Health

Coronavirus updates: SF’s Ferry Building ordered to close

July 23, 2020

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People practice social distancing as they wait in line to purchase produce from a vendor during the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on April 21, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

People practice social distancing as they wait in line to purchase produce from a vendor during the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on April 21, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

People practice social distancing as they wait in line to purchase produce from a vendor during the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on April 21, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

LATEST July 22, 4:50 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is further building up the state’s supply of personal protective equipment, directing the Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Services to increase the stockpile of N-95 respirators and surgical masks for essential workers.

Newsom asked that the stockpile of N-95 respirators be increased to 100 million and surgical masks to 200 million by early fall, the governor’s office announced in a press release.

BYD North America is being contracted by the state to produce 120 million N-95 respirators and 300 million surgical masks for California.

To read more, head here.

July 22, 3:45 p.m. Another death row inmate at San Quentin State Prison has died, likely due to complications from the coronavirus.

John Beames, who has been on death row since 1995, died Tuesday at an outside hospital, the 14th San Quentin inmate to die of a likely COVID-19 infection. Beames, 67, was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend’s 15-month-old daughter in Tulare County.

As of Wednesday, 2,092 inmates at San Quentin have tested positive for the coronavirus.

July 22, 2:50 p.m. A mass outbreak at the ManorCare Health Services-Tice Valley in Walnut Creek has left 12 residents dead.

The skilled nursing facility confirmed Wednesday that 92 residents and 38 staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Read more about the outbreak here.

July 22, 1:30 p.m. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday the expansion of free COVID-19 testing in the city that aims to bring more testing options to the hardest hit parts of the city, including the Bayview, Mission, Excelsior and Visitacion Valley.

Two new pop-up, mobile operations that could test up to 250 people a day will rotate through different neighborhoods, and the pre-existing testing site on the Embarcadero will add 400 new slots a day to its schedule, Breed said. What’s more, the city is looking to open a permanent testing site in the southeast part of the city and will announce a location soon.

Dr. Grant Colfax, the director of the Department of Public Health, said the city is urging residents with healthcare to seek testing from their providers rather than from the free testing sites to free up resources for those without insurance.

July 22, 1:15 p.m. Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody provided updates on case numbers at a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.

Since June 5, when outdoor dining and indoor retail reopened, the county saw a significant uptick in confirmed cases reaching over 250 cases a day in the second week of July.

However, Santa Clara County has the lowest case rate per 100,000 in the Bay Area at 122 positive cases per 100,000 people. In comparison, Marin County has an 815.6 positive case rate per 100,000 and the state has a 295.8 case rate per 100,000.

The Bay Area is generally doing better than the rest of the state, especially when compared to Southern California counties, according to Cody.

Daily hospitalizations per day have also seen significant upticks since the June 5 health order, nearly reaching the same number as the peak of the pandemic in early April, with more than 160 patients in the hospital as of Monday. In the last 14 days, the county has seen a 92 percent increase in hospitalized patients.

Long-term care facilities have done very well in controlling the transmission of COVID-19, seeing a very little spike in cases, according to the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange.

COVID-19 is still disproportionately affecting East San Jose and South County. East San Jose makes up 22 percent of the county population but 35 percent of positive cases. South County makes up 6 percent of the county population and 9 percent of positive cases.

This also means that the Latino population is disproportionately impacted. They make up 27 percent of the county population but 44 percent of positive cases. In comparison, the Asian population is 33 percent of the county but only makes up 6 percent of positive cases.

Cody also pointed to an increase in case rates among young adult residents ages 18-34.

“This is important because although there may be lower rates among hospitalization and severe illness in young adults, this is where the epidemic is spreading most quickly. It will eventually spark a chain of transmission that will ultimately reach someone who is more vulnerable,” Cody said. “As the epidemic grows … we all need to pull together and dedicate ourselves to crushing it once again.”

Bay City News contributed to this story.

July 22, 11:30 a.m. San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace is closed after malls were ordered to shutter Monday due to the county landing on the state watch list for increased transmission of the coronavirus.

“Shops on the interior Marketplace without dedicated doors to the outside are restricted from serving customers until further direction is provided from the SF Department of Public Health and the City Attorney,” according to a statement from the Marketplace. “Interior shops can offer curbside pick-up–all transactions and orders may only occur online or by phone.”

The following shops with dedicated exterior entrances are open: Acme Bread Co., Blue Bottle, Boulette’s Larder, Hog Island Oyster Co., Gott’s Roadside and Sur La Table.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and outdoor dining tables will continue to operate normally.

July 22, 9 a.m. A lawsuit filed by a San Francisco law firm against Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration alleges California’s statewide order requiring schools to meet public health criteria before being permitted to hold in-person classes is unconstitutional.

The Dhillon Law Group and attorney Harmeet Dhillon’s conservative nonprofit group the Center for American Liberty filed the suit on behalf of nine parents and one child.

“This decision by the Governor violates the California constitutional guarantee to a basic education, federal due process and equal protection guarantees, and the federal right to an effective education for disabled children,” read a statement from the Center for American Liberty.

July 22, 8:50 a.m. San Jose opened its first outdoor dining street Wednesday on San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets to support local restaurants.

July 22, 8 a.m. California surpassed New York Tuesday to become the state with the most confirmed coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

California, the country’s most populous state, has recorded more than 409,000 confirmed cases of the virus, while New York, the fourth most populated state, stands at about 408,000.

It’s important to note that when New York was in the midst of a major outbreak in March and April, testing was limited and many cases went unreported.

Florida falls in third place with just under 307,000 cases.

New York has the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths with more than 32,500. New Jersey has the second most with more than 15,700 deaths. California ranks No. 4 with just under 7,900, according to Johns Hopkins.

Deaths in New York may also be underreported and short by thousands, according to analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

July 22, 7:45 a.m. The Marin County Board of Supervisor voted unanimously Tuesday to form a new task force to clamp down on people and businesses violating the coronavirus public health order by issuing fines to violators.

The urgency ordinance goes into effect immediately and allows town, city, and additional county personnel to collaborate with law enforcement officers to address violations of health and safety codes and curb the spread of the virus. The task force will also respond to tips about rule-breaking businesses sent to the [email protected] email address.

The fine for businesses that don’t comply ranges from $250 to $10,000, depending on the severity of the violation. Individuals can also be fined from $25 to $500 for non-compliance, such as not wearing a mask in public.

Factors determining the size of a penalty include risks to public health, previous warnings, lack of good-faith efforts to comply, and increased revenue generated from noncompliance.