latimes--2020-03-18--L.A. County confirms 46 new coronavirus cases as deaths in California rise to 17

Los Angeles County on Wednesday confirmed 46 new cases of the novel coronavirus , including eight in Long Beach and two in Pasadena .
The new cases bring the county ’ s total to 190 .
All new patients have been isolated , and their close contacts are being quarantined , L.A. County Public Health Department director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said .
The number of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 is expected to increase over the next several weeks , health officials warned .
“ We ’ re going to see an increase in positive cases today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ferrer said .
“ We can not stop the spread of COVID-19 .
All of our strategies are aimed at slowing the spread.
” Ferrer directed anyone feeling overwhelmed by the situation to contact the county ’ s Department of Mental Health at 800-854-7771 .
With coronavirus cases spreading rapidly and reaching all 50 states , nearly 9 million Californians are living under shelter-in-place orders .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said he doubted schools would reopen for the remainder of the academic year .
The extraordinary measures were designed to slow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the number of confirmed cases continue to rise : at least 598 cases and 17 deaths as of Wednesday , compared with 157 cases and three deaths the week prior .
Nearly 12,000 people in the state are self-monitoring .
The jump is largely due to a recent increase in testing capacity , and the numbers are expected to continue rising .
On Tuesday , the U.S. Public Health Services reported that more than 58,778 individuals had been tested throughout the country — 31,878 at public health labs and roughly 27,000 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those tests had occurred over the course of a day .
Officials said they are racing to get more coronavirus testing done so they have a better sense of how many people have the virus — but that effort remains painfully slow .
In the meantime , they are pushing people to stay home to avoid spreading the virus and overwhelming local hospitals .
California counties are continuing to report a rise in individuals who have tested positive .
San Mateo County Public Health on Wednesday reported 16 more cases of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 81 , including one death .
Santa Clara County Public Health reported one more death , bringing the county ’ s total to six , the most in any region of the state .
The latest death was a man in his late 60s .
San Joaquin County reported its first two deaths , and the city of Long Beach confirmed two new cases , bringing the city ’ s total to 10 , according to local health officials .
That tally does not include a patient at a U.S. Department of Veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because that person is not a Long Beach resident , a city spokesman said .
The Riverside County Department of Public Health also confirmed a new COVID-19 patient , the first case identified in the city of Corona .
The individual is a man in his 70s , health officials said .
Orange County announced 13 more confirmed cases , bringing the total count to 42 .
At least 12 counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central California as well as the cities of Palm Springs and Fresno have directed all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible .
On Wednesday , Yolo and Napa counties joined Sonoma , San Benito , Monterey , San Francisco , Santa Clara , San Mateo , Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin and Santa Cruz counties , which previously had implemented the order .
“ This is already a painful situation for many families and business .
And make no mistake about it , it ’ s going to get worse before it gets better , ” State Sen. Bill Dodd ( D-Napa ) said at a press conference .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right direction , to flatten the curve.
” In Ventura County , health officials announced a shelter-in-place order on Tuesday that applies only to older residents .
The city of Fresno issued a similar shelter-in-place directive Wednesday .
In total , about 20 % of the state ’ s population is under shelter-in-place orders .
Such orders direct the public to stay at home as much as possible , with exceptions such as going out to get food at supermarkets , picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy , buying gas , going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives .
Without calling it an official shelter-in-place order , Sacramento County officials recommended that residents stay at home as much as possible .
Southern California authorities similarly stopped short of shelter-in-place orders , but have still imposed sweeping restrictions .
Orange and San Bernardino counties issued new orders Tuesday that ban all gatherings , a day after Riverside County banned gatherings of 10 or more people and L.A. County prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people .
San Diego County issued a ban Tuesday prohibiting gatherings of 50 or more people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , enforceable as a misdemeanor , Los Angeles , Orange , San Bernardino , Ventura and San Diego counties ordered restaurants to end dine-in eating and required them to offer only pickup and delivery service .
Los Angeles , Orange , San Bernardino , Ventura and San Diego counties ordered bars that do not serve food to close ; Ventura , San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties also ordered gyms and movie theaters to close .
The city of Long Beach announced that it is taking measures to financially assist residents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resdiential and commercial rent evictions due to lack of payment , as well as the establishment of an emergency loan assistance programs to small businesses who have suffered loss and a review of sick and disability leave processes .
The measures follows similar actions previously announced by L.A. County .
Also , a prohibition on late fees and a prohibition on Section 8 terminations by the Housing Authority of Long Beach Catholic church officials throughout the state have suspended Mass services .
Following decisions from the Los Angeles Archdiocese and the San Jose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced Tuesday night that it would do the same , suspending services at all parishes , missions , chapels and hospitals .
Instead , it will turn to online services , as many other churches have done , and regularly livestream Mass celebrations .
California State Parks closed all campgrounds Wednesday because of the coronavirus , but hiking trails and beaches remain open .
Outdoor spaces also remain open in local and national parks , but many services have been suspended .
that California public schools are likely to be closed for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus .
“ Don ’ t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week .
Please don ’ t anticipate in a few weeks , ” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state ’ s coronavirus efforts .
“ I would plan , and assume , that it ’ s unlikely that many of these schools — few , if any — will open before the summer break.
” Nearly all school districts in the state — 98.8 % — are closed in response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead .
The school closures present a hardship for children from low-income families in a state where 60 % of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals .
In Los Angeles public schools the number is even higher , 80 % ; in Compton it ’ s 83 % ; and in Pomona , 89 % .
State Supt .
of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an assessment of the future school year with closed campuses , but as of now “ there is no declaration that school is over for the year.
” He said school districts need to be fully prepared to shift their method of instruction .
He added that officials have not yet discussed the potential option of extending the school year into the summer .
“ We ’ re not going to know exactly what we need to do until we have a sense of how this is all going to go , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will lead a statewide call for school district leaders to examine the state ’ s new guidelines on how to operate , including online learning and meal distribution .
Newsom acknowledged the challenging road ahead and said that standardized testing will not take place this spring .
“ We think it is totally inappropriate for kids to worry ” about being tested , he said .
Teachers and students “ already have enough anxiety , ” he said .
Universities across the state have moved to online learning , and some are grappling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after students and staff members have tested positive for the virus .
UCLA officials confirmed Tuesday that a student who lives off-campus tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving care at a local hospital .
A university staff member has also tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus .
UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block , who was in contact with someone who has the virus , has self-quarantined but is not showing symptoms .
“ As testing for COVID-19 in the United States becomes more widely available , we will see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a result , we should prepare ourselves to expect the number of self-quarantine cases , like mine , and confirmed cases to increase in the weeks and months ahead — not only across the nation , but also at UCLA , ” Block wrote in a news release .
The Los Angeles City Council pushed forward dozens of proposals Tuesday meant to help Angelenos cope with the spread of the coronavirus and protect them from its effects , including plans to boost sick leave , enshrine recall rights for workers who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling businesses and tenants .
“ This pandemic has touched every corner of the world , and it is increasing at a global scale like we ’ ve never seen before , ” City Council President Nury Martinez said at the beginning of a marathon meeting that lasted into the early evening .
“ We are in uncharted waters , and it is up to us to make sure we are doing our duty as public servants.
” Martinez asked city staffers to report back on creating an emergency program that would provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave to Angelenos during a public health crisis or major disaster .
Los Angeles already sick leave for employees working in the city , ensuring that they can up to 48 hours of paid leave — six days — per year .
Council members also introduced new proposals to set up loans and grants for businesses affected by the pandemic and to explore other business assistance such as easing taxes and fees .
Early in the meeting , restaurant owner Tricia La Belle addressed the council and said that the had put her @ @ @ @

Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby, Howard Blume, Hannah Fry

With nearly 9 million Californians living under orders to stay home as much as possible, state and county leaders are preparing for what could be next in the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday evening said the state has asked the Department of Defense to deploy the Navy’s Mercy hospital ship and two mobile hospitals to California to help care for the expected surge in hospitalizations of residents stricken by the novel coronavirus.
The governor said the state is working to expand the state’s available hospital beds by roughly 20,000, the number needed if more than half of Californians come down with the coronavirus.
“If you assume for every individual that’s contracted the virus that they impact two individuals and we have hospitalization rates as high as — in some instances we model — 20%, that would require a broader surge capacity of our healthcare delivery system, north of 19,500 additional beds,” Newsom said.
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That’s only one of many scenarios — some modest, some more extreme — that state emergency officials are running to increase the number of available beds should COVID-19 cases and a need for hospitalization rapidly increase in the coming days. The state estimates that surge capacity in California’s existing hospital system could accommodate 10,000 patients.
The state also is in the process of procuring two hospitals that are currently nonoperational, one in Southern California and one in Northern California, along with leasing hotels and motels where coronavirus patients could be housed and treated.
If requests for the military medical assistance are granted, California should be close to reaching the 20,000-bed threshold, Newsom said.
During a CNN interview Wednesday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the Mercy and another Navy hospital ship will be deployed to help respond to the coronavirus crisis.
The hospital ships, however, will not accept coronavirus patients, he said. Instead, they will accept patients with other illnesses, freeing up capacity in medical centers.
Esper said military field hospitals also will be provided to states but, again, will not treat coronavirus patients.
Los Angeles expects more cases
Los Angeles County on Wednesday confirmed 46 new cases of the novel coronavirus, including eight in Long Beach and two in Pasadena. The new cases bring the county’s total to 190.
All new patients have been isolated, and their close contacts are being quarantined, said Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Public Health Department.
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The number of those who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 is expected to increase over the next several weeks, health officials warned.
“We’re going to see an increase in positive cases today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future,” Ferrer said. “We cannot stop the spread of COVID-19. All of our strategies are aimed at slowing the spread.”
Ferrer directed anyone feeling overwhelmed by the situation to contact the county’s Department of Mental Health at (800) 854-7771.
Testing capacity increases
With confirmed coronavirus cases spreading rapidly and reaching all 50 states, almost 9 million Californians are living under shelter-in-place orders.
The extraordinary measures were designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. California has seen the number of confirmed cases continue to rise: at least 836 cases and 17 deaths as of Wednesday, compared with 157 cases and three deaths the week before. Nearly 12,000 people in the state are self-monitoring for symptoms.
The jump is largely due to a recent increase in testing capacity, and the numbers are expected to continue rising. On Tuesday, the U.S. Public Health Service reported that more than 58,778 individuals had been tested throughout the country — almost 32,000 at public health labs and roughly 27,000 at clinical labs. More than 8,000 of those tests had occurred over the course of a day.
Officials said they are racing to get more coronavirus testing done so they have a better sense of how many people have the virus — but that effort remains painfully slow.
In the meantime, they are pushing people to stay home to avoid spreading the virus and overwhelming hospitals.
California counties are continuing to report a rise in individuals who have tested positive.
San Mateo County on Wednesday reported 16 more cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s total to 81, including one death. Santa Clara County reported one more death, bringing the county’s total to six, the most in any region of the state. The latest death was a man in his late 60s.
San Joaquin County reported its first two deaths, and Long Beach confirmed two new cases, bringing the city’s total to 10 cases, according to health officials. That tally does not include a patient at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital who also tested positive, because that person is not a Long Beach resident, a city spokesman said.
The Riverside County Department of Public Health also confirmed a new COVID-19 patient, the first case identified in the city of Corona. The individual is a man in his 70s, health officials said.
Orange County announced 13 more confirmed cases, bringing the total count to 42.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Extraordinary measures
At least 16 counties, most in the Bay Area, as well as the city of Palm Springs have ordered all residents to stay at home as much as possible.
On Wednesday, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, San Luis Obispo, Solano and Yolo counties joined Sonoma, San Benito, Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Santa Cruz counties, which previously had given shelter-in-place orders.
“This is already a painful situation for many families and businesses. And make no mistake about it, it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) said at a news conference. “But this is an opportunity to move in the right direction, to flatten the curve.”
In Ventura County, health officials announced a shelter-in-place order Tuesday that applies only to older residents.
In total, about 20% of the state’s population is under shelter-in-place orders.
Such orders direct the public to stay at home as much as possible, with exceptions such as going out to get food, picking up prescriptions, buying gas, going to the bank or checking on relatives.
Without calling it an official shelter-in-place order, Sacramento County officials recommended that residents stay at home as much as possible.
Southern California authorities similarly stopped short of shelter-in-place orders but have still imposed sweeping restrictions. San Bernardino County issued a new order Tuesday that bans all gatherings, a day after Riverside County banned gatherings of 10 or more people and L.A. County prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people. San Diego County issued a ban Tuesday prohibiting gatherings of 50 or more people.
On Wednesday, Orange County leaders held a news conference to clarify the health order issued Tuesday and calm business owners.
After Tuesday’s order was released, many residents and members of the media read it as a shelter-in-place order. The county reissued its order Wednesday, rewritten to make it more clear which businesses fell under the mandate. Local leaders stressed that it was not a shelter-in-place order but rather that residents are asked to avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene.
“There has been confusion about the wording and meaning of yesterday’s public health order, but let me make it very clear — Orange County is not on lockdown, and except for businesses directed to close by the state, all businesses can remain open,” Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said.
Besides the 16 counties imposing a shelter-in-place order, enforceable as a misdemeanor, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties ordered restaurants to end dine-in eating and required them to offer only pickup and delivery service.
Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties ordered bars that do not serve food to close; Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties also ordered gyms and movie theaters to close.
In light of public gathering restrictions, Catholic Church officials throughout the state have suspended Mass services. Following decisions from the Los Angeles Archdiocese and the San Jose Diocese, the Diocese of San Bernardino announced Tuesday night that it would do the same, suspending services at all parishes, missions, chapels and hospitals. Instead, it will turn to online services, as many other churches have done, and regularly livestream Mass celebrations.
California State Parks closed all campgrounds Wednesday because of the coronavirus, but hiking trails and beaches remain open. Outdoor spaces also remain open in local and national parks, but many services have been suspended.
Schools remain closed
Newsom confirmed Tuesday that California public schools are likely to be closed for the remainder of the school year in response to the coronavirus.
“Don’t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week. Please don’t anticipate in a few weeks,” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state’s coronavirus efforts. “I would plan, and assume, that it’s unlikely that many of these schools — few, if any — will open before the summer break.”
Nearly all school districts in the state — 98.8% — are closed in response to the pandemic, Newsom said. The state Education Department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead.
The school closures present a hardship for children from low-income families in a state where 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In Los Angeles public schools, the number is even higher: 80%; in Compton, it’s 83%; and in Pomona, 89%.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Tuesday night that Newsom’s comment offers an assessment of the future school year with closed campuses, but as of now “there is no declaration that school is over for the year.” He said school districts need to be prepared to shift their method of instruction.
He added that officials have not yet discussed the potential option of extending the school year into the summer.
“We’re not going to know exactly what we need to do until we have a sense of how this is all going to go,” Thurmond said.
Newsom acknowledged the challenging road ahead and said that standardized testing will not take place this spring. “We think it is totally inappropriate for kids to worry” about being tested, he said. Teachers and students “already have enough anxiety,” he said.
Universities across the state have moved to online learning, and some are grappling with ways to calm their campus communities after students and staff members have tested positive for the virus.
UCLA officials confirmed Tuesday that a student who lives off-campus tested positive and is receiving care at a hospital. A university staff member has also tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, who was in contact with someone who has the virus, has self-quarantined but is not showing symptoms.
“As testing for COVID-19 in the United States becomes more widely available, we will see local health centers administer more tests,” Block wrote in a news release. “As a result, we should prepare ourselves to expect the number of self-quarantine cases, like mine, and confirmed cases to increase in the weeks and months ahead — not only across the nation, but also at UCLA.”
To limit the spread of the new coronavirus, UCLA announced Wednesday that its spring commencement ceremonies will be conducted through virtual events.
“Please remember that, even for an event as momentous as commencement, the day does not define the journey,” Block said in a statement.
Economic toll
The Los Angeles City Council pushed forward dozens of proposals Tuesday meant to help Angelenos cope with the spread of the coronavirus and protect them from its effects, including plans to boost sick leave, enshrine recall rights for workers who are laid off, and provide financial assistance to struggling businesses and tenants.
“This pandemic has touched every corner of the world, and it is increasing at a global scale like we’ve never seen before,” City Council President Nury Martinez said at the beginning of a marathon meeting that lasted into the early evening. “We are in uncharted waters, and it is up to us to make sure we are doing our duty as public servants.”
Martinez asked city staffers to report back on creating an emergency program that would provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave to Angelenos during a public health crisis or major disaster. Los Angeles already requires sick leave for employees working in the city, ensuring that they can accrue and use up to 48 hours of paid leave — six days — per year.
Council members also introduced new proposals to set up loans and grants for businesses affected by the pandemic and to explore other business assistance, such as easing taxes and fees. Early in the meeting, restaurant owner Tricia La Belle addressed the council and said the shutdown of dine-in service had put her in financial jeopardy.
On Wednesday, the city of Long Beach announced a moratorium on residential and commercial rent evictions due to lack of payment, as well as the establishment of an emergency loan assistance program to small businesses that have suffered losses and a review of sick and disability leave processes.
More cities will probably follow suit in the coming days as residents who worked in now-closed establishments grapple with how to maintain a semblance of their pre-pandemic lives.
In his Facebook Live broadcast Wednesday, Newsom provided a striking example of how COVID-19 has already had a significant economic effect on thousands of residents.
On average, California sees 2,000 unemployment applications a day.
Two or three days ago, the state received 40,000. On Tuesday, 80,000 applications were filed.
Times staff writers Luke Money, Phil Willon and Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-18--Orange County imposes unprecedented restrictions as coronavirus cases hit 29

Orange County ’ s more than 3 million residents awoke to sweeping new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus .
The county now has 29 confirmed cases of coronavirus .
There have been no deaths in the county .
Gatherings : Gatherings of any size outside of a single living unit are prohibited .
Ordered to close : All bars and other establishments that serve alcohol and not food .
Restaurants : May offer food only by delivery , pickup or drive-through .
“ We are taking these mitigation steps in line with a directive issued by Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , ” Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick .
“ We recognize community members may experience anxiety related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19 , and want to encourage residents to reach out to loved ones using appropriate methods like telephone , video messaging , email and text.
” “ Any person who violates or who refuses or willfully neglects to obey this regulation is subject to fine , imprisonment , or both , ” the order states .
It cites California ’ s Government Code , which provides for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six months in jail or both .
Along with the other measures , the order reiterates previous recommendations for people 65 and older or with preexisting health conditions — who are considered most at risk of serious effects from COVID-19 — to stay home .
All residents are urged to keep at least a 6-foot separation from others , except family members .
The restrictions led some to believe that Orange County had issued what amounted to a shelter-in-place order , similar to those in effect in at least 10 counties in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Palm Springs .
Those measures direct residents to stay home as much as possible and have forced all but essential businesses to close .
Orange County officials , however , stressed Tuesday evening that its recent health order was neither a lockdown nor an order to shelter in place , noting that “ it is important for all Orange County businesses to remain open while practicing social distancing consistent with the governor ’ s guidance.
” “ Unfortunately , the order as written caused widespread confusion , ” officials said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide additional clarity requested by Orange County residents and businesses , the county will be issuing an amended health officer ’ s order.
” With schools closed , some city governments are also changing practices .
For example , Newport Beach is closing all city facilities to the public , including City Hall and the Police Department , through the end of the month to help slow the transmission of the COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , the city said late Tuesday afternoon .
Huntington Beach followed suit Tuesday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other city facilities and canceling meetings of boards , commissions and advisory groups .
Even before the restrictions , many businesses were also being hit .
Among those now-shuttered spaces is South Coast Plaza .
The renowned Costa Mesa shopping center and will remain so for two weeks after a store employee tested positive for the virus Sunday night .
“ Our understanding that closures of public gathering places in Orange County are important for a chance to meaningfully stem this pandemic is the reason we took this action , ” mall spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Although [ the employee testing positive ] is not the reason for the center ’ s closure , it reinforced the need for us to take action .
”

Luke Money, Cindy Carcamo, Hillary Davis, Lilly Nguyen

Orange County supervisors from left, Donald P. Wagner, Supervisor, Andrew Do, and Vice Chair Michelle Steel, discuss county’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic at the Hall of Administration in Santa Ana.
Orange County’s more than 3 million residents awoke to sweeping new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.
The county now has 29 confirmed cases of coronavirus. There have been no deaths in the county.
Cases
15 Travel-related
5 Person-to-person spread
8 Community-acquired
1 Under investigation
California California asks Navy for coronavirus support The latest updates from our reporters in California and around the world
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The restrictions
Gatherings: Gatherings of any size outside of a single living unit are prohibited.
Ordered to close: All bars and other establishments that serve alcohol and not food.
Restaurants: May offer food only by delivery, pickup or drive-through.
Effective: Now through March 31.
Guidance
“We are taking these mitigation steps in line with a directive issued by Governor Newsom to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick said in a statement . “We recognize community members may experience anxiety related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19, and want to encourage residents to reach out to loved ones using appropriate methods like telephone, video messaging, email and text.”
“Any person who violates or who refuses or willfully neglects to obey this regulation is subject to fine, imprisonment, or both,” the order states. It cites California’s Government Code, which provides for fines of up to $1,000, six months in jail or both.
Along with the other measures, the order reiterates previous recommendations for people 65 and older or with preexisting health conditions — who are considered most at risk of serious effects from COVID-19 — to stay home.
All residents are urged to keep at least a 6-foot separation from others, except family members.
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The restrictions led some to believe that Orange County had issued what amounted to a shelter-in-place order, similar to those in effect in at least 10 counties in the Bay Area and Central California and the city of Palm Springs.
Those measures direct residents to stay home as much as possible and have forced all but essential businesses to close.
Orange County officials, however, stressed Tuesday evening that its recent health order was neither a lockdown nor an order to shelter in place, noting that “it is important for all Orange County businesses to remain open while practicing social distancing consistent with the governor’s guidance.”
“Unfortunately, the order as written caused widespread confusion,” officials said in a statement. “In order to provide additional clarity requested by Orange County residents and businesses, the county will be issuing an amended health officer’s order.”
Changes
With schools closed, some city governments are also changing practices.
For example, Newport Beach is closing all city facilities to the public, including City Hall and the Police Department, through the end of the month to help slow the transmission of the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the city said late Tuesday afternoon.
Huntington Beach followed suit Tuesday night, closing City Hall, shutting all other city facilities and canceling meetings of boards, commissions and advisory groups.
Even before the restrictions, many businesses were also being hit.
Among those now-shuttered spaces is South Coast Plaza. The renowned Costa Mesa shopping center closed Monday night and will remain so for two weeks after a store employee tested positive for the virus Sunday night.
“Our understanding that closures of public gathering places in Orange County are important for a chance to meaningfully stem this pandemic is the reason we took this action,” mall spokeswoman Debra Gunn Downing said in a statement. “Although [the employee testing positive] is not the reason for the center’s closure, it reinforced the need for us to take action.”


latimes--2020-03-18--Hospitals bracing for a wave of coronavirus patients

The new coronavirus threatens to overwhelm California hospitals in the coming weeks unless the unprecedented social-distancing measures imposed across the state slow its rapid spread .
State projections show that the coronavirus will likely require anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000 additional hospital beds — a disturbingly imprecise estimate caused in part by the lack of testing , which has made it difficult for officials to know exactly how many people have the virus .
Based on conditions in other countries hit by the pandemic and models of what could happen in California , a rapid rise in infections expected in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the existing hospital space .
A Los Angeles Times data analysis found that California has 7,200 intensive-care beds across more than 365 hospitals .
In total , the state has about 72,000 beds .
The Times data analysis shows roughly one intensive-care bed for every 5,500 people in California .
Experts said that capacity could easily be reached soon if the virus ’ spread continues unabated .
“ You can ’ t argue with numbers , ” said Dr. Robert Winters , an infectious-disease specialist in Santa Monica .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of California ’ s total intensive-care beds — 3,700 — are in the five-county area around Los Angeles , according to data from 2018 , the most recent available .
Intensive-care beds allow for a higher level of treatment than regular beds , a level of care serious COVID-19 patients have needed as the illness forces them onto ventilators and attacks organs .
County-USC Medical Center in Boyle Heights had the most licensed ICU beds in the state : about 130 .
Those beds were occupied about 58 % of the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the nine-county Bay Area , where the state ’ s worst outbreak is happening , there are roughly 1,400 ICU beds for a population of 7.6 million people , and they are typically occupied more than half the time with routine emergency patients , records show .
Tuesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom met with hospital leaders and medical professionals to plan for the coming influx of COVID-19 patients but offered only broad strokes of how the state would respond .
“ We had a very candid and very somber , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said at a press briefing after the meeting .
“ None of it surprised any of us.
” Newsom ’ s estimates of existing state capacity differed from those found by The Times , with Newsom estimating that there are currently 460 hospitals with about 75,000 available beds .
Those numbers appear to include about 100 facilities without ICU capabilities , some used for purposes such as rehabilitation or addiction treatment .
Newsom declined to give projected estimates for how many ICU beds might be needed in coming days .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be meaningless because of conditions on the ground , ” Newsom said , pointing out that needs will vary by region .
Newsom said the goal of surge planning will be to move as many noncritical patients out of hospitals as possible to preserve those facilities for critical care , and create a flexible response that can address outbreaks across the state .
Patients who require less-intensive interventions may be moved to assisted living or long-term care facilities , and those with the least medical needs may find themselves in hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Newsom said .
He added that the state was also in the process of leasing and bringing online two hospitals , one in Northern California and one in Southern California , to meet expected needs .
Tuesday , in a measure passed with unprecedented speed , the state legslature approved $ 1.1 billion in emergency funding in part to increase hospital capacity and make those acquisitions .
Still , California Hospital Association CEO Carmela Coyle acknowledged at the press briefing that “ our capacity will be stretched.
” Newsom said he spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request federal aid to set up mobile hospitals as well , a conversation he said was well received .
Trump has previously asked state governors to work on their own solutions , telling them , “ we will be backing you , but try getting [ supplies ] yourselves.
” But Tuesday , Trump said the Army Corp of Engineers would be “ ready , willing and able ” to assist with emergency facilities , though that roll out has not yet happened .
Despite the assurance of hospital administrators and state officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarms about readiness .
A leading trade union , National Nurses United , on Monday blasted hospital administrators and federal authorities for not being prepared .
In a statement , the group ’ s executive director , Bonnie Castillo , said hospitals are “ drastically short ” in providing protective gear for nurses and other medical workers .
That , she said , leaves them exposed to becoming infected themselves and exposing patients and their own families .
“ Our healthcare capacity is far short of what we need to respond to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a registered nurse .
Richard Riggs , chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Cedars-Sinai , said there ’ s a clear recognition at his organization that the full impact of the disease is unknown , as is the extent to which his facilities and staff will be able to cope with the strain .
“ If we are short , what do we do ?
How do we triage patients to have the most opportunity to survive ?
” he said .
“ We ’ re planning with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arsenal.
” Dave Pine , San Mateo County Supervisor , said Tuesday he ’ s “ scared as to whether we can prevent an Italy-like situation despite our best efforts.
” He said , “ Ideally , we should have done this two weeks ago.
” Riggs said in Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey Cedars-Sinai facilities , Monday was the last day for elective surgeries , allowing his staff to free up space for COVID-19 patients .
The number of intensive-care beds capable of dealing with serious respiratory patients has expanded substantially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at the Beverly Hills location .
His teams are preparing to repurpose rooms , deploy triage tents , even offer drive-through testing for the disease .
David Simon , a spokesman with the California Hospital Association , said many of its members across the state were also postponing non-emergency procedures .
He said COVID-19 would likely require many of them to offer care via video conference or phone , and to upgrade regular rooms into emergency ones , to make room for an onslaught of expected patients in the coming weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease expert at UCLA , the hard truth remains that “ we don ’ t know how many cases we are going to see in the next days or weeks.
” Yang and other experts said the expected surge is best viewed as the result of the failure to test for the virus in the early days of its outbreak in the U.S. , leaving many undetected cases that will soon pop into official counts as they become serious enough for treatment .
They warn that testing is still not widely available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases will likely remain artificially low for weeks as more labs come online .
Yang cautions that a surge in serious cases shouldn ’ t be viewed as a failure of mitigation strategies or an indicator the virus can ’ t be controlled in coming months .
But for now , officials are faced with battling an enemy that is invisible because of that testing misstep — forcing worst case scenarios to become default positions .
Officials are hoping the strict mitigation strategies currently keeping people inside their homes will curtail infections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up after the initial surge and blunting the wave of COVID-19 cases .
But Yang and others warn that with the lack of testing data , there is ultimately no way to know what will happen , or whether large numbers of cases will continue to enter hospitals after the first wave .
“ What is not clear is how bad this is going to be , ” said Yang .

Anita Chabria, Matt Stiles, Soumya Karlamangla

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)
Two children look at movie posters in the lobby of the Arclight theater Thursday in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A crew member stands on the stern of a cruise ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
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 )
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)
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)
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)
Normally bustling Grand Central Market in downtown L.A. is open only for take out. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
People walk up the ramp, exiting the secure area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
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)
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)
The new coronavirus threatens to overwhelm California hospitals in the coming weeks unless the unprecedented social-distancing measures imposed across the state slow its rapid spread.
State projections show that the coronavirus will likely require anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000 additional hospital beds — a disturbingly imprecise estimate caused in part by the lack of testing, which has made it difficult for officials to know exactly how many people have the virus.
Based on conditions in other countries hit by the pandemic and models of what could happen in California, a rapid rise in infections expected in the next two weeks would quickly fill the existing hospital space.
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A Los Angeles Times data analysis found that California has 7,200 intensive-care beds across more than 365 hospitals. In total, the state has about 72,000 beds. The Times data analysis shows roughly one intensive-care bed for every 5,500 people in California.
Experts said that capacity could easily be reached soon if the virus’ spread continues unabated.
Medical personnel screen patients outside the Emergency Room at Loma Linda University Health during the coronavirus pandemic on March 17, 2020 in Loma Linda, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“You can’t argue with numbers,” said Dr. Robert Winters, an infectious-disease specialist in Santa Monica. “It’s a potential brewing time bomb.”
About half of California’s total intensive-care beds — 3,700 — are in the five-county area around Los Angeles, according to data from 2018, the most recent available. Intensive-care beds allow for a higher level of treatment than regular beds, a level of care serious COVID-19 patients have needed as the illness forces them onto ventilators and attacks organs.
County-USC Medical Center in Boyle Heights had the most licensed ICU beds in the state: about 130. Those beds were occupied about 58% of the time in 2018, according to the data.
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In the nine-county Bay Area, where the state’s worst outbreak is happening, there are roughly 1,400 ICU beds for a population of 7.6 million people, and they are typically occupied more than half the time with routine emergency patients, records show.
Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom met with hospital leaders and medical professionals to plan for the coming influx of COVID-19 patients but offered only broad strokes of how the state would respond.
“We had a very candid and very somber, if not sobering, conversation,” Newsom said at a press briefing after the meeting. “None of it surprised any of us.”
Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees the testing for Covid-19 at UCLA Medical Center. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Newsom’s estimates of existing state capacity differed from those found by The Times, with Newsom estimating that there are currently 460 hospitals with about 75,000 available beds. Those numbers appear to include about 100 facilities without ICU capabilities, some used for purposes such as rehabilitation or addiction treatment.
Newsom declined to give projected estimates for how many ICU beds might be needed in coming days.
“I could give you a total number but it would be meaningless because of conditions on the ground,” Newsom said, pointing out that needs will vary by region.
Newsom said the goal of surge planning will be to move as many noncritical patients out of hospitals as possible to preserve those facilities for critical care, and create a flexible response that can address outbreaks across the state.
Patients who require less-intensive interventions may be moved to assisted living or long-term care facilities, and those with the least medical needs may find themselves in hotels and motels the state is currently purchasing, Newsom said.
He added that the state was also in the process of leasing and bringing online two hospitals, one in Northern California and one in Southern California, to meet expected needs. Tuesday, in a measure passed with unprecedented speed, the state legslature approved $1.1 billion in emergency funding in part to increase hospital capacity and make those acquisitions.
Still, California Hospital Association CEO Carmela Coyle acknowledged at the press briefing that “our capacity will be stretched.”
United Local 11 holds a food bank for those in need given the effects of layoffs and unemployment. Myra Madrid, who has four children, has worked for Four Seasons in Beverly Hills for ten years. On Friday she was told she is on call from now on, and will only work when needed. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Newsom said he spoke to President Trump on Tuesday to formally request federal aid to set up mobile hospitals as well, a conversation he said was well received. Trump has previously asked state governors to work on their own solutions, telling them, “we will be backing you, but try getting [supplies] yourselves.” But Tuesday, Trump said the Army Corp of Engineers would be “ready, willing and able” to assist with emergency facilities, though that roll out has not yet happened.
Despite the assurance of hospital administrators and state officials, healthcare workers and others are sounding alarms about readiness. A leading trade union, National Nurses United, on Monday blasted hospital administrators and federal authorities for not being prepared.
In a statement, the group’s executive director, Bonnie Castillo, said hospitals are “drastically short” in providing protective gear for nurses and other medical workers. That, she said, leaves them exposed to becoming infected themselves and exposing patients and their own families.
“Our healthcare capacity is far short of what we need to respond to this national emergency,” said Castillo, a registered nurse.
Richard Riggs, chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Cedars-Sinai, said there’s a clear recognition at his organization that the full impact of the disease is unknown, as is the extent to which his facilities and staff will be able to cope with the strain.
“If we are short, what do we do? How do we triage patients to have the most opportunity to survive?” he said. “We’re planning with all the tools we have in our arsenal.”
Dave Pine, San Mateo County Supervisor, said Tuesday he’s “scared as to whether we can prevent an Italy-like situation despite our best efforts.”
He said, “Ideally, we should have done this two weeks ago.”
Riggs said in Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey Cedars-Sinai facilities, Monday was the last day for elective surgeries, allowing his staff to free up space for COVID-19 patients. The number of intensive-care beds capable of dealing with serious respiratory patients has expanded substantially in recent days, to nearly 100, at the Beverly Hills location. His teams are preparing to repurpose rooms, deploy triage tents, even offer drive-through testing for the disease.
David Simon, a spokesman with the California Hospital Association, said many of its members across the state were also postponing non-emergency procedures. He said COVID-19 would likely require many of them to offer care via video conference or phone, and to upgrade regular rooms into emergency ones, to make room for an onslaught of expected patients in the coming weeks.
But, said Otto Yang, an infectious disease expert at UCLA, the hard truth remains that “we don’t know how many cases we are going to see in the next days or weeks.”
Yang and other experts said the expected surge is best viewed as the result of the failure to test for the virus in the early days of its outbreak in the U.S., leaving many undetected cases that will soon pop into official counts as they become serious enough for treatment.
They warn that testing is still not widely available, and the number of reported positive cases will likely remain artificially low for weeks as more labs come online.
Yang cautions that a surge in serious cases shouldn’t be viewed as a failure of mitigation strategies or an indicator the virus can’t be controlled in coming months.
But for now, officials are faced with battling an enemy that is invisible because of that testing misstep — forcing worst case scenarios to become default positions.
Officials are hoping the strict mitigation strategies currently keeping people inside their homes will curtail infections, giving medical systems a chance to catch up after the initial surge and blunting the wave of COVID-19 cases.
But Yang and others warn that with the lack of testing data, there is ultimately no way to know what will happen, or whether large numbers of cases will continue to enter hospitals after the first wave.
“What is not clear is how bad this is going to be,” said Yang.
Times staff writer Susanne Rust contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-18--Lopez: Should anyone over 65, including doctors, be going to work during the coronavirus crisis?

My plan was to stroll El Matador Beach in Malibu , then drive to Griffith Park for a hike , both of which could be done while maintaining a safe distance from anyone .
But I ’ ve had a Medicare card in my wallet for a year and a half , and on Sunday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom told me along with the state ’ s other 6 million seniors to self-isolate at home until further notice .
The coronavirus , of course , carries a higher danger for older folks .
“ We are prioritizing their safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m still getting used to being called a “ senior , ” or “ elderly , ” which can mean anything from 65 to 105 .
It stings a bit to be singled out by age , but putting ego aside and public health front and center , is it my civic duty to stay home ?
And if so , what exactly does that mean ?
Should I use a fishing pole to reel the newspaper in from my driveway ?
I wasn ’ t the only one with questions .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of the epidemic are grappling with how to respond , reluctant to pull back and leave patients , clients and colleagues in the lurch .
My dentist , David Kitada , who is in his mid-60s and still working for now , is one of them .
But he told me he ’ s taking extra precautions and only seeing patients who need procedures completed or who have acute problems .
He shared recommended protocols from a colleague that included postponing treatment of patients 65 and older .
David Aftergood , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s still on the job too , but exercising as much caution as possible and seeing a limited number of patients .
“ I look at myself and don ’ t want to tempt fate , but I feel like I ’ m a relatively healthy and kind of a young 68 , ” said Aftergood , who told me he considered the governor ’ s call for seniors to stay home a recommendation rather than an edict .
Santa Clarita geriatrician Gene Dorio , 68 , has closed his office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctoring by phone with non-emergency patients .
But Dorio said he will still make the occasional house call if patients are severely ill , and he sent a letter to Newsom explaining his reasoning and asking for special dispensation .
After explaining that he was in excellent health , he got to the heart of the matter .
“ My medical practice is mainly house calls , serving those seniors and disabled who can not leave their homes .
Some of them live in chronic pain or have multiple medical problems .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office , and haven ’ t been able to go for years .
“ Other doctors , ” Dorio noted , “ do not do house calls , and the health and welfare of my patients will be in jeopardy .
Therefore , I request an exemption to your recent directive to self-isolate.
” Dorio , president of the L.A. County Commission for Older Adults , had not heard back from the governor ’ s office as of Tuesday afternoon .
A psychologist named Jamie , who asked that I not use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own desire to keep working despite her age .
When I called her , Jamie said her agency ’ s staff is seeing a heightened level of anxiety among clients , some of whom are homeless .
She didn ’ t feel right about not serving their needs .
She stayed home Monday but by Tuesday had set up a video conferencing program so she could work from home and still supervise frontline staff .
“ It ’ s hard enough being an older adult in this country without all of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr. Jon Sherin , director of the L.A. County Department of Mental Health , told me he has quite a few frontline employees who are 65 and older .
He said he is trying to find ways for them to stay on the job but not in contact with others , even though some have argued that they ’ re in perfectly good health .
“ It ’ s all about risk factors , ” Sherin said .
“ I think we ’ re sophisticated enough to say that if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , OK ... but by definition you ’ re at risk , and I ’ m suggesting that they don ’ t come in , and stay at home where there are things they can do whether it ’ s service-related or clinical.
” His fear , Sherin said , is that many of the department ’ s clients — especially those who are homeless — are vulnerable and pose higher health risks , and he ’ s trying to avoid a significant spread of the coronavirus through both staff and patient populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regret not doing so later , Sherin said , adding that he ’ s already trying to plan ahead for the possibility of having fewer employees available to handle a mental health crisis that was already overwhelming before the coronavirus threat .
“ This is serious and there could be a lot of tragedy , but we ’ ve got to figure out a way to get through it , ” Sherin said , “ and build better systems for future stresses.
” On Monday and Tuesday , I checked with two senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cope with high anxiety among the populations that rely on them for essential services like meal programs .
David MacDonald of the Santa Clarita Senior Center said the switch has been made from in-house meals to drive-through pickups , and 130 seniors took advantage of the new program on Monday .
His staff was also stepping up phone contact with clients to make sure they ’ re OK. “ Isolation can be a dangerous thing , ” said MacDonald , citing depression and fear of access to needed resources as potential issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our seniors.
” Akila Gibbs , director of the Pasadena Senior Center , said classes have been canceled and the fitness center closed , but limited services were still being offered to people who have no one to look after them .
Gibbs said the combination of lost revenue from canceled classes and a hit on the center ’ s investment fund because of the stock market collapse will create big financial challenges , and said she and her staff are adapting to service recommendations from doctors and public agencies that change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try to get food to ” those who have stopped coming to the center , Gibbs said , “ and we ’ re calling 2,000 people at home to find out how they ’ re doing.
” One of the scariest things about the coronavirus is that it ’ s invisible .
We don ’ t know who , or what , is virus-free , and we don ’ t know whether we ’ ve only just begun to see the worst of the hell it could wreak .
But we all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and each other , to limit the spread .
I may go ahead and take that walk on the beach or hike in the hills , but as much as possible , I ’ m going to avoid face-to-face human contact and play it safe .
And hope we soon turn the corner .

Emma Bradley, 82, left, and her husband Samuel Bradley, 86, right, both of Palmdale are walking up the ramp to catch the Metrolink in Union Sation in Los Angeles.
My plan was to stroll El Matador Beach in Malibu, then drive to Griffith Park for a hike, both of which could be done while maintaining a safe distance from anyone.
But I’ve had a Medicare card in my wallet for a year and a half, and on Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom told me along with the state’s other 6 million seniors to self-isolate at home until further notice.
The coronavirus, of course, carries a higher danger for older folks.
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“We are prioritizing their safety,” Newsom said.
I’m still getting used to being called a “senior,” or “elderly,” which can mean anything from 65 to 105. It stings a bit to be singled out by age, but putting ego aside and public health front and center, is it my civic duty to stay home?
And if so, what exactly does that mean? Should I use a fishing pole to reel the newspaper in from my driveway?
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)
I wasn’t the only one with questions. Even medical professionals and agencies on the front line of the epidemic are grappling with how to respond, reluctant to pull back and leave patients, clients and colleagues in the lurch.
My dentist, David Kitada, who is in his mid-60s and still working for now, is one of them. But he told me he’s taking extra precautions and only seeing patients who need procedures completed or who have acute problems. He shared recommended protocols from a colleague that included postponing treatment of patients 65 and older.
David Aftergood, a 68-year-old Beverly Hills endocrinologist, said he’s still on the job too, but exercising as much caution as possible and seeing a limited number of patients.
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“I look at myself and don’t want to tempt fate, but I feel like I’m a relatively healthy and kind of a young 68,” said Aftergood, who told me he considered the governor’s call for seniors to stay home a recommendation rather than an edict.
Santa Clarita geriatrician Gene Dorio, 68, has closed his office, and he and his staff will be doctoring by phone with non-emergency patients.
But Dorio said he will still make the occasional house call if patients are severely ill, and he sent a letter to Newsom explaining his reasoning and asking for special dispensation.
After explaining that he was in excellent health, he got to the heart of the matter.
“My medical practice is mainly house calls, serving those seniors and disabled who cannot leave their homes. Some of them live in chronic pain or have multiple medical problems. They cannot get to a doctor’s office, and haven’t been able to go for years.
“Other doctors,” Dorio noted, “do not do house calls, and the health and welfare of my patients will be in jeopardy. Therefore, I request an exemption to your recent directive to self-isolate.”
Dorio, president of the L.A. County Commission for Older Adults, had not heard back from the governor’s office as of Tuesday afternoon.
A psychologist named Jamie, who asked that I not use her last name, emailed me about her own desire to keep working despite her age.
When I called her, Jamie said her agency’s staff is seeing a heightened level of anxiety among clients, some of whom are homeless. She didn’t feel right about not serving their needs. She stayed home Monday but by Tuesday had set up a video conferencing program so she could work from home and still supervise frontline staff.
“It’s hard enough being an older adult in this country without all of a sudden feeling stigmatized,” Jamie said.
Dr. Jon Sherin, director of the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, told me he has quite a few frontline employees who are 65 and older. He said he is trying to find ways for them to stay on the job but not in contact with others, even though some have argued that they’re in perfectly good health.
“It’s all about risk factors,” Sherin said. “I think we’re sophisticated enough to say that if you’re over 65 and in great health, OK ... but by definition you’re at risk, and I’m suggesting that they don’t come in, and stay at home where there are things they can do whether it’s service-related or clinical.”
His fear, Sherin said, is that many of the department’s clients — especially those who are homeless — are vulnerable and pose higher health risks, and he’s trying to avoid a significant spread of the coronavirus through both staff and patient populations.
Better to reduce risk now than regret not doing so later, Sherin said, adding that he’s already trying to plan ahead for the possibility of having fewer employees available to handle a mental health crisis that was already overwhelming before the coronavirus threat.
“This is serious and there could be a lot of tragedy, but we’ve got to figure out a way to get through it,” Sherin said, “and build better systems for future stresses.”
On Monday and Tuesday, I checked with two senior centers that are trying their best to cope with high anxiety among the populations that rely on them for essential services like meal programs.
David MacDonald of the Santa Clarita Senior Center said the switch has been made from in-house meals to drive-through pickups, and 130 seniors took advantage of the new program on Monday.
His staff was also stepping up phone contact with clients to make sure they’re OK.
“Isolation can be a dangerous thing,” said MacDonald, citing depression and fear of access to needed resources as potential issues. “We want to keep in touch with our seniors.”
Akila Gibbs, director of the Pasadena Senior Center, said classes have been canceled and the fitness center closed, but limited services were still being offered to people who have no one to look after them.
Gibbs said the combination of lost revenue from canceled classes and a hit on the center’s investment fund because of the stock market collapse will create big financial challenges, and said she and her staff are adapting to service recommendations from doctors and public agencies that change daily.
“We’re going to try to get food to” those who have stopped coming to the center, Gibbs said, “and we’re calling 2,000 people at home to find out how they’re doing.”
One of the scariest things about the coronavirus is that it’s invisible. We don’t know who, or what, is virus-free, and we don’t know whether we’ve only just begun to see the worst of the hell it could wreak.
But we all do have a responsibility, to ourselves and each other, to limit the spread.
I may go ahead and take that walk on the beach or hike in the hills, but as much as possible, I’m going to avoid face-to-face human contact and play it safe.
And hope we soon turn the corner.