latimes--2020-04-17--California opens highway rest stops to food trucks, helping truckers get warm meals

Food trucks will be allowed to operate at the 86 state rest areas in California during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide access to food for highway motorists , including truck drivers , as well as economic relief to food-truck operators , Caltrans announced Friday .
The lifting of the state ’ s ban on food trucks at rest stops was part of an executive order issued Thursday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom and also made possible by a Federal Highway Administration rule change .
The state stay-at-home order issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the availability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state , officials said .
“ Helping our truckers and facilitating the movement of essential goods during the COVID-19 crisis is a priority , ” Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin said in a statement .
“ We hope this gives truckers more food options to keep them and the economy moving , ” he added .
“ We also hope this provides additional business opportunities for food trucks hit hard by stay-at-home health orders.
” The lifting of the ban comes on the same day that California marked more than 1,000 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nearly 30,000 Californians have tested positive for the virus .
Food-truck operators must obtain a permit from Caltrans to operate at one or more rest stops , and the approvals are good only through June 15 .
Food trucks are also licensed by cities and counties and will be limited to operating in the areas for which they have a local license , officials said .
The mobile food sales must observe state social distancing rules and keep the areas they operate clean .
The decision to allow food trucks at highway rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive officer for the California Trucking Assn .
“ Access to a warm meal is as essential as the truckers on our roads who continue to transport basic necessities , medical supplies and emergency equipment to communities across the state , ” Yadon said .

California is opening state rest areas to food trucks to help provide access to truckers and motorists.
Food trucks will be allowed to operate at the 86 state rest areas in California during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide access to food for highway motorists, including truck drivers, as well as economic relief to food-truck operators, Caltrans announced Friday.
The lifting of the state’s ban on food trucks at rest stops was part of an executive order issued Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom and also made possible by a Federal Highway Administration rule change.
The state stay-at-home order issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the availability of open restaurants, particularly in remote parts of the state, officials said.
“Helping our truckers and facilitating the movement of essential goods during the COVID-19 crisis is a priority,” Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin said in a statement.
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“We hope this gives truckers more food options to keep them and the economy moving,” he added. “We also hope this provides additional business opportunities for food trucks hit hard by stay-at-home health orders.”
The lifting of the ban comes on the same day that California marked more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Nearly 30,000 Californians have tested positive for the virus.
Food-truck operators must obtain a permit from Caltrans to operate at one or more rest stops, and the approvals are good only through June 15. Food trucks are also licensed by cities and counties and will be limited to operating in the areas for which they have a local license, officials said.
The mobile food sales must observe state social distancing rules and keep the areas they operate clean.
The decision to allow food trucks at highway rest stops was welcomed by Shawn Yadon, chief executive officer for the California Trucking Assn.
“Access to a warm meal is as essential as the truckers on our roads who continue to transport basic necessities, medical supplies and emergency equipment to communities across the state,” Yadon said.


latimes--2020-04-17--'Live Free or Die': Protesters march against California stay-at-home rules in Huntington Beach

A group of more than 100 protesters converged on Huntington Beach on Friday in a demonstration against California ’ s coronavirus stay-at-home rules , part of a series of national demonstrations organized by conservative groups .
The protesters — some with Trump banners and American flags — mostly were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing by standing at least six feet apart .
And they offered views about the spread of the coronavirus that differed sharply from scientific findings and experts ’ recommendations .
One of the first people to trickle into the afternoon ’ s protest in Huntington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Costa Mesa resident arrived with a hand-held American flag and a “ Live Free or Die Sign ” and was “ sick ” of social distancing and Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order , which she said was “ killing business.
” “ I don ’ t think there ’ s any reason for us to be on lockdown now , ” she said shortly after arguing with another Trump supporter who was in favor of quarantine .
“ We didn ’ t have any dangers ; we have no danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The comments of protesters fly in the face of what California public health officials and other experts have been saying about the coronavirus .
California ’ s relatively quick action to close businesses and order residents to stay home has tamped down the coronavirus pandemic and left many hospitals largely empty , waiting for a surge that has yet to come .
The initial success of the unprecedented shutdown of schools , businesses and other institutions has pleased experts and public health officials , prompting calls to keep the restrictions in place at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress .
Social distancing will be a critical factor .
Lifting restrictions too early would likely lead to dangerous new jumps in cases .
Dr. Howard Markel , a professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan , said earlier this week deploying stay-at-home measures required a degree of patience not to pull back too early .
“ If you pull the triggers off too early , not only is there a circulating virus to do what it naturally does , but you will have incurred all the economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nothing , ” Markel said in a hosted by the American Public Health Assn .
last month .
Markel said that during the , more than 20 U.S. cities that relaxed physical distancing orders too quickly — even as the flu virus was still circulating — soon saw a new rise in cases .
There will continue to be the threat of the coronavirus being reintroduced in areas where the outbreak has eased .
against the coronavirus , was to order the closure of schools and nonessential businesses for a month as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lived and studied abroad rushed back home .
Officials in Singapore now say it is important to find sustainable ways to slow the virus through the end of the year .
In Lansing , Mich. , demonstrators took to the streets , snarling traffic as part of an “ Operation Gridlock ” rally .
Though Michigan has reported more than 1,760 deaths — third-most in the U.S. — the protesters contend Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , went too far in extending a stay-at-home order that , among other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on people allowed to work outside the home .
In Huntington Beach on Friday , protesters were quick to point out that California has not seen the level of deaths as New York , which was slower to impose social distancing .
Doyle said the relatively low number of deaths statewide should not have led to “ drastic measures.
” She saw little difference between COVID-19 and the flu ( the death rate is actually significantly higher for COVID-19 ) and credited much of her information to conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normal ASAP , ” said Doyle , adding she ’ s sent “ crazy letters ” to the governor explaining as much .
During the protest , police occasionally warned gatherers to clear the streets to allow vehicles to pass .
Benny White , a 33-year-old Compton resident dressed in a faux white hazmat suit complete with goggles and a Trump 2020 hat , bounced around from corner to corner , often drawing a sizable crowd .
The suit had hand-written Sharpie messages that included the name of an extreme right-wing website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White accused China of “ constantly attacking our president.
” White was also angry about social-distancing guidelines and hugged other protesters .
“ It ’ s not dangerous out here .
It ’ s not , ” White said .
“ I ’ ve seen plenty of people out here .
The beaches are open .
It ’ s a nice beautiful day .
What are we doing ?
Stop being a germophobe.
” Anaheim resident Bryan Hunt kept a close eye on officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department .
The 57-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 31st Field Force Light Foot California State Militia .
“ I ’ m here for one purpose and that is to ensure that the police don ’ t start beating on citizens , ” Hunt said .
“ I have a cameraman here taking photos and documenting everything .
If they step out of line , we ’ ll get them .
”

A driver takes a picture of the rally on Main Street in Huntington Beach against business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A big number of Trump supporters rally on Main Street against business closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. Huntington Beach. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Conservative activist rally on Main Street in Huntington Beach against business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A big number of Trump supporters rally on Main Street against business closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. Huntington Beach. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Conservative activist rally on Main Street in Huntington Beach against business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Police keep an eye on Trump supporters at a rally on Main Street against business closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. Huntington Beach, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Kira Beattie, center, joins rally in Huntington Beach against the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Conservative activist rally on Main Street in Huntington Beach against business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Sarah Mason, of Covina, rallied in Huntington Beach against the stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A group of more than 100 protesters converged on Huntington Beach on Friday in a demonstration against California’s coronavirus stay-at-home rules, part of a series of national demonstrations organized by conservative groups.
The protesters — some with Trump banners and American flags — mostly were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing by standing at least six feet apart. And they offered views about the spread of the coronavirus that differed sharply from scientific findings and experts’ recommendations.
One of the first people to trickle into the afternoon’s protest in Huntington Beach was 62-year-old Paula Doyle.
The Costa Mesa resident arrived with a hand-held American flag and a “Live Free or Die” sign and was “sick” of social distancing and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order, which she said was “killing business.”
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“I don’t think there’s any reason for us to be on lockdown now,” she said shortly after arguing with another Trump supporter who was in favor of quarantine. “We didn’t have any dangers; we have no danger in our hospitals now of overflowing.”
The comments of protesters fly in the face of what California public health officials and other experts have been saying about the coronavirus.
California’s relatively quick action to close businesses and order residents to stay home has tamped down the coronavirus pandemic and left many hospitals largely empty, waiting for a surge that has yet to come.
Sarah Mason, from Covina, protests the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
The initial success of the unprecedented shutdown of schools, businesses and other institutions has pleased experts and public health officials, prompting calls to keep the restrictions in place at least into May to help cement the progress.
Social distancing will be a critical factor. Lifting restrictions too early would likely lead to dangerous new jumps in cases.
Dr. Howard Markel, a professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan, said earlier this week deploying stay-at-home measures required a degree of patience not to pull back too early.
“If you pull the triggers off too early, not only is there a circulating virus to do what it naturally does, but you will have incurred all the economic and social disruptions of [stay-at-home orders] for nothing,” Markel said in a webinar hosted by the American Public Health Assn. last month.
Markel said that during the 1918 flu pandemic , more than 20 U.S. cities that relaxed physical distancing orders too quickly — even as the flu virus was still circulating — soon saw a new rise in cases. There will continue to be the threat of the coronavirus being reintroduced in areas where the outbreak has eased.
Singapore, which took early, effective action against the coronavirus, was forced last week to order the closure of schools and nonessential businesses for a month as the numbers of cases rose when residents who lived and studied abroad rushed back home. Officials in Singapore now say it is important to find sustainable ways to slow the virus through the end of the year.
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1 / 37 Customers defy social distancing and the wearing of masks to stand in line at the recently opened Nomads Canteen in San Clemente. The restaurant opened its doors to dine-in services over the weekend in defiance of the California’s stay-at-home order. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 37 Christina Dagle and her daughter, Eleanor Eades, 4, of Seal Beach, wait in line to buy flowers for a friend from Devynn’s Garden in Seal Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 37 Station 17 owner Cynthia Freund says that roller skates, shown at left, has been her most popular on-line sale item as she reopens for curb-side shopping in Seal Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 37 Armando Mendoza, of Anaheim, celebrates with all his health-care professionals and his family and supporters as he is released after spending 45 days at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 37 Health care workers dance and take images while a mariachi band plays as Armando Mendoza, of Anaheim, gets released from St. Joseph Hospital in Orange. Mendoza was the hospital’s second-ever COVID-19 patient and spent 45 days at St. Joseph Hospital before being released. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 37 People stroll along Main Beach in Laguna Beach as city ,with State’s blessings, reopened its beaches for active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 37 Ian Hanna skimboards along the shoreline on Main Beach in Laguna Beach, after it reopened to active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 37 A sailboat cruises by as a lone beach-goer in Newport Beach, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure of the beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 37 An aerial view of a few surfers and beach-goers in Newport Beach despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 37 Beach goers ignore social distancing and beach closures as they walk in groups to the beach access stairs to Salt Creek Beach. ( Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 37 Elizabeth Robles of Laguna decides to park in a “No Parking” zone and get the $30 ticket so she could walk to Salt Creek Beach to surf. “The ticket is worth it to me. I broke my arm recently and haven’t surfed in 8 months,” she said. ( Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 37 With parking lots closed, a man heads to the beach on the bike path with kids, beach chairs and paddle board loaded on his electric bike in Capistrano Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 37 John and Jamie Garcia, of La Habra, celebrate Jamie’s birthday by relaxing in loungers at the Beachcomber Inn with a view of an empty, closed beach and pier due to the coronavirus restrictions amid a heat wave in San Clemente. The council voted to reopen the beach for recreational activity such as walking, running, swimming and surfing, but have also said residents should not bring a blanket and hang out. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 37 Cal State Fullerton student Linh Trinh, 21, right, and her boyfriend Tan Nguyen, 21, walk around a deserted CSUF campus. The school is planning to begin fall semester with online classes, one of the first universities in the nation to make that move as campuses throughout the country grapple with how long to stay closed to most students amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 37 Russel and Kathleen Sion, of Torrance, celebrate tying the knot in a parking lot at the Honda Center in Anaheim, where the County of Orange Clerk Recorder is performing wedding ceremonies. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 37 Irvine couple Xiakuan Qian, left, and Qingyun Zhu, get married in a parking lot at the Honda Center in Anaheim. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 37 UC Irvine Medical Center healthcare workers wave as about 25 Orange County first-responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as healthcare staff battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 37 UC Irvine Medical Center healthcare workers bang on the windows as they watch about 25 Orange County first-responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital, which currently has eight patients with the virus. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 37 Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 37 MaryAnn Lawson collects prayer requests from people gathering in their cars in a parking lot in Santa Ana to worship in an Easter service by Rev. Robert A. Schuller. Schuller is reviving a practice that launched his father to worldwide acclaim -- the drive-in ministry. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 37 Security guard Carlos Reyes wears a protective mask and gloves while patrolling the nearly empty Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center amid coronavirus physical distancing restrictions in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 37 Charlton Paul, 31, and his soon-to-be wife, Heather Paul, 32, arrive at the Honda Center where the County of Orange Clerk-Recorder set up three booths for marriage licenses and weddings in Anaheim. (Raul Roa/Times Community News) 23 / 37 Paul Jones, left, wears a custom-made face mask as does his bride, Annamarie Sucher-Jones, during their wedding in a parking lot at the Honda Center where the County of Orange Clerk-Recorder set up three booths for marriage licenses and weddings in Anaheim. (Raul Roa/Times Community News) 24 / 37 Kayakers, boaters and a paddle boarder observe coronavirus social distancing rules while exercising and gliding through Huntington Harbor on the first warm day in weeks with a view of recently snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 37 UC Irvine Medical Center healthcare workers react as an Anaheim police officer joins about 25 Orange County first-responder vehicles participating in a drive-by parade of gratitude as healthcare staff battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 37 Ashley Amon, and her daughters, Alysha, 2, and Alexandria, 4, who are currently homeless, attend a gathering with fellow worshipers in their cars in a parking lot in Santa Ana to worship in an Easter service by Rev. Robert A. Schuller. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 37 An aerial view of the closed San Clemente pier and beach. Officials said the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Marine Safety, Code Enforcement and Park Rangers will increase monitoring and people who do not comply could be cited. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 37 A couple takes in a sunset together near the San Clemente pier after San Clemente closed its beaches to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 29 / 37 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) 30 / 37 Protest organizer Elizabeth Coe, waves the American flag out of her sun roof and Laguna Woods resident Debbie Bloom, 67, left, parades her sign while joining mostly Laguna Woods seniors protesting after learning nearby Ayres Hotel will be used to treat homeless COVID-19 patients in Laguna Woods. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 37 Kylie Wortham, who was laid off when her entire company was closed due to coronavirus restrictions, relaxes with a book in a hammock overlooking the beach in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 32 / 37 A social distancing sign alerts visitors to keep their distance from other people on the mostly empty board walk in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 33 / 37 Jose Secundino, center, joins fellow recently hired Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County temporary employees, who have been laid off from restaurant jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, as they pack boxes of food for the needy. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 34 / 37 Daniel Guzman, right, an unemployed pool supervisor from Garden Grove, sits alone in the mostly closed and normally crowded Pacific City shopping mall in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 35 / 37 Jessica Estebane, a temporarily unemployed restaurant worker from Huntington Beach, rests from her jog in front of closed Huntington Surf & Sport. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 36 / 37 Laguna Beach closes all city beaches and their adjacent parks. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 37 Laguna Beach has closed all city beaches and their adjacent parks (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
In Lansing, Mich., demonstrators took to the streets, snarling traffic as part of an “Operation Gridlock” rally. Though Michigan has reported more than 1,760 deaths — third-most in the U.S. — the protesters contend Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, went too far in extending a stay-at-home order that, among other things, shuttered indoor restaurants and placed limits on people allowed to work outside the home.
In Huntington Beach on Friday, protesters were quick to point out that California has not seen the same level of deaths as New York, which was slower to impose social distancing. Doyle said the relatively low number of deaths statewide should not have led to “drastic measures.”
She saw little difference between COVID-19 and the flu (the death rate is actually significantly higher for COVID-19) and credited much of her information to conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham.
“We need to get back to normal ASAP,” said Doyle, adding she’s sent “crazy letters” to the governor explaining as much.
During the protest, police occasionally warned gatherers to clear the streets to allow vehicles to pass.
Benny White, a 33-year-old Compton resident dressed in a faux white hazmat suit complete with goggles and a Trump 2020 hat, bounced around from corner to corner, often drawing a sizable crowd. The suit had hand-written Sharpie messages that included the name of an extreme right-wing website and “China Lied People Died.”
White accused China of “constantly attacking our president.” White was also angry about social-distancing guidelines and hugged other protesters.
“It’s not dangerous out here. It’s not,” White said. “I’ve seen plenty of people out here. The beaches are open. It’s a nice beautiful day. What are we doing? Stop being a germophobe.”
Anaheim resident Bryan Hunt kept a close eye on officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department.
The 57-year-old said he was a member of the 31st Field Force Light Foot California State Militia.
“I’m here for one purpose and that is to ensure that the police don’t start beating on citizens,” Hunt said. “I have a cameraman here taking photos and documenting everything. If they step out of line, we’ll get them.”


latimes--2020-04-17--California unemployment surges as payrolls shrink for first time since 2010

California ’ s unemployment rate shot up in March as a statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect and overall payrolls shrank for the first time in a decade , state officials reported Friday .
The March report showed a jobless rate of 5.3 % , up from 3.9 % in February , the largest jump in more than four decades of state data collection .
But the rate is based on a survey that ended March 12 , so it doesn ’ t reflect the positions axed by thousands of employers in the second half of the month .
Through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state lost 99,500 jobs .
That ends a record 120-month streak of gains since the Great Recession .
Both the U.S. jobless rate , which was 4.4 % in March , and California ’ s rate have skyrocketed in recent weeks , according to economists who predict the state ’ s unemployment rate this year could climb to more than 16 % and perhaps as high as 20 % .
“ California employment is in free fall and no bottom is yet in sight , ” said Sung Won Sohn , a Loyola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t recover sharply even when the lockdown ends.
” The grim news came the day after federal officials reported that 660,966 Californians had filed jobless claims in the week that ended April 11 .
Over four weeks , 2.7 million claims were processed statewide , amounting to 1 of every 7 workers in the state ’ s 19.3-million-person labor force .
Nationwide , some 22 million people have sought unemployment benefits in the last month , the largest number on record .
In the Great Recession , employment declined by 8.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 .
The number of California jobs lost in March was the fourth-largest on record , driven by declines in six of 11 industry sectors .
The leisure and hospitality sector shrank the most — losing 67,200 positions — largely because of closures of hotels , restaurants , food services and bars .
“ This is just the tip of the iceberg of what we are likely to see when the April California employment report is released , ” said Scott Anderson , chief economist of the Bank of the West in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy will be spared before the job losses will be over.
” The state ’ s “ other services ” sector , which covers a mixture of businesses such as auto repair and dry cleaning , lost 15,500 positions .
The construction sector shrank by 11,600 .
The professional and business services sector , which includes some technology jobs , dropped by 8,600 positions .
The manufacturing sector lost 5,300 .
The trade , transportation and utilities sector shrank by 4,600 .
Retail trade was flat over the month .
Amazon , Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers in recent weeks as shoppers order goods online and crowd into markets to stock up on food .
Those jobs are offset by furloughs at Macy ’ s , Kohl ’ s and other large department stores as well as thousands of smaller clothing stores and other nonessential-goods outlets .
The government sector posted the largest job gain of the month : 5,200 positions , mostly caused by a rise in local government employment .
Federal government also grew , boosted by the hiring of U.S. census takers .
The financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the information sector , which includes some software jobs , gained 2,600 .
Payrolls in the education and health services sector grew by 1,200 .
Mining and logging gained 300 positions .
California employers with more than 75 workers must report plant closures and mass layoffs to the California Employment Development Department under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification , or WARN , law .
In the past , the agency issued two monthly reports , but so many companies have been laying off workers that the list is now updated daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In February , just 64 companies reported layoffs , totaling 7,164 workers .
In March , 354 companies reported staff cuts , totaling 52,959 .
And in the first half of April , 1,377 employers reported shedding a combined 154,269 workers .
Thousands were laid off at hotels , restaurants and entertainment venues , but pain has been felt across a wide variety of businesses .
Among the largest layoffs were 3,029 at Pacific Dental Services , an Irvine-based chain ; 2,250 at San Diego ’ s Sea World ; 1,671 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at LAZ Parking in Los Angeles ; 1,900 at Hawaiian Gardens Casino and 893 at San Diego-based Core Power Yoga .
And the WARN report is far from complete .
Not only does it not include layoffs at smaller companies , it also counts only workers who were employed for at least six of the 12 months before the layoffs .
And last month , Gov .
Gavin Newsom suspended the law ’ s provision that employers give workers and the agency 60 days ’ notice , so many companies have yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the jobless rate jumped to 6.3 % in March from 4.3 % in February .
Payrolls in the county , which total about 4.6 million jobs , shed 35,200 .
In Orange County , unemployment grew to 3.6 % from 2.8 % .
The county , with about 1.67 million workers , lost 13,200 jobs .
In the Inland Empire , spanning Riverside and San Bernardino counties , unemployment rose to 5.1 % from 4 % .
The region , with some 1.54 million workers , lost 5,500 positions .
Unemployment claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when California begins accepting applications from hundreds of thousands of self-employed workers and independent contractors , noted Lynn Reaser , an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego .
With the growth of gig economy companies such as Uber , Lyft and Instacart , that pool of workers has expanded rapidly in recent years .
Until now , gig workers have not been eligible for jobless benefits because the companies they work for do not pay state unemployment taxes .
But they ’ re explicitly included in the federal Coronavirus Aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known as CARES , which offers jobless workers up to $ 600 a week .
Economists offer varying assessments as to how long a coronavirus-induced recession might last .
Anderson , at the Bank of the West , predicted , “ We will be entering a multiyear process of recovery for the California economy , even in the best-case scenario where business shutdowns end and economic activity returns in the second half of this year.
” Reaser was somewhat more optimistic .
“ The steepness and suddenness of the decline is probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ However , the downturn is likely to be much shorter than the Depression of the 1930s , which spanned four years , and even the Great Recession , which lasted 18 months .
The economy is not in a downward spiral with no relief in prospect.
” And Sohn suggested California ’ s eventual recovery might be faster than the overall nation ’ s “ because technology has been the workhorse of the state ’ s recent economic expansion .
During this pandemic , remote communication , online shopping , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decline in the state ’ s employment.
” But , he cautioned , “ boosting production is easier than persuading consumers to visit restaurants and theaters .
Employees are eager to return to work after weeks of lockdown , but the psychological shock to the people and the economy should not be underestimated .
”

Myra Madrid, who worked for 10 years at Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, was among those visiting a food bank at L.A.’s Hospitality Training Academy in March.
California’s unemployment rate shot up in March as a statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect and overall payrolls shrank for the first time in a decade, state officials reported Friday.
The March report showed a jobless rate of 5.3%, up from 3.9% in February, the largest jump in more than four decades of state data collection. But the rate is based on a survey that ended March 12, so it doesn’t reflect the positions axed by thousands of employers in the second half of the month.
Through the first half of the month, the state lost 99,500 jobs. That ends a record 120-month streak of gains since the Great Recession.
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Both the U.S. jobless rate, which was 4.4% in March, and California’s rate have skyrocketed in recent weeks, according to economists who predict the state’s unemployment rate this year could climb to more than 16% and perhaps as high as 20%.
“California employment is in free fall and no bottom is yet in sight,” said Sung Won Sohn, a Loyola Marymount University economist. “Economic activities won’t recover sharply even when the lockdown ends.”
The grim news came the day after federal officials reported that 660,966 Californians had filed jobless claims in the week that ended April 11. Over four weeks, 2.7 million claims were processed statewide, amounting to 1 of every 7 workers in the state’s 19.3-million-person labor force.
Nationwide, some 22 million people have sought unemployment benefits in the last month, the largest number on record. In the Great Recession, employment declined by 8.6 million workers between November 2007 and December 2009.
The number of California jobs lost in March was the fourth-largest on record, driven by declines in six of 11 industry sectors. The leisure and hospitality sector shrank the most — losing 67,200 positions — largely because of closures of hotels, restaurants, food services and bars.
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“This is just the tip of the iceberg of what we are likely to see when the April California employment report is released,” said Scott Anderson, chief economist of the Bank of the West in San Francisco. “No sector of the economy will be spared before the job losses will be over.”
The state’s “other services” sector, which covers a mixture of businesses such as auto repair and dry cleaning, lost 15,500 positions. The construction sector shrank by 11,600.
The professional and business services sector, which includes some technology jobs, dropped by 8,600 positions. The manufacturing sector lost 5,300. The trade, transportation and utilities sector shrank by 4,600.
Retail trade was flat over the month. Amazon, Walmart and many grocery stores have hired thousands of workers in recent weeks as shoppers order goods online and crowd into markets to stock up on food. Those jobs are offset by furloughs at Macy’s, Kohl’s and other large department stores as well as thousands of smaller clothing stores and other nonessential-goods outlets.
The government sector posted the largest job gain of the month: 5,200 positions, mostly caused by a rise in local government employment. Federal government also grew, boosted by the hiring of U.S. census takers.
The financial activities sector grew by 4,000 jobs, and the information sector, which includes some software jobs, gained 2,600. Payrolls in the education and health services sector grew by 1,200. Mining and logging gained 300 positions.
California employers with more than 75 workers must report plant closures and mass layoffs to the California Employment Development Department under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, law. In the past, the agency issued two monthly reports, but so many companies have been laying off workers that the list is now updated daily.
The numbers reveal a rapid acceleration. In February, just 64 companies reported layoffs, totaling 7,164 workers. In March, 354 companies reported staff cuts, totaling 52,959. And in the first half of April, 1,377 employers reported shedding a combined 154,269 workers.
Thousands were laid off at hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, but pain has been felt across a wide variety of businesses. Among the largest layoffs were 3,029 at Pacific Dental Services, an Irvine-based chain; 2,250 at San Diego’s Sea World; 1,671 at YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles; 1,331 at LAZ Parking in Los Angeles; 1,900 at Hawaiian Gardens Casino and 893 at San Diego-based Core Power Yoga.
And the WARN report is far from complete. Not only does it not include layoffs at smaller companies, it also counts only workers who were employed for at least six of the 12 months before the layoffs. And last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended the law’s provision that employers give workers and the agency 60 days’ notice, so many companies have yet to file reports.
In Los Angeles County, the jobless rate jumped to 6.3% in March from 4.3% in February. Payrolls in the county, which total about 4.6 million jobs, shed 35,200.
In Orange County, unemployment grew to 3.6% from 2.8%. The county, with about 1.67 million workers, lost 13,200 jobs.
In the Inland Empire, spanning Riverside and San Bernardino counties, unemployment rose to 5.1% from 4%. The region, with some 1.54 million workers, lost 5,500 positions.
Unemployment claims will jump at the end of April when California begins accepting applications from hundreds of thousands of self-employed workers and independent contractors, noted Lynn Reaser, an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. With the growth of gig economy companies such as Uber, Lyft and Instacart, that pool of workers has expanded rapidly in recent years.
Until now, gig workers have not been eligible for jobless benefits because the companies they work for do not pay state unemployment taxes. But they’re explicitly included in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as CARES, which offers jobless workers up to $600 a week.
Economists offer varying assessments as to how long a coronavirus-induced recession might last.
Anderson, at the Bank of the West, predicted, “We will be entering a multiyear process of recovery for the California economy, even in the best-case scenario where business shutdowns end and economic activity returns in the second half of this year.”
Reaser was somewhat more optimistic.
“The steepness and suddenness of the decline is probably unparalleled in U.S. history,” she said. “However, the downturn is likely to be much shorter than the Depression of the 1930s, which spanned four years, and even the Great Recession, which lasted 18 months. The economy is not in a downward spiral with no relief in prospect.”
And Sohn suggested California’s eventual recovery might be faster than the overall nation’s “because technology has been the workhorse of the state’s recent economic expansion. During this pandemic, remote communication, online shopping, social media and digital streaming have limited the decline in the state’s employment.”
But, he cautioned, “boosting production is easier than persuading consumers to visit restaurants and theaters. Employees are eager to return to work after weeks of lockdown, but the psychological shock to the people and the economy should not be underestimated.”


latimes--2020-04-18--Newsom tells protesters of stay-at-home order he will be swayed by science, not politics

Gov .
Gavin Newsom had some advice Saturday for people upset over the shut-down order , some of whom have started holding public protests , including one Friday in Huntington Beach .
“ I just want to encourage people that when you practice your free speech — which I don ’ t [ just ] embrace , I celebrate — just do so safely .
This virus knows no political ideology .
It doesn ’ t know if you are Republican or Democrat , supporting the president , opposing the president , so practice physical distancing .
“ Make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even if you feel healthy and have no symptoms , you can spread this.
” The governor said he will not be swayed by public protests in deciding when to reopen the state .
“ We are going to do the right thing , not judge by politics , not judge by protests , but by science.
” A group of more than 100 protesters demanded that California ease stay-at-home restrictions that have helped slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The protesters claimed the dangers of the coronavirus and benefits of social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have shown the public supports the orders .

Supporters of President Trump rally against business closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic along Main Street in Huntington Beach.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had some advice Saturday for people upset over the shut-down order, some of whom have started holding public protests, including one Friday in Huntington Beach.
“I just want to encourage people that when you practice your free speech — which I don’t [just] embrace, I celebrate — just do so safely. This virus knows no political ideology. It doesn’t know if you are Republican or Democrat, supporting the president, opposing the president, so practice physical distancing.
“Make sure that you are not infecting others. Even if you feel healthy and have no symptoms, you can spread this.”
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The governor said he will not be swayed by public protests in deciding when to reopen the state.
“We are going to do the right thing, not judge by politics, not judge by protests, but by science.”
A group of more than 100 protesters demanded that California ease stay-at-home restrictions that have helped slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The protesters claimed the dangers of the coronavirus and benefits of social distancing are overblown, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.
Polls have shown the public supports the orders.


latimes--2020-04-18--Hundreds in Baldwin Hills left without power for more than 24 hours

A power outage in Baldwin Hills has left more than 500 households without electricity since early Friday afternoon , according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power .
The outage , which affects an area south of Jefferson Boulevard and east of La Cienega Boulevard , began around 1 p.m. Friday and was still ongoing as of 4 p.m. Saturday , utility spokeswoman Carol Tucker said .
The power loss initially affected 875 customers and was still a problem for 530 as of Saturday afternoon .
Frustrated residents had begun to pepper politicians with questions and complaints on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the neighborhood , said DWP representatives had kept pushing back the time when power was likely to be back .
Marquez said his food had spoiled because “ I didn ’ t get enough ice , because I thought it was going to be just a few hours.
” He was especially worried about his elderly neighbors , particularly those who don ’ t speak English .
“ We ’ ve kind of just — no pun intended — been left in the dark without any information , ” Marquez said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an underground circuit .
Underground equipment tends to take longer to repair “ because it ’ s harder to find where the actual problem is , ” she said .
“ They had to go in and replace cable and there ’ s a lot of splicing to do , ” Tucker said .
The utility estimated that power would be restored around 6 p.m. Saturday .

A power outage in Baldwin Hills has left more than 500 households without electricity since early Friday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The outage, which affects an area south of Jefferson Boulevard and east of La Cienega Boulevard, began around 1 p.m. Friday and was still ongoing as of 4 p.m. Saturday, utility spokeswoman Carol Tucker said. The power loss initially affected 875 customers and was still a problem for 530 as of Saturday afternoon.
Frustrated residents had begun to pepper politicians with questions and complaints on Twitter. Ricardo Marquez, who lives in the neighborhood, said DWP representatives had kept pushing back the time when power was likely to be back.
Marquez said his food had spoiled because “I didn’t get enough ice, because I thought it was going to be just a few hours.”
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He was especially worried about his elderly neighbors, particularly those who don’t speak English. “We’ve kind of just — no pun intended — been left in the dark without any information,” Marquez said.
Tucker said the problem was traced to an underground circuit. Underground equipment tends to take longer to repair “because it’s harder to find where the actual problem is,” she said.
“They had to go in and replace cable and there’s a lot of splicing to do,” Tucker said.
The utility estimated that power would be restored around 6 p.m. Saturday.


latimes--2020-04-18--Marijuana entrepreneurs sue L.A. over 'flawed' process for approving pot shops

Cannabis entrepreneurs who want licenses to open new shops in Los Angeles are suing the city , arguing that an application process flooded by hundreds of competitors was “ flawed ” and unfairly implemented .
The lawsuit , filed this week by the Social Equity Owners and Workers Assn .
and one of its members , is pushing for the city to vet every one of the applications turned in under a first-come , first-served process for a limited number of licenses — or to roll out a new process that gives everyone “ an equal , fair and transparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group filed its suit less than three weeks after a long-awaited audit of the hotly contested process for handing out L.A. licenses for new shops was released .
Hundreds of people rushed to turn in applications in September , vying to be first in line for just 100 licenses that were expected to be awarded through the process .
Mere seconds made the difference in whether someone had a shot .
When marijuana applicants discovered that some people started their applications before the official 10 a.m. launch time , many argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City officials called for an audit scrutinizing what had happened , and the licensing process was put on hold for months .
The audit , conducted by Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting , found that although some applicants got into Los Angeles ’ application system ahead of its official launch time , the city took “ reasonable and appropriate ” steps to prevent any unfair advantage — by pushing their applications back in line to where they would be if they began the process at 10am .
The city administrative officer , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newly released report found “ no evidence of bias or unfairness ” and that the city should press forward with awarding licenses .
Critics pointed out , however , that the audit also showed that the department had told some applicants they couldn ’ t sign onto the online system at all before 10 a.m. , a necessary step before beginning their applications .
That wasn ’ t accurate — and auditors found it could have put some marijuana entrepreneurs at a disadvantage because they waited to do so .
The audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform before 10 a.m. , although only 14 of them actually started their applications before that time .
The Social Equity Owners and Workers Assn .
argued in its lawsuit that those 226 applicants had a “ significant advantage ” over others who waited until 10 a.m. to log on .
“ Fundamental to any fair race is that the competitors must start at the same time or , at the very least , be given accurate information about when the race will begin , ” the group argued .
“ The record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The group added that “ despite a diligent effort to do so , ” it had not been able to “ identify a single applicant that started the application process at the designated 10:00 a.m. processing period that was selected to move on to the next phase.
” Attorneys representing both the group and one of its members , cannabis applicant Madison Shockley III , in the newly filed case did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment .
The Department of Cannabis Regulation declined to comment .
Rob Wilcox , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Feuer , said Saturday that their office would review the complaint and had no further comment .
Cat Packer , executive director of the cannabis department , recently issued a report recommending key changes to the next round of the application and licensing process , including tightening criteria for entrepreneurs to qualify for its “ social equity ” program , which aims to assist cannabis entrepreneurs from communities hit hardest by the war on drugs .
Packer also recommended a new benefit for applicants who were unable to snag licenses for new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year : Giving them “ priority processing ” for opening other kinds of cannabis businesses such as delivery or manufacturing .
The City Council has yet to approve those recommendations .

Cannabis entrepreneurs who want licenses to open new shops in Los Angeles are suing the city, arguing that an application process flooded by hundreds of competitors was “flawed” and unfairly implemented.
The lawsuit, filed this week by the Social Equity Owners and Workers Assn. and one of its members, is pushing for the city to vet every one of the applications turned in under a first-come, first-served process for a limited number of licenses — or to roll out a new process that gives everyone “an equal, fair and transparent opportunity” to compete for a license.
The group filed its suit less than three weeks after a long-awaited audit of the hotly contested process for handing out L.A. licenses for new shops was released.
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Hundreds of people rushed to turn in applications in September, vying to be first in line for just 100 licenses that were expected to be awarded through the process. Mere seconds made the difference in whether someone had a shot.
When marijuana applicants discovered that some people started their applications before the official 10 a.m. launch time, many argued that the process had been tainted. City officials called for an audit scrutinizing what had happened, and the licensing process was put on hold for months.
The audit, conducted by Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, found that although some applicants got into Los Angeles’ application system ahead of its official launch time, the city took “reasonable and appropriate” steps to prevent any unfair advantage — by pushing their applications back in line to where they would be if they began the process at 10am.
The city administrative officer, one of the top officials in Los Angeles, said the newly released report found “no evidence of bias or unfairness” and that the city should press forward with awarding licenses.
Critics pointed out, however, that the audit also showed that the department had told some applicants they couldn’t sign onto the online system at all before 10 a.m., a necessary step before beginning their applications. That wasn’t accurate — and auditors found it could have put some marijuana entrepreneurs at a disadvantage because they waited to do so.
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The audit found that 226 applicants accessed the online platform before 10 a.m., although only 14 of them actually started their applications before that time. The Social Equity Owners and Workers Assn. argued in its lawsuit that those 226 applicants had a “significant advantage” over others who waited until 10 a.m. to log on.
“Fundamental to any fair race is that the competitors must start at the same time or, at the very least, be given accurate information about when the race will begin,” the group argued. “The record demonstrates that this did not occur.”
The group added that “despite a diligent effort to do so,” it had not been able to “identify a single applicant that started the application process at the designated 10:00 a.m. processing period that was selected to move on to the next phase.”
Attorneys representing both the group and one of its members, cannabis applicant Madison Shockley III, in the newly filed case did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment.
The Department of Cannabis Regulation declined to comment. Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, said Saturday that their office would review the complaint and had no further comment.
Cat Packer, executive director of the cannabis department, recently issued a report recommending key changes to the next round of the application and licensing process, including tightening criteria for entrepreneurs to qualify for its “social equity” program, which aims to assist cannabis entrepreneurs from communities hit hardest by the war on drugs.
Packer also recommended a new benefit for applicants who were unable to snag licenses for new shops during the heavily contested process last year: Giving them “priority processing” for opening other kinds of cannabis businesses such as delivery or manufacturing. The City Council has yet to approve those recommendations.


latimes--2020-04-18--Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole resigns, citing divisions over coronavirus budget cuts

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole resigned Friday , citing divisions over drastic budget cuts as the novel coronavirus decimates the wealthy beach city ’ s tax revenue .
With restaurants , bars and stores closed since mid-March to prevent the spread of the virus , city officials are projecting a $ 72-million shortfall through the end of June and another $ 154-million shortfall for the following year .
Cole has been under fire by some residents who accuse him of rushing to cut programs and city staff .
A petition demanding the removal of Cole and Assistant City Manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Rick and Katie are abusing power while the city is in a state of emergency and also are exploiting the emergency to blame the coronavirus for the dire financial situation we are in , ” the petition states .
In a farewell message on the city ’ s website , Cole said the huge budget shortfall created by the need for social distancing “ puts us all in a nearly impossible situation.
” “ It almost certainly will result in personnel reductions that will be devastating to the livelihoods of colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and devastating to community services I ’ ve been committed to enhancing , ” he wrote .
He said he was recognizing his own limits and offering to step down to facilitate the necessary top-to-bottom restructuring in city government .
He also cited the stress of serving as the city ’ s emergency service director during the coronavirus pandemic , which he said “ has put me squarely in the line of fire for anyone dissatisfied with any aspect of the city ’ s response to the emergency.
” On Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for city workers to leave their jobs , with payouts of $ 10,000 or $ 15,000 , depending on tenure .
Cole , who made more than $ 340,000 a year , had agreed to take a 20 % pay cut .
The council scheduled a special meeting for Saturday afternoon to consider Cole ’ s resignation and appoint an interim city manager .
Mayor Kevin McKeown said he was grateful for Cole ’ s “ steady hand ” and guidance on issues including the Expo Line ’ s extension to Santa Monica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s airport .
“ He ’ s put his heart and soul into making Santa Monica a model of 21st-century city government , data-driven , focused and collaborative , ” McKeown said in a written statement .
“ I can only imagine how painful it is for him now to demonstrate , through his own action , how the coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic collapse have made agonizing sacrifices inevitable , right up to the top office in City Hall.
” Cole has decades of experience in government , beginning as a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azusa and Ventura .
He was appointed Santa Monica city manager in 2015 after serving as a Los Angeles deputy mayor overseeing budget , innovation and technology .
In cities like Santa Monica , the city manager wields enormous power as the chief day-to-day administrator in charge of implementing the policies set by the elected city council .
Many residents have written to city officials , urging them not to cut programs like youth sports and the city ’ s environmental sustainability office .
“ It is hard to believe that a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make these cuts so abruptly , ” wrote one resident , Amy Bentz .
“ Once the COVID-19 recession has passed we will still need these valuable programs to support our youth.
” At the Tuesday city council meeting , held remotely , Cole warned of the financial hardship ahead .
He noted that residents have creative ideas for avoiding cuts to popular programs , when many of those solutions are not possible due to bureaucratic constraints .
“ If I have to be the scapegoat for this , if I have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am prepared to do that , because that ’ s my job under the charter , ” he said .
“ That ’ s what you hired me to do .
”

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole resigned Friday, citing divisions over drastic budget cuts as the novel coronavirus decimates the wealthy beach city’s tax revenue.
With restaurants, bars and stores closed since mid-March to prevent the spread of the virus, city officials are projecting a $72-million shortfall through the end of June and an additional $154-million shortfall for the following year.
Cole has been under fire by some residents who accuse him of rushing to cut programs and city staff. A petition demanding the removal of Cole and Assistant City Manager Katie Lichtig received more than 2,800 signatures.
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“Rick and Katie are abusing power while the city is in a state of emergency and also are exploiting the emergency to blame the coronavirus for the dire financial situation we are in,” the petition states.
In a farewell message on the city’s website, Cole said the huge budget shortfall created by the need for social distancing “puts us all in a nearly impossible situation.”
“It almost certainly will result in personnel reductions that will be devastating to the livelihoods of colleagues I’ve been proud to lead — and devastating to community services I’ve been committed to enhancing,” he wrote.
He said he was recognizing his own limits and offering to step down to facilitate the necessary top-to-bottom restructuring in city government.
He also cited the stress of serving as the city’s emergency service director during the coronavirus pandemic, which he said “has put me squarely in the line of fire for anyone dissatisfied with any aspect of the city’s response to the emergency.”
On Tuesday, the City Council approved an incentive plan for city workers to leave their jobs, with payouts of $10,000 or $15,000, depending on tenure.
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Cole, who made more than $340,000 a year, had agreed to take a 20% pay cut.
The council scheduled a special meeting for Saturday afternoon to consider Cole’s resignation and appoint an interim city manager.
Mayor Kevin McKeown said he was grateful for Cole’s “steady hand” and guidance on issues including the Expo Line’s extension to Santa Monica and the closure of the city’s airport.
“He’s put his heart and soul into making Santa Monica a model of 21st century city government, data-driven, focused and collaborative,” McKeown said in a written statement. “I can only imagine how painful it is for him now to demonstrate, through his own action, how the coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic collapse have made agonizing sacrifices inevitable, right up to the top office in City Hall.”
Cole has decades of experience in government, beginning as a city councilman in Pasadena and city manager in Azusa and Ventura. He was appointed Santa Monica city manager in 2015 after serving as a Los Angeles deputy mayor overseeing budget, innovation and technology.
In cities like Santa Monica, the city manager wields enormous power as the chief day-to-day administrator in charge of implementing the policies set by the elected city council.
Many residents have written to city officials, urging them not to cut programs such as youth sports and the city’s environmental sustainability office.
“It is hard to believe that a city as wealthy as Santa Monica has to make these cuts so abruptly,” wrote one resident, Amy Bentz. “Once the COVID-19 recession has passed we will still need these valuable programs to support our youth.”
At the Tuesday City Council meeting, held remotely, Cole warned of the financial hardship ahead. He noted that residents have creative ideas for avoiding cuts to popular programs, when many of those solutions are not possible due to bureaucratic constraints.
“If I have to be the scapegoat for this, if I have to be the teller of bad news, I am prepared to do that, because that’s my job under the charter,” he said. “That’s what you hired me to do.”


latimes--2020-04-18--L.A. County reports 81 new coronavirus deaths, highest one-day total by far

Los Angeles County on Saturday reported 81 new deaths related to COVID-19 , the county ’ s highest one-day death toll from the disease by far .
“ Today marks a very sad milestone for our county , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , said in a statement .
“ We are reporting the highest number of COVID-19 deaths for any one day since the beginning of the pandemic , and our deepest condolences go out to each and every person grieving the loss of their loved ones.
” In the last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled and now stand at more than 570 , she said .
Of the people who most recently died , 56 were older than 65 , 18 were 41 to 65 , and one person was 18 to 40 , Ferrer said .
Sixty-three of the people had underlying health conditions .
The county also announced 642 additional coronavirus cases Saturday .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , reported an additional death and 30 new cases Saturday , for a total of 12,051 cases and 577 deaths in L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the overwhelming number of residents residing in our nursing homes who have passed away , ” Ferrer said , noting that she ’ s asked for state and federal support to help ensure that nursing homes are safe .
“ This includes asking for supplementary staffing and PPE [ personal protective equipment ] , increased ability to test residents and employees , and improvements in infection control capacity at nursing homes , ” she said .
have become a tragic focal point of the coronavirus pandemic , with their elderly residents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , accounting for a large percentage of COVID-19 deaths across the country .
For the first time , California Department of Health officials on Saturday detailed the names of nursing homes across the state with COVID-19 outbreaks and the number of cases at each facility .
The California Health Department list names with more than 3,000 positive cases among residents and staff .
said the list was a snapshot representing the 86 % of the state ’ s 1,224 skilled-nursing facilities that have reported data within the last 24 hours .
The rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials continue to ramp up efforts to improve access to testing .
More than 76,000 residents had been tested and had received their results as of Saturday , with about 14 % testing positive , Ferrer said .
New testing sites will open Monday in Bell , at Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello , and at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital in MacArthur Park , county Supervisor Hilda Solis said .
A drive-up testing site at PIH Health Whittier Hospital also will open Monday , county officials announced Saturday .
Any resident with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they said .
People will stay in their cars for tests , which they will administer themselves by swabbing their own throats using instructions provided onsite , officials said .
Results will be provided within two to three days , the county said .
“ Expanding our testing capacity and ensuring residents have easy access to testing is helping us understand the spread of this virus and will be critical to easing restrictions when that time comes , ” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement .
For now , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect , and officials say it ’ s critical for residents to continue to comply in order to slow the virus ’ spread .
In the city of Los Angeles and many others , residents are also required to wear masks when leaving their homes to visit grocery stores , pharmacies and other establishments to take advantage of essential services .
Several cities in Orange County have passed similar rules requiring face coverings .
In Brea , a drive-through face mask giveaway led to so much traffic congestion on Saturday that police shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take alternate routes .
The giveaway took place at AST Sportswear on Imperial Highway near Kraemer Boulevard , the Brea Police Department said on Twitter .
The company was reportedly giving away 20,000 masks .
Orange County recorded four additional deaths and 63 new cases on Saturday , for a total of 1,556 cases , including 32 deaths .
A total of 155 people were hospitalized , with 59 of them in ICUs .
As of Saturday , 17,616 people had been tested , with 1,245 of them tested between Friday and Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riverside County , people are required to wear face coverings when leaving their homes for any reason .
The county reported five more deaths and 145 more cases of the coronavirus on Saturday for a total of 72 deaths and 2,602 cases .
Of those , 215 people were hospitalized , with 69 of them in ICUs .
A total of 32,779 residents had been tested , as of Saturday .
Officials there have also banned public and private gatherings of any size and prohibited short-term lodging facilities from operating until June 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to avoid recreational travel to mountain communities .
In particular , they warned that sheriff ’ s deputies would be keeping a close eye on the town of Idyllwild over the weekend after county Supervisor Chuck Washington ’ s office received complaints from residents who witnessed visitors the weekend before .
“ I was deeply disturbed to learn that people blatantly defied the state and county stay-at-home orders last weekend and risked the health and safety of Idyllwild residents , ” Washington said in a statement .
“ I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the mountain areas this weekend and be on the lookout for non-essential visitors.
” Statewide , another 87 people died in the 24-hour period ending Friday night , bringing California ’ s total death toll to 1,072 , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Saturday .
“ For those who think we are out of the woods … I caution you on the basis of that 87 number , ” Newsom said .
“ That represents one of the highest number of deaths the state has experienced since the beginning of this process.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in California had grown to 3,221 , a 1.3 % rise from the day before .
A total of 1,173 of those patients were in intensive care units , a decline of .1 % from the day before , Newsom said .
Officials consider those statistics to be key indicators of whether the state ’ s social distancing rules are making a difference and how soon they can be relaxed .
“ I reference hospitalization and ICU numbers as very , very important numbers in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loosening up the stay-at-home orders , ” Newsom said .
“ We ’ ve certainly flattened the curve .
The question is when are we going to see those numbers start to decline on a consistent basis as opposed to an episodic basis as we have seen over the last week or so.
” Newsom had some advice Saturday for people upset over the orders , some of whom have started holding public protests , including one Friday in Huntington Beach .
“ I just want to encourage people that when you practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t [ just ] embrace , I celebrate , just do so safely , ” he said .
“ This virus knows no political ideology .
It doesn ’ t know if you are Republican or Democrat , supporting the president , opposing the president , so practice physical distancing.
” The governor said he will not be swayed by public protests in deciding when to reopen the state .
“ We are going to do the right thing , not judge by politics , not judge by protests , but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reversing some closures forced by the pandemic .
County officials said in a news release that they were able to reopen the public spaces because residents “ have been very cooperative in complying ” with public health orders that they stay at home .
“ This is one step on the road to reopening , ” Mike Powers , the county ’ s chief executive , said in a statement .
Ventura County had reported 396 cases and 13 deaths as of Friday afternoon .

Alex Wigglesworth, Patrick McGreevy, Jack Dolan, Anita Chabria

Pedestrians wear protective masks as they walk along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Los Angeles County on Saturday reported 81 new deaths related to COVID-19, the county’s highest one-day death toll from the disease by far.
“Today marks a very sad milestone for our county,” Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said in a statement. “We are reporting the highest number of COVID-19 deaths for any one day since the beginning of the pandemic, and our deepest condolences go out to each and every person grieving the loss of their loved ones.”
In the last week, deaths among L.A. County residents have roughly doubled and now stand at more than 570, she said.
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Of the people who most recently died, 56 were older than 65, 18 were 41 to 65, and one person was 18 to 40, Ferrer said. Sixty-three of the people had underlying health conditions.
The county also announced 642 additional coronavirus cases Saturday. Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported an additional death and 30 new cases Saturday, for a total of 12,051 cases and 577 deaths in L.A. County.
“We are especially concerned about the overwhelming number of residents residing in our nursing homes who have passed away,” Ferrer said, noting that she’s asked for state and federal support to help ensure that nursing homes are safe.
“This includes asking for supplementary staffing and PPE [personal protective equipment], increased ability to test residents and employees, and improvements in infection control capacity at nursing homes,” she said.
Nursing homes have become a tragic focal point of the coronavirus pandemic, with their elderly residents, many of whom have underlying health conditions, accounting for a large percentage of COVID-19 deaths across the country.
For the first time, California Department of Health officials on Saturday detailed the names of nursing homes across the state with COVID-19 outbreaks and the number of cases at each facility.
The California Health Department list names 261 skilled-nursing facilities across the state with more than 3,000 positive cases among residents and staff. The health department website said the list was a snapshot representing the 86% of the state’s 1,224 skilled-nursing facilities that have reported data within the last 24 hours.
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The rise in cases in L.A. County comes as officials continue to ramp up efforts to improve access to testing.
More than 76,000 residents had been tested and had received their results as of Saturday, with about 14% testing positive, Ferrer said.
New testing sites will open Monday in Bell, at Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello, and at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital in MacArthur Park, county Supervisor Hilda Solis said.
A drive-up testing site at PIH Health Whittier Hospital also will open Monday, county officials announced Saturday. Any resident with symptoms of COVID-19 can make an appointment, they said.
People will stay in their cars for tests, which they will administer themselves by swabbing their own throats using instructions provided onsite, officials said. Results will be provided within two to three days, the county said.
“Expanding our testing capacity and ensuring residents have easy access to testing is helping us understand the spread of this virus and will be critical to easing restrictions when that time comes,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
For now, the county’s stay-at-home order remains in effect, and officials say it’s critical for residents to continue to comply in order to slow the virus’ spread. In the city of Los Angeles and many others, residents are also required to wear masks when leaving their homes to visit grocery stores, pharmacies and other establishments to take advantage of essential services.
Several cities in Orange County have passed similar rules requiring face coverings.
In Brea, a drive-through face mask giveaway led to so much traffic congestion on Saturday that police shut down turn lanes and advised people to take alternate routes.
The giveaway took place at AST Sportswear on Imperial Highway near Kraemer Boulevard, the Brea Police Department said on Twitter. The company was reportedly giving away 20,000 masks.
Orange County recorded four additional deaths and 63 new cases on Saturday, for a total of 1,556 cases, including 32 deaths. A total of 155 people were hospitalized, with 59 of them in ICUs. As of Saturday, 17,616 people had been tested, with 1,245 of them tested between Friday and Saturday alone, the county reported.
In Riverside County, people are required to wear face coverings when leaving their homes for any reason. The county reported five more deaths and 145 more cases of the coronavirus on Saturday for a total of 72 deaths and 2,602 cases. Of those, 215 people were hospitalized, with 69 of them in ICUs. A total of 32,779 residents had been tested, as of Saturday.
Officials there have also banned public and private gatherings of any size and prohibited short-term lodging facilities from operating until June 19.
County officials issued a reminder Friday for people to avoid recreational travel to mountain communities. In particular, they warned that sheriff’s deputies would be keeping a close eye on the town of Idyllwild over the weekend after county Supervisor Chuck Washington’s office received complaints from residents who witnessed visitors the weekend before.
“I was deeply disturbed to learn that people blatantly defied the state and county stay-at-home orders last weekend and risked the health and safety of Idyllwild residents,” Washington said in a statement. “I’ve asked Sheriff Bianco to pay extra attention to the mountain areas this weekend and be on the lookout for non-essential visitors.”
Statewide, another 87 people died in the 24-hour period ending Friday night, bringing California’s total death toll to 1,072, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday.
“For those who think we are out of the woods … I caution you on the basis of that 87 number,” Newsom said. “That represents one of the highest number of deaths the state has experienced since the beginning of this process.”
As of Friday night, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in California had grown to 3,221, a 1.3% rise from the day before. A total of 1,173 of those patients were in intensive care units, a decline of .1% from the day before, Newsom said.
Officials consider those statistics to be key indicators of whether the state’s social distancing rules are making a difference and how soon they can be relaxed.
“I reference hospitalization and ICU numbers as very, very important numbers in terms of our determination of when we can start loosening up the stay-at-home orders,” Newsom said. “We’ve certainly flattened the curve. The question is when are we going to see those numbers start to decline on a consistent basis as opposed to an episodic basis as we have seen over the last week or so.”
Newsom had some advice Saturday for people upset over the orders, some of whom have started holding public protests, including one Friday in Huntington Beach.
“I just want to encourage people that when you practice your free speech, which I don’t [just] embrace, I celebrate, just do so safely,” he said. “This virus knows no political ideology. It doesn’t know if you are Republican or Democrat, supporting the president, opposing the president, so practice physical distancing.”
The governor said he will not be swayed by public protests in deciding when to reopen the state.
“We are going to do the right thing, not judge by politics, not judge by protests, but by science.”
At least one county already was reversing some closures forced by the pandemic.
Ventura County reopened county parks at 5 p.m. Friday. Playgrounds, tennis courts, community centers, campgrounds and golf courses remained closed.
County officials said in a news release that they were able to reopen the public spaces because residents “have been very cooperative in complying” with public health orders that they stay at home.
“This is one step on the road to reopening,” Mike Powers, the county’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Ventura County had reported 396 cases and 13 deaths as of Friday afternoon.


latimes--2020-04-18--Some cities are blocking California efforts to protect homeless people from coronavirus, Newsom says

California ’ s effort to move homeless people into hotel and motel rooms to protect them from the coronavirus has gotten thousands off the streets , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Saturday , but advocates say the program has been slow and uneven in some areas , hampered by red tape and local opposition .
Appearing at a Motel 6 in Campbell in hard-hit Santa Clara County , Newsom said Saturday that his Project Roomkey has so far secured 10,974 hotel and motel rooms for homeless people and that 4,211 — about 38 % — are occupied .
Newsom cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks to procure these sites to start getting people off the streets , out of the shelters and into these safer settings.
” The governor , who wore a protective face mask as he arrived at the event , also announced that the Motel 6 chain has offered to house homeless people at an additional 47 motels in 19 California counties that have about 5,025 rooms .
Still , he acknowledged that Project Roomkey is facing some obstacles at the local level .
Cities , including Laguna Hills in Orange County , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotels .
“ Cities are blocking these efforts at a time of crisis , ” Newsom said without naming any resistant municipalities .
“ Cities that are blocking those efforts — please consider the morality of those decisions.
” The original goal of the governor ’ s project was to secure 15,000 rooms throughout California so that homeless people could protect themselves from conditions such as those on the street and in crowded homeless shelters , where the coronavirus can spread .
But the effort is moving too slowly , said Elizabeth A.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance for Human Rights , which last month sued Los Angeles city and county officials to force action .
Setting a goal of providing 15,000 hotel and motel rooms is laudable , she said .
“ Yet it is not happening fast enough , nor do they have anywhere near the number [ of rooms ] needed , ” Mitchell said Friday .
“ They seem to be bogged down with bureaucratic procedures and are not moving with the alacrity and urgency needed.
” California has the largest homeless population of any state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people living on the street or in vehicles .
Public health officials worry people in crowded homeless encampments are particularly susceptible to the spread of the virus .
The pandemic has infected nearly 30,000 Californians , including more than 1,000 who have died .
Newsom announced a month ago that money was being allocated to provide hotel and motel rooms and trailers to house medically vulnerable homeless people including those exposed to the virus .
California was the first state to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency approval to provide shelter to tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the state and county agencies had moved 869 homeless people off the street and identified 6,867 hotel and motel rooms that were available .
The governor allocated $ 50 million to buy or lease hotel and motel rooms to provide at least 90 days of shelter for medically vulnerable homeless people , and $ 100 million more for grants to provide support services .
The housing program prioritizes homeless people who are at high risk , including those over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions , and those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus and don ’ t require hospitalization , but who need to be quarantined .
Newsom said Saturday that he is in discussions with legislative leaders about the possibility of buying some of the motels where homeless people have been sheltered with the idea of providing more permanent housing .
Still , Newsom acknowledged this week that the program ’ s record has been mixed .
Homeless people are in motels and hotels in 42 of the state ’ s 58 counties , he said .
“ I deeply recognize the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly some people are utilizing the resources the state has been making available and how others are still struggling to do that , ” Newsom said Thursday .
The governor said the state will “ help support those that aren ’ t able to quickly amass their resources to match our resources.
” Counties are responsible for making the program happen , and Newsom singled out Los Angeles County among others for doing a good job at moving the homeless to hotel rooms .
Los Angeles County has about 60,000 homeless people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Los Angeles .
The county has separately set its own goal of putting 15,000 homeless people in hotel rooms .
So far , the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has placed 629 homeless people in 10 hotels and motels countywide , with a target of reaching 1,000 people by the end of next week , according to Heidi Marston , the agency ’ s interim executive director .
“ Among the devastating impacts of COVID-19 , the swift action of our response and the momentum we are gaining , brings a glimmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we know how to and can resolve our homelessness crisis , ” Marston said Friday .
San Bernardino County has , as of Friday , placed 231 homeless people in hotel and motel rooms and trailers , while Riverside County has sheltered 318 people with hopes of helping more by the end of this week , representatives said .
“ We have had an outpouring of support from the hotel and motel industry and have been placing these individuals throughout all of Riverside County , ” said county spokeswoman Brooke Federico , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 rooms .
“ The intention of this program is to protect some or most vulnerable residents , ” she said , adding that the county is working on eventually moving people into more permanent housing .
But other counties have lagged .
Project Roomkey has so far seen “ varying results around the state , ” said Christopher Martin , a legislative advocate for the advocacy group Housing California , which supports the governor ’ s program .
One challenge Martin has seen is securing support services for each motel where homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure meals , medical services , and in many places security since motels have street-facing doors , ” Martin said .
Some counties have identified hundreds of hotel and motel rooms , but the number of people occupying rooms is much smaller .
Orange County has placed 37 homeless people in hotel or motel rooms as of Friday , including 18 who are sick or symptomatic of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , and who are isolated in a motel in the city of Orange .
Overall it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms at hotels and motels in Anaheim , Huntington Beach , Laguna Hills , Stanton and Orange , although the first two cities will start receiving people next week , according to Jessica Good , a spokeswoman for the county Health Care Agency .
The county ’ s plan for the Laguna Hills Inn has been temporarily placed on hold after a lawsuit by the city of Laguna Hills sought to block converting the 76-room hotel into temporary housing and medical facilities for those without shelter .
The city argued that putting sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hills Inn created a potential health risk for customers of nearby businesses and residents of surrounding neighborhoods .
A court hearing is scheduled for Monday .
When asked about the governor ’ s criticism Saturday , Laguna Hills spokeswoman Cindy Sands said in an email that “ community health and safety is our top priority.
” The program is being managed in Orange County by Illumination Foundation , which will provide medical oversight , security , on-site meals and support services .
Those housed in the hotels will be able to leave only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no visitors are allowed in order to follow self-quarantine and isolation protocols , Good said .
FEMA agreed to reimburse the state and counties for up to 75 % of the costs of the sheltering program , which also provides meals , security and cleaning services .
“ Homeless Californians are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19 and often have no option to self-isolate or social distance , ” Newsom said when he announced the program .
“ By helping the most vulnerable homeless individuals off the street and into isolation , California can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations , lower the number of people infected and protect critical healthcare resources.
” The state also has set a goal of purchasing 1,305 trailers to be used by local governments to shelter homeless people away from others .
On Saturday , Newsom said the state has so far secured 1,133 trailers that are spread across 13 counties .
“ Without these isolation units , their only choice is to return to a congregate shelter setting or back to an encampment — both of which would lead to further spread of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the statement announcing the program .

California’s effort to move homeless people into hotel and motel rooms to protect them from the coronavirus has gotten thousands off the streets, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday, but advocates say the program has been slow and uneven in some areas, hampered by red tape and local opposition.
Appearing at a Motel 6 in Campbell in hard-hit Santa Clara County, Newsom said Saturday that his Project Roomkey has so far secured 10,974 hotel and motel rooms for homeless people and that 4,211 — about 38% — are occupied.
Newsom cited “real progress in just a few weeks to procure these sites to start getting people off the streets, out of the shelters and into these safer settings.”
The governor, who wore a protective face mask as he arrived at the event, also announced that the Motel 6 chain has offered to house homeless people at an additional 47 motels in 19 California counties that have about 5,025 rooms.
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Still, he acknowledged that Project Roomkey is facing some obstacles at the local level. Cities, including Laguna Hills in Orange County, are fighting efforts to put homeless people in hotels.
“Cities are blocking these efforts at a time of crisis,” Newsom said without naming any resistant municipalities. “Cities that are blocking those efforts — please consider the morality of those decisions.”
The original goal of the governor’s project was to secure 15,000 rooms throughout California so that homeless people could protect themselves from conditions such as those on the street and in crowded homeless shelters, where the coronavirus can spread.
But the effort is moving too slowly, said Elizabeth A. Mitchell, an attorney for the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which last month sued Los Angeles city and county officials to force action.
Setting a goal of providing 15,000 hotel and motel rooms is laudable, she said.
“Yet it is not happening fast enough, nor do they have anywhere near the number [of rooms] needed,” Mitchell said Friday. “They seem to be bogged down with bureaucratic procedures and are not moving with the alacrity and urgency needed.”
California has the largest homeless population of any state in the country — with some 108,000 people living on the street or in vehicles. Public health officials worry people in crowded homeless encampments are particularly susceptible to the spread of the virus.
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The pandemic has infected nearly 30,000 Californians, including more than 1,000 who have died.
Newsom announced a month ago that money was being allocated to provide hotel and motel rooms and trailers to house medically vulnerable homeless people including those exposed to the virus.
California was the first state to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency approval to provide shelter to tens of thousands of homeless people. At that time, the state and county agencies had moved 869 homeless people off the street and identified 6,867 hotel and motel rooms that were available.
The governor allocated $50 million to buy or lease hotel and motel rooms to provide at least 90 days of shelter for medically vulnerable homeless people, and $100 million more for grants to provide support services.
The housing program prioritizes homeless people who are at high risk, including those over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions, and those who have been exposed to or tested positive for the coronavirus and don’t require hospitalization, but who need to be quarantined.
Newsom said Saturday that he is in discussions with legislative leaders about the possibility of buying some of the motels where homeless people have been sheltered with the idea of providing more permanent housing.
Still, Newsom acknowledged this week that the program’s record has been mixed. Homeless people are in motels and hotels in 42 of the state’s 58 counties, he said.
“I deeply recognize the disparities within cities and counties about how quickly some people are utilizing the resources the state has been making available and how others are still struggling to do that,” Newsom said Thursday.
The governor said the state will “help support those that aren’t able to quickly amass their resources to match our resources.”
Counties are responsible for making the program happen, and Newsom singled out Los Angeles County among others for doing a good job at moving the homeless to hotel rooms.
Los Angeles County has about 60,000 homeless people, including some 36,000 living in the city of Los Angeles. The county has separately set its own goal of putting 15,000 homeless people in hotel rooms.
So far, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has placed 629 homeless people in 10 hotels and motels countywide, with a target of reaching 1,000 people by the end of next week, according to Heidi Marston, the agency’s interim executive director.
“Among the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the swift action of our response and the momentum we are gaining, brings a glimmer of hope to people experiencing homelessness, that we know how to and can resolve our homelessness crisis,” Marston said Friday.
San Bernardino County has, as of Friday, placed 231 homeless people in hotel and motel rooms and trailers, while Riverside County has sheltered 318 people with hopes of helping more by the end of this week, representatives said.
“We have had an outpouring of support from the hotel and motel industry and have been placing these individuals throughout all of Riverside County,” said county spokeswoman Brooke Federico, noting that businesses have offered more than 2,000 rooms.
“The intention of this program is to protect some or most vulnerable residents,” she said, adding that the county is working on eventually moving people into more permanent housing.
But other counties have lagged. Project Roomkey has so far seen “varying results around the state,” said Christopher Martin, a legislative advocate for the advocacy group Housing California, which supports the governor’s program.
One challenge Martin has seen is securing support services for each motel where homeless people are housed.
“They need to secure meals, medical services, and in many places security since motels have street-facing doors,” Martin said.
Some counties have identified hundreds of hotel and motel rooms, but the number of people occupying rooms is much smaller.
Orange County has placed 37 homeless people in hotel or motel rooms as of Friday, including 18 who are sick or symptomatic of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and who are isolated in a motel in the city of Orange.
Overall it has arranged for the potential use of 545 rooms at hotels and motels in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Laguna Hills, Stanton and Orange, although the first two cities will start receiving people next week, according to Jessica Good, a spokeswoman for the county Health Care Agency.
The county’s plan for the Laguna Hills Inn has been temporarily placed on hold after a lawsuit by the city of Laguna Hills sought to block converting the 76-room hotel into temporary housing and medical facilities for those without shelter.
The city argued that putting sick and at-risk homeless people in the Laguna Hills Inn created a potential health risk for customers of nearby businesses and residents of surrounding neighborhoods. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday.
When asked about the governor’s criticism Saturday, Laguna Hills spokeswoman Cindy Sands said in an email that “community health and safety is our top priority.”
The program is being managed in Orange County by Illumination Foundation, which will provide medical oversight, security, on-site meals and support services.
Those housed in the hotels will be able to leave only by a van provided by the foundation and no visitors are allowed in order to follow self-quarantine and isolation protocols, Good said.
FEMA agreed to reimburse the state and counties for up to 75% of the costs of the sheltering program, which also provides meals, security and cleaning services.
“Homeless Californians are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19 and often have no option to self-isolate or social distance,” Newsom said when he announced the program. “By helping the most vulnerable homeless individuals off the street and into isolation, California can slow the spread of COVID-19 through homeless populations, lower the number of people infected and protect critical healthcare resources.”
The state also has set a goal of purchasing 1,305 trailers to be used by local governments to shelter homeless people away from others. On Saturday, Newsom said the state has so far secured 1,133 trailers that are spread across 13 counties.
“Without these isolation units, their only choice is to return to a congregate shelter setting or back to an encampment — both of which would lead to further spread of COVID-19,” the governor’s office said in the statement announcing the program.


latimes--2020-04-18--Volunteer killed at food drive in Sylmar after he was pinned between two vehicles

A volunteer died Friday morning in Sylmar while helping out at a food drive after he was pinned between two vehicles , police said .
The 58-year-old San Fernando man was loading food into the trunk of a car when the driver of a Ford Expedition SUV suddenly drove forward about 30 to 40 feet and crushed him against the car .
“ It appears that he unintentionally hit the throttle instead of the brake and accelerated , ” said Sgt .
Kurt Smith with the Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division .
The incident happened in the parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Glenoaks Boulevard and El Casco Street .
The 77-year-old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police .
The victim was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center , where he died of his injuries .
Because of the incident , Los Angeles Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said she plans to introduce legislation to increase on-site traffic safety measures .
“ I understand the public ’ s anxiety and urgency to get the resources they need for their families ; however , we can ’ t afford to put even more lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
“ I urge the public to exercise greater caution and honor operating guidelines and exercise patience while you wait in line .
”

A volunteer died Friday morning in Sylmar while helping out at a food drive after he was pinned between two vehicles, police said.
The 58-year-old San Fernando man was loading food into the trunk of a car when the driver of a Ford Expedition SUV suddenly drove forward about 30 to 40 feet and crushed him against the car.
“It appears that he unintentionally hit the throttle instead of the brake and accelerated,” said Sgt. Kurt Smith with the Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division.
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The incident happened in the parking lot of a church at the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and El Casco Street.
The 77-year-old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police.
The victim was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.
Because of the incident, Los Angeles Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said she plans to introduce legislation to increase on-site traffic safety measures.
“I understand the public’s anxiety and urgency to get the resources they need for their families; however, we can’t afford to put even more lives at risk,” Rodriguez said late Friday. “I urge the public to exercise greater caution and honor operating guidelines and exercise patience while you wait in line.”