latimes--2020-04-01--Photo gallery: Life in Southern California in the age of coronavirus

A man working out in his driveway because his gym in closed .
People lined up 75 deep waiting to @ @ @ @ @ Home Depot blocked off by shopping carts .
Near-empty parks , freeways and store shelves @ @ @ @ @ of the unusual new scenes across the Southland in the age of the coronavirus pandemic @

New normal?
Let’s hope not. But the lives of everybody in the state of California and across the globe have changed.
So has the landscape. Crowded freeways, busy shopping centers and packed restaurants have been replaced by empty streets, boarded-up stores and more dogs going on walks than ever before.
Following are some of the unusual scenes across the Southland in the age of the coronavirus outbreak.
This neighborhood gallery will be updated daily.
Armando Mendoza, 53, of Anaheim, celebrates with all his health-care professionals and his family after spending 45 days at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange. Mendoza was the hospital’s second-ever COVID-19 patient.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Majid Bradshaw, 33, makes his way down a walkway on a hot afternoon in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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A beachgoer walks along the shoreline in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
View of Mesquite Dunes, shutdown due to coronavirus at a closed Death Valley National Park, May 6, 2020. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Caroline Kousidonis, 52, of Venice, wears a protective mask while walking past a mural on Lincoln Blvd. in Venice. She is a producer for television commercials and said that her work has been reduced by over 90% because of the coronavirus. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Lee Bloom, 39, of Los Angeles and his son Evan, 7 wear protective masks against the coronavirus during a visit to Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Django, wearing a collar after a surgery, spent time looking for lizards while his “dad,” Jared Talla, relaxed on a grassy patch near the Silver Lake Recreation Center in Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Jesus Duenas of Riverside practices his slack lining while his brother Alfred Duenas, left, does strength exercises amongst the seclusion of palm trees in Fairmount Park during the coronavirus pandemic n Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
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A couple of characters from the LAX Aquarium and an employee at the Westin Los Angeles Airport watch a car caravan protest on Century Boulevard. The protesters were demanding healthcare coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Steve Christopher, right, reads a book in the shade of the pier as a beach-goer does flips across the beach on the last day of open beaches in Orange County. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Booka Bickar, 59, makes noise with a plastic horn outside a friend’s apartment on Lucile Ave. in Silver Lake, drawing attention to thank essential workers and all the people on the front lines against the coronavirus. Every night for about 5 minutes, starting at 8pm sharp, he and other people on the block and the surrounding area make noise thanking workers. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Marc Milkin, 62, of Silver Lake, uses a ladle and vegetable steamer to make noise as his partner Laura Almo, 54, uses her hand against a pot cover to do the same, thanking essential workers. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
A woman walks past a storefront church on Vermont Avenue. L.A. area churches have been closed since late March to help prevent the spread of cornonavirus. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Police Officer Nick Ferara, center, with Officer Dan Brown, right, gives Victoria Taboada a game for her 3-year-old daughter in San Pedro. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
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A soccer game at Albion Riverside Park in Lincoln Heights. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Shuttered storefronts and protective masks for sale in the Garment District in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Kim Lockett, 61, who is homeless on skid row in downtown Los Angeles, talks with Jenna Kennedy, a clinician from the People Concern. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A motorist’s statement in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers bang on the windows in a return of gratitude as they watch about 25 Orange County first responders parade by. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A man walks past a gas station in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A man relaxes next to caution tape at Griffith Observatory. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lt. Col. Sam Sachs, a World War II veteran, celebrates his 105th birthday with well-wishers at an assisted living facility in Lakewood. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
An empty 110 and 105 freeway interchange. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Downtown L.A. shines in the setting sun looking east from MacArthur Park. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Nurse anesthetist Nilu Patel quietly stands with fellow nurses at UC Irvine Medical Center for an hourlong candlelight vigil at their shift change. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patton Soole, 5, left, shares a friendly race with L..A County Sheriff’s Deputy Bridget Adams at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
John and Jamie Garcia of La Habra toast to Jamie’s birthday with a scenic view from the Beachcomber Inn. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Twin sisters Britta, left, and Haley Cameron and their dog Kiki get some sun in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Heading to Capistrano Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Denise Martinez of Costa Mesa prays in front of the closed Huntington Beach Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Russel and Kathleen Sion of Torrance, both 29, celebrate their marriage in Anaheim. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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A mural on Melrose Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An oil tanker off the coast of Long Beach. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Francisco Lorenzo prays in front of the closed doors of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A Starbucks employee in Covina writes inspiring messages on the store window during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A dinosaur seems to lurk over a jogger in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Alvarado Street in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Johnny Guerrero sells flowers at Novarose by Hilda, his parents’ shop on San Pedro Street in downtown L.A. Guerrero says while the other flower shops are closed, they stay open in hopes of more sales. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A blood drive at USC. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The marquee of Landmark’s Nuart Theatre. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A man stands on a balcony of an apartment building on Union Avenue in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
People walk past a mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Alisun Franson sells face masks from a stand in front of her business Amiga Wild in Venice. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Michelle Buben hands a sign to Peyton Buss celebrating his 8th birthday as fellow team members from his 2019 Conejo Valley Little League All-Star Baseball Team drive by his home in Thousand Oaks. “This is the best birthday party I’ve ever had!” Peyton said. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A restaurant worker completes a takeout order for a customer at a taco stand along Redondo Beach Boulevard in Hermosa Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Dusk settles on downtown Los Angeles and the snow-capped Mt. Baldy. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times.)
Truck traffic is light on the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A man walks past a shuttered car wash along Manchester Avenue in South L.A., where the sign serves as a reminder for what to do during the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Ebay Williams, right, with the H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation, gives a youngster and her family groceries at a low income government building in the Oakwood neighborhood in Venice.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
L.A. band Sure Sure, whose tour was canceled due to coronavirus, are instead “touring” the different rooms of the home all four members live in, selling virtual tickets and livestreaming stripped-down concerts on successive nights. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
In a quiet cul-de-sac on Emerson Street, neighbors gather to sing “Amazing Grace” on Easter during the coronavirus pandemic on April 12, 2020 in Riverside, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
A customer makes his way out of the Coffee Bean on Hollywood Blvd at Orange Dr. with a take out order. A sign taped to the front door informs customers that they won’t be served unless they wear protective face covering before entering. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Ansar “Stan” Muhammad, center, executive director of H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation, delivers food through a fence to the needy in the Oaklwood Neighborhood of Venice on April 9, 2020. Members with H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation deliver food and groceries to the needy, those who have lost their jobs and seniors who are sheltering in place in the neighborhood due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The shadow of a statue of Magic Johnson, left, and a statue of Kareem Abdul Jabbar are frozen in time at Staples Center, where the lights are off and events have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Rush hour on the 110 Freeway doesn’t look like it normally does, viewed from a bridge in Elysian Park on April 10. As the Southland enters the Easter holiday weekend, Los Angeles County health officials warned the region needs to increase social distancing to slow the coronavirus spread. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Aerial views of the Venice Beach skatepark where a handful of skaters defy the City’s closure order. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Pascacio DaVinci, 65, uses two campers as housing and storage for his artwork. He has been a street vendor in South L.A. for more than 20 years, and is fatalistic about the coronavirus pandemic. “If it’s my time to die, it’s my time to die,” he said. “Mask or no mask, it won’t matter.” (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Anthony Calderon, 22, of Echo Park, David Escalante, 19, of Koreatown, Yun Park, 21, of Koreatown, and Antoine Montero, 19, of Los Feliz, eat food from Guisados on the trunk of a car in the Elysian Park neighborhood April 10 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Stephanie Reyes, 16, sells masks to a traveler on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Wanda DeSelle, 76, died of COVID-19 on April 3 in Madera, Calif., where she worked in a medical office. Her family and friends had to attend her funeral from a distance.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Masks were also offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Groceries donated by Sadie Chen, left, receive a blessing at the Dhammakaya Temple-Peace Point Meditation Center in Azusa on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A patient is moved from the Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riverside County, which has seen dozens of COVID-19 infections. Many staff members failed to show up for work two days in a row. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles police stop people from using the skate park at Venice Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Alexander Martinez watches the sunset from the 1st Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A mural on Broadway in South Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Billy Gross and girlfriend Kristina Sorensen check out a new mural with a timely suggestion on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Tien Vu and Dan Mancini, both 30, take part in a demonstration in Boyle Heights on Wednesday calling for rent forgiveness for the month of April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Justice Allah cleans up at Harun Coffee on Degnan Boulevard in South Los Angeles. Harun Coffee has paused food and coffee sales and is selling cloth masks lined with coffee filters. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Passengers wear masks on a Metro train in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Aspiring break dancer Bobby Estrada practices along Los Angeles Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Robert Hennie, 51, an independent filmmaker, sets up a makeshift gym in the closed-off children’s playground at De Portola Park in Torrance on Thursday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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A man dressed as Superman advertises face masks along Washington Boulevard in Marina del Rey on Saturday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Signs of encouragement and praise for healthcare workers battling the coronavirus dot the route to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks on March 31. Trevor Quirk, a Ventura attorney who had run for office, made them with leftover campaign signs and the “help of a few good friends.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside practices a dance routine at home after her dance classes and school were canceled. She had to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard. My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio,” Carter said. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Young friends play a spirited game of basketball in Azusa despite posted warnings about the coronavirus. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A man in a Metro tunnel in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Pedro Bermudez offers cleaning supplies and toilet paper for sale in Boyle Heights. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
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Sebastian Bachman, with his dog, Chuck Norris, passes time March 25 by playing ukulele in Claremont’s Larkin Park. Bachman, on spring break from school in Portland, Ore., is stuck at home here because of the coronavirus outbreak. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Margaret Jones, center, waves from her room at an assisted living facility in Redondo Beach as she celebrates her 91st birthday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Stowe family in Riverside dresses in role-reversal prom attire after a nephew’s prom was canceled because of the coronavirus. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Nilou Zonozi walks her French bulldogs, Ruby, left, and Hansel at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A child plays in the Golden Hills neighborhood of Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Dylan Orland, 14, fields ground balls hit by his dad, Michael, at Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Recreation Park in Sherman Oaks.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Gary St. Germain plays guitar at dusk in front of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in North Hollywood. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Father Joe O’Neill livestreams Palm Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena. While the church remains closed, O’Neill says it has more than 10,000 visitors online. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A healthcare worker tends to a patient at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A nearly empty street in downtown Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Dusk falls in a deserted downtown Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Gary Lindley, 68, who is homeless, lies on a cot at a Long Beach shelter. “I’d like to get back on my feet, to get off these streets for good,” Lindley said. The shelter opened Thursday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Beaches were ordered closed in Long Beach to prevent people from breaking social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, do their part to cheer people up during the pandemic by holding signs of encouragement on Calabasas Road in Calabasas. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
A Metro general service employee disinfects high-touch areas such as handrails, elevator call buttons and ticket vending machines at the Mariachi Plaza station in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A woman named Sarah, who said tigers are her favorite, let out a growl while waiting for a bus on Hawthorne Boulevard in Lawndale. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Traffic is light at the interchange of the 101 and 10 Freeways in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Osiel Ramirez plays violin at MacArthur Park in Westlake. A warehouse worker, Ramirez was furloughed from his job because of a business slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Time)
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Mike Lynn takes advantage of the empty playground at Longfellow Elementary School in Long Beach on March 25. Like public schools, his gym has been closed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
An Angeleno sells flowers on a 105 Freeway offramp in Inglewood on Monday. Many residents have no choice but to make close contact with the public to get by financially during the coronavirus outbreak. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
A bicyclist rides past a mural by street artist Robert Vargas in downtown Los Angeles on March 30. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Crystal Armster, left, dances with Athena Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, on March 26. The group continues to feed homeless people on skid row during the coronavirus pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-04-01--Column One: Here's what coronavirus testing for a very sick patient looks like from swab to result

The patient was at risk .
A fever somewhere above 101 .
Hypoxia , shortness of breath .
And two critical check marks for risk : advanced age and a compromised immune system .
In the eyes of the medical staff , the cause could be bacterial , but odds were that a virus had found its way to the most receptive cells and hijacked their RNA .
One became two , two became thousands , filling the lungs .
The patient , who had just arrived in the emergency department of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months since the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 appeared on the world ’ s stage , few modern illnesses have proved to be as contagious .
Since the first case — a viral pneumonia reported in China on Dec. 8 — was reported , the nearly 575,000 cases and nearly 26,500 deaths in 201 countries .
For an illness with no vaccine and limited treatment , testing and isolation are the best methods for stopping the spread , and even though the virus ’ genome was sequenced within a month of that first case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lagged , hindered by cumbersome bureaucracies , shortages and antiquated practices .
For Omai Garner , who directs clinical microbiology testing for UCLA Health , laboratories like his are central for ending this pandemic .
Their protocol , initially developed in the 1980s , has been on the front line of viral diagnostic testing for almost two decades .
Of the viruses that Garner has encountered , the coronavirus is one of the most sinister , a Trojan horse disguising itself in symptoms of the flu .
The next few weeks are critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate picture of where we are in this outbreak : “ What you will hear from most healthcare professionals is we have no idea.
” He is skeptical of a new test , fast-tracked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and coming on the market next week , that promises greater convenience and faster results .
Neither he nor his colleagues , he said , have been able to compare its results with their own .
“ We need to do a lot more inquiry before we know how effective it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it is not based on the established standard for infectious disease diagnoses.
” In a series of phone interviews last week , Garner shared details about the testing protocol that his laboratory followed in its analysis of one possible COVID-19 case .
The mood that afternoon — just days after the city and county began shutting down nonessential activities — was calm yet wary .
The number of walk-ins had dropped ; the ambulance bay was quiet .
An eerie sense of idleness had set in .
Treating this patient was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administering sodium chloride and ordering battery of exams .
But the medical staff couldn ’ t help but wonder what lay ahead of them .
They knew about Italy , the triage in those hospitals , and they were hearing of a flood of patients swamping hospitals in New York .
The door to the treatment room slid open and closed .
Distant voices grew loud , then soft again .
A nurse in blue scrubs , face shield , mask and gloves held a plastic bag .
With an easy tug , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and test tube filled with a pink-tinged solution were placed on a sterile tray .
The same collection kit is used for the scores of pathogens — influenza , gonorrhea , whooping cough — that need identification for treatment .
The patient lay alone ; new policy prohibited visitors .
The nurse explained the procedure , then guided the bristly swab — a lance-like Q-tip — through a nostril , farther and farther , until it reached the back of the throat near the adenoids where viruses often take hold amid the warm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient , trying to breathe through a gauze of congestion .
Eyes welled with tears .
The nurse extracted the swab — covered with a film of mucus , rich with the cells of the patient and a possible virus — and placed it into the accompanying test tube .
The gooey extraction loosened amid a solution of salt , carbohydrates and antibiotics designed to preserve the viability of the virus for the hours ahead .
A white label covered the tube , identifying the specimen with a series of numbers beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag , it flew by pneumatic tube to the basement , where it was placed in cooler bag , stored at 40 degrees to deter bacteria and fungus from growing .
Garner , 41 , always knew he would be a virologist .
Growing up near Milwaukee , he was drawn to the worlds under a microscope , but not until the 1995 movie “ Outbreak ” did he see his future .
“ To a young African American teenager , the idea that Cuba Gooding Jr. was in this movie playing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ebola and fighting it , well , I was hooked , ” he said .
“ I wanted to be the one fighting the apocalypse.
” Years later , his understanding of viruses grew more nuanced .
Less a scourge of humanity , they had a simple beauty : adaptable to their environment , flexible in their evolution and vital to the human species .
“ If you look at the human genome , large segments of our DNA come from viruses , ” he said .
“ We are human because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Garner stopped by the lab .
Long hours during the week — typically 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. — meant shorter hours on the weekend .
Standing in his office on the fourth floor before heading downstairs to the lab , he glanced out the window toward the Getty Center and the Santa Monica Mountains .
Here we are in the midst of an unprecedented crisis , a threat to so many people , he thought , the look of the sky doesn ’ t change .
Outside , a van drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s second floor receiving area .
The building on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood is undistinguished .
In better times , a restaurant on the ground level serves Italian .
The van ’ s rear doors swung open .
A medical courier carried four soft cooler bags containing 200 specimens into the lab .
Just three months ago , Garner first heard of a “ mystery virus , ” an “ unknown infection , ” spreading in China , but he didn ’ t give it a second thought .
Viral outbreaks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new one didn ’ t raise any immediate alarms .
At the time he was focused more on his wife and their first child , born Jan. 5 .
But a week later his phone rang .
A lab colleague , Shangxin Yang , was concerned .
He knew people near the city of Wuhan .
“ This is going to be bad , ” Yang said .
Garner marked the date — Jan. 15 — when he first heard the phrase “ novel coronavirus ” and put two assistant directors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UCLA Medical Center had long been the first stop for sick travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport , and the airport at the time was one of three in the country screening for the virus .
He wanted to develop testing in his laboratory and not depend on others .
He had the machinery , mothballed for research , that he could dust off , and he worried that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not be able to accommodate the number of cases that he expected to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tested in Atlanta , a slow and cumbersome process .
Then there was a shortage of collection kits , and when the FDA finally allowed other laboratories to do their own testing , only a few had the compatible equipment ( and most of that was manufactured in Germany and China ) .
Garner was also concerned that the CDC criteria for screening were too narrow .
“ South Korea was having active cases , ” he said , “ but if someone traveled from South Korea and had the right symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The clincher , though , was the test itself .
“ The CDC designed a beautiful test , ” Garner said , “ but it was a little over-elegant.
” Its flaw , he explained , was in requiring the presence of three viral genomic markers for a positive result .
When health agencies around the country began running trials in late January , they found only two of the markers .
This defect led the CDC to revise and eventually drop one of the markers .
Two would be enough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critical time had been lost .
“ When trying to get ahead of the curve of the outbreak , we were already well behind , ” Garner said .
“ It is unfortunate what happened .
We lost six to eight weeks for widespread testing.
” Within two hours of the patient arriving at the emergency room , the specimen inside No .
20SA-83 had reached Garner ’ s lab , and Carlos Azucena , a clinical laboratory scientist , started the protocol .
He guided his gloved hands under the glass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a soft seal of ventilated air designed to keep pathogens from escaping into the room .
Working slowly , he made sure the air barrier remained intact .
He placed No .
20SA-83 on a vortex spinner .
The pinkish solution whirled and churned .
He transferred it from the test tube into a small vial and lowered it into a Styrofoam rack .
He soon had eight prepared specimens .
A small black disc , no larger than a CD , lay in front of him .
It had eight pie-shaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He opened a flap over one of the compartments , revealing two shallow wells .
Using the calibrated pipette , he drew out 50 microliters — just a drop — from No .
20SA-83 and released it into one well .
He turned to another set of vials , containing a reagent , the enzymes and chemical markers specially designed to reveal the presence of the coronavirus .
He drew out a drop and placed it in the other well .
After filling the eight compartments and closing their flaps , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inserted it into a thermocycler , a hooded gray machine just slightly larger than a pressure cooker .
Azucena closed the lid , and the disc began spinning , reaching nearly 1,600 rpm .
The temperature inside rose to more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit .
For 90 minutes , these two extremes pitted specimen with reagent in a modulated sequence known as a polymerase chain reaction .
The film of mucus , once covering the tip of the swab and containing the patient ’ s cells , began to break apart .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA , awash with the enzymes and chemical markers that would target the coronavirus , and , if present , emit an impulse of light as it bonded , a brief and measurable florescence .
“ In its beauty , it is hard to understand the impact of the PCR [ polymerase chain reaction ] , ” Garner said .
“ It is like the Rosetta stone , showing us how to read the information inside a cell.
” As the thermocycler completed the test , Azucena reviewed the results .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily report from the laboratory .
In the previous 24 hours , his team had conducted 150 tests ; a week before , just 30 tests .
The increase was unprecedented , but he trusted the methodology .
The company that formulated the reagent was headquartered near Milan , and the outbreak in northern Italy guaranteed experience with the virus .
His eyes paused on No .
20SA-83 .
By then , he guessed , the patient was in isolation in the hospital .
The attending physician , who received this news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could have begun antiviral treatments .
The hospital could screen its healthcare workers and provide its infectious disease specialists with another data point in charting the progression of the virus in the community .
Since ramping up testing , his laboratory had found that 10 % of the tests among people with moderate to severe illness were positive .
The rise or fall of this number is the best indication whether social isolation is slowing the spread .
“ This is the canary in the coal mine for how bad things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only wishes more laboratories had this capability .
“ Everyone should be doing this , ” he said .

UCLA clinical lab scientist Mikkiel Cheng checks the time left on a thermocycler, part of the testing protocol. The device helps in determining whether a swab sample contains the novel coronavirus.
The patient was at risk.
A fever somewhere above 101. Hypoxia, shortness of breath. And two critical check marks for risk: advanced age and a compromised immune system.
For the record: A photo caption with a previous version of this article identified Mikkiel Cheng as a UCLA clinical lab technician. Cheng’s title is clinical lab scientist.
In the eyes of the medical staff, the cause could be bacterial, but odds were that a virus had found its way to the most receptive cells and hijacked their RNA. One became two, two became thousands, filling the lungs.
Another ILI, an influenza-like illness.
The patient, who had just arrived in the emergency department of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, had to be treated.
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But treatment required precaution, and precaution required testing.
UCLA’s clinical laboratory ramped up to test for the coronavirus by using machinery that was designed for research but had been sitting idle. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Three months since the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 appeared on the world’s stage, few modern illnesses have proved to be as contagious.
Since the first case — a viral pneumonia reported in China on Dec. 8 — was reported, the World Health Organization has recorded nearly 575,000 cases and nearly 26,500 deaths in 201 countries.
For an illness with no vaccine and limited treatment, testing and isolation are the best methods for stopping the spread, and even though the virus’ genome was sequenced within a month of that first case, testing in the United States has lagged, hindered by cumbersome bureaucracies, shortages and antiquated practices.
For Omai Garner, who directs clinical microbiology testing for UCLA Health, laboratories like his are central for ending this pandemic. Their protocol, initially developed in the 1980s, has been on the front line of viral diagnostic testing for almost two decades.
Of the viruses that Garner has encountered, the coronavirus is one of the most sinister, a Trojan horse disguising itself in symptoms of the flu.
Advertisement
The next few weeks are critical, he said, to get an accurate picture of where we are in this outbreak: “What you will hear from most healthcare professionals is we have no idea.”
He is skeptical of a new test, fast-tracked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and coming on the market next week, that promises greater convenience and faster results. Neither he nor his colleagues, he said, have been able to compare its results with their own.
Omai Garner, who directs clinical microbiology testing for UCLA Health, says the 1995 film “Outbreak” helped inspire him in his career path. “I wanted to be the one fighting the apocalypse,” he says. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
“We need to do a lot more inquiry before we know how effective it will be,” he said, “because it is not based on the established standard for infectious disease diagnoses.”
In a series of phone interviews last week, Garner shared details about the testing protocol that his laboratory followed in its analysis of one possible COVID-19 case.
::
The emergency room moved quickly.
The mood that afternoon — just days after the city and county began shutting down nonessential activities — was calm yet wary. The number of walk-ins had dropped; the ambulance bay was quiet. An eerie sense of idleness had set in.
Treating this patient was a trained reflex of isolating, monitoring, administering sodium chloride and ordering battery of exams.
But the medical staff couldn’t help but wonder what lay ahead of them. They knew about Italy, the triage in those hospitals, and they were hearing of a flood of patients swamping hospitals in New York.
The door to the treatment room slid open and closed. Distant voices grew loud, then soft again.
A nurse in blue scrubs, face shield, mask and gloves held a plastic bag. With an easy tug, the seam tore open.
A swab and test tube filled with a pink-tinged solution were placed on a sterile tray. The same collection kit is used for the scores of pathogens — influenza, gonorrhea, whooping cough — that need identification for treatment.
The patient lay alone; new policy prohibited visitors.
The nurse explained the procedure, then guided the bristly swab — a lance-like Q-tip — through a nostril, farther and farther, until it reached the back of the throat near the adenoids where viruses often take hold amid the warm and moist tissue.
Pain shot through the patient, trying to breathe through a gauze of congestion. Eyes welled with tears.
UCLA’s clinical lab facilities have been on the front line of viral diagnostic testing for years. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The nurse extracted the swab — covered with a film of mucus, rich with the cells of the patient and a possible virus — and placed it into the accompanying test tube.
The gooey extraction loosened amid a solution of salt, carbohydrates and antibiotics designed to preserve the viability of the virus for the hours ahead.
A white label covered the tube, identifying the specimen with a series of numbers beginning with 20SA-83.
Placed in a biohazard bag, it flew by pneumatic tube to the basement, where it was placed in cooler bag, stored at 40 degrees to deter bacteria and fungus from growing.
Garner’s laboratory was a mile away.
::
Garner, 41, always knew he would be a virologist. Growing up near Milwaukee, he was drawn to the worlds under a microscope, but not until the 1995 movie “Outbreak” did he see his future.
“To a young African American teenager, the idea that Cuba Gooding Jr. was in this movie playing a hero in a suit, studying the Ebola and fighting it, well, I was hooked,” he said. “I wanted to be the one fighting the apocalypse.”
Years later, his understanding of viruses grew more nuanced. Less a scourge of humanity, they had a simple beauty: adaptable to their environment, flexible in their evolution and vital to the human species.
“If you look at the human genome, large segments of our DNA come from viruses,” he said. “We are human because of our interactions with viruses.”
That afternoon, Garner stopped by the lab. Long hours during the week — typically 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. — meant shorter hours on the weekend.
“If you look at the human genome, large segments of our DNA come from viruses,” Omai Garner said. “We are human because of our interactions with viruses.” (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Standing in his office on the fourth floor before heading downstairs to the lab, he glanced out the window toward the Getty Center and the Santa Monica Mountains. Here we are in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, a threat to so many people, he thought, the look of the sky doesn’t change.
Outside, a van drove up the driveway to the lab’s second floor receiving area. The building on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood is undistinguished. In better times, a restaurant on the ground level serves Italian.
The van’s rear doors swung open. A medical courier carried four soft cooler bags containing 200 specimens into the lab.
Just three months ago, Garner first heard of a “mystery virus,” an “unknown infection,” spreading in China, but he didn’t give it a second thought. Viral outbreaks from unidentified pathogens happen all the time; a new one didn’t raise any immediate alarms.
At the time he was focused more on his wife and their first child, born Jan. 5.
But a week later his phone rang. A lab colleague, Shangxin Yang, was concerned. He knew people near the city of Wuhan.
“This is going to be bad,” Yang said.
::
Garner marked the date — Jan. 15 — when he first heard the phrase “novel coronavirus” and put two assistant directors and his senior specialists to work.
The UCLA Medical Center had long been the first stop for sick travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, and the airport at the time was one of three in the country screening for the virus.
He wanted to develop testing in his laboratory and not depend on others. He had the machinery, mothballed for research, that he could dust off, and he worried that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not be able to accommodate the number of cases that he expected to see.
The CDC was requiring collection kits be tested in Atlanta, a slow and cumbersome process. Then there was a shortage of collection kits, and when the FDA finally allowed other laboratories to do their own testing, only a few had the compatible equipment (and most of that was manufactured in Germany and China).
Garner was also concerned that the CDC criteria for screening were too narrow. “South Korea was having active cases,” he said, “but if someone traveled from South Korea and had the right symptoms, they didn’t get tested.”
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
The clincher, though, was the test itself.
“The CDC designed a beautiful test,” Garner said, “but it was a little over-elegant.”
Its flaw, he explained, was in requiring the presence of three viral genomic markers for a positive result. When health agencies around the country began running trials in late January, they found only two of the markers.
This defect led the CDC to revise and eventually drop one of the markers. Two would be enough, but by then it was Feb. 28. Critical time had been lost.
“When trying to get ahead of the curve of the outbreak, we were already well behind,” Garner said. “It is unfortunate what happened. We lost six to eight weeks for widespread testing.”
::
Within two hours of the patient arriving at the emergency room, the specimen inside No. 20SA-83 had reached Garner’s lab, and Carlos Azucena, a clinical laboratory scientist, started the protocol.
He guided his gloved hands under the glass partition of a bio-safety cabinet, slipping through a soft seal of ventilated air designed to keep pathogens from escaping into the room. Working slowly, he made sure the air barrier remained intact.
He placed No. 20SA-83 on a vortex spinner. The pinkish solution whirled and churned. He transferred it from the test tube into a small vial and lowered it into a Styrofoam rack. He soon had eight prepared specimens.
A small black disc, no larger than a CD, lay in front of him. It had eight pie-shaped compartments and looked like a fortune wheel. He opened a flap over one of the compartments, revealing two shallow wells.
Using the calibrated pipette, he drew out 50 microliters — just a drop — from No. 20SA-83 and released it into one well.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
He turned to another set of vials, containing a reagent, the enzymes and chemical markers specially designed to reveal the presence of the coronavirus. He drew out a drop and placed it in the other well.
After filling the eight compartments and closing their flaps, he removed the disc from the cabinet and inserted it into a thermocycler, a hooded gray machine just slightly larger than a pressure cooker.
Azucena closed the lid, and the disc began spinning, reaching nearly 1,600 rpm. The temperature inside rose to more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
For 90 minutes, these two extremes pitted specimen with reagent in a modulated sequence known as a polymerase chain reaction. The film of mucus, once covering the tip of the swab and containing the patient’s cells, began to break apart.
Their RNA converted into a single strand of DNA, awash with the enzymes and chemical markers that would target the coronavirus, and, if present, emit an impulse of light as it bonded, a brief and measurable florescence.
“In its beauty, it is hard to understand the impact of the PCR [polymerase chain reaction],” Garner said. “It is like the Rosetta stone, showing us how to read the information inside a cell.”
As the thermocycler completed the test, Azucena reviewed the results.
::
The next day at 7 a.m., Garner opened the daily report from the laboratory. In the previous 24 hours, his team had conducted 150 tests; a week before, just 30 tests. The increase was unprecedented, but he trusted the methodology.
The company that formulated the reagent was headquartered near Milan, and the outbreak in northern Italy guaranteed experience with the virus.
His eyes paused on No. 20SA-83.
Another positive.
By then, he guessed, the patient was in isolation in the hospital. The attending physician, who received this news within minutes of Azucena’s review, could have begun antiviral treatments.
The hospital could screen its healthcare workers and provide its infectious disease specialists with another data point in charting the progression of the virus in the community.
Since ramping up testing, his laboratory had found that 10% of the tests among people with moderate to severe illness were positive. The rise or fall of this number is the best indication whether social isolation is slowing the spread.
“This is the canary in the coal mine for how bad things are getting,” he said.
He only wishes more laboratories had this capability.
“Everyone should be doing this,” he said.


latimes--2020-04-01--L.A. could be barred from seizing and destroying homeless people's items based on size

Los Angeles could be barred from seizing and tossing out items belonging to homeless people based on an object ’ s size if a federal judge follows through on a tentative decision issued Tuesday .
The preliminary ruling by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer would prohibit Los Angeles from enforcing a city law that bans people from keeping larger items — those that can not fit into a 60-gallon container — on sidewalks and other public property .
But the city could still confiscate such belongings in “ a number of circumstances , including when items are unattended , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and safety , ” Fischer wrote .
Fischer wrote that a central question in the case is whether the city “ can seize or destroy items because they are of a particular size.
” “ The answer to that question is no , ” she wrote .
The judge also said that homeless advocates are likely to succeed on their claim that the rule violates the Fourth Amendment prohibiting illegal seizures .
Attorney Shayla Myers , who is representing the plaintiffs , declined to comment because the ruling is not final .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group Ktown for All , one of the plaintiffs , said the group is “ pleased by this ruling , ” but declined to elaborate .
The federal lawsuit , filed by several plaintiffs including homeless individuals and Ktown for All , argued that the city rules and their enforcement are unconstitutional .
They included numerous examples of confiscated items in their filings , including carts , a dog kennel , and a foam cushion and pallets to sleep on .
Ktown for All and the other plaintiffs asserted that city workers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless people a process to challenge their actions .
The provision targets “ an incredibly vulnerable population : Homeless people who have no options but to live in tents and makeshift encampments throughout Los Angeles , and who often rely on these ‘ bulky items ’ to survive on the street , ” the plaintiffs wrote in a motion seeking to stop enforcement of the rule .
City attorneys countered in a legal filing that the ban on bulky items is “ a crucial component in the city ’ s duties to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by all , ” one made “ all the more compelling today in the face of the health risks arising from the spread of the coronavirus.
” The right of the public “ to use sidewalks for purposes other than storage can not be ignored , ” they added .
“ It is entirely reasonable to limit the size of items that a person can store in a finite public space.
” In the tentative ruling , Fischer said that the city ’ s seizure and immediate destruction of bulky items is unreasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities lacks “ any procedural safeguards.
” The preliminary ruling would also bar the city from enforcing another provision that bans people from resisting or obstructing city employees who remove or discard items that violate city restrictions on items stored in public areas .
City Councilman Joe Buscaino , who represents a district stretching from Watts to San Pedro , said he was outraged by the tentative ruling .
If finalized , he said , the ruling would force the city to spend money storing furniture , pallets , exercise equipment and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buscaino argued that the law being targeted by Ktown for All already allows homeless Angelenos to store a “ reasonable amount of stuff ” — blankets , toiletries and other objects that can fit inside a 60-gallon bin .
“ We ’ re going to see an unlimited amount of personal property being stored on our sidewalks , ” he said .
The tentative ruling would not bar the city from enforcing other parts of the municipal code that restrict items left on public property , including items that threaten public health or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on sidewalks .
The city still has a chance to object to the tentative decision before the judge issues a final ruling .

Los Angeles could be barred from seizing and tossing out items belonging to homeless people based on an object’s size if a federal judge follows through on a tentative decision issued Tuesday.
The preliminary ruling by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer would prohibit Los Angeles from enforcing a city law that bans people from keeping larger items — those that cannot fit into a 60-gallon container — on sidewalks and other public property.
But the city could still confiscate such belongings in “a number of circumstances, including when items are unattended, blocking the sidewalk or a threat to health and safety,” Fischer wrote.
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Fischer wrote that a central question in the case is whether the city “can seize or destroy items because they are of a particular size.”
“The answer to that question is no,” she wrote.
The judge also said that homeless advocates are likely to succeed on their claim that the rule violates the 4th Amendment, which prohibits illegal seizures.
Attorney Shayla Myers, who is representing the plaintiffs, declined to comment because the ruling is not final. A co-founder of the outreach and advocacy group Ktown for All, one of the plaintiffs, said the group is “pleased by this ruling,” but declined to elaborate.
The federal lawsuit, filed by several plaintiffs including homeless individuals and Ktown for All, argued that the city rules and their enforcement are unconstitutional. They included numerous examples of confiscated items in their filings, including carts, a dog kennel, and a foam cushion and pallets to sleep on.
Ktown for All and the other plaintiffs asserted that city workers were seizing and destroying such possessions without giving homeless people a process to challenge their actions.
The provision targets “an incredibly vulnerable population: Homeless people who have no options but to live in tents and makeshift encampments throughout Los Angeles, and who often rely on these ‘bulky items’ to survive on the street,” the plaintiffs wrote in a motion seeking to stop enforcement of the rule.
City attorneys countered in a legal filing that the ban on bulky items is “a crucial component in the city’s duties to keep public spaces clean, safe and usable by all,” one made “all the more compelling today in the face of the health risks arising from the spread of the coronavirus.”
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The right of the public “to use sidewalks for purposes other than storage cannot be ignored,” they added. “It is entirely reasonable to limit the size of items that a person can store in a finite public space.”
In the tentative ruling, Fischer said that the city’s seizure and immediate destruction of bulky items is unreasonable and that the city rule allowing such activities lacks “any procedural safeguards.”
The preliminary ruling would also bar the city from enforcing another provision that bans people from resisting or obstructing city employees who remove or discard items that violate city restrictions on items stored in public areas.
City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents a district stretching from Watts to San Pedro, said he was outraged by the tentative ruling. If finalized, he said, the ruling would force the city to spend money storing furniture, pallets, exercise equipment and other oversized objects found at homeless encampments.
Buscaino argued that the law being targeted by Ktown for All already allows homeless Angelenos to store a “reasonable amount of stuff” — blankets, toiletries and other objects that can fit inside a 60-gallon bin.
“We’re going to see an unlimited amount of personal property being stored on our sidewalks,” he said.
The tentative ruling would not bar the city from enforcing other parts of the municipal code that restrict items left on public property, including items that threaten public health or block wheelchairs from being able to pass on sidewalks. The city still has a chance to object to the tentative decision before the judge issues a final ruling.


latimes--2020-04-01--After a dry winter, the outlook calls for a wet start to April in all of California

An extended forecast for California shows an above-normal probability of precipitation during the week of April 6-10 , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’ s Climate Prediction Center .
After a disappointingly dry winter that has left most of the state with below-normal precipitation , that ’ s good news , although it would take a lot of rain and snow to make up for the shortfall .
“ This is a decent storm system , ” said senior meteorologist Todd Hall with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
“ It ’ s cold with potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above-average probability of precipitation continues into Easter week , and the extended outlook also calls for below-normal temperatures during the period .
April isn ’ t one of the big three wettest months in California — those are January , February and March — and downtown Los Angeles normally gets less than an inch .
But Hall says this storm could drop a half-inch on downtown Los Angeles .
The effects of the dry winter are evident in many of California ’ s reporting stations .
San Diego is a bright spot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The normal by March 30 is 9.33 , so that puts San Diego at 106 % of normal .
A few other locations in Southern California are also above normal : Thermal has 175 % , having received 5.42 inches to date when its normal is 3.09 .
Needles stands at 165 % of normal , with 7.03 inches — 2.76 inches more than normal .
Lancaster , with 1.58 inches more than normal , is at 123 % of normal to date .
A few other spots in the Southland are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s pretty much where the good news ends .
Northern California , which got some relief in March , still is far behind normal .
Sacramento and San Francisco are at 48 % and 49 % of normal to date , respectively .
In other words , both have received lass than half of the rainfall they would normally receive .
The Sierra Nevada reporting stations are all hovering around half of normal — with the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index at 56 % of normal .
This is an area where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservoirs .
The state ’ s reservoirs are generally in good shape , but continuation of long-term drought doesn ’ t bode well for the future , especially the fire season .
Even Crescent City , which is normally extremely wet with 53.9 inches of rain from July 1 to March 30 , is at 68 % of normal , having received only 36.9 inches to date .
Normal for the full season ending June 30 is 64.03 inches .
So while any rainfall is welcome and beneficial , it is unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California .

An extended forecast for California shows an above-normal probability of precipitation during the week of April 6-10, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
After a disappointingly dry winter that has left most of the state with below-normal precipitation, that’s good news, although it would take a lot of rain and snow to make up for the shortfall.
“This is a decent storm system,” said senior meteorologist Todd Hall with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It’s cold with potential for snow in the Sierra.”
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The above-average probability of precipitation continues into Easter week, and the extended outlook also calls for below-normal temperatures during the period.
April isn’t one of the big three wettest months in California — those are January, February and March — and downtown Los Angeles normally gets less than an inch. But Hall says this storm could drop a half-inch on downtown Los Angeles.
Precipitation throughout most of the state is below normal. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The effects of the dry winter are evident in many of California’s reporting stations. San Diego is a bright spot, having received 9.87 inches since July 1. The normal by March 30 is 9.33, so that puts San Diego at 106% of normal. A few other locations in Southern California are also above normal: Thermal has 175%, having received 5.42 inches to date when its normal is 3.09. Needles stands at 165% of normal, with 7.03 inches — 2.76 inches more than normal. Lancaster, with 1.58 inches more than normal, is at 123% of normal to date. A few other spots in the Southland are near or slightly above normal, but that’s pretty much where the good news ends.
Northern California, which got some relief in March, still is far behind normal. Sacramento and San Francisco are at 48% and 49% of normal to date, respectively. In other words, both have received lass than half of the rainfall they would normally receive. The Sierra Nevada reporting stations are all hovering around half of normal — with the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index at 56% of normal. This is an area where watersheds supply the state’s biggest reservoirs.
The state’s reservoirs are generally in good shape, but continuation of long-term drought doesn’t bode well for the future, especially the fire season.
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Even Crescent City, which is normally extremely wet with 53.9 inches of rain from July 1 to March 30, is at 68% of normal, having received only 36.9 inches to date. Normal for the full season ending June 30 is 64.03 inches.
So while any rainfall is welcome and beneficial, it is unlikely to relieve drought conditions, especially in Northern California.


latimes--2020-03-31--The state's new delta water rules don't end conflict with Washington

When the Trump administration rolled back endangered species protections in the Bay Area delta that serves as the hub of California ’ s water-supply system , the state decided to go its own way .
It sued the federal government and also set about drafting its own delta rules under the California Endangered Species Act .
The new rules , released Tuesday , were immediately greeted by threats of lawsuits and — depending on who was talking — complaints that the regulations were too weak or too strong .
“ I think we have a big mess on our hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California , which supplies delta water to the urban Southland .
The rules take the form of a state Fish and Wildlife Department permit that will govern State Water Project deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta , a key water source for much of California .
But the permit does not explicitly control operations of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ’ s Central Valley Project , which exports delta water to San Joaquin Valley farms .
That means the delta ’ s two big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different environmental standards — possibly allowing the federal project to boost deliveries at the expense of the state project .
State officials said they are hoping to resolve the conflict through continuing talks with federal water managers .
“ I think it ’ s possible to sort it out , ” said state fish and wildlife director Chuck Bonham .
In the meantime , Kightlinger and other State Water Project customers will be talking to their lawyers .
“ The state has shifted a lot of the burdens to us that we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Kightlinger , whose agency had urged the state to go along with the federal rollback , set in motion by a Trump directive .
The relaxation of federal fish protections promised to send more water to Southern California .
But it particularly benefited the Westlands Water District , a sprawling San Joaquin Valley irrigation agency that was a client of Interior Sec .
David Bernhardt when he worked as a Washington lawyer-lobbyist .
State officials protested the federal action , saying it went too far and was not scientifically justified .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensitive to water users ’ complaints that delta fish protections have been too onerous .
The new state permit is “ not as bad as the Trump extinction plan , ” said Doug Obegi , an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council .
“ But it weakens existing protections at a time when we need more protections ” for imperiled native fish .
He added that conservation groups , which have sued to block the Trump rollback , will also likely sue to overturn the state permit .
Formed by the confluence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivers , the delta is a perpetual environmental battle ground .
Little is left of wetland and flood plain habitat that was drained and turned into levee-ringed farm islands more than a century ago .
The massive water export operations that fill river-sized aqueducts are so powerful that they reverse natural channel flows in the delta ’ s southern reaches .
Invasive aquatic species are more at home in the delta ’ s highly altered environment than the once abundant delta smelt and Chinook salmon .
State biologists have repeatedly said that struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the delta and out to sea .
The staff of the State Water Resources Control Board previously said the proposed state rules would reduce delta outflows at critical times of the year .
Karla Nemeth , director of the Department of Water Resources , said on average , the State Water Project ’ s delta exports would not increase under the new permit .
The regulations also call for certain outflows to boost the survival of longfin smelt and juvenile delta smelt , Bonham said .
“ I ’ m confident that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board , ” Nemeth said .

A boat cruises down the Delta Cross Channel between the Sacramento River and Snodgrass Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a perpetual environmental battleground.
When the Trump administration rolled back endangered species protections in the Bay Area delta that serves as the hub of California’s water-supply system, the state decided to go its own way.
It sued the federal government and also set about drafting its own delta rules under the California Endangered Species Act.
The new rules, released at the end of March, were immediately greeted by threats of lawsuits and — depending on who was talking — complaints that the regulations were too weak or too strong.
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“I think we have a big mess on our hands now,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies delta water to the urban Southland.
The rules take the form of a state Fish and Wildlife Department permit that will govern State Water Project deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a key water source for much of California.
But the permit does not explicitly control operations of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project, which exports delta water to San Joaquin Valley farms.
That means the delta’s two big government pumping operations will likely adhere to different environmental standards — possibly allowing the federal project to boost deliveries at the expense of the state project.
State officials said they are hoping to resolve the conflict through continuing talks with federal water managers.
“I think it’s possible to sort it out,” said state fish and wildlife director Chuck Bonham.
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Climate & Environment Westlands Water District gets permanent U.S. contract for massive irrigation deliveries The Interior Department on Friday awarded Westlands Water District, a former client of Secretary David Bernhardt, a permanent entitlement to roughly twice as much water as the city of Los Angeles uses in a year.
In the meantime, Kightlinger and other State Water Project customers will be talking to their lawyers.
“The state has shifted a lot of the burdens to us that we don’t think are appropriate,” said Kightlinger, whose agency had urged the state to go along with the federal rollback, set in motion by a Trump directive.
The relaxation of federal fish protections promised to send more water to Southern California. But it particularly benefited the Westlands Water District, a sprawling San Joaquin Valley irrigation agency that was a client of Interior Sec. David Bernhardt when he worked as a Washington lawyer-lobbyist.
State officials protested the federal action, saying it went too far and was not scientifically justified.
But Gov. Gavin Newsom has also been sensitive to water users’ complaints that delta fish protections have been too onerous.
The new state permit is “not as bad as the Trump extinction plan,” said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “But it weakens existing protections at a time when we need more protections” for imperiled native fish.
He added that conservation groups, which have sued to block the Trump rollback, will also likely sue to overturn the state permit.
Formed by the confluence of the state’s two largest rivers, the delta is a perpetual environmental battle ground.
Little is left of wetland and flood plain habitat that was drained and turned into levee-ringed farm islands more than a century ago. The massive water export operations that fill river-sized aqueducts are so powerful that they reverse natural channel flows in the delta’s southern reaches.
Invasive aquatic species are more at home in the delta’s highly altered environment than the once abundant delta smelt and Chinook salmon.
State biologists have repeatedly said that struggling delta ecosystems need more fresh water flowing into the delta and out to sea. The staff of the State Water Resources Control Board previously said the proposed state rules would reduce delta outflows at critical times of the year.
Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources, said on average, the State Water Project’s delta exports would not increase under the new permit.
The regulations also call for certain outflows to boost the survival of longfin smelt and juvenile delta smelt, Bonham said.
“I’m confident that we have addressed issues raised by the board,” Nemeth said.


latimes--2020-03-31--Audit says L.A. took 'reasonable' steps to prevent unfairness in cannabis licensing

A newly released audit found that although some cannabis entrepreneurs got into Los Angeles ’ application system ahead of time , the city took “ reasonable and appropriate ” steps to prevent them from having any unfair advantage .
An L.A. official is recommending , in light of those findings , that the Department of Cannabis Regulation press forward with processing and awarding licenses for new retailers , which had been suspended last year amid concerns about fairness .
Auditors found that the department “ conducted the process in good faith and found no evidence of bias or unfairness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a summary of the report , concluding that the department should be directed to “ commence the necessary work ” to continue the licensing process .
The Department of Cannabis Regulation did not immediately provide comment Tuesday .
The audit and its findings met with sharply mixed reactions from cannabis applicants and advocates , some of whom want the city to press forward with licensing , others who want the city to overhaul or reopen the process .
The audit , called for last year by Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutinized the hotly contested process to snap up a limited number of new licenses for pot shops in Los Angeles .
Hundreds of cannabis entrepreneurs rushed to turn in their applications in September , but only 100 licenses were expected to be awarded through a first-come first-served process that hinged heavily on who submitted their applications fastest .
Mere seconds made the difference in whether someone had a shot at a coveted license .
When marijuana entrepreneurs discovered that some applicants had gotten into the application system before its official launch time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process had been tainted .
Furious applicants packed meetings at City Hall .
The Department of Cannabis Regulation said it had “ normalized ” the early applications — pushing them back in line to where they would have been if they were started at 10 a.m. — to prevent them from having an unfair edge .
The audit found that was a “ reasonable and appropriate ” approach to fixing the problem .
It wasn ’ t the only way to do so : Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting found that if the department had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applicants signed onto the online system , as opposed to when they actually started the application , nearly a dozen applicants who ended up disappointed might have had a shot at licenses .
However , “ we did not find alternative methods to be more reasonable or more appropriate than the adopted approach , ” auditors said .
Nor is it clear that those 11 applicants would have ultimately gotten a license , since their applications had not been vetted fully , the report noted .
The auditors did fault the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about when people could sign onto the online system , which they needed to do before beginning their applications .
In some cases , the department told applicants that they couldn ’ t sign on until 10 a.m. , which wasn ’ t accurate — and that might have put some applicants at a disadvantage because they waited while others logged on earlier , auditors found .
All in all , 226 applicants accessed the platform before 10 a.m. , although only 14 started their applications ahead of that time .
The process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusing and prone to human error , ” the auditors found .
But they nonetheless concluded that the “ normalization process effectively negated any benefits for all 14 applicants that accessed the application before 10:00 AM.
” Kika Keith , an applicant in the “ social equity ” program that aims to assist entrepreneurs from communities hit hardest by the war on drugs , questioned how auditors could conclude the process was fair to people who waited until 10 a.m. to log on , saying it insulted their intelligence to say there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Every training , video , informational bulletin precisely indicated a 10 a.m. start time !
” said Keith , founder of Life Development Group , concluding , “ This is a grave injustice that requires intervention from the courts.
” Another group that represents cannabis applicants who are now poised to get licenses said it welcomed the results .
“ We ’ re excited about it and looking forward to moving this process forward , ” said Johnny Sayegh , another social equity applicant and founder of the Cannabis Equity Retailer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only the latest round of licensing for marijuana businesses in Los Angeles .
The city has already granted approval to some existing shops and their suppliers .
But it was the first shot at opening a new shop for local entrepreneurs , who had complained about the financial strain they suffered as they waited on the city process .
Another round of applications for new retailers is expected to follow .
Attorney Ariel Clark , who has some clients who are poised to get licenses and others who are not , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problems .
“ We ’ re happy that this will allow the licensing process to move forward — or at least the discussion to proceed , ” Clark said .
“ I think it will help hone in on certain issues .
Maybe next time we should do a lottery .
”

A newly released audit found that although some cannabis entrepreneurs got into Los Angeles’ application system ahead of time, the city took “reasonable and appropriate” steps to prevent them from having any unfair advantage.
An L.A. official is recommending, in light of those findings, that the Department of Cannabis Regulation press forward with processing and awarding licenses for new retailers, which had been suspended last year amid concerns about fairness.
Auditors found that the department “conducted the process in good faith and found no evidence of bias or unfairness,” City Administrative Officer Richard Llewellyn wrote in a summary of the report, concluding that the department should be directed to “commence the necessary work” to continue the licensing process.
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The Department of Cannabis Regulation said it was preparing recommendations on how to process such applications, aiming to make “reasonable and practical reforms” to its procedures and “establish a more equitable path forward.”
Although the audit found the process was “fair and reasonable, it still remains true that the process itself, and the overall and underlying policy, can be improved,” department head Cat Packer said in a statement.
The audit and its findings met with sharply mixed reactions from cannabis applicants and advocates, some of whom want the city to press forward with licensing, others who want the city to overhaul or reopen the process.
The audit, called for last year by Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials and conducted by Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, scrutinized the hotly contested process to snap up a limited number of new licenses for pot shops in Los Angeles.
Hundreds of cannabis entrepreneurs rushed to turn in their applications in September, but only 100 licenses were expected to be awarded through a first-come, first-served process that hinged heavily on who submitted their applications fastest. Mere seconds made the difference in whether someone had a shot at a coveted license.
When marijuana entrepreneurs discovered that some applicants had gotten into the application system before its official launch time of 10 a.m., they argued that the process had been tainted. Furious applicants packed meetings at City Hall.
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The Department of Cannabis Regulation said it had “normalized” the early applications — pushing them back in line to where they would have been if they were started at 10 a.m. — to prevent them from having an unfair edge.
The audit found that was a “reasonable and appropriate” approach to fixing the problem.
Cannabis Regulation Audit Audit of Cannabis Licensing by Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting
It wasn’t the only way to do so: Sjoberg Evashenk found that if the department had adjusted the application order based on when applicants signed onto the online system, as opposed to when they actually started the application, nearly a dozen applicants who ended up disappointed might have had a shot at licenses.
However, “we did not find alternative methods to be more reasonable or more appropriate than the adopted approach,” the auditors said. Nor is it clear that those 11 applicants would have ultimately gotten a license, since their applications had not been vetted fully, the report noted.
The auditors did fault the Department of Cannabis Regulation for “imprecise messaging” about when people could sign onto the online system, which they needed to do before beginning their applications.
In some cases, the department told applicants that they couldn’t sign on until 10 a.m., which wasn’t accurate — and that might have put some applicants at a disadvantage because they waited while others logged on earlier, auditors found. All total, 226 applicants accessed the platform before 10 a.m., although only 14 started their applications ahead of that time.
The process for rolling out the application was “confusing and prone to human error,” the auditors found. But they nonetheless concluded that the “normalization process effectively negated any benefits for all 14 applicants that accessed the application before 10:00 AM.”
Kika Keith, an applicant in the “social equity” program that aims to assist entrepreneurs from communities hit hardest by the war on drugs, questioned how auditors could conclude the process was fair to people who waited until 10 a.m. to log on, saying it insulted their intelligence to say there was any “misperception” on their part.
“Every training, video, informational bulletin precisely indicated a 10 a.m. start time!” said Keith, founder of Life Development Group, concluding, “This is a grave injustice that requires intervention from the courts.”
The audit may have found that the process wasn’t corrupt, “but it clearly was unfair,” said Adam Spiker of the cannabis industry group Southern California Coalition. People who logged onto the system before 10 a.m. had “a clear and distinct head start and advantage over the rest who didn’t know they could log in early.”
Another group that represents cannabis applicants who are now poised to get licenses said it welcomed the results. “We’re excited about it and looking forward to moving this process forward,” said Johnny Sayegh, another social equity applicant and founder of the Cannabis Equity Retailer Association.
The bitterly contested process is only the latest round of licensing for marijuana businesses in Los Angeles.
The city has already granted approval to some existing shops and their suppliers. But it was the first shot at opening a new shop for local entrepreneurs, who had complained about the financial strain they suffered as they waited on the city process.
Another round of applications for new retailers is expected to follow. Attorney Ariel Clark, who has some clients who are poised to get licenses and others who are not, said she hoped that the city had learned from the problems.
“We’re happy that this will allow the licensing process to move forward — or at least the discussion to proceed,” Clark said. “I think it will help hone in on certain issues. Maybe next time we should do a lottery.”


latimes--2020-03-31--Seven patients were an early sign the coronavirus was on the loose in L.A. County

In late February , doctors around Los Angeles County began seeing an unexpected rise in the number of patients with mild , flu-like illnesses .
The timing was definitely odd .
Hospital emergency departments had already dealt with two “ spikes ” in flu cases .
The number of patients with flu symptoms had been falling , from a little more than 100 cases per 1,000 patients at the beginning of the month to around 65 cases per 1,000 a few weeks later .
The number of lab tests that came back positive for influenza was dropping too .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign that the novel coronavirus from China was on the loose in the Southland .
Health workers tested 131 of these patients who came to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center between March 12 and March 16 .
Seven of them were infected with SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 .
These seven patients were relatively young , ranging in age from 34 to 44 .
None of them had recently traveled to China or another coronavirus hotspot , nor had they been in contact with anyone who had .
Importantly , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have stayed home .
“ These patients had sufficiently mild illness to be active in the community throughout their illness , increasing the possibility of transmission , ” researchers reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn .
Indeed , the seven patients — four women and three men — didn ’ t seem to be all that sick .
Six of them had a fever when they were in the hospital emergency department , five said they were in pain , and one had a cough .
None of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for respiratory syncytial virus , which causes cold symptoms .
In a way , that wasn ’ t a surprise — L.A. County hadn ’ t experienced a “ third spike ” in flu cases during the four previous flu seasons either .
Looking back now , the study authors probably wish these seven patients had had the flu .
The authors of the report , from the hospital and the county health department , acknowledged that their findings were limited by the fact that testing occurred for only a few days at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they wrote , “ the 5 % rate of SARS-CoV-2 among patients with mild infuenza-like illness without risk factors is concerning.
” Though 5 % may not sound like much , “ these results suggested that containment efforts were unlikely to succeed and helped inform the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to adopt a more aggressive mitigation strategy to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality .
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Over a few days in mid-March, 5% of patients who came to the L.A. County-USC Medical Center emergency department with mild flu-like symptoms tested positive for the new coronavirus.
In late February, doctors around Los Angeles County began seeing an unexpected rise in the number of patients with mild, flu-like illnesses.
The timing was definitely odd. Hospital emergency departments had already dealt with two “spikes” in flu cases. The number of patients with flu symptoms had been falling, from a little more than 100 cases per 1,000 patients at the beginning of the month to around 65 cases per 1,000 a few weeks later. The number of lab tests that came back positive for influenza was dropping too.
Now health officials think it was an early sign that the novel coronavirus from China was on the loose in the Southland.
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Health workers tested 131 of these patients who came to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center between March 12 and March 16. Seven of them were infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
These seven patients were relatively young, ranging in age from 34 to 44. None of them had recently traveled to China or another coronavirus hotspot, nor had they been in contact with anyone who had.
Importantly, they weren’t so sick that they would have stayed home.
California Social distancing may have helped California slow the virus and avoid New York’s fate The coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in the Bay Area and Seattle, but so far at a rate slower than in the country’s other hot spots such as New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Louisiana.
“These patients had sufficiently mild illness to be active in the community throughout their illness, increasing the possibility of transmission,” researchers reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
Indeed, the seven patients — four women and three men — didn’t seem to be all that sick. Six of them had a fever when they were in the hospital emergency department, five said they were in pain, and one had a cough.
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None of the patients tested positive for influenza or for respiratory syncytial virus, which causes cold symptoms. In a way, that wasn’t a surprise — L.A. County hadn’t experienced a “third spike” in flu cases during the four previous flu seasons either.
Looking back now, the study authors probably wish these seven patients had had the flu.
The authors of the report, from the hospital and the county health department, acknowledged that their findings were limited by the fact that testing occurred for only a few days at only one medical center.
Still, they wrote, “the 5% rate of SARS-CoV-2 among patients with mild infuenza-like illness without risk factors is concerning.”
Though 5% may not sound like much, “these results suggested that containment efforts were unlikely to succeed and helped inform the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to adopt a more aggressive mitigation strategy to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.”


latimes--2020-03-31--Coronavirus strikes skid row as Union Rescue Mission reports first confirmed case

In the first confirmed case on skid row , an employee of the Union Rescue Mission has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is being treated at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center .
The Rev .
Andy Bales , chief executive of the Union Rescue Mission , said 95 residents and several employees have been quarantined on the mission ’ s third floor , which houses a live-in recovery program and is where the unnamed employee lives .
“ We put the entire third floor in isolation , delivering meals in full protective gear , hoping they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Bales said .
Bales said the L.A. County Public Health Department is working in the mission ’ s courtyard monitoring anyone else who may have been infected .
The employee ’ s recent contacts also are being tracked down .
“ Everybody that who came in contact with him has been put in quarantine , ” Bales said .
“ We gave a map to the Department of Public Health on his whereabouts for the last few days he was working .
They know where he ’ s been .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people.
” Bales said Tuesday night that the man was still on a ventilator but had shown some improvement .
Carl Kemp , a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , said two people in particular who had close contact with the hospitalized employee are now in isolation .
County health officials are checking other employees and homeless clients at the mission for symptoms at least once a day and are working on transferring others to other sites .
Public health experts fear that an outbreak among the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as many are elderly and have preexisting health conditions and weakened immune systems from living outdoors in encampments , putting them at particular risk for developing severe COVID-19 .
The crowded and cramped conditions of skid row have been especially concerning , given the challenge of those who live there to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus .
Union Rescue Mission , a privately funded provider of homeless services , occupies a five-story building in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street , in the heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family shelters , as well as a transitional program in which enrollees pay a portion of their way .
Bales said the employee who tested positive had not had much contact with the portion of the mission where homeless people typically come and go from the streets during the day .
“ Every floor is kind of an island to itself , except for elevators , ” he said .
The employee , who previously was homeless , graduated from the mission ’ s recovery program , the Christian Life Discipleship Program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to live there .
Bales said the employee first complained of not feeling well on Friday and went to urgent care .
On Saturday , he got worse and , according to Bales , said , “ I ’ m very tired , and I ’ m off.
” He then checked into an emergency room and was quickly transferred into intensive care .
The employee was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday afternoon , Bales said .
Asked about the confirmed case on skid row , Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus has the potential to “ spread like wildfire ” through skid row .
“ We can ’ t have too much help , ” he said during his daily briefing on the spread of the virus .
Garcetti said he told county officials on Monday that he ’ d like to see a focus on renting hotel rooms downtown so homeless people will have a place to go that is not far away from skid row in order to isolate or quarantine .
He also said testing for the virus has begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run out of sources for getting more hand-washing equipment for the public , he said , but was trying to acquire more portable toilets .
Mike Arnold , chief executive of one of skid row ’ s other large shelter providers , the Midnight Mission , said he had heard about a confirmed case at the Union Rescue Mission and that it was a great cause for concern .
“ We ’ re on skid row .
It ’ s a hard place to recover in the best of times , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nearly 2,600 homeless people in the Los Angeles area alone will need to be hospitalized for COVID-19 ; about 900 of them will require intensive care ; and more then 400 could die .
That could have a ripple effect on hospitals already sounding the alarm about a shortage of resources , including ventilators and beds , as the coronavirus cases continue to surge .
Arnold said there are no confirmed cases at Midnight Mission yet .
“ Since the outbreak , we have clamped down with our infection control , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks , we have been screening for temperature and cough or shortness of breath with all of our residents and staff.
” Before the coronavirus pandemic , clients of the Midnight Mission ’ s recovery program could leave for medical appointments , work and a few other specified reasons .
Now they are restricted from leaving with the exception of medical appointments and work .
Arnold said he worries about the virus coming to his mission and having a “ horrible outcome on a very frail and fragile population.
” Arnold , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services Authority , said not enough is being done to get the city ’ s most vulnerable population out of congregated living spaces and into isolated settings where they ’ re more likely to survive this outbreak .
“ I ’ m concerned that there doesn ’ t seem to be a plan to take people who are particularly vulnerable , who are already in shelters , and get them to a safer place , ” he said .
Herb Smith , CEO of the L.A. Mission on skid row , echoed those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to see a confirmed case .
One person is in quarantine , though , and he expects the test to be negative .
Lorena Sanchez , director of communications for the Downtown Women ’ s Center , also said no cases had been confirmed among the shelter ’ s employees or homeless clients .

In the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on skid row, an employee of the Union Rescue Mission has tested positive.
In the first confirmed case on skid row, an employee of the Union Rescue Mission has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is being treated at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center.
The Rev. Andy Bales, chief executive of the Union Rescue Mission, said 95 residents and several employees have been quarantined on the mission’s third floor, which houses a live-in recovery program and is where the unnamed employee lives.
“We put the entire third floor in isolation, delivering meals in full protective gear, hoping they don’t come down with symptoms,” Bales said.
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Bales said the L.A. County Public Health Department is working in the mission’s courtyard monitoring anyone else who may have been infected. The employee’s recent contacts also are being tracked down.
“Everybody that who came in contact with him has been put in quarantine,” Bales said. “We gave a map to the Department of Public Health on his whereabouts for the last few days he was working. They know where he’s been. Most places weren’t highly occupied with people.”
Bales said Tuesday night that the man was still on a ventilator but had shown some improvement.
Carl Kemp, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said two people in particular who had close contact with the hospitalized employee are now in isolation. County health officials are checking other employees and homeless clients at the mission for symptoms at least once a day and are working on transferring others to other sites.
Public health experts fear that an outbreak among the city’s homeless population could be devastating, as many are elderly and have preexisting health conditions and weakened immune systems from living outdoors in encampments, putting them at particular risk for developing severe COVID-19.
Advertisement
The crowded and cramped conditions of skid row have been especially concerning, given the challenge of those who live there to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.
Union Rescue Mission, a privately funded provider of homeless services, occupies a five-story building in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street, in the heart of skid row. It operates individual and family shelters, as well as a transitional program in which enrollees pay a portion of their way.
Bales said the employee who tested positive had not had much contact with the portion of the mission where homeless people typically come and go from the streets during the day.
“Every floor is kind of an island to itself, except for elevators,” he said.
The employee, who previously was homeless, graduated from the mission’s recovery program, the Christian Life Discipleship Program, and was hired by the mission and continues to live there.
Bales said the employee first complained of not feeling well on Friday and went to urgent care.
On Saturday, he got worse and, according to Bales, said, “I’m very tired, and I’m off.” He then checked into an emergency room and was quickly transferred into intensive care.
The employee was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday afternoon, Bales said.
Asked about the confirmed case on skid row, Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was “absolutely worried,” because the coronavirus has the potential to “spread like wildfire” through skid row.
“We can’t have too much help,” he said during his daily briefing on the spread of the virus.
Garcetti said he told county officials on Monday that he’d like to see a focus on renting hotel rooms downtown so homeless people will have a place to go that is not far away from skid row in order to isolate or quarantine. He also said testing for the virus has begun on skid row.
The city has run out of sources for getting more hand-washing equipment for the public, he said, but was trying to acquire more portable toilets.
Mike Arnold, chief executive of one of skid row’s other large shelter providers, the Midnight Mission, said he had heard about a confirmed case at the Union Rescue Mission and that it was a great cause for concern.
“We’re on skid row. It’s a hard place to recover in the best of times,” he said.
A recently released study estimated that nearly 2,600 homeless people in the Los Angeles area alone will need to be hospitalized for COVID-19; about 900 of them will require intensive care; and more then 400 could die. That could have a ripple effect on hospitals already sounding the alarm about a shortage of resources, including ventilators and beds, as the coronavirus cases continue to surge.
Arnold said there are no confirmed cases at Midnight Mission yet.
“Since the outbreak, we have clamped down with our infection control,” Arnold said. “For the last two weeks, we have been screening for temperature and cough or shortness of breath with all of our residents and staff.”
Before the coronavirus pandemic, clients of the Midnight Mission’s recovery program could leave for medical appointments, work and a few other specified reasons. Now they are restricted from leaving with the exception of medical appointments and work.
Arnold said he worries about the virus coming to his mission and having a “horrible outcome on a very frail and fragile population.”
Arnold, who previously ran the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, said not enough is being done to get the city’s most vulnerable population out of congregated living spaces and into isolated settings where they’re more likely to survive this outbreak.
“I’m concerned that there doesn’t seem to be a plan to take people who are particularly vulnerable, who are already in shelters, and get them to a safer place,” he said.
Herb Smith, CEO of the L.A. Mission on skid row, echoed those concerns but added that his shelter has yet to see a confirmed case. One person is in quarantine, though, and he expects the test to be negative.
Lorena Sanchez, director of communications for the Downtown Women’s Center, also said no cases had been confirmed among the shelter’s employees or homeless clients.
Melanie Mason contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-31--Wear face covering when grocery shopping, Riverside County says in coronavirus warning

In a new recommendation , Riverside County health officials urged residents to cover their noses and mouths when out in public .
Officials made the recommendation Tuesday , covering such essential tasks as grocery shopping and medical visits .
“ The face coverings do not have to be hospital grade but need to cover the nose and mouth .
For example , bandanas , fabric masks and neck gaiters are acceptable .
Fabric covers and bandanas can be washed and used again , ” the county said in a statement .
Up to now , federal officials have urged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s advice is unequivocal : Healthy people who do not work in the healthcare sector and are not taking care of an infected person at home do not need to wear masks .
“ Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers , ” the government agency says .
But in recent weeks , there has been more talk from experts that masks and other face coverings can help .
“ When the situation changes , the rulebook changes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officer , said in a statement .
“ We ’ re seeing our numbers increasing even sooner than we predicted and that means our strategy must change too .
Covering your face doesn ’ t change the orders everyone must abide by to stay home as much as possible and maintain social distancing , but it ’ s an extra layer of protection that I think we need to add.
” As coronavirus cases jumped to nearly 300 over the weekend in Riverside County , officials have announced plans to open a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday , the county reported 291 positive cases , a nearly 60-person increase from the previous day , records show .
Virus-related deaths increased by one over the weekend , bringing the county ’ s total to nine .
The drive-through testing site will be stationed at Harvest Christian Fellowship church , 6115 Arlington Ave. , in Riverside .
In order to receive a COVID-19 test , residents must show symptoms , such as fever or a sore throat , and call ( 800 ) 945-6171 to schedule an appointment .
Operators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have an appointment .
Those who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus — by another person who has tested positive — may also be tested at the site , county officials said .
The Coachella Valley testing site in Indian Wells , which had been in operation since March 17 , was relocated to the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio on Tuesday , county officials said .
The testing site will be housed at the same location as the federal medical station , county board chair and Fourth District Supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place in the parking lots 5 and 5A near Arabia Street , between Highway 111 and Dr. Carreon Boulevard .

In a new recommendation, Riverside County health officials urged residents to cover their noses and mouths when out in public.
Officials made the recommendation Tuesday, covering such essential tasks as grocery shopping and medical visits.
“The face coverings do not have to be hospital grade but need to cover the nose and mouth. For example, bandanas, fabric masks and neck gaiters are acceptable. Fabric covers and bandanas can be washed and used again,” the county said in a statement.
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Up to now, federal officials have urged the healthy not to wear masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice is unequivocal: Healthy people who do not work in the healthcare sector and are not taking care of an infected person at home do not need to wear masks .
“Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers,” the government agency says.
But in recent weeks, there has been more talk from experts that masks and other face coverings can help.
“When the situation changes, the rulebook changes,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer, said in a statement. “We’re seeing our numbers increasing even sooner than we predicted and that means our strategy must change too. Covering your face doesn’t change the orders everyone must abide by to stay home as much as possible and maintain social distancing, but it’s an extra layer of protection that I think we need to add.”
As coronavirus cases jumped to nearly 300 over the weekend in Riverside County, officials have announced plans to open a third drive-through testing site on Wednesday.
On Monday, the county reported 291 positive cases, a nearly 60-person increase from the previous day, records show. Virus-related deaths increased by one over the weekend, bringing the county’s total to nine.
The drive-through testing site will be stationed at Harvest Christian Fellowship church, 6115 Arlington Ave., in Riverside. In order to receive a COVID-19 test, residents must show symptoms, such as fever or a sore throat, and call (800) 945-6171 to schedule an appointment. Operators will assess if residents meet the criteria to have an appointment. Those who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus — by another person who has tested positive — may also be tested at the site, county officials said.
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