latimes--2020-05-31--'Sometimes peaceful is not enough': L.A. protesters explain why they hit the streets

It was 11 p.m. Saturday , and Alexis Equihua , 20 , was watching as looters grabbed goods from a Melrose Avenue shop .
Hours earlier , thousands had gathered at Pan Pacific Park for a rally to protest the killing of George Floyd , a black Minneapolis man killed when a white police officer used his knee to pin him to the ground by the neck .
They marched down 3rd Street before getting into a standoff with local police .
Over the next few hours , some in the crowd set police cruisers on fire and threw objects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at them .
As the day turned into night , numerous businesses were looted , including some in the Grove mall .
“ Sometimes peaceful is not enough , ” said Equihua , 20 .
“ I ’ m not one of the people vandalizing , but honestly , I get it .
They feel like actions speak louder than words.
” There were clearly divisions among protesters about the wisdom of vandalism and looting , and police said they believed the most violent actions might have been done by fringe elements .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nearby Whole Foods with a hammer , some screamed , “ Don ’ t do that !
Please !
” while others cheered .
Here are the voices of some of the protesters who swarmed the Fairfax District on Saturday .
Mariana Solaris , a 20-year-old from San Bernardino , was walking down Melrose Avenue when police fired foam pellets .
“ I came out peacefully to show my support , and the police are aiming right at me .
To feel and experience it for myself — to have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I saw this on the news earlier tonight , ” she added , “ and I thought , ‘ No way is it really like that out there with the police.
’ So I came out to see .
And , yeah , it ’ s really like that.
” ‘ We ’ re going to ... get the backlash ’ Travon Walton , a 25-year-old student from Long Beach , arrived in the Fairfax area in the afternoon to join the protests .
He said he saw many non-black protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried that the black community would be blamed .
“ All the white people are in the front , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to be the ones that get the backlash.
” This was his first protest , and he planned to leave after the city ’ s 8 p.m. curfew , called for by Mayor Eric Garcetti .
“ We thought we ’ d just come out here to have a peaceful protest , ” he said , “ but as you can see , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s like they don ’ t even care ’ A 26-year-old protester shook as police fired another round of rubber bullets at the crowd gathering near Edinburgh Avenue and Beverly Boulevard .
She had been encouraged to attend the protest — her first — by her boyfriend but had already been struck in the back of the leg by a rubber bullet .
“ It ’ s like they don ’ t even care , ” said Latanya Marie , who agreed to be identified by her middle name .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to hit people with rubber bullets ?
” She said she wasn ’ t confident the protests would invoke a change but that she felt better having driven from the Valley to participate rather than supporting only through social media .
“ I really don ’ t think it ’ s going to do anything , ” she said .
“ But at least I ’ m getting out here and letting my anger be known.
” Marsha Steinberg , 76 , who described herself as a longtime activist , was among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I was here for Rodney [ King ] , ” said Steinberg , who lives in the neighborhood .
“ Nothing has changed .
People have not had an outlet for justice , ” Steinberg said , adding that new district attorneys need to be elected and prosecute police accused of misconduct .
Alvarado , 21 , lives in Santa Clarita and said she drove to the L.A. rally because she was “ sick and tired of waking up every morning ” to news about police killings .
“ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going through , ” she said , of being black .
“ But I ’ m here to support them .
”

Dakota Smith, Emily Baumgaertner, Leila Miller

L.A. Times columnist LZ Granderson speaks with protesters in downtown Los Angeles and finds goodwill and solidarity.
It was 11 p.m. Saturday, and Alexis Equihua, 20, was watching as looters grabbed goods from a Melrose Avenue shop.
Hours earlier, thousands had gathered at Pan Pacific Park for a rally to protest the killing of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man killed when a white police officer used his knee to pin him to the ground by the neck. They marched down 3rd Street before getting into a standoff with local police.
Over the next few hours, some in the crowd set police cruisers on fire and threw objects at officers, who fired less-than-lethal weapons at them. As the day turned into night, numerous businesses were looted, including some in the Grove mall.
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1 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a burned LAPD cruiser. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a bus stop at the Los Angeles Civic Center to demonstrate for justice Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 Protestors turn on their cell phone flashlights at Los Angeles City Hall at 9 pm on Wednesday as part of a silent protest against the death of George Floyd. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 81 A protester confronts National Guardsmen as thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles to demonstrate for justice in the George Floyd murder by cop case Wednesday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 81 Protesters dance on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 Thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles Wednesday night to demonstrate for justice in the killing of George Floyd. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and L.A. clergy during a march in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Khalil Mitchell speaks to protesters kneeling near a police line, preaching calm and working to preserve a peaceful protest on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 In Hollywood, hundreds of protesters march Monday against police brutality. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 81 AJ Lovelace, a director and writer, and others keep potential looters from entering a dry cleaning store as they attempt to march peacefully. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 81 Demonstrators in Riverside retreat as county sheriff’s deputies fire nonlethal rounds on Monday after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 81 Protesters in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 An arrest in Hollywood during a protest Monday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 A demonstrator, injured while trying to flee the firing of nonlethal rounds, lies on the ground in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a looting suspect in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 81 Riverside County deputies advance on demonstrators on Monday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Fireworks thrown by a protester explode at the feet of Riverside police. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 81 Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco takes a knee with demonstrators. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 A watch and jewelry store is looted in Van Nuys on Monday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 A looting arrest in Van Nuys. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 AJ Lovelace, director and writer, tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a suspected looter in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 Police advance on a line of protesters in Hollywood, firing rubber bullets. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Arrests are made of those out after curfew in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 A store is looted in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 People out after curfew are arrested Monday at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Arrests in Hollywood. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Protests in Westwood. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Volunteers help clean up the mess left by looters in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Protest in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 National Guardsmen outside Santa Monica Place. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 Gilbert Haro and sons Richard, 8, and James, 6, help clean up in Santa Monica. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Protesters face off with police in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Santa Monica stores were the target of looting on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Suspected looters in custody in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 L.A. County sheriff’s deputies in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Sake House employee Jared Settles can’t bear to watch as the restaurant burns in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Broken glass from a looted store covers the sidewalk in Santa Monica. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Cecelia Rosales, who said she was homeless, walks past a line of police officers in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 A man guards a convenience store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Looting erupted Sunday in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Police and protesters face off in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 A police officer inspects the damage to a Santa Monica supermarket. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 A protester is treated after being struck by a rubber bullet. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 Looting in Long Beach on Sunday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 81 Looting in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 81 A suspected looter in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 81 Smashing windows in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 81 People walk away with surfboards in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 People rush out of a looted store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Cheers for protesters in downtown Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 City Hall on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 A shattered storefront on Melrose Avenue on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Smashed windows on La Cienega Boulevard. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 Downtown L.A. on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 People carry merchandise from a looted store. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 A person carries items from a looted store in the Fairfax District on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 A couple of protesters embrace on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 64 / 81 People protest Saturday at Pan Pacific Park. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 65 / 81 Protesters gather around a fire in the middle of a downtown L.A. street on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 81 Police fire percussion rounds to clear protesters from Grand Avenue in in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 81 A protester remains defiant after being pushed to the ground by police on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 81 Protesters are arrested by Los Angeles police in front of City Hall on Saturday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 81 Protesters take to the streets Friday in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 81 Protesters are escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 A protester is escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 81 Protesters climb over a barrier during the May 29 protest in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 81 Police officers assume a defensive stance as a protester approaches them on the 110 Freeway on May 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 81 During a May 29 protest, Los Angeles police patrol the 110 after having moved protesters off the freeway. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 81 A protester rides a skateboard on the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 81 A protester confronts LAPD officers on Friday in downtown L.A. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 81 A protester lies hurt on the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on May 27. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 81 An injured man gets up with the help of emergency workers during a protest May 27 in downtown L.A. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
“Sometimes peaceful is not enough,” said Equihua, 20. “I’m not one of the people vandalizing, but honestly, I get it. They feel like actions speak louder than words.”
There were clearly divisions among protesters about the wisdom of vandalism and looting, and police said they believed the most violent actions might have been done by fringe elements.
When a protester smashed the front window of the nearby Whole Foods with a hammer, some screamed, “Don’t do that! Please!” while others cheered.
Here are the voices of some of the protesters who swarmed the Fairfax District on Saturday.
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‘It’s really like that’
Mariana Solaris, a 20-year-old from San Bernardino, was walking down Melrose Avenue when police fired foam pellets.
“I came out peacefully to show my support, and the police are aiming right at me. To feel and experience it for myself — to have to run — I’m still shivering.
“I saw this on the news earlier tonight,” she added, “and I thought, ‘No way is it really like that out there with the police.’ So I came out to see. And, yeah, it’s really like that.”
‘We’re going to ... get the backlash’
Travon Walton, a 25-year-old student from Long Beach, arrived in the Fairfax area in the afternoon to join the protests.
He said he saw many non-black protesters inciting the police from up close and worried that the black community would be blamed.
“All the white people are in the front,” he said. “We’re going to be the ones that get the backlash.”
This was his first protest, and he planned to leave after the city’s 8 p.m. curfew, called for by Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“We thought we’d just come out here to have a peaceful protest,” he said, “but as you can see, it’s not that at all.”
‘It’s like they don’t even care’
A 26-year-old protester shook as police fired another round of rubber bullets at the crowd gathering near Edinburgh Avenue and Beverly Boulevard.
She had been encouraged to attend the protest — her first — by her boyfriend but had already been struck in the back of the leg by a rubber bullet.
“It’s like they don’t even care,” said Latanya Marie, who agreed to be identified by her middle name. “People are chanting. How are you going to hit people with rubber bullets?”
She said she wasn’t confident the protests would invoke a change but that she felt better having driven from the Valley to participate rather than supporting only through social media.
“I really don’t think it’s going to do anything,” she said. “But at least I’m getting out here and letting my anger be known.”
‘Nothing has changed’
Marsha Steinberg, 76, who described herself as a longtime activist, was among those who came out for the rally.
“I was here for Rodney [King],” said Steinberg, who lives in the neighborhood.
“Nothing has changed. People have not had an outlet for justice,” Steinberg said, adding that new district attorneys need to be elected and prosecute police accused of misconduct.
‘Sick and tired’
Isabel Alvarado waved a sign reading, “Latinos for Black Lives Matter.”
Alvarado, 21, lives in Santa Clarita and said she drove to the L.A. rally because she was “sick and tired of waking up every morning” to news about police killings.
“I can’t compare myself to what they’re going through,” she said, of being black. “But I’m here to support them.”


latimes--2020-05-31--Boardwalk closed. University closed. Santa Cruz met the moment, but at a huge cost

The white pick-up truck began rolling down Boardwalk Beach late Friday morning .
Dozens of people had spread out on the sandy expanse , and some splashed in the water , enjoying the mid-70s weather as a woman with a wand blew bubbles into the soft breeze .
It was a day before Memorial Day weekend , and there was only a fraction of the crowd Santa Cruz usually sees before the kickoff to summer .
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk sat eerily empty , closed earlier this year for only the second time in its 113-year history .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lane , the famed surfing spot off West Cliff Drive .
Around 11 a.m. , the Santa Cruz Police Ranger announced that the beaches were officially closed from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. under the countywide shelter-in-place order .
People participating in water activities could stay , the ranger said , but everyone else had to leave .
Rick Tracewell and Debi Tipple packed up their things , and along with other beachgoers , exited the strand they had traveled so far to visit .
“ I ’ m thankful that there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Tracewell , who arrived with Tipple on Thursday from Sacramento and learned about the beach closures while on the drive down .
Santa Cruz County , home to 273,200 people , includes some tech businesses and other industries , but its economic engine largely depends on seasonal tourism and the revenue generated by the 19,000 students and hundreds of faculty and employees at UC Santa Cruz .
That campus is now closed , and city and county have been urging visitor they once welcomed to stay away , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undoubtedly helped the town and Santa Cruz County keep their COVID-19 cases and deaths low in a region hit hard by the virus .
Santa Cruz County has reported two coronavirus-related deaths and 212 cases .
In comparison , its neighbor Santa Clara County is reporting 141 deaths and more than 2,700 cases .
Alameda County has more than 3,200 cases and 95 deaths .
But the county must now weigh how quickly it will reopen to keep businesses alive and residents safe , given that they have successfully flattened the curve faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officer Dr. Gail Newel issued a new order , effective Wednesday , allowing in-store retail shopping and religious services to resume .
On Friday , the county Board of Supervisors held a meeting on whether to approve moving further into the second stage of reopening under the governor ’ s road map .
The board unanimously approved the effort , and Newel said a supplemental health order will allow indoor and outdoor dine-in at restaurants and barbershops and salons to reopen .
She also warned the county will likely see an increase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep staying home .
As Northern California counties reported rising numbers in mid-March , Santa Cruz County joined six others in the greater San Francisco Bay Area in issuing a shelter-in-place order .
The city of Santa Cruz already planned to close city facilities in anticipation of spread , Mayor Justin Cummings said .
In early May , Cummings used his Sunday column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel to remind residents they could not “ rush the road to recovery.
” He wrote of the second increase of cases and deaths in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the city re-opened too quickly .
The county public health department announced May 22 an investigation into four separate clusters of COVID-19 cases , attributed to family gatherings as the county eases some restrictions .
While their numbers remain relatively low , reopening could present a challenge .
“ It ’ s great that we ’ re in the position that we ’ re in , ” Cummings said in an interview .
But “ if we start seeing our numbers going back up , we ’ re going to likely shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted the county could have between 200 and 400 deaths , said Ryan Coonerty , a Santa Cruz County supervisor .
The economic impact has been damaging — the county ’ s unemployment rate hit 17.4 % in April , up from 8.1 % in March , according to the California Employment Development Department .
Residents and business owners , who largely complied with the shelter-in-place order , are now asking when they can restart after shutting down for so long , Coonerty said .
But there is no easy answer for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is linked to its neighbors .
“ We ’ re trying to figure out what our path forward is because we only control part of our destination , ” he said .
On Friday , the Second Harvest Food Bank held its weekly drive-through pick-up at one of the Boardwalk ’ s parking lots .
Beach Flats resident Antonia Hernandez , 46 , and her husband , Felipe Ruiz , 42 , arrived by foot , pushing a small cart to carry their items .
Ruiz lost his job at a panaderia as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was their third time picking up offerings from the food bank — they received food weighing nearly 50 pounds — and Hernandez said she hoped to see the local economy open up again , cautiously , so they can afford to pay their bills and rent .
“ This is not a game , ” she said , teary eyed as she spoke about the toll of the virus .
“ It ’ s so sad , everything that is going on .
We don ’ t want this [ virus ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s downtown , local storefronts doors were wide open but blocked by tables , a sign of curbside pick-up .
The sidewalks , which would ’ ve been bustling on a usual Friday , were mostly empty with an occasional pair strolling by .
Marla Reckart and her daughter Sara Cronin picked up a couple of books from Bookshop Santa Cruz before they stopped by Pacific Trading Co. , a women ’ s clothing boutique , to buy a pair of pajamas .
After coordinating the selection with co-owner Anandi Heinrich , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows until they approved one with thumbs up , they relayed the payment by phone , and Heinrich hung the bag on one end of a metal rack , inched the door open and pushed it through so Cronin could grab the bag .
Curbside pick-up is tricky for a clothing store .
Heinrich said she sets up virtual appointments and sends customers home with a box of clothing to choose from .
“ We hope to be reopening in a way that makes sense , ” said Heinrich , who chose to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the official order .
“ But we also feel cautious in that we want to make sure that we ’ re doing it in a way that is safe for our customers and for our staff.
” At Bookshop Santa Cruz , a longtime community hub , owner Casey Coonerty Protti shared a similar sentiment .
On Friday , dozens of curbside orders were fulfilled by the hour as the bookstore ’ s information center was transformed into a central workstation , with employees weaving between shelves to keep their distance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for easy access ; the event space now featured tables covered in items for care packages .
Protti , wearing a Harry Potter-themed mask , explained their new workflow : No more than 10 employees worked inside at the same time , in different parts of the 20,000-square-foot store .
And with a limited capacity reopening expected in weeks , the store will be restructured to accommodate curbside pick-up , in-store services and online orders .
Even with a steady stream of customers , the store is doing only 60 % of regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose brother serves on the county Board of Supervisors , a seat previously filled by their father , said she is on the side of restrictive measures to avoid a second rise in cases .
“ I understand why people are itching to reopen , and the amount that ’ s at stake in terms of the economy and jobs and people ’ s livelihoods , ” said Protti , who was able to bring back her 40-plus staff after receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan .
“ But I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When they ’ re ready to reopen , she said she believes the community will be there , rallying around local businesses .
“ I do think people are going to come back , ” she said .
“ I really do .
”

Rick Tracewell, left, and partner Debi Tipple, both of Sacramento, are asked to leave Main Beach by a Santa Cruz Police Ranger.
The white pick-up truck began rolling down Boardwalk Beach late Friday morning. Dozens of people had spread out on the sandy expanse, and some splashed in the water, enjoying the mid-70s weather as a woman with a wand blew bubbles into the soft breeze.
It was a day before Memorial Day weekend, and there was only a fraction of the crowd Santa Cruz usually sees before the kickoff to summer. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk sat eerily empty, closed earlier this year for only the second time in its 113-year history. In the distance, waves rolled into Steamer Lane, the famed surfing spot off West Cliff Drive.
Around 11 a.m., the Santa Cruz Police Ranger announced that the beaches were officially closed from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. under the countywide shelter-in-place order. People participating in water activities could stay, the ranger said, but everyone else had to leave.
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Rick Tracewell and Debi Tipple packed up their things, and along with other beachgoers, exited the strand they had traveled so far to visit.
“I’m thankful that there are hours that we can come out here,” said Tracewell, who arrived with Tipple on Thursday from Sacramento and learned about the beach closures while on the drive down.
Felipe Romero Perez combs the empty beach with a metal detector as the Beach Boardwalk sits empty remaining closed to guests in Santa Cruz. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Cruz County, home to 273,200 people, includes some tech businesses and other industries, but its economic engine largely depends on seasonal tourism and the revenue generated by the 19,000 students and hundreds of faculty and employees at UC Santa Cruz. That campus is now closed, and city and county have been urging visitors they once welcomed to stay away, at least for now.
The strict measures have undoubtedly helped the town and Santa Cruz County keep their COVID-19 cases and deaths low in a region hit hard by the virus. Santa Cruz County has reported two coronavirus-related deaths and 212 cases. In comparison, its neighbor Santa Clara County is reporting 141 deaths and more than 2,700 cases. Alameda County has more than 3,200 cases and 95 deaths.
Brooklyn White, a fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz, talks with a friend on the phone at the closed Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
But the county must now weigh how quickly it will reopen to keep businesses alive and residents safe, given that they have successfully flattened the curve faster than their neighbors. County Public Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel issued a new order, effective Wednesday, allowing in-store retail shopping and religious services to resume.
On Friday, the county Board of Supervisors held a meeting on whether to approve moving further into the second stage of reopening under the governor’s road map. The board unanimously approved the effort, and Newel said a supplemental health order will allow indoor and outdoor dine-in at restaurants and barbershops and salons to reopen. She also warned the county will likely see an increase of cases and urged those most vulnerable to keep staying home.
As Northern California counties reported rising numbers in mid-March, Santa Cruz County joined six others in the greater San Francisco Bay Area in issuing a shelter-in-place order. The city of Santa Cruz already planned to close city facilities in anticipation of spread, Mayor Justin Cummings said.
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An empty Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has successfully bent the curve of cases and deaths from COVID-19 after sheltering in place early. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
In early May, Cummings used his Sunday column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel to remind residents they could not “rush the road to recovery.” He wrote of the second increase of cases and deaths in San Francisco from the Spanish flu in 1918 after the city re-opened too quickly.
The county public health department announced May 22 an investigation into four separate clusters of COVID-19 cases, attributed to family gatherings as the county eases some restrictions. While their numbers remain relatively low, reopening could present a challenge.
“It’s great that we’re in the position that we’re in,” Cummings said in an interview. But “if we start seeing our numbers going back up, we’re going to likely shut things back down again.”
Early projections predicted the county could have between 200 and 400 deaths, said Ryan Coonerty, a Santa Cruz County supervisor.
The economic impact has been damaging — the county’s unemployment rate hit 17.4% in April, up from 8.1% in March, according to the California Employment Development Department. Residents and business owners, who largely complied with the shelter-in-place order, are now asking when they can restart after shutting down for so long, Coonerty said. But there is no easy answer for a place like Santa Cruz, whose fate is linked to its neighbors.
“We’re trying to figure out what our path forward is because we only control part of our destination,” he said.
Community volunteers and the California National Guard distribute food to an estimated 1,100 families at the Boardwalk location for The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
On Friday, the Second Harvest Food Bank held its weekly drive-through pick-up at one of the Boardwalk’s parking lots. Beach Flats resident Antonia Hernandez, 46, and her husband, Felipe Ruiz, 42, arrived by foot, pushing a small cart to carry their items.
Ruiz lost his job at a panaderia as a result of the pandemic. This was their third time picking up offerings from the food bank — they received food weighing nearly 50 pounds — and Hernandez said she hoped to see the local economy open up again, cautiously, so they can afford to pay their bills and rent.
“This is not a game,” she said, teary eyed as she spoke about the toll of the virus. “It’s so sad, everything that is going on. We don’t want this [virus].”
On Pacific Avenue, the city’s downtown, local storefronts doors were wide open but blocked by tables, a sign of curbside pick-up. The sidewalks, which would’ve been bustling on a usual Friday, were mostly empty with an occasional pair strolling by.
Marla Reckart and her daughter Sara Cronin picked up a couple of books from Bookshop Santa Cruz before they stopped by Pacific Trading Co., a women’s clothing boutique, to buy a pair of pajamas. After coordinating the selection with co-owner Anandi Heinrich, who held up options through the glass windows until they approved one with thumbs up, they relayed the payment by phone, and Heinrich hung the bag on one end of a metal rack, inched the door open and pushed it through so Cronin could grab the bag.
Book seller Jason Cohen delivers a book to a customer at curbside at the Bookshop Santa Cruz. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Curbside pick-up is tricky for a clothing store. Heinrich said she sets up virtual appointments and sends customers home with a box of clothing to choose from.
“We hope to be reopening in a way that makes sense,” said Heinrich, who chose to close the store on March 15, before the official order. “But we also feel cautious in that we want to make sure that we’re doing it in a way that is safe for our customers and for our staff.”
At Bookshop Santa Cruz, a longtime community hub, owner Casey Coonerty Protti shared a similar sentiment. On Friday, dozens of curbside orders were fulfilled by the hour as the bookstore’s information center was transformed into a central workstation, with employees weaving between shelves to keep their distance. Puzzles were spread out on the floor for easy access; the event space now featured tables covered in items for care packages.
Protti, wearing a Harry Potter-themed mask, explained their new workflow: No more than 10 employees worked inside at the same time, in different parts of the 20,000-square-foot store. And with a limited capacity reopening expected in weeks, the store will be restructured to accommodate curbside pick-up, in-store services and online orders.
Marla Reckart, left, of Santa Cruz and daughter Sara Cronin of Philadelphia pick up books at curbside at the Bookshop Santa Cruz. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Even with a steady stream of customers, the store is doing only 60% of regular sales, she said. But Protti, whose brother serves on the county Board of Supervisors, a seat previously filled by their father, said she is on the side of restrictive measures to avoid a second rise in cases.
“I understand why people are itching to reopen, and the amount that’s at stake in terms of the economy and jobs and people’s livelihoods,” said Protti, who was able to bring back her 40-plus staff after receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan. “But I’m going to be completely driven by science.”
When they’re ready to reopen, she said she believes the community will be there, rallying around local businesses.
“I do think people are going to come back,” she said. “I really do.”


latimes--2020-05-31--Churches plan big Pentecost services despite orders: 'It's part of our faith to be together'

The three pastors planned to meet at church on a weekday morning in early May .
Two months after shutting down all in-person gatherings to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus , their houses of worship were still closed — and the men were determined to bring the word of God to their parishioners in need .
But news of the meeting spread like sparks from kindling , and more than 40 representatives of roughly 1,500 California churches showed up .
They sat six feet apart , masks covering their mouths and noses .
“ We said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at if we open up — the ramifications , the liabilities , ’ ” recalled Pastor Dan Carroll , who hosted the forum at Water of Life Community Church in Fontana .
“ We said , ‘ How do you guys feel ?
’ The resounding sentiment was , ‘ We plan to open.
’ ” Since then , the pastors ’ action has exploded into a much larger movement that now includes dozens of evangelical Christian churches throughout the state , as well as other faith communities .
More than 1,200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person services on May 31 , — a move that at the time defied California ’ s moratorium on such practices , which had been designated as part of Stage 3 of the state ’ s reopening plan .
What began as a public health debate has quickly escalated into a dispute over freedom of worship in several states .
In California , pressure has built steadily on Gov .
Gavin Newsom to ease the rules governing religious services , even as examples mount of the virus spreading through faith gatherings .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court on Friday rejected a challenge to California ’ s limits on religious gatherings during the pandemic brought by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista .
The justices voted 5-4 that , at least for now , California can enforce its restrictions .
“ The precise question of when restrictions on particular social activities should be lifted during the pandemic is a dynamic and fact-intensive matter subject to reasonable disagreement .
Our Constitution principally entrusts ‘ the safety and the health of the people ’ to the politically accountable officials of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” Chief Justice John G. Roberts wrote for the majority .
Under updated state houses of worship must limit total attendance to 25 % of a building ’ s capacity or a maximum of 100 people , whichever is lower .
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has released guidelines to reopen churches for private prayer and public Mass as early as this week .
Parishes must receive their regional bishop ’ s approval for reopening after meeting safety criteria to prevent crowding and physical contact as much as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 3,300-seat sanctuary , the reopening rules are still too restrictive .
He plans to hold three services over the weekend — one Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday — at 10 % capacity , or about 330 people .
“ The governor ’ s office asked our thoughts , and we said , ‘ Twenty-five percent or 100 people ; you ’ re giving everyone else more , ’ ” he said .
“ A cap at 100 people is not realistic .
It ’ s not what they ’ re doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s discriminatory.
” Diego Mesa , pastor of Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamonga , said he feels that churches were never fairly considered in the state ’ s stay-at-home plans .
There ’ s a discrepancy , he said , between “ what happens in our building versus what happens in Home Depot.
” The new guidelines work for 90 % of churches but do “ no good ” for megachurches like his , he added .
Abundant Living plans to hold four Pentecost services in its 79,000 square-foot sanctuary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each .
“ We are the ones who have been knocking on your door asking to meet with you , and again you overlooked us and did not sit down and reason with us , ” he said , referring to faith leaders ’ entreaties to the governor .
The shift in rules for houses of worship comes as Newsom faces lawsuits from religious groups over California ’ s stay-at-home rules , as well as mounting local pressure and demands from the Trump administration .
President Trump on May 22 declared that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. Justice Department has warned Newsom that the restrictions he imposed and his plans to scale them back could infringe on religious groups ’ constitutional freedoms .
Eric S. Dreiband , an assistant attorney general and the head of the Justice Department ’ s civil rights division , questioned Newsom ’ s decision to keep houses of worship closed until the third phase of the state ’ s reopening plan , while allowing restaurants , offices , shopping malls and schools to open in the second phase .
Dreiband cited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr that religious institutions “ must not be singled out for special burdens.
” “ It ’ s part of our faith to be together and have fellowship together , ” Carroll said .
“ This is not entertainment .
This is not a gathering of strangers , like baseball or basketball.
” But in the state and across the country , infections to large religious gatherings .
A church in a Sacramento suburb became the epicenter of an outbreak when more than six dozen of its members In Butte County , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Mother ’ s Day tested positive , exposing 180 people .
And in March , 45 people became infected with the virus , and two died , after attending choir practice at a church in Mount Vernon , Wash .
Churches opening Pentecost weekend said they had strict measures in place to ensure parishioners ’ safety .
At Calvary Chapel Chino Hills , Pastor Jack Hibbs plans on marking spots in the church to keep worshippers six feet apart .
San Bernardino County recently removed requirements for face coverings to be worn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks are “ invited but not required.
” The church will provide masks .
The church has also reduced the capacity for its service , from 3,000 seats to 1,200 in the sanctuary .
Parishioners must have tickets , which are free of charge , to attend .
Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the church campus , Hibbs added , and a certified cleaning company will sanitize throughout the day .
“ We ’ ve been doing this for 30 years ; we ’ re not going to trip over ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose flock includes Democrats and Republicans alike .
“ This is a big deal ; our nation has gone through a crisis .
It ’ s not a left or right issue.
” But the argument over houses of worship reopening is just as much about politics as it is about legal doctrine or public health , said Nomi M. Stolzenberg , the Nathan and Lilly Shapell chair in law at USC ’ s Gould School of Law .
The administration ’ s legal position is “ debatable , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ making very intimidating arguments.
” “ I think it has to be political , ” Hibbs said .
“ That ’ s exactly why we have a republic and a representative form of government — to represent our very needs , our wishes and desires.
” Both Mesa and Carroll said they don ’ t consider themselves “ lawbreakers ” or rebels .
The move to reopen their churches with or without the governor ’ s permission wasn ’ t a political statement , they said .
“ We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw us into a pot and boil us , ” Carroll argued .
“ We ’ re just a super mixed-race church , and that ’ s the reality for us .
It has nothing to do with Trump or Newsom ; it has everything to do with Jesus and worship for us.
” In the end , Mesa acknowledged , he is happy the federal government supported their cause .
“ Whether it was Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders making that appeal , if you asked me , I would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes , I am happy we have people who now see our stance , ” he said .
“ It has nothing to do with a Republican agenda so much as finally some people of influence are speaking out and seeing us now as essential .
”

Donald and Angie Autrey of Rancho Cucamonga pray before services begin at the reopening of the Water of Life Community Church on Saturday in Fontana, Calif.
The three pastors planned to meet at church on a weekday morning in early May. Two months after shutting down all in-person gatherings to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, their houses of worship were still closed — and the men were determined to bring the word of God to their parishioners in need.
But news of the meeting spread like sparks from kindling, and more than 40 representatives of roughly 1,500 California churches showed up. They sat six feet apart, masks covering their mouths and noses.
“We said, ‘Here’s what we’re looking at if we open up — the ramifications, the liabilities,’” recalled Pastor Dan Carroll, who hosted the forum at Water of Life Community Church in Fontana. “We said, ‘How do you guys feel?’ The resounding sentiment was, ‘We plan to open.’”
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Since then, the pastors’ action has exploded into a much larger movement that now includes dozens of evangelical Christian churches throughout the state, as well as other faith communities. More than 1,200 pastors vowed earlier this month to hold in-person services on May 31, Pentecost Sunday — a move that at the time defied California’s moratorium on such practices, which had been designated as part of Stage 3 of the state’s reopening plan.
What began as a public health debate has quickly escalated into a dispute over freedom of worship in several states. In California, pressure has built steadily on Gov. Gavin Newsom to ease the rules governing religious services, even as examples mount of the virus spreading through faith gatherings.
In a separate standoff, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to California’s limits on religious gatherings during the pandemic brought by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista. The justices voted 5-4 that, at least for now, California can enforce its restrictions.
“The precise question of when restrictions on particular social activities should be lifted during the pandemic is a dynamic and fact-intensive matter subject to reasonable disagreement. Our Constitution principally entrusts ‘the safety and the health of the people’ to the politically accountable officials of the states ‘to guard and protect,’” Chief Justice John G. Roberts wrote for the majority.
Under updated state guidelines issued Monday, houses of worship must limit total attendance to 25% of a building’s capacity or a maximum of 100 people, whichever is lower. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has released guidelines to reopen churches for private prayer and public Mass as early as this week . Parishes must receive their regional bishop’s approval for reopening after meeting safety criteria to prevent crowding and physical contact as much as possible.
Advertisement
To Carroll, whose church boasts a 3,300-seat sanctuary, the reopening rules are still too restrictive. He plans to hold three services over the weekend — one Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday — at 10% capacity, or about 330 people.
“The governor’s office asked our thoughts, and we said, ‘Twenty-five percent or 100 people; you’re giving everyone else more,’” he said. “A cap at 100 people is not realistic. It’s not what they’re doing with big-box stores. We think it’s discriminatory.”
Diego Mesa, pastor of Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamonga, said he feels that churches were never fairly considered in the state’s stay-at-home plans. There’s a discrepancy, he said, between “what happens in our building versus what happens in Home Depot.”
The new guidelines work for 90% of churches but do “no good” for megachurches like his, he added. Abundant Living plans to hold four Pentecost services in its 79,000 square-foot sanctuary, at a maximum of 700 congregants each.
“We are the ones who have been knocking on your door asking to meet with you, and again you overlooked us and did not sit down and reason with us,” he said, referring to faith leaders’ entreaties to the governor.
The shift in rules for houses of worship comes as Newsom faces lawsuits from religious groups over California’s stay-at-home rules, as well as mounting local pressure and demands from the Trump administration. President Trump on May 22 declared that he was designating churches as “essential” businesses so they could immediately reopen.
The U.S. Justice Department has warned Newsom that the restrictions he imposed and his plans to scale them back could infringe on religious groups’ constitutional freedoms.
Eric S. Dreiband, an assistant attorney general and the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, questioned Newsom’s decision to keep houses of worship closed until the third phase of the state’s reopening plan, while allowing restaurants, offices, shopping malls and schools to open in the second phase.
Dreiband cited a statement from U.S. Atty. Gen. William Barr that religious institutions “must not be singled out for special burdens.”
“It’s part of our faith to be together and have fellowship together,” Carroll said. “This is not entertainment. This is not a gathering of strangers, like baseball or basketball.”
But in the state and across the country, infections have been linked to large religious gatherings.
A church in a Sacramento suburb became the epicenter of an outbreak when more than six dozen of its members tested positive for COVID-19 in April. In Butte County, a person who attended an in-person religious service on Mother’s Day tested positive, exposing 180 people. And in March, 45 people became infected with the virus, and two died, after attending choir practice at a church in Mount Vernon, Wash.
Churches opening Pentecost weekend said they had strict measures in place to ensure parishioners’ safety.
At Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, Pastor Jack Hibbs plans on marking spots in the church to keep worshippers six feet apart. San Bernardino County recently removed requirements for face coverings to be worn in public, he said, so masks are “invited but not required.” The church will provide masks.
The church has also reduced the capacity for its service, from 3,000 seats to 1,200 in the sanctuary. Parishioners must have tickets, which are free of charge, to attend. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the church campus, Hibbs added, and a certified cleaning company will sanitize throughout the day.
Other churches have implemented similar measures.
“We’ve been doing this for 30 years; we’re not going to trip over ourselves like a dummy,” said Hibbs, whose flock includes Democrats and Republicans alike. “This is a big deal; our nation has gone through a crisis. It’s not a left or right issue.”
But the argument over houses of worship reopening is just as much about politics as it is about legal doctrine or public health, said Nomi M. Stolzenberg, the Nathan and Lilly Shapell chair in law at USC’s Gould School of Law.
The administration’s legal position is “debatable,” she said, but the federal government has been “making very intimidating arguments.”
“I think it has to be political,” Hibbs said. “That’s exactly why we have a republic and a representative form of government — to represent our very needs, our wishes and desires.”
Both Mesa and Carroll said they don’t consider themselves “lawbreakers” or rebels. The move to reopen their churches with or without the governor’s permission wasn’t a political statement, they said.
“We’re not just Trump supporters. They just want to throw us into a pot and boil us,” Carroll argued. “We’re just a super mixed-race church, and that’s the reality for us. It has nothing to do with Trump or Newsom; it has everything to do with Jesus and worship for us.”
In the end, Mesa acknowledged, he is happy the federal government supported their cause.
“Whether it was Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders making that appeal, if you asked me, I would still be true to myself and say, yes, I am happy we have people who now see our stance,” he said. “It has nothing to do with a Republican agenda so much as finally some people of influence are speaking out and seeing us now as essential.”


latimes--2020-05-31--L.A. reels from looting and arrests not seen in decades

Los Angeles has seen this before .
A black man is brutalized by police , prompting furious protests .
The demonstrations turn violent ; the city writhes to the sounds of sirens and breaking glass , the smell of smoke , the sight of faces contorted in rage .
There was a sense of weariness this weekend as demonstrators replayed the sorts of scenes that have scarred Los Angeles more , perhaps , than any other American city .
This time the catalyst was the killing , at the knee of a police officer , of George Floyd , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was here for Rodney [ King ] , ” said Marsha Steinberg , 76 , a self-described activist in the Fairfax district .
“ Nothing has changed.
” It was the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in 1992 for King ’ s beating after a traffic stop that triggered some of the worst urban violence in the nation ’ s history .
That occurred 27 years after the 1965 Watts Riots , also sparked by the violent arrest of an African American man .
Now , 28 years after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gathered Saturday at Pan Pacific Park and later marched west and north .
Parts of the crowd rampaged through the Grove shopping center before moving toward West Hollywood .
The demonstrators faced off with police , who responded in some cases by firing rubber bullets as police helicopters hovered overhead .
Protesters defaced or destroyed about a dozen squad cars and demanded , once again , that the nation turn a corner on systemic racism .
“ Let ’ s be clear , ” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uprising for black life.
” The night before , downtown Los Angeles had been the nexus of protest , mirroring demonstrations taking place around the nation , most destructively in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul .
More than 500 people were arrested in downtown L.A. — the most in a single sweep in recent memory — as the demonstration spun out of control and some participants began smashing windows and looting stores .
Many buildings were tagged with protest slogans , including Floyd ’ s dying words , “ I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cataclysms , many of the protesters wore masks — recalling both the demonstrations by anarchists in recent years who sought to hide their identities and , of course , the face coverings now mandated to be worn in public in Los Angeles and elsewhere as protection from the novel coronavirus .
The outrage over Floyd ’ s death had done what no other event has done in months : turned the nation ’ s attention from its all-consuming focus on the COVID-19 pandemic .
Mayor Eric Garcetti , speaking Saturday to reporters at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pandemic represented “ the heaviest moment I ’ ve experienced as a resident of Los Angeles ” since the riots in 1992 .
“ This was supposed to be a weekend of openings , and then we saw the closing of a life in Minneapolis , ” Garcetti said .
Garcetti expressed support for the protesters ’ goals but blamed “ provocateurs ” for some of the worst violence and called for de-escalation .
He issued a citywide curfew from 8 p.m. Saturday until 5:30 a.m. Sunday , saying the measure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore order .
“ I ’ m asking everybody to just step back , ” Garcetti said .
Later Saturday evening , Garcetti asked Gov .
Gavin Newsom to call out the National Guard , a rare step that reflected the gravity of the situation .
Images of the National Guard bringing a military presence to the streets of the city remain a searing reminder of both the 1965 and 1992 riots .
Earlier in the day , Newsom issued a statement that largely expressed support for the demonstrators .
“ Every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and discriminated against , ” he said .
“ Black and Latino men in particular face mortal danger all across this country simply because of their race .
Every person who has raised their voice should be heard.
“ Newsom ’ s words reflected one of the ways that the current protests are different from many in the past : Many of those in power have expressed support for the goals of the protests , even if they disagree with some of the methods .
With the mayor at City Hall were City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Najuma Smith-Pollard , pastor at Word of Encouragement Community Church , both of whom expressed sympathy for the demonstrators but said they have a responsibility to make their case without endangering others .
Price called the curfew an “ extraordinary step , ” but one that is needed after needless destruction .
“ We can do better than that .
We are better than that , ” he said .
Smith-Pollard said she is tired of using the hashtag # RestinPower for young black people who have been killed .
She wants protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ speak truth to power , ” she said .
But , she added , “ with power comes responsibility.
” She asked those who were in the city to create mayhem to “ step back ” and let the real activists fighting for a better future take the lead .
“ We don ’ t need more mayhem .
We ’ ve been there , done that , ” she said .
Those exhortations appeared unlikely to clamp a lid on the protests , however , given the level of anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunism — that fueled the looting and vandalism .
In another throwback to 1992 , business owners boarded up their storefronts and , in some cases , sought to avoid being targeted by letting protesters know that they were owned by people of color .
“ BLACK OWNED , ” read a sign posted outside a coffee shop on 6th Street downtown .
It was unscathed Saturday morning , while a beauty salon next door had its windows smashed .
Instead of preparing to open under new coronavirus guidance Saturday , the Bolt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barber chairs and other valuables .
“ It ’ s gon na get worse tonight when it gets dark , ” said a security guard in a Kevlar helmet and body armor .
Pedro Mojarra had rushed to his downtown business , D-town Burger Bros Los Angeles , late Friday night after an employee sent him a video of looters breaking into a nearby Starbucks .
He decided to stand outside his restaurant and plead with protesters to leave it alone .
“ If you ’ re not standing outside of your business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into it , ” he said .
Mojarro , 32 , said he supported the demonstration — just not the destruction of businesses .
“ We ’ re with you , ” he said .
“ If you need to protest , go do it in front of the police station .
Be angry at them.
” Like most business owners , Mojarro was already reeling from the effects of the coronavirus .
He said he had to shut down his second business in Boyle Heights because of the pandemic .
A month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his downtown burger shop , on West 6th Street , costing him $ 7,500 .
On top of that , he said , sales at the restaurant were down by more than 70 % .
“ Give us a break , ” he said .
“ We got a lot going on already.
” Times staff writers Kevin Rector , Kevin Baxter , Richard Winton , Emily Baumgaertner , Laura J. Nelson and Mitchell Landsberg contributed to this report .

An injured man gets up with the help of emergency workers during a protest May 27 in downtown L.A. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A protester lies hurt on the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on May 27. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
During a May 29 protest, Los Angeles police patrol the 110 after having moved protesters off the freeway. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Police officers assume a defensive stance as a protester approaches them on the 110 Freeway on May 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters climb over a barrier during the May 29 protest in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters are arrested by Los Angeles police in front of City Hall on Saturday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A protester remains defiant after being pushed to the ground by police on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Police fire percussion rounds to clear protesters from Grand Avenue in in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather around a fire in the middle of a downtown L.A. street on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cecelia Rosales, who said she was homeless, walks past a line of police officers in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Sake House employee Jared Settles can’t bear to watch as the restaurant burns in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Gilbert Haro and sons Richard, 8, and James, 6, help clean up in Santa Monica. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Volunteers help clean up the mess left by looters in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
People out after curfew are arrested Monday at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Arrests are made of those out after curfew in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
AJ Lovelace, director and writer, tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A demonstrator, injured while trying to flee the firing of nonlethal rounds, lies on the ground in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Demonstrators in Riverside retreat as county sheriff’s deputies fire nonlethal rounds on Monday after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
AJ Lovelace, a director and writer, and others keep potential looters from entering a dry cleaning store as they attempt to march peacefully. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Khalil Mitchell speaks to protesters kneeling near a police line, preaching calm and working to preserve a peaceful protest on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and L.A. clergy during a march in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles Wednesday night to demonstrate for justice in the killing of George Floyd. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A protester confronts National Guardsmen as thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles to demonstrate for justice in the George Floyd murder by cop case Wednesday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors turn on their cell phone flashlights at Los Angeles City Hall at 9 pm on Wednesday as part of a silent protest against the death of George Floyd. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters stand on top of a bus stop at the Los Angeles Civic Center to demonstrate for justice Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles has seen this before.
A black man is brutalized by police, prompting furious protests. The demonstrations turn violent; the city writhes to the sounds of sirens and breaking glass, the smell of smoke, the sight of faces contorted in rage.
There was a sense of weariness this weekend as demonstrators replayed the sorts of scenes that have scarred Los Angeles more, perhaps, than any other American city. This time the catalyst was the killing, at the knee of a police officer, of George Floyd, some 1,800 miles away in Minneapolis.
“I was here for Rodney [King],” said Marsha Steinberg, 76, a self-described activist in the Fairfax district. “Nothing has changed.”
Advertisement
It was the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in 1992 for King’s beating after a traffic stop that triggered some of the worst urban violence in the nation’s history. That occurred 27 years after the 1965 Watts Riots, also sparked by the violent arrest of an African American man.
Now, 28 years after the 1992 uprising, Steinberg was among hundreds who gathered Saturday at Pan Pacific Park and later marched west and north. Parts of the crowd rampaged through the Grove shopping center before moving toward West Hollywood. The demonstrators faced off with police, who responded in some cases by firing rubber bullets as police helicopters hovered overhead. Protesters defaced or destroyed about a dozen squad cars and demanded, once again, that the nation turn a corner on systemic racism.
“Let’s be clear,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors told the gathering. “We are in an uprising for black life.”
The night before, downtown Los Angeles had been the nexus of protest, mirroring demonstrations taking place around the nation, most destructively in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul. More than 500 people were arrested in downtown L.A. — the most in a single sweep in recent memory — as the demonstration spun out of control and some participants began smashing windows and looting stores.
Many buildings were tagged with protest slogans, including Floyd’s dying words, “I can’t breathe.”
In an eerie mashup of cataclysms, many of the protesters wore masks — recalling both the demonstrations by anarchists in recent years who sought to hide their identities and, of course, the face coverings now mandated to be worn in public in Los Angeles and elsewhere as protection from the novel coronavirus.
Advertisement
The outrage over Floyd’s death had done what no other event has done in months: turned the nation’s attention from its all-consuming focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, speaking Saturday to reporters at City Hall, said the simultaneous protests and pandemic represented “the heaviest moment I’ve experienced as a resident of Los Angeles” since the riots in 1992. “This was supposed to be a weekend of openings, and then we saw the closing of a life in Minneapolis,” Garcetti said.
Garcetti expressed support for the protesters’ goals but blamed “provocateurs” for some of the worst violence and called for de-escalation. He issued a citywide curfew from 8 p.m. Saturday until 5:30 a.m. Sunday, saying the measure was necessary to clean up overnight damage and restore order.
“I’m asking everybody to just step back,” Garcetti said.
Later Saturday evening, Garcetti asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to call out the National Guard, a rare step that reflected the gravity of the situation. Images of the National Guard bringing a military presence to the streets of the city remain a searing reminder of both the 1965 and 1992 riots.
Earlier in the day, Newsom issued a statement that largely expressed support for the demonstrators. “Every single day, people of color are disadvantaged and discriminated against,” he said. “Black and Latino men in particular face mortal danger all across this country simply because of their race. Every person who has raised their voice should be heard.“
Newsom’s words reflected one of the ways that the current protests are different from many in the past: Many of those in power have expressed support for the goals of the protests, even if they disagree with some of the methods.
With the mayor at City Hall were City Councilman Curren Price and the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, pastor at Word of Encouragement Community Church, both of whom expressed sympathy for the demonstrators but said they have a responsibility to make their case without endangering others.
Price called the curfew an “extraordinary step,” but one that is needed after needless destruction.
“We can do better than that. We are better than that,” he said.
Smith-Pollard said she is tired of using the hashtag #RestinPower for young black people who have been killed. She wants protesters to “live in their power” and “speak truth to power,” she said. But, she added, “with power comes responsibility.”
She asked those who were in the city to create mayhem to “step back” and let the real activists fighting for a better future take the lead.
“We don’t need more mayhem. We’ve been there, done that,” she said.
Those exhortations appeared unlikely to clamp a lid on the protests, however, given the level of anger — and, in some cases, opportunism — that fueled the looting and vandalism.
In another throwback to 1992, business owners boarded up their storefronts and, in some cases, sought to avoid being targeted by letting protesters know that they were owned by people of color. “BLACK OWNED,” read a sign posted outside a coffee shop on 6th Street downtown. It was unscathed Saturday morning, while a beauty salon next door had its windows smashed.
Instead of preparing to open under new coronavirus guidance Saturday, the Bolt Barbershop downtown was clearing out its vintage barber chairs and other valuables. “It’s gonna get worse tonight when it gets dark,” said a security guard in a Kevlar helmet and body armor.
Pedro Mojarra had rushed to his downtown business, D-town Burger Bros Los Angeles, late Friday night after an employee sent him a video of looters breaking into a nearby Starbucks. He decided to stand outside his restaurant and plead with protesters to leave it alone.
“If you’re not standing outside of your business, they’re going to break into it,” he said.
Mojarro, 32, said he supported the demonstration — just not the destruction of businesses. “We’re with you,” he said. “If you need to protest, go do it in front of the police station. Be angry at them.”
Like most business owners, Mojarro was already reeling from the effects of the coronavirus. He said he had to shut down his second business in Boyle Heights because of the pandemic. A month ago, someone broke a window at his downtown burger shop, on West 6th Street, costing him $7,500. On top of that, he said, sales at the restaurant were down by more than 70%.
“Give us a break,” he said. “We got a lot going on already.”
Times staff writers Kevin Rector, Kevin Baxter, Richard Winton, Emily Baumgaertner, Laura J. Nelson and Mitchell Landsberg contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-31--'It's all over the board.' California still far from testing everyone in elder care homes

Like many Californians , Dr. Peter Beilenson has watched in anguish as the coronavirus has devastated elder care homes .
As of last week , COVID-19 had killed about 2,000 residents and more than 60 employees of these facilities , accounting for more than half of California ’ s mortality from the pandemic .
But Beilenson , Sacramento County ’ s health director , also knows that virus testing in these vulnerable places can prevent outbreaks .
It may have stopped his mother from sparking one .
His mother , Dolores Beilenson , 86 , became fatigued and developed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted she have a test though her symptoms were too mild to cause alarm .
When it came back positive , he pushed for more testing of others , ultimately revealing 24 patients and 25 staff with the virus , including some who were mostly without the telltale signs .
The quick and universal testing , said Peter Beilenson , proves “ you can actually bring an outbreak rapidly under control.
” The problem is that , in California , too few elder care facilities are regularly testing residents and staff , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is starting to narrow .
Last week , California health officials issued recommendations for universal COVID-19 testing in the state ’ s skilled nursing facilities , nearly six weeks after Newsom said he was prioritizing testing in those homes .
But critics , including advocates for staff and industry trade groups , say that the state has merely laid out guidelines that shift responsibility onto counties and nursing homes to actually perform the testing .
The likely result : Scores of individual , uncoordinated plans with no clear rules for how programs will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will pay .
Some also are bothered that the plan does not include hundreds of assisted living facilities such as Sunrise of Sacramento , where Dolores Beilenson , now recovered , lives .
In Sacramento , Beilenson pushed for universal testing in every facility with a known case , both skilled nursing and assisted living , and found 187 hidden positives .
In Los Angeles , health officials recently announced a controversial plan to test only 10 % of residents each week and no staff in facilities without known cases .
Placer County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staff each week .
“ It ’ s all over the board , ” said Jason Belden , director of emergency preparedness at the California Assn .
of Heath Facilities , an industry group .
“ We just have a lot of unanswered logistical questions.
” Under the California Department of Public Health guidelines , facilities must come up with individual plans by Monday , working with local health departments to conduct at least one round of universal testing of both patients and staff .
The recommendations ask for frequent retesting when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when no cases are found .
Mark Ghaly , secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency , said in a statement that creating a testing framework was a “ massive undertaking ” and “ is not something that can be done well overnight , ” but that ultimately the facilities have responsibility for safety during the pandemic .
“ Many nursing homes are corporate entities and they too need to adapt to this new reality just as other businesses have , ” Ghaly ’ s statement read .
`` ( I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce risk and change their environments to protect the safety of staff and residents.
” So far in California , more than 9,200 residents of skilled nursing facilities and 5,400 of their workers have tested positive for COVID-19 .
The new testing directives apply only to the state ’ s 1,224 skilled nursing facilities — which primarily provide short-term , round-the-clock care — and don ’ t cover assisted living facilities that fall under the purview of a different state regulator .
Those centers often house patients for longer periods , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in them , though there have been more than 2,000 positive cases among staff and residents and 305 deaths .
And the state is not directly providing funding for the testing .
State officials say nursing homes could use federal stimulus money , surplus funds from higher Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates , and could have testing paid for by the health insurers for residents and staff members .
California is not alone in its dilemmas with curbing the virus in elder care homes .
In the absence of a federal plan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. has been scattershot , said David Grabowski , a professor in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School .
Some states are conducting universal testing themselves , he said , while others are intervening only during critical moments .
Massachusetts , he said , mailed 12,000 test kits to its facilities , while in Florida , state officials are sending in strike teams to address outbreaks in nursing homes .
In the middle ground are many states such as California that are advocating for testing programs that lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are largely left to local health authorities and the facilities themselves .
Grabowski said it ’ s still a challenge to obtain access to tests and supplies , and ensure that labs can return results quickly .
When states fail to manage testing directly , he said , it allows an escape route for some facilities that “ don ’ t really want to know results because then they have to do something about it.
” “ It ’ s a very different policy to recommend universal testing than to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Industry advocates agree that many skilled nursing facilities are struggling to cobble together tests and other resources , but attribute difficulties to a lack of adequate funding .
The federal government recently provided nearly $ 5 billion in emergency aid for skilled nursing facilities , which means each center would get about $ 300,000 , according to the American Health Care Assn .
and the National Center of Assisted Living , an industry group .
Assuming a cost of $ 100 per test , one round of universal testing of residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home would cost $ 20,000 , but those costs could escalate quickly if testing needs to be repeated during outbreaks .
At a minimum , the state recommends universal testing for all residents and staff in skilled nursing facilities and surveillance testing of 25 % of staff each week in facilities without any cases .
The federal funding boost doesn ’ t provide for assisted living facilities , which account for an additional 60,000 employees and 185,000 residents in the state .
The problem of cost is especially worrisome when it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry advocate .
Though patient costs are covered by state and federal insurance , he said there is uncertainty about how testing on staff would be covered .
California health officials declined to answer on the record questions about costs of testing , but referred to online documents that indicated private insurance would cover the of testing staff .
They also pointed to provisions of the CARES Act that requires insurers to pay for tests for healthcare workers and a state mandate that would require about three-quarters of plans to cover costs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ red flags on relying on staff ’ s private insurance to pay for ongoing regimes that probably would require multiple tests over months if not longer .
Dr. Sujal Mandavia is an emergency room doctor and chief medical officer of San Francisco-based Carbon Health , which has conducted testing in about a dozen nursing homes in the state .
Mandavia said his company is holding off on billing right now for the facilities where they have tested because of the uncertainties around what providers will ultimately pay for .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would write the checks , the payers and the insurance groups , about what they are willing to pay and when , ” he said .
“ I ’ ll be honest with you , it may turn out to be an unfunded mandate .
Nobody knows yet.
” April Verrett , president of Service Employees International Union ( SEIU ) , Local 2015 , which represents many workers in skilled nursing facilities , points out that many of her members are women of color and immigrants , and may lack insurance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other costs would be entirely waived for tests for those who do , and wonders about the hidden costs of testing , including time spent traveling to collection sites if necessary .
Relying on private insurance “ is not a sufficient way to deal with this , ” Verrett said .
“ We have heard loud and clear from our members that part of them feeling safe at work is being tested , ” she said .
“ It is still putting the burden on the worker to jump through hoops to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available.
” She also questions if the industry , which was criticized for failing to provide workers with protective gear , should have so much say in choosing their testing programs — albeit under the supervision of county health directors .
“ There is still a huge issue that many workers are facing across the state with feeling that employers are not being transparent , ” she said .
The state has not published testing data on skilled nursing facilities , including where , when and how many tests have taken place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It took months for state health officials to release , in mid-April , the names of nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks , though the data included errors and omissions .
The state is still refusing to release testing data by county , despite requests from The Times .
That lack of transparency both with employers and state officials leaves Verrett and others worried that the effectiveness of the myriad testing strategies will be hard to assess .
“ Things aren ’ t going to turn around if we don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we don ’ t measure it , we will be working in the dark , ” said Michael Connors , a spokesman for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform .
“ We are absolutely in the dark right now .
”

Sacramento County health director Peter Beilenson, 60, visits his mother, Dolores Beilenson, 86, at Sunrise of Sacramento, an assisted living center where she has resided for the last year. Dolores tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of March and tested negative three weeks later.
Like many Californians, Dr. Peter Beilenson has watched in anguish as the coronavirus has devastated elder care homes. As of last week, COVID-19 had killed about 2,000 residents and more than 60 employees of these facilities, accounting for more than half of California’s mortality from the pandemic.
But Beilenson, Sacramento County’s health director, also knows that virus testing in these vulnerable places can prevent outbreaks. It may have stopped his mother from sparking one.
His mother, Dolores Beilenson, 86, became fatigued and developed a slight fever in March, and he insisted she have a test though her symptoms were too mild to cause alarm. When it came back positive, he pushed for more testing of others, ultimately revealing 24 patients and 25 staff members with the virus, including some who were mostly without the telltale signs.
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The quick and universal testing, said Peter Beilenson, proves “you can actually bring an outbreak rapidly under control.”
The problem is that, in California, too few elder care facilities are regularly testing residents and staff, a surveillance gap that Gov. Gavin Newsom is starting to narrow.
Last week, California health officials issued recommendations for universal COVID-19 testing in the state’s skilled nursing facilities, nearly six weeks after Newsom said he was prioritizing testing in those homes.
But critics, including advocates for staff and industry trade groups, say the state has merely laid out guidelines that shift responsibility onto counties and nursing homes to actually perform the testing. The likely result: scores of individual, uncoordinated plans with no clear rules for how programs will work, what is required and who will pay.
Some also are bothered that the plan does not include hundreds of assisted living facilities such as Sunrise of Sacramento, where Dolores Beilenson, now recovered, lives.
In Sacramento, Peter Beilenson pushed for universal testing in every facility with a known case, both skilled nursing and assisted living, and found 187 hidden positives. In Los Angeles, health officials recently announced a controversial plan to test only 10% of residents each week and no staff in facilities without known cases. Placer County is asking facilities to test 25% of staff each week.
Sacramento County health director Peter Beilenson. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
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“It’s all over the board,” said Jason Belden, director of emergency preparedness at the California Assn. of Heath Facilities, an industry group. “We just have a lot of unanswered logistical questions.”
Under the California Department of Public Health’s guidelines, facilities must come up with individual plans by Monday, working with local health departments to conduct at least one round of universal testing of patients and staff. The recommendations ask for frequent retesting when cases are found and less frequent testing when no cases are found.
Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in a statement that creating a testing framework was a “massive undertaking” and “is not something that can be done well overnight,” but that ultimately the facilities have responsibility for safety during the pandemic.
“Many nursing homes are corporate entities and they too need to adapt to this new reality just as other businesses have,” Ghaly’s statement read. It’s “incumbent on them to reduce risk and change their environments to protect the safety of staff and residents.”
In California, more than 9,200 residents of skilled nursing facilities and 5,400 of their workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
The new testing directives apply only to the state’s 1,224 skilled nursing facilities — which primarily provide short-term, round-the-clock care — and don’t cover assisted living facilities that fall under the purview of a different state regulator. Those centers often house patients for longer periods, but there is no statewide plan for testing in them, though there have been more than 2,000 positive cases among staff and residents and 305 deaths.
And the state is not directly providing funding for the testing. State officials say nursing homes could use federal stimulus money and surplus funds from higher Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, and could have testing paid for by the health insurers for residents and staff members.
California is not alone in its problems with curbing the virus in elder care homes. In the absence of a federal plan, the response to testing in facilities across the U.S. has been scattershot, said David Grabowski, a professor in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.
Some states are conducting universal testing themselves, he said, while others are intervening only during critical moments. Massachusetts, he said, mailed 12,000 test kits to its facilities, and in Florida, state officials are sending in strike teams to address outbreaks in nursing homes.
In the middle ground are many states such as California that are advocating for testing programs that lack “teeth,” he said, because they are largely left to local health authorities and the facilities themselves.
Grabowski said it’s still a challenge to obtain access to tests and supplies and ensure that labs can return results quickly. When states fail to manage testing directly, he said, it allows an escape route for some facilities that “don’t really want to know results because then they have to do something about it.”
“It’s a very different policy to recommend universal testing than to go out and provide it,” Grabowski said.
Industry advocates agree that many skilled nursing facilities are struggling to cobble together tests and other resources, but attribute difficulties to a lack of adequate funding.
The federal government recently provided nearly $5 billion in emergency aid for skilled nursing facilities, which means each center would get about $300,000, according to the American Health Care Assn. and the National Center of Assisted Living, an industry group.
Assuming a cost of $100 per test, one round of universal testing of residents and staff in the average 99-bed nursing home would cost $20,000, but those costs could escalate quickly if testing needs to be repeated during outbreaks. At a minimum, the state recommends universal testing for all residents and staff in skilled nursing facilities and surveillance testing of 25% of staff each week in facilities without any cases.
The federal funding boost doesn’t provide for assisted living facilities, which account for an additional 60,000 employees and 185,000 residents in the state.
The problem of cost is especially worrisome when it comes to testing staff, said Belden, the industry advocate. Though patient costs are covered by state and federal insurance, he said, there is uncertainty about how testing on staff would be covered.
California health officials declined to answer on the record questions about costs of testing, but referred to online documents that indicated private insurance would cover the cost of testing staff. They also pointed to provisions of the CARES Act that requires insurers to pay for tests for healthcare workers and a state mandate that would require about three-quarters of plans to cover costs.
But industry officials and workers advocates raised red flags on relying on staff’s private insurance to pay for ongoing regimens that probably would require multiple tests over months, if not longer.
Dr. Sujal Mandavia is an emergency room doctor and chief medical officer of San Francisco-based Carbon Health, which has conducted testing in about a dozen nursing homes in the state. Mandavia said his company is holding off on billing right now for the facilities where they have tested because of the uncertainties around what providers will ultimately pay for.
“It’s still not clear from the people who would write the checks, the payers and the insurance groups, about what they are willing to pay and when,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you, it may turn out to be an unfunded mandate. Nobody knows yet.”
April Verrett, president of Service Employees International Union, Local 2015, which represents many workers in skilled nursing facilities, points out that many of her members are women of color and immigrants, and may lack insurance. She contends it is unclear whether co-pays and other costs would be entirely waived for tests for those who do, and wonders about the hidden costs of testing, including time spent traveling to collection sites if necessary.
Relying on private insurance “is not a sufficient way to deal with this,” Verrett said.
“We have heard loud and clear from our members that part of them feeling safe at work is being tested,” she said. “It is still putting the burden on the worker to jump through hoops to get testing that should just be readily available.”
She also questions whether the industry, which was criticized for failing to provide workers with protective gear, should have so much say in choosing their testing programs — albeit under the supervision of county health directors.
“There is still a huge issue that many workers are facing across the state with feeling that employers are not being transparent,” she said.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
The state has not published testing data on skilled nursing facilities, including where, when and how many tests have taken place, and does not plan to do so. It took months for state health officials to release, in mid-April, the names of nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks, though the data included errors and omissions. The state is still refusing to release testing data by county, despite requests from The Times.
That lack of transparency both with employers and state officials leaves Verrett and others worried that the effectiveness of the myriad testing strategies will be hard to assess.
“Things aren’t going to turn around if we don’t have some way to measure this, and if we don’t measure it, we will be working in the dark,” said Michael Connors, a spokesman for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform. “We are absolutely in the dark right now.”