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The chef’s latest disaster relief efforts have focused on cruise ship quarantines
After spending several days stuck off the coast, the Grand Princess cruise ship will finally dock today at the Port of Oakland today at noon and begin disembarking about 2,500 passengers and more than 1,000 crew members, with at least 21 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). On the ground to meet them will be chef José Andrés’s nonprofit World Central Kitchen, which will be sending food onto the ship.
The @WCKitchen team is on ground in Oakland....Ready to support State of California, @PrincessCruises & all Americans during these difficult times. Today we are helping send food supplies to #GrandPrincess on vessel Miss Tammy! #ChefsForCalifornia pic.twitter.com/cImkRYLqo2
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) March 8, 2020
World Central Kitchen is the world-famous chef’s organization dedicated to providing meals after natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, as well as the California wildfires. In this somewhat unusual instance, the passengers onboard the Grand Princess the organization will be feeding have confined to their cabins for days, and many of them are now headed for quarantines at a nearby military base. It’s a confusing, somewhat contentious situation, which is perhaps why Andrés also tweeted, “I [cannot] believe we still don’t have a protocol in place.”
The USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort the hospital ships should be used on both coasts to transfer the sick from the cruiseships. Healthy individuals can come to shore. Also food should only be prepared outside the Ships...I can not believe we still don’t have a protocol in place..
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) March 9, 2020
And in other news …
- Salesforce is the latest big tech company to ask employees to work from home due to coronavirus concerns. Unlike some competitors, Salesforce doesn’t provide free meals, so that’s another 7,000 people who won’t be buying lunch downtown. [CNBC]
- Lady Gaga dined at Bar Crenn over the weekend, enjoying the caviar service, taking selfies with three-star chef Dominique Crenn, and singing happy birthday with the staff. [SFGate]
- A restaurant in SoCal is checking customers’ temperatures at the door, using an infrared thermometer. [OCR]
- Mad Dog in the Fog, the rowdy English-style pub known for broadcasting soccer matches, is closing after 30 years in the Haight. The owners are teasing a new location, though, so stay tuned. [Hoodline]
- Social Kitchen & Brewery, a local craft beer hangout, is pouring its last pints after a decade in the Inner Sunset. [Hoodline]
- Lazy Bear is joining the trend in climate-conscious eating by going vegan for nine days next month, and donating the proceeds to Zero Foodprint. [SF Chronicle]
