COVID-19 live updates: Oakland A’s game against Minnesota Twins postponed
Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7’s daily interactive newscast about the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and other hot topics. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.
Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:
April 18, 2021
12:30p.m.
The Oakland A’s announced on Sunday its game against the Minnesota Twins on Monday has been postponed. The A’s tweeted it will allow for continued COVID-19 testing and contract tracing involving members of the Twins organizations.
April 17, 2021
7:05 a.m.
CA COVID positivity rate is now down to 1.7%
California’s COVID-19 positivity rate is now down to 1.7% and more than 52% of residents in the state have been at least partially vaccinated. According to federal numbers, California ranks 11th among all states in vaccinations.
April 16, 2021
12:28 p.m.
San Jose Sharks set date to welcome fans back to SAP Center
The San Jose Sharks announced today that SAP Center at San Jose will re-open to a limited number of fans beginning Mon., April 26 when the Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. It will mark the first time since March 8, 2020 that SAP Center has hosted an event with members of the general public in attendance. Everyone 24 months and older entering SAP Center is required to provide proof of a negative COVID test or proof of receiving a complete COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose received at least two weeks prior to the day of the game.
6:45 a.m.
Contra Costa Co. plans to open pop-up walk-in vaccination sites
Contra Costa County is planning several pop-up walk-in vaccination sites over the next few weeks. The sites will be held at Antioch Community Center on Lone Tree Way in Antioch and the Veterans Memorial Hall on 23rd Street in Richmond. Anyone over the age of 16 who lives or works in the county can go. Up to 700 vaccinations a day will be given.
April 15, 2021
12:45 p.m.
Alameda County Fair being rescheduled for October
The Alameda County Fair has been rescheduled for Oct. 22 through Oct. 31 this year with safety measures in place amid the ongoing pandemic. It’s anticipated that guests will be required to purchase tickets in advance and there will be attendance limits. Guests will also most likel ybe required to wear masks and have their temperature checked when entering the fair.
The fairgrounds will continue to be the site of a community COVID-19 vaccination site through the end of June.
8:15 a.m.
It’s a big day for California in the fight against COVID-19 — anyone 16 and older is now eligible to receive a vaccination. Officials say the appointment website has been upgraded to handle an influx of users.
April 14, 2021
10:45 a.m.
SF to reopen and expand additional businesses and activities
Starting tomorrow, San Francisco will reopen and expand additional activities that are allowed by the state for counties assigned to the orange tier. These activities include indoor live-audience events and performances and private events such as conferences and receptions. In alignment with the State’s guidelines, San Francisco will also expand the number of individuals allowed to participate in indoor and outdoor social gatherings and will loosen some restrictions on other activities, including dining, outdoor bars, retail, and recreation.
8:20 a.m.
A mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Salinas Sport Complex, 1034 North Main St., Salinas, officials announced. The clinic, sponsored by the Salinas Fire Department in conjunction with Pinnacle Health Care, will offer the Moderna vaccine. Participants must pre-register for a time slot and bring a completed COVID-19 vaccine screen and consent form, a valid driver’s license and a copy of their health insurance card (both front and back). Appointments for the second dose will be handled in the same manner and will occur 28 days later at the same location. To register for the first dose click here.
April 13, 2021
3:00 p.m.
Santa Clara County expands vaccine eligibility to 16+
Santa Clara County officials announced Tuesday afternoon that they have opened up thousands of additional vaccine appointments and expanded eligibility to people 16 and older effective immediately. Those interested in getting vaccinated are encouraged to schedule appointments through the County’s website sccfreevax.org.
2:30 p.m.
SF expands vaccine eligibility to 16+
San Francisco health officials announced that people 16 and older are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, two days ahead of the state expanding eligibility to that group. Newly-eligible people are encouraged to visit this page to find links to schedule appointments.
12 p.m.
4/20 celebration in SF”s Golden Gate Park canceled
This year’s 4/20 celebration in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has been canceled this year amid the ongoing pandemic, the mayor announced. Hippie Hill and Robin Williams Meadow will be fenced off.
11:15 a.m.
California orders pause of Johnson & Johnson vaccine on US recommendation
California state officials directed counties and other providers to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as recommended by the federal government as agencies examine a possible and rare side effect that can cause blood clots. The governor’s office also said on social media that vaccine supply “will not be significantly impacted” and that the pause will not affect plans to open vaccination to all eligible teens and adults as scheduled on Thursday or its broader plan to reopen California’s economy in mid-June.
11 a.m.
Marin, Alameda counties pause use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Marin County is joining San Francisco, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties in pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Officials say that J&J accounts for less than 3% of their cumulative vaccine allocation. This temporary halt will impact mobile operations, which will resume use of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Alameda County also announced its pausing the use of the vaccine.
9 a.m.
SF health officials pause use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Following today’s announcement from the CDC and FDA, San Francisco announced it will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The city says that, to date, they have administered 31,831 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to SF residents with no known cases of blood clotting.
8:30 a.m.
Contra Costa Co., San Mateo Co. officials pause use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Contra Costa County health officials announced they’re temporarily pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot. “Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine is a very small part of Contra Costa’s vaccine allocation from the state and federal governments and CCHS does not anticipate cancelling any of its vaccination appointments at this time,” officials said Tuesday in a press release.
Officials also added, “CCHS is not aware of any reported cases of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccine in the county that were inconsistent with those documented during the extensive clinical trials conducted to ensure the safety of all vaccines used in the U.S.”
San Mateo County officials also announced on Tuesday that they’re pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Read more about the halt in distribution here.
6 a.m.
Vaccination site to open at Marin Co. Fairgrounds
A new vaccination site is opening today at the Marin County Fairgrounds. Health officials hope to vaccinate up to 3,600 people a day, depending on supply. Appointments are required.
5 a.m.
FDA and CDC call for ‘pause’ on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
The CDC and FDA are calling for a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. It comes after six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot.
April 12, 2021
8 a.m.
Salesforce to reopen SF office in May
Salesforce announced Monday that it will be reopening Salesforce Tower for employees starting in May. At the same time, Salesforce will open offices in Palo Alto and Irvine, with more in the coming months. Employees will still have the option to work from home through at least Dec. 31. The company will also donate$1.5 million to address homelessness
April 11, 2021
1 p.m.
7-day positivity rate drops slightly to 1.6% in California
COVID-19 cases continue to go up in California but the positivity rate has gone down again, dropping slightly to 1.6% according to new statistics released by the state health department. There were 4,954 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday, adding to 3,600,178 confirmed cases to date. There are 1,799 hospitalized while 434 are currently in the ICU. On the vaccine front, 22,777,893 vaccine doses are administered statewide, with 28,121,700 doses delivered to state entities, according to the CDC.
April 10, 2021
12:30 p.m.
Positivity rate down again to 1.7% in CA
The positivity rate has decreased again to 1.7% in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health. But there are nearly 4,500 new cases statewide.
Cases: 4,466 (3,595,224 total)
4.8 cases per 100k
Deaths: 170 (59,113 total)
7-day positivity rate: 1.7%
Other numbers:
216,028 COVID-19 tests processed
1,854 hospitalized
456 in ICU
Vaccinations:
8,619,032 Full Vaccinated (26.6% of roughly 32 million)
377,537 average doses administered per day
5,023,697 doses on hand (13 days of inventory, was 14 yesterday)
Track the latest on vaccination numbers with our California COVID-19 tracker.
April 9, 2021
11 a.m.
Pfizer asks FDA to expand use of COVID-19 vaccine to younger teens
Pfizer announced Friday that it submitted a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12. Get the full story here.
5 a.m.
BART to re-expand train schedules later this year
BART will re-expand its train schedules later this year, offering more frequent trips and later service as riders are expected return to public transit as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, agency officials said Thursday. Since March of last year, the agency stopped both weekday and weekend train service at 9 p.m. in an effort to cut costs in the face of a 90% drop in ridership during the pandemic.
April 8, 2021
10:50 a.m.
San Francisco to allow concerts, sports and other live events to resume
San Francisco announced it’s planning to issue guidelines that will allow indoor live events to resume on April 15 with capacity limits.
“We know that much of what makes San Francisco special are the live performances and events where people can come together for music, sports and cultural performances, and graduations,” said Mayor London Breed in a press release.
The city plans to “generally align” with the guidelines outlined by the state. Indoor ticketed and seated events will be capped at 35% capacity. More details on the city’s health guidelines will be made public on April 14.
5 a.m.
Alameda Co. expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
Alameda County is going to jump ahead of the state and open up vaccinations today to residents 16 and up — but only for those living in certain ZIP codes. The county has selected 12 ZIP codes that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 and decided to target them now: 94601, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94607, 94621, 94541, 94544, 94545, 94577, 94578, 94580
All Californians 16 and older will be eligible in a week, but the county says there is no time to waste in these ZIP codes so they are taking action now.
The ZIP codes include areas of Oakland, Hayward, San Leandro and San Lorenzo. Officials say this is where many frontline workers live, people who have not been able to work from home.
Contra Costa County has also opened up vaccinations to everyone 16 and up. They did not select ZIP codes, they opened it up to the whole county. Everyone 16 and up will be eligible in California next week.
April 7, 2021
8:30 a.m.
Moderna vaccine protects against COVID-19 for at least 6 months: study
New research suggests the protection the Moderna vaccine gives against COVID-19 lasts for at least six months. The report Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine echoes what Pfizer said last week about its vaccine, which works in a similar way. Get the full story here.
5:30 a.m.
Walgreens changing timing between Pfizer vaccine appointments
Walgreens is changing the timing between appointments for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The drug store chain has been giving the second dose four weeks after the first — which is a week later than federal guidelines suggest. According to the NY Times, the company’s chief medical officer said Walgreens was doing this because it made it easier in their scheduling system, because Moderna doses are four weeks apart. Now Walgreens says it will change its scheduling to meet the CDC recommendation of three weeks between Pfizer doses.
5 a.m.
3 Bay Area counties move to orange tier
Sonoma, Napa and Contra Costa counties are officially moving into the orange tier today, which means they will be able to reopen with higher capacities. See more details about what’s different in the orange tier here. That leaves Solano County as the Bay Area’s only red tier.
April 6, 2021
10:30 p.m.
SF votes to full reopen schools
In the latest board meeting Tuesday night, the San Francisco School Board voted “yes” on a resolution pledging to reopen schools in the fall, 5 days a week for in-person learning.
11:15 a.m.
More Bay Area counties move to orange tier
California health officials announced that Contra Costa, Sonoma and Napa counties are officially moving into the orange tier on Wednesday.
11 a.m.
Newsom announces plan to fully reopen California’s economy on June 15
Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday announced a plan to fully reopen California’s economy on June 15 if current trends hold. The full reopening is contingent on two conditions, the state said — if vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated and if hospitalization rates are stable and low. Get more details here.
6:30 a.m.
Biden moving US COVID-19 vaccine eligibility date to April 19, official says
President Joe Biden is set to announce Tuesday that he is shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines. Get more details here.
5 a.m.
Newsom could announce new green reopening tier as soon as today
Governor Newsom could be announcing a new “green” tier of reopening as soon as today. It comes as more Californians are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 cases drop. Here in the Bay Area, Sonoma County could take another step forward into the orange tier today
April 5, 2021
5 a.m.
‘Double mutant’ COVID-19 variant found in Bay Area
Stanford researchers confirmed one case of a “double mutant” variant in the Bay Area, believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. It carries two mutations of the virus that helps it latch itself onto cells. The researchers do not know yet if the variant is more infectious or resistant to vaccines. They say it originated in India, and could be partially responsible for a new surge of cases in that country.
April 3, 2021
11:30 a.m.
Nearly 4,900 new confirmed cases reported in CA, according to state health officials
California has 3,577,951 confirmed cases to date, according the California Department of Public Health.
There were 4,877 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday. Today’s data includes some tests and cases that were reported during the past two weeks but not counted due to a delay in data processing.
The 7-day positivity rate is 1.8%.
There have been 54,895,447 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 341,529 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
There have been 58,404 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
April 2, 2021
1 p.m.
CA to loosen restrictions on indoor concerts, theater performances
California will allow indoor concerts, theater performances and other private gatherings at limited capacity starting April 15. The California Department of Public Health announced the changes as the rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 nears a record low. Get more details here.
6:25 a.m.
Vaccination site to open in East Palo Alto
A new COVID vaccination site will open later today at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School in East Palo Alto. Local leaders say the site will bridge the equity gap for the city, which has the lowest vaccination rates in the county.
April 1, 2021
2:30 p.m.
California expands vaccine eligibility to people 50 and older
Californians ages 50 and older can now make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine on the state’s MyTurn site. Details on how to make an appointment here.
12 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. health officials warn of increase in COVID-19 variants
Santa Clara County health officials warned of an increase in variant cases of COVID-19. All four of the variants of concern have been found in Santa Clara County, according to health officials. Hear more from health officials here.
7:30 a.m.
Fremont students to remain in distance learning
Kids in Fremont will remain on distance learning for the rest of the school year. Fremont Unified’s superintendent explained in a newsletter yesterday that the school district and the teachers union could not reach an agreement on how to return to the classrooms. He says the district is walking away from negotiations after months of talks. Last night, the teachers union president said she hopes the district will return to the bargaining table.
March 31, 2021
7:20 a.m.
Alameda Co. enters orange tier
Orange tier rules take effect in Alameda County today. Indoor gym capacity can expand to 25%, restaurants, movie theaters and churches can increase capacity to 50%. Bars can reopen outdoors without food.
March 30, 2021
5:45 p.m.
Oakland A’s to offer more seats on Opening Day
The Oakland A’s tweeted Tuesday night that they would be offering more seats for Opening Day on Thursday. This comes after the state announced that Alameda County is allowed to move into the orange tier starting Wednesday.
12 p.m.
SF’s Moscone Center to reopen for conferences in September
San Francisco’s Moscone Center is going to reopen for conferences at the end of September. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand is booked for September 30 through October 2. Organizers say they expect just about everyone who attends will be vaccinated by then. The last conference at Moscone was in February 2020.
Lollapalooza pushes for in-person music festival in August
The organizer of Lollapalooza is pushing for an in-person return of Chicago’s massive music festival. Co-founder Perry Farrell told iHeartRadio he wants to bring the festival back in August in one capacity or another. This would only happen if coronavirus cases in Illinois continue to drop.
This comes after Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park announced earlier this month that they’re moving the annual 3-day event to Halloween weekend.
SJ city officials consider extending Al Fresco program
The San Jose City Council will vote Tuesday to possibly extend Al Fresco through Sept. 30, but some are hoping the program will last longer — or even become permanent.
“We wish it was a longer extension,” said Nate LeBlanc, business development manager with the San Jose Downtown Association. “We feel that this has been a great program and we really appreciate the city being flexible with this. It’s had a tangible benefit.”
He said SJDA is advocating for an extension through December. Even with Santa Clara County this month moving into the less-restrictive orange tier, restaurants can still only seat customers indoors at 50% capacity, making Al Fresco an essential part of recouping lost business.
10:30 a.m.
Contra Costa Co. opens vaccine eligibility to 16+
Contra Costa County health officials are now encouraging everyone who lives or works in the county age 16 or older to request an appointment to receive a COVID-16 vaccine. The move will expand eligibility to another 375,000 county residents who have not yet been vaccinated. Officials say that Contra Costa County will no longer refer to eligibility phases or tiers in determining who gets the vaccine and doses are available to anyone the FDA has approved for use of the vaccine. Here’s the full story and more information about making an appointment.
5 a.m.
Oakland Unified begins in-person learning today
Oakland Unified students begin returning to in-person learning today. It will begin with pre-k to 2nd grade. So far, Oakland Unified says about 60-percent of families have said they’ll return to in-person learning.
March 29, 2021
11 a.m.
Biden: 90% of adults will be COVID vaccine-eligible in three weeks
President Joe Biden announced on Monday afternoon that 90% of adults will be eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine within the next three weeks as well has have a vaccination site within five miles of where they live. “For the vast, vast majority of adults, you won’t have to wait until May 1. You’ll be eligible for your shot on April 19,” Biden said. Read more about his remarks here.
9 a.m.
San Mateo County Event Center announces return of county fair
The San Mateo County Event Center announced they’re hosting an in-person county fair this summer after being forced to cancel last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair will be held from Saturday, June 5 to Sunday, June 13.
There will be some changes this year, including scheduled timed entry for all visitors. All tickets will be sold online and digital tickets will be scanned at the gate to provide a touchless experience. All guests will be required to wear masks while attending this event.
5 a.m.
Calif. to expand vaccine eligibility later this week
On Thursday, the state is allowing anyone 50 and up to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Two weeks after that, eligibility expands to anyone 16 and up. Contra Costa County has already been vaccinating those 50 and up and are preparing for those 16 and older later this week.
March 28, 2021
1:30 p.m.
California’s 7-day positivity rate drops slightly to 1.7%
California’s 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropped slightly to 1.7%, according to data reported by state health officials.
California has 3,562,191 confirmed cases to date with 2,998 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday. A total of 209,863 tests were conducted during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
Providers have reported administering a total of 17,136,841 vaccine doses statewide.
March 27, 2021
12:30 p.m.
7-day positivity rate at 1.8%
California has 3,559,193 confirmed cases to date, according to the California Department of Public Health
There were 3,278 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday.
The 7-day positivity rate is 1.8%.
There have been 53,170,348 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 200,192 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
There have been 57,551 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
As of March 27, providers have reported administering a total of 16,775,843 vaccine doses statewide.
March 26, 2021
11 a.m.
Facebook reopening its Bay Area offices starting May 10
Facebook says it’s reopening its Bay Area offices starting May 10. Most employees have been working from home for months. The company will start by opening its Menlo Park headquarters at just 10% capacity. Its Fremont offices will follow on May 17. The Sunnyvale and San Francisco locations will reopen on May 24. Many employees will continue to work from home and some won’t return until September.
Facebook’s work-from-home environment has not hurt the company financially. Its net income is up 58% from the year before.
7:45 a.m.
New vaccination site coming to Contra Costa Co.
A new mass vaccination site will open on Tuesday at the shuttered water park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. It is a joint effort between the city of Concord, Contra Costa County and Kaiser, with staff on site mapping out the drive-through set up that will eventually vaccinate 15,000 people a week with the help of the National Guard.
March 25, 2021
11 a.m.
CA to expand vaccine eligibility mid-April for people 16 and older
California is expanding the list of people who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, opening it up to everyone 16 and older starting April 15, it was announced. Speaking at a vaccination site in Orange County, Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced that everyone 50 and over will be able to make an appointment to receive a shot starting April 1 based on an expected increase in vaccine supply, which up until now has been limited. Get more details here.
9 a.m.
Talks underway to keep Oakland Coliseum vaccination site open
The Oakland Coliseum mass vaccination site is scheduled to shut down in the coming weeks, but talks are underway to keep it running. State and federal officials opened up the site in February. Since then workers have administered six-thousand shots a day. Right now the site receives special vaccine allocations directly from the federal government. Alameda County officials say they are discussing transitioning the site to county management.
March 24, 2021
6:15 a.m.
3 more Bay Area counties enter orange tier
Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties are moving into the orange tier today. That means office buildings can reopen at 25% capacity. Restaurants and other attractions can operate at 50% capacity.
For more details on what can reopen in each tier, visit this page.
March 23, 2021
10 a.m.
3 Bay Area counties officially join orange tier
Health officials announced Tuesday that San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara Counties have officially joined the orange tier. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said during a press conference Tuesday that the city is “proceeding with caution” but she’s hoping the city will reach the yellow tier within a few weeks.
6:20 a.m.
3 more Bay Area counties could join orange tier
State health officials are expected to allow three Bay Area counties to move into the next tier of reopening. San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara Counties could join San Mateo County in the orange tier.
In the orange tier, indoor operations may begin with 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. In the yellow tier, indoor operations may increase to 50% of capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer.
For more details on what can reopen in each tier, visit this page.
March 22, 2021
11 a.m.
Contra Costa Co. extends vaccine eligibility to those 50 and older
Contra Costa County is extending vaccine eligibility to people who are 50 and older who live or work in the county — regardless of whether they have an underlying health condition. The county says it extended eligibility because of an increase in COVID-19 vaccine supply.
5:10 a.m.
Contra Costa Co. to honor lives lost to COVID-19
Contra Costa County will honor the lives lost to COVID-19 one year since the first known death there. Since March 22 of last year, more than 730 county residents have died. Organizers say the Hope and Healing Virtual Event will honor their memories and promote community healing. There will also be a live musical performance. The virtual ceremony will be broadcast from Contra Costa Regional Medical Center starting at 8 p.m.
March 21, 2021
11 a.m.
California’s 7-day positivity rate is 1.8%, state officials say
State health officials released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 Sunday. California has 3,545,278 confirmed cases to date. There were 3,350 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday, with 7-day positivity rate of 1.8%. 56,118 COVID-19 deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic. As of Mar. 21, providers have reported administering a total of 14,520,575 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 18,234,500 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.
March 20, 2021
4 p.m.
7-day positivity rate in CA remains under 2%
California has 3,541,928 confirmed cases to date, and there were 3,107 newly recorded confirmed cases Friday, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The 7-day positivity rate is 1.9%.
There have been 52,047,615 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 211,492 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
There have been 56,072 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
As of March 20, providers have reported administering a total of 14,180,095 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 18,234,500 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed
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