OAKLAND, Calif. - The latest developments around the region related to the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, as of Wednesday afternoon include:
Statewide technical issues resulting in incomplete COVID-19 testing data have left Santa Clara County "back to feeling blind," County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a news conference Wednesday.
Cody said the lack of data makes her feel like the county has regressed to what it was in February and March when there wasn't enough testing and data to indicate the impacts of COVID-19.
The county's current cumulative case count is over 11,000, according to the county dashboard, but cases have been significantly underreported since mid-July because of the glitch in the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange disease reporting system.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Board of Directors unanimously approved putting an eighth-cent sales tax on the November ballot to fund Caltrain during a special meeting Wednesday morning.
The tax would generate an estimated $108 million annually for the agency, which desperately needs the funding to operate the system as ridership has plummeted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tax, however, needs to be approved by county supervisors and transportation boards across San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties by Friday -- the deadline for the measure to make it to the November ballot.
The 102nd PGA Championship is set to tee off at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco this week without fans after the golf tournament was postponed earlier this year due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The four-day tournament is scheduled to begin Thursday and will be the first major golf tournament without fans.
California's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara will remain closed for the rest of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, park officials announced Tuesday.
In a statement, park officials said a comprehensive safe plan has been put in place in accordance with industry and public health standards, but the uncertainty of the pandemic coupled with the diminishing number of days left in the 2020 operation season have led the park to remain closed until the end of the year.
Statewide, there are 524,722 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 9,703 deaths. That's up from 519,427 cases and 9,501 deaths on Tuesday.
As of the evening of Wednesday, August 5, officials have confirmed the following number of cases around the greater Bay Area region:
- Alameda County: 12,136 cases, 193 deaths (11,909 cases, 192 deaths on Tuesday) (Totals include Berkeley Health Department data)
- Contra Costa County: 8,324 cases, 131 deaths (8,176 cases, 131 deaths on Tuesday)
- Marin County: 5,182 cases, 77 deaths (5,141 cases, 76 deaths on Tuesday) (Totals include San Quentin State Prison)
- Monterey County: 5,049 cases, 34 deaths (4,966 cases, 34 deaths on Tuesday)
- Napa County: 1,007 cases, 9 deaths (980 cases, 9 deaths on Tuesday)
- San Francisco County: 7,081 cases, 62 deaths (6,989 cases, 61 deaths on Tuesday)
- San Mateo County: 5,758 cases, 120 deaths (5,744 cases, 120 deaths on Tuesday)
- Santa Clara County: 11,128 cases, 196 deaths (10,794 cases, 191 deaths on Tuesday)
- Santa Cruz County: 1,196 cases, 4 deaths (1,196 cases, 4 deaths on Tuesday)
- Solano County: 3,806 cases, 38 deaths (3,721 cases, 37 deaths on Tuesday)
- Sonoma County: 3,208 cases, 42 deaths (3,113 cases, 39 deaths on Tuesday)