latimes--2020-08-10--Trump's unemployment benefit plan won't work in California, Newsom says

With millions of Californians jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state would face “ massive ” budget cuts if it carried out President Trump ’ s plan to have states provide $ 100 of a $ 400 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit .
Newsom and legislative leaders called on federal officials to overcome a stalemate involving Congress and the president to provide additional funding for states now that a $ 600 weekly unemployment payment from the federal government has expired .
He noted that the plan would cost the state at least $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2.8 billion if the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act funding is depleted .
“ The state does not have an identified resource of $ 700 million per week that we haven ’ t already obliged , ” Newsom said .
“ There is no money sitting in the piggy bank.
” Newsom ’ s comments followed Trump ’ s announcement Saturday that he signed an executive order to provide $ 400 a week to unemployed Americans as long as states pick up a quarter of the cost .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CARES Act fund , but Newsom said 75 % of its share has been spent and the rest has been allocated .
Coming up with $ 700 million to $ 2.8 billion “ would create a burden the likes of which even a state as large as California can never absorb without massive cuts to important services or further burdening businesses and individuals , ” Newsom said .
In addition , reprogramming the state unemployment agency ’ s antiquated technology system to process weekly $ 400 claims shared by the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would create enormous consternation for those who receive those benefits , ” Newsom warned .
The governor said he is disappointed that a congressional proposal to continue the $ 600 benefit has not been agreed to by Republicans , including Trump .
“ We have been waiting for Congress , we have been waiting for the president to respond to that , ” Newsom said .
“ Unfortunately , there was a disconnect , and as a consequence , that program no longer exists and there has been no bridge.
” Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority to extend unemployment benefits through executive order without congressional approval .
Trump ’ s plan was also criticized Monday by state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) .
“ The president ’ s executive action is unreasonable and impractical , ” Rendon said in a statement .
“ We need meaningful , comprehensive legislation from Congress to support Californians .
They ’ re struggling now — they can ’ t wait any longer.
” Pressure for federal action also came from state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a state budget that put off cuts in hopes that additional federal money would arrive .
“ We have said all along that California must have financial support from the federal government to address the needs created by this pandemic , ” Atkins said .
“ We need Congress and the [ Trump ] administration to collaborate and deliver meaningful COVID-19 relief as soon as possible for the sake of California ’ s families.
” The governor said he is in talks with state legislative leaders on alternatives to continue helping Californians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
Democratic lawmakers said last month that they were prepared to make sure Californians continue to get the $ 600 weekly supplement that expired at the end of July , and could borrow the money from a federal trust fund if necessary .
If Trump ’ s order only provides $ 300 a week , California would have to come up with the same amount to maintain the $ 600 supplemental payment .
Assemblyman Phil Ting ( D-San Francisco ) , chairman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that legislative leaders are working to find a solution .
“ Supplemental unemployment benefits have worked in the short term to help many families keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table , ” Ting said .
“ That stability is now at risk .
If federal payments fall short of $ 600 per week , California must do all it can to make up the difference , as long as the jobless rate remains high.
” Ting is a leader of a legislative working group that proposed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust fund to extend supplemental unemployment benefits .
The state has borrowed from that fund to help pay benefits to the more than 9 million Californians who have applied for unemployment .
Traditionally , the federal loans are paid back by increasing payroll taxes paid by employers .
“ We ’ re discussing with the governor ’ s office on how to move forward on this aid , including ways to fund it without putting additional burdens on small businesses , ” Ting said .
Newsom also said Monday that he and legislative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections against evictions , given that a moratorium is set to expire this month .

With millions of Californians jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state would face “massive” budget cuts if it carried out President Trump’s plan to have states provide $100 of a $400 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit.
Newsom and legislative leaders called on federal officials to overcome a stalemate involving Congress and the president to provide additional funding for states now that a $600 weekly unemployment payment from the federal government has expired. He noted that the plan would cost the state at least $700 million per week and up to $2.8 billion if the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding is depleted.
“The state does not have an identified resource of $700 million per week that we haven’t already obliged,” Newsom said. “There is no money sitting in the piggy bank.”
Newsom’s comments followed Trump’s announcement Saturday that he signed an executive order to provide $400 a week to unemployed Americans as long as states pick up a quarter of the cost.
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“The states have the money,” Trump told reporters Saturday. “It’s sitting there.”
Trump proposed that states use their portion of the CARES Act fund, but Newsom said 75% of its share has been spent and the rest has been allocated.
Coming up with $700 million to $2.8 billion “would create a burden the likes of which even a state as large as California can never absorb without massive cuts to important services or further burdening businesses and individuals,” Newsom said.
In addition, reprogramming the state unemployment agency’s antiquated technology system to process weekly $400 claims shared by the federal government and state “would create time delays and would create enormous consternation for those who receive those benefits,” Newsom warned.
The governor said he is disappointed that a congressional proposal to continue the $600 benefit has not been agreed to by Republicans, including Trump.
“We have been waiting for Congress, we have been waiting for the president to respond to that,” Newsom said. “Unfortunately, there was a disconnect, and as a consequence, that program no longer exists and there has been no bridge.”
Some Democrats have questioned Trump’s legal authority to extend unemployment benefits through executive order without congressional approval.
Trump’s plan was also criticized Monday by state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood).
“The president’s executive action is unreasonable and impractical,” Rendon said in a statement. “We need meaningful, comprehensive legislation from Congress to support Californians. They’re struggling now — they can’t wait any longer.”
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Pressure for federal action also came from state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who oversaw the recent passage of a state budget that put off cuts in hopes that additional federal money would arrive.
“We have said all along that California must have financial support from the federal government to address the needs created by this pandemic,” Atkins said. “We need Congress and the [Trump] administration to collaborate and deliver meaningful COVID-19 relief as soon as possible for the sake of California’s families.”
The governor said he is in talks with state legislative leaders on alternatives to continue helping Californians who lost jobs after Newsom’s March stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Democratic lawmakers said last month that they were prepared to make sure Californians continue to get the $600 weekly supplement that expired at the end of July, and could borrow the money from a federal trust fund if necessary.
If Trump’s order only provides $300 a week, California would have to come up with the same amount to maintain the $600 supplemental payment.
Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, said Monday that legislative leaders are working to find a solution.
“Supplemental unemployment benefits have worked in the short term to help many families keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table,” Ting said. “That stability is now at risk. If federal payments fall short of $600 per week, California must do all it can to make up the difference, as long as the jobless rate remains high.”
Ting is a leader of a legislative working group that proposed the state consider borrowing money from a federal trust fund to extend supplemental unemployment benefits. The state has borrowed from that fund to help pay benefits to the more than 9 million Californians who have applied for unemployment.
Traditionally, the federal loans are paid back by increasing payroll taxes paid by employers.
“We’re discussing with the governor’s office on how to move forward on this aid, including ways to fund it without putting additional burdens on small businesses,” Ting said.
Newsom also said Monday that he and legislative leaders are in discussions about additional renter protections against evictions, given that a moratorium is set to expire this month.


latimes--2020-08-10--After record-high deaths, COVID-19 hospitalizations decline in Inland Empire

Following a statewide trend , the number of those hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Inland Empire has dipped after record-setting data were reported last month .
In Riverside County — which has surpassed 400,000 cases — the COVID-19 death toll reached 820 Monday after public health officials reported 21 additional deaths .
The county also reported that 359 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized , including 112 in intensive care .
Those numbers are significantly down from the record-high hospitalizations nearly a month ago ; 536 people were hospitalized on July 15 , and 136 were in ICUs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar pattern .
On Saturday , the county reported that 485 people were hospitalized , including 69 in intensive care .
While the total number of hospitalizations dropped , the number of ICU patients increased by 15 % from the previous day .
Still , those numbers are a far cry from the records set a month ago , when more than 600 people were hospitalized and nearly a third were in ICUs .
The drop in hospitalizations comes on the heels of a bleak milestone in the pandemic for California — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s system for tallying the number of cases had failed to log into the database .
Last Monday , 42 deaths were reported in Riverside County , the highest single-day death toll since the pandemic began , according to the Los Angeles Times coronavirus tracker .
In San Bernardino — which has reported more than 35,700 infections and 546 deaths — health officials reported 59 fatalities Tuesday , the highest daily death count to date .
Numbers — including cases and hospitalizations — reported on any given day reflect activity from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is possible the decline in hospitalizations is linked to the state ’ s reinstatement of shutdown orders in mid-July after a surge in infections .
But the trend is also due in part to younger people falling sick , as well as better control over the disease ’ s spread in high-risk settings , such as nursing homes .
Younger adults now account for the majority of coronavirus cases in California .
In San Bernardino County , more than one-quarter of COVID-19 infections are among those ages 20 to 29 : more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39 make up more than 6,950 cases .
And in Riverside County , 20- to 39-year-olds account for more than 17,000 infections — 42 % of overall infections .
Both counties are currently on the state ’ s watch list , which is monitoring at least 38 counties for surges in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations .
That list was frozen last week after health officials announced the technical issues with the state ’ s electronic reporting system .
California Health and Human Services Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Friday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect the statewide trend toward a decline in cases , but it was unclear how many total positive cases were undercounted and whether any counties were particularly affected by the loss in data .

Hospitalizations have declined in the Inland Empire after a surge in cases in July.
Following a statewide trend, the number of those hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Inland Empire has dipped after record-setting data were reported last month.
In Riverside County — which has surpassed 40,000 cases — the COVID-19 death toll reached 820 Monday after public health officials reported 21 additional deaths. The county also reported that 359 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized, including 112 in intensive care.
Those numbers are significantly down from the record-high hospitalizations nearly a month ago; 536 people were hospitalized on July 15, and 136 were in ICUs.
Nearby San Bernardino County has seen a similar pattern. On Saturday, the county reported that 485 people were hospitalized, including 69 in intensive care. While the total number of hospitalizations dropped, the number of ICU patients increased by 15% from the previous day.
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Still, those numbers are a far cry from the records set a month ago, when more than 600 people were hospitalized and nearly a third were in ICUs.
The drop in hospitalizations comes on the heels of a bleak milestone in the pandemic for California — 10,000 deaths from the virus — as well as reports that the state’s system for tallying the number of cases had failed to log 250,000 to 300,000 results into the database.
Last Monday, 42 deaths were reported in Riverside County, the highest single-day death toll since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles Times coronavirus tracker. In San Bernardino — which has reported more than 35,700 infections and 546 deaths — health officials reported 59 fatalities Tuesday, the highest daily death count to date.
Numbers — including cases and hospitalizations — reported on any given day reflect activity from roughly two weeks prior, so it is possible the decline in hospitalizations is linked to the state’s reinstatement of shutdown orders in mid-July after a surge in infections.
But the trend is also due in part to younger people falling sick, as well as better control over the disease’s spread in high-risk settings, such as nursing homes.
California Coronavirus surge turns the Southland inside out Second wave of coronavirus has businesses and the public moving from indoors to the great outdoors
Younger adults now account for the majority of coronavirus cases in California. In San Bernardino County, more than one-quarter of COVID-19 infections are among those ages 20 to 29: more than 8,280 cases. Those ages 30 to 39 make up more than 6,950 cases. And in Riverside County, 20- to 39-year-olds account for more than 17,000 infections — 42% of overall infections.
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Both counties are currently on the state’s watch list, which is monitoring at least 38 counties for surges in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. That list was frozen last week after health officials announced the technical issues with the state’s electronic reporting system.
California Health and Human Services Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Friday he did not think the missing information would affect the statewide trend toward a decline in cases, but it was unclear how many total positive cases were undercounted and whether any counties were particularly affected by the loss in data.


latimes--2020-08-10--Metro bus fatally strikes man in East L.A., then continues on route

A 26-year-old man was struck and killed by a Metro bus in East Los Angeles over the weekend , and @ @ @ @ @ route , authorities said .
California Highway Patrol officers responded to City Terrace Drive and @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Sunday and found the man lying in the street , the agency said in @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies stopped the bus in the South El Monte area @ @ @ @ @ involved in the accident , the CHP said .
Investigators later concluded the man had @ @ @ @ @ ’ rear tire and the bus driver hadn ’ t realized it and kept driving @ @ @ @ @ coroner ’ s office identified the man as Peter Smith Padilla of Pomona .
A @ @ @ @ @ comment , pending the outcome of the CHP investigation .

A 26-year-old man was struck and killed by a Metro bus in East Los Angeles over the weekend, and the bus continued on its route, authorities said.
California Highway Patrol officers responded to City Terrace Drive and Pomeroy Street shortly after 12:40 a.m. Sunday and found the man lying in the street, the agency said in a news release.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies stopped the bus in the South El Monte area and determined it had been involved in the accident, the CHP said.
Investigators later concluded the man had been struck by the bus’ rear tire and the bus driver hadn’t realized it and kept driving, officials said.
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The coroner’s office identified the man as Peter Smith Padilla of Pomona.
A spokesman for Metro declined to comment, pending the outcome of the CHP investigation.


latimes--2020-08-10--Swarm of earthquakes shakes Salton Sea area

A swarm of mostly small earthquakes on Monday struck the Salton Sea area , one of the most seismically active areas of California .
The largest was a magnitude 4.6 quake reported at 8:56 a.m. 19 miles from Brawley , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
It was among a series of quakes that began at 6:33 a.m. with a magnitude 3.2 earthquake .
More than a dozen temblors followed , one measuring 4.0 and several in the 3 range .
Quake swarms are fairly common in this region , with some producing more than 1,000 small temblors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are centered at the southern tip of the dangerous San Andreas fault .
There is concern the swarm could trigger a larger event , a phenomenon that has occurred in that region in the past .
Neil Driscoll , a geophysicist at UC San Diego ’ s Scripps Institution of Oceanography , pointed to a chain reaction that occurred in November 1987 when a 6.2 quake on the Elmore Ranch fault near the Salton Sea triggered a 6.6 temblor just over 11 hours later on the Superstition Hills fault .
Both quakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have had many swarms in that area over the years , and there has been no triggering of a fault , but we ’ re watching this closely , ” said Driscoll .
“ We can ’ t say whether it is or isn ’ t going to trigger a larger earthquake.
” Did you feel these earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A swarm of mostly small earthquakes on Monday struck the Salton Sea area, one of the most seismically active areas of California.
The largest was a magnitude 4.6 quake reported at 8:56 a.m. 19 miles from Brawley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was among a series of quakes that began at 6:33 a.m. with a magnitude 3.2 earthquake.
More than a dozen temblors followed, one measuring 4.0 and several in the 3 range.
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Quake swarms are fairly common in this region, with some producing more than 1,000 small temblors.
Scientists are carefully monitoring the series of quakes , as they are centered at the southern tip of the dangerous San Andreas fault. There is concern the swarm could trigger a larger event, a phenomenon that has occurred in that region in the past.
Neil Driscoll, a geophysicist at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, pointed to a chain reaction that occurred in November 1987 when a 6.2 quake on the Elmore Ranch fault near the Salton Sea triggered a 6.6 temblor just over 11 hours later on the Superstition Hills fault. Both quakes were widely felt in San Diego County.
“We have had many swarms in that area over the years, and there has been no triggering of a fault, but we’re watching this closely,” said Driscoll. “We can’t say whether it is or isn’t going to trigger a larger earthquake.”
Did you feel these earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
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This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.
San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Gary Robbins contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-10--This California school is open, 'learning as we go.' Is it a model or a mistake?

Inside Mount St. Mary ’ s Academy , a Catholic school in this Gold Rush town in the Sierra Nevada foothills , a life-size statue of the Virgin Mary stands sentinel over the check-in table at the front door .
Students returning for the fall session stop under her watchful gaze for a modern ritual of pandemic life : temperature check , hand sanitizer , questions on their potential as virus vectors .
Thursday morning , Principal Edee Wood wore a red paisley-printed mask as she wielded a digital thermometer intended to protect the 160 students at her school , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person classes this fall .
At Mount St. Mary ’ s , life is going back to normal with crisp uniforms , sharp pencils and classes five days a week .
While remote learning is the rule at nearly all public schools right now , Mount St. Mary ’ s is opening because it is in Nevada County , which is not on the state ’ s coronavirus watchlist , and also because its administrators believe it can do so safely .
As parents across California struggle with plans for more at-home schooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging in an experiment it hopes will provide a model for other schools like it , said Lincoln Snyder , superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento , which oversees 38 campuses enrolling about 13,000 students from the capital north to the Oregon border .
While a handful of those are now back in classrooms , Snyder hopes to reopen them all in coming weeks , using plans that he has been working on since the virus first forced schools to close in March .
He is on the fourth version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all learning as we go , ” Snyder said .
But he is adamant that kids belong in class and that smaller , private schools like his are “ nimble ” enough to do it safely .
How , where and which kids return to school in California is mired as much in politics as health concerns , though .
Across the state , debates are raging about the risks kids and teachers face , how children are weathering the mental health ramifications of isolation and how working parents can cope with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen also raises issues of equity — tuition at Mount St. Mary ’ s is about $ 5,000 a year , though many families receive financial help .
In Grass Valley , a place where local Wendy Ermshar said “ you ’ ll see Trump stuff everywhere and then you ’ ll see Black Lives Matter stuff everywhere , ” some see Mount St. Mary ’ s as engaging in arrogant foolishness , while others see it providing an essential service .
Weeks ago , Gov .
Gavin Newsom put in place a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person instruction in the 38 counties that have a high prevalence of the coronavirus , prompting most large districts to announce remote learning for the fall .
But Newsom also created a waiver system that allowed schools with risk-mitigation plans to apply to their local health departments for permission to return to on-campus education .
As those waivers are considered in the coming months , and some likely granted , schools like Mount St. Mary ’ s will provide lessons on what works and what doesn ’ t .
Though Wood has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old brick building , founded in 1859 and the oldest continuously running Catholic school west of the Mississippi , she is apprehensive .
“ We are all nervous , ” she said .
Snyder ’ s protocols for Mount St. Mary ’ s span 28 pages and cover everything he , the state or the federal government could imagine beyond the basics of hygiene and common sense : No outside food allowed ; open windows when it doesn ’ t affect children with pollen allergies ; remove all classroom rugs .
Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine every step of the day for every student .
Though only kids above third grade are required to wear a mask in classrooms , per state rules , Wood ordered neck gaiters for every child so that the younger ones could pull it up as needed , without having to worry about taking a mask on or off , or losing it , she said .
In hallways , blue footprint stickers with cartoon eyes create one-way paths for kids so that they don ’ t need to pass others .
Gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers .
In their place , first-graders will do what teacher Carol Kent describes as a “ lobster hug , ” where she faces her student from the requisite six feet , bends slightly at the waist with her arms outstretched and wiggles her fingers toward the child .
In second grade , “ we are just going to give compliments , maybe a namaste , ” a traditional Hindu greeting with hands pressed together , said teacher Carol Keane-Stein .
Kindergarten teacher Megan Hood , starting her first year at the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of a mask so kids can see that the “ t and the h make a th ” sound , she said .
“ It ’ s just a good time to think creatively and outside the box , ” Wood said .
But Wood and her teachers say that old-school methods will be a big part of the future .
After years of moving toward teaching models that invited collaboration and group work , kids will now be sitting at desks all day — even Hood ’ s “ littles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s basically going to be like when I was in school , ” said Kent , the first-grade teacher .
“ But every half hour we are going to get up and wiggle or stretch or dance to rock and roll.
” Parents , teachers and administrators all agree that the small size of Mount St. Mary ’ s , and other schools like it , gives them an advantage in combating COVID-19 .
Even before the pandemic , classes topped out around 20 students — leaving its large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ample windows , with plenty of space for separation .
Its wood-planked halls with bright yellow walls smell of cool plaster and mountain air from the redwoods and maples that surround it .
Outside , a blacktopped play area has a covered pavilion with lunch tables .
The smaller community has also allowed for more consensus .
Though online learning will be offered , Wood said most parents want in-person lessons .
Nora Roe is one of those parents .
With her son Hunter , 6 , Roe met with Kent on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desk and take a math assessment test .
Hunter sat socially distanced from Kent , who wore a face shield , as he clicked through problems on a computer in a lab where every other machine was blocked off .
Roe said she believes the mental health consequences of being out of school are more harmful than the risk of illness , and that Hunter is eager to be back .
“ If you tell him school starts in an hour , he ’ ll be dressed , waiting on the front porch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was with her daughter , China , 8 , and son Jaeden , 10 , said she is “ cautious but excited.
” Both she and her husband work full time for the U.S. Forest Service , he as a firefighter , and she believes the danger of the coronavirus in a school is less than her spouse will face in a fire camp .
She , too , said the “ family aspect ” of the small school made her trust “ that they are not going to put our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chance to be around other kids is a relief after what many said was a lonely summer .
Ema Chapman , 13 , is starting her eighth-grade year .
Since the pandemic , she ’ s done little but ride horses , she said .
“ I ’ m really excited , ” she said of being back on campus .
“ I ’ m really looking forward to it.
” Despite the unknowns , enrollment is up at Mount St. Mary ’ s .
Third grade has a waiting list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Applications , said Wood and some teachers , went up as soon as people learned it would open regularly .
Parent Kimberly Penrose said fights with her fourth-grader Bryson about completing online lessons were “ hurting our relationship.
” She moved him from a public school to Mount St. Mary ’ s because it was in-person .
“ The distance learning wasn ’ t working for us at all , ” she said .
Mount St. Mary ’ s opening is also aided by the fact that its teachers , like most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not unionized .
Across the United States , unions have been vocal in demanding that the virus be brought under control before teachers return to classrooms , to protect both their own health and that of the community .
In some states where schools have opened , outbreaks have already occurred at public campuses .
Like their principal , teachers at Mount St. Mary ’ s said they are concerned , but think the school is doing everything that it can to ensure safety .
Snyder said that if a teacher was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it just like we would any other medical leave accommodation , ” but so far , none has declined to go back .
“ We are going overboard , ” said David Pistone , a middle school teacher who used to be an engineer at Intel .
“ I am surprised my hands are not falling off from the bleach .
”

Inside Mount St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic school in this Gold Rush town in the Sierra Nevada foothills, a life-size statue of the Virgin Mary stands sentinel over the check-in table at the front door. Students returning for the fall session stop under her watchful gaze for a modern ritual of pandemic life: temperature check, hand sanitizer, questions on their potential as virus vectors.
Thursday morning, Principal Edee Wood wore a red paisley-printed mask as she wielded a digital thermometer intended to protect the 160 students at her school, one of the few in California attempting in-person classes this fall. At Mount St. Mary’s, life is going back to normal with crisp uniforms, sharp pencils and classes five days a week.
While remote learning is the rule at nearly all public schools right now, Mount St. Mary’s is opening because it is in Nevada County, which is not on the state’s coronavirus watchlist, and also because its administrators believe it can do so safely.
As parents across California struggle with plans for more at-home schooling, Mount St. Mary’s is engaging in an experiment it hopes will provide a model for other schools like it, said Lincoln Snyder, superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, which oversees 38 campuses enrolling about 13,000 students from the capital north to the Oregon border.
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Miles Sirisute, 6, a kindergartner at Mount St. Mary’s, has his temperature checked by Principal Edee Wood. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
While a handful of those are now back in classrooms, Snyder hopes to reopen them all in coming weeks, using plans that he has been working on since the virus first forced schools to close in March. He is on the fourth version of those rules.
“Obviously we are all learning as we go,” Snyder said. But he is adamant that kids belong in class and that smaller, private schools like his are “nimble” enough to do it safely.
How, where and which kids return to school in California is mired as much in politics as health concerns, though.
Across the state, debates are raging about the risks kids and teachers face, how children are weathering the mental health ramifications of isolation and how working parents can cope with distance learning. Allowing some schools to reopen also raises issues of equity — tuition at Mount St. Mary’s is about $5,000 a year, though many families receive financial help.
Shana and son Calvin, 8, an incoming third-grader, after a teacher meet and greet at Mount Saint Mary’s Academy in Grass Valley. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
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In Grass Valley, a place where local Wendy Ermshar said “you’ll see Trump stuff everywhere and then you’ll see Black Lives Matter stuff everywhere,” some see Mount St. Mary’s as engaging in arrogant foolishness, while others see it providing an essential service.
Weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom put in place a complex rubric for when schools can resume in-person instruction in the 38 counties that have a high prevalence of the coronavirus, prompting most large districts to announce remote learning for the fall. But Newsom also created a waiver system that allowed schools with risk-mitigation plans to apply to their local health departments for permission to return to on-campus education.
As those waivers are considered in the coming months, and some likely granted, schools like Mount St. Mary’s will provide lessons on what works and what doesn’t.
Though Wood has spent months preparing to bring students back inside the old brick building, founded in 1859 and the oldest continuously running Catholic school west of the Mississippi, she is apprehensive.
“We are all nervous,” she said.
Dina Rubino, a third-grade teacher at Mount St. Mary’s Academy, helps Calvin, 8, with a reading assessment test. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Snyder’s protocols for Mount St. Mary’s span 28 pages and cover everything he, the state or the federal government could imagine beyond the basics of hygiene and common sense: No outside food allowed; open windows when it doesn’t affect children with pollen allergies; remove all classroom rugs.
Wood has tried, she said, to imagine every step of the day for every student.
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Though only kids above third grade are required to wear a mask in classrooms, per state rules, Wood ordered neck gaiters for every child so that the younger ones could pull it up as needed, without having to worry about taking a mask on or off, or losing it, she said. In hallways, blue footprint stickers with cartoon eyes create one-way paths for kids so that they don’t need to pass others.
Gone are high-fives and embraces when children greet teachers. In their place, first-graders will do what teacher Carol Kent describes as a “lobster hug,” where she faces her student from the requisite six feet, bends slightly at the waist with her arms outstretched and wiggles her fingers toward the child. In second grade, “we are just going to give compliments, maybe a namaste,” a traditional Hindu greeting with hands pressed together, said teacher Carol Keane-Stein.
First-grade teacher Carol Kent helps incoming student Hunter Roe, 6, not shown, with an assessment test. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Kindergarten teacher Megan Hood, starting her first year at the school, is opting for a face shield instead of a mask so kids can see that the “t and the h make a th” sound, she said.
“It’s just a good time to think creatively and outside the box,” Wood said.
But Wood and her teachers say that old-school methods will be a big part of the future. After years of moving toward teaching models that invited collaboration and group work, kids will now be sitting at desks all day — even Hood’s “littles,” as the kinders are sometimes called.
“It’s basically going to be like when I was in school,” said Kent, the first-grade teacher. “But every half hour we are going to get up and wiggle or stretch or dance to rock and roll.”
Parents, teachers and administrators all agree that the small size of Mount St. Mary’s, and other schools like it, gives them an advantage in combating COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, classes topped out around 20 students — leaving its large classrooms, most with 20-foot ceilings and ample windows, with plenty of space for separation. Its wood-planked halls with bright yellow walls smell of cool plaster and mountain air from the redwoods and maples that surround it. Outside, a blacktopped play area has a covered pavilion with lunch tables.
Mill Street in Grass Valley’s historic downtown. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
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The smaller community has also allowed for more consensus. Though online learning will be offered, Wood said most parents want in-person lessons.
Nora Roe is one of those parents. With her son Hunter, 6, Roe met with Kent on Thursday morning to help him pick out his desk and take a math assessment test. Hunter sat socially distanced from Kent, who wore a face shield, as he clicked through problems on a computer in a lab where every other machine was blocked off.
Roe said she believes the mental health consequences of being out of school are more harmful than the risk of illness, and that Hunter is eager to be back.
“If you tell him school starts in an hour, he’ll be dressed, waiting on the front porch,” she said.
China Arkansas, 8, center, greets teacher Carol Keane-Stein, far right at Mount Saint Mary’s Academy in Grass Valley. Amber Waters, left, and son Jaeden Waters, 10, look at the classroom. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Amber Waters, who was with her daughter, China, 8, and son Jaeden, 10, said she is “cautious but excited.” Both she and her husband work full time for the U.S. Forest Service, he as a firefighter, and she believes the danger of the coronavirus in a school is less than her spouse will face in a fire camp. She, too, said the “family aspect” of the small school made her trust “that they are not going to put our children at risk.”
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For many students, the chance to be around other kids is a relief after what many said was a lonely summer.
Ema Chapman, 13, is starting her eighth-grade year. Since the pandemic, she’s done little but ride horses, she said.
“I’m really excited,” she said of being back on campus. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Despite the unknowns, enrollment is up at Mount St. Mary’s. Third grade has a waiting list and most other classes are full. Applications, said Wood and some teachers, went up as soon as people learned it would open regularly.
Nora Roe of Grass Valley and her son Hunter wait in the school office after his assessment test at Mount St. Mary’s. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Parent Kimberly Penrose said fights with her fourth-grader Bryson about completing online lessons were “hurting our relationship.” She moved him from a public school to Mount St. Mary’s because it was in-person.
“The distance learning wasn’t working for us at all,” she said.
Mount St. Mary’s opening is also aided by the fact that its teachers, like most of those in private and parochial schools, are not unionized. Across the United States, unions have been vocal in demanding that the virus be brought under control before teachers return to classrooms, to protect both their own health and that of the community. In some states where schools have opened, outbreaks have already occurred at public campuses.
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Like their principal, teachers at Mount St. Mary’s said they are concerned, but think the school is doing everything that it can to ensure safety. Snyder said that if a teacher was uncomfortable returning, they would treat “it just like we would any other medical leave accommodation,” but so far, none has declined to go back.
“We are going overboard,” said David Pistone, a middle school teacher who used to be an engineer at Intel. “I am surprised my hands are not falling off from the bleach.”


latimes--2020-08-10--The all-star economic task force advising Newsom during the pandemic remains a mystery

Faced with a pandemic that has put millions of Californians out of work and eviscerated businesses large and small , Gov .
Gavin Newsom promised that “ health and science ” would guide state officials in repairing the economy and steering it toward recovery .
But as Newsom rapidly reopened the state in May , he also received advice from an all-star roster of business titans .
The Governor ’ s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery is a 108-member group that counts former California governors , Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook , Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yellen among its members .
For all the boldface names and huge stakes , little is known about the task force , including how extensive a role the group played in shaping the decisions to reopen California .
The task force has operated almost entirely behind closed doors , and those appointed were not required to submit state government financial disclosure forms listing their assets and business interests , which would show potential conflicts .
Newsom administration officials said the task force is just an advisory panel and has no authority to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are private so members can share their opinions openly .
Still , the governor has relied on the group ’ s recommendations to help shape his administration ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Members were consulted about safeguards for reopening retailers and other sectors of the economy , including guidelines calling for workers and patrons inside stores and other businesses to wear face coverings .
The group has also urged Newsom to expand upon the $ 75 million set aside in the state budget for small-business loans .
Months after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , few details about its work have been made public , falling short of Newsom ’ s pledge that the group would “ demonstrate meaningful reforms , meaningful changes , working on bonds , working on all kinds of financial mechanisms to jump-start this economy.
” And what has been unveiled has been limited in scope .
The task force told The Times it has reached out to internet service providers and computer suppliers to help bridge the “ digital divide ” among California students and asked them to offer affordable broadband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the group has worked on a training-based jobs program and marketing campaigns to help small businesses and slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Some in Sacramento say they are still waiting for the big ideas promised by Newsom when he announced the group in April .
“ The idea was to bring California ’ s best minds and brainpower .
What ’ s there to account for that ?
” said Steve Maviglio , a Democratic strategist who served as press secretary to then-Gov .
Gray Davis .
“ Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic stimulus — and California hasn ’ t .
That makes no sense.
” Ann O ’ Leary , task force co-chair and Newsom ’ s chief of staff , said Californians can expect to see concrete initiatives from the group soon .
She said the task force is discussing more long-range , big-ticket ideas to address issues related to the California economy , including racial inequities and combating climate change , and is exploring whether some of the beneficial side effects of the work and lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to many Californians working from home , can be maintained in a retooled California economy .
“ Leaders who we asked to help us really took the call to action seriously , ” she said .
Since its creation , members of the governor ’ s task force — which also includes Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong — have gathered every other week for a one-hour Zoom video call , with Newsom offering opening remarks .
The panel has five subcommittees — focused on topics including small business , climate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles developer Rick Caruso , a member of the task force , said that government advisory panels often lose steam over time and that those who are initially appointed as members have proxies attend in their place .
That ’ s not been the case on this committee , he said .
“ I think this has been one of the most productive [ committees ] , and the reason is the governor has stayed very engaged , ” said Caruso , who has served on the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jamie Court of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog criticized the lack of transparency on the task force , which he likened to a “ star chamber.
” “ It ’ s the worst type of construct for the public because you don ’ t know what is being said and what information is being given to the governor , ” Court said .
Most alarming , Court said , was the decision to appoint representatives from Southern California Edison and Aera Energy , a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ leveraging innovation and climate.
” “ It shows that this committee is being used to propagate the ideas of big business and not to target climate change proposals to actually limit the exploitation of the earth and the slowing of climate change , ” he said .
Task force co-chair Tom Steyer , a billionaire former hedge fund manager , climate change activist and onetime presidential candidate , said members checked their personal and partisan interests “ at the door.
” Still , Steyer said , the task force members could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they ’ ve been up to .
“ This is an advisory group .
The decisions are made by the governor , ” Steyer said .
“ We ’ re bringing people to the table that reflect big businesses across California , little businesses across the board , every geographic area , community leaders and community groups and nonprofit leaders.
” Steyer said the panel has reviewed dozens of proposals to help kick-start California ’ s economy in an expeditious , long-lasting and equitable way .
Steyer said he recently spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see what can be done to accelerate their projects in ways that do not require state financial assistance .
“ We are advising the governor on different financing options specifically in infrastructure , clean energy and bridging the digital divide , ” Steyer said .
Micah Weinberg of California Forward , a nonprofit focused on improving government performance and economic growth , praised the proposals to accelerate infrastructure projects throughout California , noting that billions of dollars in previously approved bond money is readily available .
But he said the group should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial disparities in California ’ s economy and cultivate the growth of Black- and Latino-owned businesses .
“ I think there ’ s an opportunity for more bold leadership … on some of these issues , ” Weinberg said .
“ It strikes me as the time to be taking bigger risks to deliver for the people in California.
” The Newsom administration and the California Legislature need to provide measures that shield small businesses from liability claims and also thin out the thicket of state regulations that impede growth and investment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re serious about small businesses , and this is especially true for minority-owned small businesses , that ’ s going to have to be added to this agenda , ” Weinberg said .
Task force member Angela Glover Blackwell , the founder of PolicyLink , a nonprofit group that promotes policies to help disadvantaged Americans , said the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the devastating consequences of racial inequity in California .
Not only are Black and Latino people more likely to be part of the essential workforce , they ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black , Latino and rural students are less likely to have internet access at home , which will lead to dire consequences when most California schools begin the academic year with closed classrooms and distance learning , Blackwell said .
“ The issues are bigger than tax breaks for small business , ” she said .
Blackwell added that more proposals are coming and that the task force , given the large size of its membership and what it is trying to accomplish , is working “ well enough.
” Economist William Yu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that of the ideas from the task force , accelerating infrastructure projects may be the easiest and most effective way to stimulate the state ’ s economy .
But he said rescuing businesses and the workforce depends mostly on the federal government ’ s response .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act , a $ 2-trillion bipartisan stimulus package signed in March by President Trump , provided special unemployment benefits and offered small businesses critical financial assistance at the height of the pandemic .
But the benefits expired at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new financial relief package has stalled in Washington .
Yu said it ’ s essential that Congress act quickly and decisively .
“ Otherwise we ’ re going to see what happened in the early 1930s in the Great Depression , ” he said .

Jason Ruckart, managing partner at Roy’s restaurant in Woodland Hills, hands chopsticks to Nicole Lehning and her husband, Kyle, as they dine outdoors in what was previously the valet parking area.
Faced with a pandemic that has put millions of Californians out of work and eviscerated businesses large and small, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised that “health and science” would guide state officials in repairing the economy and steering it toward recovery.
But as Newsom rapidly reopened the state in May, he also received advice from an all-star roster of business titans. The Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery is a 108-member group that counts former California governors, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and former Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen among its members.
For all the boldface names and huge stakes, little is known about the task force, including how extensive a role the group played in shaping the decisions to reopen California.
The task force has operated almost entirely behind closed doors, and those appointed were not required to submit state government financial disclosure forms listing their assets and business interests, which would show potential conflicts. Newsom administration officials said the task force is just an advisory panel and has no authority to make policy, and noted that the meetings are private so members can share their opinions openly.
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California Coronavirus surge turns the Southland inside out Second wave of coronavirus has businesses and the public moving from indoors to the great outdoors
Still, the governor has relied on the group’s recommendations to help shape his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members were consulted about safeguards for reopening retailers and other sectors of the economy, including guidelines calling for workers and patrons inside stores and other businesses to wear face coverings. The group has also urged Newsom to expand upon the $75 million set aside in the state budget for small-business loans.
Months after the governor called together the task force, however, few details about its work have been made public, falling short of Newsom’s pledge that the group would “demonstrate meaningful reforms, meaningful changes, working on bonds, working on all kinds of financial mechanisms to jump-start this economy.”
And what has been unveiled has been limited in scope. The task force told The Times it has reached out to internet service providers and computer suppliers to help bridge the “digital divide” among California students and asked them to offer affordable broadband access and donate devices, and it said that the group has worked on a training-based jobs program and marketing campaigns to help small businesses and slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Some in Sacramento say they are still waiting for the big ideas promised by Newsom when he announced the group in April.
“The idea was to bring California’s best minds and brainpower. What’s there to account for that?” said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic strategist who served as press secretary to then-Gov. Gray Davis. “Even Congress has been able to pass some economic stimulus — and California hasn’t. That makes no sense.”
Ann O’Leary, task force co-chair and Newsom’s chief of staff, said Californians can expect to see concrete initiatives from the group soon. She said the task force is discussing more long-range, big-ticket ideas to address issues related to the California economy, including racial inequities and combating climate change, and is exploring whether some of the beneficial side effects of the work and lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic, such as reduced traffic and pollution attributed to many Californians working from home, can be maintained in a retooled California economy.
“Leaders who we asked to help us really took the call to action seriously,” she said.
Since its creation, members of the governor’s task force — which also includes Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong — have gathered every other week for a one-hour Zoom video call, with Newsom offering opening remarks. The panel has five subcommittees — focused on topics including small business, climate and infrastructure — that meet weekly.
Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, a member of the task force, said that government advisory panels often lose steam over time and that those who are initially appointed as members have proxies attend in their place. That’s not been the case on this committee, he said.
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“I think this has been one of the most productive [committees], and the reason is the governor has stayed very engaged,” said Caruso, who has served on the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission.
Jamie Court of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog criticized the lack of transparency on the task force, which he likened to a “star chamber.”
“It’s the worst type of construct for the public because you don’t know what is being said and what information is being given to the governor,” Court said.
Most alarming, Court said, was the decision to appoint representatives from Southern California Edison and Aera Energy, a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil, who serve on the task force subcommittee for “leveraging innovation and climate.”
“It shows that this committee is being used to propagate the ideas of big business and not to target climate change proposals to actually limit the exploitation of the earth and the slowing of climate change,” he said.
Task force co-chair Tom Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, climate change activist and onetime presidential candidate, said members checked their personal and partisan interests “at the door.” Still, Steyer said, the task force members could have done a better job letting Californians know what they’ve been up to.
“This is an advisory group. The decisions are made by the governor,” Steyer said. “We’re bringing people to the table that reflect big businesses across California, little businesses across the board, every geographic area, community leaders and community groups and nonprofit leaders.”
Steyer said the panel has reviewed dozens of proposals to help kick-start California’s economy in an expeditious, long-lasting and equitable way. Steyer said he recently spoke to leaders in the solar and wind industries to see what can be done to accelerate their projects in ways that do not require state financial assistance.
“We are advising the governor on different financing options specifically in infrastructure, clean energy and bridging the digital divide,” Steyer said.
Micah Weinberg of California Forward, a nonprofit focused on improving government performance and economic growth, praised the proposals to accelerate infrastructure projects throughout California, noting that billions of dollars in previously approved bond money is readily available.
But he said the group should be doing more to address geographic and racial disparities in California’s economy and cultivate the growth of Black- and Latino-owned businesses.
“I think there’s an opportunity for more bold leadership … on some of these issues,” Weinberg said. “It strikes me as the time to be taking bigger risks to deliver for the people in California.”
The Newsom administration and the California Legislature need to provide measures that shield small businesses from liability claims and also thin out the thicket of state regulations that impede growth and investment, he said.
“If we’re serious about small businesses, and this is especially true for minority-owned small businesses, that’s going to have to be added to this agenda,” Weinberg said.
Task force member Angela Glover Blackwell, the founder of PolicyLink, a nonprofit group that promotes policies to help disadvantaged Americans, said the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the devastating consequences of racial inequity in California.
Not only are Black and Latino people more likely to be part of the essential workforce, they’ve been disproportionally hit by the virus itself. Black, Latino and rural students are less likely to have internet access at home, which will lead to dire consequences when most California schools begin the academic year with closed classrooms and distance learning, Blackwell said.
“The issues are bigger than tax breaks for small business,” she said.
Blackwell added that more proposals are coming and that the task force, given the large size of its membership and what it is trying to accomplish, is working “well enough.”
Economist William Yu of the UCLA Anderson School of Management said that of the ideas from the task force, accelerating infrastructure projects may be the easiest and most effective way to stimulate the state’s economy. But he said rescuing businesses and the workforce depends mostly on the federal government’s response.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, a $2-trillion bipartisan stimulus package signed in March by President Trump, provided special unemployment benefits and offered small businesses critical financial assistance at the height of the pandemic. But the benefits expired at the end of July, and a new financial relief package has stalled in Washington.
Yu said it’s essential that Congress act quickly and decisively.
“Otherwise we’re going to see what happened in the early 1930s in the Great Depression,” he said.


latimes--2020-08-10--California's public health director resigns in wake of coronavirus data errors

Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s director of the California Department of Public Health resigned on Sunday , an abrupt departure of a key advisor in the state ’ s coronavirus battle just days after the discovery of a computer system failure that resulted in the undercounting of COVID-19 cases .
Dr. Sonia Angell , who held the position for less than a year , announced her resignation in an email sent to department staff that was released by the California Health and Human Services Agency .
On Monday , Newsom refused to say whether he asked for Angell to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear it was related to the database problems .
“ I accepted her resignation .
We ’ re all accountable in our respective roles for what happens underneath us , ” he said at a Monday afternoon event .
Angell ’ s departure was immediate and surprised some local health officials who worked closely with her on the state ’ s response to the pandemic .
“ Since January , when we got word of repatriation flights arriving from Wuhan , China , our department has been front and center in what has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 , ” Angell wrote in the email to public health staff members .
“ In the final calculation , all of our work , in aggregate , makes the difference.
” Angell ’ s decision to step aside comes at a crucial moment in California ’ s battle against the spread of the virus .
More than 10,000 Californians have died from the disease , and 38 of the state ’ s 58 counties are on a watchlist that has required the closure of businesses that had briefly reopened in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic year begins .
Angell , who frequently has appeared alongside Newsom in his public briefings on the state ’ s efforts to combat the pandemic , was considered a key player in the coordination with local public health departments across the state .
Last week , state officials confirmed that as many as 300,000 records had not been processed by the computer clearinghouse system relied upon to provide to local officials the COVID-19 test results reported by labs on a daily basis .
Two separate errors were identified — one related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the expiration of an electronic certificate for data to be transferred from Quest Diagnostics laboratories .
On Monday , the governor said the backlog of computer records had been cleared over the weekend .
Administration officials insisted they did not know the extent of the problem until after Newsom ’ s public event on Aug. 3 in which he expressed optimism that current case numbers — lower than some had expected — meant some progress in the state ’ s efforts .
But some local officials were sent communications the week before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledging a problem with the CalREDIE computer system .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , the secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency , said on Friday that a full investigation was underway to determine what happened .
And although he said that he had become aware of the “ magnitude ” of the problem only after Newsom ’ s public statements , some state officials had information on the problem earlier .
“ We are aware that individuals there were knowledgeable of some of these challenges , ” Ghaly said in discussing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his agency , which oversees those operations .
Newsom did not directly answer questions from reporters on Monday about the level of information he had about the database problems prior to early last week , but said his administration will be transparent about what it finds in examining the chain of events leading to the revelation of the problem .
“ At the end of the day , the buck stops with me .
I ’ m accountable , ” the governor said .
“ I am grateful to Dr. Angell for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this unprecedented public health crisis , ” Ghaly said in a written statement Sunday night .
“ She has worked tirelessly for all Californians , always keeping health equity in mind .
Her leadership was instrumental as Californians flattened the curve once and in setting us on a path to do so again.
” Angell served both as the director of the state Department of Public Health and as the state ’ s public health officer .
Those duties will now be split between two women , state officials said .
Sandra Shewry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Health Care Foundation who oversaw the state ’ s Medi-Cal program under then-Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger , will serve as acting director of the Department of Public Health .
Dr. Erica Pan , recently brought into the Newsom administration after serving as public health officer in Alameda County , will take over as acting state public health officer .

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s director of the California Department of Public Health resigned on Sunday, an abrupt departure of a key advisor in the state’s coronavirus battle just days after the discovery of a computer system failure that resulted in the undercounting of COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Sonia Angell, who held the position for less than a year, announced her resignation in an email sent to department staff that was released by the California Health and Human Services Agency. On Monday, Newsom refused to say whether he asked for Angell to step down, but seemed to make clear it was related to the database problems.
“I accepted her resignation. We’re all accountable in our respective roles for what happens underneath us,” he said at a Monday afternoon event.
Angell’s departure was immediate and surprised some local health officials who worked closely with her on the state’s response to the pandemic.
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“Since January, when we got word of repatriation flights arriving from Wuhan, China, our department has been front and center in what has become an all-of-government response of unprecedented proportions to COVID-19,” Angell wrote in the email to public health staff members. “In the final calculation, all of our work, in aggregate, makes the difference.”
Angell’s decision to step aside comes at a crucial moment in California’s battle against the spread of the virus. More than 10,000 Californians have died from the disease, and 38 of the state’s 58 counties are on a watchlist that has required the closure of businesses that had briefly reopened in the early summer and K-12 schools as the academic year begins. Angell, who frequently has appeared alongside Newsom in his public briefings on the state’s efforts to combat the pandemic, was considered a key player in the coordination with local public health departments across the state.
Last week, state officials confirmed that as many as 300,000 records had not been processed by the computer clearinghouse system relied upon to provide to local officials the COVID-19 test results reported by labs on a daily basis. Two separate errors were identified — one related to a computer server outage, the other to the expiration of an electronic certificate for data to be transferred from Quest Diagnostics laboratories.
On Monday, the governor said the backlog of computer records had been cleared over the weekend.
Administration officials insisted they did not know the extent of the problem until after Newsom’s public event on Aug. 3 in which he expressed optimism that current case numbers — lower than some had expected — meant some progress in the state’s efforts. But some local officials were sent communications the week before from the state Department of Public Health acknowledging a problem with the CalREDIE computer system.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said on Friday that a full investigation was underway to determine what happened. And although he said that he had become aware of the “magnitude” of the problem only after Newsom’s public statements, some state officials had information on the problem earlier.
“We are aware that individuals there were knowledgeable of some of these challenges,” Ghaly said in discussing both the state Public Health Department and his agency, which oversees those operations.
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Newsom did not directly answer questions from reporters on Monday about the level of information he had about the database problems prior to early last week, but said his administration will be transparent about what it finds in examining the chain of events leading to the revelation of the problem.
“At the end of the day, the buck stops with me. I’m accountable,” the governor said.
“I am grateful to Dr. Angell for her service to the people of California during this unprecedented public health crisis,” Ghaly said in a written statement Sunday night. “She has worked tirelessly for all Californians, always keeping health equity in mind. Her leadership was instrumental as Californians flattened the curve once and in setting us on a path to do so again.”
Angell served both as the director of the state Department of Public Health and as the state’s public health officer. Those duties will now be split between two women, state officials said. Sandra Shewry, a vice president at the nonprofit California Health Care Foundation who oversaw the state’s Medi-Cal program under then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will serve as acting director of the Department of Public Health. Dr. Erica Pan, recently brought into the Newsom administration after serving as public health officer in Alameda County, will take over as acting state public health officer.


latimes--2020-08-11--San Quentin coronavirus disaster exposes a dangerous road to 'herd immunity'

For critics of aggressive stay-at-home orders , the solution seems clear : Reopen the economy and enough people will eventually become infected by the novel coronavirus to achieve “ herd immunity ” even before a vaccine is available .
The idea is that eventually , a sufficient percentage of the population will have survived COVID-19 and become immune , which in turn protects the rest of the uninfected population by interrupting the spread of the virus .
But the disastrous situation unfolding at San Quentin State Prison over the last two months has become the latest of several cautionary tales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herd immunity before a vaccine is available would come with enormous costs in terms of illness and death .
COVID-19 spread unchecked across California ’ s oldest prison in ways that stunned public health experts , despite efforts to control the disease .
As of Monday , there had been more than 2,200 cases and 25 deaths , among a population of more than 3,260 people .
On Sunday , a guard became one of the latest to die .
That means more than two-thirds of the prison ’ s population has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco .
And though new cases have slowed , they are still occurring — with 60 reported in the last two weeks — suggesting herd immunity has not yet been achieved .
San Quentin ’ s death toll translates to a mortality rate of about 767 people dying out of every 100,000 persons .
If that same rate occurred across California , that would translate to a staggering 300,000 deaths statewide — many times larger than California ’ s cumulative death toll of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equivalent to 2.5 million deaths ; the current cumulative U.S. death toll is more than 163,000 .
“ You couldn ’ t help but get it — you ’ re staying in a place with no ventilation , ” Michael Kirkpatrick , 62 , told The Times a week after he was freed .
Kirkpatrick was released from San Quentin on July 13 after his parole on a burglary conviction was expedited because of the outbreak .
He tested positive for the virus and has since recovered .
Kirkpatrick said his cellmate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the inmates in the 50 or so cells on his tier .
“ They put a little white piece of paper on the door of everyone who was positive , ” Kirkpatrick said .
“ On our wing , there were , like , maybe five cells that didn ’ t have that piece of paper on them.
” San Quentin is an imperfect setting to help understand when herd immunity might be achieved .
Prisons are crowded settings that will promote coronavirus transmission more so than among people in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single-family homes .
But the San Quentin experience — as well as other data — does show that , in the absence of a vaccine , “ in order to get to something that approaches herd immunity , we ’ re going to have to get something well on the far side of 50 % of people infected , ” Rutherford said .
“ Which comes with a resultant large cost in mortality and severe morbidity .
“ If you believe the San Quentin stuff , you got to get up to way-up-there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rutherford said .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the U.S. government ’ s top infectious diseases expert , last week guessed it will probably require 50 % to 75 % of a population to be immune before achieving herd immunity — a goal that should be achieved not just through infected people recovering but also through vaccination .
California has a long way to go before the vast majority of residents have been infected .
In May , only about 2 % of L.A. County residents had test results indicating presence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous exposure to the virus .
That means 98 % of L.A. County ’ s residents as of late spring were still susceptible to infection .
The prevalence of past coronavirus infection in the Bay Area was even less , with just 1 % having evidence of it in late April , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Sweden famously pursued a herd immunity strategy when it decided not to impose a severe lockdown .
But now , Sweden has among the highest mortality rates among European countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of the United States .
Sweden has reported 5,763 deaths — a mortality rate of 57 deaths for every 100,000 residents , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The United States is reporting a mortality rate of 50 deaths for every 100,000 residents .
Sweden ’ s neighbors , by contrast , report far fewer deaths .
Denmark has a mortality rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 residents ; Norway ’ s is five deaths per 100,000 residents .
And Sweden appears to be nowhere near herd immunity , with only 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibodies to the coronavirus , “ leaving them far from reaching natural herd immunity in the population , ” according to a commentary by two virologists in Switzerland , published in the journal Lancet .
“ Most of the population appears to have remained unexposed to [ the coronavirus ] , even in areas with widespread virus circulation .
“ In light of these findings , any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical , but also unachievable , ” the commentary said , written by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC estimates that perhaps only 23 % of New York City ’ s population has had past infection with the coronavirus .
New York City could easily fall into a second wave of severe coronavirus pandemic conditions , Rutherford said .
Other data show how it ’ s possible for far larger proportions of the population to get infected .
Among three slums in Mumbai , India , 57 % of people tested have been exposed to the coronavirus , according to the BBC , citing a survey conducted by government officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that left Argentina in March bound for Antartica , 59 % tested positive for the virus , according to a study published in the journal Thorax .
Even nations that have previously been seen as hard hit still have plenty of susceptible people to fuel a second wave of disease .
Spain was hard hit in its first surge of the pandemic , having an experience as bad as Italy and New York City , Rutherford said .
But a study in the journal Lancet said only about 5 % of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus .
What all of this means is that a vaccine is going to be essential to controlling the pandemic .
Though officials and experts are expressing cautious optimism that California as a whole appears to be heading out of the current surge of disease , they are already warning the public to expect new surges of cases in the coming months — perhaps when disease levels fall low enough that more schools can begin to reopen .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom last week said he ’ s anticipating a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is hoping that coronavirus disease transmission falls before the flu season hits .
Newsom ’ s Health and Human Services Agency secretary , Dr. Mark Ghaly , also spoke last week about second and third waves of disease .
In the last global pandemic comparable to this one , in 1918-19 , there were three distinct waves of flu in the U.S. , with levels of disease falling back down to the baseline level before the first wave hit .
But Rutherford warned that it ’ s possible that California may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar baseline level , given how the disease is extraordinarily widespread .
“ I think it ’ s almost impossible for us to return to baseline given how many people are infected and how broadly distributed the infection is , ” Rutherford said .
“ So we ’ ll see it go ... down a little bit before it starts to go back up again , ” rising whenever officials think it ’ s OK to allow adolescents to return to school .
“ This is not going to be controlled without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rutherford said .
“ The solution is immunization.
” Fauci , at a forum Wednesday hosted by the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , said he thinks officials will know by the end of this year or the beginning of next year , based on initial data from early studies , “ whether we have a safe and effective vaccine .
I ’ m cautiously optimistic that we will be successful.
” Fauci ’ s optimistic timeline is based on the assumption that everything will go right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC San Francisco ’ s division of experimental medicine .
But it ’ s also plausible that we might not get an answer about a safe and effective vaccine until 2022 , Ernst said , citing a more pessimistic timeframe offered by the scientists who designed the clinical trials for the vaccine .
“ That ’ s very conservative , ” he said .
“ It ’ s difficult to predict exactly what date things will be ready , ” Ernst said .
It will also take time to figure out a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be enough vaccines to inoculate everyone in the nation immediately .
“ There will be a period of time when vaccines are proven to be safe and effective that you ’ re not going to have 300 million doses right away .
So you ’ re gon na have to prioritize who gets it first , ” Fauci said .
In contrast to President Trump saying the coronavirus will simply “ go away , ” some officials in California are bracing the public to face the reality that the coronavirus will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need to get “ everyone in shifting their mind-set to a long game , ” said Santa Clara County health officer Dr. Sara Cody .
“ We have to be changing our behavior for a very , very long time.
” “ If we see that the cases are rising and they ’ re rising fast , then we may need to put more stricter controls into place , as we did back in March , ” Cody said .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , L.A. County ’ s director of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as capable of spreading now as it was several weeks ago .
“ And it will continue to spread if we give it a chance to do so .
”

For critics of aggressive stay-at-home orders, the solution seems clear: Reopen the economy and enough people will eventually become infected by the novel coronavirus to achieve “herd immunity” even before a vaccine is available.
The idea is that eventually, a sufficient percentage of the population will have survived COVID-19 and become immune, which in turn protects the rest of the uninfected population by interrupting the spread of the virus.
But the disastrous situation unfolding at San Quentin State Prison over the last two months has become the latest of several cautionary tales that show how any effort to achieve herd immunity before a vaccine is available would come with enormous costs in terms of illness and death.
COVID-19 spread unchecked across California’s oldest prison in ways that stunned public health experts, despite efforts to control the disease. As of Monday, there had been more than 2,200 cases and 25 deaths, among a population of more than 3,260 people. On Sunday, a guard became one of the latest to die.
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That means more than two-thirds of the prison’s population has been infected, said Dr. George Rutherford, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco.
And though new cases have slowed, they are still occurring — with 60 reported in the last two weeks — suggesting herd immunity has not yet been achieved.
San Quentin’s death toll translates to a mortality rate of about 767 people dying out of every 100,000 persons.
If that same rate occurred across California, that would translate to a staggering 300,000 deaths statewide — many times larger than California’s cumulative death toll of more than 10,400. Nationally, that would be equivalent to 2.5 million deaths; the current cumulative U.S. death toll is more than 163,000.
“You couldn’t help but get it — you’re staying in a place with no ventilation,” Michael Kirkpatrick, 62, told The Times a week after he was freed. Kirkpatrick was released from San Quentin on July 13 after his parole on a burglary conviction was expedited because of the outbreak. He tested positive for the virus and has since recovered.
Kirkpatrick said his cellmate was infected, along with most of the rest of the inmates in the 50 or so cells on his tier.
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“They put a little white piece of paper on the door of everyone who was positive,” Kirkpatrick said. “On our wing, there were, like, maybe five cells that didn’t have that piece of paper on them.”
San Quentin is an imperfect setting to help understand when herd immunity might be achieved. Prisons are crowded settings that will promote coronavirus transmission more so than among people in other settings, like those who live in single-family homes.
But the San Quentin experience — as well as other data — does show that, in the absence of a vaccine, “in order to get to something that approaches herd immunity, we’re going to have to get something well on the far side of 50% of people infected,” Rutherford said. “Which comes with a resultant large cost in mortality and severe morbidity.
“If you believe the San Quentin stuff, you got to get up to way-up-there before you start seeing slowing of transmission,” Rutherford said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious diseases expert, last week guessed it will probably require 50% to 75% of a population to be immune before achieving herd immunity — a goal that should be achieved not just through infected people recovering but also through vaccination.
California has a long way to go before the vast majority of residents have been infected.
In May, only about 2% of L.A. County residents had test results indicating presence of the antibodies to the coronavirus, indicating previous exposure to the virus. That means 98% of L.A. County’s residents as of late spring were still susceptible to infection.
The prevalence of past coronavirus infection in the Bay Area was even less, with just 1% having evidence of it in late April, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sweden famously pursued a herd immunity strategy when it decided not to impose a severe lockdown.
But now, Sweden has among the highest mortality rates among European countries, and has a worse rate than that of the United States.
Sweden has reported 5,763 deaths — a mortality rate of 57 deaths for every 100,000 residents, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States is reporting a mortality rate of 50 deaths for every 100,000 residents.
Sweden’s neighbors, by contrast, report far fewer deaths. Denmark has a mortality rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 residents; Norway’s is five deaths per 100,000 residents.
And Sweden appears to be nowhere near herd immunity, with only 7% of the population testing positive for antibodies to the coronavirus, “leaving them far from reaching natural herd immunity in the population,” according to a commentary by two virologists in Switzerland, published in the journal Lancet. “Most of the population appears to have remained unexposed to [the coronavirus], even in areas with widespread virus circulation.
“In light of these findings, any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical, but also unachievable,” the commentary said, written by Isabella Eckerle and Benjamin Meyer.
The CDC estimates that perhaps only 23% of New York City’s population has had past infection with the coronavirus. New York City could easily fall into a second wave of severe coronavirus pandemic conditions, Rutherford said.
Other data show how it’s possible for far larger proportions of the population to get infected.
Among three slums in Mumbai, India, 57% of people tested have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to the BBC, citing a survey conducted by government officials. On a cruise ship with 217 passengers that left Argentina in March bound for Antartica, 59% tested positive for the virus, according to a study published in the journal Thorax.
Even nations that have previously been seen as hard hit still have plenty of susceptible people to fuel a second wave of disease.
Spain was hard hit in its first surge of the pandemic, having an experience as bad as Italy and New York City, Rutherford said. But a study in the journal Lancet said only about 5% of the population had antibody test results indicating past exposure to the virus.
Recently, Spain began experiencing a second wave of cases.
What all of this means is that a vaccine is going to be essential to controlling the pandemic.
Though officials and experts are expressing cautious optimism that California as a whole appears to be heading out of the current surge of disease, they are already warning the public to expect new surges of cases in the coming months — perhaps when disease levels fall low enough that more schools can begin to reopen.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week said he’s anticipating a new wave of disease in the fall — and is hoping that coronavirus disease transmission falls before the flu season hits. Newsom’s Health and Human Services Agency secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, also spoke last week about second and third waves of disease.
In the last global pandemic comparable to this one, in 1918-19, there were three distinct waves of flu in the U.S., with levels of disease falling back down to the baseline level after the first wave hit.
But Rutherford warned that it’s possible that California may be unable to get its disease down to a similar baseline level, given how the disease is extraordinarily widespread.
“I think it’s almost impossible for us to return to baseline given how many people are infected and how broadly distributed the infection is,” Rutherford said. “So we’ll see it go ... down a little bit before it starts to go back up again,” rising whenever officials think it’s OK to allow adolescents to return to school.
“This is not going to be controlled without vaccine. Make no mistake about it,” Rutherford said. “The solution is immunization.”
Fauci, at a forum Wednesday hosted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said he thinks officials will know by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, based on initial data from early studies, “whether we have a safe and effective vaccine. I’m cautiously optimistic that we will be successful.”
Fauci’s optimistic timeline is based on the assumption that everything will go right, said Dr. Joel Ernst, chief of UC San Francisco’s division of experimental medicine.
But it’s also plausible that we might not get an answer about a safe and effective vaccine until 2022, Ernst said, citing a more pessimistic timeframe offered by the scientists who designed the clinical trials for the vaccine. “That’s very conservative,” he said.
“It’s difficult to predict exactly what date things will be ready,” Ernst said.
It will also take time to figure out a way to start immunizing Americans. There won’t be enough vaccines to inoculate everyone in the nation immediately. “There will be a period of time when vaccines are proven to be safe and effective that you’re not going to have 300 million doses right away. So you’re gonna have to prioritize who gets it first,” Fauci said.
In contrast to President Trump saying the coronavirus will simply “go away,” some officials in California are bracing the public to face the reality that the coronavirus will be with us for the foreseeable future.
We need to get “everyone in shifting their mind-set to a long game,” said Santa Clara County health officer Dr. Sara Cody. “We have to be changing our behavior for a very, very long time.”
“If we see that the cases are rising and they’re rising fast, then we may need to put more stricter controls into place, as we did back in March,” Cody said.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s director of health services, said the virus is just as capable of spreading now as it was several weeks ago. “And it will continue to spread if we give it a chance to do so.”
Lin reported from San Francisco, Christensen from Southern California.