The number of Bay Area residents infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has reached 86 confirmed cases, with at least an additional four presumed positive. That number encompasses the nine-county region but Santa Clara County is still experiencing the largest infection concentration by far.
We’ve compiled pertinent information for the area and the impact on each county below, as discovered Tuesday.
Grand Princess passengers are still in the process of being evacuated, assessed and transferred as needed from the Port of Oakland. As of late Monday, 407 people disembarked — 173 U.S. residents and 234 Canadians. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday the goal was to remove 100 people per hour. As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, 1,406 people have been evacuated, according Princess Cruise officials.
The U.S. residents were taken to Travis Air Force Base for a two-week quarantine, the governor’s office of emergency services said. However, frustration among those who remain is rising, as expressed in numerous social media posts from ship passengers.
Vice President Mike Pence said in a Tuesday press conference that members of the crew who are not ill will remain on the ship in quarantine.
BART is taking a hit as riders avoid public transit amid novel coronavirus fears. BART spokesman Jim Allison said Tuesday ridership in the first week of March was down 8 percent systemwide as compared to the last week of February.
County officials formally declared a state of local health emergency by unanimous vote at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Dr. Erica Pan, the county’s health officer, announced during the meeting that a third COVID-19 case had been confirmed. The infected person, an older individual who was already in quarantine at home, is the spouse of another confirmed patient who had been on a Grand Princess cruise in February.
Pan recommended non-essential large gatherings, more than 1,000 attendees, be postponed or canceled and went further by recommending gatherings of more than 100 people be reconsidered.
All Cal State East Bay lecture, discussion and seminar courses will be move to on-line instruction as of Wednesday and through at least March 15, but the three campuses — Hayward, Oakland and Concord — will remain open and athletic activities are expected to continue as scheduled. School officials will monitor the situation and provide updates online.
The county is providing online updates related to the evolving situation.
In response to the now 10 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, supervisors Tuesday declared a local health emergency in a 5-0 vote. County Health Director Anna Roth said:
“We expect that number to grow steadily.”
County officials also issued new guidelines Tuesday that call for social distancing and avoidance of large gatherings, especially for members of the population deemed most vulnerable. Health officials suggest limiting gatherings of 50 of more people, including school assemblies, church services, festivals and city events.
The county has received more than 1,000 testing kits that officials said is currently meeting the demand.
Cal State East Bay Concord campus closure information is provided in the Alameda County section above.
Updated health and safety information for the area can be accessed by the public online.
The county reported its first confirmed case Monday. The diagnosed individual was also a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise trip that returned to San Francisco from Mexico Feb. 21.
Officials have not yet mandated that large gatherings be canceled but they do recommend that immunodeficient residents avoid groups of more than 100 people.
Updates from the county can be accessed online.
There are still no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Napa County as of Tuesday, though officials urge residents to “step up your hygiene game.”
County updates can be found online.
According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the total number of confirmed cases has grown to 14 as of Tuesday.
People who have tested positive and are unable to self-quarantine, such as those living in SROs and those experiencing homelessness, will be provided RVs for temporary isolation purposes, according to a statement issued Tuesday by office of Mayor London Breed. The City is searching for additional options going forward, including vacant residential and hotel properties.
Archdiocese of San Francisco will shut down school buildings and cancel all student-related activities beginning Thursday and through March 25. The Academy of Art has moved class operations to an online-only setting.
Lowell High School will reopen for regular classes Wednesday. The campus was shut down Thursday after it was discovered a student’s parent was being treated for a confirmed case of COVID-19. The student was later tested and found to be negative and the school has undergone extensive cleaning, according to Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews.
Mayor London Breed is urging the Chase Center to suspend games and events, including Golden State Warriors games.
The Public Health Department is providing current COVID-19 information online.
Four cases in the county have been confirmed and five are presumed positive pending test results as of Tuesday, according to the county’s health department website.
Health Officer Scott Morrow recommended non-essential events be postponed or canceled, which prompted officials to put a stop to the South San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day celebration and several other large events and conferences.
Two additional confirmed cases were discovered Tuesday, bringing the total to 45 with one resulting death reported Monday. The county, which maintains highest virus concentration in the region, banned all large gatherings for groups of 1,000 people or more, including Sharks games at the SAP Center. The public can access the county’s health department site dedicated to COVID-19 situation online.
The San Jose-Evergreen Community College District announced Tuesday that San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College campuses will suspend in-person classes through at least Friday. Though no faculty, staff or students have tested positive, the district is taking the measure “out of an abundance of caution. The district said classes will resume Monday online and through other remote formats until at least April 6.
During a Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo enacted a moratorium on homeless encampment abatements, also known as sweeps, while the city struggles to deal with the impact of coronavirus. The mayor did not specify how long the moratorium should be expected.
County officials are reporting six confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. Tuesday. Limited guidance and travel warnings have been made available on the county’s website.
The county’s latest update on confirmed cases was provided Friday, reflecting a total of three people who have tested positive for novel coronavirus. Officials are issuing warnings about large gatherings but have not made any notable cancelations or issued aggressive recommendations.
A virtual town hall meeting will be Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss the county’s response. Details about how to participate in the town hall are provided here.
Additional information regarding school closures and earlier announcements can be accessed in our Monday reporting.
There was a cloud of uncertainty hanging over Chase before the Warriors 131-107 loss Tuesday.
The Transportation Security Administration announced late Tuesday that three TSA officers who work at Mineta San Jose International Airport...
"If nurses and health care workers aren't protected, that means patients and the public are not protected."
