latimes--2020-12-07--Amid stay-at-home order, state officials walk back grocery store capacity limits

California officials have walked back a stringent capacity limit for grocery stores at the 11th hour to ensure that residents will have enough access to food amid a sweeping new stay-at-home order .
On Sunday , hours before new a health order went into effect across much of California , officials issued an addendum allowing grocery stores to operate at 35 % capacity — down from 50 % capacity , which has been in effect statewide since the beginning of the pandemic , but up from 20 % in the latest state-ordered restrictions .
The state ’ s order had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grocers , and nonessential retail , such as shopping malls , to limit capacity to 20 % if they were in an area considered a coronavirus danger zone .
But the California Grocers Assn .
lobbied against such a drastic reduction .
“ In order to ensure that California ’ s grocery stores are able to safely deliver sufficient quantities of food to California households , it is necessary to ensure capacity for grocery stores , ” according to the supplemental order signed by Dr. Erica Pan , the California Health Department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
Grocery stores must be standalone operations and primarily sell food to qualify for the increased capacity , the supplemental order states , noting that access must be “ strictly metered ” to ensure compliance .
Grocery stores in Los Angeles County had already been limited to 35 % capacity since Nov. 30 , when a bevy of new Health Department requirements went into effect .
The revision to the statewide order , which was announced by Gov .
Gavin Newsom last week and tied to a region ’ s hospitalization capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating at that level .
State officials worked over the weekend with the California Grocers Assn .
to bring clarity to the latest order , said Dave Heylen , a spokesman for the industry group .
On Friday evening , the association said in a statement it did not think Newsom ’ s order applied to grocery stores .
Now , the association is advising members to abide by the cap of 35 % .
Ron Fong , president and CEO of the association , argued that grocery stores needed to be distinguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that under the original order all stores were lumped together .
Contrary to other retailers , such as clothing stores , “ we are providing critical infrastructure , providing safe food to our customers , ” Fong said Monday morning .
A member of Newsom ’ s task force on business and jobs recovery , created in the spring during the earliest surge of the pandemic , Fong said the governor agreed that grocery stores needed to be carved out in the new rules .
Customers should not have trouble accessing their local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fong said .
“ There will not be crowding , ” he said .
“ We will not have long lines out the door , which was what our concern was going to be at 20 % .
” Despite Fong ’ s confidence , some grocery stores have already seen lines as the number of shoppers has been limited inside stores .
Customers lined up outside Sprouts market in Alhambra around 3 p.m. Sunday .
A line of about 10 customers waited outside for about 10 minutes to get through the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 miles west , a line began forming outside Trader Joe ’ s in Studio City .

State health officials are allowing grocery stores to operate at 35% capacity. The announcement came on the eve of sweeping new restrictions that called for a 20% cap.
California officials have walked back a stringent capacity limit for grocery stores at the 11th hour to ensure that residents will have enough access to food amid a sweeping new stay-at-home order.
On Sunday, hours before a new health order went into effect across much of California, officials issued an addendum allowing grocery stores to operate at 35% capacity — down from 50% capacity, which has been in effect statewide since the beginning of the pandemic, but up from 20% in the latest state-ordered restrictions. The state’s order had required both essential stores, such as grocers, and nonessential retail, such as shopping malls, to limit capacity to 20% if they were in an area considered a coronavirus danger zone. But the California Grocers Assn. lobbied against such a drastic reduction.
“In order to ensure that California’s grocery stores are able to safely deliver sufficient quantities of food to California households, it is necessary to ensure capacity for grocery stores,” according to the supplemental order signed by Dr. Erica Pan, the California Health Department’s acting public health officer, on Sunday.
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Grocery stores must be standalone operations and primarily sell food to qualify for the increased capacity, the supplemental order states, noting that access must be “strictly metered” to ensure compliance.
Grocery stores in Los Angeles County had already been limited to 35% capacity since Nov. 30, when a bevy of new Health Department requirements went into effect. The revision to the statewide order, which was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week and tied to a region’s hospitalization capacity, allows L.A. County grocers to continue operating at that level.
State officials worked over the weekend with the California Grocers Assn. to bring clarity to the latest order, said Dave Heylen, a spokesman for the industry group.
On Friday evening, the association said in a statement it did not think Newsom’s order applied to grocery stores. Now, the association is advising members to abide by the cap of 35%.
Ron Fong, president and CEO of the association, argued that grocery stores needed to be distinguished from other types of retail, noting that under the original order all stores were lumped together.
Contrary to other retailers, such as clothing stores, “we are providing critical infrastructure, providing safe food to our customers,” Fong said Monday morning.
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Business Grocery store rationing is back, but relax: The supply chain is doing fine Stores are once again limiting how much toilet paper and cleaning supplies customers can buy, as the third wave of COVID-19 infections ramps up and lockdown orders return. But the companies have had all summer to prepare.
A member of Newsom’s task force on business and jobs recovery, created in the spring during the earliest surge of the pandemic, Fong said the governor agreed that grocery stores needed to be carved out in the new rules.
Customers should not have trouble accessing their local grocery stores under the modified cap, Fong said.
“There will not be crowding,” he said. “We will not have long lines out the door, which was what our concern was going to be at 20%.”
Despite Fong’s confidence, some grocery stores have already seen lines as the number of shoppers has been limited inside stores. Customers lined up outside Sprouts market in Alhambra around 3 p.m. Sunday. A line of about 10 customers waited outside for about 10 minutes to get through the front doors. An hour later and about 20 miles west, a line began forming outside Trader Joe’s in Studio City.


latimes--2020-12-07--On first day as L.A. County D.A., George Gascón eliminates bail, remakes sentencing rules

Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón announced sweeping policy changes as he took office Monday , including a plan to end the use of cash bail in the nation ’ s largest court system and a ban on his prosecutors seeking sentencing enhancements in nearly all cases .
The dramatic reversals to deeply ingrained , traditional law enforcement strategies in the nation ’ s largest prosecutor ’ s office also include plans to review thousands of old cases to determine whether lighter sentences or prisoner releases should be sought , Gascón said in a speech after being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects to bring an end to misdemeanor prosecutions of most first-time , nonviolent offenders .
“ I recognize for many this is a new path … whether you are a protester , a police officer or a prosecutor , I ask you to walk with me .
I ask you to join me on this journey , ” he said .
“ We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence , trauma and arrest and recidivism that has led America to incarcerate more people than any other nation.
” During his contentious campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gascón had vowed more big changes , including barring prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in new cases and to end the practice of trying juveniles as adults .
He followed through on both of those campaign promises Monday , announcing them among the slew of new policies he is implementing .
The moves have already drawn concerns from the ranks of the 1,200 deputy district attorneys who will now serve under Gascón , some of whom have complained that the new top prosecutor drew up many of these new positions without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to oversee .
Under the policy Gascón laid out , beginning Jan. 1 , the use of cash bail will end in L.A. County .
Instead , prosecutors will be directed to ask judges to release defendants while their cases move through the courts , except when someone is accused of homicide or a small number of other serious crimes .
In those cases , prosecutors will seek to have defendants kept in custody .
During his time as D.A .
in San Francisco , Gascón pursued a similar undoing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as being rife with inequities that favor the wealthy over the poor .
In its place , he championed the use of risk assessment tools , which evaluate the likelihood that a defendant will commit more crimes if released .
L.A. County ’ s court system tested the use of a similar tool last year , but Gascón ’ s announcement suggested a clean break from pretrial incarceration for the vast majority of people accused of crimes in the county .
The office will also stop filing misdemeanor charges against first-time offenders accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven by poverty or addiction , Gascón said .
The move again mirrored one he made in San Francisco , although it was not clear how that policy would affect jurisdictions in the sprawling county such as the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach , which prosecute misdemeanor crimes on their own .
Nearly 10 % of all misdemeanor cases presented to Gascón during his time in office in the Bay Area were diverted to pretrial alternative sentencing programs .
Criminal justice reform activists generally support such reforms , saying they reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people criminal records that make finding work or housing difficult .
Law enforcement officials , however , often contend prosecuting people serves as a deterrent that cuts down on repeat offenders .
Gascón also said he would put an end to the use of sentencing enhancements , which prosecutors have long used to win longer sentences for people who , for example , are alleged to belong to a gang or to have used a firearm while committing a crime .
Gascón has criticized the enhancements , saying they have led to excessive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defendants .
The district attorney ’ s office , he said , will review “ thousands ” of cases in which defendants in L.A. County were sentenced under the enhancement rules — a move that could lead to prisoners having their sentences reduced or , in some cases , being released .
Along with promising to reopen four police shooting cases that Lacey declined to prosecute , Gascón also announced the creation of a use-of-force review board that will investigate a number of other police killings going back to 2012 for possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police in L.A. County will also now be able to seek the same services as crime victims from the district attorney ’ s office .
This is a breaking news story and will be updated .

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón takes the oath of office as his wife Fabiola Kramsky holds a copy of the Constitution on Monday at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Los Angeles. He became the county’s 43rd district attorney during a virtual ceremony.
George Gascón embarked Monday on a plan to reimagine criminal prosecutions in Los Angeles County, announcing sweeping policy changes he’ll make as district attorney that include an end to cash bail, a ban on prosecutors seeking enhanced prison sentences and showing leniency to many low-level offenders.
The dramatic reversals of deeply ingrained, traditional law enforcement strategies in the nation’s largest district attorney’s office, also will include a review of thousands of old cases to determine whether lighter sentences or prisoner releases should be sought, Gascón said in a speech during his swearing-in ceremony.
“I recognize for many this is a new path … whether you are a protester, a police officer or a prosecutor, I ask you to walk with me. I ask you to join me on this journey,” he said. “We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma and arrest and recidivism that has led America to incarcerate more people than any other nation.”
The reforms announced Monday added to a list of moves Gascón vowed to make during a contentious election against the incumbent district attorney, Jackie Lacey, including a promise to bar his prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in new cases and to end the practice of trying juveniles as adults. He followed through on both issues Monday, announcing them among the slew of new policies he is implementing.
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Even before Monday’s swearing-in, which was held remotely amid the surging number of coronavirus cases, Gascón’s plans had already drawn concerns from the ranks of the 1,200 deputy district attorneys, some of whom have complained that the new top prosecutor drew up his new, aggressive playbook without sufficient input from the office he now runs.
Wariness among those not aligned with his progressive agenda gave way to something closer to panic after Gascón spoke Monday.
“His policies are a slap in the face to crime victims — both past victims and the ones to come. His blanket policies do not take into account that we are the only people standing between truly dangerous criminals and the general public,” said a veteran prosecutor, who requested their name not be used because they feared retaliation for speaking out against Gascón. “I am already getting concerned emails from concerned victims. What am I supposed to say to them?”
Longtime critics of Lacey who saw her as an overly punitive district attorney, meanwhile, rejoiced after Gascón’s news conference.
Jerod Gunsberg, a criminal defense attorney who often defends juvenile clients, said it was a “new day” in L.A. County. He praised Gascón for his plan to move away from prosecuting minors, a strategy that he said had deep, negative effects on accused teenagers and society as a whole.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve never seen a kid go into a juvenile probation camp and come out better. Ever,” Gunsberg said. “I’ve never seen a kid have a strike filed on them, at 16 years old and it improve their life or enhance public safety in any way.”
While Gascón’s victory over Lacey was widely viewed as a repudiation by voters of more traditional, “tough on crime” policies, his focus on reducing incarceration rates could meet resistance at a time when violent crime is surging in Los Angeles. The city has recorded more than 300 homicides for the first time in over a decade this year, and shootings are up more than 30% compared with 2019, according to L.A. Police Department records.
“The new D.A. talks a good game, but his plans will do nothing but further victimize Los Angeles residents,” a statement from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, one of several police unions that futilely spent millions to defeat Gascón, read in part.
Of all the policy changes Gascón laid out, the end to cash bail, which is set to go into effect Jan. 1, is perhaps the most seismic. Instead of seeking to hold criminal defendants in custody unless they can afford to post an amount of cash determined by a judge, prosecutors will be directed to ask judges to release them, except when someone is charged in a homicide or other violent felony. In those cases, prosecutors will seek to have defendants kept in custody.
Ultimately, it is up to a judge to decide whether to impose bail, which is allowable under state law. Judges, however, typically will defer to a prosecutor’s recommendation when setting the conditions under which a defendant will be released while awaiting trial.
As the district attorney for San Francisco, Gascón championed the use of risk-assessment tools in place of cash bail, which evaluate the likelihood that a defendant will commit more crimes if released. L.A. County’s court system tested the use of a similar tool last year, but Gascón’s announcement suggested a clean break from pretrial incarceration for the vast majority of people accused of crimes in the county.
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“How much money you have in your bank account is a terrible proxy for how dangerous you are,” Gascón said Monday. “Today there are hundreds of people languishing in jails, not because they represent a danger to our community but because they can’t afford to purchase their freedom.”
On Monday, Gascón also ordered L.A. County prosecutors to stop prosecuting first-time offenders accused of a wide array of nonviolent crimes, including criminal trespass, disturbing the peace, public intoxication and loitering.
Defense attorneys contend such low-level nuisance crimes disproportionately affect homeless and mentally ill defendants, and can have long-term implications when those people try to find work and housing later in life. Instead of seeking plea deals or convictions, prosecutors will be expected to steer such defendants into pre-trial diversion programs that resolve cases through counseling or other forms of rehabilitation.
Although some of the county’s largest cities — including Los Angeles and Long Beach — have their own city attorney’s offices that oversee misdemeanor prosecutions, the district attorney’s office nonetheless filed nearly 100,000 misdemeanor cases last year. Gascón’s push toward diversion could dramatically lower that number. Only 3,935 defendants had been processed through alternative sentencing courts during Lacey’s tenure, records show.
The moves echo steps taken by Gascón in San Francisco. Nearly 10% of all misdemeanor cases presented to Gascón during his time in office in the Bay Area were diverted into pretrial alternative sentencing programs. The strategy was routinely lambasted by police and some community leaders, however, with many blaming the lack of punishment as a driving force behind a historic surge in property crime and car break-ins seen during Gascón’s tenure there.
Gascón went on Monday to say he would put an end to the use of sentencing enhancements, which prosecutors have long used to win longer sentences against defendants with prior felony convictions or who had been accused of being in a gang. Sentencing enhancements have come under fire in recent years for being excessively punitive and, in some cases, reliant on faulty police work. In the last year, for example, , several Los Angeles police officers were charged with falsely labeling people as gang members. That bogus information was fed into a statewide database that is sometimes used to justify imposing enhanced sentences on someone.
The district attorney’s office, he said, will also review “thousands” of cases in which defendants in L.A. County were sentenced under the enhancement rules — a move that could lead to prisoners having their sentences reduced or, in some cases, being released.
Along with promising to reopen four police shooting cases that Lacey declined to prosecute, Gascón also announced the creation of a use-of-force review board that will investigate a number of other police killings dating to 2012 for possible prosecution. Families of those killed by police in L.A. County will also be able to seek the same services as crime victims from the district attorney’s office.
Gascón acknowledged that the changes might seem enormous and asked doubters to trust him.
“For those of you at home who may be skeptical, I want to ask you to take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine your ideal safe neighborhood. I imagine most of you will imagine a neighborhood with parks, playgrounds and manicured laws. With kids playing and after-school programs flourishing. I don’t imagine most of you are imagining a neighborhood with a police officer on every corner,” he said. “We know what safety looks like. But we don’t offer it to every community equally.”
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-07--California coronavirus shutdown will last through Christmas as hospitalizations surge past 10,000

For millions of Californians , the COVID-19 pandemic will provide a most unwelcome gift this Christmas : a wide-ranging shutdown imposed as the state grapples with its most massive and dangerous surge in infections and hospitalizations to date .
The restrictions that took hold at 11:59 p.m. Sunday across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will remain in place for at least three weeks , meaning those regions will not be able to emerge from the state ’ s latest stay-at-home order until Dec. 28 at the earliest .
Five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area also announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new restrictions and planned to keep them in place until at least Jan. 4 .
Combined , those regions are home to some 33 million Californians , representing 84 % of the state ’ s population .
The timing of the rules is the latest blow , in a year full of them , for many businesses — which have been battered by coronavirus-related restrictions and hoped the holiday shopping season would throw them a desperately needed lifeline — and to the psyche of Californians , who for months have lived with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their heads .
Officials , though , have said desperate times call for drastic measures .
The number of new daily coronavirus cases has skyrocketed to a level that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago .
Hospitals are already contending with an unprecedented wave of more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients , and the state is on the brink of recording its 20,000th death from the illness .
“ Once people die , they ’ re gone from our lives forever — and there ’ s no way to measure that impact at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director Barbara Ferrer said during a briefing Monday .
“ There ’ s no value you really can place on a person ’ s husband or daughter or their friend or their loved one .
And every death is a tragedy , particularly those deaths that , in some ways , if we were all better at doing our part , we could be preventing right now.
” As bleak as things are now , the ceiling of the surge may be yet to come , as experts say the ramifications of travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to be fully realized .
Cases that stem from “ dinner tables or activities and plans , travel through Thanksgiving , are going to show up right about now , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s Health and Human Services secretary , and “ we know we ’ ll be seeing that for many days to come.
” “ We believe , ” he said at a Monday briefing , “ that the levels of transmission that we ’ ve been reporting so far will likely continue to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanksgiving.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced the new round of restrictions last week , saying stricter intervention was needed to shore up the state ’ s hospital system and make sure intensive care beds remained available .
The state ’ s latest strategy carves California into five regions : Southern California , the San Joaquin Valley , the Bay Area , the Greater Sacramento area and rural Northern California .
A region is required to implement a state-defined stay-at-home order — which restricts retail capacity to 20 % and shuts down outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons , public outdoor playgrounds , cardrooms , museums , zoos , aquariums and wineries — if its available ICU capacity drops below 15 % .
Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are already below that threshold , and as of Monday their ICU availability had tumbled to 10.9 % and 6.3 % , respectively .
On Monday , Ventura , Santa Barbara , and San Luis Obispo counties announced that they may seek approval from the state to separate from the Southern California region and create their own Central Coast region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered a separate region to assess restrictions to curb the spread of the virus if their ICU capacity exceeds 15 % in the next three weeks , according to a Ventura County press release .
“ A smaller regional approach is important for our community members and struggling businesses , ” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers .
“ We believe it ’ s reasonable to have the Central Coast as one region instead of including our County with over half the State ’ s population in the current Southern California Region.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley covers Calaveras , Fresno , Kern , Kings , Madera , Mariposa , Merced , San Benito , San Joaquin , Stanislaus , Tulare and Tuolumne counties .
Both Greater Sacramento ( 20.3 % , ) and Northern California ( 28.2 % ) remain above the ICU threshold for now .
So does the Bay Area , at 25.7 % .
Health officials there aren ’ t waiting , however , and have already decided to apply the order — which went into effect in San Francisco , Santa Clara and Contra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County on Monday ; and will do so in Marin County on Tuesday .
“ We can not wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake , ” Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s health officer , said in a statement .
The latest restrictions have been a source of controversy , however .
Critics have demanded to see data justifying the latest rules and questioned whether they will play a significant role in turning the tide of the pandemic — particularly if residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement departments decline to enforce them .
Some have also objected to the state taking a regional view , saying they shouldn ’ t be punished because of their neighboring counties ’ circumstances .
Though the additional restrictions are undoubtedly a hardship for many , Ghaly said they were “ required to make sure we get through the surge as quickly as possible and saving as many lives and preventing as many infections as we possibly can.
” California has seen a sustained and shocking rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surging to levels far beyond those seen at any other point in the pandemic .
Statewide , average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October , hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October , and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in the last month .
Over the last week , California has averaged 20,414 cases per day , a 78.3 % increase from two weeks ago , according to data compiled by The Times .
Roughly 240,000 Californians have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 14 days .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city of San Bernardino .
There are now 10,070 coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized statewide and 2,360 are in intensive care , according to numbers Newsom presented Monday .
Both those figures are all-time highs .
An average of 112 Californians have died from COVID-19 every day over the last week .
“ I think we have moved from characterizing this as a surge , in my mind , to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , a professor at the UCLA Fielding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and infectious disease expert .
In Los Angeles County , the state ’ s most populous , health officials reported more than 10,500 new cases Sunday , an unprecedented number for a single day .
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are nearing 3,000 , and Ferrer said that number could rise dramatically in the next few weeks as the full toll of the Thanksgiving holiday comes into view .
Given the county ’ s recent sky-high case counts , Ferrer said officials are projecting that daily hospitalizations could surpass 4,000 this month — with daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Before the latest surge , the county had never seen recorded 2,300 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a single day .
“ These numbers reflect actions we took in late November , and we can ’ t take those actions back , ” Ferrer said .
“ What we can do is change our actions today so that , two to three weeks from now , we ’ re not reporting a similarly disastrous cascade of events.
” Though the pandemic has reached crisis levels in California , state officials say there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as companies begin to roll out their initial shipments of COVID-19 vaccines .
Newsom said Monday the state was planning to receive 2.16 million doses of vaccine this month — with delivery expected to start by next week .
“ Hope is on the horizon , ” he said .
More tools are also coming online .
Starting Thursday , Californians will be able to opt into a smartphone-based system , turning on COVID-19 exposure notifications in their iPhone settings or downloading the CA Notify app in the Google Play Store .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by phone alerting them that the program is available .
State officials hope the Bluetooth-based technology — which doesn ’ t collect location data or people ’ s identities — will help slow the transmission of the novel coronavirus by quickly notifying people when they ’ ve been exposed to someone who later tests positive for the disease .
Newsom has also named a new general in the battle against COVID-19 .
He announced Monday that he had appointed Tomás Aragón as director of the California Department of Public Health .
Aragón had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county of San Francisco .
“ We ’ re very , very enthusiastic to have him now on the team , ” Newsom said , “ to continue to supplement our efforts as we move into this next and challenging phase.
” The appointment requires confirmation from the state Senate .
Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth , Jack Dolan and Sean Greene and Lyndsay Winkley of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report .

Kelsy Tasem, 11, left, and sister Mackenzi, 14, have their socially distanced photo taken with Santa, played by Jeffrey Fast, on Wednesday at Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park.
For millions of Californians, the COVID-19 pandemic will provide a most unwelcome gift this Christmas: a wide-ranging shutdown imposed as the state grapples with its most massive and dangerous surge in infections and hospitalizations to date.
Monday provided even more devastating news: More than 20,000 cumulative deaths and more than 34,000 new coronavirus cases reported Monday alone, according to The Times’ county-by-county tally of infections. That shatters the previous single-day record, set Friday, when 22,369 coronavirus cases were tallied.
And for the first time, more than 10,000 people with coronavirus infections are now hospitalized in California — quadruple the number from Halloween.
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The stay-at-home restrictions that took hold at 11:59 p.m. Sunday across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will remain in place for at least three weeks, meaning those regions will not be able to emerge from the state’s latest stay-at-home order until Dec. 28 at the earliest.
Five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area also announced last week that they were proactively implementing the new restrictions and planned to keep them in place until at least Jan. 4.
Combined, those regions are home to some 33 million Californians, representing 84% of the state’s population.
The timing of the rules is the latest blow, in a year full of them, for many businesses — which have been battered by coronavirus-related restrictions and hoped the holiday shopping season would throw them a desperately needed lifeline — and to the psyche of Californians, who for months have lived with the threat of the coronavirus hanging over their heads.
Officials, though, have said desperate times call for drastic measures. The number of new daily coronavirus cases has skyrocketed to a level that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago. Hospitals are already contending with an unprecedented wave of more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients.
“Once people die, they’re gone from our lives forever — and there’s no way to measure that impact at all,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a briefing Monday. “There’s no value you really can place on a person’s husband or daughter or their friend or their loved one. And every death is a tragedy, particularly those deaths that, in some ways, if we were all better at doing our part, we could be preventing right now.”
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As bleak as things are now, the ceiling of the surge may be yet to come, as experts say the ramifications of travel and gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday have yet to be fully realized.
Cases that stem from “dinner tables or activities and plans, travel through Thanksgiving, are going to show up right about now,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, and “we know we’ll be seeing that for many days to come.”
“We believe,” he said at a Monday briefing, “that the levels of transmission that we’ve been reporting so far will likely continue to go up some because of those activities around Thanksgiving.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the new round of restrictions last week, saying stricter intervention was needed to shore up the state’s hospital system and make sure intensive care beds remained available.
The state’s latest strategy carves California into five regions: Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area, the Greater Sacramento area and rural Northern California.
A region is required to implement a state-defined stay-at-home order — which restricts retail capacity to 20% and shuts down outdoor restaurant dining, hair salons, nail salons, public outdoor playgrounds, card rooms, museums, zoos, aquariums and wineries — if its available ICU capacity drops below 15%.
Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are already below that threshold, and as of Monday their ICU availability had tumbled to 10.9% and 6.3%, respectively.
The Southern California region encompasses Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
On Monday, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties announced that they may seek approval from the state to separate from the Southern California region and create their own Central Coast region.
The counties will request to be considered a separate region to assess restrictions to curb the spread of the virus if their ICU capacity exceeds 15% in the next three weeks, according to a Ventura County press release.
“A smaller regional approach is important for our community members and struggling businesses,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers. “We believe it’s reasonable to have the Central Coast as one region instead of including our County with over half the State’s population in the current Southern California Region.”
The area defined as the San Joaquin Valley covers Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.
Both Greater Sacramento (20.3%,) and Northern California (28.2%) remain above the ICU threshold for now.
So does the Bay Area, at 25.7%. Health officials there aren’t waiting, however, and have already decided to apply the order — which went into effect in San Francisco, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties on Sunday; in Alameda County on Monday; and will do so in Marin County on Tuesday.
“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake,” Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer, said in a statement.
The latest restrictions have been a source of controversy, however. Critics have demanded to see data justifying the latest rules and questioned whether they will play a significant role in turning the tide of the pandemic — particularly if residents don’t abide by them and law enforcement departments decline to enforce them.
Some have also objected to the state taking a regional view, saying they shouldn’t be punished because of their neighboring counties’ circumstances.
Though the additional restrictions are undoubtedly a hardship for many, Ghaly said they were “required to make sure we get through the surge as quickly as possible and saving as many lives and preventing as many infections as we possibly can.”
California has seen a sustained and shocking rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over the last few weeks — with numbers surging to levels far beyond those seen at any other point in the pandemic.
Statewide, average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October, hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October, and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in the last month.
Over the last week, California has averaged 20,414 cases per day, a 78.3% increase from two weeks ago, according to data compiled by The Times.
Roughly 240,000 Californians have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 14 days. That number is larger than the entire population of the city of San Bernardino.
There are now 10,070 coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized statewide and 2,360 are in intensive care, according to numbers Newsom presented Monday. Both those figures are all-time highs.
An average of 112 Californians have died from COVID-19 every day over the last week.
“I think we have moved from characterizing this as a surge, in my mind, to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert.
In Los Angeles County, the state’s most populous, health officials reported more than 10,500 new cases Sunday, an unprecedented number for a single day. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have surpassed 3,000, and Ferrer said that number could rise dramatically in the next few weeks as the full toll of the Thanksgiving holiday comes into view.
Given the county’s recent sky-high case counts, Ferrer said officials are projecting that daily hospitalizations could surpass 4,000 this month — with daily deaths potentially rising to 65 soon thereafter.
Before the latest surge, the county had never seen recorded 2,300 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a single day.
“These numbers reflect actions we took in late November, and we can’t take those actions back,” Ferrer said. “What we can do is change our actions today so that, two to three weeks from now, we’re not reporting a similarly disastrous cascade of events.”
Though the pandemic has reached crisis levels in California, state officials say there is light at the end of the tunnel as companies begin to roll out their initial shipments of COVID-19 vaccines.
Newsom said Monday the state was planning to receive 2.16 million doses of vaccine this month — with delivery expected to start by next week.
“Hope is on the horizon,” he said.
More tools are also coming online. Starting Thursday, Californians will be able to opt into a smartphone-based system, turning on COVID-19 exposure notifications in their iPhone settings or downloading the CA Notify app in the Google Play Store.
Some residents can expect to get a notification by phone alerting them that the program is available.
State officials hope the Bluetooth-based technology — which doesn’t collect location data or people’s identities — will help slow the transmission of the novel coronavirus by quickly notifying people when they’ve been exposed to someone who later tests positive for the disease.
Newsom has also named a new general in the battle against COVID-19. He announced Monday that he had appointed Tomás Aragón as director of the California Department of Public Health.
Aragón had been health officer for the city and county of San Francisco.
“We’re very, very enthusiastic to have him now on the team,” Newsom said, “to continue to supplement our efforts as we move into this next and challenging phase.”
The appointment requires confirmation from the state Senate.
Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth, Jack Dolan and Sean Greene and Lyndsay Winkley of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-07--Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools

Los Angeles campuses will shut down completely beginning Thursday for all in-person tutoring and special services , as prospects for fully reopening the nation ’ s second-largest school district recede further into 2021 amid a dangerous coronavirus surge , Supt .
Austin Beutner announced Monday .
The move immediately affects some 4,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and outdoor conditioning for athletes .
Beutner ’ s emergency order comes on the first day of a sweeping stay-at-home order across much of California and as Los Angeles County ’ s coronavirus rates reach unprecedented numbers .
“ My commitment has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety of all in the school community , ” Beutner said in an interview with The Times .
“ We have an imperative to get kids back to school as soon as possible the safest way possible .
But all that comes through the front door , and the front door is what is COVID in the overall Los Angeles community .
Right now it ’ s at extraordinary and quite dangerous levels.
” The superintendent ’ s remarks follow those from teachers union president Cecily Myart-Cruz , who said Friday on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ if ” rather than “ when ” campuses would reopen for the spring semester .
And opening in January , she said , appeared to be out of the question .
On Monday , the union supported Beutner ’ s decision , calling it the “ right step.
” “ This deadly virus surge is heartbreaking , ” Myart-Cruz said in a statement .
“ Educators wanted to be closer to a physical return that reunites us with our students , but instead we are moving farther away .
The challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders to take stronger action to bring the virus under control.
” California Federation of Teachers President Jeff Freitas called for all California districts to shut down until January .
“ We think every school district in the state should be following suit because of these dire numbers , ” Freitas said .
The number of new cases is twice as high as any level during the summer spike — and we aren ’ t necessary seeing the Thanksgiving surge yet.
” The new shutdown will fall hard on students with special needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to campuses for services .
Improving online instruction is paramount , said Seth Litt , executive director of the local advocacy group Parent Revolution .
“ With LAUSD choosing a hard shutdown of the limited in-person services it was offering students , it is even more important that the superintendent share details about how LAUSD will improve its distance-learning program for the second semester , rather than just offer families and students more of the same.
” The superintendent offered few details on this front , but he said he recognized the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how well these efforts are working .
He also said the district may need to provide students with relief in grading practices to prevent them from being further harmed by the pandemic .
Beutner is not alone in pulling back from campus-based services , but there ’ s been a range of responses across California .
The school board in San Bernardino City Unified , which serves about 47,000 students , voted Nov. 17 to keep campuses closed in that district , the state ’ s eighth-largest , for the remainder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Las Virgenes Unified , with about 11,000 students , has expanded in-person instruction — bringing back third-graders to campus on Monday .
About three-quarters of students in transitional kindergarten through second grade had already returned under a county-approved waiver that is available to any school .
The poverty rate in San Bernardino City Unified is about 88 % compared with about 12 % in Las Virgenes Unified , reflecting a broader trend of campuses being more likely to reopen in more affluent communities .
This divide separating the poor from the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lower-income areas have been hit harder .
In counties adjacent to Los Angeles , campuses had been been allowed to open while infection rates were lower — and they can stay open under state guidelines .
However , campuses that had not reopened must stay closed .
The picture across the nation also is varied .
Campuses in Philadelphia are closed .
Meanwhile , parents in New York City on Monday dealt with another roller coaster twist — as elementary campuses reopened in the nation ’ s largest school system .
Beutner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in Los Angeles if infection rates were as low as in New York City .
L.A. Unified was barely beginning to unlock the schoolyard gates — with fewer than 1 % of students receiving any in-person services .
In early October , the district began offering one-on-one tutoring .
And it later began instruction for groups as large as three and providing other services , such as assessments for students with disabilities .
The goal was to prioritize the most vulnerable students .
Negotiations are underway with the teachers union to extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the year .
In remarks prepared for a Monday broadcast , Beutner said the crisis necessitates a “ Marshall Plan for Schools , ” alluding to the all-in , high-cost program by the United States to rebuild Europe after World War II , an effort that was perceived as promoting the common good .
The latter-day plan , he said , should contain four essential elements : creating a safe school environment ; school-based coronavirus testing and contact tracing ; mental-health support for children ; and funding for in-person instruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , already is planning “ for a summer session like no other ” to help students “ recover lost learning opportunities , add enrichment to their lives and help them deal with the anxiety and trauma this crisis has brought into their homes.
” Well over a billion dollars in federal COVID relief has flowed to the nation ’ s schools already , but Beutner said the need is much greater .
“ The nationwide cost of a school-relief program like I ’ m proposing would be about $ 125 billion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , of the total earmarked for the Paycheck Protection Program that has provided ultra-low-interest loans to businesses .
“ That ’ s a small price to pay to give millions of children a shot at the American dream and their families a chance to get back to work.
” He also called for teachers and other school staff to be near the top of the list for receiving vaccines .
In the interview , he said , schools should be prioritized for reopening ahead of card rooms , bars , gyms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schools must come first , not last , ” Beutner said .
At the same time , he added , idled employees should receive government subsidies until their work can resume .
The district on Monday also released some results of a parent survey , indicating that more than a third of parents wanted to send their children back to campus .
Those who responded more recently , said Beutner , were less eager to return to campus , opting instead to remain with distance learning .
Advocacy groups had questioned whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents regarding this high-stakes decision .
In the interview , Beutner made it clear that the survey had evolved to serve as a snapshot and a planning tool .
Parents , he said , would be surveyed again later .
At that point , he said , more details would be available about the district ’ s plans to offer a modified , in-person schedule when it becomes safe to do so .

Prospects for reopening campuses this school year dimmed Monday for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles students with the hard shutdown of all in-person tutoring and special services amid a dangerous coronavirus surge — and officials declining to estimate when children could return to classrooms.
The decision by the nation’s second-largest school district stands to intensify an impassioned debate over the safety of operating schools that divides parents, educators and experts. Throughout California, school districts are responding differently.
Siding with L.A. Unified was California Federation of Teachers President Jeff Freitas. But also on Monday, the Los Angeles-adjacent Torrance and Las Virgenes districts were welcoming back many students.
In remarks Monday, L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner announced that campus closures will take full effect by Thursday, a move that immediately affects some 4,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and outdoor conditioning for athletes. Thousands of other eligible students were waiting for services to become available.
“My commitment has been throughout to protect the health and safety of all in the school community,” Beutner said in an interview with The Times. “We have an imperative to get kids back to school as soon as possible the safest way possible. But all that comes through the front door, and the front door is what is COVID in the overall Los Angeles community. Right now it’s at extraordinary and quite dangerous levels.”
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Beutner’s emergency directive came on the first day of a sweeping stay-at-home order across much of California and as Los Angeles County’s coronavirus rates reached unprecedented numbers.
The L.A. teachers union called Beutner’s decision “the right step.”
“Educators wanted to be closer to a physical return that reunites us with our students, but instead we are moving farther away,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. In remarks Friday on social media, she said that it’s become a question of “if” rather than “when” campuses would reopen for the spring semester.
State teachers union leader Freitas called for all California districts to shut down until at least January.
“We think every school district in the state should be following suit because of these dire numbers,” Freitas said.
L.A. school board President Richard Vladovic said he didn’t see how a full campus return — even a staggered, partly online schedule — could happen before mid-February. Even then, he said, on-campus instruction would probably be available initially to only the youngest students.
For parents in L.A., Monday’s announcement was the latest installment in a long-running, disheartening story line.
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Erika Muñoz, a Huntington Park mother of three students and a toddler, said she started anticipating the reopening of campuses when the district recently distributed a survey asking parents to choose between a staggered on-campus schedule or distance-learning only.
Online learning has been especially difficult for her 4-year-old, who is in transitional kindergarten. A return to campus also would allow Muñoz to look for a job.
When she heard about the shutdown, “it was emotional,” she said. “It’s like you start feeling down again because you have these hopes and you start making plans — and then all of a sudden they bring you back down.”
Improving online instruction is paramount at this juncture, rather than just offering “more of the same,” said Seth Litt, executive director of the local advocacy group Parent Revolution.
The COVID surge has prompted a range of responses across the state.
The school board in San Bernardino City Unified, which serves about 47,000 students, voted Nov. 17 to keep campuses closed in that district, the state’s eighth-largest, for the remainder of the school year.
Officials with the 11,000-student Evergreen School District in San Jose took that step Friday, but will continue to offer some in-person services to students with special needs. The Fort Sage School District, with about 500 students living near the Nevada border, also closed its campuses for the remainder of 2020.
In contrast on Monday, Las Virgenes Unified, with about 11,000 students in northwest L.A. County, expanded in-person instruction — bringing back third-graders. About three-quarters of students in transitional kindergarten through second grade had already returned under a county-approved waiver that is available to any school.
Torrance Unified opened Monday for kindergarten students.
The experience of schools that have opened with strong safety measures justifies this approach, said Robert Ostmann, a spokesman for the Los Alamitos Unified School District in Orange County, which was one of the first to reopen in September.
“We’re very confident that we don’t have any spread within the schools and that the cases that we do have are from outside school,” he said. “If we were seeing a trend toward community spread within the schools, then we would certainly reevaluate.”
About 77% of students are attending in-person classes.
Campuses in more prosperous communities have been more likely to reopen: The poverty rate in San Bernardino City Unified is about 88%, compared with about 12% in Las Virgenes Unified. This divide separating the poor from the more affluent also is reflected in infection rates. Lower-income areas have been hit harder.
Some schools in counties adjacent to Los Angeles had a period when they could fully reopen and, if they did, can remain open under state guidelines.
The picture across the nation also is varied. Campuses in Philadelphia are closed. Chicago is planning to open schools in January — and the teachers union has taken legal action to challenge the decision.
Meanwhile, parents in New York City on Monday dealt with another roller coaster twist — as elementary campuses reopened in the nation’s largest school system.
Beutner said a similar scenario could have happened in Los Angeles if infection rates were as low as in New York City.
L.A. Unified was barely beginning to unlock the schoolyard gates — with fewer than 1% of students receiving any in-person services. In early October, the district began offering one-on-one tutoring. And it later began instruction for groups as large as three and providing other services, such as assessments for students with disabilities. The goal was to prioritize the most vulnerable students.
Negotiations are underway with the teachers union to extend a distance-learning agreement set to expire at the end of the year.
In remarks prepared for a Monday broadcast, Beutner said the crisis necessitates a “Marshall Plan for Schools,” alluding to the all-in, high-cost program by the United States to rebuild Europe after World War II, an effort that was perceived as promoting the common good.
The latter-day plan, he said, should contain four essential elements: creating a safe school environment; school-based coronavirus testing and contact tracing; mental-health support for children; and funding for in-person instruction next summer.
L.A. Unified, he added, already is planning “for a summer session like no other” to help students “recover lost learning opportunities, add enrichment to their lives and help them deal with the anxiety and trauma this crisis has brought into their homes.”
Billions of dollars in federal COVID relief have flowed to the nation’s schools already, but Beutner called for an additional $125-billion package, about a fifth of what was earmarked for the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided ultra-low-interest loans to businesses.
He called the proposed school aid “a small price to pay to give millions of children a shot at the American dream and their families a chance to get back to work.” He also called for teachers and other school staff to be near the top of the list for receiving vaccines.
In the interview, he said schools should be prioritized for reopening ahead of card rooms, bars, gyms, indoor malls and even restaurants.
“Schools must come first, not last,” Beutner said.
At the same time, he added, idled employees should receive government subsidies until their work can resume.
The district on Monday also released some results of its parent survey, indicating that more than a third of parents want to send their children back to campus. Those who responded more recently, said Beutner, are less eager to return, opting instead to remain with distance-only learning.
A much smaller parallel survey from an outside group, Speak Up, found similar results, but also a notable racial and ethnic divide: 69% of white parents want to send their children back next semester if strict safety measures are in place. This compares to 33% of Black parents and 37% of Latino parents who feel comfortable doing so.
The vast majority of parents across all racial groups said that parents should have the option to send their children to campus next semester.


latimes--2020-12-07--Power shutoffs hit Southern California as dangerous fire weather returns

Southern California Edison preemptively shut off power to more than 18,000 customers Monday as widespread fire weather conditions ramp up across the region .
More than 192,000 additional customers are facing potential shutoffs as well .
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings — indicating ideal conditions for wildfires to start — in portions of San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara , Ventura and Los Angeles counties through noon Tuesday , with the agency warning residents to be prepared to evacuate .
“ Another Santa Ana wind event is expected to begin late tonight and continue through Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
“ This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.
” Mountain and foothill areas could see isolated wind gusts as high as 70 mph , the agency said , with coasts and valleys peaking at 55 mph .
The strongest winds will occur Monday evening through Tuesday morning and will be met with critically dry vegetation and very low relative humidity “ If fire ignition occurs , ” the Weather Service said , “ conditions will be favorable for rapid fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior , which would threaten life and property.
” In Orange County , where the Bond fire has seared a path through 7,375 acres and destroyed at least 30 structures , a red flag warning is in effect through 10 p.m. Tuesday .
The fire was 60 % contained Monday morning , the Orange County Fire Authority said .
Edison spokesman Paul Netter said the utility performs public safety power shutoffs in an effort to prevent the electrical system from acting as a source of ignition for wildfires .
In October , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in the Bobcat fire , which may have been sparked by tree branches striking a power line .
Customers currently without power include 5,500 in Kern County , 4,900 in Los Angeles County , 6,000 in Ventura County , and 1,900 in Riverside County .
More than 192,000 customers in nine counties are under consideration for a power shutoff , including an additional 47,000in Los Angeles County , 36,400 in San Bernardino County and 30,700 in Ventura County .
Residents can enter their address to determine whether they may be affected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually experience a shutoff depends on the weather , Netter said .
“ You can ’ t really say in advance what ’ s going to happen , ” he said .
“ It ’ s totally based on conditions .
The forecast calls for the winds to be heavier in the afternoon and into tomorrow , so we ’ re particularly looking at those as the key periods of concern.
” San Diego Gas & Electric Monday afternoon also announced that , due to high winds , it had shut off power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamul , Santa Ysabel and Valley Center .
The latest potential shutoffs come on the heels of back-to-back power outages over the last two weeks amid high winds .
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a through Tuesday for areas including Orange , Los Angeles , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , warning of possible health problems arising from particles in wood smoke .
“ No-burn day alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burning wood in fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning devices is prohibited during the mandatory wood-burning ban .
No-burn alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation , or to homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat .
David Sweet , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service , said there was no rain on the horizon for at least the next seven days in the region .
The current fire weather conditions are the result of winds from a low-pressure system , heading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-pressure system that ’ s coming from the east , he said .
“ When you have strong winds at every level … that ’ s an ideal situation for a Santa Ana wind condition that is moderate to strong , ” he said .
“ That ’ s why we have very gusty winds , very low humidities and high fire danger .
”

A firefighter walks across a hillside blackened by the Bond fire. More Santa Ana winds are on tap this week.
Southern California Edison preemptively shut off power to more than 54,000 customers by Monday night as widespread fire weather conditions ramp up across the region.
More than 150,000 additional customers are facing potential shutoffs as well.
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings — indicating conditions for wildfires to start — in portions of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties through noon Tuesday, with the agency warning residents to be prepared to evacuate.
“Another Santa Ana wind event is expected to begin late tonight and continue through Tuesday evening,” the weather service said Monday. “This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.”
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Mountain and foothill areas could see isolated wind gusts as high as 70 mph, the agency said, with coasts and valleys peaking at 55 mph. The strongest winds will occur Monday evening through Tuesday morning and will be met with critically dry vegetation and very low relative humidity.
“If fire ignition occurs,” the Weather Service said, “conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread, long-range spotting and extreme fire behavior, which would threaten life and property.”
Widespread critical fire weather conditions are expected Mon-Tue and Red Flag Warnings have been issued for all areas except for inland valleys. Gusty Santa Ana winds are expected with very low RH and critically dry fuels. Please practice wildfire safety! #CAwx #LAwind #CAfire pic.twitter.com/NmA7DGZppc — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 7, 2020
In Orange County, where the Bond fire has seared a path through 7,375 acres and destroyed at least 30 structures, a red flag warning is in effect through 10 p.m. Tuesday. The fire was 70% contained Monday evening, the Orange County Fire Authority said.
Edison spokesman Paul Netter said the utility performs public safety power shutoffs in an effort to prevent the electrical system from acting as a source of ignition for wildfires. In October, the company came under scrutiny for its potential role in the Bobcat fire, which may have been sparked by tree branches striking a power line.
Customers currently without power include 3,300 in Kern County, 8,200 in Los Angeles County, 22,500 in Ventura County, and 17,200 in Riverside County.
More than 150,000 customers in eight counties are under consideration for a power shutoff, including an additional 38,500 in Los Angeles County, 34,500 in San Bernardino County and 13,800 in Ventura County. Residents can enter their address here to determine whether they may be affected.
Just how many customers on alert will actually experience a shutoff depends on the weather, Netter said.
“You can’t really say in advance what’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s totally based on conditions. The forecast calls for the winds to be heavier in the afternoon and into tomorrow, so we’re particularly looking at those as the key periods of concern.”
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San Diego Gas & Electric Monday night also announced that, due to high winds, it had shut off power to approximately 14,200 customers.
The latest potential shutoffs come on the heels of back-to-back power outages over the last two weeks amid high winds.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a no-burn alert through Tuesday for areas including Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, warning of possible health problems arising from particles in wood smoke.
“No-burn day alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high,” the agency said. Burning wood in fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning devices is prohibited during the mandatory wood-burning ban.
No-burn alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, or to homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat.
David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said there was no rain on the horizon for at least the next seven days in the region.
The current fire weather conditions are the result of winds from a low-pressure system, heading southwest, meeting with winds from a high-pressure system that’s coming from the east, he said.
“When you have strong winds at every level … that’s an ideal situation for a Santa Ana wind condition that is moderate to strong,” he said. “That’s why we have very gusty winds, very low humidities and high fire danger.”


latimes--2020-12-07--L.A. County faces 'three weeks of devastation' before COVID-19 surge might slow, experts say

The coronavirus wave engulfing California over the last week seems to confirm that the worst of the surge is far from over .
But how bad will it get ?
The numbers — which have reached record proportions — still don ’ t reflect anyone who may have gotten sick during Thanksgiving .
Generally , it takes two weeks after an event to determine whether coronavirus transmission occurred , and two additional weeks for hospitalization numbers to increase as a result .
It also will take several weeks for the effects of the latest stay-at-home order , which began in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of California just before midnight Monday .
“ The stay-at-home orders worked the first time around in that we did , in a sense , flatten the curve and see decreases occurring , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
“ So I think we in public health are hopeful that these new regional stay-at-home orders will be able to also reverse this upward trend.
” But the order will hit retailers and essential workers hard at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Health experts sounded the alarm as California reported yet another day of record high coronavirus cases and Los Angeles County reported its first daily total that exceeded 10,000 infections .
The rise has prompted more than 33 million Californians to be under a regional stay-at-home order .
Top health officials say the controls are needed to make sure other holidays don ’ t become super-spreader events .
“ Every state across this country needs to increase their mitigation , and every state needs to be critically informing their state population that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to a surge .
It will happen this week and next week , ” Deborah Birx , the White House ’ s coronavirus response coordinator , said on “ Meet the Press.
” “ We can not go into the holiday season — Christmas , Hanukkah , Kwanzaa — with the same kind of attitude that : ‘ Those gatherings don ’ t apply to me.
’ They apply to everyone , if you don ’ t want to lose your grandparents , your aunt , ” she added .
No signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hot spot for the virus in California , reported more than 10,500 new cases Sunday .
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 neared 3,000 .
It was the seventh consecutive day of record-breaking COVID-19 hospitalizations in L.A. County , and more than quadruple the number from early October , when there were about 700 people hospitalized with the disease .
Statewide , average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October , hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in the last month .
Kim-Farley said the trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere , and therefore we ’ re applying these stay-at-home orders because of the fact that every place is now at higher risk of transmission .
I think we have moved from characterizing this as a surge , in my mind , to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size.
” In an interview Sunday , L.A. County Public Health Director Babrara Ferrer was blunt in her assessment : “ We ’ re going to see three weeks of devastation before we ’ ll be able to assess the impact.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t seen the full increases in our case numbers associated with the Thanksgiving holiday , just based on the timeline , ” she said .
She believes the new restrictions will help — but that will take time .
For now , she sees hospitalization surging to as high as 4,000 in the coming weeks .

The coronavirus wave engulfing California over the last week seems to confirm that the worst of the surge is far from over.
But how bad will it get?
The numbers — which have reached record proportions — still don’t reflect anyone who may have gotten sick during Thanksgiving. Generally, it takes two weeks after an event to determine whether coronavirus transmission occurred, and two additional weeks for hospitalization numbers to increase as a result.
It also will take several weeks for the effects of the latest stay-at-home order, which began in Los Angeles County last week and in much of California just before midnight Monday.
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“The stay-at-home orders worked the first time around in that we did, in a sense, flatten the curve and see decreases occurring,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “So I think we in public health are hopeful that these new regional stay-at-home orders will be able to also reverse this upward trend.”
But the order will hit retailers and essential workers hard at a time when relief from Washington has dried up.
Sounding alarms
Health experts sounded the alarm as California reported yet another day of record high coronavirus cases and Los Angeles County reported its first daily total that exceeded 10,000 infections. The rise has prompted more than 33 million Californians to be under a regional stay-at-home order. Top health officials say the controls are needed to make sure other holidays don’t become super-spreader events.
“Every state across this country needs to increase their mitigation, and every state needs to be critically informing their state population that the gatherings we saw in Thanksgiving will lead to a surge. It will happen this week and next week,” Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, said on “Meet the Press.”
“We cannot go into the holiday season — Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa — with the same kind of attitude that: ‘Those gatherings don’t apply to me.’ They apply to everyone, if you don’t want to lose your grandparents, your aunt,” she added.
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No signs of letting up
Los Angeles County, a hot spot for the virus in California, reported more than 10,500 new cases Sunday. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 neared 3,000.
It was the seventh consecutive day of record-breaking COVID-19 hospitalizations in L.A. County, and more than quadruple the number from early October, when there were about 700 people hospitalized with the disease.
Statewide, average daily coronavirus cases have jumped sixfold since early October, hospitalizations have quadrupled since late October and average daily deaths have nearly tripled in the last month.
Kim-Farley said the trend “means basically that the virus is everywhere, and therefore we’re applying these stay-at-home orders because of the fact that every place is now at higher risk of transmission. I think we have moved from characterizing this as a surge, in my mind, to being basically a viral tsunami in terms of its size.”
Grim forecast
In an interview Sunday, L.A. County Public Health Director Babrara Ferrer was blunt in her assessment: “We’re going to see three weeks of devastation before we’ll be able to assess the impact.”
“I am positive that we haven’t seen the full increases in our case numbers associated with the Thanksgiving holiday, just based on the timeline,” she said.
She believes the new restrictions will help — but that will take time. For now, she sees hospitalization surging to as high as 4,000 in the coming weeks.


latimes--2020-12-08--'These mountains could turn into jelly.' Above Santa Cruz, residents fear devastating mudslides

The fire that rampaged through the San Lorenzo Valley in August and September burned hotter and destroyed more acreage than anyone in these rugged , rural and breathtaking mountains can remember .
The CZU August Lightning Complex fire killed Tad Jones , a 73-year-old man who lived in the mountains above Santa Cruz .
It also destroyed hundreds of homes , displacing residents , and left scores without potable water .
Now the region is bracing for more devastation , in the form of potentially deadly debris flows caused by winter storms .
Taking advantage of an unusually dry November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and government agencies are frantically cleaning the debris left behind by the fires , and securing the search and rescue equipment they will need for the mudslides almost sure to come .
Yet even with the looming threat , public officials and residents are confident that most residents will return and rebuild .
“ If there ’ s one thing you need to know about the people who live in the Santa Cruz Mountains , ” said Mark Stone , the area ’ s state assemblyman , “ they are resilient.
” Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other experts , all say that widespread and potentially devastating debris flows are likely to hit the region this winter .
That ’ s because the Santa Cruz Mountains , with their steep terrain and history of drenching storms coming off the Pacific , were burned so badly and extensively that the lattice of roots and foliage that typically holds the ground in place is gone .
“ The worry is that in some places , the sides of these mountains could turn into jelly ” and slough off , said Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Geological Survey .
But people who ’ ve chosen to live in these normally damp redwood forests , not far from the Bay Area but isolated because of the rugged topography , are accustomed to the risks of mudslides , earthquakes , floods and drought .
“ They ’ re undaunted , ” said Stone , a former tech industry attorney and professor at the Naval Postgraduate School .
Several years ago , a large tree fell across California Highway 17 , the mountainous and treacherous high-speed corridor connecting Santa Cruz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped .
The lanes were completely blocked , ” Stone said .
But before Caltrans could arrive , locals had chain-sawed the tree to bits and removed it from the road .
“ They all just got out of their cars , grabbed a chain saw out of their back seat , trunk or flatbed , and got to work , ” he said .
“ That ’ s just the way they do things.
” Mark Bingham , chief of Boulder Creek ’ s fire department , laughed when he heard the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ When I commuted over to Santa Clara , I always carried a chain saw .
You never knew what would happen .
But you also knew to always be prepared .
Because stuff happens .
It just does.
” It ’ s why he ’ s now working overtime — training local and regional firefighters and rescue workers — to prepare for a winter that he and other public officials are eyeing with trepidation .
Collins , the USGS engineer , is assisting Santa Clara County officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to research debris flows and measure soil saturation throughout the area .
He said that although fire-triggered debris flows are common in Southern California — like the ones that struck Montecito in 2018 — they are relatively rare in the Santa Cruz Mountains , where fires rarely burn so widely or with such intensity .
Which isn ’ t to say the area hasn ’ t experienced debris flows .
“ We probably get two or three a year that close roads or cause some kind of nuisance , ” Bingham said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck at Love Creek , just east of Boulder Creek ’ s downtown .
The slide was not in a burn area , but instead resulted from prolonged , torrential rains that saturated the soils and turned them to liquid .
It killed 10 people , including two children , and destroyed 30 homes .
Twelve others died across Santa Cruz County .
The toll of that disaster is haunting for many , including Bingham , who was little more than a toddler at the time — but whose uncle was a first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer as he watched the fires burn along the ridges and through the neighborhoods of his town .
“ I thought , ‘ Winter is coming , ’ ” he said , and he began preparing .
Bingham became chief of the fire protection district in November 2019 after a two-month transition .
During his brief tenure , he has overseen the town ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic , dealt with an active shooter who killed a police officer and responded to several George Floyd demonstrations and the area ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illusion that the next few months will be any easier , he ’ s leaning on the lessons he ’ s learned in the last 13 .
He ’ s also preparing his town , county responders and others for a winter of potential disaster .
Two weeks ago , his department hosted a debris flow search and rescue training seminar , with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency , and local and regional fire , search and rescue instructors .
Debris flow veterans , such as Eric Gray , a Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene at Montecito , and Thom Jaquysh and Tim Houweling , with California ’ s Task Force 3 , walked attendees through their experiences and best practices .
He ’ s also charted new maps for the area , with designated evacuation zones developed with help from the sheriff ’ s department and neighboring fire departments .
Out-of-town first responders will have these maps , with QR codes on them , should they need to come in for search and rescue operations this winter .
“ I want to make sure they know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which roads are gated , how to get in , where there are bridges , ” Bingham said .
“ I don ’ t want anybody getting stuck or turned around or delayed because they don ’ t have the information they need.
” And , with the very little money he has to work with — he ’ s in an unincorporated district that relies on property taxes for funding , where hundreds of houses burned this summer — he ’ s also trying to secure equipment .
These include mud lances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers to get where they need to go , without risking their lives or ruining their firefighting equipment .
In the meantime , the county and state are working on a very aggressive timeline to get debris from the fires cleaned up , said Jason Hoppin , spokesman for Santa Cruz County .
Phase I , hazardous material removal , was completed on Dec. 1 .
And applications for Phase 2 — debris removal — are due on Dec. 15 .
Bradley Brown , the owner of Big Basin Vineyards , said fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although they couldn ’ t save his house .
An architectural marvel and local music venue , the stone-and-beam home was designed , in part , as a solar calendar — capturing the sun ’ s rays for full effect at the solstice and equinox .
It is now mostly rubble and ash .
During a November visit , a reporter could see a few scorched books still sitting in the stone shelves .
The roof ’ s terra cotta tiles , held together by wire , dangled from the few stone walls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breeze .
He ’ s unsure if he ’ s going to rebuild the house , or if he even can .
It was unique .
But he ’ s not giving up on the winery .
“ We ’ ve got work to do .
But that ’ s what we do .
We roll up our sleeves and get moving , ” he said , adding that he spent years working the land with his own hands — chopping down trees , digging up roots , planting the vines .
Pointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the unmistakable fingerprint of a past debris flow — he said he ’ s not too concerned about his grapes and the potential for landslides .
He ’ s high up on a hill , and most of the vines and grass are still rooted , providing a structure for the soil .
But if another natural disaster should fall , he said , it ’ ll just be one more in a long line of them .
“ You don ’ t live here or move here if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ You wouldn ’ t survive .
”

The fire that rampaged through the San Lorenzo Valley in August and September burned hotter and destroyed more acreage than anyone in these rugged, rural and breathtaking mountains can remember.
The CZU August Lightning Complex fire killed Tad Jones, a 73-year-old man who lived in the mountains above Santa Cruz. It also destroyed hundreds of homes, displacing residents, and left scores without potable water.
Now the region is bracing for more devastation, in the form of potentially deadly debris flows caused by winter storms. Taking advantage of an unusually dry November and early December, local first responders and government agencies are frantically cleaning the debris left behind by the fires, and securing the search and rescue equipment they will need for the mudslides almost sure to come.
Yet even with the looming threat, public officials and residents are confident that most residents will return and rebuild.
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“If there’s one thing you need to know about the people who live in the Santa Cruz Mountains,” said Mark Stone, the area’s state assemblyman, “they are resilient.”
Federal, state and local scientists, along with other experts, all say that widespread and potentially devastating debris flows are likely to hit the region this winter.
Work crews clear burned trees along Memory Lane in Boulder Creek. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
That’s because the Santa Cruz Mountains, with their steep terrain and history of drenching storms coming off the Pacific, were burned so badly and extensively that the lattice of roots and foliage that typically holds the ground in place is gone.
“The worry is that in some places, the sides of these mountains could turn into jelly” and slough off, said Brian Collins, a civil engineer with the United States Geological Survey.
But people who’ve chosen to live in these normally damp redwood forests, not far from the Bay Area but isolated because of the rugged topography, are accustomed to the risks of mudslides, earthquakes, floods and drought. “They’re undaunted,” said Stone, a former tech industry attorney and professor at the Naval Postgraduate School.
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Several years ago, a large tree fell across California Highway 17, the mountainous and treacherous high-speed corridor connecting Santa Cruz and San Jose.
“Traffic was stopped. The lanes were completely blocked,” Stone said. But before Caltrans could arrive, locals had chain-sawed the tree to bits and removed it from the road.
“They all just got out of their cars, grabbed a chain saw out of their back seat, trunk or flatbed, and got to work,” he said. “That’s just the way they do things.”
Mark Bingham, chief of Boulder Creek’s fire department, laughed when he heard the story.
“It’s true,” he said. “When I commuted over to Santa Clara, I always carried a chain saw. You never knew what would happen. But you also knew to always be prepared. Because stuff happens. It just does.”
It’s why he’s now working overtime — training local and regional firefighters and rescue workers — to prepare for a winter that he and other public officials are eyeing with trepidation.
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Collins, the USGS engineer, is assisting Santa Cruz County officials and the state’s geological survey to research debris flows and measure soil saturation throughout the area.
A man walks by destruction from debris flows along Olive Mill Road in Montecito in 2018. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
He said that although fire-triggered debris flows are common in Southern California — like the ones that struck Montecito in 2018 — they are relatively rare in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where fires rarely burn so widely or with such intensity.
Which isn’t to say the area hasn’t experienced debris flows.
“We probably get two or three a year that close roads or cause some kind of nuisance,” Bingham said.
In 1982, a lethal debris flow struck at Love Creek, just east of Boulder Creek’s downtown. The slide was not in a burn area, but instead resulted from prolonged, torrential rains that saturated the soils and turned them to liquid.
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It killed 10 people, including two children, and destroyed 30 homes. Twelve others died across Santa Cruz County.
The toll of that disaster is haunting for many, including Bingham, who was little more than a toddler at the time — but whose uncle was a first responder. It stuck in his mind this summer as he watched the fires burn along the ridges and through the neighborhoods of his town.
“I thought, ‘Winter is coming,’” he said, and he began preparing.
Mark Bingham, chief of the Boulder Creek Fire Protection District, surveys maps he’s prepared to help emergency crews navigate the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains. (Susanne Rust / Los Angeles Times)
Bingham became chief of the fire protection district in November 2019 after a two-month transition. During his brief tenure, he has overseen the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, dealt with an active shooter who killed a police officer and responded to several George Floyd demonstrations and the area’s largest recent conflagration.
With no illusion that the next few months will be any easier, he’s leaning on the lessons he’s learned in the last 13. He’s also preparing his town, county responders and others for a winter of potential disaster.
Two weeks ago, his department hosted a debris flow search and rescue training seminar, with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local and regional fire, search and rescue instructors.
Debris flow veterans, such as Eric Gray, a Santa Barbara fire captain who was at the scene at Montecito, and Thom Jaquysh and Tim Houweling, with California’s Task Force 3, walked attendees through their experiences and best practices.
He’s also charted new maps for the area, with designated evacuation zones developed with help from the sheriff’s department and neighboring fire departments. Out-of-town first responders will have these maps, with QR codes on them, should they need to come in for search and rescue operations this winter.
A car navigates Ice Cream Grade Road as it cuts through a grove of redwoods that was largely spared by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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“I want to make sure they know where all the access roads are, which roads are gated, how to get in, where there are bridges,” Bingham said. “I don’t want anybody getting stuck or turned around or delayed because they don’t have the information they need.”
And, with the very little money he has to work with — he’s in an unincorporated district that relies on property taxes for funding, where hundreds of houses burned this summer — he’s also trying to secure equipment. These include mud lances and dry suits that will allow his volunteers to get where they need to go, without risking their lives or ruining their firefighting equipment.
In the meantime, the county and state are working on a very aggressive timeline to get debris from the fires cleaned up, said Jason Hoppin, spokesman for Santa Cruz County.
Phase I, hazardous material removal, was completed on Dec. 1. And applications for Phase 2 — debris removal — are due on Dec. 15.
Bradley Brown, the owner of Big Basin Vineyards, said fire crews saved his winery from burning, although they couldn’t save his house.
An architectural marvel and local music venue, the stone-and-beam home was designed, in part, as a solar calendar — capturing the sun’s rays for full effect at the solstice and equinox. It is now mostly rubble and ash.
Advertisement
During a November visit, a reporter could see a few scorched books still sitting in the stone shelves. The roof’s terra cotta tiles, held together by wire, dangled from the few stone walls that remained, and chimed in the breeze.
He’s unsure if he’s going to rebuild the house, or if he even can. It was unique. But he’s not giving up on the winery.
Grapes ruined by smoke have been trimmed from vines at Big Basin Vineyards in Boulder Creek, parts of which were burned by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“We’ve got work to do. But that’s what we do. We roll up our sleeves and get moving,” he said, adding that he spent years working the land with his own hands — chopping down trees, digging up roots, planting the vines.
Pointing toward a slump in a nearby hill — the unmistakable fingerprint of a past debris flow — he said he’s not too concerned about his grapes and the potential for landslides. He’s high up on a hill, and most of the vines and grass are still rooted, providing a structure for the soil.
But if another natural disaster should fall, he said, it’ll just be one more in a long line of them.
“You don’t live here or move here if you’re risk averse or unwilling to work hard,” he said. “You wouldn’t survive.”