Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Battling A Pandemic Across 4,750 Square Miles And 10 Million People
Los Angeles County’s health leader describes the struggle for data and resources in the coronavirus fight. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
Newsom Says First Daily Decrease In ICU Hospitalizations Is Encouraging, But Warns Not To Read Too Much Into One Data Point: The rate of all virus hospitalizations has slowed this week. Those in the ICU need the highest level of care, and so it was particularly encouraging that the number of patients in those rooms actually dropped 1.9% on Wednesday to 1,132. “One data point is not a trend. … I caution anybody to read too much into that,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “But nonetheless, it is encouraging. It reinforces the incredible work all of you are doing.” After weeks of social distancing, the virus has been spreading at a slower pace than anticipated, though state officials are sticking with their forecast that the peak of the disease in the state will occur in mid-May. California has more than 19,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases and has recorded at least 507 deaths, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Read more from Adam Beam of The Associated Press and Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group.
Health Officials To Begin Testing Random California Residents To Get Better Idea On How Much Virus Has Spread: Starting Friday, Los Angeles county health officials will begin testing the blood of 1,000 randomly selected residents, including those with no symptoms, to see if they have or had COVID-19. Using emerging technology that tests for antibodies to a virus, the study has the potential to shed light on the true mortality rate of the coronavirus, the efficacy of social distancing efforts and when this unprecedented clampdown on daily life could end. “Is it 1% of our population? Is it 10% of our population? That’s the difference between 80,000 adults and 800,000 adults. We have no idea,” said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, experts say such a test is needed to re-open the state. Read more from Melanie Mason and Susanne Rust of the Los Angeles Times and Sophia Bollag of the Sacramento Bee.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: California Cases Top 20,000
California’s coronavirus cases doubled this week to surpass 20,000 Thursday as the state announced a new effort to help overburdened health care workers. Statewide, 20,140 people are confirmed to have the deadly respiratory illness, with 545 dead, according to data compiled by this news organization, seven days after California reached 10,000 cases on April 2. The bulk of the cases remain clustered in Los Angeles, which counted 7,955 cases and 223 deaths. Santa Clara County remained the third hardest-hit county after San Diego, with 1,442 cases and 47 deaths. (Kelliher and Crowley, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Speedy Coronavirus Tests Make Inroads At Bay Area Clinics
About a dozen Bay Area urgent care clinics are using new, faster coronavirus tests that generate results in minutes instead of the hours or days that most diagnostic tests take. Some doctors hope the rapid tests, such as the ID Now test made by an Illinois company, Abbott — which generates a positive result in five minutes and a negative result in 13 minutes — may soon become a much more common way to get tested for the novel coronavirus. (Ho, 4/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus $600 Unemployment Stimulus Coming To California
Californians struggling to find work will receive an extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits from a federal stimulus package starting Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, as a deluge of 2.3 million new claims in the last month has the state struggling to get payments to those who have just lost their jobs. The additional relief money approved by Congress means California’s average weekly benefit of $340 will be boosted to $940, while those who get the maximum weekly state benefit will see checks increased to $1,050. The higher benefits will last for four months. (McGreevy, 4/9)
Sacramento Bee:
Should You Wear A Mask In California?
In a sudden reversal, health officials around California are now telling people to wear masks in public - and in some cases mandating that usage - just a week after some expressed doubts about the value of masks in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced businesses and stores in his city can now refuse customers who are not wearing masks. In Riverside County, health officials went a step farther, declaring that everyone should wear facial coverings when in public. (Bizjak, 4/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Data From California COVID-19 Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order
How well are California residents staying home during the coronavirus pandemic? A data company is using GPS data from millions of mobile devices to analyze human movement in the U.S. since the beginning of February. SafeGraph, which has companies such as Verizon and Sysco for clients, compiles GPS data to track how people in the U.S. are responding to the pandemic. It’s offering the information to researchers, nonprofit organizations and government officials. (Koop, 4/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Newsom Gave 'Little Information' On Coronavirus Masks, Lawmakers Say
California lawmakers demanded details Thursday about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s agreement to spend almost $1 billion on protective masks needed to combat the state’s coronavirus outbreak, saying there has been too little transparency in spending those taxpayer dollars. “We’re getting very little information,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chairman of the Assembly’s budget committee. “We have great trust and faith in the governor, but we also have a job to do to ensure that every dollar he’s spending can stand up to scrutiny.” (Myers, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Families Left In Dark As Coronavirus Races Through Bay Area Nursing Homes
Donna Barnett doesn’t know what is happening at Drake Terrace, a large San Rafael nursing home where her 90-year-old father lives, even after two weeks of frantic attempts to find out. On March 27, she said, the nursing home emailed a letter to family members disclosing that a resident had tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Fagone, Dizikes and Thadani, 4/9)
Bay Area News Group:
COVID-19 Death Toll Climbs In Hayward Nursing Home
County health workers sought to restore order in a Hayward nursing home where seven patients have died of COVID-19, as the crisis in facilities that house the frail and elderly worsened Thursday with a second death in Orinda and another outbreak at a nursing center in San Jose. The Alameda County Health Department reported the new death at Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center and said that total infections there among residents rose to 40 — including the seven who have died — and 25 among staff. Contra Costa health officials reported that a second patient has died at Orinda Care Center, where 50 people had tested positive for the deadly virus. (Peele, Sulek, Sciacca and Savidge, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Some Doctors Question Wisdom Of Using Ventilators On Coronavirus Patients
As California and other states stockpile ventilators to prepare for a surge of coronavirus patients, a debate is emerging among doctors across the country about whether the breathing machines actually hinder recovery from COVID-19. A few small studies from around the world have led some doctors to consider the possibility that placing COVID-19 patients on a ventilator hurts more than it helps, and may even increase their chance of dying. (Ravani and Allday, 4/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Already Changing Medical Care In The U.S.
The coronavirus pandemic, which has fueled widespread speculation about potential long-term changes to American life, is already causing one important shift: It has accelerated moves to restructure how basic medical care is provided and paid for in the U.S. Doctor groups and insurers say in just the last month, there’s been a dramatic surge of interest in large-scale changes in the way primary care doctors are paid, an overhaul that policy experts have envisioned for decades. (Levey, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Brain Surgery In Coronavirus Era: Bay Area Hospitals Redefine ‘Elective’ Procedures
Rosemary Pathy-McKinney was as nervous about her pre-operation MRI exam as she was about the surgery to remove a brain tumor which was to follow. Areas of her head had already been shaved and marked by stickers and the sedative she’d taken had done its job. She’d survived what seems like an eternity in that tube and was on her way to get dressed when she was told that her brain surgery, scheduled for the following morning at the UCSF Parnassus campus, had been postponed. (Whiting, 4/10)
CalMatters:
California Offers Discounted Hotel Rooms To Health Workers Exposed To Coronavirus
California health care workers may qualify for discounted hotel rooms under a new arrangement Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today as part of the state’s ongoing effort to limit the spread of coronavirus. More than 150 hotels around California have agreed to provide discounted rooms to help “a workforce that is deeply stressed out,” the governor said — health care workers treating COVID-19 patients who are worried that sleeping at home could expose their families to the virus. (Rosenhall, 4/9)
Los Angeles Times:
How Will The Coronavirus Lockdown End?
The coronavirus cannot keep us stuck in our homes forever. Someday our kids will go back to school, we will return to work, and families and friends will gather once again for birthdays, holidays, weddings and funerals. We will see movies in theaters, get drunk in crowded bars, and scream recklessly in packed sports stadiums — droplets be damned. (Netburn, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco’s 1918 Spanish Flu Debacle: A Crucial Lesson For The Coronavirus Era
The first great San Francisco pandemic came to a close with a citywide celebration, at noon on Nov. 21, 1918. A whistle blew, church bells rang and citizens who had endured sickness, death and many hard days of sacrifice to battle the Spanish influenza tore off their mandatory masks and threw them into the streets. “After four weeks of muzzled misery, San Francisco unmasked at noon yesterday and ventured to draw its breath,” The Chronicle reported the next day, describing the scene. (Hartlaub, 4/10)
Sacramento Bee:
See CA Hospital Equipment Inventory Before COVID-19 Surge
As the new coronavirus emerged as a threat, public health officials in California wanted to gauge the preparedness of the hospitals in the state. They issued a voluntary survey on the availability of personal protective equipment, staff, ventilators and bed space that elicited more than 300 responses from hospital administrators. The results are only a snapshot in time. The survey was issued in the second week of March and the situation of some facilities may have changed. Still, it offers some insight into the level of their readiness. (Finch II, Sabalow and Pohl, 4/10)
The Desert Sun:
Coronavirus: Riverside County Says Currently Available ICU Beds Will Be At Capacity Next Week
Riverside County health officials on Wednesday projected the number of currently available intensive care unit beds will be at capacity by next week, as the total number of cases in the county grew to 1,179 and 32 deaths. Two of the four deaths reported Wednesday were in the Coachella Valley, including a man in his 80s in Palm Springs and a man in his 90s in Rancho Mirage. (Newell, Plevin and Daniels, 4/8)
CalMatters:
Coronavirus: Is Putting Homeless People In Hotels Working?
How to deal with homeless Californians in a pandemic? State officials are trying to find hotel rooms for those with COVID-19 symptoms, but say the logistics have proved daunting. (Levin, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
74 Miles Of Oakland Streets Will Close To Cars To Give Pedestrians, Bicyclists Exercise Room During Coronavirus Stay-Home Order
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Thursday she will temporarily banish cars from residential streets throughout the city, opening more space for pedestrians and bicyclists to use the roadways for exercise during the coronavirus stay-home order. “Because of the reduction in car traffic we will be closing off a number of streets, so that bicyclists and pedestrians can spread out and exercise and take in fresh air safely,” Schaaf said during a virtual town hall Thursday evening. (Swan, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
1 In 17 SF Tenants Unable To Pay Rent Because Of Coronavirus Crisis, Survey Finds
Nearly 6% of San Francisco tenants were unable to pay April rent because of income lost due to the coronavirus pandemic and the shelter-in-place order that has brought economic activity to a halt throughout the region, according to a survey from the San Francisco Apartment Association. The survey of 315 landlords who own 10,377 units citywide found that 596 residential residents, or 5.7%, were unable to pay all or part of April rent because of the coronavirus and its impacts. The average amount the tenant was unable to pay was $2,504 — roughly $1.5 million in rent was not paid as of April 9. (Dineen, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Restaurant Industry’s Moral Dilemma Amidst Pandemic: Stay Open Or Close Down
As the Bay Area continues to shelter-in-place to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, many restaurants, cafes and catering companies, providing services classified as “essential,” remain open to provide food to the public. Michelin-starred kitchens and neighborhood sandwich shops alike have transitioned to this new reality, and the photographs of the line cook and delivery driver in semi-surgical gear have become iconic images of the outbreak. (Ho, 4/9)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Coronavirus: Santa Cruz County’s Case Curve ‘Among The Very Best’ In State
In a sign that shelter-in-place efforts may be making an impact, data suggests Santa Cruz County is seeing more success at flattening the coronavirus curve than almost anywhere else in the state.As of Thursday, the small county had 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cases are doubling about every eight days, according to county Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. (Ibarra, 4/10)
CalMatters:
California Schools' Response To Pandemic Varies Widely
Their schools sit just five miles apart on opposite ends of Southern California’s notoriously busy Interstate 405, but the gap between their students’ distance learning experiences so far has been vast. In Redondo Beach off the South Bay coast, Karen Cull’s three sons began engaging with their teachers online March 18, three school days after their district physically closed campuses to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic... In Hawthorne, an inland working-class community, Raul Torres spends five hours a day with his second-grade daughter and fourth-grade son completing paper packets. (Cano, 4/10)
The Beach Reporter:
Coronavirus: 25 New Deaths, 425 Cases In LA County, But Hints Arise That ‘Curve’ May Be Flattening
Los Angeles County health officials shared grim news again on Thursday, April 9, announcing another 25 deaths related to the novel coronavirus — pushing the county’s total over 200 — and another 425 people who tested positive. A total of 223 people have died in LA County since health officials started tracking the outbreak in early March and there have now been 7,955 confirmed cases, though many have recovered. Thursday’s tally did not include updated totals for two cities with their own health departments — Long Beach updated its totals to 303 cases and eight deaths and Pasadena increased its counts to 107 cases and five deaths. (Rosenfeld, 4/10)
Bay Area News Group:
New Coronavirus Hotline For Santa Clara County Residents
Santa Clara County residents facing economic insecurity due to the coronavirus outbreak who are struggling to navigate filing for unemployment or other safety net benefits can call a new telephone hotline that will connect them to resources and answer questions about work-related issues and eligibility for social services... The Santa Clara County CAN (COVID-19 Assistance Navigation) initiative will connect people to services they are eligible for — like unemployment, food, and housing benefits — and walk them through the application processes. It will also provide workers access to attorneys who can answer questions about workplace and income issues in multiple languages. (Hellerstein, 4/9)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: Santa Clara County Releases COVID-19 Data By City
The County of Santa Clara’s Public Health Department released new COVID-19 data Thursday that includes confirmed cases by city of residence and confirmed deaths on the basis of race and ethnicity. Data provided by the Public Health Department on Thursday shows there are 62 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, bringing the number of positive tests in the county to 1,442. The department also recorded one additional death Thursday, which means 47 people have now died after contracting COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. (Crowley, 4/9)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno CA Amazon Warehouse Employee Has Coronavirus
An employee at Amazon’s Fresno warehouse tested positive for COVID-19, according to a text message sent to all warehouse workers Wednesday evening. Five warehouse employees spoke to The Fresno Bee on condition of anonymity out of fear of losing their jobs. All five confirmed receiving the text message from the company. The associate was last at the warehouse on March 9, according to the message. (Tobias, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus: Many SF Complaints About Nonessential Construction
San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection has been inundated with complaints of nonessential construction being done in violation of the coronavirus health order, mostly driven by residents observing work illegally continuing in their neighborhoods as they shelter in place. Between March 30 and April 8, the city received 730 complaints of unauthorized work, 180 of which came directly to the building department, and 550 lodged through the city’s 311 customer service center. (Dineen, 4/9)
Fresno Bee:
Community Spread Of Coronavirus In Fresno County Rises
Fresno County saw another big jump in its daily count of coronavirus cases with 17 new positives test of COVID-19, the county’s Department of Public Health reported Thursday. That brings Fresno County’s total to 173 cases of the novel coronavirus. In addition, the number of COVID-19 cases contracted via community spread jumped significantly with a daily increase of 15. (Anteola, 4/9)
Sacramento Bee:
Coronavirus CA: Sacramento Violent Crime Down, Burglaries Up
Crime is down in Sacramento and calls for service are way down. According to new data released Thursday by the Sacramento Police Department, calls for service are down an average of 17 percent since Sacramento County announced a state of emergency due to the coronavirus March 5. Officer-initiated calls are down nearly 25 percent. Some crimes are also showing signs of dropping, with violent crimes such as robbery and sexual assault trending down as a result of the shelter-at-home order, according to data. (Sullivan, 4/9)
Los Angeles Times:
California's Options, And Limits, In Coronavirus Fight
With its nearly $1-billion deal to acquire 200 million respiratory and surgical masks a month, amid a nationwide shortage of the crucial protective gear for first-line healthcare workers, California has demonstrated what seems to be a unique capability to chart its own course in the coronavirus battle. “We decided, enough’s enough,” Gov. Gavin Newsom told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Tuesday in announcing the deal, which has inspired admiration for its audacity as well as questions among lawmakers in Sacramento about transparency. “Let’s use the purchasing power of the state of California as a nation-state.” (Michael Hiltzik, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
On Disease Disparities
There’s an alarming subtext to an already dismal picture. Early data shows that African Americans are being infected with the coronavirus and are dying from it at disproportionate rates across the United States. The results offer grim confirmation of the cost of this country’s deep social inequities in both health and employment. Swamped with emergency duties, cities and states are just beginning to define the racial makeup of patients. Many of the brewing hot spots — Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans — are showing initial figures that put the infection and fatality rates for black residents far above other groups. (4/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Beware Of Questionable Coronavirus Treatments Or Cures
The coronavirus pandemic has brought out the best and worst in people. Dubious claims about miracle cures fall mostly into the latter category. Some have received due notoriety, such as those made by televangelist Jim Bakker, who is being sued by the state of Missouri for selling a product called Silver Sol Liquid that Bakker claims can diagnose and cure COVID-19. The lawsuit followed a warning from the Food and Drug Administration that Silver Sol Liquid and other products touted by Bakker “are unapproved new drugs sold in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.” (David Lazarus, 4/10)
CalMatters:
We Can Rebuild A Better California In The Wake Of The Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has been a time of heroism: medical professionals saving lives, workers checking people out at the grocery, public officials preparing their communities. Many of these heroic actions, though, are happening in spite of the economic and government systems that we had in place before the crisis. As we recover and rebuild – and we will – we must take the opportunity to address these shortcomings in California. (Micah Weinberg, 4/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Shows Humans Can Overcome Tribalism To Save The Species
We humans are conditioned to regard ourselves as social animals, moral animals, economic animals. It’s along these lines that we create both conflicts and civilization. We are less accustomed to seeing ourselves simply as animals. And yet during this pandemic, we’re far from the dignified planetary overlords we usually pretend to be, brilliant sapiens made of arguments, memes and poetry. Instead we’re primates composed of brute stuff such as tissue, blood, water and bones, and, at our most elementary, cells. (Virginia Heffernan, 4/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Residents Must Stay At Home To Defeat COVID-19
“In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics.” Those are John F. Kennedy’s words, and they’ve never been more applicable than right now. We’ve taken to heart the spirit of that message, and despite our political disagreements, we’re working collaboratively in response to this unprecedented health crisis affecting our common constituents. (Phil Serna and Scott Jones, 4/9)
Sacramento Bee:
Gov. Gavin Newsom Praises Trump Despite Coronavirus Failures
Gov. Gavin Newsom loathes President Donald Trump. The two have often sparred on Twitter, where Newsom recently celebrated the impeachment of a president he once called “completely corrupt.” But the coronavirus pandemic has forced Newsom to swallow his pride and pursue diplomacy. He now treats the president with the utmost cordiality and respect. As I’ve written before, Newsom’s performance deserves an Oscar. (Gil Duran, 4/7)
San Jose Mercury News:
COVID-19 Shows Why Californians Should Complete Census
What if I told you that, in exchange for just a few minutes of your time, you could personally generate from the comfort of your home thousands of dollars for your community? And, if you have a spouse and two kids, that the amount would increase to tens of thousands of dollars? Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? It is — and all you have to do is answer nine questions. That is the power of the national once-a-decade population count known as the Census. (Marc Berman, 4/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Good Friday Challenges Us To Confront Epidemic Of Warped Priorities
The grounds of St. Francis Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe, N.M., include a garden with bronzes depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross, from Jesus’ death sentence in Pilate’s courtroom to the entombment of his lifeless body in a borrowed sepulcher. Sculpted by a local artist, Gib Singleton, the representations are raw and visceral. The suffering and the passion of Christ that Christians remember during Holy Week is rendered here in graphic, intimate detail. (Randall Balmer, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Holy Days Challenge Us To Hope In The Face Of Loss And Grieving From Coronavirus
Sunday marks what would normally be among the most hope-filled days in the religious calendar. For Christians, Sunday is Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Jews, Sunday marks the midpoint of Passover, which commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery, a powerful symbol of rebirth and hope amid adversity. Even on this special day, hope can be hard to come by for many of us. Instead of gathering with friends and family for Seder or Easter services, we are social distancing, watching our families through distorted webcam angles. (Paul Fitzgerald and Kevin O'Brien, 4/10)
Los Angeles Times:
NIMBYs Stop A Hotel From Housing Sick Homeless People
When the sprawling Laguna Woods Village retirement community in south Orange County got word that the county Board of Supervisors had leased the nearby Ayres Hotel to house homeless people who tested positive for COVID-19, residents there sprang into action. They quickly mobilized a protest campaign that included emails, a demonstration in front of the hotel and a lawsuit to stop the planned use. Before the court could weigh in, the hotel’s owners asked county leaders to let them out of their contract, citing their concerns for their neighbors, and the county agreed. The retirement community’s newsletter offered congratulations all around. (4/10)
Sacramento Bee:
California Anti-Vaccine Doctor Makes Light Of Coronavirus
Doctors and nurses around the country are struggling to handle a surge of COVID-19 patients, but Dr. Bob Sears of Orange County has extra time on his hands. Sears, a prominent figure in California’s anti-vaccination movement, announced on Facebook last week that his business has been slow due to the coronavirus shutdown. He urged patients to come in for routine annual physicals. Never mind the fact that most Californians are following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order and avoiding unnecessary appointments. Dr. Sears needs some business. (4/6)
Sacramento Bee:
Will Devin Nunes Get Sued Over Coronavirus? Fox News Is
Ten people in Tulare County – where I was born and raised – have died from COVID-19 so far. Tulare County is also the home of Rep. Devin Nunes. Yet the Republican congressman continues to downplay the coronavirus threat in his regular Fox News appearances. Now, an activist group is suing Fox for its campaign to mislead viewers about the virus. (Gil Duran, 4/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The Uncounted: San Francisco Man’s Neighbors Wonder Whether Coronavirus Killed Him
Ten San Franciscans have died of COVID-19 — officially. That’s the count from public health officials, but there could be more. And we may never know the real tally. Residents of an Inner Richmond apartment building wonder whether their neighbor is No. 11. Larry Kaplan, 70, was a longtime driver for Yellow Cab and made numerous airport runs during his shifts, picking up travelers arriving from all over the world. (Heather Knight, 4/10)