latimes--2020-03-30--LAPD officers getting their temperatures checked before each shift

The Los Angeles Police Department is taking the temperatures of its officers as they arrive for their shifts to try to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus inside the department , which has seen 26 employees test positive .
Anyone with a temperature will be sent home immediately and directed to get medical treatment .
“ We are taking every step to ensure officers ’ health , ” Assistant Chief Horace Frank said .
Department roll calls are now conducted with officers spaced far apart to ensure social distancing as part of efforts to get as many officers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of illness have been ordered to stay home , Frank said .
Workspaces are now frequently sanitized , and officers are equipped with N-95 masks and gloves and goggles to use in the field if needed .
The LAPD continues to test more of its 13,000 employees , and 26 have tested positive for COVID-19 so far .
Four are department leaders .
LAPD managers , however , are concerned with the scenario unfolding in New York City with the nation ’ s largest police department .
More than 800 officers there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 4,700 officers — about 12 % of the force — have been calling in sick daily .
Three NYPD employees have died , and John Miller , chief of intelligence and counter-terrorism , is among those who have been hospitalized .
In each case of a positive officer , it has forced those around them to self-quarantine in an effort to stop the spread of the virus .
LAPD numbers remain relatively small by comparison .
But some officers expressed frustration with commanders in the LAPD ’ s Central Division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , an officer who later tested positive was exhibiting symptoms at work for two days before being sent home .
The officer , who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country , was “ coughing and sweating ” during roll call in Central Division , which patrols areas that include downtown L.A. , sources said .
The officer , according to the LAPD , was sent home once supervisors became aware of his illness .
According to the sources , six officers in Central , however , have since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of the infection isn ’ t known for sure .
Police Chief Michel Moore is now sending a daily briefing to his officers on the latest on the coronavirus , and he and his commanders have planned out scenarios in which up to 30 % and perhaps even half the department calls in sick .
These are worst-case scenarios , and officials do not think it will get that bad .
Officers in many locations this week began switching to 12-hour shifts to bolster the number on patrol and to provide security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already transferred hundreds of detectives to patrol functions .
Moore said that in the last few weeks the department had entirely mobilized .
Vacation days have been canceled , unnecessary assignments and operations have been put aside , and everyone has been assigned to concentrate on essential public safety functions .
With gatherings now limited to 10 or fewer people , the department ’ s officers over the weekend received calls from residents about several gatherings or parties where people were crowded into small spaces .
In South L.A. , a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they found about 10 people in the frontyard and 40 to 50 people in the backyard for what was a toddler ’ s birthday party .
No arrests were made .
Crime in Los Angeles fell sharply in March as the city imposed strict new rules on residents and businesses .
Violent offenses in the city dropped 14 % and property crime declined 12 % through March 25 compared with the same period last year , according to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department .
The department had reported single-digit reductions before @ @ @

The Los Angeles Police Department is taking the temperatures of its officers as they arrive for their shifts to try to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus inside the department, which has seen 26 employees test positive.
Anyone with a temperature will be sent home immediately and directed to get medical treatment. “We are taking every step to ensure officers’ health,” Assistant Chief Horace Frank said.
Department roll calls are now conducted with officers spaced far apart to ensure social distancing as part of efforts to get as many officers as possible working. Those with even slight signs of illness have been ordered to stay home, Frank said.
Workspaces are now frequently sanitized, and officers are equipped with N-95 masks and gloves and goggles to use in the field if needed.
The LAPD continues to test more of its 13,000 employees, and 26 have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Four are department leaders.
LAPD managers, however, are concerned with the scenario unfolding in New York City with the nation’s largest police department. More than 800 officers there have tested positive for the virus, and more than 4,700 officers — about 12% of the force — have been calling in sick daily.
Three NYPD employees have died, and John Miller, chief of intelligence and counter-terrorism, is among those who have been hospitalized. In each case of a positive officer, it has forced those around them to self-quarantine in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
LAPD numbers remain relatively small by comparison. But some officers expressed frustration with commanders in the LAPD’s Central Division after, sources told the Los Angeles Times, an officer who later tested positive was exhibiting symptoms at work for two days before being sent home. The officer, who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country, was “coughing and sweating” during roll call in Central Division, which patrols areas that include downtown L.A., sources said.
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The officer, according to the LAPD, was sent home once supervisors became aware of his illness. According to the sources, six officers in Central, however, have since tested positive for the virus.
The source of the infection isn’t known for sure.
Police Chief Michel Moore is now sending a daily briefing to his officers on the latest on the coronavirus, and he and his commanders have planned out scenarios in which up to 30% and perhaps even half the department calls in sick. These are worst-case scenarios, and officials do not think it will get that bad.
Officers in many locations this week began switching to 12-hour shifts to bolster the number on patrol and to provide security at eight homeless shelters. The department has already transferred hundreds of detectives to patrol functions.
Moore said that in the last few weeks the department had entirely mobilized. Vacation days have been canceled, unnecessary assignments and operations have been put aside, and everyone has been assigned to concentrate on essential public safety functions.
With gatherings now limited to 10 or fewer people, the department’s officers over the weekend received calls from residents about several gatherings or parties where people were crowded into small spaces.
In South L.A., a small number of officers dispersed a gathering where they found about 10 people in the frontyard and 40 to 50 people in the backyard for what was a toddler’s birthday party. No arrests were made.
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Crime in Los Angeles fell sharply in March as the city imposed strict new rules on residents and businesses. Violent offenses in the city dropped 14% and property crime declined 12% through March 25 compared with the same period last year, according to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department. The department had reported single-digit reductions before this month.


latimes--2020-03-30--Soledad 'Chole' Alatorre, pioneering labor organizer and Latina activist, dies at 94

If donning a swimsuit was the best way for Soledad “ Chole ” Alatorre to organize Latina garment workers , then she was going to do it .
The Mexican immigrant had arrived to Los Angeles in the 1950s with a mission : to help her exploited countrymen in el Norte .
She did this with a people-power play of sorts that starred her as Chekhov ’ s gun .
Alatorre would join a company that relied on low-paid immigrants illegally in the United States , and quickly get promoted to supervisor .
With the newfound leeway , she surreptitiously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to agitate for better pay .
Management would find out , then fire her .
The employees would walk out .
A union usually followed .
And Alatorre would move on to the next challenge .
That ’ s how she found herself one day in a one-piece , in the name of labor .
She joined a manufacturer that had a contract for Rose Marie Reid , the glamorous beachwear brand that styled the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth .
Bosses noticed Alatorre ’ s svelte figure and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then walk around the factory floor so seamstresses and other trabajadoras could make any necessary adjustments .
The company quickly shut down once they realized Alatorre ’ s goals , but the experience sealed her legend .
In labor and activist circles across California , she preached a provocative message — undocumented immigrants deserve rights , too , and can be mobilized into a force .
That message went from heresy to the mainstream and forever altered politics in California and beyond .
Alatorre died March 25 at age 94 in the Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was born .
The cause of death was unknown .
“ She was an extraordinary person , ” said Rodolfo Acuña , who documented Alatorre ’ s career in his “ Occupied America : A History of Chicanos ” and is professor emeritus of Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge .
“ She never wavered from her message .
She was never compromised.
” “ She wasn ’ t always as appreciated because she wasn ’ t this big , fiery speaker in public , ” said California State Sen. Maria Elena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become an activist as a college student after seeing Alatorre help strikers at a Bay Area tortilla factory in 1975 .
“ She said regular , simple things that people believed in.
” Alatorre was raised in a union household by a father who regaled his daughters with tales of U.S. labor history ; he told her about executed anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti and about the Haymarket Riot .
After marrying into a wealthy family at 19 , Alatorre followed her husband to Ensenada for a job that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she saw caravans and camps of braceros , Mexican men who were hoping to cross into the United States , legally or not , for work .
The scene radicalized her .
“ It was very sad [ and an ] embarrassing situation for my country , ” Alatorre told the Los Angeles Times in 1984 .
Alatorre ended up working with the Maritime Union , the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , the Teamsters , United Auto Workers , and others .
It was through this world that she met Chicano activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was “ possibly one of the best organizers that I have ever known , male or female.
” He was particularly impressed with how Alatorre succeeded despite the racism and misogyny she endured from fellow labor leaders at the time .
It didn ’ t matter to the workers she helped , Corona marveled .
“ They knew that a person as experienced and effective as Chole was better than almost any man.
” Together , they founded the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo ( Center for Autonomous Social Action ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on helping undocumented immigrants at a time when even mainstream Latino civil rights organizations reviled them .
They offered legal and social advice , protested immigration raids , and urged the media to eschew the term “ illegal alien ” in favor of “ undocumented immigrant ” — all the norm today but unheard of in the late 1960s .
For Alatorre , she was an advocate partly to force the United States to reckon with its hypocrisy .
“ Now they complain about all the undocumented people , ” she told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they showed them the way.
” Rarely in the spotlight , Alatorre nevertheless participated in many of the crucial battles Mexican Americans in Southern California fought .
She accompanied Robert Kennedy through East Los Angeles during his 1968 presidential campaign , at one point dragging him away from adoring throngs with such ease that he joked during a rally at the Greek Theatre later that night that Alatorre “ saved my life.
” In the 1970s , she helped bring attention to forced sterilization of Mexican American women in Los Angeles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ku Klux Klan .
Her longtime association with Hermandad Mexicana saw Alatorre help in renters ’ strikes , the opening of day laborer centers , and pushes for more Latino representation on television .
As she advocated for immigrants ’ rights , Alatorre also persuaded a generation of Southern California union members that they , too , should care about the issue .
Among her acolytes are former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa , current L.A. City Council member Gil Cedillo , and Durazo , all of whom fused immigrants and labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city that turned into a political powerhouse .
“ She would always tell us there was no way to build the kind of power for workers to be treated fairly unless everyone was going to be included , especially undocumented immigrants , ” said Durazo .
“ She did it from the point of view that it was not only the right thing to do , but the smart thing to do.
” Alatorre remained active even as she turned 90 , participating in amnesty marches and holding citizenship classes at Mary Immaculate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she lived in for over 50 years until moving back to San Luis Potosí two years ago .
To the end , she insisted that activists forsake their differences as well as glory to work for el pueblo .
“ Divisions don ’ t help when you ’ re looking to protect the rights of the most vulnerable , ” she told a reporter in 2017 .
“ La causa should be bigger than your ego .
”

If donning a swimsuit was the best way for Soledad “Chole” Alatorre to organize Latina garment workers, then she was going to do it.
The Mexican immigrant had arrived to Los Angeles in the 1950s with a mission: to help her exploited countrymen in el Norte. She did this with a people-power play of sorts that starred her as Chekhov’s gun.
Alatorre would join a company that relied on low-paid immigrants illegally in the United States, and quickly get promoted to supervisor. With the newfound leeway, she surreptitiously taught workers about their rights and urged them to agitate for better pay.
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Management would find out, then fire her. The employees would walk out. A union usually followed. And Alatorre would move on to the next challenge.
That’s how she found herself one day in a one-piece, in the name of labor.
She joined a manufacturer that had a contract for Rose Marie Reid, the glamorous beachwear brand that styled the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth. Bosses noticed Alatorre’s svelte figure and asked her to model the latest designs, then walk around the factory floor so seamstresses and other trabajadoras could make any necessary adjustments.
The company quickly shut down once they realized Alatorre’s goals, but the experience sealed her legend. In labor and activist circles across California, she preached a provocative message — undocumented immigrants deserve rights, too, and can be mobilized into a force. That message went from heresy to the mainstream and forever altered politics in California and beyond.
Alatorre died March 25 at age 94 in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, where she was born. The cause of death was unknown.
“She was an extraordinary person,” said Rodolfo Acuña, who documented Alatorre’s career in his “Occupied America: A History of Chicanos” and is professor emeritus of Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge. “She never wavered from her message. She was never compromised.”
“She wasn’t always as appreciated because she wasn’t this big, fiery speaker in public,” said California State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, who said she was inspired to become an activist as a college student after seeing Alatorre help strikers at a Bay Area tortilla factory in 1975. “She said regular, simple things that people believed in.”
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Alatorre was raised in a union household by a father who regaled his daughters with tales of U.S. labor history; he told her about executed anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti and about the Haymarket Riot. After marrying into a wealthy family at 19, Alatorre followed her husband to Ensenada for a job that didn’t materialize. Along the way, she saw caravans and camps of braceros, Mexican men who were hoping to cross into the United States, legally or not, for work.
The scene radicalized her. “It was very sad [and an] embarrassing situation for my country,” Alatorre told the Los Angeles Times in 1984.
Snippet from a July 19, 1984 Los Angeles Times profile of Alatorre (Los Angeles Times)
Alatorre ended up working with the Maritime Union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Teamsters, United Auto Workers, and others. It was through this world that she met Chicano activist Bert Corona, who told his biographer she was “possibly one of the best organizers that I have ever known, male or female.”
He was particularly impressed with how Alatorre succeeded despite the racism and misogyny she endured from fellow labor leaders at the time. It didn’t matter to the workers she helped, Corona marveled. “They knew that a person as experienced and effective as Chole was better than almost any man.”
Together, they founded the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo (Center for Autonomous Social Action), and Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, groups focused on helping undocumented immigrants at a time when even mainstream Latino civil rights organizations reviled them.
They offered legal and social advice, protested immigration raids, and urged the media to eschew the term “illegal alien” in favor of “undocumented immigrant” — all the norm today but unheard of in the late 1960s.
For Alatorre, she was an advocate partly to force the United States to reckon with its hypocrisy.
“Now they complain about all the undocumented people,” she told The Times in 1984, “but man, they showed them the way.”
Rarely in the spotlight, Alatorre nevertheless participated in many of the crucial battles Mexican Americans in Southern California fought. She accompanied Robert Kennedy through East Los Angeles during his 1968 presidential campaign, at one point dragging him away from adoring throngs with such ease that he joked during a rally at the Greek Theatre later that night that Alatorre “saved my life.”
In the 1970s, she helped bring attention to forced sterilization of Mexican American women in Los Angeles and went to San Diego to protest against the Ku Klux Klan. Her longtime association with Hermandad Mexicana saw Alatorre help in renters’ strikes, the opening of day laborer centers, and pushes for more Latino representation on television.
As she advocated for immigrants’ rights, Alatorre also persuaded a generation of Southern California union members that they, too, should care about the issue. Among her acolytes are former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, current L.A. City Council member Gil Cedillo, and Durazo, all of whom fused immigrants and labor to create a resurgent movement throughout the city that turned into a political powerhouse.
A mural of Soledad “Chole” Alatorre in Highland Park. (L.A. Taco)
“She would always tell us there was no way to build the kind of power for workers to be treated fairly unless everyone was going to be included, especially undocumented immigrants,” said Durazo. “She did it from the point of view that it was not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.”
Alatorre remained active even as she turned 90, participating in amnesty marches and holding citizenship classes at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Pacoima, the city where she lived in for over 50 years until moving back to San Luis Potosí two years ago. To the end, she insisted that activists forsake their differences as well as glory to work for el pueblo.
“Divisions don’t help when you’re looking to protect the rights of the most vulnerable,” she told a reporter in 2017. “La causa should be bigger than your ego.”


latimes--2020-03-30--Amid coronavirus closures, 15,000 L.A. high school students are absent online, 40,000 failing to che

Amid coronavirus closures, 15,000 L.A. high school students are absent online, 40,000 failing to check in daily

About one-third of some 120,000 Los Angeles high school students have not logged onto online classes every day , and 15,000 are absent from all online learning as efforts to continue distance learning fall short , according to the school district .
The disappointing figures were released Monday by L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner during a morning video update .
“ It ’ s simply not acceptable that we lose touch with 15,000 young adults or that many students aren ’ t getting the education they should be , ” Beutner said in prepared remarks .
“ This will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trial and error to get it right .
And it will take the continued patience and commitment of all involved — students , families and teachers.
” Beutner says he hopes the online reach will improve as more families take advantage of free computers provided by L.A. Unified and free internet through hot spots that Verizon is setting up through a contract with the nation ’ s second-largest school system .
“ The great big digital divide many have spoken about is very real in the communities we serve , where about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families who are struggling to get by and many are not connected on the internet , ” he said .
“ We need to train students , teachers and families so they ’ re all connected and comfortable using the technology.
” He added : “ Then comes the main event : making sure our educators are prepared to add this to their instructional plans.
” Daniella Hernandez , a junior at Maywood Center for Enriched Studies , said half of her 30-student AP calculus class has been attending online lessons provided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were only four students on the Zoom session .
“ It can be a good thing sometimes because you get more of a one-to-one ” experience , without the jokester in the back of the room disrupting class , said Daniella , 17 .
Yet , she also really misses those lighter moments .
“ It ’ s sad because those are the things that get you through , ” she said .
Her AP class had an advantage , too , as they had used online learning before the closures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers are less consistent about assignments , she said .
“ They assign busy work instead of productive work , so I just feel like sometimes it ’ s not getting me anywhere .
I ’ m not learning as much as I should , ” she said .
Although she is virtually showing up for class for fear of falling behind , she understands why her classmates don ’ t .
“ It ’ s kind of disappointing to see that a lot of kids in the class aren ’ t feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They ’ re not feeling inspired to get the work done.
” Also , others might not have a computer and internet access like she does , she said .
The L.A. schools chief also pointed to bright spots in efforts to maintain student learning during a shutdown that is scheduled to last until at least the beginning of May .
Beutner said that more than 200,000 people “ in the area ” were now watching ramped-up educational programming provided on three local public television stations : the district ’ s KLCS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SoCal .
The school system also has opened three additional grab-and-go meal distribution centers since that program began , bringing the total number of sites to 63 .
“ The outstanding efforts ... have allowed us to provide over 2 million meals to those in need , about one-third of whom are adults , ” said Beutner .
“ In addition , we ’ ve provided toys and baby supplies .
In the success is a warning sign — the need in our community is large and growing as the virus impacts the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were struggling to get by before recent , unprecedented layoffs began to be felt.
” Beutner said the Monday-through-Friday food distribution would continue through the district ’ s scheduled spring break , April 6-10 .
The superintendent also noted that the district provided 100,000 N95 masks in its stores to local hospitals .

Tenth-grade students wait to pick up laptops at Linda Esperanza Marquez High School in Huntington Park last week to use at home for schoolwork.
About 15,000 Los Angeles high school students are absent online and have failed to do any schoolwork while more than 40,000 have not been in daily contact with their teachers since March 16, when the coronavirus forced campus shutdowns, district officials disclosed Monday.
Those figures, the first official data on student online participation, reveal the massive challenge confronting the nation’s second-largest schools district, which is attempting an overnight transition to “distance learning” for half a million students, the vast majority from low-income families, many lacking computers and internet access.
Though it’s still early, the numbers demonstrate how the digital divide among underserved students as well many students’ lack of engagement and strong personal connection to their classes will likely contribute to a deepening and worrisome achievement gap, education experts said.
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“This crisis has laid bare what we always knew — how equitable opportunities are so dependent on parental background and wealth and access to resources,” said UC Berkeley education and African American studies professor Janelle Scott. “Having a physical school does really matter and having caring adults around who can support children and family is vital.”
The L.A. Unified School District has moved quickly to distribute computers and has arranged for free internet access — moves that already may have helped thousands, but clearly have not replaced the classroom learning experience.
“It’s not like we went to virtual schooling because we thought virtual schooling was better,” Scott said. “We went to virtual schooling because it was a crisis.”
The 15,000 unaccounted-for students are an especially serious source of concern, said Supt. Austin Beutner, who released the figures Monday. The 40,000 who are not in daily contact with their teachers represents about a third of all Los Angeles high school students. However, some of them may be doing assigned work that does not require a daily check-in.
Officials declined to release similar figures for middle or elementary schools.
“It’s simply not acceptable that we lose touch with 15,000 young adults or that many students aren’t getting the education they should be,” Beutner said in a video update. “This will take some time and a good bit of trial and error to get it right. And it will take the continued patience and commitment of all involved — students, families and teachers.”
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Beutner says he hopes the online reach will improve as more families take advantage of the free computers and internet, arranged through a contract with Verizon. To get broadband, students will use individual hot spots — small digital cubes through which students can connect a computer to the internet.
“The great big digital divide many have spoken about is very real in the communities we serve,” he said. In response to what Beutner characterized as an urgent need, the superintendent used his emergency powers and authorized spending $100 million from district reserves for technology.
Many who remain disconnected “happen to be amongst our most vulnerable students,” he said. “It might be students in the foster system. It might be students who are experiencing homelessness. It might be students who were living in deep poverty. Those are students who struggle with attendance in ordinary times.
“The harder part is not the technology,” he said. “The harder part is establishing a connection to the student. And I don’t mean a digital connection. I mean that human connection of some sort.”
The staff at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Feliz is doing what it can, instructional technology coach Wil Page said.
But contact information for some families frequently becomes out of date — they move, they lose cellphone access, they change numbers, Page said. The current crisis has exacerbated such issues.
“We’re in such an extraordinary era right now that it becomes very difficult for some families to be able to make those outreaches and vice versa,” Page said.
Teachers at King are working in teams to figure out who’s missing, and then work on reaching out to those families, Page said. If they’re unsuccessful, the names are given to counselors and administrators.
“Distance learning may have great potential, but mostly it’s only worked well for high-achieving, self-motivated learners, and those with lots of family support at home,” said Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education think tank in Washington, D.C.
Poor and working-class students, he said, “are least likely to have high-speed internet” and “were already learning well below grade level. We should expect many to struggle...That’s not to say that schools shouldn’t give it their all.”
Daniella Hernandez, a junior at Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, said half of the 30 students in Advanced Placement calculus have been attending online lessons. On Friday, however, there were only four students in the Zoom session.
“It can be a good thing sometimes because you get more of a one-to-one” experience, without the jokester in the back of the room disrupting class, said Daniella, 17. Yet, she also really misses those lighter moments. “It’s sad because those are the things that get you through,” she said.
Students in calculus already were familiar with online work because the instructor had been posting review materials before the shutdown. But the transition has been more difficult in other classes, where teachers sometimes “assign busywork instead of productive work... I just feel like sometimes it’s not getting me anywhere. I’m not learning as much as I should,” she said.
Although she is showing up virtually for fear of falling behind, she understands why some of her peers do not. “They’re not feeling inspired to get the work done,” she said.
Her classmate, junior Melissa Ponce, said that overall the school has done well — providing computers and hot spots — with teachers using multiple apps to keep students on track.
“I’m pretty sure there are students that just don’t want to log in,” said Melissa, 16. “Some students don’t want to be in school when we’re, like, in school.”
Teachers’ relationships with students before the closures could affect whether some show up, said UCLA education professor Tyrone Howard, who has been in contact with current L.A. teachers whom he mentored. The ones best able to take lessons online already had strong relationships with their students and their families.
Even so, some factors are simply out of the teachers’ control.
“Some kids will figure it was a time off, other kids don’t have the infrastructure, other kids are watching younger siblings, other kids are trying to find a job to help their family out,” Howard said.
It would be unfair to characterize students who have not yet connected as ditching or blowing off class, said UC Berkeley’s Scott.
“Certainly there are kids that are just disengaged from school...but a lot of it has to do with hunger, and housing insecurity,” as well as potentially a lack of an adult connection or health issues, she said.


latimes--2020-03-30--Bottlenecks in coronavirus testing mean excruciating wait times for the sick

Two weeks ago , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that help was on the way for people wanting to be tested for the coronavirus .
A commercial laboratory called Quest Diagnostics , he said , would process 1,200 tests a day at its facility in San Juan Capistrano and quickly ramp up production to 5,500 per day .
“ We ’ re increasing our capacity on an hourly basis , ” Newsom said .
Yet it wasn ’ t just Newsom and Californians counting on Quest ’ s Capistrano lab .
Hospitals , doctors and governments across the country were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials to send COVID-19 tests to that single Southern California lab for processing .
The deluge of samples caused a bottleneck that delayed turnaround times for results at a critical time , when doctors were struggling to identify those who had been infected , including among their own staff , to contain the spread of the virus .
The delays at the Capistrano lab highlight another early failure in the problem-plagued testing process : the inability of commercial labs to quickly ramp up processing of the tests , despite promises from Newsom and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results has reached eight days at Emergency Medicine Specialists of Orange County , where doctors worry that patients may have infected staff members .
Without timely test results from Quest , it ’ s uncertain whether they should continue caring for patients , said Dr. David Merin , an emergency room physician .
“ Once they ’ ve been exposed , do you just have them work through the illness ?
” Merin asked .
“ Or pull them out of work until they have answers ?
” The commercial labs have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex and far-flung testing process .
Quest ’ s top executive , Stephen Rusckowski , was among the healthcare executives who stood by President Trump on March 13 as Trump announced “ a new partnership with the private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus.
” “ We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely , quickly , and conveniently , ” Trump said .
But the commercial labs have struggled to meet expectations as the already problem-plagued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the public and hospital labs processing the COVID-19 tests have run short on technicians and key chemicals .
And two weeks ago , they even made a plea for more funding after Vice President Mike Pence promised that the tests would be free for all Americans .
“ Free testing for COVID-19 has now been promised to the American people , ” Julie Khani , president of the American Clinical Laboratory Assn.
, wrote in a letter to congressional leaders .
“ Laboratories should not bear the cost of ‘ free ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is accelerating .
Wendy Bost , a Quest spokeswoman , said the Capistrano lab is now processing “ several thousand ” tests a day .
“ Our people are working around the clock , ” she said .
She said the company also recently made changes that allow the COVID-19 tests to be processed at 11 other Quest labs across the country , reducing the reliance on the Southern California facility .
By the end of last week , she said , the company expected its labs to be able to process 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other major lab company , is now processing the tests at just four of its facilities , none in California .
“ We are looking at all possibilities to increase our capacity both within our current testing laboratories and at our other labs , ” a LabCorp spokesman said in an email on Thursday .
He said the average wait time for results was four or five days .
Newsom said at a news briefing Wednesday that he had a task force working on increasing testing .
According to California data , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been conducted by Quest , LabCorp , Kaiser , Stanford , the University of California and other labs .
But the numbers show continuing problems : Results have not been received on 57,400 of those tests .
“ It ’ s one thing to do the diagnostics , ” Newsom said .
“ It ’ s another to get word back.
” With tens of thousands of patients awaiting their results , public officials don ’ t know how far the virus has spread and what efforts are needed to respond .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their specimens can be sent hundreds or thousands of miles away for processing .
In Oregon , Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer , the public health officer in Douglas County , said Thursday that he had not yet received results of samples taken nine days earlier at a drive-through test station at the county ’ s fairgrounds and sent to Quest ’ s Capistrano lab .
“ We ’ re on the phone all day with them , ” Dannenhoffer said , referring to Quest employees in Capistrano .
“ They ’ re trying but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” when the results will be sent .
An intensive care nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said results have lagged for more than a dozen patients .
“ For days and days , we still don ’ t have results back , ” she said .
She added that she did not know where the samples had been sent for processing .
She hands the test samples off to transporters , she said , where it goes into “ the black box.
” “ Families are getting angry , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing we can do , ” she said .
Even the test sample from a patient that was first sent to a Utah lab ended up in the long queue at Quest ’ s Capistrano lab .
Nathaniel Rankin , a disabled 34-year-old man from Portland , Ore. , said his sample was originally sent to ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City .
But that lab , a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Utah , had stopped accepting samples on March 16 , four days after beginning to accept them , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then sent some of the unprocessed samples it had received to other labs .
Rankin tried to self-isolate but because of his disabilities had to allow home healthcare workers into his apartment .
As he waited for his test results , he said , his coughing and fever grew worse , eventually forcing him to go to an emergency room .
Rankin , whose ordeal was first reported by the Oregonian , finally got the results from his test on March 25 — 13 days after he was tested .
The results were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sample had been processed at Quest ’ s Capistrano lab , he said .
Bost , the Quest spokesperson , said she did not know whether processing was taking longer at the company ’ s San Juan Capistrano lab than at its other facilities .
She said it now takes an average of four or five days to get results of a COVID-19 test from a Quest lab .
“ For some providers , it can be a week , ” she said , “ for others it can be a day or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the delay the company is prioritizing samples for hospitalized patients and hospital workers with symptoms .

Antonia Jandres, 87, and her daughter Marta Jandres, 54, wait in a line of cars to receive a test for COVID-19 at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. Antonia had a bad cough and tests for coronavirus were unavailable at physician’s office.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that help was on the way for people wanting to be tested for the coronavirus.
A commercial laboratory called Quest Diagnostics, he said, would process 1,200 tests a day at its facility in San Juan Capistrano and quickly ramp up production to 5,500 per day.
“We’re increasing our capacity on an hourly basis,” Newsom said.
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Yet it wasn’t just Newsom and Californians counting on Quest’s Capistrano lab.
Hospitals, doctors and governments across the country were being encouraged by the company and federal officials to send COVID-19 tests to that single Southern California lab for processing.
Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department wear protective gear while handing out coronavirus test kits to people near Dodger Stadium. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The deluge of samples caused a bottleneck that delayed turnaround times for results at a critical time, when doctors were struggling to identify those who had been infected, including among their own staff, to contain the spread of the virus.
The delays at the Capistrano lab highlight another early failure in the problem-plagued testing process: the inability of commercial labs to quickly ramp up processing of the tests, despite promises from Newsom and other politicians.
California Coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in California over last three days The latest updates from our reporters in California and around the world
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The wait for test results has reached eight days at Emergency Medicine Specialists of Orange County, where doctors worry that patients may have infected staff members. Without timely test results from Quest, it’s uncertain whether they should continue caring for patients, said Dr. David Merin, an emergency room physician.
“Once they’ve been exposed, do you just have them work through the illness?” Merin asked. “Or pull them out of work until they have answers?”
The commercial labs have been viewed as a crucial component in the complex and far-flung testing process. Quest’s top executive, Stephen Rusckowski, was among the healthcare executives who stood by President Trump on March 13 as Trump announced “a new partnership with the private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus.”
“We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly, and conveniently,” Trump said.
A passenger gets a coronavirus test at a drive-though testing facility for Coachella Valley residents in the parking lot of the Southwest church in Indian Wells. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But the commercial labs have struggled to meet expectations as the already problem-plagued testing process exposed their shortcomings. They and the public and hospital labs processing the COVID-19 tests have run short on technicians and key chemicals.
And two weeks ago, they even made a plea for more funding after Vice President Mike Pence promised that the tests would be free for all Americans.
“Free testing for COVID-19 has now been promised to the American people,” Julie Khani, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Assn., wrote in a letter to congressional leaders. “Laboratories should not bear the cost of ‘free’ testing.”
There are signs that testing is accelerating. Wendy Bost, a Quest spokeswoman, said the Capistrano lab is now processing “several thousand” tests a day. “Our people are working around the clock,” she said.
She said the company also recently made changes that allow the COVID-19 tests to be processed at 11 other Quest labs across the country, reducing the reliance on the Southern California facility. By the end of last week, she said, the company expected its labs to be able to process 30,000 tests a day.
LabCorp, the other major lab company, is now processing the tests at just four of its facilities, none in California.
“We are looking at all possibilities to increase our capacity both within our current testing laboratories and at our other labs,” a LabCorp spokesman said in an email on Thursday. He said the average wait time for results was four or five days.
Newsom said at a news briefing Wednesday that he had a task force working on increasing testing. According to California data, as of Wednesday afternoon, 77,800 tests had been conducted by Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, Stanford, the University of California and other labs.
But the numbers show continuing problems: Results have not been received on 57,400 of those tests.
“It’s one thing to do the diagnostics,” Newsom said. “It’s another to get word back.”
With tens of thousands of patients awaiting their results, public officials don’t know how far the virus has spread and what efforts are needed to respond.
And patients often don’t realize that their specimens can be sent hundreds or thousands of miles away for processing.
In Oregon, Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, the public health officer in Douglas County, said Thursday that he had not yet received results of samples taken nine days earlier at a drive-through test station at the county’s fairgrounds and sent to Quest’s Capistrano lab.
“We’re on the phone all day with them,” Dannenhoffer said, referring to Quest employees in Capistrano. “They’re trying but they just don’t know either” when the results will be sent.
An intensive care nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said results have lagged for more than a dozen patients.
“For days and days, we still don’t have results back,” she said. She added that she did not know where the samples had been sent for processing. She hands the test samples off to transporters, she said, where it goes into “the black box.”
“Families are getting angry, but at this point, there’s nothing we can do,” she said.
Even the test sample from a patient that was first sent to a Utah lab ended up in the long queue at Quest’s Capistrano lab.
Nathaniel Rankin, a disabled 34-year-old man from Portland, Ore., said his sample was originally sent to ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City. But that lab, a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Utah, had stopped accepting samples on March 16, four days after beginning to accept them, according to its website. ARUP said it then sent some of the unprocessed samples it had received to other labs.
Rankin tried to self-isolate but because of his disabilities had to allow home healthcare workers into his apartment. As he waited for his test results, he said, his coughing and fever grew worse, eventually forcing him to go to an emergency room.
Rankin, whose ordeal was first reported by the Oregonian, finally got the results from his test on March 25 — 13 days after he was tested. The results were negative. The test documentation said the sample had been processed at Quest’s Capistrano lab, he said.
Bost, the Quest spokesperson, said she did not know whether processing was taking longer at the company’s San Juan Capistrano lab than at its other facilities. She said it now takes an average of four or five days to get results of a COVID-19 test from a Quest lab. “For some providers, it can be a week,” she said, “for others it can be a day or two.”
She said that because of the delay the company is prioritizing samples for hospitalized patients and hospital workers with symptoms.
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-30--L.A. County announces 342 new coronavirus cases, 7 new deaths

Los Angeles County officials on Monday confirmed seven new coronavirus-linked deaths , bringing the death toll to 44 .
Six of the victims were 65 or older , and one was between the ages of 41 and 65 , county Public Health Department director Barbara Ferrer said .
Ferrer announced an additional 342 cases of the virus in the county , bringing the total to 2,474 .
That count includes individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 , a number that officials are working to accurately track .
More than 15,500 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Although our numbers continually rise , we have to assume there are others infected , ” Ferrer said .
Officials are investigating cases at 25 institutions in the county , including 18 nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities .
Eleven of those locations have three or more coronavirus cases , which Ferrer said is the mark of an outbreak .
Within the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department , four employees and one inmate have tested positive for coronavirus , according to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva .
Test results take five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , calling this week an important time frame to assess whether cases double or triple .
“ Those are the numbers needed to more accurately predict what the peak will be , ” she said .
California ’ s death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 130 , with officials warning of tough weeks ahead as the number of confirmed cases continues to surge .
A new death was reported Monday morning by San Francisco ’ s Department of Public Health .
Details about the individual who died were not immediately available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases in the state , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Monday that his administration is launching the California Health Corps initiative , asking recent retirees and healthcare students nearing graduation to join the state ’ s efforts to combat the virus .
Over the past four days , the number of intensive care patients in the state has tripled — from 200 to 597 — and the number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled , from 746 to 1,432 .
Newsom said that 32.6 million N95 masks have been distributed throughout California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain 10,000 additional ventilators .
The Army Corps of Engineers is looking at several sites to house an additional 50,000 hospital beds .
“ Still , more needs to be done , ” the governor said .
In Orange County , the number of cases hit 464 Monday .
The number of confirmed cases has more than tripled in a week .
Currently , the cities of Anaheim , Irvine and Newport Beach have 126 confirmed cases among them — one more than the entire county had only a week ago .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three of the victims were at least 65 , and one was between the age of 45 and 64 , according to the Orange County Health Care Agency .
So far , 5,522 people have been tested countywide .
There are currently more than 6,500 confirmed cases of the virus in the state .
Experts say California will likely continue to see a rise in new cases and deaths for the next few weeks as testing capacity increases but hope that the social distancing measures imposed can slow the spread .
The California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would no longer collect information about how residents might have contracted the virus .
“ Community transmission of COVID-19 has been identified in California since late February , and since early March , most of the confirmed cases in the state were not related to travel outside of the United States , ” the state agency said in a statement .
Health officers in several Bay Area counties will extend their shelter-in-place order until at least May 1 .
At a news conference Monday , San Francisco Mayor London Breed said more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order over the weekend .
There are 374 COVID-19 cases in San Francisco , and six people have died of the virus .
The biggest immediate concern as the virus continue to spread is for hospitals , which risk being overwhelmed by a growing number of sick patients .
Breed said that at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center , a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center operated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health with space for about 780 residents , nine employees and two patients have tested positive .
Infection control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians and epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been sent to help deal with the outbreak , officials said .
To prepare for a surge in coronavirus patients , medical cots and equipment are being delivered to the San Mateo Event Center in the San Francisco Bay Area .
Deliveries began Sunday , and the National Guard is expected be at the center through Tuesday to set up the equipment .
The federal treatment site can house 250 patients with mild symptoms .
“ The latest projections estimate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our county to capacity and we ’ ll need another location to house patients requiring particular levels of care , ” County Manager Mike Callagy said .
“ We can ’ t just wait to see if this will happen.
” A Los Angeles Times found that California had 7,200 intensive-care beds across more than 365 hospitals .
In total , the state has more than 70,000 beds .
There is roughly one intensive-care bed for every 5,500 people in California , Times data show .
About half of California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the five-county area around Los Angeles , according to data from 2018 , the most recent available .
In the nine-county Bay Area , there are roughly 1,400 ICU beds for a population of 7.6 million people .
Intensive-care beds allow for a higher level of treatment than regular beds , a level of care some COVID-19 patients require .
Those unable to breathe properly may need a breathing tube and to be hooked up to a ventilator , which physically pushes oxygen into the lungs .
Although a system overload remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Washington epidemiologists suggested that California ’ s 9-day-old stay-at-home order might keep the hospital strain below catastrophic levels .
And Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , a UCLA epidemiologist , said Friday that after a considerable uptick in cases , “ I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks because of the physical distancing measures.
” UC Berkeley biostatistics professor Nicholas Jewell says California will soon learn whether its limits on work and public movement have paid dividends .
Because of a lag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between transmission of the illness and the onset of symptoms , gauging the benefits of physical distancing takes time .
With California ’ s stay-at-home order less than 2 weeks old , people reporting the illness may have been infected prior to the limitations .
“ We need another week or two to really tell if California ’ s fairly quick shelter in place did make a difference , ” Jewell said .
“ It has the potential to make a huge difference .
I know that mathematically … but I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainty.
” Authorities were out in force over the weekend to make sure people were staying away from beaches , parks and hiking trails that were recently closed as part of unprecedented restrictions on public movements to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Many people obeyed the closures .
One man , however , received a $ 1,000 citation on Saturday after he ignored numerous warnings by police and lifeguards cautioning him not to go in the water .
A Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Department cruiser could be seen guarding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regional Park in Thousand Oaks , where hundreds of hikers and families descended Saturday .
In Venice , a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter was seen circling a skate park , announcing that people who did not leave the area would be “ arrested for trespassing.
” On Sunday , officials confirmed that two San Bernardino County Sheriff ’ s Department deputies and two firefighters had tested positive for COVID-19 .
San Bernardino County had recorded 111 cases of the virus and three deaths as of Monday morning .
In Orange County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported , including four who died .
An inmate and four Los Angeles County jails employees have also tested positive for the coronavirus , heightening fears that the disease could spread quickly in the overcrowded jail system .
On Monday , Los Angeles Unified School District Supt .
Austin Beutner confirmed the first case of the virus in a district employee .
The infection was reported to officials last week .
“ Unfortunately as the virus spreads throughout the communities we serve , we know this will not be the only employee or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed with the virus , ” Beutner said .
The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy , which docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday , has begun receiving patients .
The boat is operated by naval medical and support staff from 22 commands , along with 70 civil mariners , who will treat patients who don ’ t have COVID-19 in order to help reduce the strain on the hospital system .
There were three patients aboard the ship as of Sunday afternoon .
“ The men and women embarked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to provide relief to those in need , ” said Capt .
John Rotruck , Mercy ’ s Military Treatment Facility commanding officer , in a news release .
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II , Luke Money and Richard Winton contributed to this report .

Colleen Shalby, Hannah Fry, Alex Wigglesworth, Taryn Luna, Laura Newberry

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday a temporary suspension of all farmers’ markets, many of which have stayed open without restrictions during the coronavirus shutdowns.
Markets that wish to continue operating are required to submit a plan to ensure social distancing between customers.
“We want people to get access to food, but we can’t risk the spread of this disease,” Garcetti said.
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The mayor also said landlords would not be allowed to increase the rent for hundreds of thousands of apartments in the city, in his latest effort to ease the financial hardship on Angelenos from the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement covers about 624,000 apartments that fall under the city’s rent stabilization program, according to city statistics.
Garcetti’s action on Monday increases protections for tenants, many of whom have rent due on April 1.
Garcetti said the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday visited 46 non-essential businesses that have resisted closing down. If those businesses continue to operate, they could face penalties, he said.
1 / 83 Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 83 Traffic remains light on the southbound 110 Freeway headed toward downtown Los Angeles on April 28. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 83 Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 83 Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 83 Friends play spikeball, a game perfect for social distancing on an open but restricted San Buenaventura State Beach. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 83 The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 83 Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 83 Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 83 Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 83 Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 83 Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 83 Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 83 Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 83 Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 83 Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 83 Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 83 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 83 Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 83 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center nurses carry supplies outside the hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 83 Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 83 Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 83 People make orders at a food truck along Shoreline Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 83 Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 83 Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 83 Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 83 A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 83 Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 83 A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 83 Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 83 The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 83 Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 83 Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 83 A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 83 Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 83 UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 83 Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 83 Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 83 A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 83 Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 83 Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 83 After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 83 An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 83 Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 83 As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 83 People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 83 The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 83 Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 83 Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 83 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 83 Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 83 Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 83 A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 83 A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 83 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. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 83 Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 83 Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 83 A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 83 A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 83 A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 83 A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 83 Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 83 The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 83 Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 83 Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 83 Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 83 A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 83 Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 83 Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 83 The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 83 Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 83 Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 83 A masked passenger on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 83 Dede Oneal waits for a coronavirus test at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 83 A man in a mask passes a closed restaurant along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 83 Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 83 Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 83 A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 83 With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 83 A lone traveler makes his way to catch a flight in Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 83 Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 83 Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of the usual crowds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 83 Michael Ray, 11, plays before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 83 Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County officials on Monday confirmed seven new coronavirus-linked deaths, bringing the death toll to 44.
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Six of the victims were 65 or older, and one was between the ages of 41 and 65, county Public Health Department director Barbara Ferrer said.
Ferrer announced an additional 342 cases of the virus in the county, bringing the total to 2,474. That count includes individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, a number that officials are working to accurately track.
More than 15,500 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the county, with 12% showing positive.
“Although our numbers continually rise, we have to assume there are others infected,” Ferrer said.
Officials are investigating cases at 25 institutions in the county, including 18 nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities. Eleven of those locations have three or more coronavirus cases, which Ferrer said is the mark of an outbreak.
Within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, four employees and one inmate have tested positive for coronavirus, according to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Test results take five to six days on average, Ferrer said, calling this week an important time frame to assess whether cases double or triple.
“Those are the numbers needed to more accurately predict what the peak will be,” she said.
California’s death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 130, with officials warning of tough weeks ahead as the number of confirmed cases continues to surge.
A new death was reported Monday morning by San Francisco’s Department of Public Health. Details about the individual who died were not immediately available.
In order to assist with the growing number of cases in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that his administration is launching the California Health Corps initiative, asking recent retirees and healthcare students nearing graduation to join the state’s efforts to combat the virus.
Over the past four days, the number of intensive care patients in the state has tripled — from 200 to 597 — and the number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled, from 746 to 1,432.
Newsom said that 32.6 million N95 masks have been distributed throughout California and that the state is working to obtain 10,000 additional ventilators. The Army Corps of Engineers is looking at several sites to house an additional 50,000 hospital beds.
“Still, more needs to be done,” the governor said.
In Orange County, the number of cases hit 464 Monday. The number of confirmed cases has more than tripled in a week. Currently, the cities of Anaheim, Irvine and Newport Beach have 126 confirmed cases among them — one more than the entire county had only a week ago.
Two men and two women have died. Three of the victims were at least 65, and one was between the age of 45 and 64, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
So far, 5,522 people have been tested countywide.
There are currently more than 6,500 confirmed cases of the virus in the state.
Experts say California will likely continue to see a rise in new cases and deaths for the next few weeks as testing capacity increases but hope that the social distancing measures imposed can slow the spread.
The California Department of Public Health announced Monday that it would no longer collect information about how residents might have contracted the virus.
“Community transmission of COVID-19 has been identified in California since late February, and since early March, most of the confirmed cases in the state were not related to travel outside of the United States,” the state agency said in a statement.
Health officers in several Bay Area counties will extend their shelter-in-place order until at least May 1. At a news conference Monday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said more people seemed to adhere to the stay-at-home order over the weekend. There are 374 COVID-19 cases in San Francisco, and six people have died of the virus.
The biggest immediate concern as the virus continue to spread is for hospitals, which risk being overwhelmed by a growing number of sick patients.
Breed said that at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center operated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health with space for about 780 residents, nine employees and two patients have tested positive. Infection control nurses from the state and infection control physicians and epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been sent to help deal with the outbreak, officials said.
To prepare for a surge in coronavirus patients, medical cots and equipment are being delivered to the San Mateo Event Center in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Deliveries began Sunday, and the National Guard is expected be at the center through Tuesday to set up the equipment. The federal treatment site can house 250 patients with mild symptoms.
“The latest projections estimate that a medical surge could push the hospitals in our county to capacity and we’ll need another location to house patients requiring particular levels of care,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “We can’t just wait to see if this will happen.”
A Los Angeles Times data analysis found that California had 7,200 intensive-care beds across more than 365 hospitals. In total, the state has more than 70,000 beds. There is roughly one intensive-care bed for every 5,500 people in California, Times data show.
About half of California’s total intensive-care beds — 3,700 — are in the five-county area around Los Angeles, according to data from 2018, the most recent available. In the nine-county Bay Area, there are roughly 1,400 ICU beds for a population of 7.6 million people.
Intensive-care beds allow for a higher level of treatment than regular beds, a level of care some COVID-19 patients require. Those unable to breathe properly may need a breathing tube and to be hooked up to a ventilator, which physically pushes oxygen into the lungs.
Although a system overload remained the fear, one projection from University of Washington epidemiologists suggested that California’s 9-day-old stay-at-home order might keep the hospital strain below catastrophic levels. And Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a UCLA epidemiologist, said Friday that after a considerable uptick in cases, “I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks because of the physical distancing measures.”
UC Berkeley biostatistics professor Nicholas Jewell says California will soon learn whether its limits on work and public movement have paid dividends.
Because of a lag time of as much as two weeks between transmission of the illness and the onset of symptoms, gauging the benefits of physical distancing takes time. With California’s stay-at-home order less than 2 weeks old, people reporting the illness may have been infected prior to the limitations.
“We need another week or two to really tell if California’s fairly quick shelter in place did make a difference,” Jewell said. “It has the potential to make a huge difference. I know that mathematically … but I don’t know that with any degree of certainty.”
Authorities were out in force over the weekend to make sure people were staying away from beaches, parks and hiking trails that were recently closed as part of unprecedented restrictions on public movements to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Many people obeyed the closures. One man, however, received a $1,000 citation for surfing in Manhatthan Beach on Saturday after he ignored numerous warnings by police and lifeguards cautioning him not to go in the water.
A Ventura County Sheriff’s Department cruiser could be seen guarding the entrance to a popular trail in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, where hundreds of hikers and families descended Saturday. In Venice, a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter was seen circling a skate park, announcing that people who did not leave the area would be “arrested for trespassing.”
On Sunday, officials confirmed that two San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies and two firefighters had tested positive for COVID-19. San Bernardino County had recorded 111 cases of the virus and three deaths as of Monday morning. In Orange County, 431 cases of the virus have been reported, including four who died.
An inmate and four Los Angeles County jails employees have also tested positive for the coronavirus, heightening fears that the disease could spread quickly in the overcrowded jail system.
On Monday, Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Austin Beutner confirmed the first case of the virus in a district employee. The infection was reported to officials last week.
“Unfortunately as the virus spreads throughout the communities we serve, we know this will not be the only employee or member of our school community who is diagnosed with the virus,” Beutner said.
The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, which docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, has begun receiving patients. The boat is operated by naval medical and support staff from 22 commands, along with 70 civil mariners, who will treat patients who don’t have COVID-19 in order to help reduce the strain on the hospital system.
There were three patients aboard the ship as of Sunday afternoon.
“The men and women embarked on board Mercy are energized, eager and ready to provide relief to those in need,” said Capt. John Rotruck, Mercy’s Military Treatment Facility commanding officer, in a news release.
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II , Luke Money, Liam Dillon and Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-30--Hospitalizations spike as California tries to slow coronavirus spread

While Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued an urgent call Monday for retired healthcare workers and students nearing graduation to join in caring for an expected surge of coronavirus patients , officials scrambled to contain a rash of outbreaks in nursing homes and find space for thousands of new hospital beds .
Authorities in Los Angeles County moved to isolate and quarantine patients at 11 assisted living facilities , up from just three on Friday .
And nine employees and two patients tested positive at the 780-bed Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco , prompting the Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and epidemiologists to manage a potentially devastating outbreak of COVID-19 .
Los Angeles County officials listed seven additional deaths from the virus Monday , bringing the total to 44 .
Six of the seven new victims were 65 or older ; the other was between the ages of 41 and 65 .
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer tallied an additional 342 cases of the virus , bringing the total to 2,474 in the county , including people who have recovered .
She said more than 15,500 people have been tested for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 % showing positive .
To prevent the spread of the virus within its ranks , the Los Angeles Police Department announced it was taking officers ’ temperatures as they arrived at shifts and sending anyone with a fever home .
So far , 26 employees have tested positive .
“ We are taking every step to ensure officers ’ health , ” Assistant Chief Horace Frank said .
Department roll calls are now conducted with officers spaced far apart , work spaces are frequently sanitized and officers are equipped with N-95 masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field .
Hospitals continue to be the battlefront most in need of reinforcements .
Newsom announced an executive order to expand the services medical professionals can perform in their jobs .
He said he believes the state can add 37,000 healthcare workers by asking recently retired providers , those in the process of getting a medical license in the state and students enrolled in medical or nursing schools to apply to the newly created California Health Corps .
Newsom ’ s message to anyone with healthcare experience was clear Monday : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows the state Department of Consumer Affairs to waive licensing requirements and change the scope of practice of healthcare professions through June 30 .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced a similar effort last week calling on retired healthcare workers , medical students and mental health workers to sign up to help care for patients , with that initiative drawing 40,000 volunteers .
Newsom said Monday he is hopeful that “ with this effort we will see a surge of individuals ” who can help in California .
“ Other states have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of license expirations and expanded scope of practice for clinical staff , ” said Joanne Spetz , an associate director of research at Healthforce Center at UC San Francisco , which produces supply and demand forecasts on registered nurses in the state .
“ Until we have more details on which specific requirements are waived by the state agencies , it ’ s hard to say how much of an impact the executive order will have.
” Over the past four days , the number of intensive care patients in the state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled , from 746 to 1,432 .
The confirmed cases climbed to more than 6,400 and deaths to 142 .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s secretary of health and human services , said modeling suggests the state will need 50,000 new hospital beds by mid-May .
“ We project that we will need that towards the second half of the month of May , ” Ghaly said .
“ So we are very busy trying to build towards that.
” Newsom said the Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites to house 50,000 new beds .
On Sunday , the which is docked at the Port of Los Angeles , began receiving patients who do not have COVID-19 in an effort to reduce the strain on hospitals treating those who do have the virus .
In San Mateo County , the National Guard was preparing to set up medical cots and equipment at the San Mateo Event Center .
The federal treatment site will be able to house 250 patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms .
“ The latest projections estimate that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our county to capacity and we ’ ll need another location to house patients requiring particular levels of care , ” County Manager Mike Callagy said .
“ We can ’ t just wait to see if this will happen.
” The catastrophic potential is already showing itself in nursing homes , where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring with terrifying speed across the country .
One of the first hot spots in the U.S. was at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland , Wash. , where two-thirds of the residents and 47 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
Los Angeles County released the names of all 11 care homes with outbreaks , including Kensington Assisted Living in Redondo Beach , Alameda Care Center in Burbank and Silverado Beverly Place in Los Angeles .
The county defines an outbreak as three or more cases involving residents or staff at a facility .
The county ’ s Department of Public Health was also investigating reports of at least one suspected coronavirus infection at seven additional nursing homes as of Monday afternoon .
One concern for nursing home administrators and physicians is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept new residents and those returning from hospitals without proof that they are virus-free .
Families with loved ones in nursing homes should seriously consider pulling them out if it ’ s at all feasible to care for them at home , said Charlene Harrington , professor emeritus at UC San Francisco ’ s School of Nursing .
“ The risk of exposure is so overwhelming , ” said Harrington , who has studied nursing homes since the 1980s .
“ It ’ s a terrible concern.
” Times staff writers Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hannah Fry , Alex Wigglesworth , Taryn Luna , Jaclyn Cosgrove and Laura Newberry contributed to this report .

Melody Gutierrez, Jack Dolan, Marisa Gerber, Colleen Shalby

Jennifer Adams, a registered nurse, joins fellow healthcare workers outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government’s in reaction to the Covid 19 outbreak.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an urgent call Monday for retired healthcare workers and students nearing graduation to join in caring for an expected surge of coronavirus patients, officials scrambled to contain a rash of outbreaks in nursing homes and find space for thousands of new hospital beds.
Authorities in Los Angeles County moved to isolate and quarantine patients at 11 assisted living facilities, up from just three on Friday. And nine employees and two patients tested positive at the 780-bed Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to send physicians and epidemiologists to manage a potentially devastating outbreak of COVID-19.
Los Angeles County officials listed seven additional deaths from the virus Monday, bringing the total to 44. Six of the seven new victims were 65 or older; the other was between the ages of 41 and 65.
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County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer tallied an additional 342 cases of the virus, bringing the total to 2,474 in the county, including people who have recovered. She said more than 15,500 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus in the county, with 12% showing positive.
To prevent the spread of the virus within its ranks, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it was taking officers’ temperatures as they arrived at shifts and sending anyone with a fever home. So far, 26 employees have tested positive.
“We are taking every step to ensure officers’ health,” Assistant Chief Horace Frank said.
Department roll calls are now conducted with officers spaced far apart, work spaces are frequently sanitized and officers are equipped with N-95 masks, gloves and goggles to use in the field.
Hospitals continue to be the battlefront most in need of reinforcements. Newsom announced an executive order to expand the services medical professionals can perform in their jobs. He said he believes the state can add 37,000 healthcare workers by asking recently retired providers, those in the process of getting a medical license in the state and students enrolled in medical or nursing schools to apply to the newly created California Health Corps.
Newsom’s message to anyone with healthcare experience was clear Monday: “We need you.”
The executive order allows the state Department of Consumer Affairs to waive licensing requirements and change the scope of practice of healthcare professions through June 30.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a similar effort last week calling on retired healthcare workers, medical students and mental health workers to sign up to help care for patients, with that initiative drawing 40,000 volunteers.
Newsom said Monday he is hopeful that “with this effort we will see a surge of individuals” who can help in California.
“Other states have issued more specific executive orders regarding extension of license expirations and expanded scope of practice for clinical staff,” said Joanne Spetz, an associate director of research at Healthforce Center at UC San Francisco, which produces supply and demand forecasts on registered nurses in the state. “Until we have more details on which specific requirements are waived by the state agencies, it’s hard to say how much of an impact the executive order will have.”
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Over the past four days, the number of intensive care patients in the state has tripled — from 200 to 597 — and the number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled, from 746 to 1,432. The confirmed cases climbed to more than 6,400 and deaths to 142.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services, said modeling suggests the state will need 50,000 new hospital beds by mid-May.
“We project that we will need that towards the second half of the month of May,” Ghaly said. “So we are very busy trying to build towards that.”
Newsom said the Army Corps of Engineers is looking at several sites to house 50,000 new beds.
On Sunday, the Navy hospital ship Mercy, which is docked at the Port of Los Angeles, began receiving patients who do not have COVID-19 in an effort to reduce the strain on hospitals treating those who do have the virus.
In San Mateo County, the National Guard was preparing to set up medical cots and equipment at the San Mateo Event Center. The federal treatment site will be able to house 250 patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms.
“The latest projections estimate that a medical surge could push the hospitals in our county to capacity and we’ll need another location to house patients requiring particular levels of care,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “We can’t just wait to see if this will happen.”
The catastrophic potential is already showing itself in nursing homes, where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring with terrifying speed across the country.
One of the first hot spots in the U.S. was at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., where two-thirds of the residents and 47 workers fell ill, and 37 people died.
Los Angeles County released the names of all 11 care homes with outbreaks, including Kensington Assisted Living in Redondo Beach, Alameda Care Center in Burbank and Silverado Beverly Place in Los Angeles. The county defines an outbreak as three or more cases involving residents or staff at a facility.
The county’s Department of Public Health was also investigating reports of at least one suspected coronavirus infection at seven additional nursing homes as of Monday afternoon.
One concern for nursing home administrators and physicians is guidance from federal and some state regulators to accept new residents and those returning from hospitals without proof that they are virus-free.
Families with loved ones in nursing homes should seriously consider pulling them out if it’s at all feasible to care for them at home, said Charlene Harrington, professor emeritus at UC San Francisco’s School of Nursing.
“The risk of exposure is so overwhelming,” said Harrington, who has studied nursing homes since the 1980s. “It’s a terrible concern.”
Times staff writers Joe Mozingo, Harriet Ryan, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry, Alex Wigglesworth, Taryn Luna, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Laura Newberry contributed to this report.