23ABC Midday News: Top Stories for March 19, 2020

The Department of Public Health has confirmed two cases of coronavirus in Kern County residents.

This is in addition to the non-resident who tested positive on Tuesday.

Plus, testing is underway for the second day at Accelerated Urgent Care.

AND I'M MIKE HART.SOME BREAKING NEWS AT THISHOUR... THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICHEALTH HAS CONFIRMED TWO CASESOFCORONAVIRUS IN KERN COUNTYRESIDENTS.

THIS IS IN ADDITIONTO THE NON-RESIDENT WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE ON TUESDAY.23ABC'S TORI COOPER JOINS USLIVE WITH MORE FROM THE PRESSCONFERENCE.TORI?DUE TO HIPPA LAWS THE KERN COUNYPUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALSARE LIMITED IN WHAT THEY CAN SAYBUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THATBOTH PATIENTS ARE - QUARINTININGAT HOME, OFFICIALSARE INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THEYHAVE COME IN CONTACTWITH ANYONE AND HOW THEY BECAMEINFECTED.

NOWOFFICIALS DID WAIT ALMOST 10HOURS TO NOTIFY US ABOUT THESENEW CASES AND HERE'S WHY THEYSAID THEY WAITED:"OFTEN TIMES THOSE NOTIFICATIONSARENOT COMPLETE AND THEY DO NOTHAVE COMPLETE DEMOGRAPHICINFORMATION SO WE ACTUALLY HAVETO SPEND SOME TIME CONTACTINGTHEINDIVIDUAL THAT IS LISTED TOENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION ISCORRECT AND FILL IN THE MISSINGINFORMATION TO DETERMINE IF THEYARE A KERN COUNTY RESIDENT ANDTHAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME"NOW THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THESETWO NEW CASES ARE CONNECTED TOTHE NON RESIDENT WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE YESTERDAY.WHATS NEW -COMMUNITY SPREAD MAYBE MORE LIKELY,HERES WHAT THEY WONT TELL US:THEY WONT TELL US IF ITS TRAVELRELATED, THEIR AGE, WHICH CITYTHEY ARE FROM IN KERN COUNTY,HERE'S AN UPDATE LOCALLY:76 PEOPLE TESTED NEGATIVE FORCOVID192 TESTS ARE STILL PENDINGOF THE 30 TRAVELERS RETURNED-22HAVE COMPLETEDTHEIR SURVEILLANCE.NO CHANGE IN ACTION AS FAR ASSHELTER IN PLACE AS OF NOW.WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THISSITUATION ANDBRING YOU THE VERY LATEST(ADLIB)LIVE IN BAKERSFIELD, TORICOOPER, 23ABCCONNECTING YOUAND WE ARE FOLLOWING THE VERYLATEST ON THESE TWOCASES...YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND THE MOSTRECENT INFORMATION ONOUR WEBSITE TURN TO 23 DOT COM.ACCELERATED URGENT CARE HASOPENED ITS DOORS FORCASES...ACCELERATED URGENT CARE HASOPENED ITS DOORS FORCORONAVIRUS TESTING INBAKERSFIELD -- ONE OF THE FIRSTMEDICAL FACILITIES TO DO SO.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL IS ATTHEIR LOCATION ON COFFEE ROADWITH HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN GOINGOVER THERE.

AUSTIN?THAT'S RIGHT...TESTING IS UNDERWAY FOR THESECOND DAY AT THIS FACILITY.KERN PUBLIC HEALTH SAID AT THATPRESS CONFERENCEEARLIER THAT 123 PEOPLE HAVERESULTS PENDING AT THIS POINT,MANY OF THEM LIKELY HAVE BEENTESTED HERE.ACCELERATED URGENT CARE OPENEDITS DOORSWEDNESDAY MORNING, WITH DOZENSOF PEOPLE WAITINGIN LINE -- WAITING TO GET TESTEDFOR THE VIRUS THAT'S CHANGEDTHE WORLD.

COVID-19'S RAPIDSPREAD AROUND THE GLOBE HASIMPACTED SOCIETY IN NEARLY EVERYWAY IMAGINABLE,BUT SO FAR, THERE'S ONLY BEENONE CASE CONFIRMED INKERN COUNTY."EVERY OTHER STATE HAS SEEN ANUPTICK,AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THISAREA IS NOT IMMUNE.

SO I EXPECTTHEEXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN CASES INTHE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS."THE CDC SAYS JUST OVER 7,000CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THEU-S, BUT HEALTH AUTHORITIESAROUND THE NATION SAYINGTHE NUMBER IS LIKELY MUCH HIGHERBECAUSE THERE'S BEEN ALACK OF TESTING.

OFFICIALS INOHIO -- A STATE THAT'S HAD 88CASESCONFIRMED TO DATE ACCORDING OTCNN -- ESTIMATING THENUMBER OF CASES IN THEIR STATEWAS ACTUALLYAROUND 100,000 LAST WEEK.

LOCALDOCTORS UNDERLINING THEIMPORTANCE OF MASS TESTING INORDER TO "FLATTEN THECURVE.""WE'RE PREPARING FOR A LARGEAMMOUNT OF TESTING SO THAT WECAN CATCH CASES EARLY, CAUSE WEDON'TWANT TO UNDERPREPARE AND HAVE ALOT OF CASES MOVING THROUGH THECITY AND DONT HAVE THECAPABILITY TO DO TESTING."THE NUMBER OF TESTS BEINGPERFORMED IN THE COUNTRY HASBEEN INCREASING.

ACCORDING TOU-S OFFICIALS, 8,000 TESTS WERECONDUCTED IN THE COUNTRY ONMONDAY ALONE.

IT TAKES ONE TOTHREE DAYS TO GET THE RESULTSBACK AFTER YOU'VE BEENTESTED."12,600 PEOPLE SO FAR WEVETESTED SO FARIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ANDWE HAVE 3,215 TESTS THAT HAVENOT COMEBACK."AND FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BEWORRIED ABOUT GOING TO A PLACELIKE ACCELERATED URGENT CAREOVER FEAR OFCONTRACTING THE DISEASE -- THEREARE PRECAUTIONS PUTIN PLACE."WE HAVE A BOOTH OVER HERE SETUPTHAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GET AWRIST BAND, AND WE GET ACELLPHONE NUMBER,AND THEY WAIT IN THEIR CAR FORCOVID 19 TESTING, THEY DONT HAVETO WAIT INA WAITING AREA, WE THINK ITS AGREAT WAY TO KEEP PEOPLESEPERATE HELPCORONAVIRUS NOT SPREADTHROUGHOUT THE CITY."TESTING IS FREE FOR THOSE WITHINSURANCE, AND 55-DOLLARS FORTHOSE WITHOUT.

THE FACILITY ISLOCATED AT 212 COFFEE ROAD,AND IT'S OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEKFROM 8AM TO 6PM.

WAIT TIMEIS EXPECTED TO BE ABUT 45MINUTES.WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE TWOCORONOVIRUS-POSITIVE KERNCORONOVIRUS-POSITIVE KERN COUNTYFLORES FOR A FIRST LOOK AT YOURSTORM SHIELDFORECAST.SCATTERED MAINLY LIGHT SHOWERSOVER OUR AREA TODAY,OTHERWISE MOSTLY DRY ANDSEASONABLY MILD CONDITIONS WILLPREVAILTHROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THEWEEKEND.

A STORM SYSTEMWILL BRINGRAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THEREGION FROM LATESUNDAY THROUGH THEMIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.THE BAKERSFIELD POLICEDEPARTMENT ADDRESSINGPOTENTIAL SCAMS AND UNETHICALPRACTICES THAT ARE OCCURRINGOVER THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.THE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WOULDLIKE TO REMIND THE COMMUNITYTHAT GROCERY STORES ARE STILLOPEN AND BEING RE-STOCKEDREGULARLY.THE BAKERSFIELD POLICEDEPARTMENT ADDRESSING POTENTIALSCAMS AND UNETHICAL PRACTICESTHAT ARE OCCURRINGOVER THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.THE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WOULDLIKE TO REMIND THE COMMUNITYTHAT GROCERY STORES ARE STILLOPEN AND BEING RE-STOCKEDREGULARLY.B-P-D SAYS THERE IS NO EXPECTEDINTERRUPTION TO THE LOCALSUPPLY CHAIN OF FOOD ANDHOUSEHOLD GOODS -- AND NOSHORTAGE OF SUPPLIES NATIONWIDE.BUT OFFICIALS SAY SOME PEOPLEARE LOOKING TO PREY ONPEOPLE'S FEARS AND PROFIT DURINGTHIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY.PRICE GOUGING CAN BE REPORTED TOB-P-D BY GOING TO P-3-TIPS DOTCOM OR BY CALLING THE D-A'SOFFICE AT 868-23-40.DELANO POLICE ARE ESTABLISHING ATEMPORARY CORONAVIRUSRESPONSE UNIT.THE DEPARTMENT POSTED TOFACEBOOK SAYING THE UNIT WILL BERESPONSIBLE FOR..GATHERING AND ANALYZING COVID-19RELATED INFORMATION...DETERMINING RELATED TRAINING ANDEQUIPMENT NEEDS...HELPING THOSE MOST AT-RISK OFTHE VIRUS...AND PUT OUT PUBLIC SAFETYINFORMATION THROUGH SOCIALMEDIA.THEY ADDED-- IF YOU KNOW ANYONEWHO IS AT HIGHER RISKAND IS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN THEESSENTIALS THEY NEED, LIKE FOODOR WATER, CONTACT ANY OF THESEOFFICERS BELOW.AND 23ABC HAS YOU COVERED ONEVERYTHING CORONAVIRUS.BE SURE TO HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE-- TURN TO 23 DOT COM -- FOR THELATEST DEVELOPMENTS... EVENTPOSTPONEMENTSOR CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSURESAROUND TOWN.POLICE INVESTIGATORS AREEXAMINING AN OFFICERINVOLVED SHOOTING OVERNIGHT ONVENETO STREETIN NORTHWEST BAKERSFIELD.OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO A HOMENEAR HAGEMAN ANDKNUDSEN FOR A DOMESTIC VIOLENCEINCIDENT.WHEN THE B-P-D ARRIVED..OFFICIALS SAY THE SUSPECT..IDENTIFIED AS RYAN LAKE..

METOFFICERS NEAR THE FRONT OFTHE HOUSE..

WHEN A SHOT WASFIRED BY ONE OF THE OFFICERS.LAKE WAS NOT HIT..

AND RETREATEDINSIDE THE HOME.OFFICIALS SAY HE BARRICADEDHIMSELF INSIDE..

AND NEGOTIATORSWERE CALLED IN ALONG WITH THESWAT TEAM.SHORTLY AFTER TEN P-M -- LAKEEXITED THE HOME AND WAS TAKENINTO CUSTODY WITH HELP OF APOLICE K-9.THE OFFICER INVOLVED IN THESHOOTING WILL BE PLACED ONROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

IFYOU KNOW ANYTHING -- CALL B-P-DAT 327-71-11.BAKERSFIELD POLICE ARE THANKINGTHE PUBLIC FOR THEIRHELP IN ARRESTING A SUSPECT IN AYOUNG GIRL'SDEATH.38-YEAR-OLD CLINT MASON WASARRESTED THIS MORNING ININGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA.MASON IS A SUSPECT IN AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL'S DEATH.YESTERDAY -- OFFICERS WERECALLED OUT TO AN APARTMENT ONSAN DIMAS STREET AFTER RECEIVINGA REPORT OF AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL NOT BREATHING.OFFICERS FOUND THE CHILD WHO WASTRANSPORTED TOTHE HOSPITAL WHERE SHE DIED FROMHER INJURIES.MASON IS BEING TRANSPORTED BACKTO BAKERSFIELDWHERE HE WILL BE BOOKED INTO THEKERN COUNTY JAIL FOR MURDER.AND A SILVER ALERT HAS BEENISSUED IN KERN COUNTY FOR AMISSING MAN IN LANCASTER.THIS IS A PICTURE OF PARVIZSISTANI WHO WAS LAST SEENYESTERDAY... MARCH 18TH.HE'S BELIEVED TO BE WEARING AGRAY AND BLACK PLAID SHIRT ANDBLUE JEANS.SISTANI SUFFERS FROM UNKNOWNMEDICAL CONDITIONS ANDMAY BECOME DISORIENTED.IF YOU'VE SEEN HIM... CALL9-1-1.