Coronavirus updates: Sacramento Catholic diocese says Mass resuming June 14, jury trials to resume
Despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that churches would soon be able to resume in-person services with social distancing measures in place, many faith leaders in the Sacramento area have responded with caution.
Bethany Slavic Missionary Church, which was the source of an outbreak connected to 71 cases of coronavirus among congregants and close contacts, has yet to formally announce any plans for reopening. The church, which has about 3,500 members, shut down in March to prevent further spread of the virus and is still closed to in-person worship.
“Our services are online only at this time,” church administrator Viktor Lyulkin said Thursday.
Sacramento’s Faith Presbyterian Church, which saw two of its members die of COVID-19 and six others become infected, is also holding off from immediate reopening.
“I suspect that we will be very conservative in our move to reopen,” Pastor Jeff Chapman said. “My guess is that we would not have in person services until July at the earliest.”
Faith Presbyterian has formed a small team of members with backgrounds in health and medicine in order to more effectively move forward.
Summer was set as a target for reopening by Congregation B’nai Israel as well.
“We are not likely to reopen for worship in June,” Rabbi Mona Alfi said. “More important than communal prayer is the belief that we all have an obligation to guard not only our own lives, but the lives of others as well. Neither God or community are confined to the interior of a building. We will continue to pray, study and socialize, just not in our sanctuary right now.”
On Friday, Bishop Jaime Soto announced Catholic parishes could reopen for Mass on June 14. The churches have been closed since March 13.
The head of the Diocese of Sacramento said attendance would follow the guidelines by the state to limited capacity to either 25 percent or a maximum of 100 parishoners. Shared hymnals and Communion cups will not be used, the diocese said, and masks will be encouraged.
Soto strongly urged those over 65 years old or those who have compromised health conditions to stay home.
Some parishes, the diocese said, already have the necessary preparations in place to hold services as soon as June 8.
Coronavirus by the numbers in Sacramento region, US, world
More than 5.9 million people globally have been infected with coronavirus thus far, resulting in 361,000 deaths, as of Friday afternoon. Over 2.4 million people have recovered after infection, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
The United States accounts for nearly a third of all coronavirus cases, with about 1.74 million infections. Nearly 103,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. That’s roughly the number of residents living in the Arden Arcade section of Sacramento.
Brazil and Russia trail the U.S. significantly, but recent surges have brought infection numbers up in both countries.
Brazil has seen 465,000 infections and 27,800 deaths, and infections have been steadily rising since mid-May. Russia, meanwhile, has reported 387,000 cases of coronavirus and nearly 4,400 deaths.
New York state has only slightly fewer infections than Russia, with 368,000 of its own coronavirus cases and 29,600 deaths.
California has seen more than 106,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths as of Friday evening, according to Johns Hopkins.
Los Angeles County is still the state’s coronavirus hotspot. Almost 50,000 people in the county have been infected and 2,200 have died.
As of Friday morning, Sacramento County officials reported 1,373 cases and 56 deaths. The case count rose by 24, marking another day of sharp gains in infections. On Thursday, the county reported the largest daily increase since April with 30 new cases. The last death in the county was reported on May 18.
In the four-county Sacramento region, nearly 1,870 people have been infected by the coronavirus, and 89 people have been killed.
Yolo County reported three new cases Friday, bringing the total number of infected people there to 210. A total of 24 people have been killed by the virus in the county, with another death reported Friday. Of those deaths, 16 have been connected to Stollwood Convalescent Hospital in Woodland.
Placer County reported 196 cases and nine deaths as of Thursday. By Friday morning, the county’s total infections had reached 199. Health officials added two cases on Thursday and six cases on Wednesday.
El Dorado County reported 90 cases of the virus Friday, up six from Thursday. The majority of infections have occurred in the Lake Tahoe area, El Dorado Hills and Diamond Springs. No deaths have been reported in the county.
Sutter County reported 42 cases and two deaths on Thursday. It added two new infections on Monday. Yuba County added one new case on Thursday, bringing its total to 29, and one death.
SMUD extends nonpayment relief
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District extended the amount of time customers can keep the lights on, even if they have not paid their bills, given the trying economic situation caused by the coronavirus.
The previous deadline set by the local utility was May 31, which has since been pushed back until Jan. 4, 2021.
“Our commitment to the community remains strong through tough financial times,” SMUD CEO and General Manager Arlen Orchard said in a prepared statement. “Because of the impact that this pandemic is having on our community, we want to ensure that our most vulnerable customers have access to power during these times.”
SMUD began offering relief for nonpayment on March 13, when the pandemic was gaining steam globally. So far, the U.S. Department of Labor has reported more than 40 million Americans out of work, with more than 2 million filing for unemployment just last week.
SMUD customers will still need to pay the amount owed, of course. The utility has adjusted the requirements for its low-income rate and is offering payment options. Company officials suggest customers who are behind on payments contact a representative to see if they qualify for energy assistance rates.
Jury trials to resume in Sacramento County
The Sacramento County Superior Court will begin holding jury trials once again starting June 15, after months of reduced operations.
Jury trials were suspended on March 20 to limit the spread of coronavirus, as many other services were scaled back as well.
Since that time, the court has been closed to everything except essential business. Many criminal hearings have been livestreamed.
Court officials said that two jury trials in ongoing criminal cases, which had been suspended, were allowed to continue Tuesday.
People entering the downtown Sacramento County Courthouse on 9th Street will be subject to temperature checks. Those exhibiting a fever will be turned back.
“The court cannot provide jury trials without the participation of citizens,” court officials said in the news release. “With our plan for safe access to the justice system, the court is ready to safely welcome this critical part of the justice system back into our courtrooms.”
Sunrise Mall reopens
Sunrise Mall, one of the largest brick-and-mortar shopping centers in the Sacramento region, will be opening Friday.
The owners of the Citrus Heights mall, New York-based investment firm Namdar Realty Group, said the mall will have special provisions in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
In a post to the mall’s Facebook page, officials said that face masks will be required.
Sunrise Mall is one of the last major malls in the region to reopen, as the Westfield Galleria, Folsom Premium Outlets and the Yuba Sutter Mall have all reopened. Arden Fair mall is also reopening Friday.
Sunrise Mall will be open at 11 a.m., and employee entry will be determined by a temperature screening. All employees will also wear face masks and gloves at all times.
Security officers will remind customers to maintain social distancing as they shop, and public spaces and amenities will be limited.
Not all vendors will be open, however. Only a dozen or so shops are reopening, and conspicuously missing from the mall’s list of available shops are its anchor tenants and largest customer draws, Macy’s and J.C. Penney. Macy’s is set to reopen to in-store shopping on June 1, but it is unclear when J.C. Penney will reopen.
Car sales stall out
Most car dealers have stayed open during the coronavirus shutdown, but figures released Friday showed customers have been staying away.
New car sales in California fell 21 percent in the first four months of 2020, the California New Car Dealers Association reported.
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing and the economy plunged into recession, a quick recovery seems unlikely. The association said it expects sales for the full year to decline 26.4 percent compared to 2019.
Trucks are selling better: The association said it expects sales to drop just 22 percent for all of 2020. Car sales will decline 33 percent.
“Barring a scientific breakthrough resulting in a vaccine or effective treatment for the virus, the auto sales recovery will be gradual,” the association said. “Any growth in employment levels are likely to proceed slowly and many households will be dealing with the financial consequences of a significant interruption in income, which will crimp spending on big ticket items, like new vehicles.”
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.
Sacramento Bee reporters Sam Stanton, Rosalio Ahumada and Michael McGough contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 10:14 AM.
