latimes--2020-04-20--Street repairs, tree trimming, graffiti removal face cuts under Garcetti budget plan

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a $ 10.5-billion budget for the city Monday that imposes cuts across an array of city agencies , with nearly 16,000 city workers being furloughed in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak .
Garcetti ’ s proposed spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 is expected to result in fewer street repairs , fewer trees trimmed and longer wait times for the city ’ s 311 public services hotline .
Graffiti paint-out services , neighborhood councils , gang intervention programs and various infrastructure projects are also on track to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , aides to Garcetti said .
The city ’ s financial analysts are expecting revenues will rise just 1.8 % , compared with the 4.5 % average yearly growth seen by the city over the last six years .
The mayor released his budget a day after he provided a grim forecast for the coming year , warning viewers during his State of the City address that the downturn would be worse than the 2008 recession .
“ From a fiscal perspective , this is the worst it ’ s ever been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down across the region , revenues from taxes and fees have been coming in well below the city ’ s previous projections , leaving Garcetti with fewer dollars to pay for police officers , firefighters and other basic services .
Sales tax , for instance , is expected to come in at $ 557 million in the coming year , compared with previous projections of $ 635 million .
To get through the current fiscal year , city leaders are planning to tap $ 190 million from the reserve fund , money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the gap for 2020-21 , Garcetti is planning to impose furloughs on nearly 16,000 civilian city workers , saving $ 139 million , Garcetti ’ s financial advisors said Monday .
Those employees would experience a 10 % reduction in pay in the coming fiscal year .
But many others would be spared .
Furloughs will not be required of police officers , firefighters , sanitation workers , librarians and staffers at the Department of Building and Safety , which processes construction permits and inspects new and existing buildings .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have far-reaching consequences , affecting police investigations , city attorney cases and other activities .
“ Our members identify fingerprints retrieved from crime scenes , coordinate cargo ships and services to manage the Port of L.A. ... and process paperwork for all city related functions , ” the American Federation of State , County & Municipal Employees District Council 36 said in a statement to The Times .
In the short term , it ’ s not clear how much the public will be affected by the reductions .
Because of stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the public , including cultural centers , the Los Angeles Zoo and all branch libraries .
Many city employees have been reassigned to coronavirus testing sites and recreation centers operating as makeshift homeless shelters .
Although Garcetti ’ s budget reduces overtime spending for public safety workers , the police and fire departments — deemed essential by Garcetti and other city leaders — will be largely shielded from cuts .
That approach has drawn criticism from some activists who want the mayor to move money out of the Police Department and into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and affordable housing .
The LAPD consumes more than half of the general fund , the portion of the city budget that pays for core services .
“ It ’ s really frustrating to never see the police budget being questioned , ” said Jacob Woocher , a member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union , which has been staging protests outside Garcetti ’ s residence in Windsor Square .
Mike Eveloff , a board member with the advocacy group Fix The City , took a sharply different view , saying city leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including police , firefighters and the safe operation of the city ’ s newly opened homeless shelters .
“ Whatever cuts they have to make to keep police and fire staffed , they ’ ve got to do it , ” he said .
Los Angeles is not just facing lower-than-expected tax revenues , but also a series of new and expensive financial obligations in the coming fiscal year .
Under contracts negotiated by Garcetti and the council , firefighters are on track to receive a 4.75 % increase in July .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — 1.5 % in July and another 3.25 % in January .
And many civilian city employees have two raises of 2 % , one in January , the other the following June .
Because of rising labor costs , city department heads had been asked to come up with budget cuts and savings well before the coronavirus outbreak .
Garcetti ’ s budget calls for an additional $ 40 million in the Fire Department to cover recent salary increases and for new hires .
Councilman David Ryu , who represents a district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the proposed reductions make it essential for the city to secure federal funding in the coming months .
Without federal assistance , furloughs will have a “ ripple effect ” across the region ’ s economy , he said .
“ The city ’ s workforce has been on the front lines of this crisis , and Washington must make it a priority to support these workers , ” he said in a statement .

Dakota Smith, David Zahniser, Emily Alpert Reyes

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a $10.5-billion budget for the city Monday that imposes cuts across an array of city agencies, with nearly 16,000 city workers being furloughed in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
Garcetti’s proposed spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 is expected to result in fewer street repairs, fewer trees trimmed and longer wait times for the city’s 311 public services hotline. Graffiti removal, neighborhood councils, gang intervention programs and various infrastructure projects are also on track to have less money in the coming fiscal year, aides to Garcetti said.
The city’s financial analysts are expecting revenues will rise just 1.8%, compared with the 4.5% average yearly growth seen by the city over the last six years.
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Garcetti said expenses have outstripped the city’s modest revenue growth, triggering the need for cuts. He is also seeking an infusion of federal funds, both to cover the city’s emergency costs and to help the city rebound from the economic downturn.
If those funds do not arrive and the city revenues taper off even more, “there may be further cuts and there may be even deeper things that we have to do with our city services and our workforce,” Garcetti said.
The mayor released his budget a day after he provided a grim forecast for the coming year, warning residents during his State of the City address that the downturn would be worse than the 2008 recession.
With businesses shut down across the region, taxes and fees have been coming in well below the city’s previous projections, leaving city leaders with fewer dollars to pay for police officers, firefighters and other basic services.
Sales tax, for instance, is expected to come in at $557 million in the coming year, compared with previous projections of $635 million.
To get through the current fiscal year, city leaders are planning to tap $190 million from the reserve fund — money set aside for emergencies. And to close the gap for 2020-21, Garcetti is planning to impose furloughs on nearly 16,000 civilian city workers, saving $139 million, Garcetti’s financial advisors said Monday.
Those employees would experience a 10% reduction in pay in the coming fiscal year. But many others would be spared.
Furloughs will not be required of police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers, librarians and staffers at the Department of Building and Safety, which processes construction permits and inspects new and existing buildings.
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Still, one city union warned the furloughs would have far-reaching consequences, affecting police investigations, city attorney cases and other activities.
“Our members identify fingerprints retrieved from crime scenes, coordinate cargo ships and services to manage the Port of L.A. ... and process paperwork for all city related functions,” the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees District Council 36 said in a statement to The Times.
In the short term, it’s not clear how much Angelenos will be affected by the reductions. Because of stay-at-home orders, hundreds of city facilities are closed to the public and it’s not certain when they will reopen. Many city employees have been reassigned to coronavirus testing sites and recreation centers operating as makeshift homeless shelters.
Garcetti’s budget calls for $430 million for programs to address homelessness, a 6% drop compared with the current year. Although the spending plan will increase the overall budget of the police and fire departments — deemed essential by the mayor and other city leaders — those two agencies will still have thousands of civilian employees placed on furlough, a Garcetti aide said.
That approach has drawn criticism from some activists who want the mayor to move money out of the Police Department and into other services, such as free meals and affordable housing. The LAPD consumes more than half of the general fund, the portion of the city budget that pays for core services.
“It’s really frustrating to never see the police budget being questioned,” said Jacob Woocher, a member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, which has been staging protests outside Garcetti’s residence in Windsor Square.
Mike Eveloff, a board member with the advocacy group Fix The City, took a sharply different view, saying city leaders need to focus on public safety, including police, firefighters and the safe operation of the city’s newly opened homeless shelters.
“Whatever cuts they have to make to keep police and fire staffed, they’ve got to do it,” he said.
Los Angeles is not just facing lower-than-expected tax revenues, but also a series of new and expensive financial obligations in the coming fiscal year.
Under contracts negotiated by Garcetti and the council, firefighters are on track to receive a 4.75% increase in July. Police officers are scheduled to receive two raises — 1.5% in July and another 3.25% in January. And many civilian city employees will see two raises of 2%, one in January, the other the following June.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, city department heads had been asked to come up with budget cuts and savings in response to the growth in labor costs.
Garcetti said Monday that furloughs will achieve “much more savings” than asking unions to postpone their pay increases until a future year. While furloughs can be imposed unilaterally, it’s unlikely that pay raises could be postponed without reopening negotiations with employee unions, one mayoral aide said.
Councilman David Ryu, who represents a district stretching from Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks, said the proposed reductions make it essential for the city to secure federal funding in the coming months. Without federal assistance, furloughs will have a “ripple effect” across the region’s economy, he said.
“The city’s workforce has been on the front lines of this crisis, and Washington must make it a priority to support these workers,” he said in a statement.


latimes--2020-04-20--Here's how to get tested for the coronavirus in L.A. County

Four new drive-through coronavirus testing sites opened in Los Angeles County on Monday .
The locations are at a city-owned parking lot in Bell , at Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello , at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital in MacArthur Park and at PIH Health Whittier Hospital , county officials announced over the weekend .
Any resident with symptoms of COVID-19 can now make a same- or next-day appointment for testing , the county announced Friday .
Symptoms include fever , cough and difficulty breathing .
Previously , testing was limited to those 65 and older or with underlying health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county expanded eligibility requirements to include anyone with symptoms .
Officials have said that more widespread testing and contact tracing are key to assessing the scope of the pandemic and taking steps toward lifting stay-at-home orders .
To make an appointment , residents must visit the county ’ s testing website and fill out a questionnaire .
If they are eligible , they will receive an appointment confirmation number by email , which they must bring along with a photo ID in order to be tested .
Though most of the testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodate walk-ups , provided people make an appointment , officials said .
Those without internet access can call 211 to make an appointment .
No one will be turned away because of immigration status or lack of insurance , officials said .
Test results take three to four days , and those who are positive will be notified by phone , while those who are negative will receive an email .
There are now 34 testing sites in L.A. County .
Here is a full list .
• VA Parking Lot 15 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the corner of Constitution and Davis )

Aerial views cars lined up for drive-through coronavirus testing inside a parking lot on Stadium Way near Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Riverside County medical personnel screen a car of load of four people at a coronavirus drive-though testing facility for Coachella Valley residents in the parking lot of the Southwest in Indian Wells. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. wear protective gear while handing out kits to people to swab the inside of their mouths to test for the coronavirus, inside a parking lot on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Motorists, line up on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium, waiting to enter a parking lot and be tested for the coronavirus. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
San Bernardino County health care worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-thru sample collection that took place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Coronavirus CO drive-thru sample collection takes place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for COVID-19 at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All In This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location, at the South Bay Galleria, in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
A man misses the blue bin while dropping off his self-administered COVID-19 test at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Workers direct drivers at a drive-up test site for COVID-19 at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A man drops off his self-administered COVID-19 test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Francis Gon-Gibbs, of LA County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, stands at the entrance of a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Gessie Lurlay is working as a coronavirus screener at the Camarena Health Center in Madera. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks at a drive-through public testing for coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Julie Montez, right, sits in her car as a nurse administers a coronavirus test at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A portrait and quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A man talks with a healthcare worker outside Kedren Community Health Center in South LA, where they are offering walk-up coronavirus testing along with other medical services. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Carson City Mayor Albert Robles does self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of a community center in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Juan Infante, a certified medical assistant, takes the temperature of a patient before she gets tested. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Boyle Heights. Experts say widespread testing is crucial for states to be able to safely reopen their economies. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Four new drive-through coronavirus testing sites opened in Los Angeles County on Monday.
The locations are at a city-owned parking lot in Bell, at Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello, at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital in MacArthur Park and at PIH Health Whittier Hospital, county officials announced over the weekend.
Any resident with symptoms of COVID-19 can now make a same- or next-day appointment for testing, the county announced Friday. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
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Previously, testing was limited to those 65 and older or with underlying health conditions, but earlier this month, the county expanded eligibility requirements to include anyone with symptoms.
Officials have said that more widespread testing and contact tracing are key to assessing the scope of the pandemic and taking steps toward lifting stay-at-home orders.
To make an appointment, residents must visit the county’s testing website and fill out a questionnaire. If they are eligible, they will receive an appointment confirmation number by email, which they must bring along with a photo ID in order to be tested.
Though most of the testing sites are drive-throughs, they also can accommodate walk-ups, provided people make an appointment, officials said. Those without internet access can call 211 to make an appointment. No one will be turned away because of immigration status or lack of insurance, officials said.
Test results take three to four days, and those who are positive will be notified by phone, while those who are negative will receive an email.
There are now 34 testing sites in L.A. County. Here is a full list.
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latimes--2020-04-20--Painful closures lie ahead for L.A. galleries. How 35 are bracing for the worst

Scattered in storefronts and light industrial buildings around Los Angeles are gallery exhibitions trapped in suspended animation .
The fully installed shows had opened — or were about to open — when California ’ s governor issued a stay-at-home order on March 19 and now sit in the dark , under lock and key until the COVID-19 pandemic abates .
At L.A. Louver in Venice , two exhibitions in limbo feature painstakingly detailed works by L.A. painter Tom Wudl , inspired by a key Buddhist text , and more than a dozen never-before-exhibited paintings by the late Don Suggs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into impish beings .
Across town , at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown , realist paintings by Long Beach-based artist Narsiso Martinez portray farm laborers on grocery store produce boxes — works that come at a moment in which the pandemic has thrown the risks of farm work into stark relief .
To the south , in the Arts District , at Vielmetter Los Angeles , hang shows by abstract painter Elizabeth Neel and L.A.-based photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya .
Sepuya ’ s sensuous images explore the male nude and the queer black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of photography , the camera itself and the role of the artist ( his work is usually shot in reflection ) .
“ Our schedule is completely up in the air , ” gallery founder Susanne Vielmetter says .
“ I have two beautiful shows that have been seen by nobody.
” The Neel and Sepuya shows were supposed to open on March 14 , but Vielmetter shut down the space the day before , just as other arts organizations around the city were also closing .
Like every other gallerist , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these works might be seen — if at all .
One thing is certain : The art world as we know it will not be the same one that emerges from the other side of this pandemic .
What will change ?
The Times reached out to several dozen Los Angeles galleries , small and large , with an informal and anonymous survey about the challenges of the current stay-at-home phase of the pandemic and what they will face after their doors reopen .
Almost three dozen galleries — 35 in total — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to be interviewed for this story ; others who were interviewed preferred not to participate in the survey .
In combination with interviews with gallerists around the city , the survey helps paint a picture of what the landscape may look like when California emerges from quarantine .
One troubling forecast : A quarter of the respondents , nine of 35 , said they are facing the permanent closure of their spaces in 2020 if the situation doesn ’ t improve quickly .
An additional five galleries , or 14 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers are in keeping with a far more comprehensive study issued by the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d ’ Art , a French trade organization , which estimates that one-third of French galleries could shut down before the end of the year because of the steep losses in revenue .
In addition to potential closures , The Times survey reveals a much slimmer gallery scene will likely emerge — one that eschews most airplane travel to international art fairs in favor of staying local .
It ’ s a huge shift .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started to take effect in the U.S. , gallerists , artists and collectors from Los Angeles were jetting off to the art fairs in New York City and making plans to attend other art fairs around the world .
The length of the lockdown , the severity of the virus , the development ( or not ) of a vaccine and the rebound ( or not ) of the global economy and , with it , airplane travel , will all determine how and when galleries will be able to bounce back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; many others will disappear — and with them an important source of professional development and income for many artists as well as a whole host of other industry jobs , including crating and shipping , storage , installation , conservation , photography and framing .
It ’ s a gutting that could lead to further inequity in the current market , in which small and midrange spaces are squeezed out by global mega-galleries , such as Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth .
“ No one knows how this will go down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blum & Poe , based in Culver City with branches in New York and Tokyo ( two cities also under lockdown ) .
“ It could go back to the Los Angeles that once was — in the ’ 90s , when things were quieter.
” It was in those recession-era days — 1994 , to be exact — when he and partner Tim Blum established their gallery .
“ No one is coming out of this unscathed , ” says Eva Chimento , founder of Chimento Contemporary , an emerging space in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show by Dutch painter Michael Tedja when the shutdown arrived .
“ That ’ s the sad truth.
” It is impossible to know the path the virus may take through communities of artists , artists and collectors .
Of the gallerists polled , 29 of the 35 have a colleague or close friend or family member who has been affected by a presumed case of COVID-19 ; five report they know someone who has died from complications related to the disease .
And it ’ s impossible to know how the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private businesses through which art is sold , generally via a chimeric formula that involves talent and buzz marinated in artspeak .
Dealers are generally loathe to tell a story that isn ’ t rosy , especially when it comes to their own finances .
Moreover , no two galleries are created equal .
Some are locally focused one-man-band shops ; others are behemoths with branches in global capitals .
The story of a single gallery , or even a handful of galleries , is hardly a stand-in for all .
Consider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times survey : Nearly half of the 35 respondents are small spaces of three employees or fewer , more than a third are middle-of-the-road galleries of between four and 12 staffers and 14 % have staffs of more than a dozen , some of them the L.A. outposts of international galleries .
As in every other sector , there have been job cuts .
More than a quarter of galleries have cut part-time staffers , and almost a quarter have furloughed employees .
But many galleries are attempting to retain staff : 57 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid off employees .
However , almost a third of the galleries who responded think they face that possibility over the next month .
Nearly 63 % have applied for paycheck protection loans ; an additional 26 % of respondents are looking into doing so .
Individually , many say some sort of rent forgiveness or grant program would improve their outlook .
Naturally , revenue is down across the board .
Nearly 89 % of the galleries report a decline in sales since the pandemic begun , and 46 % have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell work , though on a reduced scale .
“ We ’ ve made a few small sales — certainly not enough to keep solvent , ” says Peter Fetterman , who has operated a namesake photography gallery in Santa Monica for 25 years and had just opened the doors on an exhibition of photographs by Ansel Adams — a show that had been three years in the making — when the shutdown went into effect .
“ Bad timing , ” he says , mordantly .
“ We self-obsessed , narcissistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backseat to the reality of life.
” As goes the rest of the world , so go the galleries , which , for now , means the internet .
Many have expanded online offerings on their own websites , creating “ online viewing rooms ” ( a fancy way of saying “ website ” ) with additional content .
Vielmetter has added videos that feature curatorial walk-throughs of the shows on view .
Fetterman used a 3D photography program to create a virtual walk-through of his Adams show .
Anthony Cran of Wilding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedro artist Fran Siegel , who was scheduled to open a two-person show with Paul Scott at the gallery on March 21 , lead a video walk-through of the space .
There is also an effort afoot to create a digital sales platform devoted to Los Angeles galleries .
Jeffrey Deitch , the former director of L.A. 's Museum of Contemporary Art ( MOCA ) , who operates a namesake gallery in Hollywood , is leading the initiative to create galleryplatform.la , a website that will feature a rotating selection of shows that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ galleries to provide visibility for the smaller ones — and help raise L.A. 's profile during and after the crisis .
“ Some galleries have big platforms and a 50,000-name mailing list , but many other L.A. galleries don ’ t have the resources to do a high-tech website , ” says Deitch , who had a group show , “ All of Them Witches , ” cut off by the quarantine .
“ “ Why not build a platform for everybody ?
” “ It brings Los Angeles together when things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aim is to have some version of the platform operational in mid-May .
“ We may put it on [ an ] existing platform initially , ” says Deitch — such as an Artsy or 1stdibs or one of the other online art dealing sites .
“ But we want to get it done quickly.
” While the site is bound to raise flagging spirits and generate sales , it likely won ’ t staunch the hemorrhaging .
Though online art markets have seen rising sales over the last half-dozen years , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even in good times .
Nearly 83 % of the galleries that responded to The Times survey say online sales will not make up for traditional person-to-person methods .
These include gallery openings and , to a larger degree , art fairs .
And the art fair landscape — without air travel and art shipping — has been shaken to its core .
The prominent Art Basel Hong Kong was canceled early in February , and Art Basel ’ s Swiss fair , generally held in June , has been postponed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Art Basel Miami Beach and the cluster of fairs that take place there in December , will be held is anybody ’ s guess .
Frieze Los Angeles , for the time being , is moving ahead on plans for next February ’ s fair — but a lot of “ what ifs ” hang over that enterprise .
Not all the news is bad .
Vielmetter notes that of the various fine arts , it could be the visual arts that bounce back first : “ You can ’ t go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go to the theater .
You can ’ t go to where there is a crowd .
But you can go to a gallery .
We could set it up so there are only two people in the gallery at a time.
” This is already in practice in Seoul , where people are once again beginning to circulate freely : Pace Gallery and the South Korean outpost of L.A. 's Various Small Fires , are already admitting visitors on a controlled basis .
The galleries that do survive will also likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until people feel comfortable flying again .
“ A lot of us are exhausted by all the travel , ” says Deitch .
“ In the past year , I was on a different continent on every month and sometimes two continents in a month , and it takes me away from some of the creative work — the writing , the organizing of ambitious shows .
This has shown that I don ’ t need to fly to Paris for the opening .
Let ’ s cut down on some of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , the pandemic could lead to a reconsideration of the art fair model among some art dealers — which is not a bad thing .
“ The way we do art fairs is that we ship all these things [ halfway ] across the world to Europe or wherever , ” says one gallerist , who prefers to remain nameless .
“ Then we send an email to collectors while the works are in transit .
Half of the works sell before they even arrive .
So the works go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around and ship it all back.
” In the meantime , the expense ( not to mention the carbon footprint ) is staggering .
Chimento , who has done 17 art fairs in the past five years , says she wants to make the business of the gallery fun again — and she wants to focus on Los Angeles .
“ I ’ m thinking of spaces like Sue Spaid or Food House , ” she says , referring to the scrappy galleries of ’ 90s-era L.A. “ You knew when you went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see something you didn ’ t see before .
You knew you ’ d see this camaraderie among the people.
” For the short term , she ’ s asking artists to create installations for her gallery ’ s windows — allowing her to show new work without having to open the doors .
She expects to unveil the first installation next month .
Indeed , many Los Angeles gallerists are looking ahead — even as they remain trapped in their homes .
Davida Nemeroff , owner of Night Gallery , says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ painter Claire Tabouret when the quarantine hit .
She ’ s kept busy coordinating a virtual show for Dallas Art Fair that launched on April 14 .
And since this year marked the 10th anniversary of the space , which began in a small strip mall storefront in Lincoln Heights , she ’ s combing her archive for imagery to post to the gallery ’ s site and social media .
“ Our year of celebration , ” she says , “ is turning into our year of reflection.
” After the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group anniversary show .

Scattered in storefronts and light industrial buildings around Los Angeles are gallery exhibitions trapped in suspended animation. The fully installed shows had opened — or were about to open — when California’s governor issued a stay-at-home order on March 19 and now sit in the dark, under lock and key until the COVID-19 pandemic abates.
At L.A. Louver in Venice, two exhibitions in limbo feature painstakingly detailed works by L.A. painter Tom Wudl, inspired by a key Buddhist text, and more than a dozen never-before-exhibited paintings by the late Don Suggs, works that turn broad swathes of color into impish beings.
Across town, at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown, realist paintings by Long Beach-based artist Narsiso Martinez portray farm laborers on grocery store produce boxes — works that come at a moment in which the pandemic has thrown the risks of farm work into stark relief.
Charlie James Gallery was ready to open a solo show by Narsiso Martinez inspired by farm workers. (David Lah)
To the south, in the Arts District, at Vielmetter Los Angeles, hang shows by abstract painter Elizabeth Neel and L.A.-based photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya. Sepuya’s sensuous images explore the male nude and the queer black body, while toying with the nature of photography, the camera itself and the role of the artist (his work is usually shot in reflection).
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“Our schedule is completely up in the air,” gallery founder Susanne Vielmetter says. “I have two beautiful shows that have been seen by nobody.”
The Neel and Sepuya shows were supposed to open on March 14, but Vielmetter shut down the space the day before, just as other arts organizations around the city were also closing.
Like every other gallerist, she is now trying to figure out how these works might be seen — if at all.
Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s solo show, “A conversation (about) around pictures,” at Vielmetter Los Angeles. (Robert Wedemeyer)
One thing is certain: The art world as we know it will not be the same one that emerges from the other side of this pandemic. What will change?
Surveying the uncertainty
The Times reached out to several dozen Los Angeles galleries, small and large, with an informal and anonymous survey about the challenges of the current stay-at-home phase of the pandemic and what they will face after their doors reopen. Almost three dozen galleries — 35 in total — responded.
No one is coming out of this unscathed. — Eva Chimento, founder of Chimento Contemporary
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Some who took the survey declined to be interviewed for this story; others who were interviewed preferred not to participate in the survey. In combination with interviews with gallerists around the city, the survey helps paint a picture of what the landscape may look like when California emerges from quarantine.
One troubling forecast: A quarter of the respondents, nine of 35, said they are facing the permanent closure of their spaces in 2020 if the situation doesn’t improve quickly. An additional five galleries, or 14%, say closure is a possibility. The numbers are in keeping with a far more comprehensive study issued by the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art, a French trade organization, which estimates that one-third of French galleries could shut down before the end of the year because of the steep losses in revenue.
In addition to potential closures, The Times survey reveals a much slimmer gallery scene will likely emerge — one that eschews most airplane travel to international art fairs in favor of staying local.
It’s a huge shift. In early March, just before stay-at-home orders started to take effect in the U.S., gallerists, artists and collectors from Los Angeles were jetting off to the art fairs in New York City and making plans to attend other art fairs around the world.
The length of the lockdown, the severity of the virus, the development (or not) of a vaccine and the rebound (or not) of the global economy and, with it, airplane travel, will all determine how and when galleries will be able to bounce back.
Some spaces are liable to shrink considerably; many others will disappear — and with them an important source of professional development and income for many artists as well as a whole host of other industry jobs, including crating and shipping, storage, installation, conservation, photography and framing. It’s a gutting that could lead to further inequity in the current market, in which small and midrange spaces are squeezed out by global mega-galleries, such as Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth.
“No one knows how this will go down,” says Jeff Poe, co-founder of Blum & Poe, based in Culver City with branches in New York and Tokyo (two cities also under lockdown). “It could go back to the Los Angeles that once was — in the ’90s, when things were quieter.” It was in those recession-era days — 1994, to be exact — when he and partner Tim Blum established their gallery.
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“No one is coming out of this unscathed,” says Eva Chimento, founder of Chimento Contemporary, an emerging space in West Adams that had just extended a show by Dutch painter Michael Tedja when the shutdown arrived. “That’s the sad truth.”
Dutch painter Michael Tedja’s solo show, “The Color Guide Series,” at Chimento Contemporary. (Ruben Diaz)
Virus hits close
It is impossible to know the path the virus may take through communities of artists, gallerists and collectors. Of the gallerists polled, 29 of the 35 have a colleague or close friend or family member who has been affected by a presumed case of COVID-19; five report they know someone who has died from complications related to the disease.
And it’s impossible to know how the pandemic will affect art dealing. Galleries are private businesses through which art is sold, generally via a chimeric formula that involves talent and buzz marinated in artspeak. Dealers are generally loathe to tell a story that isn’t rosy, especially when it comes to their own finances. Moreover, no two galleries are created equal. Some are locally focused one-man-band shops; others are behemoths with branches in global capitals. The story of a single gallery, or even a handful of galleries, is hardly a stand-in for all.
L.A. Louver opened a show by the late painter Don Suggs on March 11. Three days later, it closed. (L.A. Louver)
Consider the diverse lot of the respondents to The Times survey: Nearly half of the 35 respondents are small spaces of three employees or fewer, more than a third are middle-of-the-road galleries of between four and 12 staffers and 14% have staffs of more than a dozen, some of them the L.A. outposts of international galleries.
As in every other sector, there have been job cuts. More than a quarter of galleries have cut part-time staffers, and almost a quarter have furloughed employees. But many galleries are attempting to retain staff: 57% of respondents say they have not laid off employees. However, almost a third of the galleries who responded think they face that possibility over the next month.
Nearly 63% have applied for paycheck protection loans; an additional 26% of respondents are looking into doing so. Individually, many say some sort of rent forgiveness or grant program would improve their outlook.
Naturally, revenue is down across the board.
Nearly 89% of the galleries report a decline in sales since the pandemic begun, and 46% have had in-progress sales canceled. Some have continued to sell work, though on a reduced scale.
“We’ve made a few small sales — certainly not enough to keep solvent,” says Peter Fetterman, who has operated a namesake photography gallery in Santa Monica for 25 years and had just opened the doors on an exhibition of photographs by Ansel Adams — a show that had been three years in the making — when the shutdown went into effect.
“Bad timing,” he says, mordantly. “We self-obsessed, narcissistic art dealers will have to take a backseat to the reality of life.”
A show of photographs by Ansel Adams at Peter Fetterman Gallery was three years in the making. (Peter Fetterman Gallery)
Going online
As goes the rest of the world, so go the galleries, which, for now, means the internet.
Many have expanded online offerings on their own websites, creating “online viewing rooms” (a fancy way of saying “website”) with additional content. Vielmetter has added videos that feature curatorial walk-throughs of the shows on view. Fetterman used a 3D photography program to create a virtual walk-through of his Adams show. Anthony Cran of Wilding Cran Gallery is working on having San Pedro artist Fran Siegel, who was scheduled to open a two-person show with Paul Scott at the gallery on March 21, lead a video walk-through of the space.
A pair of works by Fran Siegel in the two-person show “Fran Siegel and Paul Scott: Seam & Transfer” at Wilding Cran. (Fran Siegel / Wilding Cran Gallery)
There is also an effort afoot to create a digital sales platform devoted to Los Angeles galleries.
Jeffrey Deitch, the former director of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), who operates a namesake gallery in Hollywood, is leading the initiative to create galleryplatform.la, a website that will feature a rotating selection of shows that can harness the power of the big galleries to provide visibility for the smaller ones — and help raise L.A.’s profile during and after the crisis.
“Some galleries have big platforms and a 50,000-name mailing list, but many other L.A. galleries don’t have the resources to do a high-tech website,” says Deitch, who had a group show, “All of Them Witches,” cut off by the quarantine. “ “Why not build a platform for everybody?”
L.A. spaces collaborating with Deitch include Château Shatto, Regen Projects, François Ghebaly, Nicodim, Residency Art, Gagosian and Blum & Poe.
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“It brings Los Angeles together when things are difficult,” says Poe.
The aim is to have some version of the platform operational in mid-May. “We may put it on [an] existing platform initially,” says Deitch — such as an Artsy or 1stdibs or one of the other online art dealing sites. “But we want to get it done quickly.”
While the site is bound to raise flagging spirits and generate sales, it likely won’t staunch the hemorrhaging.
Though online art markets have seen rising sales over the last half-dozen years, these represent a fraction of larger art sales — even in good times. Nearly 83% of the galleries that responded to The Times survey say online sales will not make up for traditional person-to-person methods. These include gallery openings and, to a larger degree, art fairs.
And the art fair landscape — without air travel and art shipping — has been shaken to its core.
The prominent Art Basel Hong Kong was canceled early in February, and Art Basel’s Swiss fair, generally held in June, has been postponed to September. Whether that fair, along with Art Basel Miami Beach and the cluster of fairs that take place there in December, will be held is anybody’s guess.
Frieze Los Angeles, for the time being, is moving ahead on plans for next February’s fair — but a lot of “what ifs” hang over that enterprise.
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Trulee Hall’s sculpture “Witch House,” 2020, from left, and paintings by Caitlin Keogh and Sascha Braunig, at Jeffrey Deitch. (Joshua White)
Going local
Not all the news is bad. Vielmetter notes that of the various fine arts, it could be the visual arts that bounce back first: “You can’t go to the movies. You can’t go to the theater. You can’t go to where there is a crowd. But you can go to a gallery. We could set it up so there are only two people in the gallery at a time.”
This is already in practice in Seoul, where people are once again beginning to circulate freely: Pace Gallery and the South Korean outpost of L.A.’s Various Small Fires, are already admitting visitors on a controlled basis.
The galleries that do survive will also likely be more locally focused — at least until people feel comfortable flying again.
“A lot of us are exhausted by all the travel,” says Deitch. “In the past year, I was on a different continent on every month and sometimes two continents in a month, and it takes me away from some of the creative work — the writing, the organizing of ambitious shows. This has shown that I don’t need to fly to Paris for the opening. Let’s cut down on some of that and do this through video conferencing.”
“Afterlife,” 2019, by Elizabeth Neel, from the artist’s solo show at Vielmetter Los Angeles. (Robert Wedemeyer)
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In fact, the pandemic could lead to a reconsideration of the art fair model among some art dealers — which is not a bad thing.
“The way we do art fairs is that we ship all these things [halfway] across the world to Europe or wherever,” says one gallerist, who prefers to remain nameless. “Then we send an email to collectors while the works are in transit. Half of the works sell before they even arrive. So the works go on vacation and then we have to turn around and ship it all back.”
In the meantime, the expense (not to mention the carbon footprint) is staggering.
Chimento, who has done 17 art fairs in the past five years, says she wants to make the business of the gallery fun again — and she wants to focus on Los Angeles.
“I’m thinking of spaces like Sue Spaid or Food House,” she says, referring to the scrappy galleries of ’90s-era L.A. “You knew when you went to their galleries that you’d see something you didn’t see before. You knew you’d see this camaraderie among the people.”
For the short term, she’s asking artists to create installations for her gallery’s windows — allowing her to show new work without having to open the doors. She expects to unveil the first installation next month.
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Indeed, many Los Angeles gallerists are looking ahead — even as they remain trapped in their homes.
Davida Nemeroff, owner of Night Gallery, says she was closing down a show by French painter Claire Tabouret when the quarantine hit. She’s kept busy coordinating a virtual show for Dallas Art Fair that launched on April 14.
And since this year marked the 10th anniversary of the space, which began in a small strip mall storefront in Lincoln Heights, she’s combing her archive for imagery to post to the gallery’s site and social media.
“Our year of celebration,” she says, “is turning into our year of reflection.”
After the lockdown, she hopes to reopen with a group anniversary show.
The title? “Majeure Force.”
Claire Tabouret’s solo show at Night Gallery was coming to a close when the coronavirus crisis hit. (Marten Elder / Claire Tabouret and Night Gallery)


latimes--2020-04-20--Newsom's secretive $1-billion mask deal with Chinese automaker sparks bipartisan concerns

Gov .
Gavin Newsom ‘ s decision to spend almost $ 1 billion in taxpayer funds to buy protective masks drew national attention as an aggressive move by California to solve one of the most nagging problems of the coronavirus crisis .
But almost two weeks after he announced the deal during a cable TV interview , very few details have been disclosed .
The governor ’ s advisors have so far declined requests for information about the agreement with BYD , the Chinese electric car manufacturer hired to produce the masks , though the state has already wired the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
Newsom , who has been praised for his efforts to slow the spread of the disease , bristled on Saturday at suggestions that his administration has been too slow to explain a deal that will cost California taxpayers 30 % more than his January budget would spend on infectious disease prevention for an entire fiscal year .
“ I ’ m for outcome here , ” Newsom shot back when asked by a reporter about withholding the contract ’ s details .
“ Some are consumed by process , personality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s down .
We are for actually solving a major , major problem — not only for the state but potentially a template for the country.
” But a bipartisan chorus of concerns has emerged in the Legislature .
Lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated that the governor ’ s advisors have asked only for expedited approval to spend money without briefing them on what has been agreed to .
“ I must emphasize , that ’ s a big deal , ” state Sen. Jim Nielsen ( R-Gerber ) said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
“ And what is in the contract that ensures the deliverability — timely — is going to be really , really important .
At the least , we can not be just throwing out a false hope to people.
” BYD , a Shenzhen-based company whose initials stand for “ Build Your Dreams , ” has staked its reputation on building electric vehicles .
It has a U.S. subsidiary based in Los Angeles , with a vehicle manufacturing facility in Lancaster .
The company currently employs about 1,000 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exactly how BYD has converted some of its manufacturing efforts in China to begin producing protective masks is unclear .
On March 13 , it touted the creation of “ the world ’ s largest mass-produced face masks plant ” in a news release posted on the company ’ s website .
The company announced that it would make 5 million masks a day — far surpassing the 100 million masks a month promised by 3M , the company best known for producing N95 masks , used to help prevent the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred all questions about negotiations over the purchase of masks to Newsom ’ s office .
Newsom and other top officials have described the gambit as straightforward : Leverage the state government ’ s purchasing power , backed up by a multibillion-dollar cash surplus , to buy 200 million masks a month .
The masks would then be distributed to healthcare and emergency workers across California , a supply chain that would continue through the end of June .
Administration officials have said that each monthly shipment from BYD will contain 150 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We made a big , bold bet on a new strategy , and it is bearing fruit , ” Newsom said on April 8 .
That same day , The Times asked for a copy of the contract to purchase the masks .
On Monday , the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services delayed responding to the request until May 4 .
BYD is well known in California government circles .
In 2013 , then-Gov .
Jerry Brown announced the company ’ s decision to build electric buses in Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was a key component of the state ’ s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases , he said .
“ I think it ’ s very important that we start replacing the bus fleet with electric buses , ” Brown said during a tour of BYD ’ s Shenzhen facility .
But there were criticisms of BYD ’ s work in California .
Problems with some of the company ’ s electric buses were chronicled in a Times investigation in 2018 .
The former chief counsel of a competing company said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that BYD had “ a history of overpromising and underdelivering.
” Workplace conditions have also come under scrutiny .
California safety officials investigated the BYD facility four times between the summer of 2014 and last spring , according to records reviewed by The Times , alleging 20 different workplace violations .
Among the violations alleged at the Lancaster electric car plant last year were errors in the proper use of respirators — safety masks — for its employees .
A company spokesman declined to comment on any of the workplace citations because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since it set up shop in California , BYD has quietly but steadily ramped up its governmental and political presence .
The company has spent more than $ 1 million lobbying state officials since 2014 and made a $ 50,000 contribution to the 2018 ballot measure campaign to keep in place California ’ s new taxes on gas and diesel sales .
In 2015 , the Governor ’ s Office of Business and Economic Development awarded BYD a $ 3-million tax credit to expand its manufacturing in California to other kinds of electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 1 million of the incentive .
“ The tax credit was based on an optimistic business forecast that was ultimately revised , ” company spokesman Frank Girardot said in an email .
The announcement of new mask production by BYD leadership in China came at just the right moment for California , as the Newsom administration scrambled for protective gear while cases of the novel coronavirus began to mount .
“ Look , we ’ ve been competing against other states , against other nations , against our own federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on April 7 .
“ We ’ re not waiting around any longer.
” The next day , the governor ’ s director of emergency services , Mark Ghilarducci , told reporters that BYD ’ s California-based subsidiary was key to the $ 990-million deal .
“ This is an organization that has a manufacturing capability that is specifically designed to meet this need , ” Ghilarducci said , citing BYD ’ s operations in China .
But almost immediately , lawmakers wondered why the Newsom administration wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before asking for the first payment to BYD .
“ We would never approve a budget this way , ” Assemblyman Phil Ting ( D-San Francisco ) , chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee , said in an interview on April 9 , two days after the deal was announced .
“ The whole reason we don ’ t do a budget one request at a time is we want to know the big picture.
” That same day , a letter from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee demanded details , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price per mask and delivery timelines .
But none of those specifics have , so far , been provided to legislators .
On April 13 , three days after the initial $ 495-million payment , Ghilarducci said that the state was still “ in the final negotiation phases ” and that the agreement would be kept private until that process was complete .
Three days later , Newsom advisors offered a different explanation .
During testimony before a special state Senate budget hearing examining the pandemic ’ s impact on California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told that revealing the contract ’ s details too soon could mean someone else — not California — might get the masks .
Similar problems have arisen in other states , including seizures of supplies by the federal government .
“ We have concerns about releasing too many details of it because , again , our goal is to get the supply into California for the people who need it , ” said Tina Curry , deputy director of the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services .
“ There are a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disrupt that , to influence that or interfere with that in some way.
” During a taped appearance on “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show ” that aired on Friday , Newsom voiced similar concerns .
“ We haven ’ t yet seen the benefits of those efforts , ” he said of the mask purchase .
“ I ’ m not holding my breath .
We have backups to that backup.
” On Saturday , while visiting Santa Clara County to discuss efforts to help COVID-19 patients who are homeless , Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ’ s revealed an “ appropriate ” amount of information given the difficulty in actually getting protective gear to its final destination .
“ I recognize everybody ’ s desire to have everything out there tomorrow , ” he said .
“ And we look forward to all those details becoming public very , very shortly .
”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses what it will take to lift coronavirus restrictions during a news conference on April 14. Newsom has committed the state to a $990-million agreement with a China-based electric car company to produce 200 million protective masks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s decision to spend almost $1 billion in taxpayer funds to buy protective masks drew national attention as an aggressive move by California to solve one of the most nagging problems of the coronavirus crisis.
But almost two weeks after he announced the deal during a cable TV interview, very few details have been disclosed. The governor’s advisors have so far declined requests for information about the agreement with BYD, the Chinese electric car manufacturer hired to produce the masks, though the state has already wired the company the first installment of $495 million.
Newsom, who has been praised for his efforts to slow the spread of the disease, bristled on Saturday at suggestions that his administration has been too slow to explain a deal that will cost California taxpayers 30% more than his January budget would spend on infectious disease prevention for an entire fiscal year.
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“I’m for outcome here,” Newsom shot back when asked by a reporter about withholding the contract’s details. “Some are consumed by process, personality, intrigue. Who’s up, who’s down. We are for actually solving a major, major problem — not only for the state but potentially a template for the country.”
But a bipartisan chorus of concerns has emerged in the Legislature. Lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated that the governor’s advisors have asked only for expedited approval to spend money without briefing them on what has been agreed to.
“I must emphasize, that’s a big deal,” state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) said of the agreement during a legislative oversight hearing on Thursday. “And what is in the contract that ensures the deliverability — timely — is going to be really, really important. At the least, we cannot be just throwing out a false hope to people.”
BYD, a Shenzhen-based company whose initials stand for “Build Your Dreams,” has staked its reputation on building electric vehicles. It has a U.S. subsidiary based in Los Angeles, with a vehicle manufacturing facility in Lancaster. The company currently employs about 1,000 people in California, a company spokesman said.
Exactly how BYD has converted some of its manufacturing efforts in China to begin producing protective masks is unclear. On March 13, it touted the creation of “the world’s largest mass-produced face masks plant” in a news release posted on the company’s website. The company announced that it would make 5 million masks a day — far surpassing the 100 million masks a month promised by 3M, the company best known for producing N95 masks, used to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
A spokesman for BYD referred all questions about negotiations over the purchase of masks to Newsom’s office.
Newsom and other top officials have described the gambit as straightforward: Leverage the state government’s purchasing power, backed up by a multibillion-dollar cash surplus, to buy 200 million masks a month. The masks would then be distributed to healthcare and emergency workers across California, a supply chain that would continue through the end of June.
Administration officials have said that each monthly shipment from BYD will contain 150 million N95 masks and 50 million surgical masks.
“We made a big, bold bet on a new strategy, and it is bearing fruit,” Newsom said on April 8.
That same day, The Times asked for a copy of the contract to purchase the masks. On Monday, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services delayed responding to the request until May 4.
BYD is well known in California government circles. In 2013, then-Gov. Jerry Brown announced the company’s decision to build electric buses in Southern California during a trade mission to China. It was a key component of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, he said.
“I think it’s very important that we start replacing the bus fleet with electric buses,” Brown said during a tour of BYD’s Shenzhen facility.
But there were criticisms of BYD’s work in California. Problems with some of the company’s electric buses were chronicled in a Times investigation in 2018. The former chief counsel of a competing company said in a 2013 letter to Long Beach officials that BYD had “a history of overpromising and underdelivering.”
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Workplace conditions have also come under scrutiny. California safety officials investigated the BYD facility four times between the summer of 2014 and last spring, according to records reviewed by The Times, alleging 20 different workplace violations.
Among the violations alleged at the Lancaster electric car plant last year were errors in the proper use of respirators — safety masks — for its employees.
A company spokesman declined to comment on any of the workplace citations because of pending legal action.
In the years since it set up shop in California, BYD has quietly but steadily ramped up its governmental and political presence. The company has spent more than $1 million lobbying state officials since 2014 and made a $50,000 contribution to the 2018 ballot measure campaign to keep in place California’s new taxes on gas and diesel sales.
In 2015, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development awarded BYD a $3-million tax credit to expand its manufacturing in California to other kinds of electric vehicles. But the company forfeited more than $1 million of the incentive.
“The tax credit was based on an optimistic business forecast that was ultimately revised,” company spokesman Frank Girardot said in an email.
The announcement of new mask production by BYD leadership in China came at just the right moment for California, as the Newsom administration scrambled for protective gear while cases of the novel coronavirus began to mount.
“Look, we’ve been competing against other states, against other nations, against our own federal government” for safety equipment, Newsom told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on April 7. “We’re not waiting around any longer.”
The next day, the governor’s director of emergency services, Mark Ghilarducci, told reporters that BYD’s California-based subsidiary was key to the $990-million deal.
“This is an organization that has a manufacturing capability that is specifically designed to meet this need,” Ghilarducci said, citing BYD’s operations in China.
But almost immediately, lawmakers wondered why the Newsom administration wouldn’t allow them to review the contract before asking for the first payment to BYD.
“We would never approve a budget this way,” Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, said in an interview on April 9, two days after the deal was announced. “The whole reason we don’t do a budget one request at a time is we want to know the big picture.”
That same day, a letter from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee demanded details, including the performance standards expected of BYD, the price per mask and delivery timelines. But none of those specifics have, so far, been provided to legislators.
On April 13, three days after the initial $495-million payment, Ghilarducci said that the state was still “in the final negotiation phases” and that the agreement would be kept private until that process was complete.
Three days later, Newsom advisors offered a different explanation. During testimony before a special state Senate budget hearing examining the pandemic’s impact on California’s economy and government finances, lawmakers were told that revealing the contract’s details too soon could mean someone else — not California — might get the masks. Similar problems have arisen in other states, including seizures of supplies by the federal government.
“We have concerns about releasing too many details of it because, again, our goal is to get the supply into California for the people who need it,” said Tina Curry, deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “There are a lot of things that could come into play to disrupt that, to influence that or interfere with that in some way.”
During a taped appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that aired on Friday, Newsom voiced similar concerns.
“We haven’t yet seen the benefits of those efforts,” he said of the mask purchase. “I’m not holding my breath. We have backups to that backup.”
On Saturday, while visiting Santa Clara County to discuss efforts to help COVID-19 patients who are homeless, Newsom insisted the BYD contract is complete and that he’s revealed an “appropriate” amount of information given the difficulty in actually getting protective gear to its final destination.
“I recognize everybody’s desire to have everything out there tomorrow,” he said. “And we look forward to all those details becoming public very, very shortly.”


latimes--2020-04-20--L.A. County reports more than 1,400 additional coronavirus cases amid huge test backlog

Los Angeles County officials on Monday announced more than 1,400 additional cases of novel coronavirus , a huge number resulting from one laboratory ’ s backlog of nearly 1,200 positive test results that were conducted between April 7 and 14 .
“ This is a tremendous lag in data reporting , ” Barbara Ferrer , director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health , said in announcing the additional cases , which pushed the county ’ s total above 13,800 .
Officials also announced an additional 17 deaths linked to the coronavirus after the county recorded more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ferrer announced 81 new COVID-19 deaths , the highest number reported in a single day in L.A. County since the pandemic began .
It was the fourth time in five days that the fatality count had reached a record high .
“ In this last week , we have doubled the number of deaths that occurred among L.A. County residents , ” Ferrer said .
Though the numbers look bleak , Ferrer said there were signs that social distancing practices were having a positive effect , but the county hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stay-at-home order .
“ As we plan ahead for recovery , we ask that all remain steadfast in complying with the directives laid out in our “ safer at home ” order : stay home as much as possible , practice physical distancing at all times , wear face coverings when out in public and keep hands clean , ” Ferrer said .
“ We know that these are extraordinarily difficult times and appreciate the efforts made by everyone to bring wellness back to our community .
Together we are saving lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this.
” The number of confirmed cases continued to increase throughout California .
Riverside County saw its caseload climb to 2,847 and its death roll rise to 85 .
In Santa Clara County , officials said Monday the number of confirmed cases had risen above 1,900 , and the death toll was 83 .
Roughly 80,500 of L.A. County ’ s 10 million residents have been tested for the coronavirus — or less than 1 % .
Of those tested , 13 % were positive .
More than 3,400 people , or 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hospitalized at some point during their illness .
More than 600 people have died of COVID-19 .
L.A. County does not have a record of individuals who have recovered .
That count is included in the total number of cases .
Of those who have died , the county has released information about race and ethnicity for 544 people .
Roughly 36 % of those deaths were among Latinx residents , 28 % were white , 17 % were Asian , 16 % were African American and 3 % were identified with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a report from USC and the county ’ s Department of Public Health revealed that roughly 4.1 % of the county ’ s population has antibodies to the coronavirus .
That figure is 28 to 55 times higher than the number of confirmed cases reported in early April , suggesting that hundreds of thousands of the county ’ s 10 million residents have been infected by the virus .
Dr. Deborah Birx , response coordinator of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , said Monday that her office was aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ concern about asymptomatic spread ” because it is difficult to trace .
“ This has been the fundamental question to begin with , ” she said , emphasizing the importance of treating the disease as “ highly contagious.
” So far , 53 of California ’ s 58 counties have reported COVID-19 cases .
The number of deaths in the state surpassed 1,220 on Monday , while confirmed cases exceeded 33,600 .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom laid out a plan last week to lift the state ’ s shelter-in-place orders , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county-by-county basis .
More details of that six-point framework will be released Wednesday , Newsom said Monday during his daily briefing .
He stressed the need for physical distancing practices to remain in effect .
Progress is being made in flattening the curve , but Newsom said COVID-19 cases and deaths would continue to rise .
“ It ’ s not a light switch — more like a dimmer , ” he said of the forthcoming plan to ease restrictions .
While L.A. County ’ s stay-at-home orders remain intact , and officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ventura County modified its restrictions Saturday as protesters in several Southern California cities demanded such orders be lifted , citing economic downturn .
“ We are positioned to focus on the road to reopening because our residents and businesses have sacrificed so much to comply with the public health orders and slow the spread of the virus in our community , ” Mike Powers , Ventura County ’ s executive officer , said in a statement .
“ Our current situation is further strengthened by the work of our local hospitals to expand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted the governor ’ s office prior to easing its restrictions .
There is a cap when it comes to loosening restrictions issued by the state , he said .
But in many instances , counties went beyond the state ’ s guidelines to strengthen restrictions at local levels .
Newsom said those more stringent closures could be loosened .
“ We are working with others in California along those same lines , ” he said .
As temperatures heat up this week , Ferrer asked L.A. County residents to refrain from visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s resources and exposing themselves to illness .
“ You could inadvertently infect yourself , ” she said .
Some Ventura County businesses are being allowed to reopen , and gatherings of up to five people will be allowed for the first time since stay-at-home orders went into effect last month .
Golf courses and bike shops can reopen , and in-person sales of vehicles are now permitted .
Officials also reopened county-run parks and beaches at 5 p.m. Friday .
Among all of the Southern California counties , Ventura County has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and deaths .
Since the pandemic began , it has reported 428 coronavirus cases and 13 fatalities .

Colleen Shalby, David Zahniser, Dakota Smith, Alex Wigglesworth

Los Angeles County officials on Monday announced more than 1,400 additional cases of novel coronavirus, a huge number resulting from one laboratory’s backlog of nearly 1,200 positive test results that were conducted between April 7 and 14.
“This is a tremendous lag in data reporting,” Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said in announcing the additional cases, which pushed the county’s total above 13,800.
Officials also announced an additional 17 deaths linked to the coronavirus after the county recorded more than 100 deaths over the weekend.
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On Saturday, Ferrer announced 81 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest number reported in a single day in L.A. County since the pandemic began. It was the fourth time in five days that the fatality count had reached a record high.
“In this last week, we have doubled the number of deaths that occurred among L.A. County residents,” Ferrer said.
Though the numbers look bleak, Ferrer said there were signs that social distancing practices were having a positive effect, but the county hasn’t signaled it’s ready to lift its stay-at-home order.
“As we plan ahead for recovery, we ask that all remain steadfast in complying with the directives laid out in our “safer at home” order: stay home as much as possible, practice physical distancing at all times, wear face coverings when out in public and keep hands clean,” Ferrer said. “We know that these are extraordinarily difficult times and appreciate the efforts made by everyone to bring wellness back to our community. Together we are saving lives, and together we will get through this.”
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
The number of confirmed cases continued to increase throughout California. Riverside County saw its caseload climb to 2,847 and its death roll rise to 85. In Santa Clara County, officials said Monday the number of confirmed cases had risen above 1,900, and the death toll was 83.
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Roughly 80,500 of L.A. County’s 10 million residents have been tested for the coronavirus — or less than 1%. Of those tested, 13% were positive. More than 3,400 people, or 25% of all positive cases, have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. More than 600 people have died of COVID-19.
L.A. County does not have a record of individuals who have recovered. That count is included in the total number of cases.
Of those who have died, the county has released information about race and ethnicity for 544 people. Roughly 36% of those deaths were among Latinx residents, 28% were white, 17% were Asian, 16% were African American and 3% were identified with other races.
Officials also said Monday that a report from USC and the county’s Department of Public Health revealed that roughly 4.1% of the county’s population has antibodies to the coronavirus. That figure is 28 to 55 times higher than the number of confirmed cases reported in early April, suggesting that hundreds of thousands of the county’s 10 million residents have been infected by the virus.
Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator of the White House’s coronavirus task force, said Monday that her office was aware of the report, which highlighted the “concern about asymptomatic spread” because it is difficult to trace.
“This has been the fundamental question to begin with,” she said, emphasizing the importance of treating the disease as “highly contagious.”
So far, 53 of California’s 58 counties have reported COVID-19 cases. The number of deaths in the state surpassed 1,220 on Monday, while confirmed cases exceeded 33,600.
Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out a plan last week to lift the state’s shelter-in-place orders, a decision that officials have implemented on a county-by-county basis. More details of that six-point framework will be released Wednesday, Newsom said Monday during his daily briefing.
He stressed the need for physical distancing practices to remain in effect. Progress is being made in flattening the curve, but Newsom said COVID-19 cases and deaths would continue to rise.
“It’s not a light switch — more like a dimmer,” he said of the forthcoming plan to ease restrictions.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti outlined the economic pain the coronavirus has brought to the city, even as he cautioned against relaxing restrictions on movement and business too soon.
Garcetti released his proposed $10.5-billion budget Monday that will result in furloughs for 16,000 city employees. With sales and hotel tax revenues plummeting due to the business paralysis caused by the coronavirus, citywide revenues are projected to rise just 1.8%, compared with the 4.5% average yearly growth seen by the city over the last six years.
“This is also a document of our pain. Hard times are ahead,” Garcetti said of the budget, noting that the city’s financial straits are likely to be worse than after the 2008 recession.
Still, the mayor warned that rolling back restrictions too early in the hopes of boosting the economy would likely lead to a massive death toll.
“Folks are saying open up the country, open up the city ... the worst thing we could do would be to lift those floodgates up,” he said.
In neighboring Ventura County, officials modified restrictions Saturday as protesters in several Southern California cities demanded such orders be lifted, citing economic downturn.
“We are positioned to focus on the road to reopening because our residents and businesses have sacrificed so much to comply with the public health orders and slow the spread of the virus in our community,” Mike Powers, Ventura County’s executive officer, said in a statement. “Our current situation is further strengthened by the work of our local hospitals to expand their capacity.”
In San Diego, city parks will reopen for “individual use” on Tuesday, though recreation centers and parking lots will remain closed.
Newsom said Ventura County contacted the governor’s office prior to easing its restrictions. There is a cap when it comes to loosening restrictions issued by the state, he said. But in many instances, counties went beyond the state’s guidelines to strengthen restrictions at local levels. Newsom said those more stringent closures could be loosened.
“We are working with others in California along those same lines,” he said.
As temperatures heat up this week, Ferrer asked L.A. County residents to refrain from visiting Ventura County to avoid overwhelming that county’s resources and exposing themselves to illness.
“You could inadvertently infect yourself,” she said.
Some Ventura County businesses are being allowed to reopen, and gatherings of up to five people will be allowed for the first time since stay-at-home orders went into effect last month. Golf courses and bike shops can reopen, and in-person sales of vehicles are now permitted. Officials also reopened county-run parks and beaches at 5 p.m. Friday.
Among all of the Southern California counties, Ventura County has by far the fewest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Since the pandemic began, it has reported 428 coronavirus cases and 13 fatalities.
Perhaps cognizant of the calendar, San Francisco police fenced off Hippie Hill on Monday to deter anyone considering visiting the park to celebrate 4/20, the well-known holiday for marijuana enthusiasts.
Thousands usually flock to Robin Williams Meadow for the annual festival in Golden Gate Park to light up among their fellow dope devotees. Instead, the only thing connecting the park and the holiday Monday was the harshest of mellows — a San Francisco Police Department tweet that read “stay off the grass.”
Times staff writers James Queally, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Noah Bierman contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-20--Machine that could decontaminate 20,000 masks daily has arrived in Burbank, company says

A machine that could decontaminate tens of thousands of N95 masks each day has arrived in California — potentially alleviating some of the shortages of personal protective equipment for medical workers .
Battelle , an Ohio-based scientific research and development company , confirmed Monday morning that its cleaning unit has arrived at the Burbank airport , where it will remain .
It could decontaminate up to 20,000 N95 masks a day , said Battelle spokeswoman Katy Delaney in an email .
“ The team is setting it up now and expects it to become operational in about a week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working with hospitals to set up protocols for receiving and returning the masks , but was not immediately able to say which hospitals would have access to the service .
Officials with the California Department of Emergency Services declined to give details about the machine Friday .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom first announced the decontamination system in March , but details have been scant since .
On April 13 , the Pentagon announced a $ 415-million contract with Battelle for 60 of the machines , indicating the Federal Emergency Management Agency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would decide where the machines are located , with Battelle staff running them .
Delaney said the machines are up in running on Long Island , New York City , Tacoma , Wash. , and Chicago .
Others are being set up in Connecticut , Baltimore and Washington , D.C .
The decontamination process uses hydrogen peroxide gas to kill viruses and bacteria , a method that has received emergency authorization by the federal government but which has not been tested in large-scale capacity .
Hydrogen peroxide decontamination has been successfully used by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under the federal guidelines , the masks can be decontaminated up to 20 times each , and will be labeled with bar codes so they can returned to their original user .
Earlier tests have shown that the elastic straps on the masks may deteriorate after multiple cleanings , though .
Some facilities are decontaminating fewer times as a precautionary measure .
The unknowns about the process have sparked anxiety among some medical professionals .
“ I understand the process , but would I feel safe putting on a mask that someone else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not , ” said Sydnie Boylan , a Los Angeles nurse .
But faced with ongoing shortages of protective gear , experts said the cleaned masks are a better alternative that the methods some medical professionals are trying on their own — such as heating them or spraying them with Lysol .
One group of volunteer clinicians and scientists spent weeks examining decontamination methods before determining that hydrogen peroxide gas was likely the best available alternative .
“ We should not be decontaminating masks .
We should only be using new masks but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said David Rempel , a member of the volunteer group N95decon.org and a retired research physician at UCSF .
“ We have nurses and doctors who are taking them home in the evening and putting them in ovens.
” Jill Crittenden , an MIT researcher who is also part of the volunteer group , agreed that “ there are risks to everything.
” Crittenden said that while testing done on the system showed it to be effective , she has concerns about the intensity of how masks are being used and reused in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will factor into the decontamination .
She points out that medical staff are wearing masks for hours , and in some cases days .
“ So it was filled with eight hours of respiration and all that , ” Crittenden said .
“ The doctors get bloody ... the masks are getting wet .
”

A machine that could decontaminate tens of thousands of N95 masks each day has arrived in California — potentially alleviating some of the shortages of personal protective equipment for medical workers.
Battelle, an Ohio-based scientific research and development company, confirmed Monday morning that its cleaning unit has arrived at the Burbank airport, where it will remain.
It could decontaminate up to 20,000 N95 masks a day, said Battelle spokeswoman Katy Delaney in an email.
“The team is setting it up now and expects it to become operational in about a week,” said Delaney.
Delaney said Battelle is working with hospitals to set up protocols for receiving and returning the masks, but was not immediately able to say which hospitals would have access to the service.
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Officials with the California Department of Emergency Services declined to give details about the machine Friday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom first announced the decontamination system in March, but details have been scant since. On April 13, the Pentagon announced a $415-million contract with Battelle for 60 of the machines, indicating the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services would decide where the machines are located, with Battelle staff running them.
Delaney said the machines are up in running on Long Island, New York City, Tacoma, Wash., and Chicago. Others are being set up in Connecticut, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
The decontamination process uses hydrogen peroxide gas to kill viruses and bacteria, a method that has received emergency authorization by the federal government but which has not been tested in large-scale capacity. Hydrogen peroxide decontamination has been successfully used by other facilities, including Duke University.
Under the federal guidelines, the masks can be decontaminated up to 20 times each, and will be labeled with bar codes so they can returned to their original user.
Earlier tests have shown that the elastic straps on the masks may deteriorate after multiple cleanings, though. Some facilities are decontaminating fewer times as a precautionary measure.
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The unknowns about the process have sparked anxiety among some medical professionals.
“I understand the process, but would I feel safe putting on a mask that someone else had worn for four days? Probably not,” said Sydnie Boylan, a Los Angeles nurse.
But faced with ongoing shortages of protective gear, experts said the cleaned masks are a better alternative that the methods some medical professionals are trying on their own — such as heating them or spraying them with Lysol.
One group of volunteer clinicians and scientists spent weeks examining decontamination methods before determining that hydrogen peroxide gas was likely the best available alternative.
“We should not be decontaminating masks. We should only be using new masks but this is an emergency situation,” said David Rempel, a member of the volunteer group N95decon.org and a retired research physician at UCSF. “We have nurses and doctors who are taking them home in the evening and putting them in ovens.”
Jill Crittenden, an MIT researcher who is also part of the volunteer group, agreed that “there are risks to everything.”
Crittenden said that while testing done on the system showed it to be effective, she has concerns about the intensity of how masks are being used and reused in the current crisis, and how that will factor into the decontamination. She points out that medical staff are wearing masks for hours, and in some cases days.
“So it was filled with eight hours of respiration and all that,” Crittenden said. “The doctors get bloody ... the masks are getting wet.”