In CA: A hunt for coronavirus cases in the Golden State

Arlene Martinez, USA TODAY
·5 min read

Figuring out how many people have been exposed to the coronavirus is inextricably linked to when the state reopens. And another guilty plea in the "Varsity Blues" scandal brings the total so far to 33. Plus, don't miss animals enjoying city adventures as us humans #stayinside.

It's Arlene Martínez, with news on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

But first, Stagecoach isn't happening this weekend as scheduled. Here's how to listen to the country music festival, dubbed "Stagecouch," online. Guy Fieri will be there.

And since it's Earth Day, can we talk expiration dates? Not having to waste some of the 6 million tons of food Californians throw out each year could go a long way in helping the planet and in a time of pandemic, reduce our trips to the store. Let's eat!

Stay safe and informed with news and resources from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond: Sign up for In California today (it's free!).

Just how many COVID-19 cases are in the Golden State, anyway?

Volunteers drove up to testing sites in Los Angeles County.
Volunteers drove up to testing sites in Los Angeles County.

We're still far from knowing just how many people may be symptomatic or asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus. This matters because when you're trying to figure out the virus's fatality rate, you need to know deaths as a percentage of total cases.

But in the Golden State, 86 new testing sites could help get experts closer to answering that question.

They'll be located in "testing deserts," or communities that may struggle to access COVID-19 tests, including rural and remote areas, and urban neighborhoods with high populations of black and Latino residents, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his midday briefing on Wednesday.

Newsom didn't specify the exact locations or when they would open but reiterated the state would not get back no normal until testing, tracing and isolating hot spots are all possible. This is part of that effort. Also:

A 57-year-old Santa Clara County woman is the first person believed to have died from the coronavirus in the United States. She died Feb. 6, more than three weeks earlier than what we thought had been the first death.

County officials said it appears to be a case of community transmission, meaning there's no clear source of exposure, like travel.

A person's race, income and ZIP code can influence whether someone survives the coronavirus: “Most epidemics are guided missiles attacking those who are poor, disenfranchised and have underlying health problems,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Protests, crime, Trump's claims and a trumpet player cited for violating state orders

Thousands of people in the Bay Area have gotten verbal or written warnings from authorities for violating shelter-in-place orders.
Thousands of people in the Bay Area have gotten verbal or written warnings from authorities for violating shelter-in-place orders.

The CHP won't grant opponents of the shelter-in-place orders any more permits for future protests after one earlier this week violated social distancing guidelines.

Crime has dropped significantly in recent weeks, except for when it comes to domestic violence, an analysis of Los Angeles and four other major cities indicates.

President Trump says there are plenty of coronavirus tests. Several governors say testing supplies are scarce or nonexistent. We fact check the president's claim (it's false).

A trumpet player is one of thousands of Bay Area residents who have either gotten verbal warnings or tickets for violating shelter-in-place orders. Far fewer have been fined.

Ex-UCLA soccer coach 33rd person to plead guilty in admissions scandal

Felicity Huffman is one of dozens of people who are part of "Varsity Blues," a scandal that involved bribes by high-powered celebrities and others to get their children into top colleges and universities.
Felicity Huffman is one of dozens of people who are part of "Varsity Blues," a scandal that involved bribes by high-powered celebrities and others to get their children into top colleges and universities.

The longtime former men's soccer coach at UCLA agreed to plead guilty to racketeering charges in the nation's college admissions scandal.

Jorge Salcedo, head soccer coach at UCLA from 2004 to 2019, will become the 33rd person to plead guilty in court as part of the nationwide "Varsity Blues" admissions scandal that involved celebrities and other high-profile rich people making bribes in exchange for their children getting into top schools.

In a deal with federal prosecutors, Salcedo agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering for accepting $200,000 in bribes to facilitate the admission of two students into UCLA as fake soccer recruits.

College admissions scandal tracker: Who's pleaded guilty, who's gone to prison — and who's still fighting.

A day for our planet to shine

Mountain goats roam the streets of the town of Llandudno in Wales on March 31, 2020.
Mountain goats roam the streets of the town of Llandudno in Wales on March 31, 2020.

Why did the mountain goats cross the road? Because there's a worldwide pandemic and no one's out bothering them. Enjoy photos of them and other recent images of Earth.

50 years after the first Earth Day, here's why we need science more than ever.

Christy Weir was a young teen in Santa Barbara who woke up one morning in 1969 to find the beaches covered in black goo. The ocean, suffocated in oil from the biggest spill ever (at that time), gurgled.

"We can all make a difference by limiting consumption of products that contain palm oil, buying local produce, supporting small businesses, using less plastic, planting trees, walking and riding bikes more and driving less," Weir, now an elected official in neighboring Ventura, wrote for #EarthDay2020.

What else we're talking about

Did you feel it? A 3.7-magnitude earthquake hit SoCal early Wednesday.

Disneyland and Disney World may not open until 2021, analyst predicts.

L.A. County hosts five of the 10 most crowded ZIP Codes — including the No. 1 most crowded — in the country. In such places, social distancing is basically impossible.

Block by block, here are San Francisco's best-ever car chase movie scenes.

Local leaders, nonprofits and restaurants are mobilizing to help communities in food deserts by delivering groceries and meals.

30 reasons why walking is such amazing exercise, a photo explainer.

You don't need to learn a new language, read all the books, make the TikTok whipped coffee, remodel your house, learn to knit and write a novel. It's OK to not be productive (Note: This includes product reviews and suggestions).

Chipotle agrees to pay $25 million over food safety violations that led to thousands of people getting sick. The fine on the Newport Beach-based company is the largest ever imposed in a food-safety case.

Schools across the Coachella Valley prepare for digital graduations.

In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Economist, Kaiser Health News.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19, California, test, Varsity Blues, Earth Day, Disney: Wed news