Midday Edition

California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted restrictions on scheduled surgeries, a major change to the state’s month-long stay-at-home order. Also, clusters of coronarvirus outbreaks have emerged in nursing homes throughout the state. California has finally released where the outbreaks are happening, at the same time, nursing homes operators are asking the state for legal immunity during the pandemic. Plus, how soon we can get back to normal depends on how robust COVID-19 testing is to prevent flare-ups. And, Diversionary Theatre moves its fundraising gala online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day while under lockdown. We take a look back at the first Earth Day.

UC San Diego is launching an antibody testing program to find out who may have been infected, without experiencing any symptoms, and recovered from COVID-19. Also, testing abilities for the coronavirus in San Diego have grown more quickly than needs and some hospitals are relaxing their criteria to test more people. Plus, the city of San Diego is reopening some parks for passive use. We’ll break down what that means. And, daycare centers are supposed to be open for essential workers, such as doctors and nurses, but some of those workers say they are being denied services because of their potential exposure to the coronavirus. Finally, as more people are turning to their local news outlets for the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, advertising revenues are plummeting, threatening the viability of local journalism.

A couple hundred protestors are calling for the reopening of public spaces in San Diego but public health experts worry doing so would undo efforts to flatten the curve. Plus, the pandemic is having a devastating effect on higher education. UC San Diego’s chancellor joins us for a conversation about the costs of closing campus. Also, the Navy hospital ship, USS Mercy is supposed to relieve the burden on L.A’s medical facilities, but it is now battling a COVID-19 outbreak of its own. And, the coronavirus is not the first time San Diego has dealt with a global pandemic. We take a look at how the region reacted to the 1918 flu. Finally, how the Old Globe is looking to Shakespeare for inspiration to survive the virus.

The city of San Diego announced massive budget cuts for next year because of COVID-19-related shutdowns, meanwhile SANDAG is projecting an economic slow down for the region. Plus, some coronavirus patients could develop psychological disorders as a result of the disease. And, even though the curve appears to be flattening, local hospitals are still bracing for the possible surge in coronavirus patients.

Stimulus checks are starting to roll out this week to millions of Americans with the goal of getting money to quickly circulate into the battered economy. Also, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he doesn’t see California lifting coronavirus restrictions anytime in the near future and local authorities will have a “profound and outsize” influence on when that will happen. County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher talks about what that will mean here in San Diego. Plus, even with the shelter-in-place orders, law enforcement still needs to continue. How local police officers are handling the job with its new added danger. And, public health officials are supposed to give the public accurate and up-to-date information, but there have been several instances in the past month where that information was incorrect or contradictory. Finally, introducing a new pop-up podcast series on people who are doing creative and innovative things to keep the community connected through COVID-19 isolation.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out the parameters to reopen the state, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkis created a subcommittee to review state spending related to the pandemic. Tentative talks about lifting shelter-in-place orders have people asking, have we flattened the curve? Plus, military families are struggling to make ends meet because of restrictions designed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Also, conditions at San Diego County jails are frightening inmates amid the coronavirus pandemic. And, the once-sizzling San Diego housing market is flaming out now, what should we expect to see next year?

The approach to feeding people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County has been haphazard at best and the novel coronavirus pandemic has all but shut down most efforts. Plus, MTS had planned to put a multi-billion-dollar bond on the November ballot to expand public transit. Now, that plan hangs in the balance due to coronavirus. Also, the La Jolla Institute is looking for people who have recovered from COVID-19 to study their antibodies as a possible treatment for the disease. And, the usually tense relationship between the White House and California has softened during the health care crisis. Finally, we have a preview of the TCM Classic Film Festival, which moved its programming to cable in response to the pandemic.

In this KPBS News Special on the coronavirus, we'll showcase some of this week's reporting done by KPBS journalists. We've seen a steady increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a 68-percent rise over the past week. As of Friday, 40 deaths were reported in San Diego County. The San Diego Unified School District conducted a soft-launch of its virtual learning program. And, some good news for 800 city of san diego workers. The city of San Diego rescinded their furloughs, and will assign them other roles.

The coronavirus pandemic is a worldwide pandemic and the San Diego border region reflects this.The virus has changed life along the U.S.-Mexico border. Also, the Convention Center has been turned into a homeless shelter to stem the spread of the virus. Father Joe’s Villages president Deacon Jim Vargas on what that means. Plus, the courts remain closed to the public because of the virus but there is still a backlog of cases. The courts are now using video hearings for defendants in custody. And, the Museum of Man is offering its space to help fight the pandemic.The museum was used as a hospital during World War II. Finally, five songs to discover this month while you’re stuck at home.

Information about the new coronavirus changes almost daily and it can be confusing to keep up. We answer some of your questions here. Plus, Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Padilla spent nearly a month battling the virus including being hospitalized and put on a ventilator. He details his experience with the disease. Also, Inovio, a local company that discovered a possible vaccine for the disease in three hours began the first phase of human trials this week. In addition, settings such as prisons can be a hotbed for COVID-19 virus outbreaks. The San Diego-based California Innocence Project raises its concerns for inmates. And, the virus pandemic is upending the Jewish holiday of Passover which begins Wednesday night. Many are planning virtual celebrations this year.