Latest El Cerrito Coronavirus Updates

EL CERRITO, CA — The number of coronavirus cases in Contra Costa County reached 222 on Tuesday, with three deaths. There is no breakout for El Cerrito. Some counties, including Los Angeles and Orange in southern California, provide statistics for individual cities, but Contra Costa County chooses to keep that information private.

Statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave updated statistics Tuesday: there have been 150 deaths in California, 6932 people have tested positive for coronavirus, 1617 are hospitalized right now, with 657 in intensive care. Hospitals across the state are keeping up with demand, and there are still hospital beds and ventilators available.

A stay-at-home order in Contra Costa County was officially extended and expanded. The order now goes into May. Some of the most notable changes:

• Prohibiting the use of playgrounds, dog parks, public picnic areas, and similar recreational areas
• Closure of all golf courses, tennis and basketball courts, pools, and rock walls
• Most construction—residential and commercial—is prohibited

Read more about the stay-at-home order update.

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SENIOR RESOURCE HOTLINE

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday afternoon that revisions to the statewide stay-at-home order are coming within 24 hours. Meanwhile, California launched a statewide hotline Tuesday to help the state's 5.3 million residents older than 65 connect with state and local services during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

STATE INCOME TAXES

The state agency in charge of California's state income taxes, has announced a break for both individuals and businesses because of coronavirus. The California Franchise Tax Board has postponed the deadline for filing tax protests, appeals and refund claims until mid-July. That includes relief from penalties and interest.

CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR

Amtrak needs to erase "California" from the name California Zephyr for the time being. The legendary train service from Chicago to Emeryville is stopping at Denver because too many Amtrak workers are quarantined. The last eastbound train left Saturday, with no hint of when daily service will be restored.

UC BERKELEY CORONAVIRUS TESTING ROBOTS

There's new hope for ending the coronavirus test bottleneck. UC Berkeley believes one of its labs can process 1,000 tests per day, using robots.

CHILDREN'S ONLINE THEATRE

If you're looking for a new online outlet for young children, the Bay Area Children's Theatre has launched an online "playborhood," with four videos and creative challenges. More will be added as quickly as they can be produced.

Also See:

• Whole Foods Workers Call For Sickout In Bid For More Protection
• Bay Area Krispy Kreme Gives Free Doughnuts To Health Workers