California coronavirus updates: The latest on the pandemic

Food bank volunteer Emogene Thomas, 68, arranges cans on a table at Teamsters 315 Hall in Martinez on March 19, 2020. The food bank serves seniors but had about half regular the number of visitors due to coronavirus concerns. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

California Divide

Governor’s promise to immediately feed seniors hasn’t yet delivered

Last week Gov. Newsom announced that eligible seniors throughout California could immediately get three free restaurant meals per day delivered to their door. Yet a week later, not a single meal has been delivered, and tens of thousands of Californians who have tried to sign up have been left disappointed, confused and maybe even hungry. […]

By

Jackie Botts

• May 1, 2020

Beach goers enjoy the sun and sand near the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on April 30, 2020. Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG

Coronavirus

Line in the sand: Newsom closes all beaches in the OC but not elsewhere — sparking legal fight

Updated May 1, 2020 As reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom planned to close all California beaches whipped around the state on Wednesday evening, local officials pushed back. From the foggy north end of the state to the sun-soaked south, several said closing every beach on the state’s 800-mile coastline would be a draconian way to […]

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• April 30, 2020

Coronavirus

‘Someone will contract the virus here’: Meet homeless Californians trying to survive a pandemic

The vast majority of people who were unhoused in California before coronavirus swept across the state are exactly where they were. Encampments still line the streets. Shelters feel more like a risk than a refuge. And affordable housing is as elusive as ever. Watch as they capture moments from their everyday lives — and talk about […]

By

Byrhonda Lyons

• April 30, 2020

Nika Gambarin, left, brings her daughter Jamee, center, to her kindergarten class on the first day of school at R.I. Meyerholz Elementary School in San Jose on Aug. 16, 2018.

Economy

California could reopen schools as early as July, Newsom says

California could reopen for an earlier school year, perhaps as soon as late July, to make up for lost learning time. Some retailers and manufacturers may be able to reopen in a matter of weeks — provided they take safety precautions.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• April 28, 2020

Coronavirus

Not if, but how: California prepares for an all vote-by-mail election in November

All eyes are on the governor who, with an executive order, could make the upcoming election an all-mail affair.

By

Ben Christopher

• April 28, 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

Events

Watch: What’s working for teachers and parents during the lockdown

CalMatters talks to three California teachers who are at the forefront of leading remote instruction.

By

CalMatters Staff

• April 28, 2020

Bakersfield Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi from Accelerated Urgent Care held a press conference at their Coffee Road facility on April 22. They claimed their COVID testing proved the novel coronavirus had spread widely in the region and was thus less of a concern, but public health experts say they were jumping to that conclusion based on an unrepresentative sample. Photo by Alex Horvath / The Californian

Health

Cue the debunking: Two Bakersfield doctors go viral with dubious COVID test conclusions

The doctor duo lit up social media with conclusions about their clinic's coronavirus tests — but infectious disease modelers quickly assailed their claims as statistically flawed.

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• April 27, 2020

Dr. Sumana Reddy demonstrates a Telehealth exam using Updox, a HIPPA-compliant video chat software, one of several programs her clinic relies on to meet with patients.

Coronavirus

Virtual medical visits are the new normal during the coronavirus pandemic

California's stay-at-home order to slow the coronavirus has significantly accelerated the use of telehealth visits. Some health systems in California report up to 80% of their patient visits are handled by video chat or a phone call.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

and

Elizabeth Aguilera

• April 27, 2020

California grocery workers hope the state adopts a new rule making it easier for essential workers like them to receive workers' comp benefits if they contract COVID-19. This masked worker stocks produce at Gus's Community Market in San Francisco. Photo by Ben Margot, AP Photo

Coronavirus

Governor’s quandary: Who should get California workers’ comp benefits for COVID-19?

Gov. Gavin Newsom could order that essential employees who contract coronavirus did so on the job and automatically qualify for workers' comp benefits. Businesses warn that could cost billions.

By

Barbara Feder Ostrov

• April 26, 2020

Michelle Hansen, principal at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School, hands a laptop computer to a parent in Sacramento, April 10, 2020. In response to the order to close school buildings due to the coronavirus, the Sacramento Unified School District distributed one laptop per family of elementary students, K-6, for the district's Distance Learning Program. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo

Education

Richer schools not necessarily faster to set up distance learning

California schools’ pandemic responses have varied, but those that got earlier starts to distance learning said it was the result of years of preparation.

By

Ricardo Cano

and

Adria Watson

• April 24, 2020