KQED's The California Report

Hospital Chaplains Re-Imagine Their Jobs During Pandemic Most days since this pandemic started, we share the latest grim numbers: how many Californians have Covid-19, and how many have died from it. Because the coronavirus is so contagious and dangerous, many people have died in hospitals without loved ones by their sides. But there are people who provide comfort, like Sister Donna Maria Moses, a Catholic nun and the senior chaplain at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. She manages staff and volunteer chaplains of all faiths at the hospital. She described how her job has changed as we’ve learned more about the virus. Guest: Sister Donna Maria Moses, Dominican nun and Senior Chaplain, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hotel Rooms for Healthcare Workers Treating COVID-19 Patients Health care workers battling the coronavirus could soon get free hotel stays under a program announced by Governor Newsom. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Oakland Teachers Donate Stimulus Checks to Their Students Undocumented workers who’ve lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic are left out of unemployment benefits and the federal stimulus package... even if they pay taxes. Now, teachers and principals at Oakland Unified are pledging to donate their stimulus checks to struggling families. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Meditation Is Popular During Tough Times In times of high stress and anxiety, experts, including the California Surgeon General, say having a mindfulness practice, like meditation, can be helpful. So it’s no surprise that Google searches for the word “meditation” are at an all time high, now that we have a global pandemic on our hands. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tele-Medicine Gets a Boost from Coronavirus The pandemic is changing how we interact with medical professionals. For instance, Medicare and Medicaid have expanded access to tele-health appointments for their members. This means more elderly and low-income people can now get healthcare from practitioners without visiting a clinic or hospital. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED State Cuts Deals to Provide Masks to Hospitals California has started to cut its own deals with manufacturers to dramatically increase the number of N-95 and surgical masks it can provide to hospitals and front line workers during the pandemic. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Riverside Skilled Nursing Facility Evacuated Staying in Riverside, a skilled nursing facility there that’s had an outbreak of the coronavirus has been evacuated. That after employees didn’t come to work two days in a row. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KVCR From Inside a Hospital Bracing for a Surge of COVID-19 Patients Medical centers across the state continue to brace for a surge of COVID19 patients. But predictions on when exactly that peak hits keep changing. Now statistical modeling experts say hospitalizations might not crest until mid-May. But the looming surge weighs heavily on the minds of healthcare workers, especially in large public hospitals who serve the neediest patients. An ER nurse at Highland Hospital in Oakland says hasn’t seen the sharp uptick in visits he expected... at least not yet. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Anticipates Tough Economic Times In California As California responds to the coronavirus pandemic, state and local governments are burning through enormous amounts of money. Governor Gavin Newsom says all that spending now means painful fiscal times later. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Los Angeles County Rolls Out Self-Administered COVID-19 Tests Los Angeles County has become the center of the coronavirus pandemic in California, If you live there and think you might have COVID-19 you can now get tested. Formerly, testing was largely reserved for at risk populations like the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW After 9-Month Pause, California Issuing Fracking Permits Again California officials are granting fracking permits again. The state had put a hold on applications for the controversial oil extraction technique last July because of growing safety and environmental concerns. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Zoom-Bombing gives rise to Zoom-Bouncers you’ve heard of “zoom-bombing,” where trolls hijack an online video conference and post awful things. But have you heard of zoom-bouncing? It’s a new word for the coronavirus pandemic lexicon: Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Rules for Courts in Coronavirus Times The California Judicial Council, which makes the rules for the state’s courts, has enacted a series of sweeping emergency rule changes to slow the spread of COVID-19 in jails and courtrooms, and ease the pressure on families who have to pay rent and mortgages. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Speaker Pelosi on the Next Coronavirus Relief Bill Congress has passed three enormous pieces of legislation to bring relief to Americans who are suffering during the pandemic. But many in and outside of Congress want to do even more, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. KQED politics editor Scott Shafter interviewed Pelosi. Guest: House Speaker and San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi Dogs Also Feel Cooped Up Under Stay-At-Home Orders Lots of Californians are feeling cooped up and stressed out due to physical distancing and being stuck at home. But there might be other members of the household whose mental state could be changing: our dogs. Some dogs are acting strangely during the stay-at-home order. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare Workers Could Lose Immigration Protections There are thousands of immigrants among the healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. But for years, the Trump Administration has tried to end the protections that allow many of these immigrants to live and work in the U.S. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Food Banks Cope With Surge in New Clients More and more Californians are losing their jobs because of the pandemic. Many are going to rely on the state’s food banks to keep their refrigerators and pantries stocked. But how ready is California’s food security safety net? The L.A. Regional Food Bank is already seeing a surge of people looking for food assistance. Reporter: Michael Flood, President, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Audio Diary: A Physician Recovers from COVID-19 We've heard a lot about health care workers who've tested positive for COVID-19. One of them is Matt Willis, a physician and the Public Health Officer of Marin County. Willis tested positive about two weeks ago and has been isolated at home ever since, alone in an upstairs bedroom, away from his wife and children. He says he’s been feeling short of breath and running a fever off and on. Reporter: Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer A Bucket Brigade Born of Natural Disasters Now Fights the Pandemic Residents in lots of California communities have gotten good in recent years at organizing themselves to respond to natural disasters, like wildfires and mudslides. Now near Santa Barbara, those same skills are being used to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OC Hospital Using Plasma Treatment For COVID-19 In Orange County a hospital is experimenting with a way to help patients hit hard by COVID-19. They’ve successfully transferred plasma from the blood of someone who’s recovered from the illness into someone who still has it. Reporter: Alyssa Jeong Perry, KPCC Governor Announces Tax Relief For Small Businesses Nearly two million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits over the last three weeks. The state has taken in an average of 111,000 claims each day this past week. A lot of those workers are employed by small businesses which can now apply for tax relief for the year ahead. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Transit Agencies Report 90% Drops In Ridership Because of the pandemic and shelter in place orders, California's transit agencies, like L.A. Metro and BART have reported drops in upwards of 90%. In response, the agencies have reduced frequency of service, and cut operating hours for the few remaking passengers. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED California's Air Has Become Cleaner And Energy Use Is Down The COVID-19 pandemic has left downtown Los Angeles virtually smog free! Is all this staying home and not commuting giving us a leg-up on climate change? We asked a former state energy regulator about energy use and demand. Guest: Steve Weissman, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment Some Hospitals Eerily Quiet As Nurses Wait For 'Tidal Wave' The coronavirus pandemic is hitting hospitals in the Bay Area hyper locally. Medical centers in Santa Clara county are treating the brunt of serious cases. 36 people have died there. Other hospitals are eerily quiet. Douglas Frey, an emergency room nurse at Highland Hospital in Oakland, shared his audio diary with us. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Campus Life Is Suddenly Over For Graduating Seniors Today, a lot of college students around the state wrap up their first week of doing school online. UCLA senior Noor Bouzidi is one of those students. At this point it’s all but certain she’ll graduate before the campus re-opens. Guest: Noor Bouzidi, UCLA Senior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Street Protest in the Time of Coronavirus Shouting "No to Rent, Yes to Food!" and observing proper social distancing measures, demonstrators in Boyle Heights yesterday called on the City of L.A. to do more to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants rights activists want to see complete rent forgiveness until the coronavirus crisis is declared over. Guest: Elizabeth Blaney, Union de Vecinos Self-Employed? It's Frustrating to File for Unemployment New data put startling numbers to the insecurity so many people feel right now. In the U.S., 6 and a half million people have filed unemployment claims. As the biggest state, and the first to order residents to shelter-in-place, California had the most claims: nearly 900-thousand. But that might be just the beginning - as people struggle to navigate the process of filing. And the situation’s even more complicated for freelancers and gig workers. They were ineligible before the new coronavirus hit. But they were promised help in that $2 Trillion dollar relief bill Congress passed last week. Guest: Jim Siler, Freelance TV technician Home Healthcare Workers Want Masks and Hazard Pay A lot of workers who are still employed are trying to stay safe during COVID-19 pandemic. Take the half a million in-home supporter service providers here in California. They work for county-run programs. Most make around minimum wage, and get only one paid day off a year. Now, they’re asking for help, specifically masks and hazard pay. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Amazon's Warehouse Workers Worry About Infection Amazon warehouse employees who package everything from pasta to toilet paper say the e-commerce giant isn’t doing enough to protect them from COVID-19. Workers at a warehouse in Riverside County are staying home and have signed a petition demanding their health be taken seriously. Reporter: Mickey Capper UC and Other Colleges Relax Admissions Requirements The leaders of California’s biggest university systems are loosening undergrad admissions requirements during the pandemic. It just might ease the anxiety of high school juniors and seniors preparing for college. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CA Schools Likely Closed For The Rest Of The Year Across the state the debate about just how long school will be out because of the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying. California’s superintendent of schools is telling districts to prepare for learning outside the classroom for the rest of the school year. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Governor Warns Of Emotional Toll On Isolated Seniors Isolation might be a good way to stay physically healthy but it can take an emotional toll. Governor Gavin Newsom says a call, text, or knock on the door can help seniors get what they need right now, whether that’s food or just someone to talk to. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED CA Distillery Transitions From Liquor To Sanitizer A California distillery on the central coast has changed its production line from making booze to bottling hand sanitizer. It's made with ethanol and will help with the acute shortage. Reporter: Greta Mart, KCBX Masks: To Wear Or Not To Wear? Who should wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic? What kind of mask is most effective? Should we be wearing masks when outside ? Advice from two experts is don't buy one; but do consider making and wearing one. Guests: Amir Jamali, MD and George Rutherford, Head, Division of Infectious Disease, UCSF ICE Detainees Panic As Coronavirus Appears In Detention Centers As cases of Coronavirus begin to emerge in prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers across the country, the tens of thousands of people who are being held while awaiting immigration hearings are starting to panic. In California lawyers have filed suit demanding the release of thirteen immigrant detainees at high-medical risk. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED New Federal Standards Will Increase Fossil Fuel Emissions The Trump administration has gutted one of the U.S’s biggest efforts to fight climate change. Trump’s new standards for auto emissions revoke Obama-era clean car rules and will increase fossil fuel emissions for years to come. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom Asks Medical Workers for Help To deal with an expected surge in hospitalizations for COVID-19, Governor Gavin Newsom is creating the California Health Corps and calling on healthcare workers who may have recently retired or are still in school to join the fight against the coronavirus. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED California Nurse Heads to NYC to Help The effort to boost the state’s army of healthcare workers already faces competition from elsewhere. Last week, New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced a very similar plan. And nurse Robert Bean from the town of Paradise has been deciding whether to help. Bean lost his home in the 2018 Camp Fire. Guest: Robert Bean, registered nurse Will Coronavirus Tenant Protections Really Help Renters? A lot of renters are wondering what help, if any, is coming their way as the coronavirus pandemic upends the economy and the household budgets of many Californians. All this just as we deal with shelter-in-place orders that are lasting longer than anyone ever could’ve imagined just a few weeks ago. Guests: Anna Scott, KCRW, and Erin Baldassari, KQED With Traffic Clear, Garcetti Closes Farmers Markets Mayor Garcetti made a series of announcements yesterday that give a glimpse into just how much daily life has changed. In his daily address on the city’s coronavirus pandemic plans, he named a new target in efforts to control overcrowding. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report co-Host Trinity County to Non-Residents: Please Stay Out A handful of California’s counties have had no coronavirus cases so far and are keeping a close eye on the spread of COVID-19. Trinity County is going further with an unusual quarantine order. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Weirdest Coronavirus Coping Strategy Yet: Mill Valley Residents Howl Every Evening We’ve been trying to end on a lighter note, and talk about ways we connect with each other during shelter-in-place. Well, in the Marin County town of Mill Valley, people have taken to howling like coyotes every night at 8 o’clock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 Medical Supply Shortages: Why and What to Do? This weekend, we learned from Governor Gavin Newsom that the federal government sent 170 ventilators from the national stockpile to L.A. County. But they didn't work. How California's Medical Supply Stockpile Was Dismantled California once had a plan for a pandemic like this one. In 2006, coming off the avian flu scare, the state invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a stockpile and three fully-equipped mobile hospitals. But during the 2008 recession, the state slashed the funding to maintain the stockpile. Guest: Will Evans, Reporter, Center for Investigative Reporting Silicon Valley Re-Tools To Meet Needs of Medical Workers Treating COVID-19 One Silicon Valley manufacturer that’s made big changes to what they produce because of the COVID-19 outbreak is Carbon 3D. The Redwood City company is using their 3D printers to make test swabs and face shields. Guest: Ellen Kullman, CEO, Carbon 3D Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices