latimes--2020-04-24--California stay-at-home faces its biggest test: A heat wave driving people to the beach

The natural air conditioner created some 13 million years ago with the formation of Santa Monica Bay has helped charm and cool Angelenos from the time people first inhabited this land .
The chance to enjoy ocean breezes , and perhaps a swim , seemed like a Los Angeles birthright .
But the coronavirus pandemic has upended many truths of earlier eras .
Now the people of Los Angeles will enter their sixth week under a stay-at-home order , facing a weekend of 90-degree-plus temperatures , with all 72 miles of the Los Angeles County coast closed to one and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide .
At least most of them .
At least for now .
But the shutdown of beaches from Malibu to the Orange County border is serving as a reminder of privileges that the county ’ s 10 million residents may have taken for granted , of the friction created when those privileges disappear and of the unequal access citizens have to the ocean and other open spaces .
Barbara Ferrer , director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , has said repeatedly that the beaches must remain closed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be carrying the potentially deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus .
She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd beaches in neighboring Ventura and Orange counties .
“ We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying .
We know it ’ s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home , or stay outside [ in ] your own yard or your own neighborhood , ” Ferrer told the media Wednesday .
To do otherwise , she said , would increase the risk of bringing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t need that.
” Public officials and those patrolling the beaches say that compliance with the shutdown has been high , with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking the county beach ban .
Politicians including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti , the county Board of Supervisors and Gov .
Gavin Newsom cite polls showing public support for hunkering down longer to slow the coronavirus .
But that feeling will not hold forever .
And a vocal minority already is bridling to get back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes soaking up the beach sun and diving into the invigorating Pacific Ocean .
They have registered their impatience in a poll taken by Surfer magazine , in a petition to reopen Manhattan Beach and in other forms of protest .
“ There is no logical or defensible reason to disallow access to the ocean , provided we maintain responsible spacing , which is essentially guaranteed by Mother Nature , ” wrote Andrew Mactavish , one of more than 4,100 people to sign a to reopen Manhattan Beach .
“ This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paranoid and apparently ignorant public officials.
” Justis Brown , another petition signatory , added : “ Surfing is not a crime.
” Many of those signing the petition in one of L.A. ’ s wealthiest communities proposed allowing locals , alone , to have access to the shore .
In late March , a surfer in Manhattan Beach was one of the rare scofflaws , to exit the surf .
Readers of Surfer magazine had a wide range of opinions about the closures too , with 72 % of 6,000 in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not think surfing should be “ restricted at this time.
” A reader identifying himself as “ Purple Grapes ” commented : “ This situation is ridiculous .
There is not one documented case of beach- or surf-spread COVID …Let us surf , it ’ s what we do.
” Opinion in the lineup has been far from unanimous , however .
BlueChefHat said on the Surfer comment board : “ The critical problem is humans who believe as individuals their rights are more important than the collective health of the planet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to war .
We ’ ve been asked to watch Netflix for a few weeks.
” Surfer Editor in Chief Todd Prodanovich said he can not recall an issue that has become this divisive in his 10 years at the magazine .
“ I ’ ve never experienced anything quite like this , ” he said .
He agreed in a note to readers that , on many beaches , social distancing and surfing appear compatible .
But not at the most crowded spots such as Malibu , the landmark break just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s historic pier .
One of the surfing community ’ s most prominent organizations , Surfrider Foundation , said it shifted its messaging as the science and public health information evolved .
It first advised social distancing , before calling on its members to just “ # StayHomeShredLater.
” “ Californians should ’ ve erred on the side of caution quite a while back , and we didn ’ t , ” Jennifer Savage , Surfrider ’ s policy manager in California , said .
“ So it makes a lot of sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side of caution going forward , so that we can get through all of this faster , together.
” Savage said many folks have supported this new message but acknowledged the difficult shift in consciousness this requires for surfers and others .
With Los Angeles beaches closed and potential record temperatures expected beginning Friday , one politician in neighboring Orange County suggested shutting beaches there , to stave off a flood of outsiders , including potential COVID-19 carriers .
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said Orange County had an obligation to protect local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the folks that are coming down , ” she said , “ they ’ re not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities , they ’ re not even staying in their own counties.
” Bartlett added that a shutdown would have to apply to everyone because of the California Coastal Act , which declares that access to the beach is a right of every Californian .
But Bartlett got no support for her full shutdown proposal .
The Coastal Commission , the gatekeeper of California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities and counties to make the call on whether beaches should be temporarily closed — citing the emergency need to protect public health and safety .
But Jack Ainsworth , the commission ’ s executive director , reminded local officials in a March 24 letter that access limitations were not absolute and that “ the coast belongs to all.
” Many point to the unequal impact of the closures , given that residents in some coastal communities have greater access to parks , beaches and hiking trails while more working-class ( and often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more confined spaces .
Lucas Zucker , who has advocated for greater environmental justice on the Central Coast , noted that the people who are still able to go to the beach are primarily those who can afford to live within walking or biking distance .
As the days get hotter , he said , stay-at-home orders will become even more difficult for those who are trapped in inland neighborhoods , near freeways or in industrial areas .
“ Some families are feeling like ‘ Wow , this is the first time I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go outside and get some fresh air , ’ “ said Zucker , policy director for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy ( CAUSE ) .
“ But for many communities , they ’ ve been living with that lack of access to open space , clean air and exercise for a very long time.
” Still , even coastal residents attuned to such inequities can find it hard to accept that they can ’ t , for instance , go in the ocean when they don ’ t see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call for compromise measures , like those enacted Wednesday in Ventura .
That city agreed to allow people to use the city ’ s beaches , pier , promenade and parks as long as they keep their distance from one another and remain on the move .
Visitors will be allowed to walk up and down the city ’ s pier or on the sand but not be allowed to sit on the beach or stand against the pier ’ s railing to fish .
While there has been no conclusive research , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not survive well in chlorine and it ’ s likely vulnerable to saltwater as well , said Mark Gold , deputy secretary for coast and ocean policy under Newsom .
The bigger risk is people congregating onshore , Gold said .
“ We all want to go to the beach and enjoy this great weather , ” Gold said , “ but we have come too far together to stop doing what has been working.
” In Los Angeles , Mayor Garcetti seconded the county ’ s Ferrer in urging residents to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd into other counties that are gradually opening beaches .
“ We need to continue to look back and be able to say that we got out of this safer , with fewer deaths , and sooner because we stayed at home , ” he said .
Times staff writers Priscella Vega and Luke Money contributed to this report .

The natural air conditioner created some 13 million years ago with the formation of Santa Monica Bay has helped charm and cool Angelenos from the time people first inhabited this land. The chance to enjoy ocean breezes, and perhaps a swim, seemed like a Los Angeles birthright.
But the coronavirus pandemic has upended many truths of earlier eras. Now the people of Los Angeles will enter their sixth week under a stay-at-home order, facing a weekend of 90-degree-plus temperatures, with all 72 miles of the Los Angeles County coast closed to one and all.
The people appear prepared to abide. At least most of them. At least for now.
Cailin Healy and an unidentified friend, both of Calabasas, take a selfie together as beachgoers enjoy warm summer-like weather in Huntington Beach amid state and city social distancing regulations mandated by Gov. Newsom. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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But the shutdown of beaches from Malibu to the Orange County border is serving as a reminder of privileges that the county’s 10 million residents may have taken for granted, of the friction created when those privileges disappear and of the unequal access citizens have to the ocean and other open spaces.
Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has said repeatedly that the beaches must remain closed to prevent an overflow of visitors who might be carrying the potentially deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd beaches in neighboring Ventura and Orange counties.
“We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying. We know it’s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home, or stay outside [in] your own yard or your own neighborhood,” Ferrer told the media Wednesday. To do otherwise, she said, would increase the risk of bringing the infection to L.A. “And we absolutely don’t need that.”
PHOTOS: Coronavirus and beaches: What’s open and what’s closed
Public officials and those patrolling the beaches say that compliance with the shutdown has been high, with only about half a dozen people cited in more than a month for breaking the county beach ban. Politicians including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the county Board of Supervisors and Gov. Gavin Newsom cite polls showing public support for hunkering down longer to slow the coronavirus.
But that feeling will not hold forever. And a vocal minority already is bridling to get back to something close to normal life, which includes soaking up the beach sun and diving into the invigorating Pacific Ocean. They have registered their impatience in a poll taken by Surfer magazine, in a petition to reopen Manhattan Beach and in other forms of protest.
“There is no logical or defensible reason to disallow access to the ocean, provided we maintain responsible spacing, which is essentially guaranteed by Mother Nature,” wrote Andrew Mactavish, one of more than 4,100 people to sign a Change.org petition to reopen Manhattan Beach. “This is a ridiculous publicity stunt on the part of paranoid and apparently ignorant public officials.”
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1 / 26 Zuma Beach – Closed: Lifeguard towers sit on an empty Zuma Beach in Malibu. (Brian van der Brug/Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 26 Broad Beach – Closed: Beachgoers walk on Broad Beach in Malibu. To fend off coronavirus contagion, Los Angeles County has kept beaches closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 26 Zuma Beach – Closed: Nets were removed to foil beach volleyball players at Zuma Beach in Malibu. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 26 Corral Beach – Closed: Los Angeles County lifeguards ask a couple to leave Corral Beach in Malibu. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 26 Venice Beach – Closed: Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Southern California beaches are expected to draw crowds this weekend as an early heat wave hits its peak on Saturday and Sunday, even though much of the shoreline remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 26 Venice Beach – Closed: The setting sun casts a dark golden hue over everything. Southern California beaches are expected to draw crowds this weekend as an early heat wave hits its peak on Saturday and Sunday, even though much of the shoreline remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 26 Venice Beach – Closed: Beachgoers never run out of ways to have fun. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 26 Manhattan Beach – Closed: A lone figure walks onto a closed Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach. (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 26 Manhattan Beach – Closed: Waves are minus surfers next to a closed bike path in Manhattan Beach. Even with the warm weather, the majority of beachgoers and surfers stayed away from beaches that have been closed to stop crowds from gathering to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 26 Hermosa Beach – Closed: The only one surfing was a statue of surfer Dewey Weber as a visitor walks near The Strand which has been closed to stop people from gathering to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Hermosa Beach. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 26 Huntington Beach – Open: Beachgoers enjoying warm summer-like weather appear to be keeping their distance in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 26 Huntington Beach – Open: A man sprints across an empty stretch of sand in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 26 Huntington Beach – Open: Cailin Healy, right, of Calabasas and a friend take a selfie together in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 26 Huntington Beach – Open: Unable to go to the gym, Jeff Spirk, 31, of Huntington Beach does pull-ups on a lifeguard tower. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 26 San Clemente – Open: Aerial view of the previously closed San Clemente pier and beach on April 8. The city is reopening the beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 26 San Clemente – Open: A couple takes in a sunset together near the San Clemente pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 26 Malibu – Closed: A jogger and her dog run on a closed Westward Beach Road at Westward Beach in Malibu. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 26 Hermosa Beach – Closed: Daryl Presley and his son, Indy, 3, of Torrance play in the sand of Noble Park in Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 26 Hermosa Beach – Closed: Holly Martin, right, who works at Snapchat, brought her laptop to Noble Park in Hermosa Beach to get some work done in the sun. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 26 Hueneme Beach – Open: Sisters Emily, 7, and Hazel Enholm, 4, spent the day at Hueneme Beach, which had a soft opening with restrictions as Ventura County modified its stay-at-home order. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 26 Hueneme Beach – Open: Brian Ledis of Westlake Village gives surfing lessons to his 8-year-old son Rowan at Hueneme Beach. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 26 Hueneme Beach – Open: People enjoy the surf and sand at Hueneme Beach. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 26 Point Mugu – Closed: Visitors don’t seem to be observing social distancing restrictions on April 11 at Point Mugu. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 26 Point Mugu – Closed: California State Parks Ranger David Gunn warns visitors at Point Mugu that parking is not allowed due to coronavirus and social distancing restrictions. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 26 Point Mugu – Closed: A surfer flies off his board to end a ride at Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 26 Point Mugu – Closed: Miriam Burciga enjoys a socially distant perch overlooking Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Justis Brown, another petition signatory, added: “Surfing is not a crime.” Many of those signing the petition in one of L.A.’s wealthiest communities proposed allowing locals, alone, to have access to the shore.
In late March, a surfer in Manhattan Beach was one of the rare scofflaws, fined $1,000 for ignoring repeated warnings to exit the surf.
Readers of Surfer magazine had a wide range of opinions about the closures too, with 72% of 6,000 in an Instagram survey telling the venerable magazine they did not think surfing should be “restricted at this time.”
A reader identifying himself as “Purple Grapes” commented: “This situation is ridiculous. There is not one documented case of beach- or surf-spread COVID …Let us surf, it’s what we do.”
Opinion in the lineup has been far from unanimous, however. BlueChefHat said on the Surfer comment board: “The critical problem is humans who believe as individuals their rights are more important than the collective health of the planet. Generations before have been asked to go to war. We’ve been asked to watch Netflix for a few weeks.”
Surfer Editor in Chief Todd Prodanovich said he cannot recall an issue that has become this divisive in his 10 years at the magazine. “I’ve never experienced anything quite like this,” he said.
A jogger and her dog run on a closed road at Westward Beach in Malibu. The beach has been temporarily closed in an effort to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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He agreed in a note to readers that, on many beaches, social distancing and surfing appear compatible. But not at the most crowded spots such as Malibu, the landmark break just up the coast from the city’s historic pier.
One of the surfing community’s most prominent organizations, Surfrider Foundation, said it shifted its messaging as the science and public health information evolved. It first advised social distancing, before calling on its members to just “#StayHomeShredLater.”
“Californians should’ve erred on the side of caution quite a while back, and we didn’t,” Jennifer Savage, Surfrider’s policy manager in California, said. “So it makes a lot of sense that we should collectively choose to err on the side of caution going forward, so that we can get through all of this faster, together.”
Savage said many folks have supported this new message but acknowledged the difficult shift in consciousness this requires for surfers and others.
With Los Angeles beaches closed and potential record temperatures expected beginning Friday, one politician in neighboring Orange County suggested shutting beaches there, to stave off a flood of outsiders, including potential COVID-19 carriers.
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said Orange County had an obligation to protect local residents. “When you take a look at the folks that are coming down,” she said, “they’re not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities, they’re not even staying in their own counties.”
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Bartlett added that a shutdown would have to apply to everyone because of the California Coastal Act, which declares that access to the beach is a right of every Californian. But Bartlett got no support for her full shutdown proposal.
The Coastal Commission, the gatekeeper of California’s beach access law, has been allowing cities and counties to make the call on whether beaches should be temporarily closed — citing the emergency need to protect public health and safety. But Jack Ainsworth, the commission’s executive director, reminded local officials in a March 24 letter that access limitations were not absolute and that “the coast belongs to all.”
Many point to the unequal impact of the closures, given that residents in some coastal communities have greater access to parks, beaches and hiking trails while more working-class (and often less white) communities inland swelter in more confined spaces.
Lucas Zucker, who has advocated for greater environmental justice on the Central Coast, noted that the people who are still able to go to the beach are primarily those who can afford to live within walking or biking distance. As the days get hotter, he said, stay-at-home orders will become even more difficult for those who are trapped in inland neighborhoods, near freeways or in industrial areas.
“Some families are feeling like ‘Wow, this is the first time I don’t have a chance to go outside and get some fresh air,’ “ said Zucker, policy director for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE). “But for many communities, they’ve been living with that lack of access to open space, clean air and exercise for a very long time.”
Still, even coastal residents attuned to such inequities can find it hard to accept that they can’t, for instance, go in the ocean when they don’t see crowds at their local beach. They call for compromise measures, like those enacted Wednesday in Ventura.
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Emily Enholm, 7, and her sister, Hazel, 4, play on the sand at Hueneme Beach. Ventura agreed to allow people to use the city’s beaches, pier, promenade and parks as long as they keep their distance from one another and remain on the move. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
That city agreed to allow people to use the city’s beaches, pier, promenade and parks as long as they keep their distance from one another and remain on the move. Visitors will be allowed to walk up and down the city’s pier or on the sand but not be allowed to sit on the beach or stand against the pier’s railing to fish.
While there has been no conclusive research, it’s believed the virus would not survive well in chlorine and it’s likely vulnerable to saltwater as well, said Mark Gold, deputy secretary for coast and ocean policy under Newsom. The bigger risk is people congregating onshore, Gold said.
“We all want to go to the beach and enjoy this great weather,” Gold said, “but we have come too far together to stop doing what has been working.”
In Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti seconded the county’s Ferrer in urging residents to continue to stay close to home and not crowd into other counties that are gradually opening beaches.
“We need to continue to look back and be able to say that we got out of this safer, with fewer deaths, and sooner because we stayed at home,” he said.
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Times staff writers Priscella Vega and Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-24--California cities project 2-year losses of $6.7 billion because of coronavirus

California ’ s 482 cities say they will collectively lose $ 6.7 billion over the next two years because of the coronavirus pandemic , prompting layoffs and furloughs for public workers and potential cuts to basic services such as sanitation , public safety and housing .
But that estimate , compiled by the League of California Cities , assumes that the stay-at-home order lifts by June 1 — an unlikely scenario in a state where Gov .
Gavin Newsom and public health officials have said bans on large gatherings and unnecessary travel will likely extend well into summer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in place , the longer businesses are closed , the greater the revenue shortfalls will be , ” said Carolyn Coleman , the league ’ s executive director .
Cities large and small say they are feeling the pain of an abrupt economic halt as most businesses and restaurants have closed and people aren ’ t traveling because of the mandatory stay-at-home order .
In Yountville , a city of nearly 3,000 in California ’ s wine country , where 74 % of its annual budget comes from taxes on sales and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 60 % loss in revenue is expected in the upcoming budget .
Rancho Cucamonga , east of Los Angeles , laid off its 289 part-time workers .
In San Jose , the 10th largest city in the country , leaders expect revenues to drop 8.6 % — far larger than the 2.9 % revenue loss during the Great Recession .
And in Grass Valley , a city of fewer than 13,000 people in the Sierra Nevada foothills , leaders have laid off four employees — and police and fire departments could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it is , ” Grass Valley Councilwoman Jan Arbuckle said .
“ If things continue down this path , we have no other choice other than to start looking at reducing our public safety , which is not what we want to do especially going into our fire season.
” Congress sent $ 5.8 billion to California local governments as part of a $ 2.2-trillion aid package , but most of that money went to counties .
Only six California cities qualified because they had populations greater than 500,000 people : Fresno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diego , San Francisco and San Jose .
But the federal government says cities can ’ t use that money to cover revenue shortfalls and can only use it for coronavirus-related expenses .
“ It was nice to get a $ 92-million check , ” Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said .
“ We have to go forward with our budget with the presumption it is not going to be there.
” The League of California Cities asked Newsom and the Legislature on Thursday to help cities cover those shortfalls .
Newsom plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrapping the $ 222.2-billion spending plan he proposed in January .
So far , the coronavirus ’ spread has been far less devastating in California than public health officials had feared .
On Wednesday , the state saw declines in the both the number of confirmed and suspected coronavirus hospitalizations for the first time .
With hospitals far from capacity , Newsom announced Wednesday they could resume elective surgeries .
And Thursday , Newsom said 16 California-based doctors had volunteered to help in New York , the center of the outbreak in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could be some time before he loosens the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
He said if people were to pack beaches , parks , playgrounds and hiking trails this weekend , then “ I ’ ll be announcing in a week or so these numbers going back up.
” “ I don ’ t think anybody wants to hear that , ” he said .

California’s 482 cities say they will collectively lose $6.7 billion over the next two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting layoffs and furloughs for public workers and potential cuts to basic services such as sanitation, public safety and housing.
But that estimate, compiled by the League of California Cities, assumes that the stay-at-home order lifts by June 1 — an unlikely scenario in a state where Gov. Gavin Newsom and public health officials have said bans on large gatherings and unnecessary travel will likely extend well into summer.
“Obviously, the longer the stay-at-home orders are in place, the longer businesses are closed, the greater the revenue shortfalls will be,” said Carolyn Coleman, the league’s executive director.
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Cities large and small say they are feeling the pain of an abrupt economic halt as most businesses and restaurants have closed and people aren’t traveling because of the mandatory stay-at-home order.
In Yountville, a city of nearly 3,000 in California’s wine country, where 74% of its annual budget comes from taxes on sales and hotel rooms, Mayor John Dunbar says a 60% loss in revenue is expected in the upcoming budget.
Rancho Cucamonga, east of Los Angeles, laid off its 289 part-time workers. In San Jose, the 10th largest city in the country, leaders expect revenues to drop 8.6% — far larger than the 2.9% revenue loss during the Great Recession.
And in Grass Valley, a city of fewer than 13,000 people in the Sierra Nevada foothills, leaders have laid off four employees — and police and fire departments could be next.
“We are bare bones as it is,” Grass Valley Councilwoman Jan Arbuckle said. “If things continue down this path, we have no other choice other than to start looking at reducing our public safety, which is not what we want to do especially going into our fire season.”
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Congress sent $5.8 billion to California local governments as part of a $2.2-trillion aid package, but most of that money went to counties. Only six California cities qualified because they had populations greater than 500,000 people: Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose.
But the federal government says cities can’t use that money to cover revenue shortfalls and can only use it for coronavirus-related expenses.
“It was nice to get a $92-million check,” Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said. “We have to go forward with our budget with the presumption it is not going to be there.”
California Coronavirus crisis could trigger huge California deficits, lawmakers are told Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek told members of the state Senate’s budget committee to prepare for a projected deficit of as much as $35 billion in the near future.
The League of California Cities asked Newsom and the Legislature on Thursday to help cities cover those shortfalls. Newsom plans to unveil a budget proposal next month after scrapping the $222.2-billion spending plan he proposed in January.
So far, the coronavirus’ spread has been far less devastating in California than public health officials had feared. On Wednesday, the state saw declines in the both the number of confirmed and suspected coronavirus hospitalizations for the first time.
With hospitals far from capacity, Newsom announced Wednesday they could resume elective surgeries. And Thursday, Newsom said 16 California-based doctors had volunteered to help in New York, the center of the outbreak in the U.S.
Still, Newsom reiterated Thursday it could be some time before he loosens the state’s stay-at-home order. He said if people were to pack beaches, parks, playgrounds and hiking trails this weekend, then “I’ll be announcing in a week or so these numbers going back up.”
“I don’t think anybody wants to hear that,” he said.


latimes--2020-04-23--Column: Coronavirus disposable gloves are trashing our streets. Don't make others pick up after you

We need to talk about those blue , black and white disposable gloves now littering our streets , our sidewalks , our green spaces and our supermarket parking lots .
Gloves in critically short supply that people desperate to stave off the coronavirus took the trouble to hunt down and purchase and awkwardly wriggle their fingers into — but then tossed out , not caring who might have to come behind and pick them up and potentially put themselves at risk by doing so .
Every time I go on a walk , I now have to step over gloves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in abandoned carts outside my supermarket .
I ’ ve seen them thrown on people ’ s lawns .
They can look oddly alive .
Their fingers sometimes seem to point this way and that .
A British photographer already has begun to document them as an art project to convey the time we are living in .
But sidestepping them in real life has an ick factor akin to encountering a used condom or hypodermic needle .
The tossed gloves are all over L.A. , I ’ m told .
But not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , all over the world .
Just search social media and news reports .
And it isn ’ t just gloves .
It ’ s also masks .
Though more gloves than masks .
So many gloves .
So many gloves have been tossed out on residential streets that I can ’ t help but wonder how many ordinary people stockpiled them — even while hearing reports that doctors and nurses needed them , needed them not to go to the supermarket or to accept a takeout delivery without squirming but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .
( It ’ s worth noting , by the way , that experts keep warning us ordinary Joes that wearing the gloves may do us more harm than good . )
In earlier eras , a dropped glove might mean time to duel ( as in throw down the gauntlet ) or flirt ( when delicately slipping through the fingers of an Elizabethan lady ) .
A colleague of mine , when I brought up the gloves , mentioned a social media account that predates the pandemic called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracks dropped winter gloves , with the idea that “ where you see a lost glove , you find a cold hand.
” I keep thinking about what today ’ s dropped gloves , which I often see fewer than 10 steps from trash bins , signal about us right now .
To me , they are emblematic of a certain still not uncommon self-centeredness .
I ’ ll take care of me .
I ’ ll try to keep myself safe .
But that ’ s it .
I won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not my problem .
It ’ s the same attitude I ’ ve seen and noted from some about social distancing and wearing masks .
I ’ ll block the center of the supermarket aisle .
I ’ ll stake out the middle of the sidewalk .
I ’ ll run right past you without warning .
I won ’ t wear a mask .
I won ’ t move out of your way .
I won ’ t protect you from me .
That ’ s entirely up to you .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other people — the house cleaner , the staff , janitorial crews — doing for them .
Perhaps they ’ re struggling to adjust to this new reality when we all should be doing for ourselves and each other .
It ’ s an attitude that says screw you — as those people do who walk their dogs off leash and refuse to pick up after them .
It ’ s an attitude that screams : The rules that apply to the rest of society don ’ t apply to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just about every day when I watch the president give his briefings .
No , the president won ’ t wear a mask : “ You can do it .
You don ’ t have to do it .
I ’ m choosing not to do it.
” No , the president ’ s not going to stand six feet away .
Just watch his hulking presence right next to the person speaking at the podium , he ’ s not .
Attitude , though , is one thing .
I have other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When it comes to pollution , right now I fear we ’ re going two ways at once .
We ’ re mostly staying home , not driving our cars .
And we ’ re celebrating our empty streets , our cleaner air , the wondrous reemergence of wild animals who usually hide from our hordes .
But we ’ re also making use of so many non-biodegradable items , like these nitrile and latex gloves and disposal masks , which often contain plastics and metal .
Citing safety , our grocery stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bags — which only recently we were required to do unless we wanted to pay for theirs .
Now we ’ re toting home paper and plastic bags that many of us probably are throwing straight out — rather than reusing or recycling — afraid of who touched them before us .
And ditto for takeout containers .
When I see gloves dropped in our streets , as I do every day now , I think of them making their way into our storm drains and then possibly into the ocean .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there in trash vortexes along with our once-again profligate plastic bags , long after this pandemic has come and gone .
If you feel the need to wear the gloves , I understand .
We all are trying to stay safe .
But if you ’ re wearing them , do us all a favor .
Take them off and dispose of them safely .
Do it to show that you care about more than just yourself .
Do it to protect others .
Do it to help make these days fade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Clockwise from upper left: A discarded mask rests among flowers outside of a grocery store in Gardena; a protective glove worn floats in Newport Harbor; a discarded glove sits along a road in La Crescenta; and a discarded glove on the ground on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Gloves.
We need to talk about those blue, black and white disposable gloves now littering our streets, our sidewalks, our green spaces and our supermarket parking lots.
Used gloves. Soiled gloves. Potentially infected gloves.
Gloves in critically short supply that people desperate to stave off the coronavirus took the trouble to hunt down and purchase and awkwardly wriggle their fingers into — but then tossed out, not caring who might have to come behind and pick them up and potentially put themselves at risk by doing so.
Every time I go on a walk, I now have to step over gloves. I’ve seen them sitting in abandoned carts outside my supermarket. I’ve seen them thrown on people’s lawns. They can look oddly alive. Their fingers sometimes seem to point this way and that.
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A British photographer already has begun to document them as an art project to convey the time we are living in. But sidestepping them in real life has an ick factor akin to encountering a used condom or hypodermic needle.
A discarded nitrile glove mimicking the Hawaiian “shaka” is seen left on the street in Hollywood. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The tossed gloves are all over L.A., I’m told. But not just all over L.A. All over the country, all over the world. Just search social media and news reports. And it isn’t just gloves. It’s also masks. Though more gloves than masks. So many gloves.
So many gloves have been tossed out on residential streets that I can’t help but wonder how many ordinary people stockpiled them — even while hearing reports that doctors and nurses needed them, needed them not to go to the supermarket or to accept a takeout delivery without squirming but to stay safe and protected while treating patients with the virus. (It’s worth noting, by the way, that experts keep warning us ordinary Joes that wearing the gloves may do us more harm than good.)
If you are wearing disposable gloves while out for essentials, please throw them *in the trash* not on the ground. pic.twitter.com/ZQ7Wz72vVY — Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) April 21, 2020
In earlier eras, a dropped glove might mean time to duel (as in throw down the gauntlet) or flirt (when delicately slipping through the fingers of an Elizabethan lady).
A colleague of mine, when I brought up the gloves, mentioned a social media account that predates the pandemic called “Lost Gloves for Lost People” that tracks dropped winter gloves, with the idea that “where you see a lost glove, you find a cold hand.”
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I keep thinking about what today’s dropped gloves, which I often see fewer than 10 steps from trash bins, signal about us right now.
To me, they are emblematic of a certain still not uncommon self-centeredness. I’ll take care of me. I’ll try to keep myself safe. But that’s it. I won’t worry about you. You’re not my problem.
It’s the same attitude I’ve seen and noted from some about social distancing and wearing masks. I’ll block the center of the supermarket aisle. I’ll stake out the middle of the sidewalk. I’ll run right past you without warning. I won’t wear a mask. I won’t move out of your way. I won’t protect you from me. That’s entirely up to you.
It’s an attitude of people accustomed to other people — the house cleaner, the staff, janitorial crews — doing for them. Perhaps they’re struggling to adjust to this new reality when we all should be doing for ourselves and each other.
It’s an attitude that says screw you — as those people do who walk their dogs off leash and refuse to pick up after them.
It’s an attitude that screams: The rules that apply to the rest of society don’t apply to me.
It’s an attitude I see just about every day when I watch the president give his briefings.
No, the president won’t wear a mask: “You can do it. You don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it.” No, the president’s not going to stand six feet away. Just watch his hulking presence right next to the person speaking at the podium, he’s not.
.@BostonPWD is working hard every day to keep our City clean during the #COVID19 pandemic. Help them out by properly disposing of surgical masks, gloves and other trash and do NOT litter. https://t.co/LB945PsNv7 — Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) April 13, 2020
Attitude, though, is one thing. I have other, perhaps more lasting, worries.
When it comes to pollution, right now I fear we’re going two ways at once. We’re mostly staying home, not driving our cars. And we’re celebrating our empty streets, our cleaner air, the wondrous reemergence of wild animals who usually hide from our hordes.
But we’re also making use of so many non-biodegradable items, like these nitrile and latex gloves and disposal masks, which often contain plastics and metal.
Citing safety, our grocery stores have stopped letting us bring our own bags — which only recently we were required to do unless we wanted to pay for theirs. Now we’re toting home paper and plastic bags that many of us probably are throwing straight out — rather than reusing or recycling — afraid of who touched them before us. And ditto for takeout containers.
When I see gloves dropped in our streets, as I do every day now, I think of them making their way into our storm drains and then possibly into the ocean. I think of them swirling by the thousands out there in trash vortexes along with our once-again profligate plastic bags, long after this pandemic has come and gone.
If you feel the need to wear the gloves, I understand. We all are trying to stay safe.
But if you’re wearing them, do us all a favor. Take them off and dispose of them safely. Do it to show that you care about more than just yourself. Do it to protect others.
Do it to help make these days fade into memory, not haunt us permanently.


latimes--2020-04-25--Southern California swelters as drought intensifies in Northern California

Temperatures will remain above seasonal norms in Southern California on Saturday as offshore gradients relax .
A return of onshore flow will result in slight cooling at the coast and in coastal valleys , but interior areas will be slightly warmer .
The ridge of high pressure will weaken , bringing some cooling Sunday and Monday under mostly clear skies .
Heat advisories will remain in effect along portions of the coast and some inland areas through 6 p.m. Saturday .
Excessive heat warnings are in effect for inland parts of San Diego , Riverside and Imperial counties , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect for much of the Mojave Desert from Tuesday through Thursday .
Southern California quickly made a transition from widespread and beneficial rainfall to summer-like heat , but rains were meager in Northern California , where exceptionally dry weather continues .
The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor data , released Thursday , show that the arrow-straight northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo , Kern and San Bernardino counties form a dividing line between portions of the state that are drought-free — for the time being — to the south , and those counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north .
The Drought Monitor also shows that areas of severe drought now sag southward and include the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento Valley southward to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta .
In addition , an area of extreme drought has appeared farther to the north , stretching from Del Norte and Siskiyou counties southward deep into Trinity County .
The severe and extreme drought conditions in Northern California portend an earlier start to the fire season .
The National Interagency Fire Center is predicting above-normal wildland fire potential in large parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California has had the advantage of abundant late-season rain with cool temperatures , so an early start to the fire season isn ’ t as likely .
But spring heat waves like the one currently underway in the region can have a hand in reversing that advantage .

Temperatures will remain above seasonal norms in Southern California on Saturday as offshore gradients relax. A return of onshore flow will result in slight cooling at the coast and in coastal valleys, but interior areas will be slightly warmer.
The ridge of high pressure will weaken, bringing some cooling Sunday and Monday under mostly clear skies.
Heat advisories will remain in effect along portions of the coast and some inland areas through 6 p.m. Saturday. Excessive heat warnings are in effect for inland parts of San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties, and an excessive heat watch is set take effect for much of the Mojave Desert from Tuesday through Thursday.
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The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought conditions worsening in Northern California. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Southern California quickly made a transition from widespread and beneficial rainfall to summer-like heat, but rains were meager in Northern California, where exceptionally dry weather continues. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor data, released Thursday, show that the arrow-straight northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo, Kern and San Bernardino counties form a dividing line between portions of the state that are drought-free — for the time being — to the south, and those counties under varying degrees of drought to the north.
The Drought Monitor also shows that areas of severe drought now sag southward and include the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento Valley southward to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In addition, an area of extreme drought has appeared farther to the north, stretching from Del Norte and Siskiyou counties southward deep into Trinity County.
The severe and extreme drought conditions in Northern California portend an earlier start to the fire season. The National Interagency Fire Center is predicting above-normal wildland fire potential in large parts of Northern California by July.
Southern California has had the advantage of abundant late-season rain with cool temperatures, so an early start to the fire season isn’t as likely. But spring heat waves like the one currently underway in the region can have a hand in reversing that advantage.


latimes--2020-04-24--As death toll mounts at nursing homes, California gets help from the  National Guard, adds  rules

For weeks , public health officials have struggled to slow the deadly spread of coronavirus through nursing homes .
At one facility in Tulare County , 15 have now died .
The death toll has reached 18 at a Yucaipa nursing home , 14 at a Pasadena facility and 17 at a convalescent hospital in Bell .
And nursing homes account for an increasing share of deaths in Los Angeles County : more than 40 % of the 851 who have died countywide .
On Friday , state and local officials announced new measures aimed at tackling the surging fatality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the California National Guard , which will go into nursing homes to boost staffing levels .
Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , touted an order that expands testing to both symptomatic and asymptomatic staff and residents , bans visitors , suspends communal dining , and requires staff and residents alike to wear protective equipment .
The moves are designed to get a better sense of how many people inside the homes have contracted the novel coronavirus and to limit access to outsiders who could either bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The deployment of California National Guard teams is aimed at bolstering staff , as more and more healthcare workers become infected , are scared to come to work , or are sidelined by self-isolation .
So far , the National Guard had only been dispatched to five nursing homes in L.A. County with plans to deploy to four more , but it was a potent symbol of how unprecedented the pandemic has become for long-term care institutions , and the depth of the challenges they face .
“ As we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are positive with COVID-19 , they need to stay out of the workplace for an extended period of time , and in places where there are outbreaks , that can mean there are dozens of employees that are appropriately not coming to work , ” said Ferrer , whose office requested the help .
The actions underscore how much nursing facilities have become the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in California and across the nation .
“ In terms of the vulnerable populations , the first priority has to be the skilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghaly , health services director for L.A. County .
“ That ’ s where the majority of the outbreaks have occurred.
” Molly Davies , who runs L.A. County ’ s ombudsman program , which investigates concerns in long-term care , said she had received complaints about lack of staffing but also heard directly from facilities about their needs .
“ We have general staffing shortages .
Some who are sick and need to quarantine .
Some who are scared to come in , ” Davies said .
“ It ’ s nice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement of the National Guard conjured images of a convoy of armed soldiers descending on homes for the elderly and infirm .
Advocates said there was no indication that the National Guard was imposing its presence in facilities ; the military force ’ s aid was accepted on a voluntary basis .
Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma , public affairs director for the state National Guard , said typically teams of eight people , including five medics , a nurse and an administrative sergeant , arrive to help with basic nursing needs .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the respective skilled nursing facility , ” said Shiroma , adding that the teams will remain onsite as long as they are needed .
The teams started assisting nursing homes earlier this week .
The sites include Pasadena Meadows Nursing Center in Pasadena , where 18 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and one person died , as well as the Motion Picture and Television Country House in Woodland Hills , where five residents have died and nine staff and 17 residents tested positive , according to county data .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , Eastland Subacute and Rehabilitation Center , a 139-bed facility in El Monte , received National Guard help .
However , Liz Tyler , a spokeswoman for the facility , said no residents or staff had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Tyler contended there was no shortage of staff , the minimum staffing requirements were met , and she said Eastland ’ s actual staff was not being diverted to other facilities with pressing needs .
“ The National Guard is helpful and extra hands are always appreciated , ” said Tyler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crisis spot.
” Neither the state nor county health departments responded to questions about why Eastland received National Guard assistance .
Maj. Chris Scott , medical operations director for the California National Guard ’ s skilled nursing teams , said his teams were still assessing each facility and working with the leadership and directors at each site to develop accurate information and data .
“ There could be tests that are coming back today and tomorrow , and those things are in flux right now , ” Scott said .
Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard was deployed “ to help support the efforts to isolate , conduct tests and to make sure that we ’ re sharing best practices and protocols within the system , particularly for those sites that we identify as more acute , in need.
” Newsom said sites were identified through the state ’ s admittedly “ old-fashioned ” method of data collection : “ daily check-in calls ” to California ’ s 1,224 skilled nursing facilities .
The governor focused on the statewide effort to reinforce homes , including hiring 600 nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case surges .
In Los Angeles County , the number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes and other institutional settings soared to 3,847 residents and 1,492 staff at 293 facilities , said Ferrer , the health director .
The rise coincides with an increase in testing in those facilities , leading to infections identified among asymptomatic people .
Ferrer said that the number of asymptomatic cases among staff and residents was a wake-up call .
In an order issued Friday , nursing homes and assisted living centers will have expanded testing of residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be determined for each facility by working with the county health department .
“ It ’ s become really clear that asymptomatic people are in fact , both infected with the virus and capable of shedding the virus , and that means they ’ re capable of infecting others , ” Ferrer said .
“ So in places where we have a lot of vulnerable people who reside — and that ’ s our nursing homes , all of our long-term care facilities — it ’ s really important to acknowledge ... this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also required congregate living facilities , including nursing homes , to limit entry to employees only .
Staff will be required to wear surgical masks and personal protective equipment , and residents will also be required to wear surgical masks or a cloth face covering .
A few hours after Ferrer ’ s order , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced “ a companion emergency order ” that will require the mandatory offering of monthly COVID-19 tests for residents , employees and contractors at the city ’ s 80 skilled nursing facilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer tests , but had no authority to actually force residents or workers to be tested .
Times staff writers Andrew Campa and Richard Winton contributed to this report .

Matt Hamilton, Alex Wigglesworth, John Myers, Melanie Mason

National Guard Sgt. Joseph Schlitz enters the Hollywood Premier Healthcare Center, which has seen 25 coronavirus cases among staff and 29 among residents.
For weeks, public health officials have struggled to slow the deadly spread of coronavirus through nursing homes.
At one facility in Tulare County, 15 have now died. The death toll has reached 18 at a Yucaipa nursing home, 14 at a Pasadena facility and 17 at a convalescent hospital in Bell. And nursing homes account for an increasing share of deaths in Los Angeles County: more than 40% of the 851 who have died countywide.
On Friday, state and local officials announced new measures aimed at tackling the surging fatality rate through more aggressive regulations and help from the California National Guard, which will go into nursing homes to boost staffing levels.
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Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, touted an order that expands testing to both symptomatic and asymptomatic staff and residents, bans visitors, suspends communal dining, and requires staff and residents alike to wear protective equipment. The moves are designed to get a better sense of how many people inside the homes have contracted the novel coronavirus and to limit access to outsiders who could either bring in the virus or acquire it themselves.
The deployment of California National Guard teams is aimed at bolstering staff, as more and more healthcare workers become infected, are scared to come to work, or are sidelined by self-isolation.
So far, the National Guard had only been dispatched to five nursing homes in L.A. County with plans to deploy to four more, but it was a potent symbol of how unprecedented the pandemic has become for long-term care institutions, and the depth of the challenges they face.
“As we’ve identified staff that are sick or staff that are positive with COVID-19, they need to stay out of the workplace for an extended period of time, and in places where there are outbreaks, that can mean there are dozens of employees that are appropriately not coming to work,” said Ferrer, whose office requested the help.
The actions underscore how much nursing facilities have become the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in California and across the nation.
“In terms of the vulnerable populations, the first priority has to be the skilled nursing facilities,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, health services director for L.A. County. “That’s where the majority of the outbreaks have occurred.”
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Molly Davies, who runs L.A. County’s ombudsman program, which investigates concerns in long-term care, said she had received complaints about lack of staffing but also heard directly from facilities about their needs.
“We have general staffing shortages. Some who are sick and need to quarantine. Some who are scared to come in,” Davies said. “It’s nice to have this other option.”
The announcement of the National Guard conjured images of a convoy of armed soldiers descending on homes for the elderly and infirm. Advocates said there was no indication that the National Guard was imposing its presence in facilities; the military force’s aid was accepted on a voluntary basis.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, public affairs director for the state National Guard, said typically teams of eight people, including five medics, a nurse and an administrative sergeant, arrive to help with basic nursing needs.
“They’ll augment the current staff at the respective skilled nursing facility,” said Shiroma, adding that the teams will remain onsite as long as they are needed.
The teams started assisting nursing homes earlier this week. The sites include Pasadena Meadows Nursing Center in Pasadena, where 18 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and one person died, as well as the Motion Picture and Television Country House in Woodland Hills, where five residents have died and nine staff and 17 residents tested positive, according to county data.
The criteria for deployment remained unclear. For example, Eastland Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, a 139-bed facility in El Monte, received National Guard help. However, Liz Tyler, a spokeswoman for the facility, said no residents or staff had tested positive for COVID-19. Tyler contended there was no shortage of staff, the minimum staffing requirements were met, and she said Eastland’s actual staff was not being diverted to other facilities with pressing needs.
“The National Guard is helpful and extra hands are always appreciated,” said Tyler. “But this wasn’t a crisis spot.”
Neither the state nor county health departments responded to questions about why Eastland received National Guard assistance.
Maj. Chris Scott, medical operations director for the California National Guard’s skilled nursing teams, said his teams were still assessing each facility and working with the leadership and directors at each site to develop accurate information and data.
“There could be tests that are coming back today and tomorrow, and those things are in flux right now,” Scott said.
1 / 83 Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 83 Traffic remains light on the southbound 110 Freeway headed toward downtown Los Angeles on April 28. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 83 Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 83 Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 83 Friends play spikeball, a game perfect for social distancing on an open but restricted San Buenaventura State Beach. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 83 The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 83 Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 83 Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 83 Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 83 Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 83 Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 83 Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 83 Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 83 Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 83 Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 83 Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 83 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 83 Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 83 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center nurses carry supplies outside the hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 83 Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 83 Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 83 People make orders at a food truck along Shoreline Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 83 Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 83 Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 83 Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 83 A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 83 Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 83 A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 83 Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 83 The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 83 Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 83 Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 83 A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 83 Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 83 UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 83 Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 83 Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 83 A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 83 Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 83 Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 83 After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 83 An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 83 Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 83 As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 83 People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 83 The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 83 Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 83 Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 83 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 83 Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 83 Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 83 A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 83 A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 83 Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 83 Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 83 Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 83 A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 83 A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 83 A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 83 A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 83 Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 83 The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 83 Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 83 Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 83 Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 83 A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 83 Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 83 Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 83 The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 83 Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 83 Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 83 A masked passenger on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 83 Dede Oneal waits for a coronavirus test at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 83 A man in a mask passes a closed restaurant along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 83 Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 83 Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 83 A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 83 With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 83 A lone traveler makes his way to catch a flight in Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 83 Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 83 Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of the usual crowds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 83 Michael Ray, 11, plays before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 83 Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that the National Guard was deployed “to help support the efforts to isolate, conduct tests and to make sure that we’re sharing best practices and protocols within the system, particularly for those sites that we identify as more acute, in need.”
Newsom said sites were identified through the state’s admittedly “old-fashioned” method of data collection: “daily check-in calls” to California’s 1,224 skilled nursing facilities.
The governor focused on the statewide effort to reinforce homes, including hiring 600 nurses and contracting temporary staffing agencies to handle case surges.
In Los Angeles County, the number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes and other institutional settings soared to 3,847 residents and 1,492 staff at 293 facilities, said Ferrer, the health director. The rise coincides with an increase in testing in those facilities, leading to infections identified among asymptomatic people.
Ferrer said that the number of asymptomatic cases among staff and residents was a wake-up call. In an order issued Friday, nursing homes and assisted living centers will have expanded testing of residents and staff, but the frequency would be determined for each facility by working with the county health department.
“It’s become really clear that asymptomatic people are in fact, both infected with the virus and capable of shedding the virus, and that means they’re capable of infecting others,” Ferrer said. “So in places where we have a lot of vulnerable people who reside — and that’s our nursing homes, all of our long-term care facilities — it’s really important to acknowledge ... this new reality.”
The new health order also required congregate living facilities, including nursing homes, to limit entry to employees only. Staff will be required to wear surgical masks and personal protective equipment, and residents will also be required to wear surgical masks or a cloth face covering.
A few hours after Ferrer’s order, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced “a companion emergency order” that will require the mandatory offering of monthly COVID-19 tests for residents, employees and contractors at the city’s 80 skilled nursing facilities.
Garcetti said he could mandate facilities to offer tests, but had no authority to actually force residents or workers to be tested.
Times staff writers Andrew Campa and Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-25--Orange County coronavirus cases near 2,000

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County approached 2,000 Saturday as officials announced 124 new cases and two more deaths .
The death toll now stands at 38 , with 1,969 confirmed cases .
As of Saturday , 159 people have been hospitalized .
The Orange County Health Care Agency is launching a testing network Tuesday with six clinics around the region .
The network ’ s initial capacity was set at 100 tests per site per day , or 600 tests a day to start , with plans to add four more sites within the next two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huntington Beach , Anaheim , Santa Ana and Garden Grove , among other locations , and is offering tests by appointment only to people who are symptomatic .
There is no out-of-pocket cost , but insurance may be billed .
Visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com for more information .
Los Angeles County , meanwhile , reported 48 new deaths and 607 additional cases of COVID-19 on Saturday .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , reported 26 new cases , bringing the county total to 895 deaths and more than 19,100 cases .

Denise Martinez of Costa Mesa kneels in prayer in front of the closed Huntington Beach Pier on Wednesday. “Our freedom doesn’t come from a spirit of anarchy,” she said. “Right now our main focus is loving each other at any cost … because love overcomes everything.”
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County approached 2,000 Saturday as officials announced 124 new cases and two more deaths.
The death toll now stands at 38, with 1,969 confirmed cases.
As of Saturday, 159 people have been hospitalized.
The Orange County Health Care Agency is launching a testing network Tuesday with six clinics around the region. The network’s initial capacity was set at 100 tests per site per day, or 600 tests a day to start, with plans to add four more sites within the next two weeks.
The network has clinics in Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Garden Grove, among other locations, and is offering tests by appointment only to people who are symptomatic. There is no out-of-pocket cost, but insurance may be billed. Visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com for more information.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, reported 48 new deaths and 607 additional cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported 26 new cases, bringing the county total to 895 deaths and more than 19,100 cases.


latimes--2020-04-25--Advocates with mask donation turned away from San Diego immigration detention center

Staff at Otay Mesa Detention Center did not allow Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) to donate masks to help protect detainees from the COVID-19 outbreak when she showed up at the facility ’ s gate Friday .
Gonzalez , whose district includes the detention center , joined with several immigrant rights organizations to give about 1,000 masks to detainees after they said they weren ’ t receiving adequate protection from the novel coronavirus .
“ It ’ s rare that I feel so powerless to change something in my community and my district , ” Gonzalez said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added .
“ We don ’ t have mass deaths , but we know where this is going.
” She said that if Otay Mesa weren ’ t a detention facility , society would be calling for it to close immediately over its handling of the virus ’ spread within its walls .
Both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CoreCivic , the private company that runs the facility , have said that they are following national guidelines to care for people at Otay Mesa .
CoreCivic says it has responded rigorously and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks to detainees and staff .
“ All detainees at OMDC have the appropriate personal protective equipment for maintaining their safety while detained in ICE custody , ” said agency spokeswoman Lauren Mack .
ICE said it was reviewing the mask offer and the “ ability to accept and use these donated face coverings.
” “ We are also currently reviewing the appropriate procedures to ensure any donated equipment provides the appropriate level of protection and adds to the safety , health and well-being of those in ICE custody , ” Mack said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being vetted by partner agencies and would abide by the decision they make .
Otay Mesa Detention Center has the among immigrant detainees in the nation , and the facility has push its ZIP Code to the highest count of cases in the county .
As of Friday evening , at least 111 people in custody had tested positive for the virus at Otay Mesa , according to facility documents obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune .
Of those , 67 are detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody , meaning that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but instead are waiting for immigration court cases or to be deported .
The other 44 are U.S .
Marshals Service inmates who are in criminal custody .
According to the documents , 17 CoreCivic staffers and eight medical staffers had also tested positive for the virus .
ICE ’ s website says that eight of its employees at the facility have tested positive .
It ’ s not clear whether that includes any of the medical staff .
When Gonzalez and the relative of someone inside tried to carry the boxes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they were stopped by a guard in a van and sent back to the edge of the parking lot .
Gonzalez tried to call the warden and his assistants , but the person who answered the phone wouldn ’ t connect her to them , she said .
Leaving the masks behind , Gonzalez went inside .
About 10 minutes later , she walked back out .
She hadn ’ t been allowed to speak to any of the building ’ s officials .
Gonzalez said she planned to keep trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who advocate for them have been complaining for weeks that the facility is not doing enough to protect them .
At first , they any protective gear .
When the masks did arrive , , they came with that many refused to sign .
Later , the detainees were given masks anyway .
They are disposable surgical masks .
Many say they ’ ve been wearing one for weeks with no replacement .
When asked about the issue , CoreCivic spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist said : “ New masks have been handed out.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough soap and that they don ’ t have enough space to keep at least six feet from one another , claims disputed by CoreCivic .
“ This is ICE and CoreCivic ’ s responsibility , and they are failing , ” said Mindy Pressman of Otay Mesa Detention Resistance , one of the groups that helped collect masks .
Soon after the advocates left , several sheriff deputies arrived .
One parked a patrol car inside the gate to watch for any further activity .

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, right, and Claudia Watson, center, attempt to deliver face masks to ICE detainees and U.S. Marshals Service inmates at Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego.
Staff at Otay Mesa Detention Center did not allow Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to donate masks to help protect detainees from the COVID-19 outbreak when she showed up at the facility’s gate Friday.
Gonzalez, whose district includes the detention center, joined with several immigrant rights organizations to give about 1,000 masks to detainees after they said they weren’t receiving adequate protection from the novel coronavirus.
“It’s rare that I feel so powerless to change something in my community and my district,” Gonzalez said.
“These are human beings,” she added. “We don’t have mass deaths, but we know where this is going.”
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She said that if Otay Mesa weren’t a detention facility, society would be calling for it to close immediately over its handling of the virus’ spread within its walls.
Both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CoreCivic, the private company that runs the facility, have said that they are following national guidelines to care for people at Otay Mesa. CoreCivic says it has responded rigorously and appropriately to the pandemic, including issuing masks to detainees and staff.
“All detainees at OMDC have the appropriate personal protective equipment for maintaining their safety while detained in ICE custody,” said agency spokeswoman Lauren Mack.
ICE said it was reviewing the mask offer and the “ability to accept and use these donated face coverings.”
“We are also currently reviewing the appropriate procedures to ensure any donated equipment provides the appropriate level of protection and adds to the safety, health and well-being of those in ICE custody,” Mack said.
CoreCivic also said the donations were being vetted by partner agencies and would abide by the decision they make.
Otay Mesa Detention Center has the highest number of cases among immigrant detainees in the nation, and the facility has helped push its ZIP Code to the highest count of cases in the county.
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As of Friday evening, at least 111 people in custody had tested positive for the virus at Otay Mesa, according to facility documents obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Of those, 67 are detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, meaning that they are not being held for criminal reasons but instead are waiting for immigration court cases or to be deported. The other 44 are U.S. Marshals Service inmates who are in criminal custody.
According to the documents, 17 CoreCivic staffers and eight medical staffers had also tested positive for the virus. ICE’s website says that eight of its employees at the facility have tested positive. It’s not clear whether that includes any of the medical staff.
When Gonzalez and the relative of someone inside tried to carry the boxes of masks to Otay Mesa’s entrance, they were stopped by a guard in a van and sent back to the edge of the parking lot. Gonzalez tried to call the warden and his assistants, but the person who answered the phone wouldn’t connect her to them, she said.
Leaving the masks behind, Gonzalez went inside. About 10 minutes later, she walked back out. She hadn’t been allowed to speak to any of the building’s officials.
Gonzalez said she planned to keep trying to donate the masks.
Detainees and those who advocate for them have been complaining for weeks that the facility is not doing enough to protect them.
At first, they didn’t receive any protective gear. When the masks did arrive, , they came with contracts that many refused to sign. Later, the detainees were given masks anyway.
They are disposable surgical masks. Many say they’ve been wearing one for weeks with no replacement.
When asked about the issue, CoreCivic spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist said: “New masks have been handed out.”
Detainees say they don’t have enough soap and that they don’t have enough space to keep at least six feet from one another, claims disputed by CoreCivic.
“This is ICE and CoreCivic’s responsibility, and they are failing,” said Mindy Pressman of Otay Mesa Detention Resistance, one of the groups that helped collect masks.
Soon after the advocates left, several sheriff deputies arrived. One parked a patrol car inside the gate to watch for any further activity.
Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.