Coronavirus live updates: California approaches 900,000 total cases

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.

• GET HELP: Resources and information about COVID-19


• CA REOPENING TIERS: Map shows which counties can, can't reopen under Newsom's new 4-tier system


• COVID-19 RISK CALCULATOR: Quiz yourself on the safest, most dangerous things you can do as CA reopens


• LIFE AFTER COVID-19: Here's what restaurants, gyms, schools, sports will look like when they reopen


• LATEST LOCAL CASES: Updated number of COVID-19 cases, deaths in San Francisco Bay Area

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

Oct. 25, 2020

12:25 p.m.
California approaches 900,000 total cases of coronavirus
California reported another 5,219 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, which state officials say includes a backlog of tests from Los Angeles County. The state also reported another 34 deaths related to the virus. California now has a total of 898,029 cases of coronavirus. The seven-day positivity rate is at 3.4 percent, while the 14-day rate has risen to 3 percent.

Oct. 24, 2020

2:45 p.m.
California reports nearly 6,000 new cases, including case backlog in LA County
California reported an additional 5,945 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, which includes a backlog of cases from Los Angeles County, according to the latest state data. This brings California's total to 892,810 cases of coronavirus. The state reported another 49 deaths related to the virus, marking 17,311 deaths since the pandemic began. The state's seven-day positivity rate stands at 3.3 percent with the 14-day rate at 2.9 percent.

Oct. 23, 2020

5:15 a.m.
Alameda Co. takes step forward in reopening plan
Alameda County is easing restrictions on indoor businesses starting today. Restaurants can offer indoor service at 25% capacity, or fewer than 100 people. That formula also applies to movie theaters and indoor worship services as well as gyms and fitness centers. Indoor stores and malls can even allow more-they can increase their capacity to 50%.

Oct. 22, 2020

7 a.m.
San Mateo Co. makes COVID-19 testing easier for kids
San Mateo County is making it easier for children to get tested for COVID-19. A dedicated lane for families is now available at the San Mateo County Event Center. The lane serves children ages 5 to 17 and is open weekdays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. San Mateo County residents can schedule appointments through the county's website.

Oct. 21, 2020

8 a.m.
Several Napa County businesses reopen indoors
Napa County is easing COVID-19 restrictions as it moves into the orange tier. That means wineries can now serve customers inside tasting rooms. Restaurants, fitness centers, worship services and movie theaters can also move people inside starting today.

Oct. 20, 2020

2:10 p.m.
Pro sporting events, theme parks not reopening to guests in Santa Clara Co., officials say
Santa Clara County Public Health officials making it clear on Tuesday, professional sporting events and theme parks will not reopen to guests, despite the state's allowance.

"This is the worst thing in the world to be doing at a time period when California is beginning to see some light. This amounts to another step backward," said Santa Clara County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith.

California's Great America in Santa Clara sent the following statement to ABC7 News:

"Cedar Fair is extremely disappointed and frustrated with the lack of reasonable consideration given to the opening of California's most popular theme parks. Our company has safely operated 7 of its 13 parks across the U.S. this year with zero cases of COVID-19 being traced back to our properties. Our safety protocols have been proven effective exceeding state requirements where we've opened. Following capacity parameters, we feel strongly that both Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park and California's Great America should be allowed to open under the same guidance afforded smaller parks such as Gilroy Gardens, which also operates under Cedar Fair management."

The 49ers organization released a statement as well:

"We appreciate Governor Newsom's leadership and thoughtful approach in creating a framework that allows for a return of fans to Levi's Stadium, and restart the economic activity of the region. We welcome our fans and their support of local businesses and vendors that are critical to our local economy, especially during these difficult times. Our organization will continue to collaborate with local public health officials to implement a plan that ensures the health and wellness of all San Francisco 49ers and Levi's Stadium employees, patrons, and our community."

2:10 p.m.
Napa Co. moves to 'orange' tier of reopening
Napa County announces that businesses may officially be allowed to move to less restrictive, "orange" tier on Wednesday. Here's what that means.

1:45 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. releases statement on sporting events, theme parks
Santa Clara County Public Health Department released a statement Tuesday saying fans at sporting events will not be allowed anytime soon and theme parks will not resume operation. Officials are expected to give an update on this announcement at 3 p.m.

12 p.m.
SF moves to least restrictive yellow tier
Now that San Francisco is assigned to the state's "yellow" tier, officials say the city will move forward on reopening offices and expanding capacity at business, including fitness, dining, places of worship, personal services, recreation, and more. More details about tier updates here.

7:15 a.m.
Santa Clara County may offer businesses relief funding
Santa Clara County Supervisors will vote today on a $100 million program to help struggling businesses. It would provide low-interest loans to small businesses.

Oct. 19, 2020

5 a.m.
Free COVID-19 testing offered at Union City BART station
BART is partnering with Bay Area Community Health to offer free COVID-19 testing starting today. There's a new pop-up testing site at the Union City BART Station. It will be open today, tomorrow and Thursday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Anyone can get tested for free. Appointments can be made through the Bay Area Community Health website. Walk-in patients are also welcome. You must wear a mask at the testing site.

Oct. 18, 2020

11 a.m.
California COVID-19 cases top 867,000
California reported an additional 2,862 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state's case total to 867,317. California also reported 44 more deaths, marking nearly 17,000 coronavirus fatalities in the state. The state's seven-day positivity rate stands at 2.5 percent, as of Saturday.

Oct. 17, 2020

7 p.m.
San Mateo County is set to launch a new COVID-19 Compliance Unit on Monday. The team will be tasked with targeting businesses that aren't following state guidelines. San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said Sunday that the eight-person task force will start issuing warnings to businesses who continually refuse to enforce face masks and maintain social distancing. Read more here.

12 p.m.
The San Francisco Giants said Friday they were eliminating roughly 10% of their 500 full-time jobs in the business and baseball operations departments, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This means about 50 layoffs, in light of revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

11a.m.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the state has 864,455 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
There were 2,979 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday.
The 7-day positivity rate is 2.5% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%.
There have been 16,756,711 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 134,755 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.
As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase. There have been 16,899 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Oct. 16, 2020

7:30a.m.
Eight million COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States, according to John Hopkins University.

Oct. 15, 2020

7:15 a.m.
New cases, deaths rising rise in US, HHS memo says
The number of new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the United States increased by double digits in week-over-week comparisons, while the number of deaths is also on the rise, according to an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was obtained by ABC News on Thursday night.

Oct. 14, 2020

10 a.m.
State superintendent gives update on schools
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond provided an update on efforts to support schools during the pandemic. "At the end of the day the number one priority needs to be safety," Thurmond said. The superintendent there is no "one size fits all" for reopening schools and helping students and teachers during the pandemic.

8 a.m.
SFO kicks off COVID-19 testing program for Hawaii bound travelers
Starting today, people traveling to Hawaii can bypass the state's 14-day quarantine restriction by passing a COVID-19 test. United Airlines is now offering the test to its passengers flying out of SFO to the Islands. The carrier was the first U.S. airline to announce that it would make testing options available to customers.

Oct. 13, 2020

7:45 a.m.
More indoor businesses reopening in Santa Clara Co.
More indoor businesses are reopening in Santa Clara County today and Alameda County will follow in a few weeks. It comes after state health officials announced those counties moved from the red to the less restrictive orange tier. San Francisco is the only other Bay Area county also in that tier. The orange tier allows for expanded indoor dining and larger outdoor gatherings.

Oct. 13, 2020

12 p.m.
CA health secretary reveals Halloween guidelines, COVID-19 updates
Dr. Mark Ghaly provided guidelines for celebrating Halloween and Dia de los Muertos amid the pandemic. Dr. Ghaly strongly discouraged usual Halloween activities like trick-or-treating and encouraged families to plan alternative celebrations. See more details here. Watch the full livestream here

More CA counties move to different reopening tiers
Ten California counties were moved to a different reopening tiers on Tuesday. Colusa, Kern, Kings, San Benito, Stanislaus and Sutter counties were moved from "purple" to "red." Alameda, Placer and Santa Clara counties were moved from "red" to "orange." Sierra County was moved into the least restrictive tier, "yellow." Here's what that means.

6:45 a.m.
Calif. announces new guidelines for small gatherings
Governor Newsom and state officials have announced new guidelines for families as we head toward the holidays. The state now saying you can gather with up to two other households, but say the smaller the number of people, the safer.

Oct. 12, 2020

7 a.m.
Sonoma County business owners warn of permanent closures
Sonoma County business owners who operate bowling alleys, arcades and skating rinks are warning they may be forced to close permanently. Some rallied in downtown Santa Rosa yesterday to let people know COVID-19 restrictions are threatening their livelihoods. Sonoma County is the only Bay Area county that's still in the purple tier because of the number of new cases reported. Under the state's current system, Sonoma County would have to move up two tiers, to Orange, before it could open.

Oct. 11, 2020

12:30 p.m.
California reports 3,803 new cases from Saturday, adding to a total of 846,579 confirmed to date
The 7-day positivity rate increased slightly to 2.6% from previous 2.5%. 64 deaths are reported since Saturday, adding to a total of 16,564 COVID-19 deaths within the state.

Oct. 9, 2020

12:10 p.m.
CA reports more than 3,800 new cases, 7-day positivity rate is at 2.5%

New cases: 3,806 (total cases 838,606)
7-day average: 3,047
14-day average: 3,183
Deaths: 67 (16,428 total)
7-day average: 63
14-day rate: 74
7-day positivity rate: 2.5%
14-day positivity rate: 2.6%

5:50 a.m.
US reports more than 56,000 new cases
There were 56,191 new cases of COVID-19 identified in the United States on Thursday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The latest daily tally is up by nearly 6,000 from the previous day but is still under the country's record set on July 16, when there were 77,255 new cases in a 24-hour-reporting period. An additional 961 coronavirus-related fatalities were also recorded Thursday, down from a peak of 2,666 new fatalities reported on April 17.

Oct. 8, 2020

Dr. Fauci to participate in UC Berkeley discussion on coronavirus
8 a.m.
The nation's top infectious disease expert Doctor Anthony Fauci will take part in an online fireside chat with the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy today. Dr. Fauci will discuss how the coronavirus could affect the ability of colleges to re-open safely and the broader impact of COVID-19 on the country. The event will begin at 5 p.m.

Oct. 7, 2020

11:20 a.m.
Eli Lilly seeks emergency use authorization for COVID-19 treatment
Eli Lilly announced it is asking the FDA for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 antibody treatment. Based on early results, the company says the drug reduced symptoms, the amount of the virus, hospitalizations and ER visits for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. The drug is similar to one that President Trump received on Friday from another company. Eli Lilly says it could supply 100,000 doses in October.

10 a.m.
Committee for Tokyo Olympics cutting costs
The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, looking to simplify the postponed 2021 Games, on Wednesday announced new initiatives that will help save an estimated $280 million.

6:25 a.m.
Fauci says 300K-400K could die in US before pandemic ends
Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a grim image of the coronavirus pandemic, telling students Tuesday that between 300,000 and 400,000 people could die from the disease in the United States. Speaking at a virtual event hosted by American University, the White House coronavirus specialist said: "If we don't do what we need to in the fall and winter, we could have 300,000-400,000 Covid-19 deaths," according to excerpts tweeted by the school.

Oct. 6, 2020

2 p.m.
Santa Cruz County offers residents assistance
Residents of unincorporated Santa Cruz County can apply for money to help pay for rent and/or utilities that are in debt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications can be filed until Oct. 14 at www.cabinc.org. The assistance is limited to residents whose annual income is no more than 80 percent of the area median income, which for a one-person household is $74,350, according to county officials. Unpaid or partially unpaid utilities or rent are eligible if they were incurred on or after April 1, 2020. Households are eligible for assistance of up to $10,000.

12 p.m.
10 CA counties change colors on reopening map
Ten California counties were moved to a different reopening tier Tuesday, California's health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced. Merced, Ventura and Yuba counties were moved from "purple" to "red." Inyo County was moved from "red" to "orange." Humboldt, Plumas, Sikiyou and Trinity counties were moved into the least restrictive tier, "yellow." Two counties were moved to more restrictive tiers; Shasta was changed from "orange" to "red" and Tehama was changed from "red" to "purple." See what that means here.

10 a.m.
California Liberation Collective activists will gather outside San Quentin to protest COVID-19 deaths throughout the state prison system by calling on Gov. Newsom to release prisoners.

Oct. 5, 2020

2:45 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. announces new COVID-19 risk reduction order
Santa Clara County officials announced a new COVID-19 risk reduction order on Monday that will take effect the day after the county moves into the "orange" tier. When the new order goes into effect, indoor dining may begin, however, the county will only allow 25% capacity or 100 people. The same rules will apply for other indoor businesses.

7 a.m.
4 Marin school districts to reopen for in-person learning
For the first time since March, four public school districts in Marin County are reopening for in-person learning today. That includes schools in Larkspur-Corte Madera, Reed Union, Miller Creek, and Kentfield. Teachers say they are excited to welcome back students and are decorating hallways with balloons. They say they want to make it comfortable and fun, and to show the kids how much they have missed them.

Oct. 4, 2020

5:40 p.m.
California reports 4,293 new COVID-19 cases in a day
The state reports more than 4,000 new cases, totalling up to 823,729 cases since the pandemic started. California reports a 7-day average of 3,238 cases and a 7-day positivity rate of 2.6%. The 14-day average totals to 3,238 and the positivity rate is 2.8%.

2:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump briefly leaves Walter Reed Medical Center in motorcade to surprise supporters which to some was a surprising move that suggested that his health - and his understanding of the coronavirus - may be improving. Hours earlier, the president's medical team confirmed that his blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days. But they also said he could be discharged as early as Monday. You can read more about it here.

Oct. 3, 2020

Berkeley allows elementary schools to reopen with new COVID-19 guidelines
Berkeley elementary schools can reopen starting a week from Tuesday as the number of COVID-19 cases drop, city officials said Friday. Transitional kindergarten through 5th grade schools can reopen Oct. 13 if they have a plan to limit the spread of the virus among students, faculty and staff. Read the full story here.

Oct. 2, 2020

8:15 a.m.
Coronavirus cases reach more than 106,000 in Bay Area
Coronavirus cases have reached more than 106,000 in the Bay Area with 1,547 COVID-19 related deaths in the region.

Oct. 1, 2020

9:40 p.m.
Oakland Unified to 'likely' remain in distance learning through end of December, superintendent says
Students in the Oakland Unified School District will "likely" remain in primarily distance learning through the end of the year, the district's superintendent announced Thursday night. This announcement from the district comes after Alameda County said elementary schools could reopen as early as Oct. 13 if schools complete a COVID-19 health plan. Under latest county health orders, middle and high school students could return to classrooms in four to 12 week phases "as local disease conditions allow," the county order says. Oakland Unified clarified Thursday night that any return to school under county health orders would be a blended, hybrid learning model.

5 p.m.
Alameda Co. reopening update
Alameda County officials announced that starting Oct. 13, elementary schools may reopen. Also, indoor gyms, personal services and libraries may reopen starting Oct. 9 with restrictions.