Level best here at kqed newsroom to bring you information about how the virus is impacting the health, unprecedented ways. N today President Trump declared a National Emergency to access up to 50 billion in Disaster Relief to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. And the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. More than 130,000 people have been infted in at least 130 countries, and hospitals grapple with a short blg of masks and testing kits. Theyre on a surge of trying to contain new cases. On thursday, the california of department of heal said gatherings of 200 people or more should be postponeor canceled until the end of march. Joining me is the officer for the Public Health dertment and laura. Welcome to you both. And what are the main takeaways that i ent from pres trumps National Emergency declaration today was this idea of early next week we could have half a million more testing kits going out around the country. We have pe330 milliole in the u. S. So ctor, starting with you, do you think thats going to make a difference . I think it will help expand the ability for testing, and it bwiother commercial ways to increase it well. And i think we need to priotize those of higher risk. And laura, what are what r were ymain takeaways from the conference . It seemed more like a pep rally at times quite frankly. Yeah. It was one of the more measure trfb things weve seen from donald trump, and i appreciate the q a at the end where he was colabing with our vernor. That was kind of interesting. And it was this tone of american exceptionalism and sort of placing the blame on other countries and highlighting ofhow wonderful a response weve seen here when a lot of the reonse has also been delayed ancriticized for being delayed. Doctor, the becounty ha as heart hit as some of the other conties in y the ea. Just bring us up to speed on where we are inthe mber of cases. Sure. And i would like to talk about response. We updated our departments response of monitoring this on u y 22nd and, you know gradually eslated to a state declaration of emergency and i d decla local emergency on march 1st because of the ndworkloadtravelers coming in from china and moptering them weve been monitoring the situation and working on a local Public Health level active ivly. D now just had available for lab testing as well and more access te laing. Sewe anticipated more cases just as more labs were able to run. And we also heard from the Oakland Unified School district saying they are canceling classes for a coupleof weeks following a couple of other districts in the state. First of all, i want to ask you call . So i think it was diff decisions. And these decisions are especially difficult with a lack of hard data. It has been a lot of modeling and talking about flattening the epemic curve and pandemic curve. A lot of it was done in pandemic influenza. Well talk about the differences between the covid 19 virus and the flu virus. So i think we all do need to continue the weigh the impact of school closuresand they posted a guidance on march 12th from the cdc, it was concerns about possible children in schools with whcases tomy understand having tested negative th caused a cascade of Bay Area School distcts around the bay. Closures may not be the most ol effective, and we should folk squs prioritize the mitigation in our e impa community. Is it your positio agree with that . That based on the case studies we experiencein ausha, that this wont actually make a difference . Wlel, again, the data is minimal. So i support the difficult decisions that these district officials are making along with the potential health impact, the other demands onbeing made the administration. I think its a nice time to plan for the ability of the longer closures, but i have that it might not have an impact that ople think it will, and it is potential downstream impacts. And they are widespread impacts from this no doubt. I want to talk to you about the impact on rst responders because down in san jose, were seeing four firefighters have fo tested positive the coronavirus. So whats the impact going to look like you think . So enthat tuation, they quarantines the fire department. They quarantined 44 different people that worked there. Ee i think weto think about it but not just firefighters, other First Responders and those whose jobs involve going out and being in the community. Something we have to ink about. And we cant work from home is another concern. Absolutely. And i think adding to what you were saying about the school closure, a lot has been around as i talk to health folks in other countries and i think what is essential . What is at term essential . Is it essential that we close out hools. It seems hard to be the odd man it disrupts and takes people off the workforce and people who have to take care of own children at home. You spent a lot of time qualing up hospitals and talking to officials around the baarea. Where are their concerns right now . Whats top of the mind for them . Well, a lot were concerned about testing skits and still not having infer even though that number, ntthe amwe can process day has moved to the thousands here california with the collaboration of the Public Health department and ivate entities. And thats great to increase that number. Its stilounot though. Theyre concerned about personal protective equipment, specifically, you know, space be needs mighan issue, but we did see that, you know, potentially, well have even hotels be repurposed ifneed be. And then they also talked about being just really nimble and creative. Doctor, i want to ask you one that note do you that the county, can you assure residents there that the county is ready when it comes to the number of bins available, the number of res pirators in case these several cases blosm into many more . Weve be working closely. We have a iosaster health coal we work closely with the hospital and healthcare providers, and i think Everyone Needs to dust offer their pandemic plans and work on surge planning. Different systems are thinking about as you mentioned ultimate care sites or setting up tents to see the outpaent. It spreads with disease and seeing potential of people cong in. I think we are ready and the helpful about the berious states of m of the jury, we can utilize through the Emergency Operation nter and regional and state resource tuesday request resources. We are hit hard right now in the bay area. I think well be an early situation. So we can request resources from the other part of the state or country. So give us a reality check. How bad do you think it will get . Well, we are as the World Health Organization said, were in a pan deming, and i want people to ittake eriously. Over 85 of people will have a mild illness. And the most vulnerables critically ill or hospitalized, and the mortality is related highly to those with healt conditions and elderly. We are to protect r most vulnerable. With things changing so very quickly, what advice do you have to the public . How do we keep all of thnews . I think check in a fe trusted reliable resources from time to time but dont consume the fire hose and really take care of one another and make sure those vulnerable ople are getting taken ref. All right. Its so good to have both of you here. Thank you. Thank you. Wednesday night President Trump delived a primetime address to nounce a 30day ban on nearly all travelers from europe to halt the spread of the coronavirus in the u. S. He also said would urge congress to pass a pay roll tax assistance for workers affectedv by theirus. Meanwhile stock markets rebound today after suffering over 30 single worst day in they have been particularly hard hit as they cancel conferences and mandate. Worki remote right now is the ceo of the coffee house. And the Public Policy director at the assistance chamber of commerce. Welcome to you both. Thanks for having us. Lets start with you. Youve been in nebu 60 years and 65 employees. How have you been fairing th week . Its been very ugto put it lightly. We have seen immediate cancellation in all of ca thring we were going to be doing for the next month. Our Downtown Location at 181 fremont, near the new transbay terminal seen wednesday it was 50 decree in sales and today been 70 and declare in the Downtown Location. We do a decent amou of business with offices and our Office Orders ethave comy stopped. Even the apartment at the sciences has closed. Weve definitely seen a humongous impact. And you had to adjust. What changes have you made to the way your employees work so far . The first thing we did was implement safety protocols in the cafe, so that we can continue operating as a business so we are doing everything in togo cups to duce the amount of handling of customer cups up and for here we moved all the cream and sugar to the burista side, so the buristas are e only on touching it. And were trying to keep our Community Safe onthat end. And reacting to the drop in sales, we had to cut ours dramatically. Im trying hard not to let anyone off,so weve been encouraging people to go on partial unployment, so they can stay employed with us and still get their benefit becaus all of our employees have healthcare and pay it off. So trying to keep em employed and benefits having a safety net, its arreally, really and right, youre at the chamber of commerce, d its a whole slew of business groups calling for San Francisco to make accommodations. Walk us through those. Yeah. Last week we realized its its no longer to tell them to visit the Small Businesses. We need them to step up especially with the issue of cash flow. We have those with 60, 70 of drop in revenue. So we called for three firm things. One, the firmment of business taxes until later in the year. The cond, a waver of all fees, so store frt fees, sidewalk, banner and sign fees. Just waive them for Small Businesses in restaurants and the third is to expand em oyment insurance for those who have short hours due to the coronavirus. And this is a way interest them to ride out this wave speak and the issue of debt is so important for Small Businesses, like yours especially. We were talking about how the Small Business administration is offering loans to people like you. How helpful is that . Its a good start. Its a good start. W interest loans are a good start, but its not solving the problem. Its like taking the cash flow and spreading it out over the next 10 years to provide a relief to small interest loaners. I see how it seems like a quick fix solution. There are so many meaningful ways that the government could leave. If you did all of the fees that storefront business husband to pay. If we talk t 5,000 grto all businesses in the city without having an application or loan or btcarry for the future, those are the things that the government should look forward to. And the fact of the matter is that a lot of businesses are lev rnld all right, right . Yea these had series of ry chipe debt. It is expensive to do business in the city. They did what made sense. Could higher up and scale to a point of profit. When did this become real for you ss a busi last week we had one of our five n cations inside of office. It baimz real to me when that Office Closed and that was and its like the office is ll. Closed. You cant come to towork rrow. Luckily it was small and only a handful of employees. We were able to move them and commodate them. And when the work order hit, almost every tech company, we had moved employees tifrom one lo to the other, and that location saw 50 immediate re ction, and its getting worse. Have youench seen athing like this 2017 and there we saw probably cafe sales. Er the board in but thats nothing compared to this. Theres no wind in sight. When the rain came and air cleared, everyone went back about their normal daily routine. And were not going to e that this time and i think whene talk about having a black swan e , this is what a black swan means. We have companies enquurnling to go out for coffee and a section built on lunch serve. Service that no loer exists. And we dont know what the longstanng retion shpship will be. What is the impact roat m level . Its at the very least is 10s llof ns of dollar. Its hard to put a number because the scales y. Widen ever we told you it was millions of dollars. We pu a hanumber on it, and we put a ban on erlarge gags. The warriors game got canceled and lebron vaimz james game got canceled. What could help you the most . I think tax defirfment is a great start, but i would like complete tax relief from city taxes right now. I mean, the unsecured property tax is coming up. Unsecured property tax, people oechb it exiss, not a lot. The ciplaces coming that if you flipped upside down, every would fall out. Any unsecured property in your building, you have to pay an annual fee. Restaurants in particular. We have hundreds of thsands of inllars our restaurant. And that uchb secured property tax is a huge burden every year. Thats coming due. K i ththe city wanted to make an impact specifically on restaurants. That would bea great place to start. Is this city for just pzs that did 5 5 million of Gross Revenue or below. That would immediately be a 50 50 million stimulus shot into our local economy. And when we talk about the impact it has on the city budget, those are what we collect on an annual basis, come from Small Businesses. The city has things like rainy day fund. I think this is the definition of a rainy day. We havent talked about being canceled. You mentioned events. What is your understanding of the impact as it continues to snowball . I dont think we ever think about what kind of e scale th tech conferences are and how much they give to theconomy. We have printing content at the chamber whic60 to 70 disappear because all of the printing of the brochures and painting and whats sad if youre a printing company, you ordered it a year in advance you spent 100in00 for ntory. We see that for it workers. Thank you for walking us through this. Lauren is the ceo of the chamber of commerce. Thanks for having us. This week the maerjt soregz anded system of living releas information on how to protect from the coronavirus. Facility, in Washington State at least 22 people lichcked have died. Canceling activities can increase e social isolation or depression that some seniors alreadfeel. Joining me now is patrick. Hes the found and director of the center of early Suicide Prevention on the institution in for welcome. Thank you. And you have been working for the last several deckates on how to help the elder oilay social isolation. You set up things like the friendship line how does that work . It was eated as a way to reduce loneliness and social isolation particularly among older people or younger disabled. What we felt and believed at the time has to with connections and what institute on aging. An i personally, as well as professionally believe that connections to others is what binds us to life. So that was really the goal and friendship lineis both accredited crisis hotline but also a waline, so that older people dont have to be in a cr suicidalis to call us. That connection is so important. We actually have the number on your screen. Its 18009710016. Patrick, how are you seeing that line being used right now . Right now a lot of ople are calling us. And its put aglittle stres on our resources which is a concern. And what theyre mostly talking abt is their fears, their anety, their worried about what going to happen to them, particularly those whare living alone and nt have really any number of social interactions they cacount on. So they really depend on us, and were just w noticing scared and fearful people are. Is there a particular call that comes to mind in terms of offering insight how people are reacting to the korean virus. Well,one thats stuck in my mind is from an older woman who is very isolated. And whenshe hears things about minimizing, you know, social contact, thahas made her very upset because she said i cann bear being in my apartment by myself all day long. I have to get out. To go to the rket. I go to a Senior Citizen and places where other people are, and to be tweeld to keep this social distancing thing has really made her mad and dismassed. She said i dont care if i get the coronavirus. It is better than being uck in my apartment by myself. You know, loneliness and social isolation is a very serious concern for people. You know, and so weve felt that kind ofergy. O youre seeing defiance in cases like hers. What do you see to someone li that we can first of all, we validate their feelings especially me being 72 that i ying, that to be alone, not have other people and at one point she diin her life, but she doesnt have that anymore becae of death or geographical changes. And so shes mad, and think she feels very discounted, that we dont say in our narrative that comes from the media or news papers, hey, we are paying particular attention to this higroup risk of people that are older than the dults. When i hear this sear as of cancellation that we see in places like seenious citizens and assisted filling society. Were talking about economic rescission but not social recessthn. Is a real, real concern that the kidnaps of these restrictions are going to have a negative impact on older people are already lonely or isolate. And as a Senior Citizen, how are you doing . Not so great. Not so great . And the reason for that is, you know, experience what some erof these co are. I live alone as well. And even though i have peop in my life obviously, but to think about, you know, if i would get the virus and i have an Underlying Health issue,me that worrie and to be t quauid in my apartmet could be very hard for me. I am out all the time. I mean, im never at home. So that would be difficult, and i shared that with older peoplee who live a does it help that you are also watching out for other people, or es that create additional strelsh for u. It really lepz because service is what i do. What t im concerned abhoge having to move from faceto face contact wipeople to telephone, and im a little arnshtious about that. So what can each of us do to support the elderly seenious i citizeour communities and own families . I think we have to know who our neighbors are. I think we habecome very distance society that we dont know who that olr person, who has lived in the building for 30 years is. Ul slip a note under the door and eling ois lateed. Heres a phone number you can call we could say to someone in the Grocery Store they look lonely or isolated. We could just say hello to them and allow a conversationto happen i think what we have done, you know, unfortunately, to have, again, distance from older people due to ageism and, you know, other issues that we just dont connect anymore, and that worries me significantly. Pick up the phone, say hello, all great advice. Patrick, thank you. Thank you. And if youre 60 or older or an adulliving with a disuble, you can intreech theat 1 8009790016. You can find more coverage online or in the box. Night. Or joining us and good robert a crisis ofnc confide shakes the nation. President trump to unleash the fuer power of the f government this effort today im officially declaring a National Emergency. Two very big words. Robert President Trump is tested. Like never before. First step. Ongress takes a testing. Testing. Testing. We can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope. Robert next. Announcer this is washington week. Funding is provided by before we talk about your investments, whats new . S well, audre expecting. Twins. Grandparents. We want to put money aside for them so change in plans