Covid-19 update: Trump declares ‘we’re back,’ counties slowly lift restrictions even as cases stubbornly climb, House passes HEROES Act

Jesse Garnier SFBay Covid-19 worldwide tracker as of Friday, May 15, 2020.

U.S.

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,442,819
  • Deaths: 87,530

Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Friday at 6:32 p.m.

Donald Trump announced “Operation Warp Speed” during his daily White House press briefing Friday, which he explained by saying:

“That means big and it means fast.”

According to Trump, the “scientific industrial and logistical endeavor unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project” is the administration’s plan to develop and distribute a vaccine for the devastating 2019 novel coronavirus. The initiative will also focus on continued work toward “diagnostics and breakthrough therapies,” the president said.

Trump said:

“We’d love to see if we can do it by the end of the year.”

As the president spoke without a face covering from the Rose Garden Friday, he said:

“Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back.”

It was just Thursday when ousted virus expert Dr. Rick Bright warned of the “darkest winter in modern history” if the U.S. does not plan and act adequately to mitigate a second rise of Covid-19 in the fall in addition to flu season, which combined could devastate health systems. 


The House passed the HEROES Act by a narrow margin. The life expectancy of the legislation beyond the House is stark — Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnel has signaled the bill has little to no chance of being passed in the second chamber and Trump has said the Democrat-led bill would be “DOA.”

The bill, if passed, allocates $3 trillion for additional individual stimulus payments of up to $1,200 per person and dependent, regardless of age; money to fund shortages in state and local governments, an extension of the $600 per week unemployment supplement through January 2021, essential worker hazard pay, rent and mortgage relief and more.  


Children contracting and some dying from what’s being called multisystem inflammatory disorder, a condition similar to Kawasaki Disease linking to Covid-19 exposure, is of particular and growing concern as local governments make decisions about how and when to reopen. New York told NBC News Friday the state is experiencing at least 100 cases of the illness in children statewide, which Dr. Anthony Fauci alluded to in his Senate testimony this week. Details about the illness variation are still lacking in early stages of its development and identification. 

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California

  • Confirmed Cases: 76,693
  • Deaths: 3,136

Source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 global tracking tool as of Friday at 6:32 p.m.

Gov Gavin Newsom broke down the state’s somber financial reality and revised budget in a press briefing Thursday.

Orange County 

  • Confirmed Cases: 4,125
  • Deaths: 84

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency as of Friday, 14 days after the May 1 Huntington Beach protest.  

Health officials reported an additional four deaths with the county’s Friday reporting. 

Health officials reported Wednesday that 227 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized, with 79 requiring intensive care unit treatment.

Sacramento County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,211
  • Deaths: 54

Source: Sacramento County Public Health as of Friday, 14 days after the May 1 State Capitol protest.

Alameda County

  • Confirmed Cases: 2,300
  • Deaths: 82

Source: Alameda County Public Health Department as of Friday with data reported through Thursday.

Oakland’s positive case count has grown to 749. Hayward, which ranks second in Covid-19 cases, is reporting 474 cases total. Three more deaths were reported Friday morning by county health officials.


Oakland is imposing more strict restrictions at the city’s parks in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, especially as Memorial Day approaches. 

Jesse Garnier SFBay Covid-19 dashboard highlighting Alameda and Contra Costa counties as of Friday, May 15, 2020.

Contra Costa County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,100
  • Deaths: 33

Source: Contra Costa Health Services as of Friday at 11:30 a.m.

The county will begin allowing outdoor, vehicle-only “controlled community gatherings” for up to three hours beginning Tuesday. Vehicle gatherings are being offered as an alternative for graduation and religious ceremonies while residents are still expected to physically distance. A designated host is required for all events and for groups of more than 10 vehicles, a safety and traffic plan will need to be established in advance. 

Nik Wojcik/SFBay Some schools may opt for in-vehicle graduation ceremonies and other events as counties like Contra Costa being allowing vehicle-only outdoor gatherings during the Covid-19 shelter and physical distancing orders.

According to the order issued Friday, only household members will be permitted in the same enclosed vehicles — no convertibles or motorcycles. Participants will not be allowed to exit and must wear a face covering if windows are rolled down.  


The county published Friday resources for undocumented immigrants that include health care access, legal assistance, Covid-19 testing and safety net programs available.


Dr. Chirs Farnitano, the county’s health officer, issued an order Thursday that extends the amount of time people must remain in isolation after exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. The new order requires an additional three days of isolation, up from the seven previously ordered. 

Farnitano said in a press release:

“Based on our latest understanding, we want people with COVID to remain isolated a little bit longer in order to reduce the chance of infecting others.”

Nik Wojcik/SFBay Sun Valley Mall in Concord, Calif. parking lot empty and barricaded during Covid-19 pandemic on Sunday, April 26, 2020

The order further defines the infectious period for asymptomatic people who’ve contracted the virus as 48 hour prior to test dates and considers anyone exposed if they’ve spent 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of an infected individual.

Marin County

  • Confirmed Cases: 287
  • Deaths: 14

Source: Marin Health and Human Services as of Monday.

Napa County

  • Confirmed Cases: 83
  • Deaths: 3

Source: Department of Health and Human Services as of Friday at 1:30 p.m.

According to Friday data provided by health officials, the county has tested 3,364 people and of those that returned positive results, 43 infections derived from unknown community exposure. Fever, which is often used as a qualifier for test administration, was present in only  53 percent of people with confirmed cases.  

San Francisco

  • Confirmed Cases: 2,026
  • Deaths: 36

Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health with data reported through Thursday. 

Friday’s data shows that the 94110 zip code — predominantly Inner Mission — has the highest number of total cases

City officials provided a guideline Thursday for retail businesses hoping to reopen next week. Each business is expected to provide a written health and safety plan with detailed protocol for social distancing at facilities. Both Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax, the heath director, expressed hope but urged caution and flexibility The City inches into reopening. 

Martin Eckert/Flickr A boarded-up Patrick & Co. stationery store on Market Street in San Francisco, Calif. is seen on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Breed said in a news release issued by the Office of the Mayor:

“Businesses that will be allowed to open next week won’t be able to operate like they used to but this hopefully offers a measure of support. We will be monitoring our key COVID-19 indicators carefully, and will be ready to quickly make any adjustments as needed to respond to a spike in cases, or an increase in hospitalizations.”

Businesses must meet the conditions to partially reopen, as defined in the health order guidance: 

  • Storefront, curbside, or outside pickup only. Customers may not enter the store.
  • No more than 10 personnel may be on site in the retail facility at any time. Smaller stores may need to limit personnel to fewer than 10, to allow for required social distancing.
  • Stores must have access to an adjacent curbside adjacent sidewalk, street, alley, or parking lot for pickup by customers using any form of permitted travel. The pickup area must not block pedestrians, or cause pedestrian or vehicle congestion.
  • Retail stores in an enclosed indoor shopping center may not reopen at this time, except to the extent that the store has a separate entrance to an exterior sidewalk.

San Mateo County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,575
  • Deaths: 66

Source: San Mateo County Health Department with data reported through Thursday.

The positivity rate has dipped slightly, to 7.7 percent, as test accessibility increases regionally. The county has administered 20,684 tests as of last reporting Wednesday.

San Mateo and Daly City are recording more cases than other areas in the county, with 415 and 297, respectively.

Santa Clara County

  • Confirmed Cases: 2,403
  • Deaths: 135

Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department as of Monday. 

Hospitalization rates in general are increasing throughout the county, but Covid-19 patients have declined as a share of that total over the past few recording days. Ninety-one Covid-19 patients were hospitalized as of Friday.

Jesse Garnier SFBay Covid-19 Bay Area dashboard as of Friday, May 15, 2020.

Solano County

  • Confirmed Cases: 410
  • Deaths: 16

Source: Solano Public Health as of Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The county’s death toll increased by two patients since Wednesday.

The county’s death toll has grown by a relatively large amount over the course of the past few days, with the county reporting an additional two deaths Friday. The number of confirmed cases in Vallejo has reached 245, whereas Fairfield trails second by far with 70 patients identified as of Friday. 

Sonoma County

  • Confirmed Cases: 364
  • Deaths: 4

Source: County of Sonoma with data as of Friday at 8 p.m. 

Thirteen additional cases were added to the county’s total confirmed count Friday. Sonoma County is reporting symptoms data indicated that only 57 percent of confirmed Covid-19 patients experienced or exhibited a fever.

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Last modified May 15, 2020 9:55 pm

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