latimes--2020-08-26--California could see a quarter-million coronavirus tests a day under new state plan

Gov .
Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday that California has signed a contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of coronavirus tests that can be processed in the state , eventually expanding capacity to roughly a quarter of a million tests per day .
Under the $ 1.4-billion agreement , a new Santa Clarita lab will be able to provide testing results within two days , far quicker than the average five- to seven-day processing times offered by other labs .
The expanded testing capacity and quicker results will increase the ability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who test positive for the virus and to track down and test those who came in contact with them , Newsom said , which are crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19 .
“ We have provisions in the contract to guarantee that turnaround time , ” Newsom said at a news briefing .
“ That will advance our efforts to reopen our schools for in-person education , reopen our businesses in a more effective and efficient manner , in a more sustainable manner.
” The new lab is expected to begin processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lab is at full capacity in March and processing as many as 150,000 tests per day , the cost per test is expected to be a little more than $ 30 , Newsom said .
Currently , Medicare and Medi-Cal pay about $ 100 per coronavirus test , and the average overall cost varies from $ 150 to $ 200 per test , state officials said .
Reducing testing costs not only will save money for workers and their employers but also lower costs for Medi-Cal , the federally subsidized insurance program for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is exactly what the federal government should be doing , ” Newsom said .
“ Had the federal government done this some time ago , you wouldn ’ t see average costs [ per ] test at $ 150 to $ 200 — costing the taxpayers , quite literally , tens of billions of dollars , costing employers billions and billions of dollars , costing the health plans billions of dollars as well.
” Since the pandemic began , more than 10.8 million coronavirus tests have been administered in California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state process an average of 100,000 tests per day .
In that time , more than 12,000 Californians have died from the virus and 682,000 have tested positive .
Up until this point , California has been conducting fewer than half the daily tests necessary to stop the virus , according to an analysis by the Harvard Global Health Institute .
Some officials who served on the governor ’ s testing task force have also expressed concern that testing supplies were in danger of drying up in the coming months as various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghaly , secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency , said the new lab will give California “ a degree of testing independence ” and insulate the state from the testing delays and fluctuating supply lines plaguing the rest of the country .
More testing also will give public health officials greater insight into the transmission of the virus in California , he said , and an enhanced ability to identify people when they are most infectious .
Under the agreement , PerkinElmer will provide the testing equipment , laboratory personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus testing , including reagents , which are used to extract genetic material from a nasal swab sample and were in short supply at the outset of the pandemic .
The state is leasing the Santa Clarita facility and providing the swabs and the supplies needed to safely store and transport the tests to the lab .
The state will also attempt to recoup a portion of the $ 1.4-billion price tag by billing private insurers , Medicare and other parties responsible for covering individual testing costs .
The costs of the tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new lab processes only 40,000 per day , the cost per test is $ 48 .
The price drops to just under $ 38 per test if 100,000 tests are processed and about $ 31 if 150,000 are processed daily , the governor said .
State Sen. Richard Pan ( D-Sacramento ) , who is a pediatrician , said significantly expanding testing is crucial to bringing the pandemic under control in California .
“ In order for us to get our kids back to school , in order for us to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to get back to their jobs , we need to be able to contain this pandemic , ” Pan said .
“ In order to do that , we have to have reliable testing.
” Newsom on Wednesday said the new state protocols for allowing counties to reopen their economies will be announced on Friday .
Local officials have been expressed frustration that the Newsom administration has been slow in releasing that policy .
Under a system enacted by the Newsom administration , counties that are added to a coronavirus monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures if they experience three days of elevated disease transmission , increased hospitalizations or limited hospital capacity .
Counties drop off the list if those trends reverse and they meet the state standards for another three days .
Eight counties in California have been removed from the list and are waiting for the state to release guidelines .

Newsom said California signed a contract with a medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of COVID-19 tests that can be processed in the state.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday that California has signed a contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of coronavirus tests that can be processed in the state, eventually expanding capacity to roughly a quarter of a million tests per day.
Under the $1.4-billion agreement, a new Santa Clarita lab will be able to provide testing results within two days, far quicker than the average five- to seven-day processing times offered by other labs.
The expanded testing capacity and quicker results will increase the ability of local health officials to quickly isolate people who test positive for the virus and to track down and test those who came in contact with them, Newsom said, which are crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
“We have provisions in the contract to guarantee that turnaround time,” Newsom said at a news briefing. “That will advance our efforts to reopen our schools for in-person education, reopen our businesses in a more effective and efficient manner, in a more sustainable manner.”
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The new lab is expected to begin processing coronavirus tests in November. When the lab is at full capacity in March and processing as many as 150,000 tests per day, the cost per test is expected to be a little more than $30, Newsom said. Currently, Medicare and Medi-Cal pay about $100 per coronavirus test, and the average overall cost varies from $150 to $200 per test, state officials said.
Reducing testing costs not only will save money for workers and their employers but also lower costs for Medi-Cal, the federally subsidized insurance program for low-income Californians, the governor said.
“This is exactly what the federal government should be doing,” Newsom said. “Had the federal government done this some time ago, you wouldn’t see average costs [per] test at $150 to $200 — costing the taxpayers, quite literally, tens of billions of dollars, costing employers billions and billions of dollars, costing the health plans billions of dollars as well.”
Since the pandemic began, more than 10.8 million coronavirus tests have been administered in California. Currently, private and public labs in the state process an average of 100,000 tests per day. In that time, more than 12,000 Californians have died from the virus and 682,000 have tested positive.
Up until this point, California has been conducting fewer than half the daily tests necessary to stop the virus, according to an analysis by the Harvard Global Health Institute. Some officials who served on the governor’s testing task force have also expressed concern that testing supplies were in danger of drying up in the coming months as various states compete for them.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency, said the new lab will give California “a degree of testing independence” and insulate the state from the testing delays and fluctuating supply lines plaguing the rest of the country. More testing also will give public health officials greater insight into the transmission of the virus in California, he said, and an enhanced ability to identify people when they are most infectious.
Under the agreement, PerkinElmer will provide the testing equipment, laboratory personnel and the critical chemicals needed to conduct coronavirus testing, including reagents, which are used to extract genetic material from a nasal swab sample and were in short supply at the outset of the pandemic.
The state is leasing the Santa Clarita facility and providing the swabs and the supplies needed to safely store and transport the tests to the lab. The state will also attempt to recoup a portion of the $1.4-billion price tag by billing private insurers, Medicare and other parties responsible for covering individual testing costs.
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The costs of the tests depend on the number processed. If the new lab processes only 40,000 per day, the cost per test is $48. The price drops to just under $38 per test if 100,000 tests are processed and about $31 if 150,000 are processed daily, the governor said.
State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who is a pediatrician, said significantly expanding testing is crucial to bringing the pandemic under control in California.
“In order for us to get our kids back to school, in order for us to get our businesses back open, in order for people to get back to their jobs, we need to be able to contain this pandemic,” Pan said. “In order to do that, we have to have reliable testing.”
Newsom on Wednesday said the new state protocols for allowing counties to reopen their economies will be announced on Friday. Local officials have been expressed frustration that the Newsom administration has been slow in releasing that policy.
Under a system enacted by the Newsom administration, counties that are added to a coronavirus monitoring list are are subject to additional business closures if they experience three days of elevated disease transmission, increased hospitalizations or limited hospital capacity. Counties drop off the list if those trends reverse and they meet the state standards for another three days. Eight counties in California have been removed from the list and are waiting for the state to release guidelines.


latimes--2020-08-26--Most nursing home inspectors still haven't been tested for the coronavirus, despite Newsom pledge

A month after Gov .
Gavin Newsom promised an aggressive program to test nursing home inspectors for the deadly coronavirus , at least 60 % still have not been tested , state health officials acknowledged .
Newsom ordered the testing in late July after a Los Angeles Times investigation found that , since the beginning of the pandemic , state health officials had been sending inspectors from nursing home to nursing home — many of which had raging outbreaks — without testing those inspectors to make sure they were not spreading the virus themselves .
The testing program itself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who say it ’ s an informal and disorganized process with little supervision or clear protocols : They ’ re sent for do-it-yourself drive-through testing at Rite Aid .
They are not required to quarantine during the long waits for the results .
And some inspectors say they haven ’ t shared the results with the department because they don ’ t know how to .
Nursing homes , with their concentrated populations of vulnerable people , have suffered a disproportionate share of death and illness as the virus has spread across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 nursing home residents and employees have tested positive for COVID-19 , and more than 4,000 have died of the disease .
Since the start of the pandemic , state health officials have barred friends and family from visiting nursing homes , meaning thousands of residents have died without a final embrace from their loved ones .
Since May , nursing home employees have been required to undergo an aggressive testing regime — all had to get a baseline test to begin with , and they have to get follow-up tests at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastic measures are designed to prevent someone from picking up the virus outside a home and then inadvertently bringing it in , potentially sparking a lethal outbreak .
But while all of that was occurring , state officials failed to test the very inspectors responsible for ensuring infection-control procedures were being followed , even though many of those inspectors are exposed to the virus on a near-daily basis .
“ For them to send us in without testing or screening is unconscionable , ” an inspector in Southern California told The Times last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouldn ’ t let us in.
” As of Monday , a month after Newsom ’ s order , state officials had only received test results from 136 of the approximately 500 inspectors who visit nursing homes across the state .
None had tested positive , according to Mark Smith , a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health .
On Tuesday , Smith said the number had climbed to 200 completed tests with one positive .
That one positive test result was received by the department on Aug. 21 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office or health facility on Aug. 12 , Smith said .
“ Additionally , the employee did not come into close contact with any other CDPH staff , ” Smith said .
The deadline to complete the first round of baseline testing for all state inspectors is Aug. 31 , Smith said .
Officials at the L.A. County Department of Public Health , which has about 180 of its own nursing home inspectors , refused to say how many have been tested .
“ There ’ s no sense of urgency , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , who has become an outspoken critic of state health officials for what he considers a dangerously lethargic response to the COVID-19 crisis in nursing homes .
During a hearing at the state Capitol on Aug. 17 , Nazarian accused the state health department ‘ s deputy director , Heidi Steinecker , of being “ elusive ” when legislators pressed for specifics about her agency ’ s handling of the pandemic .
“ Honestly , I sometimes feel , with your calm and measured responses , not much keeps you up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazarian also complained that Steinecker ’ s department had not set up a separate , designated system for testing nursing home inspectors , instead sending them off to seek testing from pharmacies or their own doctors like members of the general public .
Inspectors interviewed by The Times in the last week said that is precisely what is happening .
After Newsom ’ s vow to provide testing , inspectors said they were instructed to set up their own appointments at Rite Aid .
One inspector in the Central Valley , who asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of retaliation , said she got her test in mid-August and waited six days for the result .
Instead of being quarantined while she waited , she said she was sent the next day to inspect a home with dozens of known COVID-19 cases .
“ It was so important to [ CDPH administrators ] that I get that COVID test so I could be sent out and they could say I ’ d had my test , even though I didn ’ t have the result , ” the inspector said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to being forced to allow untested state inspectors into their facilities .
Inspectors are not required to quarantine while awaiting their results as long as they don ’ t have symptoms and wear proper protective equipment while inside nursing homes , Smith said .
The inspector and two colleagues spent four days inside the stricken facility , she said , during which time dozens more residents tested positive .
Nearly 80 % of the residents had COVID-19 , she said .
“ It was a mess , ” the inspector said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out so , “ they had fans blowing dirty air all over the place.
” On top of everything else , the inspector said , her medical-grade N95 face mask didn ’ t fit properly the whole time she was in the facility .
The day she and her colleagues finished the inspection at the stricken facility , the inspector said she got the result from the test she had taken a week earlier .
It was negative , but that doesn ’ t mean much anymore , she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I got tested .
Do I have it now ?
I don ’ t know , ” she said .
When she asked state health administrators what to do , she said they did not offer to test her again at Rite Aid at the department ’ s expense .
Instead , they suggested she go to her primary care physician .
Her primary care physician refused to test her because she didn ’ t have symptoms , adding that if she thought she was exposed at work , it was up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s just a big runaround , ” the inspector said .
For the last week , instead of quarantining , the inspector said she and her colleagues have been working from their district office .
But all three are scheduled to resume visiting nursing homes in the coming days , without having been retested .
Another inspector in Southern California , who also asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation , said she followed the department ’ s instructions and went to a drive-through testing site at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as , “ pretty much do-it-yourself.
” The pharmacist handed her a test kit while she sat in her car and then watched her put the swab up her own nose .
“ He kept saying , ‘ higher , higher , higher.
’ I ’ m like , no , it ’ s already in my brain !
” A co-worker told her the pharmacist who handed over her test didn ’ t even bother to watch .
The inspector said she has not reported her results to the state health department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
Other inspectors said they were instructed to email the results to a department email address set up to receive them .
Sending health inspectors out to get tested like the general public , with no clear procedures for reporting the results , is no substitute for setting up a dedicated testing system with more immediate access to results , according to Nazarian .
“ That doesn ’ t cut it , ” he said , “ Telling state employees to go get tested with the general public , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mediocrity at best .
”

California health officials have required COVID-19 testing of residents and employees at nursing homes, such as this one in Reseda, but have not provided comprehensive testing to their own inspectors who regularly visit the facilities.
A month after Gov. Gavin Newsom promised an aggressive program to test nursing home inspectors for the deadly coronavirus, at least 60% still have not been tested, state health officials acknowledged.
Newsom ordered the testing in late July after a Los Angeles Times investigation found that, since the beginning of the pandemic, state health officials had been sending inspectors from nursing home to nursing home — many of which had raging outbreaks — without testing those inspectors to make sure they were not spreading the virus themselves.
For the record: Nursing homes inspectors: An article in the Aug. 27 Section A about testing of nursing home inspectors said California health officials had barred friends and relatives from visiting residents in nursing homes since March. In late June, state officials began allowing visits outdoors or in large communal spaces as long as everyone wears a mask, keeps at least six feet apart and there are no hugs or handshakes.
The testing program itself has been sharply criticized by some inspectors, who say it’s an informal and disorganized process with little supervision or clear protocols: They’re sent for do-it-yourself drive-through testing at Rite Aid. They are not required to quarantine during the long waits for the results. And some inspectors say they haven’t shared the results with the department because they don’t know how to.
Nursing homes, with their concentrated populations of vulnerable people, have suffered a disproportionate share of death and illness as the virus has spread across the country. In California, more than 40,000 nursing home residents and employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 4,000 have died of the disease.
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Since the start of the pandemic, state health officials have barred friends and family from visiting nursing homes, meaning thousands of residents have died without a final embrace from their loved ones. Since May, nursing home employees have been required to undergo an aggressive testing regime — all had to get a baseline test to begin with, and they have to get follow-up tests at least once a month for surveillance.
Those drastic measures are designed to prevent someone from picking up the virus outside a home and then inadvertently bringing it in, potentially sparking a lethal outbreak.
But while all of that was occurring, state officials failed to test the very inspectors responsible for ensuring infection-control procedures were being followed, even though many of those inspectors are exposed to the virus on a near-daily basis.
“For them to send us in without testing or screening is unconscionable,” an inspector in Southern California told The Times last month. “I think nursing homes shouldn’t let us in.”
As of Monday, a month after Newsom’s order, state officials had only received test results from 136 of the approximately 500 inspectors who visit nursing homes across the state. None had tested positive, according to Mark Smith, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health.
On Tuesday, Smith said the number had climbed to 200 completed tests with one positive. That one positive test result was received by the department on Aug. 21, and the employee had last visited a state office or health facility on Aug. 12, Smith said.
“Additionally, the employee did not come into close contact with any other CDPH staff,” Smith said.
The deadline to complete the first round of baseline testing for all state inspectors is Aug. 31, Smith said.
Officials at the L.A. County Department of Public Health, which has about 180 of its own nursing home inspectors, refused to say how many have been tested.
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“There’s no sense of urgency,” said Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-North Hollywood), who has become an outspoken critic of state health officials for what he considers a dangerously lethargic response to the COVID-19 crisis in nursing homes.
During a hearing at the state Capitol on Aug. 17, Nazarian accused the state health department‘s deputy director, Heidi Steinecker, of being “elusive” when legislators pressed for specifics about her agency’s handling of the pandemic.
“Honestly, I sometimes feel, with your calm and measured responses, not much keeps you up at night,” he told her.
Nazarian also complained that Steinecker’s department had not set up a separate, designated system for testing nursing home inspectors, instead sending them off to seek testing from pharmacies or their own doctors like members of the general public.
Inspectors interviewed by The Times in the last week said that is precisely what is happening.
After Newsom’s vow to provide testing, inspectors said they were instructed to set up their own appointments at Rite Aid.
One inspector in the Central Valley, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation, said she got her test in mid-August and waited six days for the result. Instead of being quarantined while she waited, she said she was sent the next day to inspect a home with dozens of known COVID-19 cases.
“It was so important to [CDPH administrators] that I get that COVID test so I could be sent out and they could say I’d had my test, even though I didn’t have the result,” the inspector said. Some nursing home officials have objected to being forced to allow untested state inspectors into their facilities.
Inspectors are not required to quarantine while awaiting their results as long as they don’t have symptoms and wear proper protective equipment while inside nursing homes, Smith said.
The inspector and two colleagues spent four days inside the stricken facility, she said, during which time dozens more residents tested positive. Nearly 80% of the residents had COVID-19, she said.
“It was a mess,” the inspector said. The facility’s air conditioning had gone out so, “they had fans blowing dirty air all over the place.” On top of everything else, the inspector said, her medical-grade N95 face mask didn’t fit properly the whole time she was in the facility.
The day she and her colleagues finished the inspection at the stricken facility, the inspector said she got the result from the test she had taken a week earlier. It was negative, but that doesn’t mean much anymore, she said.
“I did not have [COVID-19] when I got tested. Do I have it now? I don’t know,” she said.
When she asked state health administrators what to do, she said they did not offer to test her again at Rite Aid at the department’s expense. Instead, they suggested she go to her primary care physician. Her primary care physician refused to test her because she didn’t have symptoms, adding that if she thought she was exposed at work, it was up to her employer to test her.
“It’s just a big runaround,” the inspector said. For the last week, instead of quarantining, the inspector said she and her colleagues have been working from their district office. But all three are scheduled to resume visiting nursing homes in the coming days, without having been retested.
Another inspector in Southern California, who also asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation, said she followed the department’s instructions and went to a drive-through testing site at a Rite Aid, which she described as, “pretty much do-it-yourself.”
The pharmacist handed her a test kit while she sat in her car and then watched her put the swab up her own nose. “He kept saying, ‘higher, higher, higher.’ I’m like, no, it’s already in my brain!”
A co-worker told her the pharmacist who handed over her test didn’t even bother to watch.
The inspector said she has not reported her results to the state health department and has received no instructions on how to do so.
Other inspectors said they were instructed to email the results to a department email address set up to receive them.
Sending health inspectors out to get tested like the general public, with no clear procedures for reporting the results, is no substitute for setting up a dedicated testing system with more immediate access to results, according to Nazarian.
“That doesn’t cut it,” he said, “Telling state employees to go get tested with the general public, that’s not a standard. That’s mediocrity at best.”


latimes--2020-08-26--California officials oppose CDC over looser coronavirus testing and travel protocols

New guidance on coronavirus testing and travel issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drew strong pushback from California officials Wednesday .
The CDC is no longer recommending a 14-day quarantine for travelers .
After the government issued a mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan , China , in February , the guidance that travelers isolate for two weeks was adopted by several states and encouraged by local officials as a key tool in mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus — especially among people who may be asymptomatic .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC ’ s new guidance and insisted that it will not impact California .
“ I don ’ t agree with the new CDC guidance .
Period .
Full stop , ” he said .
“ We will not be influenced by that change.
” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said those traveling to places with high transmission rates should be mindful of the potential to contract the virus and expose others to it .
She also reminded residents that L.A. County is a COVID-19 hot spot and traveling from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outsiders .
“ My message really is : Whether you ’ re flying or staying home , you need to be mindful that we have to reduce our transmission , ” she said .
“ The way we do that is by reducing exposure to other people.
” The CDC also is no longer advising those without symptoms to be tested , even if they have been in contact with an infected person .
Ferrer , however , said the county ’ s recommendation still stands : Anyone who has been exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and self-quarantine .
“ This is particularly important if a public health official or doctor tells you to get tested , ” she said .
Newsom said Wednesday that California had signed a contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of coronavirus tests that can be processed in the state , eventually expanding capacity to roughly a quarter of a million tests a day .
Under the $ 1.4-billion agreement , a new Santa Clarita lab will be able to provide testing results within two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to seven-day processing times offered by other labs .
The expanded testing capacity and quicker results will increase the ability of health officials to quickly isolate people who test positive for the virus and to track down and test those who came in contact with them , Newsom said , steps that are crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19 .
The new lab is expected to begin processing coronavirus tests in November .
When the lab is at full capacity in March and processing as many as 150,000 tests per day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a little more than $ 30 , Newsom said .
Medicare and Medi-Cal pay about $ 100 per test , and the average overall cost varies from $ 150 to $ 200 per test , state officials said .
Reducing testing costs not only will save money for workers and their employers but also lower costs for Medi-Cal , the federally subsidized insurance program for low-income Californians , the governor said .
“ This is exactly what the federal government should be doing , ” Newsom said .
“ Had the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you wouldn ’ t see average costs [ per ] test at $ 150 to $ 200 — costing the taxpayers , quite literally , tens of billions of dollars , costing employers billions and billions of dollars , costing the health plans billions of dollars as well.
” The news comes as California fights to keep its case count and hospitalization numbers down .
The state ’ s 14-day average for positive tests is at 6.1 % , and hospitalizations over that same period have decreased by 17 % , Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 58 additional COVID-19 deaths Wednesday and 1,642 additional cases .
Those numbers are lower than what was reported just a month ago , but higher than Tuesday ’ s daily case count , which dipped below 1,000 for the first time since early June .
The drop in infections was reported the same day that the California Department of Public Health reported the county ’ s 14-day average case rate had dropped below 200 per 100,000 residents .
That threshold would allow elementary schools to apply for waivers to hold in-person classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county is not ready to make that move .
Officials also reported that 1,200 pregnant women and girls between the ages of 14 and 52 have tested positive for the virus and two have died from complications .
Of the 193 babies who were tested at birth , eight were positive .
This marks the first time the county has reported positive infections among newborn babies .
The number of cases in L.A. County , which totals more than 233,000 , surged in June after the county rapidly reopened various sectors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Activity related to Memorial Day weekend and informal gatherings also contributed to an increase in cases throughout the state .
In addition , mass protests over the death of George Floyd erupted during that time , although officials have said that those outdoor demonstrations did not contribute to the massive surge in new coronavirus infections .
Still , it is impossible for officials to trace cases that originate in public spaces .
The statewide surge in cases continued after the July 4 weekend , followed by a reporting backlog error that sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers have just begun to decline in recent weeks , as has the number of hospitalizations in California .
The state ’ s seven-day average for positive coronavirus test results is 5.7 % .
That is below the country ’ s overall average , which according to Johns Hopkins University is 6.1 % .
But maintaining that progress is not guaranteed if social distancing practices are relaxed , officials warn .
In an effort to continue slowing the spread of the virus , some counties are offering to pay workers to stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sacramento County health officials are working on a proposal to offer a stipend of about $ 12.50 per hour to workers who contract the virus but can not work from home .
The payout amounts to about $ 1,000 for two weeks .
Los Angeles County , which accounts for the bulk of the state ’ s more than 682,000 infections and nearly 12,500 deaths , has not introduced any wage-replacement plans similar to those in the Bay Area .
But the county is offering residents who complete an interview with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Hugo Pena monitors Kendall McCrory as she donates blood during L.A. Care’s blood drive in downtown Los Angeles. The Red Cross said supplies have dropped due to COVID-19 cancelling blood drives.
New guidance on coronavirus testing and travel issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drew strong pushback from California officials Wednesday.
The CDC is no longer recommending a 14-day quarantine for travelers. After the government issued a mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan, China, in February, the guidance that travelers isolate for two weeks was adopted by several states and encouraged by local officials as a key tool in mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus — especially among people who may be asymptomatic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said he disagrees with the CDC’s new guidance and insisted that it will not impact California.
“I don’t agree with the new CDC guidance. Period. Full stop,” he said. “We will not be influenced by that change.”
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said those traveling to places with high transmission rates should be mindful of the potential to contract the virus and expose others to it. She also reminded residents that L.A. County is a COVID-19 hot spot and traveling from the community could present a risk to outsiders.
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“My message really is: Whether you’re flying or staying home, you need to be mindful that we have to reduce our transmission,” she said. “The way we do that is by reducing exposure to other people.”
The CDC also is no longer advising those without symptoms to be tested, even if they have been in contact with an infected person. Ferrer, however, said the county’s recommendation still stands: Anyone who has been exposed to someone with the virus should get tested and self-quarantine.
“This is particularly important if a public health official or doctor tells you to get tested,” she said.
Newsom said Wednesday that California had signed a contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of coronavirus tests that can be processed in the state, eventually expanding capacity to roughly a quarter of a million tests a day.
Under the $1.4-billion agreement, a new Santa Clarita lab will be able to provide testing results within two days, far quicker than the average five- to seven-day processing times offered by other labs.
The expanded testing capacity and quicker results will increase the ability of health officials to quickly isolate people who test positive for the virus and to track down and test those who came in contact with them, Newsom said, steps that are crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
The new lab is expected to begin processing coronavirus tests in November. When the lab is at full capacity in March and processing as many as 150,000 tests per day, the cost per test is expected to be a little more than $30, Newsom said. Medicare and Medi-Cal pay about $100 per test, and the average overall cost varies from $150 to $200 per test, state officials said.
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Reducing testing costs not only will save money for workers and their employers but also lower costs for Medi-Cal, the federally subsidized insurance program for low-income Californians, the governor said.
“This is exactly what the federal government should be doing,” Newsom said. “Had the federal government done this some time ago, you wouldn’t see average costs [per] test at $150 to $200 — costing the taxpayers, quite literally, tens of billions of dollars, costing employers billions and billions of dollars, costing the health plans billions of dollars as well.”
California California could see a quarter-million coronavirus tests a day under new state plan The expanded coronavirus testing capacity and quicker results will increase the ability of officials to quickly isolate people who test positive and to track down those who came in contact with them, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
The news comes as California fights to keep its case count and hospitalization numbers down. The state’s 14-day average for positive tests is at 6.1%, and hospitalizations over that same period have decreased by 17%, Newsom said Wednesday.
In L.A. County, officials reported 58 additional COVID-19 deaths Wednesday and 1,642 additional cases. Those numbers are lower than what was reported just a month ago, but higher than Tuesday’s daily case count, which dipped below 1,000 for the first time since early June.
The drop in infections was reported the same day that the California Department of Public Health reported the county’s 14-day average case rate had dropped below 200 per 100,000 residents. That threshold would allow elementary schools to apply for waivers to hold in-person classes, but on Wednesday, Ferrer said the county is not ready to make that move.
Officials also reported that 1,200 pregnant women and girls between the ages of 14 and 52 have tested positive for the virus and two have died from complications. Of the 193 babies who were tested at birth, eight were positive. This marks the first time the county has reported positive infections among newborn babies.
The number of cases in L.A. County, which totals more than 233,000, surged in June after the county rapidly reopened various sectors of the economy following several months of closures. Activity related to Memorial Day weekend and informal gatherings also contributed to an increase in cases throughout the state.
In addition, mass protests over the death of George Floyd erupted during that time, although officials have said that those outdoor demonstrations did not contribute to the massive surge in new coronavirus infections. Still, it is impossible for officials to trace cases that originate in public spaces.
The statewide surge in cases continued after the July 4 weekend, followed by a reporting backlog error that sent daily infections into record territory.
Those numbers have just begun to decline in recent weeks, as has the number of hospitalizations in California.
The state’s seven-day average for positive coronavirus test results is 5.7%. That is below the country’s overall average, which according to Johns Hopkins University is 6.1%.
But maintaining that progress is not guaranteed if social distancing practices are relaxed, officials warn. In an effort to continue slowing the spread of the virus, some counties are offering to pay workers to stay home and isolate if they contract the virus.
Sacramento County health officials are working on a proposal to offer a stipend of about $12.50 per hour to workers who contract the virus but cannot work from home. The payout amounts to about $1,000 for two weeks.
Los Angeles County, which accounts for the bulk of the state’s more than 682,000 infections and nearly 12,500 deaths, has not introduced any wage-replacement plans similar to those in the Bay Area. But the county is offering residents who complete an interview with a contact tracer a $25 gift certificate.


latimes--2020-08-26--California Senate abruptly halts work due to a new coronavirus case

The California Senate canceled its floor session Wednesday after a Republican lawmaker from San Diego County tested positive for the coronavirus , complicating a hectic final week of legislative business at the state Capitol .
Sen. Brian Jones ( R-Santee ) confirmed Wednesday that he tested positive after his diagnosis sparked a chaotic morning in the Senate .
A second case was also identified , according to an email Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras sent to lawmakers and their staffers later in the day .
An officer with the California Highway Patrol tested positive after having last been inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be prepared to continue our work when we have completed public health protocols to ensure that the risk of exposure has been eliminated , ” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) said in a statement .
“ The Senate will use the tools available to us to make sure that we can complete necessary work prior to August 31.
” But with nearly 280 bills awaiting action with only five days left , it ’ s unclear how the Senate plans to finish the year .
Atkins must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote voting , or a hybrid model of in-person and virtual participation .
Jones had returned to the Capitol this week , and the Senate has been working to conduct “ immediate contact tracing.
” Several others have been warned that they could have been exposed to the virus , but Atkins has not said whether those people will be required to quarantine at home or allowed to return to the Capitol .
Jones was diagnosed after he and several other senators were tested for the virus in recent days .
The Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a floor session Monday and Senate Republicans , including Jones , met in person for a caucus Tuesday .
Jones ’ office said in a statement on Facebook that the senator plans to take additional tests to rule out the possibility of a false positive .
He is following federal and state protocols for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 , the statement said .
Katie Talbot , a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) , said the Assembly would proceed with hearings and floor sessions as planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers are divided over the extent to which the Legislature can act on bills with its members casting votes from remote locations .
The Assembly has instituted a process for members at high risk of contracting the virus to submit proxy votes to the house ’ s leaders .
The Senate allowed remote voting by its members for bills when they were in committee .
The upper house said last month that it would not allow remote voting during floor sessions .
Jones , who served in the Assembly for six years before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has been a vocal opponent of remote voting .
He issued a news release earlier this month asserting that lawyers for the Legislature have advised lawmakers that they must be physically present at hearings or on the floor in order to vote on legislation .
“ Just what California doesn ’ t need , more secret deal-making with Tammany Hall-style rigged voting by political party leaders , ” Jones said in a statement at the time .
“ If legislative leaders want to change the Constitution , they need the approval of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pandemic has disrupted the Capitol since the Senate and Assembly halted sessions in March to lessen the risk of the virus spreading .
Both houses delayed a return from summer recess last month after two Assembly members and four staffers tested positive for COVID-19 .
That spread inside the Capitol was believed to be linked to legislators and staffers meeting to pass the state budget at the end of June .
Before the most recent case , a spokeswoman for the Senate said in July that one Senate staffer had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in district offices also had confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
“ We have , as senators , done a pretty good job of avoiding COVID-19 for five months , ” Sen. John Moorlach ( R-Costa Mesa ) said .
“ We ’ re all doing our best and we ’ re all trusting that everyone else is doing the same.
” After learning about the new case in the Senate , Moorlach said he requested to be tested and is awaiting instructions .
He said the Senate will have to make decisions soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m just trying to stay calm , ” Moorlach said .
“ I would like to conclude session , and if those that tested positive have to do it remotely , then so be it.
” Sen. Brian Dahle ( R-Bieber ) said that requiring him to take a test could be futile considering that the incubation period for the virus varies and he was around Jones in the last couple of days .
Dahle said a nurse contacted him Wednesday and told him that he had been identified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus through Jones .
Now he ’ s waiting to hear whether he can return to the Capitol on Thursday .
In addition to the in-person caucus Tuesday , Dahle and several other Republican senators were in the same room Monday night .
Dahle said that he socially distanced from others and that Jones wasn ’ t present .
He said Senate leadership should allow him to return to the Capitol , remain a safe distance from others and vote in the final days of session .
“ There ’ s plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance 40 people and a few staff , ” Dahle said .
“ We don ’ t need to freak out .
If someone is worried about me , put me up in the balcony and give me a microphone and I ’ ll be fine.
” Like Jones , Dahle doesn ’ t believe the Legislature has the constitutional authority to vote remotely .
“ I want to keep people safe , but I want to go to work , ” he said .
“ We can do our job and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to do that , but I want to be present there and I want to speak on legislation that will affect millions of people .
”

State Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee), then an assemblyman, in the state Capitol in 2015. On Wednesday, he confirmed that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The California Senate canceled its floor session Wednesday after a Republican lawmaker from San Diego County tested positive for the coronavirus, complicating a hectic final week of legislative business at the state Capitol.
Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee) confirmed Wednesday that he tested positive after his diagnosis sparked a chaotic morning in the Senate.
A second case was also identified, according to an email Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras sent to lawmakers and their staffers later in the day. An officer with the California Highway Patrol tested positive after having last been inside the building Monday.
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“The Senate will be prepared to continue our work when we have completed public health protocols to ensure that the risk of exposure has been eliminated,” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said in a statement. “The Senate will use the tools available to us to make sure that we can complete necessary work prior to August 31.”
But with nearly 280 bills awaiting action with only five days left, it’s unclear how the Senate plans to finish the year.
Atkins must decide whether the house should move to remote voting, or a hybrid model of in-person and virtual participation.
Jones had returned to the Capitol this week, and the Senate has been working to conduct “immediate contact tracing.” Several others have been warned that they could have been exposed to the virus, but Atkins has not said whether those people will be required to quarantine at home or allowed to return to the Capitol.
Jones was diagnosed after he and several other senators were tested for the virus in recent days. The Senate learned of the case after legislators met for a floor session Monday and Senate Republicans, including Jones, met in person for a caucus Tuesday.
Jones’ office said in a statement on Facebook that the senator plans to take additional tests to rule out the possibility of a false positive. He is following federal and state protocols for those who have tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.
Katie Talbot, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), said the Assembly would proceed with hearings and floor sessions as planned.
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Wednesday’s news comes as lawmakers are divided over the extent to which the Legislature can act on bills with its members casting votes from remote locations. The Assembly has instituted a process for members at high risk of contracting the virus to submit proxy votes to the house’s leaders. The Senate allowed remote voting by its members for bills when they were in committee. The upper house said last month that it would not allow remote voting during floor sessions.
Jones, who served in the Assembly for six years before being elected to the Senate in 2018, has been a vocal opponent of remote voting. He issued a news release earlier this month asserting that lawyers for the Legislature have advised lawmakers that they must be physically present at hearings or on the floor in order to vote on legislation.
“Just what California doesn’t need, more secret deal-making with Tammany Hall-style rigged voting by political party leaders,” Jones said in a statement at the time. “If legislative leaders want to change the Constitution, they need the approval of someone very important: the voters.”
The pandemic has disrupted the Capitol since the Senate and Assembly halted sessions in March to lessen the risk of the virus spreading.
Both houses delayed a return from summer recess last month after two Assembly members and four staffers tested positive for COVID-19. That spread inside the Capitol was believed to be linked to legislators and staffers meeting to pass the state budget at the end of June.
Before the most recent case, a spokeswoman for the Senate said in July that one Senate staffer had tested positive in June while two employees who worked in district offices also had confirmed cases of COVID-19.
“We have, as senators, done a pretty good job of avoiding COVID-19 for five months,” Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) said. “We’re all doing our best and we’re all trusting that everyone else is doing the same.”
After learning about the new case in the Senate, Moorlach said he requested to be tested and is awaiting instructions. He said the Senate will have to make decisions soon about the end of the session.
“I’m just trying to stay calm,” Moorlach said. “I would like to conclude session, and if those that tested positive have to do it remotely, then so be it.”
Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) said that requiring him to take a test could be futile considering that the incubation period for the virus varies and he was around Jones in the last couple of days. Dahle said a nurse contacted him Wednesday and told him that he had been identified as someone who may have been exposed to the virus through Jones. Now he’s waiting to hear whether he can return to the Capitol on Thursday.
In addition to the in-person caucus Tuesday, Dahle and several other Republican senators were in the same room Monday night. Dahle said that he socially distanced from others and that Jones wasn’t present.
He said Senate leadership should allow him to return to the Capitol, remain a safe distance from others and vote in the final days of session.
“There’s plenty of room in that chamber to safely distance 40 people and a few staff,” Dahle said. “We don’t need to freak out. If someone is worried about me, put me up in the balcony and give me a microphone and I’ll be fine.”
Like Jones, Dahle doesn’t believe the Legislature has the constitutional authority to vote remotely.
“I want to keep people safe, but I want to go to work,” he said. “We can do our job and there’s plenty of ways to figure out how to do that, but I want to be present there and I want to speak on legislation that will affect millions of people.”
Staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-26--D.A. sends hate crime case in Hollywood attack of transgender women back to LAPD

The man accused of robbing three transgender women in Hollywood earlier this month in what police have called a hate crime was released from jail Tuesday after prosecutors asked detectives to dig deeper into the case before they filed charges , authorities said .
Carlton Callway , 29 , was arrested last week in Bakersfield on suspicion of the Aug. 17 robbery that was filmed in a video on Hollywood Boulevard , but he was released from jail Tuesday after the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office delayed filing charges in the case , pending further investigation by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was released Tuesday afternoon .
Video widely shared on social media showed a man threatening popular influencers Eden the Doll , Jaslene Whiterose and Joslyn Flawless about 2 a.m. Aug. 17 in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard .
In the video , someone threatens Flawless with a crowbar as he robs her and then strikes Whiterose in the head as bystanders taunt the women .
Investigators have said the attacker also made demeaning remarks about the women ’ s gender identity , which led police to consider the incident a hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a furor online after Eden recorded a phone call with an LAPD detective and published it to Instagram on Monday .
In the call , the detective criticizes the district attorney ’ s office and describes the case as “ temporarily rejected.
” “ Even with the video footage , all the signatures , everything that ’ s happened the last week … that ’ s not enough evidence ?
” she asked .
“ This just does not make sense to me.
” “ Everything you just said , I do believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against them , ” the detective responded .
Prosecutors normally have to file charges within two business days of an arrest .
The district attorney ’ s office often sends cases back for further investigation if there is not enough evidence to file a case in that time , though prosecutors do not normally consider that the same as a rejected filing , which would trigger the creation of a document explaining the reasoning behind a decision to decline charges .
The case has since been reassigned to the LAPD ’ s elite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , according to a law enforcement source who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity .
It initially had been investigated by the Hollywood Division .
It was not immediately clear whether Callway had an attorney , and The Times was unable to contact him for comment .
The status of another man arrested in connection with the attack by LAPD last week — 42-year-old Willie Walker — was not clear .
He was arrested on suspicion of trying to extort the victims Aug. 19 , and released on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A third suspect , Davion Williams , 22 , was wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after police allege he threw an electric scooter at the women , authorities said .
He remains at large .

The man accused of robbing three transgender women in Hollywood earlier this month in what police have called a hate crime was released from jail Tuesday after prosecutors asked detectives to dig deeper into the case before they filed charges, authorities said.
Carlton Callway, 29, was arrested last week in Bakersfield on suspicion of the Aug. 17 robbery that was filmed in a video on Hollywood Boulevard, but he was released from jail Tuesday after the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office delayed filing charges in the case, pending further investigation by Los Angeles police. Jail records show he was released Tuesday afternoon.
Video widely shared on social media showed a man threatening popular influencers Eden the Doll, Jaslene Whiterose and Joslyn Flawless about 2 a.m. Aug. 17 in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard. In the video, someone threatens Flawless with a crowbar as he robs her and then strikes Whiterose in the head as bystanders taunt the women.
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Investigators have said the attacker also made demeaning remarks about the women’s gender identity, which led police to consider the incident a hate crime.
News of the decision sparked a furor online after Eden recorded a phone call with an LAPD detective and published it to Instagram on Monday. In the call, the detective criticizes the district attorney’s office and describes the case as “temporarily rejected.”
“Even with the video footage, all the signatures, everything that’s happened the last week … that’s not enough evidence?” she asked. “This just does not make sense to me.”
“Everything you just said, I do believe, is enough to file criminal charges against them,” the detective responded.
Prosecutors normally have to file charges within two business days of an arrest. The district attorney’s office often sends cases back for further investigation if there is not enough evidence to file a case in that time, though prosecutors do not normally consider that the same as a rejected filing, which would trigger the creation of a document explaining the reasoning behind a decision to decline charges.
The case has since been reassigned to the LAPD’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division, which normally handles high-profile cases, according to a law enforcement source who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity. It initially had been investigated by the Hollywood Division.
It was not immediately clear whether Callway had an attorney, and The Times was unable to contact him for comment.
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The status of another man arrested in connection with the attack by LAPD last week — 42-year-old Willie Walker — was not clear. He was arrested on suspicion of trying to extort the victims Aug. 19, and released on his own recognizance, according to jail records.
A third suspect, Davion Williams, 22, was wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after police allege he threw an electric scooter at the women, authorities said. He remains at large.


latimes--2020-08-26--A California bill would allow a duplex on most single-family parcels

The California Assembly is considering a bill that would require local governments to permit duplexes on parcels now largely restricted to one house , in effect eliminating single-family zoning that dominates in most suburban residential neighborhoods .
The measure , Senate Bill 1120 , is pitched as a way to ease a long-running housing shortage that has hammered low- and middle-class families throughout California but is drawing criticism from homeowners concerned it will fundamentally change their neighborhoods .
If ultimately passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , the bill wouldn ’ t outlaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could convert their single-family house into a duplex or demolish the house and in its place build two new single-family homes or a duplex .
Property owners could also split a single-family lot into two and then build two additional units , thus placing four homes where there previously was one .
“ SB 1120 , ” said David Garcia , policy director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley , “ has the potential to make meaningful progress on our housing challenges.
” The bill isn ’ t sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills have failed this year as legislators grapple with the coronavirus .
But in many ways California ’ s housing crisis has only grown worse as millions of people have been thrown out of work .
Economists generally agree the root cause of the state ’ s exorbitant rents and home prices is that for decades too few homes have been built to satisfy demand , creating a shortage that ’ s forced people to bid up the cost of housing to find a place to live .
Some haven ’ t found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave the state .
In the worst cases , people have ended up in tents and RVs that line the streets .
In addition to expanding supply , which in theory would reduce pressure on housing costs , Garcia said SB 1120 could directly bring more moderately priced housing into neighborhoods , particularly affluent communities that make it difficult to add housing through zoning and other regulations .
The cost of constructing single-family homes and duplexes tends to be lower than stacking many units on top of one another in apartment buildings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new rentals out of SB 1120 that would be cheaper than nearby , recently built apartment complexes .
Because the bill would allow a lot split , property owners could also build another single-family house or duplex — then sell it .
Given the space available to build , Garcia said those new homes are likely to be smaller than the existing home , as well as others in the neighborhood .
“ Ideally the smaller , for sale homes will be less expensive , ” he said .
The bill ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) , called it a way to increase density and produce “ naturally affordable housing options ” without public subsidies , while “ keeping the character of neighborhoods intact.
” “ Put simply , this bill merely permits small-scale additional density without building up or out in neighborhoods , ” she said in a statement .
According to Richard Rothstein ’ s “ The Color of Law : A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America , ” single-family zoning proliferated across the country , in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color out of white neighborhoods after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed zoning by race in the early 1900s .
Given the country ’ s racial wealth gap , critics say single-family zoning still serves as a barrier for people of color to live in certain neighborhoods .
As he ’ s sagged in the polls , President Trump and his supporters have increasingly tied , without evidence , the ending of single-family zoning to an increase in crime by using language that has a long history in the U.S. as being used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to white suburban voters .
“ This forced rezoning would bring crime , lawlessness and low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods , ” Patricia McCloskey said Monday at the Republican National Convention , one month after she and her husband were charged with unlawful use of a weapon for waving guns at people outside their house who were protesting racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd ’ s killing .
Academic research has shown little to no link between subsidized housing and higher crime rates .
Today , single-family neighborhoods in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly home to Black and Latino households , and residents there also want to preserve the single-family character .
Many community groups see SB 1120 as a giveaway to the real estate industry that will obliterate an American ideal , the single-family house , while not helping low-income families hit hardest by the affordability crisis and coronavirus .
The bill doesn ’ t mandate below market units , and there are concerns it would accelerate gentrification in some Black and Latino communities such as South L.A. , where home prices and rents in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region as a whole as wealthier , often white people move in .
John Gonzalez , a Baldwin Hills resident and real estate broker involved in local planning issues , said developers are likely to swarm South L.A. and , knowing they can build more units , will pay more for a house than a typical buyer , making it even harder for local families to buy .
Although the new homes may be less expensive , he doubts they will be drastically cheaper and worries the smaller units will be less attractive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community .
“ The local community tends to be multigenerational , ” Gonzalez said .
Property owners would be prohibited from using SB 1120 if a property has been occupied by a tenant in at least the previous three years , but community groups are concerned such prohibitions aren ’ t long enough and may be tough to enforce .
Diane Robertson , a Leimert Park resident who , like Gonzales , is a member of South LA Alliance for Locally Planned Growth , said the inclusion of below-market housing would make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there would still be too many problems .
As multiple units replace one , she said , neighborhoods would grow nosier , have less parking and have more renters she sees as less invested in the neighborhood .
“ There are many people , in my community here in South Los Angeles , who saved money , desired to be in a nice , single-family neighborhood and purchased their home on that basis , ” Robertson said .
“ Now our legislators are telling us , ‘ Well it doesn ’ t matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of single-family housing has been hotly debated in recent years across the country , as affordable housing has become a more pressing matter .
Minneapolis and Oregon passed laws that end , or nearly end single-family zoning .
Single-family zoning in California has been eroded in recent years by laws governing so-called accessory dwelling units , or ADUs .
The new laws have allowed most owners of a single-family house to build a backyard home of at least 800 square feet and convert a portion of their house to a third unit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger than 500 square feet .
Those units , often called granny flats , are frequently the cheapest new units on the market , according to Zillow advertisements .
A 2017 Terner Center study of accessory dwelling units in Seattle , Portland , Ore. , and Vancouver , Wash. , found the majority of homeowners actually rented their backyard units for less than market rate .
Garcia attributed the lower rent to both relatively low construction costs for the units , as well as the fact construction is frequently undertaken by individual homeowners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motive than a traditional developer — something he hopes can be replicated with SB 1120 .
The bill would be different from current ADU law in several ways .
Accessory units can ’ t be sold , except in rare instances .
And SB 1120 opens up the possibility of larger homes than ADU laws currently allow , as well as four units where one now stands , rather than three .
Some critics worry property owners could double-dip between ADUs and SB 1120 to put more than four homes on a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s not allowed unless a city allows it .
Cities could also apply design standards to new units “ unless those standards would have the effect of physically precluding the construction of up to two units , ” according to the bill ’ s current language .
A Terner Center analysis said those design requirements , along with some rules surrounding the size of lots that are split , could reduce the number of homes actually built .
But if owners of just 5 % of eligible properties decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units , it would create nearly 600,000 new homes , according to a Terner Center analysis .
The bill , which was proposed as a more modest step at increasing density than the failed Senate Bill 50 , isn ’ t certain to become law .
Although its author , Atkins , is one of the most powerful leaders in Sacramento , which usually gives bills a leg up , SB 1120 passed out of its last committee in the Assembly with three Democratic abstentions , a sign of potential weakness .
SB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 .
If it does , it would then go back to the Senate because it ’ s been amended slightly .
It would then need to be signed into law by Newsom .
If the bill fails , it would be the latest defeat this year for a series of housing production proposals despite promises from both Atkins and Newsom to pass a measure to increase the supply of housing after SB 50 failed in January .
In a news conference last week , Newsom said the COVID-19 pandemic has made it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ we are committed to fast-tracking the development of housing in the state of California .
”

If SB 1120 becomes law, homeowners could build up to four homes where one now stands.
The California Assembly is considering a bill that would require local governments to permit duplexes on parcels now largely restricted to one house, in effect eliminating single-family zoning that dominates in most suburban residential neighborhoods.
The measure, Senate Bill 1120, is pitched as a way to ease a long-running housing shortage that has hammered low- and middle-class families throughout California but is drawing criticism from homeowners concerned it will fundamentally change their neighborhoods.
If ultimately passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bill wouldn’t outlaw single-family houses. Instead, property owners could convert their single-family house into a duplex or demolish the house and in its place build two new single-family homes or a duplex.
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Property owners could also split a single-family lot into two and then build two additional units, thus placing four homes where there previously was one.
“SB 1120,” said David Garcia, policy director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, “has the potential to make meaningful progress on our housing challenges.”
The bill isn’t sure to pass and a number of housing bills have failed this year as legislators grapple with the coronavirus. But in many ways California’s housing crisis has only grown worse as millions of people have been thrown out of work.
Economists generally agree the root cause of the state’s exorbitant rents and home prices is that for decades too few homes have been built to satisfy demand, creating a shortage that’s forced people to bid up the cost of housing to find a place to live.
Some haven’t found a place at all and decided to leave the state. In the worst cases, people have ended up in tents and RVs that line the streets.
In addition to expanding supply, which in theory would reduce pressure on housing costs, Garcia said SB 1120 could directly bring more moderately priced housing into neighborhoods, particularly affluent communities that make it difficult to add housing through zoning and other regulations.
The cost of constructing single-family homes and duplexes tends to be lower than stacking many units on top of one another in apartment buildings, he said, creating the potential for new rentals out of SB 1120 that would be cheaper than nearby, recently built apartment complexes.
Because the bill would allow a lot split, property owners could also build another single-family house or duplex — then sell it.
Given the space available to build, Garcia said those new homes are likely to be smaller than the existing home, as well as others in the neighborhood.
“Ideally the smaller, for sale homes will be less expensive,” he said.
The bill’s author, state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), called it a way to increase density and produce “naturally affordable housing options” without public subsidies, while “keeping the character of neighborhoods intact.”
“Put simply, this bill merely permits small-scale additional density without building up or out in neighborhoods,” she said in a statement.
According to Richard Rothstein’s “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America,” single-family zoning proliferated across the country, in part because of a desire to keep people of color out of white neighborhoods after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed zoning by race in the early 1900s.
Given the country’s racial wealth gap, critics say single-family zoning still serves as a barrier for people of color to live in certain neighborhoods.
As he’s sagged in the polls, President Trump and his supporters have increasingly tied, without evidence, the ending of single-family zoning to an increase in crime by using language that has a long history in the U.S. as being used as a racist dog whistle to appeal to white suburban voters.
“This forced rezoning would bring crime, lawlessness and low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods,” Patricia McCloskey said Monday at the Republican National Convention, one month after she and her husband were charged with unlawful use of a weapon for waving guns at people outside their house who were protesting racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.
Academic research has shown little to no link between subsidized housing and higher crime rates.
Today, single-family neighborhoods in places such as South Los Angeles are mostly home to Black and Latino households, and residents there also want to preserve the single-family character.
Many community groups see SB 1120 as a giveaway to the real estate industry that will obliterate an American ideal, the single-family house, while not helping low-income families hit hardest by the affordability crisis and coronavirus.
The bill doesn’t mandate below market units, and there are concerns it would accelerate gentrification in some Black and Latino communities such as South L.A., where home prices and rents in recent years have risen faster than the region as a whole as wealthier, often white people move in.
John Gonzalez, a Baldwin Hills resident and real estate broker involved in local planning issues, said developers are likely to swarm South L.A. and, knowing they can build more units, will pay more for a house than a typical buyer, making it even harder for local families to buy.
Although the new homes may be less expensive, he doubts they will be drastically cheaper and worries the smaller units will be less attractive to some Latino and Black families in the community.
“The local community tends to be multigenerational,” Gonzalez said.
Property owners would be prohibited from using SB 1120 if a property has been occupied by a tenant in at least the previous three years, but community groups are concerned such prohibitions aren’t long enough and may be tough to enforce.
Diane Robertson, a Leimert Park resident who, like Gonzales, is a member of South LA Alliance for Locally Planned Growth, said the inclusion of below-market housing would make the bill “less egregious” but there would still be too many problems.
As multiple units replace one, she said, neighborhoods would grow nosier, have less parking and have more renters she sees as less invested in the neighborhood.
“There are many people, in my community here in South Los Angeles, who saved money, desired to be in a nice, single-family neighborhood and purchased their home on that basis,” Robertson said. “Now our legislators are telling us, ‘Well it doesn’t matter what you want.’”
The issue of single-family housing has been hotly debated in recent years across the country, as affordable housing has become a more pressing matter. Minneapolis and Oregon passed laws that end, or nearly end single-family zoning.
Single-family zoning in California has been eroded in recent years by laws governing so-called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. The new laws have allowed most owners of a single-family house to build a backyard home of at least 800 square feet and convert a portion of their house to a third unit, as long as it wasn’t larger than 500 square feet.
Those units, often called granny flats, are frequently the cheapest new units on the market, according to Zillow advertisements. A 2017 Terner Center study of accessory dwelling units in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., found the majority of homeowners actually rented their backyard units for less than market rate.
Garcia attributed the lower rent to both relatively low construction costs for the units, as well as the fact construction is frequently undertaken by individual homeowners who probably have less of a profit motive than a traditional developer — something he hopes can be replicated with SB 1120.
The bill would be different from current ADU law in several ways.
Accessory units can’t be sold, except in rare instances. And SB 1120 opens up the possibility of larger homes than ADU laws currently allow, as well as four units where one now stands, rather than three.
Some critics worry property owners could double-dip between ADUs and SB 1120 to put more than four homes on a lot. But according to a legislative staffer, that’s not allowed unless a city allows it.
SB 1120 wouldn’t apply in rural areas and historic districts.
Cities could also apply design standards to new units “unless those standards would have the effect of physically precluding the construction of up to two units,” according to the bill’s current language.
A Terner Center analysis said those design requirements, along with some rules surrounding the size of lots that are split, could reduce the number of homes actually built.
But if owners of just 5% of eligible properties decided to split their lot and build two additional units, it would create nearly 600,000 new homes, according to a Terner Center analysis.
The bill, which was proposed as a more modest step at increasing density than the failed Senate Bill 50, isn’t certain to become law.
Although its author, Atkins, is one of the most powerful leaders in Sacramento, which usually gives bills a leg up, SB 1120 passed out of its last committee in the Assembly with three Democratic abstentions, a sign of potential weakness.
SB 1120 must pass the Assembly by Aug. 31. If it does, it would then go back to the Senate because it’s been amended slightly. It would then need to be signed into law by Newsom.
If the bill fails, it would be the latest defeat this year for a series of housing production proposals despite promises from both Atkins and Newsom to pass a measure to increase the supply of housing after SB 50 failed in January.
In a news conference last week, Newsom said the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult to pass legislation, but that “we are committed to fast-tracking the development of housing in the state of California.”
Times staff writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-26--California firestorm could claim more than 3,000 homes and structures

Nearly 2,000 structures have been destroyed by the historic fires sweeping across Northern California , but officials say that number could almost double before the blazes are extinguished .
Crews are now going through the many fire zones conducting an assessment of burned structures , said Daniel Berlant , a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , noting that this is possible because of significant progress on the front lines over the last two days .
The count of destroyed structures is ongoing , and the department ’ s “ preliminary assessments indicate that number could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Berlant said in a briefing Tuesday .
“ We are busy trying to get that information and provide it to the public , ” he added .
Santa Cruz County has released an online map so residents can see whether their homes have been damaged .
But officials cautioned that the assessment is ongoing , so the map may not be current .
Here is a partial breakdown of the losses : • 37 destroyed in the SCU Lightning Complex fire ( Santa Clara County/east of San Jose and west of Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marked the beginning of a “ lightning siege ” that has seen almost 14,000 lightning strikes statewide — crews have contended with more than 700 new wildfires that have charred more than 1.3 million acres .
However , despite the devastation , officials are continuing to report promising progress in battles against the firestorm .
“ All of the firefighters are continuing to make very good progress , though it has been a grueling couple of weeks , ” Berlant said Wednesday .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom added Wednesday that the state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can , deploying every conceivable resource to battle these historic wildfires.
” Though containment of some of the largest blazes burning across the state has improved , crews are being kept busy responding to new fires .
In the 24-hour period ending early Wednesday afternoon , Newsom said there were 423 additional lightning strikes throughout the state and 50 newly reported fires .
“ As of an hour or so ago , they have been effectively suppressed , all 50 of those new fires , but it gives you a sense of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , these incredible front-line heroes , are doing every single day , ” Newsom said shortly after noon .
Containment of the CZU Lightning Complex fire , which has burned more than 81,000 acres , now stands at 21 % .
Almost 600 structures have been destroyed , the majority in Santa Cruz County , and more than 24,000 structures remain threatened .
Newsom said this particular conflagration “ has generated a lot of stress , for no other reason than , in recorded history , we ’ ve never seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region of the state.
” Cal Fire Operations Chief Mark Brunton said Wednesday evening that firefighters are continuing to make progress on the fire .
“ We had another good , successful day of suppression on the fire , ” he said .
Crews are continuing to build containment lines around the flames , and plan to do a controlled burn to create a protective barrier around the community of Felton .
“ That will then button up that part of the fire above Felton , so that is excellent news , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier Wednesday .
“ It ’ s going to take a couple days once we do that to continue to mop up , take out the hot spots and then render that safe.
” On Tuesday afternoon , authorities lifted all evacuation warnings in Santa Clara County .
On Wednesday evening , evacuation orders for UC Santa Cruz were retracted .
University officials said on Twitter that parts of the campus remain without power and that “ reopening the residential campus will be deliberate & phased.
” Employees who live in certain areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their homes Wednesday night .
Crews also plan to soon restore power to the community of Davenport , Brunton said .
Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Chief Deputy Chris Clark said that the repopulation of Scotts Valley could happen “ within the next day or days ” and the area around the city of Felton might also be repopulated within days .
The repopulation of other areas that have seen heavier damage , like the town of Bonny Doon , could take weeks .
Three people are still missing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clark said officials don ’ t believe that they were victims of the fire but can not confirm for certain .
On Tuesday night , deputies also found a 63-year-old woman dead in her home in Felton .
It appears she died of natural causes , Clark said .
The SCU Lightning Complex fire — which at more than 367,000 acres ranks as the second-largest in California history — was 30 % contained as of Wednesday evening .
In a press conference , Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Tim Ernst said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the east side of the fire and that the blaze is moving very slowly on its southern end .
However , he warned that firefighters can not guarantee the safety of the civilians within the fire ’ s perimeter .
“ Even though we have containment on the outside , we have a lot of hazardous area on the inside , ” he said .
“ We still have a potential for danger to people who might want to travel within that perimeter.
” Authorities on Wednesday downgraded an evacuation order issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warning .
The third-largest fire in state history , the LNU Lightning Complex , has charred 360,000 acres and was 33 % contained as of Wednesday evening .
In the afternoon , officials reduced an evacuation order in Napa County to a warning .
Later in the evening , however , they issued a new evacuation order for Yolo County and evacuation warnings for parts of Yolo and Lake counties .
“ I assure you that every resource available to us is working tirelessly and as hard as they can to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly as possible , ” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said during a briefing .
While continued progress in containment of the widespread wildfires is encouraging , the blazes have taken a dramatic toll — and not just in terms of acres burned .
More than 136,000 people across the state have been evacuated from their homes , officials said Tuesday .
There have been seven fire-related fatalities , including five people who died in the LNU Lightning Complex fire — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A pilot also died in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire .
However , officials said the hard work of front-line firefighters , with an assist from Mother Nature in the form of cooperative weather , is making a significant difference .
“ This weather pattern is fantastic , ” Brunton said , as increased humidity and fuel moisture levels have allowed crews to get a better handle on the CZU Lightning Complex fire .
Lin reported from San Francisco and Money and Miller from Los Angeles @

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Leila Miller

Burned-out wreckage lies at a property along California 128 where the LNU Lightning Complex fire tore through last week.
Nearly 2,000 structures have been destroyed by the historic fires sweeping across Northern California, but officials say that number could almost double before the blazes are extinguished.
Crews are now going through the many fire zones conducting an assessment of burned structures, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, noting that this is possible because of significant progress on the front lines over the last two days.
The count of destroyed structures is ongoing, and the department’s “preliminary assessments indicate that number could rise in total to over 3,000,” Berlant said in a briefing Tuesday.
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“We are busy trying to get that information and provide it to the public,” he added.
Santa Cruz County has released an online map so residents can see whether their homes have been damaged. But officials cautioned that the assessment is ongoing, so the map may not be current.
Here is a partial breakdown of the losses:
978 structures destroyed in the LNU Lightning Complex fire (wine country)
structures destroyed in the LNU Lightning Complex fire (wine country) 538 destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex fire (San Mateo-Santa Cruz)
destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex fire (San Mateo-Santa Cruz) 73 destroyed in the Carmel fire (Monterey County)
destroyed in the Carmel fire (Monterey County) 37 destroyed in the SCU Lightning Complex fire (Santa Clara County/east of San Jose and west of Central Valley)
destroyed in the SCU Lightning Complex fire (Santa Clara County/east of San Jose and west of Central Valley) 30 destroyed in the River fire (Monterey County)
destroyed in the River fire (Monterey County) 21 destroyed in the Jones fire (Nevada County)
Since Aug. 15 — which marked the beginning of a “lightning siege” that has seen almost 14,000 lightning strikes statewide — crews have contended with more than 700 new wildfires that have charred more than 1.3 million acres.
However, despite the devastation, officials are continuing to report promising progress in battles against the firestorm.
“All of the firefighters are continuing to make very good progress, though it has been a grueling couple of weeks,” Berlant said Wednesday.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom added Wednesday that the state is “putting every single asset we possibly can, deploying every conceivable resource to battle these historic wildfires.”
Though containment of some of the largest blazes burning across the state has improved, crews are being kept busy responding to new fires. In the 24-hour period ending early Wednesday afternoon, Newsom said there were 423 additional lightning strikes throughout the state and 50 newly reported fires.
“As of an hour or so ago, they have been effectively suppressed, all 50 of those new fires, but it gives you a sense of the magnitude and scope of what these incredible leaders, these incredible front-line heroes, are doing every single day,” Newsom said shortly after noon.
The latest numbers on the Aug. Lightning Siege. More information at https://t.co/6s2QmGvwFi pic.twitter.com/coD0Yq11Ih — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) August 26, 2020
Containment of the CZU Lightning Complex fire, which has burned more than 81,000 acres, now stands at 21%. Almost 600 structures have been destroyed, the majority in Santa Cruz County, and more than 24,000 structures remain threatened.
Newsom said this particular conflagration “has generated a lot of stress, for no other reason than, in recorded history, we’ve never seen a fire this size and scope in this region of the state.”
Cal Fire Operations Chief Mark Brunton said Wednesday evening that firefighters are continuing to make progress on the fire.
“We had another good, successful day of suppression on the fire,” he said.
Crews are continuing to build containment lines around the flames, and plan to do a controlled burn to create a protective barrier around the community of Felton.
“That will then button up that part of the fire above Felton, so that is excellent news,” Cal Fire Operations Chief Mark Brunton said earlier Wednesday. “It’s going to take a couple days once we do that to continue to mop up, take out the hot spots and then render that safe.”
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities lifted all evacuation warnings in Santa Clara County. On Wednesday evening, evacuation orders for UC Santa Cruz were retracted.
University officials said on Twitter that parts of the campus remain without power and that “reopening the residential campus will be deliberate & phased.” Employees who live in certain areas on campus will be able to return to their homes Wednesday night.
Crews also plan to soon restore power to the community of Davenport, Brunton said.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark said that the repopulation of Scotts Valley could happen “within the next day or days” and the area around the city of Felton might also be repopulated within days. The repopulation of other areas that have seen heavier damage, like the town of Bonny Doon, could take weeks.
Three people are still missing in the area of the CZU Lightning Complex. Clark said officials don’t believe that they were victims of the fire but cannot confirm for certain.
On Tuesday night, deputies also found a 63-year-old woman dead in her home in Felton. It appears she died of natural causes, Clark said.
The SCU Lightning Complex fire — which at more than 367,000 acres ranks as the second-largest in California history — was 30% contained as of Wednesday evening.
In a press conference, Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Tim Ernst said that he doesn’t expect to see growth on the east side of the fire and that the blaze is moving very slowly on its southern end. However, he warned that firefighters cannot guarantee the safety of the civilians within the fire’s perimeter.
“Even though we have containment on the outside, we have a lot of hazardous area on the inside,” he said. “We still have a potential for danger to people who might want to travel within that perimeter.”
Authorities on Wednesday downgraded an evacuation order issued amid a fire in Stanislaus County to a warning.
The third-largest fire in state history, the LNU Lightning Complex, has charred 360,000 acres and was 33% contained as of Wednesday evening. In the afternoon, officials reduced an evacuation order in Napa County to a warning. Later in the evening, however, they issued a new evacuation order for Yolo County and evacuation warnings for parts of Yolo and Lake counties.
“I assure you that every resource available to us is working tirelessly and as hard as they can to ensure your safety and get you home as quickly as possible,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said during a briefing.
While continued progress in containment of the widespread wildfires is encouraging, the blazes have taken a dramatic toll — and not just in terms of acres burned.
More than 136,000 people across the state have been evacuated from their homes, officials said Tuesday.
There have been seven fire-related fatalities, including five people who died in the LNU Lightning Complex fire — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire. A pilot also died in a helicopter crash in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire.
However, officials said the hard work of front-line firefighters, with an assist from Mother Nature in the form of cooperative weather, is making a significant difference.
“This weather pattern is fantastic,” Brunton said, as increased humidity and fuel moisture levels have allowed crews to get a better handle on the CZU Lightning Complex fire.
Lin reported from San Francisco and Money and Miller from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-08-26--Shooting at party house leaves one dead, one injured in Beverly Crest

A shooting at a party house in the upscale Beverly Crest neighborhood left one person dead and sent another to a hospital early Wednesday morning , authorities said .
Los Angeles police responded to reports of a shooting in the the 2200 block of San Ysidro Drive about 2:30 a.m. Two people were found with gunshot wounds , one of them fatal , police said .
The injured victim was taken to a hospital , according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart .
Additional details were not immediately available Wednesday morning .
The shooting took place in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rented out for a party , according to police .
LAPD Det .
Meghan Aguilar said that prior to the gunfire , 25 to 30 people were at the gathering , which was held in a short-term rental home known for parties .
The house was rented through a third-party company to gang members , authorities said .
Police said the person who died — a man in his 40s — had a possible gang dispute with another partygoer .
“ The shooter was at the party and starting arguing with the now-deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He then pulled out a gun and opened fire , hitting two men.
” As LAPD officers drove up the curvy road to the hilltop home after reports of the shooting , they noticed multiple vehicles driving away , Aguilar said .
When they arrived , they found the two men who had been shot and a handful of partygoers .
Authorities said that because the home was rented through a third-party vendor , the owners may not have been aware of the occupants .
The home has hosted prior parties that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event generated no reports until gunshots echoed through the canyon-top community .
A motive in the shooting , beyond the argument , is unclear , police said .
The shooting is the latest in a string of house-party altercations .
Earlier this month , one woman was killed and four people were injured during a party at a Beverly Crest mansion in the 13200 block of Mulholland Drive .
That party , which took place in defiance of coronavirus-related health orders , was one of a number that have been held in upscale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic forced bars , nightclubs and other typical nightlife spots to close .
Health officials have warned that such gatherings heighten the risk of transmitting the coronavirus , which causes COVID-19 .
In response , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced he would authorize the city to shut off water and power services at residences where such gatherings are held .
Last week , Garcetti ordered the power cut at a swanky residence on Appian Way in the Hollywood Hills that police say held parties in violation of public health orders .

A shooting at a party house on San Ysidro Drive left one person dead and sent another to a hospital early Wednesday.
A shooting at a party house in the upscale Beverly Crest neighborhood left one person dead and sent another to a hospital early Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Los Angeles police responded to reports of a shooting in the the 2200 block of San Ysidro Drive about 2:30 a.m.
Two people were found with gunshot wounds, one of them fatal, police said.
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The injured victim was taken to a hospital, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Additional details were not immediately available Wednesday morning.
The shooting took place in front of the home, which had been rented out for a party, according to police.
LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said that prior to the gunfire, 25 to 30 people were at the gathering, which was held in a short-term rental home known for parties. The house was rented through a third-party company to gang members, authorities said.
Police said the person who died — a man in his 40s — had a possible gang dispute with another partygoer.
“The shooter was at the party and starting arguing with the now-deceased man,” Aguilar said. “He then pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting two men.”
As LAPD officers drove up the curvy road to the hilltop home after reports of the shooting, they noticed multiple vehicles driving away, Aguilar said. When they arrived, they found the two men who had been shot and a handful of partygoers.
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Authorities said that because the home was rented through a third-party vendor, the owners may not have been aware of the occupants. The home has hosted prior parties that have brought neighborhood complaints, but the late-night event generated no reports until gunshots echoed through the canyon-top community.
A motive in the shooting, beyond the argument, is unclear, police said.
The shooting is the latest in a string of house-party altercations. Earlier this month, one woman was killed and four people were injured during a party at a Beverly Crest mansion in the 13200 block of Mulholland Drive.
That party, which took place in defiance of coronavirus-related health orders, was one of a number that have been held in upscale neighborhoods since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced bars, nightclubs and other typical nightlife spots to close.
Health officials have warned that such gatherings heighten the risk of transmitting the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
In response, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced he would authorize the city to shut off water and power services at residences where such gatherings are held.
Last week, Garcetti ordered the power cut at a swanky residence on Appian Way in the Hollywood Hills that police say held parties in violation of public health orders.