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

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 HOLIDAY 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.:

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.