latimes--2020-11-28--L.A. County's new stay-home order is the strictest in California. Here's how it works

Los Angeles County has issued a new COVID-19 pandemic order that prohibits most gatherings and discourages most crowds , the latest in a series of desperate moves aimed at slowing an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections .
How does it work ?
It ’ s certainly not as severe as the stay-at-home order issued in March .
But it does mean that most gatherings — apart from outdoor church services and outdoor political protests — will again be banned starting Monday and last for the next three weeks , until Dec. 20 .
Still , it is the strictest currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious conditions are in L.A. County .
Retail stores will remain open , albeit at a more limited capacity .
The new order comes as L.A. County faces its worst crisis of the pandemic .
In recent weeks , the number of new daily coronavirus cases has quadrupled , while hospitalizations and daily deaths have tripled .
Officials have warned that unless transmission rates drop substantially , L.A. County is on track to run short of hospital beds within two to four weeks .
The latest surge began to be detected in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ban on gatherings , except for worship For the first time since early October , most gatherings among people from different households in L.A. County will be again be officially prohibited , with the exception of outdoor religious gatherings and outdoor political protests .
This will supersede the existing rule that allowed for only small , outdoor gatherings of 15 or fewer people from up to three different households , for a duration of no more than two hours .
Essential retail stores will be limited to 35 % of capacity ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reduction from the current cap of 50 % capacity .
Nonessential retail stores , malls , libraries and personal care establishments such as hair salons , barbershops , nail salons , piercing shops , tanning services and massage therapy will be limited to 20 % of capacity ; currently , they can operate at 25 % of capacity .
A 50 % capacity limit will apply to outdoor museums , galleries , zoos and aquariums .
Existing rules allow as many patrons as can be accommodated while maintaining six feet of distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gym and mini-golf , batting cages , and go-kart racing establishment capacity remains unchanged at 50 % of maximum capacity .
Playgrounds must shut except those at schools and child-care centers Playgrounds that are not part of a school or child-care center must close under the new order .
Outdoor cardrooms , which under existing rules have been able to operate , must close .
Beaches , trails and parks remain open , as do golf courses , tennis courts , pickleball courts , archery ranges , skate parks , bike parks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stay at least six feet away from people from other households .
Outdoor swimming pools that serve more than one household will be restricted to regulated lap swimming with one person per lane .
Child care centers , schools and day camps that have remained open under current protocols can continue operating with one new requirement : mandatory closure for 14 days should an outbreak occur , which is defined as three or more cases over a two-week period .
• Restaurants in most of L.A. County can now offer only takeout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were ordered shut Wednesday night , except within the city of Pasadena , which has its own independent public health department .
• The state has issued a limited overnight stay-at-home order , which forbids nonessential activities outside the home with members of other households between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m .
The virus is now far more widespread in Los Angeles County than at any point since the surge of the early summer , with one out of every 145 people now currently infectious , according to county estimates .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be quite dangerous , ” warned Dr. Christina Ghaly , the county director of health services .
“ Much of the COVID-19 transmission occurs before any symptoms occur ” among the infected person .
County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement that she supported the new health order .
Previous orders issued in the spring and summer have been successful in reducing transmission .
“ When the case rate reaches a certain point , it takes drastic measures to slow down the spread of this tremendously deadly virus , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , southeast L.A. County and the San Gabriel Valley .
“ We must keep ourselves and our families safe so that we can avoid getting sick and adding even more burden to our already overwhelmed healthcare system.
” Here ’ s a summary of how the state and other counties are faring in Southern California .
Some counties have not reported cases or deaths daily due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend .
California has seen daily coronavirus cases quadruple and hospitalizations triple in recent weeks .
Daily deaths are up 70 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now averaging nearly 13,000 cases a day over a seven-day period , and more than 60 Californians a day are dying on average over the same period .
L.A. County is now averaging 4,300 new coronavirus cases daily as of late Friday , far worse than the summertime surge when the average daily case rate maxed out at 3,300 .
Hospitalizations have risen at an increasingly faster pace for 15 consecutive days .
As of Thursday , there were nearly 2,000 people in L.A. County ’ s hospitals with COVID-19 — close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded in the summer .
COVID-19 deaths have also started to rise .
L.A. County is recording roughly 30 deaths a day over the past seven days , double the number from less than two weeks ago .
San Diego County ‘ s average new case count has quadrupled and hospitalizations have doubled in recent weeks .
California ’ s second most populous county is now averaging more than 1,000 new cases a day ; in early October , that figure was just above 250 .
There were more than 560 people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday , about double the number three weeks ago .
Orange County ‘ s average of new daily coronavirus cases has quadrupled and hospitalizations have doubled in recent weeks .
Orange County is averaging nearly 1,000 coronavirus cases a day over a seven-day period ; on Nov. 1 , just 220 people with positive virus diagnoses were in the hospital .
More than 500 people were in the hospital on Thursday ; there were fewer than 250 on Nov. 14 .
Hospitalizations have nearly quadrupled in Riverside County since the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections were in the hospital on Thursday ; on Oct. 1 , 130 people were in the hospital .
Average new daily coronavirus cases have increased more than fivefold since mid-October in San Bernardino County .
Nearly 1,300 new cases a day were reported on average over a seven-day period as of Friday ; on Oct. 18 , the rate was 250 cases a day .
Hospitalizations tripled in the past month ; there were 656 people in the hospital with COVID-19 on Thursday ; on Oct. 26 , 217 people were in @ @ @

Los Angeles County has issued a new COVID-19 pandemic order that prohibits most gatherings and discourages most crowds, the latest in a series of desperate moves aimed at slowing an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections.
How does it work?
It’s certainly not as severe as the stay-at-home order issued in March. But it does mean that most gatherings — apart from outdoor church services and outdoor political protests — were banned starting Monday morning, with the order set to last for the next three weeks, until Dec. 20. Still, it is the strictest currently in California, a sign of how serious conditions are in L.A. County.
Retail stores will remain open, albeit at a more limited capacity.
The new order comes as L.A. County faces its worst crisis of the pandemic. In recent weeks, the number of new daily coronavirus cases has quadrupled, while hospitalizations and daily deaths have tripled. Officials have warned that unless transmission rates drop substantially, L.A. County is on track to run short of hospital beds within two to four weeks.
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The latest surge began to be detected in late October, and began accelerating in November.
Here’s a summary of the changes:
Ban on gatherings, except for worship and political protests
For the first time since early October, most gatherings among people from different households in L.A. County are again officially prohibited, with the exception of outdoor religious gatherings and outdoor political protests.
This supersedes the previous rule that allowed for only small, outdoor gatherings of 15 or fewer people from up to three different households, for a duration of no more than two hours.
Retail limits on capacity
Essential retail stores are limited to 35% of capacity; for grocery stores, that was a reduction from the current cap of 50% capacity.
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Nonessential retail stores, malls, libraries and personal care establishments such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, piercing shops, tanning services and massage therapy are limited to 20% of capacity; previously, they operated at 25% of capacity.
Outdoor museums and zoos at half capacity
A 50% capacity limit applies to outdoor museums, galleries, zoos and aquariums. Previous rules allowed as many patrons as could be accommodated while maintaining six feet of distance from people from other households.
Outdoor gym and mini-golf, batting cages, and go-kart racing establishment capacity remained unchanged at 50% of maximum capacity.
Playgrounds must shut except those at schools and child-care centers
Playgrounds that are not part of a school or child-care center must close under the new order.
Cardrooms must shut
Outdoor cardrooms, which under existing rules have been able to operate, were ordered to close.
Outdoor recreation spaces remain open
Beaches, trails and parks remain open, as do golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, archery ranges, skate parks, bike parks and community gardens. Visitors must wear masks and stay at least six feet away from people from other households.
Outdoor swimming pools that serve more than one household are restricted to regulated lap swimming with one person per lane.
Schools and child care rules largely left unchanged
Child care centers, schools and day camps that have remained open under current protocols can continue operating with one new requirement: mandatory closure for 14 days should an outbreak occur, which is defined as three or more cases over a two-week period.
Orders that haven’t changed
Restaurants in most of L.A. County can now offer only takeout and pickup service; outdoor dining areas were ordered shut Wednesday night, except within the city of Pasadena, which has its own independent public health department.
The state has issued a limited overnight stay-at-home order, which forbids nonessential activities outside the home with members of other households between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Pasadena weighs new restrictions
Pasadena has stepped up enforcement of coronavirus rules and may consider new restrictions. Compliance has been mixed: Health inspectors conducted about 60 site visits Wednesday and Thursday, and the majority of restaurants — more than 40 — were violating the rules, a city spokeswoman, Lisa Derderian, said.
“The most common violations included no face shields, tables not properly distanced and enclosed dining areas,” she said.
Virus now more widespread
The virus is now far more widespread in Los Angeles County than at any point since the surge of the early summer, with one out of every 145 people now currently infectious, according to county estimates. “If people do participate in gatherings, it can be quite dangerous,” warned Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county director of health services, last week. “Much of the COVID-19 transmission occurs before any symptoms occur” among the infected persons.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement that she supported the new health order. Previous orders issued in the spring and summer have been successful in reducing transmission.
“When the case rate reaches a certain point, it takes drastic measures to slow down the spread of this tremendously deadly virus,” said Solis, whose district includes East L.A., southeast L.A. County and the San Gabriel Valley. “We must keep ourselves and our families safe so that we can avoid getting sick and adding even more burden to our already overwhelmed healthcare system.”
Tougher stay-at-home order may be needed
Los Angeles County officials warned that a tougher stay-at-home measure will be necessary if cases keep spiking.
“If this doesn’t work, and two to three weeks from now we find ourselves in a worse place than we are, we’re going to have to go back and look at what else do we have as options, because we cannot continue to risk overwhelming the healthcare system,” said the county director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, on Saturday. “I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that — that’s a disaster that we have to avoid at all costs.”
Strict rules imposed in Santa Clara County
Northern California’s most populous county, Santa Clara County in the Bay Area, on Saturday issued its own set of health orders, effective Monday to last until Dec. 21 unless extended. Santa Clara County is on track to run out of staff hospital bed capacity within weeks if current trends continue; several hospitals already have few, if any, intensive care unit beds available. The new orders include:
Mandatory quarantine for travelers: Requires anyone coming into Santa Clara County after traveling more than 150 miles to quarantine for 14 days. Those under quarantine should stay home as much as possible and have food delivered to them. Healthcare workers traveling into the county to provide care for patients, or patients traveling into the county to obtain treatment, are exempted.
Requires anyone coming into Santa Clara County after traveling more than 150 miles to quarantine for 14 days. Those under quarantine should stay home as much as possible and have food delivered to them. Healthcare workers traveling into the county to provide care for patients, or patients traveling into the county to obtain treatment, are exempted. Stricter capacity limits for stores: Nonessential retail indoor capacity were limited to 10% of capacity in Santa Clara County; essential stores like supermarkets and pharmacies were capped at 25%. Facilities open to the public must have a “metering system,” like an employee stationed at the entrance, to ensure that stores don’t get crowded beyond the capacity in the new health order.
Nonessential retail indoor capacity were limited to 10% of capacity in Santa Clara County; essential stores like supermarkets and pharmacies were capped at 25%. Facilities open to the public must have a “metering system,” like an employee stationed at the entrance, to ensure that stores don’t get crowded beyond the capacity in the new health order. Restrictions on sports involving close contact: All contact sports, including all recreational activities that involve close physical contact or close proximity to people outside of your household, were prohibited in Santa Clara County. Outdoor recreation where social distancing can be practiced can continue. The restrictions mean the San Francisco 49ers cannot play host to home games scheduled for Dec. 7 and 13; they play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
All contact sports, including all recreational activities that involve close physical contact or close proximity to people outside of your household, were prohibited in Santa Clara County. Outdoor recreation where social distancing can be practiced can continue. The restrictions mean the San Francisco 49ers cannot play host to home games scheduled for Dec. 7 and 13; they play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Hotels closed to leisure travel: Hotels and other lodging facilities in Santa Clara County are open to only essential travel and people who need to isolate or quarantine themselves due to the coronavirus. Leisure and nonessential travel are strongly discouraged.
Hotels and other lodging facilities in Santa Clara County are open to only essential travel and people who need to isolate or quarantine themselves due to the coronavirus. Leisure and nonessential travel are strongly discouraged. Small outdoor gatherings still allowed: Outdoor gatherings of no more than three households remain allowed. Outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed for 1st Amendment-protected activities, such as religious services and protests.
Other health officers in the Bay Area expressed support for the stricter rules and said in a statement they “may also have to take similar actions soon in order to preserve remaining regional hospital capacity.”
Here’s a summary of how the state and other counties are faring in Southern California. Some counties have not reported cases or deaths daily due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Statewide
California has seen daily coronavirus cases quadruple and hospitalizations triple in recent weeks. Daily deaths are up more than 50% in less than a month.
California is now averaging roughly 13,000 cases a day over a seven-day period, and roughly 60 Californians a day are dying on average over the same period.
Los Angeles County
L.A. County is now averaging more than 4,000 new coronavirus cases daily, far worse than the summertime surge when the average daily case rate maxed out at 3,300.
Hospitalizations have risen at an increasingly faster pace for more than two weeks. As of Friday, there were more than 2,000 people in L.A. County’s hospitals with COVID-19 — close to its previous high of more than 2,200 recorded in the summer.
COVID-19 deaths have also started to rise. L.A. County is recording roughly 30 deaths a day over the past seven days, triple the number from early November.
San Diego County
San Diego County’s average new case count has increased more than fivefold and hospitalizations have tripled in recent weeks. California’s second most populous county is now averaging more than 1,300 new cases a day; in early October, that figure was just above 250.
There were nearly 600 with coronavirus infections in San Diego County hospitals on Friday, about triple the number from the end of October.
Orange County
Orange County’s average of new daily coronavirus cases has quadrupled and hospitalizations have doubled in recent weeks.
Orange County is averaging more than 1,000 coronavirus cases a day over a seven-day period; on Nov. 1, just 220 people with positive virus diagnoses were in the hospital.
More than 500 people were in the hospital on Friday; there were fewer than 250 on Nov. 14.
Riverside County
Hospitalizations have quadrupled in Riverside County since the start of October. More than 500 people with coronavirus infections were in the hospital on Friday; on Oct. 1, 130 people were in the hospital.
San Bernardino County
Average new daily coronavirus cases have quadrupled since mid-October in San Bernardino County. More than 1,100 new cases a day were reported on average over a seven-day period as of Saturday; on Oct. 18, the rate was 250 cases a day.
Hospitalizations tripled in the past month; there were 661 people in the hospital with COVID-19 on Friday; on Oct. 26, 217 people were in the hospital. Hospitalizations have now exceeded the summertime peak of 638, recorded in late July.
Ventura County
Hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October. There were 84 people in hospitals with coronavirus infections on Friday; that’s up from 21 on Oct. 25.
Kern County
Hospitalizations have tripled since early November. There were 165 people in hospitals with coronavirus infections on Friday; that’s up from 51 on Nov. 4.
Santa Barbara County
Hospitalizations have tripled since early November. On Friday, there were 33 people in hospitals with coronavirus infections; that’s up from nine people on Nov. 7.
Imperial County
Hospitalizations have more than tripled since late September. On Friday, there were 70 people in hospitals with coronavirus infections; that’s up from 20 on Sept. 27.
Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-28--Coronavirus hospitalizations worsen in California, raising new alarms

The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infections in California has doubled in just the last two weeks and is rapidly headed to breaking past its summertime high , according to a Times analysis .
The surge in hospitalizations came as California surpassed another bleak milestone : More than 19,000 deaths related to COVID-19 , according to The Times ’ independent county-by-county tally .
There were nearly 6,650 people with coronavirus infections in California ’ s hospitals as of Thursday , double the number that existed on Nov. 11 , when 3,300 people were hospitalized .
Thursday ’ s hospitalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 hospitalizations , which was recorded in mid-July , when 7,170 people were in the hospital .
The extraordinary growth in hospitalizations is accelerating at a sustained pace that is unprecedented since the first months of the pandemic .
In Los Angeles County , the total number of people who are in hospitals with coronavirus infections is jumping by roughly 80 patients a day on average over a seven-day period — a rate of increase not seen since the earliest weeks of the pandemic .
By Thursday , more than 1,950 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .
That ’ s more than 87 % of L.A. County ’ s worst day for hospitalizations , in mid-July , when more than 2,200 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals .
Health officials in Los Angeles County have sounded the alarm that they are on pace to see a shortage of beds — especially in intensive care units — over the next two to four weeks if these trends continue .
Should the number of COVID-19 patients continue to rise , “ people should be prepared to potentially have their nonessential surgeries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make room , ” Dr. Christina Ghaly , the county director of health services , said Wednesday .
Though hospitals have plans in place to expand their capacity if necessary , Ghaly said the bigger challenge is staffing — particularly in intensive care units .
There are only so many nurses , doctors and other staff properly trained to provide ICU-level care .
San Diego County was on its sixth consecutive day of record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients , with 563 people in its hospitals as of Thursday .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous high of 411 , set in the summer .
San Bernardino County on Thanksgiving broke its all-time record for COVID-19 hospitalizations , with 656 people in hospital beds on Thursday — exceeding its previous record of 638 patients set in July .
Riverside County reported 498 hospitalized patients Thursday , closing in on its all-time record of 550 , also set in July .
COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled in Orange County in the last dozen days or so .
More than 500 people with coronavirus infections were in Orange County ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 250 such patients on Nov. 14 .
Ventura County was in the same situation : There were 81 people listed in hospitals in the coastal county Thursday , up from 38 on Nov. 14 .
Other areas of California were also hit hard .
Sacramento County on Thursday recorded 263 COVID-19 patients in its hospitals , close to its record of 281 hospitalizations set in the summer .
In the San Francisco Bay Area , Santa Clara County has surpassed its summertime record of hospitalizations .
On Thursday , 230 infected people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % increase from its previous high of 196 from the summer .
States across the nation were also reporting sharp increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations .
“ With only partial reporting today , and many states not submitting data , we are nonetheless seeing a staggering jump in total Covid hospitalizations nationally ; reflecting the sharply rising new infections we ’ ve seen in recent weeks and delay between diagnosis and hospitalization , ” Dr. Scott Gottlieb , a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , tweeted Thursday .
Epidemiologists have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing trend of restaurants beginning to erect sheets of plastic surrounding their outdoor dining areas to protect diners from the wind .
Surrounding a dining area with plastic sheeting or other material blocking air flow helps keep the coronavirus floating inside what ’ s basically a tent , instead of the tiny respiratory particles being blown away by the wind .
That makes it more probable that other people will breathe in larger quantities of the virus and be infected by their dining companions .
On Wednesday , state officials issued a memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canopy or other type of shelter from the sun , but no more than 50 % of the outdoor dining area ’ s perimeter can be surrounded by impermeable walls .
In California , tough pandemic control measures have twice successfully driven down infection rates and daily death numbers , in large part by finding ways to keep people from different households from mixing with one another .
But pandemic fatigue that has emerged in the last couple of months is probably resulting in more people deciding to ignore recommendations to stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they suspect the recent surge in coronavirus cases is related to things such as holiday celebrations ; gatherings to watch games and celebrations of the Lakers and Dodgers winning the NBA Finals and World Series , respectively ; increased outbreaks at workplaces ; increased travel by people coming from or returning from areas with high transmission rates ; and cooler weather , which tends to result in people staying indoors more .
There is worry that many people ignoring recommendations to stay at home this Thanksgiving will give rise to an even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December and January .
One influential model forecasts that , based on current policies , California ’ s cumulative pandemic death toll would double , to more than 37,000 dead , by the end of winter .
Epidemiologists have long said that any activity in which people don ’ t wear masks and are located close together places them at risk for contracting the coronavirus .
The virus can be spread by coughing , talking and even breathing .
The daily number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported on Thanksgiving and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be lower than usual , a result of many counties not issuing reports over the holiday weekend .
Only 10 of California ’ s 58 counties released new case and death numbers on Thanksgiving .

Holiday travelers crowd a ticketing area Wednesday at Minneapolis−St. Paul International Airport. Millions of Americans took to the skies and the highways ahead of Thanksgiving, disregarding dire public health warnings about the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infections in California has doubled in just the last two weeks and is rapidly headed to breaking past its summertime high, according to a Times analysis.
The surge in hospitalizations came as California surpassed another bleak milestone: More than 19,000 deaths related to COVID-19, according to The Times’ independent county-by-county tally.
There were nearly 6,650 people with coronavirus infections in California’s hospitals as of Thursday, double the number that existed on Nov. 11, when 3,300 people were hospitalized. Thursday’s hospitalization numbers were 93% of the peak of COVID-19 hospitalizations, which was recorded in mid-July, when 7,170 people were in the hospital.
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The extraordinary growth in hospitalizations is accelerating at a sustained pace that is unprecedented since the first months of the pandemic. In Los Angeles County, the total number of people who are in hospitals with coronavirus infections is jumping by roughly 80 patients a day on average over a seven-day period — a rate of increase not seen since the earliest weeks of the pandemic.
By Thursday, more than 1,950 people with coronavirus infections were hospitalized in L.A. County. That’s more than 87% of L.A. County’s worst day for hospitalizations, in mid-July, when more than 2,200 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals.
Health officials in Los Angeles County have sounded the alarm that they are on pace to see a shortage of beds — especially in intensive care units — over the next two to four weeks if these trends continue.
Should the number of COVID-19 patients continue to rise, “people should be prepared to potentially have their nonessential surgeries or procedures canceled so that hospitals can make room,” Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county director of health services, said Wednesday.
Though hospitals have plans in place to expand their capacity if necessary, Ghaly said the bigger challenge is staffing — particularly in intensive care units. There are only so many nurses, doctors and other staff properly trained to provide ICU-level care.
San Diego County was on its sixth consecutive day of record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with 563 people in its hospitals as of Thursday. That’s already a 37% increase above its previous high of 411, set in the summer.
San Bernardino County on Thanksgiving broke its all-time record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 656 people in hospital beds on Thursday — exceeding its previous record of 638 patients set in July.
Riverside County reported 498 hospitalized patients Thursday, closing in on its all-time record of 550, also set in July.
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COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled in Orange County in the last dozen days or so. More than 500 people with coronavirus infections were in Orange County’s hospitals as of Thursday; there were nearly 250 such patients on Nov. 14. Ventura County was in the same situation: There were 81 people listed in hospitals in the coastal county Thursday, up from 38 on Nov. 14.
Other areas of California were also hit hard. Sacramento County on Thursday recorded 263 COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, close to its record of 281 hospitalizations set in the summer.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Clara County has surpassed its summertime record of hospitalizations. On Thursday, 230 infected people were in its hospitals, a 17% increase from its previous high of 196 from the summer.
States across the nation were also reporting sharp increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations. “With only partial reporting today, and many states not submitting data, we are nonetheless seeing a staggering jump in total Covid hospitalizations nationally; reflecting the sharply rising new infections we’ve seen in recent weeks and delay between diagnosis and hospitalization,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, tweeted Thursday.
Epidemiologists have also started to raise concerns about an increasing trend of restaurants beginning to erect sheets of plastic surrounding their outdoor dining areas to protect diners from the wind.
Surrounding a dining area with plastic sheeting or other material blocking air flow helps keep the coronavirus floating inside what’s basically a tent, instead of the tiny respiratory particles being blown away by the wind. That makes it more probable that other people will breathe in larger quantities of the virus and be infected by their dining companions.
On Wednesday, state officials issued a memo that says outdoor restaurants can have a canopy or other type of shelter from the sun, but no more than 50% of the outdoor dining area’s perimeter can be surrounded by impermeable walls.
In California, tough pandemic control measures have twice successfully driven down infection rates and daily death numbers, in large part by finding ways to keep people from different households from mixing with one another.
But pandemic fatigue that has emerged in the last couple of months is probably resulting in more people deciding to ignore recommendations to stay home as much as possible.
Health officials say they suspect the recent surge in coronavirus cases is related to things such as holiday celebrations; gatherings to watch games and celebrations of the Lakers and Dodgers winning the NBA Finals and World Series, respectively; increased outbreaks at workplaces; increased travel by people coming from or returning from areas with high transmission rates; and cooler weather, which tends to result in people staying indoors more.
There is worry that many people ignoring recommendations to stay at home this Thanksgiving will give rise to an even worse surge of hospitalizations and deaths in December and January. One influential model forecasts that, based on current policies, California’s cumulative pandemic death toll would double, to more than 37,000 dead, by the end of winter.
Epidemiologists have long said that any activity in which people don’t wear masks and are located close together places them at risk for contracting the coronavirus. The virus can be spread by coughing, talking and even breathing.
The daily number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported on Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday weekend is expected to be lower than usual, a result of many counties not issuing reports over the holiday weekend. Only 10 of California’s 58 counties released new case and death numbers on Thanksgiving.


latimes--2020-11-28--Before disasters hit California, these workers get the word out in many languages

The night the deadly Tubbs fire broke out in 2017 , Alma Bowen , then an emergency services dispatcher for Sonoma County , experienced a life-changing moment .
For 20 hours , she answered 911 calls , many from Latinos who spoke Spanish and didn ’ t understand or were confused by the emergency alerts they were receiving in English .
The Tubbs fire destroyed or damaged at least 5,500 structures and killed at least 22 people in the mountainous area north of Santa Rosa , authorities said .
The experience persuaded Bowen to leave her job and start a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 911 awareness classes , and disaster recovery and preparedness workshops .
Last year , her organization and dozens of other nonprofits received grant money from the state as part of a $ 50-million outreach program called Listos California .
The mission : prepare Latinos and other vulnerable groups for major disasters .
“ We know that people who are socially isolated or live in poverty , have language barriers , or other access or functional needs challenges need to be the top priority for preparedness campaigns , ” said Karen Baker , architect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , a slower but deadlier disaster demanded the groups ’ attention : the spread of the novel coronavirus , which has disproportionately infected and killed Latinos across the state .
The state has reported more than 1.8 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 19,000 related deaths .
“ You had to shift from what might happen to what was happening , ” Baker said .
“ What was happening was that people were dying of this thing called COVID … and when you looked at the data and saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less diverse ones — it was more of a call to action.
” Listos California expanded its campaign in July to boost prevention efforts in areas hit hard by the pandemic , such as the predominantly Latino Imperial County , where 11 Lotería-themed billboard ads were placed in the county to help slow the spread of the virus .
The billboards included pink , blue and green Lotería cards — designed by a local artist to draw attention — with safety messages in Spanglish .
The colorful ads were one of many targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign also put out safety and informative guides in Spanish , Chinese , Korean , Tagalog and other languages .
Statewide , Listos California says it has reached 1.6 million people .
California is famously prone to disasters such as earthquakes and floods , but it was wildfires that were instrumental in highlighting the need to boost disaster preparedness that was tailored around the needs of vulnerable groups such as the poor , elderly and people with disabilities .
But there was a considerable amount of focus on the state ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named the statewide campaign in Spanish .
Major disasters often hit Latinos hardest because they tend to be at an economic disadvantage and live in communities that are underfunded , officials said .
Latinos also hold a large percentage of essential jobs in the state , including manufacturing and agriculture positions .
Historically , public warning systems have long been structured with little input from the Latino population , which includes immigrants , migrant workers and Indigenous groups .
Language barriers meant exclusion from vital information or emergency service response .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 , many residents were able to evacuate first while Spanish-speaking immigrants were left in limbo to figure out what to do or relied on their children for translation of emergency alerts , officials said .
After complaints from nonprofit organizations , Ventura County began to send out information in Spanish .
By then , the fire had been burning for 10 days , according to a state audit .
The pandemic brought its own challenges .
It has taken a who make up 39 % of the state ’ s population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 49 % of related deaths .
Baker said nonprofits and community-based organizations were given the flexibility to spend 20 % of the grant money to help with COVID-19 prevention efforts in their regions .
But because many couldn ’ t have gatherings , organizations had to come up with creative ways to reach people , such as hosting videoconferences .
Bowen said her organization , Nuestra Comunidad , did that but also held outdoor workshops for migrant workers at vineyards and agricultural fields .
She handed out masks and disaster preparedness guidebooks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more residents in Sonoma County .
Listos California recently launched a new initiative with the United Way of Fresno and Madera Counties , which partnered with the Binational Center for the Development of Oaxacan Indigenous Communities and Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project to create audio files with information on COVID-19 and emergency preparedness for those who speak Mixteco and other Indigenous languages from Mexico .
Many are not fluent in Spanish .
They also made similar audio files in Punjabi , Hmong and Spanish .
Before launching Nuestra Comunidad , Bowen often questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more than 130,000 Latinos who lived and worked in the region about 911 emergency services .
Bowen said as a dispatcher she saw how immigrants and migrant workers hesitated to make emergency calls .
The problem was twofold : They didn ’ t always know exactly what kind of an event they should dial 911 for , and they often came from homelands where there was little trust in government .
Some who were in the country illegally also worried about their possible deportation .
When the Tubbs fire broke out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents about calling 211 for information — not 911 .
They could receive help , and it wouldn ’ t be used against them , she told immigrants .
One such call that stuck with her involved two migrant workers who didn ’ t know the address of the vineyard where they lived and worked .
Neither could read English .
Bowen said she spent several minutes figuring out their location based on letters they could recognize .
When she finally did , it was too late .
The men had to flee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I couldn ’ t send help , ” she said .
“ There was not a damn thing I could do about it.
” Bowen said the Listos California grants have helped her organizations boost their community outreach efforts .
She hopes funding for the campaign will continue .
In the small rural town of Ukiah , several residents got together to form Ukiah Vecinos en Acción ( Ukiah Neighbors in Action , or UVA ) .
The coalition was formed in reaction to the anti-immigrant sentiment that helped lead to Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started out as an effort to alleviate immigrant concerns expanded to provide Spanish-language information on COVID-19 and wildfires .
Jackeline Orozco , a member of the coalition , which has received grant money from Listos California , said that for years government agencies in the city and county had failed to put out information in Spanish whenever disasters struck the region .
“ We ’ re also part of this economy ; we ’ re part of the workforce , ” Orozco said .
“ It ’ s also our right to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In July , spurred by the fires and COVID-19 , the group sent a letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors urging it to start sending out vital alerts in Spanish .
The group also urged the county to hire certified translators and hold news conferences in English and Spanish .
The letter was signed and supported by other grass-roots organizations in the area .
The statewide campaign to improve disaster preparedness among Latinos and other groups appears to be having an effect .
Last year , Omaira Baptista woke up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her home was in the path of the Kincade fire .
Baptista , who arrived in the country from Venezuela two years before , didn ’ t understand English .
It wasn ’ t until a friend called that she realized she had to evacuate .
She said she grabbed whatever she could .
“ It was a traumatic experience , ” she said .
But early this year , while Baptista was working at the UpValley Family Center , the Listos California campaign caught her attention .
She signed up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nixle alerts in Spanish .
She learned about emergency services and how best to keep her family safe during evacuations .
About two months ago , Baptista got another alert in the early hours .
The Glass fire was ravaging wine country , and she needed to evacuate .
This time , she didn ’ t panic .
“ I grabbed my documents , clothes , medicine , and filled the luggage , ” she said .
“ I had my car facing toward our escape route.
” When the mandatory evacuations came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled with her family to Lodi as she had done last year , when she was less prepared and their escape felt like a mad dash .
“ It wasn ’ t as stressful as the last time , ” Baptista said .
“ It was such a big difference .
”

The night the deadly Tubbs fire broke out in 2017, Alma Bowen, then an emergency services dispatcher for Sonoma County, experienced a life-changing moment.
For 20 hours, she answered 911 calls, many from Latinos who spoke Spanish and didn’t understand or were confused by the emergency alerts they were receiving in English.
The Tubbs fire destroyed or damaged at least 5,500 structures and killed at least 22 people in the mountainous area north of Santa Rosa, authorities said.
The experience persuaded Bowen to leave her job and start a nonprofit to offer Spanish-language CPR training, 911 awareness classes, and disaster recovery and preparedness workshops.
Last year, her organization and dozens of other nonprofits received grant money from the state as part of a $50-million outreach program called Listos California. The mission: prepare Latinos and other vulnerable groups for major disasters.
“We know that people who are socially isolated or live in poverty, have language barriers, or other access or functional needs challenges need to be the top priority for preparedness campaigns,” said Karen Baker, architect and co-chair of Listos California.
This year, a slower but deadlier disaster demanded the groups’ attention: the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has disproportionately infected and killed Latinos across the state. The state has reported more than 1.8 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 19,000 related deaths.
“You had to shift from what might happen to what was happening,” Baker said. “What was happening was that people were dying of this thing called COVID … and when you looked at the data and saw diverse communities getting hit even harder than less diverse ones — it was more of a call to action.”
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Listos California expanded its campaign in July to boost prevention efforts in areas hit hard by the pandemic, such as the predominantly Latino Imperial County, where 11 Lotería-themed billboard ads were placed in the county to help slow the spread of the virus.
The billboards included pink, blue and green Lotería cards — designed by a local artist to draw attention — with safety messages in Spanglish. The colorful ads were one of many targeting bilingual communities in the state. The campaign also put out safety and informative guides in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and other languages.
Statewide, Listos California says it has reached 1.6 million people.
Culture. Preparedness. Listos. California.
Learn more about our most recent community-driven approach to reach Imperial County's Latino population with Lotería style billboards featuring #COVID19 safety tips: https://t.co/QU49q19C41 #YourActionsSaveLives pic.twitter.com/pG8baO2dxd — Listos California (@ListosCA) July 23, 2020
California is famously prone to disasters such as earthquakes and floods, but it was wildfires that were instrumental in highlighting the need to boost disaster preparedness that was tailored around the needs of vulnerable groups such as the poor, elderly and people with disabilities.
But there was a considerable amount of focus on the state’s largest ethnic group — Latinos. Leaders even named the statewide campaign in Spanish.
Major disasters often hit Latinos hardest because they tend to be at an economic disadvantage and live in communities that are underfunded, officials said. Latinos also hold a large percentage of essential jobs in the state, including manufacturing and agriculture positions.
Historically, public warning systems have long been structured with little input from the Latino population, which includes immigrants, migrant workers and Indigenous groups. Language barriers meant exclusion from vital information or emergency service response.
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When the devastating Thomas fire raced through Ventura County in 2017, many residents were able to evacuate first while Spanish-speaking immigrants were left in limbo to figure out what to do or relied on their children for translation of emergency alerts, officials said. After complaints from nonprofit organizations, Ventura County began to send out information in Spanish. By then, the fire had been burning for 10 days, according to a state audit.
The pandemic brought its own challenges. It has taken a devastating toll on Latino residents, who make up 39% of the state’s population but account for 59% of coronavirus infections and 49% of related deaths.
Baker said nonprofits and community-based organizations were given the flexibility to spend 20% of the grant money to help with COVID-19 prevention efforts in their regions. But because many couldn’t have gatherings, organizations had to come up with creative ways to reach people, such as hosting videoconferences.
Bowen said her organization, Nuestra Comunidad, did that but also held outdoor workshops for migrant workers at vineyards and agricultural fields. She handed out masks and disaster preparedness guidebooks. She also attended food giveaways to reach more residents in Sonoma County.
Listos California recently launched a new initiative with the United Way of Fresno and Madera Counties, which partnered with the Binational Center for the Development of Oaxacan Indigenous Communities and Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project to create audio files with information on COVID-19 and emergency preparedness for those who speak Mixteco and other Indigenous languages from Mexico. Many are not fluent in Spanish. They also made similar audio files in Punjabi, Hmong and Spanish.
In the midst of active wildfires and a global pandemic, @ListosCA has collaborated with several state agencies and community-based organizations to produce our new "Farmworkers Initiative" with resources for farmworkers on #COVID19 & disaster preparedness. https://t.co/5r8QMo6lKR pic.twitter.com/JPwJz0r61O — Listos California (@ListosCA) October 9, 2020
Before launching Nuestra Comunidad, Bowen often questioned why Sonoma County wasn’t engaging the more than 130,000 Latinos who lived and worked in the region about 911 emergency services.
Bowen said as a dispatcher she saw how immigrants and migrant workers hesitated to make emergency calls. The problem was twofold: They didn’t always know exactly what kind of an event they should dial 911 for, and they often came from homelands where there was little trust in government. Some who were in the country illegally also worried about their possible deportation.
When the Tubbs fire broke out, Bowen found herself having to inform Latino residents about calling 211 for information — not 911. They could receive help, and it wouldn’t be used against them, she told immigrants.
One such call that stuck with her involved two migrant workers who didn’t know the address of the vineyard where they lived and worked. Neither could read English. Bowen said she spent several minutes figuring out their location based on letters they could recognize. When she finally did, it was too late. The men had to flee.
“It was the first time I couldn’t send help,” she said. “There was not a damn thing I could do about it.”
As a former 911 dispatcher, Alma Bowen saw how immigrants and migrant workers hesitated to make emergency calls. Many aren’t sure what events to call 911 for, she said, and others come from homelands where there was little trust in government. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Bowen said the Listos California grants have helped her organizations boost their community outreach efforts. She hopes funding for the campaign will continue.
In the small rural town of Ukiah, several residents got together to form Ukiah Vecinos en Acción (Ukiah Neighbors in Action, or UVA). The coalition was formed in reaction to the anti-immigrant sentiment that helped lead to Donald Trump’s election in 2016. What started out as an effort to alleviate immigrant concerns expanded to provide Spanish-language information on COVID-19 and wildfires.
Jackeline Orozco, a member of the coalition, which has received grant money from Listos California, said that for years government agencies in the city and county had failed to put out information in Spanish whenever disasters struck the region.
“We’re also part of this economy; we’re part of the workforce,” Orozco said. “It’s also our right to receive information in our own language too.”
In July, spurred by the fires and COVID-19, the group sent a letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors urging it to start sending out vital alerts in Spanish. The group also urged the county to hire certified translators and hold news conferences in English and Spanish. The letter was signed and supported by other grass-roots organizations in the area.
The statewide campaign to improve disaster preparedness among Latinos and other groups appears to be having an effect.
Last year, Omaira Baptista woke up to a mandatory evacuation alert from Napa County. Her home was in the path of the Kincade fire. Baptista, who arrived in the country from Venezuela two years before, didn’t understand English. It wasn’t until a friend called that she realized she had to evacuate. She said she grabbed whatever she could.
“It was a traumatic experience,” she said.
But early this year, while Baptista was working at the UpValley Family Center, the Listos California campaign caught her attention. She signed up for a disaster planning workshop and registered for Nixle alerts in Spanish. She learned about emergency services and how best to keep her family safe during evacuations.
About two months ago, Baptista got another alert in the early hours. The Glass fire was ravaging wine country, and she needed to evacuate. This time, she didn’t panic.
“I grabbed my documents, clothes, medicine, and filled the luggage,” she said. “I had my car facing toward our escape route.”
When the mandatory evacuations came through, she grabbed her keys and fled with her family to Lodi as she had done last year, when she was less prepared and their escape felt like a mad dash.
“It wasn’t as stressful as the last time,” Baptista said. “It was such a big difference.”


latimes--2020-11-27--Woman found dead in Pasadena park identified as homeless outreach worker

A woman found dead in a Pasadena park this week has been identified as an outreach worker at homeless encampments , authorities said .
A jogger discovered the body of Elena Ledford , 49 , near a parking lot at Hahamongna Watershed Park along Oak Grove Drive shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday .
The victim had injuries “ consistent with an assault , ” said Pasadena police Lt. Carolyn Gordon .
Detectives have a “ very strong lead that they ’ re following up on , ” she added , though she could not provide details .
An investigation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motive .
Ledford was an outreach worker at Union Station Homeless Services , said Sarah Tower , chief program officer at the Pasadena nonprofit .
The Glendale resident was “ so valued , not just as a co-worker but as a member of our family , ” Tower said .
Other co-workers described Ledford as “ compassionate and kind.
” They said she had moved from North Carolina back to her home state of California about three years ago and served as lead outreach worker for a multi-disciplinary team that included a caseworker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse or mental health specialist .
Ledford made the rounds at San Gabriel Valley homeless sites , “ caring for the most vulnerable populations , ” Tower said .
“ She inherently believed in their dignity — there was no question in her mind that there was hope for better lives for them.
” Recently , Ledford had helped coordinate coronavirus testing for many living on the streets during the pandemic , Tower said .
“ We are beyond devastated .
This is so shocking for all of us , ” said Dana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of development and communications .
Colleagues had last seen Ledford on Monday and said that although the Pasadena park was on her route , she had not been scheduled to work there Tuesday .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Pasadena police at ( 626 ) 744-4241 .

The body of a woman found Tuesday near a parking lot at Hahamongna Watershed Park was identified by Pasadena police as outreach worker Elena Ledford, 49.
A woman found dead in a Pasadena park this week has been identified as an outreach worker at homeless encampments, authorities said.
A jogger discovered the body of Elena Ledford, 49, near a parking lot at Hahamongna Watershed Park along Oak Grove Drive shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The victim had injuries “consistent with an assault,” said Pasadena police Lt. Carolyn Gordon. Detectives have a “very strong lead that they’re following up on,” she added, though she could not provide details.
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An investigation is ongoing and police have not revealed a motive.
Ledford was an outreach worker at Union Station Homeless Services, said Sarah Tower, chief program officer at the Pasadena nonprofit.
The Glendale resident was “so valued, not just as a co-worker but as a member of our family,” Tower said.
Other co-workers described Ledford as “compassionate and kind.” They said she had moved from North Carolina back to her home state of California about three years ago and served as lead outreach worker for a multi-disciplinary team that included a caseworker, a medical specialist and a substance abuse or mental health specialist.
Ledford made the rounds at San Gabriel Valley homeless sites, “caring for the most vulnerable populations,” Tower said. “She inherently believed in their dignity — there was no question in her mind that there was hope for better lives for them.”
Recently, Ledford had helped coordinate coronavirus testing for many living on the streets during the pandemic, Tower said.
“We are beyond devastated. This is so shocking for all of us,” said Dana Bean, Union Station’s senior director of development and communications.
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Colleagues had last seen Ledford on Monday and said that although the Pasadena park was on her route, she had not been scheduled to work there Tuesday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Pasadena police at (626) 744-4241.


latimes--2020-11-27--L.A. County's new restrictions on gatherings: What you need to know

Los Angeles County on Friday announced more restrictions on public and private gatherings as it battles an unprecedented surge in coronavirus infections .
The move comes just two days after the county suspended outdoor dining at restaurants as cases spiked to new highs , with officials saying some hospitals could be close to capacity within weeks .
Countywide COVID-19 hospitalizations have already more than doubled in just three weeks , from about 800 on Halloween to nearly 1,900 Friday .
The new rules put capacity limits on businesses , further restrict gatherings and close many playgrounds , among other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will last until at least Dec. 20 .
• All public and private gatherings with individuals not in your household are prohibited , except for religious services and protests , which are constitutionally protected rights .
• Occupancy is limited at various businesses ; all individuals at these sites are required to wear face coverings and keep at least six feet of distance : • Recreation activities require face coverings ( except for swimming ) and distancing : • Beaches , trails , and parks remain open ; gatherings with people outside your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tennis courts , pickleball , archery ranges , skate parks , bike parks , and community gardens remain open for individuals or members of a single household .
Pools that serve more than one household may open only for regulated lap swimming with one person per lane .
• Drive-in movies/events/car parades are permitted provided occupants in each car are members of one household • All schools and day camps remain open adhering to reopening protocols .
K-12 schools and day camps with an outbreak ( three cases or more over 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Playgrounds ( with the exception of playgrounds at childcare centers and schools )

Tony Drockton of Hermosa Beach, left, is joined by his nephew Daniel, son Riley (in red) and niece Deanna (on guitar) as they serenade passersby with a “Thanksgiving song” on the Hermosa Beach Pier.
Los Angeles County on Friday announced more restrictions on public and private gatherings as it battles an unprecedented surge in coronavirus infections.
The move comes just two days after the county suspended outdoor dining at restaurants as cases spiked to new highs, with officials saying some hospitals could be close to capacity within weeks. Countywide COVID-19 hospitalizations have already more than doubled in just three weeks, from about 800 on Halloween to nearly 1,900 Friday.
The basics
The new rules put capacity limits on businesses, further restrict gatherings and close many playgrounds, among other things. They go into effect Monday and will last until at least Dec. 20.
Here is a rundown:
Gatherings
All public and private gatherings with individuals not in your household are prohibited, except for religious services and protests, which are constitutionally protected rights.
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Businesses
Occupancy is limited at various businesses; all individuals at these sites are required to wear face coverings and keep at least six feet of distance:
Essential retail – 35% maximum occupancy
Nonessential retail (includes indoor malls) – 20% maximum occupancy
Personal care services – 20% maximum occupancy
Libraries – 20% maximum occupancy
Fitness centers operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Museums, galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Mini-golf, batting cages, go-kart racing operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
Outdoors
Recreation activities require face coverings (except for swimming) and distancing:
Beaches, trails, and parks remain open; gatherings with people outside your household are prohibited. Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery ranges, skate parks, bike parks, and community gardens remain open for individuals or members of a single household. Pools that serve more than one household may open only for regulated lap swimming with one person per lane. Drive-in movies/events/car parades are permitted provided occupants in each car are members of one household
Schools
All schools and day camps remain open adhering to reopening protocols. K-12 schools and day camps with an outbreak (three cases or more over 14 days) should close for 14 days
Closed nonessential businesses/activities:
Playgrounds (with the exception of playgrounds at childcare centers and schools)
Card rooms
Source: County of Los Angeles


latimes--2020-11-27--Who has it harder than homeless people when the pandemic closes indoor spaces?

I have a roof over my head .
I have heat .
I have electricity .
I have more than one bathroom to choose from .
I have a kitchen full of food .
This past week , I set out to check up on people living on the streets of my Hollywood neighborhood because I couldn ’ t stop thinking about the extent of that privilege .
I couldn ’ t stop thinking in this time of Thanksgiving about how thankful I should be for my warm home , even if the COVID-19 pandemic sometimes makes me feel stir-crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us chafe right now at the inability because of pandemic restrictions to eat inside a restaurant or sip a coffee in a cafe or go browse the shelves of a public library .
But I couldn ’ t stop thinking about how much harder having such communal indoor spaces closed is on those of us who don ’ t have any indoors to call our own .
The people living on our streets used to be able to go inside public libraries and coffee shops to use bathrooms , to charge cellphones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respite from the harshness of living outside .
Some got cheap gym memberships for ready access to showers , especially helpful when you have a job but no home .
Now temperatures are dropping and rainy days are ahead , and most of those options are unavailable — while shelter , as well as public toilets and hand-washing stations , remains in far too short supply .
P.J .
Butters , 44 , whose tent is clustered with others in a tight community on a block perpendicular to Vine Street , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets to charge his phone and uses a bucket to clean up as best he can at a spigot he found in a nearby alley .
Tom Ponzo , 51 , camping on a side street just north of Hollywood Boulevard , said nearby restaurants that are still open won ’ t let homeless people come inside to use their facilities .
He can book appointments for showers at a church a few blocks away .
But because there aren ’ t any public toilets close at hand , he and his unhoused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and buckets when they need to go to the bathroom .
“ Hopefully no one ’ s around when we do it .
It ’ s embarrassing , ” he told me .
These are people who also have to worry , as all of us do , about staying well in a deadly pandemic .
But unlike many of us , they often can ’ t even easily wash their hands , and they have at best a thin membrane of tent to protect them from everyone else .
My neighborhood always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has more services available to them .
Naturally , it ’ s helpful to camp near where you can get a helping hand .
But the already sizable number of people living on my neighborhood ’ s streets before the pandemic appears to my eye to have been growing steadily .
It ’ s a challenge for the rest of the neighborhood — the other residents , the business owners — who often vent their frustration when trash piles up at encampments and sidewalks are blocked by tents .
And there certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they stretch , one after another , down the sidewalks of whole blocks and then around the corners onto other ones .
What I ’ ve come to understand though is that seeing more tents right now may be a good sign — because a lot of them have been handed out by outreach teams working as hard as they can to try to keep those who lack housing well .
These teams are out daily checking on people , testing them , handing out sanitizer and masks , and distributing tents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Home sequestering even when home is the street .
If there is no bed or room available for someone who tests positive for the virus , “ at least they can isolate in a tent , ” said Nathan Sheets , director of the Center in Hollywood , a nonprofit with the aim of ending isolation and homelessness , which has been running one of the outreach teams with medical staff from the Saban Community Clinic .
Obviously , isolating in a tent is not ideal , he said , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not had the high number of coronavirus cases in the homeless population that many people feared at the start of the pandemic .
Some of those who live on the streets of my neighborhood don ’ t even have tents .
They stretch out on hard sidewalk under thin sheets or blankets .
They build lean-tos out of cardboard boxes and black garbage bags and tarps .
Right under the 101 , a few blocks from my home , on a crumbly dirt slope that will turn to mud when it rains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privacy out of palm fronds and scraps of wood .
I find it awkward sometimes , by the way , to approach such a dwelling , to call out “ hello ” to a zipped-up tent or a shelter of strung-together tarps .
Often I have to steel myself to so abruptly invade the space of someone who has few means to fend off that invasion .
I feel that vulnerability deeply when I see a padlocked tent because a padlock on the zipper of a mesh tent door clearly offers so little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why you have to find yourself a good community out here , ” said Ruben A. Colon , 37 , whose immaculate encampment — with great views of the Hollywood sign and the Capitol Records building — I found a half-dozen blocks from my home .
Colon prefers to refer to himself not as a homeless person but as an “ urban pilgrim , ” he told me .
And he loves to read and learn and used to spend whole days , especially the rainy ones , in various libraries .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read a book , charge up , hang out with some friends , keep it low , ” he said .
Now he walks the neighborhood , bundles up on colder days and picks up books to read at the Little Free Libraries he finds on residential streets .
I was expecting when I went out on the streets to ask people about how it feels to be unhoused during this time to hear that they felt more isolated than ever .
Because this year , it ’ s not just that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starbucks or a McDonald ’ s or spend a day in a library .
Even the usual turkey dinners were to-go this week because the organizations that are dedicated to helping them often can ’ t easily welcome them safely inside .
The Center , for instance , normally would invite all comers onto its patio most weekdays for Coffee Hour .
It ’ s meant to be a time for those living on the streets to be able to connect with others , to relax and feel a sense of community — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what they want .
These days , Sheets told me , more and more people are “ showing up at our gates with complicated and complex needs .
Some have lost their incomes and are living out of their cars or maybe they ’ re still precariously housed but they don ’ t have enough money for food.
” There ’ s no easy way , though , to set up the patio safely during the pandemic , when the staff is trying to serve a large number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gate , blocked by a table , where gloved and masked staffers use a box to pass them cups of coffee , food and their mail if they ’ re using the Center as a mailing address , and take in their devices for an hour of charging .
I met Adam Montas , 31 , outside the Center one morning and he told me that the charging at the Center helped because otherwise he had to take the bus to Beverly Hills where ’ s he found some outdoor outlets hidden away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who didn ’ t want to give his name but told me he was a union plumber without work for months and was struggling to make ends meet and hold on to his housing .
They seemed grateful enough for Coffee Hour in its current form , even if it ’ s not quite the communal experience it used to be .
And as I wandered the streets of the neighborhood stopping at little clumps of tents to talk to people , I heard something else I wasn ’ t quite expecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , there ’ s less harassment now with fewer people competing for use of the sidewalks , and more people who live in apartments and houses nearby are stopping to offer food and water and check up on him and his friends .
One of those friends , Cece McNeil , 28 , wheeled up on a bike as we were talking about that — and said she thought the pandemic experience might have softened people .
She ’ s been on and off the streets , she told me , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Compton when she was 14 .
“ Before , they wasn ’ t worried about us .
They see us out here every day and they think , ‘ they ’ re making it , they know what to do.
’ A lot of people , they didn ’ t have hearts like that before , ” she said .
“ Now a lot of people are bringing us stuff , and they ’ re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts , not even looking for pretty much anything in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , you never know.
” I heard comments like that again and again as I talked to people .
And I also took in other things that made me feel a little more thankful .
Sheets told me that people who live near the Center have been “ coming out of the woodwork , ” offering to volunteer .
Some have more time available because they ’ re not commuting .
Others may be seeing their surroundings more clearly as they spend more time confined to a small area .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I think people are seeking something to fill the void or the isolation that they ’ re feeling , to do something more , ” he said .
“ Their eyes have been opened that there ’ s an immense need on the streets in their neighborhood.
” I sense that , too , in my neighborhood chat rooms , where those angry at the large homeless presence often have shouted down those who dared to speak about helping them .
Now more people seem to be asking what they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all struggling in our own ways right now .
And we all know there are more people on the streets than we have places to put them .
And jobs and affordable housing are hard to find , even when you have all your ducks in a row — which , for myriad reasons , a lot of people on the streets don ’ t .
And there ’ s the pandemic , which still rages on .
I ’ d like to think we all understand a bit better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between any of us and danger is thin , but thinner still if you are living on the street in a tent .

I have a roof over my head. I have heat. I have electricity. I have more than one bathroom to choose from. I have a kitchen full of food.
This past week, I set out to check up on people living on the streets of my Hollywood neighborhood because I couldn’t stop thinking about the extent of that privilege.
I couldn’t stop thinking in this time of Thanksgiving about how thankful I should be for my warm home, even if the COVID-19 pandemic sometimes makes me feel stir-crazy inside of it.
So many of us chafe right now at the inability because of pandemic restrictions to eat inside a restaurant or sip a coffee in a cafe or go browse the shelves of a public library.
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But I couldn’t stop thinking about how much harder having such communal indoor spaces closed is on those of us who don’t have any indoors to call our own.
The people living on our streets used to be able to go inside public libraries and coffee shops to use bathrooms, to charge cellphones and hop on Wi-Fi, to find some respite from the harshness of living outside. Some got cheap gym memberships for ready access to showers, especially helpful when you have a job but no home.
Now temperatures are dropping and rainy days are ahead, and most of those options are unavailable — while shelter, as well as public toilets and hand-washing stations, remains in far too short supply.
P.J. Butters, 44, whose tent is clustered with others in a tight community on a block perpendicular to Vine Street, said he now sneaks into parking lots that have outlets to charge his phone and uses a bucket to clean up as best he can at a spigot he found in a nearby alley.
People who live in tents have found a quiet spot among residential developments on Homewood Avenue in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Tom Ponzo, 51, camping on a side street just north of Hollywood Boulevard, said nearby restaurants that are still open won’t let homeless people come inside to use their facilities. He can book appointments for showers at a church a few blocks away. But because there aren’t any public toilets close at hand, he and his unhoused neighbors often have to resort to bags and buckets when they need to go to the bathroom.
“Hopefully no one’s around when we do it. It’s embarrassing,” he told me.
These are people who also have to worry, as all of us do, about staying well in a deadly pandemic. But unlike many of us, they often can’t even easily wash their hands, and they have at best a thin membrane of tent to protect them from everyone else.
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My neighborhood always has more homeless people than most because it has more services available to them. Naturally, it’s helpful to camp near where you can get a helping hand.
But the already sizable number of people living on my neighborhood’s streets before the pandemic appears to my eye to have been growing steadily.
It’s a challenge for the rest of the neighborhood — the other residents, the business owners — who often vent their frustration when trash piles up at encampments and sidewalks are blocked by tents.
And there certainly are more tents. In some areas, they stretch, one after another, down the sidewalks of whole blocks and then around the corners onto other ones.
What I’ve come to understand though is that seeing more tents right now may be a good sign — because a lot of them have been handed out by outreach teams working as hard as they can to try to keep those who lack housing well. These teams are out daily checking on people, testing them, handing out sanitizer and masks, and distributing tents to allow for some semblance of Safer at Home sequestering even when home is the street.
If there is no bed or room available for someone who tests positive for the virus, “at least they can isolate in a tent,” said Nathan Sheets, director of the Center in Hollywood, a nonprofit with the aim of ending isolation and homelessness, which has been running one of the outreach teams with medical staff from the Saban Community Clinic.
Obviously, isolating in a tent is not ideal, he said, but it’s worth noting that L.A. mercifully has not had the high number of coronavirus cases in the homeless population that many people feared at the start of the pandemic.
Some of those who live on the streets of my neighborhood don’t even have tents. They stretch out on hard sidewalk under thin sheets or blankets. They build lean-tos out of cardboard boxes and black garbage bags and tarps. Right under the 101, a few blocks from my home, on a crumbly dirt slope that will turn to mud when it rains, someone has patched together a little privacy out of palm fronds and scraps of wood.
I find it awkward sometimes, by the way, to approach such a dwelling, to call out “hello” to a zipped-up tent or a shelter of strung-together tarps. Often I have to steel myself to so abruptly invade the space of someone who has few means to fend off that invasion.
I feel that vulnerability deeply when I see a padlocked tent because a padlock on the zipper of a mesh tent door clearly offers so little real protection.
Ruben A. Colon, who lives in a tent on Carlos Avenue in Hollywood and describes himself as an “urban pilgrim,” said he misses reading and spending time with friends in libraries. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“That’s why you have to find yourself a good community out here,” said Ruben A. Colon, 37, whose immaculate encampment — with great views of the Hollywood sign and the Capitol Records building — I found a half-dozen blocks from my home. Colon prefers to refer to himself not as a homeless person but as an “urban pilgrim,” he told me. And he loves to read and learn and used to spend whole days, especially the rainy ones, in various libraries.
“I’d usually go online, read a book, charge up, hang out with some friends, keep it low,” he said. Now he walks the neighborhood, bundles up on colder days and picks up books to read at the Little Free Libraries he finds on residential streets.
I was expecting when I went out on the streets to ask people about how it feels to be unhoused during this time to hear that they felt more isolated than ever. Because this year, it’s not just that they can’t go sit in a Starbucks or a McDonald’s or spend a day in a library. Even the usual turkey dinners were to-go this week because the organizations that are dedicated to helping them often can’t easily welcome them safely inside.
The Center, for instance, normally would invite all comers onto its patio most weekdays for Coffee Hour. It’s meant to be a time for those living on the streets to be able to connect with others, to relax and feel a sense of community — and to start to get help if that’s what they want. These days, Sheets told me, more and more people are “showing up at our gates with complicated and complex needs. Some have lost their incomes and are living out of their cars or maybe they’re still precariously housed but they don’t have enough money for food.”
There’s no easy way, though, to set up the patio safely during the pandemic, when the staff is trying to serve a large number of people. So people line up outside the gate, blocked by a table, where gloved and masked staffers use a box to pass them cups of coffee, food and their mail if they’re using the Center as a mailing address, and take in their devices for an hour of charging.
I met Adam Montas, 31, outside the Center one morning and he told me that the charging at the Center helped because otherwise he had to take the bus to Beverly Hills where’s he found some outdoor outlets hidden away in parks. I also met a man who didn’t want to give his name but told me he was a union plumber without work for months and was struggling to make ends meet and hold on to his housing.
They seemed grateful enough for Coffee Hour in its current form, even if it’s not quite the communal experience it used to be.
And as I wandered the streets of the neighborhood stopping at little clumps of tents to talk to people, I heard something else I wasn’t quite expecting. Off Vine Street, Butters told me, there’s less harassment now with fewer people competing for use of the sidewalks, and more people who live in apartments and houses nearby are stopping to offer food and water and check up on him and his friends.
One of those friends, Cece McNeil, 28, wheeled up on a bike as we were talking about that — and said she thought the pandemic experience might have softened people. She’s been on and off the streets, she told me, since she left a bad family situation in Compton when she was 14.
“Before, they wasn’t worried about us. They see us out here every day and they think, ‘they’re making it, they know what to do.’ A lot of people, they didn’t have hearts like that before,” she said. “Now a lot of people are bringing us stuff, and they’re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, not even looking for pretty much anything in return. Because soon it could be them, you never know.”
I heard comments like that again and again as I talked to people. And I also took in other things that made me feel a little more thankful.
Sheets told me that people who live near the Center have been “coming out of the woodwork,” offering to volunteer. Some have more time available because they’re not commuting. Others may be seeing their surroundings more clearly as they spend more time confined to a small area.
“I think that appetite to help is there, and I think people are seeking something to fill the void or the isolation that they’re feeling, to do something more,” he said. “Their eyes have been opened that there’s an immense need on the streets in their neighborhood.”
I sense that, too, in my neighborhood chat rooms, where those angry at the large homeless presence often have shouted down those who dared to speak about helping them. Now more people seem to be asking what they can do to join in.
Because we’re all struggling in our own ways right now. And we all know there are more people on the streets than we have places to put them. And jobs and affordable housing are hard to find, even when you have all your ducks in a row — which, for myriad reasons, a lot of people on the streets don’t.
And there’s the pandemic, which still rages on.
I’d like to think we all understand a bit better, living through it, that the membrane between any of us and danger is thin, but thinner still if you are living on the street in a tent.