latimes--2020-12-31--Bodies pile up, patient care falters as COVID-19 devastates L.A. County hospitals

Los Angeles County ’ s healthcare system was buckling Wednesday under the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 patients , with bodies piling up at morgues and medical professionals resorting to increasingly desperate measures as they brace for conditions to worsen in the coming weeks .
With hospitals overwhelmed by patients and no outlet valve available , doctors , nurses and paramedics are being forced to make wrenching choices about who gets care and at what level .
“ No one would believe this is in the United States , ” said Scott Byington , a critical care nurse at St. Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is doing what they can do .
It ’ s not that anybody is slacking .
It ’ s just that it ’ s too overwhelming for everyone.
” Hospital morgues are so full that the National Guard is being called in to help county workers as corpses are moved into storage at the L.A. County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner .
The overcrowded crypts at hospitals are a result of private mortuaries running out of space and staff to handle the unprecedented number of COVID-19 deaths .
The deteriorating conditions came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom had been found in Southern California , though officials said the findings were not unexpected and should not cause undue alarm .
Los Angeles County on Wednesday tallied its 10,000th COVID-19 death .
On the same day , it recorded 262 deaths , breaking the single-day record for COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row .
L.A. County is now averaging about 129 COVID-19 deaths a day over the past week , a figure that has never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided details on patients who suffered because resources were not available , it ’ s clear the crisis is taking a terrible toll on care .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County health services director , said Wednesday , “ There have been some unfortunate outcomes from patients in hospitals and ambulances across the county who couldn ’ t be offloaded into an emergency department in a timely manner.
” County officials have been concerned about patients suffering from things such as strokes , heart attacks and seizures waiting in ambulances outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the county Emergency Medical Services Agency .
“ The early intervention , in some of these cases if you don ’ t get it , may lead to worse outcomes , ” she said .
The crush of patients has led the county to allow certain types of ambulance patients to be offloaded into the waiting room instead of the emergency room , according to memos issued by the EMS agency .
Additionally , 911 patients who have a do-not-resuscitate directive will not be taken to acute-care facilities such as a hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearts have stopped .
The agency is also allowing emergency medical service providers to decline to take low-risk patients to hospitals with mild respiratory illnesses .
At St. Francis , a backed-up intensive care unit has made the emergency room a landing spot for people who under normal circumstances would be admitted to the ICU , including COVID-19 patients on ventilators .
The hallways of the ER are lined with sick patients .
The part of the hospital where gunshot and car accident victims are typically triaged is also often packed with people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent shift , Byington , the critical care nurse at St. Francis Medical Center , cared for 12 patients in crisis .
On the overhead speakers , he heard near-constant calls of rapid response and Code Blues as patients crashed .
“ I ’ m upstairs in a COVID room , he ’ s coding , and then I go downstairs to a COVID room , he ’ s coding , and then there ’ s a problem and I go back and forth and back and forth , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it ’ s crazy.
” Watching COVID-19 patients suffer is horrifying .
Their eyes widen with panic as they struggle to take in enough oxygen and gasp for breath .
It is a process much like suffocation .
“ You hope for some of these patients who are not going to survive , that they actually become unconscious before this , because it ’ s very scary , ” Byington said .
“ It ’ s no different than probably drowning.
” On a recent shift , there were more than 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with heart attacks and others with COVID-19 — but staff couldn ’ t find technicians to watch their heart monitors , because employees also have fallen sick with COVID .
Some nurses and doctors have been hospitalized with severe cases of the disease , he said .
Hospital staff are also dealing with non-COVID patients in crisis who have put off urgent medical care for fear of contracting the coronavirus at the hospital .
A patient might have had shortness of breath and chest pain for a few days , but doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a heart attack until it ’ s nearly too late , Byington said .
“ We had a lady who walked in and had a stroke in the lobby , ” he said .
On a recent shift , seven patients died in the hospital within six hours , Byington said .
The hospital morgue is often at capacity .
There have been patients passing away who were in their 20s and 30s , he said .
Recently , a sick patient was cared for in the ER hallway because there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The patient could not be saved , and died there , Byington said .
“ When it came time for them to pass , they passed in the hallway.
” Running out of oxygen and critical machines Byington , who has worked at the hospital for nearly 30 years , said medical staff are trying as hard as they can .
The situation is equally bleak at other nearby hospitals , he said .
“ They give 110 % and come back the next day to start all over , ” Byington added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MASH unit , everywhere in the hospital .
This is a situation where people come in and it ’ s like rolling the dice.
” At different times , the hospital has run out of high-flow oxygen as well as BiPap machines , a mask that helps push oxygen into the lungs , often a last resort before placing ill patients on a ventilator .
The choices are often grim .
A patient might require a BiPap machine , and there may be only one left , just surrendered by a patient who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine is given to the patient in need , it could be just minutes before another might need one — but there aren ’ t any left .
“ You have to pick and choose , ” he said .
“ That ’ s where we really are — we ’ re really at that point.
” That sentiment was shared by medical professionals across the region , who fear that as bad as the conditions are now , they would get worse .
“ I have never been in the position in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer lifesaving care to someone who needed it , ” said Dr. Marc Futernick , a Los Angeles emergency room physician who also serves as regional medical director of VEP Healthcare .
“ That is literally what we are talking about .
If there is no space , no ventilator and no oxygen .
... We are going to have to sit on our hands .
Just saying it out loud , it is so frightening .
None of us want to face that.
” At Greater El Monte Community Hospital , staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible out of the small facility but conditions were becoming increasingly difficult .
“ The chatter you hear … is very grim , ” said Dr. Victor Lange , the hospital ’ s clinical epidemiologist and director of quality and risk management .
“ It ’ s pretty common to see someone crying in the hallway.
” While both California and L.A. County have seen some easing in the net daily increase of ICU patients with COVID-19 — probably related to the stay-at-home order that began rolling out across the state on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less relief than other parts of the state .
At its peak in mid-December , L.A. County was averaging a net daily increase of 44 ICU patients for COVID-19 ; by Tuesday , L.A. County was averaging a net additional 35 ICU patients every day over the past week .
The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive continues to climb .
The daily positivity rate is now at 20 % — five times worse than the comparable figure from Nov. 1 , when the rate was less than 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even accounting for the incoming Christmas surge , ” said L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis .
“ From what we saw with so many people who attended gatherings and travels , we remain very concerned about another surge on top of the current surge.
” Solis implored the public to cancel New Year ’ s parties to reduce the intensity of the forecasted January surge .
Guard troops are stationed at 13 medical facilities in the state , including Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles , Methodist Hospital of Southern California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley in Sun Valley .
But she added : “ Please don ’ t give up .
Widespread access to the vaccine , as we know , is coming in a matter of months .
And don ’ t be a casualty to this pandemic.
” Times staff writers Harriet Ryan , Laura Newberry , Andrew J. Campa , Jaclyn Cosgrove , Lila Seidman and Melissa Gomez contributed to this report .

Soumya Karlamangla, Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money

A COVID-19 patient who has had a stroke is prepared to be flown to another hospital.
Los Angeles County’s healthcare system was buckling Wednesday under the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 patients, with bodies piling up at morgues and medical professionals resorting to increasingly desperate measures as they brace for conditions to worsen in the coming weeks.
With hospitals overwhelmed by patients and no outlet valve available, doctors, nurses and paramedics are being forced to make wrenching choices about who gets care and at what level.
“No one would believe this is in the United States,” said Scott Byington, a critical care nurse at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. “Everyone is doing what they can do. It’s not that anybody is slacking. It’s just that it’s too overwhelming for everyone.”
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Hospital morgues are so full that the National Guard is being called in to help county workers as corpses are moved into storage at the L.A. County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner. The overcrowded crypts at hospitals are a result of private mortuaries running out of space and staff to handle the unprecedented number of COVID-19 deaths.
The deteriorating conditions came as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that a new, potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom had been found in Southern California, though officials said the findings were not unexpected and should not cause undue alarm.
Los Angeles County on Wednesday tallied its 10,000th COVID-19 death. On the same day, it recorded 262 deaths, breaking the single-day record for COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row. L.A. County is now averaging about 129 COVID-19 deaths a day over the past week, a figure that has never been higher.
‘Unfortunate outcomes’
While officials have not provided details on patients who suffered because resources were not available, it’s clear the crisis is taking a terrible toll on care.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County health services director, said Wednesday, “There have been some unfortunate outcomes from patients in hospitals and ambulances across the county who couldn’t be offloaded into an emergency department in a timely manner.”
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County officials have been concerned about patients suffering from things such as strokes, heart attacks and seizures waiting in ambulances outside hospitals, said Cathy Chidester, director of the county Emergency Medical Services Agency. “The early intervention, in some of these cases if you don’t get it, may lead to worse outcomes,” she said.
The crush of patients has led the county to allow certain types of ambulance patients to be offloaded into the waiting room instead of the emergency room, according to memos issued by the EMS agency.
Additionally, 911 patients who have a do-not-resuscitate directive will not be taken to acute-care facilities such as a hospital, nor will certain trauma patients whose hearts have stopped.
The agency is also allowing emergency medical service providers to decline to take low-risk patients to hospitals with mild respiratory illnesses.
Patients gasping for breath
At St. Francis, a backed-up intensive care unit has made the emergency room a landing spot for people who under normal circumstances would be admitted to the ICU, including COVID-19 patients on ventilators. The hallways of the ER are lined with sick patients. The part of the hospital where gunshot and car accident victims are typically triaged is also often packed with people infected with the coronavirus.
On a recent shift, Byington, the critical care nurse at St. Francis Medical Center, cared for 12 patients in crisis. On the overhead speakers, he heard near-constant calls of rapid response and Code Blues as patients crashed.
“I’m upstairs in a COVID room, he’s coding, and then I go downstairs to a COVID room, he’s coding, and then there’s a problem and I go back and forth and back and forth,” he said. “It’s all night long — it’s crazy.”
Watching COVID-19 patients suffer is horrifying. Their eyes widen with panic as they struggle to take in enough oxygen and gasp for breath. It is a process much like suffocation.
“You hope for some of these patients who are not going to survive, that they actually become unconscious before this, because it’s very scary,” Byington said. “It’s no different than probably drowning.”
On a recent shift, there were more than 40 patients in the telemetry units — some with heart attacks and others with COVID-19 — but staff couldn’t find technicians to watch their heart monitors, because employees also have fallen sick with COVID.
Some nurses and doctors have been hospitalized with severe cases of the disease, he said.
Dying in the ER hallway
Hospital staff are also dealing with non-COVID patients in crisis who have put off urgent medical care for fear of contracting the coronavirus at the hospital. A patient might have had shortness of breath and chest pain for a few days, but doesn’t come into the hospital for treatment for a heart attack until it’s nearly too late, Byington said.
“We had a lady who walked in and had a stroke in the lobby,” he said.
On a recent shift, seven patients died in the hospital within six hours, Byington said. The hospital morgue is often at capacity. There have been patients passing away who were in their 20s and 30s, he said. Recently, a sick patient was cared for in the ER hallway because there was no more space in the hospital.
The patient could not be saved, and died there, Byington said.
“When it came time for them to pass, they passed in the hallway.”
Running out of oxygen and critical machines
Byington, who has worked at the hospital for nearly 30 years, said medical staff are trying as hard as they can. The situation is equally bleak at other nearby hospitals, he said.
“They give 110% and come back the next day to start all over,” Byington added. “It’s like a MASH unit, everywhere in the hospital. This is a situation where people come in and it’s like rolling the dice.”
At different times, the hospital has run out of high-flow oxygen as well as BiPap machines, a mask that helps push oxygen into the lungs, often a last resort before placing ill patients on a ventilator.
The choices are often grim. A patient might require a BiPap machine, and there may be only one left, just surrendered by a patient who died, Byington said. Once the machine is given to the patient in need, it could be just minutes before another might need one — but there aren’t any left.
“You have to pick and choose,” he said. “That’s where we really are — we’re really at that point.”
That sentiment was shared by medical professionals across the region, who fear that as bad as the conditions are now, they would get worse.
‘It is so frightening’
“I have never been in the position in my career where I couldn’t offer lifesaving care to someone who needed it,” said Dr. Marc Futernick, a Los Angeles emergency room physician who also serves as regional medical director of VEP Healthcare. “That is literally what we are talking about. If there is no space, no ventilator and no oxygen. ... We are going to have to sit on our hands. Just saying it out loud, it is so frightening. None of us want to face that.”
At Greater El Monte Community Hospital, staffers were trying to squeeze as much space as possible out of the small facility but conditions were becoming increasingly difficult.
“The chatter you hear … is very grim,” said Dr. Victor Lange, the hospital’s clinical epidemiologist and director of quality and risk management. “It’s pretty common to see someone crying in the hallway.”
While both California and L.A. County have seen some easing in the net daily increase of ICU patients with COVID-19 — probably related to the stay-at-home order that began rolling out across the state on Dec. 6 — L.A. County is seeing less relief than other parts of the state.
At its peak in mid-December, L.A. County was averaging a net daily increase of 44 ICU patients for COVID-19; by Tuesday, L.A. County was averaging a net additional 35 ICU patients every day over the past week.
L.A. County reporting 20% positive test rate
The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive continues to climb. The daily positivity rate is now at 20% — five times worse than the comparable figure from Nov. 1, when the rate was less than 4%.
“And we’re not even accounting for the incoming Christmas surge,” said L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis. “From what we saw with so many people who attended gatherings and travels, we remain very concerned about another surge on top of the current surge.”
Solis implored the public to cancel New Year’s parties to reduce the intensity of the forecasted January surge.
Guard troops are stationed at 13 medical facilities in the state, including Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles, Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia and Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley.
“It’s such a grim reality,” Solis said.
But she added: “Please don’t give up. Widespread access to the vaccine, as we know, is coming in a matter of months. And don’t be a casualty to this pandemic.”
Times staff writers Harriet Ryan, Laura Newberry, Andrew J. Campa, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Lila Seidman and Melissa Gomez contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-31--Ode to a teacher felled by COVID and the boy she left behind

Two weeks before Christmas , Lisa Agredano asked her 15-year-old son , Manny , to open some of the gifts she bought him .
“ No , Mom , wait till Christmas , ” he told her gently .
“ I want it to be a surprise.
” Lisa , a 50-year-old single mom , was insistent .
She had bought her only son new clothing repping his favorite football team , the Las Vegas Raiders , and she wanted to watch as he opened it .
Manny gave in to his mother ’ s wishes .
That same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me a text message : I ’ m scared my fever won ’ t break .
She had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days earlier .
She didn ’ t want to go to the hospital .
I don ’ t want to leave my Manny , she wrote .
At 9:56 a.m. on Sunday , Dec. 13 , my phone rang .
“ Lisa Agredano , ” it read .
Relief washed over me .
She hadn ’ t been responding to messages .
Then I heard Manny ’ s voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother and his grandfather , Manuel , the man he was named after .
Five days after losing his mother to the coronavirus , the soft-spoken Lawndale High School sophomore lost his 83-year-old grandfather to it , too .
As a reporter covering the coronavirus in California these last 10 months , I , like so many Americans , had become almost numb to the daily horrors — the number of new cases , the number of new deaths .
How do you process that much tragedy ?
How can you possibly wrap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a hundred thousand Americans dead .
By November , a quarter million .
By this month , 300,000 .
For most of the year , I thanked God that no one close to me had gotten sick .
In November , everything changed .
My grandfather — a diesel mechanic and wheat farmer from rural Oklahoma who taught me that “ a cowboy never sits with his back to the door ” — died of complications from COVID-19 on Nov. 15 , the same day a colleague ’ s grandfather also died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new cases , suddenly became names I knew .
Immediate family members .
Friends .
And then we lost Lisa .
I met her two years ago at the South Bay day-care where she worked in the infant room .
I was a new mother bringing in my 6-month-old Charlie , who was going to be cared for by someone outside our family for the very first time .
I agonized over leaving my son .
But with a shy smile , Lisa — who called me not by my first name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long after we became friends — assured me all would be OK. Every day , Lisa would grab my blue-eyed boy from me as soon as I walked in , wrapping him in a hug .
“ Therrrre ’ s my Charlie Charlie !
” she ’ d exclaim as he reached for her .
Lisa called all of the infants in that room “ my babies.
” She sang “ Twinkle , Twinkle , Little Star , ” off-key but enthusiastically , and she taught them sign language : Please .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was almost as if growing up and leaving the infant room was the ultimate offense .
When my son started walking , she tried to hide it from other teachers so he could stay with her just a little longer .
The day he moved to the toddler room , she cried .
As transplants from rural Oklahoma , my husband and I have no family in California , so when she quietly offered to babysit , we took her up on it .
That ’ s how we met Manny , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother ’ s kind brown eyes .
For years , Lisa babysat in the evenings — even after a workday that started around 6:30 a.m. — and often brought Manny along so they could spend more time together .
My son took to Manny immediately , climbing all over him , showing him his Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody toys .
Eventually , Lisa and Manny would come over just to have dinner and play with us in the park .
One afternoon , she and I watched as Manny helped Charlie blow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mom , ” she said of my son .
Of her own , she said , almost to herself : He has such a good heart .
Born at Torrance Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 29 , 1969 , Lisa was the youngest of seven children .
She loved baby dolls , and her dad , Manuel — a forklift driver who came to the U.S. as a young man from Guadalajara , Mexico — was always bringing her new ones , said Joyce Alonso , her 35-year-old niece from Torrance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself , a part of her personality , she told me once , that came from being a chubby little girl .
A sensitive soul , she was constantly saying , “ I ’ m sorry.
” Her favorite movie was Disney ’ s “ Dumbo ” — in which the mama elephant , Mrs. Jumbo , is locked in a circus wagon after attacking a group of humans who taunted her son for his oversized ears .
The best-known song from that movie goes like this : Baby mine , dry your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my heart .
Never to part .
To Lisa , her son was always “ my Manny.
” “ When she found out she was pregnant with Manny , she was so excited , ” Joyce said .
“ She always wanted a baby , and when Manny came along , he was her pride and joy.
” Manny told me a week after she died that he had tagged along with Lisa to babysitting jobs since he was little .
While it could be tiring going after school , they shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It taught me a lot , how to take care of kids , ” he said .
“ I ’ m good at that now .
She was good at calming the babies down and making them laugh.
” He knew that “ she wanted me to have nice things , so she would work really hard.
” She loved to make Manny laugh .
In the car , she would blast Spanish-language music , roll down her windows and sing until she heard : “ Mom !
Roll up your windows !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with special needs and studied sign language at El Camino College , where she was one class short of a degree .
“ She ended up working with babies , but that turned out to be something she loved , ” Manny said .
Last month , Lisa and Manny went to a Vons , where a man working behind the counter at the bakery was hard of hearing .
They struck up a long conversation in sign language , with her saying the words aloud for Manny .
She worried she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ told her she was good at it .
It made her happy , ” Manny said .
Manny knew his mother could scare easily .
If she got lost while driving , tears would well in her eyes until he calmed her down and looked up directions .
During annual flights to Mexico City to visit family , she would sit between her father and her son , squeezing their hands .
“ It felt good , ” Manny said .
“ I got to keep her calm .
I got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the situation sometimes.
” When the world stopped in mid-March as the pandemic became a reality , I found myself crying again on the way to Charlie ’ s day-care , which stayed open even as schools quickly started shutting down .
Were we doing the right thing ?
I asked my husband .
Were we keeping our son safe ?
Were we putting his teachers , women we love , at risk ?
But then we saw Lisa ’ s blue Toyota sedan parked in its regular spot by the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from behind a face shield at first , then a whole series of Disney face masks as the weeks stretched into months .
She was happy to still be working , she told me .
And I was blessed to still have my job , too , she added .
It pained me to not be able to talk to her as much during the pandemic , with parents asked to not linger in the classrooms .
We would shout hellos through our masks and wave .
She told me she worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early the morning of April 12 , Easter Sunday , she sent me a text : Good morning mom I lost my brother last night .
Her brother , Jessie Garibaldo , was 55 .
He had COVID-19 .
Even in her grief , everything for her was about those babies .
Before she got sick herself in early December , Lisa had already finished making Christmas gifts for all of their parents : coasters with the children ’ s pictures on them .
At work , Lisa ’ s big laugh could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her colleagues were always trying to coax it out of her .
Margie Molina , her co-worker and friend , would sneak up behind her , hide by the door if she was coming out of the bathroom , pop out at her when she was getting water .
“ Pinche Miss Margie !
You scared me !
” Lisa would shout every single time , before Margie quickly hugged her .
“ She was super funny — very emotional — but funny , ” said Margie , 30 .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her laugh is one of the things we won ’ t forget.
” Margie got Lisa to teach her some sign language , including a few bad words .
And she told Lisa that , as someone raised by a strong single mother , she truly admired how Lisa brought Manny with her to babysit so they had that time together .
I can ’ t count how many times since Lisa ’ s death that I ’ ve started crying at the thought of her not being there to watch my Charlie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He won ’ t remember this friend who loved him so dearly .
And her Manny — he ’ s surrounded by family who love him and is moving in with Joyce .
But after what COVID-19 took from the teenage boy , all I want to do is say to him what Lisa was always saying herself : I ’ m sorry .
Less than 48 hours after Lisa died , the first coronavirus vaccinations were given in the U.S .
When I spoke to him last week , Manny said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
“ If only , ” he added , “ it would have been a lot sooner.
” He said he would always remember his mom ’ s joy , and the way she shared it .
“ I ’ m feeling OK , ” said the boy with his mother ’ s shy smile .
“ I know my mom would want me to be happy .
”

Two weeks before Christmas, Lisa Agredano asked her 15-year-old son, Manny, to open some of the gifts she bought him.
“No, Mom, wait till Christmas,” he told her gently. “I want it to be a surprise.”
Lisa, a 50-year-old single mom, was insistent. She had bought her only son new clothing repping his favorite football team, the Las Vegas Raiders, and she wanted to watch as he opened it. Manny gave in to his mother’s wishes.
That same day, Lisa, my friend, sent me a text message: I’m scared my fever won’t break.
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She had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days earlier. She didn’t want to go to the hospital. I don’t want to leave my Manny, she wrote.
At 9:56 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13, my phone rang. “Lisa Agredano,” it read. Relief washed over me. She hadn’t been responding to messages. Then I heard Manny’s voice.
“My mom died last night.”
Manny lived in Lawndale with his mother and his grandfather, Manuel, the man he was named after. Five days after losing his mother to the coronavirus, the soft-spoken Lawndale High School sophomore lost his 83-year-old grandfather to it, too.
As a reporter covering the coronavirus in California these last 10 months, I, like so many Americans, had become almost numb to the daily horrors — the number of new cases, the number of new deaths. How do you process that much tragedy? How can you possibly wrap your mind around it?
By May, a hundred thousand Americans dead. By November, a quarter million. By this month, 300,000.
For most of the year, I thanked God that no one close to me had gotten sick. In November, everything changed. My grandfather — a diesel mechanic and wheat farmer from rural Oklahoma who taught me that “a cowboy never sits with his back to the door” — died of complications from COVID-19 on Nov. 15, the same day a colleague’s grandfather also died of it.
The daily numbers, the new cases, suddenly became names I knew. Immediate family members. Friends.
Advertisement
And then we lost Lisa.
I met her two years ago at the South Bay day-care where she worked in the infant room. I was a new mother bringing in my 6-month-old Charlie, who was going to be cared for by someone outside our family for the very first time. I agonized over leaving my son.
But with a shy smile, Lisa — who called me not by my first name, but by “Mom” even long after we became friends — assured me all would be OK.
Every day, Lisa would grab my blue-eyed boy from me as soon as I walked in, wrapping him in a hug. “Therrrre’s my Charlie Charlie!” she’d exclaim as he reached for her.
Lisa called all of the infants in that room “my babies.” She sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” off-key but enthusiastically, and she taught them sign language: Please. More. All done. Leche.
It was almost as if growing up and leaving the infant room was the ultimate offense. When my son started walking, she tried to hide it from other teachers so he could stay with her just a little longer. The day he moved to the toddler room, she cried.
Lisa Agredano with the reporter’s son, Charlie, in November 2019. (Hailey Branson-Potts / Los Angeles Times)
As transplants from rural Oklahoma, my husband and I have no family in California, so when she quietly offered to babysit, we took her up on it. That’s how we met Manny, a tall, bespectacled boy who shares his mother’s kind brown eyes.
For years, Lisa babysat in the evenings — even after a workday that started around 6:30 a.m. — and often brought Manny along so they could spend more time together. My son took to Manny immediately, climbing all over him, showing him his Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody toys.
Eventually, Lisa and Manny would come over just to have dinner and play with us in the park. One afternoon, she and I watched as Manny helped Charlie blow bubbles.
“He’s beautiful, Mom,” she said of my son.
Of her own, she said, almost to herself: He has such a good heart.
Born at Torrance Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 29, 1969, Lisa was the youngest of seven children. She loved baby dolls, and her dad, Manuel — a forklift driver who came to the U.S. as a young man from Guadalajara, Mexico — was always bringing her new ones, said Joyce Alonso, her 35-year-old niece from Torrance.
Lisa could be shy and unsure of herself, a part of her personality, she told me once, that came from being a chubby little girl. A sensitive soul, she was constantly saying, “I’m sorry.”
Her favorite movie was Disney’s “Dumbo” — in which the mama elephant, Mrs. Jumbo, is locked in a circus wagon after attacking a group of humans who taunted her son for his oversized ears. The best-known song from that movie goes like this: Baby mine, dry your eyes / Rest your head, close to my heart. Never to part.
Manny Agredano, center, with his grandfather, Manuel, and his mother, Lisa, both of whom died of COVID-19 in December 2020. (Agredano family)
To Lisa, her son was always “my Manny.”
“When she found out she was pregnant with Manny, she was so excited,” Joyce said. “She always wanted a baby, and when Manny came along, he was her pride and joy.”
Manny told me a week after she died that he had tagged along with Lisa to babysitting jobs since he was little. While it could be tiring going after school, they shared a lot of sweet moments.
“It taught me a lot, how to take care of kids,” he said. “I’m good at that now. She was good at calming the babies down and making them laugh.”
He knew that “she wanted me to have nice things, so she would work really hard.”
She loved to make Manny laugh. In the car, she would blast Spanish-language music, roll down her windows and sing until she heard: “Mom! Roll up your windows!”
Lisa wanted to work with children with special needs and studied sign language at El Camino College, where she was one class short of a degree.
“She ended up working with babies, but that turned out to be something she loved,” Manny said.
Last month, Lisa and Manny went to a Vons, where a man working behind the counter at the bakery was hard of hearing. They struck up a long conversation in sign language, with her saying the words aloud for Manny.
She worried she was a little rusty. But the man “told her she was good at it. It made her happy,” Manny said.
Manny knew his mother could scare easily. If she got lost while driving, tears would well in her eyes until he calmed her down and looked up directions. During annual flights to Mexico City to visit family, she would sit between her father and her son, squeezing their hands.
“It felt good,” Manny said. “I got to keep her calm. I got to be able to be the brave one in the situation sometimes.”
When the world stopped in mid-March as the pandemic became a reality, I found myself crying again on the way to Charlie’s day-care, which stayed open even as schools quickly started shutting down. Were we doing the right thing? I asked my husband. Were we keeping our son safe? Were we putting his teachers, women we love, at risk?
But then we saw Lisa’s blue Toyota sedan parked in its regular spot by the front door. We saw her smiling, from behind a face shield at first, then a whole series of Disney face masks as the weeks stretched into months.
She was happy to still be working, she told me. And I was blessed to still have my job, too, she added.
It pained me to not be able to talk to her as much during the pandemic, with parents asked to not linger in the classrooms. We would shout hellos through our masks and wave. She told me she worried about Manny and online schooling.
Then, early the morning of April 12, Easter Sunday, she sent me a text: Good morning mom I lost my brother last night.
Her brother, Jessie Garibaldo, was 55. He had COVID-19.
Even in her grief, everything for her was about those babies. Before she got sick herself in early December, Lisa had already finished making Christmas gifts for all of their parents: coasters with the children’s pictures on them.
At work, Lisa’s big laugh could be heard from every room, and her colleagues were always trying to coax it out of her.
Margie Molina, her co-worker and friend, would sneak up behind her, hide by the door if she was coming out of the bathroom, pop out at her when she was getting water.
“Pinche Miss Margie! You scared me!” Lisa would shout every single time, before Margie quickly hugged her.
“She was super funny — very emotional — but funny,” said Margie, 30. “That’s what made her Lisa. ... Her laugh is one of the things we won’t forget.”
Margie got Lisa to teach her some sign language, including a few bad words. And she told Lisa that, as someone raised by a strong single mother, she truly admired how Lisa brought Manny with her to babysit so they had that time together.
I can’t count how many times since Lisa’s death that I’ve started crying at the thought of her not being there to watch my Charlie grow. He’s 2 now. He won’t remember this friend who loved him so dearly.
And her Manny — he’s surrounded by family who love him and is moving in with Joyce.
But after what COVID-19 took from the teenage boy, all I want to do is say to him what Lisa was always saying herself: I’m sorry.
Less than 48 hours after Lisa died, the first coronavirus vaccinations were given in the U.S. When I spoke to him last week, Manny said he was so happy a vaccine was here.
“If only,” he added, “it would have been a lot sooner.”
He said he would always remember his mom’s joy, and the way she shared it.
“I’m feeling OK,” said the boy with his mother’s shy smile.
“I know my mom would want me to be happy.”


latimes--2020-12-31--Grubhub drivers say app change eats into tips, jeopardizing a usually generous season

A recent tweak to the food delivery app Grubhub that changes the way customers are prompted to tip delivery drivers has frustrated many workers , who say the change discourages tipping and is slashing their potential earnings .
Popular food delivery apps typically allow customers to tip drivers a percentage of their meal ’ s cost , with the default tip often ranging from 10 % to 25 % .
Grubhub switched from that model Dec. 16 when the Chicago company rolled out new fees for customers in California to help cover the costs of driver benefits granted by voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app now defaults to zero , or no , tip .
A new message also appears atop the prompt , saying customers may “ Leave an optional tip on top of Driver benefits.
” Drivers said the change is costing them and offsetting any gains from the newly added benefits .
On Christmas Eve , Los Angeles driver Audrey Wilson , 55 , crisscrossed the city delivering meals , earning $ 1 or so on most orders , she said .
A $ 10 tip from a resident of a palatial home just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest that night .
Wilson had recently restarted driving for the service after a months-long break .
Because of the change in tip policy , she said , she plans to switch to a competitor , the food delivery platform DoorDash .
“ I was digging the work .
I got to make my own hours , ” Wilson said .
“ But now it ’ s rare to get a tip over a dollar .
It ’ s unbelievable.
” She estimates she now makes 30 % to 50 % less daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Katie Norris said that California drivers for the platform are making 20 % higher pay per order , including tips , since Proposition 22 came into effect , and that app users can still choose to leave a tip for their driver .
Proposition 22 — bankrolled by Uber , Lyft and other gig economy companies — won gig companies a carve-out from a state labor law that would have required them to classify their workers as employees and offer a full slate of benefits .
As a concession to workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a minimum earnings guarantee and a healthcare stipend for drivers who clock in a certain number of hours on the road .
Ride-hailing and food delivery platforms have since added fees to cover the cost of the new benefits : Grubhub added a flat fee of $ 1.50 per customer order .
The company ’ s marketing language draws a link between the new fee and suggested tipping practices .
“ In support of California ’ s Prop .
22 , this payment helps guarantee minimum wage and healthcare benefits for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to depend on tips , ” reads a note on the app under an information tab explaining the new driver benefits fee .
Rival DoorDash slightly increased service fees for some California orders to fund new driver benefits , said DoorDash spokesperson Taylor Bennett .
The company is also considering changes to some promotions such as DashPass , a subscription service that offers unlimited deliveries for a fee , that may also affect the price for some customers .
Uber spokesman Davis White said additional fees for customers of the ride-hailing giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , since Dec. 14 , each Uber Eats food delivery order has risen by 99 cents in Los Angeles and $ 2 in San Francisco .
The company has also tacked fees of 75 cents in Los Angeles and 30 cents in San Francisco on to rides , with the additional charge rising to $ 1.50 in more sparsely populated areas .
Gig economy companies have largely struggled to turn a profit , first as start-ups and increasingly as publicly traded companies .
Proposition 22 saved them the costs of overhauling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge market .
Grubhub remains one of the few that had become profitable , and yet this year the company lost money — even during the pandemic , when food delivery became a more common habit because of restaurant dining restrictions .
In June , European food delivery service Just Eat Takeaway agreed to buy Grubhub for $ 7.3 billion , a deal that will give it a foothold in the U.S. Grubhub ’ s changed tipping prompt is a competitive move in the “ arms race of food delivery , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more customer share , said Dan Ives , an analyst at investment firm Wedbush Securities .
With gig economy companies no longer worrying about having to classify their workers as employees instead of contractors , he said the food delivery market is likely to see more changes , as customer pricing and driver satisfaction become even more competitive .
“ In a competitive market for drivers , California drivers are choosing to deliver for Grubhub more than ever before and now have more stability with guaranteed earnings before tips , ” Norris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ We are always tweaking our product to maximize value created for drivers , diners and restaurants .
Diners continue to have the ability to leave a tip for their driver , including through the custom tip feature.
” Workers said the new benefits don ’ t offset the loss in income from tips , especially this time of year , as people tend to tip generously around holidays .
Many workers for food-delivery and ride-hailing platforms decline to be identified by full name , saying they fear being reprimanded professionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two Grubhub drivers who described their earnings to The Times , including by sharing work logs and receipts , said the default-tip change has significantly reduced their tip income .
For them , the lost tips have so far offset gains from new Proposition 22 benefits , including a guaranteed earnings minimum that is reliant on a specific measure of hours worked .
It has prompted some drivers to reconsider how many hours they put in , and whether work for the service is worth it at all .
One of them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley , had researched various food delivery companies before settling on Grubhub because it seemed to offer the best pay .
Janell said she usually accepts more than 95 % of the delivery orders she receives to keep her “ premier driver ” status , which gives her priority in scheduling work hours and larger orders .
Her calculus has changed in the absence of big tips .
On Dec. 20 , she delivered 15 orders and earned $ 28.73 in tips , far less than her usual average for a comparable number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 79.13 in tips on 13 orders Nov. 29 .
Accepting every order , big and small , and driving for hours through the thick winter fog is no longer paying off , she said .
“ I think customers are being bamboozled into thinking Grubhub is paying us a lot more , ” she said .

A change to the Grubhub food delivery app now sets the default tip a user can give a delivery driver at zero, a move frustrating drivers who are highly reliant on tips.
A recent tweak to the food delivery app Grubhub that changes the way customers are prompted to tip delivery drivers has frustrated many workers, who say the change discourages tipping and is slashing their potential earnings.
Popular food delivery apps typically allow customers to tip drivers a percentage of their meal’s cost, with the default tip often ranging from 10% to 25%. Grubhub switched from that model Dec. 16 when the Chicago company rolled out new fees for customers in California to help cover the costs of driver benefits granted by voters in the state last month. The app now defaults to zero, or no, tip.
A new message also appears atop the prompt, saying customers may “Leave an optional tip on top of Driver benefits.” Drivers said the change is costing them and offsetting any gains from the newly added benefits.
On Christmas Eve, Los Angeles driver Audrey Wilson, 55, crisscrossed the city delivering meals, earning $1 or so on most orders, she said. A $10 tip from a resident of a palatial home just off Mulholland Drive was one of her biggest that night.
Wilson had recently restarted driving for the service after a months-long break. Because of the change in tip policy, she said, she plans to switch to a competitor, the food delivery platform DoorDash.
“I was digging the work. I got to make my own hours,” Wilson said. “But now it’s rare to get a tip over a dollar. It’s unbelievable.” She estimates she now makes 30% to 50% less daily than she did months before.
Grubhub spokeswoman Katie Norris said that California drivers for the platform are making 20% higher pay per order, including tips, since Proposition 22 came into effect, and that app users can still choose to leave a tip for their driver.
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Proposition 22 — bankrolled by Uber, Lyft and other gig economy companies — won gig companies a carve-out from a state labor law that would have required them to classify their workers as employees and offer a full slate of benefits. As a concession to workers, the ballot measure outlined some new benefits, including a minimum earnings guarantee and a healthcare stipend for drivers who clock in a certain number of hours on the road.
Ride-hailing and food delivery platforms have since added fees to cover the cost of the new benefits: Grubhub added a flat fee of $1.50 per customer order. The company’s marketing language draws a link between the new fee and suggested tipping practices.
“In support of California’s Prop. 22, this payment helps guarantee minimum wage and healthcare benefits for our drivers so they don’t have to depend on tips,” reads a note on the app under an information tab explaining the new driver benefits fee.
Rival DoorDash slightly increased service fees for some California orders to fund new driver benefits, said DoorDash spokesperson Taylor Bennett. The company is also considering changes to some promotions such as DashPass, a subscription service that offers unlimited deliveries for a fee, that may also affect the price for some customers.
Uber spokesman Davis White said additional fees for customers of the ride-hailing giant will vary depending on the city. For example, since Dec. 14, each Uber Eats food delivery order has risen by 99 cents in Los Angeles and $2 in San Francisco.
The company has also tacked fees of 75 cents in Los Angeles and 30 cents in San Francisco on to rides, with the additional charge rising to $1.50 in more sparsely populated areas.
Gig economy companies have largely struggled to turn a profit, first as start-ups and increasingly as publicly traded companies. Proposition 22 saved them the costs of overhauling their approach to labor in California, a huge market.
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Grubhub remains one of the few that had become profitable, and yet this year the company lost money — even during the pandemic, when food delivery became a more common habit because of restaurant dining restrictions. In June, European food delivery service Just Eat Takeaway agreed to buy Grubhub for $7.3 billion, a deal that will give it a foothold in the U.S.
Grubhub’s changed tipping prompt is a competitive move in the “arms race of food delivery,” in which pricing is key to gaining more customer share, said Dan Ives, an analyst at investment firm Wedbush Securities. With gig economy companies no longer worrying about having to classify their workers as employees instead of contractors, he said the food delivery market is likely to see more changes, as customer pricing and driver satisfaction become even more competitive.
“In a competitive market for drivers, California drivers are choosing to deliver for Grubhub more than ever before and now have more stability with guaranteed earnings before tips,” Norris, the company spokeswoman, said in a statement. “We are always tweaking our product to maximize value created for drivers, diners and restaurants. Diners continue to have the ability to leave a tip for their driver, including through the custom tip feature.”
Workers said the new benefits don’t offset the loss in income from tips, especially this time of year, as people tend to tip generously around holidays. Many workers for food-delivery and ride-hailing platforms decline to be identified by full name, saying they fear being reprimanded professionally for criticizing their employers’ policies.
Two Grubhub drivers who described their earnings to The Times, including by sharing work logs and receipts, said the default-tip change has significantly reduced their tip income. For them, the lost tips have so far offset gains from new Proposition 22 benefits, including a guaranteed earnings minimum that is reliant on a specific measure of hours worked. It has prompted some drivers to reconsider how many hours they put in, and whether work for the service is worth it at all.
One of them, Janell, a driver in the Central Valley, had researched various food delivery companies before settling on Grubhub because it seemed to offer the best pay.
Janell said she usually accepts more than 95% of the delivery orders she receives to keep her “premier driver” status, which gives her priority in scheduling work hours and larger orders. Her calculus has changed in the absence of big tips.
On Dec. 20, she delivered 15 orders and earned $28.73 in tips, far less than her usual average for a comparable number of deliveries. She had made $79.13 in tips on 13 orders Nov. 29. Accepting every order, big and small, and driving for hours through the thick winter fog is no longer paying off, she said. “I think customers are being bamboozled into thinking Grubhub is paying us a lot more,” she said.


latimes--2020-12-31--Earthquake: Magnitude 3.6 quake strikes near Clearlake, Calif.

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday eight miles from Clearlake , Calif. , according to the @ @ @ @ @ earthquake occurred 16 miles from Healdsburg , 21 miles from Windsor , 25 miles from @ @ @ @ @ from Ukiah .
In the past 10 days , there has been one earthquake of @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per @ @ @ @ @ , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth @ @ @ @ @ you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find @ @ @ @ @ , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide @ @ @ @ @ generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the @ @ @ @ @ reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning @ @ @ @ @ visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported eight miles from Clearlake, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday eight miles from Clearlake, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 16 miles from Healdsburg, 21 miles from Windsor, 25 miles from Santa Rosa and 26 miles from Ukiah.
In the past 10 days, there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.3 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-12-31--Activists, Christian singer's fans clash on skid row over COVID-19 'superspreader' concert

Dozens of evangelical Christians and activists skirmished in the streets of skid row Wednesday night as controversial evangelical Christian singer Sean Feucht ’ s followers arrived for a homeless outreach event .
Activists assembled dozens of vehicles leading into skid row to try to block Feucht , who has staged largely maskless concerts nationwide to protest COVID-19 restrictions on religious worship .
The protesters worried the outreach could catalyze a coronavirus superspreader event among skid row ’ s vulnerable homeless population .
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were on hand to stop any violence , Mayor Eric Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spilled out of the vehicles , chanting , “ No mask , go home ” and “ You don ’ t look like Jesus .
You came here to kill us.
” Feucht , apparently in response , moved the outreach a block away .
One maskless worshiper , wearing a T-shirt saying “ Jesus is my lifeguard , ” laid hands on a homeless man lying on the sidewalk , reciting “ Satan , be silent .
Go away.
” She waved off hand sanitizer , and dashed a mask a protester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stamped on it .
But many of Feucht ’ s followers were in masks , although social distancing was nonexistent .
It was unclear , however , whether Feucht was present .
Feucht has another outreach planned for Thursday at a homeless tent city in Echo Park , and a concert and party scheduled that evening for a church parking lot in Valencia .
Stephen “ Cue ” Jn-Marie , pastor of skid row ’ s Church Without Walls and a blockade organizer , said activists plan to bring their protest to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for failing to stop Feucht ’ s gatherings .
“ They should have shut down this , ” Jn-Marie said .
“ I ’ m angry.
” Added Pete White , executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network : “ You can not bring a superspreader event into a community as vulnerable as skid row and think people won ’ t show up .
Even when the city has refused to stop the event , the people will .
”

Dozens of evangelical Christians and activists skirmished in the streets of skid row Wednesday night as controversial evangelical Christian singer Sean Feucht’s followers arrived for a homeless outreach event.
Activists assembled dozens of vehicles leading into skid row to try to block Feucht, who has staged largely maskless concerts nationwide to protest COVID-19 restrictions on religious worship. The protesters worried the outreach could catalyze a coronavirus super-spreader event among skid row’s vulnerable homeless population.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were on hand to stop any violence, Mayor Eric Garcetti said earlier in the day. Protesters spilled out of the vehicles, chanting, “No mask, go home” and “You don’t look like Jesus. You came here to kill us.”
Feucht, apparently in response, moved the outreach a block away. One maskless worshiper, wearing a T-shirt saying “Jesus is my lifeguard,” laid hands on a homeless man lying on the sidewalk, reciting “Satan, be silent. Go away.” She waved off hand sanitizer, and dashed a mask a protester had handed her to the ground and stamped on it.
But many of Feucht’s followers were in masks, although social distancing was nonexistent. It was unclear, however, whether Feucht was present.
Pastor Stephen “Cue” Jn-Maria, left, of Church Without Walls, leads a chant during a “blockade’’ against evangelist Christian singer Sean Feucht’s event along 5th Street at Towne Avenue in skid row. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Feucht has another outreach planned for Thursday at a homeless tent city in Echo Park, and a concert and party scheduled that evening for a church parking lot in Valencia.
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Stephen “Cue” Jn-Marie, pastor of skid row’s Church Without Walls and a blockade organizer, said activists plan to bring their protest to the home of Garcetti, whom he blamed for failing to stop Feucht’s gatherings.
“They should have shut down this,” Jn-Marie said. “I’m angry.”
Added Pete White, executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network: “You cannot bring a super-spreader event into a community as vulnerable as skid row and think people won’t show up. Even when the city has refused to stop the event, the people will.”
This is absolutely insane— at the #seanfeucht resistance blockade pic.twitter.com/tMAuWFzrmJ — T (@waterspider__) December 31, 2020
Supporters of evangelist singer Sean Feucht pray while homeless advocates staged a blockade along 5th Street and Towne Avenue in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Homeless advocates and their supporters stage a “blockade’’ against evangelist singer Sean Feucht in skid row along 5th Street at Towne Avenue. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-12-30--Los Angeles County records its 10,000th COVID-19 death

Los Angeles County on Wednesday tallied its 10,000th COVID-19 death , “ a terrible milestone , ” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
L.A. County on Wednesday broke the single-day record for COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row — 262 deaths , breaking the record from Tuesday , when 242 deaths were reported .
The records were influenced in part by a backlog of deaths from the Christmas holiday weekend .
L.A. County is now averaging about 129 COVID-19 deaths a day over the past week , a figure that has never been higher .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases a day — a bit better than the high in mid-December of 14,800 but still 10 times as bad as the situation on Nov. 1 , when it was tallying about 1,300 cases a day .
“ Most heartbreaking is that if we had done a better job reducing transmission of the virus , many of these deaths would not have happened , ” Ferrer said .
The death milestone came as hospitals continued to buckle under the strain of so many patients .
There are lengthy delays in offloading patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcomes , ” county officials said Wednesday .
“ Unfortunately this week , there have been some unfortunate outcomes from patients in hospitals and ambulances across the county who couldn ’ t be offloaded into an emergency department in a timely manner , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County health services director .
County officials have been concerned about patients suffering from things like strokes , heart attacks and seizures waiting in ambulances outside of hospitals , said Cathy Chidester , director of the county Emergency Medical Services Agency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these cases if you don ’ t get it , may lead to worse outcomes , ” she said .
Officials are resorting to highly unusual measures to reduce demand on hospitals .
Memos issued by the county ’ s Emergency Medical Services Agency say that certain ambulance patients can be offloaded into waiting rooms instead of emergency rooms ; when 911 is called , patients who have a do-not-resuscitate directive will not be transported to acute-care facilities such as hospitals ; neither will certain trauma patients whose hearts have stopped .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearts have stopped would still be rushed to emergency rooms .
But with hospitals in overwhelming crisis , officials have agreed to stop transporting those with virtually no hope of survival .
The agency is also allowing emergency medical service providers to decline to transport low-risk patients to hospitals with mild respiratory illness .
“ These are challenging times for our entire healthcare system , ” said the memo issued by the agency .
“ Our hospitals continue to be under siege , ” Ghaly said .
“ All of our hospitals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this is especially true for our smaller hospitals .
[ All ] hospitals though , are being inundated with COVID patients.
” Among the four public hospitals run by L.A. County , two-thirds of all patients in the intensive care units have COVID-19 .
“ Many hospitals have reached a point of crisis and are having to make very difficult decisions about patient care , ” Ghaly said .
“ Staff are constrained and patient demand continues to increase .
This means that we ’ re struggling to provide care , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but for those who have other injuries or accidents as well.
” Ghaly urged people to stay at home for New Year ’ s celebrations — the only way to minimize another surge expected to materialize again in the coming weeks .
“ We absolutely have to get this surge under control , and it will take everyone ’ s effort to do so , ” Ghaly said .
“ If we don ’ t , then the beginning of 2021 will be worse than the end of 2020 , and that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to have happen .
”

Joseph Jackson helps with transport at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center on Tuesday in Mission Hills. He normally works with the surgical team.
Los Angeles County on Wednesday tallied its 10,000th COVID-19 death, “a terrible milestone,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
L.A. County on Wednesday broke the single-day record for COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row — 262 deaths, breaking the record from Tuesday, when 242 deaths were reported. The records were influenced in part by a backlog of deaths from the Christmas holiday weekend.
L.A. County is now averaging about 129 COVID-19 deaths a day over the past week, a figure that has never been higher. The county is also averaging about 13,000 new coronavirus cases a day — a bit better than the high in mid-December of 14,800 but still 10 times as bad as the situation on Nov. 1, when it was tallying about 1,300 cases a day.
“Most heartbreaking is that if we had done a better job reducing transmission of the virus, many of these deaths would not have happened,” Ferrer said.
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The death milestone came as hospitals continued to buckle under the strain of so many patients.
There are lengthy delays in offloading patients from ambulances, causing “some unfortunate outcomes,” county officials said Wednesday.
“Unfortunately this week, there have been some unfortunate outcomes from patients in hospitals and ambulances across the county who couldn’t be offloaded into an emergency department in a timely manner,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County health services director.
County officials have been concerned about patients suffering from things like strokes, heart attacks and seizures waiting in ambulances outside of hospitals, said Cathy Chidester, director of the county Emergency Medical Services Agency. “The early intervention, in some of these cases if you don’t get it, may lead to worse outcomes,” she said.
Officials are resorting to highly unusual measures to reduce demand on hospitals.
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Memos issued by the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency say that certain ambulance patients can be offloaded into waiting rooms instead of emergency rooms; when 911 is called, patients who have a do-not-resuscitate directive will not be transported to acute-care facilities such as hospitals; neither will certain trauma patients whose hearts have stopped.
Under normal circumstances, even patients whose hearts have stopped would still be rushed to emergency rooms. But with hospitals in overwhelming crisis, officials have agreed to stop transporting those with virtually no hope of survival. The agency is also allowing emergency medical service providers to decline to transport low-risk patients to hospitals with mild respiratory illness.
“These are challenging times for our entire healthcare system,” said the memo issued by the agency.
“Our hospitals continue to be under siege,” Ghaly said. “All of our hospitals are under an incredible degree of strain, and this is especially true for our smaller hospitals. [All] hospitals though, are being inundated with COVID patients.”
Among the four public hospitals run by L.A. County, two-thirds of all patients in the intensive care units have COVID-19.
“Many hospitals have reached a point of crisis and are having to make very difficult decisions about patient care,” Ghaly said. “Staff are constrained and patient demand continues to increase. This means that we’re struggling to provide care, not just for those patients with COVID, but for those who have other injuries or accidents as well.”
Ghaly urged people to stay at home for New Year’s celebrations — the only way to minimize another surge expected to materialize again in the coming weeks.
“We absolutely have to get this surge under control, and it will take everyone’s effort to do so,” Ghaly said. “If we don’t, then the beginning of 2021 will be worse than the end of 2020, and that is not a situation that any of us want to have happen.”


latimes--2020-12-30--California National Guard medical corps pitches in to help struggling hospitals

As hospitals are slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients , the California National Guard is lending a hand .
Guard troops are stationed at 13 medical facilities in the state , including Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles , Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia and Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley .
Each team consists of about six to 10 medical corps members , led by a physician or a nurse .
Some facilities , like El Centro Regional Medical Center in Imperial County , have two teams .
The Guard has dispatched medical help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the need is now greater , with hospitals reaching a breaking point from an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases .
There are 20,000 people hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state — eight times higher than two months ago .
On Wednesday , California hit a grim milestone of 25,000 coronavirus deaths during the pandemic .
Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma , a spokesman with California National Guard , said there has been “ more of an effort to help the civilian healthcare providers , by providing them additional support through our military.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corps members arrived at Riverside Community Hospital , where there are more intensive care patients than beds .
Staffers have converted a cafeteria into an overflow room and may expand to other areas .
As of Tuesday , the hospital was caring for 237 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 — the most in the county , said CEO Jackie Desouza-Van Blaricum .
The troops ’ duties included offloading patients from ambulances and serving as an extra pair of hands for nurses .
But their stay was brief — Wednesday was their last day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility , perhaps one with fewer resources .
“ We ’ re sad to see them leave , because they were a tremendous help to us in our emergency room , ” Desouza-Van Blaricum said .
State officials evaluate requests for help from hospitals , nursing homes and other medical facilities , determining where the need is greatest , Shiroma said .
Since the pandemic started , the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services has dispatched just over 1,200 medical personnel to facilities across the state , including 154 from the Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deputy director for crisis communications , in an email .
The state is working to deploy more supplemental health workers in the next few weeks .
“ Strengthening the public health workforce is critical to our ability to protect lives during this latest wave of COVID-19 cases , ” Ferguson said .
“ These deployments are an important first step in helping health departments get the staffing resources they need.
” On Tuesday , L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote to Gov .
Gavin Newsom , requesting medical personnel from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to Southern California of the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy .
“ Our dedicated and highly skilled health care providers are working tirelessly to save lives ; but there just isn ’ t enough staffing available to provide all patients with the best care possible , ” she wrote .
Asked if the troops ’ departure signaled that her hospital was in better shape , Desouza-Van Blaricum said , “ I wish.
” Projections show that things will only get worse at the hospital over the next 30 days , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board now , with plans to bring on 20 more over the next few weeks .
They will supplement an overworked staff , some of whom have come down with the virus themselves .
The hospital may also convert an empty wing to a ward for less severely ill patients .
Desouza-Van Blaricum described the wing as “ an inside tent , ” with cement floors , air conditioning and heat but no ceiling .
Desouza-Van Blaricum said she knows why the National Guard needed to move on .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , “ and so I understand there ’ s other hospitals that may need their support as well .
”

Melissa Quintero takes blood from a patient inside a hallway in the emergency department at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley. The medical center is currently receiving support from the California National Guard.
As hospitals are slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients, the California National Guard is lending a hand.
Guard troops are stationed at 13 medical facilities in the state, including Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles, Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia and Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley.
Each team consists of about six to 10 medical corps members, led by a physician or a nurse. Some facilities, like El Centro Regional Medical Center in Imperial County, have two teams.
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The Guard has dispatched medical help since the start of the pandemic, but the need is now greater, with hospitals reaching a breaking point from an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases.
There are 20,000 people hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state — eight times higher than two months ago. On Wednesday, California hit a grim milestone of 25,000 coronavirus deaths during the pandemic.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, a spokesman with California National Guard, said there has been “more of an effort to help the civilian healthcare providers, by providing them additional support through our military.”
Last week, nine National Guard medical corps members arrived at Riverside Community Hospital, where there are more intensive care patients than beds. Staffers have converted a cafeteria into an overflow room and may expand to other areas.
As of Tuesday, the hospital was caring for 237 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 — the most in the county, said CEO Jackie Desouza-Van Blaricum.
The troops’ duties included offloading patients from ambulances and serving as an extra pair of hands for nurses.
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But their stay was brief — Wednesday was their last day. They will now go to another medical facility, perhaps one with fewer resources.
“We’re sad to see them leave, because they were a tremendous help to us in our emergency room,” Desouza-Van Blaricum said.
State officials evaluate requests for help from hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities, determining where the need is greatest, Shiroma said.
Since the pandemic started, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has dispatched just over 1,200 medical personnel to facilities across the state, including 154 from the Guard, said Brian Ferguson, the office’s deputy director for crisis communications, in an email.
The state is working to deploy more supplemental health workers in the next few weeks.
“Strengthening the public health workforce is critical to our ability to protect lives during this latest wave of COVID-19 cases,” Ferguson said. “These deployments are an important first step in helping health departments get the staffing resources they need.”
On Tuesday, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom, requesting medical personnel from the Army National Guard as well as the return to Southern California of the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy.
“Our dedicated and highly skilled health care providers are working tirelessly to save lives; but there just isn’t enough staffing available to provide all patients with the best care possible,” she wrote.
Asked if the troops’ departure signaled that her hospital was in better shape, Desouza-Van Blaricum said, “I wish.”
Projections show that things will only get worse at the hospital over the next 30 days, she said. About nine travel nurses are coming on board now, with plans to bring on 20 more over the next few weeks. They will supplement an overworked staff, some of whom have come down with the virus themselves.
The hospital may also convert an empty wing to a ward for less severely ill patients. Desouza-Van Blaricum described the wing as “an inside tent,” with cement floors, air conditioning and heat but no ceiling.
Desouza-Van Blaricum said she knows why the National Guard needed to move on.
“We’re all in this together,” she said, “and so I understand there’s other hospitals that may need their support as well.”


latimes--2020-12-30--Santa Monica Pier closed for New Year's weekend

In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus , the Santa Monica Pier will be closed to the public during New Year ’ s weekend , city officials said Wednesday .
The city said in a statement that the pier would close 10 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 6 a.m. Monday .
“ The city ’ s code enforcement COVID-19 details will be active throughout the weekend to enforce unpermitted business operations , gatherings and [ lack of ] face masks , ” the statement said .
“ Please follow all Los Angeles County guidelines to promote our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unprecedented spread of the virus in recent weeks , with hospitalizations overwhelming intensive care units and healthcare providers pleading with people not to come to emergency rooms unless it ’ s a matter of life or death .
On Wednesday , county health officials announced that the region had surpassed 10,000 coronavirus-related deaths .
In a media briefing Wednesday , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged residents not to gather even in small groups on New Year ’ s Eve and warned that a negative test “ is not a passport to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Thanksgiving bump , we ’ re feeling possibility of a Christmas one , please do not let us have a third surge that we simply can not take here in Los Angeles as a result of our New Year , ” he said .
“ Do not get together with others on New Year ’ s Eve .
Do not host or attend a party in person.
” Garcetti said that the city would be enforcing public health rules over the weekend , and that the Los Angeles Police Department has told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said that the department will have a “ significant deployment ” of officers patrolling the city to stop large gatherings .

The city of Santa Monica said in a statement that the pier would close at 10 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.
In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Santa Monica Pier will be closed to the public during New Year’s weekend, city officials said Wednesday.
The city said in a statement that the pier would close 10 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.
“The city’s code enforcement COVID-19 details will be active throughout the weekend to enforce unpermitted business operations, gatherings and [lack of] face masks,” the statement said. “Please follow all Los Angeles County guidelines to promote our community health.”
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L.A. County has seen an unprecedented spread of the virus in recent weeks, with hospitalizations overwhelming intensive care units and healthcare providers pleading with people not to come to emergency rooms unless it’s a matter of life or death. On Wednesday, county health officials announced that the region had surpassed 10,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
In a media briefing Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged residents not to gather even in small groups on New Year’s Eve and warned that a negative test “is not a passport to party.”
“We’ve seen the Thanksgiving bump, we’re feeling possibility of a Christmas one, please do not let us have a third surge that we simply cannot take here in Los Angeles as a result of our New Year,” he said. “Do not get together with others on New Year’s Eve. Do not host or attend a party in person.”
Garcetti said that the city would be enforcing public health rules over the weekend, and that the Los Angeles Police Department has told some party promoters to cancel their events. He said that the department will have a “significant deployment” of officers patrolling the city to stop large gatherings.


latimes--2020-12-31--Rose Parade 2021: Everything to know about Friday's virtual event

Roses are red , violets are blue , New Year ’ s celebrations are going virtual too .
It ’ s finally time to kiss 2020 goodbye and ring in 2021 .
And just as the COVID-19 pandemic will continue in the new year , so too will televised workarounds for major holiday events , such as the Macy ’ s Thanksgiving Day Parade , “ Dick Clark ’ s New Year ’ s Rockin ’ Eve ” and , on Friday , Pasadena ’ s Tournament of Roses .
Instead of the typical 5-mile-plus parade route involving hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 Rose Parade will be a smaller , “ reimagined New Year ’ s celebration , ” featuring celebrity appearances , musical performances , football highlights and “ spectacular floats from years past.
” In July , the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn .
canceled the 2021 parade for the first time in 75 years before converting to a COVID-19-safe alternative .
Here ’ s everything to know about the show .
What time is the show , and where can I watch it ?
Six networks — ABC , NBC , KTLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — will air the two-hour Rose Parade special simultaneously , beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific on New Year ’ s Day .
There isn ’ t a host , per se — but celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and actor Gary Sinise will serve as grand marshals .
The former will lead a lesson on how to mix his New Year ’ s cocktail of choice , while the latter is set to welcome viewers to the show .
Along with Lagasse and Sinise , Friday ’ s extravaganza will feature special appearances from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shameless ” actress Shanola Hampton , Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez , ex-NFL star Matt Leinart , “ Orange Is the New Black ” alum Dascha Polanco , “ One Day at a Time ” star Rita Moreno and Los Angeles Dodgers legend Vin Scully .
Yeehaw !
In addition to marching bands and equestrian displays , the 2021 Rose Parade will feature musical performances from several country artists , including Mickey Guyton , Lady A and Rascal Flatts .
Also set to take the virtual stage are Sheryl Crow , “ Dear No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband-wife duo the War and Treaty .
What about the marching bands ?
Don ’ t worry , Friday ’ s spectacular will still include music from several marching bands — even if they won ’ t be marching in the parade .
A selection of high school and college seniors from around the world will come together during the show for a mass virtual performance of “ Everything ’ s Coming Up Roses ” from “ Gypsy.
” And who better to lead the young virtuosos as the conductor of the 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not easy being green — especially during a pandemic — but everyone ’ s favorite Muppet and former Rose Parade marshal is up for the job .
Graduating students from the following marching bands will participate in Friday ’ s show : • Bands of America Honor Band ( recruits from all 50 states )

A float makes its way down the street at the 2020 Rose Parade. Friday’s parade will be a TV special.
Roses are red, violets are blue, New Year’s celebrations are going virtual too.
It’s finally time to kiss 2020 goodbye and ring in 2021. And just as the COVID-19 pandemic will continue in the new year, so too will televised workarounds for major holiday events, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” and, on Friday, Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses.
Instead of the typical 5-mile-plus parade route involving hundreds of volunteers and thousands of spectators, the 2021 Rose Parade will be a smaller, “reimagined New Year’s celebration,” featuring celebrity appearances, musical performances, football highlights and “spectacular floats from years past.”
In July, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. canceled the 2021 parade for the first time in 75 years before converting to a COVID-19-safe alternative. Here’s everything to know about the show.
What time is the show, and where can I watch it?
Six networks — ABC, NBC, KTLA, Univision, Hallmark Channel and RFD-TV — will air the two-hour Rose Parade special simultaneously, beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific on New Year’s Day.
Who’s hosting?
Actor Gary Sinise will serve as one of the grand marshals of the 2021 Rose Parade. (Chris Pizzello / Invision)
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There isn’t a host, per se — but celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and actor Gary Sinise will serve as grand marshals. The former will lead a lesson on how to mix his New Year’s cocktail of choice, while the latter is set to welcome viewers to the show.
Who’s appearing?
“One Day at a Time” star Rita Moreno will participate in the 2021 Rose Parade. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Along with Lagasse and Sinise, Friday’s extravaganza will feature special appearances from Puerto Rican musician Daddy Yankee, “Shameless” actress Shanola Hampton, Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, ex-NFL star Matt Leinart, “Orange Is the New Black” alum Dascha Polanco, “One Day at a Time” star Rita Moreno and Los Angeles Dodgers legend Vin Scully.
Who’s performing?
Country singer Mickey Guyton will perform at the 2021 Rose Parade. (William DeShazer / For The Times)
Yeehaw! In addition to marching bands and equestrian displays, the 2021 Rose Parade will feature musical performances from several country artists, including Mickey Guyton, Lady A and Rascal Flatts.
Also set to take the virtual stage are Sheryl Crow, “Dear No One” hitmaker Tori Kelly and soulful husband-wife duo the War and Treaty.
What about the marching bands?
The Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm Band performs during a previous Rose Parade. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Don’t worry, Friday’s spectacular will still include music from several marching bands — even if they won’t be marching in the parade. A selection of high school and college seniors from around the world will come together during the show for a mass virtual performance of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy.”
And who better to lead the young virtuosos as the conductor of the 2021 Rose Parade than Kermit the Frog? It’s not easy being green — especially during a pandemic — but everyone’s favorite Muppet and former Rose Parade marshal is up for the job.
Graduating students from the following marching bands will participate in Friday’s show:


latimes--2020-12-31--LAX begins rapid coronavirus testing for travelers

Despite a stay-at-home order across much of California and a plea from health officials to refrain from traveling amid the worst surge of the coronavirus to date , many people are still flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport .
In an effort to make travel as safe as possible , LAX opened an on-site rapid coronavirus testing site Thursday .
Justin Erbacci , chief executive of Los Angeles World Airports , said the airport supports the health advisories that are in place .
“ But we know that there are people who are traveling , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ We want to have this place to help those people who are traveling travel more healthy and safe.
” Fliers who pre-book an appointment at the recently built lab , located across from Terminal 6 , will receive results in three to five hours .
The lab , located in a shipping container , is processing about 250 to 300 rapid tests a day , with plans to ramp up to 1,000 tests daily .
Additional testing sites are at Terminal 2 and Tom Bradley International Terminal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The tests , known as PCR tests , are administered with a nasal swab .
Each costs $ 125 , and results are provided electronically .
Appointments are strongly encouraged for all three sites , but rapid testing appointments are filling up particularly fast , Erbacci said .
A trio of interim testing sites opened at the airport in mid-November , providing results within 24 hours .
Around 14,000 tests have been administered across those sites .
The airport plans to roll out rapid antigen testing in about a week , officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prerequisite to fly out of LAX , some destinations — including Hawaii — do require negative PCR tests before traveling .
Erbacci said the on-site testing at LAX is a convenient means to facilitate travel to those destinations .
Other airports — and some airlines — are also testing passengers .
Tampa International Airport began offering testing to all arriving and departing passengers on a walk-in basis in October and on Thursday announced the program would be extended into the new year , anticipating testing to continue for several more months .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hawaiian Airlines , JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines are offering either testing kits mailed to a passenger ’ s home or rapid tests taken at or near airports .
Although local airports saw steady increases in travelers determined to spend the Christmas holiday with family and friends , travel did not increase as much as officials predicted .
Air travel from Dec. 17-29 was around 30 % of what it was during the same period last year , said Heath Montgomery , a spokesman for LAX .
That fell short of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they estimated passenger totals during that time would be about 50 % of last year ’ s tally .
Travel declined during the first two weeks of December , following an uptick before Thanksgiving , Montgomery said .
The numbers picked up again later in the month , with Dec. 23 marking the second-busiest day of the year — trailing the Friday before Thanksgiving .
The pre-Christmas travel date saw just over 43,000 passengers at security checkpoints at LAX , about 40 % of the airport traffic on the same day last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new stay-at-home order , which was recently extended for Southern California , “ suppressed what it could have been , ” Montgomery said of the number of travelers .

Despite a stay-at-home order across much of California and a plea from health officials to refrain from traveling amid the worst surge of the coronavirus to date, many people are still flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport.
In an effort to make travel as safe as possible, LAX opened an on-site rapid coronavirus testing site Thursday.
For the record: An earlier version of this article said coronavirus testing at Tampa International Airport began Thursday. The airport began offering testing in October and on Thursday announced the program would be extended.
Justin Erbacci, chief executive of Los Angeles World Airports, said the airport supports the health advisories that are in place. “But we know that there are people who are traveling, and there are people who have essential travel,” he said. “We want to have this place to help those people who are traveling travel more healthy and safe.”
Fliers who pre-book an appointment at the recently built lab, located across from Terminal 6, will receive results in three to five hours. The lab, located in a shipping container, is processing about 250 to 300 rapid tests a day, with plans to ramp up to 1,000 tests daily.
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Additional testing sites are at Terminal 2 and Tom Bradley International Terminal, which will provide results in 24 hours.
The tests, known as PCR tests, are administered with a nasal swab. Each costs $125, and results are provided electronically. Appointments are strongly encouraged for all three sites, but rapid testing appointments are filling up particularly fast, Erbacci said.
A trio of interim testing sites opened at the airport in mid-November, providing results within 24 hours. Around 14,000 tests have been administered across those sites.
The airport plans to roll out rapid antigen testing in about a week, officials said.
Although coronavirus testing is not a prerequisite to fly out of LAX, some destinations — including Hawaii — do require negative PCR tests before traveling. Erbacci said the on-site testing at LAX is a convenient means to facilitate travel to those destinations.
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Other airports — and some airlines — are also testing passengers. Tampa International Airport began offering testing to all arriving and departing passengers on a walk-in basis in October and on Thursday announced the program would be extended into the new year, anticipating testing to continue for several more months.
Airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines are offering either testing kits mailed to a passenger’s home or rapid tests taken at or near airports.
Although local airports saw steady increases in travelers determined to spend the Christmas holiday with family and friends, travel did not increase as much as officials predicted.
Air travel from Dec. 17-29 was around 30% of what it was during the same period last year, said Heath Montgomery, a spokesman for LAX. That fell short of the amount airport officials predicted in November, when they estimated passenger totals during that time would be about 50% of last year’s tally.
Travel declined during the first two weeks of December, following an uptick before Thanksgiving, Montgomery said. The numbers picked up again later in the month, with Dec. 23 marking the second-busiest day of the year — trailing the Friday before Thanksgiving. The pre-Christmas travel date saw just over 43,000 passengers at security checkpoints at LAX, about 40% of the airport traffic on the same day last year.
The latest coronavirus surge and the new stay-at-home order, which was recently extended for Southern California, “suppressed what it could have been,” Montgomery said of the number of travelers.


latimes--2020-12-31--San Francisco extends stay-home and travel orders, warns against New Year's gatherings

San Francisco indefinitely extended its coronavirus stay-at-home and travel quarantine orders Thursday and warned residents not to gather for New Year ’ s with people outside their immediate households .
The city has canceled its annual fireworks celebration at the Embarcadero , and police will be assigned to places that normally attract crowds on New Year ’ s Eve .
Health orders have established a 10 p.m. curfew , and police said warnings and , if warranted , citations would be issued .
San Francisco police also have become aware of social media posts about private New Year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco city attorney ’ s office and public health officials to try to stop them , said city police spokesman Robert Rueca .
“ We are working with them as a team to address these issues , ” Rueca said during an online news conference .
San Francisco and several other Bay Area counties first ordered residents to stay home on Dec. 3 in hopes that the region could prevent hospital intensive care units from becoming overwhelmed .
The availability of intensive care beds in the Bay Area dipped below 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also issued a stay-home order for the region .
City officials said they did not expect the Bay Area to meet the state ’ s standards for lifting the order on Jan. 7 , when it is set to expire .
The Bay Area ’ s ICU bed availability hovered at about 7.5 % this week , and coronavirus cases continued to climb .
Officials said it would take at least two weeks before the city knew the impact of gatherings and travel from Christmas and New Year ’ s .
Even when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city will examine its local health indicators before relaxing restrictions , officials said .
“ We have been proactive in putting the stay-at-home order and travel quarantine in place to protect San Franciscans and in the hopes that by acting quickly , we could flatten the curve and re-open faster , ” Mayor London Breed said in a written statement .
“ This seems to be working , ” she said , “ but we need more time to determine that we are moving in the right direction and that the December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are glimmers of hope and now is not the time to let up.
” She said on Twitter that the rate at which the virus was being transmitted had fallen from 1.45 on Dec. 5 to 1.13 on Dec. 26 , meaning each infected person was passing the virus on to an average of 1.13 people .
The city ’ s travel quarantine discourages all nonessential travel and requires visitors to San Francisco and residents to self-isolate for 10 days if they spend any time outside the Bay Area counties of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Contra Costa , Solano , Sonoma , Napa , Marin and Santa Cruz .
“ The steps we have taken together have served us well , but the fact remains that San Francisco is in the midst of its worst surge yet , ” said Dr. Grant Colfax , the city ’ s public health director .
“ We must continue to take the preventive measures that we know slow the spread of the virus and save lives.
” During the news conference , city officials also noted that possession of fireworks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , remained illegal in San Francisco .
Jonathan Baxter , a spokesman for the city ’ s Fire Department , said that during his 30 years as a firefighter he had seen adults as well as children lose fingers and even their lives to fireworks .
They have also sparked fires that destroyed people ’ s homes , he said .
Victor Lim , external affairs officer for the city ’ s Department of Emergency Management , stressed that all gatherings with people outside their immediate households , including meetings outdoors , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homes , distance from other people and wash their hands frequently , he said .

San Francisco indefinitely extended its coronavirus stay-at-home and travel quarantine orders Thursday and warned residents not to gather for New Year’s with people outside their immediate households.
The city has canceled its annual fireworks celebration at the Embarcadero, and police will be assigned to places that normally attract crowds on New Year’s Eve. Health orders have established a 10 p.m. curfew, and police said warnings and, if warranted, citations would be issued.
San Francisco police also have become aware of social media posts about private New Year’s Eve gatherings and will work with the San Francisco city attorney’s office and public health officials to try to stop them, said city police spokesman Robert Rueca.
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“We are working with them as a team to address these issues,” Rueca said during an online news conference.
San Francisco and several other Bay Area counties first ordered residents to stay home on Dec. 3 in hopes that the region could prevent hospital intensive care units from becoming overwhelmed. The availability of intensive care beds in the Bay Area dipped below 15% on Dec. 17, when the state also issued a stay-home order for the region.
City officials said they did not expect the Bay Area to meet the state’s standards for lifting the order on Jan. 7, when it is set to expire.
The Bay Area’s ICU bed availability hovered at about 7.5% this week, and coronavirus cases continued to climb. Officials said it would take at least two weeks before the city knew the impact of gatherings and travel from Christmas and New Year’s.
Even when the state lifts its stay-at-home order, the city will examine its local health indicators before relaxing restrictions, officials said.
“We have been proactive in putting the stay-at-home order and travel quarantine in place to protect San Franciscans and in the hopes that by acting quickly, we could flatten the curve and re-open faster,” Mayor London Breed said in a written statement.
“This seems to be working,” she said, “but we need more time to determine that we are moving in the right direction and that the December holidays don’t set us back. There are glimmers of hope and now is not the time to let up.”
She said on Twitter that the rate at which the virus was being transmitted had fallen from 1.45 on Dec. 5 to 1.13 on Dec. 26, meaning each infected person was passing the virus on to an average of 1.13 people.
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The city’s travel quarantine discourages all nonessential travel and requires visitors to San Francisco and residents to self-isolate for 10 days if they spend any time outside the Bay Area counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Santa Cruz.
“The steps we have taken together have served us well, but the fact remains that San Francisco is in the midst of its worst surge yet,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, the city’s public health director. “We must continue to take the preventive measures that we know slow the spread of the virus and save lives.”
California Coronavirus has besieged Filipino, Vietnamese Americans in Bay Area The rate of new coronavirus cases among residents of Vietnamese and Filipino descent is rising faster than among other Asian groups in Santa Clara County, officials say.
During the news conference, city officials also noted that possession of fireworks, including those labeled safe and sane, remained illegal in San Francisco.
Jonathan Baxter, a spokesman for the city’s Fire Department, said that during his 30 years as a firefighter he had seen adults as well as children lose fingers and even their lives to fireworks. They have also sparked fires that destroyed people’s homes, he said.
Victor Lim, external affairs officer for the city’s Department of Emergency Management, stressed that all gatherings with people outside their immediate households, including meetings outdoors, were banned. Residents should wear masks outside their homes, distance from other people and wash their hands frequently, he said.