latimes--2020-07-29--L.A. County reports 91 deaths from COVID-19, the most in a single day

Los Angeles County reported 4,825 new coronavirus cases and 91 deaths Wednesday — a new daily record for fatalities .
The numbers , which were affected in part by a backlog of cases and deaths being reported from last Thursday through Sunday , bring the county ’ s total number of infections to more than 180,000 and the death toll to more than 4,500 .
Three of the newly reported deaths were among people between the ages of 18 and 29 .
Two of those people had underlying health conditions .
That age group accounts for 0.6 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said that roughly 18 % of all cases are among children under the age of 18 .
No child has died from the virus , but a total of 16 children have developed MIS-C ( multisystem inflammatory syndrome ) , also known as PIMS ( pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome ) — a disease of inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels , which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported may be linked to the novel coronavirus .
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer reported one more case of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spots : the seven-day average rate for positive infection held between 8.3 % and 8.5 % for the last week .
That number is higher than the state ’ s safety threshold of 8 % , but lower than what the county reported earlier in July .
The county has also seen a decline in hospitalizations .
There are currently 2,045 hospitalized patients , with 28 % in intensive care .
That number reflects activity from two to three weeks ago .
Officials also reported that the projected transmission rate of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that , on average , each infected person is infecting less than one other person .
That rate had spiked to more than three in June .
But amid signs of progress , officials warned that an ongoing commitment to maintain social distancing practices is key to ensuring the county does not reverse course .
“ I know we ’ re all eager and anxious to see our lives return to normal , ” Ferrer said .
“ We do have the tools at hand to make this a reality in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our directives.
” Ultimately , it ’ s people ’ s social behaviors and newly reissued shutdowns that led to a decline in some numbers , officials said .
But more cases and deaths continue to be reported each day .
“ When we let our guard down , the virus spreads , ” Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said .
COVID-19 is on track to be the second-leading cause of death in the county , Supervisor Hilda Solis said .
The state recorded its highest single-day count for deaths on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count and hospitalization that have been linked to private gatherings , outbreaks at workplaces and activity over the Fourth of July weekend .
Los Angeles County is one of the more than 30 counties the state is monitoring for surges in cases and hospitalizations .
The county accounts for the bulk of the state ’ s infections , which total more than 473,000 , and 8,724 deaths .
The county said that it was expanding testing , while continuing to prioritize the most vulnerable .
New sites will open in Azusa , Compton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macarthur Park .

Los Angeles County reported 4,825 new coronavirus cases and 91 deaths Wednesday — a new daily record for fatalities.
The numbers, which were affected in part by a backlog of cases and deaths being reported from last Thursday through Sunday, bring the county’s total number of infections to more than 180,000 and the death toll to more than 4,500. Three of the newly reported deaths were among people between the ages of 18 and 29. Two of those people had underlying health conditions. That age group accounts for 0.6% of the county’s total deaths.
Health officials said that roughly 8% of all cases are among children under the age of 18. No child has died from the virus, but a total of 16 children have developed MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome), also known as PIMS (pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome) — a disease of inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported may be linked to the novel coronavirus. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer reported one more case of the disease Wednesday.
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Officials also reported some bright spots: the seven-day average rate for positive infection held between 8.3% and 8.5% for the last week. That number is higher than the state’s safety threshold of 8%, but lower than what the county reported earlier in July. The county has also seen a decline in hospitalizations. There are currently 2,045 hospitalized patients, with 28% in intensive care. That number reflects activity from two to three weeks ago.
Officials also reported that the projected transmission rate of the virus is now less than one. That means that, on average, each infected person is infecting less than one other person. That rate had spiked to more than three in June.
But amid signs of progress, officials warned that an ongoing commitment to maintain social distancing practices is key to ensuring the county does not reverse course.
“I know we’re all eager and anxious to see our lives return to normal,” Ferrer said. “We do have the tools at hand to make this a reality in the future. But we need compliance with our directives.”
Ultimately, it’s people’s social behaviors and newly reissued shutdowns that led to a decline in some numbers, officials said. But more cases and deaths continue to be reported each day.
“When we let our guard down, the virus spreads,” Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said.
COVID-19 is on track to be the second-leading cause of death in the county, Supervisor Hilda Solis said.
The state recorded its highest single-day count for deaths on Tuesday, following weeks of spikes in case count and hospitalization that have been linked to private gatherings, outbreaks at workplaces and activity over the Fourth of July weekend.
Los Angeles County is one of the more than 30 counties the state is monitoring for surges in cases and hospitalizations. The county accounts for the bulk of the state’s infections, which total more than 473,000, and 8,724 deaths.
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The county said that it was expanding testing, while continuing to prioritize the most vulnerable. New sites will open in Azusa, Compton, Florence-Graham and the Westlake area near Macarthur Park.


latimes--2020-07-29--Admissions scandal: Manuel Henriquez, Bay Area financier, gets six months in prison

Manuel Henriquez , who led a venture capital firm before being charged with paying $ 450,000 to rig his daughters ’ college entrance exams and bribe a coach at Georgetown University , was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison .
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton , ruling from Boston in a video conference , went beyond the five-month sentence requested by prosecutors , saying Henriquez ’ s “ despicable ” crimes made the financier , whose lawyers had lauded his support of children ’ s charities , “ not only a felon , but a hypocrite.
” Gorton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay a $ 200,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service .
Gorton noted that Henriquez , who founded a publicly traded finance company and chaired it until his arrest , was “ by all accounts , an intelligent , hardworking , very successful and very rich entrepreneur who has overcome many hardships.
” “ How in God ’ s name can you have come to this day ?
” he asked .
Gorton had previously sentenced Henriquez ’ s wife , Elizabeth , to seven months in prison .
In court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors said he was a “ less active participant in the mechanics of the fraud ” than his wife , who “ gloated ” after a Harvard-educated conspirator supplied her daughter with the answers to her SAT exam .
Elizabeth Henriquez is now serving her sentence at a federal prison in Dublin , Calif..
In a lengthy , tearful and stumbling address , Manuel Henriquez apologized to the judge , his daughters , wife , colleagues , friends and the college students whose parents , unlike himself , hadn ’ t spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chances of admission .
He declared himself “ humiliated , a broken man , a criminal and , as you rightfully said , a common thief.
” “ I will take these words to my grave — a common thief , ” he sputtered .
The Henriquezes , who pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud and money laundering , acknowledged paying William “ Rick ” Singer , a Newport Beach college admissions consultant , roughly $ 50,000 to fix their two daughters ’ SAT , ACT and SAT subject tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singer another $ 400,000 to secure the fraudulent endorsement of Gordon Ernst , a tennis coach at Georgetown , prosecutors alleged .
In exchange for the bribe , they said , Ernst falsely portrayed the Henriquezes ’ daughter to Georgetown ’ s admissions office as a top-notch tennis player .
“ At her best , ” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit supporting charges against the girl ’ s parents , “ she appears to have ranked 207th in Northern California in the under-12 girls division , with an overall win/loss record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering , fraud and bribery .
When her daughter was admitted to Georgetown , Elizabeth Henriquez tapped out an email to Singer , obtained by investigators , saying she was “ over the moon happy.
” At a public high school in Houston , where he had bribed a teacher to turn a blind eye , Singer ’ s accomplice , Mark Riddell , gave the Henriquezes ’ second daughter the correct answers to her ACT exam .
She scored 30 points out of a possible 36 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 75,000 to rig the test , Manuel Henriquez , a prominent alumnus of Northeastern University in Boston , repaid Singer by helping ensure the child of another client was admitted to his alma mater , prosecutors said .
The student ’ s family paid Singer $ 250,000 .
Henriquez ’ s lawyer , Melinda Haag , portrayed him in court papers as a man broken — embarrassed , remorseful , “ wracked with shame and regret , ” she wrote .
She laid out his life story : an impoverished , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heights of the financial world ; and finally , his choice to conspire with Singer , break the law , and ruin his career and his reputation .
Henriquez worked at the Bank of Boston and several investment firms before founding his own company in 2003 , Hercules Capital , headquartered in Palo Alto .
He took the company public less than two years after its founding .
On the morning of March 12 , 2019 , Henriquez got a call from the FBI .
Agents were fanning out in the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westside , Manhattan ’ s Upper East Side and Greenwich , Conn. , among others — to arrest Singer ’ s clients .
Henriquez surrendered to U.S. marshals in Manhattan , his lawyer said .
Within hours of being released , he called an emergency meeting with Hercules ’ board , resigned as its chairman and “ ceased day-to-day operational control , ” Haag wrote .
He no longer holds a role at the company , she said .
“ The loss of Hercules Capital was like losing my third child , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge .

Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez arrive at federal court in Boston in April 2019 to face charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal.
Manuel Henriquez, who led a venture capital firm before being charged with paying $450,000 to rig his daughters’ college entrance exams and bribe a coach at Georgetown University, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, ruling from Boston in a video conference, went beyond the five-month sentence requested by prosecutors, saying Henriquez’s “despicable” crimes made the financier, whose lawyers had lauded his support of children’s charities, “not only a felon, but a hypocrite.”
Gorton also ordered Henriquez, 57, to pay a $200,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.
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Gorton noted that Henriquez, who founded a publicly traded finance company and chaired it until his arrest, was “by all accounts, an intelligent, hardworking, very successful and very rich entrepreneur who has overcome many hardships.”
“How in God’s name can you have come to this day?” he asked.
Gorton had previously sentenced Henriquez’s wife, Elizabeth, to seven months in prison. In court papers filed before Manuel Henriquez was sentenced, prosecutors said he was a “less active participant in the mechanics of the fraud” than his wife, who “gloated” after a Harvard-educated conspirator supplied her daughter with the answers to her SAT exam.
Elizabeth Henriquez is now serving her sentence at a federal prison in Dublin, Calif..
In a lengthy, tearful and stumbling address, Manuel Henriquez apologized to the judge, his daughters, wife, colleagues, friends and the college students whose parents, unlike himself, hadn’t spent a small fortune to fix their children’s chances of admission. He declared himself “humiliated, a broken man, a criminal and, as you rightfully said, a common thief.”
“I will take these words to my grave — a common thief,” he sputtered.
The Henriquezes, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud and money laundering, acknowledged paying William “Rick” Singer, a Newport Beach college admissions consultant, roughly $50,000 to fix their two daughters’ SAT, ACT and SAT subject tests on five occasions.
The couple paid Singer another $400,000 to secure the fraudulent endorsement of Gordon Ernst, a tennis coach at Georgetown, prosecutors alleged. In exchange for the bribe, they said, Ernst falsely portrayed the Henriquezes’ daughter to Georgetown’s admissions office as a top-notch tennis player.
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“At her best,” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit supporting charges against the girl’s parents, “she appears to have ranked 207th in Northern California in the under-12 girls division, with an overall win/loss record of 2-8.”
Ernst has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering, fraud and bribery.
When her daughter was admitted to Georgetown, Elizabeth Henriquez tapped out an email to Singer, obtained by investigators, saying she was “over the moon happy.”
“Now onto daughter number 2!” she wrote.
At a public high school in Houston, where he had bribed a teacher to turn a blind eye, Singer’s accomplice, Mark Riddell, gave the Henriquezes’ second daughter the correct answers to her ACT exam. She scored 30 points out of a possible 36.
Rather than paying Singer the agreed-upon price of $75,000 to rig the test, Manuel Henriquez, a prominent alumnus of Northeastern University in Boston, repaid Singer by helping ensure the child of another client was admitted to his alma mater, prosecutors said. The student’s family paid Singer $250,000.
Henriquez’s lawyer, Melinda Haag, portrayed him in court papers as a man broken — embarrassed, remorseful, “wracked with shame and regret,” she wrote. She laid out his life story: an impoverished, difficult childhood; an ascent to the heights of the financial world; and finally, his choice to conspire with Singer, break the law, and ruin his career and his reputation.
Henriquez worked at the Bank of Boston and several investment firms before founding his own company in 2003, Hercules Capital, headquartered in Palo Alto. He took the company public less than two years after its founding.
On the morning of March 12, 2019, Henriquez got a call from the FBI. Agents were fanning out in the country’s wealthiest enclaves — Los Angeles’ Westside, Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Greenwich, Conn., among others — to arrest Singer’s clients.
Henriquez surrendered to U.S. marshals in Manhattan, his lawyer said. Within hours of being released, he called an emergency meeting with Hercules’ board, resigned as its chairman and “ceased day-to-day operational control,” Haag wrote. He no longer holds a role at the company, she said.
“The loss of Hercules Capital was like losing my third child,” Henriquez said in his letter to the judge.


latimes--2020-07-29--Heat wave to bake Southern California, creating potential fire danger

A heat wave is set to roll into Southern California beginning Thursday — bringing dangerous temperatures and potentially hazardous fire conditions to the region .
The hot spell will bake the region through Saturday with temperatures roughly 10 degrees above normal for this time of year , according to Ryan Kittell , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
High temperatures over the next few days will generally fall between 96 and 106 degrees in inland areas .
“ Beaches will probably be in the upper 70s , so there ’ s a real quick warm-up once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kittell said Wednesday .
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for a wide swath of Southern California — including inland areas of Los Angeles , Ventura , San Luis Obispo , Orange , San Diego , Riverside and San Bernardino counties — that will be in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 9 p.m. Saturday .
That advisory means sensitive populations , “ the very young , the very old , those without access to air conditioning and those who have to spend many hours outdoors , ” are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Kittell .
“ If you have to be outside , do as much work as you can in the morning when it ’ s the coldest and , certainly , find ways of staying cool , ” he said .
That ’ s particularly true in the San Diego County deserts and the Victor and Coachella valleys , parts of which will be under an excessive heat warning Thursday through Saturday — indicating dangerously hot conditions are expected .
Some areas could top out around 120 degrees .
Kittell said it appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with conditions beginning to cool off Sunday .
Temperatures should return to normal levels by Tuesday .
“ People might be doing some hiking , whatever they can do to escape the doldrums of COVID , ” he said .
“ If you are going to do any kind of outdoor activity , try to do it early or reschedule for next weekend.
” Although forecasters don ’ t anticipate issuing any red flag warnings in the Southland during the heat wave , which would indicate critical fire weather conditions , Kittell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” particularly in the mountains and desert areas .
“ The vegetation , the fuels , are drying and there will be a little bit of wind , especially over the interior areas , ” he said .
“ If a fire were to get started , it would grow quickly .
”

A man wears a mask and wide-brimmed hat as he walks along Junipero Beach in Long Beach on June 11, 2020.
A heat wave is set to roll into Southern California beginning Thursday — bringing dangerous temperatures and potentially hazardous fire conditions to the region.
The hot spell will bake the region through Saturday with temperatures roughly 10 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
High temperatures over the next few days will generally fall between 96 and 106 degrees in inland areas.
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“Beaches will probably be in the upper 70s, so there’s a real quick warm-up once you get into the valleys,” Kittell said Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for a wide swath of Southern California — including inland areas of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — that will be in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 9 p.m. Saturday.
⚠ A Heat Advisory has been issued for all valleys and mountains below 5000 ft from Thu morning to Sat evening ⚠
Check out the forecast highs for Friday, which will be the hottest day.
If you need to be outdoors, stay extra hydrated and take frequent breaks in the shade! #cawx pic.twitter.com/w4fGM0TwdT — NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) July 29, 2020
That advisory means sensitive populations, “the very young, the very old, those without access to air conditioning and those who have to spend many hours outdoors,” are at higher risk for heat-related illnesses, according to Kittell.
“If you have to be outside, do as much work as you can in the morning when it’s the coldest and, certainly, find ways of staying cool,” he said.
That’s particularly true in the San Diego County deserts and the Victor and Coachella valleys, parts of which will be under an excessive heat warning Thursday through Saturday — indicating dangerously hot conditions are expected. Some areas could top out around 120 degrees.
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Kittell said it appears the heat wave will peak Friday, with conditions beginning to cool off Sunday. Temperatures should return to normal levels by Tuesday.
“People might be doing some hiking, whatever they can do to escape the doldrums of COVID,” he said. “If you are going to do any kind of outdoor activity, try to do it early or reschedule for next weekend.”
Hot weather on the way across much of SW California away from the immediate coast from Thu-Sun. This is a good time to remind everyone how to #BeatTheHeat Here are a few good tips below, but check out the website https://t.co/5Vfv3rbm2t for more info. #cawx #LAweather #Socal pic.twitter.com/rS0qGdvUfy — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) July 29, 2020
Although forecasters don’t anticipate issuing any red flag warnings in the Southland during the heat wave, which would indicate critical fire weather conditions, Kittell said “there will be some elevated concerns,” particularly in the mountains and desert areas.
“The vegetation, the fuels, are drying and there will be a little bit of wind, especially over the interior areas,” he said. “If a fire were to get started, it would grow quickly.”


latimes--2020-07-29--All California counties now have coronavirus cases as Modoc County confirms first 2

Modoc County , in California ’ s far northeast corner , reported its first two COVID-19 infections Tuesday , which means that all 58 counties in the state have now confirmed at least one case of coronavirus .
As cases surged throughout the state and ravaged nearby counties in Northern California , Modoc had remained untouched by the virus and , at times , defied state safety orders .
But on Tuesday , 146 days after the state ’ s initial shelter-in-place order went into effect , the county ’ s health services department announced that two people from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that close contacts would be identified .
Those who may have patronized a local bar over the past 14 days were advised to call the county ’ s coronavirus hotline .
“ How lucky we have been to not see COVID-19 in our county until now , but it ’ s here and we could see the number of cases increase in the next few weeks , ” Director of Health Services Stacy Sphar said .
The Modoc Medical Center also announced that it would be tightening visitation guidelines at its local nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 9,000 was the first to defy California ’ s shutdown orders .
Weeks after Gov .
Gavin Newsom instructed businesses to close , the county reopened its economy May 1 ahead of approval .
At the time , the state had just recorded roughly 50,000 infections and 2,000 deaths .
County Sheriff William Dowdy was also one of the first sheriffs in the state to announce that he would not enforce Newsom ’ s statewide mask order .
“ It ’ s kind of insulting for the state or anybody else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the common sense to do the right thing , ” Dowdy told The Times earlier this month .
“ And the right thing is different depending on the person .
We all have our rights.
” The county is not currently on the state ’ s watch list as its case count , number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity , and rate of positive infections currently meet the state ’ s safety threshold for COVID-19 guidelines .
Los Angeles County is one of the more than 30 counties the state is monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The county accounts for the bulk of the state ’ s infections , which total more than 473,000 , and 8,724 deaths .
The county reported 91 deaths and 4,825 cases Wednesday , bringing its total number of infections to more than 183,00 and the death toll to nearly 5,000 .
Three of the newly reported deaths were among people between the ages of 18 and 29 .
Two of those people had underlying health conditions .
The state recorded its highest single-day count for deaths on Tuesday , following weeks of spikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been linked to private gatherings , outbreaks at workplaces and activity over the Fourth of July weekend .

Modoc County, in California’s far northeast corner, reported its first two COVID-19 infections Tuesday, which means that all 58 counties in the state have now confirmed at least one case of coronavirus.
As cases surged throughout the state and ravaged nearby counties in Northern California, Modoc had remained untouched by the virus and, at times, defied state safety orders.
But on Tuesday, 146 days after the state’s initial shelter-in-place order went into effect, the county’s health services department announced that two people from the same household had contracted the virus and that close contacts would be identified. Those who may have patronized a local bar over the past 14 days were advised to call the county’s coronavirus hotline.
“How lucky we have been to not see COVID-19 in our county until now, but it’s here and we could see the number of cases increase in the next few weeks,” Director of Health Services Stacy Sphar said.
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The Modoc Medical Center also announced that it would be tightening visitation guidelines at its local nursing facility and hospital.
The county of less than 9,000 was the first to defy California’s shutdown orders. Weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom instructed businesses to close, the county reopened its economy May 1 ahead of approval. At the time, the state had just recorded roughly 50,000 infections and 2,000 deaths.
County Sheriff William Dowdy was also one of the first sheriffs in the state to announce that he would not enforce Newsom’s statewide mask order.
“It’s kind of insulting for the state or anybody else to think that we don’t have the common sense to do the right thing,” Dowdy told The Times earlier this month. “And the right thing is different depending on the person. We all have our rights.”
The county is not currently on the state’s watch list as its case count, number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity, and rate of positive infections currently meet the state’s safety threshold for COVID-19 guidelines.
Los Angeles County is one of the more than 30 counties the state is monitoring for surges in cases and hospitalizations. The county accounts for the bulk of the state’s infections, which total more than 473,000, and 8,724 deaths.
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The county reported 91 deaths and 4,825 cases Wednesday, bringing its total number of infections to more than
183,00 and the death toll to nearly 5,000. Three of the newly reported deaths were among people between the ages of 18 and 29. Two of those people had underlying health conditions.
The state recorded its highest single-day count for deaths on Tuesday, following weeks of spikes in case count and hospitalization that have been linked to private gatherings, outbreaks at workplaces and activity over the Fourth of July weekend.


latimes--2020-07-29--LAPD 'SWAT Mafia' encouraged excessive force and retaliation, officer's suit claims

A longtime Los Angeles police SWAT sergeant is suing the LAPD , alleging the unit is run by a “ SWAT Mafia ” of veteran cops who encourage the use of deadly force and ostracized him for revealing its behavior .
Sgt .
Tim Colomey , who spent 11 years as a SWAT supervisor until last November , has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation for revealing how a group of veteran officers controlled the tactical unit ’ s operations and membership and punished him and other enemies for speaking out .
Colomey says in the suit filed Tuesday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders “ glamorize the use of lethal force , and direct the promotions of officers who share the same values while maligning the reputations of officers who do not.
” Colomey claims that those who don ’ t use deadly force in the tactical unit rather than seek other means to end standoffs and other situations are pushed out .
“ SWAT officers who have chosen not to use lethal force in suspect encounters , and who have instead sought to deescalate conflicts , have been ostracized and labeled ‘ cowards ’ by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ These officers will never succeed or promote within SWAT.
” But his lawsuit did not cite specific examples of excessive force or unjustified killings by the SWAT unit .
The Los Angeles Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment .
Colomey , who as a rookie officer was nearly killed on the job by a drunk motorist , alleges commanders “ are aware of the serious and systemic problems that are linked to the SWAT Mafia ’ s power , but they have all turned a blind eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poisoned the entire unit .
The elite unit is part of the Metropolitan Division , where three officers have recently been charged with falsifying information on field interviews that used to assemble lists of individuals deemed to be gang members .
The division was also the subject of a Times investigation last year into allegations of racial bias .
The SWAT accusations from Colomey come just a year after he was featured in a department podcast — “ Born in Boston : A SWAT Story ” — in which he told of surviving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a SWAT leader .
According to the lawsuit , Colomey ’ s split with SWAT began after a 2018 investigation of an anonymous complaint about the unit .
During that internal affairs investigation , Colomey made accusations against the way SWAT operated .
He says that his bosses found out about his complaints and retaliated against him .
According to the suit , one sergeant used an expletive about Colomey ’ s complaint and declared : “ We are done with him.
” Last September , another boss allegedly told a group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copy of the Complaint Investigation on my desk , and every time I read it , it raises my blood pressure.
” He added , “ We have enemies within this Platoon , and we have enemies who just left the Platoon , ” the suit claims .
When Colomey tried to file a formal complaint , he met opposition from top commanders , according to his suit and his attorney , Diana Wells .
Colomey left the SWAT platoon late last year and took an assignment at Los Angeles International Airport , @ @ @

LAPD SWAT officers approach a Toyota Prius believed to have been used in a kidnapping in July 2019.
A longtime Los Angeles police SWAT sergeant is suing the LAPD, alleging the unit is run by a “SWAT Mafia” of veteran cops who encourage the use of deadly force and ostracized him for revealing its behavior.
Sgt. Tim Colomey, who spent 11 years as a SWAT supervisor until last November, filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation for revealing that a group of veteran officers controlled the tactical unit’s operations and membership and punished him and others for speaking out.
Colomey said in the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court that those leaders, who dubbed themselves the “SWAT Mafia,” “glamorize the use of lethal force, and direct the promotions of officers who share the same values while maligning the reputations of officers who do not.”
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Colomey claims that those who use nonlethal measures to end standoffs and other contacts are pushed out.
“SWAT officers who have chosen not to use lethal force in suspect encounters, and who have instead sought to deescalate conflicts, have been ostracized and labeled ‘cowards’ by the SWAT Mafia,” the lawsuit says. “These officers will never succeed or promote within SWAT.”
His lawsuit did not cite specific examples of excessive force or unjustified killings by the SWAT unit. However, his attorney Diana Wells said the department’s internal affairs group was made aware of such incidents after Colomey provided specifics during an investigation.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore on Wednesday declined to comment, saying he had not seen the litigation.
Capt. Jonathan Tippet, who was in charge of the Metropolitan Division — which includes SWAT — during the time of the allegations, disputed some of Colomey’s characterizations.
“I disagree with the assessment,” he said of Colomey’s description of SWAT officers glamorizing the use of lethal force and ostracizing those who sought to de-escalate conflicts.
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Colomey alleges that commanders “are aware of the serious and systemic problems that are linked to the SWAT Mafia’s power, but they have all turned a blind eye to these problems,” and that it has poisoned the entire unit.
The so-called Mafia, the lawsuit says, directs that “promotional positions ... be given to SWAT Mafia associates; control the selection of new officers entering SWAT based on who will kowtow to the SWAT Mafia.”
The elite unit is part of the Metropolitan Division, where three officers have recently been charged with falsifying information from field interviews used to assemble lists of individuals deemed to be gang members. The division was also forced to cut back on its crime suppression operations after a Times investigation found that it disproportionately stopped Black drivers.
The SWAT accusations from Colomey come just a year after he was featured in a department podcast, “Born in Boston: A SWAT Story,” in which he told of surviving a near-fatal injury to rise to be a SWAT leader. He was riding with a partner, now Deputy Chief Dominic Choi, pursuing an armed suspect when he was hit by a car during a foot chase.
Colomey, a 25-year-old LAPD veteran, has since become a familiar figure at SWAT scenes, often on the bullhorn negotiating with suspects holed up inside buildings.
According to the lawsuit, Colomey’s split with SWAT began after a 2018 investigation of an anonymous complaint about the unit. His attorney said that complaint came after Colomey and alleged members of the SWAT Mafia had squared off over his oversight of a SWAT training school for potential recruits and their assessment of officers.
During that internal affairs investigation, Colomey made accusations against the way SWAT operated. He says his bosses found out about his complaints and retaliated against him.
Josh Rubenstein, the LAPD communications director, said there was an internal affairs investigation into SWAT in 2018, but he would not disclose the details. He said Colomey remains with the Metro Division but is assigned to Los Angeles International Airport.
According to the lawsuit, one sergeant used an expletive about Colomey’s statements to internal affairs investigators and declared: “We are done with him.”
In September, according to the lawsuit, another boss identified as C. Lee McMillion told a group of SWAT officers: “I have a copy of the Complaint Investigation on my desk, and every time I read it, it raises my blood pressure.”
He added, “We have enemies within this Platoon, and we have enemies who just left the Platoon,” the lawsuit says.
In an email to The Times, McMillion, a three-decade LAPD veteran, said he would respond to the claims through his own court filing and referred further inquiries to Rubenstein.
The lawsuit alleges that when Colomey tried to file a formal complaint, he met opposition from top commanders, including then Deputy Chief Bob Green.
Green, who retired from the LAPD and now oversees security for the county’s transit agency, declined to comment.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that he could not comment on the specifics of the allegations in the pending lawsuit, but that they “would be troubling” if true.
He said that he believes in protecting whistleblowers while their claims are investigated, and that he has asked the LAPD’s inspector general’s office to conduct its own review.
“I’ve learned in this job over time to wait to let the professionals who are impartial investigate,” Garcetti said.
He said the LAPD in recent years has emphasized de-escalation and the preservation of life, including in its training of officers, and he noted fatal shootings by police have declined.
Staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-29--Dispute between LAUSD and teachers over online learning keeps parents in limbo

With the Aug. 18 start of the school year fast approaching , parents and students face uncertainty over how online instruction will be conducted as the Los Angeles teachers union and district officials haggle over distance learning rules and schedules .
The union , United Teachers Los Angeles , has announced that it opposes a proposal under which teachers would have to instruct students remotely from their empty classrooms while working an 8:30 a.m.-to-3 p.m. schedule that would closely mirror a traditional school day .
Union leaders say forcing teachers to return to campus — even without students — would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide the best approach to helping students learn .
“ The district ’ s attempt to force staff back to school sites is out of step with the raging pandemic around us , ” UTLA bargaining team co-chair Arlene Inouye said in a statement .
“ We urge the district to turn away from unsafe directives and toward ideas that will truly support our students.
” District officials declined to respond directly to the union ’ s public statements .
“ Our goal is to provide the best possible education for students while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the school community , ” said district spokeswoman Shannon Haber .
In recent interviews , schools Supt .
Austin Beutner has said that he and union leaders shared common cause in wanting instruction to be effective and to be carried out safely .
The description of the district ’ s proposal is based on the union ’ s account .
According to the union , the district plan would require teachers to “ provide virtual instruction from their school site classrooms , along with a micro-structured 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an excessive amount of screen time that is not healthy for children , would diminish educators ’ professional discretion , and would leave little time for much-needed collaboration , ” the union leadership stated .
Under orders by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , schools located in counties on the state ’ s “ watch list ” can not reopen because the risks would be too great amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
This includes all public and private K-12 schools across Southern California .
Campuses could potentially reopen later in the fall if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
In addition , elementary schools can apply for a waiver to reopen sooner than other schools .
Public school campuses in Los Angeles have been closed because of the pandemic since March 13 .
The district and the union weathered criticism after the closures when they agreed to require only 20 hours of work per week from teachers .
The schedule and format of instruction was essentially unspecified to give teachers and their students maximum flexibility to develop arrangements that worked best for them in the face of the coronavirus emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials emphasized that compassion , not academic rigor was needed for students , families and teachers .
Many teachers said that the flexibility allowed them to work more effectively than a rigid schedule would have afforded .
Some parents , however , complained of limited contact with teachers and student engagement was disappointing and especially low among Black and Latino students and students from low-income families .
Some teachers reported a decline in student effort after the district did away with failing grades and stipulated that no student would have a grade lowered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
“ It is clear that the district ’ s distance-learning program in the spring violated students ’ constitutional right to an education , ” said Seth Litt , executive director of the advocacy group Parent Revolution .
“ This wasn ’ t a natural result of COVID-19 .
The harm to students ’ education was a direct result of the side-letter agreement between UTLA and LAUSD from April 8 that set the rules for distance learning.
” Attorneys representing Parent Revolution and another organization on Wednesday threatened legal action against L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address alleged deficiencies in its learning program .
Concerns over academic progress spurred state lawmakers to insert instructional requirements into the budget bill , setting fundamental accountability rules for distance learning in California by requiring teachers to take online attendance and document student learning .
The rules reimpose the state ’ s minimum daily instructional minutes requirement of 180 for kindergarten , 230 minutes for grades 1 through 3 , and 240 minutes for grades 4 through 12 .
However , distance learning can be documented with student work as well as time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wiggle room as local unions negotiate with school district officials .
Nonetheless , a departure from state requirements is supposed to involve mandatory input from parents — and groups representing parents and parent leaders have not been involved in the L.A. negotiations to date .
“ Our parents should not be kept in the dark on these negotiations , ” said Katie Braude , executive director of the advocacy group Speak Up .
“ They should be part of this conversation .
Parents have been loud and clear about their children ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning .
In the spring , LAUSD allowed live , online instruction to be optional for teachers .
The result was catastrophic for our most vulnerable students.
” Both Speak Up and Parent Revolution have been at odds frequently with the teachers union over political and policy matters .
The reaction of one coalition of local advocacy groups , called the Equity Alliance for LA ’ s Kids , combined wait-and-see with a sense of urgency .
The group released a statement saying it is “ relieved to see discussions proceeding and urge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student learning , especially for our highest-need students who are most impacted by distance learning challenges.
” Local advocacy groups in the coalition include Advancement Project California , InnerCity Struggle and Community Coalition .
The teachers union , in rejecting the district proposal also stated its priorities in the negotiations .
• Setting aside time during the first two weeks of the school year for sessions on technology to be used in class and “ engaging students in deep social-emotional learning in response to the trauma we ’ re all living through ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not solely rely on live instruction • A weekly “ Student Support Day ” to provide students and families with “ critical social , emotional , and academic supports ” and allow teachers to collaborate between grade levels and departments • Establishing a maximum daily screen time of 45 minutes for children younger than 5 .
The district also has outstanding issues with another union , Local 99 of Service Employees International , which represents most non-teaching employees .
That union , for example , is seeking an expansion of custodial services at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intensive negotiations are expected to continue throughout the week .

Common areas at closed Dorsey High School in Los Angeles are taped off in March.
With the Aug. 18 start of the school year fast approaching, parents and students face uncertainty over how online instruction will be conducted as the Los Angeles teachers union and district officials haggle over the rules and schedules for distance learning.
The union, United Teachers Los Angeles, opposes a proposal under which teachers would have to instruct students remotely while working an 8:30 a.m.-to-3 p.m. schedule that would closely mirror a traditional school day. The union has countered with a shorter work day structured somewhat differently.
The union also had objected to proposal that would have required teachers to work online from their empty classrooms, but the district dropped that demand on Wednesday, according to the union.
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The secrecy around the negotiations spurred an advocacy group on Wednesday to threaten litigation against nation’s second-largest school system if it doesn’t fix instructional problems — shortcomings that many parents have complained about since campuses closed March 13.
In posted statements, union leaders had argued that forcing teachers to return to campus — even without students — would pose unnecessary health risks. Still under discussion is the option of teachers working voluntarily from their classrooms, where they would have their full instructional materials and reliable internet access.
District officials declined to discuss their proposal. In recent interviews, schools Supt. Austin Beutner has said that he and union leaders shared common cause in wanting instruction to be effective and to be carried out safely.
Apart from the lawsuit threat from a group called Parent Revolution, similar concerns are being raised by another advocacy group called Speak Up.
“Our parents should not be kept in the dark on these negotiations,” said Katie Braude, chief executive officer of Speak Up. “They should be part of this conversation. ... In the spring, LAUSD allowed live, online instruction to be optional for teachers. The result was catastrophic for our most vulnerable students.”
Both Speak Up and Parent Revolution have frequently been at odds with the teachers union over political and policy matters.
Under orders by Gov. Gavin Newsom, public and private schools located in counties on the state’s “watch list” cannot reopen for the start of school because the risks would be too great amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Campuses could potentially reopen once virus transmission recedes and stabilizes for 14 days. Elementary schools can apply for a waiver to reopen sooner.
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The district and the union weathered criticism when they agreed in April to require only 20 hours of work per week from teachers. The format of instruction was essentially unspecified to give teachers and students maximum flexibility, emphasizing compassion over rigor. Many teachers said that the flexibility allowed them to work more effectively.
Some parents, however, complained of limited contact with teachers, and student engagement was disappointing and especially low among Black and Latino students and those from low-income families. Some teachers reported a decline in student effort after the district did away with failing grades and stipulated that no student would receive a final grade lower than what it was when campuses shut down.
“It is clear that the district’s distance-learning program in the spring violated students’ constitutional right to an education,” said Seth Litt, executive director of the advocacy group Parent Revolution, one of the groups that threatened litigation. “This wasn’t a natural result of COVID-19.”
“They have deprived our students of the opportunity to learn through the decisions they have made,” said Alma Solano, a parent who signed the demand letter.
Concerns over academic progress spurred state lawmakers to insert instructional requirements into the budget bill, requiring teachers to take online attendance and document student learning. The rules reimpose the state’s minimum daily instructional minutes of 180 for kindergarten, 230 minutes for grades 1 through 3, and 240 minutes for grades 4 through 12.
However, distance learning can be documented with student work as well as time spent online — which creates ambiguity and wiggle room in labor negotiations.
Nonetheless, a departure from state requirements is supposed to involve mandatory input from parents — and parent leaders and groups representing them have not been involved in the L.A. negotiations to date.
Vicky Martinez, a parent of four students at different schools, was more supportive of union priorities. She said that although the spring was “chaotic,” she saw progress in online classes during summer school.
“It’s so much better,” Martinez said.
The teachers union priorities include: an intensive focus on social and emotional needs, an instruction plan that does not rely solely on live instruction; suspending evaluations of tenured teachers for a year; more training for substitute teachers, and a maximum daily screen time of 45 minutes for children younger than 5.
One elementary principal said he was proud of what his teachers accomplished, but that more academic rigor is needed for the fall.
“From March to June it was, ‘Let’s do the best we can,’” said the principal, who works in northeast Los Angeles and requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak. “Now there needs to be more expectations.”
A principal from the west San Fernando Valley, also speaking anonymously, acknowledged the thorniness of the issues. A set schedule would benefit many students — and teachers could work more easily from campus, both online and with their colleagues. All the same, he said, teachers had legitimate personal challenges that stood in the way of working a standard schedule on campus.
Teachers are classified as essential workers and allowed to work on campus even when children are not permitted, according to the L.A. County Office of Education.
The district also has outstanding issues with another union, Local 99 of Service Employees International, which represents most non-teaching employees. That union is seeking an expansion of custodial services at campuses in response to the pandemic, for example.
Negotiations are expected to continue throughout the week.


latimes--2020-07-29--With few options to get home, Chinese students abroad fall victim to ticket scams

Nicole Ma just wanted to get home .
The Chinese student ’ s first year studying abroad at Syracuse University in upstate New York had been upended by the coronavirus .
It was the end of March and her dormitory was shuttered , her classes had moved online , and the number of cases in New York was rising by the day .
Ma saw no reason to stay .
But she was stuck .
Only a small number of flights was being allowed into China and Ma couldn ’ t get a seat .
Four times she bought tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the flights canceled .
Feeling desperate , Ma turned to some of the more shadowy corners of the internet and quickly found a legitimate-looking company that promised a ticket .
She sent nearly $ 4,000 into the ether .
The ticket never came .
Looking back , she feels foolish for being duped .
But at the time , “ I was too anxious to ask anything , ” Ma recalled .
She was not alone .
In early April , as the virus had begun its spread around the world after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of the 1.6 million Chinese students who had enrolled at schools overseas in 2020 remained abroad , China ’ s vice foreign minister said at a news conference .
Tens of thousands of them were in California universities , which draw more Chinese students than schools in any other state .
Millions more Chinese were working abroad .
Air traffic into China , meanwhile , plummeted in late March when government officials in Beijing imposed tight restrictions that limited Chinese airlines to one international flight each week to a particular country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the country .
The rules have been eased somewhat in recent weeks , but the country remains largely shut off at a moment when many Chinese living abroad are eager to return home .
Scammers seized on the opportunity .
While figures on the number of people swindled are not available , victims of ticket scam have lit up Chinese social media during the pandemic , commiserating online about the loss of money and the reluctance of police in China or elsewhere to investigate cases .
With so many of their students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assist them have fallen short .
Embassies distributed 500,000 including face masks and sanitizers , and organized online seminars and self-help groups .
The government also arranged dozens of charter flights to bring back Chinese citizens in the U.S. , including some 7,000 students .
But those who were left to fend for themselves had to navigate a murky online marketplace for airline tickets in which fraudsters mixed with legitimate brokers .
Letitia Wang was among the students who were on their own .
Wang , who graduated in the spring from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lined up a job in a laboratory at the school , but decided to return home to Anhui province in eastern China as the virus took hold in the state .
She waded into the same online morass as Ma .
One ticket offer was tagged with several comments from people warning they had been scammed by the broker .
Another broker offered Wang an economy seat from San Francisco to Shanghai for nearly $ 11,500 .
“ I would never find him ” if it was another fake , Wang said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight ticket makes me look rich and stupid.
” Although eager to get home , Wang decided not to risk it .
She instead chose to buy a ticket directly from an airline , but it is for a flight in late October , and with China ’ s flight restrictions there is a good chance it will be canceled .
The experience left Wang sufficiently unnerved that when she learned this week that she had been given a seat on an upcoming charter flight organized by the Chinese Consulate , she didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until she ’ s on a plane heading home , she ’ s not taking any chances , she said .
Tiffany Tian , 20 , a broker who sells airline tickets at marked-up prices , said the surging demand has left her in a constant scramble to get hold of any tickets to China despite her company ’ s longtime ties with travel agencies that receive tickets directly from airlines .
Tickets , she said , are snatched up within minutes of being released .
And on Weibo , a Chinese social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other sites , it is nearly impossible to distinguish scam artists from authentic brokers , Tian said .
Scammers often have tens of thousands of followers , accounts verified by Weibo , and a stream of real-looking posts about tickets for actual flights , Tian said .
A friend of Ma ’ s directed her to a person who worked for an outfit called Victoria Harbour Airlines on the WeChat messaging application .
Ma trusted her friend and the person ’ s online profile appeared legitimate , so she inquired about a ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern city of Guangzhou .
The reply was quick and promising : “ I ’ ll apply for a seat for you and the ticket will be secured within 48 hours .
You should pay a deposit now and pay the rest after you get the ticket .
If I don ’ t get the ticket , I ’ ll return you the deposit.
” Ma sent the hefty down payment , but after a few days of waiting nervously for the ticket to arrive , she decided to look elsewhere .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WeChat , which came through with a ticket .
For weeks , she demanded a refund from the first broker , who strung her along with vague promises that the money would come soon and then stopped responding altogether .
Only when Ma threatened to file a police report did the person resurface .
“ What did the police say ?
” the message asked .
“ How much do you know ?
Do you really want to get the money back or are you just causing trouble ?
” When another deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of June , Ma contacted police in Guangzhou .
They refused to take the case , telling Ma she should report it to police in the U.S. “ The scammer is in China , ” Ma remembers thinking .
“ How could the U.S. police catch him ?
” A few hours ’ drive north of Ma , a Chinese student at Toronto University took some consolation in getting police to pay attention .
Before sending the $ 3,660 demanded by a would-be seller , Zhang , who asked that only his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight information app to confirm the flight and seats he believed he was booking were real .
Relief , however , quickly turned to suspicion when the ticket didn ’ t arrive in his inbox .
He called police in both countries .
Canadian authorities declined to help , but Chinese police took the case .
I ’ m lucky , ” he said .
“ Someone ’ s investigating my case.
” Ping C. Shen , an attorney in Pasadena who has handled cases for scammed Chinese students , said police in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these types of ticket scams , since the criminals are operating on Chinese-based social media .
And while the FBI and other U.S. federal agencies have aggressively targeted pandemic-related scams around the U.S. , there is little they can do for people like Ma unless the victim quickly contacts their bank and is able to freeze the transaction , said Laura Eimiller , an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles .
“ Once money goes overseas , the chances of recovering it are slim to none , ” said Eimiller , adding that victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI electronically .
Frustrated , Ma looked online for help and found that other Chinese students who had been hustled had formed groups on WeChat .
In one of the groups , about 100 students studying in the U.S. , Japan , South Korea and elsewhere swapped stories about the different techniques scammers had used on them .
Among them , the students had lost more than $ 285,000 , according to three members who asked that their names not be used .
The issue resonated in China .
There have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for several days it was a trending topic on Weibo , where more than 120 million people viewed a hashtag about it and left thousands of comments .
“ Doesn ’ t anybody care about us ?
” asked one commenter , who claimed he had lost about $ 3,200 while trying to return home from studying in Japan .
“ Trust no one , they ’ re all scammers.
” Since returning to China in April , Ma has felt nagging guilt as her parents argued over the money she lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who took her money for a refund every day is exhausting .
Ma was surprised when the person returned a few hundred dollars earlier this month .
She has little hope she ’ ll ever see the rest .
It could be worse , she knows .
“ Many other students haven ’ t got back to China , ” she said .
“ Their money ... has all been swindled .
”

Nicole Ma just wanted to get home.
The Chinese student’s first year studying abroad at Syracuse University in upstate New York had been upended by the coronavirus. It was the end of March and her dormitory was shuttered, her classes had moved online, and the number of cases in New York was rising by the day. Ma saw no reason to stay.
But she was stuck. Only a small number of flights was being allowed into China and Ma couldn’t get a seat. Four times she bought tickets on well-known travel websites, only to have the flights canceled.
Feeling desperate, Ma turned to some of the more shadowy corners of the internet and quickly found a legitimate-looking company that promised a ticket. She sent nearly $4,000 into the ether. The ticket never came.
Looking back, she feels foolish for being duped. But at the time, “I was too anxious to ask anything,” Ma recalled.
She was not alone. In early April, as the virus had begun its spread around the world after emerging from the Chinese city of Wuhan, more than 85% of the 1.6 million Chinese students who had enrolled at schools overseas in 2020 remained abroad, China’s vice foreign minister said at a news conference. Tens of thousands of them were in California universities, which draw more Chinese students than schools in any other state. Millions more Chinese were working abroad.
Air traffic into China, meanwhile, plummeted in late March when government officials in Beijing imposed tight restrictions that limited Chinese airlines to one international flight each week to a particular country and allowed foreign airlines only one weekly flight into the country. The rules have been eased somewhat in recent weeks, but the country remains largely shut off at a moment when many Chinese living abroad are eager to return home.
Scammers seized on the opportunity. While figures on the number of people swindled are not available, victims of ticket scam have lit up Chinese social media during the pandemic, commiserating online about the loss of money and the reluctance of police in China or elsewhere to investigate cases.
Advertisement
With so many of their students stranded abroad, efforts by Chinese officials to assist them have fallen short. Embassies distributed 500,000 “health kits,” including face masks and sanitizers, and organized online seminars and self-help groups. The government also arranged dozens of charter flights to bring back Chinese citizens in the U.S., including some 7,000 students.
But those who were left to fend for themselves had to navigate a murky online marketplace for airline tickets in which fraudsters mixed with legitimate brokers.
Letitia Wang was among the students who were on their own. Wang, who graduated in the spring from USC’s engineering school, had lined up a job in a laboratory at the school, but decided to return home to Anhui province in eastern China as the virus took hold in the state.
She waded into the same online morass as Ma. One ticket offer was tagged with several comments from people warning they had been scammed by the broker. Another broker offered Wang an economy seat from San Francisco to Shanghai for nearly $11,500.
“I would never find him” if it was another fake, Wang said. “Spending so much money on a flight ticket makes me look rich and stupid.”
Although eager to get home, Wang decided not to risk it. She instead chose to buy a ticket directly from an airline, but it is for a flight in late October, and with China’s flight restrictions there is a good chance it will be canceled.
Advertisement
The experience left Wang sufficiently unnerved that when she learned this week that she had been given a seat on an upcoming charter flight organized by the Chinese Consulate, she didn’t cancel the October reservation. Until she’s on a plane heading home, she’s not taking any chances, she said.
Tiffany Tian, 20, a broker who sells airline tickets at marked-up prices, said the surging demand has left her in a constant scramble to get hold of any tickets to China despite her company’s longtime ties with travel agencies that receive tickets directly from airlines. Tickets, she said, are snatched up within minutes of being released.
And on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform akin to Twitter, and other sites, it is nearly impossible to distinguish scam artists from authentic brokers, Tian said. Scammers often have tens of thousands of followers, accounts verified by Weibo, and a stream of real-looking posts about tickets for actual flights, Tian said.
A friend of Ma’s directed her to a person who worked for an outfit called Victoria Harbour Airlines on the WeChat messaging application. Ma trusted her friend and the person’s online profile appeared legitimate, so she inquired about a ticket from New York to China’s southern city of Guangzhou.
The reply was quick and promising: “I’ll apply for a seat for you and the ticket will be secured within 48 hours. You should pay a deposit now and pay the rest after you get the ticket. If I don’t get the ticket, I’ll return you the deposit.”
Ma sent the hefty down payment, but after a few days of waiting nervously for the ticket to arrive, she decided to look elsewhere. She took a chance on another outfit on WeChat, which came through with a ticket. For weeks, she demanded a refund from the first broker, who strung her along with vague promises that the money would come soon and then stopped responding altogether.
Only when Ma threatened to file a police report did the person resurface.
“What did the police say?” the message asked. “How much do you know? Do you really want to get the money back or are you just causing trouble?”
When another deadline for a refund passed at the end of June, Ma contacted police in Guangzhou. They refused to take the case, telling Ma she should report it to police in the U.S.
“The scammer is in China,” Ma remembers thinking. “How could the U.S. police catch him?”
A few hours’ drive north of Ma, a Chinese student at Toronto University took some consolation in getting police to pay attention.
Before sending the $3,660 demanded by a would-be seller, Zhang, who asked that only his first name be used, checked a popular flight information app to confirm the flight and seats he believed he was booking were real.
Relief, however, quickly turned to suspicion when the ticket didn’t arrive in his inbox.
He called police in both countries. Canadian authorities declined to help, but Chinese police took the case.
“I’m lucky,” he said. “Someone’s investigating my case.”
Ping C. Shen, an attorney in Pasadena who has handled cases for scammed Chinese students, said police in China are much better suited to investigate these types of ticket scams, since the criminals are operating on Chinese-based social media. And while the FBI and other U.S. federal agencies have aggressively targeted pandemic-related scams around the U.S., there is little they can do for people like Ma unless the victim quickly contacts their bank and is able to freeze the transaction, said Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles.
“Once money goes overseas, the chances of recovering it are slim to none,” said Eimiller, adding that victims of online scams can file complaints with the FBI electronically.
Frustrated, Ma looked online for help and found that other Chinese students who had been hustled had formed groups on WeChat.
In one of the groups, about 100 students studying in the U.S., Japan, South Korea and elsewhere swapped stories about the different techniques scammers had used on them. Among them, the students had lost more than $285,000, according to three members who asked that their names not be used.
The issue resonated in China. There have been articles about scammed students in mainstream newspapers and for several days it was a trending topic on Weibo, where more than 120 million people viewed a hashtag about it and left thousands of comments.
“Doesn’t anybody care about us?” asked one commenter, who said he had lost about $3,200 while trying to return home from studying in Japan. “Trust no one, they’re all scammers.”
Since returning to China in April, Ma has felt nagging guilt as her parents argued over the money she lost on her fraudulent ticket. Hounding the person who took her money for a refund every day is exhausting.
Ma was surprised when the person returned a few hundred dollars earlier this month. She has little hope she’ll ever see the rest.
It could be worse, she knows. “Many other students haven’t got back to China,” she said. “Their money ... has all been swindled.”


latimes--2020-07-29--Wearing masks could cut California coronavirus spread in half, top health official says

Widespread mask wearing could cut coronavirus transmission in half , a top California health official said , as many policymakers aggressively push the importance of face coverings to help get the state ’ s worsening COVID-19 cases under control .
Along with other often-touted practices like regular hand-washing and maintaining physical distance , California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said wearing masks “ is increasingly one of those powerful tools that we see , not just at the aggregate but on the individual level to protect your communities , your local hospital system.
” “ Some studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % compliance with masking , that we can reduce transmission somewhere between 50 % and 60 % , which is tremendous , which is exactly … what we need to see those case numbers start to come down — even if we don ’ t necessarily change the level of mixing that we ’ re having in our communities , ” he said during a briefing Tuesday .
California has for weeks mandated that residents wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings .
However , the state has largely left enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have shown scant interest in taking on the task .
The issue has become politicized , with some opponents alleging that the government has no right to require masks — and that any attempt to do so infringes on individual rights .
Though vocal , such mask opponents appear to be in the minority .
A poll released last week showed that three out of four Americans favored requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes .
As coronavirus cases continue to spike statewide , more local governments — including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood , Santa Monica , Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa — have threatened to start citing and fining face-covering scofflaws .
However , other agencies have said they are focused on education , rather than enforcement , to encourage compliance .
Ghaly said Tuesday that , while “ certainly , the state has set up a structure wherein fines for not complying with the mask order are allowable , we ’ ve largely left that ” up to local powers to decide .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has the power to withhold some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take actions determined to be in violation of state public health rules .
Newsom recently blocked nearly $ 65,000 from Atwater in Merced County and more than $ 35,000 from Coalinga in Fresno County — and the state ’ s Office of Emergency Services sent letters to the cities last week notifying officials that they risked losing more money if they didn ’ t withdraw resolutions defying the state ’ s orders .
The Atwater City Council approved a resolution in May declaring a “ sanctuary ” for all businesses to remain open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The City Council in Coalinga took similar action that same month .
Ghaly said funding could potentially be jeopardized “ for the lack of compliance with orders ... and criteria as it relates to local performance , including enforcement of certain things like our mask mandate.
” “ Among our most important tools to help reduce transmission is wearing the mask — using it as often as we can whenever we ’ re in larger crowds , we ’ re going to the grocery store , we ’ re out and about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ Having that mask on or handy is a very important tool as we continue to see the evidence grow that it can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and not only protect our families and communities but help us move on the road of economic recovery , help us get closer to having more schools open across the state.
” Times staff writer John Myers and the Associated Press contributed to this report .

Obie Figueroa, owner of Obie’s Barbershop & Shave in Riverside, cuts San Dimas resident Matt Nelson’s hair Tuesday. The coronavirus pandemic has forced Figueroa to move his services outside.
Widespread mask wearing could cut coronavirus transmission in half, a top California health official said, as many policymakers aggressively push the importance of face coverings to help get the state’s worsening COVID-19 cases under control.
Along with other often-touted practices like regular hand-washing and maintaining physical distance, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said wearing masks “is increasingly one of those powerful tools that we see, not just at the aggregate but on the individual level to protect your communities, your local hospital system.”
“Some studies show that, if we had 80% compliance with masking, that we can reduce transmission somewhere between 50% and 60%, which is tremendous, which is exactly … what we need to see those case numbers start to come down — even if we don’t necessarily change the level of mixing that we’re having in our communities,” he said during a briefing Tuesday.
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California has for weeks mandated that residents wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings. However, the state has largely left enforcement up to local jurisdictions, some of which have shown scant interest in taking on the task.
California Urgent warnings to wear masks but so far only modest enforcement There are loud and persistent calls for Californians to wear masks when out in public, but so far enforcement of the mandate is modest at best.
The issue has become politicized, with some opponents alleging that the government has no right to require masks — and that any attempt to do so infringes on individual rights.
Though vocal, such mask opponents appear to be in the minority. A poll released last week showed that three out of four Americans favored requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes.
As coronavirus cases continue to spike statewide, more local governments — including the cities of Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa — have threatened to start citing and fining face-covering scofflaws.
However, other agencies have said they are focused on education, rather than enforcement, to encourage compliance.
Ghaly said Tuesday that, while “certainly, the state has set up a structure wherein fines for not complying with the mask order are allowable, we’ve largely left that” up to local powers to decide.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom has the power to withhold some relief funding for cities and counties that take actions determined to be in violation of state public health rules.
Newsom recently blocked nearly $65,000 from Atwater in Merced County and more than $35,000 from Coalinga in Fresno County — and the state’s Office of Emergency Services sent letters to the cities last week notifying officials that they risked losing more money if they didn’t withdraw resolutions defying the state’s orders.
The Atwater City Council approved a resolution in May declaring a “sanctuary” for all businesses to remain open regardless of the state’s rules. The City Council in Coalinga took similar action that same month.
Ghaly said funding could potentially be jeopardized “for the lack of compliance with orders ... and criteria as it relates to local performance, including enforcement of certain things like our mask mandate.”
“Among our most important tools to help reduce transmission is wearing the mask — using it as often as we can whenever we’re in larger crowds, we’re going to the grocery store, we’re out and about on the walk in our communities,” he said. “Having that mask on or handy is a very important tool as we continue to see the evidence grow that it can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and not only protect our families and communities but help us move on the road of economic recovery, help us get closer to having more schools open across the state.”
Times staff writer John Myers and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-29--'Gimme Shelter': The discriminatory history behind Trump's appeal to 'Suburban Housewives of America

'Gimme Shelter': The discriminatory history behind Trump's appeal to 'Suburban Housewives of America'

Last week , President Trump announced a repeal of an Obama-era regulation that aimed to racially integrate neighborhoods across the country , claiming that it was overly bureaucratic and unnecessary .
But that decision is just one of numerous appeals the president has made in recent months to white voters ’ fears of crime and declining property values , especially those living in suburban communities .
Trump has spoken of Democrats ’ “ bringing who knows into your suburbs ” and warning on Twitter that the integration plan was a danger to “ The Suburban Housewives of America ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shelter : The California Housing Crisis Podcast , ” we describe how Trump ’ s words and actions fit into a century-long history of the federal government working with private real estate interests to develop and maintain segregated communities .
We also discuss how the president ’ s conception of the suburbs as uniformly white , and affordable housing as crime-ridden , are outdated and false stereotypes .
Our guest is Karyn Lacy , a sociologist at the University of Michigan and expert on changing demographics in the suburbs .
“ , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it , features Liam Dillon , who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter for .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Last week, President Trump announced a repeal of an Obama-era regulation that aimed to racially integrate neighborhoods across the country, claiming that it was overly bureaucratic and unnecessary.
But that decision is just one of numerous appeals the president has made in recent months to white voters’ fears of crime and declining property values, especially those living in suburban communities. Trump has spoken of Democrats’ “bringing who knows into your suburbs” and warning on Twitter that the integration plan was a danger to “The Suburban Housewives of America”.
On this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we describe how Trump’s words and actions fit into a century-long history of the federal government working with private real estate interests to develop and maintain segregated communities. We also discuss how the president’s conception of the suburbs as uniformly white, and affordable housing as crime-ridden, are outdated and false stereotypes. Our guest is Karyn Lacy, a sociologist at the University of Michigan and expert on changing demographics in the suburbs.
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“ Gimme Shelter ,”a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .


latimes--2020-07-29--California again breaks record for most coronavirus deaths in a single day

California has again broken a new record for the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day , with 174 deaths reported on Tuesday .
It ’ s the third time this month that California has broken a single-day record for deaths and the second time in just a week , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ California coronavirus tracker , which tallies cases and deaths from the state ’ s 58 counties .
The previous single-day record was set on July 22 , when 158 deaths were reported .
Since the first documented COVID-19 death in February , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a coronavirus infection .
That ’ s nearly three times the death toll resulting from the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake , which killed more than 3,000 people .
The daily average of coronavirus-related deaths over the previous seven days has never been higher , now at 119 .
While much has been said about California ’ s death toll being far less than other U.S. states like New York — where 32,645 people have died — other nations have endured a far less severe death toll than California .
The cumulative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 ; South Korea , 300 ; Australia , 167 ; New Zealand , 22 ; and Taiwan , 7 .
Japan and South Korea each have populations greater than that of California .
Across the U.S. , more than 149,000 people infected with the coronavirus have died .
No other country has a worse death toll .
Nationally , the U.S. has been recording an average of about 65,000 new cases a day , more than double the rate in mid-June .
By various measures , the coronavirus pandemic is now worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the week leading up to Memorial Day — some bleaker than others .
The San Joaquin Valley — an eight-county region of the Central Valley stretching from Stockton to Bakersfield — is one of the regions where pandemic conditions have deteriorated dramatically .
In the week-long period that ended on Memorial Day , 42 residents of the San Joaquin Valley died from the coronavirus ; in the seven-day period that ended Monday , 105 residents died .
Deaths are also on the upswing in the seven-county Sacramento region .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 4 to 25 .
The nine-county San Francisco Bay Area has seen its weekly death toll nearly triple in the same time period — from 20 to 57 ; San Diego County ’ s weekly death toll doubled over the same time period , from 28 to 55 .
The five-county Southern California area — which includes L.A. , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino and Ventura counties — has seen weekly deaths increase from 357 to 493 in that same time period , an increase of 38 % .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent surge — while still growing — has started to slow down .
On Tuesday , California was recording an average of 9,157 new confirmed cases daily over the past week , a 2 % increase from the previous week .
That ’ s a much slower increase than what happened on July 14 , when the daily average of new cases over the past week was 8,902 , a 20 % jump from the previous week .
In addition , the rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times analysis has found that California ’ s seven-day coronavirus positive test rate has generally stayed between 7 % and 8 % since July 5 .
Also , the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus statewide is estimated to be 1.02 — meaning every 1 infected person , on average , transmits the virus to 1.02 other people .
But looking at the average conceals the deep problems in harder-hit areas of California .
In the San Joaquin Valley , the transmission rate of the virus is as high as 1.4 , Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Health and Human Services Agency , said this week at a press conference in Stockton , “ which tells us we have a great deal of work to do to get transmission rates down here in the Central Valley.
” In some hospitals in this part of the Central Valley , 65 % of regular hospital beds are filled up with COVID-19 patients , Ghaly said .
Federal medical teams have been dispatched to hospitals in the Central Valley and Southern California .
In the Central Valley , “ you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , ” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of UC San Francisco ’ s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics .
“ When we think of a state , our average numbers look better , but we can not forget that in the middle of the state , the numbers look worse.
” The same problem can occur on the county level , where a county overall might look good , “ but there are communities that still have high rates of transmission , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
“ And unless we focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is high rates of transmission , we are not going to get either the county or the state under control , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
“ And that ’ s one of the fallacies in California just constantly looking at the average effects , whether it ’ s statewide or within a county.
” And while there are some people in the state who have called COVID-19 a hoax , there are clear signs that this pandemic is , indeed , the worst global public health crisis in more than a century .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health director , Barbara Ferrer , said COVID-19 is on track to be the second leading cause of death this year — ahead other natural causes like Alzheimer ’ s disease and stroke .
COVID-19 has already killed nearly triple the number of people in L.A. County than died from flu or pneumonia during the most recent eight-month flu season .
Between October and May , 1,521 people died from the flu and pneumonia ; as of Tuesday , 4,427 people have died from COVID-19 in L.A. County .
The daily number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is also on the rise .
As of Tuesday , there were an average of 310 healthcare workers getting infected with the coronavirus daily over the previous week in California — a number that has more than doubled since Memorial Day .
A total of 119 healthcare workers in California have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 .
Officials have confirmed more than 22,000 healthcare workers who have been infected .
The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 by race and ethnicity is also growing .
Latino residents of California have been infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per 100,000 Latino residents .
That ’ s three times worse than the rate for white residents , which is 358 cases per 100,000 white residents .
Black residents of California are 51 % more likely to have contracted the coronavirus than white residents , with a rate of 542 cases per 100,000 Black residents .
Black and Latino residents are also dying at disproportionate rates .
Black residents make up 6 % of California ’ s population yet account for 8.5 % of the state ’ s COVID-19 deaths .
Latino residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s population yet make up 46 % of deaths .
The disparity is particularly noticeable among working-aged Latino residents .
Of Californians aged 50 to 64 , 65 % of the coronavirus deaths have occurred among Latinos , even though Latinos make up only 32 % of Californians in this age range .
Among Californians aged 35 to 49 , Latinos made up 78 % of coronavirus-related deaths , even though Latinos in that age range make up just 42 % of the population .
And for Californian adults under the age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus deaths , despite comprising 45 % of the state ’ s population in that age group .
The youngest Black Californian adults are also dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate , accounting for 15 % of deaths , despite comprising 7 % of the state ’ s population in this age group .
Health experts are deeply concerned about outbreaks that have devastated largely Latino low-income essential workers across California , affecting workers in agriculture , factories and food processing facilities .
L.A. County ’ s largest outbreak , which infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four deaths , forced the temporary closure of the garment factory Los Angeles Apparel .
Three more companies with outbreaks in L.A. County were ordered to shut down this week : S & S Foods of Azusa , Mission Foods Corp. of Commerce , and Golden State Foods Corp. of Industry .
Each facility had outbreaks where at least 40 people were infected , L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday .
The companies did not notify the county once they had at least three coronavirus cases , Ferrer said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection control protocols at all three sites , Ferrer said .
In the Central Valley , hundreds of workers have been infected at Ruiz Foods , a frozen-food packager in Tulare County , and Central Valley Meat Co. , a meatpacking facility in Kings County .
In Ventura County , hundreds of agricultural workers have tested positive , fueled in part by an outbreak at a housing complex that provides agricultural employers with temporary housing for their workers .
Outbreaks have also been a problem across other agricultural areas of California : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coachella Valley of Riverside County , the Salinas Valley and wine country in Northern California ’ s Sonoma , Napa , Solano , Mendocino and Lake counties .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Iris Lee, Priya Krishnakumar

Nurse Kyah Paschall checks on 64-year-old coronavirus patient Patricia Luera at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Calif., on July 8. Luera and her husband, also infected with the virus, were airlifted to the hospital in National City.
California has again broken a new record for the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day, with 174 deaths reported on Tuesday.
It’s the third time this month that California has broken a single-day record for deaths and the second time in just a week, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker, which tallies cases and deaths from the state’s 58 counties. The previous single-day record was set on July 22, when 158 deaths were reported.
Since the first documented COVID-19 death in February, there have been 8,716 Californians who have died after a coronavirus infection. That’s nearly three times the death toll resulting from the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which killed more than 3,000 people.
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The daily average of coronavirus-related deaths over the previous seven days has never been higher, now at 119.
California coronavirus deaths by day, as of July 28, 2020.
(Los Angeles Times)
While much has been said about California’s death toll being far less than other U.S. states like New York — where 32,645 people have died — other nations have endured a far less severe death toll than California.
The cumulative coronavirus-related death toll in Japan is about 1,000; South Korea, 300; Australia, 167; New Zealand, 22; and Taiwan, 7. Japan and South Korea each have populations greater than that of California.
Across the U.S., more than 149,000 people infected with the coronavirus have died. No other country has a worse death toll.
Nationally, the U.S. has been recording an average of about 65,000 new cases a day, more than double the rate in mid-June.
By various measures, the coronavirus pandemic is now worse in many areas of California than it was in the week leading up to Memorial Day — some bleaker than others.
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The San Joaquin Valley — an eight-county region of the Central Valley stretching from Stockton to Bakersfield — is one of the regions where pandemic conditions have deteriorated dramatically. In the week-long period that ended on Memorial Day, 42 residents of the San Joaquin Valley died from the coronavirus; in the seven-day period that ended Monday, 105 residents died.
Deaths are also on the upswing in the seven-county Sacramento region. Over the same time period, weekly deaths rose from 4 to 25.
The nine-county San Francisco Bay Area has seen its weekly death toll nearly triple in the same time period — from 20 to 57; San Diego County’s weekly death toll doubled over the same time period, from 28 to 55.
The five-county Southern California area — which includes L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties — has seen weekly deaths increase from 357 to 493 in that same time period, an increase of 38%.
There are some signs that California’s most recent surge — while still growing — has started to slow down. On Tuesday, California was recording an average of 9,157 new confirmed cases daily over the past week, a 2% increase from the previous week. That’s a much slower increase than what happened on July 14, when the daily average of new cases over the past week was 8,902, a 20% jump from the previous week.
In addition, the rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive has been stable in recent weeks statewide. A Times analysis has found that California’s seven-day coronavirus positive test rate has generally stayed between 7% and 8% since July 5. Also, the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus statewide is estimated to be 1.02 — meaning every 1 infected person, on average, transmits the virus to 1.02 other people.
But looking at the average conceals the deep problems in harder-hit areas of California. In the San Joaquin Valley, the transmission rate of the virus is as high as 1.4, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said this week at a press conference in Stockton, “which tells us we have a great deal of work to do to get transmission rates down here in the Central Valley.”
In some hospitals in this part of the Central Valley, 65% of regular hospital beds are filled up with COVID-19 patients, Ghaly said. Federal medical teams have been dispatched to hospitals in the Central Valley and Southern California.
In the Central Valley, “you’re not anywhere close to being under control there,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “When we think of a state, our average numbers look better, but we cannot forget that in the middle of the state, the numbers look worse.”
The same problem can occur on the county level, where a county overall might look good, “but there are communities that still have high rates of transmission,” Bibbins-Domingo said.
“And unless we focus our attention on the areas where there is high rates of transmission, we are not going to get either the county or the state under control,” Bibbins-Domingo said. “And that’s one of the fallacies in California just constantly looking at the average effects, whether it’s statewide or within a county.”
And while there are some people in the state who have called COVID-19 a hoax, there are clear signs that this pandemic is, indeed, the worst global public health crisis in more than a century.
In Los Angeles County, the public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said COVID-19 is on track to be the second leading cause of death this year — ahead other natural causes like Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
COVID-19 has already killed nearly triple the number of people in L.A. County than died from flu or pneumonia during the most recent eight-month flu season. Between October and May, 1,521 people died from the flu and pneumonia; as of Tuesday, 4,427 people have died from COVID-19 in L.A. County.
The daily number of healthcare workers reported to be infected with the coronavirus is also on the rise. As of Tuesday, there were an average of 310 healthcare workers getting infected with the coronavirus daily over the previous week in California — a number that has more than doubled since Memorial Day.
A total of 119 healthcare workers in California have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Officials have confirmed more than 22,000 healthcare workers who have been infected.
The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 by race and ethnicity is also growing. Latino residents of California have been infected at a cumulative rate of 1,087 cases per 100,000 Latino residents. That’s three times worse than the rate for white residents, which is 358 cases per 100,000 white residents.
Black residents of California are 51% more likely to have contracted the coronavirus than white residents, with a rate of 542 cases per 100,000 Black residents.
Latinos are now three times more likely to test positive than white people in California. (Los Angeles Times)
Black and Latino residents are also dying at disproportionate rates.
Black residents make up 6% of California’s population yet account for 8.5% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths. Latino residents make up 39% of California’s population yet make up 46% of deaths.
The disparity is particularly noticeable among working-aged Latino residents.
Of Californians aged 50 to 64, 65% of the coronavirus deaths have occurred among Latinos, even though Latinos make up only 32% of Californians in this age range.
Among Californians aged 35 to 49, Latinos made up 78% of coronavirus-related deaths, even though Latinos in that age range make up just 42% of the population.
And for Californian adults under the age of 35, Latinos represent 62% of coronavirus deaths, despite comprising 45% of the state’s population in that age group.
The youngest Black Californian adults are also dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate, accounting for 15% of deaths, despite comprising 7% of the state’s population in this age group.
Health experts are deeply concerned about outbreaks that have devastated largely Latino low-income essential workers across California, affecting workers in agriculture, factories and food processing facilities.
L.A. County’s largest outbreak, which infected more than 300 people and resulted in four deaths, forced the temporary closure of the garment factory Los Angeles Apparel.
Three more companies with outbreaks in L.A. County were ordered to shut down this week: S&S Foods of Azusa, Mission Foods Corp. of Commerce, and Golden State Foods Corp. of Industry. Each facility had outbreaks where at least 40 people were infected, L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday.
The companies did not notify the county once they had at least three coronavirus cases, Ferrer said, and the county is asking for better infection control protocols at all three sites, Ferrer said.
In the Central Valley, hundreds of workers have been infected at Ruiz Foods, a frozen-food packager in Tulare County, and Central Valley Meat Co., a meatpacking facility in Kings County.
In Ventura County, hundreds of agricultural workers have tested positive, fueled in part by an outbreak at a housing complex that provides agricultural employers with temporary housing for their workers.
Outbreaks have also been a problem across other agricultural areas of California: the Imperial Valley east of San Diego, the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, the Salinas Valley and wine country in Northern California’s Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino and Lake counties.
Times staff writer Priscella Vega contributed to this report.