latimes--2020-03-20--Here is what you can and can't do under L.A.'s new coronavirus Safe at Home order

Los Angeles city and county officials issued sweeping new rules Thursday to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
But they were very different from each other .
The city of Los Angeles , with a population of 4 million : • Orders Los Angeles residents to remain in their homes , with exceptions ; • Requires all Los Angeles businesses that require in-person attendance to cease operations , with exceptions ; and • Bans all gatherings outside a home , with exceptions .
The county of Los Angeles , with a population of 10 million : • Does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes ; • Only requires retail businesses that are considered nonessential to shut down ; and • Bans gatherings of 10 or more people , with exceptions .
Both orders went into effect just before midnight Friday morning and last through April 19 .
Violations of either the city or county order can be enforced as a misdemeanor and punishable by fines and imprisonment .
The cities of Long Beach and Pasadena , which are in L.A. County but have their own health departments , issued similar orders to the one issued by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new L.A. city and county rules were announced , Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order instructing all 40 million California residents to stay at home as much as possible , with certain exceptions .
City of Los Angeles : Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered all persons living in the city to remain in their homes , with certain exceptions , such as : • To exercise , but remain 6 feet away from others , such as walking , hiking , running , cycling , using scooters , roller skates , skateboards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ household members to go to a place to walk , hike , run or ride a bike .
• To care for a family member , a friend , or a pet in another household • All first responders , gang and crisis intervention workers , public health workers , emergency management personnel , emergency dispatchers , law enforcement personnel , and others working for emergency services providers are exempt .
• To do certain business operations and activities that are exempted , and listed below .
While doing these things , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer , cover coughs and sneezes , clean high-touch surfaces and not shake hands .
Homeless people are exempt .
People are allowed on Friday to go to work to gather belongings .
County of Los Angeles : There is no stay at home order enforceable as a misdemeanor and punishable as a fine or imprisonment .
City of Los Angeles : All businesses within the city of Los Angeles are ordered to cease operations that require in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including malls and shopping centers , with exceptions for certain essential businesses that have exterior doors .
Businesses that can continue by telecommuting can continue to operate .
Exceptions are listed below .
County of Los Angeles : Only retail stores considered not essential are ordered shut .
This includes malls and shopping centers .
Essential stores are listed below .
Children ’ s playgrounds are ordered closed in both the city and county .
City of Los Angeles : All gatherings outside a home are banned , except for exempted activities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 or more people are banned .
Just three days earlier , the county banned gatherings of 50 or more people .
For gatherings that are not banned , the county orders that : • People inside stay separated by at least six feet • People have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water or hand sanitizer with at least 60 % alcohol • A sign is posted instructing sick people to stay out • People are allowed to exercise , such as go on a hike and walk • People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as grocery stores and to pick up takeout food at restaurants • The site should be cleaned and disinfected .
For both the city and county , to the extent possible , child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions : • Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer ( “ stable ” means the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day ) ; • Children shall not change from one group to another ; • If more than one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one facility , each group shall be in a separate room .
Groups shall not mix with each other ; • Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children .
County of Los Angeles : Personal grooming services are allowed to remain open .
Previous orders issued by the city and county requires restaurants to offer food by takeout or delivery only .
Previous orders issued by the city and county required gyms , movie theaters and bars that don ’ t serve food to close .
Businesses exempted from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations , including hospitals , clinics , dentists , pharmacies , pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies , medical and scientific research , laboratories , healthcare suppliers , home healthcare services providers , veterinary care providers , mental health providers , physical therapists and chiropractors , cannabis dispensaries , or any related services , manufacturers and suppliers .
• Grocery stores , water retailers , certified farmers markets , farm and produce stands , convenience stores , warehouse stores , food banks , convenience stores and stores that sell other household consumer products such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products , and stores that sell products needed to maintain safety , sanitation and essential operation of homes .
• Food cultivation , such as farming , fishing and livestock .
• Organizations and businesses that provide food , shelter and social services , and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals , including gang prevention and intervention , domestic violence , and homeless services agencies .
• Plumbers , electricians , exterminators , custodial/janitorial workers , handyman services , funeral home workers and morticians , moving services , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , carpenters , landscapers , gardeners , property managers , private security personnel and other service providers who provide services to maintain the safety , sanitation and essential operation to properties and other essential activities discussed in this subsection .
• Educational institutions — including public and private K-12 schools , colleges and universities — for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing essential functions provided that social distancing of six feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible .
• Restaurants can be open only for pickup or delivery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Businesses must establish measures to keep patrons six feet away from each other .
• Businesses that supply products needed for people to work from home .
• Businesses that supply other essential businesses with the support , services or supplies necessary to operate , provided that strict social distancing is maintained .
This section includes , without limitation , utility companies .
• Businesses that ship or deliver groceries , food , beverages or goods directly to residences or businesses .
• Airlines , taxis , ride-sharing services and other private transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities and other purposes expressly authorized in this order .
• Residential facilities and shelters for disabled persons , seniors , adults and children .
• Professional services , such as legal , payroll or accounting services , when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities .
• Child-care facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this order to work as permitted .
To the extent possible , child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions : • Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day ) .
• Children shall not change from one group to another .
• If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility , each group shall be in a separate room .
Groups shall not mix with each other .
• Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children • Military/defense contractors/federally funded research and development centers .
Essential personnel may leave their residence to provide any service or perform any work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without limitation , defense , intelligence and aerospace development and manufacturing for the Department of Defense , the intelligence community , and NASA and other federal government , and/or United States government departments and agencies .
Essential personnel include prime , subprime and supplier contractor employees , at both the prime contract level and any supplier level at any tier , working on federal United States government contracts , such as contracts for national intelligence and national security requirements .
Essential retail businesses exempted from order to shut down • Grocery stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce stands , supermarkets , food banks , convenience stores and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food , dry goods , fresh fruit and vegetables , pet supply , water , fresh meats , fish and poultry , and any other household consumer products ( such as cleaning or personal care products ) .
This includes stores that sell groceries and sell other non-grocery products , and products necessary to maintaining the safety , sanitation and essential operation of residences ; • Businesses that provide food , shelter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals ; • Plumbers , electricians , exterminators , custodial/janitorial workers , handyman services , funeral home workers and morticians , moving services , HVAC installers , carpenters , vegetation services , tree maintenance , landscapers , gardeners , property managers , private security personnel and other service providers who provide services to maintain the safety , sanitation and essential operation to properties and other essential businesses ; • Educational institutions ( including public and private K-12 schools , colleges , and universities ) for purposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functions , provided that social distancing of six feet per person is maintaining to the greatest extent possible ; • Restaurants and other food facilities that prepare and serve food , but only for delivery , drive-thru or carryout ; • Businesses that supply office or computer products needed by people who work from home ; • Businesses that supply other essential businesses with the support or supplies necessary to operate ; • Businesses that ship , truck , provide logistical support or deliver groceries , food , goods or services directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , essential infrastructure ; • Airlines , taxis and other private transportation providers offering transportation services necessary for activities of daily living and other purposes expressly authorized in this order ; • Businesses that provide parts and service for essential infrastructure ; • Residential facilities and shelters for seniors , adults , disabled persons and children ; • Professional services , such as legal or accounting services , when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities , and the permitting , inspection , construction , transfer and recording of ownership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Military/defense contractors/federally funded research and development centers .
For purposes of this order , essential personnel may leave their residence to provide any service or perform any work deemed essential for national security including , but not limited to defense , intelligence and aerospace development and manufacturing for the Department of Defense , the intelligence community , and NASA and other federal government , and or United States government departments and agencies .
Essential personnel include prime , subprime and supplier contractor employees , at both the prime contract level and any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal United States government contracts such as contracts rated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System and contracts for national intelligence and national security requirements ; • Child-care facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this order to work as permitted .
To the extent possible , child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions : ( 1 ) Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer ( “ stable ” means the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not change from one group to another ; ( 3 ) If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility , each group shall be in a separate room .
Groups shall not mix with each other ; ( 4 ) Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children .

On the first day of L.A.’s ‘Safer at Home’ order, Union Station was restricted to only ticketed passengers.
Los Angeles city and county officials issued sweeping new rules Thursday to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But they were very different from each other.
The city of Los Angeles, with a population of 4 million:
Orders Los Angeles residents to remain in their homes, with exceptions;
Requires all Los Angeles businesses that require in-person attendance to cease operations, with exceptions; and
Bans all gatherings outside a home, with exceptions.
The county of Los Angeles, with a population of 10 million:
Does not order county residents to remain in their homes;
Only requires retail businesses that are considered nonessential to shut down; and
Bans gatherings of 10 or more people, with exceptions.
Both orders went into effect just before midnight Friday morning and last through April 19. Violations of either the city or county order can be enforced as a misdemeanor and punishable by fines and imprisonment.
The cities of Long Beach and Pasadena, which are in L.A. County but have their own health departments, issued similar orders to the one issued by Los Angeles County.
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Shortly after the new L.A. city and county rules were announced, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order instructing all 40 million California residents to stay at home as much as possible, with certain exceptions.
Stay at home order
City of Los Angeles: Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered all persons living in the city to remain in their homes, with certain exceptions, such as:
To visit a healthcare or veterinary professional
To exercise, but remain 6 feet away from others, such as walking, hiking, running, cycling, using scooters, roller skates, skateboards, or travel in a vehicle with household members to go to a place to walk, hike, run or ride a bike.
Obtain medical supplies
Buy groceries
To care for a family member, a friend, or a pet in another household
Returning to a home outside Los Angeles
Traveling to a home outside Los Angeles
Comply with a court or law enforcement order
Legally mandated government purposes
All first responders, gang and crisis intervention workers, public health workers, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, law enforcement personnel, and others working for emergency services providers are exempt.
To do certain business operations and activities that are exempted, and listed below.
While doing these things, people should keep 6 feet from others, frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, cover coughs and sneezes, clean high-touch surfaces and not shake hands.
Homeless people are exempt. People are allowed on Friday to go to work to gather belongings.
County of Los Angeles: There is no stay at home order enforceable as a misdemeanor and punishable as a fine or imprisonment.
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Closure of businesses
City of Los Angeles: All businesses within the city of Los Angeles are ordered to cease operations that require in-person attendance by workers at a workplace, including malls and shopping centers, with exceptions for certain essential businesses that have exterior doors. Businesses that can continue by telecommuting can continue to operate. Exceptions are listed below.
County of Los Angeles: Only retail stores considered not essential are ordered shut. This includes malls and shopping centers. Essential stores are listed below.
Playgrounds
Children’s playgrounds are ordered closed in both the city and county.
Gatherings
City of Los Angeles: All gatherings outside a home are banned, except for exempted activities.
County of Los Angeles: Gatherings of 10 or more people are banned. Just three days earlier, the county banned gatherings of 50 or more people.
For gatherings that are not banned, the county orders that:
People inside stay separated by at least six feet
People have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
A sign is posted instructing sick people to stay out
People are allowed to exercise, such as go on a hike and walk
People are allowed to go to essential businesses, such as grocery stores and to pick up takeout food at restaurants
The site should be cleaned and disinfected.
Child-care centers
For both the city and county, to the extent possible, child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions:
Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer (“stable” means the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day);
Children shall not change from one group to another;
If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other;
Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children.
Personal grooming services
City of Los Angeles: Personal grooming services are ordered shut.
County of Los Angeles: Personal grooming services are allowed to remain open.
Restaurants
Previous orders issued by the city and county requires restaurants to offer food by takeout or delivery only.
Gyms, movie theaters, bars
Previous orders issued by the city and county required gyms, movie theaters and bars that don’t serve food to close.
Businesses exempted from the order to shut down
City of Los Angeles
All healthcare operations, including hospitals, clinics, dentists, pharmacies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical and scientific research, laboratories, healthcare suppliers, home healthcare services providers, veterinary care providers, mental health providers, physical therapists and chiropractors, cannabis dispensaries, or any related services, manufacturers and suppliers.
Grocery stores, water retailers, certified farmers markets, farm and produce stands, convenience stores, warehouse stores, food banks, convenience stores and stores that sell other household consumer products such as construction supplies, cleaning and personal care products, and stores that sell products needed to maintain safety, sanitation and essential operation of homes.
Food cultivation, such as farming, fishing and livestock.
Organizations and businesses that provide food, shelter and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, including gang prevention and intervention, domestic violence, and homeless services agencies.
Newspapers, television, radio, magazine, podcast and other media services.
Gas service stations, auto supply, mobile auto repair operations, auto repair shops, bicycle repair shops and related facilities.
Banks, credit unions, financial institutions and insurance companies.
Hardware and building supply stores, and nurseries.
Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, custodial/janitorial workers, handyman services, funeral home workers and morticians, moving services, heating, ventilation and air conditioning installers, carpenters, landscapers, gardeners, property managers, private security personnel and other service providers who provide services to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operation to properties and other essential activities discussed in this subsection.
Businesses providing mailing and shipping services, including post office boxes.
Educational institutions — including public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities — for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing essential functions provided that social distancing of six feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible.
Laundromats, dry cleaners and laundry service providers.
Restaurants can be open only for pickup or delivery of food; dine-in eating is banned. Businesses must establish measures to keep patrons six feet away from each other.
Businesses that supply products needed for people to work from home.
Businesses that supply other essential businesses with the support, services or supplies necessary to operate, provided that strict social distancing is maintained. This section includes, without limitation, utility companies.
Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, beverages or goods directly to residences or businesses.
Airlines, taxis, ride-sharing services and other private transportation services providing transportation services necessary for essential activities and other purposes expressly authorized in this order.
Home-based care for disabled persons, seniors, adults or children.
Residential facilities and shelters for disabled persons, seniors, adults and children.
Professional services, such as legal, payroll or accounting services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities.
Child-care facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this order to work as permitted. To the extent possible, child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions: Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer (“stable” means that the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day). Children shall not change from one group to another. If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other. Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children
Hotels, motels, shared rental units and similar facilities.
Military/defense contractors/federally funded research and development centers. Essential personnel may leave their residence to provide any service or perform any work deemed essential for national security, including, without limitation, defense, intelligence and aerospace development and manufacturing for the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and NASA and other federal government, and/or United States government departments and agencies. Essential personnel include prime, subprime and supplier contractor employees, at both the prime contract level and any supplier level at any tier, working on federal United States government contracts, such as contracts for national intelligence and national security requirements.
Essential retail businesses exempted from order to shut down
County of Los Angeles
Grocery stores, certified farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, pet supply, water, fresh meats, fish and poultry, and any other household consumer products (such as cleaning or personal care products). This includes stores that sell groceries and sell other non-grocery products, and products necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences;


latimes--2020-03-20--L.A. County confirms 61 new coronavirus cases, says median age among all patients is 47

One day after Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced extraordinary measures directing all Californians to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak , Los Angeles County confirmed 61 new coronavirus cases , including 12 individuals in Long Beach and two in Pasadena .
The new cases bring the county ’ s total to 292 amid the growing outbreak .
The median age for the total of those who have been infected is 47 , county Public Health Department Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said .
There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ferrer said at a briefing Friday .
So far , about 2,400 people have been tested in L.A. County .
Roughly 10 % of those have tested positive , health officials said .
Asked why someone would be denied coronavirus testing and who ultimately makes the decision in L.A. County , Ferrer said an individual would need to go to a medical provider , who would then authorize a test .
“ Don ’ t go to a hospital to get tested , ” she said .
Officials also announced that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who need to be quarantined .
More than 200 rooms will be available for people who will be provided space on a first-come , first-served basis .
Individuals who have tested positive for the virus , are showing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with the virus will be given priority .
Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state .
Contra Costa County announced its first death related to the virus : a person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Riverside County reported its fourth death , the 21st in California since the coronavirus outbreak began .
Information about the person who died wasn ’ t immediately available .
The number of reported cases continues to rise across the state .
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed Friday that an employee at California State Prison in Sacramento and an employee at San Quentin State Prison have both tested positive for COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
However , the agency said there are no confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Quentin have been on lockdown most of the week after several inmates developed flu-like symptoms .
The Corrections Department has not released the results of testing of those , or any other , prison inmates .
A veteran tested positive at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Wednesday .
The person , who was admitted after coming into the emergency room , is being cared for in isolation , and the risk of transmission to other patients and staff is low , said Steve Ruh , chief of communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The VA is screening veterans and staffers and isolating those found to be at risk , Ruh said .
In San Diego County , a third cluster of COVID-19 patients was announced Thursday , as the local count of virus cases jumped from 80 to 105 and efforts to house vulnerable people in local hotels progressed .
To deal with a possible surge in coronavirus patients , the state plans to lease beds at a Northern California hospital and skilled nursing facility that were facing closure .
California will lease the 357-bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 116-bed Seton Coastside in Moss Beach , the National Union of Healthcare Workers said in a news release .
Amid the continuing spread , Newsom on Thursday ordered Californians to stay at home , marking the first mandatory restrictions placed on the lives of all 40 million residents in the state ’ s fight against the novel coronavirus .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said that he “ strongly ” supported the move by Newsom , as well as a similar directive by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders .
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo , saying , “ I applaud them ” for “ taking very bold steps ” to limit activities in their states .
Newsom ’ s action comes at a critical time in California , where more than 1,000 people have tested positive for the disease , and it appeared to be the most far-reaching directive of any issued by states battling the epidemic .
The mandatory order allows Californians to continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores , farmers markets , food banks , convenience stores , takeout and delivery restaurants , banks and laundromats .
People can leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services .
It exempts workers in 16 federal critical infrastructure sectors , including food and agriculture , healthcare , transportation , energy , financial services , emergency response and others .
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “ necessary activities.
” “ We ’ re going to keep the grocery stores open , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to make sure that you ’ re getting critical medical supplies .
You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk your dog.
” No time frame was set for when the order would end .
It was unclear exactly how far the order would reach in communities where some operations , such as schools , have not been closed down .
Officials hope telling people to stay home and restrict social interactions will slow the spread of the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick patients .
The demand of all residents to stay at home marks the strongest escalation of the Newsom administration ’ s response to the virus and an unprecedented action in modern California history .
“ A state as large as ours , a nation-state , is many parts , but at the end of the day , we ’ re one body .
There ’ s a mutuality , there ’ s a recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That directive goes into force and effect this evening and we are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it , will do the right thing.
” Those who don ’ t abide by the order , administration officials said , could be subject to a misdemeanor citation .
Ventura County issued its own “ Stay Well at Home ” order Friday , with certain exceptions for essential activities .
Like Newsom ’ s mandatory statewide stay-at-home order , the Ventura County order emphasizes that people may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ventura County order is more specific , however , and says residents can engage in physical activity by themselves or with members of their household , such as walking , running , bicycling or working around their places of residence , including gardening , but they should keep 6 feet away from anyone outside of their household .
The order prohibits all travel except for essential reasons , such as caring for family or household members , obtaining medical supplies or visiting a healthcare professional , or obtaining food .
Those working for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as utilities , military bases , roads and highways and those constructing housing , are exempt .
And the issued its own restrictive order , requiring all nonessential businesses to close , with companies able to operate only through work-at-home arrangements .
The order also bans all public gatherings of any size outside homes .
“ All businesses , including museums , malls , retail stores , for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations , must stop operations that require workers to be present in person , ” Mayor Eric Garcetti said .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would occur outside of a single home will be allowed , with clear exceptions.
” Garcetti said residents should for essential activities and needs , including getting food ; caring for a relative , friend or child ; getting necessary healthcare ; or going for a walk in the neighborhood .
The extraordinary action comes as Newsom offered a grim projection about the toll the novel coronavirus might take on California .
He asked Congress on Thursday for $ 1 billion in federal funds to support the state ’ s medical response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects will infect more than half of all Californians .
The state projects that 25.5 million people in California will be infected over an eight-week period , Newsom said in a letter sent to Trump on Wednesday requesting the deployment of the U.S. Navy ’ s Mercy hospital ship to the Port of Los Angeles through Sept. 1 .
In a separate letter sent to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives , Newsom said the financial aid is crucial to the state ’ s ability to procure ventilators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deploy mobile hospitals and meet other healthcare needs .
“ The economic disruption caused by this public health crisis will have immediate and devastating effects on our entire country , including too many families in California , ” Newsom wrote .
“ The magnitude of this crisis is extraordinary and federal-state-local government coordination will be more critical than ever before.
” The governor ’ s office declined to provide to The Times an explanation of the state ’ s projection that 25.5 million Californians will be infected with this virus .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s mitigation efforts could lower that estimate .
“ Gov .
Newsom has been honest about the threat of the virus and its impact on the health and welfare of Californians , ” said Nathan Click , a spokesman for Newsom .
“ This projection shows why it ’ s so critical that Californians take action to slow the spread of the disease — and those mitigation efforts aren ’ t taken into account in those numbers .
The state is deploying every resource at its disposal to meet this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the federal government ’ s assistance in this fight.
” In a briefing Wednesday , the governor said the Navy hospital ship and two mobile hospitals would help the state care for an anticipated surge in patients .
The governor said the state would need roughly 20,000 more beds if more than half of Californians come down with the coronavirus .
“ That ’ s just one scenario plan .
There ’ s others that are more modest .
Some may , some cases [ may ] be more extreme , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re looking at getting an additional [ 19,000 ] to 20,000 beds in your system , you have to look at your existing surge capacity within the healthcare delivery system , and you have to look at procuring additional assets.
” The governor ’ s secretary of health and human services , Dr. Mark Ghaly , offered only a brief explanation Thursday of the methodology that went into the state ’ s projection of 25.5 million infected Californians , saying it was arrived at in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago .
“ We feel like we are well prepared because of that planning , ” Ghaly said .
The tens of millions of COVID-19 cases the Newsom administration is modeling represent an exponentially faster rate of spread than has been seen in other countries .
Worldwide , there are about 245,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections since the outbreak began late last year .
Though testing in California and the United States is still in its beginning phases , reaching 25.5 million positives in eight weeks would exceed even Italy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 people per each 1 million have tested positive , though that rate is still in flux .
Dr. Karen Smith , a communicable disease expert and former director of the California Department of Public Health , said it ’ s difficult to determine how many people will be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 because so much remains unknown about the novel coronavirus .
But Smith , who is advising the response to the pandemic in Santa Clara and Mendocino counties , said the virus is spreading so rapidly that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide closures of businesses that go beyond actions some counties have taken .
Before Thursday , Newsom had recommended that bars , restaurant dining rooms and other businesses shutter and left legal orders up to the discretion of county officials , who he has argued are in the best position to determine the appropriate response in their communities .
Smith said the patchwork approach no longer works at this stage in the fight against the virus .
“ I personally think that it will be more effective if it is done statewide than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Smith said .
“ There are some counties that aren ’ t doing anything , but it ’ s going to leak and it ’ s going to leak faster if the mitigation stops at some arbitrary boundary.
” She said even some counties that have adopted mandatory closures are allowing too many types of businesses to stay open .
Absent mandatory requirements , she said , residents aren ’ t taking recommendations seriously enough .
“ One way to get their attention is to mandate that all of those businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith said .
“ It ’ s hard and it ’ s going to hurt people and it ’ s going to hurt our most vulnerable people a lot , but so will not doing anything .
This is unprecedented , and it takes a long time for people to really get it.
” The governor ’ s request for additional federal funds came three days after lawmakers at the state Capitol approved a plan to spend as much as $ 1 billion on the state ’ s emergency medical response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick patients .
The Democratic governor also requested an expansion of unemployment insurance benefits beyond the 26-week maximum and more funding for Medicaid , federal food assistance , housing and homelessness , state-subsidized early learning and child care and several other safety net programs .
Newsom ’ s letter to Congress called for support for small businesses , including rental assistance , zero-interest loans and direct cash assistance , and the creation of a new U.S. Treasury Authority to provide guaranteed loans .
With many schools closed across the state and teachers struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the governor also asked for an expansion of technology investments for schools , an increase in Title I funding for schools with a high concentration of poverty , broadband internet upgrades , grants for teachers to adapt to digital-age instruction and more money for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs .
“ The challenges we face as elected leaders in this crisis are immense , ” Newsom wrote .
“ Working together , I am confident that we can meet this moment and take the necessary and immediate steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we continue to address — and begin to recover from — this unprecedented crisis.
” Times staff writers John Myers , Anita Chabria , Matt Stiles , Soumya Karlamangla and Emily Baumgaertner contributed to this report .

Taryn Luna, Paige St. John, Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby

One day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced extraordinary measures directing all Californians to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak, Los Angeles County confirmed 61 new coronavirus cases, including 12 people in Long Beach and two in Pasadena. The new cases bring the county’s total to 292 amid the growing outbreak.
The median age for the total of those who have been infected is 47, county Public Health Department Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said. There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive.
“The risk is spread across everyone,” Ferrer said at a briefing Friday.
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1 / 29 Workers at the Ralphs grocery store in Westchester measure out social distancing guidelines for its customers with markers every six feet and limiting the number of customers it allows in to shop. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 29 At Echo Park Lake, friends gather with their dogs and enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the park. Social distancing and home isolation remain in effect due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 29 During the coronavirus pandemic, people continue to walk and ride their bikes along the path at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 29 People run and walk on the Veterans Parkway in Manhattan Beach even with signage saying the space is closed to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus. (Dania Maxwell/Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 29 Jesus Mendoza sells roses on the sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles. Mendoza said his business was overwhelmed by hundred of boxes of roses they could not sell. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 29 Riverside County medical personnel administer a coronavirus test to a driver at a drive-though testing facility at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 29 Drivers line-up to get a coronavirus test administered by Riverside County medical personnel at a drive-though testing facility at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. Those tested have symptoms or have had a risk of exposure. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 29 Xiao Ping, holding a tray of eggs, looks back at the long line of egg buyers on Saturda morning in Chino. Spooked by coronavirus people from nearby Inland Empire cities started lining up early morning at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 29 Spooked by coronavirus fears, people from nearby Inland Empire cities lined-up to buy eggs at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 29 The sparsely trafficked intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles is seen in a drone image. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 29 School buses sit idle since all schools have been closed in Los Angeles County. The image was taken by drone. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 29 In this drone image, the Westfield Topanga mall parking lot sits empty, as new regulations have closed all indoor shopping centers in Canoga Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 29 Vehicles flow smoothly along Interstate 5 and the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles in this drone image. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 29 The city of Santa Monica has closed the Santa Monica Pier, and few people were on the beach Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 29 Shops are shuttered on historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 29 The intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 29 Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 29 Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 29 On the first day of L.A.’s ‘Safer at Home,” most major avenues and streets in downtown Los Angeles have very little traffic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 29 Empty streets in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 29 The main entrance to Union Station is closed. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 29 Union Station was restricted to only ticketed passenger and main entrance closed. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 23 / 29 Commuter protect themselves with a face mask while riding a bus at El Monte Metro Station. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 29 Salvation Army volunteer Christina Cuevas sets up cots for homeless at Westwood Recreation Center in Westwood. (Brian van der Brug/Brian van der Brug/Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 29 Popular shopping destination Rodeo Drive is all but deserted as retail shops are shuttered in Beverly Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 29 The Apple store is among all the stores which have closed during the coronavirus outbreak in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 29 With all the stores closed, Fashion Island is a ghost town except for an occasional customer getting food for take-out Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 29 People walk the beach, but maintain “social distancing” during the coronavirus outbreak at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 29 / 29 During the coronavirus epidemic people continue to walk, ride thier bikes, and play basketball at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
So far, about 2,400 people have been tested in L.A. County. Roughly 10% of those have tested positive, health officials said.
Asked why someone would be denied testing for the coronavirus and who ultimately makes the decision in L.A. County, Ferrer said an individual would need to go to a medical provider, who would then authorize a test.
“Don’t go to a hospital to get tested,” she said.
Officials also announced that the Sheraton Fairplex in Pomona will serve those who need to be quarantined. More than 200 rooms will be available for people who will be provided space on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals who have tested positive for the virus, are showing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with the virus will be given priority.
Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state. Contra Costa County announced its first death related to the virus: a person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe. The patient died Thursday in an undisclosed hospital.
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And Riverside County reported its fourth death, the 21st in California since the coronavirus outbreak began. Information about the person who died wasn’t immediately available.
Santa Clara County announced two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total to eight.
The number of reported cases continues to rise across the state. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed Friday that an employee at California State Prison in Sacramento and an employee at San Quentin State Prison have both tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. But the agency said there are no confirmed cases among inmates.
Some 1,800 prisoners at San Quentin have been on lockdown most of the week after several inmates developed flu-like symptoms. The Corrections Department has not released the results of testing of those, or any other, prison inmates.
In Irvine, a firefighter at Station 4 tested positive for the coronavirus, leading the Orange County Fire Authority to place 24 additional firefighters with whom he had contact in self-isolation.
The firefighter had no known contact with a positive individual and is already feeling better, Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said.
Having 25 firefighters out could impact the department, but should not have a huge effect on a department of 1,100, Fennessy said.
A veteran tested positive at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Wednesday. The person, who was admitted after coming into the emergency room, is being cared for in isolation, and the risk of transmission to other patients and staff is low, said Steve Ruh, chief of communications for the VA Greater L.A. Healthcare System. The VA is screening veterans and staffers and isolating those found to be at risk, Ruh said.
In San Diego County, a third cluster of COVID-19 patients was announced Thursday, as the local count of virus cases jumped from 80 to 105 and efforts to house vulnerable people in local hotels progressed.
To deal with a possible surge in coronavirus patients, the state plans to lease beds at a Northern California hospital and skilled nursing facility that were facing closure. California will lease the 357-bed Seton Medical Center in Daly City and 116-bed Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, the National Union of Healthcare Workers said in a news release.
In the meantime, Yosemite National Park shut down to all visitors on Friday. No access to the park will be permitted until further notice.
Amid the continuing spread, Newsom on Thursday ordered Californians to stay at home, marking the first mandatory restrictions placed on the lives of all 40 million residents in the state’s fight against the novel coronavirus.
Top federal officials applauded the decision at a White House press briefing Friday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that he “strongly” supported the move by Newsom, as well as a similar directive by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders.
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo, saying, “I applaud them” for “taking very bold steps” to limit activities in their states.
Newsom’s action comes at a critical time in California, where more than 1,000 people have tested positive for the disease, and it appeared to be the most far-reaching directive of any issued by states battling the epidemic.
The mandatory order allows Californians to continue to visit gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, banks and laundromats. People can leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services.
It exempts workers in 16 federal critical infrastructure sectors, including food and agriculture, healthcare, transportation, energy, financial services, emergency response and others.
1 / 44 The City of Santa Monica closed the Santa Monica Pier in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus. Very few people were on the beach in Santa Monica as the epidemic continues. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 44 Volunteer Nagma Shakur, 16, left, hugs her “Grannie” as she helps senior shoppers with their carts at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Altadena. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 44 People walk up the ramp, exiting the secure area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 44 David Barker, 56, is visiting with his friend living in a tent on skidrow in Los Angeles. Barker, who is not homeless, works in the area. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 44 Dr. Dallas Weaver, 79, and his wife, Janet Weaver, 75, of Huntington Beach, walk on the Huntington pier. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 44 Seniors, including Eileen Oda Leaf, 67, left, and her husband Dave Leaf, 67, right, both wearing protective masks, line up outside Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach early on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 44 Roberta Tabor, 66, of Hermosa Beach, has her ID checked by store director Dennis Sullivan at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors 65+ can go grocery shopping before anybody else. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 44 Seniors shop at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors can go grocery shopping before the store opens to the general public. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 44 Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees testing at UCLA Medical Center where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. Morocco listens to a female patient’s lungs through the car window. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 44 HOPICS outreach worker Ralph Gomez tosses a clipboard for a signature to homeless client Davis Soto, right, taking care to stay at least six feet away during outreach in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 44 Medical personnel screen patients outside the emergency room at Loma Linda University Health during the coronavirus pandemic. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 44 A nurse takes the vital signs of a woman in a medical tent outside the hospital on Catalina. (Francine Orr/Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 44 An employee of the Trader Joe’s store in Monrovia tells customers waiting in line that it would open doors to everyone at 9 a.m., not just seniors, who arrived believing doors would open earlier to older residents, as some of the people were told by employees and it was reported. Some grocery outlets were offering special morning hours of shopping to accommodate older residents. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 44 Kevin Ezeh, protected with face mask and gloves, addresses the Los Angeles City Council meeting standing under a tent erected outside City Hall. A television livestreamed video of the meeting and the public offered comments remotely. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 44 Orange County Undersheriff Bob Peterson listens during a board of supervisors discussion on combating the coronavirus in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 44 Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees the testing at UCLA Medical Center. Testing for Covid-19 is going on at UCLA Medical Center, where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 44 A large tent is installed for public attendance at Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting. The public was not allowed in the council chamber. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 44 Shoppers queue up ahead of the Los Feliz Costco opening for business on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 44 Muhammad Faruq, an Uber driver, picks his ride Sotero Reyes, left, and Cristian Eguia, visitors from Houston, all in protective masks, from downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 44 Volunteer Rachel Figueroa, serves a free lunch to go to Destiny Mendez, with her mother, Estefany, at the Dream Center in Los Angeles. LAUSD students can get free breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Dream Center, Monday through Friday. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 44 Emma Bradley, left, and her husband, Samuel Bradley, of Palmdale are walking up the ramp to catch the Metrolink in Union Sation in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 44 Medical personnel surround a car that is going through a coronavirus drive-thru test clinic at the San Mateo County Event Center. Drive-thru test clinics for COVID-19 are popping up across the country as more tests become available. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 23 / 44 From left, Josh Akamine, of Oahu, Hawaii; Madison Shine of Oahu; Matthew Valencia of Los Altos and Dani Ikeda visit L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 44 Normally bustling Grand Central Market in downtown L.A. is open only for take out. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 44 L.A. has banned restaurants from offering seating at places such as Grand Central Market. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 44 Carlos Perez, a worker at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles sits in the empty restaurant. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 44 A line at the Martin B. Retting gun store in Culver City on Sunday extends out the door and around the corner. (Francine Orr / The Times) 28 / 44 A guest wears a mask in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 44 Students hug as they are let out of school at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 13, 2020. The school has 2,623 students who live in 94 different zip codes, some of whom travel upwards of 30 miles to school on 24 different school bus routes. 221 school staff live in 88 zip codes. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that schools will be closed due to the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 30 / 44 Blake Anderson, left, a freshman, walks with his father Oree Anderson, as school is let out at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. LAUSD announced that schools will be closed due to the Coronavirus. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 44 Students leave John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles at the end of the school day on Friday, Mar. 13, 2020. LAUSD announced it will shut down beginning Monday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times ) 32 / 44 Alexandria Casserly crosses the street while looking for toilet paper in downtown Los Angeles. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 44 A crew member stands on the stern of a cruise ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 34 / 44 Two children look at movie posters in the lobby of the Arclight theater Thursday in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 44 Disneyland guests wearing ponchos pass the Marketplace inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Thursday. Disneyland and California Adventure will temporarily close in response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 44 People shop at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 44 Disneyland guests take photos in front of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 44 Airline workers take precautions at Tom Bradley International Terminal in Los Angeles on Thursday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 44 An airport worker cleans a railing at Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 44 Two people arrive at Knott’s Berry Farm on Thursday in Buena Park. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 44 Cab drivers wait for riders at the Long Beach Airport. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 42 / 44 The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 43 / 44 A woman claims her luggage at he Long Beach Airport. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 44 / 44 The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “necessary activities.”
“We’re going to keep the grocery stores open,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that you’re getting critical medical supplies. You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog.”
No time frame was set for when the order would end. It was unclear exactly how far the order would reach in communities where some operations, such as schools, have not been closed down.
Officials hope telling people to stay home and restrict social interactions will slow the spread of the virus and ultimately prevent hospitals from being overrun with sick patients. The demand of all residents to stay at home marks the strongest escalation of the Newsom administration’s response to the virus and an unprecedented action in modern California history.
“A state as large as ours, a nation-state, is many parts, but at the end of the day, we’re one body. There’s a mutuality, there’s a recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay at home,” Newsom said. “That directive goes into force and effect this evening and we are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it, will do the right thing.”
Those who don’t abide by the order, administration officials said, could be subject to a misdemeanor citation.
Ventura County issued its own “stay well at home” order Friday, with certain exceptions for essential activities.
Like Newsom’s mandatory statewide stay-at-home order, the Ventura County order emphasizes that people may leave their homes to exercise. The Ventura County order is more specific, however, and says residents can engage in physical activity by themselves or with members of their household, such as walking, running, bicycling or working around their places of residence, including gardening, but they should keep six feet away from anyone outside of their household.
The order prohibits all travel except for essential reasons, such as caring for family or household members, obtaining medical supplies or visiting a healthcare professional, or obtaining food.
Those working for healthcare operations or essential infrastructure, such as utilities, military bases, roads and highways and those constructing housing, are exempt.
And the city of Los Angeles issued its own restrictive order, requiring all nonessential businesses to close, with companies able to operate only through work-at-home arrangements. The order also bans all public gatherings of any size outside homes.
“All businesses, including museums, malls, retail stores, for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, must stop operations that require workers to be present in person,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “No public and private gatherings of any size that would occur outside of a single home will be allowed, with clear exceptions.”
Garcetti said residents should leave home only for essential activities and needs, including getting food; caring for a relative, friend or child; getting necessary healthcare; or going for a walk in the neighborhood.
The extraordinary action comes as Newsom offered a grim projection about the toll the novel coronavirus might take on California. He asked Congress on Thursday for $1 billion in federal funds to support the state’s medical response to COVID-19, which he said he expects will infect more than half of all Californians.
The state projects that 25.5 million people in California will be infected over an eight-week period, Newsom said in a letter sent to Trump on Wednesday requesting the deployment of the U.S. Navy’s Mercy hospital ship to the Port of Los Angeles through Sept. 1.
In a separate letter sent to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Newsom said the financial aid is crucial to the state’s ability to procure ventilators and other medical supplies, activate state-run hospitals, deploy mobile hospitals and meet other healthcare needs.
“The economic disruption caused by this public health crisis will have immediate and devastating effects on our entire country, including too many families in California,” Newsom wrote. “The magnitude of this crisis is extraordinary and federal-state-local government coordination will be more critical than ever before.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s letter to President Donald Trump on coronavirus assistance Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to President Trump on March 19 seeking assistance with the fight against coronavirus.
The governor’s office declined to provide to The Times an explanation of the state’s projection that 25.5 million Californians will be infected with this virus. Instead, a spokesman for the governor said the state’s mitigation efforts could lower that estimate.
“Gov. Newsom has been honest about the threat of the virus and its impact on the health and welfare of Californians,” said Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom. “This projection shows why it’s so critical that Californians take action to slow the spread of the disease — and those mitigation efforts aren’t taken into account in those numbers. The state is deploying every resource at its disposal to meet this challenge, and we continue to ask for the federal government’s assistance in this fight.”
In a briefing Wednesday, the governor said the Navy hospital ship and two mobile hospitals would help the state care for an anticipated surge in patients. The governor said the state would need roughly 20,000 more beds if more than half of Californians come down with the coronavirus.
“That’s just one scenario plan. There’s others that are more modest. Some may, some cases [may] be more extreme,” Newsom said. “When you’re looking at getting an additional [19,000] to 20,000 beds in your system, you have to look at your existing surge capacity within the healthcare delivery system, and you have to look at procuring additional assets.”
The governor’s secretary of health and human services, Dr. Mark Ghaly, offered only a brief explanation Thursday of the methodology that went into the state’s projection of 25.5 million infected Californians, saying it was arrived at in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was developed a few weeks ago.
“We feel like we are well prepared because of that planning,” Ghaly said.
The tens of millions of COVID-19 cases the Newsom administration is modeling represent an exponentially faster rate of spread than has been seen in other countries. Worldwide, there are about 245,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections since the outbreak began late last year.
Though testing in California and the United States is still in its beginning phases, reaching 25.5 million positives in eight weeks would exceed even Italy’s rate of infection, where about 600 people per each 1 million have tested positive, though that rate is still in flux.
Dr. Karen Smith, a communicable disease expert and former director of the California Department of Public Health, said it’s difficult to determine how many people will be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 because so much remains unknown about the novel coronavirus.
But Smith, who is advising the response to the pandemic in Santa Clara and Mendocino counties, said the virus is spreading so rapidly that it’s time for Newsom to mandate statewide closures of businesses that go beyond actions some counties have taken.
Before Thursday, Newsom had recommended that bars, restaurant dining rooms and other businesses shutter and left legal orders up to the discretion of county officials, who he has argued are in the best position to determine the appropriate response in their communities.
Smith said the patchwork approach no longer works at this stage in the fight against the virus.
“I personally think that it will be more effective if it is done statewide than if it is done county by county,” Smith said. “There are some counties that aren’t doing anything, but it’s going to leak and it’s going to leak faster if the mitigation stops at some arbitrary boundary.”
She said even some counties that have adopted mandatory closures are allowing too many types of businesses to stay open. Absent mandatory requirements, she said, residents aren’t taking recommendations seriously enough.
“One way to get their attention is to mandate that all of those businesses close and they stay home,” Smith said. “It’s hard and it’s going to hurt people and it’s going to hurt our most vulnerable people a lot, but so will not doing anything. This is unprecedented, and it takes a long time for people to really get it.”
The governor’s request for additional federal funds came three days after lawmakers at the state Capitol approved a plan to spend as much as $1 billion on the state’s emergency medical response to the pandemic in anticipation of a surge in sick patients.
The Democratic governor also requested an expansion of unemployment insurance benefits beyond the 26-week maximum and more funding for Medicaid, federal food assistance, housing and homelessness, state-subsidized early learning and child care and several other safety net programs.
Newsom’s letter to Congress called for support for small businesses, including rental assistance, zero-interest loans and direct cash assistance, and the creation of a new U.S. Treasury Authority to provide guaranteed loans.
With many schools closed across the state and teachers struggling to implement online and alternative learning programs, the governor also asked for an expansion of technology investments for schools, an increase in Title I funding for schools with a high concentration of poverty, broadband internet upgrades, grants for teachers to adapt to digital-age instruction and more money for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs.
“The challenges we face as elected leaders in this crisis are immense,” Newsom wrote. “Working together, I am confident that we can meet this moment and take the necessary and immediate steps to address our economic and societal needs as we continue to address — and begin to recover from — this unprecedented crisis.”
Times staff writers John Myers, Anita Chabria, Matt Stiles, Soumya Karlamangla and Emily Baumgaertner contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-20--How can you grieve without a funeral? As coronavirus restrictions become more strict, families make

How can you grieve without a funeral? As coronavirus restrictions become more strict, families make heartbreaking choices

As her father lay dying of congestive heart failure this month , Mary Jo Dixon asked what kind of funeral he wanted .
Glenn Wilson , 78 , asked for old-fashioned hymns .
“ In the Garden ” sung by Andy Griffith .
“ The Old Rugged Cross ” by Alan Jackson .
Please finish the service , he requested , with “ Amazing Grace.
” His Baptist pastor would officiate .
He did not want to be cremated .
He had already paid for a cemetery plot .
Dixon scribbled the requests in a spiral notebook with the words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover .
What a blessing , indeed , she thought , to be able to plan it with him during the month he was in hospice care .
Wilson died at home in Marysville , Wash. , on Sunday .
His large family — he was one of 12 children and had four daughters , each with their own children — hoped for a funeral Saturday .
But this week , amid dramatic efforts to stop the novel coronavirus , everyone in the country was urged to stay home .
President Trump warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Which includes funerals .
What followed for Wilson ’ s family were the kind of heartrending decisions about his funeral — How do you choose the few people who can attend ?
Can it be postponed ?
Should it be live-streamed ?
— that will become increasingly common for Americans in this uncertain new world of COVID-19 .
“ Honestly , I ’ m not sure I ’ m going to be able to honor my dad ’ s wishes , ” Dixon said Tuesday , her voice cracking .
On Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death , the funeral director called and said the planned service , with 150 or so people , could not happen and that they should consider a 25-person limit .
Dixon couldn ’ t imagine turning loved ones away .
She considered postponing , hoping the restrictions would lift soon .
But with escalating orders against public life seemingly every hour , that hope quickly faded .
Her father ’ s body was at the funeral home , and she knew that his remains could only be preserved for so long .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a very real situation , so it ’ s not like we ’ re not in tune with what ’ s going on , ” Dixon said Tuesday .
“ However , it ’ s my dad , and I want to honor him ... .
I ’ m having huge anxiety because I can ’ t make plans just yet.
” Across the country , funeral directors said the rapid spread of the disease and shutdowns of public gatherings had upended their work and left grieving families at a loss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in chapels or offered to only do small graveside burials limited to 10 people .
Others switched from open-casket viewings to broadcasting video streams of services with bodies of loved ones out of sight .
“ This is a whole new terrain , ” said Amy Cunningham , a Brooklyn-based funeral director who runs Fitting Tribute Funeral Services .
If a family wanted a large ceremony , it could “ leave the family with few choices , one being to just sign authorization forms and give your permission to have a body cremated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended live-streaming funerals and limiting physical attendance to immediate family .
The CDC says there is no known risk associated with being in the same room with the body of someone who died from COVID-19 and that those bodies can be safely buried or cremated .
People should , however , avoid kissing them .
The CDC advised funeral directors and those who touch the bodies of people who died from coronavirus to wear protective equipment , including disposable gloves .
Some funeral directors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wiping down body bags , even for those who have died of causes other than the coronavirus , said Walker Posey , a spokesman for the National Funeral Directors Assn.
, an industry group .
“ I have two services coming up where they were going to be big and public , but no longer , ” said Posey , a fourth-generation funeral director at Posey Funeral Directors in North Augusta , S.C. “ The families decided to slash and postpone the big-service invites and make what ’ s happening now private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not a bad idea , ” Posey said .
“ You get a chance to grieve a death and then have a positive gathering months later , when things slow down , to remember your loved one.
” In Dougherty County , Ga. , public health officials took the extraordinary step Tuesday of naming two men whose recent funerals were believed to have been events where the virus was spread .
The funerals , in separate churches , were handled by the same Albany funeral home .
Dougherty County Coroner Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have been at least three deaths connected to the funerals in which coronavirus is suspected .
The grieving process has already changed around the globe .
In hard-hit Italy , where newspapers have been forced to add more space for obituaries , crematoriums have been running 24 hours a day , and services are taking place with only an officiant and a funeral home employee .
In California , where there had been 19 deaths linked to the virus as of Thursday afternoon , storage of bodies is not currently a problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the California Funeral Directors Assn .
But storage “ is not inexhaustible , ” he said .
People , he said , will have to get used to virtual funerals if the restrictions stretch on for weeks or months , as seems likely .
Despite the adjustments , Achermann added , “ Life goes on .
Death goes on.
” At Forest Lawn , which operates six memorial parks and five planning centers across Southern California , funerals are currently limited to 10 people , with free live-streaming , and cleaning protocols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
For live-streamed services , there are no closeups of bodies , he said .
Families , Smith said , have been remarkably understanding .
“ It ’ s not like what I run into when I go to Ralphs , which is crazy time , ” he said , referencing hoarding and crowds at local supermarkets .
“ Here , people ’ s manners have been lovely , between the guests , who are going through a very difficult time and are coming here and being great , and our employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett runs A Sacred Moment funeral service in Everett , Wash. , in the Seattle area , which has been hit hard by the virus .
She said the small things have been the hardest .
When a grieving family comes into her office , she no longer has chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate out for them because of restrictions on businesses that serve food .
“ Those cookies are comfort , ” she said .
“ That is part of our job , to help people feel just a little better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s getting harder.
” Barrett has been handling the service for Glenn Wilson .
After three days of uncertainty , she was able to give the family good news on Wednesday : They could have a graveside burial service on Saturday with 50 people , since it would be outdoors .
Barrett planned to send five employees to enforce six feet of separation among attendees , give sanitizing wipes to each family member and post signs around the cemetery about social distancing .
But plans quickly changed , again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of Washington had banned funerals as “ non-essential services ” and that internments would be limited to “ delivery only.
” Barrett called Dixon with the bad news Friday morning : Wilson ’ s graveside service was canceled .
Wilson ’ s body remained at the funeral home .
The family holds out hope for a small service in the coming weeks , with a much bigger memorial later .
But everything is in limbo .
Dixon ’ s father , a truck driver and quiet , “ gentle soul , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month .
At one point , Dixon , who had not been out of the house for days , ventured out to get toilet paper .
She tried three stores before ending up at a Walmart where there were still no rolls .
Standing in line behind a woman with a pack of Angel Soft , she told the woman that she was lucky to find toilet paper — that her dad was home dying and they couldn ’ t find any .
The woman gave the package to her .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are my angel today , ’ ” Dixon said .
“ It just shows you how kind people can be .
That would have been my dad.
” As the funeral plans kept changing , Dixon tried to explain to her mother , who has dementia .
Sometimes she understood .
Sometimes she did not , and ventured to the room where he died , looking for him .
In the difficult days after his death , Dixon tried to calm her mother with reruns of “ The Andy Griffith Show ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her mother asked her : “ When ’ s your dad going to be back ?
” Dixon explained that he had died .
Her mother wept .
“ He was the best person I have ever known in my whole life , ” she kept saying .
Glenn and Louise Wilson would have been married 60 years this summer .
They met when she was 13 and he was 14 .
He was fixing a car in a gas station parking lot , and she rode up on a horse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his death that , somehow , they ended up at a dance together .
“ We went to that dance , ” he said , “ And we danced all night , and I never wanted to let her go , ever .
”

Jose Velasquez, left, with his parents Maria Becerril and Victor Becerril, gather at the grave of his brother Carlos Velasquez at Forest Lawn to mark Carlos’ birthday. Carlos died 10 years ago in Afghanistan.
As her father lay dying of congestive heart failure this month, Mary Jo Dixon asked what kind of funeral he wanted.
Glenn Wilson, 78, asked for old-fashioned hymns. “In the Garden” sung by Andy Griffith. “The Old Rugged Cross” by Alan Jackson. Please finish the service, he requested, with “Amazing Grace.”
For the record: An earlier version of this article quoted Mary Jo Dixon as saying, “My worst fear came through today.” She actually said: “My worst fear came true today.”
His Baptist pastor would officiate. He did not want to be cremated. He had already paid for a cemetery plot.
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Dixon scribbled the requests in a spiral notebook with the words “Blessed Beyond Measure” on the cover. What a blessing, indeed, she thought, to be able to plan it with him during the month he was in hospice care.
Wilson died at home in Marysville, Wash., on Sunday. His large family — he was one of 12 children and had four daughters, each with her own children — hoped for a funeral Saturday.
But this week, amid dramatic efforts to stop the novel coronavirus, everyone in the country was urged to stay home. President Trump warned against gatherings of more than 10 people. Which includes funerals.
Glenn and Louise Wilson, of Marysville, Wash., on their wedding day in 1960. Glenn died on March 15 and his funeral is in limbo because of coronavirus restrictions. (Wilson family)
What followed for Wilson’s family were the kind of heartrending decisions about his funeral — How do you choose the few people who can attend? Can it be postponed? Should it be livestreamed? — that will become increasingly common for Americans in this uncertain new world of COVID-19.
“Honestly, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to honor my dad’s wishes,” Dixon said Tuesday, her voice cracking.
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On Monday, the day after her father’s death, the funeral director called and said that the planned service, with 150 or so people, could not happen and that they should consider a 25-person limit. Dixon couldn’t imagine turning loved ones away.
She considered postponing, hoping the restrictions would lift soon. But with escalating orders against public life seemingly every hour, that hope quickly faded. Her father’s body was at the funeral home, and she knew that his remains could be preserved for only so long.
“We do realize that it’s a very real situation, so it’s not like we’re not in tune with what’s going on,” Dixon said Tuesday. “However, it’s my dad, and I want to honor him. ... I’m having huge anxiety because I can’t make plans just yet.”
Across the country, funeral directors said the rapid spread of the disease and shutdowns of public gatherings had upended their work and left grieving families at a loss.
Many directors refused to hold funeral services in chapels or offered to only do small graveside burials limited to 10 people. Others switched from open-casket viewings to broadcasting video streams of services with bodies of loved ones out of sight.
“This is a whole new terrain,” said Amy Cunningham, a Brooklyn-based funeral director who runs Fitting Tribute Funeral Services. At a Jewish funeral home where she frequently works, Sherman’s Flatbush Memorial Chapel, most traditional services were canceled this week.
“It leaves the family with few choices, one being to just sign authorization forms and give your permission to have a body cremated with no service,” Cunningham said.
She is giving families the option to have a funeral with just a casket and officiant — with anybody else watching live via video stream, separately in their own cars, before heading to a graveside service where everyone stands 6 feet apart.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended livestreaming funerals and limiting physical attendance to immediate family.
The CDC says that there is no known risk associated with being in the same room with the body of someone who died from COVID-19 and that those bodies can be safely buried or cremated. People should, however, avoid kissing them.
The CDC advised funeral directors and those who touch the bodies of people who died from the coronavirus to wear protective equipment, including disposable gloves.
Some funeral directors have resorted to double-bagging bodies, using masks and wiping down body bags, even for those who have died of causes other than the coronavirus, said Walker Posey, a spokesman for the National Funeral Directors Assn., an industry group.
Glenn Wilson of Marysville, Wash., died on March 15, but his funeral was in limbo because of restrictions to combat the coronavirus. He was 78. (Wilson family)
“I have two services coming up where they were going to be big and public, but no longer,” said Posey, a fourth-generation funeral director at Posey Funeral Directors in North Augusta, S.C.
“The families decided to slash and postpone the big-service invites and make what’s happening now private. Considering everything going on, it’s not a bad idea,” Posey said. “You get a chance to grieve a death and then have a positive gathering months later, when things slow down, to remember your loved one.”
In Dougherty County, Ga., public health officials took the extraordinary step Tuesday of naming two men whose recent funerals were believed to have been events where the virus was spread. The funerals, in separate churches, were handled by the same Albany funeral home.
Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler told The Times on Wednesday that there have been at least three deaths connected to the funerals in which the coronavirus is suspected.
The grieving process has already changed around the globe. In hard-hit Italy, where newspapers have been forced to add more space for obituaries, crematoriums have been running 24 hours a day, and services are taking place with only an officiant and a funeral home employee.
In California, where there had been 19 deaths linked to the virus as of Thursday afternoon, storage of bodies is not currently a problem, said Bob Achermann, executive director of the California Funeral Directors Assn. But storage “is not inexhaustible,” he said.
People, he said, will have to get used to virtual funerals if the restrictions stretch on for weeks or months, as seems likely.
Despite the adjustments, Achermann added, “life goes on. Death goes on.”
At Forest Lawn, which operates six memorial parks and five planning centers across Southern California, funerals are currently limited to 10 people, with free livestreaming, and cleaning protocols have been enhanced, spokesman Tom Smith said. For livestreamed services, there are no closeups of bodies, he said.
Families, Smith said, have been remarkably understanding.
“It’s not like what I run into when I go to Ralphs, which is crazy time,” he said, referencing hoarding and crowds at local supermarkets. “Here, people’s manners have been lovely, between the guests, who are going through a very difficult time and are coming here and being great, and our employees being incredibly sympathetic and understanding.”
Char Barrett runs A Sacred Moment funeral service in Everett, Wash., in the Seattle area, which has been hit hard by the virus. She said the small things have been the hardest.
When a grieving family comes into her office, she no longer has chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate out for them because of restrictions on businesses that serve food.
“Those cookies are comfort,” she said. “That is part of our job, to help people feel just a little better in the worst week of their lives. It’s getting harder.”
Barrett has been handling the service for Glenn Wilson.
After three days of uncertainty, she was able to give the family good news on Wednesday: They could have a graveside burial service on Saturday with 50 people, since it would be outdoors. Barrett planned to send five employees to enforce 6 feet of separation among attendees, give sanitizing wipes to each family member and post signs around the cemetery about social distancing.
But plans quickly changed, again. Late Thursday, Barrett learned that the state of Washington had banned funerals as “nonessential services” and that interments would be limited to “delivery only.”
Barrett called Dixon with the bad news Friday morning: Wilson’s graveside service was canceled.
“My worst fear came true today,” Dixon said.
Wilson’s body remained at the funeral home. The family holds out hope for a small service in the coming weeks, with a much bigger memorial later. But everything is in limbo.
Dixon’s father, a truck driver and quiet, “gentle soul,” was in hospice care at home for a month.
At one point, Dixon, who had not been out of the house for days, ventured out to get toilet paper. She tried three stores before ending up at a Walmart where there were still no rolls.
Standing in line behind a woman with a pack of Angel Soft, she told the woman that she was lucky to find toilet paper — that her dad was home dying and they couldn’t find any. The woman gave the package to her.
“I said, ‘Oh, you are my angel today,’” Dixon said. “It just shows you how kind people can be. That would have been my dad.”
As the funeral plans kept changing, Dixon tried to explain to her mother, who has dementia. Sometimes she understood. Sometimes she did not, and ventured to the room where he died, looking for him. In the difficult days after his death, Dixon tried to calm her mother with reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show” on Netflix.
On Friday, Dixon said, her mother asked her: “When’s your dad going to be back?”
Dixon explained that he had died. Her mother wept. “He was the best person I have ever known in my whole life,” she kept saying.
Glenn and Louise Wilson would have been married 60 years this summer. They met when she was 13 and he was 14. He was fixing a car in a gas station parking lot, and she rode up on a horse.
He told a hospice nurse just before his death that, somehow, they ended up at a dance together.
“We went to that dance,” he said, “And we danced all night, and I never wanted to let her go, ever.”


latimes--2020-03-21--California's final presidential primary results may be delayed due to coronavirus

The final results from California ’ s presidential primary might not be known until late April , after Gov .
Gavin Newsom gave local elections officials additional time to tally the votes due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Newsom issued an executive order on Friday adding 21 days for California counties to report results from the March 3 statewide primary .
By law , counties normally have 30 days after an election to complete the official count and submit those numbers to the secretary of state .
The latest tabulations prior to the governor ’ s actions showed 313,739 ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 58 counties .
Almost one-fifth of those ballots were cast in Los Angeles County , where a series of problems with ballot marking devices and electronic registration tablets hindered in-person voting in many locations on election day .
Newsom also ordered additional time for communities considering a switch from at-large to district elections for local offices .
And he directed elections officials to use only vote-by-mail procedures for three special elections to be held this spring .
Several California counties have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak , affecting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has included the counting of presidential ballots — county staff members have been sent home to slow the spread of the virus .
In some rural communities , ballot counting is done by older volunteers who may be more vulnerable to contracting the virus .
Incomplete returns show Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with more than 35 % of the vote in the Democratic presidential primary , with former Vice President Joe Biden in second place and garnering 28 % of the vote .
Under Democratic Party rules , the two men would both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for grabs based on the statewide total .
An addtional 271 delegates are awarded by the top vote-getters in each of California ’ s 53 congressional districts .
Other Democratic hopefuls , even those who have withdrawn from the race , could end up winning some of those delegates once the vote is certified .
The order by Newsom means final tallies aren ’ t due until April 24 .
Those results will now be certified on May 1 .
“ Our democracy will not be halted by this pandemic , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a written statement .
“ We will adapt to new circumstances and continue to provide free and fair elections for our citizens.
” Switching to absentee ballots for the three upcoming special elections — in the 25th Congressional District in northern Los Angeles County and part of Ventura County , the 25th state Senate District in Riverside County and a recall election involving three City Council members in Westminster — avoids the challenges of social distancing at voting locations .
The order does not , however , prohibit early in-person voting as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom issued a series of executive orders over recent days in response to the coronavirus crisis , most notably a mandatory stay-at-home directive for all Californians who don ’ t work in essential services operations .
Public health concerns have grown steadily in the short time period since voters across the state cast ballots .

The final results from California’s presidential primary might not be known until late April, after Gov. Gavin Newsom gave local elections officials additional time to tally the votes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Newsom issued an executive order on Friday adding 21 days for California counties to report results from the March 3 statewide primary. By law, counties normally have 30 days after an election to complete the official count and submit those numbers to the secretary of state.
The latest tabulations prior to the governor’s actions showed 313,739 ballots yet to be examined across the state’s 58 counties. Almost one-fifth of those ballots were cast in Los Angeles County, where a series of problems with ballot marking devices and electronic registration tablets hindered in-person voting in many locations on election day.
Newsom also ordered additional time for communities considering a switch from at-large to district elections for local offices. And he directed elections officials to use only vote-by-mail procedures for three special elections to be held this spring.
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Several California counties have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak, affecting a variety of local government services. That has included the counting of presidential ballots — county staff members have been sent home to slow the spread of the virus. In some rural communities, ballot counting is done by older volunteers who may be more vulnerable to contracting the virus.
Incomplete returns show Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with more than 35% of the vote in the Democratic presidential primary, with former Vice President Joe Biden in second place and garnering 28% of the vote. Under Democratic Party rules, the two men would both be awarded some of the 144 delegates up for grabs based on the statewide total. An addtional 271 delegates are awarded by the top vote-getters in each of California’s 53 congressional districts. Other Democratic hopefuls, even those who have withdrawn from the race, could end up winning some of those delegates once the vote is certified.
The order by Newsom means final tallies aren’t due until April 24. Those results will now be certified on May 1.
“Our democracy will not be halted by this pandemic,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a written statement. “We will adapt to new circumstances and continue to provide free and fair elections for our citizens.”
Switching to absentee ballots for the three upcoming special elections — in the 25th Congressional District in northern Los Angeles County and part of Ventura County, the 25th state Senate District in Riverside County and a recall election involving three City Council members in Westminster — avoids the challenges of social distancing at voting locations. The order does not, however, prohibit early in-person voting as long as public health guidelines are followed.
Newsom issued a series of executive orders over recent days in response to the coronavirus crisis, most notably a mandatory stay-at-home directive for all Californians who don’t work in essential services operations. Public health concerns have grown steadily in the short time period since voters across the state cast ballots.


latimes--2020-03-20--Gov. Gavin Newsom deploys California National Guard to assist food banks during coronavirus outbreak

Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide serving residents whose needs have not been met due to food shortages during the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank distribution warehouse in Sacramento County and will also assess the needs of other California counties that have requested assistance with their food bank programs .
“ It ’ s in these times of crisis that Californians are at their best , coming to the aid of those in their community who are most in need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for families , and are needed now more than ever , ” Newsom said in a statement released Friday night .
“ Families across our state are suddenly losing work , and millions of Californians most vulnerable to COVID-19 are staying home to protect their health and the health of others.
” Newsom put the guard on alert earlier this week , saying it would focus on both humanitarian and public safety needs .
Newsom specifically pointed out that the state wanted to ensure that “ food delivery is happening appropriately ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers hoarding food and other essential household goods .
California ’ s National Guard force of roughly 22,000 troops has often been activated in times of disaster and crisis , particularly in response to devastating wildfires and earthquakes .
Then-Gov .
Pete Wilson deployed the guard after the 1992 Los Angeles riots , when troops patrolled streets and enforced a night-time curfew .
Earlier this month , a California National Guard helicopter delivered supplies to the Grand Princess cruise ship when it was held off San Francisco until some of the passengers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ship eventually docked in Oakland .
More than 25 states have already called in their national guard troops in response to the pandemic .
Newsom said that due to the coronavirus crisis , food banks throughout California have been affected by a decline in volunteers .
The California National Guard will play a temporary role until assistance can be provided by other public service groups , including AmeriCorps , California Conservation Corps and Local Conservation Corps members , Newsom said .
The California National Guard could later be called on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the spread of the coronavirus throughout California , which state officials expect to overwhelm the state ’ s hospital system .
The guard could also assist local law enforcement if needed to enforce the governor ’ s executive order to have most Californians stay at home and businesses deemed nonessential to remain closed .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom gives an update to the state’s response to the coronavirus at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova on Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide serving residents whose needs have not been met due to food shortages during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank distribution warehouse in Sacramento County and will also assess the needs of other California counties that have requested assistance with their food bank programs.
“It’s in these times of crisis that Californians are at their best, coming to the aid of those in their community who are most in need. Food banks provide a critical lifeline for families, and are needed now more than ever,” Newsom said in a statement released Friday night. “Families across our state are suddenly losing work, and millions of Californians most vulnerable to COVID-19 are staying home to protect their health and the health of others.”
Newsom put the guard on alert earlier this week, saying it would focus on both humanitarian and public safety needs. Newsom specifically pointed out that the state wanted to ensure that “food delivery is happening appropriately” and expressed concern about grocery stores overwhelmed by customers hoarding food and other essential household goods.
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PHOTOS: California and the coronavirus | Mayor issues ‘safer at home’ order
California’s National Guard force of roughly 22,000 troops has often been activated in times of disaster and crisis, particularly in response to devastating wildfires and earthquakes.
Then-Gov. Pete Wilson deployed the guard after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when troops patrolled streets and enforced a night-time curfew. Earlier this month, a California National Guard helicopter delivered supplies to the Grand Princess cruise ship when it was held off San Francisco until some of the passengers and crew could be tested for the coronavirus. The ship eventually docked in Oakland.
More than 25 states have already called in their national guard troops in response to the pandemic.
Newsom said that due to the coronavirus crisis, food banks throughout California have been affected by a decline in volunteers. The California National Guard will play a temporary role until assistance can be provided by other public service groups, including AmeriCorps, California Conservation Corps and Local Conservation Corps members, Newsom said.
The California National Guard could later be called on to provide medical and logistical support to deal with the spread of the coronavirus throughout California, which state officials expect to overwhelm the state’s hospital system.
The guard could also assist local law enforcement if needed to enforce the governor’s executive order to have most Californians stay at home and businesses deemed nonessential to remain closed.