The John Hopkins global Covid-19 database has tracked nearly 2.5 million cases of confirmed Covid-19 infections as of Monday evening.
Across the Bay Area, but especially at Golden Gate Park’s Robin Williams Meadow, or Hippie Hill, was eerily quiet on this 420 holiday. The day normally draws massive crowds out to celebrate cannabis in park settings. The usual 420 haunts were hauntingly empty as people were locked out under widespread shelter and physical distancing orders.
Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 tracking tool as of Monday at 6:51 p.m.
Open SFBay USA coronavirus tracker.Donald Trump said in a Tweet Monday evening that he will be signing an executive order to protect American jobs from the “Invisible Enemy” by temporarily suspending immigration into the U.S.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors Saturday sent a letter to Congress calling on representatives to include federal assistance in the next response package for individual cities. Stressing that local needs are growing as resources simultaneously shrink, USCM President and Rochester Hills, Michigan Mayo Bryan Barnett said:
“Every city in America is under enormous strain, and every city in America should be eligible for federal resources to help weather this crisis. We cannot allow another week to go by without critical support. We have urgent needs. This is not a tomorrow problem; this is a right now problem.”
The mayor added:
“The response on the ground is being coordinated by local and state officials who are devoting every available resource, just as much of our revenue is vanishing. Support for businesses during this crisis is important, but it is just as important to give cities the resources they need to fight the pandemic. There should be nothing controversial about helping the cities that are helping to defeat this virus. The president has said this response will be locally executed and federally supported. Cities are doing their job, and Congress should not delay sending the help they desperately need.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf echoed the USMC call for assistance in a Tweet Monday.
At this time when critical services are most essential, I, along with my fellow @usmayors, are calling on Congress & the Administration to make federal support available to local & state governments. To #beatCOVID19, we must work together to support all cities. https://t.co/u2i5sosDGC
— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) April 20, 2020
Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 tracking tool as of Tuesday at 6:51 p.m.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that more than 70,000 devices will be provided along with expanded internet services to help bridge a digital divide that puts one in five California students at a remote learning disadvantage. The effort is made possible by a private-public partnership with $30 million from the California Public Utilities Commission and several million dollars worth of technology, internet service, and large donations.
Giants like T-Mobile, Amazon, Apple, Verizon, the Chang-Zuckerberg Initiative, Jack Dorsey and the Doerrs have each contributed in some large way to the cause.
Newsom said in the press release:
“School may be physically closed, but class is still in session.”
The governor added:
“But for class to be in session, it is imperative that California addresses the inequities in access to computers, technology tools and connectivity to ensure that online learning can in fact reach all of California’s children. It’s inspiring to see parents, teachers, businesses and philanthropy step up to meet this moment and provide tools to help bridge the digital divide and get more students connected.”
The California Department of Public Health published a partial list Friday of skilled nursing facilities that have reported positive cases of Covid-19 among residents and staff. According to officials, the data published Friday and updated daily reflects approximately 86 percent of the facilities reporting confirmed cases.
The list does not include assisted living facilities, which are licensed separately, but Gov. Gavin Newsom said that list is currently being compiled.
As of Sunday, 1290 staff members and 1740 residents among more than 220 facilities have reported Covid-19 infections, according to CDPH. Thirty of the impacted facilities listed are within the nine-county Bay Area region.
Mask requirements for people in public, essential businesses like grocery stores will largely take effect Wednesday as mandated by several Bay Area counties and individual cities.
Parking lots at the Golden Gate Bridge will now be closed to the public seven days a week for the duration of the area’s shelter orders, the Highway and Transportation District said. The locked gates are meant to discourage gatherings.
Source: The Alameda County Public Health Department with data reported through Sunday and including Berkeley.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that an additional case has emerged from with the quarantined population at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, bringing the facility’s cumulative cases total to 34, including 16 people who have already recovered and 18 currently recovering. Of those now infected, 16 are inmates.
The City of Hayward is supplying 10,000 medical procedure masks to essential businesses to help protect workers and the public from spread of the virus by blocking respiratory droplets. Hayward has the county’s second highest number of confirmed cases, 234.
Source: Contra Costa Health Services as of Monday at 11:30 a.m.
Source: Marin Health and Human Services as of Monday.
County officials said Monday that the number of infections at 10 impacted skilled nursing facilities has risen to 24 patients and 23 staff members.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services with data through Saturday, as reported by Sonoma County’s Bay Area Covid-19 tracker.
Officials say 1,012 individuals have been tested, returning 211 positive results.
Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health with data through Saturday. *San Francisco’s 79 ‘new’ reported Covid-19 cases represent positive tests recorded between Thu., April 16 and Sun., April 19, 2020.
Dr. Grant Colfax, The City’s health director, said Monday that 67 people from Central Garden Convalescent Hospital, an assisted living facility, have been infected with the virus. Of those cases, 39 are residents and 28 are staff members. Colfax said he was alerted to the first of the facility’s infections on March 30.
Colfax said:
“We’re doing everything we can to mitigate the spread of the virus both at this facility and at facilities across the city.”
San Francisco’s new breakdown by zip code does not include all records due to a lack of address verification in some cases, though it does provide a better snapshot of how the virus is impacting specific neighborhoods. Zip codes with most cases are not necessarily as hard hit as those with higher infection rates per capita. Three neighborhoods have reported at least 25 infections per 10,000 people, the highest concentration turning up in the 94103 zip code where parts of the SoMa and Design districts sit. The 94107 zip code, with Mission Bay, South Park and South Beach neighborhoods, has an infection concentration of more than 28 people per 10,000, nearly as many people per capita as in 94103.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced Monday that it will be reestablishing some Muni lines with modified routes in order to expand service for essential workers and essential trips only.
The agency’s Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin said the decisions on when and where to slowly begin restoring service were made based on rider input and data identifying areas with the most need.
San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamotto disclosed Monday that a second inmate has tested positive with The City’s jail system. The patient is reportedly asymptomatic and was already isolated from the general population.
Source: San Mateo County Health Department with data reported through Sunday. *San Mateo reports 82 new cases identified since March 8 that were not previously reflected.
Sixty-one patients were hospitalized with Covid-19 complications as of Sunday, county officials report.
Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department as of Monday.
*Santa Clara County updated for the first time since Friday with a major refactor of data for positive cases since April 1 not previously included due to date validation issues.
The county changed its reporting methodology to more accurately assess virus spread. The data adjustment refactors cases reported prior based on the date of specimen collection. Explaining the change, officials said in a release:
“The County of Santa Clara’s COVID-19 cases dashboard has been updated with a new methodology for the dates of associated cases. Cases will now be reported by the date of specimen collection. Previously, data on the dashboard reflected new cases by the date that confirmed positive results were reported into the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) system. This adjustment provides dates that more closely represent the timing of the spread of the virus in Santa Clara County. The update in methodology today does not change the general progression of our case counts over time, but moves up the dates by a few days to be closer to when individuals may be developing symptoms. Values for the most recent five days will likely increase as the results are received.”
Source: Solano Public Health as of Monday at 4:30 p.m.
The county is reporting a moderate supply of available intensive care unit beds, which officials qualify as 11 to 30 percent. There are currently 10 people hospitalized with severe Covid-19 illness.
Source: County of Sonoma with data as of Monday at 6:45 p.m.
Eighty-seven people in Sonoma County have so far recovered from the virus, county officials report Monday.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated the total confirmed cases for Sonoma County Monday totaled 181. The text has since been revised to reflect the 182 cases reported at 6:45 p.m.
The East Bay SPCA this week is offering another pet food pantry to residents that need help feeding their...
San Francisco police are involved in a standoff in the Tenderloin neighborhood Tuesday morning after an officer-involved shooting involving...
SamTrans is reducing service on 31 routes starting this weekend and will also require all bus operators and riders...
