latimes--2020-12-30--'Aren't you going to help him?' L.A. hospitals serving the poor and people of color hit hardest by C

'Aren't you going to help him?' L.A. hospitals serving the poor and people of color hit hardest by COVID-19

As the pandemic besieges the region ’ s hospitals , its destructive sweep is being dispensed in unequal measures .
While all hospitals across Los Angeles County are being slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients , those in lower-income , densely populated and nonwhite communities have been hit hardest and face the greatest challenge in providing care , according to a Times data analysis .
Hospitals in South Los Angeles , the cities in Southeast L.A. County along the 710 Freeway and in parts of the southern San Gabriel Valley are experiencing the greatest capacity problems , the data showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small and are less able to add intensive care staff or expand bed capacity than the county ’ s biggest hospitals .
The data underscores how communities of color have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic , with Latino and Black residents far more likely to get the virus and die of it compared with whites .
Low-income essential workers often get sick while on the job and then spread COVID-19 to family , officials have said .
The released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in L.A. County on average last week , nearly four times as many as a month ago , pushing the share of all admitted patients with the disease above 40 % .
But it is much worse at some hospitals .
At Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center , more than 80 % of the patients have or are suspected to have been infected with the virus , according to the data .
Some new patients with the disease are being treated near the emergency department waiting area , in a triage room staffed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stable enough to leave are being sent home with oxygen .
Patients were “ piled in administrative hallways , stuffed in the corners , hanging over chairs , ” said one healthcare worker , who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution .
When the emergency room ran out of crevices , staffers began treating people right in the waiting room .
“ It was like practicing Civil War medicine .
It was the worst shift of my life , ” the worker said .
Patients with low blood pressure and low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room for up to nine hours at a time .
“ Family members were screaming , ‘ He ’ s dying .
Aren ’ t you going to help him ?
’ ” the healthcare worker said .
“ We looked at each other and said , ‘ Are we gon na pull oxygen off of this lady to give it to someone else ?
’ ” The situation is also alarming at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook , which has 131 beds and 128 COVID-19 patients .
By Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was going to declare an internal disaster , meaning it did not have the space or staff to take any more patients .
“ If it continues to get worse , many hospitals will begin rationing care , ” said Dr. Elaine Batchlor , the hospital ’ s chief executive .
“ It means we will have to make decisions about who to treat and who we may not have enough resources to treat .
It ’ s horrible , it ’ s something that no health professional wants to contemplate.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because many of its patients are essential workers being put at risk every day , and they had pre-existing chronic diseases they ’ d struggled to get treatment for .
“ Diabetic amputations and wounds are the No .
1 surgical procedure in normal conditions [ at the hospital ] , ” Batchlor said .
“ This has made our community here a setup for having a very difficult time with COVID , and it ’ s all playing out in real time as one might expect.
” Many of the patients are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicaid and Medicare , or are uninsured , and for this reason , larger hospitals will often decline to accept a transfer .
“ I was surprised by the fact that we ’ re treating more COVID patients than hospitals three to four times our size , ” Batchlor said after seeing the new federal data .
But those larger hospitals have long been turning away low-income patients from South L.A. who need a higher level of care than the community hospital can provide , Batchlor said .
“ This is how things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It ’ s just that COVID has really increased the stakes .
It ’ s really a crisis , and we ’ re seeing the same pattern.
” Patients are being placed in every usable corner , including the gift shop , which instead of stuffed animals and greeting cards has patients on gurneys in need of emergency care .
The hospital ’ s intensive care unit is full , and staff converted its post-acute care surgery unit into more ICU space and has started boarding ICU patients in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single rooms , they ’ re doubling and sometimes tripling patients .
Both Kaiser Downey and King have among the highest COVID-19 patient rates in the county , according to the government data .
That can be a key indicator for facilities , said hospital administrators , who also monitor the capacity of their ICUs .
Several atop the list are from eastern or southern neighborhoods in the county .
The list includes White Memorial Medical Center in Boyle Heights , East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital and Monterey Park Hospital .
The list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two other Kaiser Permanente facilities , which take patients who aren ’ t necessarily insured through the company .
Its hospitals in the region have seen their share of COVID-19 patients increase from about 52 % two weeks ago to more than 80 % , said Bill Caswell , the company ’ s chief operating officer for Southern California .
“ These tend to be communities where there is dense housing , for a variety of reasons , and where many of the individuals in the community are essential workers — so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gin , Kaiser ’ s regional medical director , who has worked to boost the company ’ s ICU capacity and find new ways to care for patients in their homes .
“ All of those factors play into why we have such a high rate of COVID.
” At County-USC , one of the nation ’ s largest public hospitals , officials had to stop taking new ambulance patients for 12 hours Sunday because the hospital was too jammed .
If conditions continue to worsen , medical staff are likely going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets care .
“ It ’ s difficult to reduce decisions about how to do the most good for the most people to a mathematical formula , ” said Dr. Brad Spellberg , the hospital ’ s chief medical officer .
“ Right now , the decisions we ’ re making hour-to-hour are , how do we stay out of crisis care ?
How do we keep bailing water out , and try to raise the levee , so we don ’ t end up having to make triage-level care decisions ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are struggling to survive .
At Emanate Health Inter-Community Hospital in Covina , “ the hospital is bursting at the seams , ” said Tanya West , a nurse who has worked the past six years in the hospital ’ s emergency department .
There , oxygen levels are running low and multiple patients are being placed in single-occupancy rooms in the emergency department .
“ Staff can barely get by in the room to do treatments for patients , ” she said .
Ambulances with patients wait outside hoping to offload COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the cold .
The lobby is typically full .
The hospital had about 150 COVID-19 patients last week , including 22 in intensive care — more than 60 % of all its patients — while also managing its normal load of other patients .
“ We are seeing a huge surge of COVID patients , but yet we still receive a large amount of patients with typical emergencies , from heart attacks to broken legs , ” West said .
“ Emergencies don ’ t stop.
” Times staff writers Melissa Gomez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report .

Matt Stiles, Emily Baumgaertner, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Andrew J. Campa

Michelle Goldson, a registered nurse in the intensive-care unit at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. The hospital has been forced to treat some patients in its gift shop.
As the pandemic besieges the region’s hospitals, its destructive sweep is being dispensed in unequal measures.
While all hospitals across Los Angeles County are being slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients, those in lower-income, densely populated and nonwhite communities have been hit hardest and face the greatest challenge in providing care, according to a Times data analysis.
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Hospitals in South Los Angeles, the cities in Southeast L.A. County along the 710 Freeway and in parts of the southern San Gabriel Valley are experiencing the greatest capacity problems, the data showed. Many of these facilities are relatively small and are less able to add intensive care staff or expand bed capacity than the county’s biggest hospitals.
The data underscores how communities of color have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic, with Latino and Black residents far more likely to get the virus and die of it compared with whites. Low-income essential workers often get sick while on the job and then spread COVID-19 to family, officials have said.
The data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that more than 6,000 patients with the coronavirus were hospitalized in L.A. County on average last week, nearly four times as many as a month ago, pushing the share of all admitted patients with the disease above 40%.
But it is much worse at some hospitals.
At Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, more than 80% of the patients have or are suspected to have been infected with the virus, according to the data. Some new patients with the disease are being treated near the emergency department waiting area, in a triage room staffed with doctors, and some who are stable enough to leave are being sent home with oxygen.
Patients were “piled in administrative hallways, stuffed in the corners, hanging over chairs,” said one healthcare worker, who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution. When the emergency room ran out of crevices, staffers began treating people right in the waiting room.
“It was like practicing Civil War medicine. It was the worst shift of my life,” the worker said.
Advertisement
Patients with low blood pressure and low oxygen levels were sitting in the waiting room for up to nine hours at a time.
“Family members were screaming, ‘He’s dying. Aren’t you going to help him?’” the healthcare worker said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘Are we gonna pull oxygen off of this lady to give it to someone else?’”
The situation is also alarming at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook, which has 131 beds and 128 COVID-19 patients. By Monday afternoon, the hospital had 215 patients and was going to declare an internal disaster, meaning it did not have the space or staff to take any more patients.
“If it continues to get worse, many hospitals will begin rationing care,” said Dr. Elaine Batchlor, the hospital’s chief executive. “It means we will have to make decisions about who to treat and who we may not have enough resources to treat. It’s horrible, it’s something that no health professional wants to contemplate.”
Batchlor said her hospital is so full because many of its patients are essential workers being put at risk every day, and they had pre-existing chronic diseases they’d struggled to get treatment for.
“Diabetic amputations and wounds are the No. 1 surgical procedure in normal conditions [at the hospital],” Batchlor said. “This has made our community here a setup for having a very difficult time with COVID, and it’s all playing out in real time as one might expect.”
Many of the patients are either publicly insured, through programs like Medicaid and Medicare, or are uninsured, and for this reason, larger hospitals will often decline to accept a transfer.
“I was surprised by the fact that we’re treating more COVID patients than hospitals three to four times our size,” Batchlor said after seeing the new federal data.
But those larger hospitals have long been turning away low-income patients from South L.A. who need a higher level of care than the community hospital can provide, Batchlor said.
“This is how things usually work for us,” she said. “It’s just that COVID has really increased the stakes. It’s really a crisis, and we’re seeing the same pattern.”
Patients are being placed in every usable corner, including the gift shop, which instead of stuffed animals and greeting cards has patients on gurneys in need of emergency care.
The hospital’s intensive care unit is full, and staff converted its post-acute care surgery unit into more ICU space and has started boarding ICU patients in the emergency department. In some emergency department single rooms, they’re doubling and sometimes tripling patients.
Both Kaiser Downey and King have among the highest COVID-19 patient rates in the county, according to the government data.
That can be a key indicator for facilities, said hospital administrators, who also monitor the capacity of their ICUs. Several atop the list are from eastern or southern neighborhoods in the county. The list includes White Memorial Medical Center in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital and Monterey Park Hospital.
The list of facilities with high COVID-19 share includes two other Kaiser Permanente facilities, which take patients who aren’t necessarily insured through the company. Its hospitals in the region have seen their share of COVID-19 patients increase from about 52% two weeks ago to more than 80%, said Bill Caswell, the company’s chief operating officer for Southern California.
“These tend to be communities where there is dense housing, for a variety of reasons, and where many of the individuals in the community are essential workers — so they have greater exposure,” said Nancy Gin, Kaiser’s regional medical director, who has worked to boost the company’s ICU capacity and find new ways to care for patients in their homes. “All of those factors play into why we have such a high rate of COVID.”
At County-USC, one of the nation’s largest public hospitals, officials had to stop taking new ambulance patients for 12 hours Sunday because the hospital was too jammed. If conditions continue to worsen, medical staff are likely going to have to make wrenching choices about who gets care.
“It’s difficult to reduce decisions about how to do the most good for the most people to a mathematical formula,” said Dr. Brad Spellberg, the hospital’s chief medical officer. “Right now, the decisions we’re making hour-to-hour are, how do we stay out of crisis care? How do we keep bailing water out, and try to raise the levee, so we don’t end up having to make triage-level care decisions?”
Even smaller hospitals in more far-flung areas are struggling to survive.
At Emanate Health Inter-Community Hospital in Covina, “the hospital is bursting at the seams,” said Tanya West, a nurse who has worked the past six years in the hospital’s emergency department.
There, oxygen levels are running low and multiple patients are being placed in single-occupancy rooms in the emergency department. “Staff can barely get by in the room to do treatments for patients,” she said.
California Oxygen supply shortages bedevil hospitals already overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients Problems on Sunday caused at least five hospitals in L.A. County to declare an internal disaster, which closed the facilities to all ambulance traffic.
Ambulances with patients wait outside hoping to offload COVID-19 sufferers while other patients sit under canopies in the cold. The lobby is typically full.
The hospital had about 150 COVID-19 patients last week, including 22 in intensive care — more than 60% of all its patients — while also managing its normal load of other patients.
“We are seeing a huge surge of COVID patients, but yet we still receive a large amount of patients with typical emergencies, from heart attacks to broken legs,” West said. “Emergencies don’t stop.”
Times staff writers Melissa Gomez, Harriet Ryan, Rong-Gong Lin II and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-30--New, potentially more contagious coronavirus variant found in California, Newsom says

The new , potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom has been found in California , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday .
He did not specify where in the state the variant was identified , but San Diego County officials announced later in the day that they had confirmed the strain in a 30-year-old man who tested positive there after developing symptoms Sunday .
Officials said the man had “ no travel history.
” As a result , “ we believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference .
“ While it ’ s been pointed out that there is not yet evidence that the strain has any more severe symptoms , there is significant evidence that it does spread considerably faster , that it is much more contagious , ” he said .
That ’ s all the more reason why county officials “ continue to encourage the public and plead with the public to please come together , especially over the next 72 hours and the New Year ’ s holiday , to please follow the public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first reported U.S. case of COVID-19 caused by the variant was detected in Colorado , officials there announced Tuesday .
Newsom disclosed the recent finding during a virtual conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious-disease official — who said he was not surprised by the development , given the strain ’ s prevalence in the United Kingdom and how common travel is between there and the United States .
“ I don ’ t think that Californians should feel that this is something odd , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s expected.
” Mutations in the coronavirus are also not unanticipated , Fauci said , since “ the more you replicate , the more you mutate .
So , when you have a lot of virus that ’ s circulating in the community , it means it ’ s infecting a lot of people ; it ’ s replicating a lot.
” The “ overwhelming majority of mutations are irrelevant , ” he continued , but “ every once in a while , you get a mutation that does impact a function of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from what we ’ ve learned from the U.K. and what we ’ ll prove here , that this particular mutation does in fact make the virus better at transmitting from one person to another , ” he said .
Some scientists , however , are more skeptical that genetic changes in the strain , known as B.1.1.7 , make it more contagious .
There are other possible explanations for the variant ’ s rapid spread in England , such as its transmission through dense communities and among people who are less likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Either way , “ there ’ s no indication at all that it increases the virulence … the ability to make you sick or kill you , ” Fauci said of the variant , adding that it appears existing vaccines also remain effective .
Officials have yet to find any evidence of the variant in Los Angeles County , which the coronavirus is already hitting particularly hard , according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
“ This doesn ’ t mean that the variant is not circulating in L.A. County , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have thousands and thousands of people getting tested every day , and we are just able to sample a small number of those test results and do the gene sequencing.
” Whether the variant is present or not , she added , “ doesn ’ t change the need for all of us to use the strategies that we have available right now to limit exposure and spread of the virus.
” The announcement came as California reached another sobering milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic , recording 25,000 deaths from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the state .
The toll , confirmed through a Times county-by-county tally of local health jurisdictions , includes a new single-day record set Tuesday , when the state logged 442 fatalities : equivalent to someone dying of the disease every three minutes .
Newsom called the recent death figure “ very , very sobering ” and said he hopes it underscores “ the importance of being safe and using common sense , ” particularly with New Year ’ s Eve right around the corner .
“ We look forward to turning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of us do , and I hope we all do it safely as we celebrate the end of this very long , arduous year , ” he said during a briefing Wednesday .
More than half of the deaths reported Tuesday — 242 — were of Los Angeles County residents , according to The Times ’ survey .
That ’ s a single-day record for the nation ’ s most populous county , though the count was boosted in part by a backlog of reports from the Christmas weekend .
At that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceed 10,000 in L.A. County by New Year ’ s Day .
As of Tuesday night , L.A. County had 9,806 cumulative deaths .
Over the last week , the state averaged 240 deaths a day and L.A. County 111 .
“ Suffering followed by more suffering continues as too many residents and businesses behave as if we are not living in the most dangerous time of the most devastating pandemic , ” Ferrer said in a statement .
“ Our healthcare workers are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients and this current path of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The climbing death toll has changed daily life throughout Los Angeles .
In East L.A. , the Continental Funeral Home has seen its typical caseload more than quadruple , with 80 % of its services honoring people who died from COVID-19 .
The L.A. County College of Nursing and Allied Health is postponing the admission of nursing students for the spring semester because faculty and staff have been redeployed to county hospitals .
The “ healthcare situation has never been this critical and the need for healthcare workers is at its peak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the college ’ s School of Nursing , wrote in a letter , calling the current time an “ unprecedented critical situation.
” With intensive care units across California overcrowded , healthcare providers have already been forced to take steps limiting how much hospital care is given .
“ We certainly know that Southern California hospitals are in crisis , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California health and human services secretary .
And with some people likely to ignore pleas to stay home for New Year ’ s Eve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming weeks , particularly during mid- to late January .
“ The next number of weeks will be challenging , in particular as it relates to this surge on top of a surge — I would argue on top , again , of a likely additional surge coming from Christmas and , hopefully , one that ’ s a little more modest from New Year ’ s , ” Newsom said .
Ferrer urged all Angelenos to eschew hosting or attending in-person parties with other households for the coming holiday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your New Year ’ s resolution , ” she said .
Even now , paramedics and emergency medical technicians are declining to transport some less severely ill patients whom they might take to the hospital under ordinary circumstances .
In Los Angeles County , EMTs “ are assessing patients and releasing them to stay at home , because they aren ’ t quite sick enough to need hospital-level care .
...
If they did come to the hospital , they may not get the type of attention that they might expect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an example of the unusual measures healthcare personnel have been forced to take amid a systemwide overcrowding of hospitals not seen in modern California history , a result of the worst pandemic in more than a century .
For the first time , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide has exceeded 20,000 , a figure eight times higher than that on Nov. 1 .
The overcrowding is already causing the quality of healthcare to suffer , Ghaly said .
State officials have yet to hear reports of the most dire circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose who gets the last available ventilator .
Nonetheless , some hospitals in L.A. County are running dangerously low on supplies of oxygen , treating patients in conference rooms and gift shops , and leaving patients waiting in ambulances for as long as eight hours until they can be taken into the emergency room .
Hospital systems are already coming up with triage plans , which entail prioritizing the time of highly trained staff — such as respiratory therapists , ICU nurses and critical care doctors — in a way to keep as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that those less likely to survive might not receive the same level of care they would have otherwise .
Most hospitals in California are no longer able to offer regular hospital services , switching instead to “ contingency care , ” Ghaly said , in which staff are asked to work longer shifts , hospital rooms are reconfigured to hold more beds than originally intended , scarce supplies are conserved or even reused and the movement of patients within the hospital is delayed because of a lack of space or staff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” when people are placed on cots instead of standard hospital beds ; patients normally grouped in one unit are scattered across the facility ; and certain supplies , therapies and staff need to be rationed , Ghaly said .
If some hospitals in a region declare that they ’ re in “ crisis care ” mode , other hospitals in the region will be asked to share their resources to relieve the worst-hit facilities , Ghaly said .
Kim McCoy Wade , director of the California Department of Aging , said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical care must be “ grounded in the likelihood of [ a patient ] surviving in the near term.
” Such decisions can not be based on age , race , disability , chronic medical conditions , gender , sexual orientation , gender identity , ethnicity , national origin , language spoken , ability to pay , weight , socioeconomic status , insurance status , perceived self-worth , perceived quality of life , immigration status , incarceration status , homelessness or past or future use of resources , she said .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a memo about its “ California Crisis Care Continuum Guidelines , ” which , they said , must follow ethical principles , health equity goals and civil rights laws .
Facilities that need to begin to ration critical care resources must notify local and state public health departments immediately .
According to a state memo issued in June , in a situation where there ’ s a severe shortage of medical resources and a patient has a poor immediate survival prognosis , healthcare providers may opt for palliative care aimed at providing patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When it comes to deciding who is eligible for ICU admission or should have access to a ventilator , patients who are more likely to survive with such care will receive priority .
A hospital-appointed triage officer is expected to make decisions to benefit populations of patients , “ even though these decisions may not necessarily be best for some individual patients , ” according to the memo .
Hospitals and health officials throughout the state are reporting severe problems .
In the agricultural community of Gilroy in Santa Clara County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regional Hospital is occupied , and patients are now in overflow beds , said Gloria de la Merced , the hospital ’ s chief operating officer .
“ This level of hospitalizations has never happened during my career , ” she said .
“ If we go beyond the surge capacity , everyone will be affected — more people in our community will know someone who died.
” In Fresno County , emergency rooms are so crowded that paramedics are dropping off patients in hospital hallways , where they ’ re cared for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the waiting room .
Officials are battling a sense of fatalism in the general public that nothing can be done about the pandemic or denial about the record hospitalizations and death toll .
“ That ’ s really unfortunate .
… We really do have a choice , and we really can try to protect ourselves in our communities with the choices that we make , ” such as wearing masks and canceling New Year ’ s parties , said Dr. Rais Vohra , the Fresno County interim health officer .
“ Whenever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s when we really get into trouble.
” In rural Northern California , Humboldt County became the first county in some time to see conditions improve enough that it was moved from the state ’ s most restrictive purple tier to a less restrictive red tier , enabling it to reopen indoor restaurant dining , indoor gyms and movie theaters , although at a limited capacity .
Local health officials , however , criticized the state for moving Humboldt into a less restrictive tier , saying that ongoing trends suggest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
“ Our case rates are the highest they ’ ve ever been , and our contact investigation teams are tracking more cases , not fewer .
It ’ s unfortunate that we didn ’ t get to have a conversation with the state before this decision was handed down , ” the Humboldt County health officer , Dr. Ian Hoffman , said in a statement Tuesday .
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner , Andrew J. Campa , Andrea Castillo , Jaclyn Cosgrove , Adam Elmahrek , Marisa Gerber , Soumya Karlamangla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Sean Greene

The new, potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom has been found in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
He did not specify where in the state the variant was identified, but San Diego County officials announced later in the day that they had confirmed the strain in a 30-year-old man who tested positive there after developing symptoms Sunday.
Officials said the man had “no travel history.” As a result, “we believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County,” Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said during a press conference.
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“While it’s been pointed out that there is not yet evidence that the strain has any more severe symptoms, there is significant evidence that it does spread considerably faster, that it is much more contagious,” he said.
That’s all the more reason why county officials “continue to encourage the public and plead with the public to please come together, especially over the next 72 hours and the New Year’s holiday, to please follow the public health order,” Fletcher added.
The first reported U.S. case of COVID-19 caused by the variant was detected in Colorado, officials there announced Tuesday.
Newsom disclosed the recent finding during a virtual conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease official — who said he was not surprised by the development, given the strain’s prevalence in the United Kingdom and how common travel is between there and the United States.
“I don’t think that Californians should feel that this is something odd,” he said. “This is something that’s expected.”
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Mutations in the coronavirus are also not unanticipated, Fauci said, since “the more you replicate, the more you mutate. So, when you have a lot of virus that’s circulating in the community, it means it’s infecting a lot of people; it’s replicating a lot.”
The “overwhelming majority of mutations are irrelevant,” he continued, but “every once in a while, you get a mutation that does impact a function of the virus.”
“It appears, from what we’ve learned from the U.K. and what we’ll prove here, that this particular mutation does in fact make the virus better at transmitting from one person to another,” he said.
Some scientists, however, are more skeptical that genetic changes in the strain, known as B.1.1.7, make it more contagious. There are other possible explanations for the variant’s rapid spread in England, such as its transmission through dense communities and among people who are less likely to wear masks and socially distance.
Either way, “there’s no indication at all that it increases the virulence … the ability to make you sick or kill you,” Fauci said of the variant, adding that it appears existing vaccines also remain effective.
Officials have yet to find any evidence of the variant in Los Angeles County, which the coronavirus is already hitting particularly hard, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
“This doesn’t mean that the variant is not circulating in L.A. County,” she cautioned during a briefing Wednesday. “We have thousands and thousands of people getting tested every day, and we are just able to sample a small number of those test results and do the gene sequencing.”
Whether the variant is present or not, she added, “doesn’t change the need for all of us to use the strategies that we have available right now to limit exposure and spread of the virus.”
The announcement came as California reached another sobering milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, recording 25,000 deaths from the disease as it continues to run rampant through the state.
The toll, confirmed through a Times county-by-county tally of local health jurisdictions, includes a new single-day record set Tuesday, when the state logged 442 fatalities: equivalent to someone dying of the disease every three minutes.
Newsom called the recent death figure “very, very sobering” and said he hopes it underscores “the importance of being safe and using common sense,” particularly with New Year’s Eve right around the corner.
“We look forward to turning the proverbial page on 2020, at least many of us do, and I hope we all do it safely as we celebrate the end of this very long, arduous year,” he said during a briefing Wednesday.
More than half of the deaths reported Tuesday — 242 — were of Los Angeles County residents, according to The Times’ survey. That’s a single-day record for the nation’s most populous county, though the count was boosted in part by a backlog of reports from the Christmas weekend.
At that rate, cumulative COVID-19 deaths will likely exceed 10,000 in L.A. County by New Year’s Day. As of Tuesday night, L.A. County had 9,806 cumulative deaths.
Over the last week, the state averaged 240 deaths a day and L.A. County 111.
“Suffering followed by more suffering continues as too many residents and businesses behave as if we are not living in the most dangerous time of the most devastating pandemic,” Ferrer said in a statement. “Our healthcare workers are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients and this current path of surging COVID-19 hospitalizations is not sustainable.”
The climbing death toll has changed daily life throughout Los Angeles. In East L.A., the Continental Funeral Home has seen its typical caseload more than quadruple, with 80% of its services honoring people who died from COVID-19. The L.A. County College of Nursing and Allied Health is postponing the admission of nursing students for the spring semester because faculty and staff have been redeployed to county hospitals.
The “healthcare situation has never been this critical and the need for healthcare workers is at its peak,” Mildred Gonzales, dean and program director of the college’s School of Nursing, wrote in a letter, calling the current time an “unprecedented critical situation.”
With intensive care units across California overcrowded, healthcare providers have already been forced to take steps limiting how much hospital care is given.
Southern California hospitals in crisis
“We certainly know that Southern California hospitals are in crisis,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary.
And with some people likely to ignore pleas to stay home for New Year’s Eve, officials expect hospitalizations to increase again in the coming weeks, particularly during mid- to late January.
“The next number of weeks will be challenging, in particular as it relates to this surge on top of a surge — I would argue on top, again, of a likely additional surge coming from Christmas and, hopefully, one that’s a little more modest from New Year’s,” Newsom said.
Ferrer urged all Angelenos to eschew hosting or attending in-person parties with other households for the coming holiday.
“Make ending this deadly surge part of your New Year’s resolution,” she said.
Even now, paramedics and emergency medical technicians are declining to transport some less severely ill patients whom they might take to the hospital under ordinary circumstances.
In Los Angeles County, EMTs “are assessing patients and releasing them to stay at home, because they aren’t quite sick enough to need hospital-level care. ... If they did come to the hospital, they may not get the type of attention that they might expect,” Ghaly said.
That’s an example of the unusual measures healthcare personnel have been forced to take amid a systemwide overcrowding of hospitals not seen in modern California history, a result of the worst pandemic in more than a century. For the first time, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide has exceeded 20,000, a figure eight times higher than that on Nov. 1.
The overcrowding is already causing the quality of healthcare to suffer, Ghaly said.
A plan to triage and ration hospital care
State officials have yet to hear reports of the most dire circumstances, such as a hospital having to choose who gets the last available ventilator.
Nonetheless, some hospitals in L.A. County are running dangerously low on supplies of oxygen, treating patients in conference rooms and gift shops, and leaving patients waiting in ambulances for as long as eight hours until they can be taken into the emergency room.
Hospital systems are already coming up with triage plans, which entail prioritizing the time of highly trained staff — such as respiratory therapists, ICU nurses and critical care doctors — in a way to keep as many people alive as possible. That means that those less likely to survive might not receive the same level of care they would have otherwise.
Most hospitals in California are no longer able to offer regular hospital services, switching instead to “contingency care,” Ghaly said, in which staff are asked to work longer shifts, hospital rooms are reconfigured to hold more beds than originally intended, scarce supplies are conserved or even reused and the movement of patients within the hospital is delayed because of a lack of space or staff.
Preparing for ‘crisis care’
Even graver is “crisis care,” when people are placed on cots instead of standard hospital beds; patients normally grouped in one unit are scattered across the facility; and certain supplies, therapies and staff need to be rationed, Ghaly said.
If some hospitals in a region declare that they’re in “crisis care” mode, other hospitals in the region will be asked to share their resources to relieve the worst-hit facilities, Ghaly said.
Kim McCoy Wade, director of the California Department of Aging, said Tuesday that tough decisions on how to allocate medical care must be “grounded in the likelihood of [a patient] surviving in the near term.” Such decisions cannot be based on age, race, disability, chronic medical conditions, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, language spoken, ability to pay, weight, socioeconomic status, insurance status, perceived self-worth, perceived quality of life, immigration status, incarceration status, homelessness or past or future use of resources, she said.
The state Department of Public Health on Monday issued a memo about its “California Crisis Care Continuum Guidelines,” which, they said, must follow ethical principles, health equity goals and civil rights laws. Facilities that need to begin to ration critical care resources must notify local and state public health departments immediately.
Choosing who gets care
According to a state memo issued in June, in a situation where there’s a severe shortage of medical resources and a patient has a poor immediate survival prognosis, healthcare providers may opt for palliative care aimed at providing patients relief from pain as they approach death.
When it comes to deciding who is eligible for ICU admission or should have access to a ventilator, patients who are more likely to survive with such care will receive priority.
A hospital-appointed triage officer is expected to make decisions to benefit populations of patients, “even though these decisions may not necessarily be best for some individual patients,” according to the memo.
Health officials battling fatalism and denial
Hospitals and health officials throughout the state are reporting severe problems. In the agricultural community of Gilroy in Santa Clara County, every regular ICU bed at St. Louise Regional Hospital is occupied, and patients are now in overflow beds, said Gloria de la Merced, the hospital’s chief operating officer.
“This level of hospitalizations has never happened during my career,” she said. “If we go beyond the surge capacity, everyone will be affected — more people in our community will know someone who died.”
In Fresno County, emergency rooms are so crowded that paramedics are dropping off patients in hospital hallways, where they’re cared for by other emergency workers, or in the waiting room. Officials are battling a sense of fatalism in the general public that nothing can be done about the pandemic or denial about the record hospitalizations and death toll.
“That’s really unfortunate. … We really do have a choice, and we really can try to protect ourselves in our communities with the choices that we make,” such as wearing masks and canceling New Year’s parties, said Dr. Rais Vohra, the Fresno County interim health officer. “Whenever you choose to ignore the science, that’s when we really get into trouble.”
In rural Northern California, Humboldt County became the first county in some time to see conditions improve enough that it was moved from the state’s most restrictive purple tier to a less restrictive red tier, enabling it to reopen indoor restaurant dining, indoor gyms and movie theaters, although at a limited capacity.
Local health officials, however, criticized the state for moving Humboldt into a less restrictive tier, saying that ongoing trends suggest the county could fall backward in the coming days.
“Our case rates are the highest they’ve ever been, and our contact investigation teams are tracking more cases, not fewer. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to have a conversation with the state before this decision was handed down,” the Humboldt County health officer, Dr. Ian Hoffman, said in a statement Tuesday.
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner, Andrew J. Campa, Andrea Castillo, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Adam Elmahrek, Marisa Gerber, Soumya Karlamangla and Ryan Murphy contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-29--Health officials encourage filmmakers to pause work amid COVID-19 surge

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in L.A. County , health officials have encouraged filmmakers to pause their work and refrain from traveling .
In an update sent Dec. 24 to film industry contacts , the L.A. County Department of Public Health wrote that “ although music , TV and film productions are allowed to operate , we ask you to strongly consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in COVID cases.
” Parts of the note were published on the website of FilmLA , the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the city and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel for production is not advised because it is more likely people will be in shared vehicles , increasing the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus .
FilmLA declined to comment , referring questions to the county ’ s department of public health .
The department did not respond to a request for comment .
Due to the surge in COVID cases and out of an abundance of caution , CBS Studios delayed resuming production by a week to Jan. 11 on a few of its shows , according to a person familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named .
The affected CBS Studios-produced programs include “ NCIS , ” “ NCIS : Los Angeles , ” “ SEAL Team , ” “ Why Women Kill ” and “ Diary of a Future President , ” the person said .
The spike in COVID-19 cases has put immense pressure on L.A. County hospitals , as some hospitals have turned ambulances away and are running low on oxygen supplies .
Space has been running out , with some patients placed in conference rooms and gift shops .
On Monday , California reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a single day — 66,811 , according to a Times tally of local health jurisdictions .
There have been 24,545 COVID-19 deaths in California as of Monday .
Hollywood has put guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus .
In September , studios and unions agreed on a set of safety protocols , including testing before employees start work on a set and during production .
Steve Dayan , secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399 , which represents casting directors , location managers and drivers , said he believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of community spread in the industry has been far lower than the community at large , and I think it ’ s partially because of our protocols , ” Dayan said .
He added that many productions have gone on hiatus during the holidays , with some not returning until mid-January .
“ Nothing is perfect , and we have to be mindful of what occurs , ” Dayan said .
“ I do feel if things continue to get worse we have to look at that as well .
If that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a shutdown — we have to follow those guidelines .
”

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in L.A. County, health officials have encouraged filmmakers to pause their work and refrain from traveling.
In an update sent Dec. 24 to film industry contacts, the L.A. County Department of Public Health wrote that “although music, TV and film productions are allowed to operate, we ask you to strongly consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in COVID cases.” Parts of the note were published on the website of FilmLA, the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the city and county.
The department also said that travel for production is not advised because it is more likely people will be in shared vehicles, increasing the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.
FilmLA declined to comment, referring questions to the county’s department of public health. The department did not respond to a request for comment.
Due to the surge in COVID cases and out of an abundance of caution, CBS Studios delayed resuming production by a week to Jan. 11 on a few of its shows, according to a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named. The affected CBS Studios-produced programs include “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “SEAL Team,” “Why Women Kill” and “Diary of a Future President,” the person said.
California Stay-at-home order for much of California extended amid COVID-19 overload at hospitals The extension illustrates how the worst wave of the pandemic is hammering hospitals in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley and threatening to exhaust available intensive care beds.
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The spike in COVID-19 cases has put immense pressure on L.A. County hospitals, as some hospitals have turned ambulances away and are running low on oxygen supplies. Space has been running out, with some patients placed in conference rooms and gift shops.
On Monday, California reported a record number of new coronavirus infections in a single day — 66,811, according to a Times tally of local health jurisdictions. There have been 24,545 COVID-19 deaths in California as of Monday.
Hollywood has put guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. In September, studios and unions agreed on a set of safety protocols, including testing before employees start work on a set and during production.
Steve Dayan, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399, which represents casting directors, location managers and drivers, said he believes the protocols are working.
“The rate of community spread in the industry has been far lower than the community at large, and I think it’s partially because of our protocols,” Dayan said.
He added that many productions have gone on hiatus during the holidays, with some not returning until mid-January.
“Nothing is perfect, and we have to be mindful of what occurs,” Dayan said. “I do feel if things continue to get worse we have to look at that as well. If that is what the state and county mandates — a shutdown — we have to follow those guidelines.”


latimes--2020-12-29--Photos: Powerful storm slams Southern California, blankets mountains in snow

Los Angeles ’ first significant storm of the season arrived Sunday night , bringing with it intense lightning , rolling @ @ @ @ @ increased potential for road hazards and debris flows .
Southern California mountain resorts came alive @ @ @ @ @ Sunday and Monday dropped as much as 2 feet of snow on local slopes .
@ @ @ @ @ and snowboarders but added risk and delays on mountain roads , with waits of two @ @ @ @ @ on the route to Mt .
Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains .

Los Angeles’ first significant storm of the season arrived Sunday night, bringing with it intense lightning, rolling thunder, hail and the increased potential for road hazards and debris flows.
Southern California mountain resorts came alive this after the storms on Sunday and Monday dropped as much as 2 feet of snow on local slopes. The new powder enticed skiers and snowboarders but added risk and delays on mountain roads, with waits of two hours or more reported Tuesday on the route to Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains.
San Bernardino Mountains
With the local ski area sold out and the parking lot full, Dorian Ashmore, 20, of Vista, snowboards Tuesday in the backcountry with friends in some fresh snow near Big Bear Lake. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Store owner Adam Hurlbut shovels snow Tuesday in front of the Sugar Mountain gift store in Running Springs, Calif., after nearly a foot of snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
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Tina Lewis, of Fullerton, sleds Tuesday with friends in fresh snow in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Lake. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
A car parked along Highway 18 in Running Springs, Calif., is covered in snow Tuesday after nearly a foot of snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Long Beach
Snow-covered mountains are seen Tuesday from the Peninsula in Long Beach. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Traffic is light in downtown Long Beach on a rainy Monday night. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Motorists navigate a flooded section of Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach on a rainy Monday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
San Pedro
A rainbow glows above Ft. MacArthur between bands of rain on Monday in San Pedro. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Raindrops capture reflections of palm trees in San Pedro on Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Monica
A pathway near the beach in Santa Monica. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Gerardo Molina of Los Angeles shields himself from the rain while walking at Palisades Park in Santa Monica.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Redondo Beach
Antonio Sanchez continues fishing. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Antonio Sanchez, 33, of Torrance fishes in the rain at Redondo Beach Pier on Monday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Parting shot
Clouds drift over the L.A. Basin as rain falls during the last storm of the year in a view from the Griffith Observatory. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-12-31--California's new workplace laws: COVID-19 safety, family leave and more

Sweeping new laws ramping up in 2021 will force California businesses to offer employees more help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic , including measures on disclosure of workplace infections , on healthcare and wage replacement , and on job-protected leave to care for sick family members .
For state lawmakers , 2020 “ was a year that started out with lots of aspirational plans , ” said Ken Jacobs , chair of the UC Berkeley Labor Center .
“ But it became a year about saving lives.
” What with legislators ’ personal COVID-19 scares and Capitol shutdowns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any bill that wasn ’ t COVID-related , ” said Heath Flora ( R-Ripon ) vice chair of the Assembly ’ s Labor and Employment Committee .
Worker advocates and businesses clashed over safety measures to protect against the virus , which has so far infected more than 2.2 million Californians and killed more than 25,000 .
Neither side got the bulk of what it wanted , and the truncated session forced last-minute compromises .
Legislators managed to pass several non-pandemic workplace laws as well , including one allowing more businesses to hire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social justice , Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation measure requiring publicly traded companies to diversify their boards with Latino , Black , Asian and non-heterosexual directors .
The state ’ s minimum wage is also climbing , thanks to a preexisting law that has been taking effect in stages .
As of Jan. 1 , employers with more than 25 employees must pay at least $ 14 an hour .
Those with fewer must pay at least $ 13 .
A host of jurisdictions have higher floors , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , where the minimum rises to $ 15 for all employers July 1 .
Of the new state laws , these are among the most significant : The divide over who can take time off from jobs to care for new babies or sick family members has long been a conspicuous example of workplace inequality , governed by byzantine rules .
Until now , only employees at companies with 50 workers or more were guaranteed that they could take 12 weeks of leave to care for sick family members — and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afterward .
The limits hit low-income workers hardest , as they are more likely to work for smaller companies and less likely to take leave for fear of losing their jobs .
Of California ’ s 15 million payroll employees , 6.8 million work for companies with fewer than 50 workers , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
and have thus been ineligible for job protected leave .
Senate Bill 1383 , which takes effect Jan. 1 , requires companies with five or more employees to allow them 12 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a newborn , newly adopted child or sick family member — the same number now available to businesses with 50 or more workers .
It expands the definition of “ family member ” beyond spouses and children to include grandparents , grandchildren , siblings and in-laws .
Progressives , led by retiring state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson ( D-Santa Barbara ) , have long fought to expand protected leave , over fierce business opposition .
The California Chamber of Commerce labeled SB 1383 a “ job killer ” and successfully lobbied to narrow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered all workers , including those at companies with fewer than five employees .
With the pandemic driving business closures and restrictions , the law “ will force our already fragile mom-and-pop owners to lay people off and shut their doors forever , ” argued John Kabateck , California director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses .
Proponents of the law cited the coronavirus in arguing that Californians should be able to care for sick family members without fear of losing their jobs .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic has only further revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that truly serves families and workers , especially those who keep our economy running , ” Newsom said in a bill-signing statement .
As workplace outbreaks of the coronavirus multiplied , so did reports that companies were concealing infections .
California ’ s Division of Occupational Health and Safety , known as Cal/OSHA , adopted an emergency set of COVID-19 standards in November .
Assembly Bill 685 , which takes effect Jan. 1 , toughens rules requiring employers to report cases and penalties governing outbreaks .
Under the new law , a business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of learning of any potential COVID-19 exposure .
It must also offer them information on benefits such as workers ’ compensation and sick leave ; on protection against retaliation ; and on the company ’ s virus safety measures .
Employers must alert local public health agencies within 48 hours of a coronavirus outbreak , defined in most instances as three lab-confirmed cases at a single workplace within a two-week period .
And the state ’ s Department of Public Health must publish that information , detailing the number and frequency of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The law also gives Cal/OSHA authority to immediately shut down a worksite where employees are deemed to be at risk of “ imminent hazard ” from the virus , without going through a 30-day administrative process .
In a letter requesting a veto , the state Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of trade associations said the law subjects employers to “ vague standards and liability ” and “ fails to distinguish between employers who take appropriate steps to keep their workplaces safe , and those who fail to do so.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their communities rather than from co-workers , the group wrote , publication of outbreak information is “ a ‘ name and shame ’ provision … akin to a scarlet letter for customer-facing businesses , who have already been hit hard by the COVID-19-mandated shutdowns and are struggling to survive.
” But Newsom said the law would “ help California workers stay safe at work and get the support they need if they are exposed to COVID-19.
” Labor unions applauded the measure .
“ We hear daily about workplace COVID-19 infections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Kathy Finn , secretary-treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 , which represents 20,000 grocery employees .
“ Without a requirement to report COVID-19 exposures , no workplace in California is safe.
” As COVID-19 surged across California , businesses suggested infected employees could have caught the virus anywhere , making them ineligible for workers ’ compensation under which employers pay for healthcare , partly replace wages and provide death benefits .
But in May , Newsom issued an executive order creating a “ disputable presumption ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-March to early July caught it on the job unless businesses offer proof to the contrary .
With Senate Bill 1159 , which took effect in September , the Legislature extended Newsom ’ s order beyond July for first responders and healthcare workers .
And it applied the presumption to all other employees at businesses with more than five workers , but only if they were on the job during an outbreak .
( This law defines an outbreak as four employees testing positive within two weeks for employers with 100 or fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger employers . )
A broader bill covering workers no matter the size of their employer or whether an outbreak occurred was shelved .
“ We had hoped for a more expansive bill , ” said Steve Smith , a California Labor Federation spokesman .
“ But the majority of those who get COVID are essential workers who interact with people all day every day .
Now they ’ ll get healthcare and wage replacement.
” The state Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of trade associations opposed the law , arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the actions of employees outside the workplace.
” Expanding workers ’ compensation , the group wrote to legislators , could cost employers billions of dollars for virus-related claims .
A 2018 California Supreme Court decision known as Dynamex limited the ability of businesses to classify workers as independent contractors rather than as employees .
The difference : For employees , businesses must provide such workplace protections as minimum wage , overtime , paid sick leave , workers ’ compensation , and unemployment and disability insurance .
The following year , the Legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the nation ’ s strongest law governing gig workers .
It granted exceptions for certain occupations , including physicians , dentists , accountants , lawyers , graphic designers and real estate agents .
Its author , Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) , declined to exempt app-based ride-hail or delivery drivers .
This year , Uber , Lyft , DoorDash , Instacart and Postmates spent $ 224 million campaigning for Proposition 22 , the most expensive ballot initiative in California history , to exempt their drivers from AB 5 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their gig workers 120 % of the state minimum wage for “ engaged time ” driving passengers or on the way to a pickup , but no pay for time spent waiting between rides .
It bars the drivers from unionizing .
It makes some eligible for a health insurance stipend .
Even as the battle over Proposition 22 raged , Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2257 , which revises some provisions of AB 5 , including those governing business-to-business and referral agency transactions .
Changes also affect a number of occupations , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real estate appraisers , landscape architects , several kinds of consulting services and various music and performing arts jobs .
Industries whose workers are considered to be at “ high risk ” of misclassification — including janitorial , trucking , retail , in-home care , and construction services — are still covered by AB 5 ’ s restrictions on independent contracting .
In 2018 , California enacted the first U.S. law requiring gender diversity on corporate boards .
Under that law — Senate Bill 826 — publicly traded companies headquartered in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their boards by December 2019 .
By the end of 2021 , boards with five directors must include two women , and boards with six or more directors must include three women .
Companies that fail to comply face fines of $ 100,000 for a first violation and $ 300,000 for any subsequent violations .
Before the gender diversity law passed , 29 % of public companies headquartered in California had no female board directors .
That number plummeted to 2.35 % in 2020 , according to an October report by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates that 468 companies will still have to add a combined 1,940 new female directors to meet the 2021 target .
In September , in another first , a new law was enacted requiring California-based publicly traded companies to include at least one board member “ from an underrepresented community ” by the end of 2021 , and as many as three by the end of 2022 , depending on the size of the board .
Assembly Bill 979 defines such a board member as “ an individual who self-identifies as Black , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian , Pacific Islander , Native American , Native Hawaiian , or Alaska Native , or who self-identifies as gay , lesbian , bisexual , or transgender.
” With 60 % of the state ’ s population identifying as Latino , Asian or Black , “ we can no longer wait for corporations to figure it out on their own , ” Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia ( D-Bell Gardens ) , a coauthor of the bill , said at its signing .
“ By ensuring diversity on their boards , we know the corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of color.
” Conservative legal groups are challenging the laws as unconstitutional , but in the meantime many corporations nationwide are moving forward to add women and people from diverse backgrounds to their boards .
As the pandemic hammered businesses , Newsom vetoed several of labor ’ s top initiatives , including a bill written by Assemblyman Ash Kalra ( D-San Jose ) known as “ right to recall.
” Kalra ’ s bill would have required that if large hotels , airport hospitality groups and janitorial companies laid off workers due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” then when the businesses return to hiring , they offer former workers their jobs back based on seniority .
Similar measures have been adopted by localities — including the city and county of Los Angeles , as well as Long Beach , Pasadena , San Francisco and Oakland — at the behest of unions arguing that companies should not replace longtime employees with cheaper hires .
But Newsom said a statewide law would impose “ too onerous a burden on employers navigating these tough challenges.
” Labor-friendly legislators expect to bring the @ @ @ @ @

Sweeping new laws ramping up in 2021 will force California businesses to offer employees more help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, including measures on disclosure of workplace infections, on healthcare and wage replacement, and on job-protected leave to care for sick family members.
For state lawmakers, 2020 “was a year that started out with lots of aspirational plans,” said Ken Jacobs, chair of the UC Berkeley Labor Center. “But it became a year about saving lives.”
What with legislators’ personal COVID-19 scares and Capitol shutdowns, “leadership basically asked us to kill any bill that wasn’t COVID-related,” said Heath Flora (R-Ripon) vice chair of the Assembly’s Labor and Employment Committee.
Worker advocates and businesses clashed over safety measures to protect against the virus, which has so far infected more than 2.2 million Californians and killed more than 25,000. Neither side got the bulk of what it wanted, and the truncated session forced last-minute compromises.
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Legislators managed to pass several nonpandemic workplace laws as well, including one allowing more businesses to hire gig workers. And amid a reckoning on social justice, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation measure requiring publicly traded companies to diversify their boards with Latino, Black, Asian and non-heterosexual directors.
The state’s minimum wage is also climbing, thanks to a preexisting law that has been taking effect in stages. As of Jan. 1, employers with more than 25 employees must pay at least $14 an hour. Those with 25 or fewer must pay at least $13. A host of jurisdictions have higher floors, however, including the city and county of Los Angeles, where the minimum rises to $15 for all employers July 1.
Of the new state laws, these are among the most significant:
Family leave
The divide over who can take time off from jobs to care for new babies or sick family members has long been a conspicuous example of workplace inequality, governed by byzantine rules.
Until now, only employees at companies with 50 workers or more were guaranteed that they could take 12 weeks of leave to care for sick family members — and that their jobs would be waiting for them afterward.
The limits hit low-income workers hardest, as they are more likely to work for smaller companies and less likely to take leave for fear of losing their jobs. Of California’s 15 million payroll employees, 6.8 million work for companies with fewer than 50 workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and have thus been ineligible for job-protected leave.
Senate Bill 1383, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires companies with five or more employees to allow them 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave to care for a newborn, newly adopted child or sick family member — the same number now available to employees of businesses with 50 or more workers. It expands the definition of “family member” beyond spouses and children to include grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and in-laws.
Progressives, led by retiring state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), have long fought to expand protected leave, over fierce business opposition. The California Chamber of Commerce labeled SB 1383 a “job killer” and successfully lobbied to narrow the measure: The original proposal would have covered all workers, including those at companies with fewer than five employees.
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With the pandemic driving business closures and restrictions, the law “will force our already fragile mom-and-pop owners to lay people off and shut their doors forever,” argued John Kabateck, California director of the National Federation of Independent Business.
Proponents of the law cited the coronavirus in arguing that Californians should be able to care for sick family members without fear of losing their jobs. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further revealed the need for a family leave policy that truly serves families and workers, especially those who keep our economy running,” Newsom said in a bill-signing statement.
COVID-19 safety
(Rose Wong for The Times)
As workplace outbreaks of the coronavirus multiplied, so did reports that companies were concealing infections. California’s Division of Occupational Health and Safety, known as Cal/OSHA, adopted an emergency set of COVID-19 standards in November. Assembly Bill 685, which takes effect Jan. 1, toughens rules requiring employers to report cases and imposes penalties governing outbreaks.
Under the new law, a business must notify employees within one business day of learning of any potential COVID-19 exposure. It must also offer them information on benefits such as workers’ compensation and sick leave; on protection against retaliation; and on the company’s virus safety measures.
Employers must alert local public health agencies within 48 hours of a coronavirus outbreak, defined in most instances as three lab-confirmed cases at a single workplace within a two-week period. And the state’s Department of Public Health must publish that information, detailing the number and frequency of cases and outbreaks by industry on its website.
The law also gives Cal/OSHA authority to immediately shut down a worksite where employees are deemed to be at risk of “imminent hazard” from the virus, without going through a 30-day administrative process.
In a letter requesting a veto, the state Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of trade associations said the law subjects employers to “vague standards and liability” and “fails to distinguish between employers who take appropriate steps to keep their workplaces safe, and those who fail to do so.”
Given that employees could catch the virus in their communities rather than from co-workers, the group wrote, publication of outbreak information is “a ‘name and shame’ provision … akin to a scarlet letter for customer-facing businesses, who have already been hit hard by the COVID-19-mandated shutdowns and are struggling to survive.”
But Newsom said the law would “help California workers stay safe at work and get the support they need if they are exposed to COVID-19.”
Labor unions applauded the measure. “We hear daily about workplace COVID-19 infections and the lack of notice our workers receive,” said Kathy Finn, secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, which represents 20,000 grocery employees. “Without a requirement to report COVID-19 exposures, no workplace in California is safe.”
Workers’ compensation
As COVID-19 surged across California, businesses suggested that infected employees could have caught the virus anywhere, making them ineligible for workers’ compensation, under which employers pay for healthcare, partly replace wages and provide death benefits. But in May, Newsom issued an executive order creating a “disputable presumption” that front-line workers who contracted COVID-19 from mid-March to early July caught it on the job unless businesses offer proof to the contrary.
With Senate Bill 1159, which took effect in September, the Legislature extended Newsom’s order beyond July for first responders and healthcare workers. And it applied the presumption to all other employees at businesses with more than five workers, but only if they were on the job during an outbreak. (This law defines an outbreak as four employees testing positive within two weeks for employers with 100 or fewer workers or 4% testing positive at larger employers.)
A broader bill covering workers no matter the size of their employer or whether an outbreak occurred was shelved. “We had hoped for a more expansive bill,” said Steve Smith, a California Labor Federation spokesman. “But the majority of those who get COVID are essential workers who interact with people all day every day. Now they’ll get healthcare and wage replacement.”
The state Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of trade associations opposed the law, arguing that employers should not be “financially responsible for the actions of employees outside the workplace.” Expanding workers’ compensation, the group wrote to legislators, could cost employers billions of dollars for virus-related claims.
Independent contractors
A 2018 California Supreme Court decision known as Dynamex limited the ability of businesses to classify workers as independent contractors rather than as employees. The difference: For employees, businesses must provide such workplace protections as minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, workers’ compensation, and unemployment and disability insurance.
The following year, the Legislature codified the decision in Assembly Bill 5, the nation’s strongest law governing gig workers. It granted exceptions for certain occupations, including physicians, dentists, accountants, lawyers, graphic designers and real estate agents. Its author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), declined to exempt app-based ride-hail or delivery drivers.
In 2020, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates spent $224 million campaigning for Proposition 22, the most expensive ballot initiative in California history, to exempt their drivers from AB 5. The measure, approved by voters, guarantees their gig workers 120% of the state minimum wage for “engaged time” driving passengers or on the way to a pickup, but no pay for time spent waiting between rides. It bars the drivers from unionizing. It makes some eligible for a health insurance stipend.
Even as the battle over Proposition 22 raged, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2257, which revises some provisions of AB 5, including those governing business-to-business and referral agency transactions. Changes also affect a number of occupations, including writers, photographers, home inspectors, real estate appraisers, landscape architects, several kinds of consulting services and various music and performing arts jobs.
Industries whose workers are considered to be at “high risk” of misclassification — including janitorial, trucking, retail, in-home care and construction services — are still covered by AB 5’s restrictions on independent contracting.
Corporate diversity
(Rose Wong for The Times)
In 2018, California enacted the first U.S. law requiring gender diversity on corporate boards. Under that law — Senate Bill 826 — publicly traded companies headquartered in the state had to add at least one woman to their boards by December 2019. By the end of 2021, boards with five directors must include two women, and boards with six or more directors must include three women.
Companies that fail to comply face fines of $100,000 for a first violation and $300,000 for any subsequent violations.
Before the gender diversity law passed, 29% of public companies headquartered in California had no female board directors. That number plummeted to 2.35% in 2020, according to an October report by the nonprofit California Partners Project. The group estimates that 468 companies will still have to add a combined 1,940 new female directors to meet the 2021 target.
In September, in another first, a new law was enacted requiring California-based publicly traded companies to include at least one board member “from an underrepresented community” by the end of 2021, and as many as three by the end of 2022, depending on the size of the board. Assembly Bill 979 defines such a board member as “an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native, or who self-identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.”
With 60% of the state’s population identifying as Latino, Asian or Black, “we can no longer wait for corporations to figure it out on their own,” Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), a coauthor of the bill, said at its signing. “By ensuring diversity on their boards, we know the corporations are more likely to create opportunities for people of color.”
Conservative legal groups are challenging the laws as unconstitutional, but in the meantime many corporations nationwide are moving forward to add women and people from diverse backgrounds to their boards.
Coming soon?
As the pandemic hammered businesses, Newsom vetoed several of labor’s top initiatives, including a bill written by Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) known as “right to recall.” Kalra’s bill would have required that if large hotels, airport hospitality groups and janitorial companies laid off workers because of a “state of emergency,” then when the businesses return to hiring, they offer former workers their jobs back based on seniority.
Similar measures have been adopted by localities — including the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as Long Beach, Pasadena, San Francisco and Oakland — at the behest of unions arguing that companies should not replace longtime employees with cheaper hires. But Newsom said a statewide law would impose “too onerous a burden on employers navigating these tough challenges.”
Labor-friendly legislators expect to bring the bill back this year.