The state had 21 million N95 masks stockpiled. All are expired.
The Chronicle's MATTHIAS GAFNI: "As the coronavirus pandemic slammed into California and doctors and nurses sounded the alarm on a dire shortage of masks, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the release of the state’s emergency stockpile of 21 million N95 respirators.
What he didn’t mention then: They are all expired.
Every one of the masks stored in the state’s climate-controlled warehouse in a secret location has surpassed its wear-by date. A California Department of Public Health news release this month indicated that only “some” masks are expired, but after repeated inquiries from The Chronicle, the agency acknowledged that the whole supply is outdated."
PG&E makes two deals to survive
From DAN WALTERS, CalMatters: "But with everyone in and out of government riveted on battling the COVID-19 pandemic, there was only proforma media attention to two big PG&E events:
—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he and utility executives had reached an agreement on finances and corporate governance that probably allows PG&E to close bankruptcy later this year. “This is the end of business as usual for PG&E,” Newsom said in a statement. “Through California’s unprecedented intervention in the bankruptcy, we secured a totally transformed board and leadership structure for the company, real accountability tools to ensure safety and reliability and billions more in contributions from shareholders to ensure safety upgrades are achieved.”
—PG&E agreed to plead guilty to 84 involuntary manslaughter counts in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire, the most destructive wildfire in California’s history. The fire destroyed much of the town of Paradise, which had about 26,000 people. In a plea agreement with the Butte County district attorney’s office, PG&E also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully starting a fire, agreed to pay a fine and build a new water system for the town."
Sacramento health chief 'cautiously optimistic' county may escape worst virus consequences
Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK/ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRICKS: "Sacramento County’s health chief said this week he is cautiously optimistic county residents and local hospitals are taking steps that will reduce illnesses and deaths in the coming critical weeks of the fight against the highly contagious coronavirus.
Speaking to The Sacramento Bee, Dr. Peter Beilenson said he believes residents have been doing enough “physical distancing” in the last two weeks to cut into the expected upcoming spike locally in cases.
But, he said, the virus remains a major health issue, and it would be a huge mistake to underestimate its ability to spread widely through the community. The county is not past the worst of it yet — local health officials say they expect the crunch moment to come in a few weeks."
READ MORE related to COVID-19 Pandemic: Experts track data to see whether or not shelter in place is working -- The Chronicle's ERIN ALLDAY; California cases pass 5,000, second Placer death, ventilators sought -- Sacramento Bee's VINCENT MOLESKI/TONY BIZJAK; Can't find toilet paper? UC Davis professors break down 'rational' COVID-19 hoarding -- Sacramento Bee's VINCENT MOLESKI; Virus sets off 'generational shaming' across nation -- The Chronicle's JOHN KING; Bay Area looks to extend shelter-in-place order through April -- The Chronicle's STAFF; Inside a Long Beach distillery churning out hand sanitizer to battle COVID-19 -- LA Times's HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS; LA County got 170 broken ventilators from feds; Silicon Valley is fixing them, Newsom says -- LA Times's TARYN LUNA/RONG-GONG LIN II; 5 more virus deaths in LA County, total cases top 2,100 -- LA Times's ALEX WIGGLESWORTH/BENJAMIN ORESKES/JOSEPH SERNA/RONG-GONG LIN II/TARYN LUNA/LAURA NEWBERRY
State parks now off limits to cars amid outbreak
The Chronicle's RUSTY SIMMONS/TOM STIENSTRA: "After seeing another surge of visitors at California’s state parks over the weekend, state officials announced Sunday that they are temporarily closing vehicular access to all 280 state parks in hope of slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
While trails and bathrooms remain open in most state parks, officials said they would continue to monitor crowds, and if visitors can’t maintain safe distances, they would take additional measures, which could include fully closing parks.
“On Saturday, many state parks once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/physical distancing practices,” read a news release from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. “During this pandemic disease, every person has a role to play in slowing down the spread of COVID-19."
NRA sues Newsom to get gun stores deemed essential during shelter-in-place
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER: "The National Rifle Association is suing to have California gun stores declared essential businesses amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus emergency.
The NRA, along with several other plaintiffs including two individuals, filed the lawsuitFriday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Newsom is among as the defendants listed in the lawsuit, as is Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who on Thursday issued a statement that gun stores in the county are not an essential business and that they must close to the general public."
California lottery closes office after Sacramento employee tests positive for COVID-19
Sacramento Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "The California State Lottery has closed its Sacramento office to employees after one of them tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a staff email the lottery sent on Friday night.
The email said an employee of the district was tested “earlier this month” and received a positive test result for COVID-19 on Friday.
The employee has not been to the Sacramento district office since the first week of March, according to the email."
READ MORE related to Environment: Forest Service closes campgrounds; trails and lakes remain openc -- The Chronicle's TOM STIENSTRA
A whiplash world waits to see if virus stimulus can help markets
LA Times's JUSTIN CARRIGAN: "It’s probably best to take the selloff late Friday as the pointer to what comes next for the world’s financial markets as they limp toward the end of the month.
After a three-day rally that helped the S&P 500 Index register its best week since March 2009 and kept 10-year Treasury yields within a modest 20 basis-point span, selling resumed across risk assets. Nervousness is showing through despite$2 trillion of stimulus and unlimited central bank support to relieve a shortage of dollars as the coronavirus pandemic enfeebles the global economy.
“Without medical breakthroughs of some kind, the next few weeks could be challenging for markets as we price in a deep global recession,” a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. team including New York-based Zach Pandl, co-head of global and emerging-market strategy, wrote on Friday."
College students leave campus life behind, adjust to online classes at home
The Chronicle's RON KROICHICK: "Anissa Perez embraced campus life during her first semester at the University of Miami. She lived in a dormitory, rushed a sorority, volunteered at philanthropic events, prepared to audition for the dance team and attended pool parties with friends.
Now, suddenly, Perez lives with her parents again at the family home in North Oakland. She shares a bedroom with her 15-year-old sister, Marisol, and listens to lectures on laptop headphones while sitting on her bed, or studies at the dining-room table.
So much for the college experience."
READ MORE related to Education: Bay Area high school students miss academic milestones and rites of passage due to virus closures -- The Chronicle's JILL TUCKER; California food banks partner with schools to serve families of students -- EdSource's ALI TADAYON
SacRT ridership down significantly due to virus
Sacramento Bee's VINCENT MOLESKI: "Sacramento Regional Transit ridership is down 75 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic as California officials continue to urge decreased public activity.
As of Friday, Regional Transit was reporting significant attrition as school closures, business shut-downs and social distancing further cut into patronage of buses and light rail in the Sacramento area.
Last week, the public transit company was showing a 60 percent decrease, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order has since intensified that dropoff."
SF's jail population drops 25% after inmates are released to thwart virus
The Chronicle's JOAQUIN PALOMINO: "San Francisco has reduced its jail population by nearly 25% in March to create distance between inmates and staff and prevent the coronavirus from taking hold, a problem that has grown dire in other jails and prisons across the country.
On Saturday morning, there were roughly 840 people in custody in San Francisco’s jails, said District Attorney Chesa Boudin, down from about 1,100 on March 4, the day California declared a state of emergency because of the global pandemic.
While some of the inmate reduction is due to declining crime rates following the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order, criminal justice leaders in the city have been working to free inmates early and detain only the most dangerous people in response to the outbreak."
California Serial Killer Lonnie Franklin aka 'Grim Sleeper' dies on death row
LA Times's JOSEPH SERNA: "Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer who preyed on Los Angeles women for more than two decades, died Saturday while on death row at San Quentin prison, officials said.
“Franklin was found unresponsive in his single cell on March 28 at about 7:20 p.m. Medical assistance was rendered and an ambulance was summoned. Franklin was pronounced deceased at 7:43 p.m. His cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy; however, there were no signs of trauma,” prison officials said in a statement.
Franklin, 67, was convicted in 2016 of killing nine women and a teenage girl from 1985 to 2007. During the penalty phase of his trial, prosecutors connected him to several additional slayings. Detectives believe he may have killed at least 25 women."
Trump extends virus guidelines, braces US for big death toll
AP's ZEKE MILLER/JILL COLVIN: "Bracing the nation for a death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public-health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic.
It was a stark shift in tone by the president, who only days ago mused about the country reopening in a few weeks. From the Rose Garden, he said his Easter revival hopes had only been “aspirational.”
The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires Monday and Trump had expressed interest in relaxing the national guidelines at least in parts of the country less afflicted by the pandemic. He instead decided to extend them through April 30, a tacit acknowledgment he’d been too optimistic. Many states and local governments have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings."
READ MORE related to POTUS45/Feds: AIDS crisis shaped Fauci, disease expert at front lines of pandemic -- LA Times's JENNY JARVIE; Governors shrug off Trump's insults as they plead for federal aid -- LA Times's LAURA KING; Federal social distancing guidelines to be extended to April 30, Trump says -- LA Times's LAURA KING
Deep underwater, submariners are likely unaware of pandemic roiling the world above
AP: "Of a world in coronavirus turmoil, they may know little or nothing.
Submariners stealthily cruising the ocean deeps, purposely shielded from worldly worries to encourage undivided focus on their top-secret missions of nuclear deterrence, may be among the last pockets of people anywhere who are still blissfully unaware of how the pandemic is turning life upside down.
Crew members of ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater to avoid undermining their morale, say current and former officers who served aboard France’s nuclear-armed subs. So any crews that left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely being kept in the dark about the extent of the rapidly unfurling crisis by their commanders until their return, they say."