By Amy Graff, SFGATE April 8, 2020
LATEST April 8, 10:15 a.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke with KCBS Radio Wednesday morning and said the state is preparing for the spread of the coronavirus to peak in May. This is something the governor has said repeatedly in interviews and press conferences in recent days.
“What we have projected based on the new modeling and the stay at home orders and appropriate physical distancing that’s been manifest, is we’re seeing a steady moderate increase,” Newsom said. “And again that, we project, goes into May before we see that moderate increase begin to decline. But those models, as you suggest, go from bending a curve to then stretching the curve out beyond May: June. So I just want to caution people that just because you bend a curve and you’re no longer at peak doesn’t mean the virus has evaporated and we’re back to some semblance of normalcy.”
He added: “But the reality is, I think we have to be very honest with folks to socialize that we’re not just a few weeks away and everybody gets to go back and watch the Warriors down at Oracle Arena. The reality is, this is going to take us some time.”
Read the transcript of the entire interview.
April 8, 8:40 a.m. San Francisco health officials reported the 10th death from COVID-19 complications Wednesday morning. This is the second death the county has announced this week.
Officials also reported 54 new cases, bringing the total to 676.
Counties across the Bay Area reported 13 deaths on Tuesday, making it the deadliest day of the coronavirus outbreak thus far in the region.
April 8, 8 a.m. Two nursing facilities in Alameda County announced coronavirus outbreaks Tuesday.
At least 40 cases have been identified among staff and residents at the Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward, according to the Mercury News. In addition, East Bay Post-Acute Center in Castro Valley said 12 health care workers and 9 patients have tested positive , according to CBS News.
The Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center, the East Bay Post-Acute Center and Alameda County Health Department weren’t immediately available for comment on this story.
April 8, 7:25 a.m. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a mandate Tuesday night requiring residents to wear face coverings when leaving their homes to go to the supermarket, doctor’s office or any other essential service allowed to remain open under California’s shelter-in-place order.
The order takes effect Friday.
“Every Angeleno will share this responsibility with employers: to keep workers and everybody else safe, which is why we are requiring customers to wear face coverings to enter those businesses,” Garcetti said Tuesday in issuing the facial covering mandate.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also made a big announcement regarding masks Tuesday night and told TV host Rachel Maddow he “inked a deal” for the state to buy 200 million masks a month.
Newsom explained the mask windfall is the result of a consortium of nonprofits and a California company that will be manufacturing mostly N95 masks overseas, and supplying the needs of California residents and workers, as well as possibly those in other Western states.