latimes--2020-03-02--Robert Durst's fate will rest with 12 jurors, the only audience that matters now

The story of New York real estate heir Robert Durst has been chronicled for the masses in lurid and often gory detail .
There was the mysterious disappearance of his wife in 1982 , which sparked a frenzy of tabloid coverage and a movie on Lifetime .
National media converged on Galveston , Texas , in 2003 when Durst was acquitted of murdering his neighbor , even though he admitted to chopping up the man ’ s body and disposing the pieces into the Gulf of Mexico .
And in 2015 , millions watched HBO ’ s “ The Jinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durst , ” a six-part series that explored Durst ’ s close bond to people who ’ ve met early demises , including his close friend Susan Berman , who was shot execution-style in Los Angeles in 2000 .
Now only one audience matters , and they ’ ll decide the fate of the 76-year-old Durst as he defends against the charge that he killed Berman .
On Wednesday , the L.A. County district attorney ’ s office is expected to begin presenting its painstakingly researched case to 12 jurors and offering evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the back of the head to prevent her from ever speaking to law enforcement about the disappearance of Kathleen McCormack Durst .
The eight-woman , four-man panel was seated and sworn in last week .
Attorneys are midway through the task of choosing a dozen alternates for a trial that ’ s anticipated to last well into the summer .
The process has played out in the Airport Courthouse near LAX , in a cross between a casting call and a group interrogation .
Prospective jurors have faced questioning in open court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their most painful memories while lawyers try to pinpoint biases and weed out those they guess will be unfavorable to their case .
The retired FBI special agent who golfs weekly with friends from the California Highway Patrol and the LAPD made it onto the panel .
So did the financial analyst whose mother was a victim of domestic abuse .
Most did not .
An assistant U.S. attorney was booted , as was the Russian emigre who acknowledged she was prejudiced against the justice system .
Also removed from the pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for HBO , donned a T-shirt with the network ’ s logo and said his job involved ensuring “ The Jinx ” was available for viewers in the network ’ s carousel of top programs .
“ Each side has its own story it ’ s going to tell , ” said John G. McCabe , a cognitive psychologist and trial consultant who is not involved in the case .
“ The question for the lawyers has been : Is this a person who will go with our story or not ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before .
In 2003 , jurors acquitted him of murdering his neighbor Morris Black despite a set of unflattering facts : Durst admitted to shooting Black , slicing up his body and cleaning up the bloody scene .
He claimed he shot his neighbor in the head in self-defense .
“ It was an amazing case that was won in jury selection , ” said Robert Hirschhorn , a lawyer who worked as the defense team ’ s jury consultant in Galveston .
He was upfront about liking Durst , saying , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids.
” In evaluating a panel , Hirschhorn said he dwells less on demographics — age , gender and race — than on life experience and values .
For jurors , he said he preferred the naturally inquisitive and skeptical .
He also looked for “ CSI jurors , ” nicknamed for the CBS police procedural “ CSI : Crime Scene Investigation , ” and said those jurors will scrutinize evidence in detail and make sure it is sound .
“ If you have a murder case that hinges primarily on circumstantial evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no weapon — those ‘ CSI jurors ’ will really question the state ’ s case , ” Hirschhorn said .
The district attorney ’ s office declined to comment about their pretrial process .
In court before would-be jurors , the prosecution belabored the point about ignoring the noise outside and instead focusing on the testimony presented in court .
Deputy Dist .
Atty .
John Lewin , the lead prosecutor , also asked potential jurors whether they ’ d view Durst differently just because he was aged and infirm .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good in people , ” Lewin said .
“ Do you understand that as jurors , you have to look at the evidence , and if the evidence points to not-so-good , you have to accept that ?
” At trial , both sides have tactics at their disposal to gain an advantage before the jury .
Lawyers can convene focus groups or mock juries to test arguments , and McCabe said he ’ d be “ totally surprised ” if Durst ’ s lawyers weren ’ t refining their defense before a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hotels or conference rooms and sign non-disclosure agreements or protective orders .
During a run-through , attorneys will ask for feedback as they tweak arguments , McCabe said .
“ These are super skilled lawyers , ” he said , “ but you get an echo chamber when you are preparing for a trial like this.
” Some defense teams with ample resources may even have a “ shadow jury , ” where a group is hired that resembles the general makeup of the panel in court and attends each day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
Lawyers get real-time commentary from the “ shadow ” group .
It ’ s unclear whether Durst ’ s attorneys were using any sort of mock panel .
And it was doubtful that any shadow jurors could covertly fill the compact courtroom : Only two members of the public will be allowed to view the case each day on a first-come , first-serve basis .
In Los Angeles , the jury selection for Durst ’ s second trial began in January , when 414 potential jurors received a 28-page questionnaire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the lawyers sought answers about a potential juror ’ s parents and children , inquired about attitudes toward wealth and law enforcement and membership in groups like the National Rifle Assn .
or American Civil Liberties Union .
The form also gauged familiarity with autism or Asperger ’ s syndrome .
Many questions probed what potential jurors knew about the man at the center of the case .
Have you formed an opinion about Robert Durst ?
Would you expect the defendant to testify in his own defense ?
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to determine which people have such a strong preconception that they can ’ t perform their jury function , ” said David Chesnoff , a veteran Las Vegas attorney who is on Durst ’ s defense team .
Prospective jurors have responded with candor .
“ Charming psychopath , ” said one woman .
“ It doesn ’ t look good , ” said a driver for Ralphs who lives in Windsor Hills .
Another said Durst “ is dangerous and should not be free.
” An L.A. attorney opined that Durst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident who worked in accounting for a health and wellness business said he did not see “ The Jinx , ” but read about the case and watched clips online .
“ Do you believe he ’ s guilty , ” asked Chip Lewis , one of the defense attorneys .
“ I believe he ’ s guilty of all three murders , ” the man said , his arms folded .
He was later excused from the courtroom .
Durst ’ s lawyers have used such responses — 60 % of potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case — to bolster a last-ditch effort to move the trial out of Los Angeles County , filing a motion that claimed the torrent of publicity rendered a trial here unfair .
“ Well over half of these have expressed opinions that the defendant is guilty , ” said a declaration from Lois Heaney , a jury consultant for Durst who also worked on defense teams for Robert Blake and the Menendez brothers .
Prosecutors noted , however , that the defense included in the questionnaire a detailed , 235-word summary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juror opinions about him .
The motion to move the trial out of L.A. appeared unlikely to succeed , and Judge Mark E. Windham seemed miffed at the effort .
Citing court procedure , the judge scheduled the motion to be heard on March 6 , after opening arguments were expected to begin .
Prosecutors have not filed a response , and a spokesman for the district attorney ’ s office declined to comment .
Windham has seemed to take it as a given that jurors already know about the famous defendant whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The judge and attorneys for both sides have harped on the panel to wait for the evidence over the next five months .
“ If you ’ ve seen the stories , ” Windham said , “ it ’ s all going to be here , and you ’ re going to see it live .
”

The story of New York real estate heir Robert Durst has been chronicled for the masses in lurid and often gory detail.
There was the mysterious disappearance of his wife in 1982, which sparked a frenzy of tabloid coverage and a movie on Lifetime. National media converged on Galveston, Texas, in 2003 when Durst was acquitted of murdering his neighbor, even though he admitted to chopping up the man’s body and disposing the pieces into the Gulf of Mexico. And in 2015, millions watched HBO’s “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” a six-part series that explored Durst’s close bond to people who’ve met early demises, including his close friend Susan Berman, who was shot execution-style in Los Angeles in 2000.
Now only one audience matters, and they’ll decide the fate of the 76-year-old Durst as he defends against the charge that he killed Berman.
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On Wednesday, the L.A. County district attorney’s office is expected to begin presenting its painstakingly researched case to 12 jurors and offering evidence for the theory that Durst shot Berman in the back of the head to prevent her from ever speaking to law enforcement about the disappearance of Kathleen McCormack Durst.
The eight-woman, four-man panel was seated and sworn in last week. Attorneys are midway through the task of choosing a dozen alternates for a trial that’s anticipated to last well into the summer.
The process has played out in the Airport Courthouse near LAX, in a cross between a casting call and a group interrogation. Prospective jurors have faced questioning in open court about their deepest beliefs and shared some of their most painful memories while lawyers try to pinpoint biases and weed out those they guess will be unfavorable to their case.
The retired FBI special agent who golfs weekly with friends from the California Highway Patrol and the LAPD made it onto the panel. So did the financial analyst whose mother was a victim of domestic abuse.
Most did not. An assistant U.S. attorney was booted, as was the Russian emigre who acknowledged she was prejudiced against the justice system. Also removed from the pool: a man who said he worked for HBO, donned a T-shirt with the network’s logo and said his job involved ensuring “The Jinx” was available for viewers in the network’s carousel of top programs.
“Each side has its own story it’s going to tell,” said John G. McCabe, a cognitive psychologist and trial consultant who is not involved in the case. “The question for the lawyers has been: Is this a person who will go with our story or not?”
Durst has faced the uncertainty of trial before. In 2003, jurors acquitted him of murdering his neighbor Morris Black despite a set of unflattering facts: Durst admitted to shooting Black, slicing up his body and cleaning up the bloody scene. He claimed he shot his neighbor in the head in self-defense.
“It was an amazing case that was won in jury selection,” said Robert Hirschhorn, a lawyer who worked as the defense team’s jury consultant in Galveston. He was upfront about liking Durst, saying, “I’d let Bob babysit my kids.”
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In evaluating a panel, Hirschhorn said he dwells less on demographics — age, gender and race — than on life experience and values. For jurors, he said he preferred the naturally inquisitive and skeptical. He also looked for “CSI jurors,” nicknamed for the CBS police procedural “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and said those jurors will scrutinize evidence in detail and make sure it is sound.
“If you have a murder case that hinges primarily on circumstantial evidence — there’s no fingerprints, no weapon — those ‘CSI jurors’ will really question the state’s case,” Hirschhorn said.
The district attorney’s office declined to comment about their pretrial process. In court before would-be jurors, the prosecution belabored the point about ignoring the noise outside and instead focusing on the testimony presented in court.
Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin, the lead prosecutor, also asked potential jurors whether they’d view Durst differently just because he was aged and infirm.
“Its OK to want to see the good in people,” Lewin said. “Do you understand that as jurors, you have to look at the evidence, and if the evidence points to not-so-good, you have to accept that?”
At trial, both sides have tactics at their disposal to gain an advantage before the jury. Lawyers can convene focus groups or mock juries to test arguments, and McCabe said he’d be “totally surprised” if Durst’s lawyers weren’t refining their defense before a mock panel.
Mock juries may meet in hotels or conference rooms and sign non-disclosure agreements or protective orders. During a run-through, attorneys will ask for feedback as they tweak arguments, McCabe said.
“These are super skilled lawyers,” he said, “but you get an echo chamber when you are preparing for a trial like this.”
Some defense teams with ample resources may even have a “shadow jury,” where a group is hired that resembles the general makeup of the panel in court and attends each day of the case as a member of the public. Lawyers get real-time commentary from the “shadow” group.
It’s unclear whether Durst’s attorneys were using any sort of mock panel. And it was doubtful that any shadow jurors could covertly fill the compact courtroom: Only two members of the public will be allowed to view the case each day on a first-come, first-serve basis.
In Los Angeles, the jury selection for Durst’s second trial began in January, when 414 potential jurors received a 28-page questionnaire. Along with name, age and occupation, the lawyers sought answers about a potential juror’s parents and children, inquired about attitudes toward wealth and law enforcement and membership in groups like the National Rifle Assn. or American Civil Liberties Union. The form also gauged familiarity with autism or Asperger’s syndrome.
Many questions probed what potential jurors knew about the man at the center of the case. Have you formed an opinion about Robert Durst? Would you expect the defendant to testify in his own defense?
“I think in any high-publicity case, the goal is to determine which people have such a strong preconception that they can’t perform their jury function,” said David Chesnoff, a veteran Las Vegas attorney who is on Durst’s defense team.
Prospective jurors have responded with candor. “Charming psychopath,” said one woman. “It doesn’t look good,” said a driver for Ralphs who lives in Windsor Hills. Another said Durst “is dangerous and should not be free.” An L.A. attorney opined that Durst was flat-out guilty.
A Santa Monica resident who worked in accounting for a health and wellness business said he did not see “The Jinx,” but read about the case and watched clips online.
“Do you believe he’s guilty,” asked Chip Lewis, one of the defense attorneys.
“I believe he’s guilty of all three murders,” the man said, his arms folded.
He was later excused from the courtroom.
Durst’s lawyers have used such responses — 60% of potential jurors said they were already aware of the case — to bolster a last-ditch effort to move the trial out of Los Angeles County, filing a motion that claimed the torrent of publicity rendered a trial here unfair.
“Well over half of these have expressed opinions that the defendant is guilty,” said a declaration from Lois Heaney, a jury consultant for Durst who also worked on defense teams for Robert Blake and the Menendez brothers.
Prosecutors noted, however, that the defense included in the questionnaire a detailed, 235-word summary of accusations against Durst that could have influences juror opinions about him.
The motion to move the trial out of L.A. appeared unlikely to succeed, and Judge Mark E. Windham seemed miffed at the effort. Citing court procedure, the judge scheduled the motion to be heard on March 6, after opening arguments were expected to begin.
Prosecutors have not filed a response, and a spokesman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.
Windham has seemed to take it as a given that jurors already know about the famous defendant whom the courtroom bailiff addresses as “Bobby.”
The judge and attorneys for both sides have harped on the panel to wait for the evidence over the next five months.
“If you’ve seen the stories,” Windham said, “it’s all going to be here, and you’re going to see it live.”


latimes--2020-03-02--Here's where coronavirus cases have been reported in California

Cases of the novel coronavirus have begun to mount in the United States and are expected to continue to grow in the coming weeks as the virus spreads and testing increases .
“ We are facing a historic public health challenge , ” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
“ We will continue to respond to COVID-19 in an aggressive way to contain and blunt the threat of this virus .
While we still hope for the best , we continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States.
” In California , at least 40 cases have been reported .
Twenty-four cases were people who caught the virus either on the Diamond Princess cruise ship or in Wuhan , China , where the outbreak was first reported , and were then repatriated to the U.S. and quarantined at California military bases .
An additional 19 cases were in returning travelers or , in at least five instances , people who contracted the virus in their community .
One case has been reported , a healthcare worker at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The worker came into contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The healthcare worker was isolated at home .
The county declared a local emergency when the results were returned .
Authorities announced Feb. 19 that a Humboldt County resident who had recently traveled to China had been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
The person self-isolated at home and has since been cleared and released , officials said .
There has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident who was flying through Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 22 on his way back to China , and presented himself for care at LAX once he noticed he wasn ’ t feeling well , L.A. County public health officials announced Jan. 26 .
The patient was taken from LAX directly to a hospital , was quarantined for 14 days and has now been released , said L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer .
More than 50 people who came into contact with the patient , many of whom were health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asked to limit contact with others , Ferrer said .
There has been one case in Orange County .
Public health officials announced Jan. 25 that a returning traveler from Wuhan had tested positive for the virus .
The patient was isolated in a hospital and has fully recovered , officials said .
On Feb. 26 , the county declared a local health emergency in response to the coronavirus .
The move was largely in response to a proposal to move coronavirus patients to a facility in Costa Mesa , which sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has since retreated from the plan .
A healthcare worker in Placer County was confirmed as a presumptive positive case of the virus , pending confirmation from the CDC .
The individual is isolating at home .
The individual is a NorthBay VacaValley Hospital worker who came into close contact with a previously confirmed case in Solano County , before that individual was transferred to another hospital and tested for the virus .
A Sacramento County resident who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2 was found to have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The person took precautionary measures during travel and had been self-quarantined since returning , according to the county public health department .
The patient was asymptomatic but was isolated at home .
Two cases have been reported in San Benito County , both on Feb. 2 .
A man , 57 , who had recently returned from Wuhan became ill and passed the virus on to his wife , also 57 .
Officials said the couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China .
They were not hospitalized and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases have been reported in San Diego County , both of them among people who were evacuated from Wuhan and flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to be quarantined .
Authorities announced the first case on Feb. 10 and the second two days later .
Both patients were hospitalized at San Diego Health System shortly after arriving at the base , officials said .
The first patient was mistakenly discharged from the hospital Feb. 9 and sent back to the base after a mix-up with the test results , but was returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
Both patients have since recovered and been released from the hospital .
County public health officials declared a local emergency on Feb. 14 in response to the coronavirus .
Of the nine cases in the county , at least four were linked to travel .
Authorities announced the first on Jan. 31 , a Santa Clara County man who fell ill after his Jan. 24 return from Wuhan and Shanghai .
Officials said the man had self-isolated at his home , leaving twice to seek medical care .
Authorities confirmed Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveled to Wuhan became infected with the virus .
The woman arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 23 to visit family , officials said , and had stayed home since her arrival , except for two trips to seek outpatient medical care .
She was not sick enough to be hospitalized .
An additional third case , made public Thursday , is believed to have been contracted in the community .
The patient is an older adult woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized for a respiratory illness , officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus through travel or close contact with a known infected person , and officials aren ’ t sure how she got it .
The fourth case , announced Friday , was a close contact of that woman and is doing well , officials said .
She was not ill and was isolated at home .
The county announced its fifth , sixth and seventh coronavirus cases on Sunday .
One was a woman with chronic health conditions who was hospitalized .
An investigation into how she acquired the infection had just begun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife who had recently traveled to Egypt .
The man has underlying medical conditions , officials said .
Both patients were hospitalized .
On Monday , officials said that two men who were “ household contacts ” of a previously confirmed case tested positive for COVID-19 .
Both are in isolation at their respective residences .
Officals reported a presumed-positive case of the virus , pending testing confirmation from the CDC .
That person has been hospitalized and remains under isolation .
The source of exposure is currently unknown , as the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through travel or contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 .
Most of the cases in Solano County are associated with evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship , where passengers were quarantined off Japan after some of those who had boarded tested positive for coronavirus .
Some of the evacuees were taken to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield .
Of those who arrived there , 21 tested positive for coronavirus , the CDC said Wednesday .
Some of them were then transferred to hospitals outside the county .
Solano County is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community spread in the U.S. was reported .
An older woman was hospitalized at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital with fever illness and transferred to UC Davis Medical Center , where she was eventually diagnosed with COVID-19 , officials announced Wednesday .
She was “ in her community ” for several days before accessing care , officials said .
The woman had not recently traveled to a high-risk area , nor had she been in contact with someone with the virus .
She was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
The guidelines have since been revised .
More than 100 people , most of whom were health workers , have been asked to self-quarantine because of contact with the woman .
The CDC has dispatched a team to help local officials identify others who may have come in contact with her .
The woman is slowly recovering .
So far , her family members have tested negative for the virus but remain in quarantine , officials said .
On Thursday , the county issued a proclamation of local emergency due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital who had contact with the earlier case was also diagnosed with coronavirus .
The Solano County resident was in isolation at home .

Alex Wigglesworth, Soumya Karlamangla, Colleen Shalby

A woman walks by the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, Calif. A VacaValley health worker came in contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19.
Note: The numbers on this page are no longer up to date. Track the latest statewide and local totals using our California coronavirus tracker.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Cases of the coronavirus have begun to mount in the United States and are expected to continue to grow in the coming weeks as the virus spreads and testing increases.
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“We are facing a historic public health challenge,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We will continue to respond to COVID-19 in an aggressive way to contain and blunt the threat of this virus. While we still hope for the best, we continue to prepare for this virus to become widespread in the United States.”
In California, at least 198 cases have been reported, including four deaths — the most recent of which was announced Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization officially referred to the coronavirus as a pandemic for the first time.
About 24 of the cases in California have been people who caught the virus either on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan or in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak was first reported, and were then repatriated to the U.S. and quarantined at California military bases. The others were returning travelers or, in at least 10 instances, people who contracted the virus in their communities.
A growing number of cases are tied to another Princess Cruises ship, the Grand Princess, which departed San Francisco on Feb. 11 and sailed to Mexico before returning Feb. 21, dropping off some passengers and then departing for another voyage to Hawaii. The ship docked at the Port of Oakland Monday and began the painstaking process of unloading passengers.
Newsom previously said most of the 962 California residents aboard the ship who did not need immediate medical attention would be taken to Travis Air Force Base for 14 days of quarantine, with a smaller number going to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County. Up to two dozen passengers will be taken to the Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove for their quarantine period.
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Here is a geographical rundown of the California cases:
Alameda County
Four cases have been reported so far. The first was a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital whose diagnosis was announced March 1. The worker came into contact with a Solano County woman who was treated at the hospital before she was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center and diagnosed with COVID-19. The healthcare worker was isolated at home.
The second case, involving a person in Berkeley who visited a country experiencing an outbreak, was reported March 3. That individual has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
The third, reported by the county’s health agency Friday, is an older adult who has underlying medical conditions and was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22.
Most recently, the city of Alameda confirmed Wednesday that a firefighter had tested positive for the virus.
The county has declared a local emergency.
Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County has reported 16 cases. The first person, who had no known history of travel to a high-risk area or contact with another confirmed case, tested positive March 3, officials said. The test was performed by the county’s public health lab. The patient was being treated at a hospital.
On Friday, officials announced three more patients. Two were passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship. The third person had close contact with a person who was diagnosed with the coronavirus in another jurisdiction, county health officials said. All three people were being isolated at their homes.
The county is now recommending that adults older than 50 and people with underlying medical conditions that could put them at risk of contracting COVID-19 avoid mass gatherings like parades, sporting events or concerts.
Contra Costa County announced five new cases on Sunday, four of which had no known history of travel outside the U.S. or contact with a confirmed case. The four residents were hospitalized, Contra Costa Health Services said in a news release.
The fifth person had close contact with another person who tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, officials said.
Officials confirmed the county’s 10th case Tuesday.
Fresno County
The county on Saturday confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, a person who returned from a voyage on the Grand Princess cruise ship on March 6. The person’s family was self-monitoring under the oversight of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, officials said.
Humboldt County
Authorities announced Feb. 19 that a Humboldt County resident who had recently traveled to China had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The patient, who was voluntarily quarantined at home, has since been cleared and released, officials said.
A traveler wearing a mask passes through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Feb. 8. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County
There have been 32 confirmed cases and one death — a woman older than 60 who had been visiting the county after extensive travel, including a long layover in South Korea.
Officials said Wednesday that the woman had underlying health issues and died shortly after being hospitalized.
The county’s first patient was a Wuhan resident who was flying through L.A. on Jan. 22 on his way back to China and sought care at Los Angeles International Airport, health officials announced Jan. 26.
The patient was taken directly to a hospital, quarantined for 14 days and released, said L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer. More than 50 people who came into contact with the patient, many of whom were health workers, were identified as at risk and were asked to limit contact with others, Ferrer said.
Health officials on March 4 confirmed six additional patients, all of whom they said were exposed to the virus through close contact with others who were infected.
Half of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy, two were family members who had close contact with a person outside of the county who was infected, and the other had a job that put them in contact with travelers, officials said. That person works as a screener at Los Angeles International Airport, according to a source familiar with the case.
L.A. County and city officials declared a state of emergency March 4 in response to the growing case counts.
The next day, officials announced that four more travelers in that same group who visited northern Italy had also tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, officials announced two additional cases — another person in the group of travelers who visited northern Italy, as well as another screener at LAX. Their close contacts were being self-quarantined.
On Saturday, one new case was identified as a resident who had returned from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C., where there was known exposure to a person infected with the virus.
The county announced two new cases Monday, including its first instance of possible community spread. Both patients are in isolation, and all close contacts are or will be quarantined for 14 days, health officials said.
Officials confirmed another new case Tuesday — a resident who had flown into LAX from Iran and was taken to a medical facility — and six additional cases Wednesday.
Ferrer said that one of the new cases included the county’s second instance of community spread. That individual is hospitalized. Three individuals, one of whom is currently hospitalized, are household contacts of an L.A. County resident previously confirmed to have the virus. One individual had traveled to France and returned home ill and another had traveled to a religious conference in a different state.
On Thursday, L.A. County officials reported three additional cases, two of which had an unidentified source of exposure to the virus. The third was a person who was exposed to the coronavirus by a person who tested positive after attending a conference in Washington, officials said. Out of the three, one person was hospitalized.
Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported its first three cases Monday after preliminary test results indicated two men and one woman had contracted the disease and then a fourth case Wednesday, city officials said.
Elsewhere in the county, a Beverly Hills priest was disagnosed with the coronavirus Wednesday after returning from a trip to St. Louis days prior. In a statement, she told her church members she was “very much on the mend” and had already been through the worst of it.
Madera County
Public health officials announced the county’s first case on Saturday, a person who recently had returned from a Princess Cruises cruise and was in stable condition.
The state Department of Public Health contacted county health officials on March 5 to begin monitoring a husband and wife who had recently returned from the cruise. The couple was isolated in their home, the Madera County Department of Public Health said in a news release.
When one of them developed symptoms, the county worked with Madera Community Hospital to coordinate their medical care and testing. Masked hospital staffers met them at their car and led them directly to an isolation room; at no time did they enter public areas, officials said.
The couple received one visitor at their home before reporting symptoms, and that person is being monitored by communicable disease staff, officials said.
Orange County
Officials are investigating six cases in Orange County . Public health officials announced Jan. 25 that a returning traveler from Wuhan had tested positive for the virus. The patient was isolated in a hospital and since recovered, officials said.
Officials confirmed two additional cases on March 3: One was a man in his 60s and the other a woman in her 30s. Both had visited countries with widespread transmission, officials said.
On Feb. 26, Orange County declared a local health emergency in response to the coronavirus.
The move was largely in response to a proposal to move coronavirus patients to a facility in Costa Mesa, which sparked a bitter court battle. The federal government has since retreated from the plan.
Placer County
The county has announced a total of seven cases.
An elderly adult who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise became the first person to die from the virus in California, Placer County Public Health officials announced March 4.
That individual, who officials said had underlying health conditions, was the county’s second confirmed coronavirus patient and had been placed in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.
Officials said the patient who died was probably exposed during a trip on the Princess Cruises ship that departed Feb. 11 from San Francisco and sailed to Mexico, returning Feb. 21.
California Grand Princess cruise ship at center of coronavirus fight amid concerns about spread Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man died after falling ill with the virus while on a cruise ship.
A healthcare worker in Placer County was confirmed on March 2 as a presumptive coronavirus case, pending confirmation from the CDC.
The individual, now in isolation at home, is a NorthBay VacaValley Hospital worker who came into close contact with a previously confirmed case in Solano County, before that patient was transferred to another hospital and tested for the virus.
On Friday, Placer County announced three more cases, all of them among people who had traveled on the Grand Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico.
Two of the people had mild symptoms that already resolved, while the third continued to experience mild symptoms, the Placer County Public Health Department said in a news release. None of them required hospitalization, and all three were isolated at home, officials said.
The department was working on tracing the people’s contacts to identify more possible cases, officials said.
There were seven confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to the department.
Riverside County
Officials have reported eight coronavirus cases in Riverside County.
The county on Saturday announced its first “locally acquired” case of the virus, a person who was being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, Riverside University Health System-Public Health said in a statement. Public health officials were still investigating how the person caught the virus, and were working to contact other people who might have been exposed.
Riverside County’s public health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, declared a local and public health emergency on Saturday.
Another Riverside County resident who was evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan and then quarantined at Travis Air Force Base was one of the 20-plus people there who previously tested positive for the virus . That person is continuing to recover in a Northern California hospital and has not returned to Riverside County since leaving the cruise ship, the statement said.
On Monday, county health officials announced three new cases in the Coachella Valley. Two of those individuals were isolated at home and the other went to a local hospital.
Investigators believe those infections were the result of either travel into areas where the coronavirus has been confirmed, or contact with another patient.
Sacramento County
Ten cases have been confirmed in Sacramento County.
A Sacramento County resident who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2 was found to have the virus, officials announced Feb. 21.
The person took precautionary measures during travel and was asymptomatic but had self-quarantined since returning, according to the county public health department.
Last week, Sacramento County announced two more cases, and on March 5, it declared a local and health emergency.
As of Monday, the county had 10 confirmed cases, including one person who has recovered. Among those who tested positive was an elementary-school-aged student in Elk Grove.
Health officials on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first fatality from COVID-19 — a patient in her 90s. The woman was among about 140 patients at an assisted-living facility in Elk Grove.
San Benito County
Two cases were reported in San Benito County on Feb. 2. A man, 57, who had recently returned from Wuhan became ill and passed the virus on to his wife, also 57. Officials said the couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China. They were not hospitalized and were isolated in their home.
A flight with U.S. citizens fleeing the coronavirus in China arrives at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Feb. 7. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego County
The county reported two cases among people who were evacuated from Wuhan and flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to be quarantined.
Authorities announced the first case on Feb. 10 and the second two days later. Both patients were hospitalized at San Diego Health System shortly after arriving at the base, officials said.
The first patient was mistakenly discharged from the hospital Feb. 9 and sent back to the base after a mix-up with the test results, but was returned to the hospital the following day for care.
Both patients have since recovered and been released.
County public health officials declared a local emergency on Feb. 14 in response to the virus.
An employee of an AT&T retail store in Chula Vista tested positive for the virus, prompting several stores in the area to be closed for deep cleaning, the company said in a March 5 statement. That employee lived in Orange County, county health officials said.
Health officials announced a presumptive positive case of the coronavirus Monday. A woman in her 50s who had traveled overseas was hospitalized and remains in isolation with serious symptoms, officials said.
San Francisco County
San Francisco has reported 18 cases.
The first two were reported on March 5; the individuals were not related, had no history of travel to a location with confirmed coronavirus infections, and had no known contact with a confirmed case. One was a man in his 90s, hospitalized in serious condition and with underlying health condition; the other was a woman in her 40s, who was hospitalized in fair condition.
Six more were confirmed on Saturday. Each had a known contact with someone found to be infected with the virus.
Officials announced five new cases Monday, bringing the count to 13. Two of those cases are the result of community transmission.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management reported one new case Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 14. Officials said that patient, who had known contact with another person who tested positive, is hospitalized.
On Wednesday, San Francisco announced a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people as the city fights to slow the spread of the disease.
San Mateo County
San Mateo County initially reported two cases of the virus. The first was a person who was repatriated to the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That person was in isolation and in good condition, officials said last week.
Also early last week, officials reported their second positive case of the virus. The source of exposure was unknown, as the person had no known exposure to the virus through travel or contact with another infected person. The patient was hospitalized and in isolation, officials said.
As of Wednesday, the number of positive cases in the county stood at 15.
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County remains the largest outbreak in California, with at least 48 confirmed cases, up by 3 late Wednesday.
On Monday, the county announced its first death related to the coronavirus — a woman in her 60s who had been hospitalized for several weeks.
Authorities announced the first case Jan. 31, a Santa Clara County man who fell ill after his Jan. 24 return from China. Officials said the man had self-isolated at his home, leaving twice to seek medical care.
Three more cases associated with travel were reported in the county. On March 1, officials announced that a husband and wife who had recently visited Egypt were hospitalized with COVID-19.
A bigger concern, officials said, was an older adult woman who was infected but had no known exposure through travel or contact with another infected person. The woman had been hospitalized for a respiratory illness.
Two more cases announced March 3 prompted county officials to warn people over 50 and with medical conditions to avoid large gatherings, such as sporting events and concerts. The county also announced three more cases Wednesday.
On March 5, Santa Clara County announced six more cases — three men and three women. Four of them were close contacts with other confirmed cases and were isolated at home. Two of them were hospitalized.
County health officials recommended that large events be postponed or canceled and that employers take steps to make it more feasible for employees to work in ways that minimize group gatherings and contact with others.
On Friday, public health officials reported four new cases. One was a man whom officials described as a household contact of a previously confirmed case in the county, and one was a man who had recently returned from a trip to India, officials said. Both people were isolated at home.
Officials weren’t sure how the other two people contracted the virus. One was a man who was isolated at home; the other was a woman who was hospitalized, officials said. Both cases were under investigation.
On Saturday, eight new cases were reported. All were said to be under investigation.
Santa Cruz County
On Saturday, a Santa Cruz County resident was confirmed to be infected with the virus. The person was previously on the Grand Princess cruise ship journey between San Francisco and Mexico between Feb. 11 and Feb. 21.
Health officials announced a second case in the county Monday. Investigators have determined that person, who had previously traveled to Seattle, likely contracted the virus there before flying home.
Solano County
Most of the cases in Solano County are associated with evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where passengers were quarantined off Japan after some of those who had boarded tested positive for the coronavirus.
Some of the evacuees were taken to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. Of those who arrived there, 21 tested positive, the CDC said Feb. 26. Some of them were then transferred to hospitals outside the county.
Solano County is also where the first confirmed case of community spread in the U.S. was reported.
An older woman who was hospitalized at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital with fever and breathing problems was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center, where she was eventually diagnosed with COVID-19, officials announced Feb. 26. She was “in her community” for several days before accessing care, officials said.
The woman had not recently traveled to a high-risk area, nor had she been in contact with someone with the virus. She was not tested for several days after her initial hospitalization because she did not fit screening criteria set by the CDC at the time. The guidelines have since been revised.
More than 100 people, most of whom were health workers who had contact with the woman, were asked to self-quarantine. On March 1, officials announced that one of them, a worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, was also diagnosed with coronavirus and was in in isolation at home.
The CDC has dispatched a team to help local officials identify others who might have come in contact with the woman, who was reported to be slowly recovering. Officials said that, so far, her family members had tested negative for the virus but remained in quarantine.
On Feb. 27, the county declared a local emergency due to the virus.
As of Sunday, Solano County was reporting three confirmed cases of COVID-19, two of which involved residents contracting the disease in the community. That number had grown to six as of Tuesday.
Sonoma County
Officials in Sonoma County declared a local health emergency March 2 after announcing two people had been diagnosed with the virus.
One patient, who officials said earlier last week was isolated and in stable condition, had recently traveled internationally on a Princess Cruises voyage.
On March 5, county health officials confirmed that a second cruise ship passenger had also tested positive. Both that patient and the one announced earlier in the week were in isolation rooms at a local hospital.
Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County confirmed its first two positive cases Wednesday.
One of the individuals was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise to Mexico and officials said the other is likely a case of community transmission as that person had not traveled anywhere with a known outbreak or been in contact with someone who previously tested positive.
Tulare County
Tulare County announced its first case of the coronavirus late Wednesday.
“It is believed that the virus was contracted out of the area and the individual did enter public areas while showing symptoms,” Tulare County Health and Human Services’ Public Health branch said in a statement.
The person is in stable condition, the statement said.
Ventura County
The county reported its first case of the new coronavirus on Friday — a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship who had mild symptoms and was being quarantined at home, officials said.
The person had remained at home resting since returning from the cruise on Feb. 21 and only left to seek medical attention, officials said.
County public health officials said they were working with the state Department of Public Health to notify anyone else who might have come into contact with the person while the individual was seeking medical attention or in transit to Ventura County from San Francisco, where the person disembarked the ship.
The person’s spouse, who was also on the cruise but did not have symptoms of the virus, was also being quarantined at home, officials said.
A total of six Ventura County residents had traveled on the cruise, and public health officials contacted all of them, the Ventura County Public Health Department said in a news release. Of the four remaining residents who were passengers, one was symptomatic and being tested, officials said. The other three had reported no symptoms.
The county announced a second confirmed case Wednesday, a traveler who returned from a trip to Italy and became sick. That person has been quarantined at home after being tested by a healthcare provider in a neighboring county, officials said.
The county’s Public Health Lab has conducted 77 COVID-19 tests and only returned the two presumptive positives. More than two dozen other travelers have been quarantined at home, county officials said. There have been no confirmed person-to-person transmissions in Ventura County.
Yolo County
Yolo County reported its first case Friday, a woman who officials think contracted the virus in the community.
The woman had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized, officials said. She appeared to have acquired the virus “through community transmission,” the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency said in a news release. The agency was planning to monitor the woman’s close personal contacts for symptoms of the illness and said staff was working with healthcare providers to identify potential additional cases.
The county planned to declare local and health emergencies, the agency said.


latimes--2020-03-01--Can a Bernie bump help these local L.A. candidates?

Otteson , who lives in Eagle Rock , doesn ’ t have the money or many of the big-ticket endorsements scored by one of her opponents , former state Sen. Kevin de León , who secured the backing of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and raised more than $ 830,000 for his campaign .
Still , she ’ s become a favorite among some L.A. progressive activists who are backing Sanders , the odds-on favorite to win California ’ s presidential primary on Tuesday .
And she ’ s betting that left-leaning voters will like her positions on climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of City Hall .
“ There ’ s something that ’ s resonating nationally that ’ s coming down locally , ” she said .
“ The status quo isn ’ t acceptable.
” For the first time in at least a century , L.A. ’ s municipal election has been timed to coincide with the state ’ s presidential primary .
The change is expected to increase turnout significantly in contests for local offices , which typically draw interest from a small fraction of the electorate .
Now , with polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , some are hoping the grass-roots fervor over the senator from Vermont will translate into a deluge of votes for insurgent candidates looking to shake up the status quo at City Hall .
That makes Tuesday an important test for progressive activists , said Bill Przylucki , executive director of Ground Game L.A. , a grass-roots organization that has endorsed Sanders and is getting the word out about its favored candidates .
Ground Game is hoping to reach 100,000 voters , many of whom have never shown up for a municipal election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re trying to get them to look at the whole ballot , ” he said .
Among the candidates endorsed by Ground Game are Otteson , who is running in an Eastside race to replace Councilman Jose Huizar ; Aura Vasquez , who is campaigning as a fighter against climate change in a Crenshaw-to-Koreatown district ; and Nithya Raman , who is running in a Silver Lake-to-Sherman Oaks district and wants to create a network of service centers for homeless Angelenos .
All three have the backing of Sunrise Movement Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
And all three are competing against established politicians backed by the county ’ s Democratic Party , the county Federation of Labor and an assortment of big-name politicians , such as Mayor Eric Garcetti .
“ If you ’ re a challenger in one of these races and you ’ re not tying yourself to Bernie , you ’ re an idiot , ” said Eric Hacopian , an L.A.-based political consultant .
While other presidential candidates have their bases of support , Sanders has “ believers , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more active in getting the word out in their community .
They ’ re more engaged and they ’ re willing to fight , ” said Hacopian , a strategist for Councilman Paul Krekorian who has waged independent expenditure campaigns supporting Councilman David Ryu and council candidate Grace Yoo , who is running to replace Councilman Herb Wesson .
So far , Sanders has not endorsed any of the candidates running for office at City Hall .
And some experts say it ’ s far from certain that he will push turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost to insurgent candidates .
“ It ’ s hard to predict where Sanders supporters are going to go in other races , ” said Bill Carrick , an L.A.-based political strategist who is not involved in the presidential or City Council races .
“ I don ’ t think we can assume they are a monolith .
They are a very diverse group.
” Councilman Gil Cedillo , who has endorsed Sanders , said he expects younger , more progressive voters will turn out in droves for Sanders .
But he cautioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit unless they have the money to get their messages out .
“ There ’ s an electorate waiting to vote for them , ” he said .
“ But if they haven ’ t done the hard work , how ’ s anybody going to know ?
” Vasquez , one of five candidates looking to replace Wesson in a South Los Angeles district , has sent voters several campaign mailers in recent weeks , including one featuring a photo of Sanders that highlights her support for the national Green New Deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are looking for candidates with new ideas who also share his ideals .
“ The voters really want to see a fresh face , ” she said .
“ I heard this over and over canvassing — the voters want change.
” Otteson said she was torn between Sanders and Warren , but ultimately decided to go with Warren .
Raman said she also likes both candidates but will probably back Sanders .
In some ways , the council races bear a resemblance to the political divisions among Democrats at the national level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lined up behind Otteson , Vasquez and Raman , the county Democratic Party has endorsed a different field of contenders : De León on the Eastside , county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in South Los Angeles and Councilman Ryu in a Hollywood Hills district .
All three are established politicians with huge fundraising advantages who say they have their own record of fighting for progressive ideals .
De León , for example , led efforts in Sacramento to protect immigrants who are in the country illegally , wean California ’ s electric utilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 15-an-hour minimum wage .
Ridley-Thomas also pointed to his support from an array of progressive groups , including United Farm Workers and the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project .
And he argued that voters in his district want someone “ knowledgeable and experienced ” to tackle homelessness , transportation and other concerns .
“ They ’ re not trying to experiment , ” he said .
“ I mean , these are serious issues.
” Raman , who is running to unseat Ryu , said she did not seek the endorsement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ a political machine that is designed to support and keep incumbents in power.
” Even without institutional support , she has raised more than $ 260,000 for her campaign .
Raman has vowed to seek a temporary rent freeze on rent-controlled apartments and challenge city laws that restrict where homeless Angelenos can sleep or store their belongings .
While her campaign welcomes support from all voters , it is looking to tap the enthusiasm of those “ who haven ’ t necessarily been deeply engaged in politics , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt very disconnected from the political system are excited about this primary , and they ’ re looking for ways to channel their energy , ” Raman said .
Ryu campaign manager Estevan Montemayor said it was demeaning to the work of Democratic Party activists to claim that their group is out to protect incumbents , noting that they recently endorsed former San Francisco Dist .
Atty .
George Gascon over Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey .
A Democratic Party official separately called Raman ’ s comments “ disappointing.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ support from organizations with “ strong progressive values , ” including the Stonewall Democratic Club and the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women .
And he predicted the councilman will do well with a wide range of Democrats .
“ Enthusiasm is high , no matter who they ’ re voting for for president , ” Montemayor said .
“ Because they want to get rid of Donald Trump.
” One council race where Ground Game and Sunrise Movement are in sync with the county Democratic Party is in the San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsed Loraine Lundquist , a Democrat running against Councilman John Lee , who changed his registration from Republican to no party preference in December .
Whether Otteson , the candidate running to replace Huizar on the Eastside , will benefit from Sanders voters is far from assured .
Polls have shown Sanders is popular among Latinos , which could translate to increased support for the handful of Latinos in the race , including De León and school board member Mónica García .
“ We see the Bernie impact on the Eastside , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign director .
“ When you talk to young people in Boyle Heights , El Sereno and Highland Park , Bernie is strong there.
” García has not been a favorite among some pro-Sanders groups , which don ’ t like her support for charter schools .
Still , she has been actively courting the Sanders vote , making the case that , like the senator from Vermont , she has been raising alarms about poverty and income inequality for years .
“ Other people have run from the problem , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

David Zahniser, Dakota Smith, Emily Alpert Reyes

L.A. City Council candidate Cyndi Otteson, second from left, is hoping to get a boost from voters who support Bernie Sanders.
Los Angeles City Council candidate Cyndi Otteson is hoping for a Bernie Sanders surge.
Otteson, who lives in Eagle Rock, doesn’t have the money or many of the big-ticket endorsements scored by one of her opponents, former state Sen. Kevin de León, who secured the backing of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and raised more than $830,000 for his campaign.
Still, she’s become a favorite among some L.A. progressive activists who are backing Sanders, the odds-on favorite to win California’s presidential primary on Tuesday. And she’s betting that left-leaning voters will like her positions on climate change, transportation and keeping special-interest money out of City Hall.
“There’s something that’s resonating nationally that’s coming down locally,” she said. “The status quo isn’t acceptable.”
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For the first time in at least a century, L.A.’s municipal election has been timed to coincide with the state’s presidential primary. The change is expected to increase turnout significantly in contests for local offices, which typically draw interest from a small fraction of the electorate.
Now, with polls showing Sanders well outpacing his rivals in California, some are hoping the grass-roots fervor over the senator from Vermont will translate into a deluge of votes for insurgent candidates looking to shake up the status quo at City Hall.
That makes Tuesday an important test for progressive activists, said Bill Przylucki, executive director of Ground Game L.A., a grass-roots organization that has endorsed Sanders and is getting the word out about its favored candidates.
Ground Game is hoping to reach 100,000 voters, many of whom have never shown up for a municipal election, Przylucki said.
“We’re trying to get them to look at the whole ballot,” he said.
Among the candidates endorsed by Ground Game are Otteson, who is running in an Eastside race to replace Councilman Jose Huizar; Aura Vasquez, who is campaigning as a fighter against climate change in a Crenshaw-to-Koreatown district; and Nithya Raman, who is running in a Silver Lake-to-Sherman Oaks district and wants to create a network of service centers for homeless Angelenos.
Nonprofit executive Nithya Raman, one of the challengers seeking to unseat Councilman David Ryu, has picked up support from some L.A. groups that favor Bernie Sanders. (Los Angeles Times)
All three have the backing of Sunrise Movement Los Angeles, which supports aggressive measures to fight climate change. And all three are competing against established politicians backed by the county’s Democratic Party, the county Federation of Labor and an assortment of big-name politicians, such as Mayor Eric Garcetti.
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“If you’re a challenger in one of these races and you’re not tying yourself to Bernie, you’re an idiot,” said Eric Hacopian, an L.A.-based political consultant.
While other presidential candidates have their bases of support, Sanders has “believers,” he said.
“People who are believers are much more active in getting the word out in their community. They’re more engaged and they’re willing to fight,” said Hacopian, a strategist for Councilman Paul Krekorian who has waged independent expenditure campaigns supporting Councilman David Ryu and council candidate Grace Yoo, who is running to replace Councilman Herb Wesson.
So far, Sanders has not endorsed any of the candidates running for office at City Hall. And some experts say it’s far from certain that he will push turnout higher in California — or give a boost to insurgent candidates.
“It’s hard to predict where Sanders supporters are going to go in other races,” said Bill Carrick, an L.A.-based political strategist who is not involved in the presidential or City Council races. “I don’t think we can assume they are a monolith. They are a very diverse group.”
Councilman Gil Cedillo, who has endorsed Sanders, said he expects younger, more progressive voters will turn out in droves for Sanders. But he cautioned that local left-leaning candidates won’t benefit unless they have the money to get their messages out.
“There’s an electorate waiting to vote for them,” he said. “But if they haven’t done the hard work, how’s anybody going to know?”
Vasquez, one of five candidates looking to replace Wesson in a South Los Angeles district, has sent voters several campaign mailers in recent weeks, including one featuring a photo of Sanders that highlights her support for the national Green New Deal. She said she believes Sanders voters are looking for candidates with new ideas who also share his ideals.
“The voters really want to see a fresh face,” she said. “I heard this over and over canvassing — the voters want change.”
Aura Vasquez, a candidate for Los Angeles City Council, supports Bernie Sanders and has featured him in campaign mailers sent to voters. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Otteson said she was torn between Sanders and Warren, but ultimately decided to go with Warren. Raman said she also likes both candidates but will probably back Sanders.
In some ways, the council races bear a resemblance to the political divisions among Democrats at the national level.
While some progressive activists in L.A. have lined up behind Otteson, Vasquez and Raman, the county Democratic Party has endorsed a different field of contenders: De León on the Eastside, county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in South Los Angeles and Councilman Ryu in a Hollywood Hills district.
All three are established politicians with huge fundraising advantages who say they have their own record of fighting for progressive ideals. De León, for example, led efforts in Sacramento to protect immigrants who are in the country illegally, wean California’s electric utilities off of fossil fuels and establish a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
Ridley-Thomas also pointed to his support from an array of progressive groups, including United Farm Workers and the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project. And he argued that voters in his district want someone “knowledgeable and experienced” to tackle homelessness, transportation and other concerns.
“They’re not trying to experiment,” he said. “I mean, these are serious issues.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said voters in his City Council race are looking for candidates with experience. “They’re not trying to experiment,” he said. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Raman, who is running to unseat Ryu, said she did not seek the endorsement of the county’s Democratic Party, calling it “a political machine that is designed to support and keep incumbents in power.” Even without institutional support, she has raised more than $260,000 for her campaign.
Raman has vowed to seek a temporary rent freeze on rent-controlled apartments and challenge city laws that restrict where homeless Angelenos can sleep or store their belongings. While her campaign welcomes support from all voters, it is looking to tap the enthusiasm of those “who haven’t necessarily been deeply engaged in politics,” she said.
“A lot of people who felt very disconnected from the political system are excited about this primary, and they’re looking for ways to channel their energy,” Raman said.
Ryu campaign manager Estevan Montemayor said it was demeaning to the work of Democratic Party activists to claim that their group is out to protect incumbents, noting that they recently endorsed former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon over Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey. A Democratic Party official separately called Raman’s comments “disappointing.”
Montemayor said Ryu has plenty of support from organizations with “strong progressive values,” including the Stonewall Democratic Club and the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women. And he predicted the councilman will do well with a wide range of Democrats.
“Enthusiasm is high, no matter who they’re voting for for president,” Montemayor said. “Because they want to get rid of Donald Trump.”
Former State Sen. Kevin de León says he has an established track record on progressive issues, fighting to protect immigrants and increase the state’s minimum wage. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
One council race where Ground Game and Sunrise Movement are in sync with the county Democratic Party is in the San Fernando Valley, where all three have endorsed Loraine Lundquist, a Democrat running against Councilman John Lee, who changed his registration from Republican to no party preference in December.
Whether Otteson, the candidate running to replace Huizar on the Eastside, will benefit from Sanders voters is far from assured. Polls have shown Sanders is popular among Latinos, which could translate to increased support for the handful of Latinos in the race, including De León and school board member Mónica García.
“We see the Bernie impact on the Eastside,” said Javier Gonzalez, García’s campaign director. “When you talk to young people in Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Highland Park, Bernie is strong there.”
García has not been a favorite among some pro-Sanders groups, which don’t like her support for charter schools. Still, she has been actively courting the Sanders vote, making the case that, like the senator from Vermont, she has been raising alarms about poverty and income inequality for years.
“Other people have run from the problem, and she’s stood firm,” Gonzalez said.


latimes--2020-03-03--More deaths as coronavirus keeps spreading, but officials still see chance to fight back

Several California counties reported new coronavirus cases Monday , as the nation ’ s death toll from the virus rose and the West Coast continued to bear the brunt of illnesses in the United States .
Washington state officials confirmed Monday that six people have died from the disease known as COVID-19 , most of whom were linked to a nursing home outbreak in a Seattle suburb .
No deaths have been reported elsewhere in the U.S. Nationwide , approximately 100 people have been infected with the virus so far .
At least five Northern California counties reported new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total in California to nearly 50 .
Sonoma County declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak .
Though the flurry of positive test results in recent days does reveal the virus is circulating within the United States , experts advised the public to avoid reading too much into those numbers .
Until late last week , federal officials were not allowing widespread testing for the virus , so many people who were already sick are only now being diagnosed , said Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch .
“ Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are happening , but a lot of the numbers are changing because we ’ re discovering things that have already happened , ” Lipsitch said in a forum Monday hosted by Harvard ’ s public health school .
“ It ’ s really important to distinguish ‘ Oh , goodness , there ’ s a new cluster ’ from ‘ Oh , goodness , we just discovered that there ’ s a cluster that ’ s been there for some time.
’ ” Worldwide , more than 90,000 people have been infected and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that originated in China late last year .
However , World Health Organization officials declined to declare the outbreak a pandemic on Monday because they said the virus was still severely affecting only a handful of countries .
Despite growing case counts in some parts of the world , there is still an opportunity to contain the virus , said World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
“ Our message to all countries is this is not a one-way street — we can push this back , ” Tedros said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this outbreak.
” Sonoma County declared a public health emergency after announcing two people had been diagnosed with the virus .
One infected person returned from a cruise to Mexico 10 days ago and is now hospitalized , but the case “ is a cause for concern , ” said county health officer Dr. Celeste Philip .
Declaring a state of emergency will allow the county to respond properly to the outbreak as well as “ work in tandem with our cities and healthcare providers to ensure we are prepared to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Philip said in a statement .
Meanwhile , two new COVID-19 cases were reported in Santa Clara County , bringing its total to nine , the most of any California county .
Both individuals are under home isolation , officials said .
Many initial reports of COVID-19 have been in healthcare workers , who are among the most likely to encounter sick patients .
Hundreds of healthcare workers in California have already been asked to stay home due to contact with patients diagnosed with the disease over the last few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , where a COVID-19 patient had been admitted .
County spokeswoman Katie Combs Prichard said that the medical worker , who lives in Placer County , came into contact with that patient and was likely infected by her .
Strategies like quarantining people who may have been exposed to a virus can help stop it from spreading , experts say .
The World Health Organization said the COVID-19 virus is unusual because though it is a respiratory pathogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it also appears possible to contain .
The flu can not be as easily contained , said Mike Ryan , who runs the agency ’ s emergencies program .
“ That offers us a glimmer , a chink of life that this virus can be suppressed and contained , ” Ryan said at a briefing Monday .
In Orange County , firefighters from Engine Co. 20 have been placed in isolation “ out of an abundance of caution ” after they encountered a patient who had traveled internationally and was showing symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This isn ’ t the first time first responders have been exposed to the disease .
In Seattle , more than 25 firefighters have been quarantined after visiting a nursing home that is at the center of a coronavirus outbreak , according to the International Assn .
of Fire Fighters .
Paul Biddinger , director of emergency preparedness research at Harvard ’ s public health school , said that first responders such as firefighters need to remember to take basic measures such as washing their hands and avoiding touching their face .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on an ambulance how hard it is to talk about hand hygiene or protection , but it ’ s extremely important , ” Biddinger said during the Harvard forum .
Biddinger , who said he began his career working in emergency medical services , said that protocols for when to wear a mask or a gown will vary depending on where people are based .
Local health officials need to collaborate with firefighters and other first responders to determine when donning such gear is appropriate , he said .
“ If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear it for every case , we will run out , to be blunt , ” he said .
“ If we don ’ t do it enough , we put our first responders at risk .
”

Colleen Shalby, Hannah Fry, Soumya Karlamangla

Santa Clara County has confirmed 11 cases of the novel coronavirus. Sara Cody, county director of public health, speaks at a news conference last week.
As three more deaths in the United States were linked to the coronavirus Tuesday, World Health Organization officials warned the virus could be far more dangerous than the flu, with a mortality rate of 3.4%.
During an off-camera news conference at the White House with the task force charged with overseeing the federal government’s response, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, delivered a message to the American public:
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that ... there are going to be more cases in the community,” he said. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
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Redfield said scientists did not have the data to predict the future spread.
“What we do know for sure is that in the right setting, it does have the potential to move quickly,” Redfield said. “When you think that just a couple of weeks ago there were less than three cases in Korea, now there’s 2,500.”
Public health officials confirmed a nursing home patient in Washington state was admitted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Feb. 24 and died two days later. The patient, a 54-year-old man who had underlying medical conditions, was transported from Life Care Center of Kirkland and died days before several other patients at the nursing home were linked to the coronavirus, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
The Seattle and King County Public Health Department on Tuesday reported two additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the King County total to eight. The other person who died was from Snohomish County, health officials said.
A North Carolina resident who visited the Kirkland facility has since tested positive for the virus, becoming that state’s first case of COVID-19, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. Health department officials in North Carolina are working to identify anyone else who may have come in contact with the individual.
“I know that people are worried about this virus and I want to assure North Carolinians our state is prepared,” Cooper said in a statement, noting that the person represents an isolated case.
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New York City confirmed its first case of “community spread” coronavirus — the second case of the virus in the state. The individual is a man in his 50s who lives in Westchester County but works at a law firm in Manhattan. The man is hospitalized and in severe condition.
The global mortality rate — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the mortality rate of the flu, which is less than 1%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it.
Still, Tedros reiterated the WHO’s belief that containment was still within reach.
“We don’t even talk about containment for seasonal flu,” Tedros said. “It’s just not possible, but it’s possible for COVID-19.”
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu, which is often spread by people who are infected yet don’t have symptoms. That doesn’t seem to be the case for COVID-19, he said.
“There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics, which is why we must do everything we can to contain it.”
Mike Ryan, who runs the agency’s emergencies program, pushed back against officials who wanted to “wave the white flag” and surrender to the disease’s hold. China took drastic steps to fight the virus, he said, and case numbers are now on the decline there.
Countries such as China and South Korea “implemented very, very strong measures that have affected their own economies and their own societies,” Ryan said. “It’s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought.
“That is not a reverse you can achieve with influenza. If that is a failure, we’ll have slowed down the virus.”
Science & Medicine Where is the coronavirus? The vast majority of confirmed coronavirus cases — nearly 94% — have occurred in mainland China. But illnesses have been confirmed on all six continents.
There can be a big benefit in slowing the virus’ arrival in a country for a few months, Ryan said. Many countries, including the U.S, are in the middle of flu season, so large numbers of coronavirus cases would overwhelm the health system.
In Italy, COVID-19 patients and flu patients are already stretching hospitals and healthcare facilities, he said.
Tedros said he’s concerned by shortages of masks, gowns and other equipment needed by healthcare workers to stop the spread of disease “caused by rising demands and hoarding and misuse.”
“We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers,” said Tedros, noting that prices of surgical masks have increased sixfold.
Current information suggests that most COVID-19 cases are mild, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. According to a report out of China, the most serious illnesses occur in 16% of cases, she said, and older people and those with underlying health conditions are twice as likely to develop serious outcomes.
Speaking during a media briefing Tuesday, Messonnier said that cases similar to those reported abroad were now appearing in the United States.
The CDC is relying on local health clinicians to determine testing needs. In addition to CDC test kits, commercial manufacturers overseen by the Food and Drug Administration are providing tests directly to states. These types of tests are typically what are on the front lines in the United States, Messonnier said.
Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that 77 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the U.S. That number excludes the 45 people who were passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and were repatriated to America, which brings the total to more than 120.
Pence said that a task force will issue new guidance from the CDC to make it clear that any American can be tested for the virus and no restrictions subject to doctor’s orders.
Commercial laboratories are expected to have 2,500 test kits available to provide 1.5 million tests. And the Office of Management and Budget will direct all federal government agencies to review internal travel and adhere to State Department guidance.
“The threat of the coronavirus to the American pubic remains low,” Pence said.
Pence also said that chief executives of all major airlines are expected to meet at the White House Wednesday to discuss contact tracing data for the coronavirus.
The West Coast continues to bear the brunt of the illnesses in the U.S., with the focus on Northern California and Washington.
At least five Northern California counties reported new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. On Tuesday, the city of Berkeley reported its first case after an individual visited a country with an outbreak. That individual has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
“While the risk of infection remains low, the expanded presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare for,” said Berkeley Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez. “There are steps that all of us in the community can take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the California Department of Public Health received approval from the CDC and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to dip into its emergency planning reserves of 21 million N-95 face masks for medical workers on the front lines.
Though the flurry of positive test results in recent days does signal that the virus is circulating within the U.S., experts advised the public to avoid reading too much into those numbers.
Until late last week, federal officials were not allowing widespread testing for the virus, so many people who were already sick are only now being diagnosed, said Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch.
“Some of the numbers are changing because new things are happening, but a lot of the numbers are changing because we’re discovering things that have already happened,” Lipsitch said in a forum Monday hosted by Harvard’s public health school. “It’s really important to distinguish ‘Oh, goodness, there’s a new cluster’ from ‘Oh, goodness, we just discovered that there’s a cluster that’s been there for some time.’ ”
As the virus spreads, officials are trying to push back against Asian American bias and misinformation surrounding the outbreak.
Amid signs that some are staying away from Chinatowns and other Asian communities in the U.S., Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sharply criticized the xenophobia that had been displayed toward ethnic communities.
“We’ve also seen a rise in racism toward Asian Americans because the virus is associated with China,” she said. “This is unconscionable, and it’s not the American way. People of all ages, races and ethnicities are susceptible to this disease. Bigotry toward any one group for a virus they have nothing to do with makes no sense.”
Several areas in California have declared local emergencies amid the outbreak. Sonoma County on Monday issued a declaration after announcing two people had been diagnosed with the virus. One infected person returned from a cruise to Mexico 10 days ago and was hospitalized, but the case “is a cause for concern,” said county health officer Dr. Celeste Philip.
Declaring a state of emergency will allow the county to respond properly to the outbreak as well as “work in tandem with our cities and healthcare providers to ensure we are prepared to combat an outbreak of COVID-19 in our communities,” Philip said in a statement.
Meanwhile, more COVID-19 cases were reported in Santa Clara County, bringing its total to 11 — the most of any California county. The source of infection for the latest two cases, reported Tuesday, is still under investigation.
Many initial reports of COVID-19 have been among healthcare workers, who are likely to encounter sick patients. Hundreds of healthcare workers in California have already been asked to stay home due to contact with patients diagnosed with the disease over the last few weeks.
On Monday, Placer County reported a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a healthcare worker at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, where a COVID-19 patient had been admitted. County spokeswoman Katie Combs Prichard said the medical worker, who lives in Placer County, came into contact with that patient and was likely infected by her.
Conferences in the state and elsewhere are being canceled or scaled back amid fears of the virus, but the WHO’s Ryan said decisions to cancel mass gatherings, including sporting events, should be determined by a country’s leadership, based on how severe the outbreak is in their region.
Officials recently had a call with the International Olympic Committee to discuss the Summer Olympics scheduled in Tokyo and decided to continue monitoring the situation, with three months given before a decision must be made.
“I have confidence in Japan that there will hopefully be progress,” Tedros said. “Deciding now could be too early.”
President Trump said Tuesday during a speech to the National Assn. of Counties’ legislative conference in Washington that he expected Congress would pass a special funding bill providing $8.5 billion — far more than he requested — to fight the spread of the illness in the United States.
“It just shows you what can happen — six weeks ago, eight weeks ago, you never heard of this. All of a sudden, it’s got the world aflutter,” Trump said, noting later while leaving the White House to visit the National Institutes of Health that he is looking at further international travel restrictions involving Italy, Japan and South Korea, but will not limit domestic travel.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there remained many unknowns about the virus, including the degree to which people who do not express symptoms can transmit it to others. He said doctors know that it happens but have not yet gauged the extent, a key piece of data that will help determine decisions on how to contain it.
Fauci said that Chinese data are believed to be accurate and that the spread of the virus there is slowing thanks to “draconian” methods that would never occur in the United States, including stringent travel and public gathering restrictions.
“They have taken social distancing to its furthest extreme,” he said.
Bierman reported from Washington, D.C., Read from Kirkland, Wash., and Shalby and Karlamangla from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-03-03--Sheriff's cruiser strikes person in Lynwood; both deputy and female victim hospitalized

An unknown female was hit by a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s vehicle in Lynwood during a call for @ @ @ @ @ Tracy Koerner , a sheriff ’ s spokesman , said the condition of person struck @ @ @ @ @ the deputy driver of the cruiser suffered “ non-life-threatening injuries.
” Both were taken to @ @ @ @ @ who was struck was reportedly in “ extremely critical condition , ” according to CBS-TV @ @ @ @ @ Koerner , the deputy ’ s cruiser was heading northbound on Long Beach Boulevard near @ @ @ @ @ and was authorized to use lights and sirens when the person was hit .
It @ @ @ @ @ individual was crossing the street , said Koerner , who added a “ thorough investigation @ @ @ @

An unknown female was hit by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s vehicle in Lynwood during a call for service Monday evening.
Deputy Tracy Koerner, a sheriff’s spokesman, said the condition of person struck was unknown, but noted the deputy driver of the cruiser suffered “non-life-threatening injuries.” Both were taken to a hospital.
The female who was struck was reportedly in “extremely critical condition,” according to CBS-TV Channel 2.
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According to Koerner, the deputy’s cruiser was heading northbound on Long Beach Boulevard near Carlin Avenue about 6:30 p.m. and was authorized to use lights and sirens when the person was hit.
It’s unknown whether the individual was crossing the street, said Koerner, who added a “thorough investigation” was underway.


latimes--2020-03-02--Long lines are possible for L.A. voters who wait until election day

For all of the excitement surrounding almost two weeks of early voting in Los Angeles , an opportunity made possible by the county ’ s embrace of a new state election law , hundreds of thousands of voters — if they choose to vote at all — will now have to do it the old-fashioned way on Tuesday .
Elections officials report 248,834 voters cast ballots at regional vote centers in the 10 days leading up to California ’ s presidential primary .
But as many as 1.7 million Angelenos who are registered to vote but did not receive an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time most centers closed on Monday .
They will need to find one of the locations on election day , increasing the likelihood of long lines in the hours before polls across the state close at 8 p.m. “ I think we ’ re going to see a lot of activity on Tuesday , ” said Dean Logan , registrar of voters for Los Angeles County .
“ But it ’ s hard to predict turnout in an election like this.
” That a political traffic jam might arise in L.A. was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in L.A. in time for the statewide primary : a new $ 300-million voting system that relies on touch-screen machines to mark paper ballots , unique to the county and designed over the last decade , and the implementation in L.A. of a state election law that swaps out neighborhood polling places for multipurpose vote centers .
Omega Hsu , who lives in Los Feliz , said the first thing she noticed when she went to vote at the local Masonic Lodge was the line .
There were about 15 to 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a stunning backlog , she thought , for 11:30 a.m. on Monday .
“ I mean , what ’ s going to happen tomorrow ?
” said Hsu , 59 .
“ People are just going to walk away , I think.
” She said a poll worker told her the long line was due to delays caused by malfunctioning voting machines , touch-screen devices used to make selections and then print paper ballots .
Voters review the selections on the paper ballots and reinsert them into the machine , where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hsu said she worried some voters would incorrectly think the paper ballot that came back out for review was a receipt .
Other voters reported similar confusion over the weekend .
“ I can see how , if you ’ re not used to it — especially for older voters — it can be very confusing , ” she said .
L.A. elections officials said they had redoubled their efforts over the weekend and on Monday to ensure voting center staff members gave clear information about how to vote .
Logan said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from many county voters who said they liked the experience .
But he also acknowledged other miscues reported by voters , including locations that opened late or not at all .
“ L.A .
County continues to be a very challenging jurisdiction , ” he said .
“ But with the vote centers being open before election day , now we have a longer on-ramp to address those issues.
” While the vote centers offer more election-related services than the polling places they replaced , there are substantially fewer of them — 978 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4,698 polling places in the 2016 presidential primary .
Election officials promised to post signs at former neighborhood polling sites listing the nearest vote center .
One upshot for voters , though , is that they don ’ t have to visit the one closest to where they live .
Because ballots are printed on-site , voters can visit any location in the county .
Sterling Wong , 40 , of Monterey Park said he was glad that he could vote at any voting center , rather than wake up early to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait in line before work .
Wong was able to vote in Long Beach and said his name was pulled up by poll workers in seconds .
“ It was super easy , ” he said .
“ It was very easy to read .
I just clicked through.
” Not everyone found it so easy .
At the Drake Park vote center in Long Beach , only a few people voted in a 40-minute span .
Sergio Hernández Echeverría , 68 , struggled to understand volunteers and required help from a translator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave the center and use his mail-in ballot back at home .
Though he wanted to come to the voting center to see how it was , he decided he felt more comfortable voting at home , with the help of his children .
“ I don ’ t know a lot of English .
I get nervous , ” he said .
“ It ’ s easier at home , so I have time to think.
” Other California election rules — new choices offered in addition to those unique to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Pedro resident Ruth Fowler , who said she became a U.S. citizen last week , said she wasn ’ t told by vote center workers how to participate in the Democratic presidential primary as an unaffiliated , “ no party preference ” voter .
Those voters must ask for a “ cross-over ” ballot to vote in the Democratic presidential contest .
Fowler said the special ballot wasn ’ t offered “ and I didn ’ t know how to ask for one.
” “ I have never voted in such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .

John Myers , Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Luke Money

Javier Olvera casts his vote at a voting center in Grand Park. Los Angeles County has transitioned from polling places to vote centers as residents are able to vote at any location and use new touchscreen devices to mark a paper ballot.
For all of the excitement surrounding almost two weeks of early voting in Los Angeles, an opportunity made possible by the county’s embrace of a new state election law, hundreds of thousands of voters — if they choose to vote at all — will now have to do it the old-fashioned way on Tuesday.
Elections officials report 248,834 voters cast ballots at regional vote centers in the 10 days leading up to California’s presidential primary. But as many as 1.7 million Angelenos who are registered to vote but did not receive an absentee ballot had not shown up by the time most centers closed on Monday. They will need to find one of the locations on election day, increasing the likelihood of long lines in the hours before polls across the state close at 8 p.m.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of activity on Tuesday,” said Dean Logan, registrar of voters for Los Angeles County. “But it’s hard to predict turnout in an election like this.”
That a political traffic jam might arise in L.A. was not totally unexpected.
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Two significant changes arrived in L.A. in time for the statewide primary: a new $300-million voting system that relies on touch-screen machines to mark paper ballots, unique to the county and designed over the last decade, and the implementation in L.A. of a state election law that swaps out neighborhood polling places for multipurpose vote centers.
Omega Hsu, who lives in Los Feliz, said the first thing she noticed when she went to vote at the local Masonic Lodge was the line. There were about 15 to 20 people ahead of her when she arrived — a stunning backlog, she thought, for 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
“I mean, what’s going to happen tomorrow?” said Hsu, 59. “People are just going to walk away, I think.”
She said a poll worker told her the long line was due to delays caused by malfunctioning voting machines, touch-screen devices used to make selections and then print paper ballots. Voters review the selections on the paper ballots and reinsert them into the machine, where they are fed into a ballot box.
Hsu said she worried some voters would incorrectly think the paper ballot that came back out for review was a receipt. Other voters reported similar confusion over the weekend.
“I can see how, if you’re not used to it — especially for older voters — it can be very confusing,” she said.
L.A. elections officials said they had redoubled their efforts over the weekend and on Monday to ensure voting center staff members gave clear information about how to vote. Logan said he was “encouraged by the feedback” from many county voters who said they liked the experience. But he also acknowledged other miscues reported by voters, including locations that opened late or not at all.
“L.A. County continues to be a very challenging jurisdiction,” he said. “But with the vote centers being open before election day, now we have a longer on-ramp to address those issues.”
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While the vote centers offer more election-related services than the polling places they replaced, there are substantially fewer of them — 978 locations across the county, compared with 4,698 polling places in the 2016 presidential primary. Election officials promised to post signs at former neighborhood polling sites listing the nearest vote center.
One upshot for voters, though, is that they don’t have to visit the one closest to where they live. Because ballots are printed on-site, voters can visit any location in the county.
Sterling Wong, 40, of Monterey Park said he was glad that he could vote at any voting center, rather than wake up early to make it to his assigned voting place and wait in line before work. Wong was able to vote in Long Beach and said his name was pulled up by poll workers in seconds.
“It was super easy,” he said. “It was very easy to read. I just clicked through.”
Not everyone found it so easy.
At the Drake Park vote center in Long Beach, only a few people voted in a 40-minute span. Sergio Hernández Echeverría, 68, struggled to understand volunteers and required help from a translator while checking in. He ultimately decided to leave the center and use his mail-in ballot back at home. Though he wanted to come to the voting center to see how it was, he decided he felt more comfortable voting at home, with the help of his children.
“I don’t know a lot of English. I get nervous,” he said. “It’s easier at home, so I have time to think.”
Other California election rules — new choices offered in addition to those unique to Los Angeles — posed additional challenges. San Pedro resident Ruth Fowler, who said she became a U.S. citizen last week, said she wasn’t told by vote center workers how to participate in the Democratic presidential primary as an unaffiliated, “no party preference” voter. Those voters must ask for a “cross-over” ballot to vote in the Democratic presidential contest.
Fowler said the special ballot wasn’t offered “and I didn’t know how to ask for one.”
“I have never voted in such a complicated election in my life,” she said.