On April 1, the California Department of Public Health released a data dashboard that tracks coronavirus hospitalizations by county. 

The dashboard shows the number of hospitalizations reported each day in connection with the virus. Patients are listed in four categories: hospitalized patients who have tested positive for the virus, hospitalized patients suspected of having the virus due to exhibiting symptoms typically found in COVID-19, patients in intensive care who tested positive for the virus, and patients in intensive care suspected of having the virus.

In Sonoma County as of April 28, with 71% of hospitals (93% of licensed beds) reporting to the state, there are 9 suspected COVID-19 patients and 1 positive patient. 

We provide daily coronavirus updates on KRCB radio 91. Tune in at 9 a.m. and 6:44 p.m. for the latest local news. Here's our update for Friday, April 24.

It’s been another tough week of sheltering at home – with new information on how early coronavirus came to the United States and the Bay Area – and unsound advice about disinfectants and other dangerous or unproven treatments.

And yet there is good news: Congress came together this week to allocate half a trillion dollars where it’s most needed, including for hospitals and testing.

With all that going on, we’ve got a special treat for you on Sunday afternoon. Because the Santa Rosa Symphony has canceled all its in-person activities, they are partnering with us to broadcast a program from last season for the first time, featuring a symphony that everyone knows and loves.

The concert was performed in October 2018. Francesco Lecce-Chong and the orchestra were celebrating his first appearance with the Symphony as its music director.

Francesco talked with news director Steve Mencher via Zoom about activities he’s leading remotely to bring music into our homes as we wait out the pandemic. Listen here:

Join them Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. for performances of Celebration for Orchestra by Ellen Taafe Zwilich*, the Violin Concerto in D major by Brahms, Sonoma Strong, by Paul Dooley, and the Symphony Number 5 in C minor by Beethoven.

By Camille Escovedo

The last time this many people filed for unemployment in the U.S. — over 26 million as of April 27 — was during the Great Depression, experts say. Over a million Californians have filed for unemployment in March, and the layoffs have not let up. 

“It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of that I’d be doing, so yeah, it’s a little weird when your employer says, ‘OK, yeah, you should file for unemployment,’” said Josephine, who is — or, was — a kitchen manager and teaching assistant at a preschool in Santa Rosa. 

She asked us not to use her real name. The school shuttered, she’s been furloughed, and now she emails with managers and coworkers to talk about payroll and how they’re doing.

“But it doesn’t actually feel like I’m not employed,” she said. “It's just we’re in this big waiting game and if I need money to support myself during this time, and unemployment’s going to be the way to get it…”

Josephine said staff were told paid sick and vacation hours could be used to stand in for a paycheck. And to mark themselves as “temporarily unemployed” if they filed a claim. 

“I tried filing for unemployment, but the online process is a bit confusing,” she said. “I keep trying to find the button to like, OK, file a claim, and then it takes you to another page that’s like, OK, here’s how to file a claim, but I haven’t found the actual document that I’m supposed to fill out.”

Josephine may not be the most representative of laid-off workers. She’s got bills, but no monthly rent. But local organizations are working to reach those struggling during COVID-19. Mara Ventura, executive director of North Bay Jobs with Justice, focuses on those falling through the cracks.

“The first thing we did was ensure that folks could call us to get information about how or what they might be eligible for and walk them through the paperwork if they needed that. And we provide that in Spanish and in English,” she said. 

Their website lists info about new qualifications for unemployment benefits, including reduced hours due to the outbreak. There are also resources on state disability insurance, the Family and Medical Leave Act and paid sick leave.

“... Because people should not be having to worry about medical debt at a time like this and deciding between going into a hospital or clinic to get care and not, because at this point, that’s not just about the workers, it’s about a huge public health risk,” Ventura said. 

North Bay Jobs with Justice recently co-founded Sonoma County United in Crisis, a coalition that calls on local governments to adopt policies to protect tenants, immigrants, seniors, homeless people and workers during the pandemic. 

“But they also need to know that they’re not going to be evicted and they’re not going to come out of the COVID crisis owing thousands of dollars to their landlords,” Ventura said. “And they also need to know that their sheriff isn’t going to turn them over to ICE.” 

North Bay Jobs with Justice helped launch UndocuFund in 2017 during the Tubbs Fire, to aid immigrants who, if undocumented, were ineligible for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. 

UndocuFund reactivated in the wake of coronavirus to provide disaster relief funds for undocumented people in Sonoma County who won’t receive federal stimulus checks through the CARES Act. 

“They’re going through the same thing that many other millions of workers are in terms of losing work, but they will not be eligible for so many of the programs that other workers will be able to get a hold of,” Ventura said. 

Coping with the coronavirus pandemic is a communal experience, but job loss means different things for different people. So many applied for aid that UndocuFund has closed its waitlist for now. Meanwhile, other groups rise to meet the county’s needs. 

More information about Sonoma County COVID-19 resources can be found at norcalpublicmedia.org.