latimes--2020-04-14--This is the latest list of Los Angeles County communities with coronavirus cases

Los Angeles County reported some more progress Monday in the fight against the coronavirus .
While deaths continue to mount , the county reported only 239 new cases of the virus , the lowest number since March 26 .
Health officials on Monday confirmed 25 new coronavirus-linked deaths , bringing the county ’ s total number of fatalities to 320 and marking an increase in the mortality rate in Southern California as city and county leaders continued to warn against prematurely ending shelter-in-place orders .
Here is the list of California communities with coronavirus cases : Long Beach 350 Glendale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 Torrance 145 North Hollywood 127 Carson 121 Inglewood 121 Hollywood 117 Sylmar 107 Burbank 103 Palmdale 102 West Hollywood 102 Downey 102 South Gate 98 East Los Angeles 95 Santa Monica 92 Lancaster 87 Van Nuys 86 Redondo Beach 85 Sherman Oaks 80 Canoga Park 79 Norwalk 79 Silver Lake 78 Hawthorne 74 Gardena 74 Beverly Hills 74 Lynwood 73 Reseda 73 Woodland Hills 69 Panorama City 69 Palms 69 West Vernon 65 Compton 65 Westlake 64 Pico Rivera 60 Unincorporated Florence-Firestone 60 Boyle Heights 58 Pacoima 57 Glassell Park 57 Temple-Beaudry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 53 Pico-Union 53 Whittier 52 Encino 52 San Pedro 50 Bellflower 50 Winnetka 49 Exposition Park 49 Pomona 49 Koreatown 49 East Hollywood 48 Northridge 48 North Hills 48 Wilshire Center 47 Hancock Park 47 Granada Hills 47 Florence-Firestone 47 Hollywood Hills 46 Covina 46 West Adams 44 Tarzana 44 Crestview 43 Huntington Park 43 Lakewood 42 Rancho Palos Verdes 42 Central 41 South Park 41 Bell 41 Vernon Central 41 Little Armenia 41 West Covina 40 Paramount 39 Altadena 37 El Sereno 37 Chatsworth 37 Palos Verdes Estates 36 Valley Village 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 Westwood 35 Venice 35 Lake Balboa 34 Mar Vista 34 West Los Angeles 34 Alhambra 34 Sun Valley 34 Baldwin Hills 33 Del Rey 33 Bell Gardens 33 Monterey Park 33 Cerritos 33 Wilmington 33 Culver City 32 Little Bangladesh 32 Sunland 32 Pacific Palisades 32 Harbor Gateway 32 Valley Glen 32 Westchester 32 Century Palms/Cove 30 Hacienda Heights 30 Carthay 30 Watts 29 West Carson 29 Baldwin Park 28 South Whittier 28 El Monte 28 Porter Ranch 28 Vermont Vista 27 Harvard Park 27 Century City 27 Lawndale 27 Downtown 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beverly Crest 26 Calabasas 25 Country Club Park 25 Leimert Park 25 Mid-city 24 Harbor City 24 West Hills 23 Lomita 22 San Fernando 22 La Mirada 22 Arcadia 22 La Canada Flintridge 22 Harvard Heights 21 Studio City 21 Mission Hills 21 Los Feliz 21 Willowbrook 21 Glendora 21 Cudahy 21 Bel Air 21 Azusa 20 Diamond Bar 20 Miracle Mile 20 Walnut Park 20 Beverlywood 20 Agoura Hills 20 South Carthay 20 La Puente 19 Historic Filipinotown 19 Lennox 18 Wholesale District 18 San Dimas 18 Lincoln Heights 18 Rowland Heights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Pasadena 17 Crenshaw District 17 Vermont Square 16 Lakeview Terrace 16 Hyde Park 16 View Park/Windsor Hills 16 Malibu 16 Rosemead 15 Vermont Knolls 15 Adams-Normandie 15 Tujunga 15 Ladera Heights 14 Monrovia 14 San Gabriel 14 Green Meadows 14 Canyon Country 14 Walnut 13 Duarte 13 Mount Washington 13 Temple City 12 Claremont 12 Cloverdale/Cochran 12 Unincorporated Covina 12 Stevenson Ranch 11 West Whittier/Los Nietos 11 El Segundo 11 Rolling Hills Estates 11 Cheviot Hills 11 East Rancho Dominguez 10 Playa Vista 10 La Crescenta-Montrose 10 Valinda 10 Gramercy Place 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 Atwater Village 9 Park La Brea 9 Echo Park 9 Covina ( Charter Oak ) 9 Reseda Ranch 9 Quartz Hill 8 Elysian Valley 8 Marina Peninsula 8 Rancho Park 8 Toluca Lake 7 Santa Monica Mountains 7 Figueroa Park Square 7 Shadow Hills 7 South San Gabriel 7 Lafayette Square 7 West Puente Valley 6 San Marino 6 Northeast San Gabriel 6 Athens Village 6 Marina del Rey 6 La Rambla 6 Cadillac-Corning 6 Alsace 6 Westlake Village 6 Santa Fe Springs 6 Del Aire 5 Rancho Dominguez 5 Elysian Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monrovia 5 Case totals in the following communities have been reported as ranges : Lakewood 1-4 Franklin Canyon 1-4 Bouquet Canyon 1-4 Rolling Hills 1-4 Arcadia 1-4 Roosevelt 1-4 Del Rey 1-4 Rosewood 1-4 Rosewood/East Gardena 1-4 Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez 1-4 Leona Valley 1-4 San Clemente Island 1-4 Del Sur 1-4 Glendora 1-4 San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon 1-4 Desert View Highlands 1-4 San Jose Hills 1-4 Little Tokyo 1-4 San Pasqual 1-4 Littlerock 1-4 Sand Canyon 1-4 Santa Catalina Island 1-4 Littlerock/Juniper Hills 1-4 Littlerock/Pearblossom 1-4 Llano 1-4 Bradbury 1-4 Saugus 1-4 Saugus/Canyon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madre 1-4 Signal Hill 1-4 Charter Oak 1-4 South Antelope Valley 1-4 Bradbury 1-4 South Edwards 1-4 South El Monte 1-4 South El Monte 1-4 Lynwood 1-4 Duarte 1-4 Manchester Square 1-4 Acton 1-4 Harbor Gateway 1-4 Southeast Antelope Valley 1-4 St Elmo Village 1-4 Harbor Pines 1-4 East Covina 1-4 Chinatown 1-4 Sun Village 1-4 Hawaiian Gardens 1-4 Sunrise Village 1-4 Sycamore Square 1-4 East La Mirada 1-4 East Lancaster 1-4 Hi Vista 1-4 Miracle Mile 1-4 Hidden Hills 1-4 Brookside 1-4 Toluca Terrace 1-4 Toluca Woods 1-4 East Pasadena 1-4 Claremont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-4 East Whittier 1-4 Newhall 1-4 Unincorporated Hawthorne 1-4 Unincorporated La Verne 1-4 Bandini Islands 1-4 Unincorporated West L.A. 1-4 Unincorporated Whittier 1-4 Universal City 1-4 University Hills 1-4 El Camino Village 1-4 Val Verde 1-4 Valencia 1-4 North Lancaster 1-4 North Whittier 1-4 Industry 1-4 Commerce 1-4 Irwindale 1-4 Jefferson Park 1-4 Kagel/Lopez Canyons 1-4 Palisades Highlands 1-4 Vernon 1-4 El Monte 1-4 Palmdale 1-4 View Heights 1-4 Bassett 1-4 Anaverde 1-4 Walnut 1-4 Palos Verdes Peninsula 1-4 La Habra Heights 1-4 Wellington Square 1-4 La Habra Heights 1-4 West Antelope Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles National Forest 1-4 Pearblossom/Llano 1-4 Pellissier Village 1-4 Angeles National Forest 1-4 Angelino Heights 1-4 West Rancho Dominguez 1-4 Placerita Canyon 1-4 Playa Del Rey 1-4 Exposition 1-4 Westfield/Academy Hills 1-4 Westhills 1-4 Avalon 1-4 Pomona 1-4 Faircrest Heights 1-4 White Fence Farms 1-4 Lake Hughes 1-4 Whittier Narrows 1-4 Lake Los Angeles 1-4 Lake Manor 1-4 Avocado Heights 1-4 Agua Dulce 1-4 Regent Square 1-4 Wiseburn 1-4 Mandeville Canyon 1-4

Women wearing masks walk along Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City on Saturday.
Los Angeles County reported some more progress Monday in the fight against the coronavirus.
While deaths continue to mount, the county reported only 239 new cases of the virus, the lowest number since March 26.
Advertisement
Health officials on Monday confirmed 25 new coronavirus-linked deaths, bringing the county’s total number of fatalities to 320 and marking an increase in the mortality rate in Southern California as city and county leaders continued to warn against prematurely ending shelter-in-place orders.
Here is the list of California communities with coronavirus cases:
Long Beach 350
Glendale 255
Melrose 200
Pasadena 164
Santa Clarita 150
Torrance 145
North Hollywood 127
Carson 121
Inglewood 121
Hollywood 117
Sylmar 107
Burbank 103
Palmdale 102
West Hollywood 102
Downey 102
South Gate 98
East Los Angeles 95
Santa Monica 92
Lancaster 87
Van Nuys 86
Redondo Beach 85
Sherman Oaks 80
Canoga Park 79
Norwalk 79
Silver Lake 78
Hawthorne 74
Gardena 74
Beverly Hills 74
Lynwood 73
Reseda 73
Woodland Hills 69
Panorama City 69
Palms 69
West Vernon 65
Compton 65
Westlake 64
Pico Rivera 60
Unincorporated Florence-Firestone 60
Boyle Heights 58
Pacoima 57
Glassell Park 57
Temple-Beaudry 54
Brentwood 54
Manhattan Beach 54
Montebello 53
Pico-Union 53
Whittier 52
Encino 52
San Pedro 50
Bellflower 50
Winnetka 49
Exposition Park 49
Pomona 49
Koreatown 49
East Hollywood 48
Northridge 48
North Hills 48
Wilshire Center 47
Hancock Park 47
Granada Hills 47
Florence-Firestone 47
Hollywood Hills 46
Covina 46
West Adams 44
Tarzana 44
Crestview 43
Huntington Park 43
Lakewood 42
Rancho Palos Verdes 42
Central 41
South Park 41
Bell 41
Vernon Central 41
Little Armenia 41
West Covina 40
Paramount 39
Altadena 37
El Sereno 37
Chatsworth 37
Palos Verdes Estates 36
Valley Village 36
Eagle Rock 36
Highland Park 35
Athens-Westmont 35
Westwood 35
Venice 35
Lake Balboa 34
Mar Vista 34
West Los Angeles 34
Alhambra 34
Sun Valley 34
Baldwin Hills 33
Del Rey 33
Bell Gardens 33
Monterey Park 33
Cerritos 33
Wilmington 33
Culver City 32
Little Bangladesh 32
Sunland 32
Pacific Palisades 32
Harbor Gateway 32
Valley Glen 32
Westchester 32
Century Palms/Cove 30
Hacienda Heights 30
Carthay 30
Watts 29
West Carson 29
Baldwin Park 28
South Whittier 28
El Monte 28
Porter Ranch 28
Vermont Vista 27
Harvard Park 27
Century City 27
Lawndale 27
Downtown 27
Arleta 26
Maywood 26
University Park 26
Beverly Crest 26
Calabasas 25
Country Club Park 25
Leimert Park 25
Mid-city 24
Harbor City 24
West Hills 23
Lomita 22
San Fernando 22
La Mirada 22
Arcadia 22
La Canada Flintridge 22
Harvard Heights 21
Studio City 21
Mission Hills 21
Los Feliz 21
Willowbrook 21
Glendora 21
Cudahy 21
Bel Air 21
Azusa 20
Diamond Bar 20
Miracle Mile 20
Walnut Park 20
Beverlywood 20
Agoura Hills 20
South Carthay 20
La Puente 19
Historic Filipinotown 19
Lennox 18
Wholesale District 18
San Dimas 18
Lincoln Heights 18
Rowland Heights 17
Victoria Park 17
Hermosa Beach 17
South Pasadena 17
Crenshaw District 17
Vermont Square 16
Lakeview Terrace 16
Hyde Park 16
View Park/Windsor Hills 16
Malibu 16
Rosemead 15
Vermont Knolls 15
Adams-Normandie 15
Tujunga 15
Ladera Heights 14
Monrovia 14
San Gabriel 14
Green Meadows 14
Canyon Country 14
Walnut 13
Duarte 13
Mount Washington 13
Temple City 12
Claremont 12
Cloverdale/Cochran 12
Unincorporated Covina 12
Stevenson Ranch 11
West Whittier/Los Nietos 11
El Segundo 11
Rolling Hills Estates 11
Cheviot Hills 11
East Rancho Dominguez 10
Playa Vista 10
La Crescenta-Montrose 10
Valinda 10
Gramercy Place 10
Castaic 9
Thai Town 9
La Verne 9
Atwater Village 9
Park La Brea 9
Echo Park 9
Covina (Charter Oak) 9
Reseda Ranch 9
Quartz Hill 8
Elysian Valley 8
Marina Peninsula 8
Rancho Park 8
Toluca Lake 7
Santa Monica Mountains 7
Figueroa Park Square 7
Shadow Hills 7
South San Gabriel 7
Lafayette Square 7
West Puente Valley 6
San Marino 6
Northeast San Gabriel 6
Athens Village 6
Marina del Rey 6
La Rambla 6
Cadillac-Corning 6
Alsace 6
Westlake Village 6
Santa Fe Springs 6
Del Aire 5
Rancho Dominguez 5
Elysian Park 5
Reynier Village 5
Artesia 5
Unincorporated Monrovia 5
Case totals in the following communities have been reported as ranges:
Lakewood 1-4
Franklin Canyon 1-4
Bouquet Canyon 1-4
Rolling Hills 1-4
Arcadia 1-4
Roosevelt 1-4
Del Rey 1-4
Rosewood 1-4
Rosewood/East Gardena 1-4
Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez 1-4
Leona Valley 1-4
San Clemente Island 1-4
Del Sur 1-4
Glendora 1-4
San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon 1-4
Desert View Highlands 1-4
San Jose Hills 1-4
Little Tokyo 1-4
San Pasqual 1-4
Littlerock 1-4
Sand Canyon 1-4
Santa Catalina Island 1-4
Littlerock/Juniper Hills 1-4
Littlerock/Pearblossom 1-4
Llano 1-4
Bradbury 1-4
Saugus 1-4
Saugus/Canyon Country 1-4
Cerritos 1-4
Longwood 1-4
Sierra Madre 1-4
Signal Hill 1-4
Charter Oak 1-4
South Antelope Valley 1-4
Bradbury 1-4
South Edwards 1-4
South El Monte 1-4
South El Monte 1-4
Lynwood 1-4
Duarte 1-4
Manchester Square 1-4
Acton 1-4
Harbor Gateway 1-4
Southeast Antelope Valley 1-4
St Elmo Village 1-4
Harbor Pines 1-4
East Covina 1-4
Chinatown 1-4
Sun Village 1-4
Hawaiian Gardens 1-4
Sunrise Village 1-4
Sycamore Square 1-4
East La Mirada 1-4
East Lancaster 1-4
Hi Vista 1-4
Miracle Mile 1-4
Hidden Hills 1-4
Brookside 1-4
Toluca Terrace 1-4
Toluca Woods 1-4
East Pasadena 1-4
Claremont 1-4
Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain 1-4
Unincorporated Azusa 1-4
East Whittier 1-4
Newhall 1-4
Unincorporated Hawthorne 1-4
Unincorporated La Verne 1-4
Bandini Islands 1-4
Unincorporated West L.A. 1-4
Unincorporated Whittier 1-4
Universal City 1-4
University Hills 1-4
El Camino Village 1-4
Val Verde 1-4
Valencia 1-4
North Lancaster 1-4
North Whittier 1-4
Industry 1-4
Commerce 1-4
Irwindale 1-4
Jefferson Park 1-4
Kagel/Lopez Canyons 1-4
Palisades Highlands 1-4
Vernon 1-4
El Monte 1-4
Palmdale 1-4
View Heights 1-4
Bassett 1-4
Anaverde 1-4
Walnut 1-4
Palos Verdes Peninsula 1-4
La Habra Heights 1-4
Wellington Square 1-4
La Habra Heights 1-4
West Antelope Valley 1-4
Elizabeth Lake 1-4
West Chatsworth 1-4
Angeles National Forest 1-4
Pearblossom/Llano 1-4
Pellissier Village 1-4
Angeles National Forest 1-4
Angelino Heights 1-4
West Rancho Dominguez 1-4
Placerita Canyon 1-4
Playa Del Rey 1-4
Exposition 1-4
Westfield/Academy Hills 1-4
Westhills 1-4
Avalon 1-4
Pomona 1-4
Faircrest Heights 1-4
White Fence Farms 1-4
Lake Hughes 1-4
Whittier Narrows 1-4
Lake Los Angeles 1-4
Lake Manor 1-4
Avocado Heights 1-4
Agua Dulce 1-4
Regent Square 1-4
Wiseburn 1-4
Mandeville Canyon 1-4


latimes--2020-04-14--Their Hollywood romance is cut short by COVID-19

More than 25 years ago , Lynne Lerner walked onto the set of “ China Beach , ” an ‘ 80s television show about medics in the Vietnam War , to check in for work as an extra .
There , she met the man who would become her husband , Larry Lerner , an assistant director on the show .
Over the years , the two would share beautiful moments as a married couple .
They loved to rescue pit bulls together , attended Emmy events and watched TV shows in their Van Nuys home .
She acted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Children ” and “ Days of Our Lives.
” He worked on shows that included “ The Man in the High Castle , ” “ Ambitions ” and “ Drop Dead Diva.
” Sometimes they worked together .
On April 1 , their decades-long Hollywood romance was cut short when Larry Lerner died from COVID-19 at the age of 71 .
“ We were best buddies , ” said Lynne Lerner , 67 .
“ We did everything together — everything .
We were joined at the hip .
I thought he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she and her husband got sick around the same time in mid-March , but they were never too worried .
They were healthy , their symptoms didn ’ t match with the most severe cases of COVID-19 , and they followed all the safety protocols to protect themselves against the virus .
He developed a low fever and a cough , but it wasn ’ t a dry cough .
She was weak but had no other symptoms .
Their doctor told them to go to the hospital only if they reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They felt they could battle it out at home .
Lynne said her husband appeared to be less sick than she was .
All she could do was stay in bed , but he watched TV on their living room couch .
She teared up at the thought of not having been able to make him tea or lunch .
“ I could hardly make it fast enough to sit back down , ” she said .
On the evening of March 22 , she heard her husband bump into something in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor .
When the paramedics arrived , Larry ’ s fever was 104 degrees .
He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Valley Presbyterian Hospital and put on a ventilator .
Because she felt so weak , she was also hospitalized .
The following day , the couple called each other on FaceTime from their hospital beds .
“ Hi , baby , everything ’ s fine , ” she recalled her husband saying .
“ I ’ m fine .
I love you.
” That was the last time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week later , a doctor called Lynne , who had already returned home , to tell her that her husband had died .
“ Neither one of us thought it was going to turn into what it turned into , ” Lynne Lerner said .
“ It just happened so fast.
” On social media , friends from the Directors Guild of America remembered Larry Lerner as a kind man and talented assistant director .
He was on several committees for the guild , and was always helpful to anyone who needed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t making TV shows or movies , he was listening to music , often on vinyl records , she said .
Now Lynne worries about who she ’ ll turn to for help now that her best friend is gone , and what she ’ ll do with the insurance bills that have piled up .
She is still trying to get a refund for a European cruise booked for June .
It was meant to be the cruise of a lifetime , and the celebration of their 25th anniversary , @ @ @

Larry and Lynne Lerner became sick in mid-March. Just days after their positive COVID-19 test results, Larry died from the virus.
More than 25 years ago, Lynne Lerner walked onto the set of “China Beach,” an ‘80s television show about medics in the Vietnam War, to check in for work as an extra. There, she met the man who would become her husband, Larry Lerner, an assistant director on the show.
Over the years, the two would share beautiful moments as a married couple. They loved to rescue pit bulls together, attended Emmy events and watched TV shows in their Van Nuys home.
She acted in “General Hospital,” “Married With Children” and “Days of Our Lives.” He worked on shows that included “The Man in the High Castle,” “Ambitions” and “Drop Dead Diva.” Sometimes they worked together.
Advertisement
On April 1, their decades-long Hollywood romance was cut short when Larry Lerner died from COVID-19 at the age of 71.
“We were best buddies,” said Lynne Lerner, 67. “We did everything together — everything. We were joined at the hip. I thought he’d be here forever.”
Lynne said she and her husband got sick around the same time in mid-March, but they were never too worried. They were healthy, their symptoms didn’t match with the most severe cases of COVID-19, and they followed all the safety protocols to protect themselves against the virus.
He developed a low fever and a cough, but it wasn’t a dry cough. She was weak but had no other symptoms. Their doctor told them to go to the hospital only if they reached a fever of over 102 degrees. They felt they could battle it out at home.
Lynne said her husband appeared to be less sick than she was. All she could do was stay in bed, but he watched TV on their living room couch.
She teared up at the thought of not having been able to make him tea or lunch. “I could hardly make it fast enough to sit back down,” she said.
Advertisement
On the evening of March 22, she heard her husband bump into something in the living room. She found him on the floor. When the paramedics arrived, Larry’s fever was 104 degrees.
He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Valley Presbyterian Hospital and put on a ventilator. Because she felt so weak, she was also hospitalized.
The following day, the couple called each other on FaceTime from their hospital beds.
“Hi, baby, everything’s fine,” she recalled her husband saying. “I’m fine. I love you.”
That was the last time she saw him.
More than a week later, a doctor called Lynne, who had already returned home, to tell her that her husband had died.
“Neither one of us thought it was going to turn into what it turned into,” Lynne Lerner said. “It just happened so fast.”
On social media, friends from the Directors Guild of America remembered Larry Lerner as a kind man and talented assistant director.
He was on several committees for the guild, and was always helpful to anyone who needed it, his wife said. When he wasn’t making TV shows or movies, he was listening to music, often on vinyl records, she said.
Now Lynne worries about who she’ll turn to for help now that her best friend is gone, and what she’ll do with the insurance bills that have piled up.
She is still trying to get a refund for a European cruise booked for June. It was meant to be the cruise of a lifetime, and the celebration of their 25th anniversary, she said.
“We lived for each other.”


latimes--2020-04-14--Coronavirus is attacking nursing homes with poor infection track records in L.A. County

The vast majority of skilled nursing facilities battling outbreaks of the novel coronavirus in Los Angeles County have been cited in recent years for violating federal safety rules on preventing infections , according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of nursing home data .
The new site ’ s review found that 89 % of facilities with the coronavirus had previous infection control violations that ranged from mishandling patients with highly contagious bacterial infections to not properly cleaning ventilators and other equipment .
The data raised new questions about how prepared nursing homes and regulators were to deal with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicenter of the coronavirus throughout the nation .
Their concentration of elderly people with underlying health problems makes them exceptionally vulnerable to outbreaks .
In California , the virus had sickened more than 1,200 residents and staff in nursing homes as of Friday .
As of Monday afternoon , 29 % of the 320 people in Los Angeles County who had died from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , were residents of nursing homes , county officials said .
Even the most highly rated homes can fall prey to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymptomatic carriers who appear to be healthy .
The Life Care Center in Kirkland , Wash. , had a five-star rating — the highest possible — from Medicare yet wound up with two-thirds of its residents and 47 workers falling ill , and more than three dozen people dead .
Many experts have warned for months about the high death toll they expected at nursing homes , particularly those with an established track record of infection control deficiencies .
“ I am not surprised , ” said Charlene Harrington , professor emeritus at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nursing , when told of The Times ’ findings .
The problem stems from weak enforcement by regulators and chronic understaffing at homes , Harrington said .
“ The understaffed homes don ’ t do handwashing and don ’ t have time for infection control , ” she said .
“ They also don ’ t have enough RNs to oversee the infection control.
” Although infection control deficiencies are the most common violations for nursing homes , facilities that have struggled with the guidelines in the recent past dominate the list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Times examined the safety records of 66 skilled nursing facilities that the county listed on Friday as having reported at least one COVID-19 infection among staff or residents .
The analysis found that 59 were cited for infection control problems since 2017 .
There ’ s no reason to believe that the findings are unique to Los Angeles County , which is one of the few jurisdictions in the country that has publicly named homes with positive COVID-19 cases , making such an analysis possible .
California ’ s public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with outbreaks statewide , but the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health lists local facilities with at least one positive test and identifies which of those have at least three cases .
In addition to skilled nursing homes , the list includes assisted living facilities , jails , prisons and other facilities that were not included in The Times ’ analysis .
Harrington said California ’ s public health officials made the problem worse on March 30 when they waived staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities during the coronavirus emergency and curtailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokesman for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform , said regulators should have known that deadly outbreaks were “ especially likely in nursing homes that have never paid attention to safe infection control practices.
” “ The state knows which nursing homes have histories of poor infection control practices , neglect and understaffing , ” he said .
“ Why hasn ’ t it assigned an inspector to conduct on-site monitoring at each of these facilities on a daily basis ?
” A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hold and that surveyors were being advised to conduct complaint investigations “ through virtual , audio or electronic methods.
” However , the spokesperson said , the state “ has been and will continue to send strike teams of nurses , in partnership with the counties , to facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks .
CDPH also continues to do on-site inspections for any complaint of ‘ immediate jeopardy ’ of harm to residents.
” Windsor Terrace Healthcare Center in Van Nuys has had four infection control violations since 2017 , records show .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides failed to wash their hands or put on protective gowns and gloves before entering the room of a resident who had been placed in isolation during treatment for the contagious C. diff bacteria , which can cause life-threatening diarrhea and inflammation of the colon .
That and other violations put 122 residents at risk of infection , according to federal deficiency records .
The year before , nurses at the home sent a patient who was isolated for C. diff to an outside lab for a CT scan without alerting the staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under “ contact precautions.
” Reached by phone Monday , Victor Carpio , the home ’ s director of nursing services , said Windsor Terrace had “ since resolved those things.
” Carpio said he had been working around the clock and was in daily contact with the county ’ s public health department to meet infection control requirements .
“ I just want to thank the [ staff ] for actually washing their hands and following [ protective equipment ] protocol , ” Carpio said .
He declined to say how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Another nursing home on the L.A. County list that has had four infection control deficiencies since 2017 , according to the records , is Beachwood Post-Acute & Rehab in Santa Monica .
Beachwood routinely exceeds the statewide average for the number of complaints and deficiencies , according to the California Department of Public Health , and is rated with only one star on Medicare ’ s scale .
In November 2019 , during an investigation following a complaint , a regulator noticed that a staffer did not clean a chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient bathe .
The chair and ventilator — devices in high demand now because they help people in respiratory distress — were left outside in the hallway .
Both items should have been cleaned to “ prevent cross-contamination between residents , ” according to a statement of deficiencies from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services .
In July and September , regulators found Beachwood staffers were leaving drink containers in carts with clean linen : a cup of coffee , bottled water , a can of Coke , a box of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 39 of 197 residents at risk of cross-contamination , ” regulators noted .
” It ’ s very common to have infection control deficiencies during regulatory visits , ” said Anton Novitsky , the administrator at Beachwood , who declined to say how many cases of COVID-19 had been discovered at the home .
“ With the number of nursing homes that have COVID cases , I don ’ t think there ’ s any correlation you can draw.
” Relatives of some former Beachwood residents are less forgiving .
Eileen Kelley-Wheat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beachwood following a stroke .
Kathy suffered recurring fevers and infections while at the home , Kelley-Wheat said .
“ Every week she would have an infection.
” Near the end of her life , Kathy was transferred to the hospital .
When her treatment finished , “ I fought tooth and nail to keep her at the hospital , ” Kelley-Wheat said , so she wouldn ’ t be sent back to Beachwood .
“ I could not let Kathy pass away at a dark , gloomy , uncaring facility.
” Ali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially paralyzed from the neck down by multiple sclerosis , ended up at Beachwood after a bout with pneumonia .
The home was just down the street from UCLA Medical Center , where his dad had been treated .
“ I was thinking to myself , it can ’ t be that bad , it ’ s in Santa Monica , ” Iravani said , but , “ it was like a nightmare from day one.
” Iravani said his father was at Beachwood for 60 days , but “ it felt like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight anxiety , ” he said .
“ If I knew my family member was in a place like Beachwood during this pandemic — I remember how I felt with no pandemic — I don ’ t even think I could sleep , ” Iravani said .

A worker escorts a resident out of Beachwood Post-Acute & Rehab in Santa Monica, one of dozens of Los Angeles County skilled nursing facilities with coronavirus infections.
The vast majority of skilled nursing facilities battling outbreaks of the novel coronavirus in Los Angeles County have been cited in recent years for violating federal safety rules on preventing infections, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of nursing home data.
The newspaper‘s review found that 89% of facilities with the coronavirus had previous infection control violations that ranged from mishandling patients with highly contagious bacterial infections to not properly cleaning ventilators and other equipment.
The data raised new questions about how prepared nursing homes and regulators were to deal with the pandemic.
Advertisement
Long-term-care facilities have become the epicenter of the coronavirus throughout the nation. Their concentration of elderly people with underlying health problems makes them exceptionally vulnerable to outbreaks.
In California, the virus had sickened more than 1,200 residents and staff in nursing homes as of Friday. As of Monday afternoon, 29% of the 320 people in Los Angeles County who had died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, were residents of nursing homes, county officials said.
Even the most highly rated homes can fall prey to the virus, which can be spread by asymptomatic carriers who appear to be healthy. The Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., had a five-star rating — the highest possible — from Medicare yet wound up with two-thirds of its residents and 47 workers falling ill, and more than three dozen people dead.
Many experts have warned for months about the high death toll they expected at nursing homes, particularly those with an established track record of infection control deficiencies.
“I am not surprised,” said Charlene Harrington, professor emeritus at UC San Francisco’s School of Nursing, when told of The Times’ findings. The problem stems from weak enforcement by regulators and chronic understaffing at homes, Harrington said.
Advertisement
“The understaffed homes don’t do handwashing and don’t have time for infection control,” she said. “They also don’t have enough RNs to oversee the infection control.”
Although infection control deficiencies are the most common violations for nursing homes, facilities that have struggled with the guidelines in the recent past dominate the list of those with outbreaks in Los Angeles County.
The Times examined the safety records of 66 skilled nursing facilities that the county listed on Friday as having reported at least one COVID-19 infection among staff or residents. The analysis found that 59 were cited for infection control problems since 2017.
There’s no reason to believe that the findings are unique to Los Angeles County, which is one of the few jurisdictions in the country that has publicly named homes with positive COVID-19 cases, making such an analysis possible.
California’s public health agency has not released names of homes with outbreaks statewide, but the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health lists local facilities with at least one positive test and identifies which of those have at least three cases. In addition to skilled nursing homes, the list includes assisted living facilities, jails, prisons and other facilities that were not included in The Times’ analysis.
Harrington said California’s public health officials made the problem worse on March 30 when they waived staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities during the coronavirus emergency and curtailed inspections and monitoring.
Michael Connors, a spokesman for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said regulators should have known that deadly outbreaks were “especially likely in nursing homes that have never paid attention to safe infection control practices.”
“The state knows which nursing homes have histories of poor infection control practices, neglect and understaffing,” he said. “Why hasn’t it assigned an inspector to conduct on-site monitoring at each of these facilities on a daily basis?”
A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health acknowledged that routine inspections of nursing homes were on hold and that surveyors were being advised to conduct complaint investigations “through virtual, audio or electronic methods.”
However, the spokesperson said, the state “has been and will continue to send strike teams of nurses, in partnership with the counties, to facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks. CDPH also continues to do on-site inspections for any complaint of ‘immediate jeopardy’ of harm to residents.”
Windsor Terrace Healthcare Center in Van Nuys. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Windsor Terrace Healthcare Center in Van Nuys has had four infection control violations since 2017, records show.
Last year, regulators found that nurse aides failed to wash their hands or put on protective gowns and gloves before entering the room of a resident who had been placed in isolation during treatment for the contagious C. diff bacteria, which can cause life-threatening diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. That and other violations put 122 residents at risk of infection, according to federal deficiency records.
The year before, nurses at the home sent a patient who was isolated for C. diff to an outside lab for a CT scan without alerting the staff at the lab that the patient was under “contact precautions.”
Reached by phone Monday, Victor Carpio, the home’s director of nursing services, said Windsor Terrace had “since resolved those things.”
Carpio said he had been working around the clock and was in daily contact with the county’s public health department to meet infection control requirements.
“I just want to thank the [staff] for actually washing their hands and following [protective equipment] protocol,” Carpio said. He declined to say how many residents and staff had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Another nursing home on the L.A. County list that has had four infection control deficiencies since 2017, according to the records, is Beachwood Post-Acute & Rehab in Santa Monica.
Beachwood routinely exceeds the statewide average for the number of complaints and deficiencies, according to the California Department of Public Health, and is rated with only one star on Medicare’s scale.
In November 2019, during an investigation following a complaint, a regulator noticed that a staffer did not clean a chair and portable ventilator used to help a patient bathe. The chair and ventilator — devices in high demand now because they help people in respiratory distress — were left outside in the hallway. Both items should have been cleaned to “prevent cross-contamination between residents,” according to a statement of deficiencies from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
In July and September, regulators found Beachwood staffers were leaving drink containers in carts with clean linen: a cup of coffee, bottled water, a can of Coke, a box of milk. The infection control violations put “39 of 197 residents at risk of cross-contamination,” regulators noted.
”It’s very common to have infection control deficiencies during regulatory visits,” said Anton Novitsky, the administrator at Beachwood, who declined to say how many cases of COVID-19 had been discovered at the home. “With the number of nursing homes that have COVID cases, I don’t think there’s any correlation you can draw.”
Relatives of some former Beachwood residents are less forgiving.
Eileen Kelley-Wheat said her sister Kathy was placed at Beachwood following a stroke. Kathy suffered recurring fevers and infections while at the home, Kelley-Wheat said. “Every week she would have an infection.”
Near the end of her life, Kathy was transferred to the hospital. When her treatment finished, “I fought tooth and nail to keep her at the hospital,” Kelley-Wheat said, so she wouldn’t be sent back to Beachwood. “I could not let Kathy pass away at a dark, gloomy, uncaring facility.”
Ali Iravani’s father, who was essentially paralyzed from the neck down by multiple sclerosis, ended up at Beachwood after a bout with pneumonia. The home was just down the street from UCLA Medical Center, where his dad had been treated.
“I was thinking to myself, it can’t be that bad, it’s in Santa Monica,” Iravani said, but, “it was like a nightmare from day one.”
Iravani said his father was at Beachwood for 60 days, but “it felt like 60 years. Every day was like straight anxiety,” he said.
“If I knew my family member was in a place like Beachwood during this pandemic — I remember how I felt with no pandemic — I don’t even think I could sleep,” Iravani said.


latimes--2020-04-14--Despite promises of more masks, doctors and nurses have to reuse N95s

The nurse keeps her mask in a Tupperware container .
In an unwelcome daily ritual , she dips her face in the plastic tub to put on and take off her N95 respirator , careful not to touch the front in case it is contaminated with the coronavirus .
“ If you had told me I would be reusing N95 masks before the coronavirus , I would ’ ve laughed and not believed you , ” said Jill Tobin , an emergency room nurse in the Bay Area .
“ The methods we ’ re using are not scientific.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal protective equipment supplies , as well as COVID-19 numbers flattening , tensions between front-line health workers and hospital leaders are higher than ever .
Nurses and doctors say hospitals are conserving gear by forcing staff to re-wear masks to stretch the existing supply — and endanger their own health .
Statewide , more than 2,500 healthcare workers have fallen ill with COVID-19 , a statistic that has raised the level of alarm among providers .
Seven nurses at a Santa Monica hospital were placed on administrative leave last week because they refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N95 mask , considered superior because it blocks small particles a surgical mask may not , according to the nurses ’ union .
Last week .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced a major purchase of masks for healthcare workers that would begin flowing in the next few weeks .
Tens of millions have already been distributed statewide .
But there is no sign that these unprecedented policies to conserve gear will be lifted .
State health officials advised healthcare facilities on Monday to reuse gear as providers across California “ continue to report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , face masks , gowns , and face shields , ” according to a letter sent by officials .
Tobin and others say supply remains too far behind demand , and politicians ’ promises ring hollow .
“ It ’ s still not enough , and it ’ s still a vastly different bar than what would ’ ve been acceptable two months ago , ” she said .
“ We never would ’ ve used a mask on two different patients two months ago , and we ’ re just expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK , but it ’ s not normal and OK. ” The frustration among healthcare workers traces back to the federal government .
Early in the outbreak , the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that providers wear N95 masks whenever interacting with patients suspected of having COVID-19 .
The guidelines were then loosened to recommend that only healthcare providers doing high-risk procedures wear N95 masks , a policy that has upset nurses who fear they are not being adequately protected from the virus .
On Friday , Jack Cline refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patient at Providence St. John ’ s Health Center , where he works .
The hospital placed him on administrative leave , he said .
“ I ’ ve been a nurse for 25 years ; I don ’ t need the CDC to tell me when I need an N95 , ” Cline said .
“ When I have a patient coughing directly in my face ...
I ’ m not going into that room unless they provide me with one.
” St. John ’ s said in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but is taking precautions sanctioned by government health agencies to protect its nurses and has adopted the same protocols as major academic medical centers .
N95 masks are considered superior because they provide a custom fit and and block the virus when it is aerosolized , though it is unclear what effect the switch to surgical masks will have .
A 2019 clinical trial found that health workers who wore surgical masks on the job were no more likely to catch the flu than those who wore N95s .
“ We are so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform each day and will not let the actions of a few diminish the appreciation we have for all our nurses and their commitment to our community , ” St. John ’ s said in a statement .
Angela Gatdula , also a nurse at St. John ’ s , said she believes she contracted COVID-19 while treating patients with the virus .
Her symptoms earlier this month began with body aches and a cough , and she tested positive last week , she said .
She said she felt angry the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though it knew she was treating COVID-19 patients .
She was told she would be protected by a surgical mask , she said .
“ They could ’ ve done more , ” she said , her voice breaking .
“ I don ’ t want it to be one of our nurses who ends up needing hospitalization , needing ICU admission , possibly even dying.
” Hospitals are stuck in a tough position as they try to navigate a nationwide shortage of gear .
The three Los Angeles hospitals run by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Whittier — are running low on hand sanitizer and wipes , and nurses on COVID wards have been asked to wear a single N95 a day , said Dr. Jaime Diaz , an emergency physician who serves as the chief medical officer at the Downey hospital .
Diaz said the change extended the duration of the hospital ’ s N95 stockpile from a four-week supply to an eight-week supply .
“ It ’ s dramatically decreased the amount of masks we are using on a daily basis , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UCLA health system has become one of the first in the nation to treat N95 masks with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation , “ a validated process to kill viruses , ” officials said in a statement .
But on Monday afternoon , nurses at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica protested what they view as an unsafe practice , one that makes them feel like guinea pigs for this new technology .
“ Bottom line is no method of sterilization has proven to be safe and effectively kill the coronavirus , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a registered nurse at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center , said that shortages at her facility are persisting , despite reassurances from the state that more supplies are coming .
A charge nurse who oversees a COVID-19 ward , Boylan said she is scrambling to keep her staff protected on a daily basis , cutting back on in-person visits to rooms to preserve PPE .
“ I have zero masks , I have zero face shields , I have zero goggles , ” Boylan said Sunday .
“ It ’ s an ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of clinical operations at Hollywood Presbyterian , denied in a statement that workers didn ’ t have access to protective gear , writing that “ all staff at HPMC are provided with the appropriate level of PPE that is required per existing guidelines.
” But Boylan said she had been wearing the same N95 mask for four days .
Though she received another one , it was the wrong size , and she didn ’ t want to waste it by trying to make it fit .
She ’ s hoping to exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s trying to keep the one she has clean .
She has soaked it in hydrogen peroxide and is considering baking it in the oven .

Soumya Karlamangla, Anita Chabria, Emily Baumgaertner

Nurses hold a rally at UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital on Monday in Santa Monica to draw attention to their need for more personal protective equipment and other issues.
The nurse keeps her mask in a Tupperware container. In an unwelcome daily ritual, she dips her face in the plastic tub to put on and take off her N95 respirator, careful not to touch the front in case it is contaminated with the coronavirus.
“If you had told me I would be reusing N95 masks before the coronavirus, I would’ve laughed and not believed you,” said Jill Tobin, an emergency room nurse in the Bay Area. “The methods we’re using are not scientific.”
Despite assurances from government leaders about adequate personal protective equipment supplies, as well as COVID-19 numbers flattening, tensions between front-line health workers and hospital leaders are higher than ever. Nurses and doctors say hospitals are conserving gear by forcing staff to re-wear masks to stretch the existing supply — and endanger their own health.
Advertisement
Statewide, more than 2,500 healthcare workers have fallen ill with COVID-19, a statistic that has raised the level of alarm among providers.
Seven nurses at a Santa Monica hospital were placed on administrative leave last week because they refused to enter COVID-19 patient rooms without an N95 mask, considered superior because it blocks small particles a surgical mask may not, according to the nurses’ union.
Last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a major purchase of masks for healthcare workers that would begin flowing in the next few weeks. Tens of millions have already been distributed statewide.
But there is no sign that these unprecedented policies to conserve gear will be lifted.
State health officials advised healthcare facilities on Monday to reuse gear as providers across California “continue to report severe shortages of PPE, including respirators, face masks, gowns, and face shields,” according to a letter sent by officials.
Advertisement
Tobin and others say supply remains too far behind demand, and politicians’ promises ring hollow.
“It’s still not enough, and it’s still a vastly different bar than what would’ve been acceptable two months ago,” she said. “We never would’ve used a mask on two different patients two months ago, and we’re just expected to accept that that’s normal and OK, but it’s not normal and OK.”
The frustration among healthcare workers traces back to the federal government.
Early in the outbreak, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that providers wear N95 masks whenever interacting with patients suspected of having COVID-19. The guidelines were then loosened to recommend that only healthcare providers doing high-risk procedures wear N95 masks, a policy that has upset nurses who fear they are not being adequately protected from the virus.
On Friday, Jack Cline refused to enter the room of a suspected COVID-19 patient at Providence St. John’s Health Center, where he works. The hospital placed him on administrative leave, he said.
“I’ve been a nurse for 25 years; I don’t need the CDC to tell me when I need an N95,” Cline said. “When I have a patient coughing directly in my face ... I’m not going into that room unless they provide me with one.”
St. John’s said in a statement that it could not comment on personnel matters but is taking precautions sanctioned by government health agencies to protect its nurses and has adopted the same protocols as major academic medical centers.
N95 masks are considered superior because they provide a custom fit and and block the virus when it is aerosolized, though it is unclear what effect the switch to surgical masks will have. A 2019 clinical trial found that health workers who wore surgical masks on the job were no more likely to catch the flu than those who wore N95s.
“We are so grateful for the heroic work our nurses perform each day and will not let the actions of a few diminish the appreciation we have for all our nurses and their commitment to our community,” St. John’s said in a statement.
Angela Gatdula, also a nurse at St. John’s, said she believes she contracted COVID-19 while treating patients with the virus. Her symptoms earlier this month began with body aches and a cough, and she tested positive last week, she said.
She said she felt angry the hospital administration did not give her an N95, though it knew she was treating COVID-19 patients. She was told she would be protected by a surgical mask, she said.
“They could’ve done more,” she said, her voice breaking. “I don’t want it to be one of our nurses who ends up needing hospitalization, needing ICU admission, possibly even dying.”
Hospitals are stuck in a tough position as they try to navigate a nationwide shortage of gear. The three Los Angeles hospitals run by PIH Health — Downey, Good Samaritan and Whittier — are running low on hand sanitizer and wipes, and nurses on COVID wards have been asked to wear a single N95 a day, said Dr. Jaime Diaz, an emergency physician who serves as the chief medical officer at the Downey hospital.
Diaz said the change extended the duration of the hospital’s N95 stockpile from a four-week supply to an eight-week supply.
“It’s dramatically decreased the amount of masks we are using on a daily basis,” he said.
In an attempt to conserve masks, the UCLA health system has become one of the first in the nation to treat N95 masks with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, “a validated process to kill viruses,” officials said in a statement.
But on Monday afternoon, nurses at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica protested what they view as an unsafe practice, one that makes them feel like guinea pigs for this new technology.
“Bottom line is no method of sterilization has proven to be safe and effectively kill the coronavirus,” said UCLA nurse Kristan Delmarty.
Sydnie Boylan, a registered nurse at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, said that shortages at her facility are persisting, despite reassurances from the state that more supplies are coming. A charge nurse who oversees a COVID-19 ward, Boylan said she is scrambling to keep her staff protected on a daily basis, cutting back on in-person visits to rooms to preserve PPE.
“I have zero masks, I have zero face shields, I have zero goggles,” Boylan said Sunday. “It’s an ongoing battle.”
Dr. Jamie Chang, chief of clinical operations at Hollywood Presbyterian, denied in a statement that workers didn’t have access to protective gear, writing that “all staff at HPMC are provided with the appropriate level of PPE that is required per existing guidelines.”
But Boylan said she had been wearing the same N95 mask for four days. Though she received another one, it was the wrong size, and she didn’t want to waste it by trying to make it fit. She’s hoping to exchange it, but in the meantime, she’s trying to keep the one she has clean. She has soaked it in hydrogen peroxide and is considering baking it in the oven.
Times staff writer Ben Poston contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-14--L.A. is getting a government-run tent city. All it took was 40 years and a pandemic

Tent cities and tiny-house villages for homeless people have long been taboo in Los Angeles , where they ’ ve been deemed too expensive to maintain and too difficult to dislodge once established .
But the novel coronavirus has a way of upending the most deeply entrenched thinking .
Last week , the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs set up L.A. 's first temporary tent city in four decades .
It ’ s for veterans without homes — 25 initially , with a plan to expand to 50 as needed — so they can wait out the COVID-19 crisis by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own tents .
Until now , the city and county of Los Angeles have largely relied on shelters — and increasingly hotel and motel rooms — to help protect homeless people who are most at risk for contracting the virus .
But last week , a homeless man tested positive while staying at a shelter in the San Fernando Valley and 68 homeless people and two staffers were infected in an outbreak at a shelter in San Francisco .
Now the incidents are prompting a fresh look at campgrounds .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try it as an emergency measure , ” said Mike Neely , a former commissioner with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority .
But with officials warning that stay-at-home orders could last into the summer , such campgrounds could become semi-permanent fixtures .
They also could face some of the same problems as shelters in trying to separate guests during mealtimes or in restrooms .
The VA was quick to note that its site , on a parking lot on the VA ’ s Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System campus on the Westside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ services center.
” The operation includes medical and psychiatric care , as well as monitoring , food services , bathrooms , showers and security .
A long-delayed VA bridge shelter also has opened on the campus , but with a reduced capacity of 50 people to accommodate the social distancing recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Just three months ago , VA officials had ignored an oversight board ’ s call for more emergency shelter beds on the sprawling 388-acre campus , with rolling green hills and decrepit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VA argued then that there was a surplus of beds for homeless veterans .
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and an acute risk to 44,000 people — including 2,900 veterans — who live in vehicles , makeshift shanties and tents in Los Angeles County .
Frequent hand-washing and social distancing , the gold-standard recommendations for fighting the novel coronavirus , range from difficult to impossible to do while living in a grimy sidewalk encampment .
Many homeless people also are medically fragile from years of living on the streets and are older , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for contracting a severe case of COVID-19 .
Elected leaders in Los Angeles have responded to the pandemic ’ s threat to the street population by converting recreation centers into shelters .
The city also has boosted coronavirus testing on skid row and provided outdoor hand-washing stations and bathrooms .
Responding to reports that the stations were often empty of soap and water , city officials vowed to refill them more frequently and that more are being deployed .
Meanwhile , thousands of newly leased hotel and motel rooms are beginning to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .
Most have been reserved for those who have been relocated from crowded shelters , or for people with underlying health conditions or other factors that put them at high risk for the virus .
Advocates fear that homeless people who live in cars , sidewalk tents and lean-tos will be left behind as the pandemic escalates .
And they warn that time is running out .
Authorities said Monday that 23 homeless people in L.A. County , including four staying in shelters , had tested positive for the virus .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community — a fact that may have afforded homeless people a measure of protection as the pandemic grew in March , said Dr. Joshua Bamberger , an expert on homelessness and a professor at UC San Francisco .
The citywide shutdown of businesses also cut homeless people off from restaurant bathrooms , charging outlets , food donations and other resources on which they normally rely .
Many hunkered down in their tents .
But on April 1 , Bamberger noted , monthly government assistance checks arrived , probably prompting a good number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and other supplies .
“ We have to do this right , right now , ” he said , “ before this rips through the tents.
” Some L.A. officials are calling for the city and county to do what Tampa and Las Vegas have done , and open tent cities to protect and monitor homeless people .
L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin has proposed a “ safe camping ” pilot project in his Westside district , perhaps in one of the beach parking lots that were emptied to break up crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mayor Eric Garcetti declined to say if he would support or oppose organized campgrounds , but pledged to protect homeless people and expressed faith in the city ’ s current efforts .
Other top officials handling the coronavirus crisis said they would not rule out tent cities if the pandemic warrants them .
“ Nothing is off the list , ” said L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
Back at the VA campus on Thursday , 11 veterans and a spouse of one hunkered down in carefully spaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One called the service center ” a godsend.
” Another veteran told VA spokesman Steven Ruh that he recently had been attacked while he was sleeping on the street .
“ Now he ’ ll have a watchful eye over him to make sure he ’ s safe , ” he said .
“ This could be a turning point , ” said Robert Rosebrock , an Army veteran who has long accused the VA of commercializing its medical campus and shorting healthcare services and housing opportunities for veterans .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this virus thing and all of us facing troubled times , maybe we can do more for them .
”

VA community outreach worker Michelle O’Neal, center, helps homeless veterans Larry McNearney, left, and Timothy Cornejo, right, set up Cornejo’s tent in a VA parking lot in Los Angeles.
Tent cities and tiny-house villages for homeless people have long been taboo in Los Angeles, where they’ve been deemed too expensive to maintain and too difficult to dislodge once established.
But the novel coronavirus has a way of upending the most deeply entrenched thinking.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs set up L.A.’s first temporary tent city in four decades. It’s for veterans without homes — 25 initially, with a plan to expand to 50 as needed — so they can wait out the COVID-19 crisis by sheltering in place and social distancing in their own tents.
Until now, the city and county of Los Angeles have largely relied on shelters — and increasingly hotel and motel rooms — to help protect homeless people who are most at risk for contracting the virus. But last week, a homeless man tested positive while staying at a shelter in the San Fernando Valley and 68 homeless people and two staffers were infected in an outbreak at a shelter in San Francisco. Now the incidents are prompting a fresh look at campgrounds.
Advertisement
“It’s not a bad idea to try it as an emergency measure,” said Mike Neely, a former commissioner with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
But with officials warning that stay-at-home orders could last into the summer, such campgrounds could become semi-permanent fixtures. They also could face some of the same problems as shelters in trying to separate guests during mealtimes or in restrooms.
The VA was quick to note that its site, on a parking lot on the VA’s Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System campus on the Westside, was not a campground but rather a “services center.” The operation includes medical and psychiatric care, as well as monitoring, food services, bathrooms, showers and security.
A long-delayed VA bridge shelter also has opened on the campus, but with a reduced capacity of 50 people to accommodate the social distancing recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Just three months ago, VA officials had ignored an oversight board’s call for more emergency shelter beds on the sprawling 388-acre campus, with rolling green hills and decrepit buildings that are largely empty. The VA argued then that there was a surplus of beds for homeless veterans.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and an acute risk to 44,000 people — including 2,900 veterans — who live in vehicles, makeshift shanties and tents in Los Angeles County.
Advertisement
Frequent hand-washing and social distancing, the gold-standard recommendations for fighting the novel coronavirus, range from difficult to impossible to do while living in a grimy sidewalk encampment. Many homeless people also are medically fragile from years of living on the streets and are older, both of which put them at risk for contracting a severe case of COVID-19.
Homeless Army veteran Timothy Cornejo brings his belongings into his tent as he sets up camp in a VA parking lot in Los Angeles (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Elected leaders in Los Angeles have responded to the pandemic’s threat to the street population by converting recreation centers into shelters. The city also has boosted coronavirus testing on skid row and provided outdoor hand-washing stations and bathrooms. Responding to reports that the stations were often empty of soap and water, city officials vowed to refill them more frequently and that more are being deployed.
Meanwhile, thousands of newly leased hotel and motel rooms are beginning to fill up with homeless people in Los Angeles County.
Most have been reserved for those who have been relocated from crowded shelters, or for people with underlying health conditions or other factors that put them at high risk for the virus. Advocates fear that homeless people who live in cars, sidewalk tents and lean-tos will be left behind as the pandemic escalates. And they warn that time is running out.
Authorities said Monday that 23 homeless people in L.A. County, including four staying in shelters, had tested positive for the virus.
But encampments are largely isolated from the broader community — a fact that may have afforded homeless people a measure of protection as the pandemic grew in March, said Dr. Joshua Bamberger, an expert on homelessness and a professor at UC San Francisco.
The citywide shutdown of businesses also cut homeless people off from restaurant bathrooms, charging outlets, food donations and other resources on which they normally rely. Many hunkered down in their tents. But on April 1, Bamberger noted, monthly government assistance checks arrived, probably prompting a good number of homeless people to venture out and buy food and other supplies.
“We have to do this right, right now,” he said, “before this rips through the tents.”
Steve Ruh, chief VA spokesman, walks inside a parking lot on the grounds of the VA West Los Angeles campus that is being opened up to camping by homeless veterans. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Some L.A. officials are calling for the city and county to do what Tampa and Las Vegas have done, and open tent cities to protect and monitor homeless people.
L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin has proposed a “safe camping” pilot project in his Westside district, perhaps in one of the beach parking lots that were emptied to break up crowds violating the city’s stay-at-home order.
Mayor Eric Garcetti declined to say if he would support or oppose organized campgrounds, but pledged to protect homeless people and expressed faith in the city’s current efforts.
Other top officials handling the coronavirus crisis said they would not rule out tent cities if the pandemic warrants them.
“Nothing is off the list,” said L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
Back at the VA campus on Thursday, 11 veterans and a spouse of one hunkered down in carefully spaced tents and tarps in the parking lot.
One called the service center ”a godsend.” Another veteran told VA spokesman Steven Ruh that he recently had been attacked while he was sleeping on the street. “Now he’ll have a watchful eye over him to make sure he’s safe,” he said.
“This could be a turning point,” said Robert Rosebrock, an Army veteran who has long accused the VA of commercializing its medical campus and shorting healthcare services and housing opportunities for veterans. “These people have so much potential. Now with this virus thing and all of us facing troubled times, maybe we can do more for them.”


latimes--2020-04-14--Reopening California could mean masks, telecommuting and social distancing at restaurants

With growing signs of progress in the battle against the coronavirus , government officials and public health experts are beginning to talk more openly about the next phase : The gradual , highly targeted lifting of some social distancing restrictions that have devastated the economy .
Life is still a long way from returning to pre-pandemic norms , but some scientists believe some parts of the economy could return in the coming months under the right circumstances .
“ Is it wearing masks ?
Probably .
Is it continuing to restrict large gatherings ?
Yeah , probably , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases expert at UC San Francisco .
“ Is it continuing to have older people stay home more than they would otherwise ?
Yeah , probably.
” “ When we return to work , do we all go back on the same day , or do we stagger that ?
” Rutherford asked .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom and his counterparts in Washington state and Oregon announced on Monday “ a regional pact to recovery ” from the coronavirus crisis and agreed to work together on a plan to reopen economies on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the plan was contingent on the region seeing a major drop in the number of infections .
The most optimistic models see that occurring in early May , but others , including the state Department of Public Health , predict it happening sometime in summer .
“ We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening , and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this , ” the governors said in a statement .
Absent a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California and nationally predict a gradual relaxation of the closures and distancing measures .
A vaccine is not expected for 12 to 18 months , at the earliest .
But widespread testing could be up and running in the next couple of months — both for the virus and for antibodies to show whether a person has been infected and now has some immunity .
Perhaps factories stagger shifts to prevent too many workers mixing with one another .
Maybe manufacturing and construction are opened up first , Rutherford said , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that , restaurants .
“ If you ’ re going to open the bars , you ’ re going to have to take out every other stool — I mean , I don ’ t know what the governor is going to decide , ” Rutherford said .
“ And then maybe everybody who can telecommute would just sit tight for a while.
” Big concerts , sporting events and festivals are likely even further off .
As restrictions are eased , officials will need to monitor cases to see if coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has repeatedly said the public should be expecting a gradual peeling back of stay-at-home orders .
“ When you say ‘ get back to normal , ’ you ’ re really talking about a really clear indication that those areas — like New York City , like New Orleans , like Detroit — that have big outbreaks with peaks , have not only stabilized in the number of new cases and hospitalizations , but have actually turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , ” Fauci said in an interview with The Journal podcast that aired last week .
“ And history with other countries tell us that once you turn that corner and come down , the decline is pretty steep , ” Fauci said .
“ I don ’ t think that you need to get down to zero before you can start contemplating gradually relieving some of the restrictions .
It isn ’ t like a light switch , on and off.
” One idea might be having a 50-seat restaurant seating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ Bottom line is , it ’ s going to be gradual .
It ’ s not going to be all or none.
” And some changes might be permanent , Fauci said , adding : “ I don ’ t think we ... should ever shake hands ever again , to be honest with you.
” Infectious disease experts say easing out of stay-at-home orders will require four developments : a dramatic reduction in virus transmission ; lots of testing capacity ; plenty of hospital space ; and robust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to isolate the infected and quarantine close contacts who might get sick .
“ Otherwise , what ’ s going to happen is we will end up in a situation which I would call a smoldering epidemic , in the sense that we will be having cases with us , kind of like seasonal influenza — it may wax and wane , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
Kim-Farley says he could see stay-at-home orders persisting toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing for the virus and antibodies rises to full tilt .
Then , by early summer , he could envision tailored approaches to return people to work , as long as cases have declined significantly .
San Francisco ’ s director of public health , Dr. Grant Colfax , has likened the current coronavirus outbreak to a wildfire sweeping across the city .
The goal is to reduce the number of new cases so much that new cases are seen more like smaller spot fires , which can be identified and contained before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels low in the coming weeks and months will also give scientists and doctors more time to identify life-saving drugs that need time to be identified .
“ I think within the next few weeks , we ’ re going to have some good knowledge about what those look like based upon clinical , randomized controlled trials , ” Kim-Farley said .
California has endured the coronavirus pandemic with far fewer deaths than other hot spots like New York and New Jersey , which officials attribute at least in part to early rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California has recorded more than 24,000 confirmed cases and more than 725 deaths .
The number of new coronavirus cases reported daily across California shows signs of flattening .
And even in hard-hit Los Angeles County , which saw another 26 deaths on Monday , reported only 283 new cases of the virus Monday , the lowest daily number since March 27 .
Los Angeles County has recorded more than 9,400 coronavirus cases and more than 325 deaths .
Newsom said he intends to provide details Tuesday on California ’ s strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed transitioning back to regular life days after Mark Ghaly , secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency , said the stay-at-home order and social distancing have slowed the spread of the virus , resulting in fewer hospitalizations than estimates predicted .
Under a worst-case scenario and without any mitigation efforts , state models predicted a peak of nearly 700,000 hospitalizations from COVID-19 , Ghaly said Friday .
But he noted that adherence to the stay-at-home order , which Newsom announced nearly a month ago , now suggests “ the difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our hospitals may not be that much different than where we are going to peak in the many weeks to come.
” The governors made the announcement hours after President Trump tweeted that he , and not governors , will decide when to open up states again .
Newsom , who has often commended the Trump administration ’ s efforts to work with California during the pandemic , said he expects to continue that collaboration and cooperation with the federal government .
Lin reported from San Francisco , Mozingo from Long Beach @ @ @ @ @

Rong-Gong Lin II, Joe Mozingo, Taryn Luna

Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All In This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location, at the South Bay Galleria, in Redondo Beach.
With growing signs of progress in the battle against the coronavirus, government officials and public health experts are beginning to talk more openly about the next phase: The gradual, highly targeted lifting of some social distancing restrictions that have devastated the economy.
Life is still a long way from returning to pre-pandemic norms, but some scientists believe some parts of the economy could return in the coming months under the right circumstances.
“Is it wearing masks? Probably. Is it continuing to restrict large gatherings? Yeah, probably,” said Dr. George Rutherford, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco. “Is it continuing to have older people stay home more than they would otherwise? Yeah, probably.”
Advertisement
“When we return to work, do we all go back on the same day, or do we stagger that?” Rutherford asked.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and his counterparts in Washington state and Oregon announced on Monday “a regional pact to recovery” from the coronavirus crisis and agreed to work together on a plan to reopen economies on the West Coast.
They said the timing of the plan was contingent on the region seeing a major drop in the number of infections. The most optimistic models see that occurring in early May, but others, including the state Department of Public Health, predict it happening sometime in summer.
“We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this,” the governors said in a statement.
COVID-19 doesn’t know borders. The quick action of our states slowed the spread of COVID-19.
It's going to take all of us working together to protect that progress. I’m glad to have partners like @GavinNewsom and @OregonGovBrown.
Our statement: https://t.co/IJFLoKhXgJ — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 13, 2020
Absent a vaccine or widespread testing, experts both in California and nationally predict a gradual relaxation of the closures and distancing measures.
Advertisement
A vaccine is not expected for 12 to 18 months, at the earliest. But widespread testing could be up and running in the next couple of months — both for the virus and for antibodies to show whether a person has been infected and now has some immunity.
Perhaps factories stagger shifts to prevent too many workers mixing with one another. Maybe manufacturing and construction are opened up first, Rutherford said, and then nonessential retail stores, and some time after that, restaurants.
“If you’re going to open the bars, you’re going to have to take out every other stool — I mean, I don’t know what the governor is going to decide,” Rutherford said. “And then maybe everybody who can telecommute would just sit tight for a while.”
Big concerts, sporting events and festivals are likely even further off.
As restrictions are eased, officials will need to monitor cases to see if coronavirus cases start to dramatically flare up again.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has repeatedly said the public should be expecting a gradual peeling back of stay-at-home orders.
“When you say ‘get back to normal,’ you’re really talking about a really clear indication that those areas — like New York City, like New Orleans, like Detroit — that have big outbreaks with peaks, have not only stabilized in the number of new cases and hospitalizations, but have actually turned the corner and are starting to come down,” Fauci said in an interview with The Journal podcast that aired last week.
“And history with other countries tell us that once you turn that corner and come down, the decline is pretty steep,” Fauci said. “I don’t think that you need to get down to zero before you can start contemplating gradually relieving some of the restrictions. It isn’t like a light switch, on and off.”
One idea might be having a 50-seat restaurant seating a maximum of only 25 diners, he said. “Bottom line is, it’s going to be gradual. It’s not going to be all or none.”
And some changes might be permanent, Fauci said, adding: “I don’t think we ... should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.”
Infectious disease experts say easing out of stay-at-home orders will require four developments: a dramatic reduction in virus transmission; lots of testing capacity; plenty of hospital space; and robust local resources to aggressively investigate new infections to isolate the infected and quarantine close contacts who might get sick.
“Otherwise, what’s going to happen is we will end up in a situation which I would call a smoldering epidemic, in the sense that we will be having cases with us, kind of like seasonal influenza — it may wax and wane,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Kim-Farley says he could see stay-at-home orders persisting toward the end of May or mid-June, as testing for the virus and antibodies rises to full tilt. Then, by early summer, he could envision tailored approaches to return people to work, as long as cases have declined significantly.
San Francisco’s director of public health, Dr. Grant Colfax, has likened the current coronavirus outbreak to a wildfire sweeping across the city. The goal is to reduce the number of new cases so much that new cases are seen more like smaller spot fires, which can be identified and contained before getting out of control.
Keeping disease levels low in the coming weeks and months will also give scientists and doctors more time to identify life-saving drugs that need time to be identified.
“I think within the next few weeks, we’re going to have some good knowledge about what those look like based upon clinical, randomized controlled trials,” Kim-Farley said.
California has endured the coronavirus pandemic with far fewer deaths than other hot spots like New York and New Jersey, which officials attribute at least in part to early rules that forced residents to stay at home. California has recorded more than 24,000 confirmed cases and more than 725 deaths.
The number of new coronavirus cases reported daily across California shows signs of flattening. And even in hard-hit Los Angeles County, which saw another 26 deaths on Monday, reported only 283 new cases of the virus Monday, the lowest daily number since March 27.
“That’s a good thing,” public health department director Barbara Ferrer said.
Los Angeles County has recorded more than 9,400 coronavirus cases and more than 325 deaths.
Newsom said he intends to provide details Tuesday on California’s strategy to lift the restrictions.
The governor discussed transitioning back to regular life days after Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said the stay-at-home order and social distancing have slowed the spread of the virus, resulting in fewer hospitalizations than estimates predicted.
Under a worst-case scenario and without any mitigation efforts, state models predicted a peak of nearly 700,000 hospitalizations from COVID-19, Ghaly said Friday. But he noted that adherence to the stay-at-home order, which Newsom announced nearly a month ago, now suggests “the difference between what we’re seeing today in our hospitals may not be that much different than where we are going to peak in the many weeks to come.”
The governors made the announcement hours after President Trump tweeted that he, and not governors, will decide when to open up states again.
Newsom, who has often commended the Trump administration’s efforts to work with California during the pandemic, said he expects to continue that collaboration and cooperation with the federal government.
Lin reported from San Francisco, Mozingo from Long Beach and Luna from Sacramento.


latimes--2020-04-13--Three Southern California churches sue Gov. Newsom over coronavirus orders

Three Southern California churches that want to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued Gov .
Gavin Newsom and other officials Monday , arguing that social distancing orders violate the 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion and assembly .
The suit , filed in the federal court for the Central District of California , also names state Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra and officials of San Bernardino and Riverside counties .
The suit seeks to block Newsom ’ s month-old stay-at-home order and two county orders designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 by having people mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those deemed essential and barring group gatherings .
The orders don ’ t list houses of worship among the critical infrastructure where face-to-face contact is permitted .
A message to the governor ’ s office seeking comment was not immediately returned .
The suit names three churches in San Bernardino and Riverside counties .
One plaintiff , James Moffatt , senior pastor at Church Unlimited in Indio , was fined $ 1,000 for violating Riverside County ’ s order by holding a Palm Sunday service , according to the lawsuit .
Moffatt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pastor to lay hands on people and pray for them , this includes the sick , ” the suit said .
“ Moffatt also believes that he is required by scripture to baptize individuals , something that can not be done at an online service.
” Also named are a parishioner , the head pastor of Shield of Faith Family Church in Fontana and the senior pastor of Word of Life Ministries International in Riverside , which usually has 20 to 30 regular attendees , according to the suit .
The churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are overly broad and that they can practice safe social distancing in the same manner as grocery stores and other outlets that are considered essential services and allowed to remain open .
“ The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful , ” said Harmeet K. Dhillon , chief executive of the Center for American Liberty , a California nonprofit organization that filed the suit .
“ If a Californian is able to go to Costco or the local marijuana shop or liquor store and buy goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then he or she must be allowed to practice their faith using the same precautions , ” she said in a statement .
The center was founded in 2019 by Dhillon , who is on the Republican National Committee that helps steer the party ’ s platform and election strategy .
“ I believe the suit has merit , ” said John C. Eastman , a professor of law and community service at Chapman University in Orange .
“ Obviously , stopping a pandemic is a compelling government interest ” but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tailored enough to meet the strict scrutiny required of laws dealing with religion , Eastman said in an email .
“ Services with only a single family in a pew , and spaced three pews apart , with everyone wearing masks and gloves , would accomplish the government ’ s purpose in a much less draconian way , ” he said .
Very few churches in California have refused to stop holding in-person services .
The largest Roman Catholic dioceses have begun streaming services online .
On Easter Sunday , several churches held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their car radios from parking lots .
On Friday , a federal judge refused to allow a small church in Campo , Abiding Place Ministries , to gather for Easter Sunday services .
The judge rejected a request for a temporary restraining order sought by the church , which has sued San Diego County for banning public or private gatherings on public health grounds .
U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant , citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling , said the right to freedom of religion doesn ’ t “ include the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” San Bernardino County has nearly 1,000 reported cases of the coronavirus and more than 30 deaths .
Riverside County has reported nearly 1,800 cases and 50 deaths .
California has more than 24,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 730 deaths .
Elsewhere , states and local governments have differed on whether houses of worship must meet social distancing rules .
Some states have provided a degree of exemption for religious activity .
In Kansas , a coronavirus outbreak led a fight by Gov .
Laura Kelly to limit religious and funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in advance of Easter .
After a legislative council overturned her executive order , the Kansas Supreme Court upheld it Saturday .
Rodney Howard-Browne , a Florida-based charismatic Christian pastor who prayed over Trump in the Oval Office in 2017 , has pledged not to stop services and encouraged worshipers to shake hands despite experts identifying that behavior as an easy way to spread the virus .
In Louisiana , pastor Tony Spell was warned by police Tuesday after holding a service that attracted hundreds and flouted a state ban on mass gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his services also heal cancer and HIV , said that he would not permit “ any dictator law ” to stop worship .

The lawsuit seeks to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order and two county orders designed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Three Southern California churches that want to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials Monday, arguing that social distancing orders violate the 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion and assembly.
The suit, filed in the federal court for the Central District of California, also names state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and officials of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The suit seeks to block Newsom’s month-old stay-at-home order and two county orders designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 by having people mostly stay at home, closing businesses except for those deemed essential and barring group gatherings. The orders don’t list houses of worship among the critical infrastructure where face-to-face contact is permitted.
Advertisement
A message to the governor’s office seeking comment was not immediately returned.
The suit names three churches in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
One plaintiff, James Moffatt, senior pastor at Church Unlimited in Indio, was fined $1,000 for violating Riverside County’s order by holding a Palm Sunday service, according to the lawsuit.
Moffatt “believes that scripture commands him as a pastor to lay hands on people and pray for them, this includes the sick,” the suit said. “Moffatt also believes that he is required by scripture to baptize individuals, something that cannot be done at an online service.”
Also named are a parishioner, the head pastor of Shield of Faith Family Church in Fontana and the senior pastor of Word of Life Ministries International in Riverside, which usually has 20 to 30 regular attendees, according to the suit.
Advertisement
The churches argue that the state and local orders are overly broad and that they can practice safe social distancing in the same manner as grocery stores and other outlets that are considered essential services and allowed to remain open.
“The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, chief executive of the Center for American Liberty, a California nonprofit organization that filed the suit.
“If a Californian is able to go to Costco or the local marijuana shop or liquor store and buy goods in a responsible, socially distanced manner, then he or she must be allowed to practice their faith using the same precautions,” she said in a statement.
The center was founded in 2019 by Dhillon, who is on the Republican National Committee that helps steer the party’s platform and election strategy.
“I believe the suit has merit,” said John C. Eastman, a professor of law and community service at Chapman University in Orange.
“Obviously, stopping a pandemic is a compelling government interest” but the issue is whether the orders are narrowly tailored enough to meet the strict scrutiny required of laws dealing with religion, Eastman said in an email.
“Services with only a single family in a pew, and spaced three pews apart, with everyone wearing masks and gloves, would accomplish the government’s purpose in a much less draconian way,” he said.
Very few churches in California have refused to stop holding in-person services. The largest Roman Catholic dioceses have begun streaming services online. On Easter Sunday, several churches held drive-in services for congregants who listened on their car radios from parking lots.
On Friday, a federal judge refused to allow a small church in Campo, Abiding Place Ministries, to gather for Easter Sunday services. The judge rejected a request for a temporary restraining order sought by the church, which has sued San Diego County for banning public or private gatherings on public health grounds.
U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, said the right to freedom of religion doesn’t “include the right to expose the community to communicable disease.”
San Bernardino County has nearly 1,000 reported cases of the coronavirus and more than 30 deaths. Riverside County has reported nearly 1,800 cases and 50 deaths. California has more than 24,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 730 deaths.
Elsewhere, states and local governments have differed on whether houses of worship must meet social distancing rules. Some states have provided a degree of exemption for religious activity.
In Kansas, a coronavirus outbreak led a fight by Gov. Laura Kelly to limit religious and funeral services to no more than 10 people in advance of Easter. After a legislative council overturned her executive order, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld it Saturday.
Rodney Howard-Browne, a Florida-based charismatic Christian pastor who prayed over Trump in the Oval Office in 2017, has pledged not to stop services and encouraged worshipers to shake hands despite experts identifying that behavior as an easy way to spread the virus.
In Louisiana, pastor Tony Spell was warned by police Tuesday after holding a service that attracted hundreds and flouted a state ban on mass gatherings. Spell, who has claimed that his services also heal cancer and HIV, said that he would not permit “any dictator law” to stop worship.


latimes--2020-04-13--L.A. can't seize homeless people's bulky items solely based on size, judge rules

Los Angeles must stop seizing and tossing out bulky things such as mattresses , carts and dog kennels that homeless people stash on sidewalks or other public property based solely on their size , a federal judge has ruled .
The decision , which cements a tentative ruling issued in March , bars the city from enforcing a city law that bans people from keeping big items — those that can not fit into a 60-gallon container — in public areas .
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer concluded that the homeless individuals and advocacy groups that brought the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their claim that the rule was unconstitutional , concluding that “ the seizure and immediate destruction of bulky items only because they are bulky items is unreasonable.
” Fischer noted that the preliminary injunction still allows city crews to confiscate such belongings in other circumstances , “ including when items are unattended , blocking the sidewalk , or a threat to health and safety.
” Homeless people and their advocates greeted the decision as a victory .
In their lawsuit , a group of homeless individuals and advocacy organizations including the outreach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city law provides “ no check of any kind ” on the power of the sanitation department to seize and destroy things on the street .
It also “ provides absolutely no mechanism to contest any decision by city workers , even though the consequence of those decisions is the immediate and often permanent deprivation of property , ” the plaintiffs argued .
Monday ’ s ruling also prohibits the city from enforcing another provision that bans people from resisting or obstructing city employees who remove or discard items that violate city restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ktown for All and the other plaintiffs argued that it stops people from contesting “ on-the-spot decisions ” about what violates the city rule .
“ This injunction is a victory for our clients , but it is incredibly frustrating that , yet again , homeless people had to go into federal court just to protect their basic rights and to ensure the city does not throw away items they need to survive , ” Shayla Myers , an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filings that the ban on bulky items was needed to “ keep public spaces clean , safe and usable by all ” and called it “ entirely reasonable to limit the size of items that a person can store in a finite public space.
” The rise in homelessness in Los Angeles has left city officials facing a torrent of complaints about items strewn along streets and sidewalks .
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino , who represents a Watts-to-San Pedro district , said that the decision would lead to “ an unlimited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our sidewalks.
” “ Our residents ought to be outraged about this , ” Buscaino said .
In her Monday ruling , Fischer rejected the argument that the preliminary injunction would totally prevent bulky items from being removed from public areas , saying that the city could still take away those objects for other reasons .
That failed to reassure Estela Lopez , executive director of a business improvement district that covers much of skid row .
Lopez argued that the new ruling would make city workers hesitant to enforce other rules for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where is the limit ?
” she asked of stopping the bulky item ban .
“ You have these gigantic encampments that contain numerous bulky items .
...
It ’ s really hoarding on the public right of way.
” In a statement , Ktown for All co-founder Jane Nguyen countered that such rules are not enforced against housed people , citing examples such as “ illegal valet stands , restaurant furniture , and planters that are technically stored on the sidewalk.
” “ No one would ever dream the city could just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city does to homeless people ’ s belongings , ” Nguyen said .
It is unclear what the next steps are for the city .
Rob Wilcox , a spokesman for Los Angeles City Atty .
Mike Feuer , said their office would review the order and had “ no further comment at this time .
”

Los Angeles must stop seizing and tossing out bulky things such as mattresses, carts and dog kennels that homeless people stash on sidewalks or other public property based solely on their size, a federal judge has ruled.
The decision, which cements a tentative ruling issued in March, bars the city from enforcing a city law that bans people from keeping big items — those that cannot fit into a 60-gallon container — in public areas.
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer concluded that the homeless individuals and advocacy groups that brought the case were likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the rule was unconstitutional, concluding that “the seizure and immediate destruction of bulky items only because they are bulky items is unreasonable.”
Advertisement
Fischer noted that the preliminary injunction still allows city crews to confiscate such belongings in other circumstances, “including when items are unattended, blocking the sidewalk, or a threat to health and safety.”
Homeless people and their advocates greeted the decision as a victory. In their lawsuit, a group of homeless individuals and advocacy organizations including the outreach group Ktown for All argued that the city law provides “no check of any kind” on the power of the sanitation department to seize and destroy things on the street.
It also “provides absolutely no mechanism to contest any decision by city workers, even though the consequence of those decisions is the immediate and often permanent deprivation of property,” the plaintiffs argued.
Monday’s ruling also prohibits the city from enforcing another provision that bans people from resisting or obstructing city employees who remove or discard items that violate city restrictions on items stored in public areas.
Ktown for All and the other plaintiffs argued that it stops people from contesting “on-the-spot decisions” about what violates the city rule.
“This injunction is a victory for our clients, but it is incredibly frustrating that, yet again, homeless people had to go into federal court just to protect their basic rights and to ensure the city does not throw away items they need to survive,” Shayla Myers, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, said in a statement Monday.
Advertisement
City attorneys argued in court filings that the ban on bulky items was needed to “keep public spaces clean, safe and usable by all” and called it “entirely reasonable to limit the size of items that a person can store in a finite public space.”
The rise in homelessness in Los Angeles has left city officials facing a torrent of complaints about items strewn along streets and sidewalks. Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents a Watts-to-San Pedro district, said that the decision would lead to “an unlimited amount of personal property being stored on our sidewalks.”
“Our residents ought to be outraged about this,” Buscaino said.
In her Monday ruling, Fischer rejected the argument that the preliminary injunction would totally prevent bulky items from being removed from public areas, saying that the city could still take away those objects for other reasons.
That failed to reassure Estela Lopez, executive director of a business improvement district that covers much of skid row.
Lopez argued that the new ruling would make city workers hesitant to enforce other rules for fear of getting sued again.
“Where is the limit?” she asked of stopping the bulky item ban. “You have these gigantic encampments that contain numerous bulky items. ... It’s really hoarding on the public right of way.”
In a statement, Ktown for All co-founder Jane Nguyen countered that such rules are not enforced against housed people, citing examples such as “illegal valet stands, restaurant furniture, and planters that are technically stored on the sidewalk.”
“No one would ever dream the city could just take and throw those things away like the city does to homeless people’s belongings,” Nguyen said.
It is unclear what the next steps are for the city. Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer, said their office would review the order and had “no further comment at this time.”
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.