latimes--2020-02-28--Bernie Sanders holds 2-1 lead in California, poll shows

Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken a commanding lead in California ’ s Democratic presidential race , ahead of his nearest rival by 2 to 1 and on track to win a majority of the huge trove of delegates at stake in the state ’ s March 3 primary , according to the final UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll of the contest .
The findings of the poll , conducted for the Los Angeles Times from Thursday of last week through Tuesday , help explain why Sanders ’ rivals have done most of their recent campaigning elsewhere among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 Super Tuesday contests .
Their schedules tacitly admit that they don ’ t expect to catch Sanders here , in a state with one of the nation ’ s most liberal Democratic primary electorates .
The Vermont senator ’ s dominance in California could have a major impact on the overall race for the nomination .
Based on his 34 % support in the poll , this state alone likely will give him well over 10 % of the 1,991 delegates he would need to win the nomination at the national convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , who led in the state several months ago , in second , but far behind , with 17 % .
College-educated white liberals , especially women , provide her remaining area of strength .
She also continues to be the most cited second choice for supporters of other candidates .
Former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg , who has poured tens of millions from his fortune into advertising on California ’ s airwaves , is in third , with 12 % .
His support has doubled since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January , but remains below a critical threshold to win delegates statewide .
He is closely followed by former South Bend , Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 11 % .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , who led the race in the state in June , when the Berkeley poll first surveyed primary voters , has fallen to fifth , at 8 % .
He has lost significant support among older , moderate voters to Bloomberg .
“ A month ago , our poll showed Sanders with an outright lead in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been effective in consolidating that in the homestretch , while support for his rivals has become even more dispersed , ” said Mark DiCamillo , the director of the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll .
“ The net effect could provide Sanders with a huge payday from the state on Super Tuesday.
” The poll ’ s numbers are similar to the average of other recent surveys in the state , with the exception of its number for Biden , who has typically done a few points better .
Some variation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fluctuations , as well as because every poll makes somewhat different assumptions about who is a likely voter .
The party ’ s most liberal voters started to close ranks behind him in December , and their backing has strengthened since .
He now takes half of those who call themselves “ very liberal , ” a major accomplishment in a multi-candidate field .
Sanders has also received strong and growing backing among Latino voters .
They make up about a quarter of the likely electorate for the primary , and he now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders ’ long-standing support among younger voters has moved somewhat up the age ladder .
The 78-year-old senator is the first choice of more than 6 in 10 voters younger than 30 and a majority of those in their 30s .
His support drops to just over a third of those in their 40s , and only about 1 in 6 voters 65 or older .
California has the largest delegation of any state , reflecting both its size and its status as a Democratic stronghold .
The primary will distribute 415 delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 15 % of the vote either statewide or in a congressional district .
Sanders and Warren are the only candidates to hit that mark statewide , the poll finds ; if that holds , they would split 144 delegates distributed statewide , with Sanders getting about two-thirds of them .
They would also be in position to compete for most of the 271 delegates distributed by congressional district .
The poll ’ s large sample size , more than 3,000 likely primary voters , allows analysis of how the candidates fare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even across the state , and he would most likely hit the 15 % threshold in all 53 congressional districts .
Warren likely would hit the threshold in about half the districts .
Her support lags notably in the Inland Empire .
Bloomberg and Buttigieg would likely hit the 15 % threshold in about a quarter of the state ’ s congressional districts , the poll indicates .
Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , who has 6 % support statewide , strongly risk winning no delegates in the state .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steyer , the California-based activist and philanthropist who has spent tens of millions campaigning here , but is at 2 % .
No other candidate has more than 1 % support .
Although rival campaigns have sharply stepped up their criticism of Sanders since he won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday , two of the biggest arguments they make don ’ t seem to bother many of his voters .
Sanders ’ rivals accuse him of promising policies that can ’ t get through Congress .
To test the potency of that issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters if they would prefer a candidate who advocates major changes even if they would be difficult to enact or one who offers more incremental proposals that have a greater chance of passing Congress .
Overall , Democratic primary voters split closely , with a slight majority favoring bigger , bolder , but harder to win , changes .
Sanders ’ backers , however , are unequivocal : Almost 9 in 10 favor the bolder but harder route .
The other big argument — that he won ’ t beat President Trump — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , voters don ’ t buy the premise — 34 % of likely primary voters say Sanders has the best chance to beat Trump , compared with 17 % who say Bloomberg does , 12 % who pick Biden and fewer for the other candidates .
Sanders ’ own voters were especially likely to consider him electable : 81 % say he is the most likely to beat Trump .
Only Bloomberg ’ s and Biden ’ s backers were similarly convinced that their candidate is the most electable .
Of Warren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 44 % say she has the best chance of beating Trump , and of Buttigieg ’ s supporters , only 30 % choose him .
Beyond that , Sanders ’ backers don ’ t share the same fixation on electability as many other Democrats .
The poll asked voters which is more important — a candidate who can beat Trump or one who agrees with them on major issues .
Voters who don ’ t back Sanders said , 62 % to 38 % , that beating Trump takes top priority .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by 64 % to 36 % they favor a candidate who agrees with them on big issues .
Younger voters , in particular , insist on a candidate who agrees with them .
Almost half of Sanders ’ supporters , 48 % , say they are more optimistic now than at the start of the campaign about Democratic prospects for beating Trump .
Only 23 % say they are less optimistic , and 29 % say their opinion has not changed .
Backers of the other candidates have a gloomier take ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Democratic voters higher up the income and education ladders are particularly pessimistic about their party ’ s chances , as are white Democrats .
Latinos , by contrast , are notably optimistic , with half saying they have grown more optimistic since the campaign started compared with a quarter who have grown less so .
The strong chance their candidate has to get the nomination has not entirely wiped the chip off the shoulders of Sanders ’ supporters , many of whom remain convinced that the party establishment unfairly blocked him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton .
By 68 % to 21 % , likely primary voters say the party has been fair to all the candidates this year .
But Sanders ’ backers split 54 % to 44 % , with 20 % saying the party has been “ very unfair ” — a level of complaint far higher than among backers of any of the other major candidates .
His backers are also less likely to say they are certain to support the Democratic nominee .
Overall , nearly 8 in 10 Democratic primary voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nominee whoever it is .
Among Sanders voters , just under 7 in 10 make that pledge .
Whatever the national outcome in November , the poll leaves little doubt about the result in California : When the poll asked voters at large how they expected to cast their ballots in November , Trump loses the state to any of the major Democratic candidates by nearly 2 to 1 .
The Berkeley IGS poll was conducted for The Times Feb. 20 to 25 online in English and Spanish among 6,688 registered voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely voters in the Democratic primary .
The results have an estimated error of roughly 2 percentage points in either direction .
Full results , question wording and methodology are available on the Institute of Governmental Studies website .

Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken a commanding lead in California’s Democratic presidential race, ahead of his nearest rival by 2 to 1 and on track to win a majority of the huge trove of delegates at stake in the state’s March 3 primary, according to the final UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll of the contest.
The findings of the poll, conducted for the Los Angeles Times from Thursday of last week through Tuesday, help explain why Sanders’ rivals have done most of their recent campaigning elsewhere among the 14 states that vote in the March 3 Super Tuesday contests. Their schedules tacitly admit that they don’t expect to catch Sanders here, in a state with one of the nation’s most liberal Democratic primary electorates.
The Vermont senator’s dominance in California could have a major impact on the overall race for the nomination. Based on his 34% support in the poll, this state alone likely will give him well over 10% of the 1,991 delegates he would need to win the nomination at the national convention this summer.
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Elizabeth Warren campaigns with performer John Legend in Charleston, S.C. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)
The poll finds Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who led in the state several months ago, in second, but far behind, with 17%. College-educated white liberals, especially women, provide her remaining area of strength. She also continues to be the most cited second choice for supporters of other candidates.
Former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has poured tens of millions from his fortune into advertising on California’s airwaves, is in third, with 12%. His support has doubled since Berkeley’s previous poll, in January, but remains below a critical threshold to win delegates statewide. He is closely followed by former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 11%.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who led the race in the state in June, when the Berkeley poll first surveyed primary voters, has fallen to fifth, at 8%. He has lost significant support among older, moderate voters to Bloomberg.
“A month ago, our poll showed Sanders with an outright lead in California. Our latest shows that he’s been effective in consolidating that in the homestretch, while support for his rivals has become even more dispersed,” said Mark DiCamillo, the director of the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. “The net effect could provide Sanders with a huge payday from the state on Super Tuesday.”
The poll’s numbers are similar to the average of other recent surveys in the state, with the exception of its number for Biden, who has typically done a few points better. Some variation in polls always exists because of statistical fluctuations, as well as because every poll makes somewhat different assumptions about who is a likely voter.
Sanders’ big lead rests on three overlapping constituencies:
The party’s most liberal voters started to close ranks behind him in December, and their backing has strengthened since. He now takes half of those who call themselves “very liberal,” a major accomplishment in a multi-candidate field.
Sanders has also received strong and growing backing among Latino voters. They make up about a quarter of the likely electorate for the primary, and he now gets half their vote.
Finally, Sanders’ long-standing support among younger voters has moved somewhat up the age ladder. The 78-year-old senator is the first choice of more than 6 in 10 voters younger than 30 and a majority of those in their 30s. His support drops to just over a third of those in their 40s, and only about 1 in 6 voters 65 or older.
California has the largest delegation of any state, reflecting both its size and its status as a Democratic stronghold.
Politics Winning California’s Democratic presidential primary isn’t as simple as it sounds On March 3, the Democratic presidential campaign will be far from over and the arcane rules for winning in the Golden State will come into play.
The primary will distribute 415 delegates, but only to candidates who win at least 15% of the vote either statewide or in a congressional district.
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Sanders and Warren are the only candidates to hit that mark statewide, the poll finds; if that holds, they would split 144 delegates distributed statewide, with Sanders getting about two-thirds of them.
They would also be in position to compete for most of the 271 delegates distributed by congressional district.
The poll’s large sample size, more than 3,000 likely primary voters, allows analysis of how the candidates fare geographically. Sanders’ support is fairly even across the state, and he would most likely hit the 15% threshold in all 53 congressional districts.
Warren likely would hit the threshold in about half the districts. Her support lags notably in the Inland Empire.
Bloomberg and Buttigieg would likely hit the 15% threshold in about a quarter of the state’s congressional districts, the poll indicates. Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who has 6% support statewide, strongly risk winning no delegates in the state.
That’s even more true for Tom Steyer, the California-based activist and philanthropist who has spent tens of millions campaigning here, but is at 2%. No other candidate has more than 1% support.
Although rival campaigns have sharply stepped up their criticism of Sanders since he won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, two of the biggest arguments they make don’t seem to bother many of his voters.
Sanders’ rivals accuse him of promising policies that can’t get through Congress. To test the potency of that issue, the poll asked likely Democratic primary voters if they would prefer a candidate who advocates major changes even if they would be difficult to enact or one who offers more incremental proposals that have a greater chance of passing Congress.
Overall, Democratic primary voters split closely, with a slight majority favoring bigger, bolder, but harder to win, changes. Sanders’ backers, however, are unequivocal: Almost 9 in 10 favor the bolder but harder route.
The other big argument — that he won’t beat President Trump — also seems to fall flat.
First, voters don’t buy the premise — 34% of likely primary voters say Sanders has the best chance to beat Trump, compared with 17% who say Bloomberg does, 12% who pick Biden and fewer for the other candidates.
Sanders’ own voters were especially likely to consider him electable: 81% say he is the most likely to beat Trump. Only Bloomberg’s and Biden’s backers were similarly convinced that their candidate is the most electable. Of Warren’s supporters, for example, only 44% say she has the best chance of beating Trump, and of Buttigieg’s supporters, only 30% choose him.
Beyond that, Sanders’ backers don’t share the same fixation on electability as many other Democrats.
The poll asked voters which is more important — a candidate who can beat Trump or one who agrees with them on major issues. Voters who don’t back Sanders said, 62% to 38%, that beating Trump takes top priority. Sanders’ backers were almost exactly the reverse, by 64% to 36% they favor a candidate who agrees with them on big issues. Younger voters, in particular, insist on a candidate who agrees with them.
Almost half of Sanders’ supporters, 48%, say they are more optimistic now than at the start of the campaign about Democratic prospects for beating Trump. Only 23% say they are less optimistic, and 29% say their opinion has not changed.
Backers of the other candidates have a gloomier take; almost half say they are less optimistic now.
Democratic voters higher up the income and education ladders are particularly pessimistic about their party’s chances, as are white Democrats.
Latinos, by contrast, are notably optimistic, with half saying they have grown more optimistic since the campaign started compared with a quarter who have grown less so.
The strong chance their candidate has to get the nomination has not entirely wiped the chip off the shoulders of Sanders’ supporters, many of whom remain convinced that the party establishment unfairly blocked him four years ago in his campaign against Hillary Clinton.
By 68% to 21%, likely primary voters say the party has been fair to all the candidates this year. But Sanders’ backers split 54% to 44%, with 20% saying the party has been “very unfair” — a level of complaint far higher than among backers of any of the other major candidates.
His backers are also less likely to say they are certain to support the Democratic nominee. Overall, nearly 8 in 10 Democratic primary voters say they would back the party’s nominee whoever it is. Among Sanders voters, just under 7 in 10 make that pledge.
Whatever the national outcome in November, the poll leaves little doubt about the result in California: When the poll asked voters at large how they expected to cast their ballots in November, Trump loses the state to any of the major Democratic candidates by nearly 2 to 1.
The Berkeley IGS poll was conducted for The Times Feb. 20 to 25 online in English and Spanish among 6,688 registered voters statewide, of whom 3,002 were deemed likely voters in the Democratic primary. The results have an estimated error of roughly 2 percentage points in either direction. Full results, question wording and methodology are available on the Institute of Governmental Studies website.


latimes--2020-02-28--Coronavirus testing is under scrutiny after delays and questions over its effectiveness

The four-day delay in testing a Northern California patient who appears to be the first in the United States to contract the coronavirus from community contact highlights growing questions about the federal government ’ s testing policies and protocols as the virus continues to spread .
A growing number of experts have said problems with the test process — including ineffective test kits and restrictive rules on who gets tested — could be fueling the undetected spread of the virus .
“ When you miss cases , you can ’ t isolate them , test their families or get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Jennifer Nuzzo , an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
Until Thursday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention restricted coronavirus testing to patients with clear symptoms of infection who have either traveled to China recently or who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus .
As the virus outpaced detection efforts around the world , that gateway to testing proved far too narrow .
As early as last week , doctors at the UC Davis Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing from the CDC .
But it was another four days before the test was done .
During that time , others in the area could have been exposed to the virus .
On Thursday , the CDC expanded the criteria for who qualified for testing to include sick patients who had traveled to Iran , Italy , Japan and South Korea .
They will also test severely ill patients with acute lower respiratory sickness who are hospitalized , even those who have no known link to the coronavirus outbreak .
California Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House to start rapid testing of all suspected cases , saying the identification of coronavirus patients quickly is essential to limiting the spread .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said California is in desperate need of test kits .
The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes , but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days , he said .
“ We are currently in deep partnership with the CDC on one overriding protocol that drives our principal focus right now , and that ’ s testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing “ our top priority , not just in the state of California but , I imagine , across the United States.
” Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to be tested for COVID-19 , as well as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California , he said .
The kits have come under growing scrutiny .
The CDC distributed the test kits to partner laboratories across the country , but many of those campuses ran into problems with one of the ingredients , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials needed to send specimens to the CDC ’ s central laboratories in Atlanta for testing , a process that can take up to 48 hours , creating a bottleneck .
“ We ’ ve only had a handful of labs that can test with it .
The rest have been on pause , ” said Scott Becker , the executive director of the Assn .
of Public Health Laboratories .
“ When you ’ re waiting 48 hours to get a response from the CDC , you ’ re burning through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting to see the results.
” The problem grew so troublesome that state and local laboratories began seeking permission from the Food and Drug Administration to bypass standard regulations and design and launch their own tests , rather than rely on the federal one .
On Thursday morning , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told members of Congress that the problem had been resolved .
The FDA approved a modified protocol that circumvents the issue .
Forty local and state public health labs , as well as some labs run by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin using the modified test , and more than 50 others will be doing the same by next week , he added .
Delays and missteps in coronavirus testing have caused major issues across the country , where public health officials on the front lines are stretched thin .
Epidemic preparedness is already “ a victim of roller coaster funding , ” Becker said , and the baseline shortages of equipment and personnel are exacerbated .
In addition to preparedness duties — developing local guidance , tracing patients ’ contacts , working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are having to do more for people quarantined at home .
Health workers are delivering groceries to keep them at home , said Adriane Casalotti , the chief of government and public affairs at the National Assn .
of County and City Health Officials .
Above all , the burden on individual families is heaviest .
“ In most jobs in this country , you can ’ t work from a laptop on your couch .
When there are delays in diagnostics , we ’ re out there asking real people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their own financial well-being — them keeping their jobs .
For individual families , this is complicated and messy , ” Casalotti said .
Critics said the slow testing process could mean coronavirus is already spreading in U.S. communities .
But because the virus ’ symptoms are frequently mild , people might be spreading it unknowingly .
A Japanese couple visiting Waikiki Beach in Hawaii tested positive for the virus after returning to Asia , but Nuzzo and other epidemiologists say the virus ’ incubation period hints that they could have contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were so alarmed by the limited testing capabilities in the U.S. that they requested permission from CDC authorities to use a tool from Japan .
On Thursday , the focus around coronavirus in the U.S. centered on Solano County .
UC Davis officials said the coronavirus patient arrived at its medical center from another hospital Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday .
There is no evidence the woman had traveled from a coronavirus hotspot or was in contact with someone who had .
The hospital said that precautions had been put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about the patient ’ s condition .
It asked a “ small number ” of employees to stay home and monitor their temperature .
The woman was “ in her community ” for a number of days before accessing care , California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Thursday .
Investigators are now working to find and contact any people who may have come in contact with the woman .
The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts , Newsom said .
Healthcare workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other colleges , are under self-quarantine because they might have been exposed to the virus .
Solano County is also home to Travis Air Force Base , where several hundred people were quarantined after returning on repatriation flights from Wuhan , China , and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan .
A whistleblower complaint on Thursday alleged that federal health workers were not provided adequate training and protective gear when dealing with quarantined people at Travis and a second California base .
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the state , Newsom said .
Of the confirmed cases , 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan , the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak .
Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions .
COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people in about three dozen countries since it was discovered in late December .
More than 2,700 have died , most of them in mainland China .
There are currently 60 confirmed cases in the United @ @

Emily Baumgaertner, Alex Wigglesworth, Colleen Shalby

The four-day delay in testing a Northern California patient who appears to be the first in the United States to contract the coronavirus from community contact highlights growing questions about the federal government’s testing policies and protocols as the virus continues to spread.
A growing number of experts have said problems with the test process — including ineffective test kits and restrictive rules on who gets tested — could be fueling the undetected spread of the virus.
“When you miss cases, you can’t isolate them, test their families or get a hold on this before it keeps spreading,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
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Until Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention restricted coronavirus testing to patients with clear symptoms of infection who have either traveled to China recently or who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. As the virus outpaced detection efforts around the world, that gateway to testing proved far too narrow.
As early as last week, doctors at the UC Davis Medical Center suspected a coronavirus case and immediately requested testing from the CDC. But it was another four days before the test was done. During that time, others in the area could have been exposed to the virus.
On Thursday, the CDC expanded the criteria for who qualified for testing to include sick patients who had traveled to Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea. They will also test severely ill patients with acute lower respiratory sickness who are hospitalized, even those who have no known link to the coronavirus outbreak.
The CDC faces growing political backlash.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday called on the White House to start rapid testing of all suspected cases, saying the identification of coronavirus patients quickly is essential to limiting the spread.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California is in desperate need of test kits. The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes, but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days, he said.
“We are currently in deep partnership with the CDC on one overriding protocol that drives our principal focus right now, and that’s testing,” Newsom said, calling expanded testing “our top priority, not just in the state of California but, I imagine, across the United States.”
Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to be tested for COVID-19, as well as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California, he said.
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The kits have come under growing scrutiny.
The CDC distributed the test kits to partner laboratories across the country, but many of those campuses ran into problems with one of the ingredients, leading to inconclusive test results. Most public health officials needed to send specimens to the CDC’s central laboratories in Atlanta for testing, a process that can take up to 48 hours, creating a bottleneck.
“We’ve only had a handful of labs that can test with it. The rest have been on pause,” said Scott Becker, the executive director of the Assn. of Public Health Laboratories. “When you’re waiting 48 hours to get a response from the CDC, you’re burning through equipment caring for a patient, just waiting to see the results.”
The problem grew so troublesome that state and local laboratories began seeking permission from the Food and Drug Administration to bypass standard regulations and design and launch their own tests, rather than rely on the federal one.
On Thursday morning, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told members of Congress that the problem had been resolved. The FDA approved a modified protocol that circumvents the issue.
Forty local and state public health labs, as well as some labs run by the Pentagon, are already authorized to begin using the modified test, and more than 50 others will be doing the same by next week, he added.
Delays and missteps in coronavirus testing have caused major issues across the country, where public health officials on the front lines are stretched thin. Epidemic preparedness is already “a victim of roller coaster funding,” Becker said, and the baseline shortages of equipment and personnel are exacerbated.
In addition to preparedness duties — developing local guidance, tracing patients’ contacts, working with schools and churches to the community — officials are having to do more for people quarantined at home. Health workers are delivering groceries to keep them at home, said Adriane Casalotti, the chief of government and public affairs at the National Assn. of County and City Health Officials.
Above all, the burden on individual families is heaviest.
“In most jobs in this country, you can’t work from a laptop on your couch. When there are delays in diagnostics, we’re out there asking real people to choose between the public’s health and their own financial well-being — them keeping their jobs. For individual families, this is complicated and messy,” Casalotti said.
Critics said the slow testing process could mean coronavirus is already spreading in U.S. communities. But because the virus’ symptoms are frequently mild, people might be spreading it unknowingly.
A Japanese couple visiting Waikiki Beach in Hawaii tested positive for the virus after returning to Asia, but Nuzzo and other epidemiologists say the virus’ incubation period hints that they could have contracted it on U.S. soil.
Hawaiian authorities were so alarmed by the limited testing capabilities in the U.S. that they requested permission from CDC authorities to use a tool from Japan.
On Thursday, the focus around coronavirus in the U.S. centered on Solano County.
UC Davis officials said the coronavirus patient arrived at its medical center from another hospital Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday . There is no evidence the woman had traveled from a coronavirus hotspot or was in contact with someone who had. The hospital said that precautions had been put in place because of healthcare workers’ concerns about the patient’s condition. It asked a “small number” of employees to stay home and monitor their temperature.
The woman was “in her community” for a number of days before accessing care, California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Thursday.
Investigators are now working to find and contact any people who may have come in contact with the woman. The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts, Newsom said.
Healthcare workers, including some students from UC Davis and other colleges, are under self-quarantine because they might have been exposed to the virus.
Solano County is also home to Travis Air Force Base, where several hundred people were quarantined after returning on repatriation flights from Wuhan, China, and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. A whistleblower complaint on Thursday alleged that federal health workers were not provided adequate training and protective gear when dealing with quarantined people at Travis and a second California base.
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California, and five have since left the state, Newsom said. Of the confirmed cases, 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions.
COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people in about three dozen countries since it was discovered in late December. More than 2,700 have died, most of them in mainland China.
There are currently 60 confirmed cases in the United States.


latimes--2020-02-28--Pursuit ends with violent crash on 405 Freeway in Van Nuys

A pursuit Thursday evening ended violently when the driver lost control on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley @ @ @ @ @ that ejected at least two people from the vehicle .
KCAL-TV Channel 9 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ following overhead and filmed the crash .
Los Angeles Police Department started pursuing the vehicle @ @ @ @ @ , in Pacoima on surface streets before the driver got onto the 118 Freeway , @ @ @ @ @ according to KCAL .
Several units from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the @ @ @ @ @ 10:35 p.m .
This is a breaking news story , based off preliminary information .

A pursuit Thursday evening ended violently when the driver lost control on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, resulting in a crash that ejected at least two people from the vehicle.
KCAL-TV Channel 9’s chopper, Sky9, was following overhead and filmed the crash.
Los Angeles Police Department started pursuing the vehicle, suspected of being stolen, in Pacoima on surface streets before the driver got onto the 118 Freeway, then the southbound 405, according to KCAL.
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#BREAKING: Pursuit of a stolen vehicle ends in a MAJOR crash on the 405 fwy at Victory. At least two suspects were ejected from the car. @Stu_Mundel overhead in #Sky9. #CBSLA pic.twitter.com/y9CBnjQlgL — Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersTV) February 28, 2020
Several units from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the crash near Victory Boulevard about 10:35 p.m.
This is a breaking news story, based off preliminary information.


latimes--2020-02-27--Jurors seated in Robert Durst murder trial

A jury was chosen in Los Angeles on Thursday in the murder trial of millionaire Robert Durst , capping a weeklong selection process in a case expected to last into the summer and draw international media attention .
The eight-woman , four-man panel was sworn in at a courtroom in the Airport Courthouse near LAX as Durst , 76 , looked on .
Durst is accused of killing his friend and confidant , Susan Berman , in her Benedict Canyon home in December 2000 .
Prosecutors allege he shot Berman to prevent her from incriminating him in the 1982 disappearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kathie ” McCormack Durst .
An eccentric heir to a Manhattan real estate fortune , Durst has repeatedly denied killing Berman .
No one has ever been charged in the disappearance of Kathie Durst .
Durst was arrested in New Orleans in 2015 , the day before the finale of the HBO docu-series “ The Jinx : The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst , ” which chronicled his erratic life , the disappearance of his wife and the killings of Berman and Morris Black , a neighbor of his in Galveston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dismembering .
He was tried for Black ’ s murder but claimed self-defense and was acquitted .
Durst ’ s lawyers have also maintained his innocence in Berman ’ s death this week in front of prospective jurors .
“ It sounds like he did it , ” said one potential juror , a driver for Ralph ’ s .
“ Let me clear that up , ” defense attorney Chip Lewis replied .
“ He didn ’ t kill Kathie Durst .
He didn ’ t kill Susan Berman.
” Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of seating another 12 people to serve as alternate jurors in the trial , which is expected to last up to five months and feature dozens of witnesses .
Judge Mark E. Windham told the panel to return Wednesday for the anticipated start of opening statements .
One woman seemed stunned to make it onto the jury .
“ I ’ m sorry , I just blacked out a little , ” she told the judge .
Windham reminded her to return Wednesday morning for the lengthy trial .

Robert Durst in a court appearance in his murder case last month. He is charged with killing his longtime confidant, writer Susan Berman.
A jury was chosen in Los Angeles on Thursday in the murder trial of millionaire Robert Durst, capping a weeklong selection process in a case expected to last into the summer and draw international media attention.
The eight-woman, four-man panel was sworn in at a courtroom in the Airport Courthouse near LAX as Durst, 76, looked on.
Durst is accused of killing his friend and confidant, Susan Berman, in her Benedict Canyon home in December 2000. Prosecutors allege he shot Berman to prevent her from incriminating him in the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen “Kathie” McCormack Durst.
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An eccentric heir to a Manhattan real estate fortune, Durst has repeatedly denied killing Berman. No one has ever been charged in the disappearance of Kathie Durst.
Durst was arrested in New Orleans in 2015, the day before the finale of the HBO docu-series “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” which chronicled his erratic life, the disappearance of his wife and the killings of Berman and Morris Black, a neighbor of his in Galveston, Texas, whom he admitted to shooting and dismembering. He was tried for Black’s murder but claimed self-defense and was acquitted.
Durst’s lawyers have also maintained his innocence in Berman’s death this week in front of prospective jurors.
“It sounds like he did it,” said one potential juror, a driver for Ralph’s.
“Let me clear that up,” defense attorney Chip Lewis replied. “He didn’t kill Kathie Durst. He didn’t kill Susan Berman.”
Also on Thursday, attorneys began the process of seating another 12 people to serve as alternate jurors in the trial, which is expected to last up to five months and feature dozens of witnesses.
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Judge Mark E. Windham told the panel to return Wednesday for the anticipated start of opening statements. One woman seemed stunned to make it onto the jury.
“I’m sorry, I just blacked out a little,” she told the judge. Windham reminded her to return Wednesday morning for the lengthy trial.


latimes--2020-02-27--California snowpack depleted amid what could be a record-dry February

A dry February continues to take its toll on California ’ s dwindling snowpack , officials reported Thursday .
The pack in the Northern California resort town of Phillips measured just 47 % of average , down significantly from last month ’ s measurement .
Despite the lower number , water officials say it ’ s not cause for too much alarm — yet .
Surveyors with the California Department of Water Resources trekked through the snow at the El Dorado County measuring station to take the third seasonal measurement , which serves as an important marker for the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a depth of 29 inches — marks a decline of about 11.5 inches from the last measurement .
If all the snow were to melt at once , it would amount to about 11.5 inches of water , said Sean de Guzman , chief of the agency ’ s snow surveys and water supply forecasting section .
Warmer winter temperatures and lackluster rainfall in January and February are to blame for the snowpack ’ s reduction .
This month is poised to become the driest February in the northern Sierra Nevada on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been no measurable rainfall in the area this month , De Guzman said .
“ February rain and snow were quite disappointing , and we didn ’ t quite get the results we ’ d hoped for , so we ’ ll most likely end this water year below average , ” he said .
“ We just don ’ t know how far below.
” The snow season typically begins in December and ends on the first day of April , when the snowpack is normally at its highest .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pack as long as there ’ s snow on the ground , often through May .
How much snow falls during this period is crucial to California ’ s annual water outlook and is watched closely by state water managers .
Thursday ’ s reading at the Phillips station was 46 % of the April 1 average for that location .
The snowpack provides about 30 % of the annual freshwater supply for the state .
Its spring and summer runoff feeds rivers and reservoirs , and part of it is distributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urban drinking supplies .
The good news , officials say , is that the state ’ s reservoir storage is about 104 % for this time of year , thanks in part to solid rainfall last winter and chilly spring temperatures last year that kept snow around into the summer .
That 2019 snowpack — which picked up later in the winter , boosted by a series of atmospheric rivers paired with cold fronts that pounded the state — was ultimately the fifth best in recorded history .
That has given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ A few dry months doesn ’ t really make a drought , ” said Chris Orrock , spokesman for the Department of Water Resources .
He added that two consecutive dry years , however , could start to affect the state ’ s water supply .
Still , nearly 70 % of the state , including much of the Central Coast and Los Angeles County , is considered to be abnormally dry .
About 23 % of the state , including large swaths of the San Joaquin Valley and portions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.9 million people , is considered to be in moderate drought conditions , according to maps released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor .
Forecasters and water managers keeping a close eye on precipitation and the resulting snowpack may find a reprieve if rainfall ramps up in March , a phenomenon known by weather experts as “ miracle March.
” But a wet March is far from a certainty .
Of the six driest Februaries on record , three were followed by a dry March and three were followed by a March that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ll just have to wait and see what next month brings , ” he said .

Sean de Guzman, chief of snow surveys for the California Department of Water Resources, checks the depth of the snowpack at the department’s Phillips station in the Sierra Nevada.
A dry February continues to take its toll on California’s dwindling snowpack, officials reported Thursday.
The pack in the Northern California resort town of Phillips measured just 47% of average, down significantly from last month’s measurement.
Despite the lower number, water officials say it’s not cause for too much alarm — yet.
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Surveyors with the California Department of Water Resources trekked through the snow at the El Dorado County measuring station to take the third seasonal measurement, which serves as an important marker for the state’s water supply.
The result — a depth of 29 inches — marks a decline of about 11.5 inches from the last measurement. If all the snow were to melt at once, it would amount to about 11.5 inches of water, said Sean de Guzman, chief of the agency’s snow surveys and water supply forecasting section.
Warmer winter temperatures and lackluster rainfall in January and February are to blame for the snowpack’s reduction. This month is poised to become the driest February in the northern Sierra Nevada on record, dating to 1921. There has been no measurable rainfall in the area this month, De Guzman said.
“February rain and snow were quite disappointing, and we didn’t quite get the results we’d hoped for, so we’ll most likely end this water year below average,” he said. “We just don’t know how far below.”
The snow season typically begins in December and ends on the first day of April, when the snowpack is normally at its highest. However, surveyors will continue to measure the pack as long as there’s snow on the ground, often through May. How much snow falls during this period is crucial to California’s annual water outlook and is watched closely by state water managers. Thursday’s reading at the Phillips station was 46% of the April 1 average for that location.
The snowpack provides about 30% of the annual freshwater supply for the state. Its spring and summer runoff feeds rivers and reservoirs, and part of it is distributed to water agencies for farm irrigation, landscaping and urban drinking supplies.
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The good news, officials say, is that the state’s reservoir storage is about 104% for this time of year, thanks in part to solid rainfall last winter and chilly spring temperatures last year that kept snow around into the summer.
California Silicon Valley is roiled by feds ordering draining of reservoir to reduce quake risks Local officials in Silicon Valley are at odds over a federal agency’s demand that a key reservoir be drained quickly for earthquake retrofits.
That 2019 snowpack — which picked up later in the winter, boosted by a series of atmospheric rivers paired with cold fronts that pounded the state — was ultimately the fifth best in recorded history. That has given the state some cushion this year, officials said.
“A few dry months doesn’t really make a drought,” said Chris Orrock, spokesman for the Department of Water Resources. He added that two consecutive dry years, however, could start to affect the state’s water supply.
On the heels of above normal precipitation in Dec. across SoCal, Jan. and Feb. have been extremely dry. Here is a side by side comparison of the US Drought Monitor map for the western US from Jan. 7, 2020 and Feb. 25, 2020. #CAdrought #CAwater #CAwx #LAweather #SoCal #LArain pic.twitter.com/t3YLqSl69p — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 27, 2020
Still, nearly 70% of the state, including much of the Central Coast and Los Angeles County, is considered to be abnormally dry. About 23% of the state, including large swaths of the San Joaquin Valley and portions of the Sierra Nevada home to about 5.9 million people, is considered to be in moderate drought conditions, according to maps released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Forecasters and water managers keeping a close eye on precipitation and the resulting snowpack may find a reprieve if rainfall ramps up in March, a phenomenon known by weather experts as “miracle March.” But a wet March is far from a certainty.
Of the six driest Februaries on record, three were followed by a dry March and three were followed by a March that had above average rainfall, Orrock said.
“We’ll just have to wait and see what next month brings,” he said.


latimes--2020-02-27--Suspect in Riverside County cemetery killings arrested in Wyoming

A man wanted on suspicion of killing three people in a Riverside County cemetery was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop in Wyoming , authorities said .
Jose Luis Torres Garcia was taken into custody in Cheyenne , Wyo.
, according to the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department .
Officials also said they discovered 15 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle .
The Wyoming Highway Patrol pulled over and arrested Garcia after spotting a GMC Yukon on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne , patrol spokesman Sgt .
Jeremy Beck said .
Riverside authorities had earlier asked law enforcement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The three victims — Jaime Covarrubias Espindola , 50 ; Jose Maria Aguilar-Espejel , 38 ; and Rodrigo Aguilar-Espejel , 28 — were killed at the same time in Perris .
Their bodies were found Feb. 17 at the Perris Valley Cemetery .
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has said Garcia , 33 , acted alone and knew the three victims .
They were discovered near the grave of a man who died in Mexico .
Officials have not said whether a relationship existed between the person buried there and the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrant for Garcia ’ s arrest Feb. 20 , saying he was “ armed and very dangerous.
” Officials have said they did not know Garcia ’ s motive in the slayings .
The sheriff has said Garcia has ties to San Jose and Mexico .
He has been deported twice .
But authorities have not determined his current immigration status .
There were already two misdemeanor warrants out for his arrest regarding other cases .
It was not immediately clear if Garcia had an attorney who could speak on his behalf .

A man wanted on suspicion of killing three people in a Riverside County cemetery was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop in Wyoming, authorities said.
Jose Luis Torres Garcia was taken into custody in Cheyenne, Wyo., according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Officials also said they discovered 15 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol pulled over and arrested Garcia after spotting a GMC Yukon on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne, patrol spokesman Sgt. Jeremy Beck said. Riverside authorities had earlier asked law enforcement and the public to look for the Yukon.
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The three victims — Jaime Covarrubias Espindola, 50; Jose Maria Aguilar-Espejel, 38; and Rodrigo Aguilar-Espejel, 28 — were killed at the same time in Perris. Their bodies were found Feb. 17 at the Perris Valley Cemetery.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has said Garcia, 33, acted alone and knew the three victims. They were discovered near the grave of a man who died in Mexico. Officials have not said whether a relationship existed between the person buried there and the victims.
Riverside authorities had put out a warrant for Garcia’s arrest Feb. 20, saying he was “armed and very dangerous.” Officials have said they did not know Garcia’s motive in the slayings.
The sheriff has said Garcia has ties to San Jose and Mexico. He has been deported twice. But authorities have not determined his current immigration status. There were already two misdemeanor warrants out for his arrest regarding other cases.
It was not immediately clear if Garcia had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.


latimes--2020-02-27--California woman's coronavirus case spurs calls for more rapid testing

The country ’ s first novel coronavirus case in a patient who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did is sparking new calls for fast testing to prevent the spread of the virus .
The Northern California woman was not tested for several days after she was hospitalized because she did not fit CDC criteria , which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient .
The case demonstrates the need for more rapid testing of all coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) wrote Thursday in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence , President Trump ’ s pick to coordinate the administration ’ s coronavirus response .
“ I understand the newly diagnosed patient was not tested immediately for coronavirus , despite the request by her attending physicians at the University of California-Davis Medical Center , ” Feinstein wrote .
“ It is unclear whether the delay was caused by overly restrictive CDC testing criteria or whether the CDC was unable to process the diagnostic test faster.
” California is working with federal officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Thursday .
Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to be tested for the COVID-19 strain as well as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California , he said .
The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes , but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days , he said .
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California , and five have since left the state , Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan , China — the origin of the coronavirus outbreak .
Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions .
The state is “ doing those protocols and monitoring as it relates to more traditional commercial flights that came in from points of concern and potential points of contact , particularly in Asia , ” he said .

The country’s first novel coronavirus case in a patient who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did is sparking new calls for fast testing to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Northern California woman was not tested for several days after she was hospitalized because she did not fit CDC criteria, which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient.
The case demonstrates the need for more rapid testing of all coronavirus patients, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote Thursday in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, President Trump’s pick to coordinate the administration’s coronavirus response.
“I understand the newly diagnosed patient was not tested immediately for coronavirus, despite the request by her attending physicians at the University of California-Davis Medical Center,” Feinstein wrote. “It is unclear whether the delay was caused by overly restrictive CDC testing criteria or whether the CDC was unable to process the diagnostic test faster.”
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California is working with federal officials to expand the testing of possible coronavirus patients, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to be tested for the COVID-19 strain as well as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California, he said. The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes, but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days, he said.
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California, and five have since left the state, Newsom said. Of the confirmed cases, 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan, China — the origin of the coronavirus outbreak.
Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions.
The state is “doing those protocols and monitoring as it relates to more traditional commercial flights that came in from points of concern and potential points of contact, particularly in Asia,” he said.


latimes--2020-02-28--L.A. deputies shared graphic photos of Kobe Bryant crash scene, sources say

Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others , according to two public safety sources with knowledge of the events .
After multiple inquiries by The Times , the Sheriff ’ s Department said Thursday that the “ matter is being looked into.
” It ’ s unclear how widely the photos might have been disseminated and who exactly was involved .
It ’ s also unclear whether the deputies had actually taken the photos at the scene or had received them from someone else .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims ’ remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash .
The source said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official , in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash .
The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter .
Capt .
Jorge Valdez , the head of the sheriff ’ s information bureau , said Wednesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family members of crash victims not because of allegations against the deputies but because The Times inquired about them .
Joseph Giacalone , who teaches police procedures at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York , said that generally , sharing photos with anyone not authorized to see them “ is a cardinal sin in law enforcement.
” Law enforcement agencies , particularly in Los Angeles , have struggled over the years with the unauthorized use of evidence involving celebrities .
The Sheriff ’ s Department launched a lengthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mel Gibson ’ s infamous anti-Semitic rant during a drunk driving arrest .
The issue was also highlighted when it was revealed that celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano paid members of law enforcement agencies for confidential information .
A Los Angeles police officer was fired in connection with a leaked photo of Rihanna after she was beaten by Chris Brown in 2009 .
In a brief interview Wednesday at the Hall of Justice downtown , Sheriff Alex Villanueva would not discuss the allegations in the Bryant case in any detail , including whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the photos were shared inappropriately .
Valdez said he was “ unaware of any complaint.
” Bryant ’ s helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside last month in dense fog , killing the retired NBA star , his daughter Gianna , 13 , and seven others on their way to a youth basketball game in Thousand Oaks .
The other victims were Christina Mauser ; Payton and Sarah Chester ; John , Keri and Alyssa Altobelli ; and pilot Ara Zobayan .
Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the @ @ @ @ @ @

Fans gather in Calabasas the day Kobe Bryant and eight others died in a helicopter crash on a nearby hillside.
Members of an oversight group expressed concern Friday after The Times reported that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.
The Times spoke with two public safety sources with knowledge of the events. One of the sources said that the sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims’ remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash. The source said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official, in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter.
Patti Giggans, chair of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, told The Times on Friday that the alleged behavior is “completely unprofessional” and “very regrettable.”
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“Hopefully we’ll hear more, what was going on and how they found out,” she said. “At this point, we have to trust that the sheriff is going to get to the bottom of it.”
Brian Williams, the commission’s executive director, said his office planned to make an inquiry as to what happened during a meeting with the Sheriff’s Department next week that had already been scheduled.
“I’m sure it’s something that the department is going to take very seriously,” he said.
After multiple inquiries by The Times, the Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that the “matter is being looked into.”
It’s unclear how widely the photos might have been disseminated and who exactly was involved. It’s also unclear whether the deputies had actually taken the photos at the scene or had received them from someone else.
Capt. Jorge Valdez, the head of the sheriff’s information bureau, said Wednesday that his office had been obligated to contact the family members of crash victims not because of allegations against the deputies but because The Times inquired about them.
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Joseph Giacalone, who teaches police procedures at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said that generally, sharing photos with anyone not authorized to see them “is a cardinal sin in law enforcement.”
Law enforcement agencies, particularly in Los Angeles, have struggled over the years with the unauthorized use of evidence involving celebrities.
The Sheriff’s Department launched a lengthy investigation into the leaking of documents after Mel Gibson’s infamous anti-Semitic rant during a drunk driving arrest. The issue was also highlighted when it was revealed that celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano paid members of law enforcement agencies for confidential information.
A Los Angeles police officer was fired in connection with a leaked photo of Rihanna after she was beaten by Chris Brown in 2009.
In a brief interview Wednesday at the Hall of Justice downtown, Sheriff Alex Villanueva would not discuss the allegations in the Bryant case in any detail, including whether the department had received a complaint that the photos were shared inappropriately.
Valdez said he was “unaware of any complaint.”
Bryant’s helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside last month in dense fog, killing the retired NBA star, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others on their way to a youth basketball game in Thousand Oaks. The other victims were Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that operated the helicopter.


latimes--2020-02-27--Fire exploded from part of Carson refinery recently cited for workplace safety issues

The fire that broke out Tuesday at the West Coast ’ s largest oil refinery — Marathon Petroleum in Carson — was sparked in a section of the plant that California inspectors recently cited for workplace safety violations , Cal/OSHA officials confirmed Thursday .
The late-night explosion occurred in a unit where gasoline is produced , known as the No .
2 reformer .
That ’ s the same part of the refinery that was cited in November by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for four violations after a July inspection , according to both Cal/OSHA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steelworkers Local 675 , which represents nearly all the refineries in the South Bay .
No one was reported injured in Tuesday ’ s fire , but it has resurrected community concerns about the region ’ s seven oil refineries and their history of accidents , explosions and releases of toxic pollution .
Neighbors and community activists protested when the South Coast Air Quality Management District in 2017 approved a merger of the Carson and Wilmington refineries , then operated by Tesoro ( later Andeavor ) , creating the West Coast ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to be a safer project , a cleaner operation , but they haven ’ t shown us the refinery has been safer at all , ” said Alicia Rivera , a Wilmington organizer with Communities for a Better Environment , a group that sued to challenge the merger .
Cal/OSHA inspectors visited the refinery in July , ultimately citing Tesoro/Marathon for four workplace safety violations .
These included findings that the company failed to “ provide training to its unit operators ” before rolling out new maintenance procedures , did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d been trained , and did not allow the maintenance crew the ability to review and approve any of the changes .
Cal/OSHA fined the company $ 3,000 , $ 750 for each violation .
In December , the company contested the charges , according to Frank Polizzi , spokesman for the state occupational health agency .
A prehearing conference is scheduled for May 26 .
Marathon did not respond to questions about where that process stands , other than to say it is continuing .
The company , after its merger with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refinery operator , with 16 refineries and a refining capacity of more than 3 million barrels a day .
Local air regulators late Thursday released the results of air quality samples taken from two locations next to the refinery in the early-morning hours after the fire broke out .
The samples were analyzed for toxic air pollutants including benzene , toluene , styrene and tetrachloroethylene and “ did not show any levels above what is normal in ambient air in the South Coast Air Basin , ” according to the South Coast Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also deployed a mobile air monitor to measure particulate matter and found levels “ within typical range for urban areas.
” The agency said it “ continues to evaluate whether any regulatory violations occurred as a result of the incident.
” More than 180,000 people live within three miles of the Carson refinery , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .
Both regulatory records and neighbors say the refinery has a record of wafting noxious emissions into surrounding areas .
The air district has previously cited the refinery with at least 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show .
The alleged violations include vapor leaks , creating a public nuisance by discharging air contaminants and a failure to comply with rules to minimize flaring , the burn-off of excess gas that sends pollution into the air .
Rivera said residents frequently report incidents at the refinery to the air district but rarely find out what happened .
“ That ’ s the usual pattern : We report flaring , we report smoke , then they send an inspector and nothing really comes of it , ” Rivera said .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ we just don ’ t hear anything else , and the worst is that they tell us the investigation is pending.
” Five years ago an explosion rocked the Torrance Refinery — so powerful it registered the equivalent of a magnitude 1.7 earthquake — spewing smoke and dust over surrounding communities .
The February 2015 blast sent a 40-ton piece of equipment close to crashing into a tank containing hydrofluoric acid , a dangerous chemical that can form a deadly , ground-hugging cloud .
Campbell , the union representative , said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut back the number of employees working at the reformer over the last month or so .
Each crew was reduced from five workers to four , he said .
Each crew comprises a console operator — who oversees the operation during a given shift , mostly relying on electronic indicators to monitor pressure and open and close valves — and “ field ” crew members , who are the eyes and ears of the operation .
“ They ’ re the outside operators , ” Campbell said .
“ They pull samples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have proper lubrication , that there are no leaks — they are always looking for leaks — and they ’ re listening for odd noises.
” Campbell said that when the company cut back on the crew size , the union flagged the state safety inspectors .
“ I can ’ t say that ’ s the reason why it happened , ” he said .
“ But , yes , it is the only place where crew size was cut.
” At the moment , Cal/OSHA appears to be the only outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ’ s explosion .
Austin Bennett , a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department , said county personnel are not involved in investigating the fire ’ s cause and didn ’ t enter the refinery after the blaze erupted .
Bennett said that ’ s not atypical , because many refineries have their own teams that respond to emergencies — including fires .
“ They didn ’ t want us to enter the refinery at any point , ” he said .
The incident , he added , was eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overhaul and determination .
”

An aerial image shows fire burning at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Carson on Tuesday night. The fire was extinguished by early Wednesday.
The fire that broke out Tuesday at the West Coast’s largest oil refinery — Marathon Petroleum in Carson — was sparked in a section of the plant that California inspectors recently cited for workplace safety violations, Cal/OSHA officials confirmed Thursday.
The late-night explosion occurred in a unit where gasoline is produced, known as the No. 2 reformer. That’s the same part of the refinery that was cited in November by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for four violations after a July inspection, according to both Cal/OSHA and Dave Campbell, secretary-treasurer for the United Steelworkers Local 675, which represents nearly all the refineries in the South Bay.
No one was reported injured in Tuesday’s fire, but it has resurrected community concerns about the region’s seven oil refineries and their history of accidents, explosions and releases of toxic pollution.
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Neighbors and community activists protested when the South Coast Air Quality Management District in 2017 approved a merger of the Carson and Wilmington refineries, then operated by Tesoro (later Andeavor), creating the West Coast’s largest refinery.
“They said it was going to be a safer project, a cleaner operation, but they haven’t shown us the refinery has been safer at all,” said Alicia Rivera, a Wilmington organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, a group that sued to challenge the merger.
Cal/OSHA inspectors visited the refinery in July, ultimately citing Tesoro/Marathon for four workplace safety violations. These included findings that the company failed to “provide training to its unit operators” before rolling out new maintenance procedures, did not obtain signatures from employees indicating they’d been trained, and did not allow the maintenance crew the ability to review and approve any of the changes.
Cal/OSHA fined the company $3,000, $750 for each violation. In December, the company contested the charges, according to Frank Polizzi, spokesman for the state occupational health agency. A prehearing conference is scheduled for May 26.
Marathon did not respond to questions about where that process stands, other than to say it is continuing. The company, after its merger with Andeavor, became the largest U.S. petroleum refinery operator, with 16 refineries and a refining capacity of more than 3 million barrels a day.
Local air regulators late Thursday released the results of air quality samples taken from two locations next to the refinery in the early-morning hours after the fire broke out. The samples were analyzed for toxic air pollutants including benzene, toluene, styrene and tetrachloroethylene and “did not show any levels above what is normal in ambient air in the South Coast Air Basin,” according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The air district also deployed a mobile air monitor to measure particulate matter and found levels “within typical range for urban areas.” The agency said it “continues to evaluate whether any regulatory violations occurred as a result of the incident.”
More than 180,000 people live within three miles of the Carson refinery, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both regulatory records and neighbors say the refinery has a record of wafting noxious emissions into surrounding areas.
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The air district has previously cited the refinery with at least 13 violation notices since June 2018, records show. The alleged violations include vapor leaks, creating a public nuisance by discharging air contaminants and a failure to comply with rules to minimize flaring, the burn-off of excess gas that sends pollution into the air.
Rivera said residents frequently report incidents at the refinery to the air district but rarely find out what happened.
“That’s the usual pattern: We report flaring, we report smoke, then they send an inspector and nothing really comes of it,” Rivera said. Most of the time, she said, “we just don’t hear anything else, and the worst is that they tell us the investigation is pending.”
Five years ago an explosion rocked the Torrance Refinery — so powerful it registered the equivalent of a magnitude 1.7 earthquake — spewing smoke and dust over surrounding communities. The February 2015 blast sent a 40-ton piece of equipment close to crashing into a tank containing hydrofluoric acid, a dangerous chemical that can form a deadly, ground-hugging cloud.
Campbell, the union representative, said Tuesday’s incident happened after the company cut back the number of employees working at the reformer over the last month or so. Each crew was reduced from five workers to four, he said.
Each crew comprises a console operator — who oversees the operation during a given shift, mostly relying on electronic indicators to monitor pressure and open and close valves — and “field” crew members, who are the eyes and ears of the operation.
“They’re the outside operators,” Campbell said. “They pull samples, make sure that pumps and compressors have proper lubrication, that there are no leaks — they are always looking for leaks — and they’re listening for odd noises.”
Campbell said that when the company cut back on the crew size, the union flagged the state safety inspectors.
“I can’t say that’s the reason why it happened,” he said. “But, yes, it is the only place where crew size was cut.”
At the moment, Cal/OSHA appears to be the only outside agency investigating the circumstances that led to Tuesday’s explosion.
Austin Bennett, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said county personnel are not involved in investigating the fire’s cause and didn’t enter the refinery after the blaze erupted.
Bennett said that’s not atypical, because many refineries have their own teams that respond to emergencies — including fires.
“They didn’t want us to enter the refinery at any point,” he said. The incident, he added, was eventually “turned over to the refinery for overhaul and determination.”


latimes--2020-02-27--Students at UC Davis and other colleges under self-quarantine after potential coronavirus exposure

Three UC Davis students are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results related to the new strain of coronavirus after showing mild symptoms , officials said Thursday .
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall , UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May confirmed in a statement Thursday .
One student has been off-campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19 .
The other two individuals have not shown any symptoms but have been isolated since Wednesday night out of an abundance of caution .
In keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines , those asymptomatic individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said officials know the origin of the individual ’ s exposure to the virus but could not disclose that information because of patient privacy .
Officials said no individual in Yolo County or at UC Davis has yet tested positive for the virus .
County health officials said more than 70 people might be quarantined at home based on having contact with the UC Davis patient .
University spokesman Steve Telliano disputed that number but refused to say whether more or fewer people were quarantined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Rios Community College District campuses are in isolation after being exposed last week to an individual in Northern California who has tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ Both American River College and Cosumnes River College have learned that a student at each college , both who work as medical professionals , were exposed off campus to an individual who has since tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated in Sacramento County , ” officials said in a statement Thursday .
The students returned to campus after the exposure , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not believe members of the campus are at risk .
The individuals have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days .
At a news conference earlier Thursday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said 33 individuals have tested positive for the coronavirus in California .
The majority of those were quarantined travelers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was docked off Japan .

A coronavirus health advisory is posted in the emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange this month.
Three UC Davis students are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results related to the new strain of coronavirus after showing mild symptoms, officials said Thursday.
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall, UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May confirmed in a statement Thursday.
One student has been off-campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19. The other two individuals have not shown any symptoms but have been isolated since Wednesday night out of an abundance of caution. In keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, those asymptomatic individuals have not been tested for the virus.
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Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said officials know the origin of the individual’s exposure to the virus but could not disclose that information because of patient privacy.
Officials said no individual in Yolo County or at UC Davis has yet tested positive for the virus.
County health officials said more than 70 people might be quarantined at home based on having contact with the UC Davis patient. University spokesman Steve Telliano disputed that number but refused to say whether more or fewer people were quarantined.
Additionally, two students at two Los Rios Community College District campuses are in isolation after being exposed last week to an individual in Northern California who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Both American River College and Cosumnes River College have learned that a student at each college, both who work as medical professionals, were exposed off campus to an individual who has since tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated in Sacramento County,” officials said in a statement Thursday.
The students returned to campus after the exposure, but officials at Sacramento County Public Health do not believe members of the campus are at risk. The individuals have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days.
At a news conference earlier Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said 33 individuals have tested positive for the coronavirus in California. The majority of those were quarantined travelers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was docked off Japan.
Times staff writer Anita Chabria contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-27--Magnitude 3.5 earthquake hits near Clearlake, Calif.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Thursday afternoon at 3:27 p.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Clearlake , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from Healdsburg , 18 miles from Windsor , 23 miles from Santa Rosa and 27 miles from Ukiah .
In the last 10 days , there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Thursday afternoon at 3:27 p.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Clearlake, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from Healdsburg, 18 miles from Windsor, 23 miles from Santa Rosa and 27 miles from Ukiah.
In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.6 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
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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--2020-02-27--No coronavirus emergency in California, but state will expand testing, Newsom says

California is working with federal officials to expand the testing of possible coronavirus patients , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Thursday .
“ We are currently in deep partnership with the [ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] on one overriding protocol that drives our principal focus right now , and that ’ s testing , ” Newsom said , calling expanded testing “ our top priority , not just in the state of California but , I imagine , across the United States.
” Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California , he said .
The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes , but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days , he said .
In his first news conference to address the coronavirus issue , the governor sought to calm concerns and reassure Californians that the state will be prepared if the virus spreads .
Despite several California communities having declared local emergencies over the outbreak , Newsom said there are currently no plans to declare a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting this moment , ” Newsom said .
“ We have been in constant contact with federal agencies .
We have history and expertise in this space .
We are not overreacting , but nor are we underreacting to the understandable anxiety that many people have as it relates to this novel virus.
” The announcement comes after a Solano County woman became the country ’ s first coronavirus case in a patient who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did , raising the possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community .
The woman was not tested for several days until after she was hospitalized because she did not fit CDC criteria , which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient .
The case demonstrates the need for more rapid testing of all coronavirus patients , Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) wrote Thursday in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence , who has been appointed the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus czar .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested immediately for coronavirus , despite the request by her attending physicians at the University of California-Davis Medical Center , ” she wrote .
“ It is unclear whether the delay was caused by overly restrictive CDC testing criteria or whether the CDC was unable to process the diagnostic test faster.
” A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California , and five have since left the state , Newsom said .
Of the confirmed cases , 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship or returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak .
Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions .
The state is “ doing those protocols and monitoring as it relates to more traditional commercial flights that came in from points of concern and potential points of contact , particularly in Asia , ” he said .
COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people in about three dozen countries since it was discovered in late December .
More than 2,700 have died , most of them in mainland China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , and officials continue to stress that the risk to the general public remains low .
Still , they are warning people to be prepared to see more U.S. cases .
“ Ultimately , we expect we will see coronavirus spread in this country , ” CDC Director Nancy Messonnier said Tuesday .
“ It ’ s not so much a question of if , but a question of when.
” The warnings already are scaring away visitors to California .
On Thursday , Microsoft and Epic Games announced they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco .
Facebook also announced it has canceled the in-person portion of its annual F8 software developer conference , which was scheduled to take place May 5-6 in San Jose .
UC Davis officials said the Solano County coronavirus patient arrived at its medical center from another hospital Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday .
The hospital said that precautions had been put in place because of healthcare workers ’ concerns about the patient ’ s condition , but that it has asked a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and monitor their temperature .
The woman was “ in her community ” for a number of days before accessing care , California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Thursday .
Investigators are now working to find and contact any individuals who may have come in contact with the woman .
The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts , Newsom said .
Sacramento County health officials said that dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on contact with the woman .
UC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number could be higher than 70 , but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined .
Sacramento County Director of Health Services Peter Beileson said the patient had been transferred to the hospital with virus containment protocols , but additional measures , such as isolation in a negative pressure room , which prevents air from escaping , were now in place .
Beileson said he did not expect additional cases of the virus based on those in contact with the patient in Sacramento , where she is receiving treatment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , where she is from .
Solano County is also home to Travis Air Force Base , where several hundred people were quarantined after returning on repatriation flights from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan .
Multiple positive coronavirus cases have been reported among those groups .
But Dr. Sonia Angell , director of the California Department of Public Health , said there is no evidence of a connection between the woman and the returning travelers .
Newsom said the state expected that the virus would transmit within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County did not surprise anybody , ” Newsom said .
“ I think the only thing ... that surprised folks was it didn ’ t happen sooner.
” On Thursday , Solano County announced that it had issued a proclamation of local emergency due to the virus .
“ We are taking this situation seriously and are taking steps necessary to protect the health and safety of Solano County residents , ” Dr. Bela Matyas , Solano County health officer , said in a statement .
“ It is important to recognize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are investigating potential exposures and ensuring that proper evaluation and care are provided if they become sick.
” The county has activated its Department Operations Center to bolster its efforts in identifying , screening and contacting people who were exposed to the virus .
The declaration allows the county to better collaborate with local , state and federal agencies to implement containment efforts , officials said .
Some other local governments have also declared states of emergency amid coronavirus fears , including Santa Clara County on Feb. 10 , San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday and Orange County on Wednesday .
Such a declaration creates a mechanism for officials to ask for mutual aid from state and federal partners in the event that resources are exhausted , Orange County health officer Nichole Quick said Wednesday .
Los Angeles County officials also are discussing whether to declare a public health emergency .
There is no defined criteria , such as a certain number of coronavirus cases , for what merits an emergency declaration , said L.A. city emergency management department General Manager Aram Sahakian in a meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the core group preparing for this incident feels and sees the need for additional resources and additional multiagency coordination , they can pull the trigger on it , ” he said .
“ It doesn ’ t mean it ’ s out of control .
It doesn ’ t mean we ’ re going to panic.
” The last time L.A. County declared a public health emergency was in 2017 during a hepatitis A outbreak .
The hepatitis A outbreak required extraordinary measures because the disease was difficult to contain and required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department epidemiologist Dr. Prabhu Gounder in a meeting with City Council members on Wednesday .
California officials declared a state of emergency at that time as well .
“ At the time , there was a shortage of hepatitis A vaccine .
We would not have been able to get this additional vaccine for the response without the state declaration , ” Gounder said .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report .

California is working with federal officials to expand the testing of possible coronavirus patients, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
“We are currently in deep partnership with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] on one overriding protocol that drives our principal focus right now, and that’s testing,” Newsom said, calling expanded testing “our top priority, not just in the state of California but, I imagine, across the United States.”
Such an expansion includes both broadening the criteria that a person must meet to be tested for COVID-19, as well as getting more coronavirus test kits sent to California, he said. The state has 200 kits for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes, but federal officials say more will arrive in the coming days, he said.
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In his first news conference to address the coronavirus issue, the governor sought to calm concerns and reassure Californians that the state will be prepared if the virus spreads. Despite several California communities having declared local emergencies over the outbreak, Newsom said there are currently no plans to declare a statewide emergency.
“We’re meeting this moment,” Newsom said. “We have been in constant contact with federal agencies. We have history and expertise in this space. We are not overreacting, but nor are we underreacting to the understandable anxiety that many people have as it relates to this novel virus.”
The announcement comes after a Solano County woman became the country’s first coronavirus case in a patient who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did, raising the possibility that the virus is already spreading within the community. The woman was not tested for several days until after she was hospitalized because she did not fit CDC criteria, which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient.
The case demonstrates the need for more rapid testing of all coronavirus patients, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote Thursday in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, who has been appointed the Trump administration’s coronavirus czar.
“I understand the newly diagnosed patient was not tested immediately for coronavirus, despite the request by her attending physicians at the University of California-Davis Medical Center,” she wrote. “It is unclear whether the delay was caused by overly restrictive CDC testing criteria or whether the CDC was unable to process the diagnostic test faster.”
A total of 33 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in California, and five have since left the state, Newsom said. Of the confirmed cases, 24 were either evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship or returned on repatriation flights from Wuhan, China — the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Newsom said more than 8,400 people are being monitored in 49 local jurisdictions.
The state is “doing those protocols and monitoring as it relates to more traditional commercial flights that came in from points of concern and potential points of contact, particularly in Asia,” he said.
COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people in about three dozen countries since it was discovered in late December. More than 2,700 have died, most of them in mainland China.
There are currently 60 confirmed cases in the United States, and officials continue to stress that the risk to the general public remains low. Still, they are warning people to be prepared to see more U.S. cases.
“Ultimately, we expect we will see coronavirus spread in this country,” CDC Director Nancy Messonnier said Tuesday. “It’s not so much a question of if, but a question of when.”
The warnings already are scaring away visitors to California. On Thursday, Microsoft and Epic Games announced they were pulling out of next month’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Facebook also announced it has canceled the in-person portion of its annual F8 software developer conference, which was scheduled to take place May 5-6 in San Jose.
UC Davis officials said the Solano County coronavirus patient arrived at its medical center from another hospital Feb. 19 but was not tested until Sunday. The hospital said that precautions had been put in place because of healthcare workers’ concerns about the patient’s condition, but that it has asked a “small number” of employees to stay home and monitor their temperature.
The woman was “in her community” for a number of days before accessing care, California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Thursday.
Investigators are now working to find and contact any individuals who may have come in contact with the woman. The CDC has sent 10 staffers to help trace her contacts, Newsom said.
Sacramento County health officials said that dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on contact with the woman. UC Davis spokesman Steve Telliano disputed that the number could be higher than 70, but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined.
Sacramento County Director of Health Services Peter Beileson said the patient had been transferred to the hospital with virus containment protocols, but additional measures, such as isolation in a negative pressure room, which prevents air from escaping, were now in place. Beileson said he did not expect additional cases of the virus based on those in contact with the patient in Sacramento, where she is receiving treatment, but did expect more cases in Solano County, where she is from.
Solano County is also home to Travis Air Force Base, where several hundred people were quarantined after returning on repatriation flights from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Multiple positive coronavirus cases have been reported among those groups. But Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said there is no evidence of a connection between the woman and the returning travelers.
Newsom said the state expected that the virus would transmit within the community.
“What happened in Solano County did not surprise anybody,” Newsom said. “I think the only thing ... that surprised folks was it didn’t happen sooner.”
On Thursday, Solano County announced that it had issued a proclamation of local emergency due to the virus.
“We are taking this situation seriously and are taking steps necessary to protect the health and safety of Solano County residents,” Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County health officer, said in a statement. “It is important to recognize that we have moved from containment to mitigation. We are investigating potential exposures and ensuring that proper evaluation and care are provided if they become sick.”
The county has activated its Department Operations Center to bolster its efforts in identifying, screening and contacting people who were exposed to the virus. The declaration allows the county to better collaborate with local, state and federal agencies to implement containment efforts, officials said.
Some other local governments have also declared states of emergency amid coronavirus fears, including Santa Clara County on Feb. 10, San Diego County last week, San Francisco on Tuesday and Orange County on Wednesday.
Such a declaration creates a mechanism for officials to ask for mutual aid from state and federal partners in the event that resources are exhausted, Orange County health officer Nichole Quick said Wednesday.
Los Angeles County officials also are discussing whether to declare a public health emergency.
There is no defined criteria, such as a certain number of coronavirus cases, for what merits an emergency declaration, said L.A. city emergency management department General Manager Aram Sahakian in a meeting with City Council members on Wednesday.
“If the core group preparing for this incident feels and sees the need for additional resources and additional multiagency coordination, they can pull the trigger on it,” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s out of control. It doesn’t mean we’re going to panic.”
The last time L.A. County declared a public health emergency was in 2017 during a hepatitis A outbreak.
The hepatitis A outbreak required extraordinary measures because the disease was difficult to contain and required widespread vaccination efforts, said L.A. County health department epidemiologist Dr. Prabhu Gounder in a meeting with City Council members on Wednesday. California officials declared a state of emergency at that time as well.
“At the time, there was a shortage of hepatitis A vaccine. We would not have been able to get this additional vaccine for the response without the state declaration,” Gounder said.
Times staff writers Anita Chabria and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report.