latimes--2020-12-22--L.A. County's spiking COVID hospitalizations are literally heading off the charts

The pace of new COVID-19 hospitalizations is spiking so quickly in Los Angeles County that it is now literally off the charts , forcing officials to redraw the graphics used to illustrate the grim projections for what is ahead .
In October , fewer than 150 patients infected with the coronavirus were being admitted daily into hospitals .
By late November , that number had doubled to about 300 patients a day — as high as it ’ s ever been in the entire pandemic .
And now it has more than doubled yet again , to roughly 700 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before Christmas .
That rate is bringing crisis to L.A. County .
If disease transmission behavior does not change , a projection issued by the county Department of Health Services says that L.A. County could be headed to between 700 and 1,400 new hospitalized patients a day by New Year ’ s Eve .
“ The model is suggesting that we could easily be seeing 10 times or more daily admissions than we saw in October , ” said Dr. Roger Lewis , director of COVID-19 hospital demand modeling for the L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of emergency medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in West Carson .
Already , the number of people in L.A. County ’ s hospitals with COVID-19 was nearly 5,900 as of Sunday — more than double the summer peak during the second wave of the pandemic , in which no more than 2,232 people were in the hospital with the disease on any particular day .
This means that by the end of the year , we could be seeing as many as 9,000 people with COVID-19 taking up L.A. County ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there could be 14,000 if there ’ s no change in transmission behavior .
Particularly alarming is the chart showing the forecasts of intensive care unit demands .
‘ We do not have available ICU beds ’ Last week , L.A. County effectively ran out of available ICU bed capacity for COVID-19 patients — the first time that has happened in this pandemic .
“ We do not have available ICU beds for additional patients right now , ” Lewis said .
More than 1,200 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County were in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number from late November .
“ Now , that doesn ’ t mean that the hospitals aren ’ t continuing to do everything they can to increase capacity .
But there is there is a limit to what can be done , ” Lewis said Friday .
“ I think the largest challenge facing hospitals in the next week or two is going to be the staff necessary to take care of patients with COVID-19 , who require the higher levels of care.
” On Monday , Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record 110 COVID-19 deaths a day within weeks .
The county is currently averaging 84 deaths a day .
So what are hospitals doing when there are no more available beds in the ICU ?
Lots of options to deal with an ICU shortage — none ideal Among the options to find ways to treat critically ill patients when the ICU is full : • Asking nurses to take care of more ICU patients than usual .
Normally , an ICU nurse cares for one or two patients at a time .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked to care for three or four simultaneously .
• Placing critically ill patients in physical locations outside the ICU , like keeping them in the emergency room for longer .
But “ it ’ s not ideal to be in a physical location that was built for providing that level of care , ” Lewis said .
“ Having the system have to accommodate this increasing demand and do the best with what we have is not going to yield as good patient outcomes as we could achieve if we had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Everybody is doing things differently than ideally we would like to do because there ’ s more patients than we can take care of.
” And that means patients are at risk of worse outcomes .
“ That includes longer lengths of stay in the hospital , longer lengths of time on the ventilator , and ultimately , mortality , ” Lewis said .
When there are too many patients for available medical staff , there ’ s “ just not going to be the same quality of monitoring , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
Other temporary measures are not ideal .
Keeping critically ill patients who need to be in the ICU waiting in the emergency room not only results in degraded quality of care , Kim-Farley said , but also creates a ripple effect that keeps patients waiting in ambulances for hours just outside the hospital .
That leaves fewer ambulances available to respond to calls .
Exhaustion is another key point of concern .
Nurses are the ones at the bedside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being asked to work in higher-intensity care settings than normal , taking care of more patients , “ and they ’ re going to be asked to do that for weeks on end , ” Lewis said .
So far , newly diagnosed coronavirus cases continue rising in L.A. County and statewide , to at or near daily record levels .
That means the pace of infections that occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday and in the people who got infected from those people is still rising .
Eventually , a fraction of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need hospital care — the state estimates about 12 % of those testing positive statewide and 10 % in L.A. County — and the average length of stay in the hospital is six days before recovery or death .
“ So the system is going to be asked to care for even a greater number of patients than it is today for the next couple of weeks at least , ” Lewis said .
Two to three weeks to notice a change in behavior “ If everybody today started being extraordinarily careful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits of that — which would be tremendous — would start to become apparent about three weeks from now , ” Lewis said Friday .
“ So during the rest of December , we expect to see ... higher hospitalization census and increasing challenges for the healthcare system to provide the best possible care to the most people.
” It can take generally about two to three weeks from the time someoneis exposed to the virus for them get so sick that they need hospitalization .
“ What we have in our control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis said .
“ If we do the right things now , January can be ‘ not worse ’ than December .
But if we continue to see transmission the way it has been in the last month or so , then January will be even worse.
” When might we see evidence that the stay-at-home order is working ?
A big question is whether the regional stay-at-home order that went into effect for most Californians on Dec. 7 is working .
Dr. George Rutherford , an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown orders went into effect in France , the United Kingdom and Spain , “ it took about two to three weeks for the effects of the lockdown to kick in.
” So this week , Rutherford will start looking at daily case rates to see if cases are starting to flatten or perhaps decline .
Ferrer has said she would start to look at trends around Christmas to see if daily cases were starting to decrease .
It will take until around the time of New Year ’ s Day for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being reflected in hospitalizations , Lewis said .
Kim-Farley said it ’ ll be essential for people to say no to social gatherings during the winter holidays .
“ Are you invited to a party ?
Just say no .
Are you invited to friends for dinner at their house ?
Just say no .
That way , when you need an ICU bed , the hospital won ’ t be telling you , ‘ No .
’ ”

A nurse holds a COVID-19 patient’s hand before she is intubated in the intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center on Dec. 15.
The pace of new COVID-19 hospitalizations is spiking so quickly in Los Angeles County that it is now literally off the charts, forcing officials to redraw the graphics used to illustrate the grim projections for what is ahead.
In October, fewer than 150 patients infected with the coronavirus were being admitted daily into hospitals.
By late November, that number had doubled to about 300 patients a day — as high as it’s ever been in the entire pandemic.
And now it has more than doubled yet again, to roughly 700 new hospital patients daily, just a few days before Christmas. That rate is bringing crisis to L.A. County.
If disease transmission behavior does not change, a projection issued by the county Department of Health Services says that L.A. County could be headed to between 700 and 1,400 new hospitalized patients a day by New Year’s Eve.
Daily COVID-19 hospitalizations could rise tenfold compared with October
“The model is suggesting that we could easily be seeing 10 times or more daily admissions than we saw in October,” said Dr. Roger Lewis, director of COVID-19 hospital demand modeling for the L.A. County Department of Health Services and a professor of emergency medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in West Carson.
L.A. County Department of Health Services projection of new daily hospitalizations for COVID-19 as of Wednesday.
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
Already, the number of people in L.A. County’s hospitals with COVID-19 was nearly 5,900 as of Sunday — more than double the summer peak during the second wave of the pandemic, in which no more than 2,232 people were in the hospital with the disease on any particular day.
Advertisement
Chart shows the number of people hospitalized each day with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County.
(Los Angeles Times)
This means that by the end of the year, we could be seeing as many as 9,000 people with COVID-19 taking up L.A. County’s hospital beds.
And by mid-January, there could be 14,000 if there’s no change in transmission behavior.
Projections of L.A. County hospital bed demand as of Wednesday.
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
Particularly alarming is the chart showing the forecasts of intensive care unit demands.
‘We do not have available ICU beds’
Last week, L.A. County effectively ran out of available ICU bed capacity for COVID-19 patients — the first time that has happened in this pandemic.
Available ICU bed capacity for COVID-19 patients effectively fell to zero last week.
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
Advertisement
“We do not have available ICU beds for additional patients right now,” Lewis said.
More than 1,200 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County were in the ICU on Sunday, more than triple the number from late November.
“Now, that doesn’t mean that the hospitals aren’t continuing to do everything they can to increase capacity. But there is there is a limit to what can be done,” Lewis said Friday. “I think the largest challenge facing hospitals in the next week or two is going to be the staff necessary to take care of patients with COVID-19, who require the higher levels of care.”
On Monday, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said L.A. County is on track to record 110 COVID-19 deaths a day within weeks. The county is currently averaging 84 deaths a day.
So what are hospitals doing when there are no more available beds in the ICU?
Lots of options to deal with an ICU shortage — none ideal
Among the options to find ways to treat critically ill patients when the ICU is full:
Asking nurses to take care of more ICU patients than usual. Normally, an ICU nurse cares for one or two patients at a time. It’s possible that nurses might be asked to care for three or four simultaneously.
Placing critically ill patients in physical locations outside the ICU, like keeping them in the emergency room for longer. But “it’s not ideal to be in a physical location that was built for providing that level of care,” Lewis said.
“Having the system have to accommodate this increasing demand and do the best with what we have is not going to yield as good patient outcomes as we could achieve if we had a lower demand for care,” Lewis said. “Everybody is doing things differently than ideally we would like to do because there’s more patients than we can take care of.”
And that means patients are at risk of worse outcomes. “That includes longer lengths of stay in the hospital, longer lengths of time on the ventilator, and ultimately, mortality,” Lewis said.
When there are too many patients for available medical staff, there’s “just not going to be the same quality of monitoring,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Other temporary measures are not ideal. Keeping critically ill patients who need to be in the ICU waiting in the emergency room not only results in degraded quality of care, Kim-Farley said, but also creates a ripple effect that keeps patients waiting in ambulances for hours just outside the hospital. That leaves fewer ambulances available to respond to calls.
Concerns about exhaustion
Exhaustion is another key point of concern. Nurses are the ones at the bedside of ICU patients, and are now being asked to work in higher-intensity care settings than normal, taking care of more patients, “and they’re going to be asked to do that for weeks on end,” Lewis said.
So far, newly diagnosed coronavirus cases continue rising in L.A. County and statewide, to at or near daily record levels. That means the pace of infections that occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday and in the people who got infected from those people is still rising.
Eventually, a fraction of those people who tested positive this week will need hospital care — the state estimates about 12% of those testing positive statewide and 10% in L.A. County — and the average length of stay in the hospital is six days before recovery or death.
“So the system is going to be asked to care for even a greater number of patients than it is today for the next couple of weeks at least,” Lewis said.
Two to three weeks to notice a change in behavior
“If everybody today started being extraordinarily careful and transmission was markedly reduced, then the benefits of that — which would be tremendous — would start to become apparent about three weeks from now,” Lewis said Friday. “So during the rest of December, we expect to see ... higher hospitalization census and increasing challenges for the healthcare system to provide the best possible care to the most people.”
It can take generally about two to three weeks from the time someoneis exposed to the virus for them get so sick that they need hospitalization.
“What we have in our control is what happens in January,” Lewis said. “If we do the right things now, January can be ‘not worse’ than December. But if we continue to see transmission the way it has been in the last month or so, then January will be even worse.”
When might we see evidence that the stay-at-home order is working?
A big question is whether the regional stay-at-home order that went into effect for most Californians on Dec. 7 is working.
Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, said when COVID-19 lockdown orders went into effect in France, the United Kingdom and Spain, “it took about two to three weeks for the effects of the lockdown to kick in.”
So this week, Rutherford will start looking at daily case rates to see if cases are starting to flatten or perhaps decline.
Ferrer has said she would start to look at trends around Christmas to see if daily cases were starting to decrease.
It will take until around the time of New Year’s Day for the effect of the stay-at-home order to start being reflected in hospitalizations, Lewis said.
Kim-Farley said it’ll be essential for people to say no to social gatherings during the winter holidays. “Are you invited to a party? Just say no. Are you invited to friends for dinner at their house? Just say no. That way, when you need an ICU bed, the hospital won’t be telling you, ‘No.’”
Times staff writer Maura Dolan contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-22--Alex Padilla to become California's first Latino U.S. senator, replacing Kamala Harris

Alex Padilla , a Los Angeles Democrat who once developed software for satellites but later rose through local and state political office to become California secretary of state , was chosen Tuesday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom to serve in the U.S. Senate — an appointment that tears down a barrier for Latinos that has stood as long as California ’ s statehood .
Padilla , a longtime Newsom ally , will become the first Latino to represent California in the Senate , succeeding another history-making politician , Sen. Kamala Harris .
Harris , who was the second Black woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate , in November became the first woman elected vice president of the United States .
“ Through his tenacity , integrity , smarts and grit , California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C. , lifting up our state ’ s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic .
He will be a senator for all Californians , ” Newsom said in a statement released Tuesday morning .
The son of Mexican immigrants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Padilla rose to the upper echelon of state politics , closely shadowing the steady , decades-long ascension of Latino power and influence throughout California , from L.A. 's towering City Hall to the chandeliered chambers of the state Capitol .
At age 26 , Padilla won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council during the anti-immigrant tumult of the 1990s , after California voters approved measures requiring “ English-only ” public schools and banning immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally from government assistance and services .
Padilla , who earned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Technology , went on to become the city ’ s youngest council president , a state senator and California ’ s current two-term secretary of state .
“ I ’ m just tremendously honored and humbled and look forward to bringing my story , and my journey , as an important perspective to the deliberations of the United States Senate , ” Padilla told The Times in an interview shortly after Tuesday ’ s announcement .
“ I know there ’ s a lot of big-picture issues , but the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief package was done last weekend but much more is going to be necessary .
This pandemic is far from over.
” Newsom ’ s announcement of Padilla ’ s appointment was made by news release and lacked the pomp and fanfare of the governor ’ s usual major actions , which are typically delivered in highly produced news conferences .
That was driven largely by the fact that Newsom is currently in quarantine after having been exposed to a staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus .
Newsom contacted Padilla via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was being appointed .
Both men were home at the time , and Padilla teared up when Newsom told him the news .
The election of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and Harris in November handed Newsom one of his most consequential and politically perilous opportunities in his first two years as California governor — deciding whom to appoint to fill Harris ’ seat in the Senate , among the most coveted political offices in the nation .
It remains unclear when Harris will officially resign from the Senate , allowing Padilla to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sworn in as vice president in January .
Newsom has faced months of relentless lobbying and pressure from powerful constituencies within the Democratic Party , even from some of his closest advisors .
The selection of Padilla presented a new and intense political challenge for Newsom .
A coalition of Black women strongly advocated for Harris ’ Senate seat to be given to another voice for their community and urged the governor to prioritize that continuity above other factors .
“ I know politics comes into play , but for me there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said .
“ I am disappointed that the governor didn ’ t see value in the opportunity that was presented to him to guarantee fair representation for Black women in the U.S. Senate.
” Mitchell is a member of a recently formed group known as Keep the Seat that had asked Newsom to appoint a Black woman .
In a letter sent to the governor earlier this month , they urged him to appoint either Rep. Karen Bass ( D-Los Angeles ) or Rep. Barbara Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mitchell said Tuesday that while Padilla is a “ wonderful statesman , ” his work as California ’ s chief elections officer is vital and could have been reason enough to ask him to remain in Sacramento .
“ There does not appear to be another state in the union that is poised to elect a Black woman to the U.S. Senate anytime soon , ” she said .
Newsom said the responsibility was something he wouldn ’ t “ wish even on my worst enemy ” because his decision , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise the ire of those whose wishes were denied .
But choosing Padilla also provided Newsom an opportunity to salve some of those relationships .
Just hours after announcing Padilla was his choice for the senate , Newsom nominated Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego to become the next secretary of State .
If confirmed by the California Legislature , Weber would become the first Black woman to hold that position in state history .
The selection of California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra as health secretary in Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a plum appointment to fill that vacancy .
Padilla ’ s appointment does not require confirmation by the California Legislature , and his U.S. Senate seat will be up for grabs in the 2022 election .
That gives Padilla just two years to set up shop in Washington and launch what is expected to be a very competitive , multimillion-dollar Senate race .
Though incumbency provides advantages when it comes to raising federal campaign funds , Padilla will be starting from scratch .
Meanwhile , two potential Democratic competitors already have funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Schiff of Burbank has $ 13.7 million , and Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine has $ 10.2 million .
Rep. Tony Cárdenas ( D-Los Angeles ) , a close friend to Padilla for more than two decades , said he had no doubt that Padilla would win over most Californians , no matter whom they backed for the appointment , and beat back any challenge in 2022 .
“ Alex Padilla , with his personality and his work ethic , is going to be able to unite our state and show us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ready , willing and able to unify all communities across the state , ” Cardenas said , “ and then continue to have a very successful career in the United States Senate.
” Padilla , 47 , has served as California ’ s secretary of state since 2015 .
He became one of the first statewide officials to tangle with President Trump over his unfounded allegations in 2016 that millions of California ballots had been cast illegally .
In 2017 , Padilla rejected requests by Trump ’ s voter fraud commission for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , citing privacy concerns .
His most notable achievement as chief elections officer was his push for enactment of the state ’ s Voter ’ s Choice Act , allowing counties to swap out neighborhood polling places for community vote centers as long as they also mailed a ballot to every registered voter .
But another high-profile program — the state ’ s automatic voter registration program at DMV offices — was beset by a number of errors when it debuted in 2019 .
“ The good news is , they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Padilla said in a recent interview .
“ Overall , the program has been an overwhelming success.
” Padilla will leave one unsettled and potentially embarrassing item in limbo as he departs the job of secretary of state .
His office has been embroiled in a battle with state government officials over a $ 35-million contract aimed at increasing voter turnout during the November election , awarded to a national political strategy company with ties to Biden .
While Republicans have criticized the awarding of the contract as politically motivated , California Controller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial invoice over concerns about the rules governing the election funds in question .
Padilla ’ s office has insisted the contract was handled properly , but no final action has been taken on the issue .
“ Nothing that we did was improper , ” Padilla said Tuesday .
“ The only question that remains is which account to pay for those services from , so I ’ m sure the Department of Finance and the controller and others will determine which is the best account and the matter will be resolved.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the working-class neighborhoods of the Valley , where he ran City Council election campaigns for Cardenas and Richard Alarcon and also worked as an aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif ) .
In 1999 , he won his own seat on the City Council representing the northeast Valley .
Aided by independent mail and phone campaigns by the California Democratic Party and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor , Padilla won decisively against a more seasoned candidate , Corinne Sanchez , president of the health services agency El Proyecto del Barrio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a great deal of pride about a barrio boy going to MIT and coming back , ” said Miguel Contreras , then the executive secretary-treasurer of the federation , to explain Padilla ’ s election victory at the time .
Padilla initially lived with his parents in Pacoima while on the council , and his first action was to fix a traffic light near the elementary school he attended as a child .
In an emotional inaugural speech , Padilla dedicated his first term to his parents , Santos and Lupe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short order cook and house cleaner , respectively .
His mother became a U.S. citizen two days after his election , joining his father , who had taken the citizenship oath three years earlier .
Janice Hahn , who is now a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors , remembers the young Padilla on the City Council as someone who was poised and wise beyond his years .
“ He does have an innate ability to empathize and listen to other people , ” Hahn said .
“ Coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you grow into the job .
He showed a real sense of leadership.
” Two years after his election , Padilla shocked the old guard at City Hall by beating a veteran council member , Ruth Galanter , to win enough votes on the City Council to become president of that body .
At 28 , he became the youngest person and first Latino to serve as council president in more than 100 years .
A pivotal moment in his career happened during the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Padilla served as acting mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stuck in Washington , D.C. Jack Weiss , a former federal prosecutor who served with Padilla on the City Council , recalled being with Padilla when there was a report that one of the planes hijacked by terrorists might be heading into Los Angeles , though that later proved to be false .
“ Throughout that morning , I remember Alex remaining calm , ” Weiss said .
“ Looking back on his poise then gives me great confidence that he will be poised going forward.
” As City Council president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of William Bratton as chief of police and was involved in negotiations for approval of the downtown development known as L.A. Live , as well as modernization of Los Angeles International Airport .
Padilla also strongly opposed an effort to have the Valley secede from Los Angeles to form a new city .
In 2006 , Padilla won election to the state Senate , to which he was reelected in 2010 .
His state Senate tenure , which was ended by term limits , included an emphasis on health and safety issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires California restaurants to post calorie information on their menus to help reduce obesity .
He also authored a smoke-free housing law .
On Tuesday , Padilla talked about his decision as a young man to leave a promising engineering career in the 1990s to enter the political arena .
He said he felt compelled because , at the time , the rights of Latinos were under assault .
He recalls returning to Los Angeles from MIT and hearing that California was going downhill and that it was the “ fault of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Thankfully we don ’ t hear those kinds of proposals emanating from California , but clearly we do in other parts of the country — including the nation ’ s capital , including the Oval Office for the last four years , ” Padilla said .
“ To be able to now serve in this capacity , to counter those lies and represent what the American Dream is all about , I hope that by extension provides hope and motivation for future generations .
”

Alex Padilla, shown in 2018, has been appointed to replace Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Alex Padilla, a Los Angeles Democrat who once developed software for satellites but later rose through local and state political office to become California secretary of state, was chosen Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve in the U.S. Senate — an appointment that tears down a barrier for Latinos that has stood as long as California’s statehood.
Padilla, a longtime Newsom ally, will become the first Latino to represent California in the Senate, succeeding another history-making politician, Sen. Kamala Harris. Harris, who was the second Black woman and first South Asian to serve in the Senate, in November became the first woman elected vice president of the United States.
“Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state’s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic. He will be a senator for all Californians,” Newsom said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
The son of Mexican immigrants who settled in the San Fernando Valley, Padilla rose to the upper echelon of state politics, closely shadowing the steady, decades-long ascension of Latino power and influence throughout California, from L.A.’s towering City Hall to the chandeliered chambers of the state Capitol.
Advertisement
At age 26, Padilla won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council during the anti-immigrant tumult of the 1990s, after California voters approved measures requiring “English-only” public schools and banning immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally from government assistance and services. Padilla, who earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, went on to become the city’s youngest council president, a state senator and California’s current two-term secretary of state.
“I’m just tremendously honored and humbled and look forward to bringing my story, and my journey, as an important perspective to the deliberations of the United States Senate,” Padilla told The Times in an interview shortly after Tuesday’s announcement. “I know there’s a lot of big-picture issues, but the COVID response is front and center. A relief package was done last weekend but much more is going to be necessary. This pandemic is far from over.”
Newsom’s announcement of Padilla’s appointment was made by news release and lacked the pomp and fanfare of the governor’s usual major actions, which are typically delivered in highly produced news conferences. That was driven largely by the fact that Newsom is currently in quarantine after having been exposed to a staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Newsom contacted Padilla via Zoom on Monday night to tell him he was being appointed. Both men were home at the time, and Padilla teared up when Newsom told him the news.
The election of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and Harris in November handed Newsom one of his most consequential and politically perilous opportunities in his first two years as California governor — deciding whom to appoint to fill Harris’ seat in the Senate, among the most coveted political offices in the nation. It remains unclear when Harris will officially resign from the Senate, allowing Padilla to take her place, before she is sworn in as vice president in January.
Newsom has faced months of relentless lobbying and pressure from powerful constituencies within the Democratic Party, even from some of his closest advisors.
Advertisement
California As Newsom mulls over a U.S. Senate pick, Latino lawmakers and activists say it’s their time Newsom, who has not said when he’ll make an announcement on Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ Senate successor, is facing an onslaught of competing pressures over what is perhaps one of the most pivotal and politically consequential decisions he will make during his first two years in office.
The selection of Padilla presented a new and intense political challenge for Newsom. A coalition of Black women strongly advocated for Harris’ Senate seat to be given to another voice for their community and urged the governor to prioritize that continuity above other factors.
“I know politics comes into play, but for me there was a greater kind of cause and calling,” L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said. “I am disappointed that the governor didn’t see value in the opportunity that was presented to him to guarantee fair representation for Black women in the U.S. Senate.”
Mitchell is a member of a recently formed group known as Keep the Seat that had asked Newsom to appoint a Black woman. In a letter sent to the governor earlier this month, they urged him to appoint either Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) or Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) as Harris’ successor.
Mitchell said Tuesday that while Padilla is a “wonderful statesman,” his work as California’s chief elections officer is vital and could have been reason enough to ask him to remain in Sacramento.
“There does not appear to be another state in the union that is poised to elect a Black woman to the U.S. Senate anytime soon,” she said.
Newsom said the responsibility was something he wouldn’t “wish even on my worst enemy” because his decision, no matter whom he appointed, was destined to raise the ire of those whose wishes were denied.
But choosing Padilla also provided Newsom an opportunity to salve some of those relationships. Just hours after announcing Padilla was his choice for the senate, Newsom nominated Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego to become the next secretary of State. If confirmed by the California Legislature, Weber would become the first Black woman to hold that position in state history.
The selection of California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra as health secretary in Biden’s Cabinet also provides Newsom a chance to make a plum appointment to fill that vacancy.
Padilla’s appointment does not require confirmation by the California Legislature, and his U.S. Senate seat will be up for grabs in the 2022 election. That gives Padilla just two years to set up shop in Washington and launch what is expected to be a very competitive, multimillion-dollar Senate race.
Though incumbency provides advantages when it comes to raising federal campaign funds, Padilla will be starting from scratch. Meanwhile, two potential Democratic competitors already have funds socked away in campaign accounts: Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank has $13.7 million, and Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine has $10.2 million.
Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Los Angeles), a close friend to Padilla for more than two decades, said he had no doubt that Padilla would win over most Californians, no matter whom they backed for the appointment, and beat back any challenge in 2022.
“Alex Padilla, with his personality and his work ethic, is going to be able to unite our state and show us in two short years that he’s ready, willing and able to unify all communities across the state,” Cardenas said, “and then continue to have a very successful career in the United States Senate.”
Padilla, 47, has served as California’s secretary of state since 2015. He became one of the first statewide officials to tangle with President Trump over his unfounded allegations in 2016 that millions of California ballots had been cast illegally. In 2017, Padilla rejected requests by Trump’s voter fraud commission for access to detailed voter information from the state, citing privacy concerns.
His most notable achievement as chief elections officer was his push for enactment of the state’s Voter’s Choice Act, allowing counties to swap out neighborhood polling places for community vote centers as long as they also mailed a ballot to every registered voter. But another high-profile program — the state’s automatic voter registration program at DMV offices — was beset by a number of errors when it debuted in 2019.
“The good news is, they were quickly identified and quickly addressed,” Padilla said in a recent interview. “Overall, the program has been an overwhelming success.”
Padilla will leave one unsettled and potentially embarrassing item in limbo as he departs the job of secretary of state. His office has been embroiled in a battle with state government officials over a $35-million contract aimed at increasing voter turnout during the November election, awarded to a national political strategy company with ties to Biden.
While Republicans have criticized the awarding of the contract as politically motivated, California Controller Betty Yee has refused to pay the initial invoice over concerns about the rules governing the election funds in question. Padilla’s office has insisted the contract was handled properly, but no final action has been taken on the issue.
“Nothing that we did was improper,” Padilla said Tuesday. “The only question that remains is which account to pay for those services from, so I’m sure the Department of Finance and the controller and others will determine which is the best account and the matter will be resolved.”
Padilla began his political career in the working-class neighborhoods of the Valley, where he ran City Council election campaigns for Cardenas and Richard Alarcon and also worked as an aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif).
In 1999, he won his own seat on the City Council representing the northeast Valley. Aided by independent mail and phone campaigns by the California Democratic Party and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Padilla won decisively against a more seasoned candidate, Corinne Sanchez, president of the health services agency El Proyecto del Barrio and a longtime community activist.
“There is a great deal of pride about a barrio boy going to MIT and coming back,” said Miguel Contreras, then the executive secretary-treasurer of the federation, to explain Padilla’s election victory at the time.
Padilla initially lived with his parents in Pacoima while on the council, and his first action was to fix a traffic light near the elementary school he attended as a child.
In an emotional inaugural speech, Padilla dedicated his first term to his parents, Santos and Lupe, immigrants from Mexico who worked as a short order cook and house cleaner, respectively. His mother became a U.S. citizen two days after his election, joining his father, who had taken the citizenship oath three years earlier.
Janice Hahn, who is now a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, remembers the young Padilla on the City Council as someone who was poised and wise beyond his years.
“He does have an innate ability to empathize and listen to other people,” Hahn said. “Coming to elected office at 26 really helps you grow into the job. He showed a real sense of leadership.”
Two years after his election, Padilla shocked the old guard at City Hall by beating a veteran council member, Ruth Galanter, to win enough votes on the City Council to become president of that body. At 28, he became the youngest person and first Latino to serve as council president in more than 100 years.
A pivotal moment in his career happened during the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Padilla served as acting mayor for four days while Mayor Jim Hahn was stuck in Washington, D.C. Jack Weiss, a former federal prosecutor who served with Padilla on the City Council, recalled being with Padilla when there was a report that one of the planes hijacked by terrorists might be heading into Los Angeles, though that later proved to be false.
“Throughout that morning, I remember Alex remaining calm,” Weiss said. “Looking back on his poise then gives me great confidence that he will be poised going forward.”
As City Council president, Padilla played a role in the selection of William Bratton as chief of police and was involved in negotiations for approval of the downtown development known as L.A. Live, as well as modernization of Los Angeles International Airport. Padilla also strongly opposed an effort to have the Valley secede from Los Angeles to form a new city.
In 2006, Padilla won election to the state Senate, to which he was reelected in 2010.
His state Senate tenure, which was ended by term limits, included an emphasis on health and safety issues. He won approval of a bill that requires California restaurants to post calorie information on their menus to help reduce obesity. He also authored a smoke-free housing law.
On Tuesday, Padilla talked about his decision as a young man to leave a promising engineering career in the 1990s to enter the political arena. He said he felt compelled because, at the time, the rights of Latinos were under assault. He recalls returning to Los Angeles from MIT and hearing that California was going downhill and that it was the “fault of people like my parents, families like mine.”
“Thankfully we don’t hear those kinds of proposals emanating from California, but clearly we do in other parts of the country — including the nation’s capital, including the Oval Office for the last four years,” Padilla said. “To be able to now serve in this capacity, to counter those lies and represent what the American Dream is all about, I hope that by extension provides hope and motivation for future generations.”
Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-22--Lawmaker urges UC regents to reject $73-million settlement in case of UCLA gynecologist

A state lawmaker who wrote the law allowing accusers of a UCLA gynecologist more time to sue is advising University of California regents to reject a proposed $ 73-million class-action settlement , saying it will curtail many of the alleged victims ’ rights .
The proposed settlement was reached last month by attorneys for the UC system and lawyers for seven women who said they were sexually battered by Dr. James Heaps while they were patients at UCLA .
Heaps , 67 , has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that he sexually abused seven patients .
More than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ litigation of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from 1983 to 2019 , during his tenure at the UCLA student health center and UCLA Medical Center .
State Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks ( D-Oakland ) , in a letter to the UC Board of Regents on Dec. 15 , said the settlement was “ negotiated in secret without notice or input from the more than 200 women who have filed suit against UCLA.
” Wicks said the deal was designed to undermine the intent of Assembly Bill 3092 : The legislation , which takes effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of 2021 to file lawsuits .
Wicks noted that the number of alleged victims could number 6,600 .
Wicks noted that “ survivors gave heart-wrenching testimony as they pleaded for the right to decide whether to confront their abuser.
” “ The proposed settlement , ” she said , “ would undermine AB 3092 by dramatically shortening the amount of time a victim may file a case against UCLA and Dr. Heaps.
” The regents are next scheduled to meet Jan. 20 .
This settlement , Wicks noted , is similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse case against the University of Southern California and its former gynecologist George Tyndall that offered as little as $ 2,500 in compensation .
The average compensation was $ 11,000 .
She said both settlements were negotiated by the same team of defense lawyers .
In the USC settlement , a one-year statutory window provided by AB 1510 , passed in 2019 , was shortened to 120 days .
“ Survivors of sexual abuse at UCLA who do not opt out of this class-action settlement , ” she added , “ will lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UCLA administrators and staff under oath.
” John Manly , a prominent sexual abuse attorney who represents 112 alleged victims of Heaps , said his clients wouldn ’ t be part of the settlement , which was crafted by another law firm .
Manly says the class-action deal denies victims their day in court and is a way institutions seek to quickly conclude a scandal without properly compensating the victims .
“ This is a move to avoid real accountability in a court of law , ” Manly said Monday .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of victims at their next meeting.
” According to UCLA , Heaps treated about 5,000 patients for whom the institution has records and about 1,600 others for whom it does not have details .
Heaps did not admit any wrongdoing or contribute toward the $ 73 million in the agreement , but he did sign off on the settlement ’ s terms .
His attorney Leonard Levine said he absolutely would contest all the allegations and continued to be supported by many patients whose lives he saved .
A preliminary hearing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
Heaps now faces 20 felony counts and is charged with sex crimes spanning a period from 2011 to 2018 .
The charges include sexual battery by fraud , sexual exploitation of a patient , and sexual penetration of an unconscious person .
Since the doctor ’ s arrest in June 2019 , more than 200 women have come forward , accusing Heaps of subjecting them to sexually inappropriate comments , touching them sexually during exams without wearing gloves , and simulating intercourse with an ultrasound probe .
Heaps ’ medical license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not guilty to the criminal charges .
UCLA officials have acknowledged they received complaints about Heaps in 2017 , and he was placed on leave the following year .
But the school made no public statements about Heaps ’ conduct upon his retirement in 2018 , when it declined to renew his contract , and alerted the college community only after reports of his arrest last year .
Elizabeth Kramer , the attorney for the plaintiffs , said the settlement would create a $ 73-million fund for survivors , with automatic payment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would receive the money without having to take further action .
The agreement would in some circumstances allow for awards of more than $ 250,000 .
Kramer previously told the Los Angeles Times that it “ requires critical institutional reforms at UCLA to protect patients and prevent similar abuse from happening again.
” As part of the deal .
UCLA agreed to create a new process for investigating allegations of sexual assault , harassment and misconduct .
The university must implement a formal chaperone policy for patients .
It must also initiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that patients are informed about how to report misconduct .
There is a provision in the provisional settlement that allows UC regents to pull out of the deal if more than 250 patients decide to pursue litigation outside the agreement .
Manly said he suspected that number could be reached .
In 2019 , UC regents paid $ 2.25 million to one female patient who alleged that Heaps sexually assaulted her , and $ 1.3 million to a nurse practitioner he was accused of sexually harassing ,

Dr. James Heaps, at a June 26, 2019, court hearing, has been accused by more than 200 women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
A state lawmaker who wrote the law allowing accusers of a UCLA gynecologist more time to sue is advising University of California regents to reject a proposed $73-million class-action settlement, saying it will curtail many of the alleged victims’ rights.
The proposed settlement was reached last month by attorneys for the UC system and lawyers for seven women who said they were sexually battered by Dr. James Heaps while they were patients at UCLA.
Heaps, 67, has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that he sexually abused seven patients. More than 200 women have accused him in the civil litigation of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from 1983 to 2019, during his tenure at the UCLA student health center and UCLA Medical Center.
Advertisement
California UCLA rocked by charges that former staff gynecologist sexually abused patients UCLA came under public scrutiny Monday over its handling of a former staff gynecologist who has been charged with sexual battery and exploitation during his treatment of two patients at a university facility.
State Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), in a letter to the UC Board of Regents on Dec. 15, said the settlement was “negotiated in secret without notice or input from the more than 200 women who have filed suit against UCLA.” Wicks said the deal was designed to undermine the intent of Assembly Bill 3092: The legislation, which takes effect Jan. 1, will give survivors until the end of 2021 to file lawsuits. Wicks noted that the number of alleged victims could number 6,600.
Wicks noted that “survivors gave heart-wrenching testimony as they pleaded for the right to decide whether to confront their abuser.”
“The proposed settlement,” she said, “would undermine AB 3092 by dramatically shortening the amount of time a victim may file a case against UCLA and Dr. Heaps.”
The regents are next scheduled to meet Jan. 20.
This settlement, Wicks noted, is similar to a class-action settlement in the sexual abuse case against the University of Southern California and its former gynecologist George Tyndall that offered as little as $2,500 in compensation. The average compensation was $11,000. She said both settlements were negotiated by the same team of defense lawyers. In the USC settlement, a one-year statutory window provided by AB 1510, passed in 2019, was shortened to 120 days.
“Survivors of sexual abuse at UCLA who do not opt out of this class-action settlement,” she added, “will lose their rights to question Dr. Heaps, UCLA administrators and staff under oath.”
Advertisement
John Manly, a prominent sexual abuse attorney who represents 112 alleged victims of Heaps, said his clients wouldn’t be part of the settlement, which was crafted by another law firm. Manly says the class-action deal denies victims their day in court and is a way institutions seek to quickly conclude a scandal without properly compensating the victims. “This is a move to avoid real accountability in a court of law,” Manly said Monday. “I expect the regents will hear from a lot of victims at their next meeting.”
According to UCLA, Heaps treated about 5,000 patients for whom the institution has records and about 1,600 others for whom it does not have details. Heaps did not admit any wrongdoing or contribute toward the $73 million in the agreement, but he did sign off on the settlement’s terms. His attorney Leonard Levine said he absolutely would contest all the allegations and continued to be supported by many patients whose lives he saved. A preliminary hearing in the criminal case was postponed earlier this month. Heaps now faces 20 felony counts and is charged with sex crimes spanning a period from 2011 to 2018. The charges include sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient, and sexual penetration of an unconscious person.
Since the doctor’s arrest in June 2019, more than 200 women have come forward, accusing Heaps of subjecting them to sexually inappropriate comments, touching them sexually during exams without wearing gloves, and simulating intercourse with an ultrasound probe. Heaps’ medical license was suspended last year after he pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
UCLA officials have acknowledged they received complaints about Heaps in 2017, and he was placed on leave the following year. But the school made no public statements about Heaps’ conduct upon his retirement in 2018, when it declined to renew his contract, and alerted the college community only after reports of his arrest last year.
Elizabeth Kramer, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said the settlement would create a $73-million fund for survivors, with automatic payment of $2,500 to settlement class members, who would receive the money without having to take further action.
The agreement would in some circumstances allow for awards of more than $250,000. Kramer previously told the Los Angeles Times that it “requires critical institutional reforms at UCLA to protect patients and prevent similar abuse from happening again.” As part of the deal. UCLA agreed to create a new process for investigating allegations of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct. The university must implement a formal chaperone policy for patients. It must also initiate a training program on boundaries and ensure that patients are informed about how to report misconduct.
There is a provision in the provisional settlement that allows UC regents to pull out of the deal if more than 250 patients decide to pursue litigation outside the agreement. Manly said he suspected that number could be reached. In 2019, UC regents paid $2.25 million to one female patient who alleged that Heaps sexually assaulted her, and $1.3 million to a nurse practitioner he was accused of sexually harassing,


latimes--2020-12-22--Why a negative COVID test doesn't 'clear' you for holiday  gatherings

Amid growing signs that many people are not heeding warnings to avoid Christmas gatherings and travel , some people are getting COVID-19 tests in hopes of being “ cleared ” to enjoy the holidays in groups .
This happened before Thanksgiving with disastrous results : Many attended holiday events and got sick , causing the coronavirus to spread uncontrolled , filling hospitals and contributing to a worsening surge .
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer urged people not to believe that a negative test result means it ’ s safe to attend or host a holiday gathering with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ By the time you get a negative test result , you may no longer be negative , ” Ferrer said .
“ And even if you have no symptoms , you can easily infect others.
” Sometimes people can test negative even though they are actually infected , because the virus hasn ’ t yet replicated to detectable levels .
Relying on testing to determine whether it ’ s safe to gather “ is a very dangerous strategy , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County health services director .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed and is a large part of what has led us to the situation that we are in today , ” Ghaly said .
“ So , please , celebrate the holiday just with your household ... .
Please leave those in-person celebrations with extended family members or with friends until later in 2021.
” At Los Angeles International Airport on Monday , about 20 people stood in line to receive a COVID-19 test in Terminal 2 at one of a handful of testing locations scattered throughout the airport .
Max Salit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s $ 125 testing service after arriving on a Delta flight from Florida .
A resident of Chicago , Salit had been staying with his parents in the Tampa , Fla. , area for the last several months , and decided it was finally time to venture out .
He ’ ll be staying at an Airbnb rental in Los Angeles until he gets the results of his rapid test , he said , at which point he ’ ll “ crash on a friend ’ s couch.
” He and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joshua Tree National Park .
“ It ’ s not like I ’ m coming to L.A. to go clubbing , ” Salit said — although some of his friends had proposed a “ party trip ” to Miami instead of the desert .
“ There ’ s an end in sight , ” Salit told his friends , referring to the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines .
“ We just need to hold on for a couple of months.
” Yet , Ferrer said any kind of gathering can constitute risky behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we ’ re going to celebrate the winter holidays , we ’ ll experience a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge , ” she said .
“ Our hospitals are already over capacity , and the high-quality medical care we ’ re accustomed to in L.A. County is beginning to be compromised as our frontline health care workers are beyond stretched to the limit.
” At the coronavirus testing kiosk near Union Station ’ s entrance Monday , about a dozen people waited in line to swab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a healthcare worker through a secure submission box .
Kaley Mahoney , 31 , was getting tested so she could spend Christmas with her friends .
“ I am concerned , but I ’ ve been isolated so I feel OK , ” said Mahoney , a food delivery driver .
“ It gets worse when you listen to the news.
” One group in line included a mother and her four children , among them a son whose girlfriend tested positive for the coronavirus .
It took three days for the five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the mother , Mary Sanchez — a nerve-racking wait because her son ’ s girlfriend had been at her house several times with “ cold symptoms.
” Sanchez said her family will be sticking close together in their Boyle Heights home on Christmas , where they ’ re safest from the surge .

Amid growing signs that many people are not heeding warnings to avoid Christmas gatherings and travel, some people are getting COVID-19 tests in hopes of being “cleared” to enjoy the holidays in groups.
This happened before Thanksgiving with disastrous results: Many attended holiday events and got sick, causing the coronavirus to spread uncontrolled, filling hospitals and contributing to a worsening surge.
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer urged people not to believe that a negative test result means it’s safe to attend or host a holiday gathering with people from more than one household.
Advertisement
“By the time you get a negative test result, you may no longer be negative,” Ferrer said. “And even if you have no symptoms, you can easily infect others.”
Sometimes people can test negative even though they are actually infected, because the virus hasn’t yet replicated to detectable levels.
Relying on testing to determine whether it’s safe to gather “is a very dangerous strategy,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County health services director.
“It’s one that has failed and is a large part of what has led us to the situation that we are in today,” Ghaly said. “So, please, celebrate the holiday just with your household .... Please leave those in-person celebrations with extended family members or with friends until later in 2021.”
At Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, about 20 people stood in line to receive a COVID-19 test in Terminal 2 at one of a handful of testing locations scattered throughout the airport.
Max Salit, 22, opted to use the airport’s $125 testing service after arriving on a Delta flight from Florida. A resident of Chicago, Salit had been staying with his parents in the Tampa, Fla., area for the last several months, and decided it was finally time to venture out.
Advertisement
He’ll be staying at an Airbnb rental in Los Angeles until he gets the results of his rapid test, he said, at which point he’ll “crash on a friend’s couch.” He and his friends plan to spend Christmas hiking in Joshua Tree National Park.
“It’s not like I’m coming to L.A. to go clubbing,” Salit said — although some of his friends had proposed a “party trip” to Miami instead of the desert.
“There’s an end in sight,” Salit told his friends, referring to the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines. “We just need to hold on for a couple of months.”
Yet, Ferrer said any kind of gathering can constitute risky behavior.
“If we don’t change how we’re going to celebrate the winter holidays, we’ll experience a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge,” she said. “Our hospitals are already over capacity, and the high-quality medical care we’re accustomed to in L.A. County is beginning to be compromised as our frontline health care workers are beyond stretched to the limit.”
At the coronavirus testing kiosk near Union Station’s entrance Monday, about a dozen people waited in line to swab their mouths and pass the sample to a healthcare worker through a secure submission box.
Kaley Mahoney, 31, was getting tested so she could spend Christmas with her friends.
“I am concerned, but I’ve been isolated so I feel OK,” said Mahoney, a food delivery driver. “It gets worse when you listen to the news.”
One group in line included a mother and her four children, among them a son whose girlfriend tested positive for the coronavirus.
It took three days for the five of them to get an appointment, said the mother, Mary Sanchez — a nerve-racking wait because her son’s girlfriend had been at her house several times with “cold symptoms.”
Sanchez said her family will be sticking close together in their Boyle Heights home on Christmas, where they’re safest from the surge.


latimes--2020-12-22--New, more infectious strain of coronavirus worries California

California state officials expressed deep concern about a new , more infectious strain of the coronavirus detected in Europe and South Africa , which led government officials to renew lockdown measures across much of England .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that he ’ s been having discussions with airlines and others about the potential for new quarantine protocols from people flying into California from the United Kingdom in an effort to keep the more contagious variant of the virus out of the state .
“ I hope the federal government takes action in this space , ” Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , France , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Belgium , Austria , Ireland and Bulgaria all said they would from the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the newly reinstituted lockdown measures , including travel restrictions and the shuttering of pubs , gyms , theaters and hair salons , were taken in response to findings that the genetic changes in the new strain could make the virus “ up to 70 % more transmissible.
” Newsom said the new strain of the coronavirus has not been detected in California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily to identify mutations in the virus .
“ We haven ’ t seen anything related to a new strain yet.
” Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California health and human services secretary , said Monday that the newly identified strain circulating in the U.K. is essentially “ a little bit more sticky than the COVID virus that we ’ ve been seeing to date.
” “ For COVID to enter a human cell , it needs to bind to a receptor , a sort of front door on a human cell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , mutated COVID virus seems to bind a little tighter , a little more easily and enter the cell of the human body easier than our current COVID virus that we have here primarily in California and the United States.
” The mutated strain results in people being “ more likely to get infected than if you were exposed to the current strain , ” Ghaly said .
The new strain has not shown itself to be more virulent than the conventional version , meaning that people don ’ t necessarily get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it infects more easily , it seems , is what we are worried about , ” Ghaly said .
If the more infectious strain of the virus does get a foothold in California , it ’ s unclear how it might affect the state ’ s efforts to contain the existing version of the virus .
“ The last thing we want to do is let a new strain of COVID come and spread more rapidly or easily across the state , ” Ghaly said .
A big concern about the new variant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have genetic changes that might resist the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna — both of which are being rolled out in the U.S. — as well as three others close behind them .
A report last week , however , by British researchers found “ no evidence that this variant ... will render vaccines less effective.
” Still , more study is needed .
Deaths in L.A. County could top 100 a day by early January The concern over the new virus strain comes as California approaches 2 million confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday night , an independent county-by-county survey conducted by The Times found 1.93 million coronavirus cases and 22,928 COVID-19 deaths in California .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , L.A. County ’ s health services director , said that in almost 20 years as a physician she ’ s never seen hospitals under such widespread stress as they have been amid the worst pandemic in a century .
“ Normally , when you have a disaster ... it affects hospitals in a very narrow geographic area , ” Ghaly said .
Normally , hospitals cope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But that ’ s just not possible right now because this is affecting hospitals across the entire state and across the nation and frankly , the world.
” Ghaly said the pandemic is sending far more patients to the hospital now — about 700 new admissions a day — than the flu , which puts about 200 people a day in the hospital in a typical season .
Based on last week ’ s average of 14,000 new coronavirus cases a day in the county , health officials expect there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a couple of weeks — a few days after New Year ’ s Day .
As of Sunday , there were 5,866 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in L.A. County — three times the total on Thanksgiving .
Those projections are in line with earlier forecasts that by New Year ’ s Eve , there could be 6,000 to 9,000 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County ’ s hospitals .
By the second week of January , the county could be recording 110 COVID-19 deaths a day , up from an average of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
In early November , L.A. County was recording about 10 deaths a day .
The virus is increasingly sickening healthcare workers in L.A. County .
In the past week , there have been 2,191 confirmed cases among those workers , nearly triple the weekly number a month earlier .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Melissa Healy

California state officials expressed deep concern about a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus detected in Europe and South Africa, which led government officials to renew lockdown measures across much of England.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he’s been having discussions with airlines and others about the potential for new quarantine protocols from people flying into California from the United Kingdom in an effort to keep the more contagious variant of the virus out of the state. “I hope the federal government takes action in this space,” Newsom said. “They should.”
By Sunday, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria all said they would ban incoming flights from the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the newly reinstituted lockdown measures, including travel restrictions and the shuttering of pubs, gyms, theaters and hair salons, were taken in response to findings that the genetic changes in the new strain could make the virus “up to 70% more transmissible.”
Newsom said the new strain of the coronavirus has not been detected in California, where thousands of viral samples are tested daily to identify mutations in the virus. “We haven’t seen anything related to a new strain yet.”
Advertisement
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary, said Monday that the newly identified strain circulating in the U.K. is essentially “a little bit more sticky than the COVID virus that we’ve been seeing to date.”
“For COVID to enter a human cell, it needs to bind to a receptor, a sort of front door on a human cell,” Ghaly said. “And the new, mutated COVID virus seems to bind a little tighter, a little more easily and enter the cell of the human body easier than our current COVID virus that we have here primarily in California and the United States.”
The mutated strain results in people being “more likely to get infected than if you were exposed to the current strain,” Ghaly said.
The new strain has not shown itself to be more virulent than the conventional version, meaning that people don’t necessarily get sicker. “But the fact that it infects more easily, it seems, is what we are worried about,” Ghaly said.
If the more infectious strain of the virus does get a foothold in California, it’s unclear how it might affect the state’s efforts to contain the existing version of the virus. “The last thing we want to do is let a new strain of COVID come and spread more rapidly or easily across the state,” Ghaly said.
A big concern about the new variant is that it could, in theory, have genetic changes that might resist the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna — both of which are being rolled out in the U.S. — as well as three others close behind them. A report last week, however, by British researchers found “no evidence that this variant ... will render vaccines less effective.” Still, more study is needed.
Deaths in L.A. County could top 100 a day by early January
The concern over the new virus strain comes as California approaches 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 23,000 deaths. As of Monday night, an independent county-by-county survey conducted by The Times found 1.93 million coronavirus cases and 22,928 COVID-19 deaths in California.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s health services director, said that in almost 20 years as a physician she’s never seen hospitals under such widespread stress as they have been amid the worst pandemic in a century.
“Normally, when you have a disaster ... it affects hospitals in a very narrow geographic area,” Ghaly said. Normally, hospitals cope by getting additional help from other neighbors. “But that’s just not possible right now because this is affecting hospitals across the entire state and across the nation and frankly, the world.”
Advertisement
Ghaly said the pandemic is sending far more patients to the hospital now — about 700 new admissions a day — than the flu, which puts about 200 people a day in the hospital in a typical season.
Based on last week’s average of 14,000 new coronavirus cases a day in the county, health officials expect there to be about 7,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in a couple of weeks — a few days after New Year’s Day. As of Sunday, there were 5,866 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in L.A. County — three times the total on Thanksgiving.
Those projections are in line with earlier forecasts that by New Year’s Eve, there could be 6,000 to 9,000 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County’s hospitals.
By the second week of January, the county could be recording 110 COVID-19 deaths a day, up from an average of about 84 a day for the week ended Monday. In early November, L.A. County was recording about 10 deaths a day.
Healthcare workers getting increasingly sickened by COVID-19
Weekly reported coronavirus cases among healthcare workers in L.A. County, Nov. 12-Dec. 15, 2020
(Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
The virus is increasingly sickening healthcare workers in L.A. County. In the past week, there have been 2,191 confirmed cases among those workers, nearly triple the weekly number a month earlier.


latimes--2020-12-22--Column: For the Pied Piper of La Puente, no COVID-hit business is too small to tout

When the COVID-19 pandemic first shut down Southern California restaurants in March , Joe Bautista had an epiphany that all of us should have .
He was a local internet personality of some note who went by Man With an Appetite .
On his social media accounts , the warehouse worker for a shipping company chronicled cooking and dining adventures almost indistinguishable from those of fellow foodies .
Glamorous photos of grub .
Selfies .
A slew of hashtags .
Life as a movable feast , and little else .
But the financial devastation to small businesses wrought by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That year , he lost his job to the Great Recession and had to sell off prized possessions to stay afloat .
Only with the support of others did he make it through .
“ People shouldn ’ t be ashamed to ask for help , ” Bautista said , as he and his wife of 15 years , Andrea , stood under a streetlight on a Sunday night near the intersection of California Avenue and Amar Road in their hometown of La Puente .
He was about to transform into his latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to highlighting mom-and-pop shops in the city during these worst of times .
More than just offer a photo , Bautista now told their stories , Studs Terkel-style .
Earlier in the day , Bautista had documented barbershops , glass engravers , general stores and florists .
Now , it was time to eat .
“ I ’ m here at Comida Row , everybody !
” he announced on Instagram Live in a boisterous voice that easily rose above the roar of traffic next to him .
“ You know where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lights !
” “ Comida Row ” is Bautista ’ s nickname for a street median where food stalls have popped up for years but have increased in numbers with every dining ban .
Vendors beamed as the 40-year-old made his way past them .
They offered him items — spicy gummy bears , champurrado , Hawaiian food — that he politely declined .
Bautista wasn ’ t there to take freebies .
He was there to preach to those who wanted to listen .
He was embodying the spirit of the prophet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Repent of big chains , and prepare the way for small businesses to survive .
“ We got ta take care of each other , ” Bautista told his audience , as Andrea — a teacher by trade — gently lifted up the two masks that covered his face .
The online audience for La Puente Eats never topped 20 .
But they responded .
People standing in line waved .
Some approached him up to a socially safe distance when Bautista stopped filming .
“ He ’ s just everywhere , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there to deliver a virgin michelada that Bautista had ordered .
“ I don ’ t know how he does it , or even why , but he does it.
” “ He always tells us the good spots , to give them a chance , ” said 24-year-old Juan Aguirre .
“ It ’ s a small community , but it ’ s a good community.
” Adriana Valdez was at Comida Row with her two daughters .
Her family owns Camino Real , a 38-year-old La Puente institution that has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Joe is like the Pied Piper of La Puente , ” said the 44-year-old .
“ When all this began , he reached out to me and said , ‘ Please don ’ t take offense , but you ’ re doing your social media all wrong.
’ And he told me how to do it right , and didn ’ t ask for anything .
He just gives and gives.
” “ This is a city of echándole ganas [ hustling ] , ” Bautista said as we walked back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barely helps these people out .
So we all got ta do our part.
” Suddenly , a taco vendor shouted , “ Thank you for the video , bro !
Tag me !
” “ It was on IG Live , dawg , ” Bautista replied , “ but I ’ ll hit you up !
” I asked Bautista to take me on a late-night La Puente run and explain his mission .
He bounced around the Latino suburb like a pinball .
We ate well from vendors who set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the train tracks .
“ I ’ d take you to more places , man , ” he said at one point .
“ But Sunday nights are dead .
And so many spots have closed for good … ” He let his thought trail off .
Bautista ’ s offer to any business is simple : Ask him to shout you out , and he will .
The only payment he asks for is that the recipient of his goodwill do the same for others in La Puente .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the son of immigrants from the Mexican state of Tabasco .
“ Yeah , but they ’ ll only hit up one spot , then go to a gym in another city .
We all need to walk the walk right now.
” La Puente is a city constantly overlooked , even in the San Gabriel Valley .
Not as fancy as West Covina .
Not as big of a food hub as Arcadia .
Not as historic as El Monte .
“ It ’ s an underdog of underdogs , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ta help ourselves.
” Everywhere we went , I met struggling entrepreneurs who had subscribed to Bautista ’ s gospel .
We started at Genesis 2000 , a furniture manufacturer that didn ’ t even have a social media presence until Bautista found them while on the search for toilet paper .
Tony and Cuca Moreno had successfully operated for 30 years , but pivoted to selling cleaning supplies once their clients disappeared .
“ He ’ s been a significant source of our success , ” Tony , 56 , said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this Instagram thing .
I ’ m old school , so I never cared for that .
But now , we ’ ll get lines.
” Cuca , 55 , recently visited G & D Burgers after La Puente Eats highlighted its story : An Asian American family whose son now helped his parents after he was furloughed from his job as a vice president for an Orange County gym .
“ I feel their pain .
I have my life in [ Genesis 2000 ] right now , ” said Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re all gone , ” Cuca added .
“ It ’ s a chain reaction.
” Soon after , Bautista took me to spectacular Sonoran-style bacon-wrapped hot dogs grilled by Sergio Lopez , who runs Dogos Yaqui .
Food influencers have approached the 42-year-old with promises of thousands of followers and hype … for a price .
“ Not everyone has a heart like Joe , ” Lopez said .
“ Other people post a simple video , but Joe tells people about us.
” “ I can make money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way !
” Bautista said with scorn .
“ I ’ m not going to take someone ’ s food off the table .
People are being taken advantage of .
I ’ m not a fly-by-night type of guy .
It ’ s not a one-night stand with me.
” Our final destination was Cortez Brothers , a 46-year-old place where Bautista grew up on its albóndigas but which he hadn ’ t visited in years until last month .
The restaurant had a new owner : Rodrigo Garcia , who bought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s a line cook at the Beverly Wilshire who reached out to Bautista this fall in the hopes he might highlight his new place .
Bautista summarily posted a photo of Garcia ’ s refined albóndigas ; Cortez Brothers sold out within hours .
“ We need more Joes , ” said Garcia , 44 , as his teenage daughters helped to close up for the night .
“ I ’ m now getting people who say they ’ ve lived in La Puente their entire life but never visited us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Man With an Appetite account , and still likes a good meal .
But talking to so many La Puente businesspeople instead of just showcasing their food has changed him forever , he said .
`` Five-hundred-dollar dinners are fun , ” he said .
“ But what I ’ m doing now is better .
”

La Puente resident Joe Bautista shoots video to show his Instagram followers a scene of food vendors on Sunday night near Amar Road and California Avenue in La Puente.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first shut down Southern California restaurants in March, Joe Bautista had an epiphany that all of us should have.
He was a local internet personality of some note who went by Man With an Appetite. On his social media accounts, the warehouse worker for a shipping company chronicled cooking and dining adventures almost indistinguishable from those of fellow foodies. Glamorous photos of grub. Selfies. A slew of hashtags.
Life as a movable feast, and little else.
But the financial devastation to small businesses wrought by the pandemic took Bautista back to 2009. That year, he lost his job to the Great Recession and had to sell off prized possessions to stay afloat. Only with the support of others did he make it through.
“People shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for help,” Bautista said, as he and his wife of 15 years, Andrea, stood under a streetlight on a Sunday night near the intersection of California Avenue and Amar Road in their hometown of La Puente. He was about to transform into his latest persona: La Puente Eats, devoted to highlighting mom-and-pop shops in the city during these worst of times.
Advertisement
More than just offer a photo, Bautista now told their stories, Studs Terkel-style. Earlier in the day, Bautista had documented barbershops, glass engravers, general stores and florists.
Now, it was time to eat.
“I’m here at Comida Row, everybody!” he announced on Instagram Live in a boisterous voice that easily rose above the roar of traffic next to him. “You know where it’s at — just follow the lights!”
“Comida Row” is Bautista’s nickname for a street median where food stalls have popped up for years but have increased in numbers with every dining ban. Vendors beamed as the 40-year-old made his way past them. They offered him items — spicy gummy bears, champurrado, Hawaiian food — that he politely declined.
Bautista wasn’t there to take freebies. He was there to preach to those who wanted to listen. He was embodying the spirit of the prophet behind his surname, John the Baptist: Repent of big chains, and prepare the way for small businesses to survive.
“We gotta take care of each other,” Bautista told his audience, as Andrea — a teacher by trade — gently lifted up the two masks that covered his face.
The online audience for La Puente Eats never topped 20. But they responded. People standing in line waved. Some approached him up to a socially safe distance when Bautista stopped filming.
“He’s just everywhere,” said Lalo Bustamante, who was there to deliver a virgin michelada that Bautista had ordered. “I don’t know how he does it, or even why, but he does it.”
Advertisement
“He always tells us the good spots, to give them a chance,” said 24-year-old Juan Aguirre. “It’s a small community, but it’s a good community.”
Adriana Valdez was at Comida Row with her two daughters. Her family owns Camino Real, a 38-year-old La Puente institution that has seen profits drop by 50% this year.
“Joe is like the Pied Piper of La Puente,” said the 44-year-old. “When all this began, he reached out to me and said, ‘Please don’t take offense, but you’re doing your social media all wrong.’ And he told me how to do it right, and didn’t ask for anything. He just gives and gives.”
“This is a city of echándole ganas [hustling],” Bautista said as we walked back to his Subaru. “The government barely helps these people out. So we all gotta do our part.”
Suddenly, a taco vendor shouted, “Thank you for the video, bro! Tag me!”
“It was on IG Live, dawg,” Bautista replied, “but I’ll hit you up!”
I asked Bautista to take me on a late-night La Puente run and explain his mission. He bounced around the Latino suburb like a pinball. We ate well from vendors who set up barbecues in their driveways. Lonely restaurants near the train tracks.
“I’d take you to more places, man,” he said at one point. “But Sunday nights are dead. And so many spots have closed for good …”
He let his thought trail off.
Bautista’s offer to any business is simple: Ask him to shout you out, and he will. The only payment he asks for is that the recipient of his goodwill do the same for others in La Puente.
“People say they support local businesses,” said the son of immigrants from the Mexican state of Tabasco. “Yeah, but they’ll only hit up one spot, then go to a gym in another city. We all need to walk the walk right now.”
La Puente is a city constantly overlooked, even in the San Gabriel Valley. Not as fancy as West Covina. Not as big of a food hub as Arcadia. Not as historic as El Monte.
“It’s an underdog of underdogs,” Bautista said. “So we gotta help ourselves.”
Everywhere we went, I met struggling entrepreneurs who had subscribed to Bautista’s gospel.
We started at Genesis 2000, a furniture manufacturer that didn’t even have a social media presence until Bautista found them while on the search for toilet paper. Tony and Cuca Moreno had successfully operated for 30 years, but pivoted to selling cleaning supplies once their clients disappeared.
“He’s been a significant source of our success,” Tony, 56, said of Bautista. “And he told me about this Instagram thing. I’m old school, so I never cared for that. But now, we’ll get lines.”
Cuca, 55, recently visited G & D Burgers after La Puente Eats highlighted its story: An Asian American family whose son now helped his parents after he was furloughed from his job as a vice president for an Orange County gym.
“I feel their pain. I have my life in [Genesis 2000] right now,” said Tony.
“Without us helping each other, we’re all gone,” Cuca added. “It’s a chain reaction.”
Soon after, Bautista took me to spectacular Sonoran-style bacon-wrapped hot dogs grilled by Sergio Lopez, who runs Dogos Yaqui. Food influencers have approached the 42-year-old with promises of thousands of followers and hype … for a price.
“Not everyone has a heart like Joe,” Lopez said. “Other people post a simple video, but Joe tells people about us.”
“I can make money if I charge people, but no way!” Bautista said with scorn. “I’m not going to take someone’s food off the table. People are being taken advantage of. I’m not a fly-by-night type of guy. It’s not a one-night stand with me.”
Our final destination was Cortez Brothers, a 46-year-old place where Bautista grew up on its albóndigas but which he hadn’t visited in years until last month. The restaurant had a new owner: Rodrigo Garcia, who bought it in July of last year. He’s a line cook at the Beverly Wilshire who reached out to Bautista this fall in the hopes he might highlight his new place.
Bautista summarily posted a photo of Garcia’s refined albóndigas; Cortez Brothers sold out within hours.
“We need more Joes,” said Garcia, 44, as his teenage daughters helped to close up for the night. “I’m now getting people who say they’ve lived in La Puente their entire life but never visited us until now.”
Bautista still posts on his Man With an Appetite account, and still likes a good meal. But talking to so many La Puente businesspeople instead of just showcasing their food has changed him forever, he said.
“Five-hundred-dollar dinners are fun,” he said. “But what I’m doing now is better.”