latimes--2020-11-24--Scams led California to send COVID jobless benefits to Scott Peterson, death row inmates

San Quentin inmate Scott Peterson , convicted of killing his wife and unborn son , was sent California unemployment benefits in recent months , according to a group of state and federal prosecutors who have been investigating fraud in the pandemic relief system administered by the state Employment Development Department .
So was convicted serial killer Cary Stayner , who in 1999 murdered two women and two girls near Yosemite and now is jailed , near Peterson , on death row .
Also allegedly approved for an unemployment debit card : Isauro Aguirre , sentenced to death in 2018 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fernandez .
Nine district attorneys across California and a federal prosecutor on Tuesday made these allegations and called for Gov .
Gavin Newsom to intervene to stop such unemployment swindling in California jails and prisons — which may involve tens of thousands of questionable claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars — though they said they were uncertain if the high-profile claimants were victims of a scam or participants .
Pat Harris , Peterson ’ s attorney , said he was “ absolutely certain Scott was not involved , and any investigation will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation “ the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history , ” according to a letter obtained by The Times , describing crimes that involve identity theft of prisoners as well as alleged conspiracies by individual inmates and organized gangs to game the state system .
“ It is a manifest problem that can not be ignored , and the governor needs to take steps to address it , ” said McGregor Scott , U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California .
The prosecutors contend that the fraud is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by other states that check inmate data against unemployment claims .
They asked Newsom to step in to “ turn off the spigot ” of payments to incarcerated people , contending that EDD ’ s response to their investigations has been “ slow to nonexistent , ” according to Sacramento County Dist .
Atty .
Anne Marie Schubert , who helped form and lead a task force on the issue .
“ EDD , it ’ s just a dysfunctional mess , ” said El Dorado County Dist .
Atty .
Vern Pierson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and president of the California District Attorneys Assn .
Newsom on Tuesday said the fraud was “ absolutely unacceptable ” and announced his own task force to aid district attorneys and coordinate California ’ s anti-fraud efforts , adding that the state has already started comparing inmate rolls to pandemic benefit claims .
“ Earlier this year , I launched a strike team to expedite unemployment payments and to minimize abuse of the system , ” Newsom said in a statement .
“ While we have made improvements , we need to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out claims from incarcerated people who are ineligible and is “ pursuing how to integrate such cross-matches moving forward , ” said Loree Levy , a spokeswoman for the agency .
Though few dispute the need for unemployment aid during an unprecedented economic downturn — and the potential need for further stimulus money — the latest allegations highlight ongoing problems with EDD that have left many questioning the agency ’ s ability to administer the massive number of new claims .
So far , investigations have uncovered more than $ 400,000 in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 140 million to other incarcerated people in California ’ s 35 prisons , according to Schubert .
“ The murderers and rapists and human traffickers should not be getting this money , ” said Schubert .
“ It needs to stop.
” Dist .
Atty .
Cynthia Zimmer of Kern County — which has five prisons , the most of any county in California — called the scope of the scams shocking .
Zimmer said her office had found about $ 16 million in allegedly fraudulent claims in her county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prosecutor for 36 years , ” she said .
“ I have never seen fraud of this magnitude.
” To be eligible to receive unemployment benefits , claimants must be actively seeking work and be available to accept work , a standard that prison inmates are typically unable to meet .
Schubert and Zimmer said the alleged fraud was taking multiple forms ; some claims may have been submitted by inmates directly or by family and friends to whom they gave their personal information .
Other inmates may be unwitting victims .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been found , prosecutors said , including possible involvement of prison gangs .
Charges have been filed in a handful of cases , but prosecutors say hundreds of investigations are ongoing .
Because the cases are complex and may involve thousands of incarcerated individuals in multiple jurisdictions — some making claims are imprisoned in counties other than where their payments are sent — prosecutors said individual counties , especially small and rural ones where some prisons are located , couldn ’ t handle the burden of investigations .
Federal prosecutors have helped piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and district attorneys now are asking for more state help to handle the workload .
But Pierson , the El Dorado district attorney , said he and others had been told that EDD has only 17 fraud investigators statewide .
“ At the line level , ” he said , “ they are trying to do their best , but they don ’ t have adequate resources or support.
” The potential fraud came to light after district attorneys in Los Angeles , Lassen and San Mateo counties uncovered questionable claims coming from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from monitoring recorded phone conversations of inmates while investigating unrelated crimes , said multiple sources familiar with the investigations .
Investigators also noticed large money orders being sent to inmates .
Riverside Dist .
Atty .
Mike Hestrin said the scheme works typically by someone on the outside doing the paperwork .
The payments usually go to an address outside of prison .
Once the cash card is obtained , the person on the outside puts some of the funds into the inmate ’ s prison account , where it can be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and stamps .
“ One guy on a telephone call bragged he just bought a $ 400 watch for his mother thanks to the state , ” Hestrin said .
San Mateo County Dist .
Atty .
Stephen Wagstaffe , who is not a member of the task force but whose investigators uncovered such fraud months ago , said he believed the problem was “ dramatically wide.
” Wagstaffe said charges had been filed against 22 people in his jurisdiction for applying for benefits while incarcerated or helping an inmate to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years in prison .
He said four of those defendants had pleaded guilty so far .
In one instance , the alleged fraudster was a convicted murderer awaiting transfer to state prison and , once transferred , continued the scam , Wagstaffe said .
In another case , a suspect disappeared after posting bond on a $ 1-million bail order , some of which Wagstaffe suspects was paid with EDD funds , he said .
“ It ’ s such an easy scam to do , ” said Wagstaffe .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott , the federal prosecutor , said unemployment fraud in prisons is a national problem , and 10 assistant U.S. attorneys have been hired in recent months specifically to investigate it , including one in California .
In August , Pennsylvania U.S. Atty .
Scott W. Brady and Pennsylvania Atty .
Gen. Josh Shapiro charged 33 people , including inmates at eight state and county jails and prisons in western Pennsylvania and their accomplices , with illegally obtaining Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act unemployment benefits .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file a subpoena on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor to compel the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to release a list of all incarcerated people .
The Department of Labor compared that list with unemployment insurance data from March to August , according to the letter , and found that more than 35,000 inmates had filed claims , and more than 20,000 had been paid .
One unidentified inmate was paid more than $ 48,000 .
The data showed that 133 California death row inmates had 158 claims in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 19,000 so far , according to the letter to the governor .
Schubert said prosecutors are asking state authorities to ensure that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , which has been helping with the investigations , regularly shares identifying data such as Social Security numbers with EDD to help weed out fraudulent claims — a system used by 35 other states , she said .
Twenty-eight states also share that data at the county jail level , according to the letter .
CDCR spokeswoman Dana Simas said the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department , the U.S. Department of Labor and the local district attorneys to stop these illegal activities inside state prisons .
We will continue to partner with the local district attorneys to provide whatever resources and information are needed to investigate and prosecute this latest development.
” State legislators have been raising alarms for months about suspected fraud in the growing unemployment benefits program , which has paid out an unprecedented $ 110 billion on 9 million claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March .
Just last month , the EDD said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containing benefits had been frozen because of suspicious activity , including cases where dozens of claims were filed using a single address .
The agency has a backlog of about 580,000 claims that it has not paid because they are stuck in processing .
“ The ineptitude at EDD knows no bounds , ” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris ( D-Laguna Beach ) , chairwoman of the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee .
“ This latest report of widespread EDD fraud by inmates is particularly outrageous , because this is a very simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ languish and the pandemic continues to wreak havoc with the economy , prosecutors are frustrated that little has changed .
“ Really , at this point stopping the bleed is the most important thing , because the fraud is continuing , ” said Fresno County Dist .
Atty .
Lisa Smittcamp , who has found about 860 questionable claims from inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison , amounting to about $ 3.6 million .
“ These are just random cash cards they are sending out , and they are being completely irresponsible with @ @ @ @

Anita Chabria, Patrick McGreevy, Richard Winton

San Quentin inmate Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife and unborn son, was sent California unemployment benefits in recent months, according to a group of state and federal prosecutors who have been investigating fraud in the pandemic relief system administered by the state Employment Development Department.
So was convicted serial killer Cary Stayner, who in 1999 murdered two women and two girls near Yosemite and now is jailed, near Peterson, on death row.
Also allegedly approved for an unemployment debit card: Isauro Aguirre, sentenced to death in 2018 for the torture and death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.
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Nine district attorneys across California and a federal prosecutor on Tuesday made these allegations and called for Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene to stop such unemployment swindling in California jails and prisons — which may involve tens of thousands of questionable claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars — though they said they were uncertain if the high-profile claimants were victims of a scam or participants.
Pat Harris, Peterson’s attorney, said he was “absolutely certain Scott was not involved, and any investigation will clear him.”
The district attorneys called the situation “the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history,” according to a letter obtained by The Times, describing crimes that involve identity theft of prisoners as well as alleged conspiracies by individual inmates and organized gangs to game the state system.
“It is a manifest problem that cannot be ignored, and the governor needs to take steps to address it,” said McGregor Scott, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California.
The prosecutors contend that the fraud is preventable with systems such as those used by other states that check inmate data against unemployment claims. They asked Newsom to step in to “turn off the spigot” of payments to incarcerated people, contending that EDD’s response to their investigations has been “slow to nonexistent,” according to Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, who helped form and lead a task force on the issue.
“EDD, it’s just a dysfunctional mess,” said El Dorado County Dist. Atty. Vern Pierson, a member of the task force and president of the California District Attorneys Assn.
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Newsom on Tuesday said the fraud was “absolutely unacceptable” and announced his own task force to aid district attorneys and coordinate California’s anti-fraud efforts, adding that the state has already started comparing inmate rolls to pandemic benefit claims.
“Earlier this year, I launched a strike team to expedite unemployment payments and to minimize abuse of the system,” Newsom said in a statement. “While we have made improvements, we need to do more.”
EDD is attempting to weed out claims from incarcerated people who are ineligible and is “pursuing how to integrate such cross-matches moving forward,” said Loree Levy, a spokeswoman for the agency.
Though few dispute the need for unemployment aid during an unprecedented economic downturn — and the potential need for further stimulus money — the latest allegations highlight ongoing problems with EDD that have left many questioning the agency’s ability to administer the massive number of new claims.
California California says 350,000 debit cards for unemployment benefits frozen over fraud fears Faced with a deluge of fraudulent unemployment claims, California officials said Thursday that 350,000 of the debit cards they issued containing benefits have been frozen because of suspicious activity.
So far, investigations have uncovered more than $400,000 in state benefits paid to death row inmates and more than $140 million to other incarcerated people in California’s 35 prisons, according to Schubert.
“The murderers and rapists and human traffickers should not be getting this money,” said Schubert. “It needs to stop.”
Dist. Atty. Cynthia Zimmer of Kern County — which has five prisons, the most of any county in California — called the scope of the scams shocking. Zimmer said her office had found about $16 million in allegedly fraudulent claims in her county alone.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for 36 years,” she said. “I have never seen fraud of this magnitude.”
To be eligible to receive unemployment benefits, claimants must be actively seeking work and be available to accept work, a standard that prison inmates are typically unable to meet.
Schubert and Zimmer said the alleged fraud was taking multiple forms; some claims may have been submitted by inmates directly or by family and friends to whom they gave their personal information. Other inmates may be unwitting victims.
Instances of large-scale organized schemes have also been found, prosecutors said, including possible involvement of prison gangs. Charges have been filed in a handful of cases, but prosecutors say hundreds of investigations are ongoing.
Because the cases are complex and may involve thousands of incarcerated individuals in multiple jurisdictions — some making claims are imprisoned in counties other than where their payments are sent — prosecutors said individual counties, especially small and rural ones where some prisons are located, couldn’t handle the burden of investigations.
Federal prosecutors have helped piece together the scope of the problem, and district attorneys now are asking for more state help to handle the workload. But Pierson, the El Dorado district attorney, said he and others had been told that EDD has only 17 fraud investigators statewide.
“At the line level,” he said, “they are trying to do their best, but they don’t have adequate resources or support.”
The potential fraud came to light after district attorneys in Los Angeles, Lassen and San Mateo counties uncovered questionable claims coming from local jails and prisons, in part from monitoring recorded phone conversations of inmates while investigating unrelated crimes, said multiple sources familiar with the investigations. Investigators also noticed large money orders being sent to inmates.
Riverside Dist. Atty. Mike Hestrin said the scheme works typically by someone on the outside doing the paperwork. The payments usually go to an address outside of prison. Once the cash card is obtained, the person on the outside puts some of the funds into the inmate’s prison account, where it can be used to buy services and goods such as food and stamps.
“One guy on a telephone call bragged he just bought a $400 watch for his mother thanks to the state,” Hestrin said.
San Mateo County Dist. Atty. Stephen Wagstaffe, who is not a member of the task force but whose investigators uncovered such fraud months ago, said he believed the problem was “dramatically wide.” Wagstaffe said charges had been filed against 22 people in his jurisdiction for applying for benefits while incarcerated or helping an inmate to do so — felonies that could result in three years in prison. He said four of those defendants had pleaded guilty so far. In one instance, the alleged fraudster was a convicted murderer awaiting transfer to state prison and, once transferred, continued the scam, Wagstaffe said.
In another case, a suspect disappeared after posting bond on a $1-million bail order, some of which Wagstaffe suspects was paid with EDD funds, he said.
“It’s such an easy scam to do,” said Wagstaffe. “It spreads like wildfire among the inmates.”
Scott, the federal prosecutor, said unemployment fraud in prisons is a national problem, and 10 assistant U.S. attorneys have been hired in recent months specifically to investigate it, including one in California.
In August, Pennsylvania U.S. Atty. Scott W. Brady and Pennsylvania Atty. Gen. Josh Shapiro charged 33 people, including inmates at eight state and county jails and prisons in western Pennsylvania and their accomplices, with illegally obtaining Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits.
In California, Scott worked with district attorneys to file a subpoena on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor to compel the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to release a list of all incarcerated people. The Department of Labor compared that list with unemployment insurance data from March to August, according to the letter, and found that more than 35,000 inmates had filed claims, and more than 20,000 had been paid. One unidentified inmate was paid more than $48,000.
The data showed that 133 California death row inmates had 158 claims in their names, with one receiving more than $19,000 so far, according to the letter to the governor.
Schubert said prosecutors are asking state authorities to ensure that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which has been helping with the investigations, regularly shares identifying data such as Social Security numbers with EDD to help weed out fraudulent claims — a system used by 35 other states, she said. Twenty-eight states also share that data at the county jail level, according to the letter.
CDCR spokeswoman Dana Simas said the agency “has worked with the Employment Development Department, the U.S. Department of Labor and the local district attorneys to stop these illegal activities inside state prisons. We will continue to partner with the local district attorneys to provide whatever resources and information are needed to investigate and prosecute this latest development.”
State legislators have been raising alarms for months about suspected fraud in the growing unemployment benefits program, which has paid out an unprecedented $110 billion on 9 million claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. Just last month, the EDD said 350,000 of the debit cards it issued containing benefits had been frozen because of suspicious activity, including cases where dozens of claims were filed using a single address.
The agency has a backlog of about 580,000 claims that it has not paid because they are stuck in processing.
California Scammers could be targeting unemployment benefits in California, state warns Hit with a flood of more than 9 million applications for unemployment benefits, California is trying to identify which of them may be fraudulent.
“The ineptitude at EDD knows no bounds,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach), chairwoman of the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee. “This latest report of widespread EDD fraud by inmates is particularly outrageous, because this is a very simple problem to solve.”
But as claims languish and the pandemic continues to wreak havoc with the economy, prosecutors are frustrated that little has changed.
“Really, at this point stopping the bleed is the most important thing, because the fraud is continuing,” said Fresno County Dist. Atty. Lisa Smittcamp, who has found about 860 questionable claims from inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison, amounting to about $3.6 million. “These are just random cash cards they are sending out, and they are being completely irresponsible with taxpayer money.”


latimes--2020-11-24--Judge rejects plea by restaurant group to block L.A. County ban on outdoor dining

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge declined Tuesday morning to block a ban on outdoor dining from going into effect in Los Angeles County , rejecting an 11th-hour plea by the state ’ s leading restaurant group .
With outdoor dining across L.A. County set to shut down Wednesday night amid a continuing surge in new cases of the coronavirus , the California Restaurant Assn .
filed a lawsuit challenging the ban by county health officials and , as a first step , sought an emergency order from a judge halting the new rules from taking effect .
Attorneys for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue an order to stop the closures from going forward unless health officials can provide scientific evidence backing their decision to impose the dining ban .
Chalfant denied the request , calling the evidence the association presented “ insufficient ” to overturn the ban or to require the county to provide the data in his ruling .
The judge also said that in the absence of “ solid evidence ” from the association showing the dining ban was inappropriate , he would not schedule further hearings to consider whether the ban should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light , Chalfant said the association is free to bring it to him .
Jot Condie , CEO of the California Restaurant Assn.
, said he was disappointed the judge didn ’ t “ pump the brakes ” on the closure , but added that he was glad the court has left open a way for the case to move forward .
“ We are pleased that the court recognized our right to put the county to the test to prove that they have a scientific basis for the shutdown of outdoor dining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in requiring the county to offer that proof , ” Condie said in written statements following the decision .
County officials declined to comment , citing a policy not to discuss pending litigation .
As coronavirus cases spiked , county health officials announced on Sunday that they would be temporarily suspending outdoor dining at restaurants , dealing a blow to Los Angeles ’ already struggling restaurant and hospitality industry .
Under the new rules , which are slated to go into effect Wednesday night , all restaurants , breweries , wineries and bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving customers in outdoor settings for at least three weeks .
Indoor service has been prohibited since the spring .
In announcing the restrictions , health officials said they were necessary to cut down on places where large groups can gather and spread the virus .
Pasadena announced Monday that the city will allow restaurants to continue outdoor dining despite the county order .
The city has its own Department of Public Health that can issue independent orders , but has generally followed the lead of Los Angeles County .
“ We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point will not close down restaurants on Wednesday or the near future , ” said Lisa Derderian , spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena , following a City Council meeting Monday where the decision was made .
The city of Long Beach , which also has its own public health department , joined with the county and issued a new health order to prohibit on-site dining beginning Wednesday .
According to the California Restaurant Assn.
, restaurants can operate just as safely as other industries during the pandemic , and the impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners will be enormous .
“ There are thousands of restaurants and many thousands more employees who could be out on the street right before the holiday season , ” Condie said in a statement .
L.A. County officials had warned last week that the rule would be imposed if the five-day average of new cases hit 4,000 , or if hospitalizations topped 1,750 per day .
The five-day average reached 4,097 by Sunday , the Department of Public Health said , and hospitalizations stood at 1,473 on Saturday , an increase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks , ” Barbara Ferrer , the Los Angeles County public health director , said in a statement .

Diners eat at a restaurant in Redondo Beach. L.A. County will suspend dining at restaurants, even outdoors, starting Wednesday.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge declined Tuesday morning to block a ban on outdoor dining from going into effect in Los Angeles County, rejecting an 11th-hour plea by the state’s leading restaurant group.
With outdoor dining across L.A. County set to shut down Wednesday night amid a continuing surge in new cases of the coronavirus, the California Restaurant Assn. filed a lawsuit challenging the ban by county health officials and, as a first step, sought an emergency order from a judge halting the new rules from taking effect.
Attorneys for the association asked Judge James Chalfant to issue an order to stop the closures from going forward unless health officials can provide scientific evidence backing their decision to impose the dining ban. Chalfant denied the request, calling the evidence the association presented “insufficient” to overturn the ban or to require the county to provide the data in his ruling.
The judge also said that in the absence of “solid evidence” from the association showing the dining ban was inappropriate, he would not schedule further hearings to consider whether the ban should be overturned. If new evidence comes to light, Chalfant said the association is free to bring it to him.
Jot Condie, CEO of the California Restaurant Assn., said he was disappointed the judge didn’t “pump the brakes” on the closure, but added that he was glad the court has left open a way for the case to move forward.
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“We are pleased that the court recognized our right to put the county to the test to prove that they have a scientific basis for the shutdown of outdoor dining, and we plan to move forward in requiring the county to offer that proof,” Condie said in written statements following the decision.
County officials declined to comment, citing a policy not to discuss pending litigation.
As coronavirus cases spiked, county health officials announced on Sunday that they would be temporarily suspending outdoor dining at restaurants, dealing a blow to Los Angeles’ already struggling restaurant and hospitality industry.
Under the new rules, which are slated to go into effect Wednesday night, all restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars in the county will be barred from serving customers in outdoor settings for at least three weeks. Indoor service has been prohibited since the spring. In announcing the restrictions, health officials said they were necessary to cut down on places where large groups can gather and spread the virus.
Pasadena announced Monday that the city will allow restaurants to continue outdoor dining despite the county order. The city has its own Department of Public Health that can issue independent orders, but has generally followed the lead of Los Angeles County.
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“We will assess our data daily but at this point will not close down restaurants on Wednesday or the near future,” said Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, following a City Council meeting Monday where the decision was made.
The city of Long Beach, which also has its own public health department, joined with the county and issued a new health order to prohibit on-site dining beginning Wednesday.
According to the California Restaurant Assn., restaurants can operate just as safely as other industries during the pandemic, and the impact of a ban on food industry workers and owners will be enormous.
“There are thousands of restaurants and many thousands more employees who could be out on the street right before the holiday season,” Condie said in a statement.
California L.A. County suspends outdoor dining at restaurants as coronavirus surges L.A. County public health officials on Saturday announced they will issue an order suspending outdoor dining at restaurants amid a surge of new coronavirus cases.
L.A. County officials had warned last week that the rule would be imposed if the five-day average of new cases hit 4,000, or if hospitalizations topped 1,750 per day.
The five-day average reached 4,097 by Sunday, the Department of Public Health said, and hospitalizations stood at 1,473 on Saturday, an increase of 92% from a month before.
“The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks,” Barbara Ferrer, the Los Angeles County public health director, said in a statement.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-24--How should you celebrate Thanksgiving in California during the COVID-19 pandemic?

How should people try to manage a safer Thanksgiving amid the world ’ s worst pandemic in more than a century ?
Federal , state and local officials are urging people to stay home for Thanksgiving and not travel — whether it be a flight across the country or a walk down the street to a neighbor ’ s home — to avoid transmitting the coronavirus .
Here ’ s a summary of tips on how to have a safer holiday : Cancel your travel plans — it ’ s just not worth the risk “ The safest way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the people you live with , ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of public health for Los Angeles County .
“ Given the huge surge in cases across the country this past week , we strongly recommend that you only celebrate the holiday with people from your household and that you not gather at all with people from outside your household to eat this meal — even if you ’ re outdoors .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Gov .
Gavin Newsom have also urged people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Let ’ s just not see other households , ” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said .
“ Don ’ t travel across town because it seems like a short trip and all you ’ ve heard is you can ’ t travel nationally or regionally .
Don ’ t travel at all.
” Garcetti urged people to travel only for essential reasons or for family emergencies .
L.A. County officials have asked residents to stay at home as much as possible for the next few weeks and advised those who are medically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than going out .
College students , that goes for you , too College students returning home just for the Thanksgiving holiday is extraordinarily risky , experts say , especially if their households include people who are elderly or have medical issues like high blood pressure , diabetes , obesity , high cholesterol , or kidney and lung disease .
Even if they don ’ t feel sick , people with the virus can be highly contagious and infect others who could develop severe complications and possibly die from COVID-19 .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in just a few months , experts are imploring people to hold off on social gatherings for a while longer .
“ Obviously , the preference is for people not to be flying home for the holidays — for students or for others — at this point in time , ” said Ferrer .
She said some colleges are recommending that if students do return home for Thanksgiving , they stay there for the rest of the year and finish up the semester remotely online “ so that you ’ re not really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back.
” Quarantine if you plan an extended stay Newsom issued an advisory asking those who arrive in California from another state or country to self-quarantine for 14 days .
If people decide to travel anyway — such as college students returning home for the next month or two — Ferrer said they should quarantine themselves in a room alone for 14 days , avoid sharing a bathroom or clean it every time if they do share one , not eat with others in the household , and have people in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the students haven ’ t been able to quarantine for 14 days at their destination , Ferrer suggested they not take part in Thanksgiving festivities to reduce the chance of infecting others .
“ We still urge college students to please not return just for the Thanksgiving holiday , ” Ferrer said .
“ There may be some people that are returning and planning to stay here and they ’ re not going back to their schools — in which case they have plenty of time to do that 14-day self-quarantine.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trip , a 14-day quarantine is advised , and that means staying at home as much as possible , and not leaving to go to the grocery store or to restaurants .
Instead , people in quarantine should order food to be delivered , Ferrer said .
During quarantine , you can go out for a walk by yourself , said Ferrer , as long as you don ’ t come in contact with other people .
“ We don ’ t want you going to restaurants and sitting and eating outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you going into retail establishments , either , when we ’ ve asked you to quarantine.
” “ The tighter you can restrict your activities over those 14 days , the better off we all are , ” Ferrer said .
Don ’ t let a negative coronavirus test lull you into thinking you don ’ t have the virus without a full 14-day quarantine .
A negative result simply means the test hasn ’ t detected the virus in your body .
It ’ s possible that the virus is actually there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find it .
This can happen during the early stages of infection , when virus levels are too low to be detected .
.
That ’ s why a negative test does not give you a pass to end the 14-day quarantine early , Ferrer said .
“ Unfortunately , you can ’ t ‘ test out ’ of quarantine , as much as people would like to , ” Ferrer said .
“ Because it ’ s a 14-day incubation period , that really means that from the time of your last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the full 14 days for you to be able to actually test positive for the virus.
” When tests can be helpful Tests are particularly helpful , obviously , if you start to feel sick .
“ The quicker people are able to know that they ’ re a case , the quicker we can do contact tracing for people who may have had an exposure to you , ” Ferrer said , which helps warn people you ’ ve had close contact with that they might be infected and take action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Thanksgiving meal anyway with people from other households , how can you make it safer ?
California has announced the following mandatory requirements and recommendations for gatherings in counties in the most restrictive “ purple ” tier , which covers about 93 % of the state ’ s population : • Gatherings must be held outside and involve no more than three households .
L.A. County has a separate rule restricting such gatherings to no more than 15 people .
• The space must be large enough so that everyone can maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that don ’ t live in their household .
• Shared items should be minimized , and food and beverages must be served by someone wearing a face covering who should wash their hands often .
• Face coverings must be worn , and removed only when people are actively eating or drinking .
• Gatherings should be kept to two hours or less .
“ The longer the duration , the risk of transmission increases , ” the state says .

Travelers wearing masks arrive with their dog and luggage at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday as the Thanksgiving holiday getaway period gets underway.
How should people try to manage a safer Thanksgiving amid the world’s worst pandemic in more than a century?
Federal, state and local officials are urging people to stay home for Thanksgiving and not travel — whether it be a flight across the country or a walk down the street to a neighbor’s home — to avoid transmitting the coronavirus.
Here’s a summary of tips on how to have a safer holiday:
Cancel your travel plans — it’s just not worth the risk
Advertisement
“The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for Los Angeles County. “Given the huge surge in cases across the country this past week, we strongly recommend that you only celebrate the holiday with people from your household and that you not gather at all with people from outside your household to eat this meal — even if you’re outdoors.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have also urged people to stay with members of their households.
“Let’s just not see other households,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Don’t travel across town because it seems like a short trip and all you’ve heard is you can’t travel nationally or regionally. Don’t travel at all.”
Garcetti urged people to travel only for essential reasons or for family emergencies. L.A. County officials have asked residents to stay at home as much as possible for the next few weeks and advised those who are medically vulnerable to have groceries and food delivered rather than going out.
College students, that goes for you, too
College students returning home just for the Thanksgiving holiday is extraordinarily risky, experts say, especially if their households include people who are elderly or have medical issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, or kidney and lung disease.
Even if they don’t feel sick, people with the virus can be highly contagious and infect others who could develop severe complications and possibly die from COVID-19.
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With promising vaccines likely ready for wide distribution in just a few months, experts are imploring people to hold off on social gatherings for a while longer.
“Obviously, the preference is for people not to be flying home for the holidays — for students or for others — at this point in time,” said Ferrer.
She said some colleges are recommending that if students do return home for Thanksgiving, they stay there for the rest of the year and finish up the semester remotely online “so that you’re not really exposing lots more people when you come back.”
Quarantine if you plan an extended stay
Newsom issued an advisory asking those who arrive in California from another state or country to self-quarantine for 14 days.
If people decide to travel anyway — such as college students returning home for the next month or two — Ferrer said they should quarantine themselves in a room alone for 14 days, avoid sharing a bathroom or clean it every time if they do share one, not eat with others in the household, and have people in the home wear masks at all times indoors.
If the students haven’t been able to quarantine for 14 days at their destination, Ferrer suggested they not take part in Thanksgiving festivities to reduce the chance of infecting others.
“We still urge college students to please not return just for the Thanksgiving holiday,” Ferrer said. “There may be some people that are returning and planning to stay here and they’re not going back to their schools — in which case they have plenty of time to do that 14-day self-quarantine.”
California If you must travel over Thanksgiving, here is how to minimize your COVID-19 risk Airports, train stations and rest stops are places where people are at risk of being exposed to the virus, and it can be difficult to stay six feet away from others, as health experts strongly recommend.
For people returning home to California after a trip, a 14-day quarantine is advised, and that means staying at home as much as possible, and not leaving to go to the grocery store or to restaurants. Instead, people in quarantine should order food to be delivered, Ferrer said.
During quarantine, you can go out for a walk by yourself, said Ferrer, as long as you don’t come in contact with other people. “We don’t want you going to restaurants and sitting and eating outside. And we don’t want you going into retail establishments, either, when we’ve asked you to quarantine.”
“The tighter you can restrict your activities over those 14 days, the better off we all are,” Ferrer said.
Negative coronavirus tests can be misleading
Don’t let a negative coronavirus test lull you into thinking you don’t have the virus without a full 14-day quarantine.
A negative result simply means the test hasn’t detected the virus in your body. It’s possible that the virus is actually there and the test just didn’t find it. This can happen during the early stages of infection, when virus levels are too low to be detected. .
That’s why a negative test does not give you a pass to end the 14-day quarantine early, Ferrer said.
“Unfortunately, you can’t ‘test out’ of quarantine, as much as people would like to,” Ferrer said. “Because it’s a 14-day incubation period, that really means that from the time of your last exposure to the virus ... it could take the full 14 days for you to be able to actually test positive for the virus.”
When tests can be helpful
Tests are particularly helpful, obviously, if you start to feel sick. “The quicker people are able to know that they’re a case, the quicker we can do contact tracing for people who may have had an exposure to you,” Ferrer said, which helps warn people you’ve had close contact with that they might be infected and take action.
Lifestyle How to celebrate the holidays alone without feeling completely depressed Many of us will spend the holiday season the same way we’ve spent most of 2020: at home. Here are some ideas to make it special while staying safe.
If you do decide to hold a Thanksgiving meal anyway with people from other households, how can you make it safer?
California has announced the following mandatory requirements and recommendations for gatherings in counties in the most restrictive “purple” tier, which covers about 93% of the state’s population:


latimes--2020-11-24--With COVID cases spiraling, travelers into L.A. must sign a form acknowledging quarantine

As coronavirus cases continue to surge throughout Los Angeles , out-of-state travelers arriving in the city by air and train must now sign a form acknowledging the state ’ s 14-day quarantine advisory , Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday .
The new form will be required beginning Wednesday , in time for the last waves of Thanksgiving travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys airport , and on trains arriving at Union Station .
Signs will remind travelers of the requirement , and airlines will notify their passengers as well , Garcetti said .
Failure to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine of up to $ 500 .
“ If there ’ s any way you can avoid travel , cancel those plans , ” Garcetti said .
“ Emergencies and essential work travel should be the only excuse that we get on a plane anywhere right now.
” The form , available at , acknowledges that anyone traveling to California from other states or countries should self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions to their immediate household .
All travelers over the age of 16 must fill out the form by submitting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure comes as city and county leaders grapple with how to curb a growing surge in coronavirus cases across the state .
California logged 20,654 cases Monday , far surpassing the last daily peak of 13,400 .
Los Angeles County also recorded a new daily caseload record with more than 6,000 new cases .

People walk out of the secure area of Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX in March.
As coronavirus cases continue to surge throughout Los Angeles, out-of-state travelers arriving in the city by air and train must now sign a form acknowledging the state’s 14-day quarantine advisory, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday.
The new form will be required beginning Wednesday, in time for the last waves of Thanksgiving travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys airport, and on trains arriving at Union Station. Signs will remind travelers of the requirement, and airlines will notify their passengers as well, Garcetti said. Failure to fill out the form could result in a fine of up to $500.
“If there’s any way you can avoid travel, cancel those plans,” Garcetti said. “Emergencies and essential work travel should be the only excuse that we get on a plane anywhere right now.”
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The form, available at travel.lacity.org, acknowledges that anyone traveling to California from other states or countries should self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions to their immediate household. All travelers over the age of 16 must fill out the form by submitting their name and contact information.
The additional measure comes as city and county leaders grapple with how to curb a growing surge in coronavirus cases across the state. California logged a record-breaking 20,654 cases Monday, far surpassing the last daily peak of 13,400. Los Angeles County also recorded a new daily caseload record with more than 6,000 new cases.


latimes--2020-11-24--Kindergartners struggle to learn online. But this mother-daughter duo keeps them glued

It was five minutes past 9 a.m. on the 59th day of school , and Ms. Tai was running late .
“ Dad !
The internet ’ s not connecting !
” the Los Angeles Unified School District kindergarten teacher hollered from her pocket-size classroom — little more than a desk and a couple of posters , screened off from a dresser and a tidy twin bed .
“ Mom ’ s is working !
” her father , Bob Carter , called back , his voice nearly drowned out by his wife ’ s cheerful morning song .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in classrooms one room apart at Bushnell Way Elementary School in Highland Park — Mrs. Carter with 4-year-olds , Ms. Tai in a mixed group of children ages 4 and 5 .
Many of the felt puppets and linking cubes they shared there are the same ones Karen Carter used when her daughter was a student in her classroom .
Out of respect for her mother ’ s long tenure , Tai Carter goes by Ms. Tai at school .
Now , the pair teach their pint-size students from home , keeping L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kindergarten enrollment has plummeted and online attendance has slumped .
“ I try , but it doesn ’ t always go as planned , ” Ms. Tai explained as she waited for her laptop to restart .
“ By time I get in there , half of them will be gone.
” Remote learning has strained educators across the country , from Head Start to the Ivy League .
But for public school kindergarten teachers like the Carters , this fall has been especially hard .
Just 19 states require kindergarten , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t , enrollment has dropped off a cliff .
The Los Angeles Unified School District alone lost 6,000 kindergartners this year — more than one-third of the total drop in enrollment districtwide — and reports suggest that many who remain log into class only sporadically .
For those who show up , technical issues abound .
“ We were stuck in the waiting room !
” one little boy cried when Ms. Tai ’ s classroom finally opened at 9:08 a.m. “ It kept loading for years and years !
” Traditionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ childhood and elementary education : a passage from finger paints to phonics , sandboxes to subtraction .
But for children who started their academic career online this fall , that doorway has instead become a kind of waiting room .
Academically , kindergarten is the same online as it was “ in-seat ” before COVID-19 .
But experts say academics are only a small part of what young students are meant to learn in school .
“ Teaching a kindergarten student is just drastically different than teaching a third-grader , ” said Aaron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy analyst at the New America think tank .
“ For some , it ’ s their first time being in school — that ’ s where they learn how to line up , how to raise their hand to ask a question , how not to push their classmates , how to go to the playground .
The basics of how to go to school is done in the kindergarten year.
” Of course , kindergarten is now very much also about reading and math — a first-grader can ’ t keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple arithmetic and sight words .
But those skills depend on the ability to hold a pencil and sit still in a chair , abilities that are not innate or intuitive to a child who may still wear Pull-Ups at night .
They require physical conditioning and careful refinement , which educators say are virtually impossible to replicate through a Chromebook .
“ I ’ ve been an early educator for 35 years and it ’ s really hard for young children to learn on Zoom , ” said Mrs. Carter , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table .
“ Especially with everything they ’ re dealing with at home .
Dad ’ s lost a job or Grandma ’ s sick — I have a lot of crying babies in the background .
Sometimes the child will Zoom from inside a car , because it ’ s the only quiet place they can find.
” “ They want to talk , they want to share , but there ’ s never enough time , ” she said .
“ They ’ re making so much less progress , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact same way as we would in the classroom.
” Yet despite these struggles , Ms. Tai and Mrs. Carter have a strength most kindergarten teachers don ’ t : each other .
Mrs. Carter has been at Bushnell Way longer than any other teacher — so long she now regularly instructs the children of her former students — while Ms. Tai is “ by far the youngest ” on staff .
Together , they ’ ve got all the expertise of a 57-year-old veteran educator combined with the technological savvy of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle with , she can do in 10 minutes , ” Mrs. Carter said .
“ Then I help her with curriculum , just because I have so much experience .
She ’ ll run downstairs and get one of my games , and I ’ ll text her when I need help.
” It ’ s a small piece of normalcy in an upside-down school year .
When they were teaching down the hall from each other , Ms. Tai would frequently pop into her mother ’ s classroom for advice or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , working from home is much the same .
“ Having her with me in the same place , I can bounce ideas off of her , ” she said .
“ I feel for all the new teachers who are alone.
” Of course , there are strains as well .
Ms. Tai moved back to her parents ’ home in Pasadena after she got her teaching credential from Cal State L.A. , but she ’ d planned to find her own place by the end of the 2019-20 school year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her sister , a teacher ’ s aid at Bushnell Way , from their respective bedrooms , while their mother teaches in the dining room and their father , an HR consultant , holds virtual meetings downstairs .
With so much happening in one home , it can sometimes be difficult to keep the noise of one classroom from bleeding into another .
And just as other daughters like to borrow their mothers ’ good jewelry , Ms. Tai is constantly carrying off Mrs. Carter ’ s classroom materials .
“ You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the younger teacher said .
“ Well , we share , ” her mother said .
“ That ’ s 35 years , compared to six months.
” Because they work so closely together , the two teachers look much alike in their virtual classrooms .
Both cap lessons at under 10 minutes , stopping to jump , dance and sing between math blocks and story time .
“ That ’ s a T , right ?
” Mrs. Carter ’ s plush friend Sparky asked the screen .
It was 9:15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a sticker on her face for every letter the puppet could correctly name .
So far , he was striking out .
“ You ’ re not a very good learner , actually , ” one 4-year-old student accused .
But he was soon roaring with laughter as Mrs. Carter began to adorn herself .
“ Is that a T on my ear ?
” she asked , pointing .
“ Oh , you think that ’ s hilarious , huh ?
” While Mrs. Carter relies on the same felt boards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical classroom , Ms. Tai has turned to more technical tools .
Her kindergartners work with digital manipulatives rather than the physical ones her mother ’ s students use .
She draws on an iPad whiteboard and projects worksheets using a smartphone — hacks she learned from other teachers on social media .
“ I get a lot of creative ideas from teacher TikTok , ” she said .
“ I feel like I ’ ve been teaching online longer than I have in the actual classroom.
” But neither re-creating a physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world can solve the more fundamental problem facing teachers of very young students , experts warn .
“ The biggest thing we want [ 4- and 5-year-olds ] to learn when they go to kindergarten and [ transitional kindergarten ] is relationships , ” said Adria Taha-Resnick , a professor of early childhood studies at Cal State Channel Islands .
“ The hard part is getting them invested from day one in wanting to be there.
” Here , older children have a huge advantage over younger ones , because they know their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the format is different and they ’ d never met their teachers before .
For kindergartners , online learning sits squarely at odds with their very new ability to distinguish reality from make-believe .
To Mrs. Carter ’ s students especially , school is a lot like Sesame Street — friendly and familiar , but definitely not of this world .
“ To them , I ’ m just a character on the screen , ” Mrs. Carter explained .
“ I ’ m not real to them.
” By contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had at least a few months of class in person before schools shut down in March .
In general , they ’ ve received her more warmly .
Yet the young teacher said she still struggled to form the kind of connections she cherished in the classroom .
“ Some of them have never met me in real life , ” she said .
“ I want to be with them , I want them to know how much I care about them , and that stuff ’ s hard to show over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tai finds herself worrying about everything she can ’ t give her young students from home .
“ Kindergarten sets the foundation for the rest of their schooling — they really do need those skills in first grade , or they ’ re going to completely fall behind , ” the teacher said .
“ It ’ s stressing me out .
I think about it all the time.
” Yet for the brief time she has with her student each day , Ms. Tai keeps those worries hidden .
The moment the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her cheerful voice rang out brightly .
Children shouted over one another to be heard as she guided them through their morning song and daily affirmations , like a star trying to keep tiny planets in orbit .
No matter : Inside 10 minutes , her students were fading .
And so , on the 59th day of the most difficult school year in living memory , Bushnell Way ’ s youngest kindergarten teacher jumped up and started dancing .

A year ago, Karen Carter, right, and her daughter, Tai, taught in classrooms one room apart at Bushnell Way Elementary School in Highland Park — Mrs. Carter with 4-year-olds, Ms. Tai in a mixed group of children ages 4 and 5. Now they’re holding online classes from Carter’s home in Pasadena.
It was five minutes past 9 a.m. on the 59th day of school, and Ms. Tai was running late.
“Dad! The internet’s not connecting!” the Los Angeles Unified School District kindergarten teacher hollered from her pocket-size classroom — little more than a desk and a couple of posters, screened off from a dresser and a tidy twin bed.
“Mom’s is working!” her father, Bob Carter, called back, his voice nearly drowned out by his wife’s cheerful morning song.
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A year ago, mother and daughter taught in classrooms one room apart at Bushnell Way Elementary School in Highland Park — Mrs. Carter with 4-year-olds, Ms. Tai in a mixed group of children ages 4 and 5. Many of the felt puppets and linking cubes they shared there are the same ones Karen Carter used when her daughter was a student in her classroom. Out of respect for her mother’s long tenure, Tai Carter goes by Ms. Tai at school.
Now, the pair teach their pint-size students from home, keeping L.A.’s youngest learners engaged online even as kindergarten enrollment has plummeted and online attendance has slumped.
“I try, but it doesn’t always go as planned,” Ms. Tai explained as she waited for her laptop to restart. “By time I get in there, half of them will be gone.”
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More Stories
Remote learning has strained educators across the country, from Head Start to the Ivy League. But for public school kindergarten teachers like the Carters, this fall has been especially hard. Just 19 states require kindergarten, and in those like California that don’t, enrollment has dropped off a cliff.
The Los Angeles Unified School District alone lost 6,000 kindergartners this year — more than one-third of the total drop in enrollment districtwide — and reports suggest that many who remain log into class only sporadically. For those who show up, technical issues abound.
Reflected in a dresser mirror, Tai Carter holds an online class from her bedroom in Pasadena. She finds herself worrying about everything she can’t give her young students from home. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
“We were stuck in the waiting room!” one little boy cried when Ms. Tai’s classroom finally opened at 9:08 a.m. “It kept loading for years and years!”
Traditionally, kindergarten has been the doorway between early childhood and elementary education: a passage from finger paints to phonics, sandboxes to subtraction. But for children who started their academic career online this fall, that doorway has instead become a kind of waiting room. Academically, kindergarten is the same online as it was “in-seat” before COVID-19. But experts say academics are only a small part of what young students are meant to learn in school.
“Teaching a kindergarten student is just drastically different than teaching a third-grader,” said Aaron Loewenberg, an early and elementary education policy analyst at the New America think tank. “For some, it’s their first time being in school — that’s where they learn how to line up, how to raise their hand to ask a question, how not to push their classmates, how to go to the playground. The basics of how to go to school is done in the kindergarten year.”
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Of course, kindergarten is now very much also about reading and math — a first-grader can’t keep up unless she’s already mastered simple arithmetic and sight words. But those skills depend on the ability to hold a pencil and sit still in a chair, abilities that are not innate or intuitive to a child who may still wear Pull-Ups at night. They require physical conditioning and careful refinement, which educators say are virtually impossible to replicate through a Chromebook.
“I’ve been an early educator for 35 years and it’s really hard for young children to learn on Zoom,” said Mrs. Carter, who re-created her kindergarten classroom around her dining table. “Especially with everything they’re dealing with at home. Dad’s lost a job or Grandma’s sick — I have a lot of crying babies in the background. Sometimes the child will Zoom from inside a car, because it’s the only quiet place they can find.”
Ms. Tai agreed.
“They want to talk, they want to share, but there’s never enough time,” she said. “They’re making so much less progress, but we’re testing them in the exact same way as we would in the classroom.”
Yet despite these struggles, Ms. Tai and Mrs. Carter have a strength most kindergarten teachers don’t: each other. Mrs. Carter has been at Bushnell Way longer than any other teacher — so long she now regularly instructs the children of her former students — while Ms. Tai is “by far the youngest” on staff. Together, they’ve got all the expertise of a 57-year-old veteran educator combined with the technological savvy of a 27-year-old digital native.
While Mrs. Carter relies on the same felt boards and hand puppets she used in her physical classroom, Ms. Tai has turned to more technical tools. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
“What I struggle with, she can do in 10 minutes,” Mrs. Carter said. “Then I help her with curriculum, just because I have so much experience. She’ll run downstairs and get one of my games, and I’ll text her when I need help.”
It’s a small piece of normalcy in an upside-down school year. When they were teaching down the hall from each other, Ms. Tai would frequently pop into her mother’s classroom for advice or a picture book. In that regard, working from home is much the same.
“Having her with me in the same place, I can bounce ideas off of her,” she said. “I feel for all the new teachers who are alone.”
Of course, there are strains as well. Ms. Tai moved back to her parents’ home in Pasadena after she got her teaching credential from Cal State L.A., but she’d planned to find her own place by the end of the 2019-20 school year. Instead, she found herself co-working with her sister, a teacher’s aid at Bushnell Way, from their respective bedrooms, while their mother teaches in the dining room and their father, an HR consultant, holds virtual meetings downstairs.
With so much happening in one home, it can sometimes be difficult to keep the noise of one classroom from bleeding into another. And just as other daughters like to borrow their mothers’ good jewelry, Ms. Tai is constantly carrying off Mrs. Carter’s classroom materials.
“You have so much more stuff than me!” the younger teacher said.
“Well, we share,” her mother said. “That’s 35 years, compared to six months.”
Because they work so closely together, the two teachers look much alike in their virtual classrooms. Both cap lessons at under 10 minutes, stopping to jump, dance and sing between math blocks and story time.
“That’s a T, right?” Mrs. Carter’s plush friend Sparky asked the screen. It was 9:15, and the teacher had promised to put a sticker on her face for every letter the puppet could correctly name. So far, he was striking out.
“You’re not a very good learner, actually,” one 4-year-old student accused. But he was soon roaring with laughter as Mrs. Carter began to adorn herself.
“Is that a T on my ear?” she asked, pointing. “Oh, you think that’s hilarious, huh?”
While Mrs. Carter relies on the same felt boards and hand puppets she used in her physical classroom, Ms. Tai has turned to more technical tools. Her kindergartners work with digital manipulatives rather than the physical ones her mother’s students use. She draws on an iPad whiteboard and projects worksheets using a smartphone — hacks she learned from other teachers on social media.
“I get a lot of creative ideas from teacher TikTok,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been teaching online longer than I have in the actual classroom.”
Mrs. Carter and her daughter have a strength most kindergarten teachers don’t: each other. Mrs. Carter has been at Bushnell Way longer than any other teacher — so long she now regularly instructs the children of her former students — while Ms. Tai is “by far the youngest” on staff. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
But neither re-creating a physical classroom nor reinventing it for a two-dimensional world can solve the more fundamental problem facing teachers of very young students, experts warn.
“The biggest thing we want [4- and 5-year-olds] to learn when they go to kindergarten and [transitional kindergarten] is relationships,” said Adria Taha-Resnick, a professor of early childhood studies at Cal State Channel Islands. “The hard part is getting them invested from day one in wanting to be there.”
Here, older children have a huge advantage over younger ones, because they know their schools and their classmates already, even if the format is different and they’d never met their teachers before. For kindergartners, online learning sits squarely at odds with their very new ability to distinguish reality from make-believe. To Mrs. Carter’s students especially, school is a lot like Sesame Street — friendly and familiar, but definitely not of this world.
“To them, I’m just a character on the screen,” Mrs. Carter explained. “I’m not real to them.”
By contrast, most of Ms. Tai’s students had at least a few months of class in person before schools shut down in March. In general, they’ve received her more warmly. Yet the young teacher said she still struggled to form the kind of connections she cherished in the classroom.
“Some of them have never met me in real life,” she said. “I want to be with them, I want them to know how much I care about them, and that stuff’s hard to show over a computer screen.”
Instead, Ms. Tai finds herself worrying about everything she can’t give her young students from home.
“Kindergarten sets the foundation for the rest of their schooling — they really do need those skills in first grade, or they’re going to completely fall behind,” the teacher said. “It’s stressing me out. I think about it all the time.”
Yet for the brief time she has with her student each day, Ms. Tai keeps those worries hidden. The moment the camera flickered on, her posture straightened and her cheerful voice rang out brightly. Children shouted over one another to be heard as she guided them through their morning song and daily affirmations, like a star trying to keep tiny planets in orbit. No matter: Inside 10 minutes, her students were fading.
And so, on the 59th day of the most difficult school year in living memory, Bushnell Way’s youngest kindergarten teacher jumped up and started dancing.


latimes--2020-11-24--L.A. outdoor dining ban survives challenges as COVID-19 outlook worsens

With coronavirus cases continuing to soar across the state , a divided Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rejected calls Tuesday to walk back restrictions on outdoor dining meant to slow the virus ’ rapid spread .
The political friction over the decision by health officials to clamp down on restaurants and bars played out as the state once again shattered its record for new coronavirus cases and the number of Californians dying from COVID-19 continued to climb on a trajectory that is expected to continue in the coming weeks , the state ’ s health secretary said Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced they would ban for at least three weeks all in-person dining and restrict restaurants — along with breweries , wineries and bars — just to takeout and delivery service beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday .
The announcement came after the county ’ s five-day average of new coronavirus cases topped 4,000 , a threshold officials had set for implementing the restriction .
The move was met with anger and desperation from restauranteurs , who have been reeling from the pandemic .
Outdoor dining offered a lifeline , and many owners and workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep their establishments safe .
Others questioned the wisdom or efficacy of the restriction , and demanded to see the data justifying such a move .
The objections gained enough momentum to make their way to the five-member county board , which took up the dining ban at its meeting Tuesday and considered an emergency proposal to roll it back , even though county health officials had said it was necessary .
Supervisor Kathryn Barger , whose Fifth District includes Santa Clarita and much of north L.A. County , said the suspension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfairly shouldering the burden ” — and added that she ’ s “ concerned that this county has taken the approach of everything should be closed , unless we have a good reason to open it.
” “ I feel that what is happening today is truly going to devastate not only the workers but their families , ” she said .
“ And I can not in good conscience support something that can not be supported by data.
” Both Barger and Supervisor Janice Hahn questioned whether the dining ban was necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the board to keep in place the current restrictions , which allow restaurants and bars to fill half of their outdoor seating until 10 p.m .
The motion was voted down , with Supervisors Sheila Kuehl , Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas opposing it .
They chose to stick with the dining ban after hearing from county health officials who said that although it was hard to say for certain how much in-person dining has contributed to the surge in cases , it was clear that people gathering with others outside their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eat increased the risk of new infections .
“ This is the only business that allows its customers to remain , and often for quite a while , unmasked , ” Kuehl said .
“ And that , I think , is enough so single it out right there .
We tried , but the numbers have gone up.
” Solis , whose First District includes some of the hardest-hit communities in East L.A. , urged her colleagues to listen to the public health experts .
“ We will see the true impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this minute , but for sure , in the next two or three weeks , ” she said .
Solis said she was at a private hospital over the weekend because her mother had a health issue and was alarmed at what she saw .
“ I ’ ve never in my life seen the corridors in the ER completely full , ” Solis said .
“ There were no rooms available to treat COVID patients .
That to me was very startling.
” Whatever side of the debate they fell on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t anticipated having to face the prospect of additional measures so soon .
Hahn , whose Fourth District includes several beach cities , said when the board agreed with the restrictions put forth by the Public Health department during closed session last week , she thought L.A. County was “ weeks away ” from hitting those metrics .
“ I honestly had hoped with our first six recommendations we put into place we could avoid getting to this point , ” Hahn said .
The chorus of objectors included the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 3 Tuesday to seek a repeal of the outdoor dining restrictions — saying they would trigger a new round of restaurant closures .
“ This will be the final nail in their coffin , ” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez , who led the push .
Some council members said county officials had failed to produce a scientific rationale for seeking a halt to outdoor in-person dining .
Others said they believed the steady increase in COVID-19 cases was linked to other factors , such as residents holding neighborhood barbecues or worshipping indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dissenting vote along with members Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Curren Price , said some restaurants have set up outdoor dining areas with barriers so significant that their patrons are effectively experiencing indoor dining He also argued that the council , which lacks its own health department , does not have a team of experts to guide them on their decision .
“ Since we don ’ t have the scientists … I would prefer to think that we would defer to the county , which is in charge of the issue , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state as a whole , is wrestling with an avalanche of coronavirus cases that officials warn will lead to increased levels of hospitalizations and deaths .
“ Certainly , the numbers of deaths will likely go up .
Just as we are exceeding our highest-ever numbers of cases , and beginning to see our hospital systems pressed with COVID beyond where they ’ ve ever been pressed before , the idea that the numbers of deaths could exceed where we ’ ve been before is also real and true , ” Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human services secretary , said on Tuesday .
The state recorded 20,654 cases Monday , easily surpassing the previous high of 13,400 infections .
L.A. County announced more than 6,000 new cases , which was also a daily record .
“ We are truly in the midst of a surge here in California , ” Ghaly said .
Statewide , the daily average of new coronavirus cases , calculated over a seven-day period , more than doubled in the past two weeks .
Most of California ’ s counties also reported the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Imperial County has seen its daily average of coronavirus cases nearly quadruple in the last two weeks .
That county has been forced to erect a 50-bed tent to help deal with a surge in COVID-19 patients and has requested dozens of additional healthcare workers , including 33 intensive care unit nurses , three lab scientists , 21 emergency room nurses and six respiratory therapists , officials said last week .
Imperial County has also seen its coronavirus test positivity rate double in the course of a month , from 10.5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Monday , the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide has more than doubled , Ghaly said , from about 2,500 to more than 5,800 .
Some hospitals ’ intensive care units “ are already being pressed to a significant degree , ” he added .
“ When you see the numbers more than double in just under three weeks , we ’ re concerned , ” Ghaly said .
The massive rise in new infections has moved the state into uncharted territory , far beyond the number of new infections the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
During the five-day period ending Oct. 23 , California recorded 24,263 total new coronavirus cases , according to data compiled by The Times .
Over the last five days , there have been 65,168 cases .
The percentage of tests being performed that are coming back positive for the coronavirus — a benchmark referred to as the test positivity rate — has dramatically increased by more than 50 % .
More than 5.5 % of tests for the 14-day period ending Tuesday were positive , up from 3.7 % two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest sign that California has entered a critical moment just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday .
“ Records are being shattered by the number of people whose lives are being shattered by COVID-19 , ” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday .
Officials are hoping that restrictions imposed over the last week will slow the unprecedented spread of the virus and that residents will avoid big Thanksgiving gatherings that experts fear will further fuel infections .
“ There ’ s too much transmission happening here right now in this county — too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many people , ” Garcetti said during a briefing .
“ So the solution is simple ; we know it , and we can do it : Stay away from each other .
Assume everybody you would see is infectious and , please , let us not make this Thanksgiving the deadliest day of this pandemic.
” Last week , state officials announced a new order prohibiting most nonessential activity outside the home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in counties in the strictest “ purple ” tier of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95 % of Californians — including all those in the southern third of the state — are subject to that order , which lasts until Dec. 21 , though it could be extended .
“ We ’ re hoping that ’ s all we ’ ll need , but we ’ ll see , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday .
“ We ’ re open-minded to the dynamics of the conditions that are changing in real time.
” As the wave of new cases climbs , officials warn that it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities have estimated that about 12 % of cases will end up in a hospital in two to three weeks — a potentially unmanageable number of patients , should the number of cases remain high .
Last week , officials in L.A. County warned that hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed .
Garcetti said Monday that , “ at this rate , our hospitals won ’ t have any spare beds by Christmastime.
” “ Los Angeles is on a very dangerous path , ” he said .
“ And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our day-to-day lives , we ’ ll have more infections , more suffering , more hospitalizations and , yes , more death.
” L.A. County residents are already dying from COVID-19 at an increasing pace .
A recent Times analysis found that an average of 26 deaths were reported every day over a seven-day period , more than double the number experienced in early November .
At this pace , California as a whole will see its cumulative death toll double just before spring , from the more than 18,700 deaths currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to model forecasts by the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation .
Amid the worsening surge , L.A. County is moving closer to another shutdown .
Officials said last week that if the average number of new daily coronavirus cases over a five-day period reached 4,500 , it would trigger some kind of new stay-at-home order for at least three weeks .
Monday ’ s record number of reported cases was enough to push the county past that average .
What precise form that new order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this point .
L.A. County ’ s director of public health , Barbara Ferrer , on Monday said , “ For sure , we ’ re not going back to all of the restrictions that were in place in the original Safer at Home order.
” She described proposed restrictions that would be less encompassing than those issued in March .
It ’ s unnecessary to be as broad , she suggested , because officials know more about the virus and testing capacity has improved .
The specifics will be discussed Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which represents the county ’ s 10.1 million residents .
The severity of the current spike has already brought about significant new restrictions at the county and state levels .
Ahead of Thanksgiving , California issued a travel advisory urging residents not to travel out of state for the holiday , and recommending that those who do quarantine for 14 days when they return .
Starting Wednesday , travelers at the Los Angeles International and Van Nuys airports , as well as at Union Station , will need to fill out an online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advisory , Garcetti said .
Garcetti , however , urged all Angelenos to stay home as much as possible until the surge subsided .
“ If everyone abides by these rules , if everyone takes these seriously — these small but critical sacrifices — we will get through this , ” he said .
“ We ’ re not asking you to take up arms and to go overseas to fight a war .
We ’ re not looking at some of the sacrifices that have been made by generations before us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to stay home .
”

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Sean Greene

Supporters and business owners of area restaurants and businesses listen to a press conference held by the California Coalition for Safe Reopening at The Abbey on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 in West Hollywood, CA. L.A. County restaurant owners fear they won’t survive another COVID-19 shutdown.
With coronavirus cases continuing to soar across the state, a divided Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rejected calls Tuesday to walk back restrictions on outdoor dining meant to slow the virus’ rapid spread.
The political friction over the decision by health officials to clamp down on restaurants and bars played out as the state once again shattered its record for new coronavirus cases and the number of Californians dying from COVID-19 continued to climb on a trajectory that is expected to continue in the coming weeks, the state’s health secretary said Tuesday.
Earlier this week, L.A. County officials announced they would ban for at least three weeks all in-person dining and restrict restaurants — along with breweries, wineries and bars — just to takeout and delivery service beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The announcement came after the county’s five-day average of new coronavirus cases topped 4,000, a threshold officials had set for implementing the restriction.
The move was met with anger and desperation from restauranteurs, who have been reeling from the pandemic. Outdoor dining offered a lifeline, and many owners and workers felt they were doing everything they could to keep their establishments safe.
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Others questioned the wisdom or efficacy of the restriction, and demanded to see the data justifying such a move.
The objections gained enough momentum to make their way to the five-member county board, which took up the dining ban at its meeting Tuesday and considered an emergency proposal to roll it back, even though county health officials had said it was necessary.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes Santa Clarita and much of north L.A. County, said the suspension “will punish a sector that is unfairly shouldering the burden” — and added that she’s “concerned that this county has taken the approach of everything should be closed, unless we have a good reason to open it.”
“I feel that what is happening today is truly going to devastate not only the workers but their families,” she said. “And I cannot in good conscience support something that cannot be supported by data.”
Both Barger and Supervisor Janice Hahn questioned whether the dining ban was necessary and put forth a proposal that called for the board to keep in place the current restrictions , which allow restaurants and bars to fill half of their outdoor seating until 10 p.m.
The motion was voted down, with Supervisors Sheila Kuehl, Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas opposing it.
They chose to stick with the dining ban after hearing from county health officials who said that although it was hard to say for certain how much in-person dining has contributed to the surge in cases, it was clear that people gathering with others outside their immediate families and removing their masks to eat increased the risk of new infections.
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“This is the only business that allows its customers to remain, and often for quite a while, unmasked,” Kuehl said . “And that, I think, is enough so single it out right there. We tried, but the numbers have gone up.”
Solis, whose First District includes some of the hardest-hit communities in East L.A., urged her colleagues to listen to the public health experts.
“We will see the true impact in terms of hospitalizations, maybe not in this minute, but for sure, in the next two or three weeks,” she said.
Solis said she was at a private hospital over the weekend because her mother had a health issue and was alarmed at what she saw.
“I’ve never in my life seen the corridors in the ER completely full,” Solis said. “There were no rooms available to treat COVID patients. That to me was very startling.”
Whatever side of the debate they fell on, though, it was clear supervisors hadn’t anticipated having to face the prospect of additional measures so soon.
Hahn, whose Fourth District includes several beach cities, said when the board agreed with the restrictions put forth by the Public Health department during closed session last week, she thought L.A. County was “weeks away” from hitting those metrics.
“I honestly had hoped with our first six recommendations we put into place we could avoid getting to this point,” Hahn said.
The chorus of objectors included the Los Angeles City Council, which voted 11 to 3 Tuesday to seek a repeal of the outdoor dining restrictions — saying they would trigger a new round of restaurant closures.
“This will be the final nail in their coffin,” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who led the push.
Some council members said county officials had failed to produce a scientific rationale for seeking a halt to outdoor in-person dining. Others said they believed the steady increase in COVID-19 cases was linked to other factors, such as residents holding neighborhood barbecues or worshipping indoors.
Councilman Mike Bonin, who cast a dissenting vote along with members Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Curren Price, said some restaurants have set up outdoor dining areas with barriers so significant that their patrons are effectively experiencing indoor dining
He also argued that the council, which lacks its own health department, does not have a team of experts to guide them on their decision.
“Since we don’t have the scientists … I would prefer to think that we would defer to the county, which is in charge of the issue,” he said.
L.A. County, like the state as a whole, is wrestling with an avalanche of coronavirus cases that officials warn will lead to increased levels of hospitalizations and deaths.
“Certainly, the numbers of deaths will likely go up. Just as we are exceeding our highest-ever numbers of cases, and beginning to see our hospital systems pressed with COVID beyond where they’ve ever been pressed before, the idea that the numbers of deaths could exceed where we’ve been before is also real and true,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary, said on Tuesday.
The state recorded 20,654 cases Monday, easily surpassing the previous high of 13,400 infections. L.A. County announced more than 6,000 new cases, which was also a daily record.
“We are truly in the midst of a surge here in California,” Ghaly said.
Statewide, the daily average of new coronavirus cases, calculated over a seven-day period, more than doubled in the past two weeks. Most of California’s counties also reported the same doubling or worse.
In southeastern California, Imperial County has seen its daily average of coronavirus cases nearly quadruple in the last two weeks. That county has been forced to erect a 50-bed tent to help deal with a surge in COVID-19 patients and has requested dozens of additional healthcare workers, including 33 intensive care unit nurses, three lab scientists, 21 emergency room nurses and six respiratory therapists, officials said last week.
Imperial County has also seen its coronavirus test positivity rate double in the course of a month, from 10.5% to 23.8%.
Between Nov. 1 and Monday, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide has more than doubled, Ghaly said, from about 2,500 to more than 5,800. Some hospitals’ intensive care units “are already being pressed to a significant degree,” he added.
“When you see the numbers more than double in just under three weeks, we’re concerned,” Ghaly said.
The massive rise in new infections has moved the state into uncharted territory, far beyond the number of new infections the state was tallying just a few weeks ago.
During the five-day period ending Oct. 23, California recorded 24,263 total new coronavirus cases, according to data compiled by The Times. Over the last five days, there have been 65,168 cases.
The percentage of tests being performed that are coming back positive for the coronavirus — a benchmark referred to as the test positivity rate — has dramatically increased by more than 50%. More than 5.5% of tests for the 14-day period ending Tuesday were positive, up from 3.7% two weeks ago.
The skyrocketing case count is the latest sign that California has entered a critical moment just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Records are being shattered by the number of people whose lives are being shattered by COVID-19,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday.
Officials are hoping that restrictions imposed over the last week will slow the unprecedented spread of the virus and that residents will avoid big Thanksgiving gatherings that experts fear will further fuel infections.
“There’s too much transmission happening here right now in this county — too much transmission with too many meetings of too many people,” Garcetti said during a briefing. “So the solution is simple; we know it, and we can do it: Stay away from each other. Assume everybody you would see is infectious and, please, let us not make this Thanksgiving the deadliest day of this pandemic.”
Last week, state officials announced a new order prohibiting most nonessential activity outside the home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in counties in the strictest “purple” tier of the state’s color-coded reopening road map. Roughly 95% of Californians — including all those in the southern third of the state — are subject to that order, which lasts until Dec. 21, though it could be extended.
“We’re hoping that’s all we’ll need, but we’ll see,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. “We’re open-minded to the dynamics of the conditions that are changing in real time.”
As the wave of new cases climbs, officials warn that it will eventually crash down on the healthcare system. Authorities have estimated that about 12% of cases will end up in a hospital in two to three weeks — a potentially unmanageable number of patients, should the number of cases remain high.
Last week, officials in L.A. County warned that hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed. Garcetti said Monday that, “at this rate, our hospitals won’t have any spare beds by Christmastime.”
“Los Angeles is on a very dangerous path,” he said. “And if we don’t make changes soon to our day-to-day lives, we’ll have more infections, more suffering, more hospitalizations and, yes, more death.”
L.A. County residents are already dying from COVID-19 at an increasing pace. A recent Times analysis found that an average of 26 deaths were reported every day over a seven-day period, more than double the number experienced in early November.
At this pace, California as a whole will see its cumulative death toll double just before spring, from the more than 18,700 deaths currently tallied to over 37,000 by March 1, according to model forecasts by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Amid the worsening surge, L.A. County is moving closer to another shutdown.
Officials said last week that if the average number of new daily coronavirus cases over a five-day period reached 4,500, it would trigger some kind of new stay-at-home order for at least three weeks.
Monday’s record number of reported cases was enough to push the county past that average. What precise form that new order will take, however, is unclear at this point. L.A. County’s director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, on Monday said, “For sure, we’re not going back to all of the restrictions that were in place in the original Safer at Home order.”
She described proposed restrictions that would be less encompassing than those issued in March. It’s unnecessary to be as broad, she suggested, because officials know more about the virus and testing capacity has improved. The specifics will be discussed Tuesday with the five-person Board of Supervisors, which represents the county’s 10.1 million residents.
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The severity of the current spike has already brought about significant new restrictions at the county and state levels.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, California issued a travel advisory urging residents not to travel out of state for the holiday, and recommending that those who do quarantine for 14 days when they return.
Starting Wednesday, travelers at the Los Angeles International and Van Nuys airports, as well as at Union Station, will need to fill out an online form prior to or upon arrival acknowledging the advisory, Garcetti said.
Garcetti, however, urged all Angelenos to stay home as much as possible until the surge subsided.
“If everyone abides by these rules, if everyone takes these seriously — these small but critical sacrifices — we will get through this,” he said. “We’re not asking you to take up arms and to go overseas to fight a war. We’re not looking at some of the sacrifices that have been made by generations before us. We’re just asking for you to stay home.”
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.