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Total coronavirus cases:
5,008 in California, including 1,706 in the Bay Area.
116,505 cases in the U.S., with 1,925 deaths, including 103 in California and 38 in the Bay Area. Five other states with the highest death tolls are: New York with 728, Washington state with 175, New Jersey with 140, Louisiana with 119 and Michigan with 92. Click here to see a U.S. map with state-by-state death tolls and coronavirus case counts.
More than 652,000 in the world with more than 30,000 deaths. More than 137,000 people have recovered.
For detailed maps, check out The Chronicle’s Coronavirus Tracker.
To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.
Breaking news developments from March 28:
5:51 p.m. Trump backs off quarantine idea: President Trump said Saturday on Twitter he will not issue quarantines on New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, a prospect he raised earlier in the day as a way to stem spread of the coronavirus. Trump said instead he has asked the Centers for Disease Control to issue “a strong Travel Advisory” on those states. Hours before, Trump suggested he could order a quarantine restricting travel to and from the areas hard-hit by the coronavirus. New York and New Jersey have by far the most recorded cases among U.S. states.
5:25 p.m. Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson return to U.S.: Actor Tom Hanks wrote Saturday on Twitter that he and wife Rita Wilson are back in the United States after tesing positive and self-isolating for the coronavirus while in Australia. Hanks, who had tweeted March 11 about his test, tweeted on Saturday: “We’re home now and, like the rest of America, we carry on with sheltering in place and social distancing. Many, many thanks to everyone in Australia who looked after us. Their care and guidance made possible our return to the USA.”
5:10 p.m. At least one study projects peak COVID-19 impact in California in late April: A research center at the University of Washington is projecting the coronavirus will reach its peak impact in California in late April. The study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation attempts to project demand on health care services and deaths from the virus in the U.S. for the next four months. The researchers project California would see its worst impact on April 25-26, with 148 deaths per day, declining to 22 deaths on June 1 and zero beginning July 4. Nationally, the study projects the worst U.S. impact April 14 (2,341 deaths) with numbers subsiding by July. Projections assume continuation of strong social distancing and other preventive measures. The study concludes the epidemic will place excess demand on U.S. hospitals and ICU care.
5:00 p.m. A’s minor-league coach on ventilator: Webster Garrison, a longtime coach in the A’s minor-league system, is on a ventilator in Louisiana, battling the coronavirus, and the team’s minor-league players and staff have quarantined for the past two weeks. Upon learning of Garrison’s diagnosis, the A’s informed minor-league personnel and players that a staff member had been exposed to the virus, though the organization believes that occurred after Garrison left Fitch Park, Oakland’s minor-league complex, on March 13.
4:30 p.m. British prime minister writes to all — stay home: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is sending a letter to all 30 million households in the U.K., instructing residents to stay home to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, according to an official statement. “It’s important for me to level with you — we know things will get worse before they get better,” the letter reads. “But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.” The UK had confirmed 17,312 cases of the virus as of Saturday and 1,019 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Johnson announced Friday he had tested positive.
4:25 p.m. Health experts question Trump idea of state quarantines: President Trump’s consideration quarantines for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut likely would not help contain the coronavirus, public health experts told Politico. Trump raised the idea Saturday of ordering a quarantine to restrict travel in and out of those states for a “short period of time, if we do it at all.” However, the U.S. is beyond the point of trying to contain the virus to certain areas, the experts told Politico. They questioned the prudence of such a move. Joshua Sharfstein, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, said, “The energy required to even begin to enforce something like that is probably better spent on core public health response activities.”
4:11 p.m. Pandemic death toll in Los Angeles County continues to climb: The county Department of Public Health announced Saturday it had confirmed six new deaths and 344 new cases of COVID-19. Five deaths occurred in people over age 60 who had underlying health conditions. The county confirmed 601 new cases over two days. Officials said Los Angeles county and city parks remained open for “passive recreational activities” but 6-foot social distancing is required at all times.
3:55 p.m. Mendocino County reports third case: A resident from inland Mendocino County was confirmed to be the county’s third coronavirus case, health officials announced Saturday. The case is likely travel related and “does not appear to indicate community spread,” county health officials said. The individual is in stable condition and is isolating at home; public health officials are monitoring the person’s condition. The person does not require hospitalization and poses no risk to the public at this time, county health officials said.
3:29 p.m. Italy surpasses 10,000 deaths: The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Italy has surpassed 10,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Italy has recorded 10,023 fatalities, the most of any country from the virus. The Johns Hopkins tracking team reports that Italy has confirmed 92,472 total cases and reported that 12,384 people have recovered from the virus.
2:47 p.m. Alameda County reports increase in cases: Officials in Alameda County reported 36 new cases and two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday. There have been 256 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Alameda County. That includes 16 cases confirmed by the independent health department of City of Berkeley. Alameda County has reported six total deaths from the virus.
2:30 p.m. Santa Clara County reports five new deaths: Health officials reported Saturday five additional people have died from COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. The county has reported 25 total deaths from the virus. Santa Clara County reported 17 new cases of the virus and has reported 591 total cases. The county said those numbers were current through 5 p.m. Friday.
2:25 p.m. France reports 4,611 new cases in one day: French officials reported 4,611 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in one day Saturday, according to CNN. Johns Hopkins is reporting 38,099 confirmed cases of the virus in France. There have been 2,314 deaths from COVID-19 in France; CNN reported that was an increase of 319 from the previous day.
1:59 p.m. 5,000th case in California: The state reached the grim milestone, totaling 5,008 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Only New York and New Jersey have more confirmed cases among states.
1:54 p.m. Ventilators from federal stockpile not working: Gov. Gavin Newsom said that 150 of the 170 ventilators provided to Los Angeles from the federal stockpile were not working when received. The machines were loaded into cars and trucks and brought to Sunnyvale, where a volunteers are refurbishing them in a former storage facility. Bloom Energy, a Silicon Valley company, has converted space and brought in staff to fix ventilators that had been in state storage.
1:52 p.m. Newsom has not been tested: Gov. Gavin Newsom said in response to a question about whether he has been exposed to coronavirus that it was an “open-ended question. I can’t answer.” He said he is showing no symptoms of coronavirus and has not been tested, but in general, “one needs to be prepared and one needs to operate under the assumption that they have it and can spread it.”
1:34 p.m. France orders more than 1 billion masks: France announced it will acquire the protective masks, mainly from China, to try to make up for a shortage that is being felt in nations fighting the coronavirus pandemic. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, noting tensions in world markets, suggested at a news conference that traffickers and black marketeers are now in the mask business, given the competition in procuring the vital necessity for health workers.
1:31 p.m. Newsom says California is two-fifths of way to ventilator goal: State officials aim to acquire 10,000 ventilators independent of the hospital system. Gov. Gavin Newsom said so far the state has obtained 4,252, though more than 1,000 of those need to be refurbished.
1:27 p.m. Newsom says ICU numbers rose 105% overnight: During a tour of a Bloom Energy factory in Sunnyvale, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the number of people in California’s intensive care units rose 105% overnight, from 200 on Friday to 410 on Saturday. Hospitalization numbers also rose sharply, by 38.6%, from 746 on Friday to 1034 on Saturday.
1:23 p.m. Infant dies from COVID-19 in Illinois: An infant from Chicago was one of 13 deaths reported in the state Saturday. “Upon hearing it, I admit I was shaken,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said while announcing the state’s number of cases jumped to 3,491.
1:14 p.m. California lags behind New York in testing: California, with twice the population of New York state, has conducted fewer COVID-19 tests and is still waiting for results from most of those it has tested. The lag is crippling California’s ability to track the disease and understand how effective shelter-in-place orders have been to contain it, experts say. Read more in Mallory Moench’s story here.
12:59 p.m. 73 California health care workers test positive: Numbers released Saturday by the state show that 73 health care workers in California have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s a jump from 48 a day earlier.
12:55 p.m. Disney theme parks to remain closed: The Walt Disney Co. is indefinitely extending closures at its theme park resorts in Florida and California because of the coronavirus pandemic. The company had closed Disneyland in Southern California and Disney World outside Orlando in mid-March with plans to reopen at the start of April, but Disney said Friday the resorts would remain closed until further notice. The company has been paying its employees during the closure, and Disney said it would continue to pay its tens of thousands of hourly workers through April 18.
12:44 p.m. Farmworkers’ health a priority? Maybe not: Agriculture groups and union leaders are urging employers to take extra precautions to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from spreading among California’s farmworkers, who are already in short supply, the Associated Press reports. But while many businesses have closed, the essential work on farms goes on, as usual, for farmworkers in the Central Valley. “There’s been no changes so far, everything is the same,” said Salvador Calzadillas, who picks oranges in the valley. “Many of my co-workers say it’s like we’re immortal, we’re working just the same. There’s no prevention, and we keep working.” Western Growers said many farms have added sanitation stations in the fields and required hand-washing before and after work as well as spaced out workers in packing facilities.
12:34 p.m. Airbnb and its hosts struggle as travel plunges: Airbnb has seen a spike in cancellations and it has refunded guests’ money, but that has put hosts in a tough spot — and many feel angry and betrayed that the cash-rich company hasn’t stepped up for them. Read more in Carolyn Said’s story.
12:26 p.m. 7 staffers, 1 patient infected at Laguna Honda: San Francisco’s Department of Public Health announced that seven staff members — five nurses and two porters — and one patient at the hospital-nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19. All are in good condition, the department said in a release Saturday. Contact investigations are under way (including testing), the release said, and the units involved have been quarantined. Dr. Grant Colfax, the city’s public health director, said Friday that he “expects an outbreak” at the facility with 780 beds.
11:58 a.m. Spain halts non-essential commutes: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced his government will order a two-week ban on commuting to all non-essential businesses starting on Monday. Sanchez said in a publicly televised address that all workers are ordered to remain at home “as if it were a weekend” to “intensify” efforts to stem the outbreak of the coronavirus. Spain is approaching the end of the second week of stay-at-home rules and the closing of most stores, but workers were allowed to go to offices and factories if they were unable to work from home.
11:44 a.m. Canada bars those with symptoms from planes, trains: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to board domestic flights or intercity trains. The requirement will go into effect Monday.
11:31 a.m. Trump talks about quarantine in New York area: President Trump said that he had spoken with some governors and was considering some type of an enforceable quarantine to prevent people in New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut from traveling. Trump told reporters at the White House that it would be for a “short period of time, if we do it at all.” He said he had spoken with Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, the epicenter of the country’s coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo said they did not speak about a quarantine. “I don’t even know what that means,’’ Cuomo said. “I don’t know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view, I don’t know what you would be accomplishing. … I don’t like the sound of it.”
11:22 a.m. On the bright side: Hundreds of lucky Stanford Hospital workers will be eating smoked trout and goat cheese salad from an award-winning Menlo Park restaurant. Longtime restaurateur Jesse Cool of Flea Street is making it happen after she had to shut her dining room and lay off two dozen workers. Most of them have been brought back. The Flea Street restaurant is preparing 200 meals a day and dropping them off at the hospital. Read more from Steve Rubenstein here.
10:42 a.m. Trump’s messaging problem: President Trump isn’t connecting with people, writes columnist Willie Brown, who tells us who actually is speaking the language of the people.
10:38 a.m. Governor in Sunnyvale: Gov. Gavin Newsom will visit Bloom Energy in Sunnyvale today with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. The governor’s office said the company has partnered with the state to transform its production facility to quickly refurbish ventilators the state has held in storage. Newsom and Liccardo will tour the site and meet with company leadership.
10:18 a.m. East Bay woman loses $13,000 in coronavirus scam: Scammers have found ample opportunities during the coronavirus pandemic to capitalize on widespread fear and desperation. A woman in her 70s said she fell victim to this trap when she received an urgent call supposedly from her nephew. Megan Cassidy reports the story here.
9:55 a.m. New York postpones primary election: New York Gov. Cuomo announced that he is rescheduling the presidential primary election for June 23. It was previously scheduled for April 23.
9:39 a.m. Vatican official tests positive for COVID-19: The Vatican says neither Pope Francis nor his closest aides are involved with six cases among Vatican residents or employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told the Associated Press that an official of the Holy See’s secretariat of state office tested positive. Bruni confirmed that the official lives at the Santa Marta hotel where Pope Francis lodges, too. The official is hospitalized as a precaution.
9:29 a.m. San Francisco sees fewer new cases of coronavirus: The city has 304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths related to the virus as of Saturday morning, according to health officials. The new tally is an increase of 25 cases and one additional death over Friday. The number of new cases, however, was significantly lower than the city reported 24 hours earlier, which included 56 new cases and also one death.
9:06 a.m. Tribes get stimulus money after efforts: The $2 trillion relief bill will help equip health care systems that serve Native Americans, improving emergency response times on tribal lands. More than $1 billion will go to a federal agency that provides primary medical care for more than 2 million Native Americans. Tribes, after a substantial lobbying effort, will get $10 billion overall in the package. That is less than they requested, but tribes say it represents progress. “The silver lining is perhaps in the future we will have resources and the ability to really change those chronic disease trends in a meaningful way so our communities aren’t impacted in such a devastating way in the future should something like this happen again,” Jerilyn Church, chief executive of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, told the Associated Press.
8:51 a.m. Fear behind bars as coronavirus spreads: Health experts say prisons and jails are potential hot spots in America’s coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reports. They are small cities hidden behind tall fences where many people share cells, sit elbow to elbow at dining areas and are herded through halls to the yard or prison industry jobs. They say it’s nearly impossible to keep 6 feet away from anyone, adding to tensions. More than 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the United States — more than anywhere else in the world.
8:46 a.m. Cleanliness a critical issue for businesses: That UPS package you just got? Don’t assume the workers who handled it were able to practice social distancing. Chase DiFeliciantonio reports on how workplace cleaning has become a critical weapon against the coronavirus, and how tech might help in the future.
8:39 a.m. Can you get the coronavirus from touching or eating food? Answers to that and other frequently asked food questions during the pandemic can be found here.
8:10 a.m. Ballmers donate $25 million: Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie have pledged more than $25 million to help fight the coronavirus outbreak. TMZ.com reports that $10 million will go the University of Washington’s Emergency Response Fund to expedite testing for a vaccine.
8:04 a.m. More than 618,000 infections worldwide: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has topped 618,000 with new cases stacking up quickly in Europe and the United States and officials digging in for a long fight against the pandemic. The latest tally by John Hopkins University show nearly 29,000 deaths. While the U.S. now leads the world in reported infections — with more than 104,000 cases — five countries exceed its roughly 1,700 deaths: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.
7:54 a.m. Projection of 2,000 South Bay deaths questioned: Santa Clara County health experts denounced estimates by San Jose city officials that the local coronavirus death toll could reach 2,000 by the end of May in a best-case scenario. The projection, referenced in a San Jose city council meeting, was not “produced, reviewed or vetted by the County of Santa Clara,” health officials said.
7:49 a.m. Los Angeles schools donate masks: The Los Angeles Unified School District donated 100,000 N-95 masks to 10 area hospitals, masks it had purchased for other emergencies, such as fires. “We’re all in this together and we will do everything we can to help the communities we serve in time of need,” Superintendent Austin Beutner said.
7:47 a.m. California restaurants appeal for help: As many as 30,000 restaurants in the state could close permanently because of coronavirus restrictions that have shuttered dining rooms and led to widespread layoffs, the industry warned, while urging the state to delay tax payments and planned minimum-wage increases to help the ailing businesses. In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Restaurant Association said the trade-off for protective public health measures that have limited restaurants to takeout and delivery “has been a near decimation of our … industry.”
7:32 a.m. Doughnuts with Dr. Fauci’s face sell ‘like crazy’: An upstate New York doughnut shop is featuring the likeness of the 79-year-old doctor leading the country’s battle with coronavirus on its sweet treats. Donuts Delite in Rochester began selling hundreds of doughnuts with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s face, surrounded by white frosting and topped off with patriotic sprinkles, the Associated Press reports. The exclusive treats have been selling “like crazy,” according to Nick Semeraro, franchisee of the café. The shop’s decision was inspired by the 79-year-old doctor’s straightforward communication style and calm demeanor while he’s been advising millions of Americans amid a pandemic.
7:26 a.m. Publicly owned spaces to be makeshift hospitals: Bay Area cities are racing to conscript public buildings and spaces in the fight against the coronavirus as health experts brace for a surge of new patients over the next two weeks. In San Francisco, any publicly owned space is fair game for the city’s coronavirus response. “Nothing is off the table,” Mayor London Breed said. There’s a similar outlook around the Bay Area. Read more from Sarah Ravani and Dominic Fracassa.
7:05 a.m. Navy hit hardest among military: The Navy is scrambling to contain its first at-sea outbreak of the coronavirus, with at least two dozen infected aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier in Guam, the Associated Press reported. Although the Navy is much smaller than the Army, it accounts for at least one-third of all COVID-19 cases in the military. None has been reported among Navy submarine crews. The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. John Aquilino, said it’s not clear how long the Roosevelt will be kept in Guam and that its schedule will be adjusted “as needed.” He said no infected sailor is a “critical health risk” but some have been hospitalized.
6:59 a.m. Virus affecting law enforcement: Nearly 690 officers and civilian employees at police departments and sheriff’s offices around the country have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an Associated Press survey this week of over 40 law enforcement agencies, mostly in major cities. The number of those in isolation as they await test results is far higher in many places. Anticipating shortages, police academies are accelerating coursework to provide reinforcements.
6:55 a.m. Results in 5 minutes with new coronavirus test: Abbott Laboratories has developed a small, portable coronavirus test that offers results in five minutes, with first shipments expected April 1. The tests would be conducted in health care settings, but give nearly immediate results, according to Bloomberg News. The medical device maker plans to produce 50,000 tests a day with emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
6:47 a.m. Homeless camps can stay in Santa Rosa: The city will no longer roust homeless from encampments, the Press Democrat reports, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Kelli Kuykendall, the city’s homeless services manager, said the change in policy follows recommendations from federal health officials. “We certainly don’t want to make it any harder for people that are living outside,” she said.
6:33 a.m. Chicago convention center prepped as hospital; Seattle stadium might be, too: The Army Corps of Engineers is working to turn Chicago’s McCormick Place (the largest convention center in North America) into a makeshift hospital for around 3,000 coronavirus patients, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Corps also is eyeing the Seattle Seahawks’ football stadium for hospital beds as coronavirus cases rise, the head of the federal service said. The beds would not be on the field but in adjoining facilities.
6:24 a.m. GM ramping up production of masks and ventilators: General Motors announced it will begin manufacturing surgical masks at its Warren, Mich., facility next week with a capacity of up to 100,000 masks per day. In addition, the car company is ramping up production of ventilators at its Kokomo, Ind., plant, with shipments starting in April. GM officials said they would put 1,000 workers on the production of ventilators, which require 700 parts each, supplying the equipment at cost. The company is working with Ventec Life Systems to produce the medical equipment. The announcement followed criticism Friday by President Trump that the company was delaying production and demanding high prices.
6:09 a.m. Study shows coronavirus can damage heart as well as lungs: A study of 187 COVID-19 patients in China found that 12% of those admitted to a hospital had heart damage caused by the virus. Symptoms appear similar to a heart attack, caused by inflammation or myocarditis. The coronavirus mainly affects the lungs, but the study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows death was more likely among those with previous heart disease.
6:07 a.m. Campaigns change tone, tactics: Political campaigns aren’t entirely stopping during the coronavirus pandemic, but fundraising is at a standstill. It will be hard for a candidate to climb in the polls when there is little money coming in to buy advertising, no opportunities to interact in person with voters and volunteers are forbidden from canvassing door-to-door, Joe Garofoli writes here.
5:59 a.m. Spain’s deadliest day yet: Spain counted 832 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday for a total of 5,690. Infections increased by over 8,000 in 24 hours to reach a national total of 72,248. The medical system is being pushed to the limits in the hot spots in Madrid and northeast Catalonia with doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers falling ill at an alarming rate and working nonstop. Pablo Rojo, an ambulance medic at Barcelona’s Dos de Maig hospital, says the average age is decreasing. He says: “They’re not 80 years old anymore, they are now 30 and 40 years old.”
5:39 a.m. Trump mobilizes military reserves for coronavirus relief: The president’s executive order authorizes the Pentagon to bring retired members of the military back into active duty so they can help fight the coronavirus. It could add thousands of medical and emergency workers to help blunt a pandemic that’s killed more than 1,700 people in the U.S.
5:35 a.m. Second death from coronavirus in Contra Costa County: The county has 151 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, according to its health department. Think you might have the virus? Here is where you can get a test.
Breaking news developments on March 27:
11 p.m. Seton seeks supplies: Seton Medical Center, one of two hospitals designated by the state to care for COVID-19 patients, is soliciting donations of medical supplies. See our complete list of where and what to donate.
10:55 p.m. See’s Candies suspends production: The beloved candy company announced on its website that it has suspended production and shipping of its products in “recognition of the guidance provided by local health authorities” in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We will work to keep you updated as we develop plans to safely resume operations,” company officials said. Read Janelle Bitker’s December story about See’s.
10:40 p.m. San Jose State employee tests positive: A San Jose State University employee has tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking the university’s second case. University officials are closing the Diaz Compean Student Union through Spring Break for “extra cleaning and sanitizing as an extra level of precaution” because the employee was in the student union the week of March 23. The individual is off campus and is recovering at home, officials said.
“SJSU has started to notify members of the campus community that may have been in contact with the individual and are identified as having a possible risk of exposure,” university officials said.
10:29 p.m. New app helps users screen for COVID-19: Apple, in partnership with the CDC, released an app and website to guide users through a series of questions about exposure to COVID-19 and whether they should seek health care. Users can download the free app from Apple’s App Store or on Google Play or access the tool online at www.apple.com/covid19. Everyone has a role to play as we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.
9:13 p.m. Positive cases in California include 48 health care workers: As of early afternoon Thursday, 48 health care workers in California have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state figures released Friday. That was up from 42 a day earlier.
9:07 p.m. Daly City hospital could run out of masks in less than a week: Seton Medical Center, where the state of California wants to send coronavirus patients, is projected to run out of masks and other critical medical supplies in five days. Read the full story here.
8:33 p.m. San Mateo County closes all parks: The San Mateo County Parks Department announced it closed all county parks at 6 p.m. Friday to slow the spread of COVID-19. They will remain closed “until further notice.” The county manages 23 parks, and 17 had remained open this week. The decision comes after park rangers saw people gathering in groups and ignoring social distancing guidelines. “The decision to close parks is not easy, especially now when people are looking for outdoor experiences, but the safety of San Mateo County residents must always be a priority. In that spirit we had to take this action,” said Parks director Nicholas Calderon.
8:20 p.m. Napa County reports ninth coronavirus case: The patient is a St. Helena resident who has a “direct relationship with a previously confirmed case,” Napa County officials announced Friday night.
7 p.m. Firm donates $2 million to support meals to S.F. students: Bay Area private equity firm Thoma Bravo has donated $2 million toward Spark* SF Public Schools, a nonprofit supporting San Francisco United School District, nonprofit officials announced Friday. The donation marks the largest donation to the nonprofit, which has received more than $4.2 million from more than 670 donors in the past two weeks to provide meals to San Francisco students during temporary school closures. The gift will also help purchase WiFi hotspots and “other devices to provide equal access to online learning for SFUSD students,” nonprofit officials said.
6:46 p.m. Questions about your stimulus check? Kathleen Pender has the answers in her Net Worth column. See also our FAQ about economic relief.
5:28 p.m. First COVID-19 death confirmed in Marin County: Health officials in Marin County said Friday a man in his 70s who had been hospitalized for nearly three weeks with COVID-19 died, marking the first virus-related death in the county. He was the first reported case in the county, health officials said, and was believed to have been exposed to the virus as a passenger on the Grand Princess voyage that returned to San Francisco on Feb. 21. He died Friday afternoon. “This is a heartbreaking development in our work to limit the impact of COVID-19 locally,” said Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin’s Deputy Health Officer. “This unfortunate death further shows how serious this virus is and how necessary it is for our community to continue to shelter in place and take bold measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Marin.”
5:20 p.m. San Diego seeks to immediately reclassify Instacart shoppers as employees: San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott petitioned an appeals court to reinstate an injunction against Instacart, that a lower-court judge had stayed. The injunction seeks to force Instacart to classify freelance shoppers as employees, under AB5, California’s gig work law. Elliott said the need was critical for Instacart workers to have masks and gloves, as well as paid sick time, workers compensation insurance, and unemployment benefits. Instacart’s freelance shoppers have grown more restive over pay and working conditions as the coronavirus outbreak worsens, and some are planning a strike Monday.
5:15 p.m. SF warns of increased coronavirus threat at Laguna Honda Hospital: San Francisco’s director of the Department of Public Health, Dr. Grant Colfax, said Friday that “we do expect an outbreak” of the coronavirus at Laguna Honda Hospital, San Francisco’s 780-bed nursing home. The number of coronavirus infections steadily rose at the hospital this week, with at least one patient, four nurses and two porters testing positive for the highly contagious and deadly virus. Colfax signaled Friday that he expects more people there to test positive as the hospital expands testing to more staffers and residents.
5:08 p.m. Ordering delivery for dinner? Think about where your driver had to stand in the restaurant while waiting for the order, because Bay Area restaurant owners definitely are grappling with this issue.
5:04 p.m. Two more Santa Rosa police officers test positive for COVID-19: Two additional Santa Rosa police officers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the department. Three officers tested positive earlier this week. “Despite efforts to follow enhanced protocols to protect staff and the community from getting sick from the coronavirus, the Santa Rosa Police Department has confirmed five total COVID-19 cases. These officers have received medical attention, are stable, and will remain in quarantine until healthy,” Chief Ranier Navarro said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, individuals that have interacted with these officers were directed to self-quarantine to further prevent the spread.”
5:03 p.m. SF Port waives late charges, fees for rent payments through April: The San Francisco Port issued an executive directive saying it will waive any late charges, default interest and other fees associated with delinquent rent payments between March 1 and April 30. The Port is also following the city’s eviction moratorium order and said it will not issue any “three day notice to pay or quit” notices through the end of April. “These actions are intended to give tenants confidence in being able to retain their leasehold while they to use their financial reserves on immediately pressing operational needs to remain solvent,” a Port statement said.
4:52 p.m. San Francisco police warn of scammers knocking on doors pretending to be health workers: San Francisco police officials said they had received an unspecified number of reports about people going door to door in the city claiming to be employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Department of Public Health to gain entry into homes to “conduct inspections or searches.” Neither agency has sent health officials to knock on doors, police said. “City disaster services workers and volunteers are placing informational door hangers in various neighborhoods. These persons will have city identification, and will NOT ask for permission to enter,” police officials said. “If someone claiming to be with the CDC or SFDPH calls at your door, do not let them in. Call 9-1-1 and provide the dispatcher with the suspect’s description and as much detail as possible.”
4:45 p.m. New York state has done 65% more coronavirus tests than California: New York has half the population California has, but has done far more critical testing. Shortages of key equipment help explain California’s lag. Read the full story here.
4:30 p.m. Immigrant advocates tell Supreme Court that DACA recipients are vital to health care: As the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals awaits a Supreme Court verdict, immigrant advocates are imploring the court to consider the potential impact on a nation facing a health crisis, while 27,000 DACA recipients hold jobs in medical care. Read more from The Chronicle’s Bob Egelko.
4:24 p.m. How restaurants can protect both staff and customers: Best practices for restaurants include separating staff doing prep, controlling how payments are made between staff and customers and encouraging sick leave. Read the full story here.
4:18 p.m. One infected Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy released from hospital: One deputy infected with COVID-19 was released from the hospital on Friday, Sheriff Laurie Smith said during a news conference. There are five other deputies and one inmate who have tested positive for the virus. Smith said she has spoken with each of the sick deputies and that the office has set up decontamination units with showers for deputies who believe they were exposed by the public. The Sheriff’s Office will begin distributing hand sanitizer next week. “(We’re) getting out ahead of this,” Smith said. The office has not said how many other deputies or inmates were exposed, or whether others are being tested.
4:10 p.m. Oakland adds testing site for first responders, city staff: Oakland city officials started a mobile testing site last Friday for the city’s police officers and firefighters. This week, city officials said they expanded the site to allow testing of city employees who are symptomatic or who meet other testing criteria (such as asymptomatic employees who have had confirmed exposure to the virus), and who are serving the community during the pandemic. Oakland officials said city officials will coordinate with Alameda County officials to expand the testing program to allow Alameda County “front-line responders” to test when additional resources become available. Officials did not provide a timeline for that expansion.
4:17 p.m. Santa Clara to put patients in convention center: The city of Santa Clara is transforming its convention center into a temporary hospital for up to 250 COVID-19 patients with non-emergency symptoms who may need it. Read the full story here.
4:08 p.m. Easter gatherings discouraged in Santa Clara County: Officials have not yet determined whether the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order will be extended past April 7, but regardless, people should not plan Easter gatherings among friends and family at parks or elsewhere, said Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese during a news conference. Easter, which falls on April 12, is when President Trump has repeatedly said he wants re-open the country. Health officials are working to figure out a strategy to approach the next phase of the pandemic, said Dr. Jeffrey Smith, county executive officer. “We’ll make it through this, it’s not going to pretty. Things are going to get considerably worse for a while, but we’ll make it through,” Smith said. “We have to do what we can to prevent the spread.”
3:56 p.m. NRA, other gun groups say they’ve sued Newsom, Los Angeles sheriff: National Rifle Association members and officials of other gun rights organizations said Friday they had sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva for alleged constitutional violations, citing the shutdown of gun shops during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. The groups — which also include the Second Amendment Foundation , California Gun Rights Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition — allege that local policies and their enforcement violate rights protected by the Second and Fourteenth amendments. “To those officials who are infringing upon the rights of gun owners and retailers, we’ll see you in court,” NRA officials said in a tweet announcing the lawsuit. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
3:45 p.m. Trump consulting task force on coronavirus response: When President Trump was asked in a Friday news conference what he would say to people in the United States inquiring how long they should be prepared to stay at home, Trump said “it depends.” He said while “we do want to flatten the curve,” he wants to get the country back to normal sooner than later — but said federal officials want to “open safe.” When asked if he believes it could be months under state and federal guidelines, he said, “I hope not.” Trump said he will continue to consult the White House’s coronavirus task force for his administration’s response to the pandemic.
3:04 p.m. Challenges ahead for cannabis companies: Cannabis businesses are able to stay open and have done booming business, but they face challenges from the federal government. Click here for the story.
2:52 p.m. First Bay Area craft brewery closes permanently because of coronavirus shutdown: Five-year-old Cleophus Quealy Beer Co. in San Leandro has announced it will permanently close after losing business due to the shelter-in-place orders. Owner Dan Watson predicts that similar fates could be in store for many of the region’s craft beer producers.
2:59 p.m. President Trump invokes Defense Production Act, orders General Motors to produce ventilators: President Trump issued an order Friday seeking to force General Motors to produce ventilators under the Defense Production Act, the Associated Press reported. More ventilators are needed to support the expected surge of COVID-19 patients as hospitals run low on critical supplies. Trump tweeted earlier Friday imploring GM and Ford to “get going on ventilators, fast.”
2:54 p.m. Breed says her biggest concerns include people not social distancing: San Francisco Mayor London Breed said on KGO radio Friday afternoon that her biggest concerns were people living in crowded settings and on the streets, while people who have ignored social distancing rules and those with substance use issues have been the biggest challenges. “The biggest concern I have is what happens when things are spread quickly amongst a particular community,” Breed told host Pat Thurston.
2:49 p.m. More than 100,000 U.S. cases: The number of U.S. cases has surged past 100,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has more coronavirus cases than any other country.
2:26 p.m. Contra Costa County reports 16 new cases: County public health officials reported 16 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the county’s total to 147 cases. There were 131 on Thursday. One person has died.
2:27 p.m. Santa Clara County confirms 20th death, more than 30 new cases: Health officials in Santa Clara County announced the 20th COVID-19 death. The total tally of infected people in the county increased by 32, to 574 cases, according to the county’s department of public health.
1:47 p.m. Stimulus on the way: President Trump signed the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill into law to provide payments to most Americans and rescue virus-hit businesses.
1:43 p.m. Governor, L.A. mayor warn of surge: After the number of confirmed cases in Los Angeles County more than doubled on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Eric Garcetti said at this rate L.A. is expected to be hit as hard as New York City in one or two weeks. “Whether it’s one week or two weeks, we will be where they are, we will have doctors making excruciating decisions,” Garcetti said. Newsom said officials have their “eyes wide open” about the multiplying numbers.
1:40 p.m. World’s worst birthday gift: Talk about rotten luck. Oakland’s Aja de Coudreaux got laid off last week from her job scheduling — of all things — medical home health care, and the next morning she came down with COVID-19. On her birthday. Read more in Kevin Fagan’s story here.
1:37 p.m. California halts coronavirus-related evictions through May: Gov. Gavin Newsom orders a two-month halt on evictions for Californians who cannot pay their rent because of the coronavirus. Read Alexei Koseff’s story.
1:35 p.m. Alameda County tops 200 coronavirus cases: The Alameda County Public Health Department confirmed that 204 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The city of Berkeley’s independent public health division recorded 16 of those cases. The new numbers mark an increase of 42 new cases of COVID-19 in Alameda County since Thursday.
1:34 p.m. USNS Mercy hospital ship docks in Los Angeles: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Mercy docked in a Los Angeles port. It will provide up to 1,000 hospital beds to help ease the strain on California’s hospital system. Newsom spoke from the ship’s deck, where he said there are more than 4,180 hospitalized people in California who have not received a COVID-19 test result but are suspected of having it. In California, 88,400 tests have been conducted but tens of thousands of results have not yet returned, he said.
1:16 p.m. Stock market down at closing; Dow loses more than 900 points: After three days of gains, major stock indexes fell Friday, erasing part of the huge rally. But the market is on track for sizable gains for the week following two weeks of relentless selling. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 900 points, closing down 4%. The S&P 500 was down more than 3% and the Nasdaq composite index fell nearly 4%.
1:14 p.m. Called for jury duty? California has suspended jury trials for two months, so you likely don’t have to go. Chronicle courts reporter Bob Egelko explains answers to this and other questions about the courts.
1:09 p.m. Manners in the age of coronavirus: We’re the ones writing the new rules of etiquette, Rachel Levin writes. The new customs are in our (chapped-from-scrubbing) hands. Some lovely new traditions may yet emerge from what otherwise seems a manner-pocalypse.
1:04 p.m. Instacart strike threat: Grocery delivery service Instacart made some minor changes to its policies and pay, even as some of its freelance shoppers planned a strike starting Monday to demand more financial and safety coverage during the coronavirus crisis. Carolyn Said reports the details here.
1:02 p.m.: Scientists question accuracy of ‘breakthrough’ test: Some political leaders are hailing a potential breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19: simple pin-prick blood tests or nasal swabs that can determine within minutes if someone has, or previously had, the virus. The tests could reveal the true extent of the outbreak and help separate the healthy from the sick. But some scientists have challenged their accuracy. Many scientists have been cautious, saying it’s unclear if the rapid tests provide accurate results.
12:59 p.m. France extends lockdown to April 15: Following a report of 299 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the country’s total to 1,995, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced the country would extend by two weeks the national lockdown that began on March 17. Health agency director Jerome Salomon said during a press conference that the number of cases nationwide had risen to 32,964.
12:56 p.m. Tipping Point sets goal for helping poor: The nonprofit Tipping Point Community launched a drive to raise $30 million to support local nonprofits who face increased demand from low-income individuals and families needing help during the coronavirus pandemic. “In times of emergency, low-income communities are the first to feel the crisis and the last to recover,” said Sam Cobbs, CEO of Tipping Point Community. Since 2005, Tipping Point has invested more than $260 million for housing, early-childhood education and employment solutions in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit Tipping Point’s website.
12:50 p.m. Trump cites need for ventilators, slams GM: President Trump blasted General Motors on Twitter, blaming GM for overpromising on its ability to manufacture ventilators and threatening to compel the company to do so. In a series of Twitter posts, Trump stressed the need for the ventilators, a change of tone from the night before, when he said states were inflating their needs. A short time later, GM and Ventec Life Systems announced they would begin producing ventilators at a Kokomo, Ind., plant.
12:44 p.m. VTA to reduce service: Beginning Monday, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will operate reduced service during the county’s shelter-in-place order by discontinuing all bus trips after 9 p.m. except for Route 22, which will continue to operate 24 hours a day. Express Bus service will also be suspended, except for Express 104 serving Stanford Research Park and Express 181, which will match BART’s reduced service schedule. The VTA’s South Bay light rail network remains shut down indefinitely after a person being trained as an operator tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.
12:39 p.m. San Francisco to add 3 drive-through, drop-in testing sites: The sites will open next week as health officials race to expand testing capabilities ahead of a predicted surge of patients. One site will be in the Outer Sunset and one in Chinatown. The third will open near Oracle Park by the end of next week. For more, read Dominic Fracassa’s report here.
12:34 p.m. ‘Unprecedented’ improvement for Bay Area air: With fewer cars motoring around and more industries scaling back to help contain the coronavirus, the Bay Area has seen extraordinarily good levels of air quality across the entire region. “This is really unprecedented,” said Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Annie Vainshtein reports more details here.
12:21 p.m. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters postpones 2020 tour: Waters has postponed his This Is Not a Drill Tour, which was scheduled to reach the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sept. 23 and Chase Center in San Francisco for Sept. 25-26 shows, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The shows will now take place in 2021, with new dates to be announced at a later date on Waters’ official website.
12:17 p.m. San Francisco aims for 3,000 hotel rooms for homeless, SRO residents: Mayor London Breed said the city is working to house as many as 3,000 homeless people and those living in SRO hotels by next week, 10 times what the city currently has available. The rooms will be reserved for those who, because of their living situations, cannot safely isolate themselves after a COVID-19 diagnosis, but do not need hospitalization.
Noon, Dead & Company will stream weekly concerts: Joining several bands around the country, the band — which includes Grateful Dead alums Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, plus John Mayer — will stream its past live concerts every Saturday during shelter-in-place on the band’s official Facebook page.
11:58 a.m. International AIDS Conference goes virtual: The 23rd annual conference, which was scheduled to take place in San Francisco in July, will now take place online as “AIDS 2020: Virtual,” organizers announced.
11:49 a.m. Bay Area businesses push boundaries of stay-at-home orders: Essential businesses are allowed to stay open in California. But what “essential” means is open to debate — and loopholes. Chase DiFeliciantonio reports on the story here.
11:41 a.m. Energy demand falls amid stay-at-home orders: The initial days of shelter-in-place orders at the city and state levels in California and New York resulted in a 3% to 7% drop in peak electricity demand, according to a new analysis from the Electric Power Research Institute. Daniel Brooks, a vice president at the institute, said the declines “are significant, but preliminary data indicate the electric power systems are resilient and can account for and respond to the reductions while reliably meeting customers’ needs.”
11:20 a.m. Apple launches online COVID-19 screening tool: The tech giant has created an online portal where people can check for symptoms of the coronavirus. “This tool can help you understand what to do next about COVID-19,” Apple’s website says. “Let’s all look out for each other by knowing our status, trying not to infect others, and reserving care for those in need.” Apple’s self-screening tool is here.
11:12 a.m. Social distancing as House OKs $2 trillion bill: Some lawmakers sat in the House gallery — where visitors usually sit to watch action on the House floor below — to create social distance as the chamber gave final congressional passage to a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package. Members from California and other states under stay-at-home orders had to rush back to Washington for the roll call vote demanded by a Republican opponent to the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history. Read Dustin Gardiner’s story.
10:59 a.m. Free Bay Wheels memberships for health care workers in the Bay Area: Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Lyft officials announced free 30-day Bay Wheels memberships and waived ebike surcharges for health care workers in the Bay Area. “This program will allow for our medical personnel in the Bay Area to make the essential trip to work — at no cost — during the shelter-in-place, where they can continue their lifesaving work,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who also serves as a MTC commissioner.
10:50 a.m. Governor says federal stimulus provides ‘critical support’ for California: Gov. Gavin Newsom said the stimulus bill passed Friday “will provide critical support” for the state in the effort to curb COVID-19. “It means an additional $600 a week in Unemployment Insurance for the many Californians who have already lost
Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.
I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.
Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/9Te6aFP0Ri
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 27, 2020
