latimes--2020-07-04--With coronavirus surging, California marks a subdued, socially distant July 4

Kenzy El-Mohandes crested a hillside in Griffith Park early Saturday afternoon , eager to avoid the Fourth of July crowd she thought she and her friend would meet once they reached the observatory .
With beaches closed for the holiday weekend , she assumed locals would flock to the park instead .
But as she rested on a grassy knoll and took in the sun , she was surprised to see a small , socially distanced crowd .
“ It ’ s a normal weekend , we ’ re not feeling the patriotic spirit , ” El-Mohandes said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Fourth of July than normal years.
” The subdued Independence Day was exactly what officials ordered as California has struggled with a major spike in both coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over the last month as the economy reopened , placing the state back in the danger zone .
Officials had feared a July 4 weekend of crowded beaches , barbecues , parties and packed restaurants would cause a surge in new infections , further overwhelming already filling hospitals .
Data showed that California ’ s COVID-19 surge began during the Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months decided to get back to old routines .
But it appears dire warnings as well as new restrictions had the intended effect — at least so far .
Los Angeles County banned fireworks displays , some parades and marathons moved online , and cities from Big Bear to Burbank canceled holiday shows .
Huntington Beach ’ s popular Main Street parade was replaced by one that roamed through residential areas , allowing social distancing .
There were continued protests in downtown L.A. and elsewhere over the police killing of George Floyd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing masks .
One of the few holdouts was Lancaster , where officials were set to go forward with a fireworks show despite COVID-19 concerns .
In Santa Monica , the pier stood empty over a closed and deserted beach .
Janet and Shine Ling sat in lawn chairs in a cliff park off Ocean Avenue , where they could see sailboats glide in the Pacific hundreds of yards away .
“ No one ’ s stopping us from sitting here right now , so we ’ re enjoying the beach from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other Fourth of July , they ’ d be down in the sand , Janet said , but this year the picnic had to move .
The siblings said they hadn ’ t seen each other since January .
“ We were debating whether we should even hang out , ” Shine said .
“ Is it too close ?
Is it unsafe ?
” Janet wondered .
Two weeks ago , Shine went to the now-closed beach for his birthday .
“ I went right up to the water , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask , but everybody was keeping six feet of distance and the wind was pretty stiff , so I was like , ‘ You know what , I do feel pretty silly wearing a mask.
’ ” Janet has had her own mask dilemma .
“ I ’ ve had a lot of experience with anti-Asian sentiments , especially when I ’ m wearing a mask , ” she said .
“ So , for me it ’ s kind of a mixed bag .
Do I try to do this to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be safe for myself so I don ’ t get harassed ?
” To try to tame the Fourth , Gov .
Gavin Newsom imposed new restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants in many counties .
Some communities including Santa Monica and West Hollywood said they would fine people who were not wearing masks , which is required in public spaces under a state order .
One risk area harder to detect is private social gatherings inside private homes , which officials believe has been a major cause of the latest infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 6,300 deaths .
In Griffith Park , most visitors sat far apart from one another , some with masks and others without face coverings as they lounged with family and friends .
Jelani Dula and two friends made the road trip from San Jose to Southern California for the holiday weekend .
The 21-year-old said he was excited to see famous L.A. sites — especially the unobstructed downtown skyline free of smog — but wasn ’ t in a celebratory mood because of “ all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ This Fourth of July doesn ’ t really feel the same , ” Dula said , taking in the view while his friends took pictures .
Near Olvera Street downtown , members of indigenous groups joined with Black Lives Matter organizers in a peaceful protest that called for unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation ’ s many sins on its birthday .
Some burned incense , tobacco and sage , while others spoke of the “ Farce of July.
” Many marched to Grand Park and beyond with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE , ” the defunding of police and justice for Andrés Guardado , Breonna Taylor , George Floyd and others slain by law enforcement .
The protesters all wore face coverings .
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers , of the Akimel O ’ otham people , called on about 400 demonstrators to understand “ the many lies ” taught to American youths that prop up “ white supremacy ” at the cost of all native peoples and minorities .
He asked Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olvera Steet , at Echo Park Lake , the hundreds of families gathered there provided a semblance of holiday normalcy .
Vendors sold small toys , plates of carne asada and French-style crepes .
Most visitors celebrated from a distance , but masks were less common .
Skylar Falgout , 26 , drove from Sherman Oaks to enjoy the scenery and eat her lunch .
This year , she didn ’ t feel like celebrating .
“ With the way the social climate is going , it doesn ’ t feel right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dozen swan-shaped pedal boats cruised across the lake .
“ I would have hung out with friends , but hanging out with people is a bad idea right now with the way the pandemic is going.
” Ronald Sarver walked along the Veterans Administration campus in West Los Angeles , where he had recently moved into L.A. 's first temporary tent city in four decades — an area meant for veterans without homes so they can wait out the COVID-19 crisis by sheltering in place and social distancing in their own tents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing at all .
Before this , I was waking up and all I had was a prayer , ” said Sarver , who served in the Navy during the Iran hostage crisis .
Now , he said , he has a place to sleep and eats three meals a day .
He ’ s grateful to have a place as the coronavirus — what he called “ an act of God ” — tears through the city .
On Independence Day , Sarver said , he felt patriotic .
“ I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit , ” he said , an American flag pinned to his shirt .
Down the street , a row of identical tents bearing that same red , white and blue flag lined the sidewalk outside the VA grounds .
Standing among them , Luis Placencia , who donned an American flag baseball cap , wasn ’ t as caught up in Saturday ’ s festivities .
“ To me it ’ s just another day .
What ’ s the meaning of it ?
” he wondered .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Placencia , who at 59 said he would fight for the country again if called upon , lives close to the tents in a campus apartment renovated for unhoused veterans .
As he visited a friend , he questioned the necessity of the string of tents that bend and curve with San Vicente Boulevard .
There are empty buildings on the VA campus , he said .
Giovanni Villa , whose tent sits under an Army Veteran flag and a star-spangled banner , said he was grateful to have his spot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the first home I ’ ve had in about five years , ” he said .
“ It ’ s someplace where I can try to get myself going .
It ’ s hard being homeless ... .
It ’ s not a house .
It ’ s not a bathroom , or a shower , or a refrigerator.
” Villa said he welcomed the holiday because “ it brings our nation together for a reason that ’ s kind of sacred to us : the sacrifices men and woman have made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus has made life more difficult — he ’ s having trouble obtaining an ID and his stimulus money — the Army veteran said he is proud to be an American .
“ I ’ m glad to live in this country .
Even though there are a lot of vast problems , there are a lot of good people that are broad-minded and have their own thoughts , ” he said .
“ That ’ s what being an American is : to be able to express yourself in a respectful way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
”

Stephanie Lai, Andrew J. Campa, Jake Sheridan, Sarah Parvini

Kenzy El-Mohandes crested a hillside in Griffith Park early Saturday afternoon, eager to avoid the Fourth of July crowd she thought she and her friend would meet once they reached the observatory. With beaches closed for the holiday weekend, she assumed locals would flock to the park instead.
But as she rested on a grassy knoll and took in the sun, she was surprised to see a small, socially distanced crowd.
“It’s a normal weekend, we’re not feeling the patriotic spirit,” El-Mohandes said. “I’m less aware that it’s Fourth of July than normal years.”
The subdued Independence Day was exactly what officials ordered as California has struggled with a major spike in both coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over the last month as the economy reopened, placing the state back in the danger zone.
Advertisement
Newport Beach police enforces closure of beach along the Wedge in Newport Beach, a very popular and famed surf spot. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Officials had feared a July 4 weekend of crowded beaches, barbecues, parties and packed restaurants would cause a surge in new infections, further overwhelming already filling hospitals. Data showed that California’s COVID-19 surge began during the Memorial Day weekend as people stuck inside for months decided to get back to old routines.
But it appears dire warnings as well as new restrictions had the intended effect — at least so far.
Los Angeles County banned fireworks displays, some parades and marathons moved online, and cities from Big Bear to Burbank canceled holiday shows. Huntington Beach’s popular Main Street parade was replaced by one that roamed through residential areas, allowing social distancing.
There were continued protests in downtown L.A. and elsewhere over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but many in attendance were wearing masks. One of the few holdouts was Lancaster, where officials were set to go forward with a fireworks show despite COVID-19 concerns.
In Santa Monica, the pier stood empty over a closed and deserted beach.
Janet and Shine Ling sat in lawn chairs in a cliff park off Ocean Avenue, where they could see sailboats glide in the Pacific hundreds of yards away.
“No one’s stopping us from sitting here right now, so we’re enjoying the beach from a distance,” Shine said.
Advertisement
On any other Fourth of July, they’d be down in the sand, Janet said, but this year the picnic had to move.
The siblings said they hadn’t seen each other since January. “We were debating whether we should even hang out,” Shine said.
“Is it too close? Is it unsafe?” Janet wondered.
Two weeks ago, Shine went to the now-closed beach for his birthday.
“I went right up to the water,” Shine said. “Nobody was wearing a mask, but everybody was keeping six feet of distance and the wind was pretty stiff, so I was like, ‘You know what, I do feel pretty silly wearing a mask.’”
The Ferris wheel is lit in patriotic colors on July 4th weekend at the Santa Monica pier. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Janet has had her own mask dilemma. “I’ve had a lot of experience with anti-Asian sentiments, especially when I’m wearing a mask,” she said. “So, for me it’s kind of a mixed bag. Do I try to do this to help others, or do I try to be safe for myself so I don’t get harassed?”
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To try to tame the Fourth, Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed new restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants in many counties. Some communities including Santa Monica and West Hollywood said they would fine people who were not wearing masks, which is required in public spaces under a state order.
One risk area harder to detect is private social gatherings inside private homes, which officials believe has been a major cause of the latest infections.
California now has more than 252,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 6,300 deaths.
In Griffith Park, most visitors sat far apart from one another, some with masks and others without face coverings as they lounged with family and friends.
Jelani Dula and two friends made the road trip from San Jose to Southern California for the holiday weekend. The 21-year-old said he was excited to see famous L.A. sites — especially the unobstructed downtown skyline free of smog — but wasn’t in a celebratory mood because of “all of the civil issues and racial issues going on.”
“This Fourth of July doesn’t really feel the same,” Dula said, taking in the view while his friends took pictures.
Near Olvera Street downtown, members of indigenous groups joined with Black Lives Matter organizers in a peaceful protest that called for unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation’s many sins on its birthday.
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Protesters march thru Hollywood, part of the “Demonstrate How to Dishonor the American Flag” event put on by the Revolution Club in Los Angeles on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Some burned incense, tobacco and sage, while others spoke of the “Farce of July.” Many marched to Grand Park and beyond with signs calling for the “abolishment of ICE,” the defunding of police and justice for Andrés Guardado, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others slain by law enforcement. The protesters all wore face coverings.
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers, of the Akimel O’otham people, called on about 400 demonstrators to understand “the many lies” taught to American youths that prop up “white supremacy” at the cost of all native peoples and minorities. He asked Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully, “Black lives matter.”
Not far from Olvera Steet, at Echo Park Lake, the hundreds of families gathered there provided a semblance of holiday normalcy. Vendors sold small toys, plates of carne asada and French-style crepes. Most visitors celebrated from a distance, but masks were less common.
Skylar Falgout, 26, drove from Sherman Oaks to enjoy the scenery and eat her lunch. This year, she didn’t feel like celebrating.
“With the way the social climate is going, it doesn’t feel right,“ she said, as more than a dozen swan-shaped pedal boats cruised across the lake. “I would have hung out with friends, but hanging out with people is a bad idea right now with the way the pandemic is going.”
Advertisement
Ronald Sarver walked along the Veterans Administration campus in West Los Angeles, where he had recently moved into L.A.’s first temporary tent city in four decades — an area meant for veterans without homes so they can wait out the COVID-19 crisis by sheltering in place and social distancing in their own tents.
American flags decorate tents at an encampment of homeless veterans along San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s better than nothing at all. Before this, I was waking up and all I had was a prayer,” said Sarver, who served in the Navy during the Iran hostage crisis.
Now, he said, he has a place to sleep and eats three meals a day. He’s grateful to have a place as the coronavirus — what he called “an act of God” — tears through the city.
On Independence Day, Sarver said, he felt patriotic.
“I was thinking earlier, and I teared up a little bit,” he said, an American flag pinned to his shirt.
Down the street, a row of identical tents bearing that same red, white and blue flag lined the sidewalk outside the VA grounds. Standing among them, Luis Placencia, who donned an American flag baseball cap, wasn’t as caught up in Saturday’s festivities.
“To me it’s just another day. What’s the meaning of it?” he wondered. “The independence of who, from what?”
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Placencia, who at 59 said he would fight for the country again if called upon, lives close to the tents in a campus apartment renovated for unhoused veterans. As he visited a friend, he questioned the necessity of the string of tents that bend and curve with San Vicente Boulevard. There are empty buildings on the VA campus, he said.
Giovanni Villa, whose tent sits under an Army Veteran flag and a star-spangled banner, said he was grateful to have his spot.
“These tents are wonderful. This is the first home I’ve had in about five years,” he said. “It’s someplace where I can try to get myself going. It’s hard being homeless .... It’s not a house. It’s not a bathroom, or a shower, or a refrigerator.”
Fireworks over North Hollywood, as seen from Burbank on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Villa said he welcomed the holiday because “it brings our nation together for a reason that’s kind of sacred to us: the sacrifices men and woman have made for our country.”
Even as the coronavirus has made life more difficult — he’s having trouble obtaining an ID and his stimulus money — the Army veteran said he is proud to be an American.
“I’m glad to live in this country. Even though there are a lot of vast problems, there are a lot of good people that are broad-minded and have their own thoughts,” he said.
Advertisement
“That’s what being an American is: to be able to express yourself in a respectful way to others and not be condemned for it.”
Participants riding in the Toyota of Huntington Beach car hand out flags to Ezekiel Schmidgall, of Washington D.C., in the OneHB Neighborhood Parade Saturday. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Times staff writer Jack Dolan contributed to this story.


latimes--2020-07-04--Indigenous groups, Black Lives Matter join forces to decry historical 'sins' on July 4

Members of indigenous groups joined forces with Black Lives Matter organizers and other demonstrators Saturday afternoon near Olvera Street in a peaceful , masked protest and march that called for several actions , such as unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation ’ s many sins on its birthday .
Some burned incense , tobacco and sage , others spoke of the “ Farce of July , ” and many marched to Grand Park and beyond with signs calling for the abolishment of ICE , the “ defunding of the police ” and justice for Andrés Guardado , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slain by law enforcement .
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers of the Akimel O ’ otham people called on about 400 gatherers to “ decolonize ” their minds .
He said the current coronavirus spread , which has caused more than 125,000 deaths , wasn ’ t the first plague to visit this continent .
The Europeans “ brought many pandemics ” to the peoples of the Americas , Rivers said , drawing the applause of a largely socially distanced crowd .
Instead of celebrating with fireworks , he said , it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” taught to American youth that prop up white supremacy at the cost of all native peoples and minorities .
One falsehood referenced was the Declaration of Independence , which provided freedom to “ white men ” at the cost of everyone else , Rivers said .
He also noted the American military failed to protect Vanessa Guillén , a Latina soldier killed at Ft .
Hood , who signed up to defend this country .
Rivers also called on Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people began to congregate near the grassy patch of land adjacent to Father Serra Park , where a statute of the field ’ s namesake was ripped down June 20 by a group of protesters that included many indigenous people .
There were blessings and prayers said before the march , along with chants from indigenous groups , performances by Mejicas dancers , drumming and song from Capoeiristas for Black Lives Matter and speeches from Black Lives Matter members and backers .
A young woman claiming to be from the Palestinian Youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free Palestine.
” As people gathered , there was little social distancing , though the vast majority of participants were masked .
Organizer Jessa Calderon of the Tongva Nation quickly asked for the growing group to maintain six feet of distancing , which was generally followed except for sections of the march along Arcadia Street where some corridors were tight .
Marchers momentarily blocked traffic along Alameda and later on Spring Street , causing brief traffic delays .
Calderon also spoke passionately about justice for Guillén , saying “ my heart extends to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is marching for answers .
Throughout the march , Calderon pointed out historic portions of the Tongva homeland , including what she said was a native graveyard near Olvera Street that had been paved over to make room for a parking lot .
One of the Tongva ’ s biggest communities was a settlement called Yagna , which is believed to be near the Civic Center .
Dakota/Ho-Chunk Tribe member George Funmaker , 37 , made the short trip from Long Beach in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ protesters ” was the wrong designation for those who gathered for social justice , preferring instead to use the term “ protectors.
” “ We ’ ve come in peace to say we stand with our brothers and sisters from Black Lives Matter and other indigenous movements throughout the nation , ” Funmaker said .
“ Our goal is a safe society where our children and grandchildren can live peacefully.
” Funmaker wore a black bandana that draped over his face and the upper portion of a black T-shirt with a deformed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indians baseball team known as “ Chief Wahoo.
” Normally , depictions of Chief Wahoo represent a red-faced Indian with a giant , toothy smile and a feather attached to the back of his head .
Funmaker ’ s version had blacked-out eyes , a cut off nose and cracked teeth with the words “ mis-rep ” underneath .
He called on American professional and collegiate sports teams to drop all Native American references , such as Cleveland , the Atlanta Braves , Florida State Seminoles and perhaps the most notorious of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are not mascots , ” Funmaker said .
He also expressed his disappointment with the mainstream media ’ s attention of President Trump ’ s speech at Mt .
Rushmore on Friday on how little attention focused on Lakota-led protests earlier in the day .
“ The Black Hills , where Mt .
Rushmore is located , is sacred to the Lakota , ” Funmaker said .
“ That ’ s where the attention should be on .
”

Members of indigenous groups joined forces with Black Lives Matter organizers and other demonstrators Saturday afternoon near Olvera Street in a peaceful, masked protest and march that called for several actions, such as unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation’s many sins on its birthday.
Some burned incense, tobacco and sage, others spoke of the “Farce of July,” and many marched to Grand Park and beyond with signs calling for the abolishment of ICE, the “defunding of the police” and justice for Andrés Guardado, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others slain by law enforcement.
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers of the Akimel O’otham people called on about 400 gatherers to “decolonize” their minds. He said the current coronavirus spread, which has caused more than 125,000 deaths, wasn’t the first plague to visit this continent.
Advertisement
The Europeans “brought many pandemics” to the peoples of the Americas, Rivers said, drawing the applause of a largely socially distanced crowd. Instead of celebrating with fireworks, he said, it would be best to understand “the many lies” taught to American youth that prop up white supremacy at the cost of all native peoples and minorities.
One falsehood referenced was the Declaration of Independence, which provided freedom to “white men” at the cost of everyone else, Rivers said. He also noted the American military failed to protect Vanessa Guillén, a Latina soldier killed at Ft. Hood, who signed up to defend this country.
Rivers also called on Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully, “Black lives matter.”
The first set of people began to congregate near the grassy patch of land adjacent to Father Serra Park, where a statute of the field’s namesake was ripped down June 20 by a group of protesters that included many indigenous people.
There were blessings and prayers said before the march, along with chants from indigenous groups, performances by Mejicas dancers, drumming and song from Capoeiristas for Black Lives Matter and speeches from Black Lives Matter members and backers. A young woman claiming to be from the Palestinian Youth Movement called for a “free, free Palestine.”
As people gathered, there was little social distancing, though the vast majority of participants were masked. Organizer Jessa Calderon of the Tongva Nation quickly asked for the growing group to maintain six feet of distancing, which was generally followed except for sections of the march along Arcadia Street where some corridors were tight.
Marchers momentarily blocked traffic along Alameda and later on Spring Street, causing brief traffic delays. Calderon also spoke passionately about justice for Guillén, saying “my heart extends to her family and everyone who loves her and is marching for answers.
Throughout the march, Calderon pointed out historic portions of the Tongva homeland, including what she said was a native graveyard near Olvera Street that had been paved over to make room for a parking lot.
One of the Tongva’s biggest communities was a settlement called Yagna, which is believed to be near the Civic Center.
Dakota/Ho-Chunk Tribe member George Funmaker, 37, made the short trip from Long Beach in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to set the record straight.
Funmaker said “protesters” was the wrong designation for those who gathered for social justice, preferring instead to use the term “protectors.”
“We’ve come in peace to say we stand with our brothers and sisters from Black Lives Matter and other indigenous movements throughout the nation,” Funmaker said. “Our goal is a safe society where our children and grandchildren can live peacefully.”
Advertisement
Funmaker wore a black bandana that draped over his face and the upper portion of a black T-shirt with a deformed version of the mascot of the Cleveland Indians baseball team known as “Chief Wahoo.”
Normally, depictions of Chief Wahoo represent a red-faced Indian with a giant, toothy smile and a feather attached to the back of his head. Funmaker’s version had blacked-out eyes, a cut off nose and cracked teeth with the words “mis-rep” underneath.
He called on American professional and collegiate sports teams to drop all Native American references, such as Cleveland, the Atlanta Braves, Florida State Seminoles and perhaps the most notorious of all, the Washington Redskins football team.
“We are not mascots,” Funmaker said. He also expressed his disappointment with the mainstream media’s attention of President Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore on Friday on how little attention focused on Lakota-led protests earlier in the day.
“The Black Hills, where Mt. Rushmore is located, is sacred to the Lakota,” Funmaker said. “That’s where the attention should be on.”


latimes--2020-07-06--California coronavirus outlook worsens: Infection rate rises, more counties on watch list

The California coronavirus outlook worsened over the holiday weekend , as hospitalizations continued to rise and more counties were added Sunday to Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s COVID-19 watch list , which is now at its highest level since the pandemic began .
The rate at which coronavirus tests in California are coming back positive has jumped 42 % over the last two weeks , according to data published on the .
An increasing rate of positive test results is an indication that disease transmission is worsening .
The Fourth of July marked the 15th consecutive day that California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
On Saturday , the state recorded 5,669 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections in California hospitals—an increase of 62 % over the previous two weeks .
On June 27 , just a week earlier , the state had reported 4,498 hospitalized patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
On June 20 , the number was 3,494 .
The number of intensive care unit patients statewide with confirmed coronavirus infections is up 63 % over the last three weeks .
On Saturday , there were 1,711 people with confirmed coronavirus infections in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were 1,376 ; the week before that , there were 1,149 ; and on June 13 , there were 1,049 .
And Los Angeles County officials said Sunday that the holiday weekend saw the highest single-day count of new cases since the pandemic began .
More than 3,200 new cases were reported in the county on Friday .
Contra Costa County , in the San Francisco Bay Area , and rural Colusa County , northwest of Sacramento , were added Sunday to the list of regions being monitored for their rising case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number to 24 .
Marin , Monterey and San Diego counties joined the list Thursday .
In many areas , the jump in cases is attributed to more people leaving home to go to work or seek services and a rise in family and community gatherings — hallmarks of summer and an increasing restlessness as the pandemic drags on .
Marin County , according to the state , has an additional problem ; an outbreak raging in San Quentin State Prison has infected nearly a third of the inmates .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dining rooms would again be required to shut their doors , bringing an end to a short window of sit-down service and hold-in-your-hand menus .
Restaurant dining rooms in the area had only been open for a week since the statewide shelter-in-place order was established in mid-March .
The current ban will last for at least 21 days .
Nationwide , the picture is also grim .
The former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation ” Sunday that “ we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of the epidemic during the New York outbreak.
” But Dr. Scott Gottlieb , who served for two years during the Trump administration , said there ’ s a big difference now : “ We really had one epicenter of spread when New York was going through its hardship .
Now we really have four major epicenters of spread : Los Angeles , cities in Texas , cities in Florida , and Arizona.
” Gottlieb also added that it ’ s possible the nation could run short on the supply of remdesivir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sickest COVID-19 patients .
“ That drug has a long manufacturing cycle , ” he said .
“ We ’ re unlikely to be able to ramp up supply between now and the end of the year.
” And he warned that there is no relief in sight , that autumn will be a “ hard ” one , that “ it ’ s not clear that it ’ s going to get better.
” “ We ’ re going to have epidemics that come and go across the nation in different cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll light up at different times .
But we ’ re not going to really be able to crush this virus at this point because there ’ s just so much infection around.
” Hospitalizations of patients with confirmed coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County have jumped nearly 50 % in the last three weeks .
On Saturday , there were 1,921 patients in L.A. County hospitals with confirmed coronavirus infections ; seven days earlier , there were 1,710 ; the week before that , there were 1,453 ; and the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just days before the holiday weekend began , L.A. County officials warned about “ in cases , positivity rates and hospitalization ” and projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks ; the number of ICU beds could be exhausted sometime in July .
In a memo issued Saturday to local healthcare providers , the L.A. County Department of Public Health warned that , “ if the trajectory continues , the number of ICU beds — our most limited resource — is likely to become inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update July 1 on the San Bernardino County website , officials said the county reported 753 new cases on June 30 , “ the highest number of cases reported on a single day.
” On the Fourth of July , the county tallied 1,024 new cases .
COVID-19-related hospitalizations and use of ICU beds , the county said , have “ seen a steady increase since June 17.
” In Orange County , COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 72 % in the last two weeks .
On Saturday , there were 624 people hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; on the previous Saturday , 492 were hospitalized ; and on the Saturday before that 363 were in the hospital .
Coronavirus hospitalizations in Ventura County rose 74 % in the last two weeks .
On Saturday , 82 people were in the hospital with confirmed coronavirus infections ; the previous Saturday , there was 65 , and the Saturday before that , there were 47 .
Riverside County has reported a 63 % rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past three weeks , according to the Los Angeles Times coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 ; 340 on June 27 ; 297 on June 20 .
Brooke Federico , public information officer for Riverside County , said Sunday that the region ’ s licensed intensive care units are 97.4 % full , “ a high number.
” But only 71 % of the county ’ s licensed hospital beds are currently in use , she said , and only 13 % of those beds have confirmed COVID-19 patients in them .
“ Our hospitals do have surge capacity to treat people at the facilities above and beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That ’ s what we ’ ve been preparing for.
” Imperial County — where there ’ s a serious doctor shortage and a quarter of the population lives in poverty — is a different story .
During a June 26 news briefing , Newsom singled out Imperial County as the area statewide hit hardest by the coronavirus .
For every 100,000 people in the county , which borders Arizona and Mexico , more than 3,800 have been infected with the coronavirus .
In the state as a whole , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only two hospitals in Imperial County — El Centro Regional Medical Center and Pioneers Health Center in Brawley — have been overrun .
In just the last five weeks , Imperial County has transferred more than 500 coronavirus patients to other counties for treatment — an average of 15 to 17 people a day , Newsom said .
Some of the overflow has been attributed to an unusually high number of hospital admissions linked to cross-border traffic from Mexicali .
Newsom said the state is “ working with Customs and Border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relating to the border in Mexicali and Calexico .
Hospitals do not disclose where their patients come from , but they do routinely treat cross-border travelers , said Karina Lopez , public affairs liaison at Pioneers Health Center .
Imperial County ’ s population is 85 % Latino , and many residents are migrant farmers or recent immigrants .
When determining which patients to care for , Lopez said , Pioneers Health Center does not consider a patient ’ s residence .
But while the hospital has filled only 68 of its 107 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some patients away .
“ The main concern for us was that we do not have enough acute care nurses to care for the patients coming in , ” Lopez said .
“ While we do have beds for them , and we do have space for them , we don ’ t have enough staff .
”

Rong-Gong Lin II, Maria L. La Ganga, Kristi Sturgill

The California coronavirus outlook worsened over the holiday weekend, as hospitalizations continued to rise and more counties were added Sunday to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 watch list, which is now at its highest level since the pandemic began.
The rate at which coronavirus tests in California are coming back positive has jumped 42% over the last two weeks, according to data published on the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker . An increasing rate of positive test results is an indication that disease transmission is worsening.
The Fourth of July marked the 15th consecutive day that California tallied record hospitalization numbers of confirmed coronavirus patients. On Saturday, the state recorded 5,669 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections in California hospitals—an increase of 62% over the previous two weeks.
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On June 27, just a week earlier, the state had reported 4,498 hospitalized patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19. On June 20, the number was 3,494.
The number of intensive care unit patients statewide with confirmed coronavirus infections is up 63% over the last three weeks. On Saturday, there were 1,711 people with confirmed coronavirus infections in the ICU; on the previous Saturday, there were 1,376; the week before that, there were 1,149; and on June 13, there were 1,049.
And Los Angeles County officials said Sunday that the holiday weekend saw the highest single-day count of new cases since the pandemic began. More than 3,200 new cases were reported in the county on Friday.
Contra Costa County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and rural Colusa County, northwest of Sacramento, were added Sunday to the list of regions being monitored for their rising case counts and increasing hospitalizations, bringing the number to 24. Marin, Monterey and San Diego counties joined the list Thursday.
People on Ocean Beach in San Francisco on July 5. Californians seemed to mostly heed warnings to stay away from beaches and other public spaces over the long weekend. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
In many areas, the jump in cases is attributed to more people leaving home to go to work or seek services and a rise in family and community gatherings — hallmarks of summer and an increasing restlessness as the pandemic drags on. Marin County, according to the state, has an additional problem; an outbreak raging in San Quentin State Prison has infected nearly a third of the inmates.
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On Sunday, Marin County officials announced that indoor restaurant dining rooms would again be required to shut their doors, bringing an end to a short window of sit-down service and hold-in-your-hand menus. Restaurant dining rooms in the area had only been open for a week since the statewide shelter-in-place order was established in mid-March. The current ban will last for at least 21 days.
Nationwide, the picture is also grim. The former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday that “we’re right back where we were at the peak of the epidemic during the New York outbreak.”
But Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served for two years during the Trump administration, said there’s a big difference now: “We really had one epicenter of spread when New York was going through its hardship. Now we really have four major epicenters of spread: Los Angeles, cities in Texas, cities in Florida, and Arizona.”
Gottlieb also added that it’s possible the nation could run short on the supply of remdesivir, a key drug used for the sickest COVID-19 patients.
“That drug has a long manufacturing cycle,” he said. “We’re unlikely to be able to ramp up supply between now and the end of the year.”
And he warned that there is no relief in sight, that autumn will be a “hard” one, that “it’s not clear that it’s going to get better.”
“We’re going to have epidemics that come and go across the nation in different cities,” Gottlieb said. “They’ll light up at different times. But we’re not going to really be able to crush this virus at this point because there’s just so much infection around.”
Southern California is a case in point.
Hospitalizations of patients with confirmed coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County have jumped nearly 50% in the last three weeks. On Saturday, there were 1,921 patients in L.A. County hospitals with confirmed coronavirus infections; seven days earlier, there were 1,710; the week before that, there were 1,453; and the week prior to that, there were 1,285.
Customers wait in line to have lunch at the Rose restaurant in Venice. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Just days before the holiday weekend began, L.A. County officials warned about “ alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization” and projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks; the number of ICU beds could be exhausted sometime in July.
In a memo issued Saturday to local healthcare providers, the L.A. County Department of Public Health warned that, “if the trajectory continues, the number of ICU beds — our most limited resource — is likely to become inadequate in the near future.”
In an update July 1 on the San Bernardino County website, officials said the county reported 753 new cases on June 30, “the highest number of cases reported on a single day.” On the Fourth of July, the county tallied 1,024 new cases. COVID-19-related hospitalizations and use of ICU beds, the county said, have “seen a steady increase since June 17.”
In Orange County, COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 72% in the last two weeks. On Saturday, there were 624 people hospitalized in Orange County with confirmed coronavirus infections; on the previous Saturday, 492 were hospitalized; and on the Saturday before that 363 were in the hospital.
Coronavirus hospitalizations in Ventura County rose 74% in the last two weeks. On Saturday, 82 people were in the hospital with confirmed coronavirus infections; the previous Saturday, there was 65, and the Saturday before that, there were 47.
Riverside County has reported a 63% rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past three weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times coronavirus tracker: 485 new cases on July 4; 340 on June 27; 297 on June 20.
Brooke Federico, public information officer for Riverside County, said Sunday that the region’s licensed intensive care units are 97.4% full, “a high number.” But only 71% of the county’s licensed hospital beds are currently in use, she said, and only 13% of those beds have confirmed COVID-19 patients in them.
“Our hospitals do have surge capacity to treat people at the facilities above and beyond the licensed capacity,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been preparing for.”
Imperial County — where there’s a serious doctor shortage and a quarter of the population lives in poverty — is a different story.
During a June 26 news briefing, Newsom singled out Imperial County as the area statewide hit hardest by the coronavirus. For every 100,000 people in the county, which borders Arizona and Mexico, more than 3,800 have been infected with the coronavirus. In the state as a whole, about 650 per 100,000 people have been infected.
The only two hospitals in Imperial County — El Centro Regional Medical Center and Pioneers Health Center in Brawley — have been overrun. In just the last five weeks, Imperial County has transferred more than 500 coronavirus patients to other counties for treatment — an average of 15 to 17 people a day, Newsom said.
Some of the overflow has been attributed to an unusually high number of hospital admissions linked to cross-border traffic from Mexicali. Newsom said the state is “working with Customs and Border [Protection] because of issues” relating to the border in Mexicali and Calexico.
Hospitals do not disclose where their patients come from, but they do routinely treat cross-border travelers, said Karina Lopez, public affairs liaison at Pioneers Health Center. Imperial County’s population is 85% Latino, and many residents are migrant farmers or recent immigrants.
When determining which patients to care for, Lopez said, Pioneers Health Center does not consider a patient’s residence. But while the hospital has filled only 68 of its 107 acute care beds, it has turned some patients away.
“The main concern for us was that we do not have enough acute care nurses to care for the patients coming in,” Lopez said. “While we do have beds for them, and we do have space for them, we don’t have enough staff.”


latimes--2020-07-05--L.A. County coronavirus cases hit a record one-day high over 4th of July weekend

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 7,232 more cases of COVID-19 and 30 related deaths , numbers that account for Thursday , Friday and Saturday of last week .
On Friday alone , 3,187 new cases of COVID-19 were reported — the highest daily total since the pandemic began , officials said .
Bars and indoor dining remain off-limits as officials attempt to control the spread of the coronavirus .
The number of hospital patients with confirmed coronavirus infections jumped 41 % in the last three weeks , county data show .
As of Saturday , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with confirmed COVID-19 cases ; 28 % of those people were in the ICU and 18 % were on ventilators .
L.A. County officials warned last week about “ alarming increases in cases , positivity rates and hospitalization ” and projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks ; the number of ICU beds could be exhausted sometime in July .
L.A. County has recorded and almost 3,500 deaths .
Beaches were closed by local government officials in Los Angeles , Orange , Ventura and Santa Barbara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The warnings appeared to have an effect on residents , as beaches and parks were sparsely populated on Saturday .
“ Thank you to everyone who modified their holiday plans to help us get back to the work of slowing the spread , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said in a statement .

Few people were at Universal CityWalk Hollywood on Thursday.
Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday announced a record high number of coronavirus-related infections, recording 3,187 new cases Friday — the highest daily total since the pandemic began — and a three-day total of 7,232 infections and 30 related deaths, numbers that account for Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week.
Bars and indoor dining remain off-limits as officials attempt to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The number of hospital patients with confirmed coronavirus infections jumped 41% in the last three weeks, county data show. As of Saturday, there were 1,921 people hospitalized in L.A. County with confirmed COVID-19 cases; 28% of those people were in the ICU and 18% were on ventilators.
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L.A. County officials warned last week about “alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization” and projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks; the number of ICU beds could be exhausted sometime in July.
L.A. County has recorded a total of nearly 115,000 cases and almost 3,500 deaths.
Beaches were closed by local government officials in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to deter holiday weekend crowds. The warnings appeared to have an effect on residents, as beaches and parks were sparsely populated on Saturday.
“Thank you to everyone who modified their holiday plans to help us get back to the work of slowing the spread,” Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said in a statement.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-05--Santa Clarita brush fire burns 1,100 acres, closes 14 Freeway

A fast-growing brush fire near the Angeles National Forest spurred evacuations and a freeway closure in Santa Clarita on Sunday amid hot and dry conditions in the region .
The brush fire broke out in the area of Soledad Canyon Road and spread rapidly , jumping the 14 Freeway around 4 p.m. , according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
The freeway was shut down for several hours .
All southbound lanes and two northbound lanes were open by 11 p.m. , Caltrans said .
The blaze , dubbed the Soledad fire , grew to 1,100 acres by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Fire Department said .
Four hundred personnel were battling the fire .
More than 200 residents living near the freeway in the Agua Dulce Canyon Road area were ordered to evacuate .
The Red Cross established a temporary evacuation site in Palmdale at the Victory Outreach church parking lot on 25th Street East .
Evacuees will be required to stay in their vehicles .
Firefighters will work throughout the night to contain the blaze , officials said .
Fire officials urged Los Angeles County residents to refrain from setting off fireworks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway at El Segundo Boulevard were also temporarily shut down because of a small brushfire , the California Highway Patrol said .
The causes of the fires were not immediately known .
The fires follow a night of relentless Fourth of July pyrotechnics .
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge , officials said .
Dry conditions , hot temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires to spread quickly over the weekend .
Minimum humidities dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday , while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal , the National Weather Service said .
Elevated fire danger is expected to continue into Monday across inland areas such as Santa Clarita , with highs in the 90s and gusty winds in the forecast .

The Soledad fire in Santa Clarita has burned more than 1,100 acres and forced evacuations, but firefighters were beginning to make progress Monday morning.
The brush fire broke out in the area of Soledad Canyon Road and spread rapidly, jumping the 14 Freeway around 4 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The 14 freeway was shut down for several hours.
The blaze, dubbed the Soledad fire, grew to 1,100 acres by 8 p.m. and was 0% contained, the Fire Department said. Four hundred personnel were battling the fire.
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More than 200 residents living near the freeway in the Agua Dulce Canyon Road area were ordered to evacuate.
The Red Cross established a temporary evacuation site in Palmdale at the Victory Outreach church parking lot on 25th Street East. Evacuees will be required to stay in their vehicles.
Firefighters will work throughout the night to contain the blaze, officials said.
UPDATE (6:50 pm): The fire is now reportedly 800 acres in size with winds moving N/NE. Mandatory evacuations are in place for the fire area - East of Agua Dulce Cyn, West of Briggs, North of Soledad Cyn, South of 14 Fwy - 9 homes have been evacuated thus far. We are updating map. — Santa Clarita City (@santaclarita) July 6, 2020
Fire officials urged Los Angeles County residents to refrain from setting off fireworks anywhere near dry brush.
In Hawthorne, all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway at El Segundo Boulevard were also temporarily shut down because of a small brushfire, the California Highway Patrol said.
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The causes of the fires were not immediately known.
The fires follow a night of relentless Fourth of July pyrotechnics. L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge, officials said.
Dry conditions, hot temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County have raised concerns about the potential for fires to spread quickly over the weekend.
Minimum humidities dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday, while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal, the National Weather Service said.
Elevated fire danger is expected to continue into Monday across inland areas such as Santa Clarita, with highs in the 90s and gusty winds in the forecast.
Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-05--L.A.'s extreme fireworks bring terrible air quality, increased calls for fire service

With officials canceling Fourth of July fireworks displays because of the coronavirus outbreak , many in Los Angeles County decided to put on their own show — leading to surges in both air pollution and calls for emergency services .
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge , officials said .
The fireworks also caused levels of fine-particle pollution to skyrocket , leading air quality to be rated as hazardous in some areas well into the following morning .
“ It definitely was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 and July 5 fireworks episodes , ” said Philip Fine , deputy executive officer for planning and rules for the South Coast Air Quality Management District .
The Los Angeles Fire Department , which serves the city of Los Angeles , averages just under 1,400 calls for service over a typical 24-hour period .
On Saturday , it responded to 1,738 calls for service , spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said .
“ As it always is , the Fourth of July was a busier night for all different types of fires , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting rubbish fires , 103 reporting tree fires , 40 reports of structure fires , 28 of grass fires and 11 of brush fires , she said .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , which serves unincorporated L.A. County and 59 cities , also saw a higher-than-normal call volume .
The department responded to 1,676 calls for service Saturday , compared with an average of 1,100 to 1,200 calls , said Sky Cornell , public information officer .
Nearly 500 of those calls were received between 9 and 10 p.m. , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from last year ’ s Fourth of July , when county firefighters responded to 1,349 calls .
In fact , it was the second-busiest day in the department ’ s history , second only to Feb. 17 , 2017 , when firefighters responded to 1,777 calls during a rainstorm , Cornell said .
The calls for service to which firefighters were dispatched included 370 outdoor fires , 44 structure fires and 13 brush fires , he said .
County fire officials were working Sunday to determine how many of the calls were related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. , the most serious incident took place when fireworks ignited several large palm trees in Northridge and the flames spread to a neighboring apartment complex , destroying several units and displacing about 50 residents , Stewart said .
“ Whereas people like to disregard and create their reasons for why they think fireworks are illegal , last night proved the point in terms of a tree fire that extended into an apartment building , ” Stewart said .
The fire was reported in the 8600 block of North Wilbur Avenue shortly before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 minutes to extinguish the palm trees and eight apartment units that were fully engulfed , officials said .
Multiple residents were rescued , and three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation , the Fire Department said .
Embers from the burning palm trees also spread to the roof of a second eight-unit apartment building in the complex , starting a surface fire , but firefighters were able to put it out before it caused major damage , the department said .
An investigation by the department ’ s arson and counterterrorism unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fireworks , officials said .
Earlier in the week , L.A. County public health officials announced that the county was temporarily banning fireworks displays and closing beaches to avoid crowding during the holiday weekend in a bid to slow an alarming surge in coronavirus cases .
The city of Lancaster chose to defy the ban by holding a public fireworks show at the Lancaster National Soccer Center .
Parking lots were closed , and residents were encouraged to watch from their homes or isolated outdoor areas .
The city ’ s mayor framed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments on social media .
“ The ultra left is trying to steal 4th of July , ” Mayor R. Rex Parris wrote on Facebook .
“ In our city , we celebrate being Americans .
Please come visit me in jail , because no one is going to stop 4th of July in our city.
” The display , which was livestreamed on the city ’ s Facebook page , took place without incident .
Despite the relative dearth of official fireworks shows , the backyard displays left the region dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of particulate matter known as PM2.5 , and July 4 and 5 are typically among the region ’ s worst days when it comes to high levels of the pollutants in the air , health officials said .
But this year , the PM2.5 pollution appeared to be more concentrated and linger for longer even compared with past holidays , officials said .
While the air quality usually reaches very unhealthy levels on July 4 and 5 , this year some areas reached hazardous levels .
Hazardous air quality was first reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , an area centered on downtown L.A. , and didn ’ t significantly improve until about 8 a.m .
Hazardous conditions also were reported in Anaheim from about midnight to 1 a.m. Stagnant weather conditions were probably a big contributor , the Air Quality Management District ’ s Fine said .
“ When the atmosphere mixes a lot , you get cleaner air from up above mixing with dirty air from activity down below , and the smoke dilutes and doesn ’ t build up , ” Fine said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get that mixing so it gets trapped.
” On Sunday morning , the inversion layer was almost at ground level , compared with the height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet that is typical for this time of year , he said .
“ We also don ’ t know for sure but anecdotally we ’ ve had reports of a lot of backyard and neighborhood fireworks shows , maybe to replace some of the larger shows that were canceled , ” Fine said .
He noted that many professional fireworks shows use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky with compressed air , whereas people at home tend to use rocket-launched fireworks .
It ’ s also possible that the chemical compositions of some backyard fireworks are more polluting than those used by professionals , or there were simply more of them , he said .
The PM2.5 pollution was dissipating as the day went on and was expected to continue to do so , Fine said .
Still , children , older people and those with respiratory conditions were being advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activity in some areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys .
The increase in pollution , albeit temporary , raised an additional layer of concern in light of the recent increase in coronavirus cases that have prompted public health officials to tell people to redouble efforts to stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with others .
“ There ’ s obviously a lot of research that has been done over the last several months on COVID , ” Fine said .
“ The studies I ’ ve seen have shown that yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ susceptible , more likely to contract or have worse symptoms from COVID .
“ We also know that poor air quality and long-term exposure to poor air quality can cause some of those preexisting respiratory conditions .
We also know that on a day-to-day basis , those conditions can be made worse by poor air quality , which can make you more susceptible to contracting the virus .
So there is a connection there.
” Meanwhile , drier conditions , hotter temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County raised concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly .
Minimum humidity dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday , while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal , the National Weather Service said .
Gusty winds were expected to hit the Castaic Lake area , mountains of Ventura County and the south coast of Santa Barbara County on Sunday night .
The “ sundowner ” winds are northerly winds driven by differences in pressure that tend to strengthen in the evening and overnight hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Combined , the weather conditions create an elevated fire risk that is not unusual for this time of year , she said .
“ In this time period , we ’ re dealing with a lot of conditions starting to reach elevated fire weather conditions , just periodically , ” Phillips said .
“ We ’ re in our fire season now.
” Temperatures were expected to cool off gradually starting Monday , with coastal areas seeing highs in the mid-70s and valleys in the upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warm-up forecast for Friday .
But the increased risk of fire was expected to persist , Phillips said .
“ Really , everyone should be considering most days to be elevated , just in terms of precautions we have to be taking with the season changing , ” she said .

Fireworks over North Hollywood, as seen from Burbank on Saturday.
With officials canceling Fourth of July fireworks displays because of the coronavirus outbreak, many in Los Angeles County decided to put on their own show — leading to surges in both air pollution and calls for emergency services.
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge, officials said.
The fireworks also caused levels of fine-particle pollution to skyrocket, leading air quality to be rated as hazardous in some areas well into the following morning.
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“It definitely was one of our worst years for July 4 and July 5 fireworks episodes,” said Philip Fine, deputy executive officer for planning and rules for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The Los Angeles Fire Department, which serves the city of Los Angeles, averages just under 1,400 calls for service over a typical 24-hour period. On Saturday, it responded to 1,738 calls for service, spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
“As it always is, the Fourth of July was a busier night for all different types of fires,” she said.
They included 200 calls reporting rubbish fires, 103 reporting tree fires, 40 reports of structure fires, 28 of grass fires and 11 of brush fires, she said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, which serves unincorporated L.A. County and 59 cities, also saw a higher-than-normal call volume. The department responded to 1,676 calls for service Saturday, compared with an average of 1,100 to 1,200 calls, said Sky Cornell, public information officer. Nearly 500 of those calls were received between 9 and 10 p.m., he said.
That was an increase even from last year’s Fourth of July, when county firefighters responded to 1,349 calls. In fact, it was the second-busiest day in the department’s history, second only to Feb. 17, 2017, when firefighters responded to 1,777 calls during a rainstorm, Cornell said.
The calls for service to which firefighters were dispatched included 370 outdoor fires, 44 structure fires and 13 brush fires, he said. County fire officials were working Sunday to determine how many of the calls were related to fireworks.
In the city of L.A., the most serious incident took place when fireworks ignited several large palm trees in Northridge and the flames spread to a neighboring apartment complex, destroying several units and displacing about 50 residents, Stewart said.
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“Whereas people like to disregard and create their reasons for why they think fireworks are illegal, last night proved the point in terms of a tree fire that extended into an apartment building,” Stewart said.
The fire was reported in the 8600 block of North Wilbur Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. It took 81 firefighters 43 minutes to extinguish the palm trees and eight apartment units that were fully engulfed, officials said. Multiple residents were rescued, and three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, the Fire Department said.
Embers from the burning palm trees also spread to the roof of a second eight-unit apartment building in the complex, starting a surface fire, but firefighters were able to put it out before it caused major damage, the department said.
An investigation by the department’s arson and counterterrorism unit determined the fire was started by illegal fireworks, officials said.
Earlier in the week, L.A. County public health officials announced that the county was temporarily banning fireworks displays and closing beaches to avoid crowding during the holiday weekend in a bid to slow an alarming surge in coronavirus cases.
The city of Lancaster chose to defy the ban by holding a public fireworks show at the Lancaster National Soccer Center. Parking lots were closed, and residents were encouraged to watch from their homes or isolated outdoor areas.
The city’s mayor framed the move as a political statement in comments on social media.
“The ultra left is trying to steal 4th of July,” Mayor R. Rex Parris wrote on Facebook. “In our city, we celebrate being Americans. Please come visit me in jail, because no one is going to stop 4th of July in our city.”
The display, which was livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page, took place without incident.
Despite the relative dearth of official fireworks shows, the backyard displays left the region dealing with poor air quality. Fireworks emit high levels of particulate matter known as PM2.5, and July 4 and 5 are typically among the region’s worst days when it comes to high levels of the pollutants in the air, health officials said.
But this year, the PM2.5 pollution appeared to be more concentrated and linger for longer even compared with past holidays, officials said.
While the air quality usually reaches very unhealthy levels on July 4 and 5, this year some areas reached hazardous levels. Hazardous air quality was first reported about 10 p.m. in central Los Angeles County, an area centered on downtown L.A., and didn’t significantly improve until about 8 a.m. Hazardous conditions also were reported in Anaheim from about midnight to 1 a.m.
Stagnant weather conditions were probably a big contributor, the Air Quality Management District’s Fine said.
“When the atmosphere mixes a lot, you get cleaner air from up above mixing with dirty air from activity down below, and the smoke dilutes and doesn’t build up,” Fine said. “But an inversion layer means you don’t get that mixing so it gets trapped.”
On Sunday morning, the inversion layer was almost at ground level, compared with the height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet that is typical for this time of year, he said.
“We also don’t know for sure but anecdotally we’ve had reports of a lot of backyard and neighborhood fireworks shows, maybe to replace some of the larger shows that were canceled,” Fine said.
He noted that many professional fireworks shows use smokeless launchers that propel fireworks into the sky with compressed air, whereas people at home tend to use rocket-launched fireworks. It’s also possible that the chemical compositions of some backyard fireworks are more polluting than those used by professionals, or there were simply more of them, he said.
The PM2.5 pollution was dissipating as the day went on and was expected to continue to do so, Fine said. Still, children, older people and those with respiratory conditions were being advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activity in some areas, which included portions of the coast and parts of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
The increase in pollution, albeit temporary, raised an additional layer of concern in light of the recent increase in coronavirus cases that have prompted public health officials to tell people to redouble efforts to stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with others.
“There’s obviously a lot of research that has been done over the last several months on COVID,” Fine said. “The studies I’ve seen have shown that yes, people with preexisting respiratory conditions are more susceptible, more likely to contract or have worse symptoms from COVID.
“We also know that poor air quality and long-term exposure to poor air quality can cause some of those preexisting respiratory conditions. We also know that on a day-to-day basis, those conditions can be made worse by poor air quality, which can make you more susceptible to contracting the virus. So there is a connection there.”
Meanwhile, drier conditions, hotter temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County raised concern about the potential for fires to spread quickly.
Minimum humidity dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday, while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal, the National Weather Service said.
Gusty winds were expected to hit the Castaic Lake area, mountains of Ventura County and the south coast of Santa Barbara County on Sunday night. The “sundowner” winds are northerly winds driven by differences in pressure that tend to strengthen in the evening and overnight hours, said Lisa Phillips, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Combined, the weather conditions create an elevated fire risk that is not unusual for this time of year, she said.
“In this time period, we’re dealing with a lot of conditions starting to reach elevated fire weather conditions, just periodically,” Phillips said. “We’re in our fire season now.”
Temperatures were expected to cool off gradually starting Monday, with coastal areas seeing highs in the mid-70s and valleys in the upper 80s by Thursday, ahead of another warm-up forecast for Friday. But the increased risk of fire was expected to persist, Phillips said.
“Really, everyone should be considering most days to be elevated, just in terms of precautions we have to be taking with the season changing,” she said.


latimes--2020-07-06--These doctors brought a shuttered L.A. hospital back to life to fight coronavirus

The wave started in early March .
The novel coronavirus was spreading across Los Angeles County , and local hospitals were unprepared .
Public health officials feared the worst .
The news from Italy and New York — the mass graves and morgue trucks — was clear .
They needed more beds .
The hospital ship Mercy sailed to San Pedro to treat the uninfected sick or injured .
The Los Angeles Convention Center was prepped as a field hospital , and the St. Vincent Medical Center reopened .
The facility had closed in January , a victim of Verity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lying just west of downtown Los Angeles , the sprawling campus was deserted , doors locked , 366 beds empty , with the virus creeping through the city .
The state was negotiating with Verity to lease the property , and her longtime colleague Dr. Anand Annamalai was putting together “ a SEAL team dedicated to COVID.
” St. Vincent was to be known as the Los Angeles Surge Hospital , or LASH .
Would she be interested in opening an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients ?
Taylor , 43 and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey and New York , had experience treating severely ill COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Culver City .
But that wasn ’ t the only reason she was being asked .
She and Annamalai had worked together at St. Vincent for almost two years starting a liver transplant and oncology program , which ended in November when Verity decided to sell the property .
( Five months later , Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong purchased the medical center from Verity for $ 135 million .
Soon-Shiong also owns The Times . )
“ Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a bitter taste , ” Taylor said .
“ It left all of us with a big hole in our stomachs about what was happening.
” She now had an opportunity to chase that bitterness with something sweeter .
The hospital that could not pay its bills had carte blanche to fight this new disease .
Within days of Annamalai ’ s call , the state and Verity signed a six-month , $ 16-million lease .
Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health would help set up the facility and offer oversight and guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VEP Healthcare would provide physician services , and Annamalai , Taylor and nearly 35 other doctors signed up .
By the time LASH closed on May 22 , it would serve some of the poorest , sickest people in Los Angeles County and shore up the county ’ s patchy hospital system .
It would cost millions , last 39 days and treat 64 patients .
Created from scratch , this pop-up hospital brought hope to patients and families , and for its doctors and medical staff , it represented a rare opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice medicine unconstrained by medical corporations and insurance companies .
Taylor ’ s first day back on campus was April 2 .
Walking empty corridors , she imagined St. Vincent ’ s final week as Verity shut it down : patients transferred to other facilities , staff emptying rooms and filling boxes with supplies .
Now those boxes had to be unpacked and the equipment inventoried , a triage of what could and couldn ’ t be used .
There was no better place for them to begin , Annamalai said , than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mop.
” To create his SEAL team , Annamalai , 41 , turned to friends and friends of friends .
They had less than two weeks to get ready .
Working late into the night , the doctors and specialists lived on pizza and one another ’ s encouragement .
Their motto : “ Just get it done.
” Staff from Kaiser and Dignity joined them stringing ducts for an air-filtration system and rewiring telephone lines .
They sealed ICU rooms with plastic sheeting , rolled in beds and laid out mattresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they sorted supplies : bottles of sodium chloride , Foley catheters , endotracheal tubes , disposable stethoscopes .
They practiced donning and doffing personal protective equipment and created protocols for disinfecting themselves , containing outbreaks , and eventually , for helping families visit dying patients .
“ There was not enough time to see the forest for the trees , ” Taylor said , “ because we were in the thick of it , chipping away at six tasks at a time.
” Annamalai , a specialist in transplant and cancer surgeries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America helping under-financed hospitals build patient capacity .
He applied those lessons to LASH .
The surge hospital would not have an operating room , which required a more complex level of care .
Instead , there would just be the ICU and units for patients under observation and in recovery .
Medical staff set up shop on the fourth floor , and they began with 31 beds .
As the opening drew near , Taylor felt a pang for what St. Vincent could have been .
The stairwells had never seemed so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from intensive care specialists to security guards , nutritionists to chaplains — needed to be filled .
Applications came from as far away as Florida , Texas and Arkansas .
For hires from local hospitals , LASH was a double shift .
Ryan Barnette , 37 , signed on early .
An ICU doctor at County-USC Medical Center , he was drawn not just by the urgency of the pandemic , but also by the challenge of opening a closed facility and mobilizing a staff to care for patients who might otherwise die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in 70 hours some weeks .
Sleep became a luxury for the doctor who liked to think of himself as a guy not afraid of “ running into a burning building.
” Every time the county ’ s Medical Alert Center wanted to refer a patient to St. Vincent , Taylor ’ s cellphone rang with Thievery Corporation ’ s “ Lebanese Blonde.
” She listened to the assessment .
If a patient had COVID-19 but was pregnant or had a heart condition or any diagnosis other than respiratory distress , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sure they could provide proper care .
Decisions were made within 24 hours , and before long Taylor was accepting up to five patients a day .
The first was a young woman who arrived intubated , wide awake and terrified .
“ Respiri despacio , ” Taylor said in broken Spanish , trying to reassure her .
Breathe slowly .
“ Todo está bien.
” Everything is fine .
( The patient was later discharged . )
From the beginning , the work was relentless .
Walking the ICU , covered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , double gloved , masked and shielded , Taylor rediscovered something she had learned long ago .
“ Medicine is not just about giving pills or doing a procedure or following a prescribed therapy , ” she said .
“ Medicine is about human beings interacting at a vulnerable point in someone ’ s life .
It is the acknowledgement that a patient is more than the culmination of their disease process.
” Often , in a patient ’ s room , away from the steady drone of air-filtration units , Taylor found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the more precious for how menacing this disease was .
With families following precautions and staying away from patients , medical staff became family by proxy .
Never was this more evident than when patients were discharged .
LASH personnel lined the ramp to the ambulance bay and cheered as the patients made the sign of the cross , blessed the staff and whispered thank yous , one tear-filled goodbye after another .
Taylor estimates that 90 % of their patients were Latino and that diabetes was the most common preexisting condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how COVID disproportionately affects Latino communities , ” Barnette said , “ and a representation of how health care in these communities is struggling.
” The hospital eventually added 32 beds outside the ICU , bringing its total to 63 .
The daily census , however , averaged about 22 patients .
Taylor attributed the low enrollment to a number of factors .
Getting the word out — that LASH was open and taking patients with specific criteria — was difficult at first , and some doctors and hospitals were reluctant to transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Money also played a role .
Hospitals experiencing a decline in revenue due to the postponement of elective surgeries , Taylor believes , were reluctant to give up patients with insurance plans that guaranteed reimbursement commensurate with the cost of treatment .
Only three of LASH ’ s patients had private insurance , according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health .
Twenty-eight were uninsured , and 33 were covered by either Medi-Cal or Medicare , which typically reimburse at rates lower than private plans .
Barnette said he was confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many lives.
” “ That was the goal , right ?
Create an environment that could save lives .
A lot of our patients , if they stayed at their admitting hospital , they might not have had a shot , ” Barnette said , calling his time at LASH one of the most amazing experiences of his life .
Annamalai said LASH had essentially eliminated “ the Goliaths of healthcare ” — insurance companies and hospital administration — and for a brief , bright moment in the midst of a pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their own terms .
Taylor welcomed this change .
Over the years , she had felt her idealism wane in the face of increasing bureaucratic and financial pressures .
She had watched what happened when coverage was denied or slowly deliberated .
She knew who benefited when hospitals advocated invasive procedures over end-of-life care , or when doctors received a percentage of income from patients in nursing homes .
“ LASH was agnostic to all that , ” she said .
“ There was no administration saying you had to go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We could write our own treatment plan and implement it in 24 hours.
” LASH was expensive , but other hospitals throughout Southern California spent millions of dollars preparing for the surge , according to John Romley , a USC expert in health economics , and their critical care infrastructure was already in place .
Operating costs for the surge hospital through May 31 , according to the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services , were $ 21.5 million which covered medical treatments and physician salaries , as well as food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health received $ 500,000 apiece for the salaries of their employees who were reassigned to LASH .
Those costs , the emergency services office said , were “ expected to be eligible for federal reimbursement.
” Each day , Taylor said , they talked about how to work efficiently and save money , but she was also pragmatic .
“ What would the cost have been if we needed LASH and didn ’ t have it ?
” she said .
In time , the initial COVID-19 surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Taylor had expected the hospital to be open into the summer but by mid-May , there were rumors that LASH was closing The decision by state officials came abruptly .
She was scheduled to work a night shift on May 22 when she got a text at home .
EMTs were transferring the last patient to Good Samaritan Hospital .
She hurried .
Traffic was light .
She checked in with security , put on her N95 mask and took the elevator to the ICU .
The unit was deserted .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles Surge Hospital had ended .
LASH , Taylor said , had “ reaffirmed my faith in medicine.
” Of the 64 patients treated there , 55 were discharged to other hospitals , rehabilitation facilities or their homes .
Nine died .
Given the hospital ’ s unique nature and its selection of patients , a 14 % mortality rate is hard to compare with other medical facilities .
One hospital system in New York City recently reported a 21 % mortality rate among its COVID-19 patients .
The care that LASH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Taylor .
“ People thought we were pitching tents and bagging patients .
That was not what it was at all.
” Before leaving , Taylor stopped on the 9th floor , where a break room had been set up for staff .
She didn ’ t know what the future for St. Vincent would be , and she didn ’ t believe a new surge hospital would open on the campus .
That decision lies with the state , which would once again have to take on the cost .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Los Angeles ’ public and private hospitals have the ability to meet current projections , especially if the public continues to take precautions .
Hospitals , as well , can increase capacity -- up to 20 percent -- by canceling elective admissions , rapidly discharging patients who no longer need acute care , changing the designation of hospital beds , and opening up non-traditional spaces for care , said a spokesperson with the Office of Emergency Management .
Taylor walked out on a balcony , which had always felt like a portal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape when there was a lull downstairs .
In the late afternoon sunlight , the city was quiet .
No one knows what happened here , she thought , in this least likely of places .
As she stared across the patchwork of homes and streets to the 101 Freeway and the Hollywood sign , she knew the virus was not done with Los Angeles .
A month later , a thousand more people had died in L.A. County , cases of the disease had doubled , and the numbers continue to rise @

The wave started in early March. The novel coronavirus was spreading across Los Angeles County, and local hospitals were unprepared.
Public health officials feared the worst. The news from Italy and New York — the mass graves and morgue trucks — was clear. They needed more beds.
So they planned.
The hospital ship Mercy sailed to San Pedro to treat the uninfected sick or injured. The Los Angeles Convention Center was prepped as a field hospital, and the St. Vincent Medical Center reopened.
A crowd gathers to watch the arrival of the USNS Mercy hospital ship in San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA on March 27, 2020. Despite warning to remain at home. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
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The facility had closed in January, a victim of Verity Health System’s long bankruptcy. Lying just west of downtown Los Angeles, the sprawling campus was deserted, doors locked, 366 beds empty, with the virus creeping through the city.
On March 19, Dr. Jamie Taylor got a phone call.
The state was negotiating with Verity to lease the property, and her longtime colleague Dr. Anand Annamalai was putting together “a SEAL team dedicated to COVID.”
St. Vincent was to be known as the Los Angeles Surge Hospital, or LASH. Would she be interested in opening an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients?
Taylor, 43 and a veteran of ICUs in California, New Jersey and New York, had experience treating severely ill COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Culver City. But that wasn’t the only reason she was being asked.
Dr. Jamie Taylor stands in a room that was converted into an area for COVID patients at Los Angeles Surge Hospital (formerly St. Vincent Medical Center) in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
She and Annamalai had worked together at St. Vincent for almost two years starting a liver transplant and oncology program, which ended in November when Verity decided to sell the property. (Five months later, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong purchased the medical center from Verity for $135 million. Soon-Shiong also owns The Times.)
“Our swan song [at St. Vincent] had a bitter taste,” Taylor said. “It left all of us with a big hole in our stomachs about what was happening.”
She now had an opportunity to chase that bitterness with something sweeter. The hospital that could not pay its bills had carte blanche to fight this new disease.
Within days of Annamalai’s call, the state and Verity signed a six-month, $16-million lease. Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health would help set up the facility and offer oversight and guidance once it was up and running. VEP Healthcare would provide physician services, and Annamalai, Taylor and nearly 35 other doctors signed up.
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By the time LASH closed on May 22, it would serve some of the poorest, sickest people in Los Angeles County and shore up the county’s patchy hospital system. It would cost millions, last 39 days and treat 64 patients.
Created from scratch, this pop-up hospital brought hope to patients and families, and for its doctors and medical staff, it represented a rare opportunity to create their own healthcare system and practice medicine unconstrained by medical corporations and insurance companies.
“LASH,” Annamalai said, “was a clinically led socialistic system.”
::
Taylor’s first day back on campus was April 2.
Walking empty corridors, she imagined St. Vincent’s final week as Verity shut it down: patients transferred to other facilities, staff emptying rooms and filling boxes with supplies.
An empty ICU ward used for COVID patients at Los Angeles Surge Hospital. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Now those boxes had to be unpacked and the equipment inventoried, a triage of what could and couldn’t be used. There was no better place for them to begin, Annamalai said, than “rolling up their sleeves and grabbing a mop.”
To create his SEAL team, Annamalai, 41, turned to friends and friends of friends. They had less than two weeks to get ready. Working late into the night, the doctors and specialists lived on pizza and one another’s encouragement. Their motto: “Just get it done.”
Staff from Kaiser and Dignity joined them stringing ducts for an air-filtration system and rewiring telephone lines. They sealed ICU rooms with plastic sheeting, rolled in beds and laid out mattresses.
They tested monitors and ventilators, and they sorted supplies: bottles of sodium chloride, Foley catheters, endotracheal tubes, disposable stethoscopes.
They practiced donning and doffing personal protective equipment and created protocols for disinfecting themselves, containing outbreaks, and eventually, for helping families visit dying patients.
“There was not enough time to see the forest for the trees,” Taylor said, “because we were in the thick of it, chipping away at six tasks at a time.”
Annamalai, a specialist in transplant and cancer surgeries, had worked in Central and South America helping under-financed hospitals build patient capacity. He applied those lessons to LASH.
The surge hospital would not have an operating room, which required a more complex level of care. Instead, there would just be the ICU and units for patients under observation and in recovery. Medical staff set up shop on the fourth floor, and they began with 31 beds.
As the opening drew near, Taylor felt a pang for what St. Vincent could have been. The stairwells had never seemed so clean.
More than 400 positions — from intensive care specialists to security guards, nutritionists to chaplains — needed to be filled. Applications came from as far away as Florida, Texas and Arkansas. For hires from local hospitals, LASH was a double shift.
Ryan Barnette, 37, signed on early. An ICU doctor at County-USC Medical Center, he was drawn not just by the urgency of the pandemic, but also by the challenge of opening a closed facility and mobilizing a staff to care for patients who might otherwise die.
Working at both hospitals, he put in 70 hours some weeks. Sleep became a luxury for the doctor who liked to think of himself as a guy not afraid of “running into a burning building.”
::
Every time the county’s Medical Alert Center wanted to refer a patient to St. Vincent, Taylor’s cellphone rang with Thievery Corporation’s “Lebanese Blonde.”
She listened to the assessment. If a patient had COVID-19 but was pregnant or had a heart condition or any diagnosis other than respiratory distress, they were turned down. She had to be sure they could provide proper care.
Decisions were made within 24 hours, and before long Taylor was accepting up to five patients a day.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
The first was a young woman who arrived intubated, wide awake and terrified.
“Respiri despacio,” Taylor said in broken Spanish, trying to reassure her. Breathe slowly.
The woman cried. Taylor held her hand.
“Todo está bien.” Everything is fine. (The patient was later discharged.)
From the beginning, the work was relentless.
Walking the ICU, covered head to toe, front to back, double gloved, masked and shielded, Taylor rediscovered something she had learned long ago.
“Medicine is not just about giving pills or doing a procedure or following a prescribed therapy,” she said. “Medicine is about human beings interacting at a vulnerable point in someone’s life. It is the acknowledgement that a patient is more than the culmination of their disease process.”
Often, in a patient’s room, away from the steady drone of air-filtration units, Taylor found a calm and an intimacy that seemed all the more precious for how menacing this disease was. With families following precautions and staying away from patients, medical staff became family by proxy.
Never was this more evident than when patients were discharged. LASH personnel lined the ramp to the ambulance bay and cheered as the patients made the sign of the cross, blessed the staff and whispered thank yous, one tear-filled goodbye after another.
Taylor estimates that 90% of their patients were Latino and that diabetes was the most common preexisting condition.
“LASH was a representation of how COVID disproportionately affects Latino communities,” Barnette said, “and a representation of how health care in these communities is struggling.”
The hospital eventually added 32 beds outside the ICU, bringing its total to 63. The daily census, however, averaged about 22 patients.
Taylor attributed the low enrollment to a number of factors. Getting the word out — that LASH was open and taking patients with specific criteria — was difficult at first, and some doctors and hospitals were reluctant to transfer patients with whom they had a relationship.
Money also played a role. Hospitals experiencing a decline in revenue due to the postponement of elective surgeries, Taylor believes, were reluctant to give up patients with insurance plans that guaranteed reimbursement commensurate with the cost of treatment.
Only three of LASH’s patients had private insurance, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Twenty-eight were uninsured, and 33 were covered by either Medi-Cal or Medicare, which typically reimburse at rates lower than private plans.
::
Barnette said he was confident that LASH had saved “many, many lives.”
“That was the goal, right? Create an environment that could save lives. A lot of our patients, if they stayed at their admitting hospital, they might not have had a shot,” Barnette said, calling his time at LASH one of the most amazing experiences of his life.
Resting area for doctors who treated COVID patients at Los Angeles Surge Hospital. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Annamalai said LASH had essentially eliminated “the Goliaths of healthcare” — insurance companies and hospital administration — and for a brief, bright moment in the midst of a pandemic, doctors had a chance to deliver care on their own terms.
Taylor welcomed this change. Over the years, she had felt her idealism wane in the face of increasing bureaucratic and financial pressures.
She had watched what happened when coverage was denied or slowly deliberated. She knew who benefited when hospitals advocated invasive procedures over end-of-life care, or when doctors received a percentage of income from patients in nursing homes.
“LASH was agnostic to all that,” she said. “There was no administration saying you had to go to six committees to get a policy approved. We could write our own treatment plan and implement it in 24 hours.”
LASH was expensive, but other hospitals throughout Southern California spent millions of dollars preparing for the surge, according to John Romley, a USC expert in health economics, and their critical care infrastructure was already in place.
Operating costs for the surge hospital through May 31, according to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, were $21.5 million which covered medical treatments and physician salaries, as well as food services and the lease on the property.
Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health received $500,000 apiece for the salaries of their employees who were reassigned to LASH.
Those costs, the emergency services office said, were “expected to be eligible for federal reimbursement.”
Each day, Taylor said, they talked about how to work efficiently and save money, but she was also pragmatic.
“What would the cost have been if we needed LASH and didn’t have it?” she said.
::
In time, the initial COVID-19 surge in Los Angeles County became more manageable.
Taylor had expected the hospital to be open into the summer but by mid-May, there were rumors that LASH was closing
The decision by state officials came abruptly. She was scheduled to work a night shift on May 22 when she got a text at home. EMTs were transferring the last patient to Good Samaritan Hospital.
She hurried. Traffic was light. She checked in with security, put on her N95 mask and took the elevator to the ICU.
The unit was deserted. As quickly as it had begun, the Los Angeles Surge Hospital had ended.
LASH, Taylor said, had “reaffirmed my faith in medicine.”
St. Vincent Medical Center located at 2131 West 3rd st. in Los Angeles is back in business to help ease the pressure on local hospitals amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Staff set up beds and other equipment ready to receive patients with Covid-19 starting Monday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Of the 64 patients treated there, 55 were discharged to other hospitals, rehabilitation facilities or their homes. Nine died.
Given the hospital’s unique nature and its selection of patients, a 14% mortality rate is hard to compare with other medical facilities. One hospital system in New York City recently reported a 21% mortality rate among its COVID-19 patients.
The care that LASH provided the patients was often underestimated, said Taylor. “People thought we were pitching tents and bagging patients. That was not what it was at all.”
Before leaving, Taylor stopped on the 9th floor, where a break room had been set up for staff.
She didn’t know what the future for St. Vincent would be, and she didn’t believe a new surge hospital would open on the campus. That decision lies with the state, which would once again have to take on the cost.
From the county’s point of view, Los Angeles’ public and private hospitals have the ability to meet current projections, especially if the public continues to take precautions. Hospitals, as well, can increase capacity — up to 20% — by canceling elective admissions, rapidly discharging patients who no longer need acute care, changing the designation of hospital beds, and opening up non-traditional spaces for care, said a spokesperson with the Office of Emergency Management.
Taylor walked out on a balcony, which had always felt like a portal to another world, a place to escape when there was a lull downstairs.
Dr. Jamie Taylor stands in the resting area for doctors who treated COVID patients at Los Angeles Surge Hospital. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
In the late afternoon sunlight, the city was quiet.
No one knows what happened here, she thought, in this least likely of places.
As she stared across the patchwork of homes and streets to the 101 Freeway and the Hollywood sign, she knew the virus was not done with Los Angeles.
A month later, a thousand more people had died in L.A. County, cases of the disease had doubled, and the numbers continue to rise.