latimes--2020-04-24--California effort will employ restaurant workers to provide meals for seniors amid coronavirus crisi

California effort will employ restaurant workers to provide meals for seniors amid coronavirus crisis

Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the state will soon launch a far-reaching program to provide three meals a day to California seniors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic , partnering with local officials to employ out-of-work restaurant workers with funding largely provided by the federal government .
“ This partnership will allow for the ability for restaurants to start rehiring people , or keep people currently employed , and start preparing meals — three meals a day , seven days a week — and have those meals delivered to our seniors , all throughout the state of California , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the governor said is the first of its kind in the nation , was hinted at earlier this month when he announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had agreed to reimburse costs related to helping provide seniors with food .
Newsom said the program could help as many as 1.2 million older Californians who live alone .
And he said the effort will also ensure that those seniors have someone they can turn to on a regular basis for any other needs that might arise .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said during his midday news briefing .
“ It ’ s about a human connection , about someone just checking in as they ’ re delivering those meals and making sure people are OK. ” Jot Condie , president of the California Restaurant Assn.
, said the program could provide a major boost for restaurants that have either closed or scaled back their operations during the pandemic to take-out and curbside service .
He said he hopes owners of dining establishments will be able to enlist for the program in as little as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is not going to be a shortage of restaurants that will apply , ” Condie said .
“ The supply is there.
” Newsom said the program will provide each senior $ 66 a day for the meals and that it will be focused on those who are at “ high risk for exposure ” to COVID-19 or have an income of no more than 600 % of the federal poverty level , or about $ 76,500 a year .
It will be up to county and city officials across California to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Newsom administration official said Friday .
Those local governments are expected to pay restaurants for the meals , later to be reimbursed for most costs by the state and by FEMA .
The governor touted a separate benefit of the program Friday : The food sales are subject to sales tax , a portion of which returns to local government coffers .
“ We ’ re just very excited about this partnership , ” Newsom said .
The program provides specific daily spending limits for the meals — $ 16 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 28 per dinner and another $ 5 for incidental costs .
Newsom said seniors who wish to participate can get more information from the 211 phone system in their area or the state ’ s COVID-19 website .
There will be state-required nutritional guidelines for the meals , a mandate that Condie said wouldn ’ t be difficult to meet .
“ Any restaurateur with a good cook in the kitchen can do that .
They are great at adapting menus , ” he said .
The announcement comes as California passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order in hopes of slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus .
On Friday , Newsom again insisted that the effort is working and urged the state ’ s residents to continue to practice physical distancing — especially this weekend , as warm weather is expected to draw many outdoors .
The program is expected to remain in place even after the broad stay-at-home orders are lifted , as state officials believe vulnerable seniors will still be required to remain in their homes as much as possible .
“ We know we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim McCoy Wade , director of the California Department of Aging .
“ That ’ s why we ’ re so excited today by the partnership with our restaurants .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will soon launch a far-reaching program to provide three meals a day to California seniors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with local officials to employ out-of-work restaurant workers with funding largely provided by the federal government.
“This partnership will allow for the ability for restaurants to start rehiring people, or keep people currently employed, and start preparing meals — three meals a day, seven days a week — and have those meals delivered to our seniors, all throughout the state of California,” Newsom said Friday.
The program, which the governor said is the first of its kind in the nation, was hinted at earlier this month when he announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had agreed to reimburse costs related to helping provide seniors with food. Newsom said the program could help as many as 1.2 million older Californians who live alone. And he said the effort will also ensure that those seniors have someone they can turn to on a regular basis for any other needs that might arise.
“It’s not just about the meals,” he said during his midday news briefing. “It’s about a human connection, about someone just checking in as they’re delivering those meals and making sure people are OK.”
Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Assn., said the program could provide a major boost for restaurants that have either closed or scaled back their operations during the pandemic to take-out and curbside service. He said he hopes owners of dining establishments will be able to enlist for the program in as little as a few days’ time.
“There is not going to be a shortage of restaurants that will apply,” Condie said. “The supply is there.”
Newsom said the program will provide each senior $66 a day for the meals and that it will be focused on those who are at “high risk for exposure” to COVID-19 or have an income of no more than 600% of the federal poverty level, or about $76,500 a year.
It will be up to county and city officials across California to set up the details of the program, a Newsom administration official said Friday. Those local governments are expected to pay restaurants for the meals, later to be reimbursed for most costs by the state and by FEMA. The governor touted a separate benefit of the program Friday: The food sales are subject to sales tax, a portion of which returns to local government coffers.
“We’re just very excited about this partnership,” Newsom said.
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The program provides specific daily spending limits for the meals — $16 per breakfast, $17 per lunch, $28 per dinner and another $5 for incidental costs. Newsom said seniors who wish to participate can get more information from the 211 phone system in their area or the state’s COVID-19 website.
There will be state-required nutritional guidelines for the meals, a mandate that Condie said wouldn’t be difficult to meet.
“Any restaurateur with a good cook in the kitchen can do that. They are great at adapting menus,” he said.
The announcement comes as California passes the six-week mark of the statewide stay-at-home order in hopes of slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Friday, Newsom again insisted that the effort is working and urged the state’s residents to continue to practice physical distancing — especially this weekend, as warm weather is expected to draw many outdoors.
The program is expected to remain in place even after the broad stay-at-home orders are lifted, as state officials believe vulnerable seniors will still be required to remain in their homes as much as possible.
“We know we can’t tolerate hunger,” said Kim McCoy Wade, director of the California Department of Aging. “That’s why we’re so excited today by the partnership with our restaurants.”


latimes--2020-04-24--In a poor corner of Bay Area, pandemic has yet to rage. Is that due to little testing?

By all accounts amid this pandemic , the city of Richmond should be sitting at the precipice of disaster .
Situated between the Berkeley Hills and the San Francisco Bay , Richmond is a densely populated community predominated largely by people of color , high unemployment and a large transient population .
Its roughly 110,000 residents have limited access to emergency healthcare , and they live in the shadow of a Chevron refinery and just down the road from four others — increasing their chances of respiratory distress , a risk factor for people sick with COVID-19 .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the kind of outbreaks documented in other parts of Contra Costa County .
Community advocates think there is a reason for that .
There ’ s been little testing in Richmond and other economically challenged , isolated cities and towns around the state .
“ I don ’ t think we really know what is going on , ” said Claudia Jimenez , a political activist in Richmond , who said that roughly half of the city ’ s residents live in rentals , and more than 60 % are African American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom for several days has vowed to increase coronavirus testing and medical care in 86 “ testing deserts ” statewide , places that have little access to health services .
As of Thursday , his office had not released names of communities that would get the testing , the quantity of testing and how quickly tests would be offered .
Contra Costa County officials said Thursday that they were taking steps to create four new testing sites , including one in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But county officials said they haven ’ t heard any news about state testing in Richmond or elsewhere .
Richmond and West Contra Costa were dealt a blow in 2016 , when the region ’ s only hospital , Doctors Medical Center , closed .
That spawned fears that health conditions would deteriorate and make the population even more vulnerable to diseases , including viral infections .
There is a Kaiser center in Richmond that offers emergency services .
The closest trauma center is in Walnut Creek , a 25-mile drive that winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Area announced its first confirmed coronavirus case on Jan. 31 , there were concerns that communities such as West Contra Costa would be hit hard .
So far , Richmond seems to be holding .
As of Friday , the city accounted for just 83 of Contra Costa ’ s 763 positively identified cases .
As of April 1 , at least three people have died in the city .
The numbers on layoffs , as well as missed rent and mortgage payments , are also unclear .
A drive-through tour of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops were closed , and like elsewhere in the nation , the streets appeared relatively empty .
People seemed to be indoors , or outside on their lawns , tending to their gardens , or in their driveways working on their cars .
On Wednesday morning , scores of cars were lined up along the west side of 23rd Street , slowly inching south toward the Richmond High School entryway .
They were in line to receive bags of food — containing produce , prepackaged meals and milk — from school officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School District is providing three meals a day to every person under 18 — regardless of school attendance .
Since the shelter-in-place rules began in the Bay Area on March 16 , more than 500,000 meals have been handed out , said Barbara Jellison , food coordinator for the district .
Seventy-two percent of the kids in the district — which includes 54 schools across five cities — qualify for free lunch ; 92 % at the high school .
According to Richmond High ’ s principal , Jose De Leon , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , roughly 400 have been there for less than two years .
Statistics from New York to California show that African Americans and Latinos are more likely to die from the disease than whites or Asians .
They are also more likely to contract it , largely because they are over-represented in high-risk industries , such as support staff in nursing homes , postal work and restaurant service .
Many are unable to shelter in place at home .
“ The alarming COVID-19 mortality rate in America ’ s communities of color can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access and resources , ” said Tracey Brown , chief executive of the American Diabetes Assn.
, in a statement .
“ Those with the fewest resources are the least likely to have access to quality health care , and COVID-19 testing is no exception.
” A new report from the Commonwealth Fund , a nonpartisan public policy foundation , found that in communities with high densities of black residents , both coronavirus case counts and deaths were higher than in communities with fewer .
For instance , while only a third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classified as having a high concentration of black residents , more than half of all COVID-19 cases and more than 60 % of deaths occurred in those counties .
“ The results are stunning , ” said Laurie Zephyrin , an expert in vulnerable populations with the Commonwealth Fund .
“ What we are seeing unfold in front of us is really a compounding of already existing disparities that are heightened when you add a pandemic to the mix.
” Jimenez , who was working from home on Wednesday morning , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her two children , Antonio , 11 , and Alicia , 6 , worked on their school lessons in her living room , and her husband , Eli Moore , fielded work calls from their bedroom , she noted the demographics that make the city susceptible : a high level of unemployment , around 15 % — and that was before the pandemic — and a large number of foreign born residents , roughly 35 % .
She also brought up the recent drop in oil prices .
Although she ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Richmond , which sits right next to a Chevron refinery , she recognizes the oil company is a major employer in the city .
And with the industry so battered right now , she suspects the city ’ s major employer is going to start laying people off .
“ Chevron ’ s U.S. refineries are currently making adjustments to their operational plans to match their production with the lower market demand , ” said Sean Comey , a Chevron spokesman , when asked about the refinery ’ s status and production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest employer , other businesses in Richmond — many of which are minority owned — are suffering , too , said Jimenez .
At Rich City Rides , on MacDonald Avenue , owner Najari Smith said he ’ s had to reduce hours , and the shop is now closed two days a week .
In recent days , however , he said things have started to tick up .
“ I think people are riding their bikes more , ” he said .
“ If it ’ s a choice between sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , or riding alone on your bike , people are choosing to ride.
” But for Miguel Garcia , finding enough money to make his rent is major concern .
On Thursday , Garcia was standing in the parking lot at the Home Depot in El Cerrito , on the border of Richmond .
He was one of dozens of day laborers in the lot , looking for work in landscaping , painting or minor construction .
He said that before the pandemic , he ’ d usually get work three or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of $ 15 an hour .
But now , “ there ’ s nothing , ” he said , speaking through a red bandanna tied around his face .
“ People are afraid to have us in their home.
” He lives in an apartment in Richmond with his son , daughter and 5-year-old granddaughter .
And while his family was able to make the rent on April 1 , he ’ s not sure they ’ ll have the $ 2,100 they need for May .
On Tuesday night , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council meeting agenda that would have suspended all rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the shelter-in-place orders .
It was voted down .
However , , which prohibits all evictions during this time , still stands .
Garcia , who came here 14 years ago from Guatemala , said if things get worse , he may have to go back .
“ I can ’ t believe I ’ m saying this , but things may be better there.
” When he heard about the food service offered by the schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter to let her know .
Los Angeles Times reporter Susanne Rust and photographer Carolyn Cole are embarking on a road journey throughout California .
They aim to give voice to those in remote parts of the state as they grapple with the worst health and economic calamity of our lifetimes .

By all accounts amid this pandemic, the city of Richmond should be sitting at the precipice of disaster.
Situated between the Berkeley Hills and the San Francisco Bay, Richmond is a densely populated community predominated largely by people of color, high unemployment and a large transient population.
For the record: The original version of this story misstated the unemployment rate in Richmond. As of March, it was 4.3%. The percent of population below the poverty line was around 15%.
Its roughly 110,000 residents have limited access to emergency healthcare, and they live in the shadow of a Chevron refinery and just down the road from four others — increasing their chances of respiratory distress, a risk factor for people sick with COVID-19.
So far, however, Richmond hasn’t seen the kind of outbreaks documented in other parts of Contra Costa County. Community advocates think there is a reason for that. There’s been little testing in Richmond and other economically challenged, isolated cities and towns around the state.
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“I don’t think we really know what is going on,” said Claudia Jimenez, a political activist in Richmond, who said that roughly half of the city’s residents live in rentals, and more than 60% are African American or Latino — two groups that have elsewhere have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic.
From Point Richmond you can look across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Gov. Gavin Newsom for several days has vowed to increase coronavirus testing and medical care in 86 “testing deserts” statewide, places that have little access to health services. As of Thursday, his office had not released names of communities that would get the testing, the quantity of testing and how quickly tests would be offered.
Contra Costa County officials said Thursday that they were taking steps to expand four new testing sites, including one in San Pablo, next door to Richmond. But county officials said they haven’t heard any news about state testing in Richmond or elsewhere.
Richmond and West Contra Costa were dealt a blow in 2016, when the region’s only hospital, Doctors Medical Center, closed. That spawned fears that health conditions would deteriorate and make the population even more vulnerable to diseases, including viral infections.
There is a Kaiser center in Richmond that offers emergency services. The closest trauma center is in Walnut Creek, a 25-mile drive that winds through congested Oakland.
Since the Bay Area announced its first confirmed coronavirus case on Jan. 31, there were concerns that communities such as West Contra Costa would be hit hard. So far, Richmond seems to be holding.
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As of Friday, the city accounted for just 83 of Contra Costa’s 763 positively identified cases. As of April 25, there have been at least 25 deaths in the county. The numbers on layoffs, as well as missed rent and mortgage payments, are also unclear.
A drive-through tour of the city on Wednesday and Thursday indicated many shops were closed, and like elsewhere in the nation, the streets appeared relatively empty. People seemed to be indoors, or outside on their lawns, tending to their gardens, or in their driveways working on their cars.
On Wednesday morning, scores of cars were lined up along the west side of 23rd Street, slowly inching south toward the Richmond High School entryway.
They were in line to receive bags of food — containing produce, prepackaged meals and milk — from school officials and volunteers.
Rocio Bahena hands out boxes of food at Richmond High School, where 6,000 meals were distributed April 22. Bahena normally works as a food service aide in one of the elementary schools. Her husband was laid off and now she is the only provider for her family of four. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The West Contra Costa Unified School District is providing three meals a day to every person under 18 — regardless of school attendance.
Since the shelter-in-place rules began in the Bay Area on March 16, more than 500,000 meals have been handed out, said Barbara Jellison, food coordinator for the district.
“We’ve been pretty busy,” Jellison said.
Seventy-two percent of the kids in the district — which includes 54 schools across five cities — qualify for free lunch; 92% at the high school.
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According to Richmond High’s principal, Jose De Leon, of the 1,500 children that attend his school, roughly 400 have been there for less than two years.
Richmond High School Principal Jose DeLeon said that of the 1,500 students who attend his school, roughly 400 have been there for less than two years. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Statistics from New York to California show that African Americans and Latinos are more likely to die from the disease than whites or Asians. They are also more likely to contract it, largely because they are over-represented in high-risk industries, such as support staff in nursing homes, postal work and restaurant service. Many are unable to shelter in place at home.
“The alarming COVID-19 mortality rate in America’s communities of color can be directly attributed to problems with health access and resources,” said Tracey Brown, chief executive of the American Diabetes Assn., in a statement. “Those with the fewest resources are the least likely to have access to quality health care, and COVID-19 testing is no exception.”
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan public policy foundation, found that in communities with high densities of black residents, both coronavirus case counts and deaths were higher than in communities with fewer.
Coronavirus Journal Two Times journalists are embarking on a journey throughout California to cover the nation’s most populous and diverse state during the coronavirus crisis. More Stories
For instance, while only a third of the U.S. population lives in 681 counties classified as having a high concentration of black residents, more than half of all COVID-19 cases and more than 60% of deaths occurred in those counties.
“The results are stunning,” said Laurie Zephyrin, an expert in vulnerable populations with the Commonwealth Fund. “What we are seeing unfold in front of us is really a compounding of already existing disparities that are heightened when you add a pandemic to the mix.”
In Richmond, the Chevron refinery is one of the major employers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Jimenez, who was working from home on Wednesday morning, said she was concerned about her city.
As her two children, Antonio, 11, and Alicia, 6, worked on their school lessons in her living room, and her husband, Eli Moore, fielded work calls from their bedroom, she noted the demographics that make the city susceptible: a high percent of the population below the poverty level, around 15% — and that was before the pandemic — and a large number of foreign-born residents, roughly 35%.
She also brought up the recent drop in oil prices.
Although she’s been concerned for years about the air quality in Richmond, which sits right next to a Chevron refinery, she recognizes the oil company is a major employer in the city.
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And with the industry so battered right now , she suspects the city’s major employer is going to start laying people off.
“Chevron’s U.S. refineries are currently making adjustments to their operational plans to match their production with the lower market demand,” said Sean Comey, a Chevron spokesman, when asked about the refinery’s status and production output.
In Richmond, 6-year-old Alicia Moore won’t be attending kindergarten for the rest of the school year. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
And while Chevron is the largest employer, other businesses in Richmond — many of which are minority owned — are suffering, too, said Jimenez.
At Rich City Rides, on MacDonald Avenue, owner Najari Smith said he’s had to reduce hours, and the shop is now closed two days a week.
In recent days, however, he said things have started to tick up.
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“I think people are riding their bikes more,” he said. “If it’s a choice between sitting in a bus with lots of other people, or riding alone on your bike, people are choosing to ride.”
But for Miguel Garcia, finding enough money to make his rent is major concern.
On Thursday, Garcia was standing in the parking lot at the Home Depot in El Cerrito, on the border of Richmond.
He was one of dozens of day laborers in the lot, looking for work in landscaping, painting or minor construction. He said that before the pandemic, he’d usually get work three or four days a week, at a rate of $15 an hour.
At Home Depot in El Cerrito, Miguel Garcia, originally from Guatemala, said that before the pandemic he would get work three or four days a week earning $15 per hour. But now, “there’s nothing.” He is supporting a family of four and worried how he will be able to pay his rent, which is over $2,000 per month. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
But now, “there’s nothing,” he said, speaking through a red bandanna tied around his face. “People are afraid to have us in their home.”
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He lives in an apartment in Richmond with his son, daughter and 5-year-old granddaughter. And while his family was able to make the rent on April 1, he’s not sure they’ll have the $2,100 they need for May.
On Tuesday night, two city councilmen introduced an item onto the council meeting agenda that would have suspended all rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the shelter-in-place orders. It was voted down. However, an emergency order from March 17 , which prohibits all evictions during this time, still stands.
Garcia, who came here 14 years ago from Guatemala, said if things get worse, he may have to go back. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but things may be better there.”
When he heard about the food service offered by the schools, he brightened, and called his daughter to let her know.
Times staff writer Anita Chabria contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times reporter Susanne Rust and photographer Carolyn Cole are embarking on a road journey throughout California. They aim to give voice to those in remote parts of the state as they grapple with the worst health and economic calamity of our lifetimes.


latimes--2020-04-24--Keep California stay-at-home order for as long as needed, vast majority say in new poll

Despite several protests over California ’ s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of coronavirus , a new poll shows the vast majority of residents support the restrictions .
Among those polled , 75 % want the order to continue as long as it ’ s needed , according to a California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey .
Only 11 % wanted to stop the stay-at-home order , while 13 % had no opinion .
Among low-income residents , support was even stronger : 78 % support the stay-at-home order and only 3 % oppose it .
The majority polled also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials , such as wearing masks , avoiding trips and staying at least six feet apart .
The poll involved more than 1,000 interviews between April 17 and April 22 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points .
California was the first state to issue stay-at-home orders , and experts have said it has helped the state bend the coronavirus curve .
California has seen far fewer coronavirus deaths than hot spots like New York and New Jersey , and hospitals have not been overwhelmed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gavin Newsom to begin lifting the restrictions .
The governor has so far rejected those calls , saying it ’ s too soon and that reopening now could do lasting damage .
Newsom on Wednesday of coronavirus testing capability throughout California , saying the findings will be critical to deciding when to ease the stay-at-home order and allow people to return to work .
The Newsom administration last week highlighted the order .
In addition to increased testing , they include acquiring the ability to prevent infection of high-risk people ; preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet demand ; ensuring schools , businesses and child-care facilities can support social distancing ; and developing guidelines for when to ask Californians to stay home again if necessary .
“ I deeply recognize , deeply understand the desire for people to hear directly from the administration , from the state and its leadership , about the answer to when , when can we go back to some semblance of normalcy , ” Newsom said Wednesday .
“ If we pull back too quickly , those numbers will go through the roof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t think any of the people , in their goodwill and the spirit in which they are wanting to loosen things up , want to see those numbers increase.
” Protesters have said it ’ s time to reopen the economy and ease the rules .
But many medical experts and officials in California have said there could be grave repercussions to reopening businesses too early .
A new Associated Press poll Americans support the stay-at-home orders in place in most states , seeing them as helpful in combating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
For example , a poll of 1,990 voters showed that 81 % supported continuing social distancing for as long as needed .
Only 10 % supported ending social distancing to stimulate the economy .

Alex Wigglesworth, Luke Money, Andrew J. Campa

Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Despite several protests over California’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of coronavirus, a new poll shows the vast majority of residents support the restrictions.
Among those polled, 75% want the order to continue as long as it’s needed, according to a California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey. Only 11% wanted to stop the stay-at-home order, while 13% had no opinion. Among low-income residents, support was even stronger: 78% support the stay-at-home order and only 3% oppose it.
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The majority polled also said they are following various guidance from health officials, such as wearing masks, avoiding trips and staying at least six feet apart.
The poll involved more than 1,000 interviews between April 17 and April 22 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
California was the first state to issue stay-at-home orders, and experts have said it has helped the state bend the coronavirus curve. California has seen far fewer coronavirus deaths than hot spots like New York and New Jersey, and hospitals have not been overwhelmed by patients.
Some communities have asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to begin lifting the restrictions. The governor has so far rejected those calls, saying it’s too soon and that reopening now could do lasting damage.
Newsom on Wednesday announced an expansion of coronavirus testing capability throughout California, saying the findings will be critical to deciding when to ease the stay-at-home order and allow people to return to work.
The Newsom administration last week highlighted six key indicators for altering the order. In addition to increased testing, they include acquiring the ability to prevent infection of high-risk people; preparing hospitals to handle surges; developing therapies to meet demand; ensuring schools, businesses and child-care facilities can support social distancing; and developing guidelines for when to ask Californians to stay home again if necessary.
“I deeply recognize, deeply understand the desire for people to hear directly from the administration, from the state and its leadership, about the answer to when, when can we go back to some semblance of normalcy,” Newsom said Wednesday.
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“If we pull back too quickly, those numbers will go through the roof,” he warned. “And I don’t think any of the people, in their goodwill and the spirit in which they are wanting to loosen things up, want to see those numbers increase.”
Protesters have said it’s time to reopen the economy and ease the rules. But many medical experts and officials in California have said there could be grave repercussions to reopening businesses too early.
A new Associated Press poll found an overwhelming majority of Americans support the stay-at-home orders in place in most states, seeing them as helpful in combating the coronavirus outbreak.


latimes--2020-04-24--California coronavirus cases top 40,000, with nearly half in L.A. County

The number of coronavirus cases in California surpassed 40,000 on Friday as a weekend heat wave threatened to drive crowds to the state ’ s beaches .
Nearly half of the state ’ s cases are in Los Angeles County , which reported 1,035 additional COVID-19 patients on Friday and 52 new deaths .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , also reported an additional two deaths and 22 cases Friday , bringing the county ’ s total to 850 deaths and 18,539 cases .
Of the latest L.A. County deaths , 43 patients were over 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-40 , and three victims ’ ages were unavailable .
The majority of them had underlying health conditions , according to Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director .
“ Those of you who are grieving the loss of a loved one from COVID-19 , we are really sorry for your loss and we wish you and your family peace , ” Ferrer said .
The number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes and other institutional settings had soared to 5,339 at 293 facilities , Ferrer said , including 3,847 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincides with an increase in testing in those facilities , leading to infections identified among asymptomatic people .
A total of 365 residents who lived in institutional settings have died from COVID-19 , with the majority of them nursing home residents , Ferrer said .
They now account for 43 % of the deaths in L.A. County .
In a bid to slow the virus ’ spread among vulnerable populations , the county ’ s health officer , Dr. Muntu Davis , will be issuing a new order requiring that all licensed group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents and suspend communal dining and activities .
Both residents and staff at the facilities will be required to wear face coverings , Ferrer said .
Institutions now are required to conduct testing for all residents and staff , whether symptomatic or not , a process that will begin Monday , Ferrer said .
She said that facilities with the most severe outbreaks will be prioritized for the stepped-up testing .
Medical teams from the California National Guard also have been dispatched to five skilled nursing facilities in L.A. County to assist with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The eight-member teams arrived earlier this week at the Eastland Subacute and Rehab center in El Monte , the Pasadena Meadows Nursing Center in Pasadena , the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills , the Gardena Convalescent Center in Gardena and the Hollywood Premiere Healthcare Center in Los Angeles , said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma , director of public affairs for the California National Guard .
They will stay for as long as is necessary , and other teams may be dispatched if the need arises , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came in response to a request from the county Department of Public Health that the state help with staffing at some of the skilled nursing facilities that have been hard hit by coronavirus outbreaks .
“ As we ’ ve identified staff that are sick or staff that are positive with COVID-19 , they need to stay out of the workplace for an extended period of time , and in places where there are outbreaks , that can mean there are dozens of employees that are appropriately not coming to work , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have staffing issues in all nursing homes where we ’ ve had significant outbreaks.
” As of Friday , more than 108,000 people across the county had been tested for the coronavirus and received their results , with about 15 % testing positive , Ferrer said .
There currently are 1,858 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in L.A. County , with 30 % in intensive care and 19 % on ventilators , Ferrer said .
She said that while the overall number of cases has increased over the last few weeks , those indicators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw its worst one-day fatality total Wednesday , and the rate of new cases , after seeming to flatten , is rising amid more widely available testing .
More than 39,600 cases have been reported across California , with a 5 % increase from Thursday to Friday , and more than 1,500 people have died across the state .
Ninety-three people died in California on Thursday alone , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Friday .
“ Those should be sobering and cautionary statistics as it relates to the desire that we all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normalcy and answer the question of when that will happen , ” he said .
Still , he said , hospitalizations have remained basically flat at 3,344 COVID-19 patients .
Of those , 1,216 are in intensive care , an increase of just 1 % from the day before , Newsom said .
Meanwhile , county officials said Friday that they are developing a plan to slowly ease stay-at-home orders , but four key benchmarks must first be met .
“ We don ’ t want to undo all the good we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said .
“ We are not yet on the other side of this pandemic and we don ’ t want to prematurely ease restrictions.
” She said that the county will first need to make sure that its hospitals maintain capacity to treat both people who are sick and those with standard medical needs .
That includes ensuring the hospitals are adequately staffed , have enough resources to perform testing , and have a sufficient number of ventilators and other medical supplies to handle routine care as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the county will need to make sure that protections are in place for those who are most vulnerable , including the elderly , homeless people and those who live in institutional settings or don ’ t have access to services , Barger said .
Third , the county must have the capacity to test , isolate and quarantine all those who are ill , as well as to conduct surveillance to prevent further spread , she said .
And fourth , the county must maintain physical distancing and infection control measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and guidance to ensure that the rules can be followed when they reopen , she said .
“ Ultimately , we want to make sure that as many people return to work as safely and as quickly as possible , ” Barger said .
“ If we meet the guidelines I shared , we can prevent or limit the spread of COVID-19 when we loosen physical distancing measures.
” The coronavirus became the leading cause of death in Los Angeles County on Thursday as the number of fatalities continued to climb statewide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 surpassed 50,000 on Friday .
Even though California has been bending the coronavirus curve , and seeing a far less dire toll than places such as New York and New Jersey , the continuing spike in cases and deaths is one of several factors keeping officials from moving toward easing any of the social distancing rules .
Newsom reiterated Thursday that it is too early to lift those rules and urged people to stay home despite this week ’ s heat wave .
With Los Angeles beaches closed and potential record temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people could flock to beaches in neighboring Ventura and Orange counties , which have reopened portions of their shorelines .
Ferrer has said repeatedly that the beaches must remain closed to prevent an overflow of visitors who might be carrying the potentially deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus .
She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd beaches in other counties .
“ We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying .
We know it ’ s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your own yard or your own neighborhood , ” Ferrer told the media Wednesday .
To do otherwise , she said , would increase the risk of bringing the infection to L.A. “ And we absolutely don ’ t need that.
” Cooling centers will be open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Los Angeles at the Lincoln Heights Recreation Center , the Mid-Valley Senior Center in Panorama City , the Robert M. Wilkinson Multipurpose Center in Northridge and the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center .
A full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the county ’ s website .
All of those going to the centers to cool off will need to adhere to social distancing guidelines and keep their mouth and nose covered , according to the office of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti .
Nurses will screen clients before they enter .
Public officials and those patrolling beaches say that compliance with the shutdown has been high , with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking the county beach ban .
Politicians including Garcetti and Newsom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cite for hunkering down longer to slow the coronavirus .
Most recently , survey results released Friday indicate the vast majority of California residents support the restrictions .
Among those polled , 75 % want the order to continue as long as it ’ s needed , according to a California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey .
Only 11 % wanted to stop the stay-at-home order , while 13 % had no opinion .
Among low-income residents , support was even stronger : 78 % support the stay-at-home order and only 3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they are following various guidance from health officials , such as wearing masks , avoiding trips and staying at least six feet apart .
The poll involved more than 1,000 interviews between April 17 and April 22 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points .
The governor said those who do choose to be outdoors this weekend should visit only open locations and ensure they remain physically separated from others as has been done over the last five weeks since he imposed a statewide stay-at-home order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , Newsom said , he fears he ’ ll soon be reporting a sizable increase in the number of confirmed cases and possibly hospitalizations .
“ I don ’ t think anybody wants to hear that .
I don ’ t want to share that information .
But that ’ s really less up to me , it ’ s more up to all of you , ” he said .
On Wednesday , Newsom said most of the six milestones he set to consider loosening the stay-at-home order he issued last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only change the governor has made is to allow some elective surgeries to again be scheduled in hospitals , citing sufficient capacity .
“ It will be those indicators that drive our decision-making , ” he said Thursday .
“ Not dates .
We don ’ t debate dates .
We look at the facts objectively.
” Wigglesworth , Fry and Rainey reported from Southern California ; McGreevy and Myers from Northern California .
Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report .

Alex Wigglesworth, Hannah Fry, Patrick McGreevy, John Myers, James Rainey

The number of coronavirus cases in California surpassed 40,000 on Friday as a weekend heat wave threatened to drive crowds to the state’s beaches.
Nearly half of the state’s cases are in Los Angeles County, which reported 1,035 additional COVID-19 patients on Friday and 52 new deaths. Long Beach, which has its own health department, also reported an additional two deaths and 22 cases Friday, bringing the county’s total to 850 deaths and 18,539 cases.
Of the latest L.A. County deaths, 43 patients were over 65, seven were 41-65, one was 18-40, and three victims’ ages were unavailable. The majority of them had underlying health conditions, according to Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director.
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“Those of you who are grieving the loss of a loved one from COVID-19, we are really sorry for your loss and we wish you and your family peace,” Ferrer said.
The number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes and other institutional settings had soared to 5,339 at 293 facilities, Ferrer said, including 3,847 residents and 1,492 staff. The rise coincides with an increase in testing in those facilities, leading to infections identified among asymptomatic people.
A total of 365 residents who lived in institutional settings have died from COVID-19, with the majority of them nursing home residents, Ferrer said. They now account for 43% of the deaths in L.A. County.
In a bid to slow the virus’ spread among vulnerable populations, the county’s health officer, Dr. Muntu Davis, will be issuing a new order requiring that all licensed group healthcare facilities limit entry to workers and residents and suspend communal dining and activities. Both residents and staff at the facilities will be required to wear face coverings, Ferrer said.
Institutions now are required to conduct testing for all residents and staff, whether symptomatic or not, a process that will begin Monday, Ferrer said. She said that facilities with the most severe outbreaks will be prioritized for the stepped-up testing.
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Medical teams from the California National Guard also have been dispatched to five skilled nursing facilities in L.A. County to assist with staffing shortages due to coronavirus outbreaks.
The eight-member teams arrived earlier this week at the Eastland Subacute and Rehab center in El Monte, the Pasadena Meadows Nursing Center in Pasadena, the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, the Gardena Convalescent Center in Gardena and the Hollywood Premiere Healthcare Center in Los Angeles, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, director of public affairs for the California National Guard.
They will stay for as long as is necessary, and other teams may be dispatched if the need arises, he said.
Ferrer said that the deployment came in response to a request from the county Department of Public Health that the state help with staffing at some of the skilled nursing facilities that have been hard hit by coronavirus outbreaks.
“As we’ve identified staff that are sick or staff that are positive with COVID-19, they need to stay out of the workplace for an extended period of time, and in places where there are outbreaks, that can mean there are dozens of employees that are appropriately not coming to work,” she said. “So we do have staffing issues in all nursing homes where we’ve had significant outbreaks.”
As of Friday, more than 108,000 people across the county had been tested for the coronavirus and received their results, with about 15% testing positive, Ferrer said.
There currently are 1,858 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in L.A. County, with 30% in intensive care and 19% on ventilators, Ferrer said. She said that while the overall number of cases has increased over the last few weeks, those indicators have remained fairly stable.
The state saw its worst one-day fatality total Wednesday, and the rate of new cases, after seeming to flatten, is rising amid more widely available testing. More than 39,600 cases have been reported across California, with a 5% increase from Thursday to Friday, and more than 1,500 people have died across the state. Ninety-three people died in California on Thursday alone, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday.
“Those should be sobering and cautionary statistics as it relates to the desire that we all have to get back to some semblance of normalcy and answer the question of when that will happen,” he said.
Still, he said, hospitalizations have remained basically flat at 3,344 COVID-19 patients. Of those, 1,216 are in intensive care, an increase of just 1% from the day before, Newsom said.
Meanwhile, county officials said Friday that they are developing a plan to slowly ease stay-at-home orders, but four key benchmarks must first be met.
“We don’t want to undo all the good we’ve done and accomplished so far,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. “We are not yet on the other side of this pandemic and we don’t want to prematurely ease restrictions.”
She said that the county will first need to make sure that its hospitals maintain capacity to treat both people who are sick and those with standard medical needs. That includes ensuring the hospitals are adequately staffed, have enough resources to perform testing, and have a sufficient number of ventilators and other medical supplies to handle routine care as well as possible influxes of COVID-19 patients.
Second, the county will need to make sure that protections are in place for those who are most vulnerable, including the elderly, homeless people and those who live in institutional settings or don’t have access to services, Barger said.
Third, the county must have the capacity to test, isolate and quarantine all those who are ill, as well as to conduct surveillance to prevent further spread, she said.
And fourth, the county must maintain physical distancing and infection control measures, including by providing businesses with educational materials and guidance to ensure that the rules can be followed when they reopen, she said.
“Ultimately, we want to make sure that as many people return to work as safely and as quickly as possible,” Barger said. “If we meet the guidelines I shared, we can prevent or limit the spread of COVID-19 when we loosen physical distancing measures.”
The coronavirus became the leading cause of death in Los Angeles County on Thursday as the number of fatalities continued to climb statewide. Nationwide, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 50,000 on Friday.
Even though California has been bending the coronavirus curve, and seeing a far less dire toll than places such as New York and New Jersey, the continuing spike in cases and deaths is one of several factors keeping officials from moving toward easing any of the social distancing rules.
Newsom reiterated Thursday that it is too early to lift those rules and urged people to stay home despite this week’s heat wave.
With Los Angeles beaches closed and potential record temperatures expected, some officials have raised concerns that people could flock to beaches in neighboring Ventura and Orange counties, which have reopened portions of their shorelines.
Ferrer has said repeatedly that the beaches must remain closed to prevent an overflow of visitors who might be carrying the potentially deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd beaches in other counties.
“We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying. We know it’s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home, or stay outside [in] your own yard or your own neighborhood,” Ferrer told the media Wednesday. To do otherwise, she said, would increase the risk of bringing the infection to L.A. “And we absolutely don’t need that.”
During his live nightly briefing on Friday, Mayor Eric Garcetti acknowledged that this weekend’s hot weather would create a temptation for the public. But he implored residents to stay home — no golf, no tennis, no beach — saying one bad weekend could “reverse a month of work” fighting the spread coronavirus.
“A day or two of fun, leading to weeks more of us being in our homes and not being able to go out, simply isn’t worth it,” he said.
Garcetti said Angelenos who need to cool off can visit the city’s four cooling centers, which will be open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The locations are the Lincoln Heights Recreation Center, the Mid-Valley Senior Center in Panorama City, the Robert M. Wilkinson Multipurpose Center in Northridge and the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center. A full list of L.A. County locations is available on the county’s website.
Those who visit L.A.’s cooling centers will need to adhere to social distancing guidelines and keep their mouth and nose covered, according to Garcetti’s office. Nurses will screen clients before they enter.
Public officials and those patrolling beaches say that compliance with the shutdown has been high, with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking the county beach ban. Politicians including Garcetti and Newsom, as well as the L.A. County supervisors, cite polls showing public support for hunkering down longer to slow the coronavirus.
Most recently, survey results released Friday indicate the vast majority of California residents support the restrictions.
Among those polled, 75% want the order to continue as long as it’s needed, according to a California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey. Only 11% wanted to stop the stay-at-home order, while 13% had no opinion. Among low-income residents, support was even stronger: 78% support the stay-at-home order and only 3% oppose it.
The majority polled also said they are following various guidance from health officials, such as wearing masks, avoiding trips and staying at least six feet apart.
The poll involved more than 1,000 interviews between April 17 and April 22 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The governor said those who do choose to be outdoors this weekend should visit only open locations and ensure they remain physically separated from others as has been done over the last five weeks since he imposed a statewide stay-at-home order. If Californians don’t do that, Newsom said, he fears he’ll soon be reporting a sizable increase in the number of confirmed cases and possibly hospitalizations.
“I don’t think anybody wants to hear that. I don’t want to share that information. But that’s really less up to me, it’s more up to all of you,” he said.
On Wednesday, Newsom said most of the six milestones he set to consider loosening the stay-at-home order he issued last month have not been met. The only change the governor has made is to allow some elective surgeries to again be scheduled in hospitals , citing sufficient capacity.
“It will be those indicators that drive our decision-making,” he said Thursday. “Not dates. We don’t debate dates. We look at the facts objectively.”
Wigglesworth, Fry and Rainey reported from Southern California; McGreevy and Myers from Northern California. Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-24--First big heat wave of the year hits Southern California and L.A. County beaches are closed

Some Orange County beaches are open as the of the year hits Southern California .
While people visiting O.C .
@ @ @ @ @ get on the sand and in the water , with proper social distancing , the @ @ @ @ @ .
And officials are urging outsiders to stay away .
That might be hard : @ @ @ @ @ ( as well as trails and recreation areas ) remain closed .
So Orange County @ @ @ @ @ up being a big draw .
The shutdown of beaches from Malibu to the Orange @ @ @ @ @ a reminder of privileges that the county ’ s 10 million residents may have taken @ @ @ @ @ friction created when those privileges disappear and of the unequal access citizens have to the @ @ @ @ @ .
Public officials and those patrolling the L.A. County beaches say that compliance with the @ @ @ @ @ with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking @ @ @ @ @

Some Orange County beaches are open as the region’s first big heat wave of the year hits Southern California.
While people visiting O.C. beaches will be able to get on the sand and in the water, with proper social distancing, the parking lots will remain closed. And officials are urging outsiders to stay away.
That might be hard: Most Los Angeles County beaches (as well as trails and recreation areas) remain closed. So Orange County’s shores might end up being a big draw.
The shutdown of beaches from Malibu to the Orange County border is serving as a reminder of privileges that the county’s 10 million residents may have taken for granted, of the friction created when those privileges disappear and of the unequal access citizens have to the ocean and other open spaces.
Public officials and those patrolling the L.A. County beaches say that compliance with the shutdown has been high, with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking the county beach ban.
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Zuma Beach
Closed: Lifeguard towers sit on an empty Zuma Beach in Malibu. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Corral Beach
Closed: Los Angeles County lifeguards ask a couple to leave Corral Beach in Malibu. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Venice Beach
Closed: Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Closed: The setting sun casts a dark golden hue over Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Manhattan Beach
Closed: A lone figure walks onto a closed Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Hermosa Beach
Closed: A visitor walks near the Strand, which has been closed in Hermosa Beach, and a statue of Dewey Weber. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Huntington Beach
Open: Beachgoers enjoying warm summer-like weather appear to be keeping their distance in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Open: Cailin Healy of Calabasas, center right, and a friend take a selfie together in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
San Clemente
Open: John and Jamie Garcia, of La Habra, celebrate Jamie’s birthday by relaxing in loungers at the Beachcomber Inn with a view of an empty beach and closed pier in San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Open: A couple takes in a sunset together near the San Clemente Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Hueneme Beach
Open: Sisters Emily, 7, and Hazel Enholm, 4, spent the day at Hueneme Beach, which had a soft opening as Ventura County modified its pandemic restrictions. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Open: People enjoy the surf and sand at Hueneme Beach in Ventura County. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-04-24--Stunning video shows dozens of oil tankers off L.A. coast with nowhere to go

Video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows a flotilla of oil tankers anchored off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect global demand for oil .
Dozens of tankers — each the length of two or three football fields — are seen lining the Southern California coast .
The Coast Guard has increased its presence around nearly 30 ships that are acting mostly as floating storage tanks for oil .
The crude product is going unused as closures of businesses and restrictions on travel — meant to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falloff in demand for oil .
“ The supply chain is being backed up , and tankers are now being used to store product that would have originally gone out to the supply chain , ” said Scott Lauermann , a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute .
Oil prices crashed at the start of the week , with one benchmark falling below zero — traders were paying others to take it off their hands — but have since regained some of that ground .
Prior to the pandemic , the world demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day .
Some estimates say the global demand is now down by 30 million barrels a day , Lauermann said .
Officials say it ’ s not usual for the Coast Guard to keep an eye on critical ships entering Southern California ’ s ports .
It is not clear how long the vessels will remain off the coast .
“ Due to the unique nature of this situation , the Coast Guard is constantly evaluating and adapting our procedures to ensure the safety of the vessels at anchor and the protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marshall Newberry from Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach said in a statement .

Video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows a flotilla of oil tankers anchored off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect global demand for oil.
Dozens of tankers — each the length of two or three football fields — are seen lining the Southern California coast.
The Coast Guard has increased its presence around nearly 30 ships that are acting mostly as floating storage tanks for oil. The crude product is going unused as closures of businesses and restrictions on travel — meant to slow the spread of the virus — continue to cause a falloff in demand for oil.
“The supply chain is being backed up, and tankers are now being used to store product that would have originally gone out to the supply chain,” said Scott Lauermann, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute.
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Oil prices crashed at the start of the week, with one benchmark falling below zero — traders were paying others to take it off their hands — but have since regained some of that ground.
Prior to the pandemic, the world demand for oil was roughly 100 million barrels per day. Some estimates say the global demand is now down by 30 million barrels a day, Lauermann said.
Officials say it’s not usual for the Coast Guard to keep an eye on critical ships entering Southern California’s ports. It is not clear how long the vessels will remain off the coast.
“Due to the unique nature of this situation, the Coast Guard is constantly evaluating and adapting our procedures to ensure the safety of the vessels at anchor and the protection of the surrounding environment,” Cmdr. Marshall Newberry from Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach said in a statement.


latimes--2020-04-24--Why face shields may be better coronavirus protection than masks alone

Officials hope the widespread wearing of face coverings will help slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Scientists say the masks are intended more to protect other people , rather than the wearer , keeping saliva from possibly infecting strangers .
But health officials say more can be done to protect essential workers .
Dr. James Cherry , a UCLA infectious diseases expert , said supermarket cashiers and bus drivers who aren ’ t otherwise protected from the public by plexiglass barriers should actually be wearing face shields .
Face shields are more effective than masks in protecting the wearer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why are masks not that great at protecting the wearer ?
Masks and similar face coverings are often itchy , causing people to touch the mask and their face , said Cherry , primary editor of the “ Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
” That ’ s bad because the mask wearer can contaminate their hands with infected secretions from the nose and throat .
It ’ s also bad because the wearer might infect themselves if they touch a contaminated surface , like a door handle , and then touch their face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face shields be better ?
“ Touching the mask screws up everything , ” Cherry said .
“ The masks itch , so they ’ re touching them all the time .
Then they rub their eyes .
... That ’ s not good for protecting themselves , ” and can infect others if the wearer is contagious .
He said when their nose itches , people tend to rub their eyes .
Respiratory viruses can infect a person not only through the mouth and nose but also through the eyes .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not easy to get up and rub your eyes or nose and you don ’ t have any incentive to do it ” because the face shield doesn ’ t cause you to feel itchy , Cherry said .
Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health , said face shields would be helpful for those who come in contact with lots of people every day .
“ A face shield would be a very good approach that one could consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a cashier or something like this with lots of people coming by , ” he said .
Cherry and Kim-Farley said plexiglass barriers that separate cashiers from the public are a good alternative .
The barriers do the job of preventing infected droplets from hitting the eyes , Kim-Farley said .
He said masks should still be used to prevent the inhalation of any droplets .
What does L.A. County ’ s top public health official say about wearing face shields ?
Barbara Ferrer , director of the Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that healthcare institutions are still having problems procuring enough personal protective equipment to protect those working with sick people .
She urged that face shields be reserved for healthcare workers for now .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s a bad idea for others to be able to use face shields .
I just would urge people to — if you can make your own , go ahead and make your own , ” Ferrer said .
“ Otherwise , could you just wait a little while longer while we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they need to take care of the rest of us ?
” Are there any reports showing how masks ’ usefulness might be limited ?
Face masks don ’ t protect wearers from the virus from getting into their eyes , and there ’ s only limited evidence of the benefits of wearing face masks by the general public , experts quoted in BMJ , formerly known as the British Medical Journal , said recently .
Cherry pointed to several older studies that he said show the limits of face masks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn .
in 1986 showed that only 5 % of goggle-wearing hospital staff in New York who entered the hospital room of infants with respiratory illness were infected by a common respiratory virus .
Without the goggles , 28 % were infected .
The goggles appeared to serve as a barrier reminding nurses , doctors and staff to not rub their eyes or nose , the study said .
The eyewear also acted as a barrier to prevent infected bodily fluids from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an infant was cuddled .
A similar study , coauthored by Cherry and published in the American Journal of Disease of Children in 1987 , showed only 5 % of healthcare workers at UCLA Medical Center using masks and goggles were infected by a respiratory virus .
But when no masks or goggles were used , 61 % were infected .
And a separate study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 1981 found that the use of masks and gowns at a hospital in Denver did not seem to help protect healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ’ s the latest advice on how to wear a face covering ?
The California Department of Public Health says that the public should wash their hands before and after touching a face covering or adjusting it .
State officials suggest laundering cloth face coverings after each use or at least daily with hot water and drying on a hot cycle , and if you must rewear a used face covering , “ wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face.
” State officials said people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer cover the nose and mouth , are stretched out , have damaged ties or straps , can not stay on the face or have holes or tears in the fabric .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings , such as the grocery store , when it ’ s hard to stay six feet from anyone else and says people “ should be careful not to touch their eyes , nose , and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be helpful ?
One expert quoted by the BMJ said lessening the dispersal of infected saliva from someone ’ s mouth might help slow the spread of the virus .
“ If an aerosol droplet hits the weave of the mask fabric rather than the hole , it is clearly arrested , ” Ian Jones , a professor of virology at the University of Reading , told BMJ .
“ They are not a cure , but they address the longer , flatter epidemic curve everyone is trying to achieve.
” Why some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helpful While a number of counties in California have required the wearing of face coverings in essential businesses , including Los Angeles County and most San Francisco Bay Area counties , some have not .
Dr. Robert Levin , Ventura County ’ s health officer , has wondered publicly how beneficial wearing cloth face coverings really is .
Earlier this month , he urged the public to wear them when leaving the home if they would be around other people .
But Levin said this week he ’ d rather people working and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear paper masks instead of homemade cloth masks .
The problem , however , is the severe shortage of medical-grade masks .
“ There is a question about the homemade masks — the face coverings — and how effective they are , ” Levin said at this week ’ s Board of Supervisors meeting .
“ It has been shown that after laundering a cloth mask several times , the pores become so big that it really loses its effectiveness , ” Levin said .
Furthermore , he added : “ At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cough or even speak in a loud voice , organisms come through a cloth mask.
” He also doubted people were washing their face coverings daily , as suggested by the state Department of Public Health .
“ That doesn ’ t happen .
We don ’ t launder our masks every day .
Who does that ?
” Levin said .
“ Some people might.
” Levin said he intends to make public a list of pros and cons of wearing cloth face coverings soon .
What ’ s the most important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general public , keeping away from other people by at least six feet and staying at home as much as possible is still the best way to protect yourself , Cherry said .

Officials hope the widespread wearing of face coverings will help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Scientists say the masks are intended more to protect other people, rather than the wearer, keeping saliva from possibly infecting strangers.
But health officials say more can be done to protect essential workers. Dr. James Cherry, a UCLA infectious diseases expert, said supermarket cashiers and bus drivers who aren’t otherwise protected from the public by plexiglass barriers should actually be wearing face shields.
Face shields are more effective than masks in protecting the wearer from viral infection, Cherry said.
Advertisement
Why are masks not that great at protecting the wearer?
Masks and similar face coverings are often itchy, causing people to touch the mask and their face, said Cherry, primary editor of the “Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.”
That’s bad because mask wearers can contaminate their hands with infected secretions from the nose and throat. It’s also bad because wearers might infect themselves if they touch a contaminated surface, like a door handle, and then touch their face before washing their hands.
Why might face shields be better?
“Touching the mask screws up everything,” Cherry said. “The masks itch, so they’re touching them all the time. Then they rub their eyes. ... That’s not good for protecting themselves,” and can infect others if the wearer is contagious.
He said when their nose itches, people tend to rub their eyes.
Respiratory viruses can infect a person not only through the mouth and nose but also through the eyes.
A face shield can help because “it’s not easy to get up and rub your eyes or nose and you don’t have any incentive to do it” because the face shield doesn’t cause you to feel itchy, Cherry said.
Advertisement
Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said face shields would be helpful for those who come in contact with lots of people every day.
“A face shield would be a very good approach that one could consider in settings where you’re going to be a cashier or something like this with lots of people coming by,” he said.
Cherry and Kim-Farley said plexiglass barriers that separate cashiers from the public are a good alternative. The barriers do the job of preventing infected droplets from hitting the eyes, Kim-Farley said. He said masks should still be used to prevent the inhalation of any droplets.
What does L.A. County’s top public health official say about wearing face shields?
Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said Thursday that healthcare institutions are still having problems procuring enough personal protective equipment to protect those working with sick people. She urged that face shields be reserved for healthcare workers for now.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for others to be able to use face shields. I just would urge people to — if you can make your own, go ahead and make your own,” Ferrer said. “Otherwise, could you just wait a little while longer while we make sure that our healthcare workers have what they need to take care of the rest of us?”
Are there any reports showing how masks’ usefulness might be limited?
Face masks don’t protect wearers from the virus getting into their eyes, and there’s only limited evidence of the benefits of wearing face masks by the general public, experts quoted in BMJ, formerly known as the British Medical Journal, said recently.
Cherry pointed to several older studies that he said show the limits of face masks and the strengths of keeping the eyes protected.
One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. in 1986 showed that only 5% of goggle-wearing hospital staff in New York who entered the hospital room of infants with respiratory illness were infected by a common respiratory virus. Without the goggles, 28% were infected.
The goggles appeared to serve as a barrier reminding nurses, doctors and staff to not rub their eyes or nose, the study said. The eyewear also acted as a barrier to prevent infected bodily fluids from being transmitted to the healthcare worker when an infant was cuddled.
A similar study, coauthored by Cherry and published in the American Journal of Disease of Children in 1987, showed that only 5% of healthcare workers at UCLA Medical Center using masks and goggles were infected by a respiratory virus. But when no masks or goggles were used, 61% were infected.
A separate study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 1981 found that the use of masks and gowns at a hospital in Denver did not seem to help protect healthcare workers from getting a viral infection.
What’s the latest advice on how to wear a face covering?
The California Department of Public Health says that the public should wash their hands before and after touching a face covering or adjusting it. State officials suggest laundering cloth face coverings after each use or at least daily with hot water and drying on a hot cycle, and if you must rewear a used face covering, “wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face.”
State officials said people should discard cloth face coverings that no longer cover the nose and mouth, are stretched out, have damaged ties or straps, cannot stay on the face or have holes or tears in the fabric.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings, such as grocery stores, when it’s hard to stay six feet from anyone else and says people “should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.”
Why might face coverings be helpful?
One expert quoted by BMJ said lessening the dispersal of infected saliva from someone’s mouth might help slow the spread of the virus.
“If an aerosol droplet hits the weave of the mask fabric rather than the hole, it is clearly arrested,” Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, told BMJ. “They are not a cure, but they address the longer, flatter epidemic curve everyone is trying to achieve.”
Why some experts doubt cloth face coverings may be helpful
While a number of counties in California have required the wearing of face coverings in essential businesses, including Los Angeles County and most San Francisco Bay Area counties, some have not.
Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County’s health officer, has wondered publicly how beneficial wearing cloth face coverings really is. Earlier this month, he urged the public to wear them when leaving the home if they would be around other people.
But Levin said this week he’d rather people working and shopping at, say, grocery stores wear paper masks instead of homemade cloth masks. The problem, however, is the severe shortage of medical-grade masks.
“There is a question about the homemade masks — the face coverings — and how effective they are,” Levin said at this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
“It has been shown that after laundering a cloth mask several times, the pores become so big that it really loses its effectiveness,” Levin said. Furthermore, he added: “At least half the time when people sneeze or cough or even speak in a loud voice, organisms come through a cloth mask.”
He also doubted people were washing their face coverings daily, as suggested by the state Department of Public Health. “That doesn’t happen. We don’t launder our masks every day. Who does that?” Levin said. “Some people might.”
Levin said he intends to make public a list of pros and cons of wearing cloth face coverings soon.
What’s the most important thing to keep in mind?
For the general public, keeping away from other people by at least six feet and staying at home as much as possible is still the best way to protect yourself, Cherry said.
Lin reported from San Francisco; Mason from Los Angeles.