Updating . .
L.A. County gives up on containing coronavirus, tells doctors to skip testing of some patients -- The nation’s second-largest municipal health system has told its staff that it is essentially abandoning hope of containing the coronavirus outbreak and instructed doctors not to bother testing symptomatic patients if a positive result won’t change how they would be treated. Jack Dolan, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Trump halts most traffic on U.S. border with Mexico -- The U.S. and Mexico have agreed to restrict all nonessential travel across their shared border in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, President Trump said Friday, adding that he was invoking the Defense Production Act to increase output of badly needed medical supplies. Eli Stokols, Kate Linthicum, Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 3/20/20
L.A. takes drastic action on coronavirus, closing all nonessential businesses -- The new Los Angeles County public health order requires all indoor malls, shopping centers, playgrounds and nonessential retail businesses to close and prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people in enclosed spaces. The city of Los Angeles issued a significantly more restrictive order, requiring all nonessential businesses to close, with companies able to operate only through work-at-home arrangements. The order also bans all public gatherings of any size outside homes. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alex Wigglesworth, Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Officials long warned funding cuts would leave California vulnerable to pandemic. No one listened -- California public health officials have repeatedly warned over the last decade that federal budget cuts were weakening their ability to respond to a widespread health crisis like the current coronavirus pandemic. Patrick McGreevy Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Confusion spreads among homeless as officials fight coronavirus -- Residents with no homes worry that crowding into small shelter rooms with large numbers of strangers isn't safer than staying on the streets. Communication roadblocks are causing confusion. Manuela Tobias Calmatters -- 3/20/20
Financial survival
Day laborer centers close nationwide due to coronavirus -- The coronavirus pandemic has forced the closure of all day laborer centers throughout the country, including about 20 centers in California, putting thousands of people out of work. Araceli Martinez Ortega Calmatters -- 3/20/20
Billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of Bay Area jobs at risk from the coronavirus -- Nearly a half a million people work in Bay Area restaurants, stores and venues that have been required to shut down or drastically scale back operations to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, a Chronicle review of federal data released by the Associated Press found. Joaquin Palomino and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: Silicon Valley businesses bracing for impact -- Most small businesses, Mahood said, don’t have enough cash on hand to last more than 30 days or so. And while he understands the emphasis and focus on “flattening the curve” to try to slow the spread of the disease, he said, the impact on businesses has taken a backseat. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Delivery, child care and other gig jobs are open amid unemployment caused by coronavirus -- Thousands of people are getting furloughed as companies and schools all over the country cancel events, restrict travel and shutter campuses to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. For those without a safety net, such as paid time off or a healthy emergency fund, these actions can cause devastating financial pain. Kathy Kristof in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Shelter in place order spurs mass layoffs in restaurants -- Chef Brenda Buenviaje cries more often than she laughs these days, and when she thinks about all of the employees she had to lay off at her Bay Area restaurants this week, she also feels like throwing up. Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Rides dwindle for Uber, Lyft, taxis as coronavirus makes Bay Area stay at home -- San Francisco Lyft driver Steven Smith is earning far less than minimum wage as ride requests have plunged since the shelter in place orders seeking to limit the spread of the coronavirus. “I’m scared; very scared,” he said. His disability income covers the rent on his subsidized apartment, but he depends on his ride-hailing income for food and everything else. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: Emergency measure makes it easier for California restaurants to sell alcohol — and for you to get it -- You’ll be able to get that margarita to go under a temporary measure taken by the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). California restaurants may now sell “beer, wine, and pre-mixed drinks or cocktails,” for pick-up or delivery as long as it has “a secure lid or cap” (without a hole for sipping or a straw) and is sold with food. The state has also lifted its ban on alcohol sold at drive-through windows. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Workers at 2 California prisons have coronavirus; 4 inmates at Mule Creek being observed -- Two state prison employees have been confirmed as testing positive for coronavirus — one at California State Prison, Sacramento, outside Folsom and another at San Quentin — officials said Friday. So far, no inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, corrections officials said. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Social separation
These are the jobs and sectors exempted from California’s coronavirus stay-home order -- (the list) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said his executive order includes an extensive list of businesses, jobs and operations that are exempted from a new statewide requirementdirecting all Californians to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
California facing new reality: order to stay home amid virus -- Normally congested freeways in California were largely free of traffic Friday, though lines snaked out of grocery stores and people hit the streets for fresh air after waking up to a new reality: the nation’s most populous state was in a near lockdown after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered 40 million residents to stay home indefinitely, with some exceptions, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Kathleen Ronayne and Don Thompson Associated Press -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: San Jose officials remind residents to stay at home, warn of firmer enforcement -- From when the stay-at-home order was issued in Santa Clara County on Tuesday through Thursday afternoon, 56 people or businesses had gotten their first warning about being out or open against the order in San Jose: an assortment of repair shops, clothing and furniture stores, hair salons and barber shops, gyms, a car wash, and most famously, a gun store that stirred passionate discussion what scared residents deem essential. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
What’s essential during California’s coronavirus lockdown? Cannabis and garden shops stay open -- The list goes far beyond grocery stores and pharmacies. Sacramento County’s shutdown order, issued a few hours before Newsom implemented a statewide mandate, exempts dry cleaners, media organizations, exterminators and taxi drivers, to name a few. In the aftermath of Newsom’s order, issued late Thursday, some businesses were still scrambling to determine their status. Dale Kasler, Theresa Clift, and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
California releases more jail inmates amid coronavirus crisis -- In Alameda County, officials announced 247 people were being released from the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. San Diego County officials have announced similar moves, as have San Francisco, San Mateo and other counties. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has reduced its inmate population by 6% in the last three weeks and Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said her office would consider reducing bail for thousands of nonviolent offenders. Maura Dolan, Alene Tchekmedyian, Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
'Mom, what's happening to our city?': My apocalyptic bike ride on Valencia with my son -- My 15-year-old son and I ventured out of our house late Thursday evening to ride our bikes down Valencia Street, the beating heart of San Francisco's Mission District. What we found was a city we didn't recognize. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Spread
Coronavirus: San Mateo County reports 11 new COVID-19 cases, 100 total -- San Mateo joins Santa Clara as the two Bay Area counties with cases in the triple-digits. Both were the only counties to report coronavirus deaths until Friday morning, when Contra Costa County announced its first. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Here are the L.A. County communities with coronavirus cases -- Health officials Thursday reported the county’s second death, with the total number of confirmed cases rising by 40 overnight to 230. Alex Wigglesworth, Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
A disaster foretold: Shortages of ventilators and other medical supplies have long been warned about -- Fear was growing in hospitals across the country in 2009 as a frightening epidemic that came to be called the H1N1 swine flu swept across the globe. From Galveston, Texas, where a hospital ran out of test kits, to Loma Linda University Medical Center in San Bernardino, which had to set up tents to handle a crush of patients, to New York, where hospitals scrambled to bring on extra emergency staff, it appeared the nation’s healthcare system would be overwhelmed. Noam N. Levey, Kim Christensen, Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Before coronavirus, California let its public health funding stall for a decade -- Fourteen years ago, California made a huge investment in public health by creating a standalone state department and seeding it with tens of millions of dollars in special funding for emergency supplies. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Hundreds in Sacramento may have coronavirus. A ‘ridiculous’ lack of tests masks true figure -- Sacramento’s top health official said Thursday that testing for the coronavirus in the region is so far behind where it should be that the actual number of people infected with the virus here could be 20 to 100 times higher than what’s been reported. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
How the blood of coronavirus survivors may protect others from COVID-19 -- As U.S. scientists race to stave off a tidal wave of COVID-19 patients, they are showing renewed interest in a little-known medicine with ancient roots and many modern applications: convalescent plasma. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Have you recovered from COVID-19? Biotech company needs your help with advanced research -- Vir Biotechnology is looking for patients in San Diego and Los Angeles counties who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate blood to help the company find better ways to diagnose and treat the infection. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Naval Special Warfare sailor tests positive for COVID-19, SEAL training at BUD/S suspended -- Naval Special Warfare Center at Naval Base Coronado suspended training for some Navy SEAL and SWCC classes due to the risk coronavirus poses to trainees in “extremely strenuous, high-risk training,” according to a statement late Thursday from a Naval Special Warfare Command spokeswoman. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Sailors on ships won’t be tested for coronavirus unless they meet CDC threshold, Navy says -- Those benchmarks, set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, include a fever of at least 100.4 degrees, symptoms of acute respiratory illness and a connection with a known COVID-19 case or recent travel to a high-risk area, according to Regena Kowitz, a Naval Medical Forces Pacific spokeswoman. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of an infant and a teenager -- Children are largely spared the worst effects of the coronavirus that has infected more than 200,000 people and killed nearly 9,000 around the world, two new studies confirm. But the first reports to document COVID-19 deaths in children make clear that those under 18 are neither immune from infection nor completely spared from becoming very sick. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Doctors and nurses brace for coronavirus onslaught: ‘What happens if I end up on a ventilator?’ -- As hospitals prepare for a possibly overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks, doctors and nurses in all departments are being told they may have to start working in emergency rooms and intensive care units, a directive that has sent shock waves through the medical community. Emily Baumgaertner, Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Nurses protest to demand safety and equipment as they treat coronavirus patients -- Nurses saying they were not properly prepared or equipped to treat patients infected with the coronavirus held a demonstration Thursday outside Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center demanding safety and protective gear during COVID-19 outbreak. Rosalio Ahumada and Rene C. Byer in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
‘Deep cleaning’ doesn’t mean anything. Still, deep cleaners are in high demand -- It’s happened at schools, stores and offices, warehouses and city halls: Someone who might be infected with the coronavirus passes through. The building often closes. Then come the calming words: deep cleaning. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
What if I get sick? Coronavirus adds new anxieties for pregnant women -- In a recent study published in the Lancet, researchers followed nine pregnant women who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China — the epicenter of the outbreak — during their third trimester. Researchers found that none of the infants, all delivered via caesarean, had the virus at birth. There also was no evidence of the virus in the mothers’ breast milk, cord blood or amniotic fluid, according to the study. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: California property taxes are still due April 10 -- The certainty of property taxes being due in April remains firmly entrenched despite the coronavirus. Residential and commercial property owners must still make their property tax payments by the April 10 deadline even amid the coronavirus woes, according to tax collectors. In contrast, income tax filers in California and nationwide have gotten a break. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
‘This will be their 9/11': How to help kids cope with coronavirus stay-at-home orders -- With stay-at-home orders enacted in California and schools likely closed for the rest of the academic year, children can be especially vulnerable as the security of their routines is upended and they worry about the health of loved ones. Sonali Kohli, Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
SF air pollution is 38% lower than normal, but will it last? -- Sheltering in place has plenty of downsides, especially economically, but there is one thing you can feel good about if you’ve taken to working from home. It’s likely drastically reducing Bay Area air pollution. Tessa McLean in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Some enter 6th day without power as PG&E crews work to end outage in snowy foothills -- Hit simultaneously by a snow storm, frigid weather and a mandate that all California residents only leave home for essential reasons, a few thousand homes and business in the Sierra Nevada foothills remain without power Friday morning, the sixth straight day in the dark for some residents Michael McGough and Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Feinstein denies wrongdoing in stock sale before coronavirus outbreak -- California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein took to Twitter on Friday to deny she did anything improper when she sold between $1.5 million and $6 million in a biotechnology company’s stock before the market crashed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Key California congressional race looking more competitive for GOP -- Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith may have won the primary for a vacant Los Angeles-area congressional seat, but that victory isn’t getting much respect. On Thursday, the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter that tracks House, Senate and gubernatorial races across the country, moved the 25th Congressional District contest from its “Likely Democrat” category to “Leans Democrat,” which indicates the race is in play. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Coronavirus
Ethical dilemmas in the age of coronavirus: Whose lives should we save? -- Three patients — a 16-year-old boy with diabetes, a 25-year-old mother and a 75-year-old grandfather — are crammed into a hospital triage tent and struggling to breathe. Only one ventilator is left. Who gets it? Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Here are the new rules as Newsom orders all Californians to stay at home -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping order for Californians to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak will dramatically restrict public movement. The governor’s office provided a list of how the order will play out: via the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Gov. Gavin Newsom orders all Californians to stay at home -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to stay at home, marking the first mandatory restrictions placed on the lives of all 40 million residents in the state’s fight against the novel coronavirus. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico Kathleen Ronayne and Don Thompson Associated Press Alexei Koseff and Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/19/20
Newsom: 56% of Californians could get virus if nothing done over 8 weeks -- Infectious disease experts said Thursday that the projected toll — which would add up to roughly 22 million people — was a worst-case scenario and, though certainly possible, unlikely to actually happen. Erin Allday and Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: Gilroy family forbidden from dying dad’s bedside ‘broke my heart into a million pieces’ -- As her father, Gary Young, died of coronavirus in an isolation ward on Tuesday, Stacey stood in the ICU hallway, behind two sets of glass doors, and watched as the medical team in blue protective gear and plastic face shields finally turned off the heart monitor. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Spread
Here's How Long the Durable Coronavirus Survives on Different Surfaces -- On plastic, after eight hours only 10% of what researchers deposited was still there, according to a study published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. But the virus didn’t become undetectable until after 72 hours. On stainless steel, the numbers began plummeting after just four hours, becoming undetectable by about 48 hours. On copper and cardboard, virus was undetectable by eight hours and 48 hours, respectively. Sharon Begley STAT via KQED -- 3/20/20
Third COVID cluster found in San Diego County as confirmed cases hit 105 -- Dr. Eric McDonald, medical director of epidemiology and immunization services for the county, said one of two clusters announced earlier this week — the one involving a group exposed during a skiing trip to Colorado — has expanded from seven members to 10. There was no change for the third grouping, which involves four people who did not travel out of the area. Paul Sisson, Joshua Emerson Smith, Gary Robbins, Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: 5 test positive in Burlingame senior living facility; 1 more quarantined -- ive residents at a senior-living center have tested positive for COVID-19, and results are pending for another, the facility’s owner announced Thursday afternoon. All six people, residents of Atria Burlingame Assisted Living and Memory Care, have been hospitalized. The facility, which offers both independent apartments and assisted-living units has suspended visits. Thomas Peele, Evan Webeck and Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
High-ranking LAPD member becomes second department official to contract coronavirus -- The person was described as a member of the “senior staff” in a department memo obtained by The Times. A law enforcement source said the person is a high-ranking police official. Cleaning crews were dispatched to disinfect the South Bureau and 77th Division on Thursday, according to the memo. James Queally, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Glendora man, 34, dies of coronavirus infection after visiting Disney World, sources say -- A 34-year-old man who tested positive for the coronavirus infection after visiting Disney World and traveling through Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month died Thursday at a hospital in Pasadena, according to medical and government sources. Hailey Branson-Potts, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
14 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Santa Clara County -- Public health officials on Thursday confirmed 14 new cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, bringing the total to 189. So far, 62 people in the county have been hospitalized with the deadly respiratory disease and half a dozen have died. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
First SEAL from Naval Special Warfare Command tests positive for coronavirus -- Test results on Thursday confirmed that the second-class petty officer, who was training at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, tested positive for coronavirus. The command is based at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register -- 3/20/20
Two Lakers test positive for the coronavirus -- Two players on the Lakers tested positive for the coronavirus, the team confirmed Thursday. Both players are asymptomatic, in quarantine and under the care of team doctors, the Lakers said in a statement. Tania Ganguli, Broderick Turner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Chula Vista Councilman Steve Padilla, who tested positive for COVID-19, is hospitalized -- Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Padilla, who announced Saturday he had tested positive for COVID-19, was admitted to the hospital and placed on a respirator to aid with difficulty breathing, his daughter said Thursday night. Padilla, who also chairs the state Coastal Commission, was in the intensive care unit at a UC San Diego medical facility in La Jolla, according to a statement released by his daughter, Ashleigh Padilla. Karen Kucher in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
San Diego leaders encourage immigrants to use COVID-19 resources -- Amid news reports that fearful undocumented immigrants and non-English speakers are avoiding using public health care and other resources to meet basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, local leaders came together Thursday to reassure and inform the vulnerable population. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Social separation
‘Complete chaos’ as Orange County courts reopen amidst coronavirus panic -- Orange County’s first attempt to hold court hearings after a brief closure due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus descended into “complete chaos” Thursday, with packed courtrooms seeming to fly in the face of recent guidance offered by health officials, some of the county’s top legal officials said. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Sacramento courts close as state goes into coronavirus lockdown -- Sacramento Superior Court will close its courthouses until March 30 as a countywide order to stay at home and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of new coronavirus cases were announced Thursday. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
More L.A. County jail inmates released over fears of coronavirus outbreak -- Law enforcement officials speeded up efforts to release inmates from Los Angeles County jails over fears a coronavirus outbreak could afflict scores of individuals and strain the overburdened system. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Alameda County approves early release for nearly 250 inmates at Santa Rita Jail -- Alameda County officials on Thursday approved the early release of 247 inmates at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in an effort to beat back the spread of coronavirus and protect a particularly vulnerable population. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Activists implore prisons to release at-risk inmates to prevent coronavirus deaths -- They live in overcrowded facilities, sometimes jammed into tiny spaces in groups of three. Sanitary conditions can be an afterthought. Social distancing is rarely an option. For the nearly 2.3 million people held in prisons and jails nationwide and the guards who work inside, a scramble is underway to prevent the coronavirus from seeping within. Kurtis Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Despite pandemic, San Diego’s immigration courts remain open -- Immigration judges, lawyers and even ICE prosecutors have called on the federal government to close immigration courts because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: As cases surge in SF, residents comply with shelter-in-place; first homeless moved to hotels -- City officials reported 70 coronavirus cases Thursday in San Francisco, up from 51 on Wednesday, a 37% increase. They have transformed Moscone Center into the city’s emergency operations center for San Francisco’s response to the coronavirus. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Fashion Island, Irvine Spectrum open for “essential” merchants despite coronavirus concerns -- As competitors shut malls due to fears of the coronavirus spread, Irvine Co. said Thursday evening in a statement that stores open at its 39 shopping destinations in Orange County will be providing basic necessities following a new California “stay at home” order. These include “gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants, banks, and dry cleaners.” Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 3/20/20
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Independent Contractors In California May Have Limited Options To Apply For Unemployment Due To Coronavirus -- If impacted, these workers may be eligible for unemployment assistance under certain, though limited scenarios, said Loree Levy, an EDD spokesperson. If a self-employed or independent contractor chose to cover themselves and paid into an unemployment insurance plan, they can apply for unemployment assistance. If a previous employer contributed on that worker’s behalf over the last 12 to 18 months, they can also apply. If the individual was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee, they can apply. Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: Three ways you can get paid if you’re not working -- Californians who have run into employment difficulties because of the coronavirus pandemic can file claims for benefits through the state’s Employment Development Department. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Shutdown: Your favorite restaurant might not reopen. Here’s what could prevent that -- Shutdowns related to coronavirus and its associated disease, COVID-19, could very realistically leave Sacramento’s restaurant scene looking like a ghost of its previous state whenever going out to dinner becomes safe again. Mass layoffs are already affecting the 75,000 people who work in the city’s restaurants and bar, and more will likely come as owners’ financial resources grow thin. Benjy Egel and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Businesses are sheltering in place. How long can the economy survive that? -- The short answer is that experts are grappling with a situation as novel as the virus that caused it, and they really don’t know how much our high-tech, interconnected and consumption-oriented economy can endure. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Cancellations and closed doors: Health businesses feel coronavirus pain -- In Elk Grove, chiropractors are marking nearly as many cancellations as appointments — close to one in three at Andrew O. Williams’ practice. In the Bay Area, the six-county shelter-in-place coronavirus shutdown forced one physical therapist’s practice and likely others to lock its doors, a trade association leader said. Cathie Anderson and Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
L.A. restaurant shutdown extended to April 19, all but guaranteeing the end for many businesses -- Mayor Eric Garcetti’s latest citywide mandate imposes an even stricter set of restrictions on daily life in Los Angeles than the one issued Sunday night — and it almost certainly means the end of business for good for many restaurants and bars. Peter Meehan, Andrea Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
California employees fear they’ll catch coronavirus in the office. What are their options? -- The COVID-19 pandemic has created fault lines between workers and their employers over a host of increasingly sensitive issues: Namely, can employees be forced to report to work if they’re afraid of contracting coronavirus? And can they be fired if they refuse? The answer is complicated, labor-law experts say, and depends in large part on how risky the workplace is. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Job losses from coronavirus are already devastating Southern California -- In the working-class city of Pico Rivera, Melanie Santos, 26, made ends meet as a substitute math teacher for $120 a day and had an occasional gig dishing food-truck chicken wings. Margot Roosevelt, Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Trump Administration Asks States to Keep Quiet About Jobless Figures -- The Trump administration asked states to abstain from releasing unemployment-claims figures prior to the publication of a national compilation of weekly U.S. jobless claims, according to a state labor department official. Sarah Chaney in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/20/20
Transit
BART reduces service, will stop running trains at 9 p.m. every day due to coronavirus ridership loss -- After weeks of running increasingly empty trains and piling up millions of dollars in losses, BART decided Thursday to reduce service. Beginning Monday, BART will end weekday service three hours earlier than usual, running trains from 5 a.m. through 9 p.m. Trains will continue to operate on the same weekday frequencies. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: VTA tapes off driver areas, ends fare collection -- In an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is no longer collecting bus fares and is asking riders to board through the rear door. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Homeless
In wild hearing, federal judge grills L.A. officials over coronavirus and homeless shelters -- It was an unusual scene Thursday in the ordinarily staid chambers of federal court: Local officials lined up to have a judge grill them about finding as many beds as possible to quickly get homeless people off the streets of Los Angeles County amid the coronavirus outbreak. Benjamin Oreskes, Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
L.A. releases locations for 13 temporary homeless shelters for coronavirus crisis -- The shelters will open Friday, and the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks is preparing gymnasiums, finalizing 24-hour schedules for employees and ordering supplies. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
2,500 ‘pop-up’ shelters, 3,500 hotel rooms to be used to isolate homeless people, others in San Francisco -- San Francisco is adding 2,500 new shelter spaces for homeless people and identifying at least 3,500 hotel rooms to house people who need to be isolated as the city battles the coronavirus spread. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Sacramento to shelter homeless in cabins, trailers in 3 neighborhoods to slow coronavirus -- Sacramento officials plan to open cabins and state-issued trailers for homeless people who are most at risk of contracting the coronavirus at three city sites, Mayor Darrell Steinberg told The Sacramento Bee Thursday. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Housing
COVID-19 and California’s housing crisis: 5 issues to watch -- As the pandemic forces millions of Californians to adjust to a new reality, the words “housing crisis” provoke previously unthinkable questions: How to shelter in place without a home? How to self-isolate in an overcrowded apartment? Matt Levin Calmatters -- 3/20/20
Groceries
Raley’s posting off-duty deputies outside some stores during coronavirus crisis -- With panicked shoppers clearing out grocery stores of toilet paper, water and fresh chicken, Raley’s has begun posting off-duty sheriff’s deputies outside some of its markets to help keep things calm. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/20
Senior shoppers and others more vulnerable to coronavirus get special times at these stores -- As concerns over the coronavirus pandemic grow and lengthy lines that resemble those for theme park rides snake their way outside grocery stores before the sun even comes up, many retailers have announced they are setting aside time for seniors (65 and up at most stores) and other at-risk populations to do their shopping in a less-crowded environment. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Needs
San Diego City Leaders Ask For Blood And Food Donations Amid COVID-19 Pandemic -- San Diego city leaders put a call out Thursday for the public to donate blood and food to help those in need during the coronavirus pandemic, with assurances that volunteer groups are taking precautions to make sure residents can donate safely. KPBS -- 3/20/20
More Californians are hungry, seeking help amid coronavirus job losses -- California food banks are finding creative solutions, distributing food in parking lots and schools and possibly teaming with the National Guard. Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 3/20/20
Paying Forward
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer donates millions during coronavirus outbreak -- Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is pitching in to help communities weather the coronavirus outbreak, both in L.A. and elsewhere. Mirjam Swanson in the Orange County Register -- 3/20/20
49ers pledge $500,000 to aid employees, community efforts against coronavirus -- In a week where NFL free agency is seeing millions of dollars dolled out to players, the 49ers paused Thursday morning to pledge $500,000 for their employees and community organizations amid the coronavirus pandemic hitting especially hard in the Bay Area. Cam Inman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/20
Education
With distance learning off to a wobbly start, LAUSD calls out for help -- In homes across Los Angeles, the new coronavirus pandemic has many parents clambering to facilitate home learning for their children while they balance work or newfound unemployment, but it hasn’t been smooth-going. Ariella Plachta in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/20/20
California students enrolled in special education face unique burdens during school closure -- JoAnna Van Brusselen’s 11-year-old daughter, Iolani, loves school and has been making great progress in her occupational and physical therapy. While living with cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, visual impairment and hydroencephalitis, she can walk. She can use her right hand, and she’s a whiz at reading and learning languages. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 3/20/20
Some California college students find refuge on campus during a pandemic -- California’s public universities and colleges have moved most courses online to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Still, dorms remain open for some like homeless, foster, out-of-state, international students or those who have nowhere else to turn. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 3/20/20
Cannabis
A pot shop at your door: Home delivery surges amid outbreak -- One company rushed to expand its delivery fleet. Another has seen sales triple. The global coronavirus pandemic has left millions of people locked out of bars, restaurants and theaters, but it’s been an unexpected boost for some U.S. pot shops. Michael R. Blood and Haven Daley Associated Press -- 3/20/20
Cannabis dispensaries listed as essential businesses under L.A. County coronavirus order -- Allowed to operate — as long as they observe proper social-distancing guidelines and do not include more than 10 people in one place — are a list of essential services including city and county government services, grocery stores, hardware stores and, wait for it, cannabis dispensaries. Adam Tschorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Water
The West is in an expanding 20-year drought that a ‘March Miracle’ will do little to change -- The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday shows that although recent rains have provided some relief for Southern California, Northern California remains locked in moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions. Paul Duginski in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Also . . .
Coronavirus: Asian American groups compile hate crime reports as Trump persists in ‘Chinese virus’ attacks -- Distressed by the rise in xenophobia and racism during the coronavirus pandemic, a coalition of Asian American groups based in California have created a reporting webpage for victims of virus-related hate crimes. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/20/20
Consumers in Tijuana take a chance on over-the-counter medicine as coronavirus spreads -- Two medications, usually readily available in Mexico without a prescription, have been flying off the shelves of Tijuana pharmacies as consumers on both sides of the border search for potential weapons in the fight against coronavirus. However, there are no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, and medical professionals are cautious about whether either drug would aid in treatment of symptoms. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/20
Coronavirus: $5.5 billion stem cell bond at risk? -- The current coronavirus emergency and the practice of social distancing are likely to put a crimp in gathering signatures to qualify a $5.5 billion stem cell initiative for the November ballot in California. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 3/20/20
KQED Political Breakdown: State Senator Dr. Richard Pan on California's Coronavirus Response -- As California cities shut down and the state prepares for a surge of coronavirus cases, Scott and Marisa check in with KQED's Katie Orr on the state government's response (0:20). Then, State Senator Dr. Richard Pan joins to talk about battling disinformation in the public health sphere, the state's preparation for the outbreak, and the personal responsibility of Californians residents in slowing infections (8:35). Link Here -- 3/20/20
POTUS 45
Trump touts unproven coronavirus remedies, drawing a diplomatic correction -- President Trump, facing a national outcry over the lack of available coronavirus testing and an imminent spike in positive cases, tried to inject some optimism into the situation Thursday, suggesting that two existing drugs may be effective remedies and saying the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking them to market. In both cases, the president overstated the speed and scope of elements of his administration’s response to the crisis, part of a pattern of overselling that has been a frequent part of his presidency. Eli Stokols, Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Beltway
Senators sold stock before steep market losses from virus -- The stock sales were first reported by ProPublica and The Center for Responsive Politics. Most of them came on Feb. 13, just before Burr made a speech in North Carolina in which he predicted severe consequences from the virus, including closed schools and cutbacks in company travel, according to audio obtained by National Public Radio and released Thursday. Mary Clare Jalonick Associated Press Eric Lipton and Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 3/20/20
Sen. Richard Burr, who sold stock before recent market decline, voted in 2012 against banning insider trading for Congress -- The bill, aimed at prohibiting stock trading based on nonpublic information gleaned on Capitol Hill, overwhelmingly passed in the Senate by a 96-3 vote before being signed into law by President Barack Obama. Burr, one of the three senators to vote against the measure, described himself as a “brave soul” for going against the bill, according to a transcript of the radio interview posted to his Senate website. Timothy Bella in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/20
-- Thursday Updates
Gavin Newsom extends shelter-in-place order to entire state -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday night that the shelter-in-place order already in effect in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County will now be extended to the entire state. Amy Graff, Alyssa Pereira and Eric Ting in the San Francisco Chronicle Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/19/20
Half of Californians could get coronavirus, Newsom warns Trump -- Gov. Gavin Newsom warned President Donald Trump that more than half of Californians could be infected with coronavirus in the next two months. California is also seeking at least $1 billion in federal aid. JUDY LIN Calmatters -- 3/19/20
More than half of Californians could become infected with coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom says to Trump -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday asked Congress for $1 billion in federal funds to support the state’s medical response to the novel coronavirus, which he expects will infect more than half of all Californians. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Nowels, Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ John Howard Capitol Weekly Jeremy B. White Politico -- 3/19/20
California governor: 60,000 homeless could get virus -- As worries about the spread of the coronavirus confine millions of Californians to their homes, concern is growing about those who have no homes in which to shelter. Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates up to 60,000 homeless could end up infected. Don Thompson and John Antczak Associated Press -- 3/19/20
These coronavirus patients aren’t being counted — or tested -- At a Kaiser urgent care clinic, a physician and an infectious disease specialist told the 33-year-old nonprofit executive that she “clearly” had COVID-19, but that they couldn’t spare a test to confirm the diagnosis because she was not elderly or otherwise a high-risk patient. Harriet Ryan, Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Most Grand Princess passengers in quarantine refused coronavirus tests —often at federal officials’ urging -- Despite assurances from Vice President Mike Pence that all Grand Princess cruise ship passengers quarantined at Travis Air Force Base would be tested for COVID-19, The Chronicle has learned that two-thirds of them have declined, often at the encouragement of federal health officials. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/19/20
Trump touts unproven coronavirus remedies -- President Trump, facing a national outcry over the lack of available coronavirus testing and an imminent spike in positive cases, suggested Thursday that two existing drugs may be effective remedies and said the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking them to market. Neither drug is a proven treatment for COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus, however, and neither is likely to be publicly available in the near future. Eli Stokols, Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Eviction lawsuits proceed in California despite relief for some tenants -- The wheels of the eviction process are still turning in many parts of the state, and renters remain subject to ejection for many reasons. Questions are emerging about how to handle cases not related to the pandemic. Matt Levin, Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 3/19/20
A coronavirus state of emergency in Peru has left hundreds of U.S. travelers with no way out -- While vacationing, Evelin Pineda learned Peru’s president had declared a national emergency because of the coronavirus, and she made a desperate attempt to get back home to California. Julia Barajas in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/20
Spread
Coronavirus: San Francisco reports 19 new COVID-19 cases, 70 total -- It had jumped from 40 on Monday to 43 Tuesday and 51 on Wednesday. Just south of San Francisco, the number of coronavirus cases San Mateo County increased to 89 with nine additional confirmations on Thursday. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/19/20
46 new coronavirus cases confirmed in LA County, total now tops 190 -- Los Angeles County health officials confirmed 46 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, March 18, bringing the county’s total to 190 confirmed cases so far. That’s 96 cases over the past 48 hours. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/19/20
L.A. County reports second coronavirus death as cases jump to 230 -- A man with an underlying medical condition became the second person to die from the novel coronavirus in Los Angeles County, officials announced Thursday, and the total number of confirmed cases rose by 40 overnight to 230. Phil Willon, Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Second person dies in Los Angeles County from coronavirus; 230 total cases as of Thursday -- The person who died near Pasadena was between 30 and 50 years old with underlying health conditions. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/19/20
Coronavirus: 3 test positive in Burlingame senior facility; 3 more quarantined -- Three residents at a Bay Area senior-living facility have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus spreading rapidly around the U.S. Evan Webeck and Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/19/20
LAX coronavirus screenings are haphazard, travelers say. Experts say they’re futile -- As thousands continue to pour into LAX, many international travelers have complained about haphazard health screenings, being required to stand or sit near others who have returned from countries with known outbreaks of the coronavirus, or not being screened at all. Laura Newberry, Adam Elmahrek, Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Coronavirus cases spike in Asia because of travelers from Europe, North America -- In a sign of how difficult it will be to contain the coronavirus over time, Asia is reporting spikes in new cases of the disease known as COVID-19 after weeks of relative calm. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Social separation
Life in California ‘upended’ by restrictions from pandemic -- Last week most Californians were still working, freeways were congested, kids were playing baseball and soccer, restaurants and bars were serving food and drink and toilet paper supplies were, well, relatively flush. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 3/19/20
Sacramento County issues formal order for residents to stay at home as coronavirus spreads -- Sacramento on Thursday joined several other Northern California counties in formally ordering residents to remain in their homes and to only go out for essential chores - a drastic curtailment of societal functions that public health officials say is essential to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Tony Bizjak, Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks, and Marcos Breton in the Sacramento Bee$ Phil Willon, Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$-- 3/19/20
Ventura County issues coronavirus shelter-in-place order to people 75 and older -- Coronavirus cases in Ventura County rose to 13, and officials imposed a series of orders designed to slow the spread. People 75 or older have been ordered to shelter in place through April 1. The order also applies to people 70 and older with chronic disease. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
How can you grieve without a funeral? As coronavirus restrictions become more strict, families make heartbreaking choices -- What followed for Wilson’s family were the kind of heartrending decisions about his funeral — How do you choose the few people who can attend? Can it be postponed? Should it be live-streamed? — that will become increasingly common for Americans in this uncertain new world of COVID-19. Hailey Branson-Potts, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
San Francisco says bike repair shops are 'essential' and will remain open -- San Francisco’s shelter-in-place ordinance has been a bit confusing. Are cannabis dispensaries considered essential since, for many, they provide medicine? What’s included in outdoor exercise? Can you still ride your bike? Tessa McLean in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/19/20
Testing
California coronavirus testing: Is it finally getting easier to get a test? Here is what we know -- Is testing for coronavirus finally beginning to pick up? Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said answer is yes. The state saw a 20% increase in testing in just one day as more labs come online. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
2 more San Diego companies get emergency approval to produce coronavirus tests -- Hologic and Quidel Corp. join Thermo Fisher in winning FDA authorization to make molecular tests for COVID-19; GenMark Diagnostics seeking federal approval. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/19/20
Groceries
Costco limits shoppers inside, won’t accept returns on coronavirus hoard -- If you’ve seen lines forming outside a local Costco, it’s because the stores are limiting the number of shoppers allowed inside, forcing the crowd to wait outside with carts ready. Store managers have told the Southern California News Group that supplies in high demand are often sold out by midday, even with the crowd controls in place. Samantha Gowen in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/19/20
Tips to safely shop at grocery stores in the coronavirus age -- Here are a few tips for all shoppers, regardless of age, so they can protect themselves and others from virus spread at the grocery store: Michael Nowels in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/19/20
California Economy
What small businesses need to know about L.A.'s new emergency microloans -- The $11-million loan fund is expected to serve 550 to 2,500 businesses, depending on the mix of applicants, which have at least one employee and in the retail sector can have as many as 500. The loans come with no to low interest and there is no application fee. However, applicants must meet basic underwriting criteria. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Coronavirus pushes California unemployment claims to 80,000 in a day -- As the coronavirus hammers the economy, Californians are losing their jobs and racing to get unemployment benefits. The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows Californians filed 58,208 initial claims for jobless benefits in the week ended March 14 — an increase of 34% in a week and up 42% vs. a year earlier. Jonathan Lansner in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
‘Terrified’ Bay Area workers at ‘essential’ businesses weigh risks versus survival in shutdown -- Cash Caris couldn’t take it any longer. The shift lead at Peet’s Coffee in Campbell handed pastries and coffees to customers who were sometimes coughing — and took their cash. He brushed arms with coworkers in close quarters. All the while, he worried he was putting the sister he lives with, who has asthma, allergies and a history of catching pneumonia, at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill because of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/19/20
Unemployment claims double in 2 days in California as coronavirus takes economic toll -- California is seeing a big spike in unemployment claims as the state and nation hurtle towards the first recession in 12 years. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/19/20
Coronavirus closes many Bay Area hotels: ‘Worse than 9/11 or 2008’ -- The Bay Area’s once-booming hotel industry has been brought to its knees in the two weeks since the coronavirus erupted across the region, and at least eight hotels have closed temporarily. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/19/20
Homeboy Industries to close down temporarily amid coronavirus restrictions -- Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit helping gang members ease out of that life for 32 years in Los Angeles, has temporarily shut down as a result of restrictions intended to halt the spread of coronavirus. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
On Catalina Island, concern yet calm as coronavirus threatens tourism economy -- The busy season was supposed to begin this week in Catalina, where the economy is wholly dependent on visitors. Instead, the island is already feeling the effects of a nationwide call by local, state and federal leaders to stay home for at least two weeks to lessen the spread of COVID-19. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Also
‘We did not ask for this’: Sacramento-area teens face canceled proms, trips over coronavirus -- When Breeana Hall heard from her choir teacher that her Rocklin High School choir was invited to perform at the internationally renowned Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, she was “beyond herself,” her mother, Shelly Marks, said. Sawsan Morrar and Joe Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/19/20
If I become infected with the coronavirus, what are my odds of survival? -- Left unchecked, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could infect billions of people. By one estimate, up to 70% of the world’s population may contract the disease. That means there’s an excellent chance that, sooner or later, you will be one of them. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Some California cities suspend public records requests because of coronavirus -- The city of Fresno suspended “immediate responses” to public records requests on Tuesday after the city declared a state of emergency, according to an email from the city attorney’s office. The city will resume responding to requests once the emergency declaration ends. Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20
Fox: Covering School Funding in Time of Crisis -- The COVID-19 crisis has interfered with many functions that could result in long-term changes. At-home workers might become more plentiful after the crisis passes (perhaps even helping to solve the problem of crowded freeways); limited sports seasons may lead to fewer games in the future on basketball and baseball schedules; and even consideration of California’s school funding through Average Daily Attendance might get a second look. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/19/20
Political fundraiser admits to delivering bribes in L.A. City Hall corruption probe -- A political fundraiser has agreed to plead guilty to a federal bribery charge for helping a real estate developer pay off a Los Angeles City Councilmember to clear the way for a major development project. Joel Rubin, David Zahniser, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/19/20