The Coast News INLAND EDITION
.com ESCONDIDO, SAN MARCOS, VISTA
VOL. 5, N0. 8
APRIL 17, 2020
County Fair canceled over coronavirus By Lexy Brodt
SIGN of the TIMES
Gas prices have been plummeting throughout San Diego County because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in few places more dramatically than on Centre City Parkway in Escondido, where a pair of gas stations have been battling to see how low they can go. Last week, US Gas, above, dropped their price for a gallon of regular to $1.989 shortly after C Stop across the street went to $1.999. More on Page 5. Photo by Ken Harrison
AB 5 foes How to help the health care workers seek relief amid crisis By Kelli Kyle
By Jordan P. Ingram
REGION — More than 2 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting Republican lawmakers to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to temporarily suspend Assembly Bill 5, known as the gig-worker bill, in an effort to ease growing economic uncertainty. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), who has actively worked to repeal AB 5 since it was signed into law in September, has requested the governor use his authority under the state’s Emergency Services Act to issue a moratorium on the union-backed initiative. “I’m very strongly urging the governor to suspend the law,” Kiley told The Coast News. “I’ve supported the way Newsom has handled this crisis — taking the right TURN TO AB 5 ON 3
REGION — With cases of novel coronavirus rising daily in San Diego County, health care workers are diligently treating current cases and preparing for ones expected to hit in the near future. Their efforts aren’t going unnoticed — communities across the county have come together to show appreciation for these workers in different ways. But, according to Dr. Kevin Shaw, an ICU doctor at Scripps Hospital in Encinitas, specializing in pulmonary disease, some of these gestures could do more harm than good. A big one is food donations. “If somebody happens to be infectious and has contaminated the boxes or the food or the packaging, and they bring that in, you could be potentially exposing a whole unit full of nurses or doctors or therapists or nutritionists all at the same time,” Shaw explained. The problem is, he says, that with so many asymptomatic carriers, the staff has no way of knowing if the virus was in fact exposed to that particular
petitions that people are seeing about PPE (personal protective equipment) being short is 100% true,” Shaw said. So while outside cookie trays aren’t so helpful, donated personal protective equipment really comes in handy. After donated items get dropped off, they remain untouched for several days, which dramatically reduces the risk of any coronavirus being left on the materials. That’s why homemade cloth face masks and face shields are proving so helpful for medical professionals. In Scripps Ranch, Bob Ilko, president of the Scripps Ranch Civic Association, rallied himself Volunteers at the Rock Church repair thousands of N95 and others to use 3D printmasks to be used by health care workers in San Diego ers to make face shields County. The Rock and the county’s Office of Emerfor hospitals across the gency Services have partnered in an initiative at the country. church’s San Marcos and Point Loma locations to re“I think we're way pair the elastic bands of 300,000 expired medical grade over 1,300 face shields,” masks to make them functional again. More on Page 3. Ilko said. “I picked up Photo courtesy Rock Church another 80 this morning, and there's another 50 in tray of treats. As one of so they can prepare to my driveway that need to the lead doctors working take on more cases. be assembled.” “It's very challengwith current COVID-19 Shaw and his team patients, Shaw and his ing, because we are tru- said these donated shields team are constantly fo- ly resource-limited, and cused on keeping healthy all the stories and online TURN TO HELP ON 3
MASK REPAIR TEAM
DEL MAR — The San Diego County Fair will not take place this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic — an unprecedented reality for the long-running and beloved local event. During its April 14 meeting, the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors decided to postpone the Del Mar Fairgrounds event until 2021. The unanimous board decision was solidified hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom made a statement calling the prospect of mass gatherings “negligible” until there is a vaccine and herd immunity to the virus. He said that such gatherings in June, July and August were “unlikely.” The fair, previously slated to open June 5 and end July 5, draws over 1.5 million visitors to the state-owned property every year, for food, entertainment, musical acts and rides. This year the event was to embrace a superhero theme. “It was our intenTim Fennell tion to come Fairgrounds CEO here today and recommend putting on hold the decision for another week, but the governor provided us with the clarity we needed to make this decision today,” said Board President Richard Valdez. “It is with a tremendously heavy heart that we recommend this, and I think staff has looked at it every which way they can, and I think this is the only option.” Tim Fennell, CEO of the fairgrounds and racetrack, said staff looked at shortening the monthlong event by a week or two or pushing the date further out, but the governor’s word prompted a definitive decision. “We carry over our hero theme into 2021, which I think is going to be very appropriate following the coronavirus episode we’re all going through,” Fennell said of the fair’s “Heroes, Unite!”
We carry over our hero theme into 2021, which I think is going to very appropriate.”
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