Surge in new COVID cases causes some East Bay cities to close their offices
In response to the surge of new COVID-19 cases, the cities Brentwood, Clayton, San Pablo, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Newark have shuttered their offices with plans to leave minimal staff in place over the next week, East Bay Times reports.
Hayward will close down city offices every Friday throughout January. Services will still be available online or by phone and in-person appointments can be requested.
Walnut Creek and Concord will remain open but city officials said they will monitor the rise of omicron cases.
Assistant to the city manager of Clayton, Laura Hoffmeister, said that city employees will still report to work but not engage with the public in person. The Clayton City Council is considering a $10,000 “hero pay” for all city employees.
“After two years, I’m kind of rolling with it,” said Hoffmeister. “We’ve seen these surges before and then things go back down.”
In addition to the closure of some city offices, several Bay Area school districts have moved back to remote learning including Milpitas Unified, which will keep campuses closed until mid-January.
Klay Thompson makes long-awaited return to the game
Klay Thompson returned to the court Sunday after missing 2 ½ years due to a torn ACL he sustained during game six of the 2019 NBA Finals, ESPN reports.
Golden State toppled Cleveland Sunday 92-82 with Thompson landing a running layup in the first 40 seconds of the game.
“He wasn’t shy, was he?” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “Not that we would ever expect Klay to be shy. I drew up the first play not for him but for him to catch it and move it on. I should have known better.”
Thompson finished the night with 17 points, three rebounds and one assist.
“I was so excited I saw a lane to the basket that I just took the opportunity,” said Thompson. ” After that I thought it was going to be one of those nights where I might be unconscious. I did not shoot as well as I wanted to but I’m so happy I can even look at the stat sheet and see my name there. It’s been a long run. I’m not going to say it's equivalent to winning a championship but it was pretty close.”
The Dubs’ two game losing streak was also snapped Sunday with Steph Curry adding 29 points and Jordan Poole contributing another 14 points to Golden State’s bottom line.
Golden State is now tied with Phoenix in leading the league 30-9 and will face Memphis on Tuesday.
August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ coming to Pittsburg Community Theater
August Wilson’s “Fences,” which won a Pulitzer Prize for drama and the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play, will hit the stage at the Pittsburg Community Theatre on Feb. 5-13, East Bay Times reports.
LaTonya Watts directs the play that’s centered around the story’s main character “Troy Maxon,” played by Kirk Waller with the concept that fences have literally and figuratively hindered Maxon from making progress throughout his life.
Maxon is confronted with his past over the course of the play along with his plans for the present and future while dealing with strife within his family.
“Fences” will also feature performances from Gwendolyn Sampson-Brown (Rose Maxson), Dodie Katague (Bono), Elijah Waller (Cory), Jason Anthony (Gabriel), Alijah Carter (Lyons) and Makayla Rhine (Raynell).
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 925-439-PLAY (7429). Proof of COVID vaccine and face masks are required for entry.
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