latimes--2020-03-17--How will students take AP tests with schools closed? At home, College Board proposes

Aiming to limit student exposure to the coronavirus , the College Board is proposing that rigorous Advanced Placement tests could become take-home exams and has canceled the SAT test scheduled for May 2 .
ACT Inc. has postponed its April 4 exam to June 13 .
The AP exams , which test students on prescribed college-level curriculum across subjects , including calculus , history and English , remain scheduled for May 4–8 and 11–15 , with late testing scheduled for May 20–22 .
College admissions officers regard AP courses as important markers of a student ’ s academic ambition and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass the AP exam may receive college credit , depending on the campus and test score .
“ The AP Program is finalizing streamlined AP Exam options that would allow students to test at home , depending on the situation in May , ” the College Board said in a statement .
“ We ’ re working to give every AP student the opportunity to claim the college credit they ’ ve earned.
” Some AP teachers , however , said they feared that at-home tests could result in widespread cheating .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal access to home computers , WiFi and data plans needed for at-home testing .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Tuesday , however , that it was “ unlikely ” that many schools , if any , would open before the summer break .
He said teachers and staff “ shouldn ’ t worry about coming back ” to administer SAT , ACT and AP tests .
A College Board official was not immediately available for comment but the nonprofit said in statement that it would release further details about AP testing opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP World History teacher at Cerritos High School , said the move to at-home testing could be a “ disaster.
” “ There ’ s no real way to monitor the student , ” said Armstrong , who is a co-moderator of the College Board ’ s AP World History teaching community .
Armstrong said tests should continue to be administered at schools , with students spaced six feet apart as recommended by guidelines on social distancing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Cerritos High School has been giving AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the past five years with no problems , Armstrong said .
He added that students could be given individual times to check in to avoid large groups converging at once .
Miles Nagaoka , who teaches AP English Language and Composition at Lincoln High School , also said he was concerned about the potential for cheating and equal access to technology .
But one potential upside , he said , is that the College Board could administer an online test at the same time across the country , preventing students in different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly have in the past .
Alice Yao , a senior at Downtown Magnets High School , isn ’ t thrilled about the prospect of taking her AP exams in English literature , calculus and biology at home .
If it ’ s a paper test , she worries that people might cheat without a proctor .
She would not cheat , but it ’ s a fact of life among students , she said .
“ Honestly , I feel we ’ re all students and trying to get the best scores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An online test could have technological problems , she said .
What if her computer crashes or slows to a crawl ?
AP tests are timed , Yao said , so every second is critical .
The only potential benefit , she said , would be the ability to stay safe by not mingling with other students .
But for her , that doesn ’ t outweigh the potential problems .
“ I just hope the coronavirus situation calms down before the AP exam so we can take it at school with teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comeaux , who heads the University of California ’ s Academic Senate committee overseeing testing and admissions policies , said he would not personally be opposed to at-home tests .
At UC Riverside , he teaches several online classes , including one about policy and legal issues in intercollegiate athletics .
He said he is able to secure the integrity of online exams using a third-party proctoring platform , ProctorU .
Under the setup , a proctor watches the student take the test via computer after confirming the ID .
The proctor is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s desk , he said , and would be able to see any use of prohibited items , such as phones , notes or books .
“ In my five years using this , I have never heard of any compromising of the integrity of the exam , ” Comeaux said .
“ I think it ’ s great .
It works.
” The College Board has not yet canceled the SAT test scheduled for June 6 .
“ The College Board will provide future additional SAT testing opportunities for students as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrations , ” the nonprofit said in a statement .
“ We ’ ll be as flexible as possible to give students the best chance to show their skills and stay on the path to college .
”

Aiming to limit student exposure to the coronavirus, the College Board is proposing that rigorous Advanced Placement tests could become take-home exams and has canceled the SAT test scheduled for May 2.
ACT Inc. has postponed its April 4 exam to June 13.
The AP exams, which test students on prescribed college-level curriculum across subjects, including calculus, history and English, remain scheduled for May 4–8 and 11–15, with late testing scheduled for May 20–22. College admissions officers regard AP courses as important markers of a student’s academic ambition and readiness for college work. Students who pass the AP exam may receive college credit, depending on the campus and test score.
“The AP Program is finalizing streamlined AP Exam options that would allow students to test at home, depending on the situation in May,” the College Board said in a statement. “We’re working to give every AP student the opportunity to claim the college credit they’ve earned.”
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Some AP teachers, however, said they feared that at-home tests could result in widespread cheating. They also questioned whether all students would have equal access to home computers, WiFi and data plans needed for at-home testing.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday, however, that it was “unlikely” that many schools, if any, would open before the summer break. He said teachers and staff “shouldn’t worry about coming back” to administer SAT, ACT and AP tests.
A College Board official was not immediately available for comment but the nonprofit said in statement that it would release further details about AP testing opportunities on Friday.
Monty Armstrong, an AP World History teacher at Cerritos High School, said the move to at-home testing could be a “disaster.”
“There’s no real way to monitor the student,” said Armstrong, who is a co-moderator of the College Board’s AP World History teaching community.
Armstrong said tests should continue to be administered at schools, with students spaced six feet apart as recommended by guidelines on social distancing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cerritos High School has been giving AP tests that way in the gymnasium for about the past five years with no problems, Armstrong said. He added that students could be given individual times to check in to avoid large groups converging at once.
Advertisement
Miles Nagaoka, who teaches AP English Language and Composition at Lincoln High School, also said he was concerned about the potential for cheating and equal access to technology. But one potential upside, he said, is that the College Board could administer an online test at the same time across the country, preventing students in different time zones from sharing information as some reportedly have in the past.
But Eddie Comeaux, who heads the University of California’s Academic Senate committee overseeing testing and admissions policies, said he would not personally be opposed to at-home tests. At UC Riverside, he teaches several online classes, including one about policy and legal issues in intercollegiate athletics. He said he is able to secure the integrity of online exams using a third-party proctoring platform, ProctorU.
Under the setup, a proctor watches the student take the test via computer after confirming the ID. The proctor is able to see everything on the student’s desk, he said, and would be able to see any use of prohibited items, such as phones, notes or books.
“In my five years using this, I have never heard of any compromising of the integrity of the exam,” Comeaux said. “I think it’s great. It works.”
The College Board has not yet canceled the SAT test scheduled for June 6.
“The College Board will provide future additional SAT testing opportunities for students as soon as feasible in place of canceled administrations,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “We’ll be as flexible as possible to give students the best chance to show their skills and stay on the path to college.”


latimes--2020-03-17--Trials in L.A. are on pause, but some 'essential' court proceedings will continue: 'It's unprecedent

Trials in L.A. are on pause, but some 'essential' court proceedings will continue: 'It's unprecedented'

In an unprecedented move , nearly all trials in Los Angeles County will be on hold for at least a month , but a broad swath of services will still be accessible to the public when courthouses reopen Friday , raising concerns about safety measures .
In an order filed Tuesday , Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile said several “ essential functions ” will continue to be processed , including civil and family restraining orders , emergency petitions for temporary conservatorships and guardianships , arraignments , search warrants , preliminary hearings , bail and bond processing , grand jury indictments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no agreement to delay the case .
Brazile ’ s order appeared to be a compromise between limiting the number of people in courthouses — no jurors or prospective jurors were to report to any of the county courthouses until at least April 16 — while maintaining core functions of the legal system .
“ This order will allow us to comply with social distancing and to prevent the spread of the virus within our community , ” Brazile said in the statement .
The Times has posted the full order online , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , any temporary restraining order set to expire will be extended by 21 days .
Whereas defendants charged with a felony previously had 48 hours to appear before a magistrate , that deadline has been lengthened to seven days .
Ann Donlan , a court spokeswoman , said there will be no restrictions imposed on who can enter L.A. County ’ s courthouses when they reopen on Friday .
Donlan said in an email that some public access “ may be limited due to the need to adhere to social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told fellow judges in an internal memo that administrators have ordered 60,000 eight-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer , but they will not be available until the end of the month .
The hand sanitizer was to be placed in courtrooms , jury assembly rooms , self-help clinics and administrative offices .
Laurie Levenson , a Loyola law school professor and former federal prosecutor , said Brazile had “ no choice ” but to slow proceedings across the court system , and she predicted the move would have a long-lasting impact on the legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a backlog , ” said Levenson , adding that mistrials , a large-scale release of defendants in custody and a drop in wide-reaching investigations by local law enforcement will all be more likely in coming weeks and months .
Levenson also anticipated that law enforcement and prosecutors could be more reluctant to bring new cases that are not of critical importance since Brazile ’ s order limits the full functioning of the court apparatus .
“ It ’ s unprecedented .
You ’ re going to have to make some tough choices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can , but every day will be different , honestly , ” Levenson said .
The only comparable situation Levenson could think of was when courts in Los Angeles were effectively frozen during the 1992 riots that erupted after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of beating Rodney G. King , but she said the disruptions resulting from the virus are likely to be far more extensive and long-lasting .
Ultimately , she said , the county must strike a delicate balance of protecting the public during a health crisis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think the message wants to go out that you can commit a violent crime and nothing is going to happen to you , ” she said .
“ But anything less than that , I think you get pushed to the back of the line .
”

The Gov. George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach is among the 38 courthouses in Los Angeles County that are closed through Thursday.
In an unprecedented move, nearly all trials in Los Angeles County will be on hold for at least a month, but a broad swath of services will still be accessible to the public when courthouses reopen Friday, raising concerns about safety measures.
In an order filed Tuesday, Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile said several “essential functions” will continue to be processed, including civil and family restraining orders, emergency petitions for temporary conservatorships and guardianships, arraignments, search warrants, preliminary hearings, bail and bond processing, grand jury indictments and criminal jury trials where there is no agreement to delay the case.
Brazile’s order appeared to be a compromise between limiting the number of people in courthouses — no jurors or prospective jurors were to report to any of the county courthouses until at least April 16 — while maintaining core functions of the legal system.
Advertisement
“This order will allow us to comply with social distancing and to prevent the spread of the virus within our community,” Brazile said in the statement.
The Times has posted the full order online, and it lists new extended deadlines. For example, any temporary restraining order set to expire will be extended by 21 days. Whereas defendants charged with a felony previously had 48 hours to appear before a magistrate, that deadline has been lengthened to seven days.
Ann Donlan, a court spokeswoman, said there will be no restrictions imposed on who can enter L.A. County’s courthouses when they reopen on Friday. Donlan said in an email that some public access “may be limited due to the need to adhere to social distancing of six feet in courtrooms.”
Brazile told fellow judges in an internal memo that administrators have ordered 60,000 eight-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, but they will not be available until the end of the month. The hand sanitizer was to be placed in courtrooms, jury assembly rooms, self-help clinics and administrative offices.
Laurie Levenson, a Loyola law school professor and former federal prosecutor, said Brazile had “no choice” but to slow proceedings across the court system, and she predicted the move would have a long-lasting impact on the legal system.
“We’re looking at a backlog,” said Levenson, adding that mistrials, a large-scale release of defendants in custody and a drop in wide-reaching investigations by local law enforcement will all be more likely in coming weeks and months.
Advertisement
Levenson also anticipated that law enforcement and prosecutors could be more reluctant to bring new cases that are not of critical importance since Brazile’s order limits the full functioning of the court apparatus.
“It’s unprecedented. You’re going to have to make some tough choices and try to find some consistency if you can, but every day will be different, honestly,” Levenson said.
The only comparable situation Levenson could think of was when courts in Los Angeles were effectively frozen during the 1992 riots that erupted after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of beating Rodney G. King, but she said the disruptions resulting from the virus are likely to be far more extensive and long-lasting.
Ultimately, she said, the county must strike a delicate balance of protecting the public during a health crisis and from potentially dangerous defendants.
“I don’t think the message wants to go out that you can commit a violent crime and nothing is going to happen to you,” she said. “But anything less than that, I think you get pushed to the back of the line.”


latimes--2020-03-17--Tracy Wood, reporter who helped The Times win a Pulitzer after L.A. riots, dies at 76

Tracy Wood , a hard-charging reporter who broke through the male-dominated press corps to cover the Vietnam War and later helped The Times win a Pulitzer for its coverage of the L.A. riots , has died at her home in Fullerton .
Wood , who had been living with cancer , died March 12 from complications of the disease , her brother Scott said .
She was 76 .
A wartime correspondent , a hardened investigative reporter and a nurturing editor later in life , Wood had a long career as a journalist , from her first stint as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles to her pioneering efforts as a founding member of the editorial staff at the Voice of OC , a nonprofit digital news startup .
In between , she covered conflict abroad , racial tensions in intercity Los Angeles and looked into suspect politicians and corrupt career bureaucrats .
“ Few reporters could get the respect of both rival reporters and politicians , but that was Tracy , ” said Gustavo Arellano , a Times staff writer who competed with Wood as editor of the OC Weekly .
“ She was tough and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything a reporter should ever want to be.
” Born Aug. 21 , 1943 in Monmouth Junction , N.J. , Wood attended the University of Missouri before landing in L.A. as a cub reporter at City New Service and then United Press International , first working at the wire service ’ s Sacramento bureau and then in New York .
Times political columnist George Skelton , who was Wood ’ s editor in Sacramento , recalled the young reporter demanding to be allowed to enter a swanky all-male dinner club frequented by lobbyists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by then-Gov .
Ronald Reagan .
Turned away at the door , Wood refused to leave the Sutter Club and instead called Skelton , who in return called Reagan ’ s press secretary and told him that UPI , which fed stories to hundreds of media outlets at the time , would refuse to cover the event unless Wood was allowed inside .
“ Tracy could dig out any story , ” Skelton said .
“ I ’ ve never worked with a better reporter.
” Over the objections of her editors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media mindset that only men should be on the front lines during wartime , Wood landed in Saigon in 1972 as the war was grinding on .
Wood was there when American prisoners were released in 1975 and again a year later when future Sen. John McCain was released from the Hanoi Hilton , used by the North Vietnamese to house , torture and interrogate captured servicemen .
Her experiences were later chronicled in “ War Torn , ” a compilation of stories from women who covered the war .
Wood later worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureau before coming to The Times , where she worked in Los Angeles and Orange County .
She shared in the paper ’ s Pulitzer in 1993 for its coverage of the riots following the acquittal of four officers charged in the beating of Rodney King .
Later , she helped lead the Orange County Register ’ s investigative team and then helped launch the Voice of OC , leading investigative efforts and civic coverage .
“ Tracy was the toughest journalist I ’ ve ever known , ” said Norberto Santana Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news site .
“ She really took seriously a reporter ’ s job to protect our freedoms at home , and get all sides of a story , saw it as an extension of what so many men and women died to protect on distant battlefields.
” Wood is survived by her brother .

Tracy Wood, a hard-charging reporter who broke through the male-dominated press corps to cover the Vietnam War and later helped The Times win a Pulitzer for its coverage of the L.A. riots, has died at her home in Fullerton.
Wood, who had been living with cancer, died March 12 from complications of the disease, her brother Scott said. She was 76.
A wartime correspondent, a hardened investigative reporter and a nurturing editor later in life, Wood had a long career as a journalist, from her first stint as a reporter at City News Service in Los Angeles to her pioneering efforts as a founding member of the editorial staff at the Voice of OC, a nonprofit digital news startup.
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In between, she covered conflict abroad, racial tensions in intercity Los Angeles and looked into suspect politicians and corrupt career bureaucrats.
“Few reporters could get the respect of both rival reporters and politicians, but that was Tracy,” said Gustavo Arellano, a Times staff writer who competed with Wood as editor of the OC Weekly.
“She was tough and fair, pioneering but always working — everything a reporter should ever want to be.”
Born Aug. 21, 1943 in Monmouth Junction, N.J., Wood attended the University of Missouri before landing in L.A. as a cub reporter at City News Service and then United Press International, first working at the wire service’s Sacramento bureau and then in New York.
Times political columnist George Skelton, who was Wood’s editor in Sacramento, recalled the young reporter demanding to be allowed to enter a swanky all-male club frequented by lobbyists and political heavyweights to cover a speech by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan.
Turned away at the door, Wood refused to leave the Sutter Club and instead called Skelton, who in return called Reagan’s press secretary and told him that UPI, which fed stories to hundreds of media outlets at the time, would refuse to cover the event unless Wood was allowed inside.
Stuck, the club relented.
“Tracy could dig out any story,” Skelton said. “I’ve never worked with a better reporter.”
Advertisement
Tracy Wood covering the release of U.S. POWs at at Hanoi’s Gia Lam airport in March 1973. (Wood family)
Over the objections of her editors in New York and counter to the prevailing media mindset that only men should be on the front lines during wartime, Wood landed in Saigon in 1972 as the war was grinding on.
Wood was there when American prisoners were released in 1974 and a year earlier had watched as future Sen. John McCain was released from the Hanoi Hilton, used by the North Vietnamese to house, torture and interrogate captured servicemen.
Her experiences were later chronicled in “War Torn,” a compilation of stories from women who covered the war.
Wood later worked in the UPI’s Hong Kong bureau before coming to The Times, where she worked in Los Angeles and Orange County. She shared in the paper’s Pulitzer in 1993 for its coverage of the riots following the acquittal of four officers charged in the beating of Rodney King.
Later, she helped lead the Orange County Register’s investigative team and then helped launch the Voice of OC, leading investigative efforts and civic coverage.
“Tracy was the toughest journalist I’ve ever known,” said Norberto Santana Jr., publisher and editor in chief of the news site. “She really took seriously a reporter’s job to protect our freedoms at home, and get all sides of a story, saw it as an extension of what so many men and women died to protect on distant battlefields.”
Wood is survived by her brother.


latimes--2020-03-18--Schools likely to be closed for the rest of the school year, Newsom says

California public schools are likely to be closed for the remainder of the school year in response to the spread of coronavirus , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Tuesday afternoon .
“ Don ’ t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week .
Please don ’ t anticipate in a few weeks , ” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state ’ s coronavirus efforts .
“ I would plan , and assume , that it ’ s unlikely that many of these schools — few , if any — will open before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state , 98.8 % , are closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic , Newsom said .
The state education department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead .
The governor later said his comments reflect what he believes will be the challenges across California in the weeks to come , as the coronavirus pandemic changes the daily course of life .
“ I don ’ t want to mislead you , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who must prepare and plan for their children ’ s care and learning .
Linda Darling-Hammond , president of the state board of education , put the disruption in perspective .
“ We haven ’ t had this kind of shutdown of civil society or schools since the Spanish influenza in 1918 , ” she said .
“ It ’ s been a century since we saw anything like this .
And in that case as well , whole cities had to close down .
So the magnitude is enormous.
” She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflect on what they need and care about most .
“ School is one thing , but there are going to be people losing their jobs , ” she said .
“ People who need to be able to pay rent , people that need to be able to eat , and we have to be able to take care of that as well.
” All hands in state government , she said , “ are stepping up to assist or provide guidance ” to school districts , she said .
State Supt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night that Newsom ’ s comment offers an assessment of the remaining school year with shuttered campuses , but as of now “ there is no declaration that school is over for the year.
” He said school districts need to be fully prepared to shift their method of instruction .
He added that officials have not yet discussed extending the school year into the summer .
“ We ’ re not going to know exactly what we need to do until we have a sense of how this is all going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom , who had sounded a note of criticism toward some school districts on Sunday for closing before they knew how to provide meals and other services , said his administration has now offered those schools additional help in planning for the needs of students .
” We wanted to make sure that learning is still occurring .
Distance learning .
Online learning , ” Newsom said .
He said the closure issue came up on Monday night with one of his daughters , whom he had to console when arriving at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And I told her , ‘ Honey , I don ’ t think the schools are going to open again.
’ And if I could tell my daughter that , and not tell your daughter that , or the people , then I ’ m not being honest or true to the people of the state of California .
Boy , I hope I ’ m wrong.
” He also indicated that standardized testing will not take place this spring .
“ We think it is totally inappropriate for kids to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Teachers and students “ already have enough anxiety , ” he said .
The announcement comes as the Los Angeles school district on Tuesday was ramping up “ grab and go ” food services to help feed more than half a million children displaced by the closing of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak .
Starting on Wednesday , parents and students can pick up food at 60 sites scattered throughout the nation ’ s second-largest school district .
A complete list and map of locations in Los Angeles and information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district website .
“ These are not ordinary days , and we know many of our students still need help , ” said L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner .
“ So our goal is to help as many as we can.
” Teachers in most closed schools are trying to continue instruction through online coursework and extended homework assignments .
L.A. Unified also has partnered with PBS SoCal to provide expanded educational programming .
Districts have continued classes with online learning and homework packets .
But meeting a critical basic need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a priority in these first days of closures .
Volunteers will provide up to two packaged meals per person between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. starting on Wednesday .
Beutner said no one would be turned away , whether or not they have a connection to the school system .
“ Our intent is to serve children , but if adults ask , we will offer and we ’ re going to serve those in need , ” Beutner .
All the locations are set up with for both drive-thru and walk-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteer staff will slide the food across a table toward the person or the open car window , as a method to provide separation or “ distancing ” between people , thus reducing the chance for spreading the virus .
The tables will be covered each day with disposable liners .
A trial run for workers on Tuesday took place at Liechty Middle School near downtown , where L.A. schools Beutner reviewed the preparations in progress .
A typical breakfast will consist of individual portion-sized box of cereal , unsweetened apple sauce , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as an apple , orange or banana .
Lunch might have a turkey and cheese sandwich on a roll , sunflower butter , mango juice , carrots , raisins , milk and a piece of fruit .
“ Sunflower butter , that ’ s a new one for me , ” Beutner said , during his tour of the distribution station .
“ Healthy breakfast , healthy lunch .
It ’ s making me kinda hungry actually.
” Organizers don ’ t want the distribution centers themselves to be a vector for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are concerned about how people line up to receive food .
Each family will be asked to stand about six feet apart as they await their turn .
In the walk-up line , “ we have staff that will be queuing about every 15 to 20 feet that will be giving them the verbal guidance , reminding them about the different social distancing practices that we ’ re putting in place , ” said Dennis Stecchi , a senior district manager who specializes in logistics and event planning .
“ Vehicles already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to worry about any social distancing , ” he added .
Every distribution center will have a hand-wash station and supplies to check the temperature of workers .
Because workers are separated from those receiving food , it won ’ t be necessary to conduct health screenings for those receiving food , Stecchi said .
No advance sign-up is required , so the district does not know how many people will show up for meals .
The school district typically serves more than a million meals a day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district will have 400,000 meals available per day , said Dawn Soto , a senior training specialist in the Food Services Division .
Officials have no idea which locations will draw more traffic and they ’ re prepared to shift the supply as necessary .

California public schools are likely to be closed for the remainder of the school year in response to the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday afternoon.
“Don’t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week. Please don’t anticipate in a few weeks,” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state’s coronavirus efforts. “I would plan, and assume, that it’s unlikely that many of these schools — few, if any — will open before the summer break.”
Nearly all school districts in the state, 98.8%, are closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Newsom said. The state education department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead.
The governor later said his comments reflect what he believes will be the challenges across California in the weeks to come, as the coronavirus pandemic changes the daily course of life.
Advertisement
“I don’t want to mislead you,” he said to parents and educators, who must prepare and plan for their children’s care and learning.
Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the state board of education, put the disruption in perspective.
“We haven’t had this kind of shutdown of civil society or schools since the Spanish influenza in 1918,” she said. “It’s been a century since we saw anything like this. And in that case as well, whole cities had to close down. So the magnitude is enormous.”
She said this moment calls families and communities to reflect on what they need and care about most.
“School is one thing, but there are going to be people losing their jobs,” she said. “People who need to be able to pay rent, people that need to be able to eat, and we have to be able to take care of that as well.”
Advertisement
All hands in state government, she said, “are stepping up to assist or provide guidance” to school districts, she said.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Tuesday night that Newsom’s comment offers an assessment of the remaining school year with shuttered campuses, but as of now “there is no declaration that school is over for the year.” He said school districts need to be fully prepared to shift their method of instruction.
He added that officials have not yet discussed extending the school year into the summer.
“We’re not going to know exactly what we need to do until we have a sense of how this is all going to go,” Thurmond said.
Newsom, who had sounded a note of criticism toward some school districts on Sunday for closing before they knew how to provide meals and other services, said his administration has now offered those schools additional help in planning for the needs of students.
”We wanted to make sure that learning is still occurring. Distance learning. Online learning,” Newsom said.
He said the closure issue came up on Monday night with one of his daughters, whom he had to console when arriving at home because she missed her friends at school.
“And I told her, ‘Honey, I don’t think the schools are going to open again.’ And if I could tell my daughter that, and not tell your daughter that, or the people, then I’m not being honest or true to the people of the state of California. Boy, I hope I’m wrong.”
He also indicated that standardized testing will not take place this spring. “We think it is totally inappropriate for kids to worry” about being tested, he said. Teachers and students “already have enough anxiety,” he said.
The announcement comes as the Los Angeles school district on Tuesday was ramping up “grab and go” food services to help feed more than half a million children displaced by the closing of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Starting on Wednesday, parents and students can pick up food at 60 sites scattered throughout the nation’s second-largest school district. A complete list and map of locations in Los Angeles and information about other resources have been published on the district website.
“These are not ordinary days, and we know many of our students still need help,” said L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner. “So our goal is to help as many as we can.”
Teachers in most closed schools are trying to continue instruction through online coursework and extended homework assignments. L.A. Unified also has partnered with PBS SoCal to provide expanded educational programming.
Districts have continued classes with online learning and homework packets. But meeting a critical basic need — feeding hungry children — also has been a priority in these first days of closures.
Volunteers will provide up to two packaged meals per person between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. starting on Wednesday.
Beutner said no one would be turned away, whether or not they have a connection to the school system.
“Our intent is to serve children, but if adults ask, we will offer and we’re going to serve those in need,” Beutner.
All the locations are set up with for both drive-thru and walk-up distribution.
In both lines, the volunteer staff will slide the food across a table toward the person or the open car window, as a method to provide separation or “distancing” between people, thus reducing the chance for spreading the virus. The tables will be covered each day with disposable liners.
A trial run for workers on Tuesday took place at Liechty Middle School near downtown, where L.A. schools Beutner reviewed the preparations in progress.
A typical breakfast will consist of individual portion-sized box of cereal, unsweetened apple sauce, milk and a piece of fruit, such as an apple, orange or banana. Lunch might have a turkey and cheese sandwich on a roll, sunflower butter, mango juice, carrots, raisins, milk and a piece of fruit.
“Sunflower butter, that’s a new one for me,” Beutner said, during his tour of the distribution station. “Healthy breakfast, healthy lunch. It’s making me kinda hungry actually.”
Organizers don’t want the distribution centers themselves to be a vector for transmitting the coronavirus, which is why they are concerned about how people line up to receive food. Each family will be asked to stand about six feet apart as they await their turn.
In the walk-up line, “we have staff that will be queuing about every 15 to 20 feet that will be giving them the verbal guidance, reminding them about the different social distancing practices that we’re putting in place,” said Dennis Stecchi, a senior district manager who specializes in logistics and event planning.
“Vehicles already have a natural buffer so we really don’t have to worry about any social distancing,” he added.
Every distribution center will have a hand-wash station and supplies to check the temperature of workers. Because workers are separated from those receiving food, it won’t be necessary to conduct health screenings for those receiving food, Stecchi said.
No advance sign-up is required, so the district does not know how many people will show up for meals. The school district typically serves more than a million meals a day, Beutner said.
For now, the district will have 400,000 meals available per day, said Dawn Soto, a senior training specialist in the Food Services Division.
Officials have no idea which locations will draw more traffic and they’re prepared to shift the supply as necessary.


latimes--2020-03-17--To combat virus, L.A. will let homeless encampments stay up throughout the day

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to temporarily stop enforcing a law requiring tents to come down during daytime hours , saying the change is needed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Councilmen Mike Bonin , Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Gil Cedillo said the city must “ urgently reevaluate ” its policies for dealing with homeless encampments , given the virus threat .
By ensuring homeless Angelenos can remain in their tents , the city will reduce their chances of being around others and contracting the virus , said Bonin , who represents coastal neighborhoods .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having lots of people living in encampments is throwing them out of encampments and making them more vulnerable , ” he said .
Council members also voted to instruct city agencies to begin providing hand-washing stations , portable toilets , dumpsters , vermin-proof trash cans and weekly shower service at “ major ” homeless encampments .
But they rejected a plan to stop confiscating the belongings of homeless Angelenos that exceed 60 gallons .
Bonin , Cedillo , Harris-Dawson and Councilman Herb Wesson favored such a move .
The council ’ s other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buscaino , voted to continue confiscating such items .
“ There are tons of trash in and around different parts of the city of Los Angeles that I am very concerned about , ” said Buscaino , who represents a Watts-to-San Pedro district .
“ That is adding to filth and disease.
” One business leader expressed relief that the council rejected the plan to stop confiscating belongings , saying such a move would have increased the spread of rats and disease in homeless encampments .
“ We can not make this health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grow even larger , ” said Estela Lopez , executive director of the Central City East Assn.
, a downtown business group .
Los Angeles has about 36,000 homeless people , more than 27,000 of them unsheltered , according to the the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority .
Under the city ’ s current laws , tents on sidewalks and in other public areas must come down between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m .
In many parts of the city , the rule is not vigorously enforced .
Homeless advocates described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and encampments in place throughout the day as a much-needed health and safety measure .
“ The worst thing we can do is push people outside ” of their tents , said Mel Tillekeratne , main organizer for the # SheDoes movement , which advocates for shelter for homeless women .
“ This is giving them a space to stay , rather than moving around in the community.
” Tuesday ’ s action still preserves the city ’ s authority to require homeless residents to move their tents so that sanitation crews can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Bonin spokesman David Graham-Caso .
The tent proposal was one of several emergency measures discussed at Tuesday ’ s council meeting , the first since City Hall was closed to the public in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
Council members also voted to impose new measures to shield tenants from evictions and seek new protections for workers at Los Angeles International Airport and elsewhere .
County officials have not identified any cases of COVID-19 among the homeless population so far , said Heidi Marston , interim executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When that happens , emergency management officials plan to have motels , hotels and other sites where they can be placed in isolation , she said .
Public health officials have also advised that homeless residents who are living in tents should be allowed to “ shelter in place ” in the coming weeks , Marston said .
“ Obviously , if they want to go to a shelter we will facilitate that too , ” she said .
“ But they should not , in those circumstances , be told to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re wanting to stay there , or exhibiting symptoms [ where ] they would need to have that tent remain up.
” Councilman Bob Blumenfield , who represents the west San Fernando Valley , told Marston he is “ extremely nervous ” about that approach .
“ Someone sheltering in place in an encampment is a recipe for the entire encampment to come down with the virus , ” he said .
The proposal backed by the council would still require removal of tents that are within 10 feet of an operable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheelchair users .
It would also instruct city agencies to begin providing 24-hour access to restrooms at city libraries , parks , recreation centers and other public facilities .
The city will receive a report on the costs of providing those bathrooms — and adding more services at encampments — later this month , Graham-Caso said .
Theo Henderson , who lives in a park in Chinatown , said the move to allow tents to stay up during the day should continue even after the threat from COVID-19 has subsided .
Allowing unhoused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , would protect them against other health threats .
Homeless people “ are not just 18-to-24-year-olds with perfect health , ” said Henderson , who hosts the podcast “ We The Unhoused .
”

David Zahniser, Emily Alpert Reyes, Dakota Smith

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to temporarily stop enforcing a law requiring tents to come down during daytime hours, saying the change is needed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Councilmen Mike Bonin, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Gil Cedillo said the city must “urgently reevaluate” its policies for dealing with homeless encampments, given the virus threat.
By ensuring homeless Angelenos can remain in their tents, the city will reduce their chances of being around others and contracting the virus, said Bonin, who represents coastal neighborhoods.
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“The only thing that is worse than having lots of people living in encampments is throwing them out of encampments and making them more vulnerable,” he said.
Council members also voted to instruct city agencies to begin providing hand-washing stations, portable toilets, dumpsters, vermin-proof trash cans and weekly shower service at “major” homeless encampments. But they rejected a plan to stop confiscating the belongings of homeless Angelenos that exceed 60 gallons.
Bonin, Cedillo, Harris-Dawson and Councilman Herb Wesson favored such a move. The council’s other 11 members, led by Councilman Joe Buscaino, voted to continue confiscating such items.
“There are tons of trash in and around different parts of the city of Los Angeles that I am very concerned about,” said Buscaino, who represents a Watts-to-San Pedro district. “That is adding to filth and disease.”
One business leader expressed relief that the council rejected the plan to stop confiscating belongings, saying such a move would have increased the spread of rats and disease in homeless encampments.
“We cannot make this health emergency any worse by allowing this accumulation to grow even larger,” said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Assn., a downtown business group.
Los Angeles has about 36,000 homeless people, more than 27,000 of them unsheltered, according to the the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Under the city’s current laws, tents on sidewalks and in other public areas must come down between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. In many parts of the city, the rule is not vigorously enforced.
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Homeless advocates described the council’s decision to keep tents and encampments in place throughout the day as a much-needed health and safety measure.
“The worst thing we can do is push people outside” of their tents, said Mel Tillekeratne, main organizer for the #SheDoes movement, which advocates for shelter for homeless women. “This is giving them a space to stay, rather than moving around in the community.”
Tuesday’s action still preserves the city’s authority to require homeless residents to move their tents so that sanitation crews can clean sidewalks and remove hazardous materials, said Bonin spokesman David Graham-Caso.
The tent proposal was one of several emergency measures discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting, the first since City Hall was closed to the public in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Council members also voted to impose new measures to shield tenants from evictions and seek new protections for workers at Los Angeles International Airport and elsewhere.
County officials have not identified any cases of COVID-19 among the homeless population so far, said Heidi Marston, interim executive director of the homeless services authority. When that happens, emergency management officials plan to have motels, hotels and other sites where they can be placed in isolation, she said.
Public health officials have also advised that homeless residents who are living in tents should be allowed to “shelter in place” in the coming weeks, Marston said.
“Obviously, if they want to go to a shelter we will facilitate that too,” she said. “But they should not, in those circumstances, be told to take their tent down, especially if they’re wanting to stay there, or exhibiting symptoms [where] they would need to have that tent remain up.”
Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who represents the west San Fernando Valley, told Marston he is “extremely nervous” about that approach.
“Someone sheltering in place in an encampment is a recipe for the entire encampment to come down with the virus,” he said.
The proposal backed by the council would still require removal of tents that are within 10 feet of an operable driveway or if they block access for wheelchair users. It would also instruct city agencies to begin providing 24-hour access to restrooms at city libraries, parks, recreation centers and other public facilities.
The city will receive a report on the costs of providing those bathrooms — and adding more services at encampments — later this month, Graham-Caso said.
Theo Henderson, who lives in a park in Chinatown, said the move to allow tents to stay up during the day should continue even after the threat from COVID-19 has subsided.
Allowing unhoused residents to maintain their tents, he said, would protect them against other health threats.
Homeless people “are not just 18-to-24-year-olds with perfect health,” said Henderson, who hosts the podcast “We The Unhoused.”


latimes--2020-03-18--As officials grapple with coronavirus pandemic, more than 8 million Californians are living under sh

As officials grapple with coronavirus pandemic, more than 8 million Californians are living under shelter-in-place orders

More than 8 million Californians are living under shelter-in-place orders — the nation ’ s most stringent public health measures yet — as state and local governments rush to address the coronavirus pandemic .
At least 10 counties in the Bay Area and Central California and the city of Palm Springs have directed all residents to stay at home as much as possible , with Sonoma , San Benito and Monterey counties deciding Tuesday to join the order implemented a day earlier by San Francisco , Santa Clara , San Mateo , Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin and Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials Tuesday announced a shelter-in-place order that applied only to older residents .
In total , about 20 % of the state ’ s population is under shelter-in-place orders .
Southern California authorities stopped short of shelter-in-place orders , but still imposed sweeping restrictions .
Orange and San Bernardino counties issued new orders Tuesday that ban all gatherings , a day after Riverside County banned gatherings of 10 or more people and L.A. County prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people .
San Diego County issued a ban Tuesday prohibiting gatherings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of California ’ s most populous areas are now being ordered to offer food only via pick-up and delivery .
Besides the 10 counties imposing a shelter-in-place order , enforceable as a misdemeanor , Los Angeles , Orange , San Bernardino , Ventura and San Diego counties ordered restaurants to end dine-in eating and required them to offer only pick-up and delivery service .
Los Angeles , Orange , San Bernardino , Ventura and San Diego counties ordered bars that do not serve food to close ; Ventura , San Bernardino and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie theaters to close .
The heightened restrictions come after California has seen the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise : 472 cases and 13 deaths as of Tuesday , compared to 157 confirmed cases and three deaths a week prior .
L.A. County , which hasn ’ t issued a shelter-in-place order but has required the closure of restaurants and several other businesses , announced it had 147 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , up 53 from Monday .
“ We continue to see a huge increase in the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference Tuesday , adding that the rise in numbers is largely due to the increased capacity for testing .
Ferrer stressed the need for people to stay home , including anyone who is sick .
“ If you ’ re sick and you ’ re an essential worker , please don ’ t come to work , ” she said .
“ We can not have people that are sick , even with mild illness , going about their business.
” More distressing news came Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California public schools are likely to be closed for the remainder of the school year in response to the coronavirus .
“ Don ’ t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week .
Please don ’ t anticipate in a few weeks , ” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state ’ s coronavirus efforts .
“ I would plan , and assume , that it ’ s unlikely that many of these schools — few , if any — will open before the summer break.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 98.8 % , are closed in response to the pandemic , Newsom said .
The state education department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead .
Newsom said his daughter was upset Monday night about missing her school friends .
He said he sat with her for about an hour to help calm her down .
“ And if I could tell my daughter that , and not tell your daughter that , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being honest or true to the people of the state of California , ” Newsom said .
Officials in Los Angeles County also announced a moratorium on all no-fault residential and commercial evictions , starting retroactively on March 4 and lasting until May 31 .
Tenants will have six months after the end of the emergency proclamation to pay for lost rent , L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said .
Also , as concern over the coroanvirus grows , officials said there ’ s been a decline in blood donations .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resulting in 5,500 fewer donations .
Officials are asking those who are healthy to continue to make a donation , which has a shelf-life of roughly 42 days .
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted officials to take extraordinary measures to try to slow the spread by closing businesses , demanding that older individuals stay home and trying to increase testing for the virus .
Two new deaths were reported Tuesday in California , one in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County and a man in his 50s in Santa Clara County who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 470 people from across the state have tested positive for the virus , but officials admit that is just a fraction of the real number .
A lack of tests had made it impossible for officials to get a clear handle on the numbers or the spread .
To date , roughly 58,878 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the U.S. , Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Adm. Brett P. Giroir said during a news briefing Tuesday .
President Trump said that all states now have the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials insist change is coming .
By the end of the week , more than 2,000 commercial labs across the nation will be performing coronavirus tests using high-speed machines that can process many samples at once , federal officials said Sunday .
About 1.9 million tests would be available by the end of the week , officials said .
California will be running 8,000 tests a day in about a week , when the commercial lab company Quest opens up two more labs , according to the governor ’ s office .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier , and stressed the importance of takeout and delivery options and workers who will continue to make those services available , while reiterating the call for people to work from home .
“ We ’ re asking everyone to work at home if possible , avoid unnecessary travel and stop gathering in groups of at least 10 , ” he said .
“ By making shared sacrifices and temporary changes , we can protect the health of our people , and we can protect our economy.
” Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses starting noon Wednesday and midnight for all gaming — including Las Vegas casinos — for 30 days .
Los Angeles County officials announced the closure of all bars , fitness centers and movie theaters and directed restaurants to move to takeout only .
The directive applies to all 88 cities and unincorporated regions of the county , including Los Angeles , which issued a similar directive Sunday .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom Monday evening , asking all California restaurants to close their doors to dine-in customers and that gyms , health clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations .
“ We ’ re asking people to shelter in place , to isolate at home , ” Newsom said during an update broadcast on Facebook Live .
“ The point of gatherings is lost on all of us from a public safety and health perspective .
So directing ... no gatherings … we think it ’ s very rational under these circumstances .
Disruptive , I know , for some .
But rational , we believe , in this moment.
” On Tuesday , Orange County , Ventura County , Monterey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Benito , just south of Santa Clara County , also announced severe restrictions in an effort to stem the spread of the new coronavirus .
To date , 10 counties have issued such orders , with Ventura County ’ s being somewhat less restrictive than the others .
Ventura County health officials issued a shelter-in-place order — a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment if violated — requiring anyone 75 or older , and anyone 70 or older with an underlying medical condition , to shelter in place at their home starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered by the order are allowed to go outside to seek medical care and food , and to perform essential work in healthcare and government .
The order also requires all restaurants to provide only takeout and delivery .
The county also ordered the closure of all bars and nightclubs that do not serve food , movie theaters , live performance venues , bowling alleys , arcades , gyms , community pools , wineries , breweries and tap rooms that provide tastings .
At an emergency City Council meeting Monday morning , Palm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all residents to shelter in place and limit their activities .
“ Forty percent of our residents are aged 60 and above .
We also have many with underlying chronic health issues and compromised immune systems .
The Coachella Valley has 17 individuals who have tested positive and three deaths in the past 24 hours .
We also had three firefighters quarantined due to exposure to someone who tested positive .
These all resulted in my calling the emergency meeting and council taking the action we did , ” Palm Springs Mayor George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its decision after identifying a fourth case of coronavirus — a 42-year-old resident of Hollister who appears to have been exposed while working in Santa Clara County .
The patient is isolated in his home .
The order was similar to the one issued by six Bay Area counties and Santa Cruz County on Monday .
It allows people go out and shop for food , go to the doctor ’ s office , check on relatives and go outside for exercise , but to otherwise stay home , with exceptions for essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t had as many cases in San Benito County up until now , there have been numerous cases and evidence of extensive community widespread in Santa Clara County and other counties , ” said Dr. Martin Fenstersheib , the county health officer .
“ There ’ s increased risk for people to be exposed in other counties and then to come back into this county.
” “ Now is the time to do everything we can to prevent the situation from getting much worse in a matter of days or weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County health department said .
Over the past two days , public health officials in San Francisco and several other counties — including Santa Clara , San Mateo , Marin , Contra Costa , Alameda , Monterey , San Benito and Santa Cruz — issued sweeping orders that force most businesses to close and residents to “ shelter in place ” inside their homes .
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said police are asking the public to voluntarily comply .
While violation of the health order could be enforceable as a misdemeanor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resort , ” Scott said .
“ This is not about a criminal justice approach to a public health issue.
” In Napa County , where there have so far been no confirmed cases of the virus , public health officer Dr. Karen Relucio issued a health order limiting public and private gatherings .
The order is not a shelter-in-place directive , officials said .
On Tuesday afternoon , Orange County issued severe restrictions that prohibits “ all public and private gatherings of any number of people , including at places of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are considered nonessential .
“ We are taking these mitigation steps in line with a directive issued by Gov .
Newsom to help slow the spread of COVID-19 , ” Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick said in a statement .
“ We recognize community members may experience anxiety related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19 , and want to encourage residents to reach out to loved ones using appropriate methods like telephone , video messaging , email and text.
” Also on Tuesday , Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , closing front lobbies of stations , reducing in-person police reports and suspending visits to the jails .
“ Our foremost responsibility is to keep the community safe , while implementing precautionary measures to safeguard the health of the public who rely on our service and the members of the department who respond to their call , ” Barnes said .
All volunteer programs have also been suspended , including senior programs in contract cities and those provided by jail volunteers .
In San Bernardino County , health officials ordered Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any number of people within the county starting tomorrow through at least April 6.
” Like most other orders , it also requires , starting Wednesday , the closing of all movie theaters , gyms , health clubs , bars , adult entertainment establishments and other businesses that serve alcohol but do not serve food .
“ I understand this creates hardships for many families and businesses .
But at the end of the day I believe we all understand that we are in this together , and that together , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman , who announced the order online via a video .
“ The county is taking every step we can to stay in front of this threat.
” Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Capt .
Eric Buschow said the department has moved deputies from investigative units and increased visibility at food shopping areas as part of its response to novel coronavirus .
He said the department is also screening new inmates in an open area outside the jail for health issues but is continuing at this stage to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of the virus .
Sacramento County announced a partial closure of court operations in order to “ promote public safety and health while protecting liberty and due process , “ officials said .
Court calendars are being reduced to only “ most essential ” and “ mandated ” hearings , and telephone appearances will be used where feasible .
The court building that handles traffic cases and small claims is closed , as are self-help centers .
Cases deemed essential to public safety or where delay could cause irreparable harm to victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal matters will continue in 30 to 45 days .
And the county grand jury is deferred until mid-May .
As of Monday night , California had at least 472 confirmed cases .
Of those cases , 82 are travel-related , 75 are person-to-person and 98 are community transmission .
At least 193 cases are under investigation .
More than 11,750 people who returned to the U.S. through San Francisco International Airport or Los Angeles International Airport are self-monitoring Riverside County confirmed a third death Tuesday .
The first two deaths were linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these outcomes are expected as we face a serious challenge and continue to make the necessary decisions to protect the health of the community , ” Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said in a statement .
Santa Clara County confirmed two additional deaths , bringing that county ’ s total to four .
And Sacramento County confirmed one person had died , bringing its total to two deaths , both people who were older than 70 and had underlying health conditions .
Officials said that all hospitals were preparing for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its first case of coronavirus Tuesday .
The individual is not a resident of the county , public health officials said .
Officials are working to identify potential contacts of the individual and will monitor the health of individuals who traveled with the person in an attempt to prevent any possible community transmission .
The number of positive tests in San Luis Obispo County doubled to to six .
Dr. Penny Bornstein , the county ’ s public health officer , said of the three , two were in the northern part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Long Beach , the number of cases rose by three , bringing the city ’ s total to eight .
The three new cases include two individuals who traveled to locations of known outbreak and one person whose exposure is currently under investigation .
At least 110 people in the city are currently being monitored for the virus .
Millions of families in Los Angeles and across the state were forced to adjust Monday to closed schools , child-care hassles , an uneven move to online learning and a strained social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from an unprecedented effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus .
L.A. Unified announced more bad news : District officials late on Monday canceled their innovative effort to offer child-care , counseling and learning materials at 40 new family resource centers , citing health risks .
Instead , 60 “ grab-and-go ” food centers will be available for school families .
With almost all of California students out of school , many districts in the state were trying to move toward online education — an especially tall order in a state where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or reduced-price meals because they are members of low-income households .
In Los Angeles public schools the number is even higher , at 80 % ; in Compton it ’ s at 83 % ; Pomona , 89 % .
Besides the potential for hungry children , in Los Angeles , for instance , this also means that one-quarter of families do not have broadband service and additional families lack adequate data plans or computers needed to support online learning , said LAUSD Supt .
Austin Beutner .
Times staff writers Cindy Carcamo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luke Money , Paige St. John and Richard Winton contributed to this report .

Colleen Shalby, Rong-Gong Lin II, Ruben Vives, Howard Blume, Jaclyn Cosgrove

Disneyland guests take photos in front of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Disneyland guests wearing ponchos pass the Marketplace inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Thursday. Disneyland and California Adventure will temporarily close in response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Two children look at movie posters in the lobby of the Arclight theater Thursday in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A crew member stands on the stern of a cruise ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Alexandria Casserly crosses the street while looking for toilet paper in downtown Los Angeles. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Students leave John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles at the end of the school day on Friday, Mar. 13, 2020. LAUSD announced it will shut down beginning Monday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times )
Blake Anderson, left, a freshman, walks with his father Oree Anderson, as school is let out at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. LAUSD announced that schools will be closed due to the Coronavirus. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Students hug as they are let out of school at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 13, 2020. The school has 2,623 students who live in 94 different zip codes, some of whom travel upwards of 30 miles to school on 24 different school bus routes. 221 school staff live in 88 zip codes. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that schools will be closed due to the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
A guest wears a mask in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A line at the Martin B. Retting gun store in Culver City on Sunday extends out the door and around the corner. (Francine Orr / The Times)
Carlos Perez, a worker at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles sits in the empty restaurant. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
L.A. has banned restaurants from offering seating at places such as Grand Central Market. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Normally bustling Grand Central Market in downtown L.A. is open only for take out. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
From left, Josh Akamine, of Oahu, Hawaii; Madison Shine of Oahu; Matthew Valencia of Los Altos and Dani Ikeda visit L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Medical personnel surround a car that is going through a coronavirus drive-thru test clinic at the San Mateo County Event Center. Drive-thru test clinics for COVID-19 are popping up across the country as more tests become available. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Emma Bradley, left, and her husband, Samuel Bradley, of Palmdale are walking up the ramp to catch the Metrolink in Union Sation in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Volunteer Rachel Figueroa, serves a free lunch to go to Destiny Mendez, with her mother, Estefany, at the Dream Center in Los Angeles. LAUSD students can get free breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Dream Center, Monday through Friday. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Muhammad Faruq, an Uber driver, picks his ride Sotero Reyes, left, and Cristian Eguia, visitors from Houston, all in protective masks, from downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Shoppers queue up ahead of the Los Feliz Costco opening for business on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
A large tent is installed for public attendance at Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting. The public was not allowed in the council chamber. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees the testing at UCLA Medical Center. Testing for Covid-19 is going on at UCLA Medical Center, where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Orange County Undersheriff Bob Peterson listens during a board of supervisors discussion on combating the coronavirus in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Kevin Ezeh, protected with face mask and gloves, addresses the Los Angeles City Council meeting standing under a tent erected outside City Hall. A television livestreamed video of the meeting and the public offered comments remotely. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
An employee of the Trader Joe’s store in Monrovia tells customers waiting in line that it would open doors to everyone at 9 a.m., not just seniors, who arrived believing doors would open earlier to older residents, as some of the people were told by employees and it was reported. Some grocery outlets were offering special morning hours of shopping to accommodate older residents. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
A nurse takes the vital signs of a woman in a medical tent outside the hospital on Catalina. (Francine Orr/Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Medical personnel screen patients outside the emergency room at Loma Linda University Health during the coronavirus pandemic. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
HOPICS outreach worker Ralph Gomez tosses a clipboard for a signature to homeless client Davis Soto, right, taking care to stay at least six feet away during outreach in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees testing at UCLA Medical Center where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. Morocco listens to a female patient’s lungs through the car window. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Seniors shop at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors can go grocery shopping before the store opens to the general public. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Roberta Tabor, 66, of Hermosa Beach, has her ID checked by store director Dennis Sullivan at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors 65+ can go grocery shopping before anybody else. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Seniors, including Eileen Oda Leaf, 67, left, and her husband Dave Leaf, 67, right, both wearing protective masks, line up outside Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach early on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Dallas Weaver, 79, and his wife, Janet Weaver, 75, of Huntington Beach, walk on the Huntington pier. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
David Barker, 56, is visiting with his friend living in a tent on skidrow in Los Angeles. Barker, who is not homeless, works in the area. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
People walk up the ramp, exiting the secure area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Volunteer Nagma Shakur, 16, left, hugs her “Grannie” as she helps senior shoppers with their carts at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Altadena. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
The City of Santa Monica closed the Santa Monica Pier in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus. Very few people were on the beach in Santa Monica as the epidemic continues. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
More than 8 million Californians are living under shelter-in-place orders — the nation’s most stringent public health measures yet — as state and local governments rush to address the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 10 counties in the Bay Area and Central California and the city of Palm Springs have directed all residents to stay at home as much as possible, with Sonoma, San Benito and Monterey counties deciding Tuesday to join the order implemented a day earlier by San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Santa Cruz counties. In Ventura County, health officials Tuesday announced a shelter-in-place order that applied only to older residents.
In total, about 20% of the state’s population is under shelter-in-place orders.
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Southern California authorities stopped short of shelter-in-place orders, but still imposed sweeping restrictions. Orange and San Bernardino counties issued new orders Tuesday that ban all gatherings, a day after Riverside County banned gatherings of 10 or more people and L.A. County prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people. San Diego County issued a ban Tuesday prohibiting gatherings of 50 or more people.
Restaurants in many of California’s most populous areas are now being ordered to offer food only via pick-up and delivery. Besides the 10 counties imposing a shelter-in-place order, enforceable as a misdemeanor, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties ordered restaurants to end dine-in eating and required them to offer only pick-up and delivery service.
Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties ordered bars that do not serve food to close; Ventura, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties also ordered gyms and movie theaters to close.
The heightened restrictions come after California has seen the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise: 472 cases and 13 deaths as of Tuesday, compared to 157 confirmed cases and three deaths a week prior.
L.A. County, which hasn’t issued a shelter-in-place order but has required the closure of restaurants and several other businesses, announced it had 147 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, up 53 from Monday.
“We continue to see a huge increase in the number of cases,” public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference Tuesday, adding that the rise in numbers is largely due to the increased capacity for testing.
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Ferrer stressed the need for people to stay home, including anyone who is sick.
“If you’re sick and you’re an essential worker, please don’t come to work,” she said. “We cannot have people that are sick, even with mild illness, going about their business.”
More distressing news came Tuesday when Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed that California public schools are likely to be closed for the remainder of the school year in response to the coronavirus.
“Don’t anticipate schools are going to open up in a week. Please don’t anticipate in a few weeks,” Newsom said during a Sacramento news conference on the state’s coronavirus efforts. “I would plan, and assume, that it’s unlikely that many of these schools — few, if any — will open before the summer break.”
Nearly all school districts in the state, 98.8%, are closed in response to the pandemic, Newsom said. The state education department is assembling detailed guidelines on how schools can attempt to continue teaching 6.1 million students out of their classrooms in the weeks and months ahead.
Newsom said his daughter was upset Monday night about missing her school friends. He said he sat with her for about an hour to help calm her down.
“And if I could tell my daughter that, and not tell your daughter that, or the people, then I’m not being honest or true to the people of the state of California,” Newsom said.
He then added: “Boy, I hope I’m wrong.”
Officials in Los Angeles County also announced a moratorium on all no-fault residential and commercial evictions, starting retroactively on March 4 and lasting until May 31. Tenants will have six months after the end of the emergency proclamation to pay for lost rent, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said.
Also, as concern over the coroanvirus grows, officials said there’s been a decline in blood donations. Nearly 160 blood drives have recently been canceled, resulting in 5,500 fewer donations. Officials are asking those who are healthy to continue to make a donation, which has a shelf-life of roughly 42 days.
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted officials to take extraordinary measures to try to slow the spread by closing businesses, demanding that older individuals stay home and trying to increase testing for the virus.
Two new deaths were reported Tuesday in California, one in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County and a man in his 50s in Santa Clara County who was hospitalized March 9 and died Tuesday.
More than 470 people from across the state have tested positive for the virus, but officials admit that is just a fraction of the real number.
A lack of tests had made it impossible for officials to get a clear handle on the numbers or the spread. To date, roughly 58,878 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the U.S., Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Adm. Brett P. Giroir said during a news briefing Tuesday.
President Trump said that all states now have the ability to authorize and use tests, and officials insist change is coming.
By the end of the week, more than 2,000 commercial labs across the nation will be performing coronavirus tests using high-speed machines that can process many samples at once, federal officials said Sunday. About 1.9 million tests would be available by the end of the week, officials said.
California will be running 8,000 tests a day in about a week, when the commercial lab company Quest opens up two more labs, according to the governor’s office.
Trump also said he spoke with restaurant executives earlier, and stressed the importance of takeout and delivery options and workers who will continue to make those services available, while reiterating the call for people to work from home.
“We’re asking everyone to work at home if possible, avoid unnecessary travel and stop gathering in groups of at least 10,” he said. “By making shared sacrifices and temporary changes, we can protect the health of our people, and we can protect our economy.”
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Tuesday statewide closures of all non-essential businesses starting noon Wednesday and midnight for all gaming — including Las Vegas casinos — for 30 days.
Los Angeles County officials announced the closure of all bars, fitness centers and movie theaters and directed restaurants to move to takeout only. The directive applies to all 88 cities and unincorporated regions of the county, including Los Angeles, which issued a similar directive Sunday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom made a similar announcement Monday evening, asking all California restaurants to close their doors to dine-in customers and that gyms, health clubs and movie theaters should also shutter their operations.
“We’re asking people to shelter in place, to isolate at home,” Newsom said during an update broadcast on Facebook Live. “The point of gatherings is lost on all of us from a public safety and health perspective. So directing ... no gatherings … we think it’s very rational under these circumstances. Disruptive, I know, for some. But rational, we believe, in this moment.”
Shelter in place, severe restrictions
On Tuesday, Orange County, Ventura County, Monterey County and the central California county of San Benito, just south of Santa Clara County, also announced severe restrictions in an effort to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. To date, 10 counties have issued such orders, with Ventura County’s being somewhat less restrictive than the others.
Ventura County health officials issued a shelter-in-place order — a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment if violated — requiring anyone 75 or older, and anyone 70 or older with an underlying medical condition, to shelter in place at their home starting Wednesday through April 1. Older residents covered by the order are allowed to go outside to seek medical care and food, and to perform essential work in healthcare and government.
The order also requires all restaurants to provide only takeout and delivery. The county also ordered the closure of all bars and nightclubs that do not serve food, movie theaters, live performance venues, bowling alleys, arcades, gyms, community pools, wineries, breweries and tap rooms that provide tastings.
At an emergency City Council meeting Monday morning, Palm Springs city leaders issued an order advising all residents to shelter in place and limit their activities.
“Forty percent of our residents are aged 60 and above. We also have many with underlying chronic health issues and compromised immune systems. The Coachella Valley has 17 individuals who have tested positive and three deaths in the past 24 hours. We also had three firefighters quarantined due to exposure to someone who tested positive. These all resulted in my calling the emergency meeting and council taking the action we did,” Palm Springs Mayor George Kors said.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
San Benito County made its decision after identifying a fourth case of coronavirus — a 42-year-old resident of Hollister who appears to have been exposed while working in Santa Clara County. The patient is isolated in his home.
The order was similar to the one issued by six Bay Area counties and Santa Cruz County on Monday. It allows people go out and shop for food, go to the doctor’s office, check on relatives and go outside for exercise, but to otherwise stay home, with exceptions for essential services.
“Even though we haven’t had as many cases in San Benito County up until now, there have been numerous cases and evidence of extensive community widespread in Santa Clara County and other counties,” said Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, the county health officer. “There’s increased risk for people to be exposed in other counties and then to come back into this county.”
Monterey County issued a similar order, enforceable by a fine or jail.
“Now is the time to do everything we can to prevent the situation from getting much worse in a matter of days or weeks. Every hour counts,” the Monterey County health department said.
Over the past two days, public health officials in San Francisco and several other counties — including Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz — issued sweeping orders that force most businesses to close and residents to “shelter in place” inside their homes.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said police are asking the public to voluntarily comply. While violation of the health order could be enforceable as a misdemeanor, “that is an absolute last resort,” Scott said. “This is not about a criminal justice approach to a public health issue.”
In Napa County, where there have so far been no confirmed cases of the virus, public health officer Dr. Karen Relucio issued a health order limiting public and private gatherings. The order is not a shelter-in-place directive, officials said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Orange County issued severe restrictions that prohibits “all public and private gatherings of any number of people, including at places of work, occurring outside a single household” that are considered nonessential.
“We are taking these mitigation steps in line with a directive issued by Gov. Newsom to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick said in a statement. “We recognize community members may experience anxiety related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19, and want to encourage residents to reach out to loved ones using appropriate methods like telephone, video messaging, email and text.”
Also on Tuesday, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes moved to decrease deputies’ contact with the public, closing front lobbies of stations, reducing in-person police reports and suspending visits to the jails.
“Our foremost responsibility is to keep the community safe, while implementing precautionary measures to safeguard the health of the public who rely on our service and the members of the department who respond to their call,” Barnes said.
All volunteer programs have also been suspended, including senior programs in contract cities and those provided by jail volunteers.
In San Bernardino County, health officials ordered Tuesday afternoon “the cancellation of gatherings of any number of people within the county starting tomorrow through at least April 6.”
Like most other orders, it also requires, starting Wednesday, the closing of all movie theaters, gyms, health clubs, bars, adult entertainment establishments and other businesses that serve alcohol but do not serve food.
“I understand this creates hardships for many families and businesses. But at the end of the day I believe we all understand that we are in this together, and that together, we will get through this,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman, who announced the order online via a video. “The county is taking every step we can to stay in front of this threat.”
Ventura County Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Buschow said the department has moved deputies from investigative units and increased visibility at food shopping areas as part of its response to novel coronavirus.
He said the department is also screening new inmates in an open area outside the jail for health issues but is continuing at this stage to allow jail visitors. The county has 10 cases of the virus.
Sacramento County announced a partial closure of court operations in order to “promote public safety and health while protecting liberty and due process, “officials said.
Court calendars are being reduced to only “most essential” and “mandated” hearings, and telephone appearances will be used where feasible. The court building that handles traffic cases and small claims is closed, as are self-help centers. Cases deemed essential to public safety or where delay could cause irreparable harm to victims are continuing as scheduled, but nonessential criminal matters will continue in 30 to 45 days. And the county grand jury is deferred until mid-May.
California Supreme Court and L.A County courts previously made similar decisions.
More cases
As of Monday night, California had at least 472 confirmed cases. Of those cases, 82 are travel-related, 75 are person-to-person and 98 are community transmission. At least 193 cases are under investigation.
More than 11,750 people who returned to the U.S. through San Francisco International Airport or Los Angeles International Airport are self-monitoring
Riverside County confirmed a third death Tuesday. The first two deaths were linked to the Coachella Valley.
“Sadly, these outcomes are expected as we face a serious challenge and continue to make the necessary decisions to protect the health of the community,” Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said in a statement.
Santa Clara County confirmed two additional deaths, bringing that county’s total to four. And Sacramento County confirmed one person had died, bringing its total to two deaths, both people who were older than 70 and had underlying health conditions.
Officials said that all hospitals were preparing for a surge in patients.
Kern County confirmed its first case of coronavirus Tuesday. The individual is not a resident of the county, public health officials said.
Officials are working to identify potential contacts of the individual and will monitor the health of individuals who traveled with the person in an attempt to prevent any possible community transmission.
The number of positive tests in San Luis Obispo County doubled to to six. Dr. Penny Bornstein, the county’s public health officer, said of the three, two were in the northern part of the county and one in the south.
In Long Beach, the number of cases rose by three, bringing the city’s total to eight.
The three new cases include two individuals who traveled to locations of known outbreak and one person whose exposure is currently under investigation.
At least 110 people in the city are currently being monitored for the virus.
Schools struggle
What a truly astonishing few days in this state, country, world.
Nine days ago, the leaders of a large NorCal school district were chastised by opinion writers for closing their doors.
Now, Gov. Newsom says almost 99% of CA kids are out of school and prob won't go back. — John Myers (@johnmyers) March 18, 2020
Millions of families in Los Angeles and across the state were forced to adjust Monday to closed schools, child-care hassles, an uneven move to online learning and a strained social safety net — the education system fallout from an unprecedented effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
L.A. Unified announced more bad news: District officials late on Monday canceled their innovative effort to offer child-care, counseling and learning materials at 40 new family resource centers, citing health risks.
Instead, 60 “grab-and-go” food centers will be available for school families.
With almost all of California students out of school, many districts in the state were trying to move toward online education — an especially tall order in a state where 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals because they are members of low-income households. In Los Angeles public schools the number is even higher, at 80%; in Compton it’s at 83%; Pomona, 89%.
Besides the potential for hungry children, in Los Angeles, for instance, this also means that one-quarter of families do not have broadband service and additional families lack adequate data plans or computers needed to support online learning, said LAUSD Supt. Austin Beutner.
Times staff writers Cindy Carcamo, Hannah Fry, Chris Megerian, Luke Money, Paige St. John and Richard Winton contributed to this report.