Seventeen Counties Get Green Light From Newsom To Start Reopening: The counties largely encompass rural areas in Northern California and the Sierra, with the exception of San Benito County south of the Bay Area. All met state-set benchmarks in containing the coronavirus pandemic to qualify for early reopening. Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that some counties would be allowed to reopen sit-down restaurants and permit some in-store shopping if they implemented new social distancing procedures. Schools can also reopen. As of late Wednesday, counties that received the go-ahead were San Benito, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yuba and Sutter. Read more from Dustin Gardiner of the San Francisco Chronicle.
All Los Angeles Residents To Be Required To Wear Masks Outside The House: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday evening that all Angelenos, except for small children and those with certain disabilities, would be required to wear face coverings outside. That marks a significant increase in the city’s rules, but the mayor said it was a necessary step help slow the spread of coronavirus and eventually reopen the economy in a bigger way. “Bring your mask with you whenever you leave your home,” Garcetti said. “That will help us get more freedoms.” Los Angeles County is the California epicenter of the coronavirus, with more than 34,000 confirmed cases. On Wednesday, officials also reported 47 new fatalities, bringing the county’s death toll to 1,660. The majority of the county’s deaths — roughly 1,300 — occurred over the last month. Read more from Hannah Fry, Susanne Rust and Sonja Sharp of the Los Angeles Times.
Former Gov. Brown Warned California Was Due For An Economic Downturn. Few Expected It So Soon: “The next governor’s going to be on the cliff,” then-Gov. Jerry Brown said as he unveiled his final state budget plan in January 2018. But few thought Brown’s doomsday warning would come true so soon. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will offer the Legislature his ideas on how to eliminate a deficit that could total $54.3 billion between now and July of next year, fueled by the coronavirus crisis. No economic collapse in modern times has ever happened so fast. Government cash receipts were $1.3 billion above projections through March with only three months left in the fiscal year; now revenues are projected to miss the mark by $9.7 billion through June 30. Read more from John Myers of the Los Angeles Times.
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
San Francisco Chronicle:
Trouble For Gavin Newsom’s $1 Billion Mask Deal: Feds Reject Safety Certification
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s assertion that shipments of medical masks the state bought from a Chinese manufacturer had simply been delayed because of federal safety certification issues was thrown into doubt Wednesday when regulators said they had actually rejected the masks. Many of the N95 particulate-filtering respirators California planned to buy from supplier BYD in a $1 billion deal are now in limbo while the company tries to secure safety certification. (Gardiner, 5/13)
Sacramento Bee:
BYD Masks Denied Certification, Federal Regulators Say
Federal regulators say certification of masks California purchased from Chinese company BYD was denied, not delayed, contradicting comments Gov. Gavin Newsom made last week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which regulates equipment like masks, informed BYD on May 4 that it had rated BYD’s application for mask certification “Not Acceptable,” said Katie Shahan, a spokeswoman for the federal regulator. (Bollag, 5/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How UCSF Is Training 10,000 New Pandemic Detectives To Fight The Coronavirus
In order for California to reopen its economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom has made it clear that active coronavirus cases need to be tracked aggressively. To make that happen, thousands of newly trained civic workers, acting as pandemic detectives, will be required to follow the spread of the disease through widespread contact tracing and case investigation. Last week, Newsom announced that he has tapped UCSF and UCLA to partner with the California Department of Public Health to dramatically scale up the state’s efforts with a new workforce training program that will recruit up to 20,000 individuals, including librarians, environmental health officers and city attorney staff not working their usual jobs at the moment. (Vaziri, 5/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
‘This Is A Cry For Help’: ICE Detainees Beg California Lawmakers To Intervene After Coronavirus Death
More than 40 immigrants being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego are alleging that a detainee’s recent death due to COVID-19 was caused by reckless and inhumane conditions, according to a letter begging the governor and other California lawmakers to intervene. “This is a cry for help,” said detainee Oscar Nevarez, one of 43 immigrants at Otay Mesa who supported the letter after detainee Carlos Escobar Mejia died on May 6. “Please allow us to go home on humanitarian ground and fight our cases from our homes with our families where we are safe.” (Sanchez, 5/13)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Gave $139 Million Ventilator Contract To Firm FBI Raided
In March 2013, FBI agents raided Heriberto Diaz’s medical supply company in Bakersfield, searching for evidence of Medicare fraud. Seven years later, Diaz’s company, Ashli Healthcare Inc., holds a $139 million contract to supply ventilators and other equipment to the state — one of the biggest contracts the Newsom administration has signed without going through the usual competitive bidding process as it scrambled to gear up for the coronavirus pandemic. (Sabalow, Pohl and Kasler, 5/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Tesla Employees Who Fear Coronavirus Could Likely Keep Claiming Unemployment
As Tesla’s Fremont factory ramps up production, some employees are being told by managers they could lose their unemployment benefits if they do not return. For those who fear coronavirus infection while working at the plant — which resumed operations this week in violation of local health orders — the message is seen as a choice between their health or their paycheck. But new guidance from the state appears to contradict the warnings from Tesla management. The California Employment Development Department now says employees can refuse work that is “unsuitable” and continue to collect unemployment benefits. (DiFeliciantonio, 5/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Doctors Prepare For Coronavirus In Looming Flu Season
The Bay Area blunted the impact of its first brush with the coronavirus, but infectious disease experts warn there are more outbreaks to come once the region eases shelter-in-place restrictions, and one looming event is of particular concern: the flu season. No one yet knows what to expect in the fall and winter, when the coronavirus may commingle with seasonal influenza. But even as public health officials battle the current COVID-19 outbreak, they’re bracing for a resurgence of cases and a potentially much deadlier situation in a few months. (Allday, 5/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
‘An Honor And A Privilege’: UCSF Doctor Reflects On Month In NY At The Heart Of The Coronavirus Pandemic
The hospital ward where Dr. Maya Kotas worked for the last month at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center isn’t supposed to be an intensive care unit. The rooms, with two beds separated by a thin privacy curtain, aren’t supposed to house people fighting for their lives. The ventilators forcing oxygen into their weakened lungs aren’t supposed to be used for weeks on end, and the nurses tending those ventilators aren’t supposed to be giving critical care. Even Kotas herself wasn’t supposed to be there. (Feldberg, 5/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
When Will California Schools Reopen? State Will Ask Districts To Decide
California superintendent of public instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday that the state’s nearly 1,000 school districts will decide when it’s best to reopen their campuses for classroom instruction. Thurmond, speaking during a Facebook Live session, said his department will provide guidance on how to reopen, based on recommendations from a task force studying the imposing logistical challenges. He offered few specifics Wednesday, asking students and parents to stay tuned in the weeks ahead. (Kroichick, 5/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Most California Voters Say Coronavirus Is Increasing Inequality, Especially Among Blacks, Poll Finds
A strong majority of California voters believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased inequality in the United States, with many noting that the crisis has had the greatest impact on black people, according to a new poll. The poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies documents the hardship caused by the pandemic and the economic disruption surrounding it. The survey found that 70% of registered voters in the state somewhat agreed or strongly agreed that COVID-19 is increasing inequality, while less than 1% strongly disagreed and 8% disagreed. (Parvini, 5/13)
Los Angeles Times:
60 Businesses Charged With Violating L.A.'s Stay-At-Home Rules
The owners of 60 businesses including car washes, gyms and hair salons across Los Angeles deemed nonessential by the city but still remain open are now facing criminal charges for violating the mayor’s stay-at-home order. Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer revealed the latest round of the crackdown on businesses flouting Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Safer at Home order by staying open. Dozens of businesses have been identified by Los Angeles police as keeping open despite being told to close. Police investigators have turned over evidence against at least 79 businesses identified by the department. (Winton, 5/12)
CalMatters:
Virus Will Not Extinguish Wildfire Protection, Newsom Says
California’s preparations to battle wildfires this year will not be slowed by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newson vowed today, saying the state will purchase specially equipped helicopters and fire engines and hire hundreds of additional firefighters. “We are not going to step back despite the economic headwinds,” the governor said during a news conference conducted in front of a fire truck from a station in Cameron Park, near Sacramento. (Cart, 5/13)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Anti-Vaccine Groups Protest Beside Conservative Activists
They post images comparing Gov. Gavin Newsom to Hitler. They say wearing a mask is “submission.” They reject contact tracing for coronavirus as recommended by public health officials, calling it a government tool to “put a target on your back.” Anti-vaccine advocates who once flooded the state Capitol to protest a law that school children be innoculated against disease are back again. But this time they are joining far-right organizations that share a disdain of government directives and public health guidelines, including the stay-at-home order issued in March to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Wiley, 5/14)
Sacramento Bee:
Gym Owner Sues California Governor Over Coronavirus Order
The owner of three Sacramento-area gyms forced to close because of the state’s emergency coronavirus orders is the latest to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials over California’s stay-at-home mandate, arguing the orders violate the Constitution and have cost him $850,000 so far. Sean Covell, owner of Fitness System gyms in Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood, West Sacramento and Lodi, sued the governor and San Joaquin County officials in federal court in Sacramento, arguing that “a cascading series of ham fisted” orders are destroying his business. (Stanton, 5/13)
Fresno Bee:
Fighter Jets Salute California Healthcare, Frontline Workers
Thousands of central San Joaquin Valley residents took time out of their morning Wednesday to cheer on four F-15C fighter jets whose pilots made low passes over the region. The jets performed the flyover to honor healthcare workers, first responders and those working on the frontlines in the fight against the coronavirus. People gathered outside hospitals, fire stations, sheriff’s offices and police departments to watch the jets fly in formation. The jets performing the flyover were with the 144th Fighter Wing and took off from California Air National Guard Base, Fresno. (5/13)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Unified Audit Finds Bid Problems On Fruit And Veggies
Fresno Unified’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program paid at least $700,000 above the bid price for produce over three years before changes were made to the program, according to an audit. School officials said the mark-ups occurred when certain fruits or vegetables were not available, and substitutions were made. The company at the center of the audit - 1st Quality Produce - said allegations of overcharging were unfounded, and no wrongdoing occurred. (Panoo, 5/13)
Fresno Bee:
Pastor With COVID-19 Survives Ventilator At Fresno CA Hospital
The Rev. Mark Wallace thinks of coronavirus like tornadoes he once lived through in Oklahoma. “One house and one car doesn’t get touched, and the next-door neighbor is devastated and loses it all,” Wallace said. “That is COVID-19 to me.” He was the one hit hard this time after he and his wife Tammy Wallace tested positive for coronavirus last month. Tammy got a bad fever and recovered at home. Mark ended up in a Fresno hospital for a month – two of those weeks connected to a ventilator and fighting for his life while restrained on an intensive care unit bed. (George, 5/13)
Fresno Bee:
Coronavirus Update: Fresno County Passes 1,000 Total Cases
Three more coronavirus-related deaths were reported Wednesday in Fresno County, where the total number of confirmed cases rose above 1,000. Fresno County added 30 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,014, according to county officials. A total of 13 people in Fresno County have died in connection with the outbreak. (Amaro, 5/13)