California coronavirus updates: The latest on the pandemic

Pedestrians walk through an empty parking lot at Venice Beach on March 28 — a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom barred 40 million residents from going outdoors except for essentials. Some evidence suggests that may be helping California "bend the curve" of rising coronavirus casualties. Photo by Mark J. Terrill, AP Photo

Coronavirus

As California’s coronavirus curve bends, Newsom’s not ready to be the bearer of good news

Some evidence now suggests that California’s early decision to adopt aggressive social distancing policies may be helping to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus compared to other key states. But the governor said it’s still too early for optimism. “We are not out of the woods yet—by no stretch of the imagination,” he told […]

By

Ben Christopher

• March 31, 2020

Fresno County is facing a doctor shortage, forcing it to give up some beds that were supposed to be reserved for coronavirus patients

California Divide

Fresno’s doctor shortage just cost the county 100 coronavirus emergency hospital beds

Fresno County has to give away 100 emergency field hospital beds intended to treat coronavirus patients because the Valley’s long-standing shortage of doctors means there aren’t enough medical professionals to monitor the patients. About 250 beds will be delivered to the county after state officials on Wednesday green light its proposed field hospital location for […]

By

Manuela Tobias

• March 31, 2020

Linda Soares, left, helps her son, Daniel, 16, with his history homework at their dining room table. Soares says that she has been able to learn from her son’s school aid, who is a friend, on how to best assist him with his class work. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

K-12 Education

Coronavirus stretches California’s special education system to the brink

Children, parents, and educators are struggling to adapt to a remote teaching necessity at odds with how special education is delivered.

By

Elizabeth Aguilera

and

Ricardo Cano

• March 31, 2020

USNS Mercy hospital ship admit first patients on March 29, 2020. The ship is treating non-COVID-19 patients in an effort to relieve overwhelmed Los Angeles area hospitals.

Coronavirus

California starts recruiting retired and student doctors, nurses to handle surge in severely sick people

As the number of people hospitalized in California with the coronavirus doubled in just four days, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday sent out an urgent call seeking help from the state’s 37,000 retired and part-time health care professionals. Newsom issued an executive order that will temporarily allow retired doctors and nurses to return to work, […]

By

Julie Cart

,

Elizabeth Aguilera

and

Ana B. Ibarra

• March 30, 2020

Events

Watch: How to Homeschool Our Kids

School districts across California have closed their doors as communities go on lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, and instructional time for millions of the state’s K-12 students is now spent at kitchen tables instead of classrooms. This new reality has created obstacles for teachers who are experimenting with distance learning on a massive scale, parents […]

By

CalMatters Staff

• March 30, 2020

Coronavirus

How to get past the coronavirus crisis without losing your mental health

Fear, loss, economic stress, the angst of a seemingly endless crisis — coronavirus is taking a toll, not just physically but on our mental health. Here are some tips and tweaks from California mental health professionals.

By

Jocelyn Wiener

• March 29, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference in the state capitol following the first COVID-19 death in California. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Coronavirus

California ramps up output of ventilators as COVID-19 cases grow

San Jose energy company repurposes its manufacturing plant to refurbish outdated ventilators as state grapples with spike in coronavirus hospitalizations and ICU cases.

By

Nigel Duara

and

Ana B. Ibarra

• March 28, 2020

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—MARCH 27, 2020—California Governor Gavin Newsom listens as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks in front of the hospital ship USNS Mercy that arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, March 27, 2020, to provide relief for Southland hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. (POOL PHOTOGRAPHS BY Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)

Health

Los Angeles will mirror New York as coronavirus surges, Newsom and Garcetti warn

City and state leaders issued dire warnings that Los Angeles County is headed for the same surge in COVID-19 cases as New York City. The announcement comes as a $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package will pump billions into the state’s flailing economy.

By

Judy Lin

,

Ben Christopher

and

Matt Levin

• March 27, 2020

Voters including Dave Ade of San Jose, right, fill out their ballots on Nov. 6, 2018, at The Salvation Army in San Jose. Photo by Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group

Politics

One upside of the coronavirus shutdown, maybe? Fewer voter initiatives

Initiative proponents have until the end of April to collect the signatures they need to put their ideas on the ballot — and with millions of Californians staying home, some campaigns won't have time to collect enough signatures.

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• March 27, 2020

Health

Here’s what happens to science when California’s researchers shelter in place

California’s scientists are sheltering in place because of coronavirus restrictions, shutting down research, or switching to study the novel coronavirus.

By

Rachel Becker

• March 26, 2020