latimes--2020-10-21--Court orders San Quentin prison to sharply cut inmate population after COVID outbreak

California corrections officials must release or transfer more than 1,000 inmates from the state ’ s notoriously outdated San Quentin prison after showing “ deliberate indifference ” to prisoners ’ health during an outbreak of the novel coronavirus , an appeals court ruled this week .
Under the decision issued late Tuesday by a three-judge panel from the 1st District Court of Appeal , the Bay Area facility can house “ no more than 1,775 inmates ” — half of what the prison ’ s population was in June and a drop of more than a third from the roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling comes in a case filed by an inmate in May that challenged the prison ’ s ability to prevent an outbreak of the virus .
Within a few weeks , the number of infections among prisoners had begun to soar as the virus spread unchecked through the state ’ s oldest prison , infecting more than 2,200 prisoners and killing at least 28. .
“ By all accounts , the COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin has been the worst epidemiological disaster in California ’ s correctional history .
And there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second or even third spike , ” Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline wrote in the opinion .
“ Failure to immediately adopt and implement measures designed to eliminate double celling , dormitory-style housing and other measures to permit physical distancing between inmates is morally indefensible and constitutionally untenable.
” The court found that , despite being aware that many San Quentin inmates were particularly vulnerable to the virus because of their age or underlying health conditions , officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to adequately reduce the prison ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parole to a large number of inmates .
The court noted that a panel of physicians recommended the population be halved after visiting the prison .
The inmate who filed the case , Ivan Von Staich , is serving a life sentence for killing the husband of his ex-girlfriend .
Von Staich ’ s lawyers , saying he had a lung condition that made him vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 , the sometimes deadly illness caused by the virus , argued that the prison conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain safe distances from one another and observe other safeguards .
The appeals court ordered that Von Staich be released or transferred to another prison .
A parole board last week recommended he be released on parole , although Gov .
Gavin Newsom could veto the recommendation .
In addition , the judges ruled that prison officials must provide sufficient social distancing for all the inmates in San Quentin .
To do so , they found , the number of people housed in the facility had to be cut through transfers to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruling , the corrections department released a statement Wednesday saying it was in the process of determining how to accomplish the ordered reduction .
The department could appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court and ask it for a restraining order to put the inmate reduction on hold .
“ We respectfully disagree with the court ’ s determination , as CDCR has taken extensive actions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the statement said .
“ Since March , the department has released more than 21,000 persons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades.
” Since March 12 , California ’ s overall prison population has declined by 22,629 inmates and as of Tuesday stood at 92,414 , according to corrections department statistics .
Corrections officials argued the toll the coronavirus is now taking in state prisons has declined dramatically , with 474 new cases reported across the whole system on Tuesday and only one inmate at San Quentin testing positive over the past month .
In all , more than 14,000 inmates have contracted the illness .
But the appeals court noted that California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June when 121 inmates were transferred to San Quentin from another prison that was experiencing a surge of cases .
That facility , the California Institution for Men in Chino , but failed to adequately test them before they left and some carried the virus to other prisons around the state .
Inmates who went through that experienced described the terror and helplessness they felt as the virus raged and , one by one , fellow prisoners got sick and in some cases died .
In making their ruling , the judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s other 24 prisons , finding its age and antiquated design made it a particularly dangerous place to be locked up during the pandemic .
The ruling did not specify how San Quentin must go about reducing its population .
At a prison with “ exceedingly poor ventilation , extraordinarily close living quarters , and inadequate sanitation ... the continued use of double cells and congregate living spaces is not merely negligent , it is reckless , ” the court wrote .
The panel advised that the corrections department consider expediting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have served 25 years of their sentences and are eligible for parole .

California corrections officials must release or transfer more than 1,000 inmates from the state’s notoriously outdated San Quentin prison after showing “deliberate indifference” to prisoners’ health during an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, an appeals court ruled this week.
Under the decision issued late Tuesday by a three-judge panel from the 1st District Court of Appeal, the Bay Area facility can house “no more than 1,775 inmates” — half of what the prison’s population was in June and a drop of more than a third from the roughly 2,900 people currently housed there.
The ruling comes in a case filed by an inmate in May that challenged the prison’s ability to prevent an outbreak of the virus. Within a few weeks, the number of infections among prisoners had begun to soar as the virus spread unchecked through the state’s oldest prison, infecting more than 2,200 prisoners and killing at least 28. .
“By all accounts, the COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin has been the worst epidemiological disaster in California’s correctional history. And there is no assurance San Quentin will not experience a second or even third spike,” Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline wrote in the opinion. “Failure to immediately adopt and implement measures designed to eliminate double celling, dormitory-style housing and other measures to permit physical distancing between inmates is morally indefensible and constitutionally untenable.”
The court found that, despite being aware that many San Quentin inmates were particularly vulnerable to the virus because of their age or underlying health conditions, officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to adequately reduce the prison’s population by transferring or granting early parole to a large number of inmates. The court noted that a panel of physicians recommended the population be halved after visiting the prison.
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The inmate who filed the case, Ivan Von Staich, is serving a life sentence for killing the husband of his ex-girlfriend. Von Staich’s lawyers, saying he had a lung condition that made him vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, the sometimes deadly illness caused by the virus, argued that the prison conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Constitution because it was impossible for inmates to maintain safe distances from one another and observe other safeguards.
The appeals court ordered that Von Staich be released or transferred to another prison. A parole board last week recommended he be released on parole, although Gov. Gavin Newsom could veto the recommendation.
In addition, the judges ruled that prison officials must provide sufficient social distancing for all the inmates in San Quentin. To do so, they found, the number of people housed in the facility had to be cut through transfers to other facilities or releases.
In response to the ruling, the corrections department released a statement Wednesday saying it was in the process of determining how to accomplish the ordered reduction. The department could appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court and ask it for a restraining order to put the inmate reduction on hold.
“We respectfully disagree with the court’s determination, as CDCR has taken extensive actions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said. “Since March, the department has released more than 21,000 persons, resulting in the lowest prison population in decades.”
Since March 12, California’s overall prison population has declined by 22,629 inmates and as of Tuesday stood at 92,414, according to corrections department statistics.
Corrections officials argued the toll the coronavirus is now taking in state prisons has declined dramatically, with 474 new cases reported across the whole system on Tuesday and only one inmate at San Quentin testing positive over the past month. In all, more than 14,000 inmates have contracted the illness.
But the appeals court noted that California’s deadliest outbreak in a prison began in June when 121 inmates were transferred to San Quentin from another prison that was experiencing a surge of cases. That facility, the California Institution for Men in Chino, selected 700 inmates for transfer but failed to adequately test them before they left and some carried the virus to other prisons around the state.
Inmates who went through that experienced described the terror and helplessness they felt as the virus raged and, one by one, fellow prisoners got sick and in some cases died.
In making their ruling, the judges singled out San Quentin from the state’s other 24 prisons, finding its age and antiquated design made it a particularly dangerous place to be locked up during the pandemic. The ruling did not specify how San Quentin must go about reducing its population.
California California kept prison factories open. Inmates worked for pennies an hour as COVID-19 spread Inmates who made masks and furniture for as little as 35 cents an hour say they felt pressure to stay on the job, even as the coronavirus spread through the prison factories.
At a prison with “exceedingly poor ventilation, extraordinarily close living quarters, and inadequate sanitation ... the continued use of double cells and congregate living spaces is not merely negligent, it is reckless,” the court wrote.
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The panel advised that the corrections department consider expediting the release of inmates over 60, who have served 25 years of their sentences and are eligible for parole.


latimes--2020-10-21--After grisly dismemberment of father, San Francisco woman avoids more jail time

A San Francisco woman accused of dismembering her father ’ s body struck a plea deal Tuesday in order to avoid more jail time .
Stephanie Ching , 36 , pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with the death of Benedict Ching , 73 , including desecration of human remains , according to the San Francisco district attorney ’ s office .
The elder Ching ’ s body parts , including his severed head , were found inside his Ingleside home in May 2019 .
In exchange for her guilty plea , Stephanie Ching received a suspended sentence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jail sentence .
She was credited with time served for 17 months already spent in jail and will reportedly go free .
Her husband , Douglas Lomas , 45 , was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter .
The couple were not charged with murder in large part because the body ’ s condition made it impossible for the medical examiner ’ s office to determine a definitive cause of death , the D.A.
’ s office said .
“ Unfortunately , there were significant limitations given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Alex Bastian said Wednesday .
“ There was no scientific cause of death that the medical examiner could determine , there was no motive , and it was unclear what acts each individual defendant may have been culpable for or may have committed.
” Benedict Ching was first reported missing by a co-worker when he did not show up for work on May 18 , 2019 .
When police conducted a wellness check at his home two days later , they discovered his body parts in the refrigerator , along with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown biological matter ” in the toilet bowl , court documents show .
Plastic sheeting , duct tape , latex gloves and other tools were also found in the home .
Ching had been living alone until his daughter and Lomas moved into his home with their two children in February , a few months prior to his death .
The couple fled to China on May 20 , 2019 , along with their children , but were arrested by Homeland Security investigators in connection with the death and extradited to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Tuesday ’ s sentencing , Superior Court Judge Linda Colfax said that the wounds on Ching ’ s body were consistent with dismemberment but were not necessarily the cause of his death and that natural causes could not be ruled out .
Colfax also referenced a possible history of abuse by Ching toward his daughter and noted that he may have been the “ initiator or aggressor ” in the case .
Ching ’ s family was divided over the outcome of the case , according to the Chronicle , and emotions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the family did not want the case to proceed to trial , while others objected to the plea agreement Stephanie Ching received .

Booking photos show Stephanie Ching and Douglas Lomas after their arrest in connection with the dismemberment of Ching’s 73-year-old father.
A San Francisco woman accused of dismembering her father’s body struck a plea deal Tuesday in order to avoid more jail time.
Stephanie Ching, 36, pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with the death of Benedict Ching, 73, including desecration of human remains, according to the San Francisco district attorney’s office.
The elder Ching’s body parts, including his severed head, were found inside his Ingleside home in May 2019.
In exchange for her guilty plea, Stephanie Ching received a suspended sentence of three years in prison and a one-year jail sentence. She was credited with time served for 17 months already spent in jail and will reportedly go free.
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Her husband, Douglas Lomas, 45, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
The couple were not charged with murder in large part because the body’s condition made it impossible for the medical examiner’s office to determine a definitive cause of death, the D.A.’s office said.
“Unfortunately, there were significant limitations given the evidence in the case,” spokesman Alex Bastian said Wednesday. “There was no scientific cause of death that the medical examiner could determine, there was no motive, and it was unclear what acts each individual defendant may have been culpable for or may have committed.”
Benedict Ching was first reported missing by a co-worker when he did not show up for work on May 18, 2019. When police conducted a wellness check at his home two days later, they discovered his body parts in the refrigerator, along with a circular saw in the bathtub and “unknown biological matter” in the toilet bowl, court documents show. Plastic sheeting, duct tape, latex gloves and other tools were also found in the home.
Ching had been living alone until his daughter and Lomas moved into his home with their two children in February, a few months prior to his death. The couple fled to China on May 20, 2019, along with their children, but were arrested by Homeland Security investigators in connection with the death and extradited to the U.S. after landing in Beijing.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that during Tuesday’s sentencing, Superior Court Judge Linda Colfax said that the wounds on Ching’s body were consistent with dismemberment but were not necessarily the cause of his death and that natural causes could not be ruled out.
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Colfax also referenced a possible history of abuse by Ching toward his daughter and noted that he may have been the “initiator or aggressor” in the case.
Ching’s family was divided over the outcome of the case, according to the Chronicle, and emotions ran high at the hearing. Some members of the family did not want the case to proceed to trial, while others objected to the plea agreement Stephanie Ching received.


latimes--2020-10-21--Conception boat fire victims were awake, might have been saved with warning, NTSB says

More than a year after the worst maritime disaster in modern California history , federal regulators this week offered grim new findings about the last moments of those who died aboard the Conception dive boat when it caught fire off the Santa Barbara coast .
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Tuesday that the 33 passengers and one crew member who perished below deck likely could have escaped if there had been earlier detection of the blaze on Labor Day 2019 .
The board found that the fire was burning for at least 30 minutes before a crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-deck boat was awakened by the pop , crackle and glow of the flames from the middle deck .
The NTSB determined that most of those below deck were awake — some with their shoes on — as the fire engulfed the vessel about 3 a.m. , but they could not escape the bunk room and died of smoke inhalation .
The NTSB report offers the clearest evidence yet of what happened .
Here are the key findings : — Although the NTSB determined that the fire began in the back of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divers ’ personal devices were being charged , the agency could not say whether it was the batteries , the ship ’ s electrical system or another unattended fire source that ignited the blaze .
— Truth Aquatics , the Conception ’ s owner , failed to have effective oversight of the vessel , and those shortcomings included having no roving watch commander on duty , a Coast Guard requirement for whenever passengers are below deck , who likely would have detected the fire sooner and could have saved lives .
— The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have smoke detectors installed in the area where the fire started .
While placing much of the blame on Truth Aquatics , the agency also faulted government regulators and a lack of Coast Guard requirements for smoke detectors .
— The high loss of life was due , in part , to the fact that all the below-deck escape routes led to the same location — the salon and the galley in the middle deck where the fire ignited .
— The NTSB called for vessels like or larger than the Conception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodations to be required to have interconnected smoke detectors in all passenger areas .
— It recommended that a secondary means of escape leading into a different space than the primary exit be required on all small passenger vessels with overnight accommodations .
— The board also called on the Coast Guard to develop and implement an inspection program to verify that required roving watches are posted for the safety of sleeping passengers and crew .
— The NTSB reiterated that it had previously called for small passenger vessels to be required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Coast Guard had not heeded prior safety recommendations going back years .
“ The Conception may have passed all Coast Guard inspections , but that did not make it safe , ” Sumwalt said .
“ Our new recommendations will make these vessels safer , but there is no rule change that can replace human vigilance.
” The NTSB ’ s proposals will now be considered by the Coast Guard , which previously had exempted more than 100 California boats — including the Conception — from adopting strict passenger safety rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Coast Guard responded to the recommendations with a statement : “ We will look at all possible factors that may have caused this incident , including those associated with regulations or oversight , and make recommendations for any necessary changes .
The Coast Guard will carefully consider the National Transportation Safety Board ’ s recommendations through a deliberate process , which will include a review by all subject matter experts and senior leaders responsible for implementing the potential regulatory changes .
”

The dive boat Conception smolders at dawn Sept. 2, 2019, in the waters off Santa Cruz Island.
More than a year after the worst maritime disaster in modern California history, federal regulators this week offered grim new findings about the last moments of those who died aboard the Conception dive boat when it caught fire off the Santa Barbara coast.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Tuesday that the 33 passengers and one crew member who perished below deck likely could have escaped if there had been earlier detection of the blaze on Labor Day 2019.
The board found that the fire was burning for at least 30 minutes before a crew member sleeping in the wheelhouse atop the three-deck boat was awakened by the pop, crackle and glow of the flames from the middle deck.
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The NTSB determined that most of those below deck were awake — some with their shoes on — as the fire engulfed the vessel about 3 a.m., but they could not escape the bunk room and died of smoke inhalation.
The probable cause
The NTSB report offers the clearest evidence yet of what happened. Here are the key findings:
— Although the NTSB determined that the fire began in the back of a middle-deck salon, where lithium-ion batteries of divers’ personal devices were being charged, the agency could not say whether it was the batteries, the ship’s electrical system or another unattended fire source that ignited the blaze.
— Truth Aquatics, the Conception’s owner, failed to have effective oversight of the vessel, and those shortcomings included having no roving watch commander on duty, a Coast Guard requirement for whenever passengers are below deck, who likely would have detected the fire sooner and could have saved lives.
— The NTSB also found that the Conception did not have smoke detectors installed in the area where the fire started. While placing much of the blame on Truth Aquatics, the agency also faulted government regulators and a lack of Coast Guard requirements for smoke detectors.
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— The high loss of life was due, in part, to the fact that all the below-deck escape routes led to the same location — the salon and the galley in the middle deck where the fire ignited.
The recommendations
— The NTSB called for vessels like or larger than the Conception — new or old — with overnight accommodations to be required to have interconnected smoke detectors in all passenger areas.
— It recommended that a secondary means of escape leading into a different space than the primary exit be required on all small passenger vessels with overnight accommodations.
— The board also called on the Coast Guard to develop and implement an inspection program to verify that required roving watches are posted for the safety of sleeping passengers and crew.
— The NTSB reiterated that it had previously called for small passenger vessels to be required to implement safety management systems. It noted that the Coast Guard had not heeded prior safety recommendations going back years.
“The Conception may have passed all Coast Guard inspections, but that did not make it safe,” Sumwalt said. “Our new recommendations will make these vessels safer, but there is no rule change that can replace human vigilance.”
The NTSB’s proposals will now be considered by the Coast Guard, which previously had exempted more than 100 California boats — including the Conception — from adopting strict passenger safety rules, according to a Times data analysis.
The Coast Guard responded to the recommendations with a statement:
“We will look at all possible factors that may have caused this incident, including those associated with regulations or oversight, and make recommendations for any necessary changes. The Coast Guard will carefully consider the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations through a deliberate process, which will include a review by all subject matter experts and senior leaders responsible for implementing the potential regulatory changes.”


latimes--2020-10-21--Teens detained after altercation at pro-Trump rally in Palm Springs, police say

Police detained two teenagers after authorities said they assaulted at least two people at a pro-Trump rally over the weekend in Palm Springs .
A car of young people confronted a small group of President Trump ’ s supporters who were advocating for the recall of California Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Sunday , and “ an altercation ensued ” with at least two of the youths , Palm Springs Police Lt. William Hutchinson said .
According to rally organizer Toni Ringlein , the people in the car yelled obscenities at the crowd .
“ You could tell they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And we don ’ t engage with them — just , ‘ No , go on , ’ ” she said .
Ringlein said that after parking the car near the protesters , the group “ came running through the crowd ” and started hitting people .
A man participating in the demonstration chased two boys — ages 15 and 13 — to a nearby Home Depot , where another scuffle broke out , police said in .
“ The witness who caught up to the juveniles told the juveniles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at that point , one of the juveniles swung at the witness ’ s head to hit him , ” police said .
The boy then pulled an airsoft pistol from his waistband and struck the man multiple times , according to police .
The man managed to knock the pistol from the boy ’ s hands and hold him until police arrived and detained both juveniles .
Ringlein said the man , who was not identified by police , suffered some abrasions but was not seriously hurt .
Two other demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
Violence had never broken out at a rally since her group , Unite 911 , began protesting to recall Newsom in June , Ringlein said .
“ They were young punks , and that ’ s really what ’ s unfortunate , ” Ringlein said .
“ They have no clue why they ’ re doing it , and now they ’ ve screwed up their lives.
” Police said they found a 30-round magazine for a Glock 9-millimeter pistol in the 15-year-old ’ s possession , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was released to his parents at the scene , but Hutchinson said law enforcement is seeking to charge him with possession of a high-capacity magazine .
The 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury and was booked into Juvenile Hall in Indio .
It was not clear Wednesday whether he remained at the facility .
A representative of the Riverside County district attorney ’ s office was not immediately available to comment on whether the boys , who were not identified because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Palm Springs police detained two teenagers Sunday after an altercation was reported at a pro-Trump rally.
Police detained two teenagers after authorities said they assaulted at least two people at a pro-Trump rally over the weekend in Palm Springs.
A car of young people confronted a small group of President Trump’s supporters who were advocating for the recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, and “an altercation ensued” with at least two of the youths, Palm Springs Police Lt. William Hutchinson said.
According to rally organizer Toni Ringlein, the people in the car yelled obscenities at the crowd.
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“You could tell they were trying to agitate us,” Ringlein said. “And we don’t engage with them — just, ‘No, go on,’ ” she said.
Ringlein said that after parking the car near the protesters, the group “came running through the crowd” and started hitting people.
A man participating in the demonstration chased two boys — ages 15 and 13 — to a nearby Home Depot, where another scuffle broke out, police said in a statement .
“The witness who caught up to the juveniles told the juveniles the police were on their way, and at that point, one of the juveniles swung at the witness’s head to hit him,” police said.
The boy then pulled an airsoft pistol from his waistband and struck the man multiple times, according to police. The man managed to knock the pistol from the boy’s hands and hold him until police arrived and detained both juveniles.
Ringlein said the man, who was not identified by police, suffered some abrasions but was not seriously hurt. Two other demonstrators were assaulted and also had minor injuries, she said.
Violence had never broken out at a rally since her group, Unite 911, began protesting to recall Newsom in June, Ringlein said.
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“They were young punks, and that’s really what’s unfortunate,” Ringlein said. “They have no clue why they’re doing it, and now they’ve screwed up their lives.”
Police said they found a 30-round magazine for a Glock 9-millimeter pistol in the 15-year-old’s possession, but he did not have a gun. He was released to his parents at the scene, but Hutchinson said law enforcement is seeking to charge him with possession of a high-capacity magazine. The 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury and was booked into Juvenile Hall in Indio. It was not clear Wednesday whether he remained at the facility.
A representative of the Riverside County district attorney’s office was not immediately available to comment on whether the boys, who were not identified because of their ages, would be charged.


latimes--2020-10-21--Massage, tattoo parlors can reopen indoors as California relaxes some coronavirus restrictions

California cleared the way for additional businesses to resume some indoor operations this week , though officials continue to urge caution and stress that patrons and proprietors alike must remain vigilant amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
All personal care services — which include hair removal and massage and tattoo parlors — will now be allowed to resume modified indoor operations , regardless of their county ’ s position within the state ’ s four-tier reopening framework .
Other such establishments , including barbershops and hair and nail salons , were previously cleared to reopen their doors , though their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s color-coded blueprint and they still must adhere to outlined coronavirus prevention measures .
The decision to allow additional businesses to open indoors was “ based on a number of conversations , our looking at the data and the evidence , ” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a weekly briefing .
“ With every day in COVID , we can see something change and it can change quickly , so we want Californians to continue to keep their guard up , to be attentive to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit their activities as much as possible , ” he said Tuesday .
The onus of stemming the spread of the coronavirus is on business owners , too .
During inspections of 437 businesses last weekend , Los Angeles County health officials said that almost half had not posted the safety measures they had taken to comply with protocols .
Though the majority of visited businesses were found to be in compliance with most health regulations , officials said Tuesday that “ gyms need to improve on ensuring their employees and patrons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s COVID-19 case and fatality counts continuing to rise — the state officially surpassed 17,000 deaths and 884,000 confirmed infections this week — officials say that individual , everyday choices have as much power to shape the course of the pandemic as governmental policy decisions .
“ We talk about that sector of personal responsibility ; we talk about how we can do many things ourselves within our families , within our communities to keep spread down , ” Ghaly said .
“ And we encourage Californians to keep doing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slight increases turn into large increases in cases.
” Those recommended measures should be a familiar refrain to all Californians by now : Wash your hands , maintain physical distance , avoid mixing with other households , wear a mask in public , stay home when you ’ re sick and , especially important for this time of year , get a flu shot .
Those practices are more vital in light of a new wave of coronavirus cases striking other parts of the United States .
Still , Ghaly stressed that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” However promising recent data may be , COVID-19 is still widespread , and California is certainly no stranger to the ferocity with which a seemingly plateaued pandemic can rocket to new heights .
Based on the latest forecasts , the state is anticipating a 46 % increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the next month , from the current 2,241 to a projected 3,271 , according to Ghaly .
While down from earlier projections — last month the state forecast that 4,864 people would be hospitalized with COVID-19 by Oct. 25 — it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern , and why we continue to push the different advice and risk-reducing behaviors that we talk about on a continual basis , ” Ghaly said .
The pandemic also isn ’ t playing out uniformly across California , which presents unique and evolving challenges for state and local health officials .
This dynamic was on full display Tuesday , when Riverside County officially slid back into the most restrictive tier on California ’ s coronavirus reopening scale following an increase in its case rate , while San Francisco County moved to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco benefited from the state ’ s addition of “ health equity metrics ” in assigning counties to various tiers .
Such metrics look at the degree a county is testing and reducing case numbers in poor and disadvantaged communities , along with other factors .
State officials have also announced plans to devote additional resources to curb transmission of the virus in Riverside , Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties — all of which are in Tier 1 , or the purple tier , which indicates widespread risk of local infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and availability , additional assistance for those who have to isolate , business enforcement and education efforts .
As for what the road ahead looks like , Ghaly said he hopes “ that , even though we ’ ll likely see some increase in cases , that it ’ s something that California keeps relatively low , that our hospitals are able to handle the volume with a great deal of success.
” “ Rest assured , we ’ re prepared for any of those scenarios .
But I think , compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe , that our approach is helping us in part now , ” he said , giving credit to Californians who are keeping their guard up .
“ I believe that ’ s carrying us through now , unlike some other parts of the nation and the globe that are certainly having a different approach and different experiences than where we are today .
”

Tattooer Andrew Wagner applies an octopus design to the arm of Jordan Curiel at Heart & Soul Tattoo in Yuba City on May 6.
California cleared the way for additional businesses to resume some indoor operations this week, though officials continue to urge caution and stress that patrons and proprietors alike must remain vigilant amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All personal care services — which include hair removal and massage and tattoo parlors — will now be allowed to resume modified indoor operations, regardless of their county’s position within the state’s four-tier reopening framework.
Other such establishments, including barbershops and hair and nail salons, were previously cleared to reopen their doors, though their customer capacity may be limited under California’s color-coded blueprint and they still must adhere to outlined coronavirus prevention measures.
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The decision to allow additional businesses to open indoors was “based on a number of conversations, our looking at the data and the evidence,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a weekly briefing.
However, he preached caution.
“With every day in COVID, we can see something change and it can change quickly, so we want Californians to continue to keep their guard up, to be attentive to the local and state public health guidance and to limit their activities as much as possible,” he said Tuesday.
The onus of stemming the spread of the coronavirus is on business owners, too. During inspections of 437 businesses last weekend, Los Angeles County health officials said that almost half had not posted the safety measures they had taken to comply with protocols.
Though the majority of visited businesses were found to be in compliance with most health regulations, officials said Tuesday that “gyms need to improve on ensuring their employees and patrons are wearing a face covering.”
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
With California’s COVID-19 case and fatality counts continuing to rise — the state officially surpassed 17,000 deaths and 884,000 confirmed infections this week — officials say that individual, everyday choices have as much power to shape the course of the pandemic as governmental policy decisions.
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“We talk about that sector of personal responsibility; we talk about how we can do many things ourselves within our families, within our communities to keep spread down,” Ghaly said. “And we encourage Californians to keep doing that so we don’t see the slight increases turn into large increases in cases.”
Those recommended measures should be a familiar refrain to all Californians by now: Wash your hands, maintain physical distance, avoid mixing with other households, wear a mask in public, stay home when you’re sick and, especially important for this time of year, get a flu shot.
Those practices are more vital in light of a new wave of coronavirus cases striking other parts of the United States.
Still, Ghaly stressed that “we must not let our guard down.” However promising recent data may be, COVID-19 is still widespread, and California is certainly no stranger to the ferocity with which a seemingly plateaued pandemic can rocket to new heights.
Based on the latest forecasts, the state is anticipating a 46% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the next month, from the current 2,241 to a projected 3,271, according to Ghaly.
While down from earlier projections — last month the state forecast that 4,864 people would be hospitalized with COVID-19 by Oct. 25 — it’s “still an area of concern, and why we continue to push the different advice and risk-reducing behaviors that we talk about on a continual basis,” Ghaly said.
The pandemic also isn’t playing out uniformly across California, which presents unique and evolving challenges for state and local health officials.
This dynamic was on full display Tuesday, when Riverside County officially slid back into the most restrictive tier on California’s coronavirus reopening scale following an increase in its case rate, while San Francisco County moved to the least restrictive tier.
State officials said San Francisco benefited from the state’s addition of “health equity metrics” in assigning counties to various tiers. Such metrics look at the degree a county is testing and reducing case numbers in poor and disadvantaged communities, along with other factors.
State officials have also announced plans to devote additional resources to curb transmission of the virus in Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties — all of which are in Tier 1, or the purple tier, which indicates widespread risk of local infection.
Resources could include increased testing capacity and availability, additional assistance for those who have to isolate, business enforcement and education efforts.
As for what the road ahead looks like, Ghaly said he hopes “that, even though we’ll likely see some increase in cases, that it’s something that California keeps relatively low, that our hospitals are able to handle the volume with a great deal of success.”
“Rest assured, we’re prepared for any of those scenarios. But I think, compared to other parts of the nation and the globe, that our approach is helping us in part now,” he said, giving credit to Californians who are keeping their guard up.
“I believe that’s carrying us through now, unlike some other parts of the nation and the globe that are certainly having a different approach and different experiences than where we are today.”


latimes--2020-10-21--California has escaped the national surge in coronavirus cases. But new dangers lie ahead

California has largely avoided a new wave of coronavirus cases that has sparked alarm elsewhere in the country , but the state faces new dangers in the coming weeks as key businesses reopen and the holidays arrive .
In what health experts describe as a significant achievement , California over the last two months has managed to reopen key parts of the economy without seeing the widespread spike in cases , hospitalizations and deaths that occurred this summer .
They credit Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s overhauled system — introduced Aug. 28 and much tougher than the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big reason for California having so far staved off a new surge in cases .
Moreover , the state has been sticking to the rules , a change from the more haphazard approach taken in the spring .
For example , Riverside and Shasta counties on Tuesday were pushed into the most restrictive tier , or the purple category — requiring gyms and places of worship to operate outdoors and restaurants to close indoor dining rooms — as cases began to rise again .
New threats are looming .
Officials are worried that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super-spreader events if people , fatigued by months of isolation , decide to start socializing again without proper precautions , which is what caused so many problems in the summer .
More than 17,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 , and the summer was the state ’ s deadliest season .
A third wave may come down to whether Californians can continue to make the sacrifice of isolation over tradition as the holidays roll around .
“ This is the year , unfortunately , to stay with those loved ones that you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay within your smaller , intimate bubble and to have a low-key Thanksgiving and winter holidays , ” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of UC San Francisco ’ s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics .
“ The challenge of understanding viral transmission is the exponential rate that it grows .
So when things are low , if we are not vigilant , they can go high very quickly.
” For the moment , California remains a standout in a nation still struggling to contain the virus .
“ We have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third wave , ” said Dr. George Rutherford , epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco .
By contrast , “ it ’ s gone so wrong in the rest of the country .
There ’ s a clear third wave [ nationally ] .
The cases have doubled since early September , ” Rutherford said .
“ The rest of the country is doing a lot of stuff wrong.
” The reasons are not surprising : Apart from California , Hawaii , New England and the Mid-Atlantic , “ they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as they should .
...
They ’ ve reopened very quickly , so that Florida , for instance , has basically no controls on at all .
And predictably , they ’ re seeing big surges of disease , ” Rutherford said .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency , said state officials built a “ slow and stringent ” approach based on what they learned from the first reopening .
“ We have worked hard across the state ... taking the lessons from earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Hospitalizations rose in 42 states last week compared with the previous week — and California was not among them , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
California has seen its coronavirus hospitalizations fall for 12 consecutive weeks , according to a Los Angeles Times analysis .
For the seven-day period that ended Sunday , there were an average of 2,243 people with confirmed coronavirus infections daily in California ’ s hospitals , a number not seen since early April .
“ We have hit a very good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities are allowed , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
California ’ s decision to keep some of the highest-risk businesses closed may be one of the reasons why the state is doing better than others across the U.S. California has continued to keep potentially hot-spot venues like nightclubs , convention centers , concert arenas and live theaters shuttered .
Indoor bars that don ’ t offer meals have been ordered shut in most of the state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , California issued strict new rules on how they can reopen , but they ’ re so tough that the largest parks may remain shut for many more months until disease levels further drop to the least-restrictive tier — or the yellow category .
The rules prompted strenuous objections from executives at theme parks like Disneyland .
Theme parks are potential areas of viral transmission , as the Disneyland measles outbreak of late 2014 and early 2015 demonstrated , linked to infections traced later to seven U.S. states , Mexico and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criteria for how counties can allow stadiums to reopen to spectators .
Outdoor arenas can reopen to spectators of professional sports events in counties in the second-least restrictive tier — the orange category — with capacity capped at 20 % .
Ticket sales must be limited to customers traveling 120 miles or less .
Those changes came with controversy .
The county executive for Santa Clara County , Dr. Jeffrey Smith , called the state ’ s changes “ really quite dangerous.
” Santa Clara County plans to stick with a stricter approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events anytime soon , including the home stadium of the San Francisco 49ers .
Smith warned the relaxed rules would still allow about 14,000 people at Levi ’ s Stadium — hundreds of whom could be infected , he calculated , easily causing a super-spreader event .
“ At a time period when California is beginning to see some light , this amounts to another step backwards , ” Smith warned .
State officials this week also allowed every county to permit the reopening of tattoo parlors , piercing shops , massage therapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the county ’ s tier status .
Newsom ’ s tiered reopening approach allows counties to reopen gradually after meeting certain criteria , such as coronavirus case rates , positive test rates and minimizing disproportionately worse pandemic impacts in disadvantaged neighborhoods .
There are four tiers — purple , red , orange and yellow — with each allowing more types of businesses to reopen or at a greater capacity .
Also helping California ’ s efforts in the pandemic has been the fading controversy of the state ’ s mandatory mask rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dissent over mask requirements .
But more recently , county leaders have been consistent in urging people to wear masks , saying doing so only helps schools and businesses reopen more quickly .
Dr. Shruti Gohil , associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine , said she ’ s noticed at her local school in Orange County , where classrooms have reopened , there was initially lots of discussion about not wanting to make masks mandatory for schoolchildren .
But masking seems to be more widely accepted now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , say : ‘ Boy , the kids just did great .
They just came in and wore their masks all day long , ’ ” Gohil said .
“ That shift in the culture , it takes time.
” This week marked the entry of California ’ s first urban county into the state ’ s least restrictive tier : San Francisco .
In the past seven days , San Francisco has recorded just 28 new cases per 100,000 residents ; L.A. County reported 63 cases per 100,000 residents , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the yellow tier , San Francisco officials said that in the coming weeks there are plans to allow nonessential offices to reopen at reduced capacity and allow the reopenings of indoor pools and bowling alleys .
High schools are on track to allow in-person learning in November .
The city also plans to increase the capacity of indoor dining rooms and places of worship from 25 % to 50 % .
Los Angeles County remains in the state ’ s worst tier , with coronavirus transmission still deemed widespread .
Barbara Ferrer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said there seems to be improvement in controlling the disease at work sites .
But the pandemic continues to spread at celebrations and gatherings both large and small .
“ There are still people who don ’ t feel like they need to take precautions , ” Ferrer said .
“ And I also think there is a false sense of security we have when we ’ re with people we know , ” she said , leading people to take their masks off , thinking that everyone at an event is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and time and time again , that is not accurate , and oftentimes has a devastating consequence , ” Ferrer said .
State officials announced they will devote more resources to Los Angeles , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , such as increasing mobile testing and helping those infected to isolate themselves while they recover .
San Diego County , currently in the second-most restrictive tier , is at risk of falling back into the most restrictive tier .
There ’ s also increasing evidence of the growing disproportionate impact the pandemic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the disease and economically — and experts say it ’ s essential that help arrives in areas of great need .
A recent UC San Francisco study found the number of Spanish-speaking Latino families in the Bay Area who can not afford to eat balanced meals and go to bed hungry has more than doubled .
And in Fresno , a survey of registered voters conducted by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center and community groups found that more than half of Latino , Black and Asian American households suffered from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , according to the center ’ s director , Ana Padilla .
Statewide , Latino , Black , Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents are dying at disproportionately higher levels from COVID-19 .
California must remain concerned about the potential for a third wave .
Ghaly , the state ’ s health secretary , said while he expects there will be some increase in coronavirus cases , he hopes “ it ’ s something that California keeps relatively low.
” “ Our ability to keep our case rates low depends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of caution that we have had most recently , ” said Bibbins-Domingo of UC San Francisco .
“ The virus hasn ’ t left us .
The virus is still very much there .
And as we enter into the fall , we ’ re entering into a time where we will be spending more time inside ... and everybody predicts that this is a more dangerous time.
” Thanksgiving and Christmas will be particularly perilous .
California issued new guidelines for gatherings of multiple households , limiting them to outside events with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks when not eating or drinking ; staying six feet away from non-household members ; offering food and drink in single-serve disposable containers ; and limiting the gathering to no more than two hours .
The Czech Republic is a cautionary tale in the risks of lifting pandemic restrictions too quickly .
The nation implemented a mask order in mid-March and , declaring success , abandoned it in May and later even held a farewell party for the pandemic .
Now , “ they ’ re absolutely in a surge , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician and professor of medicine at UC San Francisco .
“ We are going to have to think in the long haul , until we get to enough of the population being immunized.
” California is not necessarily destined for a new wave of coronavirus infections , said Kim-Farley , the UCLA epidemiologist , if residents avoid pandemic fatigue and complacency .
“ It ’ s not so much of an issue of destiny as it is of free will , ” Kim-Farley said .
“ If we adhere to these practices of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that we can follow and continue a downward trajectory.
” Times staff writers Luke Money and Hugo Martin , and San Diego Union-Tribune writers Paul Sisson and Morgan Cook , contributed to this report .

California has largely avoided a new wave of coronavirus cases that has sparked alarm elsewhere in the country, but the state faces new dangers in the coming weeks as key businesses reopen and the holidays arrive.
In what health experts describe as a significant achievement, California over the last two months has managed to reopen key parts of the economy without seeing the widespread spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths that occurred this summer.
They credit Gov. Gavin Newsom’s overhauled system — introduced Aug. 28 and much tougher than the state’s disastrous first reopening — as a big reason for California having so far staved off a new surge in cases.
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Moreover, the state has been sticking to the rules, a change from the more haphazard approach taken in the spring. For example, Riverside and Shasta counties on Tuesday were pushed into the most restrictive tier, or the purple category — requiring gyms and places of worship to operate outdoors and restaurants to close indoor dining rooms — as cases began to rise again.
Signs are placed on tables that are off-limits to diners inside a Chipotle restaurant at the Riverside Plaza in Riverside (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
New threats are looming. Officials are worried that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas could encourage super-spreader events if people, fatigued by months of isolation, decide to start socializing again without proper precautions, which is what caused so many problems in the summer. More than 17,000 Californians have died from COVID-19, and the summer was the state’s deadliest season.
A third wave may come down to whether Californians can continue to make the sacrifice of isolation over tradition as the holidays roll around.
“This is the year, unfortunately, to stay with those loved ones that you have been sheltering with up to now, to stay within your smaller, intimate bubble and to have a low-key Thanksgiving and winter holidays,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “The challenge of understanding viral transmission is the exponential rate that it grows. So when things are low, if we are not vigilant, they can go high very quickly.”
For the moment, California remains a standout in a nation still struggling to contain the virus.
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“We have no sign yet — yet — of a third wave,” said Dr. George Rutherford, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco.
By contrast, “it’s gone so wrong in the rest of the country. There’s a clear third wave [nationally]. The cases have doubled since early September,” Rutherford said. “The rest of the country is doing a lot of stuff wrong.”
The reasons are not surprising: Apart from California, Hawaii, New England and the Mid-Atlantic, “they’re not wearing masks nearly as much as they should. ... They’ve reopened very quickly, so that Florida, for instance, has basically no controls on at all. And predictably, they’re seeing big surges of disease,” Rutherford said.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said state officials built a “slow and stringent” approach based on what they learned from the first reopening. “We have worked hard across the state … taking the lessons from earlier parts of our response and changing them,” he said.
Hospitalizations rose in 39 states over the last week — and California was not among them, according to the COVID Tracking Project. California has seen its coronavirus hospitalizations fall for 12 consecutive weeks, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.
For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, there were an average of 2,243 people with confirmed coronavirus infections daily in California’s hospitals, a number not seen since early April.
“We have hit a very good approach with this tiered system of what activities are allowed,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
California’s decision to keep some of the highest-risk businesses closed may be one of the reasons why the state is doing better than others across the U.S.
California has continued to keep potential hot-spot venues like nightclubs, convention centers, concert arenas and live theaters shuttered. Indoor bars that don’t offer meals have been ordered shut in most of the state.
An aerial view of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, which is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Theme parks have also stayed closed; on Tuesday, California issued strict new rules on how they can reopen, but they’re so tough that the largest parks may remain shut for many more months until disease levels further drop to the least-restrictive tier — or the yellow category. The rules prompted strenuous objections from executives at theme parks like Disneyland.
Theme parks are potential areas of viral transmission, as the Disneyland measles outbreak of late 2014 and early 2015 demonstrated, linked to infections traced later to seven U.S. states, Mexico and Canada.
California this week also offered criteria for how counties can allow stadiums to reopen to spectators. Outdoor arenas can reopen to spectators of professional sports events in counties in the second-least restrictive tier — the orange category — with capacity capped at 20%. Ticket sales must be limited to customers traveling 120 miles or less.
Those changes came with controversy. The county executive for Santa Clara County, Dr. Jeffrey Smith, called the state’s changes “really quite dangerous.” Santa Clara County plans to stick with a stricter approach and not allow fans at professional sports events anytime soon, including the home stadium of the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith warned the relaxed rules would still allow about 14,000 people at Levi’s Stadium — hundreds of whom could be infected, he calculated, easily causing a super-spreader event. “At a time period when California is beginning to see some light, this amounts to another step backwards,” Smith warned.
State officials this week also allowed every county to permit the reopening of tattoo parlors, piercing shops, massage therapy shops and other personal-care service businesses regardless of the county’s tier status.
Newsom’s tiered reopening approach allows counties to reopen gradually after meeting certain criteria, such as coronavirus case rates, positive test rates and minimizing disproportionately worse pandemic impacts in disadvantaged neighborhoods. There are four tiers — purple, red, orange and yellow — with each allowing more types of businesses to reopen or at a greater capacity.
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
Also helping California’s efforts in the pandemic has been the fading controversy of the state’s mandatory mask rule.
Orange County was once a hotbed of dissent over mask requirements. But more recently, county leaders have been consistent in urging people to wear masks, saying doing so only helps schools and businesses reopen more quickly.
Dr. Shruti Gohil, associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine, said she’s noticed at her local school in Orange County, where classrooms have reopened, there was initially lots of discussion about not wanting to make masks mandatory for schoolchildren.
But masking seems to be more widely accepted now. “The teachers, for example, say: ‘Boy, the kids just did great. They just came in and wore their masks all day long,’ ” Gohil said. “That shift in the culture, it takes time.”
This week marked the entry of California’s first urban county into the state’s least restrictive tier: San Francisco. In the past seven days, San Francisco has recorded just 28 new cases per 100,000 residents; L.A. County reported 63 cases per 100,000 residents, according to The Times’ tracker.
Now in the yellow tier, San Francisco officials said that in the coming weeks there are plans to allow nonessential offices to reopen at reduced capacity and allow the reopenings of indoor pools and bowling alleys. High schools are on track to allow in-person learning in November. The city also plans to increase the capacity of indoor dining rooms and places of worship from 25% to 50%.
Los Angeles County remains in the state’s worst tier, with coronavirus transmission still deemed widespread.
Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said there seems to be improvement in controlling the disease at work sites. But the pandemic continues to spread at celebrations and gatherings both large and small.
“There are still people who don’t feel like they need to take precautions,” Ferrer said. “And I also think there is a false sense of security we have when we’re with people we know,” she said, leading people to take their masks off, thinking that everyone at an event is free of disease.
“And time and time and time again, that is not accurate, and oftentimes has a devastating consequence,” Ferrer said.
State officials announced they will devote more resources to Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, such as increasing mobile testing and helping those infected to isolate themselves while they recover. San Diego County, currently in the second-most restrictive tier, is at risk of falling back into the most restrictive tier.
There’s also increasing evidence of the growing disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on people of color — both from the disease and economically — and experts say it’s essential that help arrives in areas of great need.
A recent UC San Francisco study found the number of Spanish-speaking Latino families in the Bay Area who cannot afford to eat balanced meals and go to bed hungry has more than doubled. And in Fresno, a survey of registered voters conducted by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center and community groups found that more than half of Latino, Black and Asian American households suffered from lost jobs or reduced work hours because of the pandemic, according to the center’s director, Ana Padilla.
Statewide, Latino, Black, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents are dying at disproportionately higher levels from COVID-19.
California must remain concerned about the potential for a third wave. Ghaly, the state’s health secretary, said while he expects there will be some increase in coronavirus cases, he hopes “it’s something that California keeps relatively low.”
“Our ability to keep our case rates low depends upon us reopening with the same degree of caution that we have had most recently,” said Bibbins-Domingo of UC San Francisco. “The virus hasn’t left us. The virus is still very much there. And as we enter into the fall, we’re entering into a time where we will be spending more time inside ... and everybody predicts that this is a more dangerous time.”
Thanksgiving and Christmas will be particularly perilous. California issued new guidelines for gatherings of multiple households, limiting them to outside events with no more than three households; wearing masks when not eating or drinking; staying six feet away from non-household members; offering food and drink in single-serve disposable containers; and limiting the gathering to no more than two hours.
The Czech Republic is a cautionary tale in the risks of lifting pandemic restrictions too quickly. The nation implemented a mask order in mid-March and, declaring success, abandoned it in May and later even held a farewell party for the pandemic.
A man walks past a sign bearing a hopeful message for San Francisco on Tuesday. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Now, “they’re absolutely in a surge,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases physician and professor of medicine at UC San Francisco. “We are going to have to think in the long haul, until we get to enough of the population being immunized.”
California is not necessarily destined for a new wave of coronavirus infections, said Kim-Farley, the UCLA epidemiologist, if residents avoid pandemic fatigue and complacency.
“It’s not so much of an issue of destiny as it is of free will,” Kim-Farley said. “If we adhere to these practices of social distancing, mask use, I think that we can follow and continue a downward trajectory.”
Times staff writers Luke Money and Hugo Martin and San Diego Union-Tribune writers Paul Sisson and Morgan Cook contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-21--Caltrans contractor killed in hit-and-run crash on 110 Freeway

Authorities are searching for a driver who struck and killed a Caltrans contract worker on the 110 Freeway in downtown @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The 48-year-old worker was on the roadway setting up to close a lane @ @ @ @ @ was struck by a passing vehicle heading south , according to a statement issued by @ @ @ @ @ He was pronounced dead at the scene .
The dead man ’ s name is @ @ @ @ @ the next of kin , officials said .
He was a resident of Fallbrook .
@ @ @ @ @ dark SUV in connection with the collision , and any witnesses with information are being @ @ @ @ @ at ( 213 ) 744-2331 .
Caltrans extended condolences to the man ’ s family @ @ @ @ @ drivers to move over and slow down when they see emergency vehicles .
California law @ @ @ @ @ leave space for maintenance and emergency vehicles , including Caltrans vehicles , they said .

Traffic is stopped on the 110 Freeway on Wednesday morning after a Caltrans contract worker was struck and killed by a vehicle while closing a lane near 3rd Street.
Authorities are searching for a driver who struck and killed a Caltrans contract worker on the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles just after midnight Wednesday.
The 48-year-old worker was on the roadway setting up to close a lane near 3rd Street when he was struck by a passing vehicle heading south, according to a statement issued by the California Highway Patrol. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
All lanes OPEN SB State Route 110 at 3rd St. https://t.co/jdI3ETRA0A — Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) October 21, 2020
The dead man’s name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin, officials said. He was a resident of Fallbrook.
Authorities are searching for a dark SUV in connection with the collision, and any witnesses with information are being asked to call the CHP at (213) 744-2331.
Caltrans extended condolences to the man’s family on social media and reminded drivers to move over and slow down when they see emergency vehicles. California law requires drivers to slow and leave space for maintenance and emergency vehicles, including Caltrans vehicles, they said.


latimes--2020-10-21--These houses are a godsend to the would-be homeless but a menace to the Fire Department

Early one morning last September , two investigators with the California Department of Justice served a search warrant at a three-bedroom house on a residential street in Winnetka .
They came with Los Angeles Police Department backup , an L.A. County social worker , two state licensing inspectors and an investigator with the Los Angeles Fire Department .
The warrant said elder abuse was suspected .
They interviewed six residents and , having found no abuse , left .
Nine months later , the L.A. city attorney filed four misdemeanor complaints against the home ’ s owner , Paulette Moses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ code related to occupancy and egress .
Moses — who maintains 49 rental beds in six homes , mostly in the San Fernando Valley — is part of an unofficial community of nonprofits and small businesses that provide low-cost communal living for people who would likely be homeless without it .
Along with other operators , she has come under increased scrutiny from Los Angeles fire officials who — depending on one ’ s point of view — are either making up regulations in order to harass them or protecting residents from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent living , transitional housing , shared housing or sober living , the homes serve many populations : the aged , disabled , mentally ill and recovering alcoholics .
They typically place six to more than a dozen tenants in single-family homes .
It ’ s a business model that puts them in the crosshairs of neighborhood opposition .
Homeowner groups , which say the facilities are operating illegally and bringing dangerous and unwholesome people into their neighborhoods , have called for stricter controls .
Social services advocates raise concerns over the quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as taking advantage of clients with few other options .
But the homes fall into a gray area of zoning and licensing laws that makes regulation difficult .
State law defining residential uses leaves wide latitude that can be interpreted to set limits ranging from six to 16 people for various types of group homes .
More restrictive laws are on the books in many cities .
But home operators point to a decades-old state Supreme Court decision that , in their view , invalidates occupancy limits .
The Los Angeles Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to complaints of unpermitted residential use , seldom finds violations under the municipal code ’ s broad definition of family as “ one or more persons living together in a dwelling unit with common access to all living , kitchen and eating areas , ” chief inspector Jeff Napier said .
But the Fire Department has followed its own interpretation of local and state laws .
Deputy Chief Kristen Crowley said the LAFD has jurisdiction to enforce safety and occupancy laws when a home has six or more tenants and provides services such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You look at these types of occupancies as facilities , not a single-family dwelling , ” Crowley said .
Advocates for the homes say the department is putting their work in jeopardy by invoking regulations that are vague and giving them no chance to comply .
Paul Dumont , a longtime operator of sober living homes , contends that the Fire Department is misusing enforcement tools to eliminate shared housing in residential neighborhoods .
“ We ’ re doing God ’ s work — or , should I say , the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else wants to house , and we ’ re doing it without government funding , and they ’ re making it more difficult for us , ” Dumont said .
Crowley defended her agency , saying the department is concerned only with fire safety .
“ What they find on scene is that there are multiple beds per room , ” Crowley said .
“ We ’ ve had up to 30 or 40 people in one type of facility , 20-plus children in a home .
We ’ ve had bars on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues.
” The homes have no specific legal status or program requirements .
Many provide meals , work with adult day care or health providers or sponsor 12-step programs .
Rents , based on what tenants can pay and how many beds are in a bedroom , generally fall between $ 800 and $ 1,500 a month .
Single-family residences can be licensed by the state as board and care homes , but many choose to avoid licensing by not providing what the state defines as “ supervision and care.
” Meal service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
It ’ s not clear how many such homes — which get referrals mainly through hospital and nursing home discharge planners , parole officers and homeless advocates — operate in Los Angeles .
They provide housing of last resort for people like Benjamin Allen , 74 , who has lived in Moses ’ Winnetka home for seven years , since losing his handyman job at the trailer park where he lived .
“ We ’ re family , ” Allen said , as he spent an afternoon with housemates Fred Long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61 , along with Moses and house manager Carol Perry .
Maloney-McKee said she has suffered from grand mal seizures since age 11 .
She was homeless on the Imperial Highway when a seizure sent her to the hospital .
She met Long in rehab , where both were referred to Moses by a discharge planner .
Fire officials have charged Moses with violations of the Los Angeles municipal code related to occupancy and egress .
Her case is scheduled for a Dec. 2 court hearing .
She said she believes she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspector offered no guidance on what she could do to correct any violations .
The state inspector ordered Moses to evict several tenants who required a level of care that her unlicensed home could not legally offer .
The decision remains under appeal .
Besides actions against independent operators , Fire Department inspections have led to criminal investigations against prominent figures in homeless services , including Ken Craft , founder and chief executive of Hope of the Valley , and Stephanie Klasky-Gamer , president and chief executive of LA Family Housing .
Craft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Klasky-Gamer were dismissed .
But charges are pending against the owners of the homes leased by their organizations .
Klasky-Gamer described her encounter with the LAFD as “ the biggest runaround I believe I ’ ve ever had in the city of L.A. , with nobody having a clear solution.
” The case began with an inspection more than two years ago .
According to Klasky-Gamer , the inspector asked a staff member how many people lived in the five-bedroom house on Clark Street in Woodland Hills , then left .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a notice of violation .
Klasky-Gamer said it was related to occupancy but did not specify how many people were allowed .
The agency moved some clients out of the home , where more than a dozen people had been staying .
She said she requested a re-inspection but couldn ’ t get the Fire Department to respond .
“ We couldn ’ t find what is the allowable occupancy , ” she said .
“ We couldn ’ t find what we were in violation of.
” After being served by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with Deputy City Atty .
Serena Christion , who told her she needed a certification for interim housing at that site as well as two others the agency operated .
Klasky-Gamer said she went to the city Department of Building and Safety , the Planning Department and even the Fire Department but could find no such permit .
She pestered officials so much , she said , that they finally backed off .
The Times spoke to the owners of two other homes who told of experiences closely paralleling Klasky-Gamer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompanied by county or state officials .
Minor violations were identified and fixed .
Numerous calls from the homeowners requesting a follow-up inspection were ignored .
Months later , criminal complaints were filed .
A spokesman for L.A. City Atty .
Mike Feuer said in an email that follow-up inspections have occurred in all cases where a homeowner has been cited .
Citing an exemption in the California Public Records Act , he declined to provide reports of those inspections to The Times .
Crowley said it is unlawful to have more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That limit , though still on the books in some cities , was ruled unconstitutional in the 1980 California Supreme Court decision in City of Santa Barbara vs. Adamson , which found that unrelated adults living in a home were functionally a family .
The Los Angeles Planning Department has supported that view .
“ The building code ’ s definition of family is very broad , and there are no restrictions on the size of a family , ” the department said in a 2020 report .
Crowley said restrictions arise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care are provided .
She said the Fire Department is currently pursuing 45 criminal prosecutions over occupancy violations .
“ They can either stop doing what they ’ re doing , reduce the number of people or move to a change-of-use or a conditional-use permit , ” she said .
Operators argue that there is no alternative certificate of occupancy , that a conditional-use permit involves a City Council review in the face of certain community opposition and that reducing the number of tenants is not financially feasible .
Dumont acknowledged that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that those who operate unsafely should face enforcement .
The solution , he said , would be for the Fire Department to help the group homes administratively resolve safety issues .
“ I would love to hang a piece of paper on the wall in my single-family residences that says ‘ The Fire Department blesses you , ’ ” he said .

Paulette Moses outside of the group home she operates in Winnetka.
Early one morning last September, two investigators with the California Department of Justice served a search warrant at a three-bedroom house on a residential street in Winnetka.
They came with Los Angeles Police Department backup, an L.A. County social worker, two state licensing inspectors and an investigator with the Los Angeles Fire Department. The warrant said elder abuse was suspected.
They interviewed six residents and, having found no abuse, left.
Nine months later, the L.A. city attorney filed four misdemeanor complaints against the home’s owner, Paulette Moses, citing sections of the city fire code related to occupancy and egress.
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Moses — who maintains 49 rental beds in six homes, mostly in the San Fernando Valley — is part of an unofficial community of nonprofits and small businesses that provide low-cost communal living for people who would likely be homeless without it. Along with other operators, she has come under increased scrutiny from Los Angeles fire officials who — depending on one’s point of view — are either making up regulations in order to harass them or protecting residents from a serious threat of fire.
Variously called independent living, transitional housing, shared housing or sober living, the homes serve many populations: the aged, disabled, mentally ill and recovering alcoholics. They typically place six to more than a dozen tenants in single-family homes.
A group home in Winnetka. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
It’s a business model that puts them in the crosshairs of neighborhood opposition.
Homeowner groups, which say the facilities are operating illegally and bringing dangerous and unwholesome people into their neighborhoods, have called for stricter controls. Social services advocates raise concerns over the quality of services provided and unscrupulous behavior, such as taking advantage of clients with few other options.
But the homes fall into a gray area of zoning and licensing laws that makes regulation difficult.
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State law defining residential uses leaves wide latitude that can be interpreted to set limits ranging from six to 16 people for various types of group homes. More restrictive laws are on the books in many cities. But home operators point to a decades-old state Supreme Court decision that, in their view, invalidates occupancy limits.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, which responds to complaints of unpermitted residential use, seldom finds violations under the municipal code’s broad definition of family as “one or more persons living together in a dwelling unit with common access to all living, kitchen and eating areas,” chief inspector Jeff Napier said.
But the Fire Department has followed its own interpretation of local and state laws.
Deputy Chief Kristen Crowley said the LAFD has jurisdiction to enforce safety and occupancy laws when a home has six or more tenants and provides services such as meals or personal care.
“You look at these types of occupancies as facilities, not a single-family dwelling,” Crowley said.
Roommates Shavarzh Telmi, left, and Benjamin Allen watch TV in their room at a group home in Winnetka. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Advocates for the homes say the department is putting their work in jeopardy by invoking regulations that are vague and giving them no chance to comply.
Paul Dumont, a longtime operator of sober living homes, contends that the Fire Department is misusing enforcement tools to eliminate shared housing in residential neighborhoods.
“We’re doing God’s work — or, should I say, the government’s work — housing these people nobody else wants to house, and we’re doing it without government funding, and they’re making it more difficult for us,” Dumont said.
Crowley defended her agency, saying the department is concerned only with fire safety.
“What they find on scene is that there are multiple beds per room,” Crowley said. “We’ve had up to 30 or 40 people in one type of facility, 20-plus children in a home. We’ve had bars on the windows, very severe fire life-safety issues.”
The homes have no specific legal status or program requirements. Many provide meals, work with adult day care or health providers or sponsor 12-step programs. Rents, based on what tenants can pay and how many beds are in a bedroom, generally fall between $800 and $1,500 a month.
California Program to house homeless people in hotels is ending after falling short of goal After reaching less than 30% of its goal to shelter homeless people who are vulnerable to the coronavirus, Project Roomkey is starting to phase out in the face of funding uncertainty.
Single-family residences can be licensed by the state as board and care homes, but many choose to avoid licensing by not providing what the state defines as “supervision and care.” Meal service is allowed, but medication administration is not.
It’s not clear how many such homes — which get referrals mainly through hospital and nursing home discharge planners, parole officers and homeless advocates — operate in Los Angeles.
They provide housing of last resort for people like Benjamin Allen, 74, who has lived in Moses’ Winnetka home for seven years, since losing his handyman job at the trailer park where he lived.
“We’re family,” Allen said, as he spent an afternoon with housemates Fred Long, 82, and Tracey Maloney-McKee, 61, along with Moses and house manager Carol Perry.
Maloney-McKee said she has suffered from grand mal seizures since age 11. She was homeless on the Imperial Highway when a seizure sent her to the hospital. She met Long in rehab, where both were referred to Moses by a discharge planner.
Inside a group home in Winnetka. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Fire officials have charged Moses with violations of the Los Angeles municipal code related to occupancy and egress. Her case is scheduled for a Dec. 2 court hearing. She said she believes she has done nothing wrong and that the fire inspector offered no guidance on what she could do to correct any violations.
The state inspector ordered Moses to evict several tenants who required a level of care that her unlicensed home could not legally offer. The decision remains under appeal.
Besides actions against independent operators, Fire Department inspections have led to criminal investigations against prominent figures in homeless services, including Ken Craft, founder and chief executive of Hope of the Valley, and Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and chief executive of LA Family Housing. Craft was never charged, and the charges against Klasky-Gamer were dismissed. But charges are pending against the owners of the homes leased by their organizations.
Klasky-Gamer described her encounter with the LAFD as “the biggest runaround I believe I’ve ever had in the city of L.A., with nobody having a clear solution.”
The case began with an inspection more than two years ago. According to Klasky-Gamer, the inspector asked a staff member how many people lived in the five-bedroom house on Clark Street in Woodland Hills, then left.
A few weeks later, LA Family Housing received a notice of violation. Klasky-Gamer said it was related to occupancy but did not specify how many people were allowed. The agency moved some clients out of the home, where more than a dozen people had been staying. She said she requested a re-inspection but couldn’t get the Fire Department to respond.
Kristin Scoggins sits on the back porch at the Winnetka group home. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
“We couldn’t find what is the allowable occupancy,” she said. “We couldn’t find what we were in violation of.”
After being served by mail with a criminal complaint, she met with Deputy City Atty. Serena Christion, who told her she needed a certification for interim housing at that site as well as two others the agency operated.
Klasky-Gamer said she went to the city Department of Building and Safety, the Planning Department and even the Fire Department but could find no such permit. She pestered officials so much, she said, that they finally backed off.
The Times spoke to the owners of two other homes who told of experiences closely paralleling Klasky-Gamer’s. Fire department inspectors arrived, sometimes accompanied by county or state officials. Minor violations were identified and fixed. Numerous calls from the homeowners requesting a follow-up inspection were ignored. Months later, criminal complaints were filed.
A spokesman for L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer said in an email that follow-up inspections have occurred in all cases where a homeowner has been cited. Citing an exemption in the California Public Records Act, he declined to provide reports of those inspections to The Times.
Crowley said it is unlawful to have more than six unrelated adults in a single-family home.
The backyard. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
That limit, though still on the books in some cities, was ruled unconstitutional in the 1980 California Supreme Court decision in City of Santa Barbara vs. Adamson, which found that unrelated adults living in a home were functionally a family.
The Los Angeles Planning Department has supported that view.
“The building code’s definition of family is very broad, and there are no restrictions on the size of a family,” the department said in a 2020 report.
Crowley said restrictions arise when services such as meals or personal care are provided. She said the Fire Department is currently pursuing 45 criminal prosecutions over occupancy violations.
“They can either stop doing what they’re doing, reduce the number of people or move to a change-of-use or a conditional-use permit,” she said.
Operators argue that there is no alternative certificate of occupancy, that a conditional-use permit involves a City Council review in the face of certain community opposition and that reducing the number of tenants is not financially feasible.
Dumont acknowledged that the business he represents is far from perfect and that those who operate unsafely should face enforcement. The solution, he said, would be for the Fire Department to help the group homes administratively resolve safety issues.
“I would love to hang a piece of paper on the wall in my single-family residences that says ‘The Fire Department blesses you,’” he said.