay-at-home order and other state requirements on the coronavirus response.

Newsom, through his Department of Finance, could order state officials not to send local governments their portion of the money if they do not certify they are following the rules, which include a new mandate for Californians to wear masks nearly everywhere outside the home.

At a news conference Wednesday, the governor said that authority would give him leverage over those who “simply thumb their nose” at state guidelines. He did not specify how cities and counties would be expected to prove their compliance, though he added that he was trying to encourage good behavior rather than punish bad behavior.

“We give an enormous amount of power, control and authority to local government, but what we’re now looking for is accountability,” Newsom said.

Since the state rolled out its requirement for face coverings last week, county sheriffs and local police chiefs from Orange County to Sacramento have announced that they do not plan to enforce the order. The mayor of Nevada City, in Nevada County, encouraged residents to defy the mandate to “prevent all of us from slipping down the nasty slope of tyranny.”

Newsom, who has previously used state regulatory agencies to pressure businesses and local governments that defied his lockdown measures, said Wednesday that the “power of the purse” would give him another tool.

“If counties that have submitted that they need more state money to address this pandemic but are unwilling to enforce the rules and laws related to mitigate that pandemic, it seems not only counterintuitive that you would continue to provide those resources, but actually harmful to the broader effort,” he said.

California reported a record 7,149 new cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, Newsom said, which he attributed not only to an increase in testing but also a rising rate of positive tests. The state has recorded more than 12,000 cases in the past two days.

Hospitalizations of coronavirus patients have grown by 29% over the past two weeks, to 4,095, though the governor noted that is only a fraction of the state’s capacity.

Newsom blamed the spread on more Californians venturing out of their homes to visit family and friends, which he suggested was threatening the ability of the state to continue reopening its economy.

“Many of us, understandably, developed a little cabin fever. Some, I would argue, have developed a little amnesia. Others have just, frankly, taken down their guard,” he said. “It is our behaviors that are leading to these numbers, and we are putting people’s lives at risk.”

Earlier this week, Newsom acknowledged that he might have to shut down businesses again if the state loses control of its coronavirus outbreak. He released a video with former governors Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gray Davis and Pete Wilson encouraging the public to wear masks.

On Wednesday, Newsom pleaded with the public to continue washing their hands, wearing face coverings and avoiding large crowds and intimate gatherings.

“Consider others in your life and strangers. Love thy neighbors like yourself,” he said. “If you cannot practice physical distancing, then are you practicing love?”

#Masks4All, California, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Mandatory face coverings

Face Coverings Now Mandatory In CA, State Says

June 18, 2020 Roger Straw

Californians must now wear face coverings in public spaces, no matter the county you live in.

Gov. Gavin Newsom now says face coverings are mandatory in the state of California.

Patch, by Renee Schiavone, June 18, 2020

CALIFORNIA — The debate at the county level about whether face coverings should be mandatory or not appears to be over for now, as California officials announced Thursday that the masks are now required in all public places. The requirement is effective immediately.

Click to view the 18 June 2020 CA Guidance order requiring Face Coverings

“Californians are now required to wear face coverings in public spaces – particularly indoors or when physical distancing is not possible,” the governor’s office said in a tweet.

The state’s health and human services agency said cloth face coverings “help reduce the spread of coronavirus especially when combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing.”

There are some exemptions, including for those under 2 years old, those who need to communicate via sign language and those seated at a restaurant.

The state’s 58 counties had previously been allowed to make the decision on face covering requirements locally. Orange County had been in the headlines most recently, downgrading their requirement to a “recommendation.” Other counties in the Bay Area have had a face covering mandate in place for months.

NEW: Californians are now required to wear face coverings in public spaces – particularly indoors or when physical distancing is not possible. ????

Read more on the state’s new face covering mandate: https://t.co/snYe5v55Rw #YourActionsSaveLives pic.twitter.com/xD8dP3Aa3x

— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) June 18, 2020

The state listed certain “high risk” situations where the coverings are mandatory:

Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space;
Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank;
Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;
Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when:
- Interacting in-person with any member of the public;
- Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;
- Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;
- Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;
- In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.
Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended.
While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.

The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering, according to the state:

Children aged two and under;
Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering;
Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;
Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence;
Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others;
Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings of masks for both inmates and staff.

Learn more about the guidance and limited exceptions here.

California, California Governor Gavin Newsom, California schools, Re-opening

Reopening California: State to allow schools, pro sports, gyms, bars to begin resuming operations

June 7, 2020 Roger Straw

Most of the new businesses are part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s methodical four-step process for reopening.

ABC7 Bay Area News, June 5, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will allow schools, day camps, bars, gyms, campgrounds and professional sports to begin reopening with modifications starting next Friday.

The state will release guidance later Friday for counties to follow to reopen a broad range of businesses that have been closed since mid-March because of concerns about spreading the coronavirus, said Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services agency.

The rules on schools and day camps will apply statewide. But only counties that have met certain thresholds on the number of cases, testing and preparedness will be allowed to start reopening the other sectors. Almost all of the state’s 58 counties have met those metrics. The state’s guidance will also include rules on hotels, casinos, museums, zoos and aquariums and the resumption of music, film and television production.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has been moving the state through a methodical four-step process for reopening. Most of the new businesses are part of “Phase 3.” Nail salons will not be included in the list, Ghaly said.

When students return to classrooms, things could look vastly different. In addition to requirements for physical distancing, the state plans to supply every school and childcare center with no-touch thermometers, hand sanitizer, face shields for every teacher, cloth face coverings for staff and students and tight-fitting N-95 masks for health care professionals in schools.

California has already allowed most counties to reopen restaurants, hair salons, churches, and retail stores with modifications.

Guidelines on how to reopen schools have been highly anticipated. The state cannot order schools to close, but it can offer guidelines for districts to follow around reopening. They have been closed since mid-March, when Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order, and developed distance-learning plans on the fly.

The idea of classes resuming in the fall is a relief for both teachers and parents, and raises new concerns about safety. Districts are also facing the prospects of billions of dollars in state budget cuts as the state scrambles to plug a deficit brought on by the virus.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said last week that he expects a “hybrid model” of instruction at schools, balancing traditional classes and distance learning to accommodate the need for physical distancing.

Leaders in the entertainment industry, meanwhile, have been brainstorming safe ways to get back to work since film, television and commercial production in Los Angeles shut down completely on March 20.

The Directors Guild enlisted “Contagion” director Steven Soderbergh to head a committee to determine when and how productions can resume in collaboration with epidemiologists and “sister guilds,” unions and employers.

Film, television and commercial production make up a significant amount of the Los Angeles economy. According to not-for-profit film office FilmLA, nearly 17% of the local workforce is tied to the industry, which has been out of commission for over two months now.

California’s coronavirus cases and hospitalizations remain stable as the state moves toward a broader reopening. But the state is monitoring and preparing for a potential increase in cases due to broader reopening and mass protests across the state against racial injustice.

California has reported more than 122,000 coronavirus cases and more than 4,400 deaths.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause pneumonia and death.