latimes--2020-03-04--California declares state of emergency over coronavirus after report of first death

Hours after California announced its first death related to the novel coronavirus , Gov .
Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the spreading illness , which has struck 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people .
Placer County public health officials announced that a patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico last month died .
The individual was an elderly adult with underlying health conditions and was the county ’ s second confirmed case of COVID-19 , reported Tuesday night .
Officials said close contacts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the illness .
The person ’ s likely exposure occurred during travel on a Princess cruise ship that departed Feb. 10 from San Francisco and sailed to Mexico , returning Feb. 21 , officials said .
The patient tested positive Tuesday and had been placed in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center .
The person probably had minimal community exposure between returning from the cruise and arriving at the hospital by ambulance Thursday , health officials said .
Ten Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers and five emergency responders , who were exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are now in quarantine .
None of those 15 workers is exhibiting symptoms , officials said .
It ’ s possible that other cruise passengers may have been exposed , officials said .
Placer County Public Health is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and contact other cruise passengers .
“ We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient , ” Placer County health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said .
“ While we have expected more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milestone in our efforts to fight this disease , and one that we never wanted to see .
“ While most cases of COVID-19 exhibit mild or moderate symptoms , this tragic death underscores the urgent need for us to take extra steps to protect residents who are particularly vulnerable to developing more serious illness , including elderly persons and those with underlying health conditions.
” Sisson said the resident first developed symptoms while on the cruise and continued to show symptoms while traveling through the Port of San Francisco .
The individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital Thursday , then tested for COVID-19 on Sunday .
The results returned positive Tuesday , and the patient died Wednesday morning , Sisson said .
Placer County has six pending tests for COVID-19 , and Sisson said she expects to see cases of community transmission soon .
“ I urge Placer County residents to be vigilant and to take steps to protect themselves , ” Sisson said .
“ Wash your hands .
Wash your hands .
Wash your hands… .
We are not at the point where I would consider canceling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing measures , but we do want the public to prepare for that possibility.
” Sisson recommended that residents have two weeks of supplies on hand in case they are asked to quarantine .
Rocklin Fire Chief Bill Hack said emergency responders are wearing protective masks and goggles when responding to 911 calls until it is clear whether a person has respiratory symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 .
Three of the five emergency responders who have been quarantined related to the Placer County death are Rocklin city firefighters .
“ They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become symptomatic they know what to look for and they know what steps to take , ” Hack said .
“ They ’ re in good spirits at this point.
” Placer County is requesting that any other individuals who were on the Princess cruise to Mexico self-quarantine .
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the CDC that it is investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed on the Grand Princess Mexican voyage .
The company said 62 guests on that voyage remained onboard for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abundance of caution , these guests and other possible close crew contacts have been asked to remain in their staterooms until screened by the ship ’ s medical team .
That cruise has been cut short and will return to San Francisco .
Newsom addressed the death shortly after the announcement .
“ Jennifer and I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this death in Placer County , ” he said in a statement .
“ The state is working with federal officials to follow up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been exposed to provide treatment and protect public health .
“ This case demonstrates the need for continued local , state and federal partnership to identify and slow the spread of this virus .
California is working around the clock to keep our communities safe , healthy and informed.
” Newsom previously requested that the Legislature make $ 20 million available for the state to respond to the coronavirus and announced the California Department of Public Health is dipping into its reserves of millions of N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fights .
The governor also said Tuesday that his administration is working to help address concerns about high medical bills for coronavirus testing .
“ We hope to have something concrete in the next number of hours — at the latest [ Wednesday ] — to address that anxiety , ” he said .
“ People should feel confident in their ability to get tested without getting a huge bill on the back end , and that ’ s the one area , when it comes to the issue of money right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on.
” Los Angeles County , meanwhile , declared a health emergency Wednesday as the number of coronavirus cases in the county increased to seven , including six new patients .
None of the new cases are believed to be “ community spread , '' officials said .
All individuals were exposed to COVID-19 through close contacts with others who were infected .
The additional cases were confirmed Tuesday night .
Officials said three of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy , two were family members who had close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county who was infected , and one had a job that put them in contact with travelers .
One patient has been hospitalized , and the others are isolated at home .
Additionally , the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach are declaring public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus .
There are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in either city .
The county ’ s move comes as the government has increased testing , which officials have warned will result in the identification of a significant number of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California jurisdictions to take health-emergency action , which is designed to better marshal resources from across government agencies and give the fight against the virus more focus .
“ I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic , ” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news briefing .
“ We need every tool at our disposal.
” Supervisor Hilda Solis acknowledged the ongoing spread of misinformation about the virus and xenophobia toward Asian communities .
“ There ’ s been too much misinformation spreading around , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected , it ’ s cultivating fears and leading to racial profiling.
” Los Angeles County will increase its capacity for testing of the virus at its public health laboratory .
Officials will begin daily radio briefings for the public , post new guidelines for schools and colleges , and over the next week will send “ technical assistance teams ” to make site visits to temporary housing facilities including homeless shelters .
Officials urged the public to frequently wash their hands , opt for verbal salutations in place of hugs and handshakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six feet from strangers .
“ We have to be prepared .
We have to protect the well-being of our loved ones and our neighbors , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said .
Officials said they had tested more than two dozen people for COVID-19 before these recent test results came back positive and reiterated that there had been no sign of community spread in the county .
“ I want to reassure everyone — we are not there today , ” L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China and surrounding countries at Los Angeles International Airport is among the new cases that have tested positive for coronavirus in L.A. County , according to two sources familiar with the report .
The screener , who is attached to the CDC , last worked Feb. 21 at LAX and , after developing potential symptoms , alerted medical professionals and authorities .
The person was formally identified Tuesday as having the COVID-19 virus and so far has a mild case and is isolated at home .
Family members of the person have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sources .
So far , nothing has been done to change intake at the airport .
Sources say the person was wearing protective clothing during the screening process .
Marin County health officials Tuesday declared a local health emergency despite there being no cases of coronavirus reported among county residents .
San Francisco , which has no reported cases , and Orange County , which has three cases , declared health emergencies last week .
The move comes amid more sobering news about the spread of the virus in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that more cases are on the horizon .
“ I want them to be prepared for the reality that they , there are going to be more cases in the community , ” said Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the CDC .
“ But I want them to continue their daily lives .
I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.
” The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 3.4 % , with more than 3,000 fatalities .
The death rate so far is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu , which is 0.1 % .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease , and no one has built up an immunity to it .
Still , he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus .
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by people who are infected yet don ’ t have symptoms .
That doesn ’ t seem to be the case for COVID-19 , he said .
“ There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics … which is why we must do everything we can to contain it , ” Tedros said .
Earlier reports had pointed to a mortality rate of about 2 % for COVID-19 .
Experts say they suspect all analyses so far have overestimated the disease ’ s fatality rate because milder cases are largely not being diagnosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease causes only mild illness , experts say .
More than 50 people in California have the virus , with new cases reported in Berkeley and Santa Clara , Placer and Orange counties .
Kaiser Permanente announced late Tuesday it was treating a patient in Los Angeles .
The city of Berkeley said its case involved an individual who visited a country with an outbreak .
That person has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning .
“ While the risk of infection remains low , the expanded presence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality we should all prepare for , ” said Berkeley ’ s public health officer , Dr. Lisa Hernandez .
“ There are steps that all of us in the community can take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.
” In Orange County , two cases are pending confirmation from the CDC .
The cases involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s who had both recently traveled to countries with widespread transmission , according to the Orange County Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three more cases of coronavirus Wednesday , bringing the total count there to 14 — the highest number of cases in the sate .
One is a man who ’ s currently hospitalized .
The source of his exposure to the virus is currently under investigation .
Two other men are close contacts of an existing case .
California is also speeding up testing of possible coronavirus patients .
This more aggressive testing , Newsom said , “ may lead to a more rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rate of infection is increasing , but that our ability to test more people more rapidly is leading to better detection.
” Dr. Mike Ryan , who runs WHO ‘ s emergencies program , pushed back against officials who wanted to “ wave the white flag ” and surrender to the disease ’ s hold .
China took drastic steps to fight the virus , he said , and case numbers are now on the decline there .
Countries such as China and South Korea “ implemented very , very strong measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own societies , ” Ryan said .
“ It ’ s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said there remained many unknowns about the virus , including the degree to which people who do not express symptoms can transmit it to others .
He said doctors know that it happens but have not yet gauged the extent , a key piece of data that will help determine decisions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Chinese data are believed to be accurate and that the spread of the virus there is slowing thanks to “ draconian ” methods that would never occur in the United States , including stringent travel and public gathering restrictions .
“ They have taken social distancing to its furthest extreme , ” he said .
Times staff writers Noah Bierman , Rong-Gong Lin II , Hannah Fry , Taryn Luna , Phil Willon , Richard Winton and Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report .

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man died after falling ill with the virus while on a cruise ship.
Officials are trying to locate hundreds of other Californians who disembarked from the Grand Princess ship in San Francisco last month after a trip to Mexico. Officials want to determine whether they also might have contracted the virus.
That same ship, after a subsequent trip to Hawaii, canceled its stop in Baja California and was scheduled to return early to San Francisco on Wednesday, but it was being held off the coast so public health officials could screen everyone onboard, the governor said.
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Some passengers on the vessel — both current and those exposed earlier — told The Times the response by the company and health officials has been filled with missteps. In particular, passengers interviewed by the Times said the company, Princess Cruises, was lax on health screening protocols prior to boarding and withheld information about the risks they faced, even as the ship’s condition became international news.
The virus has now been reported in 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people.
Newsom said he felt confident that the state could prevent the virus from being spread by passengers of the cruise who already had returned to California.
“We have the resources,” Newsom said. “We have the capacity. By this evening, we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise. They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.”
Newsom said his emergency declaration is intended to help California prepare for and contain the spread of the coronavirus by allowing state agencies to more easily procure equipment and services, share information on patients and alleviate restrictions on the use of state-owned properties and facilities.
“This proclamation, I want to point out, is not about money,” Newsom said of the emergency declaration. “It’s about resourcefulness. It’s about our ability to add tools to the tool kit.”
Placer County public health officials announced that patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico last month died. The individual, later identified as a 71-year-old Rocklin resident, had underlying health conditions and was the county’s second confirmed case of COVID-19, reported Tuesday night. Officials said close contacts of the patient were being quarantined and monitored for the illness.
The person’s likely exposure occurred during travel on a Princess Cruises ship that departed Feb. 10 from San Francisco and sailed to Mexico, returning Feb. 21, officials said.
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The patient tested positive Tuesday and had been placed in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center.
The person probably had minimal community exposure between returning from the cruise and arriving at the hospital by ambulance Thursday, health officials said. Ten Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers and five emergency responders, who were exposed before the patient was put in isolation, are now in quarantine.
None of those 15 workers is exhibiting symptoms, officials said.
It’s possible that other cruise passengers may have been exposed, officials said. Placer County Public Health is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and contact other cruise passengers.
By one estimate, more than 50% of the roughly 2,500 passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Mexico and back on the cruise ship with the Placer County victim are Californians, Newsom said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Placer County health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said. “While we have expected more cases, this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease, and one that we never wanted to see.
“While most cases of COVID-19 exhibit mild or moderate symptoms, this tragic death underscores the urgent need for us to take extra steps to protect residents who are particularly vulnerable to developing more serious illness, including elderly persons and those with underlying health conditions.”
Sisson said the resident first developed symptoms while on the cruise and continued to show symptoms while traveling through the Port of San Francisco.
The individual called 911 and was taken to the hospital Thursday, then tested for COVID-19 on Sunday. The results returned positive Tuesday, and the patient died Wednesday morning, Sisson said.
Placer County has six pending tests for COVID-19, and Sisson said she expects to see cases of community transmission soon.
“I urge Placer County residents to be vigilant and to take steps to protect themselves,” Sisson said. “Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands…. We are not at the point where I would consider canceling events, closing schools or requiring widespread distancing measures, but we do want the public to prepare for that possibility.”
Sisson recommended that residents have two weeks of supplies on hand in case they are asked to quarantine.
Rocklin Fire Chief Bill Hack said emergency responders are wearing protective masks and goggles when responding to 911 calls until it is clear whether a person has respiratory symptoms that could indicate COVID-19. Three of the five emergency responders who have been quarantined related to the Placer County death are Rocklin city firefighters.
“They’re obviously being hyper-vigilant that if they start to become symptomatic they know what to look for and they know what steps to take,” Hack said. “They’re in good spirits at this point.”
Placer County is requesting that any other individuals who were on the Grand Princess cruise to Mexico self-quarantine.
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the CDC that it is investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed on the Grand Princess Mexican voyage.
The next voyage on the boat was canceled.
The company said 62 guests on that voyage remain onboard for the trip to Hawaii that was returning to San Francisco after canceling its stop in Ensenada, Mexico.
Eleven passengers and 10 crew members on the boat were showing symptoms Wednesday, the governor said. “That number may significantly understate” the scope of infection, he said, or “it may indeed be abundance of caution.”
The state will contact every county health official with passengers in their area by Wednesday night, he said.
Newsom addressed the death shortly after the announcement.
“Jennifer and I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this death in Placer County,” he said in a statement. “The state is working with federal officials to follow up on contact tracing of individuals that may have been exposed to provide treatment and protect public health.
“This case demonstrates the need for continued local, state and federal partnership to identify and slow the spread of this virus. California is working around the clock to keep our communities safe, healthy and informed.”
Newsom previously requested that the Legislature make $20 million available for the state to respond to the coronavirus and announced the California Department of Public Health is dipping into its reserves of millions of N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus fights.
Newsom said Wednesday that a coronavirus lab test is now considered an essential benefit covered by government-sponsored health plans and private insurers. The governor added he is also extending price gouging protections in response to Amazon vendors’ taking advantage of people seeking hand sanitizer and other in-demand goods.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, declared a health emergency Wednesday as the number of coronavirus cases in the county increased to seven, including six new patients.
None of the new cases are believed to be “community spread,”officials said. All individuals were exposed to COVID-19 through close contacts with others who were infected.
The additional cases were confirmed Tuesday night. Officials said three of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy, two were family members who had close contact with a person outside of the county who was infected, and one had a job that put them in contact with travelers.
One patient has been hospitalized, and the others are isolated at home.
Additionally, the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach are declaring public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus. There are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in either city.
The county’s move comes as the government has increased testing, which officials have warned will result in the identification of a significant number of new cases.
L.A. joins a growing number of California jurisdictions to take health-emergency action, which is designed to better marshal resources from across government agencies and give the fight against the virus more focus.
“I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news briefing. “We need every tool at our disposal.”
Supervisor Hilda Solis acknowledged the ongoing spread of misinformation about the virus and xenophobia toward Asian communities.
“There’s been too much misinformation spreading around,” Solis said. “As we expected, it’s cultivating fears and leading to racial profiling.”
Los Angeles County will increase its capacity for testing of the virus at its public health laboratory. Officials will begin daily radio briefings for the public, post new guidelines for schools and colleges, and over the next week will send “technical assistance teams” to make site visits to temporary housing facilities including homeless shelters.
Officials urged the public to frequently wash their hands, opt for verbal salutations in place of hugs and handshakes and try to maintain a distance of six feet from strangers.
“We have to be prepared. We have to protect the well-being of our loved ones and our neighbors,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
Officials said they had tested more than two dozen people for COVID-19 before these recent test results came back positive and reiterated that there had been no sign of community spread in the county.
“I want to reassure everyone — we are not there today,” L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
A screener of incoming flights from China and surrounding countries at Los Angeles International Airport is among the new cases that have tested positive for coronavirus in L.A. County, according to two sources familiar with the report.
The screener, who is attached to the CDC, last worked Feb. 21 at LAX and, after developing potential symptoms, alerted medical professionals and authorities. The person was formally identified Tuesday as having the COVID-19 virus and so far has a mild case and is isolated at home.
Family members of the person have also been tested, according to one of the sources. So far, nothing has been done to change intake at the airport. Sources say the person was wearing protective clothing during the screening process.
Marin County health officials Tuesday declared a local health emergency despite there being no cases of coronavirus reported among county residents. San Francisco, which has no reported cases, and Orange County, which has three cases, declared health emergencies last week.
The move comes amid more sobering news about the spread of the virus in the United States, including nine deaths in Washington state, a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that more cases are on the horizon.
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that they, there are going to be more cases in the community,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that the global mortality rate from coronavirus had risen to 3.4%, with more than 3,000 fatalities. The death rate so far is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it.
Still, he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus.
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu, which is often spread by people who are infected yet don’t have symptoms. That doesn’t seem to be the case for COVID-19, he said.
“There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics … which is why we must do everything we can to contain it,” Tedros said.
Earlier reports had pointed to a mortality rate of about 2% for COVID-19. Experts say they suspect all analyses so far have overestimated the disease’s fatality rate because milder cases are largely not being diagnosed. In 80% of people, the disease causes only mild illness, experts say.
More than 50 people in California have the virus, with new cases reported in Berkeley and Santa Clara, Placer and Orange counties. Kaiser Permanente announced late Tuesday it was treating a patient in Los Angeles.
The city of Berkeley said its case involved an individual who visited a country with an outbreak. That person has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
“While the risk of infection remains low, the expanded presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare for,” said Berkeley’s public health officer, Dr. Lisa Hernandez. “There are steps that all of us in the community can take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.”
In Orange County, two cases are pending confirmation from the CDC. The cases involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s who had both recently traveled to countries with widespread transmission, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
Santa Clara County announced three more cases of coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total count there to 14 — the highest number of cases in the sate.
One is a man who’s currently hospitalized. The source of his exposure to the virus is currently under investigation. Two other men are close contacts of an existing case.
California is also speeding up testing of possible coronavirus patients. This more aggressive testing, Newsom said, “may lead to a more rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases reported. That is not necessarily a sign that the rate of infection is increasing, but that our ability to test more people more rapidly is leading to better detection.”
Dr. Mike Ryan, who runs WHO‘s emergencies program, pushed back against officials who wanted to “wave the white flag” and surrender to the disease’s hold. China took drastic steps to fight the virus, he said, and case numbers are now on the decline there.
Countries such as China and South Korea “implemented very, very strong measures that have affected their own economies and their own societies,” Ryan said. “It’s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there remained many unknowns about the virus, including the degree to which people who do not express symptoms can transmit it to others. He said doctors know that it happens but have not yet gauged the extent, a key piece of data that will help determine decisions on how to contain it.
Fauci said that Chinese data are believed to be accurate and that the spread of the virus there is slowing thanks to “draconian” methods that would never occur in the United States, including stringent travel and public gathering restrictions.
“They have taken social distancing to its furthest extreme,” he said.
Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Rong-Gong Lin II , Hannah Fry, Taryn Luna, Phil Willon, Richard Winton and Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-04--Washington state fights coronavirus spread, tells voters not to lick mail-in ballots

In an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus , officials in Washington are asking voters not to lick the envelopes used for mail-in ballots in the state , which has become the epicenter of the nation ’ s COVID-19 outbreak .
Washington , which will hold its primary next Tuesday , offers only mail-in ballots .
That means officials don ’ t have to contend with germ-ridden polling booths , but vote-by-mail comes with its own concerns .
“ We are recommending that voters , instead of licking their envelopes , they use a wet sponge or cloth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spokeswoman for the Washington secretary of state ’ s office .
Zabel said the recommendations come from state public health officials .
Washington has more cases of the novel coronavirus than anywhere else in the nation , with nine deaths as of Wednesday .
Many of the cases and fatalities are linked to an outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland , a Seattle suburb .
Coronavirus is believed to be spread through droplets of saliva and mucus containing the virus that are released when sick people cough , sneeze or talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus can last on surfaces , but some experts have suggested it could survive for many days .
Zabel said that election workers , who began counting ballots this week , should always wear gloves while opening the forms .
Officials sent a reminder Sunday about being diligent with precautions in light of the recent outbreak , she said .
She said voters are being encouraged to use drop boxes around the city to deposit their ballots , instead of visiting the post office .
A post office 30 miles south of Seattle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , she said .
During California ’ s primary on Tuesday , several counties took steps to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in polling booths .
Officials distributed hand sanitizer and wipes to election workers .
In San Mateo County , which has one reported case of the coronavirus , fears about the disease may have stopped some people from visiting their polling place , said Jim Irizarry , the county ’ s assistant chief elections officer .
Irizarry said he informed voters that hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t convinced .
“ I think people are so cautious that there ’ s a percentage of the voting public that ’ s probably not visiting a vote center , ” Irizarry said Tuesday night .
He noted that everyone in the county was mailed a ballot that could be deposited in drop boxes , instead of visiting a polling place , adding that he hoped voters took advantage of that option .
Tuesday marked a day of grim milestones , with more coronavirus deaths tied to a nursing home in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suburbs of New York City and a warning that many more cases were coming .
Los Angeles reported one new case and Orange County two .
“ I want them to be prepared for the reality that they , there are going to be more cases in the community , ” said Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ But I want them to continue their daily lives .
I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global mortality rate from coronavirus was 3.4 % .
The death rate so far — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the of the seasonal flu , which is 0.1 % .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease , and no one has built up an immunity to it .
Still , he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus .
Officials say they have learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu , which is often spread by people who are infected but don ’ t have symptoms .
That doesn ’ t seem to be the case for COVID-19 , he said .
“ There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics ... which is why we must do everything we can to contain it , ” Tedros said .
Times staff writers Hannah Fry and Noah Bierman contributed to this report .

Voters cast ballots in San Diego on Super Tuesday. Washington state, which will hold its primary next week, is asking voters to not lick the envelopes used for mail-in ballots.
In an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, officials in Washington are asking voters not to lick the envelopes used for mail-in ballots in the state, which has become the epicenter of the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Washington, which will hold its primary next Tuesday, offers only mail-in ballots. That means officials don’t have to contend with germ-ridden polling booths, but vote-by-mail comes with its own concerns.
“We are recommending that voters, instead of licking their envelopes, they use a wet sponge or cloth to seal them,” said Kylee Zabel, spokeswoman for the Washington secretary of state’s office.
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Zabel said the recommendations come from state public health officials. Washington has more cases of the novel coronavirus than anywhere else in the nation, with nine deaths as of Wednesday. Many of the cases and fatalities are linked to an outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland, a Seattle suburb.
Coronavirus is believed to be spread through droplets of saliva and mucus containing the virus that are released when sick people cough, sneeze or talk. It is unclear how long the virus can last on surfaces, but some experts have suggested it could survive for many days.
Zabel said that election workers, who began counting ballots this week, should always wear gloves while opening the forms. Officials sent a reminder Sunday about being diligent with precautions in light of the recent outbreak, she said.
She said voters are being encouraged to use drop boxes around the city to deposit their ballots, instead of visiting the post office. A post office 30 miles south of Seattle closed recently after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, she said.
During California’s primary on Tuesday, several counties took steps to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in polling booths. Officials distributed hand sanitizer and wipes to election workers.
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In San Mateo County, which has one reported case of the coronavirus, fears about the disease may have stopped some people from visiting their polling place, said Jim Irizarry, the county’s assistant chief elections officer.
Irizarry said he informed voters that hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes would be available, but he suspects some people weren’t convinced.
“I think people are so cautious that there’s a percentage of the voting public that’s probably not visiting a vote center,” Irizarry said Tuesday night.
He noted that everyone in the county was mailed a ballot that could be deposited in drop boxes, instead of visiting a polling place, adding that he hoped voters took advantage of that option.
Tuesday marked a day of grim milestones, with more coronavirus deaths tied to a nursing home in Washington state, a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that many more cases were coming. Los Angeles reported one new case and Orange County two.
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that they, there are going to be more cases in the community,” said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
The World Health Organization announced Tuesday the global mortality rate from coronavirus was 3.4%. The death rate so far — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it.
Still, he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus.
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu, which is often spread by people who are infected but don’t have symptoms. That doesn’t seem to be the case for COVID-19, he said.
“There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics ... which is why we must do everything we can to contain it,” Tedros said.
Times staff writers Hannah Fry and Noah Bierman contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-04--60 Freeway reopens in Chino after man reportedly armed with knife is shot by police

A man reportedly armed with a knife was shot by Chino police Wednesday morning in an incident that shut down @ @ @ @ @ Freeway during the morning rush hour .
The freeway was shut down in both directions @ @ @ @ @ responded to reports of a man with a knife , officials said .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ not been identified , “ refused to comply with officers ” and was shot , @ @ @ @ @ freeway ’ s eastbound lanes reopened about 8:50 a.m. , according to the Chino Police @ @ @ @ @ reopened about 9:20 .
“ No officers were injured , and the suspect was taken @ @ @ @ @ ” the department wrote on Twitter .
“ The investigation is ongoing .
”

Authorities closed part of the 60 Freeway in Chino on Wednesday morning.
A man reportedly armed with a knife was shot by Chino police Wednesday morning in an incident that shut down a stretch of the 60 Freeway during the morning rush hour.
The freeway was shut down in both directions near Central Avenue after police responded to reports of a man with a knife, officials said.
Authorities said the suspect, who has not been identified, “refused to comply with officers” and was shot, suffering superficial wounds.
The freeway’s eastbound lanes reopened about 8:50 a.m., according to the Chino Police Department, and westbound lanes reopened about 9:20.
“No officers were injured, and the suspect was taken to a local hospital,” the department wrote on Twitter. “The investigation is ongoing.”
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latimes--2020-03-04--Latino wave put Bernie Sanders on top in California

Bespectacled , lanky , with an impressive ponytail and a Van Dyke beard , 35-year-old Joesé Hernandez is a reason why Bernie Sanders won California ’ s Democratic presidential primary last night .
He has spent most of his adult life in el movimiento , throwing himself into causes like citizenship classes and district elections in Anaheim .
He hosts an online radio show and used to serve as an emcee for Santa Ana ’ s Day of the Dead festivities .
In 2016 , the Santa Ana resident volunteered for the Vermont senator ’ s 2016 campaign — his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gamely tried to get the city ’ s overwhelmingly Latino electorate to side with Sanders , an East Coast septuagenarian that few of those voters had ever heard of and who seemed to have no explicit plan to court voters of color .
That perception sank Sanders statewide : he lost the 2016 primary to Hillary Clinton by a 53-to-46 % margin , and by an even larger gap among Latinos .
But this time , the Sanders camp in California tapped people like Hernandez — local activists that just happened to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as field organizers and volunteers .
They , in turn , asked their networks to come out and vote for someone who breathed the same progressive fire they had for years .
“ That was transformational , ” said Hernandez , now co-regional director for the Sanders campaign in Orange County , as a phalanx of phone bankers streamed into a field office in Santa Ana the evening before Election Day .
They called prospective voters under signs that read “ Sí Se Puede !
” and “ Finally a Reason to Vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bemused visage of Sanders .
“ We know our comunidades , ” Hernandez continued .
“ To hear Bernie talk about the issues we ’ ve struggled against for years — rent control , healthcare , income inequality — and win on it reaffirmed what we ’ ve fought for.
” Sanders ’ appeal to young Latinos was well documented by pollsters and media alike , and helped him win the Golden State — a necessary victory that now pits him against a resurgent former Vice President Joe Biden , who won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other large delegate prize , Texas .
On election day , many Latino voters spoke about what made Sanders so appealing .
“ When you do the research , you see that ‘ Tio Bernie ’ is for the working class , for healthcare , for taxing billionaires , for standing up for the American people , ” said Karen Cazares , 54 , of Santa Clarita .
“ People get hung up on the ‘ socialist ’ thing , but he ’ s fighting for what we believe in.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the socialist label made them , like others who chose more establishment Democrats , question whether he could defeat Trump .
As Super Tuesday neared , the party establishment rallied behind Biden .
“ A lot of young people don ’ t understand or have the history and it ’ s dangerous to have a pro-socialist candidate leading the party , ” said Gabriel Orozco , 68 , after casting his ballot for Biden in El Monte .
Still , the fact that Sanders is in what is now a two-man race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ’ s ability to stir Latinos — a virtual necessity for any candidate hoping to beat Trump — in delegate-rich California .
Some of his most fervent followers were people forged over the past generation ’ s political battles across the state .
For them , a nonstop push for Sanders was just like any other day in their activist life .
They were there in Sanders ’ Santa Ana office , and they weren ’ t tired .
In the run-up to the election , artists Alicia Rojas and Jenny Lynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their scripts from smart pads .
Both were first-time Sanders volunteers , but everyone seemed to know the two from their past efforts to beautify Santa Ana through murals .
“ Bernie was smart about it , ” said the 43-year-old Rojas .
“ Here , I see Occupy people , I see anti-gentrification people , and so many others .
We ’ ve been motivated for something like this forever.
” “ Sanders understands what it takes to organize on a grass-roots level , ” added Lynn , 35 .
“ Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activism for centrist anything.
” Sanders frequently boasts about his small-fries strategy for winning the Democratic nomination , claiming the $ 34.5 million his campaign raised during the fourth quarter of 2019 — more than any of his opponents ’ — averaged out to just $ 18.53 per donation spread across 5 million total contributions .
He hit that note again and again in speeches across California , speaking about issues that resonated locally even as their themes were national .
In East Los Angeles last fall , Sanders declared himself “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the working-class Bay Area city of Richmond last month , he touched on the Green New Deal as a way to revive depressed manufacturing towns .
When Sanders visited Anaheim in 2018 , he did so to hear about the plight of Disneyland-area hotel workers .
Meanwhile , Sanders ’ top-level people left the activists they courted to campaign in their local communities largely on their own terms .
They say that allowed them to win over voters .
“ For voters to just know that I ’ m from here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m just two streets behind you ’ — it makes a difference in terms of authenticity , ” said 24-year-old Elizabeth Lira , a Sanders field organizer in Fresno who previously worked for an educational nonprofit .
“ I ’ m not a stranger .
I know the plight that we go through here.
” “ I ’ ll go to people who I ’ ve worked with , and they directly ask me , ‘ Do you believe that Bernie can be the pivot for healthy living ?
” said Gustavo Aguirre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bakersfield who works for the Central California Environmental Justice Network .
“ And I tell them , ‘ Yes.
’ They trust me , because I ’ ve won that trust working on issues that matter to them.
” “ These folks really understand the community in a deep , profound way , ” said Rafael Návar , California director for the Sanders campaign .
“ They have the relationships .
It has a multiplying effect that you can ’ t quantify.
” Návar experienced that phenomenon himself while knocking on doors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into “ a lot ” of former classmates from Garfield High .
“ And they ’ d be like , ‘ Absolutely , Rafa , I ’ ll vote for Bernie , ’ ” he said with a laugh .
Since last year , the Sanders campaign aggressively sought the endorsements of Californians who had long worked on issues ( frequently alongside each other ) that are key to his candidacy : labor , gun control , LGBTQ and disability rights , and many more .
On its website , it named over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have backed the prospective Democratic nominee — a list nearly twice as long as the one for California politicians .
In taking that tack , Sanders also did something counterintuitive to woo the state ’ s large Latino electorate , said Cal State Fullerton Chicano studies professor Alexandro Jose Gradilla : he treated them as more than just their ethnicity .
“ He didn ’ t do the ‘ yo como un burrito ’ thing — he ’ s seeing them as workers and students , ” he said .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people the wrong way .
But Sanders figured out doing the anti-identity politics thing now is the anti-Trump message that can win .
“ For community organizers to really throw themselves into this , ” Gradilla added , “ means they believe in that message.
” One of those organizers is Riverside resident Anthony Victoria .
In December , he told his origin story to Sanders before a town hall in Moreno Valley : how Victoria ’ s immigrant parents lost their house in Rialto during the Great Recession ; how an explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subsequent air pollution led the 28-year-old to fight for environmental justice in the region .
A month later , the Sanders campaign asked Victoria for his public endorsement .
“ When Bernie talks about these bigger issues , he ’ s talking about us in the Inland Empire , in the Central Valley , ” he said .
“ We might not have the fancy title , but we know what ’ s going on in our community .
Bernie , he ’ s not perfect , but he understands people power @ @

Joesé Hernandez, center, of Santa Ana previously volunteered with Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign. He and other longtime activists were crucial to the senator’s 2020 triumph in California.
Bespectacled, lanky, with an impressive ponytail and a Van Dyke beard, 35-year-old Joesé Hernandez is a reason why Bernie Sanders won California’s Democratic presidential primary.
He has spent most of his adult life in el movimiento, throwing himself into causes like citizenship classes and district elections in Anaheim. He hosts an online radio show and used to serve as an emcee for Santa Ana’s Day of the Dead festivities.
In 2016, the Santa Ana resident volunteered for the Vermont senator’s 2016 campaign — his first-ever foray into electoral politics. Hernandez gamely tried to get the city’s overwhelmingly Latino electorate to side with Sanders, an East Coast septuagenarian that few of those voters had ever heard of and who seemed to have no explicit plan to court voters of color.
That perception sank Sanders statewide: he lost the 2016 primary to Hillary Clinton by a 53-to-46% margin, and by an even larger gap among Latinos.
But this time, the Sanders camp in California tapped people like Hernandez — local activists that just happened to be Latino, with deep community connections — as field organizers and volunteers. They, in turn, asked their networks to come out and vote for someone who breathed the same progressive fire they had for years.
Advertisement
Joesé Hernandez, center, with Sanders campaign volunteers March 3. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“That was transformational,” said Hernandez, now co-regional director for the Sanders campaign in Orange County, as a phalanx of phone bankers streamed into a field office in Santa Ana the evening before Election Day. They called prospective voters under signs that read “Sí Se Puede!” and “Finally a Reason to Vote” superimposed over an American flag and the bemused visage of Sanders.
“We know our comunidades,” Hernandez continued. “To hear Bernie talk about the issues we’ve struggled against for years — rent control, healthcare, income inequality — and win on it reaffirmed what we’ve fought for.”
Sanders’ appeal to young Latinos was well documented by pollsters and media alike, and helped him win the Golden State — a necessary victory that now pits him against a resurgent former Vice President Joe Biden, who won nine states on Super Tuesday, including the other large delegate prize, Texas.
On election day, many Latino voters spoke about what made Sanders so appealing.
“When you do the research, you see that ‘Tio Bernie’ is for the working class, for healthcare, for taxing billionaires, for standing up for the American people,” said Karen Cazares, 54, of Santa Clarita. “People get hung up on the ‘socialist’ thing, but he’s fighting for what we believe in.”
Advertisement
But for Latino voters who preferred other candidates, the socialist label made them, like others who chose more establishment Democrats, question whether he could defeat Trump. As Super Tuesday neared, the party establishment rallied behind Biden.
“A lot of young people don’t understand or have the history and it’s dangerous to have a pro-socialist candidate leading the party,” said Gabriel Orozco, 68, after casting his ballot for Biden in El Monte.
Still, the fact that Sanders is in what is now a two-man race against Biden is a testament to his campaign’s ability to stir Latinos — a virtual necessity for any candidate hoping to beat Trump — in delegate-rich California.
Some of his most fervent followers were people forged over the past generation’s political battles across the state. For them, a nonstop push for Sanders was just like any other day in their activist life. They were there in Sanders’ Santa Ana office, and they weren’t tired.
Sanders volunteers celebrate his projected California victory March 3 at campaign headquarters in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In the run-up to the election, artists Alicia Rojas and Jenny Lynn sat across from each other and read their scripts from smart pads. Both were first-time Sanders volunteers, but everyone seemed to know the two from their past efforts to beautify Santa Ana through murals.
“Bernie was smart about it,” said the 43-year-old Rojas. “Here, I see Occupy people, I see anti-gentrification people, and so many others. We’ve been motivated for something like this forever.”
“Sanders understands what it takes to organize on a grass-roots level,” added Lynn, 35. “Because there’s never been any grass-roots activism for centrist anything.”
Sanders frequently boasts about his small-fries strategy for winning the Democratic nomination, claiming the $34.5 million his campaign raised during the fourth quarter of 2019 — more than any of his opponents’ — averaged out to just $18.53 per donation. He hit that note again and again in speeches across California, speaking about issues that resonated locally even as their themes were national.
Joesé Hernandez, right, and activist Alicia Rojas, center, join Bernie Sanders campaign volunteers to celebrate Sanders’ projected victory March 3 in California. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In East Los Angeles last fall, Sanders declared himself “the proud son of an immigrant”; in the working-class Bay Area city of Richmond last month, he touched on the Green New Deal as a way to revive depressed manufacturing towns. When Sanders visited Anaheim in 2018, he did so to hear about the plight of Disneyland-area hotel workers.
Meanwhile, Sanders’ top-level people left the activists they courted to campaign in their local communities largely on their own terms. They say that allowed them to win over voters.
“For voters to just know that I’m from here and say, ‘Hey, I’m just two streets behind you’ — it makes a difference in terms of authenticity,” said 24-year-old Elizabeth Lira, a Sanders field organizer in Fresno who previously worked for an educational nonprofit. “I’m not a stranger. I know the plight that we go through here.”
“I’ll go to people who I’ve worked with, and they directly ask me, ‘Do you believe that Bernie can be the pivot for healthy living?’” said Gustavo Aguirre Jr., a 31-year-old Sanders volunteer in Bakersfield who works for the Central California Environmental Justice Network. “And I tell them, ‘Yes.’ They trust me, because I’ve won that trust working on issues that matter to them.”
Mary Jane O’Meara Sanders and Sen. Bernie Sanders take the stage March 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
“These folks really understand the community in a deep, profound way,” said Rafael Návar, California director for the Sanders campaign. “They have the relationships. It has a multiplying effect that you can’t quantify.”
Návar experienced that phenomenon himself while knocking on doors in his native East Los Angeles and running into “a lot” of former classmates from Garfield High. “And they’d be like, ‘Absolutely, Rafa, I’ll vote for Bernie,’” he said with a laugh.
Since last year, the Sanders campaign aggressively sought the endorsements of Californians who had long worked on issues (frequently alongside each other) that are key to his candidacy: labor, gun control, LGBTQ and disability rights, and many more. On its website, it named over 150 “Community Leaders of California” who have backed the prospective Democratic nominee — a list nearly twice as long as the one for California politicians.
In taking that tack, Sanders also did something counterintuitive to woo the state’s large Latino electorate, said Cal State Fullerton Chicano studies professor Alexandro Jose Gradilla: he treated them as more than just their ethnicity.
“He didn’t do the ‘yo como un burrito’ thing — he’s seeing them as workers and students,” he said. “In 2016, that de-emphasis on race rubbed people the wrong way. But Sanders figured out doing the anti-identity politics thing now is the anti-Trump message that can win.
“For community organizers to really throw themselves into this,” Gradilla added, “means they believe in that message.”
One of those organizers is Riverside resident Anthony Victoria. In December, he told his origin story to Sanders before a town hall in Moreno Valley: how Victoria’s immigrant parents lost their house in Rialto during the Great Recession; how an explosion of warehouses in the Inland Empire and the subsequent air pollution led the 28-year-old to fight for environmental justice in the region.
A month later, the Sanders campaign asked Victoria for his public endorsement.
“When Bernie talks about these bigger issues, he’s talking about us in the Inland Empire, in the Central Valley,” he said. “We might not have the fancy title, but we know what’s going on in our community. Bernie, he’s not perfect, but he understands people power.”
Times staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report.
Para leer en español


latimes--2020-03-04--Investigation into widespread voting problems in L.A. County needed now, supervisor says

A Los Angeles County supervisor on Wednesday called for an immediate investigation into widespread voting problems Tuesday that resulted in people waiting hours to vote .
Supervisor Janice Hahn said the county needed to launch a “ forensic autopsy of what happened yesterday ” amid widespread complaints and outrage over the handling of the new balloting system .
“ I ’ m not happy with the number of problems , ” she said .
Hahn pushed back when asked whether the Board of Supervisors had failed to provide oversight of the creation and rollout of the new voting system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least , process of testing these machines .
There were focus groups about these machines ; there was a lot of reports by our county registrar recorder on rolling out .
Of course , Alex Padilla , our secretary of state , certified these machines with a few conditions .
I think we were all waiting for the proof , which was yesterday , and I ’ m not happy with the number of problems , ” she said .
“ This was a challenging day for a lot of voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that .
That ’ s something that has to be better , ” he said .
“ It was a heavy lift , ” Logan said of the switch to the new system .
“ I had hoped for a smoother transition.
” Logan said the lack of check-in options at the vote centers was a major flaw .
“ The choke point seemed to be the check-in process , ” he said .
It was an ugly debut for the county ’ s new $ 300-million voting system .
L.A. officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two big changes : the elimination of neighborhood polling places and the debut of ballot-marking touchscreen devices in regional vote centers , available to everyone and spread throughout the county .
Local voting officials blamed the delays on a combination of high turnout and glitches affecting the new election equipment .
But they couldn ’ t provide information on how many of the county ’ s 978 vote centers were affected .
Voters fumed and demanded answers .
As midnight approached , some were still waiting to cast ballots at several locations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 405 , ” said Brentwood resident Myles Berkowitz , who was waiting in line around 8:30 p.m. “ It ’ s an absolute disaster .
The longest I ’ ve waited was in ’ 92 and that was for [ Bill ] Clinton .
That was an hour.
” Berkowitz stopped by the Hammer Museum in Westwood around 4 p.m. to vote but was told by a polling staffer that it would be a three-hour wait .
So he drove to Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center in West Los Angeles .
He ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a staffer told him that two of the center ’ s five voting machines were down .
The staffer warned it would be a 45-minute wait and suggested that Berkowitz head to another vote center at Brockton Elementary School .
He drove there , only to be told it would be a two-hour wait .
Frustrated , Berkowitz headed back to the multipurpose center , hoping the lines there had died down .
They had not .
“ They ’ re telling me , after waiting here for another hour and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two hours , ” Berkowitz said .
At Castlebay Lane Charter School in Porter Ranch , scores of people remained in a line that trailed out the door at 8 p.m .
Poll workers estimated they would wait 30 to 45 minutes to cast their ballots .
“ There was never a line the last several years , ” said Craig Meier , a Porter Ranch resident who works as an executive assistant .
At his old polling place at a church , “ we were in and out within 10 minutes.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed with just enough time to rush to Shepherd of the Valley Church , the closest vote center .
She barely made it in , scurrying into place at the end of the line at 8 p.m. , with one other woman behind her as Franchino , the poll worker , told voters that the line was closed .
Kyle ’ s husband , who was at home with the kids , had already mailed in his ballot , but she “ wanted to just go over and verify my research on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
She said polls should stay open later for those who can ’ t make it during the day and early evening .
“ Who my children see is important to me , who represents my children , and the future and the well-being of my kids , is important , ” Kyle said .
She planned to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden .
But would-be voters outside the Montebello Senior Center said they were turned away at 8 p.m. even though they were in line hours earlier .
Alyana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hondo Community College , arrived at the senior center at 6 p.m. with her mother .
Right as they got to the front of the line — two hours later — Chavez said poll workers closed the doors and threatened to call police when voters complained that they had a right to vote because they were in line .
“ Waiting there for two hours and not being able to vote , it ’ s really upsetting , ” Chavez said , noting there were about 80 people in line when the doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , voters were waiting more than two hours outside Monroe High School to cast their ballots .
Tensions rose when a poll worker pulled some voters into a separate line for those who had filled out their ballot selections online in advance and had received codes to transfer them to a ballot at the vote center , said Joe Meehan , 51 , who was waiting with his wife , Katie .
When she finally entered the building to vote around 8 p.m. , about 350 people were still in line , Meehan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been waiting two hours and you hear how you could have saved time , it starts to get a little ugly , ” said Meehan , who works for an event registration company .
In Westwood , a line to vote snaked around the second floor of the Hammer Museum as Angelenos fiddled with their phones , read books and propped up computers to do homework as they waited well past when the polls closed .
Around 8:30 p.m. , the last person in line had been told they would likely be waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bench beside her 103-pound Saint Bernard , Sandra Kielgass laughed and chatted with new friends who came to pet the dog , Lady .
Kielgass , who lives blocks from the museum , said she had gotten in line around 6:30 p.m. and hadn ’ t expected to wait this long .
Pizza had been distributed to those waiting , but Kielgass was still eager to cast her vote and get home .
“ I always go to a place late on election day , ” she said .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a good thing it ’ s so crowded .
People are voting.
” Closer to the front of the line , Daniel La Cava and Jason Nehoray stared off blankly , listening to music .
They had both been waiting two hours and 20 minutes and expected to be there at least another hour .
Nehoray , a UCLA senior , tried to go to the UCLA Ackerman Union vote center after class , but the line scared him off .
La Cava had stopped by the museum earlier in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but didn ’ t stay .
Now , the battery life on his phone was his top concern .
“ I didn ’ t prepare well enough for this , ” he said .
“ I should ’ ve brought a book or something .
”

John Myers , Sonali Kohli, Benjamin Oreskes, Liam Dillon, Dakota Smith

A Los Angeles County supervisor on Wednesday called for an immediate investigation into widespread voting problems Tuesday that resulted in people waiting hours to vote.
Supervisor Janice Hahn said the county needed to launch a “forensic autopsy of what happened yesterday” amid widespread complaints and outrage over the handling of the new balloting system.
“I’m not happy with the number of problems,” she said.
Hahn pushed back when asked whether the Board of Supervisors had failed to provide oversight of the creation and rollout of the new voting system.
Advertisement
“It was about a yearlong, at least, process of testing these machines. There were focus groups about these machines; there was a lot of reports by our county registrar recorder on rolling out. Of course, Alex Padilla, our secretary of state, certified these machines with a few conditions. I think we were all waiting for the proof, which was yesterday, and I’m not happy with the number of problems,” she said.
Los Angeles County elections chief Dean Logan acknowledged the problems.
“This was a challenging day for a lot of voters in L.A. County, and I certainly apologize for that. That’s something that has to be better,” he said.
“It was a heavy lift,” Logan said of the switch to the new system. “I had hoped for a smoother transition.”
Logan said the lack of check-in options at the vote centers was a major flaw.
“The choke point seemed to be the check-in process,” he said.
Advertisement
It was an ugly debut for the county’s new $300-million voting system. L.A. officials spent months trying to raise awareness about two big changes: the elimination of neighborhood polling places and the debut of ballot-marking touchscreen devices in regional vote centers, available to everyone and spread throughout the county.
1 / 40 Sarah Woodard, center, is almost to the check-in desk as the line of voters grows on Super Tuesday at the UCLA Hammer Museum. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 40 Students wait to vote at UCLA’s Ackerman Union. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 40 Carrying signs that say “Voting for the first time,” women make their way to a Whittier voting location. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 40 A mariachi band is on hand near the polling station at the Community Resource Center in south Whittier. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 40 George Gascon, candidate for Los Angeles County district attorney, greets a family at Grand Central Market during lunch hour in downtown Los Angeles. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 40 People wait to vote at the UCLA Hammer Museum. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 40 Mia Lim, 3, accompanied her grandmother Bertha Leon to vote at the Community Resource Center in south Whittier. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 40 A voter at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee’s Phoenix Hall in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 40 Ramona Tolliver joins elated supporters of former Vice President Joe Biden at a rally at the Baldwin Hills Recreation Center after news that Biden won in North Carolina and Virginia. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 40 Alicia Tamstorf holds her 5-month-old while casting her ballot at the UCLA Hammer Museum, where the line to vote was long. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 40 Voters wait in line to cast their ballots inside the Ace Hotel, on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 40 Voters move through the line outside the Ace Hotel. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 40 The line outside the Ace Hotel vote center in downtown L.A. stacked up at certain times on Super Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 40 Election official Zahra Katimi, second from right, directs a voter to another polling place due to long lines at the polling place at Santa Monica Place Mall. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 40 Sarah Woodard, center, waits to vote as the line builds at the UCLA Hammer Museum. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 40 Voters at Second AME Church in Los Angeles look for other voting locations in the area as the wait time reaches over an hour. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 40 Men linger on the sidewalk outside the polling place at the Union Rescue Mission on skid row in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 40 Tents line the sidewalk outside the Union Rescue Mission polling station. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 40 Election official Zahra Katimi, left, answers questions about filling out provisional ballots from voters as Matthew Tetreault, right, looks over his ballot before turning it in at the polling place at Santa Monica Place Mall. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 40 A voter at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 40 The line extends out the door at the UCLA Hammer Museum polling place. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 40 A broken touchscreen is set aside at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 23 / 40 Voters wait in Los Angeles at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee’s Phoenix Hall. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 40 Sophia Criswell waits for her partner in the second floor elevator lobby after casting her ballot at the Ace Hotel on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 40 Voters use the new voting machines at a polling station inside Wilshire Park Elementary School in Los Angeles. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 40 A voter in a mask at Wilshire Park Elementary School serves as a reminder of the coronavirus outbreak. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 40 A voter navigates a touchscreen at the Japanese American National Museum. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 40 People vote at Lincoln Heights Youth Arts Center in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 29 / 40 Voters wait in a long line at the polling location at Santa Monica Place mall. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 30 / 40 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti waits with other voters before casting his ballot at Wilshire Park Elementary School. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 40 Voters enter the Japanese American National Museum to cast their ballots in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 32 / 40 People make their way to the polls at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday morning. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 33 / 40 A lone voter casts his ballot at a vote center at the Boys & Girls Club of Ramona Gardens in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 34 / 40 A German shepherd named Dust waits patiently as Enrique Davalos navigates the electronic voting machine at a polling station set up in Iglesia Bautista Una Iglesia Familiar in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 35 / 40 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren walks from her home to a nearby polling location with husband Bruce Mann in Cambridge, Mass., on Tuesday morning. (Steven Senne/Associated Press) 36 / 40 An Elizabeth Warren supporter holds a sign from her window in Cambridge, Mass. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) 37 / 40 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, arrive to vote in the Vermont primary near his home in Burlington. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press) 38 / 40 People wait in line to cast their ballots at Boston City Hall. (Jonathan Wiggs / Boston Globe) 39 / 40 Army veteran Bob Perry enters a polling precinct to cast a ballot in the Massachusetts presidential primary in Seekonk. (David Goldman/Associated Press) 40 / 40 Voters arrive at the Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center in Burlington, Vt. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)
Local voting officials blamed the delays on a combination of high turnout and glitches affecting the new election equipment. But they couldn’t provide information on how many of the county’s 978 vote centers were affected.
Voters fumed and demanded answers. As midnight approached, some were still waiting to cast ballots at several locations.
“This is like gridlock on the 405,” said Brentwood resident Myles Berkowitz, who was waiting in line around 8:30 p.m. “It’s an absolute disaster. The longest I’ve waited was in ’92 and that was for [Bill] Clinton. That was an hour.”
Berkowitz stopped by the Hammer Museum in Westwood around 4 p.m. to vote but was told by a polling staffer that it would be a three-hour wait. So he drove to Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center in West Los Angeles. He’d been standing in line for 20 minutes when a staffer told him that two of the center’s five voting machines were down.
The staffer warned it would be a 45-minute wait and suggested that Berkowitz head to another vote center at Brockton Elementary School. He drove there, only to be told it would be a two-hour wait.
Frustrated, Berkowitz headed back to the multipurpose center, hoping the lines there had died down. They had not.
“They’re telling me, after waiting here for another hour and a half, that it’s another two hours,” Berkowitz said.
At Castlebay Lane Charter School in Porter Ranch, scores of people remained in a line that trailed out the door at 8 p.m. Poll workers estimated they would wait 30 to 45 minutes to cast their ballots.
“There was never a line the last several years,” said Craig Meier, a Porter Ranch resident who works as an executive assistant. At his old polling place at a church, “we were in and out within 10 minutes.”
Lesley Kyle put her 5-year-old twins to bed with just enough time to rush to Shepherd of the Valley Church, the closest vote center. She barely made it in, scurrying into place at the end of the line at 8 p.m., with one other woman behind her as Franchino, the poll worker, told voters that the line was closed.
Kyle’s husband, who was at home with the kids, had already mailed in his ballot, but she “wanted to just go over and verify my research on the judges and the measures,” she said.
She said polls should stay open later for those who can’t make it during the day and early evening.
“Who my children see is important to me, who represents my children, and the future and the well-being of my kids, is important,” Kyle said. She planned to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden.
But would-be voters outside the Montebello Senior Center said they were turned away at 8 p.m. even though they were in line hours earlier. Alyana Chavez, a 21-year-old student at Rio Hondo Community College, arrived at the senior center at 6 p.m. with her mother. Right as they got to the front of the line — two hours later — Chavez said poll workers closed the doors and threatened to call police when voters complained that they had a right to vote because they were in line.
“Waiting there for two hours and not being able to vote, it’s really upsetting,” Chavez said, noting there were about 80 people in line when the doors closed.
In the San Fernando Valley, voters were waiting more than two hours outside Monroe High School to cast their ballots. Tensions rose when a poll worker pulled some voters into a separate line for those who had filled out their ballot selections online in advance and had received codes to transfer them to a ballot at the vote center, said Joe Meehan, 51, who was waiting with his wife, Katie. When she finally entered the building to vote around 8 p.m., about 350 people were still in line, Meehan said.
“When you’ve been waiting two hours and you hear how you could have saved time, it starts to get a little ugly,” said Meehan, who works for an event registration company.
In Westwood, a line to vote snaked around the second floor of the Hammer Museum as Angelenos fiddled with their phones, read books and propped up computers to do homework as they waited well past when the polls closed.
Around 8:30 p.m., the last person in line had been told they would likely be waiting up to 3½ hours. Seated on a bench beside her 103-pound Saint Bernard, Sandra Kielgass laughed and chatted with new friends who came to pet the dog, Lady. Kielgass, who lives blocks from the museum, said she had gotten in line around 6:30 p.m. and hadn’t expected to wait this long.
Pizza had been distributed to those waiting, but Kielgass was still eager to cast her vote and get home.
“I always go to a place late on election day,” she said. “It’s to be expected. I guess it’s a good thing it’s so crowded. People are voting.”
Closer to the front of the line, Daniel La Cava and Jason Nehoray stared off blankly, listening to music. They had both been waiting two hours and 20 minutes and expected to be there at least another hour. Nehoray, a UCLA senior, tried to go to the UCLA Ackerman Union vote center after class, but the line scared him off.
La Cava had stopped by the museum earlier in the day when the line was shorter but didn’t stay. Now, the battery life on his phone was his top concern.
“I didn’t prepare well enough for this,” he said. “I should’ve brought a book or something.”


latimes--2020-03-04--The long-awaited murder trial of Robert Durst, subject of 'The Jinx,' unfolds in Los Angeles

Los Angeles prosecutors began presenting their case Wednesday against eccentric New York real estate heir Robert Durst , alleging he killed his best friend , Susan Berman , in her Benedict Canyon home to prevent her from incriminating him in his wife ’ s disappearance .
But in a murder trial expected to play out over several months , jurors will hear more than just evidence in the execution-style shooting of Berman , who was found dead on Christmas Eve in 2000 .
Deputy Dist .
Atty .
John Lewin and his team of prosecutors have painstakingly assembled a web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 witnesses , dozens of hours of video and reams of documents that shed light on three crimes they say Durst committed , starting with the 1982 disappearance of his wife , Kathleen McCormack Durst .
During opening statements , prosecutors previewed witnesses they planned to call , including brothers Douglas and Thomas Durst and Berman ’ s friends producer Lynda Obst and Laraine Newman , a former “ Saturday Night Live ” star .
“ Much of the most damaging evidence is going to come directly from Mr. Durst himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of interviews Durst gave to creators of the HBO series “ The Jinx : The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst '' and the audio commentary he provided for “ All Good Things , ” a 2010 fictional movie loosely based on his life starring Ryan Gosling .
Jurors saw video of Durst admitting to using food stamps and shoplifting water bottles at the airport , despite his family ’ s enormous wealth .
He discussed his genitals in front of his mother-in-law .
He spoke of his lackadaisical approach to working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company and warned his pregnant wife that if she kept the baby , he ’ d divorce her .
“ Bob Durst is very honest about the fact that the rules don ’ t apply to him , ” Lewin argued .
Durst waited five days to report his wife missing in 1982 and misled authorities about the nature of their relationship , according to prosecutors .
Central to this ruse was Berman , who prosecutors allege gave Durst a “ false alibi ” by impersonating Kathleen Durst in a call to her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she was still alive .
The case grew cold until 1999 , when Durst learned New York authorities had reopened it , prosecutor say .
That prompted Durst to silence Berman forever , they contend .
Prosecutors showed photos of Berman ’ s dead body and played the 911 call that brought Los Angeles police to her home .
In the call , a neighbor is concerned that Berman ’ s dogs are on the loose in the yard .
In the prosecution ’ s telling , the 2001 shooting and dismemberment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Texas , marked “ the violent climax of his nearly year-long effort to conceal himself from New York authorities.
” Durst was acquitted in Black ’ s death in 2003 after claiming self-defense .
The same attorneys who represented him in Galveston will defend him in Berman ’ s killing .
Lead defense attorney Dick DeGuerin and his team will attempt to chip away at the prosecution ’ s theory , which links the disappearance of Durst ’ s wife with the deaths of Black and Berman .
As Chip Lewis told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York that has lasted years , no one has ever been charged in Kathleen Durst ’ s disappearance .
Further , defense attorneys argue that paltry physical evidence exists linking Durst to Berman ’ s killing .
“ Bob Durst did not kill Susan Berman and doesn ’ t know who did , ” DeGuerin told The Times last year .
In the defense view , the killing of Black in Galveston is an irrelevant “ emotional hijacking ” aimed at covering up for paltry evidence , Lewis said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot , ” Lewis said in a statement .
“ The beyond gruesome nature of the dismemberment and the disposal of Black ’ s body are solely designed to predispose the jury to find Bob guilty of Susan Berman ’ s murder , despite the lack of evidence that he actually committed the crime.
” Prosecutors have said that Durst has confessed and done so with frequency .
He admitted writing the so-called “ cadaver note ” that was sent to Beverly Hills police the day before Berman ’ s body was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ cadaver ” and had Berman ’ s address on it .
It included the same misspelling of “ Beverley ” as that in a letter he had written to Berman .
A close friend , Nick Chavin , has testified that over dinner in 2014 , Durst said , “ I had to .
It was her or me ” — words Chavin said he took to be a confession .
It ’ s unclear whether Durst , who turns 77 next month , will take the witness stand as he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited mobility , he has attended each day of jury selection , rising at 4 a.m. in the county jail .
In court , he has signaled defiance , fist-bumping attorneys and once flexing both arms above his head and looking to the audience as he slowly walked to his chair .

New York real estate scion Robert Durst in court in Los Angeles on Wednesday during opening statements in his murder trial.
It was shortly after noon on Christmas Eve in 2000 when a dispatcher in Los Angeles received the call: Dogs were barking outside a home along busy Benedict Canyon Drive. The tenant’s Isuzu was parked in the driveway, but the caller said the back door was wide open and the woman who lived there alone was not answering her phone.
“This case started off like many cases do, with a very innocuous call,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin during the long-awaited opening statements in the murder trial of Robert Durst.
Police arrived and entered the shabby brown-shingled bungalow to find the writer Susan Berman dead on the hardwood floor, a pool of blood around her head. Lewin showed jurors photos of the scene, noting there was no apparent robbery or burglary. The windows were locked and unbroken. The doors showed no sign of forced entry. Nothing was removed or out of place. Even Berman’s purse, with her wallet inside, was tucked on the kitchen counter.
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“The evidence is going to show, without question, that Susan knew her killer,” Lewin said. Berman, the daughter of mobster David Berman, was a paranoid woman not given to welcoming strangers. “She let her killer into the house, and she turned her back to him.”
Berman was killed with a gunshot to the head.
“Thankfully, she didn’t see it coming,” Lewin said.
Berman was Durst’s close friend and confidant dating back to their days together at UCLA, and nearly 20 years after her body was found, Durst is on trial for her killing.
The eccentric millionaire, now 76, was charged in 2015 when the HBO docuseries “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” catapulted him to wider notoriety by exploring the 1982 disappearance of his wife, the death of Berman and Durst’s acquittal in 2003 on a murder charge in Galveston, Texas. Los Angeles police arrested him in connection with Berman’s death on the eve of the finale of “The Jinx,” claiming he was a flight risk, and Durst has been held in custody ever since.
On Wednesday, Lewin began laying out the extensive evidence he said would prove Durst killed Berman — a web of testimony that spans decades, features more than 100 witnesses, and relies on dozens of hours of video and reams of documents.
“Much of the most damaging evidence is going to come directly from Mr. Durst himself,” Lewin told jurors, referencing hours of interviews Durst gave to creators of “The Jinx” and the audio commentary he provided for “All Good Things,” a 2010 fictional movie loosely based on his life starring Ryan Gosling.
Jurors saw video of Durst admitting to using food stamps and shoplifting water bottles at the airport, despite his family’s enormous wealth. He discussed his genitals in front of his mother-in-law. He spoke of his lackadaisical approach to working at his family’s real estate company and warned his pregnant wife that if she kept the baby, he’d divorce her.
“Bob Durst is very honest about the fact that the rules don’t apply to him,” Lewin argued.
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The video clips presented to jurors were not limited to Durst’s statements. Lewin also showed excerpts of witness testimony from earlier hearings that will be replayed during the trial.
Among those witnesses was close friend Nick Chavin, who had testified that over dinner in 2014, Durst said of Berman, “I had to. It was her or me” — words Chavin said he took to be a confession.
The stream of video clips prompted lead defense attorney Dick DeGuerin to remark derisively outside court, “I thought I was in a movie theater.”
In the prosecution’s telling, Berman’s death was merely the second in a sequence of Durst’s alleged killings. Lewin devoted much of his time Wednesday to Durst’s increasingly turbulent marriage to Kathleen McCormack Durst, and what preceded her disappearance in 1982.
“It was clearly spiraling downhill,” Lewin said, referring to allegations of domestic abuse. Yet Kathleen Durst still saw her husband, and Lewin said Durst killed her when the couple were at their vacation home outside New York City. Authorities in New York have never arrested anyone in the matter, but Lewin said he would prove at trial that Durst killed her yet claimed to authorities that she was missing.
Berman was central to the ruse, prosecutors say, alleging she gave Durst a “false alibi” by impersonating Kathleen Durst in a call to her medical school and ultimately giving police the impression that she was still alive.
The case grew cold until 1999, when Durst learned New York authorities had reopened it. Prosecutors say that prompted Durst to silence Berman forever.
Prosecutors allege that the 2001 shooting and dismemberment of Durst’s elderly neighbor Morris Black in Galveston marked “the violent climax of his nearly yearlong effort to conceal himself from New York authorities.”
California The stranger-than-fiction twists that led to Robert Durst’s Los Angeles murder trial With jury selection set to begin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the Robert Durst murder trial is expected to last up to five months, pitting a lineup of elite Los Angeles County prosecutors against the high-end Houston legal team that helped Durst beat a murder charge in Texas in 2003.
Durst was acquitted in Black’s death after claiming self-defense.
Defense attorney Chip Lewis told The Times that despite a thorough investigation in New York, no one has ever been charged in Kathleen Durst’s disappearance. Further, defense attorneys argue that virtually no physical evidence ties Durst to Berman’s killing.
“Bob Durst did not kill Susan Berman and doesn’t know who did,” DeGuerin told The Times last year.
Durst’s defense’s will further cast doubt on whether Black, who died months after Berman, is relevant to the case. Lewis called evidence of Black’s gruesome killing and dismemberment an “emotional hijacking,” adding that it was “solely designed to predispose the jury to find Bob guilty of Susan Berman’s murder.”
It’s unclear whether Durst, who turns 77 next month, will take the witness stand as he did in Galveston.
Now ill and with limited mobility, Durst has risen at 4 a.m. in the county jail to attend jury selection and the trial.
In court, he has signaled defiance, fist-bumping attorneys and once raising both arms victoriously as he looked out to the audience.


latimes--2020-03-04--From weddings to funeral trips, coronavirus upends plans

Two years ago , Xin Li , 31 , married David Liu , 29 , in a civil ceremony at the Beverly Hills courthouse that was video-streamed more than 6,000 miles away to her parents ’ hometown of Hefei , China .
Li ’ s happiness was tempered by a sense of melancholy that her mother and father were not there .
“ They were just on a friend ’ s phone video-chatting us and they saw the ceremony , ” she said .
“ It wasn ’ t the same.
” So the San Gabriel Valley couple decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents , extended family and friends .
But in late January , the Chinese government started to struggle to contain the outbreak of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan — a city located in the province neighboring the one Li ’ s parents called home .
Friends in China began to warn Li that her parents might not be able to stray from their home , let alone travel to the U.S. Li ’ s parents finally told her to go ahead with the wedding without them .
The couple decided to postpone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my dad has always looked forward to that moment when he could walk me down the aisle , ” Li said .
The world ’ s attention has been focused on the raw numbers behind a frightening , new disease : More than 3,100 people have died as of Tuesday , with more than 93,000 cases of the disease reported around the world .
There have been more than 120 cases confirmed in the U.S. Thousands of flights have been canceled , and the U.S. stock market has taken a major hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Entire cities in China have essentially been locked down .
But even in its early stages , the coronavirus has been a social game-changer , upending the best-laid plans of people around the world .
From weddings to conferences to vacations to funerals for dear friends , the illness has disrupted life beyond the physical toll that it has exacted .
“ I feel a lot of anxiety about my parents , but they seem to be coping well , ” Li said .
“ I ask myself , ‘ Is this already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn out worse ?
’ We ’ re just waiting.
” Hollywood-based hip-hop and pop artist Andre Xcellence believes things will get worse .
He has purchased protective masks , hand sanitizers and other things to fend off illness .
And he canceled a Feb. 8 trip to Washington , D.C. , for the funeral of a close friend .
“ We had been friends for 15 years and it hurt , ” he said .
“ Some people probably thought I was crazy .
But since then , I think they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision .
Doesn ’ t mean it was an easy choice.
” He has also canceled a birthday celebration trip to Australia and one to Brazil , just as that country was confirming its first case of coronavirus .
Still , the disease has inspired him to write a song about it , titled “ Wu Flu Pandemic.
” Xcellence , who will only say he is in his early 30s , said he ’ s released the single to raise more awareness about coronavirus .
“ I see my friends out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going on in the world , ” he said .
On Friday , John Tyler McClain , a 32-year-old East Hollywood resident , was getting ready for a flight to Boston for a family reunion .
The trip had been in the works for a decade , and McClain said he hadn ’ t seen some of his relatives in years .
But with only hours before his plane was scheduled to take off , he was wavering on whether to go .
McClain said it wasn ’ t so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He just didn ’ t want to be grounded 3,000 miles away if an outbreak occurred in Boston .
“ I don ’ t worry about contracting the coronavirus , ” the writing assistant said .
“ I just get worried about being stuck on the East Coast if they cancel flights .
Or not being able to come back home.
” In the end , McClain decided to stay home .
Jane Shay Wald , a partner emeritus of a Culver City law firm , was excited about attending the 142nd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April in Singapore .
For years , it has been one of her favorite events to attend because she gets to see friends and peers from around the world .
Then , on Feb. 14 , the association emailed guests .
The event would be moved from Singapore to a still-to-be-determined U.S. city in May or June , the email said .
“ This decision follows the evolving developments , continuing uncertainty , and global concerns regarding the coronavirus , as well as guidance from the Singapore Ministry of Health , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change , she heard from many people who said they would not make the trip to the U.S. “ Often , this is the only time I will see many of these people who I have fostered friendships that have spanned years , ” she said .
“ We talk about more than just work , but about our families and our lives .
And now that ’ s not going to happen.
” For Li and Liu , who are producers of small films , canceling the wedding that they expected would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aisle and unite their family was not an option .
The couple decided to postpone the ceremony until August .
A White House proclamation issued Jan. 31 banned travel for people like Li ’ s parents .
The couple had mistakenly believed that her parents would be granted an “ immediate family ” exemption .
But Li and Liu soon discovered a snag in the fine print : Her parents would have qualified for the exemption only had Li been younger than 21 and unmarried .
“ Once we read the fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There goes any possibility of them coming , ’ ” Liu said .
On Feb. 4 , the couple sent an email to wedding guests announcing the postponement .
But Li ’ s anxiety over her parents did not ease .
They were essentially stuck in Hefei .
“ I read so many things every day and I was just really worried about my parents ’ health and also their mental status , ” she said .
“ You know they ’ re confined , almost like under a house arrest .
”

Two years ago, Xin Li, 31, married David Liu, 29, in a civil ceremony at the Beverly Hills courthouse that was video-streamed more than 6,000 miles away to her parents’ hometown of Hefei, China.
Li’s happiness was tempered by a sense of melancholy that her mother and father were not there.
“They were just on a friend’s phone video-chatting us and they saw the ceremony,” she said. “It wasn’t the same.”
So the San Gabriel Valley couple decided to host a second wedding Feb. 15 for their parents, extended family and friends.
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But in late January, the Chinese government started to struggle to contain the outbreak of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan — a city located in the province neighboring the one Li’s parents called home. Friends in China began to warn Li that her parents might not be able to stray from their home, let alone travel to the U.S. Li’s parents finally told her to go ahead with the wedding without them. The couple decided to postpone it instead.
“I feel like my dad has always looked forward to that moment when he could walk me down the aisle,” Li said.
The world’s attention has been focused on the raw numbers behind a frightening, new disease: More than 3,100 people have died as of Tuesday, with more than 93,000 cases of the disease reported around the world. There have been more than 120 cases confirmed in the U.S. Thousands of flights have been canceled, and the U.S. stock market has taken a major hit, provoking fears of a global recession. Entire cities in China have essentially been locked down.
But even in its early stages, the coronavirus has been a social game-changer, upending the best-laid plans of people around the world. From weddings to conferences to vacations to funerals for dear friends, the illness has disrupted life beyond the physical toll that it has exacted.
“I feel a lot of anxiety about my parents, but they seem to be coping well,” Li said. “I ask myself, ‘Is this already the worst case or is it going to turn out worse?’ We’re just waiting.”
Hollywood-based hip-hop and pop artist Andre Xcellence believes things will get worse. He has purchased protective masks, hand sanitizers and other things to fend off illness. And he canceled a Feb. 8 trip to Washington, D.C., for the funeral of a close friend.
Advertisement
“We had been friends for 15 years and it hurt,” he said. “Some people probably thought I was crazy. But since then, I think they’ve seen I made the right decision. Doesn’t mean it was an easy choice.”
He has also canceled a birthday celebration trip to Australia and one to Brazil, just as that country was confirming its first case of coronavirus.
Still, the disease has inspired him to write a song about it, titled “Wu Flu Pandemic.” Xcellence, who will only say he is in his early 30s, said he’s released the single to raise more awareness about coronavirus.
“I see my friends out there on social media just blissfully unaware of what’s going on in the world,” he said.
On Friday, John Tyler McClain, a 32-year-old East Hollywood resident, was getting ready for a flight to Boston for a family reunion. The trip had been in the works for a decade, and McClain said he hadn’t seen some of his relatives in years.
But with only hours before his plane was scheduled to take off, he was wavering on whether to go.
McClain said it wasn’t so much that he worried about becoming ill. He just didn’t want to be grounded 3,000 miles away if an outbreak occurred in Boston.
“I don’t worry about contracting the coronavirus,” the writing assistant said. “I just get worried about being stuck on the East Coast if they cancel flights. Or not being able to come back home.”
In the end, McClain decided to stay home.
Jane Shay Wald, a partner emeritus of a Century City law firm, was excited about attending the 142nd annual International Trademark Assn. meeting late April in Singapore. For years, it has been one of her favorite events to attend because she gets to see friends and peers from around the world.
Then, on Feb. 14, the association emailed guests. The event would be moved from Singapore to a still-to-be-determined U.S. city in May or June, the email said.
“This decision follows the evolving developments, continuing uncertainty, and global concerns regarding the coronavirus, as well as guidance from the Singapore Ministry of Health,” the message read.
Wald said after the change, she heard from many people who said they would not make the trip to the U.S.
“Often, this is the only time I will see many of these people who I have fostered friendships that have spanned years,” she said. “We talk about more than just work, but about our families and our lives. And now that’s not going to happen.”
For Li and Liu, who are producers of small films, canceling the wedding that they expected would finally see her father walking her down the aisle and unite their family was not an option. The couple decided to postpone the ceremony until August.
A White House proclamation issued Jan. 31 banned travel for people like Li’s parents. The couple had mistakenly believed that her parents would be granted an “immediate family” exemption.
But Li and Liu soon discovered a snag in the fine print: Her parents would have qualified for the exemption only had Li been younger than 21 and unmarried.
“Once we read the fine print, we were like, ‘There goes any possibility of them coming,’” Liu said.
On Feb. 4, the couple sent an email to wedding guests announcing the postponement. But Li’s anxiety over her parents did not ease. They were essentially stuck in Hefei.
“I read so many things every day and I was just really worried about my parents’ health and also their mental status,” she said. “You know they’re confined, almost like under a house arrest.”
Times staff writer Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report.