latimes--2020-05-08--These are the California businesses that can reopen, and these are the rules

After weeks of stay-at-home orders , California will allow some retailers to reopen on Friday .
Here is what is open and what is not based on Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s plan : The governor ’ s office said it also was hoping to allow some manufacturing and logistics businesses to reopen with social distancing and safety rules .
Guidance for businesses before they reopen • Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 , including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them • Retailers should increase pickup and delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pickup — such as loading items directly into a customer ’ s trunk or leaving items at their door • Retailers should install hands-free devices , if possible , including motion sensor lights , contactless payment systems , automatic soap and paper towel dispensers , and timecard systems • Manufacturing companies should close break rooms , use barriers or increase distance between tables and chairs to separate workers and discourage congregating during breaks .
Where possible , create outdoor break areas with shade covers and seating that ensures physical distancing • Warehouses should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation personnel .
Perform gate check-ins and paperwork digitally if feasible • Warehouse workers should clean delivery vehicles and equipment before and after delivery , carry additional sanitation materials during deliveries , and use clean personal protective equipment for each delivery stop Newsom has said he hopes to have more information about restaurants in the coming days .
Schools could reopen under modifications in the summer .
Offices , shopping malls and dine-in restaurants are still ordered shut .
Personal grooming businesses , entertainment venues , live concerts and sports are also not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reopening plan .
Nonessential businesses reopening for curbside pickup with adherence to distancing and infection-control protocols • Car dealership showrooms ( open for sales with adherence to distancing and infection control protocols ) Many outdoor parks and recreational facilities will reopen Saturday , provided all users adhere to distancing and infection-control protocols • Wear a face covering while on trails and when running errands • Stay six feet away from people who don ’ t live with you The city of Long Beach is allowing golf courses , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen under similar restrictions Friday .
The following businesses can do pickup service beginning May 18 :

Debra Consani, with the flower shop Growing Wild in Manhattan Beach, prepares for the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday and fulfilling online orders.
After weeks of stay-at-home orders, California will allow some retailers to reopen on Friday.
Here is what is open and what is not based on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan:
Open with curbside service
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Bookstores
Music stores
Toy stores
Florists
Sporting goods retailers
Clothing stores
Other “low-risk” retailers
The governor’s office said it also was hoping to allow some manufacturing and logistics businesses to reopen with social distancing and safety rules.
Guidance for businesses before they reopen
Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them Implement individual control measures and screenings Implement disinfecting protocols Implement physical distancing guidance
Best practices for reopening
Retailers should increase pickup and delivery service options and encourage physical distancing during pickup — such as loading items directly into a customer’s trunk or leaving items at their door
Retailers should install hands-free devices, if possible, including motion sensor lights, contactless payment systems, automatic soap and paper towel dispensers, and timecard systems
Manufacturing companies should close break rooms, use barriers or increase distance between tables and chairs to separate workers and discourage congregating during breaks. Where possible, create outdoor break areas with shade covers and seating that ensures physical distancing
Warehouses should minimize transaction time between warehouse employees and transportation personnel. Perform gate check-ins and paperwork digitally if feasible
Warehouse workers should clean delivery vehicles and equipment before and after delivery, carry additional sanitation materials during deliveries, and use clean personal protective equipment for each delivery stop
Source: State of California
What’s coming next
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Newsom has said he hopes to have more information about restaurants in the coming days. Schools could reopen under modifications in the summer.
What remains closed
Offices, shopping malls and dine-in restaurants are still ordered shut. Personal grooming businesses, entertainment venues, live concerts and sports are also not included in the first phase of Newsom’s reopening plan.
Los Angeles County
Some business can reopen Friday.
Nonessential businesses reopening for curbside pickup with adherence to distancing and infection-control protocols
Bookstores
Clothing stores
Florists
Music stores
Sporting goods stores
Toy stores
Car dealership showrooms (open for sales with adherence to distancing and infection control protocols)
Many outdoor parks and recreational facilities will reopen Saturday, provided all users adhere to distancing and infection-control protocols
Golf courses (not including pro shops or dine-in restaurants)
Trails and trailheads
Parks
These rules remain
Wear a face covering while on trails and when running errands
Wash hands throughout the day
Stay six feet away from people who don’t live with you
The city of Long Beach is allowing golf courses, as well as trails and their associated parking lots to reopen under similar restrictions Friday.
San Francisco
The following businesses can do pickup service beginning May 18:


latimes--2020-05-08--710 Freeway reopened in Long Beach after CHP shoots and kills armed man

The northbound 710 Freeway , just south of the 405 freeway in Long Beach , was blocked for hours after @ @ @ @ @ shot a man they said was walking on the road while wielding a knife .
@ @ @ @ @ , CHP units arrived about 1:30 a.m. Friday after the Long Beach Police Department reported @ @ @ @ @ along the freeway lanes while holding a large knife .
CHP officers said the man @ @ @ @ @ weapon and “ charged CH personnel in an aggressive manner with the knife.
” Authorities @ @ @ @ @ .
The Long Beach Fire Department rendered medical aid to the man , who was @ @ @ @ @ Hospital , where he died .
An investigation into the shooting is underway .
The @ @ @ @ @ nine hours before it reopened .

Officers investigate a fatal police shooting on the 710 Freeway in Long Beach early Friday morning.
The northbound 710 Freeway, just south of the 405 freeway in Long Beach, was blocked for hours after California Highway Patrol officers fatally shot a man they said was walking on the road while wielding a knife.
According to a police report, CHP units arrived about 1:30 a.m. Friday after the Long Beach Police Department reported that a man was walking along the freeway lanes while holding a large knife.
CHP officers said the man disregarded orders to drop the weapon and “charged CH personnel in an aggressive manner with the knife.” Authorities then fired on the man.
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The Long Beach Fire Department rendered medical aid to the man, who was transported to Long Beach Memorial Hospital, where he died.
An investigation into the shooting is underway.
The freeway was closed for roughly nine hours before it reopened.


latimes--2020-05-08--California begins reopening economy as select businesses unlock doors

Holly Boies walked down Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice , hoping to see stores showing signs of life on the eve of California ’ s reopening .
But the windows she passed were still covered as she arrived at her concept store , Salt , where she sells women ’ s clothing , art and children ’ s books .
On Thursday afternoon , she was alone in her store , with the boulevard mostly quiet .
Restaurants kept busy with takeout orders , and so did the weed dispensary MedMen , but most small shops like hers remained shuttered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a problem for her store , which sells mostly clothing , Boies said .
She wondered how people were supposed to buy clothes without coming into the store and trying them on .
“ It ’ s weird , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t know how we ’ re going to do it.
” California ’ s modest reopening of its retail economy is allowing some businesses , like Salt , to offer curbside service beginning Friday while keeping the vast majority of shops closed amid continuing coronavirus concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , music stores , toy stores , florists , sporting goods stores , clothing stores and a few others to reopen for curbside pickup only , unless barred by tougher local restrictions .
Manufacturers and suppliers that provide goods for those businesses also will be allowed to resume operating .
Boies already had been quietly offering curbside pickup , as have other stores in the area .
She had loyal customers who knew the brands she carried and continued buying children ’ s toys and home decor despite the economic shutdown .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ How are we supposed to survive if we only have a website ?
” She opened her shop 17 years ago , before Abbot Kinney blew up and GQ magazine called it “ the coolest block in America.
” She was there before the chain companies started arriving , replacing mom-and-pop stores and spiking rent prices .
Now , Boies is behind on rent and waiting for a small-business loan that , she hopes , will cover it , along with other bills .
Her business does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with only one part-time employee , she said .
To survive the forced closure , she launched a website and Instagram page for her store , where she has been posting items every day .
But finding the same audience online that she has on Abbot Kinney has proved difficult , and she ’ s made thousands of dollars less than usual .
“ I don ’ t know how much longer this is going , ” she said .
“ I feel like I ’ ve done everything I can.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not particularly optimistic about the curbside reopening .
In her display window , she had colorful children ’ s toys and home decor .
About half an hour after opening for business , no one had come by .
A few minutes later , a trio of bikers riding by paused to take a look at her window .
But they only wanted to know how the process of curbside pickup worked , Boies said , and weren ’ t interested in buying anything .
The state is recommending that retailers continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands-free ” ways for customers to pay .
Manufacturers should close indoor break areas , and warehouses should carry sanitation materials during deliveries and provide employees with personal protective gear , said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state ’ s secretary of Health and Human Services .
“ We ’ re moving forward , but we ’ re doing it , always , with an eye being led by the data , by the science , by public health , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , customers at Devynn ’ s Garden , a small flower shop , were grateful to be able to pick up bouquets just in time for Mother ’ s Day .
Sunflowers , daisies and succulents were lined up out front .
The scent of gardenia hung in the air .
Behind a table near the front entrance , a woman took payment from Scott Hayter , a 34-year-old special education teacher who had come with his 2-year-old daughter , Caroline .
About 10 customers wearing masks stood outside , each trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hayter said he came to the flower shop because it ’ s his wife ’ s favorite place .
He supported businesses reopening again because people need to work to take care of their families .
“ It ’ s a way for people to pay rent and mortgages , ” he said “ Last I checked , that wasn ’ t free , ” he said .
Nearby , Christina Dagle , 28 , watched her 4-year-old daughter , Eleanor , picking out flowers .
She too was happy to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a nice thing to see , ” she said .
“ People are respectful on giving each other space .
In Whittier , Katrina Woerner , 37 , arrived early Friday to prepare Mother ’ s Day gift baskets at her family ’ s bath and body care shop , Pour Le Bain , which was going to be open for two and a half hours Friday afternoon for curbside shopping .
“ It ’ s a great advantage to be able to come down and pick up a personalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by getting her something off the internet , ” Woerner said .
“ We ’ re really excited about this opportunity.
” Pour Le Bain had survived primarily on internet and social media orders that were all mailed .
Woerner said the bath shop already had a few pickup orders in the queue and expected more activity as customers became aware of the policy .
“ This helps , ” Woerner said , “ at least until we can open up.
” Woerner ’ s store was one of a few that took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many other businesses along what is a normally bustling Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown Whittier remained closed .
A clothing boutique directly across the street from Le Bain chose not to open , instead asking customers on a posted message to continue making purchases through the store ’ s website .
The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica was quiet Friday morning , with some runners passing through and people walking their dogs .
Sofia Dillenberger , a UCLA student , waited in front of the Apple store , confused about whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t really understand what ’ s going to open today , ” the 29-year-old said .
“ I just hoped it would open.
” She waited for 10 minutes before giving up .
She said she thought the Apple store would allow a limited number of people inside but saw only a security guard inside , a locked door and signs that read the company ’ s retail stores “ are closed until further notice.
” The Santa Monica resident said she ’ s been having problems with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have someone in the store fix it so she could finish her online classes .
She did not want to send it in for repair because it would take too long .
“ I need to get it fixed right away , ” she said , disappointed .
Many of the chain retail stores at the Promenade remained closed .
At Brandy Melville , piles of clothes were wrapped in plastic and piled onto display tables .
The lights were on at the Skechers store , which appeared empty inside and where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perpetuity .
Ruben Cortez , manager of Lovell ’ s Records and Tapes in Whittier , was flooded with phone calls this week , both congratulatory and confused .
“ Man , I had probably around 20 to 30 calls from people asking me if the store was open or telling me they were happy and they couldn ’ t wait until tomorrow when they ‘ could finally walk inside , ’ ” said Cortez , 36 .
“ I had to tell people that the store wasn ’ t opening for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pickups .
A lot of people didn ’ t understand.
” Despite the confusion , the message of curbside pickup was getting through to some patrons .
Cortez had five orders confirmed an hour before his shop was set to open .
“ It ’ s great , ” Cortez said .
“ We ’ ve been fortunate to have good business through social media , mostly Instagram , and now people have been asking for the pickup service.
” While Cortez said he preferred to open for in-store shopping , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , La Mirada , Montebello , Pico Rivera and Whittier ” for rallying to save Lovell ’ s , which he said has been in its same location since 1965 .
Uptown Whittier business owner Kim Wicker wasn ’ t sure what Friday ’ s reopening would mean for his store , Monte ’ s Camera Shop on South Greenleaf Avenue .
The family business , named after Wicker ’ s father , has hunkered down since mid-March , when Gov .
Gavin Newsom implemented a statewide stay-at-home order shuttering all but essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store has survived through some online sales , but he was hoping for an economic reprieve soon .
Wicker , 60 , was initially excited to hear about the curbside allowance but didn ’ t know if his business fit the mold .
“ I couldn ’ t find anything specific from the governor online , ” he said .
“ So I went to the county website and saw a listing for stores that sell clothing , books , toys and sporting goods , along with florists and even golf courses.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ specialty shop ” designation and made calls to county and city officials Thursday , but by the end of the day , Wicker decided to wait until the next stage of reopening .
“ We ’ re probably the kind of business that could open , but I don ’ t know if we fit the qualifications exactly , ” he said .
“ We were just visited by a county health official last week , and the last thing I want is a fine , so I ’ m staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the San Francisco Bay Area have said they plan to take a cautious approach to reopening because the coronavirus remains a significant public health threat in those metropolitan areas .
In L.A. County , select retailers — including those that sell flowers , toys , music , books , clothing and sporting goods — as well as car dealers and other types of bricks-and-mortar businesses will be allowed to open for curbside pickup only starting Friday .
In-store shopping will not be permitted .
Under the plan , recreational venues including golf courses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still must adhere to physical distancing requirements and wear face coverings when they ’ re in close proximity to others .
Los Angeles County remains the primary COVID-19 hot spot in California , with more than 1,400 deaths and more than 29,000 confirmed cases .
And beginning Monday , anyone traveling through , Mayor Eric Garcetti announced .
Officials in San Francisco , which has been more conservative than other California counties , said Thursday that , florists and music stores will be the first shops allowed to operate with curbside pickup beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard at work to find ways to reopen more businesses and activities safely and responsibly , ” Mayor London Breed said in a statement .
“ Giving businesses the option to reopen and provide storefront pickup will provide some relief for everyone in our city — allowing some people to get back to work , while still protecting public health .
The last thing we want is to see a spike in the number of cases or hospitalizations.
” San Diego County officials announced Thursday that some retail businesses will reopen for curbside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jewelry stores , clothing stores , shoe stores , florists , home furnishing stores , antique stores , music stores and sporting goods stores .
Warehouse and manufacturing facilities that support such retail businesses may also reopen Friday .
In some areas that have been less hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic , officials have pleaded with Newsom to allow them to accelerate efforts to lift the stay-at-home restrictions .
In San Luis Obispo County , for instance , a bipartisan group of mayors and other political representatives asked Newsom in a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ science-based , thoughtfully phased reopening of our economy.
” Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II and San Diego Union-Tribune writer Lyndsay Winkley contributed to this report .

Melissa Gomez, Andrew J. Campa, Luke Money, Hannah Fry, Hailey Branson-Potts, Ruben Vives

Jay Demircift, co-owner of Puzzle Zoo, prepares his shop in Santa Monica, which will be reopening at a later date. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A closed thrift shop on Main Street in Santa Monica. Some retail businesses will reopen for curbside pickup Friday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Customers in San Clemente, without wearing masks or abiding by social distancing guidelines, stand in line at a newly reopened restaurant. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Rebecca Barnes prepares bouquets at a florist in Long Beach, set to open two days before Mother’s Day. (Luis Sinco / Los Angelels Times)
Shopper Enid Koffler, left, talks with clothing store owner Holly Boies at her shop on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Boies is planning to open her store Friday for curbside pickup. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Ben, Julia, Luke and Ethan Brenier, from left, help ready their family store, the Wishing Well, for reopening in Whittier. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Katrina Woerner at her family business, Pour Le Bain in Whittier, which reopened Friday for online order pickup. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A security guard gets some exercise while keeping watch at the still-closed Apple Store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Kim Wicker, owner of Monte’s Camera in Whittier, continued to keep his shop closed Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Jessica Knudsen, a sales associate at Cookies, a street wear clothing store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, gives change and a backpack purchase to customer Jason Green of Tampa, Fla. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Davon Artis, owner of Cool Kicks, sits with a bottle of hand sanitizer as he awaits customers Friday at his sports shoe and apparel store on Melrose Avenue. Artis said he had only a few curbside customers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Manager Ruben Cortez with online orders ready to be picked up at Lovell’s Records in Whittier. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Christina Dagle and her daughter Eleanor Eades, 4, buy flowers from Devynn’s Garden in Seal Beach. Some businesses began reopening Friday under a relaxation of the state’s stay-at-home order. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Holly Boies walked down Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, hoping to see stores showing signs of life on the eve of California’s reopening.
But the windows she passed were still covered as she arrived at her concept store, Salt, where she sells women’s clothing, art and children’s books. On Thursday afternoon, she was alone in her store, with the boulevard mostly quiet. Restaurants kept busy with takeout orders, and so did the weed dispensary MedMen, but most small shops like hers remained shuttered.
Friday’s curbside reopening presents a problem for her store, which sells mostly clothing, Boies said. She wondered how people were supposed to buy clothes without coming into the store and trying them on.
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“It’s weird,” she said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it.”
California’s modest reopening of its retail economy is allowing some businesses, like Salt, to offer curbside service beginning Friday while keeping the vast majority of shops closed amid continuing coronavirus concerns.
Newsom’s plan allows bookstores, music stores, toy stores, florists, sporting goods stores, clothing stores and a few others to reopen for curbside pickup only, unless barred by tougher local restrictions. Manufacturers and suppliers that provide goods for those businesses also will be allowed to resume operating.
Boies already had been quietly offering curbside pickup, as have other stores in the area. She had loyal customers who knew the brands she carried and continued buying children’s toys and home decor despite the economic shutdown.
“We’re all doing it already,” she said. “How are we supposed to survive if we only have a website?”
She opened her shop 17 years ago, before Abbot Kinney blew up and GQ magazine called it “the coolest block in America.” She was there before the chain companies started arriving, replacing mom-and-pop stores and spiking rent prices.
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Now, Boies is behind on rent and waiting for a small-business loan that, she hopes, will cover it, along with other bills. Her business does not qualify for the paycheck protection program with only one part-time employee, she said.
To survive the forced closure, she launched a website and Instagram page for her store, where she has been posting items every day. But finding the same audience online that she has on Abbot Kinney has proved difficult, and she’s made thousands of dollars less than usual.
“I don’t know how much longer this is going,” she said. “I feel like I’ve done everything I can.”
She arrived at her stores around noon Friday, not particularly optimistic about the curbside reopening. In her display window, she had colorful children’s toys and home decor.
About half an hour after opening for business, no one had come by.
“Nada. Nothing,” she said.
A few minutes later, a trio of bikers riding by paused to take a look at her window. But they only wanted to know how the process of curbside pickup worked, Boies said, and weren’t interested in buying anything.
The state is recommending that retailers continue to encourage physical distancing and implement “hands-free” ways for customers to pay. Manufacturers should close indoor break areas, and warehouses should carry sanitation materials during deliveries and provide employees with personal protective gear, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of Health and Human Services.
“We’re moving forward, but we’re doing it, always, with an eye being led by the data, by the science, by public health,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento on Thursday.
In Seal Beach on Friday, customers at Devynn’s Garden, a small flower shop, were grateful to be able to pick up bouquets just in time for Mother’s Day. Sunflowers, daisies and succulents were lined up out front. The scent of gardenia hung in the air.
Behind a table near the front entrance, a woman took payment from Scott Hayter, a 34-year-old special education teacher who had come with his 2-year-old daughter, Caroline.
“They’re for mommy,” Hayter told her.
About 10 customers wearing masks stood outside, each trying to keep a distance from one another.
Hayter said he came to the flower shop because it’s his wife’s favorite place. He supported businesses reopening again because people need to work to take care of their families.
“It’s a way for people to pay rent and mortgages,” he said “Last I checked, that wasn’t free,” he said.
Nearby, Christina Dagle, 28, watched her 4-year-old daughter, Eleanor, picking out flowers. She too was happy to see businesses being allowed to reopen.
“It’s a nice thing to see,” she said. “People are respectful on giving each other space.
In Whittier, Katrina Woerner, 37, arrived early Friday to prepare Mother’s Day gift baskets at her family’s bath and body care shop, Pour Le Bain, which was going to be open for two and a half hours Friday afternoon for curbside shopping.
“It’s a great advantage to be able to come down and pick up a personalized gift for your mother rather than just by getting her something off the internet,” Woerner said. “We’re really excited about this opportunity.”
Pour Le Bain had survived primarily on internet and social media orders that were all mailed. Woerner said the bath shop already had a few pickup orders in the queue and expected more activity as customers became aware of the policy.
“This helps,” Woerner said, “at least until we can open up.”
Woerner’s store was one of a few that took advantage of the new curbside service option as many other businesses along what is a normally bustling Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown Whittier remained closed.
A clothing boutique directly across the street from Le Bain chose not to open, instead asking customers on a posted message to continue making purchases through the store’s website.
The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica was quiet Friday morning, with some runners passing through and people walking their dogs.
Sofia Dillenberger, a UCLA student, waited in front of the Apple store, confused about whether it was included in the soft reopening.
“I don’t really understand what’s going to open today,” the 29-year-old said. “I just hoped it would open.”
She waited for 10 minutes before giving up. She said she thought the Apple store would allow a limited number of people inside but saw only a security guard inside, a locked door and signs that read the company’s retail stores “are closed until further notice.”
The Santa Monica resident said she’s been having problems with her laptop and hoped to come by and have someone in the store fix it so she could finish her online classes. She did not want to send it in for repair because it would take too long.
“I need to get it fixed right away,” she said, disappointed.
Many of the chain retail stores at the Promenade remained closed. At Brandy Melville, piles of clothes were wrapped in plastic and piled onto display tables. The lights were on at the Skechers store, which appeared empty inside and where a shoe in a display case spun in perpetuity.
Ruben Cortez, manager of Lovell’s Records and Tapes in Whittier, was flooded with phone calls this week, both congratulatory and confused.
“Man, I had probably around 20 to 30 calls from people asking me if the store was open or telling me they were happy and they couldn’t wait until tomorrow when they ‘could finally walk inside,’” said Cortez, 36. “I had to tell people that the store wasn’t opening for people to come in, but just allowing for pickups. A lot of people didn’t understand.”
Despite the confusion, the message of curbside pickup was getting through to some patrons. Cortez had five orders confirmed an hour before his shop was set to open.
“It’s great,” Cortez said. “We’ve been fortunate to have good business through social media, mostly Instagram, and now people have been asking for the pickup service.”
While Cortez said he preferred to open for in-store shopping, he credited the community “from La Habra, La Mirada, Montebello, Pico Rivera and Whittier” for rallying to save Lovell’s, which he said has been in its same location since 1965.
Uptown Whittier business owner Kim Wicker wasn’t sure what Friday’s reopening would mean for his store, Monte’s Camera Shop on South Greenleaf Avenue.
The family business, named after Wicker’s father, has hunkered down since mid-March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom implemented a statewide stay-at-home order shuttering all but essential businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.
His store has survived through some online sales, but he was hoping for an economic reprieve soon.
Wicker, 60, was initially excited to hear about the curbside allowance but didn’t know if his business fit the mold.
“I couldn’t find anything specific from the governor online,” he said. “So I went to the county website and saw a listing for stores that sell clothing, books, toys and sporting goods, along with florists and even golf courses.”
He though his store might fall under the “specialty shop” designation and made calls to county and city officials Thursday, but by the end of the day, Wicker decided to wait until the next stage of reopening.
“We’re probably the kind of business that could open, but I don’t know if we fit the qualifications exactly,” he said. “We were just visited by a county health official last week, and the last thing I want is a fine, so I’m staying closed.”
Leaders in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area have said they plan to take a cautious approach to reopening because the coronavirus remains a significant public health threat in those metropolitan areas.
In L.A. County, select retailers — including those that sell flowers, toys, music, books, clothing and sporting goods — as well as car dealers and other types of bricks-and-mortar businesses will be allowed to open for curbside pickup only starting Friday. In-store shopping will not be permitted.
Under the plan, recreational venues including golf courses and trails will reopen Saturday. Users still must adhere to physical distancing requirements and wear face coverings when they’re in close proximity to others.
Los Angeles County remains the primary COVID-19 hot spot in California, with more than 1,400 deaths and more than 29,000 confirmed cases.
And beginning Monday, anyone traveling through Los Angeles International Airport must wear a mask or face covering , Mayor Eric Garcetti announced.
Officials in San Francisco, which has been more conservative than other California counties, said Thursday that retailers such as bookstores , florists and music stores will be the first shops allowed to operate with curbside pickup beginning May 18.
“We have been hard at work to find ways to reopen more businesses and activities safely and responsibly,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “Giving businesses the option to reopen and provide storefront pickup will provide some relief for everyone in our city — allowing some people to get back to work, while still protecting public health. The last thing we want is to see a spike in the number of cases or hospitalizations.”
San Diego County officials announced Thursday that some retail businesses will reopen for curbside service on Friday, including bookstores, jewelry stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, florists, home furnishing stores, antique stores, music stores and sporting goods stores.
Warehouse and manufacturing facilities that support such retail businesses may also reopen Friday.
California An Orange County cafe opened in defiance of Newsom. Now it’s the center of stay-at-home resistance When it opened last week for the first time since mid-March, Nomads Canteen in San Clemente quickly filled with customers eager to get out of the house and return to some sense of normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In some areas that have been less hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, officials have pleaded with Newsom to allow them to accelerate efforts to lift the stay-at-home restrictions. In San Luis Obispo County, for instance, a bipartisan group of mayors and other political representatives asked Newsom in a letter to allow the county to begin a “science-based, thoughtfully phased reopening of our economy.”
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II and San Diego Union-Tribune writer Lyndsay Winkley contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-08--Most California voters back coronavirus protections for undocumented farmworkers, poll finds

A substantial majority of California voters support work protections for farmworkers — including undocumented immigrants — such as paid sick leave , medical benefits and replacement wages if they contract the coronavirus , a new statewide poll finds .
Some 80 % of state voters support employers providing full replacement wages to farmworkers to stay home when sick with COVID-19 , while 79 % back equitable pay for such workers regardless of legal or guest worker status , according to a survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released Friday .
Just over seven in 10 believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical and paid sick leave should they catch the virus , with support heaviest among voters in Los Angeles County and the Bay Area .
More than nine in 10 voters support providing hand-washing stations , personal protective equipment and work conditions that enable farmworkers to practice social distancing .
“ We have come a long way since 1994 and Prop .
187 , ” said Victor Narro , project director for the UCLA Labor Center , who was not involved with the survey , referring to a 1994 California initiative to deny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare to people in the country illegally .
“ I think this just highlights that.
” More than one-third of the country ’ s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts are grown in California .
Stay-at-home orders in California exempt farmworkers as essential employees .
But many are undocumented , lack health insurance and don ’ t qualify for unemployment insurance or federal coronavirus relief , placing the state ’ s estimated farm workforce of 420,000 in a vulnerable position .
Views on workers ’ rights vary by region , amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall attitudes toward immigrants , the poll found .
Support for medical and paid sick leave benefits for undocumented farmworkers was among lowest in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire .
A quarter of Central Valley voters opposed the idea that employers should provide equitable medical and paid sick leave to all farmworkers , despite the integral role that the region ’ s agricultural industry plays in the state .
“ The Central Valley area , you have a lot of cities and locations where there ’ s a conservative , anti-immigrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that gets mingled into the issues of what farmworkers should be entitled to and what services they are entitled to in the midst of this crisis.
” The poll reveals the strong impact that partisanship , and views of President Trump , have on how people perceive the pandemic .
Some 56 % of all respondents strongly agreed that , as designated essential workers , farmworkers should receive full replacement wages from their employers to stay home when sick with COVID-19 .
But just 30 % of Republicans in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , compared with 73 % of Democrats .
“ It ’ s a real partisan divide there , ” said Dowell Myers , a demographer at USC .
“ Democrats see more of a cooperative organization to society and Republicans see it more as an individual struggle , and that if you have fallen down it is not because the system has conspired against you.
” Among voters who believe Trump is “ completely responsible ” for the pandemic and the shortage of tests and medical supplies , 71 % strongly agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and paid sick leave benefits as documented farmworkers if they fall sick with COVID-19 , compared to 17 % of voters who disagree that Trump is responsible .
The UC Berkeley poll was conducted by email in English and Spanish among 8,800 registered voters statewide , an unusually large sample that allows detailed analysis of subgroups .
The results have an estimated margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction .
Because the poll tallied only registered voters , it may not completely capture the full extent of views on rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although about to vote , those who are not registered are , on average , younger and poorer .
“ It leaves out a big part of the general immigrant population in areas like L.A. and the Central Valley , ” Narro said .
“ This may explain the numbers in the Central Valley , where voters tend to have more conservative impressions regarding immigration.
” Voters ’ views on immigration do indeed have an impact on their perspectives on farmworker protection , the poll found .
Nearly 80 % of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States a better place to live support the view that employers should provide PPE and allow for social distancing , compared to 54 % of voters who think immigrants make the U.S. a worse place to live .
Undocumented farmworkers have been marginalized for decades , said Paul Ong , a UCLA professor and expert on the labor market status of minorities and immigrants , not only through depressed wages , but also by being denied the safety net of programs such as unemployment insurance .
Still , he said , the survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmworkers are critical in times of crisis .
“ They do hard work , they do a great service to society , ” he said .
“ And at this time , they ’ re taking huge risk by continuing to work so that the food chain is not broken .
”

A substantial majority of California voters support work protections for farmworkers — including undocumented immigrants — such as paid sick leave, medical benefits and replacement wages if they contract the coronavirus, a new statewide poll finds.
Some 80% of state voters support employers providing full replacement wages to farmworkers to stay home when sick with COVID-19, while 79% back equitable pay for such workers regardless of legal or guest worker status, according to a survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released Friday.
Just over seven in 10 believe that undocumented and legal workers should have equitable medical and paid sick leave should they catch the virus, with support heaviest among voters in Los Angeles County and the Bay Area. More than nine in 10 voters support providing hand-washing stations, personal protective equipment and work conditions that enable farmworkers to practice social distancing.
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“We have come a long way since 1994 and Prop. 187,” said Victor Narro, project director for the UCLA Labor Center, who was not involved with the survey, referring to a 1994 California initiative to deny state services such as public education and healthcare to people in the country illegally. “I think this just highlights that.”
More than one-third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts are grown in California. Stay-at-home orders in California exempt farmworkers as essential employees. But many are undocumented, lack health insurance and don’t qualify for unemployment insurance or federal coronavirus relief, placing the state’s estimated farm workforce of 420,000 in a vulnerable position.
Views on workers’ rights vary by region, amount of trust in the federal government and overall attitudes toward immigrants, the poll found.
Support for medical and paid sick leave benefits for undocumented farmworkers was among lowest in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire. A quarter of Central Valley voters opposed the idea that employers should provide equitable medical and paid sick leave to all farmworkers, despite the integral role that the region’s agricultural industry plays in the state.
“The Central Valley area, you have a lot of cities and locations where there’s a conservative, anti-immigrant view,” Narro said. “I think that gets mingled into the issues of what farmworkers should be entitled to and what services they are entitled to in the midst of this crisis.”
The poll reveals the strong impact that partisanship, and views of President Trump, have on how people perceive the pandemic.
Some 56% of all respondents strongly agreed that, as designated essential workers, farmworkers should receive full replacement wages from their employers to stay home when sick with COVID-19. But just 30% of Republicans in the state support paying full wages to sick farmworkers, compared with 73% of Democrats.
“It’s a real partisan divide there,” said Dowell Myers, a demographer at USC. “Democrats see more of a cooperative organization to society and Republicans see it more as an individual struggle, and that if you have fallen down it is not because the system has conspired against you.”
Among voters who believe Trump is “completely responsible” for the pandemic and the shortage of tests and medical supplies, 71% strongly agree that undocumented farmworkers should receive the same medical and paid sick leave benefits as documented farmworkers if they fall sick with COVID-19, compared to 17% of voters who disagree that Trump is responsible.
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The UC Berkeley poll was conducted by email in English and Spanish among 8,800 registered voters statewide, an unusually large sample that allows detailed analysis of subgroups. The results have an estimated margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.
Because the poll tallied only registered voters, it may not completely capture the full extent of views on rights that workers should have amid the outbreak. Although about 82% of eligible California adults are registered to vote, those who are not registered are, on average, younger and poorer.
“It leaves out a big part of the general immigrant population in areas like L.A. and the Central Valley,” Narro said. “This may explain the numbers in the Central Valley, where voters tend to have more conservative impressions regarding immigration.”
Voters’ views on immigration do indeed have an impact on their perspectives on farmworker protection, the poll found. Nearly 80% of voters who believe that immigrants make the United States a better place to live support the view that employers should provide PPE and allow for social distancing, compared to 54% of voters who think immigrants make the U.S. a worse place to live.
Undocumented farmworkers have been marginalized for decades, said Paul Ong, a UCLA professor and expert on the labor market status of minorities and immigrants, not only through depressed wages, but also by being denied the safety net of programs such as unemployment insurance.
Still, he said, the survey shows that most California voters understand that farmworkers are critical in times of crisis.
“They do hard work, they do a great service to society,” he said. “And at this time, they’re taking huge risk by continuing to work so that the food chain is not broken.”


latimes--2020-05-08--Coronavirus testing has come to skid row. But what happens when infected patients disappear?

First they needed to coax Fatima from her tent .
Outreach workers Ciara DeVozza and Jenna Kennedy knew that the 37-year-old homeless woman had a fever and chills .
But Fatima insisted it was from the hole in her tooth , not the coronavirus .
So DeVozza and Kennedy , looking to build trust and persuade her to get tested , told Fatima they might be able help her see a dentist .
Fatima , who is blind , agreed and was guided toward the center of an empty parking lot near 3rd and Main streets .
“ I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorry , ” said Shannon Fernando , a nurse practitioner with L.A. Christian Health Centers , as she stuck a long swab up Fatima ’ s nose .
“ Just count to 10 and you ’ ll be all done .
Almost done .
Almost done .
You ’ re doing so good.
” Fatima teared up and waved her hands .
“ I know it sucks , ” Fernando said one recent morning .
“ So in 24 hours we ’ ll have results.
” As outbreaks large and small continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents on skid row , a small group of nurses and outreach workers have begun a manic quest to test as many homeless people as possible .
“ We don ’ t know what we ’ re dealing with yet , ” Fernando said .
Until recently , “ there has been no widespread testing.
” On Thursday , L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said 215 homeless people had tested positive for the virus and that the county was investigating cases at 18 shelters .
But even as Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in L.A. County , regardless of symptoms , doing the same on skid row has proved to be far more challenging .
It ’ s about basic issues of logistics .
People who live on the streets don ’ t stay in one place for very long , aren ’ t always easy to track down and don ’ t always have a working cellphone or an email address .
So how do medical professionals and outreach workers find them to share test results ?
And what if a homeless person is positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they await results ?
There are also issues of trust .
Some homeless people are wary of outreach workers and their suggestions because of past promises for housing and services that have never materialized .
But nurses and outreach workers have resolved to do their best to conduct more tests , while also acknowledging that the lack of shelter beds and hotel rooms for homeless people has made limiting the spread of the coronavirus almost impossible .
“ What do we have in L.A. County ?
There are 60,000 people who are considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is coordinating the response to outbreaks at shelters for the Department of Public Health .
“ Nobody has that many beds right now.
” Several agencies are doing testing of homeless people .
Among them is the Los Angeles Fire Department , which has set up a pop-up site on skid row , where the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is encouraging people get an oral test .
Getting results takes up to five days .
More than 1,000 people — not all of them homeless — have been tested at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Garcetti spokeswoman said .
Seven have tested positive .
L.A. Christian Health Centers , through a contract with the county , also has set up shop at the Midnight Mission and L.A. Mission to test residents .
In addition , Fernando and another nurse with the center , Carolina Maradlaga-Esguerra , are working with the outreach teams to search encampments for people to test .
The same day the team tested Fatima , they tried to test many others .
Among them was Kimberly Lockett , 61 .
Spindly and hunched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using heroin since the the 1980s .
“ If I have a place to go to , I ’ ll get tested , ” Lockett told DeVozza and Kennedy , as they promised to get her a hotel room and medication to ease her withdrawal from opiates .
With other outreach workers , she told them , “ I feel like I ’ m getting tricked.
” Getting a hotel room isn ’ t easy , though .
The statewide program to move homeless people into hotels , known as Project Roomkey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles County .
DeVozza said workers have made more than a hundred referrals to the program and managed to get rooms for only three people .
Instead , her nonprofit employer , The People Concern , has been renting rooms directly from hotel owners it has worked with in the past .
They got Lockett a room , but she still refused to take a coronavirus test .
Elsewhere in the encampment , DeVozza struck up a conversation with Amaya Caraveo-Jaime , who was standing , sweating amid a thicket of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was feeling nauseous , but told DeVozza that she was hooked on fentanyl and was unsure if she was suffering the side effects of withdrawal .
DeVozza offered Caraveo-Jaime a dose of Narcan and a box to hold used needles .
Then DeVozza explained that she could get her something to help with the withdrawal .
A county-provided coronavirus isolation bed at a hotel could also be made available .
At first Caraveo-Jaime was game , but then she learned that once she entered , she couldn ’ t leave .
Caraveo-Jaime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she needed cigarettes and if her boyfriend could come .
“ Neither of you can come and go , ” DeVozza said .
“ They will have meals for you.
” In the end , both Caraveo-Jaime and her boyfriend got tested for coronavirus , but refused to go into isolation to await the results .
Caraveo-Jaime did ask for a tent of her own , though , so she wouldn ’ t have to bed down with others .
As outreach workers continued to mill about , identifying homeless people to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , attempting to beat her with his cane .
The workers tried to keep the man away from her before calling the police .
The incident cut the day of testing short .
Still , Fernando was happy the team swabbed as many homeless people as they did and got phone numbers for everyone tested .
Outreach workers are doing their best to tell people on skid row to space out their tents and to sleep alone , but those warnings only go so far when there are too many people living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of hotel beds under Project Roomkey , there ’ s still a demand for large shelters such as the Union Rescue Mission .
An outbreak there led to more than 100 cases among homeless residents and staff in recent weeks .
While more than 1,100 people lived at the Union Rescue Mission before the pandemic , it ’ s now down to 320 people , said Rev .
Andy Bales , the mission ’ s CEO .
The county is starting to move people back to the shelter from isolation , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely grow to about 600 people .
UC Berkeley associate professor Dr. Coco Auerswald said it ’ s difficult to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in large communal shelters .
This is why it ’ s important to for public health officials to have a clear picture of who is and who is not sick — particularly among the homeless population who often have pre-existing conditions that make them far more susceptible to COVID-19 .
“ People need to know why they ’ re having those symptoms , ” Auerswald said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month said that regular testing should be considered in shelters .
“ Testing all persons can facilitate isolation of those who are infected to minimize ongoing transmission in these settings , ” the agency stated .
What ’ s desperately needed on skid row right now are rapid tests that can spit results out in minutes , not days , Fernando said .
“ Trying to track them down 24 hours later is becoming really difficult , ” Fernando said .
“ The follow-up piece for notification has become so hard.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skid row encampment , Fernando and Maradlaga-Esguerra were back at it before 7 a.m .
Along with a few other nurses , they had set up what vaguely looked like a kissing booth one might see at a county fair — except each was adorned with Plexiglass and large rubber gloves to administer coronavirus tests without having to constantly change their personal protective equipment .
They wanted to test everyone who had slept in the Midnight Mission ’ s courtyard .
Those who had slept on the cold concrete were now lined up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nasal swab , each received a green bracelet to show that they had been tested .
Some left their phone numbers .
They were told to come back the next day for the results .
For 60-year-old James Olley , it was his first time staying at Midnight Mission .
He had recently moved from Fresno looking for work .
He said the test was a bit uncomfortable , but no more so than the cold floor he slept on that night .
“ If it ’ s going to make me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can bear with it , ” he said .
“ I have no symptoms , but they always say it could come.
” Olley then walked out onto skid row to find a shower and a meal .
Forty-one people were tested that morning .
Two were positive .

First they needed to coax Fatima from her tent.
Outreach workers Ciara DeVozza and Jenna Kennedy knew that the 37-year-old homeless woman had a fever and chills. But Fatima insisted it was from the hole in her tooth, not the coronavirus. So DeVozza and Kennedy, looking to build trust and persuade her to get tested, told Fatima they might be able help her see a dentist.
Fatima, who is blind, agreed and was guided toward the center of an empty parking lot near 3rd and Main streets.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” said Shannon Fernando, a nurse practitioner with L.A. Christian Health Centers, as she stuck a long swab up Fatima’s nose. “Just count to 10 and you’ll be all done. Almost done. Almost done. You’re doing so good.”
Fatima teared up and waved her hands.
“I know it sucks,” Fernando said one recent morning. “So in 24 hours we’ll have results.”
Outreach workers talk to homeless people in their tents on the streets of skid row, where they are testing for coronavirus. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
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As outbreaks large and small continue to pop up among L.A.’s most vulnerable residents on skid row, a small group of nurses and outreach workers have begun a manic quest to test as many homeless people as possible.
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet,” Fernando said. Until recently, “there has been no widespread testing.”
On Thursday, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said 215 homeless people had tested positive for the virus and that the county was investigating cases at 18 shelters.
But even as Mayor Eric Garcetti has extended testing to everyone in L.A. County, regardless of symptoms, doing the same on skid row has proved to be far more challenging.
It’s about basic issues of logistics. People who live on the streets don’t stay in one place for very long, aren’t always easy to track down and don’t always have a working cellphone or an email address. So how do medical professionals and outreach workers find them to share test results? And what if a homeless person is positive and continues to spread the virus as they await results?
There are also issues of trust. Some homeless people are wary of outreach workers and their suggestions because of past promises for housing and services that have never materialized.
1 / 5 Kim Lockett, 61, talks with Jenna Kennedy, a clinician from the People Concern, as she receives a mask from the team in the skid row area of downtown Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 5 Nurse practitioner Sharlene Gan takes a swab sample from Bernardino Juarez, 51, at the Midnight Mission. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 5 Nurse practitioner Sharlene Gan takes a swab sample from James Ollie at the Midnight Mission. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 5 Los Angeles firefighter and paramedic Eddy Matamoeo takes a coronavirus testing sample on skid row. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 5 A team of nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and a variety of healthcare professionals hit the streets of skid row to test homeless people for the coronavirus. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
)
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But nurses and outreach workers have resolved to do their best to conduct more tests, while also acknowledging that the lack of shelter beds and hotel rooms for homeless people has made limiting the spread of the coronavirus almost impossible.
“What do we have in L.A. County? There are 60,000 people who are considered homeless,” said Dr. Silvia Prieto, who is coordinating the response to outbreaks at shelters for the Department of Public Health. “Nobody has that many beds right now.”
Several agencies are doing testing of homeless people. Among them is the Los Angeles Fire Department, which has set up a pop-up site on skid row, where the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is encouraging people get an oral test. Getting results takes up to five days. More than 1,000 people — not all of them homeless — have been tested at the site since it opened April 20, a Garcetti spokeswoman said. Seven have tested positive.
L.A. Christian Health Centers, through a contract with the county, also has set up shop at the Midnight Mission and L.A. Mission to test residents. In addition, Fernando and another nurse with the center, Carolina Maradlaga-Esguerra, are working with the outreach teams to search encampments for people to test.
Family nurse practitioner Shannon Fernando, left, and medical assistant Carolina Maradlaga-Esguerra walk the streets of skid row to test homeless people for the coronavirus. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
The same day the team tested Fatima, they tried to test many others. Among them was Kimberly Lockett, 61. Spindly and hunched over, she said she has been using heroin since the the 1980s.
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“If I have a place to go to, I’ll get tested,” Lockett told DeVozza and Kennedy, as they promised to get her a hotel room and medication to ease her withdrawal from opiates. With other outreach workers, she told them, “I feel like I’m getting tricked.”
Getting a hotel room isn’t easy, though. The statewide program to move homeless people into hotels, known as Project Roomkey, has gotten off to a slow start in Los Angeles County.
DeVozza said workers have made more than a hundred referrals to the program and managed to get rooms for only three people. Instead, her nonprofit employer, The People Concern, has been renting rooms directly from hotel owners it has worked with in the past.
They got Lockett a room, but she still refused to take a coronavirus test.
Outreach worker Ciara DeVozza, right, talks with a 20-year-old homeless woman on the streets of skid row. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Elsewhere in the encampment, DeVozza struck up a conversation with Amaya Caraveo-Jaime, who was standing, sweating amid a thicket of tents and people. The 20-year-old said she was feeling nauseous, but told DeVozza that she was hooked on fentanyl and was unsure if she was suffering the side effects of withdrawal.
Advertisement
DeVozza offered Caraveo-Jaime a dose of Narcan and a box to hold used needles. Then DeVozza explained that she could get her something to help with the withdrawal. A county-provided coronavirus isolation bed at a hotel could also be made available.
At first Caraveo-Jaime was game, but then she learned that once she entered, she couldn’t leave. Caraveo-Jaime wanted to know what would happen if she needed cigarettes and if her boyfriend could come.
“Neither of you can come and go,” DeVozza said. “They will have meals for you.”
In the end, both Caraveo-Jaime and her boyfriend got tested for coronavirus, but refused to go into isolation to await the results. Caraveo-Jaime did ask for a tent of her own, though, so she wouldn’t have to bed down with others.
Nurse practitioner Sharlene Gan and medical assistant Celia Cerna with Los Angeles Christian Health Centers take a swab sample from Demetria Nichols at the Midnight Mission in skid row. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
As outreach workers continued to mill about, identifying homeless people to test, a man began chasing a woman, attempting to beat her with his cane. The workers tried to keep the man away from her before calling the police.
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The incident cut the day of testing short. Still, Fernando was happy the team swabbed as many homeless people as they did and got phone numbers for everyone tested.
Outreach workers are doing their best to tell people on skid row to space out their tents and to sleep alone, but those warnings only go so far when there are too many people living in tight quarters. And because of the lack of hotel beds under Project Roomkey, there’s still a demand for large shelters such as the Union Rescue Mission. An outbreak there led to more than 100 cases among homeless residents and staff in recent weeks.
While more than 1,100 people lived at the Union Rescue Mission before the pandemic, it’s now down to 320 people, said the Rev. Andy Bales, the mission’s CEO. The county is starting to move people back to the shelter from isolation, but Bales said the number of residents will likely grow to about 600 people.
Medical assistant Celia Cerna organizes swab samples from homeless people at the Midnight Mission. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
UC Berkeley associate professor Dr. Coco Auerswald said it’s difficult to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in large communal shelters. This is why it’s important for public health officials to have a clear picture of who is and who is not sick — particularly among the homeless population who often have pre-existing conditions that make them far more susceptible to COVID-19.
“People need to know why they’re having those symptoms,” Auerswald said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month said that regular testing should be considered in shelters. “Testing all persons can facilitate isolation of those who are infected to minimize ongoing transmission in these settings,” the agency said.
Advertisement
What’s desperately needed on skid row right now are rapid tests that can spit results out in minutes, not days, Fernando said.
“Trying to track them down 24 hours later is becoming really difficult,” Fernando said. “The follow-up piece for notification has become so hard.”
A team of nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and other healthcare professionals from outreach programs head out to the streets of skid row to test homeless people for the coronavirus. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
The day after testing people in the skid row encampment, Fernando and Maradlaga-Esguerra were back at it before 7 a.m.
Along with a few other nurses, they had set up what vaguely looked like a kissing booth one might see at a county fair — except each was adorned with Plexiglas and large rubber gloves to administer coronavirus tests without having to constantly change their personal protective equipment.
They wanted to test everyone who had slept in the Midnight Mission’s courtyard. Those who had slept on the cold concrete were now lined up to voluntarily receive a test. After the nasal swab, each received a green bracelet to show that he or she had been tested. Some left their phone numbers. They were told to come back the next day for the results.
Advertisement
For 60-year-old James Olley, it was his first time staying at Midnight Mission. He had recently moved from Fresno looking for work. He said the test was a bit uncomfortable, but no more so than the cold floor he slept on that night.
“If it’s going to make me understand what I need to do, I can bear with it,” he said. “I have no symptoms, but they always say it could come.”
Olley then walked out onto skid row to find a shower and a meal.
Forty-one people were tested that morning. Two were positive.


latimes--2020-05-08--Tens of thousands of California college students to get relief from emergency grants

The text messages and email blasts went out to 5,500 Pasadena City College students last week .
“ Congratulations !
” they said .
“ You have been awarded a Federal CARES Emergency Grant.
” Lizette Hernandez , 21 , was one of them .
Hernandez , who shares a two-bedroom apartment in Rosemead with six relatives , said most of the adults in her household had been laid off , leaving her mother the main breadwinner .
The $ 1,000 Hernandez will receive will help feed her family , including two siblings , 14 and 4 years old .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could receive this grant , ” Hernandez said of her mother .
Tens of thousands of students across California like Hernandez are eligible for emergency coronavirus grants through the federal CARES Act signed into law March 27 .
As colleges receive funds , they are attempting to disperse aid among widespread need .
The legislation sets aside $ 14 billion for higher education emergency relief .
California higher education institutions are slated to get $ 1.7 billion — including $ 580 million for the California Community Colleges , $ 525 million for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the University of California .
At least half of the money must go directly to students for emergency aid , and only students eligible for federal financial aid qualify .
The money is deeply needed , particularly in the community college system , where an estimated half of students had experienced food insecurity , and one in five had dealt with homelessness before the pandemic .
Colleges have significant discretion in determining how to divide the money , and among whom .
Students should contact their campus financial aid office if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , students are generally being grouped into three categories to determine grant awards , said Luoluo Hong , associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management .
They are : • Students who have the lowest income status and received the maximum amount of federal and/or state aid .
• Students who received some financial aid .
• Students who did not receive financial aid but who may have need arising from the pandemic .
The first two groups will receive automatic grants , with the needier students receiving higher amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The third group can apply for aid through a short online form , with priority deadlines later this month .
It ’ s up to each campus to decide who falls into each tier and to set the grant amounts .
At Cal State Stanislaus more than half of the 10,600 enrolled students will receive automatic grants of between $ 350 and $ 1,200 , depending on their financial need and full-time or part-time status , said Noelia Gonzalez , assistant vice president for enrollment management .
Others can apply , perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is help paying for books , or $ 2,000 if they are struggling with rent and food , Gonzalez said .
“ I ’ m confident this will hit the greatest number of students with the best amount of funding , ” she said .
At Cal State Fullerton , which was allocated $ 41 million in federal aid , including just over $ 20 million for students , typical grants will range from $ 400 to $ 900 .
At Cal State Northridge , which received close to $ 45 million , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portal to accept grants that range from $ 308 to $ 968 or apply for a higher amount .
Adriana Fernandez , 21 , a junior at Cal State Fullerton , lives at home in Garden Grove with her parents and two college-age siblings .
Everyone has lost work .
The children share one laptop and do schoolwork from their cellphones , straining the available bandwidth .
“ Any amount would be helpful in this situation , ” Fernandez said .
She would use her grant for bills and possibly pool it with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , buy noise-canceling headphones or invest in a tablet or another computer so they could study more easily , she said .
The timing and distribution of grants at UC will vary by campus , said Sarah McBride , spokeswoman for the UC Office of the President .
Generally , the awards will be distributed based on the campus assessment of local need , McBride said .
That could include funds for financial aid adjustments to students whose households have been affected by the economic downturn .
At UCLA all eligible students who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a grant of $ 200 from the CARES program .
They must complete an affidavit online by May 22 to verify that they are eligible for federal financial aid and have expenses related to COVID-19 .
Additional need-based grants ranging from $ 200 to $ 1,850 will be distributed , with higher amounts given to members of vulnerable populations who have financial need , including former foster youth , homeless or housing-insecure students and students with disabilities .
UCLA students may also opt out of receiving their funds to donate their share to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 17,000 students will receive CARES funding , interim provost Hal Stern said .
University officials created five tiers of funding , ranging from $ 500 to $ 1,500 , that take into account whether students are dependents or considered financially independent and if they have children — in addition to their financial aid and expected family contribution .
“ Our guiding principles were to get money to the neediest populations we could identify .
And make the process as easy as possible , ” Stern said .
At the California Community Colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million enrolled students qualify for tuition fee waivers , campuses are taking various approaches .
Pasadena City College sought to support students who are disadvantaged not only by income , but also in other ways , such as having been incarcerated or in the foster system .
To notify the 1,000 students who didn ’ t immediately accept their grants , staff members started picking up the phones .
The school is also saving some of its money to award a possible second round of grants and to give students cash assistance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College District , 44,000 eligible students will automatically receive $ 300 grants , with additional money being awarded through an as-yet-undetermined application process , spokesman William Boyer said .
Students said the emergency aid , no matter the amount , would be welcome .
Victor Melendez , who attends Los Angeles Trade Tech College , works two part-time jobs to help feed his family , buy diapers for a younger brother and pay his mother ’ s phone bill .
Even before the pandemic , Melendez , 24 , relied on his campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his mother lost work cleaning restaurants .
With an additional $ 300 , “ I would definitely buy groceries for myself , ” he said from his Pico-Union apartment .
“ I ’ d buy a big bag of rice and canned food so it could last me a longer time .
And I would do the same thing for my family.
” Michael Duggan , a formerly homeless student at L.A. City College , subsists on roughly $ 200 monthly in General Relief , a cash aid program , and food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of groceries .
A $ 300 check would help Duggan pay off utility bills that have been piling up .
The rest , he said , “ would go into a teeny , tiny emergency fund ” to help buy food during what he calls “ hell week.
” The money won ’ t last long , though .
“ A one-time check is not going to be enough for something that could continue until 2021 , ” said Amine El Moznine , vice president of legislative affairs for the Student Senate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including immigrants without permanent residency , will be left out of the federal aid program .
Colleges said they hope to support those students with other money but acknowledged they may not have enough .
Trish Martinez , 31 , started at Cal State Fullerton in 2014 .
A “ Dreamer ” who has work authorization through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , Martinez worked as a barista throughout college to support her son and commuted 12 miles by bike to campus to save money .
This semester she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will end when she graduates this month .
Martinez ’ s mother lost her job cleaning houses , which put pressure on Martinez to come up with their full rent .
She has relied on food pantries and neighbors , friends and even her boss for groceries .
“ I ’ m just going to keep looking for a job , ” she said .

Victor Melendez, a student at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, will likely qualify for a $300 emergency grant from the school to provide some relief from the coronavirus pandemic. He plans to use the money to buy food.
The text messages and email blasts went out to 5,500 Pasadena City College students last week. “Congratulations!” they said. “You have been awarded a Federal CARES Emergency Grant.”
Within 24 hours 4,500 students had accepted.
Lizette Hernandez, 21, was one of them. Hernandez, who shares a two-bedroom apartment in Rosemead with six relatives, said most of the adults in her household had been laid off, leaving her mother the main breadwinner. The $1,000 Hernandez will receive will help feed her family, including two siblings, 14 and 4 years old.
“She feels really blessed that we could receive this grant,” Hernandez said of her mother.
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Tens of thousands of students across California like Hernandez are eligible for emergency coronavirus grants through the federal CARES Act signed into law March 27. As colleges receive funds, they are attempting to disperse aid among widespread need.
The legislation sets aside $14 billion for higher education emergency relief. California higher education institutions are slated to get $1.7 billion — including $580 million for the California Community Colleges, $525 million for the California State University and $260 million for the University of California.
At least half of the money must go directly to students for emergency aid, and only students eligible for federal financial aid qualify.
The money is deeply needed, particularly in the community college system, where an estimated half of students had experienced food insecurity, and one in five had dealt with homelessness before the pandemic.
California The pandemic’s toll: Lives lost in California Hundreds of people have died in California due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are some of their stories.
Colleges have significant discretion in determining how to divide the money, and among whom. Students should contact their campus financial aid office if they have questions.
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Cal State grants
At the Cal State schools, students are generally being grouped into three categories to determine grant awards, said Luoluo Hong, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management. They are:
Students who have the lowest income status and received the maximum amount of federal and/or state aid.
Students who received some financial aid.
Students who did not receive financial aid but who may have need arising from the pandemic.
The first two groups will receive automatic grants, with the needier students receiving higher amounts. Both groups may apply for more. The third group can apply for aid through a short online form, with priority deadlines later this month. It’s up to each campus to decide who falls into each tier and to set the grant amounts.
At Cal State Stanislaus more than half of the 10,600 enrolled students will receive automatic grants of between $350 and $1,200, depending on their financial need and full-time or part-time status, said Noelia Gonzalez, assistant vice president for enrollment management.
Others can apply, perhaps for $200 if all they need is help paying for books, or $2,000 if they are struggling with rent and food, Gonzalez said.
“I’m confident this will hit the greatest number of students with the best amount of funding,” she said.
At Cal State Fullerton, which was allocated $41 million in federal aid, including just over $20 million for students, typical grants will range from $400 to $900. At Cal State Northridge, which received close to $45 million, students must sign on to their online portal to accept grants that range from $308 to $968 or apply for a higher amount.
Adriana Fernandez, 21, a junior at Cal State Fullerton, lives at home in Garden Grove with her parents and two college-age siblings. Everyone has lost work. The children share one laptop and do schoolwork from their cellphones, straining the available bandwidth.
“Any amount would be helpful in this situation,” Fernandez said. She would use her grant for bills and possibly pool it with her siblings to upgrade their internet connection, buy noise-canceling headphones or invest in a tablet or another computer so they could study more easily, she said.
UC grant applications
The timing and distribution of grants at UC will vary by campus, said Sarah McBride, spokeswoman for the UC Office of the President.
Generally, the awards will be distributed based on the campus assessment of local need, McBride said. That could include funds for financial aid adjustments to students whose households have been affected by the economic downturn.
At UCLA all eligible students who are enrolled at least half-time may receive a grant of $200 from the CARES program. They must complete an affidavit online by May 22 to verify that they are eligible for federal financial aid and have expenses related to COVID-19.
Additional need-based grants ranging from $200 to $1,850 will be distributed, with higher amounts given to members of vulnerable populations who have financial need, including former foster youth, homeless or housing-insecure students and students with disabilities. UCLA students may also opt out of receiving their funds to donate their share to peers.
At UC Irvine, more than 17,000 students will receive CARES funding, interim provost Hal Stern said. University officials created five tiers of funding, ranging from $500 to $1,500, that take into account whether students are dependents or considered financially independent and if they have children — in addition to their financial aid and expected family contribution.
“Our guiding principles were to get money to the neediest populations we could identify. And make the process as easy as possible,” Stern said.
Community college applications
At the California Community Colleges, where almost half of the 2.1 million enrolled students qualify for tuition fee waivers, campuses are taking various approaches.
Pasadena City College sought to support students who are disadvantaged not only by income, but also in other ways, such as having been incarcerated or in the foster system. To notify the 1,000 students who didn’t immediately accept their grants, staff members started picking up the phones.
The school is also saving some of its money to award a possible second round of grants and to give students cash assistance for food.
At the Los Angeles Community College District, 44,000 eligible students will automatically receive $300 grants, with additional money being awarded through an as-yet-undetermined application process, spokesman William Boyer said.
Students said the emergency aid, no matter the amount, would be welcome.
Victor Melendez, who attends Los Angeles Trade Tech College, works two part-time jobs to help feed his family, buy diapers for a younger brother and pay his mother’s phone bill. Even before the pandemic, Melendez, 24, relied on his campus’ food pantry. Amid business closures, his mother lost work cleaning restaurants.
With an additional $300, “I would definitely buy groceries for myself,” he said from his Pico-Union apartment. “I’d buy a big bag of rice and canned food so it could last me a longer time. And I would do the same thing for my family.”
Michael Duggan, a formerly homeless student at L.A. City College, subsists on roughly $200 monthly in General Relief, a cash aid program, and food stamps, which cover about three weeks of groceries.
A $300 check would help Duggan pay off utility bills that have been piling up. The rest, he said, “would go into a teeny, tiny emergency fund” to help buy food during what he calls “hell week.”
The money won’t last long, though.
“A one-time check is not going to be enough for something that could continue until 2021,” said Amine El Moznine, vice president of legislative affairs for the Student Senate of the California Community Colleges.
No grants for undocumented students
Some students, including immigrants without permanent residency, will be left out of the federal aid program. Colleges said they hope to support those students with other money but acknowledged they may not have enough.
Trish Martinez, 31, started at Cal State Fullerton in 2014. A “Dreamer” who has work authorization through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Martinez worked as a barista throughout college to support her son and commuted 12 miles by bike to campus to save money.
This semester she had a paid internship on campus, but that will end when she graduates this month.
Martinez’s mother lost her job cleaning houses, which put pressure on Martinez to come up with their full rent. She has relied on food pantries and neighbors, friends and even her boss for groceries.
“I’m just going to keep looking for a job,” she said.


latimes--2020-05-08--All 10 family members in this house got COVID-19. Their patriarch didn't survive

The Ramirez family never thought the coronavirus would get them .
They took every precaution , staying cooped up in their Azusa home since the stay-at-home order in March , the family said .
Only the family ’ s father and eldest son went out for grocery runs , fully protected with masks and gloves .
The virus still found its way into the home .
Over the course of days , each member of the 10-person household became infected .
Three were hospitalized .
The family ’ s patriarch , Guillermo Ramirez , would not survive the battle with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47 .
His family said he had no underlying conditions that would have put him at special risk .
Now the family is struggling with the loss of their primary provider , who had devoted his life to bettering theirs .
“ It ’ s traumatizing , ” said Ramirez ’ s daughter Alexia , 26 , who does not live with her family .
“ It ’ s been a week and I still haven ’ t been able to hug my family.
” The attack on the family began in mid-April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luciana , came down with a headache and fever .
One by one , the adults in the home all began experiencing symptoms : Ramirez ; his mother , Linda Hernandez , 72 ; his sons Guillermo Ramirez Jr. , 25 , and Themo , 24 ; and his daughter Beatrize , 21 .
They quarantined themselves in their bedrooms , leaving the living room to the kids , who did not have any symptoms .
Ramirez ’ s youngest son , 12-year-old David , was responsible for watching over the grandchildren , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After they were tested at a drive-through site , results for all members of the family , including the asymptomatic children , came back positive for COVID-19 .
Ramirez seemed to have a milder case than the rest of his family members .
They were bedridden , extremely fatigued and unable to eat .
“ I kept asking my dad to let me go and take care of them , ” Alexia Ramirez said .
“ He told me no , he didn ’ t want me to get sick.
” Alexia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her family , wiping everything down before dropping it off at their doorstep .
On April 24 , Guillermo Ramirez Jr. was hospitalized with breathing difficulties .
In the next two days , his father and grandmother followed .
A few days later , doctors called Luciana Ramirez to let her know her husband ’ s condition had worsened and he would need to be intubated .
Alexia Ramirez rushed her mother , sitting in the back seat and wearing a face shield and gloves , to the hospital with hopes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time they got there , doctors were performing CPR .
They couldn ’ t bring him back .
“ My mom came out of the hospital screaming , ‘ He ’ s gone .
Dad ’ s gone , ’ ” said Alexia Ramirez .
On the drive home , in the back seat of her daughter ’ s car , Luciana Ramirez prayed : “ Guillermo , come home , come home .
Don ’ t leave me .
Stay with me , please.
” Alexia Ramirez couldn ’ t hug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she began the painful task of calling each of her siblings and family members to tell them the news .
Guillermo Ramirez Jr. and Linda Hernandez were released from the hospital and are recovering at home .
In the days since Ramirez ’ s death , his children have been reminiscing about his life , including the moment he met their mother .
One night 30 years ago , he knocked on the door of a friend ’ s house where Luciana Ramirez happened to be sleeping over .
She opened the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
Luciana Ramirez thought she wasn ’ t put together enough to meet the “ fine ” young man .
She ran upstairs to ask her friend about the visitor .
“ Oh , that ’ s just Guillermo , ” Luciana Ramirez recalled her friend saying .
They ’ ve been inseparable since then , Luciana Ramirez said .
“ He was my knight in shining armor , ” she said .
“ He was my protector and I was his princess .
All he wanted to do was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramirez moved the family back to his hometown , Pasadena , to give them what he hoped would be a better life .
He worked several low-paying jobs that kept him away from his family for most of the day .
But when as his sons got older , he feared they would follow the same path he was following as a teenager .
He quit his jobs and signed up for truck driving school so that he could make more money and have a day off to spend with his kids .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the father loved taking his family on outings to the movies or to explore different beaches .
He would take his boys to play baseball , basketball and football in neighborhood parks with his sons ’ friends trailing them , Luciana Ramirez said .
He loved to give advice based on the life he had led , telling the young boys : “ I came from the streets .
You don ’ t want to start off like me .
You want to be on a straight path.
” As soon as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife ’ s dreams too .
He knew Luciana Ramirez had wanted to be a hairstylist since she was a teenager .
“ One day he told me , ‘ Hey babe , you have an appointment and you can ’ t be late .
You just have to show up , ’ ” Luciana Ramirez said .
She couldn ’ t believe it when she showed up to the address he had scribbled down for her , she said .
A receptionist told her to show up to her cosmetology class the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how amazing that guy is .
He did everything for me and made sure I made my dreams come true , ” she said .
Ramirez is survived by his mother , four siblings , his wife , six children and three grandchildren .
On Friday , some members of the family were planning to say goodbye at a viewing in a local funeral home before he is cremated .
“ I ’ m grateful for every moment he gave me and that he gave me all my children , ” Luciana Ramirez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even describe it .
That ’ s the best gift he left me .
”

Guillermo Ramirez, seated, is surrounded by his children, from left, Gabby, 29; Alexia, 26; Themo, 24; Guillermo Jr., 25; Beatrize, 21; and David, 12, on Father’s Day 2019.
The Ramirez family never thought the coronavirus would get them.
They took every precaution, staying cooped up in their Azusa home since the stay-at-home order in March, the family said. Only the family’s father and eldest son went out for grocery runs, fully protected with masks and gloves.
The virus still found its way into the home. Over the course of days, each member of the 10-person household became infected. Three were hospitalized.
The family’s patriarch, Guillermo Ramirez, would not survive the battle with COVID-19. He died April 28 at 47. His family said he had no underlying conditions that would have put him at special risk.
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Now the family is struggling with the loss of their primary provider, who had devoted his life to bettering theirs.
California The pandemic’s toll: Lives lost in California Hundreds of people have died in California due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are some of their stories.
“It’s traumatizing,” said Ramirez’s daughter Alexia, 26, who does not live with her family. “It’s been a week and I still haven’t been able to hug my family.”
The attack on the family began in mid-April, when Ramirez’s wife, Luciana, came down with a headache and fever.
One by one, the adults in the home all began experiencing symptoms: Ramirez; his mother, Linda Hernandez, 72; his sons Guillermo Ramirez Jr., 25, and Themo, 24; and his daughter Beatrize, 21.
They quarantined themselves in their bedrooms, leaving the living room to the kids, who did not have any symptoms.
Ramirez’s youngest son, 12-year-old David, was responsible for watching over the grandchildren, ages 3, 2 and 8 months.
After they were tested at a drive-through site, results for all members of the family, including the asymptomatic children, came back positive for COVID-19.
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Ramirez seemed to have a milder case than the rest of his family members. They were bedridden, extremely fatigued and unable to eat.
“I kept asking my dad to let me go and take care of them,” Alexia Ramirez said. “He told me no, he didn’t want me to get sick.”
Alexia Ramirez would buy groceries and make meals for her family, wiping everything down before dropping it off at their doorstep.
On April 24, Guillermo Ramirez Jr. was hospitalized with breathing difficulties. In the next two days, his father and grandmother followed.
A few days later, doctors called Luciana Ramirez to let her know her husband’s condition had worsened and he would need to be intubated.
Alexia Ramirez rushed her mother, sitting in the back seat and wearing a face shield and gloves, to the hospital with hopes of seeing him before that happened. By the time they got there, doctors were performing CPR. They couldn’t bring him back.
“My mom came out of the hospital screaming, ‘He’s gone. Dad’s gone,’” said Alexia Ramirez.
On the drive home, in the back seat of her daughter’s car, Luciana Ramirez prayed: “Guillermo, come home, come home. Don’t leave me. Stay with me, please.”
Alexia Ramirez couldn’t hug her crying mother. At home, she began the painful task of calling each of her siblings and family members to tell them the news.
Guillermo Ramirez Jr. and Linda Hernandez were released from the hospital and are recovering at home.
In the days since Ramirez’s death, his children have been reminiscing about his life, including the moment he met their mother.
One night 30 years ago, he knocked on the door of a friend’s house where Luciana Ramirez happened to be sleeping over. She opened the door and quickly slammed it in his face, she said.
Luciana Ramirez thought she wasn’t put together enough to meet the “fine” young man. She ran upstairs to ask her friend about the visitor.
“Oh, that’s just Guillermo,” Luciana Ramirez recalled her friend saying. They’ve been inseparable since then, Luciana Ramirez said.
“He was my knight in shining armor,” she said. “He was my protector and I was his princess. All he wanted to do was provide.”
Guillermo Ramirez and wife Luciana in 2009. (Alexia Ramirez)
After becoming a father, Ramirez moved the family back to his hometown, Pasadena, to give them what he hoped would be a better life. He worked several low-paying jobs that kept him away from his family for most of the day.
But when as his sons got older, he feared they would follow the same path he was following as a teenager. He quit his jobs and signed up for truck driving school so that he could make more money and have a day off to spend with his kids.
On his day off each week, the father loved taking his family on outings to the movies or to explore different beaches. He would take his boys to play baseball, basketball and football in neighborhood parks with his sons’ friends trailing them, Luciana Ramirez said.
He loved to give advice based on the life he had led, telling the young boys: “I came from the streets. You don’t want to start off like me. You want to be on a straight path.”
As soon as he was able to, he supported his wife’s dreams too. He knew Luciana Ramirez had wanted to be a hairstylist since she was a teenager.
“One day he told me, ‘Hey babe, you have an appointment and you can’t be late. You just have to show up,’” Luciana Ramirez said.
She couldn’t believe it when she showed up to the address he had scribbled down for her, she said. A receptionist told her to show up to her cosmetology class the following week.
“That’s how amazing that guy is. He did everything for me and made sure I made my dreams come true,” she said.
Ramirez is survived by his mother, four siblings, his wife, six children and three grandchildren. On Friday, some members of the family were planning to say goodbye at a viewing in a local funeral home before he is cremated.
“I’m grateful for every moment he gave me and that he gave me all my children,” Luciana Ramirez said. “I can’t even describe it. That’s the best gift he left me.”