latimes--2020-03-09--Grand Princess arrives in Oakland as coronavirus death toll grows, cases spread

As the Grand Princess cruise ship arrived at the Port of Oakland on Monday , transporting thousands of passengers who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine zones , the virus continued its spread across California , with Los Angeles and Riverside counties both announcing additional cases .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has said aggressive steps have been taken to get the passengers off the boat in Oakland without jeopardizing public health .
Most will eventually be sent to two California military bases .
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said she was satisfied with the safety measures being taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , local emergency crews and the surrounding community .
“ We are very glad to play a role , which is the right thing to do to welcome these passengers into safety and to release them from what had to have been a terrifying experience of being trapped on this ship , ” Schaaf said Monday afternoon after an event on homelessness in Sacramento .
Schaaf did not say , though , whether she would have been able to refuse use of the port if her concerns had not been addressed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I never got to the point where I had to find that out , ” she said .
“ I believe every local leader needs to play a part and not let fear dictate what they should do.
” Schaaf said she plans to make public the document that federal and state officials provided her , assuring the Oakland community of safety measures .
And she confirmed the passengers needing air travel will be flown on private planes from a private airfield in Oakland .
“ I think people should take heart that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together with a single purpose , with safety in mind , ” Schaaf said .
As the boat was docking , another death related to the virus was announced in the state , this one in Santa Clara County .
A woman in her 60s had been hospitalized for several weeks and died at El Camino Hospital on Monday morning , the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in a news release .
She was the third COVID-19 patient in Santa Clara County and the county ’ s first case of suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had neither recently traveled nor had she been in contact with another confirmed case of the virus , officials said .
“ This is a tragic development , ” Dr. Sara Cody , the county ’ s health officer , said in a statement .
“ The Public Health Department is taking necessary , carefully considered steps to slow down the spread of the disease and to protect those at greatest risk .
We are facing a historic public health challenge and know this is a very difficult time .
Our top priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our community.
” Meanwhile , Los Angeles County health officials confirmed two new coronavirus cases , one of which may be the county ’ s first case of community spread of the illness .
L.A. County ’ s public health department director , Dr. Barbara Ferrer , said one of the individuals who tested positive had a known travel history to Japan .
The source of exposure for the second person is currently unknown .
Both patients are in isolation , and all of their close contacts will be quarantined for 14 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases bring the total in L.A. County to 16 .
One individual — among the first positive cases in the state — has fully recovered , and the remaining 15 are isolated .
In Riverside County , health officials announced three new cases of the virus .
All of the new patients are believed to have traveled to an area with a known outbreak or had contact with a known case , public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said .
Two have been isolated at home , and the third is at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riverside County announced its first locally acquired case ; that patient is at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage .
The source of exposure is currently unknown and is considered a result of community spread .
In citing the spread of cases around the world , World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday : “ The threat of a pandemic has become very real.
” He noted that the virus has now infected 100,000 people in 100 countries , but said it is still possible to control the virus through united government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mercy of the virus , ” he added .
Asian countries that have turned the corner on the virus have shown that even countries with huge outbreaks can control the disease ’ s spread , Tedros said , adding that government leaders have a responsibility to take action swiftly , especially where major outbreaks have occurred .
“ This is an uneven epidemic at the global level , ” he said .
“ Different countries are in different scenarios , requiring a tailored response.
” Tedros said countries with community spread need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including closing schools and canceling mass gatherings .
All countries need to do contact tracing , emphasize the importance of hand hygiene and social distancing and engage the public , he said .
“ For all countries , the aim is the same : Stop transmission and prevent the spread of the virus , ” he said .
As the number of coronavirus cases in California continues to grow , state public health department officials have issued guidelines for how event organizers should prepare for mass gatherings .
While officials did not explicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did advise organizers to consider halting events predominantly attended by older or at-risk individuals .
Several schools in California were closed Monday because of the virus , and Stanford University and UC Berkeley both announced they were switching to online classes .
Meanwhile , the city of San Francisco is preparing for a possible outbreak amid an increase in confirmed cases .
Officials announced five new cases Monday , bringing the total count to 13 .
Two of those cases are the result of community transmission .
An oil price war triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial markets into chaos Monday , with stocks diving and crude prices collapsing in a worldwide panic that threatens a global economic recession .
Matthew Guion , 37 , a documentary maker , came to Jack London Square in Oakland on Monday to take video of the cruise ship , but it couldn ’ t be seen from the tourist attraction .
“ I am more concerned with getting human beings help than with the president ’ s agenda of keeping the numbers down , ” he said .
“ What if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family members on that ship ?
” Of the 2,500 passengers aboard the ship , those in need of immediate medical care or those with preexisting medical conditions will get off the ship first followed by California residents .
Before disembarking , they will have their temperatures taken and be assessed for either transfer or treatment at regional medical facilities or quarantine at state military bases .
Passengers with immediate medical needs , which could extend beyond those suspected of having contracted the coronavirus , will disembark first .
Earlier , Princess Cruises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to everyone on board , and a credit for a future cruise .
People who live out of state will be taken to federal facilities closer to their homes .
Foreigners will be repatriated to their home countries , according to the plan .
At the Port of Oakland gate leading to the cruise ship , authorities turned away a Times reporter .
Jen Izeck , 51 , a medical social worker who has lived in Oakland for more than 20 years , said docking the ship there is “ not great.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oakland gets this and where this ship is docking is because West Oakland is historically low-income , with lots of minorities who will not give a lot of pushback , ” she said .
“ I think it was a purposeful decision to dock in West Oakland .
It is unfortunate they don ’ t have more of a voice in this.
” Clint Carter , a programmer who works in Jack London Square , also questioned why Oakland was chosen as the docking port for the ship .
“ They didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , referring to the affluent city in Marin County .
But Andrew Igmatenko , 60 , an engineer who also works near Jack London Square , said he supported the decision to dock the ship in Oakland .
“ They need help , ” he said .
“ They couldn ’ t live in the ocean .
They have to land somewhere.
” Newsom said at a news conference in Oakland on Sunday that the disembarkation and transfer of passengers would take up to three days .
He warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could take longer , in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships , and tides and currents allow only small windows of time to enter and leave .
When finished , the Grand Princess would sail out of San Francisco Bay , he said , with the remaining 1,094 crew members — mostly foreign nationals — to be quarantined on board .
Standing next to Newsom , Schaaf sought to assure city residents and port workers that officials were taking every precaution to protect them from infection using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been clear with our state and federal partners , ” she said , “ this is a community that has suffered decades of environmental racism and injustice.
” But she added : “ We have to not let our fears dictate or impede our humanity.
” Newsom said authorities had assessed numerous ports and initially planned to direct the ship to the former Naval Air Station Alameda .
But “ silting issues ” made it hazardous for the large ship to dock there , he said , and San Francisco ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tourist zones .
The federal government was sending so-called hasty teams on Sunday to board the ship to get a sense of what healthcare workers will face on the ground , he said , while the 10-acre site in Oakland ’ s outer harbor was being cleared and fenced for the onshore processing to begin .
The city said at no time will local residents come into contact with passengers disembarking the ship .
Following the completion of the mission , the Port of Oakland site will be fully remediated and decontaminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire site with a bleach solution to disinfect it .
It is unclear how deeply the virus has spread aboard the ship .
Several days ago , the Coast Guard sent 45 tests , and 21 came back positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
The virus first infected an unknown number of passengers aboard the previous voyage on the ship , a round-trip sail from San Francisco to various ports on Mexico ’ s Pacific Coast , between Feb. 11 and Feb. 21 .
Seventy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voyage , from San Francisco to Hawaii and back .
The remaining guests , including 1,540 Californians , simply disembarked with no knowledge of an outbreak aboard .
Twelve of them have tested positive in the state , and one man later died , in Placer County .
While state and federal health officials are still reaching out to and trying to monitor those earlier passengers , those aboard the Hawaii trip will be tightly isolated , authorities said .
Newsom said most of the 962 California residents aboard the Grand Princess who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County for 14 days of quarantine , with a smaller number going to the Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego , officials said .
The remaining American passengers would be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia , while foreign passengers would be flown to their home countries .
Officials were also working to prepare Oakland International Airport for the charter flights to the other bases , and out of the country .
“ There will be no contact with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Newsom said .
Debbie Loftus , a passenger from Wisconsin , said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference , which she watched , represented a “ change in attitude.
” “ It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California ; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near his state , ” Loftus said .
President Trump said Friday that he preferred the passengers not be allowed to disembark on U.S. soil , but added that he would let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Mike Pence , make the call .
Newsom , noting the normally combative relationship between his and Trump ’ s administrations , said Pence ’ s team “ has been truly exceptional.
” The infections aboard the Grand Princess followed the outbreak aboard its sister ship , the Diamond Princess , which was quarantined at the Port of Yokohama in Japan last month .
Some 700 people aboard the Diamond Princess were infected , and eight have died .
Experts said the confinement of passengers aboard the Diamond Princess created conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus on board .
Interviewed on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation ” on Sunday , Surgeon General Jerome Adams promised that sick passengers would “ get the medical care that they need , that they ’ re appropriately evacuated ” and also that people would leave the ship “ as quickly and as safely as possible.
” The U.S. State Department on Sunday advised that “ U.S .
citizens , particularly travelers with underlying health conditions , should not travel by cruise ship , ” noting an “ increased risk of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks , repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities , ” the federal agency said in a statement posted on its website .
Newsom urged the cruise ship industry to look beyond short-term gain and “ own this moment.
” Speaking more generally about the virus , he said the number of Californians testing positive jumped from 88 Saturday to 114 on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to rise as testing became more widely available .
While only 788 tests have been conducted statewide so far , California currently has kits for 8,000 individuals and that a private lab , Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano , will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday , if needed .
There are also 15 public labs processing tests , including a facility in Richmond , where tests for the Grand Princess passengers were conducted .
More than two hours offshore , stuck in their cabins , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but were happy to learn they could go outside for fresh air , in batches .
Loftus , the passenger from Wisconsin , said that many uncertainties remained that are causing her anxiety .
“ This is all going to be a very new experience , going to a military base in Oakland , getting on what I assume is not going to be a commercial airline or ... going someplace I ’ ve never been , she said .
“ Not sure what the accommodations are going to be like and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held there .
Yes , it ’ s a little bit anxiety-producing but [ we ] will handle it minute by minute.
” Matt LaGesse ’ s mother and aunt are on the ship , and he has been trying for days to get information , with little luck .
LaGesse said he was angered by the president ’ s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board , and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis .
Despite details given by Newsom , he remained frustrated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line .
“ As a family member and son of a mom that I really , really love ...
I ’ m scared and nervous and disappointed , ” he said Sunday .
“ You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan.
” Times staff writers Hannah Fry , Colleen Shalby , Ruben Vives and John Myers contributed to this report .

Anita Chabria, Laura King, Alex Wigglesworth, Joe Mozingo, Emily Baumgaertner

The Grand Princess cruise ship sails under the Golden Gate Bridge to dock at the Port of Oakland on Monday.
As the Grand Princess cruise ship arrived at the Port of Oakland on Monday, transporting thousands of passengers who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine zones, the virus continued its spread across California, with Los Angeles and Riverside counties both announcing additional cases.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has said aggressive steps have been taken to get the passengers off the boat in Oakland without jeopardizing public health. Most will eventually be sent to two California military bases.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said she was satisfied with the safety measures being taken by state and federal officials for port workers, local emergency crews and the surrounding community.
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“We are very glad to play a role, which is the right thing to do to welcome these passengers into safety and to release them from what had to have been a terrifying experience of being trapped on this ship,” Schaaf said Monday afternoon after an event on homelessness in Sacramento.
Schaaf did not say, though, whether she would have been able to refuse use of the port if her concerns had not been addressed. The port sits on state-owned land.
“I never got to the point where I had to find that out,” she said. “I believe every local leader needs to play a part and not let fear dictate what they should do.”
Schaaf said she plans to make public the document that federal and state officials provided her, assuring the Oakland community of safety measures. And she confirmed the passengers needing air travel will be flown on private planes from a private airfield in Oakland.
“I think people should take heart that the different levels of government can work together with a single purpose, with safety in mind,” Schaaf said.
As the boat was docking, another death related to the virus was announced in the state, this one in Santa Clara County. A woman in her 60s had been hospitalized for several weeks and died at El Camino Hospital on Monday morning, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in a news release.
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She was the third COVID-19 patient in Santa Clara County and the county’s first case of suspected “community spread,” meaning she had neither recently traveled nor had she been in contact with another confirmed case of the virus, officials said.
“This is a tragic development,” Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s health officer, said in a statement. “The Public Health Department is taking necessary, carefully considered steps to slow down the spread of the disease and to protect those at greatest risk. We are facing a historic public health challenge and know this is a very difficult time. Our top priority continues to be protecting the health of our community.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County health officials confirmed two new coronavirus cases, one of which may be the county’s first case of community spread of the illness.
L.A. County’s public health department director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, said one of the individuals who tested positive had a known travel history to Japan. The source of exposure for the second person is currently unknown. Both patients are in isolation, and all of their close contacts will be quarantined for 14 days, health officials said.
The latest cases bring the total in L.A. County to 16. One individual — among the first positive cases in the state — has fully recovered, and the remaining 15 are isolated.
In Riverside County, health officials announced three new cases of the virus. All of the new patients are believed to have traveled to an area with a known outbreak or had contact with a known case, public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said. Two have been isolated at home, and the third is at a Coachella Valley hospital.
Last week, Riverside County announced its first locally acquired case; that patient is at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage. The source of exposure is currently unknown and is considered a result of community spread.
In citing the spread of cases around the world, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday: “The threat of a pandemic has become very real.”
He noted that the virus has now infected 100,000 people in 100 countries, but said it is still possible to control the virus through united government action.
“We are not at the mercy of the virus,” he added.
Asian countries that have turned the corner on the virus have shown that even countries with huge outbreaks can control the disease’s spread, Tedros said, adding that government leaders have a responsibility to take action swiftly, especially where major outbreaks have occurred.
“This is an uneven epidemic at the global level,” he said. “Different countries are in different scenarios, requiring a tailored response.”
Tedros said countries with community spread need to consider the most drastic actions, including closing schools and canceling mass gatherings. All countries need to do contact tracing, emphasize the importance of hand hygiene and social distancing and engage the public, he said.
“For all countries, the aim is the same: Stop transmission and prevent the spread of the virus,” he said.
As the number of coronavirus cases in California continues to grow, state public health department officials have issued guidelines for how event organizers should prepare for mass gatherings. While officials did not explicitly instruct the cancellation of any event, they did advise organizers to consider halting events predominantly attended by older or at-risk individuals.
Several schools in California were closed Monday because of the virus, and Stanford University and UC Berkeley both announced they were switching to online classes.
Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco is preparing for a possible outbreak amid an increase in confirmed cases. Officials announced five new cases Monday, bringing the total count to 13. Two of those cases are the result of community transmission.
An oil price war triggered by the spreading coronavirus sent already anxious financial markets into chaos Monday, with stocks diving and crude prices collapsing in a worldwide panic that threatens a global economic recession.
Matthew Guion, 37, a documentary maker, came to Jack London Square in Oakland on Monday to take video of the cruise ship, but it couldn’t be seen from the tourist attraction.
“I am more concerned with getting human beings help than with the president’s agenda of keeping the numbers down,” he said. “What if you were on that ship or you had family members on that ship?”
Of the 2,500 passengers aboard the ship, those in need of immediate medical care or those with preexisting medical conditions will get off the ship first followed by California residents. Before disembarking, they will have their temperatures taken and be assessed for either transfer or treatment at regional medical facilities or quarantine at state military bases.
Passengers with immediate medical needs, which could extend beyond those suspected of having contracted the coronavirus, will disembark first. Earlier, Princess Cruises announced it would offer a full refund to everyone on board, and a credit for a future cruise.
People who live out of state will be taken to federal facilities closer to their homes. Foreigners will be repatriated to their home countries, according to the plan.
At the Port of Oakland gate leading to the cruise ship, authorities turned away a Times reporter. Jen Izeck, 51, a medical social worker who has lived in Oakland for more than 20 years, said docking the ship there is “not great.”
“I think part of the reason Oakland gets this and where this ship is docking is because West Oakland is historically low-income, with lots of minorities who will not give a lot of pushback,” she said. “I think it was a purposeful decision to dock in West Oakland. It is unfortunate they don’t have more of a voice in this.”
Clint Carter, a programmer who works in Jack London Square, also questioned why Oakland was chosen as the docking port for the ship.
“They didn’t put them over in Mill Valley,” he said, referring to the affluent city in Marin County.
But Andrew Igmatenko, 60, an engineer who also works near Jack London Square, said he supported the decision to dock the ship in Oakland.
“They need help,” he said. “They couldn’t live in the ocean. They have to land somewhere.”
Newsom said at a news conference in Oakland on Sunday that the disembarkation and transfer of passengers would take up to three days.
He warned that the situation was “fluid” and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships, and tides and currents allow only small windows of time to enter and leave.
When finished, the Grand Princess would sail out of San Francisco Bay, he said, with the remaining 1,094 crew members — mostly foreign nationals — to be quarantined on board.
Standing next to Newsom, Schaaf sought to assure city residents and port workers that officials were taking every precaution to protect them from infection using “best isolation practices.”
“I’ve been clear with our state and federal partners,” she said, “this is a community that has suffered decades of environmental racism and injustice.”
But she added: “We have to not let our fears dictate or impede our humanity.”
Newsom said authorities had assessed numerous ports and initially planned to direct the ship to the former Naval Air Station Alameda. But “silting issues” made it hazardous for the large ship to dock there, he said, and San Francisco’s port was too close to residential and tourist zones.
The federal government was sending so-called hasty teams on Sunday to board the ship to get a sense of what healthcare workers will face on the ground, he said, while the 10-acre site in Oakland’s outer harbor was being cleared and fenced for the onshore processing to begin. The city said at no time will local residents come into contact with passengers disembarking the ship.
Following the completion of the mission, the Port of Oakland site will be fully remediated and decontaminated by immediately removing temporary structures and pressure-washing the entire site with a bleach solution to disinfect it.
It is unclear how deeply the virus has spread aboard the ship. Several days ago, the Coast Guard sent 45 tests, and 21 came back positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Route of the Grand Princess (Thomas Suh Lauder / Los Angeles Times)
The virus first infected an unknown number of passengers aboard the previous voyage on the ship, a round-trip sail from San Francisco to various ports on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, between Feb. 11 and Feb. 21. Seventy of those guests held over for the next voyage, from San Francisco to Hawaii and back.
The remaining guests, including 1,540 Californians, simply disembarked with no knowledge of an outbreak aboard. Twelve of them have tested positive in the state, and one man later died, in Placer County.
While state and federal health officials are still reaching out to and trying to monitor those earlier passengers, those aboard the Hawaii trip will be tightly isolated, authorities said.
Newsom said most of the 962 California residents aboard the Grand Princess who did not need immediate medical attention would be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County for 14 days of quarantine, with a smaller number going to the Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, officials said. The remaining American passengers would be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia, while foreign passengers would be flown to their home countries.
Officials were also working to prepare Oakland International Airport for the charter flights to the other bases, and out of the country. “There will be no contact with the general population terminals at Oakland Airport,” Newsom said.
Debbie Loftus, a passenger from Wisconsin, said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference, which she watched, represented a “change in attitude.”
“It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near his state,” Loftus said.
President Trump said Friday that he preferred the passengers not be allowed to disembark on U.S. soil, but added that he would let his coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, make the call.
Newsom, noting the normally combative relationship between his and Trump’s administrations, said Pence’s team “has been truly exceptional.”
The infections aboard the Grand Princess followed the outbreak aboard its sister ship, the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined at the Port of Yokohama in Japan last month. Some 700 people aboard the Diamond Princess were infected, and eight have died.
Experts said the confinement of passengers aboard the Diamond Princess created conditions highly conducive to the spread of the virus on board.
Interviewed on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Surgeon General Jerome Adams promised that sick passengers would “get the medical care that they need, that they’re appropriately evacuated” and also that people would leave the ship “as quickly and as safely as possible.”
The U.S. State Department on Sunday advised that “U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship,” noting an “increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment.”
“While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities,” the federal agency said in a statement posted on its website.
Newsom urged the cruise ship industry to look beyond short-term gain and “own this moment.”
Speaking more generally about the virus, he said the number of Californians testing positive jumped from 88 Saturday to 114 on Sunday, but he emphasized that the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available.
While only 788 tests have been conducted statewide so far, California currently has kits for 8,000 individuals and that a private lab, Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano, will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday, if needed. There are also 15 public labs processing tests, including a facility in Richmond, where tests for the Grand Princess passengers were conducted.
More than two hours offshore, stuck in their cabins, many passengers were struggling with claustrophobic conditions, but were happy to learn they could go outside for fresh air, in batches.
Loftus, the passenger from Wisconsin, said that many uncertainties remained that are causing her anxiety.
“This is all going to be a very new experience, going to a military base in Oakland, getting on what I assume is not going to be a commercial airline or ... going someplace I’ve never been, she said. “Not sure what the accommodations are going to be like and how long we’re going to be held there. Yes, it’s a little bit anxiety-producing but [we] will handle it minute by minute.”
Matt LaGesse’s mother and aunt are on the ship, and he has been trying for days to get information, with little luck.
LaGesse said he was angered by the president’s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board, and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis. Despite details given by Newsom, he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next.
LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line.
“As a family member and son of a mom that I really, really love ... I’m scared and nervous and disappointed,” he said Sunday. “You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan.”
Times staff writers Hannah Fry, Colleen Shalby, Ruben Vives and John Myers contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-09--Feeling coronavirus 'cabin fever,' cruise passengers eager to land in California

Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak , Karen Spoon was getting frustrated .
“ I ’ m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever , ” she said Sunday .
But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon , from Canada , and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days .
After hearing a briefing in which the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her , Spoon said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yippee !
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Sunday he expected the operation to take up to three days , but emphasized that the situation was “ fluid ” and could take longer , in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port , based on tides and currents .
After medical cases , California residents would be prioritized for disembarkation , and be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise , which went from San Francisco to Mexico , and included a Placer County man who later died of the coronavirus .
The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected before the journey .
The remaining American passengers will be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia , while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers .
About 1,000 Californians are expected to go to Travis , with the remainder going to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego .
Debbie Loftus , a passenger from Wisconsin , said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference , which she watched , represented a “ change in attitude.
” “ It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California ; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt LaGesse ’ s mother and aunt are on the ship , and he has been trying for days to get information , with little luck .
LaGesse said he was angered by the President Trump ’ s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board , and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis .
Despite details given by Newsom , he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next .
LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member and son of a mom that I really , really love ...
I ’ m scared and nervous and disappointed , ” he said Sunday .
“ You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan .
”

The Grand Princess shown in June 1998. The cruise ship, which floated off the California coast amid the COVID-19 outbreak, will dock Monday at the Port of Oakland. Disembarking and transferring passengers will take up to three days, the governor says.
Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak, Karen Spoon was getting frustrated.
“I’m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever,” she said Sunday.
But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon, from Canada, and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days.
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After hearing a briefing in which the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her, Spoon said, “If that’s correct, then yippee!”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday he expected the operation to take up to three days, but emphasized that the situation was “fluid” and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port, based on tides and currents.
After medical cases, California residents would be prioritized for disembarkation, and be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County to begin a 14-day quarantine.
Newsom said 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise, which went from San Francisco to Mexico, and included a Placer County man who later died of the coronavirus. The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected before the journey.
The remaining American passengers will be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia, while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport. Newsom emphasized that those cruise passengers traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers.
About 1,000 Californians are expected to go to Travis, with the remainder going to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
Debbie Loftus, a passenger from Wisconsin, said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference, which she watched, represented a “change in attitude.”
“It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near his state,” Loftus said.
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Matt LaGesse’s mother and aunt are on the ship, and he has been trying for days to get information, with little luck.
LaGesse said he was angered by the President Trump’s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board, and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis.
Despite details given by Newsom, he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next. LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line.
“As a family member and son of a mom that I really, really love ... I’m scared and nervous and disappointed,” he said Sunday. “You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan.”


latimes--2020-03-09--Skelton: Proposition 13 appears headed for a fall. Here's why voters might have rejected it

California voters flashed a bright red stoplight at Democrats ’ taxing and borrowing as they rejected the largest state school bond proposal in history .
At least it seems like voters rejected it .
Stunned backers of Proposition 13 — a confusing number that probably helped dig the measure ’ s grave — still haven ’ t publicly conceded defeat .
They ’ re clinging to slim hope that continued vote counting from Super Tuesday will yet save the measure .
By the end of last week , Proposition 13 trailed by 44.8 % to 55.2 % .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has been 26 years — 1994 , a very Republican election — since the last state school bond failed .
Two small ones narrowly lost : $ 1 billion for K-12 schools and $ 900 million for higher education .
Regardless of Proposition 13 ’ s final vote count , the taxing and borrowing stoplight was flashed all over California in local elections .
Voters spurned an unprecedented number of local school bond issues and tax hikes .
The California Taxpayers Assn.
, an anti-tax lobby , reported that of 237 local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58 passed and 122 failed ; 57 were too close to call .
Voters passed 21 school bonds and killed 64 ; 36 are still undecided .
By contrast , in the 2016 presidential primary 67 local tax and bond measures passed and only 20 failed .
Passage of a local school bond requires a 55 % vote ; a state bond only a simple majority .
A local tax hike generally needs a two-thirds vote .
Proposition 13 would not have raised taxes directly .
But it inevitably would have led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s because the cap on the amount of bonds that school districts could issue would be nearly doubled .
And that surely would have resulted in districts asking voters for higher property taxes to pay off the bonds .
The proposition would have authorized a record $ 15 billion in school construction bonds — $ 9 billion for K-12 and $ 2 billion each for community colleges , state universities and the University of California .
Many voters probably noticed in the Secretary of State ’ s official information guide that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 billion , bringing the total tab to $ 26 billion .
Paying off the bonds would jack up state spending by $ 740 million annually for 35 years .
And the state is already spending $ 6 billion a year to retire almost $ 80 billion in various bonds .
Sudden jitters concerning the economy caused by a plunging stock market attributed to the coronavirus threat probably prompted some hesitation by voters about the state going deeper into debt .
More debt in a slumping economy could require higher taxes .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found widespread belief by people that they are overtaxed in this state .
The research was based on several PPIC polls .
“ Most Californians from coast to interior feel their taxes are too high , ” the report read .
“ Overall , 58 % hold this opinion.
” “ There ’ s not overwhelming support in the state for big government programs that Democrats support , ” the report ’ s author , PPIC senior fellow Eric McGhee , told me .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty universal — state and local taxes.
” “ People are cynical about how the money is being spent , ” says Susan Shelley , vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn .
“ Maybe the message is ‘ enough is enough.
’ “ Confusion over Proposition 13 is not the whole story here.
” Howard Jarvis was the apartment owners ’ lobbyist who launched the original Proposition 13 , the historic 1978 ballot initiative that substantially limited property tax increases and ignited a nationwide anti-tax revolt .
Many voters mistakenly suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to repeal or undermine the original 13 .
This confusion was fueled by the fact that a teachers ’ union-backed initiative to eliminate tax protections for commercial and industrial properties is headed for the November ballot .
It would be the first major amendment of the tax-cutting 13 — and now seems in serious jeopardy based on voters ’ rejection of higher taxes and borrowing .
“ When people are confused , they tend to vote ‘ no , ’ ” says Assemblyman Patrick O ’ Donnell ( D-Long Beach ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intends to introduce legislation to retire “ 13 ” as a proposition number , just as professional sports teams retire their superstars ’ jersey numbers .
“ I ’ m going to retire the number so no one else has to go through this , ” O ’ Donnell says .
But PPIC pollster and President Mark Baldassare says , “ I don ’ t buy the Prop .
13 confusion .
We saw weakness all along in this measure .
It ’ s always easy to say it was confusion — something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case needed to be made to the voters and it was never made .
“ I also wonder whether something bigger is going on here about how people are feeling about school funding.
” They clearly are feeling skeptical about it .
It was Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s job to make the case for Proposition 13 .
He crafted the final product , combining two legislative bond proposals — one for K-12 , another for universities — and increasing the total dollar amount .
The governor also added a few complexities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of the Los Angeles Unified School District .
He changed the formula for disbursing bond money to districts , gave preference to projects using union labor , reduced developer fees and raised the local cap on borrowing .
Newsom owned the bond measure and couldn ’ t sell it .
His political team spent more than $ 10 million trying .
The Jarvis outfit dug up a mere $ 250,000 for opposition radio ads — and a red stoplight .

Gov. Gavin Newsom promotes Proposition 13 in February. It appears that voters rejected the bond proposal.
California voters flashed a bright red stoplight at Democrats’ taxing and borrowing as they rejected the largest state school bond proposal in history.
At least it seems like voters rejected it. Stunned backers of Proposition 13 — a confusing number that probably helped dig the measure’s grave — still haven’t publicly conceded defeat. They’re clinging to slim hope that continued vote counting from Super Tuesday will yet save the measure.
By the end of last week, Proposition 13 trailed by 44.8% to 55.2%. That’s a big deficit to fill.
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It has been 26 years — 1994, a very Republican election — since the last state school bond failed. Two small ones narrowly lost: $1 billion for K-12 schools and $900 million for higher education.
Regardless of Proposition 13’s final vote count, the taxing and borrowing stoplight was flashed all over California in local elections. Voters spurned an unprecedented number of local school bond issues and tax hikes.
The California Taxpayers Assn., an anti-tax lobby, reported that of 237 local tax and bond measures at stake, 58 passed and 122 failed; 57 were too close to call.
Voters passed 21 school bonds and killed 64; 36 are still undecided.
By contrast, in the 2016 presidential primary 67 local tax and bond measures passed and only 20 failed.
Passage of a local school bond requires a 55% vote; a state bond only a simple majority. A local tax hike generally needs a two-thirds vote.
Proposition 13 would not have raised taxes directly. But it inevitably would have led to local proposals for higher property levies. That’s because the cap on the amount of bonds that school districts could issue would be nearly doubled. And that surely would have resulted in districts asking voters for higher property taxes to pay off the bonds.
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The proposition would have authorized a record $15 billion in school construction bonds — $9 billion for K-12 and $2 billion each for community colleges, state universities and the University of California.
Many voters probably noticed in the Secretary of State’s official information guide that interest on the bonds would cost $11 billion, bringing the total tab to $26 billion. Paying off the bonds would jack up state spending by $740 million annually for 35 years. And the state is already spending $6 billion a year to retire almost $80 billion in various bonds.
Sudden jitters concerning the economy caused by a plunging stock market attributed to the coronavirus threat probably prompted some hesitation by voters about the state going deeper into debt. More debt in a slumping economy could require higher taxes.
A recent “Political Geography” study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found widespread belief by people that they are overtaxed in this state. The research was based on several PPIC polls.
“Most Californians from coast to interior feel their taxes are too high,” the report read. “Overall, 58% hold this opinion.”
“There’s not overwhelming support in the state for big government programs that Democrats support,” the report’s author, PPIC senior fellow Eric McGhee, told me. “The feeling that taxes are too high is pretty universal — state and local taxes.”
“People are cynical about how the money is being spent,” says Susan Shelley, vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. “Maybe the message is ‘enough is enough.’
“Confusion over Proposition 13 is not the whole story here.”
Howard Jarvis was the apartment owners’ lobbyist who launched the original Proposition 13, the historic 1978 ballot initiative that substantially limited property tax increases and ignited a nationwide anti-tax revolt.
Many voters mistakenly suspected that the school bond 13 was an attempt to repeal or undermine the original 13. This confusion was fueled by the fact that a teachers’ union-backed initiative to eliminate tax protections for commercial and industrial properties is headed for the November ballot. It would be the first major amendment of the tax-cutting 13 — and now seems in serious jeopardy based on voters’ rejection of higher taxes and borrowing.
“When people are confused, they tend to vote ‘no,’” says Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), coauthor of the school bond. He intends to introduce legislation to retire “13” as a proposition number, just as professional sports teams retire their superstars’ jersey numbers.
“I’m going to retire the number so no one else has to go through this,” O’Donnell says.
But PPIC pollster and President Mark Baldassare says, “I don’t buy the Prop. 13 confusion. We saw weakness all along in this measure. It’s always easy to say it was confusion — something else’s fault.
“A case needed to be made to the voters and it was never made.
“I also wonder whether something bigger is going on here about how people are feeling about school funding.”
They clearly are feeling skeptical about it.
It was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job to make the case for Proposition 13. He crafted the final product, combining two legislative bond proposals — one for K-12, another for universities — and increasing the total dollar amount.
The governor also added a few complexities and controversies. Some cost him the support of the Los Angeles Unified School District. He changed the formula for disbursing bond money to districts, gave preference to projects using union labor, reduced developer fees and raised the local cap on borrowing.
Newsom owned the bond measure and couldn’t sell it. His political team spent more than $10 million trying.
The Jarvis outfit dug up a mere $250,000 for opposition radio ads — and a red stoplight.


latimes--2020-03-09--California has 114 coronavirus cases, L.A. County has 14. Here is what you need to know

The number of coronavirus cases rose to 114 on Sunday , as officials continued to report new cases around the state .
Riverside County declared an emergency declaration after it was announced a patient was being treated at a Rancho Mirage hospital .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available .
California has testing kits for 8,000 people , and a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday , if needed .
Newsom said California has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he expected that to increase dramatically in coming days with the new capacity .
California Health and Human Services head Mark Ghaly said the state has requested an additional 12,000 testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expects to receive those in coming days .
• 10,250+ : People self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX • 8 cases involve a group of travelers who visited northern Italy , where coronavirus has cause widespread outbreaks .
• 2 are connected to close contact to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient who lived in Wuhan , China .

Anita Chabria, Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth

Protective masks and gloves are sold out at a CVS Pharmacy in Oakland on Feb. 27.
The number of coronavirus cases rose to 114 on Sunday, as officials continued to report new cases around the state.
Riverside County declared an emergency declaration after it was announced a patient was being treated at a Rancho Mirage hospital.
Los Angeles County had announced a total of 14 cases.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom said the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available. California has testing kits for 8,000 people, and a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday, if needed.
Newsom said California has tested about 788 people for the virus, but he expected that to increase dramatically in coming days with the new capacity.
California Health and Human Services head Mark Ghaly said the state has requested an additional 12,000 testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expects to receive those in coming days.
CALIFORNIA
• 114: Positive tests
• 10,250+: People self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX
• 49: Number of local health jurisdictions involved in self-monitoring
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LOS ANGELES COUNTY
• 8 cases involve a group of travelers who visited northern Italy, where coronavirus has cause widespread outbreaks.
• 2 are connected to close contact to a coronavirus patient.
• 2 are Los Angeles International Airport workers.
• 1 is a patient who lived in Wuhan, China.
• 1 patient from a conference in Washington.


latimes--2020-03-10--Campuses across the country on 'war footing' as they mobilize against coronavirus

Colleges and universities across the country are launching sweeping measures across core campus operations — including instruction , lab work , admissions and financial aid — as they confront the fast-moving global coronavirus outbreak .
UC Berkeley , San Jose State , San Francisco State , Santa Clara , Princeton , Ohio State and Vanderbilt universities became the latest institutions to announce on Monday that they would suspend all or most in-person classes immediately or in coming weeks .
UC San Diego announced Monday night that all lectures and discussion courses would be conducted online for the spring quarter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 25 universities in the United States , Mideast , Asia and Italy have announced moves to online learning .
Other campuses are stepping up restrictions on travel , large gatherings , study-abroad programs and campus events and tours .
Caltech officials , citing an “ abundance of caution in light of the quickly evolving COVID-19 situation , ” announced cancellations of all on-campus visit programs indefinitely .
“ The long-term results of the coronavirus will remain to be seen , but it ’ s clear that the short-term challenge is probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a generation , ” said Ted Mitchell , president of the American Council on Education .
“ Every college and university is on a war footing about this and are trying to assemble as much information as possible.
” Mitchell said higher education has experienced such tumult only a few times in the last century .
After 9/11 , he said , widespread travel restrictions were initiated and some students were targets of racial and religious profiling .
During the Vietnam War , many campuses were inflamed by antiwar protests and lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military draft .
The Great Recession of 2008 financially sapped higher education but the damage took place more gradually , with the University of California losing one-third of its state funding over three years , said Nathan Brostrom , who was UC chief financial officer at the time and now serves as interim chancellor at UC Merced .
The difference with the coronavirus , Brostrom said , has been the speed of its onslaught and the dramatic effect it is having across campus .
“ Literally every time I look at my computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Brostrom said .
“ The impact is felt on every part of campus operations .
All we can do is continually prepare and be nimble in our responses.
” UC Merced ’ s all-in mobilization involves twice-daily meetings on emergency services and teleconferences with all UC campuses to share information and best practices .
They review health updates and policies on travel and large gatherings .
They nail down plans to continue instruction and research should the campus have to move to online learning .
Merced has no confirmed cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its classes are not affected for now .
In addition , the UC financial expert said he was starting to assess the costs of the coronavirus outbreak .
Merced will pay for any extra costs to bring 21 students home early from study-abroad programs in Italy , South Korea and Japan .
Already , the campus is paying for added expenses , such as mega-orders of hand sanitizer and extra campus cleanings .
And potential future costs loom .
Merced could lose needed revenue if the campus cancels summer sessions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the largely low-income student body if classes move online and obviate the need for federal work-study jobs on campus .
So far , UC Berkeley and UC San Diego are the only schools in the 10-campus University of California system to announce in-person class suspensions .
At both campuses , classes that can not be held remotely , such as laboratories and performing arts , will continue to meet .
Berkeley has not received notice of campus members who tested positive for the virus or were exposed to it .
Varsha Sarveshwar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Student Assn .
president , said she fully backed the decision and called on all UC campuses to consider similar action .
“ It ’ s a really responsible decision on the part of the campus , ” she said .
She added that the transition should not be too disruptive because Berkeley already began stepping up online learning last year when Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power during the Northern California wildfires .
At a UCLA student meeting Monday , officials said that they are paying close attentions to public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this time to suspend in-person classes or close dorms or dining halls .
Across town at USC , officials are preparing for a three-day test on online learning .
“ We are preparing the university to make substantial changes in a very short period of time to ensure we have the capability to move online should stronger measures become necessary , ” said Provost Charles F. Zukoski .
“ We are in uncharted territory and we are being vigilant to protect our community.
” At other campuses throughout the country , coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cai , a Princeton University student and co-president of the school ’ s University Press Club , spent much of Sunday debunking unsubstantiated rumors of two cases of the coronavirus on campus .
Cai lives in a dorm and her family lives in Princeton , but she ’ s unsure whether she ’ ll go home or stay on campus .
She has not done “ virtual learning ” in college classes before .
“ This is new to me .
It ’ s new for all of us , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are encouraging students to consider staying home after the week-long spring break , which begins on March 14 .
Except for San Jose and San Francisco State , the California State University ’ s 21 other campuses are still holding in-person classes , a university spokesman said .
But 10 Cal State Long Beach students were in self-isolation after possible exposure at a conference in Washington , D.C. , last week .
At the California community colleges “ all of our campuses are preparing for the possibility of a disruption and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ortiz Oakley said .
Sierra College in Rocklin , outside Sacramento , declared a “ campus state of emergency ” Sunday after two employees were possibly exposed to COVID-19 on a cruise .
The employees , who do not work in classrooms , were on the same cruise as an elderly Placer County man who later tested positive for COVID-19 and died .
The college said faculty would begin providing instruction online Wednesday and must transition to remote instruction by March 18 .
Many lab classes will continue on site and athletic competitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-essential travel through the end of March were also canceled .
In the Los Angeles Community College District , officials have worked to debunk false rumors about coronavirus cases at three campuses .
Five Pierce College students have been instructed to “ self-monitor ” their health after returning from a conference last week at which three other attendees not affiliated with the campus tested positive for COVID-19 , said LACCD spokesman William Boyer .
He said no students have shown symptoms of the illness that met public health agency standards for testing @ @ @ @

UC Santa Cruz and Whittier College on Tuesday joined a growing wave of colleges and universities across the country that are launching sweeping safety measures in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak, including the cancellation of in-person classes and several urging students to not return to campus after spring break.
As colleges turn to online learning for the remainder of the school year, many have also canceled admission tours and put tight restrictions on campus gatherings and travel.
UC Santa Cruz is the third University of California campus, joining Berkeley and San Diego, to suspend in-person classes and transition to online learning to reduce face-to-face interactions as much as possible. Whittier College officials said Tuesday that classes will be canceled on Friday at the 1,700-student campus and will resume online only after spring break on March 23.
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San Jose State, San Francisco State and the private Santa Clara University are the largest California universities as of Tuesday that have made similar moves. UC San Diego decided to conduct online classes for the entirety of the spring quarter, which begins March 25. Scores of universities in the United States, Mideast, Asia and Italy have announced moves to online learning.
On the East Coast, Harvard and Princeton are urging students to stay home after their spring break, when classes will go online. In New York, Columbia University, Barnard and New York University are transitioning to online classes on Wednesday. A growing number of colleges, including Amherst College in Massachusetts, Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, have taken similar actions.
The sweeping measures cut across core campus operations — including instruction, lab work, admissions and financial aid — as they confront the fast-moving global coronavirus outbreak. Caltech officials, citing an “abundance of caution in light of the quickly evolving COVID-19 situation,” announced cancellations of all on-campus visit programs indefinitely.
“The long-term results of the coronavirus will remain to be seen, but it’s clear that the short-term challenge is probably the greatest that higher education has faced in a generation,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. “Every college and university is on a war footing about this and are trying to assemble as much information as possible.”
Mitchell said higher education has experienced such tumult only a few times in the last century. After 9/11, he said, widespread travel restrictions were initiated and some students were targets of racial and religious profiling. During the Vietnam War, many campuses were inflamed by antiwar protests and lost some students and faculty members to the military draft.
The Great Recession of 2008 financially sapped higher education, but the damage took place more gradually, with the University of California losing one-third of its state funding over three years, said Nathan Brostrom, who was UC chief financial officer at the time and now serves as interim chancellor at UC Merced.
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The difference with the coronavirus, Brostrom said, has been the speed of its onslaught and the dramatic effect it is having across campus.
“Literally every time I look at my computer, something new is coming up,” Brostrom said. “The impact is felt on every part of campus operations. All we can do is continually prepare and be nimble in our responses.”
UC Merced’s all-in mobilization involves twice-daily meetings on emergency services and teleconferences with all UC campuses to share information and best practices. They review health updates and policies on travel and large gatherings. They nail down plans to continue instruction and research should the campus have to move to online learning. Merced has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus or even reports of potential exposure, and its classes are not affected for now.
In addition, the UC financial expert said he was starting to assess the costs of the coronavirus outbreak. Merced will pay for any extra costs to bring 21 students home early from study-abroad programs in Italy, South Korea and Japan. Already, the campus is paying for added expenses, such as mega-orders of hand sanitizer and extra campus cleanings.
And potential future costs loom. Merced could lose needed revenue if the campus cancels summer sessions. It could need to provide financial aid to the largely low-income student body if classes move online and obviate the need for federal work-study jobs on campus.
So far Berkeley, San Diego and Santa Cruz are the only campuses in the 10-campus University of California system to announce in-person class suspensions. At those campuses, classes that cannot be held remotely, such as laboratories and performing arts, will continue to meet.
Varsha Sarveshwar, a UC Berkeley senior and UC Student Assn. president, said she fully backed the decision and called on all UC campuses to consider similar action.
“It’s a really responsible decision on the part of the campus,” she said.
She added that the transition should not be too disruptive because Berkeley already began stepping up online learning last year when Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power during the Northern California wildfires.
At a UCLA student meeting Monday, officials said that they are paying close attention to public health reports but do not see a need at this time to suspend in-person classes or close dorms or dining halls.
Across town at USC, officials are preparing for a three-day test on online learning beginning Wednesday.
“We are preparing the university to make substantial changes in a very short period of time to ensure we have the capability to move online should stronger measures become necessary,” said Provost Charles F. Zukoski. “We are in uncharted territory, and we are being vigilant to protect our community.”
Except for San Jose and San Francisco State, the California State University’s 21 other campuses were are still holding in-person classes as of Tuesday, a university spokesman said. At Cal State Long Beach 10 students were in self-isolation, and at Cal State Northridge 13 students were isolating themselves after possible exposure at in Washington, D.C., last week.
At the California community colleges “all of our campuses are preparing for the possibility of a disruption and for moving students online,” Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said.
Sierra College in Rocklin, outside Sacramento, declared a “campus state of emergency” Sunday after two employees were possibly exposed to COVID-19 on a cruise. The employees, who do not work in classrooms, were on the same cruise as an elderly Placer County man who later tested positive for COVID-19 and died.
The college said faculty would begin providing instruction online Wednesday and must transition to remote instruction by March 18. Many lab classes will continue on site, and athletic competitions will proceed without spectators. All events and non-essential travel through the end of March were also canceled.
In the Los Angeles Community College District, officials have worked to debunk false rumors about coronavirus cases at three campuses. Five Pierce College students have been instructed to “self-monitor” their health after returning from a conference last week at which three other attendees not affiliated with the campus tested positive for COVID-19, said LACCD spokesman William Boyer. He said no students have shown symptoms of the illness that met public health agency standards for testing for the virus.
Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-10--Coronavirus wreaks more havoc across U.S., even as cruise ship saga ends in California

Markets plummeted , Italy took the extraordinary step of limiting personal movement for the entire country , and new cases of coronavirus crept across California and the United States .
But for passengers on board the Grand Princess , Monday brought relief as the cruise ship reached the Port of Oakland , providing the comfort of land if not clear answers about their individual futures .
“ I ’ m having anxiety now , ” said Karen Spoon , a Canadian passenger who was told she would be flown to a military base near Ontario tonight , but is worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was a day in which Los Angeles reported its first case of the virus spreading easily in the community , Long Beach and San Diego County reported their first cases , and a second Californian died of COVID-19 .
Nationally , financial markets melted down on Monday as the outbreak continued to wreak havoc with the daily lives of millions across the globe .
But in California noontime , the saga of an ill-fated vacation cruise entered a new chapter .
Late in the afternoon after hours of waiting , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tan medical tents constructed earlier .
State officials said Sunday the 3,000 travelers stuck in limbo since Wednesday would be screened for symptoms before being sent by ambulance for medical treatment if necessary , or board waiting tour buses headed for military bases for a 14-day quarantine .
The operation represented a controversial and high-risk move for federal , state and local officials .
They had spent days debating the tradeoffs of keeping passengers on board or allowing them to disembark — though more than 1,000 crew members , mostly foreign nationals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , public schools and universities have closed or moved classes online , large gatherings have been canceled and public officials are urging “ social distancing ” — reducing chances of contact with an infected person — to mitigate a growing outbreak .
UC Berkeley , San Jose State , San Francisco State , Santa Clara , Princeton and Vanderbilt universities became the latest institutions to announce that they would suspend all or most in-person classes immediately or in coming weeks .
UC San Diego announced Monday night that all lectures and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spring quarter , which begins March 25 .
Overall , more than 25 universities in the United States , Mideast , Asia and Italy have announced moves to online learning .
As of Monday night , there were more than 113,000 total virus cases worldwide , and nearly 4,000 total deaths .
Nationwide , more than 700 persons were confirmed to be infected with the virus , with 19 dying of it , including two in California .
Authorities said the second statewide fatality involved a woman in Santa Clara County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any county in California , now totaling 43 .
Officials said she was in her 60s and had been hospitalized for several weeks .
On Monday night , the Santa Clara County health officer , Dr. Sara Cody , issued a legally binding order , enforceable by the sheriff , banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people effective Wednesday through the rest of March .
The San Jose Sharks , which plays at the SAP Center , also said it would adhere to the new order .
In Los Angeles , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — cases not involving travel or person-to-person contact — prompted health officials to warn that more cases of unknown origin are likely in coming days .
“ This is our first case of community transmission in L.A. County and we will continue to see more cases of COVID-19 , ” said L.A. County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer .
“ We continue to urge everyone to do their part : Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick ; plan for the possibility of school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , three people are believed to have contracted the coronavirus after preliminary testing , officials announced Monday afternoon .
If confirmed , that would bring the total cases in the county to 19 .
The nation ’ s capital also took a hit as six lawmakers , in rapid succession , announced their self-quarantine following exposure to someone with the virus .
Five lawmakers were exposed to a single person with coronavirus at a conservative political conference late last month and U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley ( D-Westlake Village ) met in Washington last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
All six said they would self-quarantine even though they felt fine .
Brownley shuttered her Washington office for the week .
She and her staff would work from home , she said .
In Southern California , Riverside University Health System-Public Health announced three new cases in Coachella Valley .
The individuals are believed to have traveled to an area with a known outbreak , or had contact with a known case , Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said .
Two of the individuals have been isolated at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coachella Valley hospital .
In Kirkland , Wash. , managers of the Life Care Center nursing home , which has been at the center of the U.S. coronavirus epidemic , reported that 31 residents tested positive for the illness .
One resident tested negative , and three tests were inconclusive .
Results are still to come for another 20 residents .
In all , 22 people have died of COVID-19 in Washington state .
The rising anxiety caused by increasing numbers of diagnosed cases , coupled with a surprise announcement from Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depress oil prices , made investors even more skittish than they have been in recent weeks : The stock market saw its worst day in a decade , plunging more than 7 % .
President Trump sought to lift some of that tension with a push for a payroll tax cut to aid low-wage workers hit by the economic slump of canceled travel , empty restaurants , manufacturing slowdowns and other ripple effects to business .
“ We are going to take care of and have been taking care of the American public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said late Monday .
Yet some caught up in the coronavirus crisis questioned the federal response .
Marc Cadiz , who is currently under a two-week quarantine in San Joaquin County after being exposed to the virus on a previous voyage of the Grand Princess , said he is frustrated by what he perceives as a president not taking the situation seriously enough .
“ Trump denies or downplays the experts , ” Cadiz said .
“ I think we need to do a better job before it becomes endemic.
” Late Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees at its Washington headquarters to stay away from the office because of the virus , making it the first major federal employer to call for telecommuting .
In recent days , UC Berkeley and Stanford announced they would move to online classes , while some public schools in San Francisco also shuttered .
In Elk Grove , schools were closed this week as a precautionary measure after two people in a family with multiple children in its facilities tested positive .
On Monday , the district announced an elementary-aged child in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oakland , some residents feared that the Grand Princess ’ arrival could further spread the virus in a community far poorer than its neighbor across the bay , San Francisco .
“ I think part of the reason Oakland gets this ... is because West Oakland is historically low-income with lots of minorities who will not give a lot of pushback , ” said Jen Izeck , a medical social worker who has lived in Oakland for more than 20 years .
“ I think it was a purposeful decision to dock in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have more of a voice in this , that Oakland doesn ’ t have more of voice.
” Clint Carter , a programmer who works in Jack London Square , added , “ They didn ’ t put them over in Mill Valley , ” he said , referring to the affluent city in Marin County .
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Sunday spoke about the racial and environmental discrimination her city has faced but added Monday that she was satisfied with the safety measures being taken for port workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are very glad to play a role , which is the right thing to do to welcome these passengers into safety and to release them from what had to have been a terrifying experience of being trapped on this ship , ” Schaaf said after an event on homelessness in Sacramento .
Schaaf did not say , though , whether she could have refused use of the port if her concerns had not been addressed .
The port sits on state-owned land .
“ I never got to the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ I think people should take heart that the different levels of government can work together with a single purpose , with safety in mind.
” On Sunday , the U.S. State Department warned Americans , especially older ones , to avoid cruise ships .
While many may follow that advice , at least one ship passenger on Monday — waiting in line to have her temperature taken on the gangway — said she wouldn ’ t let the virus spoil her future fun .
Times staff writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lin contributed to this story .

Anita Chabria, Colleen Shalby, Maura Dolan, John Myers

As the coronavirus continues to spread deeper into California communities — with multiple cases reported from Sacramento to San Diego and a third confirmed death — officials say they are expecting the state’s total cases to rise well beyond the current 157 as more testing is done in the coming days.
The state’s latest count does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland.
On Tuesday, Sacramento County health officials announced that a patient in her 90s at an Elk Grove nursing home had died from COVID-19. The woman is the third confirmed death from COVID-19 in California, and she is the state’s first known case of infection with the coronavirus in a nursing home. Health officials said all patients in the nursing home would be tested for the virus, but that effort was delayed by a lack of test kits.
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Other residents of the facility are receiving special protective measures, including having meals delivered to rooms and being barred from gatherings.
Elsewhere, the number of cases continues to rise.
On Tuesday evening, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed that three of its officers who work at Mineta San Jose International Airport tested positive for COVID-19.
“The officers are receiving medical care and all TSA employees they have come in contact with over the past 14 days are quarantined at home,” the agency said in a statement. “Screening checkpoints remain open, and the agency is working with the CDC, as well as the California Department of Public Health and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department to monitor the situation as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public. We will update as more information becomes available.”
Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community on Monday. A new case was reported Tuesday — the county’s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport. The individual is currently isolated at home.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also reported one new case Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 14. The patient, who had known contact with another person who tested positive, is hospitalized, officials said.
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Orange County also reported two new cases of the virus, pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing that county’s total to five.
Officials confirmed a new coronavirus case in Alameda County – an older individual who left the Grand Princess cruise ship in February. There are now at least four cases of coronavirus in Alameda County, including one individual in Berkeley, which has a separate health officer. The new case is under isolation at home.
San Joaquin County Public Health Services confirmed its first case of the coronavirus. The individual was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship, but was not on the cruise that most recently disembarked in Oakland. The individual has been symptomatic and was hospitalized several days ago.
And Tuesday evening, Calaveras County confirmed an adult and child in a family in Copperopolis tested positive for coronavirus. Their exposure occurred outside the county. The family has remained isolated at home since public health workers launched their investigation of the cases. Close personal contacts of the family identified in the investigation will be quarantined.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, Seattle and King County health officials reported two more deaths, bringing the total deaths linked to the virus in the state to 22. The individuals were not residents of the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a nursing home where 19 patients have died. Both people had previously tested positive.
Beyond health concerns, the effects of the virus have stirred ongoing financial fears that have affected U.S. and global markets. On Tuesday, a day after a global meltdown, stocks and oil markets appeared to stabilize after U.S. and international governments vowed to push more aid into a coronavirus-weakened global economy.
In keeping with new guidance from California health officials, Los Angeles County health officials and local organizers are trying to curtail massive public events. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County public health director, advised the public to take extra precautions as the number of cases continued to rise.
“It’s time to start thinking about limiting activities anywhere you have a lot of exposure to the general public,” she said Tuesday, stressing the fact that pregnant women, elderly individuals and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk for developing serious effects from the virus.
Ferrer said starting Wednesday, teams will visit all nursing homes and long-term-care facilities in Los Angeles County — roughly 300 — to ensure they are adequately prepared to enforce infectious disease protocols and help with preventive measures against coronavirus. Teams include health inspectors with the Department of Public Health.
Teams also will assess 330 homeless shelters throughout L.A. County, she said. In dealing with the unsheltered population, the department has a three-pronged strategy: Ensure that shelters take precautions to separate the sick from the healthy; ensure that people on the street have the proper information they need to stay healthy; and identify places where sick individuals may be quarantined.
Officials are looking at sites that would allow them to isolate homeless people who might have COVID-19 from healthy people inside shelters. San Francisco also is developing quarantine locations for people who have tested positive for the virus, have been in contact with an individual with known exposure, and are either homeless or living in shared quarters.
Contra Costa County joined other Bay Area counties Tuesday in urging residents to avoid crowds. As of Tuesday evening, the county had 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus — four people with known contact with people who previously tested positive, and six people who had no recent history of travel outside the U.S. or known contact with a confirmed case.
Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, deputy health officer, said he recommended all large community events be postponed or canceled. In particular, he said, people at higher risk — those 50 or older and people with underlying medical problems like heart and lung disease, diabetes, cancer or weak immune systems — should not go to mass gatherings such as religious services, celebrations, concerts, sporting events or parades.
Radhakrishna also said employers should suspend nonessential travel, including canceling conferences; allowing employees to telecommute; staggering schedules to reduce the number of workers in the office at the same time; and not requiring doctor’s notes for employees who are feeling ill.
“Given that we now know the novel coronavirus is spreading in our county, this is critical time, perhaps the best and only time for each of us to do our part to protect the community and decrease the spread of this virus,” Radhakrishna said.
In Santa Clara County — where public health officials face the largest number of confirmed cases in California — local leaders issued a rare legal order banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people, effective Wednesday through the rest of March.
The order includes sporting events. The San Jose Sharks said the hockey team would abide by the county’s new order, which is enforceable by the county sheriff and police, after declining an earlier recommendation to halt mass gatherings late last week. The San Jose Earthquakes are scheduled to play Sporting Kansas City on March 21, but it remains unclear whether the game will be postponed.
Santa Clara County reported two new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 45 confirmed cases and one death.
“We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge,” Santa Clara County’s health officer Dr. Sara Cody said at a news conference Monday night. “The number and type of cases to date indicate that the risk of exposure to this virus in our community is increasing.”
Across the state, public schools and universities have closed or moved classes online, large gatherings have been canceled, and health officials are urging “social distancing” — reducing chances of contact with an infected person — to mitigate the growing outbreak.
UCLA, USC, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, San Jose State, San Francisco State, Santa Clara, Princeton, Ohio State and Vanderbilt universities became the latest institutions to announce they would suspend all or most in-person classes. More than 25 universities in the U.S., the Mideast, Asia and Italy have announced moves to online learning.
Rancho Mirage announced it was shuttering its library and observatory until March 23, and the Los Angeles Times postponed its annual Festival of Books and Food Bowl. Times staffers also have been given the option to work from home and have been instructed to avoid the workplace for 14 days following any air travel. And Tuesday afternoon, after much speculation, concert promoter Goldenvoice announced the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival would be postponed until October.
But not all gathering places are shutting down. Universal Studios and Disneyland Resort are not closing and are instead monitoring the growing outbreak and regularly communicating with health officials, park officials said. Hand-sanitizing stations have been placed throughout Disneyland, and employees have been instructed to stay home when sick.
A satellite image shows the Grand Princess arriving at the Port of Oakland on Monday with support services nearby. (Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies/ Lorena Elebee)
For passengers aboard the Grand Princess, Monday brought relief as the cruise ship reached the Port of Oakland, providing the comfort of land, but no clear answers about their individual futures. After days of being forced to idle off the coast of Northern California, the ship docked with about 3,500 passengers and crew, including at least 21 who had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
“We’re trying to stay calm, and we’re trying to stay positive, but it’s getting harder and harder. They can’t make up their minds how to keep us safe,” said passenger Beryl Ward, 77, of Santa Fe, N.M.
Late in the afternoon, after hours of waiting, a handful of passengers wearing masks headed toward tan medical tents that had been erected earlier. State officials said Sunday the 3,000 travelers stuck in limbo since Wednesday would be screened for symptoms before being sent by ambulance for medical treatment, if necessary, or would board waiting tour buses headed for military bases for a 14-day quarantine.
The operation represented a controversial and high-risk move for federal, state and local officials. They had spent days debating the trade-offs of keeping passengers on board or allowing them to disembark — though more than 1,000 crew members, mostly foreign nationals, will remain quarantined on board.
Passengers wearing masks trickled out of the Grand Princess and walked to the bottom of a ramp, where masked officials in yellow protective gear and blue plastic gloves took their temperature and led them to a tent for more screening before they lined up to board a bus.
By Tuesday afternoon, more than 540 people had been offloaded from the ship. Roughly 228 Canadians were sent back to Canada, and 171 Californians were taken to Travis Air Force Base. At least 26 individuals were sick and being treated for the coronavirus or some other illness, officials said.
Thousands more were still waiting Tuesday to be released. Authorities said foreigners from more than 50 countries would be flown home, while U.S. passengers would be flown or bused to military bases in California, Texas and Georgia.
Elsewhere, cruise ship agencies have canceled upcoming stops in Monterey Bay after the city asked companies to alter their impending trips, city officials said. The Royal Princess has canceled its March 31, April 14 and April 28 visits to Monterey, and the Maasdam–Holland America cruise ship has canceled its April 29 visit.
“The city of Monterey has an obligation to ensure the public health of our residents, employees and visitors, and we appreciate the cruise ship companies taking action on behalf of our request,” City Manager Hans Uslar said in a statement.
The city of Santa Barbara also announced the cancellation of a Grand Princess cruise scheduled to visit the area March 24. City officials plan to contact other cruise lines to cancel upcoming visits to Santa Barbara until the CDC removes its travel advisory for cruise ships. There are 10 cruise stops planned for Santa Barbara through June.
“I appreciate Princess Cruises taking action and protecting the safety of the community and passengers. We are asking other cruise lines to follow their lead and take a cautious approach,” Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were more than 118,000 total virus cases worldwide, and more than 4,200 total deaths. Nationwide, more than 800 people were confirmed to be infected with the virus.
In California, the second person to die from the virus was a woman in Santa Clara County Officials said she was in her 60s and had been hospitalized for several weeks. Last week, Placer County public health officials announced that a 71-year-old Rocklin resident who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico last month died.
In Long Beach, three people are believed to have contracted the coronavirus after preliminary testing, officials announced Monday afternoon.
Riverside University Health System-Public Health also announced three new cases in Coachella Valley. The individuals are believed to have traveled to an area with a known outbreak, or had contact with a known case, Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said. Two of the individuals have been isolated at home. The third is at a Coachella Valley hospital.
The county also confirmed its second case from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, bringing the number of COVID-19 cases in the county to at least six.
The nation’s capital also took a hit as six lawmakers, in rapid succession, announced their self-quarantine following exposure to someone with the virus.
Several lawmakers were exposed to a single person with coronavirus at a conservative political conference late last month. U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) met in Washington last week with someone later diagnosed with the virus.
All of them said they would self-quarantine even though they felt fine. Brownley shuttered her Washington office for the week. She and her staff would work from home, she said.
Medical personnel in tents, left, tend to passengers as they disembark from the Grand Princess cruise ship at the Port of Oakland. (Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images)
Times staff writers Richard Read, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Sarah Parvini , Thomas Curwen and Anita Chabria contributed to this report.