Coronavirus updates: U.S. death toll now 100; Sacramento area leaders want people to stay home

Mar. 17--The coronavirus pandemic continues to afflict California and uproot virtually all public life throughout the state, where public health officials have confirmed nearly 500 cases and where nearly a dozen have died from the disease.

The state's public health department on Tuesday updated its numbers to show a total of 472 confirmed COVID-19 cases including 11 deaths. The death toll in the United States reached 100 on Tuesday, CNN reported. The news network based its number on a tally of data from state heath officials; 18 states have reported deaths due to coronavirus.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday urged all movie theaters and gyms across California to shut down temporarily, and for restaurants to close except for takeout service. That order built upon and escalated the governor's directive a day earlier, when he said all bars and nightclubs statewide should close and that restaurants should limit their occupancy, and that Californians over age 65 should voluntarily self-isolate at home.

Newsom's newest guidelines remain strong recommendations rather than mandates, but several Bay Area counties earlier Monday announced a lawful order to shelter in place for millions of residents, requiring that everyone stay home except for essential reasons.

Sacramento County health officials on Tuesday afternoon called on all residents, not just the elderly, to stay at home effective immediately unless they have essential chores to do, such as grocery shopping, banking, restaurant food pickups, or health appointments.

The directive stops short of being a formal order, but represents a stricter stance than Newsom called. Health officers updated the infection total for Sacramento County to 40 on Tuesday, up from 33 a day earlier.

Health experts have said in recent days that these kinds of unprecedented measures are necessary to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, to a rate the U.S. health care system can handle.

Newsom gave Monday's executive order hours after President Donald Trump and the White House recommended no gatherings of more than 10 people be held for at least the next 15 days.

It also came as more than half of the state's public school districts, making up about 85 percent of California's K-12 students, have closed anywhere from a week to more than a month.

The extraordinary closures, cancellations and government guidelines come as the novel coronavirus, designated COVID-19, has surpassed 5,800 confirmed cases in the U.S. and is approaching 200,000 worldwide, with the global death toll now close to 8,000.

Sacramento County asked to 'stay at home'

Sacramento County's moves -- dramatic and historic -- will shut most commerce in Sacramento and create a largely stay-at-home society for at least the next few weeks as health officials monitor the spread of the virus and deal with its sickest patients.

"A directive is an order by another name, and it's crucial that we all follow it," Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. "This is what we need to do to flatten this curve and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. It will still allow people to engage in all the essential functions of life, to go grocery shopping, to keep essential medical appointments, and to get outdoors and take a run or walk, as long as it's at a safe distance from others.

"Life will change, but there's no reason to panic," he said.

In speaking about Tuesday afternoon's advisory, Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Chair Phil Serna said the county is "at an inflection point," and is coming to grips with an "unparalleled" public health crisis.

"I think we're at that point where as the largest local government in the Sacramento Valley we have an obligation to do everything we can to protect the health of the public," Serna said.

City of Davis urging shelter in place

Davis city leaders are strongly recommending, but not at this time legally mandating, that all residents follow shelter-in-place guidelines.

That means the city is urging people to "stay at home and only leave their homes for essential purposes, such as necessary medical appointments, grocery shopping or picking up prepared meals at a restaurant, and traveling to perform essential job functions," a Tuesday afternoon news release by Davis City Hall explains.

"Additionally, while walking in public places, people are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing and keep a distance of six feet from each other."

The city has also instructed local restaurants to transition to takeout and delivery service only, and asked residents to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at home, the news release said.

"This is a challenging time for us all, and we are asking residents to look out for their neighbors by practicing social distancing," Davis Mayor Brett Lee said in a prepared statement. "The City is working closely with the Yolo County Health Department to encourage practices to keep the community safe and healthy."

Davis has a population of about 70,000.

Sacramento State postpones graduation ceremonies

California State University, Sacramento, has announced it will postpone spring 2020 commencement due to the coronavirus crisis.

The graduation ceremonies had been set for May 15-17 at Golden 1 Center. No rescheduled dates have been announced.

"We do not currently know what the next few months or even the next year will look like in our community, our country, or the world," university President Robert S. Nelsen said in a statement. "But we are committed to celebrating the 2020 graduating class as soon as we are able."

Graduating students are still asked to pay their graduation fees to fund both their diplomas and the rescheduled ceremony.

Sacramento State canceled all in-person classes and transitioned to online delivery last Thursday. The decision was made after consulting with the CSU Chancellor's Office, Sacramento State administration, and Sacramento County health officials.

Two major Northern California tribal casinos to close

Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln and Red Hawk Casino in Shingle Springs, the four-county Sacramento region's two tribal casino pillars, on Tuesday announced plans to shut down operations later this week.

Red Hawk will close at 6 a.m. Wednesday through the end of March, and will pay all casino team members base pay and benefits, said Regina Cuellar, tribal chairwoman of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

Thunder Valley announced earlier Tuesday morning that it would close indefinitely starting Friday night, with the casino pledging to pay health benefits to its employees. A day earlier, Thunder Valley had announced significant cutbacks and layoffs for 85 workers, but the rapidly escalating public health crisis necessitated a full closure, health officials and casino executives determined.

Due in part to tribes' sovereign status affecting how California's government could limit their activity, tribal casinos had been among the last remaining establishments where very large groups of people could gather.

At least four area card rooms are suspending operations. Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights and Capitol Casino in Sacramento said they would close Wednesday. Parkwest Casino in Rancho Cordova and the Limelight in midtown Sacramento have already closed.

Sacramento substitute teacher dies of coronavirus

A volunteer and substitute teacher who worked at Sutterville Elementary School last week and who tested positive for the coronavirus died on Sunday, the Sacramento City Unified School District said Monday in a statement.

The teacher's name was not released. Sacramento City Unified last week announced the teacher had tested positive, and deep cleaned Sutterville Elementary in response.

All public K-12 districts in Sacramento County will be closed for up to three weeks due to the coronavirus, the county education office announced last Friday. Districts across Yolo, El Dorado and Placer counties followed suit soon after.

Sacramento County on Monday updated its coronavirus website to indicate a second death in the jurisdiction, and reported that both deaths have been people over age 70 who had underlying health conditions.

The county's previous death was a woman in her 90s who resided at an Elk Grove assisted living home. Sacramento County has had 33 confirmed cases as of Monday's update.

Transit, airline cutbacks hit Sacramento

With traveler numbers dwindling, transit and airlines are cutting back on services this week.

Airline traffic at Sacramento International Airport was down more than 25 percent from the previous week and likely will take a similar dip this week. Airlines serving Sacramento have started canceling a handful of flights during April and May. Airport officials say the process is dynamic, with changes daily. Passengers with bookings should check airlines frequently.

Southwest Airlines, which has been offering deep discounts this week, reports passenger numbers down 67 percent so far this month, "with recent days trending toward 50 percent."

With schools closed, Sacramento Regional Transit likely will shutter some bus service this week. Officials expect to make an announcement this afternoon.

The Capitol Corridor trains have seen notably reduced traffic, but the agency likely will continue service as usual through Friday, then is expected to announce a significant schedule modification to start on Saturday.

Yolo County reports 2 new cases, one a young adult

Yolo County on Tuesday disclosed that a young adult "with a chronic health problem" was hospitalized and confirmed positive for COVID-19. The patient has since been released "and is doing well," the county said in a statement.

The county says the patient represents the third confirmed coronavirus case in Yolo, and that this recent instance was acquired through community transmission. The patient was described only as a "young adult" with a more precise age not given, and the county says it will not be releasing further information about the patient's geographic location due to health privacy laws.

County authorities early Tuesday afternoon said the county's fourth case had been confirmed, this one an older adult who had recently traveled. That person is at home and self-isolating, Yolo County says.

What does the Bay Area shelter in place order mean?

Early Monday afternoon, nearly 7 million residents across six Bay Area counties -- San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara and San Mateo -- were ordered to shelter in place, not allowed to leave home except for essential purposes through at least April 7, in a mandate announced by county leaders and public health officials. A seventh county, Santa Cruz, did the same later Monday.

Residents may go to stores to buy food and other necessary items, and can go to places like gas stations, banks and can ride Bay Area Rapid Transit. But Monday's order calls upon millions of workers in non-essential industries, effectively anything that is not related to health or public safety, to work from home. Local law enforcement have been instructed to enforce the shelter-in-place order.

The Bay Area's homeless population is not included in the shelter order.

Could Sacramento shelter in place like the Bay Area?

Sacramento County officials said Monday that they planned to communicate with Bay Area health authorities that afternoon to discuss whether follow suit.

"This is a fast-moving world; we are evaluating it right now," Peter Beilenson, the county's health director, said midday Monday.

Steinberg suggested over the weekend that Tuesday's St. Patrick's Day holiday may serve as something of a test for bars in the city.

"I would expect to see those bars closed on St. Patrick's Day, period, end of story," Steinberg said. "If that doesn't happen, then that is going to be a signal -- maybe there needs to be stronger measures and stronger action."

Days earlier, Steinberg had been urging Sacramento residents to continue taking their business to local bars and restaurants. The mayor said he shifted his message after receiving new information from state and federal health officials, and after watching the virus unfold in Italy, where death rates have exploded.

"This isn't a time for half measures," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told The Sacramento Bee on Monday. "History will not forgive us for waiting an hour longer."

State passes $1.1 billion emergency package to fight coronavirus

California lawmakers voted unanimously late Monday night to secure $1.1 billion in funding to fight the coronavirus.

One of the spending bills allocates $500 million, plus additional $50 million increments as necessary up to $1 billion, to lease and set up two hospitals and for essential medical equipment for hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities statewide.

The other $100 million was set aside for local school districts to buy material and protective cleaning equipment for campuses.

The California Assembly approved the main funding bills freeing up money for the state's coronavirus response on a 68-0 vote, and the Senate passed them on a 32-0 vote.

In accordance with Newsom's guidelines given Sunday, some lawmakers over age 65 were absent for the vote.

Newsom also on Monday issued an executive order giving local governments power to temporarily stop evictions, and calling for utilities to maintain their services.

"People shouldn't lose or be forced out of their home because of the spread of COVID-19," Newsom said in a statement. "Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices -- but a place to live shouldn't be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians."

The moratorium on evictions is set to end May 21.

Ski resorts give up on season

Four major Lake Tahoe area ski resorts, having already suspended operations, are giving up on the season.

Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar announced they will forgo the rest of the 2019-20 winter season, although there's a chance Heavenly could reopen in late April or early May if there's enough snow and the pandemic has eased. The announcement includes other resorts around North America owned by Colorado-based Vail Resorts Inc.

"While it is incredibly disappointing for us to mark the end of the season at this time, we know it is the most responsible path forward," the company said on its website.

Separately, Mount Rose ski resort near Incline Village has also shuttered for the season.

At least ten Tahoe-area resorts have shut down at least temporarily. The latest are Homewood, on Tahoe's west shore, and Diamond Peak in Incline Village.

California DMV urges 2-month grace period

The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Monday night asked law state enforcement to give motorists a 60-day grace period for out-of-date licenses or registrations, as drivers may elect not to brave crowded DMV lines amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The DMV has asked the California Highway Patrol and local police departments to use discretion when encountering a driver with expired license or registration through at least mid-May.

"The DMV is taking this action so that at-risk populations, including seniors and those with underlying health conditions, can avoid required visits to DMV field offices for driver license or vehicle registration renewals," state officials said in a news release.

Michelle Obama, Billie Eilish appearances in Sacramento postponed

Likely the two biggest non-sports events that had been on the calendar for Golden 1 Center, Sacramento's biggest venue with more than 17,000 seats, were a pair of moderated discussions with former first lady Michelle Obama and a concert by star singer and recent multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Billie Eilish.

Obama had been set for two appearances at Golden 1 on April 1 to promote her memoir, "Becoming," with the second show added after tickets for the first sold out extremely quickly. The arena's website said the events have been postponed "in accordance with the recommendation of the CDC."

Eilish in a tweet thread Monday evening announced all stops of her "Where do we go?" tour through at least April 17 will be postponed, including an April 8 show at Golden 1, with the rescheduled dates yet to be determined.

Some Sacramento restaurants already voluntarily closing

More than two dozen eateries in Sacramento had either voluntarily closed or transitioned to takeout or delivery only as of Monday evening. That was before, even, Newsom had escalated his directive from reducing occupancy to total closure.

Those voluntarily shutting their doors included local restaurant scene mainstays such as The Kitchen on Hurley Way, Ella Dining Room and Bar on K Street and Tower Cafe on Broadway.

Here's where the coronavirus numbers stand

A map of confirmed cases maintained by Johns Hopkins University shows the global total of infections at just over 190,000 as of Tuesday morning, with over 7,800 deaths reported.

The United States now accounts for more than 5,800 confirmed cases and more than 95 deaths, with at least 50 of them in Washington State, according to Johns Hopkins.

The California Department of Public Health in an update provided Tuesday morning, said there are now 472 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, up from the previous count of 392. Health officials say 98 of these cases were community acquired and the cause of another 193 are under investigation; recent travel made up 82 cases; person-to-person contact involving known cases each made up 75 cases; and the remaining 24 came from federal repatriation flights, according to the state.

Public health officials now confirm 11 deaths in the state, including one non-California resident. California so far has four confirmed deaths in Santa Clara County, two in Sacramento County, two in Riverside County and one in each of Placer, San Mateo and Los Angeles counties.

What is COVID-19? How does the coronavirus spread?

Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The CDC says it's possible to catch the disease COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, "but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads."

Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure. Most develop only mild symptoms, but some people develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal. The disease is especially dangerous to the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.

Sacramento Bee reporters Sophia Bollag, Amy Chance, Theresa Clift, Benjy Egel, Vincent Moleski, Sawsan Morrar, Ryan Sabalow, Sam Stanton and Hannah Wiley contributed to this report.

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