Bay Area coronavirus updates: Santa Clara County reports two more deaths

A Kaiser Permanente clinician swabs for COVID-19 while a patient sits in the car at one of Kaiser Permanente’s drive-up testing sites in the Bay Area on March 11, 2020. A Kaiser Permanente clinician swabs for COVID-19 while a patient sits in the car at one of Kaiser Permanente’s drive-up testing sites in the Bay Area on March 11, 2020. Photo: Doug Oakley Photo: Doug Oakley Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Bay Area coronavirus updates: Santa Clara County reports two more deaths 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

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LATEST, March 16: 6:00 p.m. Santa Clara County reported two new coronavirus deaths Monday night, bringing the county's total to four.

Both individuals were men; one was in his 80s and another was in his 50s. It is not known if either of the two had underlying health conditions.

"We are saddened to share this news and we express our condolences to their family and friends," the county's public health department wrote in a tweet.

There are 138 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara, by far the most in the San Francisco Bay Area.

March 16, 5:15 p.m. Muni announced changes to its service in the wake of the City of San Francisco's shelter-in-place order issued Monday.

According to the agency, different vehicles will be used for Cable Car and F lines, although service will continue on a normal "weekday non-school schedule."

In a tweet, officials announced the following services will not run Tuesday: 1AX/BX, 14X, 30X, 31AX/BX, 38AX/BX, 41, 81X, 82X, 83X, 88, NX, & E Line. Bus shuttles will replace all cable car services.

March 16, 4:15 p.m. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf addressed the public Monday afternoon regarding Alameda County's "limited" shelter-in-place order.

"[This] is something we all must take seriously, but not panic," she said. "It must be clear that essential workers are still going to be coming to work to do their jobs. And we as residents, while we must practice social distancing, we absolutely can go about our essential tasks during the day. All essential businesses will remain open. You do not need to run to the grocery store right now. The food chain is healthy and will keep going."

Schaaf also encouraged locals to assist those who may be unable to shop at the grocery store or may otherwise be vulnerable to crowds due to age or chronic illness.

Councilmember Noel Gallo addressed Oakland's immigrant population, stating that those who are undocumented and are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus should still seek medical care. "[The hospital] cannot ask for your documentation, if you're a citizen or not," he explained. "They will respond to you medically, treat you and not get the federal or local police interfering with your health."

Councilmember Loren Taylor advised East Bay locals to look out for and support those who may need help. "We are in it together," he said. "By taking these measures, even if we feel healthy, it will help protect those who are most vulnerable in our community."

He also recommended residents regularly check in on family members and friends, adding, "While we are insulated, recognize that we are not isolated from each other. "

March 16, 3:30 p.m. BART will continue to operate during the shelter-in-place orders issued Monday afternoon, the agency wrote on Twitter. Following a 61% drop in ridership on Sunday in addition to increased disinfecting by maintenance, BART states it "will continue to provide regular service for riders performing essential activities and for riders travelling to and from 'essential business' work." The organization believes that by using "long enough trains" passengers should be able to safely practice social distancing.

Caltrain has also addressed the shelter-in-place, stating that it will adopt a more limited schedule beginning Tuesday, March 17.

March 16, 3:15 p.m. On Monday afternoon, Solano County reported three additional cases of people testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the total in county to nine. No additional information was given. Alameda County also reported three additional cases, bringing the total in the area to 18.

March 16, 2:45 p.m. New COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Santa Clara County and Contra Costa County, according to respective county sites. The total number of cases in Santa Clara is now up to 138, with two people having died in the county. In addition, five more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Contra Costa County, bringing the total number of cases there to 34.

March 16, 2 p.m. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued shelter-in-place orders Monday afternoon, ordering residents to stay home, officials said. The new declarations issued by Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, along with the city of Berkeley, affect nearly 7 million people.

Starting at midnight on Monday evening, residents of these counties are being ordered stay home for the next three weeks, except for essential needs such as getting food, picking up medicine, seeing a doctor, caring for a family member or friend, or for work reasons. Read the full story.

March 16, 1:30 p.m. San Francisco is ordering city residents to stay in their homes to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The shelter-in-place order will remain in effect through at least April 7.

"Effective at midnight, San Francisco will require people to stay home except for essential needs," Mayor London Breed tweeted at noon Monday. "Necessary government functions & essential stores will remain open." Read the full story.

March 16, noon San Francisco Mayor London Breed is telling city residents to stay in their homes as a shelter-in-place order is issued.

"Effective at midnight, San Francisco will require people to stay home except for essential needs," Breed tweeted at noon Monday. "Necessary government functions & essential stores will remain open." Read the full story.

March 16, 11:26 a.m. Safeway is responding to increased demand at its stores by hiring more in-store employees and delivery drivers at 280 stores in Northern California, Western Nevada and Hawaii.

In a news release, the company said: "There are more than 2,000 immediate openings at Safeway, Andronico’s, Vons, and Pak ‘N Save retail stores." Read the full story.

March 16, 11 a.m. The number of COVID-19 cases in San Francisco County climbed from 37 to 40 after 10 a.m. Monday, according to the public health department's website. The county hasn't released details on the newly identified patients.

For official updates on coronavirus from the SF Department of Public Health, text COVID19SF to 888-777 or visit sfdph.org.

March 16, 10:50 a.m. The San Jose Fire Department reported Monday morning that two more firefighters are infected with the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of department personnel who have tested positive to 10. Another 57 department employees may have been exposed and are being monitored.

The San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department announced a volunteer at the Battle of Bay Power Soccer event that took place at Bascom Community Center on Saturday, March 7, has tested positive for COVID-19. "The volunteer was asymptomatic on March 7," the city said in a statement.

March 16, 10:30 a.m. Travis Air Force Base announced Sunday an active-duty airman and a dependent of a service member tested positive for novel coronavirus.

“We are coordinating closely with our Team Travis and local county medical professionals to provide important care to the Airman and family member,” Col. Jeffrey Nelson, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander said in a statement. “My leadership team and I are committed to the continued safety of our entire community and actively engaged and monitoring this evolving situation. We will continue working together with on- and off-base health care agencies to mitigate the effects of this virus and provide pertinent updates as timely as possible.”

March 16, 6:30 a.m. The number of COVID-19 cases in San Francisco County climbed from 28 to 37 Monday morning, according to the public health department's website. The county hasn't released details on the newly identified patients.

San Mateo County cases also saw a bump with the public health department website increasing its count from 32 to 42 Monday morning.

In more Monday morning news, Marin County introduced drive-through testing for people with respiratory illness and suspected COVID-19 and tested 100 patients March 12 and 13. Of those, 6 tests were positive. The county now has nine cases.

The number of coronavirus cases around the Bay Area climbed to more than 250 over the weekend. Santa Clara County continued to have the most cases and the county total multiplied to 114. Sonoma County announced two more cases (both from community spread), San Francisco five new cases, Contra Costa 4 new cases.

Two health care workers at UCSF, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, an undergraduate student at Stanford University, eight San Jose firefighters and an Alaska Airlines agent who worked at San Francisco International Airport are among those who have tested positive around the Bay Area. San Mateo County reported 12 new cases and its first death in a patient with COVID-19. The state of California now has 335 cases and seven people have died, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The state and many counties introduced more extreme measures over the weekend to combat the spread. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced all "bars, nightclubs, wineries, brewpubs and the like" must close temporarily due to the threat of coronavirus. The directive does not apply to restaurants, which are still considered essential, as Newsom said some individuals cannot safely prepare food in their homes. San Mateo County's health department banned gatherings of more than 50 people for three weeks.

Where cases have been confirmed in the Bay Area:





ALAMEDA COUNTY: 18 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 34 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.

MARIN COUNTY: 9 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.

NAPA COUNTY: 0 residents, 2 patients treated in Napa, then transferred out of county

For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 40 confirmed cases

For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN MATEO COUNTY: 41 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 138 confirmed cases, 4 deaths

Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.

SOLANO COUNTY: 9 confirmed cases

For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.

SONOMA COUNTY: 5 confirmed cases

For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.

In California, 7 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported:

The first death occurred in Placer County on March 4. The Placer County Health Department said the deceased is an elderly resident of the county with underlying health conditions. The patient tested presumptively positive on Tuesday, March 3 at a California lab and was likely exposed on a Princess cruise ship that traveled from San Francisco to Mexico, Feb. 11 to 21, health officials said. The patient was under treatment in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.

The second California death, the first in the Bay Area, was reported in Santa Clara County in March 9. A woman in her 60s passed away at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View Monday, the first death tied to the novel coronavirus in the Bay Area. The woman was hospitalized for several weeks, Santa Clara County health officials said.

Sacramento County announced on March 10 that a woman in her 90s in an assisted-living facility died from corornavirus. This was the first death in the county and the third in California. Health officials said the patient had an underlying health condition and "died of complications" related to the pneumonia-like virus.

Los Angeles County announced the fourth death on March 11: a woman who had traveled extensively (including a layover in South Korea) and who was visiting Los Angeles from out of town.

A fifth death was reported on March 13, though officials did not disclose where it occurred.

Santa Clara County reported its second coronavirus-related death and sixth in the state on March 13. The patient who passed away was an adult woman in her 80s, officials said.

San Mateo County reported its first coronavirus death on March 15. The age of the individual has not been released.

The death of a 72-year-old man from Sunnyvale was previously thought to be linked to COVID-19, but test results confirmed the man did not have the virus.

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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.