Updating . .   

Sacramento County residents directed to ‘stay at home’ and wait out coronavirus -- In yet another dramatic move to fight the spread of coronavirus, Sacramento County health officials on Tuesday afternoon called on all residents, not just the elderly, to stay at home effective immediately unless they have essential chores to do, such as grocery shopping, banking, restaurant food pickups, or health appointments. Tony Bizjak and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

California has tested 3,487 people for COVID-19 as of Monday, March 16 -- Updating figures on the spread of coronavirus in California, the Department of Public Health announced Tuesday, March 17, that the state has experienced 11 deaths and 472 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Monday. Deepa Bharath in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/17/20

California death toll from coronavirus rises to 11 amid extraordinary rules to slow spread -- The coronavirus has claimed 11 lives in California as officials took extraordinary measures to try to slow the spread by shuttering businesses, demanding that older individuals stay home and trying to increase testing for the virus. More than 470 people from across the state have tested positive for the coronavirus, but officials admit that is just a fraction of the real number. Colleen Shalby, Rong-Gong Lin II, Ruben Vives, Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Worker at Redondo Beach assisted-living facility has coronavirus; two residents are sick -- A staff member who had “flu-like symptoms” at a Redondo Beach assisted-living community has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and two residents were hospitalized “with fever and respiratory symptoms,” the company that runs the facility confirmed Tuesday. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Sacramento teacher who died of coronavirus was member of church with at least 4 other cases -- The Sacramento substitute teacher who died from coronavirus Sunday had been active in a Greenhaven neighborhood church that now reports five church members have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease and that others are awaiting test results. Sam Stanton, Sawsan Morrar, and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

When L.A. City Council meets, the public will comment from outside the building -- Even amid the threat of the novel coronavirus, the Los Angeles City Council is planning to convene on Tuesday. But there will be big changes in the way the meeting is run. With City Hall closed to the public, council members are asking the public to watch by remote, either on television or on streaming video, and offer their comments electronically. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Orange County expected to ban all gatherings, close bars and limit restaurants to take-out -- Orange County Health Officer Nichole Quick is expected on Tuesday, March 17, to order a ban on all gatherings, public or private, which would effectively close the county’s bars and breweries and end dining in at restaurants to curb transmission of the coronavirus. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus threatens to thin the ranks of police and firefighters on the front lines -- As the coronavirus outbreak ravaged a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash, it also hit the local fire department hard. No firefighters tested positive for the virus. But nearly a third of the 95-member department had to go into quarantine after coming to the aid of coronavirus patients. Cindy Chang, Alene Tchekmedyian, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Looking to combat coronavirus, L.A. could allow tents on sidewalks during daytime -- Three members of the Los Angeles City Council called Tuesday for the city to temporarily stop enforcing a law requiring tents to come down during daytime hours, saying the change is needed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

With masks at the ready, ICE agents make arrests on first day of California coronavirus lockdown -- In the darkness of the early hours Monday, about a dozen immigration agents gathered outside a Starbucks in Bell Gardens. For the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who make daily arrests, it was supposed to be business as usual. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Governing in crisis: California’s Newsom faces another test -- As the coronavirus spreads through California, the restrictions placed on its 40 million residents have varied by county and community, the result of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s early decision to largely allow local governments to set their own rules. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/17/20

Guatemala turns tables, blocking U.S. deportations because of coronavirus -- Guatemala on Tuesday became the first Central American nation to block deportation flights from the United States in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a dramatic turnabout on Trump administration policies barring entry to asylum seekers from the region. Molly O’Toole, Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Mapping where America has been shut down -- The map of restrictions looks like this as of early Tuesday afternoon. (We’ve included Nebraska’s school closures, though they don’t go into effect until next week.) Those closures tend to correlate to the number of reported cases in a region. California’s shelter-in-place order is a function of the surge in cases there, as is the possibility of a similar order in New York City. (The case totals below are from Tom Quisel’s aggregation of CSBS data.) Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/20

A chilling scientific paper helped upend U.S. and U.K. coronavirus strategies -- Immediately after Boris Johnson completed his Monday evening news conference, which saw a somber prime minister encourage his fellow citizens to avoid "all nonessential contact with others," his aides hustled reporters into a second, off-camera briefing. That session presented jaw-dropping numbers from some of Britain’s top modelers of infectious disease, who predicted the deadly course of coronavirus could quickly kill hundreds of thousands in both the United Kingdom and the United States, as surges of sick and dying patients overwhelmed hospitals and critical care units. William Booth in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/20

As much of America takes drastic action, some Republicans remain skeptical of the severity of the coronavirus pandemic -- Over the weekend, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a leading ally of President Trump, dismissed concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic and said on Fox News that “it’s a great time to just go out, go to a local restaurant.” And former New York City police commissioner Bernard B. Kerik, a Trump supporter who was pardoned last month, tweeted that “this hysteria is being created to destabilize the country and destroy” Trump. Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/20

Devin Nunes’s bad cleanup effort after his coronavirus comments -- Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Sunday morning urged people to go to bars and restaurants, even while Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, was on other shows urging the opposite. Trump then on Monday echoed Fauci, saying the administration was urging people to “avoid discretionary travel and avoid eating and drinking at bars, restaurants and public food courts.” Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/20

 

About 75,000 people work in Sacramento restaurants and bars. They face economic disaster -- The coronavirus pandemic closed down practically the entire restaurant industry Tuesday. The livelihoods of more than 75,000 area residents were thrown into jeopardy, representing 7 percent of the Sacramento job market and putting more dead weight on an economy that, experts said, had already entered a steep recession. Dale Kasler and Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Marriott to furlough thousands of hotel workers -- In the Bay Area alone, there are 40 Marriott hotels operating under its various brands, employing hundreds, if not thousands, of workers. Furloughed workers will not earn hourly wages but will retain their health benefits, the company said. Chris McGinnis in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/17/20

Orange County businesses struggle as South Coast Plaza shuts down; coronavirus cases hit 22 -- Among those now-shuttered spaces is South Coast Plaza. The renowned Costa Mesa shopping center closed Monday night and will remain so for two weeks after a store employee tested positive for the virus on Sunday night. Luke Money, Faith E. Pinho, Hillary Davis, Lilly Nguyen, Andrew Turner, Matt Szabo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Thunder Valley, Red Hawk casinos shutting down amid growing coronavirus closures -- Two major casinos in the Sacramento region — Thunder Valley in Lincoln and Red Hawk in Placerville — joined other gambling halls in announcing plans to shut down temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic. Red Hawk said it would close at 6 a.m. Wednesday and remain shuttered through the end of March. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus: SF’s cannabis dispensaries shut down -- San Francisco cannabis dispensaries halted sales this morning. Eliot Dobris, a spokesman for the Apothecarium, a medical and recreational dispensary with three locations in San Francisco, said the notification came from the Department of Public Health. Marcus Crowder in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Tesla’s Fremont factory is in full swing despite Bay Area coronavirus lockdown -- Tesla’s Fremont, Calif., factory was up and running at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, despite the “shelter in place” lockdown issued by Alameda County and several other Bay Area counties the day before. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus closures push gyms and trainers online -- Southern California gym chains, boutique fitness spots and personal trainers are scrambling to find alternative ways to sweat as their facilities are forced to close because of the coronavirus outbreak. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours since coronavirus hit, poll finds -- The proportion affected grew for lower-income households, with 25% of those making less than $50,000 a year reporting that they had been let go or had their hours reduced, according to a survey released Tuesday by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist of 835 working adults in the contiguous United States. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

 

As the coronavirus grabbed hold, we all got sick at home. It could have been much worse -- Kids, as we know, are notorious for bringing home bugs. Colds, coughs, stomach viruses, contagious skin infections that flourish like red sores around tiny noses and mouths. With two children under 6, we’ve weathered it all. Esmeralda Bermudez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

He gave his wife CPR as she died after contracting coronavirus. Officials won’t test him -- On March 8, they flew into Los Angeles International Airport. They planned to stay at Roddy’s sister’s house in Walnut for two nights and then fly back to Florida on March 10. What happened next is a nightmarish and ultimately tragic tale of missed signals and bureaucratic stumbling blocks that have shattered the couple’s lives and family. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Navy closes San Diego Training Support Center after instructor, 2 students test positive for COVID-19 -- The Navy is closing Training Support Center San Diego after three sailors there — an instructor and two students — tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement Tuesday. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

The Rolling Stones postpone U.S. tour set to start in San Diego in May -- There’s an old joke that only cockroaches and Keith Richards will survive a nuclear war, but the 76-year-old rock and roller and his Rolling Stones’ band mates aren’t taking any chances with the global coronavirus pandemic. Peter Larsen in the Orange County Register -- 3/17/20

From hope to heartache at Trader Joe’s for seniors looking for a break amid coronavirus panic buying -- Julie Carol was in good spirits Tuesday morning as she approached the front of Trader Joe’s in Monrovia. The 71-year-old would finally get that elusive carton of eggs. As fear of the coronavirus continues to change people’s everyday lives, some grocery stores recently announced they’d host special shopping hours for senior citizens. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

 

Former Rep. Duncan Hunter gets 11 months in prison for campaign finance violations -- Former U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison Monday for conspiring to illegally use more than $150,000 of his campaign money for personal benefit. Morgan Cook, Greg Moran in the Los Angeles Times$ Julie Watson Associated Press -- 3/17/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Gov. Gavin Newsom escalates coronavirus effort, asks all California restaurants and theaters to close -- Citing the need to “align” the efforts of local and state officials to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that all California restaurants should close their doors to dine-in customers and that gyms, health clubs and movie theaters should also shutter their operations. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

California lawmakers approve $1 billion in funding and legislative hiatus due to coronavirus -- California lawmakers approved a plan Monday to spend as much as $1 billion on the state’s emergency medical response as it readies hospitals to combat an expected onslaught of patients due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Melody Gutierrez, John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Adam Beam Associated Press Jeremy B. White Politico Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 3/17/20

Tom McClintock voted against the coronavirus aid package -- The coronavirus relief package now moving through Congress is a threat to any economic recovery and “opens the door for anyone who wants to game the system,” said Rep. Tom McClintock, one of only 40 lawmakers to vote against the plan. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

LA County issues first detailed list of confirmed coronavirus cases by community -- Los Angeles County health officials issued their first list of confirmed coronavirus cases by city or neighborhood on Monday, March 16, the same day the number of cases increased by 25 — for a total of 94 so far. In the past 48 hours, 41 new cases have been confirmed in the county. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/17/20

 

Bay Area orders ‘shelter in place,’ only essential businesses open in 6 counties -- Six Bay Area counties announced “shelter in place” orders for all residents on Monday — the strictest measure of its kind yet in the continental United States — directing everyone to stay inside their homes and away from others as much as possible for the next three weeks in a desperate move to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus across the region. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Woolfolk and Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ Jocelyn Gecker and Janie Har Associated Press Victoria Colliver and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 3/17/20

Bay Area ‘shelter in place’ coronavirus order: What’s open and what’s closed -- Here’s a quick look at what you need to know about the shelter-in-place order in terms of what’s open and what’s not: Michael Cabanatuan and Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael Nowels in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Q&A: What you need to know about ‘shelter in place’ -- Here’s what you need to know about the shelter-in-place order issued by health officials in seven Bay Area counties on Monday: Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

 

Coronavirus shutdown in the Bay Area: Your food and grocery questions answered -- Six Bay Area counties announced “shelter in place” orders Monday, March 16, restricting many forms of nonessential activities. Grocery stores, restaurants and other food retailers are deemed essential, though the new orders will change the way we feed ourselves and our families. Tara Duggan and Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus: Shoppers, please stop over-buying. There’s enough to go around -- Attention all shoppers: Just stop it. Please. California grocers are urging coronavirus-obsessed customers to take a deep breath and put those seven extra tins of tuna fish and three-months supply of toilet paper back on the shelves. There’s plenty of groceries in the supply chain — and, if you give them a chance, your local grocer will eventually deliver it to you. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Bay Area grocers still have plenty of food. But be prepared to wait -- There’s no need to panic. Two Chronicle reporters visited more than a dozen stores — from giant chains to tiny immigrant-owned markets — in the East Bay and found plenty of food to go around. Janelle Bitker and Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Online grocery delivery grinds to a halt due to high demand in San Diego County -- Once offering same-day delivery, online grocery platforms like Instacart and Amazon’s Whole Foods have pushed back delivery times further and further amid the chaos of coronavirus-fueled shopping. By Monday afternoon, Instacart’s earliest delivery time was on Saturday. At Amazon’s Whole Foods, which only schedules deliveries three days out, it is impossible to order at all. Brittany Meiling in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

Empty cafes, empty offices, empty bread aisles: Sacramento confronts life with coronavirus -- After six Bay Area counties began issuing a “shelter in place” order, effectively banning all non-essential movement within the region, Sacramento County officials began deliberating whether to take similar measures. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

 

Bay Area coronavirus shutdown: How do we talk to our kids? -- Provide accurate information to your children, don’t panic in front of them and … build a pillow fort? All good advice for parents as we deal with breaking news surrounding the coronavirus and the efforts to stop its spread throughout the region. Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

DMV offices to stay open during during Bay Area shutdown; grace period likely for extensions -- The California Department of Motor Vehicles offices will remain open statewide but it is asking law enforcement officers to “exercise discretion for 60 days in their enforcement of driver license and vehicle registration expiration dates beginning March 16, 2020.” Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Justice on hold: coronavirus prompts court delays, closings -- California courts are delaying trials and even temporarily closing their doors in hopes of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus, moves intended to balance public safety with due process that could leave some cases in limbo for weeks. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 3/17/20

 

Coronavirus: Infected people without symptoms are driving epidemic’s fast spread, says new study -- People with mild or no symptoms of COVID-19 are the main drivers behind the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, according to an important new analysis of China’s outbreak released on Monday. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Bay Area coronavirus shutdown: What older people and their loved ones need to know -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging all Californians over 65 to stay at home as much as possible, and that advice was hardened Monday with a shelter-in-place order in six Bay Area counties until April 7 telling everyone to stay inside except for essential outings. Those include travel for needs such as groceries, pharmacy items and health care. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

San Diego Senior Care Facilities On Lockdown Due To Coronavirus -- As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in San Diego County, senior care homes are banning all non-essential visitors. Amita Sharma KPBS -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus Symptoms: Defining Mild, Moderate And Severe -- Mild. Moderate. Serious. Severe or extreme. These are some of the adjectives being used to describe the symptoms displayed by patients with COVID-19. Pien Huang NPR via KQED -- 3/17/20

The science of coronavirus — how fast it mutates, how deadly it is and the early work on a vaccine -- As the Bay Area and the rest of the country battens down the hatches in the face of a worldwide pandemic, most people are still wondering what exactly COVID-19 is, how dangerous is it and how likely are they to get it. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus can live on plastic, steel surfaces for days, study finds -- A new study has found that COVID-19 can live on some surfaces for up to three days, including plastic and stainless steel. In a paper that has not yet been peer reviewed, National Institute of Health scientists analyzed the new coronavirus at the center of the global pandemic — and found it to be strikingly similar to SARS, its closest viral relative. Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Bay Area coronavirus tests: Where can I get one? -- Even as large commercial labs like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp are making coronavirus testing more available — they say they will have the combined capacity to run 20,000 tests each day by the end of the week — many Americans are finding it difficult if not impossible to get tested promptly. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Drive-thru coronavirus swabs start at two Orange County hospitals -- The two sites on Monday, March 16, set up outdoor stations to swab the nose or throat of people seeking to be tested for the infection. Both facilities running the drive-thru testing are part of the Providence health system, but a spokesman for Providence would not confirm the locations. Theresa Walker in the Orange County Register -- 3/17/20

Gov. Gavin Newsom beefs up services for seniors, a day after telling them to stay home -- The new executive order aims to put more staff in residential care and outpatient facilities, and to add programs that would serve seniors cloistering themselves at home. It also required departments to let first responders and other caregivers continue working as long as they take precautions and show no signs of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Community clinics in dire need of respirator masks, gowns and hand sanitizer -- Community clinics in Southern California, which serve low-income populations, are in dire need of personal protective equipment for their medical staff, particularly N-95 respirator masks that offer better protection against infections. Deepa Bharath in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/17/20

First 2 Riverside County residents die of coronavirus -- Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county public health officer, said he was also revising his previous order that limited public gatherings of more than 250 people. Now, no more than 10 people should gather at a time, Kaiser said. Ryan Hagen in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/17/20

What’s the COVID-19 end game? -- Judging by the studies now coming out of China and other nations that have already taken such measures, infectious disease experts seem universally confident that having as many people stay as far away from each other as they can for several weeks in a row will make a significant difference. But it’s tough, they add, to say how much novel coronavirus will still be circulating in the community come New Year’s Day, or even the Fourth of July, because we have not yet done enough testing to know with confidence how much is here already. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

 

Santa Clara police officer tests positive for COVID-19 -- The officer last worked on March 9 and has since been home, where they are self-isolating for 14 days, the city said in a news release. The city did not identify the officer. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

LAPD shifting more cops to street patrol to help with the coronavirus -- The Los Angeles Police Department will shift half the detectives working in its community stations to daily patrol in order to ensure public peace. Mayor Eric Garcetti made the announcement Monday evening, saying that the city’s detectives will start working on the streets to “help supplement our patrol officers.” Richard Winton, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Hospitals restricting masks, prompting outcry from their own work forces -- Potential shortages of personal protective equipment have led to significant changes for front-line health care workers in San Diego County and across the nation as their employers seek to make what stock they do have available last as long as possible. The change has elicited cries of concern from front-line health care workers and the 100,000-strong California Nurses Association. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus: Bay Area lockdown empties streets, fear and confusion begin to take hold -- “I just got a call an hour ago,” said Raquel Chun, a house cleaner and office building custodian from Oakland, buying groceries at Gazzali’s Supermarket in the Eastmont neighborhood. “They canceled all of my cleaning jobs this week. And now this order to stay home for three weeks, what am I going to do? I still need to get food, I need to pay bills, I need to pay rent. Landlords don’t wait for rent. Kids can’t wait to be fed.” Julia Prodis Sulek, Aldo Toledo, Linda Zavoral and David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

‘I just need to survive this month’: San Diego shop owners need help to outlast COVID-19 quarantines -- She hired 22 people. She scheduled a launch party. She opened the doors on March 9. A week later, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening her survival, as mayors and governors across the U.S. are mandating the temporary closure of shops like hers. “No, we don’t have a plan,” Kwong said Monday morning. “We didn’t anticipate this at all.” Brittany Meiling in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus: Bay Area lockdown leaves businesses, workers scrambling -- With Bay Area residents ordered to start sheltering at home Tuesday to help stop the spread of coronavirus, labor groups, businesses and workers were scrambling to understand how the lockdown will affect thousands of workers who aren’t already telecommuting or whose jobs can’t be done remotely. Ethan Baron and Erica Hellerstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Cox, Spectrum and other Internet providers boost speeds, drop fees for students and workers stuck at home -- The move comes after the Federal Communications Commission urged broadband providers to open up Wi-Fi hotspots to the public, waive late fees and maintain service for residential and business customers who might struggle to pay their bills as part of a Keep America Connected Pledge. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

Out of work because of coronavirus? These businesses are hiring -- But some essential industries like delivery services and grocery stores are hiring. Here is a list of businesses that will remain open and where they are hiring: Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Coronavirus spurs Save Mart to hire nearly 1,000 employees in California, Nevada -- The Save Mart Cos. with grocery stores in Sacramento, Modesto, Merced and Fresno is looking to hire nearly 1,000 employees throughout California and northern Nevada due to increasing demands spurred by the coronavirus crisis. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Bay Area coronavirus shutdown: here’s where to seek financial help -- Six Bay Area counties have issued a shelter-in-place order, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, that will shut down or drastically alter most aspects of public life. Here is what people need to know about the economic impact. Kathleen Pender and Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Stay home if you want, Musk tells Tesla workers as Fremont plant stays open -- Tesla’s Fremont electric vehicle assembly plant, which employs about 10,000 workers, will remain open despite the “shelter in place” lockdown issued by six Bay Area counties on Monday. Alameda County has declared Tesla an “essential business” that is allowed to remain in operation, according to a county spokesman. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus directives have largely left out state workers. ‘It’s frustrating.’ -- The Bay Area is on lockdown. The president wants people to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. Yet thousands of California state workers are still leaving their homes to go to work in well-populated office buildings, awaiting further guidance from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Wes Venteicher and Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Following Frustration From Staffers, California Lawmakers Allow Remote Work To Mitigate Coronavirus Spread -- The California Legislature will allow staffers to temporarily work remotely and remain on payroll to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo obtained by CapRadio and background interviews with multiple sources. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 3/17/20

Red Hawk Casino stays open with COVID-19 prevention changes amid coronavirus outbreak -- The Red Hawk Casino in El Dorado County remained open for business Monday afternoon amid the coronavirus outbreak in the Sacramento region. Casino officials were telling guests changes to their operations were being made as part of COVID-19 prevention. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Jackson Rancheria casino closing for 2 weeks as Thunder Valley cuts back over coronavirus -- The Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort is closing for two weeks because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, but the 1,175 workers at the casino will continue to be paid during the shutdown. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Graton Resort and Casino announces plan to close amid coronavirus outbreak -- The Graton Resort & Casino, the largest gambling destination in the Bay Area, will close Tuesday following reports that the coronavirus is uncontained in Sonoma County, with at least four cases of community spread. Tyler Silvy in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 3/17/20

Down but far from out: Chefs get creative to save their restaurants amid shutdown -- Even before the city ordered the shutdown of all restaurants in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Chad Colby had a game plan. Andrea Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/20

Sacramento area YMCAs turn focus from fitness to child care amid coronavirus closures -- The YMCA in the Sacramento region is turning some of its fitness centers into emergency child care sites, so medical staff and first responders have somewhere for their children as they respond to the coronavirus spread and an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

Transit  

Bay Area coronavirus shutdown: How transit is working during shelter-in-place order -- Public transit in the Bay Area will remain operational, but only for essential travel, and riders are ordered to keep six feet apart. Non-essential travel “on foot, bicycle, scooter, automobile or public transit” is prohibited. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

Homeless  

Coronavirus: Oakland hotels to shelter homeless people -- California will house hundreds of homeless people in Oakland hotels amid the coronavirus outbreak. The state secured 393 rooms across two hotels, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday night, “to get people out of these encampments.” Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Housing  

Coronavirus: Newsom announces executive order to prevent evictions -- The order gives local governments the authority to halt evictions for renters and homeowners, but stops short of creating a statewide moratorium. The order also aims to slow foreclosures and help keep utilities running for residents affected by COVID-19. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

‘There’s nowhere to go:’ Peninsula tenants face eviction as rent control expires -- Struggling to find an affordable, safe place to live with her two young sons after a divorce, Angela De Leon was thrilled to finally land an apartment in Foster City in 2016. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/20

Education 

Sacramento school district says substitute teacher has died of coronavirus -- A temporary volunteer and substitute teacher who worked at Sutterville Elementary School in February and tested positive for coronavirus died on Sunday, according to a statement released by the Sacramento City Unified School District. Sawsan Morrar and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/20

UC San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene ask dormitory students to move out -- In a move that could affect nearly 17,000 students, UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University on Monday asked those who live on campus to find accommodations elsewhere, if possible, to help the schools cope with the coronavirus crisis. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/20

After schools shut over coronavirus fear, remote learning now delayed for Newport-Mesa students -- Officials at Newport Mesa Unified School District announced Monday, March 16, that the district is shutting down all but a few essential operations and that online learning is postponed for now. Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register -- 3/17/20

Joining other districts, rural schools move to close at a rapid pace in California -- As the coronavirus crisis deepens in California, the state’s rural districts are joining their urban and suburban counterparts at a quickening pace in moving to close as well. Louis Freedberg and Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 3/17/20

California schools, child care centers to get $100 million to disinfect for coronavirus -- The Legislature hurriedly approved emergency financial relief to help school districts cope with the costs of the coronavirus on Monday before adjourning for a month to comply with state and federal orders limiting gatherings to stem the spread of the contagion. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/17/20

Guns 

Bullet-tracing bill by David Chiu aims to force issue on gunmakers -- A California law requiring gun manufacturers to adopt a bullet-tracing technology has been held up for a decade by legal challenges and concerns that it is not technically feasible. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/20

POTUS 45  

White House Takes New Line After Dire Report on Death Toll -- Sweeping new federal recommendations announced on Monday for Americans to sharply limit their activities appeared to draw on a dire scientific report warning that, without action by the government and individuals to slow the spread of coronavirus and suppress new cases, 2.2 million people in the United States could die. Sheri Fink in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/20

Americans kept wondering what the president wanted them to do about coronavirus. Finally, Trump offered some guidance -- President Trump for weeks dismissed the danger of the novel coronavirus. He distracted himself by stoking unrelated feuds and nursing grievances. He shared little concrete information about the spreading pandemic, and much of what he did share was false. Philip Rucker in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/20

Before Trump’s inauguration, a warning: ‘The worst influenza pandemic since 1918' -- In a tabletop exercise days before an untested new president took power, officials briefed the incoming administration on a scenario remarkably like the one he faces now. Nahal Toosi, Daniel Lippman and Dan Diamond Politico -- 3/17/20

Beltway 

White House deploys SWAT teams of technocrats in attempt to fix testing -- As hospitals grapple with more coughing and feverish emergency-room visitors than they can test, the White House has deployed a SWAT team of fixers and technocrats to ramp up coronavirus testing, in an implicit acknowledgment that the Trump administration’s response has continued to fall short of what is needed. Dan Diamond Politico -- 3/17/20

 

-- Monday Updates 

Shelter in place orders: Six Bay Area counties encourage residents to stay home -- Six San Francisco Bay Area counties are issuing shelter in place orders Monday afternoon, encouraging residents to stay home, officials said. The new declarations issued by Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, along with the city of Berkeley, affect nearly 7 million people. Starting at midnight, residents of these counties are advised to stay home for the next three weeks, except for essential needs such as getting food, picking up medicine, seeing a doctor, care for a family member or friend, or for work reasons. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle James Rainey, Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ Tim Arango, Thomas Fuller, John Eligon and Conor Dougherty in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/20

Bay Area to ‘shelter in place:’ What you need to know about how life will change with new coronavirus order -- Here’s a quick look at what you need to know about the shelter-in-place order: Why is this happening? To safeguard public health and safety. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/20

SF mayor: City will foot businesses’ bills for coronavirus sick days -- San Francisco will pay for five additional sick days for private sector workers harmed by the new coronavirus. Mayor London Breed is setting aside $10 million to help those financially strapped by the growing pandemic. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/20

Stop panic buying and hoarding food because of coronavirus, Mayor Garcetti tells L.A. -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti visited a Ralphs food distribution center in Paramount on Monday morning with several grocery store chain executives in an effort to calm Angelenos worried about the region’s grocery supplies. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

Coronavirus: L.A. City Hall is closed. What city services are still running? -- Los Angeles City Hall is largely closed to the public to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Libraries and the zoo are shuttered too. But some other municipal services are still running with restrictions on crowd size at public counters. Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

Bay Area sees another spike in coronavirus cases -- The Bay Area continued to see a growing number of cases of the coronavirus, with the Silicon Valley region reporting 114 cases and rising. Santa Clara County has been the epicenter of the virus in California, with officials saying 52 of those cases were a result of community spread. Alex Wigglesworth, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

California healthcare workers, first responders test positive for coronavirus -- The new coronavirus is beginning to take a toll on medical workers and other first responders at a time when they are needed to help treat patients. Two healthcare workers at UC San Diego Health have confirmed COVID-19 infections and are now on home quarantine, officials said Saturday. Richard Winton, Paul Sisson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

More San Jose firefighters, a community center volunteer test positive for Coronavirus -- Two more San Jose firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the fire department to 10, the city said in a report Friday. The city said it is also tracking the status of 57 other firefighters who may have been exposed to the respiratory disease. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/20

Two California state offices close after workers take coronavirus tests -- Caltrans planned to close an office in Oakland on Monday after an employee there tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Sunday night email. Separately, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System closed its Sacramento headquarters for cleaning Monday after an employee there showed symptoms and went home. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/20

Bay Area Rep. Mark DeSaulnier hospitalized with pneumonia -- Bay Area Rep. Mark DeSaulnier has been hospitalized with pneumonia, a complication after he fell and fractured a rib on a run, his office said Monday. DeSaulnier, D-Concord, was admitted to a hospital Friday night. His chief of staff, Betsy Arnold Marr, said the illness led the lawmaker to miss the House’s vote Saturday on coronavirus relief legislation. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/20

California has tested fewer than 9,000 for coronavirus. Officials hope to ramp up soon -- Weeks since the first coronavirus case in California was confirmed, fewer than 9,000 tests have been conducted throughout the state. The lack of testing has made it harder to track the spread of the virus. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

Coronavirus: Safeway seeks to hire thousands amid virus panic -- Safeway on Monday announced it had launched a mass hiring effort amid the panic shopping unleashed by the Coronavirus crisis, saying it wants to hire thousands in Northern California. The supermarket giant said it wants to hire both in-store and delivery workers, the company said. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/20

Raley’s, Safeway each ‘mass hiring’ in California amid coronavirus crisis -- Northern California supermarket chain Raley’s is mass hiring for personal shoppers at many of its locations, as millions of Californians are limiting exposure to the public due to the rapidly developing coronavirus crisis. Safeway also announced a surge of hiring for in-store employees and delivery drivers at its Northern California, Nevada and Hawaii stores. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/20

Thunder Valley Casino cutting back operations, laying off workers due to coronavirus spread -- The region’s largest casino announced early Monday that it is severely curtailing some operations and laying off 85 workers as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/20

Why are some Southern California casinos still open during coronavirus pandemic? -- Because the casinos are on sovereign tribal land, the county can’t order them to close, Riverside County spokeswoman Brooke Federico said. “We understand that it’s an economic hardship and would have a lasting impact for any business to close down,” she said. “We appreciate that some have taken the proactive measure to close.” Jeff Horseman and Alex Groves in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/16/20

Recession due to coronavirus could hit California harder than rest of U.S. -- The U.S. economy has entered its first recession in 11 years, and it’s likely to be slightly more severe in California than the rest of the nation, a new forecast from the UCLA Anderson School of Management said Monday. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/20

There are 8,000 hospital beds in San Diego County. Is that enough if coronavirus hits hard? -- With COVID-19 showing up now in San Diego, beginning what health care officials expect to be a long burn through the county’s population, the health care system’s capacity to handle potentially thousands of patients could be tested. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/16/20

Sheriff cuts jail population and arrests amid the virus outbreak -- L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Monday his agency had reduced the number of inmates in its jails by more than 600 amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

Even before coronavirus, infectious disease was on rise in California — but spending got cut -- California’s fight against the coronavirus comes amid long-term budget cuts that public health officials fear will slow efforts to combat the pandemic. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/20

Coronavirus: Red Cross seeking donors after hundreds of blood drives shut down -- A Red Cross official Sunday urged healthy prospective blood donors to check the organization’s web site or call its toll-free number to find a donation center or a still-scheduled blood drive after hundreds were cancelled across the nation because of school-district shutdowns spurred by the novel coronavirus contagion. Richard K. De Atley in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/16/20

Coronavirus: Universal to make current theatrical movies available for home viewing on Friday -- Universal Pictures, in a bold move to confront the coronavirus’ threat to the movie industry, is collapsing the theatrical window. In an extraordinary step, the studio on Monday said it will make its movies available in the home on the same day as their global theatrical releases, beginning with DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls World Tour,” opening April 10 in the U.S. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/20

A new era — politics and the coronavirus -- In offices in and around the state Capitol, politicians, consultants, lobbyists, and the whole array of other political types have one thing on their minds: How do we conduct campaigns and politics in the face of the growing coronavirus pandemic? Will candidates make speeches wearing face masks? Are latex gloves going to be de rigueur at meet-and-greet events with supporters? Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 3/16/20

Fox: Panic Buying and Rationing -- The Covid-19 crisis has brought a rash of panic buying off market shelves. While officials and commentators try to calm the public and argue that such behavior is irrational, fear has taken over. Franklin Roosevelt’s reassuring words during his first inaugural address that, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” does not seem to have the same calming impact in modern day America. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/16/20

 

Kamala Harris tops the vice-presidential list. Here are some other possibles -- Now that Joe Biden has committed to naming a woman as his vice-presidential candidate — and Bernie Sanders has responded that “in all likelihood,” he would, too — it is time for the way-too-early Democratic veepstakes. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/20