latimes--2020-12-22--Column One: 'This mall has been devastated.' A lean Christmas, empty stores and an unsettling future

The food court is mostly shuttered .
The Museum of African American Art , located improbably inside a Macy ’ s , is closed for now .
And Black Santa is not coming to town .
The Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza may be open , but it doesn ’ t much feel that way .
Gone is the classic mall background noise — Top 40 music drowned out by people talking , walking , rustling shopping bags .
Gone are the free weekly workouts and the book readings .
The stores have signs in the windows noting that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often than not there ’ s only a lone shopkeeper inside .
“ I could have gone to Fox Hills mall but I said I ’ m coming here to Crenshaw , and I want to patronize it because it is struggling to come back , ” said Yvette Archie , a 60-year-old veterinarian who visited the mall recently to do some Christmas shopping .
“ I ’ m hoping that we can keep it in our community and for our community.
” For decades , the Crenshaw mall has been a gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime venue for small businesses .
Even during the pandemic , the mall has continued to serve the community with food drives and a coronavirus testing site .
The mall also holds a weekly farmers market and Melanin Market LA , a showcase for small Black-owned businesses , in its parking lot .
But like its counterparts across the country , the mall has been pushed to the brink by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Now , the holiday shopping season — when big and small businesses alike depend on a boost in sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year — has coincided with the worst surge in COVID-19 cases of the pandemic .
Health and government officials have urged people to stay at home but stopped short of closing malls as they had done earlier in the pandemic .
Recent orders from the Los Angeles County health department limited indoor mall capacity to 20 % and prohibited dining on site .
“ Every day people say , ‘ I didn ’ t even know the mall was open , ’ ” Malik Muhammad , who co-owns Malik Books with his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ve been devastated and this mall has been devastated.
” Muhammad , who has been a tenant at the mall on and off since 1994 , said he ’ s never seen traffic this bad .
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1987 with a degree in public administration , he said , he still lacked a “ knowledge of self ” — specifically , a proper education on Black culture , history and achievements around the world .
The bookstore is his way of providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inventory includes a mix of autobiographies by prominent Black figures , books on antiracism and organizing , and dozens of picture books featuring Black and brown children .
In the face of the recession , the rise of Amazon and the decimation of small , independent bookstores , Muhammad closed the shop in 2009 .
Eight years later , sensing a need in the community , he reopened .
Though there has been a steep drop in foot traffic since March , the bookstore has held on thanks to a boost in online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store has also benefited from the nationwide movement to support Black-owned businesses during the pandemic after the summer ’ s racial justice protests .
“ People responded in a very positive and warming way , and we ’ re grateful and thankful for the people who ’ ve supported Malik Books , ” Muhammad said .
“ We love them , we appreciate them.
” The changes that have made it harder to run a small bookstore have also hurt the hundreds of regional malls across the country .
The rise of e-commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possessions among younger generations have created a difficult market for the kind of giant anchor stores that help bring in customers to the smaller shops .
The Crenshaw mall lost Walmart , one of its main drivers of foot traffic , in 2016 as part of the company ’ s global downsizing .
Three years later , Sears closed .
Now the mall is up for sale .
Before the pandemic , Coresight Research , a consulting firm that analyzes the retail industry , estimated that 25 % of malls would close in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects those closures within the next three years , according to the firm ’ s president and chief executive , Deborah Weinswig .
To survive , malls will have to modernize and offer more than a traditional shopping experience .
Over the last two years , the current owner and prospective buyers have unveiled several proposals to revamp the mall with some combination of office space , apartments , condos , event spaces and a hotel in anticipation of a new light-rail stop expected to open next year when the Crenshaw Line is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants and members of the community to wonder whether the new owners will be committed to maintaining the mall ’ s role as a community hub for Black Angelenos , or if there will be a completely different complex waiting for them on the other side of the pandemic .
Debuting in 1947 as an open-air shopping center , the mall originally catered to the surrounding area ’ s white residents .
But a Supreme Court decision blocking the enforcement of racially restrictive housing covenants allowed Black people to move into the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high concentration of affluent and middle-class Black families .
The mall underwent a $ 100-million renovation in the late 1980s that transformed it from an open-air shopping center into an enclosed space .
In 2006 , Capri Investment Group purchased the mall for $ 136 million and has invested $ 40 million in renovations , including turning the former Magic Johnson Theatres into a Cinemark , and bringing in bigger national chains such as Victoria ’ s Secret and Chipotle .
“ Those are retailers that have historically avoided the South L.A. market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a huge win for the community that Capri was able to do that , ” said Rachel Freeman , the president and chief executive of Capri Retail Services .
The mall has also become home to a number of small , Black-owned businesses .
In 2011 , Capri invited Shoneji Robison and Catarah Coleman of Southern Girl Desserts to open a shop after seeing the interest they attracted during the mall ’ s summer music festival .
The current mall ownership was willing to mentor the businesses and give them room to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They weren ’ t trying to be the mall in Culver City , ” Coleman said .
“ They were trying to be a mall where the vendors and the ownership of the different stores and businesses were all from the community .
And that ’ s what makes that mall so special.
” Unlike the rest of the restaurants located completely inside the mall , Southern Girl Desserts managed to stay open through its closure because it has one door that leads outside .
It has also turned to online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the switch to online has been more challenging .
“ I don ’ t understand how in the world people shop online .
You must feel that fabric , the size of it , every cut is different , ” clothing designer James Brumfield said as he took a break from cutting fabric for a new outfit .
For more than 20 years , Brumfield has been selling handcrafted menswear and hats from his shop , James Brumfield Designs .
The shop ’ s tagline is “ unique and exotic ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the mall closed in the spring , Brumfield got to work designing a new collection of denim patchwork outfits that are now on the shelves .
Brumfield held up a surprisingly soft button-down shirt from the collection , which comes with matching pants .
“ It is denim , but then again when you wear it , it ’ s not quite denim , ” he said .
Brumfield attributed his success to the distinct style customers can find only in his shop .
Over the years , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 54-year-old retired machine operator , said he would typically wear Brumfield ’ s designs on a night out or to a jazz festival .
“ I used to buy a lot of clothes from this store , a lot of clothes , linen outfits and everything , ” Hunnicutt said .
Hunnicutt stopped by the store on a Tuesday afternoon after he saw cars in the mall parking lot .
Like many others , he wasn ’ t sure if the mall was even open , given that it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from mid-March to mid-June , and again from mid-July to early October .
Foot traffic is down everywhere , but not all malls are feeling the pandemic as deeply as the Crenshaw mall .
On a recent Friday night , dozens of shoppers descended on Westfield Culver City ( more commonly referred to as the Fox Hills mall ) , forming lines outside Sephora , Mac Cosmetics and Champs Sports .
Signs in the food court informed shoppers of the new L.A. County mandate preventing the consumption of food and drinks on mall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only line at the Crenshaw mall was outside Bath & Body Works , where customers waited more than an hour to sift through the company ’ s sale on candles , which have been a hot item during the pandemic .
“ This mall was closed for so long , I feel like people don ’ t even know it ’ s open , ” said Tiffany Potts , a 36-year-old social worker who lives nearby .
“ I thought it was still closed and then I was like , ‘ Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going in.
’ ” Potts said she ’ s been going to the mall less because of the pandemic , but also because there are fewer stores compared with the nearby Westfield Culver City .
“ They took out the Walmart — that was the main attraction for most people , ” she said .
Many customers see shopping at the Crenshaw mall as a chance to invest in Black ownership .
Debra Goode , 60 , has been going to the mall since she was a child , when it was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just everything .
It ’ s everything .
It ’ s always been a good mall to me .
It ’ s my preference to shop here , ” Goode said .
“ Like they say , Black people don ’ t spend enough money in their own community — we do here.
” The question now is what will the mall become , and whether improvements will boost the community or speed up gentrification — already a significant issue in the surrounding neighborhood .
Community activists , particularly the Downtown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to redevelop the mall , including Capri ’ s proposal to build apartments , condos and a 400-room hotel .
The mall is being sold by Capri Urban Investors , a private equity fund managed by Capri Investment Group .
When CIM , an L.A.-based real estate firm , announced it was purchasing the mall in April 2020 , Downtown Crenshaw opposed the deal over the company ’ s work with President Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , and the company ’ s plan to build office space instead of housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June .
The coalition submitted its own bid to purchase the mall , but was not selected .
For the last several months , the mall was expected to be sold to New York real estate companies Livwrk and DFH Partners in a deal set to close by the end of the year .
Livwrk founder Asher Abehsera has previously told The Times that he plans to discuss plans to reimagine the mall with the community .
Last week , Downtown Crenshaw said the deal had fallen through .
Abehsera and Capri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for comment .
Some of the mall ’ s businesses would welcome change .
When Southern Girl Desserts first opened in 2012 , its owners were overwhelmed by the amount of foot traffic that poured into the store .
But when the Walmart closed , they felt an immediate and sustained decline in customers .
Although they recovered from the drop , the rest of the mall hasn ’ t .
“ My thing is , I ’ m all for growth , ” Robison said .
“ Of course , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being run by , because we have a business there and we want to make sure that they have our interests at heart , and the interest of those in the community who supported our business over the years.
” She added : “ As long as it sounds like something that can be positive , to bring growth to the community and the surrounding area , and even possibly bring dollars , then I ’ m all for it.
” Others are wary , and worry the mall will be rebuilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a community-based mall , ” Muhammad said .
“ This is historic , [ 73 years ] .
This is the oldest mall in the city and you hear them trying to tear it down , you ’ re tearing down history .
”

The food court is mostly shuttered. The Museum of African American Art, located improbably inside a Macy’s, is closed for now. And Black Santa is not coming to town.
The Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza may be open, but it doesn’t much feel that way.
For the record: A previous version of this article misidentified CIM Group’s headquarters as being located in New York. The company is based in Los Angeles.
Gone is the classic mall background noise — Top 40 music drowned out by people talking, walking, rustling shopping bags. Gone are the free weekly workouts and the book readings. The stores have signs in the windows noting that they are open with limited capacity, but more often than not there’s only a lone shopkeeper inside.
A few determined shoppers remain.
James Brumfield of James Brumfield Designs brings a shirt out for a customer in Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza on Dec. 8 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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“I could have gone to Fox Hills mall but I said I’m coming here to Crenshaw, and I want to patronize it because it is struggling to come back,” said Yvette Archie, a 60-year-old veterinarian who visited the mall recently to do some Christmas shopping. “I’m hoping that we can keep it in our community and for our community.”
For decades, the Crenshaw mall has been a gathering place for Black Los Angeles and a prime venue for small businesses. Even during the pandemic, the mall has continued to serve the community with food drives and a coronavirus testing site. The mall also holds a weekly farmers market and Melanin Market LA, a showcase for small Black-owned businesses, in its parking lot.
But like its counterparts across the country, the mall has been pushed to the brink by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the holiday shopping season — when big and small businesses alike depend on a boost in sales to help pad margins in the new year — has coincided with the worst surge in COVID-19 cases of the pandemic.
Health and government officials have urged people to stay at home but stopped short of closing malls as they had done earlier in the pandemic. Recent orders from the Los Angeles County health department limited indoor mall capacity to 20% and prohibited dining on site.
April Muhammad of Malik Books organizes calendars at the shop in Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The mall has been a community space for Black Angelenos for years and is affected by the same online factors affecting other malls. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
“Every day people say, ‘I didn’t even know the mall was open,’” Malik Muhammad, who co-owns Malik Books with his wife, April, said in an interview. “We’ve been devastated and this mall has been devastated.”
Muhammad, who has been a tenant at the mall on and off since 1994, said he’s never seen traffic this bad. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1987 with a degree in public administration, he said, he still lacked a “knowledge of self” — specifically, a proper education on Black culture, history and achievements around the world. The bookstore is his way of providing that knowledge to the community.
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His inventory includes a mix of autobiographies by prominent Black figures, books on antiracism and organizing, and dozens of picture books featuring Black and brown children.
In the face of the recession, the rise of Amazon and the decimation of small, independent bookstores, Muhammad closed the shop in 2009. Eight years later, sensing a need in the community, he reopened.
Though there has been a steep drop in foot traffic since March, the bookstore has held on thanks to a boost in online purchases and a GoFundMe campaign. The store has also benefited from the nationwide movement to support Black-owned businesses during the pandemic after the summer’s racial justice protests.
“People responded in a very positive and warming way, and we’re grateful and thankful for the people who’ve supported Malik Books,” Muhammad said. “We love them, we appreciate them.”
The changes that have made it harder to run a small bookstore have also hurt the hundreds of regional malls across the country. The rise of e-commerce and a new emphasis on experiences over possessions among younger generations have created a difficult market for the kind of giant anchor stores that help bring in customers to the smaller shops.
The Crenshaw mall lost Walmart, one of its main drivers of foot traffic, in 2016 as part of the company’s global downsizing. Three years later, Sears closed. Now the mall is up for sale.
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A person walks past Malik Books at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Before the pandemic, Coresight Research, a consulting firm that analyzes the retail industry, estimated that 25% of malls would close in the next five years. Now it expects those closures within the next three years, according to the firm’s president and chief executive, Deborah Weinswig.
To survive, malls will have to modernize and offer more than a traditional shopping experience. Over the last two years, the current owner and prospective buyers have unveiled several proposals to revamp the mall with some combination of office space, apartments, condos, event spaces and a hotel in anticipation of a new light-rail stop expected to open next year when the Crenshaw Line is completed.
The pending sale has left tenants and members of the community to wonder whether the new owners will be committed to maintaining the mall’s role as a community hub for Black Angelenos, or if there will be a completely different complex waiting for them on the other side of the pandemic.
Debuting in 1947 as an open-air shopping center, the mall originally catered to the surrounding area’s white residents. But a Supreme Court decision blocking the enforcement of racially restrictive housing covenants allowed Black people to move into the area, which today is known for its high concentration of affluent and middle-class Black families.
The mall underwent a $100-million renovation in the late 1980s that transformed it from an open-air shopping center into an enclosed space. In 2006, Capri Investment Group purchased the mall for $136 million and has invested $40 million in renovations, including turning the former Magic Johnson Theatres into a Cinemark, and bringing in bigger national chains such as Victoria’s Secret and Chipotle.
“Those are retailers that have historically avoided the South L.A. market and the Crenshaw corridor, so it was a huge win for the community that Capri was able to do that,” said Rachel Freeman, the president and chief executive of Capri Retail Services.
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The mall has also become home to a number of small, Black-owned businesses. In 2011, Capri invited Shoneji Robison and Catarah Coleman of Southern Girl Desserts to open a shop after seeing the interest they attracted during the mall’s summer music festival. The current mall ownership was willing to mentor the businesses and give them room to grow and make mistakes, they said.
“They weren’t trying to be the mall in Culver City,” Coleman said. “They were trying to be a mall where the vendors and the ownership of the different stores and businesses were all from the community. And that’s what makes that mall so special.”
Unlike the rest of the restaurants located completely inside the mall, Southern Girl Desserts managed to stay open through its closure because it has one door that leads outside. It has also turned to online sales.
For some shops, however, the switch to online has been more challenging.
Joseph Cooney, left, is assisted by James Brumfield of James Brumfield Designs in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t understand how in the world people shop online. You must feel that fabric, the size of it, every cut is different,” clothing designer James Brumfield said as he took a break from cutting fabric for a new outfit. For more than 20 years, Brumfield has been selling handcrafted menswear and hats from his shop, James Brumfield Designs. The shop’s tagline is “unique and exotic” and he caters to men 35 and older.
When the mall closed in the spring, Brumfield got to work designing a new collection of denim patchwork outfits that are now on the shelves. Brumfield held up a surprisingly soft button-down shirt from the collection, which comes with matching pants. “It is denim, but then again when you wear it, it’s not quite denim,” he said.
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Brumfield attributed his success to the distinct style customers can find only in his shop. Over the years, he’s attracted a loyal following.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times More stories
Todd Hunnicutt, a 54-year-old retired machine operator, said he would typically wear Brumfield’s designs on a night out or to a jazz festival.
“I used to buy a lot of clothes from this store, a lot of clothes, linen outfits and everything,” Hunnicutt said.
Hunnicutt stopped by the store on a Tuesday afternoon after he saw cars in the mall parking lot. Like many others, he wasn’t sure if the mall was even open, given that it’s been shuttered for much of 2020: from mid-March to mid-June, and again from mid-July to early October.
Foot traffic is down everywhere, but not all malls are feeling the pandemic as deeply as the Crenshaw mall.
On a recent Friday night, dozens of shoppers descended on Westfield Culver City (more commonly referred to as the Fox Hills mall), forming lines outside Sephora, Mac Cosmetics and Champs Sports. Signs in the food court informed shoppers of the new L.A. County mandate preventing the consumption of food and drinks on mall property.
A few miles away, the only line at the Crenshaw mall was outside Bath & Body Works, where customers waited more than an hour to sift through the company’s sale on candles, which have been a hot item during the pandemic.
“This mall was closed for so long, I feel like people don’t even know it’s open,” said Tiffany Potts, a 36-year-old social worker who lives nearby. “I thought it was still closed and then I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, there’s people going in.’”
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Potts said she’s been going to the mall less because of the pandemic, but also because there are fewer stores compared with the nearby Westfield Culver City. “They took out the Walmart — that was the main attraction for most people,” she said.
Many customers see shopping at the Crenshaw mall as a chance to invest in Black ownership.
Debra Goode, 60, has been going to the mall since she was a child, when it was still an outdoor shopping center.
“It’s just everything. It’s everything. It’s always been a good mall to me. It’s my preference to shop here,” Goode said. “Like they say, Black people don’t spend enough money in their own community — we do here.”
The question now is what will the mall become, and whether improvements will boost the community or speed up gentrification — already a significant issue in the surrounding neighborhood.
Community activists, particularly the Downtown Crenshaw coalition, have opposed several plans to redevelop the mall, including Capri’s proposal to build apartments, condos and a 400-room hotel.
Advertisement
The mall is being sold by Capri Urban Investors, a private equity fund managed by Capri Investment Group. When CIM, an L.A.-based real estate firm, announced it was purchasing the mall in April 2020, Downtown Crenshaw opposed the deal over the company’s work with President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the company’s plan to build office space instead of housing. CIM dropped out of the sale in June.
The coalition submitted its own bid to purchase the mall, but was not selected.
For the last several months, the mall was expected to be sold to New York real estate companies Livwrk and DFH Partners in a deal set to close by the end of the year.
Livwrk founder Asher Abehsera has previously told The Times that he plans to discuss plans to reimagine the mall with the community. Last week, Downtown Crenshaw said the deal had fallen through.
Abehsera and Capri Urban Investors did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Some of the mall’s businesses would welcome change.
A shopper walks across a circular space on the ground floor of Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
When Southern Girl Desserts first opened in 2012, its owners were overwhelmed by the amount of foot traffic that poured into the store. But when the Walmart closed, they felt an immediate and sustained decline in customers. Although they recovered from the drop, the rest of the mall hasn’t.
Advertisement
“My thing is, I’m all for growth,” Robison said. “Of course, I have an interest in who the mall is being run by, because we have a business there and we want to make sure that they have our interests at heart, and the interest of those in the community who supported our business over the years.”
She added: “As long as it sounds like something that can be positive, to bring growth to the community and the surrounding area, and even possibly bring dollars, then I’m all for it.”
Others are wary, and worry the mall will be rebuilt from the ground up.
“This is a community-based mall,” Muhammad said. “This is historic, [73 years]. This is the oldest mall in the city and you hear them trying to tear it down, you’re tearing down history.”


latimes--2020-12-23--Column: While crowds are out shopping, at L.A.'s hospitals, 'It feels like we're drowning'

Dr. Adupa Rao will be at work on Christmas Day , and the day after that , and the day after that , because as much as he ’ d like to be home with his family , the current monstrous wave of COVID-19 patients won ’ t allow him time off .
“ It feels like we ’ re drowning here , ” said Rao , a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Keck Hospital of USC .
And there ’ s a fear that if the post-Christmas increase in cases is anything like the post-Thanksgiving bump , , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I look around at my colleagues ’ faces and there ’ s a hollowness in their eyes , a fatigue , ” said Rao .
“ There ’ s a resounding feeling of , ‘ What ’ s next , and how do I brace myself for what ’ s next ?
’ ” I think we owe Rao and his medical colleagues an apology .
Better yet , we owe them more responsible behavior .
At the worst moment in the most horrific pandemic in a hundred years , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it safe .
In recent days , airport traffic has spiked and shopping malls are bustling , even as the L.A. County death toll hit 9,000 .
Rao and four other frontline healthcare workers appear in a public service video released this week by Keck , Cedars Sinai , Dignity Health , Providence and UCLA Health .
In it , they talk about the onslaught of new cases , which has exhausted frontline staff , and ask people to play it safe during the holiday stretch between now and New Year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients than what we ’ ve ever seen , ” says UCLA emergency room doctor Medell Briggs-Malonson .
“ Please do us a favor .
Take care of yourself , take care of each other , so that you can take care of us , and help to save lives.
” I first spoke to Rao and two of his colleagues in July , when the man in the White House was refusing to wear a mask and legions of people were flouting common-sense advice from public health experts on how to slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , Rao and the others described to me in graphic terms the suffering of critically ill COVID-19 patients who were unable to see loved ones in their final moments because of forced isolation .
This week , I circled back to Rao , Dr. Sunita Puri , and emergency room nurse Manny Khodadadi for an update on what ’ s happening on the front lines as the percentage of available critical care beds dropped to zero and Los Angeles County health officials and hospital staffs scrambled to accommodate roughly 700 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since October .
“ Every day , I get texts and phone calls to do an overtime or go in and help cover on lunches and other breaks , ” said Khodadadi .
He told me he struggles to find the right balance , wanting to help out by logging extra shifts , but without working so many hours that he ’ s not fully alert when patients roll into USC Verdugo Hills Hospital .
Khodadadi said that in the current surge , patients have told him they attended Thanksgiving celebrations or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flulike symptoms .
“ I try to stay neutral , ” Khodadadi said .
“ I don ’ t want to judge people , because I have to take care of them.
” But negligent behavior puts a lot of people at risk , including frontline workers and their families .
Khodadadi ’ s wife Jennifer , a property manager and former history teacher , told me it ’ s upsetting to watch rallies of unmasked people or read about those who resist safety protocols .
That ’ s not just because her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother is an ER doctor in Texas , she said , but because the youngest of her three children is immunocompromised .
“ We ’ re very protective of our daughters , ” Jennifer said , and Manny has always been extremely particular about changing , showering and washing his scrubs after work .
“ But as far as the public , we can ’ t control anyone else.
” Puri , a palliative care specialist at Keck , said the current crush of patients is “ emotionally much more intense ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to be this bad .
“ We feel like what we ’ ve seen this year should have been warning enough for people to be a little more careful with things like traveling , wearing masks , all the important preventive things … and sadly we haven ’ t seen that , ” said Puri .
“ There ’ s this tremendous suffering that could have been prevented if we had banded together as a country.
” At Keck Hospital , Puri said , the overwhelming number of patients in COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that says a lot about the inequalities faced by this group.
” It says , in part , that many of them are essential workers exposed to high risk on the job , and that many live in multigenerational households and can ’ t easily isolate when sick .
And the pandemic has been particularly brutal for low-income people who don ’ t have easy year-round access to quality healthcare and are more likely to have health problems such as diabetes and hypertension .
The U.S. death toll is now at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averaging about 85 daily COVID-19 deaths in recent days .
The loss is so great that we ’ re at risk of being desensitized by such statistics unless we ’ ve lost a loved one or we ’ re in the trenches .
“ When you ’ re in the thick of it , and seeing people dying in front of you , that means more than looking at the death rate on a piece of paper , ” said Rao .
Rao said he has no doubt this surge is directly related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incubation period and the spread of the disease by those who were exposed .
He said the challenge of caring for the crush of patients is all the greater because so many “ nurses and physicians are getting infected ” and have been forced to miss work .
And he ’ s anticipating yet another surge that runs through January and into February because of Christmas and New Year gatherings .
“ That ’ s all weighing on our minds and it ’ s extremely frustrating and defeating to know that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to prevent this by wearing a mask and staying isolated as much as possible , and people won ’ t do it .
They can ’ t do it or they won ’ t do it , whatever it is .
The bottom line is that it ’ s not getting done , ” said Rao .
Human nature being what it is , we know that many virus-fatigued people are going to get together with families and friends .
And if they insist , they owe it to each other and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as possible , to respect science and medicine , to meet outdoors and maintain distance .
In fact , until the vaccines are available to the general public , that ’ s still the best way to limit the spread and get to where businesses can reopen .
Rao is taking no such chances , though , other than reporting for duty .
He said that during this holiday season he ’ d love to see his parents ( his father is also a physician ) , who live just a half-mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not worth the risk .
“ I know we ’ re not a great society when it comes to delayed gratification ; we want instant gratification , ” Rao said .
“ But people have to decide whether they want to see their loved ones for one more holiday season , or they want to see them for many more , into the future .
”

Dr. Adupa Rao will be at work on Christmas Day, and the day after that, and the day after that, because as much as he’d like to be home with his family, the current monstrous wave of COVID-19 patients won’t allow him time off.
“It feels like we’re drowning here,” said Rao, a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Keck Hospital of USC.
And there’s a fear that if the post-Christmas increase in cases is anything like the post-Thanksgiving bump, the worst may be yet to come.
“I look around at my colleagues’ faces and there’s a hollowness in their eyes, a fatigue,” said Rao. “There’s a resounding feeling of, ‘What’s next, and how do I brace myself for what’s next?’”
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I think we owe Rao and his medical colleagues an apology. Better yet, we owe them more responsible behavior. At the worst moment in the most horrific pandemic in a hundred years, too many of us aren’t playing it safe. In recent days, airport traffic has spiked and shopping malls are bustling, even as the L.A. County death toll hit 9,000.
Rao and four other frontline healthcare workers appear in a public service video released this week by Keck, Cedars Sinai, Dignity Health, Providence and UCLA Health. In it, they talk about the onslaught of new cases, which has exhausted frontline staff, and ask people to play it safe during the holiday stretch between now and New Year’s weekend.
× Doctors, nurses and frontline staff from Southern California talk about the challenges they face due to COVID-19 and how the public can help slow the spread of the virus this holiday season.
“We have more COVID patients than what we’ve ever seen,” says UCLA emergency room doctor Medell Briggs-Malonson. “Please do us a favor. Take care of yourself, take care of each other, so that you can take care of us, and help to save lives.”
I first spoke to Rao and two of his colleagues in July, when the man in the White House was refusing to wear a mask and legions of people were flouting common-sense advice from public health experts on how to slow the spread of the virus. At the time, Rao and the others described to me in graphic terms the suffering of critically ill COVID-19 patients who were unable to see loved ones in their final moments because of forced isolation.
This week, I circled back to Rao, Dr. Sunita Puri, and emergency room nurse Manny Khodadadi for an update on what’s happening on the front lines as the percentage of available critical care beds dropped to zero and Los Angeles County health officials and hospital staffs scrambled to accommodate roughly 700 new patients daily, a nearly fivefold increase since October.
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“Every day, I get texts and phone calls to do an overtime or go in and help cover on lunches and other breaks,” said Khodadadi. He told me he struggles to find the right balance, wanting to help out by logging extra shifts, but without working so many hours that he’s not fully alert when patients roll into USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital emergency room nurse Manny Khodadadi says COVID-19 patients have told him they feel ill after attending Thanksgiving gatherings. (Steve Lopez / Los Angeles Times)
Khodadadi said that in the current surge, patients have told him they attended Thanksgiving celebrations or other gatherings and soon began getting cold and flulike symptoms.
“I try to stay neutral,” Khodadadi said. “I don’t want to judge people, because I have to take care of them.”
But negligent behavior puts a lot of people at risk, including frontline workers and their families. Khodadadi’s wife Jennifer, a property manager and former history teacher, told me it’s upsetting to watch rallies of unmasked people or read about those who resist safety protocols. That’s not just because her husband is an ER nurse and her brother is an ER doctor in Texas, she said, but because the youngest of her three children is immunocompromised.
“We’re very protective of our daughters,” Jennifer said, and Manny has always been extremely particular about changing, showering and washing his scrubs after work. “But as far as the public, we can’t control anyone else.”
Puri, a palliative care specialist at Keck, said the current crush of patients is “emotionally much more intense” for medical staff, because it didn’t have to be this bad.
“We feel like what we’ve seen this year should have been warning enough for people to be a little more careful with things like traveling, wearing masks, all the important preventive things … and sadly we haven’t seen that,” said Puri. “There’s this tremendous suffering that could have been prevented if we had banded together as a country.”
At Keck Hospital, Puri said, the overwhelming number of patients in COVID critical care are Latino, “and I think that says a lot about the inequalities faced by this group.”
It says, in part, that many of them are essential workers exposed to high risk on the job, and that many live in multigenerational households and can’t easily isolate when sick. And the pandemic has been particularly brutal for low-income people who don’t have easy year-round access to quality healthcare and are more likely to have health problems such as diabetes and hypertension.
The U.S. death toll is now at roughly 325,000, and L.A. County is averaging about 85 daily COVID-19 deaths in recent days. The loss is so great that we’re at risk of being desensitized by such statistics unless we’ve lost a loved one or we’re in the trenches.
“When you’re in the thick of it, and seeing people dying in front of you, that means more than looking at the death rate on a piece of paper,” said Rao.
Rao said he has no doubt this surge is directly related to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings, given the incubation period and the spread of the disease by those who were exposed. He said the challenge of caring for the crush of patients is all the greater because so many “nurses and physicians are getting infected” and have been forced to miss work.
And he’s anticipating yet another surge that runs through January and into February because of Christmas and New Year gatherings.
“That’s all weighing on our minds and it’s extremely frustrating and defeating to know that we have people who can step up and try to prevent this by wearing a mask and staying isolated as much as possible, and people won’t do it. They can’t do it or they won’t do it, whatever it is. The bottom line is that it’s not getting done,” said Rao.
Human nature being what it is, we know that many virus-fatigued people are going to get together with families and friends. And if they insist, they owe it to each other and everyone else to be as smart about it as possible, to respect science and medicine, to meet outdoors and maintain distance.
In fact, until the vaccines are available to the general public, that’s still the best way to limit the spread and get to where businesses can reopen.
Rao is taking no such chances, though, other than reporting for duty. He said that during this holiday season he’d love to see his parents (his father is also a physician), who live just a half-mile from him. But it’s not worth the risk.
“I know we’re not a great society when it comes to delayed gratification; we want instant gratification,” Rao said. “But people have to decide whether they want to see their loved ones for one more holiday season, or they want to see them for many more, into the future.”
Steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-12-23--Praying COVID-19 patient, 82, is bludgeoned to death at Lancaster hospital

A COVID-19 patient beat a fellow patient to death with an oxygen tank last week at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster , authorities said .
The victim , an 82-year-old Latino man , was being treated for a COVID-19 infection in a two-person room with suspect Jesse Martinez , according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department .
Martinez , 37 , reportedly became upset when the victim , a Catholic , started to pray .
He then struck his octogenarian roommate with an oxygen tank just before 10 a.m. Thursday , the Sheriff ’ s Department said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his injuries .
According to the Sheriff ’ s Department , the two men did not know each other .
Martinez was arrested at the scene after hospital staff detained him , according to Lt. Brandon Dean , a spokesman with the Sheriff ’ s Department .
Martinez was charged with murder , with an enhancement for elder abuse and religion-motivated hate crime .
His bail is set at $ 1 million and he ’ s due to appear in court Monday .
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by the news .
“ These families were already experiencing a hardship and now this — it ’ s senseless , ” he said .

Exterior of Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, where one patient beat another patient to death, authorities said.
A COVID-19 patient beat a fellow patient to death with an oxygen tank last week at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, authorities said.
The victim, an 82-year-old Latino man, was being treated for a COVID-19 infection in a two-person room with suspect Jesse Martinez, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Martinez, 37, reportedly became upset when the victim, a Catholic, started to pray. He then struck his octogenarian roommate with an oxygen tank just before 10 a.m. Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The victim died the following morning from his injuries. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the two men did not know each other.
Martinez was arrested at the scene after hospital staff detained him, according to Lt. Brandon Dean, a spokesman with the Sheriff’s Department. Martinez was charged with murder, with an enhancement for elder abuse and religion-motivated hate crime. His bail is set at $1 million and he’s due to appear in court Monday.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement that he was “shocked and saddened” by the news.
“These families were already experiencing a hardship and now this — it’s senseless,” he said.


latimes--2020-12-23--Red flag wildfire warnings issued for Southern California through Thursday

Christmas week is bringing red flag warnings to Southern California , with a wildfire threat likely to last until noon Thursday .
The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity that will create hazardous conditions across the region .
“ Since we also haven ’ t seen really any rain this winter , the vegetation is still pretty dry as well , so that ’ s why we ’ re still talking about fire weather even this late in the season , ” said Kristen Stewart , meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have some sort of rain to alleviate the fire season.
” Santa Ana winds are expected to peak late Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties , with gusts between 40 and 60 mph in some areas , according to the weather service .
The strongest winds are expected in the Santa Clarita Valley , eastern Ventura County valleys and the northern San Fernando Valley .
Humidity is also dropping in the already-dry region to a low of 3 % in some areas .
The weather service in San Diego also issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eve for Orange , San Diego , Riverside and San Bernardino counties .
The most extreme conditions will be in inland mountains and valleys , with gusts up to 60 mph around Cajon Pass , San Gorgonio Pass and the foothills , said meteorologist Samantha Connolly , while most areas will see winds of 30-40 mph .
“ The winds are really picking up through the passes and over the foothills , ” Connolly said .
“ It kind of comes down the mountain.
” This year marked California ’ s worst wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 million acres burned , and topped a decade that has seen eight of the 10 largest fires in the state ’ s history .
Many of this season ’ s fires , such as the Bobcat fire in Angeles National Forest and the Blue Ridge fire in Orange County , burned amid similar conditions , fueled by dry vegetation and fierce winds .
The combination of strong winds and dry fuels makes for ripe fire conditions , as a stray spark can ignite a fast-spreading wildfire .
“ Use extreme caution with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather service said in announcing the red flag warning .
“ This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.
” Heavy winds can topple trees and power lines and create hazardous driving conditions , the weather service warned .
A red flag warning issued for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties was canceled as forecasts improved , the weather service said .

Power utilities across Southern California preemptively shut off power Wednesday to reduce the risk of wildfires as gusty winds created hazardous conditions in the region.
Southern California Edison had shut off power to more than 17,000 customers in six counties — including Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino — by Wednesday evening.
More than 163,000 additional customers are under consideration for shutoffs, according to the utility. Residents can enter their address here to see if they are affected.
“We work to restore power within 24 hours after wind passes,” said Taelor Bakewell, a spokeswoman for the utility. “We need to have line crews inspect the circuit. In some hard-to-access areas, that includes using helicopters or foot patrols.”
San Diego Gas & Electric also shut off power to several hundred customers and said more than 31,000 could be affected. The outages were listed on the utility’s website .
Christmas week has brought red flag warnings to Southern California, with a wildfire threat likely to last until noon Thursday.
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The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity that will create dangerous conditions in the area.
“Since we also haven’t seen really any rain this winter, the vegetation is still pretty dry as well, so that’s why we’re still talking about fire weather even this late in the season,” said Kristen Stewart, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. “Usually by [now], we have some sort of rain to alleviate the fire season.”
Santa Ana winds are expected to peak late Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with gusts between 40 and 60 mph in some areas, according to the weather service. The strongest winds are expected in the Santa Clarita Valley, eastern Ventura County valleys and the northern San Fernando Valley. Humidity is also dropping in the already-dry region to a low of 3% in some areas.
The weather service in San Diego also issued a red flag warning through noon Christmas Eve for Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The most extreme conditions will be in inland mountains and valleys, with gusts up to 60 mph around Cajon Pass, San Gorgonio Pass and the foothills, said meteorologist Samantha Connolly, while most areas will see winds of 30 to 40 mph.
“The winds are really picking up through the passes and over the foothills,” Connolly said. “It kind of comes down the mountain.”
RED FLAG WARNING in effect for much of L.A. and Ventura Counties WED-THU. Winds gusting 40-60 mph over the mtns, RH 3-10 percent. Use caution!! #CAwx #SoCal #CAfire pic.twitter.com/3XcmRD4Evt — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 22, 2020
This year marked California’s worst wildfire season on record, with more than 4 million acres burned, topping a decade that has seen eight of the 10 largest fires in the state’s history.
Many of this season’s fires, such as the Bobcat fire in Angeles National Forest and the Blue Ridge fire in Orange County, burned amid similar conditions, fueled by dry vegetation and fierce winds.
The combination of strong winds and dry fuels makes for ripe fire conditions, as a stray spark can ignite a fast-spreading wildfire.
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“Use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources,” the weather service said in announcing the red flag warning. “This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.”
Heavy winds can topple trees and power lines and create hazardous driving conditions, the weather service warned.


latimes--2020-12-23--California becomes 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 , another marker of the wrenching toll the pandemic is inflicting .
The 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 .
The soaring number of cases in recent weeks added an astonishing half a million new cases in just the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third among the 50 states , the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as having the most 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 coronavirus cases in just six weeks .
Cumulatively , California ranks 36th among the 50 states , the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for highest number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents .
Los Angeles County reported its deadliest day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dire development officials said serves both as a sobering reminder of the danger posed by the disease and an alarming harbinger of even darker days ahead unless everyone takes steps to turn back the tidal wave of new infections .
The additional 145 deaths surpassed the previous daily high of 134 seen a week ago , and were announced the day after the county officially surpassed another morbid milestone : 9,000 total coronavirus-related fatalities .
“ We ’ re in really , really bad shape , and the only way for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is for more people to start following the rules , ” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a briefing Wednesday .
Chief among those , she said , is that “ everyone needs to stay home as much as possible and not visit with people that aren ’ t in their household.
” Even before Wednesday ’ s record report , the county had averaged 85 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week , an all-time high .
In early November , the county was averaging about 12 coronavirus-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Public health officials are now awaiting the arrival of Christmas and New Year ’ s with bated breath .
Many seeds of the current surge , they say , were planted by people defying public health guidance against traveling and gathering with those outside their households for Thanksgiving .
If large numbers of Californians do the same this time around , officials warn , it ’ s almost certain to trigger yet another surge .
“ We are experiencing , we have experienced , the surge on top of the surge from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday .
“ And , obviously , the most important message that we can communicate today is to do everything in our power to mitigate the spread and the transfer of this virus during this very vulnerable period of time , because this virus loves social events .
This virus thrives in that atmosphere.
” More than 23,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began , a milestone crossed Tuesday .
Over the last 14 days , more than 3,000 have died — a staggering number that accounts for 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total fatalities .
Those numbers serve as a “ sober , sober reminder of how deadly this disease is , and how tragic the loss of every life is , ” according to Newsom .
On Tuesday , 375 deaths were reported statewide , according to a county-by-county tally conducted by The Times , marking the second worst death toll in a single day , just short of the record recorded Dec. 16 , when 394 deaths were recorded .
Fresno County reported 89 deaths Tuesday ; previously , the largest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 28 , which happened Dec. 11 .
Fresno County is now reporting nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week , nearly seven times worse than the comparable number from Thanksgiving .
Fresno County is now averaging 13 deaths a day from COVID-19 over the last seven days ; the comparable number from Thanksgiving was two deaths a day .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , or keeping them in the emergency room for longer than normal .

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--2020-12-23--How to holiday shop as safely as possible amid a pandemic

With Christmas fast approaching , malls and other retail centers are seeing a burst of holiday shopping .
But this rite of the season comes amid an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis , which in recent weeks has begun to hit some shopping malls hard .
Local and state governments imposed restrictions on shopping , including occupancy limits and mask and social distancing rules .
Still , there has been growing alarm at the size of the crowds at some centers .
“ We ’ ve all seen images of people out and about .
Lots of people in parks .
Images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we are very worried about what this could mean in the days and weeks to come , ” L.A. County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said this week .
“ If you ’ re still out there shopping for your loved ones for this holiday season , or you ’ re planning a holiday get-together , then you are missing the gravity of the situation that is affecting hospitals across Los Angeles County and California and this nation.
” Officials have urged people to avoid last-minute holiday shopping in person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores , they should be prepared to leave if stores seem too crowded or are not following proper protocols , said L.A. County chief medical officer Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser .
Many experts also recommended minimizing time in the store , as longer exposures to infected people increase the likelihood of transmission .
Gunzenhauser pointed out that customers are more likely to be in close contact with other shoppers than with employees , so community prevalence may be a better indicator of risk than whether a store ‘ s staff recently suffered an outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are believed to be infectious with COVID-19 .
“ Our first recommendation is stay home as much as possible , ” he said .
How to stay as safe as possible ?
Here are some guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control : • Wear a in public settings and when around people who don ’ t live in your household , especially when social is distancing is difficult .
• When you do have to visit in person , go during hours when fewer people will be there ( for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • If you are at severe illness , find out whether the store has special hours for people at higher risk .
If it does , try to shop during those hours .
• If you normally bring your own reusable shopping bags , ensure they are cleaned before each use .
Some locations have temporarily banned the use of reusable shopping bags during the COVID-19 pandemic , so check your state , local , store or market policies before bringing reusable bags .
• Disinfect the shopping cart , using disinfecting wipes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your eyes , nose or mouth with unwashed hands .
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others while shopping and in lines .
• Use marked entry or exit points , and follow any signs or floor markings designed to keep people at least 6 feet apart .
• Touch only products that you plan to buy , if possible .
• Consider not consuming samples or purchasing food or drink items from self-service stations .
• If possible , use touchless payment ( pay without touching money , a card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you must handle money , a card or use a keypad , use hand sanitizer right after paying .
• Notify your supervisor and stay home if you ’ re having ( fever , cough , or shortness of breath ) .
• Follow if you are sick .
You should not return to work until the criteria to are met , in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments .
• Follow and notify your supervisor if you are well but have a sick family member at home with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others and maintain a distance of at least 6 feet , when possible .
• Remind customers to maintain 6 feet distance from workers and other customers with verbal announcements on the loudspeaker and written signage .
• The CDC recommends in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain , especially in areas of significant community-based transmission .
Cloth face coverings may prevent people who don ’ t know they have the virus from transmitting it to others .
These face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended or required .
• Encourage customers to use touchless payment options , when available .
Minimize handling cash , credit cards , reward cards and mobile devices , where possible .
• When exchanging paper and coin money : • Do not touch your face afterward .
• Ask customers to place cash on the counter rather than directly into your hand .
• Place money directly on the counter when providing change back to customers .
• Wipe counter between each customer at checkout .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as workstations , cash registers , payment terminals , door handles , tables , and countertops on a routine basis .
Follow the directions on the cleaning product ’ s label and clean hands afterward .
• Practice proper .
This is an important infection control measure .
With appropriate hand hygiene , gloves are not necessary for workers who are not involved in food preparation .
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds .
An alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 % alcohol can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substitute for cleaning hands with soap and water .
• Key times to clean hands include : • Before , during , and after preparing food • After using the toilet • After blowing your nose , coughing , or sneezing • After putting on , touching , or removing cloth face coverings • Additional workplace-specific times to clean hands include : • Before and after work shifts and periodically throughout shift • Before and after work breaks • After touching money or objects that have been handled by customers , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and taking off disposable gloves when performing food prep • Do not touch your eyes , nose , or mouth .
• Use tissues when you cough , sneeze , or touch your face .
Throw used tissues in the trash .
So what are the L.A. County rules for retailers ?
Here is a summary from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health : • Limit occupancy to 20 % of the overall mall or shopping center capacity .
• Prohibit eating or drinking in the shopping center .
• Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic conditions or compromised immune systems .
• Holiday-oriented activities or events , including photos with Santa , are not permitted per the Regional Stay at Home Order .
• Face coverings must be worn by employees working in cubicles , including cubicles equipped with partitions .
This is a temporary measure .
• At all times when eating or drinking , employees must maintain a 6-foot distance from others and should do so outdoors , if possible .
Eating or drinking at a cubicle or workstation is preferred to eating in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping centers to close between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. • Outdoor dining areas must close .
Restaurants may offer takeout , drive-through or delivery .

People walk against the suggested flow of foot traffic at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce on Tuesday.
With Christmas fast approaching, malls and other retail centers are seeing a burst of holiday shopping.
But this rite of the season comes amid an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, which in recent weeks has begun to hit some shopping malls hard.
Local and state governments imposed restrictions on shopping, including occupancy limits and mask and social distancing rules. Still, there has been growing alarm at the size of the crowds at some centers.
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“We’ve all seen images of people out and about. Lots of people in parks. Images of busy shopping centers and retail centers. And we are very worried about what this could mean in the days and weeks to come,” L.A. County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said this week. “If you’re still out there shopping for your loved ones for this holiday season, or you’re planning a holiday get-together, then you are missing the gravity of the situation that is affecting hospitals across Los Angeles County and California and this nation.”
Officials have urged people to avoid last-minute holiday shopping in person if possible. If people do visit stores, they should be prepared to leave if stores seem too crowded or are not following proper protocols, said L.A. County chief medical officer Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser. Many experts also recommended minimizing time in the store, as longer exposures to infected people increase the likelihood of transmission.
Gunzenhauser pointed out that customers are more likely to be in close contact with other shoppers than with employees, so community prevalence may be a better indicator of risk than whether a store‘s staff recently suffered an outbreak. Currently, 1 in 80 Angelenos are believed to be infectious with COVID-19.
“Our first recommendation is stay home as much as possible,” he said.
How to stay as safe as possible? Here are some guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control:
For shoppers
Wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when social is distancing is difficult.
in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when social is distancing is difficult. When you do have to visit in person, go during hours when fewer people will be there (for example, early morning or late night).
If you are at higher risk for severe illness, find out whether the store has special hours for people at higher risk. If it does, try to shop during those hours.
severe illness, find out whether the store has special hours for people at higher risk. If it does, try to shop during those hours. If you normally bring your own reusable shopping bags, ensure they are cleaned before each use. Some locations have temporarily banned the use of reusable shopping bags during the COVID-19 pandemic, so check your state, local, store or market policies before bringing reusable bags.
Disinfect the shopping cart, using disinfecting wipes if available.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Stay at least 6 feet away from others while shopping and in lines.
Use marked entry or exit points, and follow any signs or floor markings designed to keep people at least 6 feet apart.
Touch only products that you plan to buy, if possible.
Consider not consuming samples or purchasing food or drink items from self-service stations.
If possible, use touchless payment (pay without touching money, a card, or a keypad). If you must handle money, a card or use a keypad, use hand sanitizer right after paying.
For retail workers
Notify your supervisor and stay home if you’re having symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath).
(fever, cough, or shortness of breath). Follow CDC-recommended steps if you are sick. You should not return to work until the criteria to discontinue home isolation are met, in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.
if you are sick. You should not return to work until the criteria to are met, in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments. Follow CDC recommended precautions and notify your supervisor if you are well but have a sick family member at home with COVID-19.
and notify your supervisor if you are well but have a sick family member at home with COVID-19. Limit close contact with others and maintain a distance of at least 6 feet, when possible.
Remind customers to maintain 6 feet distance from workers and other customers with verbal announcements on the loudspeaker and written signage.
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it to others. These face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended or required.
in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it to others. These face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended or required. Encourage customers to use touchless payment options, when available. Minimize handling cash, credit cards, reward cards and mobile devices, where possible.
When exchanging paper and coin money:
Do not touch your face afterward. Ask customers to place cash on the counter rather than directly into your hand. Place money directly on the counter when providing change back to customers. Wipe counter between each customer at checkout.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as workstations, cash registers, payment terminals, door handles, tables, and countertops on a routine basis. Follow the directions on the cleaning product’s label and clean hands afterward.
Practice proper hand hygiene . This is an important infection control measure. With appropriate hand hygiene, gloves are not necessary for workers who are not involved in food preparation. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used, but not as a substitute for cleaning hands with soap and water.
. This is an important infection control measure. With appropriate hand hygiene, gloves are not necessary for workers who are not involved in food preparation. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used, but not as a substitute for cleaning hands with soap and water. Key times to clean hands include:
Before, during, and after preparing food Before eating food After using the toilet After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing After putting on, touching, or removing cloth face coverings
Additional workplace-specific times to clean hands include:
Before and after work shifts and periodically throughout shift Before and after work breaks After touching money or objects that have been handled by customers, such as reusable grocery bags Before putting on and taking off disposable gloves when performing food prep
Avoid contact with body fluids.
Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Use tissues when you cough, sneeze, or touch your face. Throw used tissues in the trash.
So what are the L.A. County rules for retailers? Here is a summary from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:
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latimes--2020-12-23--Column: The bittersweet victory of Alex Padilla, California's first Latino U.S. senator

Well , Gavin Newsom took two-thirds of my advice .
In November , I wrote that he should pick a Latino from the San Fernando Valley to replace Kamala Harris as a California U.S. senator .
The governor got the location and ethnicity right , but not my guy : I suggested Hollywood macho man Danny Trejo , aka “ Machete , ” but Newsom went with Secretary of State Alex Padilla .
The Pacoima native is the first Latino to ever represent California as a U.S. senator .
And it ’ s truly a historic , wonderful moment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state needs right now .
He ’ s the first-ever California U.S. senator born in Los Angeles .
The son of Mexican immigrants .
Grew up working-class in the suburbs .
Graduated from MIT , which already makes him smarter than nearly all of his new colleagues combined .
The 47-year-old is from the generation of Californians who became radicalized as teens and young adults due to Proposition 187 , the 1994 anti-immigrant ballot initiative that nearly two-thirds of voters passed but which instead turned California into a national Democratic hammer .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles city councilmember , state senator , secretary of state — that will serve him well in D.C. as a senator who knows the needs of local and state governments .
I ’ m happy with Newsom ’ s choice .
But Padilla ’ s achievement also feels bittersweet .
Latinos are a plurality of California ’ s population — and we just got a U.S. senator ?
We ’ re the ethnic group who helped the Democrats take control of the Golden State once and for all .
And the only way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become U.S. senator is through an appointment ?
Padilla ’ s move doesn ’ t prove that Latinos have finally fulfilled our political potential .
It ’ s a reminder that we have so much further to go .
With Padilla now our senator , and former California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra in line to become President-elect Joe Biden ’ s secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services , that means Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is the sole Latino in California ’ s executive branch — and that position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a swim .
Padilla , while well-liked in Democratic circles , must run for election in two years .
Already , Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — the apples in the eyes of progressives who find Padilla not radical enough despite his successful fights against Donald Trump over allegations of voter fraud — have amassed war chests for likely runs against their fellow Democrat .
I still don ’ t see a Latino that can win in a gubernatorial race after Newsom leaves office .
A Latino is unlikely to take Dianne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retires .
And the California Republican Party — headed by a Latina , no less — is ready to channel widespread anger toward Newsom and a better-than-expected turnout among Latinos for Donald Trump to wrangle up more of us into the GOP camp than ever before .
More than a triumph , Alex Padilla as U.S. senator represents a dream that ’ s still deferred .
Over the 20 years of my journalism career , I ’ ve heard again and again that Latinos have finally flexed our proverbial political muscles .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally representing our communities on the local and state legislative level through strategizing and willpower .
But when it comes to following through on our potential statewide power , we ’ re 90-pound weaklings .
A lot of the fault lies in the missteps of some of the very people we ’ ve pushed as our Brown Moses to lead us out of the political wilderness .
Padilla ’ s announcement takes me back to 2005 , when he sat on the Los Angeles City Council .
That year , the future seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s corridors of power .
Antonio Villaraigosa was Los Angeles mayor , Jose Huizar headed the L.A. Unified School District .
Rocky Delgadillo was city attorney , and Gloria Molina chaired the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors .
In Sacramento , Cruz Bustamante was lieutenant governor , and Fabian Nuñez was speaker of the house .
Throw former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca into this Mexican mix , and Latinos had a farm system of talent ready for the big leagues to rival the Dodgers under Branch Rickey .
Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that group — remains in political office .
With the exception of Molina , everyone else flamed out or got caught up in scandals that set back the cause of Latino politicians for a good generation .
We ’ ve been waiting for this moment — and we ’ re still not there just yet .
So I hope Padilla celebrates tonight , then takes a second to ponder the profundity of what he now means .
He reached the top of a ladder that shouldn ’ t have been this high .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up there , may he lift up more of us — by throwing away the ladder , and opening the door on the first floor .

Alex Padilla’s promotion shows that Latinos still have a long way to go in asserting their political muscle in California, Gustavo Arellano writes.
Well, Gavin Newsom took two-thirds of my advice.
In November, I wrote that he should pick a Latino from the San Fernando Valley to replace Kamala Harris as a California U.S. senator.
The governor got the location and ethnicity right, but not my guy: I suggested Hollywood macho man Danny Trejo, aka “Machete,” but Newsom went with Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
The Pacoima native is the first Latino to ever represent California as a U.S. senator. And it’s truly a historic, wonderful moment, because Padilla exemplifies everything good that this state needs right now.
He’s the first-ever California U.S. senator born in Los Angeles. The son of Mexican immigrants. Grew up working-class in the suburbs. Graduated from MIT, which already makes him smarter than nearly all of his new colleagues combined.
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The 47-year-old is from the generation of Californians who became radicalized as teens and young adults due to Proposition 187, the 1994 anti-immigrant ballot initiative that nearly two-thirds of voters passed but which instead turned California into a national Democratic hammer.
He has climbed a political ladder — Los Angeles city councilmember, state senator, secretary of state — that will serve him well in D.C. as a senator who knows the needs of local and state governments.
I’m happy with Newsom’s choice. But Padilla’s achievement also feels bittersweet.
Latinos are a plurality of California’s population — and we just got a U.S. senator?
We’re the ethnic group who helped the Democrats take control of the Golden State once and for all. And the only way Latinos could get one of our own to become U.S. senator is through an appointment?
Padilla’s move doesn’t prove that Latinos have finally fulfilled our political potential. It’s a reminder that we have so much further to go.
With Padilla now our senator, and former California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra in line to become President-elect Joe Biden’s secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, that means Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is the sole Latino in California’s executive branch — and that position is about as potent as an iPhone after a swim.
Padilla, while well-liked in Democratic circles, must run for election in two years. Already, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — the apples in the eyes of progressives who find Padilla not radical enough despite his successful fights against Donald Trump over allegations of voter fraud — have amassed war chests for likely runs against their fellow Democrat.
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I still don’t see a Latino that can win in a gubernatorial race after Newsom leaves office. A Latino is unlikely to take Dianne Feinstein’s seat when she finally retires.
And the California Republican Party — headed by a Latina, no less — is ready to channel widespread anger toward Newsom and a better-than-expected turnout among Latinos for Donald Trump to wrangle up more of us into the GOP camp than ever before.
More than a triumph, Alex Padilla as U.S. senator represents a dream that’s still deferred.
Over the 20 years of my journalism career, I’ve heard again and again that Latinos have finally flexed our proverbial political muscles. We’ve done a great job of finally representing our communities on the local and state legislative level through strategizing and willpower. But when it comes to following through on our potential statewide power, we’re 90-pound weaklings.
A lot of the fault lies in the missteps of some of the very people we’ve pushed as our Brown Moses to lead us out of the political wilderness.
Padilla’s announcement takes me back to 2005, when he sat on the Los Angeles City Council. That year, the future seemed easy for a Latino reconquista of California’s corridors of power. Antonio Villaraigosa was Los Angeles mayor, Jose Huizar headed the L.A. Unified School District. Rocky Delgadillo was city attorney, and Gloria Molina chaired the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
In Sacramento, Cruz Bustamante was lieutenant governor, and Fabian Nuñez was speaker of the house. Throw former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca into this Mexican mix, and Latinos had a farm system of talent ready for the big leagues to rival the Dodgers under Branch Rickey.
Today, only Padilla — the quiet kid among that group — remains in political office. With the exception of Molina, everyone else flamed out or got caught up in scandals that set back the cause of Latino politicians for a good generation.
Until Padilla.
We’ve been waiting for this moment — and we’re still not there just yet. So I hope Padilla celebrates tonight, then takes a second to ponder the profundity of what he now means.
He reached the top of a ladder that shouldn’t have been this high. Now, with him all the way up there, may he lift up more of us — by throwing away the ladder, and opening the door on the first floor.