Stay home from school / Wish you weren't here / Congressman ailing (not COVID-19 related) / The world keeps churningStay home from school
The coronavirus outbreak has thrust parents everywhere into the role of their children's primary educators. They've been left scrambling to sift through educational resources and juggle lesson plans with jobs and other responsibilities. Across the United States, more than 118,000 public and private schools in 45 states have closed, affecting 53 million students, according to a tally kept by Education Week. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has urged the state's more than 6 million schoolchildren and their families to make long-term plans, telling them few, if any, schools would reopen before the summer break.
Wish you weren't here
The coronavirus is clearing out California's most popular destinations. From Disneyland to Yosemite National Park, the Golden State's iconic destinations are closed to slow the spread of the pandemic. Even before the governor ordered residents to stay home, tourists found restaurants and bars closed in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Major attractions such as Alcatraz off San Francisco and the Santa Monica Pier are closed. Ski areas in Lake Tahoe and across the state closed despite a recent blanket of snow and visitors who hadn't canceled plans trimmed their trips short.
Congressman ailing (not COVID-19 related)
A congressman representing a San Francisco Bay Area district is in critical condition after he was hospitalized with pneumonia after he fractured a rib. Chief of Staff Betsy Arnold Marr says in a statement that U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier was admitted to a hospital of March 13 after he fractured a rib when he fell while running. She says he tested negative for the coronavirus. Marr says DeSaulnier, 67, was initially in serious condition, but his condition has since worsened to critical. DeSaulnier, a Democrat, represents a district that covers much of Contra Costa County, He was elected to the House in 2014.
The world keeps churning
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Sunday morning off the coast of Northern California. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake hit at 8:27 a.m. about 50 miles west of Ferndale, a coastal town of 1,300 people. A police dispatcher said the shaking was minor and there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. A 5.9 magnitude quake was recorded in the same area on March 8.