SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Here are the latest updates on coronavirus and how local governments are responding to the illness, with a focus on California for Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3.
CALIFORNIA STATUS UPDATE
The California Department of Public Health reports:
- Confirmed cases: 53,616 (As of May 3).
- 2,215 deaths
- 22 state and county labs processing tests for COVID-19.
- Click here for complete information on coronavirus, unemployment, and more from the state of California.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Coronvirus testing headed for El Dorado County: Two appointment-only sites for coronavirus testing will be opening in El Dorado County. These are not antibody tests to detect whether someone has any level of immunity against COVID-19,” said El Dorado County Public Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams. “These are nasal or nasopharyngeal swab tests that will determine if someone has the presence of the COVID-19 virus at the time of testing. We’re making the test available to anyone in the County who wishes to have it, free of charge, even if they are asymptomatic,” Williams said, “although people with symptoms are the highest priority.” To register for an appointment, people can visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting. Those without internet access can call 888-634-1123.
- 2 California counties set to reopen despite stay-home order: Small groups of people ignored closures and set down their towels and umbrellas on Orange County's warm beaches on Sunday, defying stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus as pressure to reopen parts of California continues to build. The crowds were sparse but offered proof that despite stepped-up patrols and warnings to stay away, some people were determined to get to the beach. Meanwhile, Yuba and Sutter Counties in Northern California will allow many businesses to reopen Monday as a direct challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom's order. He has acknowledged the growing economic anxiety and suggested the state could begin easing some rules this week.
- California lawmakers go back to work as coronavirus lingers: Some California lawmakers are set to return to the Capitol after more than a month away. They will be restarting a legislative session that was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic — the first sustained unscheduled work stoppage in 158 years. Lawmakers will focus on softening the economic fallout from the pandemic. But it won't be business as usual for California's full-time Legislature. They will be limited to having just one staff person with them, and nurses will check their temperatures at the door, among other precautions. Some lawmakers will be staying home for fear of contracting or spreading the disease.
- More than 30 rearrested since $0 bail in Stanislaus County: Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse says more than 30 people have been re-arrested since $0 bail went into effect on April 13. The order came from the California Judicial Council in an effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading in jails. On Facebook, the sheriff said his jail released more than 350 criminals since the order went into effect. Of the original releases, more than 30 were re-arrested, with the quickest happening within hours. The sheriff said one person had even been re-arrested three times.
- Beaches were mostly empty over the warm weekend as Californians heeded stay-at-home orders in anticipation that Gov. Gavin Newsom might ease some restrictions this week. In Orange County, where beaches were singled out for closure by the governor, crowds were sparse as lifeguards and police patrolled and issued warnings to people to stay off the sand. Meanwhile Modoc County on the state’s far northern end allowed businesses to open in defiance of the governor’s shutdown rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. And Sutter and Yuba counties said they would follow suit starting Monday.
- Some California lawmakers are preparing to return to the Capitol after more than a month away because of the coronavirus. It's the first sustained legislative activity since lawmakers recessed on March 16. Some lawmakers will be staying home. Assemblyman Bill Quirk is 73 years old, lives in a retirement community and says many of his neighbors are in ill health. He said he has asked Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to let him participate remotely. But Rendon said the state constitution won't allow it. The California Assembly has scheduled nine committee hearings this week.
- On Monday, May 4, Sacramento Regional Transit is deploying its "Wifi Buses" in areas of the city designated digital deserts.Three buses with free wireless hotspots will hit the roads on Monday, with seven more to be deployed during the week of May 11.
- Sleep Train Arena, which has been transformed into a coronavirus field hospital, has received its first patient. A representative for Cal OES said the field hospital received its first patient on Thursday, April 30.
- A Northern California city official has been ousted after he suggested on social media that sick, old and homeless people should be left to meet their “natural course in nature” during the coronavirus pandemic. City Council members in Antioch voted unanimously Friday night to remove Ken Turnage II from his post as chairman of the city’s planning commission. Turnage's Facebook post characterizing people with weak immune systems as a drain on society caused a swift uproar. He said he was entitled to his personal opinion and that removing him would violate his freedom of speech.
- As of Saturday, May 2, Placer County's shelter-in-placer order has expired. Now, county residents will be asked to follow the still in place state stay-at-home order. County officials are working with local governments, health care, business and stakeholders, as well as regional and state partners, about what reopening Placer County looks like. "We will move forward under the statewide order and turn our local attention to planning for a phased reopening," Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said in a statement.
- A remote Northern California County has defied the governor's statewide stay-at-home order and reopened some businesses. Modoc County, population 9,000, moved Friday to reopen hair salons, churches, restaurants and the county's only movie theater. Local officials say they have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 and they are requiring customers to practice social distancing. Newsom has declined to address the reopening but says the anxiety in rural areas “is not lost on me.” He also hasn't responded to a demand from six other rural Northern California counties to grant them permission to reopen.
- Netflix? That's old news. More people are turning their gaze outside and taking up amateur bird-watching as the pandemic drags on. Interest in birding has soared in recent weeks as bored Americans notice a fascinating world just outside their door. Downloads of two of the most popular bird identification apps have spiked, and preliminary numbers show sales of things like binoculars, bird feeders and birdseed have jumped even as sales of other nonessential consumer goods are plummeting. The trend coincides with the peak migratory season and nesting season, giving newfound birders a front-row seat to some of nature's biggest shows.
- Falls class at San Joaquin Delta College will be mostly online. In announcement from San Joaquin Delta College's Facebook page, the college said Fall semester classes will be mostly online. Certain classes, such as hands-on technical classes or music and art classes, will be hybrids, combining online and in-person components with social distancing guidelines.
- From New York to California, the U.S renewable energy industry is reeling from the new coronavirus pandemic, which has delayed construction and sowed doubts about major projects on the drawing board. Up to 120,000 U.S. jobs in solar and 35,000 in wind could be lost, trade groups say. Leaders say they’re confident the future is bright. But the worldwide slowdown is delaying a transition to cleaner energy that scientists say is not happening quickly enough to curtail climate change.
OUR MISSION: FACTS NOT FEAR
Coronavirus Background
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine; however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
WHY HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE SO CONCERNED
Some people have compared the low overall death toll to the flu's high annual death toll in the United States as a reason not to be concerned about COVID-19, however, doctors and health officials are concerned for three main reasons:
- Some people have built up immunity to the flu, but few have immunity to COVID-19 version of coronavirus.
- Both the flu and COVID-19 are spread by droplets, but COVID-19 might be spread in the air. Scientists are researching exactly how COVID-19 spreads.
- The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public where social distancing measures would be difficult to maintain, like at a grocery store or pharmacy.
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