California added more than 2,000 new positive cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, but the Bay Area was largely spared.
Just five Southern California counties accounted for 80 percent of the state’s new cases and nearly that share of the 95 new deaths reported by the state’s county health departments.
The Bay Area added six deaths to its toll, which rose to 376.
Stay up to date with the virus’ spread with our Bay Area county-by-county map and our California-wide map.
Resources:
How to tell if you may have COVID-19
If you believe you have the virus, here’s what to do
How to get groceries without going to the supermarket
Here are tips for staying safe as you go to the grocery store
These Bay Area restaurants are offering delivery or takeout
If you are laid off or have hours cut in the crisis, here’s how to apply for state support
These Bay Area companies are hiring during the coronavirus crunch
Live updates:
The Stern Grove Festival has been canceled for 2020. Performers from Billy Ray Cyrus to Jimmy Cliff were set to play on Sundays from June to August as part of the festival. – Jim Harrington, 9:30 a.m.
Eighteen California counties have received the go-ahead to rapidly reopen their economies under Phase 2 of the state’s coronavirus plan. San Benito County, just south of the Bay Area, is among them. – Evan Webeck, 9:01 a.m.
Latino leaders in San Jose are calling on the city to better protect its Latino residents after an analysis by this news organization showed they were dying from the coronavirus at a disproportionate rate. – Maggie Angst, 8:51 a.m.
The Winchester Mystery House staff was hit with about 75 layoffs as the house prepares to reopen to the public for self-guided garden tours aimed to comply with health restrictions. A former staffer says the entire tour staff was eliminated. – George Avalos, 7:45 a.m.
Zoom, the video conferencing platform based in San Jose, is hiring 500 new software engineers as its usage has skyrocketed with people across the globe sheltering at home. – Rex Crum, 7:36 a.m.
Eight of the 10 California counties with the highest new infection rates are in Southern California. We asked experts to explain why. – John Woolfolk, 6:30 a.m.
“I had no idea I had almost died,” one coronavirus patient said after recovering from critical condition. His husband, who also had the virus, came to say goodbye to him at the hospital, collecting his wedding ring before the improbable recovery. – Emily DeRuy, 6 a.m.
The pace of new unemployment claims has slowed considerably in California, according to data released by state officials Thursday. Last week, about 214,000 workers filed for unemployment, a 32.3 percent decrease from the week before, which was itself much lower than earlier in the pandemic. – George Avalos, 5:57 a.m.
Laguna Beach has temporarily banned carrying flag poles in public after protesters carried them during demonstrations against California’s shelter-at-home order. Officials argued they could be used as a weapon, as some protests have involved escalating tensions with police. – Erika I. Ritchie, 4:36 a.m.
An eighth inmate has died of the coronavirus at Terminal Island federal prison, almost one month after he was placed on a ventilator. Nearly 70 percent of inmates at the facility have tested positive, officials said. – Robert Gundran, 4:08 a.m.
