latimes--2020-03-12--Federal officials announce crackdown on violent drug cartel

Last November , the cook at a Mexican seafood restaurant in Santa Ana approached a diner with a question .
Would it be possible , he asked the man , to get him 200 to 300 assault rifles ?
So began an alleged deal for machine guns that Nicola Hanna , the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles , traced on Wednesday to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación , or Jalisco New Generation , a Mexican drug trafficking organization known to few people in the United States , but one Hanna called “ one of the most significant transnational criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were arrested Wednesday morning in Rancho Cucamonga , North Hollywood and Sun Valley , a group that included distributors , stash house managers and couriers for the cartel , officials said .
Bill Bodner , the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration ’ s Los Angeles office , described Jalisco New Generation as a pioneer in manufacturing synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl , which are cheap to produce and highly potent — often fatally so .
The cartel has seized control of Tijuana ’ s smuggling routes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heroin and cocaine through the border city and into Los Angeles , where drugs are warehoused before being ferried to distribution hubs that include Houston , Chicago and Atlanta .
Its leader , Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes , has no qualms killing people , Bodner said , through either overdoses from drugs his organization peddles or outright murder .
The DEA is offering a $ 10-million reward for information leading to his arrest .
Oseguera , who is known as “ El Mencho , ” is believed to be living in Mexico , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in San Francisco and his children are U.S. citizens .
His son and daughter are under federal indictment in Washington , D.C. , his son charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses , his daughter accused of violating the Kingpin Act , which bars U.S. citizens from doing business with entities the Treasury Department has linked to drug traffickers and money launderers .
Oseguera is a slight man — about 5 feet 7 and 150 pounds , according to his wanted notice at the DEA — but ruthless , Bodner said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ top-down , a traditional pyramid-type business , ” he said , one he contrasted with Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s Sinaloa cartel , which was riven with infighting .
While Guzman “ was a lot of flash , ” Oseguera is more disciplined , Bodner said , practicing a methodical brand of violence and always pursuing new , more stealthy ways of making money .
Hanna said he traveled to Mexico City recently to discuss the Jalisco New Generation cartel with the Mexican attorney general ’ s office .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the drug proceeds on high-powered weaponry for its arsenals in Mexico .
He pointed to an indictment returned last week , charging four men with attempting to purchase belt-fed machine guns .
When the cook , Oscar Hernandez Miranda , asked the diner at the Mariscos Centenario restaurant in Santa Ana in November about buying AK-47s and AR-15s , he didn ’ t know the man he ’ d approached was an informant for the DEA , according to an affidavit signed by Special Agent Adam Cirillo .
The informant told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced Hernandez to a man he described as a gun supplier , but who was actually a second informant for the DEA , the affidavit said .
Hernandez brought several associates into the negotiations , according to the affidavit , among them Juan Cobian-Alvarez , a U.S. citizen who was living in Mexico .
On a Thursday afternoon last month , Cobian-Alvarez and his driver , Ignacio Santana-Robles , pulled up in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee to a warehouse in Los Angeles .
The informant introduced the men to his “ boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives .
In a recorded meeting , Cobian-Alvarez said he wanted to buy as many M60 belt-fed machine guns and M203 grenade launchers as possible , but he would purchase just two M60s that day for $ 15,000 apiece , according to the affidavit .
Santana-Robles put stacks of cash on the table , the affidavit said , and the two men were promptly arrested .
Hernandez and a fourth man , Juan Panduro of Santa Ana , were also arrested that day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine guns , Hanna said , the weaponry would have been bound for the Jalisco New Generation cartel ’ s armory .
After he was arrested , Hernandez told agents all he knew of the cartel ’ s leader came from the news , which portrayed Oseguera as “ killing people and doing bad things , ” Cirillo , the DEA agent , wrote in the affidavit .
Cobian-Alvarez told agents he “ has nothing to do with the cartel but the guy that provided [ him ] the money does , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to be arraigned March 20 and have yet to enter a plea .
“ The government is going to allege this is connected to the cartels — this may or may not be the case , ” said Angel Navarro , Cobian-Alvarez ’ s attorney .
“ It ’ s really too early for me to give an assessment.
” Navarro said he has yet to review the government ’ s evidence .
Attorneys for Cobian-Alvarez ’ s codefendants couldn ’ t be reached Wednesday .
Two additional indictments , returned recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe a trafficking network that spanned several Southern California counties , moved drugs in bulk and turned dirty American dollars into Mexican pesos through an unnamed “ Chinese money laundering organization.
” Outside a shopping center in Solana Beach , at a bus stop in Claremont and in an apartment in Rancho Cucamonga , pounds of methamphetamine and kilograms of cocaine changed hands , the indictments charge .
Five people named in the indictments and allegedly tied to the cartel were arrested Wednesday , according to a DEA spokeswoman .
Griselda Reyes surrendered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken into custody in Arleta , Yadhira Rodriguez in Moreno Valley , Jesus Chaidez in Riverside and Luis Martinez in Los Angeles ’ Mid-City neighborhood .
Eduardo Monroy was arrested at the San Ysidro port of entry near Tijuana on Saturday .
It was unclear from court records whether any of them had retained lawyers as of Wednesday .

Last November, the cook at a Mexican seafood restaurant in Santa Ana approached a diner with a question. Would it be possible, he asked the man, to get him 200 to 300 assault rifles?
So began an alleged deal for machine guns that Nicola Hanna, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, traced on Wednesday to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, or Jalisco New Generation, a Mexican drug trafficking organization known to few people in the United States, but one Hanna called “one of the most significant transnational criminal threats we face today.”
Twenty-seven people were arrested Wednesday morning in Rancho Cucamonga, North Hollywood and Sun Valley, a group that included distributors, stash house managers and couriers for the cartel, officials said.
Bill Bodner, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles office, described Jalisco New Generation as a pioneer in manufacturing synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl, which are cheap to produce and highly potent — often fatally so.
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The cartel has seized control of Tijuana’s smuggling routes, Bodner said, moving methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine through the border city and into Los Angeles, where drugs are warehoused before being ferried to distribution hubs that include Houston, Chicago and Atlanta.
Its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, has no qualms killing people, Bodner said, through either overdoses from drugs his organization peddles or outright murder. The DEA is offering a $10-million reward for information leading to his arrest. Oseguera, who is known as “El Mencho,” is believed to be living in Mexico, Bodner said.
Oseguera lived for a time in San Francisco and his children are U.S. citizens. His son and daughter are under federal indictment in Washington, D.C., his son charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses, his daughter accused of violating the Kingpin Act, which bars U.S. citizens from doing business with entities the Treasury Department has linked to drug traffickers and money launderers.
Oseguera is a slight man — about 5 feet 7 and 150 pounds, according to his wanted notice at the DEA — but ruthless, Bodner said. The cartel he leads is “very top-down, a traditional pyramid-type business,” he said, one he contrasted with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel, which was riven with infighting. While Guzman “was a lot of flash,” Oseguera is more disciplined, Bodner said, practicing a methodical brand of violence and always pursuing new, more stealthy ways of making money.
Hanna said he traveled to Mexico City recently to discuss the Jalisco New Generation cartel with the Mexican attorney general’s office. The cartel, he said, is spending some of the drug proceeds on high-powered weaponry for its arsenals in Mexico. He pointed to an indictment returned last week, charging four men with attempting to purchase belt-fed machine guns.
When the cook, Oscar Hernandez Miranda, asked the diner at the Mariscos Centenario restaurant in Santa Ana in November about buying AK-47s and AR-15s, he didn’t know the man he’d approached was an informant for the DEA, according to an affidavit signed by Special Agent Adam Cirillo. The informant told Hernandez he would ask around.
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He introduced Hernandez to a man he described as a gun supplier, but who was actually a second informant for the DEA, the affidavit said. Hernandez brought several associates into the negotiations, according to the affidavit, among them Juan Cobian-Alvarez, a U.S. citizen who was living in Mexico.
On a Thursday afternoon last month, Cobian-Alvarez and his driver, Ignacio Santana-Robles, pulled up in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee to a warehouse in Los Angeles. The informant introduced the men to his “boss,” who was actually an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In a recorded meeting, Cobian-Alvarez said he wanted to buy as many M60 belt-fed machine guns and M203 grenade launchers as possible, but he would purchase just two M60s that day for $15,000 apiece, according to the affidavit. Santana-Robles put stacks of cash on the table, the affidavit said, and the two men were promptly arrested. Hernandez and a fourth man, Juan Panduro of Santa Ana, were also arrested that day.
Had they succeeded in purchasing those machine guns, Hanna said, the weaponry would have been bound for the Jalisco New Generation cartel’s armory.
After he was arrested, Hernandez told agents all he knew of the cartel’s leader came from the news, which portrayed Oseguera as “killing people and doing bad things,” Cirillo, the DEA agent, wrote in the affidavit. Cobian-Alvarez told agents he “has nothing to do with the cartel but the guy that provided [him] the money does,” Cirillo wrote.
The four men are scheduled to be arraigned March 20 and have yet to enter a plea.
“The government is going to allege this is connected to the cartels — this may or may not be the case,” said Angel Navarro, Cobian-Alvarez’s attorney. “It’s really too early for me to give an assessment.”
Navarro said he has yet to review the government’s evidence. Attorneys for Cobian-Alvarez’s codefendants couldn’t be reached Wednesday.
Two additional indictments, returned recently by grand juries in Los Angeles, describe a trafficking network that spanned several Southern California counties, moved drugs in bulk and turned dirty American dollars into Mexican pesos through an unnamed “Chinese money laundering organization.”
Outside a shopping center in Solana Beach, at a bus stop in Claremont and in an apartment in Rancho Cucamonga, pounds of methamphetamine and kilograms of cocaine changed hands, the indictments charge.
Five people named in the indictments and allegedly tied to the cartel were arrested Wednesday, according to a DEA spokeswoman.
Griselda Reyes surrendered to the authorities, while Angello Medina was taken into custody in Arleta, Yadhira Rodriguez in Moreno Valley, Jesus Chaidez in Riverside and Luis Martinez in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood. Eduardo Monroy was arrested at the San Ysidro port of entry near Tijuana on Saturday. It was unclear from court records whether any of them had retained lawyers as of Wednesday.


latimes--2020-03-11--L.A. to scale back public meetings at City Hall to limit coronavirus spread

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez announced Wednesday that she and her colleagues will impose a sweeping reduction in the number of public meetings at City Hall , part of a larger effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus .
In a letter to her colleagues , Martinez said the council will go from three meetings per week to one for the remainder of the month .
She also canceled all council committee meetings , which are devoted to such topics as public safety , planning and the city budget .
Martinez also called for a minimum number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council floor during public meetings .
“ If you haven ’ t already , I ask that you consider rescheduling any large-scale events in your district and curtail field staff ’ s attendance at any large-scale events or meetings , ” she said in the letter .
“ For our purposes , we have the people ’ s business to carry on and we are trying to do that while minimizing risk and exposure for all.
” The council will also temporarily stop staging ceremonial presentations , which honor dignitaries , community leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have three meetings this month : March 17 , 24 and 31 .
City and county officials are scheduled to appear at the council ’ s Tuesday meeting to discuss the local response to the coronavirus pandemic .
No word has been given on the public meetings held by the city ’ s network of commissions , which are responsible for such agencies as the Department of Water and Power , the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports .
Martinez ’ s announcement came hours after the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first coronavirus-related death and several new cases , bringing the county ’ s total to 28 .
A growing number of colleges and universities , including Cal State Long Beach and Pepperdine , have suspended in-person classes in favor of online instruction .

City Council President Nury Martinez said Wednesday she is scaling back the number of council meetings held at City Hall.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez announced Wednesday that she and her colleagues will impose a sweeping reduction in the number of public meetings at City Hall, part of a larger effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In a letter to her colleagues, Martinez said the council will go from three meetings per week to one for the remainder of the month. She also canceled all council committee meetings, which are devoted to such topics as public safety, planning and the city budget.
Martinez also called for a minimum number of council staffers to be on the council floor during public meetings.
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“If you haven’t already, I ask that you consider rescheduling any large-scale events in your district and curtail field staff’s attendance at any large-scale events or meetings,” she said in the letter. “For our purposes, we have the people’s business to carry on and we are trying to do that while minimizing risk and exposure for all.”
The council will also temporarily stop staging ceremonial presentations, which honor dignitaries, community leaders, entertainers and others.
The council will have three meetings this month: March 17, 24 and 31. City and county officials are scheduled to appear at the council’s Tuesday meeting to discuss the local response to the coronavirus pandemic.
No word has been given on the public meetings held by the city’s network of commissions, which are responsible for such agencies as the Department of Water and Power, the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports.
Martinez’s announcement came hours after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed its first coronavirus-related death and several new cases, bringing the county’s total to 28. A growing number of colleges and universities, including Cal State Long Beach and Pepperdine, have suspended in-person classes in favor of online instruction.


latimes--2020-03-11--As coronavirus outbreak accelerates, youthful faces may mask mortal risk

Grace Rose Bauer buzzed around her Studio City bedroom on a recent sunny afternoon , stuffing her backpack with last-minute supplies for a sleepover at a friend ’ s house in Beverly Hills .
Under her makeup bag and comfy clothes , she had stashed extra bottles of hand sanitizer , packets of antiseptic wipes , and several thousand dollars ’ worth of pills .
“ As soon as we get to her house , I ’ m going to walk to Rite Aid to get Hostess cupcakes , ” the 17-year-old said with a grin .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ” — she flashed the blister pack of Trikafta , her new $ 284-per-dose prescription — “ has to be digested with fatty food.
” Bauer has cystic fibrosis , a rare genetic disorder that impairs lung function and can fuel lethal infections from the smallest viral spark .
The common cold can send her to the emergency room gasping for breath , as it does millions with asthma .
But when it comes to COVID-19 , she and others living with chronic illness fear their youthful faces may mask their fragile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of everyone saying , ‘ Don ’ t worry , ’ ” said Lisa Marie Basile , 34 , of New York , one of an who take biologic drugs for autoimmune disease , which makes her far more susceptible to infection .
“ Friends talk about their parents , their grandparents — but there ’ s a vast swath of people like me that seem pretty healthy but would probably be No .
1 to go down if they had coronavirus.
” So far , the international outbreak has largely spared the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children and teenagers and no deaths among patients younger than 9 .
Instead , fatalities have clustered among older adults , concentrating in those with “ underlying health conditions.
” But as the worldwide caseload tops 110,000 and California joins the ranks of states with community transmission , health officials are beginning to caution younger people with respiratory conditions like asthma — a disease that occurs disproportionately in children and adolescents — as well as in those being treated for autoimmune disease or cancer , which often appear most aggressively in young adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely been taken down pretty rapidly , ” said author Tiffany D. Jackson , 37 , of Brooklyn , who worries her asthma makes her a prime target for COVID-19 .
“ A virus like this that ’ s closely related to pneumonia , that ’ s an instant killer.
” In King County , Wash. , where the virus has sickened more than 160 and more than 20 have died , health officials have urged people over 60 and those with suppressed immunity and respiratory illnesses to stay home and isolate themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more difficult for younger people to heed .
As medical and legal advances have helped more people live better and longer , millions now juggle chronic conditions with school , work and childcare — roles still largely unrecognized by public health policy .
“ They ’ re certainly not having their caregiver responsibilities considered , ” said Robyn Powell , a research associate at Brandeis University ’ s Lurie Institute for Disability .
“ All these recommendations that government officials are making are really unobtainable.
” Jackson is a good example : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare , she must continue to travel for speaking and teaching engagements to keep up with her hefty healthcare premiums .
“ It ’ s a double-edged sword , ” Jackson said .
“ I ’ m a solid mid-list author and I supplement my income by doing school visits and conferences .
But if I get sick ...
I ’ d probably lose my insurance within a month.
” For those who can stay home , worries still abound .
Terri Turnbo , Scarlet Ramirez and Hannah Kaufman all take immuno-suppressant biologic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolate themselves as coronavirus has spread , working remotely , concentrating doctors appointments and stocking up on supplies to limit outside errands .
Yet all three worry about whether they can safely continue to take their prescriptions — not only because biologics reduce their bodies ’ resistance to infection , but because insurance protocols make them impossible to stockpile .
“ I ’ m scared to stop taking it but I also want to be mindful of the fact I may not be able to take it , ” said Kaufman , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve tried to space it out as much as I can .
I also asked my rheumatologist , can I get a prescription for prednisone , ” a steroid commonly used to reduce inflammation , “ if I run out.
” Like the others , Kaufman said she was waiting for advice from her doctors or national health officials .
But so far , such guidance has been limited .
“ How come nobody ’ s talking to us ?
” said Turnbo , who recently moved from the Bay Area to Columbus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be aware that we ’ re out here in the public too.
” Ramirez was even more blunt .
“ They never worry about us until they want to write about our deaths prematurely , ” she said .
“ It ’ s overwhelming to constantly hear , it ’ s only only going to be the elderly .
I ’ m 42 , but thank you for putting in my grave.
” Advocates say such feelings are increasingly common .
“ These are people in the prime of life — they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seth Ginsberg , president and co-founder of Creaky Joints , an advocacy group for people with arthritis and rheumatic disease .
“ Patients are concerned about their welfare and are looking for reassurances .
They ’ re angry at being ignored.
” In fact , many said their daily routines have been upended as viral panic has spread , with healthy people hoarding the gloves , surgical masks , hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes they rely on to protect themselves from more quotidian germs .
Not even 8-year-old Audrianna Varner ’ s favorite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I never like to run out because we ’ re so on top of these things , ” said mom Candice Varner , whose four other children use wipes , hand sanitizer and the occasional Sanrio face mask to protect their sister , who has cystic fibrosis .
“ I happened to look on Amazon at the box that I normally buy .
Normally I get it for $ 15.99 and it was $ 150.
” Public health officials say masks are most useful for people who already have COVID-19 or are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may reduce the risk of community transmission , most agree the benefits are marginal compared with hand washing and “ social distancing ” techniques .
Yet , if history is any precedent , the most effective measure of all — staying home if you feel sick — is the one otherwise healthy Americans seem least likely to heed .
It ’ s the main reason Lake Balboa second-grader Evaline Garcia can ’ t go back to school , though she ’ s doing much better since she began treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newsletters : another reminder , please don ’ t send your kids sick to school , ” mother Jaqueline Garcia said .
“ Maybe your kid is fine , but you don ’ t know if another little kid will get sick and die.
” Yet she understood why parents did it — and why many would probably show up sick to work despite health officials pleading with them to stay home to contain the outbreak .
“ At work they offer us five paid sick days , but I have a kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her , ” Garcia said .
Many others have no paid sick leave at all .
For those living with chronic illness , learning to survive healthy people ’ s viral load has been the most effective preparation of all .
“ You find ways to deal with ” getting sick , said Jackson , the author .
“ You can take all the precautions you want , but it ’ s contingent on the precautions others take .
”

Grace Rose Bauer, 17, of Studio City lives with a chronic illness. Her cystic fibrosis makes her especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Grace Rose Bauer buzzed around her Studio City bedroom on a recent sunny afternoon, stuffing her backpack with last-minute supplies for a sleepover at a friend’s house in Beverly Hills. Under her makeup bag and comfy clothes, she had stashed extra bottles of hand sanitizer, packets of antiseptic wipes, and several thousand dollars’ worth of pills.
“As soon as we get to her house, I’m going to walk to Rite Aid to get Hostess cupcakes,” the 17-year-old said with a grin. “I don’t normally like them. But this” — she flashed the blister pack of Trikafta, her new $284-per-dose prescription — “has to be digested with fatty food.”
Bauer has cystic fibrosis, a rare genetic disorder that impairs lung function and can fuel lethal infections from the smallest viral spark. The common cold can send her to the emergency room gasping for breath, as it does millions with asthma. But when it comes to COVID-19, she and others living with chronic illness fear their youthful faces may mask their fragile health.
Advertisement
“I’m sick of everyone saying, ‘Don’t worry,’” said Lisa Marie Basile, 34, of New York, one of an estimated 6 million Americans who take biologic drugs for autoimmune disease, which makes her far more susceptible to infection. “Friends talk about their parents, their grandparents — but there’s a vast swath of people like me that seem pretty healthy but would probably be No. 1 to go down if they had coronavirus.”
So far, the international outbreak has largely spared the young, with few serious cases among children and teenagers and no deaths among patients younger than 9. Instead, fatalities have clustered among older adults, concentrating in those with “underlying health conditions.”
But as the worldwide caseload tops 110,000 and California joins the ranks of states with community transmission, health officials are beginning to caution younger people with respiratory conditions like asthma — a disease that occurs disproportionately in children and adolescents — as well as in those being treated for autoimmune disease or cancer, which often appear most aggressively in young adults.
“In the past I have definitely been taken down pretty rapidly,” said author Tiffany D. Jackson, 37, of Brooklyn, who worries her asthma makes her a prime target for COVID-19. “A virus like this that’s closely related to pneumonia, that’s an instant killer.”
In King County, Wash., where the virus has sickened more than 160 and more than 20 have died, health officials have urged people over 60 and those with suppressed immunity and respiratory illnesses to stay home and isolate themselves. But experts say such recommendations are far more difficult for younger people to heed.
As medical and legal advances have helped more people live better and longer, millions now juggle chronic conditions with school, work and childcare — roles still largely unrecognized by public health policy.
Advertisement
“They’re certainly not having their caregiver responsibilities considered,” said Robyn Powell, a research associate at Brandeis University’s Lurie Institute for Disability. “All these recommendations that government officials are making are really unobtainable.”
Jackson is a good example: Unlike older Americans who can rely on Medicare, she must continue to travel for speaking and teaching engagements to keep up with her hefty healthcare premiums.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Jackson said. “I’m a solid mid-list author and I supplement my income by doing school visits and conferences. But if I get sick ... I’d probably lose my insurance within a month.”
For those who can stay home, worries still abound.
Terri Turnbo, Scarlet Ramirez and Hannah Kaufman all take immuno-suppressant biologic drugs.
All three have tried to isolate themselves as coronavirus has spread, working remotely, concentrating doctors appointments and stocking up on supplies to limit outside errands. Yet all three worry about whether they can safely continue to take their prescriptions — not only because biologics reduce their bodies’ resistance to infection, but because insurance protocols make them impossible to stockpile.
“I’m scared to stop taking it but I also want to be mindful of the fact I may not be able to take it,” said Kaufman, who lives in Chicago. “I’ve tried to space it out as much as I can. I also asked my rheumatologist, can I get a prescription for prednisone,” a steroid commonly used to reduce inflammation, “if I run out.”
Like the others, Kaufman said she was waiting for advice from her doctors or national health officials. But so far, such guidance has been limited.
“How come nobody’s talking to us?” said Turnbo, who recently moved from the Bay Area to Columbus, Ohio. “People need to be aware that we’re out here in the public too.”
Ramirez was even more blunt.
“They never worry about us until they want to write about our deaths prematurely,” she said. “It’s overwhelming to constantly hear, it’s only only going to be the elderly. I’m 42, but thank you for putting in my grave.”
Advocates say such feelings are increasingly common.
“These are people in the prime of life — they’re not the elderly,” said Seth Ginsberg, president and co-founder of Creaky Joints, an advocacy group for people with arthritis and rheumatic disease. “Patients are concerned about their welfare and are looking for reassurances. They’re angry at being ignored.”
In fact, many said their daily routines have been upended as viral panic has spread, with healthy people hoarding the gloves, surgical masks, hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes they rely on to protect themselves from more quotidian germs. Not even 8-year-old Audrianna Varner’s favorite Hello Kitty masks have been spared.
“I never like to run out because we’re so on top of these things,” said mom Candice Varner, whose four other children use wipes, hand sanitizer and the occasional Sanrio face mask to protect their sister, who has cystic fibrosis. “I happened to look on Amazon at the box that I normally buy. Normally I get it for $15.99 and it was $150.”
Public health officials say masks are most useful for people who already have COVID-19 or are caring for someone sick. Though they may reduce the risk of community transmission, most agree the benefits are marginal compared with hand washing and “social distancing” techniques.
Yet, if history is any precedent, the most effective measure of all — staying home if you feel sick — is the one otherwise healthy Americans seem least likely to heed.
It’s the main reason Lake Balboa second-grader Evaline Garcia can’t go back to school, though she’s doing much better since she began treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia last fall.
“I keep getting newsletters: another reminder, please don’t send your kids sick to school,” mother Jaqueline Garcia said. “Maybe your kid is fine, but you don’t know if another little kid will get sick and die.”
Yet she understood why parents did it — and why many would probably show up sick to work despite health officials pleading with them to stay home to contain the outbreak.
“At work they offer us five paid sick days, but I have a kid, all of my sick days are for her,” Garcia said. Many others have no paid sick leave at all.
For those living with chronic illness, learning to survive healthy people’s viral load has been the most effective preparation of all.
“You find ways to deal with” getting sick, said Jackson, the author. “You can take all the precautions you want, but it’s contingent on the precautions others take.”


latimes--2020-03-12--Problems mount with coronavirus testing, limiting access and sowing confusion

Testing for the novel coronavirus continues to face severe limitations , as California health officials lack key components to conduct laboratory analysis , marking another barrier in the state ’ s efforts to identify infectious patients .
The shortfall compounds a month of in deploying diagnostic tests developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and , if not quickly remedied , will continue to substantially undercount infected patients and could hinder efforts to contain the outbreak .
“ This is imperative that the federal government and labs across the United States , not the state of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ingredients that are components of the test , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Thursday .
“ I am surprised this is not more of the national conversation .
We need to focus in on these tests.
” The chemicals needed , known as reagents , are used to extract genetic material from a nasal swab sample , among the first steps in the testing process .
Demand for reagents has left a key supplier struggling to keep pace with orders from countries around the world .
The new information provides a clearer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as state and federal officials last week insisted there were sufficient kits .
Newsom said that without the needed supplies , the “ test kits are like printers , but without ink.
” In California , only 1,138 people had been tested for the virus in public health labs as of Wednesday , despite several thousand who have likely been exposed to infected patients .
Newsom said the reagent shortage had contributed to a state backlog in testing and that the administration had “ been very aggressive with the CDC ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,675 tests available , but not every one of those tests can be accessed , because all the ingredients are not available at all of the labs , ” he said .
Up to 200 samples could be backlogged , he said .
A spokesman for Qiagen , a top supplier of the reagents , said the pandemic was “ challenging our capacity to supply certain products ” and that it would increase production in facilities in Germany , Spain and Maryland .
The company will also hire additional employees and adjust staffing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days per week .
“ This is a period of extraordinary demand , ” said Thomas Theuringer , a spokesman for the company .
The absent reagents are only the latest problem to befall the nation ’ s bungled rollout of COVID-19 test kits .
States have grappled with delays in receiving kits from the CDC while also struggling to rapidly increase staffing and equipment in labs to keep up with the growing number of people falling ill. “ The testing issue continues to haunt us in many ways , ” L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a press briefing Wednesday .
“ We are very dependent on getting reagents from the CDC .
I know both the president and the vice president were assuring us and the general public that those reagents are coming and coming quickly.
” “ If we don ’ t get reagents soon , that will become a problem for us , ” she added .
Nationally , a sharp drop in tests reported to the CDC may reflect the ongoing problems with component shortages .
Daily testing over the five-day period ending Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the CDC .
The figures include tests from the CDC as well as public health labs .
The statistics stand in stark contrast to other figures from the Trump administration .
The CDC on Monday announced that 78 public health labs across the country had the capacity to test 75,000 people .
Alex Azar , secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services , told Congress on Tuesday that national lab capacity could increase to 10,000 to 20,000 tests per day by the end of this week .
The CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking clarification of the statistics .
The component shortages could also limit the testing capacity of commercial and academic labs , even as the availability of test kits increases , say experts .
“ Increased demand for testing has the potential to exhaust supplies needed to perform the testing itself , ” including reagents , plastic pipette tips , and other products , the American Society for Microbiology said in a statement .
The testing situation “ gets worse every minute , ” said Marc Lipsitch , a professor of epidemiology at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health .
Newsom called the Trump administration ’ s claims surrounding test availability a “ communication challenge.
” They ’ re “ claiming they have tests , but then you talk to local officials , who say , ‘ Well , we don ’ t. ’ ” He added that it “ would be very helpful ” if the White House ’ s coronavirus task force communicated that technicality “ with more clarity , so that we , at the local level , can do the same for people trying to access those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private commercial lab partners like Quest to deal with testing backlogs .
COVID-19 response issues have trickled to L.A. County , where health officials on Wednesday confirmed the first coronavirus-related death and six new cases , bringing the county ’ s total to 28 .
County officials are currently limiting testing much more than the CDC recommends , due to a lack of available tests .
The CDC says any doctor can order testing for a symptomatic patient .
But in an advisory sent to doctors Wednesday night , L.A. County officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be restricted to individuals with severe disease.
” “ When widespread community transmission becomes apparent , then testing strategies will be reassessed and possibly revised , ” the advisory reads .
The county ’ s lab had tested 100 people so far and the CDC had tested another 27 L.A. County residents , Ferrer said .
One hundred and twenty people have been tested by the two commercial labs in the county , she said .
The county lab , which houses only one testing machine , has the capacity to test 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been ordered , she said .
However , the lab is already running up to 18 hours per day , and workers are stretched thin .
“ We ’ ll also face an issue of getting more employees to run more tests , ” Ferrer said .
Ferrer said Quest and LabCorp , in addition to the local public health lab , are running tests .
The county Department of Health Services , which manages public hospitals , is working to get a lab up and running that would be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I do think it ’ s important to be able to increase our capacity when clinically appropriate to be able to test [ symptomatic ] people , ” she said .
“ We need to have more testing capacity .
I ’ m glad we ’ re trying to build that capacity.
” In Sacramento County , the shortage has complicated efforts to test patients at a nursing home facility in the suburb of Elk Grove , where an elderly patient died this week .
Peter Beilenson , the county ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county has access to only 20 tests per day and is having to ration those between possible cases in the community and medical professionals who may have been exposed .
Commercial labs can test milder patients , according to county officials , but many hospitals are still using only the official county lab , restricting who can be tested for the virus .
At hospitals , physicians say they are increasingly requesting COVID-19 testing due to community transmission in California .
Calls for testing are sent up a chain of command and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dragged out for up to a week , as patients return to their communities .
“ The bottom line is that there ’ s community transmission .
You can ’ t really use a travel screen to screen patients , ” said an internal medicine physician who works at an L.A. hospital and was not authorized by her institution to speak .
“ We need to be testing more people ... as this grows , what ’ s going to happen ?
“ It ’ s just tough .
I think this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Staff writers Tony Barboza , Anita Chabria , Tom Curwen and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

Testing for the novel coronavirus continues to face severe limitations, as California health officials lack key components to conduct laboratory analysis, marking another barrier in the state’s efforts to identify infectious patients.
The shortfall compounds a month of sluggish progress in deploying diagnostic tests developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, if not quickly remedied, will continue to substantially undercount infected patients and could hinder efforts to contain the outbreak.
“This is imperative that the federal government and labs across the United States, not the state of California, get the benefit of all the ingredients that are components of the test,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday. “I am surprised this is not more of the national conversation. We need to focus in on these tests.”
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The chemicals needed, known as reagents, are used to extract genetic material from a nasal swab sample, among the first steps in the testing process. Demand for reagents has left a key supplier struggling to keep pace with orders from countries around the world.
The new information provides a clearer picture of why testing shortages continue, even as state and federal officials last week insisted there were sufficient kits. Newsom said that without the needed supplies, the “test kits are like printers, but without ink.”
In California, only 1,138 people had been tested for the virus in public health labs as of Wednesday, despite several thousand who have likely been exposed to infected patients. Newsom said the reagent shortage had contributed to a state backlog in testing and that the administration had “been very aggressive with the CDC” in demanding more reagents.
“We have 7,675 tests available, but not every one of those tests can be accessed, because all the ingredients are not available at all of the labs,” he said. Up to 200 samples could be backlogged, he said.
A spokesman for Qiagen, a top supplier of the reagents, said the pandemic was “challenging our capacity to supply certain products” and that it would increase production in facilities in Germany, Spain and Maryland. The company will also hire additional employees and adjust staffing to cover three shifts, working seven days per week.
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“This is a period of extraordinary demand,” said Thomas Theuringer, a spokesman for the company.
The absent reagents are only the latest problem to befall the nation’s bungled rollout of COVID-19 test kits. States have grappled with delays in receiving kits from the CDC while also struggling to rapidly increase staffing and equipment in labs to keep up with the growing number of people falling ill.
“The testing issue continues to haunt us in many ways,” L.A. County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said in a press briefing Wednesday. “We are very dependent on getting reagents from the CDC. I know both the president and the vice president were assuring us and the general public that those reagents are coming and coming quickly.”
“If we don’t get reagents soon, that will become a problem for us,” she added.
Nationally, a sharp drop in tests reported to the CDC may reflect the ongoing problems with component shortages. Daily testing over the five-day period ending Tuesday fell from 1,246 to only eight, according to the CDC. The figures include tests from the CDC as well as public health labs.
The statistics stand in stark contrast to other figures from the Trump administration. The CDC on Monday announced that 78 public health labs across the country had the capacity to test 75,000 people. Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told Congress on Tuesday that national lab capacity could increase to 10,000 to 20,000 tests per day by the end of this week.
The CDC did not respond to requests for comment seeking clarification of the statistics.
The component shortages could also limit the testing capacity of commercial and academic labs, even as the availability of test kits increases, say experts.
“Increased demand for testing has the potential to exhaust supplies needed to perform the testing itself,” including reagents, plastic pipette tips, and other products, the American Society for Microbiology said in a statement.
The testing situation “gets worse every minute,” said Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Newsom called the Trump administration’s claims surrounding test availability a “communication challenge.” They’re “claiming they have tests, but then you talk to local officials, who say, ‘Well, we don’t.’ ” He added that it “would be very helpful” if the White House’s coronavirus task force communicated that technicality “with more clarity, so that we, at the local level, can do the same for people trying to access those tests.”
California officials are working with private commercial lab partners like Quest to deal with testing backlogs.
COVID-19 response issues have trickled to L.A. County, where health officials on Wednesday confirmed the first coronavirus-related death and six new cases, bringing the county’s total to 28.
County officials are currently limiting testing much more than the CDC recommends, due to a lack of available tests. The CDC says any doctor can order testing for a symptomatic patient. But in an advisory sent to doctors Wednesday night, L.A. County officials said they were “recommending that lab testing be restricted to individuals with severe disease.”
“When widespread community transmission becomes apparent, then testing strategies will be reassessed and possibly revised,” the advisory reads.
The county’s lab had tested 100 people so far and the CDC had tested another 27 L.A. County residents, Ferrer said. One hundred and twenty people have been tested by the two commercial labs in the county, she said.
The county lab, which houses only one testing machine, has the capacity to test 30 people per day. Two additional machines have been ordered, she said. However, the lab is already running up to 18 hours per day, and workers are stretched thin.
“We’ll also face an issue of getting more employees to run more tests,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer said Quest and LabCorp, in addition to the local public health lab, are running tests. The county Department of Health Services, which manages public hospitals, is working to get a lab up and running that would be able to collect specimens and also process the test.
“I do think it’s important to be able to increase our capacity when clinically appropriate to be able to test [symptomatic] people,” she said. “We need to have more testing capacity. I’m glad we’re trying to build that capacity.”
In Sacramento County, the shortage has complicated efforts to test patients at a nursing home facility in the suburb of Elk Grove, where an elderly patient died this week. Peter Beilenson, the county’s health director, said Tuesday that the county has access to only 20 tests per day and is having to ration those between possible cases in the community and medical professionals who may have been exposed.
Commercial labs can test milder patients, according to county officials, but many hospitals are still using only the official county lab, restricting who can be tested for the virus.
× The WHO has officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus. Infectious disease physician Timothy Brewer of UCLA compares the novel coronavirus to other pandemics, like H1N1, MERS, SARS and influenza.
At hospitals, physicians say they are increasingly requesting COVID-19 testing due to community transmission in California. Calls for testing are sent up a chain of command and often denied, they say, or are dragged out for up to a week, as patients return to their communities.
“The bottom line is that there’s community transmission. You can’t really use a travel screen to screen patients,” said an internal medicine physician who works at an L.A. hospital and was not authorized by her institution to speak. “We need to be testing more people ... as this grows, what’s going to happen?
“It’s just tough. I think this is kind of an unprecedented situation here,” she said.
Staff writers Tony Barboza, Anita Chabria, Tom Curwen and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-11--Cal State Fullerton and Northridge institute online learning amid coronavirus outbreak

Cal State Fullerton announced Wednesday that it would suspend in-person classes and transition to online learning amid reports that students living on campus may have come into contact with a student infected with coronavirus .
The announcement was made by President Framroze M. Virjee via a university-wide email to faculty , staff and students .
Virjee said the university would start to transition to online classes starting Thursday through at least April 26 .
This week UCLA and USC announced they were switching to online classes as well .
Cal State Northridge announced Wednesday that it will cancel in-person classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 23 , following the school ’ s spring break .
On Wednesday , the Cal State Fullerton newspaper , the Daily Titan , reported that some students living on campus may have been exposed to the disease by another student during the past seven days .
According to the paper , the email , sent by the Dean of Students Hallie Hunt , instructed the students to stay in their rooms at all times and prohibited them from attending classes or visiting on-campus community spaces .
They were also told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arranged , according to the paper .
Chi-Chung Keung , the director of news media services for Cal State Fullerton , said the university learned that some students may have been exposed to the coronavirus while attending an out-of-state conference .
As a result the students were told to stay in their rooms until the university received guidance from the Orange County Health Care Agency .
As of Wednesday evening , all but three students were released from their restrictions .
“ Each of the three students are in self-isolation off campus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read .
No details were provided about which conference the students attended or how many students were initially affected .
“ To be clear , there are no presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Cal State Fullerton , nor within the housing community .
All of the students involved remain well and have not presented with symptoms , ” Keung said .

Cal State Fullerton announced Wednesday that it would suspend in-person classes and transition to online learning amid reports that students living on campus may have come into contact with a student infected with coronavirus.
The announcement was made by President Framroze M. Virjee via a university-wide email to faculty, staff and students. Virjee said the university would start to transition to online classes starting Thursday through at least April 26. This week UCLA and USC announced they were switching to online classes as well.
Cal State Northridge announced Wednesday that it will cancel in-person classes beginning Thursday and transition to virtual learning on March 23, following the school’s spring break.
#CSUN to Transition to Virtual Learning and Alternate Modalities. Please click below to read the message from CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison.https://t.co/7Z0tGEJ7m7 pic.twitter.com/1RYKguxITN — Cal State Northridge (@csunorthridge) March 11, 2020
On Wednesday, the Cal State Fullerton newspaper, the Daily Titan, reported that some students living on campus may have been exposed to the disease by another student during the past seven days.
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According to the paper, the email, sent by the Dean of Students Hallie Hunt, instructed the students to stay in their rooms at all times and prohibited them from attending classes or visiting on-campus community spaces. They were also told that meal deliveries to their rooms would be arranged, according to the paper.
Chi-Chung Keung, the director of news media services for Cal State Fullerton, said the university learned that some students may have been exposed to the coronavirus while attending an out-of-state conference. As a result the students were told to stay in their rooms until the university received guidance from the Orange County Health Care Agency. As of Wednesday evening, all but three students were released from their restrictions.
“Each of the three students are in self-isolation off campus as a precautionary measure,” the statement read.
No details were provided about which conference the students attended or how many students were initially affected.
“To be clear, there are no presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Cal State Fullerton, nor within the housing community. All of the students involved remain well and have not presented with symptoms,” Keung said.


latimes--2020-03-11--Music fans at postponed events may find Coachella a little warmer in October than in April

Concert promoter Goldenvoice has postponed the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival until October .
The Stagecoach music festival has also been postponed until the fall .
Both events had been scheduled for April , but were pushed back due to COVID-19 concerns .
What does that mean in terms of weather for the events ?
Average daytime high temperatures are slightly higher in Indio in October than in April .
The desert town of Indio is home to the Empire Polo Club , where Coachella and Stagecoach are held .
The Coachella concert will now take place on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Stagecoach festival has been postponed until Oct. 23-25 .
The average high temperature for Indio in October is 92 degrees , five degrees warmer than the average high of 87 in April .
Nights are a little warmer too , with an average low of 63 in October , compared with an average low of 60 in April .
The likelihood of rain is either zero or nearly so .
There are more hours of sun in April — 13 hours per day — than there are in October , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Stagecoach event was originally scheduled to begin on April 10 , less than a month after the vernal equinox on March 19 , which marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere .
That ’ s when the hours of light and darkness are nearly equal at about 12 .
From that point on , the sun begins its climb toward the highest point on its apparent path across the sky on June 20 , the summer solstice .
That ’ s the day when the hours of daylight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rescheduled music festivals occur in October , the autumnal equinox will have already occurred and the sun will be less direct .
After the September equinox , the sun ’ s apparent path across the sky arcs farther into the southern sky each day until the winter solstice on Dec. 21 , the shortest day of the year .
The sun is stronger in April , with a mean unltraviolet index of 7 in Indio , but the mean UV index declines to 4 in October .
So if the sun is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October , why are the average temperatures a handful of degrees higher ?
Much of coastal California has a seasonal lag because of the ocean ’ s capacity to retain heat .
Thus in places such as San Francisco , surrounded by water , the warmest days of the year can be in September and October .
But in Indio , in Southern California ’ s Colorado Desert , the warmest month is July , with an average high of 107 degrees and an average low of 80 .
The answer may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the dry season , when desiccating Santa Ana winds are likely to kick up through the Los Angeles Basin , according to Jimmy Taeger , a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Diego .
Although the Coachella Valley would tend to see more northerly winds if they see any , it is a season of high pressure , both at the surface and aloft .
Circulation around surface high pressure in the adjacent Great Basin of Nevada blows toward lower pressure to the south or southwest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop several thousand feet en route to Los Angeles , and they not only warm up through compression heating , they become drier .
In addition , as Taeger points out , there is usually a mass of high pressure at the upper levels in the atmosphere .
Although high pressure can be warm or cold , depending on its origin , it is usually associated with a lack of clouds to shield the sun ’ s heating power .
The high pressure built up over the West is warm at this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the wet season , when there ’ s likely to be more moisture in the soil to help moderate the heat , unless there has been a robust monsoonal season in the desert , the desert is bone dry by October .
“ October is just a warm , dry time of the year , ” said Taeger .
Music fans since 1999 have come to expect warm conditions in the desert , but this year they may need to prepare for slightly more .

The Coachella and Stagecoach events at the Empire Polo Club in Indio have been postponed until October because of the threat of coronavirus.
Concert promoter Goldenvoice has postponed the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival until October. The Stagecoach music festival has also been postponed until the fall. Both events had been scheduled for April, but were pushed back due to COVID-19 concerns.
What does that mean in terms of weather for the events?
Average daytime high temperatures are slightly higher in Indio in October than in April. The desert town of Indio is home to the Empire Polo Club, where Coachella and Stagecoach are held.
The Coachella concert will now take place on the weekends of Oct. 9 and 16. The Stagecoach festival has been postponed until Oct. 23-25.
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October days are little warmer than April in Indio, although the days are shorter. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The average high temperature for Indio in October is 92 degrees, five degrees warmer than the average high of 87 in April. Nights are a little warmer too, with an average low of 63 in October, compared with an average low of 60 in April.
The likelihood of rain is either zero or nearly so.
There are more hours of sun in April — 13 hours per day — than there are in October, when the days are sunlit for just 11.5 hours.
The Stagecoach event was originally scheduled to begin on April 10, less than a month after the vernal equinox on March 19, which marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s when the hours of light and darkness are nearly equal at about 12. From that point on, the sun begins its climb toward the highest point on its apparent path across the sky on June 20, the summer solstice. That’s the day when the hours of daylight are the longest.
The rescheduled desert music festivals will now occur after the autumnal equinox. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
By the time the rescheduled music festivals occur in October, the autumnal equinox will have already occurred and the sun will be less direct. After the September equinox, the sun’s apparent path across the sky arcs farther into the southern sky each day until the winter solstice on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year.
The sun is stronger in April, with a mean unltraviolet index of 7 in Indio, but the mean UV index declines to 4 in October.
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So if the sun is growing weaker and the days are shorter in October, why are the average temperatures a handful of degrees higher?
Much of coastal California has a seasonal lag because of the ocean’s capacity to retain heat. Thus in places such as San Francisco, surrounded by water, the warmest days of the year can be in September and October. But in Indio, in Southern California’s Colorado Desert, the warmest month is July, with an average high of 107 degrees and an average low of 80.
The answer may lie in the fact that fall is at the end of the dry season, when desiccating Santa Ana winds are likely to kick up through the Los Angeles Basin, according to Jimmy Taeger, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Diego. Although the Coachella Valley would tend to see more northerly winds if they see any, it is a season of high pressure, both at the surface and aloft.
Circulation around surface high pressure in the adjacent Great Basin of Nevada blows toward lower pressure to the south or southwest, often at the coast. The winds drop several thousand feet en route to Los Angeles, and they not only warm up through compression heating, they become drier.
In addition, as Taeger points out, there is usually a mass of high pressure at the upper levels in the atmosphere. Although high pressure can be warm or cold, depending on its origin, it is usually associated with a lack of clouds to shield the sun’s heating power. The high pressure built up over the West is warm at this time of year.
While April is closer to the wet season, when there’s likely to be more moisture in the soil to help moderate the heat, unless there has been a robust monsoonal season in the desert, the desert is bone dry by October.
“October is just a warm, dry time of the year,” said Taeger.
Music fans since 1999 have come to expect warm conditions in the desert, but this year they may need to prepare for slightly more.


latimes--2020-03-12--Beverly Hills priest diagnosed with coronavirus; Pasadena sees first case

Pasadena on Wednesday reported its first case of confirmed coronavirus , and hours later , a Beverly Hills church announced that its rector had also been diagnosed with the virus .
On its website , All Saints ’ Episcopal Church said its rector , the Rev .
Janet Broderick , fell ill shortly after returning from the annual conference of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes in Louisville , Ky. She was in stable condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills , the church said , and was being treated “ for a severe form of pneumonia.
” Pasadena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an individual “ known to have close contact with a confirmed case outside of Pasadena , and has been in quarantine since the exposure occurred , ” the city said in a statement .
Officials say they are working with others who came in close contact with the patient and who might be at risk of infection .
“ We have been preparing and are ready to manage COVID-19 cases in Pasadena , in close coordination with our healthcare partners , ” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh , director of the Pasadena Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommend our community implement individual and community mitigation measures to reduce the risk of spread of illness.
” COVID-19 is the illness caused by the novel coronavirus .
The World Health Organization declared the global outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday .
The WHO hasn ’ t declared a pandemic since the H1N1 influenza or swine flu outbreak in 2009 .
In the case of Broderick , the All Saints ’ rector and the sister of actor Matthew Broderick , she returned sick from the Louisville conference and was initially treated for what her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” according to the church .
Their assessment was that her illness did not warrant further concern .
Then , last Sunday , the rector of Christ Church Georgetown in Washington , D.C. , who also attended the conference , was diagnosed with the virus .
More than 500 Episcopalians from around the country had participated in the event .
With that in mind , Broderick sought further medical attention at Cedars-Sinai on Monday morning , the church said in its post .
“ After an initial assessment , she was moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At that point , her care team moved forward with a test for COVID-19.
” The results , returned Wednesday , showed she had the virus .
In a statement , Broderick told her fellow church members that she is “ through the worst of this and very very much on the mend.
” “ I asked my kids to bring me a coloring book and a LEGO set if that is any indication , ” she added .
Church offices will remain closed while its leaders await instructions from the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff will continue working from home and be reachable via email and voicemail .
It was not clear whether Broderick ’ s diagnosis was included in the official count of confirmed virus infections in L.A. County , which was increased to 29 on Wednesday .
Four of those cases were reported in Long Beach , and officials say many more across the state likely have the virus .
L.A. County announced in Southern California linked to the illness .
The woman was in her 60s and had underlying health issues .
The woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but had been visiting after extensive travel over the last month , including a long layover in South Korea , which has been a hotbed for the virus .
One of the latest cases announced was the county ’ s second instance of community spread .
That individual is hospitalized .
As the virus moves through the region — Orange County as of Wednesday night had six cases , Riverside County seven , Ventura County two — Los Angeles County has developed a risk-assessment tool that considers how many community transmissions there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s health department director .
“ We ’ re trying to use that to drive our judgments about when things need to close , ” she said .
“ We will get to a point , unfortunately , here in L.A. County , where we will be asking for events to close .
But we ’ re not there yet.
” Ferrer stressed the public ’ s need to be and suggested that people assess themselves whether they should venture into crowded areas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have underlying health issues are especially vulnerable to developing serious effects from the virus .
To date , the county ’ s public health lab has completed 72 tests for COVID-19 .
That number does not include those performed by commercial labs .
More than 1,075 Californians have been tested for the virus across 18 labs in the state , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said .
The state is monitoring an additional 10,300 individuals who returned from California on international flights and might have been exposed .
Times staff writers Joseph Serna and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, has fallen ill with COVID-19, the church announced Wednesday.
Pasadena on Wednesday reported its first case of confirmed coronavirus, and hours later, a Beverly Hills church announced that its rector had also been diagnosed with the virus.
On its website, All Saints’ Episcopal Church said its rector, the Rev. Janet Broderick, fell ill shortly after returning from the annual conference of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes in Louisville, Ky. She was in stable condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, the church said, and was being treated “for a severe form of pneumonia.”
Pasadena’s first confirmed coronavirus case involved an individual “known to have close contact with a confirmed case outside of Pasadena, and has been in quarantine since the exposure occurred,” the city said in a statement.
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Officials say they are working with others who came in close contact with the patient and who might be at risk of infection.
“We have been preparing and are ready to manage COVID-19 cases in Pasadena, in close coordination with our healthcare partners,” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, director of the Pasadena Public Health Department. “We will continue to recommend our community implement individual and community mitigation measures to reduce the risk of spread of illness.”
COVID-19 is the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The World Health Organization declared the global outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday. The WHO hasn’t declared a pandemic since the H1N1 influenza or swine flu outbreak in 2009.
In the case of Broderick, the All Saints’ rector and the sister of actor Matthew Broderick, she returned sick from the Louisville conference and was initially treated for what her doctors believed was a “viral syndrome,” according to the church.
Their assessment was that her illness did not warrant further concern. Then, last Sunday, the rector of Christ Church Georgetown in Washington, D.C., who also attended the conference, was diagnosed with the virus. More than 500 Episcopalians from around the country had participated in the event.
With that in mind, Broderick sought further medical attention at Cedars-Sinai on Monday morning, the church said in its post.
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“After an initial assessment, she was moved to the ICU and placed under isolation. At that point, her care team moved forward with a test for COVID-19.”
The results, returned Wednesday, showed she had the virus.
In a statement, Broderick told her fellow church members that she is “through the worst of this and very very much on the mend.”
“I asked my kids to bring me a coloring book and a LEGO set if that is any indication,” she added.
Church offices will remain closed while its leaders await instructions from the Los Angeles County Health Department. Clergy and staff will continue working from home and be reachable via email and voicemail.
It was not clear whether Broderick’s diagnosis was included in the official count of confirmed virus infections in L.A. County, which was increased to 29 on Wednesday. Four of those cases were reported in Long Beach, and officials say many more across the state likely have the virus.
L.A. County announced the first death in Southern California linked to the illness. The woman was in her 60s and had underlying health issues.
The woman who died was not a county resident but had been visiting after extensive travel over the last month, including a long layover in South Korea, which has been a hotbed for the virus. One of the latest cases announced was the county’s second instance of community spread. That individual is hospitalized.
As the virus moves through the region — Orange County as of Wednesday night had six cases, Riverside County seven, Ventura County two — Los Angeles County has developed a risk-assessment tool that considers how many community transmissions there have been and whether new cases are accelerating, said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s health department director.
“We’re trying to use that to drive our judgments about when things need to close,” she said. “We will get to a point, unfortunately, here in L.A. County, where we will be asking for events to close. But we’re not there yet.”
Ferrer stressed the public’s need to be cautious in large gatherings and suggested that people assess themselves whether they should venture into crowded areas. Those who are pregnant, elderly or have underlying health issues are especially vulnerable to developing serious effects from the virus.
To date, the county’s public health lab has completed 72 tests for COVID-19. That number does not include those performed by commercial labs.
More than 1,075 Californians have been tested for the virus across 18 labs in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The state is monitoring an additional 10,300 individuals who returned from California on international flights and might have been exposed.
Times staff writers Joseph Serna and Colleen Shalby contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-11--CDC suggests checking employees' temperatures daily in Silicon Valley and Seattle

Regular checks of temperature and cough are now being recommended for anyone entering workplaces , schools and childcare centers in the nation ’ s two areas hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic — Silicon Valley and the Seattle area .
The guidelines also suggest canceling large gatherings of more than 250 people generally , and canceling gatherings of 10 or more people for organizations that serve high-risk communities , like those with diabetes , a weakened immune system , disease of the kidney , liver , heart , or lung , and those who are pregnant .
Those in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death as that of the general population if they are infected .
Churches and other faith-based and community gatherings should consider canceling meetings of any size and move to video-accessible venues or postpone or cancel events , the recommendations say .
The suggestions by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the next 30 days are urgent to protect the already burdened healthcare system in both regions , officials said , to protect against the new coronavirus , which can cause an infection of the lungs and in critical cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , septic shock and multiple organ failure .
Santa Clara County has reported 45 cases of coronavirus and one death , a woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions .
That is the largest case count of any county in California .
King County , which includes Seattle , has reported 234 cases and 26 deaths , with 22 of the deaths associated with an outbreak at a single nursing home .
“ Substantial interventions for both community and health care settings should be implemented at this time , based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected rise in cases , ” the CDC said in memos for Silicon Valley and Washington state ’ s King , Pierce and Snohomish counties .
While about 81 % of those infected are estimated to have mild symptoms , about 14 % have severe illness and 5 % have critical symptoms .
Babies , toddlers and children generally have no signs of illness or symptoms , but older adults and those with underlying health conditions are at a substantially greater risk for severe illness .
For workplaces , the CDC suggested regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily , such as checks of temperature and whether someone has a cough .
They also suggested distancing workers away from each other , staggering work schedules , encouraging staff to telecommute , limiting in-person meetings and regularly disinfecting all eating areas in break rooms .
The CDC also recommended screening schoolchildren and school and childcare staff for temperature and respiratory symptoms regularly .
School-wide assemblies should be canceled ; mixing of classes should be reduced by staggering recess and arrival and dismissal times at school .
Spring breaks could start early or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow healthcare facilities time to prepare for a surge in sick people .
Churches and community groups should try to keep people more than 6 feet from each other and reduce activities like services and congregations — especially for groups serving those at higher risk of severe illness .
Consider offering a call-in or video conferencing option , the agency said .
Healthcare facilities should restrict all visitors to reduce transmission of the virus within the facility , while allowing exceptions for those visiting people at the end of their life .
Facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter facilities , such as in the parking lot or by phone , to limit unnecessary healthcare visits , the agency said .
Assisted living facilities and senior living facilities should consider longer-term closure or quarantine in certain situations , and short-term closures for cleaning and contact tracing if needed .
They may want to consider suspending new admissions , and staff should wear masks and wash hands thoroughly before entering and after leaving rooms of inhabitants to prevent the risk of spreading the virus .
It may be helpful to stagger meals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the center , the CDC said .
Ensure a 30-day supply of needed medicine .
Those at risk of severe illness should stay at home and avoid travel , church attendance and social events with 10 or more people , the CDC said .
Alex Azar , the U.S. health and human services secretary , said that while new coronavirus cases in China have slowed , the coronavirus outbreak in the United States is just beginning — and it ’ s important to take steps to slow the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion of cases in Europe .
We ’ re seeing increasing cases here in the United States , ” Azar said on ABC ’ s Good Morning America Wednesday .
“ We ’ re still , I would say , in the beginnings of the spread of this disease in the United States .
“ We ’ re going to see more cases .
This is a virus .
This will spread .
We need to take steps to slow that , buy ourselves time .
Every day we buy is a valuable @ @ @

San Jose, the seat of Santa Clara County, which has seen 45 cases and one death due to the novel coronavirus as of March 11.
Regular checks of temperature and cough are now being recommended for anyone entering workplaces, schools and childcare centers in the nation’s two areas hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic — Silicon Valley and the Seattle area.
The guidelines also suggest canceling large gatherings of more than 250 people generally, and canceling gatherings of 10 or more people for organizations that serve high-risk communities, like those with diabetes, a weakened immune system, disease of the kidney, liver, heart, or lung, and those who are pregnant. Those in their 70s can have quadruple the risk of death as that of the general population if they are infected.
Churches and other faith-based and community gatherings should consider canceling meetings of any size and move to video-accessible venues or postpone or cancel events, the recommendations say.
The suggestions by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the next 30 days are urgent to protect the already burdened healthcare system in both regions, officials said, to protect against the new coronavirus, which can cause an infection of the lungs and in critical cases, cause people to go in respiratory failure, septic shock and multiple organ failure.
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Santa Clara County has reported 45 cases of coronavirus and one death, a woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions. That is the largest case count of any county in California. King County, which includes Seattle, has reported 234 cases and 26 deaths, with 22 of the deaths associated with an outbreak at a single nursing home.
“Substantial interventions for both community and health care settings should be implemented at this time, based on the urgency of protecting the healthcare system with expected rise in cases,” the CDC said in memos for Silicon Valley and Washington state’s King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
While about 81% of those infected are estimated to have mild symptoms, about 14% have severe illness and 5% have critical symptoms. Babies, toddlers and children generally have no signs of illness or symptoms, but older adults and those with underlying health conditions are at a substantially greater risk for severe illness.
Workplaces
For workplaces, the CDC suggested regular health checks for anyone arriving at work daily, such as checks of temperature and whether someone has a cough. They also suggested distancing workers away from each other, staggering work schedules, encouraging staff to telecommute, limiting in-person meetings and regularly disinfecting all eating areas in break rooms.
Schools and childcare centers
The CDC also recommended screening schoolchildren and school and childcare staff for temperature and respiratory symptoms regularly. School-wide assemblies should be canceled; mixing of classes should be reduced by staggering recess and arrival and dismissal times at school. Spring breaks could start early or be extended by an extra week to allow healthcare facilities time to prepare for a surge in sick people.
Churches and community groups
Churches and community groups should try to keep people more than 6 feet from each other and reduce activities like services and congregations — especially for groups serving those at higher risk of severe illness. Consider offering a call-in or video conferencing option, the agency said.
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Hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities
Healthcare facilities should restrict all visitors to reduce transmission of the virus within the facility, while allowing exceptions for those visiting people at the end of their life. Facilities may need to triage patients before they enter facilities, such as in the parking lot or by phone, to limit unnecessary healthcare visits, the agency said.
Assisted living facilities
Assisted living facilities and senior living facilities should consider longer-term closure or quarantine in certain situations, and short-term closures for cleaning and contact tracing if needed. They may want to consider suspending new admissions, and staff should wear masks and wash hands thoroughly before entering and after leaving rooms of inhabitants to prevent the risk of spreading the virus.
It may be helpful to stagger meals and activities and limit programs with staff outside the center, the CDC said.
Everyone
Ensure a 30-day supply of needed medicine. Those at risk of severe illness should stay at home and avoid travel, church attendance and social events with 10 or more people, the CDC said.
Alex Azar, the U.S. health and human services secretary, said that while new coronavirus cases in China have slowed, the coronavirus outbreak in the United States is just beginning — and it’s important to take steps to slow the spread of the virus.
“We are seeing a real explosion of cases in Europe. We’re seeing increasing cases here in the United States,” Azar said on ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday. “We’re still, I would say, in the beginnings of the spread of this disease in the United States.
“We’re going to see more cases. This is a virus. This will spread. We need to take steps to slow that, buy ourselves time. Every day we buy is a valuable day.”


latimes--2020-03-11--UC Irvine provost put on leave pending investigation into academic and research activities

UC Irvine Provost Enrique Lavernia , a noted scholar in chemical engineering and materials science , has been placed on administrative leave pending an external investigation into his academic and research activities , the campus chancellor announced Wednesday .
Chancellor Howard Gillman , in a message to the campus community , said the university was cooperating fully .
He did not name the “ external authorities ” conducting the investigation but said it was related to Lavernia ’ s scholarly work .
A campus spokesman said a federal agency was conducting the investigation but declined further comment .
Lavernia could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s resume cites a long list of achievements and awards .
He has published more than 600 journal and 200 conference publications and been awarded 11 patents on topics ranging from nano-materials to aluminum alloys .
His research interests include the synthesis and behavior of nanostructured and multi-scale materials .
He was elected into the National Academy of Engineering in 2013 and inducted into the Hispanic Hall of Fame by Great Minds in STEM .
Lavernia began his career with the University of California in 1987 as an assistant professor at UC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2002 to serve in several positions , including provost and dean of the College of Engineering .
He returned to Irvine as a distinguished professor , provost and executive vice chancellor in 2015 .
As provost , Lavernia oversaw UC Irvine ’ s teaching and research enterprise , which includes 16 schools , nearly 5,500 faculty and more than 190 degree programs .
He earned a Ph.D. in materials engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
Gillman , in consultation with the Academic Senate , has appointed as interim provost Hal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provost of academic planning .
Stern , a professor of statistics , will oversee the transition to remote learning and social-distancing operations amid the coronavirus pandemic , Gillman said .
He said the campus would provide additional information “ as appropriate .
”

UC Irvine Provost Enrique Lavernia, a noted scholar in chemical engineering and materials science, has been placed on administrative leave pending an external investigation into his academic and research activities, the campus chancellor announced Wednesday.
Chancellor Howard Gillman, in a message to the campus community, said the university was cooperating fully. He did not name the “external authorities” conducting the investigation but said it was related to Lavernia’s scholarly work.
A campus spokesman said a federal agency was conducting the investigation but declined further comment.
Lavernia could not be reached for comment.
Lavernia’s resume cites a long list of achievements and awards. He has published more than 600 journal and 200 conference publications and been awarded 11 patents on topics ranging from nano-materials to aluminum alloys. His research interests include the synthesis and behavior of nanostructured and multi-scale materials.
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He was elected into the National Academy of Engineering in 2013 and inducted into the Hispanic Hall of Fame by Great Minds in STEM.
Lavernia began his career with the University of California in 1987 as an assistant professor at UC Irvine. He moved to UC Davis in 2002 to serve in several positions, including provost and dean of the College of Engineering.
He returned to Irvine as a distinguished professor, provost and executive vice chancellor in 2015. As provost, Lavernia oversaw UC Irvine’s teaching and research enterprise, which includes 16 schools, nearly 5,500 faculty and more than 190 degree programs.
He earned a Ph.D. in materials engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Gillman, in consultation with the Academic Senate, has appointed as interim provost Hal Stern, who currently serves as vice provost of academic planning. Stern, a professor of statistics, will oversee the transition to remote learning and social-distancing operations amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gillman said.
He said the campus would provide additional information “as appropriate.”


latimes--2020-03-11--Coronavirus outbreak could force Real ID deadline extension, California lawmaker says

Already alarmed that California is falling short in issuing Real IDs to millions who need them , state lawmakers now worry the efforts will be further hampered by the coronavirus outbreak , which they believe will discourage people from visiting crowded DMV field offices .
The anxiety surfaced Wednesday as legislators heard the California Department of Motor Vehicles ’ request for an additional $ 200 million to continue ramped-up efforts to issue the federally required IDs to the estimated 8 million residents who are expected to file an application this year .
More than 10 million additional drivers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Real ID license but aren ’ t expected to immediately request one .
Assemblyman Phil Ting ( D-San Francisco ) predicted the outbreak , which the World Health Organization labeled a pandemic on Wednesday , will force the federal government to consider extending the Oct. 1 deadline for requiring that people show a Real ID to board domestic airline flights .
“ I think they may have to , ” said Ting , chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee .
“ You can ’ t tell people to stay home and then tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a license.
” The U.S Department of Homeland Security has not indicated that any deadline extension is in the works , and DMV Director Steve Gordon told state legislators that his agency has no plans to restrict access to field offices — even though many people are worried about the virus , which can be transmitted when people are in close contact .
Efficiencies adopted in recent months , including a program allowing people to upload required backup documents online before they visit the field office , help reduce the time customers spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not indicate to lawmakers that his agency is asking the federal government for additional special allowances .
“ People have expressed concern and we are following all of the health guidelines , ” Gordon told lawmakers .
He said his agency has not seen a decline in the number of people going to DMV offices , but added , “ I suspect as this crisis evolves , people are going to change behavior.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom also raised the issue at a news briefing Tuesday on the coronavirus .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Newsom said he hopes the federal government will take that into consideration and work with states to find a solution .
“ We really encourage people to go online because you can still do a lot of work , automated work , to minimize the time you may need to be in a field office , ” Newsom said .
“ We ’ re not , at this moment , closing down any field offices , ” the governor added , but indicated that position is subject to reevaluation as new facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says it expects 16 million Californians will want to get a Real ID to meet new federal security requirements by the Oct. 1 deadline and about half of them have not yet done so .
The agency has been issuing up to 450,000 Real IDs per month but would have to issue more than twice that amount monthly to meet the goal of getting the identifications in the hands of all 16 million .
The Legislature allocated an additional $ 240 million this year to hire nearly 2,000 additional staff to process Real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DMV offices , and Newsom ’ s budget proposes $ 200 million more in the fiscal year beginning July 1 .
“ Unfortunately , despite the Legislature providing the DMV with all of the funding it requested , it seems clear they will end up several million customers short of the goal , ” state Sen. Jim Beall ( D-San Jose ) , who heads the Senate Transportation Committee , said during a hearing Tuesday .
Ting said that Californians who don ’ t get a Real ID by Oct. 1 can still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or passport card .
The DMV has launched a $ 10-million advertising campaign to get more people to apply for Real ID and have streamlined the process , efforts Ting said are commendable .
“ They really tried to get people in and just haven ’ t been successful , ” Ting said Wednesday .
“ It doesn ’ t look likely that we are going to get to the 16 million number.
” With health experts saying the elderly and people with existing medical conditions are particularly susceptible to coronavirus , Beall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Real ID services that can be accessed by vulnerable populations away from crowded field offices .
The shortfalls in issuing Real IDs are also a serious concern of the travel industry , which estimates 78,000 people in the United States may be prevented from boarding commercial flights on the first day the identifications are required , potentially clogging checkpoints operated by the Transportation Security Administration .
That disruption is another reason why federal officials should weigh postponing the deadline for Real ID cards , said Frank Miller , executive director of Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 deadline and allowing TSA pre-check and Global Entry to satisfy the Real ID requirement should all be options for consideration , ” Miller told legislators .
“ While the DMV moves forward as fast as possible , airports continue to message to passengers and to Congress in hopes of a miraculous save .
”

Lawmakers are concerned the coronavirus outbreak may discourage people from going to DMV offices to obtain the federally required Real ID and have asked for an extension of the Oct. 1 deadline.
Already alarmed that California is falling short in issuing Real IDs to millions who need them, state lawmakers now worry the efforts will be further hampered by the coronavirus outbreak, which they believe will discourage people from visiting crowded DMV field offices.
The anxiety surfaced Wednesday as legislators heard the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ request for an additional $200 million to continue ramped-up efforts to issue the federally required IDs to the estimated 8 million residents who are expected to file an application this year. More than 10 million additional drivers in the state also don’t have a Real ID license but aren’t expected to immediately request one.
Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) predicted the outbreak, which the World Health Organization labeled a pandemic on Wednesday, will force the federal government to consider extending the Oct. 1 deadline for requiring that people show a Real ID to board domestic airline flights.
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“I think they may have to,” said Ting, chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. “You can’t tell people to stay home and then tell them to go someplace to pick up a license.”
The U.S Department of Homeland Security has not indicated that any deadline extension is in the works, and DMV Director Steve Gordon told state legislators that his agency has no plans to restrict access to field offices — even though many people are worried about the virus, which can be transmitted when people are in close contact.
Efficiencies adopted in recent months, including a program allowing people to upload required backup documents online before they visit the field office, help reduce the time customers spend at the counter, but Gordon did not indicate to lawmakers that his agency is asking the federal government for additional special allowances.
“People have expressed concern and we are following all of the health guidelines,” Gordon told lawmakers. He said his agency has not seen a decline in the number of people going to DMV offices, but added, “I suspect as this crisis evolves, people are going to change behavior.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom also raised the issue at a news briefing Tuesday on the coronavirus. With the outbreak disrupting government services across the country, Newsom said he hopes the federal government will take that into consideration and work with states to find a solution.
“We really encourage people to go online because you can still do a lot of work, automated work, to minimize the time you may need to be in a field office,” Newsom said.
“We’re not, at this moment, closing down any field offices,” the governor added, but indicated that position is subject to reevaluation as new facts emerge during the outbreak.
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The DMV says it expects 16 million Californians will want to get a Real ID to meet new federal security requirements by the Oct. 1 deadline and about half of them have not yet done so. The agency has been issuing up to 450,000 Real IDs per month but would have to issue more than twice that amount monthly to meet the goal of getting the identifications in the hands of all 16 million.
The Legislature allocated an additional $240 million this year to hire nearly 2,000 additional staff to process Real IDs and reduce hours-long wait times at DMV offices, and Newsom’s budget proposes $200 million more in the fiscal year beginning July 1.
“Unfortunately, despite the Legislature providing the DMV with all of the funding it requested, it seems clear they will end up several million customers short of the goal,” state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who heads the Senate Transportation Committee, said during a hearing Tuesday.
Ting said that Californians who don’t get a Real ID by Oct. 1 can still board planes by showing a U.S. passport or passport card.
The DMV has launched a $10-million advertising campaign to get more people to apply for Real ID and have streamlined the process, efforts Ting said are commendable.
“They really tried to get people in and just haven’t been successful,” Ting said Wednesday. “It doesn’t look likely that we are going to get to the 16 million number.”
With health experts saying the elderly and people with existing medical conditions are particularly susceptible to coronavirus, Beall urged Gordon to expand the number of Real ID services that can be accessed by vulnerable populations away from crowded field offices.
The shortfalls in issuing Real IDs are also a serious concern of the travel industry, which estimates 78,000 people in the United States may be prevented from boarding commercial flights on the first day the identifications are required, potentially clogging checkpoints operated by the Transportation Security Administration.
That disruption is another reason why federal officials should weigh postponing the deadline for Real ID cards, said Frank Miller, executive director of Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
“Pushing back the Oct. 1 deadline and allowing TSA pre-check and Global Entry to satisfy the Real ID requirement should all be options for consideration,” Miller told legislators. “While the DMV moves forward as fast as possible, airports continue to message to passengers and to Congress in hopes of a miraculous save.”
Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.