Have you had a positive COVID-19 test? Berkeleyside hopes to hear from you
With coronavirus cases on the rise, Berkeleyside would like to hear from our readers about the direct impacts of COVID-19.
Coronavirus
Top Stories
How did 200 racetrack workers at Golden Gate Fields get COVID-19?
The track has said 95% of the people who tested positive had no symptoms and that this is likely what allowed the disease to spread so broadly.
Funds for Alameda County’s COVID-19 hotel shelter program are dwindling
It’s unclear what will happen to the 1,200 people currently housed in the hotels once funding runs out.
As of Friday, more than 200 people at Golden Gate Fields have COVID-19
More than 200 people from the Golden Gate Fields racetrack community have contracted COVID-19, according to a new statement officials released early Friday evening.
City
More than 100 workers at Golden Gate Fields racetrack now have COVID-19
More than 100 racetrack workers at Golden Gate Fields tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The city of Berkeley’s total case count spiked overnight from about 920 to 1,050.
In brief
7 months of COVID-19: Berkeley reports impacts, lessons learned
The city manager’s office will present a report outlining the city’s multi-departmental response to COVID-19.
Crowds are scarier than creepy costumes: Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos adapt in a pandemic
Masks may be the only constant from past years for fall celebrations upended by COVID-19.
As COVID-19 cases decline, elementary schools and some other services may re-open with restrictions
The city is increasing testing availability to help schools open as soon as Oct. 13. Nail salons, tattoo parlors and other personal services may open Oct. 9.
After six months of no gigs, ‘front porch’ music returns to Berkeley’s Back Room
Live music is returning downtown with regular, socially-distanced performances at The UC Theatre, Bobby G’s, and a planned Freight & Salvage ‘tour’ of downtown parklets.
Schools
Laura Babitt, Ana Vasudeo win school board seats with campaigns for smart school reopening, student safety
The two candidates will take over for Judy Appel and Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, who are both retiring from the board.
January is the earliest Berkeley middle, high schoolers could return to campus
With BUSD’s phased reopening plan, middle and high schools are not likely to reopen before elementary campuses.
In brief
Spring classes at UC Berkeley will begin remotely in 2021, and likely continue that way
All large lectures and most classes will be remote in spring 2021, and on-campus students will self-quarantine at the beginning of the semester.
Berkeley schools are soon eligible to open. But the question is, when?
Community transmission rates, a long list of logistics and multiple sets of standards will determine when they can move forward.
UC Berkeley may ban walking, biking and running through campus
The ban on outside visitors is in response to a state recommendation that universities limit visitors as much as possible. It is unclear how much Cal intends to enforce the new guidelines, however.
Nosh
‘There is a void in my heart’: Chinatown’s beloved Peony restaurant in danger of closing
Renowned for its fresh dim sum and seafood, the eatery is also a social hub for Oakland’s Chinese community.
In brief
Indoor dining closed again in Berkeley, Alameda County due to COVID-19 surge
After three short weeks, indoor dining is once again closed in Berkeley as the state grapples with a rise in COVID-19 cases and Alameda County return to the purple tier.
Historic Berkeley watering hole Albatross Pub closing due to COVID-19
It’s bad luck to kill an Albatross, but owner Andrew McGee says he hopes to preserve the pub’s people-focused mission if he ever opens a bar again.
COVID changed Chez Panisse, but Alice Waters is still taking care of local farmers
The iconic Berkeley restaurant’s new pandemic model works to preserve its suppliers and workers who make its farm-to-table philosophy possible.
In brief
In brief
Ready or not, indoor dining is reopening in Alameda County
Restaurants can reopen indoor dining at 25% capacity beginning Oct. 26 under a new orange tier designation for the county in the state’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines.
In brief
We asked Alameda County diners if they’re ready for indoor dining. Here are the results
The responses to our polls, while unscientific, were enlightening.
In brief
AC Transit will give free masks, sanitizer to riders
The bus agency is adding an extra layer of health and safety precautions to keep passengers safe.
In brief
Berkeley salons and barbershops can open their doors to customers starting Sept. 4
There are several restrictions to the indoor haircuts, including an appointment-only system and mask use.
In brief
Berkeley schools’ Ed Hub closed due to poor air quality, low supplies
The Ed Hub is running low on Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots, but BUSD hopes to have more hotspots by next Wednesday if it can reopen.
Opinion
Berkeley mayor says, do your part to address public health risks
The city of Berkeley will help businesses and artists impacted by the coronavirus and is taking steps to help the homeless, seniors, and single parents, among others.
Change your behavior now to prevent spread of COVID-19, implores Berkeley native quarantined in Italy
The outbreak of COVID-19 is now a global pandemic. People should take it seriously, yet also be wary of alarmist panic.
When Berkeley residents are there for each other, we are at our best
COVID-19 is also threatening a local economic crisis, which may affect the viability of Berkeley’s small businesses. Here are some steps we can take to help out.
Recent stories
Berkeley’s Corso has closed as owners leave the restaurant industry
Roscoe Skipper and Wendy Brucker have closed 12-year-old Tuscan trattoria Corso and sold their 26-year-old restaurant Rivoli, which will remain open.
Food delivery apps are a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic, but at a high cost
Third-party apps like DoorDash expand restaurants’ geographic reach and customer base, but service fees cut too deeply into their bottom line, say some East Bay businesses.
Last call: This quintessentially Berkeley cafe is ‘hanging on by a thread’
The Musical Offering, a nearly 40-year-old cafe/music store, says it needs the community’s support to get through the pandemic. It’s selling prix-fixe meals as a last-ditch effort.
Berkeley wineries rally during uncertain times
Wildfire smoke and pandemic closures of tasting rooms have challenged Berkeley’s urban wineries, but many are finding ways to cope.
