latimes--2020-06-27--Column One: A life recovered, then taken by coronavirus

The accordion hummed , the snare snapped , and a warm baritone voice rolled out over the cemetery lawn .
I told my father , I want you to come with me .
A Catholic priest stood over a white enameled coffin with gleaming brass fittings .
One at a time , each member of the small funeral party tossed a handful of dirt into the grave in a North Hollywood cemetery .
I want to drink tonight like two old friends , so I can tell you , Dad , how much I ’ ve loved you .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negro ” by norteño band Los Originales de San Juan , is a tender plea from a son to a father , a request that if the son dies , the father not cry and in place of a hearse use the son ’ s black pickup truck , adorned with a black bow .
But as Gaspár Gómez ’ s family buried him in the shade of a tree , the melody and words carried a different weight .
Instead of the fated death of a child , the mourners wept over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by one of his daughters , Lucy Gómez , the song was a tribute for a corrido-loving , hardworking man who spent many dark years estranged from his children and who often failed to be the stalwart father the lyrics describe as a “ man of steel.
” The tribute was made all the more poignant by the knowledge that the coronavirus caught up to Gaspár even as he was working to repair a life marred by substance abuse struggles and legal trouble .
“ How does your life straighten up and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lucy asked .
Once the sun shines , I ’ ll face a tough reckoning .
If you don ’ t see me again , we were already out of luck .
Gaspár was born in Santo Domingo de Atani , a small town in the Sierra Juarez mountains of Oaxaca , Mexico .
As a teenager he immigrated to the United States along with his sweetheart , María .
He didn ’ t have papers , so he found work as a day laborer on construction projects , the same work he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until COVID-19 made him too weak to continue .
The couple moved to Van Nuys and had four children : María , Lucy , Stacie and Cristián .
Gaspár loved to take them to the beach , to the pool and to the park every Sunday after Mass .
“ He was a really good dad when we were kids , ” said María de Jesús Gómez , his oldest daughter .
“ He worked so hard for us .
He just wanted to be happy and loved.
” When the children were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divorced .
The children went with their mother .
Lucy called the divorce his “ downfall.
” “ He begged for us to stay with him .
But we were just kids .
I don ’ t know if he understood that we didn ’ t have a choice , ” María said .
“ If you don ’ t have help and you don ’ t have loved ones , it ’ s destructive.
” Since I was very young , I believed you were the man of steel .
In real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steel .
Gaspár began to drink heavily and soon turned to drugs .
His brother Marcelo , who worked alongside Gaspár on construction projects for decades , joined him .
“ We were lost in alcohol and drugs , ” Marcelo said in Spanish .
“ We ’ d do crack and crystal .
Whatever we could find .
You find so much in the streets.
” Court documents show Gaspár pleaded no contest on three occasions to reckless driving and driving without a license , grand theft and possession of controlled substances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was only a fraction of his legal troubles and that he spent at least five stints in jail and that government officials deported him at least three times .
“ If they [ the police ] saw him on the street with a beer they ’ d be like ‘ Vámonos pa ’ fuera.
’ Let ’ s go , you ’ re out of here , ” said Marcelo , laughing .
“ He was en malos pasos ” — on a bad path .
When Gaspár was deported , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At times , Marcelo would tell his brother he needed to get clean first .
“ But I would always bring him back .
He ’ s my brother.
” His ex-wife and children settled in Madera , four hours north of Los Angeles .
Sometimes Lucy and María would ride down on the bus to visit .
He shared an apartment with a few other men , but when the girls came for Christmas , he made sure to decorate with Christmas lights so they ’ d feel at home .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants to dance .
For the children , life back in Madera was hard .
María joined the Army at 17 and eventually resettled in Washington state .
Lucy remained close with Gaspár and was eventually adopted by a couple in Porter Ranch who had employed Gaspár off and on for years .
You have been my protector , so has my dear mother .
Often , instead of Gaspár protecting his family , it was family that protected Gaspár .
The third time Gaspár was deported , Lucy said that at first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come back .
But Gaspár had spent his adulthood in the United States .
His life was here .
His children were here , even if he didn ’ t see them often .
Lucy , then just 17 years old , said she helped raise the $ 1,500 to pay for a coyote to smuggle him across the border .
But then the coyote called .
Gaspár made it across the border , but the smugglers were holding him at a “ drophouse ” somewhere in Arizona .
If the family didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — per Lucy ’ s recollection — they would kill Gaspár .
No one is really sure why Gaspár ’ s smugglers-turned-captors eventually relented — maybe they got softer , maybe they realized they wouldn ’ t get the money , maybe Gaspár got sick — but they did , allowing a family member to come pick him up .
Gaspár didn ’ t talk about the ordeal afterward , but Lucy said he didn ’ t emotionally recover for a few years .
And still , Gaspár struggled with substance abuse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you don ’ t want to change , I can ’ t change you , ” Lucy recalled telling him .
“ I hope that one day you do get to find that family.
” Then one day , while waiting in line at the supermarket , he met Elba Regalado .
Gaspár was abundantly friendly and quickly struck up a conversation — it was in his nature , Elba said .
She was getting ready to pay , and Gaspár wouldn ’ t stop chatting .
They became friends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his charm , his charisma , his dancing .
Like many of his close friends and family , she fondly referred to him as “ el gordito ” ( the little chubby man ) .
Lucy said some people didn ’ t know him by any other name .
At first , he still drank .
A lot .
Elba said he sometimes carried around cans of beer in a backpack .
She said that once , after a night of heavy drinking , he tried to hit her .
She decided she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t .
She ignored his calls , over and over , until finally picking up to tell him she couldn ’ t be with him .
He begged for a second chance and she agreed , cautiously .
And it was then , his family said , that he began to turn a corner .
“ I stayed in my world and I would see [ Gaspár and Elba ] go out to eat , to the park .
He had changed so much .
He seemed so , so happy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with substance abuse until himself quitting two years ago , partially thanks to Gaspár ’ s encouragement .
“ He needed a family to take care of .
It gave him that chance of living again , ” Lucy said .
Gaspár stopped drinking and began attending Mass with Elba .
“ My brother and I started getting closer to God , ” Marcelo said .
“ I talk to God every day and thank him that I ’ m alive.
” Elba and Gaspár moved in together with her teenage daughter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s older daughter , Marisela , lived in Mexico at the time ) .
Lucy started talking to him again .
She got to dance with him one more time at Elba ’ s daughter ’ s quinceañera a few years ago .
He even began communicating with his other children again .
On April 13 , Gaspár told Elba he was feeling sick .
A few days later , he tested positive for COVID-19 , then was hospitalized with respiratory problems .
On May 3 , after almost three weeks on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 51 .
The last time María saw Gaspár was seven years ago , while she was visiting a relative in Los Angeles .
After five years in the military and a tour in Iraq , María had gone to college in Portland , Ore. , then moved to Washington .
Every once in a while daughter and father would catch up over the phone , but after years of distance , the reconciliation process was painstakingly slow .
“ I ’ m 31 years old and I ’ ve spent half my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sobbing .
“ I didn ’ t even know if I was entitled to mourn him.
” Give me a hug , Dad , maybe it ’ ll be our goodbye .

Gaspár Gómez’s coffin sits ready for burial in a North Hollywood cemetery. Gómez died May 3 after a three-week battle with the coronavirus.
The accordion hummed, the snare snapped, and a warm baritone voice rolled out over the cemetery lawn.
Yo se lo dije a mi padre, quiero que vengas conmigo.
I told my father, I want you to come with me.
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A Catholic priest stood over a white enameled coffin with gleaming brass fittings. One at a time, each member of the small funeral party tossed a handful of dirt into the grave in a North Hollywood cemetery.
Quiero pistiar esta noche, como dos grandes amigos, para decirte papá, lo mucho que te he querido.
I want to drink tonight like two old friends, so I can tell you, Dad, how much I’ve loved you.
California The pandemic’s toll: Lives lost in California Hundreds of people have died in California due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are some of their stories.
The corrido, “La Troca del Moño Negro” by norteño band Los Originales de San Juan, is a tender plea from a son to a father, a request that if the son dies, the father not cry and in place of a hearse use the son’s black pickup truck, adorned with a black bow.
But as Gaspár Gómez’s family buried him in the shade of a tree, the melody and words carried a different weight. Instead of the fated death of a child, the mourners wept over the loss of a father.
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Chosen by one of his daughters, Lucy Gómez, the song was a tribute for a corrido-loving, hardworking man who spent many dark years estranged from his children and who often failed to be the stalwart father the lyrics describe as a “man of steel.”
The tribute was made all the more poignant by the knowledge that the coronavirus caught up to Gaspár even as he was working to repair a life marred by substance abuse struggles and legal trouble.
“How does your life straighten up and then you’re taken again?” Lucy asked.
Cuando raye el sol, tengo una bronca pesada. Si no me vuelves a ver, la suerte ya estaba echada.
Gaspár Gómez turned a corner after he met Elba Regalado. He stopped drinking and began attending Mass with her. (Photo courtesy of Elba Regalado)
Once the sun shines, I’ll face a tough reckoning. If you don’t see me again, we were already out of luck.
Gaspár was born in Santo Domingo de Atani, a small town in the Sierra Juarez mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. As a teenager he immigrated to the United States along with his sweetheart, María.
He didn’t have papers, so he found work as a day laborer on construction projects, the same work he would do for more than three decades until COVID-19 made him too weak to continue.
The couple moved to Van Nuys and had four children: María, Lucy, Stacie and Cristián. Gaspár loved to take them to the beach, to the pool and to the park every Sunday after Mass.
“He was a really good dad when we were kids,” said María de Jesús Gómez, his oldest daughter. “He worked so hard for us. He just wanted to be happy and loved.”
When the children were still young, Gaspár and his wife divorced. The children went with their mother. Lucy called the divorce his “downfall.”
“He begged for us to stay with him. But we were just kids. I don’t know if he understood that we didn’t have a choice,” María said. “If you don’t have help and you don’t have loved ones, it’s destructive.”
COLUMN ONE COLUMN ONE A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More Stories
Desde muy chico creí que eras el hombre de acero.
Since I was very young, I believed you were the man of steel.
In real life, there are few men of steel. Gaspár began to drink heavily and soon turned to drugs. His brother Marcelo, who worked alongside Gaspár on construction projects for decades, joined him.
“We were lost in alcohol and drugs,” Marcelo said in Spanish. “We’d do crack and crystal. Whatever we could find. You find so much in the streets.”
Court documents show Gaspár pleaded no contest on three occasions to reckless driving and driving without a license, grand theft and possession of controlled substances for sale. Family members say that this was only a fraction of his legal troubles and that he spent at least five stints in jail and that government officials deported him at least three times.
“If they [the police] saw him on the street with a beer they’d be like ‘Vámonos pa’fuera.’ Let’s go, you’re out of here,” said Marcelo, laughing. “He was en malos pasos” — on a bad path.
When Gaspár was deported, he’d call Marcelo for help. At times, Marcelo would tell his brother he needed to get clean first. “But I would always bring him back. He’s my brother.”
His ex-wife and children settled in Madera, four hours north of Los Angeles. Sometimes Lucy and María would ride down on the bus to visit. He shared an apartment with a few other men, but when the girls came for Christmas, he made sure to decorate with Christmas lights so they’d feel at home. He liked to take the two to local restaurants to dance.
Before he fell ill with COVID-19, Gaspár Gómez had begun reconciling with his children after several years of estrangement. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Gomez)
For the children, life back in Madera was hard. María joined the Army at 17 and eventually resettled in Washington state. Lucy remained close with Gaspár and was eventually adopted by a couple in Porter Ranch who had employed Gaspár off and on for years.
Tú has sido mi protector, también mi madre querida.
You have been my protector, so has my dear mother.
Often, instead of Gaspár protecting his family, it was family that protected Gaspár. The third time Gaspár was deported, Lucy said that at first, he didn’t want to come back. But Gaspár had spent his adulthood in the United States. His life was here. His children were here, even if he didn’t see them often.
Lucy, then just 17 years old, said she helped raise the $1,500 to pay for a coyote to smuggle him across the border.
But then the coyote called. Gaspár made it across the border, but the smugglers were holding him at a “drophouse” somewhere in Arizona. If the family didn’t find an extra $1,500 — per Lucy’s recollection — they would kill Gaspár.
No one is really sure why Gaspár’s smugglers-turned-captors eventually relented — maybe they got softer, maybe they realized they wouldn’t get the money, maybe Gaspár got sick — but they did, allowing a family member to come pick him up.
Gaspár didn’t talk about the ordeal afterward, but Lucy said he didn’t emotionally recover for a few years. And still, Gaspár struggled with substance abuse. Eventually even Lucy cut off contact.
“If you don’t want to change, I can’t change you,” Lucy recalled telling him. “I hope that one day you do get to find that family.”
Then one day, while waiting in line at the supermarket, he met Elba Regalado. Gaspár was abundantly friendly and quickly struck up a conversation — it was in his nature, Elba said. She was getting ready to pay, and Gaspár wouldn’t stop chatting.
They became friends, and eventually a couple. She loved his charm, his charisma, his dancing.
Like many of his close friends and family, she fondly referred to him as “el gordito” (the little chubby man). Lucy said some people didn’t know him by any other name.
At first, he still drank. A lot. Elba said he sometimes carried around cans of beer in a backpack. She said that once, after a night of heavy drinking, he tried to hit her. She decided she was done.
But Gaspár wasn’t. She ignored his calls, over and over, until finally picking up to tell him she couldn’t be with him. He begged for a second chance and she agreed, cautiously. And it was then, his family said, that he began to turn a corner.
“I stayed in my world and I would see [Gaspár and Elba] go out to eat, to the park. He had changed so much. He seemed so, so happy,” said Marcelo, who continued to struggle with substance abuse until himself quitting two years ago, partially thanks to Gaspár’s encouragement.
“He needed a family to take care of. It gave him that chance of living again,” Lucy said. Gaspár stopped drinking and began attending Mass with Elba.
Gaspár Gómez and partner Elba Regalado in a playful moment. “He had changed so much. He seemed so, so happy,” his brother Marcelo said. (Photo courtesy of Elba Regalado)
“My brother and I started getting closer to God,” Marcelo said. “I talk to God every day and thank him that I’m alive.”
Elba and Gaspár moved in together with her teenage daughter, Janette, in Pacoima (Elba’s older daughter, Marisela, lived in Mexico at the time). Lucy started talking to him again. She got to dance with him one more time at Elba’s daughter’s quinceañera a few years ago. He even began communicating with his other children again.
On April 13, Gaspár told Elba he was feeling sick. A few days later, he tested positive for COVID-19, then was hospitalized with respiratory problems. On May 3, after almost three weeks on a ventilator, Gaspár died. He was 51.
The last time María saw Gaspár was seven years ago, while she was visiting a relative in Los Angeles.
After five years in the military and a tour in Iraq, María had gone to college in Portland, Ore., then moved to Washington. Every once in a while daughter and father would catch up over the phone, but after years of distance, the reconciliation process was painstakingly slow.
“I’m 31 years old and I’ve spent half my life without my dad,” she said, sobbing. “I didn’t even know if I was entitled to mourn him.”
Dame un abrazo papa, tal vez sea la despedida.
Give me a hug, Dad, maybe it’ll be our goodbye.
Times staff writer Tomás Mier contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-27--Family of man killed by LAPD officer after South L.A. collision demands answers

The family of a man who was killed by a Los Angeles police officer in South Los Angeles is demanding an independent investigation , saying there was no justification for the deadly use of force .
Daniel Hernandez , 38 , died April 22 after officers responded to a multi-car collision near San Pedro and 32nd streets in Historic South-Central .
Authorities said Hernandez emerged from the scene holding a box cutter .
Officer Toni McBride , the daughter of veteran LAPD officer and prominent police union director Jamie McBride , shot at him six times , killing him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hernandez ’ s family said they learned about his death when it was streamed on Facebook and Instagram .
“ Why did she kill him ?
” his older sister Marina Hernandez Vergara said during a Friday news conference outside the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. Hernandez ’ s parents , siblings and neighbors stood by wearing black masks that said “ Justice for Danny ” and held signs that read , “ The LAPD union has to stop protecting killer cops like Jamie McBride ’ s daughter , Toni McBride.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ de-escalate the situation ?
Because the city of L.A. has given the LAPD a license to kill , ” said Vergara .
“ They can not continue to investigate themselves , ” she added and urged the City Council and the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office to “ have the courage ” to prosecute law enforcement .
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Larry Hanna , an attorney for Toni McBride , has said she is saddened by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McBride had to shoot to defend herself and many civilians on the scene , as Hernandez ignored repeated warnings to stop and drop his knife .
Hernandez ’ s family members have filed two federal lawsuits accusing the LAPD and McBride of excessive force and wrongful death , among other claims .
The family has also expressed concern that the investigation won ’ t be fair because of Jamie McBride ’ s power within the department .
The LAPD has rejected the claim .
Friday ’ s event was organized by the Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cooperation from law enforcement after Hernandez and 18-year-old Andres Guardado were killed months apart .
The event came in the wake of weeks of demonstrations in Los Angeles and across the nation over police brutality and the killing in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd .
Guardado was killed June 18 by a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputy near an auto body shop in Gardena .
The coalition called for the immediate release of Guardado ’ s autopsy report , which was placed on a “ security hold ” this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thorough , timely investigations into both killings .
Villanueva has declined to discuss the Guardado shooting , saying he would supply information when he could .
“ We ’ re not gon na piecemeal it , ” Villanueva said , adding that ongoing witness interviews prompted investigators to place the hold on the autopsy report .
“ If you ’ re still interviewing witnesses , you don ’ t release information that ’ s gon na prejudice the testimony of the witness.
” The call for an independent investigation into Hernandez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s autopsy report were supported by Black Lives Matter L.A. “ Let me say to the families first : We are with you ; we support you , ” Black Lives Matter activist Greg Akili said at the news conference .
“ We want to create space , comfort and support and for you to know that you are not alone in this struggle .
”

Matthew Hernandez, 8, holds a sign with a picture of his uncle Daniel Hernandez during a press conference Friday. Daniel was fatally shot April 22 by an LAPD officer.
The family of a man who was killed by a Los Angeles police officer in South Los Angeles is demanding an independent investigation, saying there was no justification for the deadly use of force.
Daniel Hernandez, 38, died April 22 after officers responded to a multi-car collision near San Pedro and 32nd streets in Historic South-Central.
Authorities said Hernandez emerged from the scene holding a box cutter. Officer Toni McBride, the daughter of veteran LAPD officer and prominent police union director Jamie McBride, shot at him six times, killing him. An investigation by the LAPD is pending.
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Hernandez’s family said they learned about his death when it was streamed on Facebook and Instagram.
“Why did she kill him?” his older sister Marina Hernandez Vergara said during a Friday news conference outside the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A.
Hernandez’s parents, siblings and neighbors stood by wearing black masks that said “Justice for Danny” and held signs that read, “The LAPD union has to stop protecting killer cops like Jamie McBride’s daughter, Toni McBride.”
“Why didn’t she de-escalate the situation? Because the city of L.A. has given the LAPD a license to kill,” said Vergara.
“They cannot continue to investigate themselves,” she added and urged the City Council and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office to “have the courage” to prosecute law enforcement.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Larry Hanna, an attorney for Toni McBride, has said she is saddened by Hernandez’s death. Hanna said McBride had to shoot to defend herself and many civilians on the scene, as Hernandez ignored repeated warnings to stop and drop his knife.
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Hernandez’s family members have filed two federal lawsuits accusing the LAPD and McBride of excessive force and wrongful death, among other claims. The family has also expressed concern that the investigation won’t be fair because of Jamie McBride’s power within the department. The LAPD has rejected the claim.
Friday’s event was organized by the Latino Coalition of Los Angeles to demand justice and cooperation from law enforcement after Hernandez and 18-year-old Andres Guardado were killed months apart.
The event came in the wake of weeks of demonstrations in Los Angeles and across the nation over police brutality and the killing in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd.
Guardado was killed June 18 by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy near an auto body shop in Gardena. The coalition called for the immediate release of Guardado’s autopsy report, which was placed on a “security hold” this week by Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and thorough, timely investigations into both killings.
Villanueva has declined to discuss the Guardado shooting, saying he would supply information when he could.
“We’re not gonna piecemeal it,” Villanueva said, adding that ongoing witness interviews prompted investigators to place the hold on the autopsy report. “If you’re still interviewing witnesses, you don’t release information that’s gonna prejudice the testimony of the witness.”
The call for an independent investigation into Hernandez’s death and the release of Guardado’s autopsy report were supported by Black Lives Matter L.A.
“Let me say to the families first: We are with you; we support you,” Black Lives Matter activist Greg Akili said at the news conference. “We want to create space, comfort and support and for you to know that you are not alone in this struggle.”
Times staff writer James Rainey contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-27--L.A. County faces 'critical moment' as coronavirus cases keep surging

Another day of big increases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations prompted health officials Saturday to warn that Los Angeles County is entering a “ critical moment ” and that some of the easing of stay-at-home orders is in jeopardy unless the trend changes .
Los Angeles and many other parts of California have seen big COVID-19 surges in recent weeks , as the economy has reopened .
Officials say it ’ s essential to follow social distancing rules and other safety regulations .
“ If we can ’ t find it in us to follow these mandates , including wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we jeopardize our ability to move forward on the recovery journey , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said Saturday in a statement .
“ Our collective responsibility is to take immediate action , as individuals and businesses , to reverse the trends we are experiencing.
” The county also reported 23 coronavirus-related deaths , bringing its total to more than 95,500 cases and nearly 3,300 deaths .
There were 1,698 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals , an increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
This comes a little over a week after the county permitted the latest round of business sectors , including bars , nail salons and tattoo parlors , to reopen , and about a month after hundreds of thousands of people began taking to the streets for protests decrying the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans .
The alarm over the rising case numbers extends across California , where statewide cases approached 210,000 .
Some officials are cracking down on scofflaw businesses while others are preparing to help overwhelmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health department on Friday ordered an Escondido restaurant to close immediately , saying its proprietor refused imposed to prevent coronavirus outbreaks .
And Belmont Park , an amusement park in Mission Bay , was closed Friday afternoon by officials who said it was operating rides in violation of state guidelines .
The shutdown came on the same day that county officials announced the In San Bernardino County , officials said that many hospitals are getting closer to reaching “ surge capacity ” and that they are making plans to open alternate care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Friday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said he was recommending that Imperial County reinstitute stricter stay-at-home orders , after it continued to report the highest per-capita case rate of any county in the state , as well as the highest rate of positive tests .
The county Board of Supervisors took no immediate action to direct businesses to shut down , but local officials were meeting with a state delegation Saturday to decide how to proceed .
San Francisco has also decided to pause the relaxation of its stay-at-home orders amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London Breed announced Friday .
Los Angeles County health officials also said they ’ ve received reports of bogus mask exemption cards “ that depict a government seal with threatening language.
” The information is false , and everyone except children younger than 2 should wear a face covering any time they leave the house , they said .
The increases in L.A. County reflect a statewide trend .
California has logged record-breaking numbers of daily new cases on several occasions this week , with 5,700 new infections confirmed on Friday alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 32 % increase in hospitalizations of patients with confirmed COVID-19 , and a 19 % jump in ICU patients with verified infections , over the previous 14 days .
And as of Friday , 5.7 % of coronavirus test results in California over the preceding seven days had come back positive , a rate not seen since early May , a Times data analysis found .
A week earlier , the rate was 4.7 % , a rate that had been largely stable for June until Sunday , when there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County , the cumulative positivity rate , which had been holding at 8 % since late May , rose to 9 % Friday , with more than 1,037,000 people having been tested and receiving their results .
Over the last two weeks , the seven-day average of the county ’ s daily positivity rate increased from 5.8 % to 8.6 % , officials said .

Another day of big increases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations prompted health officials Saturday to warn that Los Angeles County is entering a “critical moment” and that some of the easing of stay-at-home orders is in jeopardy unless the trend changes.
Los Angeles and many other parts of California have seen big COVID-19 surges in recent weeks, as the economy has reopened. Officials say it’s essential to follow social distancing rules and other safety regulations.
“If we can’t find it in us to follow these mandates, including wearing face coverings and distancing when around others, we jeopardize our ability to move forward on the recovery journey,” Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said Saturday in a statement. “Our collective responsibility is to take immediate action, as individuals and businesses, to reverse the trends we are experiencing.”
Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday reported 2,169 new coronavirus cases.
The county also reported 23 coronavirus-related deaths, bringing its total to more than 95,500 cases and nearly 3,300 deaths. There were 1,698 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals, an increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations the county was seeing two weeks prior, officials said.
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This comes a little over a week after the county permitted the latest round of business sectors, including bars, nail salons and tattoo parlors, to reopen, and about a month after hundreds of thousands of people began taking to the streets for protests decrying the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans.
The alarm over the rising case numbers extends across California, where statewide cases approached 210,000. Some officials are cracking down on scofflaw businesses while others are preparing to help overwhelmed hospitals.
In San Diego County, the health department on Friday ordered an Escondido restaurant to close immediately, saying its proprietor refused to follow public health directives imposed to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.
And Belmont Park, an amusement park in Mission Bay, was closed Friday afternoon by officials who said it was operating rides in violation of state guidelines. The shutdown came on the same day that county officials announced the highest number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in a single day.
In San Bernardino County, officials said that many hospitals are getting closer to reaching “surge capacity” and that they are making plans to open alternate care sites for patients if hospitals fill up.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was recommending that Imperial County reinstitute stricter stay-at-home orders, after it continued to report the highest per-capita case rate of any county in the state, as well as the highest rate of positive tests.
The county Board of Supervisors took no immediate action to direct businesses to shut down, but local officials were meeting with a state delegation Saturday to decide how to proceed.
San Francisco has also decided to pause the relaxation of its stay-at-home orders amid a rise in new cases, Mayor London Breed announced Friday.
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Los Angeles County health officials also said they’ve received reports of bogus mask exemption cards “that depict a government seal with threatening language.” The information is false, and everyone except children younger than 2 should wear a face covering any time they leave the house, they said.
The increases in L.A. County reflect a statewide trend. California has logged record-breaking numbers of daily new cases on several occasions this week, with 5,700 new infections confirmed on Friday alone.
As of Thursday, California had seen a 32% increase in hospitalizations of patients with confirmed COVID-19, and a 19% jump in ICU patients with verified infections, over the previous 14 days.
And as of Friday, 5.7% of coronavirus test results in California over the preceding seven days had come back positive, a rate not seen since early May, a Times data analysis found. A week earlier, the rate was 4.7%, a rate that had been largely stable for June until Sunday, when there was a dramatic shift in the numbers.
In L.A. County, the cumulative positivity rate, which had been holding at 8% since late May, rose to 9% Friday, with more than 1,037,000 people having been tested and receiving their results. Over the last two weeks, the seven-day average of the county’s daily positivity rate increased from 5.8% to 8.6%, officials said.


latimes--2020-06-27--Beverly Hills facing criticism after arrests of 28 peaceful protesters

Beverly Hills is facing criticism after officers arrested 28 people during a peaceful protest against police violence overnight , two weeks after imposing an unusual ordinance banning demonstrations in residential areas that “ disrupted the tranquility.
” The latest protest , which began about 7:30 p.m. Friday and drew about 75 people , was the third demonstration in Beverly Hills organized by the Black Future Project , but the first that resulted in arrests , said organizer Austin Tharpe , 29 .
“ We ’ re protesting for Black lives , ” he said .
“ Specifically in Beverly Hills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole makeup of the community , we felt like our voices needed to be heard over there.
” He said that after protesters marched for several hours , police deployed a long-range acoustic device , also known as a sonic cannon , and declared the demonstration an unlawful assembly shortly before midnight .
“ We put the signs on the ground , ” he said .
“ We turned around and faced away from the cops with our knees on the ground and our hands behind our head.
” He said that officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while protesters continued to kneel .
A total of 28 people were taken into custody , most on suspicion of unlawful assembly , though one person faced an attempted arson charge after allegedly trying to set fire to a large American flag that was attached to a building , said Sgt .
Thomas West of the Beverly Hills Police Department .
That person was associated with the protest but not the Black Future Project , Tharpe said .
“ They were given multiple warnings to leave , and as arrests were being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave , so it was just the people who absolutely refused to leave who were placed under arrest , ” West said .
Initially , the Police Department planned to hold the protesters under what ’ s called a misdemeanor non-release , which would have required that they post $ 5,000 bail to get out , West said .
Later in the day , citing a directive from command staff , the department reversed course and said the protesters would be cited and released on their own recognizance , provided that they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in custody late Saturday afternoon , prompting concern from activists who said they should have been cited and released more quickly .
That came after the National Lawyers Guild issued a statement decrying the $ 5,000 bail as “ unacceptable ” and calling for the protesters to be immediately freed .
“ It is outrageous that during a statewide health crisis — and when , as we have been hearing from our local , state , and federal officials , the number of COVID-19 cases in California are continuing to rise — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these peaceful protesters in custody , ” the organization said in a statement .
“ Keeping these men and women in custody will unnecessarily expose them to significant health risk and endanger their lives.
” The protesters still had not been released by 5 p.m. Saturday .
West said they were in the process of being physically booked , “ and that booking process takes time , ” particularly due to the volume of arrests .
City officials did not return calls for comment .
“ It ’ s very retaliatory , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had this situation before , and we ’ re usually detained , given a citation and in and out within two to three hours .
It ’ s extremely aggressive for them to be detained for almost 14 hours and still not processed , still no word from them.
” West could not say whether the protesters were arrested as a result of an order restricting nighttime assemblies in residential neighborhoods to allow residents to sleep .
The arrests occurred in a residential section of the city north of the glitzy shopping district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 13 , states that no more than 10 people are allowed to gather for an assembly in a residential area between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. An assembly is defined as a gathering in a public place that consists of 10 or more people who have a common goal .
The order restricting nighttime assemblies cites the events of May 30 , as well as an “ Occupy ” protest that was held Friday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m .
The protest “ included bullhorns and amplified music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood during hours when many people would ordinarily be sleeping , ” the order states .
The city has deemed it necessary to limit the use of residential neighborhoods at night to allow residents to sleep , according to the order .
Those who violate the order can face arrest and be charged with a misdemeanor .

Beverly Hills is facing criticism after officers arrested 28 people during a peaceful protest against police violence overnight, two weeks after imposing an unusual ordinance banning demonstrations in residential areas that “disrupted the tranquility.”
The latest protest, which began about 7:30 p.m. Friday and drew about 75 people, was the third demonstration in Beverly Hills organized by the Black Future Project, but the first that resulted in arrests, said organizer Austin Tharpe, 29.
“We’re protesting for Black lives,” he said. “Specifically in Beverly Hills, because of the privilege and the whole makeup of the community, we felt like our voices needed to be heard over there.”
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He said that after protesters marched for several hours, police deployed a long-range acoustic device, also known as a sonic cannon, and declared the demonstration an unlawful assembly shortly before midnight.
“We put the signs on the ground,” he said. “We turned around and faced away from the cops with our knees on the ground and our hands behind our head.”
He said that officers continued to yell out orders to disperse, while protesters continued to kneel.
A total of 28 people were taken into custody, most on suspicion of unlawful assembly, though one person faced an attempted arson charge after allegedly trying to set fire to a large American flag that was attached to a building, said Sgt. Thomas West of the Beverly Hills Police Department. That person was associated with the protest but not the Black Future Project, Tharpe said.
“They were given multiple warnings to leave, and as arrests were being made we were continually asking people to leave, so it was just the people who absolutely refused to leave who were placed under arrest,” West said.
Initially, the Police Department planned to hold the protesters under what’s called a misdemeanor non-release, which would have required that they post $5,000 bail to get out, West said.
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Later in the day, citing a directive from command staff, the department reversed course and said the protesters would be cited and released on their own recognizance, provided that they did not have outstanding warrants. The demonstrators remained in custody late Saturday afternoon, prompting concern from activists who said they should have been cited and released more quickly.
That came after the National Lawyers Guild issued a statement decrying the $5,000 bail as “unacceptable” and calling for the protesters to be immediately freed.
“It is outrageous that during a statewide health crisis — and when, as we have been hearing from our local, state, and federal officials, the number of COVID-19 cases in California are continuing to rise — that the Beverly Hills Police Department would hold these peaceful protesters in custody,” the organization said in a statement. “Keeping these men and women in custody will unnecessarily expose them to significant health risk and endanger their lives.”
Many of the protesters still had not been released by 7 p.m. Saturday. West said they were in the process of being physically booked, “and that booking process takes time,” particularly due to the volume of arrests.
“It’s very retaliatory,” Tharpe said. “We’ve had this situation before, and we’re usually detained, given a citation and in and out within two to three hours. It’s extremely aggressive for them to be detained for almost 14 hours and still not processed, still no word from them.”
In a statement Saturday evening, a city spokesman said that the Police Department had “added additional staff to facilitate the process.”
Asked to comment on the arrests and the strong rebuke from the National Lawyers Guild, Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman released a statement saying that protesters were given multiple warnings before being taken into custody.
“Last night’s protest in a residential area,” Friedman said, “was a violation of the City’s Civil Emergency Order.”
The arrests occurred in a residential section of the city north of the glitzy shopping district.
The order, which took effect June 13, states that no more than 10 people are allowed to gather for an assembly in a residential area between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. An assembly is defined as a gathering in a public place that consists of 10 or more people who have a common goal.
The order restricting nighttime assemblies cites the events of May 30, as well as an “Occupy” protest that was held Friday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The protest “included bullhorns and amplified music and disrupted the tranquility of the residential neighborhood during hours when many people would ordinarily be sleeping,” the order states.
The city has deemed it necessary to limit the use of residential neighborhoods at night to allow residents to sleep, according to the order.
Those who violate the order can face arrest and be charged with a misdemeanor.


latimes--2020-06-27--4 San Jose police officers on leave after racist Facebook posts found

Four San Jose police officers have been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into a private Facebook group where bigoted and racist comments were shared among current and retired law enforcement officers .
A San Jose Police Department spokeswoman confirmed Saturday the agency was conducting an administrative investigation into the comments and that the department was seeking help from the FBI .
“ While I have no control over what former employees post online , I can voice my outrage after hearing about these comments made online .
Any current employee involved with bigoted activity online will promptly be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent in my power , ” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a statement .
“ We have no place for this.
” The private Facebook group , 10-7ODSJ , came to public attention this week in an article published on Medium .
The author , an anonymous person identified as the partner of someone working for a Bay Area police department , wrote that some current and retired San Jose police officers were posting racist and bigoted comments in the secret group .
The article said that a current San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives don ’ t really matter , ” in a public Facebook comment .
In the private group , the same officer joined a discussion about a Muslim woman who sued the Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Department for forcing her to remove her head scarf in police custody .
“ Hell , I would have pulled it over her face , ” the officer said in his comment , according to the Medium article .
Another person floated the idea of using head scarves as nooses , according to the Medium article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Rosen said in a statement that his office ’ s Conviction Integrity Unit would perform a “ comprehensive review ” of all cases in which current and retired officers had a role .
“ What I just read sickened me and made me sick for our entire community .
No one who expresses these type of disgusting , racist comments should ever wear a badge , ” Rosen said in the statement .
“ Anyone who writes this kind of trash has no role in our criminal justice system.
” Paul Kelley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Officers Assn.
, the union that represents rank-and-file officers , told the San Jose Mercury News that the union would not provide legal or financial support if any officers were charged with misconduct in connection with the Facebook page .
He told the newspaper that there was “ zero room in our department or our profession for racists , bigots or those that enable them.
” The discovery of the online group coincided with racial justice activist and police critic Shaun King ’ s writing about a different private Facebook group where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement appeared to be discussing a plot to kill him .
King , 40 , included screenshots and snippets of conversations , also on Medium — a tactic he took because he said he didn ’ t know where to report the incident and because he said he had little faith in law enforcement .
Three of those named in King ’ s article were former Long Beach police officers .
On Friday night , one of those former officers accidentally discharged a handgun at a gas station on Bellflower Boulevard , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The former officer was taken to the hospital after being shot “ in the lower extremity ” and police booked the handgun into evidence and were conducting a further investigation into the incident .
Authorities said the “ accidental discharge ” of the handgun was not believed to be related to the alleged threats made against King .
Eddie Garcia , the chief of San Jose ’ s police department , said he had previously disciplined and terminated employees for “ off duty online activity that runs counter to our standards of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials fired a police officer who ranted about Black Lives Matter and protesters in Ferguson , Mo.
, in social media posts .
The tweets by Phil White included : “ Threaten me or my family and I will use my God given and law appointed right and duty to kill you .
# CopsLivesMatter ” White also wrote : “ By the way if anyone feels they can ’ t breathe or their lives matter I ’ ll be at the movies tonight , off duty , carrying my gun.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White ’ s tweet referred to the last words of Eric Garner , a Black man , after a New York police officer took him to the ground with a chokehold in 2014 .
After Garner ’ s death , protesters chanted , “ I can ’ t breathe.
” An independent arbitrator reinstated White in 2016 , and he was assigned to administrative work and helping to introduce the department ’ s body-worn cameras .
At the time , then-acting police chief , Eddie Garcia , said his agency and the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but would comply with reinstating White to the department .

Four San Jose police officers have been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into a private Facebook group where bigoted and racist comments were shared among current and retired law enforcement officers.
A San Jose Police Department spokeswoman confirmed Saturday the agency was conducting an administrative investigation into the comments and that the department was seeking help from the FBI.
“While I have no control over what former employees post online, I can voice my outrage after hearing about these comments made online. Any current employee involved with bigoted activity online will promptly be investigated and held accountable to the fullest extent in my power,” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a statement. “We have no place for this.”
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The private Facebook group, 10-7ODSJ, came to public attention this week in an article published on Medium. The author, an anonymous person identified as the partner of someone working for a Bay Area police department, wrote that some current and retired San Jose police officers were posting racist and bigoted comments in the secret group.
The article said that a current San Jose police officer wrote, “black lives don’t really matter,” in a public Facebook comment. In the private group, the same officer joined a discussion about a Muslim woman who sued the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for forcing her to remove her head scarf in police custody.
“Hell, I would have pulled it over her face,” the officer said in his comment, according to the Medium article.
Another person floated the idea of using head scarves as nooses, according to the Medium article.
San Jose Dist. Atty. Jeff Rosen said in a statement that his office’s Conviction Integrity Unit would perform a “comprehensive review” of all cases in which current and retired officers had a role.
“What I just read sickened me and made me sick for our entire community. No one who expresses these type of disgusting, racist comments should ever wear a badge,” Rosen said in the statement. “Anyone who writes this kind of trash has no role in our criminal justice system.”
Paul Kelley, the president of the San Jose Police Officers Assn., the union that represents rank-and-file officers, told the San Jose Mercury News that the union would not provide legal or financial support if any officers were charged with misconduct in connection with the Facebook page. He told the newspaper that there was “zero room in our department or our profession for racists, bigots or those that enable them.”
The discovery of the online group coincided with racial justice activist and police critic Shaun King’s writing about a different private Facebook group where he said former members of local law enforcement appeared to be discussing a plot to kill him.
King, 40, included screenshots and snippets of conversations, also on Medium — a tactic he took because he said he didn’t know where to report the incident and because he said he had little faith in law enforcement.
Three of those named in King’s article were former Long Beach police officers. On Friday night, one of those former officers accidentally discharged a handgun at a gas station on Bellflower Boulevard, according to a statement from Long Beach police. The former officer was taken to the hospital after being shot “in the lower extremity” and police booked the handgun into evidence and were conducting a further investigation into the incident.
Authorities said the “accidental discharge” of the handgun was not believed to be related to the alleged threats made against King.
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Eddie Garcia, the chief of San Jose’s police department, said he had previously disciplined and terminated employees for “off duty online activity that runs counter to our standards of conduct.”
In 2015, San Jose officials fired a police officer who ranted about Black Lives Matter and protesters in Ferguson, Mo., in social media posts.
The tweets by Phil White included: “Threaten me or my family and I will use my God given and law appointed right and duty to kill you. #CopsLivesMatter” White also wrote: “By the way if anyone feels they can’t breathe or their lives matter I’ll be at the movies tonight, off duty, carrying my gun.”
The “can’t breathe” in White’s tweet referred to the last words of Eric Garner, a Black man, after a New York police officer took him to the ground with a chokehold in 2014. After Garner’s death, protesters chanted, “I can’t breathe.”
An independent arbitrator reinstated White in 2016, and he was assigned to administrative work and helping to introduce the department’s body-worn cameras. At the time, then-acting police chief, Eddie Garcia, said his agency and the city disagreed with the arbitrator’s decision but would comply with reinstating White to the department.
Times staff writer Andrew Campa contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-27--Facebook removes videos targeting public health officials

Facebook , facing a boycott from advertisers and growing pressure from employees over the posting of material that incites violence , has removed at least four videos targeting public health officials who have called for people to stay home and wear facial coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has long resisted calls to regulate political content on the popular website , which has more than 221 million users in the U.S .
But the stepped-up rhetoric of content on the website and an expanding advertising boycott that added Verizon , Unilever , Hershey and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced Zuckerberg to back down .
“ If we determine the content may lead to violence … .
we ’ re going to take that content down no matter who said it , ” Zuckerberg told CBS News .
The inciteful videos Facebook removed Thursday were from a group called the Freedom Angels Foundation , which is known for its opposition to California ’ s efforts to mandate vaccinations .
CNN , which reviewed the videos , said the posts make a number of false claims , including that children are being removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , face masks cause people to pass out , and COVID-19 is not a virus .
One video was posted during a protest outside the home of Chris Farnitano , Contra Costa County ’ s health commissioner .
Dozens of health officials across the county — including Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , and Dr. Nicole Quick , Orange County ’ s top health officer — have received death threats after issuing guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus .
Ferrer found it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials across the country are threatened with violence on a regular basis .
In my case , the death threats started last month , during a COVID-19 Facebook Live public briefing when someone very casually suggested that I should be shot.
” Quick , citing threats she received , is one of 10 state or county health officials who resigned over the threats .
Several others have been assigned security details .

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has resisted calls to regulate political content on the website, has removed videos targeting public health officials.
Facebook, facing a boycott from advertisers and growing pressure from employees over the posting of material that incites violence, has removed at least four videos targeting public health officials who have called for people to stay home and wear facial coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has long resisted calls to regulate political content on the popular website, which has more than 221 million users in the U.S. But the stepped-up rhetoric of content on the website and an expanding advertising boycott that added Verizon, Unilever, Hershey and Coca-Cola in the last two days has forced Zuckerberg to back down.
Facebook stock fell seven percentage points Friday.
“If we determine the content may lead to violence …. we’re going to take that content down no matter who said it,” Zuckerberg told CBS News.
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The videos Facebook removed Thursday were from a group called the Freedom Angels Foundation, which is known for its opposition to California’s efforts to mandate vaccinations. CNN, which reviewed the videos, said the posts make a number of false claims, including that children are being removed from their homes because of the coronavirus, face masks cause people to pass out, and COVID-19 is not a virus.
One video was posted during a protest outside the home of Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County’s health commissioner.
Dozens of health officials across the county — including Barbara Ferrer, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Dr. Nichole Quick, Orange County’s top health officer — have received death threats after issuing guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus.
Ferrer found it “disheartening that an increasing number of public health officials across the country are threatened with violence on a regular basis. In my case, the death threats started last month, during a COVID-19 Facebook Live public briefing when someone very casually suggested that I should be shot.”
Quick, citing threats she received, is one of 10 state or county health officials who resigned over the threats. Several others have been assigned security details.


latimes--2020-06-27--Imperial County officials meeting to work out a coronavirus plan

Local and state officials were set to meet in El Centro on Saturday to hash out a plan to deal with a high number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations that have at times overwhelmed the healthcare system in Imperial County .
“ There will be a delegation of high-level officials from Sacramento that will be here to listen to us and also to make an assessment of our needs , ” El Centro Mayor Efrain Silva said Saturday .
“ And there ’ s a pledge of support from the governor ’ s office that we appreciate.
” The goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a mitigation plan to drive down Imperial County ’ s high positivity rate and increase its hospital capacity , he said .
The meeting comes a day after Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that he was urging Imperial County to reimpose stricter stay-at-home orders amid a per-capita case rate and test positivity rate that both rank as the state ’ s highest .
The county has averaged 1,173 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks , as well as a test positivity rate of 23 % .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients have been transferred to other counties to relieve pressure on the rural county ’ s hospitals .
Still , it remained undecided whether additional businesses in Imperial County would be directed to close as a result of the governor ’ s recommendation .
The county ’ s Board of Supervisors elected to take no immediate action during an emergency meeting called Friday night to discuss Newsom ’ s announcement .
Instead , officials said , they are urging residents to adhere to the stay-at-home rules that are already in place .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to make any change yet , ” Supervisor Luis Plancarte said at a news conference that followed the meeting .
“ I think over the next few days we will be working with representatives from the governor ’ s office and seeing what the best path going forward will be.
” Imperial County ’ s health officer first issued a stay-at-home order in March .
The county is currently in Stage 2 of relaxing that order , most recently amending it May 26 to permit in-store retail shopping and religious services to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The county is one of only a few in California that has not obtained a variance to move more quickly through Stage 2 , or into Stage 3 , of rolling back the restrictions , despite a push by local business associations and the county Board of Supervisors for the state to give county authorities control over the timetable .
Even after the governor ’ s announcement , local officials appeared reluctant to backtrack on the county ’ s limited reopening , saying that its geography might mean that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ spread there .
Imperial County is bordered by Arizona to the east , Riverside County to the north , San Diego to the west and Mexico to the south .
“ We are surrounded by communities that are in a different opening stage than us and therefore able to provide services that are not available here , ” Silva said .
“ So I think that we ’ re fooling ourselves if we think that if we shut down further that our citizens are not going to travel very short distances in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look for those services.
” Other complicating factors include a large number of U.S. citizens living in Mexico who cross the border each day to work and to seek healthcare , which has at times put a strain on the county ’ s hospitals and forced them to divert patients , Silva said .
That ’ s not only because of a lack of bed capacity , but because the hospitals lack the equipment and expertise to deal with certain severe cases of COVID-19 , he said .
For that reason , local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase the capacity of a field medical station so it ’ s able to treat COVID-19 patients with more severe symptoms , Silva said .
The medical station , which is at Imperial Valley College , currently has 80 beds to care for patients whose cases are not acute , according to the state .
Local officials are also considering asking the state for help creating a public information campaign aimed at getting more people to wear face coverings and observe social distancing , Silva said .
“ As we have heard from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that complicated in that if we all adhere to the recommendations — the face masks and the distancing and the sanitation suggestions — that this would be much better , ” he said .
“ But even here locally we see resistance to some of those preventive measures .
”

Local and state officials met Saturday in El Centro to hash out a plan to deal with a high number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that have at times overwhelmed the healthcare system in Imperial County.
The meeting, which included attendees from local hospitals, involved listening sessions and several breakout meetings, but no concrete decisions have been announced, said Linsey Dale, a county spokeswoman.
“There will be more details as solutions develop in the coming days,” she said.
El Centro Mayor Efrain Silva said the goal of the meeting was to come up with a mitigation plan to drive down Imperial County’s high positivity rate and increase its hospital capacity. State officials didn’t say much during the meeting, Silva said, but focused on taking notes, which they intended to relay back to others in Sacramento.
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“They made a commitment that they’ll provide the resources the Imperial Valley needs,” Silva said, noting that some of the topics they addressed included hospital capacity, the need for faster testing turnaround and the hiring of more contact tracers.
The meeting came a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was urging Imperial County to reimpose stricter stay-at-home orders amid a per-capita case rate and positivity rate that both rank as the state’s highest. The county has averaged 1,173 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, as well as a test positivity rate of 23%. Over the last five weeks, more than 500 patients have been transferred to other counties to relieve pressure on the rural county’s hospitals.
Still, it remained undecided whether additional businesses in Imperial County would be directed to close as a result of the governor’s recommendation.
The county’s Board of Supervisors elected to take no immediate action during an emergency meeting Friday night to discuss Newsom’s announcement. Instead, officials said, they are urging residents to adhere to the stay-at-home rules that are in place.
“At this point, there is no decision to make any change yet,” Supervisor Luis Plancarte said at a news conference that followed the meeting. “I think over the next few days we will be working with representatives from the governor’s office and seeing what the best path going forward will be.”
Some locals, including Calexico resident Luis Flores, are frustrated with the Board of Supervisors’ timeline and want to see stricter stay-at-home orders reinstated immediately.
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“It’s a drastic step, but we’re experiencing a chart-topping crisis,” said Flores, who is part of a group of community advocates who have joined together during the pandemic to raise awareness about underlying health inequities in the region.
While Flores advocates for stricter stay-at-home restrictions, he said it’s critical that they be coupled with other policy decisions that make it possible for people to stay home and stay healthy. Those steps, he said, must include expanding a moratorium on evictions and adding more Spanish-speaking contact tracers.
Imperial County’s health officer first issued a stay-at-home order in March. The county is currently in Stage 2 of relaxing that order, most recently amending it May 26 to permit in-store shopping and the resumption of religious services, provided certain precautions are taken. The county is one of only a few in California that has not obtained a variance to move more quickly through Stage 2 into Stage 3 of rolling back restrictions, despite a push by local business associations and the county Board of Supervisors for the state to give county authorities control over the timetable.
Even after the governor’s announcement, local officials appeared reluctant to backtrack on the county’s limited reopening, saying that its geography might mean that’s not the best way to mitigate the virus’ spread there. Imperial County is bordered by Arizona to the east, Riverside County to the north, San Diego to the west and Mexico to the south.
“We are surrounded by communities that are in a different opening stage than us and therefore able to provide services that are not available here,” Silva said. “So I think that we’re fooling ourselves if we think that if we shut down further that our citizens are not going to travel very short distances in every direction and be able to still look for those services.”
Other complicating factors include a large number of U.S. citizens living in Mexico who cross the border each day to work and to seek healthcare, which has at times put a strain on the county’s hospitals and forced them to divert patients, Silva said. That’s not only because of a lack of beds but because the hospitals lack the equipment and expertise to deal with certain severe cases of COVID-19, he said.
For that reason, local officials plan to ask the state to increase the capacity of a field medical station so it’s able to treat COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, Silva said. The medical station, which is at Imperial Valley College, currently has 80 beds to care for patients whose cases are not acute, according to the state.
Local officials are also considering asking the state for help creating a public information campaign aimed at getting more people to wear face coverings and observe social distancing, Silva said.
“As we have heard from experts, the solution is actually not that complicated in that if we all adhere to the recommendations — the face masks and the distancing and the sanitation suggestions — this would be much better,” he said. “But even here locally we see resistance to some of those preventive measures.”


latimes--2020-06-27--A San Diego bus route provides a vital lifeline for neighborhood during pandemic

In normal times , Roland Howard would cherish his time riding the Route 7 bus .
The former pastor and university professor , who uses a motorized wheelchair , strikes up conversations with fellow riders whenever possible .
He even found his current church through a driver , who ’ s also a preacher .
But when Howard , 67 , rolled off the bus at University Avenue and 47th Street after a dentist ’ s appointment last week , he admitted to feeling a bit uneasy .
Taking the bus is probably the biggest risk he takes now when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to strangers to the close contact with drivers who help him board and exit .
“ I ’ m concerned about this virus that ’ s going around , ” he said through a blue surgical mask .
“ Because of my age and because I have a lot of ongoing disabilities , everything that they say is conducive to [ getting seriously ill ] , I ’ ve got.
” The neighborhood is full of people like Howard — older , many with disabilities , many who have no choice but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a pandemic .
For three months , as much of life froze across San Diego , the Route 7 bus kept rumbling along , connecting City Heights to downtown San Diego .
Now it is providing a vital lifeline as this diverse neighborhood struggles to recover .
Today , Route 7 carries more passengers every day than any other bus in the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System .
While ridership on other popular routes has plummeted 70 % — more than 90 % in some cases — people have continued to ride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to MTS data .
With ridership down a relatively modest 53 % , the route still serves more than 3,100 passengers a day , all with varying degrees of dependence on the transit system .
Ron Dobbins , who lives about a block away from the stops on either side of University Avenue at 47th Street , is among them .
On a recent weekday morning , he waited for the bus on the south side of the road in front of Pronto Laundry .
The 75-year-old has continued to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the coronavirus .
This time he was headed to pick up the newspaper at a nearby 7-Eleven , he explained through a mask , his short , white hair peeking out from under a baseball cap .
Dobbins knows he ’ s particularly vulnerable to the disease as a senior .
But if he ’ s worried , he doesn ’ t let on .
On the upside , he said , there ’ s been lots of room on the bus since ridership declined .
“ I ’ m nervous when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean , the way these people drive .
I ’ m nervous when I see some of these homeless people .
They definitely look strange .
Some of them are on drugs .
Some of them are mentally ill .
Some are using alcohol .
... That makes me nervous , ” he said , “ but not the bus.
” Later that day , Dobbins and his wife sat under the red , metal bus stop shelter while their clothes washed at the laundromat .
Several people were waiting for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses wasn ’ t letting people hang out inside .
A few minutes later , Kirk Taylor , 55 , got off the bus .
Grappling with several disabilities , he said he uses transit to get to medical appointments .
“ The bus is the riskiest because you don ’ t know what to touch , ” he said .
“ That part ’ s really tricky .
You have to wash your hands a whole lot and not put them in your face.
” As restaurants , bars and other businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bus ridership has ticked up in recent weeks on the 7 , as well as on Route 10 , which also runs along University Avenue but connects to Old Town , instead of downtown .
Taylor said that people on the bus have recently become more relaxed about efforts to prevent the spread of the virus .
Perhaps surprisingly , that ’ s made him feel more at ease while riding .
“ About a month ago , people would get on there with gloves and the face mask .
Now it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things are almost back to normal as far as the buses , ” he said .
Coronavirus infections have recently started to spike as the economy reopens .
Since mid-June , public health officials have recorded at least 10 community outbreaks across the county , which they define as three or more cases from different households linked to a specific location .
Just Tuesday , the county recorded a record daily total of 332 positive test results , which topped the previous record of 310 set the previous weekend .
For weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people being infected was usually in the low 100s .
None of the recent outbreaks have been traced to public transit .
However , about a dozen bus drivers have tested positive for the virus , including one along Route 7 .
Most have since returned to work .
None have died .
Christopher Castor , 56 , a bus driver on Route 7 , isn ’ t taking any chances .
On a recent weekday afternoon , he used the blue surgical gloves and face shield provided by the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and off the bus .
“ I ’ m scared of catching it , ” said Castor , a 56-year-old San Diego native who has lived in City Heights since 1974 .
“ When I get home , everything comes off , jump right in the shower.
” The MTS put in place a number of safety precautions on its trolleys and buses to prevent the spread of the virus .
The front of the bus is roped off and accessible only for people with disabilities .
Other passengers board through the rear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended at least until early July , when the MTS hopes to have plexiglass barriers installed to protect drivers .
For now , people flash their bus passes as they board in what has evolved into something of an honor system .
The agency also recently voted to lower fines for fare dodgers to $ 25 per violation , down from nearly $ 200 .
Castor , who has had the route for five years , is as much tour guide as driver .
He likes to tell riders about the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trivia , such as how City Heights was briefly its own city called East San Diego until the city of San Diego annexed it in 1923 .
“ City Heights was still called East San Diego until the ‘ 80s , ” he said , steering smoothly through traffic .
He could have chosen a different , perhaps more desirable route with his seniority at the MTS , Castor said , but he enjoys serving his own community .
“ When I first did it , everybody ’ s like , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s always there .
Nobody wants it , ’ ” he said .
“ I love the people , and it ’ s cool .
The people know me.
” One of Castor ’ s favorite stories is how Route 7 was named after the former streetcar by the same number , which ran from downtown through Balboa Park to a turnaround at the current location of the Tower Bar .
It was one of the last three streetcar routes in operation before the system was shut down in 1949 .
The transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the city took it over .
Many of the landmarks Castor passes have been shuttered for weeks and are just now coming back to life .
On a recent afternoon , Bruce Grizer , 60 , stopped into the Tower Bar for a pint to break up his bus commute between Kearny Mesa and South Crest .
The bar at University and Euclid avenues reopened on June 12 with social-distancing adjustments — plexiglass shields , fewer bar stools , taped-off service lines .
Count Grizer among those who believe the coronavirus worries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the hysteria is fueled by the government and , I ’ m sorry , but also the media , ” said Grizer , who writes technical journals .
“ I spent 35 years in the medical industry , and [ I ’ ve ] seen the bird flu , swine flu , whatever flu you want to talk about .
To me , this is just another variation.
” He said he didn ’ t know of anyone who ’ s been sick with the virus .
Bartender Tasha Parker , 34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and had to be on a ventilator for nearly a week .
Like the businesses along University Avenue , some Route 7 riders are coming back for the first time in a long time .
Tim Cutter was waiting at a stop in front of San Diego Electric for a bus to take him to work in Hillcrest .
A cashier for Ace Parking at Scripps Mercy Hospital , Cutter said his motorcycle was in the shop and this would be his first time taking the bus since the lockdown started .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ little nervous at the beginning , but actually I took a look at the bus before I hopped onto it , and there ’ s actually enough space there , you know , ” Cutter , 61 , said through a thick black mask strapped tightly against a massive white beard .
“ I wear gloves , I wear [ a ] protective mask when I get on there so I ’ m not touching anything that could be contaminated.
” Not everyone in the neighborhood is rooting for mass transit to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego Electric have had an often contentious relationship with those who hang out around the bus stop .
They say the shop ’ s metal rollup door has been routinely tagged with spray paint , sometimes several times a week .
That hasn ’ t happened since the lockdown , said longtime employee Frank May .
“ It used to be every weekend , but since the virus shutdown … ” “ … it don ’ t happen no more , ” co-worker Gene Anderson finished his sentence .
For most folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an indispensable resource .
It ’ s a place to socialize .
It ’ s a government service that provides freedom to those who otherwise would ’ t get to enjoy it .
The bus became indispensable to Howard after he was pistol whipped repeatedly in the head during a robbery in Atlanta , where he was teaching divinity and English classes .
Howard said he was in a coma for more than two months following the attack , and when he came out of it , his right side was paralyzed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his way back to health and established a community in San Diego .
Young men regularly called him seeking his guidance , he said .
Now the virus has threatened to upend that .
“ I like to communicate with people , ” he said , “ and I get to know all of the different drivers and talk with the people that are there .
I kind of just include everybody .
”

In normal times, Roland Howard would cherish his time riding the Route 7 bus.
The former pastor and university professor, who uses a motorized wheelchair, strikes up conversations with fellow riders whenever possible. He even found his current church through a driver, who’s also a preacher.
But when Howard, 67, rolled off the bus at University Avenue and 47th Street after a dentist’s appointment last week, he admitted to feeling a bit uneasy. Taking the bus is probably the biggest risk he takes now when it comes to COVID-19 — from exposure to strangers to the close contact with drivers who help him board and exit.
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“I’m concerned about this virus that’s going around,” he said through a blue surgical mask. “Because of my age and because I have a lot of ongoing disabilities, everything that they say is conducive to [getting seriously ill], I’ve got.”
The neighborhood is full of people like Howard — older, many with disabilities, many who have no choice but to use public transit even in the midst of a pandemic.
For three months, as much of life froze across San Diego, the Route 7 bus kept rumbling along, connecting City Heights to downtown San Diego. Now it is providing a vital lifeline as this diverse neighborhood struggles to recover.
Today, Route 7 carries more passengers every day than any other bus in the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. While ridership on other popular routes has plummeted 70% — more than 90% in some cases — people have continued to ride the Route 7 bus in sizable numbers, according to MTS data.
Christopher Castor drives the Route 7 bus that traverses University Avenue through San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood. (Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune)
With ridership down a relatively modest 53%, the route still serves more than 3,100 passengers a day, all with varying degrees of dependence on the transit system.
Ron Dobbins, who lives about a block away from the stops on either side of University Avenue at 47th Street, is among them. On a recent weekday morning, he waited for the bus on the south side of the road in front of Pronto Laundry.
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The 75-year-old has continued to take the bus a couple times a day despite the coronavirus. This time he was headed to pick up the newspaper at a nearby 7-Eleven, he explained through a mask, his short, white hair peeking out from under a baseball cap.
Dobbins knows he’s particularly vulnerable to the disease as a senior. But if he’s worried, he doesn’t let on. On the upside, he said, there’s been lots of room on the bus since ridership declined.
“I’m nervous when I have to cross the street, I mean, the way these people drive. I’m nervous when I see some of these homeless people. They definitely look strange. Some of them are on drugs. Some of them are mentally ill. Some are using alcohol. ... That makes me nervous,” he said, “but not the bus.”
Christopher Castor cleans the windshield of the Route 7 bus he drives through San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood.
(Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Later that day, Dobbins and his wife sat under the red, metal bus stop shelter while their clothes washed at the laundromat. Several people were waiting for their laundry in their cars, as the businesses wasn’t letting people hang out inside.
A few minutes later, Kirk Taylor, 55, got off the bus. Grappling with several disabilities, he said he uses transit to get to medical appointments.
“The bus is the riskiest because you don’t know what to touch,” he said. “That part’s really tricky. You have to wash your hands a whole lot and not put them in your face.”
As restaurants, bars and other businesses in City Heights and elsewhere have reopened, bus ridership has ticked up in recent weeks on the 7, as well as on Route 10, which also runs along University Avenue but connects to Old Town, instead of downtown.
Taylor said that people on the bus have recently become more relaxed about efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. Perhaps surprisingly, that’s made him feel more at ease while riding.
“About a month ago, people would get on there with gloves and the face mask. Now it’s a lot less intense because things are almost back to normal as far as the buses,” he said.
Coronavirus infections have recently started to spike as the economy reopens. Since mid-June, public health officials have recorded at least 10 community outbreaks across the county, which they define as three or more cases from different households linked to a specific location.
Just Tuesday, the county recorded a record daily total of 332 positive test results, which topped the previous record of 310 set the previous weekend. For weeks before the lockdown was lifted, the daily number of people being infected was usually in the low 100s.
None of the recent outbreaks have been traced to public transit. However, about a dozen bus drivers have tested positive for the virus, including one along Route 7. Most have since returned to work. None have died.
Christopher Castor, 56, a bus driver on Route 7, isn’t taking any chances. On a recent weekday afternoon, he used the blue surgical gloves and face shield provided by the agency as he helped folks in wheelchairs on and off the bus.
“I’m scared of catching it,” said Castor, a 56-year-old San Diego native who has lived in City Heights since 1974. “When I get home, everything comes off, jump right in the shower.”
The MTS put in place a number of safety precautions on its trolleys and buses to prevent the spread of the virus. The front of the bus is roped off and accessible only for people with disabilities. Other passengers board through the rear doors. Cash fare payments have been suspended at least until early July, when the MTS hopes to have plexiglass barriers installed to protect drivers.
For now, people flash their bus passes as they board in what has evolved into something of an honor system. The agency also recently voted to lower fines for fare dodgers to $25 per violation, down from nearly $200.
Castor, who has had the route for five years, is as much tour guide as driver. He likes to tell riders about the history of the buildings passing by, dropping bits of trivia, such as how City Heights was briefly its own city called East San Diego until the city of San Diego annexed it in 1923.
“City Heights was still called East San Diego until the ‘80s,” he said, steering smoothly through traffic.
He could have chosen a different, perhaps more desirable route with his seniority at the MTS, Castor said, but he enjoys serving his own community.
“When I first did it, everybody’s like, ‘Man, why?’ It’s always there. Nobody wants it,’” he said. “I love the people, and it’s cool. The people know me.”
One of Castor’s favorite stories is how Route 7 was named after the former streetcar by the same number, which ran from downtown through Balboa Park to a turnaround at the current location of the Tower Bar. It was one of the last three streetcar routes in operation before the system was shut down in 1949. The transit system was privately run until 1967, when the city took it over.
Many of the landmarks Castor passes have been shuttered for weeks and are just now coming back to life. On a recent afternoon, Bruce Grizer, 60, stopped into the Tower Bar for a pint to break up his bus commute between Kearny Mesa and South Crest. The bar at University and Euclid avenues reopened on June 12 with social-distancing adjustments — plexiglass shields, fewer bar stools, taped-off service lines.
Count Grizer among those who believe the coronavirus worries are overblown.
“My personal opinion is the hysteria is fueled by the government and, I’m sorry, but also the media,” said Grizer, who writes technical journals. “I spent 35 years in the medical industry, and [I’ve] seen the bird flu, swine flu, whatever flu you want to talk about. To me, this is just another variation.”
He said he didn’t know of anyone who’s been sick with the virus. Bartender Tasha Parker, 34, chimed in that her cousin caught it and had to be on a ventilator for nearly a week.
Like the businesses along University Avenue, some Route 7 riders are coming back for the first time in a long time. Tim Cutter was waiting at a stop in front of San Diego Electric for a bus to take him to work in Hillcrest. A cashier for Ace Parking at Scripps Mercy Hospital, Cutter said his motorcycle was in the shop and this would be his first time taking the bus since the lockdown started.
“You know, I was a little nervous at the beginning, but actually I took a look at the bus before I hopped onto it, and there’s actually enough space there, you know,” Cutter, 61, said through a thick black mask strapped tightly against a massive white beard. “I wear gloves, I wear [a] protective mask when I get on there so I’m not touching anything that could be contaminated.”
Not everyone in the neighborhood is rooting for mass transit to come roaring back. The guys working inside San Diego Electric have had an often contentious relationship with those who hang out around the bus stop. They say the shop’s metal rollup door has been routinely tagged with spray paint, sometimes several times a week.
That hasn’t happened since the lockdown, said longtime employee Frank May. “It used to be every weekend, but since the virus shutdown …”
“ … it don’t happen no more,” co-worker Gene Anderson finished his sentence.
For most folks that use the bus, it’s an indispensable resource. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a government service that provides freedom to those who otherwise would’t get to enjoy it.
The bus became indispensable to Howard after he was pistol whipped repeatedly in the head during a robbery in Atlanta, where he was teaching divinity and English classes.
Howard said he was in a coma for more than two months following the attack, and when he came out of it, his right side was paralyzed for about eight years.
He fought his way back to health and established a community in San Diego. Young men regularly called him seeking his guidance, he said.
Now the virus has threatened to upend that.
“I like to communicate with people,” he said, “and I get to know all of the different drivers and talk with the people that are there. I kind of just include everybody.”
Smith writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-06-27--California cracks down on scofflaw businesses, delays reopenings as coronavirus surges

With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spiking across California , officials are cracking down on scofflaw businesses and putting the brakes on reopening in hopes of slowing the spread .
The worsening pandemic has prompted Gov .
Gavin Newsom to put a pause on issuing rules that would allow counties to reopen other industries such as amusement parks .
As a result , Walt Disney Co. said this week that Disneyland in Anaheim would not open as previously on July 17 .
Based on the rising numbers , there ’ s nothing to suggest that California will be able to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Newsom said .
Newsom warned that the number of new daily deaths will probably go up in a few weeks .
It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to become sick enough to be hospitalized , and four to five weeks after exposure for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease .
Rural Imperial County , one of the nation ’ s most important agricultural areas , now has the highest testing positivity rate of any county in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % — well over the 8 % rate seen as a danger signal by state officials .
The outbreak there has overwhelmed local hospitals , forcing more than 500 patients to be sent to other counties for care .
With 5,744 cases and 73 deaths , Imperial County has the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita in California , according to .
In response , Newsom said Friday that the state was recommending that the county reimpose strict stay-at-home requirements — the first time officials have taken such a drastic move .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move forward and reinstitute a stay-at-home order , but they will move at their discretion , ” Newsom said .
“ If they are not able to come to some consensus , I am committed to intervening as is my role and responsibility as governor in the state of California.
” In San Diego County , the health department on Friday ordered an Escondido restaurant to close immediately , saying its proprietor refused to follow public health directives imposed to prevent coronavirus outbreaks .
The document signed by Dr. Wilma Wooten , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , declares that the Hernandez Hideaway restaurant on the shores of Lake Hodges may not reopen until it can show “ that social distancing and sanitation standards will be followed.
” According to the order , county health officers issued a warning after an inspection May 29 found a lack of social distancing and that employees were not wearing face coverings .
A subsequent visit on June 12 by deputy sheriffs found staff not wearing masks , and the county reported receiving a complaint about the lack of face coverings on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted owner Rick Stevens , who “ admitted that he was not compliant and stated he will continue to operate without these COVID preventative measures and will not require staff to wear face coverings.
” Stevens could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon .
Hernandez Hideaway is not the only business to be shut down since the county issued an order on May 21 authorizing in-person dining .
El Prez , a popular bar and restaurant in Pacific Beach , closed on May 22 after video of a raucous crowd partying shoulder-to-shoulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media .
And Belmont Park , an amusement park in Mission Bay , was closed Friday afternoon by officials who said it was operating rides in violation of state guidelines .
“ There is nothing confusing in the state guidance .
Amusement park rides are not allowed at this time , ” San Diego County spokesman Mike Workman said .
“ I would remind folks that the retail and food areas can be open .
But they each must adhere to the state guidelines — primarily social distancing and face coverings.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day that county officials announced the San Francisco is also experiencing a surge in its COVID-19 infection rate and will have to pause its reopening , the city ’ s health director said Friday .
Businesses that were scheduled to reopen Monday will now stay closed , said Dr. Grant Colfax , director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health .
They include hair salons , barbershops , tattoo parlors , zoos , outdoor bars and outdoor swimming pools .
On June 14 , 2.7 people per 100,000 tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference .
By Thursday , that rate had jumped to 5.1 per 100,000 .
“ We went from a yellow to a high orange , and if that continues over the next couple of days , we could be in our red zone , ” which could trigger more restrictions , Colfax said .
He said hospital capacity remained “ relatively good.
” In Marin County , officials decided to pause the reopening of gyms , tattoo parlors and nail salons that was planned for Monday , although they will allow indoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
The Bay Area ’ s third-most populous county , Contra Costa , has seen its number of COVID-19 hospitalizations rise by 42 % in the last seven days , and officials raised the possibility that it would delay the reopening of businesses that are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday , including indoor dining , bars , gyms , hotels , nail salons and tattoo parlors .
Sisson and Weisberg write for the San Diego Union-Tribune .
Times staff writer Phil Willon in Sacramento contributed to this report .

Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Maura Dolan, Paul Sisson, Lori Weisberg

Calyssa Hill, left, and Hadley Hall wear masks while visiting the Pacific Beach boardwalk in San Diego on Thursday. Coronavirus cases in California continued a troubling spike this week.
With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spiking across California, officials are cracking down on scofflaw businesses and putting the brakes on reopening in hopes of slowing the spread.
The worsening pandemic has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to put a pause on issuing rules that would allow counties to reopen other industries such as amusement parks. As a result, Walt Disney Co. said this week that Disneyland in Anaheim would not open as previously planned on July 17.
Based on the rising numbers, there’s nothing to suggest that California will be able to allow counties to open further any time soon, Newsom said.
Newsom warned that the number of new daily deaths will probably go up in a few weeks. It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to become sick enough to be hospitalized, and four to five weeks after exposure for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease.
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Rural Imperial County, one of the nation’s most important agricultural areas, now has the highest testing positivity rate of any county in the state, with a seven-day average of 23% — well over the 8% rate seen as a danger signal by state officials. The outbreak there has overwhelmed local hospitals, forcing more than 500 patients to be sent to other counties for care.
With 5,744 cases and 73 deaths, Imperial County has the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita in California, according to The Times’ pandemic tracker . In response, Newsom said Friday that the state was recommending that the county reimpose strict stay-at-home requirements — the first time officials have taken such a drastic move.
“We are advising and counseling them to move forward and reinstitute a stay-at-home order, but they will move at their discretion,” Newsom said. “If they are not able to come to some consensus, I am committed to intervening as is my role and responsibility as governor in the state of California.”
In San Diego County, the health department on Friday ordered an Escondido restaurant to close immediately, saying its proprietor refused to follow public health directives imposed to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.
The document signed by Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer,
declares that the Hernandez Hideaway restaurant on the shores of Lake Hodges may not reopen until it can show “that social distancing and sanitation standards will be followed.”
According to the order, county health officers issued a warning after an inspection May 29 found a lack of social distancing and that employees were not wearing face coverings. A subsequent visit on June 12 by deputy sheriffs found staff not wearing masks, and the county reported receiving a complaint about the lack of face coverings on Tuesday.
According to the county, it then contacted owner Rick Stevens, who “admitted that he was not compliant and stated he will continue to operate without these COVID preventative measures and will not require staff to wear face coverings.”
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Stevens could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Hernandez Hideaway is not the only business to be shut down since the county issued an order on May 21 authorizing in-person dining. El Prez, a popular bar and restaurant in Pacific Beach, closed on May 22 after video of a raucous crowd partying shoulder-to-shoulder, largely without wearing masks, surfaced on social media.
And Belmont Park, an amusement park in Mission Bay, was closed Friday afternoon by officials who said it was operating rides in violation of state guidelines.
“There is nothing confusing in the state guidance. Amusement park rides are not allowed at this time,” San Diego County spokesman Mike Workman said. “I would remind folks that the retail and food areas can be open. But they each must adhere to the state guidelines — primarily social distancing and face coverings.”
The shutdown came on the same day that county officials announced the highest number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in a single day.
San Francisco is also experiencing a surge in its COVID-19 infection rate and will have to pause its reopening, the city’s health director said Friday.
Businesses that were scheduled to reopen Monday will now stay closed, said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
They include hair salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, zoos, outdoor bars and outdoor swimming pools. On June 14, 2.7 people per 100,000 tested positive for the virus, Colfax said in a virtual news conference. By Thursday, that rate had jumped to 5.1 per 100,000.
“We went from a yellow to a high orange, and if that continues over the next couple of days, we could be in our red zone,” which could trigger more restrictions, Colfax said. He said hospital capacity remained “relatively good.”
In Marin County, officials decided to pause the reopening of gyms, tattoo parlors and nail salons that was planned for Monday, although they will allow indoor dining and haircuts to resume on that day.
The Bay Area’s third-most populous county, Contra Costa, has seen its number of COVID-19 hospitalizations rise by 42% in the last seven days, and officials raised the possibility that it would delay the reopening of businesses that are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, including indoor dining, bars, gyms, hotels, nail salons and tattoo parlors.
Sisson and Weisberg write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Times staff writer Phil Willon in Sacramento contributed to this report.