latimes--2020-12-23--California becomes the first state to surpass 2 million coronavirus cases

California has now recorded more than 2 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic , according to a county-by-county tally conducted by The Times , the first state in the nation to reach that alarming milestone and another marker of the wrenching toll the virus is inflicting .
The novel coronavirus has been spreading with unprecedented speed in recent weeks , creating crisis conditions in hospitals and making California one of the hardest-hit parts of the United States .
Available capacity at intensive care units across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley remains at 0 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strained and overwhelmed , Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said Wednesday .
At certain points of the day Tuesday , 96 % of all hospitals in L.A. County were diverting certain kinds of ambulances to hospitals farther away because they were so full , a figure that is usually only 33 % at this time of year .
Ambulances had to wait hours to offload into crowded emergency rooms , and scheduled surgeries are being postponed to make way for COVID-19 patients .
Should socializing among people from different households go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experts across the state warned of a disaster not seen in the modern era in California ’ s hospitals .
“ It is a situation that could easily become catastrophic in January , if we have this surge upon a surge , ” Ghaly said .
“ It is very important that people follow the guidance that is being issued virtually everywhere you look and listen — which is to stay home for the holidays and don ’ t take the opportunity , as much as you might want to , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The risk of dying from COVID-19 in a hospital could go up dramatically as ICU nurses and doctors are stretched beyond capacity .
Currently , about half of all ICU beds in L.A. County are filled with COVID-19 patients .
Two out of three of them are suffocating due to the coronavirus-triggered inflammation that is destroying their lungs , Ghaly said .
“ They ’ re suffocating to the point that they can no longer breathe on their own , and they have to have someone put a tube down their throat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ghaly said .
“ Many of these people will not live to see 2021.
” Ghaly forecast that on top of L.A. County ’ s cumulative death toll of 9,165 , nearly 7,000 more people may die of COVID-19 by the end of January if trends continue .
“ These people did not need to die , ” she said .
“ We have never seen daily death rates this high throughout the course of the pandemic , and the model predicts that the worst is yet to come.
” An average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying of COVID-19 over the past week ; that figure was 10 on Election Day , Nov. 3 .
Los Angeles County reported one of its deadliest days yet in the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday .
The additional 134 deaths , as tallied by The Times , equals the previous single-day highest tally of deaths of 134 seen on Dec. 16 .
Officials voiced deep worry that people planned to gather for Christmas just as they did during Thanksgiving , a simultaneous rejection of pleas by public health officials that has led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century .
“ I am very worried today that there are thousands of L.A. County residents whose actions are creating tremendous risks and contributing to the continued surge in cases , hospitalizations and deaths , ” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
“ Please stay put and don ’ t travel anywhere , ” Ferrer said , noting the recent death of an airline passenger on a flight from COVID-19 .
L.A. County is a big driver of the state ’ s soaring coronavirus case tallies recently , as more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California in the seven-day period that ended Tuesday .
In that time period , L.A. County tallied roughly 103,000 cases ; the Inland Empire , 70,000 cases ; Orange County , 22,000 cases ; San Diego County , 21,000 cases ; Fresno County , 14,000 cases ; and Santa Clara County , 8,000 .
More than half a million new coronavirus cases statewide have been added in just the last two weeks .
California now ranks third among the 50 states , the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in number of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last two weeks .
It took almost 10 months for California to record its millionth confirmed coronavirus case .
The state tallied its second million in just six weeks .
Cumulatively , California ranks 36th among the 50 states , the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents .
The strain of the worst wave of the pandemic was clear across the state , from L.A. to the Central Valley to Silicon Valley .
In Santa Clara County , there were 68 people waiting in emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were no beds available .
If people gather again for the holidays , officials forecast a crisis that would ’ ve been unthinkable just a few months ago .
“ We are talking about people in gurneys without a bed to go to .
We are talking about people not getting hospital care .
We got talking about rationing what scarce resources our exhausted health system has left to those who will benefit the most , ” said Dr. Ahmad Kamal , director of health preparedness for Santa Clara County .
Fresno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day over the past week , 14 times the daily average from Nov. 1 , when the county was averaging 123 cases a day .
Fresno County reported 89 deaths Tuesday ; previously , the single-day high was 28 , which happened Dec. 11 .
Fresno County is now averaging 13 deaths a day from COVID-19 over the last seven days ; the comparable number from Thanksgiving was two .
“ It really feels like we ’ re running out of time for really helping out as many people as we can , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer , Dr. Rais Vohra .
Noting the optimism with the arrival of the vaccine , “ we ’ re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel .
That ’ s absolutely true .
But it also feels like the tunnel is narrowing , which is very terrifying .
And it ’ s just a race against time to try to get people through this tunnel as safely as possible.
” More than 23,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began , a milestone crossed Tuesday .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have died — a staggering number that accounts for 13 % of the state ’ s more than 23,600 total fatalities .
An average of 250 Californians who have been infected with the coronavirus are dying every day over the past week .
Those numbers serve as a “ sober , sober reminder of how deadly this disease is , and how tragic the loss of every life is , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday .
On Tuesday , 375 deaths were reported statewide , according to The Times ’ tally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a single day , just short of the record recorded Dec. 16 , when 394 deaths were recorded .
On Wednesday , 345 more deaths were recorded .
The rapidly increasing number of deaths is the grimmest , but not the only , repercussion of COVID-19 ’ s rampage across L.A. County and the state .
Infections have soared in recent weeks , pushing unprecedented numbers of patients into California ’ s hospitals .
On Tuesday , the most recent day for which complete data are available , there were record-high numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and patients in intensive care — 3,827 .
In L.A. County , home to 10 million people , a point-in-time survey found that there were 30 available ICU beds as of 9 a.m. Sunday .
A similar tally last week found 69 .
“ Today , we ’ re over 100 % of our usual patient volume , and of that volume , 52 % of our inpatients are patients diagnosed with COVID , ” Greg Adams , chairman and chief executive of Kaiser Permanente , said Tuesday .
“ Sixteen of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupancy in our ICUs .
We ’ re struggling to add capacity for COVID patients as we speak.
” Already , hospitals are having to step up measures to ensure that the sickest patients get the highest level of care possible .
That includes moving some patients who would typically be in the ICU to other areas of the hospital , such as a recovery area , or keeping them in the emergency room for longer than normal .

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Sean Greene

California has now recorded more than 2 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, according to a county-by-county tally conducted by The Times, the first state in the nation to reach that alarming milestone and another marker of the wrenching toll the virus is inflicting.
The novel coronavirus has been spreading with unprecedented speed in recent weeks, creating crisis conditions in hospitals and making California one of the hardest-hit parts of the United States. Available capacity at intensive care units across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley remains at 0%.
Hospitals throughout Los Angeles County are now strained and overwhelmed, Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said Wednesday. At certain points of the day Tuesday, 96% of all hospitals in L.A. County were diverting certain kinds of ambulances to hospitals farther away because they were so full, a figure that is usually only 33% at this time of year.
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Ambulances had to wait hours to offload into crowded emergency rooms, and scheduled surgeries are being postponed to make way for COVID-19 patients.
Should socializing among people from different households go on at Christmas and New Year, officials and experts across the state warned of a disaster not seen in the modern era in California’s hospitals.
“It is a situation that could easily become catastrophic in January, if we have this surge upon a surge,” Ghaly said. “It is very important that people follow the guidance that is being issued virtually everywhere you look and listen — which is to stay home for the holidays and don’t take the opportunity, as much as you might want to, to interact with those outside of your household.”
The risk of dying from COVID-19 in a hospital could go up dramatically as ICU nurses and doctors are stretched beyond capacity.
Currently, about half of all ICU beds in L.A. County are filled with COVID-19 patients. Two out of three of them are suffocating due to the coronavirus-triggered inflammation that is destroying their lungs, Ghaly said.
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“They’re suffocating to the point that they can no longer breathe on their own, and they have to have someone put a tube down their throat in order to oxygenate their organs,” Ghaly said. “Many of these people will not live to see 2021.”
Ghaly forecast that on top of L.A. County’s cumulative death toll of 9,165, nearly 7,000 more people may die of COVID-19 by the end of January if trends continue.
“These people did not need to die,” she said. “We have never seen daily death rates this high throughout the course of the pandemic, and the model predicts that the worst is yet to come.” An average of 85 people a day are now dying of COVID-19 over the past week; that figure was 10 on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Los Angeles County reported one of its deadliest days yet in the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday. The additional 134 deaths, as tallied by The Times, equals the previous single-day highest tally of deaths of 134 seen on Dec. 16.
Officials voiced deep worry that people planned to gather for Christmas just as they did during Thanksgiving, a simultaneous rejection of pleas by public health officials that has led to the deadliest phase of a pandemic in a century.
“I am very worried today that there are thousands of L.A. County residents whose actions are creating tremendous risks and contributing to the continued surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
“Please stay put and don’t travel anywhere,” Ferrer said, noting the recent death of an airline passenger on a flight from COVID-19.
L.A. County is a big driver of the state’s soaring coronavirus case tallies recently, as more than 316,000 cases have been added across California in the seven-day period that ended Tuesday. In that time period, L.A. County tallied roughly 103,000 cases; the Inland Empire, 70,000 cases; Orange County, 22,000 cases; San Diego County, 21,000 cases; Fresno County, 14,000 cases; and Santa Clara County, 8,000.
More than half a million new coronavirus cases statewide have been added in just the last two weeks. California now ranks third among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in number of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks.
It took almost 10 months for California to record its millionth confirmed coronavirus case. The state tallied its second million in just six weeks.
Cumulatively, California ranks 36th among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents.
The strain of the worst wave of the pandemic was clear across the state, from L.A. to the Central Valley to Silicon Valley.
In Santa Clara County, there were 68 people waiting in emergency rooms throughout Silicon Valley on Tuesday because there were no beds available. If people gather again for the holidays, officials forecast a crisis that would’ve been unthinkable just a few months ago.
“We are talking about people in gurneys without a bed to go to. We are talking about people not getting hospital care. We got talking about rationing what scarce resources our exhausted health system has left to those who will benefit the most,” said Dr. Ahmad Kamal, director of health preparedness for Santa Clara County.
Fresno County is now averaging 1,761 cases a day over the past week, 14 times the daily average from Nov. 1, when the county was averaging 123 cases a day. Fresno County reported 89 deaths Tuesday; previously, the single-day high was 28, which happened Dec. 11.
Fresno County is now averaging 13 deaths a day from COVID-19 over the last seven days; the comparable number from Thanksgiving was two.
“It really feels like we’re running out of time for really helping out as many people as we can,” said the Fresno County interim health officer, Dr. Rais Vohra. Noting the optimism with the arrival of the vaccine, “we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s absolutely true. But it also feels like the tunnel is narrowing, which is very terrifying. And it’s just a race against time to try to get people through this tunnel as safely as possible.”
More than 23,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a milestone crossed Tuesday. Over the last two weeks, more than 3,000 have died — a staggering number that accounts for 13% of the state’s more than 23,600 total fatalities.
An average of 250 Californians who have been infected with the coronavirus are dying every day over the past week.
Those numbers serve as a “sober, sober reminder of how deadly this disease is, and how tragic the loss of every life is,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
“This disease remains deadly,” he said Wednesday. “This pandemic remains deadly.”
On Tuesday, 375 deaths were reported statewide, according to The Times’ tally, marking the second worst death toll in a single day, just short of the record recorded Dec. 16, when 394 deaths were recorded. On Wednesday, 345 more deaths were recorded.
The rapidly increasing number of deaths is the grimmest, but not the only, repercussion of COVID-19’s rampage across L.A. County and the state.
Infections have soared in recent weeks, pushing unprecedented numbers of patients into California’s hospitals.
On Tuesday, the most recent day for which complete data are available, there were record-high numbers statewide of COVID-19 hospitalizations — 18,448 — and patients in intensive care — 3,827.
In L.A. County, home to 10 million people, a point-in-time survey found that there were 30 available ICU beds as of 9 a.m. Sunday. A similar tally last week found 69.
“Today, we’re over 100% of our usual patient volume, and of that volume, 52% of our inpatients are patients diagnosed with COVID,” Greg Adams, chairman and chief executive of Kaiser Permanente, said Tuesday. “Sixteen of our 36 hospitals are already above 100% occupancy in our ICUs. We’re struggling to add capacity for COVID patients as we speak.”
Already, hospitals are having to step up measures to ensure that the sickest patients get the highest level of care possible. That includes moving some patients who would typically be in the ICU to other areas of the hospital, such as a recovery area, or keeping them in the emergency room for longer than normal.


latimes--2020-12-24--Judge drops contempt hearing after Villanueva agrees to attend oversight meeting

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Thursday canceled a contempt hearing that had been set for next month over Sheriff Alex Villanueva ’ s refusal to comply with a subpoena to testify before a civilian oversight panel .
Lawyers representing L.A. County dropped the case against Villanueva after he showed up voluntarily to this month ’ s Civilian Oversight Commission meeting — for the first time since July of last year — and agreed to appear again next month to discuss his agency ’ s coronavirus pandemic response in the jails .
The legal battle was a litmus test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to issue subpoenas as a tool to keep the sheriff in check .
The county Board of Supervisors gave the commission the authority in January and voters reaffirmed the commission ’ s right to do so when they Measure R in March .
In September , Gov .
Gavin Newsom gave the right to subpoena to oversight bodies statewide when he signed Assembly Bill 1185 into law .
Last month , Judge Holly J. Fujie ruled that the commission , a watchdog group appointed by the Board of Supervisors , was well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s inspector general in May to subpoena the sheriff to testify about how the department was responding to the coronavirus inside the nation ’ s largest jail system .
Villanueva had challenged the legality of the subpoena , describing it at a news conference as a “ public shaming endeavor.
” His attorney had argued that the subpoena was an abuse of power and that Villanueva had met his obligation to the commission by sending an assistant sheriff to the meeting who was knowledgeable about the issue .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the “ constitutional issue as to whether the COC has the legal authority to subpoena a duly elected sheriff is still uncertain .
In the spirit of cooperation , the sheriff looks forward to working in good faith with members of the COC and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concerning any future COC subpoena compelling his personal appearance.
” Inspector General Max Huntsman said he was troubled by the sheriff ’ s claim about the legality of the subpoena .
“ Judge Fujie confirmed the authority of the COC to subpoena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This continued anti-transparency rhetoric is deeply disturbing when lives are at stake , ” Huntsman said .
Since the start of the pandemic , 3,873 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and nine have died , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .

A Superior Court judge Thursday canceled a contempt hearing next month that had been scheduled because of L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by a civilian oversight panel.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Thursday canceled a contempt hearing that had been set for next month over Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s refusal to comply with a subpoena to testify before a civilian oversight panel.
Lawyers representing L.A. County dropped the case against Villanueva after he showed up voluntarily to this month’s Civilian Oversight Commission meeting — for the first time since July of last year — and agreed to appear again next month to discuss his agency’s coronavirus pandemic response in the jails.
The legal battle was a litmus test of the commission’s newly minted power to issue subpoenas as a tool to keep the sheriff in check. The county Board of Supervisors gave the commission the authority in January and voters reaffirmed the commission’s right to do so when they overwhelmingly approved Measure R in March. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the right to subpoena to oversight bodies statewide when he signed Assembly Bill 1185 into law.
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Last month, Judge Holly J. Fujie ruled that the commission, a watchdog group appointed by the Board of Supervisors, was well within its power when it directed the county’s inspector general in May to subpoena the sheriff to testify about how the department was responding to the coronavirus inside the nation’s largest jail system.
Villanueva had challenged the legality of the subpoena, describing it at a news conference as a “public shaming endeavor.” His attorney had argued that the subpoena was an abuse of power and that Villanueva had met his obligation to the commission by sending an assistant sheriff to the meeting who was knowledgeable about the issue.
In a statement Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department said the “constitutional issue as to whether the COC has the legal authority to subpoena a duly elected sheriff is still uncertain. In the spirit of cooperation, the sheriff looks forward to working in good faith with members of the COC and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concerning any future COC subpoena compelling his personal appearance.”
Inspector General Max Huntsman said he was troubled by the sheriff’s claim about the legality of the subpoena.
“Judge Fujie confirmed the authority of the COC to subpoena the sheriff in her first written ruling. This continued anti-transparency rhetoric is deeply disturbing when lives are at stake,” Huntsman said.
Since the start of the pandemic, 3,873 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and nine have died, according to the Sheriff’s Department.


latimes--2020-12-24--Animal rights activist posed as major food company CEO, hoaxing Fox News host on live TV

Anyone knowing what to look for could have seen it .
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo was quizzing the CEO of a major food company Wednesday on her show , “ Mornings with Maria.
” He started the interview by smiling smugly .
He stuttered through answers .
And then he pinned the likely cause of the next pandemic on his own industry .
“ The conditions inside of our farms can sometimes be petri dishes for new diseases , ” said Matt Johnson , animal rights activist and press coordinator for Direct Action Everywhere .
He was posing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a global food company based in Virginia .
“ The statements that were aired are absolutely and completely false , ” Keira Lombardo , chief administrative officer for the company , said in a statement .
“ Smithfield is a recognized leader in animal wellbeing and care , in stewardship of the environment and in workplace safety .
Smithfield employs veterinarians and other experts across the company who ensure that the safety , comfort and health of farm animals is comprehensive.
” The rogue guest on Fox Business on Wednesday temporarily fooled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show apologized for the snafu .
“ We have an important correction to make .
It appears we have been punk ’ d , ” Bartiromo said , acknowledging that the guest was an imposter .
“ We want to apologize to Dennis Organ , Smithfield Foods and to our audience for making this mistake .
We will of course be more vigilant.
” In an interview Thursday , Johnson said he had intended to announce falsely that the company would transition out of animal agriculture to offering only plant-based foods .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about the company ’ s involvement with China .
Lombardo clarified in the statement that Smithfield Foods “ does not import food from China ” though its parent company is a publicly listed and traded company based in Hong Kong .
“ The statements that were aired are absolutely and completely false , ” Lombardo said .
Though Johnson did not disclose all the details of how he got on the air — “ we don ’ t want to publicly release all the trade secrets , ” he said — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the production team .
“ Fox Business aired a segment that was a complete hoax , ” Lombardo said in the statement .
“ A simple Google search for a photo of our CEO would have prevented this from happening.
” Though Johnson said he probably would have performed the stunt on any TV show , he said his group targeted Fox News .
He cited the to air a news package debunking its talk show hosts ’ earlier coverage on voting software company Smartmatic .
Fox News journalists have repeatedly reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud are unsupported , but the network ’ s talk show hosts have lent those complaints credence in their commentaries .
Smartmatic sent a letter to Fox , alleging that the network aided “ a concerted disinformation campaign ” about the election .
The letter led to Fox ’ s decision to devote airtime to fact check the claims .
Bartiromo has recently for providing a platform for Trump and his lawyers to make false claims about the election results .

Maria Bartiromo, seen in Fox Studios in New York City in 2016, was the target of a hoax.
Anyone knowing what to look for could have seen it.
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo was quizzing the CEO of a major food company Wednesday on her show, “Mornings with Maria.”
He started the interview by smiling smugly. He stuttered through answers. And then he pinned the likely cause of the next pandemic on his own industry.
“The conditions inside of our farms can sometimes be petri dishes for new diseases,” said Matt Johnson, animal rights activist and press coordinator for Direct Action Everywhere.
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He was posing as Dennis Organ, the recently announced CEO of Smithfield Foods, a global food company based in Virginia.
“The statements that were aired are absolutely and completely false,” Keira Lombardo, chief administrative officer for the company, said in a statement. “Smithfield is a recognized leader in animal wellbeing and care, in stewardship of the environment and in workplace safety. Smithfield employs veterinarians and other experts across the company who ensure that the safety, comfort and health of farm animals is comprehensive.”
The rogue guest on Fox Business on Wednesday temporarily fooled the anchor, who later in the show apologized for the snafu.
“We have an important correction to make. It appears we have been punk’d,” Bartiromo said, acknowledging that the guest was an imposter. “We want to apologize to Dennis Organ, Smithfield Foods and to our audience for making this mistake. We will of course be more vigilant.”
In an interview Thursday, Johnson said he had intended to announce falsely that the company would transition out of animal agriculture to offering only plant-based foods. Instead, he reacted to Bartiromo’s questions about the company’s involvement with China.
Lombardo clarified in the statement that Smithfield Foods “does not import food from China” though its parent company is a publicly listed and traded company based in Hong Kong.
“The statements that were aired are absolutely and completely false,” Lombardo said.
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Though Johnson did not disclose all the details of how he got on the air — “we don’t want to publicly release all the trade secrets,” he said — the activist used fake contact information to skirt the production team.
“Fox Business aired a segment that was a complete hoax,” Lombardo said in the statement. “A simple Google search for a photo of our CEO would have prevented this from happening.”
Though Johnson said he probably would have performed the stunt on any TV show, he said his group targeted Fox News. He cited the network’s recent decision to air a news package debunking its talk show hosts’ earlier coverage on voting software company Smartmatic.
Fox News journalists have repeatedly reported that President Trump’s complaints about voter fraud are unsupported, but the network’s talk show hosts have lent those complaints credence in their commentaries. Smartmatic sent a letter to Fox, alleging that the network aided “a concerted disinformation campaign” about the election. The letter led to Fox’s decision to devote airtime to fact check the claims.


latimes--2020-12-24--Bay Area isn't going as far as New York in quarantining travelers to stem COVID-19

San Francisco and Santa Clara are California ’ s only two counties that have enacted orders requiring travelers to quarantine on arriving in their jurisdictions .
But unlike in New York state , it is unclear whether authorities are doing much to publicize or enforce the order .
Kristen Green , a radiologic technologist at Kaiser Permanente , said she didn ’ t notice any signs or fliers as she left San Francisco International Airport ’ s Terminal 3 on Wednesday , after arriving on a flight from Denver .
“ It ’ s possible there were signs , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t say I was paying a whole lot of attention.
” She had gone to Colorado to say goodbye to her father , who died of cancer .
On Wednesday , the Transportation Security Administration recorded the nation ’ s highest single day of travel since the pandemic began , with the TSA screening 1,191,123 individuals passing through airports .
That is higher than the record set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving , when 1,176,091 travelers were screened .
It comes amid heightened concern about the surging coronavirus , including a more transmissible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In many parts of the world , nations are shutting down borders and instituting new travel restrictions .
In New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that law enforcement officials will be deployed across the city to enforce its 14-day quarantine for anyone flying into New York City from the United Kingdom .
United Airlines is now requiring passengers boarding flights originating in the U.K. to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no later than 72 hours prior to departure , said Annabelle Cottee , United Airlines spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the London Heathrow to San Francisco .
That flight will be suspended starting Jan. 1 , a decision that was made by the flight ’ s carrier , United Airlines , before news of the variant form of the virus had been reported .
Last week , health officials in San Francisco and Santa Clara counties also announced mandatory quarantine measures for any travelers coming into the region from outside of the Bay Area — 10 days for San Francisco , 14 days for Santa Clara .
The quarantine is enforceable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliance is a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment .
However , Bryan Dahl , a spokesman for San Francisco ’ s health department , said the city was not yet enforcing the order .
“ We do not want to use a criminal justice approach for a public health challenge , ” he said .
“ This is about first educating the public so there is compliance.
” Santa Clara ’ s order does not specify any enforcement steps .
On Wednesday afternoon , SFO appeared nearly empty of holiday travelers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a visitor was able to circle by car through the arrivals and departures drop-offs without having to stop for congested traffic , or even the occasional pedestrian .
“ Compared to Denver , this is like a ghost town , ” said Green , who was standing on the curb , outside of the airport Wednesday afternoon .
She said she was aware of the quarantine only because of her involvement with the healthcare industry .
According to SFO spokesman Doug Yakel , 17,304 travelers went through SFO ’ s TSA checkpoints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers traveling through this same time last year .
Things “ might be different for SFO , ” said Yakel , who said numbers have trended downward since Thanksgiving .
“ During Thanksgiving , we saw some of the heaviest days of activity since the pandemic began , but even that was 75 % lower than pre-pandemic levels , ” he said .
“ Traffic this week is running about 15 % lower than what we saw during Thanksgiving.. ” Yakel said that paper flyers notifying incoming travelers of the quarantine were being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concourse .
In addition , he said , public address announcements were being broadcast every 30 minutes in all of the terminals , and signs — digital and “ static ” — were in abundance throughout the terminals .
Things are slower at SFO than at LAX , where there currently is no travel order .
According to Daniel Velez , a TSA spokesman , while travel volume was up 58.26 % at LAX compared with Wednesday last week , it was down 59.3 % compared with the same day last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39.5 % compared with last week but down 75.5 % compared with the same day last year .
“ We are thankful for the public ’ s cooperation during this health crisis , ” said Dahl .
“ Most people have done a good job looking out for their neighbors and following the health orders , and we expect businesses and residents will continue to do that with this order .
”

San Francisco and Santa Clara are California’s only two counties that have enacted orders requiring travelers to quarantine on arriving in their jurisdictions. But unlike in New York state, it is unclear whether authorities are doing much to publicize or enforce the order.
Kristen Green, a radiologic technologist at Kaiser Permanente, said she didn’t notice any signs or fliers as she left San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Wednesday, after arriving on a flight from Denver.
“It’s possible there were signs,” she said. “I can’t say I was paying a whole lot of attention.”
She had gone to Colorado to say goodbye to her father, who died of cancer.
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On Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration recorded the nation’s highest single day of travel since the pandemic began, with the TSA screening 1,191,123 individuals passing through airports. That is higher than the record set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when 1,176,091 travelers were screened.
It comes amid heightened concern about the surging coronavirus, including a more transmissible form of the virus detected in Britain.
In many parts of the world, nations are shutting down borders and instituting new travel restrictions. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that law enforcement officials will be deployed across the city to enforce its 14-day quarantine for anyone flying into New York City from the United Kingdom.
California New, more infectious strain of coronavirus worries California Gov. Newsom says he’s been discussing new protocols with airlines and others to keep a new, more contagious strain of coronavirus out of California.
United Airlines is now requiring passengers boarding flights originating in the U.K. to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no later than 72 hours prior to departure, said Annabelle Cottee, United Airlines spokeswoman.
There is one daily nonstop flight from the London Heathrow to San Francisco. That flight will be suspended starting Jan. 1, a decision that was made by the flight’s carrier, United Airlines, before news of the variant form of the virus had been reported.
United Airlines passengers wait in line to register at the COVID-19 rapid testing site at San Francisco International Airport in October. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Last week, health officials in San Francisco and Santa Clara counties also announced mandatory quarantine measures for any travelers coming into the region from outside of the Bay Area — 10 days for San Francisco, 14 days for Santa Clara. The quarantine is enforceable by law in San Francisco; lack of compliance is a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment.
However, Bryan Dahl, a spokesman for San Francisco’s health department, said the city was not yet enforcing the order.
“We do not want to use a criminal justice approach for a public health challenge,” he said. “This is about first educating the public so there is compliance.”
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Santa Clara’s order does not specify any enforcement steps.
On Wednesday afternoon, SFO appeared nearly empty of holiday travelers.
Although it’s usually a madhouse even during non-holiday weeks, a visitor was able to circle by car through the arrivals and departures drop-offs without having to stop for congested traffic, or even the occasional pedestrian.
“Compared to Denver, this is like a ghost town,” said Green, who was standing on the curb outside the airport Wednesday afternoon. She said she was aware of the quarantine only because of her involvement with the healthcare industry.
According to SFO spokesman Doug Yakel, 17,304 travelers went through SFO’s TSA checkpoints Wednesday — roughly 20% of the passengers traveling through this same time last year.
Things “might be different for SFO,” said Yakel, who said numbers have trended downward since Thanksgiving.
“During Thanksgiving, we saw some of the heaviest days of activity since the pandemic began, but even that was 75% lower than pre-pandemic levels,” he said. “Traffic this week is running about 15% lower than what we saw during Thanksgiving.”
Yakel said that paper fliers notifying incoming travelers of the quarantine were being given out at the exit of every concourse. In addition, he said, public address announcements were being broadcast every 30 minutes in all of the terminals, and signs — digital and “static” — were in abundance throughout the terminals.
Things are slower at SFO than at LAX, where there currently is no travel order.
According to Daniel Velez, a TSA spokesman, although travel volume was up 58.26% at LAX compared with Wednesday last week, it was down 59.3% compared with the same day last year.
In San Francisco, volume was up 39.5% compared with last week but down 75.5% compared with the same day last year.
“We are thankful for the public’s cooperation during this health crisis,” said Dahl. “Most people have done a good job looking out for their neighbors and following the health orders, and we expect businesses and residents will continue to do that with this order.”


latimes--2020-12-24--Another jetpack sighting over L.A. heightens the mystery

The case of the “ jetpack man ” flying over Los Angeles has taken another turn with a new video purporting to show an object flying off the Palos Verdes Peninsula .
The latest sighting occurred Dec. 21 but only added to the mystery .
According to the Drive website , the jetpack was seen by people on an instructional flight out of Torrance airport .
Someone with Sling Pilot Academy took a video of the object , which flies at a high rate of speed for several seconds before going out of frame .
The FBI is already examining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palos Verdes Peninsula incident , FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said : “ We ’ re aware of it and are continuing to investigate the reports.
” In a statement , the Federal Aviation Administration said it had not “ received any recent reports from pilots who believe they may have seen someone in a jetpack in the skies around Los Angeles.
” “ The FAA has taken the sighting reports it has received seriously , and has worked closely with the FBI to investigate them , ” the statement added .
“ However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validate the reports.
” The first sighting occurred Aug. 30 , when an American Airlines pilot radioed in with an unbelievable report .
“ Tower , American 1997 .
We just passed , ” the pilot said .
Minutes later came another report , this time from a pilot approaching LAX in a Jet Blue airliner : “ We just saw the guy pass us by in the jetpack.
” The in October , a China Airlines pilot approaching LAX reported seeing a jetpack flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are few jetpacks in the world , and experts have said they are dubious the sightings are really of a man flying around the L.A. Basin .
For one thing , the altitude reported by the pilots would be difficult to maintain with the fuel capacity of a jetpack .
Several suggested a more likely scenario : an electric drone — perhaps with a mannequin attached .

The case of the “jetpack man” flying over Los Angeles has taken another turn with a new video purporting to show an object flying off the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The latest sighting occurred Dec. 21 but only added to the mystery. According to the Drive website, the jetpack was seen by people on an instructional flight out of Torrance airport. Someone with Sling Pilot Academy took a video of the object, which flies at a high rate of speed for several seconds before going out of frame.
The FBI is already examining two earlier sightings. As for the Palos Verdes Peninsula incident, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said: “We’re aware of it and are continuing to investigate the reports.”
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In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it had not “received any recent reports from pilots who believe they may have seen someone in a jetpack in the skies around Los Angeles.”
“The FAA has taken the sighting reports it has received seriously, and has worked closely with the FBI to investigate them,” the statement added. “However, the FAA has been unable to validate the reports.”
The first sighting occurred Aug. 30, when an American Airlines pilot radioed in with an unbelievable report. “Tower, American 1997. We just passed a guy in a jetpack ,” the pilot said. Minutes later came another report, this time from a pilot approaching LAX in a Jet Blue airliner: “We just saw the guy pass us by in the jetpack.”
The in October, a China Airlines pilot approaching LAX reported seeing a jetpack flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet. That’s more than a mile up.
There are few jetpacks in the world, and experts have said they are dubious the sightings are really of a man flying around the L.A. Basin. For one thing, the altitude reported by the pilots would be difficult to maintain with the fuel capacity of a jetpack.
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Several suggested a more likely scenario: an electric drone — perhaps with a mannequin attached.


latimes--2020-12-24--News Analysis: In filling Senate seat, Newsom made an easy thing seem hard

On Wednesday , Gavin Newsom made history and ended weeks of self-described torture by naming Alex Padilla as the first Latino U.S. senator in California history .
The choice , like many in retrospect , seemed an obvious one .
Padilla , a longtime Newsom ally , has a backstory that could tenderize the hardest heart : The son of Mexican immigrants — a housekeeper and short-order cook — he graduated from MIT , dutifully climbed the political ladder and now , at age 47 , joins one of the most exclusive and privileged clubs on the planet .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we tell to soothe our souls .
The fact that Latinos constitute 40 % of the state ’ s population added weight to the argument — both political and symbolic — for Padilla ’ s appointment .
He was the front-runner from the get-go .
But woe unto Gov .
Newsom for the quandary he faced .
“ This is not something that I wish even on my worst enemy , ” Newsom said , making one wonder how to get on the governor ’ s bad side .
Imagine the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grievance and , in an instant , transform someone ’ s life for the better .
Not to mention the chance to leave a lasting political legacy .
If Padilla were to stay in office until age 87 — like California ’ s other senator , Dianne Feinstein — he would still be casting Senate votes in 2060 .
By then , if things work out as they would like , Harris and Newsom will have built their side-by-side presidential libraries somewhere in the Napa Valley .
Of course , as Newsom observed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process.
” There was certainly disappointment over Padilla ’ s selection , chiefly among those who wished Newsom would have replaced Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with another Black woman .
“ This is a real blow to the African American community , to African American women , to women in general , ” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed , who is Black .
Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna , whose name was among the many tossed about as possible Harris replacements , issued a statement on Twitter that nodded to Padilla ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then all but invited a challenge when he stands for election in 2022 .
“ I respect and appreciate what this appointment means to the Latino community , ” said Khanna , who stands politically to the left of the more centrist Padilla .
“ I believe that this matter should have been decided by voters in a special election .
I am glad voters will have their say in two years.
” None of which merits a great deal of hand-wringing .
Politics is about choices .
Leadership is about making decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no pleasing everyone .
That said , on the scale of wrenching human endeavor — weighing matters of life and death , war and peace , economic subsistence against the toll of a deadly pandemic — filling a vacant U.S. Senate would seem to be among the more pleasurable and least insomnia-inducing .
That is not to minimize the heartfelt objections of Breed and others , or the advocacy of those who would have preferred Newsom choose a different replacement for Harris .
( In another bit of history , Newsom chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s replacement in Sacramento , making her California ’ s first Black secretary of state . )
But it ’ s absurd to suggest , as some of the political buzz has it , that Newsom ’ s decision will jeopardize his reelection prospects in two years , or his ability to survive a recall election , if it came to that .
Passions are running strong at the moment .
Certainly there will be some lingering hard feelings , which could translate into a challenge to Newsom within his own Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same .
But the number of Californians who cast their ballot for governor two years from now , supporting or opposing Newsom , on the basis of Padilla ’ s appointment would scarcely fill the first rows of a movie theater .
( Assuming , one hopes , they have reopened by then . )
One of the more astute political observers , Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report , recently had this to say about the post-Trump machinations in Washington : “ While the struggle for power in D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t capture the attention of swing voters who are more interested in visiting their elderly parents or attending their child ’ s graduation in person.
” The same applies to the intrigues surrounding Newsom ’ s choice to replace Harris .
Political insiders and activists may be captivated .
But there ’ s a reason Padilla will have to raise and spend tens of millions of dollars trying to hang onto the Senate seat he was just awarded .
In a state as vast and politically inattentive as California , a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clue who Padilla is come election time in 2022 .
Fewer still will have any recollection , or much care , how the Democrat came to be the state ’ s junior United States senator .
Being one of the 100 most powerful people in America and scarcely recognizable back home : That ’ s political torture .

The appointment of Alex Padilla, left, to the U.S. Senate by California Gov. Gavin Newsom seems an obvious choice in retrospect.
On Wednesday, Gavin Newsom made history and ended weeks of self-described torture by naming Alex Padilla as the first Latino U.S. senator in California history.
The choice, like many in retrospect, seemed an obvious one.
Padilla, a longtime Newsom ally, has a backstory that could tenderize the hardest heart: The son of Mexican immigrants — a housekeeper and short-order cook — he graduated from MIT, dutifully climbed the political ladder and now, at age 47, joins one of the most exclusive and privileged clubs on the planet.
It’s the kind of only-in-America story we tell to soothe our souls.
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The fact that Latinos constitute 40% of the state’s population added weight to the argument — both political and symbolic — for Padilla’s appointment. He was the front-runner from the get-go.
But woe unto Gov. Newsom for the quandary he faced.
“This is not something that I wish even on my worst enemy,” Newsom said, making one wonder how to get on the governor’s bad side.
Imagine the opportunity to reward political loyalty, redress a longtime grievance and, in an instant, transform someone’s life for the better.
Not to mention the chance to leave a lasting political legacy. If Padilla were to stay in office until age 87 — like California’s other senator, Dianne Feinstein — he would still be casting Senate votes in 2060. By then, if things work out as they would like, Harris and Newsom will have built their side-by-side presidential libraries somewhere in the Napa Valley.
Of course, as Newsom observed, “you create enemies in this process.”
There was certainly disappointment over Padilla’s selection, chiefly among those who wished Newsom would have replaced Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with another Black woman.
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“This is a real blow to the African American community, to African American women, to women in general,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is Black.
Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna, whose name was among the many tossed about as possible Harris replacements, issued a statement on Twitter that nodded to Padilla’s breakthrough in pro forma fashion, then all but invited a challenge when he stands for election in 2022.
“I respect and appreciate what this appointment means to the Latino community,” said Khanna, who stands politically to the left of the more centrist Padilla. “I believe that this matter should have been decided by voters in a special election. I am glad voters will have their say in two years.”
None of which merits a great deal of hand-wringing.
Politics is about choices. Leadership is about making decisions, then facing the consequences. There is no pleasing everyone.
That said, on the scale of wrenching human endeavor — weighing matters of life and death, war and peace, economic subsistence against the toll of a deadly pandemic — filling a vacant U.S. Senate would seem to be among the more pleasurable and least insomnia-inducing.
That is not to minimize the heartfelt objections of Breed and others, or the advocacy of those who would have preferred Newsom choose a different replacement for Harris. (In another bit of history, Newsom chose San Diego Assemblywoman Shirley Weber as Padilla’s replacement in Sacramento, making her California’s first Black secretary of state.)
But it’s absurd to suggest, as some of the political buzz has it, that Newsom’s decision will jeopardize his reelection prospects in two years, or his ability to survive a recall election, if it came to that.
Passions are running strong at the moment. Certainly there will be some lingering hard feelings, which could translate into a challenge to Newsom within his own Democratic Party or, more likely, threats of the same.
But the number of Californians who cast their ballot for governor two years from now, supporting or opposing Newsom, on the basis of Padilla’s appointment would scarcely fill the first rows of a movie theater. (Assuming, one hopes, they have reopened by then.)
One of the more astute political observers, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report, recently had this to say about the post-Trump machinations in Washington: “While the struggle for power in D.C. will captivate the media, it won’t capture the attention of swing voters who are more interested in visiting their elderly parents or attending their child’s graduation in person.”
The same applies to the intrigues surrounding Newsom’s choice to replace Harris.
Political insiders and activists may be captivated. But there’s a reason Padilla will have to raise and spend tens of millions of dollars trying to hang onto the Senate seat he was just awarded. In a state as vast and politically inattentive as California, a great many voters will have only the slightest clue who Padilla is come election time in 2022.
Fewer still will have any recollection, or much care, how the Democrat came to be the state’s junior United States senator.
Being one of the 100 most powerful people in America and scarcely recognizable back home: That’s political torture.


latimes--2020-12-24--Pasadena church loses court case but celebrates victory on looser COVID-19 restrictions

Hours ahead of Christmas , a California church has lost another round in its legal battle against Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s COVID-19 restrictions .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on Wednesday ruled 2-1 against Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church , which on Tuesday moved for an emergency injunction against the governor ’ s guidelines .
Judges Morgan Christen , a Barack Obama appointee , and Johnnie Rawlinson , a Bill Clinton appointee , ruled in favor of Newsom ’ s orders , while Ronald Reagan appointee Diarmuid O ’ Scannlain partly concurred and partly dissented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents obtained by Politico .
“ The requested deadline is hardly arbitrary , ” O ’ Scannlain wrote .
“ The church seeks immediate action from our court so that its members can worship on Christmas Day , one of the most sacred holy days in the Christian calendar.
” It was the second time the case has come before the 9th Circuit , with O ’ Scannlain dissenting in October as well .
On Dec. 3 , the U.S. Supreme Court vacated that ruling in light of its decision to overturn New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious services , and remanded the case to U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal for further consideration .
The latest appeal came after Bernal upheld the restrictions Monday .
Yet despite the loss , Harvest Rock and other churches in Los Angeles County will have the right to worship indoors on Christmas : The church ’ s appeal came just hours after the county for church services , allowing for socially distanced gatherings both indoors and outdoors .
Attorney Mathew Staver , who represents Harvest Rock , said the church would continue to oppose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other locations that would not benefit from L.A. 's rules .
“ What Los Angeles County did doesn ’ t affect us across the state , ” Staver said , noting that the church ’ s network , Harvest International Ministry , has more than 160 churches throughout California .
The county ’ s decision came on the heels of court rulings brought by other houses of worship that said COVID-19 restrictions violated religious freedoms .
Harvest Rock ’ s case argued that the restrictions were a violation of 1st Amendment rights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the church ’ s attorneys had failed to adequately prove that Newsom ’ s orders were infringing on those rights .
“ The First Amendment has not taken a sabbatical , ” Bernal wrote .
“ Californians may still worship , attend services , pray and otherwise exercise their religious freedoms .
They just may not do so in ways that significantly increase the likelihood of transmission of a virus which has claimed more than 300,000 American lives in less than one year.
” Representatives from Harvest Rock Church did not respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the lawsuit posted to the church ’ s website called Newsom ’ s orders “ Draconian ” and said they were aimed at “ criminalizing ” in-person worship , chanting and singing .
“ The option to attend church in the house of God is a sacred right that we intend to protect for both our family and friends , ” the church wrote .
Yet Bernal ’ s ruling specifically touches on the fact that COVID-19 is spread through airborne transmission , and that “ infectious droplets are expelled into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sneeze , speak , sing or make other noises.
” A video posted to the church ’ s Facebook page showed people gathered inside the church Sunday , including several people who were not wearing face masks .
Pastor Ché Ahn , microphone and cellphone in hand , told the audience that he had just received word of the county ’ s decision to loosen its guidelines around indoor worship .
“ Because of what we have contended for , all the churches in Los Angeles County can now meet indoors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excitement .
“ So give someone a high-five and let ’ s really worship God.
” Yet the celebration — and the county ’ s decision — arrives as the region faces the worst COVID-19 surge it has yet seen .
As of Thursday , ICU bed availability in Southern California remained at 0 % , according to state data .
In a letter to priests and pastors issued this week , Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said that although indoor worship was now permitted within the county , outdoor gatherings were safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just two days before Christmas , California became the first state to pass .

Hours ahead of Christmas, a California church has lost another round in its legal battle against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 restrictions.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on Wednesday ruled 2 to 1 against Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church, which on Tuesday moved for an emergency injunction against the governor’s guidelines.
Judges Morgan Christen, a Barack Obama appointee, and Johnnie Rawlinson, a Bill Clinton appointee, ruled in favor of Newsom’s orders, while Ronald Reagan appointee Diarmuid O’Scannlain partly concurred and partly dissented with the ruling, according to court documents obtained by Politico.
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“The requested deadline is hardly arbitrary,” O’Scannlain wrote. “The church seeks immediate action from our court so that its members can worship on Christmas Day, one of the most sacred holy days in the Christian calendar.”
It was the second time the case has come before the 9th Circuit, with O’Scannlain dissenting in October as well.
On Dec. 3, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated that ruling in light of its decision to overturn New York’s COVID-19-related restrictions on indoor religious services, and remanded the case to U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal for further consideration. The latest appeal came after Bernal upheld the restrictions Monday.
Yet despite the loss, Harvest Rock and other churches in Los Angeles County will have the right to worship indoors on Christmas: The church’s appeal came just hours after the county loosened its own guidelines for church services, allowing for socially distanced gatherings both indoors and outdoors.
Attorney Mathew Staver, who represents Harvest Rock, said the church would continue to oppose Newsom’s guidelines because it had other locations that would not benefit from L.A.’s rules.
“What Los Angeles County did doesn’t affect us across the state,” Staver said, noting that the church’s network, Harvest International Ministry, has more than 160 churches throughout California.
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The county’s decision came on the heels of court rulings brought by other houses of worship that said COVID-19 restrictions violated religious freedoms. Harvest Rock’s case argued that the restrictions were a violation of 1st Amendment rights.
In his decision Monday, Bernal said the church’s attorneys had failed to adequately prove that Newsom’s orders were infringing on those rights.
“The First Amendment has not taken a sabbatical,” Bernal wrote. “Californians may still worship, attend services, pray and otherwise exercise their religious freedoms. They just may not do so in ways that significantly increase the likelihood of transmission of a virus which has claimed more than 300,000 American lives in less than one year.”
Representatives from Harvest Rock Church did not respond to requests for comment, but a statement about the lawsuit posted to the church’s website called Newsom’s orders “Draconian” and said they were aimed at “criminalizing” in-person worship, chanting and singing.
“The option to attend church in the house of God is a sacred right that we intend to protect for both our family and friends,” the church wrote.
Yet Bernal’s ruling specifically touches on the fact that COVID-19 is spread through airborne transmission, and that “infectious droplets are expelled into the air when people with the virus cough, sneeze, speak, sing or make other noises.”
A video posted to the church’s Facebook page showed people gathered inside the church Sunday, including several people who were not wearing face masks.
Pastor Ché Ahn, microphone and cellphone in hand, told the audience that he had just received word of the county’s decision to loosen its guidelines around indoor worship.
“Because of what we have contended for, all the churches in Los Angeles County can now meet indoors,” he said to mounting cheers and excitement. “So give someone a high-five and let’s really worship God.”
Yet the celebration — and the county’s decision — arrives as the region faces the worst COVID-19 surge it has yet seen. As of Thursday, ICU bed availability in Southern California remained at 0%, according to state data.
In a letter to priests and pastors issued this week, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said that although indoor worship was now permitted within the county, outdoor gatherings were safer and still strongly encouraged.


latimes--2020-12-24--L.A. County records 148 COVID-19 deaths in one day, a new record

Los Angeles County on Thursday hit another daily record for COVID-19 deaths , underscoring the increasingly dangerous conditions as another holiday arrives and hospitals struggle to deal with an onslaught of patients .
The county reported 148 deaths , a new daily high that comes as officials fear Christmas gatherings will cause infections to spread even more .
More than 13,000 new coronavirus cases were also reported .
The worsening numbers come as hospitals to divert ambulances and leave patients in the lurch for hours .
It is also prompting officials to warn healthcare providers to not send patients to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County health officials sent a memo to doctors and nurses across the county Wednesday evening reiterating that hospitals were reaching a breaking point .
“ Hospitals have implemented their surge plans and are adjusting staffing and space to try to meet the needs of their community , ” wrote Dr. Sharon Balter , the county ’ s chief of communicable disease control and prevention , in the memo .
“ It is critical that as a healthcare community we look at all available opportunities to help decrease the surge on hospitals and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked providers to talk to patients suffering from ongoing medical problems about when it was appropriate to visit the ER or call 911 , and to only do so when it is a true emergency .
She also encouraged the quick discharge of hospitalized patients to try to create as much space as possible on wards , citing a “ steep increase ” in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations .
In a grim recommendation , Balter also asked providers to reach out to patients who had serious illnesses or were medically frail to review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their end-of-life care were on file .
The memo drives home what officials have been warning about for weeks : The surge in COVID-19 patients also is affecting other ill people who need medical care .
“ There are very limited hospital and ICU beds available and emergency departments are strained to capacity , ” Balter wrote .
Dr. Brian Gantwerker , a neurosurgeon in Santa Monica , said he dreaded what the next several weeks would hold for Los Angeles .
Already , the community hospital where he works is “ swamped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearing they will soon have to ration care due to a shortage of beds and staff .
Each day that the number of COVID-19 patients grows also increases the likelihood that more neurosurgery patients may have to wait for care or find it elsewhere , he said .
This puts doctors in the uncomfortable position of determining who receives the limited resources remaining at the hospital .
A large brain tumor would likely be operated on immediately , he said , but surgery for a smaller , less dangerous one might have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a question of , ‘ Where is the breaking point ?
When do we have to start sending patients out to other places ?
’ And the nightmare scenario is : ‘ What happens if there are no beds available in the county ?
’ ” he said .
“ Everything we ’ ve worried about and talked about and warned people about since February is coming to fruition — we ’ re at that point now.
” The dire and deteriorating conditions in California ’ s most-populous county come as a giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wallop the region , leaving in its wake unprecedented numbers of Angelenos hospitalized or dead .
“ We ’ re in the middle of a horrific surge , and we all need to take the hard steps and the wise steps to reduce transmission and exposures now , during the holidays and as we begin 2021 , ” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
“ The sooner we all take these vitally important steps , the sooner we can stop the rise in cases that is overwhelming our hospital care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , “ it ’ s time to double or triple all of our efforts to keep each other safe.
” Officials , however , say they fully expect the situation to get worse before it gets better .
Because of the lagging nature of the coronavirus , it typically takes two to three weeks from when someone is infected to when they may fall ill enough to require hospitalization .
The patients needing care today , in other words , were largely exposed to the virus weeks ago — when case rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high , were significantly lower than they are now .
Over the last week , L.A. County has reported an average of 13,970 new coronavirus cases per day , a roughly 60 % increase from two weeks ago , according to data compiled by The Times .
That average includes 16,974 new infections that were reported Wednesday — the county ’ s second-highest daily total ever .
Officials are also concerned that the surge in cases and hospitalizations could bring a major spike in deaths .
Los Angeles County reported one of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , when 134 people died .
An average of 85 Angelenos a day have died from COVID-19 over the past week .
That figure was 10 on Nov. 3 .
Too many people have seen “ loved ones whose symptoms got worse , or loved ones who became hospitalized , loved ones who were moved to the ICU or , even worse , they received the news that their loved ones won ’ t be coming home — not for these holidays and not ever , ” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is our darkest day , maybe the darkest day in our city ’ s history , ” he said .
“ But we must find the fortitude , we must summon the strength to make sure that we save lives.
” Dr. Christina Ghaly , the county ’ s health services director , forecast this week that nearly 7,000 more people might die from COVID-19 by the end of January if trends continued .
Already , the disease has killed 9,165 people countywide .
“ These people did not need to die , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have never seen daily death rates this high throughout the course of the pandemic , and the model predicts that the worst is yet to come.
” At certain points of the day Tuesday , 96 % of all hospitals in L.A. County were so full that they were diverting some ambulances to hospitals farther away , a figure that is usually only 33 % at this time of year , according to Ghaly .
Ambulances had to wait hours to offload patients into crowded emergency rooms , and scheduled surgeries are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 .
About half of all intensive-care beds in L.A. County are filled with COVID-19 patients at this point .
Two out of three of them are suffocating due to coronavirus-triggered inflammation of their lungs , Ghaly said .
“ They ’ re suffocating to the point that they can no longer breathe on their own , and they have to have someone put a tube down their throat in order to oxygenate their organs , ” Ghaly said .
“ Many of these people will not live to see 2021.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countywide on Wednesday , according to the latest state data , with 1,329 of them in the ICU .
“ If we continue to spread this virus , if we see a linear growth of this for the next two weeks , we will not have enough medical staff to treat everyone , ” Garcetti said .
“ And hospitals may soon be in the position of having to ration care .
That means that doctors will be forced to determine who lives and who dies , and more Angelenos will lose their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but to other medical emergencies.
” It ’ s amid this harrowing backdrop that officials have issued increasingly forceful calls for residents to avoid traveling and gathering to celebrate the winter holidays .
Too often , similar pleas made ahead of Thanksgiving fell on deaf ears , officials say , and wide rejection of that guidance has wrought the worst and deadliest wave of the pandemic yet .
“ Life , as we know , does not let us go back in time and redo or relive our mistakes , ” Ghaly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change our behavior from this point forward.
” Should large numbers of people make the same choices for Christmas and New Year ’ s , officials and experts alike warn that will likely trigger a “ surge on top of a surge ” — meaning more people will become infected , fall ill and , eventually , die .
“ If what happens over the winter holiday break , ” Ferrer said .
“ is at all the same as what happened , or even half of what happened , over the Thanksgiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble.
” The county Department of Public Health issued a plea Thursday for people of faith to forego gathering indoors to worship any winter holidays , and instead attend remotely streamed or outdoor services .
Though county health officials lifted a ban on indoor religious services last Saturday — following a series of court rulings involving houses of worship that argued pandemic-related restrictions violated religious freedoms — they said in their statement that attending services indoors is “ too risky ” right now .
“ Now , most unfortunately , is not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” officials said .
“ The county of Los Angeles is in the midst of its highest surge of COVID-19 cases .
The local emergency rooms and hospitals are over capacity .
And there are no indications of an end in sight to the current surge .
”

Soumya Karlamangla, Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II

Los Angeles County on Thursday hit another daily record for COVID-19 deaths, underscoring the increasingly dangerous conditions as another holiday arrives and hospitals struggle to deal with an onslaught of patients.
Local health agencies in L.A. County reported 140 deaths Wednesday, according to an independent Times tally, the most number of fatalities counted in a single day that comes as officials fear Christmas gatherings will cause infections to spread even more. More than 13,000 new coronavirus cases were also reported.
The worsening numbers come as hospitals to divert ambulances and leave patients in the lurch for hours. It is also prompting officials to warn healthcare providers to not send patients to the emergency room unless absolutely necessary.
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County health officials sent a memo to doctors and nurses across the county Wednesday evening reiterating that hospitals were reaching a breaking point.
“Hospitals have implemented their surge plans and are adjusting staffing and space to try to meet the needs of their community,” wrote Dr. Sharon Balter, the county’s chief of communicable disease control and prevention, in the memo. “It is critical that as a healthcare community we look at all available opportunities to help decrease the surge on hospitals and our 911 system, where possible.”
Balter asked providers to talk to patients suffering from ongoing medical problems about when it was appropriate to visit the ER or call 911, and to only do so when it is a true emergency. She also encouraged the quick discharge of hospitalized patients to try to create as much space as possible on wards, citing a “steep increase” in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
In a grim recommendation, Balter also asked providers to reach out to patients who had serious illnesses or were medically frail to review their advanced-care directives and ensure forms detailing their end-of-life care were on file.
The memo drives home what officials have been warning about for weeks: The surge in COVID-19 patients also is affecting other ill people who need medical care.
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“There are very limited hospital and ICU beds available and emergency departments are strained to capacity,” Balter wrote.
Dr. Brian Gantwerker, a neurosurgeon in Santa Monica, said he dreaded what the next several weeks would hold for Los Angeles. Already, the community hospital where he works is “swamped by COVID cases,” with physicians fearing they will soon have to ration care due to a shortage of beds and staff.
Each day that the number of COVID-19 patients grows also increases the likelihood that more neurosurgery patients may have to wait for care or find it elsewhere, he said.
This puts doctors in the uncomfortable position of determining who receives the limited resources remaining at the hospital. A large brain tumor would likely be operated on immediately, he said, but surgery for a smaller, less dangerous one might have to be delayed.
“Then it becomes a question of, ‘Where is the breaking point? When do we have to start sending patients out to other places?’ And the nightmare scenario is: ‘What happens if there are no beds available in the county?’” he said. “Everything we’ve worried about and talked about and warned people about since February is coming to fruition — we’re at that point now.”
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
The dire and deteriorating conditions in California’s most-populous county come as a giant wave of new coronavirus infections continues to wallop the region, leaving in its wake unprecedented numbers of Angelenos hospitalized or dead.
“We’re in the middle of a horrific surge, and we all need to take the hard steps and the wise steps to reduce transmission and exposures now, during the holidays and as we begin 2021,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “The sooner we all take these vitally important steps, the sooner we can stop the rise in cases that is overwhelming our hospital care system.”
Right now, she added Wednesday, “it’s time to double or triple all of our efforts to keep each other safe.”
Officials, however, say they fully expect the situation to get worse before it gets better.
Because of the lagging nature of the coronavirus, it typically takes two to three weeks from when someone is infected to when they may fall ill enough to require hospitalization. The patients needing care today, in other words, were largely exposed to the virus weeks ago — when case rates throughout the county and state, though high, were significantly lower than they are now.
Over the last week, L.A. County has reported an average of 13,789 new coronavirus cases per day, a figure 10 times higher than the comparable number from Nov. 1, when officials were reporting 1,348 cases a day, according to data compiled by The Times.
That average includes 16,974 new infections that were reported Wednesday — the county’s second-highest daily total ever.
Officials are also concerned that the surge in cases and hospitalizations could bring a major spike in deaths. Los Angeles County reported one of its deadliest days yet in the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, when 134 people died.
An average of 91 Angelenos a day have died from COVID-19 over the past week. That figure was 10 on Nov. 3.
Too many people have seen “loved ones whose symptoms got worse, or loved ones who became hospitalized, loved ones who were moved to the ICU or, even worse, they received the news that their loved ones won’t be coming home — not for these holidays and not ever,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“We know that this emergency is our darkest day, maybe the darkest day in our city’s history,” he said. “But we must find the fortitude, we must summon the strength to make sure that we save lives.”
Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county’s health services director, forecast this week that nearly 7,000 more people might die from COVID-19 by the end of January if trends continued.
Already, the disease has killed 9,305 people countywide.
“These people did not need to die,” she said Wednesday. “We have never seen daily death rates this high throughout the course of the pandemic, and the model predicts that the worst is yet to come.”
At certain points of the day Tuesday, 96% of all hospitals in L.A. County were so full that they were diverting some ambulances to hospitals farther away, a figure that is usually only 33% at this time of year, according to Ghaly.
Ambulances had to wait hours to offload patients into crowded emergency rooms, and scheduled surgeries are being postponed to make way for those suffering from COVID-19.
About half of all intensive-care beds in L.A. County are filled with COVID-19 patients at this point. Two out of three of them are suffocating due to coronavirus-triggered inflammation of their lungs, Ghaly said.
“They’re suffocating to the point that they can no longer breathe on their own, and they have to have someone put a tube down their throat in order to oxygenate their organs,” Ghaly said. “Many of these people will not live to see 2021.”
There were roughly 6,700 coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized countywide on Wednesday, according to the latest state data, with 1,329 of them in the ICU.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is more than eight times higher than the comparable figure on Nov. 1, when about 800 people were hospitalized.
“If we continue to spread this virus, if we see a linear growth of this for the next two weeks, we will not have enough medical staff to treat everyone,” Garcetti said. “And hospitals may soon be in the position of having to ration care. That means that doctors will be forced to determine who lives and who dies, and more Angelenos will lose their lives, not just to COVID-19, but to other medical emergencies.”
It’s amid this harrowing backdrop that officials have issued increasingly forceful calls for residents to avoid traveling and gathering to celebrate the winter holidays.
Too often, similar pleas made ahead of Thanksgiving fell on deaf ears, officials say, and wide rejection of that guidance has wrought the worst and deadliest wave of the pandemic yet.
“Life, as we know, does not let us go back in time and redo or relive our mistakes,” Ghaly said. “All we can do is change our behavior from this point forward.”
Should large numbers of people make the same choices for Christmas and New Year’s, officials and experts alike warn that will likely trigger a “surge on top of a surge” — meaning more people will become infected, fall ill and, eventually, die.
“If what happens over the winter holiday break,” Ferrer said. “is at all the same as what happened, or even half of what happened, over the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re in deep trouble.”
The county Department of Public Health issued a plea Thursday for people of faith to forego gathering indoors to worship any winter holidays, and instead attend remotely streamed or outdoor services.
Though county health officials lifted a ban on indoor religious services last Saturday — following a series of court rulings involving houses of worship that argued pandemic-related restrictions violated religious freedoms — they said in their statement that attending services indoors is “too risky” right now.
“Now, most unfortunately, is not the time to attend indoor religious services,” officials said. “The county of Los Angeles is in the midst of its highest surge of COVID-19 cases. The local emergency rooms and hospitals are over capacity. And there are no indications of an end in sight to the current surge.”
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-24--Rare 310-year-old violin stolen from art dealer's Los Feliz home

The FBI is in hot pursuit this Christmas season of a thief who may have music on his mind : A rare 18th century violin has gone missing from a Los Feliz residence .
The stolen violin is a 1710 Amati , a glossy , curvaceous object made from curly maple and alpine spruce that was crafted by one of the most important violin makers in musical instrument history , Hieronymus Amati II .
It ’ s in excellent condition and , according to auction records , sold for just over half a million dollars in 2013 — it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
The 310-year-old violin belongs to Rowland Weinstein , who is not a musician but an art dealer who splits his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco .
His Weinstein Gallery , specializing in surrealism and abstraction from 1920 through World War II , is based in San Francisco .
The violin , which he allowed musician friends and professional violinists to play , was in his white Tesla , parked outside his Los Feliz home , when someone stole the vehicle from his property Dec. 8 .
Weinstein said his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tesla once the driver , key in hand , exits the vehicle — had slipped out of his pocket and landed behind the driver ’ s seat .
So the car was unlocked .
Ironically , the reason the violin was in the car in the first place was that Weinstein had moved it from a previous location he felt was not safe enough .
He ’ d intended to leave the instrument in the car only momentarily ; when he returned from inside the house , he found the car gone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokesperson for the FBI , Laura Eimiller , said no suspects have been identified and no one has been charged yet .
Neither car nor violin has turned up and it ’ s not certain , she said , that the instrument was the thief ’ s target .
“ According to LAPD , a car thief is believed to have been in the area , ” Eimiller said .
“ It ’ s possible that the person who stole it may not have known the value and discovered it [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it or sell it overseas .
So it ’ s critical to get the information to the public so that hopefully somebody who received it , or is offered it , can identify it and return it to its rightful owner.
” Weinstein — who is offering a $ 25,000 reward for information leading to the violin ’ s safe return — said he is “ heartbroken.
” “ I ’ m responsible for a piece of history and that piece of history got away from me , ” Weinstein said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest fear is that someone who doesn ’ t know what they have will put it in the wrong environment and it will get damaged or destroyed.
” Weinstein bought the violin in October 2013 at Tarisio , an online auction house specializing in stringed instruments and bows .
According to Tarisio ’ s records , Weinstein paid $ 507,436 at a London sale .
He said he had it insured .
Such rare instruments appreciate annually , according to Tarisio director Jason Price , adding that the 1710 Amati would likely sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2018 , another Amati violin , circa 1700 , sold at the London-based auction house Ingles & Hayday for $ 917,453 .
Weinstein ’ s instrument was so valuable because it was made during a seminal “ golden period ” in the history of violin making — 1700-1720 — and because the Amati family is credited with birthing the modern violin .
The family crafted string instruments in the Italian town of Cremona starting in the mid 16th century .
Two generations later , Nicolò Amati ramped up the family workshop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Hieronymus the second is a very special violin maker because he ’ s the last of the Amati lineage , ” Price said .
“ They essentially created the modern violin as we know it — its proportions , its measurements , its tuning and its number of strings.
” Gary Green , a longtime violinist and founding conductor of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic , said the instrument ’ s value can not be overstated — historically , musically and personally .
“ When you play a string instrument — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a very personal thing , ” Green said .
“ You hold a violin very close , under your chin , you create the sound together .
... And an Amati — whoa , what a loss.
” Though Weinstein himself did not play the instrument , “ I ’ m the caretaker of it , ” he said .
“ I feel extremely close to it because it ’ s a part of history that has touched so many lives .
Not just the lives of people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but those who have heard it over 300 years.
” This is not Weinstein ’ s first run-in with a thief .
In 2011 a 1965 Pablo Picasso pencil drawing , “ Tête de Femme , ” was stolen from his gallery , then located near Union Square ( it ’ s now in the South of Market area ) .
Authorities recovered the sketch in about 24 hours and Mark Lugo of Hoboken , N.J. — a.k.a .
the “ Thomas Crown of art thieves , ” who had casually walked out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the art work tucked under a newspaper before hailing a taxi — was sentenced to 16 months in prison .
The work still hangs in Weinstein ’ s gallery ; he doesn ’ t plan to sell it .
“ It became part of the lore of my career , it ’ s part of my story , ” he said .
Weinstein said he ’ s baffled by the coincidence of being targeted , twice , by thieves .
“ It ’ s beyond anything I ’ d ever anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just hope the violin has the same happy ending as the Picasso.
” Price was optimistic about the violin ’ s return .
The auction house maintains a free database , accessible to the public , of about 60,000 fine musical instruments that includes a registry of stolen ones — both cold cases and instruments that have been recovered .
It ’ s considered one of the largest such compilations in the industry , and Price has noticed patterns .
“ They go off the map for years sometimes , but then they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen pieces .
“ It ’ s really difficult to sell an instrument like this because it ’ s so known and would attract so much attention wherever it popped up for sale .
They don ’ t stay stolen long.
” Berkeley Law lecturer Carla Shapreau , a violin maker who specializes in , among other things , stolen cultural objects , suspects Weinstein ’ s violin may still be close to home .
“ This doesn ’ t appear to be a planned theft , it seems to be a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it ’ s potentially still in Los Angeles , possibly in someone ’ s home , ” Shapreau said .
“ When a theft is planned , there ’ s often a customer for it .
When someone sees a car unlocked , they ’ re more likely to try and pass [ an item found inside ] locally .
But it would be difficult to transfer this in the stream of commerce , especially if it ’ s well publicized.
” In addition to Tarisio ’ s database , both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural objects , Shapreau said , adding that all three are “ essential tools.
” “ It ’ s hard to sell these things if they ’ re well documented , ” she said .
“ But if you don ’ t have a way to track them , memories fade.
” The FBI case agent in charge of the Amati violin , Elizabeth Rivas , was not allowed to comment on an in-progress investigation , Eimiller said .
Rivas is a member of the FBI ’ s national art crime team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FBI is continuing to investigate the case , Eimiller said , and asks that anyone with information call ( 310 ) 477-6565 .

The FBI is in hot pursuit this Christmas season of a thief who may have music on his mind: A rare 18th century violin has gone missing from a Los Feliz residence.
The stolen violin is a 1710 Amati, a glossy, curvaceous object made from curly maple and alpine spruce that was crafted by one of the most important violin makers in musical instrument history, Hieronymus Amati II. It’s in excellent condition and, according to auction records, sold for just over half a million dollars in 2013 — it would likely be worth more than $700,000 today.
The 310-year-old violin belongs to Rowland Weinstein, who is not a musician but an art dealer who splits his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco. His Weinstein Gallery, specializing in surrealism and abstraction from 1920 through World War II, is based in San Francisco. The violin, which he allowed musician friends and professional violinists to play, was in his white Tesla, parked outside his Los Feliz home, when someone stole the vehicle from his property Dec. 8.
Weinstein said his car key — which automatically locks the Tesla once the driver, key in hand, exits the vehicle — had slipped out of his pocket and landed behind the driver’s seat. So the car was unlocked.
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Ironically, the reason the violin was in the car in the first place was that Weinstein had moved it from a previous location he felt was not safe enough. He’d intended to leave the instrument in the car only momentarily; when he returned from inside the house, he found the car gone and called the police and then the FBI.
A spokesperson for the FBI, Laura Eimiller, said no suspects have been identified and no one has been charged yet. Neither car nor violin has turned up and it’s not certain, she said, that the instrument was the thief’s target.
“According to LAPD, a car thief is believed to have been in the area,” Eimiller said. “It’s possible that the person who stole it may not have known the value and discovered it [later] and may try to pawn it or sell it overseas. So it’s critical to get the information to the public so that hopefully somebody who received it, or is offered it, can identify it and return it to its rightful owner.”
Weinstein — who is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the violin’s safe return — said he is “heartbroken.”
“I’m responsible for a piece of history and that piece of history got away from me,” Weinstein said. “It’s so fragile. My biggest fear is that someone who doesn’t know what they have will put it in the wrong environment and it will get damaged or destroyed.”
A detail of the Amati violin, which was bought in 2013 by its current owner for more than $500,000. (Photo from Tarisio)
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Weinstein bought the violin in October 2013 at Tarisio, an online auction house specializing in stringed instruments and bows. According to Tarisio’s records, Weinstein paid $507,436 at a London sale. He said he had it insured. Such rare instruments appreciate annually, according to Tarisio director Jason Price, adding that the 1710 Amati would likely sell for $700,000-$900,000 today.
In 2018, another Amati violin, circa 1700, sold at the London-based auction house Ingles & Hayday for $917,453.
Weinstein’s instrument was so valuable because it was made during a seminal “golden period” in the history of violin making — 1700-1720 — and because the Amati family is credited with birthing the modern violin. The family crafted string instruments in the Italian town of Cremona starting in the mid 16th century. Two generations later, Nicolò Amati ramped up the family workshop and its profile in the 17th century.
Nicolò’s son, Hieronymus Amati II, made Weinstein’s violin.
“Hieronymus the second is a very special violin maker because he’s the last of the Amati lineage,” Price said. “They essentially created the modern violin as we know it — its proportions, its measurements, its tuning and its number of strings.”
Gary Green, a longtime violinist and founding conductor of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic, said the instrument’s value cannot be overstated — historically, musically and personally.
“When you play a string instrument — I’ve had mine 60 years — it’s a very personal thing,” Green said. “You hold a violin very close, under your chin, you create the sound together. ... And an Amati — whoa, what a loss.”
Though Weinstein himself did not play the instrument, “I’m the caretaker of it,” he said. “I feel extremely close to it because it’s a part of history that has touched so many lives. Not just the lives of people who have been lucky enough to play it, but those who have heard it over 300 years.”
This is not Weinstein’s first run-in with a thief. In 2011 a 1965 Pablo Picasso pencil drawing, “Tête de Femme,” was stolen from his gallery, then located near Union Square (it’s now in the South of Market area). Authorities recovered the sketch in about 24 hours and Mark Lugo of Hoboken, N.J. — a.k.a. the “Thomas Crown of art thieves,” who had casually walked out of the gallery, in broad daylight, with the art work tucked under a newspaper before hailing a taxi — was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The work still hangs in Weinstein’s gallery; he doesn’t plan to sell it.
“It became part of the lore of my career, it’s part of my story,” he said.
Weinstein said he’s baffled by the coincidence of being targeted, twice, by thieves.
“It’s beyond anything I’d ever anticipated,” he said. “I just hope the violin has the same happy ending as the Picasso.”
A detail of the 1710 Amati violin, which was made by Hieronymus Amati II in Cremona, Italy. (Photo from Tarisio)
Price was optimistic about the violin’s return. The auction house maintains a free database, accessible to the public, of about 60,000 fine musical instruments that includes a registry of stolen ones — both cold cases and instruments that have been recovered. It’s considered one of the largest such compilations in the industry, and Price has noticed patterns.
“They go off the map for years sometimes, but then they often resurface,” Price said of stolen pieces. “It’s really difficult to sell an instrument like this because it’s so known and would attract so much attention wherever it popped up for sale. They don’t stay stolen long.”
Berkeley Law lecturer Carla Shapreau, a violin maker who specializes in, among other things, stolen cultural objects, suspects Weinstein’s violin may still be close to home.
“This doesn’t appear to be a planned theft, it seems to be a crime of opportunity based on the facts, so it’s potentially still in Los Angeles, possibly in someone’s home,” Shapreau said. “When a theft is planned, there’s often a customer for it. When someone sees a car unlocked, they’re more likely to try and pass [an item found inside] locally. But it would be difficult to transfer this in the stream of commerce, especially if it’s well publicized.”
In addition to Tarisio’s database, both the FBI and Interpol keep databases of stolen cultural objects, Shapreau said, adding that all three are “essential tools.”
“It’s hard to sell these things if they’re well documented,” she said. “But if you don’t have a way to track them, memories fade.”
The FBI case agent in charge of the Amati violin, Elizabeth Rivas, was not allowed to comment on an in-progress investigation, Eimiller said. Rivas is a member of the FBI’s national art crime team, based in the Los Angeles field office.
The FBI is continuing to investigate the case, Eimiller said, and asks that anyone with information call (310) 477-6565.