KQED's Forum

In California, nearly 9,000 people -- working adults, senior citizens, parents, single people, families -- have tested positive for coronavirus. One is a man in his 60s who contracted the virus while on a cruise in Japan. Another is a San Francisco woman was able to isolate herself for nine days before receiving a positive test result. There is also a family of four in Walnut Creek who all came down with something, but only one was tested. We’ll hear their experiences struggling with the illness and the health care system, and the experience of others who have contracted coronavirus.

California's public schools were already facing daunting challenges. And now, an unprecedented closure has been added to the mix. We'll talk with educators and parents about how the impromptu experiment in distance learning is going, and what it all means for the state's six million K-12 public school students.

As coronavirus cases in California continue rise, Governor Gavin Newsom launched a program Monday to expand the state's health care workforce. Known as Health Corps California, the program seeks to enlist thousands of medical students and retired doctors and nurses by reworking licensing requirements. The initiative could also temporarily modify rules governing physician oversight of nurse practitioners. We'll talk about how the program will work and its potential impact in the fight against coronavirus.

As of Tuesday, more than 3,700 people have died from coronavirus in the United States, and at least 180,000 Americans have tested positive. As states expand shelter-in-place rules and scramble to address medical equipment shortages, we'll talk to California Congressman Adam Schiff about how the federal goverment is responding. We'll also get his take on the recently passed $2 trillion stimulus bill and what new steps Congress is taking to combat the pandemic.

Twelve days after Governor Gavin Newsom announced his stay-at-home order, Californians are adjusting to the new normal of being physically distant while trying to stay socially connected. A phone call has never been more welcome. Communal dinners over video and conversations with neighbors from across the street are becoming the norm. How are people coping and connecting, and what have the last 12 days of isolation taught us about our own resiliency?

Facing a steep drop in fare revenue during to the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco MUNI on Monday suspended all light rail and subway trains, replacing them with buses. Meanwhile, Caltrain cut its weekday train service by half, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority halted light rail service and modified bus routes to prioritize lines that stop at hospitals, grocery stores and food pantries. AC transit also announced deep cuts that will go into effect on Tuesday. We'll talk about the impact of the pandemic on Bay Area transit systems, operators and riders.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 7000 in California Monday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the city is extending shelter-in-place rules until at least May 1. Other Bay Area counties are expected to follow suit. Meanwhile, California Health and Human Services Director Mark Ghaly said Monday that cases could peak in the state in the second half of May.  As the pandemic continues, we take your questions about testing, symptoms, transmissibility and best physical distancing practices.

The economy is taking a massive hit from people staying home to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Many businesses have essentially hit the pause button on their normal operations. Some companies are finding creative ways to bring in revenue and help the community. Others are worried they may not survive shelter in place. We discuss how businesses are coping and adapting.

As the coronavirus crisis continues to strain medical systems, hospital ethics committees face difficult choices of how to allocate limited medical resources like testing kits, ventilators and staff. We'll hear from experts on the medical ethics questions being considered during this pandemic.

With coronavirus cases in California expected to surge in the coming weeks, we talk about how prepared the state is for the spike. And we’ll also look at how data is being shared as this pandemic has spread. Not all states or counties are taking the same approach to releasing specific data -- and here in the Bay Area a debate has been raging between epidemiologists and public health officials over just what to reveal.