Good evening, and thank you for joining us. Im senior investigator reporter stephen stock. It took bay area counties a little more than six weeks to issue stay at home orders after the first case of covid19 was discovered here in the area. The white house too was slow to react. But could local governments have been better prepared . A report by california state auditors says yes. And that report says many counties throughout the state still have a long way to go. The images of the wildfires of 2017 and 2018 remain unforgettable, seared into the consciousness of residents who watched their homes burn. Those fires prompted the state auditor last december to find that california is not adequately prepared to protect its most vulnerable residents from future natural disasters. The auditor says that counties hit by those fires, quote, did not follow key practices for emergency planning, that each county lacked a complete, updated emergency plan. Ray kelly i think that we all can do better. I know that we could use more staff here in our operations center. Stephen ray kelly is Public Information officer for Alameda County sheriff gregory ahern, who runs the Emergency Operations center. Ray a lot of that is up to the legislature to pass those laws. We would obviously be on board with Something Like that. Stephen while the auditors report addressed the destructive wildfires, we found it also carries lessons for the current coronavirus crisis. When we called all nine bay area Emergency Operations offices or went online to view their emergency plans, we discovered a wide disparity in information that is available to the public. Some plans had not been updated in nearly a decade. Others linked to documents that werent available or hadnt been written yet. Two counties told us they could not share their plans because they included personal information like home phone numbers and addresses of key officials. Arthur reingold i think theres evidence that californias responding well as a state. Stephen dr. Arthur reingold is an epidemiologist at uc berkeleys school of Public Health. Despite his praise for the states overall response to this pandemic, dr. Reingold admits that Public Health systems and Emergency Response plans to large scale crises are in need of improvement. Arthur that Public Health infrastructure has been allowed to shrink substantially over the past 10 or 15 years, so that we are left really with a pretty modest capability. Stephen both dr. Reingold and ray kelly both point to the single regionwide shelter at home order as an example of how a Public Health crisis should be managed. And they say that things like social distancing and mask and gloves may be around for years. Coming up after the break, along with social distancing and shelter at home, the word shortage has become part of the pandemic lexicon, and its one with dire implications. Then schools out, and for some local students at a private school, its out for good. Theyre our neighbors. And theyre our friends. Theyre our parents. Our brothers and sisters. And our children. But now, they are more than that. They are forever our heroes, too. At prudential, were fortunate to know and serve them. And were grateful to the heroic men and women working on the front line to move our nation forward. To all the heroes, we thank you. Working on the front line to move our nation forward. Drugs needed to keep critically ill patients alive while on ventilators. Cisatracurium, also known as nimbex, and rocuronium. For doctors on the frontline of the covid19 epidemic, these little known drugs are a key tool to help their most critically ill patients. John balmes its another shortage of concern. Jaxon ucsf pulmonologist dr. John balmes says paralytic drugs restrict Muscle Movement to help those with acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ards, efficiently use oxygen while theyre on ventilators. At San Francisco general, one nurses union leader confirms their supply is dwindling. Female theyre not in an emergency at this moment today, but given the rate of admissions and need for ventilators increasing, theyre expecting that they will also have an increased need for these paralytic drugs that go with people being on ventilators. Erin fox all of those medicines arewe need more than weve ever needed before. We need a huge surge of these. Jaxon erin fox at the university of utah tracks drug shortages nationwide. She says the supply of the paralytic rocuronium was running low before the covid outbreak, along with basic sedatives. Erin so, just like people are talking about we need more masks, we need more ventilators, you actually cant make a ventilator work for a patient unless you have the sedatives and the paralytic agents that you need. Jaxon dr. Balmes says those drugs are essential because they paralyze the muscles so patients need less oxygen to survive, as ards deprives them of oxygen when fluid fills their lungs. John it makes it harder to treat severe covid19 ards. Its already hard enough because these patients are very sick. Jaxon if you have a story for the Investigative Unit, call 888996tips. Or visit our website, nbcbayarea. Com investigations. Candice now to the fight between a prestigious Charter School and the parents who say they spoke out to protect their kids from coronavirus. When schools across the bay area started closing in march, challenger schools stayed open. Parents say when they shared their concerned publicly, the school retaliated, kicking out their kids. We found it appeared the school had every right to do it. Female i was completely shocked. Male its very, very unbelievable. Male oh, what did i get myself into . Candice these south bay parents all want to remain anonymous. They say theyve already faced retaliation, but refuse to be silent. Male they pushed all the parents to the corners. Candice theyre calling out challenger school, a private nonprofit with locations in multiple states, including ten schools in the bay area. The organization touts itself as a top prek through eight grade organization. Female announcer challenger students outscore their peers across the nation. Candice in early march, several bay area districts closed their schools to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Challenger remained open. On march 12, the ceo released a newsletter telling parents he still intended to continue classes and, quote, once youve become more knowledgeable, it is important that you help others gain the proper perspective and calm any irrational fears. That line parents say fired them up on facebook. Male you know, for the safety of my kids and as well as for the students. Candice one parent posted, the school should close. Another wrote, challenger is recklessly endangering their teachers life. Hundreds of parents signed a petition. Male if we go back to school, maybe in two weeks, teacher or member staff will get infected. No one knows. Candice challenger didnt close until march 16, when six bay area counties issued a shelter at home order. Relief felt by parents who had voiced their concerns online proved short lived. Male weve got a call from california regional director dave. And dave called us saying that they automatically unenrolled our kids just because of the comment. Candice other parents got the same call. Female he told me through the phone that my kid has been removed from the school because our negative voice on facebook. Candice what was your reaction to that . Female i was completely shocked. I cant believe this could happen in america, which is a country of free speech. Candice do you feel like it was retaliation . Female its absolutely a retaliation. Candice retaliation or not, what happened appears to be within challengers policy, which the parents agreed to when they enrolled their kids. According to the schools handbook, challenger reserves the right to decline continued enrollment to parents who in challengers sole judgment are uncooperative. Male i think the policies, they need to change. Candice for a week, our Investigative Unit reached out to the school to talk about what happened. We called, emailed, and finally stopped by challengers san jose office. Thats where we caught up with the regional director, the same man who parents say called to kick out their kids. He had no comment. On top of the anxiety these parents are feeling male i couldnt sleep after this. Candice they say theres also guilt. Male i feel like, what did i do to push my children out of school . Male my behavior that cost my kids to not be able to continue her education. Candice parents say they believe challenger unenrolled anywhere from 12 to 30 elementary students. Male the virus has already spread throughout the jail, i guarantee it. Candice coming up after the break, we talk to deputies inside a local jail who say cramped conditions and lax safety enforcement could result in the virus running rampant through the jail. Then, San Francisco newlyweds stranded overseas, what the government and private companies are doing to rescue thousands of americans around the world. Just like covered california teammateshelps you finder find a way to win, Health Insurance you can afford. Theyre the only place you can get Financial Assistance to help pay for Health Coverage. Plus, this year, the state is providing more help than ever before. And because a new law requires californians to have Health Coverage or pay a penalty, covered california has made it easier to get financial help, but times limited. Visit coveredca. Com or call to enroll today. And officers six feet apart, social distancing to prevent the virus from spreading . Well, some officers at santa clara countys jails tell us they arent. They asked us to change their voices and to hide their identities because they fear theyll lose their jobs for speaking out. But they also tell us they are nervous that any protective measures taken there are too little too late. Viewed from the air above elmwood jail, you might not realize were in a midst of a pandemic. The department has limited the number of inmates allowed outside at one time, but social distancing appears to be an afterthought. Inmates stand around in stripe jumpsuits, walk in groups, or cluster around benches and tables. Male i was one of the people who initially didnt take this seriously. Stephen but after watching his colleagues test positive for covid19, this correctional officer says the virus now has his full attention. Male the virus has already spread throughout the jail, i guarantee it. Stephen what are you hearing from your colleagues . Male i know a lot of people are very scared. You know, we go home to our kids, our families, and we could potentially infect our families. Male medical staff will come out, get the arrestees temperature prior to entering the facility. Stephen in a social media video released last week, the Sheriffs Office says it is taking steps to reduce the risk of covid19 from spreading inside its jails. Male were doing our part to keep our workspace clean by wiping down common areas. Stephen but Corrections Officers say those efforts came too late and still dont go nearly far enough. Stephen does that worry you . Male oh, definitely. Stephen other deputies are equally concerned. They tell us that officers received protective n95 masks too late and that inmates dont get those masks at all. They also tell us that although the sheriff cancelled programs like educational classes, inmates are still allowed to congregate in large groups outside their cells. Are they keeping social distancing at all . Male as far as the inmates are concerned . No, not at all. Theyre still programming outside of a dorm. You have 40 to 60 inmates just wandering around. Stephen and theyre interacting with each other . Male oh yeah, theyre hanging out, talking, watching tv, using the phones one after the other, just one after the other. Stephen what are you hearing from the inmates . Are they worried . Male of course theyre worried. Where are they going to go . You know, whos going to take care of them . Laurie smith i give our staff really a lot of credit for stepping up to the job, knowing the danger of the job. Stephen we caught up with sheriff laurie smith last friday at a press conference a day after her department announced a sixth deputy had tested positive. Have enough steps been taken to prevent covid spread both among inmates and among your workers . Laurie weve taken a lot of steps within the jail. Were always looking for additional things that we can do. Stephen sheriff smith said her department is trying to reduce the number of inmates in her jails to increase social distancing, but she says shes only willing to go so far. Laurie i dont want to risk the public, i dont support any early releases other than those that may be extremely medically fragile. Stephen as for those n95 masks, the sheriff conceded there was a delay, but says its an issue hardly limited to her department. Laurie like other agencies and like even healthcare workers, there was a delay in getting them. But we put in the requests very, very early and got them very early. I wouldnt say early enough, that is very true. Stephen now that covid19 is already inside the jail, officers worry about it spreading further. Male if it gets loose in there, were inside of a contained box. Where are we going . Stephen the sheriff has reduced the inmate population at the jails by a little more than 20 since those first complaints surfaced. But inmates and officers at the jails tell us people there still continue to contract the virus. Now, if you have an investigative tip for our team, contact us at 1888996tips, tips. Or visit our website, nbcbayarea. Com investigations. Bigad the number of flights coming in and out of San Francisco is down at least 95 . In some parts of the world, airlines have been completely grounded, leaving thousands of americans stranded on work trips, vacations, and even honeymoons. John and Michelle Senyard said their i dos in Southern California last month. Michelle senyard numero dos, shake that booty, shake that booty. Bigad and then took off for what they thought would be an unforgettable honeymoon in thailand and sri lanka. They were right. Michelle sri lanka is in the middle of a nationwide curfew. So, it is 5 30 a. M. , and this is going to be the first time we leave our hostel in a week. Bigad their flights home were canceled, and then came the National Lockdown and sixhour long lines to buy groceries. Michelle and really brutal heat. I think there is a point when, you know, the reality faces you of like something really, really bad could happen. John senyard and i think emotionally, one of the toughest things for us has just been that literally everything is different here. Bigad the newlyweds, who are also good friends of mine, were supposed to be back in San Francisco three weeks ago. But theyve been stuck more than 9,000 miles away on the Southern Coast of sri lanka in a tiny beach town called weligama. Some might think, gosh, this is a dream, stuck on your honeymoon. John yeah, and i think it i think it was for the first for the first about 12 days of our trip, bigad but then they got kicked out of their honeymoon suite when their hotel was forced to shut down. Theyve been sheltering in a small hostel ever since. Have you had moments where youve just broken down emotionally thinking about all this . Michelle yeah, i mean, i definitely did a couple days ago. There have been a lot of times where john has had to hold me and tell me, hey, were going to be okay. And i dont totally believe him, but i kind of have to because i have no other choice. Bigad john and michelle keep looking online for new ways to get home, but worldwide there are about 64 fewer flights in the air. Thats left about 15,000 americans stuck abroad, even though the Us Government has already helped more than 61,000 americans return home from 106 countries. In areas where transportation has been halted, the state department is working to charter flights, but its unclear how much longer those options will be available and how many more people theyll be able to reach. Ian brownlee is a top official with the state department. Ian brownlee people overseas need to ask themselves, do i want to go home, or am i ready to stay abroad indefinitely . The seat with a persons name on it right now might not be available next week. Bigad some of those stranded have resorted to paying private companies upwards of tens of thousands of dollars for travel help, firms like global rescue, which specialize in getting stranded tourists home. John and michelle recently found a flight that could get them back to San Francisco, but it would require layovers in three Different Countries and over 45 hours of travel through areas heavily infected with the coronavirus. Michelle i historically get sick every single time after traveling long hours. And literally all the airports that we would be flying through have reported very large numbers. Bigad now, the couple isnt sure when theyll be home. They pass the time cooking. Michelle fresh veggies. Bigad working remotely for their jobs back in San Francisco and getting to know each others sense of humor. This is quite the introduction to married life. Michelle right. John yeah. Michelle yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is definitely not what we anticipated at all. I mean, being able to be here is definitely still has been quite the adventure. And im choosing to be grateful for it. Bigad if youre ever stuck abroad, its important to register with the state department to make sure youre getting the very latest information on travel restrictions and availability. We show you how on our website. Thats nbcbayarea. Com investigations. Well be right back. Hat is it for us tonight. We will, of course, continue our in depth reporting on this Public Health crisis, asking tough questions, searching for solutions, and sharing the stories that need to be heard. And as we move forward together, returning to work, reopening businesses, restarting our lives, its important to follow the advice of Mental Health professionals. And we have multiple resources to help you. Thats all posted on our website, nbcbayarea. Com. Im bigad shaban, and on behalf of all of us here at nbc bay area, stay safe, practice social distancing, and be sure to help local communities along the way. We leave you now with what we hope is a once in a lifetime look at an eerily quiet bay area from above. Thweve never seen it look quite like this, but theres no mistaking it. And its our job to protect it. Because the best people to fight for our communities are those within them. So, if youve just bought a volkswagen or were thinking of buying sometime soon, were here to help with the Community Driven promise. Right now on access Hollywood Enrique Iglesias and ricky martin touring together, but we blow their minds with an access flashback. And they were pop superstars, but then it all came crashing down. What you dont know about milli vanilli. Plus, we talk style with billy porter from Universal Studios hollywood, this is access hollywood. Welcome to our weekend edition. Im scott evans, and lets start everything off with Enrique Iglesias and ricky martin. Theyve announced a joint north american tour kicking off in september in phoenix. Mario lopez sat down with the fellas and took them on a journey back to the first time each of them was on access. We have enrique. This is your First Time Ever on access hollywood. We just wanted your reaction. Oh, man, why do you have to show this to me . To just think one category, and this actually youre embarrassing me. Whoa i had the mole, i had the hairstyle. No, you look the same, man. Yeah, that song is called bailamos, which means dance. I cant even hear my voice. You think you sound different, too . I think i do sound different. Now i want to show ricky. Okay, ricky. Ho
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.