23ABC Weekend Morning News at 8AM - Top Stories for April 12

Happy Easter Sunday!

The first wave of the national stimulus passed by Congress has been sent out.

When you can expect to receive your check.

Plus, the good news coming from Kern County Public Health officials.

WHEN YOU CAN EXPECT YOURNATIONAL STIMULUS CHECKTO BE DELIVERED.REPORTER LIVEGOOD MORNING.AND HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY.I'M TORI COOPER.WE HAVE A LOT TO GET TO THISMORNING BUT FIRST AS ALWAYSWE ARE GOING TO SEE WHAT MOTHERNATURE HAS IN STORE FORALL OF THE EASTER BUNNIES.23ABC'S ALEX HAS YOUR FORECASTWE'RE GOING TO START THINGS OFFTHIS MORNING WITH 23 ABC'SSHARING THE GOOD NEWS WITH YOUSO WE ARE GOING TO STARTTHINGS OFF WITH NEWS SURROUNDINGSOME MONEYTHAT SO MANY OF YOU DESPERATELYNEED RIGHT NOW DURING THEPANDEMIC.SO WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THATTHE INTERNALREVENUE SERVICE SAYS THEY SENTOUT THE INITIAL WAVE OFSTIMULUS PAYMENTS ON SATURDAY.THE I-R-S SAYS DIRECT-DEPOSITSWILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXTSEVERAL DAYS.THE AGENCY IS STARTING WITHPEOPLE WHO HAVE PROVIDEDBANKING INFORMATION WHILE FILINGTAXES THE PASTFEW YEARS.BUT PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T USEDDIRECT DEPOSITS WILL GET CHECKSBY MAIL, WHICH COULD TAKE WEEKSOR EVEN MONTHS TOARRIVE.ONLY PEOPLE UNDER THE INCOMELIMIT ARE ELIGIBLE.AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWSFROM THE KERN COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT THISMORNINGOFFICIALS SAY -- THE CDC HASGUIDANCE FOR RELEASINGPOSITIVE COVID-19 PATIENTS FROMHOME OR HOSPITALISOLATION.113 LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE MET THECDC CRITERIA SO FAR -----MEANING THESE PEOPLE ARE NOLONGER CONTAGIOUSACCORDING TO HEALTH OFFICIALS.AND THEY ALSO ANNOUNCED THATONLY 38 OF THE PEOPLE WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19 NEEDED TOBE HOSPITALIZEDDURING THEIR ILLNESS.NOW LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THELATEST NUMBER OF COVID-19CASES HERE LOCALLY...369 RESIDENTS AND 8 NON-RESIDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVEFOR COVID-19.THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THECOUNTY FROM THE VIRUS.63-HUNDRED TESTS HAVE BEENADMINISTERED -- AND MORE THAN25-HUNDRED TESTS ARE STILLPENDING.HOWEVER -- PUBLIC HEALTH ISREPORTING THAT THERE ARENEARLY 35-HUNDRED NEGATIVETESTS.NOW LETS HEAD JUST SLIGHTLYNORTH OF KERN COUNTY TOTULARE COUNTY--WHERE PUBLICHEALTH OFFICIALS HAVECONFIRMED THAT THE 11-TH COUNTYRESIDENT HAS DIED OF COVID 19.TULARE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS 227POSITIVE CASES OFCORONAVIRUS...11 RECOVERIES ANDAS WE JUST MENTION 11PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM THE VIRUS.MEANTIME -- FRESNO COUNTY HAS201 CONFIRMEDCASES AND 5 DEATHS -- WHILEMADERA COUNTY HAS 30CONFIRMED CASES AND 2 DEATHS.MERCED COUNTY HAS SEEN 61POSITIVE CASES AND 3 DEATHS.BUT YOU CAN FIND THE LATESTNUMBERS FROM THE COUNTIESSURROUNDING KERN ON THEIRINDIVIDUAL PUBLIC HEALTHWEBSITES.MEANTIME HEALTH OFFICIALS AREREMINDING EVERYONE THISMORNING TO PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING THIS EASTERHOLIDAY--AS ALL CITY AND COUNTYPARKS ARE CLOSED.23 ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL IS LIVEIN NORTHWEST BAKERSFIELDWITH WHAT OFFICIALS ARE SAYINGABOUT THE PARKS.AUSTIN?TORI IM AT EMERALD COVE PARKRIGHT NOW.

IT'S EMPTY RIGHTNOW AND HOPEFULLY IT STAYS THATWAY ALL DAY.THE KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT ANNOUNCINGTHAT ALL AMENITIES IN THE PARKS,INCLUDING RESTROOMS,PLAYGROUNDS AND ANY OTHERFACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED THEWHOLE WEEKEND.

THE AGENCY'SDIRECTOR SAYING HE'S CONCERNEDTHAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE WORSTOF COVID-19 IN KERNCOUNTY, SO ALL GATHERINGS WITHINOUR PARKS SHOULD BESOME LAST MINUTE EASTER SHOPPING--- I'M HERE TO TELL YOUTHAT YOU STILL HAVE SOME TIME.THE SAVE MART COMPANIES HAVEANNOUNCED ITS STORES --INCLUDING FOOD MAXX -- WILL BEOPEN TODAY DURING EASTER.THE GROCERY STORE RETAILER SAIDALL OF ITS LOCATIONS ARECOMPLYING WITH C-D-CRECOMMENDATIONS --- IN ORDER TOKEEP SHOPPERS AS SAFE ASPOSSIBLE.

SAVE MART WILL BE OPENFROM UNTIL 10 P-M TODAY.AND FOOD MAXX WILL BE OPEN FROMNOW UNTIL MIDNIGHT.EVEN THOUGH LOCAL OFFICIALS ARERECOMMENDINGTHAT WE ALL CELEBRATE EASTERINDOORS TO COMPLY WITHTHE STAY AT HOME ORDER.VICTORY OUTREACH BAKERSFIELDEAST CHURCH ISHOSTING A SPECIAL EVENT CALLED"HOPE ON COLUMBUSSTREET" STARTING AT NOON TODAY.THE CHURCH IS DOING A DRIVE-THRU PRAYER SERVICE FOR THEHOLIDAY --- AND A SPECIAL EASTEREGG GIVEAWAY FOR KIDS.THIS PRAYER SERVICE ENDS AT 3P-M -- AND KIDS WILL ALSO BEABLE TO GET AN EASTER BASKET.BUT CHILDREN MUST BE PRESENT INTHE VEHICLE TO RECEIVE EASTERBASKETS.AND THE CHURCH IS LOCATED ON13-07 COLUMBUS STREET.IN OTHER NEWS --- WE ARE STILLCONTINUING TO FOLLOW THATSATURDAY MORNING MASS SHOOTINGTHAT INJURED SIXPEOPLE ON PIONEER DRIVE.K-C-S-O INVESTIGATORS HAVEDETERMINED THAT HUNDREDSOF PEOPLE WERE AT A PARTY WHENTHE SHOOTING OCCUREDACCORDING TO OFFICIALS ---BETWEEN 400 AND 500 PEOPLE WEREGATHERED TOGETHER WHEN FOURSUSPECTS, DESCRIBED ASBLACK MEN IN A WHITE SEDAN,OPENED FIRE AT THE LARGEGROUP.ACCORDING TO KCSO --- ONEJUVENILE FEMALE AND 5 MENSUSTAINED NON-LIFE THREATENINGINJURIES.BUT NONE OF THE VICTIMS ARECOOPERATING WITH OFFICIALS,ACCORDING TO K-C-S-O.AND NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE ATTHIS TIME.

BUT ANYONE WITHINFORMATION IS URGED TO CONTACTKCSO AT861-3110.AS WE ALL KNOW..PUBLIC SAFETYDISPATCHERSPROVIDE A SENSE OF SAFETY DURINGAN EMERGENCY --AND THEY ARE THE ESSENTIAL LINKFOR THE CALIFORNIAHIGHWAY PATROL AND THE PUBLIC.SO IN ORDER TO HIGHLIGHT THEIRSERVICES -- C-H-P IS JOININGOTHERLAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TORECOGNIZENATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETYTELECOMMUNICATORS WEEKTHEY HAVE ALSO ANNOUNCED THEY'REHIRING FOR DISPATCHERSRIGHT NOW....IN TIMES OF CRISIS, A DISPATCHERMUST INSTANTLYDETERMINE THE CORRECT RESPONSETO ENSURE THESAFETY OF ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.THEY ARE ALSO IN CONSTANTCOMMUNICATION WITH PATROLOFFICERS, LOOKING UP DRIVERSLICENSE NUMBERS, ANDRUNNING CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKSON WANTEDSUBJECTS.C-H-P IS NOW LOOKING TO HIREQUALIFIED PEOPLE TO FILL 150DISPATCH VACANCIES STATEWIDE.NOW WE HAVE SOME TRAFFIC ALERTSTO TELL YOU ABOUT FORNEXT WEEK --DRAINAGE WORK WILL REQUIRETRAFFIC CONTROL ON REAL ROAD,BETWEEN STOCKDALE HIGHWAY ANDELCIA DRIVE --STARTING TOMORROW AND RUNNINGTHROUGHFRIDAY...FLAGGING PERSONNEL WILL NEED TOSTOP TRAFFIC FOR UPTO FIVE MINUTES BETWEEN THEHOURS OF 8 A.M.

AND 3 P.M.

EACHDAY.DRIVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USEALTERNATE ROUTES OR ALLOW EXTRATIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATIONSIFTHEY MUST TRAVEL THROUGH THISAREA WHILE WORK ISUNDERWAY.PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF WORKERS INTHE AREA AND SLOWDOWN FOR ALL ROAD WORK.AND RECONSTRUCTION HAS BEENPOSTPONED FORTHE CANAL CULVERT UNDERMCCUTCHEN ROAD.THE PROJECT'S DEADLINE WASPOSTPONED DUE TO THE HEAVYAMOUNTS OF RAIN THAT WE SAW LASTWEEK.DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION --MCCUTCHEN ROAD WILL BECLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFICBETWEEN OLD RIVER ROAD ANDGOSFORD ROAD FROM 7 A-M TO 4 P-MUNTIL FRIDAY APRIL 17TH.