latimes--2020-03-01--Here's where coronavirus cases have been reported in California

Cases of the novel coronavirus have begun to mount in the United States and are expected to continue to grow in the coming weeks as the virus spreads and testing increases .
“ We are facing a historic public health challenge , ” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
“ We will continue to respond to COVID-19 in an aggressive way to contain and blunt the threat of this virus .
While we still hope for the best , we continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States.
” In California , at least 37 cases have been reported .
Twenty-four cases were people who caught the virus either on the Diamond Princess cruise ship or in Wuhan , China , where the outbreak was first reported , and were then repatriated to the U.S. and quarantined at California military bases .
An additional 13 cases were in returning travelers or , in at least five instances , people who contracted the virus in their community .
One case has been reported , a healthcare worker at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The worker came into contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The healthcare worker was isolated at home .
The county declared a local emergency when the results were returned .
Authorities announced Feb. 19 that a Humboldt County resident who had recently traveled to China had been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
The person self-isolated at home and has since been cleared and released , officials said .
There has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident who was flying through Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 22 on his way back to China , and presented himself for care at LAX once he noticed he wasn ’ t feeling well , L.A. County public health officials announced Jan. 26 .
The patient was taken from LAX directly to a hospital , was quarantined for 14 days and has now been released , said L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer .
More than 50 people who came into contact with the patient , many of whom were health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asked to limit contact with others , Ferrer said .
Some are still under those precautions , she said .
There has been one case in Orange County .
Public health officials announced Jan. 25 that a returning traveler from Wuhan had tested positive for the virus .
The patient was isolated in a hospital and has fully recovered , officials said .
On Feb. 26 , the county declared a local health emergency in response to the coronavirus .
The move was largely in response to a proposal to move coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which sparked a bitter court battle .
The federal government has since retreated from the plan .
A Sacramento County resident who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2 was found to have the virus , officials announced Feb. 21 .
The person took precautionary measures during travel and had been self-quarantined since returning , according to the county public health department .
The patient was asymptomatic but was isolated at home .
Two cases have been reported in San Benito County , both on Feb. 2 .
A man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Wuhan became ill and passed the virus on to his wife , also 57 .
Officials said the couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China .
They were not hospitalized and were isolated in their home .
Two cases have been reported in San Diego County , both of them among people who were evacuated from Wuhan and flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to be quarantined .
Authorities announced the first case on Feb. 10 and the second two days later .
Both patients were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after arriving at the base , officials said .
The first patient was mistakenly discharged from the hospital Feb. 9 and sent back to the base after a mix-up with the test results , but was returned to the hospital the following day for care .
Both patients have since recovered and been released from the hospital .
County public health officials declared a local emergency on Feb. 14 in response to the coronavirus .
Of the four cases in the county , two were linked to travel .
Authorities announced the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County man who fell ill after his Jan. 24 return from Wuhan and Shanghai .
Officials said the man had self-isolated at his home , leaving twice to seek medical care .
Authorities confirmed Feb. 2 that a woman who had recently traveled to Wuhan became infected with the virus .
The woman arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 23 to visit family , officials said , and had stayed home since her arrival , except for two trips to seek outpatient medical care .
She was not sick enough to be hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public Thursday , is believed to have been contracted in the community .
The patient is an older adult woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized for a respiratory illness , officials said .
She had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected person , and officials aren ’ t sure how she got it .
The fourth case , announced Friday , was a close contact of that woman and is doing well , officials said .
She was not ill and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in Solano County are associated with evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship , where passengers were quarantined off Japan after some of those who had boarded tested positive for coronavirus .
Some of the evacuees were taken to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield .
Of those who arrived there , 21 tested positive for coronavirus , the CDC said Wednesday .
Some of them were then transferred to hospitals outside the county .
Solano County is also where the first confirmed case of community spread in the U.S. was reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NorthBay VacaValley Hospital with fever illness and transferred to UC Davis Medical Center , where she was eventually diagnosed with COVID-19 , officials announced Wednesday .
She was “ in her community ” for several days before accessing care , officials said .
The woman had not recently traveled to a high-risk area , nor had she been in contact with someone with the virus .
She was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the CDC at the time .
The guidelines have since been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of whom were health workers , have been asked to self-quarantine because of contact with the woman .
The CDC has dispatched a team to help local officials identify others who may have come in contact with her .
The woman is slowly recovering .
So far , her family members have tested negative for the virus but remain in quarantine , officials said .
On Thursday , the county issued a proclamation of local emergency due to the virus .
On Sunday , officials announced that a healthcare worker at NorthBay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier case was also diagnosed with coronavirus .
The Solano County resident was in isolation at home .

A woman walks by the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, Calif. A VacaValley health worker came in contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19.
Note: The numbers on this page are no longer up to date. Track the latest statewide and local totals using our California coronavirus tracker.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Cases of the coronavirus have begun to mount in the United States and are expected to continue to grow in the coming weeks as the virus spreads and testing increases.
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“We are facing a historic public health challenge,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We will continue to respond to COVID-19 in an aggressive way to contain and blunt the threat of this virus. While we still hope for the best, we continue to prepare for this virus to become widespread in the United States.”
In California, at least 198 cases have been reported, including four deaths — the most recent of which was announced Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization officially referred to the coronavirus as a pandemic for the first time.
About 24 of the cases in California have been people who caught the virus either on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan or in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak was first reported, and were then repatriated to the U.S. and quarantined at California military bases. The others were returning travelers or, in at least 10 instances, people who contracted the virus in their communities.
A growing number of cases are tied to another Princess Cruises ship, the Grand Princess, which departed San Francisco on Feb. 11 and sailed to Mexico before returning Feb. 21, dropping off some passengers and then departing for another voyage to Hawaii. The ship docked at the Port of Oakland Monday and began the painstaking process of unloading passengers.
Newsom previously said most of the 962 California residents aboard the ship who did not need immediate medical attention would be taken to Travis Air Force Base for 14 days of quarantine, with a smaller number going to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County. Up to two dozen passengers will be taken to the Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove for their quarantine period.
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Here is a geographical rundown of the California cases:
Alameda County
Four cases have been reported so far. The first was a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital whose diagnosis was announced March 1. The worker came into contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19. The healthcare worker was isolated at home.
The second case, involving a person in Berkeley who visited a country experiencing an outbreak, was reported March 3. That individual has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
The third, reported by the county’s health agency Friday, is an older adult who has underlying medical conditions and was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22.
Most recently, the city of Alameda confirmed Wednesday that a firefighter had tested positive for the virus.
The county has declared a local emergency.
Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County has reported 16 cases. The first person, who had no known history of travel to a high-risk area or contact with another confirmed case, tested positive March 3, officials said. The test was performed by the county’s public health lab. The patient was being treated at a hospital.
On Friday, officials announced three more patients. Two were passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship. The third person had close contact with a person who was diagnosed with the coronavirus in another jurisdiction, county health officials said. All three people were being isolated at their homes.
The county is now recommending that adults older than 50 and people with underlying medical conditions that could put them at risk of contracting COVID-19 avoid mass gatherings like parades, sporting events or concerts.
Contra Costa County announced five new cases on Sunday, four of which had no known history of travel outside the U.S. or contact with a confirmed case. The four residents were hospitalized, Contra Costa Health Services said in a news release.
The fifth person had close contact with another person who tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, officials said.
Officials confirmed the county’s 10th case Tuesday.
Fresno County
The county on Saturday confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, a person who returned from a voyage on the Grand Princess cruise ship on March 6. The person’s family was self-monitoring under the oversight of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, officials said.
Humboldt County
Authorities announced Feb. 19 that a Humboldt County resident who had recently traveled to China had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The patient, who was voluntarily quarantined at home, has since been cleared and released, officials said.
A traveler wearing a mask passes through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Feb. 8. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County
There have been 32 confirmed cases and one death — a woman older than 60 who had been visiting the county after extensive travel, including a long layover in South Korea.
Officials said Wednesday that the woman had underlying health issues and died shortly after being hospitalized.
The county’s first patient was a Wuhan resident who was flying through L.A. on Jan. 22 on his way back to China and sought care at Los Angeles International Airport, health officials announced Jan. 26.
The patient was taken directly to a hospital, quarantined for 14 days and released, said L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer. More than 50 people who came into contact with the patient, many of whom were health workers, were identified as at risk and were asked to limit contact with others, Ferrer said.
Health officials on March 4 confirmed six additional patients, all of whom they said were exposed to the virus through close contact with others who were infected.
Half of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy, two were family members who had close contact with a person outside of the county who was infected, and the other had a job that put them in contact with travelers, officials said. That person works as a screener at Los Angeles International Airport, according to a source familiar with the case.
L.A. County and city officials declared a state of emergency March 4 in response to the growing case counts.
The next day, officials announced that four more travelers in that same group who visited northern Italy had also tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, officials announced two additional cases — another person in the group of travelers who visited northern Italy, as well as another screener at LAX. Their close contacts were being self-quarantined.
On Saturday, one new case was identified as a resident who had returned from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C., where there was known exposure to a person infected with the virus.
The county announced two new cases Monday, including its first instance of possible community spread. Both patients are in isolation, and all close contacts are or will be quarantined for 14 days, health officials said.
Officials confirmed another new case Tuesday — a resident who had flown into LAX from Iran and was taken to a medical facility — and six additional cases Wednesday.
Ferrer said that one of the new cases included the county’s second instance of community spread. That individual is hospitalized. Three individuals, one of whom is currently hospitalized, are household contacts of an L.A. County resident previously confirmed to have the virus. One individual had traveled to France and returned home ill and another had traveled to a religious conference in a different state.
On Thursday, L.A. County officials reported three additional cases, two of which had an unidentified source of exposure to the virus. The third was a person who was exposed to the coronavirus by a person who tested positive after attending a conference in Washington, officials said. Out of the three, one person was hospitalized.
Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported its first three cases Monday after preliminary test results indicated two men and one woman had contracted the disease and then a fourth case Wednesday, city officials said.
Elsewhere in the county, a Beverly Hills priest was disagnosed with the coronavirus Wednesday after returning from a trip to St. Louis days prior. In a statement, she told her church members she was “very much on the mend” and had already been through the worst of it.
Madera County
Public health officials announced the county’s first case on Saturday, a person who recently had returned from a Princess Cruises cruise and was in stable condition.
The state Department of Public Health contacted county health officials on March 5 to begin monitoring a husband and wife who had recently returned from the cruise. The couple was isolated in their home, the Madera County Department of Public Health said in a news release.
When one of them developed symptoms, the county worked with Madera Community Hospital to coordinate their medical care and testing. Masked hospital staffers met them at their car and led them directly to an isolation room; at no time did they enter public areas, officials said.
The couple received one visitor at their home before reporting symptoms, and that person is being monitored by communicable disease staff, officials said.
Orange County
Officials are investigating six cases in Orange County . Public health officials announced Jan. 25 that a returning traveler from Wuhan had tested positive for the virus. The patient was isolated in a hospital and since recovered, officials said.
Officials confirmed two additional cases on March 3: One was a man in his 60s and the other a woman in her 30s. Both had visited countries with widespread transmission, officials said.
On Feb. 26, Orange County declared a local health emergency in response to the coronavirus.
The move was largely in response to a proposal to move coronavirus patients to a facility in Costa Mesa, which sparked a bitter court battle. The federal government has since retreated from the plan.
Placer County
The county has announced a total of seven cases.
An elderly adult who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise became the first person to die from the virus in California, Placer County Public Health officials announced March 4.
That individual, who officials said had underlying health conditions, was the county’s second confirmed coronavirus patient and had been placed in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.
Officials said the patient who died was probably exposed during a trip on the Princess Cruises ship that departed Feb. 11 from San Francisco and sailed to Mexico, returning Feb. 21.
California Grand Princess cruise ship at center of coronavirus fight amid concerns about spread Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man died after falling ill with the virus while on a cruise ship.
A healthcare worker in Placer County was confirmed on March 2 as a presumptive coronavirus case, pending confirmation from the CDC.
The individual, now in isolation at home, is a NorthBay VacaValley Hospital worker who came into close contact with a previously confirmed case in Solano County, before that patient was transferred to another hospital and tested for the virus.
On Friday, Placer County announced three more cases, all of them among people who had traveled on the Grand Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico.
Two of the people had mild symptoms that already resolved, while the third continued to experience mild symptoms, the Placer County Public Health Department said in a news release. None of them required hospitalization, and all three were isolated at home, officials said.
The department was working on tracing the people’s contacts to identify more possible cases, officials said.
There were seven confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to the department.
Riverside County
Officials have reported eight coronavirus cases in Riverside County.
The county on Saturday announced its first “locally acquired” case of the virus, a person who was being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, Riverside University Health System-Public Health said in a statement. Public health officials were still investigating how the person caught the virus, and were working to contact other people who might have been exposed.
Riverside County’s public health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, declared a local and public health emergency on Saturday.
Another Riverside County resident who was evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan and then quarantined at Travis Air Force Base was one of the 20-plus people there who previously tested positive for the virus . That person is continuing to recover in a Northern California hospital and has not returned to Riverside County since leaving the cruise ship, the statement said.
On Monday, county health officials announced three new cases in the Coachella Valley. Two of those individuals were isolated at home and the other went to a local hospital.
Investigators believe those infections were the result of either travel into areas where the coronavirus has been confirmed, or contact with another patient.
Sacramento County
Ten cases have been confirmed in Sacramento County.
A Sacramento County resident who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2 was found to have the virus, officials announced Feb. 21.
The person took precautionary measures during travel and was asymptomatic but had self-quarantined since returning, according to the county public health department.
Last week, Sacramento County announced two more cases, and on March 5, it declared a local and health emergency.
As of Monday, the county had 10 confirmed cases, including one person who has recovered. Among those who tested positive was an elementary-school-aged student in Elk Grove.
Health officials on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first fatality from COVID-19 — a patient in her 90s. The woman was among about 140 patients at an assisted-living facility in Elk Grove.
San Benito County
Two cases were reported in San Benito County on Feb. 2. A man, 57, who had recently returned from Wuhan became ill and passed the virus on to his wife, also 57. Officials said the couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China. They were not hospitalized and were isolated in their home.
A flight with U.S. citizens fleeing the coronavirus in China arrives at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Feb. 7. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego County
The county reported two cases among people who were evacuated from Wuhan and flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to be quarantined.
Authorities announced the first case on Feb. 10 and the second two days later. Both patients were hospitalized at San Diego Health System shortly after arriving at the base, officials said.
The first patient was mistakenly discharged from the hospital Feb. 9 and sent back to the base after a mix-up with the test results, but was returned to the hospital the following day for care.
Both patients have since recovered and been released.
County public health officials declared a local emergency on Feb. 14 in response to the virus.
An employee of an AT&T retail store in Chula Vista tested positive for the virus, prompting several stores in the area to be closed for deep cleaning, the company said in a March 5 statement. That employee lived in Orange County, county health officials said.
Health officials announced a presumptive positive case of the coronavirus Monday. A woman in her 50s who had traveled overseas was hospitalized and remains in isolation with serious symptoms, officials said.
San Francisco County
San Francisco has reported 18 cases.
The first two were reported on March 5; the individuals were not related, had no history of travel to a location with confirmed coronavirus infections, and had no known contact with a confirmed case. One was a man in his 90s, hospitalized in serious condition and with underlying health condition; the other was a woman in her 40s, who was hospitalized in fair condition.
Six more were confirmed on Saturday. Each had a known contact with someone found to be infected with the virus.
Officials announced five new cases Monday, bringing the count to 13. Two of those cases are the result of community transmission.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management reported one new case Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 14. Officials said that patient, who had known contact with another person who tested positive, is hospitalized.
On Wednesday, San Francisco announced a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people as the city fights to slow the spread of the disease.
San Mateo County
San Mateo County initially reported two cases of the virus. The first was a person who was repatriated to the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That person was in isolation and in good condition, officials said last week.
Also early last week, officials reported their second positive case of the virus. The source of exposure was unknown, as the person had no known exposure to the virus through travel or contact with another infected person. The patient was hospitalized and in isolation, officials said.
As of Wednesday, the number of positive cases in the county stood at 15.
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County remains the largest outbreak in California, with at least 48 confirmed cases, up by 3 late Wednesday.
On Monday, the county announced its first death related to the coronavirus — a woman in her 60s who had been hospitalized for several weeks.
Authorities announced the first case Jan. 31, a Santa Clara County man who fell ill after his Jan. 24 return from China. Officials said the man had self-isolated at his home, leaving twice to seek medical care.
Three more cases associated with travel were reported in the county. On March 1, officials announced that a husband and wife who had recently visited Egypt were hospitalized with COVID-19.
A bigger concern, officials said, was an older adult woman who was infected but had no known exposure through travel or contact with another infected person. The woman had been hospitalized for a respiratory illness.
Two more cases announced March 3 prompted county officials to warn people over 50 and with medical conditions to avoid large gatherings, such as sporting events and concerts. The county also announced three more cases Wednesday.
On March 5, Santa Clara County announced six more cases — three men and three women. Four of them were close contacts with other confirmed cases and were isolated at home. Two of them were hospitalized.
County health officials recommended that large events be postponed or canceled and that employers take steps to make it more feasible for employees to work in ways that minimize group gatherings and contact with others.
On Friday, public health officials reported four new cases. One was a man whom officials described as a household contact of a previously confirmed case in the county, and one was a man who had recently returned from a trip to India, officials said. Both people were isolated at home.
Officials weren’t sure how the other two people contracted the virus. One was a man who was isolated at home; the other was a woman who was hospitalized, officials said. Both cases were under investigation.
On Saturday, eight new cases were reported. All were said to be under investigation.
Santa Cruz County
On Saturday, a Santa Cruz County resident was confirmed to be infected with the virus. The person was previously on the Grand Princess cruise ship journey between San Francisco and Mexico between Feb. 11 and Feb. 21.
Health officials announced a second case in the county Monday. Investigators have determined that person, who had previously traveled to Seattle, likely contracted the virus there before flying home.
Solano County
Most of the cases in Solano County are associated with evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where passengers were quarantined off Japan after some of those who had boarded tested positive for the coronavirus.
Some of the evacuees were taken to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. Of those who arrived there, 21 tested positive, the CDC said Feb. 26. Some of them were then transferred to hospitals outside the county.
Solano County is also where the first confirmed case of community spread in the U.S. was reported.
An older woman who was hospitalized at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital with fever and breathing problems was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center, where she was eventually diagnosed with COVID-19, officials announced Feb. 26. She was “in her community” for several days before accessing care, officials said.
The woman had not recently traveled to a high-risk area, nor had she been in contact with someone with the virus. She was not tested for several days after her initial hospitalization because she did not fit screening criteria set by the CDC at the time. The guidelines have since been revised.
More than 100 people, most of whom were health workers who had contact with the woman, were asked to self-quarantine. On March 1, officials announced that one of them, a worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, was also diagnosed with coronavirus and was in in isolation at home.
The CDC has dispatched a team to help local officials identify others who might have come in contact with the woman, who was reported to be slowly recovering. Officials said that, so far, her family members had tested negative for the virus but remained in quarantine.
On Feb. 27, the county declared a local emergency due to the virus.
As of Sunday, Solano County was reporting three confirmed cases of COVID-19, two of which involved residents contracting the disease in the community. That number had grown to six as of Tuesday.
Sonoma County
Officials in Sonoma County declared a local health emergency March 2 after announcing two people had been diagnosed with the virus.
One patient, who officials said earlier last week was isolated and in stable condition, had recently traveled internationally on a Princess Cruises voyage.
On March 5, county health officials confirmed that a second cruise ship passenger had also tested positive. Both that patient and the one announced earlier in the week were in isolation rooms at a local hospital.
Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County confirmed its first two positive cases Wednesday.
One of the individuals was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise to Mexico and officials said the other is likely a case of community transmission as that person had not traveled anywhere with a known outbreak or been in contact with someone who previously tested positive.
Tulare County
Tulare County announced its first case of the coronavirus late Wednesday.
“It is believed that the virus was contracted out of the area and the individual did enter public areas while showing symptoms,” Tulare County Health and Human Services’ Public Health branch said in a statement.
The person is in stable condition, the statement said.
Ventura County
The county reported its first case of the new coronavirus on Friday — a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship who had mild symptoms and was being quarantined at home, officials said.
The person had remained at home resting since returning from the cruise on Feb. 21 and only left to seek medical attention, officials said.
County public health officials said they were working with the state Department of Public Health to notify anyone else who might have come into contact with the person while the individual was seeking medical attention or in transit to Ventura County from San Francisco, where the person disembarked the ship.
The person’s spouse, who was also on the cruise but did not have symptoms of the virus, was also being quarantined at home, officials said.
A total of six Ventura County residents had traveled on the cruise, and public health officials contacted all of them, the Ventura County Public Health Department said in a news release. Of the four remaining residents who were passengers, one was symptomatic and being tested, officials said. The other three had reported no symptoms.
The county announced a second confirmed case Wednesday, a traveler who returned from a trip to Italy and became sick. That person has been quarantined at home after being tested by a healthcare provider in a neighboring county, officials said.
The county’s Public Health Lab has conducted 77 COVID-19 tests and only returned the two presumptive positives. More than two dozen other travelers have been quarantined at home, county officials said. There have been no confirmed person-to-person transmissions in Ventura County.
Yolo County
Yolo County reported its first case Friday, a woman who officials think contracted the virus in the community.
The woman had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized, officials said. She appeared to have acquired the virus “through community transmission,” the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency said in a news release. The agency was planning to monitor the woman’s close personal contacts for symptoms of the illness and said staff was working with healthcare providers to identify potential additional cases.
The county planned to declare local and health emergencies, the agency said.


latimes--2020-03-01--Light rain, sorely needed, is forecast along with cooler temperatures

Scattered showers and cooler temperatures will continue across Los Angeles County on Sunday and overnight , forecasters said .
A band of rain in Central California was expected to move south and bring .10 to .25 inch of rain throughout the day , said Kathy Hoxsie , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service .
That precipitation was expected to turn into snow showers in communities at 2,000 feet or higher , according to the NWS forecast .
After several days of warm weather and sunny skies , temperatures dipped into the high 50s to low 60s throughout much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southern California was blanketed by gray clouds .
There was also a slight chance of thunderstorms , with the chance of small hail and light rain .
The forecast is calling for 3 to 5 inches of snow in the San Gabriel Mountains and up to 2 inches in the surrounding area , Hoxsie said .
Light snow was expected on mountain-pass roads including I-5 Grapevine , continuing overnight .
“ Not a lot of snow accumulating , ” Hoxsie said , “ but enough to cause some issues.
” Though they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showers are sorely needed .
California is expected to have had one of its , elevating fears that the state ’ s always-unpredictable fire season could arrive early this year — if March doesn ’ t bring some wet relief .
The wet weather was forecast to linger until about midday Monday .
Warmer temperatures and sunny skies are expected to return on Tuesday and continue throughout the rest of week .

Temperatures have dipped as much of Southern California is blanketed by gray clouds.
Scattered showers and cooler temperatures will continue across Los Angeles County on Sunday and overnight, forecasters said.
A band of rain in Central California was expected to move south and bring .10 to .25 inch of rain throughout the day, said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. That precipitation was expected to turn into snow showers in communities at 2,000 feet or higher, according to the NWS forecast.
After several days of warm weather and sunny skies, temperatures dipped into the high 50s to low 60s throughout much of the region on Sunday as much of Southern California was blanketed by gray clouds. There was also a slight chance of thunderstorms, with the chance of small hail and light rain.
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The forecast is calling for 3 to 5 inches of snow in the San Gabriel Mountains and up to 2 inches in the surrounding area, Hoxsie said. Light snow was expected on mountain-pass roads including I-5 Grapevine, continuing overnight.
“Not a lot of snow accumulating,” Hoxsie said, “but enough to cause some issues.”
Though they’re forecast to be light, the showers are sorely needed. California is expected to have had one of its driest Februaries in recorded history , elevating fears that the state’s always-unpredictable fire season could arrive early this year — if March doesn’t bring some wet relief.
The wet weather was forecast to linger until about midday Monday. Warmer temperatures and sunny skies are expected to return on Tuesday and continue throughout the rest of week.


latimes--2020-03-01--Two healthcare workers in Solano County contract coronavirus after being exposed to infected patient

Two healthcare workers at a hospital in Solano County have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there , officials announced Sunday .
The two workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , officials said .
The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is considered the nation ’ s first announced case of “ community spread , ” meaning the source of infection is unknown .
That woman was not immediately tested for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal testing criteria at the time .
Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time .
The case led to 124 nurses and healthcare workers being asked to self-quarantine , according to the California Nurses Assn .
“ Our two health care workers who tested positive have been in isolation at home since the day we learned they had contact with the patient who had contracted the virus , ” Aimee Brewer , president of NorthBay HealthCare Group , said in a statement .
“ We took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any further spread of the virus , including working with public health officials to trace the contacts the two workers may have had.
” One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County , officials said .
They are both in isolation at home .
The case is the first for Alameda County , which has declared a local public health emergency in response .
In addition to more than 60 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. linked to travel abroad , officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have contracted the virus in their communities .
An outbreak at a long-term care facility in Washington state is expected to push that total higher in the coming days , officials said .
Washington reported two new cases Sunday , both men in their 60s with underlying health conditions .
One was in critical but stable condition at Valley Medical Center in Renton ; the second was in critical condition at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether the cases were thought to be related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Center of Kirkland , a suburb of Seattle , where officials announced Saturday that one resident and one staffer had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 50 others had developed symptoms .
In addition , 25 firefighters who responded to calls at the facility were possibly exposed to the virus and have been quarantined , the International Assn .
of Fire Fighters announced Sunday .
The firefighters followed proper protocols , including those related to personal protective equipment , based on information they received from emergency dispatchers , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ may not have been completely accurate , ” the firefighters union ’ s statement said .
Authorities also announced Saturday that a King County man in his 50s with underlying medical conditions had become the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus .
Officials said they did not know how he became ill , though he was admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland at the same time as at least one of the other COVID-19 patients in Washington .
Amid fears that COVID-19 is already circulating in local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide have been experiencing a surge in demand for health gear , shelf-stable food and other supplies as people try to protect themselves from the virus and stock up in case of quarantine or scarcity .
Some stores said the number of customers was similar to crowds seen during the Christmas holiday .
Lines also formed outside Costco stores in the Seattle and Portland areas as shoppers stocked up on food and supplies .
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino , which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties , announced that parishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season , ” according to a letter from the Office of the Vicar General .
They include encouraging parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service , even during rituals that usually require it ; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue ; and to refrain from drinking the consecrated wine .
Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they ’ re sick , the letter says .
The Diocese of Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week , according to a statement sent to pastors .
The bishop has also exempted those who are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice .
Experts said the virus was most likely to start spreading in coastal hubs of international travel .
San Francisco , New York and Los Angeles typically receive the most passengers flying from Wuhan , China , where the outbreak began , on a daily basis .
Officials on Saturday announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact ” of a Santa Clara County patient whose diagnosis was made public Friday had also contracted the virus .
The county ’ s health department is working to identify any people the Santa Clara County woman may have come into contact with who may be at risk , officials said .
Voluntary quarantining extended to students at UC Davis and other college campuses , and workers at the NorthBay and UC Davis hospitals where the Solano County woman , who had no known links to foreign travel , was treated .
Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation Thursday as one awaited test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms .
On Saturday , it was determined that that student did not have the virus .
Another of those students also has tested negative for the virus .
It ’ s likely that the spate of new cases was brought to light because of increased local testing capabilities and updated federal screening guidelines .
The Solano County woman who was eventually diagnosed with the coronavirus was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which at the time recommended that only those with symptoms of the virus and a recent history of travel overseas , or contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient , should be tested .
On Tuesday , the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend testing of anyone with severe respiratory illness , regardless of whether they had traveled or were known to have been otherwise exposed to the coronavirus .
The move was widely interpreted to be a response to the woman ’ s diagnosis .
In Washington , those new guidelines prompted officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at our most critically ill patients , ” which led to the testing of the King County man who later died of the coronavirus , said Dr. Frank Riedo , medical director of infection control .
That man was reported as having the coronavirus by Washington ’ s Public Health Laboratories , which only recently acquired coronavirus test kits , Dr. Jeffrey Duchin , health officer for Public Health Seattle and King County , said Saturday .
“ If we had the ability to test earlier , ” Duchin said , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients earlier in the community.
” California ’ s health department recently announced eight testing labs that can handle coronavirus cases , in Los Angeles , Orange , Ventura , San Diego , Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara and Tulare counties .
Officials also announced the arrival of 1,200 testing kits from the federal government .
“ The availability to test at California ’ s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation , ” Dr. Sonia Angell , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state health officer , said in a statement .
“ As we face the likelihood of community transmission here in California , having this resource where we need it is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.
” Testing at state laboratories also resulted in new diagnoses in Washington , Illinois and Rhode Island .
The person who tested positive in Illinois is hospitalized in isolation , officials said .
The Rhode Island patient , a person in their 40s , was also being treated at a hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy in mid-February , had limited travel in Rhode Island since returning and had not returned to work , officials said .
Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that more than 15,000 testing kits were sent to local public health laboratories over the weekend .
That came after he spoke with multiple governors who described increasing local testing capacity as a top priority , he said .
In addition , Pence said , the Food and Drug Administration has approved a testing regimen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government is working with a commercial provider to send out an additional 50,000 test kits .
“ So we ’ re addressing it .
We ’ re leaning into it , ” Pence said .
“ And more importantly , we ’ ve established a process in a number of cities across the country where if someone presents at a local hospital with a respiratory ailment , we want them also tested for coronavirus , and so that ’ s why we ’ re going to move a lot of volume of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday brushed aside criticism over the Trump administration ’ s handling of developments surrounding the spread of the coronavirus .
“ I appreciate that people are concerned , and that is why we ’ re being radically transparent about what we know , and also what the full range of potential scenarios could be , ” he said on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” Azar added that the administration intended to treat Americans as “ adults ” and “ explain to them that we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will see more cases.
” But some of the administration ’ s messaging remained confused .
President Trump told reporters Saturday that the administration was looking “ very strongly ” at the southern border in connection with moves to keep the virus out , but Azar , in his ABC interview , played down the prospect of any move to curtail normal movement of people and goods from Mexico .
“ That ’ s not one of the highest-priority areas that we ’ re looking at right now , because Mexico only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
The Health and Human Services secretary also made a point of praising a senior official in his department who raised concerns that workers who dealt with repatriated Americans had not been given adequate training or protective gear .
Despite news reports that the Health and Human Services whistleblower sought federal protection and complained of being improperly reassigned after raising the alarm , Azar suggested the administration was glad the senior official spoke up .
“ We appreciate the whistleblower bringing forward any concerns , ” he said on “ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ aggressively ” looking into whether there was “ validity to the concerns.
” Both Azar and Pence , who was tasked by Trump last week with coordinating the administration ’ s coronavirus response , complained that the president ’ s opponents were seeking to politicize the outbreak .
Pence , interviewed on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press , ” was asked repeatedly about comments by Trump ’ s allies suggesting that Democrats relished the outbreak as a chance to tarnish the president — particularly the president ’ s son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly hope [ the virus ] comes here and kills millions of people so that they could end Donald Trump ’ s streak of winning.
” Pence largely deflected the questions but also seemed to defend such remarks as valid .
“ When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side , I think that ’ s important , and I think it ’ s justified.
” Azar , on ABC , defended the president ’ s use last week of the word “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way the administration had handled the virus threat to date .
“ He ’ s talking about the partisan sniping that we ’ re seeing , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t need to have this made a political issue.
” But there was more criticism Sunday from former Vice President Joe Biden , fresh from his Democratic primary victory in South Carolina .
“ The idea that Donald Trump said just several days ago this was a Democratic hoax — what in God ’ s name is he talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ What in God ’ s name is he talking about ?
” Biden repeated .
“ Has he no shame ?
We ’ re in a situation where — and I respect Vice President Pence , and his , him being put in charge , but we should be hearing from the scientists.
” Wigglesworth , Karlamangla and Vives reported from Los Angeles , and King from Washington , D.C .

Alex Wigglesworth, Soumya Karlamangla, Ruben Vives, Laura King

A coronavirus health advisory is posted last month in the emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
A second person has died of the novel coronavirus in Washington state as the number of those infected with the disease continues to rise across the country, including California, health officials said Sunday.
The man, who was described as being in his 70s and suffering from preexisting health problems, died Saturday at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle, state health officials said. Four additional cases were confirmed in King County — all in elderly patients — bringing the total number of cases there to 10.
The news came hours after two healthcare workers at a hospital in California’s Solano County were reported to have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there, and three more people were diagnosed with the virus in Santa Clara County, officials announced Sunday.
The two healthcare workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, officials said. The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is considered the nation’s first announced case of “community spread,” meaning the source of infection is unknown.
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That woman was not immediately tested for the virus because she did not fit federal testing criteria at the time. Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time.
The case led to 124 nurses and healthcare workers being asked to self-quarantine, according to the California Nurses Assn.
“Our two health care workers who tested positive have been in isolation at home since the day we learned they had contact with the patient who had contracted the virus,” Aimee Brewer, president of NorthBay HealthCare Group, said in a statement. “We took immediate and comprehensive measures intended to stop any further spread of the virus, including working with public health officials to trace the contacts the two workers may have had.”
One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County, officials said. They are both in isolation at home.
The case is the first for Alameda County, which has declared a local public health emergency in response.
“This news is not unexpected in the Bay Area, and we are ready for cases here,” Dr. Erica Pan, health officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department, said in a statement. “This is not the time to panic; now is the time for all of us to work together.”
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Meanwhile, three more people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Santa Clara County on Sunday, health officials said.
One is an adult woman with chronic health conditions. An investigation into how she acquired the infection was just launched, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said Sunday evening.
The other two patients are a husband and wife who had recently traveled to Egypt.
All three are hospitalized, officials said. Additional information about their condition was not available.
The Public Health Department was working to identify all those who had come into contact with the three cases and said it would also conduct community surveillance “to determine the extent of possible disease spread in our community.”
In addition to more than 60 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. linked to travel abroad, officials have announced that at least 10 people appear to have contracted the virus in their communities. An outbreak at a long-term care facility in Washington state is expected to push that total higher in the coming days, officials said.
Of the new cases reported in Washington on Sunday, two involved men in their 60s with underlying health conditions. One was in critical but stable condition at Valley Medical Center in Renton; the second was in critical condition at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the cases were thought to be related to the long-term care facility, Life Care Center of Kirkland, where officials announced Saturday that one resident and one staffer had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 50 others had developed symptoms.
In addition, 25 firefighters who responded to calls at the facility were possibly exposed to the virus and have been quarantined, the International Assn. of Fire Fighters announced Sunday. The firefighters followed proper protocols, including those related to personal protective equipment, based on information they received from emergency dispatchers, but the information Life Care Center provided to dispatchers “may not have been completely accurate,” the firefighters union’s statement said.
Authorities announced Saturday that a King County man in his 50s with underlying medical conditions had become the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus. Officials said they did not know how he became ill, though he was admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland at the same time as at least one of the other COVID-19 patients in Washington.
Researchers scrambling to unravel the mystery of increasing coronavirus infections in the Seattle area suspect that the virus has been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state.
Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, tweeted Saturday that genetic similarities between the state’s first case Jan. 20 and a case announced Friday indicated that the newer case may have descended from the earlier one.
The Jan. 20 case, the first known in the U.S., was that of a man who had traveled to Wuhan, China. He recovered after being hospitalized and treated in isolation.
“I believe we’re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China,” Bedford wrote on Twitter. “Our best current expectation is a few hundred current infections.”
Bedford, who uses powerful computers and complex statistical methods to study the rapid spread of viruses, was not available Sunday for interviews, said Claire Hudson, communications manager at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She referred reporters to a statement, which said:
“Infectious disease researchers at Fred Hutch are contributing to scientific efforts to test, track and model the evolving COVID-19 outbreak. In collaboration with the global scientific community and public health officials, they are working to track the genomic profile of the virus, understand its evolution compared to related viruses, and design vaccine study protocols.”
Amid fears that COVID-19 is already circulating in local communities, stores across Southern California and nationwide have been experiencing a surge in demand for health gear, shelf-stable food and other supplies as people try to protect themselves from the virus and stock up in case of quarantine or scarcity. Some stores said the number of customers was similar to crowds seen during the Christmas holiday.
Lines also formed outside Costco stores in the Seattle and Portland areas as shoppers stocked up on food and supplies.
Churches are also taking precautions.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties, announced that parishes have the option “to implement liturgical restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season,” according to a letter from the Office of the Vicar General.
They include encouraging parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service, even during rituals that usually require it; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue; and to refrain from drinking the consecrated wine. Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they’re sick, the letter says.
The Diocese of Orange has made those restrictions mandatory because of the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week, according to a statement sent to pastors. The bishop has also exempted those who are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice.
Experts said the virus was most likely to start spreading in coastal hubs of international travel. San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles typically receive the most passengers flying from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, on a daily basis.
Officials on Saturday announced that a woman described as “a household contact” of a Santa Clara County patient whose diagnosis was made public Friday had also contracted the virus. The county’s health department is working to identify any people the Santa Clara County woman may have come into contact with who may be at risk, officials said.
Voluntary quarantining extended to students at UC Davis and other college campuses, and workers at the NorthBay and UC Davis hospitals where the Solano County woman, who had no known links to foreign travel, was treated. Three UC Davis students were put in 14-day isolation Thursday as one awaited test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms. On Saturday, it was determined that that student did not have the virus. Another of those students also has tested negative for the virus.
It’s likely that the spate of new cases was brought to light because of increased local testing capabilities and updated federal screening guidelines.
The Solano County woman who was eventually diagnosed with the coronavirus was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which at the time recommended that only those with symptoms of the virus and a recent history of travel overseas, or contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient, should be tested.
On Thursday, the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend testing of anyone with severe respiratory illness, regardless of whether they had traveled or were known to have been otherwise exposed to the coronavirus. The move was widely interpreted to be a response to the woman’s diagnosis.
In Washington, those new guidelines prompted officials at EvergreenHealth Medical Center to “look at our most critically ill patients,” which led to the testing of the first King County man who later died of the coronavirus, said Dr. Frank Riedo, medical director of infection control.
That man was reported as having the coronavirus by Washington’s Public Health Laboratories, which only recently acquired coronavirus test kits, Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for Public Health Seattle and King County, said Saturday.
“If we had the ability to test earlier,” Duchin said, “I’m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community.”
California’s health department recently announced eight testing labs that can handle coronavirus cases, in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Tulare counties. Officials also announced the arrival of 1,200 testing kits from the federal government.
“The availability to test at California’s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation,” Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, said in a statement. “As we face the likelihood of community transmission here in California, having this resource where we need it is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.”
Testing at state laboratories also resulted in new diagnoses in Washington, Illinois and Rhode Island.
The person who tested positive in Illinois is hospitalized in isolation, officials said.
The Rhode Island patient, a person in their 40s, was also being treated at a hospital. The patient, who had traveled to Italy in mid-February, had limited travel in Rhode Island since returning and had not returned to work, officials said.
Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that more than 15,000 testing kits were sent to local public health laboratories over the weekend.
That came after he spoke with multiple governors who described increasing local testing capacity as a top priority, he said.
In addition, Pence said, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a testing regimen that local authorities can use, and the government is working with a commercial provider to send out an additional 50,000 test kits.
“So we’re addressing it. We’re leaning into it,” Pence said. “And more importantly, we’ve established a process in a number of cities across the country where if someone presents at a local hospital with a respiratory ailment, we want them also tested for coronavirus, and so that’s why we’re going to move a lot of volume of testing kits.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday brushed aside criticism over the Trump administration’s handling of developments surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.
“I appreciate that people are concerned, and that is why we’re being radically transparent about what we know, and also what the full range of potential scenarios could be,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.” Azar added that the administration intended to treat Americans as “adults” and “explain to them that we don’t know where this will go, that we will see more cases.”
But some of the administration’s messaging remained confused. President Trump told reporters Saturday that the administration was looking “very strongly” at the southern border in connection with moves to keep the virus out, but Azar, in his ABC interview, played down the prospect of any move to curtail normal movement of people and goods from Mexico.
“That’s not one of the highest-priority areas that we’re looking at right now, because Mexico only has a couple of cases,” he said.
The Health and Human Services secretary also made a point of praising a senior official in his department who raised concerns that workers who dealt with repatriated Americans had not been given adequate training or protective gear.
Despite news reports that the Health and Human Services whistleblower sought federal protection and complained of being improperly reassigned after raising the alarm, Azar suggested the administration was glad the senior official spoke up.
“We appreciate the whistleblower bringing forward any concerns,” he said on “This Week,” adding that the agency was “aggressively” looking into whether there was “validity to the concerns.”
Both Azar and Pence, who was tasked by Trump last week with coordinating the administration’s coronavirus response, complained that the president’s opponents were seeking to politicize the outbreak.
Pence, interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” was asked repeatedly about comments by Trump’s allies suggesting that Democrats relished the outbreak as a chance to tarnish the president — particularly the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. saying that Democrats “seemingly hope [the virus] comes here and kills millions of people so that they could end Donald Trump’s streak of winning.”
Pence largely deflected the questions but also seemed to defend such remarks as valid. “When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that’s important, and I think it’s justified.”
Azar, on ABC, defended the president’s use last week of the word “hoax” to describe criticism of the way the administration had handled the virus threat to date.
“He’s talking about the partisan sniping that we’re seeing,” he said. “We don’t need to have this made a political issue.”
But there was more criticism Sunday from former Vice President Joe Biden, fresh from his Democratic primary victory in South Carolina.
“The idea that Donald Trump said just several days ago this was a Democratic hoax — what in God’s name is he talking about?” Biden said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“What in God’s name is he talking about?” Biden repeated. “Has he no shame? We’re in a situation where — and I respect Vice President Pence, and his, him being put in charge, but we should be hearing from the scientists.”
Wigglesworth, Karlamangla and Vives reported from Los Angeles, King from Washington, D.C. and Read from Seattle.


latimes--2020-03-01--A crowded primary for former Rep. Katie Hill's congressional district exposes party rifts

Anywhere else , the special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill ’ s first term might have been a simple rematch between the Republican she beat in 2018 and the Democratic Party favorite to be her successor .
But in California ’ s 25th Congressional District , the rare open competitive seat in the Los Angeles media market has drawn an eclectic field of candidates — including a progressive TV star , a retired Navy pilot and businessman , and George Papadopoulos , a former Trump campaign aide who was convicted of lying to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political parties .
Then there ’ s the risk of confusion among voters on the northern edge of L.A. ’ s suburban sprawl , who will be asked cast ballots twice on March 3 — once in the special election and again to nominate a candidate for a new term starting in January 2021 .
In the likely event that none of the 12 candidates running in the special election wins a majority of the vote , the top two candidates will advance to a May 12 runoff .
The top two candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again in the November general election .
The seat , one of the 41 Republican-held districts the party flipped in 2018 , is a potential bellwether for the November election and Democrats ’ ability to maintain control of the House .
Hill , who defeated two-term in the last election , announced her resignation from Congress on Oct. 27 .
Her decision came after a conservative website , in posts by former campaign advisors to Knight , published nude photos of her without her consent and accused her of having an affair with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House rules .
Hill denied having an affair with a congressional staffer .
Knight , who is running to retake the seat , denied any involvement in his former aides ’ posts .
Democratic groups and leaders have rallied around state Assemblywoman Christy Smith as their best chance to hold on to the congressional seat .
She ’ s been backed by dozens of state , local and national leaders , including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-San Francisco ) and California Sen. Kamala Harris , who is campaigning with her on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backs Smith and has spent $ 468,000 attacking one of her Republican rivals , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
“ While I appreciate the widespread support that ’ s come from just about every institution that I value weighing in on these races , I don ’ t ever take any election for granted , ” Smith said .
Home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library , a bustling aerospace industry , and a strong law enforcement community , California ’ s 25th Congressional District was long a Republican stronghold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley and parts of Antelope Valley .
But the district ’ s demographics have changed in recent years , as rising home prices in Los Angeles sent more families north , increasing the area ’ s population and its diversity .
In 2018 , that shift helped Hill beat Knight by nine percentage points .
Democrats ’ registered-voter advantage over Republicans has only grown since then , from four points to six .
Smith ’ s Assembly seat , which she also flipped in 2018 , overlaps with 58 % of the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The former Department of Education analyst and self-described “ pragmatic policymaker ” has written eight policy bills that became law since she arrived in Sacramento last year , including legislation on charter school accountability and restitution for victims of human trafficking .
She ’ s also taken some votes and positions that put her at odds with the progressive wing of her party on healthcare , affordable housing and criminal justice .
“ I can say unequivocally that I don ’ t regret any of the votes that I took in my first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was very deliberate , very thoughtful about every single vote and wouldn ’ t have changed it.
” Two weeks after Smith launched her campaign , Cenk Uygur , the founder and co-host of the progressive online news show “ The Young Turks , ” announced he would run .
His show , launched in 2002 , has nearly 4.7 million followers on YouTube .
Uygur ’ s upstart campaign has been hobbled by several factors — he doesn ’ t live in the district , about women and minorities resurfaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s attempted to stall a bid to unionize at his company .
But his large platform and a strong base of supporters have given him an outsize voice in the primary .
That was evident at a recent candidate forum at CSU Northridge , where a boisterous contingent of Uygur ’ s fans , many wearing “ Cenk 2020 '' shirts , cheered for him throughout the night and booed his opponents .
Uygur has criticized Smith for accepting campaign funds from corporate donors , opposing policies like “ Medicare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with Republicans .
Smith accepted corporate contributions during her runs for state Assembly but has pledged to not accept them while running for Congress , her campaign said .
“ I wanted to give voters a choice , ” Uygur said Tuesday .
“ If they really want Democrats to work with [ Senate Majority Leader ] Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump they can say , ‘ Great , that ’ s it .
I ’ ve got my candidate , it ’ s Christy Smith.
’ If they want a progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like hell to get money out of politics and fight for Democrats , well , that ’ s me and it ’ s definitely not her.
” Smith said Uygur ’ s campaign was a stunt .
“ I believe that as much as he wants to present himself as a viable candidate here , he is an entertainer running a con .
He needs to build and maintain his personal platform in order to be successful in the media market that he ’ s in , ” she said .
“ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunate he chose this district.
” Similar tensions have arisen on the GOP side .
Mike Garcia , a small-business owner and former Navy pilot and Raytheon executive , was one of several Republicans who entered the field in early 2019 to challenge the incumbent .
The staunch Trump supporter announced his bid in April and began racking up endorsements , including from former U.S. Rep. Howard “ Buck ” McKeon , who had been the district ’ s longest-serving congressman .
At the time , Knight made it clear he had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to [ Knight ] again before I endorsed Mike , and he told me he wasn ’ t interested and was not going to run , ” he said .
“ I endorsed Mike because I thought he was a great candidate , would make a great congressman.
” Then Hill resigned .
Knight , an Army veteran who spent 18 years with the Los Angeles Police Department , formally entered the race less than two weeks later .
“ Endorsements are great , I like having endorsements , but votes are what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Knight , who served on the Palmdale City Council and in both chambers of the state Legislature before being elected to Congress in 2014 .
In an interview , Knight stood by his record in Congress , where he focused on veteran care and the aerospace industry ; he pushed back against accusations that he was absent from the district during his time in office .
One issue that hurt him in 2018 , he said , was the widespread media attention Hill ’ s campaign received and the financial resources the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill was a celebrity and everybody was talking to her and she was on the news and all this , and I was just doing my job , ” he said .
Garcia suggests Knight grew complacent .
“ The money for Katie Hill didn ’ t come in until after they recognized that there was an opportunity , ” he said .
“ The investments made by the Democratic Party were the product of them seeing weakness , them seeing someone who really wasn ’ t working hard to keep the seat.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ since April .
Knight has raised about $ 209,000 , less than any of the top four candidates .
Even after Knight got into the race , Garcia won the backing of the Los Angeles and Ventura County Republican parties .
Knight ’ s most prominent backer is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield .
Papadopoulos , who doesn ’ t live in the district , has raised just $ 124,000 .
In 2017 , he pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since become a fixture in conservative media .
His Twitter feed is a mixture of campaign promotion and tweets on the Russia investigation , his recent book and media appearances .

Running in the primary for former Rep. Katie Hill’s congressional seat are, from left, Republicans Mike Garcia, Steve Knight and George Papadopoulos, and Democrats Cenk Uygur and Christy Smith.
Anywhere else, the special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill’s first term might have been a simple rematch between the Republican she beat in 2018 and the Democratic Party favorite to be her successor.
But in California’s 25th Congressional District, the rare open competitive seat in the Los Angeles media market has drawn an eclectic field of candidates — including a progressive TV star, a retired Navy pilot and businessman, and George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide who was convicted of lying to the FBI — causing deep divisions in both political parties.
Then there’s the risk of confusion among voters on the northern edge of L.A.’s suburban sprawl, who will be asked cast ballots twice on March 3 — once in the special election and again to nominate a candidate for a new term starting in January 2021.
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In the likely event that none of the 12 candidates running in the special election wins a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a May 12 runoff. The top two candidates in the 13-person primary will face off again in the November general election.
The seat, one of the 41 Republican-held districts the party flipped in 2018, is a potential bellwether for the November election and Democrats’ ability to maintain control of the House.
Katie Hill answers questions from reporters after her final speech in the House of Representatives on Oct. 31. Hill announced she was resigning from Congress. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)
Hill, who defeated two-term Rep. Steve Knight in the last election, announced her resignation from Congress on Oct. 27. Her decision came after a conservative website, in posts by former campaign advisors to Knight , published nude photos of her without her consent and accused her of having an affair with a congressional aide, a violation of House rules. Hill denied having an affair with a congressional staffer. Knight, who is running to retake the seat, denied any involvement in his former aides’ posts.
Democratic groups and leaders have rallied around state Assemblywoman Christy Smith as their best chance to hold on to the congressional seat. She’s been backed by dozens of state, local and national leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who is campaigning with her on Sunday. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also backs Smith and has spent $468,000 attacking one of her Republican rivals, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
“While I appreciate the widespread support that’s come from just about every institution that I value weighing in on these races, I don’t ever take any election for granted,” Smith said.
Home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, a bustling aerospace industry, and a strong law enforcement community, California’s 25th Congressional District was long a Republican stronghold. It includes Santa Clarita, Simi Valley and parts of Antelope Valley.
But the district’s demographics have changed in recent years, as rising home prices in Los Angeles sent more families north, increasing the area’s population and its diversity. In 2018, that shift helped Hill beat Knight by nine percentage points. Democrats’ registered-voter advantage over Republicans has only grown since then, from four points to six.
Smith’s Assembly seat, which she also flipped in 2018, overlaps with 58% of the district, including traditionally conservative Simi Valley. The former Department of Education analyst and self-described “pragmatic policymaker” has written eight policy bills that became law since she arrived in Sacramento last year, including legislation on charter school accountability and restitution for victims of human trafficking.
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She’s also taken some votes and positions that put her at odds with the progressive wing of her party on healthcare, affordable housing and criminal justice.
“I can say unequivocally that I don’t regret any of the votes that I took in my first legislative session,” Smith said. “I was very deliberate, very thoughtful about every single vote and wouldn’t have changed it.”
Two weeks after Smith launched her campaign, Cenk Uygur, the founder and co-host of the progressive online news show “The Young Turks,” announced he would run. His show, launched in 2002, has nearly 4.7 million followers on YouTube.
Uygur’s upstart campaign has been hobbled by several factors — he doesn’t live in the district, his history of offensive remarks about women and minorities resurfaced early on in the campaign, and he’s attempted to stall a bid to unionize at his company.
But his large platform and a strong base of supporters have given him an outsize voice in the primary. That was evident at a recent candidate forum at CSU Northridge, where a boisterous contingent of Uygur’s fans, many wearing “Cenk 2020” shirts, cheered for him throughout the night and booed his opponents.
Uygur has criticized Smith for accepting campaign funds from corporate donors, opposing policies like “Medicare for all,” and expressing willingness to work with Republicans. Smith accepted corporate contributions during her runs for state Assembly but has pledged to not accept them while running for Congress, her campaign said.
“I wanted to give voters a choice,” Uygur said Tuesday. “If they really want Democrats to work with [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump they can say, ‘Great, that’s it. I’ve got my candidate, it’s Christy Smith.’ If they want a progressive candidate who’s going to fight like hell to get money out of politics and fight for Democrats, well, that’s me and it’s definitely not her.”
Smith said Uygur’s campaign was a stunt. “I believe that as much as he wants to present himself as a viable candidate here, he is an entertainer running a con. He needs to build and maintain his personal platform in order to be successful in the media market that he’s in,” she said. “My biggest regret is that it’s unfortunate he chose this district.”
Similar tensions have arisen on the GOP side. Mike Garcia, a small-business owner and former Navy pilot and Raytheon executive, was one of several Republicans who entered the field in early 2019 to challenge the incumbent.
The staunch Trump supporter announced his bid in April and began racking up endorsements, including from former U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, who had been the district’s longest-serving congressman. At the time, Knight made it clear he had no interest in running.
“I talked to [Knight] again before I endorsed Mike, and he told me he wasn’t interested and was not going to run,” he said. “I endorsed Mike because I thought he was a great candidate, would make a great congressman.”
Then Hill resigned. Knight, an Army veteran who spent 18 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, formally entered the race less than two weeks later.
Politics What you need to know before voting in California’s primary election How do I vote? Will I get a ballot in the mail? A new procedure will change how some Californians cast ballots. Here’s how to vote in the California primary election.
“Endorsements are great, I like having endorsements, but votes are what gets you into office,” said Knight, who served on the Palmdale City Council and in both chambers of the state Legislature before being elected to Congress in 2014.
In an interview, Knight stood by his record in Congress, where he focused on veteran care and the aerospace industry; he pushed back against accusations that he was absent from the district during his time in office. One issue that hurt him in 2018, he said, was the widespread media attention Hill’s campaign received and the financial resources the Democratic Party put behind her.
“Katie Hill was a celebrity and everybody was talking to her and she was on the news and all this, and I was just doing my job,” he said.
Garcia suggests Knight grew complacent. “The money for Katie Hill didn’t come in until after they recognized that there was an opportunity,” he said. “The investments made by the Democratic Party were the product of them seeing weakness, them seeing someone who really wasn’t working hard to keep the seat.”
Garcia has raised $1.2 million since April. Knight has raised about $209,000, less than any of the top four candidates. Even after Knight got into the race, Garcia won the backing of the Los Angeles and Ventura County Republican parties. Knight’s most prominent backer is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.
Papadopoulos, who doesn’t live in the district, has raised just $124,000. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. He spent 12 days in prison and has since become a fixture in conservative media. His Twitter feed is a mixture of campaign promotion and tweets on the Russia investigation, his recent book and media appearances.


latimes--2020-03-01--Authorities investigating cause of fire and explosion that injured 3 in downtown L.A.

Authorities on Sunday were still trying to determine the cause of an explosion and fire in an industrial area of downtown Los Angeles this weekend that left three people injured , including two critically .
Witnesses said they heard a loud “ boom ” around 12 p.m. Saturday in the building at 743 Kohler St .
The explosion crumpled the building , which erupted into a fireball , sending a plume of black smoke hundreds of feet into the air that could be seen for miles .
Dozens of firefighters arrived on the scene to find the building fully engulfed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-story building was destroyed .
Video of the fire shows flames jumping to neighboring businesses .
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the blaze , according to the Los Angeles Fire Department .
Two of the injured men were taken to a local hospital and were listed in critical condition with severe burn injuries , officials said .
A third man suffered unspecified injuries and was transported in fair condition , according to authorities .
Investigators are still trying to determine the name of the business and the contents of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the fire department , said authorities would talk to the victims to help determine the circumstances surrounding the fire .
But because of the extent of their injuries that might take awhile .

Authorities on Sunday were still trying to determine the cause of an explosion and fire in an industrial area of downtown Los Angeles this weekend that left three people injured, including two critically.
Witnesses said they heard a loud “boom” around 12 p.m. Saturday in the building at 743 Kohler St. The explosion crumpled the building, which erupted into a fireball, sending a plume of black smoke hundreds of feet into the air that could be seen for miles.
Dozens of firefighters arrived on the scene to find the building fully engulfed in flames. Much of the 50-foot-by-100-foot one-story building was destroyed. Video of the fire shows flames jumping to neighboring businesses.
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the blaze, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
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Two of the injured men were taken to a local hospital and were listed in critical condition with severe burn injuries, officials said. A third man suffered unspecified injuries and was transported in fair condition, according to authorities.
Investigators are still trying to determine the name of the business and the contents of the building.
Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the fire department, said authorities would talk to the victims to help determine the circumstances surrounding the fire. But because of the extent of their injuries that might take awhile.