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Coronavirus live updates: Oakland public schools begin in-person classes Monday

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

The latest videos about coronavirus in the US

Here's a look at the latest videos about novel coronavirus and the spread in the U.S. and across the world.California is the first U.S. state to treat Covid as endemic but are we there yet? ABC7 News explains the difference between a pandemic, epidemic and endemic.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A surge in coronavirus cases has been reported in the Bay Area and across California as well as the country due in part to the emergence of the highly-contagious delta variant. California health officials are highly recommending that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks indoors to prevent the spread of the virus.

The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC's 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7's daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

MAPS: Check out the latest maps of COVID-19 cases, deaths in the US, world
CORONAVIRUS IN CA: Get resources and information about COVID-19
LATEST LOCAL CASES: Updated number of COVID-19 cases, deaths in San Francisco Bay Area

Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:

Aug. 6, 2021

5:35 a.m.
Oakland public schools begin in-person classes Monday

Oakland public schools will begin in-person classes on Monday and will not require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. The district says it will take its cues from the county and state. Alameda County supports vaccine choice. But, Mayor Libby Schaaf says she stands behind a mandate for all public employees and teachers. She says those who are not vaccinated should submit to weekly COVID testing.

Aug. 5, 2021

5 p.m.
Napa County to implement indoor mask mandate at midnight

Napa County has joined the majority of the Bay Area in requiring facemasks in indoor public spaces, the county announced Thursday. The order takes effect at midnight. The COVID-19 Delta variant now makes up 85% of the variants in California, according to Napa health officials. Solano County is now the only Bay Area county without an indoor mask mandate.

7:15 a.m.

A bus is taking COVID-19 testing all over Santa Clara County. It provides more than 300 free tests a day, at different locations. Today it will be at Valley Water Headquarters from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments are recommended and walk-ups are also allowed.

Aug. 4, 2021

4 p.m.
Sonoma County to require first responders, law enforcement to be vaccinated

Law enforcement, firefighters and emergency first responders in Sonoma County will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 1, according to a new county policy. This also applies to staff at disaster shelters. The county said if proof of vaccination isn't able to be provided, workers will have to be tested weekly for the virus. On Aug. 17, the county will propose to the board of supervisors a similar vaccination requirement for county workers.

12 p.m.
Sutter Health to require employees to be vaccinated

Sutter Health will be requiring its staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September, the company announced Wednesday. This follows a similar announcement from Kaiser Permanente earlier this week requiring employees and doctors to be vaccinated. Sutter Health has hospitals and campuses across the Bay Area and Sacramento region.

8:30 a.m.

WHO leader wants vaccine booster moratorium

The head of the World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines to help ensure that doses are available in countries where few people have received their first shots.

6:15 a.m.
A's requiring masks indoors at Coliseum

A's fans will need their masks when watching games from certain places at the Coliseum. The team is now requiring masks inside the Treehouse, Shibe Park Tavern, and the Stomping Ground. If fans are in a suite with members from a different family, they'll also need to wear masks. The Giants have not yet updated guidelines for Oracle Park.

Aug. 3, 2021

10:20 a.m.
China orders mass testing in Wuhan as COVID outbreak spreads

China suspended flights and trains, canceled professional basketball league games and announced mass coronavirus testing in Wuhan on Tuesday as widening outbreaks of the delta variant reached the city where the disease was first detected in late 2019.

6:45 a.m.
New indoor mask mandate in effect in Bay Area

Masks are back on in seven Bay Area counties. The mandate requires everyone to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the city of Berkeley. Health officials hope it will slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Aug. 2, 2021

6:45 p.m.
Bay Area hospital near capacity amid COVID surge, enacts new guidelines for patients

As coronavirus cases surge, NorthBay Medical Center is near capacity. This is forcing them to limit how many visitors patients are allowed.

Starting Monday, hospital visits are discouraged except in certain situations:

One support person is allowed to accompany a laboring mother
Pediatric and NICU patients may have two designated support persons present
Patients with disabilities may have a support person
Two visitors may be present for a patient at the end of life
End-of-life COVID patients may have one visitor for up to one hour

2:45 p.m.
Kaiser announces vaccine mandate for doctors, nurses, staff

Kaiser Permanente announced its requiring the COVID-19 vaccination for all employees and physicians amid a surge in cases. See more details here.

2:35 p.m.

62.9% of eligible Californians vaccinated against COVID-19

About 63% of eligible Californians are vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday, according to latest state data. This is a slight increase from Sunday's numbers. More than 3.2 million people are partially vaccinated in the state. California is averaging 68,287 doses per day.

12:05 p.m.

7 Bay Area counties announce indoor mask mandate

Health officers from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the city of Berkeley announced a mask mandate Monday afternoon, requiring every resident to wear a mask indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status. The health order goes into effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m.

6:20 a.m.

BART returning to near pre-pandemic service levels

Starting today, BART is returning to near pre-pandemic service levels. Trains will run later and more frequently. Here are the changes effective today: Trains will run until midnight and they'll come every 15 minutes during the day. There will be more direct trips to SFO on weekdays. Masks are still required to ride.

Aug. 1, 2021

1:30 p.m.
Nearly 63% of Californians vaccinated against virus, data shows

As of Sunday morning, 62.8% of eligible Californians are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest state data. The state is currently administering more than 68,000 doses per day, on average. More than 3.2 million Californians are partially vaccinated against the virus.

11 a.m.
Dr. Fauci warns 'things are going to get worse' with COVID

As the country grapples with a surge in the delta variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that lockdowns the country saw last year are likely to not return, though he warned "things will get worse" during an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"I don't think we're gonna see lockdowns. I think we have enough of the percentage of people in the country -- not enough to crush the outbreak -- but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter. But things are going to get worse," the nation's top infectious disease expert told "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday.

July 30, 2021

6 p.m.
COVID-19 Outbreak at Contra Costa County jails

An outbreak of COVID-19 is unfolding at Contra Costa County jails. Health officials report 96 inmates and staff members have tested positive across three facilities. Martinez Detention Facility, Marsh Creek Detention Facility, and West County Detention Facility. No one has required hospitalization. Officials say as of this week - facility staff have to be vaccinated or undergo testing. All inmates have been offered vaccines.

1 p.m.
SF COVID-19 Update

San Francisco health officials gave an update on COVID-19 amid a surge of cases in the city and a suggested indoor masking policy for both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax called the Delta variant "COVID on steroids," saying it is the dominant strain throughout San Francisco and is driving up cases and hospitalizations.

"This is not a good time not to be vaccinated," said Dr. Colfax.

Data Highlights for San Francisco:

Vaccinated people are highly unlikely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19.
The case rate among the unvaccinated population is more than double that of the vaccinated population in San Francisco.
There have been no recorded COVID-related deaths amongst fully vaccinated people.
San Francisco is averaging 176 new cases a day, a ten-fold increase since the beginning of June.

11 a.m.
CDC warns of delta variant's extreme contagiousness, severity

The delta coronavirus variant surging across the United States appears to cause more severe illness and spread as easily as chickenpox, according to an internal document from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The document - a slide presentation - outlines data that shows fully vaccinated people might spread the delta variant at the same rate as unvaccinated people. Get the full story here.

10:30 a.m.
'Hamilton' in SF to require proof of vaccination or test, masks for audience

"Hamilton" will require vaccination proof or negative test results for audiences when it returns to San Francisco All ticketholders will be required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or negative test results from a COVID PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance for entry. See more details here.