latimes--2020-12-10--In Becerra as first Latino health secretary, Biden gets a team player who's tough in a fight

In Xavier Becerra , President-elect Joe Biden is getting a team player , savvy politician and competent manager — who excels at being in the right place at the right time .
He ’ s also a truly nice guy who won ’ t be an administration troublemaker , but he can be tough in a fight .
And he ’ s Washington-ready , not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels .
But , unlike many in politics , he ’ s not a media-seeking grandstander .
The California attorney general is unquestionably a liberal , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allege .
Becerra once said he supported “ Medicare for all.
” But what does that mean ?
Leftists who advocate for that don ’ t mean real Medicare , which is supplemented with private insurance .
They want government-only medical coverage .
Becerra has said he favors Biden ’ s more moderate , practical proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — with a “ public option ” of government-funded insurance .
That ’ s just one of the complicated , heated battles Becerra will face as Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a snake pit of programs that attract fiercely competing interests and ideologies and can overwhelm someone trying to lead it .
The sprawling agency spends more than $ 1.4 trillion annually and is responsible for the health coverage of more than 100 million Americans , mostly through Medicare and Medicaid .
Becerra , 62 , seems up to the job based on his four-year tenure as California ’ s “ top cop ” running a large bureaucracy and 12 terms previously as a U.S. House member representing Central Los Angeles .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maneuver Obamacare through the House .
The son of working-class Mexican immigrants , he would be the first Latino U.S. health secretary if confirmed by the Senate .
He also was California ’ s first Latino attorney general .
It was a smart move by Biden to settle on Becerra for the job after two earlier potential nominees botched their chances to become prestigious cabinet members .
New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , a co-chair of Biden ’ s transition team , was eager to run HHS , according to published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead and turned it down , upsetting the president-elect ’ s top advisors .
She wound up getting nothing so far .
Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo was about to be offered the HHS job , according to news reports .
But she has kids in school and wasn ’ t keen on moving to Washington .
She also fretted about turf — how much of a role she ’ d have in fighting the pandemic and vaccinating Americans .
So , the governor publicly announced she didn ’ t want the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Becerra , who had already been vetted and was on the short list for U.S. attorney general .
Becerra didn ’ t hesitate .
He jumped at the offer , realizing that an opportunity to become a cabinet secretary is usually a once-in-a-lifetime priceless gift .
You ’ re powerful and treated like royalty , especially as a top player in a new administration .
You don ’ t get choosy about the job or fight over turf before you ’ re even nominated .
Biden showed strength in sticking to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preferences of the two governors .
Becerra was in the right place at the right time — as he was in 2016 when then-Gov .
Jerry Brown selected him to fill the attorney general post being vacated by Kamala Harris .
Harris had just been elected to the U.S. Senate , an office she would use as a springboard to vice president-elect .
Right before the 2016 general election , Becerra was in Sacramento campaigning for two congressional candidates .
At a reception , he ran into a former Washington acquaintance : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top aide .
They talked for a long while .
Harris seemed a cinch to win the Senate seat , and Brown hadn ’ t decided on a replacement .
McFadden started thinking : “ What about Xavier ?
” McFadden suggested Becerra to Brown , who was impressed with the congressman ’ s résumé and political smarts , she told me later .
The governor talked with Becerra on the phone and offered him the job .
“ It wasn ’ t a hard decision , ” she said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots of sense for the Democrat to give up his House seat and return to his hometown of Sacramento to become state attorney general .
Donald Trump had been elected president , and Republicans would control both houses of Congress .
Becerra probably caught Biden ’ s eye by filing more than 100 federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over , you name it : the administration ’ s attempts to scuttle Obamacare , its anti-immigration policies , efforts to undermine California ’ s environmental protections and weaken the state ’ s attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been steadily winning in court .
Critics thought he was too obsessed with suing Trump .
“ We don ’ t wake up looking to pick a fight , but when the Trump administration threatens our people , values and resources , we ’ re ready , ” Becerra has said .
Becerra has also been criticized by many Republicans for writing official titles and summaries of ballot propositions with a Democratic bias .
And they ’ re right .
Chalk it up to his being a party team player .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ select Becerra to replace Harris as senator .
But that wasn ’ t going to happen .
And Becerra wasn ’ t even campaigning for the Senate seat .
He assumed — most likely correctly — that it will go to Secretary of State Alex Padilla , a longtime Newsom loyalist .
Maybe Becerra ’ s first task now should be to teach his future boss to pronounce his name .
Biden butchered it twice introducing his new nominee to a national TV audience .

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra is President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. He’s not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels, columnist George Skelton writes.
In Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden is getting a team player, savvy politician and competent manager — who excels at being in the right place at the right time.
He’s also a truly nice guy who won’t be an administration troublemaker, but he can be tough in a fight.
And he’s Washington-ready, not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels.
But, unlike many in politics, he’s not a media-seeking grandstander.
Advertisement
The California attorney general is unquestionably a liberal, but not a far-left radical as some Senate Republicans allege.
Becerra once said he supported “Medicare for all.” But what does that mean? Leftists who advocate for that don’t mean real Medicare, which is supplemented with private insurance. They want government-only medical coverage.
Becerra has said he favors Biden’s more moderate, practical proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — with a “public option” of government-funded insurance.
That’s just one of the complicated, heated battles Becerra will face as Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services, a snake pit of programs that attract fiercely competing interests and ideologies and can overwhelm someone trying to lead it.
The sprawling agency spends more than $1.4 trillion annually and is responsible for the health coverage of more than 100 million Americans, mostly through Medicare and Medicaid.
Advertisement
Becerra, 62, seems up to the job based on his four-year tenure as California’s “top cop” running a large bureaucracy and 12 terms previously as a U.S. House member representing Central Los Angeles. He was chairman of the Democratic Caucus and helped maneuver Obamacare through the House.
The son of working-class Mexican immigrants, he would be the first Latino U.S. health secretary if confirmed by the Senate. He also was California’s first Latino attorney general.
It was a smart move by Biden to settle on Becerra for the job after two earlier potential nominees botched their chances to become prestigious cabinet members.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a co-chair of Biden’s transition team, was eager to run HHS, according to published reports. She was offered Interior secretary instead and turned it down, upsetting the president-elect’s top advisors. She wound up getting nothing so far.
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo was about to be offered the HHS job, according to news reports. But she has kids in school and wasn’t keen on moving to Washington. She also fretted about turf — how much of a role she’d have in fighting the pandemic and vaccinating Americans. So, the governor publicly announced she didn’t want the job.
The Biden team quickly turned to Becerra, who had already been vetted and was on the short list for U.S. attorney general.
Becerra didn’t hesitate. He jumped at the offer, realizing that an opportunity to become a cabinet secretary is usually a once-in-a-lifetime priceless gift. You’re powerful and treated like royalty, especially as a top player in a new administration. You don’t get choosy about the job or fight over turf before you’re even nominated.
Biden showed strength in sticking to his guns and not giving in to the preferences of the two governors.
Becerra was in the right place at the right time — as he was in 2016 when then-Gov. Jerry Brown selected him to fill the attorney general post being vacated by Kamala Harris. Harris had just been elected to the U.S. Senate, an office she would use as a springboard to vice president-elect.
Right before the 2016 general election, Becerra was in Sacramento campaigning for two congressional candidates. At a reception, he ran into a former Washington acquaintance: the late Nancy McFadden, Brown’s top aide. They talked for a long while. Harris seemed a cinch to win the Senate seat, and Brown hadn’t decided on a replacement. McFadden started thinking: “What about Xavier?”
McFadden suggested Becerra to Brown, who was impressed with the congressman’s résumé and political smarts, she told me later. The governor talked with Becerra on the phone and offered him the job.
“It wasn’t a hard decision,” she said. “It just made sense.”
It also made lots of sense for the Democrat to give up his House seat and return to his hometown of Sacramento to become state attorney general. Donald Trump had been elected president, and Republicans would control both houses of Congress.
Becerra probably caught Biden’s eye by filing more than 100 federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over, you name it: the administration’s attempts to scuttle Obamacare, its anti-immigration policies, efforts to undermine California’s environmental protections and weaken the state’s attempts to fight climate change.
Becerra has been steadily winning in court.
Critics thought he was too obsessed with suing Trump.
“We don’t wake up looking to pick a fight, but when the Trump administration threatens our people, values and resources, we’re ready,” Becerra has said.
Becerra has also been criticized by many Republicans for writing official titles and summaries of ballot propositions with a Democratic bias. And they’re right. Chalk it up to his being a party team player.
There was speculation that Gov. Gavin Newsom might select Becerra to replace Harris as senator. But that wasn’t going to happen. And Becerra wasn’t even campaigning for the Senate seat. He assumed — most likely correctly — that it will go to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a longtime Newsom loyalist.
Maybe Becerra’s first task now should be to teach his future boss to pronounce his name. Biden butchered it twice introducing his new nominee to a national TV audience.


latimes--2020-12-10--Woman is pulled from truck pinned under container loader at Port of Long Beach

The Long Beach Fire Department rescued a woman on Wednesday who was trapped in a truck that was pinned underneath @ @ @ @ @ Port of Long Beach .
Officials responded to the incident just before 8 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ a public information officer with the department .
Multiple fire engines and a search-and-rescue team @ @ @ @ @ , who is in her 60s .
“ It was just very technical because it @ @ @ @ @ that we had to stabilize and cut around to be able to remove her , @ @ @ @ @ said he did not know how the crash occurred or if someone was operating the @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman , who had been driving the truck , was taken to a @ @ @ @ @ said to be stable .

A woman was rescued by the Long Beach Fire Department on Wednesday after the truck she was driving was pinned under a container loader.
The Long Beach Fire Department rescued a woman on Wednesday who was trapped in a truck that was pinned underneath a container loader at the Port of Long Beach.
Officials responded to the incident just before 8 p.m., according to Jack Crabtree, a public information officer with the department.
Multiple fire engines and a search-and-rescue team worked to extract the woman, who is in her 60s.
Advertisement
“It was just very technical because it was involving two different vehicles that we had to stabilize and cut around to be able to remove her,” said Crabtree.
He said he did not know how the crash occurred or if someone was operating the container loader at the time. The woman, who had been driving the truck, was taken to a hospital with injuries but was said to be stable.


latimes--2020-12-10--The Golden State's future? Most Californians are pessimistic

California may call itself the Golden State , but most Californians see its future as tarnished .
In a wide-ranging new survey of attitudes toward the economy , 6 in 10 residents said they expect California ’ s children to be worse off financially than their parents .
More than two-thirds said California ’ s gap between the rich and poor is widening .
And nearly 6 in 10 anticipate “ mostly periods of widespread unemployment or depression ” during the next five years .
“ People are gloomy , ” said Mark Baldassare , president and chief executive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which conducted the survey .
“ They ’ re very , very worried about the short term and the long term.
” The poll , conducted just after the November election , revealed more pessimism about the future generation than the group ’ s 2014 and 2018 surveys .
The mood might be influenced by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the political climate , Baldassare suggested .
“ When we were coming out of the Great Recession , there was a lot of hope , ” Baldassare said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Help is on the way with a vaccine , but hope seems to be lagging.
” Two years ago , just half of the Californians surveyed by the PPIC said children growing up at that time would be worse off financially than their parents .
In 2018 , a national poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found 57 % of Americans expecting children would be worse off .
Californians ’ somber outlook came as the state ’ s unemployment rate dropped from this year ’ s high of 16.4 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — still far above the pre-pandemic 3.9 % .
Coronavirus infections , hospitalizations and deaths are rising across the state , but UCLA forecasters predicted this week that California ’ s economy , which was booming before the coronavirus , will roar back this spring if vaccinations become widespread .
Depending on their race , ethnicity and income , Californians differ significantly in their economic outlook .
White and higher-income residents were more sour about the future than others .
Among those surveyed , 76 % of white respondents said children growing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents .
That compares with 47 % of Latinos , 62 % of Black Americans and 67 % of Asian Americans .
The wealthiest were the least optimistic .
Respondents with incomes of $ 80,000 a year or more were downbeat about the prospects of California ’ s next generation , with 73 % saying children would be worse off than their parents .
That compares with 58 % of those earning between $ 40,000 and $ 80,000 and 54 % of those making less than $ 40,000 .
Baldassare suggested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Maybe white respondents set the bar higher based on what they have , ” he said .
“ They ’ re saying , ‘ We ’ ve had it pretty good , but I don ’ t see how our children are going to afford our lifestyle.
’ “ And people who make over $ 80,000 are thinking , ‘ We ’ re going to be the last generation living like this.
’ ” Asked about the gap between rich and poor in their part of the state , 69 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % said it has remained the same and 6 % said it was narrowing .
Broken down by geography , the answers differ .
In the San Francisco Bay Area , 78 % said the gap is growing , compared with 70 % in Los Angeles and in the region covering Orange County and San Diego .
In the Central Valley and Inland Empire regions , just 61 % saw inequality as rising .
Large demographic differences also emerged over how much race and ethnicity contributes to inequality nationwide .
Far more Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributes “ a great deal.
” Just 29 % of white respondents , 32 % of Asian Americans and 36 % of Latinos agreed .
The survey highlights the role of the pandemic in the state ’ s economic inequality .
Of Latinos , many of whom depend on service jobs in public venues , 44 % said they were “ very worried ” that someone in their families would get sick .
Just 21 % of white people , 23 % of Black people and 31 % of Asian Americans said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most economic distress in the last 12 months .
Among those earning less than $ 40,000 a year , 42 % said they had cut back on food to save money , as opposed to 27 % of those with incomes between $ 40,000 and $ 80,000 and 12 % of those making $ 80,000 or more .
The survey asked about solutions to economic woes .
More than 7 in 10 supported more child care funding for low-wage parents , a government health insurance plan similar to Medicare and expansion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % said their workplace offers affiliation with a union , a worker center or other groups representing workers .
But 78 % said it is important for workers to organize .
The findings are based on an online survey of 2,325 Californians with a margin of error of 3.1 % for all respondents .

More than two-thirds of Californians say the gap between rich and poor is widening in the state, according to a November survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Above, a homeless encampment along Beaudry Street in downtown Los Angeles.
California may call itself the Golden State, but most Californians see its future as tarnished.
In a wide-ranging new survey of attitudes toward the economy, 6 in 10 residents said they expect California’s children to be worse off financially than their parents.
More than two-thirds said California’s gap between the rich and poor is widening. And nearly 6 in 10 anticipate “mostly periods of widespread unemployment or depression” during the next five years.
Advertisement
“People are gloomy,” said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive of the Public Policy Institute of California, which conducted the survey. “They’re very, very worried about the short term and the long term.”
The poll, conducted just after the November election, revealed more pessimism about the future generation than the group’s 2014 and 2018 surveys. The mood might be influenced by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the political climate, Baldassare suggested.
“When we were coming out of the Great Recession, there was a lot of hope,” Baldassare said. “But this has been a difficult year. Help is on the way with a vaccine, but hope seems to be lagging.”
Two years ago, just half of the Californians surveyed by the PPIC said children growing up at that time would be worse off financially than their parents.
In 2018, a national poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 57% of Americans expected children would be worse off.
Californians’ somber outlook came as the state’s unemployment rate dropped from this year’s high of 16.4% in April to 9.3% in October — still far above the pre-pandemic 3.9%. Coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths are rising across the state, but UCLA forecasters predicted this week that California’s economy, which was booming before the pandemic, will roar back this spring if vaccinations become widespread.
Advertisement
Depending on their race, ethnicity and income, Californians differ significantly in their economic outlook.
Business Will California’s small businesses survive another COVID-19 surge without more help? The lucky among California’s small businesses have cobbled together loans and grants to get through the pandemic so far. But that money has dried up, and “you can only take on so much debt.”
White and higher-income residents were more sour about the future than others. Among those surveyed, 76% of white respondents said children growing up in California would be worse off than their parents. That compares with 47% of Latinos, 62% of Black Americans and 67% of Asian Americans.
The wealthiest were the least optimistic. Respondents with incomes of $80,000 a year or more were downbeat about the prospects of California’s next generation, with 73% saying children would be worse off than their parents. That compares with 58% of those earning between $40,000 and $80,000 and 54% of those making less than $40,000.
Baldassare suggested the differences may be explained by expectations. “Maybe white respondents set the bar higher based on what they have,” he said. “They’re saying, ‘We’ve had it pretty good, but I don’t see how our children are going to afford our lifestyle.’
“And people who make over $80,000 are thinking, ‘We’re going to be the last generation living like this.’”
Asked about the gap between rich and poor in their part of the state, 69% of respondents said it was widening, 25% said it has remained the same and 6% said it was narrowing.
Broken down by geography, the answers differ. In the San Francisco Bay Area, 78% said the gap is growing, compared with 70% in Los Angeles County and in the region covering Orange and San Diego counties. In the Central Valley and Inland Empire regions, just 61% saw inequality as rising.
Large demographic differences also emerged over how much race and ethnicity contribute to inequality nationwide. Far more Black Californians, 63%, said it contributes “a great deal.” Just 29% of white respondents, 32% of Asian Americans and 36% of Latinos agreed.
The survey highlights the role of the pandemic in the state’s economic inequality. Of Latinos, many of whom depend on service jobs in public venues, 44% said they were “very worried” that someone in their families would get sick. Just 21% of white people, 23% of Black people and 31% of Asian Americans said the same.
The lowest-paid workers reported the most economic distress in the last 12 months. Among those earning less than $40,000 a year, 42% said they had cut back on food to save money, as opposed to 27% of those with incomes between $40,000 and $80,000 and 12% of those making $80,000 or more.
The survey asked about solutions to economic woes. More than 7 in 10 supported more child-care funding for low-wage parents, a government health insurance plan similar to Medicare and expansion of the earned income tax credit.
Just 29% said their workplace offers affiliation with a union, a worker center or other groups representing workers. But 78% said it is important for workers to organize.
The findings are based on an online survey of 2,325 Californians with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for all respondents.


latimes--2020-12-09--L.A. vowed to cut police and help disenfranchised areas. Now that plan is under fire

Six months ago , following massive protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez announced a dramatic step at City Hall : She and her colleagues would cut police spending by $ 150 million .
The plan , Martinez said at the time , would be to reinvest funding for vital services , including those that “ uplift disenfranchised communities.
” On Wednesday , the council took its first stab at deciding where a chunk of that money — nearly $ 88.8 million — should go .
So far , council members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money toward nuts-and-bolts city services : street resurfacing , graffiti removal , alley cleanups and many other core city programs .
On a 13 to 2 vote , Martinez and her colleagues decided to focus the money on city services , youth and recreation programs , neighborhood beautification initiatives , job and business programs and nonprofit services .
And while the final spending plan won ’ t be known until February , the list of potential projects offered so far by council members is already drawing fire .
The list of proposals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included street sweeping , new curb ramps , storm drain improvements , exercise equipment for parks , new landscaping for medians , left-turn signals and tree stump removal .
“ We got this promise of reinvesting in communities of color , ” said Rob Quan , an organizer with Unrig L.A. , which seeks to promote representative government and fight corruption .
“ And all we really got was ... glorified pork barrel spending.
” Asked about Quan ’ s criticism , Martinez issued a statement saying the program is “ one small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city more equitable .
Martinez said she heard the call for change this year from “ disenfranchised communities of color , ” both locally and nationally .
Under the program , the greatest share of the money will go to districts with the greatest number of census tracts experiencing poverty and unemployment .
“ We listened to our Black and brown communities as they asked for more resources — the same resources they see in affluent communities and are easy to take for granted unless you ’ ve had to push a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless you live in a garage and your kids rely on parks as their only play space , ” she said .
Martinez , who represents part of the San Fernando Valley , proposed using some of the reprogrammed LAPD money for speed humps , street sweeping , tree trimming and traffic signals , as well as arts , sports and tutoring programs for youth in her district , according to the city ’ s report .
Still , some on the council questioned the wisdom of embarking on new spending initiatives when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black or Latino — are at risk of being laid off as the city works to close an estimated $ 675-million budget deficit .
Councilman Bob Blumenfield called the strategy “ bizarre , ” saying that , while underserved neighborhoods need more support , the city should also work to keep city employees from being pushed into unemployment .
“ It ’ s like we ’ re creating these funds to build sidewalks in areas that have been less served , but we ’ re cutting the people who build the sidewalks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council members who opposed the spending strategy .
Councilman Mike Bonin voted in favor of the plan but also sounded disappointed , saying this week that the program “ doesn ’ t quite deliver the punch we had hoped.
” “ It ’ s important stuff — I mean , slurry sealing the street is important .
Trimming the trees is important , ” he said .
“ But it seems kind of nickel and dime for something that was meant to be such a big promise.
” Bonin , during a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds won ’ t go toward “ reimagining public safety , ” the effort to move certain duties out of the LAPD , such as traffic enforcement or responses to people having mental health crises .
Alexis Wesson , a policy aide to Martinez , told council members that effort is under way but proceeding on a separate track .
City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn , the city ’ s top budget analyst , said he recommended that the council focus the $ 88.8 million on one-time projects , in part because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not have funding to continue the programs in the following fiscal year .
“ The real goal here was to get a list of projects that could be done and could be done expeditiously , ” Llewellyn told the council ’ s budget committee .
Martinez and her colleagues announced the plan to cut LAPD spending in June , after demonstrations demanding an end to police brutality and a defunding of the police .
Mayor Eric Garcetti embraced the $ 150-million reduction that day , discussing his support for the concept during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formally approved the $ 150-million cut in July , spurring the Police Department to slash overtime pay and reduce deployment to 9,757 officers by June 2021 — the lowest amount since 2008 .
The council also used some of the money to address the city ’ s financial crisis , putting $ 40 million into a fund to delay furloughs — then envisioned as a 10 % pay cut for civilian city workers — and setting aside $ 10 million for the city ’ s reserve .
Another $ 10 million was earmarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money cut from the LAPD will be carved up by council district , with the greatest share going to areas with the greatest need .
Under that strategy , nearly $ 50 million would be distributed to three of the council ’ s 15 districts , all of which take in portions of South Los Angeles .
The biggest share , $ 21.1 million , would go to the district represented by Councilman Curren Price , which stretches from the city ’ s Convention Center south to 95th Street .
Price signaled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth arts programs and hiring initiatives for youths and those who were previously incarcerated , according to the council ’ s report .
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson , whose district would receive $ 16.6 million , also put hiring programs on his potential spending list .
But he also proposed park improvements , street and alley resurfacing , tree trimming , parking enforcement , illegal dumping investigations and other initiatives , the report said .
The plan for the money has drawn criticism from Police Chief Michel Moore , who argued that public works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take priority over public safety at a time when homicides and the number of shooting victims are sharply increasing .
The union that represents rank-and-file police officers went even further , accusing council members of cutting LAPD staffing so they can have a slush fund for their districts .
“ Laying off hundreds of police officers to fund curb cuts , landscaping , and tree stump removals in the name of public safety is absurd , ” said Craig Lally , president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shootings have surged to a 10-year high , and no one suffers the bloodshed more than our most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
” Asked about the union ’ s assertions , Price said the council ’ s decision demonstrated “ a firm and ongoing commitment to equity and social justice.
” Price said cutting the LAPD budget will free up money for additional gang intervention workers in his district , who will work to reduce crime and save lives .
The extra funds will also allow for more homeless outreach teams , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to elevate communities like the one I represent , that suffer much of the brunt of despair felt during these perilous times in our city , ” Price said in an emailed statement .

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez spearheaded an effort to take nearly $89 million from the LAPD and redirect it to underserved communities.
Six months ago, following massive protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez announced a dramatic step at City Hall: She and her colleagues would cut police spending by $150 million.
The plan, Martinez said at the time, would be to reinvest funding for vital services, including those that “uplift disenfranchised communities.”
On Wednesday, the council took its first stab at deciding where a chunk of that money — nearly $88.8 million — should go. So far, council members are looking to put much of the money toward nuts-and-bolts city services: street resurfacing, graffiti removal, alley cleanups and many other core city programs.
Advertisement
On a 13 to 2 vote, Martinez and her colleagues decided to focus the money on city services, youth and recreation programs, neighborhood beautification initiatives, job and business programs and nonprofit services. And while the final spending plan won’t be known until February, the list of potential projects offered so far by council members is already drawing fire.
The list of proposals, which is still subject to change, included street sweeping, new curb ramps, storm drain improvements, exercise equipment for parks, new landscaping for medians, left-turn signals and tree stump removal.
“We got this promise of reinvesting in communities of color,” said Rob Quan, an organizer with Unrig L.A., which seeks to promote representative government and fight corruption. “And all we really got was ... glorified pork barrel spending.”
Asked about Quan’s criticism, Martinez issued a statement saying the program is “one small step of many” needed to make the city more equitable.
Martinez said she heard the call for change this year from “disenfranchised communities of color,” both locally and nationally. Under the program, the greatest share of the money will go to districts with the greatest number of census tracts experiencing poverty and unemployment.
“We listened to our Black and brown communities as they asked for more resources — the same resources they see in affluent communities and are easy to take for granted unless you’ve had to push a stroller through dirt in the dark, unless you live in a garage and your kids rely on parks as their only play space,” she said.
Advertisement
Martinez, who represents part of the San Fernando Valley, proposed using some of the reprogrammed LAPD money for speed humps, street sweeping, tree trimming and traffic signals, as well as arts, sports and tutoring programs for youth in her district, according to the city’s report.
Still, some on the council questioned the wisdom of embarking on new spending initiatives when hundreds of workers — many of them Black or Latino — are at risk of being laid off as the city works to close an estimated $675-million budget deficit.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield called the strategy “bizarre,” saying that, while underserved neighborhoods need more support, the city should also work to keep city employees from being pushed into unemployment.
“It’s like we’re creating these funds to build sidewalks in areas that have been less served, but we’re cutting the people who build the sidewalks,” said Blumenfield, one of two council members who opposed the spending strategy.
Councilman Mike Bonin voted in favor of the plan but also sounded disappointed, saying this week that the program “doesn’t quite deliver the punch we had hoped.”
“It’s important stuff — I mean, slurry sealing the street is important. Trimming the trees is important,” he said. “But it seems kind of nickel and dime for something that was meant to be such a big promise.”
Bonin, during a recent budget hearing, expressed disappointment that the funds won’t go toward “reimagining public safety,” the effort to move certain duties out of the LAPD, such as traffic enforcement or responses to people having mental health crises.
Alexis Wesson, a policy aide to Martinez, told council members that effort is under way but proceeding on a separate track.
City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn, the city’s top budget analyst, said he recommended that the council focus the $88.8 million on one-time projects, in part because the city is in a budget crisis and may not have funding to continue the programs in the following fiscal year.
“The real goal here was to get a list of projects that could be done and could be done expeditiously,” Llewellyn told the council’s budget committee.
Martinez and her colleagues announced the plan to cut LAPD spending in June, after demonstrations demanding an end to police brutality and a defunding of the police. Mayor Eric Garcetti embraced the $150-million reduction that day, discussing his support for the concept during a live television briefing.
Council members formally approved the $150-million cut in July, spurring the Police Department to slash overtime pay and reduce deployment to 9,757 officers by June 2021 — the lowest amount since 2008. The council also used some of the money to address the city’s financial crisis, putting $40 million into a fund to delay furloughs — then envisioned as a 10% pay cut for civilian city workers — and setting aside $10 million for the city’s reserve.
Another $10 million was earmarked for jobs programs.
The remainder of the money cut from the LAPD will be carved up by council district, with the greatest share going to areas with the greatest need. Under that strategy, nearly $50 million would be distributed to three of the council’s 15 districts, all of which take in portions of South Los Angeles.
The biggest share, $21.1 million, would go to the district represented by Councilman Curren Price, which stretches from the city’s Convention Center south to 95th Street.
Price signaled an interest in using the money for youth arts programs and hiring initiatives for youths and those who were previously incarcerated, according to the council’s report.
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose district would receive $16.6 million, also put hiring programs on his potential spending list. But he also proposed park improvements, street and alley resurfacing, tree trimming, parking enforcement, illegal dumping investigations and other initiatives, the report said.
The plan for the money has drawn criticism from Police Chief Michel Moore, who argued that public works projects, while valid, should not take priority over public safety at a time when homicides and the number of shooting victims are sharply increasing.
The union that represents rank-and-file police officers went even further, accusing council members of cutting LAPD staffing so they can have a slush fund for their districts.
“Laying off hundreds of police officers to fund curb cuts, landscaping, and tree stump removals in the name of public safety is absurd,” said Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing roughly 9,800 LAPD officers. “Murders and shootings have surged to a 10-year high, and no one suffers the bloodshed more than our most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.”
Asked about the union’s assertions, Price said the council’s decision demonstrated “a firm and ongoing commitment to equity and social justice.”
Price said cutting the LAPD budget will free up money for additional gang intervention workers in his district, who will work to reduce crime and save lives. The extra funds will also allow for more homeless outreach teams, he said.
“This presents a tremendous opportunity to elevate communities like the one I represent, that suffer much of the brunt of despair felt during these perilous times in our city,” Price said in an emailed statement.
Times staff writer Kevin Rector contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-10--A lawsuit alleges 'unchecked groping' and other sex abuse at O.C. homeless shelters

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that sex abuse , overcrowding and unhealthy conditions are rampant in three Orange County homeless shelters , saying conditions had not improved since it released a scathing 2019 report on the county ’ s emergency shelters .
“ To spend nights in Orange County emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness , women have had to endure relentless sexual harassment , including highly invasive body searches and voyeurism from staff members , as well as unchecked groping and lewd propositions , ” the ACLU said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed in Orange County Superior Court on behalf of 11 shelter residents , alleges sexual abuse , rampant rodent and bedbug infestations , broken toilets an showers and extreme temperatures at the shelters .
It names Orange County and the city of Anaheim , which fund the shelters , and operators Illumination Foundation , Midnight Mission and Mercy House Living Centers & Protection America .
Illumination Foundation operates the Anaheim-funded shelter La Mesa .
Mercy House operates Bridges at Kraemer Place in Anaheim and Midnight Mission operates the Courtyard , which has more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center near the Civic Center in Santa Ana .
The ACLU ’ s 2019 report found problems at Bridges and the Courtyard , as well as a women ’ s shelter called SAFEPlace .
“ We haven ’ t seen a lot of progress since we released the report , ” said Eve Garrow , a policy advocate for the ACLU who wrote the 2019 report .
“ The county has showed itself to be incapable at the moment of caring for this vulnerable population in a way that respects their rights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” One of the shelters in the report , SAFEPlace , was not included in the lawsuit because it had made significant improvements , Garrow said .
In the meantime , Garrow said , the ACLU was beginning to hear complaints from La Mesa , a new shelter created in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the group Catholic Worker that alleged officials were arresting people for sleeping in public even though there were no shelter beds available for them .
“ The fact that the county in response to the Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many more shelters added additional urgency to the issue , ” Garrow said .
County Counsel Leon Page said he had not yet seen the lawsuit but that he expected the county would ask Judge David O. Carter to take jurisdiction over the case in U.S. District Court .
“ I believe Judge Carter has an expansive view of the court ’ s jurisdiction over matters concerning homelessness , ” Page said .
The ACLU was joined in the case by the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP .
The lawsuit alleges that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Fair Employment and Housing Act and provisions of the state Constitution that protect freedom of movement and ward against retaliation and invasions of privacy .
The suit makes 14 specific allegations of unlawful conduct , including negligence ; breach of warranty of habitability ; unlawful expenditure of public funds ; retaliation ; battery ; sexual battery ; invasion of privacy ; sex-based discrimination and harassment ; and violation of equal protection and due process .
It seeks an order from the court prohibiting the alleged unlawful conduct , unspecified monetary damages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for resources sufficient to meet the needs of this vulnerable population as well as increased oversight and accountability , ” Garrow said .

The Courtyard, a temporary homeless shelter in Santa Ana, is shown in March. The shelter is one of three whose operators were named in an ACLU lawsuit.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that sex abuse, overcrowding and unhealthy conditions are rampant in three Orange County homeless shelters, saying conditions had not improved since it released a scathing 2019 report on the county’s emergency shelters.
“To spend nights in Orange County emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness, women have had to endure relentless sexual harassment, including highly invasive body searches and voyeurism from staff members, as well as unchecked groping and lewd propositions,” the ACLU said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on behalf of 11 shelter residents, alleges sexual abuse, rampant rodent and bedbug infestations, broken toilets and showers and extreme temperatures at the shelters.
Advertisement
It names Orange County and the city of Anaheim, which fund the shelters, and operators Illumination Foundation, Midnight Mission and Mercy House Living Centers & Protection America.
Illumination Foundation operates the Anaheim-funded shelter La Mesa. Mercy House operates Bridges at Kraemer Place in Anaheim and Midnight Mission operates the Courtyard, which has more than 400 beds in a former transit center near the Civic Center in Santa Ana.
The ACLU’s 2019 report found problems at Bridges and the Courtyard, as well as a women’s shelter called SAFEPlace.
“We haven’t seen a lot of progress since we released the report,” said Eve Garrow, a policy advocate for the ACLU who wrote the 2019 report. “The county has showed itself to be incapable at the moment of caring for this vulnerable population in a way that respects their rights and the dignity to which they are entitled.”
One of the shelters in the report, SAFEPlace, was not included in the lawsuit because it had made significant improvements, Garrow said.
Advertisement
In the meantime, Garrow said, the ACLU was beginning to hear complaints from La Mesa, a new shelter created in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the group Catholic Worker that alleged officials were arresting people for sleeping in public even though there were no shelter beds available for them.
“The fact that the county in response to the Catholic Worker’s lawsuit has opened so many more shelters added additional urgency to the issue,” Garrow said.
County Counsel Leon Page said he had not yet seen the lawsuit but that he expected the county would ask Judge David O. Carter to take jurisdiction over the case in U.S. District Court.
“I believe Judge Carter has an expansive view of the court’s jurisdiction over matters concerning homelessness,” Page said.
The ACLU was joined in the case by the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
The lawsuit alleges that conditions at the shelters violate California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and provisions of the state Constitution that protect freedom of movement and ward against retaliation and invasions of privacy.
California Activists concerned over rise in Orange County homeless deaths According to data from the coroner’s office, 146 homeless people died between April and August. During the same period last year, there were 82 deaths among the homeless.
The suit makes 14 specific allegations of unlawful conduct, including negligence; breach of warranty of habitability; unlawful expenditure of public funds; retaliation; battery; sexual battery; invasion of privacy; sex-based discrimination and harassment; and violation of equal protection and due process.
It seeks an order from the court prohibiting the alleged unlawful conduct, unspecified monetary damages and attorney fees.
“We’re looking for resources sufficient to meet the needs of this vulnerable population as well as increased oversight and accountability,” Garrow said.


latimes--2020-12-10--L.A. County shatters COVID-19 record with 12,741 new cases in one day

Los Angeles County shattered its daily record for new coronavirus cases , with 12,741 reported Thursday as hospitals continued to fill with patients , according to an independent Times tally .
The new total is more than 2,800 more coronavirus cases than L.A. County has ever seen in a single day — breaking the previous record set Sunday — and shows coronavirus is still spreading rapidly through communities .
The county also reported 74 new deaths , the fourth-highest single-day total of the pandemic .
The surge in cases like represent the consequence of an explosion of virus transmission over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that we ’ re starting to see some of the increases from Thanksgiving week , and the thousands of people that were either traveling or mingling with people outside their household for the holiday , ” L.A County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said earlier this week .
With the new numbers , L.A. County is now averaging nearly 9,500 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week , and 52 COVID-19 deaths a day .
Those are both record numbers never seen before in this pandemic .
Until Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in L.A. County over a weekly period was 50 , a record set for the seven-day period that ended April 24 .
L.A. County is now recording double the number of daily coronavirus cases than it saw on Nov. 30 , and quadruple its daily coronavirus cases since mid-November .
Cumulatively , L.A. County has tallied 488,519 coronavirus cases and 8,151 COVID-19 deaths .
California as a whole has averaged nearly 27,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week , a new record .
More Californians are also dying of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
The state has averaged 146 deaths a day over the last week — breaking an all-time record set in August .
Cumulatively , the state has logged more than 1.48 million coronavirus cases and more than 20,600 COVID-19 deaths .
At the same time , theavailability of intensive care beds in Southern California and the Central Valley hit alarming new lows as hospitals continued .
“ Like a speeding car approaching a cliff , if we do not rapidly change course , we are in jeopardy of catastrophic consequences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , said during a briefing Thursday .
In Southern California , ICU availability fell to 7.7 % on Thursday , down from 9 % the day before , the latest data show .
The state defines the region as Imperial , Inyo , Los Angeles , Mono , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara and Ventura counties .
The situation was even more dire in the San Joaquin Valley region , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.2 % .
Numbers have also worsened in the Greater Sacramento area , which reported in at 13.3 % , down from 14.3 % ; and the San Francisco Bay Area , which was at 17.8 % , down from 20.9 % .
Statewide , an all-time high of 11,497 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized as of Wednesday , the most recent day for which complete data are available .
That number increased by 485 in just one day and has swelled by 30 % over the last week , state figures show .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to ICUs .
The number of Californians requiring that level of care jumped 115 in just one day to a record 2,621 as of Wednesday .
As of Wednesday , L.A. County had 3,624 people in its hospitals with coronavirus infections , the 11th consecutive day that number has been a new high .
The county ’ s net number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday by 191 — the highest single-day jump in the pandemic .
San Bernardino and Orange counties are the only others that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to state data .
Hospitals can take steps to gird themselves against an influx of new patients — by canceling scheduled surgeries and outpatient visits ; discharging patients as quickly as possible ; and temporarily diverting ambulances with certain types of patients , for instance .
But ICU beds require high-tech equipment and specially trained healthcare professionals , which are in high demand throughout the state and nation .
Healthcare systems can move trained staff around to help plug gaps where needed , but “ at a certain point , you run out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we ’ re worried about , ” Simon said .
“ The worst-case scenario is what we saw back in the spring in New York City and in northern Italy where there were literally people in gurneys in hallways that were dying or near death , and that ’ s beyond a tragedy , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just something that we can ’ t let happen .
We have to do everything possible to prevent that.
” The way the state calculates regional ICU capacity is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many beds are full at any given point in time , ” said Ferrer .
She said Wednesday that the state had set a threshold that only 30 % of ICU beds should be occupied by COVID-19 patients and that , should an area exceed that , “ they make a downward adjustment — sort of , you get a penalty.
” The California Department of Public Health elaborated in response to an inquiry from The Times Thursday : “ If a region is utilizing more than 30 % of its ICU beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available ICU capacity is reduced by 0.5 % for each 1 % over the 30 % threshold .
This is done to preserve the capacity of the ICU to also treat non-COVID-19 conditions.
” “ The ICU is an important tool to save lives for those with COVID-19 and other critical medical conditions such as cancer , heart attacks and strokes , ” the department statement continued .
“ If a disproportionate number of ICU beds are being utilized to treat COVID-19 patients , then patients with non-COVID medical issues may not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of care they need.
” According to data provided by Los Angeles County , 47 % of the region ’ s intensive care beds were filled with COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday .
That ’ s a significant cause for alarm , officials said .
“ We ’ re always going to need ICU beds for those many other conditions and so there is greater concern if , in addition to seeing a reduced overall capacity , we ’ re seeing a greater proportion of these ICU beds taken up by COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California determines ICU availability is of keen interest , as that ’ s the metric the state uses to determine whether to hand down additional restrictions on businesses and activities .
The state is implementing new stay-at-home orders in any region that sees its ICU capacity drop below 15 % .
Those orders — which reduce capacity at retail stores ; close businesses including hair salons , nail salons , card rooms , museums , zoos and aquariums ; and prohibit outdoor restaurant dining — are already in place in Southern California and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also go into effect in Greater Sacramento beginning Thursday night .
Officials have said they hope the additional restrictions will help stymie the latest coronavirus surge .
Given how widespread the virus is in communities up and down the state , experts say the best thing residents can do to keep themselves and their loved ones from being infected is to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks .
“ To be blunt , we have one chance to turn this serious surge around , and that chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health director Dr. Grant Colfax said this week .
“ But our window is narrowing and closing fast.
” Times staff writers Maura Dolan and Ryan Menezes contributed to this report .

Healthcare workers at Riverside University Health System in May. California’s new stay-at-home orders are tied to ICU capacity, which is plummeting at hospitals in most regions of the state.
Los Angeles County shattered its daily record for new coronavirus cases, with 12,741 reported Thursday as hospitals continued to fill with patients, according to an independent Times tally.
The new total is more than 2,800 more coronavirus cases than L.A. County has seen in a single day — breaking the previous record set Sunday — and shows the coronavirus is still spreading rapidly through communities. The county also reported 74 new deaths, the fourth-highest single-day total of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The surge in cases likely represents the consequence of an explosion of virus transmission over the Thanksgiving holiday, officials said.
Advertisement
“I do think that we’re starting to see some of the increases from Thanksgiving week, and the thousands of people that were either traveling or mingling with people outside their household for the holiday,” L.A County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said earlier this week.
With the new numbers, L.A. County is now averaging nearly 9,500 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week, and 52 COVID-19 deaths a day. Those are both records in this pandemic. Until Thursday, the highest average daily number of COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County over a weekly period was 50, a record set for the seven-day period that ended April 24.
L.A. County is now recording double the number of daily coronavirus cases than it saw on Nov. 30, and quadruple its daily coronavirus cases since mid-November. Cumulatively, L.A. County has tallied 488,519 coronavirus cases and 8,151 COVID-19 deaths.
California has averaged nearly 29,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week, a new record. More Californians are also dying of COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic. The state has averaged about 150 deaths a day over the last week — breaking a record set in August.
California on Thursday recorded 33,995 new coronavirus cases, marking the third highest tally for a single day, and 172 deaths.
Advertisement
Cumulatively, the state has logged more than 1.48 million coronavirus cases and more than 20,600 COVID-19 deaths.
At the same time, the availability of intensive care beds in Southern California and the Central Valley hit alarming new lows.
“Like a speeding car approaching a cliff, if we do not rapidly change course, we are in jeopardy of catastrophic consequences,” Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said during a briefing Thursday.
In Southern California, ICU availability fell to 7.7% on Thursday, down from 9% the day before, the latest data show. The state defines the region as Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
The situation was even more dire in the San Joaquin Valley region, which is reporting 1.9% ICU availability, down from 4.2%. Numbers have also worsened in the Greater Sacramento area, which reported in at 13.3%, down from 14.3%; and the San Francisco Bay Area, which was at 17.8%, down from 20.9%.
Rural Northern California remains in comparatively solid shape, at 30.3% ICU availability.
Statewide, an all-time high of 11,497 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized as of Wednesday, the most recent day for which complete data are available.
That number increased by 485 in just one day and has swelled by 30% over the last week, state figures show.
The story is much the same when it comes to ICUs. The number of Californians requiring that level of care jumped 115 in just one day to a record 2,621 as of Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, L.A. County had 3,624 people in its hospitals with coronavirus infections, the 11th consecutive day that number has been a new high. The county’s net number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday by 191 — the highest single-day jump in the pandemic.
San Bernardino and Orange counties are the only others that have more than 1,000 coronavirus-positive patients, according to state data.
Hospitals can take steps to gird themselves against an influx of new patients — by canceling scheduled surgeries and outpatient visits; discharging patients as quickly as possible; and temporarily diverting ambulances with certain types of patients, for instance.
But ICU beds require high-tech equipment and specially trained healthcare professionals, which are in high demand throughout the state and nation.
Healthcare systems can move trained staff around to help plug gaps where needed, but “at a certain point, you run out of options, and that’s what we’re worried about,” Simon said.
“The worst-case scenario is what we saw back in the spring in New York City and in northern Italy where there were literally people in gurneys in hallways that were dying or near death, and that’s beyond a tragedy,” he said. “It’s just something that we can’t let happen. We have to do everything possible to prevent that.”
The way the state calculates regional ICU capacity is more complicated “than just looking at how many beds are full at any given point in time,” said Ferrer.
She said Wednesday that the state had set a threshold that only 30% of ICU beds should be occupied by COVID-19 patients and that, should an area exceed that, “they make a downward adjustment — sort of, you get a penalty.”
The California Department of Public Health elaborated in response to an inquiry from The Times Thursday: “If a region is utilizing more than 30% of its ICU beds for COVID-19 positive patients, then its available ICU capacity is reduced by 0.5% for each 1% over the 30% threshold. This is done to preserve the capacity of the ICU to also treat non-COVID-19 conditions.”
“The ICU is an important tool to save lives for those with COVID-19 and other critical medical conditions such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes,” the department statement continued. “If a disproportionate number of ICU beds are being utilized to treat COVID-19 patients, then patients with non-COVID medical issues may not be receiving or be able to receive the level of care they need.”
According to data provided by Los Angeles County, 47% of the region’s intensive care beds were filled with COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday. That’s a significant cause for alarm, officials said.
“We’re always going to need ICU beds for those many other conditions and so there is greater concern if, in addition to seeing a reduced overall capacity, we’re seeing a greater proportion of these ICU beds taken up by COVID-19 patients,” Simon said.
How California determines ICU availability is of keen interest, as that’s the metric the state uses to determine whether to hand down additional restrictions on businesses and activities.
The state is implementing new stay-at-home orders in any region that sees its ICU capacity drop below 15%.
Those orders — which reduce capacity at retail stores; close businesses including hair salons, nail salons, card rooms, museums, zoos and aquariums; and prohibit outdoor restaurant dining — are already in place in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley.
Those restrictions will also go into effect in Greater Sacramento beginning Thursday night.
Officials have said they hope the additional restrictions will help stymie the latest coronavirus surge.
Given how widespread the virus is in communities up and down the state, experts say the best thing residents can do to keep themselves and their loved ones from being infected is to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks.
“To be blunt, we have one chance to turn this serious surge around, and that chance is right now,” San Francisco health director Dr. Grant Colfax said this week. “But our window is narrowing and closing fast.”
With grim case counts, officials have pointed to the relief a vaccine will soon bring as a way to encourage people to continue to maintain precautions.
Ferrer announced earlier this week that the county would likely get its first doses of the coronavirus vaccine as early as next week. During a Thursday news conference, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said that as many as 500,000 doses may be distributed by the end of December.
“Vaccines will be our most important tool in getting this crisis under control,” he said. “FDA authorization will mean that it’s safe and that it’s effective, and I urge all Angelenos to get vaccinated as soon as they qualify and those vaccines are available.”
He urged residents, however, to continue to stay at home as much as possible, stating that “the worst is not yet behind us.”
Times staff writers Maura Dolan, Ryan Menezes and Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-10--Long Beach tries to strike a balance in fighting COVID-19

As vaccines take center stage in the fight against the coronavirus , Long Beach officials convened a news conference on Thursday to announce their inoculation plan .
In the next few weeks , the city will receive 3,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine , with 11,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine arriving in early January , Mayor Robert Garcia said .
Shots will go first into the arms of medical professionals , essential workers and high-risk senior citizens .
Other Long Beach residents will probably be able to get the vaccine by late spring or early summer .
As one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with its own public health department , Long Beach has an unusual degree of autonomy in setting coronavirus policies .
For the most part , the coastal city of 460,000 has followed the lead of county health officials as the pandemic has worsened .
That has drawn ire from some residents and business owners .
Officials in some cities , including Beverly Hills and Lancaster , are exploring the idea of creating their own health departments after realizing they were powerless to dial back county restrictions such as those on outdoor dining .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department , kept its outdoor restaurant patios open until a stay-at-home order from the state hit Southern California on Sunday .
But Long Beach shut down outdoor dining soon after L.A. County announced its latest order at the end of November , prompting a protest in the Belmont Shore dining district .
For Garcia , caution has been underlined by hard experience — his mother and stepfather died of COVID-19 this summer .
As of Thursday , the city had logged nearly 20,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains the single biggest threat to life that we have faced in our city , and the biggest single threat that remains as we move forward , ” Garcia said at Thursday ’ s news conference .
“ What brings us hope is we know that in 2021 , we are going to defeat COVID-19.
” Only cities with their own health departments can legislate independently from county coronavirus regulations .
But all cities are generally free to impose stricter rules than the county or state .
When it comes to mask wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anyone who fails to wear a face covering can be fined $ 100 , with penalties ratcheting as high as $ 350 for repeat violations .
Hermosa Beach has issued 700 citations to people who violated a city order to wear masks at the beach and nearby areas , according to a city spokesperson .
Long Beach , like many cities , has generally relied on people to mask up voluntarily .
Police officers and other officials sometimes gently suggest that maskless people put on face coverings , and compliance is usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The city employs about a dozen young people as “ health ambassadors ” to hand out masks and reminding people about social distancing .
But with COVID-19 deaths at unprecedented levels and intensive care units nearly full , the Long Beach City Council is now weighing whether to punish residents who venture out in public without masks .
“ This is the law .
It is a state mandate to wear a mask .
It ’ s not optional , ” said Christopher Robson , a member of the Long Beach Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a City Council meeting Tuesday .
“ You have to wear a mask .
It ’ s the only thing we ’ ve got until we have vaccination.
” Some Long Beach police officers have had compliance issues of their own .
A photo from a Nov. 5 training session , published in the Long Beach Post , showed officers clustered together , many without masks , to hear Chief Robert Luna speak .
“ As I sit here today and I reflect back on it , I should have absolutely made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I walked in there , ” Luna said .
“ Obviously , when I think about the potentialities of somebody getting sick because I was addressing this group , that would be very difficult to live with .
So I really regret that happening.
” Since then , 47 Long Beach officers have tested positive for the virus , bringing the total to 73 officers since the start of the pandemic .
In-house contact tracers determined that none of the recent cases were linked to the Nov. 5 event , Luna said .

As vaccines take center stage in the fight against the coronavirus, Long Beach officials convened a news conference on Thursday to announce their inoculation plan.
In the next few weeks, the city will receive 3,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with 11,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine arriving in early January, Mayor Robert Garcia said.
Shots will go first into the arms of medical professionals, essential workers and high-risk senior citizens. Other Long Beach residents will probably be able to get the vaccine by late spring or early summer.
As one of two cities in Los Angeles County with its own public health department, Long Beach has an unusual degree of autonomy in setting coronavirus policies.
Advertisement
For the most part, the coastal city of 460,000 has followed the lead of county health officials as the pandemic has worsened. That has drawn ire from some residents and business owners.
Officials in some cities, including Beverly Hills and Lancaster, are exploring the idea of creating their own health departments after realizing they were powerless to dial back county restrictions such as those on outdoor dining.
A Health care worker walks between long lines of vehicles, where she was handing out self-administer COVID-19 tests at Long Beach City College-Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Pasadena, the other city with a health department, kept its outdoor restaurant patios open until a stay-at-home order from the state hit Southern California on Sunday.
But Long Beach shut down outdoor dining soon after L.A. County announced its latest order at the end of November, prompting a protest in the Belmont Shore dining district.
Advertisement
For Garcia, caution has been underlined by hard experience — his mother and stepfather died of COVID-19 this summer. As of Thursday, the city had logged nearly 20,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths.
“The COVID crisis remains serious, and it remains the single biggest threat to life that we have faced in our city, and the biggest single threat that remains as we move forward,” Garcia said at Thursday’s news conference. “What brings us hope is we know that in 2021, we are going to defeat COVID-19.”
Jo Pausic, of Long Beach, pauses to look out over Long Beach Harbor while reading under a tree at ShoreLine Aquatic Park in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Only cities with their own health departments can legislate independently from county coronavirus regulations.
But all cities are generally free to impose stricter rules than the county or state. When it comes to mask wearing, some have done so.
In Manhattan Beach , anyone who fails to wear a face covering can be fined $100, with penalties ratcheting as high as $350 for repeat violations.
Advertisement
Hermosa Beach has issued 700 citations to people who violated a city order to wear masks at the beach and nearby areas, according to a city spokesperson.
Long Beach, like many cities, has generally relied on people to mask up voluntarily. Police officers and other officials sometimes gently suggest that maskless people put on face coverings, and compliance is usually good, said City Manager Tom Modica.
A woman wearing a mask walks through a mostly empty shopping mall at The Pike Outlets in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The city employs about a dozen young people as “health ambassadors” to hand out masks and reminding people about social distancing.
But with COVID-19 deaths at unprecedented levels and intensive care units nearly full, the Long Beach City Council is now weighing whether to punish residents who venture out in public without masks.
“This is the law. It is a state mandate to wear a mask. It’s not optional,” said Christopher Robson, a member of the Long Beach Board of Health and Human Services who called into a City Council meeting Tuesday. “You have to wear a mask. It’s the only thing we’ve got until we have vaccination.”
Advertisement
Some Long Beach police officers have had compliance issues of their own.
A masked Aaron Ball, of Long Beach, visits George’s Greek Cafe with his dog, Arthur Edwin, in his backpack while scootering on Pine Ave. in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A photo from a Nov. 5 training session, published in the Long Beach Post, showed officers clustered together, many without masks, to hear Chief Robert Luna speak.
“As I sit here today and I reflect back on it, I should have absolutely made sure everybody had a face covering before I walked in there,” Luna said. “Obviously, when I think about the potentialities of somebody getting sick because I was addressing this group, that would be very difficult to live with. So I really regret that happening.”
Since then, 47 Long Beach officers have tested positive for the virus, bringing the total to 73 officers since the start of the pandemic.
In-house contact tracers determined that none of the recent cases were linked to the Nov. 5 event, Luna said.


latimes--2020-12-10--L.A. County suspends some parking fines amid coronavirus spike, stay-at-home order

The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department will temporarily stop enforcing street-sweeping parking restrictions as residents are again being urged to stay home amid an unprecedented coronavirus surge .
Along with street sweeping , officials announced that vehicles with expired registration also will not be cited for the time being , though they did not say how long the relaxation would last .
The department ’ s decision applies to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County .
“ The recent stay-at-home order issued in early December brought to light once again the need for additional parking across Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Wednesday .
Enforcement of other violations — such as blocking fire hydrants ; parking in a red zone , fire lane or improperly in a handicap space ; blocking driveways or parking in a way that disrupts traffic ; as well as metered parking in business districts — will continue .
The city of Los Angeles had suspended ticketing for parking violations for nearly seven months after the pandemic began , lifting that rule in October .
Street-sweeping enforcement is continuing in the city , but officials have launched a program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they pay some parking citations , including residential street sweeping , within 48 hours .
The Early Pay LA program will remain in effect until June 30 .
“ No one wants to see that ticket on their windshield , but Early Pay LA gives people a chance to get a break on the cost if they can pay quickly , ” Seleta Reynolds , general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation , said in a statement .
Both the city and county of Los Angeles are under a state-mandated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 , which is infecting , hospitalizing and killing Californians at levels never before seen in the pandemic .
That order , which is in effect through at least Dec. 28 , imposed a series of new restrictions and limitations on businesses and public spaces in affected communities , and encourages residents to stay home as much as possible — except for work , outdoor recreation or to access essential services .

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will temporarily stop enforcing street-sweeping parking restrictions as residents are again being urged to stay home amid an unprecedented coronavirus surge.
Along with street sweeping, officials announced that vehicles with expired registration also will not be cited for the time being, though they did not say how long the relaxation would last.
The department’s decision applies to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Individual cities can set their own rules, though, and street-sweeping enforcement is continuing in the city of Los Angeles and elsewhere.
Advertisement
“The recent stay-at-home order issued in early December brought to light once again the need for additional parking across Los Angeles County,” department officials wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Enforcement of other violations — such as blocking fire hydrants; parking in a red zone, fire lane or improperly in a handicap space; blocking driveways or parking in a way that disrupts traffic; as well as metered parking in business districts — will continue.
In the city of Los Angeles, where officials had suspended ticketing for parking violations for nearly seven months before resuming in October, officials have launched a program that gives residents a $20 discount if they pay some parking citations, including residential street sweeping, within 48 hours.
The Early Pay LA program will remain in effect until June 30.
“No one wants to see that ticket on their windshield, but Early Pay LA gives people a chance to get a break on the cost if they can pay quickly,” Seleta Reynolds, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, said in a statement.
Advertisement
Both the city and county of Los Angeles are under a state-mandated stay-at-home order issued to halt the spread of COVID-19, which is infecting, hospitalizing and killing Californians at levels never before seen in the pandemic.
That order, which is in effect through at least Dec. 28, imposed a series of new restrictions and limitations on businesses and public spaces in affected communities, and encourages residents to stay home as much as possible — except for work, outdoor recreation or to access essential services.


latimes--2020-12-10--Southern California is a main driver of state's record COVID-19 deaths, with no signs of a letup

Deaths from COVID-19 in California have reached record levels this week , a grim sign of how even advances in medical care and a younger demographic of those infected are no match for the relentless spread of the coronavirus .
Southern California and the Central Valley are by far the state ’ s biggest contributors of total deaths in the last week .
Of nearly 950 deaths reported in California in the last week , a Times analysis shows that more than 300 fatalities were reported in L.A. County , followed by nearly 80 in San Bernardino County , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties and nearly 60 in Orange County .
Deaths were also rising in Northern California , although not at the numbers seen in the Southland .
California this week broke its single-day record for COVID-19 deaths — 219 on Tuesday .
The state averaged 146 new deaths daily over the last week , a new all-time high , according to The Times ’ analysis .
Health officials expect deaths to continue spiking in the coming weeks as it ’ s becoming clear many people got infected over the Thanksgiving holiday .
The coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But once the virus spreads to older people — those age 50 or higher — the likelihood of death is much higher .
Just a few weeks ago , the chance of getting the coronavirus was relatively rare , like the chance of getting soaked while dining outside when there ’ s just a light sprinkle , said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
Now , the virus is so widespread , the situation is more like a heavy storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downpour — because the whole community has widespread transmission — if you ’ re going to be outside , you ’ re going to get wet .
You could get the virus , ” Kim-Farley said .
In California , there was some optimism earlier this fall that , even with another surge , deaths could remain under control because doctors had gotten better at treating COVID-19 patients and there had been less spread in institutions such as nursing homes .
But starting in late October , the third surge of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes that the autumn would be relatively mild and California could continue its reopening .
“ In all honesty , we never expected ... we would be in this situation at this time of the year , ” L.A. County health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in mid-November .
“ We were really hoping that we would be ... by this time of the year , in November , getting our schools back open.
” It is true that a patient entering a hospital now probably has a better chance of survival than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned to avoid , when possible , placing patients on mechanical ventilators and to use alternative ways to get more oxygen into the bloodstream ; to place people on their bellies to make it easier for them to breathe ; and to give patients steroid treatments .
But COVID-19 is now so widespread that the overall chance of getting infected , and therefore being one of the 12 % who need hospitalization , is now much greater than ever .
“ The more transmission you have , the more people are ending up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more deaths we ’ re going to witness , ” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
It ’ s now clear that some Californians are weary of wearing masks and staying physically distant , setting the stage for the autumn surge of the disease .
“ This is the surge that we all expected when we first got wind of this thing in the spring , ” said Dr. Shruti Gohil , associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine .
There are now about 25,000 Californians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than double the peak of the last surge , in the summer , when fewer than 10,000 a day were testing positive for the virus each day .
As a result , activities that were relatively less risky just a few weeks ago are now more dangerous .
L.A. County officials estimate that about 1 in 140 L.A. County residents are contagious with the virus — far more than in late September , when just 1 in 880 were contagious .
Daily deaths are expected to continue climbing for weeks to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is infecting , on average , 1.14 other people , among the highest transmission rates since the first weeks of the pandemic .
The boom in daily deaths that resulted from virus transmission over Thanksgiving won ’ t become apparent until January , a projection based on how past waves have behaved .
“ I do anticipate that the deaths will continue to increase in the weeks to come , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County director of health services .
“ Sadly , patients often have very long hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not able to recover.
” Compared to a month ago , L.A. County now has four times the number of hospitalizations and four times the number of daily deaths .
There are now 43 L.A. County residents dying from COVID-19 daily ; it ’ s plausible that the number could double by Christmas , according to calculations by Ghaly ’ s agency .
The virus can cause a host of serious complications , hijacking other cells and , with pneumonia , causing inflammation and destruction of the lungs , drowning the organs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of breath and low levels of oxygen in the blood , and result in an inability to breathe and the failure of multiple organs .
More than 8,000 L.A. County residents have died of COVID-19 — a fact that nearly brought Ferrer to tears during a briefing Wednesday .
“ Over 8,000 people who were beloved members of their families are not coming back , ” she said , her voice choking .
“ And their deaths are an incalculable loss to their friends and their family , as well as our community.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials is the crowded state of hospital intensive care units .
Some ICUs across the state , from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley , are already reporting 0 % available capacity .
Across L.A. County , available ICU capacity was at 11.8 % .
“ Let me be clear : 11.8 % ICU capacity is dangerously low , ” said L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis .
“ Already we have seen some of our hospitals have to divert ambulances overnight to other hospitals.
” Certain regions were harder hit than others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Gabriel Valley and southeast L.A. County .
On Tuesday , there were zero staffed , licensed and available ICU beds in the San Gabriel Valley , and only five on the Westside and six in southeast L.A. County .
The rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations is higher than ever in L.A. County .
In the first surge , the rate never topped more than about 300 new COVID-19 hospitalizations a day .
But last week , officials reported 350 new hospitalizations a day and , this week , nearly 500 new hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re just now seeing the hospitalizations that resulted from the recent Thanksgiving holiday , ” Ghaly said , “ we anticipate that the number will continue to grow over the next few weeks , with potentially up to 700 new daily COVID hospitalizations in just one week from now.
” In L.A. County , hospitals have been addressing the increased demand for staffed hospital beds by calling in help from other areas of the hospital system , which is forcing cancellations of scheduled surgeries and outpatient visits ; discharging patients as quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with certain types of patients to other hospitals , which can only be done in two-hour time periods .
Patients suffering trauma , heart attacks and strokes can not be diverted elsewhere .
On Tuesday , 77 % of hospitals in L.A. County were diverting patients at some point during the day ; normally at this time of year , 10 % to 15 % of hospitals would be on such a diversion .
Other measures hospitals can take include discharging COVID-19 patients and setting them up with oxygen treatments at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Health officials are hopeful that the regional stay-at-home order that went into effect Sunday night will help to tamp down on the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations .
The order reduces capacity at retail stores ; closes businesses including hair salons , nail salons , card rooms , museums , zoos , aquariums ; and closes outdoor restaurant dining .
On Wednesday , a new region — Greater Sacramento — saw its ICU capacity fall below 15 % , and will see a stay-at-home order imposed beginning Thursday night .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Californians subject to the regional stay-at-home order , covering 92 % of California ’ s population and 41 of the state ’ s 58 counties .
San Francisco officials said they would run out of intensive care beds in 17 days if the current rate of infection remained stable .
San Francisco health director Dr. Grant Colfax urged residents to stay home , saying that avoiding contact with others now was “ probably the most important message ” he has tried to impart since the COVID-19 pandemic began .
“ To be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn this serious surge around , and that chance is right now , ” he said .
“ But our window is narrowing and closing fast.
” Lin and Dolan reported from San Francisco , Money from Long Beach .
Times staff writer Sean Greene contributed to this report .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Maura Dolan

Dr. Grace Neuman uses hand sanitizer in the parking garage of a Los Angeles health center prior to administering nasal swabs to test for the coronavirus.
Deaths from COVID-19 in California have reached record levels this week, a grim sign of how even advances in medical care and a younger demographic of those infected are no match for the relentless spread of the coronavirus.
Southern California and the Central Valley are by far the state’s biggest contributors of total deaths in the last week. Of nearly 950 deaths reported in California in the last week, a Times analysis shows that more than 300 fatalities were reported in L.A. County, followed by nearly 80 in San Bernardino County, about 70 each in Riverside and San Diego counties and nearly 60 in Orange County.
COVID-19 deaths in Southern California in the last week are driving the state’s death toll. (Los Angeles Times )
Advertisement
Deaths were also rising in Northern California, although not at the numbers seen in the Southland.
California this week broke its single-day record for COVID-19 deaths — 219 on Tuesday. The state averaged 146 new deaths daily over the last week, a new all-time high, according to The Times’ analysis.
Health officials expect deaths to continue spiking in the coming weeks as it’s becoming clear many people got infected over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The coronavirus is now infecting mostly younger adults. But once the virus spreads to older people — those age 50 or higher — the likelihood of death is much higher.
California coronavirus cases and deaths by age group (Los Angeles Times)
Just a few weeks ago, the chance of getting the coronavirus was relatively rare, like the chance of getting soaked while dining outside when there’s just a light sprinkle, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Now, the virus is so widespread, the situation is more like a heavy storm.
Advertisement
“If it’s a downpour — because the whole community has widespread transmission — if you’re going to be outside, you’re going to get wet. You could get the virus,” Kim-Farley said.
In California, there was some optimism earlier this fall that, even with another surge, deaths could remain under control because doctors had gotten better at treating COVID-19 patients and there had been less spread in institutions such as nursing homes. But starting in late October, the third surge of the pandemic began, accelerating into November and dashing hopes that the autumn would be relatively mild and California could continue its reopening.
“In all honesty, we never expected ... we would be in this situation at this time of the year,” L.A. County health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in mid-November. “We were really hoping that we would be ... by this time of the year, in November, getting our schools back open.”
It is true that a patient entering a hospital now probably has a better chance of survival than earlier in the pandemic. Doctors have learned to avoid, when possible, placing patients on mechanical ventilators and to use alternative ways to get more oxygen into the bloodstream; to place people on their bellies to make it easier for them to breathe; and to give patients steroid treatments.
But COVID-19 is now so widespread that the overall chance of getting infected, and therefore being one of the 12% who need hospitalization, is now much greater than ever.
“The more transmission you have, the more people are ending up in the hospital, and ... the more deaths we’re going to witness,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
It’s now clear that some Californians are weary of wearing masks and staying physically distant, setting the stage for the autumn surge of the disease.
“This is the surge that we all expected when we first got wind of this thing in the spring,” said Dr. Shruti Gohil, associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine.
There are now about 25,000 Californians testing positive for the virus daily, more than double the peak of the last surge, in the summer, when fewer than 10,000 a day were testing positive for the virus each day.
As a result, activities that were relatively less risky just a few weeks ago are now more dangerous.
L.A. County officials estimate that about 1 in 140 L.A. County residents are contagious with the virus — far more than in late September, when just 1 in 880 were contagious.
Daily deaths are expected to continue climbing for weeks to come. Every infected person in L.A. County is infecting, on average, 1.14 other people, among the highest transmission rates since the first weeks of the pandemic.
Every L.A. County resident infected with the coronavirus on average transmits it to 1.14 other people, according to data released Wednesday, meaning the virus is still spreading. (L.A. County Department of Health Services
)
The boom in daily deaths that resulted from virus transmission over Thanksgiving won’t become apparent until January, a projection based on how past waves have behaved.
A jump in coronavirus transmission around Thanksgiving is expected to manifest itself in increased deaths in January, because it takes weeks for the virus to multiply in the body and then cause disease severe enough to send people to the hospital and, eventually, for some people to die. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
“I do anticipate that the deaths will continue to increase in the weeks to come,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County director of health services. “Sadly, patients often have very long hospital [stays], and are just not able to recover.”
Compared to a month ago, L.A. County now has four times the number of hospitalizations and four times the number of daily deaths. There are now 43 L.A. County residents dying from COVID-19 daily; it’s plausible that the number could double by Christmas, according to calculations by Ghaly’s agency.
Forecast of daily mortality in L.A. County
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
The virus can cause a host of serious complications, hijacking other cells and, with pneumonia, causing inflammation and destruction of the lungs, drowning the organs in fluid. The virus can cause shortness of breath and low levels of oxygen in the blood, and result in an inability to breathe and the failure of multiple organs.
More than 8,000 L.A. County residents have died of COVID-19 — a fact that nearly brought Ferrer to tears during a briefing Wednesday.
“Over 8,000 people who were beloved members of their families are not coming back,” she said, her voice choking. “And their deaths are an incalculable loss to their friends and their family, as well as our community.”
The biggest concern now among health officials is the crowded state of hospital intensive care units.
Some ICUs across the state, from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley, are already reporting 0% available capacity. Across L.A. County, available ICU capacity was at 11.8%.
“Let me be clear: 11.8% ICU capacity is dangerously low,” said L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis. “Already we have seen some of our hospitals have to divert ambulances overnight to other hospitals.”
Certain regions were harder hit than others, including the heavily Latino regions of the San Gabriel Valley and southeast L.A. County. On Tuesday, there were zero staffed, licensed and available ICU beds in the San Gabriel Valley, and only five on the Westside and six in southeast L.A. County.
The rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations is higher than ever in L.A. County. In the first surge, the rate never topped more than about 300 new COVID-19 hospitalizations a day. But last week, officials reported 350 new hospitalizations a day and, this week, nearly 500 new hospitalizations a day.
“Given that we’re just now seeing the hospitalizations that resulted from the recent Thanksgiving holiday,” Ghaly said, “we anticipate that the number will continue to grow over the next few weeks, with potentially up to 700 new daily COVID hospitalizations in just one week from now.”
In L.A. County, hospitals have been addressing the increased demand for staffed hospital beds by calling in help from other areas of the hospital system, which is forcing cancellations of scheduled surgeries and outpatient visits; discharging patients as quickly as possible; and temporarily diverting ambulances with certain types of patients to other hospitals, which can only be done in two-hour time periods. Patients suffering trauma, heart attacks and strokes cannot be diverted elsewhere.
On Tuesday, 77% of hospitals in L.A. County were diverting patients at some point during the day; normally at this time of year, 10% to 15% of hospitals would be on such a diversion.
Other measures hospitals can take include discharging COVID-19 patients and setting them up with oxygen treatments at home, followed up daily visits from trained staff.
Health officials are hopeful that the regional stay-at-home order that went into effect Sunday night will help to tamp down on the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The order reduces capacity at retail stores; closes businesses including hair salons, nail salons, card rooms, museums, zoos, aquariums; and closes outdoor restaurant dining. On Wednesday, a new region — Greater Sacramento — saw its ICU capacity fall below 15%, and will see a stay-at-home order imposed beginning Thursday night.
By that point, there will be 36 million Californians subject to the regional stay-at-home order, covering 92% of California’s population and 41 of the state’s 58 counties.
San Francisco officials said they would run out of intensive care beds in 17 days if the current rate of infection remained stable.
San Francisco health director Dr. Grant Colfax urged residents to stay home, saying that avoiding contact with others now was “probably the most important message” he has tried to impart since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“To be blunt, we have one chance to turn this serious surge around, and that chance is right now,” he said. “But our window is narrowing and closing fast.”
Lin and Dolan reported from San Francisco, Money from Long Beach. Times staff writer Sean Greene contributed to this report.