latimes--2020-04-27--Newsom chastises beachgoers, warning that defying order could delay reopening California

Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday criticized Californians who defied the statewide stay-at-home order and flocked to beaches over the weekend , saying that ignoring restrictions could prolong the spread of the coronavirus in the state .
Newsom ’ s comments come after thousands of beachgoers descended on the coast in Orange and Ventura counties despite his pleas last week to avoid doing so during the warm weekend .
“ This virus doesn ’ t take the weekends off , ” Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento .
“ The only thing that will set us back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and appropriate social distancing .
That ’ s the only thing that ’ s going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy.
” Newsom vowed to increase statewide enforcement of the stay-at-home order if necessary and , in a thinly veiled criticism of the cities and counties that saw crowded beaches , said , “ We ’ ll have a little work to do to improve upon Saturday.
” “ You didn ’ t see those images at L.A. beaches and San Diego beaches and [ in ] Northern California ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only adopted but were abided by , ” Newsom said , “ and we had local partners that supported those efforts.
” California law gives state health officials the authority to “ quarantine , isolate , inspect , and disinfect persons , animals , houses , rooms , other property , places , cities , or localities , whenever in its judgment the action is necessary to protect or preserve the public health.
” The law also allows health officials to “ take possession or control of the body of any living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deceased person ” to prevent the spread of a contagious disease .
State health officials can require the sheriff of each county to enforce orders .
Amid mounting pressure from some local officials to reopen the state , Newsom said he expected to announce modifications to the stay-at-home order within a matter of weeks .
Newsom on Monday said he would begin “ digital roundtables ” with workers , small-businesses owners and other employers in some of the most affected industries about the impacts of COVID-19 and plans to emerge from the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Newsom said , “ is that we ’ ll be in a position in a number of weeks to make meaningful modifications , but again the data will guide that , the indicators will guide that.
” Newsom ’ s comments came after several governors across the country said they planned to ease stay-at-home orders in the days and weeks ahead .
Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced a similar phased plan to reopen his state on May 15 , initially upstate , which has been less affected by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Govs .
Jared Polis of Colorado , a Democrat , and Ron DeSantis of Florida , a Republican , issued similar pronouncements but said the dates for reopening would depend on daily assessments of the spread of the virus in their states .
Republican Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine on Monday announced that retail businesses and some services would begin to reopen on May 12 , with requirements for workers to wear face masks and other safeguards .
“ We ’ ve gotten this far — but we have a ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I know there are other things we all want to do — get a haircut , go to restaurants — but we have to see how we are doing with # COVID19 first , ” DeWine tweeted .
On Monday , a bipartisan group of state lawmakers , mayors and other elected officials from six counties in California ’ s northern interior urged the governor to allow the region to ease restrictions and start the process of reopening their economy .
They said that in that area the spread of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus hospitalized in an intensive care unit as of Monday .
“ We believe that the local public health data , in addition to our area ’ s ability to continue monitoring cases , should allow our counties to soon begin a science-based , thoughtful reopening of our economy , consistent with national guidelines , which would allow our residents to get back to work , ” the letter to Newsom stated .
The county officials were just the latest in local government to request Newsom ’ s permission to phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressing fear that the restrictions would decimate businesses and flatten local economies .
Last week , San Luis Obispo County officials said they had bent the coronavirus curve and were beginning to craft a second phase that would allow some businesses to reopen .
Days earlier , Ventura County officials modified a stay-at-home order to permit some businesses to reopen and some gatherings to take place .
On Monday , public health officials from six San Francisco Bay Area counties announced plans to keep shelter-in-place orders through the end of May but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , did not say what kinds of restrictions would be eased .
State lawmakers are also hearing from constituents who want to start thinking differently about the crisis and how some sort of economic reboot will begin .
During a hearing on Monday about the economy , Assemblyman Jim Wood ( D-Healdsburg ) urged the Newsom administration to abandon the terminology of “ essential ” versus “ nonessential ” businesses .
“ If you are a small-business owner , you probably consider your business essential , ” Wood said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s essential to the people you employ , and it ’ s essential to your community in many ways.
” Wood said it was time for state officials to begin looking more closely at which businesses could reopen , suggesting there would be little risk in allowing small accounting firms or attorney ’ s offices to resume work .
“ I have to feel like there ’ s a lot of business owners that could be operating safely , ” he said , “ given the opportunity to do so.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local governments to modify the order , Newsom has been hesitant to pin any state action to a specific date , saying reports on the spread of the virus , along with hospitalizations and deaths , would “ drive our decision-making.
” Last week , Newsom pleaded with Californians to continue to heed orders to stay home and avoid large crowds .
Despite his efforts , thousands of people converged on Southern California beaches on Saturday and Sunday .
Officials in Newport Beach became so alarmed that on Tuesday the City Council will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May or blocking roads leading to popular beach spots on the Balboa Peninsula and Corona del Mar .
Los Angeles County kept its beaches closed over the weekend , though they were open in Orange and Ventura counties .
Along with being pressured by local officials , Newsom is being taken to court over his stay-at-home order .
Two Sacramento County residents on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging Newsom ’ s statewide order .
The lawsuit , filed on behalf of Ron Givens of the Sacramento Gun Club and Christine “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent and a Republican candidate for Congress running against Rep. Doris Matsui ( D-Sacramento ) , alleges that the California Highway Patrol unconstitutionally denied their requests for permits to hold a protest outside the state Capitol .
Givens wants to protest the state ’ s failure to process background checks for people buying firearms , and Bish hopes to protest the stay-at-home order , according to the lawsuit .
“ At a time when Californians are rightfully questioning the duration and extent of the stay-at-home orders , which are unevenly enforced and which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Newsom has reacted to citizen protests not by addressing widespread concern , but simply by shutting down protest at the Capitol altogether , making no reasonable accommodations for this fundamental function in a free society , ” said Harmeet K. Dhillon , one of the attorneys handling the case .
The Newsom administration previously announced the six key goals to meet before the governor ’ s stay-at-home mandate is altered , including the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases , prevent infection of high-risk people , increase surge capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure physical distance at schools , businesses and child-care facilities .
Earlier this month , Newsom and his counterparts in Washington and Oregon announced “ a regional pact to recovery ” from the coronavirus crisis and agreed to work together to develop a plan to lift restrictions on daily life and reopen economies along the West Coast .
Nevada and Colorado on Monday announced they would be joining the regional pact .

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday criticized Californians who defied the statewide stay-at-home order and flocked to beaches over the weekend, saying that ignoring restrictions could prolong the spread of the coronavirus in the state.
Newsom’s comments come after thousands of beachgoers descended on the coast in Orange and Ventura counties despite his pleas last week to avoid doing so during the warm weekend.
“This virus doesn’t take the weekends off,” Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento. “The only thing that will set us back is people stopping to practice physical distancing and appropriate social distancing. That’s the only thing that’s going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy.”
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California Photos show county lines separate packed beaches from empty ones Southern California had its first big heat wave over the weekend, but L.A. County beaches are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beaches in nearby counties were open, however. Here are a few scenes from the weekend.
Newsom vowed to increase statewide enforcement of the stay-at-home order if necessary and, in a thinly veiled criticism of the cities and counties that saw crowded beaches, said, “We’ll have a little work to do to improve upon Saturday.”
“You didn’t see those images at L.A. beaches and San Diego beaches and [in] Northern California ... because we had strong guidelines that were not only adopted but were abided by,” Newsom said, “and we had local partners that supported those efforts.”
California law gives state health officials the authority to “quarantine, isolate, inspect, and disinfect persons, animals, houses, rooms, other property, places, cities, or localities, whenever in its judgment the action is necessary to protect or preserve the public health.” The law also allows health officials to “take possession or control of the body of any living person, or the corpse of any deceased person” to prevent the spread of a contagious disease. State health officials can require the sheriff of each county to enforce orders.
Amid mounting pressure from some local officials to reopen the state, Newsom said he expected to announce modifications to the stay-at-home order within a matter of weeks.
Newsom on Monday said he would begin “digital roundtables” with workers, small-businesses owners and other employers in some of the most affected industries about the impacts of COVID-19 and plans to emerge from the crisis.
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“The hope and expectation,” Newsom said, “is that we’ll be in a position in a number of weeks to make meaningful modifications, but again the data will guide that, the indicators will guide that.”
Newsom’s comments came after several governors across the country said they planned to ease stay-at-home orders in the days and weeks ahead.
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a similar phased plan to reopen his state on May 15, initially upstate, which has been less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than Greater New York City. Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat, and Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, issued similar pronouncements but said the dates for reopening would depend on daily assessments of the spread of the virus in their states.
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced that retail businesses and some services would begin to reopen on May 12, with requirements for workers to wear face masks and other safeguards.
“We’ve gotten this far — but we have a ways to go. These are the first steps. I know there are other things we all want to do — get a haircut, go to restaurants — but we have to see how we are doing with #COVID19 first,” DeWine tweeted.
On Monday, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, mayors and other elected officials from six counties in California’s northern interior urged the governor to allow the region to ease restrictions and start the process of reopening their economy. They said that in that area the spread of the coronavirus had subsided, with only one person with the virus hospitalized in an intensive care unit as of Monday.
“We believe that the local public health data, in addition to our area’s ability to continue monitoring cases, should allow our counties to soon begin a science-based, thoughtful reopening of our economy, consistent with national guidelines, which would allow our residents to get back to work,” the letter to Newsom stated.
The county officials were just the latest in local government to request Newsom’s permission to phase out the stay-at-home order, with many expressing fear that the restrictions would decimate businesses and flatten local economies.
Last week, San Luis Obispo County officials said they had bent the coronavirus curve and were beginning to craft a second phase that would allow some businesses to reopen. Days earlier, Ventura County officials modified a stay-at-home order to permit some businesses to reopen and some gatherings to take place.
On Monday, public health officials from six San Francisco Bay Area counties announced plans to keep shelter-in-place orders through the end of May but to ease some restrictions. The officials, however, did not say what kinds of restrictions would be eased.
State lawmakers are also hearing from constituents who want to start thinking differently about the crisis and how some sort of economic reboot will begin.
During a hearing on Monday about the economy, Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) urged the Newsom administration to abandon the terminology of “essential” versus “nonessential” businesses.
“If you are a small-business owner, you probably consider your business essential,” Wood said. “It’s essential to your family, it’s essential to the people you employ, and it’s essential to your community in many ways.”
Wood said it was time for state officials to begin looking more closely at which businesses could reopen, suggesting there would be little risk in allowing small accounting firms or attorney’s offices to resume work.
“I have to feel like there’s a lot of business owners that could be operating safely,” he said, “given the opportunity to do so.”
While promising to review all requests by local governments to modify the order, Newsom has been hesitant to pin any state action to a specific date, saying reports on the spread of the virus, along with hospitalizations and deaths, would “drive our decision-making.”
Last week, Newsom pleaded with Californians to continue to heed orders to stay home and avoid large crowds. Despite his efforts, thousands of people converged on Southern California beaches on Saturday and Sunday.
Officials in Newport Beach became so alarmed that on Tuesday the City Council will consider closing the beaches for three weekends in May or blocking roads leading to popular beach spots on the Balboa Peninsula and Corona del Mar.
Los Angeles County kept its beaches closed over the weekend, though they were open in Orange and Ventura counties.
Along with being pressured by local officials, Newsom is being taken to court over his stay-at-home order. Two Sacramento County residents on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging Newsom’s statewide order.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Ron Givens of the Sacramento Gun Club and Christine “Chris” Bish, a real estate agent and a Republican candidate for Congress running against Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), alleges that the California Highway Patrol unconstitutionally denied their requests for permits to hold a protest outside the state Capitol. Givens wants to protest the state’s failure to process background checks for people buying firearms, and Bish hopes to protest the stay-at-home order, according to the lawsuit.
“At a time when Californians are rightfully questioning the duration and extent of the stay-at-home orders, which are unevenly enforced and which have resulted in other constitutional challenges, Gov. Newsom has reacted to citizen protests not by addressing widespread concern, but simply by shutting down protest at the Capitol altogether, making no reasonable accommodations for this fundamental function in a free society,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, one of the attorneys handling the case.
The Newsom administration previously announced the six key goals to meet before the governor’s stay-at-home mandate is altered, including the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases, prevent infection of high-risk people, increase surge capacity at hospitals, develop therapeutics, and ensure physical distance at schools, businesses and child-care facilities.
Earlier this month, Newsom and his counterparts in Washington and Oregon announced “a regional pact to recovery” from the coronavirus crisis and agreed to work together to develop a plan to lift restrictions on daily life and reopen economies along the West Coast. Nevada and Colorado on Monday announced they would be joining the regional pact.
Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-27--6 Bay Area counties extend stay-at-home orders through May

Six San Francisco Bay Area counties plan to keep stay-at-home orders through the end of May but will ease some restrictions , officials announced Monday .
“ Thanks to the collective effort and sacrifice of the 7 million residents across our jurisdictions , we have made substantial progress in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus , ensuring our local hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases , and saving lives , ” a statement by Bay Area health officers said .
“ At this stage of the pandemic , however , it is critical that our collective efforts continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress we have achieved together .
Hospitalizations have leveled , but more work is needed to safely reopen our communities .
Prematurely lifting restrictions could easily lead to a large surge in cases.
” The statement was sent on behalf of health officers for Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin , San Francisco , San Mateo and Santa Clara counties as well as the city of Berkeley , which has its own health department separate from Alameda County .
The statement did not elaborate on what kinds of restrictions would be eased .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood it would be challenging to endure another month of staying at home as much as possible .
“ It has already been very difficult , I ’ m sure for many of you , especially kids who can not play with their friends or a lot of the seniors who are graduating high school .
The kids who want to go to the parks .
Not being able to see your grandma or grandpa , ” Breed said Monday .
But , she said , “ public health is our priority.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistakes San Francisco made during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic in lifting restrictions too soon , leading to a second deadly wave of flu cases .
“ Folks threw off their masks and went out into the streets and partied and had a good time .
And a few days later , we were even worse off than when we started .
We don ’ t want that to happen in our city , ” Breed said .
“ This is not an easy thing to do and to ... not only thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but to ask you to do more.
” The region also needs time to prepare for a new way of life as restrictions are eased , she added , with changes in how restaurants , nail salons and large-scale events are operated .
“ We need to stand our ground and maintain our gains .
Make no mistake , this virus is still out there , and it is still a threat , ” said Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco ’ s director of public health .
He noted that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flat .
While that ’ s good news , it ’ s not enough , Colfax said .
“ We need numbers to start dropping significantly and just stay down for several weeks , ” Colfax said .
“ It ’ s so important to look at that that hospitalization rate over the next two to four weeks with a hope that that that curve will decline.
” The San Francisco officials ’ statements echoed what Gov .
Gavin Newsom and others have said — that stay-at-home restrictions must be maintained until it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t cause greater illness and economic disruption in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak .
“ How we reopen is going to be important to ensuring that we do it responsibly so that we don ’ t go backward , ” he said .
Breed added that testing and personal protective equipment must be adequate before any lifting of the order , and hospitals must be ready for another surge of infections .
The six Bay Area counties were the first in the nation to implement a stay-at-home order , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later used as a model for 11 other California counties in the northern Bay and Sacramento areas and California ’ s North and Central coasts , before Gov .
Gavin Newsom expanded the order statewide March 19 .
The original Bay Area restrictions had an expiration date of April 7 , but those were extended to May 3 .
Newsom ’ s statewide order has no end date .
The six counties Monday said they will soon “ release a set of broad indicators that will be used to track progress in preparedness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the framework being used by the State of California , ” the statement said .
The region will need to ensure the healthcare system is able to meet demand , they said .
Officials have already said they expect coronavirus cases to rise when stay-at-home orders ease .
“ This global pandemic of COVID-19 is still in its early stages .
The virus spreads easily , testing capacity is limited and expanding slowly and vaccine development is just beginning .
We expect to be responding to COVID-19 in our communities for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts have been , if we move too fast to ease restrictions , the potential of exponential spread could have grave impacts to health and wellness of our residents as well as the economy , ” the officials said .
Dr. Sara Cody , the health officer for Santa Clara County , said last week the discovery that the coronavirus was infecting people — undetected — earlier than they had thought in Silicon Valley illustrated how important the shelter-in-place order is to slow the spread of the virus .
“ We anticipate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on for a very , very , very long time .
We know that we do not have immunity in the population .
Nor do we have a vaccine , ” Cody said .
“ So any time that we let up on our mitigation measures , we are going to expect to see a spike in cases , hospitalizations and deaths .
That is certain.
” Two northern Bay Area counties have already extended their stay-at-home orders .
Solano County , which includes Vallejo and Fairfield , extended its order through May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order will now be in effect indefinitely , but with the following changes : • Permits construction with proper physical distancing .
• Permits drive-in religious services with proper physical distancing .
• Permits in-person residential real estate viewings with proper protocols .
• Permits landscaping and gardening maintenance that is not purely for cosmetic purposes .
• Allows the use of golf courses and driving ranges with documented protocol .
• Strongly recommends the use of cloth face coverings when outside the home .

A sign encourages visitors to keep their distance from one another at Crab Cove in Alameda, Calif.
Six San Francisco Bay Area counties plan to keep stay-at-home orders through the end of May but will ease some restrictions, officials announced Monday.
“Thanks to the collective effort and sacrifice of the 7 million residents across our jurisdictions, we have made substantial progress in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, ensuring our local hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, and saving lives,” a statement by Bay Area health officers said.
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“At this stage of the pandemic, however, it is critical that our collective efforts continue so that we do not lose the progress we have achieved together. Hospitalizations have leveled, but more work is needed to safely reopen our communities. Prematurely lifting restrictions could easily lead to a large surge in cases.”
The statement was sent on behalf of health officers for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties as well as the city of Berkeley, which has its own health department separate from Alameda County.
The statement did not elaborate on what kinds of restrictions would be eased.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she understood it would be challenging to endure another month of staying at home as much as possible.
“It has already been very difficult, I’m sure for many of you, especially kids who cannot play with their friends or a lot of the seniors who are graduating high school. The kids who want to go to the parks. Not being able to see your grandma or grandpa,” Breed said Monday. But, she said, “public health is our priority.”
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Breed warned again of not learning the mistakes San Francisco made during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic in lifting restrictions too soon, leading to a second deadly wave of flu cases.
“Folks threw off their masks and went out into the streets and partied and had a good time. And a few days later, we were even worse off than when we started. We don’t want that to happen in our city,” Breed said. “This is not an easy thing to do and to ... not only thank you for what you’ve done, but to ask you to do more.”
1 / 83 Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 83 Traffic remains light on the southbound 110 Freeway headed toward downtown Los Angeles on April 28. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 83 Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 83 Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 83 Friends play spikeball, a game perfect for social distancing on an open but restricted San Buenaventura State Beach. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 83 The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 83 Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 83 Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 83 Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 83 Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 83 Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 83 Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 83 Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 83 Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 83 Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 83 Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 83 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 83 Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 83 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center nurses carry supplies outside the hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 83 Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 83 Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 83 People make orders at a food truck along Shoreline Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 83 Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 83 Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 83 Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 83 A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 83 Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 83 A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 83 Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 83 The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 83 Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 83 Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 83 A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 83 Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 83 UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 83 Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 83 Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 83 A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 83 Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 83 Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 83 After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 83 An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 83 Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 83 As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 83 People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 83 The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 83 Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 83 Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 83 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 83 Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 83 Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 83 A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 83 A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 83 Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 83 Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 83 Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 83 A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 83 A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 83 A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 83 A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 83 Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 83 The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 83 Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 83 Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 83 Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 83 A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 83 Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 83 Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 83 The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 83 Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 83 Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 83 A masked passenger on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 83 Dede Oneal waits for a coronavirus test at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 83 A man in a mask passes a closed restaurant along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 83 Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 83 Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 83 A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 83 With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 83 A lone traveler makes his way to catch a flight in Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 83 Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 83 Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of the usual crowds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 83 Michael Ray, 11, plays before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 83 Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The region also needs time to prepare for a new way of life as restrictions are eased, she added, with changes in how restaurants, nail salons and large-scale events are operated.
“We need to stand our ground and maintain our gains. Make no mistake, this virus is still out there, and it is still a threat,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of public health.
He noted that the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 remains flat. While that’s good news, it’s not enough, Colfax said.
“We need numbers to start dropping significantly and just stay down for several weeks,” Colfax said. “It’s so important to look at that hospitalization rate over the next two to four weeks with a hope that that curve will decline.”
The San Francisco officials’ statements echoed what Gov. Gavin Newsom and others have said — that stay-at-home restrictions must be maintained until it’s clear that easing them won’t cause greater illness and economic disruption in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak.
“How we reopen is going to be important to ensuring that we do it responsibly so that we don’t go backward,” he said.
Breed added that testing and personal protective equipment must be adequate before any lifting of the order, and hospitals must be ready for another surge of infections.
The six Bay Area counties were the first in the nation to implement a stay-at-home order, which was issued March 16. The requirement was later used as a model for 11 other California counties in the northern Bay and Sacramento areas and California’s North and Central coasts, before Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the order statewide March 19.
The original Bay Area restrictions had an expiration date of April 7, but those were extended to May 3. Newsom’s statewide order has no end date.
The six counties Monday said they will soon “release a set of broad indicators that will be used to track progress in preparedness and response to COVID-19, in alignment with the framework being used by the State of California,” the statement said.
The region will need to ensure the healthcare system is able to meet demand, they said. Officials have already said they expect coronavirus cases to rise when stay-at-home orders ease.
“This global pandemic of COVID-19 is still in its early stages. The virus spreads easily, testing capacity is limited and expanding slowly and vaccine development is just beginning. We expect to be responding to COVID-19 in our communities for a long time. As effective as our efforts have been, if we move too fast to ease restrictions, the potential of exponential spread could have grave impacts to health and wellness of our residents as well as the economy,” the officials said.
Dr. Sara Cody, the health officer for Santa Clara County, said last week the discovery that the coronavirus was infecting people — undetected — earlier than they had thought in Silicon Valley illustrated how important the shelter-in-place order is to slow the spread of the virus.
“We anticipate that this pandemic is going to be going on for a very, very, very long time. We know that we do not have immunity in the population. Nor do we have a vaccine,” Cody said. “So any time that we let up on our mitigation measures, we are going to expect to see a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. That is certain.”
Two northern Bay Area counties have already extended their stay-at-home orders. Solano County, which includes Vallejo and Fairfield, extended its order through May 17.
Napa County announced its stay-at-home order will now be in effect indefinitely, but with the following changes:
• Permits construction with proper physical distancing.
• Permits drive-in religious services with proper physical distancing.
• Permits in-person residential real estate viewings with proper protocols.
• Permits landscaping and gardening maintenance that is not purely for cosmetic purposes.
• Allows the use of golf courses and driving ranges with documented protocol.
• Strongly recommends the use of cloth face coverings when outside the home.


latimes--2020-04-27--Free coronavirus testing site opens in Carson

Another coronavirus testing center opened Monday in Los Angeles County , as the city of Carson began free screenings for all of its residents .
The new drive-through site will offer free testing for all city employees , residents “ and anyone else who schedules an appointment , ” a city memo states .
Testing isn ’ t limited to those with symptoms of coronavirus infection — such as fever , cough or difficulty breathing .
Residents who may have been exposed to COVID-19 are also eligible , the city says .
“ It ’ s available to anyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick or asymptomatic , whether you ’ re insured or uninsured and whether you ’ re rich or poor .
Everybody can apply , ” Mayor Albert Robles told KTLA-TV Channel 5 .
“ But because the focus is on Carson ... our priority is for Carson residents.
” The Carson location , at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center , is being offered in partnership between the city and U.S. Health Fairs , a Los Angeles-based nonprofit .
Testing is by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ register , visit ushealthfairs.org/carson-testing or call ( 310 ) 952-1719 .
As of Sunday , there had been 211 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Carson and 19,528 countywide , according to pubic health officials .
The new Carson site is one of dozens that have popped up throughout Los Angeles County as officials seek to dramatically ramp up their capacity to test for coronavirus infection — something Gov .
Gavin Newsom has said is critical in determining when it ’ s safe to relax the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
The county and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer free COVID-19 testing at a number of sites for residents who are showing symptoms .
For more information , or to make an appointment , visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing .
Testing is available at the following locations :

Aerial views cars lined up for drive-through coronavirus testing inside a parking lot on Stadium Way near Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Riverside County medical personnel screen a car of load of four people at a coronavirus drive-though testing facility for Coachella Valley residents in the parking lot of the Southwest in Indian Wells. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. wear protective gear while handing out kits to people to swab the inside of their mouths to test for the coronavirus, inside a parking lot on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Motorists, line up on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium, waiting to enter a parking lot and be tested for the coronavirus. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
San Bernardino County health care worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-thru sample collection that took place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Coronavirus CO drive-thru sample collection takes place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for COVID-19 at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All In This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location, at the South Bay Galleria, in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
A man misses the blue bin while dropping off his self-administered COVID-19 test at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Workers direct drivers at a drive-up test site for COVID-19 at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A man drops off his self-administered COVID-19 test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Francis Gon-Gibbs, of LA County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, stands at the entrance of a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Gessie Lurlay is working as a coronavirus screener at the Camarena Health Center in Madera. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks at a drive-through public testing for coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Julie Montez, right, sits in her car as a nurse administers a coronavirus test at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A portrait and quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A man talks with a healthcare worker outside Kedren Community Health Center in South LA, where they are offering walk-up coronavirus testing along with other medical services. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Carson City Mayor Albert Robles does self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of a community center in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Juan Infante, a certified medical assistant, takes the temperature of a patient before she gets tested. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Boyle Heights. Experts say widespread testing is crucial for states to be able to safely reopen their economies. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Another coronavirus testing center opened Monday in Los Angeles County, as the city of Carson began free screenings for all of its residents.
The new drive-through site will offer free testing for all city employees, residents “and anyone else who schedules an appointment,” a city memo states.
Testing isn’t limited to those with symptoms of coronavirus infection — such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Residents who may have been exposed to COVID-19 are also eligible, the city says.
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“It’s available to anyone in Southern California, whether you’re sick or asymptomatic, whether you’re insured or uninsured and whether you’re rich or poor. Everybody can apply,” Mayor Albert Robles told KTLA-TV Channel 5. “But because the focus is on Carson ... our priority is for Carson residents.”
The Carson location, at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center, is being offered in partnership between the city and U.S. Health Fairs, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.
Testing is by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, or to register, visit ushealthfairs.org/carson-testing or call (310) 952-1719.
As of Sunday, there had been 211 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Carson and 19,528 countywide, according to pubic health officials.
The new Carson site is one of dozens that have popped up throughout Los Angeles County as officials seek to dramatically ramp up their capacity to test for coronavirus infection — something Gov. Gavin Newsom has said is critical in determining when it’s safe to relax the state’s stay-at-home order.
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The county and city of Los Angeles have joined forces to offer free COVID-19 testing at a number of sites for residents who are showing symptoms.
For more information, or to make an appointment, visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. Testing is available at the following locations:


latimes--2020-04-27--Coronavirus continues to devastate L.A. County while nearby regions ease restrictions

As thousands of sun chasers crowded open beaches in Ventura and Orange counties over the weekend , Los Angeles County wrapped up a week in which the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus doubled .
That number continued to rise Monday , as county health officials confirmed an additional 29 deaths and 942 new coronavirus cases .
Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said 11 of those deaths were among healthcare workers , and 92 % of the nearly 950 individuals who have died in the county had underlying health issues .
Officials said that of those who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the death rate for African Americans is 13.2 per 100,000 people .
“ This is significantly higher than the mortality rate of all other ethnicities and races , ” Ferrer said .
In the county of 10 million — California ’ s most populous — the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 20,000 .
With a backlog in reporting the number of cases and testing capacity increasing , officials have said the number of those infected is likely far higher .
Medical troops with California ’ s National Guard have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handful of L.A. County nursing homes , which have accounted for 40 % of the deaths linked to the virus .
Officials continue to caution residents to distance themselves socially , even as warm weather lures people outside .
“ We don ’ t want to undo all the good we ’ ve done and accomplished so far , ” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday .
“ We are not yet on the other side of this pandemic , and we don ’ t want to prematurely ease restrictions.
” Officials outlined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county ’ s safer-at-home order can be modified : • Ensure that hospitals maintain capacity to treat both people who are sick and those with standard medical needs • Increase the capacity to care for those who are sick and protect the most vulnerable • Increase the ability to test , isolate and quarantine compromised individuals Barger said the county ’ s Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on a motion to develop a plan to meet those requisites .
“ I know all of us are eager to return , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top-three priorities to restore the local economy are the reopening of businesses , the establishment of funding services for small businesses and job seekers , and the ability for young people to return to a structured learning environment .
The county ’ s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15 .
Ferrer said officials are hopeful that coronavirus deaths and overall case counts will begin to decrease by mid-May .
“ We are going to be driven by our experiences — increase our capacity to test , identity people who are positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ I think as we put those systems in place , we can be at the point where we can relax ” Nearby , some counties have already loosened similar restrictions .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday reported a modest increase in hospitalizations throughout the state , where more than 43,000 people have tested positive for the virus and over 1,700 people — the majority of them from L.A. County — have died .
The governor said California was “ weeks , not months ” away from modifying its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenes like crowded beaches from the weekend could slow reopening efforts .
“ The only thing that will set us back is our behaviors .
The only thing that will set us back is if people stop practicing social distancing , ” he said .
“ The virus is as prevalent as it ’ s ever been — nothing has changed in that respect .
The only thing that ’ s changed is our behavior.
” Last week , Ferrer begged residents not to visit Ventura County , the first in Southern California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worsening the spread of the virus .
But if images from this weekend are any indication , it ’ s likely the massive beach crowds in Ventura and Orange counties included neighbors from nearby regions .
Pacific Coast Highway in L.A. County , with its stretch of emptiness , stood in stark contrast to the highway in Ventura County , where numerous vehicles were parked .
The first hot spring day would normally drive crowds to Santa Monica and Malibu beaches .
But restrictions prevented people from even tiptoeing onto those beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ route .
Last week , Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said the area had been inundated with people from outside counties , including L.A. And after crowds descended on the shores in Newport Beach , the City Council is holding a special meeting Tuesday to decide whether to close beaches for the next three weekends .
“ When you take a look at the folks that are coming down , they ’ re not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities — they ’ re not even staying in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Counties are allowed to ease restrictions if they do not circumvent the state ’ s stay-at-home order , Newsom has said , while noting that the virus knows no boundaries or jurisdictions .
But it ’ s clear that as counties continue to differ on their implementation of the rules , residents may blur those boundaries too .

Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
As thousands of sun chasers crowded open beaches in Ventura and Orange counties over the weekend, Los Angeles County wrapped up a week in which the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus doubled.
That number continued to rise Monday, as county health officials confirmed an additional 29 deaths and 942 new coronavirus cases. Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said 11 of those deaths were among healthcare workers, and 92% of the nearly 950 individuals who have died in the county had underlying health issues.
Officials said that of those who died whose race and ethnicity has been identified, the death rate for African Americans is 13.2 per 100,000 people.
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“This is significantly higher than the mortality rate of all other ethnicities and races,” Ferrer said.
In the county of 10 million — California’s most populous — the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 20,000. With a backlog in reporting the number of cases and testing capacity increasing, officials have said the number of those infected is likely far higher.
Medical troops with California’s National Guard have been deployed to assist staff at a handful of L.A. County nursing homes, which have accounted for 40% of the deaths linked to the virus. Officials continue to caution residents to distance themselves socially, even as warm weather lures people outside.
“We don’t want to undo all the good we’ve done and accomplished so far,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday. “We are not yet on the other side of this pandemic, and we don’t want to prematurely ease restrictions.”
California Photos show county lines separate packed beaches from empty ones Southern California had its first big heat wave over the weekend, but L.A. County beaches are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beaches in nearby counties were open, however. Here are a few scenes from the weekend.
Officials outlined four targets that must be met before the county’s safer-at-home order can be modified:
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Ensure that hospitals maintain capacity to treat both people who are sick and those with standard medical needs
Increase the capacity to care for those who are sick and protect the most vulnerable
Increase the ability to test, isolate and quarantine compromised individuals
Maintain ongoing physical distancing practices
Barger said the county’s Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on a motion to develop a plan to meet those requisites.
“I know all of us are eager to return,” she said.
She said the county’s top-three priorities to restore the local economy are the reopening of businesses, the establishment of funding services for small businesses and job seekers, and the ability for young people to return to a structured learning environment.
The county’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Ferrer said officials are hopeful that coronavirus deaths and overall case counts will begin to decrease by mid-May.
“We are going to be driven by our experiences — increase our capacity to test, identity people who are positive and then do contact tracing,” she said. “I think as we put those systems in place, we can be at the point where we can relax”
Nearby, some counties have already loosened similar restrictions.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti seemed optimistic that social distancing measures were proving effective and said he believed “the curve really is beginning to flatten,” even suggesting that easing restrictions under the city’s safer-at-home order could be weeks away.
Testing capabilities were continuing to increase, according to Garcetti, who said asymptomatic essential workers including delivery, ride-hail and taxi drivers, as well as journalists, will now be able to be tested for the virus.
“These are folks that are on the front line, helping us get where we need to go, delivering food to our apartments,” he said.
Garcetti also announced the city’s implementation of a program announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week that would pay out-of-work restaurant employees to cook meals for seniors. The mayor said the program would instantly put 150 people back to work. Depending on their income level, people who are either older than 65 or ages 60 to 64 with a preexisting medical condition may be eligible to receive meals from the program.
The city will pay for the meals, but those costs will later be partly reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state government, Newsom said last week.
Newsom on Monday reported a modest increase in hospitalizations throughout the state, where more than 43,000 people have tested positive for the virus and over 1,700 people — the majority of them from L.A. County — have died. The governor said California was “weeks, not months” away from modifying its stay-at-home order, but he noted that scenes like crowded beaches from the weekend could slow reopening efforts.
“The only thing that will set us back is our behaviors. The only thing that will set us back is if people stop practicing social distancing,” he said. “The virus is as prevalent as it’s ever been — nothing has changed in that respect. The only thing that’s changed is our behavior.”
Last week, Ferrer begged residents not to visit Ventura County, the first in Southern California to ease its restrictions, for fear of worsening the spread of the virus.
But if images from this weekend are any indication, it’s likely the massive beach crowds in Ventura and Orange counties included neighbors from nearby regions.
Pacific Coast Highway in L.A. County, with its stretch of emptiness, stood in stark contrast to the highway in Ventura County, where numerous vehicles were parked. The first hot spring day would normally drive crowds to Santa Monica and Malibu beaches. But restrictions prevented people from even tiptoeing onto those beaches, let alone parking on the oceanside route.
Last week, Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said the area had been inundated with people from outside counties, including L.A. And after crowds descended on the shores in Newport Beach, the City Council is holding a special meeting Tuesday to decide whether to close beaches for the next three weekends.
“When you take a look at the folks that are coming down, they’re not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities — they’re not even staying in their own counties,” Bartlett said.
Counties are allowed to ease restrictions if they do not circumvent the state’s stay-at-home order, Newsom has said, while noting that the virus knows no boundaries or jurisdictions. But it’s clear that as counties continue to differ on their implementation of the rules, residents may blur those boundaries too.
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-27--San Francisco says vitally needed masks, gloves, face shields are being diverted

The mayor of San Francisco says the city is still struggling to get adequate medical equipment to battle coronavirus , including masks , gloves , face shields and gowns .
The buying isn ’ t the issue — Mayor London Breed said the city had been able to purchase 15 million pieces of the medical gear , known as personal protective equipment , and private firms have donated more .
But getting the equipment has been challenging , she said at a news conference Friday .
“ We had isolation gowns on the way to San Francisco and then diverted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another order of equipment went through customs and then was “ confiscated ” by FEMA for other places .
The city also has had equipment go through customs , Breed said , only to have it taken and “ put on the market for the highest bidder.
” “ That at the height of this pandemic we are still having a conversation about PPE really does blow my mind , ” she said .
“ There has been nothing that has been more frustrating.
” Meanwhile , San Francisco ’ s director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the city ’ s positive coronavirus cases were homeless people or those living in single-room-occupancy hotels .
Dr. Grant Colfax , speaking at the news conference with Breed and other city officials , said the city continued to respond to occasional positive cases in its homeless shelters by doing testing , deep cleaning and moving residents into hotels leased by the city .
At long-term-care facilities in the city , 113 people have been infected with the virus , he said .
He did not know the number of deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working with these nursing homes to stem the pace of infections .
The city ’ s Department of Public Health also checks in with the homes once a week to provide advice and protective equipment .
The city successfully stemmed an early outbreak of coronavirus infection at Laguna Honda Hospital , one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in the nation , but Colfax said new infections may occur .
Testing showed that five staff members and four residents at Laguna Honda were positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good condition , Colfax said , and there has not been another positive case since April 7 .

The mayor of San Francisco says the city is still struggling to get adequate medical equipment to battle the coronavirus, including masks, gloves, face shields and gowns.
The buying isn’t the issue — Mayor London Breed said the city had been able to purchase 15 million pieces of the medical gear, known as personal protective equipment, and private firms have donated more.
But getting the equipment has been challenging, she said at a news conference Friday.
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“We had isolation gowns on the way to San Francisco and then diverted to France,” she said. Another order of equipment went through customs and then was “confiscated” by FEMA for other places.
(On Monday, she clarified that her remark about FEMA seizing the medical equipment was not correct and was based on erroneous information provided by the third-party supplier who sold the supplies to the city. Breed said the federal agency is now questioning the supplier.)
The city also has had equipment go through customs, Breed said, only to have it taken and “put on the market for the highest bidder.”
“That at the height of this pandemic we are still having a conversation about PPE really does blow my mind,” she said. “There has been nothing that has been more frustrating.”
Meanwhile, San Francisco’s director of public health said Friday that about 10% of the city’s positive coronavirus cases were homeless people or those living in single-room-occupancy hotels.
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Dr. Grant Colfax, speaking at the news conference with Breed and other city officials, said the city continued to respond to occasional positive cases in its homeless shelters by doing testing, deep cleaning and moving residents into hotels leased by the city.
At long-term-care facilities in the city, 113 people have been infected with the virus, he said. He did not know the number of deaths.
He said experts from the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working with these nursing homes to stem the pace of infections. The city’s Department of Public Health also checks in with the homes once a week to provide advice and protective equipment.
The city successfully stemmed an early outbreak of coronavirus infection at Laguna Honda Hospital, one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in the nation, but Colfax said new infections may occur.
Testing showed that five staff members and four residents at Laguna Honda were positive for the virus. All are in good condition, Colfax said, and there has not been another positive case since April 7.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-27--Orange County Fair canceled amid the coronavirus crisis

Orange County Fair enthusiasts will have to wait until next year to enjoy cuddly baby farm animals , dizzying carnival rides and outrageous fried foods .
The OC Fair & Event Center board of directors on Monday voted unanimously to cancel this year ’ s event , which was scheduled to run July 17 through Aug. 16 , over concerns that large crowds could create unsafe conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Nearly 1.4 million people visited last year ’ s summer festival — an annual event that ’ s equal parts community celebration , carnival and homage to California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board members said large numbers of people flocking to the Costa Mesa locale would make social distancing nearly impossible .
They also raised concerns that the state could see a resurgence of the virus from events bringing people together too soon .
“ At the end of the day , our number one priority is the safety of the public and everyone who enters the fairground , ” director Robert Ruiz said .
“ It breaks my heart , but at the end of the day ... we don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months from now , six months from now .
As much as it hurts , it ’ s the right decision and it ’ s the responsible thing to do.
” During a phone call with fair staff prior to Monday ’ s meeting , Orange County ’ s Public Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick advised officials that it would be prudent to consider canceling the event .
She emphasized , as she has in the past , that mass gathering regulations will likely be in place for many months .
The Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1947 during World War II , but otherwise has been a summer staple for the region since 1890 .
Staff is continuing to look into moving some events online , such as the craft competitions and the youth livestock auction .
“ We are going to do everything we can to keep the spirit of the fair alive , ” director Ashleigh Aitken said .
Orange County isn ’ t the only region where events have been upended by the pandemic .
County fairs across California have been canceled , postponed or downsized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Mateo , San Diego , San Bernardino and Calaveras counties have already been slashed from the calendar as state officials continue to warn the public not to expect large-scale gatherings anytime soon .
Absent a vaccine , Gov .
Gavin Newsom has said that Californians should expect to continue to wear face coverings or masks , and to visit restaurants with fewer tables , disposable menus and waiters wearing masks and gloves when the state slowly transitions back to normal .
“ The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we get to a vaccine , ” Newsom said earlier this month .
Meanwhile , fairs in El Dorado County and Ventura County are continuing as scheduled .
The Los Angeles County fair , scheduled to run Sept. 4 through Sept. 27 , is also expected to go forward as planned , according to event organizers .

Issaiah Reynoso, of Santa Ana, tries to beat the heat in the splash pad during the 2019 Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa. The 2020 fair has been canceled.
Orange County Fair enthusiasts will have to wait until next year to enjoy cuddly baby farm animals, dizzying carnival rides and outrageous fried foods.
The OC Fair & Event Center board of directors on Monday voted unanimously to cancel this year’s event, which was scheduled to run July 17 through Aug. 16, over concerns that large crowds could create unsafe conditions amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Nearly 1.4 million people visited last year’s summer festival — an annual event that’s equal parts community celebration, carnival and homage to California’s deeply rooted agricultural history. Board members said large numbers of people flocking to the Costa Mesa locale would make social distancing nearly impossible. They also raised concerns that the state could see a resurgence of the virus from events bringing people together too soon.
“At the end of the day, our number one priority is the safety of the public and everyone who enters the fairground,” director Robert Ruiz said. “It breaks my heart, but at the end of the day ... we don’t know what this is going to look like two months from now, six months from now. As much as it hurts, it’s the right decision and it’s the responsible thing to do.”
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California Across California, festivals and fairs fall victim to the coronavirus County Fairs from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay area have been canceled, and large music festivals have been postponed over the coronavirus.
During a phone call with fair staff prior to Monday’s meeting, Orange County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick advised officials that it would be prudent to consider canceling the event. She emphasized, as she has in the past, that mass gathering regulations will probably be in place for many months.
The Orange County Fair was canceled between 1942 and 1947 during World War II, but otherwise has been a summer staple for the region since 1890.
Staff is continuing to look into moving some events online, such as the craft competitions and the youth livestock auction.
“We are going to do everything we can to keep the spirit of the fair alive,” director Ashleigh Aitken said.
Orange County isn’t the only region where events have been upended by the pandemic. County fairs across California have been canceled, postponed or downsized amid statewide social distancing mandates.
Fairs in San Mateo, San Diego, San Bernardino and Calaveras counties have already been slashed from the calendar as state officials continue to warn the public not to expect large-scale gatherings anytime soon.
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Absent a vaccine, Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Californians should expect to continue to wear face coverings or masks, and to visit restaurants with fewer tables, disposable menus and waiters wearing masks and gloves when the state slowly transitions back to normal.
“The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine,” Newsom said earlier this month.
Meanwhile, fairs in El Dorado County and Ventura County are continuing as scheduled. The Los Angeles County Fair, scheduled to run Sept. 4 through Sept. 27, is also expected to go forward as planned, according to event organizers.
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-27--San Bernardino County lifts some coronavirus restrictions, reopens parks and recreation areas

San Bernardino County residents returned to the great outdoors over the weekend after officials lifted some closures initiated to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
County parks , lakes , rivers and recreation areas — as well as parking lots — reopened Saturday after more than a month-long closure .
Private and city-owned parks , trails , lakes and golf courses also opened on a limited basis .
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Mojave River Forks Regional Park are still closed .
Visitors still must cover their faces and keep their distance from others to help keep the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have faith in our residents that they will respect the safe-distancing guidelines and demonstrate that keeping passive outdoor recreation open is possible as our state moves to ease restrictions , ” Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman said in a statement .
“ However , if there is abuse of this new allowance , the board will have no choice but to re-close our outdoor destinations.
” It ’ s not quite back to business as usual , though .
While many outdoor activities — such as boating , biking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now OK , team sports , camping and outdoor gatherings remain a no-go .
“ Put another way , members of one household engaging in open space is allowable , but two households means you have a gathering , which is not allowed , ” county officials wrote in a message explaining the reopening rules .
Officials also warned that many facilities would need to gradually resume their operations , so visitors should check ahead of time to see what amenities are available .
Even in the county-operated parks that have reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playgrounds and picnic shelters remain off-limits .
As of Sunday , San Bernardino County health officials had reported 1,751 cases of coronavirus — up 19 from the day before .
There have been 82 confirmed coronavirus-linked deaths in the county .
Eighteen of the victims were residents at Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation , a skilled nursing facility in Yucaipa .
The county also recently unveiled an expanded COVID-19 dashboard offering additional data on demographics and testing numbers .
“ The potential to loosen strict stay-at-home requirements and begin re-opening our economy requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevant data , ” county Public Health Director Trudy Raymundo said in a statement .
In particular , compiling more complete information about testing will help the county “ gain a better understanding of who is being tested and where they are being tested , while enabling us to identify any gaps that need filling , ” she added .

San Bernardino County parks and recreation facilities — including Yucaipa Regional Park, above — have reopened in a limited capacity after officials lifted some coronavirus-related closures.
San Bernardino County residents returned to the great outdoors over the weekend after officials lifted some closures initiated to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
County parks, lakes, rivers and recreation areas — as well as parking lots — reopened Saturday after more than a month-long closure.
Private and city-owned parks, trails, lakes and golf courses also opened on a limited basis. Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Mojave River Forks Regional Park are still closed.
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Visitors still must cover their faces and keep their distance from others to help keep the coronavirus in check, county officials said.
“We have faith in our residents that they will respect the safe-distancing guidelines and demonstrate that keeping passive outdoor recreation open is possible as our state moves to ease restrictions,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman said in a statement. “However, if there is abuse of this new allowance, the board will have no choice but to re-close our outdoor destinations.”
It’s not quite back to business as usual, though. While many outdoor activities — such as boating, biking, hiking, tennis and horseback riding — are now OK, team sports, camping and outdoor gatherings remain a no-go.
“Put another way, members of one household engaging in open space is allowable, but two households means you have a gathering, which is not allowed,” county officials wrote in a message explaining the reopening rules.
Officials also warned that many facilities would need to gradually resume their operations, so visitors should check ahead of time to see what amenities are available. Even in the county-operated parks that have reopened, common-use fixtures such as restrooms, playgrounds and picnic shelters remain off-limits.
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California Do you know someone who has lost the battle with COVID-19? In our effort to cover this pandemic as thoroughly as possible, we’d like to hear from the loved ones of people who have died from the coronavirus.
As of Sunday, San Bernardino County health officials had reported 1,751 cases of coronavirus — up 19 from the day before.
There have been 82 confirmed coronavirus-linked deaths in the county. Eighteen of the victims were residents at Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility in Yucaipa.
The county also recently unveiled an expanded COVID-19 dashboard offering additional data on demographics and testing numbers.
“The potential to loosen strict stay-at-home requirements and begin re-opening our economy requires a robust ability to collect and analyze relevant data,” county Public Health Director Trudy Raymundo said in a statement.
In particular, compiling more complete information about testing will help the county “gain a better understanding of who is being tested and where they are being tested, while enabling us to identify any gaps that need filling,” she added.