latimes--2020-04-02--Inside L.A.'s scramble to open shelters and find hotel rooms for coronavirus patients

As Los Angeles prepares for a storm of coronavirus cases , efforts to get homeless people off the streets and to secure rooms for patients to stay without risk of infecting others are off to an uneven start .
So far , Los Angeles County ’ s hastily compiled network of quarantine and isolation sites have largely remained empty , while its plan to add thousands of beds in hotels and motels is just getting underway .
The city ’ s 13 new homeless shelters , meanwhile , were 95 % full on Wednesday , according to Mayor Eric Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor ’ s office opened the shelters inside city recreation centers in the past few days and , since then , has been hustling to convert more in hopes of lowering the threat of the virus spreading among the high-risk population in encampments .
After workers accounted for the space required for proper social distancing , as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the city had to back off projections that its first 13 shelters would be able to accommodate about 1,600 people .
The city found there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional 13 shelters are expected to be ready by the end of the week , Comisar said , but he could not say what their capacity would be .
Initially , Garcetti said that 42 recreation centers would be converted into shelters with a total of 6,000 beds .
“ The process of figuring out how many beds is a case by case thing happening in real time , ” Comisar said .
As the city has moved homeless people off the streets , county officials have been working to secure thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or quarantine .
The L.A. County Office of Emergency Management , which is responsible for providing space for patients to quarantine or isolate themselves , had 460 rooms ready this week — including 112 trailers at Dockweiler State Beach — and is preparing to open another 442 rooms .
Only 51 people were using them as of Tuesday .
More will be used as more people are confirmed to have COVID-19 or possible exposure to the disease , the agency ’ s Director Kevin McGowan said .
“ We continue to prepare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our goal is to build capacity prior to the need of that capacity but do it in a measured approach.
” Finding beds for homeless people , needed to help get those at the highest risk off the street and to free up enough space at other shelters to ensure there ’ s room for social distancing , has been a slower process .
Most are being secured in hotels and motels that have lost business because of the pandemic .
The Hotel Assn .
of Los Angeles announced last week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 10,000 rooms as temporary housing , either for homeless people or those needing quarantine or isolation .
The first , a hotel in West Los Angeles , is set to open Friday , said Phil Ansell , director of the county ’ s Homeless Initiative .
At least seven , including the West L.A. hotel , will be ready by next week with a total of 664 rooms .
In addition , state negotiators were close to reaching deals to use seven more hotels with nearly 600 rooms .
Ansell would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secured for use , but said the need is far from being met .
“ From where we are now to where we need to get to , we got a long way to go , ” he said .
“ Dozens of sites and thousands of beds.
” County officials are not disclosing the names of the hotels being opened to discourage people from showing up uninvited , Ansell said .
All admissions will come from service providers and shelters that need to reduce crowding .
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hotel rooms secured by the county , has turned to its biggest providers — St. Joseph Center in Venice and LA Family Housing — to run two expected to open this week .
Ansell said the Los Angeles County Fire Department also has agreed to help organize the “ logistically massive enterprise.
” City and county employees , some of whom have been trained in disaster response , will switch from their regular jobs to help out .
In the meantime , LA Family Housing has stopped taking new homeless residents at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood .
It has converted its community and computer rooms into sleeping areas and set 15-minute meal times , President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer said .
Also , she said some existing residents will be sent to a newly leased hotel in Canoga Park when it opens later this week .
But there were hiccups in the roll out of the shelters at city recreation centers , including the deployment of Los Angeles police officers riding in buses to pick up homeless people when the county said it couldn ’ t spare health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was some resistance to the officers ’ presence , but outreach workers were “ able to communicate to our clients that ’ s OK , ” Klasky-Gamer said .
Others were turned away .
At Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center , which has been turned into a shelter in Fairfax , at least one homeless man who is a regular there said he was initially denied access to the shower facility because the shelter was full .
“ Outside men ’ s room [ is ] not functioning .
Can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitten said in an email .
“ If you ’ re not registered for [ a ] bed , then tough.
” By Tuesday , Whitten said officials were allowing him and other regulars to sign up to access the showers .
But the rush to open new shelters and the overwhelming response from homeless people was heartening to some , a possible silver lining to the pandemic .
“ It ’ s unforeseen tragedy and opportunity , ” said Va Lecia Adams Kellum , president and CEO of St. Joseph Center in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had adequate shelter and interim housing .
What we ’ re doing right now is scaling up overnight.
” Randall Kuhn , a researcher at the UCLA policy lab , said there has been an unexpected shift in thinking about the value of investing in shelters for homeless people , not just permanent housing .
“ COVID-19 has done that work for us in under a week , ” Kuhn said via email , referencing a recent report that he co-wrote .
“ Now ... we can imagine a reality in which everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then must be moved to permanent housing as part of the next phase .
”

More than 100 RVs are parked at Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles to house people who have tested positive or have symptoms of COVID-19. Many of the patients are homeless.
As Los Angeles prepares for a storm of coronavirus cases, efforts to get homeless people off the streets and to secure rooms for patients to stay without risk of infecting others are off to an uneven start.
So far, Los Angeles County’s hastily compiled network of quarantine and isolation sites have largely remained empty, while its plan to add thousands of beds in hotels and motels is just getting underway.
The city’s 13 new homeless shelters, meanwhile, were 95% full on Wednesday, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s spokesman Alex Comisar. The mayor’s office opened the shelters inside city recreation centers in the past few days and, since then, has been hustling to convert more in hopes of lowering the threat of the virus spreading among the high-risk population in encampments.
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After workers accounted for the space required for proper social distancing, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the city had to back off projections that its first 13 shelters would be able to accommodate about 1,600 people. The city found there was only room for 563 cots.
An additional 13 shelters are expected to be ready by the end of the week, Comisar said, but he could not say what their capacity would be. Initially, Garcetti said that 42 recreation centers would be converted into shelters with a total of 6,000 beds.
“The process of figuring out how many beds is a case by case thing happening in real time,” Comisar said.
As the city has moved homeless people off the streets, county officials have been working to secure thousands of beds both for shelters and for isolation or quarantine.
The L.A. County Office of Emergency Management, which is responsible for providing space for patients to quarantine or isolate themselves, had 460 rooms ready this week — including 112 trailers at Dockweiler State Beach — and is preparing to open another 442 rooms. Only 51 people were using them as of Tuesday. More will be used as more people are confirmed to have COVID-19 or possible exposure to the disease, the agency’s Director Kevin McGowan said.
“We continue to prepare for additional capacity,” McGowan said. “Our goal is to build capacity prior to the need of that capacity but do it in a measured approach.”
Finding beds for homeless people, needed to help get those at the highest risk off the street and to free up enough space at other shelters to ensure there’s room for social distancing, has been a slower process.
Most are being secured in hotels and motels that have lost business because of the pandemic. The Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles announced last week that more than 115 hotels have offered at least 10,000 rooms as temporary housing, either for homeless people or those needing quarantine or isolation.
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The first, a hotel in West Los Angeles, is set to open Friday, said Phil Ansell, director of the county’s Homeless Initiative. At least seven, including the West L.A. hotel, will be ready by next week with a total of 664 rooms.
In addition, state negotiators were close to reaching deals to use seven more hotels with nearly 600 rooms. Ansell would not predict how many rooms would ultimately be secured for use, but said the need is far from being met.
“From where we are now to where we need to get to, we got a long way to go,” he said. “Dozens of sites and thousands of beds.”
County officials are not disclosing the names of the hotels being opened to discourage people from showing up uninvited, Ansell said. All admissions will come from service providers and shelters that need to reduce crowding.
The shelter expansion will require a major staffing deployment.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which will be responsible for operating the hotel rooms secured by the county, has turned to its biggest providers — St. Joseph Center in Venice and LA Family Housing — to run two expected to open this week.
Ansell said the Los Angeles County Fire Department also has agreed to help organize the “logistically massive enterprise.” City and county employees, some of whom have been trained in disaster response, will switch from their regular jobs to help out.
In the meantime, LA Family Housing has stopped taking new homeless residents at its Taper Bridge Housing facility in North Hollywood. It has converted its community and computer rooms into sleeping areas and set 15-minute meal times, President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer said. Also, she said some existing residents will be sent to a newly leased hotel in Canoga Park when it opens later this week.
A man walks along a row of tents and enclosures in skid row on March 26. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
But there were hiccups in the roll out of the shelters at city recreation centers, including the deployment of Los Angeles police officers riding in buses to pick up homeless people when the county said it couldn’t spare health workers to screen people for flu-like symptoms.
There was some resistance to the officers’ presence, but outreach workers were “able to communicate to our clients that’s OK,” Klasky-Gamer said.
Others were turned away. At Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center, which has been turned into a shelter in Fairfax, at least one homeless man who is a regular there said he was initially denied access to the shower facility because the shelter was full.
“Outside men’s room [is] not functioning. Can’t wash hands inside,” Terrance Whitten said in an email. “If you’re not registered for [a] bed, then tough.” By Tuesday, Whitten said officials were allowing him and other regulars to sign up to access the showers.
But the rush to open new shelters and the overwhelming response from homeless people was heartening to some, a possible silver lining to the pandemic.
“It’s unforeseen tragedy and opportunity,” said Va Lecia Adams Kellum, president and CEO of St. Joseph Center in Venice. “We’ve never had adequate shelter and interim housing. What we’re doing right now is scaling up overnight.”
Randall Kuhn, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said there has been an unexpected shift in thinking about the value of investing in shelters for homeless people, not just permanent housing.
“COVID-19 has done that work for us in under a week,” Kuhn said via email, referencing a recent report that he co-wrote. “Now ... we can imagine a reality in which everyone is quickly sheltered (safely) and then must be moved to permanent housing as part of the next phase.”


latimes--2020-04-02--The coronavirus is straining government services. So these neighbors are stepping up to help

A day after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic , friends Annie Bickerton and Cristin Lim knew they couldn ’ t wait around for government to help .
The two millennials mobilized , as Bickerton , 33 , went to Lim , 24 , with an idea .
“ Can you help me make a website for a rapid response thing for neighbors if COVID gets really bad ?
” Bickerton texted Lim .
In a matter of hours , the duo had launched Westside Friends , a network of neighbors helping each other during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pharmacy pickups , check-in calls and other errands .
Bickerton works in public policy and has a knack for rallying people .
She organized a core group of volunteers .
Lim is a freelance designer who always thinks of her audience .
She created a domain , designed and developed the group ’ s website and crafted printable fliers in English and Spanish .
In a matter of days , more than 350 people signed up to volunteer .
“ Our government is already at capacity right now , ” Bickerton said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as neighbors for each other right now and fill in the gaps.
” Despite being told they need to practice social distancing , Southern Californians — from Santa Monica to Santa Ana — are finding new ways to come together and turn to their neighbors for support and guidance .
Faced with unclear direction from government officials , communities across the nation are taking steps to look out for each other , forming strong neighborhood ties .
“ I feel like we are in a moment in time where we are watching a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crumbling , and we feel paralyzed .
We feel helpless in this big thing .
This is a tangible way for someone to help , ” Bickerton said about Westside Friends .
“ A lot of us are reading the news and feeling anxious and wondering what ’ s coming , but we can turn to our neighbors and offer to pick up extra groceries .
Something simple can make a huge difference.
” As of Tuesday , Westside Friends had helped more than 50 people .
Bickerton and Lim had deployed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who reach out to their immediate neighbors and serve as a point of contact for requests for help .
They created a phone number where people can call for assistance .
The pair also launched a similar program in San Bernardino County .
Lim said she hopes that more people are encouraged to start something similar in their own communities .
She ’ s made the fliers , block captain manual and other information available on the website so that others can duplicate their efforts .
“ It ’ s in our hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than you , ” she said .
“ I feel like the earlier people can organize and create this network , the better off everyone will be .
If you find what I ’ m doing inspiring , then do it too.
” During its first week , people who called Westside Friends for help tended to be people who are disabled , chronically ill and elderly .
One needed a meal delivery .
Another asked for someone to pick up her prescriptions .
Yet another was a woman who was immunocompromised .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but wanted to make sure that she had someone to call in case she did .
Some who called lived outside of the Westside area but had gotten a hold of their number .
Westside Friends still sent help .
The next wave of calls came from people who had been laid off .
They asked for food .
By the third week , Bickerton said , they were working on providing mental health resources and setting up check-in calls or chats for people who live alone .
Westside Friends also matched more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For instance , a USC student is now doing weekly grocery deliveries and pharmacy pickups for a senior citizen in Mar Vista .
So far , the help is greater than the need , Bickerton said .
A little more than two weeks ago , Nathaniel Cooper , 38 , recruited more than a dozen of his neighbors to serve as volunteers in Washington Square , a historic neighborhood in downtown Santa Ana .
They walked door to door , dropping off fliers on neighbors ’ doorsteps .
“ So far it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cooper said .
He described it as a good thing but expects for the need to grow in the coming weeks , as a wave of illness is predicted to hit Southern California .
To date , the group has fielded one call from someone who wanted to know how to get tested for COVID-19 .
That neighbor was given the phone number to the Orange County health department .
One neighbor connected with another who could help with child care .
In other cases , people have helped connect informally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Facebook page .
One neighbor offered lemons on her porch for the taking .
Another offered free cat food .
One mother offered a free set of toy train tracks .
But some are raising concerns that such acts of kindness could lead to inadvertent spread of the virus .
In New York City , a council member from hard-hit Brooklyn was quoted as saying he had concerns that volunteers helping neighbors could put some of the most vulnerable at risk .
Bickerton said Westside Friends already provides guidelines on how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as dropping off groceries at doorsteps and frequent hand washing .
She said the group will continue to adapt and respond to the risks involved .
“ But even a grocery delivery involves handling by a chain of people who could spread illness .
Any time a package is handled or a door is opened , we run a risk , ” she said .
“ We also run a risk of leaving behind our community members at a time of incredible need , from strains on mental health to job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We can ’ t afford not to help each other now.
” In Culver City , Dan O ’ Brien , who administers the city ’ s unofficial Facebook page , first put up a quick post for volunteers on the group ’ s page .
There are more than 10,000 members .
“ If you want to help , just say ‘ me ’ in the comments field , ” he posted .
He had a few hundred people chime in .
That ’ s when O ’ Brien , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinate volunteers .
He created a Google document that volunteers can fill out with what they are willing to do .
More than 150 signed up in the first few days .
In some ways , this kind of grass-roots organizing can be more efficient than government , which often contends with inherent challenges , O ’ Brien said .
“ We don ’ t have to deal with all the hurdles they have to deal with , making sure all our I ’ s are dotted and T ’ s are crossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Facebook group of thousands of neighbors presents its own challenges , O ’ Brien said .
“ Sometimes the page can get political and quickly turn ugly , ” O ’ Brien said of the Facebook page .
“ But just when I ’ m ready to burn it all down , someone will ask for help and a thousand people will jump in .
”

Cristin Lim hands out fliers in Mar Vista, offering help to people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A day after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, friends Annie Bickerton and Cristin Lim knew they couldn’t wait around for government to help.
The two millennials mobilized, as Bickerton, 33, went to Lim, 24, with an idea.
“Can you help me make a website for a rapid response thing for neighbors if COVID gets really bad?” Bickerton texted Lim.
In a matter of hours, they had launched Westside Friends, a network of neighbors helping one another during the outbreak with grocery runs, meals, pharmacy pickups, check-in calls and other errands.
Their skills aligned perfectly.
Bickerton works in public policy and has a knack for rallying people. She organized a core group of volunteers.
Lim is a freelance designer who always thinks of her audience. She created a domain, designed and developed the group’s website and crafted printable fliers in English and Spanish.
In a matter of days, more than 350 people signed up to volunteer.
“Our government is already at capacity right now,” Bickerton said. “We really need to show up as neighbors for each other right now and fill in the gaps.”
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Annie Bickerton, left, Richard Tamayo and Cristin Lim post fliers with offers of help to neighbors throughout Mar Vista. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Despite being told they need to practice social distancing, Southern Californians — from Santa Monica to Santa Ana — are finding new ways to come together and turn to their neighbors for support and guidance. Faced with unclear direction from government officials, communities across the nation are taking steps to look out for one another, forming strong neighborhood ties.
“I feel like we are in a moment in time where we are watching a lot of systems feel like they are crumbling, and we feel paralyzed. We feel helpless in this big thing. This is a tangible way for someone to help,” Bickerton said about Westside Friends. “A lot of us are reading the news and feeling anxious and wondering what’s coming, but we can turn to our neighbors and offer to pick up extra groceries. Something simple can make a huge difference.”
As of Tuesday, Westside Friends had helped more than 50 people. Bickerton and Lim had deployed more than 60 block captains throughout the Westside who reach out to their immediate neighbors and serve as a point of contact for requests for help. They created a phone number people can call for assistance. The pair also launched a similar program in San Bernardino County.
Lim said she hopes that more people are encouraged to start something similar in their own communities. She’s made the fliers, block captain manual and other information available on the website so that others can duplicate their efforts.
“It’s in our hands, and nobody knows about your neighborhood better than you,” she said. “I feel like the earlier people can organize and create this network, the better off everyone will be. If you find what I’m doing inspiring, then do it too.”
The Westside Friends fliers include information on how to get help from neighbors during the coronavirus crisis. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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During Westside Friends’ first week, people who called for help tended to be disabled, chronically ill and elderly. One needed a meal delivery. Another asked for someone to pick up her prescriptions.
Yet another was a woman who was immunocompromised. She didn’t need help but wanted to make sure that she had someone to call in case she did. Some who called lived outside the Westside area but had gotten a hold of the number. Westside Friends still sent help.
The next wave of calls came from people who had been laid off. They asked for food.
By the third week, Bickerton said, they were working on providing mental health resources and setting up check-in calls or chats for people who live alone. Westside Friends also matched more than 25 young volunteers with older folks. For instance, a USC student is now doing weekly grocery deliveries and pharmacy pickups for a senior citizen in Mar Vista.
So far, the help is greater than the need, Bickerton said.
In Santa Ana, it’s a similar story.
A little more than two weeks ago, Nathaniel Cooper, 38, recruited more than a dozen of his neighbors to serve as volunteers in Washington Square, a historic neighborhood in downtown Santa Ana. They walked door to door, dropping off fliers on neighbors’ doorsteps.
“So far it’s a glorified toilet paper ring,” Cooper said. He described it as a good thing but expects the need to grow in the coming weeks, as a wave of illness is predicted to hit Southern California.
To date, the group has fielded one call from someone who wanted to know how to get tested for COVID-19. That neighbor was given the phone number to the Orange County health department. One neighbor connected with another who could help with child care.
In other cases, people have helped connect informally on the Washington Square Neighborhood Assn.’s Facebook page. One neighbor offered lemons on her porch for the taking. Another offered free cat food. One mother offered a free set of toy train tracks.
But some are raising concerns that such acts of kindness could lead to inadvertent spread of the virus.
In New York City, a council member from hard-hit Brooklyn was quoted as saying he had concerns that volunteers helping neighbors could put some of the most vulnerable at risk.
Bickerton said Westside Friends already provides guidelines on how to keep oneself and others safe during deliveries, such as dropping off groceries at doorsteps and frequent hand washing. She said the group will continue to adapt and respond to the risks involved.
“But even a grocery delivery involves handling by a chain of people who could spread illness. Any time a package is handled or a door is opened, we run a risk,” she said. “We also run a risk of leaving behind our community members at a time of incredible need, from strains on mental health to job loss to a fear of the unknown. We can’t afford not to help each other now.”
In Culver City, Dan O’Brien, who administers the city’s unofficial Facebook page, first put up a quick post for volunteers on the group’s page. It has more than 10,000 members.
“If you want to help, just say ‘me’ in the comments field,” he posted. He had a few hundred people chime in.
That’s when O’Brien, a television and film editor, decided to coordinate volunteers. He created a Google document that volunteers can fill out with what they are willing to do. More than 150 signed up in the first few days.
In some ways, this kind of grass-roots organizing can be more efficient than government, which often contends with inherent challenges, O’Brien said.
“We don’t have to deal with all the hurdles they have to deal with, making sure all our I’s are dotted and Ts are crossed,” he said.
But overseeing a Facebook group of thousands of neighbors presents its own challenges, O’Brien said.
“Sometimes the page can get political and quickly turn ugly,” O’Brien said of the Facebook page. “But just when I’m ready to burn it all down, someone will ask for help and a thousand people will jump in.”


latimes--2020-04-02--Tenants fed up with noise, dust, and water shutoffs from renovations amid coronavirus

The virus that has spread across the globe has put Kevin Contreras out of work as a security guard , cut the hours that his mother Gloria works cleaning houses , and cooped up their family of four in their one-bedroom apartment in Echo Park .
But for the crews renovating vacant units at their apartment complex , “ it ’ s like it hasn ’ t affected them , ” Contreras said , complaining of dust , noise and workers streaming into the building .
Under a state order , construction workers have been deemed essential during the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others who maintain homes and keep construction sites humming .
New houses and buildings are continuing to rise in L.A. neighborhoods during the crisis — work that officials argue is needed to tackle the housing crisis .
Some tenants have been alarmed , however , that hammering and drilling has also continued inside existing buildings as vacant apartments are renovated .
Many worry not only about themselves but the safety of construction workers , questioning why such renovations are still being permitted to proceed .
“ If it ’ s empty units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , ” Contreras said , “ I don ’ t see that as essential.
” Contreras said their water has been shut off repeatedly for much of the day , making it impossible to scrub their hands clean or shower .
White dust has forced them to close their windows , his mother said .
And so many workers are coming in and out of the building , Contreras said , that they worry about stepping outside .
“ We ’ re basically in jail in our apartment , ” the 30-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified as the owner of the property by the real estate data provider CoStar , did not respond to messages seeking comment .
The housing department said Wednesday that renovating vacant units is still permitted , provided that it does not turn off utilities in occupied apartments , cause excessive dust or noise , or involve “ extensively invasive ” interior work such as removing walls .
The department said it is fielding complaints about such issues and will order work to stop if needed .
Such work , ordinarily a headache for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration as more residents remain in their apartments during the day .
In reaction to questions about building renovations during the pandemic , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that city inspectors will be checking to make sure people are at least six feet apart .
New guidelines released Tuesday require construction sites to create plans for preventing COVID-19 exposure .
“ We will not be shy about shutting down construction sites that do not comply , ” Garcetti said Tuesday .
Some renters have questioned why renovation work is continuing during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not like they ’ re making lower-income housing , ” said Los Feliz resident Jackie Gonzalez-Durruthy .
“ They ’ re renovating and flipping units to hike up the rent and continue gentrifying this neighborhood.
” Gonzalez-Durruthy said that drilling and hammering in empty units in her building has made it impossible for her husband , whose job involves recording videos , to do that work until crews wrap up .
At one point , their water was shut off for several hours to repair a pipe .
A property manager for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elena Popp , executive director of the Eviction Defense Network , said that disruptive construction can be a deliberate tactic to get tenants to move .
Such “ eviction by jackhammer ” practices could be even more pernicious when people are stuck at home , Popp said .
“ People are at home and their nerves are already completely frayed .
Not being able to escape the noise is causing even greater amounts of stress for those that are going through it , ” Popp said .
Daniel Yukelson , executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , said that major renovations seem to have slowed , not accelerated , during the pandemic because it is harder for landlords to find contractors to do the work .
His association has advised landlords to delay “ routine maintenance ” when possible and “ take care of emergencies first.
” But tenants who hear drilling “ often do not know the difference between a minor unit rehab and a major renovation , ” Yukelson said .
With so many people at home , “ any noise may be considered bothersome.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is lucky to still be working from home during the coronavirus crisis , taking phone calls and video chats for her marketing job .
But Lewis said the dust and the din from work in the vacant apartment next door were grating on her nerves — and “ honestly I ’ m losing it.
” At one point , she said , she had to close her windows to keep dust from streaming into her home .
“ When there ’ s a respiratory illness going around , it seems really counterproductive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the work is needed : Brian Massie , a principal in the company that owns the Westlake property , said the only apartments that had been undergoing work there were units that had been “ pre-leased ” to people already expecting to move into the building , ensuring they were ready to be turned over to tenants .
“ We ’ ve already committed to providing that housing for those future residents , ” Massie said .
“ Once those units have been completed , renovations will cease indefinitely until such time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue.
” Massie added that they were “ taking every possible precaution to prevent noise and dust and disturbance to the residents who we know need to stay at home , ” including equipping workers with face masks and gloves and taping off doors and windows to limit dust .
“ We care about our residents.
” Some tenants have also raised concerns about new construction , questioning if it is truly essential at this time .
In Koreatown , Sae Hee “ Keshy ” Jeong has been aggravated by the work proceeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I can ’ t escape the noise .
I can ’ t escape the dust .
I ’ m home all day .
I can ’ t focus on anything , ” said Jeong , who said they are at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic because of a childhood illness that affected their lungs .
Jeong wants construction to be halted and the workers to get paid leave .
At one point , the 23-year-old Cal State L.A. student staged a protest outside the site .
Other parts of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Santa Clara County , construction is only allowed to continue if it falls into eight specific categories , including building affordable housing or crucial infrastructure or doing repairs needed to ensure that residences are “ safe , sanitary , or habitable.
” San Francisco advises on its website that if a remodeling project is “ purely cosmetic and can be safely delayed , it may not continue .
”

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has issued guidelines for construction during the pandemic.
The virus that has spread across the globe has put Kevin Contreras out of work as a security guard, cut the hours that his mother Gloria works cleaning houses, and cooped up their family of four in their one-bedroom apartment in Echo Park.
But for the crews renovating vacant units at their apartment complex, “it’s like it hasn’t affected them,” Contreras said, complaining of dust, noise and workers streaming into the building.
Under a state order, construction workers have been deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with plumbers, electricians and others who maintain homes and keep construction sites humming. New houses and buildings are continuing to rise in L.A. neighborhoods during the crisis — work that officials argue is needed to tackle the housing crisis.
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Some tenants have been alarmed, however, that hammering and drilling has also continued inside existing buildings as vacant apartments are renovated. Many worry not only about themselves but the safety of construction workers, questioning why such renovations are still being permitted to proceed.
“If it’s empty units you’re going to profit off of,” Contreras said, “I don’t see that as essential.”
Contreras said their water has been shut off repeatedly for much of the day, making it impossible to scrub their hands clean or shower. White dust has forced them to close their windows, his mother said. And so many workers are coming in and out of the building, Contreras said, that they worry about stepping outside.
“We’re basically in jail in our apartment,” the 30-year-old said.
Representatives of TriWest Development, identified as the owner of the property by the real estate data provider CoStar, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
The housing department said Wednesday that renovating vacant units is still permitted, provided that it does not turn off utilities in occupied apartments, cause excessive dust or noise, or involve “extensively invasive” interior work such as removing walls. The department said it is fielding complaints about such issues and will order work to stop if needed.
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Such work, ordinarily a headache for neighbors, has become a much bigger frustration as more residents remain in their apartments during the day. In reaction to questions about building renovations during the pandemic, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that city inspectors will be checking to make sure people are at least six feet apart. New guidelines released Tuesday require construction sites to create plans for preventing COVID-19 exposure.
“We will not be shy about shutting down construction sites that do not comply,” Garcetti said Tuesday.
Some renters have questioned why renovation work is continuing during the crisis. “It’s not like they’re making lower-income housing,” said Los Feliz resident Jackie Gonzalez-Durruthy. “They’re renovating and flipping units to hike up the rent and continue gentrifying this neighborhood.”
Gonzalez-Durruthy said that drilling and hammering in empty units in her building has made it impossible for her husband, whose job involves recording videos, to do that work until crews wrap up. At one point, their water was shut off for several hours to repair a pipe. A property manager for the Los Feliz building declined to comment.
Elena Popp, executive director of the Eviction Defense Network, said that disruptive construction can be a deliberate tactic to get tenants to move. Such “eviction by jackhammer” practices could be even more pernicious when people are stuck at home, Popp said.
“People are at home and their nerves are already completely frayed. Not being able to escape the noise is causing even greater amounts of stress for those that are going through it,” Popp said.
Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, said that major renovations seem to have slowed, not accelerated, during the pandemic because it is harder for landlords to find contractors to do the work. His association has advised landlords to delay “routine maintenance” when possible and “take care of emergencies first.”
But tenants who hear drilling “often do not know the difference between a minor unit rehab and a major renovation,” Yukelson said. With so many people at home, “any noise may be considered bothersome.”
In Westlake, Alexis Lewis knows she is lucky to still be working from home during the coronavirus crisis, taking phone calls and video chats for her marketing job. But Lewis said the dust and the din from work in the vacant apartment next door were grating on her nerves — and “honestly I’m losing it.”
At one point, she said, she had to close her windows to keep dust from streaming into her home. “When there’s a respiratory illness going around, it seems really counterproductive,” Lewis said.
A building representative says the work is needed: Brian Massie, a principal in the company that owns the Westlake property, said the only apartments that had been undergoing work there were units that had been “pre-leased” to people already expecting to move into the building, ensuring they were ready to be turned over to tenants.
“We’ve already committed to providing that housing for those future residents,” Massie said. “Once those units have been completed, renovations will cease indefinitely until such time we deem it safe and appropriate to continue.”
Massie added that they were “taking every possible precaution to prevent noise and dust and disturbance to the residents who we know need to stay at home,” including equipping workers with face masks and gloves and taping off doors and windows to limit dust. “We care about our residents.”
Some tenants have also raised concerns about new construction, questioning if it is truly essential at this time. In Koreatown, Sae Hee “Keshy” Jeong has been aggravated by the work proceeding on a site overlooked by their window.
“I can’t escape the noise. I can’t escape the dust. I’m home all day. I can’t focus on anything,” said Jeong, who said they are at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic because of a childhood illness that affected their lungs.
Jeong wants construction to be halted and the workers to get paid leave. At one point, the 23-year-old Cal State L.A. student staged a protest outside the site.
Other parts of California have put stiffer restrictions on construction. In Santa Clara County, construction is only allowed to continue if it falls into eight specific categories, including building affordable housing or crucial infrastructure or doing repairs needed to ensure that residences are “safe, sanitary, or habitable.” San Francisco advises on its website that if a remodeling project is “purely cosmetic and can be safely delayed, it may not continue.”


latimes--2020-04-02--This telescope could help us explore the heavens, but it's stuck in coronavirus limbo

Inside a nondescript gray steel industrial facility in Redondo Beach , the nation ’ s largest scientific effort is trying to overcome a virus so tiny that only electron microscopes can see it .
The M8 High Bay at Northrop Grumman ’ s Space Park is where scientists are conducting final testing of the massive Webb Space Telescope before its scheduled launch in one year .
But because of the coronavirus pandemic , NASA has clamped down on its space work , California has ordered a suspension of all nonessential human activity and the project ’ s operations have slowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineers , scientists and aerospace technicians streaming into the plant at 5:30 a.m. , six days a week , working until 11:30 p.m. to meet an ambitious March 2021 launch target .
While questions abound about a project aimed at observing the first starlight in the universe , billions of years ago , the Webb team so far is holding the line on meeting that deadline .
“ We have been delayed a number of times before , ” said William Ochs , the NASA project director overseeing its construction .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telescope to get up there and start making those wonderful observations and wild discoveries it will make.
” The Webb is designed to look for the first light to streak across the dark universe more than 13 billion years ago , which is now just a faint infrared signal that has never been observed .
It is thought to hold secrets about the very creation of the heavens .
The Webb would capture that light on a massive 6.5-meter ( 21.3 feet ) diameter mirror , the largest of any space telescope , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold space .
At $ 8.8 billion , it is almost certainly the most costly machine ever built , nearly twice the price of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland .
It has been repeatedly delayed by technical challenges .
Now that most of those multiple system problems have been resolved , NASA and its partners at Northrop Grumman are facing the reality that this pandemic could force new setbacks .
Ochs said Tuesday that he couldn ’ t have predicted any of the obstacles that hit the project , but “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , the March 21 launch date faces an extraneous challenge , he acknowledges .
The schedule has 52 days of “ reserve ” time for unexpected problems , so the project could conceivably overcome a short delay caused by the virus .
But realistically , he said , it is not possible to just turn off and turn on the current status of the project , in which the assembled machine is tested as a whole .
The program has about 900 tasks to complete before the telescope is loaded on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the night to a secret berth in Los Angeles harbor , where it will be shipped under military escort to the Ariane rocket launch pad in French Guiana .
Ochs , a veteran NASA engineer who likes golf and woodworking , has cut weekend work to allow his employees to spend more time with their families .
The 45 engineers and scientists from the East Coast who normally work side by side with the Northrop Grumman team at the Redondo Beach plant are down to 15 .
And normal routines are taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don clean room garb that protects the telescope from contaminants .
Ochs vows that work force safety is his highest priority , and said he gives every employee the right to decline work .
So far , nobody on the team is known to be infected , he said .
“ We are still working , ” Ochs said .
But at some point in April when it comes time to test the satellite ’ s sunshield towers , the work may have to be suspended entirely .
Without a resumption in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blown up .
Cristina T. Chaplain , who oversees space program reviews at the Government Accountability Office , an arm of Congress , said a lot of scientific missions have been waiting for Webb to launch so they can move forward .
NASA could be working out of “ a desire not to blow another deadline , ” she said .
A report she issued in January before the widespread U.S. virus outbreak gave the project a low probability of meeting its launch date .
“ There is definitely a lot of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The Webb soared in cost from an initial industry estimate of $ 2 billion to the current $ 8.8 billion and the operational date has slipped by years .
The Hubble also experienced cost growth , but the public decided it was worth the money when it saw the photographs , said Marco Caceres , senior space analyst at market research firm Teal Group .
“ Things like this are at the core of NASA ’ s mission , ” he said .
Another delay should be expected , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t count on launching this spacecraft until the summer of next year , at the earliest.
” The delays and cost increases are one measure of the telescope ’ s complexity .
Almost every assembly step is carefully rehearsed , sometimes repeatedly , before the telescope is touched , said Scott Willoughby , Northrop Grumman ’ s program manager .
“ We don ’ t want to break anything , ” he said .
Just several months ago , two key systems , a transmitter tube and a telemetry processor , were judged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the telescope and replaced , a hands-on job performed by a beefy technician who lifts weights .
If the light that Webb will see is 13 billion years old , why should another few months matter ?
Though Ochs ’ top priority is the safety of his people , he also is driven by the prospect this project could be a celestial game changer .
The program has tantalized astronomers and cosmologists for a quarter century .
The starting point of Webb was the mid-1990s , when a group of cosmologists gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dan Goldin .
“ They said they needed a replacement for the Hubble space telescope and wanted one with a 4-meter mirror , ” Goldin recalled .
“ I told them that was the dumbest thing I could think of .
I threw them out of my office.
” About the same time , Goldin asked California astronomer Alan Dressler what he would need to work on the most important scientific questions , and Dressler told him a 6-meter or 7-meter mirror that could operate just above a temperature of absolute zero .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ times larger than Hubble , which would be too big to fit in any rocket .
Goldin wanted to make it unfold in space like rose pedals .
When astronomers and aerospace engineers told Goldin it couldn ’ t be done , he branded them as “ Hubble Huggers , ” people who only wanted to duplicate what had already been done .
In a speech to the American Astronautical Society in 1995 , Goldin asked them to take on the challenge .
“ People were worried and excited at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But that is how great things are done at the edge .
I give him credit.
” Dressler called Webb “ an unprecedentedly complex mission ” that would attempt to collect just a few hundred photons of light , a few thousand with luck , from the first stars , hundreds of millions of years before even the first galaxies formed .
Although he is anxious for the discovery , he said the science community understands the risks posed by the virus .
“ Another six months wouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dressler said .

Technicians developing the Webb Space Telescope hit a milestone in October 2019 when they successfully deployed the sunscreen layers to their expected position while the Webb is orbiting the sun.
Inside a nondescript gray steel industrial facility in Redondo Beach, the nation’s largest scientific effort is trying to overcome a virus so tiny that only electron microscopes can see it.
The M8 High Bay at Northrop Grumman’s Space Park is where scientists are conducting final testing of the massive Webb Space Telescope before its scheduled launch in one year.
But because of the coronavirus pandemic, NASA has clamped down on its space work, California has ordered a suspension of all nonessential human activity and the project’s operations have slowed to a crawl.
No longer are engineers, scientists and aerospace technicians streaming into the plant at 5:30 a.m., six days a week, working until 11:30 p.m. to meet an ambitious March 2021 launch target.
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While questions abound about a project aimed at observing the first starlight in the universe, billions of years ago, the Webb team so far is holding the line on meeting that deadline.
“We have been delayed a number of times before,” said William Ochs, the NASA project director overseeing its construction. “The science community is anxious for the Webb telescope to get up there and start making those wonderful observations and wild discoveries it will make.”
The Webb is designed to look for the first light to streak across the dark universe more than 13 billion years ago, which is now just a faint infrared signal that has never been observed. It is thought to hold secrets about the very creation of the heavens.
The Webb would capture that light on a massive 6.5-meter (21.3 feet) diameter mirror, the largest of any space telescope, parked a million miles from Earth in cold space. At $8.8 billion, it is almost certainly the most costly machine ever built, nearly twice the price of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.
It has been repeatedly delayed by technical challenges. Now that most of those multiple system problems have been resolved, NASA and its partners at Northrop Grumman are facing the reality that this pandemic could force new setbacks.
Ochs said Tuesday that he couldn’t have predicted any of the obstacles that hit the project, but “the virus was pretty far out there.”
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Now, the March 21 launch date faces an extraneous challenge, he acknowledges. The schedule has 52 days of “reserve” time for unexpected problems, so the project could conceivably overcome a short delay caused by the virus.
But realistically, he said, it is not possible to just turn off and turn on the current status of the project, in which the assembled machine is tested as a whole.
The program has about 900 tasks to complete before the telescope is loaded on an unmarked truck and driven in the middle of the night to a secret berth in Los Angeles harbor, where it will be shipped under military escort to the Ariane rocket launch pad in French Guiana.
Ochs, a veteran NASA engineer who likes golf and woodworking, has cut weekend work to allow his employees to spend more time with their families.
The 45 engineers and scientists from the East Coast who normally work side by side with the Northrop Grumman team at the Redondo Beach plant are down to 15. And normal routines are taking longer, such as more time to don clean room garb that protects the telescope from contaminants.
Ochs vows that work force safety is his highest priority, and said he gives every employee the right to decline work. So far, nobody on the team is known to be infected, he said.
“We are still working,” Ochs said. But at some point in April when it comes time to test the satellite’s sunshield towers, the work may have to be suspended entirely. Without a resumption in a month or two the schedule will be blown up.
Cristina T. Chaplain, who oversees space program reviews at the Government Accountability Office, an arm of Congress, said a lot of scientific missions have been waiting for Webb to launch so they can move forward.
NASA could be working out of “a desire not to blow another deadline,” she said. A report she issued in January before the widespread U.S. virus outbreak gave the project a low probability of meeting its launch date.
“There is definitely a lot of political pressure on the program,” she said.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
The Webb soared in cost from an initial industry estimate of $2 billion to the current $8.8 billion and the operational date has slipped by years. The Hubble also experienced cost growth, but the public decided it was worth the money when it saw the photographs, said Marco Caceres, senior space analyst at market research firm Teal Group.
“Things like this are at the core of NASA’s mission,” he said. Another delay should be expected, he said, adding, “I wouldn’t count on launching this spacecraft until the summer of next year, at the earliest.”
The delays and cost increases are one measure of the telescope’s complexity. Almost every assembly step is carefully rehearsed, sometimes repeatedly, before the telescope is touched, said Scott Willoughby, Northrop Grumman’s program manager.
“We don’t want to break anything,” he said.
Just several months ago, two key systems, a transmitter tube and a telemetry processor, were judged unreliable and had to be delicately extracted from the telescope and replaced, a hands-on job performed by a beefy technician who lifts weights.
If the light that Webb will see is 13 billion years old, why should another few months matter? Though Ochs’ top priority is the safety of his people, he also is driven by the prospect this project could be a celestial game changer.
The program has tantalized astronomers and cosmologists for a quarter century. The starting point of Webb was the mid-1990s, when a group of cosmologists gathered in the office of then NASA Administrator Dan Goldin.
“They said they needed a replacement for the Hubble space telescope and wanted one with a 4-meter mirror,” Goldin recalled. “I told them that was the dumbest thing I could think of. I threw them out of my office.”
About the same time, Goldin asked California astronomer Alan Dressler what he would need to work on the most important scientific questions, and Dressler told him a 6-meter or 7-meter mirror that could operate just above a temperature of absolute zero.
The mirror would have a surface seven times larger than Hubble, which would be too big to fit in any rocket. Goldin wanted to make it unfold in space like rose pedals.
When astronomers and aerospace engineers told Goldin it couldn’t be done, he branded them as “Hubble Huggers,” people who only wanted to duplicate what had already been done. In a speech to the American Astronautical Society in 1995, Goldin asked them to take on the challenge.
“People were worried and excited at the same time,” Dressler said in an interview. “But that is how great things are done at the edge. I give him credit.”
Dressler called Webb “an unprecedentedly complex mission” that would attempt to collect just a few hundred photons of light, a few thousand with luck, from the first stars, hundreds of millions of years before even the first galaxies formed.
Although he is anxious for the discovery, he said the science community understands the risks posed by the virus. “Another six months wouldn’t have that much of an impact,” Dressler said.


latimes--2020-04-02--California hospitals desperate for safety supplies, fear 'disaster' as coronavirus wave hits

Dr. Frank Candela , chief of staff at West Hills Hospital in the San Fernando Valley , started a GoFundMe last week to raise money for more safety gear at his medical center , where masks and face shields are running short as coronavirus cases mount .
As of Wednesday night , he ’ d raised more than $ 48,000 .
But he can ’ t find much to buy .
“ We ’ ve been walking around waving money and there isn ’ t anybody who has supply right now , ” Candela said , calling it “ such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical providers and hospital administrations across the state and country are desperate for personal protective equipment and other essential goods as COVID-19 patients hit emergency rooms and intensive care units in growing numbers .
Nurses and doctors are pleading for donations online , telling stories of reusing masks and rigging trash bags as gowns .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the worst was yet to come , both in illness and need .
He said he expects the state to require 66,000 hospital beds by the end of May , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients who may require ventilators — of which the state currently has 4,252 .
With the federal government slow to act on obtaining those vital goods and largely pushing the responsibility onto governors , California has been purchasing its own .
But some on the front lines say it ’ s not enough to stem the chaos and shortages .
The state , they say , needs to step up efforts to both buy and distribute key items and ensure they go to those with the greatest need , not just to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seeing an incredible ad hoc approach by private hospitals — everybody is trying to go out after the same commodities , ” said Nick Vyas , executive director of the Center for Global Supply Chain Management at USC .
“ We should have a SWAT team at the state level coordinating this effort on behalf of our hospital network.
” Without such federal or state leadership , “ what you create is vacuum and void , and all the vultures will step in and try to pick it apart , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has touted the state ’ s unique buying power as the world ’ s fifth-largest economy , as well as his efforts to procure the protective gear while at the same time working to help other states .
Newsom has said he ’ s secured more than 100 million of the coveted N95 masks on order and is working to rapidly increase ventilators through private manufacturing .
After Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit reached out to the state last week , California officials connected the rocket maker with academics who had designs for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
A Virgin spokesman said Wednesday that the company had already started producing and testing them and was waiting for federal Food and Drug Administration approval before ramping production up to hundreds or even thousands of units a week .
“ We are not waiting around for others , ” Newsom said Wednesday .
But the state does not monitor what supplies each hospital has on hand and instead relies on requests for additional equipment to determine how to prioritize shipments , said Brian Ferguson , spokesman for the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals have been sending their requests to county emergency coordinators , who decide whether they are urgent enough for state attention .
If they are , California contacts the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fill those orders .
Los Angeles County , however , is able to circumvent the state ’ s process and directly contact FEMA to order supplies , Ferguson said .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city was in good shape on Tuesday , but was concerned about the days ahead .
“ We can ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big cache and us having nothing , ” he said .
Ferguson said the state has been prioritizing requests for much-needed masks and ventilators based on the outbreak in certain areas and immediate needs of individual hospitals .
“ If one has three days of supplies , they are prioritized over another with five days , ” Ferguson said .
“ There are a lot of folks who make requests for more than they need , but being in short supply we have to prioritize.
” Ferguson added : “ We are sending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can get them in order to meet the needs at the local level.
” But as competition continues to snowball in the open market , the state is doing little to intervene .
Hospitals are competing against each other , fake supplies are flooding the market and price gouging is rampant , said experts and those attempting to buy .
Even with the Virgin ventilators , facilitated by the state , there is no guarantee where they will go .
Requests to buy them are already flooding in from across the globe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the open market , though California may have preference .
“ Here ’ s what I see : I see a disaster on the brink of happening , ” San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday , speaking of the shortage of personal protective equipment at Seton Medical Center in Daly City .
Seton , recently leased by the state to care for COVID-19 patients , is caring for eight people with the virus and six others who are suspected of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the state had been unresponsive to calls for help , Canepa said : “ Us not hearing from the state is problematic .
Because we don ’ t have the resources — the hospital can only acquire 20 % of what they need.
” Mike Callagy , San Mateo County manager , said the county had asked the state Emergency Medical Services Authority for the personal protective equipment , “ and they simply do not have them ... .
The state really needs to push on the feds to get those supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the system that ’ s in place here.
” But unfortunately , “ they ’ re not fulfilling all those requests , because they themselves are rationing , ” said Louise Rogers , chief of San Mateo County Health .
“ The state has indicated that eventually that they ’ re going to try to fulfill them .
But that has not happened.
” With so many vying for the same supplies , some on the front lines are scrounging for gear one piece at a time .
“ I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Sally ’ s Beauty Supply , to go to Autozone , to go to all these types of places , ” said Crystal Solorzano , the chief executive of ReNew Health Group , which operates skilled nursing facilities in California .
“ We wouldn ’ t have even imagined we ’ d have to go to these stores just to have a backup supply because we ’ re seeing the supplies diminished so much.
” John Thomas , president of the newly formed Blue Flame Medical , said the shortages are particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t catch the attention of buyers with so many big players in the market .
On top of that , the market is dominated by middlemen who often have little idea if the goods they are selling even exist , he said .
“ Truthfully , it ’ s a … nightmare .
It ’ s even worse than you believe , ” Thomas said .
Thomas ’ company typically supplies large orders .
It also recently turned its attention to smaller buyers , because it saw no one was paying attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve got thousands of requests from small agencies saying , ‘ I need 50 masks , 100 masks , ’ ” Thomas said .
In this environment , he added , there is no supplier willing “ to pay attention to the guy who needs 50 masks.
” Thomas said his company has been able to ramp up capacity by building relationships with domestic apparel manufacturers who agreed to convert their factories for full-time production of personal protective equipment .
Those kind of make-do solutions are becoming more common as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combine in a furor of patriotism and increasing panic .
In Long Beach , a distillery has turned from vodka to raw alcohol — another basic in short supply — to make hand sanitizer .
A 3-D printer in Oakland is making masks .
And Gap Inc. has asked its factories to switch from consumer clothes to gowns and other medical garments .
At St. John ’ s Well Child and Family Center , a nonprofit that operates 18 health centers and school-based clinics in Los Angeles and Compton , the situation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sew surgical masks for the staff .
In a news teleconference Tuesday , St. John ’ s Chief Executive Jim Mangia said it wouldn ’ t be enough and called on the federal government to mandate the production of protective gear and masks for healthcare workers .
“ The president invoked the Defense Production Act ; he ’ s used it to force [ General Motors ] to , ” Mangia said .
“ But he ’ s not using it for the production of protective gear and masks for front-line healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GoFundMe , worries his staff will pay with their lives .
He has watched with dread as doctors in other parts of the world and country die from exposure , and he sees the stress building for everyone in the hospitals , including janitors , cafeteria workers and others .
“ We ’ re literally repeating history , ” he said , referring to the hospitals overwhelmed in China , Italy , New York and other places .
“ I can see it in their eyes and they ’ re scared , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Late last week , Candela purchased a box of 25 coveralls , which resemble hazmat suits , for the nurses to wear .
The hospital had five COVID-19 patients and many others who had the disease ’ s symptoms , he said .
Candela told the man who sold him the coveralls that he wanted to buy 500 more .
But by Monday , the suits had been sold .
Candela believes he was bigfooted by the government or a bigger corporation .
“ Somebody showed up at the warehouse and commandeered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What we ’ re finding is these times bring out the best of people and the worst of people.
” Times staff writers Adam Elmahrek and Dakota Smith contributed to this report .

Anita Chabria, Soumya Karlamangla, Melody Gutierrez, Rong-Gong Lin II

Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department wear protective gear as they hand out coronavirus test kits in a parking lot on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium.
Dr. Frank Candela, chief of staff at West Hills Hospital in the San Fernando Valley, started a GoFundMe last week to raise money for more safety gear at his medical center, where masks and face shields are running short as coronavirus cases mount.
As of Wednesday night, he’d raised more than $48,000. But he can’t find much to buy.
“We’ve been walking around waving money and there isn’t anybody who has supply right now,” Candela said, calling it “such a difficult situation.”
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Like Candela, medical providers and hospital administrations across the state and country are desperate for personal protective equipment and other essential goods as COVID-19 patients hit emergency rooms and intensive care units in growing numbers. Nurses and doctors are pleading for donations online, telling stories of reusing masks and rigging trash bags as gowns.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the worst was yet to come, both in illness and need. He said he expects the state to require 66,000 hospital beds by the end of May, with 40% of those projected to be patients who may require ventilators — of which the state currently has 4,252.
With the federal government slow to act on obtaining those vital goods and largely pushing the responsibility onto governors, California has been purchasing its own. But some on the front lines say it’s not enough to stem the chaos and shortages. The state, they say, needs to step up efforts to both buy and distribute key items and ensure they go to those with the greatest need, not just to those with luck and money.
“We are seeing an incredible ad hoc approach by private hospitals — everybody is trying to go out after the same commodities,” said Nick Vyas, executive director of the Center for Global Supply Chain Management at USC. “We should have a SWAT team at the state level coordinating this effort on behalf of our hospital network.”
Without such federal or state leadership, “what you create is vacuum and void, and all the vultures will step in and try to pick it apart,” he warned.
In recent days, Newsom has touted the state’s unique buying power as the world’s fifth-largest economy, as well as his efforts to procure the protective gear while at the same time working to help other states. Newsom has said he’s secured more than 100 million of the coveted N95 masks on order and is working to rapidly increase ventilators through private manufacturing.
After Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit reached out to the state last week, California officials connected the rocket maker with academics who had designs for a simple ventilator that could work for some patients. A Virgin spokesman said Wednesday that the company had already started producing and testing them and was waiting for federal Food and Drug Administration approval before ramping production up to hundreds or even thousands of units a week.
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“We are not waiting around for others,” Newsom said Wednesday.
But the state does not monitor what supplies each hospital has on hand and instead relies on requests for additional equipment to determine how to prioritize shipments, said Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Ferguson said hospitals have been sending their requests to county emergency coordinators, who decide whether they are urgent enough for state attention. If they are, California contacts the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fill those orders.
Los Angeles County, however, is able to circumvent the state’s process and directly contact FEMA to order supplies, Ferguson said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city was in good shape on Tuesday, but was concerned about the days ahead. “We can’t have certain parts of the country have a big cache and us having nothing,” he said.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Ferguson said the state has been prioritizing requests for much-needed masks and ventilators based on the outbreak in certain areas and immediate needs of individual hospitals.
“If one has three days of supplies, they are prioritized over another with five days,” Ferguson said. “There are a lot of folks who make requests for more than they need, but being in short supply we have to prioritize.”
Ferguson added: “We are sending things out the door as fast as we can get them in order to meet the needs at the local level.”
But as competition continues to snowball in the open market, the state is doing little to intervene. Hospitals are competing against each other, fake supplies are flooding the market and price gouging is rampant, said experts and those attempting to buy.
Even with the Virgin ventilators, facilitated by the state, there is no guarantee where they will go. Requests to buy them are already flooding in from across the globe, and they will probably be sold on the open market, though California may have preference.
“Here’s what I see: I see a disaster on the brink of happening,” San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, speaking of the shortage of personal protective equipment at Seton Medical Center in Daly City.
Seton, recently leased by the state to care for COVID-19 patients, is caring for eight people with the virus and six others who are suspected of having the disease. After a county official said the state had been unresponsive to calls for help, Canepa said: “Us not hearing from the state is problematic. Because we don’t have the resources — the hospital can only acquire 20% of what they need.”
Mike Callagy, San Mateo County manager, said the county had asked the state Emergency Medical Services Authority for the personal protective equipment, “and they simply do not have them.... The state really needs to push on the feds to get those supplies in so they can be distributed down through the system that’s in place here.”
But unfortunately, “they’re not fulfilling all those requests, because they themselves are rationing,” said Louise Rogers, chief of San Mateo County Health. “The state has indicated that eventually that they’re going to try to fulfill them. But that has not happened.”
With so many vying for the same supplies, some on the front lines are scrounging for gear one piece at a time.
“I’ve been working with my staff to go to Sally’s Beauty Supply, to go to Autozone, to go to all these types of places,” said Crystal Solorzano, the chief executive of ReNew Health Group, which operates skilled nursing facilities in California. “We wouldn’t have even imagined we’d have to go to these stores just to have a backup supply because we’re seeing the supplies diminished so much.”
John Thomas, president of the newly formed Blue Flame Medical, said the shortages are particularly hard on small organizations, which can’t catch the attention of buyers with so many big players in the market.
On top of that, the market is dominated by middlemen who often have little idea if the goods they are selling even exist, he said.
“Truthfully, it’s a … nightmare. It’s even worse than you believe,” Thomas said.
Thomas’ company typically supplies large orders. It also recently turned its attention to smaller buyers, because it saw no one was paying attention to their needs, he said.
“We’ve got thousands of requests from small agencies saying, ‘I need 50 masks, 100 masks,’” Thomas said. In this environment, he added, there is no supplier willing “to pay attention to the guy who needs 50 masks.”
Thomas said his company has been able to ramp up capacity by building relationships with domestic apparel manufacturers who agreed to convert their factories for full-time production of personal protective equipment.
Those kind of make-do solutions are becoming more common as those with needs and those with know-how combine in a furor of patriotism and increasing panic.
In Long Beach, a distillery has turned from vodka to raw alcohol — another basic in short supply — to make hand sanitizer. A 3-D printer in Oakland is making masks. And Gap Inc. has asked its factories to switch from consumer clothes to gowns and other medical garments.
At St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, a nonprofit that operates 18 health centers and school-based clinics in Los Angeles and Compton, the situation has become so dire that patients have offered to sew surgical masks for the staff.
In a news teleconference Tuesday, St. John’s Chief Executive Jim Mangia said it wouldn’t be enough and called on the federal government to mandate the production of protective gear and masks for healthcare workers.
“The president invoked the Defense Production Act; he’s used it to force [General Motors] to create ventilators ,” Mangia said. “But he’s not using it for the production of protective gear and masks for front-line healthcare workers.”
Candela, the doctor with the GoFundMe, worries his staff will pay with their lives. He has watched with dread as doctors in other parts of the world and country die from exposure, and he sees the stress building for everyone in the hospitals, including janitors, cafeteria workers and others.
“We’re literally repeating history,” he said, referring to the hospitals overwhelmed in China, Italy, New York and other places. “I can see it in their eyes and they’re scared, yet they’re showing up.”
Late last week, Candela purchased a box of 25 coveralls, which resemble hazmat suits, for the nurses to wear. The hospital had five COVID-19 patients and many others who had the disease’s symptoms, he said.
Candela told the man who sold him the coveralls that he wanted to buy 500 more. But by Monday, the suits had been sold.
Candela believes he was bigfooted by the government or a bigger corporation.
“Somebody showed up at the warehouse and commandeered the stockpile,” he said. “What we’re finding is these times bring out the best of people and the worst of people.”
Times staff writers Adam Elmahrek and Dakota Smith contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-02--Column: Newsom and Cuomo have been top leaders in the coronavirus crisis. Don't count on them to cha

Column: Newsom and Cuomo have been top leaders in the coronavirus crisis. Don't count on them to challenge Biden

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has been drawing lots of speculation about maybe becoming an upgraded Democratic presidential nominee , pushing aside bland Joe Biden .
But there hasn ’ t been a peep about California Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
Why ’ s that ?
Both governors are doing a statesman-like job leading their states through the surging coronavirus pandemic .
So why all the national political focus just on Cuomo ?
Cuomo , 62 , seems president-ready because of his long , impressive resume .
He ’ s a gifted orator and that makes him more exciting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicenter of the national news media .
But let ’ s be honest : Neither governor would have any chance of shoving aside the former vice president even if one of them wanted to .
And neither apparently does .
Cuomo ’ s younger brother , CNN anchor Chris Cuomo , asked his sibling on TV Tuesday whether he was thinking of running for president .
“ No , no , ” Andrew Cuomo replied .
Was he open to thinking about it ?
“ No.
” Might he be at some point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know now what he might think about later ?
“ I know what I might think about and what I won ’ t think about.
” As for Newsom , 52 , he knows this isn ’ t his time to bid for the White House .
He has only been governor for 15 months .
It might be his time in 2024 if President Trump is reelected in November and there ’ s no Democratic incumbent .
But no sitting California governor has ever run successfully for president .
Ronald Reagan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s too demanding to spend months in Iowa and New Hampshire charming voters in coffee shops while governing the nation ’ s most populous , most diverse state several time zones away .
Newsom ’ s time will come in 2028 if there ’ s not a Democrat seeking a second term .
Biden hasn ’ t officially clinched this year ’ s nomination , but he has a practically insurmountable lead in delegates over his lone remaining opponent , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
“ This happens every four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” veteran Democratic consultant Bill Carrick says with a tone of frustration .
“ Somebody decides the presumed nominee isn ’ t interesting enough .
People start speculating .
‘ What if ?
’ What if nothing !
“ Biden ran .
Biden won lots of states and delegates .
Biden is going to be the nominee .
It is mathematically impossible — and politically worse — for someone to now get in and become the nominee .
Guess how many delegates Cuomo has ?
Zero .
Can you imagine someone who hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the race at this point ?
It ’ s ridiculous.
” Carrick adds : “ This is the result of extreme time zone prejudice .
Newsom ’ s in California and the East Coast [ news media ] dominates political reporting in the country .
And New York is where a bunch of [ reporters ] live so they talk about people from the East Coast.
” There ’ s truth in that .
But there ’ s also a legitimate basis for the “ draft Cuomo ” speculation .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — at several candidate options during this nominating process : Kamala Harris , Elizabeth Warren , Pete Buttigieg , even a glance at Michael Bloomberg , plus Sanders .
And Democrats returned to Biden , the original front-runner , because they judged him the best bet to beat Trump .
But for weeks , Biden has been confined to his house , just like most of the rest of us , trying to escape the rampaging virus .
With no official role to play in the pandemic fight — unlike Cuomo , Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bench , mostly out of action except for occasional TV interviews .
Cuomo and Newsom have been holding daily , televised virus briefings .
The New Yorker is a talented speaker who gets right to the point .
“ Kick coronavirus ’ ass , ” he told National Guard officers , according to the New York Times .
Cuomo is in the spotlight — performing and entertaining .
It ’ s natural to dream of him as Trump ’ s opponent , energizing Democratic voters and drawing them to the polls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a three-term governor , state attorney general , U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton .
And there ’ s the family pedigree : His father , Mario Cuomo , was also a three-term New York governor .
Newsom was mayor of San Francisco , but he needs to put in more years as governor before asking Americans to elect him president .
He understands that .
Cuomo is sounding like a leader — and Newsom is acting like one , not that Cuomo isn ’ t .
Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confine people to their homes — fortunately without turning California into a total police state by asking cops to arrest violators .
“ Social pressure … is the most powerful enforcement tool we have , ” the governor says .
In a refreshing sign of once-unimaginable bipartisanship , Newsom and Trump have been cooperating and formed — if only briefly — a mini-mutual admiration society .
Trump has repeatedly praised Newsom for “ doing a terrific job.
” “ This is not a time to bicker , ” Newsom told host Jake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lead ” on Wednesday .
“ I don ’ t care who is up and down … or who wants to run for president or who doesn ’ t .
When it comes to times of crisis … I have extended always an open hand , not a closed fist… .
“ I ’ d be lying to you to say that [ Trump ] hasn ’ t been responsive to our needs .
He has.
” Who wants to run for president ?
Biden .
Not Newsom , not Cuomo — not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ll be rivals for the Oval Office .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been drawing lots of speculation about maybe becoming an upgraded Democratic presidential nominee, pushing aside bland Joe Biden.
But there hasn’t been a peep about California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Why’s that?
Both governors are doing a statesman-like job leading their states through the surging coronavirus pandemic. So why all the national political focus just on Cuomo?
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Well, it makes sense.
Cuomo, 62, seems president-ready because of his long, impressive resume. He’s a gifted orator and that makes him more exciting. He’s also near the epicenter of the national news media.
But let’s be honest: Neither governor would have any chance of shoving aside the former vice president even if one of them wanted to. And neither apparently does.
Cuomo’s younger brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, asked his sibling on TV Tuesday whether he was thinking of running for president. “No, no,” Andrew Cuomo replied.
Was he open to thinking about it? “No.” Might he be at some point? “No.” How can he know now what he might think about later? “I know what I might think about and what I won’t think about.”
No ambiguity there.
As for Newsom, 52, he knows this isn’t his time to bid for the White House. He has only been governor for 15 months. It might be his time in 2024 if President Trump is reelected in November and there’s no Democratic incumbent.
But no sitting California governor has ever run successfully for president. Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown and Pete Wilson all tried. It’s too demanding to spend months in Iowa and New Hampshire charming voters in coffee shops while governing the nation’s most populous, most diverse state several time zones away.
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Newsom’s time will come in 2028 if there’s not a Democrat seeking a second term.
Biden hasn’t officially clinched this year’s nomination, but he has a practically insurmountable lead in delegates over his lone remaining opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“This happens every four years when there are contested primaries,” veteran Democratic consultant Bill Carrick says with a tone of frustration. “Somebody decides the presumed nominee isn’t interesting enough. People start speculating. ‘What if?’ What if nothing!
“Biden ran. Biden won lots of states and delegates. Biden is going to be the nominee. It is mathematically impossible — and politically worse — for someone to now get in and become the nominee. Guess how many delegates Cuomo has? Zero. Can you imagine someone who hasn’t competed for one vote getting in the race at this point? It’s ridiculous.”
Carrick adds: “This is the result of extreme time zone prejudice. Newsom’s in California and the East Coast [news media] dominates political reporting in the country. And New York is where a bunch of [reporters] live so they talk about people from the East Coast.”
There’s truth in that. But there’s also a legitimate basis for the “draft Cuomo” speculation.
Face it, Democratic voters aren’t real excited about Biden, 77.
They’ve looked seriously — if sometimes briefly — at several candidate options during this nominating process: Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, even a glance at Michael Bloomberg, plus Sanders. And Democrats returned to Biden, the original front-runner, because they judged him the best bet to beat Trump.
But for weeks, Biden has been confined to his house, just like most of the rest of us, trying to escape the rampaging virus. With no official role to play in the pandemic fight — unlike Cuomo, Newsom and Trump — Biden is stuck on the bench, mostly out of action except for occasional TV interviews.
Cuomo and Newsom have been holding daily, televised virus briefings. The New Yorker is a talented speaker who gets right to the point.
“Kick coronavirus’ ass,” he told National Guard officers, according to the New York Times.
Cuomo is in the spotlight — performing and entertaining. It’s natural to dream of him as Trump’s opponent, energizing Democratic voters and drawing them to the polls.
His qualifications aren’t in question: a three-term governor, state attorney general, U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton. And there’s the family pedigree: His father, Mario Cuomo, was also a three-term New York governor.
Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, but he needs to put in more years as governor before asking Americans to elect him president. He understands that.
Cuomo is sounding like a leader — and Newsom is acting like one, not that Cuomo isn’t.
Newsom was the nation’s first governor to confine people to their homes — fortunately without turning California into a total police state by asking cops to arrest violators.
“Social pressure … is the most powerful enforcement tool we have,” the governor says.
In a refreshing sign of once-unimaginable bipartisanship, Newsom and Trump have been cooperating and formed — if only briefly — a mini-mutual admiration society. Trump has repeatedly praised Newsom for “doing a terrific job.”
“This is not a time to bicker,” Newsom told host Jake Tapper of CNN’s “The Lead” on Wednesday. “I don’t care who is up and down … or who wants to run for president or who doesn’t. When it comes to times of crisis … I have extended always an open hand, not a closed fist….
“I’d be lying to you to say that [Trump] hasn’t been responsive to our needs. He has.”
Who wants to run for president? Biden. Not Newsom, not Cuomo — not this year. Maybe in the future they’ll be rivals for the Oval Office.


latimes--2020-04-01--Garcetti urges L.A. to wear face coverings when doing essential tasks in public

Mayor Eric Garcetti joined a growing push for residents to wear face coverings when out in public .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has argued that healthy people do not need a mask if they are not working in healthcare or caring for an infected person .
But in recent days , the CDC has been weighing whether to and endorse the use of homemade masks .
“ I can tell you that the data and this issue of whether it ’ s going to contribute [ to prevention ] is being aggressively reviewed as we speak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , Riverside County released the Tuesday , covering such essential and medical visits .
“ The face coverings do not have to be hospital grade but need to cover the nose and mouth .
For example , bandannas , fabric masks and neck gaiters are acceptable .
Fabric covers and bandannas can be washed and used again , ” the county said .
Officials said the recommendation is based on new knowledge about the coronavirus .
“ When the situation changes , the rulebook changes , ” Dr. Cameron Kaiser , Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ We ’ re seeing our numbers increasing even sooner than we predicted and that means our strategy must change too.
” At a Wednesday afternoon news briefing , Garcetti said he had been awaiting advice on masks from the CDC but with the COVID-19 rate surging had decided to wait no longer .
The mayor said everyone performing essential tasks such as as food shopping should wear homemade , nonmedical face coverings , or even bandannas , as people in other countries have done .
“ To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home .
This isn ’ t an excuse to suddenly all go out , ” Garcetti said .
He added that people shouldn ’ t use medical-grade masks , which are in short supply and are needed by healthcare workers and first responders .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Wearing a mask in downtown L.A. near the corner of 7th and Figueroa.
Mayor Eric Garcetti joined a growing push for residents to wear face coverings when out in public.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has argued that healthy people do not need a mask if they are not working in healthcare or caring for an infected person.
But in recent days, the CDC has been weighing whether to modify its recommendations and endorse the use of homemade masks.
“I can tell you that the data and this issue of whether it’s going to contribute [to prevention] is being aggressively reviewed as we speak,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the CDC director, told NPR.
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Riverside County released the new mask guidance Tuesday, covering such essential tasks as grocery shopping and medical visits.
“The face coverings do not have to be hospital grade but need to cover the nose and mouth. For example, bandannas, fabric masks and neck gaiters are acceptable. Fabric covers and bandannas can be washed and used again,” the county said.
Officials said the recommendation is based on new knowledge about the coronavirus.
“When the situation changes, the rulebook changes,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County’s public health officer, said in a statement. “We’re seeing our numbers increasing even sooner than we predicted and that means our strategy must change too.”
At a Wednesday afternoon news briefing, Garcetti said he had been awaiting advice on masks from the CDC but with the COVID-19 rate surging had decided to wait no longer.
The mayor said everyone performing essential tasks such as as food shopping should wear homemade, nonmedical face coverings, or even bandannas, as people in other countries have done.
“To be clear, you should still stay at home. This isn’t an excuse to suddenly all go out,” Garcetti said.
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He added that people shouldn’t use medical-grade masks, which are in short supply and are needed by healthcare workers and first responders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.