latimes--2020-07-16--Junípero Serra statues to come down in Ventura, city leaders decide

Nearly 100 speakers took turns over three hours extolling the virtues or excoriating the legacy of 18th century Roman Catholic Saint Junípero Serra in a Ventura City Council virtual meeting Wednesday evening .
In the end , it was decided a bronze statue of the controversial California missionary — who has come under recent and intense scrutiny statewide — would be hauled away from in front of Ventura City Hall .
A similarly sized wooden replica , located inside City Hall , will also be removed .
The 6-0 unanimous vote , which included one abstention from Mayor Matt LaVere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the patron saint of Ventura ’ s Mission Basilica San Buenaventura .
When the statues will be removed has yet to be determined , but the resolution declared “ the intent ” to relocate both to the mission .
“ We have received thousands of emails , hundreds of messages , and so I think this is truly an example for other cities ... of how the public process can involve many voices , ” Ventura Deputy Mayor Sofia Rubalcava said .
Before the council agreed to move the statues , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the bronze monument — a replica built in 1989 — was not a historic monument , which made its removal easier .
The council also voted , 6-0 , to adopt a California Environmental Quality Act exemption because removing the statue will not significantly impact the environment .
“ We need to preserve it ; we need to make sure that this monument remains , but that it does not remain on city land , ” Councilman Erik Nasarenko said of the bronze replica .
“ It needs to be housed somewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ municipal park , which is where it is right now.
” Despite the decision , city attorney Greg Diaz offered a warning over the removal : “ We have to be prepared for a drawn-out legal battle.
” Over 100 members of the public took part in the debate , with each speaker given about a minute to make their case .
There were generally three categories of speakers : those in favor of removal ; those who wanted to keep the bronze artwork where it is ; and those who offered alternatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote or erecting a Chumash statue nearby .
Ventura resident Patrick Rey , who started a petition to keep the statue in front of City Hall , argued for a wider vote .
“ I just want to say that those that most often say that democracy must prevail are now the ones that want to deny the Ventura community a truly inclusive democratic process , ” he said .
“ So , please put it on the ballot and let everybody — everyone in our community — decide whether or not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at or to move it some other place.
” Chief Julie Tumamait-Stenslie , of the local Barbareño/Venureño Band of Mission Indians , wondered why so many were defending the monument .
“ To see this statue as a place of joy , a place of inspiration — for who ?
” she asked .
Wednesday ’ s vote is the latest in a series of battles over Serra ’ s image and legacy in Ventura and throughout California .
His statue was forcibly toppled in San Francisco ’ s Golden Gate Park on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Olvera Street perch the following afternoon .
Some missions moved swiftly , such as San Luis Obispo and the San Gabriel Mission , to move their statues by the end of June .
In Ventura , LaVere , Tumamait-Stenslie and Father Tom Elewaut , pastor of the mission founded by Serra in 1782 and built by the indigenous people , issued a joint statement on June 18 agreeing to take down the statue and have it “ moved to a more appropriate non-public location.
” Because of this commitment , LaVere abstained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a demonstration near City Hall included Serra defenders , many not wearing face masks , who formed a circle around the statue and kept protesters at bay .
Opponents of the statue made their point , though , ultimately displaying a giant banner that read “ Father Genocide.
” Serra was the founder of nine of 21 missionaries in California during the 18th century .
While he spread Roman Catholicism throughout the Western United States , then a Spanish territory , many Native American tribes were decimated through the introduction of foreign diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants and animals .
Natives Americans also were forced into the construction of the missions , faced high death rates and were subjected to harsh corporal punishment .
The Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura ’ s website counters claims that Serra was a killer , saying , “ Serra protected the Native Americans in both Mexico and Alta California against policies that if enacted by the Viceroy would have would have resulted in adverse outcomes for the Native Americans.
” Although the bronze replica has received most of the attention in Ventura , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city .
The 9-foot , 4-inch bronze artwork is a copy of the first statue , a concrete version created by Finnish artist Uno John Palo-Kangas in 1936 , which was primarily funded by Great Depression grants through the Work Progress Administration .
In 1974 , the City Council designated the work a historic landmark through a resolution .
At that point , the concrete statue was showing signs of decay , according to a report issued by the Historic Resources Group of Pasadena .
When the bronze piece was installed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storage .
Peter Gilli , Ventura County ’ s development director , told the council at Wednesday ’ s meeting that the statue still exists , contrary to rumors that it was destroyed , but did not say where it was being stored .
The year before the bronze statue was erected , a 9-foot , 4-inch wooden replica crafted by master carver Wilbur Rubottom over 16 months , was installed in the City Hall atrium .
Then , as now , there were protests from Native American groups about the statue ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the face to the Indian people , ” Jessica M. Roybal , executive director of the Candelaria American Indian Council , said at the time .
“ I ’ m heartbroken .
...
The City Council is being totally insensitive.
” She added , “ It seems like they don ’ t give a damn about the Chumash.
” The wooden statue served as a mold for the bronze piece , for which city residents ultimately raised over $ 100,000 to install .

This statue of Father Junípero Serra in front of Ventura City Hall and other Serra statues will be removed.
Nearly 100 speakers took turns over three hours extolling the virtues or excoriating the legacy of 18th century Roman Catholic Saint Junípero Serra in a Ventura City Council virtual meeting Wednesday evening.
In the end, it was decided a bronze statue of the controversial California missionary — who has come under recent and intense scrutiny statewide — would be hauled away from in front of Ventura City Hall. A similarly sized wooden replica, located inside City Hall, will also be removed.
The 6-0 unanimous vote, which included one abstention from Mayor Matt LaVere, took place on the feast day of the patron saint of Ventura’s Mission Basilica San Buenaventura.
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When the statues will be removed has yet to be determined, but the resolution declared “the intent” to relocate both to the mission.
“We have received thousands of emails, hundreds of messages, and so I think this is truly an example for other cities ... of how the public process can involve many voices,” Ventura Deputy Mayor Sofia Rubalcava said.
Before the council agreed to move the statues, it first voted, 6-0, to declare that the bronze monument — a replica built in 1989 — was not a historic monument, which made its removal easier. The council also voted, 6-0, to adopt a California Environmental Quality Act exemption because removing the statue will not significantly impact the environment.
“We need to preserve it; we need to make sure that this monument remains, but that it does not remain on city land,” Councilman Erik Nasarenko said of the bronze replica. “It needs to be housed somewhere that is more appropriate than a city municipal park, which is where it is right now.”
Despite the decision, city attorney Greg Diaz offered a warning over the removal: “We have to be prepared for a drawn-out legal battle.”
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Over 100 members of the public took part in the debate, with each speaker given about a minute to make their case.
There were generally three categories of speakers: those in favor of removal; those who wanted to keep the bronze artwork where it is; and those who offered alternatives, such as asking for a citywide vote or erecting a Chumash statue nearby.
Ventura resident Patrick Rey, who started a petition to keep the statue in front of City Hall, argued for a wider vote.
“I just want to say that those that most often say that democracy must prevail are now the ones that want to deny the Ventura community a truly inclusive democratic process,” he said. “So, please put it on the ballot and let everybody — everyone in our community — decide whether or not to keep the statue where it’s at or to move it some other place.”
Chief Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, of the local Barbareño/Venureño Band of Mission Indians, wondered why so many were defending the monument.
“To see this statue as a place of joy, a place of inspiration — for who?” she asked.
Wednesday’s vote is the latest in a series of battles over Serra’s image and legacy in Ventura and throughout California.
His statue was forcibly toppled in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on June 19 and then ripped down from its Olvera Street perch the following afternoon.
Some missions moved swiftly, such as San Luis Obispo and the San Gabriel Mission, to move their statues by the end of June.
In Ventura, LaVere, Tumamait-Stenslie and Father Tom Elewaut, pastor of the mission founded by Serra in 1782 and built by the indigenous people, issued a joint statement on June 18 agreeing to take down the statue and have it “moved to a more appropriate non-public location.”
Because of this commitment, LaVere abstained from voting Wednesday.
Days later, a demonstration near City Hall included Serra defenders, many not wearing face masks, who formed a circle around the statue and kept protesters at bay.
Opponents of the statue made their point, though, ultimately displaying a giant banner that read “Father Genocide.”
Serra was the founder of nine of 21 missionaries in California during the 18th century.
While he spread Roman Catholicism throughout much of California, then a Spanish territory, many Native American tribes were decimated through the introduction of foreign diseases, the destruction of villages and native plants and animals.
Natives Americans also were forced into the construction of the missions, faced high death rates and were subjected to harsh corporal punishment.
The Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura’s website counters claims that Serra was a killer, saying, “Serra protected the Native Americans in both Mexico and Alta California against policies that if enacted by the Viceroy would have would have resulted in adverse outcomes for the Native Americans.”
Although the bronze replica has received most of the attention in Ventura, there are actually three statues of Serra in the city.
The 9-foot, 4-inch bronze artwork is a copy of the first statue, a concrete version created by Finnish artist Uno John Palo-Kangas in 1936, which was primarily funded by Great Depression grants through the Work Progress Administration.
In 1974, the City Council designated the work a historic landmark through a resolution. At that point, the concrete statue was showing signs of decay, according to a report issued by the Historic Resources Group of Pasadena. When the bronze piece was installed, the concrete statue was moved into storage. Peter Gilli, Ventura County’s development director, told the council at Wednesday’s meeting that the statue still exists, contrary to rumors that it was destroyed, but did not say where it was being stored.
The year before the bronze statue was erected, a 9-foot, 4-inch wooden replica crafted by master carver Wilbur Rubottom over 16 months, was installed in the City Hall atrium.
Then, as now, there were protests from Native American groups about the statue’s placement.
“What a slap in the face to the Indian people,” Jessica M. Roybal, executive director of the Candelaria American Indian Council, said at the time. “I’m heartbroken. ... The City Council is being totally insensitive.”
She added, “It seems like they don’t give a damn about the Chumash.”
The wooden statue served as a mold for the bronze piece, for which city residents ultimately raised over $100,000 to install.


latimes--2020-07-16--Can California contain coronavirus surge? Next two weeks will be critical

The next two weeks are shaping up to be critical for California as officials wait to see if the sweeping restrictions imposed in late June and July show any signs of slowing the rapid spread of coronavirus in communities across the state .
This week was marked by a series of grim milestones as California shattered a one-day record for new coronavirus cases — more than 11,000 on Tuesday — as well as rising infection rates and growing numbers of hospitalizations .
Because the coronavirus can take weeks to incubate , much of the current surge is still tied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as counties rapidly reopened the economy and many returned to old but now dangerous routines such as bar-hopping and attending parties and other social events .
Many also returned to workplaces that didn ’ t implement new safety protocols .
The big question now is whether Californians changed their behavior enough in July to reduce infection rates .
Officials began raising alarms in the days before the July 4 holiday and over the last few weeks have closed bars , indoor dining , shopping malls , gyms and other retail establishments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of in everybody ’ s hands right now , ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of public health for L.A. County .
“ We don ’ t have a lot of time , though .
At some point , you turn that corner where you ’ re actually expecting hospitals to provide way more care than is possible.
” On June 28 , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered bars shut in L.A. County and several others , and a day later , Ferrer warned of “ alarming increases in cases , positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Newsom ordered indoor restaurant dining and bars closed in 19 counties , affecting 72 % of the state ’ s population .
It has been about two weeks since then , but it ’ ll take at least three weeks to learn whether the actions taken that week decisively changed the course of the pandemic , said Dr. Christina Ghaly , director of health services for Los Angeles County .
Ghaly said Wednesday that if people got back to safer behavior — staying home as much as possible , avoiding social gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance and workplaces following new safety protocols — L.A. County could avoid having hospitals and ICUs overwhelmed .
Even more businesses have shut down this week , with Newsom ordering the closure of all bars and indoor dining rooms at restaurants .
And in the hardest-hit counties that are home to more than 88 % of Californians , he also closed indoor operations of gyms , places of worship , hair salons , nail salons , malls , tattoo parlors , bowling alleys , arcades and offices for nonessential industries .
If one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state said , it ’ s now up to residents and businesses to do their best to slow the spread of disease .
The percentage of younger adults getting infected with the coronavirus is growing , and younger adults are now making up a larger share of hospitalized COVID-19 patients , making up nearly 30 % of them in L.A. County .
“ Birthday parties , the visits with grandparents ... the barbecues : they are contributing to a delay or rollback in reopening of businesses , ” said Dr. Grant Colfax , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California on Tuesday recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day , 11,142 infections ; Tuesday also marked the second-highest number of deaths in a single day statewide , with 144 deaths tallied , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ California coronavirus tracker .
On Wednesday , at least another 8,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 125 deaths were reported statewide .
There have been a cumulative total of more than 354,000 confirmed cases and more than 7,300 deaths related to the coronavirus statewide .
Of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 3,900 deaths have occurred among L.A. County residents .
More than 6,700 people with confirmed coronavirus infections were in the hospital statewide Tuesday .
That ’ s more than double the daily average in May , when there were about 3,000 people hospitalized statewide with confirmed infections .
In L.A. County , officials estimated that the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus has risen slightly to 1.07 , according to data released Wednesday , although the actual number could be anywhere from 0.94 to 1.2 .
That means officials estimate that on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus transmits it to 1.07 other people .
San Francisco on Wednesday reported an even worse transmission rate of about 1.3 .
“ The virus is not only still out there , it is out there more than ever before , ” said Colfax , the city ’ s public health director .
“ If we do not do better , we are looking at major problems by late August and September , with an average peak of 900 hospitalized patients by early October ” — a number 10 times as bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Colfax said it ’ s “ certainly possible ” that if conditions do not improve , officials may need to roll back reopening efforts in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area .
With evidence mounting about the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on Latino and Black communities , L.A. County officials Wednesday announced plans to expand testing where it ’ s most needed .
Officials announced they will open six new testing sites in communities of color — Montebello , South Gate , Azusa , Panorama City , Compton and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add capacity at four existing sites in Bellflower , Pomona , El Monte and East Los Angeles .
An astonishing 89 % of people testing positive for the coronavirus at a site in Willowbrook , south of Watts , have been Latino , even though 71 % of those who were tested identified themselves Latino , said Dr. Erika Flores Uribe , an emergency room physician and the director of language access and inclusion at the county ’ s health services department .
The result is close to that of a study in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which 95 % of people testing positive for the coronavirus were Latino .
Furthermore , Latino residents are testing positive at a much higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group in Los Angeles County , a trend that has been constant for months , said Ghaly , the L.A. County health services director .
The disparity could be reflective of white residents having less risk of being exposed to the coronavirus .
White residents are less likely to live in crowded households or work in essential jobs that require employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghaly said .
The disparity in the so-called positivity rate could also reflect greater access to and use of testing resources by white residents .
“ Sadly , the underlying reasons why communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the worst outcomes of COVID-19 is related to longstanding structural and systemic issues , including social determinants of health that the county is working to address and mitigate in the midst of this pandemic , ” Ghaly said .
Poverty also increases the risk of testing positive .
“ This reflects , again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face in terms of their exposure to the virus , and also the fact that they were not — and still are not — accessing testing at an appropriate level given their degree of burden , ” Ghaly said .
To figure out where the county should add testing sites , officials did an analysis to create a map of areas of L.A. County that had the greatest need for more coronavirus testing , based off of factors like the positivity rate , the coronavirus mortality rate , and the rate at which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results showed portions of South Los Angeles , Southeast L.A. County , the San Gabriel Valley , the Pomona Valley , the San Fernando Valley and the Antelope Valley needed greater access to testing .

The next two weeks are shaping up to be critical for California as officials wait to see if the sweeping restrictions imposed in late June and July show any signs of slowing the rapid spread of coronavirus in communities across the state.
This week was marked by a series of grim milestones as California shattered a one-day record for new coronavirus cases — more than 11,000 on Tuesday — as well as rising infection rates and growing numbers of hospitalizations. Because the coronavirus can take weeks to incubate, much of the current surge is still tied to people exposed to the virus in June, as counties rapidly reopened the economy and many returned to old but now dangerous routines such as bar-hopping and attending parties and other social events. Many also returned to workplaces that didn’t implement new safety protocols.
The big question now is whether Californians changed their behavior enough in July to reduce infection rates. Officials began raising alarms in the days before the July 4 holiday and over the last few weeks have closed bars, indoor dining, shopping malls, gyms and other retail establishments in many areas.
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1 / 18 Sharon Chavez, 26, use the oral swab on her 7-year-old daughter Melany Garcia to test for Coronavirus the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 18 Thomas Aleman Jr. 9, and sister Hailey Aleman, 7, use the oral swab for their first coronavirus test in the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 18 Tuntipumiamorin Thawat, 60, gets instruction from lead tester Daniela Burza as he uses the oral swab for Coronavirus testing in the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 18 Michael Lewis Childress Sr. waits for coronavirus testing in the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 18 Carlos Miranda deposits his test for Coronavirus in the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 18 Gerardo Garibay, 75, uses the oral swab to test for coronavirus in the parking lot of a Food4Less Grocery in the Westlake area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 18 Cynthia Leonard helps her son Messi McDaniel, 6, with an oral swab test outside the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 18 A worker registers a driver who is celebrating a birthday with a test for coronavirus infection at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area testing site. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 18 Cars wait in line at the free COVID-19 testing site at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Sylmar. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 18 A worker checks the coronavirus test registration of a driver at the Hansen Dam site. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 18 Motorists line up for COVID-19 testing at Dodger Stadium. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 18 Mari Cruz takes a COVID-19 test from Tiffany Im at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 18 Hundreds of motorists wait for COVID-19 tests in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 18 Maritza Perez, a registered nurse, puts on her personal protective equipment before administering COVID tests to some 50 to 65 patients at AltaMed Health Services in Anaheim. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 18 Wilma Thomas, a registered nurse, left, and Viviana Robles, a licensed practical nurse, stand near a mister on a hot day of coronavirus testing at AltaMed Health Services in Anaheim. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 18 Gregory Williams helps daughter Althea, 7, with an oral swab COVID-19 test at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South L.A. His wife, Zulema Cuevas, holds their 2-year-old. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 18 Walk-ins wait at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science testing site. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 18 Dalton Caputo delivers his family’s test samples at the Charles R. Drew site. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s kind of in everybody’s hands right now,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for L.A. County. “We don’t have a lot of time, though. At some point, you turn that corner where you’re actually expecting hospitals to provide way more care than is possible.”
On June 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars shut in L.A. County and several others, and a day later, Ferrer warned of “alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization.” By July 1, Newsom ordered indoor restaurant dining and bars closed in 19 counties, affecting 72% of the state’s population.
It has been about two weeks since then, but it’ll take at least three weeks to learn whether the actions taken that week decisively changed the course of the pandemic, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for Los Angeles County. Ghaly said Wednesday that if people got back to safer behavior — staying home as much as possible, avoiding social gatherings, wearing face coverings, keeping physical distance and workplaces following new safety protocols — L.A. County could avoid having hospitals and ICUs overwhelmed.
Even more businesses have shut down this week, with Newsom ordering the closure of all bars and indoor dining rooms at restaurants. And in the hardest-hit counties that are home to more than 88% of Californians, he also closed indoor operations of gyms, places of worship, hair salons, nail salons, malls, tattoo parlors, bowling alleys, arcades and offices for nonessential industries.
If one thing is clear, officials across the state said, it’s now up to residents and businesses to do their best to slow the spread of disease. The percentage of younger adults getting infected with the coronavirus is growing, and younger adults are now making up a larger share of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, making up nearly 30% of them in L.A. County.
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“Birthday parties, the visits with grandparents ... the barbecues: they are contributing to a delay or rollback in reopening of businesses,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s public health director.
California on Tuesday recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day, 11,142 infections; Tuesday also marked the second-highest number of deaths in a single day statewide, with 144 deaths tallied, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker.
On Wednesday, at least another 8,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 125 deaths were reported statewide.
There have been a cumulative total of more than 354,000 confirmed cases and more than 7,300 deaths related to the coronavirus statewide. Of them, more than 143,000 cases and more than 3,900 deaths have occurred among L.A. County residents.
More than 6,700 people with confirmed coronavirus infections were in the hospital statewide Tuesday. That’s more than double the daily average in May, when there were about 3,000 people hospitalized statewide with confirmed infections.
In L.A. County, officials estimated that the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus has risen slightly to 1.07, according to data released Wednesday, although the actual number could be anywhere from 0.94 to 1.2. That means officials estimate that on average, every 1 person infected with the virus transmits it to 1.07 other people.
San Francisco on Wednesday reported an even worse transmission rate of about 1.3.
“The virus is not only still out there, it is out there more than ever before,” said Colfax, the city’s public health director. “If we do not do better, we are looking at major problems by late August and September, with an average peak of 900 hospitalized patients by early October” — a number 10 times as bad as what the city is seeing now.
Colfax said it’s “certainly possible” that if conditions do not improve, officials may need to roll back reopening efforts in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.
California San Francisco in coronavirus ‘red zone,’ freezes reopenings San Francisco’s health chief says the rate of transmission of the coronavirus continues to climb in the Bay Area and the city won’t move forward with reopening.
With evidence mounting about the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on Latino and Black communities, L.A. County officials Wednesday announced plans to expand testing where it’s most needed.
Officials announced they will open six new testing sites in communities of color — Montebello, South Gate, Azusa, Panorama City, Compton and the Downey-Norwalk area. And they will add capacity at four existing sites in Bellflower, Pomona, El Monte and East Los Angeles.
An astonishing 89% of people testing positive for the coronavirus at a site in Willowbrook, south of Watts, have been Latino, even though 71% of those who were tested identified themselves Latino, said Dr. Erika Flores Uribe, an emergency room physician and the director of language access and inclusion at the county’s health services department.
The result is close to that of a study in San Francisco’s Mission District, in which 95% of people testing positive for the coronavirus were Latino.
Furthermore, Latino residents are testing positive at a much higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group in Los Angeles County, a trend that has been constant for months, said Ghaly, the L.A. County health services director.
Latino residents are testing positive at a much higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group in Los Angeles County (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
The disparity could be reflective of white residents having less risk of being exposed to the coronavirus.
White residents are less likely to live in crowded households or work in essential jobs that require employees to leave home to earn money, Ghaly said. The disparity in the so-called positivity rate could also reflect greater access to and use of testing resources by white residents.
“Sadly, the underlying reasons why communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the worst outcomes of COVID-19 is related to longstanding structural and systemic issues, including social determinants of health that the county is working to address and mitigate in the midst of this pandemic,” Ghaly said.
Poverty also increases the risk of testing positive.
Poverty also increases the risk of testing positive. In communities with the highest poverty rates, more than 15% of coronavirus tests had results confirming infection; in the wealthiest neighborhoods, less than 8% of tests came back positive.
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
“This reflects, again, the burden that our low income communities face in terms of their exposure to the virus, and also the fact that they were not — and still are not — accessing testing at an appropriate level given their degree of burden,” Ghaly said.
To figure out where the county should add testing sites, officials did an analysis to create a map of areas of L.A. County that had the greatest need for more coronavirus testing, based off of factors like the positivity rate, the coronavirus mortality rate, and the rate at which residents are accessing testing services.
The results showed portions of South Los Angeles, Southeast L.A. County, the San Gabriel Valley, the Pomona Valley, the San Fernando Valley and the Antelope Valley needed greater access to testing.


latimes--2020-07-16--Californians turn against each other amid 2nd coronavirus shutdown

Dee Lescault got the bad news from her landlord .
Her Costa Mesa hair salon had reopened on June 1 after being dark for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic , dealing a painful economic blow to the 66-year-old stylist .
And now , Coronavirus Shutdown 2.0 .
“ Is it asking too much to wear a mask ?
” Lescault tweeted in a rush of anger .
“ You can ’ t have a healthy economy without a healthy community .
Get a clue please.
” At least she said please .
Social media exploded this week with furious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California must largely close for business yet again because of a spike in COVID-19 cases statewide that shows no sign of easing .
On Tuesday , the state reported its largest one-day total of new cases , along with sharp jumps in hospitalizations and deaths .
Over the course of the four-month pandemic , Californians have focused their anger at the governor and other politicians , county health officials and the current resident of the White House .
But now , in the early days of yet another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other like never before .
Because , when it comes to the coronavirus , we have met the enemy , and he is us .
The first shutdown was bad enough , throwing millions of workers out of jobs , canceling graduations and in-person June weddings and forcing families to bury loved ones without the solace of funeral services and the comforting embrace of supportive friends .
Then George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis , unleashing a nationwide flood of fury aimed at police brutality and systemic racism .
And now , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra $ 600 a week in unemployment benefits is about to end unless a divided Congress votes to re-up it .
The California Employment Development Department , which handles unemployment claims , is overwhelmed .
The struggling economy has just taken another body blow .
And hundreds of thousands of parents will have to keep their children at home for remote learning for the foreseeable future .
And those people strolling toward you on the narrow sidewalk aren ’ t wearing masks ?
What the ... ?
“ I ’ m angry with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Lescault said Tuesday , as she and her partner went to collect plants and anything else they ’ d left behind at Muti Hair Design Studio .
“ They ’ re being selfish and ignorant and they ’ re not paying attention.
” Don ’ t tell that to Bahre Freeman , a personal trainer at Built , a neighborhood gym in Manhattan Beach that shut down this week and is struggling to stay alive .
“ We ’ re pissed off at Gov .
Newsom , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are never going to come back .
... Is this gym gon na be able to survive if they have 60 days more of no revenue ?
” Virus-light traffic zipped by on Highland Avenue .
Freeman tugged at a black bandanna that kept slipping down his nose .
He talked about a client , a lawyer , who had to take a pay cut because of the pandemic and can no longer afford training sessions .
He fumed at “ cookie-cutter responses ” to the coronavirus that he says punish everyone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area or not , whether they ’ re following federal safety guidelines or not .
“ I don ’ t want to kill your grandma .
I don ’ t want to kill my mom , ” he said .
But “ everyone is under this notion that they ’ re doing this ” — shutdown orders and mask mandates — “ to save us .
But they ’ re not looking at the long picture .
The long picture is that small businesses will close .
Only major conglomerates will be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infections began in the last month or so , as cities began reopening , restless virus shut-ins got tired of making sacrifices for the greater good , and people began socializing again , standing way too close at family dinners and outdoor barbecues , eschewing masks and inhaling each others ’ droplet-laden breath .
On Monday , Newsom announced that all restaurant dining rooms , bars , zoos and museums in California must close .
And in counties that have spent more than three days on the state coronavirus watch list , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the businesses that must close again are gyms , houses of worship , barbershops , hair salons and malls .
Offices with nonessential workers also must shut their doors .
The watch list fluctuates from day to day , but in recent weeks it ’ s been stubbornly long .
On Wednesday , 32 counties were on it , including all of Southern California : Imperial , Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , Santa Barbara and Ventura .
Twitter is not happy — # RecallGavin2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social networking service has become a fulcrum of finger pointing .
“ Just wear a [ expletive ] mask , people , ” actor Coby Ryan McLaughlin tweeted .
“ I wan na get back to work .
I want my kid to be able to socialize at school .
I wan na sit in a bar with my lady and have a drink .
Stop being an [ expletive ] .
Especially you , Florida .
( And you , too , California ) .
” The show McLaughlin was on shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unable to travel from his home in Los Angeles to Georgia , where he frequently works .
His 9-year-old daughter will be learning from home in the fall because many school districts are keeping their campuses closed to help stop the virus ’ spread .
“ It really in my opinion shines a light on the amount of entitlement we have as a society , ” McLaughlin said .
“ Wear a mask , don ’ t go to [ expletive ] house parties .
Just chill out .
Follow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it this huge political issue.
” Those in the wear-a-mask camp got lots of pushback from conservative social media users who shared images of thousands of people converging on Hollywood for a Black Lives Matter march and demonstration in June .
“ But the dems said we can ’ t get it at a protest , ” one user posted in response to a video of the massive protest .
“ Just the beach or a bar or restaurant .
Home Depot and Walmart are safe.
” The mask wars were fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the same day Newsom announced the wider shutdown , the Orange County Board of Education voted to recommend schools reopen in the fall without mandatory masks for students or increased social distancing .
The vote by the largely conservative board ignited an immediate uproar .
As one antimask speaker at a subsequent Board of Supervisors meeting declared : “ We here in Orange County are the heart of the resistance.
” On Tuesday night , Marciano Analco stood under the shade of an umbrella , scraping ice to make raspados , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flavors like limón , tamarindo and strawberry .
The 47-year-old , who wore gloves and a blue bandanna mask that looped around his ears , had been hired by a group called Defund South Gate Police Department , to serve protesters outside of South Gate city hall .
When the shut downs first began , Analco ’ s business struggled .
He had no choice but to work , to try and “ at least sell a little.
” In recent weeks , things felt like they were starting to normalize .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
At times , while working , he said , he ’ s encountered people who aren ’ t wearing masks .
It worries him for his own safety — Latinos are among the hardest hit by the virus .
But he doesn ’ t want to end up in a confrontation over it .
“ People need to be following the rules , ” he said .
“ If masks are required , people need to use them .
It ’ s not comfortable , but we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone.
” Bella Colbert couldn ’ t agree more .
She ’ s 16 , stayed mostly inside for the past four months and kept sane by looking ahead to school in the fall .
To real classrooms for her junior year at Glendora High .
Actual teachers instead of Zoom replicas .
Friends .
Now , however , that ’ s not going to happen .
On Tuesday her school district announced that distance learning would continue next month with plans to move to an in-person hybrid model when it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the school district , she said .
She ’ s mad at the world .
“ Summer should have been spent by making the best efforts to decrease the curve and spread of coronavirus , to allow future generations of our society to earn an education as everyone else , ” the Glendora teen said .
“ Instead , it was spent by disobeying orders and spreading a plague of death that could ’ ve been prevented ... ” Or as UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious-diseases expert Dr. George Rutherford put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask and trying to follow a few simple things isn ’ t the end of the world .
We ’ re not signaling the end of Western civilization here .
This is pretty benign stuff.
” Out of 36 people Rutherford saw on the street while driving home Tuesday , he said , only seven were wearing masks .
“ What the hell is going on ?
” he asked .
“ Wear masks , period .
That ’ s it .
You walk out of your house , have a mask on @ @

Brittny Mejia, Maria L. La Ganga, Sonali Kohli

Dee Lescault, owner of Muti Hair Design Studio in Costa Mesa, is having to close her studio again, which she reopened for only 13 days.
Dee Lescault got the bad news from her landlord. Her Costa Mesa hair salon had reopened on June 1 after being dark for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing a painful economic blow to the 66-year-old stylist. And now, Coronavirus Shutdown 2.0.
“Is it asking too much to wear a mask?” Lescault tweeted in a rush of anger. “You can’t have a healthy economy without a healthy community. Get a clue please.”
At least she said please. Social media exploded this week with furious, often expletive-laced outbursts after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California must largely close for business yet again because of a spike in COVID-19 cases statewide that shows no sign of easing. On Tuesday, the state reported its largest one-day total of new cases, along with sharp jumps in hospitalizations and deaths.
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Over the course of the four-month pandemic, Californians have focused their anger at the governor and other politicians, county health officials and the current resident of the White House. But now, in the early days of yet another shutdown, they are turning on each other like never before.
Because, when it comes to the coronavirus, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
The first shutdown was bad enough, throwing millions of workers out of jobs, canceling graduations and in-person June weddings and forcing families to bury loved ones without the solace of funeral services and the comforting embrace of supportive friends. Then George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, unleashing a nationwide flood of fury aimed at police brutality and systemic racism.
And now, the federal program that offered out-of-work people an extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits is about to end unless a divided Congress votes to re-up it. The California Employment Development Department, which handles unemployment claims, is overwhelmed. The struggling economy has just taken another body blow. And hundreds of thousands of parents will have to keep their children at home for remote learning for the foreseeable future.
And those people strolling toward you on the narrow sidewalk aren’t wearing masks? What the ...?
“I’m angry with people that refuse to protect others,” Lescault said Tuesday, as she and her partner went to collect plants and anything else they’d left behind at Muti Hair Design Studio. “They’re being selfish and ignorant and they’re not paying attention.”
Nathan Mott is general manager of Built, a gym in Manhattan Beach that shut down this week by order of the state and is struggling to stay afloat. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
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Don’t tell that to Bahre Freeman, a personal trainer at Built, a neighborhood gym in Manhattan Beach that shut down this week and is struggling to stay alive. “We’re pissed off at Gov. Newsom,” he said. “Small businesses are going to close that are never going to come back. ... Is this gym gonna be able to survive if they have 60 days more of no revenue?”
Virus-light traffic zipped by on Highland Avenue. Freeman tugged at a black bandanna that kept slipping down his nose. He talked about a client, a lawyer, who had to take a pay cut because of the pandemic and can no longer afford training sessions. He fumed at “cookie-cutter responses” to the coronavirus that he says punish everyone, whether they live in a particularly hard-hit area or not, whether they’re following federal safety guidelines or not.
“I don’t want to kill your grandma. I don’t want to kill my mom,” he said. But “everyone is under this notion that they’re doing this” — shutdown orders and mask mandates — “to save us. But they’re not looking at the long picture. The long picture is that small businesses will close. Only major conglomerates will be able to stay open.”
The latest surge of infections began in the last month or so, as cities began reopening, restless virus shut-ins got tired of making sacrifices for the greater good, and people began socializing again, standing way too close at family dinners and outdoor barbecues, eschewing masks and inhaling each others’ droplet-laden breath.
People have drinks and dine on the outdoor patio at La Boheme in West Hollywood. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
On Monday, Newsom announced that all restaurant dining rooms, bars, zoos and museums in California must close. And in counties that have spent more than three days on the state coronavirus watch list, the closures are even more widespread. Among the businesses that must close again are gyms, houses of worship, barbershops, hair salons and malls. Offices with nonessential workers also must shut their doors.
The watch list fluctuates from day to day, but in recent weeks it’s been stubbornly long. On Wednesday, 32 counties were on it, including all of Southern California: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Twitter is not happy — #RecallGavin2020 has trended this week, and the social networking service has become a fulcrum of finger pointing.
“Just wear a [expletive] mask, people,” actor Coby Ryan McLaughlin tweeted. “I wanna get back to work. I want my kid to be able to socialize at school. I wanna sit in a bar with my lady and have a drink. Stop being an [expletive]. Especially you, Florida. (And you, too, California).”
The show McLaughlin was on shut down because of the virus. He’s unable to travel from his home in Los Angeles to Georgia, where he frequently works. His 9-year-old daughter will be learning from home in the fall because many school districts are keeping their campuses closed to help stop the virus’ spread.
“Just wear a [expletive] mask, people,” actor Coby Ryan McLaughlin tweeted. “I wanna get back to work. (NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via)
“It really in my opinion shines a light on the amount of entitlement we have as a society,” McLaughlin said. “Wear a mask, don’t go to [expletive] house parties. Just chill out. Follow the rules for once and don’t make it this huge political issue.”
Those in the wear-a-mask camp got lots of pushback from conservative social media users who shared images of thousands of people converging on Hollywood for a Black Lives Matter march and demonstration in June.
“But the dems said we can’t get it at a protest,” one user posted in response to a video of the massive protest. “Just the beach or a bar or restaurant. Home Depot and Walmart are safe.”
The mask wars were fought this week in real life, too. On the same day Newsom announced the wider shutdown, the Orange County Board of Education voted to recommend schools reopen in the fall without mandatory masks for students or increased social distancing. The vote by the largely conservative board ignited an immediate uproar. As one antimask speaker at a subsequent Board of Supervisors meeting declared: “We here in Orange County are the heart of the resistance.”
On Tuesday night, Marciano Analco stood under the shade of an umbrella, scraping ice to make raspados, plastic cups filled with shaved ice in flavors like limón, tamarindo and strawberry. The 47-year-old, who wore gloves and a blue bandanna mask that looped around his ears, had been hired by a group called Defund South Gate Police Department, to serve protesters outside of South Gate city hall.
When the shut downs first began, Analco’s business struggled. He had no choice but to work, to try and “at least sell a little.” In recent weeks, things felt like they were starting to normalize. “Now, we’re starting over,” he said.
At times, while working, he said, he’s encountered people who aren’t wearing masks. It worries him for his own safety — Latinos are among the hardest hit by the virus. But he doesn’t want to end up in a confrontation over it.
“People need to be following the rules,” he said. “If masks are required, people need to use them. It’s not comfortable, but we have to use it for the protection of everyone.”
Bella Colbert couldn’t agree more. She’s 16, stayed mostly inside for the past four months and kept sane by looking ahead to school in the fall. To real classrooms for her junior year at Glendora High. Actual teachers instead of Zoom replicas. Friends.
Now, however, that’s not going to happen. On Tuesday her school district announced that distance learning would continue next month with plans to move to an in-person hybrid model when it’s safe. Colbert isn’t mad at the school district, she said. She’s mad at the world.
“Summer should have been spent by making the best efforts to decrease the curve and spread of coronavirus, to allow future generations of our society to earn an education as everyone else,” the Glendora teen said. “Instead, it was spent by disobeying orders and spreading a plague of death that could’ve been prevented...”
Or as UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious-diseases expert Dr. George Rutherford put it: “I think wearing a mask and trying to follow a few simple things isn’t the end of the world. We’re not signaling the end of Western civilization here. This is pretty benign stuff.”
Out of 36 people Rutherford saw on the street while driving home Tuesday, he said, only seven were wearing masks.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked. “Wear masks, period. That’s it. You walk out of your house, have a mask on.”