San Francisco’s COVID-19 infection rate is leveling off, but Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said the growth rate is still much higher than he would like to see. “We are finding about 90 new cases of COVID-19 every day. That number has started to drop a bit from its high point two weeks ago, […]
Author Archives: Mel Baker
Mel Baker is the producer and a contributor to The San Francisco Public Press radio program/podcast Civic. He has worked as a national network and Bay Area broadcaster for many decades. From early training in National Public Radio’s newscast unit, to stints in the newsrooms of KGO radio and KTVU-TV, and as a news anchor and reporter at KALW and other Bay Area stations, he has embraced the responsibility of broadcast media to “enlighten and inform” the community.
Posted inCity Hall, Coronavirus, Health
Major COVID-19 Surge in S.F.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in San Francisco is rising rapidly and the city is facing “a major surge.” Department of Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said. “In April, we experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases, which at its peak, saw 94 San Franciscans in the hospital. That number dropped to just […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Economy & Business
Working From Home May Drastically Change the Workplace Even After the Pandemic
Zoom meetings and other communications tools have made it possible for many white collar workers to remain employed as they work from home. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom says what had once been uncommon, is now a necessity. “Before COVID, about 5% of working days were spent at home and that was done by about 15% […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Land use, Parks & Open Space
Imagining an Eco-Friendly Post-Pandemic Downtown
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for space in San Francisco’s office towers seemed insatiable. But with no end to the pandemic in sight and the prospect that many employers will allow their people to continue to work from home after the crisis, it’s possible that at least some of those gleaming office towers will […]
Posted inCity Hall, Coronavirus, Health
COVID-19 Hospitalizations in S.F. Could Be Ten Times Higher by October
San Francisco’s Department of Public Health says further reopening plans remain on hold as the city sees a surge in new coronavirus infections that could lead to dire consequences in coming weeks. “The virus is not only still out there, it is out there more than ever before,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the […]
Posted inCity Hall, Coronavirus, Health
San Franciscans Urged to Stay Home During Holiday Weekend as COVID Cases Rise
San Francisco’s Emergency Operations Center Thursday urged residents to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Over the last two weeks, the seven-day average number of new cases in the city has more than doubled and hospitalization rose by more than 50% in the last week. As of June 29, there were 67 COVID-19 patients in city hospitals, including 18 transferred in from hot spots in Imperial and Fresno counties and San Quentin Prison in Marin County. Department of Public Health Executive Director Dr. Grant Colfax said, “The best thing to do is to stay home, celebrate with members of your household and celebrate virtually with others.”
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture
Political Theater Troupe Goes on Air With New Radio Serial
The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s annual free performances in the park skewering political figures with satirical musical theater have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the troupe will continue to perform on the radio. In its first ever serialized radio play, “Tales of the Resistance,” the Mime Troupe will try out a new […]
Posted inCity Hall, Government & Politics, Health, News
San Francisco Pauses Reopening as Coronavirus Infections Rise
Mayor London Breed has ordered a halt to plans to further reopen the city on Monday, June 29, amid a spike in coronavirus cases.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, HIV & AIDS, LGBTQ+, Opinion, Social Justice
Pandemic and Protest: How AIDS and LGBTQ Activism in the ’80s Informs the Present
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” While the remark may or may not have been made by Mark Twain, it certainly rings true as we compare the 1980s with 2020, when an incompetent response to a pandemic and a minority’s call for justice brought people to the streets.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Community, LGBTQ+, Social Justice
LGBTQ Show Returns, Explores Lessons for Activists
As San Francisco marks the 50th Anniversary of the first LGBTQ rights march, the program “Out in the Bay” is returning to the air on KSFP, a radio station created by the San Francisco Public Press. “Out in the Bay” returns after a four-year hiatus. It ran weekly on public radio station KALW from 2004 […]