23ABC Weekend Morning News at 8AM - Top Stories for April 25

Another business closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What officials from a local landmark restaurant are saying about the closure.

Plus, the latest from the city about when the city could possibly reopen.

RESTAURANT.WHAT BUSINESS OWNERS ARE SAYINGABOUT THE CLOSURE.REPORTER LIVEGOOD MORNING.WE'RE GOING TO START THINGS OFFTHIS MORNING WITH 23 ABC'SALEX BELL WITH A LOOK AT YOURSTORM SHIELD FORECAST.NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT OVERTO 23 ABC'S ALEX BELL WITH ALOOK AT YOUR STORM SHIELDFORECAST.MORNING ---- A LANDMARK LOCALRESTAURANT ANNOUNCINGTHEY HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THEECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE COVID-19PANDEMIC...THE NORIEGA HOTEL ANNOUNCINGFRIDAY THAT ITWILL NOT REOPEN EVEN AFTEROFFICIALS REOPEN ALLBUSINESSES.THEY ALSO THANKED THE COMMUNITYFOR THE SUPPORT --WRITING -- "WE APPRECIATE ALLTHE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DINED WITHUS FOR THE LAST 89 YEARS."OF COURSE -- THE NORIEGA HOTELHAD BEEN A COMMUNITYSTAPLE FOR NEARLY NINE DECADESIN EAST BAKERSFIELD ON SUMNERSTREET.BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOWTHIS STORY AND BRINGYOU ANY UPDATES ON AIR ANDONLINE AT TURN TO 23 DOT COM.KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH ISREPORTING THAT 50 MORE PEOPLEHAVE RECOVERED FROM THECORONAVIRUS HERE AT HOME.FRIDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT BRINGS THETOTAL NUMBER TO 377RECOVERED PATIENTS.OFFICIALS ALSO REPORTING THEREARE 744 POSITIVE CASES -- WITH735RESIDENTS AND 9 NON-RESIDENTSTESTING POSITIVE.

THE TOTALNUMBER INCREASED BY 36 CASES ONFRIDAY.THE DEATH TOLL REMAINS AT 4.ACCORDING TO PUBLIC HEALTH --MORE THAN 54-HUNDRED PEOPLEHAVE TESTED NEGATIVE AND MORETHAN 35-HUNDRED TESTSARE STILL PENDING.FOR THE LATEST NUMBERS WHENPUBLIC HEALTH RELEASES NEWINFORMATION LATER THIS MORNINGAT 10 A-M --- BE SURE TOHEAD TO OUR WEBSITE -- TURN TO23 DOT COM.THOSE NEW NUMBERS COMING AS KERNCOUNTY OFFICIALSANNOUNCING THAT THE COUNTY WILLBE CLOSED UNTIL MID MAYDUE TO THE PANDEMIC.OFFICIALS SAID FRIDAY THAT IT ISEXTENDING ITS "ESSENTIALSTAFFING ONLY" MODEL TO MAY15-TH.MANY BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTSHAVE HAD TOCLOSE TEMPORARILY DUE TOCOVID-19.MAYOR KAREN GOH SPOKE ABOUT THEEXTENSION ANDWHEN THE COUNTY COULD POSSIBLYRE-OPEN."I'M WORKING WITH THECHAMBER...""...TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OFCUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES."THE MAYOR WENT ON TO SAY THEREIS NO EXACT TIME TABLE YET FORRE-OPENING.BUT -- THAT WITH SOCIALDISTANCING AND EVERYONEFOLLOWING THE STAY AT HOME ORDER-- THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19 HERE HAS STARTED TOSLOW DOWN.GOH SAID ONCE THEY RECEIVE MOREINFORMATIONFROM HEALTH OFFICIALS AND THESTATE -- THE CITY WILL BEGINITS PLANS TO RE-OPEN.MEANTIME -- THE C-E-O OF CLINICASIERRA VISTA BRIAN HARRIS --HAS RESIGNED .A STATEMENT FROM THE COMPANYSAID IN PART THAT HARRISHELPED CHAMPION THE HEALTH CARENEEDS FORTHOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN THECENTRAL VALLEY.23 A-B-C CONFIRMED THROUGH COURTDOCUMENTS THATLAST SUMMER, A FORMER EMPLOYEEFILED A LAWSUIT AGAINSTHARRIS, CLAIMING HARRASSMENT ANDAGE DISCRIMINATION.CLINICA INTERIM C-E-O STACYFERREIRA HAS NOT RESPONDEDTO WHETHER THAT HAS ANYTHING TODO WITH HARRIS' RESIGNATION..."MR. BRIAN HARRIS HAS RESIGNEDFROMHIS POSITION.

WE WILL BERESPECTING HIS PRIVACY AND NOTDISCUSSING THEWHEREABOUTS OF THAT.""SO IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL FORUS.

WEARE HERE FOR OUR PATIENTS.

WE'REDOING INNOVATIVE THINGS TO HELPSEETHEM DURING THIS TIME WHEREPERSON-TO-PERSON CONTACT IS NOTENCOURAGED.

WE HAVE TELEPHONESERVICES, TELEHEALTHSERVICES, WE'RE REALLYLEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO SERVEOUR PATIENTSBETTER DAILY."AS MENTIONED -- CLINICA SIERRAVISTA'S CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCEOFFICER STACY FERREIRA WILL STEPIN AS INTERIM C-E-ODURING THE CURRENT COVID- 19PANDEMIC.TODAY --- VOLUNTEERS FROM THECOUNTY OF KERNUNION WORKERS ARE HOSTING ASPECIAL DONATION DRIVEIN BAKERSFIELD TO COLLECTPERSONAL PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT.THE DRIVE IS HAPPENING TODAYFROM 10 A-M TO 1 P-M AT THES-E-I-UOFFICE ON 17-TH STREET.TO ENSURE PROPER SOCIALDISTANCING GUIDELINES, THECOLLECTION DRIVE WILL BESTRICTLY DROP OFF.VOLUNTEERS ARE COLLECTING FACEMASKS -- HAND SANITIZER --DISINFECTING WIPES -- ANDDISPOSABLE GLOVES.ALL THE P-P-E COLLECTED WILL BEDONATED TO CITY -- COUNTY ---NON PROFIT -- AND HEALTHCAREWORKERS.THIS WEEK A FOOD DRIVE WILL BEHELD AT BAKERSFIELD FIRSTASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCHBENIFFITING THE MISSION AT KERN.23 ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL ISLIVE IN WEST BAKERSFIELDWITH HOW YOU CAN PITCH IN.AUSTIN?TORI, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR OF MOREAND MORE PEOPLE OUT OFA HELPING HAND TO LAWENFORCEMENT BY HELPING TOSANITIZE THEIR PATROL VEHICLESDURING THIS PANDEMIC.CHECK THIS OUT.HADDAD DODGE RAM PROVIDED ALLLAW ENFORCEMENTAGENCIES IN BAKERSFIELD ANADDITIONAL LAYER OF PROTECTIONWITH AN E-P-A APPROVED ANTI-MICROBIAL SPRAY.THEY SPRAYED THE PATROL VEHICLESOF LAW ENEFORCEMENT---- DISINFECTING AND PROTECTINGTHEIR RIDES AT NO COST.THE CAR DEALERSHIP SAYS ITPURCHASED THE PRODUCTEARLIER THIS MONTH TO ADD TO THERETAIL SERVICEDEPARTMENT -- BUT THE DEALERSHIPSAY IT REALIZED THEPRODUCT COULD HELP OUT FIRSTRESPONDERS -- TOO.LAW ENFORCMENT OFFICIALS SAYTHEY AREGRATEFUL FOR THE HELPING HAND."I THINK IT IS COMFORTING NOTONLY OUR EMPLOYEES, OUREMPLOYEES' FAMILIES BUT ALSO ITHELPS US STAY HEALTHY FOR OURCOMMUNITY WHEN WE ARE NEEDED.""I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANTFOR THEPROTECTION OF MYSELF AND MYFELLOW OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TOWORK ON A DAILY BASIS TO PROTECTTHE COMMUNITY."HADDAD SAYS IT IS WORKING WITHTHE KERN COUNTY LAWENFORCEMENT FOUNDATION TO EXTENDTHE SAME OFFER TO OTHERLAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIESTHROUGHOUT THECOUNTY.