Covid-19 update: Bay Area prepares for partial reopening, SF-Marin Food Bank opens drive thru

Bay Area businesses are preparing to partially reopen as five counties move toward the state’s second phase of allowing more storefront, curbside pickup and delivery services. 

Most retail stores will be allowed to reopen to provide allowed services under amended public health orders. Many counties have issued health guidelines for retailers to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers.

Customers will still not be allowed into stores, and health and city officials remind the public that stay-at-home orders are still in effect except for essential trips.

Scot Tucker Parkgoers are seen gathering at Washington Square Park in North Beach on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Santa Clara County is the only Bay Area county that will not yet attempt a partial reopening.

Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s public health officer, said Tuesday to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors that conditions in the county are the same compared to March, and that if the county eased on restrictions, there will be a rise in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

U.S.

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,467,796
  • Deaths: 88,754

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

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California

  • Confirmed Cases: 78,725
  • Deaths: 3,208

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

Orange County 

  • Confirmed Cases: 4,222
  • Deaths: 86

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency as of Saturday, 15 days after the May 1 Huntington Beach protest.  

Sacramento County

  • Confirmed Cases: 1,222
  • Deaths: 54

Source: Sacramento County Public Health as of Saturday, 15 days after the May 1 State Capitol protest.

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Alameda County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 2,351
  • Deaths: 83

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

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Alameda County health officials Saturday announced a new Covid-19 testing site that will offer free testing. Officials said they plan to open the site by next week.

The Allen Temple Baptist Church will be a drive thru and walk-up testing site starting Monday. Click here to make an appointment.

Two other testing sites recently opened include a walk-up site at Roots Community Health Center and the REACH Youth Center.

Testing will be available to health care workers, front line and essential workers and to anyone with Covid-19 symptoms, such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Colleen Chawla, director of the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency said in a statement:

“These new sites help Alameda County dramatically expand testing for individuals who previously had limited access.”

The three sites will provide Alameda County with a total of 30 testing sites providing the capacity to conduct an additional 600 tests per day, health officials said.

Contra Costa County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 1,121
  • Deaths: 33

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

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Contra Costa County Health Officer Chris Farnitano this week extended the amount of time people must stay in isolation after a person shows signs of Covid-19 symptoms or a person who tests positive and shows no signs of symptoms.

People tested positive for Covid-19 will now need to stay in isolation for 10 days instead of seven days.

Farnitano said in a statement the change is being made based on new guidance from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention about long the persons remains infectious with the virus:

“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.”

Marin County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 299
  • Deaths: 14

Source: Marin Health and Human Services as of Saturday.

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Starting on Monday, Marin County will begin to allow motorized access to county-operated parks, trails and allow vehicles to park nearby.

Fabrice Florin/ A bicyclist is seen on a trail along Coyote Creek in Marin County, Calif. on Sunday, April 5, 2020.

Marin’s County Public Health Officer Matthew Willis drafted a new public health order that will supersede the April 29 order. County officials recommend for the public to verify the status of a park and any remaining restrictions in local jurisdictions.

There are still several parks with vehicle restrictions; a list can be found on the county’s website.

Napa County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 90
  • Deaths: 3

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

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The Napa County Board of Supervisors Thursday submitted a Covid-19 variance report to the state that allows counties to reopen more retail businesses, including dine-in restaurants, at a quicker pace than counties with a higher rates of Covid-19 infections and death rates.

The California Department of Public Health has so far listed 22 counties that have been granted permission to move further along in the state’s second phase of reopening. No Bay Area counties have yet been given permission.

San Francisco

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 2,054
  • Deaths: 36

Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health with data updated on Saturday reported through Friday. 

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The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Friday opened its first popup drive-thru food pantry in San Francisco.

Drivers can come on Fridays through June 5 at the parking lot of the San Francisco Giants, known as Parking Lot A, at Third and Mission Rock streets to pick up groceries.

No walk-ins will be allowed and appointments are not necessary. 

Vehicles can enter from the southern side of Terry A Francois Boulevard. The drive-thru pantry is open Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

San Mateo County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 1,602
  • Deaths: 66

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

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Santa Clara County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 2,418
  • Deaths: 135

Source: Santa Clara County Public Health as of Saturday. 

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The county reported an additional 15 Covid-19 cases and zero new deaths Saturday.

Asians and Latinx residents in the county each make up 33 percent of the death rate related to Covid-19, according to data from the county.

Residents aged between 71 to 80 and 81 to 90 make up 29 percent and 20 percent of deaths reported in the county. Eighty-nine percent of the people who have so far died from the virus had one or more underlying health conditions.

Solano County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 410
  • Deaths: 16

Source: Solano Public Health as of Friday at 4:30 p.m. The county does not report data on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Sonoma County

Jesse Garnier/SFBay
  • Confirmed Cases: 373
  • Deaths: 4

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

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this article inaccurately reported the Orange County death toll as 105, which instead was the number of new positive cases. The text has since been revised to reflect the 86 deaths reported as of Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Last modified May 17, 2020 2:12 pm

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.

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