latimes--2020-03-27--'A grinding halt': Record stores struggle to stay afloat amid coronavirus crisis

The city permit that Amoeba Music had been anticipating came on March 18 : After a years-long search to finally lock in a new home for its 31,000-square-foot Sunset Boulevard location , the city ’ s Department of Building and Safety approved construction applications for a new space a few blocks away at the corner of Hollywood and Argyle .
Little could Amoeba have known when its owners submitted the paperwork that a pandemic of Slayer-esque proportions would prompt the company , which as the country ’ s largest independent record store employs about 400 workers across its three California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it got the go-ahead to start work .
“ What would have been a moment of celebration , ” Amoeba Music co-owner Jim Henderson says , “ was just a further entrenched moment of , ‘ Now what ?
’ ” Across Los Angeles and the country , similarly baffled music retailers await word of how the $ 2-trillion relief package approved by Congress will aid their plight .
In the short term , prospects seem dim .
Record retail ’ s most profitable day , April ’ s annual Record Store Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 120 independent shops have temporarily shuttered , according to Billboard , either out of caution or government-dictated stay-at-home orders .
Profitable mail order businesses either can ’ t or won ’ t ship from UPS or the post office .
Those that can , like Amoeba , are doing so with an abundance of caution .
As with most independent retailers facing extended shutdowns , stores ’ survival will depend on the size of savings accounts and the speed of , and access to , government relief .
A few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Records Roadhouse in Glassell Park , owner Lance Barresi had banked on the idea that relocating his vinyl store to a space that had a bar and liquor license , which he did at the end of 2019 , would yield higher margins .
COVID-19 has exploded that notion , Barresi says .
“ The beauty of the Roadhouse is that it ’ s a bar and a record store in one .
The bummer of it is when the city — for the first time ever — tells all bars to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bar.
” He shut down his businesses on March 16 , out of concern for both his customers and his employees .
Walk-in traffic had slowed , he said .
Plus , he noticed that the shoppers who were still coming were shockingly under-informed , diminishing his ability to protect his clerks and customers .
“ If you ’ re sitting in a retail environment by yourself most of the day and the only people that are coming in are the ones who don ’ t recognize the severity of the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you as the person behind the counter , ” he says .
Music retailers know from adversity , and those that have survived previous crashes can be an industrious bunch .
Even before the pandemic , the business of selling physical product was enduring a series of debilitating setbacks .
Virtually ignored by major labels that are now all-in on the music streaming model , record retail is a low-margin business that lives and dies on access to new and used product .
In 2019 , a wrench in the supply chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributor Direct Shot led to release-day chaos and hindered the ability of retailers to restock in-demand titles .
Earlier this year , a fire destroyed the Inland Empire plant of Apollo Masters , which long dominated the market for lacquer masters crucial for most U.S. vinyl pressing plants .
How that loss will affect the ability of artists to press new vinyl records remains to be seen .
Despite the losses , physical music sales , which are the lifeblood of most indie shops , remained strong in the pre-COVID-19 era , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Independent Media Stores , co-founder of Record Store Day and owner of Atlanta-based Criminal Records .
“ We were doing fine .
We were up 30 % in early 2020 , ” he says .
Most other stores in the 28-member alliance group were also thriving , Levin said .
In 2019 , U.S. sales of vinyl rose by 14.5 % , part of a 14-year ascent , according to the Recording Industry Assn .
of America .
Still , the format accounted for just 4 % of U.S. music sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2019 , 18.8 million new LPs and 46.5 million CDs were sold .
By comparison , more than 1 trillion songs were streamed .
Those numbers , however , don ’ t account for used-album sales .
More profitable than new product , used media is the lifeblood of Amoeba , Permanent , Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks , Gim me Gim me in Northeast L.A. , Fingerprints in Long Beach and the dozens of other shops in the region .
But with no used music coming in and no physical store to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops are scrambling to find new routes to profitability .
“ I feel like I ’ ve got nothing to do and a ton to do , ” says Dan Cook , Gim me Gim me ‘ s owner , adding that he feels “ a little directionless.
” Cook , whose shop was regularly featured in Marc Maron ’ s TV show “ Maron , ” has been trying to earn income by listing his stock in online marketplaces and highlighting choice titles on Instagram .
Freakbeat Records ’ Bob Say says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing to keep the mail-order going .
It isn ’ t close to our usual business but helps pay the employees and rent .
Everyone is involved in some aspect from home ; making new listings , social media exposure , packing and shipping .
“ Hopefully we can hang on through May , ” Say concluded .
Vinyl buyers are a notoriously demanding lot who expect Amazon Prime-level service regardless of pandemic or pestilence , but Gim me Gim me ’ s Cook is not even sure he should be going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henderson says online sales have shot up , but the store ’ s ability to manage the influx has diminished out of concern for employees ’ health and social distancing requirements .
Used records can ’ t be replenished with a call to a distributor .
Many of the better shops fill their racks with vinyl purchased at one of the many massive annual record markets where professional crate diggers from around the world gather , says Permanent ’ s Barresi .
Such convergences can now lead to mass outbreaks .
“ Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grinding halt , but all of our scheduled spring record-buying trips to record fairs across the country and internationally have been canceled , ” Barresi says , listing markets at the Rose Bowl and Pasadena Community College and record fairs in New York and Austin , Texas .
The world ’ s largest event , the twice-yearly Utrecht Record Fair in the Netherlands , also has been canceled .
Says Barresi with a resigned sigh : “ A significant portion of our stock comes from sources that are completely unavailable to us at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores are having to make hard choices .
Amoeba ’ s Henderson says that the company is unable to pay its 200 salaried employees and has no work for its hourly clerks .
Gim me Gim me , says owner Cook , is mostly a one-man operation , but he is continuing to pay his small staff .
Permanent ’ s staff is hourly , but Barresi says he can afford to pay only a few employees right now .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security [ CARES ] Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Amoeba .
Companies with fewer than 500 employees can apply for small-business loans , and money deployed for payroll will be forgiven if used within two months .
It also includes aid for rent , mortgage and utilities .
On the other side of the country at Criminal Records , Levin recalls “ feeling neutered ” by the COVID-19 invasion : “ My staff are record store warriors , and they were really trying , ” he says of early efforts to remain viable amid the surreal situation .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they were doing projects and cleaning and painting bins.
” But soon fear seeped in .
“ One by one , they were like , ‘ You know , I can ’ t come in.
’ ” From a moral perspective , Levin had no interest in making demands , so he eventually shuttered mail-order operations .
He made the decision at the same time that the board of music retailers that plans Record Store Day announced the postponement of the annual event , originally slated for April 18 .
Levin says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , ” he was among those on the board successfully advocating it move to June 20 .
Asked whether he thought that new date is realistic , Levin pauses .
Stressing that he doesn ’ t speak for the board that will ultimately make the call , he says , “ I wouldn ’ t be surprised if it moved .
I would be surprised if it stayed.
” If the sector ’ s biggest day of sales is postponed once again , record stores will , again , lose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The financial hit is one thing , says Amoeba ’ s Henderson , “ but there ’ s also the emotional one .
In the L.A. store alone , we have over 30 people who have worked with us since Day One , ” he says .
“ The relationships are really entrenched .
We know these people .
We know their children and their spouses and significant others .
It ’ s familial .
”

Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard. The company employs about 400 workers across its three California stores, all of which are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city permit that Amoeba Music had been anticipating came on March 18: After a years-long search to finally lock in a new L.A. home after selling its 31,000-square-foot Sunset Boulevard location to a developer, the city’s Department of Building and Safety approved construction applications for a new space a few blocks away at the corner of Hollywood and Argyle.
Little could Amoeba have known when its owners submitted the paperwork that a pandemic of Slayer-esque proportions would prompt the company, which as the country’s largest independent record store employs about 400 workers across its three California locations, to close the same day it got the go-ahead to start work.
For the record: An earlier version of this story said that Amoeba was still paying salaried employees. It is currently unable to pay either salaried or hourly workers.
“What would have been a moment of celebration,” Amoeba Music co-owner Jim Henderson says, “was just a further entrenched moment of, ‘Now what?’”
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Across Los Angeles and the country, similarly baffled music retailers await word of how the $2-trillion relief package approved by Congress will aid their plight. In the short term, prospects seem dim. Record retail’s most profitable day, April’s annual Record Store Day initiative, has been postponed.
Nationwide, more than 120 independent shops have temporarily shuttered, according to Billboard, either out of caution or government-dictated stay-at-home orders. Profitable mail order businesses either can’t or won’t ship from UPS or the post office. Those that can, like Amoeba, are doing so with an abundance of caution.
As with most independent retailers facing extended shutdowns, stores’ survival will depend on the size of savings accounts and the speed of, and access to, government relief.
A few miles northeast of Amoeba at the Permanent Records Roadhouse in Glassell Park, owner Lance Barresi had banked on the idea that relocating his vinyl store to a space that had a bar and liquor license, which he did at the end of 2019, would yield higher margins.
COVID-19 has exploded that notion, Barresi says. “The beauty of the Roadhouse is that it’s a bar and a record store in one. The bummer of it is when the city — for the first time ever — tells all bars to close, see you later record store inside that bar.” He shut down his businesses on March 16, out of concern for both his customers and his employees. Walk-in traffic had slowed, he said.
Plus, he noticed that the shoppers who were still coming were shockingly under-informed, diminishing his ability to protect his clerks and customers. “If you’re sitting in a retail environment by yourself most of the day and the only people that are coming in are the ones who don’t recognize the severity of the situation, that makes things that much scarier for you as the person behind the counter,” he says.
Record retail’s most profitable day, April’s annual Record Store Day, has been postponed. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Music retailers know from adversity, and those that have survived previous crashes can be an industrious bunch. Even before the pandemic, the business of selling physical product was enduring a series of debilitating setbacks. Virtually ignored by major labels that are now all-in on the music streaming model, record retail is a low-margin business that lives and dies on access to new and used product.
In 2019, a wrench in the supply chain caused by a reliance on overtaxed Indiana-based distributor Direct Shot led to release-day chaos and hindered the ability of retailers to restock in-demand titles. Earlier this year, a fire destroyed the Inland Empire plant of Apollo Masters, which long dominated the market for lacquer masters crucial for most U.S. vinyl pressing plants. How that loss will affect the ability of artists to press new vinyl records remains to be seen.
Despite the losses, physical music sales, which are the lifeblood of most indie shops, remained strong in the pre-COVID-19 era, says Eric Levin, president of the Alliance of Independent Media Stores, co-founder of Record Store Day and owner of Atlanta-based Criminal Records.
“We were doing fine. We were up 30% in early 2020,” he says. Most other stores in the 28-member alliance group were also thriving, Levin said.
In 2019, U.S. sales of vinyl rose by 14.5%, part of a 14-year ascent, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America. Still, the format accounted for just 4% of U.S. music sales, compared with 82% for streaming. In 2019, 18.8 million new LPs and 46.5 million CDs were sold. By comparison, more than 1 trillion songs were streamed.
Those numbers, however, don’t account for used-album sales. More profitable than new product, used media is the lifeblood of Amoeba, Permanent, Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks, Gimme Gimme in Northeast L.A., Fingerprints in Long Beach and the dozens of other shops in the region. But with no used music coming in and no physical store to sell what they’ve got, shops are scrambling to find new routes to profitability.
“I feel like I’ve got nothing to do and a ton to do,” says Dan Cook, Gimme Gimme‘s owner, adding that he feels “a little directionless.” Cook, whose shop was regularly featured in Marc Maron’s TV show “Maron,” has been trying to earn income by listing his stock in online marketplaces and highlighting choice titles on Instagram.
Freakbeat Records’ Bob Say says via email that the store is “managing to keep the mail-order going. It isn’t close to our usual business but helps pay the employees and rent. Everyone is involved in some aspect from home; making new listings, social media exposure, packing and shipping.
“Hopefully we can hang on through May,” Say concluded.
Vinyl buyers are a notoriously demanding lot who expect Amazon Prime-level service regardless of pandemic or pestilence, but Gimme Gimme’s Cook is not even sure he should be going to the post office. At Amoeba, Henderson says online sales have shot up, but the store’s ability to manage the influx has diminished out of concern for employees’ health and social distancing requirements.
Used records can’t be replenished with a call to a distributor. Many of the better shops fill their racks with vinyl purchased at one of the many massive annual record markets where professional crate diggers from around the world gather, says Permanent’s Barresi. Such convergences can now lead to mass outbreaks.
“Not only has our business come to a grinding halt, but all of our scheduled spring record-buying trips to record fairs across the country and internationally have been canceled,” Barresi says, listing markets at the Rose Bowl and Pasadena Community College and record fairs in New York and Austin, Texas. The world’s largest event, the twice-yearly Utrecht Record Fair in the Netherlands, also has been canceled.
Says Barresi with a resigned sigh: “A significant portion of our stock comes from sources that are completely unavailable to us at this point.”
With little income, stores are having to make hard choices. Amoeba’s Henderson says that the company is unable to pay its 200 salaried employees and has no work for its hourly clerks. Gimme Gimme, says owner Cook, is mostly a one-man operation, but he is continuing to pay his small staff. Permanent’s staff is hourly, but Barresi says he can afford to pay only a few employees right now.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security [CARES] Act does address the needs of small businesses such as Amoeba. Companies with fewer than 500 employees can apply for small-business loans, and money deployed for payroll will be forgiven if used within two months. It also includes aid for rent, mortgage and utilities.
On the other side of the country at Criminal Records, Levin recalls “feeling neutered” by the COVID-19 invasion: “My staff are record store warriors, and they were really trying,” he says of early efforts to remain viable amid the surreal situation. “When they weren’t doing curbside delivery, they were doing projects and cleaning and painting bins.” But soon fear seeped in. “One by one, they were like, ‘You know, I can’t come in.’” From a moral perspective, Levin had no interest in making demands, so he eventually shuttered mail-order operations.
He made the decision at the same time that the board of music retailers that plans Record Store Day announced the postponement of the annual event, originally slated for April 18. Levin says that “in the naivety of three weeks ago,” he was among those on the board successfully advocating it move to June 20.
Asked whether he thought that new date is realistic, Levin pauses. Stressing that he doesn’t speak for the board that will ultimately make the call, he says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it moved. I would be surprised if it stayed.”
If the sector’s biggest day of sales is postponed once again, record stores will, again, lose a crucial payday at the worst possible time.
The financial hit is one thing, says Amoeba’s Henderson, “but there’s also the emotional one. In the L.A. store alone, we have over 30 people who have worked with us since Day One,” he says. “The relationships are really entrenched. We know these people. We know their children and their spouses and significant others. It’s familial.”


latimes--2020-03-27--Is Los Angeles facing New York-level coronavirus disaster? Here is what we know

Is Los Angeles going to be the next New York when it comes to coronavirus ?
Coronavirus cases have risen dramatically over the last week , and officials warn that things will get much worse in the next few weeks .
“ A week or two from now , we will have images like we ’ re seeing in New York here in Los Angeles.
” Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday It will be bad — but how bad remains a question .
The mortality rate in L.A. County is about 1.8 % , which is higher than the mortality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States overall , Ferrer said .
One factor in that is that Los Angeles County has tested far few people than New York , meaning it does not have as good a sense of the number of people with the virus .
Almost 11,000 people had been tested in L.A. County as of Thursday , said Barbara Ferrer , director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health .
By contrast , New York City had reported 25,000 confirmed positive cases , she said .
So that rate will likely change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Los Angeles reported five more deaths Friday , bringing the county ’ s total to 26 .
The county reported an additional 257 cases Friday , bringing the total to 1,481 .
Of that total , 678 cases were reported over the last 48 hours .
“ In less than a week ... we ’ ve more than tripled the number of people here in L.A. County who are positive for COVID-19 , ” Ferrer said .
She warned that if the county did not slow the spread of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be overwhelmed .
Epidemiologists say they expect L.A. County ’ s case numbers to continue to grow , but that the social distancing recommendations may help stave off an outbreak as bad as New York ’ s .
The measures went into effect in California early enough that they could have a significant impact , experts say .
New York City has more than 23,000 cases and more than 500 deaths .
Dr. Jacob Quinton , an internal medicine physician at UCLA , said doctors in L.A. and other cities that have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York are preparing for what the next weeks may hold .
“ Many of us are sort of taking a deep breath before the plunge , and getting ready to meet the challenges that come , ” he said .
“ Those that are already inundated with COVID cases are in the thick of a fight that feels very much like the defining medical challenge of our lives.
” What is the trajectory ?
Ferrer said that our understanding of the outbreak and its trajectory will probably improve as testing increases and provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is spreading .
“ The modeling is only as good as the data you have to enter into the model , and we ’ re really at a disadvantage here in L.A. County and the rest of California because we just haven ’ t done a lot of testing yet , ” she said at a news conference Friday .
However , she said she thinks it is entirely possible that case numbers will continue to increase for three more weeks in L.A. County , as a recent University of Washington projection suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases would peak on April 25 .
It projects a total of 6,109 deaths through Aug. 4 .
“ I think those projections are probably on target given what we ’ re seeing , ” Ferrer said of the April 25 peak date suggested by the researchers .
Ferrer said she expects case numbers to continue to double every four to six days for weeks , given the rapid rise that has been seen so far in the region .
She pointed to case numbers tripling over the last six days .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other places and given what our numbers are ... you can see that we ’ re likely to have a lot of people here that are going to be infected over the next three weeks .
And that being said , the most important thing I think for the public on the modeling is to really understand the seriousness of what lies in front of us — which is a large number of people can easily get infected if we ’ re not doing everything in our power to make that a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The very nature of virus makes it harder .
“ None of us have immunity , and that ’ s a real disadvantage when you have a virus like COVID-19 that seems to be so easily spread when people are in close contact with each other , ” she said .
“ The numbers can get huge , which means the implications for the healthcare system are equally dramatic .
Without slowing the spread we could easily overwhelm our system here in L.A. County and the entire healthcare system in California , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why we plead with people — do your part.
” Indeed , L.A. residents can make a difference .
Social distancing laws that took effect over the last week could make a major difference — but probably aren ’ t reflected in the current surge of cases .
“ I will anticipate that we will continue to see increases in hospitalizations and deaths but I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks because of the physical distancing measures , ” UCLA epidemiologist @ @ @ @ @

Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Is Los Angeles going to be the next New York when it comes to coronavirus?
Coronavirus cases have risen dramatically over the last week, and officials warn that things will get much worse in the next few weeks.
“A week or two from now, we will have images like we’re seeing in New York here in Los Angeles.” Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday
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It will be bad — but how bad remains a question.
L.A. vs. New York
The mortality rate in L.A. County is about 1.8%, which is higher than the mortality rate in New York City and the United States overall, Ferrer said.
One factor in that is that Los Angeles County has tested far few people than New York, meaning it does not have as good a sense of the number of people with the virus. Almost 11,000 people had been tested in L.A. County as of Thursday, said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
By contrast, New York City had reported 25,000 confirmed positive cases, she said.
So that rate will likely change as more people in L.A. are tested.
Where states stand (LA Times)
Los Angeles reported five more deaths Friday, bringing the county’s total to 26. The county reported an additional 257 cases Friday, bringing the total to 1,481. Of that total, 678 cases were reported over the last 48 hours.
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“In less than a week ... we’ve more than tripled the number of people here in L.A. County who are positive for COVID-19,” Ferrer said.
She warned that if the county did not slow the spread of the virus, the region’s healthcare system would be overwhelmed.
California 25-year-old’s coronavirus death in Riverside County a reminder that all are at risk The deceased man was discovered Wednesday in a La Quinta residence in the Coachella Valley,
Epidemiologists say they expect L.A. County’s case numbers to continue to grow, but that the social distancing recommendations may help stave off an outbreak as bad as New York’s. The measures went into effect in California early enough that they could have a significant impact, experts say.
New York City has more than 23,000 cases and more than 500 deaths.
Dr. Jacob Quinton, an internal medicine physician at UCLA, said doctors in L.A. and other cities that have not been hit yet as badly as New York are preparing for what the next weeks may hold.
“Many of us are sort of taking a deep breath before the plunge, and getting ready to meet the challenges that come,” he said. “Those that are already inundated with COVID cases are in the thick of a fight that feels very much like the defining medical challenge of our lives.”
What is the trajectory?
Ferrer said that our understanding of the outbreak and its trajectory will probably improve as testing increases and provides more data on how quickly the virus is spreading.
“The modeling is only as good as the data you have to enter into the model, and we’re really at a disadvantage here in L.A. County and the rest of California because we just haven’t done a lot of testing yet,” she said at a news conference Friday.
Southern California (LAT)
However, she said she thinks it is entirely possible that case numbers will continue to increase for three more weeks in L.A. County, as a recent University of Washington projection suggested. The model projected that California coronavirus cases would peak on April 25. It projects a total of 6,109 deaths through Aug. 4.
“I think those projections are probably on target given what we’re seeing,” Ferrer said of the April 25 peak date suggested by the researchers. Ferrer said she expects case numbers to continue to double every four to six days for weeks, given the rapid rise that has been seen so far in the region.
Rapid spread
She pointed to case numbers tripling over the last six days.
“Given what we know about spread from other places and given what our numbers are ... you can see that we’re likely to have a lot of people here that are going to be infected over the next three weeks. And that being said, the most important thing I think for the public on the modeling is to really understand the seriousness of what lies in front of us — which is a large number of people can easily get infected if we’re not doing everything in our power to make that a little bit harder,” she said.
The very nature of virus makes it harder.
“None of us have immunity, and that’s a real disadvantage when you have a virus like COVID-19 that seems to be so easily spread when people are in close contact with each other,” she said.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
“The numbers can get huge, which means the implications for the healthcare system are equally dramatic. Without slowing the spread we could easily overwhelm our system here in L.A. County and the entire healthcare system in California,” she said. “That’s why we plead with people — do your part.”
Indeed, L.A. residents can make a difference. Social distancing laws that took effect over the last week could make a major difference — but probably aren’t reflected in the current surge of cases.
“I will anticipate that we will continue to see increases in hospitalizations and deaths but I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks because of the physical distancing measures,” UCLA epidemiologist Dr. Robert Kim-Farley said.


latimes--2020-03-27--Firearms activists sue California, L.A. County over gun shop closures tied to coronavirus

A coalition of gun owner groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the Los Angeles County Sheriff , Gov .
Gavin Newsom and state and county health officials seeking to block the closure of gun shops during the coronavirus shutdown .
Sheriff Alex Villaneuva closed gun stores in L.A. County Thursday to everyone except police and licensed security company employees after the governor deemed that firearms sellers are considered nonessential businesses during California ’ s shutdown of commerce in an effort to limit and slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Villanueva took the action after county lawyers early this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gun stores .
Then Newsom gave the OK for Villaneuva to decide what happened to local gun stores in the county during the ordered statewide stay-at-home order .
In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday seeking declaratory relief , the gun owner groups characterized the closure as a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms .
“ California ’ s attack on fundamental rights in times of emergency must be stopped in its tracks , ” said Alan Gottlieb , executive vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Newsom and the sheriff of using the ongoing crisis to promote a gun control agenda .
“ California ’ s state and local governments can not simply suspend the Constitution , ” Firearms Policy Coalition President Brandon Combs said .
The lawsuit charges that California is closing the only lawful means to buy firearms and therefore “ shutters the Constitutional right to bear arms.
” “ Such a de facto prohibition on the right to keep and bear arms is categorically unconstitutional under the 2nd Amendment.
” The novel coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a situation that requires people to maintain safety , and guns and ammunition are the “ most essential business function possible ” at such a time .
The suit ’ s plaintiffs include the owners of Gun World in Burbank and it also names both the state and Los Angeles County public health officer who created the state and county orders .
It also challenges the state action under the 14th Amendment , which bars states from making or enforcing any law that abridges the privileges or immunities of citizens .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Gore deemed firearms stores “ a valuable public service ” and warned people would turn to the black market if they closed .
Villanueva , a gun owner , in announcing his move to close gun stores to the general public but not to police and security guards , said he supports the 2nd Amendment but added that given the spread of the , only essential businesses should be open .
“ It ’ s not an issue of banning the sales of guns , which the 2nd Amendment is about , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long lines and crowds at firearms stores went against the efforts to maintain social distancing , and that new guns on hand when people were staying inside for lengthy periods could lead to trouble .
But the sheriff said the issue would be up to individual police chiefs in L.A. County cities that are outside his patrol territories .
Amid the pandemic , officials have strengthened rules ordering all nonessential businesses to cease in-person operations and close to the public .
Exceptions include food and medical services , transportation and social services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was told by county lawyers that gun shops could be considered essential under county and state measures to encourage social distancing and cut the spread of the virus .
The opinion forced the sheriff to .
But then Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s office said sheriffs do have the authority to make such closures .
The cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles have also closed their gun stores .
Gun shops , according to the sheriff , were one of several types of nonessential businesses that continued to be open and garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t comply would be cited and could lose their business license .
Some owners had already closed or were scheduling appointments .
Gun sales are surging in many U.S. states , especially in those hit hardest by the coronavirus , such as California .
Among the factors fueling the increase are concerns from first-time gun buyers who fear an unraveling of the social order and those who worry that the government might use its emergency powers to restrict gun purchases .
“ Twenty-eight years ago , the LAPD had to withdraw their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said California Gun Rights Foundation Chairman Gene Hoffman .
“ We hope that the stay-home orders will mean that our public servants will not become infected in this pandemic , but the Constitution guarantees that everyone has a right to acquire arms and defend themselves should law enforcement not be able to respond before it ’ s too late .
”

A coalition of gun owner groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state and county health officials seeking to block the closure of gun shops during the coronavirus shutdown.
Sheriff Alex Villaneuva closed gun stores in L.A. County Thursday to everyone except police and licensed security company employees after the governor deemed that firearms sellers are considered nonessential businesses during California’s shutdown of commerce in an effort to limit and slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Villanueva took the action after county lawyers early this week had stalled an effort to close the gun stores. Then Newsom gave the OK for Villaneuva to decide what happened to local gun stores in the county during the ordered statewide stay-at-home order.
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In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday seeking declaratory relief, the gun owner groups characterized the closure as a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.
“California’s attack on fundamental rights in times of emergency must be stopped in its tracks,” said Alan Gottlieb, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation. The groups accused Newsom and the sheriff of using the ongoing crisis to promote a gun control agenda.
“California’s state and local governments cannot simply suspend the Constitution,” Firearms Policy Coalition President Brandon Combs said.
The lawsuit charges that California is closing the only lawful means to buy firearms and therefore “shutters the Constitutional right to bear arms.” “Such a de facto prohibition on the right to keep and bear arms is categorically unconstitutional under the 2nd Amendment.” The novel coronavirus pandemic, the attorneys for the group argue, is a situation that requires people to maintain safety, and guns and ammunition are the “most essential business function possible” at such a time.
The suit’s plaintiffs include the owners of Gun World in Burbank and it also names both the state and Los Angeles County public health officer who created the state and county orders. It also challenges the state action under the 14th Amendment, which bars states from making or enforcing any law that abridges the privileges or immunities of citizens. The suit notes the San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore deemed firearms stores “a valuable public service” and warned people would turn to the black market if they closed.
Villanueva, a gun owner, in announcing his move to close gun stores to the general public but not to police and security guards, said he supports the 2nd Amendment but added that given the spread of the coronavirus in Los Angeles County , only essential businesses should be open.
“It’s not an issue of banning the sales of guns, which the 2nd Amendment is about,” he said. The sheriff said long lines and crowds at firearms stores went against the efforts to maintain social distancing, and that new guns on hand when people were staying inside for lengthy periods could lead to trouble. But the sheriff said the issue would be up to individual police chiefs in L.A. County cities that are outside his patrol territories.
Amid the pandemic, officials have strengthened rules ordering all nonessential businesses to cease in-person operations and close to the public. Exceptions include food and medical services, transportation and social services.
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Villanueva sought to implement the closure earlier this week but was told by county lawyers that gun shops could be considered essential under county and state measures to encourage social distancing and cut the spread of the virus. The opinion forced the sheriff to backtrack and suspended the closure . But then Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said sheriffs do have the authority to make such closures. The cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles have also closed their gun stores.
Gun shops, according to the sheriff, were one of several types of nonessential businesses that continued to be open and garnered complaints. He said those who don’t comply would be cited and could lose their business license.
Some owners had already closed or were scheduling appointments.
Gun sales are surging in many U.S. states, especially in those hit hardest by the coronavirus, such as California. Among the factors fueling the increase are concerns from first-time gun buyers who fear an unraveling of the social order and those who worry that the government might use its emergency powers to restrict gun purchases.
“Twenty-eight years ago, the LAPD had to withdraw their officers to protect their safety,” said California Gun Rights Foundation Chairman Gene Hoffman. “We hope that the stay-home orders will mean that our public servants will not become infected in this pandemic, but the Constitution guarantees that everyone has a right to acquire arms and defend themselves should law enforcement not be able to respond before it’s too late.”


latimes--2020-03-27--Orange County confirms two new coronavirus deaths, as total number of cases reaches 321

Orange County health officials on Friday confirmed two additional coronavirus deaths , as the total number of cases in the country climbed to 321 .
Officials did not release any details about the victims , but said their deaths underscore how important it is for residents to follow orders from health officers to stay home as much as possible and to practice social distancing when outdoors .
“ Community members need to know that we expect more cases and , unfortunately , more deaths in the coming days and weeks , ” said county Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 on Tuesday .
The man was a county resident in his 70s who had underlying health conditions .
“ I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of those who were lost , ” said Michelle Steel , chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors .
The latest figures continued a steady skyward trend in the county , which had 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection as of Sunday and 256 Thursday .
Friday also marked the first time the county shared city-level specifics regarding its cases — information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cities with the most cases are Irvine , 33 ; Newport Beach , 32 ; and Anaheim , 28 .
Health officials cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from that data .
Just because a resident of one city tested positive doesn ’ t necessarily mean they contracted the disease there .
A lack of confirmed cases in one city also doesn ’ t mean no one there is infected , and the case counts don ’ t mean one city is more or less safe than another , officials emphasized .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need all individuals to listen to the recommendations of state and local health officials , ” Quick said .
Health officials also have said case counts will likely continue to rise as testing ramps up .
So far , 4,070 people have been tested in the county .
In a bid to contain the virus ’ spread , Orange County leaders have closed parking lots at trails , beaches and parks .
The list of local closures also includes Disneyland — the county ’ s most popular attraction .
The Anaheim theme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 14 and will remain so until further notice , Walt Disney Co. announced Friday .
A company spokesperson said the decision was made “ as a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials.
” “ While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19 , the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain the Walt Disney Company ’ s top priority , ” the spokesperson added .
The company has been paying its employees since closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to pay hourly parks and resorts workers through April 18 .

A screen above an empty baggage claim carousel at John Wayne Airport displays a notice from the Orange County Health Care Agency letting travelers know how to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses.
Orange County health officials on Friday confirmed two additional coronavirus deaths, as the total number of cases in the country climbed to 321.
Officials did not release any details about the victims, but said their deaths underscore how important it is for residents to follow orders from health officers to stay home as much as possible and to practice social distancing when outdoors.
“Community members need to know that we expect more cases and, unfortunately, more deaths in the coming days and weeks,” said county Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick.
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Orange County reported its first death due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. The man was a county resident in his 70s who had underlying health conditions.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of those who were lost,” said Michelle Steel, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors.
The latest figures continued a steady skyward trend in the county, which had 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection as of Sunday and 256 Thursday.
Friday also marked the first time the county shared city-level specifics regarding its cases — information some residents have been demanding for weeks.
The cities with the most cases are Irvine, 33; Newport Beach, 32; and Anaheim, 28.
Health officials cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from that data. Just because a resident of one city tested positive doesn’t necessarily mean they contracted the disease there. A lack of confirmed cases in one city also doesn’t mean no one there is infected, and the case counts don’t mean one city is more or less safe than another, officials emphasized.
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“There is risk countywide, and we need all individuals to listen to the recommendations of state and local health officials,” Quick said.
Health officials also have said case counts will likely continue to rise as testing ramps up. So far, 4,070 people have been tested in the county.
In a bid to contain the virus’ spread, Orange County leaders have closed parking lots at trails, beaches and parks.
The list of local closures also includes Disneyland — the county’s most popular attraction.
The Anaheim theme park and resort has been closed since March 14 and will remain so until further notice, Walt Disney Co. announced Friday.
A company spokesperson said the decision was made “as a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials.”
“While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain the Walt Disney Company’s top priority,” the spokesperson added.
The company has been paying its employees since closing the park earlier this month and will continue to pay hourly parks and resorts workers through April 18.


latimes--2020-03-27--Ventura County coronavirus cases reach 61 heading into weekend

Ventura County reported an additional 11 residents have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus , bringing the county ’ s total to 61 .
The new benchmark is nearly double the amount the region , which borders Los Angeles County , reported on Sunday , records show .
There has been one death in the county .
Among the positive cases , 15 people had been hospitalized as of Thursday , the county ’ s spokesperson Ashley Bautista said .
No further details about the patients were made available .
The growth of cases can be attributed to the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
As of Thursday , 1,288 residents had been tested .
Ventura County was among the first counties to provide testing at a public health lab , and officials have been administering tests at drive-through sites and private labs , Bautista said .
All testing sites require a referral from a primary doctor or urgent-care physician .
For more information on how to schedule an appointment , visit vcemergency.com/clinics or call 211 .
Cases have popped up throughout the county , but remain the highest in Simi Valley , which has 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 and 64 make up the largest number of confirmed cases at 25 .
Seventeen of those infected are 65 and older and 14 are between the ages of 25 and 44 .
There are four cases with people between the ages of 18 and 24 , and one at the age of 17 or less .
The county ’ s single fatality was confirmed Sunday and was believed to be a person in their 70s who had preexisting conditions , Bautista said .
Some counties such as Riverside , have added federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike in cases .
However , Bautista said Ventura County doesn ’ t have a need yet .
“ We don ’ t have a need for that at this time , [ but ] there would be an opportunity if we need it , ” she said .
Bautista said that local hospitals have enough equipment at the moment , but they will request more from their state partners if they see a surge in cases .

As of Thurday, there are 61 coronavirus cases in Ventura County. Earlier in the week it was announced that three physicians and at administrator at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura had tested positive for the virus.
Ventura County reported an additional 11 residents have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the county’s total to 61.
The new benchmark is nearly double the amount the region, which borders Los Angeles County, reported on Sunday, records show. There has been one death in the county.
Among the positive cases, 15 people had been hospitalized as of Thursday, the county’s spokesperson Ashley Bautista said. No further details about the patients were made available.
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The growth of cases can be attributed to the county’s increased testing efforts, officials said. As of Thursday, 1,288 residents had been tested.
Ventura County was among the first counties to provide testing at a public health lab, and officials have been administering tests at drive-through sites and private labs, Bautista said. All testing sites require a referral from a primary doctor or urgent-care physician. For more information on how to schedule an appointment, visit vcemergency.com/clinics or call 211.
Cases have popped up throughout the county, but remain the highest in Simi Valley, which has 15 cases.
Residents between the ages of 45 and 64 make up the largest number of confirmed cases at 25. Seventeen of those infected are 65 and older and 14 are between the ages of 25 and 44. There are four cases with people between the ages of 18 and 24, and one at the age of 17 or less.
The county’s single fatality was confirmed Sunday and was believed to be a person in their 70s who had preexisting conditions, Bautista said.
Some counties such as Riverside, have added federal medical stations to prepare for an anticipated spike in cases. However, Bautista said Ventura County doesn’t have a need yet.
“We don’t have a need for that at this time, [but] there would be an opportunity if we need it,” she said.
Bautista said that local hospitals have enough equipment at the moment, but they will request more from their state partners if they see a surge in cases.


latimes--2020-03-27--Here are 8 bizarre scenes from empty downtown Los Angeles

As we all adjust to our new lives under the umbrella of the coronavirus , Los Angeles Times photographer Luis @ @ @ @ @ at downtown Los Angeles with the spotlight on Broadway .

As we all adjust to our new lives under the umbrella of the coronavirus, Los Angeles Times photographer Luis Sinco gives us a look at downtown Los Angeles with the spotlight on Broadway.
A security guard walks around the Grand Central Market downtown, where restaurants are limited to takeout or delivery orders only. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A downtown resident gets fresh air and sunshine on a balcony above Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A man’s face is wrapped in a scarf as he walks along the commercial area on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
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A shaft of light catches a man as he walks a dog along the normally bustling commercial area on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
The normally bustling commercial area along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles is largely deserted because of the coronavirus lockdown. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A homeless man named MIke eats food fished from a trash can at a taco stand along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Broadway in downtown Los Angeles is largely deserted because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
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latimes--2020-03-28--Newsom orders delay on evictions over coronavirus, while L.A. votes down a blanket ban

With April 1 fast approaching , Gov .
Gavin Newsom and the L.A. City Council on Friday expanded efforts to prevent residential evictions during the coronavirus pandemic .
But the governor and councilmembers dismissed calls for broader action that housing advocates say would have better protected tenants from losing their homes .
Through an executive order , Newsom announced a two-month delay on residential evictions for those who can ’ t pay their rent as a result of the virus — the first statewide action he has taken on evictions during the outbreak .
But the order still allows renters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
In Los Angeles , the City Council voted to prevent landlords from evicting tenants affected by the coronavirus , including those who have had to move in with family members and crowd apartments beyond what would be normally allowed under their leases .
The council , however , fell short of enacting a complete ban on evictions by one vote .
The governor ’ s order covers those who have lost work because of the coronavirus and those who need to take care of children whose schools are closed or family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to make up all the rent they owe .
“ For tenants , there will be no eviction proceedings ; there will be no enforcement as it relates to pay for COVID-19 , ” Newsom said at a news conference in Los Angeles .
But Newsom ’ s order doesn ’ t prevent the legal process of being evicted from ultimately occurring and still requires renters affected by the coronavirus to jump through a number of hoops to qualify for the two-month delay .
For instance , tenants must notify their landlords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a landlord could still file a case against a tenant for their removal .
Even if a renter is able to convince a judge that they ’ re covered under the governor ’ s order , their landlord could order them out of the property on June 1 for failing to pay rent in April , said Silvana Naguib , who handles eviction cases as a supervising staff attorney at Public Counsel .
“ You still didn ’ t pay your rent and you ’ re still at fault and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Naguib and others said the governor ’ s order could prove to be counterproductive , leading renters to believe they have greater protections against being evicted than they actually do under the law .
“ I think we ’ re deeply disappointed that it isn ’ t just a blanket moratorium on evictions , ” said Francisco Dueñas , executive director of Housing Now , an advocacy group that has led a push for Newsom to issue more robust protections .
“ Besides the many different requirements that tenants have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just general confusion about what the governor did.
” Newsom ’ s order still allows for local governments to pass their own stricter eviction bans , something that has happened already in Los Angeles , San Francisco , San Jose and a few dozen other cities and counties across the state .
Days before Friday ’ s council debate in Los Angeles , Mayor Eric Garcetti issued orders temporarily blocking evictions for those affected by the coronavirus and in situations where apartment owners are planning to pull rentals off the market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than two hours , the council expanded on Garcetti ’ s actions by adding a provision barring landlords from evicting renters for moving in with family members because of the virus — not just because they can ’ t pay rent .
The council also voted to give tenants a year to repay their landlords before facing an eviction , instead of just six months , and waived late fees for nonpayment .
But the plan still requires tenants to prove their defense against an eviction in court .
That troubled Councilman Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Westside neighborhoods .
He pushed for a complete ban on all evictions during the pandemic so that renters wouldn ’ t face the threat of a court challenge while trying to recover .
“ The best thing to do in a circumstance like this , in an emergency , is to do something simple , ” Bonin told his colleagues during debate .
“ You can always revise this later .
The simplest thing is to have a moratorium in effect , so people do not wind up out on the street.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried other council members , who were uneasy about landlords being unable to toss out tenants involved in illegal activity and about the effect on smaller landlords who need their tenants ’ rent to pay their own bills .
“ I think it ’ s concerning to leave it so broad , ” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez , who represents northeast San Fernando Valley communities .
“ I think we just lend ourselves for the potential of the foreclosures that may come from this.
” Bonin ’ s effort for a complete eviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for renters in L.A. and elsewhere say that even a strong prohibition against evictions would not provide enough assistance .
Workers , particularly those in low-wage service and restaurant industries , have been off the job for more than a week as local governments and , ultimately , the state ordered businesses to close and people to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus .
More than 1 million Californians applied for unemployment benefits over the course of just 12 days through Wednesday , the governor said .
Besides an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that L.A. should halt rent increases , waive late fees and develop a program ordering landlords to forgive rents .
“ The city has the ability to protect all of its residents in this time of great uncertainty and ensure that all residents who currently have homes can stay in them , ” wrote a group of 200 labor , community and housing groups to the City Council Friday .
Earlier in the week , Newsom announced mortgage assistance for homeowners .
Eligible homeowners will be able to defer payments for at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer hardship from the pandemic .
Late payments will not be reported to credit agencies .
Four of the nation ’ s largest banks — Wells Fargo , U.S. Bank , Citibank and JPMorgan Chase — as well as 200 state-chartered banks and credit unions have agreed to the mortgage deferrals .
This means that , so far , homeowners across the state have received greater financial relief than renters , who have disproportionately lower income .
Nevertheless , many landlords are acting on their own .
The California Apartment Assn.
, the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has asked its members to stop rent increases and evictions , waive late fees and work out payment plans for affected tenants .
Debra Carlton , a senior vice president with the association , said the governor ’ s action on Friday was reasonable and maintains a balance between supporting the needs of renters and understanding that landlords also face financial challenges in paying their mortgages , taxes and other bills .
“ We appreciate the fact that he ’ s continuing to try to thread the needle when balancing out what owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Everyone ’ s somewhat in a state of panic.
” Times staff writers Ruben Vives and Phil Willon contributed to this report .

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in front of the hospital ship USNS Mercy that arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, to provide relief for Southland hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
With April 1 fast approaching, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the L.A. City Council on Friday expanded efforts to prevent residential evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. But the governor and councilmembers dismissed calls for broader action that housing advocates say would have better protected tenants from losing their homes.
Through an executive order, Newsom announced a two-month delay on residential evictions for those who can’t pay their rent as a result of the virus — the first statewide action he has taken on evictions during the outbreak. But the order still allows renters to be removed from their apartments come June.
In Los Angeles, the City Council voted to prevent landlords from evicting tenants affected by the coronavirus, including those who have had to move in with family members and crowd apartments beyond what would be normally allowed under their leases. The council, however, fell short of enacting a complete ban on evictions by one vote.
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The governor’s order covers those who have lost work because of the coronavirus and those who need to take care of children whose schools are closed or family members with COVID-19. Renters will eventually have to make up all the rent they owe.
“For tenants, there will be no eviction proceedings; there will be no enforcement as it relates to pay for COVID-19,” Newsom said at a news conference in Los Angeles.
But Newsom’s order doesn’t prevent the legal process of being evicted from ultimately occurring and still requires renters affected by the coronavirus to jump through a number of hoops to qualify for the two-month delay. For instance, tenants must notify their landlords in writing within seven days of nonpayment, and a landlord could still file a case against a tenant for their removal.
Even if a renter is able to convince a judge that they’re covered under the governor’s order, their landlord could order them out of the property on June 1 for failing to pay rent in April, said Silvana Naguib, who handles eviction cases as a supervising staff attorney at Public Counsel.
“You still didn’t pay your rent and you’re still at fault and you can still be evicted,” Naguib said.
Naguib and others said the governor’s order could prove to be counterproductive, leading renters to believe they have greater protections against being evicted than they actually do under the law.
“I think we’re deeply disappointed that it isn’t just a blanket moratorium on evictions,” said Francisco Dueñas, executive director of Housing Now, an advocacy group that has led a push for Newsom to issue more robust protections. “Besides the many different requirements that tenants have to come up with to qualify, there’s just general confusion about what the governor did.”
Newsom’s order still allows for local governments to pass their own stricter eviction bans, something that has happened already in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and a few dozen other cities and counties across the state.
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Days before Friday’s council debate in Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti issued orders temporarily blocking evictions for those affected by the coronavirus and in situations where apartment owners are planning to pull rentals off the market.
Following a discussion that lasted more than two hours, the council expanded on Garcetti’s actions by adding a provision barring landlords from evicting renters for moving in with family members because of the virus — not just because they can’t pay rent. The council also voted to give tenants a year to repay their landlords before facing an eviction, instead of just six months, and waived late fees for nonpayment. But the plan still requires tenants to prove their defense against an eviction in court.
That troubled Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents Venice and several other Westside neighborhoods. He pushed for a complete ban on all evictions during the pandemic so that renters wouldn’t face the threat of a court challenge while trying to recover.
“The best thing to do in a circumstance like this, in an emergency, is to do something simple,” Bonin told his colleagues during debate. “You can always revise this later. The simplest thing is to have a moratorium in effect, so people do not wind up out on the street.”
But such an expansive eviction ban worried other council members, who were uneasy about landlords being unable to toss out tenants involved in illegal activity and about the effect on smaller landlords who need their tenants’ rent to pay their own bills.
“I think it’s concerning to leave it so broad,” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents northeast San Fernando Valley communities. “I think we just lend ourselves for the potential of the foreclosures that may come from this.”
Bonin’s effort for a complete eviction ban failed by one vote.
Advocates for renters in L.A. and elsewhere say that even a strong prohibition against evictions would not provide enough assistance. Workers, particularly those in low-wage service and restaurant industries, have been off the job for more than a week as local governments and, ultimately, the state ordered businesses to close and people to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus. More than 1 million Californians applied for unemployment benefits over the course of just 12 days through Wednesday, the governor said.
Besides an eviction moratorium, the housing activists argue that L.A. should halt rent increases, waive late fees and develop a program ordering landlords to forgive rents.
“The city has the ability to protect all of its residents in this time of great uncertainty and ensure that all residents who currently have homes can stay in them,” wrote a group of 200 labor, community and housing groups to the City Council Friday.
Earlier in the week, Newsom announced mortgage assistance for homeowners. Eligible homeowners will be able to defer payments for at least three months and perhaps longer if they suffer hardship from the pandemic. Late payments will not be reported to credit agencies. Four of the nation’s largest banks — Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase — as well as 200 state-chartered banks and credit unions have agreed to the mortgage deferrals.
This means that, so far, homeowners across the state have received greater financial relief than renters, who have disproportionately lower income.
Nevertheless, many landlords are acting on their own. The California Apartment Assn., the state’s largest landlord group, has asked its members to stop rent increases and evictions, waive late fees and work out payment plans for affected tenants.
Debra Carlton, a senior vice president with the association, said the governor’s action on Friday was reasonable and maintains a balance between supporting the needs of renters and understanding that landlords also face financial challenges in paying their mortgages, taxes and other bills.
“We appreciate the fact that he’s continuing to try to thread the needle when balancing out what owners and tenants are facing,” Carlton said. “Everyone’s somewhat in a state of panic.”
Times staff writers Ruben Vives and Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-27--The recovery of Paradise was already fragile after the Camp fire. Then came coronavirus

The ribbon cutting last month was the kind of optimistic civic photo op that means a lot these days in the town of Paradise .
With a pair of oversized scissors , a grinning Mayor Greg Bolin sliced a big red ribbon outside the Building Resiliency Center , a new one-stop-shop for the hundreds of people applying to rebuild their homes after the 2018 Camp fire destroyed most of the town .
The ribbon cutting was Feb. 7 .
City leaders hoped to see the place bustling .
But by mid-March , as California began shutting down public life to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the building got quiet .
Visits had to be by appointment only , with calls and emails preferred to in-person trips .
Staffing was reduced .
Employees started wearing gloves .
“ It ’ s been hard because our whole focus was a face-to-face interaction , ” said Colette Curtis , a town spokeswoman .
“ Rebuilding is an emotional thing .
People are overwhelmed .
We wanted to be able to sit down and literally and figuratively hold their hand during the process .
Now , this makes that impossible.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marked by houses rebuilt , businesses reopening , classes in session at Paradise High School — is being tested by the pandemic .
People have called the town , panicked that the building permits for their homes would not be processed .
Businesses are shuttered .
Again .
The hallways of Paradise High are empty .
Again .
Paradise Town Hall is closed to the public .
The Gold Nugget Days parade ?
Postponed indefinitely .
The Paradise Chocolate Fest ?
Rescheduled for September .
Hopefully .
There were five confirmed cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the Golden State shut down , Paradise officials quickly reached out to Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s office to make sure construction was considered essential work , Curtis said .
They were relieved to learn it was .
“ It is absolutely critical to continue rebuilding and supporting our community because we are in such a vulnerable state , ” Curtis said .
“ We are still deep , deep in recovery from the fire .
We ’ re still in emergency mode .
We considered that an unprecedented disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster ?
...
It ’ s like , really , when are the locusts showing up ?
” On Monday , Pacific Gas & Electric announced in a federal filing that it had pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the Camp fire , which raced through Paradise in November 2018 , killed 85 people and destroyed more than 13,900 homes .
The utility acknowledged that its poorly maintained equipment sparked the blaze .
Before the fire , the town issued about 10 permits a year for new houses .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permits have been issued .
Eighty-one homes have been rebuilt .
Another celebrated return to normality came last August with the return of students and teachers to Paradise High School , which had been smoke-damaged and inaccessible for months .
Students spent the rest of the last school year doing course work online , visiting drop-in “ labs ” at the Chico mall and going to class in a converted warehouse at Chico Municipal Airport .
The school shut down again on March 16 because of COVID-19 .
It ’ s unclear if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California — will reopen before summer break .
Last week , teachers at Paradise High posted a Facebook video of them lip-syncing Celine Dion ’ s “ All By Myself ” in empty classrooms .
“ We Miss You Bobcats !
” it read .
“ Hope to see you soon.
” “ I ’ m hearing from the kids , ‘ What ’ s next ?
What ’ s going to happen next year because we ’ re going on two years in a row now of school being majorly disrupted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supt .
Tom Taylor .
“ Although , this year , we made it all the way to March.
” The silver lining , he said , is that students and staff have learned to be flexible .
And they ’ re accustomed to online learning .
But one of his staff members told him this week : “ Our emotional reserves are running low.
” “ We are a very resilient community , and we ’ ve proven that , ” Taylor said .
“ But how many times can you recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 75 , opened the first new restaurant to come to Paradise since the fire : Nic ’ s , a sandwich shop by day and a bar by night .
By March 17 , amid escalating stay-at-home orders from the state , Nic ’ s was doing take-out orders and curbside delivery .
Jones posted a picture to Facebook of a meat and cheese board and a bottle of wine with the caption : “ Sounds good to me — especially since this old lady is following the ‘ older person ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed the restaurant , thinking that would be safest for everyone .
Jones gave her 15 employees the leftover food and met with each one , assuring them it would be OK. She plans to reopen , whether it takes weeks or months .
“ Everybody says , ‘ Hey , we ’ ve been through one traumatic event ; we can get through this as well , ’ ” Jones said .
Jones lost her home to the Camp fire and is leasing a small house while she rebuilds .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I hope to be around a lot longer , ” she said .
Janice Thrash also shut down her food truck , the Patty Wagon , a bright-red rolling restaurant that dishes out charbroiled hamburgers and chili dogs .
She bought the truck in January 2019 , two months after the fire .
“ I survived the Camp fire .
I took out my 401K to buy the Patty Wagon , ” Thrash told The Times in a Facebook message .
“ We closed ( because ) we ’ re scared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had left.
” “ With all the news , I felt at least for a few weeks it ’ s the right thing to do , ” she said of shutting down .
“ I pray it ’ s for a short moment in time.
” Thrash said she had been scared because the town ’ s only hospital , Adventist Health Feather River Hospital , was still closed after the fire .
On March 21 , Adventist Health launched a new immediate care clinic in its free-standing medical center on Skyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care in Paradise for the first time since the fire and allows patients to be seen without an appointment .
The clinic had been in the works for some time , but its opening amid the COVID-19 crisis and concerns about medical shortages only made it more crucial , said Tim Williams , administrative director of physician and outpatient services .
“ The timing is very poignant , ” Williams said .
“ In a normal environment , this was needed , but based on everything else , it ’ s another avenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos.
” In its first week , the immediate care center did a handful of COVID-19 tests , Williams said .
The patients did not have the novel coronavirus but did have the flu , he said .
If a patient shows up to the immediate care center with symptoms of the coronavirus , they are isolated and assessed to see if they meet the “ strict criteria ” of getting one of the limited tests , Williams said .
Williams and his wife and three sons moved to Paradise in July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rebuilding , ” he said .
The people who live in Paradise now are still optimistic , even as the world is quickly changing amid the pandemic .
“ There ’ s a lot more room in Paradise , ” he said .
“ Social distancing looks a lot different here than it does in the cities .
”

Traffic is lined up on Skyway Road in Paradise, Calif., in February 2019, three months after the deadly Camp fire. Trees were cut all along the main roads as a safely precaution.
The ribbon cutting last month was the kind of optimistic civic photo op that means a lot these days in the town of Paradise.
With a pair of oversized scissors, a grinning Mayor Greg Bolin sliced a big red ribbon outside the Building Resiliency Center, a new one-stop-shop for the hundreds of people applying to rebuild their homes after the 2018 Camp fire destroyed most of the town.
For the record: A previous version of this article referred to Tom Taylor as Paradise Unified School District principal. He is the superintendent. Also, the Camp fire’s death toll was 85, not 86.
The ribbon cutting was Feb. 7. City leaders hoped to see the place bustling.
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But by mid-March, as California began shutting down public life to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the building got quiet. Visits had to be by appointment only, with calls and emails preferred to in-person trips. Staffing was reduced. Employees started wearing gloves.
“It’s been hard because our whole focus was a face-to-face interaction,” said Colette Curtis, a town spokeswoman. “Rebuilding is an emotional thing. People are overwhelmed. We wanted to be able to sit down and literally and figuratively hold their hand during the process. Now, this makes that impossible.”
The already fragile rebirth of Paradise — marked by houses rebuilt, businesses reopening, classes in session at Paradise High School — is being tested by the pandemic.
People have called the town, panicked that the building permits for their homes would not be processed. Businesses are shuttered. Again. The hallways of Paradise High are empty. Again.
Paradise Town Hall is closed to the public. The Gold Nugget Days parade? Postponed indefinitely. The Paradise Chocolate Fest? Rescheduled for September. Hopefully.
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There were five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Butte County as of Friday.
As the Golden State shut down, Paradise officials quickly reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office to make sure construction was considered essential work, Curtis said. They were relieved to learn it was.
“It is absolutely critical to continue rebuilding and supporting our community because we are in such a vulnerable state,” Curtis said.
The view this week from inside the Paradise Town Hall, which is closed to the public. (Colette Curtis)
“We are still deep, deep in recovery from the fire. We’re still in emergency mode. We considered that an unprecedented disaster, and now we have another unprecedented disaster? ... It’s like, really, when are the locusts showing up?”
On Monday, Pacific Gas & Electric announced in a federal filing that it had pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the Camp fire, which raced through Paradise in November 2018, killed 85 people and destroyed more than 13,900 homes. The utility acknowledged that its poorly maintained equipment sparked the blaze.
Before the fire, the town issued about 10 permits a year for new houses. In the 16 months since, 694 building permits have been issued. Eighty-one homes have been rebuilt.
Another celebrated return to normality came last August with the return of students and teachers to Paradise High School, which had been smoke-damaged and inaccessible for months. Students spent the rest of the last school year doing course work online, visiting drop-in “labs” at the Chico mall and going to class in a converted warehouse at Chico Municipal Airport.
The school shut down again on March 16 because of COVID-19. It’s unclear if it — or any other schools in California — will reopen before summer break.
Last week, teachers at Paradise High posted a Facebook video of them lip-syncing Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” in empty classrooms.
“We Miss You Bobcats!” it read. “Hope to see you soon.”
“I’m hearing from the kids, ‘What’s next? What’s going to happen next year because we’re going on two years in a row now of school being majorly disrupted,’ ” said Paradise Unified School District Supt. Tom Taylor. “Although, this year, we made it all the way to March.”
The silver lining, he said, is that students and staff have learned to be flexible. And they’re accustomed to online learning.
But one of his staff members told him this week: “Our emotional reserves are running low.”
“We are a very resilient community, and we’ve proven that,” Taylor said. “But how many times can you recover?”
In September, Nicki Jones, 75, opened the first new restaurant to come to Paradise since the fire: Nic’s, a sandwich shop by day and a bar by night.
By March 17, amid escalating stay-at-home orders from the state, Nic’s was doing take-out orders and curbside delivery. Jones posted a picture to Facebook of a meat and cheese board and a bottle of wine with the caption: “Sounds good to me — especially since this old lady is following the ‘older person’ self-quarantine.”
Late last week, she closed the restaurant, thinking that would be safest for everyone.
Jones gave her 15 employees the leftover food and met with each one, assuring them it would be OK. She plans to reopen, whether it takes weeks or months.
“Everybody says, ‘Hey, we’ve been through one traumatic event; we can get through this as well,’ ” Jones said.
Nicki Jones owns Nic’s sandwich shop, the first restaurant to open in Paradise after the Camp fire. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Jones lost her home to the Camp fire and is leasing a small house while she rebuilds.
“I’ve been around a long time, and I hope to be around a lot longer,” she said.
Janice Thrash also shut down her food truck, the Patty Wagon, a bright-red rolling restaurant that dishes out charbroiled hamburgers and chili dogs. She bought the truck in January 2019, two months after the fire.
“I survived the Camp fire. I took out my 401K to buy the Patty Wagon,” Thrash told The Times in a Facebook message. “We closed (because) we’re scared, and to protect what little community we had left.”
“With all the news, I felt at least for a few weeks it’s the right thing to do,” she said of shutting down. “I pray it’s for a short moment in time.”
Thrash said she had been scared because the town’s only hospital, Adventist Health Feather River Hospital, was still closed after the fire.
On March 21, Adventist Health launched a new immediate care clinic in its free-standing medical center on Skyway Drive. The clinic is providing weekend care in Paradise for the first time since the fire and allows patients to be seen without an appointment.
The clinic had been in the works for some time, but its opening amid the COVID-19 crisis and concerns about medical shortages only made it more crucial, said Tim Williams, administrative director of physician and outpatient services.
“The timing is very poignant,” Williams said. “In a normal environment, this was needed, but based on everything else, it’s another avenue where we can provide care amidst the chaos.”
In its first week, the immediate care center did a handful of COVID-19 tests, Williams said. The patients did not have the novel coronavirus but did have the flu, he said.
If a patient shows up to the immediate care center with symptoms of the coronavirus, they are isolated and assessed to see if they meet the “strict criteria” of getting one of the limited tests, Williams said.
Williams and his wife and three sons moved to Paradise in July, feeling “called to be part of the rebuilding,” he said. The people who live in Paradise now are still optimistic, even as the world is quickly changing amid the pandemic.
“There’s a lot more room in Paradise,” he said. “Social distancing looks a lot different here than it does in the cities.”


latimes--2020-03-27--Coronavirus: L.A. County closes all beaches and adjacent trails and facilities to deter crowds flout

Coronavirus: L.A. County closes all beaches and adjacent trails and facilities to deter crowds flouting restrictions

Los Angeles County has closed all of its beaches in an effort to reduce crowds as officials try to enforce social-distancing guidelines to slow the spread of coronavirus .
Los Angeles followed suit Friday night , announcing the clousure of park amenities , trails heads and trails .
“ The crowds we saw at our beaches last weekend were unacceptable , ” County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement .
“ In order to save lives , beaches in L.A. County will be temporarily closed .
I understand that this is a huge sacrifice for everyone who enjoys going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not risk another sunny weekend with crowds at the beach spreading this virus .
This closure is temporary and we can always reopen these beaches when it is safe to do so.
” The order also applies to beach bike paths , bathrooms , piers and promenades , she said .
Last week , crowds packed some Southern California beaches , hiking trials and parks despite strict measures designed to keep people inside most of the time .
Since then , many piers , parks , trials and beach parking lots have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admonished Angelenos who haven ’ t taken orders to practice social distancing seriously .
“ Too many people , too close together , too often , ” Garcetti said .
“ The longer we do that , the more people will get sick , and the more people will die .
There ’ s no way to sugarcoat that .
”

Los Angeles County has closed all of its beaches in an effort to reduce crowds as officials try to enforce social-distancing guidelines to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Los Angeles followed suit Friday night, announcing the clousure of park amenities, trails heads and trails.
“The crowds we saw at our beaches last weekend were unacceptable,” County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “In order to save lives, beaches in L.A. County will be temporarily closed. I understand that this is a huge sacrifice for everyone who enjoys going to our beaches. But we cannot risk another sunny weekend with crowds at the beach spreading this virus. This closure is temporary and we can always reopen these beaches when it is safe to do so.”
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The order also applies to beach bike paths, bathrooms, piers and promenades, she said.
Last week, crowds packed some Southern California beaches, hiking trials and parks despite strict measures designed to keep people inside most of the time.
Since then, many piers, parks, trials and beach parking lots have been closed.
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday admonished Angelenos who haven’t taken orders to practice social distancing seriously. “Too many people, too close together, too often,” Garcetti said. “The longer we do that, the more people will get sick, and the more people will die. There’s no way to sugarcoat that.”