By Miriam Raftery

April 18, 2020 (Sacramento) --  With many businesses closed or having employees work at home, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has found that risks of losses are reduced. So on April 13, the Commissioner ordered insurance companies to issue refunds or credits within 120 days to policyholders adversely affected by COVID-19 including:

• Private passenger and commercial automobile insurance
• Workers’ compensation insurance
• Commercial liability insurance
• Commercial multiple peril insurance
• Medical malpractice insurance
• Any other lines of coverage where risks have dropped due to the pandemic.
  

By Paul Kruze

March 31, 2020 (El Cajon)-- Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) Superintendent David Miyashiro, EdD and Board of Trustees have walked into a new controversy after reports by NBC San Diego and the San Diego Union-Tribune on pay raises authorized the district board.

Following a call to action by the Cajon Valley Employees Association (CVEA), some 100 CVUSD teachers wearing red t-shirt and coats gathered in the CVUSD boardroom on March 10, the last board meeting before the district shut down due to COVID-19. In no uncertain terms, employees let the Board of Trustees and district cabinet know of their unhappiness with recent pay raises given to Superintendent David Miyashiro, EdM and others.

March 31, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:  

LOCAL

• San Diego’s Mesa Biotech gets approval for 30-minute coronavirus test (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• FDA approves San Diego company’s coronavirus test kit (10 News)
• One by one, prominent San Diego hotels shutting down amid coronavirus lockdown (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Coronavirus: Scripps Health to temporarily shut down Santee clinic (Patch)
• San Diego County to restrict cruise ship disembarkation after Tuesday (Times of San Diego)
• San Diego Magazine folds after 72 years (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• California closes vehicular access to all 280 state parks  (Mercury Star-News)
• California got 170 broken ventilators from feds; Silicon Valley is fixing them, Newsom says (Los Angeles Times)
• California governor: 5 big banks suspend mortgage payments (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California beer, wine and weed companies get creative during coronavirus stay-at-home order (Sacramento Bee)
• California is asking state workers to consider changing jobs during coronavirus outbreak (Sacramento Bee)
• California restaurants plead for insurance help during coronavirus closures (Politico)
• Assemblyman Kevin Kiley urges Governor Newsom to suspend AB-5 amid the coronavirus pandemic (KUSI)
• PG&E to plead guilty to 85 counts in 2018 Camp Fire and pay victims $13.5 billion, court filings show (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

March 30, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Coronavirus

• Pentagon orders 60-day freeze movement for U.S. troops overseas (10 News)
• As Trump changed course, both public health and politics played a role (Washington Post)
• Trump Considers Easing Social-Distancing Guidelines to Boost Economy  (Wall Street Journal)
• House panel warns coronavirus could destroy Postal Service by June (Politico)
• CDC is considering recommending that people wear face coverings in public (Washington Post)
• New York, New Orleans hospitals reel as U.S. leads world in coronavirus cases  (Reuters)
• Here's who’s hiring as millions of Americans lose jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak (Yahoo)
• A choir decided to go ahead with rehearsal. Now dozens of members have covid-19 and two are dead (Los Angeles Times)
• Extremist groups encourage members to spread coronavirus to police, Jews: FBI alert (ABC)
• The small government case for giving everyone a big check (The Week)
• Fed's Bullard: Coronavirus shutdown not a recession but an investment in survival (Reuters) 

Other national news

• Commission requires women be registered for the draft (UPI)
• The Trump Administration is proposing auctioning off nearly all US coastal waters for offshore drilling (Business Insider)

WORLD

• Western supply chains buckle as coronavirus lockdowns spread  (Reuters)
• Japan, International Olympic Committee agree to postpone Tokyo Games (Washington Post)
• U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tests Positive for Coronavirus (Time)
• Prince Charles' coronavirus diagnosis is a huge deal for Brits, the monarchy. Here's why. (USA Today)
• Coronavirus: Spanish army finds care home residents 'dead and abandoned'  (BBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Darryl Littleton

March 30, 2020 (San Diego) -- Stand Up Comedy is dead!   Official cause of death – Coronavirus with Trump complications.  After a lengthy illness due to the politically correct sanctions, and despite recent signs of resurgence (thanks to Netflix), Stand Up finally succumbed this month from the prescription of no public gatherings over 10 people.  That dose was barely enough for a club staff, much less a show.   Not a Stand Up show, anyway.   Not a real one.

March 30, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• FDA will allow doctors to treat critically ill coronavirus patients with blood from survivors (NBC)
• WHO reverses advice on ibuprofen and Covid-19. Should you take it? (San Francisco Examiner)
• Man dies after ingesting chloroquine in an attempt to prevent coronavirus (NBC)
• Lost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection (New York Times)
• What happens to your pets if you’re hospitalized with coronavirus? Tips to plan ahead (Fresno Bee)
• CDC says coronavirus survived in Princess Cruise ship cabins for up to 17 days after passengers left (CNBC)
• Stay positive: here are 23 pieces of good news regarding coronavirus (Times Union)
• The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What's Coming (Wired)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Apple donating 9M face masks to US healthcare facilities amid coronavirus outbreak (Apple Insider)
• Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates & Elon Musk Doing More Than Politicians to Fight COVID-19 (CNN)
• Ford partners with 3M, GE Healthcare to make respirators, ventilators to fight coronavirus  (USA Today)
• Plymouth board declares wind turbines a nuisance (Cape Cod Times)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

March 27, 2020 (Washington D.C.) -- President Trump has signed a $2 trillion economic stimulus bill, the largest in American history, stating, “I want to thank Democrats and Republicans for coming together and putting America first.”  The package includes direct payments, loans and grants.

The action comes after the U.S. surpassed China and Italy with the most COVID-19 coronavirus cases of any nation on earth. Worldwide over half a billion people have been infected with the virus. In the US there are over 95,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,450 people have died.

The Senate coronavirus bill will include help for:

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Elton John in concert in San Diego

March 29, 2020 (San Diego) – Viewers around the world can tune in on their TVs tonight (Sunday 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Fox) to watch “Living Room Concert For America.” The free concert, organized by Elton, will feature music superstars and will encourage viewers/listeners to donate to benefit Feeding America and First Responder Cihldren’s Foundation.

The musicians will be performing in their own living rooms, since large gatherings such as concerts in arenas or stadiums are banned.  Participating musicians including Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw and Billie Joe Armstrong as well as Elton John and many other performers.

Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga, Ken Jeong, Ryan Seacrest, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone will also be special guests during the “Living Room Concert.”

Renter must notify landlord within a week of when rent is due, if they can’t pay due to COVID-19, to be eligible for the eviction freeze

By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2020 (Sacramento)--Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an executive order banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters in California affected by COVID-19 through May 31, 2020.

The order prohibits landlords from evicting residential tenants for nonpayment of rent and prohibits enforcement of evictions by law enforcement or courts.  It does not protect commercial tenants, however.

It also requires residential renters to declare in writing, no more than seven days after the rent comes due, that the tenant cannot pay all or part of their rent due to COVID-19 such as because of job layoff, cuts in hours, business closures, medical expenses, childcare due to school closures for parents still working in critical jobs, or other impacts related to the pandemic.

The tenant would be required to retain documentation that their inability to pay rent is due to COVID-19, such as termination notices, pay stubs, bank notices, medical bills, or other proof.

East County News Service

Photo by Rachel Williams: Syrian refugee children in El Cajon

March 29, 2020 (San Diego) – Refugees are among the hardest hit among our local residents impacted by COVID-19 shutdown orders. These are immigrants legally admitted to the U.S. after suffering war, famine, or other life-threatening hardships, primarily from the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

To help these new Americans, Partnership for Advancement of New Americans, in partnership with other refugee assistance organizations, has launched the San Diego County Refugee Assistance Fund.  Every penny will be donated directly to help a local refugee family.

You can donate here:  https://www.panasd.org/covidfund?fbclid=IwAR0sorX-O-fc-5H3hDa6fvN9TbmJqJ1fCEE3gPWR3_GRfDhyPl4mC8uB3-s

Their goal is to raise $100,000 so that they can support 100 families with grants of $1,000 each. In the first three days, over $80,000 has been raised.

According to their website:

"COVID-19 presents tremendous challenges for already struggling refugee families.

"The majority of San Diego’s refugee workers are in the restaurant, hotel, and transportation industries hardest hit by the pandemic. Even with the City of San Diego taking action to halt evictions, foreclosures, and utility shut-offs, people already struggling to make ends meet are now managing reduced work hours or furloughs, school closures, childcare challenges, and food scarcity. Community members have lost their jobs, drivers are facing major disruption with Uber and Lyft, and families have children that need to complete school assignments online, but don't have internet connectivity at home.

By Miriam Raftery

March 28, 2020 (Borrego Springs) – The Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce has sent an e-mail with information for Borrego-area residents on what’s open and closed.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Creative Commons via Bing 

March 28, 2020 (San Diego) – As the COVID-19 stay-home order drags on, with barber shops and hair salons shut down, you may feel ready to pull a paper bag over your head and cut eyeholes to hide bad-hair-days that are now every day.  

Here are a few other options.