latimes--2020-03-22--L.A. imposes more restrictions on outdoor activities as coronavirus death toll increases

Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday said Los Angeles residents need to do a better job of following orders to practice social distancing , announcing the closure of city golf courses , group sports facilities and beach parking lots in Venice .
The weekend was marked by growing alarm from public officials as many people , rather than staying close to home , packed beaches , parks , and hiking and bike trails .
“ This weekend we saw too many images of too many people crowding beaches or canyons beyond their capacity , ” Garcetti during a Sunday evening briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close together , too often .
The longer we do that , the more people will get sick , and the more people will die .
There ’ s no way to sugarcoat that.
” On Sunday afternoon , the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority announced that it was closing its popular parks and trails , including the parkland owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy .
Parking lots and access roads also will be closed .
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area also announced some closures at Solstice Canyon beginning Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Santa Monica announced that it also would close its beach parking lots because of the “ large number ” visitors and advised people to avoid the beaches , bike paths and Palisades Park .
“ Today is not the day to go to the beach , ” City Manager Rick Cole said in a statement .
“ We know that it ’ s difficult to stay at home when the weather is so nice , and being close to the beach is one of the primary reasons why we love to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when we must take the guidelines from our health officials to heart.
” Garcetti said officials would consider closing beaches if necessary .
Late Sunday , the Laguna Beach Police Employees ’ Assn .
released a statement pressing the Laguna Beach City Council to close all city beaches and parks immediately .
The pleas came as the number of California coronavirus cases reached 1,793 , with 35 deaths .
On Sunday night , President Trump approved a request by Gov .
Gavin Newsom to declare a major disaster in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ mass care ” emergency assistance , unemployment aid and disaster legal services , among other relief .
“ Unfortunately , California has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 , ” Newsom wrote to Trump .
“ Besides California being home to nearly 40 million people , which itself poses significant logistical issues few other states face , California partnered with the federal government in several extremely complex and challenging repatriation missions , which strained California ’ s resources and impacted California ’ s healthcare delivery system.
” Trump said the Federal Emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units to the state within the next 48 hours .
California is in line to get eight of them for a total of 2,000 beds .
New York and Washington states will get 1,000 beds each , he said .
The Navy hospital ship Mercy , which is based in San Diego , also will be deployed to Los Angeles .
The ship can be on station in L.A. in “ a week or less , ” FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said .
It would not be used to treat COVID-19 patients but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to relieve the burden on hospitals , Gaynor said .
In addition , Trump announced that he has signed paperwork to have the federal government pay for National Guard deployments in California , New York and Washington .
The National Guard will remain under the control of state governments , but the federal government will cover the cost , as is typical in disaster scenarios .
Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents whose needs have not been met because of supply chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
The rapid-fire announcements came as Los Angeles County on Sunday reported an additional death related to the virus , the county ’ s fifth .
The Culver City resident was older than 65 and had underlying health conditions , the county Department of Public Health said .
The county recorded 71 new cases of the coronavirus , bringing the total to 409 ; 132 of those were announced in the past 48 hours .
Eighty-four people have been hospitalized , public health officials said .
“ Please know that the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county public health director , said in a statement .
The first inmate within California ’ s prison system has tested positive for COVID-19 at California State Prison , Los Angeles County , state corrections officials announced on Sunday night .
The officials also said that five workers have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Two are at California State Prison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at Folsom State Prison ; and two are at the California Institution for Men in Chino .
The prisoner in L.A. County was in stable condition and being treated on site , according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
Riverside County on Sunday also reported another death related to the virus , the sixth there .
Information about the person who died was not immediately available .
And Monterey County announced its first death of a resident due to complications from the virus .
The person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition , officials said Saturday .
“ We are facing a historic public health challenge and know this is a very difficult time , ” Dr. Edward Moreno , the county health officer and director of public health , said in a statement .
Experts , meanwhile , warned that the number of U.S. deaths would rise in the months ahead .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious-diseases specialist , said Sunday that although the United States was “ not necessarily ” on the same trajectory as that of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s largest coronavirus-related death toll — “ we ’ re going to get hit , there ’ s no doubt about it.
” Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health , said in an interview on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation ” on Sunday that some aspects of Italy ’ s crushing death toll , which reportedly tops 5,000 , were not yet fully understood by scientists .
“ If you look at the dynamics of the outbreak in Italy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are suffering so terribly , ” he said , adding that “ many of us believe that early on they did not shut out as well the input of infections that originated in China and came to different parts of the world.
” U.S. prospects may have been improved by bans on travel from China and Europe .
“ We have from the beginning been able to put a bit of a clamper ” on outside cases , Fauci said .
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Sunday ordered the Sylmar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy public defender assigned to the courthouse tested positive for COVID-19 , the illness caused by the coronavirus , the court said in a news release .
Presiding Judge Kevin Brazile was notified Saturday that the attorney had tested positive last week after caring for a relative who also tested positive , the court said .
Affected judges and staff will self-quarantine for 14 days , it said .
The courthouse handles juvenile delinquency cases in two courtrooms , and both have been cleaned and disinfected , officials said .
Cases on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been moved to the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster .
The Sylmar Courthouse is scheduled to reopen Thursday .
Ten more cases of the coronavirus infection have been reported at a South Bay assisted living facility , the Kensington Redondo Beach , according to the Daily Breeze .
Six of them are staffers , and four are residents , the paper reported .
Administrators said earlier in the week that one resident and two staff members had tested positive , raising fears of an outbreak in the high-end assisted living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , Gov .
Newsom on Saturday pleaded for residents to avoid unnecessary social contact after scattered reports across the state that some people had been flocking to the coast , gathering with friends or failing to follow social-distance orders .
The governor stressed that even those who didn ’ t show any symptoms of COVID-19 , including young adults who appear to be less likely to become gravely ill if they do contract the illness , needed to cooperate for the good of others in their communities .
The governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ further notice ” and could be changed as conditions warrant , according to a statement released by the governor ’ s office .
Issued under broad powers granted to the governor under the state ’ s Emergency Services Act , Newsom ’ s executive order is enforceable by law .
But people continued to crowd California ’ s beach areas Sunday , as recent rains gave way to mild weather .
At Torrance Beach , people were well spread out on the sand , but the narrow walking path beside it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Junipero Beach , besides the occasional mask- and glove-wearer , all seemed to be going as normal on Sunday morning .
The sun shone down on beach goers , young and old : basketball players using all three hoops , bikers , joggers , rollerbladers , men doing pull-ups on the outdoor exercise machines , women exercising on the grass , standing fewer than 6 feet apart .
Along the shore , a family of three , wearing masks , took a walk .
A lone fishermen waded knee-deep in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When he felt a tug , he called two children nearby to help pull the line .
Strangers , including the family , gathered to see the spectacle up close .
On Friday , Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia expressed frustration at his fellow residents for not following his guidance .
“ Seriously people , you need to practice social distancing .
I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there ’ s no crisis , ” he wrote on his personal Twitter page .
Or possibly , it was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the beach , to spend time outdoors in one of the few remaining places available .
At least for Jaushay Rockett , 36 , that was the case .
“ This may have sparked something , ” he said .
“ This may have sparked people to be creative and go outside .
It could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing.
” Rockett was playing basketball outside because “ everything ’ s been closed , ” including his usual indoor gyms and courts in Signal Hill and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believed the order to stay indoors would be more strict , but he saw people outdoors seemingly living their lives as usual .
It appeared there were more people at the beach than usual .
“ I ’ m thinking it was gon na be like martial law , ” he said .
“ Everybody is out … until they make it mandatory .
They ’ re going to have to really lock down the city ” for people to stay indoors .
Rockett was taking precautions to stay safe .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , besides his family friends with whom he played ball .
After a game , he said , he wipes his hands and the ball with Lysol and goes straight to the shower .
Clifford Aquino and Ryan Castro , both 28 , were displaced from their gyms in Cerritos .
They decided that Long Beach , where there are plenty of outdoor gyms and paths to run , would be a good replacement to get in a workout .
“ This is only Day 2 , ” said Castro .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you have to find different ways to stay active , ” Aquino said .
Aquino said he feels safe using the workout machines because he can keep his distance from people .
If one area is too busy , he finds another , or chooses another activity to do .
He said he wipes down each machine with Lysol wipes before using it .
Castro said he had been a consistent runner before , but stopped a while back .
Now , because he has so few options , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gone hiking and tried different , also busy , beaches .
Maybe Californians just can ’ t help a little sunshine , Castro said .
“ A little bit of sun while we have it , it ’ s like their last chance before the rain comes down , ” he said .
“ Huntington Beach was worse than this.
” In addition to pushing residents to heed social distancing orders , California leaders are also working to marshal much-needed resources to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus-related hospitalizations .
Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Apple , had pledged 1 million medical masks to be donated specifically to California ’ s coronavirus efforts .
And he said manufacturers in Los Angeles ’ garment district and in Northern California had reached out to sew additional masks if needed .
A key need in California and across the country is ventilators , necessary for some of the most serious COVID-19 patients , and the governor cited new efforts by two entrepreneurs to assist in producing the medical equipment .
Newsom said that Elon Musk , CEO of Tesla Inc. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the supply chains that support his companies for help in assembling ventilators .
The governor also said that K.R .
Sridhar , chief executive of Bloom Energy , agreed to help quickly modernize some 200 older ventilators that the state had on hand .
The original manufacturer , Newsom said , had estimated that doing so would take about a month .
California , like other states hit hard by the pandemic , has seen a shortage of complete testing kits .
Those challenges have hindered the ability of public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ’ spread .
Newsom , who said he had had encouraging conversations with President Trump on additional federal help , said coronavirus testing needed to do more than just document the numbers of ailing state residents .
“ My team is no longer providing me just the number of people that have tested positive .
They ’ re equally weighting the number of people that have tested negative , ” Newsom said .
“ The bottom line for us is we want to know what the spread is .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve .
We want to know if our stay-at-home orders are effective.
” In addition to California , New York has been hard-hit by the virus .
Cases are concentrated on the West and East coasts , and New York City is home to about one-third of those .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio , appearing on NBC ’ s “ Face the Nation ” on Sunday , said , “ New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the blunt truth : It is only getting worse .
“ And in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot worse , ” he said .
Fauci said federal resources were being “ clearly directed toward hot spots that need it most.
” In California , Newsom pointed to efforts in Los Angeles , Orange and Santa Clara counties to use testing as a form of what he called “ community surveillance ” to better understand local health conditions .
“ These were just broad random tests that were done with people that were otherwise young and healthy and thought they were perfectly healthy , ” Newsom said .
The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to improve their use of already scarce medical resources .
California officials have said that the current count of COVID-19 cases is a gross underestimation because of the lack of tests .
Testing picked up last week , but healthcare authorities said they still didn ’ t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people had been infected .
About 25,200 tests had been conducted in California , by both commercial and private labs , as of 2 p.m. Friday , the state Department of Public Health said Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were pending .
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community transmission , in which the person diagnosed had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case .
Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities .
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February , and since early March , most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel , the state Public Health Department said Saturday .
Therefore , the state will no longer collect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 , the Public Health Department said .
From Los Angeles ’ Griffith Park to Westside beaches , Southern California greeted its first weekend of a public health stay-at-home order with pluck , humor and notable kindness .
At a Granada Hills Starbucks drive-through line , customers “ paid it backward.
” And in a Laurel Canyon neighborhood , residents opened their windows for a “ You ’ ve Got a Friend ” singalong .
Still , there were some rough spots : Overflowing lines at markets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some harsh encounters .
The first reported coronavirus infections among Los Angeles police officers , with three testing positive last week , gave reason for added worry .
And Los Angeles city officials scrambled to open five more emergency shelters for homeless people .
The Hollywood Walk of Fame , the Venice Beach Boardwalk , the Grove shopping center and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills all went mostly bereft of visitors over the weekend .
Usually crowded streets were mostly open , and parking spaces were free for the taking .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pacific Palisades , cars lined up for parking lots at Will Rogers State Beach and nearby Temescal Gateway Park .
A few roller skaters and cyclists wore masks and gloves , though those could not be seen on the surfers enjoying a stunning blue-sky day , with views all the way to Santa Catalina Island .
“ Be a good neighbor .
Be a good citizen .
Those young people that are still out there on the beaches thinking this is a party time — grow up , ” Newsom said during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday afternoon .
“ It ’ s time to wake up , time to recognize it ’ s not just about the old folks .
It ’ s about your impact on their lives .
Don ’ t be selfish ; recognize you have a responsibility to meet this moment.
” Complaints of noncompliance have popped up on social media and apps such as the neighborhood forum Nextdoor.com .
The Marin County Sheriff ’ s Office on Saturday tweeted out a photo of people congregating on the coast , imploring residents to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ frustrations with the large amount of people traveling to the coast today and not practicing social distancing .
We are working with the public health officers to address the issue .
Please stay at home !
” the Sheriff ’ s Office said .
Times staff writers David Lauter , Hailey Branson-Potts , John Myers , James Rainey and Jack Dolan contributed to this report .

Phil Willon, Alex Wigglesworth, Richard Winton, Laura King, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Patrick McGreevy, Laura Newberry

Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday said Los Angeles residents need to do a better job of following orders to practice social distancing, announcing the closure of city golf courses, group sports facilities and beach parking lots in Venice.
The weekend was marked by growing alarm from public officials as many people, rather than staying close to home, packed beaches, parks, and hiking and bike trails.
“This weekend we saw too many images of too many people crowding beaches or canyons beyond their capacity,” Garcetti during a Sunday evening briefing. “Too many people, too close together, too often. The longer we do that, the more people will get sick, and the more people will die. There’s no way to sugarcoat that.”
On Sunday afternoon, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority announced that it was closing its popular parks and trails, including the parkland owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Parking lots and access roads also will be closed.
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The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area also announced some closures at Solstice Canyon beginning Monday. And earlier Sunday, the city of Santa Monica announced that it also would close its beach parking lots because of the “large number” visitors and advised people to avoid the beaches, bike paths and Palisades Park.
“Today is not the day to go to the beach,” City Manager Rick Cole said in a statement. “We know that it’s difficult to stay at home when the weather is so nice, and being close to the beach is one of the primary reasons why we love to call Santa Monica home. Yet this is a time when we must take the guidelines from our health officials to heart.”
Garcetti said officials would consider closing beaches if necessary. Late Sunday, the Laguna Beach Police Employees’ Assn. released a statement pressing the Laguna Beach City Council to close all city beaches and parks immediately.
The pleas came as the number of California coronavirus cases reached 1,793, with 35 deaths.
On Sunday night, President Trump approved a request by Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a major disaster in the state to help it respond to the pandemic with “mass care” emergency assistance, unemployment aid and disaster legal services, among other relief.
“Unfortunately, California has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” Newsom wrote to Trump. “Besides California being home to nearly 40 million people, which itself poses significant logistical issues few other states face, California partnered with the federal government in several extremely complex and challenging repatriation missions, which strained California’s resources and impacted California’s healthcare delivery system.”
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Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would be shipping mobile hospital units to the state within the next 48 hours. California is in line to get eight of them for a total of 2,000 beds. New York and Washington states will get 1,000 beds each, he said.
The Navy hospital ship Mercy, which is based in San Diego, also will be deployed to Los Angeles. The ship can be on station in L.A. in “a week or less,” FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said. It would not be used to treat COVID-19 patients but to take other patients in an attempt to relieve the burden on hospitals, Gaynor said.
In addition, Trump announced that he has signed paperwork to have the federal government pay for National Guard deployments in California, New York and Washington. The National Guard will remain under the control of state governments, but the federal government will cover the cost, as is typical in disaster scenarios.
Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents whose needs have not been met because of supply chain problems and temporary food shortages during the pandemic.
The rapid-fire announcements came as Los Angeles County on Sunday reported an additional death related to the virus, the county’s fifth. The Culver City resident was older than 65 and had underlying health conditions, the county Department of Public Health said.
The county recorded 71 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 409; 132 of those were announced in the past 48 hours. Eighty-four people have been hospitalized, public health officials said.
“Please know that the actions you take today to stay 6 feet away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement.
The first inmate within California’s prison system has tested positive for COVID-19 at California State Prison, Los Angeles County, state corrections officials announced on Sunday night.
The officials also said that five workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Two are at California State Prison, Sacramento, outside of Folsom; one is at Folsom State Prison; and two are at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
The prisoner in L.A. County was in stable condition and being treated on site, according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Riverside County on Sunday also reported another death related to the virus, the sixth there. Information about the person who died was not immediately available.
And Monterey County announced its first death of a resident due to complications from the virus. The person was hospitalized and had an underlying medical condition, officials said Saturday.
“We are facing a historic public health challenge and know this is a very difficult time,” Dr. Edward Moreno, the county health officer and director of public health, said in a statement.
Experts, meanwhile, warned that the number of U.S. deaths would rise in the months ahead.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-diseases specialist, said Sunday that although the United States was “not necessarily” on the same trajectory as that of Italy — which has the world’s largest coronavirus-related death toll — “we’re going to get hit, there’s no doubt about it.”
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that some aspects of Italy’s crushing death toll, which reportedly tops 5,000, were not yet fully understood by scientists.
“If you look at the dynamics of the outbreak in Italy, we don’t know why they are suffering so terribly,” he said, adding that “many of us believe that early on they did not shut out as well the input of infections that originated in China and came to different parts of the world.”
U.S. prospects may have been improved by bans on travel from China and Europe.
“We have from the beginning been able to put a bit of a clamper” on outside cases, Fauci said.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Sunday ordered the Sylmar Courthouse closed for three days after a deputy public defender assigned to the courthouse tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, the court said in a news release.
Presiding Judge Kevin Brazile was notified Saturday that the attorney had tested positive last week after caring for a relative who also tested positive, the court said. Affected judges and staff will self-quarantine for 14 days, it said.
The courthouse handles juvenile delinquency cases in two courtrooms, and both have been cleaned and disinfected, officials said. Cases on the calendar for the next three days have been moved to the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster. The Sylmar Courthouse is scheduled to reopen Thursday.
Ten more cases of the coronavirus infection have been reported at a South Bay assisted living facility, the Kensington Redondo Beach, according to the Daily Breeze. Six of them are staffers, and four are residents, the paper reported.
Administrators said earlier in the week that one resident and two staff members had tested positive, raising fears of an outbreak in the high-end assisted living home.
Amid the steady rise in cases, Gov. Newsom on Saturday pleaded for residents to avoid unnecessary social contact after scattered reports across the state that some people had been flocking to the coast, gathering with friends or failing to follow social-distance orders.
The governor stressed that even those who didn’t show any symptoms of COVID-19, including young adults who appear to be less likely to become gravely ill if they do contract the illness, needed to cooperate for the good of others in their communities.
The governor’s stay-at-home order will remain in effect until “further notice” and could be changed as conditions warrant, according to a statement released by the governor’s office. Issued under broad powers granted to the governor under the state’s Emergency Services Act, Newsom’s executive order is enforceable by law.
But people continued to crowd California’s beach areas Sunday, as recent rains gave way to mild weather.
At Torrance Beach, people were well spread out on the sand, but the narrow walking path beside it was jammed by 10 a.m.
At Long Beach’s Junipero Beach, besides the occasional mask- and glove-wearer, all seemed to be going as normal on Sunday morning.
The sun shone down on beach goers, young and old: basketball players using all three hoops, bikers, joggers, rollerbladers, men doing pull-ups on the outdoor exercise machines, women exercising on the grass, standing fewer than 6 feet apart.
Along the shore, a family of three, wearing masks, took a walk. A lone fishermen waded knee-deep in the water, with his family nearby. When he felt a tug, he called two children nearby to help pull the line. Strangers, including the family, gathered to see the spectacle up close.
On Friday, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia expressed frustration at his fellow residents for not following his guidance.
“Seriously people, you need to practice social distancing. I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there’s no crisis,” he wrote on his personal Twitter page.
Or possibly, it was the governor’s order that led people to the beach, to spend time outdoors in one of the few remaining places available.
At least for Jaushay Rockett, 36, that was the case.
“This may have sparked something,” he said. “This may have sparked people to be creative and go outside. It could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing.”
Rockett was playing basketball outside because “everything’s been closed,” including his usual indoor gyms and courts in Signal Hill and Compton, he said. Initially, he believed the order to stay indoors would be more strict, but he saw people outdoors seemingly living their lives as usual. It appeared there were more people at the beach than usual.
“I’m thinking it was gonna be like martial law,” he said. “Everybody is out … until they make it mandatory. They’re going to have to really lock down the city” for people to stay indoors.
Rockett was taking precautions to stay safe. He made sure to keep a distance from people, besides his family friends with whom he played ball. After a game, he said, he wipes his hands and the ball with Lysol and goes straight to the shower.
Clifford Aquino and Ryan Castro, both 28, were displaced from their gyms in Cerritos. They decided that Long Beach, where there are plenty of outdoor gyms and paths to run, would be a good replacement to get in a workout.
“This is only Day 2,” said Castro. “It sucks.”
“It does suck, but you have to find different ways to stay active,” Aquino said.
Aquino said he feels safe using the workout machines because he can keep his distance from people. If one area is too busy, he finds another, or chooses another activity to do. He said he wipes down each machine with Lysol wipes before using it.
Castro said he had been a consistent runner before, but stopped a while back. Now, because he has so few options, he’s getting back into it.
Both have gone hiking and tried different, also busy, beaches.
Maybe Californians just can’t help a little sunshine, Castro said.
“A little bit of sun while we have it, it’s like their last chance before the rain comes down,” he said. “Huntington Beach was worse than this.”
In addition to pushing residents to heed social distancing orders, California leaders are also working to marshal much-needed resources to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
Newsom said Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, had pledged 1 million medical masks to be donated specifically to California’s coronavirus efforts. And he said manufacturers in Los Angeles’ garment district and in Northern California had reached out to sew additional masks if needed.
A key need in California and across the country is ventilators, necessary for some of the most serious COVID-19 patients, and the governor cited new efforts by two entrepreneurs to assist in producing the medical equipment. Newsom said that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. and Space X, had promised to use the supply chains that support his companies for help in assembling ventilators. The governor also said that K.R. Sridhar, chief executive of Bloom Energy, agreed to help quickly modernize some 200 older ventilators that the state had on hand. The original manufacturer, Newsom said, had estimated that doing so would take about a month.
California, like other states hit hard by the pandemic, has seen a shortage of complete testing kits. Those challenges have hindered the ability of public health officials to get an accurate assessment of the virus’ spread. Newsom, who said he had had encouraging conversations with President Trump on additional federal help, said coronavirus testing needed to do more than just document the numbers of ailing state residents.
“My team is no longer providing me just the number of people that have tested positive. They’re equally weighting the number of people that have tested negative,” Newsom said. “The bottom line for us is we want to know what the spread is. We want to know if we’re bending the curve. We want to know if our stay-at-home orders are effective.”
In addition to California, New York has been hard-hit by the virus. Cases are concentrated on the West and East coasts, and New York City is home to about one-third of those. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, appearing on NBC’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said, “New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the blunt truth: It is only getting worse.
“And in fact, April and May are going to be a lot worse,” he said.
Fauci said federal resources were being “clearly directed toward hot spots that need it most.”
In California, Newsom pointed to efforts in Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Clara counties to use testing as a form of what he called “community surveillance” to better understand local health conditions.
“These were just broad random tests that were done with people that were otherwise young and healthy and thought they were perfectly healthy,” Newsom said.
The results, he said, allowed health officials to improve their use of already scarce medical resources.
California officials have said that the current count of COVID-19 cases is a gross underestimation because of the lack of tests. Testing picked up last week, but healthcare authorities said they still didn’t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people had been infected.
About 25,200 tests had been conducted in California, by both commercial and private labs, as of 2 p.m. Friday, the state Department of Public Health said Saturday. Results for more than 12,700 of them were pending.
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community transmission, in which the person diagnosed had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case. Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities.
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February, and since early March, most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel, the state Public Health Department said Saturday. Therefore, the state will no longer collect information about travelers returning to California from countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19, the Public Health Department said.
From Los Angeles’ Griffith Park to Westside beaches, Southern California greeted its first weekend of a public health stay-at-home order with pluck, humor and notable kindness. At a Granada Hills Starbucks drive-through line, customers “paid it backward.” And in a Laurel Canyon neighborhood, residents opened their windows for a “You’ve Got a Friend” singalong.
Still, there were some rough spots: Overflowing lines at markets and food giveaways continued to ratchet up anxiety and some harsh encounters. The first reported coronavirus infections among Los Angeles police officers, with three testing positive last week, gave reason for added worry. And Los Angeles city officials scrambled to open five more emergency shelters for homeless people.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Venice Beach Boardwalk, the Grove shopping center and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills all went mostly bereft of visitors over the weekend. Usually crowded streets were mostly open, and parking spaces were free for the taking.
But along the coast in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades, cars lined up for parking lots at Will Rogers State Beach and nearby Temescal Gateway Park. A few roller skaters and cyclists wore masks and gloves, though those could not be seen on the surfers enjoying a stunning blue-sky day, with views all the way to Santa Catalina Island.
“Be a good neighbor. Be a good citizen. Those young people that are still out there on the beaches thinking this is a party time — grow up,” Newsom said during a news conference on Facebook and Twitter on Saturday afternoon. “It’s time to wake up, time to recognize it’s not just about the old folks. It’s about your impact on their lives. Don’t be selfish; recognize you have a responsibility to meet this moment.”
Complaints of noncompliance have popped up on social media and apps such as the neighborhood forum Nextdoor.com. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday tweeted out a photo of people congregating on the coast, imploring residents to stay home.
“We understand the communities’ frustrations with the large amount of people traveling to the coast today and not practicing social distancing. We are working with the public health officers to address the issue. Please stay at home!” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Times staff writers David Lauter, Hailey Branson-Potts, John Myers, James Rainey and Jack Dolan contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-21--These 25 powerful images show California's new reality

California ’ s number of confirmed coronavirus cases keeps gowing , and officials say it is understated due to the @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Testing has picked up , but health officials say they still don ’ @ @ @ @ @ a firm estimate of how many people are infected .
California entered the weekend with @ @ @ @ @ for most residents to stay at home to slow the spread and already desperate hospitals @ @ @ @ @ officials fear will overwhelm the state ’ s healthcare system .

California’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases keeps growing, and officials say it is understated due to the lack of tests for the virus. Testing has picked up, but health officials say they still don’t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people are infected.
Hikers walk past the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park (Wally Sklaij/Los Angeles Times)
A pair of visitors wearing masks walk along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, where shops were closed and streets largely devoid of people. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
California entered the weekend with coronavirus deaths rising, orders for most residents to stay at home to slow the spread and already desperate hospitals bracing for more patients that officials fear will overwhelm the state’s healthcare system.
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The Walt Disney Concert Hall is dark. The popular entertainment venue has temporarily shut down as a safety precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The lights are on but the Santa Monica Pier is closed to the public. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A couple walks alone on Santa Monica Beach as rain falls from storm clouds in the distance. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A woman uses a smartphone to record the scene along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where shops were closed and streets largely devoid of people on March 20. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A handful of visitors walk on a largely deserted Santa Monica Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Xiao Ping, holding a tray of eggs, looks back at the long line of egg buyers in Chino. People started lining up early at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Shuttered shops line Windward Avenue in Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A postal carrier is reflected in the window of a shop in Chinatown, which was largely deserted. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A young man drives a sports car down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where shops were closed and streets largely devoid of people and motor traffic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Commuter protect themselves with a face mask while riding a bus at El Monte Metro Station. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A surfer walks past shuttered shops on Windward Avenue in Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A vendor sits along the empty boardwalk at Venice Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A man with a mask waits alone on the platform of the Metro Hollywood/Highland station in Hollywood. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
School buses sit since all schools have been closed in L.A. County. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The city of Santa Monica closed the pier, and few people were on the beach. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
At the Cal Marketplace downtown only a few people eat outside, where normally it would be packed. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The basketball courts at Roybal Learning Center are empty with schools closed due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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The intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of an empty Westfield Topanga mall parking lot. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Riverside County medical personnel administer a coronavirus test to a driver at a drive-though testing facility at Diamond Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-03-22--California coronavirus death toll rises to 35, including five in L.A. County

The death toll rose in California this weekend as coronavirus cases spread and residents tried to adjust to extraordinary restrictions on their movement .
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death , bringing the total number of deaths to five .
They also reported 71 new cases in the county , with the total number now at 409 .
There were 132 new cases reported in last 48 hours .
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 35 .
“ It is critical that everyone practices social distancing , obey the Safer at Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can have COVID-19 , and anyone could unintentionally infect others , ” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County Public Health Director .
“ Please know that the actions you take today to stay 6 feet away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
” The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus , in California now stands at more than 1,500 , with 30 deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases is a gross underestimation due to the lack of tests for the virus .
Testing picked up this week , but healthcare authorities said they still don ’ t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people are infected .
More than 25,200 tests had been conducted in California , by both commercial and private labs , the state Department of Public Health said Saturday .
Results for more than 12,700 of them were pending .
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case .
Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities .
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February , and since early March , most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel , the state Public Health Department said Saturday .
Therefore , the state will no longer collect information about travelers returning to California from countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 , the Public Health Department said .
In Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total number of those who have been infected is 47 , Ferrer said .
There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive .
“ The risk is spread across everyone , ” she said .
On Saturday , a third Los Angeles police officer tested positive for the coronavirus .
The officer , who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country , was “ coughing and sweating ” during roll call earlier this week in the Central Division , which patrols areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Times .
At least 14 Los Angeles Police Department employees have shown symptoms and been tested for the virus , sources said .
The other two who tested positive are a sergeant in the Pacific Division , who is hospitalized , and the other is a high-ranking command staffer , the sources said .
The LAPD has now set up a plan for first-responder testing , they said .
On Saturday , Long Beach announced that it had recorded three more cases of the virus , for a total of 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , which rose from 65 to 95 , and Riverside County , which rose from 22 to 45 , with six deaths .
In Orange County , a resident of graduate student housing at UC Irvine tested positive for the coronavirus , the school said Saturday .
The person , who is not a student , had recently returned from an international trip and reported symptoms , Dr. Albert Chang , medical director of the UCI Student Health Center , said in a statement .
The person is isolated and in good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to others on campus is low , the school said .
Big Bear Lake mayor Rick Herrick tested positive for the coronavirus , becoming the first confirmed case in Big Bear Lake and the 10th in San Bernardino County , the city announced Saturday .
Herrick was tested on Thursday and received a positive result late Friday .
He is doing well and expected to recover , the city said .
“ This is not the announcement that I imagined , but I hope that by going public on what is normally a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning moment for our tight-knit community , ” Herrick said in a statement .
He said that he became sick with relatively mild symptoms about a week ago and self-quarantined at his home .
He will continue to conduct his mayoral duties from home , he said .
The mayor had limited contact with other city officials , and none are currently symptomatic , the release said .
Any members of the public who had contact with the mayor before he self-quarantined can call the San Bernardino County Public Health Department for advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a reserve police officer who tested positive for coronavirus is now in an intensive care unit at a local hospital , while another 20 officers or reserves remain self-quarantined , according to a source .
Eleven city firefighters have tested positive , and more than 50 are in self-quarantine .
Intensive care beds at L.A. County ’ s emergency-room hospitals are already at or near capacity , even as those facilities have doubled the number available for COVID-19 patients in recent days , according to newly released data .
Fewer than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most occupied by patients who don ’ t have the virus , according to the data , which cover the roughly 70 public and private hospitals in Los Angeles County that receive emergency patients .
County health officials have advised doctors to refrain from testing some patients unless a positive result could change how they would be treated .
The guidance , sent to doctors in a letter last week , was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of test kits , and could make it difficult to ever know precisely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The health department “ is shifting from a strategy of case containment to slowing disease transmission and averting excess morbidity and mortality , ” according to the letter .
Doctors should test symptomatic patients only when “ a diagnostic result will change clinical management or inform public health response.
” On Sunday , President Trump approved a request from Gov .
Gavin Newsom to in California to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with “ mass care , ” emergency aid , unemployment assistance and disaster legal services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents facing food shortages .
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank warehouse in Sacramento County and will also assess the needs of other counties that have requested assistance with their programs .
The move came a day after he took the extraordinary action of telling most Californians so stay home .
The mandatory order allows residents to continue to visit grocery stores , pharmacies , farmers markets , food banks , convenience stores , takeout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations and laundromats .
People may also leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services .
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “ necessary activities.
” “ We ’ re going to keep the grocery stores open , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to make sure that you ’ re getting critical medical supplies .
You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk your dog.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the reach of Newsom ’ s historic executive order , the state announced that more stringent sets of mandatory restrictions implemented by some California counties and cities will remain in place .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said he strongly supported the move by Newsom , as well as a similar directive by New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders .
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ taking very bold steps ” to limit activities in their states .
On Saturday , Trump said he is continuing to work with the two governors .
“ We coordinate very much with them , ” he said .
Saturday will be a key test of the governor ’ s order .
On Friday , automobile traffic was “ pandemic light.
” Hiking trails , meanwhile , were filled with cabin-fever sufferers who stayed the requisite six feet apart and smiled a lot more than normal , grateful to be anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Segundo blocked off parking spots in front of local restaurants , where sit-down service is prohibited , and posted cheerful “ Gundo to Go ” signs .
Masks and latex gloves were the garb of the day for those who ventured out .
At Los Angeles International Airport at 10:30 a.m. Friday , there were twice as many workers as there were travelers at the Air Canada counter in Terminal 6 .
The LAXit lot looked all but closed .
The four zones where travelers wait for Uber and Lyft rides had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were 13 taxis .
And the travelers ?
Forget about it .
At Griffith Park , dog walkers and exercisers were out in force Friday morning .
People did lunges on the grass and push-ups on the picnic tables .
A sign flashed “ Observatory closed until further notice.
” Robert Dolan , a 64-year-old Los Feliz resident , said he ’ d been cooped up at home for nearly a week .
But on Friday he decided to resume his regular speed-walking routine .
“ I was feeling stuck in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that , ” he said .
“ Finally I said today I need to get out of here , because it ’ s driving me crazy.
” He sat on a stone ledge and watched a robin land on a tree .
He listened to the flow of water near his feet .
“ It ’ s better than it usually is , ” he said , “ because I ’ ve actually stopped and looked.
” Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state .
Contra Costa County announced its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe .
The patient died Thursday in an undisclosed hospital .
Riverside County .
Information about the victim wasn ’ t immediately available .
Santa Clara County announced two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Friday , bringing its total to eight .

Alex Wigglesworth, Maria L. La Ganga, Richard Winton, James Queally

During the coronavirus epidemic people continue to walk, ride thier bikes, and play basketball at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
People walk the beach, but maintain “social distancing” during the coronavirus outbreak at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
With all the stores closed, Fashion Island is a ghost town except for an occasional customer getting food for take-out Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
The Apple store is among all the stores which have closed during the coronavirus outbreak in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Popular shopping destination Rodeo Drive is all but deserted as retail shops are shuttered in Beverly Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
On the first day of L.A.’s ‘Safer at Home,” most major avenues and streets in downtown Los Angeles have very little traffic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
The city of Santa Monica has closed the Santa Monica Pier, and few people were on the beach Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Vehicles flow smoothly along Interstate 5 and the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles in this drone image. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
In this drone image, the Westfield Topanga mall parking lot sits empty, as new regulations have closed all indoor shopping centers in Canoga Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
School buses sit idle since all schools have been closed in Los Angeles County. The image was taken by drone. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The sparsely trafficked intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles is seen in a drone image. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Spooked by coronavirus fears, people from nearby Inland Empire cities lined-up to buy eggs at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Xiao Ping, holding a tray of eggs, looks back at the long line of egg buyers on Saturda morning in Chino. Spooked by coronavirus people from nearby Inland Empire cities started lining up early morning at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Drivers line-up to get a coronavirus test administered by Riverside County medical personnel at a drive-though testing facility at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. Those tested have symptoms or have had a risk of exposure. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Jesus Mendoza sells roses on the sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles. Mendoza said his business was overwhelmed by hundred of boxes of roses they could not sell. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
People run and walk on the Veterans Parkway in Manhattan Beach even with signage saying the space is closed to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus. (Dania Maxwell/Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
During the coronavirus pandemic, people continue to walk and ride their bikes along the path at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
At Echo Park Lake, friends gather with their dogs and enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the park. Social distancing and home isolation remain in effect due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Workers at the Ralphs grocery store in Westchester measure out social distancing guidelines for its customers with markers every six feet and limiting the number of customers it allows in to shop. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
The death toll rose in California this weekend as coronavirus cases spread and residents tried to adjust to extraordinary restrictions on their movement.
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death, bringing the total number of deaths to five. They also reported 71 new cases in the county, with the total number now at 409. There were 132 new cases reported in last 48 hours.
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 35.
“It is critical that everyone practices social distancing, obey the Safer at Home Health Officer Order and assume that anyone can have COVID-19, and anyone could unintentionally infect others,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director. “Please know that the actions you take today to stay 6 feet away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.”
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The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, in California now stands at more than 1,500, with 30 deaths, but officials have said that the number of cases is a gross underestimation due to the lack of tests for the virus. Testing picked up this week, but healthcare authorities said they still don’t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people are infected.
More than 25,200 tests had been conducted in California, by both commercial and private labs, the state Department of Public Health said Saturday. Results for more than 12,700 of them were pending.
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community transmission, in which the person diagnosed had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case. Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities.
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February, and since early March, most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel, the state Public Health Department said Saturday. Therefore, the state will no longer collect information about travelers returning to California from countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19, the Public Health Department said.
In Los Angeles County, the median age for the total number of those who have been infected is 47, Ferrer said. There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive.
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“The risk is spread across everyone,” she said.
On Saturday, a third Los Angeles police officer tested positive for the coronavirus. The officer, who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country, was “coughing and sweating” during roll call earlier this week in the Central Division, which patrols areas that include downtown L.A., sources told The Times.
At least 14 Los Angeles Police Department employees have shown symptoms and been tested for the virus, sources said. The other two who tested positive are a sergeant in the Pacific Division, who is hospitalized, and the other is a high-ranking command staffer, the sources said. The LAPD has now set up a plan for first-responder testing, they said.
On Saturday, Long Beach announced that it had recorded three more cases of the virus, for a total of 15.
New cases were also reported in Orange County, which rose from 65 to 95, and Riverside County, which rose from 22 to 45, with six deaths.
In Orange County, a resident of graduate student housing at UC Irvine tested positive for the coronavirus, the school said Saturday.
The person, who is not a student, had recently returned from an international trip and reported symptoms, Dr. Albert Chang, medical director of the UCI Student Health Center, said in a statement. The person is isolated and in good condition, and the risk of transmission to others on campus is low, the school said.
Big Bear Lake mayor Rick Herrick tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first confirmed case in Big Bear Lake and the 10th in San Bernardino County, the city announced Saturday.
Herrick was tested on Thursday and received a positive result late Friday. He is doing well and expected to recover, the city said.
“This is not the announcement that I imagined, but I hope that by going public on what is normally a private, HIPAA-type subject can be a learning moment for our tight-knit community,” Herrick said in a statement.
He said that he became sick with relatively mild symptoms about a week ago and self-quarantined at his home. He will continue to conduct his mayoral duties from home, he said.
The mayor had limited contact with other city officials, and none are currently symptomatic, the release said. Any members of the public who had contact with the mayor before he self-quarantined can call the San Bernardino County Public Health Department for advice, officials said.
In San Jose, a reserve police officer who tested positive for coronavirus is now in an intensive care unit at a local hospital, while another 20 officers or reserves remain self-quarantined, according to a source. Eleven city firefighters have tested positive, and more than 50 are in self-quarantine.
Intensive care beds at L.A. County’s emergency-room hospitals are already at or near capacity, even as those facilities have doubled the number available for COVID-19 patients in recent days, according to newly released data.
Fewer than 200 ICU beds were available Wednesday, with most occupied by patients who don’t have the virus, according to the data, which cover the roughly 70 public and private hospitals in Los Angeles County that receive emergency patients.
County health officials have advised doctors to refrain from testing some patients unless a positive result could change how they would be treated.
The guidance, sent to doctors in a letter last week, was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of test kits, and could make it difficult to ever know precisely how many people in the county contracted the virus.
The health department “is shifting from a strategy of case containment to slowing disease transmission and averting excess morbidity and mortality,” according to the letter. Doctors should test symptomatic patients only when “a diagnostic result will change clinical management or inform public health response.”
Sweeping orders
On Sunday, President Trump approved a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a major disaster in California to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with “mass care,” emergency aid, unemployment assistance and disaster legal services, among others.
Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents facing food shortages.
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank warehouse in Sacramento County and will also assess the needs of other counties that have requested assistance with their programs.
The move came a day after he took the extraordinary action of telling most Californians so stay home.
The mandatory order allows residents to continue to visit grocery stores, pharmacies, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, banks, gas stations and laundromats. People may also leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services.
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “necessary activities.”
“We’re going to keep the grocery stores open,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that you’re getting critical medical supplies. You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog.”
On Saturday, after a day of confusion about the reach of Newsom’s historic executive order, the state announced that more stringent sets of mandatory restrictions implemented by some California counties and cities will remain in place.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he strongly supported the move by Newsom, as well as a similar directive by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders.
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo, saying, “I applaud them” for “taking very bold steps” to limit activities in their states.
On Saturday, Trump said he is continuing to work with the two governors. “We coordinate very much with them,” he said.
Lives changing
Saturday will be a key test of the governor’s order.
On Friday, automobile traffic was “pandemic light.” Hiking trails, meanwhile, were filled with cabin-fever sufferers who stayed the requisite six feet apart and smiled a lot more than normal, grateful to be anywhere but home.
The city of El Segundo blocked off parking spots in front of local restaurants, where sit-down service is prohibited, and posted cheerful “Gundo to Go” signs. Masks and latex gloves were the garb of the day for those who ventured out.
At Los Angeles International Airport at 10:30 a.m. Friday, there were twice as many workers as there were travelers at the Air Canada counter in Terminal 6. The LAXit lot looked all but closed. The four zones where travelers wait for Uber and Lyft rides had a total of three cars at 11:15 a.m. There were 13 taxis. And the travelers? Forget about it.
At Griffith Park, dog walkers and exercisers were out in force Friday morning. People did lunges on the grass and push-ups on the picnic tables. A sign flashed “Observatory closed until further notice.”
Robert Dolan, a 64-year-old Los Feliz resident, said he’d been cooped up at home for nearly a week. But on Friday he decided to resume his regular speed-walking routine.
“I was feeling stuck in the house because of the coronavirus and all that,” he said. “Finally I said today I need to get out of here, because it’s driving me crazy.”
He sat on a stone ledge and watched a robin land on a tree. He listened to the flow of water near his feet.
“It’s better than it usually is,” he said, “because I’ve actually stopped and looked.”
Additional deaths
Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state. Contra Costa County announced its first death related to the virus: a person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe. The patient died Thursday in an undisclosed hospital.
Riverside County reported its fourth death . Information about the victim wasn’t immediately available.
Santa Clara County announced two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total to eight.


latimes--2020-03-23--Here is where the California National Guard is being deployed to battle coronavirus

The California National Guard on Monday provide details about how personnel would be deployed across the state to assist in coronavirus aid .
Officials said the Guard is being used purely for humanitarian purposes , such as distributing food and medical supplies as well as helping at food banks and working with officials on the Grand Princess cruise ship , which docked in California after an outbreak of the virus on board .
The California National Guard provided details on the initial deployments : — Working in Pacific Grove , Calif. , where 19 quarantined passengers from the Grand Princess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at food bank facilities in Sacramento , Amador , Monterey , Riverside , Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties .
— Filling in at various agencies that have seen a drop-off in volunteers because of the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
On Friday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the short-term deployment would initially assist a food bank distribution warehouse in Sacramento County and also assess the needs of other California counties that have requested assistance with their food bank programs .
“ It ’ s in these times of crisis that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the aid of those in their community who are most in need .
Food banks provide a critical lifeline for families , and are needed now more than ever , ” Newsom said in a statement released Friday night .
“ Families across our state are suddenly losing work , and millions of Californians most vulnerable to COVID-19 are staying home to protect their health and the health of others.
” To help cities in California beef up their response to the pandemic , approved a request from Newsom to declare a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide “ mass care , ” emergency aid , unemployment assistance and disaster legal services .
The president said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would ship mobile hospital units to California within the next 48 hours .
The state is in line to get eight of those units , for a total of 2,000 beds .
The Navy hospital ship Mercy , based in San Diego , has been deployed to Los Angeles , Adm. Michael M. Gilday , the chief of naval operations , said in a tweet Monday .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat COVID-19 patients , it will accept those with other medical issues to relieve the burden on local hospitals , FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said .

Richard Winton, Alex Wigglesworth, Colleen Shalby

National Guard troops in Sacramento on Monday. The National Guard is helping to distribute food.
The California National Guard on Monday provide details about how personnel would be deployed across the state to assist in coronavirus aid.
Officials said the Guard is being used purely for humanitarian purposes, such as distributing food and medical supplies as well as helping at food banks and working with officials on the Grand Princess cruise ship, which docked in California after an outbreak of the virus on board.
The California National Guard provided details on the initial deployments:
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— Assisting in a medical supply warehouse in Sacramento
— Working in Pacific Grove, Calif., where 19 quarantined passengers from the Grand Princess Cruise ship are staying.
— Working at food bank facilities in Sacramento, Amador, Monterey, Riverside, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.
— Filling in at various agencies that have seen a drop-off in volunteers because of the state’s stay-at-home order.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the short-term deployment would initially assist a food bank distribution warehouse in Sacramento County and also assess the needs of other California counties that have requested assistance with their food bank programs.
“It’s in these times of crisis that Californians are at their best, coming to the aid of those in their community who are most in need. Food banks provide a critical lifeline for families, and are needed now more than ever,” Newsom said in a statement released Friday night. “Families across our state are suddenly losing work, and millions of Californians most vulnerable to COVID-19 are staying home to protect their health and the health of others.”
To help cities in California beef up their response to the pandemic, President Trump on Sunday approved a request from Newsom to declare a major disaster and for the federal government to provide “mass care,” emergency aid, unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.
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The president said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would ship mobile hospital units to California within the next 48 hours. The state is in line to get eight of those units, for a total of 2,000 beds.
The Navy hospital ship Mercy, based in San Diego, has been deployed to Los Angeles, Adm. Michael M. Gilday, the chief of naval operations, said in a tweet Monday. Though its facilities will not be used to treat COVID-19 patients, it will accept those with other medical issues to relieve the burden on local hospitals, FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said.


latimes--2020-03-23--San Francisco warns of coronavirus surge: 'The worst is yet to come'

San Francisco officials warned that a surge in coronavirus is expected to come within a week or two , and voiced dismay over images of the public crowding beaches and parks across California .
“ The worst is yet to come , ” San Francisco Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax said at a news conference Monday .
“ Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in the number of coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized .
We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon , in a week or two , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already taken steps to decompress the healthcare system — banning almost all visitors to hospitals and long-term care facilities , canceling elective surgeries and routine medical visits , and ordering appointments be done by phone or video if possible , and opening up tents to care for mild coronavirus patients to keep hospital beds free .
But officials say based on what ’ s happened elsewhere , the surge will come .
The number of coronavirus cases continues to climb exponentially in California , with more than 1,700 cases and 27 deaths by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there were only 43 cases and no deaths .
Los Angeles County has reported more than 500 cases and eight deaths ; the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area has reported more than 800 cases and 14 deaths .
“ The folks who are out on the streets having drinking parties , the folks who are out on the streets socializing and coming together and not taking this social distancing requirement seriously , you are putting lives at stake , you are putting public health in jeopardy , ” Breed said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether or not we ’ re going to have more people get sick — they are .
And what happens if it ’ s your grandmother ?
What happens if it ’ s your uncle ?
And what happens if we don ’ t have a bed for them ?
” Breed said .
“ It is a matter of life or death .
This is not the time for a party , for a play date.
” People should only be going out , Breed stressed , for essential trips like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep away from others by at least 6 feet and moving out of the way of other people .
Breed said children ’ s playgrounds have been ordered closed , as they have in Los Angeles County , but she would rather not be forced to shut down San Francisco ’ s parks unless she has no choice .
“ It ’ s really the last thing I want to do , ” Breed said , “ so I want to to ask — I want to plead — to the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order.
” By slowing the spread of the virus , she said , “ our goal in preparing is to make sure our hospitals have the capacity , have what they need , to prepare for what we know is coming.
” Marin County , just north of San Francisco , Sunday ordered the immediate closure of all Marin County parks , including Point Reyes National Seashore , Muir Woods National Monument , Mt .
Tamalpais State Park and all county , city and town parks .
The crowds in Marin County over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were sometimes bigger than seen typically in summertime .
“ It would be best if residents and visitors enjoy the weather and natural beauty in their own yards and neighborhoods , ” Dr. Lisa Santora , Marin County deputy public health officer , said in a statement .
The Marin County public health officer , Dr. Matt Willis , disclosed Monday that he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
Colfax , the San Francisco director of health , said there are plenty of spaces in San Francisco for people to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is not a time for outings , gatherings at home or any occasions that raise your risk of being exposed or transmitting the virus , ” he said .
“ We need to slow it , and we need to slow it way down.
” Colfax said that in the wake of two workers at the city ’ s Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center testing positive for the coronavirus , the city is in the process of relocating about 20 to 30 homeless patients who are well enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing everything we can to protect the workers and the residents of Laguna Honda , ” Colfax said .
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said that he knew some in the city were still not complying , but that he remained reluctant to hand out misdemeanor tickets .
“ I ’ ve heard a lot about , ‘ When are you going to enforce ?
When are you going to enforce , ’ ” Scott said , adding , “ We are trying to get voluntary compliance because we believe that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 911 calls were down by 20 % to 25 % over last year and crime has also fallen .
Though there have been widespread reports of harassment against Asian Americans , Scott said his department has no documented cases .
Last week , the San Jose police chief warned he would start enforcing the public health order to shut nonessential businesses soon .
His officers discovered 55 violations last week of business operating , including flower shops , gyms , a video game store , car wash and a billiards hall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kidding me ?
” Chief Eddie Garcia said during a news conference .
“ Education is going to turn to enforcement very soon.
” Lin reported from Millbrae , Ryan from Los Angeles , and Greene from Thousand Oaks .
Times staff writer Maria L. La Ganga contributed to this report .

Harriet Ryan, Rong-Gong Lin II, Sean Greene

San Francisco officials warned that a surge in coronavirus is expected to come within a week or two, and voiced dismay over images of the public crowding beaches and parks across California.
“The worst is yet to come,” San Francisco Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax said at a news conference Monday. “Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in the number of coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized. We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon, in a week or two, or perhaps even less.”
San Francisco has already taken steps to decompress the healthcare system — banning almost all visitors to hospitals and long-term care facilities, canceling elective surgeries and routine medical visits, and ordering appointments be done by phone or video if possible, and opening up tents to care for mild coronavirus patients to keep hospital beds free.
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But officials say based on what’s happened elsewhere, the surge will come.
The number of coronavirus cases continues to climb exponentially in California, with more than 1,700 cases and 27 deaths by Monday afternoon. Just three weeks ago, there were only 43 cases and no deaths. Los Angeles County has reported more than 500 cases and eight deaths; the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area has reported more than 800 cases and 14 deaths.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed voiced distress over people picnicking during a pandemic.
“The folks who are out on the streets having drinking parties, the folks who are out on the streets socializing and coming together and not taking this social distancing requirement seriously, you are putting lives at stake, you are putting public health in jeopardy,” Breed said.
“It’s not a matter of whether or not we’re going to have more people get sick — they are. And what happens if it’s your grandmother? What happens if it’s your uncle? And what happens if we don’t have a bed for them?” Breed said. “It is a matter of life or death. This is not the time for a party, for a play date.”
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
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People should only be going out, Breed stressed, for essential trips like to get food, or when exercising, to keep away from others by at least 6 feet and moving out of the way of other people. Breed said children’s playgrounds have been ordered closed, as they have in Los Angeles County, but she would rather not be forced to shut down San Francisco’s parks unless she has no choice.
“It’s really the last thing I want to do,” Breed said, “so I want to to ask — I want to plead — to the people of our city to comply with the order.”
By slowing the spread of the virus, she said, “our goal in preparing is to make sure our hospitals have the capacity, have what they need, to prepare for what we know is coming.”
Marin County, just north of San Francisco, Sunday ordered the immediate closure of all Marin County parks, including Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods National Monument, Mt. Tamalpais State Park and all county, city and town parks. The crowds in Marin County over the weekend surged into local grocery stores and were sometimes bigger than seen typically in summertime.
“It would be best if residents and visitors enjoy the weather and natural beauty in their own yards and neighborhoods,” Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin County deputy public health officer, said in a statement. The Marin County public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis, disclosed Monday that he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Colfax, the San Francisco director of health, said there are plenty of spaces in San Francisco for people to get exercise while maintaining distance from other people. “It is not a time for outings, gatherings at home or any occasions that raise your risk of being exposed or transmitting the virus,” he said. “We need to slow it, and we need to slow it way down.”
Colfax said that in the wake of two workers at the city’s Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center testing positive for the coronavirus, the city is in the process of relocating about 20 to 30 homeless patients who are well enough to leave to other locations.“We are doing everything we can to protect the workers and the residents of Laguna Honda,” Colfax said.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said that he knew some in the city were still not complying, but that he remained reluctant to hand out misdemeanor tickets.
“I’ve heard a lot about, ‘When are you going to enforce? When are you going to enforce,’ ” Scott said, adding, “We are trying to get voluntary compliance because we believe that is the way to go.”
He said that 911 calls were down by 20% to 25% over last year and crime has also fallen. Though there have been widespread reports of harassment against Asian Americans, Scott said his department has no documented cases.
Last week, the San Jose police chief warned he would start enforcing the public health order to shut nonessential businesses soon. His officers discovered 55 violations last week of business operating, including flower shops, gyms, a video game store, car wash and a billiards hall.
“A billiards hall? Are you kidding me?” Chief Eddie Garcia said during a news conference. “Education is going to turn to enforcement very soon.”
Lin reported from Millbrae, Ryan from Los Angeles, and Greene from Thousand Oaks. Times staff writer Maria L. La Ganga contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-23--Amid pandemic, hospitals need medical safety gear. Here's how you can help

Increasingly desperate pleas from healthcare workers and public authorities for donations of face masks and other protective gear are an unsettling sign of just how unprepared American hospitals are for the COVID-19 pandemic .
Dr. Alison Cooke , assistant chief of hospital medicine for Kaiser Permanente-San Francisco , warned recently that her institution had less than a week ’ s supply of medical masks for doctors and nurses .
“ If you have any masks or safety goggles at home , please consider giving them to your nurse and doctor neighbors , ” she wrote on the neighborhood social networking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo urged nonessential medical offices and other businesses to donate their protective gear to hospitals .
And former federal health official Andy Slavitt tweeted a to dentists , painters , contractors and plastic surgeons to give “ all you have ” in the way of masks , gloves or thermometers to local hospitals .
As supplies of critical protective gear dwindle , nurses and doctors are wiping down and they ’ d normally toss after one use .
On social media , health workers beg for supplies under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s abbreviation for “ personal protective equipment.
” Officials personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile , and manufacturers like and have boosted production of critical medical supplies .
But for now , that ’ s not enough .
So charities , corporations and ordinary Americans are stepping up , donating N95 masks , as well as hospital gowns , disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer .
If you want to help , here are some answers to questions you might have .
Q : Why is there such a shortage of face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 is generating demand that far outstrips supply .
Because no one had immunity to the novel coronavirus when it broke out , doctors and nurses have exercised caution by wearing protective gear when seeing almost any patient with respiratory symptoms or a fever ― most of whom don ’ t have COVID-19 .
At the same time , panic-buying of N95 face masks and other gear has reduced available supplies .
Some people have even surgical masks and hand sanitizer from clinics .
Now , with more than confirmed coronavirus infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the number rising sharply , public health officials fear hospitals will soon be overwhelmed with patients , further boosting demand for protective gear .
The supply chain for medical equipment overseas — mostly in China and Taiwan ― increasingly commandeered by governments for domestic use .
And shortages of the fabric and other raw materials used to make masks are beginning to be a problem .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued bleak for hospitals facing shortages , including using homemade masks .
The Deaconess Health System in Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that meet CDC protocols , hospitals in Washington state .
Q : What can I do to help ?
Whether you want to donate supplies you have at home or at your company , check a recently launched website , , which lists numerous hospitals in need of protective gear in at least 41 states and gives specific instructions , including drop-off points , for donating to each one .
If you don ’ t find your local hospital on that website , try contacting the hospital ’ s supply manager to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like these , however , it may be difficult to reach overworked hospital staff .
If your local hospital is a nonprofit or county-run , check to see if it has a foundation or charity arm that may be organizing donations .
In California ’ s Santa Clara County , the charitable foundation for the county ’ s vast public safety-net hospital system — made up of three hospitals and 11 clinics ― launched a via social media and on its website that has garnered tens of thousands of masks , gloves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles of hand sanitizer , said Chris Wilder , the Valley Medical Center Foundation ’ s CEO .
“ It ’ s been very heartening .
The generosity has been very strong , ” said Wilder , who is now soliciting electro-mechanical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and ventilators .
If you can ’ t reach a hospital official or foundation , ask healthcare workers you know what they need .
Cyrus Farivar , an Oakland , Calif.-based reporter for NBC News , from his neighbors to deliver to a Kaiser Permanente nurse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s emergency operations office , which may be the center for donations in your area , suggested Cathy Chidester , who directs Los Angeles County ’ s emergency medical services agency .
Q : What do hospitals need most ?
Chidester says many hospitals and first responders are looking for medical-grade masks , gloves and face shields .
And , she said , don ’ t forget blood donations , which are down as shelter-in-place orders proliferate .
Check the for donation sites in your area .
What hospitals don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpackaged , used or expired supplies .
If all you have are two loose N95 masks , age unknown , that you found in your basement workshop , don ’ t bother .
Q : What help has arrived so far ?
The Santa Barbara-based humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief has distributed tens of thousands of face masks and other personal protective equipment to more than 1,000 safety-net health providers , $ 5.5 million in donations from the Clorox Co. Foundation and Verizon .
During wildfires that ravaged Australia in late 2019 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a factory in China to manufacture the masks and amassed 1.5 million of them .
Now , it is trying to get more .
“ We thought that was a lot , ” said Tony Morain , a Direct Relief spokesperson .
“ Little did we know.
” Direct Relief is now of protective gear .
In California , political consultant Kate Catherall a to gather supplies for bulk donations to hospitals .
Among other donations , IBM contributed 15,000 masks to Santa Clara County ’ s public hospitals , Wilder said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donate millions of masks to hospitals , and Pacific Gas & Electric said it would donate .
Nationally , some dentists who are have dropped off boxes of masks and gloves at local hospitals .
Q : Should I donate cash to crowdsourced or other donor campaigns I ’ m seeing online ?
Be cautious .
Although there are some legitimate campaigns organized by well-meaning people on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe , potential as well .
Barbara Feder Ostrov writes for Kaiser Health News ( KHN ) , a national health policy news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Increasingly desperate pleas from healthcare workers and public authorities for donations of face masks and other protective gear are an unsettling sign of just how unprepared American hospitals are for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Alison Cooke, assistant chief of hospital medicine for Kaiser Permanente-San Francisco, warned recently that her institution had less than a week’s supply of medical masks for doctors and nurses. “If you have any masks or safety goggles at home, please consider giving them to your nurse and doctor neighbors,” she wrote on the neighborhood social networking site Nextdoor.
On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged nonessential medical offices and other businesses to donate their protective gear to hospitals. And former federal health official Andy Slavitt tweeted a request to dentists, painters, contractors and plastic surgeons to give “all you have” in the way of masks, gloves or thermometers to local hospitals.
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DENTISTS/PAINTERS/CONTRACTORS/PLASTIC SURGEONS: Please— if you have any protective gear, N-95 masks or other, gloves, thermometers sitting around, bring them to your local hospitals. In any number. All you have.
Let us know what you’ve done! Please consider circulating this. — Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) March 20, 2020
As supplies of critical protective gear dwindle, nurses and doctors are wiping down and reusing supplies they’d normally toss after one use. On social media, health workers beg for supplies under the hashtag #GetMePPE , using the medical profession’s abbreviation for “personal protective equipment.”
Officials are releasing personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, and manufacturers like Honeywell and 3M have boosted production of critical medical supplies.
But for now, that’s not enough. So charities, corporations and ordinary Americans are stepping up, donating N95 masks, as well as hospital gowns, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.
If you want to help, here are some answers to questions you might have.
Q: Why is there such a shortage of face masks and other protective gear?
Fear of COVID-19 is generating demand that far outstrips supply. Because no one had immunity to the novel coronavirus when it broke out, doctors and nurses have exercised caution by wearing protective gear when seeing almost any patient with respiratory symptoms or a fever ― most of whom don’t have COVID-19.
Advertisement
At the same time, panic-buying of N95 face masks and other gear has reduced available supplies. Some people have even stolen surgical masks and hand sanitizer from clinics. Now, with more than 41,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. as of Monday afternoon and the number rising sharply, public health officials fear hospitals will soon be overwhelmed with patients, further boosting demand for protective gear.
The supply chain for medical equipment relies heavily on factories overseas — mostly in China and Taiwan ― increasingly commandeered by governments for domestic use. And shortages of the fabric and other raw materials used to make masks are beginning to be a problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued bleak guidance for hospitals facing shortages, including using homemade masks. The Deaconess Health System in Indiana recently asked the public to sew and donate masks that meet CDC protocols, as did Providence hospitals in Washington state.
Q: What can I do to help?
Whether you want to donate supplies you have at home or at your company, check a recently launched website, Get Us PPE , which lists numerous hospitals in need of protective gear in at least 41 states and gives specific instructions, including drop-off points, for donating to each one.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
If you don’t find your local hospital on that website, try contacting the hospital’s supply manager to see what they need most. In times like these, however, it may be difficult to reach overworked hospital staff. If your local hospital is a nonprofit or county-run, check to see if it has a foundation or charity arm that may be organizing donations.
In California’s Santa Clara County, the charitable foundation for the county’s vast public safety-net hospital system — made up of three hospitals and 11 clinics ― launched a campaign via social media and on its website that has garnered tens of thousands of masks, gloves and gowns, as well as thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer, said Chris Wilder, the Valley Medical Center Foundation’s CEO.
“It’s been very heartening. The generosity has been very strong,” said Wilder, who is now soliciting electro-mechanical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and ventilators.
If you can’t reach a hospital official or foundation, ask healthcare workers you know what they need. Cyrus Farivar, an Oakland, Calif.-based reporter for NBC News, gathered donations from his neighbors to deliver to a Kaiser Permanente nurse.
Also try contacting your local government’s emergency operations office, which may be the center for donations in your area, suggested Cathy Chidester, who directs Los Angeles County’s emergency medical services agency.
Q: What do hospitals need most?
Chidester says many hospitals and first responders are looking for medical-grade masks, gloves and face shields. And, she said, don’t forget blood donations, which are down as shelter-in-place orders proliferate. Check the American Red Cross website for donation sites in your area.
What hospitals don’t need are: extremely small quantities, unpackaged, used or expired supplies. If all you have are two loose N95 masks, age unknown, that you found in your basement workshop, don’t bother.
Q: What help has arrived so far?
The Santa Barbara-based humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief has distributed tens of thousands of face masks and other personal protective equipment to more than 1,000 safety-net health providers, aided by $5.5 million in donations from the Clorox Co. Foundation and Verizon.
During wildfires that ravaged Australia in late 2019 and earlier this year, the charity worked with a factory in China to manufacture the masks and amassed 1.5 million of them. Now, it is trying to get more. “We thought that was a lot,” said Tony Morain, a Direct Relief spokesperson. “Little did we know.” Direct Relief is now accepting donations of protective gear.
In California, political consultant Kate Catherall set up a Google Doc to gather supplies for bulk donations to hospitals.
Among other donations, IBM contributed 15,000 masks to Santa Clara County’s public hospitals, Wilder said. Over the weekend, Apple pledged to donate millions of masks to hospitals, and Pacific Gas & Electric said it would donate 950,000 masks . Nationally, some dentists who are closing their offices have dropped off boxes of masks and gloves at local hospitals.
Q: Should I donate cash to crowdsourced or other donor campaigns I’m seeing online?
Be cautious. Although there are some legitimate campaigns organized by well-meaning people on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, potential scams await as well.
Barbara Feder Ostrov writes for Kaiser Health News (KHN), a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


latimes--2020-03-23--Long Beach reports first COVID-19 fatality as cases rise

Long Beach confirmed its first COVID-19 fatality on Monday as total cases of the illness caused by the coronavirus rose to 19 .
Officials said the victim was a woman in her 50s with underlying health problems .
“ We ’ ve been dreading this day and were hoping it would never come , ” said Mayor Robert Garcia .
“ We extend our deepest condolences to the victim ’ s family , friends and loved ones .
We are all mourn this incredible loss to our community.
” The 19 cases the city has currently diagnosed range from mild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 140 people in the city have been or are now being monitored for coronavirus symptoms .
Long Beach it was closing basketball courts , tennis courts , volleyball courts , dog parks , playgrounds , skate parks and picnic areas and banning group exercise in parks .
Over the weekend , officials expressed frustration that people were not practicing social distancing and following stay-at-home rules .
Los Angeles County has secured 20,000 new coronavirus tests , with a processing capacity of 5,000 tests per day , officials announced Monday .
The kits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and first responders will be given priority for testing .
County officials confirmed 128 new cases and two more deaths , bringing the total number of deaths in the county to seven and the total case count to 536 .
Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis on Monday urged residents to follow “ safer-at-home ” guidelines , remain at home if possible and practice social distancing .

Richard Winton, Ruben Vives, Dakota Smith

The area around the Long Beach Convention Center, normally crowded with shoppers and diners, was virtually deserted Saturday.
Long Beach confirmed its first COVID-19 fatality on Monday as total cases of the illness caused by the coronavirus rose to 19.
Officials said the victim was a woman in her 50s with underlying health problems.
“We’ve been dreading this day and were hoping it would never come,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends and loved ones. We are all mourn this incredible loss to our community.”
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The 19 cases the city has currently diagnosed range from mild to very severe, officials said.
About 140 people in the city have been or are now being monitored for coronavirus symptoms.
Long Beach announced Sunday it was closing basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, dog parks, playgrounds, skate parks and picnic areas and banning group exercise in parks. Over the weekend, officials expressed frustration that people were not practicing social distancing and following stay-at-home rules.
Los Angeles County has secured 20,000 new coronavirus tests, with a processing capacity of 5,000 tests per day, officials announced Monday. The kits will be free, and healthcare workers and first responders will be given priority for testing.
County officials confirmed 128 new cases and two more deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to seven and the total case count to 536.
Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis on Monday urged residents to follow “safer-at-home” guidelines, remain at home if possible and practice social distancing.