latimes--2020-08-06--Southeast L.A. already faced many ills. Now it's the epicenter of coronavirus

Southeast Los Angeles County has become the epicenter for the resurgence of the coronavirus , according to a Times analysis of county health data that found infections skyrocketing in its mostly working-class Latino communities .
The sharp increase since the economy reopened around Memorial Day shows the virus is spreading rapidly through factories , stores and other workplaces and into communities with higher rates of poverty , more crowding and many essential workers who make the economy tick .
Hit hard by job losses during the shutdown , they are increasingly suffering from the virus itself .
The region reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two months , the most in the county .
The area now accounts for 19 % of new infections , although it comprises just 12 % of the countywide population , the Times analysis shows .
That vaulted its once-modest infection rate into one of the highest in the county , and just below the already hard-hit Eastside and South L.A. areas , according to the Times analysis through Aug. 2 The trend is part of a statewide spike in infections among Latinos , both in rural , farm-working communities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest burden for a corner of Southern California long beset by pollution from nearby industry , a lack of access to healthcare and a host of other ills .
The southeast region , with 1.2 million people living in more than a dozen communities along the 710 and 605 freeways , has seen infection rates jump to some of the highest in the county , including Maywood , Huntington Park , South Gate , Cudahy and Lynwood .
The area is home to many low-wage , front-line workers , and residents there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , multigenerational households — key risk factors in the accelerating spread of the virus , according to experts .
By contrast , the more affluent and majority-white Westside — which early in the outbreak reported higher infection rates because of travel abroad and better access to testing — recorded about 3,000 new cases and showed a much slower increase , the Times analysis found .
As illnesses and deaths mount and disparities widen in the nation ’ s most populous county , the toll of the virus looks increasingly like a map of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a shift health experts and local officials predicted months ago .
“ We expected that the COVID cases would sweep out of Beverly Hills and Brentwood and Bel-Air and down into the more exposed areas , ” said David Hayes-Bautista , professor of medicine at UCLA and director for the Center of for the Study of Latino Health and Culture .
“ It ’ s done that exactly , following the line of least resistance.
” Hayes-Bautista , who is tracking the growth in cases per capita across California , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Memorial Day and Fourth of July when infection rates among Latinos more than doubled , increasing more than any other racial or ethnic group .
It ’ s not the second wave of the virus , he said .
It “ is like the 1.5 wave , ” driven largely by workers contracting the virus and bringing it home , Hayes-Bautista said .
Stay-at-home orders and other aggressive measures imposed early in the pandemic had a “ huge blind spot , ” Hayes-Bautista said .
They overlooked those who kept working as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clerks , construction workers and other essential jobs — work often performed without N95 masks , or other protections — and enabled white-collar workers to shelter at home .
State and local leaders have pledged to do more to protect essential workers and Latinos , who in L.A. County are about twice as likely to have been infected by the virus as whites .
County health officials believe the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in workplaces that are violating safety rules , but have been slow to ramp up testing in the hardest-hit neighborhoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing and physical distancing and have repeatedly failed to detect outbreaks before they spread widely .
Experts say that people living in areas like southeast L.A. County , where the coronavirus has killed more than 650 people to date , are now paying the price for too little focus on the protection of workers and their families .
“ I think all the attention has been on people hanging out in bars and restaurants , ” said Manuel Pastor , a professor of sociology at USC .
“ But someone is working the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as continuing to go to construction sites , ride public transit , and head home to overcrowded households.
” Since the reopening began in late May , the virus has generally moved eastward , with infection rates also rising sharply in communities across the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys with large Latino populations , a lot of essential workers and higher rates of crowding .
Across the county , areas with the highest poverty rates are experiencing infection rates that are nearly five times higher than areas with the lowest poverty figures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as wealthier areas have seen much slower growth in case numbers .
To calculate that disparity , The Times compared neighborhoods in which more than 25 % of the population was living below the poverty line — defined by the Census Bureau as a family of four making less than $ 26,000 a year — to those in which the poverty rate was lower than 5 % .
Many of the same areas seeing sharp increases in infections also have some of the most crowded housing conditions in the nation .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , El Monte and Pomona have ZIP Codes that rank in the top 1 % nationwide that are considered “ crowded ” — having more than one person per room , excluding bathrooms , an analysis of Census Bureau data shows .
Public health officials and researchers have warned that overcrowded housing could play a role in accelerating the spread of the disease .
About 3.3 % of housing units are considered crowded , and L.A. County is home to five of the 10 most-crowded ZIP Codes in the U.S .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the confirmed case rate increased by nearly 900 infections per 100,000 people for every additional 10 % of residents who live in crowded conditions in a neighborhood .
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis , whose predominantly Latino district covers much of the southeastern part of the county hit hardest by the recent infections , said she has worked to add new testing sites in South Gate , Montebello and Azusa while expanding capacity at existing locations in Pomona , El Monte and East Los Angeles .
All those areas have had relatively high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ While this is great news , more resources are needed to address the root of these disparities — not just the symptoms , ” Solis said .
“ Our low-income communities also need protections at their workplaces , access to quarantine sites , culturally-competent contact tracing , food security , and rental assistance.
” The people of southeast L.A. County have for decades confronted one environmental affront after another , including high levels of pollution from freeways , rail yards and toxic sites , the Exide battery recycling plant that contaminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a Delta jet that dumped fuel over homes and schools earlier this year .
“ Our communities are in severely contaminated areas where the air quality is no good , ” said Lynwood Mayor Aide Castro .
“ Just here in Lynwood we have the 710 , the 105 [ freeways ] and the Alameda Corridor , so our community tends to suffer a lot of respiratory problems.
” Castro blamed the surge in infections on a rushed reopening that heightened risks to its mostly working-class residents , who are 88 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cases in her city of 70,000 back to Memorial Day , when she said “ politicians felt the pressure and made a bad decision to reopen.
” She owns a beauty salon in nearby Maywood that remains shut down and said she has no plans to reopen until it ’ s safe again .
” Even though it ’ s affecting me financially , we have to be honest and say getting your hair done is not essential , ” she said .
“ We the politicians , the legislators , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen as fast as they did , and now we ’ re suffering the consequences.
” Buddy to Buddy Southeast LA , a mutual aid group that formed to deliver groceries and offer emotional support to elderly residents isolated during the shutdown , is increasingly helping families that are struggling because they have come down with the virus themselves .
“ They have multiple people infected .
These are families with kids and with grandparents , ” said Ryan Jordan , 31 , a member of the group said on a recent afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ cars from a small patch of yard outside his East L.A. bungalow .
“ It ’ s infuriating to see these communities not have the resources to even protect themselves.
” A survey of 500 residents of southeastern L.A. County , conducted in mid-May by the polling firm Latino Decisions with Cal State L.A. 's Pat Brown Institute and the nonprofit SELA Collaborative , found that 75 % of respondents had someone in their household who had lost their job or had work hours cut .
More than 1 in 5 respondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill because of the coronavirus and 41 % had someone in their household who was continuing to go to work outside of the home .
In Cudahy , where 96 % of the city ’ s 24,000 residents are Latino , Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar said she has heard from residents who are fearful of being exposed at work , but are also worried about testing positive and being forced to stay home and lose a paycheck .
Immigrants make up nearly half of Cudahy ’ s population , she said , and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So we saw people going back to work , and then coming right back within a week because either themselves or another member of their team was infected , ” she said .
“ It ’ s like the dynamic of a yo-yo.
” Alcantar said she has spoken to families with as many as 10 to 15 people in their household that started off with one person feeling sick but ended up with everyone infected .
“ That ends up being a huge difference whether people will be affected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survival .
”

Customers walk at the Plaza Mexico in Lynwood. Southeast Los Angeles County has become the epicenter for the resurgence of the coronavirus.
Southeast Los Angeles County has become the epicenter for the resurgence of the coronavirus, according to a Times analysis of county health data that found infections skyrocketing in its mostly working-class Latino communities.
The sharp increase since the economy reopened around Memorial Day shows the virus is spreading rapidly through factories, stores and other workplaces and into communities with higher rates of poverty, more crowding and many essential workers who make the economy tick. Hit hard by job losses during the shutdown, they are increasingly suffering from the virus itself.
The region reported more than 27,000 new COVID-19 cases over the last two months, the most in the county. The area now accounts for 19% of new infections, although it comprises just 12% of the countywide population, the Times analysis shows. That vaulted its once-modest infection rate into one of the highest in the county, and just below the already hard-hit Eastside and South L.A. areas, according to the Times analysis through Aug. 2
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The trend is part of a statewide spike in infections among Latinos, both in rural, farm-working communities and urban areas. It’s only the latest burden for a corner of Southern California long beset by pollution from nearby industry, a lack of access to healthcare and a host of other ills.
Assistant manager Luis Garcia sanitizes outdoor tables at Gloria’s Restaurant in Huntington Park. Cities in the region have become the epicenter of COVID-19. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The southeast region, with 1.2 million people living in more than a dozen communities along the 710 and 605 freeways, has seen infection rates jump to some of the highest in the county, including Maywood, Huntington Park, South Gate, Cudahy and Lynwood. The area is home to many low-wage, front-line workers, and residents there are more likely to live in overcrowded, multigenerational households — key risk factors in the accelerating spread of the virus, according to experts.
By contrast, the more affluent and majority-white Westside — which early in the outbreak reported higher infection rates because of travel abroad and better access to testing — recorded about 3,000 new cases and showed a much slower increase, the Times analysis found.
As illnesses and deaths mount and disparities widen in the nation’s most populous county, the toll of the virus looks increasingly like a map of where many working-class Latinos live. It’s a shift health experts and local officials predicted months ago.
“We expected that the COVID cases would sweep out of Beverly Hills and Brentwood and Bel-Air and down into the more exposed areas,” said David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine at UCLA and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture. “It’s done that exactly, following the line of least resistance.”
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Hayes-Bautista, who is tracking the growth in cases per capita across California, said there was a “fateful period” between Memorial Day and Fourth of July when infection rates among Latinos more than doubled, increasing more than any other racial or ethnic group. It’s not the second wave of the virus, he said. It “is like the 1.5 wave,” driven largely by workers contracting the virus and bringing it home, Hayes-Bautista said.
Stay-at-home orders and other aggressive measures imposed early in the pandemic had a “huge blind spot,” Hayes-Bautista said. They overlooked those who kept working as meat processors, delivery drivers, grocery clerks, construction workers and other essential jobs — work often performed without N95 masks, or other protections — and enabled white-collar workers to shelter at home.
A shopper walks out of Angel’s Bridal at the Plaza Mexico in Lynwood. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
State and local leaders have pledged to do more to protect essential workers and Latinos, who in L.A. County are about twice as likely to have been infected by the virus as whites. County health officials believe the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in workplaces that are violating safety rules, but have been slow to ramp up testing in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, enforce infection control measures such as mask-wearing and physical distancing and have repeatedly failed to detect outbreaks before they spread widely.
Experts say that people living in areas like southeast L.A. County, where the coronavirus has killed more than 650 people to date, are now paying the price for too little focus on the protection of workers and their families.
“I think all the attention has been on people hanging out in bars and restaurants,” said Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology at USC. “But someone is working the back rooms in those places as well as continuing to go to construction sites, ride public transit, and head home to overcrowded households.”
Since the reopening began in late May, the virus has generally moved eastward, with infection rates also rising sharply in communities across the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys with large Latino populations, a lot of essential workers and higher rates of crowding.
Across the county, areas with the highest poverty rates are experiencing infection rates that are nearly five times higher than areas with the lowest poverty figures. That gap has widened in recent weeks as wealthier areas have seen much slower growth in case numbers.
Gabriella Barrera, left, helps load boxes of groceries into the car of a volunteer driver. Barrera is a member of the group Buddy to Buddy Southeast LA, a mutual aid group that is increasingly helping families that have fallen ill with COVID-19.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
To calculate that disparity, The Times compared neighborhoods in which more than 25% of the population was living below the poverty line — defined by the Census Bureau as a family of four making less than $26,000 a year — to those in which the poverty rate was lower than 5%.
Many of the same areas seeing sharp increases in infections also have some of the most crowded housing conditions in the nation. Some of the worst-hit communities, such as Huntington Park, El Monte and Pomona have ZIP Codes that rank in the top 1% nationwide that are considered “crowded” — having more than one person per room, excluding bathrooms, an analysis of Census Bureau data shows.
Public health officials and researchers have warned that overcrowded housing could play a role in accelerating the spread of the disease. About 3.3% of housing units are considered crowded, and L.A. County is home to five of the 10 most-crowded ZIP Codes in the U.S.
In L.A. County, the analysis found that the confirmed case rate increased by nearly 900 infections per 100,000 people for every additional 10% of residents who live in crowded conditions in a neighborhood.
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose predominantly Latino district covers much of the southeastern part of the county hit hardest by the recent infections, said she has worked to add new testing sites in South Gate, Montebello and Azusa while expanding capacity at existing locations in Pomona, El Monte and East Los Angeles. All those areas have had relatively high infection rates over the last two months.
“While this is great news, more resources are needed to address the root of these disparities — not just the symptoms,” Solis said. “Our low-income communities also need protections at their workplaces, access to quarantine sites, culturally-competent contact tracing, food security, and rental assistance.”
The people of southeast L.A. County have for decades confronted one environmental affront after another, including high levels of pollution from freeways, rail yards and toxic sites, the Exide battery recycling plant that contaminated half a dozen communities with poisonous lead and a Delta jet that dumped fuel over homes and schools earlier this year.
“Our communities are in severely contaminated areas where the air quality is no good,” said Lynwood Mayor Aide Castro. “Just here in Lynwood we have the 710, the 105 [freeways] and the Alameda Corridor, so our community tends to suffer a lot of respiratory problems.”
Castro blamed the surge in infections on a rushed reopening that heightened risks to its mostly working-class residents, who are 88% Latino.
Castro, traces the increase in cases in her city of 70,000 back to Memorial Day, when she said “politicians felt the pressure and made a bad decision to reopen.”
She owns a beauty salon in nearby Maywood that remains shut down and said she has no plans to reopen until it’s safe again.
”Even though it’s affecting me financially, we have to be honest and say getting your hair done is not essential,” she said. “We the politicians, the legislators, we should not have allowed for things to reopen as fast as they did, and now we’re suffering the consequences.”
Buddy to Buddy Southeast LA, a mutual aid group that formed to deliver groceries and offer emotional support to elderly residents isolated during the shutdown, is increasingly helping families that are struggling because they have come down with the virus themselves.
“They have multiple people infected. These are families with kids and with grandparents,” said Ryan Jordan, 31, a member of the group said on a recent afternoon while working to load deliveries into volunteers’ cars from a small patch of yard outside his East L.A. bungalow. “It’s infuriating to see these communities not have the resources to even protect themselves.”
Shoppers walk out to the parking lot at a nearly empty Plaza Mexico in Lynwood. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A survey of 500 residents of southeastern L.A. County, conducted in mid-May by the polling firm Latino Decisions with Cal State L.A.’s Pat Brown Institute and the nonprofit SELA Collaborative, found that 75% of respondents had someone in their household who had lost their job or had work hours cut. More than 1 in 5 respondents had friends or family who had become ill because of the coronavirus and 41% had someone in their household who was continuing to go to work outside of the home.
In Cudahy, where 96% of the city’s 24,000 residents are Latino, Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar said she has heard from residents who are fearful of being exposed at work, but are also worried about testing positive and being forced to stay home and lose a paycheck. Immigrants make up nearly half of Cudahy’s population, she said, and many did not qualify for federal stimulus checks.
“So we saw people going back to work, and then coming right back within a week because either themselves or another member of their team was infected,” she said. “It’s like the dynamic of a yo-yo.”
Alcantar said she has spoken to families with as many as 10 to 15 people in their household that started off with one person feeling sick but ended up with everyone infected. “That ends up being a huge difference whether people will be affected, will they get help, and even survival.”


latimes--2020-08-06--California's Latinos, Black people feel effects of pandemic most acutely, poll finds

Black people and Latinos are far more likely than white people in Los Angeles and statewide to report that the coronavirus has threatened their health , their jobs and their finances , a new poll shows — underscoring the degree to which the pandemic has widened existing racial and class inequities .
Nearly 7 in 10 Latino and Black voters in Los Angeles County , for example , said that the virus posed a “ major threat ” to their personal or family health , according to the poll from UC Berkeley ’ s Institute for Governmental Studies .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus was a major threat .
By comparison , fewer than half of white voters reported the same level of concern .
The numbers were similar statewide , with about two-thirds of Black and Latino voters and 6 in 10 Asian Americans calling the virus a major threat to their own or their family ’ s health , compared with just under half of white voters .
Those perceptions largely match the reality of the pandemic , which from fairly early on became a disease that struck hardest at the region ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service sector jobs that can ’ t be done remotely .
Los Angeles County officials said last month that Latinos were becoming infected at twice the rate of white residents .
Black residents were also more likely to become infected than white residents , although the gap was significantly smaller , county data showed .
Asian Americans were somewhat less likely to become infected , the county data showed .
The poll showed wide racial gaps in other ways that the virus has had an impact on people ’ s lives .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the virus constituted a major threat to their employment , compared with just under half of Black and Asian voters and about one-third of whites .
Latino voters who predominantly speak Spanish — a group heavily made up of immigrants— reported the greatest impact , with 78 % seeing a major threat to their jobs .
Nearly half of Latino voters , 48 % , said they or their families faced a “ very serious ” problem of not being able to pay for food or other necessities as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 % reported a very serious problem , as did 29 % of Black voters .
Among white voters the share fell to 18 % .
Here too the heaviest impact has fallen on Spanish-dominant Latinos , with 74 % saying they expect or are already contending with a very serious problem .
Because the poll was conducted among registered voters , who are necessarily citizens , it did not include the region ’ s large number of residents without legal status , who tend to be poorer than citizens and more often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the poll results may understate the degree of financial distress the virus has caused in the full population , especially among Latinos .
The poll shows “ the disproportionate burden that communities of color in California shoulder as they and their families face serious health threats , as they in large part form the skeleton crews that keep the state ’ s service sector economy going during the pandemic , ” said Berkeley sociologist Cristina Mora , co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies , Countywide , 3 % of voters said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 57 % said they personally knew someone who had .
The numbers were just slightly lower statewide .
While the experience of knowing people who have contracted the virus is widely shared , the poll found intense partisan divisions over how people perceive the threat and what to do about it , mirroring polling nationwide .
Asked to describe the health threat posed by the coronavirus in their local areas , for example , just over half of Democrats , 53 % statewide , said it had become “ much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took that position , with one-third saying the situation had grown less serious and another third saying it had stayed largely the same .
The gap was even starker in Los Angeles , with 59 % of Democrats countywide , but just 13 % of Republicans , saying the health threat in their areas had become much more serious .
Democrats and Republicans also diverge on questions such as the effectiveness of masks , which President Trump has sometimes supported but often disparaged .
Statewide , 81 % of Democrats and 66 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Republicans , said they viewed masks as “ extremely effective ” in preventing a person from getting infected .
At the other end of the scale , 1 in 5 Republicans , but virtually no Democrats and only 4 % of nonparty voters , said they viewed masks as “ not at all ” effective .
Not surprisingly , given those wide gaps in how they see the pandemic , voters on opposite sides of the partisan divide have very different views of policies to deal with it .
Among voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , county and local officials moved too quickly to ease restrictions on business .
That share rises to 80 % among Democrats and 64 % among nonparty voters , but drops to 22 % among Republicans .
Nearly three-quarters of Republican voters say that restrictions needed to be relaxed because of the economic damage they were causing .
The party divisions in Los Angeles were almost identical to those statewide .
Nearly all Democrats statewide , 95 % , said they “ strongly support ” a requirement that people wear masks in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among Republicans , that falls to 48 % , with 24 % saying they “ somewhat ” support a mask mandate and 28 % opposing one .
Similarly , on the question of reopening schools this fall , only 2 % of Democrats statewide and in L.A. County say they support a full return to in-person classes , as Trump has demanded .
By contrast , 44 % of Republicans statewide , and 46 % in Los Angeles , support that .
Democrats and nonparty voters split between a hybrid approach that blends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online school term .
Statewide and in Los Angeles , a majority of Democrats favor online instruction while nonparty voters are somewhat more likely to favor the hybrid approach .
Views of how schools should reopen don ’ t differ widely by geography , even though the severity of the coronavirus outbreak has varied among different parts of the state .
Nor do the views differ much between parents and non-parents .
“ People talk about self-interest in politics , ” but it pales in comparison to the partisan gap , said political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Berkeley institute .
“ You look at parents and non-parents , and they ’ re basically the same , and then you look at Democrats and Republicans , and there ’ s this big gap.
” Across racial and ethnic lines , the pandemic has also reinforced the region ’ s class divisions , with the heaviest impact falling on those with low incomes and fewer years of education .
For example , 57 % of Los Angeles voters with household incomes of less than $ 20,000 said they were “ extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate family members face from working outside their homes during the coronavirus outbreak .
Among people with incomes of $ 200,000 and up , 38 % expressed that level of concern .
Half of those with incomes of less than $ 20,000 , but just one-third of those with incomes $ 200,000 and up , said they felt they had a “ very serious ” risk of getting sick .
And just over half of those in the lowest income group , but only 1 in 8 in the highest group , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being able to get needed medical care because of the virus .
That impact on inequality is widely recognized by voters : Statewide , 69 % of voters agreed that the coronavirus was increasing inequality in the U.S. , compared with 15 % who disagreed .
On that , as on many other questions , Trump supporters stood out as an exception .
Those voters who said they back Trump rejected the claim that the virus had worsened inequality , 48 % to 33 % .
The Berkeley IGS poll , supervised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online in English and Spanish from July 21 to 27 among 8,328 registered voters statewide .
In addition , IGS conducted a sample for The Times of 2,036 Los Angeles County voters .
Results for both samples were weighted to match known demographics of the voting population .
The margin of error for the full sample is estimated at roughly 2 percentage points in either direction .
The margin of error for the countywide sample is estimated at 3.5 percentage points .
Further details on the poll questions and data can be found @ @ @ @ @ @

Black people and Latinos are far more likely than white people in Los Angeles and statewide to report that the coronavirus has threatened their health, their jobs and their finances, a new poll shows — underscoring the degree to which the pandemic has widened existing racial and class inequities.
Nearly 7 in 10 Latino and Black voters in Los Angeles County, for example, said that the virus posed a “major threat” to their personal or family health, according to the poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. About 6 in 10 Asian American voters said the virus was a major threat. By comparison, fewer than half of white voters reported the same level of concern.
The numbers were similar statewide, with about two-thirds of Black and Latino voters and 6 in 10 Asian Americans calling the virus a major threat to their own or their family’s health, compared with just under half of white voters.
Those perceptions largely match the reality of the pandemic, which from fairly early on became a disease that struck hardest at the region’s Latinos, many of whom hold service sector jobs that can’t be done remotely.
Los Angeles County officials said last month that Latinos were becoming infected at twice the rate of white residents. Black residents were also more likely to become infected than white residents, although the gap was significantly smaller, county data showed. Asian Americans were somewhat less likely to become infected, the county data showed.
The poll showed wide racial gaps in other ways that the virus has had an impact on people’s lives.
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Nearly two-thirds of Latino voters in Los Angeles said the virus constituted a major threat to their employment, compared with just under half of Black and Asian voters and about one-third of whites. Latino voters who predominantly speak Spanish — a group heavily made up of immigrants— reported the greatest impact, with 78% seeing a major threat to their jobs.
Nearly half of Latino voters, 48%, said they or their families faced a “very serious” problem of not being able to pay for food or other necessities as a result of the coronavirus. Among Asian voters, 32% reported a very serious problem, as did 29% of Black voters. Among white voters the share fell to 18%.
Here too the heaviest impact has fallen on Spanish-dominant Latinos, with 74% saying they expect or are already contending with a very serious problem.
Because the poll was conducted among registered voters, who are necessarily citizens, it did not include the region’s large number of residents without legal status, who tend to be poorer than citizens and more often hold insecure jobs. As a result, the poll results may understate the degree of financial distress the virus has caused in the full population, especially among Latinos.
The poll shows “the disproportionate burden that communities of color in California shoulder as they and their families face serious health threats, as they in large part form the skeleton crews that keep the state’s service sector economy going during the pandemic,” said Berkeley sociologist Cristina Mora, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies,
Countywide, 3% of voters said they had tested positive for the virus, and 57% said they personally knew someone who had. The numbers were just slightly lower statewide.
While the experience of knowing people who have contracted the virus is widely shared, the poll found intense partisan divisions over how people perceive the threat and what to do about it, mirroring polling nationwide.
Asked to describe the health threat posed by the coronavirus in their local areas, for example, just over half of Democrats, 53% statewide, said it had become “much more serious.” Only 1 in 6 Republicans took that position, with one-third saying the situation had grown less serious and another third saying it had stayed largely the same.
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The gap was even starker in Los Angeles, with 59% of Democrats countywide, but just 13% of Republicans, saying the health threat in their areas had become much more serious.
Democrats and Republicans also diverge on questions such as the effectiveness of masks, which President Trump has sometimes supported but often disparaged.
Statewide, 81% of Democrats and 66% of nonpartisan voters, but only 39% of Republicans, said they viewed masks as “extremely effective” in preventing a person from getting infected.
At the other end of the scale, 1 in 5 Republicans, but virtually no Democrats and only 4% of nonparty voters, said they viewed masks as “not at all” effective.
Not surprisingly, given those wide gaps in how they see the pandemic, voters on opposite sides of the partisan divide have very different views of policies to deal with it.
Among voters statewide, 61% believe that state, county and local officials moved too quickly to ease restrictions on business. That share rises to 80% among Democrats and 64% among nonparty voters, but drops to 22% among Republicans. Nearly three-quarters of Republican voters say that restrictions needed to be relaxed because of the economic damage they were causing. The party divisions in Los Angeles were almost identical to those statewide.
Nearly all Democrats statewide, 95%, said they “strongly support” a requirement that people wear masks in public places such as stores and offices. Among Republicans, that falls to 48%, with 24% saying they “somewhat” support a mask mandate and 28% opposing one.
Similarly, on the question of reopening schools this fall, only 2% of Democrats statewide and in L.A. County say they support a full return to in-person classes, as Trump has demanded. By contrast, 44% of Republicans statewide, and 46% in Los Angeles, support that.
Democrats and nonparty voters split between a hybrid approach that blends online and in-person teaching or a fully online school term. Statewide and in Los Angeles, a majority of Democrats favor online instruction while nonparty voters are somewhat more likely to favor the hybrid approach.
Views of how schools should reopen don’t differ widely by geography, even though the severity of the coronavirus outbreak has varied among different parts of the state. Nor do the views differ much between parents and non-parents.
“People talk about self-interest in politics,” but it pales in comparison to the partisan gap, said political scientist Eric Schickler, the co-director of the Berkeley institute. “You look at parents and non-parents, and they’re basically the same, and then you look at Democrats and Republicans, and there’s this big gap.”
Across racial and ethnic lines, the pandemic has also reinforced the region’s class divisions, with the heaviest impact falling on those with low incomes and fewer years of education.
For example, 57% of Los Angeles voters with household incomes of less than $20,000 said they were “extremely worried” about the risks they and immediate family members face from working outside their homes during the coronavirus outbreak. Among people with incomes of $200,000 and up, 38% expressed that level of concern.
Half of those with incomes of less than $20,000, but just one-third of those with incomes $200,000 and up, said they felt they had a “very serious” risk of getting sick. And just over half of those in the lowest income group, but only 1 in 8 in the highest group, said they faced a very serious risk of not being able to get needed medical care because of the virus.
That impact on inequality is widely recognized by voters: Statewide, 69% of voters agreed that the coronavirus was increasing inequality in the U.S., compared with 15% who disagreed.
On that, as on many other questions, Trump supporters stood out as an exception. Those voters who said they back Trump rejected the claim that the virus had worsened inequality, 48% to 33%.
The Berkeley IGS poll, supervised by pollster Mark DiCamillo, was administered online in English and Spanish from July 21 to 27 among 8,328 registered voters statewide. In addition, IGS conducted a sample for The Times of 2,036 Los Angeles County voters. Results for both samples were weighted to match known demographics of the voting population.


latimes--2020-08-06--For Newsom and California, there's a lot more riding on Biden's decision than who becomes vice presi

For Newsom and California, there's a lot more riding on Biden's decision than who becomes vice president

Gov .
Gavin Newsom would be anointed a kingmaker — or queenmaker — if Joe Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate .
That ’ s because Newsom , on his own , would select Harris ’ Senate replacement if the Democratic presidential ticket won on Nov. 3 .
The U.S. Constitution gives governors that right .
If Biden instead chose another Californian , U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles , Newsom would not have a formal role in her replacement .
Voters in her 37th Congressional District would select a new representative in a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. political landscape .
So for Newsom and California , there ’ s a lot more riding on Biden ’ s decision than who fills out the Democratic presidential ticket .
Harris and Bass are among the women on the presumptive presidential nominee ’ s short list of potential running mates .
Others include former national security advisor Susan Rice , Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
There ’ s heavy political pressure for Biden to choose a woman of color .
That presumably leaves out Warren , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him anyway , although she excites party progressives .
Some Biden insiders think he should select a Black woman in this political atmosphere with the Black Lives Matter movement fighting hard for racial equality .
That would exclude Duckworth , a Thai American who has a compelling story : She is an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs piloting a helicopter in combat , and the first senator to give birth in office .
That leaves Harris , Bass and Rice , who are Black , as the leading contenders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris and Rice .
Rice , 55 , would be a good choice .
The diplomat served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations in high-level foreign policy positions .
She was Obama ’ s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before becoming national security advisor .
Biden got to know her well when he was Obama ’ s vice president .
Rice certainly would be hammered by President Trump for initially mislabeling the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi .
She called it spontaneous , although it turned out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump will pounce on whomever Biden picks .
One drawback : Rice has never run for public office .
She could flub up on the campaign trail .
But she has operated successfully on the world stage and is classy .
Bass , 66 , is very likable and evokes a positive attitude , is a liberal who can deal productively with Republicans — she initially proved that as California Assembly speaker — and has been a civil rights fighter all her career .
But she ’ s relatively unknown , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run for office outside her district , so there ’ s some question about how she ’ d fare in a bruising national campaign .
I suspect darn well .
Harris , 55 , is charismatic and can deliver a stinging campaign punch — Biden was stung by her in an early presidential debate .
But she flopped running for president .
And she carries baggage from unremarkable — critics say disappointing — stints as state attorney general and San Francisco district attorney .
But Biden is apparently drawn to Harris because she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a strong alliance when both were state attorneys general .
Many political pros think Biden would be crazy to put any Californian on the ticket .
“ He ’ d be well advised not to pick a Californian , ” says Darry Sragow , a veteran Democratic strategist who publishes the nonpartisan California Target Book , which handicaps congressional and legislative races .
“ One , it won ’ t add to his electoral votes because he already has California ’ s 55 in the bag .
Two , most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They can ’ t relate to us and think we don ’ t relate to them , ” Sragow said .
“ He ’ s probably going to pick someone from a different state — or no state , like Susan Rice.
” Rice was born and raised in Washington , D.C. , the daughter of public policy scholars .
But what if Biden did choose Harris ?
It would be a huge gift to Newsom .
If the Biden-Harris ticket won — as current polls show is likely — he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by choosing the senator ’ s successor .
And if Newsom picked an elected statewide official — such as Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra or Secretary of State Alex Padilla — he ’ d get a twofer : He could also select their replacements , subject to legislative confirmation .
Newsom likes to be the “ first ” at things — being the first governor to decree a statewide “ stay at home ” order during the virus pandemic — and he could name the first Latino U.S. senator from California .
Becerra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , having been a U.S. House member from Los Angeles for 24 years before being picked by Gov .
Jerry Brown to replace Harris when she was elected to the Senate in 2016 .
There ’ s also Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank , the House Intelligence Committee chairman who helped lead the impeachment of Trump .
He ’ s on everyone ’ s potential Senate list .
But he isn ’ t close to Newsom .
Neither is another option : L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti .
If Newsom wanted to replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top his list .
Other possibilities include Lt. Gov .
Eleni Kounalakis , state Controller Betty Yee , state Treasurer Fiona Ma , state Senate leader Toni Atkins of San Diego and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis , a former House member and U.S. labor secretary .
If Bass became vice president , there ’ d be a special election to fill her House seat .
Prominent potential candidates include L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas , L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell .
Wesson and Mitchell are running against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat .
It gets complicated .
We can speculate on and on — at least until Biden ends the VP suspense .

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), left, and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) are on Joe Biden’s short list for vice president. Picking either woman would be big news for California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom would be anointed a kingmaker — or queenmaker — if Joe Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.
That’s because Newsom, on his own, would select Harris’ Senate replacement if the Democratic presidential ticket won on Nov. 3. The U.S. Constitution gives governors that right.
If Biden instead chose another Californian, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Newsom would not have a formal role in her replacement. Voters in her 37th Congressional District would select a new representative in a special election. And that would alter the L.A. political landscape.
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So for Newsom and California, there’s a lot more riding on Biden’s decision than who fills out the Democratic presidential ticket.
Harris and Bass are among the women on the presumptive presidential nominee’s short list of potential running mates.
Others include former national security advisor Susan Rice, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
There’s heavy political pressure for Biden to choose a woman of color. That presumably leaves out Warren, who is white. Warren is too liberal for him anyway, although she excites party progressives.
Some Biden insiders think he should select a Black woman in this political atmosphere with the Black Lives Matter movement fighting hard for racial equality.
That would exclude Duckworth, a Thai American who has a compelling story: She is an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs piloting a helicopter in combat, and the first senator to give birth in office.
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That leaves Harris, Bass and Rice, who are Black, as the leading contenders. And the top two seem to be Harris and Rice.
Rice, 55, would be a good choice. The diplomat served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations in high-level foreign policy positions. She was Obama’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before becoming national security advisor. Biden got to know her well when he was Obama’s vice president.
Rice certainly would be hammered by President Trump for initially mislabeling the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. She called it spontaneous, although it turned out to be a planned terrorist assault. But Trump will pounce on whomever Biden picks.
One drawback: Rice has never run for public office. She could flub up on the campaign trail. But she has operated successfully on the world stage and is classy.
Bass, 66, is very likable and evokes a positive attitude, is a liberal who can deal productively with Republicans — she initially proved that as California Assembly speaker — and has been a civil rights fighter all her career.
But she’s relatively unknown, including to Biden. And she has never run for office outside her district, so there’s some question about how she’d fare in a bruising national campaign. I suspect darn well.
Harris, 55, is charismatic and can deliver a stinging campaign punch — Biden was stung by her in an early presidential debate. But she flopped running for president. And she carries baggage from unremarkable — critics say disappointing — stints as state attorney general and San Francisco district attorney.
But Biden is apparently drawn to Harris because she and his late son, Beau, had a strong alliance when both were state attorneys general.
Many political pros think Biden would be crazy to put any Californian on the ticket.
“He’d be well advised not to pick a Californian,” says Darry Sragow, a veteran Democratic strategist who publishes the nonpartisan California Target Book, which handicaps congressional and legislative races.
“One, it won’t add to his electoral votes because he already has California’s 55 in the bag. Two, most of the country doesn’t like California. They can’t relate to us and think we don’t relate to them,” Sragow said.
“He’s probably going to pick someone from a different state — or no state, like Susan Rice.”
Rice was born and raised in Washington, D.C., the daughter of public policy scholars.
But what if Biden did choose Harris?
It would be a huge gift to Newsom. If the Biden-Harris ticket won — as current polls show is likely — he’d be able to reward a Democratic ally by choosing the senator’s successor.
And if Newsom picked an elected statewide official — such as Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra or Secretary of State Alex Padilla — he’d get a twofer: He could also select their replacements, subject to legislative confirmation.
Newsom likes to be the “first” at things — being the first governor to decree a statewide “stay at home” order during the virus pandemic — and he could name the first Latino U.S. senator from California.
Becerra would seem the most qualified by experience, having been a U.S. House member from Los Angeles for 24 years before being picked by Gov. Jerry Brown to replace Harris when she was elected to the Senate in 2016.
There’s also Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, the House Intelligence Committee chairman who helped lead the impeachment of Trump. He’s on everyone’s potential Senate list. But he isn’t close to Newsom. Neither is another option: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
If Newsom wanted to replace Harris with another woman, Bass should top his list. Other possibilities include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state Controller Betty Yee, state Treasurer Fiona Ma, state Senate leader Toni Atkins of San Diego and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, a former House member and U.S. labor secretary.
If Bass became vice president, there’d be a special election to fill her House seat.
Prominent potential candidates include L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell. Wesson and Mitchell are running against each other for Ridley-Thomas’ termed-out supervisorial seat. It gets complicated.
We can speculate on and on — at least until Biden ends the VP suspense.


latimes--2020-08-06--Grammy-winning producer Detail arrested on 15 sexual assault charges

A Grammy-winning music producer known as Detail has been arrested on 15 sexual assault charges and five additional felony assault-related charges , authorities said Wednesday .
The producer , whose real name is Noel Fisher , was arrested Wednesday by the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department and is being investigated for incidents that occurred between 2010 and 2018 , the department said in a media release .
Detectives submitted the case to the L.A. County district attorney ’ s office in January .
They were notified in late July of the charges filed against Fisher and an arrest warrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.29 million .
More details about the charges were not immediately available .
The Sheriff ’ s Department asked for the public ’ s help to identify any possible additional victims ; anyone with information should call the Special Victims Bureau tip line at ( 877 ) 710-5273 .
According to the Associated Press , in 2019 a model who alleged in a lawsuit that she had been raped and sexually and emotionally abused by Fisher was awarded $ 15 million in Los Angeles Superior Court .
Fisher , the news agency reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beyonce and Jay-Z hit duet “ Drunk in Love .
”

Music producer Detail, whose real name is Noel Fisher, is being investigated for multiple sexual assault allegations.
A Grammy-winning music producer known as Detail has been arrested on 15 sexual assault charges and five additional felony assault-related charges, authorities said Wednesday.
The producer, whose real name is Noel Fisher, was arrested Wednesday by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and is being investigated for incidents that occurred between 2010 and 2018, the department said in a media release.
Detectives submitted the case to the L.A. County district attorney’s office in January. They were notified in late July of the charges filed against Fisher and an arrest warrant was issued with a bail of $6.29 million.
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More details about the charges were not immediately available. The Sheriff’s Department asked for the public’s help to identify any possible additional victims; anyone with information should call the Special Victims Bureau tip line at (877) 710-5273.
According to the Associated Press, in 2019 a model who alleged in a lawsuit that she had been raped and sexually and emotionally abused by Fisher was awarded $15 million in Los Angeles Superior Court. Fisher, the news agency reported, won a Grammy for co-writing the Beyonce and Jay-Z hit duet “Drunk in Love.”


latimes--2020-08-05--California legislative leaders ask courts to keep coronavirus eviction ban in place

California ’ s legislative leaders are asking the state ’ s Judicial Council for more time before renter evictions resume during the COVID-19 pandemic , saying they are facing “ an impossible decision ” between rushing legislation and leaving millions of tenants unprotected .
Most evictions in the state were suspended in April after California courts stopped processing nearly all cases .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom gave the court system the power to stop evictions in an emergency order in late March , intended to allow “ maximum flexibility ” in responding to the pandemic .
At the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the state Capitol .
Now , with the state Legislature back in session and facing decisions on hundreds of bills before adjourning on Aug. 31 , the Judicial Council , which oversees the state ’ s court system , could lift the suspension on evictions as early as Aug. 14 .
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye , who leads the Judicial Council , said the decision should fall on the Legislature and the governor .
In a letter sent Wednesday , Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) said that timeline would create two-and-a-half weeks of “ chaos ” if evictions resume amid the pandemic .
Rendon and Atkins asked that the Judicial Council consider resuming eviction proceedings on Sept. 5 in order to prevent a gap in tenant protections if the Legislature passes an urgency bill and Newsom signs it into law .
The legislative leaders told Cantil-Sakauye that fast-tracking tenant legislation would not allow for sufficient vetting of the measures and could increase the risk of spreading the virus in the state Capitol during hearings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nearly impossible , given the current precautions needed to reduce the risk of viral transmission during legislative business , ” Atkins and Rendon wrote .
The Judicial Council was originally poised to vote in June on whether to resume evictions , but opted instead to give Newsom and legislative leaders more time .
The Legislature delayed its return last month from summer recess after several staffers and members in the Legislature tested positive for COVID-19 .
Without the statewide ban , tenant protections vary by city and often require renters to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind on rent .
Expanded unemployment benefits also expired at the end of July , prompting fears among tenants , landlords and housing advocates that a wave of evictions is ahead in the coming months .
Two of the most prominent eviction protection bills being considered by the Legislature — Assembly Bill 1436 and Senate Bill 1410 — are scheduled to be heard in committee in mid-August .
“ Even after bills are considered in committee in mid-August , it would still require a considerable amount of time before either could meet other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be passed by both houses and transmitted to the governor , ” the lawmakers wrote in their letter Wednesday .
A spokesperson for the Judicial Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Both AB 1436 and SB1410 would halt evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and give tenants more time to repay overdue rent .
AB 1436 by Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) would also provide mortgage forbearance to property owners , including struggling landlords .
SB 1410 by state Sen. Anna Caballero ( D-Salinas ) would include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t pay rent .
“ We can ’ t allow a wave of massive evictions , it would be catastrophic for COVID-19 spread , ” said Chiu , who signed onto the letter with Rendon and Atkins .
“ We appreciate the role the Judicial Council has played during the pandemic around evictions and we hope to resolve these issues in the eviction process .
”

California’s legislative leaders are asking the state’s Judicial Council for more time before renter evictions resume during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they are facing “an impossible decision” between rushing legislation and leaving millions of tenants unprotected.
Most evictions in the state were suspended in April after California courts stopped processing nearly all cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the court system the power to stop evictions in an emergency order in late March, intended to allow “maximum flexibility” in responding to the pandemic. At the time, the Legislature was on an extended break to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the state Capitol.
Now, with the state Legislature back in session and facing decisions on hundreds of bills before adjourning on Aug. 31, the Judicial Council, which oversees the state’s court system, could lift the suspension on evictions as early as Aug. 14. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who leads the Judicial Council, said the decision should fall on the Legislature and the governor.
In a letter sent Wednesday, Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said that timeline would create two-and-a-half weeks of “chaos” if evictions resume amid the pandemic.
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Rendon and Atkins asked that the Judicial Council consider resuming eviction proceedings on Sept. 5 in order to prevent a gap in tenant protections if the Legislature passes an urgency bill and Newsom signs it into law.
The legislative leaders told Cantil-Sakauye that fast-tracking tenant legislation would not allow for sufficient vetting of the measures and could increase the risk of spreading the virus in the state Capitol during hearings.
“Speeding up the legislative process is nearly impossible, given the current precautions needed to reduce the risk of viral transmission during legislative business,” Atkins and Rendon wrote.
The Judicial Council was originally poised to vote in June on whether to resume evictions, but opted instead to give Newsom and legislative leaders more time. The Legislature delayed its return last month from summer recess after several staffers and members in the Legislature tested positive for COVID-19.
Without the statewide ban, tenant protections vary by city and often require renters to make court appearances to avoid eviction when falling behind on rent.
Expanded unemployment benefits also expired at the end of July, prompting fears among tenants, landlords and housing advocates that a wave of evictions is ahead in the coming months.
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Two of the most prominent eviction protection bills being considered by the Legislature — Assembly Bill 1436 and Senate Bill 1410 — are scheduled to be heard in committee in mid-August.
“Even after bills are considered in committee in mid-August, it would still require a considerable amount of time before either could meet other legislatively required milestones necessary for them to be passed by both houses and transmitted to the governor,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Judicial Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Both AB 1436 and SB1410 would halt evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and give tenants more time to repay overdue rent.
AB 1436 by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) would also provide mortgage forbearance to property owners, including struggling landlords. SB 1410 by state Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) would include tax breaks to landlords when tenants can’t pay rent.
“We can’t allow a wave of massive evictions, it would be catastrophic for COVID-19 spread,” said Chiu, who signed onto the letter with Rendon and Atkins. “We appreciate the role the Judicial Council has played during the pandemic around evictions and we hope to resolve these issues in the eviction process.”


latimes--2020-08-05--Serious breakdown in California systems cause inaccurate coronavirus numbers

A breakdown in the electronic collection of coronavirus test data is hampering California ’ s pandemic response , with some public health officials resorting to counting results by hand and a growing number of counties warning the public that statistics provided by the state on infection rates are unreliable .
The ongoing technical problems with the electronic system for gathering and analyzing COVID-19 infection rates affect the state ’ s ability to track the spread of the virus and could be resulting in significant undercounts of infections across the state .
That was on vivid display Tuesday when the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Gov .
Gavin Newsom had inadvertently provided flawed information on Monday that showed a steep decline — 21.2 % — in the state ’ s seven-day average for infections .
State officials have said they don ’ t know how long and to what extent the problems have existed in the state ’ s CalREDIE electronic system , which collects information from laboratories and feeds it to state and local health departments .
Officials have said it is unknown when the system will be running again , and did not provide additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of test result data is crucial for public health officials in guiding their pandemic response and for projecting likely transmission rates and assisting contact tracing efforts .
Inaccurate data could misshape the public ’ s perception of the state of the pandemic , say experts .
“ The information you ’ re giving to the public over the last few days gives people the sense that we are doing better , and that they can relax .
That might not be true , ” said Dr. Bob Kocher , a former member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked as a White House healthcare official during the Obama administration .
“ We reported to the public that they went from 10,000 to 5,000 a day .
If you ’ re looking at the data , you think we ’ re doing better .
You might be less vigilant ; you might take more chances .
You might think it ’ s less active in your area , ” he said .
Data analysis of test results in recent days has deteriorated to the point that the state health department is implementing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several counties have added a note to their COVID-19 dashboards , warning that the numbers may not be true indicators of the coronavirus ’ full impact .
And in Los Angeles County , where officials on Wednesday reported 68 additional COVID-19-related deaths and 2,347 cases , health officials are working to contact at least 81 laboratories to obtain test results since July 26 in order to determine an accurate case count .
The snafus recall similar problems that plagued the response in the early weeks of the pandemic .
Santa Clara County Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference Wednesday that the flawed data has officials “ back to feeling blind.
” “ We don ’ t know how the epidemic is trending , ” she said .
“ This lack of data doesn ’ t let us know.
” The technical problems , say health officials , do not affect the reporting of hospitalization data , which is collected separately from the CalREDIE system .
But California Department of Public Health officials said in late July that such information may still be undercounted due to how the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must report those numbers .
On Tuesday at least 201 deaths were reported statewide , which was among one of the highest single-day death counts .
The state ’ s total case count is currently more than 528,180 and the death toll is more than 9,720 .
A total of 6,275 additional cases were disclosed , though that number is expected to be higher because of the data collection glitches .
The reporting problem has gotten so acute in Los Angeles County that the county is urging residents to call the public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part to help the county retrieve an accurate count of infections .
The technical issue has not affected people ’ s ability to receive their test results , officials said .
“ No one is really sure how many cases are being dropped , ” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said , stressing that the lost data affects contact tracers ’ ability to identify people who have come into contact with an infected person .
“ It will be a futile exercise for the purpose of isolating and quarantining people.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the ages of 18 and 49 now account for nearly 60 % of new cases of the virus , with the bulk involving those between the ages of 30 and 49 .
Younger residents are also accounting for more of those hospitalized , according to the Department of Public Health , with people between the ages of 30 and 49 making up 25 % of hospitalized patients in the county .
Officials reported 1,768 hospitalizations — 31 % of which are in intensive care .
When asked during a media briefing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he believed that the issue “ probably has been with us since months ago.
” He said that the way laboratories have input data into the state system “ hasn ’ t changed in last two weeks , so there ’ d be no reason to believe that some sort of change in the last two weeks ... accounts for the reduction ” in cases , he said .
Following reports of large parties that violate health orders aimed at slowing the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he will authorize the city to shut off water and power services to residents who hold such gatherings .
In Santa Clara County , one of the early epicenters of the pandemic in the state , there are 169 people hospitalized with COVID-19 , Cody said .
That number has declined in recent weeks , but Cody cautioned against judging it as a true indicator of the virus ’ total effect on the county .
“ While we again can ’ t interpret what our last two weeks of data mean as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week or two of hospitalization data is somewhat reassuring that things are leveling off , ” she said .
“ But it is not enough to really know.
” On Monday , Gov .
Newsom reported that 6,383 people were hospitalized statewide , which would be a decline of 8 % from two weeks ago .
That change in numbers occurred after back-to-back record-setting days of fatalities pushed the state ’ s death toll past 9,000 .
Some counties have continued to see a surge in deaths after reporting a spike in hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which saw an increase in hospitalizations in mid-July , reported 59 COVID-19-related deaths — its highest single-day fatality count since the pandemic hit the United States .
As of Sunday , when the county last reported on hospitalizations , 575 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
Of those , 193 were in intensive care — a 3.8 % increase from the day prior .
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly stressed that long-term data is more crucial than snapshot statistics in analyzing trends related to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that analysis .
“ We ’ re not sure when we ’ ll have a definitive fix to the problem , ” he said .
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner and Leila Miller contributed to this report .

A breakdown in the electronic collection of coronavirus test data is hampering California’s pandemic response, with some public health officials resorting to counting results by hand and a growing number of counties warning the public that statistics provided by the state on infection rates are unreliable.
The ongoing technical problems with the electronic system for gathering and analyzing COVID-19 infection rates affect the state’s ability to track the spread of the virus and could be resulting in significant undercounts of infections across the state.
That was on vivid display Tuesday when the state’s top public health official acknowledged that Gov. Gavin Newsom had inadvertently provided flawed information on Monday that showed a steep decline — 21.2% — in the state’s seven-day average for infections.
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State officials have said they don’t know how long and to what extent the problems have existed in the state’s CalREDIE electronic system, which collects information from laboratories and feeds it to state and local health departments. Officials have said it is unknown when the system will be running again, and did not provide additional details on Wednesday.
The accurate collection of test result data is crucial for public health officials in guiding their pandemic response and for projecting likely transmission rates and assisting contact tracing efforts. Inaccurate data could misshape the public’s perception of the state of the pandemic, say experts.
“The information you’re giving to the public over the last few days gives people the sense that we are doing better, and that they can relax. That might not be true,” said Dr. Bob Kocher, a former member of Newsom’s testing task force who worked as a White House healthcare official during the Obama administration.
“We reported to the public that they went from 10,000 to 5,000 a day. If you’re looking at the data, you think we’re doing better. You might be less vigilant; you might take more chances. You might think it’s less active in your area,” he said.
Data analysis of test results in recent days has deteriorated to the point that the state health department is implementing manual processes to retrieve the information. Several counties have added a note to their COVID-19 dashboards, warning that the numbers may not be true indicators of the coronavirus’ full impact. And in Los Angeles County, where officials on Wednesday reported 68 additional COVID-19-related deaths and 2,347 cases, health officials are working to contact at least 81 laboratories to obtain test results since July 26 in order to determine an accurate case count.
The snafus recall similar problems that plagued the response in the early weeks of the pandemic. Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a news conference Wednesday that the flawed data has officials “back to feeling blind.”
“We don’t know how the epidemic is trending,” she said. “This lack of data doesn’t let us know.”
The technical problems, say health officials, do not affect the reporting of hospitalization data, which is collected separately from the CalREDIE system. But California Department of Public Health officials said in late July that such information may still be undercounted due to how the Trump administration changed the way in which hospitals must report those numbers.
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On Tuesday at least 201 deaths were reported statewide, which was among one of the highest single-day death counts. The state’s total case count is currently more than 528,180 and the death toll is more than 9,720. A total of 6,275 additional cases were disclosed, though that number is expected to be higher because of the data collection glitches.
The reporting problem has gotten so acute in Los Angeles County that the county is urging residents to call the public health department if they have tested positive, in part to help the county retrieve an accurate count of infections. The technical issue has not affected people’s ability to receive their test results, officials said.
“No one is really sure how many cases are being dropped,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, stressing that the lost data affects contact tracers’ ability to identify people who have come into contact with an infected person. “It will be a futile exercise for the purpose of isolating and quarantining people.”
County officials reported Wednesday that people between the ages of 18 and 49 now account for nearly 60% of new cases of the virus, with the bulk involving those between the ages of 30 and 49.
Younger residents are also accounting for more of those hospitalized, according to the Department of Public Health, with people between the ages of 30 and 49 making up 25% of hospitalized patients in the county. Officials reported 1,768 hospitalizations — 31% of which are in intensive care.
When asked during a media briefing for his take on the reporting issues announced this week, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he believed that the issue “probably has been with us since months ago.”
He said that the way laboratories have input data into the state system “hasn’t changed in last two weeks, so there’d be no reason to believe that some sort of change in the last two weeks ... accounts for the reduction” in cases, he said.
Following reports of large parties that violate health orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, Garcetti also said Wednesday that he will authorize the city to shut off water and power services to residents who hold such gatherings.
In Santa Clara County, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic in the state, there are 169 people hospitalized with COVID-19, Cody said. That number has declined in recent weeks, but Cody cautioned against judging it as a true indicator of the virus’ total effect on the county.
“While we again can’t interpret what our last two weeks of data mean as far as the cases, the last week or two of hospitalization data is somewhat reassuring that things are leveling off,” she said. “But it is not enough to really know.”
On Monday, Gov. Newsom reported that 6,383 people were hospitalized statewide, which would be a decline of 8% from two weeks ago. That change in numbers occurred after back-to-back record-setting days of fatalities pushed the state’s death toll past 9,000.
Some counties have continued to see a surge in deaths after reporting a spike in hospitalizations. On Tuesday, San Bernardino County, which saw an increase in hospitalizations in mid-July, reported 59 COVID-19-related deaths — its highest single-day fatality count since the pandemic hit the United States. As of Sunday, when the county last reported on hospitalizations, 575 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 193 were in intensive care — a 3.8% increase from the day prior.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly stressed that long-term data is more crucial than snapshot statistics in analyzing trends related to COVID-19. Accuracy, however, is necessary for that analysis.
“We’re not sure when we’ll have a definitive fix to the problem,” he said.
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner and Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-06--California tops 10,000 coronavirus deaths

The death toll from the coronavirus in California surpassed 10,000 people on Thursday , a mark that underscores how a state that was one hailed as a pandemic success story is now struggling to slow outbreaks .
The surge of the coronavirus in California over the last two months had several causes , including the reopening of the economy that allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly among low-wage workers , many of them Latino essential workers whose employers haven ’ t followed new infection control rules .
But summer celebrations among young people is also a recurring problem , and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks .
As of Thursday evening , California had at least 540,339 confirmed cases and 10,006 deaths .
California now has more cases than any other state , but the death toll is still well below that of New York , which has recorded more than 32,000 fatalities .
Los Angeles County has by far the most deaths in the state , with at least 4,869 .
On Thursday , the county hit another somber milestone , topping 200,000 total cases .
A big problem persists in agricultural areas of California , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Joaquin Valley has seen hospitalizations increase 500 % over the last two months .
There are some signs that the surge may be peaking in California on average , although it will take a few more weeks to know for sure .
A Los Angeles Times analysis on Monday found that its first weekly reduction in new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in 12 weeks .
For the seven-day period that ended Sunday , California reported 59,697 new coronavirus cases , a drop of 9 % from the previous week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
If the trends continue , it would mark a turning point after weeks of record hospitalizations that began in mid-June , the result of California starting to rapidly reopen the economy in May .
But a serious breakdown in the electronic collection of coronavirus test data has raised questions about how accurate the numbers are , frustrating health officials .
Some public health officials have resorted to counting results by hand , and a growing number of counties have warned the public that statistics provided by the state on infection rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the electronic system for gathering and analyzing COVID-19 infection rates affect the state ’ s ability to track the spread of the virus and could be resulting in significant undercounts of infections across the state .
The data processing problem , however , has not affected the tracking of hospitalizations .
And hospitalizations statewide have begun to improve .
California experienced its highest number of average daily COVID-19 hospitalizations about two weeks ago ; the week of July 20 , there were an average of 6,969 people in hospitals statewide .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That improvement was the first time in 10 weeks California has seen such a reduction in average daily hospitalizations .

Sean Greene, Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby, Iris Lee

The death toll from the coronavirus in California surpassed 10,000 people on Thursday, a mark that underscores how a state that was once hailed as a pandemic success story is now struggling to slow outbreaks.
The surge of the coronavirus in California over the last two months had several causes, including the reopening of the economy that allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly among low-wage workers, many of them Latino essential workers whose employers haven’t followed new infection control rules. But summer celebrations among young people is also a recurring problem, and one particularly frustrating to officials trying to slow outbreaks.
As of Friday morning, California had at least 541,494 confirmed cases and 10,028 deaths. California now has more cases than any other state, but the death toll is still well below that of New York, which has recorded more than 32,700 fatalities.
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Los Angeles County has by far the most deaths in the state, with at least 4,869. On Thursday, the county hit another somber milestone, topping 200,000 total cases.
A big problem persists in agricultural areas of California, such as the Central Valley.
The eight-county San Joaquin Valley has seen hospitalizations increase 500% over the last two months.
There are some signs that the surge may be peaking in California on average, although it will take a few more weeks to know for sure.
A Los Angeles Times analysis on Monday found that California has now experienced its first weekly reduction in new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in 12 weeks. For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, California reported 59,697 new coronavirus cases, a drop of 9% from the previous week of 65,634 cases, which was a record.
If the trends continue, it would mark a turning point after weeks of record hospitalizations that began in mid-June, the result of California starting to rapidly reopen the economy in May.
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But a serious breakdown in the electronic collection of coronavirus test data has raised questions about how accurate the numbers are, frustrating health officials. Some public health officials have resorted to counting results by hand, and a growing number of counties have warned the public that statistics provided by the state on infection rates are unreliable.
The ongoing technical problems with the electronic system for gathering and analyzing COVID-19 infection rates affect the state’s ability to track the spread of the virus and could be resulting in significant undercounts of infections across the state.
The data processing problem, however, has not affected the tracking of hospitalizations. And hospitalizations statewide have begun to improve.
California experienced its highest number of average daily COVID-19 hospitalizations about two weeks ago; the week of July 20, there were an average of 6,969 people in hospitals statewide. That number fell last week to 6,632. That improvement was the first time in 10 weeks California has seen such a reduction in average daily hospitalizations.


latimes--2020-08-06--Firefighters stop progress of Texas fire in Saugus at 130 acres

The Texas fire in Saugus , which started about 2 p.m. Thursday , has grown to 130 acres but has not caused any structural damage and “ forward progress has been stopped ” as of 4:30 p.m. , officials said .
John Clearwater , a public affairs officer with the Angeles National Forest , said the fire , which began near Texas and Bouquet canyons on forest land , is 10 % contained with 115 firefighters on the scene .
The flames have been boxed in by fire retardant , Clearwater said .
The firefighters are being aided by seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 747 VLAT , or very large air tanker , was also en route from San Bernardino .
No cause for the fire has been determined , but an investigation is underway .
“ The fire burned up the hillside and grew quickly with winds behind it , ” Clearwater said .
“ It has pushed into the hill country , and firefighters on scene are working hard to protect structures.
” The fire grew quickly from early reports of three aces to 130 acres within two hours .
Most structures in danger are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the forest might also include barns or sheds .
He added that no power lines had been affected .

The Texas fire in Saugus, which started about 2 p.m. Thursday, has grown to 130 acres but has not caused any structural damage and “forward progress has been stopped” as of 4:30 p.m., officials said.
John Clearwater, a public affairs officer with the Angeles National Forest, said the fire, which began near Texas and Bouquet canyons on forest land, is 10% contained with 115 firefighters on the scene.
The flames have been boxed in by fire retardant, Clearwater said.
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The firefighters are being aided by seven helicopters and three air tankers. A 747 VLAT, or very large air tanker, was also en route from San Bernardino.
No cause for the fire has been determined, but an investigation is underway.
“The fire burned up the hillside and grew quickly with winds behind it,” Clearwater said. “It has pushed into the hill country, and firefighters on scene are working hard to protect structures.”
The fire grew quickly from early reports of three aces to 130 acres within two hours.
Most structures in danger are homes, though Clearwater said that structures in the forest might also include barns or sheds. He added that no power lines had been affected.


latimes--2020-08-06--Judge hikes bail for La Luz del Mundo leader to $90 million

A judge on Thursday set bail at $ 90 million for the leader of La Luz del Mundo church , all but ensuring that the religious leader , Naason Joaquin Garcia , will remain jailed as he awaits trial on charges of raping children and possessing child pornography , among other crimes .
The bail amount , set by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli , was staggering .
Garcia ’ s attorneys had asked the judge to whittle down the $ 50-million bail imposed last year , when Garcia was first charged with sex crimes .
Setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functional equivalent of denying it , his attorneys argued , because no surety company could legally underwrite so large a bond .
Instead , Lomeli raised it by $ 40 million .
Citing testimony from an agent who investigated Garcia and messages retrieved from seized phones , Lomeli said he had seen evidence of “ a systematic pattern of sexual assault of minors.
” Garcia , whose followers consider him the “ apostle ” of Jesus Christ , faces 22 felony counts that include raping a child , committing lewd acts on children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was arrested and charged last year , but an appeals court dismissed the case in April after finding that prosecutors from the state attorney general ’ s office failed to hold a preliminary hearing in a timely manner .
State prosecutors filed charges again last week .
Garcia ’ s attorneys , Caleb Mason and Alan Jackson , declined Thursday to waive the 10-day period in which prosecutors must show a judge there is enough evidence for the case to proceed .
Lomeli scheduled the preliminary hearing to begin Tuesday morning ; Amanda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the court she expects it to last seven to 10 days .
In arguing to lower Garcia ’ s $ 50-million bail , his attorneys called to the stand a bail agent , Morris Demayo , who testified that no surety company could legally underwrite a bond of more than $ 10 million .
To get an exemption , the surety company would have to seek a special hearing with the state insurance department , Demayo testified , but no such hearings are being held during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Demayo told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever heard of being posted in Los Angeles County was $ 7 million .
Moreover , the bail agent said that after running a background check and speaking to Garcia ’ s accountant and financial advisor , he concluded there was “ no way ” the church leader had enough assets to post even a $ 10-million bond .
Mason assailed the prosecution ’ s account of Garcia ’ s crimes and his ability to flee if released , saying they had presented to the court “ a combination of hearsay and speculation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
None of Garcia ’ s alleged victims was identified during the hearing , Mason protested , nor could their accounts be tested through cross-examination .
He said that one of them — identified only as Jane Doe # 4 — was offered immunity for her own criminal exposure because she is “ an accomplice in this enterprise.
” His arguments weren ’ t successful .
Before raising Garcia ’ s bail by $ 40 million , Lomeli said he found the charges against Garcia disturbing , the evidence that Garcia could flee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia , if convicted , would face a long stretch in prison .
The judge noted that Garcia is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico , and the leader of an organization with churches and adherents around the world — including in some countries , such as Cuba , that don ’ t extradite fugitives to the United States .
Troy Holmes , a special agent for the California Department of Justice , testified that he found gold nuggets and what appeared to be fraudulent identification cards when he searched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lomeli also noted that Garcia is alleged to have used his followers to procure and groom child victims .
One of those alleged accomplices , Alondra Ocampo , had her bail reduced Thursday from $ 25 million to $ 10 million .
Ocampo , like Garcia , was arrested last year .

A judge on Thursday set bail at $90 million for the leader of La Luz del Mundo church, all but ensuring that the religious leader, Naason Joaquin Garcia, will remain jailed as he awaits trial on charges of raping children and possessing child pornography, among other crimes.
The bail amount, set by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli, was staggering. Garcia’s attorneys had asked the judge to whittle down the $50-million bail imposed last year, when Garcia was first charged with sex crimes. Setting bail at $50 million was the functional equivalent of denying it, his attorneys argued, because no surety company could legally underwrite so large a bond.
Instead, Lomeli raised it by $40 million.
Citing testimony from an agent who investigated Garcia and messages retrieved from seized phones, Lomeli said he had seen evidence of “a systematic pattern of sexual assault of minors.”
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Garcia, whose followers consider him the “apostle” of Jesus Christ, faces 22 felony counts that include raping a child, committing lewd acts on children, human trafficking and extortion. He was arrested and charged last year, but an appeals court dismissed the case in April after finding that prosecutors from the state attorney general’s office failed to hold a preliminary hearing in a timely manner.
State prosecutors filed charges again last week. Garcia’s attorneys, Caleb Mason and Alan Jackson, declined Thursday to waive the 10-day period in which prosecutors must show a judge there is enough evidence for the case to proceed. Lomeli scheduled the preliminary hearing to begin Tuesday morning; Amanda Plisner, a deputy attorney general, told the court she expects it to last seven to 10 days.
In arguing to lower Garcia’s $50-million bail, his attorneys called to the stand a bail agent, Morris Demayo, who testified that no surety company could legally underwrite a bond of more than $10 million. To get an exemption, the surety company would have to seek a special hearing with the state insurance department, Demayo testified, but no such hearings are being held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demayo told the judge the highest bond he has ever heard of being posted in Los Angeles County was $7 million. Moreover, the bail agent said that after running a background check and speaking to Garcia’s accountant and financial advisor, he concluded there was “no way” the church leader had enough assets to post even a $10-million bond.
Mason assailed the prosecution’s account of Garcia’s crimes and his ability to flee if released, saying they had presented to the court “a combination of hearsay and speculation” in seeking to keep him detained.
None of Garcia’s alleged victims was identified during the hearing, Mason protested, nor could their accounts be tested through cross-examination. He said that one of them — identified only as Jane Doe #4 — was offered immunity for her own criminal exposure because she is “an accomplice in this enterprise.”
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His arguments weren’t successful. Before raising Garcia’s bail by $40 million, Lomeli said he found the charges against Garcia disturbing, the evidence that Garcia could flee convincing, and the likelihood high that Garcia, if convicted, would face a long stretch in prison.
The judge noted that Garcia is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, and the leader of an organization with churches and adherents around the world — including in some countries, such as Cuba, that don’t extradite fugitives to the United States.
Troy Holmes, a special agent for the California Department of Justice, testified that he found gold nuggets and what appeared to be fraudulent identification cards when he searched Garcia’s Los Angeles home.
Lomeli also noted that Garcia is alleged to have used his followers to procure and groom child victims. One of those alleged accomplices, Alondra Ocampo, had her bail reduced Thursday from $25 million to $10 million. Ocampo, like Garcia, was arrested last year.


latimes--2020-08-06--Funeral service held for LAPD Officer Valentin Martinez

Los Angeles Police Department officers , family and friends attended the funeral of Officer Valentin Martinez , the agency ’ @ @ @ @ @ die of complications from COVID-19 .
A memory service was held Thursday at Forest Lawn @ @ @ @ @ Liberty .
Martinez , 45 , was a 13-year veteran of the LAPD and is @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus while on duty .
He he died on July 24 , leaving behind his @ @ @ @ @ his siblings and his domestic partner , Megan Flynn , who is pregnant with their @ @ @ @ @ Memorial Fund has been established for the family .

Los Angeles Police Department officers, family and friends attended the funeral of Officer Valentin Martinez, the agency’s first sworn employee to die of complications from COVID-19. A memory service was held Thursday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills’ Hall of Liberty. Martinez, 45, was a 13-year veteran of the LAPD and is presumed to have contracted the coronavirus while on duty. He he died on July 24, leaving behind his mother, Maria Martinez, his siblings and his domestic partner, Megan Flynn, who is pregnant with their twins. A Val Martinez Memorial Fund has been established for the family.
LAPD Officer Valentin Martinez’s flag-covered coffin is carried into Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A photo of Officer Valentin Martinez at the memorial service. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A bagpiper leads the funeral procession. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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An officer wipes a tear during the service. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A flag honoring Officer Valentin Martinez is folded. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Mourners embrace at the memorial service. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore holds the flag to present to Megan Flynn, Martinez’s partner. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Chief Michel Moore presents the flag to Megan Flynn. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti consoles Maria Martinez, the officer’s mother. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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