Coronavirus live updates: Los Angeles County issues new 'safer-at-home' order as CA cases surge

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Saturday, November 28, 2020
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact across the world and also in cities across Northern California. The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC's 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7's daily interactive newscast about the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and other hot topics. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:

Nov. 27, 2020

3:45 p.m.
LA County issues new 'safer-at-home' order

Los Angeles County has issued a new safer-at-home order that that prohibits all public and private gatherings with someone outside your own household starting Monday amid a surge in California cases. Get the full story here.

2:30 p.m.
Santa Clara County issues 76 COVID-19 violations on Friday by noon

The South Bay county says they've issued 76 Notices of Violation as of noon on Friday. Michael Balliet, Director of Community and Business Engagement says they noted a few large crowds and most of the violations were because businesses failed to submit a revised Social Distancing Protocol which outlines how the operation will keep the public safe amid the rise in COVID-19 cases. Officials remind that fines issued over the holiday weekend will not have a grace period and additional inspectors will continue visiting high traffic areas to look out for the public safety.

2 p.m.
Sonoma Co. plans for 2nd straight year without fair

According to the Press Democrat, Sonoma County is not planning to hold a fair for the second straight year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Becky Bartling, CEO for the Sonoma County Fair, reportedly said the budget she's presenting to county leaders next month won't include the fair, which normally happens in August.

10 a.m.

Santa Clara Co. health officials urge public not to travel

Santa Clara County health officials are urging the public to limit traveling this holiday weekend because of the surge in coroanvirus cases in the region.

9:40 a.m.

SantaCon, San Francisco's annual city-wide Santas-only pub crawl has been canceled this year because of COVID-19. The flash mob-type event brings together hundreds of people dressed in Santa costumes. The event had been scheduled for Saturday, December 12.

9 a.m.

Coronavirus restrictions trigger shorter Black Friday lines in Bay Area

From Walmarts, to Targets, Best Buys and GameStops, the Bay Area is seeing shorter than usual Black Friday lines because of coronavirus restrictions and warnings this year.

7:30 a.m.

US reports over 110,000 new cases on Thanksgiving

There were 110,611 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Thursday, the day of Thanksgiving, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. It's the 24th straight day that the country has reported over 100,000 newly diagnosed infections. Thursday's count is down from a peak of 196,004 new cases on Nov. 20.

Nov. 26, 2020

4:30 p.m.
UCSF will be one of 1st hospitals in the world to receive Pfizer's COVID-19

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that UCSF is one of seven California hospitals that will be among the first in the world for early distribution of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, once it is approved by federal officials.

7 a.m.
Stepping up COVID-19 enforcement in Santa Clara Co.

Santa Clara County is stepping up enforcement of safety regulations at businesses this Thanksgiving. Violators do not have a grace period anymore. County health officials warned, "Do not have gatherings and do not travel. Period." Santa Clara County says it hit a new high for daily cases with more than 500 on Tuesday.

6:30 a.m.
Alameda County is 1st to record more than 500 deaths in Bay Area

Alameda County is the first county in the Bay Area to record more than 500 deaths due to COVID-19. Solano County has crested 10,000 cases.

6 a.m.
SF's GLIDE prepares for first-ever outdoor Thanksgiving meal

The annual Thanksgiving feast held at GLIDE Memorial Church in San Francisco gives a turkey meal to anyone who wants it. Usually thousands are served inside, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, this year's meal will be served outside. Here's the full story.

5 a.m.

TSA reports 1 million air travelers Sunday

TSA reported on Thursday that 1,047,943 passengers passed through checkpoints on Sunday -- the most since March -- despite strong warnings to stay home this Thanksgiving.

Nov. 25, 2020

CA sets new record for daily cases

California has just hit a new record with 18,350 COVID-19 cases reported in a single day across the state. The previous record was set this past Saturday with 15,442 cases.

10 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. gives COVID-19 update

Santa Clara County health officials gave an update on COVID-19 as cases surge across the state. The county is reporting 512 new cases and 45 new hospitalizations. Residents in the county are being urged to not have gatherings or travel for Thanksgiving this year. "We are extremely concerned about what it means for our hospitals ability to care -- not only for people with COVID-19 -- but for other people who need access to care in our hospitals. This is the time of year when normally hospitals get fuller and a lot of the models and projections don't account for that -- so we are even more concerned now than when we had surges over the summer," said James Williams, County Counsel.

7:55 a.m.

Weekly unemployment filings surge to 778,000

Some 778,000 workers lost their jobs and filed for unemployment insurance last week, the Department of Labor said Wednesday. This is an uptick of 30,000 compared to the previous week, and the second consecutive week that the weekly tally has risen after it was on the decline for months.

7:25 a.m.
Amtrak implements enhanced cleaning protocols

Some travelers are looking for alternatives to flying. One option is taking the train. Amtrak is running trains at about 50-percent capacity. It implemented new and enhanced cleaning protocols. Everything from schedules to payments is accessed through an app for a contactless experience. Doctors say train travel can be as safe as planes, with the right protocols. If you plan to take a train, doctors recommend sitting next to a vent, crack open a window if you can, and keep your masks on at all times.

Nov. 24, 2020

12:30 p.m.
SF officials give update on new infections, hospitalizations

Dr. Grant Colfax held a press conference on the latest COVID-19 updates as the city remains in the red tier of the state's reopening framework. Though San Francsico is one step away from the most restrictive tier, officials anticipate the city to move to the purple tier "sometime soon" or as early as "later this week," Dr. Colfax said. Moving back to the most restrictive tier entails rolling back and reducing capacity of several activities within 24 hours. Read more about what the purple tier means here.

Dr. Colfax said the city's COVID-19 hospitalization rates have doubled since Oct. with 54 hospitalizations today, SF reports 14,545 total cases and 158 deaths and an average of 6,000 tests being conducted daily.

Dr. Colfax stressed that a negative COVID-19 test is not a ticket to mingle with people outside your household this holiday season. Miss the press conference? Watch the full update here.

11 a.m.
More CA counties move tiers due to COVID-19 case increase

As COVID-19 cases increase across the state, California is moving the following counties to different tiers. No Bay Area counties are changing. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's Health and Human Services Secretary, is holding a press conference at noon to announce the changes.

  • Yellow to orange: Alpine, Mariposa counties
  • Orange to red: Calaveras County
  • Red to purple: Colusa, Del Norte, Humboldt counties
  • Orange to purple: Lassen County
  • Red to orange: Modoc County

10:45 a.m.
Nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases, 5 more deaths in Bay Area

Bay Area health officials are reporting the Bay Area has had 1,962 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths in the past 24 hours.

7:30 a.m.
More Bay Area counties could move into purple tier today

More counties could move into California's most restrictive purple tier today -- that may include San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties. California's Health Secretary will give an update at noon.

Nov. 23, 2020

2:30 p.m.

California records 8,337 new COVID-19 cases Monday

California released updated number of coronavirus cases for Monday. The state reported a daily count of 8,337 new infections, adding to 1,110,370 total cases to date. The 7-day average is 11,591 cases and the 14-day average is 9,894. The 7-day positivity rate decreased slightly to 5.8% from 6% Sunday, while the 14-day positivity rate remains at 5.5%. See the latest Bay Area totals county-by-county here.

5:40 a.m.

Despite the CDC guidance not to travel, more than 3 million people passed through TSA checkpoints between Friday and Sunday.

Here are the numbers comparing travel from 2020 to 2019.

  • Friday, 11/20/2020: 1,019,836 | 11/20/2019: 2,550,459
  • Saturday, 11/21/2020: 984,369 | 11/21/2019: 2,194,291
  • Sunday, 11/21/2020: 1,047,934 | 11/22/2019: 2,321,546

Next Sunday is projected to be the busiest day of travel for the holiday week.

4:30 a.m.

Only half of SF's 215 hotels are open

Even with travelers, the pandemic is cutting deep into San Francisco's tourism business. ABC7 News contributor and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier reports -- only about half of the city's 215 hotels are open. Those that are open were only about one-third full in October. Hotel Nikko is lucky to have 30 guests booked into its 530-rooms and at the Marriott, only about 20-percent of its rooms are occupied. The city's Controllers Office predicts it could take up to six years for the tourism industry to recover.

Nov. 22, 2020

10 p.m.
Gov. Newsom and his family quarantining after exposure to COVID-19

In a tweet, Gov. Gavin Newsom said 3 of his children were exposed to a CHP officer who tested positive for COVID-19. Their family will be quarantine for 14 days. Late Friday evening, @JenSiebelNewsom and I learned that 3 of our children had been exposed to an officer from the California Highway Patrol who had tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here.

6 p.m.
1st night of CA curfew brings few issues for Bay Area police

Day one of California's COVID-19 related curfew was uneventful for many Bay Area police agencies but left some residents wondering why all local counties aren't included. Read more here.

3 p.m.
Los Angeles Co. to shut down all dining Wednesday due to COVID-19 surge

Los Angeles County is restricting dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars for at least three weeks starting Wednesday amid a surge in coronavirus cases. More details here.

10 a.m.
State reports more than 14,000 new cases, second highest in single day

California reported another 14,319 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, one of three record-breaking days this week in the COVID-19 surge. Friday saw the highest number of new cases with more than 15,000 reported - Saturday is the second highest day since the pandemic began. Another 33 people also died on Saturday, marking a total of 18,676 deaths statewide.

Nov. 21, 2020

10 p.m.
California's nighttime curfew begins

A majority of Californians are under a nighttime curfew beginning Saturday as surging coronavirus cases threaten to swamp health care systems, and the state's largest county warned that an even more drastic lockdown could be imminent.

The newest restrictions require people to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless they are responding to an emergency, shopping for groceries, picking up takeout or walking their dogs. The curfew will last until Dec. 21, with a possible extension if rapidly worsening trends don't improve.

6:00p.m.
CA sets US record for most newly confirmed cases in single day

Research shows that California set a national record Saturday for most single-day cases of COVID-19.

On Friday, 15,442 cases were confirmed.

The previous high was in Florida back in July with 15,299 new cases in a single day.

4:40 p.m.
The US surpasses 12 million COVID-19 cases, data shows

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the United States has surpassed 12 million total novel coronavirus cases.

11:25a.m.
California reports more than 15,000 new cases in single day

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced there were 15,442 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday.

This is the highest single-day case number since the pandemic began.

1,087,714 confirmed cases to date.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.1% and the 14-day positivity rate is 5.4%.

There have been 18,643 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Nov. 20, 2020

11:45
California reports record-breaking 13,005 cases in single day

California reported more than 13,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, shattering the previous record for the highest number of cases reported in a single day in the state. With 13,005 new cases, the state now has 1,072,272 cases of the virus, with a seven-day positivity rate just under 6 percent. Another 60 people died of the virus, the state reported Friday, marking 18,557 deaths across the state since the pandemic began.

10:45 a.m.
Bay Area hits 140,000 cases

We hit another milestone by reaching 140,000 cases in the Bay Area, according to new data. It took only 8 days to go from 130,000 to 140,000.

6:30 a.m.
Golden Gate Fields extends closure because of coronavirus outbreak

Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley is closed until at least next month because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The track announced a one-week closure on November 13 -- it's now being extended. The track's general manager told Berkeleyside that the outbreak started in the barn area. Berkeley city officials said there have been more than 130 new cases the past two days, due to a single outbreak - but would not confirm where. The horses stabled at the track will continue to get care during the closure.

Nov. 19, 2020

7:20 a.m.
Piedmont Unified delays plan for in-person classes

The spike in cases is forcing schools to rethink in-person learning. This includes districts like Piedmont Unified, which has suspended its plans to reopen the first week of December.

Nov. 18, 2020

10:55 a.m.
2,883 more COVID-19 cases in Bay Area since Monday

Health officials are reporting 2,883 more COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area since Monday and 10 more deaths.

10:15 a.m.
Santa Clara Co. health officials give update on COVID-19

Santa Clara County health officials are reminding the public that COVID-19 testing is not a ticket to travel. Health officials say that you could get COVID-19 between the time you are tested and when you meet with friends and family. They are urging people to stay safe during the holiday season.

4:45 a.m.
California could adopt strict new COVID-19 workplace standards

California could adopt strict new workplace standards to protect employees from COVID-19. Tomorrow, Cal/OSHA will vote on the new emergency regulations. If passed employers would be required to identify and notify all workers exposed to positive cases within one business day, mandate and enforce the wearing of face coverings in the workplace, implement safety measures in employer-provided housing and transportation, and provide free testing to employees in the event of positive cases in the workplace. If approved, this could go into effect as early as November 30.

Nov. 17, 2020

3:40 p.m.
California reports 8,743 new daily COVID-19 cases

The state released updated novel coronavirus numbers for Tuesday. California reports 8,743 new infections in a day, totalling to 1,037,978 since the pandemic first began in March. The 7-day average is 8,680 cases and the 14-day average is 7,379. The 7-day positivity rate is 5.2% and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.7%. See the latest Bay Area numbers county-by-county here.

12 p.m.
CA says masks must be worn outdoors at all times

In an effort to curb the spread of rising COVID-19 cases, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday that California is "pulling the emergency brake" by moving 40 counties back to more restrictive reopening tiers and tightening the face mask rules in the state. The state now says people must wear a face covering at all times when outside the home if they are within 6 feet of others not in their household. Read the exceptions here.

4:45 a.m.

Contra Costa Co. urges families to get tested before Thanksgiving

Contra Costa County wants you to get tested for COVID-19 before Thanksgiving. Today, a caravan of families will drive to the testing site on North Concord Drive. It's part of the county's "Testing before Turkey" campaign. Although big family gatherings are not recommended this year, many families will still participate in smaller Thanksgiving dinners.

Nov. 16, 2020

7:00 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. businesses fighting for survival, again

California's significant rollback didn't come as a huge surprise in Santa Clara County, where health officials had been monitoring a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

California's significant rollback didn't come as a huge surprise in Santa Clara County, where health officials had been monitoring a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. The county, which had been expected to move from orange to red on Tuesday, as part of the state's reopening framework, will instead jump into the purple tier.

"We really need every single person living and working in our county to take this extremely seriously," said health officer Dr. Sara Cody, in a press conference following the governor's midday announcement. "We know this virus can spread silently."

As county leaders plead with the public to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19, business owners are doing what they can to move forward. Red Dot Fitness in San Jose is preparing to ramp up its virtual coaching and outdoor training offerings since fitness facilities won't be allowed to operate inside while the county is in the purple.

"The work that we're putting in now to help others hopefully helps us in the long run," said Red Dot Fitness co-owner Scott Howell.

However, some businesses are worried they won't be able to make a comeback. Diem Nguyen, co-owner at Pho Bel Air in San Jose was used to serving a consistently-packed dining room before the pandemic hit. She's now in the process of furloughing her staff and is unsure how much longer she'll be able to stay open, especially with the recent elimination of indoor dining.

"I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Nguyen. "But I probably have to close for good because we drained out all of our savings for the last eight months."

2:45 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. moves backward to purple tier of reopening following 'rapid' uptick in COVID-19 cases

Santa Clara County health officials held a news conference on Monday after Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the county was moving back to the most restrictive tier, purple. Dr. Sara Cody says this is due in part to a "rapid" uptick in cases in the county. Officials say the new restrictions will take effect Tuesday.

12:30 p.m.
SF mayor gives update on COVID-19 after state moves city backward to red tier of reopening

Mayor London Breed held a briefing after the state moved the city backward from the yellow tier to the red tier of reopening due to a "massive surge" in COVID-19 cases. That means effective Tuesday, Nov. 17, gyms must reduce capacity to 10% and the city needs to roll back on reopening non-essential offices. See the specifics on what the red tier means here.

Dr. Grant Colfax says this is the third surge in San Francisco and "it is moving aggressively." From October 10 to November 10, daily new COVID cases jumped from a 7-day average of 29 cases per day to 97 cases per day.

"Together, we have beaten back the virus twice before and we can do it again by taking the proper precautions," Colfax says in a press release. "We must take every possible precaution to protect ourselves, our families and our community. Do not travel this holiday season. The choices we make in the next two weeks will save lives and determine the remainder of this holiday season. COVID-19 is not resting and neither can we."

12 p.m.
40 CA counties move backward to more restrictive reopening tiers

Governor Gavin Newsom said California is "pulling the emergency brake" as COVID-19 cases have doubled across the state in the past 10 days. 40 California counties are moving backward on the state's reopening tiers due to a spike in coronavirus cases, and Governor Newsom said that he and other health officials are considering "the notion of a curfew." More information from the governor's press conference here.

4:30 a.m.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 94.5% effective, late-stage Phase 3 trial finds

The interim analysis shows Moderna's vaccine could be up to 94.5% effective. The company plans to ask the FDA for authorization "in the coming weeks" after safety data is available. This puts them on track with Pfizer to possibly have FDA emergency use authorization by the end of the year.

Nov. 15, 2020

10 p.m.
Solano Co. at risk of moving backward to purple tier by Nov. 24, county warns

Solano County says the county is at risk of moving back from the red tier to the purple tier in California's framework for reopening due to due to rising case counts. This past week, the county recorded a case rate of 11.3 per 100K, higher than the 7 per 100K daily case rate allowed to stay in the substantial (red) tier. On Thursday, the county warned that they could move back to the most restrictive (purple) tier as early as Nov. 24.

Going back to purple tier means that businesses such as museums, places of worship, movie theaters, gyms and restaurants, can only operate services outdoors. Here's a map that shows which counties can, can't reopen under Newsom's 4-tier system.

9:33 p.m.
Contra Costa Co. hosts 'Testing Before Turkey' campaign

Contra Costa County is going a different message ahead of the holidays. The county launched a "Testing Before Turkey" campaign to encourage families planning to gather on Thanksgiving to get tested to limit the spread. See safety recommendations for celebrating Thanksgiving from health experts here.

9:25 p.m.
COVID-19 cases top 11 million in the US

Novel coronavirus cases have reached 11 million in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. See the latest numbers is the Bay Area and across the globe here.

8:45 p.m.
Growing demand for San Francisco coronavirus testing sites as cases surge, holidays approach

The spike in COVID-19 cases is rising the demand for testing in the Bay Area is growing too -- but some testing sites are reaching capacity. One neighborhood advocate is calling for more testing sites to handle the load.

"The lines are getting longer and longer," said Jon Jocobo.

Jacobo is the Health Committee chairman from the Latino Task Force. He says demand is high at a test site in the Mission district. Recently, 500 people are getting tested every day. Read more here.

7:35 p.m.
10 UC Davis students quarantining after alleged frat party

UC Davis is looking into an alleged frat party where up to 20 people may have been exposed to COVID-19 after one member of Theta Chi Fraternity tested positive for the virus. Yolo County officials instructed members to quarantine and nine of the 10 students are isolating in designated quarantine apartments on campus. In a university news release, the school said they received reports that Theta Chi held a gathering of 10 to 20 people on Thursday evening, Nov. 12, which violates quarantine protocols and county and campus guidelines.

"We are deeply disappointed and troubled by the alleged behavior and decisions demonstrated by these students," Chancellor Gary S. May said.

12:30 p.m.
CA reports 10,968 new cases in single day, state data shows

California reported nearly 11,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, marking well over one million cases statewide to date. Another 35 people died of the virus and more than 3,600 remain hospitalized in California. The seven-day positivity rate stands at 4.8 percent and the 14-day rate is slightly lower at 4.4 percent. Nearly 200,000 Californians have been tested over a 24-hour period on Saturday, according to the latest state data.

Nov. 14, 2020

4:45 p.m.
Coronavirus cases globally and nationally

There have been 53,757,027 COVID-19 cases and 1,308,122 cases reported globally, according to John Hopkins University. In the U.S., the university says there has been 10,859,661 infections and 245,453 COVID-19 related deaths. In the last week, the U.S. has reported nearly 1 million COVID-19 cases (955,084). That means approximately 1 in every 343 Americans tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

3 p.m.
Santa Clara County officials give update on COVID-19

Supervisor Dave Cortese held a town hall on the coronavirus pandemic in Santa Clara County. Dr. Sara Cody, the county's health officer, says the average per day case went from 139 on Nov. 1 to 210 per day as of Saturday in Santa Clara County. She advised that essential workers who interact with individuals outside of their households should get tested every two weeks as infections increase throughout the county and state.

WATCH: Dr. Cody offers advice, dangers on Thanksgiving holiday

Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara Co. Health Officer and Public Health Department Director, offers advice, possible dangers, for Thanksgiving holiday.

11a.m.
California Department of Public Health Announces Latest Data

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says the state has 1,008,377 confirmed cases to date.

There were 9,875 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 4.6% and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.2%.

There have been 18,218 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Nov. 13, 2020

1:20 p.m.
Marin Co. to close indoor dining

Marin County will be shutting down indoor dining, movie theater concessions and food courts beginning Tuesday, following several other Bay Area counties in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Malls, libraries and gyms can continue to operate at limited capacity. Wineries and cardrooms must operate outdoors only under the new guidelines.

1:15 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. to close to indoor dining on Tuesday

Santa Clara County, the Bay Area's first epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, is shutting down indoor dining and moving into the state's red tier on Tuesday. Unless COVID-19 is "quickly" brought under control, the county's health officer expects the county to move into the most restrictive purple tier in a few weeks. The average number of daily COVID-19 has more than doubled since early October, the health department said, prompting the new restrictions. Indoor dining will close in Santa Clara beginning Tuesday.

12 p.m.
Contra Costa Co. closing indoor dining, fitness centers

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Contra Costa County is ordering the closure of indoor dining, fitness centers and concession stands at movie theaters beginning next Tuesday at 8 a.m. This comes as California marked one million cases of coronavirus on Thursday. Dine-in restaurants first reopened in late September when the county was upgraded to the state's red tier.

9 a.m.
West Coast governors issue travel advisory ahead of holidays

The governors of the West Coast states of California, Washington and Oregon have issued an advisory recommending against non-essential travel as the holiday season looms and the US sees a spike in COVID-19 cases. The advisory also encourages travelers from out of state to self-quarantine for 14 days. Get the full story here.

7:15 a.m.

SF to roll back certain activities

Tonight, San Francisco will begin rolling back certain activities even though the city is still in the state's least restrictive, yellow tier. At midnight -- indoor dining at restaurants will no longer be allowed and gyms and movie theaters will have to reduce capacity. The city is also pausing plans to reopen more high schools. Mayor London Breed says there's been a 250% increase in COVID cases since early October.

11:35 a.m.
Alameda Co. to pause more reopenings of activities

Alameda County announced Thursday it is pausing the reopening of any additional activities because of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area and California. Alameda County is in the state's "orange" tier, meaning there is a moderate spread of the virus. In this category, hair salons, malls and restaurants can operate indoors with limited capacity. In a statement the county said it anticipates moving to a more restrictive tier soon because of the change in COVID-19. "In recent weeks we have seen day-over-day increases in the number of new cases reported, along with steady increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations," the county statement said.

11:10 a.m.

10,000 new cases in under 2 weeks in Bay Area

Bay Area county health officials are reporting 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area in the past 13 days. There are 130,000 people who have been infected with the coronavirus in the region since the pandemic hit.

Nov. 11, 2020

10:25 a.m.

762 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths in Bay Area

Bay Area health officials report 762 new COVID-19 cases and 7 more deaths in the past 24 hours.

6:30 a.m.

Palo Alto Unified approves hybrid learning plan

A plan to bring middle and high school students back to classrooms has been approved by the Palo Alto Unified School Board over the objections of many teachers and parents. Hybrid learning is now scheduled to start January 7. Students would be placed in cohorts of 30 to 60 people. English and History would be taught in-person with a class size of 15 students. Parents have the choice to continue distance learning for the rest of the school year.

Nov. 10, 2020

5:30 p.m.
California reaches 18,000 COVID-19 deaths

The state reports 5,367 new COVID-19 cases, totalling to 977,218 infections since the pandemic started. On Tuesday, the state reported 24 deaths which total to 18,001 daths avross the state. See Bay Area numbers here.

7-day average: 6,078 14-day average: 5,216

7-day positivity rate: 4.2% 14-day positivity rate: 3.7%

12:30 p.m.
SF mayor, director of health provide COVID-19 updates

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax hosted a virtual press conference to provide an update on COVID-19. Starting Friday, the city plans to eliminate indoor dining, reduce capacity in gyms and movie theaters and pause from reopening high schools due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Details here.

5 a.m.

SF Board of Education to consider plan to reopen schools in January

Today the San Francisco Board of Education will consider a plan to reopen public schools in January. The Chronicle reports three of the seven board members support the plan. It includes reopening elementary schools for students with disabilities, plus students in preschool, transitional kindergarten, and first grade. Other grades would be added later on. The district says ongoing negotiations with the teachers' union and insufficient supplies have hindered them from setting a firm schedule for reopening. The board could vote as soon as next week.

Nov. 9, 2020

5:40 p.m.
Santa Clara County sees sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases, urges public to follow safety guidelines

With the holidays fast approaching, Santa Clara County health officials are on high alert after seeing a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases and are urging the public to do its part to help reduce the spread of the disease by following safety guidelines such as wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings with members outside of your household.

"The rate of change has been very steep and that is a concern," said Dr. Sara Cody, the county's public health officer. "We've seen this before and it got us into trouble." Read more here.

5:10 p.m.
FDA gives emergency OK to Lilly's antibody treatment for coronavirus

The US Food and Drug Administration said Monday it had issued an emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly and Co's monoclonal antibody therapy to treat mild to moderate coronavirus infections in adults and children. Read more here.

2:20 p.m.

California reports 7,212 new COVID-19 cases Monday

California reports 7,212 new COVID-19 cases Monday, adding to the total of 971,851. 14 more deaths are reported in the state due to the virus, adding to 17,977 to date. The 7-day positivity rate is recorded at 4.1% while the 14-day rate is at 3.7%, according to state health officials.

12 p.m.
US hits 10M COVID-19 cases

The U.S. has confirmed more than 10 million coronavirus cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as infections continue to rise in nearly every state. New daily confirmed cases are up more than 60% over the past two weeks, to an average of nearly 109,000 a day. Average daily cases are on the rise in 48 states.

10:45 a.m.
SF Symphony cancels concerts through June 30, 2021

With the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, the San Francisco Symphony announced that it will cancel all concerts through June 30, 2021. Read their full release here.

9:20 a.m.

Biden encourages mask wearing for Americans

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday cheered news about the promising development of a coronavirus vaccine but cautioned Americans need to be aggressive about mask wearing and social distancing as infections continue to surge around the country.

8:30 a.m.

Biden, Harris meet with COVID-19 advisory board

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris met with their newly-announced COVID-19 advisory board via Zoom Monday morning at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware, for a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic -- a signal of Biden's primary focus as he prepares to take office in 72 days. There will be three UCSF doctors on this task force -- including Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology Dr. David Kessler. He's been named one of three co-chairs. Two other UCSF doctors, Robert Rodriguez and Eric Goosby are members of the board.

6:45 a.m.

Stocks soar on vaccine news

Stock markets rocketed higher Monday after Pfizer said early data show its coronavirus vaccine is effective and investors breathed a sigh of relief after days of U.S. presidential limbo ended with Democrat Joe Biden declared the president-elect. Markets were already sharply higher on the U.S. election result when Pfizer said that data shows vaccine shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, indicating the company is on track this month to file an emergency use application with U.S. regulators. Any economic recovery depends on checking the pandemic, and investors pounced upon the news. Pfizer's data is only preliminary and does not mean a vaccine is imminent. Getting the vaccine to billions of people will be a massive undertaking, even if it is approved.

4:30 a.m.

Pfizer: Early data shows COVID vaccine may be 90% effective

Pfizer says an early peek at its vaccine data suggests the shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, indicating the company is on track later this month to file an emergency use application with U.S. regulators. Monday's announcement doesn't mean a vaccine is imminent: This interim analysis, from an independent data monitoring board, looked at 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the U.S. and five other countries. Pfizer Inc. did not provide any more details about those cases, and cautioned the initial protection rate might change by the time the study ends.

Nov. 8, 2020

3:30 p.m.
California reports nearly 5,900 new cases in 1 day

California reported a total of 5,863 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, marking nearly 957,000 cases in the state since the pandemic began. The seven-day positivity rate stands at 3.3 percent. Another 73 people died of the virus on Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths statewide to 17,939.

Nov. 6, 2020

1p.m.
Santa Clara County increases testing next week

Santa Clara County officials say tests have risen by 1,000 per day, and more people can get tested next Week. Officials say tests recently passed the million mark. This level of testing has helped the health of the community and allowed the county to move into less restrictive tiers, they added.

Next week, appointment-only testing will be conducted at sites in Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills and Santa Clara. Appointments can be made starting seven days in advance of the testing date until all slots are reserved here.

San José

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Parking Lot A (across from the blue arch) - Drive-through, bike, and walk-up appointments

Across the street from the Fairgrounds main entrance, 344 Tully Road, San José, CA 95111

Appointments Tuesday-Friday, Nov. 10 - Nov. 13, 11:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunnyvale

Murphy Park, 260 N. Sunnyvale Ave., Sunnyvale, 94086

By appointment only for Monday, Nov. 9, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill Council Chamber Building, 17555 Peak Ave., Morgan Hill, CA 95037

By appointment only for Tuesday, Nov. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saratoga

Saratoga Friendship Hall, 19848 Prospect Road, Saratoga, 95070

By appointment only for Thursday, Nov. 12, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Santa Clara

Santa Clara Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA 95051

By appointment only for Thursday, Nov. 12, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Los Altos Hills

Los Altos Hills Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Blvd., Los Altos Hills

By appointment only for Friday, Nov. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pop-Up Sites: No appointments needed and only for people without symptoms. Testing will be available on Veterans Day.

San José

Emmanuel Baptist Church, 467 N. White Road, San Jose, 95127

Tuesday to Friday, Nov. 10 - Nov. 13, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Gilroy

South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary) - 9300 Wren Ave., Gilroy, 95020

Tuesday to Friday, Nov. 10 - Nov. 13, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The county test sites provide COVID-19 tests free of charge, regardless of immigration status, and no doctor's note is needed. At some county test sites, people with insurance may be asked to provide their insurance information, so that payment from the insurance company can be collected.

12 p.m.
California COVID-19 numbers

New cases: 6,518 (951,094 total)

7-day average: 4,882

14-day average: 4,588

Deaths: 51 (17,866 total)

7-day positivity rate: 3.6%

14-day positivity rate: 3.4%

Nov. 5, 2020

UC Berkeley football player tests positive for COVID-19

UC Berkeley's football home opener against the Washington Huskies on Saturday was canceled Thursday after a Cal player tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the quarantine of several other players.

Cal's home opener will be declared a no contest, according to the university. This is the first positive coronavirus test on the team since Cal began testing players last month. The player remains asymptomatic, according to Cal Athletics.

Pac-12 said in a statement that it approved Cal's request to cancel Saturday's game because the team does not have the minimum number of scholarship players to play in Saturday's game with the positive COVID-19 diagnosis. "Several" other Cal players are now in quarantine for contact tracing because of the COVID-19 diagnosis.

COVID-19 guidelines for travelers

New COVID-19 guidelines for the Bay Area are under consideration, aimed at the heavy holiday travel season. There's a possibility of a two-week quarantine for visitors and residents alike. You can read more about it here.

Nov. 4, 2020

12 p.m.
CA health secretary gives COVID-19 update

California's Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, gave an update on reopening the state amid the coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases are up in California -- 5,338 for November 4 with a seven-day average of 4,461. However, Ghaly says he is not calling this a new coronavirus wave. California COVID-19 trends are "modest and steady" and, while our numbers are a bit higher than two weeks ago, we're not in the same condition as many of the states seeing spikes in the nation.

Positivity rate is now 3.3%, hospitalizations increased 13.5% in two weeks and ICU admissions increased 19.5% in two weeks.

Ghaly said the tier system has helped the state keep cases and spread down. No Bay Area counties are changing tiers this week, but Ghaly says Contra Costa County is trending in the wrong direction.

10 a.m.
3 NorCal counties change reopening tiers

Three counties, all in Northern California, are moving reopening tiers on California's color-coded map. Colusa County is being moved into a less restrictive tier, from "red" to "orange." Plumas County is being moved to a more restrictive tier ("yellow" to "orange"), as is Shasta County ("red" to "purple") due to worsening coronavirus trends. Get more details here.

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