latimes--2020-03-09--Feeling coronavirus 'cabin fever,' cruise passengers eager to land in Oakland

Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak , Karen Spoon was getting frustrated .
“ I ’ m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever , ” she said Sunday .
But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon , from Canada , and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days .
After hearing a briefing in which the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her , Spoon said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yippee !
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Sunday he expected the operation to take up to three days , but emphasized that the situation was “ fluid ” and could take longer , in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port , based on tides and currents .
After medical cases , California residents would be prioritized for disembarkation , and be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise , which went from San Francisco to Mexico , and included a Placer County man who later died of the coronavirus .
The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected before the journey .
The remaining American passengers will be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia , while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers .
About 1,000 Californians are expected to go to Travis , with the remainder going to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego .
Debbie Loftus , a passenger from Wisconsin , said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference , which she watched , represented a “ change in attitude.
” “ It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California ; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt LaGesse ’ s mother and aunt are on the ship , and he has been trying for days to get information , with little luck .
LaGesse said he was angered by the President Trump ’ s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board , and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis .
Despite details given by Newsom , he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next .
LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member and son of a mom that I really , really love ...
I ’ m scared and nervous and disappointed , ” he said Sunday .
“ You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan .
”

The Grand Princess shown in June 1998. The cruise ship, which floated off the California coast amid the COVID-19 outbreak, will dock Monday at the Port of Oakland. Disembarking and transferring passengers will take up to three days, the governor says.
Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak, Karen Spoon was getting frustrated.
“I’m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever,” she said Sunday.
But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon, from Canada, and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days.
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After hearing a briefing in which the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her, Spoon said, “If that’s correct, then yippee!”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday he expected the operation to take up to three days, but emphasized that the situation was “fluid” and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port, based on tides and currents.
After medical cases, California residents would be prioritized for disembarkation, and be taken to Travis Air Force Base in nearby Solano County to begin a 14-day quarantine.
Newsom said 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise, which went from San Francisco to Mexico, and included a Placer County man who later died of the coronavirus. The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected before the journey.
The remaining American passengers will be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia, while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport. Newsom emphasized that those cruise passengers traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers.
About 1,000 Californians are expected to go to Travis, with the remainder going to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
Debbie Loftus, a passenger from Wisconsin, said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference, which she watched, represented a “change in attitude.”
“It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California; a few days ago he did not want us anywhere near his state,” Loftus said.
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Matt LaGesse’s mother and aunt are on the ship, and he has been trying for days to get information, with little luck.
LaGesse said he was angered by the President Trump’s comments about potentially keeping passengers on board, and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis.
Despite details given by Newsom, he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next. LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line.
“As a family member and son of a mom that I really, really love ... I’m scared and nervous and disappointed,” he said Sunday. “You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan.”


latimes--2020-03-09--Proposition 13 appears headed for a fall. Here's why voters might have rejected it

California voters flashed a bright red stoplight at Democrats ’ taxing and borrowing as they rejected the largest state school bond proposal in history .
At least it seems like voters rejected it .
Stunned backers of Proposition 13 — a confusing number that probably helped dig the measure ’ s grave — still haven ’ t publicly conceded defeat .
They ’ re clinging to slim hope that continued vote counting from Super Tuesday will yet save the measure .
By the end of last week , Proposition 13 trailed by 44.8 % to 55.2 % .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has been 26 years — 1994 , a very Republican election — since the last state school bond failed .
Two small ones narrowly lost : $ 1 billion for K-12 schools and $ 900 million for higher education .
Regardless of Proposition 13 ’ s final vote count , the taxing and borrowing stoplight was flashed all over California in local elections .
Voters spurned an unprecedented number of local school bond issues and tax hikes .
The California Taxpayers Assn.
, an anti-tax lobby , reported that of 237 local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58 passed and 122 failed ; 57 were too close to call .
Voters passed 21 school bonds and killed 64 ; 36 are still undecided .
By contrast , in the 2016 presidential primary 67 local tax and bond measures passed and only 20 failed .
Passage of a local school bond requires a 55 % vote ; a state bond only a simple majority .
A local tax hike generally needs a two-thirds vote .
Proposition 13 would not have raised taxes directly .
But it inevitably would have led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s because the cap on the amount of bonds that school districts could issue would be nearly doubled .
And that surely would have resulted in districts asking voters for higher property taxes to pay off the bonds .
The proposition would have authorized a record $ 15 billion in school construction bonds — $ 9 billion for K-12 and $ 2 billion each for community colleges , state universities and the University of California .
Many voters probably noticed in the Secretary of State ’ s official information guide that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 billion , bringing the total tab to $ 26 billion .
Paying off the bonds would jack up state spending by $ 740 million annually for 35 years .
And the state is already spending $ 6 billion a year to retire almost $ 80 billion in various bonds .
Sudden jitters concerning the economy caused by a plunging stock market attributed to the coronavirus threat probably prompted some hesitation by voters about the state going deeper into debt .
More debt in a slumping economy could require higher taxes .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found widespread belief by people that they are overtaxed in this state .
The research was based on several PPIC polls .
“ Most Californians from coast to interior feel their taxes are too high , ” the report read .
“ Overall , 58 % hold this opinion.
” “ There ’ s not overwhelming support in the state for big government programs that Democrats support , ” the report ’ s author , PPIC senior fellow Eric McGhee , told me .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty universal — state and local taxes.
” “ People are cynical about how the money is being spent , ” says Susan Shelley , vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn .
“ Maybe the message is ‘ enough is enough.
’ “ Confusion over Proposition 13 is not the whole story here.
” Howard Jarvis was the apartment owners ’ lobbyist who launched the original Proposition 13 , the historic 1978 ballot initiative that substantially limited property tax increases and ignited a nationwide anti-tax revolt .
Many voters mistakenly suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to repeal or undermine the original 13 .
This confusion was fueled by the fact that a teachers ’ union-backed initiative to eliminate tax protections for commercial and industrial properties is headed for the November ballot .
It would be the first major amendment of the tax-cutting 13 — and now seems in serious jeopardy based on voters ’ rejection of higher taxes and borrowing .
“ When people are confused , they tend to vote ‘ no , ’ ” says Assemblyman Patrick O ’ Donnell ( D-Long Beach ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intends to introduce legislation to retire “ 13 ” as a proposition number , just as professional sports teams retire their superstars ’ jersey numbers .
“ I ’ m going to retire the number so no one else has to go through this , ” O ’ Donnell says .
But PPIC pollster and President Mark Baldassare says , “ I don ’ t buy the Prop .
13 confusion .
We saw weakness all along in this measure .
It ’ s always easy to say it was confusion — something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case needed to be made to the voters and it was never made .
“ I also wonder whether something bigger is going on here about how people are feeling about school funding.
” They clearly are feeling skeptical about it .
It was Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s job to make the case for Proposition 13 .
He crafted the final product , combining two legislative bond proposals — one for K-12 , another for universities — and increasing the total dollar amount .
The governor also added a few complexities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of the Los Angeles Unified School District .
He changed the formula for disbursing bond money to districts , gave preference to projects using union labor , reduced developer fees and raised the local cap on borrowing .
Newsom owned the bond measure and couldn ’ t sell it .
His political team spent more than $ 10 million trying .
The Jarvis outfit dug up a mere $ 250,000 for opposition radio ads — and a red stoplight .

Gov. Gavin Newsom promotes Proposition 13 in February. It appears that voters rejected the bond proposal.
California voters flashed a bright red stoplight at Democrats’ taxing and borrowing as they rejected the largest state school bond proposal in history.
At least it seems like voters rejected it. Stunned backers of Proposition 13 — a confusing number that probably helped dig the measure’s grave — still haven’t publicly conceded defeat. They’re clinging to slim hope that continued vote counting from Super Tuesday will yet save the measure.
By the end of last week, Proposition 13 trailed by 44.8% to 55.2%. That’s a big deficit to fill.
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It has been 26 years — 1994, a very Republican election — since the last state school bond failed. Two small ones narrowly lost: $1 billion for K-12 schools and $900 million for higher education.
Regardless of Proposition 13’s final vote count, the taxing and borrowing stoplight was flashed all over California in local elections. Voters spurned an unprecedented number of local school bond issues and tax hikes.
The California Taxpayers Assn., an anti-tax lobby, reported that of 237 local tax and bond measures at stake, 58 passed and 122 failed; 57 were too close to call.
Voters passed 21 school bonds and killed 64; 36 are still undecided.
By contrast, in the 2016 presidential primary 67 local tax and bond measures passed and only 20 failed.
Passage of a local school bond requires a 55% vote; a state bond only a simple majority. A local tax hike generally needs a two-thirds vote.
Proposition 13 would not have raised taxes directly. But it inevitably would have led to local proposals for higher property levies. That’s because the cap on the amount of bonds that school districts could issue would be nearly doubled. And that surely would have resulted in districts asking voters for higher property taxes to pay off the bonds.
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The proposition would have authorized a record $15 billion in school construction bonds — $9 billion for K-12 and $2 billion each for community colleges, state universities and the University of California.
Many voters probably noticed in the Secretary of State’s official information guide that interest on the bonds would cost $11 billion, bringing the total tab to $26 billion. Paying off the bonds would jack up state spending by $740 million annually for 35 years. And the state is already spending $6 billion a year to retire almost $80 billion in various bonds.
Sudden jitters concerning the economy caused by a plunging stock market attributed to the coronavirus threat probably prompted some hesitation by voters about the state going deeper into debt. More debt in a slumping economy could require higher taxes.
A recent “Political Geography” study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found widespread belief by people that they are overtaxed in this state. The research was based on several PPIC polls.
“Most Californians from coast to interior feel their taxes are too high,” the report read. “Overall, 58% hold this opinion.”
“There’s not overwhelming support in the state for big government programs that Democrats support,” the report’s author, PPIC senior fellow Eric McGhee, told me. “The feeling that taxes are too high is pretty universal — state and local taxes.”
“People are cynical about how the money is being spent,” says Susan Shelley, vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. “Maybe the message is ‘enough is enough.’
“Confusion over Proposition 13 is not the whole story here.”
Howard Jarvis was the apartment owners’ lobbyist who launched the original Proposition 13, the historic 1978 ballot initiative that substantially limited property tax increases and ignited a nationwide anti-tax revolt.
Many voters mistakenly suspected that the school bond 13 was an attempt to repeal or undermine the original 13. This confusion was fueled by the fact that a teachers’ union-backed initiative to eliminate tax protections for commercial and industrial properties is headed for the November ballot. It would be the first major amendment of the tax-cutting 13 — and now seems in serious jeopardy based on voters’ rejection of higher taxes and borrowing.
“When people are confused, they tend to vote ‘no,’” says Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), coauthor of the school bond. He intends to introduce legislation to retire “13” as a proposition number, just as professional sports teams retire their superstars’ jersey numbers.
“I’m going to retire the number so no one else has to go through this,” O’Donnell says.
But PPIC pollster and President Mark Baldassare says, “I don’t buy the Prop. 13 confusion. We saw weakness all along in this measure. It’s always easy to say it was confusion — something else’s fault.
“A case needed to be made to the voters and it was never made.
“I also wonder whether something bigger is going on here about how people are feeling about school funding.”
They clearly are feeling skeptical about it.
It was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job to make the case for Proposition 13. He crafted the final product, combining two legislative bond proposals — one for K-12, another for universities — and increasing the total dollar amount.
The governor also added a few complexities and controversies. Some cost him the support of the Los Angeles Unified School District. He changed the formula for disbursing bond money to districts, gave preference to projects using union labor, reduced developer fees and raised the local cap on borrowing.
Newsom owned the bond measure and couldn’t sell it. His political team spent more than $10 million trying.
The Jarvis outfit dug up a mere $250,000 for opposition radio ads — and a red stoplight.


latimes--2020-03-09--Magnitude 4.9 aftershock recorded hours after a 5.9 strikes off the coast of Northern California

A magnitude 4.9 aftershock was reported Sunday evening at 11:32 p.m. off the Northern California coast , four miles from the epicenter of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hours earlier , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The 4.9 quake occurred 64 miles from Fortuna , Calif. , 65 miles from Eureka , 69 miles from Myrtletown , 72 miles from Arcata and 74 miles from McKinleyville .
After the magnitude 5.9 earthquake , which was reported at 7:59 p.m. , no tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas , and no damage was reported .
Thousands of people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate shaking from that quake from the Oregon border to the San Francisco Bay Area , some as far inland as the northern Sierra foothills surrounding Chico .
That earthquake was the only other quake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby in the last 10 days .
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 6.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The aftershock occurred at a depth of 1.4 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Find out what to do before , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

The location of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake Sunday evening off the coast of Northern California.
A magnitude 4.9 aftershock was reported Sunday evening at 11:32 p.m. off the Northern California coast, four miles from the epicenter of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hours earlier, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The 4.9 quake occurred 64 miles from Fortuna, Calif., 65 miles from Eureka, 69 miles from Myrtletown, 72 miles from Arcata and 74 miles from McKinleyville.
After the magnitude 5.9 earthquake, which was reported at 7:59 p.m., no tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas, and no damage was reported.
Thousands of people on the USGS website reported feeling weak to moderate shaking from that quake from the Oregon border to the San Francisco Bay Area, some as far inland as the northern Sierra foothills surrounding Chico.
That earthquake was the only other quake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby in the last 10 days.
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 6.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
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The aftershock occurred at a depth of 1.4 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-03-08--U.S. has a coronavirus warning for its citizens: Don't travel on cruise ships

The State Department on Sunday urged U.S. citizens to not travel on cruise ships , warning that passengers on the hulking vessels are more likely to contract the coronavirus infection and could be subject to quarantines and other international travel restrictions .
“ U.S .
citizens , particularly travelers with underlying health conditions , should not travel by cruise ship , ” the State Department wrote in a statement on its website .
The U.S. announcement came as the number of U.S. coronavirus cases topped 500 , with the largest numbers in Washington state , New York and California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has resisted cruise ship warnings because President Trump has not wanted to do or say anything that might further hurt the stock market and the travel industry .
Over the last month , the stock price for Carnival Corp. , owner of Princess Cruises , has declined nearly 35 % .
The State Department alert came the day before the Grand Princess cruise ship was expected to dock at the Port of Oakland , where 3,000 people — about 1,000 of whom are from California — will disembark .
All of those passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military bases .
At least 21 people on board the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19 , which is caused by the coronavirus that originated late last year in China .
The virus also spread on another cruise ship , the Diamond Princess .
Eight people died after contracting the illness on that ship , and more than 700 were infected .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Sunday criticized the cruise industry , saying that its leaders needed to implement stricter safety protocols to prevent further spread of the virus .
He noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can not continue to handle large-scale quarantines of ship passengers .
“ We simply as a state can not experience this kind of operation at the scale that is likely ” if cruise ships don ’ t take more precautions , Newsom said at a news conference .
The world ’ s largest association of cruise lines on Sunday announced it would adopt enhanced screening measures for passengers .
Cruise Lines International Assn .
said it would not allow anyone who has visited South Korea , Iran , China or affected areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All passengers will also be subject to temperature screenings , and those with readings above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit may be asked to disembark .
“ We remain in close contact with local governments around the world , and while we regret that these changes will result in the denial of boarding for some of our guests , travelers should know that their health and safety is the absolute priority for the industry , ” said Kelly Craighead , president and CEO of the association .
The crowded and confined environment of cruise ships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Outbreaks on ships can persist throughout multiple voyages if crew members are infected , and medical facilities on-board are limited when compared with the care mainland hospitals can provide .
The most frequently reported cruise ship outbreaks have involved respiratory or gastrointestinal infections and vaccine-preventable diseases like the flu .
Anywhere from eight to 16 outbreaks of norovirus — a highly contagious stomach bug — occurred each year among the international cruise ships that ported in the U.S. between 2010 and 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll in the U.S. rose to 21 on Sunday , and at least 537 cases of infection have been confirmed nationwide , including 114 in California .
Worldwide , more than 109,000 people have been infected and more than 3,800 have died .
The decline in cruise ship visits could dramatically impact the economies of countries like Mexico , which relies heavily on tourism .
The resort city of Cabo San Lucas , which hosted 204 cruise ships in 2019 , has already taken a big financial blow because of coronavirus concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % to 30 % drop in cruise ship reservations .
Questions have been raised about whether passengers on the Grand Princess could have either picked up or spread the coronavirus when it visited Cabo and three other Mexican Pacific ports during a trip from San Francisco in February .
Mexico has confirmed a total of six cases of the coronavirus , but none so far in the state of Baja California Sur , where Cabo is located .
Staff writers Anita Chabria , Susanne Rust and Patrick J. McDonnell contributed to this report @

The State Department on Sunday urged U.S. citizens to not travel on cruise ships, warning that passengers on the hulking vessels are more likely to contract the coronavirus infection and could be subject to quarantines and other international travel restrictions.
“U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship,” the State Department wrote in a statement on its website.
The U.S. announcement came as the number of U.S. coronavirus cases topped 500, with the largest numbers in Washington state, New York and California.
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Up until Sunday, the White House has resisted cruise ship warnings because President Trump has not wanted to do or say anything that might further hurt the stock market and the travel industry. Over the last month, the stock price for Carnival Corp., owner of Princess Cruises, has declined nearly 35%.
The State Department alert came the day before the Grand Princess cruise ship was expected to dock at the Port of Oakland, where 3,000 people — about 1,000 of whom are from California — will disembark. All of those passengers will be quarantined for two weeks at military bases.
At least 21 people on board the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus that originated late last year in China.
The virus also spread on another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess. Eight people died after contracting the illness on that ship, and more than 700 were infected.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday criticized the cruise industry, saying that its leaders needed to implement stricter safety protocols to prevent further spread of the virus. He noted that California sees heavy cruise ship traffic and cannot continue to handle large-scale quarantines of ship passengers.
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“We simply as a state cannot experience this kind of operation at the scale that is likely” if cruise ships don’t take more precautions, Newsom said at a news conference.
The world’s largest association of cruise lines on Sunday announced it would adopt enhanced screening measures for passengers. Cruise Lines International Assn. said it would not allow anyone who has visited South Korea, Iran, China or affected areas of Italy to board its ships. All passengers will also be subject to temperature screenings, and those with readings above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit may be asked to disembark.
“We remain in close contact with local governments around the world, and while we regret that these changes will result in the denial of boarding for some of our guests, travelers should know that their health and safety is the absolute priority for the industry,” said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of the association.
The crowded and confined environment of cruise ships makes them especially prone to disease outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks on ships can persist throughout multiple voyages if crew members are infected, and medical facilities on-board are limited when compared with the care mainland hospitals can provide.
The most frequently reported cruise ship outbreaks have involved respiratory or gastrointestinal infections and vaccine-preventable diseases like the flu.
Anywhere from eight to 16 outbreaks of norovirus — a highly contagious stomach bug — occurred each year among the international cruise ships that ported in the U.S. between 2010 and 2015, CDC data show.
The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. rose to 21 on Sunday, and at least 537 cases of infection have been confirmed nationwide, including 114 in California. Worldwide, more than 109,000 people have been infected and more than 3,800 have died.
The decline in cruise ship visits could dramatically impact the economies of countries like Mexico, which relies heavily on tourism.
The resort city of Cabo San Lucas, which hosted 204 cruise ships in 2019, has already taken a big financial blow because of coronavirus concerns. State authorities have reported a 20% to 30% drop in cruise ship reservations.
Questions have been raised about whether passengers on the Grand Princess could have either picked up or spread the coronavirus when it visited Cabo and three other Mexican Pacific ports during a trip from San Francisco in February.
Mexico has confirmed a total of six cases of the coronavirus, but none so far in the state of Baja California Sur, where Cabo is located.
Staff writers Anita Chabria, Susanne Rust and Patrick J. McDonnell contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-08--California has 114 coronavirus cases, L.A. County has 14: Here is what you need to know

The number of coronavirus cases rose to 114 on Sunday , as officials continued to report new cases around the state .
Riverside County declared an emergency declaration after it was announced a patient was being treated at a Rancho Mirage hospital .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available .
California has testing kits for 8,000 people , and a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday , if needed .
Newsom said California has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he expected that to increase dramatically in coming days with the new capacity .
California Health and Human Services head Mark Ghaly said the state has requested an additional 12,000 testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expects to receive those in coming days .
• 10,250+ : People self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX • 8 cases involve a group of travelers who visited northern Italy , where coronavirus has cause widespread outbreaks .
• 2 are connected to close contact to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient who lived in Wuhan , China .

Anita Chabria, Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth

Protective masks and gloves are sold out at a CVS Pharmacy in Oakland on Feb. 27.
The number of coronavirus cases rose to 114 on Sunday, as officials continued to report new cases around the state.
Riverside County declared an emergency declaration after it was announced a patient was being treated at a Rancho Mirage hospital.
Los Angeles County had announced a total of 14 cases.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom said the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available. California has testing kits for 8,000 people, and a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will be able to process 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday, if needed.
Newsom said California has tested about 788 people for the virus, but he expected that to increase dramatically in coming days with the new capacity.
California Health and Human Services head Mark Ghaly said the state has requested an additional 12,000 testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expects to receive those in coming days.
CALIFORNIA
• 114: Positive tests
• 10,250+: People self-monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX
• 49: Number of local health jurisdictions involved in self-monitoring
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LOS ANGELES COUNTY
• 8 cases involve a group of travelers who visited northern Italy, where coronavirus has cause widespread outbreaks.
• 2 are connected to close contact to a coronavirus patient.
• 2 are Los Angeles International Airport workers.
• 1 is a patient who lived in Wuhan, China.
• 1 patient from a conference in Washington.


latimes--2020-03-08--As coronavirus overwhelms California health officials, hopes for containment fade

The crackling of a police loudspeaker drew neighbors out of their homes to observe an unusual spectacle on a typically quiet residential street : a California county trying to force a resident to respect quarantine orders .
A police helicopter circled overhead on Thursday as an officer stood outside his patrol car and instructed an elderly woman to go back inside a single-story home owned by a man who died of COVID-19 — a passenger who may have fallen ill on a cruise to Mexico and became the first person in the state to succumb to the virus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one household speaks to the gargantuan task many of the state ’ s 58 counties face as they try to contact and assess the 1,590 California residents who disembarked from the Grand Princess cruise ship in San Francisco on Feb. 21 .
The Placer County victim was on that ship , creating the prospect that other passengers returned home two weeks ago carrying COVID-19 .
State officials obtained a passenger manifest from the cruise company on Wednesday and began immediately informing 44 counties of the names of potentially exposed passengers who reside in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began 12 days after the passengers returned to port in San Francisco and dispersed into local communities , plenty of time for them to potentially expose others .
Some officials have acknowledged that the spread of the virus is beyond their control , and there is widening discussion on whether they should shift from a strategy of tracking every potential exposure to asking the public to limit social gatherings .
“ We are moving as quickly as possible to limit the spread of disease , ” said Dr. Aimee Sisson , the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To be frank , we would not be surprised to see a second wave of cases connected to these cruise passengers given the amount of time that ’ s passed since they disembarked.
” The ship , now floating off the coast with a second set of passengers returning from a subsequent trip to Hawaii , is expected to dock Monday in the Port of Oakland , where officials say numerous precautions will be taken to limit further infections .
Even so , leading health authorities echoed concerns of many in California that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in dealing with the new coronavirus .
“ We ’ re past the point of containment , ” Dr. Scott Gottlieb , commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of President Trump ’ s administration , said on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” “ We ’ ll get through this , but it ’ s going to be a hard period .
We ’ re looking at two months , probably , of difficulty , ” Gottlieb added .
Princess Cruises alleged Saturday that the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he boarded the ship .
Sisson disagreed and said the county ’ s investigation found that he probably contracted the disease on the trip .
The state said approximately a dozen passengers on the Grand Princess cruise that traveled to Mexico and returned to San Francisco on Feb. 21 had tested positive for the new coronavirus .
As of Saturday , local officials reported four cases in Placer County , two in Contra Costa County , two in Sonoma County and one each in Santa Cruz , Ventura , Madera and Alameda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times complained about a lack of communication from county health officials , with several saying last week that they were not contacted by anyone but the cruise company and were unable to get tested for the virus .
Heidi Wolter , a Napa County resident , said she called the county and identified herself as a passenger after she read about a fellow traveler on the ship testing positive in Sonoma County .
She said she experienced a five-day headache and suspected her elderly mother may have been in contact with Placer County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through to a nurse , who didn ’ t offer her any help seeking a test , she said .
“ I am not trying to panic anybody , but I am just trying to let you know [ people ] that were exposed to this stuff are out there and they are running amok , ” Wolter said .
“ I ’ m sure there are people from the cruise who don ’ t even know they shouldn ’ t be rubbing elbows.
” Karen Relucio , Napa County ’ s public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t aware of any major concerns about the cruise ship until the state announced the first death of a passenger and released the manifest to counties .
Relucio said someone like Wolter would be considered low risk and would be advised to self-monitor for two weeks when the county began making calls .
“ I don ’ t think local health departments were really informed of the gravity of the situation until Wednesday , ” Relucio said .
Other counties admitted that contacting the passengers was a low priority as other potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The first cases of COVID-19 in California were confirmed in January , and experts believe it ’ s possible that the virus entered the country undetected shortly after the outbreak began in China .
For some , the Grand Princess case became another sign that efforts needed to stop the spread of the virus are exceeding their capabilities .
“ For us , because we have community transmission , lots of people are being exposed every day , ” said Solano County Health Officer Bela Matyas .
As of Sunday , Solano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , two of which involved residents contracting the disease in the community .
One confirmed case exposed an estimated 400 people alone , he said .
“ And this wasn ’ t a particularly gregarious person , ” Matyas said .
“ So , as you can see , a handful of people on the Grand Princess are not going to the front of the line on our priority list.
” Matyas said that the moderately sized Solano County has a unit of 15 people who focus on communicable diseases , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state Department of Public Health , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Travis Air Force Base have all provided additional staff .
“ It ’ s still a very large burden , ” he said .
“ We have been working beyond our capacity for a while.
” Karen Smith , a communicable disease physician and a former director of the state health department , said the situation reflects the struggle county health departments will encounter to keep up with demand as more people become exposed and test positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relies heavily on county officials to respond to epidemics within their communities , announce confirmed cases , track known contacts and declare emergencies .
Public health officers lead the charge in each of the state ’ s counties , which vary dramatically by population , demographics , geographical location , access to healthcare and financial resources .
Smith and others say public health officials are in very serious conversations statewide about when communities should transition from the task of locating potential contacts of a confirmed patient to broadly asking people to stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sobering acknowledgment that the virus can not be stopped .
“ When do we get to the point where we don ’ t have the capacity to keep doing it how we ’ re doing it ?
” said Smith , who is working as a consultant in Santa Clara and Mendocino counties .
“ At that time , we want to slow the virus — it ’ s unlikely that we ’ re going to stop the virus — so we can provide adequate healthcare.
” San Francisco issued recommendations for social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups .
Santa Clara County , which as of Sunday had 37 confirmed cases , issued similar guidelines .
Smith said the shift allows counties to prioritize preventing the spread of the virus in healthcare facilities , nursing homes and other high-risk settings .
In a briefing Friday , Dr. Barbara Ferrer , director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , said that for now , the county has the capacity to do contact tracing , a method of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease , for known cases and keep up with demand .
But that could change .
“ We have capacity right now .
Should there be hundreds of cases , we will just flip to mitigation , and with a concentration on working with institutions where there might be small outbreaks , ” she said .
Ferrer said that more extreme measures , such as closing schools , canceling mass gatherings and shutting down public transit , will be considered as the outbreak grows .
She said at this point officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are symptomatic and identify and quarantine their contacts .
“ If we have a lot more cases … we would move toward more widespread social-distancing measures , and if we have exposures in places like schools , where lots of people got exposure and needed to be quarantined , you would see possible closures , ” she said .
Solano County initially required those exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days at home .
But , according to Matyas , the county in recent days has transitioned to asking those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they develop symptoms .
“ It ’ s way too late to identify everyone once you have community transmission , ” he said .
“ The truth is that we have no clue who has been exposed .
At some point , we will decide as a state or a nation to go this direction .
We have to say it ’ s here and we have to protect critical infrastructure like healthcare workers and emergency responders and fragile people.
” Relucio in Napa , where there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees is working on disease containment , including six nurses who are doing outreach to travelers being monitored or under quarantine , including requiring that residents send in pictures of thermometers displaying their temperature .
She said a lab that serves Napa and three other counties just received coronavirus test kits on Friday .
“ You eventually stop tracing because there ’ s no way you can get everybody , ” she said .
“ There ’ s no way you can do a mandatory quarantine order on hundreds of people .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s office said the California Department of Public Health is prepared to deploy resources to counties that request help and has already sent staff to Placer , Santa Clara and Solano counties to help identify people who have been exposed to the disease .
State public health staff in Richmond and Sacramento are also helping with phone calls , coordination and guidance on individual cases .
“ The state is trying its best , ” Relucio said .
“ I think the information that they get is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDC .
I think the state is moving as fast as it can , considering the circumstances.
” The state activated its emergency centers at the Department of Public Health and the Office of Emergency Services , and Newsom declared a state of emergency on Thursday to alleviate any regulatory restrictions related to response efforts .
The current budget includes $ 20 million in emergency funds that the state can use to respond to the crisis , with another $ 20 million proposed for the fiscal year beginning in July .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure additional testing kits and received clearance last week to distribute emergency reserves of face masks to healthcare workers .
The governor also announced last week that health plans would be required to cover the costs of testing and other services related to COVID-19 , and the state ’ s lab in Richmond began processing test kits in mid-February .
Despite feeling pressure on the ground , many county health officers view the state ’ s role as providing guidance to communities .
“ I do think it makes sense because [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Diana Dooley , a former secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency and later chief of staff to Gov .
Jerry Brown .
“ Everyone wants a magic wand or a silver bullet in a circumstance like this , but you have to be careful that you ’ re respecting some process and the people who are on the ground and know what they are doing.
” Times staff writers Anita Chabria , Emily Baumgaertner and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report .

The crackling of a police loudspeaker drew neighbors out of their homes to observe an unusual spectacle on a typically quiet residential street: a California county trying to force a resident to respect quarantine orders.
A police helicopter circled overhead on Thursday as an officer stood outside his patrol car and instructed an elderly woman to go back inside a single-story home owned by a man who died of COVID-19 — a passenger who may have fallen ill on a cruise to Mexico and became the first person in the state to succumb to the virus.
The struggle to contain the coronavirus in just one household speaks to the gargantuan task many of the state’s 58 counties face as they try to contact and assess the 1,590 California residents who disembarked from the Grand Princess cruise ship in San Francisco on Feb. 21.
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The Placer County victim was on that ship, creating the prospect that other passengers returned home two weeks ago carrying COVID-19.
State officials obtained a passenger manifest from the cruise company on Wednesday and began immediately informing 44 counties of the names of potentially exposed passengers who reside in their areas. But the statewide outreach began 12 days after the passengers returned to port in San Francisco and dispersed into local communities, plenty of time for them to potentially expose others.
Some officials have acknowledged that the spread of the virus is beyond their control, and there is widening discussion on whether they should shift from a strategy of tracking every potential exposure to asking the public to limit social gatherings.
“We are moving as quickly as possible to limit the spread of disease,” said Dr. Aimee Sisson, the public health officer for Placer County. “To be frank, we would not be surprised to see a second wave of cases connected to these cruise passengers given the amount of time that’s passed since they disembarked.”
The ship, now floating off the coast with a second set of passengers returning from a subsequent trip to Hawaii, is expected to dock Monday in the Port of Oakland, where officials say numerous precautions will be taken to limit further infections. Even so, leading health authorities echoed concerns of many in California that the country has entered a new stage in dealing with the new coronavirus.
“We’re past the point of containment,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of President Trump’s administration, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“We’ll get through this, but it’s going to be a hard period. We’re looking at two months, probably, of difficulty,” Gottlieb added.
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Princess Cruises alleged Saturday that the man who died was already carrying the virus when he boarded the ship. Sisson disagreed and said the county’s investigation found that he probably contracted the disease on the trip.
The state said approximately a dozen passengers on the Grand Princess cruise that traveled to Mexico and returned to San Francisco on Feb. 21 had tested positive for the new coronavirus. As of Saturday, local officials reported four cases in Placer County, two in Contra Costa County, two in Sonoma County and one each in Santa Cruz, Ventura, Madera and Alameda counties.
Several passengers interviewed by The Times complained about a lack of communication from county health officials, with several saying last week that they were not contacted by anyone but the cruise company and were unable to get tested for the virus.
Heidi Wolter, a Napa County resident, said she called the county and identified herself as a passenger after she read about a fellow traveler on the ship testing positive in Sonoma County. She said she experienced a five-day headache and suspected her elderly mother may have been in contact with Placer County victims. But she struggled to get through to a nurse, who didn’t offer her any help seeking a test, she said.
“I am not trying to panic anybody, but I am just trying to let you know [people] that were exposed to this stuff are out there and they are running amok,” Wolter said. “I’m sure there are people from the cruise who don’t even know they shouldn’t be rubbing elbows.”
Karen Relucio, Napa County’s public health officer, said her department wasn’t aware of any major concerns about the cruise ship until the state announced the first death of a passenger and released the manifest to counties. Relucio said someone like Wolter would be considered low risk and would be advised to self-monitor for two weeks when the county began making calls.
“I don’t think local health departments were really informed of the gravity of the situation until Wednesday,” Relucio said.
Other counties admitted that contacting the passengers was a low priority as other potential sources of exposure ballooned in their jurisdictions. The first cases of COVID-19 in California were confirmed in January, and experts believe it’s possible that the virus entered the country undetected shortly after the outbreak began in China.
For some, the Grand Princess case became another sign that efforts needed to stop the spread of the virus are exceeding their capabilities.
“For us, because we have community transmission, lots of people are being exposed every day,” said Solano County Health Officer Bela Matyas.
As of Sunday, Solano County was reporting three confirmed cases of COVID-19, two of which involved residents contracting the disease in the community. One confirmed case exposed an estimated 400 people alone, he said.
“And this wasn’t a particularly gregarious person,” Matyas said. “So, as you can see, a handful of people on the Grand Princess are not going to the front of the line on our priority list.”
Matyas said that the moderately sized Solano County has a unit of 15 people who focus on communicable diseases, but that other departments have been helping and the state Department of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Travis Air Force Base have all provided additional staff.
“It’s still a very large burden,” he said. “We have been working beyond our capacity for a while.”
Karen Smith, a communicable disease physician and a former director of the state health department, said the situation reflects the struggle county health departments will encounter to keep up with demand as more people become exposed and test positive.
California’s public health system relies heavily on county officials to respond to epidemics within their communities, announce confirmed cases, track known contacts and declare emergencies. Public health officers lead the charge in each of the state’s counties, which vary dramatically by population, demographics, geographical location, access to healthcare and financial resources.
Smith and others say public health officials are in very serious conversations statewide about when communities should transition from the task of locating potential contacts of a confirmed patient to broadly asking people to stay home and not congregate in groups — a sobering acknowledgment that the virus cannot be stopped.
“When do we get to the point where we don’t have the capacity to keep doing it how we’re doing it?” said Smith, who is working as a consultant in Santa Clara and Mendocino counties. “At that time, we want to slow the virus — it’s unlikely that we’re going to stop the virus — so we can provide adequate healthcare.”
San Francisco issued recommendations for social distancing on Friday, advising residents to stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups. Santa Clara County, which as of Sunday had 37 confirmed cases, issued similar guidelines. Smith said the shift allows counties to prioritize preventing the spread of the virus in healthcare facilities, nursing homes and other high-risk settings.
In a briefing Friday, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said that for now, the county has the capacity to do contact tracing, a method of quickly identifying a chain of potential transmission of the disease, for known cases and keep up with demand. But that could change.
“We have capacity right now. Should there be hundreds of cases, we will just flip to mitigation, and with a concentration on working with institutions where there might be small outbreaks,” she said.
Ferrer said that more extreme measures, such as closing schools, canceling mass gatherings and shutting down public transit, will be considered as the outbreak grows. She said at this point officials feel confident in their ability to find people who are symptomatic and identify and quarantine their contacts.
“If we have a lot more cases … we would move toward more widespread social-distancing measures, and if we have exposures in places like schools, where lots of people got exposure and needed to be quarantined, you would see possible closures,” she said.
Solano County initially required those exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days at home. But, according to Matyas, the county in recent days has transitioned to asking those type of residents to stay home only if they develop symptoms.
“It’s way too late to identify everyone once you have community transmission,” he said. “The truth is that we have no clue who has been exposed. At some point, we will decide as a state or a nation to go this direction. We have to say it’s here and we have to protect critical infrastructure like healthcare workers and emergency responders and fragile people.”
Relucio in Napa, where there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases, said a team of roughly 20 employees is working on disease containment, including six nurses who are doing outreach to travelers being monitored or under quarantine, including requiring that residents send in pictures of thermometers displaying their temperature. She said a lab that serves Napa and three other counties just received coronavirus test kits on Friday.
“You eventually stop tracing because there’s no way you can get everybody,” she said. “There’s no way you can do a mandatory quarantine order on hundreds of people. Those orders are only as good as enforcement.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the California Department of Public Health is prepared to deploy resources to counties that request help and has already sent staff to Placer, Santa Clara and Solano counties to help identify people who have been exposed to the disease. State public health staff in Richmond and Sacramento are also helping with phone calls, coordination and guidance on individual cases.
“The state is trying its best,” Relucio said. “I think the information that they get is as good as what they get from the CDC. I think the state is moving as fast as it can, considering the circumstances.”
The state activated its emergency centers at the Department of Public Health and the Office of Emergency Services, and Newsom declared a state of emergency on Thursday to alleviate any regulatory restrictions related to response efforts.
The current budget includes $20 million in emergency funds that the state can use to respond to the crisis, with another $20 million proposed for the fiscal year beginning in July.
The administration is also working with the CDC to secure additional testing kits and received clearance last week to distribute emergency reserves of face masks to healthcare workers.
The governor also announced last week that health plans would be required to cover the costs of testing and other services related to COVID-19, and the state’s lab in Richmond began processing test kits in mid-February.
Despite feeling pressure on the ground, many county health officers view the state’s role as providing guidance to communities.
“I do think it makes sense because [the counties] understand the communities,” said Diana Dooley, a former secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency and later chief of staff to Gov. Jerry Brown. “Everyone wants a magic wand or a silver bullet in a circumstance like this, but you have to be careful that you’re respecting some process and the people who are on the ground and know what they are doing.”
Times staff writers Anita Chabria, Emily Baumgaertner and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-09--'We're past the point of containment': Coronavirus fight enters new phase

As a cruise ship with nearly 3,000 stranded travelers prepares to dock Monday in the Port of Oakland , top health officials warned that the country has entered a new stage in dealing with the deadly coronavirus — one in which containment is no longer possible .
“ We ’ re past the point of containment , ” Dr. Scott Gottlieb , commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of President Trump ’ s administration , said on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” “ We have to implement broad mitigation strategies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the complexion in this country .
We ’ ll get through this , but it ’ s going to be a hard period .
We ’ re looking at two months , probably , of difficulty , ” Gottlieb said .
U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams said that shifting to a mitigation phase means that communities will see more cases and need to start thinking about whether it makes sense to cancel large gatherings , close schools and make it more feasible for employees to work from home .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported school closings , warnings against group gatherings and cancellation of big events , such as the BNP Paribas Open , an Indian Wells tennis tournament scheduled to start this week .
“ And that ’ s going to be different in Seattle than what it ’ s going to be in Jackson , Miss.
, ” Adams said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ But communities need to have that conversation and prepare for more cases so we can prevent more deaths.
” Hours later on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s 19th death attributed to COVID-19 , the first outside the Seattle area .
The resident of Quincy , Wash. , whose gender was not disclosed , was “ in their 80s , ” officials had said previously , and died at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee .
The person had not traveled outside of the country recently , and was the only resident of Grant County to have tested positive for the disease .
In California , Santa Clara County has been hardest hit , with five new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only other counties nationwide with higher numbers are King County , Wash. , and Westchester County , N.Y. Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said that people who are older or have underlying health conditions should also consider avoiding large crowds and travel .
“ If you are an elderly person with an underlying condition , if you get infected , the risk of getting into trouble is considerable , ” Fauci said on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the vulnerable .
When I say protect , I mean right now .
Not wait until things get worse .
Say no large crowds , no long trips .
And above all , don ’ t get on a cruise ship.
” The comments from current and former officials marked a big shift , acknowledging that the country is past the point of being able to contain the outbreak and needs to pivot to aggressive efforts to mitigate the virus ’ spread .
Trump administration officials have previously sought to downplay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak .
In California , officials said the Grand Princess cruise ship would dock Monday at the Port of Oakland and outlined plans for the nearly 3,000 people aboard the ship , about 1,000 of whom are from California .
They stressed that no one on board would be released immediately to the general public .
All of those passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at military installations , the Department of Health and Human Services said .
The Port of Oakland was chosen because it is one of a limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship the size of the Grand Princess , and because it was the easiest “ to seal off , securely move passengers toward their isolation destinations and protect the safety of the public , ” the California Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services said in a statement .
On Sunday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the ship would dock Monday at the commercial Port of Oakland to disembark all passengers and those who need medical attention .
The governor expected the operation to take up to three days but emphasized that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could take longer , in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port , based on tides and currents .
Newsom said that after the medical cases disembark , California residents would be taken off the ship first , with the majority being sent to Travis Air Force base in nearby Solano County to begin a 14-day quarantine .
It is the same base where passengers from the Diamond Princess were recently held after that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and where there has been suspected community spread of COVID-19 .
The rest of the California residents will be sent to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego .
The remainder of the American passengers will be sent to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia , while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport .
Newsom emphasized those cruise passengers traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers .
Crew members will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship leaving the Oakland port .
The majority of the crew are foreign nationals , and Newsom said that many are younger , a demographic with less risk from COVID-19 .
He said that 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise , which went from San Francisco to Mexico , and included a Placer County man who later died of the virus .
The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring 1,540 passengers on the previous Grand Princess cruise to Mexico , Newsom said .
The governor ’ s detailed account of next steps brought comfort to some on the ship who are growing frustrated with a lack of information .
Canadian passenger Karen Spoon said prior to the news briefing that she is “ growing frustrated that my own government hasn ’ t said much ...
I ’ m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever.
” After hearing that the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her , Spoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct , then yippee !
” Debbie Loftus , a passenger from Wisconsin , said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference , which she watched , represented a “ change in attitude.
” “ It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California .
A few days ago , he did not want us anywhere near his state , ” Loftus said .
Loftus said that many uncertainties remained that are causing her anxiety .
“ This is all going to be a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base in Oakland , getting on what I assume is not going to be a commercial airline or ... going someplace I ’ ve never been , ” she said .
“ Not sure what the accommodations are going to be like and how long we ’ re going to be held there .
Yes , it ’ s a little bit anxiety-producing , but [ we ] will handle it minute by minute.
” Matt LaGesse ’ s mother and aunt are on the ship , and he has been trying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luck .
LaGesse said he was angered by the president ’ s comments about potentially keeping passengers aboard , and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis .
Despite details given by Newsom , he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next .
LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line .
“ As a family member and son of a mom that I really , really love ...
I ’ m scared and nervous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan ” At least 21 people on board the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19 , which is caused by the coronavirus that originated late last year in China .
Princess Cruises initially stated that the docking would begin Sunday , then pushed it back to Monday after “ further review by the state and federal authorities.
” Newsom said the number of Californians testing positive for COVID-19 jumped from 88 Saturday to 114 Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to rise as testing became more widely available .
Newsom said California has testing kits for 8,000 individuals and that a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will also have the capacity to run an additional 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday , if needed .
There are also 15 public labs processing tests , including a facility in Richmond , where testing for the Grand Princess passengers was conducted .
Newsom said California has so far tested about 788 people for the virus , but he expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming days with the new capacity .
“ It goes without saying that if you are elderly , you have preexisting conditions ...
I would highly recommend , almost demand , that you not go on a cruise , ” Newsom said .
The Department of State also announced Sunday that all U.S. citizens should avoid traveling by cruise ship for the time being , noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited an increased risk of COVID-19 infection on such ships , and that many countries have denied port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disembarking .
The passengers aboard the Grand Princess departed for Hawaii on Feb. 21 .
The ship was supposed to proceed to Ensenada , but the onboard coronavirus outbreak prompted the vessel to sail to San Francisco instead .
It reached the California coast Thursday , but was not able to dock .
Before the Hawaii excursion , the Grand Princess took an ill-fated cruise to Mexico .
One of the passengers — a 75-year-old man from Placer County — fell ill during the trip and became the first Californian to die of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in California have been linked to passengers on that cruise .
Passengers on the ship are eager to disembark but remain frustrated by the many unknowns that remain .
Debra Gooch Healer , a passenger from Napa , said all she knew is that she would be taken to a federal facility in California .
She did not know where that will be or how long she will have to stay there .
“ Any ACLU attorney out there who can tell us our rights ?
?
” she tweeted .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to remain in their rooms , and that food supplies had run low .
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California replied via Twitter that the government should “ make every effort ” to ensure passengers ’ rights are protected , including due process rights to appeal any mandatory confinement .
At least 537 coronavirus cases have been confirmed across the U.S. , including 114 in California .
Worldwide , more than 109,000 people have been infected and more than 3,800 have died .
Most recently , Riverside County announced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , a person who is being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage , Riverside University Health System-Public Health said in a statement .
Public health officials are still investigating how the person caught the virus , and are working to contact other people who may have been exposed .
The person was taken immediately into an isolation room and had no contact with other patients , said Michael Connors , infection preventionist at Eisenhower Health .
The person , who is an older adult , had not recently traveled or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , a family member said .
The person became ill about a week and a half ago and was taken to the hospital on March 1 , according to the family member .
The person was put on a ventilator and placed in an induced coma on Thursday , the family member said .
The ventilator was removed on Sunday , and the patient is now conscious and appears to be recovering , the family member said .
The announcement of the positive result came two days after Murrieta school officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a high school would be closed and cleaned because an employee was tested for the coronavirus .
The person who tested positive in Riverside County has no known connection to county schools , public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said Saturday .
He declined to disclose additional information about their condition or where they ’ re thought to have contracted the virus but said that officials believe “ the community exposure to be low.
” He said the declaration could affect local events .
Coachella and Stagecoach are both scheduled to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there ’ s no clear threshold for recommending the cancellation of such large gatherings , and that each will be assessed on a “ case-by-case basis.
” Another Riverside County resident who was evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan and then quarantined at Travis Air Force Base previously tested positive for the virus .
That person is continuing to recover in a Northern California hospital and has not returned to Riverside County since leaving the cruise ship , the statement said .
Also on Sunday , Contra Costa County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four of which had no known history of travel outside the U.S. or contact with a confirmed case .
Those four residents were hospitalized , Contra Costa Health Services said in a news release .
The fifth person had close contact with another person who previously tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home , officials said .
Times staff writers David Lauter , in Washington , Richard Read , in Seattle , and Karen Kaplan contributed to this report .

Anita Chabria, Laura King, Andrew J. Campa, Alex Wigglesworth

Grand Princess passengers showing signs of the coronavirus are expected to remain in California, while others will be sent to a military base in the San Antonio area.
As a cruise ship with nearly 3,000 stranded travelers prepares to dock Monday in the Port of Oakland, top health officials warned that the country has entered a new stage in dealing with the deadly coronavirus — one in which containment is no longer possible.
“We’re past the point of containment,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of President Trump’s administration, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“We have to implement broad mitigation strategies. The next two weeks are really going to change the complexion in this country. We’ll get through this, but it’s going to be a hard period. We’re looking at two months, probably, of difficulty,” Gottlieb said.
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U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said that shifting to a mitigation phase means that communities will see more cases and need to start thinking about whether it makes sense to cancel large gatherings, close schools and make it more feasible for employees to work from home.
That’s what happened Sunday, with more reported school closings, warnings against group gatherings and cancellation of big events, such as the BNP Paribas Open, an Indian Wells tennis tournament scheduled to start this week.
“And that’s going to be different in Seattle than what it’s going to be in Jackson, Miss.,” Adams said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But communities need to have that conversation and prepare for more cases so we can prevent more deaths.”
Hours later on Sunday, health officials in central Washington reported the state’s 19th death attributed to COVID-19, the first outside the Seattle area.
The resident of Quincy, Wash., whose gender was not disclosed, was “in their 80s,” officials had said previously, and died at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. The person had not traveled outside of the country recently, and was the only resident of Grant County to have tested positive for the disease.
In California, Santa Clara County has been hardest hit, with five new cases Sunday, bringing its total to 37. The only other counties nationwide with higher numbers are King County, Wash., and Westchester County, N.Y.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that people who are older or have underlying health conditions should also consider avoiding large crowds and travel.
“If you are an elderly person with an underlying condition, if you get infected, the risk of getting into trouble is considerable,” Fauci said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“So it’s our responsibility to protect the vulnerable. When I say protect, I mean right now. Not wait until things get worse. Say no large crowds, no long trips. And above all, don’t get on a cruise ship.”
The comments from current and former officials marked a big shift, acknowledging that the country is past the point of being able to contain the outbreak and needs to pivot to aggressive efforts to mitigate the virus’ spread.
Trump administration officials have previously sought to downplay the risk to Americans posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
In California, officials said the Grand Princess cruise ship would dock Monday at the Port of Oakland and outlined plans for the nearly 3,000 people aboard the ship, about 1,000 of whom are from California. They stressed that no one on board would be released immediately to the general public.
All of those passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at military installations, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The Port of Oakland was chosen because it is one of a limited number of docks that can accommodate a ship the size of the Grand Princess, and because it was the easiest “to seal off, securely move passengers toward their isolation destinations and protect the safety of the public,” the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said in a statement.
On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the ship would dock Monday at the commercial Port of Oakland to disembark all passengers and those who need medical attention.
The governor expected the operation to take up to three days but emphasized that the situation was “fluid” and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships and there would only be small windows of opportunity for it to enter the port, based on tides and currents.
Newsom said that after the medical cases disembark, California residents would be taken off the ship first, with the majority being sent to Travis Air Force base in nearby Solano County to begin a 14-day quarantine.
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It is the same base where passengers from the Diamond Princess were recently held after that ship had an outbreak of the virus, and where there has been suspected community spread of COVID-19. The rest of the California residents will be sent to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
The remainder of the American passengers will be sent to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, while foreign passengers will be sent to their home countries via charter flights from Oakland International Airport. Newsom emphasized those cruise passengers traveling by air would have no contact with regular travelers.
Crew members will be quarantined on board, with the ship leaving the Oakland port. The majority of the crew are foreign nationals, and Newsom said that many are younger, a demographic with less risk from COVID-19.
He said that 12 positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in passengers on the previous cruise, which went from San Francisco to Mexico, and included a Placer County man who later died of the virus. The cruise line and California health officials have disagreed on whether the man contracted the illness on board or was infected prior to the journey.
Route of the Grand Princess (Thomas Suh Lauder / Los Angeles Times)
Health officials are also monitoring 1,540 passengers on the previous Grand Princess cruise to Mexico, Newsom said.
The governor’s detailed account of next steps brought comfort to some on the ship who are growing frustrated with a lack of information.
Canadian passenger Karen Spoon said prior to the news briefing that she is “growing frustrated that my own government hasn’t said much ... I’m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever.” After hearing that the California governor said charter flights would repatriate her, Spoon said, “If that’s correct, then yippee!”
Debbie Loftus, a passenger from Wisconsin, said she was pleased Newsom spoke directly to passengers and thought the news conference, which she watched, represented a “change in attitude.” “It is nice that he is now welcoming us into California. A few days ago, he did not want us anywhere near his state,” Loftus said.
Loftus said that many uncertainties remained that are causing her anxiety.
“This is all going to be a very new experience, going to a military base in Oakland, getting on what I assume is not going to be a commercial airline or ... going someplace I’ve never been,” she said. “Not sure what the accommodations are going to be like and how long we’re going to be held there. Yes, it’s a little bit anxiety-producing, but [we] will handle it minute by minute.”
Matt LaGesse’s mother and aunt are on the ship, and he has been trying for days to get information, with little luck. LaGesse said he was angered by the president’s comments about potentially keeping passengers aboard, and what he felt was a lack of planning and leadership around the crisis.
Despite details given by Newsom, he remained frustrated and uncertain about what would come next. LaGesse said he has not been contacted about the disembarkation plan by authorities or the cruise line.
“As a family member and son of a mom that I really, really love ... I’m scared and nervous and disappointed,” he said Sunday. “You expect your leadership ... to give you clear messaging so that you can understand the plan”
At least 21 people on board the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus that originated late last year in China.
#GrandPrincess Update: The logistics plan went into further review by the state and federal authorities and the ship will not berth in Oakland on Sunday. It will now be Monday – time to be determined. — Princess Cruises (@PrincessCruises) March 8, 2020
Princess Cruises initially stated that the docking would begin Sunday, then pushed it back to Monday after “further review by the state and federal authorities.”
Newsom said the number of Californians testing positive for COVID-19 jumped from 88 Saturday to 114 Sunday, but he emphasized that the number was expected to rise as testing became more widely available.
Newsom said California has testing kits for 8,000 individuals and that a private lab — Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano — will also have the capacity to run an additional 2,000 tests each day beginning Monday, if needed.
There are also 15 public labs processing tests, including a facility in Richmond, where testing for the Grand Princess passengers was conducted.
Newsom said California has so far tested about 788 people for the virus, but he expected that figure to increase dramatically in the coming days with the new capacity.
“It goes without saying that if you are elderly, you have preexisting conditions ... I would highly recommend, almost demand, that you not go on a cruise,” Newsom said.
The Department of State also announced Sunday that all U.S. citizens should avoid traveling by cruise ship for the time being, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited an increased risk of COVID-19 infection on such ships, and that many countries have denied port of entry rights and prevented passengers from disembarking.
California U.S. has a coronavirus warning for its citizens: Don’t travel on cruise ships The State Department on Sunday issued the warning, which could further hurt the cruise ship industry and the port cities that depend on it.
The passengers aboard the Grand Princess departed for Hawaii on Feb. 21. The ship was supposed to proceed to Ensenada, but the onboard coronavirus outbreak prompted the vessel to sail to San Francisco instead. It reached the California coast Thursday, but was not able to dock.
Before the Hawaii excursion, the Grand Princess took an ill-fated cruise to Mexico. One of the passengers — a 75-year-old man from Placer County — fell ill during the trip and became the first Californian to die of COVID-19. Altogether, a dozen coronavirus cases in California have been linked to passengers on that cruise.
Passengers on the ship are eager to disembark but remain frustrated by the many unknowns that remain.
Debra Gooch Healer, a passenger from Napa, said all she knew is that she would be taken to a federal facility in California. She did not know where that will be or how long she will have to stay there.
“Any ACLU attorney out there who can tell us our rights??” she tweeted.
We just got word we will dock in Port of Oakland tomorrow with embarkation to take a couple of days. Since we live in Calif, we will be taken to a federal facility in state to be tested. No word how long or where. Any ACLU attorney out there can tell us our rights?? — gadgetgirl6 (@gadgetgirl6) March 8, 2020
She and others also complained that they were forced to remain in their rooms, and that food supplies had run low.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California replied via Twitter that the government should “make every effort” to ensure passengers’ rights are protected, including due process rights to appeal any mandatory confinement.
Even in a public health emergency, the government must make every effort to ensure our rights remain protected. This includes due process rights to appeal confinement and the right to legal counsel. https://t.co/7dK4TzXWFx — ACLU of Northern CA (@ACLU_NorCal) March 8, 2020
At least 537 coronavirus cases have been confirmed across the U.S., including 114 in California. Worldwide, more than 109,000 people have been infected and more than 3,800 have died.
Most recently, Riverside County announced its first “locally acquired” case of the virus, a person who is being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, Riverside University Health System-Public Health said in a statement. Public health officials are still investigating how the person caught the virus, and are working to contact other people who may have been exposed.
The person was taken immediately into an isolation room and had no contact with other patients, said Michael Connors, infection preventionist at Eisenhower Health.
The person, who is an older adult, had not recently traveled or been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, a family member said.
The person became ill about a week and a half ago and was taken to the hospital on March 1, according to the family member. The person was put on a ventilator and placed in an induced coma on Thursday, the family member said. The ventilator was removed on Sunday, and the patient is now conscious and appears to be recovering, the family member said.
The announcement of the positive result came two days after Murrieta school officials said 71 students had been placed in self-quarantine and a high school would be closed and cleaned because an employee was tested for the coronavirus.
The person who tested positive in Riverside County has no known connection to county schools, public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said Saturday. He declined to disclose additional information about their condition or where they’re thought to have contracted the virus but said that officials believe “the community exposure to be low.”
Kaiser declared a local public health emergency on Saturday.
He said the declaration could affect local events. Coachella and Stagecoach are both scheduled to take place in Indio in April. Kaiser said there’s no clear threshold for recommending the cancellation of such large gatherings, and that each will be assessed on a “case-by-case basis.”
Another Riverside County resident who was evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan and then quarantined at Travis Air Force Base previously tested positive for the virus. That person is continuing to recover in a Northern California hospital and has not returned to Riverside County since leaving the cruise ship, the statement said.
Also on Sunday, Contra Costa County announced five new cases of COVID-19, four of which had no known history of travel outside the U.S. or contact with a confirmed case. Those four residents were hospitalized, Contra Costa Health Services said in a news release.
The fifth person had close contact with another person who previously tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, officials said.
Times staff writers David Lauter, in Washington, Richard Read, in Seattle, and Karen Kaplan contributed to this report.