latimes--2020-06-29--L.A. County issues dire warning amid 'alarming increases' in coronavirus cases

Los Angeles County health officials issued a dire warning Monday that conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic are deteriorating rapidly and the highly contagious virus is spreading swiftly in the nation ’ s most populous county .
They said they are now faced with one of their biggest fears : that the reopening of L.A. County would coincide with sudden jumps in disease transmission that have the potential to overwhelm public and private hospitals .
L.A. County has long been the epicenter of the coronavirus in California — with nearly 98,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths — but officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barbara Ferrer , the director of public health for L.A. County , said that new data show “ alarming increases in cases , positivity rates and hospitalization.
” “ This does indicate — definitively — that we have increased community transmission , ” Ferrer said .
“ There ’ s so much at stake , since these continued increases will result in many more people becoming seriously ill , and many more deaths of COVID-19.
” “ This is the time to hunker down back in your home whenever you can , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear their masks and practice social distancing .
“ Please , let ’ s not let go of everything we worked hard and sacrificed for.
” She urged people to avoid crowds .
“ It ’ s just not safe right now , ” she said .
“ We ’ re seeing more people get sick and go into the hospital .
This is very much a change in the trajectory of the epidemic over the past several days .
It ’ s a change for the worse and a cause for concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County ’ s director of health services .
The daily number of new coronavirus cases that require hospitalization could be four to five times the peak of what L.A. County saw in late March and early April , “ placing tremendous burden on our healthcare system and hospitals and resulting in much otherwise unnecessary suffering and mortality , ” Ghaly said .
With a predicted increase in hospitalizations , for the first time since the coronavirus crisis seemed to ease locally , L.A. County is now projecting the possibility of running out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Likewise , the number of intensive care unit beds could be exhausted sometime in July .
If the increased disease transmission rate continues as it has done so over the last few weeks , it “ suggests that we are at risk of running out of hospital beds if we don ’ t take steps to increase that capacity within the next two to three weeks , ” said Dr. Roger Lewis , a biostatistician , director of the COVID-19 demand modeling unit for L.A. County and chair of the emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We did anticipate that we would see increases in cases of hospitalization .
The problem was that we didn ’ t expect to see increases that were this steep so quickly , ” Ghaly said .
The county is able to meet hospital demand currently , but many of the patients who have already been exposed to the virus will now be filling the beds in the coming weeks .
It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to become sick enough to be hospitalized , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease .
“ So even if steps are taken immediately to reduce the spread in the community , we do expect to see a continued uptick in the next two to four weeks , ” Lewis said .
All public and private hospitals in L.A. County need to be prepared to treat more patients based on these projections , Ghaly said .
Hospitals can create new capacity by reducing elective procedures and surgeries and take steps to expeditiously discharge patients who no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also add more beds beyond their normal licensed capacity , typically 20 % to 40 % over , by creating space they normally wouldn ’ t utilize for in-patient care , such as emergency departments , recovery rooms , and pre- and post-operative care units , Ghaly said .
Some hospitals can also reopen previously licensed or staffed wards .
The best place to treat a patient who needs hospital care is in a hospital .
Alternate care sites present a host of challenges , Ghaly said .
The effective transmission rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , through the beginning of May , for every one person infected , fewer than one other person on average was infected — a testament to the success of the stay-at-home order .
But by early June , as the reopening accelerated , the coronavirus transmission rate had crept above 1 , meaning for every one person infected , an additional 1.26 people are infected on average .
“ We expect the number of cases to rise quickly , ” Ghaly said .
Although this rate is lower than what L.A. County saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one infected person on average infected three other people , the current rate can still cause a much larger number of new cases “ because of the much broader base of infected individuals that we have today , ” Ghaly said .
Last week , there was an estimated 1 in 400 people in L.A. County who was infectious with the virus and infecting others — people who weren ’ t hospitalized or in isolation at home .
Now , there ’ s an estimated 1 in 140 people people actively infecting others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typical large , busy store is likely to have multiple infectious persons enter and shop every day , officials said .
The increase in transmission likely occurred sometime around the week of Memorial Day week or shortly thereafter .
At the time , L.A. County officials decided to gradually reopen the economy because the data were stable , with no increases in hospitalizations and a decline in new deaths , Ferrer said .
But unfortunately , people and businesses haven ’ t been adhering to health orders to wear masks in public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this past weekend , masks or face shields were not being worn by workers at about half of inspected restaurants and bars .
Officials have also seen examples of overcrowding at public spaces .
“ I ’ ve had an explosion of new outbreaks in workplaces .
One that got shut down this past weekend , it had over 115 infections .
Again , very little compliance with the directives on how to operate a factory with as much safety as possible , ” Ferrer said .
“ And we ’ ve had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are getting together with extended family members and friends to celebrate weddings , things they had postponed , and again , created higher risk , and there was transmission , ” Ferrer said .
Ferrer also said that , according to data by Foursquare , that the weekend after June 20 , the day when bars reopened in L.A. County , 500,000 people visited nightlife spots .
And the county has observed a 40 % increase in coronavirus cases among younger people , between the ages of 18 and 40 , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most infectious with the coronavirus before they develop symptoms , Lewis said .
There are people who also become infected and can transmit to others who never develop any symptoms at all .
Health officials urged people to avoid gathering with friends and family for the Fourth of July weekend .
“ We ’ d love to spend it with close family and friends [ but ] I strongly advise against it , ” Ferrer said .
“ This is a time to still stay within your household , as much as possible.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ members are good .
“ Take solace in the fact that we ’ re all going to do it this way ... in hopes that by next July Fourth , which I see is totally possible , we ’ re celebrating in ways we ’ re much more accustomed to , ” Ferrer said .
“ We need to get this back under control.
” Now is a tenuous moment in L.A. County , and Ferrer urged the elderly and those with underlying conditions to stay at home .
“ There is far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Everyone else should stay home as much as they can , ” Ferrer said .
“ Businesses and individuals need to figure out how we personally are going to help to turn things around , ” Ferrer said .
“ Otherwise , we ’ re quickly moving towards overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death .
”

Los Angeles County health officials issued a dire warning Monday that conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic are deteriorating rapidly and the highly contagious virus is spreading swiftly in the nation’s most populous county.
They said they are now faced with one of their biggest fears: that the reopening of L.A. County would coincide with sudden jumps in disease transmission that have the potential to overwhelm public and private hospitals.
L.A. County has long been the epicenter of the coronavirus in California — with nearly 98,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths — but officials said Monday that the outbreak is worsening.
Barbara Ferrer, the director of public health for L.A. County, said that new data show “alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization.”
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“This does indicate — definitively — that we have increased community transmission,” Ferrer said. “There’s so much at stake, since these continued increases will result in many more people becoming seriously ill, and many more deaths of COVID-19.”
“This is the time to hunker down back in your home whenever you can,” Ferrer said, urging people to wear their masks and practice social distancing. “Please, let’s not let go of everything we worked hard and sacrificed for.”
She urged people to avoid crowds. “It’s just not safe right now,” she said.
“We’re seeing more people get sick and go into the hospital. This is very much a change in the trajectory of the epidemic over the past several days. It’s a change for the worse and a cause for concern,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s director of health services.
The daily number of new coronavirus cases that require hospitalization could be four to five times the peak of what L.A. County saw in late March and early April, “placing tremendous burden on our healthcare system and hospitals and resulting in much otherwise unnecessary suffering and mortality,” Ghaly said.
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L.A. County could see the number of daily new cases that require hospitalization be four to five times higher than what it was in April and May, officials warn.
(Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
With a predicted increase in hospitalizations, for the first time since the coronavirus crisis seemed to ease locally, L.A. County is now projecting the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks. Likewise, the number of intensive care unit beds could be exhausted sometime in July.
L.A. County could run short of the existing supply of intensive care unit beds in weeks, officials say. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services )
If the increased disease transmission rate continues as it has done so over the last few weeks, it “suggests that we are at risk of running out of hospital beds if we don’t take steps to increase that capacity within the next two to three weeks,” said Dr. Roger Lewis, a biostatistician, director of the COVID-19 demand modeling unit for L.A. County and chair of the emergency department at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
“We did anticipate that we would see increases in cases of hospitalization. The problem was that we didn’t expect to see increases that were this steep so quickly,” Ghaly said.
The county is able to meet hospital demand currently, but many of the patients who have already been exposed to the virus will now be filling the beds in the coming weeks. It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to become sick enough to be hospitalized, and four to five weeks after exposure for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease.
“So even if steps are taken immediately to reduce the spread in the community, we do expect to see a continued uptick in the next two to four weeks,” Lewis said.
All public and private hospitals in L.A. County need to be prepared to treat more patients based on these projections, Ghaly said. Hospitals can create new capacity by reducing elective procedures and surgeries and take steps to expeditiously discharge patients who no longer need hospital care.
Hospitals can also add more beds beyond their normal licensed capacity, typically 20% to 40% over, by creating space they normally wouldn’t utilize for in-patient care, such as emergency departments, recovery rooms, and pre- and post-operative care units, Ghaly said. Some hospitals can also reopen previously licensed or staffed wards.
The best place to treat a patient who needs hospital care is in a hospital. Alternate care sites present a host of challenges, Ghaly said.
The number of new cases expected in L.A. County hospitals has dramatically changed upward since last week. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services )
The effective transmission rate of the coronavirus has now increased. Previously, through the beginning of May, for every one person infected, fewer than one other person on average was infected — a testament to the success of the stay-at-home order. But by early June, as the reopening accelerated, the coronavirus transmission rate had crept above 1, meaning for every one person infected, an additional 1.26 people are infected on average.
“We expect the number of cases to rise quickly,” Ghaly said.
Although this rate is lower than what L.A. County saw earlier in the pandemic, when every one infected person on average infected three other people, the current rate can still cause a much larger number of new cases “because of the much broader base of infected individuals that we have today,” Ghaly said.
Last week, there was an estimated 1 in 400 people in L.A. County who was infectious with the virus and infecting others — people who weren’t hospitalized or in isolation at home. Now, there’s an estimated 1 in 140 people people actively infecting others, Ghaly said.
That means a typical large, busy store is likely to have multiple infectious persons enter and shop every day, officials said.
The increase in transmission likely occurred sometime around the week of Memorial Day week or shortly thereafter. At the time, L.A. County officials decided to gradually reopen the economy because the data were stable, with no increases in hospitalizations and a decline in new deaths, Ferrer said.
But unfortunately, people and businesses haven’t been adhering to health orders to wear masks in public and stay away from crowded situations. Just this past weekend, masks or face shields were not being worn by workers at about half of inspected restaurants and bars. Officials have also seen examples of overcrowding at public spaces.
“I’ve had an explosion of new outbreaks in workplaces. One that got shut down this past weekend, it had over 115 infections. Again, very little compliance with the directives on how to operate a factory with as much safety as possible,” Ferrer said.
“And we’ve had numerous examples of outbreaks happen because families are getting together with extended family members and friends to celebrate weddings, things they had postponed, and again, created higher risk, and there was transmission,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer also said that, according to data by Foursquare, that the weekend after June 20, the day when bars reopened in L.A. County, 500,000 people visited nightlife spots. And the county has observed a 40% increase in coronavirus cases among younger people, between the ages of 18 and 40, in the last two weeks.
People are often most infectious with the coronavirus before they develop symptoms, Lewis said. There are people who also become infected and can transmit to others who never develop any symptoms at all.
Health officials urged people to avoid gathering with friends and family for the Fourth of July weekend. “We’d love to spend it with close family and friends [but] I strongly advise against it,” Ferrer said. “This is a time to still stay within your household, as much as possible.”
She said outside activities with household members are good. “Take solace in the fact that we’re all going to do it this way ... in hopes that by next July Fourth, which I see is totally possible, we’re celebrating in ways we’re much more accustomed to,” Ferrer said. “We need to get this back under control.”
Now is a tenuous moment in L.A. County, and Ferrer urged the elderly and those with underlying conditions to stay at home. “There is far too much risk at the moment ... Everyone else should stay home as much as they can,” Ferrer said.
“Businesses and individuals need to figure out how we personally are going to help to turn things around,” Ferrer said. “Otherwise, we’re quickly moving towards overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death.”


latimes--2020-06-29--ER doctor charged in sexual assaults of four women

An emergency medicine physician has been charged with sexual battery of four women , including a colleague , according to the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
Anshul Gandhi , 34 , is accused of sexually assaulting a 36-year-old woman at his apartment in October 2016 .
Two months later , Gandhi allegedly attacked a 31-year-old woman at his apartment after a holiday party .
Gandhi is accused of a sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in July 2018 at his apartment .
Gandhi allegedly sexually assaulted a 31-year-old colleague in December 2019 .
He was charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battery .
Neither he nor his attorney could be reached for comment .
Gandhi was arrested in January by the Los Angeles Police Department .
Gandhi had previously worked as an ER physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center .
Following his arrest , his attorney called the action a rush to judgment .
Cedars-Sinai in January said he left the services of the hospital , where he served as a contract doctor .
The doctor faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of all the charges .
Gandhi is currently free on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biography , he graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 2013 .

An emergency medicine physician has been charged with sexual battery of four women, including a colleague, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Anshul Gandhi, 34, is accused of sexually assaulting a 36-year-old woman at his apartment in October 2016. Two months later, Gandhi allegedly attacked a 31-year-old woman at his apartment after a holiday party. Gandhi is accused of a sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in July 2018 at his apartment. Gandhi allegedly sexually assaulted a 31-year-old colleague in December 2019.
He was charged Monday with four felony counts of sexual battery. Neither he nor his attorney could be reached for comment.
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Gandhi was arrested in January by the Los Angeles Police Department. Gandhi had previously worked as an ER physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Following his arrest, his attorney called the action a rush to judgment. Cedars-Sinai in January said he left the services of the hospital, where he served as a contract doctor.
The doctor faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of all the charges. Gandhi is currently free on $100,000 bail. According to his biography, he graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 2013.


latimes--2020-06-29--L.A. County coronavirus cases surge past 100,000 with record one-day tally

Los Angeles County confirmed 22 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 2,903 new COVID-19 cases Monday , the largest single-day number of new infections the county has reported since the pandemic hit the U.S .
The daily tally brings the total number of coronavirus cases in L.A. County to more than 100,000 .
The alarming spike in cases is not just the result of increased testing , county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said .
The surge is proof that community transmission has “ definitively ” increased , with the rate of those testing positive for infection nearing 9 % .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents are likely unknowingly infected with the virus , a huge increase over last week ’ s projection of 1 in 400 .
In addition , health officials revealed that on June 20 — after Los Angeles County gave the green light for bars , breweries , wineries and similar businesses to reopen — more than 500,000 people visited the county ’ s newly reopened nightlife spots .
Officials said that 49 % of bars and 33 % of restaurants in the county were not adhering to social distancing protocols in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers at 54 % of bars and 44 % of restaurants were not wearing face masks or shields .
“ There are a number of businesses and individuals who have not followed the directives , and they ’ ve gone back to living like COVID-19 is not living in our community , ” Ferrer said .
“ If you ’ re not part of the solution to slow the spread , you ’ re ending up being part of the problem.
” There are more than 40,000 restaurants in L.A. County .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been inspected for COVID-19 protocols .
Officials are starting with places that have had past citations , and are trying to reach every part of the county , but the order of inspection is fairly random .
The news follows the state ’ s order that seven counties — including Los Angeles — must close their bars , while eight others were encouraged to follow suit .
Across the state , infections have increased by 45 % over the past 14 days , and hospitalizations have grow by 43 % .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 infections is “ highly likely ” the result of people gathering en masse at protests over the death of George Floyd , in addition to clusters of people who have congregated in restaurants and at private gatherings .
But because contact tracers do not identify cases that have stemmed from public spaces , it is often impossible to know the origin of transmission .
Still , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that the surge in cases was caused largely “ by people mixing that were otherwise not mixing in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further reopening of select businesses .
And the spike is occurring statewide .
Orange County confirmed 56 coronavirus-related deaths last week , the highest weekly death toll that the county has reported since the pandemic began in the U.S .
According to the California Department of Public Health , which collects information from each county ’ s distinct tracking methods , the biggest spike in cases and deaths occurred Wednesday , when 733 new cases and 24 deaths were reported .
With the spike in deaths and cases in Orange County — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Newsom announced Monday that it had been added to the list of counties , now numbering 19 , that the state was watching for surges in infection numbers or hospitalization rates .
While Orange County continues to move forward with its expanded reopening , other parts of California are scaling back as the state inches closer to crossing 6,000 deaths .
The state on Sunday ordered the closure of bars in seven counties on its watch list — Los Angeles , Fresno , Kern , San Joaquin , Tulare , Kings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight others , including Contra Costa , Santa Clara , Sacramento , Riverside , Ventura , San Bernardino , Santa Barbara and Stanislaus .
Riverside County announced Monday it was closing its bars , heeding the state ’ s recommendation .
Contra Costa County officials on Monday announced they would further delay reopenings as COVID-19 cases surged past 2,800 .
The county previously had cleared bars , personal services not involving close contact with the face , indoor dining , gyms , fitness centers , limited indoor leisure activities , museums and hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 1 .
“ With the sharp rise in community spread and hospitalizations , it does not make sense at this time to open additional business sectors that could further accelerate community transmission , ” officials said .
“ These businesses and activities will remain closed in Contra Costa until county data indicate that the spread of the virus has slowed , as measured by at least a week of stable case numbers , hospitalizations and percent of tests that are positive , ” the county added in a statement on its public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the county rose by 75 % from June 15 to June 29 .
The number of residents testing positive for the disease has risen from 38 to 87 a day , with the percentage of positive tests moving from 5 % to 6 % .
Alameda County similarly announced Monday that it was temporarily pausing our reopening efforts amid a surge in cases and a recent increase in hospitalizations .
As the case count rises , the number has skewed more heavily toward younger residents .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California fall between the ages of 18 and 49 , according to state data .
That group consists of 118,900 individuals , the bulk of the state ’ s more than 216,800 cases .
Some counties break those numbers down further .
In L.A. County , 42 % of cases are now among individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 .
“ While cases in this age range typically have low risk for serious illness or death , Public Health is concerned they may unknowingly infect parents , grandparents , and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who are at greater risk for serious illness and death , ” the Health Department said in a statement Sunday .
In Riverside County , which accounts for the second-highest number of cases in the state , residents ages 18 to 39 account for more than 5,900 infections .
In San Bernardino County , more than 2,100 people between the ages of 18 and 29 have been infected , and more than 2,200 people ages 30 to 39 have been infected .
The age of those testing positive is shifting younger .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing positive were 40 years or younger , compared with 38 % in that group in April .
“ It ’ s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals , ” the county said .

Los Angeles County confirmed 22 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 2,903 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the largest single-day number of new infections the county has reported since the pandemic hit the U.S.
The daily tally brings the total number of coronavirus cases in L.A. County to more than 100,000.
The alarming spike in cases is not just the result of increased testing, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. The surge is proof that community transmission has “definitively” increased, with the rate of those testing positive for infection nearing 9%. Officials are now warning that 1 in 140 residents are likely unknowingly infected with the virus, a huge increase over last week’s projection of 1 in 400.
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In addition, health officials revealed that on June 20 — after Los Angeles County gave the green light for bars, breweries, wineries and similar businesses to reopen — more than 500,000 people visited the county’s newly reopened nightlife spots.
Officials said that 49% of bars and 33% of restaurants in the county were not adhering to social distancing protocols in the last week. Additionally, inspectors found that workers at 54% of bars and 44% of restaurants were not wearing face masks or shields.
“There are a number of businesses and individuals who have not followed the directives, and they’ve gone back to living like COVID-19 is not living in our community,” Ferrer said. “If you’re not part of the solution to slow the spread, you’re ending up being part of the problem.”
There are more than 40,000 restaurants in L.A. County. Of those, Ferrer said that roughly 3,000 have been inspected for COVID-19 protocols. Officials are starting with places that have had past citations, and are trying to reach every part of the county, but the order of inspection is fairly random.
The news follows the state’s order that seven counties — including Los Angeles — must close their bars, while eight others were encouraged to follow suit.
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California Newsom threatens to reverse California reopening as coronavirus spreads Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is prepared to reinstate restrictions of his stay-at-home order as cases of the coronavirus continue to increase in California.
Across the state, infections have increased by 45% over the past 14 days, and hospitalizations have grow by 43%.
Officials have previously said that the increase in COVID-19 infections is “highly likely” the result of people gathering en masse at protests over the death of George Floyd, in addition to clusters of people who have congregated in restaurants and at private gatherings.
But because contact tracers do not identify cases that have stemmed from public spaces, it is often impossible to know the origin of transmission. Still, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the surge in cases was caused largely “by people mixing that were otherwise not mixing in the past,” before the state allowed the further reopening of select businesses.
And the spike is occurring statewide. Orange County confirmed 56 coronavirus-related deaths last week, the highest weekly death toll that the county has reported since the pandemic began in the U.S.
According to the California Department of Public Health, which collects information from each county’s distinct tracking methods, the biggest spike in cases and deaths occurred Wednesday, when 733 new cases and 24 deaths were reported.
With the spike in deaths and cases in Orange County — which has the third-most cases in the state — Newsom announced Monday that it had been added to the list of counties, now numbering 19, that the state was watching for surges in infection numbers or hospitalization rates.
While Orange County continues to move forward with its expanded reopening, other parts of California are scaling back as the state inches closer to crossing 6,000 deaths.
The state on Sunday ordered the closure of bars in seven counties on its watch list — Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kings and Imperial — and encouraged the same of eight others, including Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Stanislaus. Riverside County announced Monday it was closing its bars, heeding the state’s recommendation.
Contra Costa County officials on Monday announced they would further delay reopenings as COVID-19 cases surged past 2,800.
The county previously had cleared bars, personal services not involving close contact with the face, indoor dining, gyms, fitness centers, limited indoor leisure activities, museums and hotels for tourism and individual travel to reopen July 1.
“With the sharp rise in community spread and hospitalizations, it does not make sense at this time to open additional business sectors that could further accelerate community transmission,” officials said.
“These businesses and activities will remain closed in Contra Costa until county data indicate that the spread of the virus has slowed, as measured by at least a week of stable case numbers, hospitalizations and percent of tests that are positive,” the county added in a statement on its public health website.
The seven-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the county rose by 75% from June 15 to June 29. The number of residents testing positive for the disease has risen from 38 to 87 a day, with the percentage of positive tests moving from 5% to 6%.
Alameda County similarly announced Monday that it was temporarily pausing our reopening efforts amid a surge in cases and a recent increase in hospitalizations.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
As the case count rises, the number has skewed more heavily toward younger residents.
Most who have tested positive for infection in California fall between the ages of 18 and 49, according to state data. That group consists of 118,900 individuals, the bulk of the state’s more than 216,800 cases. Some counties break those numbers down further. In L.A. County, 42% of cases are now among individuals between the ages of 18 and 40.
“While cases in this age range typically have low risk for serious illness or death, Public Health is concerned they may unknowingly infect parents, grandparents, and friends and family who have underlying health conditions and who are at greater risk for serious illness and death,” the Health Department said in a statement Sunday.
In Riverside County, which accounts for the second-highest number of cases in the state, residents ages 18 to 39 account for more than 5,900 infections. In San Bernardino County, more than 2,100 people between the ages of 18 and 29 have been infected, and more than 2,200 people ages 30 to 39 have been infected.
The age of those testing positive is shifting younger. In June, 55% of those testing positive were 40 years or younger, compared with 38% in that group in April.
“It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals,” the county said.


latimes--2020-06-29--1 person killed and dozens of homes destroyed in Imperial County brush fire

A massive brush fire tore through a town east of the Salton Sea overnight , killing one person and destroying about 40 homes as it burned for hours , officials said Monday .
The blaze started near Highway 111 and 4th Street in Niland and became a three-alarm fire about 7:30 p.m. Sunday , the Imperial County Fire Department said in a Facebook post .
The town was evacuated , and residents were moved to a temporary shelter at Calipatria High School , where the American Red Cross helped place at least 130 people in hotels , the fire department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 40 homes had been destroyed by midnight .
Authorities went door to door in the aftermath of the fire , which jumped palm trees in Niland amid high winds .
Imperial County said fire officials had recovered one body ; no details were provided .
Firefighters were able to stop the fire ’ s progress by about 2 a.m. , and by about 8 a.m. , the blaze was contained , the fire department said .
Crews were continuing to monitor the scene and put out hot spots .
The cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an economically depressed town of about 1,000 people in a desolate stretch of a county that regularly registers one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States .
Imperial County ’ s jobless rate stood at 27.8 % in May .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Guadalupe and Daniel Altamirano comfort each other as they survey the ashes of their cousin’s home in Niland, Calif.
A massive brush fire tore through a town east of the Salton Sea overnight, killing one person and destroying about 40 homes as it burned for hours, officials said Monday.
The blaze started near Highway 111 and 4th Street in Niland and became a three-alarm fire about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the Imperial County Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
The town was evacuated, and residents were moved to a temporary shelter at Calipatria High School, where the American Red Cross helped place at least 130 people in hotels, the fire department said.
The fire department estimated that about 40 homes had been destroyed by midnight.
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Authorities went door to door in the aftermath of the fire, which jumped palm trees in Niland amid high winds. Imperial County said fire officials had recovered one body; no details were provided.
Firefighters were able to stop the fire’s progress by about 2 a.m., and by about 8 a.m., the blaze was contained, the fire department said. Crews were continuing to monitor the scene and put out hot spots.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
Niland is an economically depressed town of about 1,000 people in a desolate stretch of a county that regularly registers one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States. Imperial County’s jobless rate stood at 27.8% in May.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-29--L.A. schools reopening: 20% of parents, 36% of staff are not ready for campuses to open

About 20 % of Los Angeles parents said they are not ready to send their children back to a campus this fall , and more than a third of employees said they are against returning amid the COVID-19 pandemic , according to survey results that add to mounting concerns about the hoped-for Aug. 18 reopening of campuses in the state ’ s largest school system .
L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner said Monday that no decision has yet been made on whether campuses will reopen in the fall for in-person classes but that the district ’ s recent survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hospitalizations has intensified concerns .
“ This presents a challenge because we know the best learning environment for students is in a school , ” Beutner said in broadcast remarks .
“ We ’ ve still got a bit of time , ” Beutner said in a later interview .
“ We don ’ t have an unlimited amount of time.
” He spoke as local and state officials have ordered a partial rollback of attempts to reopen businesses and public places , including closing bars in L.A. County and beaches over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other school systems — including San Diego Unified , the state ’ s second largest — have announced that campuses would reopen in some fashion , probably a hybrid learning setup that combines staggered attendance in small classes with online instruction and extensive work-at-home assignments .
Districts also are preparing online-only options for families .
L.A. Unified , too , has been developing such frameworks .
But on Monday Beutner outlined parameters for reopening that would be difficult to achieve .
“ The only way to do this is with extensive testing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his broadcast remarks .
“ In all of the countries — Denmark , Germany , Israel and others where students are back in school facilities — they have put in place extensive testing and contact-tracing capability.
” He added that the school district should not , and possibly could not , take the lead in this effort .
“ State and local health authorities should be responsible for this , ” Beutner said .
“ This shouldn ’ t be an optional part of the puzzle.
” In the survey results , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families said they were ready to send students back to a campus .
However , close to half of those ready to return also insisted on the condition that “ fewer students were on campus at any given time.
” And 1 in 5 were uncertain about returning in any format ; another 1 in 5 said they were simply unwilling to send their children back .
The district , which has about 487,000 students , received about 85,000 responses from families .
Parents and employees completed the survey over most of June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
An official with a South Los Angeles nonprofit said it ’ s no surprise that most parents favor a return to campus .
“ They ’ re really concerned about the fact that their children are not learning during this COVID crisis , and they need a lot of support in helping their children recover and remediate the time that they lost so far , ” said Aurea Montes-Rodriguez , executive vice president of Community Coalition .
Moreover , many parents are considered essential workers , she said .
They not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervising their children ’ s academic work , she said .
In the survey , more than three-fourths of parents rated as “ essential ” frequent hand-washing ; sanitation of high-touch surfaces ; procedures in place “ if someone is diagnosed with the virus ” ; and daily temperature checks .
Among employees , 44 % were ready to return , 20 % were uncertain and 36 % were against it .
Moreover , 56 % of employees said they ’ d prefer to do their work “ primarily from home.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48,000 employee responses .
Safety is paramount among an array of concerns , said Max Arias , executive director of Service Employees International Union Local 99 : “ We can ’ t just plan to recover from the pandemic and pick up where we left off.
” His union represents most non-teaching , lower-wage district workers , including cafeteria workers , custodians and bus drivers .
Over the summer , the L.A. teachers union will be bargaining “ on what it will take to keep our students , members and community safe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being considered , ” said Cecily Myart-Cruz , president-elect of United Teachers Los Angeles .
“ We will be guided by the advice of health professionals and other experts ... .
LAUSD serves 88 % students of color , and their families are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the health and financial devastation of this pandemic.
” School board member Nick Melvoin said officials had hoped to release a firm plan around the beginning of July but that the surge in infections and the results of the survey prompted reconsideration of what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build confidence in that safety among parents and staff .
One approach , if necessary , he said , would be for campuses to reopen when ready on a staggered basis over the first few months of school , perhaps with a priority placed on elementary schools .
Melvoin said he hoped that key decisions could be made by July 18 , giving parents a month of planning time before the start of school .
Beutner stressed the need for more resources , including an estimated $ 3 million per day for additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part-time on-campus schedule .
“ What we ’ re trying to do is use our voice to bring those [ issues ] to the center , ” he said .
“ They need to be a topic of conversation in Sacramento and in the county Board of Supervisors , and then in the city halls and the communities that we serve — now , not a month from now , not two months from now .
They need to be in the top of the conversation now .
”

L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner, shown in April, said Monday that testing and contract tracing would be essential for safely reopening schools.
About 20% of Los Angeles parents said they are not ready to send their children back to a campus this fall, and more than a third of employees said they are against returning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to survey results that add to mounting concerns about the hoped-for Aug. 18 reopening of campuses in the state’s largest school system.
L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner said Monday that no decision has yet been made on whether campuses will reopen in the fall for in-person classes but that the district’s recent survey compounded by the ongoing spike in infections and hospitalizations has intensified concerns.
“This presents a challenge because we know the best learning environment for students is in a school,” Beutner said in broadcast remarks.
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“We’ve still got a bit of time,” Beutner said in a later interview. “We don’t have an unlimited amount of time.”
He spoke as local and state officials have ordered a partial rollback of attempts to reopen businesses and public places, including closing bars in L.A. County and beaches over the Fourth of July weekend.
Many other school systems — including San Diego Unified, the state’s second largest — have announced that campuses would reopen in some fashion, probably a hybrid learning setup that combines staggered attendance in small classes with online instruction and extensive work-at-home assignments. Districts also are preparing online-only options for families.
L.A. Unified, too, has been developing such frameworks. But on Monday Beutner outlined parameters for reopening that would be difficult to achieve.
“The only way to do this is with extensive testing and contact tracing,” Beutner said in his broadcast remarks. “In all of the countries — Denmark, Germany, Israel and others where students are back in school facilities — they have put in place extensive testing and contact-tracing capability.”
He added that the school district should not, and possibly could not, take the lead in this effort.
“State and local health authorities should be responsible for this,” Beutner said. “This shouldn’t be an optional part of the puzzle.”
Advertisement
In the survey results, which were released Monday, 59% of families said they were ready to send students back to a campus. However, close to half of those ready to return also insisted on the condition that “fewer students were on campus at any given time.” And 1 in 5 were uncertain about returning in any format; another 1 in 5 said they were simply unwilling to send their children back.
The district, which has about 487,000 students, received about 85,000 responses from families. Parents and employees completed the survey over most of June, at the end of the school year.
An official with a South Los Angeles nonprofit said it’s no surprise that most parents favor a return to campus.
“They’re really concerned about the fact that their children are not learning during this COVID crisis, and they need a lot of support in helping their children recover and remediate the time that they lost so far,” said Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, executive vice president of Community Coalition.
Moreover, many parents are considered essential workers, she said. They not only need child care but have difficulty supervising their children’s academic work, she said.
In the survey, more than three-fourths of parents rated as “essential” frequent hand-washing; sanitation of high-touch surfaces; procedures in place “if someone is diagnosed with the virus”; and daily temperature checks.
Among employees, 44% were ready to return, 20% were uncertain and 36% were against it. Moreover, 56% of employees said they’d prefer to do their work “primarily from home.”
The district employs close to 70,000 and received 48,000 employee responses.
Safety is paramount among an array of concerns, said Max Arias, executive director of Service Employees International Union Local 99: “We can’t just plan to recover from the pandemic and pick up where we left off.”
His union represents most non-teaching, lower-wage district workers, including cafeteria workers, custodians and bus drivers.
Over the summer, the L.A. teachers union will be bargaining “on what it will take to keep our students, members and community safe and healthy as different options for reopening are being considered,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president-elect of United Teachers Los Angeles. “We will be guided by the advice of health professionals and other experts.... LAUSD serves 88% students of color, and their families are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the health and financial devastation of this pandemic.”
School board member Nick Melvoin said officials had hoped to release a firm plan around the beginning of July but that the surge in infections and the results of the survey prompted reconsideration of what it would take both to operate safely and build confidence in that safety among parents and staff.
One approach, if necessary, he said, would be for campuses to reopen when ready on a staggered basis over the first few months of school, perhaps with a priority placed on elementary schools.
Melvoin said he hoped that key decisions could be made by July 18, giving parents a month of planning time before the start of school.
Beutner stressed the need for more resources, including an estimated $3 million per day for additional child-care funding if students move to a part-time on-campus schedule.
“What we’re trying to do is use our voice to bring those [issues] to the center,” he said. “They need to be a topic of conversation in Sacramento and in the county Board of Supervisors, and then in the city halls and the communities that we serve — now, not a month from now, not two months from now. They need to be in the top of the conversation now.”
Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-29--California's slide from coronavirus success to danger zone began Memorial Day

The seeds of the latest surge in coronavirus cases in California appear to have been planted around Memorial Day .
People had been pent up in their homes ; businesses shuttered for months amid the stay-at-home order began to open .
And as the reopening accelerated , a lot of people were ready to get out .
The beckon of summer rituals followed — day trips to the beach , Memorial Day barbecues , graduation celebrations , Father ’ s Day gatherings .
Around the same time , historic protests began , triggered by outrage over the death in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which sparked unprecedented demonstrations across the nation , including in the streets of California .
It would take a few weeks of incubation .
But it ’ s now clear that Memorial Day was the beginning of California ’ s turn from coronavirus success story to cautionary tale .
A Los Angeles Times analysis has found that new coronavirus hospitalizations in California began accelerating around June 15 at a rate not seen since early April .
Statewide , the daily number of people in hospitals with a confirmed infection of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it had been stable in mid-April , The Times analysis found .
Several counties said hospitals are near capacity — Riverside County reported 99 % of its normal supply of beds in intensive care units occupied — while others including Los Angeles County say such conditions may be weeks away .
And officials and experts say the worst is still yet to come .
It can take two weeks for the virus to incubate in the body , and an additional week or two after that to result in the hospitalization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people may have gotten exposed to the virus around the week of Memorial Day or shortly thereafter , said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , a medical epidemiologist and infectious-diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
But the behavior that is causing the rapid spread is continuing .
Businesses haven ’ t been adhering to health orders to wear masks in public and stay away from crowded situations .
About half of the restaurants and bars visited by Los Angeles County inspectors over the weekend were not complying with the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples of overcrowding in public spaces .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s move to shut down bars in L.A. County and other hot spots might help , but those establishments represent only a small part of the problem .
“ I ’ ve had an explosion of new outbreaks in workplaces .
One that got shut down this past weekend , it had over 115 infections , ” said Barbara Ferrer , public health director for Los Angeles County , which surpassed 100,000 cumulative cases and 3,330 total deaths on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples of outbreaks happening because families are getting together with extended family members and friends to celebrate weddings , things they had postponed , and again , created higher risk , and there was transmission.
” Officials are looking with increased anxiety to the upcoming Fourth of July weekend , urging residents to only spend time in person with members of their households , avoid crowds and follow social distancing rules , while at the same time bracing for a surge in hospitalizations by people already exposed to the virus .
Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday weekend in hopes of reducing crowds .
It was clear from the outset that easing stay-at-home orders would result in a higher level of cases — but the rapid spread caught many by surprise .
Continuing to keep society shut down at such an extreme state for too long causes its own ill effects , whether it be more homelessness and deaths due to greater poverty or the effects of denying schoolchildren their in-person education , Kim-Farley said .
“ It ’ s a luxury to shelter in place , ” added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco ’ s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics .
“ We have to think about how we open and minimize risk .
We ’ re going to be living with this virus for a long time.
” But there is no textbook to figure out how to reopen California safely amid the world ’ s worst pandemic in a century , faced with a never-before-seen coronavirus .
The only way to figure out how to open is to do it gradually and dial things back if the disease spreads so fast it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what ’ s happening now , Kim-Farley said .
“ Now , we ’ re recognizing things are going up .
So we ’ re dialing it back down again , ” Kim-Farley said .
A Times analysis found that as of Monday , 5.9 % of coronavirus test results received over the last week are positive .
That ’ s a significant jump from the figure the previous week , when it was 4.9 % .
Younger people are making up a greater share of those that are infected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
The rate is even worse in Los Angeles County : As of Monday , the seven-day average of coronavirus tests being confirmed as positive was 8.4 % .
In late May , it was 4.6 % .
Closing bars in hard-hit counties marked the state ’ s biggest step in ramping back reopening plans .
But it warns more drastic restrictions could be coming .
“ The bottom line is : We ’ re doing this because we have seen an increase in the spread of this virus , ” Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further steps and that ’ s exactly what we did this weekend.
” State officials say the consumption of alcohol in bars impairs judgment and leads to decreased use of face coverings and failing to keep socially distant from other people .
The spaces are also raucous , often requiring people to speak in louder voices , which can lead to the spray of potentially infectious oral droplets while talking .
As of Monday , 14 California counties have seen increases in hospitalizations that have exceeded 10 % in the last three days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus tracker .
They affect the state ’ s most populated regions : Southern California , the San Francisco Bay Area , San Diego County and the Central Valley .
Kim-Farley , a former senior health official with L.A. County and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said there are three protagonists — individuals , businesses and county governments — who each need to do their part to limit the spread of the disease .
Not only do government officials need to analyze data for worrisome trends , but individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet away from other people , and business owners need to keep their establishments from getting crowded and regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces .
It ’ s possible too many Californians responded to the reopenings of businesses as a license to resume life as they did before the pandemic arrived , Kim-Farley said .
Californians never endured the trauma New Yorkers did of seeing their hospital system get overloaded by COVID-19 patients in the spring .
“ It may be that they ’ re no longer as conscious about masking and physical distancing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the political discord in the U.S. and California over the response to the pandemic , such as political fights over using face masks , is hurting our ability to control the epidemic , experts say .
Countries that have had a unified public response to broad pandemic control measures , such as New Zealand and Taiwan , have kept the virus from spiraling out of control , experts say .
The pandemic could have triggered the sense of unifying around a common enemy in the U.S. “ Unfortunately , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become very divisive and become very politicized , ” Kim-Farley said .
A Los Angeles taco chain said Sunday it was forced to temporarily close two locations after a mounting onslaught of harassment from customers angered by the business ’ “ no mask , no service ” policy .
Experts say they hope society will learn from the spike .
Dr. Otto Yang , professor of medicine and associate chief of infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , said he thought L.A. County reopened too quickly .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really work to reduce transmission — like contact tracing and even masks — depend on your starting at a low [ disease ] control level , ” Yang said .
“ It ’ s back to the fire analogy : If the fire isn ’ t down to just smoldering embers , but if there ’ s still active pockets of fire , then backing off will let stuff flare up very quickly.
” With the benefit of hindsight , it ’ s now clear that officials should have made more enforcement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier implementation of a mask-wearing order would ’ ve helped , too .
At this point , Yang said he doesn ’ t think the public would tolerate a return to the springtime stay-at-home order .
So officials will instead need to focus on more targeted approaches , such as the shutting down of bars and prioritizing the highest-risk activities .
Times staff writers Maura Dolan , Laura Newberry and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Iris Lee, Sean Greene, Soumya Karlamangla

The seeds of the latest surge in coronavirus cases in California appear to have been planted around Memorial Day.
People had been pent up in their homes; businesses shuttered for months amid the stay-at-home order began to open. And as the reopening accelerated, a lot of people were ready to get out.
The beckon of summer rituals followed — day trips to the beach, Memorial Day barbecues, graduation celebrations, Father’s Day gatherings. Around the same time, historic protests began, triggered by outrage over the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd while in police custody, which sparked unprecedented demonstrations across the nation, including in the streets of California.
Advertisement
It would take a few weeks of incubation. But it’s now clear that Memorial Day was the beginning of California’s turn from coronavirus success story to cautionary tale. A Los Angeles Times analysis has found that new coronavirus hospitalizations in California began accelerating around June 15 at a rate not seen since early April.
Statewide, the daily number of people in hospitals with a confirmed infection of the coronavirus has jumped more than 50% from when it had been stable in mid-April, The Times analysis found. Several counties said hospitals are near capacity — Riverside County reported 99% of its normal supply of beds in intensive care units occupied — while others including Los Angeles County say such conditions may be weeks away.
And officials and experts say the worst is still yet to come. It can take two weeks for the virus to incubate in the body, and an additional week or two after that to result in the hospitalization of severely ill people. That means more people may have gotten exposed to the virus around the week of Memorial Day or shortly thereafter, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a medical epidemiologist and infectious-diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
But the behavior that is causing the rapid spread is continuing. Businesses haven’t been adhering to health orders to wear masks in public and stay away from crowded situations. About half of the restaurants and bars visited by Los Angeles County inspectors over the weekend were not complying with the new mask rules, and officials have seen examples of overcrowding in public spaces.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to shut down bars in L.A. County and other hot spots might help, but those establishments represent only a small part of the problem.
“I’ve had an explosion of new outbreaks in workplaces. One that got shut down this past weekend, it had over 115 infections,” said Barbara Ferrer, public health director for Los Angeles County, which surpassed 100,000 cumulative cases and 3,330 total deaths on Monday. “And we’ve had numerous examples of outbreaks happening because families are getting together with extended family members and friends to celebrate weddings, things they had postponed, and again, created higher risk, and there was transmission.”
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.
Advertisement
Officials are looking with increased anxiety to the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, urging residents to only spend time in person with members of their households, avoid crowds and follow social distancing rules, while at the same time bracing for a surge in hospitalizations by people already exposed to the virus.
Los Angeles County announced beaches will close during the holiday weekend in hopes of reducing crowds.
It was clear from the outset that easing stay-at-home orders would result in a higher level of cases — but the rapid spread caught many by surprise.
Continuing to keep society shut down at such an extreme state for too long causes its own ill effects, whether it be more homelessness and deaths due to greater poverty or the effects of denying schoolchildren their in-person education, Kim-Farley said.
“It’s a luxury to shelter in place,” added Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “We have to think about how we open and minimize risk. We’re going to be living with this virus for a long time.”
But there is no textbook to figure out how to reopen California safely amid the world’s worst pandemic in a century, faced with a never-before-seen coronavirus.
The only way to figure out how to open is to do it gradually and dial things back if the disease spreads so fast it might overwhelm hospitals later. And that’s what’s happening now, Kim-Farley said.
“Now, we’re recognizing things are going up. So we’re dialing it back down again,” Kim-Farley said.
A Times analysis found that as of Monday, 5.9% of coronavirus test results received over the last week are positive. That’s a significant jump from the figure the previous week, when it was 4.9%. Younger people are making up a greater share of those that are infected, a sign they are beginning to socialize again.
The rate is even worse in Los Angeles County: As of Monday, the seven-day average of coronavirus tests being confirmed as positive was 8.4%. In late May, it was 4.6%.
Closing bars in hard-hit counties marked the state’s biggest step in ramping back reopening plans. But it warns more drastic restrictions could be coming.
“The bottom line is: We’re doing this because we have seen an increase in the spread of this virus,” Newsom said. “We need to take further steps and that’s exactly what we did this weekend.”
State officials say the consumption of alcohol in bars impairs judgment and leads to decreased use of face coverings and failing to keep socially distant from other people. The spaces are also raucous, often requiring people to speak in louder voices, which can lead to the spray of potentially infectious oral droplets while talking.
As of Monday, 14 California counties have seen increases in hospitalizations that have exceeded 10% in the last three days, according to The Times’ California coronavirus tracker. They affect the state’s most populated regions: Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego County and the Central Valley.
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.
Kim-Farley, a former senior health official with L.A. County and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there are three protagonists — individuals, businesses and county governments — who each need to do their part to limit the spread of the disease.
Not only do government officials need to analyze data for worrisome trends, but individuals must wear face coverings and stay six feet away from other people, and business owners need to keep their establishments from getting crowded and regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces.
It’s possible too many Californians responded to the reopenings of businesses as a license to resume life as they did before the pandemic arrived, Kim-Farley said. Californians never endured the trauma New Yorkers did of seeing their hospital system get overloaded by COVID-19 patients in the spring.
“It may be that they’re no longer as conscious about masking and physical distancing,” Kim-Farley said.
Another factor is that the political discord in the U.S. and California over the response to the pandemic, such as political fights over using face masks, is hurting our ability to control the epidemic, experts say. Countries that have had a unified public response to broad pandemic control measures, such as New Zealand and Taiwan, have kept the virus from spiraling out of control, experts say.
The pandemic could have triggered the sense of unifying around a common enemy in the U.S.
“Unfortunately, we’ve made it such that it’s become very divisive and become very politicized,” Kim-Farley said.
A Los Angeles taco chain said Sunday it was forced to temporarily close two locations after a mounting onslaught of harassment from customers angered by the business’ “no mask, no service” policy.
Experts say they hope society will learn from the spike.
Dr. Otto Yang, professor of medicine and associate chief of infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said he thought L.A. County reopened too quickly.
“For a lot of the things that really work to reduce transmission — like contact tracing and even masks — depend on your starting at a low [disease] control level,” Yang said. “It’s back to the fire analogy: If the fire isn’t down to just smoldering embers, but if there’s still active pockets of fire, then backing off will let stuff flare up very quickly.”
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s now clear that officials should have made more enforcement of social distancing and masking a higher priority. Earlier implementation of a mask-wearing order would’ve helped, too.
At this point, Yang said he doesn’t think the public would tolerate a return to the springtime stay-at-home order. So officials will instead need to focus on more targeted approaches, such as the shutting down of bars and prioritizing the highest-risk activities.
California L.A. County faces ‘critical moment’ as coronavirus cases keep surging Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday reported a continued rise in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, saying the increase came at “a critical moment” in the county’s reopening.
Times staff writers Maura Dolan, Laura Newberry and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-29--In L.A., Black activists debate the value of dialogue with police in reform efforts

“ How are you going to take the fear away from us ?
” Candace Jordan ’ s voice broke as she addressed Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department at an intimate gathering inside an Exposition Park church .
With her 16-year-old son sitting beside her , the bus driver for L.A. Unified School District described her mistrust of the city ’ s police .
Whenever she is driving and sees young Black men pulled over by law enforcement , Jordan said she feels the urge to stop .
“ I need to see if someone else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching the scene , are those boys going to get home ?
” she said .
“ How are you going to take this fear away from us because it ’ s running real , real deep .
I don ’ t fear just for me .
I fear for those I don ’ t even know.
” At a quietly publicized roundtable in mid-June at the Abundant Life Christian Church , about two dozen pastors , gang interventionists , and other community members met with Moore in an effort to increase mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd protests .
The 90-minute forum reflects significantly different approaches within the Black community toward how to create lasting change from the unrest .
While some leaders have said that meetings with law enforcement are critical to rebuilding relationships and battling misconceptions , others have firmly rejected the idea of dialogue .
Those activists say that conversations with police and the widely circulated images of officers taking a knee with protesters will not lead to sweeping change in public safety , and that rather than attempt to reform the system from within , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We absolutely do not need to be sitting down and meeting with police , ” said Melina Abdullah , co-founder of Black Lives Matter in L.A. “ It ’ s not a reformable system — developing dialogue is the last thing we should be doing .
We ’ re looking to reimagine public safety , not to buy into the existing system.
” On June 15 , a coalition of activists led by Black Lives Matter participated in a nearly two-hour special meeting at City Hall devoted to the People ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the city budget that pushes for widespread defunding of the LAPD , with money moving instead to housing , mental health and other services .
Abdullah said that while Black Lives Matter will continue to issue its demands at the public meetings of the Los Angeles Police Commission , “ we ’ re not going to pretend like there ’ s any trust to be built.
” Its members have maintained a presence at the commission for years , forcefully decrying shootings and at times disrupting meetings that have ended with arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American studies professor at UCLA , said that within a large movement , people with similar goals will differ both on how entrenched problems are , and how to approach them .
“ Some people believe having dialogue with the police or allowing police to take a knee is a photo op and not more important than that , ” she said .
“ Some people feel that this is a really severe problem [ that ] you feel like you have to do more than sit down with the police to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a first step.
” During the civil rights movement , Stevenson said , activists adopted multiple strategies .
While many engaged in nonviolent protest by staging sit-ins at segregated lunch counters , others focused on legal efforts to end segregation .
The “ Black is Beautiful ” movement also sought to uplift Black communities .
“ All these different practices are necessary , ” she said .
“ You have to chip away at people ’ s consciousness , at what ’ s culturally important to them , along with changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donna Murch , a history professor at Rutgers University , said that dialogue “ is often a way to quell demand ” and that in order to achieve systemic change , protesters should use their political leverage with elected officials .
“ If we want change , what scale do we need it at ?
” she said .
“ The scale is going to be broader than the police-protester dialogue.
” Fernando Rejón , executive director of the Urban Peace Institute , said he understands wariness of superficial reform .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rejón and a group of intervention agencies called for increased funding for community-based resources like gang intervention workers in light of proposed LAPD cuts .
He said that while the department ’ s Community Safety Partnership program , which places officers in neighborhoods where they work on youth programs and other initiatives , has been a promising model , it has not been brought to scale in a way that transforms the LAPD ’ s mission .
He fears that the program “ ends up being window-dressing that prevents the conversation about creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement.
” LAPD Chief Moore also recently spoke at a virtual forum led by LaWanda Hawkins , the founder of Justice for Murdered Children , a group seeking justice for homicide victims .
During the meeting , which received more than 1,000 views online , Moore answered questions about addressing racism in policing , saying that the department will expand training on implicit bias .
He also said that crime dropped to record lows after efforts to grow the department to 10,000 officers .
“ When you don ’ t have enough officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and time in which to engage communities in conversation , officers are just tasked to go from one call to another , from one emergency to another , ” he said .
“ The relationship with the community suffers.
” Several of the meeting ’ s participants expressed strong support for Moore .
“ He ’ s the best chief I know so far , ” Najee Ali , a Black community activist , said during the dialogue .
“ I would encourage everyone to lift up the chief , who right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastors have also been engaging in dialogue .
Jawane Hilton , a pastor and Carson city councilman , said that faith leaders have been speaking regularly with the captain of the Carson sheriff ’ s station , asking questions that include how to increase the number of Black people in law enforcement .
“ We can sit on the side and say things , but if we don ’ t take an active part in being involved , in encouraging our young people to be police officers , jurors , we are just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe in the movement , ” he said .
Meanwhile , over the last few weeks , Pastor Michael Fisher of Greater Zion Church Family in Compton , which has about 3,000 families , has conversed with the captain of the Compton sheriff ’ s station about the need to create a local community advisory council that would increase accountability over deputies .
The church has previously held several town halls with the sheriff ’ s department .
The church organized one meeting to address racial profiling after Fisher said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car of a pastor who was leaving church after locking up , which he called an unprovoked intimidation tactic .
“ I think it ’ s important to have dialogue to debunk the things that law enforcement believe , ” he said .
“ All of this is a product of narrative… Dialogue does not mean I need to water down my message.
” Fisher is also focused on electoral participation as a means for change .
At a recent church meeting during which he invited pastors , rabbis and elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told congregants that those who don ’ t vote “ are part of the problem ” and “ don ’ t need to attend another rally.
” In contrast , faith leaders like Pastor James Thomas of the Living Word Community Church in Sherman Oaks , which has about 25 families , question the productivity of dialogue with police .
Thomas has been working with other pastors to build an organization that will help congregations become involved in Black Lives Matter .
“ We want to defund and abolish policing as we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our position is this — no one would ever approve reforming the institution of slavery , they sought to abolish it.
” Stephen “ Cue ” Jn-Marie , the pastor of a congregation that meets in downtown L.A. 's skid row , agreed .
He joined Black Lives Matter at the city ’ s police commission meetings after Charly “ Africa ” Keunang , an unarmed homeless man , was fatally shot by LAPD officers in 2015 , an incident that led to a nearly $ 2-million settlement .
He said that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just more implicit bias training , would stop police brutality against Black people .
“ We have dialogue and we never get justice , so the system remains the same , ” he said .
“ We can ’ t continue to do the same thing we ’ ve been doing and expect different results .
Right now , to sit down and have a conversation with police is a matter of insanity.
” During the meeting at the Abundant Life Christian Church , Moore took questions about the LAPD ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He acknowledged that police can lose community trust “ in a moment , ” referring to an LAPD officer that was recently charged with assault in connection with a video that shows him repeatedly punching an unarmed homeless man in Boyle Heights last April .
“ That episode is us , ” he said .
“ We got to recognize it .
We got to go out and do 10,000 more times efforts of genuine engagement and trust-building for that one episode of abuse.
” Skipp Townsend , a gang interventionist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interventionists currently hold a position of power as community liaisons for law enforcement .
He noted that public forums with the chief help keep him responsible for the department ’ s actions .
“ We have to maintain that relationship , that balance , even though I may not agree with what the officers are doing , ” he said .
“ He has to be held accountable in the community .
”

Pastors, gang interventionists and other community members meet with LAPD Chief Michel Moore at the Abundant Life Christian Church in mid-June.
“How are you going to take the fear away from us?”
Candace Jordan’s voice broke as she addressed Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department at an intimate gathering inside an Exposition Park church.
With her 16-year-old son sitting beside her, the bus driver for L.A. Unified School District described her mistrust of the city’s police. Whenever she is driving and sees young Black men pulled over by law enforcement, Jordan said she feels the urge to stop.
“I need to see if someone else is looking, if someone else is watching the scene, are those boys going to get home?” she said. “How are you going to take this fear away from us because it’s running real, real deep. I don’t fear just for me. I fear for those I don’t even know.”
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At a quietly publicized roundtable in mid-June at the Abundant Life Christian Church, about two dozen pastors, gang interventionists, and other community members met with Moore in an effort to increase mutual understanding in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests.
The 90-minute forum reflects significantly different approaches within the Black community toward how to create lasting change from the unrest. While some leaders have said that meetings with law enforcement are critical to rebuilding relationships and battling misconceptions, others have firmly rejected the idea of dialogue.
Pastor Shep Crawford of Experience Christian Ministries listens as LAPD Chief Michel Moore fields questions at a June 12 meeting at the Abundant Life Christian Church. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Those activists say that conversations with police and the widely circulated images of officers taking a knee with protesters will not lead to sweeping change in public safety, and that rather than attempt to reform the system from within, talks should occur with City Hall officials.
“We absolutely do not need to be sitting down and meeting with police,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in L.A. “It’s not a reformable system — developing dialogue is the last thing we should be doing. We’re looking to reimagine public safety, not to buy into the existing system.”
On June 15, a coalition of activists led by Black Lives Matter participated in a nearly two-hour special meeting at City Hall devoted to the People’s Budget, an alternative spending plan for the city budget that pushes for widespread defunding of the LAPD, with money moving instead to housing, mental health and other services.
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Abdullah said that while Black Lives Matter will continue to issue its demands at the public meetings of the Los Angeles Police Commission, “we’re not going to pretend like there’s any trust to be built.” Its members have maintained a presence at the commission for years, forcefully decrying shootings and at times disrupting meetings that have ended with arrests.
Brenda Stevenson, a history and African American studies professor at UCLA, said that within a large movement, people with similar goals will differ both on how entrenched problems are, and how to approach them.
“Some people believe having dialogue with the police or allowing police to take a knee is a photo op and not more important than that,” she said. “Some people feel that this is a really severe problem [that] you feel like you have to do more than sit down with the police to eliminate, and some people feel that’s a first step.”
Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles. (City of Los Angeles)
During the civil rights movement, Stevenson said, activists adopted multiple strategies. While many engaged in nonviolent protest by staging sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, others focused on legal efforts to end segregation. The “Black is Beautiful” movement also sought to uplift Black communities.
“All these different practices are necessary,” she said. “You have to chip away at people’s consciousness, at what’s culturally important to them, along with changing laws and sitting with lawmakers.”
But Donna Murch, a history professor at Rutgers University, said that dialogue “is often a way to quell demand” and that in order to achieve systemic change, protesters should use their political leverage with elected officials.
“If we want change, what scale do we need it at?” she said. “The scale is going to be broader than the police-protester dialogue.”
Fernando Rejón, executive director of the Urban Peace Institute, said he understands wariness of superficial reform. In a recent letter to Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rejón and a group of intervention agencies called for increased funding for community-based resources like gang intervention workers in light of proposed LAPD cuts. He said that while the department’s Community Safety Partnership program, which places officers in neighborhoods where they work on youth programs and other initiatives, has been a promising model, it has not been brought to scale in a way that transforms the LAPD’s mission.
He fears that the program “ends up being window-dressing that prevents the conversation about creating systemic shifts and radical restructuring of law enforcement.”
Candace Jordan, left, and her son Shamar Clemons, 16, far right. “How are you going to take the fear away from us?” Jordan asked LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
LAPD Chief Moore also recently spoke at a virtual forum led by LaWanda Hawkins, the founder of Justice for Murdered Children, a group seeking justice for homicide victims. During the meeting, which received more than 1,000 views online, Moore answered questions about addressing racism in policing, saying that the department will expand training on implicit bias. He also said that crime dropped to record lows after efforts to grow the department to 10,000 officers.
“When you don’t have enough officers to have a presence in a community and time in which to engage communities in conversation, officers are just tasked to go from one call to another, from one emergency to another,” he said. “The relationship with the community suffers.”
Several of the meeting’s participants expressed strong support for Moore.
“He’s the best chief I know so far,” Najee Ali, a Black community activist, said during the dialogue. “I would encourage everyone to lift up the chief, who right now is under tremendous pressure.”
Some Black pastors have also been engaging in dialogue. Jawane Hilton, a pastor and Carson city councilman, said that faith leaders have been speaking regularly with the captain of the Carson sheriff’s station, asking questions that include how to increase the number of Black people in law enforcement.
“We can sit on the side and say things, but if we don’t take an active part in being involved, in encouraging our young people to be police officers, jurors, we are just as complicit as those people who don’t believe in the movement,” he said.
LAPD Commander Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and clergy members on June 2 in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, over the last few weeks, Pastor Michael Fisher of Greater Zion Church Family in Compton, which has about 3,000 families, has conversed with the captain of the Compton sheriff’s station about the need to create a local community advisory council that would increase accountability over deputies.
The church has previously held several town halls with the sheriff’s department. The church organized one meeting to address racial profiling after Fisher said a law enforcement official flashed a light into the car of a pastor who was leaving church after locking up, which he called an unprovoked intimidation tactic.
“I think it’s important to have dialogue to debunk the things that law enforcement believe,” he said. “All of this is a product of narrative… Dialogue does not mean I need to water down my message.”
Fisher is also focused on electoral participation as a means for change. At a recent church meeting during which he invited pastors, rabbis and elected officials to speak about the protests, Fisher told congregants that those who don’t vote “are part of the problem” and “don’t need to attend another rally.”
In contrast, faith leaders like Pastor James Thomas of the Living Word Community Church in Sherman Oaks, which has about 25 families, question the productivity of dialogue with police. Thomas has been working with other pastors to build an organization that will help congregations become involved in Black Lives Matter.
“We want to defund and abolish policing as we know it,” he said. “Our position is this — no one would ever approve reforming the institution of slavery, they sought to abolish it.”
Stephen “Cue” Jn-Marie, the pastor of a congregation that meets in downtown L.A.’s skid row, agreed. He joined Black Lives Matter at the city’s police commission meetings after Charly “Africa” Keunang, an unarmed homeless man, was fatally shot by LAPD officers in 2015, an incident that led to a nearly $2-million settlement.
He said that only “a total cultural change,” not just more implicit bias training, would stop police brutality against Black people.
“We have dialogue and we never get justice, so the system remains the same,” he said. “We can’t continue to do the same thing we’ve been doing and expect different results. Right now, to sit down and have a conversation with police is a matter of insanity.”
During the meeting at the Abundant Life Christian Church, Moore took questions about the LAPD’s use of the chokehold and deadly force. He acknowledged that police can lose community trust “in a moment,” referring to an LAPD officer that was recently charged with assault in connection with a video that shows him repeatedly punching an unarmed homeless man in Boyle Heights last April.
“That episode is us,” he said. “We got to recognize it. We got to go out and do 10,000 more times efforts of genuine engagement and trust-building for that one episode of abuse.”
Skipp Townsend, a gang interventionist who helped organize the meeting, said that interventionists currently hold a position of power as community liaisons for law enforcement. He noted that public forums with the chief help keep him responsible for the department’s actions.
“We have to maintain that relationship, that balance, even though I may not agree with what the officers are doing,” he said. “He has to be held accountable in the community.”