latimes--2020-05-08--Senior care homes source of nearly half of all California coronavirus deaths, data show

Nearly half of all deaths related to COVID-19 in California are linked to elder care facilities , a data analysis by the Los Angeles Times has found , with the state releasing new data late Friday suggesting that there have been many more outbreaks than previously disclosed .
At least 1,276 people have died after being infected with the coronavirus in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities in California , accounting for more than 49 % of total fatalities reported by the state .
The deaths are part of state data showing that at least 387 skilled nursing or assisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles , have recorded cases .
The highest death toll in the state remains at Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Tulare County , where 28 residents have died and 116 patients and 61 staff members have been infected .
The facility ’ s parent company , Plum Healthcare Group , said in a statement last week that the “ safety and well-being of our clients and their efforts to care as well as protect patients and caretakers are our highest priorities during this national emergency.
” But there are questions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .
Earlier in the day , the state listed Studio City Rehabilitation Center as the facility linked to the highest number of fatalities in California , with 31 dead .
That , however , was disputed by the facility , which said it has had only three COVID-19 deaths , numbers in line with county figures .
Liz Tyler , a representative for Studio City Rehabilitation , said the home had accurately reported to the state and did not know where the error occurred .
“ We have no idea , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added a zero or something.
” By Friday evening , the state had changed the facility ’ s listing to reflect fewer than 11 deaths — its standard when the number is 10 or smaller .
But it gave no explanation .
Charlene Harrington , a UC San Francisco professor who studies nursing homes , said the numbers are “ scary ” but not surprising .
Harrington said more state oversight and testing is needed to protect facilities from outbreaks .
“ The government and the nursing homes are not doing what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Harrington said .
“ What they are doing now is just waiting until someone gets sick and then testing , so you can ’ t get in front of it .
You have to test ahead of time because so many staff and so many residents are asymptomatic.
” Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state ’ s secretary of Health and Human Services , said during the briefing that California was continuing to work to expand testing in elder care homes and that the expansion of testing in recent days in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he acknowledged that more testing capacity was needed .
“ I look forward to the day when we have no site that has a limit to its testing capacity , ” Ghaly said .
In Los Angeles County , health officials have called for widespread testing in nursing homes .
Numbers of reported cases could be higher for homes in Los Angeles County because public health director Barbara Ferrer announced late last month that nursing homes would be advised to test all residents and staff , not just those who show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test only those who showed symptoms , was a mistake , Ferrer said .
Testing only people with symptoms , experts say , probably resulted in a significant undercount of cases at nursing homes , where the ever-climbing number of people falling ill and dying is already a national tragedy .

At least 28 residents have died and 116 patients and 61 staff have been infected with COVID-19 at the Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia, Calif.
Nearly half of all deaths related to COVID-19 in California are linked to elder care facilities, a data analysis by the Los Angeles Times has found, with the state releasing new data suggesting that there have been many more outbreaks than previously disclosed.
At least 1,276 people have died after being infected with the coronavirus in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities in California, accounting for more than 49% of total fatalities reported by the state.
The deaths are part of state data showing that at least 387 skilled nursing or assisted living facilities in California, many clustered in Los Angeles, have recorded cases.
The highest death toll in the state remains at Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Tulare County, where 28 residents have died and 116 patients and 61 staff members have been infected.
The facility’s parent company, Plum Healthcare Group, said in a statement last week that the “safety and well-being of our clients and their efforts to care as well as protect patients and caretakers are our highest priorities during this national emergency.”
But there are questions about the accuracy of the state’s data. Earlier Friday, the state had listed Studio City Rehabilitation Center as the facility linked to the highest number of fatalities in California, with 31 dead. That, however, was disputed by the facility, which said it has had only three COVID-19 deaths, numbers in line with county figures.
Liz Tyler, a representative for Studio City Rehabilitation, said the home had accurately reported to the state and did not know where the error occurred. “We have no idea,” Tyler said. “We think they added a zero or something.”
By Friday evening, the state had changed the facility’s listing to reflect fewer than 11 deaths — its standard when the number is 10 or smaller. But it gave no explanation.
Charlene Harrington, a UC San Francisco professor who studies nursing homes, said the numbers are “scary” but not surprising. Harrington said more state oversight and testing is needed to protect facilities from outbreaks.
“The government and the nursing homes are not doing what they need to do to stop it,” Harrington said. “What they are doing now is just waiting until someone gets sick and then testing, so you can’t get in front of it. You have to test ahead of time because so many staff and so many residents are asymptomatic.”
During a Friday briefing on Facebook, Gov. Gavin Newsom called elder care facilities a “top priority.”
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of Health and Human Services, said during the briefing that California was continuing to work to expand testing in elder care homes and that the expansion of testing in recent days in some cases targeted communities with elder care facilities. But he acknowledged that more testing capacity was needed.
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“I look forward to the day when we have no site that has a limit to its testing capacity,” Ghaly said.
In Los Angeles County, health officials have called for widespread testing in nursing homes. Numbers of reported cases could be higher for homes in Los Angeles County because public health director Barbara Ferrer announced late last month that nursing homes would be advised to test all residents and staff, not just those who show symptoms. The previous guidance, to test only those who showed symptoms, was a mistake, Ferrer said.
Testing only people with symptoms, experts say, probably resulted in a significant undercount of cases at nursing homes, where the ever-climbing number of people falling ill and dying is already a national tragedy.
Other institutional settings in California have also been hit particularly hard, most notably federal prisons.
The number of inmates infected with the coronavirus at a federal prison in Lompoc shot up to 792 this week, making it the largest federal penitentiary outbreak in the nation, surpassing a facility on Terminal Island in San Pedro, where 644 inmates have contracted the virus.
Nearly 70% of the inmates at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc have tested positive, with the case total increasing by more than 300 in recent days, officials said Friday. FCI Lompoc and Terminal Island now account for about 47% of all the federal inmates who have tested positive nationwide. Both prisons have conducted widespread testing of hundreds of inmates, even those without symptoms.
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart on Friday expressed dismay with the prison and said that the county’s Public Health Department has no power over the federal prison complex. “We have been consistently rebuffed by prison authorities,” he said.
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The numbers coming out of FCI Lompoc are so high that the prison accounted for all but one of the 311 new cases reported in Santa Barbara County on Friday, Hart said.
Hart said the prison numbers are making it hard for the county to meet Newsom’s new requirements for reopening parts of the state. Hart said state legislators from the area are talking to officials in the governor’s office.
Dr. Henning Ansorg, Santa Barbara County’s public health officer, said about 70% of the inmates’ tests at the Lompoc prison are coming back positive.
“The vast majority of positive individuals report minor or no symptoms,” Ansorg said. The numbers are reflective of an institutional environment where people are housed in close quarters. He said the actual numbers at the prison may be higher because there is a lag time in reporting.
Some of the inmates infected at Lompoc have been hospitalized. Santa Barbara County has 1,032 cases with about 80% being in the federal prison complex.
At the California Institution for Men in Chino, four inmates have died and 332 have tested positive in the state prison system’s worst documented outbreak as mass testing has been deployed.
The wife of one inmate, who asked not to be identified, said that once her husband contracted the virus at Terminal Island, he was taken to a San Pedro hospital, but it took her days to find out where he was sent. She said she didn’t learn how serious his condition was until she spoke with a hospital chaplain.
The woman said her husband survived the illness and is now back at the prison but struggling to recover.
“He is very weak,” she said. “He fell down in the shower.”


latimes--2020-05-08--Moms in California may need parasols while moms in the East need parkas this weekend

This Mother ’ s Day weekend , while moms in the West keep parasols handy and bask in summery conditions , moms in parkas will struggle to stay warm in the East .
A blast of frigid Arctic air will turn May chilly and blustery in most of the Eastern U.S. , while near-record heat persists out West , the National Weather Service said .
Frost advisories and freeze warnings are up across the Midwest , and snow is possible for the Northeast region and Great Lakes , with heavy snow forecast for northern New England .
Accumulations of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central Appalachians .
Meanwhile , an extensive upper-level ridge will continue to maintain unusually warm conditions in the West through the weekend .
Temperatures at some locations in the Pacific Northwest could break records for the date on Saturday .
Abnormal warmth will last through Mother ’ s Day , but an approaching trough will bring cooler readings to California next week .
The cold in the Eastern U.S. is the result of an unruly lobe of the polar vortex dipping down from the Arctic .
The winter that just ended was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
One feature of that winter season was a strong zonal , west-to-east-flowing polar vortex .
Now the polar vortex is behaving in May as you might expect it to in February or March .
Wintry precipitation could also be widespread across parts of the Great Lakes , Appalachians and Northeast , and severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail are possible on the central Gulf Coast .
Temperatures in the Eastern U.S. will remain below normal , but will begin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coast , there will be a gradual cooling trend into next week as an upper-level trough approaches from the eastern Pacific .
Morning low clouds and fog will return to the Southern California coast Friday night and spread into adjacent valleys next week .
There ’ s a chance of light showers developing Monday night through Tuesday .
Rainfall is likely to be light — 0.10 inch or less .
The system is expected to bring light to locally moderate precipitation to the Bay Area on Monday , with showers lingering Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ north of the Golden Gate , with a quarter-inch to an inch possible in the North Bay , and amounts tailing off going southward .
Any precipitation in parched Northern California could , however , help to delay the start of the fire season .
And models are supporting the possibility of another stronger storm system arriving in the Bay Area May 17-18 , the National Weather Service said .

Unseasonable cold will sag into much of the Eastern U.S. over Mother’s Day weekend.
This Mother’s Day weekend, while moms in the West keep parasols handy and bask in summery conditions, moms in parkas will struggle to stay warm in the East.
A blast of frigid Arctic air will turn May chilly and blustery in most of the Eastern U.S., while near-record heat persists out West, the National Weather Service said.
Frost advisories and freeze warnings are up across the Midwest, and snow is possible for the Northeast region and Great Lakes, with heavy snow forecast for northern New England. Accumulations of several inches are possible in the northern and central Appalachians.
Meanwhile, an extensive upper-level ridge will continue to maintain unusually warm conditions in the West through the weekend. Temperatures at some locations in the Pacific Northwest could break records for the date on Saturday.
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Abnormal warmth will last through Mother’s Day, but an approaching trough will bring cooler readings to California next week.
This winter was the sixth-warmest on record because of a strong zonal, west-to-east-flowing polar vortex. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The cold in the Eastern U.S. is the result of an unruly lobe of the polar vortex dipping down from the Arctic. The winter that just ended was the sixth-warmest on record in the contiguous United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One feature of that winter season was a strong zonal, west-to-east-flowing polar vortex. Now the polar vortex is behaving in May as you might expect it to in February or March.
Wintry precipitation could also be widespread across parts of the Great Lakes, Appalachians and Northeast, and severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail are possible on the central Gulf Coast. Temperatures in the Eastern U.S. will remain below normal, but will begin to moderate on Sunday.
A trough will bring a chance of showers to California early next week. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
On the West Coast, there will be a gradual cooling trend into next week as an upper-level trough approaches from the eastern Pacific. Morning low clouds and fog will return to the Southern California coast Friday night and spread into adjacent valleys next week. There’s a chance of light showers developing Monday night through Tuesday. Rainfall is likely to be light — 0.10 inch or less.
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The system is expected to bring light to locally moderate precipitation to the Bay Area on Monday, with showers lingering Tuesday. Rainfall amounts are expected to be highest north of the Golden Gate, with a quarter-inch to an inch possible in the North Bay, and amounts tailing off going southward.
Any precipitation in parched Northern California could, however, help to delay the start of the fire season. And models are supporting the possibility of another stronger storm system arriving in the Bay Area May 17-18, the National Weather Service said.


latimes--2020-05-08--Vanessa Bryant files claim against L.A. County sheriff over Kobe Bryant crash site photos

Vanessa Bryant has filed a claim against the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department over deputies sharing “ unauthorized ” photos of the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe Bryant , their daughter and seven others .
According to the claim filed Friday , Sheriff Alex Villanueva “ personally assured her ” that deputies were securing the crash site to ensure her privacy .
“ In reality , however , no fewer than eight sheriff ’ s deputies were at the scene snapping cell-phone photos of the dead children , parents , and coaches , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precursor to a lawsuit , said .
“ As the department would later admit , there was no investigative purpose for deputies to take pictures at the crash site .
Rather , the deputies took photos for their own personal purposes.
” The claim also states the department ’ s response to the scandal has been “ grossly insufficient.
” “ Mrs .
Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the story , ” it said .
The document said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies took or shared photos of the scene .
The claim alleges that the deputies who took and shared the photos are liable for negligence , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of her right to privacy .
The Sheriff ’ s Department said it had not received the claim and declined to comment .
Alex Villanueva could not be reached for comment .
The Los Angeles Times first disclosed that the deputies shared photos taken at the crash site near Calabasas after someone filed a written complaint to the Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 crash .
A young deputy was showing gruesome photos taken at the scene of the tragedy at the Baja California Bar & Grill in Norwalk , the complaint said .
For weeks , the leadership of the Sheriff ’ s Department tried to keep a lid on the episode instead of following normal investigative protocols — even after determining that several more deputies had obtained photos .
Villanueva ordered the deputies to quietly delete the photos , a move that some inside the department as well as legal experts said could amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revelations , an attorney for Vanessa Bryant said that she ’ d gone to the sheriff ’ s office after the crash and requested the area be designated a “ no-fly zone ” and guarded from photographers .
“ At that time , Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families ’ privacy , and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests , ” attorney Gary Robb said .
He demanded that the deputies be identified “ to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Robb requested an internal affairs investigation into the allegations and the “ harshest possible discipline ” for those responsible .
He called the alleged behavior “ inexcusable and deplorable.
” “ This is an unspeakable violation of human decency , respect , and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families , ” he said .
After The Times reported on the scandal , Villanueva said he launched an investigation , which he asked the Office of the Inspector General to monitor .
Inspector General Max Huntsman offered to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has done in the past when conflicts of interest have arisen .
“ As you are aware , we are conducting an inquiry into public allegations that LASD command staff ordered the destruction of evidence of crash scene photographs and suppressed the investigation prior to the matter being reported publicly , ” Huntsman said in the letter .
The Sheriff ’ s Department said Friday that the internal affairs case “ is still under investigation and pending.
” Earlier this week , a California lawmaker outraged by the scandal said he wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers to take unauthorized photographs of those killed in accidents and crimes .
State Assemblyman Mike Gipson ( D-Carson ) has introduced legislation that would make it a misdemeanor , punishable by up to a year in jail and $ 5,000 in fines for a first responder to use a smartphone or other device to photograph a deceased person for any purpose other than official law enforcement business .

Vanessa Bryant filed a claim against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over deputies sharing photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, their daughter and seven others.
Vanessa Bryant has filed a claim against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over deputies sharing “unauthorized” photos of the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, their daughter and seven others.
According to the claim filed Friday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva “personally assured her” that deputies were securing the crash site to ensure her privacy.
“In reality, however, no fewer than eight sheriff’s deputies were at the scene snapping cell-phone photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches,” the claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, said. “As the department would later admit, there was no investigative purpose for deputies to take pictures at the crash site. Rather, the deputies took photos for their own personal purposes.”
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The claim also states the department’s response to the scandal has been “grossly insufficient.”
“Mrs. Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the story,” it said. The document said five deputies and three trainees or reserve deputies took or shared photos of the scene.
The claim alleges that the deputies who took and shared the photos are liable for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of her right to privacy.
The Sheriff’s Department said it had not received the claim and declined to comment. Villanueva could not be reached for comment.
The others who perished in the fiery crash were Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna ; Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The Los Angeles Times first reported that the deputies shared photos taken at the crash site near Calabasas after someone filed a written complaint to the Sheriff’s Department three days after the Jan. 26 crash.
California The last flight of Kobe Bryant Tracing Kobe Bryant’s fateful last flight Sunday morning that ended with a horrific crash.
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A young deputy was showing gruesome photos taken at the scene of the tragedy at the Baja California Bar & Grill in Norwalk, the complaint said.
For weeks, the leadership of the Sheriff’s Department tried to keep a lid on the episode instead of following normal investigative protocols — even after determining that several more deputies had obtained photos.
Villanueva ordered the deputies to quietly delete the photos, a move that some inside the department as well as legal experts said could amount to destruction of evidence.
Following the revelations, an attorney for Vanessa Bryant said that she’d gone to the sheriff’s office after the crash and requested the area be designated a “no-fly zone” and guarded from photographers.
“At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests,” attorney Gary C. Robb said. He demanded that the deputies be identified “to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.”
Robb requested an internal affairs investigation into the allegations and the “harshest possible discipline” for those responsible. He called the alleged behavior “inexcusable and deplorable.”
“This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families,” he said.
After The Times reported on the scandal, Villanueva said he launched an investigation, which he asked the Office of the Inspector General to monitor.
Inspector General Max Huntsman offered to take over the investigation, as his office has done in the past when conflicts of interest have arisen.
“As you are aware, we are conducting an inquiry into public allegations that LASD command staff ordered the destruction of evidence of crash scene photographs and suppressed the investigation prior to the matter being reported publicly,” Huntsman said in the letter.
The Sheriff’s Department said Friday that the internal affairs case “is still under investigation and pending.”
Earlier this week, a California lawmaker outraged by the scandal said he wants to make it a crime for law enforcement officers to take unauthorized photographs of those killed in accidents and crimes.
State Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson) has introduced legislation that would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines for a first responder to use a smartphone or other device to photograph a deceased person for any purpose other than official law enforcement business.


latimes--2020-05-08--Shooting in Pasadena leaves driver dead and a police officer hospitalized

A man was killed and a Pasadena police officer underwent surgery after a car chase ended in gunfire Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ Shortly after 3 p.m. , officers tried to pull over a Mitsubishi Mirage for a @ @ @ @ @ the hatchback took off , Lt. Carolyn Gordon said .
The motorist was driving recklessly @ @ @ @ @ officers pursued the car to the intersection of Corson Street and Allen Avenue , where @ @ @ @ @ intervention technique ” to bring it to a stop .
As the chase ended , @ @ @ @ @ officer was shot in the leg and the motorist was killed , Gordon said .
@ @ @ @ @ officers , she said , but it had yet to be determined Friday if he @ @ @ @ @ one of them .
Three firearms were recovered from the hatchback , she said .
@ @ @ @ @ and was in “ serious but stable condition ” Friday evening , Gordon said .

Pasadena police headquarters. A car chase ended in gunfire on Friday afternoon, Pasadena police said, leaving a suspect dead and a police officer in surgery.
A man was killed and a Pasadena police officer underwent surgery after a car chase ended in gunfire Friday afternoon, Pasadena police said.
Shortly after 3 p.m., officers tried to pull over a Mitsubishi Mirage for a vehicle code violation, but the hatchback took off, Lt. Carolyn Gordon said.
The motorist was driving recklessly, she said, and officers pursued the car to the intersection of Corson Street and Allen Avenue, where they used a “pursuit intervention technique” to bring it to a stop.
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As the chase ended, shots were exchanged. An officer was shot in the leg and the motorist was killed, Gordon said.
The suspect shot at the officers, she said, but it had yet to be determined Friday if he fired the round that struck one of them.
Three firearms were recovered from the hatchback, she said.
The wounded officer underwent surgery and was in “serious but stable condition” Friday evening, Gordon said.


latimes--2020-05-08--Most California counties fall short of reopening criteria as coronavirus cases climb

Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy , including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls , a Times data analysis found .
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks each of California ’ s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard .
Can the county show that people have stopped dying from the coronavirus ?
Have new cases fallen to a manageable level ?
Can officials adequately test people ?
Do they have enough detectives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And do they have enough medical supplies ?
The Times conducted an analysis to see which counties could pass just the first two criteria — whether deaths have stopped in the past 14 days , and whether there is no more than one case per 10,000 residents in that same time period .
Most of California failed that test .
In fact , 95 % of Californians live in counties that don ’ t meet that standard , The Times analysis found .
Not a single county in Southern California nor the San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 24 counties that did meet the criteria , for the two-week period that ended Thursday , are all in Northern California and most are sparsely populated .
The three largest counties meeting both criteria are Placer County , population 380,000 , northeast of Sacramento ; Santa Cruz County , population 274,000 , south of San Jose ; and Butte County , population 227,000 , in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada .
With the exception of Santa Cruz County , all 24 counties are north of the San Francisco Bay Area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only 2 million of California ’ s 39.1 million residents live in these counties .
The failure of most California counties to meet the criteria demonstrates just how persistent the coronavirus is in the Golden State ’ s most populous areas .
The Times analysis found that 92 % of Californians live in counties that in the last two weeks have recorded at least one death from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The criteria need to be met only by counties wanting to move faster than the statewide pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first part of Phase 2 of Newsom ’ s reopening plan Friday , its effect statewide was limited — only allowing lower-risk businesses to open for curbside pickup , like florists and stores selling books , clothes , music , toys and sporting goods .
The easing applied only to counties without stricter local rules .
Counties that meet the criteria in the latter part of Phase 2 could allow people to dine inside restaurants and head into malls .
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly .
“ Over the next few weeks , we ’ ll be making subsequent announcements for the entire state , not just those that meet those more restrictive criteria , ” Newsom said .
California has recorded more than 63,000 cases and more than 2,600 deaths .
Urban areas have seen a greater toll than many smaller communities .
Los Angeles County , California ’ s most populous and home to one-quarter of the state ’ s population , has suffered the highest death toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Its 622 deaths were 61 % of all the deaths recorded in California from COVID-19 during that time period .
Another 51 deaths were reported in L.A. County on Friday .
Riverside County comes up second , recording 92 fatalities in the past two weeks .
Riverside County ’ s health officer , Dr. Cameron Kaiser , has been locked in a contentious standoff with some other county officials who are demanding he rescind orders requiring people to wear facial coverings in public and stay at least six feet away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolls in the double digits over the last two weeks : San Diego County , with 65 ; Santa Clara County , 32 ; Orange County , 30 ; San Bernardino County , 31 ; Alameda County , 21 ; San Mateo County , 17 ; Tulare County , 18 ; Stanislaus County , 14 ; and San Francisco , 11 .
In all , there were 26 counties that have reported at least one death in the past two weeks , in counties home to 36 million people .
Eight counties — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — have met the standard of no deaths in the last two weeks , but have rates of new cases higher than the state ’ s cutoff for a speedier reopening .
The worst hit county in this category is Kings County in the San Joaquin Valley , with 13 new cases per 10,000 residents — just above L.A. County ’ s rate of almost 12 cases per 10,000 residents in the past two weeks .
Kings County is the site of a large coronavirus outbreak at a meat packing plant in Hanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected , according to the Fresno Bee .
The others with disease rates that exceed the state standard include Mariposa County , home of Yosemite National Park , with eight new cases per 10,000 residents .
Three other counties have between two and three new cases per 10,000 people : Mono County , home to the Mammoth Mountain ski area ; San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast , and Merced County in the San Joaquin Valley .
Newsom said he understood there ’ s a “ deep anxiety ; people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that the criteria for counties to reopen at a pace faster than the statewide standard was based on what public health experts advised .
California has recorded an average of 500 deaths a week for the past four weeks .
He said officials need time to make sure authorities build up robust capacity to test people and train a workforce of disease detectives to investigate new cases — and identify their close contacts — as California reopens .
It ’ s no small task .
In Silicon Valley , the Santa Clara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this week said she foresees a need to create an expanded disease detective team twice the size of the local public health department .
Cody said officials are looking at having county , city and school district employees do the work , as well as volunteers .
Currently , the Bay Area ’ s most populous county can investigate 25 new cases a day — and that ’ s adequate right now because most people are staying at home .
But once shelter-in-place orders are lifted and people start leaving home more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to investigate 75 cases a day .
The manpower needed is enormous in L.A. County , where an average of 900 cases a day have been reported in the last week .
Not only do each of those newly infected people need to be contacted , but so do each of their close contacts , which have averaged eight before the stay-at-home order was implemented and now average five .
Newsom said businesses and venues in a higher risk category , Phase 3 — like hair and nail salons , gyms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could see a reopening in the coming months .
Churches have been a notable site for coronavirus outbreaks worldwide , and Newsom has said a nail salon was the site of California ’ s first confirmed spread of the coronavirus in the community .
“ Phase 3 is not a year away .
It ’ s not six months away .
It ’ s not even three months away .
It may not even be more than a month away .
We just want to make sure that we have a protocol in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable , ” Newsom said .
As for the rest of Phase 2 , Newsom said he hoped he could move all of California into the next phase , while allowing some regions to be stricter if they decide that ’ s needed .
“ We hope to be making announcements on a consistent basis , over the next few weeks , moving everybody into this next phase , ” Newsom said .
Times staff writers Phil Willon and Alexandra Wigglesworth @ @ @ @ @

Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy, including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls, a Times data analysis found.
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks each of California’s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard. Can the county show that people have stopped dying from the coronavirus? Have new cases fallen to a manageable level? Can officials adequately test people? Do they have enough detectives to track down newly infected people? And do they have enough medical supplies?
The Times conducted an analysis to see which counties could pass just the first two criteria — whether deaths have stopped in the past 14 days, and whether there is no more than one case per 10,000 residents in that same time period. Most of California failed that test.
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In fact, 95% of Californians live in counties that don’t meet that standard, The Times analysis found. Not a single county in Southern California nor the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria.
The 24 counties that did meet the criteria, for the two-week period that ended Thursday, are all in Northern California and most are sparsely populated.
The three largest counties meeting both criteria are Placer County, population 380,000, northeast of Sacramento; Santa Cruz County, population 274,000, south of San Jose; and Butte County, population 227,000, in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada.
With the exception of Santa Cruz County, all 24 counties are north of the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and the Yosemite Valley.
Only 2 million of California’s 39.1 million residents live in these counties.
The failure of most California counties to meet the criteria demonstrates just how persistent the coronavirus is in the Golden State’s most populous areas. The Times analysis found that 92% of Californians live in counties that in the last two weeks have recorded at least one death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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The criteria need to be met only by counties wanting to move faster than the statewide pace of reopening. While California entered the first part of Phase 2 of Newsom’s reopening plan Friday, its effect statewide was limited — only allowing lower-risk businesses to open for curbside pickup, like florists and stores selling books, clothes, music, toys and sporting goods. The easing applied only to counties without stricter local rules.
1 / 20 Christina Dagle and her daughter Eleanor Eades, 4, buy flowers from Devynn’s Garden in Seal Beach. Some businesses began reopening Friday under a relaxation of the state’s stay-at-home order. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 20 Manager Ruben Cortez with online orders ready to be picked up at Lovell’s Records in Whittier. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 20 Davon Artis, owner of Cool Kicks, sits with a bottle of hand sanitizer as he awaits customers Friday at his sports shoe and apparel store on Melrose Avenue. Artis said he had only a few curbside customers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 20 Jessica Knudsen, a sales associate at Cookies, a street wear clothing store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, gives change and a backpack purchase to customer Jason Green of Tampa, Fla. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 20 Kim Wicker, owner of Monte’s Camera in Whittier, continued to keep his shop closed Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 20 A security guard gets some exercise while keeping watch at the still-closed Apple Store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 20 Katrina Woerner at her family business, Pour Le Bain in Whittier, which reopened Friday for online order pickup. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 20 Ben, Julia, Luke and Ethan Brenier, from left, help ready their family store, the Wishing Well, for reopening in Whittier. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 20 Shopper Enid Koffler, left, talks with clothing store owner Holly Boies at her shop on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Boies is planning to open her store Friday for curbside pickup.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 20 Ethan Brenier helps his mother prepare to reopen their family store in Whittier.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 20 Rebecca Barnes prepares bouquets at a florist in Long Beach, set to open two days before Mother’s Day.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angelels Times) 12 / 20 Customers in San Clemente, without wearing masks or abiding by social distancing guidelines, stand in line at a newly reopened restaurant.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 20 Linda McLoughlin Figel, owner of Pages a Bookstore in Manhattan Beach, left, helps customer Michael Leo. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 20 A mural decorates a closed business in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 20 A closed thrift shop on Main Street in Santa Monica. Some retail businesses will reopen for curbside pickup Friday.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 20 Kay Kabir, 71, walks down a deserted Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 20 Debra Consani prepares the Growing Wild florist for reopening in Manhattan Beach.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 20 Jay Demircift, co-owner of Puzzle Zoo, prepares his shop in Santa Monica, which will be reopening at a later date. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 20 A message board tracks the struggles of a shop owner on Main Street in Santa Monica.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 20 Alice Lefae cleans up a Long Beach shop’s exterior in preparation for Friday’s reopening.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Counties that meet the criteria in the latter part of Phase 2 could allow people to dine inside restaurants and head into malls.
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis, allowing larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making subsequent announcements for the entire state, not just those that meet those more restrictive criteria,” Newsom said.
California has recorded more than 63,000 cases and more than 2,600 deaths. Urban areas have seen a greater toll than many smaller communities.
Los Angeles County, California’s most populous and home to one-quarter of the state’s population, has suffered the highest death toll of any county for the last two weeks. Its 622 deaths were 61% of all the deaths recorded in California from COVID-19 during that time period. Another 51 deaths were reported in L.A. County on Friday.
Riverside County comes up second, recording 92 fatalities in the past two weeks. Riverside County’s health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, has been locked in a contentious standoff with some other county officials who are demanding he rescind orders requiring people to wear facial coverings in public and stay at least six feet away from others.
Nine other counties had death tolls in the double digits over the last two weeks: San Diego County, with 65; Santa Clara County, 32; Orange County, 30; San Bernardino County, 31; Alameda County, 21; San Mateo County, 17; Tulare County, 18; Stanislaus County, 14; and San Francisco, 11. In all, there were 26 counties that have reported at least one death in the past two weeks, in counties home to 36 million people.
Eight counties — with a combined population of 1 million — have met the standard of no deaths in the last two weeks, but have rates of new cases higher than the state’s cutoff for a speedier reopening. The worst hit county in this category is Kings County in the San Joaquin Valley, with 13 new cases per 10,000 residents — just above L.A. County’s rate of almost 12 cases per 10,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Kings County is the site of a large coronavirus outbreak at a meat packing plant in Hanford, where at least 138 have been infected, according to the Fresno Bee.
The others with disease rates that exceed the state standard include Mariposa County, home of Yosemite National Park, with eight new cases per 10,000 residents. Three other counties have between two and three new cases per 10,000 people: Mono County, home to the Mammoth Mountain ski area; San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast, and Merced County in the San Joaquin Valley.
Newsom said he understood there’s a “deep anxiety; people are feeling a desire to reopen,” but that the criteria for counties to reopen at a pace faster than the statewide standard was based on what public health experts advised. California has recorded an average of 500 deaths a week for the past four weeks.
He said officials need time to make sure authorities build up robust capacity to test people and train a workforce of disease detectives to investigate new cases — and identify their close contacts — as California reopens.
It’s no small task. In Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara County health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, this week said she foresees a need to create an expanded disease detective team twice the size of the local public health department. Cody said officials are looking at having county, city and school district employees do the work, as well as volunteers.
Currently, the Bay Area’s most populous county can investigate 25 new cases a day — and that’s adequate right now because most people are staying at home. But once shelter-in-place orders are lifted and people start leaving home more often, Santa Clara County will likely need to investigate 75 cases a day.
The manpower needed is enormous in L.A. County, where an average of 900 cases a day have been reported in the last week. Not only do each of those newly infected people need to be contacted, but so do each of their close contacts, which have averaged eight before the stay-at-home order was implemented and now average five.
Newsom said businesses and venues in a higher risk category, Phase 3 — like hair and nail salons, gyms, movie theaters, churches and weddings — could see a reopening in the coming months. Churches have been a notable site for coronavirus outbreaks worldwide, and Newsom has said a nail salon was the site of California’s first confirmed spread of the coronavirus in the community.
“Phase 3 is not a year away. It’s not six months away. It’s not even three months away. It may not even be more than a month away. We just want to make sure that we have a protocol in place to secure customer safety, employee safety and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable,” Newsom said.
As for the rest of Phase 2, Newsom said he hoped he could move all of California into the next phase, while allowing some regions to be stricter if they decide that’s needed. “We hope to be making announcements on a consistent basis, over the next few weeks, moving everybody into this next phase,” Newsom said.
Times staff writers Phil Willon and Alexandra Wigglesworth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-09--Rain likely in Northern California as late-season system arrives from the Pacific

A low-pressure trough pushing into Northern California from the eastern Pacific will bring widespread showers to the part of the state most in need of rain .
The trough is expected to push a cold front into Northern California Monday morning through Monday evening , causing widespread showers and breezy southwest winds gusting 25 to 40 mph in the higher elevations , the National Weather Service said .
Showers will continue Monday night and Tuesday as the trough itself pushes through , and weak instability could cause thundershowers .
High temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees below average on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees below average on Tuesday .
To the south , the cold front associated with the trough will bring a deep marine layer and a slight chance of light rain , mainly in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties , on Monday night and Tuesday morning .
The rainfall in Northern California will not be enough to alleviate the ongoing drought , but it could delay the start of the fire season a little .
The National Interagency Fire Center has predicted above-normal potential for large wildfires by midsummer .
The most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show a slight expansion of the areas of the state considered to be in moderate and severe drought .
The portion of California in moderate drought increased from about 22 % to 23.3 % , and the portion in severe drought expanded from 14.9 % to 15.6 % .
The part of the state up by the Oregon border that is in extreme drought declined from 4.7 % to 3.9 % .
May got off to a wet start as 1 to 3 inches or more of rain fell on coastal southwest Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drought Monitor reported .
Otherwise , precipitation for the water year to date since Oct. 1 has averaged less than 50 % of normal across parts of Oregon , Northern California and the Great Basin .
The portion of the California not considered to be in drought , mainly in the southern and central part of the state , remained at 41.8 % .
Southern California benefited from some winter-like late-season storms , but has since baked under persistent heat waves as a summer-like ridge of high pressure has camped over California and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upper-level trough is expected to be slow to move out , so showers could linger in Northern California into Wednesday and Thursday before high pressure and dry , warmer weather return to that part of the state .
But long-range trends suggest another trough could bring another late-season rain chance to Northern California around May 17 .

A low-pressure trough pushing into Northern California from the eastern Pacific will bring widespread showers to the part of the state most in need of rain.
The trough is expected to push a cold front into Northern California Monday morning through Monday evening, causing widespread showers and breezy southwest winds gusting 25 to 40 mph in the higher elevations, the National Weather Service said. Showers will continue Monday night and Tuesday as the trough itself pushes through, and weak instability could cause thundershowers. High temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees below average on Monday, and as much as 20 degrees below average on Tuesday.
To the south, the cold front associated with the trough will bring a deep marine layer and a slight chance of light rain, mainly in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
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The rainfall in Northern California will not be enough to alleviate the ongoing drought, but it could delay the start of the fire season a little. The National Interagency Fire Center has predicted above-normal potential for large wildfires by midsummer.
The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday show a slight expansion of the areas of the state considered to be in moderate and severe drought.
The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor data was released on Thursday. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The portion of California in moderate drought increased from about 22% to 23.3%, and the portion in severe drought expanded from 14.9% to 15.6%.
The part of the state up by the Oregon border that is in extreme drought declined from 4.7% to 3.9%. May got off to a wet start as 1 to 3 inches or more of rain fell on coastal southwest Oregon and extreme northwest California, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported.
Otherwise, precipitation for the water year to date since Oct. 1 has averaged less than 50% of normal across parts of Oregon, Northern California and the Great Basin.
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The portion of the California not considered to be in drought, mainly in the southern and central part of the state, remained at 41.8%. Southern California benefited from some winter-like late-season storms, but has since baked under persistent heat waves as a summer-like ridge of high pressure has camped over California and the Southwest.
This week’s upper-level trough is expected to be slow to move out, so showers could linger in Northern California into Wednesday and Thursday before high pressure and dry, warmer weather return to that part of the state. But long-range trends suggest another trough could bring another late-season rain chance to Northern California around May 17.


latimes--2020-05-09--Protesters gather outside Mayor Garcetti's Hancock Park residence to protest health restrictions

At least 100 protesters gathered Saturday outside the Hancock Park residence of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , with marchers calling for the economy to reopen and condemning the health orders enacted in response to the coronavirus outbreak .
Los Angeles police Sgt .
Zachary Wechsler said the crowd numbered between 100 to 200 people at Getty House , the city-owned mansion in Windsor Square that serves as the residence for L.A. 's mayors .
No arrests were made , and the protest lasted about two hours , Wechsler said .
Officer Mike Chan , a spokesman for the L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by about 4:30 p.m .
Images of the protest published online showed crowds waving American flags and carrying signs demanding an end to the shutdown .
Signs visible in the crowd said , “ Back to work , ” and “ facts not fear ” and “ fear is the virus.
” At least one protester carried a cardboard sheet with “ Q ” spray-painted in black , which appeared to reference QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory that centers on a supposed secret plot by an alleged “ deep state ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests came one day after California took its first modest step toward reopening its economy , allowing stores selling books , music , toys , flowers , sporting goods and clothing to reopen for curbside pickup only , unless barred by tougher local restrictions .
Manufacturers and suppliers that provide goods for those businesses also were allowed to resume operations .
L.A. County beaches remain closed , but many trails were allowed to reopen Saturday .
Leaders in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area have said they plan to take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains a significant public health threat .
remains the primary COVID-19 hot spot in California , with health officials on Saturday reporting at least 31,230 cases overall and a total of 1,515 deaths .
The mayoral residence in Windsor Square , a tony neighborhood in central L.A. , has become a popular backdrop for political groups to stage protests during the pandemic .
Housing activists held a rally as well as drive-by protests last month — honking their horns and shouting from windows — in their effort to secure a blanket moratorium on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastor was also arrested last month outside the residence on suspicion of felony stalking after appearing several days on the home ’ s block , where he said he was calling on Garcetti to help homeless people .
Garcetti , his wife Amy Wakeland and their daughter also obtained a temporary restraining order against Sherman Manning that requires the pastor to stay at least 100 yards away from them and their home .
Wakeland said in a legal declaration that because of Manning ’ s behavior and criminal history , she was afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manning , whose convictions include forcible sodomy and oral copulation , has denied that he was trying to harass the family .
“ My fixation is on the homeless , ” he told The Times last month .
The pastor said that for several days he had been walking up and down the block outside the Windsor Square residence , calling for urgent action to house homeless people on skid row during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Meanwhile , in Orange County , where beaches were reopened this week , protesters gathered in Huntington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home orders that remain in effect there .
Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully reopen the economy .
Police estimated there were about 1,500 people .
No issues were reported , and no arrests were made , said Angela Bennett , public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department .

Mayor Eric Garcetti, shown at City Hall last year, is subject of protests around stay-at-home orders stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.
At least 100 protesters gathered Saturday outside the Hancock Park residence of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, with marchers calling for the economy to reopen and condemning the health orders enacted in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Los Angeles police Sgt. Zachary Wechsler said the crowd numbered between 100 to 200 people at Getty House, the city-owned mansion in Windsor Square that serves as the residence for L.A.’s mayors. No arrests were made, and the protest lasted about two hours, Wechsler said.
Officer Mike Chan, a spokesman for the L.A. Police Department, said demonstrators had dispersed by about 4:30 p.m. Images of the protest published online showed crowds waving American flags and carrying signs demanding an end to the shutdown.
Signs visible in the crowd said, “Back to work,” and “facts not fear” and “fear is the virus.” At least one protester carried a cardboard sheet with “Q” spray-painted in black, which appeared to reference QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory that centers on a supposed secret plot by an alleged “deep state” against President Trump and his supporters.
The protests came one day after California took its first modest step toward reopening its economy, allowing
stores selling books, music, toys, flowers, sporting goods and clothing to reopen for curbside pickup only, unless barred by tougher local restrictions. Manufacturers and suppliers that provide goods for those businesses also were allowed to resume operations.
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L.A. County beaches remain closed, but many trails were allowed to reopen Saturday.
Leaders in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area have said they plan to take a cautious approach to reopening because the coronavirus remains a significant public health threat. Los Angeles County remains the primary COVID-19 hot spot in California, with health officials on Saturday reporting at least 31,230 cases overall and a total of 1,515 deaths.
The mayoral residence in Windsor Square, a tony neighborhood in central L.A., has become a popular backdrop for political groups to stage protests during the pandemic. Housing activists held a rally as well as drive-by protests last month — honking their horns and shouting from windows — in their effort to secure a blanket moratorium on residential evictions.
A South Los Angeles pastor was also arrested last month outside the residence on suspicion of felony stalking after appearing several days on the home’s block, where he said he was calling on Garcetti to help homeless people.
Garcetti, his wife Amy Wakeland and their daughter also obtained a temporary restraining order against Sherman Manning that requires the pastor to stay at least 100 yards away from them and their home. Wakeland said in a legal declaration that because of Manning’s behavior and criminal history, she was afraid of her daughter’s safety. Manning, whose convictions include forcible sodomy and oral copulation, has denied that he was trying to harass the family.
“My fixation is on the homeless,” he told The Times last month.
The pastor said that for several days he had been walking up and down the block outside the Windsor Square residence, calling for urgent action to house homeless people on skid row during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Meanwhile, in Orange County, where beaches were reopened this week, protesters gathered in Huntington Beach on Saturday to demonstrate against the stay-at-home orders that remain in effect there. Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully reopen the economy.
Police estimated there were about 1,500 people. No issues were reported, and no arrests were made, said Angela Bennett, public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department.


latimes--2020-05-09--As more Southern California beaches and parks reopen, it's 'like being set free'

The reopening of Griffith Park ’ s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes , a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker , who said , “ after three months at home in lockdown , I was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.
” “ To finally be outdoors again , ” he added , trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers , “ is like being set free.
” Though trails are open , roads into Griffith Park remained closed to traffic .
Nearby , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an executive at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank , was enjoying a seven-mile hike that featured natural sights and sounds including two deer browsing grass in a glade of oak trees where acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches .
“ Those deer were happy , beautiful and eating without a care in the world , ” she said .
“ And hikers were respectful .
Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance .
Nobody rushed toward them with cameras .
It ’ s been that kind of a wonderful day.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces , including Los Angeles County trails , are open this weekend than in previous weeks .
But officials stressed social distancing rules still apply .
Many beaches in Orange , Ventura and San Diego counties are open .
But parking lots at beaches and public amenities remain closed .
Despite the easing of restrictions , protesters gathered in Huntington Beach on Saturday to demonstrate against the stay-at-home orders that remain in effect .
Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But officials say they may reopen as early as Wednesday morning with a range of restrictions , including closed parking lots , piers and boardwalks .
County officials reopened with restrictions Saturday morning .
Face coverings are required in parking lots , trailheads and other crowded areas .
Hikers are required to wear face coverings on trails only if they ’ re unable to keep six feet apart from others .
At Griffith Park , Ben Peeler , 61 , a professional steel guitar player with a keen eye for detail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I ’ ve ever seen them.
” Waist-high chaparral and grass in certain areas transformed popular dirt trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt , which explains why Berhain Berlain , 34 , of Los Angeles , and his partner , Dora Esteban , 22 , “ got lost in the brush for a few hours.
” “ The trails were also harder to climb than the last time I was here , ” he added sheepishly .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been out of the house much lately.
” For wildlife , the throngs of visitors , many of them with dogs on leashes , suddenly flooding the park ’ s canyons and slopes marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult of humanity across the urban ecosystem , home to skunks , coyotes , deer , bobcats and a lone mountain lion known as P-22 .
Many of the hikers in ball caps , running shoes and masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail , deer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park ’ s paved lanes , rugged trails and fire breaks .
As the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted in phases , however , the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars , tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign .
“ The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us , ” Peeler said , “ that we ’ re tramping through the living room of plants and animals that were here first , before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.
” Across the county in Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parking lot at Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon had to pass between a pair of neon-yellow signs reminding visitors to practice social distancing , wear face coverings at the trailhead and not gather in groups .
Monica Elcott , who frequently hikes the trails with her husband Moody and three young children , didn ’ t think that would be a problem .
“ Judging by the looks of the parking lot , I think we ’ ll be able to maintain our distance , ” she said .
Nearly three dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot near the park ’ s trailhead but Elcott said on many weekends there are twice as many .
The sparse late-morning crowd , she said , was probably due to the heat and the slow spread of news about the trail ’ s reopening .
The family had tried to hike last weekend , only to find the gates to the parking lot locked and the trail closed .
“ We try to get out with the kids .
We like to see nature and it keeps us sane , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to be in the house .
We ’ ve been quarantining ourselves .
We ’ re kind of like ‘ we need some air.
’ ” Two weary hikers , one wearing a mask and the other with a bandana pulled down around his neck , stumbled off the trail with a pair of dogs who seemed especially excited the park had reopened .
For their human handlers , who declined to give their names , it felt pretty much like a normal weekend again .
“ It ’ s just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a face mask , ” one said .

Louis Sahagun, Kevin Baxter, Alex Wigglesworth

The reopening of Griffith Park’s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes, a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker, who said, “after three months at home in lockdown, I was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.”
“To finally be outdoors again,” he added, trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers, “is like being set free.” Though trails are open, roads into Griffith Park remained closed to traffic.
Nearby, Porsche O’Neil, 63, an executive at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, was enjoying a seven-mile hike that featured natural sights and sounds including two deer browsing grass in a glade of oak trees where acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches.
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“Those deer were happy, beautiful and eating without a care in the world,” she said. “And hikers were respectful. Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance. Nobody rushed toward them with cameras. It’s been that kind of a wonderful day.”
More Southern California beaches and other outdoor spaces, including Los Angeles County trails, are open this weekend than in previous weeks. But officials stressed social distancing rules still apply.
Many beaches in Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties are open. But parking lots at beaches and public amenities remain closed.
Despite the easing of restrictions, protesters gathered in Huntington Beach on Saturday to demonstrate against the stay-at-home orders that remain in effect. Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully reopen the economy.
L.A. County beaches are still closed. But officials say they may reopen as early as Wednesday morning with a range of restrictions, including closed parking lots, piers and boardwalks.
County officials reopened trails and golf courses with restrictions Saturday morning. Face coverings are required in parking lots, trailheads and other crowded areas. Hikers are required to wear face coverings on trails only if they’re unable to keep six feet apart from others.
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At Griffith Park, Ben Peeler, 61, a professional steel guitar player with a keen eye for detail, noticed that “the trails, picnic areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I’ve ever seen them.”
Waist-high chaparral and grass in certain areas transformed popular dirt trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt, which explains why Berhain Berlain, 34, of Los Angeles, and his partner, Dora Esteban, 22, “got lost in the brush for a few hours.”
“The trails were also harder to climb than the last time I was here,” he added sheepishly. “That might be because I haven’t been out of the house much lately.”
Hikers at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve on Saturday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
For wildlife, the throngs of visitors, many of them with dogs on leashes, suddenly flooding the park’s canyons and slopes marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult of humanity across the urban ecosystem, home to skunks, coyotes, deer, bobcats and a lone mountain lion known as P-22.
Many of the hikers in ball caps, running shoes and masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail, deer and snakes moving through the brush edging the park’s paved lanes, rugged trails and fire breaks. As the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted in phases, however, the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars, tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign.
“The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us,” Peeler said, “that we’re tramping through the living room of plants and animals that were here first, before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.”
Across the county in Santa Clarita, cars entering the newly opened parking lot at Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon had to pass between a pair of neon-yellow signs reminding visitors to practice social distancing, wear face coverings at the trailhead and not gather in groups.
Monica Elcott, who frequently hikes the trails with her husband Moody and three young children, didn’t think that would be a problem.
“Judging by the looks of the parking lot, I think we’ll be able to maintain our distance,” she said.
Nearly three dozen cars were lined up in the dirt lot near the park’s trailhead but Elcott said on many weekends there are twice as many. The sparse late-morning crowd, she said, was probably due to the heat and the slow spread of news about the trail’s reopening.
The family had tried to hike last weekend, only to find the gates to the parking lot locked and the trail closed.
“We try to get out with the kids. We like to see nature and it keeps us sane,” she said. “We don’t like to be in the house. We’ve been quarantining ourselves. We’re kind of like ‘we need some air.’”
Two weary hikers, one wearing a mask and the other with a bandana pulled down around his neck, stumbled off the trail with a pair of dogs who seemed especially excited the park had reopened. For their human handlers, who declined to give their names, it felt pretty much like a normal weekend again.
“It’s just like a regular day except everyone is wearing a face mask,” one said.


latimes--2020-05-09--Grateful hikers return to Griffith Park: 'Like being set free'

Porsche O ’ Neil wasted no time going to Griffith Park , enjoying a seven-mile hike Saturday morning that featured natural sights and sounds , including two deer browsing in a glade of oak trees while acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches .
“ Those deer were happy , beautiful and eating without a care in the world , ” she said .
“ And hikers were respectful .
Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance .
Nobody rushed toward them with cameras .
It ’ s been that kind of a wonderful day.
” Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Face coverings are required in parking lots , trailheads and other crowded areas ; hikers are required to wear them on trails only if they ’ re unable to keep six feet apart from others .
At some locations , vest-wearing park monitors will keep an eye out for compliance .
with the exception of Runyon Canyon , which remains closed .
The reopening of Griffith Park ’ s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes , a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker , who said , “ After three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.
” “ To finally be outdoors again , ” he added , trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers , “ is like being set free.
” Roads into Griffith Park remained closed to traffic .
Ben Peeler , 61 , a professional steel-guitar player with a keen eye for detail , noticed that “ the trails , picnic areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I ’ ve ever seen them.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas transformed popular trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt , which explains why Berhain Berlain , 34 , of Los Angeles , and his partner , Dora Esteban , 22 , “ got lost in the brush for a few hours.
” “ The trails were also harder to climb than the last time I was here , ” he added sheepishly .
“ That might be because I haven ’ t been out of the house much lately.
” For wildlife , the throngs of visitors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suddenly flooding the park ’ s canyons and slopes Saturday marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult and clatter of humanity across the urban ecosystem that is home to skunks , coyotes , deer , bobcats and a lone mountain lion known as P-22 .
Many of the hikers in ball caps , running shoes and face masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail , deer and snakes moving through the brush edging the park ’ s paved lanes , rugged trails and firebreaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ phases , however , the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars , tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign .
“ The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us , ” Peeler said , “ that we ’ re tramping through the living room of plants and animals that were here first , before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.
” The gradual reopening of recreational areas comes as the state moves slowly into an economic recovery plan .
Some businesses were permitted to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first step in easing stay-at-home restrictions .

Porsche O’Neil wasted no time going to Griffith Park, enjoying a seven-mile hike Saturday morning that featured natural sights and sounds, including two deer browsing in a glade of oak trees while acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches.
“Those deer were happy, beautiful and eating without a care in the world,” she said. “And hikers were respectful. Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance. Nobody rushed toward them with cameras. It’s been that kind of a wonderful day.”
Los Angeles County officials reopened trails and golf courses with restrictions Saturday morning. Face coverings are required in parking lots, trailheads and other crowded areas; hikers are required to wear them on trails only if they’re unable to keep six feet apart from others. At some locations, vest-wearing park monitors will keep an eye out for compliance.
City trails also reopened this weekend, with the exception of Runyon Canyon, which remains closed.
The reopening of Griffith Park’s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes, a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker, who said, “After three months at home in lockdown, I was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.”
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“To finally be outdoors again,” he added, trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers, “is like being set free.” Roads into Griffith Park remained closed to traffic.
Ben Peeler, 61, a professional steel-guitar player with a keen eye for detail, noticed that “the trails, picnic areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I’ve ever seen them.”
Waist-high chaparral and grass in certain areas transformed popular trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt, which explains why Berhain Berlain, 34, of Los Angeles, and his partner, Dora Esteban, 22, “got lost in the brush for a few hours.”
“The trails were also harder to climb than the last time I was here,” he added sheepishly. “That might be because I haven’t been out of the house much lately.”
For wildlife, the throngs of visitors, many of them with dogs on leashes, suddenly flooding the park’s canyons and slopes Saturday marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult and clatter of humanity across the urban ecosystem that is home to skunks, coyotes, deer, bobcats and a lone mountain lion known as P-22.
Many of the hikers in ball caps, running shoes and face masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail, deer and snakes moving through the brush edging the park’s paved lanes, rugged trails and firebreaks. As the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted in phases, however, the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars, tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign.
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“The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us,” Peeler said, “that we’re tramping through the living room of plants and animals that were here first, before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.”


latimes--2020-05-09--As demand for food skyrockets due to coronavirus, food banks play catch-up

Ofelia Jiménez didn ’ t think her family would need to rely on a food pantry -- not again .
But after her son ’ s hours at McDonald ’ s were cut due to the coronavirus pandemic , her husband ’ s $ 1,500 monthly pension was not enough to keep everyone fed .
The family had been coming for years to St. Margaret ’ s , a Catholic charity near the intersection of the San Diego and Century freeways , to get help with food .
After Jiménez and her husband paid off their home in Inglewood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come back .
But this spring , the family again found itself struggling to pay a car note , insurance and utility bills and to buy food .
“ I ’ ve been so worried , ” said Jiménez , 60 .
“ Without this help , I don ’ t know where we would be.
” Across L.A. County , a record number of families have flocked to food pantries since mid-March , as more than half the region ’ s residents have lost their jobs .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkable agility , as the need has doubled , in some cases tripled , and a steady food supply has been harder to maintain .
Some pantries have struggled with a dwindling number of volunteers ; others have launched donation campaigns , in order to buy food that they used to receive for free .
It ’ s a crisis that ’ s grown more dire by the week and is disproportionately impacting the community ’ s most vulnerable .
Before the pandemic began , an estimated 1.5 million people in L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance , according to the most recent figures available from CalFresh , the state ’ s nutrition assistance program .
In April , CalFresh applications skyrocketed from an average of 40,000 to nearly 120,000 per month .
“ We haven ’ t seen this kind of increase in a long time , ” said Department Director Antonia Jiménez .
“ People have lost their jobs , but they still have to put food on their table.
” Across the country , media images have shown families waiting in miles-long traffic to pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest food assistance events took place April 10 at The Forum in Inglewood , an area hit hard by layoffs .
Food bank officials expected about 5,000 people ; more than 7,500 showed up .
“ That day , it definitely sunk in just how hard the current situation was hitting so many families , how fast the fortunes had switched for some who had been OK just a few months ago , ” said Michael Flood , Chief Executive of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank .
The food bank oversees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County .
Since the pandemic brought the region to a halt in mid-March , the need for food county-wide shot up 80 percent , Flood said .
Food pantries that partner with the bank went from serving 300,000 people to 500,000 .
That ’ s nearly twice as large a jump as the food bank saw after the economic collapse of the Great Recession in 2008 .
Within weeks , the extensive chain of food pantries that used to customize generous-sized food boxes for families had to scale back to smaller portions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less variety .
Food donations have increased by 32 percent since the lockdown began but that ’ s hardly been enough to help the Regional Food Bank catch up with demand .
At distribution centers , Flood said , the five-week food stockpile they began with in mid-March has diminished to a two-week supply .
In recent weeks , the agency has had to compete in the market , paying for truck-loads of food .
It ’ s an unusual move that Flood expects will become more common as the need grows and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is not something that ’ s going to go away this summer , ” Flood said .
“ We ’ re going to need help , to continually appeal for funding.
” Salvation Army officials also have scrambled to find food and raise money to pay for it .
The agency runs about 30 food pantries in L.A. County .
Since demand skyrocketed , the organization has spent about $ 1 million to buy food for distribution across Southern California , most of it in Los Angeles .
“ Whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next , ” said John Chamness , divisional commander for the Salvation Army ’ s Southern California branch .
“ Any organization that ’ s going to survive this pandemic is going to have to pivot and find news ways to serve people.
” Their food bank has hustled for donations on social media , through direct mailers , on Giving Tuesday and , for the first time , via a virtual fundraiser featuring videos of such local personalities as a TV weather man and radio disc jockey .
Over its 150-year existence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during tornadoes , fires , earthquakes .
But this health crisis , Chamness said , has been unlike any other .
“ Typically our folks step in to give each other a break , but this time we ’ re all in it together , ” he said .
“ There ’ s no passing the baton and though the uncertainty of when this is all going to end is wearing on all of us , we have to find the energy to keep going.
” Beyond soaring demand , officials at food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about potential shortages of certain products , particularly meat after the closure of numerous meat processing plants .
Nick Vyas , the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Global Supply Chain Management at the University of Southern California , has been tracking supply issues since the pandemic first erupted in China .
The coronavirus , he said , has created a perfect storm for potential food disruption , similar to what healthcare workers have experienced with personal protective gear shortages .
The combination of food hoarding , factory shut-downs , supply-chain disruptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpluses that so many food banks rely on at risk .
“ We can not afford to have these disruptions in the food supply while people are sheltering in place , ” he said .
“ That creates chaos in society.
” Another problem is farmers facing drop-offs in demand and distribution problems that make it logistically difficult or unprofitable to get their goods to market .
Vyas said he ’ s spoken with farmers recently who have had to euthanize their piglets and dump vast quantities of milk because they have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s too much regulation and liability for them , ” he said .
Vyas said he ’ ll be teaming up with a task force of other supply chain experts , industry leaders and government liaisons in coming weeks to address the issue .
At food pantries across L.A. , officials know it ’ ll be some time before they see some relief .
However , many agencies already have begun to see scores of volunteers return under strict social distancing guidelines .
In El Monte , where the median household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Savior Center was able to open a second food pantry for the community .
Their client base has tripled to more than 2,000 people since the pandemic began .
“ We ’ ve had incredible outreach from volunteers , many who have been deeply affected themselves by the crisis , but they come to help and stay connected , ” said Executive Director Jane Fall .
In Lancaster , Stacey Cantwell and her team shifted from feeding 2,000 kids at the Antelope Valley Boys and Girls Club to feeding entire families at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director said , her organization has helped distribute 4,000 meals to keep parents and kids fed over the weekend , days that aren ’ t covered by school meals .
In Lennox , at St. Margaret ’ s Center , an organization that provides everything from diapers to help with utility bills , families line up in cars to wait for food every Wednesday .
About 40 percent of those who come are new clients and most of them are Latino , many without a safety net , said director Mary Agnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to someone who lacks status so they don ’ t qualify for stimulus relief .
Others are unable to apply for unemployment or their checks have yet to arrive .
Erlandson worries that even when those checks start arriving , the money will go toward paying overdue rent .
Some families spend up to 90 % of their income on shelter .
But even as the virus rages on and the financial challenges multiply , centers like St. Margaret ’ s will continue to be a lifeline for families like Ofelia Jimenez ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day in this house , ” Jimenez said .
“ It ’ s all we ’ ve ever known .
Every bit of help we get , we ’ re grateful .
”

Volunteer Nina Forbess gives baby food to Monica Alcazar in the drive-through line at St. Margaret’s Center in Lennox.
Ofelia Jiménez didn’t think her family would need to rely on a food pantry — not again.
But after her son’s hours at McDonald’s were cut because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her husband’s $1,500 monthly pension was not enough to keep everyone fed.
The family had been coming for years to St. Margaret’s Center, a Catholic charity near the intersection of the 405 and 105 freeways, to get help with food. After Jiménez and her husband paid off their home in Inglewood, she figured she wouldn’t need to come back.
But this spring, the family again found itself struggling to pay a car note, insurance and utility bills and to buy food.
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Volunteers Anne-Marie Saunders, left, Sherri Ramsey and Diane Carter put together food packages at St. Margaret’s Center. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“I’ve been so worried,” said Jiménez, 60. “Without this help, I don’t know where we would be.”
Across L.A. County, a record number of families have flocked to food pantries since mid-March, as more than half the region’s residents have lost their jobs. It’s a challenge many food banks have met with remarkable agility, as the need has doubled, in some cases tripled, and a steady food supply has been harder to maintain. Some pantries have struggled with a dwindling number of volunteers; others have launched donation campaigns to buy food that they used to receive free.
The crisis has grown more dire by the week and is disproportionately impacting the community’s most vulnerable. Before the pandemic began, an estimated 1.5 million people in L.A. County were considered potentially eligible for government food assistance, according to the most recent figures available from CalFresh, the state’s nutrition assistance program.
In April, CalFresh applications skyrocketed from an average of 40,000 to nearly 120,000 a month.
“We haven’t seen this kind of increase in a long time,” said Antonia Jiménez, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services. “People have lost their jobs, but they still have to put food on their table.”
Roberto Calderon, left, and Ronson Chu, right, load a package of food at St. Margaret’s Center Catholic Charities of Los Angeles as close to 300 families line up now each Wednesday to collect food at a drive-thru and walk-up pantry. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Across the country, media images have shown families waiting in miles-long traffic to pick up groceries at drive-through pantries. One of the biggest food assistance events took place April 10 at the Forum in Inglewood, an area hit hard by layoffs. Food bank officials expected about 5,000 people; more than 7,500 showed up.
“That day, it definitely sunk in just how hard the current situation was hitting so many families, how fast the fortunes had switched for some who had been OK just a few months ago,” said Michael Flood, chief executive of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
The food bank oversees more than 600 food agencies across Los Angeles County. Since the pandemic brought the region to a halt in mid-March, the need for food countywide has shot up 80%, Flood said. Pantries that partner with the food bank went from serving 300,000 people to 500,000. That’s nearly twice as large a jump as the food bank saw after the economic collapse in 2008.
Within weeks, the extensive chain of food pantries that used to customize generous food boxes for families had to scale back to smaller portions, “food kits” with increasingly less variety.
Food donations have increased by 32% since the lockdown began, but that’s hardly been enough to help the Regional Food Bank catch up with demand. At distribution centers, Flood said, the five-week stockpile they began with in mid-March has diminished to a two-week supply.
Mary Agnes Erlandson, director of St. Margaret’s Center, talks to Victor Ponce and his wife, Rosalinda Ramirez, at the food bank. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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In recent weeks, the agency has had to compete in the market, paying for truckloads of food. It’s an unusual move that Flood expects will become more common as the need grows and the supply chain wrestles with disruptions.
“This is not something that’s going to go away this summer,” Flood said. “We’re going to need help, to continually appeal for funding.”
Salvation Army officials also have scrambled to find food and raise money to pay for it. The charity runs about 30 food pantries in L.A. County. Since demand skyrocketed, the organization has spent about $1 million to buy food for distribution across Southern California, most of it in Los Angeles.
“Whatever we get one day goes out the next,” said John Chamness, divisional commander for the Salvation Army’s Southern California branch. “Any organization that’s going to survive this pandemic is going to have to pivot and find new ways to serve people.”
The Salvation Army’s food bank has hustled for donations on social media, through direct mailers, on Giving Tuesday and, for the first time, via a virtual fundraiser featuring videos of such local personalities as a TV weather forecaster and a radio disc jockey.
The drive-through line at the food bank at St. Margaret’s Center in Lennox. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
In its more than 150 years, the Salvation Army has supplied relief during tornadoes, fires and earthquakes. But this crisis, Chamness said, has been unlike any other.
“Typically our folks step in to give each other a break, but this time we’re all in it together,” he said. “There’s no passing the baton, and though the uncertainty of when this is all going to end is wearing on all of us, we have to find the energy to keep going.”
Beyond soaring demand, officials at food banks have been closely following the news about potential shortages of certain products, particularly meat after the closure of numerous meat processing plants.
Nick Vyas, the founding executive director of the Center for Global Supply Chain Management at USC, has been tracking supply issues since the pandemic erupted.
The coronavirus, he said, has created a perfect storm for potential food disruption, similar to what healthcare workers have experienced with shortages of personal protective gear.
Kenneth Adams and his wife, Frances Brown, sort through food they collected at St. Margaret’s Center. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The combination of food hoarding, factory closures, supply-chain disruptions and record-breaking unemployment has put the food surpluses that so many food banks rely on at risk.
“We cannot afford to have these disruptions in the food supply while people are sheltering in place,” Vyas said. “That creates chaos in society.”
Another problem is farmers facing drop-offs in demand and distribution problems that make it logistically difficult or unprofitable to get their goods to market.
Vyas has spoken with farmers recently who have had to euthanize their piglets and dump vast quantities of milk because they can’t process their product.
“There’s too much regulation and liability for them,” he said. Vyas said he’ll team up with a task force of other supply chain experts, industry leaders and government liaisons in the coming weeks to address the issue.
At food pantries across L.A., officials know it’ll be some time before they see relief. However, many agencies already have begun to see scores of volunteers return under strict social distancing guidelines.
Volunteers Louise Berg, left, and Peggy Breen assemble food packages at St. Margaret’s Center. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
In El Monte, where the median household income is $39,000 a year, Our Savior Center was able to open a second food pantry for the community. Its client base has tripled to more than 2,000 people since the pandemic began.
“We’ve had incredible outreach from volunteers, many who have been deeply affected themselves by the crisis, but they come to help and stay connected,” said Executive Director Jane Fall.
In Lancaster, Stacey Cantwell and her team shifted from feeding 2,000 kids at the Antelope Valley Boys and Girls Club to feeding entire families at nearby schools. So far, the executive director said, her organization has helped distribute 4,000 meals to keep parents and kids fed over the weekend, days that aren’t covered by school meals.
At St. Margaret’s Center, an organization that provides everything from diapers to help with utility bills, families line up in cars to wait for food every Wednesday.
About 40% of those who come are new clients and most of them are Latino, many without a safety net, said director Mary Agnes Erlandson. Some are undocumented or married to someone who lacks legal immigration status, so they didn’t qualify for a stimulus payment. Others are unable to apply for unemployment, or their checks have yet to arrive.
Victor Ponce and his wife, Rosalinda Ramirez, carry food they collected at St. Margaret’s Center. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Erlandson worries that even when those checks start arriving, the money will go toward paying overdue rent. Some families spend up to 90% of their income on shelter.
But even as the pandemic rages on and the financial challenges multiply, centers like St. Margaret’s continue to be a lifeline.
“We live day to day in this house,” Ofelia Jiménez said. “It’s all we’ve ever known. Every bit of help we get, we’re grateful.”