Coronavirus updates: Lawmakers propose rent relief for restaurants; state hits 90,000 infections

Although many businesses across the Sacramento area and in much of California are open for business once again, state legislation is poised to provide more support after the massive financial blow of weekslong closures.

Senate Bill 939, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary committee Friday in a 5-1 vote, was written to empower restaurants and nonprofit organizations in rent negotiations with commercial landlords.

The bill would prevent these landlords from evicting some small businesses and nonprofits amid the pandemic, and would also allow bars, restaurants and entertainment venues to renegotiate rent costs if they have seen a 40 percent revenue decrease or have had to limit capacity by 25 percent in accordance with state guidelines. Owed rent could be deferred by as much as a year from the end of California’s state of emergency.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, argued that businesses have been hit too hard by the financial repercussions of the pandemic to be held to the same standards immediately after reopening.

“These landlords are not going to be able to collect the pre-COVID rents from the restaurants, bars and cafes. That is not reality,” Wiener said during a Senate Judiciary hearing Friday. “The choice isn’t between full rent and reduced rent. The choice is between reduced rent and no rent.”

Restaurateurs eager to recoup losses after two months of limited service options agree that more needs to be done to protect tenants and the workers who rely on them.

“Rent is the largest fixed cost for hospitality businesses, and for many it will be the determinant of whether they reopen or remain open,” said Gwyneth Borden of the Bay Area Hospitality Coalition in a statement. “With record unemployment in California, being led by the hospitality sector, SB939 is crucial in saving jobs.”

Landlords, however, may not see it that way. The bill faces opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce and several real estate advocacy organizations.

“All Californians — especially property owners — want businesses to thrive and be able to pay their rent,” said California Business Properties Association President Rex Hime. “But SB 939 flies in the face of basic economics and would exacerbate the financial problems imposed on all residents and businesses by COVID-19’s mandated business shut-down.”

Coronavirus by the numbers

Nearly 5.3 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, 340,000 people have died of COVID-19 and 2 million patients have recovered, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University.

The world hit the 5 million mark on Thursday. On May 9, the global infection total was 4 million. On April 27, it was 3 million. On April 15, less than two weeks before that, the world hit the 2 million mark. Two weeks before that, on April 2, it was 1 million.

The United States currently accounts for nearly a third of all infections, with 1.6 million of its own confirmed cases. Almost 97,000 Americans have been killed by the virus.

Russia, after seeing a surge in cases earlier in the month, has the second-highest number of infections. The transcontinental country has reported 335,000 cases and 3,300 deaths.

Brazil also saw a surge that placed it near the top of global infections. It has reported 330,000 cases and 21,000 deaths.

New York state, however, has seen outbreaks that surpass that of even sprawling sovereign nations. Nearly 360,000 people in the state have been infected with coronavirus and almost 29,000 people have died.

California, meanwhile, broke 90,000 cases on Friday, and was approaching 91,000 Saturday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins. More than 3,600 Californians have been killed by COVID-19.

Los Angeles County remains the state’s coronavirus hotspot. More than 43,000 people have been infected there and over 2,000 have died.

As of Saturday morning, Sacramento County reported 1,289 cases of coronavirus — up by 17 from Friday — and 56 deaths. The last reported death came on Monday.

Yolo County reported 190 cases — up by two from Friday — and 22 deaths as of Saturday. Of those deaths, 15 were connected to the Stollwood Convalescent Hospital in Woodland.

Placer County reported 185 cases — up by one from Friday — and nine deaths as of Saturday morning. The county’s first death in over a month was reported on Friday.

El Dorado County reported 74 cases — up by seven from Thursday — and no deaths as of Friday.

Sutter County reported 40 cases as of Friday, marking no change since Sunday. Two people in the county have died of COVID-19.

Yuba County reported 28 cases as of Friday, marking no change since Monday. Just one person in the county has been killed by the virus.

El Dorado County COVID-19 spike

El Dorado County reported seven new COVID-19 confirmed cases on Friday, including six children, which is the first time the county has had someone younger than 18 who contracted the infectious respiratory disease.

The county’s total number of confirmed cases was at 74 Friday afternoon. The county has had zero deaths related to COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus.

County officials said in an email that if the sudden increase in cases seems alarming, context helps to explain the spike. They said the new reported cases are all from household contacts with an earlier positive case.

“If you think about how influenza or a cold or other virus moves through a household where people are in very close contact with each other and touching common surfaces, this number should not be surprising,” county officials said in the email.

The new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Diamond Springs/El Dorado area, which has a total of 19 reported COVID-19 cases. The Lake Tahoe region has the most in the county with 25 reported cases.

Along with the six infected children, who are 17 years old or younger, there was one person in the age category of 18 to 49 years old, according to the county. Three of them were male, and four were female.

Sierra County sees first case

Sierra County, a rural and sparsely populated area of California located just west of Reno in the Sierra Nevada, reported its first case of coronavirus on Friday.

Health officials have tested 65 of the county’s nearly 3,000 residents and have only received one positive. The results of another test are still pending.

In a news release, Sierra County officials said an investigation is underway to determine if any other residents were exposed to the highly contagious virus by the patient, and urged vigilance as the state begins to reopen.

“Even though we have not demonstrated the presence of community spread in Sierra County, we believe we are all at some risk, as community transmission has been demonstrated in many of our surrounding jurisdictions where we live, work, and shop,” Sierra County public health officer Dr. Celia Sutton-Pado said in a prepared statement. “Our vulnerability is especially high because of the limited resources we have in Sierra County, including gasoline, groceries, tourist-based economy, limited healthcare facilities, and lack of pharmacy. As you are aware, cases of COVID-19 have been increasing around the state, nation, and world. This is not a time to let down our guard!”

Mandatory testing at Chino prison

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will begin coronavirus testing for all staff at the California Institution for Men in Chino next week.

The testing, which will be mandatory, comes after significant outbreaks at the prison among the inmate population.

CIM currently has reported the highest numbers of infection in the California prison system. As of Saturday afternoon, CIM was reporting 628 confirmed cases of coronavirus among inmates and six deaths due to COVID-19.

58 employees at CIM have contracted coronavirus, and 35 of those have returned to work.

Statewide, 1,101 inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, and the only inmate deaths in the state have been at CIM. All told, 232 prison staff have tested positive, and 129 have returned to work.

In an email obtained by The Sacramento Bee, CDCR officials said that all employees will be tested three days per week for the next three weeks. Staff were notified of the testing requirements Friday.

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

Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within 6 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.

This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 11:12 AM.