latimes--2020-04-03--Paddle boarder chased by boat, arrested in Malibu after flouting coronavirus closures

A paddle boarder was arrested Thursday after ignoring lifeguards ’ orders to get out of the ocean near the Malibu Pier despite beach closures amid the coronavirus pandemic , authorities said .
County lifeguards patrolling the shore by boat tried to get the man to come ashore .
Despite repeated orders to exit the water , the man continued paddle boarding for at least 30 minutes .
Lifeguards eventually flagged down Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies who responded by boat to help , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
Video of the incident taken by bystanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media shows the man paddling toward the pier while being pursued by lifeguard and sheriff ’ s boats .
The man , who was not identified by authorities , eventually made his way to the beach , where he was arrested on suspicion of disobeying a lifeguard and violating Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order , a misdemeanor .
Photographs from the scene show the man in handcuffs being led down the beach by two deputies .
He was booked at a sheriff ’ s station in Calabasas and released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sheriff ’ s officials said .
The man faces a fine of $ 1,000 or six months in jail , or both , if convicted of violating the state order .
While many police agencies have taken an educational approach to keeping people off the state ’ s coastline , this isn ’ t the first time someone has faced consequences for being in the ocean .
A surfer in Manhattan Beach was fined $ 1,000 last weekend after he was accused of similarly ignoring warnings by police and lifeguards cautioning him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not clear how many people in the region have been arrested for violating the governor ’ s order .
Staying at home was somewhat slow to catch on , with people packing beaches , parks and hiking trails in the early days , a move that eventually forced officials to order closures .
Public health officials say beaches pose a threat by drawing large crowds of people who congregate too closely and could easily spread the virus .
The California Coastal Commission , the gatekeeper of the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beach a fundamental right , has allowed local officials to put up temporary signs and barricades citing the need to protect public health and safety .
Kim Prather , a leading atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography , told The Times this week that she fears SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , could enter coastal waters and transfer back into the air along the coast .
“ I wouldn ’ t go in the water if you paid me $ 1 million right now , ” she said .

A man paddle boarding near the Malibu Pier was arrested Thursday after authorities said he disobeyed lifeguards and violated a statewide stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A paddle boarder was arrested Thursday after ignoring lifeguards’ orders to get out of the ocean near the Malibu Pier despite beach closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, authorities said.
County lifeguards patrolling the shore by boat tried to get the man to come ashore. Despite repeated orders to exit the water, the man continued paddle boarding for at least 30 minutes. Lifeguards eventually flagged down Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who responded by boat to help, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Video of the incident taken by bystanders along the shore and later posted to social media shows the man paddling toward the pier while being pursued by lifeguard and sheriff’s boats.
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The man, who was not identified by authorities, eventually made his way to the beach, where he was arrested on suspicion of disobeying a lifeguard and violating Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order, a misdemeanor. Photographs from the scene show the man in handcuffs being led down the beach by two deputies.
He was booked at a sheriff’s station in Calabasas and released on a promise to appear in court, sheriff’s officials said. The man faces a fine of $1,000 or six months in jail, or both, if convicted of violating the state order.
While many police agencies have taken an educational approach to keeping people off the state’s coastline, this isn’t the first time someone has faced consequences for being in the ocean.
A surfer in Manhattan Beach was fined $1,000 last weekend after he was accused of similarly ignoring warnings by police and lifeguards cautioning him not to go in the water. It’s not clear how many people in the region have been arrested for violating the governor’s order.
Staying at home was somewhat slow to catch on, with people packing beaches, parks and hiking trails in the early days, a move that eventually forced officials to order closures. Public health officials say beaches pose a threat by drawing large crowds of people who congregate too closely and could easily spread the virus.
Advertisement
The California Coastal Commission, the gatekeeper of the state’s landmark law that deems access to the beach a fundamental right, has allowed local officials to put up temporary signs and barricades citing the need to protect public health and safety.
Kim Prather, a leading atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told The Times this week that she fears SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could enter coastal waters and transfer back into the air along the coast.
“I wouldn’t go in the water if you paid me $1 million right now,” she said.
Times staff writer Rosanna Xia contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-03--How badly will the coronavirus hit San Francisco?

A top San Francisco health official warned that hospitals still could be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients , even as officials elsewhere expressed cautious hope the statewide stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the virus was working .
San Francisco has recorded 450 cases and seven deaths , according to The Times coronavirus tracker .
By comparison , Los Angeles County has recorded 10 times that amount , while nearby Santa Clara County has recorded more than 1,000 cases and over 30 deaths linked to COVID-19 .
“ It is simply too early to tell , ” Dr. Grant Colfax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health , said at a news conference Wednesday .
“ At this stage of the game , there are still plausible scenarios that our healthcare system could be brought to the brink , and even overwhelmed , ” said Colfax , noting that work continues on increasing bed space in hospitals and intensive care units .
His words came a day after the health officer in Contra Costa County warned of the possibility of up to 5,000 deaths a week in California if shelter-in-place orders were pulled too soon .
Health officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s possible there could be 2,000 to 14,000 coronavirus deaths in Contra Costa County , 1,000 in Ventura County and 2,000 to 16,000 in Santa Clara County .
The same day Colfax issued his warning , six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area extended their shelter-in-place order through at least May 3 , and San Francisco Mayor London Breed said it ’ s possible it might last even longer .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said California ’ s public K-12 school campuses are expected to remain closed for the remainder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though there are real challenges here in San Francisco ... it could be a lot worse if all of you weren ’ t playing an important role by staying at home when at all possible , ” Breed said .
San Francisco is still dealing with a growing outbreak of coronavirus at a large nursing home run by the city : Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center , which has more than 700 beds .
By Wednesday , 10 staffers and two residents were infected .
Colfax said he was still concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department employees and first responders .
Those people should wear masks to prevent transmission of the virus from them to others , including the public , because they may be infectious before they feel sick , he said .
“ I am very concerned about our ability as a health department to supply masks , ” said Colfax , citing the local and national shortage of personal protective equipment .
“ We are asking everyone to keep that mask that you receive as long as possible ... until it becomes soiled.
” Colfax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a shortage of swabs needed to conduct tests .
Swabs are needed to take a sample from a patient ’ s nose to test for the virus .
Prompt testing is important so people who turn out to be negative for the virus can be discharged from hospitals .
“ I am literally waiting for more swabs to do more , ” Colfax said .
San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said he was still concerned about the need for additional medical staffing to handle a surge in patients , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , gowns and gloves .
“ It ’ s not only us , it ’ s the state , it ’ s the nation , ” Callagy said at a news conference Wednesday .
Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s public health officer , said the Bay Area ’ s strict stay-at-home order is beginning to make a difference and giving hospitals more time to prepare for potential patients .
“ I want to say that : The incredible sacrifice that everyone has made , I believe it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not enough and it hasn ’ t been in place long enough , so we need to keep at it , we just need to keep at it , ” Cody said at a news conference Tuesday .
That day , the Bay Area issued even stronger orders , affecting San Francisco , San Mateo , Santa Clara , Alameda , Contra Costa and Marin counties .
Among the changes and clarifications : • Staying away at least six feet from others is now mandatory when people leave home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment , picnic areas and barbecue areas is banned .
• Use of enclosed dog parks is prohibited , while open spaces that allow dogs are still open .
• Use of shared recreational facilities , like golf courses , tennis and basketball courts , pools and rock walls are banned .
• Funerals can not have more than 10 individuals present .
• Sports involving shared equipment like Frisbees , basketballs , baseballs or soccer balls can only be engaged in by people of the same household .
• Outdoor activities can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residence .
• People who can work from home must do so .
• Businesses that supply products needed for people to work from home are now ordered closed to the public and can no longer offer storefront sales .
Deliveries can continue .
• Most residential and commercial construction must stop , with exceptions for healthcare projects related to the pandemic , construction to house the homeless , affordable housing and multi-unit or mixed-use developments with 10 % of the units reserved for low-income public works projects deemed essential by the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing construction site .
• Childcare facilities can only provide care to children of people working for essential businesses or providing essential government functions or performing minimum basic operations for nonessential businesses .
• Individuals may not move residences unless it ’ s not possible to wait , such as if a move is already planned or it ’ s needed for safety and habitability .
• Landscapers and other similar service professionals may only provide services needed to maintain sanitation , habitability or operation of residences or businesses , or for safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are cosmetic or for general upkeep or maintenance .
• Essential businesses still open must fill out a form that articulates social distancing protocols in effect at their business , such as placing signs outside the store reminding people to keep six feet apart , offering disinfecting wipes effective against COVID-19 , and not permitting customers to bring their own bags , mugs or reusable items from home .

A top San Francisco health official warned that hospitals still could be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, even as officials elsewhere expressed cautious hope the statewide stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the virus was working.
San Francisco has recorded 450 cases and seven deaths, according to The Times coronavirus tracker. By comparison, Los Angeles County has recorded 10 times that amount, while nearby Santa Clara County has recorded more than 1,000 cases and over 30 deaths linked to COVID-19.
“It is simply too early to tell,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of public health, said at a news conference Wednesday.
“At this stage of the game, there are still plausible scenarios that our healthcare system could be brought to the brink, and even overwhelmed,” said Colfax, noting that work continues on increasing bed space in hospitals and intensive care units.
Advertisement
His words came a day after the health officer in Contra Costa County warned of the possibility of up to 5,000 deaths a week in California if shelter-in-place orders were pulled too soon. Health officers and city officials have said it’s possible there could be 2,000 to 14,000 coronavirus deaths in Contra Costa County, 1,000 in Ventura County and 2,000 to 16,000 in Santa Clara County.
The same day Colfax issued his warning, six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area extended their shelter-in-place order through at least May 3, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed said it’s possible it might last even longer. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said California’s public K-12 school campuses are expected to remain closed for the remainder of the academic year.
“Even though there are real challenges here in San Francisco ... it could be a lot worse if all of you weren’t playing an important role by staying at home when at all possible,” Breed said.
San Francisco is still dealing with a growing outbreak of coronavirus at a large nursing home run by the city: Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, which has more than 700 beds. By Wednesday, 10 staffers and two residents were infected.
Advertisement
Colfax said he was still concerned about a shortage of face masks for health department employees and first responders. Those people should wear masks to prevent transmission of the virus from them to others, including the public, because they may be infectious before they feel sick, he said.
“I am very concerned about our ability as a health department to supply masks,” said Colfax, citing the local and national shortage of personal protective equipment. “We are asking everyone to keep that mask that you receive as long as possible ... until it becomes soiled.”
A person walks across a mostly empty California Street in San Francisco. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP / Getty Images)
Colfax also said testing remains a challenge, with a shortage of swabs needed to conduct tests. Swabs are needed to take a sample from a patient’s nose to test for the virus.
Prompt testing is important so people who turn out to be negative for the virus can be discharged from hospitals.
“I am literally waiting for more swabs to do more,” Colfax said.
San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said he was still concerned about the need for additional medical staffing to handle a surge in patients, as well as needing more personal protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves.
“It’s not only us, it’s the state, it’s the nation,” Callagy said at a news conference Wednesday.
Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health officer, said the Bay Area’s strict stay-at-home order is beginning to make a difference and giving hospitals more time to prepare for potential patients.
“I want to say that: The incredible sacrifice that everyone has made, I believe it is starting to bend the curve. But it’s not enough and it hasn’t been in place long enough, so we need to keep at it, we just need to keep at it,” Cody said at a news conference Tuesday.
That day, the Bay Area issued even stronger orders, affecting San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties. Among the changes and clarifications:


latimes--2020-04-03--You're a parent with COVID-19. Your partner is also sick. What do you do?

Michael Yeates came home from work one afternoon in early March to pick up his 21-month-old daughter , Zoe , for swim lessons .
His wife was sick , and in the few hours he ’ d been gone , she ’ d gotten much worse .
Yeates was coming down with something , too — a cold , he thought — but at that moment he was focused on getting his wife help .
From their home in Corona , they called their medical provider ’ s nurse helpline .
Yeates ’ wife described her symptoms : Shortness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body aches , intense fatigue .
She explained that she ’ s a labor and delivery nurse at a major hospital in Los Angeles .
She had already tested positive for the flu that season .
The nurse was blunt : Testing wasn ’ t available , but it was likely that Yeates ’ wife had contracted the coronavirus .
Yeates ’ wife did not want to be identified by name for fear of the stigma associated with continuing to work as a healthcare provider after recovering from COVID-19 .
With that tentative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dilemma that haunts parents around the world in these uncertain days of the coronavirus pandemic : What will happen if we ’ re too sick to take care of our child ?
A single mom who has contracted the virus , and likely passed it onto her child , can not turn to family or friends during a pandemic without putting them in harm ’ s way .
She can not drop her child off at daycare .
Two-parent families , many accustomed to the reliable support that a partnership provides , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though there will be thousands , maybe even millions , of other parents in the same dire position , there are no easy solutions .
New York Times correspondent Dana Goldstein , who battled COVID-19 along with her husband and young daughter , put it this way in a Twitter thread : “ This virus turns every household into an island.
” That was certainly true for the Yeateses .
They were young , both 36 and healthy , and leaned on the belief that things would stay that way .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell increasingly ill .
When he stood up , his limbs seized with pain .
He felt like his skull was being clamped by a trash compactor .
Each breath was like trying to draw water from a dry well .
“ It felt like there was nothing there in my chest , ” he said .
All the while , the couple avoided confronting the grim possibility that if both of them suddenly took a turn for the worse , it would be incredibly difficult , if not impossible , to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that we had no plan , ” Yeates said , “ and could not conceive of a plan.
” Yeates went to an urgent care clinic when his breathing became dangerously labored .
He was given a shot of prednisone to treat his inflamed lungs .
Within the hour , a paper mask given to him by a nurse was damp and torn from the force of his constant coughing .
The day after , Yeates drifted in and out of consciousness .
Meanwhile , his wife was still recovering — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fatigue for weeks — but she had to care for little Zoe .
Over the next few days , Yeates and his wife , who usually went to bed at around 11 p.m. , would crash right after Zoe went to bed at 7 p.m .
They napped while she napped .
Yeates ’ wife returned to work when her symptoms subsided , and Yeates was alone with Zoe .
He could barely get off the couch .
He counted the steps to the kitchen : 20 .
He gave Zoe food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snacks usually reserved for road trips .
Yeates put the toddler in the backyard with her toys and “ let her go wild.
” He gave her paints and paper .
“ If it meant she wasn ’ t crying , she was allowed to do it , ” Yeates said .
She tore the house apart .
Zoe , accustomed to receiving lots of attention from her dad , whined and tugged on Yeates ’ beard .
“ I was being distant , but I couldn ’ t help it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few times .
I felt like I was failing.
” The Yeateses usually depend on their parents , who live nearby , for childcare .
But both his mom and mother-in-law are high-risk — over 65 and with underlying health conditions .
They knew Zoe could be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus .
And they couldn ’ t pinpoint anyone else — healthy or not — that they would be willing to potentially endanger .
“ We chose not to think about it , Yeates said .
“ What the hell are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Audrey Wible , parents to three young children in the small New Jersey town of Oceanport , faced this dilemma in late March .
Both had presumptive cases of COVID-19 , but like the Yeateses , were unable to get tested .
Cullin , 41 , got sick first .
He had a 103-degree fever for three days .
“ I had aches and pains in places where I ’ ve never hurt before — the joints of my toes , my kidneys , ” said Cullin , a construction executive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he lay in bed under several layers of blankets .
Cullin ’ s mind raced : “ What would we do if both of us got really sick ?
What if we both developed respiratory symptoms ?
” His parents in New Hampshire volunteered to drive down and watch the kids if worse came to worst .
“ No , that ’ s crazy , ” he told them .
His mom is a cancer survivor in her 60s .
Audrey ’ s parents in Ohio were also out of the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would do , ” Cullin said .
Audrey , 37 , had a relatively mild case and didn ’ t feel truly sick until it was clear Cullin was turning a corner .
She chalks this up to her body knowing that she needed to be there for her kids .
“ I seem to hold on for as long as I possibly can , and then when it ’ s OK for me to fall apart , that ’ s what I do , ” said Audrey , who is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cullin felt like his family had dodged a bullet .
“ I ’ ll be honest , it ’ s hard to think about , ” Cullin said , choking up .
The Wibles know that inevitably , others in their community will find themselves in a similar bind , but might not be as lucky .
They told their local church leaders that they ’ re able to help those in need , assuming that they have gained immunity , even if it ’ s temporary .
“ We ’ re open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Wible said .
“ This is how we need to operate now.
” Peter Arcese , a father of three in Brooklyn , began to seriously ponder this issue when his wife , Angela , began experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms .
Arcese , a trusts and estates lawyer , has helped many clients set up “ standby guardianships , ” a legal tool developed during the AIDS crisis that ensures the care of minor children if parents become incapacitated .
But that safeguard wasn ’ t built with a pandemic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AIDS can only be transmitted through sex or blood , so there was no danger to people taking in the child of someone with the disease .
As Angela ’ s sore throat progressed to chest aches and ragged breathing , Arcese realized that their standby guardians were all high-risk .
“ This goes beyond a problem that law can solve , ” Arcese said .
As he feared what would happen if he , too , got sick , the 55-year-old imagined communities building mutual aid networks — run by local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill the childcare void .
The network would be manned primarily by those who have already been sickened by the virus .
“ I expect enough people will develop antibodies and volunteers will come forward , ” Arcese said .
He couldn ’ t think of any other solution .

Michael Yeates, his 21-month-old daughter and his wife wait inside an urgent care clinic in Corona on March 10. Both adults battled presumptive cases of COVID-19.
Michael Yeates came home from work one afternoon in early March to pick up his 21-month-old daughter, Zoe, for swim lessons. His wife was sick, and in the few hours he’d been gone, she’d gotten much worse.
Yeates was coming down with something, too — a cold, he thought — but at that moment he was focused on getting his wife help. From their home in Corona, they called their medical provider’s nurse help line.
Yeates’ wife described her symptoms: shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, body aches, intense fatigue. She explained that she’s a labor and delivery nurse at a major hospital in Los Angeles. She had already tested positive for the flu that season.
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The nurse on the other end of the line was blunt: Testing wasn’t available, but it was likely that Yeates’ wife had contracted the coronavirus.
Yeates’ wife did not want to be identified by name for fear of the stigma associated with continuing to work as a healthcare provider after recovering from COVID-19.
With that tentative diagnosis, the Yeates family faced a dilemma that haunts parents around the world in these uncertain days of the coronavirus outbreak: What will happen if we’re too sick to take care of our child?
A single mother who has contracted the virus, and probably passed it to her child, cannot turn to family or friends during a pandemic without putting them in harm’s way. She cannot drop her child off at day care. Two-parent families, many accustomed to the reliable support that a partnership provides, face the same grim possibility.
And even though there will be thousands, maybe millions, of other parents in the same dire position, there are no easy solutions.
California Do you know someone who has lost the battle with COVID-19? In our effort to cover this pandemic as thoroughly as possible, we’d like to hear from the loved ones of people who have died from the coronavirus.
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New York Times correspondent Dana Goldstein, who battled COVID-19 along with her husband and young daughter, put it this way in a Twitter thread: “This virus turns every household into an island.”
That was certainly true for the Yeateses.
They were young, both 36 and healthy, and leaned on the belief that things would stay that way. But within a few days, Michael Yeates fell increasingly ill. When he stood, his limbs seized with pain. He felt as if his skull was being clamped by a trash compactor. Each breath was like trying to draw water from a dry well.
“It felt like there was nothing there in my chest,” he said.
All the while, the couple avoided confronting the possibility that if both of them suddenly took a turn for the worse, it would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to look after Zoe.
“We talked about the fact that we had no plan,” Yeates said, “and could not conceive of a plan.”
Yeates went to an urgent care clinic when his breathing became dangerously labored. He was given a shot of prednisone to treat his inflamed lungs. Within the hour, a paper mask given to him by a nurse was damp and torn from the force of his constant coughing.
The day after, Yeates drifted in and out of consciousness. Meanwhile, his wife was still recovering — she would wrestle with a sore throat and fatigue for weeks — but she had to care for little Zoe. Over the next few days, Yeates and his wife, who usually went to bed around 11 p.m., would crash right after Zoe went to bed at 7 p.m. They napped while she napped.
Yeates’ wife returned to work when her symptoms subsided, and Yeates was alone with Zoe. He could barely get off the couch. He counted the steps to the kitchen: 20. He gave Zoe food that didn’t require preparation, snacks usually reserved for road trips.
Yeates put the toddler in the backyard with her toys and “let her go wild.” He gave her paints and paper. “If it meant she wasn’t crying, she was allowed to do it,” Yeates said. She tore the house apart.
Zoe, accustomed to receiving lots of attention from her dad, whined and tugged on Yeates’ beard.
“I was being distant, but I couldn’t help it,” Yeates recalled. “I cried a few times. I felt like I was failing.”
The Yeateses usually depend on their parents, who live nearby, for child care. But his mom and his mother-in-law are in the high-risk category — older than 65 and with underlying health conditions. The Yeateses knew Zoe could be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. And they couldn’t pinpoint anyone else — healthy or not — whom they would be willing to potentially endanger.
“We chose not to think about it,” Yeates said. “What the hell are you going to do?”
Cullin and Audrey Wible, parents to three young children in the small New Jersey town of Oceanport, faced this dilemma in late March. Both had presumptive cases of COVID-19 but, like the Yeateses, were unable to get tested.
Cullin, 41, got sick first. He had a 103-degree fever for three days.
“I had aches and pains in places where I’ve never hurt before — the joints of my toes, my kidneys,” said Cullin, a construction executive. He fluctuated between shivering and profuse sweating as he lay in bed under several layers of blankets.
Cullin’s mind raced: “What would we do if both of us got really sick? What if we both developed respiratory symptoms?”
His parents in New Hampshire volunteered to drive down and watch the kids if worst came to worst. “No, that’s crazy,” he told them. His mom is a cancer survivor in her 60s. Audrey’s parents in Ohio were also out of the question.
“We really never concluded what we would do,” Cullin said.
Audrey, 37, had a relatively mild case and didn’t feel truly sick until it was clear Cullin was turning a corner. She chalks this up to her body knowing that she needed to be there for her kids.
“I seem to hold on for as long as I possibly can, and then when it’s OK for me to fall apart, that’s what I do,” said Audrey, who is in remission from Crohn’s disease.
Cullin felt like his family had dodged a bullet.
“I’ll be honest, it’s hard to think about,” Cullin said, choking up.
The Wibles know that inevitably, others in their community will find themselves in a similar bind but might not be as lucky. They told their church leaders that they’re able to help those in need, assuming that they have gained immunity, even if it’s temporary.
“We’re open to watching other people’s kids,” Cullin said. “This is how we need to operate now.”
Peter Arcese, a father of three in Brooklyn, began to seriously ponder this issue when his wife, Angela, began experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms.
Angela and Peter Arcese of Brooklyn pose for a photograph with their children. Angela recently experienced severe symptoms of COVID-19. (Arcese family)
Arcese, a trusts and estates lawyer, has helped many clients set up “standby guardianships,” a legal tool developed during the AIDS crisis that ensures the care of minor children if parents become incapacitated. But that safeguard wasn’t built with a pandemic of this sort in mind, he said. HIV, which causes AIDS, can be transmitted only through sex, blood or breast milk, so there was no danger to people taking in the child of someone with the disease.
As Angela’s sore throat progressed to chest aches and ragged breathing, Arcese realized that their standby guardians were all in high-risk segments of the population.
“This goes beyond a problem that law can solve,” Arcese said.
As he feared what would happen if he, too, got sick, the 55-year-old imagined communities building mutual aid networks — run by churches and nonprofits — that could help fill the child-care void. The network would be manned primarily by those who have already been sickened by the virus.
“I expect enough people will develop antibodies and volunteers will come forward,” Arcese said.
He couldn’t think of any other solution.


latimes--2020-04-03--Here's where you can get tested for the coronavirus in Los Angeles County

Three new drive-up coronavirus testing locations are up and running in Los Angeles County as officials work to expand their capacity to detect infections in the region .
The COVID-19 screening sites — which opened Friday and will be available by appointment only — are at Gate 17 of the Pomona Fairplex ; the South Bay Galleria , 1815 Hawthorne Blvd .
in Redondo Beach ; and Antelope Valley Mall , 1233 Rancho Vista Blvd .
in Palmdale .
“ The goal is to increase testing capacity as quickly as possible in Los Angeles County to meet the community ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , ” Dr. Clayton Kazan , medical director of the Los Angeles County Fire Department , said in a statement .
Testing is strictly limited to county residents who are showing symptoms and are at least 65 years old or have underlying health conditions such as diabetes , asthma or heart or chronic lung disease ; or have compromised immune systems .
Those who are “ subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period because they have been exposed to an individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have more than seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” also are eligible to be tested , according to the county .
Those who are interested in being tested must register ahead of time at coronavirus.lacity.org/testing .
Walk-up appointments are not offered .
The tests are self-administered , and people will be instructed on how to swab their own mouths/throats when they arrive .
There were more than 4,000 confirmed cases across L.A. County as of Thursday afternoon .
The daily count has increased by more than 1,000 in the last 48 hours .
Health officials also announced 13 new coronavirus-related deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials said the three new locations are a harbinger of things to come , as the county is actively working to open other sites .
Similar services have sprouted elsewhere in the Southland as health officials work to ramp up their testing capacity amid the widening COVID-19 pandemic .
Additional testing sites are at these locations : • Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 ( 100 Constitution Ave. , at the corner of Davis Avenue , Los Angeles ) At least three others are open in Riverside County , and drive-through events also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .

Members of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. wear protective gear while handing out kits to people to swab the inside of their mouths to test for the coronavirus near Dodger Stadium.
Three new drive-up coronavirus testing locations are up and running in Los Angeles County as officials work to expand their capacity to detect infections in the region.
The COVID-19 screening sites — which opened Friday and will be available by appointment only — are at Gate 17 of the Pomona Fairplex; the South Bay Galleria, 1815 Hawthorne Blvd. in Redondo Beach; and Antelope Valley Mall, 1233 Rancho Vista Blvd. in Palmdale.
“The goal is to increase testing capacity as quickly as possible in Los Angeles County to meet the community’s needs, which are growing every day,” Dr. Clayton Kazan, medical director of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said in a statement.
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Testing is strictly limited to county residents who are showing symptoms and are at least 65 years old or have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, asthma or heart or chronic lung disease; or have compromised immune systems.
Those who are “subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period because they have been exposed to an individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have more than seven days of the two-week quarantine period remaining” also are eligible to be tested, according to the county.
Those who are interested in being tested must register ahead of time at coronavirus.lacity.org/testing. Walk-up appointments are not offered.
The tests are self-administered, and people will be instructed on how to swab their own mouths/throats when they arrive.
There were more than 4,000 confirmed cases across L.A. County as of Thursday afternoon. The daily count has increased by more than 1,000 in the last 48 hours.
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Health officials also announced 13 new coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, bringing the toll to 78.
California Do you know someone who has lost the battle with COVID-19? In our effort to cover this pandemic as thoroughly as possible, we’d like to hear from the loved ones of people who have died from the coronavirus.
Officials said the three new locations are a harbinger of things to come, as the county is actively working to open other sites.
Similar services have sprouted elsewhere in the Southland as health officials work to ramp up their testing capacity amid the widening COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional testing sites are at these locations:
Carbon Health - Echo Park (2110 Sunset Blvd., Suite M, Los Angeles) — walk-up only
Crenshaw Christian Center (7901 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles)
Glendale Memorial Hospital (222 W. Eulalia St., Glendale)
Hansen Dam Recreation Center (11798 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace, entrance on Osborne Street)
High Desert Medical Group (43839 15th St. W., Lancaster)
Hotchkin Memorial Training Center (1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles)
Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 (100 Constitution Ave., at the corner of Davis Avenue, Los Angeles)
At least three others are open in Riverside County, and drive-through events also have been held in neighboring San Bernardino County.
A Huntington Beach doctor also has offered drive-through testing.


latimes--2020-04-03--L.A. moves to prosecute eight businesses that refuse to close amid coronavirus

Mayor Eric Garcetti said eight businesses had been referred for criminal prosecution for failing to comply with the city ’ s strict Safer at Home order that prohibits nonessential work in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus .
“ We had a smoke shop that just refused to close , ” Garcetti said .
“ And even when police officers were there , they said , ‘ Forget you ’ — probably not in as nice words — ‘ we ’ re not going to do it.
’ ” The city is moving to shut off the smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We want to let people know that we are serious about this , that businesses that flagrantly violate this will be shut down short term and prosecuted in the medium term as well , ” Garcetti said .
But the mayor added the prosecution process will take time because courts are closed .
Rob Wilcox , a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney , said city prosecutors have received four referrals so far from the Los Angeles police and expects more related to non-essential businesses staying open .
“ Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide whether to charge the businesses , Wilcox said .
Los Angeles County public health officials continue to reiterate pleas for Angelenos to stay at home in an effort to stem the virus ’ spread and give hospitals a chance to treat the ill without becoming overwhelmed .
Garcetti went as far as advising the Department of Water and Power to to nonessential businesses violating the city ’ s order to close amid the pandemic .
“ Slowing the spread of this virus and flattening the curve on new infections demands that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s the bottom line , ” Garcetti said .
“ Yet still some nonessential businesses continue to operate , putting everybody at risk.
” Los Angeles County health officials Thursday confirmed 13 new coronavirus-related deaths , bringing the toll to 78 .
Twelve of the victims were over the age of 65 and of those , 11 had underlying health conditions , according to Barbara Ferrer , director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health .
The other person who died was between ages 41 and 65 and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Los Angeles County officials also announced 534 new COVID-19 cases .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , announced 14 new cases , bringing the city ’ s total to 153 .
There were 49 confirmed cases in Pasadena , which also has its own health department .
Most beaches , trails , recreation areas and other points of interest are closed , including trails in Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles .
Under the Safer at Home order , all nonessential businesses are supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government functions including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services

Hailey Branson-Potts, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Luke Money, Richard Winton

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti delivers his daily coronavirus briefing Thursday to cameras only as reporters listen via teleconference at City Hall.
Mayor Eric Garcetti said eight businesses had been referred for criminal prosecution for failing to comply with the city’s strict Safer at Home order that prohibits nonessential work in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“We had a smoke shop that just refused to close,” Garcetti said. “And even when police officers were there, they said, ‘Forget you’ — probably not in as nice words — ‘we’re not going to do it.’”
The city is moving to shut off the smoke shop’s power, he said.
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“We want to let people know that we are serious about this, that businesses that flagrantly violate this will be shut down short term and prosecuted in the medium term as well,” Garcetti said.
But the mayor added the prosecution process will take time because courts are closed.
Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney, said city prosecutors have received four referrals so far from the Los Angeles police and expects more related to non-essential businesses staying open. “Those referrals are currently under review,” to decide whether to charge the businesses, Wilcox said.
Los Angeles County public health officials continue to reiterate pleas for Angelenos to stay at home in an effort to stem the virus’ spread and give hospitals a chance to treat the ill without becoming overwhelmed.
Garcetti went as far as advising the Department of Water and Power to shut off utilities to nonessential businesses violating the city’s order to close amid the pandemic.
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“Slowing the spread of this virus and flattening the curve on new infections demands that we all do our part, and that’s the bottom line,” Garcetti said. “Yet still some nonessential businesses continue to operate, putting everybody at risk.”
Los Angeles County health officials Thursday confirmed 13 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the toll to 78.
Twelve of the victims were over the age of 65 and of those, 11 had underlying health conditions, according to Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The other person who died was between ages 41 and 65 and also had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said.
Los Angeles County officials also announced 534 new COVID-19 cases. Long Beach, which has its own health department, announced 14 new cases, bringing the city’s total to 153. There were 49 confirmed cases in Pasadena, which also has its own health department.
Most beaches, trails, recreation areas and other points of interest are closed, including trails in Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles.
Under the Safer at Home order, all nonessential businesses are supposed to close.
What stays open:
Pharmacies
Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants
Banks
Gas stations
Laundromats/laundry services
Essential state and local government functions including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services
What is closed:


latimes--2020-04-03--Here is the latest list of Los Angeles County communities with coronavirus cases

The county confirmed 13 new coronavirus-related deaths Thursday , bringing the toll to 78 .
Twelve of the victims were @ @ @ @ @ all but one of them had underlying health conditions , said Barbara Ferrer , director @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health .
The other person who died was between ages 41 and 65 @ @ @ @ @ conditions , she said .
Los Angeles County officials also announced 534 new COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ has its own health department , announced 14 new cases , bringing the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ There were 49 confirmed cases in Pasadena , which also has its own health department @ @ @ @ @ 4,000 confirmed cases overall in L.A. County as of Thursday night .
The daily count @ @ @ @ @ in 48 hours .
Here is a list of coronavirus cases by community .
For @ @ @ @ @ to The Times coronavirus tracker .

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s “Urban Light” installation provided some levity and a creative outlet amid the coronavirus outbreak Tuesday evening.
Los Angeles County coronavirus cases and deaths continue to soar.
The county confirmed 13 new coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, bringing the toll to 78.
Twelve of the victims were older than 65, and all but one of them had underlying health conditions, said Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. The other person who died was between ages 41 and 65 and also had underlying health conditions, she said.
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Los Angeles County officials also announced 534 new COVID-19 cases. Long Beach, which has its own health department, announced 14 new cases, bringing the city’s total to 153.
There were 49 confirmed cases in Pasadena, which also has its own health department. There were more than 4,000 confirmed cases overall in L.A. County as of Thursday night.
The daily count increased by more than 1,000 in 48 hours.
Here is a list of coronavirus cases by community. For the latest information, go to The Times coronavirus tracker.
Long Beach 153
Melrose 113
Glendale 93
Hollywood 71
Torrance 69
West Hollywood 68
Santa Clarita 65
North Hollywood 57
Santa Monica 56
Carson 55
Redondo Beach 54
Pasadena 49
Beverly Hills 45
Inglewood 44
Sherman Oaks 43
Downey 43
Manhattan Beach 43
Brentwood 42
Burbank 41
Sylmar 35
Hollywood Hills 34
Hancock Park 34
Lancaster 33
Woodland Hills 33
Encino 33
South Gate 30
Tarzana 29
Palms 28
Norwalk 26
Hawthorne 26
Silverlake 25
Westwood 25
West Los Angeles 24
Bellflower 24
Pacific Palisades 24
Compton 24
Florence-Firestone 23
East Los Angeles 23
Beverly Crest 23
Valley Village 23
Van Nuys 22
Lakewood 21
Koreatown 21
Reseda 21
Lynwood 21
Mar Vista 21
Rancho Palos Verdes 20
Westlake 20
Palmdale 20
Venice 20
Boyle Heights 20
Del Rey 20
Chatsworth 20
Granada Hills 19
Studio City 19
San Pedro 19
Culver City 19
Glassell Park 18
Florence-Firestone 18
Westchester 18
Palos Verdes Estates 18
Gardena 17
Crestview 17
West Vernon 17
Century City 17
Carthay 17
Canoga Park 16
Central 16
Panorama City 16
Whittier 16
Lake Balboa 16
Los Feliz 16
Altadena 16
Hermosa Beach 15
Huntington Park 15
Winnetka 15
Athens-Westmont 15
University Park 15
Beverlywood 15
Downtown 15
Pico Rivera 15
Alhambra 15
Pomona 15
West Adams 15
Wilshire Center 15
Mid-City 14
South Carthay 14
Northridge 14
Agoura Hills 14
Bell 14
Exposition Park 13
North Hills 13
Baldwin Hills 13
Wilmington 13
Paramount 13
Calabasas 13
Eagle Rock 13
Arcadia 12
Bel-Air 12
Porter Ranch 12
Miracle Mile 12
Wholesale District 12
Hacienda Heights 12
East Hollywood 12
South Park 12
Temple-Beaudry 12
West Carson 11
Watts 11
Harbor Gateway 11
Monterey Park 11
Valley Glen 11
Century Palms/Cove 11
La Mirada 11
Covina 11
West Hills 11
Highland Park 10
Hyde Park 10
Leimert Park 10
Cerritos 10
Maywood 10
Sun Valley 10
Country Club Park 9
Lennox 9
Little Bangladesh 9
Cheviot Hills 9
Sunland 9
Montebello 9
South Whittier 9
El Sereno 9
Cudahy 9
Pico-Union 9
Lake View Terrace 8
Green Meadows 8
La Canada Flintridge 8
Pacoima 8
Harbor City 8
Azusa 8
Lawndale 8
Adams-Normandie 8
La Puente 7
San Gabriel 7
Crenshaw District 7
Arleta 7
Diamond Bar 7
Monrovia 7
Playa Vista 7
South Pasadena 7
Glendora 7
View Park/Windsor Hills 7
Vermont Knolls 7
El Monte 7
Vernon Central 7
Vermont Vista 7
West Covina 7
Historic Filipinotown 6
San Dimas 6
Ladera Heights 6
Rowland Heights 6
Echo Park 6
Park La Brea 6
Mission Hills 6
Victoria Park 6
Willowbrook 6
Harvard Heights 6
Marina Peninsula 6
Covina (unincorporated) 6
Lincoln Heights 6
Baldwin Park 5
Shadow Hills 5
Malibu 5
Harvard Park 5
Marina del Rey 5
Gramercy Place 5
Cloverdale/Cochran 5
Rolling Hills Estates 5
South San Gabriel 5
Bell Gardens 5
Vermont Square 5
San Fernando 5
Tujunga 5
Stevenson Ranch 5
Castaic 4
Walnut 4
Claremont 3
Rosemead 3
La Verne 2
West Whittier/Los Nietos 2
Temple City 1
Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain 1-4
Toluca Lake 1-4
Thai Town 1-4
Wiseburn 1-4
Sun Village 1-4
Signal Hill 1-4
Sierra Madre 1-4
Saugus 1-4
Santa Monica Mountains 1-4
Santa Fe Springs 1-4
San Marino 1-4
Rosewood 1-4
Reynier Village 1-4
Reseda Ranch 1-4
Regent Square 1-4
Rancho Park 1-4
Rancho Dominguez 1-4
Quartz Hill 1-4
Playa del Rey 1-4
Westlake Village 1-4
Northeast San Gabriel 1-4
North Whittier 1-4
Mt. Washington 1-4
Monrovia 1-4
Mandeville Canyon 1-4
Manchester Square 1-4
Longwood 1-4
West Puente Valley 1-4
Lomita 1-4
Little Tokyo 1-4
Little Armenia 1-4
Lake Los Angeles 1-4
Lafayette Square 1-4
La Verne 1-4
La Rambla 1-4
West LA 1-4
La Crescenta-Montrose 1-4
Hawthorne (unincorporated) 1-4
Hawaiian Gardens 1-4
Faircrest Heights 1-4
Elysian Valley 1-4
Elysian Park 1-4
Acton 1-4
El Segundo 1-4
West Antelope Valley 1-4
El Camino Village 1-4
East Whittier 1-4
East Rancho Dominguez 1-4
East La Mirada 1-4
Duarte 1-4
Walnut Park 1-4
Del Aire 1-4
View Heights 1-4
Covina (Charter Oak) 1-4
Chinatown 1-4
Canyon Country 1-4
Valinda 1-4
Cadillac-Corning 1-4
Azusa (unincorporated) 1-4
Atwater Village 1-4
Athens Village 1-4
Artesia 1-4
Valencia 1-4
Alsace 1-4
Palisades Highlands 1-4


latimes--2020-04-03--Deputy who died of coronavirus likely contracted it from jail inmate, Riverside sheriff says

Terrell Young , a Riverside County sheriff ’ s deputy who died of coronavirus , likely contracted COVID-19 from an inmate , Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said .
Young , the sheriff said , was as a compassionate deputy in working with the public and inmates .
“ He was a fantastic role model for his kids , especially for his daughter , ” Bianco said .
“ Employees knew they could count on him for good advice .
Terell was always on time and very well liked by his peers and supervisors , and always willing to lend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to many , he was known for his smile and he will be deeply missed.
” He was survived by his wife of 31 years and four children .
Bianco said he believes Young contracted the virus from an inmate whom he had escorted to the Riverside University Health System during the week of March 16 .
On March 22 , Young came down with a fever and went home .
The next day , 10 employees , including Young , called in sick .
The inmate whom Young had escorted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The inmate has tested positive for the virus , although it ’ s unclear whether he tested positive before or after contact with Young .
Bianco said all employees and inmates who have exhibited symptoms have been quarantined and tested .
So far , 25 employees and 11 inmates have tested positive for the virus , some of whom did not show any symptoms .
Bianco said 60 inmates are in quarantine and 51 inmate tests are pending .
In addition , 16 employees are awaiting their test results .
Several of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are currently hospitalized .
One is in critical condition , Bianco said .
“ We are not considering this any type of jail emergency , ” Bianco said .
“ We believe we have this contained at the moment .
It should be an eye opener for the general public .
We are seeing the drastic and the viral aspects of this , and it ’ s not pretty.
” Bianco said Young ’ s family has received an outpouring of support on social media , but deputies have not been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or hold the usual gatherings of support when a deputy dies .
Young ’ s family has also become ill but is recovering in isolation at home .
“ There are a lot of different emotions in the department .
There ’ s a lot of uncertainty , there ’ s a lot of anxiety , there ’ s a lot of anger , there ’ s a lot of fear , and combine that with losing one of your friends , ” he said .
“ If you really want to honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Terrell Young, a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy who died of coronavirus, likely contracted COVID-19 from an inmate, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said.
Young, the sheriff said, was as a compassionate deputy in working with the public and inmates.
“He was a fantastic role model for his kids, especially for his daughter,” Bianco said. “Employees knew they could count on him for good advice. Terell was always on time and very well liked by his peers and supervisors, and always willing to lend a hand. He was always smiling. According to many, he was known for his smile and he will be deeply missed.”
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He was survived by his wife of 31 years and four children.
Bianco said he believes Young contracted the virus from an inmate whom he had escorted to the Riverside University Health System during the week of March 16.
On March 22, Young came down with a fever and went home. The next day, 10 employees, including Young, called in sick.
The inmate whom Young had escorted also began experiencing symptoms that day. The inmate has tested positive for the virus, although it’s unclear whether he tested positive before or after contact with Young.
Bianco said all employees and inmates who have exhibited symptoms have been quarantined and tested.
So far, 25 employees and 11 inmates have tested positive for the virus, some of whom did not show any symptoms.
Bianco said 60 inmates are in quarantine and 51 inmate tests are pending. In addition, 16 employees are awaiting their test results. Several of the sheriff department’s employees have been or are currently hospitalized.
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One is in critical condition, Bianco said.
“We are not considering this any type of jail emergency,” Bianco said. “We believe we have this contained at the moment. It should be an eye opener for the general public. We are seeing the drastic and the viral aspects of this, and it’s not pretty.”
Bianco said Young’s family has received an outpouring of support on social media, but deputies have not been able to have contact with his family members or hold the usual gatherings of support when a deputy dies. Young’s family has also become ill but is recovering in isolation at home.
“There are a lot of different emotions in the department. There’s a lot of uncertainty, there’s a lot of anxiety, there’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of fear, and combine that with losing one of your friends,” he said. “If you really want to honor his death, stay home.”


latimes--2020-04-03--As virus rages, Berkeley's 'Mother Goose' aids homeless people abandoned by the system

Roughly 150 or so men and women sleep near the Interstate 80 freeway here , sometimes encountering head-to-toe staph infections or families of rats living inside their mattresses .
When that happens , they know who to call .
Andrea Henson ’ s phone has been ringing for weeks , ever since this bustling university town effectively shut down earlier this month to halt the spread of the coronavirus .
With local governments slow to house the homeless , activists such as Henson have stepped into the breach , providing food and other supplies to people sleeping on the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve heard people say , ‘ Andrea , we ’ re hungry , ’ ” said Henson , who said that in socially conscious Berkeley , donated food is normally never in short supply .
California had an estimated 108,000 people living outdoors before the virus struck .
Over the last several weeks , many of the homeless services that once existed have disappeared .
Because of social distancing requirements , businesses no longer drop off leftovers from conference luncheons , and even food banks have closed their doors .
Compounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can no longer charge their cellphones at Starbucks or take a shower at the YMCA .
State and local officials announced plans early on in the pandemic to move thousands of homeless Californians into hotel rooms and emergency trailers .
But on the ground , realizing that goal has proved difficult .
Two weeks after Governor Gavin Newsom directed residents to shelter in place , thousands are still sleeping on the streets .
And so it has turned to individuals such as Henson — whom one advocate calls the “ Mother Goose ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to help keep people alive .
She ’ s not surprised the system is failing the homeless again .
“ I told people from the beginning that we ’ re gon na act like no help is coming , ” said Henson .
“ It ’ s the Wild , Wild West.
” In the meantime , she and about 20 other volunteers have formed an emergency network of workers from half a dozen nonprofits that have formally shut their doors .
These range from the Berkeley Free Clinic to needle exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evenings , the members of the Berkeley Outreach Coalition update one another and share information via Zoom .
Together since early March , they ’ ve crowdsourced tens of thousands of dollars to buy supplies like masks and gloves and print hundreds of copies of an informational flier on COVID-19 authored by a UC Berkeley public health student .
The equipment manager at the Berkeley Free Clinic even designed a jury-rigged hand-washing station made from pipes and 5-gallon plastic buckets that ’ s operated by foot and requires no running water .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re doing , they want to help , ” said Henson .
Last week , a stranger handed her $ 20 while she was in line waiting to pay for $ 900 worth of groceries to feed the camps .
In order to limit the risk of spreading the virus , Henson is the only member of the coalition who goes into the camps and interacts directly with residents , nearly all of whom she knows by name .
She says she tries to observe hygiene and social distancing rules as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she unloaded Lucky shopping bags from the white Ford Focus she calls the Justicemobile .
Wearing latex gloves and an N-95 surgical mask held in place by a tie-dyed balaclava , she lugged two bags of food packed with items like premixed peanut butter and jelly and pop-off cans of Van Camp ’ s pork and beans across Shellmound Street to a grassy freeway exit median , where several people live amid clumps of California poppies and Trader Joe ’ s shopping carts .
Some wouldn ’ t eat without those groceries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is missing most of his top teeth .
“ It ’ s like a ghost town out here , ” he said , explaining that the empty streets more than the coronavirus have made people afraid to step outside of their tents for fear of harassment by the authorities .
That fear is often justified , said Colette Auerswald , a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health who ’ s done decades of research on the homeless .
“ They ’ re suffering a double whammy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching COVID-19 and getting very sick as well as losing their meager incomes from odd jobs and support from social services that have barely kept them afloat .
“ I wouldn ’ t want people to just start handing out sandwiches , ” said Auerswald .
But as long as they follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines , the activists in Henson ’ s coalition are providing “ critical ” support , she said .
People living on the streets often suffer from underlying health conditions and weakened immune systems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them indoors , 40 % of homeless people could be infected by the novel coronavirus , according to a recent study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness .
Last year , members of an outreach team run by the volunteer-run Berkeley Free Clinic became so alarmed by the maladies they were seeing among the growing homeless population in Berkeley and Oakland that they decided to switch their focus from HIV/AIDS testing to providing basic care for those living on the streets .
Fritz Bixler , an outreach coordinator who served on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has seen trench foot , gout and broken bones in people who ’ d been hit by cars and gone untreated .
“ People are getting diseases that belong in medieval times , ” she said .
“ Homeless people in Berkeley have been struggling to survive a public health crisis that took hold long before COVID-19.
” Since the outbreak , Bixler and her team can no longer treat sick patients , but they ’ re supplying homeless people with things like warm socks and hand sanitizer .
They are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has proposed sending nursing students to treat homeless people who show symptoms and are more likely to be left behind as hospitals become inundated .
In mid-March , Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín ’ s office said it had set up at least 20 hand-washing stations around town , but activists said few of them were placed strategically near encampments and those that are there aren ’ t being regularly cleaned and refilled with soap and paper towels .
“ It ’ s really hard to stay clean when you ’ re living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Henson .
At 49 , Henson has worked in IT and as a beekeeper .
She happened into activism a year or so ago when she saw a police officer arresting a homeless man on the street and rushed to his defense .
A law school graduate , she began working with the East Bay Community Law Center and leading protests against sweeps of encampments .
Those stopped in West Berkeley after a series of negotiations with officials .
Henson ’ s organization , “ Where Do We Go Berkeley ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash for tents and portable toilets to tickets to the symphony .
“ Even when she ’ s not here , she is fighting for us , ” said Lea Borowitz , 32 , who is better known as “ Lil ’ Bit.
” Borowitz lives in a tent beneath the University Avenue exit with her 2-month-old puppy , Grrr , and her boyfriend , 30-year-old Josh LaForge .
Before the pandemic , LaForge said he sometimes made $ 200 to $ 300 a week turning bottles and cans into the recycling center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Borowitz , who frequently falls ill , is more worried about the virus .
“ If one person gets sick out here , everybody gets sick , ” she said .
Still , many are dubious about the idea of moving into hotels .
“ We ’ re not zoo animals , ” said Sarah Teague , 53 , who worries about losing her art supplies , her dog , Cubit , and her wingback chair , “ which gives me peace of mind and comfort.
” Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that seem nearly as contagious as the virus itself , said another encampment resident , 28-year-old Matty Henderson .
After thinking for a moment , he said he believed the virus was real .
The problem , he said , is one of perspective : “ Out here , it ’ s the end of the world every day .
”

Andrea Henson, right, walks with a homeless man who helps her deliver supplies to people living in a homeless encampment along a freeway in Emeryville.
Roughly 150 or so men and women sleep near the Interstate 80 freeway here, sometimes encountering head-to-toe staph infections or families of rats living inside their mattresses. When that happens, they know who to call.
Andrea Henson’s phone has been ringing for weeks, ever since this bustling university town effectively shut down earlier this month to halt the spread of the coronavirus. With local governments slow to house the homeless, activists such as Henson have stepped into the breach, providing food and other supplies to people sleeping on the street.
“This is the first time I’ve heard people say, ‘Andrea, we’re hungry,’” said Henson, who said that in socially conscious Berkeley, donated food is normally never in short supply.
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California had an estimated 108,000 people living outdoors before the virus struck. Over the last several weeks, many of the homeless services that once existed have disappeared.
Because of social distancing requirements, businesses no longer drop off leftovers from conference luncheons, and even food banks have closed their doors. Compounding their problems, people living in tents can no longer charge their cellphones at Starbucks or take a shower at the YMCA.
Andrea Henson and about 20 other volunteers have formed an emergency network of workers to help homeless people during the pandemic. (Josh Edelson/For the Times)
State and local officials announced plans early on in the pandemic to move thousands of homeless Californians into hotel rooms and emergency trailers. But on the ground, realizing that goal has proved difficult. Two weeks after Governor Gavin Newsom directed residents to shelter in place, thousands are still sleeping on the streets.
And so it has turned to individuals such as Henson — whom one advocate calls the “Mother Goose” of Berkeley’s westside homeless settlements — to help keep people alive. She’s not surprised the system is failing the homeless again.
“I told people from the beginning that we’re gonna act like no help is coming,” said Henson. “It’s the Wild, Wild West.”
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In the meantime, she and about 20 other volunteers have formed an emergency network of workers from half a dozen nonprofits that have formally shut their doors. These range from the Berkeley Free Clinic to needle exchange and legal advice groups.
“I told people from the beginning that we’re gonna act like no help is coming,” Andrea Henson said. “It’s the Wild, Wild West.” (Josh Edelson/For the Times)
On Wednesday evenings, the members of the Berkeley Outreach Coalition update one another and share information via Zoom. Together since early March, they’ve crowdsourced tens of thousands of dollars to buy supplies like masks and gloves and print hundreds of copies of an informational flier on COVID-19 authored by a UC Berkeley public health student.
The equipment manager at the Berkeley Free Clinic even designed a jury-rigged hand-washing station made from pipes and 5-gallon plastic buckets that’s operated by foot and requires no running water.
“When I tell people what we’re doing, they want to help,” said Henson. Last week, a stranger handed her $20 while she was in line waiting to pay for $900 worth of groceries to feed the camps.
In order to limit the risk of spreading the virus, Henson is the only member of the coalition who goes into the camps and interacts directly with residents, nearly all of whom she knows by name. She says she tries to observe hygiene and social distancing rules as much as possible.
On a recent afternoon, she unloaded Lucky shopping bags from the white Ford Focus she calls the Justicemobile.
Wearing latex gloves and an N-95 surgical mask held in place by a tie-dyed balaclava, she lugged two bags of food packed with items like premixed peanut butter and jelly and pop-off cans of Van Camp’s pork and beans across Shellmound Street to a grassy freeway exit median, where several people live amid clumps of California poppies and Trader Joe’s shopping carts.
Andrea Henson is the only member of the coalition who goes into the camps and interacts directly with residents, nearly all of whom she knows by name. (Josh Edelson / For The Times)
Some wouldn’t eat without those groceries, said 44-year-old Brandon “Grimm” Mercer, who is missing most of his top teeth. “It’s like a ghost town out here,” he said, explaining that the empty streets more than the coronavirus have made people afraid to step outside of their tents for fear of harassment by the authorities.
That fear is often justified, said Colette Auerswald, a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health who’s done decades of research on the homeless. “They’re suffering a double whammy,” she said, being more vulnerable to catching COVID-19 and getting very sick as well as losing their meager incomes from odd jobs and support from social services that have barely kept them afloat.
“I wouldn’t want people to just start handing out sandwiches,” said Auerswald. But as long as they follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the activists in Henson’s coalition are providing “critical” support, she said.
People living on the streets often suffer from underlying health conditions and weakened immune systems. Unless the state spends millions to move them indoors, 40% of homeless people could be infected by the novel coronavirus, according to a recent study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Last year, members of an outreach team run by the volunteer-run Berkeley Free Clinic became so alarmed by the maladies they were seeing among the growing homeless population in Berkeley and Oakland that they decided to switch their focus from HIV/AIDS testing to providing basic care for those living on the streets.
Fritz Bixler, an outreach coordinator who served on the clinic’s Street Medicine Team, has seen trench foot, gout and broken bones in people who’d been hit by cars and gone untreated. “People are getting diseases that belong in medieval times,” she said. “Homeless people in Berkeley have been struggling to survive a public health crisis that took hold long before COVID-19.”
Andrea Henson delivers supplies to Nigel Watson, 45, and others in the Ashby/Shellmound homeless encampment. “A lot of people out here just heard about this virus,” said Watson last week. “It’s not like we have TVs in our tents.” (Josh Edelson/For the Times)
Since the outbreak, Bixler and her team can no longer treat sick patients, but they’re supplying homeless people with things like warm socks and hand sanitizer. They are also negotiating with a Bay Area junior college that has proposed sending nursing students to treat homeless people who show symptoms and are more likely to be left behind as hospitals become inundated.
In mid-March, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín’s office said it had set up at least 20 hand-washing stations around town, but activists said few of them were placed strategically near encampments and those that are there aren’t being regularly cleaned and refilled with soap and paper towels.
“It’s really hard to stay clean when you’re living in a tent in the mud,” said Henson.
At 49, Henson has worked in IT and as a beekeeper. She happened into activism a year or so ago when she saw a police officer arresting a homeless man on the street and rushed to his defense. A law school graduate, she began working with the East Bay Community Law Center and leading protests against sweeps of encampments.
Those stopped in West Berkeley after a series of negotiations with officials. Henson’s organization, “Where Do We Go Berkeley?” has since garnered donations ranging from cash for tents and portable toilets to tickets to the symphony.
“Even when she’s not here, she is fighting for us,” said Lea Borowitz, 32, who is better known as “Lil’ Bit.”
Borowitz lives in a tent beneath the University Avenue exit with her 2-month-old puppy, Grrr, and her boyfriend, 30-year-old Josh LaForge. Before the pandemic, LaForge said he sometimes made $200 to $300 a week turning bottles and cans into the recycling center. “Now that’s gone,” he said.
Borowitz, who frequently falls ill, is more worried about the virus. “If one person gets sick out here, everybody gets sick,” she said.
Still, many are dubious about the idea of moving into hotels. “We’re not zoo animals,” said Sarah Teague, 53, who worries about losing her art supplies, her dog, Cubit, and her wingback chair, “which gives me peace of mind and comfort.”
Others have floated conspiracy theories about the pandemic that seem nearly as contagious as the virus itself, said another encampment resident, 28-year-old Matty Henderson. After thinking for a moment, he said he believed the virus was real.
The problem, he said, is one of perspective: “Out here, it’s the end of the world every day.”


latimes--2020-04-03--Blind man sues LAPD, eight officers for excessive force during 2019 arrest

The LAPD officer stood over Michael Moore and pressed a white towel against his face while hospital security guards strapped him onto a gurney .
Moore , a 62-year-old blind man , began thrashing around .
“ I can ’ t breathe !
I can ’ t breathe !
I can ’ t breathe !
” he said in a muffled voice .
“ Take this off my face !
” The guards kept working and the officer re-positioned his hands to push them firmly on Moore ’ s face .
Seconds passed and Moore ’ s body quieted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a civil rights lawsuit brought by Moore that alleges excessive force by LAPD officers in February 2019 .
The incident was captured on body camera footage from an officer who stood next to Moore .
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California claims that at least eight LAPD officers tackled , beat and arrested Moore at his apartment , or stood by without intervening .
Moore , who has a history of mental illness , was then transported to the California Hospital Medical Center in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An LAPD officer held a towel over Moore ’ s mouth and nose until he passed out , the lawsuit alleged .
“ He ’ s completely helpless , ” said Brian Olney , an attorney representing Moore .
“ The people who are supposed to be protecting him , the police , are suffocating him into the unconsciousness .
It ’ s sick and it ’ s heinous.
” The lawsuit seeks punitive damages under claims including unreasonable search , unlawful seizure , excessive force , failure to intervene , battery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Los Angeles and eight LAPD officers identified by name .
Moore , the lawsuit states , was arrested because officers “ misperceived the effects of his disabilities as criminal activity.
” It alleges that LAPD officers falsely claimed that Moore had assaulted firefighters and officers that had come to his apartment following a call requesting medical aid .
He was charged with four counts of assaulting a peace officer or firefighter with a deadly weapon and three counts of resisting an officer , and spent more than four months in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted him in July 2019 of all charges .
LAPD spokesman Officer J. Chaves said the department had no knowledge of the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation .
Moore lives in South L.A. and , according to his lawsuit , suffers from depression and manic-depressive disorder .
After moving into his home there in late 2018 , he founded a community organization to clean up the neighborhood and provide jobs for at-risk adults .
On Feb. 28 , 2019 , the lawsuit stated , Moore was assaulted by a friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letting use his kitchen .
After he told her she could no longer use it , the woman “ flew into a rage , ” the lawsuit stated .
When Moore threatened to call the police , she twisted his wrist , snatched his phone , and struck him in the face , cutting him above his left eye .
That evening , firefighters arrived at Moore ’ s apartment in response to a call requesting medical aid .
Moore told them he was on medication for manic depression and insisted that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking them to leave his apartment , according to the lawsuit .
The firefighters gathered outside his building and told LAPD officers who had arrived that Moore was blind and had a history of mental illness , the lawsuit claimed .
The police , it said , then walked up to Moore ’ s apartment without announcing their presence .
“ The officers crept up the stairs , tackled Mr. Moore to the ground , violently smashed his head against the ground , wrenched his wrist and arrested him , ” said Olney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of the officers who were present intervened in what was an unlawful arrest and excessive use of force.
” Olney said that officers had applied greater force because they misinterpreted behavior from Moore that stemmed from his mental illness as resistance .
“ He ’ s blind , he ’ s manic depressive and he ’ s just been hit in the face repeatedly and then he gets tackled by more than half a dozen officers , ” he said .
“ I think that likely did limit his ability to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a hospital in downtown L.A. Once there , at least six hospital security guards strapped him into a gurney while LAPD officer Justin Choi pressed a towel over Moore ’ s face , eventually leading him to lose consciousness , the lawsuit stated .
Choi did not respond to a request for comment .
Among other claims , attorneys asserted that the officers failed to reasonably accommodate Moore ’ s disabilities , “ causing him to suffer greater injury in that process than other seized persons.
” Moore , Olney said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightmares about the events that transpired .
“ When he hears noises in his own apartment , he ’ s afraid .
He ’ s afraid when he ’ s walking down the street , when he hears a siren , ” he said .
“ He doesn ’ t know if someone ’ s going to jump him again .
”

The LAPD officer stood over Michael Moore and pressed a white towel against his face while hospital security guards strapped him onto a gurney. Moore, a 62-year-old blind man, began thrashing around.
“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” he said in a muffled voice. “Take this off my face!”
The guards kept working and the officer re-positioned his hands to push them firmly on Moore’s face. Seconds passed and Moore’s body quieted.
These are among the claims described in a civil rights lawsuit brought by Moore that alleges excessive force by LAPD officers in February 2019. The incident was captured on body camera footage from an officer who stood next to Moore.
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The lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California claims that at least eight LAPD officers tackled, beat and arrested Moore at his apartment, or stood by without intervening.
Moore, who has a history of mental illness, was then transported to the California Hospital Medical Center in downtown L.A. and secured onto a gurney. An LAPD officer held a towel over Moore’s mouth and nose until he passed out, the lawsuit alleged.
“He’s completely helpless,” said Brian Olney, an attorney representing Moore. “The people who are supposed to be protecting him, the police, are suffocating him into the unconsciousness. It’s sick and it’s heinous.”
The lawsuit seeks punitive damages under claims including unreasonable search, unlawful seizure, excessive force, failure to intervene, battery and negligence. It names as defendants the city of Los Angeles and eight LAPD officers identified by name.
Moore, the lawsuit states, was arrested because officers “misperceived the effects of his disabilities as criminal activity.” It alleges that LAPD officers falsely claimed that Moore had assaulted firefighters and officers that had come to his apartment following a call requesting medical aid. He was charged with four counts of assaulting a peace officer or firefighter with a deadly weapon and three counts of resisting an officer, and spent more than four months in jail awaiting a trial before a jury acquitted him in July 2019 of all charges.
LAPD spokesman Officer J. Chaves said the department had no knowledge of the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation.
Advertisement
Moore lives in South L.A. and, according to his lawsuit, suffers from depression and manic-depressive disorder. After moving into his home there in late 2018, he founded a community organization to clean up the neighborhood and provide jobs for at-risk adults.
On Feb. 28, 2019, the lawsuit stated, Moore was assaulted by a friend’s niece whom he had been letting use his kitchen. After he told her she could no longer use it, the woman “flew into a rage,” the lawsuit stated. When Moore threatened to call the police, she twisted his wrist, snatched his phone, and struck him in the face, cutting him above his left eye.
That evening, firefighters arrived at Moore’s apartment in response to a call requesting medical aid. Moore told them he was on medication for manic depression and insisted that he could take himself to the hospital, asking them to leave his apartment, according to the lawsuit.
The firefighters gathered outside his building and told LAPD officers who had arrived that Moore was blind and had a history of mental illness, the lawsuit claimed. The police, it said, then walked up to Moore’s apartment without announcing their presence.
“The officers crept up the stairs, tackled Mr. Moore to the ground, violently smashed his head against the ground, wrenched his wrist and arrested him,” said Olney. “During this entire time, none of the officers who were present intervened in what was an unlawful arrest and excessive use of force.”
Olney said that officers had applied greater force because they misinterpreted behavior from Moore that stemmed from his mental illness as resistance.
“He’s blind, he’s manic depressive and he’s just been hit in the face repeatedly and then he gets tackled by more than half a dozen officers,” he said. “I think that likely did limit his ability to comply with their commands.”
Moore was transported to a hospital in downtown L.A. Once there, at least six hospital security guards strapped him into a gurney while LAPD officer Justin Choi pressed a towel over Moore’s face, eventually leading him to lose consciousness, the lawsuit stated. Choi did not respond to a request for comment.
Among other claims, attorneys asserted that the officers failed to reasonably accommodate Moore’s disabilities, “causing him to suffer greater injury in that process than other seized persons.”
Moore, Olney said, now suffers from insomnia and has frequent nightmares about the events that transpired.
“When he hears noises in his own apartment, he’s afraid. He’s afraid when he’s walking down the street, when he hears a siren,” he said. “He doesn’t know if someone’s going to jump him again.”


latimes--2020-04-03--Coronavirus could leave U.S. with a lasting imprint: Masks as normal part of life

Amid the confusion from Washington , D.C. , to Sacramento and parts in between , one thing has become abundantly clear in the era of COVID-19 : The mask is having a moment .
On Thursday , President Trump announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would soon issue new guidelines , softening an earlier anti-mask stance .
This came 33 days after the U.S. surgeon general tweeted that masks “ are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching # Coronavirus.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom hewed to a similar path at a noon coronavirus briefing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have to wear face coverings whenever they leave their homes , but he didn ’ t discourage use of the increasingly ubiquitous masks either .
“ We believe , and we put out guidelines , that if individuals want to have face coverings , that that is a good thing and a preferable thing , ” Newsom said , “ in addition to the physical distancing and the stay-at-home order.
” Once the protective head gear of choice for Asian immigrants and tourists , masks have popped up on shoppers at Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Selena Gomez , on the girl next door and maybe even your grandparents .
BuzzFeed.com and the New York Times Style section have published celebrity selfie galleries .
Masks are silencing sneezes from coast to coast .
The science is far from settled about the level of protection they provide .
Still , concerned citizens are churning out DIY masks in retirement communities , suburban ranch houses and artist studios , using patterns found online or shared via email .
They are giving their creations to friends and family members , donating them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enormous protective equipment gap in the U.S. healthcare system .
And when the coronavirus finally departs our shores , the pandemic could leave behind a permanent reminder : the mask as an everyday accessory of American life .
“ We may be moving gently at this point toward the Asian culture where it ’ s more a usual thing to wear masks to prevent the transmission of viruses , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University .
Even after the coronavirus crisis ends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we don ’ t encourage this some in the near term.
” The problem , of course , is where to find them .
The president may be encouraging the public to wear masks , but he hasn ’ t provided any shopping guides .
They are a rare and precious commodity .
And that ’ s where Bibi Sheonarine comes in .
Three days before the first COVID-19 death was reported in California , the 66-year-old real estate broker decided to start making cloth masks from her Upland home .
First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ear , nose to lower chin .
Then she measured her husband ’ s face .
He ’ s 73 .
She cut rectangles out of a bolt of cream-colored corduroy that she ’ d planned to use to make clothes for war-ravaged Syrians .
She stitched elastic bands to the ends — and voila .
The mask was done .
“ It took me 10 minutes , ” she said .
“ I made a simple video tutorial so others could make them , even a child.
” By March 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Some went to local hospitals , others to family members in New York .
And she realized that just maybe she and her neighbors could make a dent in the mask shortage .
So she took to Facebook and Nextdoor , recruiting other crafty volunteers .
Nearly a week has passed , and more than 70 seamstresses in the Upland area have pitched in , cutting fabric or sewing .
Sheonarine placed a bin filled with sewing kits on her porch ; each contains instructions and enough fabric and elastic bands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick them up every day .
Sheonarine spends 20 hours or so each day on this potentially lifesaving project .
She created a spreadsheet to organize the corps of volunteers , which grows in number every day .
Recently a woman texted that her husband could cut the fabric for her with a laser , which would speed the process considerably .
“ I was elated , ” she said .
“ I wrote to her : ‘ Laser , laser laser !
Come over now !
’ ” The project has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to her daily life .
Her dining room is filled with rolls of yarn and fabric .
An iron rests on the table .
She figures she has about 1,000 yards of fabric at home , some printed with flowers , others with bears and stripes .
“ I feel like a mini-Amazon , ” she said .
“ Filling orders , picking up orders .
But I feel good .
People need them.
” Maybe they do .
Maybe they don ’ t .
It depends on who those people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of masks they plan to use and what they hope those masks will do .
Summer Johnson McGee , dean of the University of New Haven ’ s School of Health Sciences , said there is still a lack of research analyzing the effectiveness of using masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
But she doesn ’ t see how wearing one can hurt .
“ What do we have to lose ?
” she said .
“ Masks may prevent some transmission , which is better than not trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initial reluctance among public health officials to push the general public to wear masks stemmed from wanting to make sure there were enough for healthcare workers , who are at the greatest risk of being infected by the virus .
But recent studies suggest that at least 12 % to 20 % of people who test positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic and may be spreading the virus without realizing it .
“ Given that we may not know who is carrying the virus and spreading it , we need to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the use of cloth masks , ” McGee said .
Chunhuei Chi , director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University , said government leaders who have called for people to don masks when leaving their homes may also have been influenced by the slow growth of coronavirus infections in East Asian places such as Taiwan , Japan , South Korea and Singapore , where wearing masks is common .
“ They got their first cases much earlier than Europe and the U.S. , but if you look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have been growing very slowly , ” Chi said .
“ Wearing masks is one way that has allowed them to slow the number of cases.
” Chi said there is a lot of discussion among public health researchers as to why even homemade and surgical masks , which are not fine enough to filter out virus particles , are preventing the spread of the disease .
Masks can help protect a healthy person from getting infected by blocking droplets containing the virus from entering the mucus membranes in the mouth or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people from passing on the virus unknowingly .
“ I highly recommend that people wear makeshift masks , ” Chi said .
“ If you have a surgical mask , wear it , but even a cotton mask is very adequate for people to use.
” Health officials in the San Francisco Bay Area take that viewpoint to heart .
On Thursday , the San Mateo County Joint Information Center recommended that residents of the region “ cover their nose and mouth with cloth when leaving home for essential travel such as doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Still , Vanderbilt ’ s Schaffner has a rather large caveat .
His wife found an old supply of masks they ’ d bought years ago during a previous viral epidemic .
They ’ re sharing those with family members and using them when they go to the grocery store .
If he didn ’ t have one , he said , he ’ d probably use a scarf .
“ What ’ s the downside to asking people to put on masks or wrap their faces with a shawl ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people think they ’ re bulletproof .
Some bozo out there will say , ‘ Let ’ s put on our bandannas and have a poker party tonight.
’ “ That ’ s what we call , in my family , ‘ d-u-m dumb , ’ ” he said .
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II , Taryn Luna and David Lauter contributed to this report .

Ruben Vives, Maria L. La Ganga, Deborah Netburn

Amid the confusion from Washington, D.C., to Sacramento and parts in between, one thing has become abundantly clear in the era of COVID-19: The mask is having a moment.
On Thursday, President Trump announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would soon issue new guidelines, softening an earlier anti-mask stance. This came 33 days after the U.S. surgeon general tweeted that masks “are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom hewed to a similar path at a noon coronavirus briefing. He stopped short of telling Californians that they have to wear face coverings whenever they leave their homes, but he didn’t discourage use of the increasingly ubiquitous masks either.
Tien Vu and Dan Mancini, both 30, take part in a demonstration in Boyle Heights on Wednesday calling for rent forgiveness for the month of April because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
“We believe, and we put out guidelines, that if individuals want to have face coverings, that that is a good thing and a preferable thing,” Newsom said, “in addition to the physical distancing and the stay-at-home order.”
Once the protective head gear of choice for Asian immigrants and tourists, masks have popped up on shoppers at Walmart and Costco, on Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, on the girl next door and maybe even your grandparents. BuzzFeed.com and the New York Times Style section have published celebrity selfie galleries. Masks are silencing sneezes from coast to coast.
The science is far from settled about the level of protection they provide. Still, concerned citizens are churning out DIY masks in retirement communities, suburban ranch houses and artist studios, using patterns found online or shared via email. They are giving their creations to friends and family members, donating them to first responders and helping fill an enormous protective equipment gap in the U.S. healthcare system.
And when the coronavirus finally departs our shores, the pandemic could leave behind a permanent reminder: the mask as an everyday accessory of American life.
Family members wearing protective masks are surrounded by a bloom of black mustard plants in Woodley Park in Van Nuys on Thursday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“We may be moving gently at this point toward the Asian culture where it’s more a usual thing to wear masks to prevent the transmission of viruses,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University. Even after the coronavirus crisis ends, “it wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t encourage this some in the near term.”
The problem, of course, is where to find them. The president may be encouraging the public to wear masks, but he hasn’t provided any shopping guides. They are a rare and precious commodity.
Advertisement
And that’s where Bibi Sheonarine comes in.
Three days before the first COVID-19 death was reported in California, the 66-year-old real estate broker decided to start making cloth masks from her Upland home.
First, she measured her face — ear to ear, nose to lower chin. Then she measured her husband’s face. He’s 73. She cut rectangles out of a bolt of cream-colored corduroy that she’d planned to use to make clothes for war-ravaged Syrians. She stitched elastic bands to the ends — and voila. The mask was done.
“It took me 10 minutes,” she said. “I made a simple video tutorial so others could make them, even a child.”
By March 27, she’d made 459 of them. Some went to local hospitals, others to family members in New York. And she realized that just maybe she and her neighbors could make a dent in the mask shortage. So she took to Facebook and Nextdoor, recruiting other crafty volunteers.
Nearly a week has passed, and more than 70 seamstresses in the Upland area have pitched in, cutting fabric or sewing. Sheonarine placed a bin filled with sewing kits on her porch; each contains instructions and enough fabric and elastic bands to make 25 masks. Eager mask-makers pick them up every day.
Sheonarine spends 20 hours or so each day on this potentially lifesaving project. She created a spreadsheet to organize the corps of volunteers, which grows in number every day. Recently a woman texted that her husband could cut the fabric for her with a laser, which would speed the process considerably.
“I was elated,” she said. “I wrote to her: ‘Laser, laser laser! Come over now!’”
The project has taken over Sheonarine’s house, in addition to her daily life. Her dining room is filled with rolls of yarn and fabric. An iron rests on the table. She figures she has about 1,000 yards of fabric at home, some printed with flowers, others with bears and stripes.
“I feel like a mini-Amazon,” she said. “Filling orders, picking up orders. But I feel good. People need them.”
Maybe they do. Maybe they don’t. It depends on who those people are, where they are, what kind of masks they plan to use and what they hope those masks will do.
Summer Johnson McGee, dean of the University of New Haven’s School of Health Sciences, said there is still a lack of research analyzing the effectiveness of using masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But she doesn’t see how wearing one can hurt.
“What do we have to lose?” she said. “Masks may prevent some transmission, which is better than not trying to prevent transmission at all.”
McGee said the initial reluctance among public health officials to push the general public to wear masks stemmed from wanting to make sure there were enough for healthcare workers, who are at the greatest risk of being infected by the virus.
But recent studies suggest that at least 12% to 20% of people who test positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic and may be spreading the virus without realizing it.
“Given that we may not know who is carrying the virus and spreading it, we need to try to do whatever we can to prevent spread, including the use of cloth masks,” McGee said.
Chunhuei Chi, director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, said government leaders who have called for people to don masks when leaving their homes may also have been influenced by the slow growth of coronavirus infections in East Asian places such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, where wearing masks is common.
“They got their first cases much earlier than Europe and the U.S., but if you look at the total number of cases, they have been growing very slowly,” Chi said. “Wearing masks is one way that has allowed them to slow the number of cases.”
Chi said there is a lot of discussion among public health researchers as to why even homemade and surgical masks, which are not fine enough to filter out virus particles, are preventing the spread of the disease.
Masks can help protect a healthy person from getting infected by blocking droplets containing the virus from entering the mucus membranes in the mouth or nose. They can also prevent asymptomatic people from passing on the virus unknowingly.
“I highly recommend that people wear makeshift masks,” Chi said. “If you have a surgical mask, wear it, but even a cotton mask is very adequate for people to use.”
Health officials in the San Francisco Bay Area take that viewpoint to heart. On Thursday, the San Mateo County Joint Information Center recommended that residents of the region “cover their nose and mouth with cloth when leaving home for essential travel such as doctor appointments, grocery shopping or pharmacy visits.”
Still, Vanderbilt’s Schaffner has a rather large caveat. His wife found an old supply of masks they’d bought years ago during a previous viral epidemic. They’re sharing those with family members and using them when they go to the grocery store. If he didn’t have one, he said, he’d probably use a scarf.
“What’s the downside to asking people to put on masks or wrap their faces with a shawl?” he asked. “It may make some people think they’re bulletproof. Some bozo out there will say, ‘Let’s put on our bandannas and have a poker party tonight.’
“That’s what we call, in my family, ‘d-u-m dumb,’” he said.
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II, Taryn Luna and David Lauter contributed to this report.