latimes--2020-12-05--'I'm tired of hiding': After judge orders feds to take new DACA applications, some Californians rejo

'I'm tired of hiding': After judge orders feds to take new DACA applications, some Californians rejoice

Leidy León was writing an academic paper for a class at UC Merced about the historical oppression of people of color when she learned Friday that a federal judge had ruled that the Trump administration must accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program .
She burst into tears and called her mother , who began crying as well .
“ Ya era tiempo , ” her mom told her .
“ It was about time.
” León , 18 , left Mexico with her family as a toddler and has no clear pathway to U.S. citizenship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time to DACA , as the federal program is more widely known .
The Obama-era program allows immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children the opportunity to live and work legally in the U.S and shields them from deportation .
Those approved for the program must meet certain requirements and undergo background checks .
Many , like León , were simply too young to become eligible before the Trump administration rescinded DACA in 2017 .
Others didn ’ t apply when they could .
As immigrant youths aged into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applying while lawyers litigated the issue in the courts .
After the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration ’ s attempt to terminate DACA in June , a federal judge in Maryland ordered the government to restore the program to its original terms .
Instead , Chad Wolf , acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , issued a memorandum the following month that prohibited first-time applications , reduced work permits from two years to one , and significantly limited the ability of DACA recipients to travel outside the U.S. DACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in New York ruled the memo was issued without legal authority because Wolf had been unlawfully appointed acting secretary .
Garaufis said the government must post a public notice by Monday that new DACA applications are being accepted .
Supporters of DACA are not yet in the clear .
Attorneys general in 10 states asked a federal judge in Texas to declare the program unlawful .
A hearing in that case is scheduled for this month .
Nearly 800,000 people were approved for DACA at the height of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , the program had 646,000 beneficiaries .
An estimated total of 1.3 million people are now eligible , according to the Migration Policy Institute , including 366,000 in California .
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento , state and local policy manager of the advocacy group United We Dream , called Friday ’ s ruling a huge victory .
Macedo do Nascimento , herself a DACA recipient who was born in Brazil and raised in Orange County , said she hopes the ruling encourages others to apply .
“ This is what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We don ’ t know what the Texas case is going to bring .
We don ’ t know what the Biden administration will be able to do .
But we know that now people have the chance to apply for DACA.
” María Blanco , executive director of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center at UC Davis , said this was the first year that no freshmen have had protections under DACA .
Though Blanco is optimistic , she said the Texas case is a stalking horse given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimacy of DACA rather than the legality of the way in which it was rescinded .
“ In a way , it was always a stopgap measure , ” she said .
“ We need some kind of permanent solution .
What ’ s frustrating for all these folks is having been now — for the last three years and going on four — sort of political pawns .
This is not a game for them.
” León set to work on her DACA application right away .
On Saturday , she left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school districts seeking her records .
She thought about getting a job to help her mother , a caregiver at a residential facility who provides for León ’ s two younger brothers in Watsonville .
It would be her first job .
The summer before starting 11th grade , after León picked up applications for a taqueria , doughnut shop and grocery store , her mom sat her down for “ the conversation ” to tell her she wasn ’ t eligible to work .
“ I ’ m tired of hiding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m just tired of not having any control over my life , and I ’ m tired of sitting around and waiting .
This is an opportunity.
” Others who are now eligible to apply are more wary .
Rotzely Garcia , who was three months shy of being old enough to apply for DACA before it was rescinded , said she ’ s holding off on getting too excited .
“ Maybe after the next court hearing … I can finally say we won , ” she said .
Meanwhile , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downtown L.A. said she ’ s focusing on her studies .
After her mother lost her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Garcia said , she tried looking for a part-time job to support her family but eventually gave up because she was afraid of being caught by an employer or government officials while working without authorization .
Instead , she volunteered to phone bank ahead of the election .
“ I wanted to make sure we didn ’ t have President Trump for a second term , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Beatriz Basurto didn ’ t feel much like celebrating the court decision either .
“ After being shot down over and over again throughout the years , there ’ s a point where I and others have become numb to this sort of news , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t want to be a party pooper , but we have to be realistic.
” Basurto , a 19-year-old college student from Oxnard , has no memory of her home in Mexico after leaving at age 3 .
Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply for immigration relief under DACA .
As Basurto watched DACA open opportunities for her older siblings and peers , she saw her own prospects diminish .
Even so , she found success as a contract worker with a well-paying job as a Mixtec interpreter for farmworkers in Oxnard .
“ I ’ ve come this far without having documentation , ” Basurto said she tells herself .
“ I have to just be mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario.
” Still , she said , having DACA would enhance her life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She would be able to legally travel back and forth to Mexico .
And it would be a relief to know she was spared deportation .
“ That would just be the worst thing for me , to be separated and not be there for my family , ” she said .

Beatriz Basurto, 19, has no memory of her home in Mexico after leaving at age 3. Above, Basurto hands food to Josefa Hernandez, 70, at a July giveaway in Oxnard.
Leidy León was writing an academic paper for a class at UC Merced about the historical oppression of people of color when she learned Friday that a federal judge had ruled that the Trump administration must accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
She burst into tears and called her mother, who began crying as well.
“Ya era tiempo,” her mom told her. “It was about time.”
León, 18, left Mexico with her family as a toddler and has no clear pathway to U.S. citizenship. But now she is applying for the first time to DACA, as the federal program is more widely known.
The Obama-era program allows immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children the opportunity to live and work legally in the U.S and shields them from deportation. Those approved for the program must meet certain requirements and undergo background checks.
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Many, like León, were simply too young to become eligible before the Trump administration rescinded DACA in 2017. Others didn’t apply when they could. As immigrant youths aged into eligibility, federal officials barred them from applying while lawyers litigated the issue in the courts.
After the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate DACA in June, a federal judge in Maryland ordered the government to restore the program to its original terms.
Instead, Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, issued a memorandum the following month that prohibited first-time applications, reduced work permits from two years to one, and significantly limited the ability of DACA recipients to travel outside the U.S.
DACA recipients and would-be applicants sued. U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in New York ruled the memo was issued without legal authority because Wolf had been unlawfully appointed acting secretary.
Garaufis said the government must post a public notice by Monday that new DACA applications are being accepted.
Supporters of DACA are not yet in the clear. Attorneys general in 10 states asked a federal judge in Texas to declare the program unlawful. A hearing in that case is scheduled for this month.
Nearly 800,000 people were approved for DACA at the height of the program in 2017. As of June, the program had 646,000 beneficiaries. An estimated total of 1.3 million people are now eligible, according to the Migration Policy Institute, including 366,000 in California.
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Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, state and local policy manager of the advocacy group United We Dream, called Friday’s ruling a huge victory. Macedo do Nascimento, herself a DACA recipient who was born in Brazil and raised in Orange County, said she hopes the ruling encourages others to apply.
“This is what we’ve been fighting for,” she said. “We don’t know what the Texas case is going to bring. We don’t know what the Biden administration will be able to do. But we know that now people have the chance to apply for DACA.”
María Blanco, executive director of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center at UC Davis, said this was the first year that no freshmen have had protections under DACA. Though Blanco is optimistic, she said the Texas case is a stalking horse given that no court has yet ruled on the legitimacy of DACA rather than the legality of the way in which it was rescinded.
“In a way, it was always a stopgap measure,” she said. “We need some kind of permanent solution. What’s frustrating for all these folks is having been now — for the last three years and going on four — sort of political pawns. This is not a game for them.”
León set to work on her DACA application right away. On Saturday, she left urgent messages for her doctor and high school districts seeking her records.
She thought about getting a job to help her mother, a caregiver at a residential facility who provides for León’s two younger brothers in Watsonville.
It would be her first job. The summer before starting 11th grade, after León picked up applications for a taqueria, doughnut shop and grocery store, her mom sat her down for “the conversation” to tell her she wasn’t eligible to work.
“I’m tired of hiding,” León said. “I’m just tired of not having any control over my life, and I’m tired of sitting around and waiting. This is an opportunity.”
Others who are now eligible to apply are more wary. Rotzely Garcia, who was three months shy of being old enough to apply for DACA before it was rescinded, said she’s holding off on getting too excited.
“Maybe after the next court hearing … I can finally say we won,” she said.
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old high school student who lives in downtown L.A. said she’s focusing on her studies. After her mother lost her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garcia said, she tried looking for a part-time job to support her family but eventually gave up because she was afraid of being caught by an employer or government officials while working without authorization. Instead, she volunteered to phone bank ahead of the election.
“I wanted to make sure we didn’t have President Trump for a second term,” she said. “I did it for our community.”
Beatriz Basurto didn’t feel much like celebrating the court decision either.
“After being shot down over and over again throughout the years, there’s a point where I and others have become numb to this sort of news,” she said. “I don’t want to be a party pooper, but we have to be realistic.”
Basurto, a 19-year-old college student from Oxnard, has no memory of her home in Mexico after leaving at age 3. Three years ago, she missed her chance to apply for immigration relief under DACA.
As Basurto watched DACA open opportunities for her older siblings and peers, she saw her own prospects diminish. Even so, she found success as a contract worker with a well-paying job as a Mixtec interpreter for farmworkers in Oxnard.
“I’ve come this far without having documentation,” Basurto said she tells herself. “I have to just be mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
Still, she said, having DACA would enhance her life and part of her does want it. She would be able to legally travel back and forth to Mexico. And it would be a relief to know she was spared deportation.
“That would just be the worst thing for me, to be separated and not be there for my family,” she said.


latimes--2020-12-05--California and L.A. County are breaking coronavirus records faster than projected

California and Los Angeles County continued to break COVID-19 pandemic records on a startling scale as much of the state was headed to a new stay-at-home order .
The deterioration is even worse than some of the projections released this week .
On Saturday , officials announced that Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley would join several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area in implementing a new stay-at-home order beginning Sunday night , with hospitals ’ available intensive care unit capacity reaching critically low levels .
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in four of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , at least 9,218 cases were reported , according to preliminary numbers compiled in The Times ’ independent tally , exceeding a record set Friday , when 8,562 cases were reported .
The single-day record was also broken Thursday , when 7,713 cases were reported .
The numbers mean that coronavirus cases in L.A. County are increasing at a pace that ’ s even more dire than what officials had forecast earlier in the week .
On Tuesday , The Times reported that L.A. County officials projected the region would be seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end of the week of Dec. 7 .
The county crossed that threshold Saturday .
L.A. County is now averaging nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — more than quadruple the pace from a month ago , when the county averaged about 1,500 new coronavirus cases a day in the week that ended Nov. 5 .
With at least 43 new COVID-19 deaths recorded in Saturday , L.A. County is now averaging 38 deaths a day , a pace not seen since late July , during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , L.A. County has reported more than 440,000 coronavirus cases and more than 7,880 deaths .
L.A. County hit its sixth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,855 people hospitalized in data released Saturday ; that ’ s quadruple the number Oct. 17 , when 722 people were in hospitals with coronavirus infections .
Of those currently hospitalized in the county , 666 are in ICUs , a sum higher than at any point in the pandemic .
L.A. County ’ s ICU numbers have tripled since Oct. 17 , when 197 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new highs on the last three days .
California has set new highs in COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days , with 9,430 in hospitals Saturday — that ’ s more than quadruple the number Oct. 24 , when 2,254 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals .
California ’ s intensive care units have never been busier with COVID-19 patients , with 2,182 in ICUs on Saturday , the third consecutive day the record has been broken .
During the summer surge , the number never went above 2,058 .
The state set a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single day .
A county-by-county tally by The Times found that more than 22,300 coronavirus cases were reported across California on Friday , exceeding the record set Monday , when 21,848 cases were reported .
The Times tallied 204 deaths reported Friday , the second-highest daily total recorded in the pandemic .
On Saturday , according to The Times ’ count , the state recorded at least 20,091 cases and 78 deaths .
California is now recording an average of 100 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week , a pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averaged 39 deaths a day over the seven-day period ending Nov. 3 .
Over the last week , the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases a day , according to data compiled by The Times .
That ’ s quadruple the Nov. 3 average and dwarfs even the darkest days of the summertime surge , when the rolling average never topped 10,000 .
California now has recorded a total of more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases and a death toll of more than 19,800 .
As of Friday , the rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive over the last week was 8.5 % , more than triple what it was in early October .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth, Sean Greene

Business owners and supporters listen to a news conference held by the California Coalition for Safe Reopening at the Abbey last month in West Hollywood, where the coalition spoke against looming business shutdowns due to the pandemic.
California and Los Angeles County continued to break COVID-19 pandemic records on a startling scale as much of the state was headed to a new stay-at-home order.
The deterioration is even worse than some of the projections released this week.
On Saturday, officials announced that Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley would join several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area in implementing a new stay-at-home order beginning Sunday night, with hospitals’ available intensive care unit capacity reaching critically low levels.
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in four of the last five days this week. On Saturday, at least 9,218 cases were reported, according to preliminary numbers compiled in The Times’ independent tally, exceeding a record set Friday, when 8,562 cases were reported. The single-day record was also broken Thursday, when 7,713 cases were reported.
The numbers mean that coronavirus cases in L.A. County are increasing at a pace that’s even more dire than what officials had forecast earlier in the week. On Tuesday, The Times reported that L.A. County officials projected the region would be seeing 9,000 cases a day by the middle to end of the week of Dec. 7. The county crossed that threshold Saturday.
L.A. County is now averaging nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — more than quadruple the pace from a month ago, when the county averaged about 1,500 new coronavirus cases a day in the week that ended Nov. 5.
With at least 43 new COVID-19 deaths recorded in Saturday, L.A. County is now averaging 38 deaths a day, a pace not seen since late July, during the region’s previous peak.
Cumulatively, L.A. County has reported more than 440,000 coronavirus cases and more than 7,880 deaths.
L.A. County hit its sixth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,855 people hospitalized in data released Saturday; that’s quadruple the number Oct. 17, when 722 people were in hospitals with coronavirus infections.
Of those currently hospitalized in the county, 666 are in ICUs, a sum higher than at any point in the pandemic. L.A. County’s ICU numbers have tripled since Oct. 17, when 197 were in ICUs, and have hit new highs on the last three days.
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California has set new highs in COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days, with 9,430 in hospitals Saturday — that’s more than quadruple the number Oct. 24, when 2,254 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals.
California’s intensive care units have never been busier with COVID-19 patients, with 2,182 in ICUs on Saturday, the third consecutive day the record has been broken. During the summer surge, the number never went above 2,058.
The state set a record Friday for coronavirus cases reported in a single day.
A county-by-county tally by The Times found that more than 22,300 coronavirus cases were reported across California on Friday, exceeding the record set Monday, when 21,848 cases were reported. The Times tallied 204 deaths reported Friday, the second-highest daily total recorded in the pandemic. On Saturday, according to The Times’ count, the state recorded at least 20,091 cases and 78 deaths.
California is now recording an average of 100 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week, a pace not seen since September. The state averaged 39 deaths a day over the seven-day period ending Nov. 3.
Over the last week, the state has averaged more than 17,800 new cases a day, according to data compiled by The Times. That’s quadruple the Nov. 3 average and dwarfs even the darkest days of the summertime surge, when the rolling average never topped 10,000. California now has recorded a total of more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases and a death toll of more than 19,800.
As of Friday, the rate at which coronavirus test results came back positive over the last week was 8.5%, more than triple what it was in early October.
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-06--In an alarming new record, daily coronavirus cases surpass 10,500 in L.A. County

With a new stay-at-home order set to go into effect across much of California late Sunday , hard-hit Los Angeles County reached another alarming milestone in the coronavirus surge , surpassing 10,000 new daily cases .
The county reported 10,528 new cases Sunday and 23 additional deaths .
Hospitalizations also reached a new high , with 2,988 patients .
L.A. County has seen an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks , filling hospitals .
Sunday ’ s numbers underscore concerns that the region has not yet hit its peak .
“ I am positive that we haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case numbers associated with the Thanksgiving holiday , just based on the timeline , ” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Sunday .
She added that it can take two weeks after someone is infected for them to come down with symptoms and even longer for them to suffer serious effects that require hospitalization .
That means that the county ’ s high number of hospitalizations is associated with cases rates two to three weeks back , when officials were still reporting about 5,000 cases a day .
Since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wouldn ’ t be surprised if we start seeing daily hospitalizations approaching 4,000 in a couple of weeks , ” Ferrer said .
In turn , she said , it will take a few more weeks for the effects of the new stay-at-home order to become clear , and in the meantime , the numbers will keep going up .
“ We ’ re going to see three weeks of devastation before we ’ ll be able to assess the impact , ” she said .
The regional stay-at-home order is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations that officials fear could overwhelm the local healthcare system .
Statewide , average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October , hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October , and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in just the last month .
Last week , L.A. County also saw the largest-ever increase in healthcare worker infections , with over 1,700 new cases , and a doubling of outbreak investigations , which had already doubled from the week before that , Ferrer said .
Many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Part of the horror of the terrible place we ’ re in right now is the cascading ramifications , ” she said .
The rising numbers show there ’ s now widespread community transmission , “ which means basically that the virus is everywhere , and therefore we ’ re applying these stay-at-home orders because of the fact that every place is now at higher risk of transmission , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health , medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from characterizing this as a surge , in my mind , to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size , ” said Kim-Farley , who previously served as a senior official with the L.A. County Department of Public Health .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced the new stay-at-home order earlier in the week , saying officials had carved up the state into five regions for the purposes of measuring hospital intensive care capacity .
A region is required to implement the order after its ICU capacity drops below 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the San Joaquin Valley had already crossed when the mandate officially took effect Saturday .
The percentages fell further Sunday , from 12.5 % to 10.3 % for Southern California and from 8.6 % to 6.6 % for the San Joaquin Valley .
The regions will implement the order at 11:59 p.m. Sunday , and it will remain in place for at least three weeks .
In addition , five counties in the Bay Area have decided to implement the stay-at-home order before reaching the threshold , as early as Sunday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules couldn ’ t have come at a worse time .
Hilary Goldner , co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach , heard the news about the order through text messages from her staff .
After a busy Saturday , she was getting ready to close her salon for three weeks .
“ It ’ s devastating , ” she said .
“ We had had the two closures already , and this one comes at the busiest time of the year .
Everyone is trying to move forward with their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
It ’ s unfortunate and disappointing.
” The rules differ slightly from California ’ s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order , which was considered a success at flattening the infection curve in early May and credited with helping prevent the massive death tolls seen in places such as New York and New Jersey .
Nonessential retail stores can remain open , albeit at a reduced capacity , along with parks , beaches and other outdoor areas .
“ I think the reality was that the essential-nonessential framework really disadvantaged many of the smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to permit all stores to remain open .
Officials decided instead to focus on cutting down crowding by having retailers severely limit capacity , put in place metered entrances and ban eating and drinking inside , she said .
L.A. County had already put in place many of the restrictions before the order was announced , requiring restaurants to cease in-person dining ; playgrounds , cardrooms and movie theaters to close ; and people to stop gathering with non-household members .
But the county will modify its local orders to reflect additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include closing hair salons , barbershops , personal care services , museums , zoos , aquariums and family entertainment centers ; limiting all retail to 20 % maximum occupancy ; and restricting hotels and lodging to critical infrastructure support , officials said .
Ferrer , whose home has been targeted by protesters rallying against the closures , said she understands that people are being asked to make painful sacrifices .
She said she hopes that government officials pass another stimulus package so people don ’ t have to choose between feeding themselves or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
“ I feel like we live in the richest country in the world and yet ... we can ’ t actually afford somehow to make sure that when we ask people to stay home for three weeks , they have a safety net that actually makes it possible , ” she said .
“ Instead , we have people fighting public health as if we ’ re the enemy when the virus is our common enemy.
” The order will be felt more dramatically in counties including Orange and Ventura , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain open .
Rick Hayes , a retired high school English teacher , was enjoying his daily ritual of coffee and a newspaper outside at the Hangout Restaurant & Beach Bar on Main Street in Seal Beach on Sunday morning .
Asked about the looming lockdown that will put his routine on hold for at least three weeks , Hayes said , “ I think it ’ s unfortunate but probably necessary.
” The 76-year-old , whose mask was pulled down under his chin so he could sip from his mug , appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face covering on the popular beachside strip of restaurants in Orange County .
“ We got to get this thing under control , ” he said .
“ Covering up seems to help.
” He will continue ordering takeout as often as he can during the coming lockdown to try to help local businesses survive , Hayes said .
There was noticeably less support for the restrictions just up the street at Hennessy ’ s Grill .
“ I would really like to see statistics on mental-health-related deaths as a result of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired aerospace engineer , who was having mimosas with his wife and another couple at an outdoor table .
“ Yes , this is a vicious virus , but you have people who are not just losing their livelihoods but their lives to suicide and stress .
“ It ’ s tragic , ” Berk added , “ but let the people who are at risk stay home .
Don ’ t quarantine the healthy.
” Leslie Berk , who said she worked for 30 years in dental offices , compared the worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompanied the arrival of AIDS decades ago .
“ I seriously considered changing my career , but we didn ’ t shut the country down.
” HIV , the virus that causes AIDS , is transmitted through intimate contact with blood and semen .
Most people get it from unprotected sex or sharing needles .
The coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets in the air and on surfaces — you can get it from simply speaking with or touching someone .
“ I believe , because of social media , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berk said .
“ Sure it ’ s bad , but to shut the country down is not OK. ” In addition to some people ’ s skepticism of science and a pervasive sense of fatigue , there are other challenges that could undermine the effectiveness of the new rules .
The cooler weather has sent more people inside .
The holiday season raises the temptation to travel and has people longing to be around others .
There ’ s also the question of whether people will follow the rules if they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the case since the start of the pandemic , many California sheriffs have said they won ’ t enforce the stay-at-home order .
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Saturday that deputies would not be dispatched to calls involving face coverings , gatherings or stay-at-home rules , calling compliance “ a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement.
” Orange County tallied a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Sunday : 2,025 , surpassing the record-setting 1,966 cases the county reported Saturday .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last two weeks Orange County has notched a single-day record .
The county also hit its fourth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 848 people hospitalized , according to data released Sunday ; that ’ s more than five times worse than mid-October , when about 160 were hospitalized .
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco called the new stay-at-home order “ flat-out ridiculous ” and criticized the state for threatening to cut funding to counties that didn ’ t comply with the state ’ s COVID-19 guidelines for reopening .
( Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to set its own reopening agenda after learning the move could jeopardize tens of millions in state funding . )
“ While the governor ’ s office and the state has threatened action against violators , the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department will not be blackmailed , bullied or used as muscle against Riverside County residents in the enforcement of the governor ’ s orders , ” Bianco said Friday in a videotaped statement .
He singled out Newsom , calling him hypocritical for his handling of the pandemic and alluding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to French Laundry , a pricey Napa Valley restaurant .
“ It appears part of the new goal is to shift attention away from his and others ’ personal behavior with a do-as-I say-not-as-I-do attitude by turning public opinion against California sheriffs , ” Bianco said .
“ He is expecting us to arrest anyone violating these orders , cite them and take their money , close their businesses , make them stay in their homes and take away their civil liberties , or he will punish all of us.
” Riverside County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 hospitalizations with 687 hospitalized , according to data released Saturday ; that ’ s more than five times worse than early October , when about 135 were hospitalized .
Bars and restaurants were packed during Sunday ’ s lunch rush on Main Street in Huntington Beach , where drinkers and diners spent one last afternoon at the outdoor restaurants that line the pedestrian thoroughfare .
“ The people who own these restaurants have to live , so I have really mixed emotions , ” said Leo Sanchez , 47 , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Ale House .
After nearly a year of on again , off again , restrictions , Sanchez sounded resigned and a bit fatalistic .
“ The more I see this play out , I feel like maybe all of this was inevitable , ” Sanchez said .
“ Maybe [ the virus ] has to run through the population and we have to live with the consequences .
I ’ m not happy about that because I have had close friends already who passed away from this situation.
” Standing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a cigarette and no mask , Saul Emard , 48 , said , “ Freedom is freedom .
If God ’ s gon na take me , he ’ s gon na take me .
That ’ s how I feel.
” Emard said he is a general contractor whose work includes jobs at area hospitals , so he ’ s busier than ever .
But the coming stay-at-home order will be economically devastating to friends and family , he said .
“ There ’ s definitely going to be a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Emard ’ s friend , Michael Pittman .
“ And with no stimulus , no extension of unemployment benefits , panic starts to set in .
”

Alex Wigglesworth, Jack Dolan, Rong-Gong Lin II, Thomas Curwen

Intensive care nurse Naomi Okonofua, at work earlier this year at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. California hospitals are seeing their ICU beds fill up.
With a new stay-at-home order set to go into effect across much of California late Sunday, hard-hit Los Angeles County reached another alarming milestone in the coronavirus surge, surpassing 10,000 new daily cases.
The county reported 10,528 new cases Sunday and 23 additional deaths. Hospitalizations also reached a new high, with 2,988 patients.
L.A. County has seen an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, filling hospitals. Sunday’s numbers underscore concerns that the region has not yet hit its peak.
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“I am positive that we haven’t seen the full increases in our case numbers associated with the Thanksgiving holiday, just based on the timeline,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Sunday. She added that it can take two weeks after someone is infected for them to come down with symptoms and even longer for them to suffer serious effects that require hospitalization.
That means that the county’s high number of hospitalizations is associated with cases rates two to three weeks back, when officials were still reporting about 5,000 cases a day. Since then, new cases have roughly doubled.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing daily hospitalizations approaching 4,000 in a couple of weeks,” Ferrer said.
In turn, she said, it will take a few more weeks for the effects of the new stay-at-home order to become clear, and in the meantime, the numbers will keep going up.
“We’re going to see three weeks of devastation before we’ll be able to assess the impact,” she said.
The regional stay-at-home order is the latest attempt to tamp down a rise in coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations that officials fear could overwhelm the local healthcare system.
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Statewide, average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October, hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October, and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in just the last month.
Last week, L.A. County also saw the largest-ever increase in healthcare worker infections, with over 1,700 new cases, and a doubling of outbreak investigations, which had already doubled from the week before that, Ferrer said. Many of those outbreaks are at workplaces, she said.
“Part of the horror of the terrible place we’re in right now is the cascading ramifications,” she said.
The rising numbers show there’s now widespread community transmission, “which means basically that the virus is everywhere, and therefore we’re applying these stay-at-home orders because of the fact that every place is now at higher risk of transmission,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert.
“I think we have moved from characterizing this as a surge, in my mind, to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size,” said Kim-Farley, who previously served as a senior official with the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the new stay-at-home order earlier in the week, saying officials had carved up the state into five regions for the purposes of measuring hospital intensive care capacity. A region is required to implement the order after its ICU capacity drops below 15%, a line that Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley had already crossed when the mandate officially took effect Saturday.
The percentages fell further Sunday, from 12.5% to 10.3% for Southern California and from 8.6% to 6.6% for the San Joaquin Valley.
The regions will implement the order at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, and it will remain in place for at least three weeks.
In addition, five counties in the Bay Area have decided to implement the stay-at-home order before reaching the threshold, as early as Sunday night.
For many business owners, the new rules couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Hilary Goldner, co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach, heard the news about the order through text messages from her staff. After a busy Saturday, she was getting ready to close her salon for three weeks.
“It’s devastating,” she said. “We had had the two closures already, and this one comes at the busiest time of the year. Everyone is trying to move forward with their lives, and we play a role in that. It’s unfortunate and disappointing.”
The rules differ slightly from California’s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order, which was considered a success at flattening the infection curve in early May and credited with helping prevent the massive death tolls seen in places such as New York and New Jersey.
Nonessential retail stores can remain open, albeit at a reduced capacity, along with parks, beaches and other outdoor areas.
“I think the reality was that the essential-nonessential framework really disadvantaged many of the smaller retailers,” Ferrer said of the decision to permit all stores to remain open. Officials decided instead to focus on cutting down crowding by having retailers severely limit capacity, put in place metered entrances and ban eating and drinking inside, she said.
L.A. County had already put in place many of the restrictions before the order was announced, requiring restaurants to cease in-person dining; playgrounds, cardrooms and movie theaters to close; and people to stop gathering with non-household members.
But the county will modify its local orders to reflect additional modifications required by the state, which include closing hair salons, barbershops, personal care services, museums, zoos, aquariums and family entertainment centers; limiting all retail to 20% maximum occupancy; and restricting hotels and lodging to critical infrastructure support, officials said.
Ferrer, whose home has been targeted by protesters rallying against the closures, said she understands that people are being asked to make painful sacrifices.
She said she hopes that government officials pass another stimulus package so people don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or paying rent and becoming ill or exposing others.
“I feel like we live in the richest country in the world and yet ... we can’t actually afford somehow to make sure that when we ask people to stay home for three weeks, they have a safety net that actually makes it possible,” she said. “Instead, we have people fighting public health as if we’re the enemy when the virus is our common enemy.”
The order will be felt more dramatically in counties including Orange and Ventura, where more businesses had been permitted to remain open.
Rick Hayes, a retired high school English teacher, was enjoying his daily ritual of coffee and a newspaper outside at the Hangout Restaurant & Beach Bar near Main Street in Seal Beach on Sunday morning.
Asked about the looming lockdown that will put his routine on hold for at least three weeks, Hayes said, “I think it’s unfortunate but probably necessary.”
The 76-year-old, whose mask was pulled down under his chin so he could sip from his mug, appeared to be in the minority wearing a face covering on the popular beachside strip of restaurants in Orange County.
“We got to get this thing under control,” he said. “Covering up seems to help.” He will continue ordering takeout as often as he can during the coming lockdown to try to help local businesses survive, Hayes said.
There was noticeably less support for the restrictions just up the street at Hennessey’s Grill.
“I would really like to see statistics on mental-health-related deaths as a result of this,” said Bob Berk, a retired aerospace engineer, who was having mimosas with his wife and another couple at an outdoor table. “Yes, this is a vicious virus, but you have people who are not just losing their livelihoods but their lives to suicide and stress.
“It’s tragic,” Berk added, “but let the people who are at risk stay home. Don’t quarantine the healthy.”
Leslie Berk, who said she worked for 30 years in dental offices, compared the worry over the coronavirus with the fear that accompanied the arrival of AIDS decades ago. “I seriously considered changing my career, but we didn’t shut the country down.”
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is transmitted through intimate contact with blood and semen. Most people get it from unprotected sex or sharing needles. The coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets in the air and on surfaces — you can get it from simply speaking with or touching someone.
“I believe, because of social media, we’re hyper-focusing on this virus,” Leslie Berk said. “Sure it’s bad, but to shut the country down is not OK.”
In addition to some people’s skepticism of science and a pervasive sense of fatigue, there are other challenges that could undermine the effectiveness of the new rules.
The cooler weather has sent more people inside. The holiday season raises the temptation to travel and has people longing to be around others.
There’s also the question of whether people will follow the rules if they don’t face consequences.
As has been the case since the start of the pandemic, many California sheriffs have said they won’t enforce the stay-at-home order.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Saturday that deputies would not be dispatched to calls involving face coverings, gatherings or stay-at-home rules, calling compliance “a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement.”
Orange County tallied a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Sunday: 2,025, surpassing the record-setting 1,966 cases the county reported Saturday. That’s the fourth time in the last two weeks Orange County has notched a single-day record.
The county also hit its fourth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 848 people hospitalized, according to data released Sunday; that’s more than five times worse than mid-October, when about 160 were hospitalized.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco called the new stay-at-home order “flat-out ridiculous” and criticized the state for threatening to cut funding to counties that didn’t comply with the state’s COVID-19 guidelines for reopening. (Riverside County in October ended up modifying a plan to set its own reopening agenda after learning the move could jeopardize tens of millions in state funding.)
“While the governor’s office and the state has threatened action against violators, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will not be blackmailed, bullied or used as muscle against Riverside County residents in the enforcement of the governor’s orders,” Bianco said Friday in a videotaped statement.
He singled out Newsom, calling him hypocritical for his handling of the pandemic and alluding to the governor’s much-criticized outing to French Laundry, a pricey Napa Valley restaurant.
“It appears part of the new goal is to shift attention away from his and others’ personal behavior with a do-as-I say-not-as-I-do attitude by turning public opinion against California sheriffs,” Bianco said. “He is expecting us to arrest anyone violating these orders, cite them and take their money, close their businesses, make them stay in their homes and take away their civil liberties, or he will punish all of us.”
Riverside County hit its seventh consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 687 hospitalized, according to data released Saturday; that’s more than five times worse than early October, when about 135 were hospitalized.
Bars and restaurants were packed during Sunday’s lunch rush on Main Street in Huntington Beach, where drinkers and diners spent one last afternoon at the outdoor restaurants that line the pedestrian thoroughfare.
“The people who own these restaurants have to live, so I have really mixed emotions,” said Leo Sanchez, 47, who was having lunch with a friend at Surf City Ale House. After nearly a year of on again, off again, restrictions, Sanchez sounded resigned and a bit fatalistic.
“The more I see this play out, I feel like maybe all of this was inevitable,” Sanchez said. “Maybe [the virus] has to run through the population and we have to live with the consequences. I’m not happy about that because I have had close friends already who passed away from this situation.”
Standing in the center of the street with a friend, a cigarette and no mask, Saul Emard, 48, said, “Freedom is freedom. If God’s gonna take me, he’s gonna take me. That’s how I feel.”
Emard said he is a general contractor whose work includes jobs at area hospitals, so he’s busier than ever. But the coming stay-at-home order will be economically devastating to friends and family, he said.
“There’s definitely going to be a lot of people out of work,” said Emard’s friend, Michael Pittman. “And with no stimulus, no extension of unemployment benefits, panic starts to set in.”
Times staff writer Sean Greene contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-06--San Diego DA investigating at least $5 million in suspected unemployment fraud by local inmates

The San Diego County district attorney is investigating inmates in local jails and state prison for possibly committing as much as $ 5 million in unemployment benefits fraud , part of an emerging statewide scandal of widespread fraud by prisoners totaling at least $ 400 million .
In a statement , Public Affairs Officer Tanya Sierra said the agency is in the “ very early stages ” of investigation into the benefits program administered by the state Employment Development Department .
“ While the complete scope of the fraud is not clear at this time , early indications are that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraudulent payments were made to inmates at the RJ Donovan Correctional Institution alone , ” she wrote in the statement Friday , referring to the state prison in Otay Mesa .
News of the probe comes just days after state officials revealed $ 400 million in unemployment benefit claims were wrongly paid to state prison inmates , including more than 100 condemned prisoners on death row .
On Thursday San Diego County Dist .
Atty .
Summer Stephan signed on to a letter , along with eight other district attorneys , to Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as $ 1 billion in payments may have been sent out of state — and that the total fraud from the scam might grow even larger .
Locally investigators from the DA ’ s office are working with the San Diego County Sheriff ’ s Department , the state prison system and EDD to uncover how much fraud has occurred at Donovan and the county jails , and “ identify suspects and determine what evidence exists that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and lead to appropriate criminal charges , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many inmates may have been involved .
Stephan said that it will also take time to unravel the extent of the scheme .
“ It ’ s outrageous that taxpayers will be on the hook for these fraudulent payments and that a system was not in place earlier to alert authorities and prevent such fraud , ” Stephan said .
“ A forensic investigation will take time and resources but is necessary to hold individuals responsible for gaming the system at a time when our economy and our communities are already hurting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter Stephan and her colleagues wrote they had received “ unverified information that EDD has distributed at least $ 1 billion to out-of-state claimants.
” The letter called on Newsom to give the district attorneys emergency funds to investigate and prosecute the fraud , and have state agencies join forces with an existing federal task force and a statewide task force of local DAs that have been investigating for months .
It also asked for an order allowing the cross-matching of inmate data such as Social Security numbers , names and birthdays with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments .
They urged Newsom to use his sweeping power under the state Emergency Services Act , which gives the governor broad authority during a state of emergency and which was invoked at the start of the pandemic in March , to order that cross-matching .
“ There is perhaps no greater need to protect the resources of the state than to immediately prohibit payment of unemployment benefit claims made in the names of state , federal and local inmates , ” the prosecutors wrote .
“ Furthermore , there is critical and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those legally entitled to these benefits .
“ With the significant backlog of EDD claims pending , immediately implementing a cross-match system will expedite and assist in aiding the payment of legitimate claims to those in urgent need of financial assistance.
” The letter said there is a belief among state agencies that state laws and regulations prohibit the sharing of these data among each other .
The letter stated that is incorrect , but noted that if there are any limitations to sharing the data they can be swept aside via an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Without action now the district attorneys said they were concerned the fraud could grow “ exponentially.
” The allegation that funds have been sent out of state comes at a time when the EDD is under intense criticism for not issuing payments to hundreds of thousands of state residents with valid claims stemming from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns .
The fact that an out-of-state payment has been issued is not evidence it is fraudulent , since some residents may have lost their job , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state temporarily .
Prosecutors say the cross-matching will allow them to begin to separate out legitimate claims from bogus ones .
Some prosecutors who have been investigating the scheme said it might be the biggest taxpayer fraud in state history .
The depth and breadth is not known yet , but some counties have said how many inmates they suspect could be involved .
In Amador County , the district attorney there told the Los Angeles Times some 500 inmates at Mule Creek State prison may have accounted for up to $ 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Atty .
Michael Hestrin said some 1,500 inmates there could be involved and his office is still unraveling the extent .
In Lassen County , Dist .
Atty .
Susan Melyssah Rios told The Times that 900 inmates at Mule Creek State Prison are implicated in $ 4 million in fraud , so far .

The San Diego County district attorney is investigating inmates in local jails and state prison for possibly committing as much as $5 million in unemployment benefits fraud, part of an emerging statewide scandal of widespread fraud by prisoners totaling at least $400 million.
In a statement, Public Affairs Officer Tanya Sierra said the agency is in the “very early stages” of investigation into the benefits program administered by the state Employment Development Department.
“While the complete scope of the fraud is not clear at this time, early indications are that as much as $5 million in fraudulent payments were made to inmates at the RJ Donovan Correctional Institution alone,” she wrote in the statement Friday, referring to the state prison in Otay Mesa.
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News of the probe comes just days after state officials revealed $400 million in unemployment benefit claims were wrongly paid to state prison inmates, including more than 100 condemned prisoners on death row.
On Thursday San Diego County Dist. Atty. Summer Stephan signed on to a letter, along with eight other district attorneys, to Gov. Gavin Newsom, contending that as much as $1 billion in payments may have been sent out of state — and that the total fraud from the scam might grow even larger.
Locally investigators from the DA’s office are working with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the state prison system and EDD to uncover how much fraud has occurred at Donovan and the county jails, and “identify suspects and determine what evidence exists that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and lead to appropriate criminal charges,” Sierra said.
She could not say how many inmates may have been involved. Stephan said that it will also take time to unravel the extent of the scheme.
“It’s outrageous that taxpayers will be on the hook for these fraudulent payments and that a system was not in place earlier to alert authorities and prevent such fraud,” Stephan said. “A forensic investigation will take time and resources but is necessary to hold individuals responsible for gaming the system at a time when our economy and our communities are already hurting amid the ongoing pandemic.”
In the letter Stephan and her colleagues wrote they had received “unverified information that EDD has distributed at least $1 billion to out-of-state claimants.”
The letter called on Newsom to give the district attorneys emergency funds to investigate and prosecute the fraud, and have state agencies join forces with an existing federal task force and a statewide task force of local DAs that have been investigating for months.
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It also asked for an order allowing the cross-matching of inmate data such as Social Security numbers, names and birthdays with EDD claims, to sort out bogus payments. They urged Newsom to use his sweeping power under the state Emergency Services Act, which gives the governor broad authority during a state of emergency and which was invoked at the start of the pandemic in March, to order that cross-matching.
“There is perhaps no greater need to protect the resources of the state than to immediately prohibit payment of unemployment benefit claims made in the names of state, federal and local inmates,” the prosecutors wrote. “Furthermore, there is critical and urgent need to provide financial assistance to those legally entitled to these benefits.
“With the significant backlog of EDD claims pending, immediately implementing a cross-match system will expedite and assist in aiding the payment of legitimate claims to those in urgent need of financial assistance.”
The letter said there is a belief among state agencies that state laws and regulations prohibit the sharing of these data among each other. The letter stated that is incorrect, but noted that if there are any limitations to sharing the data they can be swept aside via an executive order under the emergency powers law.
Without action now the district attorneys said they were concerned the fraud could grow “exponentially.”
The allegation that funds have been sent out of state comes at a time when the EDD is under intense criticism for not issuing payments to hundreds of thousands of state residents with valid claims stemming from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns.
The fact that an out-of-state payment has been issued is not evidence it is fraudulent, since some residents may have lost their job, made a claim and since moved out of state temporarily. Prosecutors say the cross-matching will allow them to begin to separate out legitimate claims from bogus ones.
Some prosecutors who have been investigating the scheme said it might be the biggest taxpayer fraud in state history. The depth and breadth is not known yet, but some counties have said how many inmates they suspect could be involved.
In Amador County, the district attorney there told the Los Angeles Times some 500 inmates at Mule Creek State prison may have accounted for up to $2 million in claims. Riverside County Dist. Atty. Michael Hestrin said some 1,500 inmates there could be involved and his office is still unraveling the extent. In Lassen County, Dist. Atty. Susan Melyssah Rios told The Times that 900 inmates at Mule Creek State Prison are implicated in $4 million in fraud, so far.
Moran writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-12-06--7,300-acre Bond fire in Orange County is 50% contained

A wind-driven brush fire in Silverado Canyon in Orange County that was sparked by a house fire and had burned 7,375 acres was 50 % contained Sunday , with some residents still under evacuation orders , authorities said .
The Bond fire has destroyed 28 structures and damaged 19 more , the Orange County Fire Authority reported .
Evacuation orders remain in place for Modjeska , Silverado and Williams canyon areas .
Firefighters continued to look for and mop up hot spots while clearing more vegetation around the fire and shoring up the containment lines , the fire agency said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the blaze , and officials warned that there was still a potential in many areas for a strong wind event to spread the fire and threaten adjacent communities .
Meanwhile in L.A. and Ventura counties , Santa Ana winds are expected to kick up Sunday night , continuing through Tuesday , according to the National Weather Service .
A red flag warning will be in effect for much of the region from 4 a.m. Monday through 10 p.m. Tuesday due to the high winds and low humidity .
Winds were also expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inland Orange County area , with gusts up to 45 mph .
Evacuation orders from the Bond fire were lifted for Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills west of El Toro and north of the 241 toll road .
All evacuation orders were lifted for Lake Forest , but the city remained under an evacuation warning .
Voluntary evacuations remained in effect for the following areas : • Borrego Canyon • Baker Ranch • Portola Hills • Live Oak Canyon • Trabuco Canyon • Rose Canyon • Valley Vista Way • Meadow Ridge Drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly encouraged to stay with family or friends or in a hotel , according to the OCFA .
The authority said on Twitter that , due to COVID-19 , no congregate shelter was offered .
A temporary Orange County Red Cross evacuation point at Santiago Community College was later replaced by one at El Modena High School , also in Orange .
Officials also opened another Red Cross evacuation point at El Toro High School in Lake Forest .
OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy urged residents to be prepared to move when necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blaze .
“ Even if you don ’ t see smoke ... if you have a concern the flames are a little bit too close , that ’ s enough to have your belongings prepared to evacuate , ” Fennessy said .
“ You don ’ t have to wait for us to call .
”

A wind-driven brush fire in Silverado Canyon in Orange County that was sparked by a house fire and had burned 7,375 acres was 50% contained Sunday, with some residents still under evacuation orders, authorities said.
The Bond fire has destroyed 28 structures and damaged 19 more, the Orange County Fire Authority reported. Evacuation orders remain in place for Modjeska, Silverado and Williams canyon areas.
Firefighters continued to look for and mop up hot spots while clearing more vegetation around the fire and shoring up the containment lines, the fire agency said. Some 1,588 firefighters were still assigned to the blaze, and officials warned that there was still a potential in many areas for a strong wind event to spread the fire and threaten adjacent communities.
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Meanwhile in L.A. and Ventura counties, Santa Ana winds are expected to kick up Sunday night, continuing through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. A red flag warning will be in effect for much of the region from 4 a.m. Monday through 10 p.m. Tuesday due to the high winds and low humidity.
Winds were also expected to pick up again Monday in the inland Orange County area, with gusts up to 45 mph.
Evacuation orders from the Bond fire were lifted for Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills west of El Toro and north of the 241 toll road.
All evacuation orders were lifted for Lake Forest, but the city remained under an evacuation warning.
Voluntary evacuations remained in effect for the following areas:
• Borrego Canyon
• Baker Ranch
• Portola Hills
• Live Oak Canyon
• Trabuco Canyon
• Rose Canyon
• Valley Vista Way
• Meadow Ridge Drive
• Cowan and Lemon Heights
Evacuees were strongly encouraged to stay with family or friends or in a hotel, according to the OCFA. The authority said on Twitter that, due to COVID-19, no congregate shelter was offered. A temporary Orange County Red Cross evacuation point at Santiago Community College was later replaced by one at El Modena High School, also in Orange.
Officials also opened another Red Cross evacuation point at El Toro High School in Lake Forest.
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OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy urged residents to be prepared to move when necessary to clear the way for firefighters to battle the blaze.
“Even if you don’t see smoke ... if you have a concern the flames are a little bit too close, that’s enough to have your belongings prepared to evacuate,” Fennessy said. “You don’t have to wait for us to call.”


latimes--2020-12-06--'It's devastating.' Orange County merchants, officials say COVID order shouldn't lump them in with L

'It's devastating.' Orange County merchants, officials say COVID order shouldn't lump them in with L.A.

Harbor Grill in Dana Point was bustling and completely booked with diners Saturday afternoon when owner Keegan Hicks learned outdoor dining would come to an end in Orange County and the rest of Southern California on Sunday night .
Hicks worried this day would come , but he had questions and concerns .
“ We understand why these measures are being taken .
We have nothing but concern and solidarity for frontline hospital workers , ” Hicks said .
“ But we believe that outdoor dining — as long as the restaurant is taking the proper protocols — is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He said the restaurant had reopened in May and that there had been no known coronavirus cases stemming from his customers or his 60 employees .
He now worries about the economic hardship ahead .
“ We believe complete industry shutdown is outrageous , ” he said .
“ We will comply , but we hope that our local legislator — and at the state level — will work on a variance for outdoor dining , as long as outdoor dining is being done responsibly by customers and restaurants.
” The stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds becoming scarce across Southern California .
The move was set to trigger on Saturday if ICU capacity in a region of California dropped below 15 % .
On Saturday , Southern California ’ s ICU capacity was 12.5 % , and in the San Joaquin Valley , 8.6 % , according to data released by the state .
Bay Area counties were voluntary imposing a stay-at-home order on Sunday night .
Some parts of Southern California have been hit harder than others .
L.A. County has broken single-day case records in four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , 9,218 coronavirus cases were reported , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ independent tally .
California has set new highs for COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days , with 9,430 patients in hospitals Saturday — that ’ s more than quadruple the number on Oct. 24 , when 2,254 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals .
California ’ s intensive care units have never been busier with COVID-19 patients , with 2,182 in ICUs on Saturday , the third consecutive day the record had been broken .
During the summer surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But some other counties in the Southland , including Orange , argue their conditions are not as bad as in the hot zones and maintain the state should not lump them in with L.A. County .
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she supported a regional approach so counties could assist one another if their hospitals filled up but said the state ’ s categories were simply too broad .
“ Grouping 11 counties in Southern California into one region , particularly with one county that represents over 25 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said , referring to Los Angeles , the state ’ s most populous county .
Bartlett noted that Orange County ’ s ICU capacity was more than 20 % , compared with the regional availability of 12.5 % .
By being forced to shut down or reduce operations , she said , business sectors such as restaurants and theme parks are being “ unfairly punished ” by the new rules .
“ Based on our current ICU bed capacity , I think Orange County is in fairly good shape , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Bartlett said .
“ Our ICU bed capacity literally dropped 15 % in one week .
So we have to watch things very carefully.
” Bartlett said she and Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner planned to introduce a resolution on Tuesday affirming the county ’ s commitment to having as much local control of coronavirus restrictions as possible .
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Saturday that deputies would not be dispatched to enforce compliance with stay-at-home rules or those governing face coverings and social distancing — as has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Compliance with health orders is a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement , ” he said in a statement .
Orange County has been hit hard by the pandemic economically , with Disneyland closed and the tourist economy virtually dead .
Hilary Goldner , co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach , heard the news about the order through text messages from her staff .
After a busy Saturday , she is getting ready to close her salon for three weeks .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We had the two closures already , and this one comes at the busiest time of the year .
Everyone is trying to move forward with their lives , and we play a role in that .
It ’ s unfortunate and disappointing.
” Goldner said she understood that hospitals were getting slammed , but she doesn ’ t believe hair salons are contributing to the spread of COVID-19 .
“ We feel that we are already in compliance , ” she said .
“ We ’ re in masks ; our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re sanitizing .
We ’ re going above and beyond for the safety of our clients .
”

Thomas Curwen, Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II

A man carrying takeout food passes a balloon display and outdoor dining tent at La Michoacana Express in Santa Ana on Nov. 18 after indoor dining was closed in Orange County.
Harbor Grill in Dana Point was bustling and completely booked with diners Saturday afternoon when owner Keegan Hicks learned outdoor dining would come to an end in Orange County and the rest of Southern California on Sunday night.
Hicks worried this day would come, but he had questions and concerns.
“We understand why these measures are being taken. We have nothing but concern and solidarity for frontline hospital workers,” Hicks said. “But we believe that outdoor dining — as long as the restaurant is taking the proper protocols — is not responsible for the spread of the coronavirus.”
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He said the restaurant had reopened in May and that there had been no known coronavirus cases stemming from his customers or his 60 employees. He now worries about the economic hardship ahead.
“We believe complete industry shutdown is outrageous,” he said. “We will comply, but we hope that our local legislator — and at the state level — will work on a variance for outdoor dining, as long as outdoor dining is being done responsibly by customers and restaurants.”
The stay-at-home order was prompted by hospital intensive care beds becoming scarce across Southern California. The move was set to trigger on Saturday if ICU capacity in a region of California dropped below 15%. On Saturday, Southern California’s ICU capacity was 12.5%, and in the San Joaquin Valley, 8.6%, according to data released by the state. Bay Area counties were voluntary imposing a stay-at-home order on Sunday night.
Some parts of Southern California have been hit harder than others. L.A. County has broken single-day case records in four of the last five days. On Saturday, 9,218 coronavirus cases were reported, according to the Los Angeles Times’ independent tally.
California has set new highs for COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days, with 9,430 patients in hospitals Saturday — that’s more than quadruple the number on Oct. 24, when 2,254 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals.
California’s intensive care units have never been busier with COVID-19 patients, with 2,182 in ICUs on Saturday, the third consecutive day the record had been broken. During the summer surge, the number never went above 2,058.
But some other counties in the Southland, including Orange, argue their conditions are not as bad as in the hot zones and maintain the state should not lump them in with L.A. County.
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Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she supported a regional approach so counties could assist one another if their hospitals filled up but said the state’s categories were simply too broad.
“Grouping 11 counties in Southern California into one region, particularly with one county that represents over 25% of the state’s population, is problematic,” she said, referring to Los Angeles, the state’s most populous county.
Bartlett noted that Orange County’s ICU capacity was more than 20%, compared with the regional availability of 12.5%. By being forced to shut down or reduce operations, she said, business sectors such as restaurants and theme parks are being “unfairly punished” by the new rules.
“Based on our current ICU bed capacity, I think Orange County is in fairly good shape, but that could also change very quickly,” Bartlett said. “Our ICU bed capacity literally dropped 15% in one week. So we have to watch things very carefully.”
Bartlett said she and Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner planned to introduce a resolution on Tuesday affirming the county’s commitment to having as much local control of coronavirus restrictions as possible.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Saturday that deputies would not be dispatched to enforce compliance with stay-at-home rules or those governing face coverings and social distancing — as has been the department’s policy throughout the pandemic.
“Compliance with health orders is a matter of personal responsibility and not a matter of law enforcement,” he said in a statement.
Orange County has been hit hard by the pandemic economically, with Disneyland closed and the tourist economy virtually dead.
Hilary Goldner, co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach, heard the news about the order through text messages from her staff. After a busy Saturday, she is getting ready to close her salon for three weeks.
“It’s devastating,” she said. “We had the two closures already, and this one comes at the busiest time of the year. Everyone is trying to move forward with their lives, and we play a role in that. It’s unfortunate and disappointing.”
Goldner said she understood that hospitals were getting slammed, but she doesn’t believe hair salons are contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
“We feel that we are already in compliance,” she said. “We’re in masks; our clients are in masks. We’re sanitizing. We’re going above and beyond for the safety of our clients.”


latimes--2020-12-06--California COVID-19 crisis likely to get worse before it gets better as deaths, hospitalizations spi

California COVID-19 crisis likely to get worse before it gets better as deaths, hospitalizations spike

With much of California beginning a stay-at-home order Sunday night , it ’ s becoming clear that the COVID-19 surge is likely to get worse before it gets better .
Average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October ; hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October ; and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in just the last month .
Hospitalizations and daily deaths are expected to rise .
It can take two weeks after someone is diagnosed with the coronavirus to get sick enough to require hospitalization , and seven to 10 more days for them to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials have feared that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend caused more spread , and those infections will likely continue to be seen in the next week .
Los Angeles County hit more than 9,000 new cases Saturday , a sign the holiday made things worse .
The question is whether the new stay-at-home order , which is unpopular in some circles and will further harm a battered economy , can finally bend the curve .
Cases : California averaged nearly 19,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the state was averaging 3,200 new cases a day over the same time period .
Driving the sharp increase is the inexorable jump in daily cases .
California tallied its third largest total of coronavirus cases reported in a single day on Saturday : 21,528 .
That ’ s just a day after the state broke its all-time single-day record on Friday with 22,369 .
Hospitalizations : California is nearing a milestone of 10,000 people hospitalized at any single point in time with COVID-19 infections .
On Friday , there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s hospitals — quadruple the number from late October , when there were about 2,300 people in the hospital with the disease .
As of Friday , hospitalizations have grown so fast that the record has been broken seven consecutive days .
The string of records began Nov. 28 , when the total was 7,415 .
Deaths : California is now averaging 107 deaths a day from the virus — reaching a high that hasn ’ t been seen since the late summer .
Average daily deaths have nearly tripled since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were dying a day on average .
Test positivity rate : The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive has soared to 9.7 % , according to the seven-day average released by health officials Saturday .
That ’ s triple the number from last month , when the rate was 3.2 % on Nov. 1 , and demonstrates that the virus is spreading rapidly across the state .
Cases : Los Angeles County was averaging nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — nearly seven times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County was averaging about 1,000 cases a day .
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in four of the last five days this last week .
On Saturday , 9,218 cases were reported , according to The Times ’ independent tally , exceeding a record set Friday , when 8,562 cases were reported .
The single-day record was also broken Thursday , when 7,713 cases were reported .
The numbers mean that coronavirus cases in L.A. County are increasing at a pace that ’ s even more dire than what officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , The Times reported that L.A. County officials projected the region would be seeing 9,000 cases a day by the the week of Dec. 7 .
The county crossed that threshold Saturday .
Hospitalizations : L.A. County hit its sixth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,855 people hospitalized , according to data released Saturday ; that ’ s quadruple the number from early October , when about 700 people were in hospitals with such infections .
Of those currently hospitalized in the Los Angeles County with COVID-19 , 666 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than at any point in the pandemic .
L.A. County ’ s ICU numbers have more than tripled since early October , when fewer than 200 people with coronavirus infections were in ICUs , and have hit new highs in the last three days .
Deaths : With at least 43 new COVID-19 deaths recorded Saturday , L.A. County is now averaging 38 deaths a day , a pace not seen since late July , during the region ’ s previous peak .
The latest average daily number has nearly quadrupled since early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 10 deaths a day .
Cases : San Diego County on Thursday averaged more than 1,500 cases a day over the last week , a record .
That ’ s more than five times the figure in early October , when about 270 cases a day were diagnosed .
On Saturday , 2,287 new cases were reported , the second-highest total for a single day .
Hospitalizations : The number of people hospitalized in San Diego County with COVID-19 has nearly quadrupled since early October , when there were about 200 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data released Saturday , there were 772 people in the hospital with COVID-19 .
Deaths : San Diego County was averaging about eight deaths a day over the last week .
Cases : Orange County tallied a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Saturday : 1,966 .
That ’ s the third time in the last two weeks Orange County has notched a single-day record .
Orange County was averaging about 1,150 cases a day over the last week — that ’ s nearly seven times more than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was recording about 170 cases a day .
Hospitalizations : Orange County has hit its third consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 842 people hospitalized , according to data released Saturday ; that ’ s more than five times worse than mid-October , when about 160 were hospitalized .
Deaths : Orange County was averaging about six deaths a day over the last week .
Cases : Riverside County was recording an average of 808 cases a day over the last week , triple the figure from mid-October .
Hospitalizations : Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 687 hospitalized , according to data released Saturday ; that ’ s more than five times worse than early October , when about 135 were hospitalized .
Deaths : Riverside County was averaging about five deaths a day over the last week .
Cases : San Bernardino County broke its single-day record for coronavirus cases Saturday , tallying 3,178 cases — the first time the county has surpassed the 3,000 mark .
San Bernardino County was averaging 1,678 coronavirus cases a day over the last week , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospitalizations : Since Thanksgiving , San Bernardino County has broken daily records for hospitalizations for eight of nine days , according to data released Saturday .
There were 913 people with COVID-19 in San Bernardino County ’ s hospitals — that ’ s five times more than it was in mid-October .
Deaths : San Bernardino County was averaging about seven deaths a day over the last week .
Cases : Ventura County was averaging 497 coronavirus cases a day over the last week , a figure 10 times higher than mid-October , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day on average .
Hospitalizations : Ventura County set a new record for COVID-19 hospitalizations , according to data released Saturday , with 111 people in the hospital with such infections .
In early November , there were about 30 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Ventura County .
Deaths : Ventura County was averaging about two deaths a day over the last week .

A couple in face masks in April walk down the street near downtown Los Angeles.
With much of California beginning a stay-at-home order Sunday night, it’s becoming clear that the COVID-19 surge is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October; hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October; and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in just the last month.
Hospitalizations and daily deaths are expected to rise. It can take two weeks after someone is diagnosed with the coronavirus to get sick enough to require hospitalization, and seven to 10 more days for them to be admitted into the intensive care unit.
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Officials have feared that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend caused more spread, and those infections will likely continue to be seen in the next week. Los Angeles County hit more than 9,000 new cases Saturday, a sign the holiday made things worse.
The question is whether the new stay-at-home order, which is unpopular in some circles and will further harm a battered economy, can finally bend the curve.
Here is a rundown:
Statewide
Cases: California averaged nearly 19,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — that’s six times the number from early October, when the state was averaging 3,200 new cases a day over the same time period.
Driving the sharp increase is the inexorable jump in daily cases. California tallied its third largest total of coronavirus cases reported in a single day on Saturday: 21,528. That’s just a day after the state broke its all-time single-day record on Friday with 22,369.
Hospitalizations: California is nearing a milestone of 10,000 people hospitalized at any single point in time with COVID-19 infections. On Friday, there were 9,430 people with confirmed COVID-19 infections in California’s hospitals — quadruple the number from late October, when there were about 2,300 people in the hospital with the disease.
As of Friday, hospitalizations have grown so fast that the record has been broken seven consecutive days. The string of records began Nov. 28, when the total was 7,415.
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Deaths: California is now averaging 107 deaths a day from the virus — reaching a high that hasn’t been seen since the late summer. Average daily deaths have nearly tripled since early November, when about 40 people were dying a day on average.
Test positivity rate: The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive has soared to 9.7%, according to the seven-day average released by health officials Saturday. That’s triple the number from last month, when the rate was 3.2% on Nov. 1, and demonstrates that the virus is spreading rapidly across the state.
Los Angeles County
Cases: Los Angeles County was averaging nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — nearly seven times the rate from mid-October, when L.A. County was averaging about 1,000 cases a day.
L.A. County has broken single-day coronavirus case records in four of the last five days this last week. On Saturday, 9,218 cases were reported, according to The Times’ independent tally, exceeding a record set Friday, when 8,562 cases were reported. The single-day record was also broken Thursday, when 7,713 cases were reported.
The numbers mean that coronavirus cases in L.A. County are increasing at a pace that’s even more dire than what officials had forecast earlier in the week. On Tuesday, The Times reported that L.A. County officials projected the region would be seeing 9,000 cases a day by the middle to end of the week of Dec. 7. The county crossed that threshold Saturday.
Hospitalizations: L.A. County hit its sixth consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,855 people hospitalized, according to data released Saturday; that’s quadruple the number from early October, when about 700 people were in hospitals with such infections.
Of those currently hospitalized in the Los Angeles County with COVID-19, 666 are in ICUs, a number higher than at any point in the pandemic. L.A. County’s ICU numbers have more than tripled since early October, when fewer than 200 people with coronavirus infections were in ICUs, and have hit new highs in the last three days.
Deaths: With at least 43 new COVID-19 deaths recorded Saturday, L.A. County is now averaging 38 deaths a day, a pace not seen since late July, during the region’s previous peak. The latest average daily number has nearly quadrupled since early November, when there was an average of 10 deaths a day.
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
San Diego County
Cases: San Diego County on Thursday averaged more than 1,500 cases a day over the last week, a record. That’s more than five times the figure in early October, when about 270 cases a day were diagnosed.
On Saturday, 2,287 new cases were reported, the second-highest total for a single day.
Hospitalizations: The number of people hospitalized in San Diego County with COVID-19 has nearly quadrupled since early October, when there were about 200 people hospitalized with the infection. According to data released Saturday, there were 772 people in the hospital with COVID-19.
Deaths: San Diego County was averaging about eight deaths a day over the last week.
Orange County
Cases: Orange County tallied a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Saturday: 1,966. That’s the third time in the last two weeks Orange County has notched a single-day record.
Orange County was averaging about 1,150 cases a day over the last week — that’s nearly seven times more than the number from mid-October, when Orange County was recording about 170 cases a day.
Hospitalizations: Orange County has hit its third consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 842 people hospitalized, according to data released Saturday; that’s more than five times worse than mid-October, when about 160 were hospitalized.
Deaths: Orange County was averaging about six deaths a day over the last week.
Riverside County
Cases: Riverside County was recording an average of 808 cases a day over the last week, triple the figure from mid-October.
Hospitalizations: Riverside County has hit its seventh consecutive daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 687 hospitalized, according to data released Saturday; that’s more than five times worse than early October, when about 135 were hospitalized.
Deaths: Riverside County was averaging about five deaths a day over the last week.
San Bernardino County
Cases: San Bernardino County broke its single-day record for coronavirus cases Saturday, tallying 3,178 cases — the first time the county has surpassed the 3,000 mark.
San Bernardino County was averaging 1,678 coronavirus cases a day over the last week, a figure six times worse than mid-October.
Hospitalizations: Since Thanksgiving, San Bernardino County has broken daily records for hospitalizations for eight of nine days, according to data released Saturday. There were 913 people with COVID-19 in San Bernardino County’s hospitals — that’s five times more than it was in mid-October.
Deaths: San Bernardino County was averaging about seven deaths a day over the last week.
Ventura County
Cases: Ventura County was averaging 497 coronavirus cases a day over the last week, a figure 10 times higher than mid-October, when there were fewer than 50 cases a day on average.
Hospitalizations: Ventura County set a new record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to data released Saturday, with 111 people in the hospital with such infections. In early November, there were about 30 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Ventura County.
Deaths: Ventura County was averaging about two deaths a day over the last week.


latimes--2020-12-06--Earthquake: Magnitude 3.6 quake strikes near Ramona, Calif.

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Sunday at 7:17 a.m. 12 miles from Ramona , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 17 miles from San Diego , 20 miles from Escondido , Calif. , and 22 miles from Poway , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been five earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked questions .

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Sunday at 7:17 a.m. 12 miles from Ramona, Calif.
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Sunday at 7:17 a.m. 12 miles from Ramona, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 17 miles from San Diego, 20 miles from Escondido, Calif., and 22 miles from Poway, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there have been five earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5.3 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-12-06--Earthquake: Magnitude 4.4 quake recorded near Ukiah, Calif.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported Sunday at 7:03 a.m. eight miles from Ukiah , Calif. , according to the @ @ @ @ @ earthquake occurred 19 miles from Clearlake , 26 miles from Healdsburg , 33 miles from @ @ @ @ @ Santa Rosa .
In the last 10 days , there have been four earthquakes of @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 occur each @ @ @ @ @ , according to a recent three-year data sample .
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 4.4 earthquake was recorded Sunday at 7:03 a.m. near Ukiah, Calif., according to the USGS.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported Sunday at 7:03 a.m. eight miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 19 miles from Clearlake, 26 miles from Healdsburg, 33 miles from Windsor and 40 miles from Santa Rosa.
In the last 10 days, there have been four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5.4 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.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.