latimes--2020-12-05--What Hollywood Boulevard looks like when COVID-19 drives the tourists away

Picture Hollywood Boulevard in the time before COVID , teeming with tourists looking down at the pink terrazzo stars on the Walk of Fame as costumed characters of all sorts , hoping to cadge tips , jostle one another to pose in their photos .
Picture it now , often eerily empty as the pandemic rages on .
Ripley ’ s Believe it or Not !
is boarded up and shut down .
The dinosaur on the roof wears a mask .
The Hollywood Wax Museum is shut .
So is Madame Tussaud ’ s .
TCL Chinese Theatre has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprints and is charging $ 5 a pop for a viewing , a few people at a time .
A few people is all there are most times on that part of the boulevard now .
The visitors who show up from out of town are taking a big risk to do so .
And they are rare enough that if their eyes flit even for a second to those pink sidewalk stars , the few diehard characters still on hand swoop in fast , birds to birdseed .
On a recent afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities , I watched two ratty Jokers sit on the steps of a mall nobody much seemed to be shopping in and lazily pass a joint back and forth and then over to a Chewbacca standing nearby .
I live near the boulevard .
I keep track of it .
I have watched it empty out in these pandemic months .
But something caught my eye as I was driving along it a few weeks ago that seemed to me especially emblematic of this strange and unsettling time out of time .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fame begins , on the east end of the boulevard at La Brea Avenue , next to the Four Ladies of Hollywood gazebo , held up by lithe , begowned statues of Dorothy Dandridge , Dolores del Rio , Anna May Wong and Mae West .
Last year , someone stole Marilyn Monroe , holding down her windblown dress , from its top .
She still hasn ’ t found her way back .
Now the plaque identifying Dandridge is missing too .
A cigarette stub is jammed between West ’ s silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just behind this prominent gateway to the marble stars , tucked into a stand of palms , I was struck by what looked to me like a world ’ s end version of homesteading : an elaborate compound of outdoor living rooms and tents fenced off with found objects — the slatted sides of cribs , repurposed school banners , headboards from castaway beds , messages of protest painted on wood .
“ Anarchy in the USA , ” read one , which seemed to fit both the place and the moment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ every first-timer to the city comes to see .
And yes , even in ordinary times , they ’ re often nonplussed .
The boulevard perpetually resists pressure to spiff itself up for outsiders .
Its hard-luck stories are often plain to see .
But I kept thinking that if the usual visitors from around the world had kept arriving here in their usual numbers this year , somehow the powers that be — both civic and business — wouldn ’ t have tolerated this encampment ’ s existence .
I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few tries .
Several times , I stood at the fence and called out to no response as I ogled a scrawny tree just inside the perimeter festooned with Christmas ornaments and dried bougainvillea bouquets , a bird feeder hanging from one branch , an elegant Moroccan lantern with colored glass from another , a souvenir California license plate dangling from the trunk , with LOS ANGELES in yellow letters on a black background .
More than once , hoping to find someone home when I returned , I parked nearby and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I spotted security guards outside some of the big-box stores but only rarely encountered the police officers often visible when crowds are present along with those who wish to make money off them , from the hawkers practically forcing CDs into their hands to the buskers and the tour-bus barkers and the pickpockets .
I saw people lying across sidewalks so deserted they weren ’ t in anyone ’ s way .
I saw some pushing shopping carts full of their belongings past storefronts covered over with plywood , plunging their arms into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I noted that a sidewalk hawker who usually dealt in shea butter and dried sage had expanded to face masks with logos — Black Lives Matter , Biden Harris , the Lakers .
I stopped to talk to salespeople in empty souvenir shops .
One told me the staff at the store where he had worked for nearly 30 years had gone down from 25 people to three .
“ Never have I ever seen a time like this .
Never , ” said Pedro Consuelo of Souvenirs of Hollywood .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the boulevard , nobody is coming.
” I met a young man hawking tours of movie stars ’ homes in a dented open-topped van parked in front of his sidewalk stand , who said he earned nothing on the many days lately when there were no takers because he only got paid if he sold enough tickets for the operator to break even on the gas and the insurance and the driver .
He told me that he lived nearby , around the corner , but I sensed from his reticence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his clothes that it wasn ’ t in a place with a roof .
I ran into Dale Roberts of Cedar Rapids , Iowa , as he stopped to gape at Bill Cosby ’ s star on the boulevard .
He said he had come to L.A. over Thanksgiving despite the virus risk because he had always wanted to see it .
“ I didn ’ t want to leave before I saw the stars , ” he said .
But he and the friend he had traveled with had mostly just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The good thing is that you can go to a big city like this now and it ’ s not crowded anywhere , ” he said .
“ The bad thing is that unfortunately so much of it is closed.
” Each time I came back to the compound in the triangle , I noticed more things that intrigued me .
The initials ICU spelled out in blue duct tape on some fencing made of green plastic netting .
Paintings of flowers .
A tidy strip of faux grass in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on my last column with Times photographer Al Seib , talking to people living on Hollywood ’ s streets about the hardships of all the indoor closures , when I brought him to the triangle and finally got lucky .
We saw rustling in a tent .
And out popped a friendly moon-faced woman in black-framed glasses , the right one missing a chunk of lens .
Soon Rochelle Begaye was telling her story , which was at least as surreal as the setting .
She ’ d once come to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somehow she never left .
She had been living in this spot for three or four months , she said .
She ’ d scavenged almost everything she ’ d used to build it .
She had come to L.A. about four years ago , following a boyfriend .
They ’ d camped awhile in the hills above the Hollywood Bowl , until one day they ’ d come back to the site they ’ d tried to keep hidden and found all their belongings gone .
They ’ d moved on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than her current one — in the middle of a narrow Hollywood street lined with apartment buildings .
She and the boyfriend had settled this spot together , she said , but he had started to abuse her by then and he left her a few days in .
It was the boyfriend , she told me , who first severed her from what had been a fairly predictable , stable life .
She ’ d grown up in New Mexico on the Navajo Nation and gone to college for a few years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kan .
It wasn ’ t for her though , and she ’ d wound up working in convenience stores .
She was working at one in Harrah , Okla. , four years ago , living in an apartment , driving a car she owned , when she took off to North Dakota to join the protest against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation .
She became Facebook friends , she said , with the guy who would become the boyfriend , a veteran protester .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to camp with him near the White House .
What they were protesting was interesting .
It had to do with government control of our minds .
She told me about sensors we breathe in that can control our bodies and our thoughts , about how tech is “ making us dumber and killing us , ” about how sometimes you think you ’ re hearing your own inner voice but it ’ s really someone else ’ s .
She said she ’ d been diagnosed last year with schizophrenia and bipolar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had lost the pills she was supposed to take along the way .
And anyway , they made her feel lousy .
I asked her about tents I ’ d seen pressed up against her fence , on the side closest to the statues .
She said she didn ’ t know the people .
They ’ d shown up a few days earlier .
She didn ’ t like their trash or their version of art : big dollar signs scrawled in chalk on the palm trunks .
( They were no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could talk to these neighbors , they told me no cash , no words . )
Begaye , 43 , has no friends in Hollywood , she told me .
She keeps to herself .
She is out there all alone on a boulevard so lonely that some nights she feels all alone in the world .
I asked her about what looked to be a faded Virgin of Guadalupe on the cover of one of her tents .
She said I was seeing the back of it .
The front was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it when she needed it .
“ I started painting it to make me feel better , to protect me .
It ’ s my safe space ” she said .
And I understood .
In this moment , in this time out of time , we all find comfort where we can , even in the wilds of pandemic Hollywood Boulevard .

Picture Hollywood Boulevard in the time before COVID, teeming with tourists looking down at the pink terrazzo stars on the Walk of Fame as costumed characters of all sorts, hoping to cadge tips, jostle one another to pose in their photos.
Picture it now, often eerily empty as the pandemic rages on. Ripley’s Believe it or Not! is boarded up and shut down. The dinosaur on the roof wears a mask. The Hollywood Wax Museum is shut. So is Madame Tussaud’s. TCL Chinese Theatre has barricaded off its famous forecourt handprints and footprints and is charging $5 a pop for a viewing, a few people at a time.
A few people is all there are most times on that part of the boulevard now.
The visitors who show up from out of town are taking a big risk to do so. And they are rare enough that if their eyes flit even for a second to those pink sidewalk stars, the few diehard characters still on hand swoop in fast, birds to birdseed.
On a recent afternoon, during a long stretch between scant opportunities, I watched two ratty Jokers sit on the steps of a mall nobody much seemed to be shopping in and lazily pass a joint back and forth and then over to a Chewbacca standing nearby.
Advertisement
I live near the boulevard. I keep track of it. I have watched it empty out in these pandemic months. But something caught my eye as I was driving along it a few weeks ago that seemed to me especially emblematic of this strange and unsettling time out of time.
It was right where the Hollywood Walk of Fame begins, on the west end of the boulevard at La Brea Avenue, next to the Four Ladies of Hollywood gazebo, held up by lithe, begowned statues of Dorothy Dandridge, Dolores del Rio, Anna May Wong and Mae West. Last year, someone stole Marilyn Monroe, holding down her windblown dress, from its top. She still hasn’t found her way back. Now the plaque identifying Dandridge is missing too. A cigarette stub is jammed between West’s silver lips.
Rochelle Begaye takes a close look at the Four Ladies of Hollywood art deco-style sculpture representing the diversity of women in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
And in the little triangle just behind this prominent gateway to the marble stars, tucked into a stand of palms, I was struck by what looked to me like a world’s end version of homesteading: an elaborate compound of outdoor living rooms and tents fenced off with found objects — the slatted sides of cribs, repurposed school banners, headboards from castaway beds, messages of protest painted on wood.
“Anarchy in the USA,” read one, which seemed to fit both the place and the moment.
Here was the tourist strip just about every first-timer to the city comes to see. And yes, even in ordinary times, they’re often nonplussed. The boulevard perpetually resists pressure to spiff itself up for outsiders. Its hard luck stories are often plain to see. But I kept thinking that if the usual visitors from around the world had kept arriving here in their usual numbers this year, somehow the powers that be — both civic and business — wouldn’t have tolerated this encampment’s existence.
Advertisement
I wanted to learn its story. It took me a few tries.
Several times, I stood at the fence and called out to no response as I ogled a scrawny tree just inside the perimeter festooned with Christmas ornaments and dried bougainvillea bouquets, a bird feeder hanging from one branch, an elegant Moroccan lantern with colored glass from another, a souvenir California license plate dangling from the trunk, with LOS ANGELES in yellow letters on a black background.
Rochelle Begaye in her Hollywood Boulevard camp: tents and outdoor rooms fenced off with found materials such as plywood and parts of beds.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
More than once, hoping to find someone home when I returned, I parked nearby and walked the boulevard to kill time.
I spotted security guards outside some of the big-box stores but only rarely encountered the police officers often visible when crowds are present along with those who wish to make money off them, from the hawkers practically forcing CDs into their hands to the buskers and the tour-bus barkers and the pickpockets.
I saw people lying across sidewalks so deserted they weren’t in anyone’s way. I saw some pushing shopping carts full of their belongings past storefronts covered over with plywood, plunging their arms into sidewalk trash bins and coming up empty.
I noted that a sidewalk hawker who usually dealt in shea butter and dried sage had expanded to face masks with logos — Black Lives Matter, Biden Harris, the Lakers.
Advertisement
I stopped to talk to salespeople in empty souvenir shops. One told me the staff at the store where he had worked for nearly 30 years had gone down from 25 people to three. “Never have I ever seen a time like this. Never,” said Pedro Consuelo of Souvenirs of Hollywood. “Very slow. Super dead. Look down the boulevard, nobody is coming.”
I met a young man hawking tours of movie stars’ homes in a dented open-topped van parked in front of his sidewalk stand, who said he earned nothing on the many days lately when there were no takers because he only got paid if he sold enough tickets for the operator to break even on the gas and the insurance and the driver. He told me that he lived nearby, around the corner, but I sensed from his reticence and from the dirt under his fingernails and on his clothes that it wasn’t in a place with a roof.
I ran into Dale Roberts of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as he stopped to gape at Bill Cosby’s star on the boulevard. He said he had come to L.A. over Thanksgiving despite the virus risk because he had always wanted to see it. “I didn’t want to leave before I saw the stars,” he said.
But he and the friend he had traveled with had mostly just driven around in their rental car. “The good thing is that you can go to a big city like this now and it’s not crowded anywhere,” he said. “The bad thing is that unfortunately so much of it is closed.”
Each time I came back to the compound in the triangle, I noticed more things that intrigued me. The initials ICU spelled out in blue duct tape on some fencing made of green plastic netting. Paintings of flowers. A tidy strip of faux grass in front of the padlocked front gate.
I was working on my last column with Times photographer Al Seib, talking to people living on Hollywood’s streets about the hardships of all the indoor closures, when I brought him to the triangle and finally got lucky. We saw rustling in a tent. And out popped a friendly moon-faced woman in black-framed glasses, the right one missing a chunk of lens.
Advertisement
Soon Rochelle Begaye was telling her story, which was at least as surreal as the setting. She’d once come to visit Hollywood too, she said, only somehow she never left.
She had been living in this spot for three or four months, she said. She’d scavenged almost everything she’d used to build it. She had come to L.A. about four years ago, following a boyfriend. They’d camped awhile in the hills above the Hollywood Bowl, until one day they’d come back to the site they’d tried to keep hidden and found all their belongings gone.
They’d moved on to a tiny traffic island — much smaller than her current one — in the middle of a narrow Hollywood street lined with apartment buildings. She and the boyfriend had settled this spot together, she said, but he had started to abuse her by then and he left her a few days in.
It was the boyfriend, she told me, who first severed her from what had been a fairly predictable, stable life.
She’d grown up in New Mexico on the Navajo Nation and gone to college for a few years at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. It wasn’t for her though, and she’d wound up working in convenience stores. She was working at one in Harrah, Okla., four years ago, living in an apartment, driving a car she owned, when she took off to North Dakota to join the protest against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
She became Facebook friends, she said, with the guy who would become the boyfriend, a veteran protester. After Standing Rock, she crossed the country to camp with him near the White House.
Advertisement
What they were protesting was interesting. It had to do with government control of our minds. She told me about sensors we breathe in that can control our bodies and our thoughts, about how tech is “making us dumber and killing us,” about how sometimes you think you’re hearing your own inner voice but it’s really someone else’s.
She said she’d been diagnosed last year with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and Parkinson’s disease but had lost the pills she was supposed to take along the way. And anyway, they made her feel lousy.
I asked her about tents I’d seen pressed up against her fence, on the side closest to the statues. She said she didn’t know the people. They’d shown up a few days earlier. She didn’t like their trash or their version of art: big dollar signs scrawled in chalk on the palm trunks. (They were no joke. When I asked if I could talk to these neighbors, they told me no cash, no words.)
Begaye, 43, has no friends in Hollywood, she told me. She keeps to herself. She is out there all alone on a boulevard so lonely that some nights she feels all alone in the world.
I asked her about what looked to be a faded Virgin of Guadalupe on the cover of one of her tents. She said I was seeing the back of it. The front was on the inside so that she could see it when she needed it.
“I started painting it to make me feel better, to protect me. It’s my safe space” she said. And I understood.
Advertisement
In this moment, in this time out of time, we all find comfort where we can, even in the wilds of pandemic Hollywood Boulevard.


latimes--2020-12-05--Earthquake: 3.7 quake felt near Temecula

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was reported Friday at 9:41 p.m. Pacific time eight miles from Temecula , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from French Valley , Calif. , 14 miles from Fallbrook , 14 miles from Murrieta and 16 miles from Escondido .
In the past 10 days , there have been four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was reported Friday at 9:41 p.m. Pacific time eight miles from Temecula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from French Valley, Calif., 14 miles from Fallbrook, 14 miles from Murrieta and 16 miles from Escondido.
In the past 10 days, there have been four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 3.6 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-12-04--Does a dry fall in Los Angeles always lead to a parched, fire-prone winter?

After a summer of record heat and California ’ s worst fire season in history , Santa Ana winds have repeatedly buffeted the Southland during a critically dry autumn .
Will this warm , dry weather pattern finally come to an end , or will it continue through the winter ?
There ’ s a lot of evidence pointing to a dry winter , but it ’ s not a sure thing .
“ The odds certainly favor a drier-than-average winter in Southern California , ” said climatologist Bill Patzert , “ but don ’ t bet your mortgage on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasters.
” Conditions are comparable to 2017 , the season that was the third-driest year on record in Los Angeles , according to Alex Tardy of the National Weather Service in San Diego .
In 2017-18 , which was a weak La Niña year , L.A. received just 4.78 inches for the rainfall season , about 10 inches below average .
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , a La Niña is ongoing and strengthening in the tropical Pacific Ocean this year .
A La Niña occurs when the sea surface @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pacific are below average .
Easterly winds over that region strengthen , and rainfall usually decreases over the central and eastern tropical Pacific and increases over the western Pacific , Indonesia and the Philippines .
Statistically , a La Niña favors warmer , drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. and cooler , wetter conditions in the north .
The record Atlantic hurricane season this year is evidence of a strong La Niña in the Pacific Ocean .
There are other features in the polar regions of the North Pacific that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as La Niña , said Patzert , but generally , “ when there are a lot of hurricanes in the East , the Drought Monitor lights up in the West.
” And the drought in the West is grave .
The lack of summer monsoon rain resulted in extreme to exceptional drought in the Southwest .
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor , moderate to severe drought expanded in California ’ s San Joaquin Valley , and abnormal dryness expanded in Southern California , including Los Angeles County .
Parts of Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This season in Los Angeles , only 0.11 inch of rain has fallen .
In an average year by the end of November , Los Angeles has received close to 1.7 inches .
So L.A. 's rainfall this year is about 6 % of normal .
Taking a look at history , another dry winter is likely , Patzert said .
Patzert and veteran Bay Area meteorologist Jan Null took a look at the dozen driest July-November periods on record in L.A .
They wanted to know how those seasons that started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California has a Mediterranean climate where it seldom rains during the summer .
Eleven of the 12 seasons with dry starts ended up dry for the rainfall year .
So a dry autumn almost guarantees a below-average rainfall year .
There is a notable exception in the chart above .
The 1937-38 rain year started with an extremely dry autumn — only 0.01 inch from July to November — but it finished really wet : 50 % above normal .
In a season that started out dry , the region was walloped by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmospheric river storms in late February and early March — hardly what anyone hopes for when they think of being rescued by a March miracle .
On Feb. 27 and 28 , Southern California got soaked with 4.4 inches of rain , according to Patzert .
Then , on March 1 , a new , more powerful storm dropped 10 inches of rain on L.A. , with more in mountain areas .
This rain caused one of the largest floods in the history of Los Angeles , Orange and Riverside counties .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year ’ s worth of precipitation in a few days .
These events spurred the lining with concrete of the Los Angeles River and other local waterways for flood control .
“ What can we learn from this ?
The 1937-38 season had a dry start , but in February and March it made history .
Meteorology can swamp you with statistics , ” Patzert said , “ but it ’ s the unexpected events that can bite you in the butt.
” A dry autumn statistically points to a high probability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some other statistics : In the 143-year record , average rain years are rare , and six out of 10 years are below average .
There have been only seven years with rainfall over 30 inches , or about twice average .
The driest year in L.A. was 2007 , and the wettest was 1884 .
And five of the 10 driest years have occurred since 2002 .
“ On the one hand , be careful with those statistics .
Remember the surprise winter deluge of 1938 .
The Los Angeles Basin got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we normally receive in an entire season , ” Patzert said .
“ On the other hand , many climate signals do point to continued dryness in the West .
”

After a summer of record heat and California’s worst fire season in history, Santa Ana winds have repeatedly buffeted the Southland during a critically dry autumn. Will this warm, dry weather pattern finally come to an end, or will it continue through the winter?
There’s a lot of evidence pointing to a dry winter, but it’s not a sure thing.
“The odds certainly favor a drier-than-average winter in Southern California,” said climatologist Bill Patzert, “but don’t bet your mortgage on it. Mother Nature can foil the forecasters.”
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The case for a dry winter
Conditions are comparable to 2017, the season that was the third-driest year on record in Los Angeles, according to Alex Tardy of the National Weather Service in San Diego. In 2017-18, which was a weak La Niña year, L.A. received just 4.78 inches for the rainfall season, about 10 inches below average.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a La Niña is ongoing and strengthening in the tropical Pacific Ocean this year.
A La Niña occurs when the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific are below average. Easterly winds over that region strengthen, and rainfall usually decreases over the central and eastern tropical Pacific and increases over the western Pacific, Indonesia and the Philippines. Statistically, a La Niña favors warmer, drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. and cooler, wetter conditions in the north.
The blue along the equator shows the strength of the La Niña in the eastern Pacific Ocean. (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Angeles Times)
The record Atlantic hurricane season this year is evidence of a strong La Niña in the Pacific Ocean. There are other features in the polar regions of the North Pacific that can influence California’s weather as much as La Niña, said Patzert, but generally, “when there are a lot of hurricanes in the East, the Drought Monitor lights up in the West.”
And the drought in the West is grave. The lack of summer monsoon rain resulted in extreme to exceptional drought in the Southwest. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to severe drought expanded in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and abnormal dryness expanded in Southern California, including Los Angeles County. Parts of Southern California have experienced a seven-month dry streak.
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Most recent U.S. Drought Monitor data released Dec. 3. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
This season in Los Angeles, only 0.11 inch of rain has fallen. In an average year by the end of November, Los Angeles has received close to 1.7 inches. So L.A.’s rainfall this year is about 6% of normal. Taking a look at history, another dry winter is likely, Patzert said.
Statistically, a dry autumn signals a dry winter, but not always. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Patzert and veteran Bay Area meteorologist Jan Null took a look at the dozen driest July-November periods on record in L.A. They wanted to know how those seasons that started out so dry ended up. Southern California has a Mediterranean climate where it seldom rains during the summer.
Eleven of the 12 seasons with dry starts ended up dry for the rainfall year. So a dry autumn almost guarantees a below-average rainfall year.
But wait a minute ...
There is a notable exception in the chart above. The 1937-38 rain year started with an extremely dry autumn — only 0.01 inch from July to November — but it finished really wet: 50% above normal.
Late-winter storms in 1938 caused massive flooding. The rains followed a dry autumn. (Los Angeles Times)
In a season that started out dry, the region was walloped by a couple of what were most likely atmospheric river storms in late February and early March — hardly what anyone hopes for when they think of being rescued by a March miracle.
On Feb. 27 and 28, Southern California got soaked with 4.4 inches of rain, according to Patzert. Then, on March 1, a new, more powerful storm dropped 10 inches of rain on L.A., with more in mountain areas. This rain caused one of the largest floods in the history of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
All told, the two Pacific storms generated a year’s worth of precipitation in a few days. These events spurred the lining with concrete of the Los Angeles River and other local waterways for flood control.
Lessons from history
“What can we learn from this? The 1937-38 season had a dry start, but in February and March it made history. Meteorology can swamp you with statistics,” Patzert said, “but it’s the unexpected events that can bite you in the butt.”
A dry autumn statistically points to a high probability of a dry season. Patzert cites some other statistics: In the 143-year record, average rain years are rare, and six out of 10 years are below average. There have been only seven years with rainfall over 30 inches, or about twice average. The driest year in L.A. was 2007, and the wettest was 1884. And five of the 10 driest years have occurred since 2002.
“On the one hand, be careful with those statistics. Remember the surprise winter deluge of 1938. The Los Angeles Basin got as much rain in five days as we normally receive in an entire season,” Patzert said. “On the other hand, many climate signals do point to continued dryness in the West.”


latimes--2020-12-04--Two young people found decapitated in Lancaster home; father arrested, officials say

A personal trainer described as “ mellow ” and “ reliable ” was arrested Friday in connection with the deaths of his two adolescent children , who were found decapitated in the family home in Lancaster , authorities said .
Maurice Taylor Sr. , 34 , is being held in lieu of $ 2-million bond , according to Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department officials who are investigating the crime .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department was called to a home in the 45000 block of Century Circle just before 8 a.m. Friday on reports of a possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel discovered the bodies .
The Sheriff ’ s Department in a statement described the pair as having “ lacerations and stab wounds.
” The mayor of Lancaster , R. Rex Parris , confirmed that both victims were decapitated .
“ It was pretty brutal , ” he said .
Deputies found the children ’ s bodies in separate bedrooms in the home , Lt. Brandon Dean said .
The two children were identified by sheriff ’ s officials as a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl .
It ’ s unclear how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Both parents were in the home when deputies responded Friday morning ; they were detained without a struggle and brought in for questioning .
The children ’ s mother was questioned but has not been arrested , Dean said .
Two other children in the home appeared to be uninjured , but they were taken to a hospital as a precaution and the Sheriff ’ s Department is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services to place them , Dean said .
To his knowledge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with DCFS and no deputies had recently been called to the home for complaints about their welfare .
The DCFS did not say whether it had any prior contact with the family .
“ We mourn with the community over this tragic loss , ” the agency said in a statement .
The Fire Department initially responded to the home following a report of a potential gas leak , but Sheriff ’ s Department officials confirmed there was no leak .
The concern about a gas leak stemmed from Taylor ’ s former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had worked at a Santa Monica physical therapy and fitness center .
They had been struggling to contact him all week .
Howard Kern , an attorney and writer who saw Taylor for sessions for about seven years , said he called the Los Angeles County Fire Department at 7:34 a.m. Friday , after others trained by Taylor had attempted calling the Sheriff ’ s Department to relay their worries .
“ I said , ‘ I ’ m concerned , ’ ” Kern recalled .
“ ‘ We are concerned about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children and two adults — and we are concerned about their safety.
’ ” Another client , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , said Taylor had been working remotely because of the pandemic .
The client described him as “ so reliable , so responsive ” and “ mellow.
” The client said she knew something was not right this week , when Taylor did not send out a Zoom link for a scheduled session , then failed to appear during the appointed time .
He was not reachable , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messaged one another as they wondered whether something was wrong .
“ I knew they weren ’ t out of town .
They didn ’ t have money to travel , ” she said .
The client said she called the Sheriff ’ s Department on Tuesday and that the property management company running Taylor ’ s residence was also contacted .
“ We were afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning , or they were all dead from falling asleep , ” she said .
Several clients told The Times that Taylor was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with each client .
“ Think of the nicest person that you know , then multiply that by five , ” Kern said .
“ He worked so hard to support himself .
Unfortunately , we don ’ t know enough to say what happened or what didn ’ t happen.
” Kern said Taylor had been working and living on his own since he was 18 , and he sensed that Taylor “ was living under a tremendous amount of pressure.
” Over the years , Kern said , he knew Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could seem “ contentious ” from the phone calls Taylor received from his wife at the gym .
“ It was embarrassing — you could hear her yelling at him , ” Kern said .
“ He ’ d be very apologetic and she ’ d be yelling at him.
” In Lancaster , early reports of the two dead children were shocking , prompting a nearby property owner to revisit what he observed at Taylor ’ s home over the years .
The property owner said he started noticing the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner , who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being connected to the incident , said when he visited his property , the house “ just looked strange.
” Other neighbors spend time outside or greet one another from time to time .
This family was eerily silent , he said .
” I remember that house just seemed weird anytime I was there , ” he said .
“ I never saw anybody come out of that house .
It almost seemed like the windows were all blacked out.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple and two young children who lived there but never saw them .
He was surprised to learn that two other children may have lived there .
Parris , the mayor , said he was still gathering information about the incident but said it appeared that the economy , the closure of schools and public places , and the tight living quarters in homes amid the pandemic had created a stressful environment .
“ The social fabric of the country and the world has been shredded , and we are starting to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What I ’ m seeing is more and more people feeling desperate , and that can only have one result .
”

Matt Hamilton, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Matthew Ormseth

L.A. County fire personnel, responding to reports of a possible gas leak, found two siblings, ages 12 and 13, inside a Lancaster home on Friday, authorities say.
A personal trainer described as “mellow” and “reliable” was arrested Friday in connection with the deaths of his two adolescent children, who were found decapitated in the family home in Lancaster, authorities said.
Maurice Taylor Sr., 34, is being held in lieu of $2-million bond, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials who are investigating the crime.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department was called to a home in the 45000 block of Century Circle just before 8 a.m. Friday on reports of a possible gas leak. Once inside, fire personnel discovered the bodies. The Sheriff’s Department in a statement described the pair as having “lacerations and stab wounds.”
The mayor of Lancaster, R. Rex Parris, confirmed that both victims were decapitated.
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“It was pretty brutal,” he said.
Deputies found the children’s bodies in separate bedrooms in the home, Lt. Brandon Dean said. The two children were identified by sheriff’s officials as a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. It’s unclear how long they had been dead, Dean said.
Both parents were in the home when deputies responded Friday morning; they were detained without a struggle and brought in for questioning. The children’s mother was questioned but has not been arrested, Dean said.
Two other children in the home appeared to be uninjured, but they were taken to a hospital as a precaution and the Sheriff’s Department is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services to place them, Dean said. To his knowledge, none of the children were previously involved with DCFS and no deputies had recently been called to the home for complaints about their welfare.
The DCFS did not say whether it had any prior contact with the family. “We mourn with the community over this tragic loss,” the agency said in a statement.
The Fire Department initially responded to the home following a report of a potential gas leak, but Sheriff’s Department officials confirmed there was no leak. The concern about a gas leak stemmed from Taylor’s former and current clients, with whom he had worked at a Santa Monica physical therapy and fitness center. They had been struggling to contact him all week.
Howard Kern, an attorney and writer who saw Taylor for sessions for about seven years, said he called the Los Angeles County Fire Department at 7:34 a.m. Friday, after others trained by Taylor had attempted calling the Sheriff’s Department to relay their worries.
“I said, ‘I’m concerned,’” Kern recalled. “‘We are concerned about a possible gas leak. There are four children and two adults — and we are concerned about their safety.’”
”
‘The social fabric of the country and the world has been shredded, and we are starting to see the aftermath.’ — Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris
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Another client, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Taylor had been working remotely because of the pandemic. The client described him as “so reliable, so responsive” and “mellow.”
The client said she knew something was not right this week, when Taylor did not send out a Zoom link for a scheduled session, then failed to appear during the appointed time. He was not reachable, she said, and she and other clients messaged one another as they wondered whether something was wrong.
“I knew they weren’t out of town. They didn’t have money to travel,” she said.
The client said she called the Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday and that the property management company running Taylor’s residence was also contacted.
“We were afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning, or they were all dead from falling asleep,” she said.
Several clients told The Times that Taylor was a diligent and hardworking trainer who patiently worked with each client.
“Think of the nicest person that you know, then multiply that by five,” Kern said. “He worked so hard to support himself. Unfortunately, we don’t know enough to say what happened or what didn’t happen.”
Kern said Taylor had been working and living on his own since he was 18, and he sensed that Taylor “was living under a tremendous amount of pressure.”
Over the years, Kern said, he knew Taylor had faced challenges, including a marriage that could seem “contentious” from the phone calls Taylor received from his wife at the gym. “It was embarrassing — you could hear her yelling at him,” Kern said. “He’d be very apologetic and she’d be yelling at him.”
In Lancaster, early reports of the two dead children were shocking, prompting a nearby property owner to revisit what he observed at Taylor’s home over the years.
The scene near a home in Lancaster where two young people were reportedly decapitated. (Matthew Ormseth / Los Angeles Times)
The property owner said he started noticing the home about two years ago. The property owner, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being connected to the incident, said when he visited his property, the house “just looked strange.”
Other neighbors spend time outside or greet one another from time to time. This family was eerily silent, he said.
”I remember that house just seemed weird anytime I was there,” he said. “I never saw anybody come out of that house. It almost seemed like the windows were all blacked out.”
The property owner said he knew of a couple and two young children who lived there but never saw them. He was surprised to learn that two other children may have lived there.
Parris, the mayor, said he was still gathering information about the incident but said it appeared that the economy, the closure of schools and public places, and the tight living quarters in homes amid the pandemic had created a stressful environment.
“The social fabric of the country and the world has been shredded, and we are starting to see the aftermath,” Parris said. “What I’m seeing is more and more people feeling desperate, and that can only have one result.”


latimes--2020-12-04--Southern California faces stay-at-home order by Sunday if ICU bed shortage does not improve

Southern California ’ s intensive-care bed shortage entered the zone that , if it persists , would trigger the state ’ s stay-at-home order as early as Sunday .
On Friday night , the California Department of Public Health released new numbers showing that Southern California as well as the San Joaquin Valley now face a critical shortage of ICU beds , with each area having less than 15 % of its capacity available .
That percentage is the threshold by which the state would order , within 24 hours , a regional stay-at-home order , which would shut outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons , playgrounds , cardrooms , museums , zoos , aquariums and wineries and restrict retail capacity to 20 % .
Friday ’ s numbers do not trigger the stay-at-home order .
But if the percentages remain below 15 % on Saturday , the order would be triggered as early as Sunday .
Current available ICU capacity by region as of Friday night : The news came as California and Los Angeles County on Friday set all-time records for coronavirus cases reported in a single day .
A county-by-county tally by The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reported across California on Friday alone , exceeding the record set Monday , when 21,848 cases were reported .
The Times tallied 204 deaths reported Friday , the second highest total recorded in a single day of the entire pandemic .
Cumulatively , California has reported 1.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 19,700 deaths .
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in three of the last four days this week .
On Friday , 8,562 cases were reported , according to The Times ’ tally , breaking the record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were also 56 deaths recorded in L.A. County , a single-day tally not seen since Aug. 19 .
The hard-hit county hit its fifth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations , with 2,769 people currently hospitalized .
Of those , nearly a quarter are in intensive care , where numbers have tripled in the last six weeks .
Statewide over the last week , the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases per day , according to data compiled by The Times .
That ’ s quadruple the average from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ darkest days of the summertime surge , when the rolling average never topped 10,000 .
To put that number into perspective , 119,050 Californians have tested positive for the coronavirus in just the last seven days — almost the equivalent of everyone living in the city of Berkeley being infected .
The unprecedented case counts aren ’ t merely a byproduct of ramped-up testing .
The average rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive has soared and reached its highest level since May .
As of Friday , the rate at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the last week was 8.5 % , more than triple what it was in early October .
The test positivity rate is now worse than at any point during California ’ s summer coronavirus wave , which has been the state ’ s deadliest .
The rising positivity rate , which comes at a time that the number of tests performed has been increasing , is proof that the virus ’ reach is spreading , epidemiologists say .
With case numbers that are historically high and show no signs of relenting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s hospital system , which they ’ ve long warned is at risk of being flooded by a wave of coronavirus patients .
Statewide , 9,065 Californians were hospitalized with a confirmed case as of Thursday — an all-time high and nearly double the number seen two weeks ago .
“ The bottom line is if we don ’ t act now , our hospital system will be overwhelmed , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Thursday .
“ If we don ’ t act now , we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more lives lost.
” The state has also seen more than 100 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities on each of the last four days .
That hasn ’ t happened since early September .
Should the current rate of deaths continue , the total death toll would surpass 20,000 by early next week .
“ This is the most challenging moment since the beginning of this pandemic , ” Newsom said .
“ This is the time ... to put aside your doubt , to put aside your skepticism , to put aside your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to put aside any consideration except this : Lives are in the balance .
Lives will be lost unless we do more than we ’ ve ever done.
” Faced with COVID-19 ’ s relentless acceleration , the state Thursday pulled an emergency brake — announcing new and far-reaching restrictions tied to regional strains on critical care services .
For purposes of the new statewide order , officials carved California into five regions : Southern California , the San Joaquin Valley , the Bay Area , the Greater Sacramento area and rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as closing hair and nail salons , playgrounds , zoos , museums , aquariums and wineries ; and requiring restaurants to return to takeout service only — would be implemented when a region ’ s intensive care unit capacity falls below 15 % .
The earliest the stay-at-home order can be imposed on any region by the state is Sunday .
ICU capacity is not a static number , as hospitals can increase their available beds to a point should the need arise .
Though their regional ICU capacity has yet to fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin , San Francisco and Santa Clara counties , as well as the city of Berkeley , announced Friday that they would proactively implement the additional restrictions .
“ We can not wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake , ” Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement .
“ We understand that the closures under the state order will have a profound impact on our local businesses .
However , if we act quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place , allowing businesses and activities to reopen sooner.
” The new closures are scheduled to take hold across most of the Bay Area starting Sunday and will stay in place until Jan. 4 .
The latest state mandate has been met with consternation in some corners and controversy in others .
Some have questioned the regional approach — saying it doesn ’ t make sense to potentially drop the hammer on one county because of its neighbors ’ circumstances .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unscientific .
“ The governor has been clamping down on our residents ’ ability to provide for themselves and their families for weeks , with no evidence it has slowed the spread , ” Michelle Steel , chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors , said in a statement Friday .
“ The evidence we have seen is more depression , more closed businesses and less work for those who need it most.
” Steel , a Republican who was recently elected to Congress , added that “ the governor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most vulnerable in our communities and stop these sweeping orders that harm all of us.
” L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis , on the other hand , commended Newsom “ for taking this difficult but necessary measure so we can bend the curve of COVID-19 once again , and perhaps for the last time.
” “ The transmission of COVID-19 is not limited to the borders of our county , and is killing people across the state and country at a terrible pace , ” she said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than in years past , we can come together as Californians to guard the health of our neighbors.
” A cadre of state lawmakers also sent a letter to Newsom Friday asking that he reconsider closing public outdoor playgrounds under the new order .
“ While we must appropriately consider best practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission , we also must ensure the children across the state are not unfairly deprived of their opportunities for outdoor access and play , ” states the letter , which is signed by a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playgrounds unfairly negatively impacts children and families.
” Newsom has expressed hope that this new shutdown would be the final time such measures prove necessary , particularly with the state expecting to receive its initial shipment of COVID-19 vaccines in a matter of weeks .
In the meantime , experts and officials urge residents to take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones from being infected — including wearing masks in public , regularly washing their hands and staying home as much as possible ; as well as keeping physical distance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do not live with .
“ We will get through this .
This is the final surge , ” Newsom said .
“ We have a light at the end of the tunnel with these vaccines , but we need to take seriously this moment .
”

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Sean Greene

Southern California’s intensive-care bed shortage entered the zone that, if it persists, would trigger the state’s stay-at-home order as early as Sunday.
On Friday night, the California Department of Public Health released new numbers showing that Southern California as well as the San Joaquin Valley now face a critical shortage of ICU beds, with each area having less than 15% of its capacity available.
That percentage is the threshold by which the state would order, within 24 hours, a regional stay-at-home order, which would shut outdoor restaurant dining, hair salons, nail salons, playgrounds, cardrooms, museums, zoos, aquariums and wineries and restrict retail capacity to 20%.
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Friday’s numbers do not trigger the stay-at-home order. But if the percentages remain below 15% on Saturday, the order would be triggered as early as Sunday.
Current available ICU capacity by region as of Friday night:
· Bay Area: 21.2%
· Greater Sacramento Region: 21.4%
· Rural Northern California: 20.9%
· San Joaquin Valley: 14.1%
· Southern California: 13.1%
The news came as California and Los Angeles County on Friday set all-time records for coronavirus cases reported in a single day.
A county-by-county tally by The Times found that more than 22,300 coronavirus cases were reported across California on Friday alone, exceeding the record set Monday, when 21,848 cases were reported. The Times tallied 204 deaths reported Friday, the second highest total recorded in a single day of the entire pandemic.
Cumulatively, California has reported 1.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 19,700 deaths.
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in three of the last four days this week. On Friday, 8,562 cases were reported, according to The Times’ tally, breaking the record set Thursday, when 7,713 were reported.
There were also 56 deaths recorded in L.A. County, a single-day tally not seen since Aug. 19.
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The hard-hit county hit its fifth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 2,769 people currently hospitalized. Of those, nearly a quarter are in intensive care, where numbers have tripled in the last six weeks.
Statewide over the last week, the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases per day, according to data compiled by The Times. That’s quadruple the average from election day, and dwarfs even the darkest days of the summertime surge, when the rolling average never topped 10,000.
To put that number into perspective, 119,050 Californians have tested positive for the coronavirus in just the last seven days — almost the equivalent of everyone living in the city of Berkeley being infected.
The unprecedented case counts aren’t merely a byproduct of ramped-up testing.
The average rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive has soared and reached its highest level since May.
As of Friday, the rate at which coronavirus test results came back positive over the last week was 8.5%, more than triple what it was in early October.
The test positivity rate is now worse than at any point during California’s summer coronavirus wave, which has been the state’s deadliest. The rising positivity rate, which comes at a time that the number of tests performed has been increasing, is proof that the virus’ reach is spreading, epidemiologists say.
With case numbers that are historically high and show no signs of relenting, California officials are turning their eyes toward the state’s hospital system, which they’ve long warned is at risk of being flooded by a wave of coronavirus patients.
Statewide, 9,065 Californians were hospitalized with a confirmed case as of Thursday — an all-time high and nearly double the number seen two weeks ago.
“The bottom line is if we don’t act now, our hospital system will be overwhelmed,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday. “If we don’t act now, we’ll continue to see a death rate climb, more lives lost.”
The state has also seen more than 100 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities on each of the last four days. That hasn’t happened since early September.
Should the current rate of deaths continue, the total death toll would surpass 20,000 by early next week.
“This is the most challenging moment since the beginning of this pandemic,” Newsom said. “This is the time ... to put aside your doubt, to put aside your skepticism, to put aside your cynicism, to put aside your ideology, to put aside any consideration except this: Lives are in the balance. Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done.”
Faced with COVID-19’s relentless acceleration, the state Thursday pulled an emergency brake — announcing new and far-reaching restrictions tied to regional strains on critical care services.
For purposes of the new statewide order, officials carved California into five regions: Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area, the Greater Sacramento area and rural Northern California.
Additional restrictions — such as closing hair and nail salons, playgrounds, zoos, museums, aquariums and wineries; and requiring restaurants to return to takeout service only — would be implemented when a region’s intensive care unit capacity falls below 15%.
The earliest the stay-at-home order can be imposed on any region by the state is Sunday.
ICU capacity is not a static number, as hospitals can increase their available beds to a point should the need arise.
Though their regional ICU capacity has yet to fall below the designated level, health officers for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, as well as the city of Berkeley, announced Friday that they would proactively implement the additional restrictions.
“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake,” Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement. “We understand that the closures under the state order will have a profound impact on our local businesses. However, if we act quickly, we can both save lives and reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place, allowing businesses and activities to reopen sooner.”
The new closures are scheduled to take hold across most of the Bay Area starting Sunday and will stay in place until Jan. 4.
The latest state mandate has been met with consternation in some corners and controversy in others.
Some have questioned the regional approach — saying it doesn’t make sense to potentially drop the hammer on one county because of its neighbors’ circumstances. Others have dismissed the restrictions themselves as arbitrary and unscientific.
“The governor has been clamping down on our residents’ ability to provide for themselves and their families for weeks, with no evidence it has slowed the spread,” Michelle Steel, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement Friday. “The evidence we have seen is more depression, more closed businesses and less work for those who need it most.”
Steel, a Republican who was recently elected to Congress, added that “the governor and state health officials should focus on protecting the most vulnerable in our communities and stop these sweeping orders that harm all of us.”
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, on the other hand, commended Newsom “for taking this difficult but necessary measure so we can bend the curve of COVID-19 once again, and perhaps for the last time.”
“The transmission of COVID-19 is not limited to the borders of our county, and is killing people across the state and country at a terrible pace,” she said in a statement. “Although we are more physically distanced now than in years past, we can come together as Californians to guard the health of our neighbors.”
A cadre of state lawmakers also sent a letter to Newsom Friday asking that he reconsider closing public outdoor playgrounds under the new order.
“While we must appropriately consider best practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, we also must ensure the children across the state are not unfairly deprived of their opportunities for outdoor access and play,” states the letter, which is signed by a dozen legislators. “The broad closure of playgrounds unfairly negatively impacts children and families.”
Newsom has expressed hope that this new shutdown would be the final time such measures prove necessary, particularly with the state expecting to receive its initial shipment of COVID-19 vaccines in a matter of weeks.
In the meantime, experts and officials urge residents to take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones from being infected — including wearing masks in public, regularly washing their hands and staying home as much as possible; as well as keeping physical distance from, and avoiding gatherings with, those they do not live with.
“We will get through this. This is the final surge,” Newsom said. “We have a light at the end of the tunnel with these vaccines, but we need to take seriously this moment.”


latimes--2020-12-05--What the stay-at-home order means for Southern California

Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will come under a new stay-at-home order beginning Sunday night after their available intensive care unit capacity fell below 15 % , creating a critical shortage of ICU bed space in hospitals .
They will join several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area , which are planning to implement similar stay-at-home orders Sunday night and Monday morning , without waiting to cross into the threshold that would require action by the state .
By Tuesday , the stay-at-home orders will be in effect in 28 counties encompassing 84 % of California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Californians .
When does the stay-at-home order go into effect ?
The order goes into effect at these times in the following counties : San Francisco , Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties : Sunday at 10 p.m. Southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley : Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Alameda County : Monday at 12:01 a.m. Marin County : Tuesday at noon How long does the order last ?
For Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley , the order will last at least until Dec. 28 — and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if available ICU capacity projections for the following month reach 15 % or greater .
The Bay Area orders are expected to remain in effect through Jan. 4 , unless crowding in the region ’ s intensive care units improves earlier than anticipated .
How crowded are the intensive care units ?
They ’ re getting more crowded than ever , and unless something is done to turn the tide , California ’ s intensive care unit capacity will be overwhelmed .
Mortality rates can dramatically increase when ICUs are stretched beyond capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a limited number of doctors , nurses and other healthcare providers adequately trained in intensive care .
Quality of care can decrease substantially if hospitals are forced to transfer critically ill patients to other parts of the medical facilities that are not normally designed to care for such patients .
Nearly 20,000 Californians have died after being infected with the coronavirus , responsible for the worst global pandemic in more than a century .
Unless the current surge in cases is turned around , California ’ s death toll could double by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a look at the remaining capacity of ICU wards in the five regions of California , as of Saturday , according to the the state Department of Public Health .
When other regions ’ ICU availability falls below 15 % , as is expected this month , the state will order the stay-at-home order to take effect within 24 hours .
How does this stay-at-home differ from the spring one ?
All retail stores will be allowed to remain open , at a reduced capacity , as will outdoor spaces like parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region hits the threshold Retail would stay open , but with limits All retail would be allowed to remain open under this stay-at-home order , although at a reduced capacity .
Counties can impose tougher rules than the state ’ s .
• Most of California : In much of the state , essential retail , like supermarkets and drug stores , were at 50 % of capacity ; nonessential retail , like other stores and malls , at 25 % .
The new order lowers capacity of all retail to 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County already had recently tightened capacity limits at retail .
When L.A. County falls into the scope of the new order , nonessential retail capacity limits would remain the same at 20 % .
Essential retail capacity would fall from 35 % of capacity to 20 % .
• Santa Clara County : Santa Clara County also had already tightened capacity limits .
When the county falls into the scope of the new order , the local , tougher limit for nonessential retail ( 10 % ) will be loosened to conform with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Essential retail capacity would fall from 25 % to 20 % .
• Shopping centers would also be capped at 20 % of capacity .
Eating and drinking in stores would be prohibited .
Special hours should be imposed for seniors or those with compromised immune systems .
Use of hotels and lodging for tourism and leisure prohibited After the first statewide stay-at-home order imposed in the spring , California allowed counties to reopen hotels for tourism and individual travel in June .
The new regional stay-at-home order , when effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel , whether it be a vacation or a road trip to see family or friends .
Specifically , it allows hotel and lodging for essential reasons only , defined as supporting “ critical infrastructure sectors , ” including workers in healthcare , food , agriculture , energy , utilities , transportation , communications , government operations , manufacturing , financial services and the entertainment industry .
• Professional sports without live audiences , except for Santa Clara County .
It has its own order banning contact sports , which has forced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona for December home games • Schools that are already open for in-person learning can remain open In early October , the state began to allow counties to permit small gatherings of people from different households , provided they occurred outdoors for no more than two hours and involved people from at most three households , who stayed at least six feet from one another and wore masks when not eating or drinking .
The new order would prohibit gatherings involving different households .
L.A. County implemented the same ban Monday .
Outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed .
How will the order be enforced ?
The order will work only if most Californians comply .
Newsom said he ’ s seen support for enforcing the order from a number of local officials , although he acknowledged that some have said they ’ re not planning to enforce the rules .
Newsom said he will withhold pandemic funds from counties unwilling to enforce rules or adopt measures to reduce the spread of disease .
Once the order goes into effect , the state is asking people to stay at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Part of the recent surge in California was caused by travelers from out of state .
“ All nonessential travel we are ordering to be temporarily restricted , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said .
The directive to cancel nonessential travel plans is a requirement , not an advisory .
The requirement really isn ’ t enforceable , but Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California health and human services secretary , said he hoped that labeling it a requirement would encourage compliance .
The regional approach is being used because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when some hospitals reach capacity , Ghaly said .
When one county is full , it leans on a nearby county for help .
This is how the state ’ s regions are defined under the new order :

Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth, Sean Greene

Nurse Helena Harvilicz dances in her car to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” at Keck Hospital of USC where nurses protested unsafe working conditions Wednesday in Lincoln Heights.
Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will come under a new stay-at-home order beginning Sunday night after their available intensive care unit capacity fell below 15%, creating a critical shortage of ICU bed space in hospitals.
They will join several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, which are planning to implement similar stay-at-home orders Sunday night and Monday morning, without waiting to cross into the threshold that would require action by the state.
By Tuesday, the stay-at-home orders will be in effect in 28 counties encompassing 84% of California’s population, affecting more than 33 million Californians.
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When does the stay-at-home order go into effect?
The order goes into effect at these times in the following counties:
San Francisco, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties: Sunday at 10 p.m.
Southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley: Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
Alameda County: Monday at 12:01 a.m.
Marin County: Tuesday at noon
How long does the order last?
For Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, the order will last at least until Dec. 28 — and will only lift, at that time, if available ICU capacity projections for the following month reach 15% or greater.
The Bay Area orders are expected to remain in effect through Jan. 4, unless crowding in the region’s intensive care units improves earlier than anticipated.
How crowded are the intensive care units?
They’re getting more crowded than ever, and unless something is done to turn the tide, California’s intensive care unit capacity will be overwhelmed.
Mortality rates can dramatically increase when ICUs are stretched beyond capacity, and officials have already warned there are a limited number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers adequately trained in intensive care.
Quality of care can decrease substantially if hospitals are forced to transfer critically ill patients to other parts of the medical facilities that are not normally designed to care for such patients.
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Nearly 20,000 Californians have died after being infected with the coronavirus, responsible for the worst global pandemic in more than a century. Unless the current surge in cases is turned around, California’s death toll could double by the end of winter.
Here’s a look at the remaining capacity of ICU wards in the five regions of California, as of Saturday, according to the the state Department of Public Health.
Bay Area: 21.7%
Greater Sacramento Region: 21.4%
Rural Northern California: 24.1%
Southern California: 12.5%
San Joaquin Valley: 8.6%
When other regions’ ICU availability falls below 15%, as is expected this month, the state will order the stay-at-home order to take effect within 24 hours.
How does this stay-at-home differ from the spring one?
All retail stores will be allowed to remain open, at a reduced capacity, as will outdoor spaces like parks and beaches.
What closes once a region hits the threshold
Outdoor restaurant dining
Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and other personal care services
Playgrounds
Outdoor cardrooms and satellite wagering and casinos
Outdoor museums, zoos and aquariums
Outdoor movie theaters
Outdoor wineries
Overnight stays at campgrounds
Food, drink or alcohol sales at outdoor recreational facilities
Retail would stay open, but with limits
All retail would be allowed to remain open under this stay-at-home order, although at a reduced capacity. Counties can impose tougher rules than the state’s.
Most of California: In much of the state, essential retail, like supermarkets and drug stores, were at 50% of capacity; nonessential retail, like other stores and malls, at 25%. The new order lowers capacity of all retail to 20%.
In much of the state, essential retail, like supermarkets and drug stores, were at 50% of capacity; nonessential retail, like other stores and malls, at 25%. The new order lowers capacity of all retail to 20%. Los Angeles County: L.A. County already had recently tightened capacity limits at retail. When L.A. County falls into the scope of the new order, nonessential retail capacity limits would remain the same at 20%. Essential retail capacity would fall from 35% of capacity to 20%.
L.A. County already had recently tightened capacity limits at retail. When L.A. County falls into the scope of the new order, nonessential retail capacity limits would remain the same at 20%. Essential retail capacity would fall from 35% of capacity to 20%. Santa Clara County: Santa Clara County also had already tightened capacity limits. When the county falls into the scope of the new order, the local, tougher limit for nonessential retail (10%) will be loosened to conform with the state’s limit, 20%. Essential retail capacity would fall from 25% to 20%.
Santa Clara County also had already tightened capacity limits. When the county falls into the scope of the new order, the local, tougher limit for nonessential retail (10%) will be loosened to conform with the state’s limit, 20%. Essential retail capacity would fall from 25% to 20%. Shopping centers would also be capped at 20% of capacity. Eating and drinking in stores would be prohibited. Special hours should be imposed for seniors or those with compromised immune systems.
Use of hotels and lodging for tourism and leisure prohibited
After the first statewide stay-at-home order imposed in the spring, California allowed counties to reopen hotels for tourism and individual travel in June.
The new regional stay-at-home order, when effective, again prohibits hotel use for nonessential travel, whether it be a vacation or a road trip to see family or friends.
Specifically, it allows hotel and lodging for essential reasons only, defined as supporting “critical infrastructure sectors,” including workers in healthcare, food, agriculture, energy, utilities, transportation, communications, government operations, manufacturing, financial services and the entertainment industry.
What stays open
Entertainment production
Professional sports without live audiences, except for Santa Clara County. It has its own order banning contact sports, which has forced the San Francisco 49ers to temporarily relocate to Arizona for December home games
Schools that are already open for in-person learning can remain open
Outdoor areas like beaches, parks, and hiking trails
Medical offices, dentist offices
Child care and prekindergarten
Restaurants for takeout and delivery service
Critical infrastructure sectors
Gatherings would be banned
In early October, the state began to allow counties to permit small gatherings of people from different households, provided they occurred outdoors for no more than two hours and involved people from at most three households, who stayed at least six feet from one another and wore masks when not eating or drinking.
The new order would prohibit gatherings involving different households. L.A. County implemented the same ban Monday.
Outdoor church services and political demonstrations are still allowed.
How will the order be enforced?
The order will work only if most Californians comply.
Newsom said he’s seen support for enforcing the order from a number of local officials, although he acknowledged that some have said they’re not planning to enforce the rules. Newsom said he will withhold pandemic funds from counties unwilling to enforce rules or adopt measures to reduce the spread of disease.
Nonessential travel restricted
Once the order goes into effect, the state is asking people to stay at home and not mix and move around. Part of the recent surge in California was caused by travelers from out of state.
“All nonessential travel we are ordering to be temporarily restricted,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
The directive to cancel nonessential travel plans is a requirement, not an advisory. The requirement really isn’t enforceable, but Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary, said he hoped that labeling it a requirement would encourage compliance.
Why use a regional approach?
The regional approach is being used because that’s how hospitals and healthcare delivery systems work when some hospitals reach capacity, Ghaly said. When one county is full, it leans on a nearby county for help.
This is how the state’s regions are defined under the new order:
Rural Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity
Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma
Greater Sacramento: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba
San Joaquin Valley: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne
Southern California: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura


latimes--2020-12-05--Stay-at-home order will be imposed in Southern California and San Joaquin Valley

A stay-at-home order will go into effect in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley late Sunday , as COVID-19 cases soar and capacity at hospital intensive care units continues to drop .
The regions will implement the order Sunday at 11:59 p.m .
Bars , wineries and personal-care services must close ; restaurants must halt all dining ; and gatherings of people from different households will be prohibited , the state confirmed .
The rules will remain in place for at least three weeks .
The order — the latest in a series of attempts to slow the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems from becoming overwhelmed — is triggered when a region ’ s ICU capacity drops below 15 % .
Southern California ’ s ICU capacity Saturday was 12.5 % , and the San Joaquin Valley ’ s was 8.6 % , according to data released by the state .
Some 33 million Californians will be subject to the new order , representing 84 % of the state ’ s population .
They include residents of five Bay Area counties , which have decided to implement the stay-at-home order despite not yet reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order will be felt across Southern California but most dramatically in suburban counties like Orange , Ventura and Riverside , which have far less stringent restrictions than Los Angeles County , which imposed a modified stay-at-home order a week ago .
In addition to Los Angeles , Orange , Ventura and Riverside , the Southern California counties affected by the order are Imperial , Inyo , Mono , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara and Ventura .
The San Joaquin Valley region covers Calaveras , Fresno , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Merced , San Benito , San Joaquin , Stanislaus , Tulare and Tuolumne counties .
Affected communities will be required to close hair and nail salons , playgrounds , zoos , museums , aquariums and wineries .
Overnight , short-term stays at campgrounds will be prohibited .
Restaurants will be allowed to offer takeout service only .
Retail businesses will be limited to 20 % customer capacity indoors , and stores will be required to ensure that there is no indoor eating or drinking .
Card rooms will be required to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to accept tourists .
Entertainment productions and professional sports will continue to be allowed , without live audiences .
The exception is Santa Clara County , which on Monday enacted a ban on contact sports , forcing the San Francisco 49ers to temporarily relocate to Arizona for December games .
Officials have said the measures are needed to avoid a crush of COVID-19 patients that could overwhelm the healthcare system , jeopardizing the ability to care for non-COVID patients as well .
Mortality rates can dramatically increase when ICUs are stretched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there are limits on the number of doctors , nurses and other healthcare providers who are well-trained in providing intensive care .
Quality of care can fall substantially if hospitals are forced to transfer critically ill patients to parts of the hospital that are not designed for such use .
California has broken the record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days , with 9,430 on Friday — more than quadruple the number from Oct. 24 , when there were 2,254 .
The state ’ s hospitals have never had so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently 2,182 in the ICU , the third consecutive day the record has been broken .
During the COVID-19 surge in the summer , there were never more than 2,058 patients in the ICU .
In L.A. County , hospitalizations increased to 2,855 on Friday from 2,769 on Thursday .
That number will likely continue to rise , as 49,000 people tested positive over the past week , and about 10 % of them are expected to require hospital care , Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said Saturday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and if even 20 % of these patients need care in the ICU , they will require 1,000 staffed ICU beds , ” Ferrer said in a statement .
“ This is our likely reality in two weeks .
“ And if we all can ’ t get behind the existing directives to stay home as much as possible and avoid all nonessential activities and places where you are likely to be in contact with non-household members , we are likely to bear witness to one of the worst healthcare crises our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
In the San Joaquin Valley region , some hospitals are already strained .
“ We are at a point where surging cases and hospitalizations are not letting up , ” Dr. Salvador Sandoval , Merced County ’ s public health officer , said in a statement .
The only hospital in San Benito County is “ completely full , ” Dr. David Ghilarducci , the county ’ s public health officer , said in a statement .
“ This is an alarming situation that could get much worse.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for care , officials said , meaning that if one or two hospitals become overwhelmed , a domino effect could occur .
“ Our mountain communities rely on the region for ICU-level care for COVID and other serious medical conditions , transferring our sickest to hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley , ” said Dr. Eric Sergienko , health officer for Mariposa County and acting health officer for Tuolumne County .
“ These hospitals are stretched to capacity.
” Word of the new stay-at-home order came as California and Los Angeles County continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a single day .
A county-by-county tally by The Times found that more than 22,300 new coronavirus cases were reported across California on Friday , exceeding the record set Monday , when there were 21,848 .
Over the last week , the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases per day .
The Times tallied 204 COVID-19 deaths Friday , the second-highest total recorded in a single day .
Cumulatively , California has reported more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 19,800 deaths .
L.A. County has broken single-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last five days .
On Saturday , at least 9,109 cases were reported , according to preliminary numbers in The Times ’ independent tally , breaking the records set Friday , when 8,562 cases were reported , and Thursday , when 7,713 were reported .
With at least 43 deaths recorded Saturday , L.A. County is averaging 38 deaths a day , a pace not seen since late July .
The new has faced criticism from all sides .
Some say it ’ s too restrictive and will destroy small businesses ; others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wondering why malls are allowed to stay open .
Some local officials have also criticized the way the state has designated regions for the purpose of measuring ICU capacity .
Officials of Ventura County noted that the Southern California region into which it falls is home to more than half the state ’ s population and are urging Gov .
Gavin Newsom “ to consider smaller , more targeted regions.
” San Luis Obispo County issued a similar statement , saying its ICU capacity is higher than that of most other counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are disappointed to be categorized in the Southern California region and continue to ask state officials to reconsider our regional assignment to better represent the local ICU capacity , ” said Dr. Penny Borenstein , San Luis Obispo County ’ s health officer .
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she supports a regionalized approach so that counties can assist each other if their hospitals fill up , but the state ’ s categories are simply too broad .
“ Grouping 11 counties in Southern California into one region , particularly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state ’ s population , is problematic , ” she said , referring to L.A. County , the state ’ s most populous .
Bartlett noted that Orange County ’ s ICU capacity is more than 20 % , compared with the regional availability of 12.5 % .
By being forced to shut down or reduce operations , she said , some business sectors , like restaurants and theme parks , are being “ unfairly punished ” by the new rules .
Keegan Hicks , the owner of the Harbor Grill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant was completely booked Saturday night .
He said the restaurant will comply with the new order but that there should be an exception for outdoor dining .
“ We understand why these measures are being taken .
We have nothing but concern and solidarity for front line hospital workers , ” said Keegan Hicks , whose family has owned the restaurant for 36 years .
“ But we believe that outdoor dining – as long as the restaurant is taking the proper protocols – is not responsible for the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open since May .
We have 60 employees and have had zero transmission among employees and zero customers complaints.
” Hilary Goldner , co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach , heard the news about the new order through text messages from her staff .
After a busy Saturday , she said she is getting ready to close her shop for three weeks .
“ It ’ s devastating , ” she said .
“ We had had the two closures already , and this one comes at the busiest time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward with their lives , and we play a role in that .
It ’ s unfortunate and disappointing.
” Goldner understands that hospitals are getting slammed by COVID-19 cases , but she doesn ’ t believe that hair salons are contributors to the spread of the disease .
“ We feel that we are already in compliance , ” she said .
“ We ’ re in masks , our clients are in masks .
We ’ re sanitizing .
We ’ re going above and beyond for the safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barnes said Saturday that deputies will not be dispatched to enforce compliance with face covering , social distancing or stay-at-home rules , as has been the department ’ s policy throughout the pandemic .
“ Compliance with health orders is a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement , ” he said in a statement .
Bartlett said she and Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner plan to introduce a resolution on Tuesday affirming the county ’ s commitment to advocating for local control to the greatest extent possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with public health officers and hospitals to increase ICU capacity by such measures as reopening the Fairview Developmental Center as a field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients , which could potentially add 180 beds .
Still , she said , there ’ s “ great concern ” about what will happen in a few weeks , when cases may spike further due to the possibility of increased transmission from Thanksgiving gatherings .
“ Based on our current ICU bed capacity , I think Orange County is in fairly good shape , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bartlett said .
“ Our ICU bed capacity literally dropped 15 % in one week .
So we have to watch things very carefully .
”

Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Thomas Curwen

Customers are reminded to wear masks at the Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall in Arcadia.
A stay-at-home order will go into effect in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley late Sunday, as COVID-19 cases soar and capacity at hospital intensive care units continues to drop.
The regions will implement the order Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Bars, wineries and personal-care services must close; restaurants must halt all dining; and gatherings of people from different households will be prohibited, the state confirmed. The rules will remain in place for at least three weeks.
The order — the latest in a series of attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent local healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed — is triggered when a region’s ICU capacity drops below 15%. Southern California’s ICU capacity Saturday was 12.5%, and the San Joaquin Valley’s was 8.6%, according to data released by the state.
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Some 33 million Californians will be subject to the new order, representing 84% of the state’s population. They include residents of five Bay Area counties, which have decided to implement the stay-at-home order despite not yet reaching the threshold mandated by the state.
The order will be felt across Southern California but most dramatically in suburban counties like Orange, Ventura and Riverside, which have far less stringent restrictions than Los Angeles County, which imposed a modified stay-at-home order a week ago.
In addition to Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Riverside, the Southern California counties affected by the order are Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The San Joaquin Valley region covers Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.
Affected communities will be required to close hair and nail salons, playgrounds, zoos, museums, aquariums and wineries. Overnight, short-term stays at campgrounds will be prohibited. Restaurants will be allowed to offer takeout service only.
Retail businesses will be limited to 20% customer capacity indoors, and stores will be required to ensure that there is no indoor eating or drinking.
Card rooms will be required to shut down, and hotels won’t be allowed to accept tourists.
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Entertainment productions and professional sports will continue to be allowed, without live audiences. The exception is Santa Clara County, which on Monday enacted a ban on contact sports, forcing the San Francisco 49ers to temporarily relocate to Arizona for December games.
Officials have said the measures are needed to avoid a crush of COVID-19 patients that could overwhelm the healthcare system, jeopardizing the ability to care for non-COVID patients as well. Mortality rates can dramatically increase when ICUs are stretched beyond capacity, and officials have warned that there are limits on the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers who are well-trained in providing intensive care. Quality of care can fall substantially if hospitals are forced to transfer critically ill patients to parts of the hospital that are not designed for such use.
California has broken the record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days, with 9,430 on Friday — more than quadruple the number from Oct. 24, when there were 2,254.
The state’s hospitals have never had so many severely ill COVID-19 patients; there are currently 2,182 in the ICU, the third consecutive day the record has been broken. During the COVID-19 surge in the summer, there were never more than 2,058 patients in the ICU.
In L.A. County, hospitalizations increased to 2,855 on Friday from 2,769 on Thursday. That number will likely continue to rise, as 49,000 people tested positive over the past week, and about 10% of them are expected to require hospital care, Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said Saturday.
“That translates to close to 5,000 patients, and if even 20% of these patients need care in the ICU, they will require 1,000 staffed ICU beds,” Ferrer said in a statement. “This is our likely reality in two weeks.
“And if we all can’t get behind the existing directives to stay home as much as possible and avoid all nonessential activities and places where you are likely to be in contact with non-household members, we are likely to bear witness to one of the worst healthcare crises our county has seen in our lifetime,” she said.
In the San Joaquin Valley region, some hospitals are already strained.
“We are at a point where surging cases and hospitalizations are not letting up,” Dr. Salvador Sandoval, Merced County’s public health officer, said in a statement.
The only hospital in San Benito County is “completely full,” Dr. David Ghilarducci, the county’s public health officer, said in a statement. “This is an alarming situation that could get much worse.”
Remote counties are dependent on neighboring areas for care, officials said, meaning that if one or two hospitals become overwhelmed, a domino effect could occur.
“Our mountain communities rely on the region for ICU-level care for COVID and other serious medical conditions, transferring our sickest to hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Dr. Eric Sergienko, health officer for Mariposa County and acting health officer for Tuolumne County. “These hospitals are stretched to capacity.”
Word of the new stay-at-home order came as California and Los Angeles County continued to set records for coronavirus cases reported in a single day.
A county-by-county tally by The Times found that more than 22,300 new coronavirus cases were reported across California on Friday, exceeding the record set Monday, when there were 21,848. Over the last week, the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases per day. The Times tallied 204 COVID-19 deaths Friday, the second-highest total recorded in a single day.
Cumulatively, California has reported more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 19,800 deaths.
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in four of the last five days. On Saturday, at least 9,109 cases were reported, according to preliminary numbers in The Times’ independent tally, breaking the records set Friday, when 8,562 cases were reported, and Thursday, when 7,713 were reported.
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
With at least 43 deaths recorded Saturday, L.A. County is averaging 38 deaths a day, a pace not seen since late July.
The new stay-at-home order has faced criticism from all sides. Some say it’s too restrictive and will destroy small businesses; others question whether the rules are tough enough, wondering why malls are allowed to stay open.
Some local officials have also criticized the way the state has designated regions for the purpose of measuring ICU capacity. Officials of Ventura County noted that the Southern California region into which it falls is home to more than half the state’s population and are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom “to consider smaller, more targeted regions.”
San Luis Obispo County issued a similar statement, saying its ICU capacity is higher than that of most other counties in the Southern California region.
“We are disappointed to be categorized in the Southern California region and continue to ask state officials to reconsider our regional assignment to better represent the local ICU capacity,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County’s health officer.
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she supports a regionalized approach so that counties can assist each other if their hospitals fill up, but the state’s categories are simply too broad.
“Grouping 11 counties in Southern California into one region, particularly with one county that represents over 25% of the state’s population, is problematic,” she said, referring to L.A. County, the state’s most populous.
Bartlett noted that Orange County’s ICU capacity is more than 20%, compared with the regional availability of 12.5%. By being forced to shut down or reduce operations, she said, some business sectors, like restaurants and theme parks, are being “unfairly punished” by the new rules.
Keegan Hicks, owner of the Harbor Grill in Dana Point, said the popular restaurant was completely booked Saturday night. He said the restaurant will comply with the new order but believes there should be an exception for outdoor dining.
“We understand why these measures are being taken. We have nothing but concern and solidarity for frontline hospital workers,” said Hicks, whose family has owned the restaurant for 36 years. “But we believe that outdoor dining — as long as the restaurant is taking the proper protocols — is not responsible for the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’ve been open since May,” he added. “We have 60 employees and have had zero transmission among employees and zero customer complaints.”
Hilary Goldner, co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach, heard the news about the order through text messages from her staff. After a busy Saturday, she is getting ready to close her salon for three weeks.
“It’s devastating,” she said. “We had had the two closures already, and this one comes at the busiest time of the year. Everyone is trying to move forward with their lives, and we play a role in that. It’s unfortunate and disappointing.”
Goldner said she understands that hospitals are getting slammed, but she doesn’t believe hair salons are contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
“We feel that we are already in compliance,” she said. “We’re in masks; our clients are in masks. We’re sanitizing. We’re going above and beyond for the safety of our clients.”
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Saturday that deputies will not be dispatched to enforce compliance with stay-at-home rules or those governing face coverings and social distancing — as has been the department’s policy throughout the pandemic.
“Compliance with health orders is a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement,” he said in a statement.
Bartlett said she and Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner plan to introduce a resolution on Tuesday affirming the county’s commitment to advocating for local control to the greatest extent possible. She said county officials have been working with public health officers and hospitals to increase ICU capacity by such measures as reopening the Fairview Developmental Center as a field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, which could potentially add 180 beds.
Still, she said, there’s “great concern” about what will happen in a few weeks, when cases may spike further due to the possibility of increased transmission from Thanksgiving gatherings.
“Based on our current ICU bed capacity, I think Orange County is in fairly good shape, but that could also change very quickly,” Bartlett said. “Our ICU bed capacity literally dropped 15% in one week. So we have to watch things very carefully.”