latimes--2020-12-11--L.A. County at 'catastrophic' COVID-19 levels, with 13,815 new cases and more than 500,000 total

The COVID-19 crisis hit what Los Angeles County officials called “ uncharted territory ” Friday , as the daily case count surged dramatically to 13,815 and total cases topped 500,000 , the latest signs that the virus is spreading with ferocious speed .
“ We ’ re seeing daily numbers of cases and hospitalizations that we ’ ve not experienced and , frankly , did not anticipate , ” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
“ Our intensive care unit bed capacity continues to drop .
We ’ re on a very dangerous track to seeing unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avalanche of new coronavirus infections is causing hospitals to see a run on patients and pushing some ICUs to — or perilously near — capacity .
As of Thursday , the most recent day for which complete data are available , there were 3,850 COVID-19 patients hospitalized countywide , including 856 in the ICU — both records .
The number of people hospitalized in L.A. County with coronavirus infections has doubled since Thanksgiving and quadrupled since a month ago , when there were 942 .
“ The best thing we can all do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whenever possible and away from people we don ’ t live with , ” Ferrer said during a briefing Friday .
Officials fear the situation will only worsen as more people who may have been exposed to the virus during the Thanksgiving holiday become sick .
There is still hope that the new stay-at-home order will make a difference , but it will take weeks before the effects , if any , become apparent .
“ We can not undo what ’ s already been done , and collectively , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price for the actions we were taking in the past , ” Ferrer said .
At this point , she added , “ it ’ s not a question of if we ’ ll see a large increase of hospitalizations and deaths ” but a question of how severe the numbers will get .
Officials have often said that rising numbers of infections lead to increased hospitalizations two to three weeks later .
Two weeks ago , L.A. County was seeing an average of 4,200 new coronavirus cases per day .
That wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current record-high hospitalization numbers .
Should the same proportion hold , the recent average caseload of 10,200 new infections per day will trigger a tidal wave two weeks from now — with potentially more than 7,300 COVID-19 patients in the hospital at once , and nearly 1,700 of them in intensive care .
There are only about 2,100 ICU adult beds across all county hospitals , according to Ferrer .
Significant spikes in cases and hospitalizations will invariably lead to increases in fatalities .
Over the last week , an average of 52 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to data compiled by The Times .
Two weeks from now , “ we could witness 80 people dying each day , ” Ferrer said .
Already , more than 8,100 L.A. County residents have died from COVID-19 .
The unfortunate reality , Ferrer said , is that “ what we ’ re seeing today is not the worst that we ’ re going to experience.
” “ I think the issue right now is this is what we would call the Thanksgiving surge ... now we have a surge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And it ’ s really hard for us to calculate exactly what we ’ re going to see over the next week or two.
” The illness is clearly spreading into an array of communities like never before .
L.A. County officials this week released data showing big jumps in coronavirus cases in dozens of communities in the San Gabriel Valley , the South Bay , the Westside and central Los Angeles .
Communities that saw a more than 200 % increase in coronavirus cases between late September and late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosemead , San Gabriel , South El Monte , Hawthorne , Palms , Westchester , Lennox and parts of South Los Angeles .
Officials stress , though , that the coronavirus is so widespread throughout the county that residents should assume that everyone they come into contact with could be infected .
Moving forward , Ferrer said , all residents must take steps to protect themselves from infection — including staying home as much as possible and avoiding mixing with those they do not live with .
“ Make the choice today and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to protect yourself , you ’ re going to protect your friends and loved ones and you ’ re going to protect the friends and loved ones of other people , ” she said .
It ’ s too early to consider additional restrictions on businesses and activities on top of what ’ s already in place countywide , the health director said .
The focus at this point is urging people to follow the rules that are already in place .
“ I think what we have right now would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
I think it will slow the surge , ” she said .
“ We just need everyone to start doing what they need to be doing .
”

The COVID-19 crisis hit what Los Angeles County officials called “uncharted territory” Friday, as the daily case count surged dramatically to 13,815 and total cases topped 500,000, the latest signs that the virus is spreading with ferocious speed.
“We’re seeing daily numbers of cases and hospitalizations that we’ve not experienced and, frankly, did not anticipate,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “Our intensive care unit bed capacity continues to drop. We’re on a very dangerous track to seeing unprecedented and catastrophic suffering and death.”
The avalanche of new coronavirus infections is causing hospitals to see a run on patients and pushing some ICUs to — or perilously near — capacity.
As of Thursday, the most recent day for which complete data are available, there were 3,850 COVID-19 patients hospitalized countywide, including 856 in the ICU — both records.
The number of people hospitalized in L.A. County with coronavirus infections has doubled since Thanksgiving and quadrupled since a month ago, when there were 942.
“The best thing we can all do right now is stay in our homes whenever possible and away from people we don’t live with,” Ferrer said during a briefing Friday.
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
Officials fear the situation will only worsen as more people who may have been exposed to the virus during the Thanksgiving holiday become sick. There is still hope that the new stay-at-home order will make a difference, but it will take weeks before the effects, if any, become apparent.
“We cannot undo what’s already been done, and collectively, we’re going to all pay a very high price for the actions we were taking in the past,” Ferrer said.
At this point, she added, “it’s not a question of if we’ll see a large increase of hospitalizations and deaths” but a question of how severe the numbers will get.
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Officials have often said that rising numbers of infections lead to increased hospitalizations two to three weeks later. Two weeks ago, L.A. County was seeing an average of 4,200 new coronavirus cases per day. That wave of infections is what is fueling the current record-high hospitalization numbers.
Should the same proportion hold, the recent average caseload of 10,200 new infections per day will trigger a tidal wave two weeks from now — with potentially more than 7,300 COVID-19 patients in the hospital at once, and nearly 1,700 of them in intensive care.
There are only about 2,100 ICU adult beds across all county hospitals, according to Ferrer.
Significant spikes in cases and hospitalizations will invariably lead to increases in fatalities.
Over the last week, an average of 52 Angelenos have died from COVID-19 every day, according to data compiled by The Times. Two weeks from now, “we could witness 80 people dying each day,” Ferrer said.
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Already, more than 8,100 L.A. County residents have died from COVID-19.
The unfortunate reality, Ferrer said, is that “what we’re seeing today is not the worst that we’re going to experience.”
“I think the issue right now is this is what we would call the Thanksgiving surge ... now we have a surge on top of a surge,” she said. “And it’s really hard for us to calculate exactly what we’re going to see over the next week or two.”
The illness is clearly spreading into an array of communities like never before.
L.A. County officials this week released data showing big jumps in coronavirus cases in dozens of communities in the San Gabriel Valley, the South Bay, the Westside and central Los Angeles. Communities that saw a more than 200% increase in coronavirus cases between late September and late November include Silver Lake, Claremont, Rosemead, San Gabriel, South El Monte, Hawthorne, Palms, Westchester, Lennox and parts of South Los Angeles.
Officials stress, though, that the coronavirus is so widespread throughout the county that residents should assume that everyone they come into contact with could be infected.
Moving forward, Ferrer said, all residents must take steps to protect themselves from infection — including staying home as much as possible and avoiding mixing with those they do not live with.
“Make the choice today and every day throughout December that you’re going to protect yourself, you’re going to protect your friends and loved ones and you’re going to protect the friends and loved ones of other people,” she said.
It’s too early to consider additional restrictions on businesses and activities on top of what’s already in place countywide, the health director said. The focus at this point is urging people to follow the rules that are already in place.
“I think what we have right now would work if we had almost everybody doing it. I think it will slow the surge,” she said. “We just need everyone to start doing what they need to be doing.”


latimes--2020-12-11--South L.A. man killed with hammer by man he let stay in his backyard, authorities say

A South Los Angeles man was beaten to death with a hammer in the backyard of his home Wednesday night @ @ @ @ @ let stay there , authorities said .
Deputies from the L.A. County sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to a home in the 1000 block of West 98th Street about 6:30 p.m. in @ @ @ @ @ a fight , Deputy Maria Lucero said .
In the backyard , they found a @ @ @ @ @ traumatic head injury , she said .
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene .
@ @ @ @ @ identified the man as Angelberto Medina , 63 .
Investigators said that Medina had gotten @ @ @ @ @ homeless man whom he had allowed to stay in his yard , and that man @ @ @ @ @ head with a hammer , Lucero said .
Deputies found the man suspected in the @ @ @ @ @ and took him into custody , she said .
His name has not been released @ @ @ @ @ available .

A man was killed in the backyard of his South Los Angeles home Wednesday night by another man he had let stay there, an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy said.
A South Los Angeles man was beaten to death with a hammer in the backyard of his home Wednesday night by a man he had let stay there, authorities said.
Deputies from the L.A. County sheriff’s South L.A. station were sent to a home in the 1000 block of West 98th Street about 6:30 p.m. in response to a report of a fight, Deputy Maria Lucero said.
In the backyard, they found a man who had suffered a traumatic head injury, she said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The coroner’s office identified the man as Angelberto Medina, 63.
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Investigators said that Medina had gotten into a fight with a homeless man whom he had allowed to stay in his yard, and that man had struck him in the head with a hammer, Lucero said.
Deputies found the man suspected in the attack a short distance away and took him into custody, she said. His name has not been released. No other details were available.


latimes--2020-12-11--Orange County healthcare system is 'in crisis' as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record

The number of coronavirus-positive patients flooding Orange County hospitals has hit crisis levels , prompting one official to warn that the region ’ s emergency medical system could be at risk of collapse unless steps are taken to alleviate the stress .
Orange County , like much of California and the nation as a whole , has been inundated with an unprecedented influx of COVID-19 patients , which has resulted in some ambulances having to wait hours to offload their patients , according to Dr. Carl Schultz , emergency medical services director for the county Health Care Agency .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in crisis resulting from an overwhelming increase in the number of COVID infected patients , ” he wrote in a memo Wednesday to hospitals and ambulance and paramedic providers .
As of Thursday , there were 1,122 coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized countywide — an all-time high and more than double the number from two weeks ago .
Of those , 265 people were in intensive care , according to the latest available data .
“ At the current rate of deterioration , the EMS system may collapse unless emergency directives are implemented now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps , he said , include allowing ambulances to travel longer distances to take patients to hospitals that can accept them , and permitting them to take a patient to another hospital if they ’ ve been waiting outside with the patient for more than an hour .
Hospitals also should consider activating their surge plans , establishing alternate treatment areas and canceling elective surgeries , he added .
“ While it is clear no one is to blame for this crisis , all can participate in mitigating its effects , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County ’ s health officer and Health Care Agency director , also encouraged residents “ who can get services through urgent care , can get services through their primary care physician [ to ] please go ahead and do so , and not just show up to the emergency room.
” During a briefing Thursday , Chau said that Schultz ’ s letter “ is just to be cautious and make sure that we have a plan with all of our hospitals and not wait until the last minute.
” That planning has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county — along with the rest of the state — is in the throes of the worst wave of the coronavirus pandemic .
Californians are testing positive for and falling ill and dying from COVID-19 at unprecedented levels .
The state has averaged nearly 29,000 new coronavirus cases a day and about 150 daily deaths over the last week .
The timing and acceleration of the surge indicates that many ignored officials and experts ’ calls to eschew traveling and gathering for Thanksgiving — a potentially chilling prospect , given the wider winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Those of you who dread holidays , getting together with family , this is the season when you have a good excuse not to do so , ” Chau said .
“ Please do not mix .
Do not travel .
You need to stay put , and if you ’ re sick , you need to stay home.
” An all-time high of 12,013 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized statewide as of Thursday .
A record 2,669 Californians were in intensive care .
Along with Orange , two other California counties had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals as of Thursday : San Bernardino , with 1,132 , and Los Angeles , with 3,850 .
The number of people hospitalized in L.A. County with coronavirus infections has doubled since Thanksgiving and quadrupled in the last month .
The county has also shattered its daily record for new coronavirus cases in each of the last two days , reporting a staggering 13,815 on Friday .
“ Like a speeding car approaching a cliff , if we do not rapidly change course , we are in jeopardy of catastrophic consequences , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that county ’ s Department of Public Health , said during a briefing Thursday .
Officials have long warned that skyrocketing coronavirus infections will invariably trigger a flood of people sick enough to require hospitalization , usually two to three weeks down the line .
This means hospitals have likely yet to see the fallout from this week ’ s sky-high case counts — an alarming possibility , given that resources , capacity and staffing are all already stretched thin .
Of particular concern are ICU beds , which require high-tech equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sickest patients .
In a bid to shield that system , California is implementing new stay-at-home orders when ICU capacity drops below 15 % in any one of five state-defined regions .
Such orders — which reduce customer limits at retail stores ; close businesses including hair and nail salons , card rooms , museums , zoos and aquariums ; and prohibit outdoor restaurant dining — are already in place in three regions : Southern California , the San Joaquin Valley and Greater Sacramento .
The state ’ s two other regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , remain above the 15 % threshold for now Because of the current trends , some Bay Area counties — including San Francisco , Santa Clara , Contra Costa , Alameda and Marin — have elected to preemptively adopt the additional state restrictions .
Sonoma County will add its name to that group effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday , officials announced .
Though that county “ has fared better until now than other parts of the state in terms of demand on our hospitals , we have been seeing an alarming increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and this is putting increased strain on our medical resources , ” health officer Dr. Sundari Mase said in a statement .
“ We have to take action now , ” Mase added .
The state ’ s latest approach has not been without controversy , though .
Some have characterized the additional restrictions as overly broad and unscientific , saying they won ’ t provide enough of a public health benefit to justify the pain they will cause the state ’ s already battered economy .
Others have taken issue with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the state taking a regional view at all .
The Southern California region — a sprawling swath encompassing Imperial , Inyo , Los Angeles , Mono , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — has drawn particular ire , as critics say it ’ s far too large and lumps together too many disparate communities .
Michelle Steel , a Republican congresswoman-elect and current chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors , said Thursday that “ everyone understands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must do , but a one-size-fits-all approach is simply not right.
” The “ top-down ” mandates from the state throughout the pandemic , she said , have “ been an inconsistent mess , moving the bar and creating new criteria each time to justify their actions with no scientific base.
” “ These moves haven ’ t stopped the spread of the virus , but have severely harmed families ’ ability to make a living , crippled business owners and forced too many to the unemployment lines , ” she said @

Triage tents are set up outside of the Emergency Room at Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana on Friday.
The number of coronavirus-positive patients flooding Orange County hospitals has hit crisis levels, prompting one official to warn that the region’s emergency medical system could be at risk of collapse unless steps are taken to alleviate the stress.
Orange County, like much of California and the nation as a whole, has been inundated with an unprecedented influx of COVID-19 patients, which has resulted in some ambulances having to wait hours to offload their patients, according to Dr. Carl Schultz, emergency medical services director for the county Health Care Agency.
The county’s healthcare system “is now in crisis resulting from an overwhelming increase in the number of COVID infected patients,” he wrote in a memo Wednesday to hospitals and ambulance and paramedic providers.
As of Thursday, there were 1,122 coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized countywide — an all-time high and more than double the number from two weeks ago. Of those, 265 people were in intensive care, according to the latest available data.
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“At the current rate of deterioration, the EMS system may collapse unless emergency directives are implemented now,” Schultz wrote.
Some immediate steps, he said, include allowing ambulances to travel longer distances to take patients to hospitals that can accept them, and permitting them to take a patient to another hospital if they’ve been waiting outside with the patient for more than an hour.
Hospitals also should consider activating their surge plans, establishing alternate treatment areas and canceling elective surgeries, he added.
“While it is clear no one is to blame for this crisis, all can participate in mitigating its effects,” he wrote.
Dr. Clayton Chau, Orange County’s health officer and Health Care Agency director, also encouraged residents “who can get services through urgent care, can get services through their primary care physician [to] please go ahead and do so, and not just show up to the emergency room.”
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During a briefing Thursday, Chau said that Schultz’s letter “is just to be cautious and make sure that we have a plan with all of our hospitals and not wait until the last minute.”
That planning has become all the more vital as the county — along with the rest of the state — is in the throes of the worst wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Californians are testing positive for and falling ill and dying from COVID-19 at unprecedented levels. The state has averaged nearly 29,000 new coronavirus cases a day and about 150 daily deaths over the last week.
The timing and acceleration of the surge indicates that many ignored officials and experts’ calls to eschew traveling and gathering for Thanksgiving — a potentially chilling prospect, given the wider winter holiday season is in full swing.
“Those of you who dread holidays, getting together with family, this is the season when you have a good excuse not to do so,” Chau said. “Please do not mix. Do not travel. You need to stay put, and if you’re sick, you need to stay home.”
An all-time high of 12,013 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized statewide as of Thursday. A record 2,669 Californians were in intensive care.
Along with Orange, two other California counties had more than 1,000 coronavirus-positive patients in their hospitals as of Thursday: San Bernardino, with 1,132, and Los Angeles, with 3,850.
The number of people hospitalized in L.A. County with coronavirus infections has doubled since Thanksgiving and quadrupled in the last month. The county has also shattered its daily record for new coronavirus cases in each of the last two days, reporting a staggering 13,815 on Friday.
“Like a speeding car approaching a cliff, if we do not rapidly change course, we are in jeopardy of catastrophic consequences,” Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for that county’s Department of Public Health, said during a briefing Thursday.
Officials have long warned that skyrocketing coronavirus infections will invariably trigger a flood of people sick enough to require hospitalization, usually two to three weeks down the line.
This means hospitals have likely yet to see the fallout from this week’s sky-high case counts — an alarming possibility, given that resources, capacity and staffing are all already stretched thin.
Of particular concern are ICU beds, which require high-tech equipment and specially trained professionals to care for the sickest patients.
In a bid to shield that system, California is implementing new stay-at-home orders when ICU capacity drops below 15% in any one of five state-defined regions.
Such orders — which reduce customer limits at retail stores; close businesses including hair and nail salons, card rooms, museums, zoos and aquariums; and prohibit outdoor restaurant dining — are already in place in three regions: Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and Greater Sacramento.
The state’s two other regions, the Bay Area and rural Northern California, remain above the 15% threshold for now
Because of the current trends, some Bay Area counties — including San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda and Marin — have elected to preemptively adopt the additional state restrictions.
Sonoma County will add its name to that group effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, officials announced.
Though that county “has fared better until now than other parts of the state in terms of demand on our hospitals, we have been seeing an alarming increase in cases and hospitalizations in recent days, and this is putting increased strain on our medical resources,” health officer Dr. Sundari Mase said in a statement.
“We have to take action now,” Mase added.
The state’s latest approach has not been without controversy, though. Some have characterized the additional restrictions as overly broad and unscientific, saying they won’t provide enough of a public health benefit to justify the pain they will cause the state’s already battered economy.
Others have taken issue with the makeup of the five regions, or the state taking a regional view at all. The Southern California region — a sprawling swath encompassing Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — has drawn particular ire, as critics say it’s far too large and lumps together too many disparate communities.
Michelle Steel, a Republican congresswoman-elect and current chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said Thursday that “everyone understands the seriousness of this virus and what we must do, but a one-size-fits-all approach is simply not right.”
The “top-down” mandates from the state throughout the pandemic, she said, have “been an inconsistent mess, moving the bar and creating new criteria each time to justify their actions with no scientific base.”
“These moves haven’t stopped the spread of the virus, but have severely harmed families’ ability to make a living, crippled business owners and forced too many to the unemployment lines,” she said.


latimes--2020-12-11--ICU capacity explained: What to know about a key coronavirus metric in California

Coronavirus cases are surging , hospitalizations are rising and public health officials are increasingly watching an important metric : intensive care unit capacity .
The that hit 36 million Californians recently was triggered when several regions ’ ICU availability slipped under 15 % .
Public health officials fear that as the surge continues , hospitals could be overwhelmed — including the most vulnerable patients in the hospitals ’ highest level care units .
Staying home and preventing coronavirus infections will help hospitals manage the influx of patients .
As officials wait and hope for the stay-at-home order to tame the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity .
Here ’ s what you need to know about ICU capacity and why it ’ s important at this stage of the pandemic .
What is an ICU ?
An ICU , or intensive care unit , is a specialized hospital department that cares for people in the most critical health situations , such as those with life-threatening injuries or severe illnesses .
ICUs are equipped with specialized equipment , such as ventilators .
Most important , ICUs are staffed with highly trained nurses and physicians who provide round-the-clock care to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood pressure , fluids and other vital signs .
Dr. Shruti Gohil , an infectious disease specialist at UCI Health , said there is a 1-to-1 ratio of nurses to patients in ICUs .
“ That kind of minute-to-minute , hour-to-hour care requires a level of training on the nurses to ... recognize problems quickly and address them quickly and then know what needs to be done while waiting , ” Gohil said .
A COVID-19 patient with severe difficulty breathing may require ventilator support in an ICU .
“ We are responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients in the hospital , ” said Carmela Coyle , president and chief executive of the California Hospital Assn .
“ But that does not stop the heart attacks , the strokes , the cancer patients with serious , immediate needs.
” Capacity is the number of staffed beds available at a point in time .
Determining whether capacity has been reached is more nebulous .
The state determines a region ’ s ICU capacity with a weighted formula to ensure that some ICU beds remain open for non-COVID patients .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0 % , it may actually still have some beds available .
Individual counties , such as Fresno , have reported having no open ICU beds .
Capacity also fluctuates as patients exit the ICU and others enter .
“ There ’ s always sort of this movement that ’ s not always quite captured by the snapshots that we get , ” said Dr. Rais Vohra , interim health officer for Fresno County .
“ Overall , the capacity is severely impacted.
” What happens when an ICU reaches 0 % capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open beds elsewhere in the hospital , such as emergency department rooms .
Having open beds in other parts of the hospital does not mean a hospital is equipped to handle more intensive care patients .
Dr. Bill Stringer , chief pulmonologist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance , said the “ limiting step is not going to be space or equipment .
It ’ s going to be staff.
” Because of their specialized training in high-intensity situations , ICU medical professionals are scarce resources .
“ The problem is , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical care nurses , ” Coyle said .
“ It is not the case where you can pull any nurse into the ICU to provide that level of care.
” And when ICUs are stretched beyond capacity , the quality of care can decline and mortality rates can rise .
As ICU capacity shrinks , a hospital is likely to scale back elective procedures , freeing up staff .
Some healthcare workers — such as those who work in trauma , surgery and anesthesia — are already trained for high-stress scenarios , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ICU , Gohil said .
A critical care professional would supervise .
“ In a poor , catastrophic state , it would be an all-hands-on-deck approach , ” Gohil said .
If a hospital ’ s beds fill , some patients may be transferred to neighboring hospitals .
But moving ICU patients is risky , Stringer said .
“ Just imagine somebody who is just completely inert , that is sedated , that is being supported at least with a ventilator , ” Stringer said .
“ It ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s a very difficult decision.
” How do I find out the ICU capacity where I live ?
The state keeps of ICU bed availability by county .
Hospitals report their capacities daily , and the state them .
Here are the regional numbers as of Thursday afternoon : I live in a region where ICU space is at capacity , but I have a medical emergency .
What do I do ?
You should still seek help .
If you ’ re in a serious emergency , call 911 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital emergency departments near you to check their capacity .
Then wear a mask and go .
“ The hospital , even though we have plenty of COVID patients , is still a safe place to get care , ” Stringer said .
“ It ’ s probably not as safe as being on a backpacking trip in the Rockies .
But if you ’ ve got an emergency , you need to call .
”

Nurses Michael Manriquez, left, Linda Isidienu and Tiffany Matthews care for an intubated COVID-19 patient in Chula Vista in April.
Coronavirus cases are surging, hospitalizations are rising and public health officials are increasingly watching an important metric: intensive care unit capacity.
The new stay-at-home order that hit 36 million Californians recently was triggered when several regions’ ICU availability slipped under 15%.
Public health officials fear that as the surge continues, hospitals could be overwhelmed — including the most vulnerable patients in the hospitals’ highest level care units. Staying home and preventing coronavirus infections will help hospitals manage the influx of patients. As officials wait and hope for the stay-at-home order to tame the surge, they are anxiously tracking ICU capacity.
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Here’s what you need to know about ICU capacity and why it’s important at this stage of the pandemic.
What is an ICU?
An ICU, or intensive care unit, is a specialized hospital department that cares for people in the most critical health situations, such as those with life-threatening injuries or severe illnesses. ICUs are equipped with specialized equipment, such as ventilators.
Most important, ICUs are staffed with highly trained nurses and physicians who provide round-the-clock care to their patients — checking their breathing, blood pressure, fluids and other vital signs. Dr. Shruti Gohil, an infectious disease specialist at UCI Health, said there is a 1-to-1 ratio of nurses to patients in ICUs.
“That kind of minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour care requires a level of training on the nurses to ... recognize problems quickly and address them quickly and then know what needs to be done while waiting,” Gohil said.
A COVID-19 patient with severe difficulty breathing may require ventilator support in an ICU.
“We are responding at the moment to a tsunami of COVID-19 patients in the hospital,” said Carmela Coyle, president and chief executive of the California Hospital Assn. “But that does not stop the heart attacks, the strokes, the cancer patients with serious, immediate needs.”
What is ICU capacity?
Capacity is the number of staffed beds available at a point in time.
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Determining whether capacity has been reached is more nebulous.
The state determines a region’s ICU capacity with a weighted formula to ensure that some ICU beds remain open for non-COVID patients. When the state says a region has reached 0%, it may actually still have some beds available. Individual counties, such as Fresno, have reported having no open ICU beds.
Capacity also fluctuates as patients exit the ICU and others enter.
“There’s always sort of this movement that’s not always quite captured by the snapshots that we get,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer for Fresno County. “Overall, the capacity is severely impacted.”
What happens when an ICU reaches 0% capacity?
Hospitals will likely place patients in open beds elsewhere in the hospital, such as emergency department rooms.
Having open beds in other parts of the hospital does not mean a hospital is equipped to handle more intensive care patients. Dr. Bill Stringer, chief pulmonologist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, said the “limiting step is not going to be space or equipment. It’s going to be staff.”
Because of their specialized training in high-intensity situations, ICU medical professionals are scarce resources.
“The problem is, we’ve got a nationwide shortage of critical care nurses,” Coyle said. “It is not the case where you can pull any nurse into the ICU to provide that level of care.”
And when ICUs are stretched beyond capacity, the quality of care can decline and mortality rates can rise.
As ICU capacity shrinks, a hospital is likely to scale back elective procedures, freeing up staff. Some healthcare workers — such as those who work in trauma, surgery and anesthesia — are already trained for high-stress scenarios, so they would be “natural pivots” to the ICU, Gohil said. A critical care professional would supervise.
“In a poor, catastrophic state, it would be an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Gohil said.
If a hospital’s beds fill, some patients may be transferred to neighboring hospitals. But moving ICU patients is risky, Stringer said.
“Just imagine somebody who is just completely inert, that is sedated, that is being supported at least with a ventilator,” Stringer said. “It’s the most fragile and vulnerable patient being transferred. That’s a very difficult decision.”
How do I find out the ICU capacity where I live?
The state keeps an updated list of ICU bed availability by county.
Hospitals report their capacities daily, and the state tallies them.
Here are the regional numbers as of Thursday afternoon:
Southern California: 7.7%, down from 9% Wednesday
San Joaquin Valley: 1.9%, down from 4.2%
Greater Sacramento: 13.3%, down from 14.3%
Bay Area: 17.8%, down from 20.9%
Northern California: 30.3%, an improvement from 27.1%
I live in a region where ICU space is at capacity, but I have a medical emergency. What do I do?
You should still seek help. If you’re in a serious emergency, call 911.
Otherwise, Stringer said, call the hospital emergency departments near you to check their capacity. Then wear a mask and go.
“The hospital, even though we have plenty of COVID patients, is still a safe place to get care,” Stringer said. “It’s probably not as safe as being on a backpacking trip in the Rockies. But if you’ve got an emergency, you need to call.”


latimes--2020-12-11--Battle brews as LAPD inspector general mulls broad review of officer discipline process

A legal battle is brewing around one of the most secretive aspects of city government — disciplinary hearings for police officers — as the Los Angeles Police Department ’ s inspector general mulls a broad review of the process and the police union promises to block him at the door .
The looming standoff could shine new light on the administrative process for adjudicating misconduct allegations against LAPD officers at a time of intense scrutiny for police nationwide .
It also revives questions about a 15-year-old California Supreme Court ruling that resulted in L.A. and other cities closing such proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing a veil over how and whether officers are held accountable for alleged misconduct .
According to Inspector General Mark Smith , his office is developing plans to begin monitoring police Board of Rights proceedings to identify “ inconsistencies ” in board decisions , “ inequities ” in the process and other ways the system might be improved to ensure “ just outcomes for all stakeholders.
” Officers go to a Board of Rights if they object to decisions by LAPD Chief Michel Moore and the Los Angeles Police Commission that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punished .
The board can issue verdicts that override those of Moore and the commission .
Police supporters insist the process , approved by voters three years ago , is fair .
But critics say the board too often sides with or goes easy on officers , undermining the only process for rooting out cops who violate administrative policies around excessive force , biased policing and other noncriminal offenses .
Moore complained this summer that the current process “ always seems to default in favor of the officer ” and prevents him from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure of his proposed review is still being devised , but “ may include some in-person observations ” of hearings by his staff — which he believes the city charter gives his office the power to conduct .
In response , Robert Rico , general counsel for the Los Angeles Police Protective League , said Smith is welcome to audit the disciplinary process by collecting information on case outcomes , but would face a serious legal fight if he tried to send his staff into the hearings .
Smith ’ s office answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether officers have broken department policy .
Allowing Smith ’ s staff to sit in on subsequent hearings to determine what punishment , if any , the officers should face would be inappropriate , Rico said — not least because it would be “ intimidating ” for the officers and the panels hearing the cases .
“ This is an officer ’ s career and his right to due process , and you just can ’ t have the executioner sitting at the back of the room staring the jury in the eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t happen , ” Rico said .
If Smith does begin sending his staff into hearings , attorneys for the officers will “ vehemently object , ” Rico said .
If Smith persists , they will challenge the inspector general ’ s presence in court — including by citing a 2006 California Supreme Court ruling that restricted public access to documents related to the discipline of police officers .
The court , in Copley Press Inc. vs. Superior Court of San Diego , did not restrict access to disciplinary hearings , but its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. and other cities to mean that such hearings should be closed given their open discussion of information found in the documents the court deemed private .
Rico said the union ’ s position is that the Copley precedent precludes not just the public and the press from observing discipline hearings , but also Smith ’ s staff , even though they are LAPD employees with access to transcripts of the proceedings if the LAPD requests them .
Rico made the same argument in an email to Smith in August 2019 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s staff at disciplinary hearings was unnecessary .
“ I don ’ t see the necessity nor justification to physically sit in , ” Rico wrote .
“ It makes no sense from any perspective.
” Smith said his right to sit in on disciplinary hearings is established in the city charter , which gives his office the power to “ audit , investigate and oversee the Police Department ’ s handling of complaints of misconduct by police officers.
” However , Smith has projected less confidence in correspondence with other officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Times through a public records request , Smith asked Police Commission President Eileen Decker to issue a special directive for his office to begin monitoring Board of Rights proceedings in person , saying he was making the request on the advice of Asst .
City Atty .
Carlos De La Guerra , who serves as counsel to the LAPD in City Atty .
Mike Feuer ’ s office .
“ It is my opinion that such monitoring must include in-person observation ( as the OIG has done in the past ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examination of the entire system would be thorough without it , ” Smith wrote .
Why Smith should need an order from the Police Commission to monitor Board of Rights proceedings if he believed the charter empowers him to do so as a matter of law was unclear .
Richard Tefank , executive director of the Police Commission , said the inspector general already has the authority to monitor Board of Rights proceedings “ any time he sees fit , ” and “ was advised to conduct any review he deems necessary.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearings since the Copley decision came down , but his staff could not recall doing so in more than a decade , since the summer of 2008 .
He did not have a timeframe for deciding whether the review would go forward .
Smith said his office is already conducting a more limited audit of the outcome of disciplinary hearings since the City Council passed an ordinance last year allowing for all-civilian panels .

The police union is promising to block any review by the LAPD inspector general of officer disciplinary hearings.
A legal battle is brewing around one of the most secretive aspects of city government — disciplinary hearings for police officers — as the Los Angeles Police Department’s inspector general mulls a broad review of the process and the police union promises to block him at the door.
The looming standoff could shine new light on the administrative process for adjudicating misconduct allegations against LAPD officers at a time of intense scrutiny for police nationwide. It also revives questions about a 15-year-old California Supreme Court ruling that resulted in L.A. and other cities closing such proceedings to the public starting in 2006 — drawing a veil over how and whether officers are held accountable for alleged misconduct.
According to Inspector General Mark Smith, his office is developing plans to begin monitoring police Board of Rights proceedings to identify “inconsistencies” in board decisions, “inequities” in the process and other ways the system might be improved to ensure “just outcomes for all stakeholders.”
Advertisement
Officers go to a Board of Rights if they object to decisions by LAPD Chief Michel Moore and the Los Angeles Police Commission that they have violated administrative policies and deserve to be punished. The board can issue verdicts that override those of Moore and the commission.
Police supporters insist the process, approved by voters three years ago, is fair. But critics say the board too often sides with or goes easy on officers, undermining the only process for rooting out cops who violate administrative policies around excessive force, biased policing and other noncriminal offenses.
Moore complained this summer that the current process “always seems to default in favor of the officer” and prevents him from firing bad cops.
Smith said the structure of his proposed review is still being devised, but “may include some in-person observations” of hearings by his staff — which he believes the city charter gives his office the power to conduct.
In response, Robert Rico, general counsel for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said Smith is welcome to audit the disciplinary process by collecting information on case outcomes, but would face a serious legal fight if he tried to send his staff into the hearings.
Smith’s office answers to the Police Commission, which decides whether officers have broken department policy. Allowing Smith’s staff to sit in on subsequent hearings to determine what punishment, if any, the officers should face would be inappropriate, Rico said — not least because it would be “intimidating” for the officers and the panels hearing the cases.
“This is an officer’s career and his right to due process, and you just can’t have the executioner sitting at the back of the room staring the jury in the eyes and think that something nefarious won’t happen,” Rico said.
Advertisement
If Smith does begin sending his staff into hearings, attorneys for the officers will “vehemently object,” Rico said. If Smith persists, they will challenge the inspector general’s presence in court — including by citing a 2006 California Supreme Court ruling that restricted public access to documents related to the discipline of police officers.
The court, in Copley Press Inc. vs. Superior Court of San Diego, did not restrict access to disciplinary hearings, but its ruling was nonetheless interpreted by attorneys in L.A. and other cities to mean that such hearings should be closed given their open discussion of information found in the documents the court deemed private.
Rico said the union’s position is that the Copley precedent precludes not just the public and the press from observing discipline hearings, but also Smith’s staff, even though they are LAPD employees with access to transcripts of the proceedings if the LAPD requests them.
Rico made the same argument in an email to Smith in August 2019, in which he said the presence of Smith’s staff at disciplinary hearings was unnecessary.
“I don’t see the necessity nor justification to physically sit in,” Rico wrote. “It makes no sense from any perspective.”
Smith said his right to sit in on disciplinary hearings is established in the city charter, which gives his office the power to “audit, investigate and oversee the Police Department’s handling of complaints of misconduct by police officers.”
However, Smith has projected less confidence in correspondence with other officials.
In a Nov. 3 email obtained by The Times through a public records request, Smith asked Police Commission President Eileen Decker to issue a special directive for his office to begin monitoring Board of Rights proceedings in person, saying he was making the request on the advice of Assistant City Atty. Carlos De La Guerra, who serves as counsel to the LAPD in City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office.
“It is my opinion that such monitoring must include in-person observation (as the OIG has done in the past), as I do not feel an examination of the entire system would be thorough without it,” Smith wrote.
Why Smith should need an order from the Police Commission to monitor Board of Rights proceedings if he believed the charter empowers him to do so as a matter of law was unclear.
Richard Tefank, executive director of the Police Commission, said the inspector general already has the authority to monitor Board of Rights proceedings “any time he sees fit,” and “was advised to conduct any review he deems necessary.”
Smith said his staff has attended discipline hearings since the Copley decision came down, but his staff could not recall doing so in more than a decade, since the summer of 2008. He did not have a timeframe for deciding whether the review would go forward.
Smith said his office is already conducting a more limited audit of the outcome of disciplinary hearings since the City Council passed an ordinance last year allowing for all-civilian panels.


latimes--2020-12-11--Guy Fieri and many others hate outdoor restaurant ban. Here's why some experts say it's essential

The controversial ban on outdoor restaurant dining , part of an effort to break the back of California ’ s coronavirus surge , has clearly touched a nerve .
Lawsuits have been filed seeking to overturn it in Los Angeles County .
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri urged an end to the ban , tweeting , “ We got ta keep Flavortown open for biz !
” An L.A. County judge issued a rebuke of how the county issued its order .
Restaurants have argued that public health officials have not provided evidence that outdoor dining spreads COVID-19 significantly and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoors safe .
They say they are being treated unfairly , especially considering that shopping malls remain open as well as many indoor businesses .
Even top federal health officials have dueling points of view .
The assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , Adm. Brett Giroir , said on Fox News that “ I don ’ t know of any data that says you need to shut down outdoor dining.
” L.A. County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said county public health officials must conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend the ban .
The L.A. and Beverly Hills city councils have passed resolutions opposing the ban and asking the county Board of Supervisors to reconsider .
Meanwhile , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , on CNN backed the broad outlines of the stay-at-home order in effect for 36 million Californians , which includes the ban on outdoor dining .
“ I have been in discussion with the health authorities from the state of California who called me and asked , you know , they said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this , what do you think ?
’ And I said , ‘ You know , you really don ’ t have any choice.
’ When you have the challenge to the healthcare system , you ’ ve got to do something like that , ” Fauci said .
The L.A. County director of public health , Barbara Ferrer , was asked to respond to Giroir ’ s comments Monday at a news conference .
“ The data is really crystal clear at every single level that you look at it : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best protections you have from preventing [ coronavirus infections ] , ” Ferrer said .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s any debate : That where people are in close proximity with other people , not in their household , not wearing masks and mingling for extended periods of time ... there ’ s increased risk of transmission.
” And while everyone agrees that the chance of indoor virus transmission is higher than outdoors , Ferrer said , “ I don ’ t think anybody would say that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because you ’ re outside.
” There are a number of examples of coronavirus outbreaks where people weren ’ t wearing masks , including the super-spreader event at the White House Rose Garden ceremony introducing President Trump ’ s nominee to the Supreme Court in September , Ferrer said .
The debate has been complicated by local officials who allowed outdoor restaurant dining to continue for months , Ferrer said , when it seemed relatively safer to do so even as indoor restaurant dining was closed again in much of California when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Gov .
Gavin Newsom suspended indoor restaurant dining for a second time in mid-July in the hardest-hit counties , he allowed outdoor dining to continue .
“ I think that ’ s what ’ s hard on people ... a few weeks ago , we said , ‘ Outdoor dining was fine.
’ And now , a few weeks later , we ’ re saying , ‘ Not so fine .
And please don ’ t do it , ’ ” Ferrer said .
“ And the reason is that [ now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater.
” To be specific , two months ago , only about 1 in 880 L.A. County residents were estimated to be contagious with the coronavirus .
Today , that ratio is about 1 in 145 people , according to calculations by the L.A. County Department of Health Services .
Some researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at USC estimate it ’ s actually even worse , and that about one in 50 are contagious with the virus in L.A. County , said Dr. Paul Simon , chief science officer for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rate of infectivity is so much higher .
And , in fact , we ’ re now threatening to overwhelm our healthcare system , ” Ferrer said .
“ You have to look at all of the activities and say , ‘ We need to reduce risk as much as possible everywhere.
’ And that ’ s why the decision was made , for three weeks , to ask that everyone not go to any outdoor dining — any dining at all — with people not in their household.
” Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Services secretary , made the same point Tuesday , saying “ it ’ s quite a different situation ” when you have the kind of widespread community transmission the state is seeing now , and that some activities that may have been considered safe a month ago “ aren ’ t as low-risk as they used to be.
” Higher-risk activities , he said , are generally those where people are congregating with or near those they don ’ t live with for extended periods of time without consistently wearing face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re seeing such high levels of transmission that almost every activity , I should say every activity , that could be done differently and keep us at our home , not mixing with others , is safer , ” he said .
“ Those are going to be the tools that help us get this under control.
” Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health , likened the change in risk to how you might worry about getting uncomfortably soaked when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while dining outside .
When fewer people were contagious , the risk could be compared to the relatively minimal possibility of getting wet when there ’ s only a light sprinkle .
But now , with possibly around 1 in 100 people in L.A. County contagious , that makes dining outside , and doing other activities that interact with other people , far riskier .
“ If it ’ s a downpour — because the whole community has widespread transmission — if you ’ re going to be outside , you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the virus , ” Kim-Farley said .
The dueling viewpoints may lead some to believe that public health experts have no idea how to control COVID-19 , and that would be a wrong conclusion , Kim-Farley said .
Yes , there may be quibbles over whether certain outdoor activities are worth banning .
But the larger idea — that the coronavirus is spread when people interact in close proximity to one another — is irrefutable , Kim-Farley said .
The recent experience with California ’ s third surge shows how a nuanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first two surges of the pandemic .
It was in early October when state officials unveiled policies that allowed small outdoor gatherings to resume , moves that came weeks before the latest surge .
Gatherings for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving also played a role in worsening transmission .
Outdoor dining venues are risky because people aren ’ t wearing their masks when eating or drinking .
And some venues may be more risky if owners have surrounded the seating area with plastic sheets to protect diners from the elements — including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hanging in stagnant air .
If the air is still , there ’ s an increased risk that the virus exhaled by an infected diner would be inhaled by a nearby patron .
Health officers in the Bay Area also backed some of the new stay-at-home order ’ s tough new restrictions , including suspending the kinds of social gatherings previously allowed — outdoor get-togethers that involved masks , physical distancing , three or fewer households .
“ We have reached a point where more drastic action is needed , ” said Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer for Berkeley , at a news conference “ You should not meet in person with anybody you do not live with — even in a small group , and even outdoors with precautions .
If you have a social bubble , it is now popped.
” Dr. Chris Farnitano , the health officer for Contra Costa County , also backed the outdoor dining ban .
“ Even though outdoors is safer , even outdoors poses a risk for COVID spread .
With a high risk of transmission in our communities , outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months ago , ” Farnitano said .
Another issue L.A. County officials are seeing is a lack of compliance with pandemic workplace rules .
In L.A. County , only 61 % of restaurants and bars visited by health inspectors between Nov. 25 and Dec. 3 complied with coronavirus rules .
Seventy-one percent of gyms were in compliance , as were 69 % of retail stores and indoor malls , 48 % of food markets and 46 % of hotels .
None of the 14 garment manufacturers visited by the county were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and customers not wearing masks to failure to follow physical distancing and cleaning requirements , Ferrer said .
Officials are also hoping the stay-at-home order will have an effect on discouraging social gatherings .
A USC tracking poll of L.A. County residents shows that about 35 % of residents have acknowledged going to a friend , neighbor or relative ’ s residence in the last seven days , a percentage that has remained constant since June .
Responding to a lawsuit from local restaurants , Chalfant said health officials must assess the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it past its current end date , Dec. 16 .
( The county order , however , has since been superseded by a state order that will remain at least to the end of the month ) .
At the hearing Tuesday , Chalfant said the county should consider the economic and psychological costs of closing more than 30,000 restaurants and determine whether the ban had the intended effect — easing the strained local hospital system amid skyrocketing coronavirus cases .
“ Is it going to help , or is it just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger problem ?
” Chalfant said at the hearing .
“ And I don ’ t know , it ’ s not my job to make that decision , it ’ s the public health officials ’ job.
” Referencing a pair of studies from Japan and China , Chalfant on Tuesday said the results did not support that outdoor dining is more than a moderate risk “ at best.
” Chalfant said the county made only “ generalized ” arguments that outdoor dining is inherently risky because patrons aren ’ t wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And he blasted public health officials at all levels of government for not studying the specific risk of outdoor dining since the pandemic started .
Officials “ in nine months have not seriously looked at outdoor dining , and then ... impose a restriction preventing outdoor dining , ” he said .
“ That ’ s just shocking.
” Chalfant said “ the federal , state , and local governments have done a poor job of supporting COVID restrictions with science.
” L.A. County officials are working on providing more information to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal .
Simon , the chief science officer for the Department of Public Health , on Thursday denied that the ban on outdoor restaurant dining was about politics , and said it was rooted in science .
“ This certainly is not theater .
It ’ s not politics .
This is about biology and basic public health interventions , ” Simon said .
Health officials have pointed that earlier stay-at-home orders have decisively slowed the spread of COVID-19 in California .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Lila Seidman

The controversial ban on outdoor restaurant dining, part of an effort to break the back of California’s coronavirus surge, has clearly touched a nerve.
Lawsuits have been filed seeking to overturn it in Los Angeles County. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri urged an end to the ban, tweeting, “We gotta keep Flavortown open for biz!”
An L.A. County judge issued a rebuke of how the county issued its order.
Advertisement
Restaurants have argued that public health officials have not provided evidence that outdoor dining spreads COVID-19 significantly and that they have taken precautions to make eating outdoors safe. They say they are being treated unfairly, especially considering that shopping malls remain open as well as many indoor businesses.
Even top federal health officials have dueling points of view. The assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Brett Giroir, said on Fox News that “I don’t know of any data that says you need to shut down outdoor dining.”
L.A. County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said county public health officials must conduct a risk-benefit analysis if they want to extend the ban.
The L.A. and Beverly Hills city councils have passed resolutions opposing the ban and asking the county Board of Supervisors to reconsider .
Defending the order
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, on CNN backed the broad outlines of the stay-at-home order in effect for 36 million Californians, which includes the ban on outdoor dining.
“I have been in discussion with the health authorities from the state of California who called me and asked, you know, they said, ‘We feel we need to do this, what do you think?’ And I said, ‘You know, you really don’t have any choice.’ When you have the challenge to the healthcare system, you’ve got to do something like that,” Fauci said.
The L.A. County director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, was asked to respond to Giroir’s comments Monday at a news conference.
Advertisement
“The data is really crystal clear at every single level that you look at it: That wearing a mask is one of the best protections you have from preventing [coronavirus infections],” Ferrer said. “I don’t think there’s any debate: That where people are in close proximity with other people, not in their household, not wearing masks and mingling for extended periods of time ... there’s increased risk of transmission.”
And while everyone agrees that the chance of indoor virus transmission is higher than outdoors, Ferrer said, “I don’t think anybody would say that there’s no risk of transmission just because you’re outside.”
There are a number of examples of coronavirus outbreaks where people weren’t wearing masks, including the super-spreader event at the White House Rose Garden ceremony introducing President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court in September, Ferrer said.
The debate has been complicated by local officials who allowed outdoor restaurant dining to continue for months, Ferrer said, when it seemed relatively safer to do so even as indoor restaurant dining was closed again in much of California when the summer wave of the coronavirus hit.
When Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended indoor restaurant dining for a second time in mid-July in the hardest-hit counties, he allowed outdoor dining to continue.
“I think that’s what’s hard on people ... a few weeks ago, we said, ‘Outdoor dining was fine.’ And now, a few weeks later, we’re saying, ‘Not so fine. And please don’t do it,’” Ferrer said. “And the reason is that [now] the risk is just that much greater.”
To be specific, two months ago, only about 1 in 880 L.A. County residents were estimated to be contagious with the coronavirus. Today, that ratio is about 1 in 145 people, according to calculations by the L.A. County Department of Health Services.
Some researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at USC estimate it’s actually even worse, and that about one in 50 are contagious with the virus in L.A. County, said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the Department of Public Health.
“Now, the rate of infectivity is so much higher. And, in fact, we’re now threatening to overwhelm our healthcare system,” Ferrer said. “You have to look at all of the activities and say, ‘We need to reduce risk as much as possible everywhere.’ And that’s why the decision was made, for three weeks, to ask that everyone not go to any outdoor dining — any dining at all — with people not in their household.”
Changing conditions
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, made the same point Tuesday, saying “it’s quite a different situation” when you have the kind of widespread community transmission the state is seeing now, and that some activities that may have been considered safe a month ago “aren’t as low-risk as they used to be.”
Higher-risk activities, he said, are generally those where people are congregating with or near those they don’t live with for extended periods of time without consistently wearing face coverings.
“Right now, we’re seeing such high levels of transmission that almost every activity, I should say every activity, that could be done differently and keep us at our home, not mixing with others, is safer,” he said. “Those are going to be the tools that help us get this under control.”
Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, likened the change in risk to how you might worry about getting uncomfortably soaked when there’s a chance of rain while dining outside.
When fewer people were contagious, the risk could be compared to the relatively minimal possibility of getting wet when there’s only a light sprinkle. But now, with possibly around 1 in 100 people in L.A. County contagious, that makes dining outside, and doing other activities that interact with other people, far riskier.
“If it’s a downpour — because the whole community has widespread transmission — if you’re going to be outside, you’re going to get wet. You could get the virus,” Kim-Farley said.
The dueling viewpoints may lead some to believe that public health experts have no idea how to control COVID-19, and that would be a wrong conclusion, Kim-Farley said.
Drastic measures
Yes, there may be quibbles over whether certain outdoor activities are worth banning. But the larger idea — that the coronavirus is spread when people interact in close proximity to one another — is irrefutable, Kim-Farley said.
The recent experience with California’s third surge shows how a nuanced approach did not avert the worst of the first two surges of the pandemic.
It was in early October when state officials unveiled policies that allowed small outdoor gatherings to resume, moves that came weeks before the latest surge. Gatherings for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving also played a role in worsening transmission.
Outdoor dining venues are risky because people aren’t wearing their masks when eating or drinking. And some venues may be more risky if owners have surrounded the seating area with plastic sheets to protect diners from the elements — including breezes that could dispel the virus from hanging in stagnant air. If the air is still, there’s an increased risk that the virus exhaled by an infected diner would be inhaled by a nearby patron.
Health officers in the Bay Area also backed some of the new stay-at-home order’s tough new restrictions, including suspending the kinds of social gatherings previously allowed — outdoor get-togethers that involved masks, physical distancing, three or fewer households.
“We have reached a point where more drastic action is needed,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the public health officer for Berkeley, at a news conference “You should not meet in person with anybody you do not live with — even in a small group, and even outdoors with precautions. If you have a social bubble, it is now popped.”
Dr. Chris Farnitano, the health officer for Contra Costa County, also backed the outdoor dining ban. “Even though outdoors is safer, even outdoors poses a risk for COVID spread. With a high risk of transmission in our communities, outdoor dining is more risky than it was two months ago,” Farnitano said.
Another issue L.A. County officials are seeing is a lack of compliance with pandemic workplace rules. In L.A. County, only 61% of restaurants and bars visited by health inspectors between Nov. 25 and Dec. 3 complied with coronavirus rules. Seventy-one percent of gyms were in compliance, as were 69% of retail stores and indoor malls, 48% of food markets and 46% of hotels. None of the 14 garment manufacturers visited by the county were in full compliance.
Only 59% of businesses visited by L.A. County inspectors between Nov. 25 and Dec. 3 were found to be in full compliance with COVID-19 safety measures. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
Violations ranged from workers and customers not wearing masks to failure to follow physical distancing and cleaning requirements, Ferrer said.
Officials are also hoping the stay-at-home order will have an effect on discouraging social gatherings. A USC tracking poll of L.A. County residents shows that about 35% of residents have acknowledged going to a friend, neighbor or relative’s residence in the last seven days, a percentage that has remained constant since June.
A skeptical judge
Responding to a lawsuit from local restaurants, Chalfant said health officials must assess the risks and benefits of the ban before extending it past its current end date, Dec. 16. (The county order, however, has since been superseded by a state order that will remain at least to the end of the month).
At the hearing Tuesday, Chalfant said the county should consider the economic and psychological costs of closing more than 30,000 restaurants and determine whether the ban had the intended effect — easing the strained local hospital system amid skyrocketing coronavirus cases.
“Is it going to help, or is it just a drop in the ocean of a much bigger problem?” Chalfant said at the hearing. “And I don’t know, it’s not my job to make that decision, it’s the public health officials’ job.”
Referencing a pair of studies from Japan and China, Chalfant on Tuesday said the results did not support that outdoor dining is more than a moderate risk “at best.”
Chalfant said the county made only “generalized” arguments that outdoor dining is inherently risky because patrons aren’t wearing masks and aren’t socially distancing. And he blasted public health officials at all levels of government for not studying the specific risk of outdoor dining since the pandemic started.
Officials “in nine months have not seriously looked at outdoor dining, and then ... impose a restriction preventing outdoor dining,” he said. “That’s just shocking.”
Chalfant said “the federal, state, and local governments have done a poor job of supporting COVID restrictions with science.”
L.A. County officials are working on providing more information to defend their decision and are expected to appeal. Simon, the chief science officer for the Department of Public Health, on Thursday denied that the ban on outdoor restaurant dining was about politics, and said it was rooted in science.
“This certainly is not theater. It’s not politics. This is about biology and basic public health interventions,” Simon said. Health officials have pointed that earlier stay-at-home orders have decisively slowed the spread of COVID-19 in California.


latimes--2020-12-11--Anaheim shooting suspect arrested after jumping from second-story window

A four-hour standoff with an Anaheim shooting suspect ended with a SWAT team , a police dog and a leap from a two-story window .
The incident began when officers responded to reports of a shooting at an apartment building in the 1800 block of West Gramercy Avenue around 1 a.m. Friday , Anaheim Police Sgt .
Shane Carringer said .
When officers arrived , they found a man outside who had been shot in the face .
He was immediately taken to a hospital , where authorities said he was undergoing surgery and in critical condition .
The shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , barricaded himself inside a second-story apartment .
Over the next several hours , officers and SWAT team members negotiated unsuccessfully for the man to surrender , Carringer said .
After negotiations continued to stall , police “ introduced chemical agents into the apartment to encourage the suspect to surrender , ” Carringer said , referring to either tear gas or a pepper spray ball .
“ It creates an inhospitable environment , ” he said .
The suspect jumped from a rear window and was immediately tackled by a K-9 officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The man suffered “ injuries consistent with a fall ” and a dog bite , Carringer said , and was taken to a hospital before being booked .

A SWAT standoff in Anaheim when the suspect jumped out a second-story window, authorities said.
A four-hour standoff with an Anaheim shooting suspect ended with a SWAT team, a police dog and a leap from a two-story window.
The incident began when officers responded to reports of a shooting at an apartment building in the 1800 block of West Gramercy Avenue around 1 a.m. Friday, Anaheim Police Sgt. Shane Carringer said.
When officers arrived, they found a man outside who had been shot in the face. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where authorities said he was undergoing surgery and in critical condition.
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The shooting suspect, identified only as a 25-year-old man, barricaded himself inside a second-story apartment. Over the next several hours, officers and SWAT team members negotiated unsuccessfully for the man to surrender, Carringer said.
After negotiations continued to stall, police “introduced chemical agents into the apartment to encourage the suspect to surrender,” Carringer said, referring to either tear gas or a pepper spray ball.
“It creates an inhospitable environment,” he said.
The suspect jumped from a rear window and was immediately tackled by a K-9 officer around 5 a.m., authorities said.
The man suffered “injuries consistent with a fall” and a dog bite, Carringer said, and was taken to a hospital before being booked.


latimes--2020-12-11--Feel like you're seeing the humble huarache everywhere? You're right

In Mexican stores across Los Angeles , huaraches are a common sight .
Wander down Olvera Street in downtown L.A. or visit Boyle Heights , and you ’ ll see the cherished sandals in all their hues , styles and sizes dangling by strings or lining shelves at shoe stands .
In these neighborhoods , particularly before the coronavirus pandemic shifted the city ’ s retail scene , you ’ d find generations of huarache makers .
Maria Silva is one of them .
For the last 23 years , she sold huaraches and other handcrafted Mexican footwear in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ El Mercado de Los Angeles .
Silva ’ s grandparents honed the craft in their hometown , Sahuayo , Mexico , where her mother also learned to make huaraches .
When Silva and her siblings were older , they too got involved in the business .
Silva , now 49 , spent her childhood in Sahuayo painting and polishing huaraches in her family ’ s shoe shop .
“ When there was a lot of work , I ’ d sand the sole with a machine so it wouldn ’ t have deformities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling a brightly hued shoe from the wall of her store during a visit late last year .
Growing up , she would clean , package and stuff the sandals with newspapers to prevent damage .
When she started selling huaraches in Los Angeles years ago , they became a source of cultural pride for her .
“ It brings me a lot of happiness because now it ’ s not just Hispanics who buy them , ” she said .
Her clientele has grown to include Black and white people , Filipinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I feel happy because every day the tradition is continuing.
” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , the huaraches have also been life-saving .
“ A small business owner like me relies on the day-to-day sales , ” said Silva recently .
“ We don ’ t have the finances to survive a situation like this .
The truth is , sales dropped significantly .
...
But right now , gracias a Dios , what ’ s really helping is the huarache.
” Forced to close her shop for five months this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial assistance , Silva has resorted to selling the sandals in El Mercado ’ s parking lot — where vendors had been given the green light to reopen their businesses in late August .
At the time , that meant no more of the tennis shoes , sports attire and other items that Silva also sold .
As tough as these pandemic times have been for retailers , the businesswoman said she has enjoyed working at the outdoor space .
“ I like it more .
It looks welcoming and feels comfortable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Te recuerda a tu pueblo.
” It reminds her of her hometown .
The Mexican huarache dates back to the pre-Columbian era , and has been traced to the rural communities of Yucatan , Michoacan , Guanajuato and Jalisco .
Every region in Mexico specializes in different huarache styles .
Variations are influenced by an area ’ s terrain and climate .
Flexible , narrow strips of leather that are interwoven and often dyed with bright , vivid paints are a recognizable huarache design .
There are heeled and stamped huaraches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ankle to wrap around the calf ; and many feature a woven diamond shape up front .
There ’ s the classic El Pachuco , considered among the more complicated huarache designs .
Others are ideal for campesinos .
Some are softer or more durable .
They can be buckled on , laced or slipped into .
Once mostly associated with Mexico ’ s farm workers , the huarache gained prominence in the U.S. in the 1960s as hippies and surfers adopted the shoe as part of their chill , lackadaisical lifestyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about them in their ’ 60s hit “ Surfin ’ U.S.A. ” ) The sandals have grown more popular through the years , and can now be found at weekend flea markets , retail stores and countless online sites .
Brands and retailers such as Quiksilver and Urban Outfitters have picked up on the huaraches ’ popularity , selling pairs for about $ 63 and $ 100 , respectively , sometimes more .
Nike capitalized on the trendy footwear in 1991 and released the sneaker Air Huarache .
Small independent stores in Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Years ago when Francisco Alvarez and Oscar Yapor returned to Denver from a trip to Michoacan , Mexico , the life-long best friends didn ’ t think much of the classic huaraches they brought back with them .
However , on the streets , friends and local strangers ogled the brown handmade leather sandals they purchased from a woman in an artisan market .
“ Where did you get those ?
” they ’ d hear from people who pointed at the huaraches on their feet .
Suddenly the sandals looked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , natives .
So Alvarez and Yapor , both 27 , decided to try their hand at filling the city ’ s demand .
They bought their first batch of huaraches — about 100 — from the huarachera in Sahuayo , a city nicknamed Ciudad de los Huaraches , and sold them in artisan markets around Denver .
They were an instant hit .
“ Within three or four months , we kind of realized that this was probably more successful than we had hoped , ” Yapor said .
“ This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were doing on weekends to pretty much pay school debt from college.
” It turned out to be much bigger than that .
Alvarez , an architect , and Yapor , an industrial engineer , ditched their fields of study to become businessmen , and moved to Los Angeles .
As their business grew , they opened an airy , colorful storefront in Echo Park for their brand Espiritu .
After a trial run as a retail store , they decided their brand would best thrive online , so they closed shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell their sandals on their website starting at $ 85 a pair .
In January , the duo opened a warehouse in downtown L.A. for storage and daily operation needs .
Every huarache Espiritu sells is handmade in Sahuayo .
Through a partnership with Mexico ’ s government , the business offers women escaping dire circumstances a chance to get back on their feet with jobs helping make sandals .
“ Our artisans teach them how to do this so that we can pretty much give them an immediate job as soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehab or homelessness , ” Yapor said .
Immigrants and domestic violence survivors also walk through their doors .
Unlike retailers without an e-commerce platform , Espiritu has grown in sales during the pandemic .
“ People started browsing a little bit more for comfort ” and searching for huaraches while quarantined at home , Yapor said .
“ We started targeting the right customers and were able to expand our sales online .
A lot of the energy we were spending into going to flea markets , we were able to devote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the businessmen were not spared pandemic-induced hardships .
For two months they closed their manufacturing facilities in Sahuayo , which saw an outbreak of coronavirus infections .
Still , they managed to continue paying wages and salaries , Yapor said .
They were forced to work with the inventory they had and find a way to create online trade orders so they could continue selling huaraches .
Now , Espiritu is thriving .
Alvarez and Yapor launched a blog and pastel-colored huaraches to appeal to younger customers around June .
A men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of huaraches with sheepskin lining is available on their site for $ 139 and $ 149 per pair , and their recent collaborations with mega brands Topo Chico and Tapatío are a clear indicator of Alvarez and Yapor ’ s booming huarache business .
Making huaraches is a laborious and time-consuming task .
Just ask artist Pilar Agüero-Esparza , who grew up watching her father make them in East Los Angeles .
Agüero-Esparza spent many summers and after-school hours watching her parents make huaraches from scratch out of their tiny Boyle Heights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got older , they were tasked with sanding and polishing the shoes and painting their edges .
As their huaraches grew more popular , they started selling them at flea markets , Agüero-Esparza said .
“ On Saturdays they would take us [ to El Monte flea market ] , we ’ d set up the puesto [ market stall ] , and they ’ d pick us up at 4 o ’ clock , ” she said .
“ And my sisters and my brother would be there selling the huaraches.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. as a teenager , was a third-generation huarachero , but it was his shoe repair shop that inspired him to return to the craft .
“ Through the years , that was kind of a slow business , so he decided like , ‘ What can I make ?
’ And that ’ s when he decided , ‘ Hey , I can make huaraches.
’ ” On a personal level , making huaraches was a source of pride for her father ; it was his way of connecting to his culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He could see where people could connect with Mexico , with this immigrant experience.
” Since her father ’ s death years ago , Agüero-Esparza has kept the craft and tradition alive ; she has had huarache-making workshops all over the world .
“ It ’ s something that ’ s close to my heart , ” she said , “ being able to make shoes.
” “ Te cansan , ” said Cesáreo Moreno , visual arts director and chief curator of Chicago ’ s National Museum of Mexican Art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re tiring.
” Weighing in at 1.5 pounds a shoe , Moreno ’ s beloved sandals are made of old tire rubber , thick leather and nails .
He bought them about two decades ago in a mercado in Oaxaca City .
They ’ re older than his children , he said , and when he wears them , they feel “ like a summer traveling companion that visits after the final thaw.
” It ’ s a shoe that is “ quintessentially Mexican … a humble icon of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , ” he said .
He suspects the mushrooming huarache popularity is rooted in a longing for the past .
“ So many things that get popular within Mexican American culture is nostalgia , ” he said .
“ It ’ s the ability to wear something that aligns with your identity in a way that makes you feel proud of it and makes you think of your ancestors and their legacy.
” Every time he puts on his huaraches and meets someone from Mexico , it ’ s usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ People have fallen in love with this old-style shoe .
”

In Mexican stores across Los Angeles, huaraches are a common sight. Wander down Olvera Street in downtown L.A. or visit Boyle Heights, and you’ll see the cherished sandals in all their hues, styles and sizes dangling by strings or lining shelves at shoe stands. In these neighborhoods, particularly before the coronavirus pandemic shifted the city’s retail scene, you’d find generations of huarache makers.
Maria Silva is one of them. For the last 23 years, she sold huaraches and other handcrafted Mexican footwear in her shop Mas Sport inside Boyle Heights’ El Mercado de Los Angeles.
Silva’s grandparents honed the craft in their hometown, Sahuayo, Mexico, where her mother also learned to make huaraches. When Silva and her siblings were older, they too got involved in the business.
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Silva, now 49, spent her childhood in Sahuayo painting and polishing huaraches in her family’s shoe shop. “When there was a lot of work, I’d sand the sole with a machine so it wouldn’t have deformities,” she said in Spanish, pulling a brightly hued shoe from the wall of her store during a visit late last year. Growing up, she would clean, package and stuff the sandals with newspapers to prevent damage.
Maria Silva at her store inside El Mercado de Los Angeles, where she sold her family’s handmade huaraches. Silva and her siblings grew up in Mexico making huaraches. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
When she started selling huaraches in Los Angeles years ago, they became a source of cultural pride for her. “It brings me a lot of happiness because now it’s not just Hispanics who buy them,” she said.
Her clientele has grown to include Black and white people, Filipinos and tourists from around the globe. “I feel happy because every day the tradition is continuing.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the huaraches have also been life-saving. “A small business owner like me relies on the day-to-day sales,” said Silva recently. “We don’t have the finances to survive a situation like this. The truth is, sales dropped significantly. ... But right now, gracias a Dios, what’s really helping is the huarache.”
Maria Silva, left, helps customer Ana Rosa Ornelas of Sacramento as she looks at women’s hand-stitched leather huaraches on display at Mas Sport, located in the parking lot at El Mercado de Los Angeles in Boyle Heights. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Forced to close her shop for five months this year, during which she received zero federal financial assistance, Silva has resorted to selling the sandals in El Mercado’s parking lot — where vendors had been given the green light to reopen their businesses in late August. At the time, that meant no more of the tennis shoes, sports attire and other items that Silva also sold.
Advertisement
As tough as these pandemic times have been for retailers, the businesswoman said she has enjoyed working at the outdoor space. “I like it more. It looks welcoming and feels comfortable and looks really nice,” she said. “Te recuerda a tu pueblo.” It reminds her of her hometown.
Lifestyle The L.A. Times holiday gift guide Part II We’ve compiled luxe-filled lists of fashionable finds from coats and kicks to timepieces and timeless jewelry, and from self-care gifts to home goods and loungewear to splurge on.
The Mexican huarache dates back to the pre-Columbian era, and has been traced to the rural communities of Yucatan, Michoacan, Guanajuato and Jalisco. Every region in Mexico specializes in different huarache styles. Variations are influenced by an area’s terrain and climate.
Flexible, narrow strips of leather that are interwoven and often dyed with bright, vivid paints are a recognizable huarache design. There are heeled and stamped huaraches; others have a longer strip near the ankle to wrap around the calf; and many feature a woven diamond shape up front. There’s the classic El Pachuco, considered among the more complicated huarache designs. Others are ideal for campesinos. Some are softer or more durable. They can be buckled on, laced or slipped into.
A detail of a huarache made by Maria Silva and her family. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Once mostly associated with Mexico’s farm workers, the huarache gained prominence in the U.S. in the 1960s as hippies and surfers adopted the shoe as part of their chill, lackadaisical lifestyle. (Even the Beach Boys sang about them in their ’60s hit “Surfin’ U.S.A.”) The sandals have grown more popular through the years, and can now be found at weekend flea markets, retail stores and countless online sites.
Brands and retailers such as Quiksilver and Urban Outfitters have picked up on the huaraches’ popularity, selling pairs for about $63 and $100, respectively, sometimes more. Nike capitalized on the trendy footwear in 1991 and released the sneaker Air Huarache. Small independent stores in Los Angeles also have tapped into the market.
Espiritu huaraches from the brand’s winter 2020 collection. (Stephanie Munguia / Espiritu)
Years ago when Francisco Alvarez and Oscar Yapor returned to Denver from a trip to Michoacan, Mexico, the life-long best friends didn’t think much of the classic huaraches they brought back with them.
However, on the streets, friends and local strangers ogled the brown handmade leather sandals they purchased from a woman in an artisan market. “Where did you get those?” they’d hear from people who pointed at the huaraches on their feet.
Suddenly the sandals looked a little different to the Chihuahua, Mexico, natives.
Life-long best friends and business partners Francisco Alvarez, left, and Oscar Yapor founded the Mexican huarache brand Espiritu. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
So Alvarez and Yapor, both 27, decided to try their hand at filling the city’s demand. They bought their first batch of huaraches — about 100 — from the huarachera in Sahuayo, a city nicknamed Ciudad de los Huaraches, and sold them in artisan markets around Denver.
They were an instant hit.
“Within three or four months, we kind of realized that this was probably more successful than we had hoped,” Yapor said. “This was just a side gig for us that we were doing on weekends to pretty much pay school debt from college.”
It turned out to be much bigger than that. Alvarez, an architect, and Yapor, an industrial engineer, ditched their fields of study to become businessmen, and moved to Los Angeles.
As their business grew, they opened an airy, colorful storefront in Echo Park for their brand Espiritu. After a trial run as a retail store, they decided their brand would best thrive online, so they closed shop last December.
They’ve continued to sell their sandals on their website starting at $85 a pair. In January, the duo opened a warehouse in downtown L.A. for storage and daily operation needs.
Every huarache Espiritu sells is handmade in Sahuayo. Through a partnership with Mexico’s government, the business offers women escaping dire circumstances a chance to get back on their feet with jobs helping make sandals.
A closer look at the Mexican huaraches worn by Francisco Alvarez, left, and Oscar Yapor. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“Our artisans teach them how to do this so that we can pretty much give them an immediate job as soon as they get out of jail, rehab or homelessness,” Yapor said. Immigrants and domestic violence survivors also walk through their doors.
Unlike retailers without an e-commerce platform, Espiritu has grown in sales during the pandemic. “People started browsing a little bit more for comfort” and searching for huaraches while quarantined at home, Yapor said. “We started targeting the right customers and were able to expand our sales online. A lot of the energy we were spending into going to flea markets, we were able to devote to online and create more inventory.”
But the businessmen were not spared pandemic-induced hardships. For two months they closed their manufacturing facilities in Sahuayo, which saw an outbreak of coronavirus infections. Still, they managed to continue paying wages and salaries, Yapor said. They were forced to work with the inventory they had and find a way to create online trade orders so they could continue selling huaraches.
Espiritu huaraches from the brand’s winter 2020 collection. (Stephanie Munguia / Espiritu)
Now, Espiritu is thriving. Alvarez and Yapor launched a blog and pastel-colored huaraches to appeal to younger customers around June. A men’s and women’s winter line of huaraches with sheepskin lining is available on their site for $139 and $149 per pair, and their recent collaborations with mega brands Topo Chico and Tapatío are a clear indicator of Alvarez and Yapor’s booming huarache business.
The shoemaker
Making huaraches is a laborious and time-consuming task. Just ask artist Pilar Agüero-Esparza, who grew up watching her father make them in East Los Angeles.
Agüero-Esparza spent many summers and after-school hours watching her parents make huaraches from scratch out of their tiny Boyle Heights store. When she and her siblings got older, they were tasked with sanding and polishing the shoes and painting their edges.
As their huaraches grew more popular, they started selling them at flea markets, Agüero-Esparza said. “On Saturdays they would take us [to El Monte flea market], we’d set up the puesto [market stall], and they’d pick us up at 4 o’clock,” she said. “And my sisters and my brother would be there selling the huaraches.”
A huarache sandal. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Her father, who came to the U.S. as a teenager, was a third-generation huarachero, but it was his shoe repair shop that inspired him to return to the craft. “Through the years, that was kind of a slow business, so he decided like, ‘What can I make?’ And that’s when he decided, ‘Hey, I can make huaraches.’”
On a personal level, making huaraches was a source of pride for her father; it was his way of connecting to his culture and easing his homesickness, she said. “He could see where people could connect with Mexico, with this immigrant experience.”
Since her father’s death years ago, Agüero-Esparza has kept the craft and tradition alive; she has had huarache-making workshops all over the world. “It’s something that’s close to my heart,” she said, “being able to make shoes.”
The travel companion
“Te cansan,” said Cesáreo Moreno, visual arts director and chief curator of Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art, of his “indestructible” huaraches. “They’re tiring.”
Weighing in at 1.5 pounds a shoe, Moreno’s beloved sandals are made of old tire rubber, thick leather and nails. He bought them about two decades ago in a mercado in Oaxaca City. They’re older than his children, he said, and when he wears them, they feel “like a summer traveling companion that visits after the final thaw.”
Cesáreo Moreno purchased these “indestructible” huaraches at least 18 years ago in Oaxaca City. They’re older than his children, he says, and each shoe weighs about 1.5 pounds. (Cesáreo Moreno)
It’s a shoe that is “quintessentially Mexican … a humble icon of mestizaje that are beloved and overlooked at the same time,” he said.
He suspects the mushrooming huarache popularity is rooted in a longing for the past.
“So many things that get popular within Mexican American culture is nostalgia,” he said. “It’s the ability to wear something that aligns with your identity in a way that makes you feel proud of it and makes you think of your ancestors and their legacy.”
Every time he puts on his huaraches and meets someone from Mexico, it’s usually the first thing they comment on, he said. “People have fallen in love with this old-style shoe.”