Updating . .
Trump extends virus guidelines, braces US for big death toll -- Bracing the nation for a grim death toll, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended the voluntary national shutdown for a month, bowing to public-health experts who told him the coronavirus pandemic could claim over 100,000 lives in the U.S., perhaps significantly more, if not enough is done to fight it. Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin Associated Press Brittany Shammas, Kim Bellware, Lateshia Beachum, Miriam Berger, Candace Buckner, Samantha Pell and Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working -- Officials in Washington State worry that their gains are precarious, but they see evidence that containment strategies have lowered the rate of virus transmission. Mike Baker in the New York Times$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus cases in California soar past 5,000 as hospitals fill up -- Coronavirus cases in California surged past 5,700 — with more than 120 deaths — as ICU hospital beds began filling up with patients, and officials tried to enforce unprecedented social distancing measures they believe are the state’s best chance to slow the spread of the virus. Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times Emily DeRuy, Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ Daisy Nguyen Associated Press -- 3/29/20
Resources
California got 170 broken ventilators from feds; Silicon Valley is fixing them, Newsom says -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday said the federal government sent Los Angeles County 170 ventilators that arrived “not working,” and now a Silicon Valley company is fixing the equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak. California and other states have been stocking up on ventilators in anticipation of a shortage at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taryn Luna, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus: The state had 21 million N95 masks stockpiled. All are expired -- As the coronavirus pandemic slammed into California and doctors and nurses sounded the alarm on a dire shortage of masks, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the release of the state’s emergency stockpile of 21 million N95 respirators. What he didn’t mention then: They are all expired. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Before coronavirus, California let 1 in 4 of its public health labs close -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for “targeted testing” of the new coronavirus, arguing a strategic approach will help public health officials find hot spots and determine how and where the pandemic is spreading. But in the two decades leading up to the COVID-19 outbreak, 11 of California’s public health labs designed for the focused testing Newsom wants closed their doors. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/29/20
Front Lines
Sick and angry: Some public health officers are showing stress of coronavirus -- After Bay Area county leaders ordered residents to stay home to stem the spread of the coronavirus on March 16, residents packed into parks, supermarket aisles and beaches the next weekend. That pushed one public health officer seemingly near to the edge. Susanne Rust, Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
Amid coronavirus, Army vets fought to mass produce $100 ventilators. They hit roadblocks -- For the last month, Army reservist Lt. Colonel Kamal Kalsi, an emergency room doctor in New York, has been scrambling to find a way to quickly mass produce ventilators, equipment that could save the lives of thousands of coronavirus victims nationwide. Two weeks ago, he thought he’d found a company in Sacramento with the perfect answer. But then, as he tells it, necessity took a back seat to business. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
For Bay Area health care givers, coming home fraught with risk -- When Cana Jenkins finishes a 12-hour shift treating COVID-19 patients inside the emergency department tents at UCSF Medical Center, a different kind of work begins. Sarah Feldberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Meet the Bay Area doctor who ordered America’s first coronavirus lockdown -- She is the Bay Area’s Anthony Fauci, Santa Clara County’s most “essential” employee, the one who banished us from Sharks hockey games, canceled her own daughter’s high school prom — and eventually shut in 6 million Bay Area residents in six neighboring counties to slow the stampede of a deadly pandemic. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
Workers
Laying off Ace Parking employees felt like ‘ripping off limbs to save vital organs’ -- San Diego firms, from hoteliers and retailers to technology manufacturers, are grappling with how to survive amid evaporating revenues and devastating losses of their employees. Lori Weisberg, Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/29/20
Homeless
Tents crowd Tenderloin, even as SF tries to keep people apart during coronavirus outbreak -- If you want to see the challenges and limitations of enforcing San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order and observing social distancing, take a walk through the Tenderloin. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
‘She hadn’t showered in nine days.’ L.A. makes it hard to be homeless, avoid coronavirus -- Harry Sanchez knows how important it is to wash your hands these days, but he’s never certain when he’ll have access to soap and water. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
Distancing
Millions of elderly Californians who live alone are vulnerable to isolation and fear as their connections to the outside world shut down -- Fernandes lives alone — her husband died in 2017 — and has been left to manage a painful foot injury and the threat of the virus on her own. As an asthmatic, she is already in a higher risk category so she has been avoiding contact with people. She hasn’t seen another person since March 14. Erica Hellerstein Calmatters -- 3/29/20
California closes vehicular access to all 280 state parks -- After seeing another surge of visitors at California’s state parks this weekend, the state announced Sunday that it is temporarily closing off vehicular access to all 280 parks in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
Spread
Here is the latest list of L.A. County communities with coronavirus cases -- With more testing, Los Angeles County is seeing more coronavirus cases. Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday announced six more deaths from the coronavirus and 344 additional cases, bringing the county’s total to 32 deaths and 1,817 cases. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
How one person with coronavirus could infect up to 88,000 others -- This past week, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. spiked from 13,678 to more than 100,000, making it the country with the most cases. It is estimated that a person carying the virus could infect anywhere from 2.2 to 3 people. We consulted with a physician and a math expert to calculate a worse-case scenario of how the virus could spread in just 10 cycles of infection. Population density and safety practices like social distancing are among factors that can influence these numbers. Jeff Goertzen in the Los Angeles Daily News$ David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/29/20
Employee at Sprouts grocery at Tustin Marketplace tests positive for cornonavirus -- Sprouts Farmers Market has announced that an employee who worked in its Tustin Marketplace store tested positive for the novel cornavirus. The last day the person worked was March 20. “We followed CDC guidelines and coordinated with local health authorities,” Sprouts spokesman Diego Romero said in an email Sunday, March 29. Susan Christian Goulding in the Orange County Register -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus: San Mateo County reports 38 new cases in two days -- San Mateo County on Sunday reported another large increase in the number of new coronavirus cases with 38 positive tests, bringing the total to 277. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
Third coronavirus death in Contra Costa County, 17 more cases -- As testing has increased in the county, so too has the number of confirmed cases. The county’s first case of the virus was confirmed on March 4, and there were 46 confirmed cases as of March 20, when the county announced its first death from COVID-19. Joseph Geha in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
San Diego coronavirus cases jump to 488 as county extends closure orders ‘indefinitely’ -- San Diego’s iconic parks and beaches were eerily quiet Saturday, and they will stay that way for possibly weeks to come. The county has “indefinitely” extended its public health order that closes bars, schools and restaurants to address a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, officials announced Saturday. Rob Nikolewski, Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/29/20
Military
Pentagon struggles as pandemic hits bases and ships -- The Pentagon was waging a two-front war against the coronavirus outbreak Saturday, ramping up assistance in hard-hit states as commanders battled to prevent widespread infections in the ranks that could force them to curtail military operations around the globe. David S. Cloud in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
New Normal
Love in the time of coronavirus: Long Beach couple weds in a changed world -- Their wedding, originally slated to include 98 people at the Long Beach Museum of Art, shrank to about 80, then 50, until, finally, it was seven people in a private backyard on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Hayley Munguia in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/29/20
How to get past the coronavirus crisis without losing your mental health -- Fear, loss, economic stress, the angst of a seemingly endless crisis — coronavirus is taking a toll, not just physically but on our mental health. Here are some tips and tweaks from California mental health professionals. Jocelyn Wiener Calmatters -- 3/29/20
Also . . .
Central America fears Trump could deport the coronavirus -- Marcelo Ibate waited outside the big black door, eating tortillas out of a sweating plastic bag. A line of camouflaged soldiers stood beyond with large weapons and face masks. Ibate didn’t know which day his son Eduardo would arrive or whether he’d be carrying coronavirus with him on the deportation flight from the United States, now the epicenter of the global pandemic. Molly O’Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
Liberty University Brings Back Its Students, and Coronavirus Fears, Too -- So Mr. Falwell — a staunch ally of President Trump and an influential voice in the evangelical world — reopened the university last week, igniting a firestorm. As of Friday, Dr. Eppes said, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggested Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Three were referred to local hospital centers for testing. Another eight were told to self-isolate. Elizabeth Williamson in the New York Times$ -- 3/29/20
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Politics
Gov. Newsom commutes sentence of Swedish rapper in 2008 road rage killing -- A Swedish hip-hop artist convicted of murdering a Hollywood jazz pianist in a brutal burst of road rage will be released from prison after Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence Friday. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ Katy Murphy and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/29/20
Willie Brown: Trump isn’t connecting on coronavirus messaging. Here’s who is -- If our government leaders are to inspire and command our attention, they need to speak the language of the people. Leave the data points, projections and medical jargon to the doctors. Right now, we have two leaders on the national stage who are speaking in regular-people language, but with very different results. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Gavin Newsom takes new tone with Trump as he steers California during coronavirus crisis -- For California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the call that triggered state's full crisis response came in the middle of the night on March 6, and he was waiting for it. Maeve Reston CNN -- 3/29/20
Walters: Crisis reveals big financial shortcomings -- The rapidly expanding COVID-19 pandemic threatens the lives and livelihoods of Californians, but it also lays bare some multi-billion-dollar shortcomings in state government finances that have been ignored for decades, despite many warnings. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/29/20
Borenstein: CalPERS unprepared for the coronavirus recession -- During the last economic downturn, assets of the nation’s largest pension system dropped over two years from 101% of what was needed to pay government workers’ retirement benefits to 61%. This year, CalPERS was in much worse shape going into the recent downturn. Consequently, after just one month of coronavirus-induced stock market plunge, CalPERS must try to crawl out of another deep hole. Daniel Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus
Study projects over 6,100 coronavirus deaths in Calif. by August -- New projections done by the University of Washington show a startling state-by-state breakdown of coronavirus cases and deaths day by day through early August. California can expect 6,109 COVID-19 deaths by Aug. 4, with daily fatalities Associated Press peaking on April 25 at 148, according to the model that was released Thursday. The study, which attempts to determine "excess demand for hospital services," assumes the "continuation of strong social distancing measures and other protective measures," such as orders to shelter in place. Matthew Tom in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus slowing in Bay Area? Experts track data to see whether shelter in place is working -- By day’s end Monday, most of the Bay Area will have been holed up in their homes for two weeks — long enough, experts say, to see whether the unprecedented efforts to keep people apart are beginning to halt, or at least slow down, the coronavirus. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus Surge
In SF and across the Bay Area, officials enlist public buildings in fight against the coronavirus -- Across the Bay Area, local governments are racing to conscript public buildings and spaces into the fight against the coronavirus, as health experts brace for a surge of new patients over the next two weeks. In San Francisco, city officials have made clear that any publicly owned space is fair game for the city’s coronavirus response. Dominic Fracassa and Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
San Diego VA Faces Nursing Shortage And Lapses In COVID-19 Readiness, Report Finds -- A new report by the VA inspector general’s office reveals shortcomings at the San Diego VA in its efforts to combat the novel coronavirus, including a failure to screen all patients for virus symptoms, a shortage of nurses on staff, and a limited supply of masks and gowns to protect medical workers. Jill Castellano inewsource via KPBS -- 3/29/20
Spread
LA County announces 6 more deaths, 344 new coronavirus cases -- Over the prior 48 hours, officials reported 601 new cases. The county’s total tally since the public-health crisis began is now 1,804 cases and 32 deaths from the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19. Hayley Munguia in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/29/20
Orange County coronavirus cases jump past 400 with 4 deaths -- The rise came as the county is doing more testing. As of Saturday, the county had performed more than 4,800 tests. Officials on Friday began released city-by-city coronavirus cases, with Anaheim, Irvine and Newport Beach having among the highest totals. Luke Money, Hillary Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
Alameda County reports 36 new cases, 2 new deaths -- The total case count of 256 includes 16 confirmed cases in Berkeley, which reported no new cases Saturday. Alameda County and the rest of the Bay Area has been under a shelter-in-place order for nearly two weeks as part of an effort to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Leonardo Castañeda in the East Bay Times -- 3/29/20
Santa Clara County has 17 new cases and 5 new deaths, second most in California -- Santa Clara County announced 17 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday for a total of 591. It was the fewest new cases since March 20 in a county that was one of the first to be hard hit by the deadly virus in the United States. Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
San Diego coronavirus cases jump to 488 as county extends closure orders ‘indefinitely’ -- San Diego’s iconic parks and beaches were eerily quiet Saturday, and they will stay that way for possibly weeks to come. The county has “indefinitely” extended its public health order that closes bars, schools and restaurants to address a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, officials announced Saturday. Rob Nikolewski, Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/29/20
12 patients of Yucaipa nursing facility have coronavirus -- An 89-year-old woman with underlying health issues who died from the illness on Thursday was a resident of the facility at which the 12 individuals tested positive Saturday, county officials say. County officials did not name the two facilities. Ryan Hagen in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/29/20
San Bernardino County coronavirus cases climb to 76 -- San Bernardino County confirmed another 12 coronavirus cases Saturday, March 28, for a total of 76, according to the San Bernardino County Public Health Department. That’s an increase of 19%, while the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 remained at three. Ryan Hagen in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 3/29/20
Riverside County adds 10 coronavirus cases; 195 now confirmed -- Jose Arballo Jr., a Riverside County public health spokesman, said Saturday’s 5% increase was “a little artificial” because the system used to log tests was down for much of the day. Ryan Hagen in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/29/20
Social Distancing
From helicopters and cruisers, police try to keep public off beaches, trails amid coronavirus -- Authorities were out in force Saturday enforcing orders to keep beaches, parks and hiking trails clear as part of unprecedented restrictions on public movements to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Most beaches, trails, recreation facilities as well as nonessential businesses were closed because of the state and local orders, and many obeyed. Andrea Castillo, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
1 surfer cited, but most people compliant at closed, restricted beaches across Southern California -- “Everyone has been very cooperative, it was just that one guy,” said Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Mike Sistoni, who said lifeguards contacted police to issue the surfer a citation when the guy refused to leave the beach. “Everyone else has been pretty cool… I don’t know if he was having a bad day or what.” Laylan Connelly, David Rosenfeld in the Orange County Register -- 3/29/20
Pranksters’s x-rated videos force LA City Council to pause Zoom meeting amid coronavirus outbreak -- The Los Angeles City Council was in the midst of its first-ever remote-meeting this morning in the age of the coronavirus pandemic — until pranksters forced officials to hit pause by posting pornographic videos in the city’s Zoom meeting channel. The meeting went back on line after a break of about 20 minutes to resolve the issue. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/29/20
New Normal
In Stanislaus County, how coronavirus is affecting the way mortuaries do their work -- Body preparation for burial also has stopped, he said. “Embalming someone — there is not really a function to it when we can’t have people coming in to view.” Families are saddened but understanding of the restrictions during the pandemic, the funeral home operators said. Alvares said families have been very respectful of the fact that mortuary employees have their own loved ones they go home to and want to keep safe. Erin Tracy in the Modesto Bee -- 3/29/20
The Great American Migration of 2020: On the move to escape the coronavirus -- Back home in Oakland, Calif., Lisa Pezzino and Kit Center built a life that revolved around music and the people who make it — the musicians who recorded on Pezzino’s small label and performed in places where Center rigged the lights and sound equipment. Where they are now, deep in the redwood forest near Big Sur, 140 miles south along the California coast, there is mostly the towering silence of isolation. A tiny cabin, an outdoor kitchen, just one neighbor. This is life in the flight from the virus. Marc Fisher, Paul Schwartzman and Ben Weissenbach in the Washington Post$ -- 3/29/20
Workers
'I'm worried, but no one's freaking out.' Life as a delivery driver during shutdown -- The United States Postal Service continues its work during the coronavirus crisis, with essential medicines, groceries, mail-in-ballots and even COVID-19 test kits making their way from sorting rooms to American homes. However, many workers are sounding the alarm that they are not adequately prepared or protected. Andrew Chamings in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Farmworkers key to keeping US fed are wary of virus spread -- Salvador Calzadillas isn’t worried about catching the coronavirus when he’s picking mandarin oranges in the trees in central California. But he said the mere act of getting to the groves each day puts him and his wife, also a farmworker, at risk, and there’s nothing they can do to change that. Farmworkers, after all, can’t work from home. Cuneyt Dil and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 3/29/20
Local Business
California restaurants say 30% to close without state aid -- As many as 30,000 California restaurants could close permanently because of coronavirus restrictions that have shuttered dining rooms and led to widespread layoffs, the industry warned Friday, while urging the state to delay tax payments and planned minimum-wage increases to help the ailing businesses. Michael R. Blood Associated Press Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/29/20
Coronavirus economy: California real estate sales now deemed ‘essential’ industry -- The real estate industry, struggling with coronavirus-linked limitations, got a boost with its sales business reclassified as an “essential” industry. The California Association of Realtors said Saturday, March 28, that commercial and residential real estate services were included on an updated list of essential services from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 3/29/20
Transit
Sacramento Regional Transit ridership down significantly due to coronavirus shutdown -- Sacramento Regional Transit ridership is down 75 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic as California officials continue to urge decreased public activity. As of Friday, Regional Transit was reporting significant attrition as school closures, business shut-downs and social distancing further cut into patronage of buses and light rail in the Sacramento area. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/29/20
Courts
California chief justice says courts can hold video hearings amid coronavirus shutdown -- California’s chief justice, at an emergency meeting of state judicial leaders Saturday, directed judges to dramatically expand technology to remotely conduct court proceedings and extend the time for arraignments and trials to be heard, saying she can’t be assured that the state’s jails are doing enough to curb the spread of coronavirus. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/29/20
Guns
US agency includes gun sellers as ‘critical’ infrastructure -- A gun rights group is cheering the Trump administration’s designation of the firearms industry, including retailers, as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure during the coronavirus emergency. Associated Press -- 3/29/20
Also . . .
Modesto’s Gallo making hand sanitizer; donates to Stanislaus County to fight COVID-19 -- The world’s largest winery has switched one of its spirits production lines to make hand sanitizer for its employees to protect against COVID-19, said Gallo spokeswoman Natalie Henderson. This week the company donated several boxes of its self-made and self-branded bottles to the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services. Marijke Rowland in the Modesto Bee -- 3/29/20
‘Completely abandoned:’ Bay Area residents stuck in India, Peru during coronavirus lockdowns -- Ninder Grewal’s trip to her family home in Punjab, India, was supposed to be a celebration. She was going to buy clothes and accessories for her upcoming Sikh wedding and even do some of the traditional ceremonies there. Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/29/20
She survived wars in El Salvador, became a U.S. citizen and is now battling coronavirus -- For relatives of Nora Escalante, the last few days have been difficult. The Salvadoran immigrant was admitted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with symptoms of coronavirus and is struggling to survive. Now no one can be with her. Soudi Jimenez Escritor in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/29/20
The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19 -- But as the deadly virus from China spread with ferocity across the United States between late January and early March, large-scale testing of people who might have been infected did not happen — because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels, according to interviews with more than 50 current and former public health officials, administration officials, senior scientists and company executives. Michael D. Shear, Abby Goodnough, Sheila Kaplan, Sheri Fink, Katie Thomas and Noah Weiland in the New York Times$ -- 3/29/20
POTUS 45
As Trump invokes presidential powers to fight the coronavirus, he sows confusion along the way -- Eager to demonstrate that he is in control of a viral outbreak that is spreading rapidly across the country, President Trump has ramped up efforts to show he is using some of his broadest powers as commander in chief. But the unprecedented push has been plagued by growing confusion about how far his authorities actually extend and how much he is willing to use them. Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 3/29/20
Trump drops idea of New York lockdown as U.S. death count crosses 2,000 -- President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would issue a travel warning for the hard-hit New York area to limit the spread of the coronavirus, backing off from an earlier suggestion that he might try to cut off the region entirely. Andy Sullivan Reuters -- 3/29/20
Trump Rules Bar Thousands of Foreign Nurses Willing to Help U.S. -- As the coronavirus pandemic threatens to strain nursing staffs at hospitals across the U.S., Melanie N. Beckham knows where to find reinforcements. But first, the Trump administration needs to give its approval. Bruce Einhorn, Claire Jiao, and James Paton Bloomberg -- 3/29/20
Beltway
Post-ABC poll shows Trump and Biden in a competitive race for the White House -- President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden are in a tightly competitive race for the White House in the November general election, with the president gaining ground on his likely challenger over the past month as the coronavirus pandemic convulses the country, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Scott Clement and Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 3/29/20
-- Saturday Updates
Coronavirus patients in California’s ICU beds double overnight -- The number of coronavirus patients in California’s intensive care unit beds doubled overnight, rising from 200 on Friday to 410 on Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Taryn Luna, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/20
Coronavirus deaths in California top 100 as officials struggle to slow spread -- There are now nearly 5,000 cases of coronavirus infection in the state, and officials believe that number will skyrocket with aggressive new testing. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ Daisy Nguyen Associated Press -- 3/28/20
Bay Area coronavirus updates: San Francisco reports one new death, preps for imminent surge -- San Francisco's public health department reported 29 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, as well as one new death. The city and county's total number of cases now stands at 308, and the death total is now at four. The daily increase of cases is actually down from Friday's increase of 56, but no data was provided on how many tests were conducted, making it impossible to directly compare the two days' figures. Eric Ting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/20
How bad will the next few weeks be for California as coronavirus cases surge? -- Looking east, California can envision its coronavirus future in the overflowing hospital wards of New York City. Looking west, it can draw hope from the disease’s swift decline in Asian nations that quickly imposed strict physical-isolation measures on infected people. Soumya Karlamangla, Anita Chabria, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Orange County coronavirus cases jump past 400 with 4 deaths -- Orange County on Saturday said total coronavirus cases jumped to 403, including four deaths. The rise came as the county is doing more testing. As of Saturday, the county had performed more than 4,800 tests. Officials on Friday began released city-by-city coronavirus cases, with Anaheim, Irvine and Newport Beach having among the highest totals. Luke Money, Hillary Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Sacramento health chief ‘cautiously optimistic’ county may escape worst virus consequences -- Sacramento County’s health chief said this week he is cautiously optimistic county residents and local hospitals are taking steps that will reduce illnesses and deaths in the coming critical weeks of the fight against the highly contagious coronavirus. Tony Bizjak and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/20
Bay Area Hospitals Shift Workforce to Free Doctors for Coronavirus Duty -- At the same time hospitals in California are racing to secure more beds, ventilators, and masks to care for a surge of coronavirus patients, they are also scrambling to prepare — and preserve — their workforce so they don’t run out of doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, too. April Dembosky KQED -- 3/28/20
LAPD preparing scenarios in which many officers are out sick from coronavirus -- While the number of infected Los Angeles police officers remains relatively small compared with their counterparts in New York City, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said he is prepared for the coronavirus to potentially sicken more of the force. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Coronavirus outreach: Rep. Lou Correa asks Orange County businesses to make more medical gear -- Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat from Santa Ana, says his 46th congressional district — which includes much of Santa Ana and Anaheim — is home to about 3,000 manufacturing companies in all types of industries. Many, he believes, can make masks, gowns and medical devices currently in short supply during the mounting coronavirus pandemic. Andre Mouchard in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Blood drives planned at Nixon Library in Yorba Linda to meet urgent demand amid coronavirus pandemic -- The Richard Nixon Presidential Library will host four blood drives over the next three weeks to meet urgent demand for blood donations amid the coronavirus pandemic, library officials said Saturday. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Doctors and experts warn against the risks of using malaria drugs off-label to treat COVID-19 -- The prospect that a pair of malaria drugs will become go-to medications for treating COVID-19 before they’ve been rigorously tested is prompting new safety warnings from heart specialists and other doctors and experts. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Testing
Introducing L.A.'s coronavirus testing czar. Can he fix a ‘grossly inadequate’ system? -- Clayton Kazan, Los Angeles County’s new coronavirus testing coordinator, has no shortage of opinions on how management of the crisis has gone so far. It’s been a failure at all levels of government, he says, and testing capacity in Los Angeles County remains “grossly inadequate” — a fact that should frustrate residents here. Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
California has ramped up coronavirus testing, but where are the results? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom touted how California dramatically ramped up its coronavirus testing this week, but nearly three-quarters of test results are still undetermined — a gap that could hinder the state’s ability to assess and track the spread of the virus. Victoria Colliver Politico -- 3/28/20
Air Traffic
Coronavirus test negative, so John Wayne Airport tower reopens -- The control tower at John Wayne Airport, which was closed Friday after an employee presumptively tested positive for coronavirus, reopened Saturday, March 28, after the employee was determined not to have the illness, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The tower reopened at 6:15 a.m., FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Social Distancing
From closed beaches to shuttered businesses, here’s what you can’t do this weekend -- Most beaches, trails, recreation areas and other points of interest are closed, including trails in Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. The state has also ordered parking lots closed at dozens of state beaches and parks. But L.A. officials said it’s fine to walk or jog in your neighborhood or through neighborhood parks as long as you social distance. Luke Money, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Bay Area parks and beaches: What’s open during coronavirus shutdown -- Because the shelter-in-place order allows outside exercise, most parks in the San Francisco Bay Area are allowing public access to trails, beaches and other open space. Visitor centers and other buildings are closed, and parking lots have been closed at overcrowded parks. Visitors are reminded to maintain at least 6 feet distance from other people, except members of their own households. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/20
Nearing overload in coronavirus pandemic, Mono County sheriff has a message: Stay out -- With eight confirmed coronavirus cases and a hospital with 17 beds and four ventilators, Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun said Friday night that officials are nearing their capacity to handle the outbreak and need outsiders to stay away. Anita Chabria, Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Public meetings and social distancing: It’s complicated -- The transition from physical to virtual interface in the first couple of weeks since shelter-in-place orders went into effect in the Bay Area hasn’t always been pretty, often resulting in frustrating technical and logistical hiccups. And it’s raised questions about whether the public’s voice is being diluted when people must email or call in to the meetings to get feedback on matters big and small read into the official record. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/20
Surfing Madonna charity postpones beach marathon to March 2021 -- The Surfing Madonna Oceans Project has canceled the Encinitas Half Marathon & 5K beach run it was scheduled to host this weekend, but organizers have resisted returning the money participants paid in advance. Instead, charity officials Robert Nichols and his wife, Megan McCarthy, have been telling ticket buyers that the money already has been spent and the race has been rescheduled for March 2021. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/28/20
Jails
Deadly virus presents growing threat inside county jails -- Medical experts working in San Diego County jails are growing increasingly worried about the danger posed by the coronavirus because officials have tested only a few dozen people and more inmates are showing signs of infection, multiple sources tell The San Diego Union-Tribune. Jeff McDonald, Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/28/20
Jail deputy in Contra Costa County tests positive -- A deputy at the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office has tested positive for coronavirus, an official for the agency confirmed Saturday. In a text message, Assistant Sheriff Matt Schuler said a deputy at the West County Detention Facility tested positive COVID-19. No other information on the positive test, the deputy’s condition or the repercussions at the jail after the diagnosis were available. Schuler oversees the jails in the county. Rick Hurd, Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/20
Sheriff raids Aryan Brotherhood members’ jail cells over tampered locks, feds say -- A Sacramento County Sheriff emergency response team conducted midnight raids of a jail module that’s housing alleged Aryan Brotherhood members, after discovering a reported attempt by one high-ranking member of the prison gang to free himself from his cell, according to federal prosecutors. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/20
New Normal
L.A. passes ordinance to reserve grocery shopping times for the elderly and disabled -- It’s a move many retailers voluntarily implemented last week in response to the increased demand brought on by the recent COVID-19 shutdowns, but the measure — which passed by a unanimous vote during a City Council meeting Friday — makes it standard across the board. It is now awaiting the mayor’s signature. Jenn Harris in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Doing the Essential: Grocery Shopping in the Bay Area During the Pandemic -- In the wake of shelter in place orders, grocery stores — an essential business, have become one of the few places where people can go to stock the pantry and get some fresh air. But empty shelves and large gatherings of people are topics of concern for shoppers and health officials alike. Shannon Lin KQED -- 3/28/20
Toilet paper alternatives clogging toilets, sewers -- Jeff Taylor said he has learned a few things since widespread panic ensued amid the coronavirus outbreak, perhaps most importantly that there is no substitute for toilet paper. Now the San Clemente resident of 15 years is spending $11,200 to replace the sewer pipe running beneath his house on Calle Mendoza, nestled in the hills. Joe Nelson in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Mystery surfboards share the stoke around Dana Point, Laguna Beach -- How else would messages of hope be scattered around beach towns in sunny Southern California, known for its epic waves and laid-back coastal culture? On surfboards, of course. Mystery messages inscribed on surfboards have been popping up around Dana Point and Laguna Beach, making people wonder who is behind the inspiring words. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Workers / Jobs
Delivery workers are keeping California fed. They say no one’s keeping them safe -- While most of California hunkered down at home, Toby N. was still delivering meals for DoorDash in the Bay Area town of San Leandro. But days after Alameda County directed its residents to stay home, Toby began experiencing shortness of breath and a dry cough. He went to a doctor on Sunday and was told to self-quarantine for two weeks. Johana Bhuiyan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
‘Worst heartbreak of my life’: Family mourns FoodMaxx cashier who died of COVID-19 -- As she always did, Martinez, 65, put on a tough face, so her family was almost entirely unaware of her symptoms, until it was too late. On March 21, the San Jose woman — who had worked as a cashier at FoodMaxx in San Jose and was known for her big heart and unrivaled cooking skills — died of COVID-19. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/20
Chase Center Workers Left Unemployed and Uninsured -- In her seven years as a seat attendant for the Golden State Warriors, Alina Martinez has tried hard to avoid living paycheck-to-paycheck. She paid down her debts and saved what little was left every month. Even with years of diligent work, she and her husband only have enough in reserve to scrape by for a few weeks. Sam Harnett KQED -- 3/28/20
Even in a pandemic, building is still booming in San Diego — for now -- The local construction industry is chugging along at a remarkable pace despite complications of performing state-deemed “essential” work during a global pandemic. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/28/20
Jobless in Las Vegas: Locals lean on their faith, cut back on food and cling to the past -- As the number of jobless rises across the nation and daily life grinds to a unprecedented halt, the deadly virus has strained household budgets for thousands in Las Vegas who find themselves against an uncompromising reality. They are among the shocking 3.3 million Americans who last week applied for unemployment benefits, according to a report released by the U.S. Labor Department. Melissa Etehad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Local Business
Coronavirus closures lead owners to board up some Southern California businesses -- Some owners who have closed their shops and restaurants because of the coronavirus pandemic — and even some owners whose businesses remain open — have taken the extra precaution of boarding up their windows in case burglars attempt to enter or social order breaks down. Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Local Economy
SeaWorld San Diego coronavirus closure could cost $30 million in lost revenue -- SeaWorld San Diego could see an attendance drop of more than 500,000 visitors and a $30 million revenue loss from the coronavirus closure of the marine park, according to data from industry analysts. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/20
Environment
Ports and dockworkers seek delay on ship pollution cuts, citing coronavirus -- California ports and dockworkers, already hit by a major slowdown from the coronavirus, are asking state regulators to delay moving forward with new rules intended to reduce air pollution from cargo ships. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork -- As gray whales began their northern migration along the Pacific coast, earlier this month — after a year of unusually heavy die-offs — scientists were poised to watch, ready to collect information that could help them learn what was killing them. The coronavirus outbreak, however, has largely upended that field work — and that of incalculable other ecological studies nationwide. Susanne Rust, Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Homeless
Lopez: Column: ‘It’s not real to some of them’: A doctor’s efforts to warn homeless patients about the coronavirus -- It was late morning when Dr. Susan Partovi and nurse practitioner Jen King set out from downtown Los Angeles on a mission — to track down some of their homeless patients, check on their welfare and warn them about the dangers of the coronavirus. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Also . . .
He thought he had coronavirus and had nowhere to go. He spent five days alone in his car -- Reggie Dominguez sat in his car dazed, listening to the radio. He had been in the parking lot of the Kaiser Permanente in Baldwin Park Medical Center for three days and alone in his car for two days before that, suffering through diarrhea, cold sweats and chills, interrupted by coughing fits that shook his entire body. Benjamin Oreskes, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
At a nursing home for L.A.’s wealthy, coronavirus diagnoses stir anger and questions -- In a get-what-you-pay-for-world, the families of Silverado Beverly Place expect a lot. Harriet Ryan, Brittny Mejia, Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
Politics
Trump quarantine of New York would accomplish little, experts say -- President Donald Trump’s idea of imposing statewide quarantines on “hot spots” like New York won’t stop the virus from seeping into the rest of the country, according to public health experts. Adam Cancryn Politico -- 3/28/20
‘America’s governors’: Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom take the lead on coronavirus -- But with COVID-19 spreading throughout the United States, Cuomo’s and Newsom’s profiles have grown exponentially across the country as their demands for action, pleas for aid and calls for shared sacrifice defined the Democratic response to the pandemic. They have become the opposition party’s foil to President Trump. Seema Mehta, Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/20
AP Fact Check: Trump a rosy outlier on science of the virus -- A look at some recent statements during a week when the U.S. rose to No. 1 globally in the number of people infected by COVID-19 since the pandemic began: Calvin Woodward and Hope Yen Associated Press -- 3/28/20