The Chronicle’s Live Updates page documents the latest events in the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area, the state of California and across the U.S. with a focus on health and economic impacts.
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Total coronavirus cases:
• 231,960 cases in California, including 6,084 deaths.
• 25,411 in the Bay Area, including 578 deaths.
• More than 2.6 million in the U.S., including 127,410 deaths. The five states with the highest death tolls are New York with 32,032; New Jersey with 15,035; Massachusetts with 8,053; Illinois with 6,923; and Pennsylvania with 6,649. Click here to see a U.S. map with state-by-state death tolls and coronavirus case counts.
• More than 10.4 million in the world, with more than 510,000 deaths. More than 5.3 million people have recovered.
Resources on COVID-19 and California’s reopening: Use our interactive page to track the state and Bay Area’s reopening by county. For detailed maps and new city-by-city Bay Area data, check out The Chronicle’s Coronavirus Tracker. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.
Latest updates from today:
9:21 p.m. California records second-highest number of new cases: On Tuesday, the state recorded 7,820 new coronavirus cases, the second highest number of new daily cases. The highest number was recorded on Monday, with 8,196 cases in a day, according to data compiled from the counties by The Chronicle. Two counties — Santa Barbara and Calaveras — had yet to report.
9:07 p.m. Sonoma County reports new cases: Health officials confirmed 49 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday in Sonoma County, bringing the total to 1,185 cases with 558 of them considered active. Seven people have died from COVID-19 in the county.
7:50 p.m. Alameda County expands testing in hard-hit zip codes: Two new sites in Oakland, including the Native American Health Center and La Clinica de la Raza, will offer free coronavirus testing to anyone, regardless of symptoms, Alameda County officials said. The sites, which offer pedestrian and vehicle access, help expand testing in hard-hit communities like the Fruitvale district. People who work essential jobs or attended protests or other large gatherings are encouraged to get tested, officials said.
6:24 p.m. Marin County reports new cases, jump in hospitalizations: Health officials reported 99 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,320 cases, including an outbreak at San Quentin State Prison. Eighteen people have died from COVID-19 in the county since the beginning of the pandemic. There are 23 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the most in months.
6:09 p.m. Death toll at Contra Costa County nursing home climbs: Twenty residents at San Miguel Villa have died from COVID-19, according to state health data. There were 14 deaths one week ago. In total, 62 residents and 17 health care workers have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Concord skilled nursing facility, and at least one staff member has died.
5:30 p.m. Solano County reports record high jump in cases: Health officials reported 162 new cases of the coronavirus in Solano County on Tuesday, marking a record high single-day increase. The previous high was 105 cases. There are now 1,288 cases and 24 deaths in the county. Thirty-nine people are hospitalized.
4:45 p.m. Case surge, hospitalization spike cloud July 4th weekend: On a day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled additional restrictions for the upcoming July 4th weekend, the city of San Francisco announced an alarming rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations that is putting new strain on an anxious health care system. Read the whole story here.
4:30 p.m. State officials urge people to donate blood: Officials with the California Department of Developmental Services are urging eligible residents in California to donate blood, saying that donating blood is essential during the coronavirus pandemic. “Eligible individuals should donate blood regularly to help ensure that this lifesaving resource is available to patients whenever needed,” state officials said. Click here to find a blood drive near you.
3:30 p.m. Hayward testing site to close when maximum number of tests reached each day, officials say: City officials said Hayward’s COVID-19 Testing Center at Cal State University East Bay reached its maximum number of people who could be served Tuesday, prompting an early closure of the site at 12:30 p.m. City officials said the site is “experiencing heavy demand as community members seek clearances to return to work under employers’ COVID-19 workplace safety requirements and protocols.” Effective immediately, city officials said the drive-up line will be closed when the maximum number of people who can be served is reached in order to “manage daily demand for testing.”
3:19 p.m. More than 100 new cases among California health care workers: One additional state health care worker has died from COVID-19 and 115 more have been infected with the coronavirus, the California Department of Public Health reported on Tuesday. There are now 14,942 cases and 89 deaths among the state’s health care workforce.
3:04 p.m. More hospitalizations, jump in cases in Santa Clara County: Health officials reported 116 new cases of the coronavirus in Santa Clara County on Tuesday, bringing the county’s case total to 4,370 cases. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased nearly 52% in the last week, with 15 additional people hospitalized in the last day bringing the total to 85 patients, according to the county’s COVID-19 tracker. There have been 156 deaths in the county.
2:54 p.m. San Mateo County cases climb: Public health officials confirmed 71 new cases of the coronavirus in San Mateo County on Tuesday, bringing the county’s case total to 3,232 cases. There have been 108 deaths in total. The jump is one of the highest single-day increases in the county. Thirty-two patients are hospitalized, county data shows.
2:35 p.m. Contra Costa County jump is near-record: Contra Costa County’s 161 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday brought the county’s seven-day average for single-day increases to an all-time high of 98. The county had recorded 3,132 cases and 76 deaths in all as of Tuesday. Thirty-two people are currently hospitalized as the number of COVID-19 patients has stabilized in recent days. The average rate of positive tests climbed to 6.8%.
2:21 p.m. Sen. Feinstein urges mandate for face coverings on airlines: Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling for a federal government mandate that people wear face masks on planes and public transit and in airports nationwide.The California Democrat wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Transit Administration on Monday asking them to “issue guidance as soon as possible so passengers can have a clear understanding of the requirements and so that we may reduce exposure for workers and travelers alike.”
2:13 p.m. New charts show projected BART crowding: Before hopping on BART, riders can see how crowded certain trains might be using new online charts that show weekly average ridership based on fare gate information, the transit agency said Tuesday. The information is not available in real time, but offers a snapshot of what to expect. Ridership is ticking up as shelter-in-place orders loosen, but remains 85% below baseline projections for June.
2:08 p.m. Bay Area counties see triple-digit case increases: Confirmed cases of the coronavirus jumped by triple digits in some Bay Area counties in data reported on Tuesday: Alameda health officials confirmed 202 new cases; Contra Costa County reported 161; and Santa Clara County had 105.
1:59 p.m. No specific location, activity identified in SF spike: A spate of coronavirus cases in San Francisco reflects more infection of youth, but has not been tied to a specific gathering, location, or activity, said Dr. Tomás Aragón, the county’s health officer. Recent cases were mostly in previous high-infection areas, like the Mission and Bayview-Hunter’s Point, and more teens and young people were infected in late June. “It’s going beyond the core group that we’ve been seeing,” he said. “There hasn’t been a specific location or a specific activity that we’ve been able to identify.”
1:54 p.m. San Francisco could be added to state watch list: Health officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said he thinks it’s “very likely” that San Francisco will be among four new California counties added to the state’s watch list on Tuesday due to the county’s spike in hospitalizations.
1:49 p.m. Newsom says more restrictions coming ahead of holiday weekend: Worried about July 4 partiers spreading the coronavirus, health officials plan more restrictions on public life this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. Newsom told reporters he would announce efforts Wednesday to “use that dimmer switch … and begin to toggle back on our stay-home-order and tighten things up.” Hinting the crackdown might hit counties that are resuming indoor activities like shopping and dining, he said, “If you’re not going to stay home and you’re not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce and we will.”
1:39 p.m. California death tally hits 6,000: California now has recorded 6,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to data that health officials reported Tuesday, and 578 of those were in the Bay Area. Another troubling milestone saw the Bay Area surpass 25,000 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 25,167 cases confirmed as of Tuesday.
1:24 p.m SF’s pause to continue through July 4 weekend: San Francisco, its reopening now paused due to a coronavirus upswing, has no ostensible chance of easing up for the holiday weekend, Dr. Tomás Aragón, the S.F. health officer, said Tuesday. If health officials see improvement in the data, they may consider reopening plans early next week, he said. “We don’t know whether this is going to be a one-time blip or whether this is the tip of the iceberg and we’re going to have rapid increase in cases and hospitalizations — it’s too soon to tell,” Aragón said.
1:29 p.m. Strong finish on the Street: Wall Street closed out its best quarter since 1998 with more gains Tuesday, but stocks remain well below the record highs of February, before lockdowns were put in place to fight the coronavirus. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 217 points, closing at 25,812.88, a gain of 0.85% on Tuesday. The S&P 500 gained 1.5%, bringing its gain for the quarter to nearly 20%.
1:25 p.m. Spike in cases, hospitalizations, a concern in SF: While San Francisco’s spike of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations is concerning, it’s “too early for us to know if we’re getting ourselves into a situation that’s going to be hard to get out of,” health officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said Tuesday. The city’s hospitals are caring for 13 patients from San Quentin State Prison and five from overburdened Imperial County, demonstrating that pressures are not just from within the city, he said. The rate of cases is at 5.9 per 100,000 residents, nearing the marker of concern, he said, and hospitalizations increased 49% during a short period of time. “Because this has increased so rapidly over this short period of time, we’re actually in the red here,” Aragon said.
1:14 p.m. Marin County adds 59 new cases: Marin County officials recorded 59 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, a figure that included 38 inmates at San Quentin prison, bringing the county’s total to 2,280 cases so far. The county’s death toll from the virus remained at 18.
12:59 p.m. Sen. Alexander urges Trump to ‘end this political debate’ by wearing mask: As a drumbeat of pleas from federal health officials intensified for the public to don face coverings, the Republican chairman of the Senate health committee called on President Trump to set an example. Although Trump steadfastly refuses, Sen. Lamar Alexander said he had “suggested that the president occasionally wear a mask.” “The president has plenty of admirers,” Alexander said. “They would follow his lead; it would help end this political debate. The stakes are too high for this political debate about pro-Trump, anti-Trump to continue.”
12:50 p.m. Pooled tests eyed as way to boost screening: The nation’s top health officials are banking on a new approach to dramatically boost U.S. screening for the coronavirus: combining test samples in batches instead of running them one by one, the Associated Press reports. Potential benefits include stretching laboratory supplies, reducing costs and expanding testing to millions more Americans. Health officials think asymptomatic people are largely responsible for the rising number of cases across more than half of states.
12:25 p.m. Newsom says 4 more counties will be added to watch list: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that four more California counties will be added to the state’s coronavirus watch list, which monitors areas where the virus is increasing and stronger restrictions may be needed. He said that within 24 hours, the four would likely join the 19 counties already being monitored.
12:18 p.m. Sen. Harris helps launch domestic violence victims’ support effort: Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is joining with artists, activists and elected leaders Tuesday evening to promote a Domestic Violence Response Fund supporting domestic abuse victims — during a time when shelter-in-place rules raise the risks of abuse. An evening event streamed at 4 p.m. on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls YouTube channel aims to raise awareness and funding for the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Futures Without Violence.
12:05 p.m. SF mulls fee relief for small businesses: Thousands of small business owners in San Francisco would not have to pay annual fees for the next fiscal year under legislation offering a small dose of relief for pandemic-ravaged businesses. Supervisor Gordon Mar introduced the legislation Tuesday, seeking to waive licensing and registration fees for up to 20,000 businesses with less than $1 million in gross receipts. It would cost the city about $5.1 million in lost revenue. Read the details here.
11:45 a.m. UC Berkeley scientists study replacing nasal swabs with saliva: Scientists from UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute are testing out use of saliva as a quicker way to obtain patient samples for coronavirus testing, the university announced Tuesday. The potential improvement over uncomfortable, deep-nasal passage swabs wouldn’t require medical supervision, thus saving time, money and protective gear that medical professonals have to wear. If successful, it could help the campus get ready for fall term.
11:31 a.m. Real estate interests sue over eviction ban: Real estate industry and landlord groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a San Francisco ban on eviction of tenants due to back rent or penalties accrued during the coronavirus health emergency. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the COVID-19 Tenant Protection Ordinance that Mayor London Breed signed into law June 26. Read the story here.
11:25 a.m. Stern Grove offers online fun in lieu of regular summer program: Stern Grove Festival, which offers admission-free arts education and outreach programs for Bay Area children and adults, will launch its virtual offerings starting Wednesday. Online dance and music-making classes “for kids of all ages” will be posted at 10 a.m. on the scheduled date on the festival’s website and on Facebook and YouTube from July 1 to 16.
11:20 a.m. San Mateo surge continues: San Mateo County recorded 71 new cases of the coronavirus, and two COVID-19 deaths Tuesday. The county has confirmed 3,232 cases in all and a death toll of 108 people.
11:14 a.m. British PM says it’s been a ‘disaster’: Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic has been a “disaster” for Britain, as he announced Monday a spending splurge designed to get the country — and his faltering Conservative government — back on track. Johnson has lined up big-money pledges on schools, housing and infrastructure, in an attempt to move on from an outbreak that has left more than 43,000 Britons dead — the worst confirmed death toll in Europe.
11:02 a.m. Talk to ‘better angels,’ Biden says: Former Vice President Joe Biden begged Americans Tuesday to take moral responsibility for each other’s health by wearing face masks. Asked by reporters about the politicization and division over masks, led by President Trump’s refusal to wear one, he said, “We have to start appealing to better side of human nature” by pointing out masks protect not just the wearer, but those around them. “We should be talking to our better angels,” when people reject face coverings, he said. “Appeal to their better nature,” and let them know, he added, “You have a moral obligation.”
10:46 a.m. Under half of coronavirus patients knew they’d contacted a carrier: Fewer than half of coronavirus patients were aware they’d had close contact with someone with COVID-19, a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. The findings of the study released Tuesday highlight a need for increased screening, case investigation, contact tracing, and isolation of infected persons during periods of community transmission and underscores the need for social distancing and use of cloth face coverings, the authors said.
10:30 a.m. Trump ‘squandered’ time to combat spread of virus, Biden says: Former Vice President Joe Biden said the president has done “next to nothing” in creating a comprehensive federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in the state lockdowns that went on for months being “squandered.” Taking a shot at Trump’s “midnight rantings and tweets,” Biden also said, “Mr. President, this is not about you. It’s about the health and well being of the American public.”
10:18 a.m. Biden proposes testing board to protect workers: Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, suggested in a speech Tuesday morning that the federal government should create a pandemic testing board. “Every worker who gets called back to their job can have the confidence that they and their fellow workers are not infected,” he said. He also called for hiring and training 100,000 contact tracers to track the virus spread from those infected.
10:05 a.m. California added to must-quarantine list for New York visits: California travelers have been added to the quarantine list that is designed to keep new coronavirus infections out of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the states announced Tuesday. People from California now must self-quarantine for 14 days on arrival in the trio of Northeastern states. The three states added California and seven other states to its original list of eight that are targeted because they have high coronavirus infection rates.
9:49 a.m. Volunteers in Oakland checked on thousands of seniors: Hundreds of volunteers and Oakland librarian disaster services workers made more than 20,000 calls to check in on older residents in recent weeks, connecting more than 1,000 of them with resources and delivering nearly 5,000 meals a week, city officials said Tuesday. The effort to make sure isolated people had access to services during the pandemic led to 36 people being connected to transportation for coronavirus testing, and 652 seniors were enrolled in the FEMA Great Plates food program that Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in April.
9:41 a.m. Coronavirus case in refugee camp sparks worries: A person has tested positive for the coronavirus in a sprawling refugee camp across the border from Brownsville, Texas, where an estimated 2,000 people await their immigration court dates, according to a nonprofit group providing medical care at the camp. Global Response Management said Tuesday that the positive test came back Monday for one person and negative for three family members. Tests are pending for two other people.
9:23 a.m. BART offering ‘contactless’ parking: In its effort to draw riders back to its trains, BART is offering contactless parking — via the BART app — at all of its stations. With the addition, riders can make daily parking payments via their phones instead of remembering their space numbers and feeding currency into add-fare machines at stations. To use the app, parkers will need to set up an account with their Clipper cards and pay for parking after entering the station with the same Clipper card.
9:18 a.m. Fauci warns ‘there’s going to be a lot of hurt’: If Americans don’t change their behaviors, daily increases in coronavirus cases could go to 100,000 a day, compared to the current 40,000 daily jump, Dr. Anthony Fauci told a congressional committee Tuesday. “I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day,” given the failure by many to follow social distancing, congregating and face-mask directives, he said. “We will continue to be in a lot of trouble, and there’s going to be a lot of hurt” if that doesn’t change, he said. “It’s gong to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that.” He emphasized that when people flout safety where there is infection, “it puts the entire country at risk.” In continued blunt responses to senators’ questions, Fauci added,“We are going in the wrong direction … Clearly we are not in total control right now.”
8:46 a.m. Free masks for every household? Why not?: A trio of the nation’s top health officials on Tuesday endorsed the idea of giving free face masks to every American household. Asked by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., if he’d support a program to increase high-quality mask production and distribute them free of charge to every household, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said, “Yes, I think masks are extremely important.” He added that “anything that furthers the use of masks,” is important. Brett Giroir, assistant Health secretery, agreed, as did CDC Director Robert Redfield who said wearing masks “is the most important thing we can do.”
8:34 a.m. How worried should you be about rising case numbers? A surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Bay Area and around the country is forcing communities to halt, and in some cases reverse, plans to reopen. On the Fifth & Mission podcast, health reporter Erin Allday talks about what’s behind the alarming numbers, and what you should do to stay safe. Click here to listen.
8:30 a.m. Inflammatory condition hits more than 200 children in U.S: At least 285 U.S. children have developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus and while most recovered, the potential for long-term or permanent damage is unknown, two new studies suggest. The papers, published online Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine, provide the fullest report yet on the condition, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, the Associated Press reports.
8:18 a.m. CDC chief criticizes American Airlines: CDC Director Robert Redfield on Tuesday voiced “substantial disappointment” over American Airlines’ announcement that it will again book full planes in the belief it is safe to potentially pack people in despite the contiuned rise in coronavirus infections. “We don’t think it’s the right message,” Redfield told a Senate hearing in answer to a question from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The airline had been blocking half the middle seats in the name of social distancing but plans to go back to full booking on Wednesday and said it will notify passengers when less-full flights are available.
7:50 a.m. FDA Guidance aims to reassure anti-vaxxers: The FDA, in new guidance outlining conditions for approving a COVID-19 vaccine, is taking into account that “some people are skeptical of vaccine development efforts,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Tuesday. “We will not cut corners in our decisionmaking,” and efforts will be based in sound science, he told a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill. In announcing the new guidelines and recommendations for vaccine developers, Hahn said the FDA is factoring in safety and efficacy for populations including racial and ethnic minorities, as well as people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children.
7:39 Fauci still anticipating vaccine doses in early 2021: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told a congressional hearing Tuesday that he remains “cautiously optimistic” on the prospects for a vaccine against the coronavirus by year’s end. “There is no guarantee that we will have a safe and effective vaccine,” he warned. But he added that he anticipates by the end of this year, “we will at least know the extent of efficacy,” of vaccine candidates now in development, and he said he’s cautiously optimistic that doses for the public will be available “by the beginning of next year.”
7:21 a.m. Navigating the DMV during the pandemic: Like everything else in the world, things at the California Department of Motor Vehicles have changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Cabanatuan tells you what you need to know — from offices opening to appointments, expired licenses and more. Read the story here.
7:06 a.m. Bars in Petaluma are hopping: With bars now ordered shut in many parts of California, and most in the Bay Area allowed to serve only outside and only at places serving food, Sonoma County is a bar-scene haven. Its bars, indoor dining, wineries and breweries have been allowed to open since June 19. There’s mingling, hugging and socializing at downtown Petluma bars, even as coronavirus infections grow. County officials say they have no plans to shut down again, but the situation is being closely watched. Read The Chronicle’s story here.
6:54 a.m. No Europe trips for Americans: The European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travelers from 14 countries, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the U.S. Travelers from other big countries like Russia, Brazil and India will also miss out.
6:48 a.m. Stocks flat as quarter nears end: Major indexes were largely unchanged at the start of trading. CNBC noted the stock market was on track for its best quarterly performance in decades, as shares recovered from pandemic lows.
6:40 a.m. ‘Hey public health officers, you’re in our crosshairs’: Public health officers throughout California and the U.S. have become targets of protests, intimidation and even death threats from people who resent mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus by sheltering in place, closing businesses and wearing masks. The attacks come as these ordinarily low-profile civil servants find themselves the ultimate authorities behind the sweeping orders that have transformed everyday life for millions of people. Read The Chronicle’s story here.
6:30 a.m. Bay Area does better on jobless front: The lowest unemployment rates in California are in five Bay Area congressional districts, while eight of the 10 hardest-hit districts are in Los Angeles County, evidence that the coronavirus is treating regions of the state very differently. A new report by the nonpartisan Center for Jobs and the Economy shows every Bay Area districts is under the state’s 16.3% jobless average. Read the story here.
6:22 a.m. Stimulus to end with $130 billion left in kitty: The stimulus program that has helped sustain small-businesses since its launch in April is now set to close with more than $130 billion left unused, prompting lawmakers to consider how to repurpose the money for the still-ailing economy. The deadline to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program is Tuesday night, and a congressional group is looking at how to help small businesses as they begin to reopen, the Washington Post reports.
See previous updates in The Chronicle’s comprehensive timeline of the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area.
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