California added more than 2,000 new positive cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, but the Bay Area was largely spared.
Just five Southern California counties accounted for 80 percent of the state’s new cases and nearly that share of the 95 new deaths reported by the state’s county health departments.
The Bay Area added six deaths to its toll, which rose to 376.
Stay up to date with the virus’ spread with our Bay Area county-by-county map and our California-wide map.
Resources:
How to tell if you may have COVID-19
If you believe you have the virus, here’s what to do
How to get groceries without going to the supermarket
Here are tips for staying safe as you go to the grocery store
These Bay Area restaurants are offering delivery or takeout
If you are laid off or have hours cut in the crisis, here’s how to apply for state support
These Bay Area companies are hiring during the coronavirus crunch
Live updates:
Former A’s manager Art Howe is in intensive care at a Houston hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus. Howe, who led the A’s to three straight playoff appearances in the early 2000s, says he is feeling better than he did two days ago. – Jon Becker, 4:33 p.m.
There’s growing evidence that the majority of coronavirus spread is driven by close contact during gatherings with friends and family, rather than passing by strangers on a sidewalk or in a grocery store aisle. – Jack Lee, 3:26 p.m.
A new survey released Thursday shows almost one in every five Bay Area residents had less than $400 in savings before the crisis. Black and Latino residents were disproportionately found to be in such dire financial circumstances in the ultra-expensive Bay Area. – Leonardo Castañeda, 3:21 p.m.
Contra Costa County increased its isolation requirement for those who test positive for the coronavirus from seven days to 10, following evidence released by the CDC. – Rick Hurd, 2:44 p.m.
Gov. Newsom released a new proposed budget for next fiscal year, which includes severe steps to closing a whopping $54.3 billion budget gap caused by expenses and plummeting revenues in the coronavirus pandemic. – John Woolfolk, 2:39 p.m.
The CDC finally released guidelines Thursday for reopening many businesses in the American economy after the guidance was shelved by the Trump administration for more than a month. But one group that wasn’t addressed was faith organizations, even though the CDC’s initial draft submitted to the administration included guidance for churches. – Associated Press, 1:32 p.m.
California’s restaurants will feel quite different when their dining rooms open again as the state begins to lighten restrictions. Here are 10 ways dining will be unrecognizable. – Michael Nowels, 12:50 p.m.
Alameda County officials announced three new deaths from the coronavirus Thursday, the county’s third straight day with at least one fatality. The jurisdiction, which now has 79 deaths, also added 56 confirmed cases to its count. – Rick Hurd, 12:32 p.m.
The city of Oakland and its unified school district have unveiled a $12.5 million campaign to provide computers and internet access to all public and charter school students in the city. – Jon Kawamoto, 12:16 p.m.
For the first time in its 60-plus years of existence, the Monterey Jazz Festival has been canceled for 2020. The festival was set for Sept. 25-27 with an impressive lineup featuring Herbie Hancock, Buddy Guy and Terri Lyne Carrington, among many others. – Jim Harrington, 12 p.m.
The United States has no plan to produce and fairly distribute a coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available, a whistleblower told a congressional panel Thursday. Dr. Rick Bright was fired from a high-level position in the Department of Health and Human Services after warning the Trump administration to prepare for the pandemic. – Associated Press, 11:35 a.m.
Coronavirus patients who are smokers have suffered serious complications from the virus at a rate nearly double that of their non-smoking counterparts, UCSF researchers have found. – Evan Webeck, 11:34 a.m.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) has stepped down temporarily from his position as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the FBI served a warrant for his phone as part of its investigation of his selling of stocks just before the coronavirus pandemic. – Associated Press, 11:23 a.m.
The college admissions process is being totally upended by the crisis, with standardized tests canceled and school years finished online. Here’s what high school juniors need to know about the situation as they look toward their futures. – Jon Wilner, 11:03 a.m.
San Francisco recorded just five new cases of the virus Thursday as it crossed the 40,000 test mark. The city also reported a new low in hospitalizations. – Evan Webeck, 10:13 a.m.
Emeryville and Hayward have launched programs to help struggling renters during the pandemic. A similar action in Oakland has been credited with preventing thousands from becoming homeless. – Marisa Kendall, 9:48 a.m.
The Stern Grove Festival has been canceled for 2020. Performers from Billy Ray Cyrus to Jimmy Cliff were set to play on Sundays from June to August as part of the festival. – Jim Harrington, 9:30 a.m.
Eighteen California counties have received the go-ahead to rapidly reopen their economies under Phase 2 of the state’s coronavirus plan. San Benito County, just south of the Bay Area, is among them. – Evan Webeck, 9:01 a.m.
Latino leaders in San Jose are calling on the city to better protect its Latino residents after an analysis by this news organization showed they were dying from the coronavirus at a disproportionate rate. – Maggie Angst, 8:51 a.m.
The Winchester Mystery House staff was hit with about 75 layoffs as the house prepares to reopen to the public for self-guided garden tours aimed to comply with health restrictions. A former staffer says the entire tour staff was eliminated. – George Avalos, 7:45 a.m.
Zoom, the video conferencing platform based in San Jose, is hiring 500 new software engineers as its usage has skyrocketed with people across the globe sheltering at home. – Rex Crum, 7:36 a.m.
Eight of the 10 California counties with the highest new infection rates are in Southern California. We asked experts to explain why. – John Woolfolk, 6:30 a.m.
“I had no idea I had almost died,” one coronavirus patient said after recovering from critical condition. His husband, who also had the virus, came to say goodbye to him at the hospital, collecting his wedding ring before the improbable recovery. – Emily DeRuy, 6 a.m.
The pace of new unemployment claims has slowed considerably in California, according to data released by state officials Thursday. Last week, about 214,000 workers filed for unemployment, a 32.3 percent decrease from the week before, which was itself much lower than earlier in the pandemic. – George Avalos, 5:57 a.m.
Laguna Beach has temporarily banned carrying flag poles in public after protesters carried them during demonstrations against California’s shelter-at-home order. Officials argued they could be used as a weapon, as some protests have involved escalating tensions with police. – Erika I. Ritchie, 4:36 a.m.An eighth inmate has died of the coronavirus at Terminal Island federal prison, almost one month after he was placed on a ventilator. Nearly 70 percent of inmates at the facility have tested positive, officials said. – Robert Gundran, 4:08 a.m.
