Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

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Updating . .

Californians urged to stay home as experts warn coronavirus-related death toll will rise -- As the number of California coronavirus infection cases reached 1,500, state officials called on residents to stay home as much as possible, raced to get more people tested and enlisted the support of tech titans. Experts, meanwhile, warned that the number of U.S. deaths would rise in the months ahead. Phil Willon, Alex Wigglesworth, Richard Winton, Laura King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

• How do you become infected with the coronavirus? -- How did a virus that didn’t even exist just a few months ago manage to infect more than 300,000 people and cause more than 13,000 deaths? How exactly does this pathogen spread? Here’s what scientists have learned so far about the virus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease known as COVID-19. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

With coronavirus, California’s economy is in uncharted territory -- COVID-19 is almost certain to cause the first pandemic-induced recession of the postwar era. For millions of Californians and their families, that may mean less work, lower income and more financial stress. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 3/22/20

The U.S. Shut Down Its Economy. Here’s What Needs to Happen in Order to Restart -- Whole sectors of the United States economy have gone dark to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here’s what comes next. Jim Tankersley in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/20

Top Economists See Some Echoes of Depression in U.S. Sudden Stop -- But as business activity halts and layoffs surge, some prominent economy watchers -- including former White House chief economists Glenn Hubbard and Kevin Hassett and former Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Alan Blinder -- have drawn comparisons to the Great Depression, though they’ve stopped well short of forecasting another one. Rich Miller and Reade Pickert Bloomberg -- 3/22/20

CalPERS loses $69 billion in biggest market losses since Great Recession -- The pot of invested money used to pay for hundreds of thousands of California public employee pensions has shrunk by $69 billion as coronavirus has squeezed global markets. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s fund balance stood about $335 billion Thursday, down from a record high of $404 billion one month ago, according to CalPERS officials. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/20

Are 826 ventilators enough for San Diego? Yes, but only if you stay home -- It’s hard to overstate exactly what access to mechanical ventilation buys for the small percentage of patients who end up needing them, said Dr. Jess Mandel, director of pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine at UC San Diego Health. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/20

LAPD expected to cancel vacations, work 12-hour shifts to combat coronavirus -- The Los Angeles Police Department is expected to switch to 12-hour shifts for its officers in the coming weeks and cancel all vacations as a way to staff up in response to the coronavirus outbreak, a law enforcement source told the L.A. Times. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

• This online toilet paper calculator will tell you just how long your supply will last -- Howmuchtoiletpaper.com is a website created by student software developer Ben Sassoon and artist Sam Harris, both based in London, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The tool calculates just how long your stash of TP will last you during a quarantine. Leah Asmelash CNN -- 3/22/20

Fed Response

FEMA head says masks are being sent but declines to be specific -- Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor said Sunday that masks are currently being shipped to states, particularly hot spots like New York City and California — an announcement that comes as health care workers grow increasingly desperate for critical medical gear. However, Gaynor was unable to give more detail on when the masks would arrive or provide specific numbers. Rishika Dugyala Politico -- 3/22/20

Desperate and angry state leaders push back on Trump admin claims of mass mask shipments -- Governors, mayors and front-line health care workers confronting rising numbers of critically ill coronavirus patients said Sunday they have not received meaningful amounts of federal aid, including the shipments of desperately needed masks and other emergency equipment that administration officials say they have already dispatched. Alice Ollstein Politico -- 3/22/20

Bipartisan talks falter on massive economic rescue package -- Negotiations on massive $1.6 trillion-plus emergency economic package to deal with the coronavirus crisis stalled on Sunday, with Senate Democrats objecting to the bill before a key procedural vote. Democrats emerged from a closed-door lunch saying the emergency package had serious shortfalls and provided a "slush fund" to large corporations. Marianne Levine and John Bresnahan Politico -- 3/22/20

Lobbyists Pile On to Get Wins for Clients Into Coronavirus Stimulus Package -- From Boeing Co. to Verizon Communications, scores of U.S. companies and industries are furiously lobbying Congress to add measures to the Trump administration’s massive stimulus package to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, some of which address issues that long predate the outbreak. Brody Mullins and Ted Mann in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/22/20

Social Distancing

Hoping to escape coronavirus, city dwellers are fleeing to California’s deserts and mountains -- As the coronavirus pandemic tightens its grip on California’s largest cities, some residents are fleeing urban sprawl and seeking shelter in isolated communities in the Mojave Desert or rugged Sierra Nevada. Their hope, they say, is to avoid possible public unrest and limit their exposure to the virus. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

People pack Marin County beaches and parks, officials to close most of Point Reyes National Seashore -- Amid warm, sunny weather, people flocked to the beaches and parks of Marin County on Saturday despite California's shelter-in-place order asking residents to stay home to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

East Bay parks may be next to close as huge crowds create health, safety issues -- A deluge of visitors this weekend, many not practicing recommended coronavirus “social distancing” practices and parking illegally after finding full lots, is forcing Bay Area officials to close popular areas and consider shutdowns. Tom Stienstra in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

Crowded California beaches pose a challenge for strict coronavirus stay-home rules -- California’s sweeping stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus resulted in a weekend like no other, with people staying indoors and keeping six feet apart when outside. But there were some exceptions — including the state’s beloved beaches. Nicole Santa Cruz, Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Will California’s shelter in place work to slow the pandemic? -- Rutherford and most of his peers think the Bay Area probably acted swiftly and assertively enough to tamp down the worst of the outbreak — to flatten the curve, so to speak. The same may be true for California too. But the entire country is on a steep trajectory toward a disastrous epidemic, they say. And California can only isolate itself from the rest of the world for so long. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

What you should know about wearing gloves and a mask if you can’t work from home -- As state and local officials have issued strict stay-at-home mandates to curb the spread of COVID-19, there are many workers who don’t have the luxury of staying home. There’s the neighbor working at a grocery store with an elderly parent at home, or the gas station clerk keeping the pumps running. Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Eerie drone photos reveal California’s new stay-at-home landscape -- The staff of the Los Angeles Times has been documenting the changing landscape of everyday life. Here are views from on high of the Southland in the time of the coronavirus. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Spread

Here is the latest list of L.A. County communities with coronavirus infection cases -- Los Angeles County health officials Saturday confirmed two more coronavirus-related deaths and 59 new cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the county to 351. Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Sen. Rand Paul tests positive for coronavirus -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday announced he has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first senator and third member of Congress known to have contracted the disease. Sarah Ferris and John Bresnahan Politico -- 3/22/20

Beware the coronavirus scams: Colloidal silver, herb remedies and fake test kits -- In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, public health officials have made it clear: There is no pill, vaccine or supplement that can cure or prevent the virus. But that hasn’t stopped scam artists from trying to take advantage of people’s fears. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier declines to 'critical condition' in pneumonia fight -- Rep. Mark DeSaulnier's condition has deteriorated to critical as the California Democrat battles complications with pneumonia. DeSaulnier, 67, was hospitalized more than a week ago to treat pneumonia complications arising from his fracturing a rib during a run. He subsequently tested negative for the novel coronavirus. But DeSaulnier has worsened since then, his office said today. Jeremy B. White Politico Bridget Bowman Roll Call Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/20

Walters: Dumbing down teacher license tests -- The abrupt and apparently prolonged closure of California’s public schools due to coronavirus fears is — or should be — a reminder of their vital societal role. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus

Newsom says California enlisting Elon Musk, Tim Cook for coronavirus help -- Days after cryptically alluding to an unnamed tech executive who had offered help in manufacturing needed medical equipment, Newsom confirmed that Musk — the founder of California-based Tesla and SpaceX — is “working overtime” to produce ventilators. Musk pledged to procure 250,000 masks, Newsom said, while Apple CEO Cook committed to providing 1 million. Jeremy B. White Politico John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag and Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/20

Gavin Newsom directs $42 million to health care needs during coronavirus outbreak -- Last week’s statewide shelter-in-place order was an attempt to not only slow the spread of the coronavirus but also to give hospitals a better chance of keeping up. Gov. Gavin Newsom threw California’s medical field another life raft Saturday in the form of $42 million in emergency funding. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

‘Time to wake up,’ Newsom says, again urging Californians to stay home in coronavirus fight -- “Be a good neighbor. Be a good citizen. Those young people that are still out there on the beaches thinking this is a party time — grow up,” Newsom said during a news conference on Facebook and Twitter on Saturday afternoon. “ Phil Willon, Taryn Luna, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Newsom to Californians: ‘Assume you are potentially contagious’ -- On the same day Marin County law enforcement official urged people not to crowd beaches, Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed some of the questions about California’s stay-at-home order Saturday, emphasizing social distancing and urging citizens to use “common sense” to guard against the spread of coronavirus. Matt Kawahara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

Gov. Newsom: more beds, masks, equipment ahead for coronavirus -- Anticipating California does not have enough hospital beds for everyone who could soon become sick from the coronavirus, the state added 500 beds by leasing Seton Medical Center in Daly City and St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 3/22/20

The Hardest Questions Doctors May Face: Who Will Be Saved? Who Won’t? -- In the United States, some guidelines already exist for this grim task. In an effort little known even among doctors, federal grant programs helped hospitals, states and the Veterans Health Administration develop what are essentially rationing plans for a severe pandemic. Now those plans, some of which may be outdated, are being revisited for the coronavirus outbreak. Sheri Fink in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus testing hits another snag as labs need emergency funding to meet high demand -- One week after the Trump administration promised a massive expansion of free coronavirus testing, the commercial labs tasked with the effort say they need emergency funding to meet rapidly increasing demand, marking the latest snag in the problem-plagued program. Melody Petersen, Emily Baumgaertner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

U.S. Considers Special Enrollment Period for Affordable Care Act Due to Coronavirus Spread -- The Trump administration is considering the launch of a special enrollment period for people to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act because of the new coronavirus crisis, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokeswoman said Saturday. Stephanie Armour in the Wall Street Journal$ Mohana Ravindranath Politico -- 3/22/20

Spread

Eerie calm before the storm gives ER doctors time to prepare, worry about what’s to come -- As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues its steep climb in California, many local emergency rooms remain eerily quiet, doctors say, giving them time to prepare but also time to agonize about what could be coming their way. Jack Dolan, Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Los Angeles County reports two more coronavirus deaths and 59 new cases -- Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday confirmed two more coronavirus deaths and 59 new cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the county to 353. The individuals who died were both older than 65 with underlying health conditions; one person lived in the Miracle Mile area and the other in Del Rey, public health officials said in a statement. Alex Wigglesworth, Maria L. La Ganga, Richard Winton, James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Half of NBA and NHL coronavirus cases are linked to Staples Center. What happened? -- The hub of sports and entertainment in Los Angeles hosted 39 events after the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the county, including the memorial service for Kobe Bryant, the Grammy Awards, two nights of bull riding, 12 Kings games, and 19 games involving the Lakers or Clippers. The final three games came during four days, ending March 11 when sports at every level lurched to a stop because the rampant spread of the virus had reached NBA locker rooms. Nathan Fenno in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Number of COVID-19 cases in Alameda County increases by nearly half in one day -- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Alameda County has jumped by 20 over the course of 24 hours, public health officials reported Saturday evening. The total number of Alameda County cases is now at 65, up from 45 on Friday. This tally does not include the city of Berkeley, which has its own department of health. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/20

In case of surge in COVID-19, Santa Clara Convention Center to be converted into temporary medical station for patients who require less care -- The center would threat patients who need less care, such as recovery from surgery, so local hospitals can assist patients with more serious needs. Meanwhile, “the goal would be for COVID-19 cases to be in a traditional hospital,” said Roger Ross, a spokesman for Santa Clara County. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/20

Orange County’s number of coronavirus cases jumps by 13, now up to 78 -- Orange County has 78 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Saturday, March 21, an increase of 13 from the day before, officials said. Of the 13 new cases, seven are related to travel and three were acquired locally. Others are under investigation or involve someone who had contact with a known COVID-19 case. Jeong Park in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/20

Riverside County announces 2 new cases of coronavirus for a total of 30; and 5th death -- One of the new cases was a man over 70 from the Coachella Valley who died and was found to have tested positive for the virus after death, county spokeswoman Brooke Federico said. Nathaniel Percy in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/22/20

Third LAPD employee tests positive for coronavirus -- An LAPD officer tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the third employee within the department to be diagnosed with the disease, police officials announced Saturday evening. The officer was assigned to the department’s Central Community Police Station at 251 East 6th Street in downtown Los Angeles, said Los Angeles police Lt. James Mylonakis, who works at the station. Jonah Valdez in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/20

Prison lockdowns and influenza symptoms spread, along with call for early releases -- Early release from prison is on the table as a state task force begins discussions on how to navigate California’s incarcerated population through the coming storm of the novel coronavirus. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Two employees test positive for coronavirus at state prison in Chino -- The pair, along with one employee at California State Prison, Sacramento, are the first known confirmed cases among state prison employees. Jonah Valdez in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus border travel restrictions start to impact daily life -- Mexican residents with legal visas began to be turned away from the U.S. Saturday morning. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/20

FAA says 11 air traffic facilities affected by coronavirus outbreak -- The Federal Aviation Administration said late Saturday that 11 of its air traffic control facilities nationwide have employees who have tested positive for covid-19. Michael Laris in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/20

Health worker risk

Where Are All the Masks? -- At a news conference on Saturday at the White House, Vice President Mike Pence said the federal government had ordered “hundreds of millions” of N95s for health care centers across the country, but he did not say precisely when they would be delivered to workers. The White House also signaled that American companies have been increasing efforts to restock hospitals, citing that Hanes and General Motors will make masks. But it again stopped short of discussing in detail any sort of fulfillment of the more assertive demands coming from some state and local leaders. Amelia Nierenberg in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/20

'It's what we have to do': Bay Area women launch mask donation site for healthcare workers -- Klinger and Chloe Alpert — Klinger’s long-time friend and the CEO of Medinas Health, which helps hospitals manage medical equipment inventory — launched mask-match.com, a site built for two groups of people: “I’m a healthcare worker, and I need masks,” reads one clickable link. “I want to help, and I have masks to give,” reads the other. Grant Marek in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

Facebook donates 720,000 medical masks, 1.5 million gloves for coronavirus battle -- The Menlo Park tech company plans to donate 720,000 masks — a combination of the coveted N95 masks and more basic surgical masks — and 1.5 million pairs of gloves to health-care workers around the world. Facebook officials said they bought the masks for their offices’ emergency disaster kits following wildfires in California. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

SF company donates 60,000 masks, other supplies to health care workers in coronavirus fight -- The donation from Flexport, a San Francisco company that uses software to make international trade more efficient, includes 60,000 surgical masks, 34,000 gloves, 2,000 surgical gowns and 50 thermometers. Mayor London Breed announced the delivery Saturday in conjunction with Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who served as an intermediary. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

Food Bank

Amid coronavirus fears, food bank pop-up at Honda Center draws long lines of cars -- As cars snaked a mile around the Honda Center, with people waiting up to two hours for a bag of potatoes, a bag of apples and a bag of foods that won’t perish, Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Harald Herrmann took in the new reality. “Clearly this is unprecedented,” he said of the coronavirus pandemic. “The demand for food from residents of this county is staggering. The job loss coupled with school closures is putting tremendous pressure on many working-class families in this community,” Herrmann said. Mindy Schauer in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/20

Social Distancing

L.A. County strengthens coronavirus bans: Nail, hair salons, drive-in movies among closures -- The new county order largely matches the stronger stay-at-home order issued for the City of Los Angeles Thursday night, just moments before the statewide order was announced. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus: How long will the Bay Area have to stay home? -- When Gov. Newsom announced that Californians across the state would join the Bay Area in an unprecedented statewide order to stay home to curb the deadly spread of the coronavirus, he failed to answer one of the most pressing questions on the minds of 40 million residents suddenly held hostage in their own homes: How long will this last? Nobody knows yet — but it will probably be a while. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/20

A sunny California weekend of social distancing, neighborly love — and some overcrowding -- The landmark Griffith Observatory may have been closed, but people came by the carloads anyway, smiling and chattering Saturday in the fresh air and sunny skies outside the Hollywood Hills landmark. Walkers packed the sidewalks and trails, wishing one another good health. James Rainey, Maura Dolan, Leila Miller, Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

San Diegans under stay-home order head to beach, snow as coronavirus cases climb to 159 -- Under statewide orders to stay home or limit travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus, how did San Diegans respond on a sunny Saturday? They headed to the beach, parks, the snow, and a variety of hiking spots. And they weren’t all keeping the new social distancing of keeping 6 feet apart. Pauline Repard, Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/20

Pechanga Resort Casino expects coronavirus closure to last beyond March with layoffs anticipated -- Pechanga Resort Casino near Temecula announced Saturday, March 21, that it anticipates that it will stay closed beyond the end of March due to the novel coronavirus and that if it does, officials there will institute a temporary layoff beginning April 1. Alex Groves in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus takes toll on mourners at funerals, changes industry practices -- In the midst of dread, the death of a family member is as painful as ever but even more complicated. Janet Noble-Mocias of Chino buried her mother Friday morning at Rose Hills in Whittier with a tiny gathering of family members, the size limited by social distancing edicts. Keith Sharon in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/20

Coronavirus fears: If you touch an onion at Ferry Building farmers’ market, it’s yours -- You don’t get to touch the lettuce at the farmers’ market in San Francisco any more, and that goes for the green onions, too. Social distancing means keeping your distance from — and your hands off — the produce. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

Deniers and Disbelievers: ‘If I Get Corona, I Get Corona.’ -- A climbing destination on the remote eastern side of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada, Bishop, Calif., was packed last weekend, as crowded as any holiday, despite growing calls for isolation in advance of a predicted wave of coronavirus cases. John Branch in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/20

Transit

OCTA cuts some bus service as ridership and staffing decrease amid coronavirus outbreak -- Orange County Transportation Authority buses will run on a Sunday schedule for a foreseeable future starting Monday, March 23, a move the agency says is necessary to protect its employees’ health amid the spread of the coronavirus. Jeong Park in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/20

Also . . .

Kelly: I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share -- But I learned some things during my time up there that I’d like to share — because they are about to come in handy again, as we all confine ourselves at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Here are a few tips on living in isolation, from someone who has been there. Scott Kelly in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/20

Willie Brown: Coronavirus in the big city: Here’s your coffee, there’s the door -- Nothing like a morning walk through North Beach to get a feel for how San Francisco is handling the big lockdown. No techies hustling down Columbus Avenue to work. No elderly Chinese practicing tai chi in Washington Square Park. Even the pigeons were keeping 6 feet apart. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

In SoCal, fitness isn’t just a fix, it’s a lifestyle: ‘You can’t sleep under your bed’ -- House arrest? Not in our house. As cabin fever set in this past week, recreational athletes fled to the bike lanes, the beaches, the skate parts and all manner of hiking trail. Chris Erskine in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

Lopez: How to pull together while standing 6 feet apart: Community in age of coronavirus -- Anxious? Scared? Frustrated? Same here. If the days seem long and yet they’re gone before you can remember what you even did to pass the time, don’t worry. That’s going around. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

‘A weird way to bring people together’: Bay Area seeks connection while staying six feet apart -- Around the Bay Area on Saturday, residents and businesses that have spent the past week adjusting to sweeping orders aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly coronavirus were again faced with the challenge of finding ways to connect with one another while staying far apart enough to avoid potential exposure. Nico Savidge, Leonardo Castañeda and Linda Zavoral in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/20

POTUS 45

Short-term thinking plagues Trump’s coronavirus response -- The show of action played well in the White House briefing room and with the public, but has had a different impact behind the scenes. Health-agency officials and outside advisers to the administration, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described a chaotic situation in which leaders rushed to address presidential requests that sometimes seem to come on a whim while losing focus on longer-term challenges. Dan Diamond Politico -- 3/22/20

Trump Pushes an Unproven Coronavirus Drug, and Patients Stock Up -- A tiny trial of a malaria drug may or may not have helped several patients in France fight off their coronavirus infections. The FDA has said it needs more study. Some expert doctors are skeptical. President Donald Trump is all for it. Kristen V Brown and Riley Griffin Bloomberg -- 3/22/20

Beltway

Coronavirus drugs: Where we are and what we know -- Medicines designed to treat COVID-19 won’t be on pharmacy shelves for months or even years, but thousands of patients are in hospitals and health clinics now. So doctors are looking to drugs that are already approved for treating other diseases. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/20

'It’s pretty bad': Diaz-Balart, McAdams detail their struggles with COVID-19 -- “I’m feeling about as sick as I’ve been,” the Utah Democrat said during a CNN interview on Friday. “I got really labored breathing. I feel like I have a belt around my chest, really tight. When I cough, my muscles are so sore so I just feel pain every time I cough, which is frequently. I feel short of breath, and I have a fever of about 102. So, it’s pretty bad.” Evan Semones Politico -- 3/22/20

While Trump commands the coronavirus stage, Joe Biden is playing a bit part -- Joe Biden has both an opportunity and a big problem, and the reason for both is the same — the coronavirus-caused deep freeze that the Democratic presidential primary has entered. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/20

-- Saturday Updates

California coronavirus deaths rise to 24 as hospitals brace for flood of patients -- California entered the weekend with coronavirus deaths rising to 24, orders for most residents to stay at home to slow the spread and already desperate hospitals bracing for more patients that officials fear will overwhelm the state’s healthcare system. Alex Wigglesworth, Maria L. La Ganga, Phil Willon, Matt Stiles, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/20

• California stay at home order to fight coronavirus doesn’t replace stricter local rules -- After a day of confusion about the reach of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s historic executive order telling residents to remain at home to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the state announced that more stringent sets of mandatory restrictions implemented by some California counties and cities will remain in place. Phil Willon, Taryn Luna, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/21/20

• FDA authorizes new test that could detect coronavirus in about 45 minutes -- The US Food and Drug Administration announced it has authorized the use of the first rapid diagnostic test that could detect the novel coronavirus in approximately 45 minutes. The authorization was made Friday and tests will begin shipping next week, according to a statement from California-based Cepheid, the company manufacturing the tests. Wesley Bruer and Kelly Mena CNN -- 3/21/20

‘It’s a powder keg’: Staff at SF’s largest nursing home say they lack tools to combat coronavirus -- According to two doctors and a nurse, the situation is precarious. Nurses can’t find masks or other protective equipment. Doctors are treating patients suspected of COVID-19 without recommended “face shields.” There are only five or so isolation rooms out of 780 total beds. Although some patients have already exhibited symptoms of possible coronavirus infection, and doctors started asking for tests weeks ago, the facility only began ordering tests on Monday, according to one doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

California coronavirus testing capability soars, but even nurses complain they can’t get tested -- Testing for coronavirus in California has expanded significantly since midweek, with 23,200 tests completed as the number of cases of COVID-19 grew to more than 1,200, state health officials said Friday. Coronavirus testing increased by more than 84% since Wednesday, when Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state had tested about 12,600 people. Dominic Fracassa and Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Harvard: Coronavirus Patients Will Push San Diego Hospitals Beyond Their Capacity -- An analysis of hospital bed data by Harvard researchers and journalists shows that even under what they consider the best case scenario, San Diego County hospitals will be filled beyond capacity in the coming months with an influx of patients needing treatment for COVID-19. Claire Trageser KPBS -- 3/21/20

California’s rural hospitals can’t handle a coronavirus wave. ‘People will die,’ doctor warns --Mammoth Hospital’s chief medical officer Dr. Craig Burrows didn’t hold back as he urged the 8,234 people living in his Sierra ski-resort town to stay home and avoid crowds. “Try to imagine 100 people getting sick all at once tomorrow,” Burrows said in an unscripted video message the Mono County hospital posted on YouTube. “If that happens, our small hospital, our small community, will be completely overwhelmed and people will die. Ryan Sabalow and Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/20

Masks

SF company donates 60,000 masks, other supplies to health care workers in coronavirus fight -- Health care workers in San Francisco got a large shipment of protective equipment Friday — a critical arsenal as they battle the coronavirus pandemic. The donation from San Francisco company Flexport includes 60,000 surgical masks, 34,000 gloves, 2,000 surgical gowns and 50 thermometers. Mayor London Breed announced the delivery Saturday in conjunction with Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who served as an intermediary. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

PG&E donating nearly 1 million masks to help hospital workers battle coronavirus -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Friday that it is donating 950,000 N95 and surgical masks to hospitals and others who need them to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. State emergency officials will distribute the face masks, PG&E said. The company has already given 40,000 masks to Kaiser Permanente, which has an urgent need to protect its healthcare workers. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Spead

Despite no symptoms, seven Grand Princess passengers test positive for coronavirus -- Seven Grand Princess cruise ship passengers quarantined at Travis Air Force Base — all with no symptoms — tested positive for COVID-19, The Chronicle has learned, as the first batch of swab results from the voluntary testing came back Friday. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

New coronavirus cases in LA County jump by 101 in 48 hours, now up to 292 -- The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Los Angeles County continued to rise on Friday, March 20, as health officials announced 61 new cases, making a total of 292 confirmed cases in the county overall. That’s 101 new confirmed cases in the past 48 hours. David Rosenfeld in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/21/20

Orange County coronavirus cases rise to 65 as residents cope, firefighter infected -- The number of coronavirus cases in Orange County rose to 65 as residents coped with statewide restrictions on movements. An Orange County firefighter at Station 4 In Irvine has tested positive for COVID-19 but is “feeling fine,” officials said Friday. The Orange County Fire Authority has placed 24 other firefighters who associated with the sick firefighter into self-isolation. Richard Winton, Hillary Davis, Lilly Nguyen, Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/20

Coronavirus sick leave: Democrats push to close loophole in new stimulus bill -- When Congress passed a coronavirus stimulus package this week, many lawmakers proudly said they had ensured paid sick leave for workers with the disease or those caring for an ill family member. In reality, however, the bill doesn’t guarantee any leave for millions of workers. It contains two major loopholes: Companies with at least 500 employees are exempt, and those with fewer than 50 can apply for a waiver. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Ask an expert: How solid are California’s coronavirus projections? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has said more than half the state could become infected by the novel coronavirus. To make sense of the state's numbers, CalMatters' Rachel Becker spoke with Lee Riley, a professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and chair of the division of infectious diseases and vaccinology. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 3/21/20

Economy Finances

Coronavirus: Port of Oakland longshoremen threaten to walk off job -- Some dockworkers at the Port of Oakland are threatening to refuse work at a terminal that they say isn’t properly sanitizing equipment and facilities for employees. The move could halt logistics operations and further strain the global supply chain amid the coronavirus outbreak. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Construction on Rams stadium in Inglewood will continue during ‘stay home’ order -- Construction on SoFi stadium in Inglewood is continuing because the work is exempt from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that all Californians stay at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said. The new, 70,000-seat home of the Rams and Chargers is set to open in late July and has an estimated cost of $5 billion, making it the priciest venue in NFL history. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$-- 3/21/20

Big Debt, Little Savings, No Income: Why Millions of California Workers Now Stuck at Home Need Help Fast -- Two weeks ago, Ilse Villacorta made a decision. Even though she and her boyfriend had very little money saved up, she would no longer go into work, fearing the rapid spread of the coronavirus. She also decided not to pay rent in April, risking eviction. The couple only had $2,000 in their bank account, and Villacorta wanted to hang on to as much of those savings as possible for the rough road ahead. Sam Harnett KQED -- 3/21/20

Social Distancing

New rules for coronavirus breed conflict in everyday Bay Area life -- With sheltering in place expected to last weeks, if not months, and Newsom suggesting that students may not return to classrooms before summer break, Bay Area residents will likely have plenty of time to get accustomed to this new normal — no matter how reluctantly. Sarah Feldberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

As coronavirus upends California, question remains: Who’ll watch the kids? -- As schools, businesses, governments and most other venues go dark in the effort to restrict the pandemic, state officials are allowing child care centers to remain open, in an effort to support essential workers who can't leave their children otherwise. Elizabeth Aguilera Calmatters -- 3/21/20

Bay Area gun store refused to close for shelter in place, until it got shamed on social media -- Up until Friday, the owner of Castro Valley’s Solar Tactical gun shop remained defiant, despite the countywide shelter-in-place order that began Tuesday due to the coronavirus outbreak. Mike Addis maintained that his business is enshrined by the Second Amendment and provides an essential service, and it would therefore remain open. Megan Cassidy and Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Farmers’ markets open during coronavirus outbreak. But farmers’ livelihoods remain uncertain -- The North Berkeley Farmers’ Market was surprisingly bustling on Thursday afternoon, with farmers hawking petite cone cabbages, oyster mushrooms and golden beets. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Solano County’s about-face: Why officials resisted, then adopted coronavirus shelter-at-home order -- Solano County Supervisor Skip Thomson was livid. Coronavirus was rapidly spreading in the Bay Area, and county health leaders were uniting in unprecedented orders to the public: stay indoors. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Homeless

Coronavirus and homeless: SF preparing to make shelters safer, pull sickest and most vulnerable off the street -- Amber Richmond is tired of berating her homeless shelter bunkmates who cough and don’t cover their mouths. Who use the bathroom and don’t wash their hands. Who sleep a couple of feet from her every night, hacking and sneezing. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

L.A. rushes to open homeless shelters. But will they be ‘hotbeds’ of coronavirus infection? -- Tyrone Dixon was told to be standing out front of The Midnight Mission at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Then, accompanied by two Los Angeles police officers, he and three other homeless people boarded a bus and were whisked out of skid row. Several minutes later, Dixon, 53, who had his temperature taken by the officers on the bus, arrived at the Echo Park Community Center, hopeful about his prospects for a cot and hot shower. Doug Smith, Benjamin Oreskes, Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/20

Also

9,000 rolls: How one Newport Beach bar owner turned toilet paper distributor during coronavirus shortages -- It started as a way to get toilet paper into the hands of his employees who were struggling to find the once-common commodity in local stores. And suddenly, Mario Marovic found himself on a roll. A lot of rolls, actually – about 9,000 of them. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 3/21/20

Northern California blood banks facing critical shortages amid coronavirus outbreak -- While donor blood is not used to treat people with COVID-19, the demand for blood remains for routine surgeries, cancer patients and trauma procedures, and health care administrators worry their reserves may not hold up. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

California property tax still due April 10, but exceptions could apply -- California county tax collectors cannot extend the April 10 deadline for making the second half of 2019-20 property tax payments, but they can waive late-payment fees and interest under certain circumstances, according to a memo sent out by the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

The coronavirus is exposing inequalities in Bay Area medical access -- Andrea de la Rosa can’t afford to get sick. As the Bay Area sheltered in place, the Oakland bartender lost two jobs and a third she was supposed to start this week. Her husband has been out of work since February. When she got sick this winter, she took unpaid leave. She still has 40 hours of sick time on her next — and last — paycheck. Mallory Moench, Shwanika Narayan and Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

Does air pollution make you more susceptible to coronavirus? California won’t like the answer -- The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has many people wondering what environmental factors, beyond age and underlying health problems, make some individuals more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others. That’s especially true in California, where residents have long struggled with the nation’s worst-polluted air. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/20

California could buy PG&E under bankruptcy deal with Newsom -- The state of California could buy Pacific Gas and Electric Co. if the company does not conclude its bankruptcy case on time or has its license revoked by regulators, according to a landmark deal with Gov. Gavin Newsom that the company revealed Friday. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20

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 $6 million in a biotechnology company’s stock before the market crashed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/20