latimes--2020-07-02--USC reverses robust fall reopening plans, asks students to stay home for online classes

Amid the alarming surge in coronavirus spread , USC announced it will no longer bring all undergraduates back to campus for the fall semester and will move to mainly online classes , reversing an earlier decision to welcome students back for a hybrid model .
The decision , announced by Provost Charles Zukoski late Wednesday , came the same day Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced tougher restrictions on indoor activities .
Zukoski recommended that students not return to campus for the semester and instead continue their education online .
“ The once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , and socialize — and with each new permutation of the pandemic , we must find ways to thrive , ” Zukoski wrote in a letter to students .
“ Given the continuing safety restrictions and limited densities permissible on campus , our undergraduate students primarily or exclusively will be taking their courses online in the fall term , ” he said .
“ On-campus housing and activities will be limited.
” Only 10 % to 20 % of courses during the fall semester will be conducted in person and on campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studios and performance classes , and research studies that require hands-on work .
Junior Jaya Hinton , co-director of USC ’ s Black Student Assembly , said the change to online classes is the safest move .
But she worries how low-income students and those who are the first in their family to attend college may struggle given next year ’ s 3.5 % tuition hike and that internet access for some may be limited at home .
“ Charging full tuition seems ridiculous , ” she said .
“ This just puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot.
” For Hinton , whose parents are working from home and two siblings , 10 and 17 , are also in school , shifting to online classes in March proved to be a challenge — especially in a household with seven people .
“ Our internet just couldn ’ t sustain everyone that had to be online at the same time , ” she said .
“ It was just a difficult experience for all of us.
” The new USC decision echoes UCLA ’ s plan for the fall to offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses on campus , and it reflects how colleges throughout the state and nation are moving to severely limit in-person courses , continue with online learning and dramatically alter student life during the pandemic .
Both the California State University — the largest four-year university system in the nation — and the Los Angeles Community College District have also moved the vast majority of their classes online in the fall .
Students who struggle to connect off campus will be able to apply for a one-time scholarship providing up to two free classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help ensure academic progress , ” USC said , and the university will also expand its financial and technical support for students with connectivity issues .
Students with on-campus housing contracts will be allowed to cancel them through July 15 .
For students who need to live on campus , only one student will be permitted per bedroom .
Those living near campus will be required to make an appointment to use library spaces or dining facilities .
“ Whether students are here on campus or pursuing their studies and activities online , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported , ” Zukoski wrote in the letter .
“ We are in this together and together we will make this fall a rich and rewarding experience.
” The new decision comes just a month after President Carol Folt said students would be able to return to campus for the semester , and three days after USC ’ s chief health officer revealed a plan to reduce the number of students in campus housing and check for symptoms on a daily basis , according to the Daily Trojan .

USC students are being asked to stay home and continue their education online in the fall amid the coronavirus crisis.
Amid the alarming surge in coronavirus spread, USC announced it will no longer bring all undergraduates back to campus for the fall semester and will move to mainly online classes, reversing an earlier decision to welcome students back for a hybrid model.
The decision, announced by Provost Charles Zukoski late Wednesday, came the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom announced tougher restrictions on indoor activities. Zukoski recommended that students not return to campus for the semester and instead continue their education online.
“The once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of our lives — the way we interact, work, and socialize — and with each new permutation of the pandemic, we must find ways to thrive,” Zukoski wrote in a letter to students.
“Given the continuing safety restrictions and limited densities permissible on campus, our undergraduate students primarily or exclusively will be taking their courses online in the fall term,” he said. “On-campus housing and activities will be limited.”
Only 10% to 20% of courses during the fall semester will be conducted in person and on campus. These courses include certain labs, studios and performance classes, and research studies that require hands-on work.
Junior Jaya Hinton, co-director of USC’s Black Student Assembly, said the change to online classes is the safest move. But she worries how low-income students and those who are the first in their family to attend college may struggle given next year’s 3.5% tuition hike and that internet access for some may be limited at home.
“Charging full tuition seems ridiculous,” she said. “This just puts our most vulnerable populations in a tough spot.”
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For Hinton, whose parents are working from home and two siblings, 10 and 17, are also in school, shifting to online classes in March proved to be a challenge — especially in a household with seven people.
“Our internet just couldn’t sustain everyone that had to be online at the same time,” she said. “It was just a difficult experience for all of us.”
The new USC decision echoes UCLA’s plan for the fall to offer only 15% to 20% of courses on campus, and it reflects how colleges throughout the state and nation are moving to severely limit in-person courses, continue with online learning and dramatically alter student life during the pandemic.
Both the California State University — the largest four-year university system in the nation — and the Los Angeles Community College District have also moved the vast majority of their classes online in the fall.
Students who struggle to connect off campus will be able to apply for a one-time scholarship providing up to two free classes for the 2021 summer session “to help ensure academic progress,” USC said, and the university will also expand its financial and technical support for students with connectivity issues.
Students with on-campus housing contracts will be allowed to cancel them through July 15. For students who need to live on campus, only one student will be permitted per bedroom. Those living near campus will be required to make an appointment to use library spaces or dining facilities.
“Whether students are here on campus or pursuing their studies and activities online, we want everyone to feel safe and supported,” Zukoski wrote in the letter. “We are in this together and together we will make this fall a rich and rewarding experience.”
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The new decision comes just a month after President Carol Folt said students would be able to return to campus for the semester, and three days after USC’s chief health officer revealed a plan to reduce the number of students in campus housing and check for symptoms on a daily basis, according to the Daily Trojan.


latimes--2020-07-02--Not wearing a mask could cost you hundreds in Westside as officials pledge enforcement

Not wearing a mask will soon cost you in some Westside cities .
The West Hollywood sheriff ’ s station announced this week that deputies will issue citations to those who are not following the statewide coronavirus health order to don face coverings while in public or high-risk settings .
Those citations will cost $ 300 for a first offense , according to the sheriff ’ s station .
In Santa Monica , first time offenders will be charged $ 100 and the third offense will cost $ 500 , the city said on Thursday in a media release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask order June 18 , station officials said they have focused on educating residents about the requirement .
Enforcement through citation was considered a “ last option , ” but officials have now determined “ the risk to community health is too great , ” according to a community bulletin .
“ We ask our community to please wear a face cover/mask while in public in an effort to keep everyone healthy and control the spread of the virus , ” officials wrote .
The issue of enforcement has been an open question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While health officials say wearing face coverings is a vital tool in the fight against COVID-19 — as they can help keep those who are infected from spreading the disease to others — some local governments and county-level law enforcement agencies said they would not enforce the requirement .
State and county officials have largely emphasized education , rather than enforcement , to encourage compliance with coronavirus-related rules .
However , as the situation has drastically deteriorated in recent weeks , California officials are sounding the alarm that more must be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could overwhelm hospitals and result in more deaths .
“ Everyone should be wearing your face covering .
I ’ m not asking you ; I ’ m telling you , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday .
“ If there ’ s no mask , there should be no service in any of the places where we shop , where we work , ” he said .
“ If you ’ re in contact with another person , wear that mask as a way of saying , ‘ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday took action to halt visits to indoor restaurants , bars , wineries and tasting rooms , entertainment centers , movie theaters , zoos , museums and card rooms for the next three weeks in regions hit hard by the virus .
While Sacramento will still lean on local governments to enforce coronavirus restrictions , Newsom also said the state has formed a multiagency strike team to go after noncompliant businesses .
“ Why have rules , why have regulations , why have laws if you ’ re not willing to enforce ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s targeted .
It ’ s where there are abuses , ” he said .
Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report .

A man wearing a face covering crosses San Vicente Blvd. at Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. Sheriff’s deputies in West Hollywood said they’ll begin fining people spotted without a face covering in public.
Not wearing a mask will soon cost you in some Westside cities.
The West Hollywood sheriff’s station announced this week that deputies will issue citations to those who are not following the statewide coronavirus health order to don face coverings while in public or high-risk settings.
Those citations will cost $300 for a first offense, according to the sheriff’s station.
In Santa Monica, first time offenders will be charged $100 and the third offense will cost $500, the city said on Thursday in a media release.
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Since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the mask order June 18, station officials said they have focused on educating residents about the requirement. Enforcement through citation was considered a “last option,” but officials have now determined “the risk to community health is too great,” according to a community bulletin.
“We ask our community to please wear a face cover/mask while in public in an effort to keep everyone healthy and control the spread of the virus,” officials wrote.
Update: The fine is $250 and a fee of $50 for a total of $300 for the first offense. pic.twitter.com/o6QE3fkucu — LASD West Hollywood (@WHDLASD) July 2, 2020
The issue of enforcement has been an open question since Newsom announced the statewide mask mandate.
While health officials say wearing face coverings is a vital tool in the fight against COVID-19 — as they can help keep those who are infected from spreading the disease to others — some local governments and county-level law enforcement agencies said they would not enforce the requirement.
California California’s mask order tests the limits of Newsom’s executive power Since shortly after the coronavirus outbreak began, Gov. Gavin Newsom has faced criticism from some over his ample use of executive authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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State and county officials have largely emphasized education, rather than enforcement, to encourage compliance with coronavirus-related rules.
However, as the situation has drastically deteriorated in recent weeks, California officials are sounding the alarm that more must be done to stave off disastrous spikes in infections that could overwhelm hospitals and result in more deaths.
“Everyone should be wearing your face covering. I’m not asking you; I’m telling you,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday.
“If there’s no mask, there should be no service in any of the places where we shop, where we work,” he said. “If you’re in contact with another person, wear that mask as a way of saying, ‘I care about you.’”
Newsom on Wednesday took action to halt visits to indoor restaurants, bars, wineries and tasting rooms, entertainment centers, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms for the next three weeks in regions hit hard by the virus.
While Sacramento will still lean on local governments to enforce coronavirus restrictions, Newsom also said the state has formed a multiagency strike team to go after noncompliant businesses.
“Why have rules, why have regulations, why have laws if you’re not willing to enforce? One must be willing. So it’s targeted. It’s where there are abuses,” he said.
Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-03--Californians are losing their fear of the coronavirus, setting the stage for disaster

As California began to rapidly reopen the economy , officials in Santa Cruz County decided the safe thing to do was keep its landmark beaches largely closed in the afternoons to prevent crowds that could spread the coronavirus .
But the public increasingly ignored the rules and demanded their summer on the sand , swimming , sunbathing and just hanging out .
Unable to stop the crowds , county officials simply gave up .
“ People are not willing to be governed anymore in that regard , ” health officer Dr. Gail Newel said as the county rescinded its beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problem California officials now face as they deal with a major surge in coronavirus cases tied to business reopenings , social gatherings and other factors , and hospitals are becoming increasingly crowded .
As the public has become more accustomed to the pandemic , Californians have seemingly become less afraid of the highly contagious virus , even though it ’ s no less infectious than it was in the winter .
When California became the first state in the nation to impose a stay-at-home order on March 19 , people listened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stayed home as much as possible , watching as COVID-19 made a deadly march through places like New York and northern Italy .
We emptied the supermarkets as if preparing for the apocalypse .
We sanitized our cellphones hourly .
Some of us even wiped down groceries or left mailed packages alone for days , fearful that the virus might be left on surfaces .
California emerged months later a seeming coronavirus success story , with far fewer deaths than in other hot spots .
But those bragging rights also brought complacency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old routines that could revive the devastated economy .
Eventually , coronavirus cases and hospitalizations started rising rapidly .
“ We were kind of victims of our own success , ” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong , professor of medicine and an infectious-diseases expert at UC San Francisco .
Government officials now must try to roll back some of the reopenings , hoping to avoid a disastrous July Fourth weekend that spreads infection even more quickly with social events and crowds .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom this week ordered the closure of indoor restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , zoos and museums in 19 counties , affecting more than 28 million Californians , or 72 % of the state ’ s population .
Beaches were ordered shut down by local government officials in Los Angeles , Orange and Ventura counties .
Getting more people to comply with a state order to wear masks in public remains a challenge .
And many have become accustomed to being out in crowds after taking part in protests , seeing restaurants reopen and hosting social gatherings .
“ California should be commended for doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really shut down , and I think we really got the right messages out , ” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of UC San Francisco ’ s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics .
“ So why did we start going out ?
” “ We felt good about all that we had accomplished , not realizing that the virus never left us .
The virus was just under control , ” she said .
And while the shutdown of society happened quickly , “ it made us believe that we could open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Many residents are torn — they understand the growing dangers of the coronavirus but also say the months in virtual lockdown took an emotional toll .
Casey Parlette , a Laguna Beach resident , said she is still wondering whether her city was right to close its beaches during the holiday weekend .
“ I hear both sides of the argument ... but it ’ s a tough thing when everything is closed .
When the beaches , trail heads , parks were closed , the only thing that was open was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , and the middle of the street and that was pretty much it , ” Parlette said .
“ We were trying to figure out creative ways to get my 3-year-old son out and doing things , ” she added .
“ But I think that there ’ s a certain amount of implicit responsibility that individuals need to take to not be part of the problem.
” California , however , is not yet in the same crisis as other states , such as Arizona and Florida .
While the rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California over the last seven days is 6.9 % , in Arizona it ’ s 24 % , and in Florida it ’ s 16 % .
Some experts say California can avoid disaster if it changes its behaviors now — without needing a return to the strictest stay-at-home order .
That ’ s partly because of our better understanding of the virus — physicians are able to provide better hospital care than they did in the pandemic ’ s earliest days .
But people also need to do a better job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars are high-risk , as are large indoor gatherings .
Lower-risk activities involve meeting with friends or family outdoors , in smaller gatherings , for shorter periods of time , while wearing masks when not eating or drinking .
San Francisco ’ s health order , for instance , allows outdoor gatherings but requires masks and urges social distancing and no more than 12 people for special gatherings and no more than six for a meal .
In L.A. County , the coronavirus crisis is still so severe that officials do not recommend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom discouraged such gatherings this holiday weekend .
It ’ s possible for us to change our habits .
Wearing seat belts became California law in 1986 .
Smoking is no longer allowed in crowded public areas .
“ Public health , when it does its work best , it ’ s not telling people what to do .
It ’ s telling people how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe so people can make their decisions about how to do that , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
Lockdown fatigue is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu pandemic , San Franciscans threw their masks into the air when they thought the pandemic was over , not realizing a new deadly wave of flu would hit within weeks , said Chin-Hong at UC San Francisco .
“ People are afraid that history is going to repeat itself , ” he said .
California ’ s exuberant optimism that the worst of the pandemic was behind us was fueled by the state ’ s early success .
While many people in California might not know someone who died , Chin-Hong said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt like everyone knew someone who died .
Without that deep-seated fear , it ’ s been hard for some Californians to accept that some traditions that seem safe and wholesome — like meeting with extended family indoors — are now risky .
In California , large indoor gatherings have triggered multi-generational COVID-19 outbreaks .
People are particularly infectious in the days before they show symptoms if they do fall ill ; a substantial share of those who get infected never show symptoms at all , yet can still be highly contagious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dizzying differences among neighboring counties over the pace of the reopening .
You can ’ t get a haircut in San Francisco , but you could if you drove up to Napa County .
And in L.A. County , it would ’ ve been difficult to keep businesses closed for longer than in neighboring counties , Mayor Eric Garcetti said in May .
“ Regions have to move together , ” he said at the time , adding it would be tough to tell a barber in Long Beach to remain shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orange County .
The rules are so confusing between counties that people may end up thinking , “ These people don ’ t know what they ’ re talking about — I ’ m just gon na do my thing , ” Chin-Hong said .
In addition , the historic protests that emerged after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer may have caused some people to think , “ If this is OK , then certainly beginning to get together with others ... ought to be OK too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and infectious diseases expert with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
Another reason the coronavirus is hard to contain is its death rate .
While it ’ s 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu , making stay-at-home orders reasonable to many , the virus is not nearly as lethal as the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus of 2002-03 , which had a case-fatality rate 10 times higher and would probably prompt wider support for stronger lockdown measures , Kim-Farley said .
To get out of this new crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public need to agree on a way forward that ’ s easy to understand , Kim-Farley said .
A unified message and groundswell of public support have helped contain the virus in places like Taiwan and New Zealand .
First , public health officials and politicians need to work together to identify widely understood goals , then politicians need to work with the public to establish support , and “ need to lead and demonstrate , by example themselves , the actions they wish for the public to do — such as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If officials can craft disease control measures that the public will support , it ’ ll help create new social norms .
“ We have to create a new norm around public health for COVID — that it ’ s not cool to be outside without a mask , ” Kim-Farley said , or that customers won ’ t go into restaurants that don ’ t keep tables at safe distances .
Perhaps county officials can grade businesses ’ compliance with COVID-19 regulations , he said .
For now , health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge in infections and hospitalizations will persuade Californians to change their behavior .
Bibbins-Domingo said she doesn ’ t think California is destined for a New York-style overwhelming of the hospital system .
“ What New York saw was a rate of rise so fast in a very constrained environment that was really impossible to deal with , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
She said California must pay attention to pockets of outbreaks , such as in Latino communities , that can be much worse than a county average .
“ We are all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s where we have a risk for just the transmission level to be just too high for any of us to be safe.
” Bibbins-Domingo said she ’ s hopeful California can get the coronavirus back under control .
“ We ’ ve already shown we can do that .
We can take some common sense measures , ” she said .
“ We have to take it seriously ... but I think we can also get back .
This was just a little bit of a wake-up call.
” Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joseph Serna and Hillary Davis and Lilly Nguyen of Times Community News contributed to this report .

RN Arnold Garcia collects a sample for a coronavirus test from Michael Weiss after he was admitted with possible COVID-19 symptoms at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in Chula Vista, Calif., on April 10.
As California began to rapidly reopen the economy, officials in Santa Cruz County decided the safe thing to do was keep its landmark beaches largely closed in the afternoons to prevent crowds that could spread the coronavirus.
But the public increasingly ignored the rules and demanded their summer on the sand, swimming, sunbathing and just hanging out. Unable to stop the crowds, county officials simply gave up.
“People are not willing to be governed anymore in that regard,” health officer Dr. Gail Newel said as the county rescinded its beach closure order last week.
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California Newsom warns of more coronavirus restrictions and enforcement ahead of July 4 weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered tougher restrictions on indoor activities for most of the state, marking a major step backward in the reopening and an attempt to slow an alarming rise of the coronavirus in 19 counties.
This is the problem California officials now face as they deal with a major surge in coronavirus cases tied to business reopenings, social gatherings and other factors, and hospitals are becoming increasingly crowded. As the public has become more accustomed to the pandemic, Californians have seemingly become less afraid of the highly contagious virus, even though it’s no less infectious than it was in the winter.
When California became the first state in the nation to impose a stay-at-home order on March 19, people listened.
Businesses ground to a halt and many stayed home as much as possible, watching as COVID-19 made a deadly march through places like New York and northern Italy.
We emptied the supermarkets as if preparing for the apocalypse. We sanitized our cellphones hourly. Some of us even wiped down groceries or left mailed packages alone for days, fearful that the virus might be left on surfaces.
California emerged months later a seeming coronavirus success story, with far fewer deaths than in other hot spots. But those bragging rights also brought complacency, and a demand that we return to old routines that could revive the devastated economy. Eventually, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations started rising rapidly.
“We were kind of victims of our own success,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and an infectious-diseases expert at UC San Francisco.
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Government officials now must try to roll back some of the reopenings, hoping to avoid a disastrous July Fourth weekend that spreads infection even more quickly with social events and crowds.
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week ordered the closure of indoor restaurants, bars, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and museums in 19 counties, affecting more than 28 million Californians, or 72% of the state’s population. Beaches were ordered shut down by local government officials in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Getting more people to comply with a state order to wear masks in public remains a challenge. And many have become accustomed to being out in crowds after taking part in protests, seeing restaurants reopen and hosting social gatherings.
“California should be commended for doing so much well at the beginning. We really shut down, and I think we really got the right messages out,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “So why did we start going out?”
“We felt good about all that we had accomplished, not realizing that the virus never left us. The virus was just under control,” she said. And while the shutdown of society happened quickly, “it made us believe that we could open up in the same type of way.”
Many residents are torn — they understand the growing dangers of the coronavirus but also say the months in virtual lockdown took an emotional toll. Casey Parlette, a Laguna Beach resident, said he was torn about whether his city should have closed its beaches during the holiday weekend.
“I hear both sides of the argument ... but it’s a tough thing when everything is closed. When the beaches, trail heads, parks were closed, the only thing that was open was maybe your backyard, if you have one, and the middle of the street and that was pretty much it,” Parlette said.
“We were trying to figure out creative ways to get my 3-year-old son out and doing things,” he added. “But I think that there’s a certain amount of implicit responsibility that individuals need to take to not be part of the problem.”
California, however, is not yet in the same crisis as other states, such as Arizona and Florida. While the rate at which coronavirus tests are confirming infections in California over the last seven days is 6.9%, in Arizona it’s 24%, and in Florida it’s 16%.
Some experts say California can avoid disaster if it changes its behaviors now — without needing a return to the strictest stay-at-home order.
That’s partly because of our better understanding of the virus — physicians are able to provide better hospital care than they did in the pandemic’s earliest days.
But people also need to do a better job avoiding higher-risk activities. Experts say indoor bars are high-risk, as are large indoor gatherings.
Lower-risk activities involve meeting with friends or family outdoors, in smaller gatherings, for shorter periods of time, while wearing masks when not eating or drinking. San Francisco’s health order, for instance, allows outdoor gatherings but requires masks and urges social distancing and no more than 12 people for special gatherings and no more than six for a meal.
In L.A. County, the coronavirus crisis is still so severe that officials do not recommend gatherings outside one’s household. Newsom discouraged such gatherings this holiday weekend.
It’s possible for us to change our habits. Wearing seat belts became California law in 1986. Smoking is no longer allowed in crowded public areas.
“Public health, when it does its work best, it’s not telling people what to do. It’s telling people how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe so people can make their decisions about how to do that,” Bibbins-Domingo said.
Lockdown fatigue is not a new phenomenon. During the 1918 flu pandemic, San Franciscans threw their masks into the air when they thought the pandemic was over, not realizing a new deadly wave of flu would hit within weeks, said Chin-Hong at UC San Francisco.
“People are afraid that history is going to repeat itself,” he said.
California’s exuberant optimism that the worst of the pandemic was behind us was fueled by the state’s early success. While many people in California might not know someone who died, Chin-Hong said, in New York, it seemingly felt like everyone knew someone who died.
Without that deep-seated fear, it’s been hard for some Californians to accept that some traditions that seem safe and wholesome — like meeting with extended family indoors — are now risky.
In California, large indoor gatherings have triggered multigenerational COVID-19 outbreaks. People are particularly infectious in the days before they show symptoms if they do fall ill; a substantial share of those who get infected never show symptoms at all, yet can still be highly contagious.
Also complicating the public messaging system were the dizzying differences among neighboring counties over the pace of the reopening. You can’t get a haircut in San Francisco, but you could if you drove up to Napa County.
And in L.A. County, it would’ve been difficult to keep businesses closed for longer than in neighboring counties, Mayor Eric Garcetti said in May. “Regions have to move together,” he said at the time, adding it would be tough to tell a barber in Long Beach to remain shut while hair salons are open nearby in Orange County.
The rules are so confusing between counties that people may end up thinking, “These people don’t know what they’re talking about — I’m just gonna do my thing,” Chin-Hong said.
In addition, the historic protests that emerged after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer may have caused some people to think, “If this is OK, then certainly beginning to get together with others ... ought to be OK too,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Another reason the coronavirus is hard to contain is its death rate. While it’s 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu, making stay-at-home orders reasonable to many, the virus is not nearly as lethal as the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus of 2002-03, which had a case-fatality rate 10 times higher and would probably prompt wider support for stronger lockdown measures, Kim-Farley said.
To get out of this new crisis, public health officials, politicians and the public need to agree on a way forward that’s easy to understand, Kim-Farley said.
A unified message and groundswell of public support have helped contain the virus in places like Taiwan and New Zealand.
First, public health officials and politicians need to work together to identify widely understood goals, then politicians need to work with the public to establish support, and “need to lead and demonstrate, by example themselves, the actions they wish for the public to do — such as the wearing of masks,” Kim-Farley said.
If officials can craft disease control measures that the public will support, it’ll help create new social norms.
“We have to create a new norm around public health for COVID — that it’s not cool to be outside without a mask,” Kim-Farley said, or that customers won’t go into restaurants that don’t keep tables at safe distances. Perhaps county officials can grade businesses’ compliance with COVID-19 regulations, he said.
For now, health officials are hoping that news of the current surge in infections and hospitalizations will persuade Californians to change their behavior.
Bibbins-Domingo said she doesn’t think California is destined for a New York-style overwhelming of the hospital system. “What New York saw was a rate of rise so fast in a very constrained environment that was really impossible to deal with,” Bibbins-Domingo said.
She said California must pay attention to pockets of outbreaks, such as in Latino communities, that can be much worse than a county average. “We are all sort of interconnected in a way. That’s where we have a risk for just the transmission level to be just too high for any of us to be safe.”
Bibbins-Domingo said she’s hopeful California can get the coronavirus back under control.
“We’ve already shown we can do that. We can take some common sense measures,” she said. “We have to take it seriously ... but I think we can also get back. This was just a little bit of a wake-up call.”
Times staff writers Jake Sheridan, Colleen Shalby, Joseph Serna and Hillary Davis and Lilly Nguyen of Times Community News contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-03--Earthquake: 4.5 quake reported near Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 2:20 a.m. Pacific time 16 miles from Hawaiian Beaches , Hawaii @ @ @ @ @ Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 17 miles from Hawaiian Paradise Park on Hawaii island @ @ @ @ @ Big Island ) , and 20 miles from Hilo .
In the past 10 days @ @ @ @ @ earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
The earthquake occurred at a depth @ @ @ @ @ you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find @ @ @ @ @ , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide @ @ @ @ @ generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the @ @ @ @ @ reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning @ @ @ @ @ visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 2:20 a.m. Pacific time 16 miles from Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaii, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 17 miles from Hawaiian Paradise Park on Hawaii island (also known as the Big Island), and 20 miles from Hilo.
In the past 10 days, there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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The earthquake occurred at a depth of 2.4 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
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latimes--2020-07-02--Rainfall season was a 'roller coaster ride' when two wettest months turned dry

The 2019-20 rainfall season that ended on June 30 was nearly average for most of Southern California , but was far from normal .
Downtown Los Angeles ended up with 14.88 inches of rain for the period from July 1 to June 30 , the historical meteorological rainfall season .
This falls slightly short of the mathematical average of 14.93 inches , but nonetheless earns a 100 % of normal score for the city .
Other Southern California locations got even better report cards .
Thermal , for example , received 193 % of normal ; Lancaster got 145 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 132 % .
Northern California didn ’ t fare nearly as well .
Crescent City , which expects to receive 64.03 inches of rain in a year , got only 44.87 , or 70 % of normal .
San Francisco and San Jose got 49 % of normal , and Livermore got just 41 % of normal .
The critically important Northern Sierra 8-Station Index got 62 % of normal precipitation , based on the 1981-2010 30-year average .
The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major watersheds .
These watersheds include the Sacramento , Feather , Yuba and American rivers .
These rivers flow into some of California ’ s biggest reservoirs , providing a large portion of the state ’ s water supply .
Southern California benefited from wet , late-season storms and Northern California didn ’ t enjoy as much relief .
The northern part of the state also got a late start on rainfall last autumn , putting it behind the eight ball .
The entire state endured a lengthy midwinter dry spell but Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring .
Downtown Los Angeles got about double its normal rainfall in November and December , climatologist Bill Patzert points out .
“ Then it got double-bageled in January and February , usually the two wettest months , ” he said .
After that , about twice the normal rainfall fell again in both March and April .
That roller coaster is reflected in longer-term rainfall patterns as well .
Looking at downtown Los Angeles over the last 22 rainfall seasons , seven seasons have been above average and 15 have been below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years were below average for rainfall during the period .
That stretch of years includes one of the wettest years and five of the driest years on record .
This illustrates Patzert ’ s point that droughts tend to be “ long , large and intermittent .
You think you ’ re out , and you ’ re back in again.
” Citing the long-term nature of drought , he says , “ There ’ s no quick fix — one wet year doesn ’ t get you out.
” Stepping back even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in downtown Los Angeles are part of a bigger , decades-long undulating roller coaster .
From about 1999 to 2020 , downtown L.A. has averaged about 12.6 inches of rain a year , which is below average .
Before that , ` from about 1978 to 1998 , L.A. was in a wet cycle , when downtown averaged about 17 inches annually — above average .
But that wet period was preceded by a stretch of years — from about 1945 to 1977 — when L.A. endured a prolonged dry spell.
, during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inches .
There are intermittent dry and wet years during these longer periods , adding to the roller coaster effect .
Overall , the difference between a wet or dry period is plus or minus about 15 % of precipitation , on average .
So , Patzert explains , a drought doesn ’ t necessarily mean that your rainfall is suddenly cut back by 50 % in one year ; rather , it ’ s an average of about 15 % or 16 % less each year over a long period of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake Mead , the reservoir behind Hoover Dam on the Colorado River , filled to the brim .
Eventually , excess water had to be released in 1998 .
Now , with an extended dry period in place in the Southwest since about 1999 , the water level in Lake Mead is low again .
The lake takes about 17 years to fill .
Patzert says Lake Mead is a faultless indicator of drought in the southwestern U.S .
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday shows little change in Northern California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clearly expanding in large portions of the West .
Soil moisture and stream flows are below normal , particularly in the Great Basin , Northern California and the Four Corners region .
A look at the map shows drought well established in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River .
“ A skimpy snow year in the Sierra impacts the entire state , ” Patzert said , referring to the major reservoirs fed by snow melt .
Even though many spots in the southern part of the state came in at about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t a normal year .
Unfortunately , Patzert says , “ an average rainfall year in Southern California just means more fuel for the fire season .
”

The 2019-20 rainfall season that ended on June 30 was nearly average for most of Southern California, but was far from normal.
Downtown Los Angeles ended up with 14.88 inches of rain for the period from July 1 to June 30, the historical meteorological rainfall season. This falls slightly short of the mathematical average of 14.93 inches, but nonetheless earns a 100% of normal score for the city.
Other Southern California locations got even better report cards. Thermal, for example, received 193% of normal; Lancaster got 145% of normal; and San Diego got 132%.
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Northern California didn’t fare nearly as well. Crescent City, which expects to receive 64.03 inches of rain in a year, got only 44.87, or 70% of normal. San Francisco and San Jose got 49% of normal, and Livermore got just 41% of normal.
Northern California didn’t fare as well as Southern California in rainfall this season. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The critically important Northern Sierra 8-Station Index got 62% of normal precipitation, based on the 1981-2010 30-year average.
The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the Northern Sierra’s major watersheds. These watersheds include the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American rivers. These rivers flow into some of California’s biggest reservoirs, providing a large portion of the state’s water supply.
Southern California benefited from wet, late-season storms and Northern California didn’t enjoy as much relief. The northern part of the state also got a late start on rainfall last autumn, putting it behind the eight ball. The entire state endured a lengthy midwinter dry spell but Southern California received unseasonable winter-like storms in the spring.
Chart shows how the rain essentially stopped falling during January and February, normally the wettest months in L.A. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
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Downtown Los Angeles got about double its normal rainfall in November and December, climatologist Bill Patzert points out. “Then it got double-bageled in January and February, usually the two wettest months,” he said. After that, about twice the normal rainfall fell again in both March and April.
“Definitely a roller coaster rainfall ride,” said Patzert.
That roller coaster is reflected in longer-term rainfall patterns as well.
Looking at downtown Los Angeles over the last 22 rainfall seasons, seven seasons have been above average and 15 have been below. That means nearly 70% of years were below average for rainfall during the period. That stretch of years includes one of the wettest years and five of the driest years on record.
This illustrates Patzert’s point that droughts tend to be “long, large and intermittent. You think you’re out, and you’re back in again.” Citing the long-term nature of drought, he says, “There’s no quick fix — one wet year doesn’t get you out.”
This season’s rainfall was just shy of average, adding to a pattern of below-normal years over the last two decades in L.A. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Stepping back even further, the last 22 dry years in downtown Los Angeles are part of a bigger, decades-long undulating roller coaster. From about 1999 to 2020, downtown L.A. has averaged about 12.6 inches of rain a year, which is below average. Before that, `from about 1978 to 1998, L.A. was in a wet cycle, when downtown averaged about 17 inches annually — above average. But that wet period was preceded by a stretch of years — from about 1945 to 1977 — when L.A. endured a prolonged dry spell., during which the annual rainfall averaged about 12.9 inches.
There are intermittent dry and wet years during these longer periods, adding to the roller coaster effect. Overall, the difference between a wet or dry period is plus or minus about 15% of precipitation, on average. So, Patzert explains, a drought doesn’t necessarily mean that your rainfall is suddenly cut back by 50% in one year; rather, it’s an average of about 15% or 16% less each year over a long period of time.
The wettest and driest years in Los Angeles. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
During the 1978-98 wet period, Lake Mead, the reservoir behind Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, filled to the brim. Eventually, excess water had to be released in 1998. Now, with an extended dry period in place in the Southwest since about 1999, the water level in Lake Mead is low again. The lake takes about 17 years to fill. Patzert says Lake Mead is a faultless indicator of drought in the southwestern U.S.
U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday shows little change in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, but drought is clearly expanding in large portions of the West. Soil moisture and stream flows are below normal, particularly in the Great Basin, Northern California and the Four Corners region.
A look at the map shows drought well established in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River.
“A skimpy snow year in the Sierra impacts the entire state,” Patzert said, referring to the major reservoirs fed by snow melt. Even though many spots in the southern part of the state came in at about average for 2019-20, it wasn’t a normal year. Unfortunately, Patzert says, “an average rainfall year in Southern California just means more fuel for the fire season.”


latimes--2020-07-02--Orange County inflated its coronavirus test numbers by mistakenly including antibody tests, official

Orange County inflated its coronavirus test numbers by mistakenly including antibody tests, officials say

The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Orange County was mistakenly inflated for more than a month beginning in late April in data released to the public , an error that may have painted a rosier picture of the pandemic than the reality in the region .
For roughly five weeks , county staff incorrectly added 30,000 serology tests to its “ cumulative tests to date ” figure , which made it appear that more testing for the virus was happening than was the case .
The cumulative testing figure reported by the county is supposed to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which detect whether someone was infected with the virus at the moment of testing — were conducted countywide , Dr. Clayton Chau , director of the Orange County Health Care Agency and the county ’ s interim health officer , said during a media briefing Thursday .
Serology tests , which officials say are not meant to be included in the cumulative testing figure , determine whether the body has mounted an immune response to the virus in recent weeks or months .
Those tests are not reliable in determining whether someone is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say .
“ I would like to sincerely apologize for any confusion this matter has caused for the community .
In the future , ” Chau said , he and his team will “ be more transparent with respect to the data that informs policy and personal health decisions of our residents.
” The error first occurred April 28 when health services staff downloaded lab results from the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange database and mistakenly captured serology tests as part of the “ all COVID tests ” report .
That information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s website , according to the Health Care Agency .
The mistake continued undetected until June 3 , when county leadership became aware of the issue and immediately stopped including serology tests in the testing figure .
But it took officials until June 26 to remove the incorrect data from the county ’ s website , Chau said .
He said the county was preparing to correct the information when it published a new version of its website , but glitches in the system and officials ’ attention on reopening the county delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inaccurate data was available to the public for several weeks .
Members of the county Board of Supervisors were not made aware of the inaccuracy until the information was published by the Orange County Register this week , board Chairwoman Michelle Steel said .
“ I immediately asked Dr. Chau to provide an explanation of what happened and how it affects our numbers , ” Steel said .
“ I have also asked Dr. Chau to begin reporting antibody testing separately on our website so that all the data will be clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ] public.
” Chau said the county never counted positive serology tests as positive COVID-19 cases , which would have incorrectly inflated the number of cases in the county .
He also contends that the county never used the incorrect testing figure to determine its positivity rate , or the rate at which coronavirus test results were coming back positive .
The positivity rate is a way health officials can measure whether case numbers are increasing because of more testing or because there ’ s more disease spreading within the community .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests could make the proportion of positive tests seem smaller , and the positivity rate less severe , to someone looking at the data if officials don ’ t specify the number of each test , said Dr. Shruti Gohil , associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine .
“ You can ’ t lump both of these tests together when you ’ re trying to determine how many new cases we have , ” she said .
“ If you ’ re trying to understand countywide how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you could lump the two together.
” Officials contend the county ’ s positivity rate , which is one of the metrics the state used to determine whether Orange County could reopen additional sectors of its economy in mid-May , was never affected by the inaccurate figure .
The county ’ s positivity rate was listed as 7.95 % over a seven-day period in mid-May , according to the figures published by the state .
As of Thursday , the county had a case rate of 152.5 per 100,000 residents and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to health officials .
The state has set a desired standard average of 25 positive cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period and a seven-day average positive test rate of 8 % .
“ I can assure you in terms of the positivity rate it was always downloaded from the state and we did not self-calculate it so the number would still be the same , ” Chau said .
“ It would not have affected decision-making.
” The news of the inaccurate data came to light as county officials grapple with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations , which prompted the state this week to scale back reopening efforts in the region .
The county has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases among the state ’ s 58 counties and the fourth most deaths , according to Los Angeles Times data .
On Thursday , county health officials reported 652 additional coronavirus cases and nine more deaths .
The numbers bring the total case count in the county to 15,065 and the death toll to 354 .
Officials also reported that 556 people were being hospitalized for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , county officials announced the closure of bars , pubs , breweries and brewpubs that do not offer dine-in meals .
Less than two hours after the county issued its new order , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that Orange County — along with 18 other counties — must immediately close bars and cease indoor operations at restaurants , wineries and tasting rooms , movie theaters , family entertainment centers , zoos , museums and card rooms .
The new rules will remain in place for at least three weeks , Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , these businesses will lose so much and this will likely have larger negative consequences on the California economy than we initially predicted , ” Steel , the supervisor , said Thursday , urging residents to practice good hand hygiene and wear face coverings in public .
“ We don ’ t have to sacrifice public health for the economy or vice versa when we can focus on ensuring both are protected .
”

The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Orange County was mistakenly inflated for more than a month beginning in late April in data released to the public, an error that may have painted a rosier picture of the pandemic than the reality in the region.
For roughly five weeks, county staff incorrectly added 30,000 serology tests to its “cumulative tests to date” figure, which made it appear that more testing for the virus was happening than was the case.
The cumulative testing figure reported by the county is supposed to be a count of how many diagnostic tests — which detect whether someone was infected with the virus at the moment of testing — were conducted countywide, Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency and the county’s interim health officer, said during a media briefing Thursday.
Serology tests, which officials say are not meant to be included in the cumulative testing figure, determine whether the body has mounted an immune response to the virus in recent weeks or months. Those tests are not reliable in determining whether someone is sick at the moment of testing, experts say.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for any confusion this matter has caused for the community. In the future,” Chau said, he and his team will “be more transparent with respect to the data that informs policy and personal health decisions of our residents.”
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The error first occurred April 28 when health services staff downloaded lab results from the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange database and mistakenly captured serology tests as part of the “all COVID tests” report. That information was then published on the county’s website, according to the Health Care Agency.
The mistake continued undetected until June 3, when county leadership became aware of the issue and immediately stopped including serology tests in the testing figure. But it took officials until June 26 to remove the incorrect data from the county’s website, Chau said.
He said the county was preparing to correct the information when it published a new version of its website, but glitches in the system and officials’ attention on reopening the county delayed the launch of the site, so the inaccurate data was available to the public for several weeks.
Members of the county Board of Supervisors were not made aware of the inaccuracy until the information was published by the Orange County Register this week, board Chairwoman Michelle Steel said.
“I immediately asked Dr. Chau to provide an explanation of what happened and how it affects our numbers,” Steel said. “I have also asked Dr. Chau to begin reporting antibody testing separately on our website so that all the data will be clear and trackable to us and to [the] public.”
Chau said the county never counted positive serology tests as positive COVID-19 cases, which would have incorrectly inflated the number of cases in the county.
He also contends that the county never used the incorrect testing figure to determine its positivity rate, or the rate at which coronavirus test results were coming back positive. The positivity rate is a way health officials can measure whether case numbers are increasing because of more testing or because there’s more disease spreading within the community.
Combining the number of serology and diagnostic tests could make the proportion of positive tests seem smaller, and the positivity rate less severe, to someone looking at the data if officials don’t specify the number of each test, said Dr. Shruti Gohil, associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine.
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“You can’t lump both of these tests together when you’re trying to determine how many new cases we have,” she said. “If you’re trying to understand countywide how many people have ever had coronavirus ever, then you could lump the two together.”
Officials contend the county’s positivity rate, which is one of the metrics the state used to determine whether Orange County could reopen additional sectors of its economy in mid-May, was never affected by the inaccurate figure.
The county’s positivity rate was listed as 7.95% over a seven-day period in mid-May, according to the figures published by the state. As of Thursday, the county had a case rate of 152.5 per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 12%, according to health officials.
The state has set a desired standard average of 25 positive cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period and a seven-day average positive test rate of 8%.
“I can assure you in terms of the positivity rate it was always downloaded from the state and we did not self-calculate it so the number would still be the same,” Chau said. “It would not have affected decision-making.”
The news of the inaccurate data came to light as county officials grapple with a troubling surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, which prompted the state this week to scale back reopening efforts in the region. The county has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases among the state’s 58 counties and the fourth most deaths, according to Los Angeles Times data.
On Thursday, county health officials reported 652 additional coronavirus cases and nine more deaths. The numbers bring the total case count in the county to 15,065 and the death toll to 354. Officials also reported that 556 people were being hospitalized for the virus with 193 in intensive care.
On Wednesday, county officials announced the closure of bars, pubs, breweries and brewpubs that do not offer dine-in meals. Less than two hours after the county issued its new order, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Orange County — along with 18 other counties — must immediately close bars and cease indoor operations at restaurants , wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and card rooms.
The new rules will remain in place for at least three weeks, Newsom said.
“Because of this sudden order, these businesses will lose so much and this will likely have larger negative consequences on the California economy than we initially predicted,” Steel, the supervisor, said Thursday, urging residents to practice good hand hygiene and wear face coverings in public.
“We don’t have to sacrifice public health for the economy or vice versa when we can focus on ensuring both are protected.”


latimes--2020-07-02--L.A. County's new $0 bail rule permits police to crack down on protesters, legal advocates say

The Los Angeles County Superior Court recently approved a temporary measure setting bail at $ 0 for most misdemeanors and low-level felonies .
The move was intended to reduce jail populations in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
But several exemptions permit police departments to hold people on bail for misdemeanor offenses commonly associated with protests , including unlawful assembly and failure to disperse .
The new measure comes amid the fifth week of nationwide demonstrations over the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans , which have resulted in thousands of arrests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bail rule have alarmed advocates , prompting the possibility of legal action .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine a clearer violation of the First Amendment , ” longtime civil rights attorney Carol Sobel said Monday upon learning of the revised bail rules .
Sobel has won several large lawsuits against the LAPD over its handling of protests and is currently helping sue over the department ’ s response to the Floyd demonstrations .
“ What this would mean is if you shoplifted , you would get out , but if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard , you ’ d be held in jail .
This is just absurd.
” So far , no police department has used the revised measure as a reason to hold protesters on bail , legal observers say , but many fear it ’ s simply a matter of time .
“ It was sort of like a bomb we saw , ” said Kath Rogers , executive director of the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles .
“ We knew it was aimed at the protesters , but we ’ re just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County first implemented a $ 0 bail requirement March 27 , as the number of coronavirus cases recorded by local public health officials began to climb rapidly .
The aim was to cut down on the number of people held in pretrial custody due to concern the virus could spread rapidly through crowded jail facilities and courthouses , straining limited resources .
Ten days later , that was replaced by a statewide $ 0 bail rule approved by the Judicial Council , the policy-making arm of the state courts system .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen exceptions to the $ 0 bail rule , most of them violent crimes , sex offenses or firearms violations .
When the Judicial Council voted to rescind the measure effective June 20 , the L.A. County Superior Court passed a revised $ 0 bail rule .
The list of exceptions grew to more than 50 .
Among them are 18 misdemeanor charges for which police can now elect to hold people on bail , including unlawful assembly , unauthorized entry into an emergency area and failure to disperse .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they ’ re exempting , ” said John Raphling , an attorney and senior researcher with Human Rights Watch ’ s U.S. program .
“ At least three of them in particular are targeting protests .
Just plain and simple.
” The bail schedule was reviewed and approved by the Superior Court ’ s bail committee and executive committee , public information officer Mary Eckhardt Hearn said in an email .
“ The Zero Bail Schedule was unanimously approved by the Executive Committee after discussion and consideration of various factors , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee , which is made up of judges and commissioners , concluded that the exemptions were appropriate.
” Sobel said that , in addition to violating the Constitution by singling out protected activity , the county ’ s bail schedule also runs contrary to state law , which requires that people accused of most misdemeanors be either cited in the field or booked and immediately released .
The law lays out exceptions for certain offenses , mostly violent crimes , as well as for people who are deemed at high risk of reoffending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County bail schedule goes further and adds a number of exceptions beyond those listed in state law , including the charges related to protests , she said .
“ This is just astonishing to me , ” Sobel said .
“ In order not to release someone , they must have a very specific reason that is created by state law .
They can ’ t create a new reason here in Los Angeles.
” Adding to activists ’ concerns is the fact that police already have a great deal of discretion when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of unlawful assembly , they said .
“ The police declare the unlawful assembly .
They make the decision to decide that a protest has become an unlawful assembly , ” Raphling said .
“ And while they may not be able to justify it in the future when it ’ s reviewed in court , there ’ s nothing at the time of the protest to question their use of discretion.
” For that reason , he said , the charge gives police the power to make mass arrests .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people they arrest in custody , which aside from being wrong and arguably a violation of First Amendment rights is also exposing people to often brutal conditions — and in particular now to COVID-19 , ” he said .
Advocates have been closely watching how police interpret the new rules since they took effect less than two weeks ago .
Staff with the National Lawyers Guild ’ s legal observer program have been monitoring protests , including 10 to 15 actions that took place over the weekend , to ensure that arrestees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s happened in every case except one , she said .
When Beverly Hills Police arrested 28 protesters during a demonstration early Sunday , most of them on suspicion of unlawful assembly , they initially said the demonstrators would be held on $ 5,000 bail , likely meaning they ’ d be jailed for the weekend pending an appearance before a judge .
Following an outcry from the National Lawyers Guild , which called for the protesters to be freed , the police department reversed course and said the majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , many were jailed upward of 19 hours as they were processed and booked .
“ This is the only arrest situation in recent weeks or the past month where people have not just been [ immediately ] released on their own recognizance , and it ’ s been a fight to get them out , which is ridiculous , ” Rogers said .
“ But I ’ m hopeful that other jails and other jurisdictions are going to see that people are not going to accept this.
” Sobel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action against the bail schedule but first planned to file a demand letter asking the court to rescind the exemptions related to protests .
“ You can ’ t penalize First Amendment activity in this way at all , ” she said .
“ And you certainly can ’ t penalize it more than you would other alleged crimes that have no protective constitutional value .
”

A protester is arrested June 2 in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Superior Court recently approved a temporary $0 bail measure that exempts some protest-related offenses, permitting police to hold demonstrators on bail.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court recently approved a temporary measure setting bail at $0 for most misdemeanors and low-level felonies. The move was intended to reduce jail populations in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
But several exemptions permit police departments to hold people on bail for misdemeanor offenses commonly associated with protests, including unlawful assembly and failure to disperse.
The new measure comes amid the fifth week of nationwide demonstrations over the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans, which have resulted in thousands of arrests in L.A. County alone.
Advertisement
The exceptions to the bail rule have alarmed advocates, prompting the possibility of legal action.
“It’s hard to imagine a clearer violation of the First Amendment,” longtime civil rights attorney Carol Sobel said Monday upon learning of the revised bail rules. Sobel has won several large lawsuits against the LAPD over its handling of protests and is currently helping sue over the department’s response to the Floyd demonstrations.
“What this would mean is if you shoplifted, you would get out, but if you came together to have your voices heard, you’d be held in jail. This is just absurd.”
So far, no police department has used the revised measure as a reason to hold protesters on bail, legal observers say, but many fear it’s simply a matter of time.
“It was sort of like a bomb we saw,” said Kath Rogers, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles. “We knew it was aimed at the protesters, but we’re just waiting for it to be used.”
L.A. County first implemented a $0 bail requirement March 27, as the number of coronavirus cases recorded by local public health officials began to climb rapidly. The aim was to cut down on the number of people held in pretrial custody due to concern the virus could spread rapidly through crowded jail facilities and courthouses, straining limited resources.
Advertisement
Ten days later, that was replaced by a statewide $0 bail rule approved by the Judicial Council, the policy-making arm of the state courts system.
The statewide schedule listed a little over a dozen exceptions to the $0 bail rule, most of them violent crimes, sex offenses or firearms violations.
When the Judicial Council voted to rescind the measure effective June 20, the L.A. County Superior Court passed a revised $0 bail rule. The list of exceptions grew to more than 50. Among them are 18 misdemeanor charges for which police can now elect to hold people on bail, including unlawful assembly, unauthorized entry into an emergency area and failure to disperse.
“It’s pretty obvious when you look at what they’re exempting,” said John Raphling, an attorney and senior researcher with Human Rights Watch’s U.S. program. “At least three of them in particular are targeting protests. Just plain and simple.”
The bail schedule was reviewed and approved by the Superior Court’s bail committee and executive committee, public information officer Mary Eckhardt Hearn said in an email.
“The Zero Bail Schedule was unanimously approved by the Executive Committee after discussion and consideration of various factors,” Eckhardt Hearn wrote. “The Executive Committee, which is made up of judges and commissioners, concluded that the exemptions were appropriate.”
Sobel said that, in addition to violating the Constitution by singling out protected activity, the county’s bail schedule also runs contrary to state law, which requires that people accused of most misdemeanors be either cited in the field or booked and immediately released. The law lays out exceptions for certain offenses, mostly violent crimes, as well as for people who are deemed at high risk of reoffending or endangering others. But the L.A. County bail schedule goes further and adds a number of exceptions beyond those listed in state law, including the charges related to protests, she said.
“This is just astonishing to me,” Sobel said. “In order not to release someone, they must have a very specific reason that is created by state law. They can’t create a new reason here in Los Angeles.”
Adding to activists’ concerns is the fact that police already have a great deal of discretion when it comes to arresting people on a charge of unlawful assembly, they said.
“The police declare the unlawful assembly. They make the decision to decide that a protest has become an unlawful assembly,” Raphling said. “And while they may not be able to justify it in the future when it’s reviewed in court, there’s nothing at the time of the protest to question their use of discretion.”
For that reason, he said, the charge gives police the power to make mass arrests.
“Adding that now, they can hold the people they arrest in custody, which aside from being wrong and arguably a violation of First Amendment rights is also exposing people to often brutal conditions — and in particular now to COVID-19,” he said.
Advocates have been closely watching how police interpret the new rules since they took effect less than two weeks ago. Staff with the National Lawyers Guild’s legal observer program have been monitoring protests, including 10 to 15 actions that took place over the weekend, to ensure that arrestees are released promptly, Rogers said.
That’s happened in every case except one, she said.
When Beverly Hills Police arrested 28 protesters during a demonstration early Sunday, most of them on suspicion of unlawful assembly, they initially said the demonstrators would be held on $5,000 bail, likely meaning they’d be jailed for the weekend pending an appearance before a judge.
Following an outcry from the National Lawyers Guild, which called for the protesters to be freed, the police department reversed course and said the majority of them would instead be cited and released. Still, many were jailed upward of 19 hours as they were processed and booked.
“This is the only arrest situation in recent weeks or the past month where people have not just been [immediately] released on their own recognizance, and it’s been a fight to get them out, which is ridiculous,” Rogers said. “But I’m hopeful that other jails and other jurisdictions are going to see that people are not going to accept this.”
Sobel said Monday that she was considering taking legal action against the bail schedule but first planned to file a demand letter asking the court to rescind the exemptions related to protests.
“You can’t penalize First Amendment activity in this way at all,” she said. “And you certainly can’t penalize it more than you would other alleged crimes that have no protective constitutional value.”


latimes--2020-07-03--Beaches close across California for Fourth of July weekend as coronavirus cases surge

As beach closures went into effect to stem the spread of the coronavirus over the Fourth of July weekend , authorities said Southern Californians mostly followed the rules on Friday .
“ No one is at the beach , which is weird , ” said Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard specialist Pono Barnes .
The few who remained simply weren ’ t aware of the closures , Barnes said .
“ It seems like something is opening and closing every day .
It can be hard to keep track.
” The beach closures come as coronavirus cases surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has topped 6,300 .
The state has seen a 58 % increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks .
Though the sandy stretches up and down the coast were mostly empty Friday , there was one exception .
A swell attracted surfers to the waves of northwest L.A. County in violation of the beach closure , county officials said .
“ We ’ re seeing compliance in terms of beachgoers but not so much from the surfers , ” said Nicole Mooradian , a spokeswoman for the L.A. County Department of Beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mooradian said many surfers were on the water at Venice , Topanga and Surfrider beaches .
The beach closures will be largely enforced through reminders this holiday weekend .
In L.A. County , officials are relying on local law enforcement to enforce the shutdown of the coastline .
The county is also dispatching nearly 40 workers known as “ goodwill ambassadors ” to the popular beaches of Dockweiler , Zuma and Will Rogers to remind people that the area is closed .
In Santa Monica , teams of police officers are patrolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beachgoers to head elsewhere , according to city spokesperson Constance Farrell .
Santa Monica on Thursday announced it would start issuing fines of $ 100 or more for failing to wear masks , but officials say they hope to bring about safe behavior through public education instead of policing .
“ We can issue citations .
But that ’ s not our focus , ” Farrell said .
“ We really need everyone to take this moment seriously and to wear a face covering .
We really need everyone to not head to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home or with members of their household.
” A stretch of sand in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach , which has also closed its shoreline , was sparse but not deserted Friday morning .
The Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier was gated and locked , though the beach bike and pedestrian path had a steady flow of joggers , cyclists and inline skaters .
The sand was dotted with sunbathers who had spread out blankets and others strolling and playing in the waves , few of them wearing masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would not give his name , walked along the shore advising beachgoers that they were breaking the rules and could be ticketed , but said they were only educating the public rather than enforcing the health orders .
Despite the noncompliance , he said attendance was drastically lower than normal for a sunny Friday before the Fourth of July , which typically would have already had thousands packed onto the sand .
Caitlin Johnson and Harriet McDonald didn ’ t know about the closure and went to the beach at Belmont Shore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the only ways they could think to get out of the house while still social distancing .
The two friends spread out a blanket and enjoyed about 15 minutes on the sand before a lifeguard walked up and gave them a friendly warning that they were in violation of the closure .
They packed up their stuff and began reformulating holiday weekend plans that involved a lot of time at the beach .
“ It sucks because there ’ s not a lot of other places to go with more things indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 , of Long Beach .
Johnson said she was keeping track of the rising number of infections and understood the need for the beach closure .
But she wanted to know how it comports with the crowds and lack of social distancing she ’ s seen in recent days at restaurants next to the beach and the nearby Second Street shopping district .
Closing the beaches but keeping outdoor restaurants open is a logic that baffles many .
Coronavirus droplets can easily spread while eating and talking .
As Johnson and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coffee shop was busy with diners having French toast , coffee , orange juice and breakfast burritos in the open air .
Servers wore face masks and shields .
The unmasked customers sat enjoying their food under umbrella-covered tables that were spaced more closely together than many of the sunbathers at the closed beach .
The beach scene was more bustling down the coast in Orange County , where the closure does not take effect until July Fourth .
In Newport Beach , chain-link fences were being installed as beachgoers enjoyed the sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual , Newport Beach spokesperson John Pope said .
“ People know it ’ s closing tomorrow , and they ’ re getting in their beach time.
” In Huntington Beach , parking lots were mostly full as people streamed in from across the region to set up towels , umbrellas and shade canopies , taking advantage of one more day of open beaches .
Lifeguards wore face masks , but few visitors did .
“ I ’ d rather be outside than cooped up , ” said Kelly Patten , 44 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relaxed on a towel next to her cousin from Whittier she was in town visiting .
They were squeezing in a trip to Huntington Beach knowing it was their last chance before it closes for the Fourth of July .
Mike Haith , 20 , a baseball player and gym trainer from Lancaster , traveled to Huntington Beach to escape the scorching heat of the High Desert .
He arrived with six friends Friday afternoon after checking websites to learn that while L.A. County beaches were closed , Orange County ’ s remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t open I ’ d be back in the dirt , in the desert in Lancaster , ” he said .
“ That was my next option.
” Haith said it ’ s a good idea to close the beaches for July Fourth ; a friend who is popular on TikTok recently contracted the coronavirus , and he knows it ’ s a serious threat .
He said he would try to remain at a distance from people outside his group .
“ But my goal is to have fun.
” Judith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mental health nurse on her day off , brought her husband and two grandchildren , ages 3 and 6 , to Huntington Beach for a few hours to let them play and tire themselves out .
“ I woke up and I said , ‘ We ’ ve got ta go let the kids have fun , ’ ” Castle said .
Castle knew L.A. County beaches were closed and was pleasantly surprised to find lighter crowds than she expected and available parking when they arrived in Huntington Beach .
Castle knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees families dealing with COVID-19 illness in her work .
So they chose a spot far back on the beach near the pier with no one else nearby to set out their folding chairs and towels , in order to keep their distance from the crowds closer to the surf .
“ This is joy , ” she said .
“ It ’ s worth it just to breathe in and breathe out .
”

As beach closures went into effect to stem the spread of the coronavirus over the Fourth of July weekend, authorities said Southern Californians mostly followed the rules on Friday.
“No one is at the beach, which is weird,” said Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard specialist Pono Barnes. The few who remained simply weren’t aware of the closures, Barnes said. “It seems like something is opening and closing every day. It can be hard to keep track.”
The beach closures come as coronavirus cases surge in California and the statewide death toll has topped 6,300. The state has seen a 58% increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks.
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Though the sandy stretches up and down the coast were mostly empty Friday, there was one exception. A swell attracted surfers to the waves of northwest L.A. County in violation of the beach closure, county officials said.
In what would have been the start of a crowded beach weekend, only a few people defied the counties order to go to Santa Monica Beach on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“We’re seeing compliance in terms of beachgoers but not so much from the surfers,” said Nicole Mooradian, a spokeswoman for the L.A. County Department of Beaches & Harbors. As of Friday morning, Mooradian said many surfers were on the water at Venice, Topanga and Surfrider beaches.
The beach closures will be largely enforced through reminders this holiday weekend. In L.A. County, officials are relying on local law enforcement to enforce the shutdown of the coastline. The county is also dispatching nearly 40 workers known as “goodwill ambassadors” to the popular beaches of Dockweiler, Zuma and Will Rogers to remind people that the area is closed.
In Santa Monica, teams of police officers are patrolling the beaches handing out masks and telling beachgoers to head elsewhere, according to city spokesperson Constance Farrell. Santa Monica on Thursday announced it would start issuing fines of $100 or more for failing to wear masks, but officials say they hope to bring about safe behavior through public education instead of policing.
Bicyclists and a runner wear masks as they enjoy the boardwalk at Santa Monica Beach on Friday as all beaches in L.A. County are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“We can issue citations. But that’s not our focus,” Farrell said. “We really need everyone to take this moment seriously and to wear a face covering. We really need everyone to not head to the beach. We really need everyone to stay at home or with members of their household.”
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A stretch of sand in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach, which has also closed its shoreline, was sparse but not deserted Friday morning.
The Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier was gated and locked, though the beach bike and pedestrian path had a steady flow of joggers, cyclists and inline skaters. The sand was dotted with sunbathers who had spread out blankets and others strolling and playing in the waves, few of them wearing masks.
A Long Beach city lifeguard, who would not give his name, walked along the shore advising beachgoers that they were breaking the rules and could be ticketed, but said they were only educating the public rather than enforcing the health orders. Despite the noncompliance, he said attendance was drastically lower than normal for a sunny Friday before the Fourth of July, which typically would have already had thousands packed onto the sand.
Caitlin Johnson and Harriet McDonald didn’t know about the closure and went to the beach at Belmont Shore on Friday morning because it was one of the only ways they could think to get out of the house while still social distancing.
The two friends spread out a blanket and enjoyed about 15 minutes on the sand before a lifeguard walked up and gave them a friendly warning that they were in violation of the closure. They packed up their stuff and began reformulating holiday weekend plans that involved a lot of time at the beach.
“It sucks because there’s not a lot of other places to go with more things indoors being closed,” said Johnson, 31, of Long Beach.
Johnson said she was keeping track of the rising number of infections and understood the need for the beach closure. But she wanted to know how it comports with the crowds and lack of social distancing she’s seen in recent days at restaurants next to the beach and the nearby Second Street shopping district.
Closing the beaches but keeping outdoor restaurants open is a logic that baffles many. Coronavirus droplets can easily spread while eating and talking.
As Johnson and her friend left the beach, a nearby coffee shop was busy with diners having French toast, coffee, orange juice and breakfast burritos in the open air. Servers wore face masks and shields. The unmasked customers sat enjoying their food under umbrella-covered tables that were spaced more closely together than many of the sunbathers at the closed beach.
The beach scene was more bustling down the coast in Orange County, where the closure does not take effect until July Fourth.
In Newport Beach, chain-link fences were being installed as beachgoers enjoyed the sun and sand. Crowds were heavier than usual, Newport Beach spokesperson John Pope said. “People know it’s closing tomorrow, and they’re getting in their beach time.”
In Huntington Beach, parking lots were mostly full as people streamed in from across the region to set up towels, umbrellas and shade canopies, taking advantage of one more day of open beaches. Lifeguards wore face masks, but few visitors did.
“I’d rather be outside than cooped up,” said Kelly Patten, 44, of Anthem, Ariz., as she relaxed on a towel next to her cousin from Whittier she was in town visiting. They were squeezing in a trip to Huntington Beach knowing it was their last chance before it closes for the Fourth of July.
Mike Haith, 20, a baseball player and gym trainer from Lancaster, traveled to Huntington Beach to escape the scorching heat of the High Desert. He arrived with six friends Friday afternoon after checking websites to learn that while L.A. County beaches were closed, Orange County’s remained open.
“If this beach wasn’t open I’d be back in the dirt, in the desert in Lancaster,” he said. “That was my next option.”
Haith said it’s a good idea to close the beaches for July Fourth; a friend who is popular on TikTok recently contracted the coronavirus, and he knows it’s a serious threat. He said he would try to remain at a distance from people outside his group. “But my goal is to have fun.”
Judith Castle, 58, of Paramount, a mental health nurse on her day off, brought her husband and two grandchildren, ages 3 and 6, to Huntington Beach for a few hours to let them play and tire themselves out.
“I woke up and I said, ‘We’ve gotta go let the kids have fun,’” Castle said.
Castle knew L.A. County beaches were closed and was pleasantly surprised to find lighter crowds than she expected and available parking when they arrived in Huntington Beach.
Castle knows the risks of the coronavirus, and sees families dealing with COVID-19 illness in her work. So they chose a spot far back on the beach near the pier with no one else nearby to set out their folding chairs and towels, in order to keep their distance from the crowds closer to the surf.
“This is joy,” she said. “It’s worth it just to breathe in and breathe out.”


latimes--2020-07-03--Truck driver posts regrets about party a day before dying of coronavirus

After months of diligently isolating , truck driver Tommy Macias , 51 , made one error that cost him his life .
He went to a barbecue party with some friends .
He didn ’ t know that someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 , but showed no symptoms , also was there .
“ It was all preventable , ” said Gustavo Lopez , Macias ’ 52-year-old brother-in-law .
“ That person knew he had corona and still went .
He should have known better , and that one mistake cost [ Macias ] his life.
” More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for the coronavirus , Lopez said .
According to Macias ’ family members , the Lake Elsinore man had practiced social distancing , limited his outside interactions and wore a mask whenever he went out .
But as restrictions slowly lifted , the proud big rig driver who “ could never sit still in his life ” felt safe going out again .
As first reported by the Valley News , Macias fell ill on June 15 , but assumed it was caused by his diabetes .
He then tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wasn ’ t going to end well , ” he said .
“ There was a high probability he wasn ’ t going to make it.
” A day before his death on June 21 , Macias posted a warning on Facebook , urging people to wear a mask and practice social distancing .
His final message was one of regret .
“ Because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family ’ s health in jeopardy , ” the post reads .
“ Don ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ 53-year-old sister , Norma Macias Norris , respected how her brother took full responsibility .
“ It ’ s just who he is .
He wanted to make sure he didn ’ t want anybody to continue on with anger , ” she said .
At first , Macias seemed to be recovering during the week after he suddenly fell ill , which gave his family hope .
But by that Sunday morning , he had taken a turn for the worse .
He called his mother and his three sisters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I could hear it in his voice , he was terrified , ” Macias Norris said .
Macias Norris rushed to her brother ’ s home , just five minutes from her own , but was too late .
The ambulance attendants had put him inside and shut the doors .
She followed them to the hospital but was told she could not stay .
“ No one was allowed to be with him .
All I wanted to do was sit by his bedside , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
He was heavily breathing and crying , but his last words to me were ‘ I want to go home , Sis.
, I want to go home , Sis.
’ ” In 10 hours , Macias was put on a ventilator to try to raise his oxygen intake .
By 9 that night , Macias Norris received a call from the hospital with the news that her brother had died .
The Riverside County coroner ’ s office confirmed Macias ’ death was COVID-19-related .
Macias ’ niece , Danielle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news .
She hadn ’ t seen him in months , but frequently texted and called her uncle .
She would never forget his “ big booming laugh ” that could be heard from across the house and his huge smile , she said .
And in the days following his death , friends and extended family reached out to her offering to help because they knew Macias — who called them every week — would have done the same for them .
At this time last year , Lopez said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family or relaxing in a boat on Lake Elsinore .
Lopez ’ s family in Mission Viejo was already preparing to move to the area to be closer to Macias .
Macias Norris , who was excited to have her family come together a year after their father passed away , was heartbroken that her brother would not be around for it .
“ It ’ s going to be difficult driving these streets .
The city just doesn ’ t feel the same anymore , ” she said .

After months of diligently isolating, truck driver Tommy Macias, 51, made one error that cost him his life. He went to a barbecue party with some friends.
He didn’t know that someone who had tested positive for COVID-19, but showed no symptoms, also was there.
“It was all preventable,” said Gustavo Lopez, Macias’ 52-year-old brother-in-law. “That person knew he had corona and still went. He should have known better, and that one mistake cost [Macias] his life.”
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More than 10 others who attended that gathering have tested positive for the coronavirus, Lopez said.
According to Macias’ family members, the Lake Elsinore man had practiced social distancing, limited his outside interactions and wore a mask whenever he went out. But as restrictions slowly lifted, the proud big rig driver who “could never sit still in his life” felt safe going out again.
As first reported by the Valley News, Macias fell ill on June 15, but assumed it was caused by his diabetes. He then tested positive for COVID-19.
Immediately, Lopez feared the worst.
“Everyone knew it wasn’t going to end well,” he said. “There was a high probability he wasn’t going to make it.”
A day before his death on June 21, Macias posted a warning on Facebook, urging people to wear a mask and practice social distancing. His final message was one of regret.
“Because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family’s health in jeopardy,” the post reads. “Don’t be a ... idiot like me.”
Macias’ 53-year-old sister, Norma Macias Norris, respected how her brother took full responsibility.
“It’s just who he is. He wanted to make sure he didn’t want anybody to continue on with anger,” she said.
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At first, Macias seemed to be recovering during the week after he suddenly fell ill, which gave his family hope. But by that Sunday morning, he had taken a turn for the worse. He called his mother and his three sisters to say that he could not breathe.
“I could hear it in his voice, he was terrified,” Macias Norris said.
Macias Norris rushed to her brother’s home, just five minutes from her own, but was too late. The ambulance attendants had put him inside and shut the doors.
She followed them to the hospital but was told she could not stay.
“No one was allowed to be with him. All I wanted to do was sit by his bedside,” she said. “I spoke with him over the phone that day. He was heavily breathing and crying, but his last words to me were ‘I want to go home, Sis. I want to go home, Sis.’”
In 10 hours, Macias was put on a ventilator to try to raise his oxygen intake.
By 9 that night, Macias Norris received a call from the hospital with the news that her brother had died. The Riverside County coroner’s office confirmed Macias’ death was COVID-19-related.
Macias’ niece, Danielle Lopez, 28, was devastated by the news. She hadn’t seen him in months, but frequently texted and called her uncle.
She would never forget his “big booming laugh” that could be heard from across the house and his huge smile, she said. And in the days following his death, friends and extended family reached out to her offering to help because they knew Macias — who called them every week — would have done the same for them.
At this time last year, Lopez said, she would spend afternoons barbecuing with her family or relaxing in a boat on Lake Elsinore.
Lopez’s family in Mission Viejo was already preparing to move to the area to be closer to Macias.
Macias Norris, who was excited to have her family come together a year after their father passed away, was heartbroken that her brother would not be around for it.
“It’s going to be difficult driving these streets. The city just doesn’t feel the same anymore,” she said.