News of the Month — March 2020
As the coronavirus sweeps the nation, a new survey reveals widespread medical gear shortages, while hospitals give up on a fractured supply chain and take matters into their own hands with planes sprinting past cargo ships.
Governor Gavin Newsom directed emergency COVID-19 funds to lease beds at Seton Medical Center in Daly City and Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, saving the embattled hospital from imminent closure, the San Francisco Examiner reports.
Roughly half of all patients at the 242-bed San Jose Kaiser hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 or are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus, according to Kaiser Permanente Executive Vice President Dr. Stephen Parodi, an infectious disease expert.
Kaiser Permanente cancelled plans to build a $900 million headquarters in downtown Oakland. It plans to continue leasing and owning buildings in the city.
President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for California earlier this month to help the state handle the economic and health consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The declaration will provide additional aid to the state, including food assistance and more financial help for people who have lost work or faced business losses because of the outbreak.