The rise in the number of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in the Bay Area continues unabated, driven by fast-moving subvariants. Those new cases are once again wreaking havoc on the Bay Area’s restaurants , as the surge collides with an industry staffing shortage. The U.S. officially marked 1 million COVID-related deaths , a figure that is almost certainly an undercount. Latest updates: COVID shut down some of S.F.’s coolest hidden public spaces. It’s time to open them back up, says John King Even before the pandemic, some of the coolest public spaces in downtown San Francisco were easy to miss — perched on tall buildings or tucked inside towers, off the map unless you were in the know. Then came COVID-19. Now, even though workers are returning to the city’s downtown core, some of the best public spaces remain off-limits. We’re still living in harrowing times, no question. But at some point before too long, the city will need to give an official prod to … [Read more...] about COVID in California: Latest news as Bay Area cases climb