Bay Area News Group: Coronavirus: Gov. Newsom Says Normal Requires Herd Immunity
Amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s scenario of a post-sheltering world, there are two chilling words: herd immunity. Tomorrow’s tableau — waiters with masks, distant desks, split-shift schools — will be the new normal, he told reporters in his Tuesday press briefing, “at least until we have herd immunity.” (Krieger, 4/16)

Bay Area News Group: Gov. Newsom: CA COVID-19 Curve Has 'Arguably Flattened'
For the third consecutive day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the California Department of Public Health recorded at least 60 more COVID-19 deaths as the statewide coronavirus death toll approached 900. During a Thursday press briefing, Newsom said 69 people who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus died on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 890 individuals in California. (Crowley, 4/16)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Suffering Disproportionate Share Of Coronavirus Deaths Amid A Grim Week
Even as the growth of coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in California, the numbers of dead reached new highs this week with the toll being particularly grim in Los Angeles County. Coronavirus-linked fatalities hit another one-day high in Los Angeles County on Thursday as health officials confirmed 52 additional deaths for a total of 457. It marked the third straight day the county has seen a record number of deaths, according to the county’s tally. (Greene, Lin, Money and Vega, 4/17)

San Jose Mercury News: Coronavirus: Bay Area's Deadliest Day Yet, CA Tops 27,000 Cases
A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Tuesday the state’s deadliest reporting day yet in COVID-19 pandemic, the Bay Area reported the most deaths in a single day. On Wednesday, the region’s death toll grew by 23, a 15% increase, to 171. Newsom said the state’s number of deaths from the virus grew by 63, to 821, but according to data compiled by this news organization, there were 101 newly reported fatalities Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 878. (Webeck, 4/16)

CalMatters: California Senators Frustrated By Few Answers, Tech Glitches In Virtual Hearing On Coronavirus Spending 
With California in a pandemic-induced recession that will hammer the state budget, lawmakers grilled officials about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $1.4 billion deal to buy masks and other protective gear — but got few answers during their first hearing on the state’s effort to stem the spread of coronavirus. The meeting — with two senators in the Capitol and seven participating via videoconference — marked the Legislature’s first hearing since lawmakers left Sacramento in mid-March to work from home because of the pandemic. (Rosenhall, 4/16)

Sacramento Bee: Newsom’s Office Says It Won’t Release $1B Mask Contract Yet
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration doesn’t plan to show lawmakers and the public a nearly $1 billion mask contract until it has “assurance the supply is going to be arriving,” despite already having wired half of the money, an administration official testified Thursday. “We have concerns about releasing too many details about it because our goal is to get the supply into California for the people who need it,” Christina Curry, chief deputy director of the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, told lawmakers during a budget hearing. (Bollag, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: None Of Homeless Who Tested Positive At Big SF Shelter Showed Serious Coronavirus Symptoms 
None of the 93 homeless people who tested positive for the coronavirus in San Francisco’s largest shelter showed serious symptoms of the disease, lending urgency to the need for widespread public testing and emphasizing the importance of “contact investigations” the city is now ramping up. The COVID-19 cluster revealed Friday at the Multi-Service Center South shelter by public health officials is the biggest in the United States involving homeless people aside from a shelter in Boston, where about 200 people tested positive earlier this month. All of them were also asymptomatic, officials there reported. (Fagan, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: UC Berkeley To Test 5,000 Healthy People In East Bay For Coronavirus 
At least 5,000 healthy volunteers in the East Bay will soon find out if they have — or ever had — the coronavirus, as UC Berkeley public health researchers begin testing them in early May to learn how far the virus has spread. The professors from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the College of Engineering also want to understand who may be most susceptible to the disease, and to gather information that might help predict the outbreak’s future. (Moench, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Appears Twice As Deadly For Blacks As Whites In California 
The racial disparities that have plagued the cruel and uneven toll of the coronavirus across parts of the nation appear to be emerging in California. The state’s black residents are dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate of white residents, according to initial figures released this week by the California Department of Public Health. (Alexander, 4/16)

Sacramento Bee: Rush Order Of Ventilators Arrives In Sacramento In COVID-19 Crisis 
A rush airlift of emergency ventilators arrived at Sacramento Executive Airport on Thursday morning to supplement the state of California’s stockpile of vital medical equipment to treat COVID-19 patients in intensive care. The 240 ventilators were part of a 1,000-unit order from the state about two weeks ago. The devices were manufactured by Percussionaire Corp. in Sandpoint, Idaho, and were flown hours after coming off the production line by Kodiak Aircraft, also based in Sandpoint. (Kim, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Musk Says Tesla Delivered Ventilators To CA; L.A., Sonoma Received Different Machines 
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday that the company has delivered more than 1,100 ventilators to help treat patients infected by the coronavirus to hospitals in the U.S. and Spain. The shipments included 100 ventilators in Los Angeles County and more than 20 in the Bay Area, according to Musk. But Los Angeles officials said they received a different machine: bilevel positive airway pressure units, which are not the same as ventilators. (Li, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Slowing After 1 Month, But Not In Shelters, Nursing Homes
A month into sheltering in place, it’s clear that early and aggressive social distancing efforts have had remarkable success in the Bay Area, where the coronavirus outbreak appears to be ebbing and the health care system has so far not been overrun with seriously ill patents. But the public health response that has won accolades from across the state and nation has struggled to protect the region’s most vulnerable residents, in particular people in nursing homes and who are homeless, say infectious disease and public health experts. (Allday, 4/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Several Bay Area Counties Will Require Face Masks Starting Next Week To Fight Coronavirus, Official Says 
Bay Area counties will announce a new order on Friday that will require residents to wear masks and face coverings while in public, Marin County’s health officer said Thursday in a video statement. The new requirement will go into effect at noon on Wednesday to give time to the public to prepare, Dr. Matt Willis, the health officer, said in a YouTube video. Willis did not say which of the Bay Area counties were joining to put out the order. (Hernandez, 4/16)

Sacramento Bee: Gavin Newsom Announces 2 Weeks Paid Sick Leave For Food Workers 
California’s food and grocery workers will receive two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave during the coronavirus emergency, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in his Thursday press conference. The statewide executive order applies to food sector workers, including grocery, fast food, delivery and farm workers of companies with more than 500 employees who are impacted by COVID-19, according to Newsom’s office. Newsom said the order is intended to cover the shortfalls of the federal support system, which covers paid sick leave for employers with fewer than 500 employees. (Sheeler, 4/16)

CalMatters: Cut Farmworker Pay During The Crisis? Don't Do It, California Growers Say
The Trump administration reportedly is considering a farmworker pay cut. But it would cause hardships for people already living on the edge of poverty. Growers say they'd rather see the feds fund food banks and others so they can buy their food. (Cone, 4/17)

Sacramento Bee: How Coronavirus Is Spreading Through CA Elder-Care Homes 
One in three California counties has confirmed at least one case of COVID-19 inside an assisted-living facility or nursing home, and the bulk of infected residents remain clustered in three metropolitan areas and a single Central Valley county, a Sacramento Bee survey of public health departments found. Los Angeles, Riverside and Santa Clara counties have suffered the brunt of COVID-19 outbreaks in these long-term care facilities for the elderly, with hundreds of residents sickened and at least two-dozen dead from the disease. (Pohl, 4/17)

CalMatters: Home Is A Perilous Place For Some Californians During Coronavirus Pandemic 
Throughout the state, families sheltering in place are cut off from school, work and friends — lifelines the most vulnerable rely upon. Officials and advocates worry because domestic violence reports have surged and, with fewer eyes on kids, reports of potential abuse are down. (Aguilera, 4/16)

Fresno Bee: Fresno Doctors, Nurses Help Support Coronavirus Patients 
Dr. Elisa Avik has listened to Christmas music on her way to work recently in an attempt to cheer herself up. Her patients are now relying on her more than ever to raise their spirits as they recover from illness without family members at their sides. (George, 4/16)

Fresno Bee: Fresno Hospitals Helping Pregnant Moms During Coronavirus 
The idea of giving birth at a hospital amid the coronavirus pandemic filled Breyonna Gaines with fear.The 26-year-old Fresno mother and her husband, Gary Barrett, weren’t certain he would be allowed to be by her side. The couple considered having a home birth, but said it was too expensive. So they went to Community Regional Medical Center, despite their concerns. (Amaro, 4/16)

Fresno Bee: Coronavirus: Fresno County CA Has 30 New Cases, Budget Woes
Fresno County reported 30 new positive coronavirus cases in its daily late-afternoon update Thursday, bringing the total number to 295. Fresno County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau gave the update in a Zoom online conference. He’s in charge of county finances, and he painted a gloomy picture because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Calix, 4/16)

Los Angeles Times: Undocumented Workers Who Pay Taxes Should Get Coronavirus Checks
The federal government this week began distributing stimulus checks to most people in the country who have a Social Security number. For many, it will be a welcome if inadequate lifeline at a time when large segments of this consumer-driven economy have stalled — retail sales plunged 8.7% in March, the worst slump on record. Job losses, too, have reached staggering levels, with some economists arguing that the collapse has been sharper than the relatively slow crumble of the Great Depression. People are fearful, people are suddenly unemployed, and people are broke. (4/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: U.S. Needs A 9/11-Style Commission On The Coronavirus Pandemic
With hundreds of thousands of Americans contracting the coronavirus — bringing death, overwhelming medical systems and devastating the economy — serious scrutiny and introspection is required to contain the damage in the short term and prevent a recurrence in the future. The scale of national trauma in some ways exceeds the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001. Heading into Easter weekend, the death toll from the pandemic was several times greater than 9/11, and the impact on the economy was expected to be deeper and more enduring. (John Diaz, 4/11)

Los Angeles Times: Nurses Get Punished For Protesting Coronavirus Unpreparedness
When Chelsea Halmy reported for her nighttime shift in the COVID-19 unit at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on April 11, she made what she thought was a routine request: to be provided with an N95 respirator mask before coming into contact with patients. As she knew, the N95 masks were the most effective in the hospital’s stock for blocking potential infection by the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. Her supervisor said no; standard surgical masks were good enough, she was told. (Michael Hiltzik, 4/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Hospitals Are A Business, Too. Coronavirus Is Threatening Them
It’s week five of the Bay Area’s stay-at-home order, and our local health system is feeling the pressure — not from a patient crush that thankfully has yet to overrun hospitals, but from the same financial hardships affecting so many businesses. I spoke with two leaders in the health care field who said having to cancel most nonessential treatment and transfer doctors, nurses and other workers to prepare for a possible wave of coronavirus patients was hurting the bottom line big time. Layoffs aren’t out of the question. (Willie Brown, 4/11)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Shows Gaps In U.S. Ability To Track Disease
In the U.S., federal expenditures for public health have fallen from 1% of total healthcare expenditures in the early 1970s to 0.3% in 2018. But there is nothing like a global pandemic to motivate the public to pause and consider the proper role of government in healthcare and how to improve the system. As we move forward, one key component of a strengthened public health system should be a real-time universal data system for tracking infectious disease. (H. Gilbert Welch, 4/17)

San Jose Mercury News: COVID-19 Is Scary But, At Highland Hospital, We've Got This
I know everyone is scared.  Events in China, Italy and New York City are terrifying. The world seems defenseless against the novel coronavirus. I completely understand. But I can tell you, we are ready to deal with this. We are not afraid.  We got this. (Arun Nagdev, 4/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Navy Should Restore Capt. Crozier’s Command Of Coronavirus-Stricken Ship
The Navy brass and its civilian leadership under President Trump may never get back all the credibility they lost by firing Capt. Brett Crozier, who had the moral courage and clarity to speak up for his sailors as the deadly coronavirus tore through his aircraft carrier. But restoring the captain to his command would begin to right the ship. Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, is reportedly considering a reinstatement of Crozier as commander of the Theodore Roosevelt pending further review. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has also indicated that officials could return Crozier to his position. (4/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Sci-Fi By The Bay: Bracing For Post-Peak Coronavirus In The Cool, Gray City Of Love
The Bay Area may have avoided the fate of New York, but rising COVID-19 cases and deaths across California leave us bracing in cities emptied and transformed. We wait to hit peak and steel ourselves for the day after. I typically travel to San Francisco several days a week from Oakland. I recently ventured in to retrieve books from my office. Walking to BART, I get zero hellos and less eye contact than I’ve grown used to in California. People don’t appear unfriendly, just guarded. I feel like I’m back in the New York City of my childhood. (Stacy Torres, 4/17)

San Jose Mercury News: What Inmates Can Teach Us About Surviving COVID-19 Lockdown
With the current pandemic, there are lessons to learn and even inspiration to take away from the incarcerated community that can benefit us all. Having served 13 years in prison, our friend Matt Hearn draws an important lesson from incarceration. “We’ve been conditioned to do without a lot of luxuries. At the end of the day, what’s important is your mental health and stability.” (Ed Kressy and Paul Lamb, 4/17)

Fresno Bee: Vulnerable Populations Need Help In Face Of Coronavirus Crisis 
The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped the mask off the genteel charade of equity in our society. In its relentless course through the country, the virus has laid bare the stark reality that our most vulnerable residents continue to be victimized by a callous and predatory system that limits their access to quality, affordable health care, basic employment benefits, housing and education. (Anthonly Iton, 4/15)

Fresno Bee: CA Nursing Homes Need More Workers To Defeat Coronavirus 
Ten elderly residents at a care center in Yucaipa. Seven residents at a Hayward nursing home. Six at a skilled nursing facility in Visalia. They are senior citizens who became infected with the coronavirus and died. Clearly, one of the most dangerous places to be in California in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic is a nursing facility. (4/14)

Sacramento Bee: California Pastors Sue Gavin Newsom Over Coronavirus Shutdown 
On Saturday, a Virginia pastor who had mocked the coronavirus and ignored social distancing guidelines to hold a large church service died of COVID-19. On Monday, a group of pastors in Southern California filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing him of violating their constitutional rights with his statewide stay-at-home order to slow the virus’ spread. (4/14)

Los Angeles Times: Endorsement: Christy Smith Ready To Help Lead Congress Past Coronavirus
Local elections may be the last thing on anyone’s mind at the moment. Picking candidates on a ballot is far down on the list of concerns when the economy is in free fall and even a short trip to the grocery store is potentially dangerous. But for people in the Antelope, Simi and Santa Clarita valleys, voting in the May 12 special election is a pandemic response in its own right. (4/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘The Problem Is Getting Worse’: SF’s Troubled Tenderloin Buckles Under Weight Of Coronavirus
Tenderloin residents have long felt dismissed by City Hall. It’s adjacent to the seat of San Francisco power geographically, but it might as well be a world away. Though city officials would never admit it, they’ve long treated the low-income neighborhood as a containment zone, tolerating everything from blatant drug-dealing to open-air injection drug use to filthy sidewalks that wouldn’t stand in wealthier parts of town. (Heather Knight, 4/17)