Coronavirus live updates: San Francisco mayor calls criticism of French Laundry dinner 'fair'

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Thursday, December 3, 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.:

Dec. 3, 2020

11 a.m.
Breed calls criticism after French Laundry dinner 'fair'

San Francisco Mayor London Breed responded to criticism from the San Francisco Chronicle Thursday morning after it surfaced that she attended a birthday dinner at French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, just one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom. The mayor said the criticism is "fair," saying she needs to hold herself to a higher standard.

"What I especially regret is that the urgency of our public health message in this moment has never been more dire and my actions have distracted from that," Breed said in a tweet.

9:15 a.m.

Stanford seeks volunteers for COVID-19 saliva test

Volunteers are needed to try a COVID-19 test that's intended to detect the virus in a person's saliva. Stanford researchers developed the test. They say it takes no more than 10 minutes to self-administer. Results are expected within 30 minutes. Researchers say the test has an accuracy rate similar to clinical tests performed in hospitals. The saliva test is expected to cost about $5.

6:15 a.m.

Muni faces budget deficit, layoffs

SFMTA could be forced to layoff 18 to 22 percent of Muni employees as it faces a projected $68 million budget deficit. Revenue has been devastated as people avoid public transit during the pandemic. Without more federal funding, officials say they would need to layoff up to 1,200 full-time employees.

Dec. 2, 2020

2:15 p.m.
City of Oakland suspends indoor recreation programs

Oakland just announced that it's suspending indoor recreation programs due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. This will not impact outdoor youth programming, senior programs, homeless services and library sidewalk service.

2 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. reports COVID-19 cases at juvenile facilities

Santa Clara County officials reported that nine youth and four staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at Juvenile Hall and William F. James Ranch facilities. These are the first positive cases in their juvenile facilities in the nine months since the pandemic began. On Nov. 28, a youth with symptoms that was being detained in James Ranch tested positive. On Nov. 30, a youth who was detained at Juvenile Hall also exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, was tested and confirmed positive. All youth who were in close contact with those that were positive were tested and are under a 14-day quarantine.

11 a.m.

Santa Clara Co. health officials give COVID-19 update

Santa Clara County says the surge in COVID-19 patients they are seeing is "gravely concerning" and that they may run out of hospital capacity in a little more than a week. ICU capacity in hospitals serving the Eastern and Southern parts of the county has filled to 93% -- those are the hardest hit areas. County officials are imploring residents to avoid gatherings, wear masks, and put off unnecessary travel. The county also said it has submitted its plan to the state about how to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. The plan calls for the first doses to be directed towards frontline healthcare workers. A mandatory 14-day quarantine order went into effect over the weekend for people arriving to the county after travel.

9:15 a.m.

SF officials want teachers prioritized for vaccine

San Francisco officials want teachers to be prioritized after health care workers for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The Chronicle reports: The City's Board of Supervisors have proposed a resolution urging Governor Newsom and state health officials to allow teachers to be in the first round of vaccine distribution. They say teachers being vaccinated will allow schools to reopen as soon as possible. The Governor's office is finalizing its recommendations on who should receive the vaccine first.

6:30 a.m.

US reports over 180,000 new cases

There were 180,098 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Tuesday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. It's the 29th straight day that the country has reported over 100,000 newly diagnosed infections. Tuesday's count is down from a peak of 205,557 new cases last Friday.

Dec. 1, 2020

2 p.m.
Third-straight day of record COVID-19 hospitalizations in CA

California is seeing its third-straight day of record COVID-19 related hospitalizations. See the latest numbers below:

New cases: 12,221 (1,225,189 total)

7-day average: 14,213

14-day average: 13,372

7-day positivity rate: 7% (highest in a long time)

14-day positivity rate: 6.5% (up .3% from yesterday!!!)

Deaths: 70 (19,211 total)

7-day average: 63

14-day average: 65

HOSPITALIZATIONS: 8,240 (new record)/1,890 in ICU

11:15 a.m.

2,668 new COVID-19 cases in Bay Area

Bay Area health officals are reporting 2,668 new COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area. Santa Clara County had the most with 793 new cases and Solano County was second with 612 cases.

7:15 a.m.

Santa Clara County issues fines for COVID-19 violations

Santa Clara County is working to make sure businesses follow COVID-19 safety guidelines. Enforcement teams just wrapped up a Black Friday crackdown. The county says teams visited more than 400 businesses and issued fines for more than $115,000. The top three violations were failure to submit or post a revised Social Distancing Protocol and failure to post a required sign about capacity.

Nov. 30, 2020

2:55 p.m.
CA reports record number of hospitalizations in 24 hours

The state records 7,787 current COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 1,812 in the ICU. 14,034 new infections were reported in a day and the 7 day average is 14,657 cases. The hospital count surpasses Sunday's record of 7,415 patients. Gov. Gavin Newsom says by mid-December, the state predicts the ICU beds in California will be at 112% capacity.

1p.m.
Newsom warns of new stay-at-home-order if COVID-19 cases continue to rise

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he's considering reinstating a stay-at-home order for most California counties as COVID-19 continues to surge just about everywhere. The state's biggest area of concern is a rise in hospitalizations, particularly in ICU beds. In most regions, ICU beds are about 75% full now but are projected to reach capacity by mid-December to early January if current trends hold.

12 p.m.
Santa Clara County's new travel mandate goes into effect, catches travelers off guard

Passengers arriving at Mineta San Jose Airport were surprised to learn about the new mandatory travel directive requiring travelers to self quarantine at home for 14 days due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the county. The mandatory order went into effect 12:01 a.m. Monday morning and covers any travelers returning from a trip 150 miles outside of Santa Clara County's borders or father.

10:20 a.m.
San Francisco 49ers to play next 2 games in Arizona

The San Francisco 49ers will play the next two home games at the Arizona Cardinals' State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, after Santa Clara County issued a three-week ban on contact sports amid rise in hospitalizations. The 49ers announced Monday the team will host game 13 and 14 against the Buffalo Bills and Washington football team at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. The organization will continue to release any information regarding the team's future practice and game arrangements.

7:25 a.m.

Mill Valley School District to resume in-person classes

The Mill Valley School District is set to resume in-person classes today for the first time in nine months. The district is made up of five elementary schools and a middle school. Marin County is the only Bay Area County still in the state's red tier, schools in the purple tier have to get a waiver.

Nov. 29, 2020

6:20 p.m.
SF Observation Wheel temporarily closes

The SkyStar Observation Wheel at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park has temporarily ceased operations due to rising COVID-19 cases, park officials said. You can reschedule your tickets for a future date once operations resume.

1 p.m.
United Airlines has started shipping coronavirus vaccine, source says

United Airlines has begun shipping the first batches of the COVID-19 vaccine on charter flights, a source told ABC News. The Federal Aviation Administration had already given the OK for the first mass air shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine. The agency said it is also ensuring around-the-clock air traffic services in an effort to prioritize flights carrying vaccines and personnel.

12:30 p.m.
More than 7,000 hospitalized with COVID-19

A total of 7,415 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in California as of Saturday -- a number that's more than tripled from a month ago. Of those hospitalized, 1,711 are in the ICU, according to the state health department. California reported another 15,614 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and another 32 patients died. These newest numbers come as California approaches a statewide total of 1.2 million cases.

12 p.m.
San Francisco enters purple COVID-19 tier

San Francisco is now in the purple tier, the state's most restrictive coronavirus tier. This also means the county will be under California's limited stay-at-home order, or curfew, which is in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Dec. 21.

The purple tier also prohibits operation at museums, aquariums, zoos, indoor movie theaters and indoor fitness centers. It also bars indoor gatherings at places of worship.

Nov. 28, 2020

11 p.m.
COVID-19 hospitalizations triple in 1 month, state data shows

On Saturday, Nov. 28, the state reported a total of 6,972 coronavirus hospitalizations and 1,638 patients in the ICU. Just a month earlier on Oct. 28, the state recorded 2,342 hospitalizations and 663 patients in the ICU. That's nearly triple the number of patients.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services, said Tuesday that hospitalizations were up 81% over the past two weeks. ICU hospitalizations were up 57%.

The Bay Area hospitalization numbers mirror the state. A month ago, there were 262 people hospitalized with COVID in the Bay Area; as of yesterday, that number had nearly tripled to 759, officials say.

5:18 p.m.
Some Bay Area counties support Santa Clara County's new COVID-19 restrictions

In a press release, health officers from Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Francisco County and the city of Berkeley expressed their support of the South Bay's new restrictions and warned they may follow suit as cases increase.

"What we see in the South Bay today we may soon see across the whole Bay Area. These actions will help slow the spread of COVID in Santa Clara County and beyond." Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer, said in the announcement.

1:15 p.m.
Santa Clara tightens restrictions amid hospitalization, case surge

Santa Clara County health officials announced new restrictions Saturday afternoon as hospitalizations and COVID -19 cases continue to rise at alarming rates.

The county reported 760 cases on Saturday and 239 people remain hospitalized, a number that's doubled since Nov. 12, according to Dr. Sara Cody.

A total of 71 are in the ICU in Santa Clara County, according to Dr. Cody.

The county is issuing a Mandatory Directive on Travel, which "strongly discourages" non-essential and leisure travel.

Under the new order, anyone entering the county must quarantine for 14 days if they've traveled more than 150 miles.

In addition, recreational, professional, collegiate and youth sports are temporarily prohibited, Dr. Cody said. This includes the San Francisco 49ers and sports at San Jose State University, a county official said.

"We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department's emergency directive. We are working with the NFL and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed," said the 49ers in a statement.

Under the new guidance, stores and other facilities will be limited to 10 percent capacity. Grocery stories, drug stores and pharmacies will be able to operate at 25 percent capacity, according to the county.

These changes will take effect Monday, county officials said.

1 p.m.
Santa Clara County provides update on COVID-19, hospitalizations

Health officials in the South Bay area expected to hold a press conference at 1 p.m. on rising hospitalizations and cases of COVID-19 in the county.

12 p.m.
San Francisco and San Mateo counties enter purple tier

A surge in COVID-19 cases has moved San Francisco and San Mateo counties into the purple tier.

San Mateo County is moving into California's purple tier, the state's most restrictive COVID-19 tier, according to its county website. This means indoor gyms, museums and places of worship will have to close.

San Francisco County is set to enter the purple tier tomorrow at noon, according to Mayor London Breed.

The mayor made the announcement on Twitter Saturday afternoon as the state and U.S. continue to see a surge in coronavirus cases. San Francisco entering the purple tier means non-essential businesses like fitness centers, theaters, places of worship, indoor museums and some outdoor family entertainment businesses must close or reduce capacity.

Under the purple tier, San Francisco would also be under the state's overnight curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21.

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.

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