Coronavirus Price Gouging: DA Issues Warning

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — Alameda County and the state of California have declared emergencies because of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, and county District Attorney Nancy O’Malley issued a warning Thursday that her office will prosecute cases of price gouging.

California’s anti-price gouging law prohibits raising the price of many consumer goods and services by more than 10-percent after an emergency has been declared. Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Alameda County Public Health Department have declared states of emergency because of the spread of COVID-19. The Governor’s Proclamation explicitly states that price gouging protections will remain in effect through Sept. 4, 2020.

“The law prevents businesses from profiteering when we are in a state of emergency. All residents of Alameda County must continue to have access to necessary supplies, especially when the community’s health is at stake. My office will ensure that businesses adhere to the law and do not exploit consumers that are trying to protect themselves and their families,” said District Attorney O’Malley.

She is encouraging residents to report any instances price gouging. Those convicted of violating the law face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

You may file a price gouging complaint online or call 510-383-8600.

US, World Death Toll Rises

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus is now eleven, according to a count maintained by Johns Hopkins: 9 in King County, Washington; 1 in Snohomish County, Washington; and the California case in Placer County. A death in Sunnyvale is being investigated as possibly linked to coronavirus. The person was on the same cruise ship as California's first death, in Placer County.

The death count worldwide is now 3,383, the majority of them in China. Other nations reporting deaths: Italy, Iran, Iraq, South Korea, Japan, the UK, France, Spain, Hong Kong, the Philippines, San Marino, Switzerland, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The total confirmed cases announced is approaching 100,000. It is currently: 98,369.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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Also See:

• Coronavirus: Tests Underway On Cruise Ship Passengers, Crew
• Coronavirus: 2 San Francisco Cases Of Community Spread
• State Of Emergency Declared In CA Amid COVID-19 Death, Outbreak