latimes--2020-05-14--Coronavirus leads to L.A. County Fair cancellation. It's the first time since WWII

It looks as if Angelenos will need to make their own deep-fried Twinkies , chocolate-covered bacon and gargantuan turkey legs at home .
For the first time since World War II , the Los Angeles County Fair has been canceled .
It ’ s yet another cultural touchstone lost because of the coronavirus outbreak , which has prompted stay-at-home orders and limits on large public gatherings .
“ It ’ s unlikely that a vaccine will be discovered in the next few months , ” said Miguel Santana , chief executive of Fairplex , a private nonprofit that operates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is the safety of our guests and our staff.
” Most other regional fairs scheduled for this summer in Southern California have already been canceled , including the Ventura , Orange County , San Bernardino and San Diego county fairs .
The Santa Barbara County Fair , scheduled for July 15-19 , has yet to be canceled .
The L.A. County Fair has long been among the last fairs of the season , scheduled this year for Sept. 4-27 .
The California State Fair and Food Festival , originally set for July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled , but fans can still order fair food , including barbecued brisket , macaroni and cheese , and funnel cake , which they can pick up at a drive-through at the Sacramento fairgrounds on May 22 .
The Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday called off its entire 2020 season , a first in the Bowl ’ s nearly 100-year history .
It joined a lengthy list of non-happenings , including South by Southwest in Austin , Texas , in March , Indio ’ s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July and , of course , all professional sports everywhere .
The annual celebration of deep-fried snacks , carnival rides and farm animals at the Fairplex in Pomona originally launched in 1922 and was last canceled from 1942 to 1947 because of World War II .
The fair also closed on Sept. 11 , 2001 , as terrorists attacked the U.S. , but reopened the following day .
Annual attendance numbers have wavered between 1 million and a high of 1.3 million in recent years , with declines blamed on unusually hot weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Santana said he held out hope for opening the fair by requiring new safety measures , such as social distancing .
But he said he changed his mind earlier this week after meeting with Barbara Ferrer , the head of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , who told him it would be difficult to operate a fair under such circumstances .
“ Working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 is our new normal for the foreseeable future , ” Ferrer said in a statement .
“ But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make these difficult but necessary decisions now , we will be able to enjoy all that the L.A. County Fair has to offer next year.
” Santana said the cancellation would be a severe financial blow to the Fairplex , which draws nearly half of its annual revenue from the fair .
He pointed out that the Fairplex had already canceled or postponed 30 other events at the facility , including car shows , a beer and food festival , a Fourth of July celebration , an Oktoberfest and a Day of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fairplex ’ s 140 full-time year-round staff members have been furloughed .
The nonprofit Fairplex generated nearly $ 70 million in revenue in 2018 , with about $ 45 million coming from the county fair and other events , according to the most recent financial report from the Fairplex .
The county fair supports more than 500 full-time jobs during the fair event , creating an economic impact of $ 324 million in Los Angeles County each year , according to the Fairplex .
“ We must make these short-term sacrifices to preserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said of the cancellation .
“ We do this to protect our communities.
” The only events taking place at the nearly 500-acre facility are coronavirus testing , drive-through food pantries and free child care for the children of healthcare workers , first responders and other essential workers at the Fairplex Child Development Center .
The Sheraton Fairplex Hotel , on the Fairplex property , is being used to house dozens of medical professionals and first responders who have been exposed to the virus or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to self-isolate .

It looks as if Angelenos will need to make their own deep-fried Twinkies, chocolate-covered bacon and gargantuan turkey legs at home.
For the first time since World War II, the Los Angeles County Fair has been canceled. It’s yet another cultural touchstone lost because of the coronavirus outbreak, which has prompted stay-at-home orders and limits on large public gatherings.
“It’s unlikely that a vaccine will be discovered in the next few months,” said Miguel Santana, chief executive of Fairplex, a private nonprofit that operates the fair. “Our first and foremost concern is the safety of our guests and our staff.”
Most other regional fairs scheduled for this summer in Southern California have already been canceled, including the Ventura, Orange County, San Bernardino and San Diego county fairs. The Santa Barbara County Fair, scheduled for July 15-19, has yet to be canceled.
The L.A. County Fair has long been among the last fairs of the season, scheduled this year for Sept. 4-27.
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The California State Fair and Food Festival, originally set for July 17 to Aug. 2, has been canceled, but fans can still order fair food, including barbecued brisket, macaroni and cheese, and funnel cake, which they can pick up at a drive-through at the Sacramento fairgrounds on May 22.
The Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday called off its entire 2020 season, a first in the Bowl’s nearly 100-year history. It joined a lengthy list of non-happenings, including South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, in March, Indio’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, San Diego’s Comic Con in July and, of course, all professional sports everywhere.
The annual celebration of deep-fried snacks, carnival rides and farm animals at the Fairplex in Pomona originally launched in 1922 and was last canceled from 1942 to 1947 because of World War II. The fair also closed on Sept. 11, 2001, as terrorists attacked the U.S., but reopened the following day.
Annual attendance numbers have wavered between 1 million and a high of 1.3 million in recent years, with declines blamed on unusually hot weather.
As recently as last week, CEO Santana said he held out hope for opening the fair by requiring new safety measures, such as social distancing. But he said he changed his mind earlier this week after meeting with Barbara Ferrer, the head of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, who told him it would be difficult to operate a fair under such circumstances.
“Working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 is our new normal for the foreseeable future,” Ferrer said in a statement. “But I have faith that if we continue to make these difficult but necessary decisions now, we will be able to enjoy all that the L.A. County Fair has to offer next year.”
Santana said the cancellation would be a severe financial blow to the Fairplex, which draws nearly half of its annual revenue from the fair. He pointed out that the Fairplex had already canceled or postponed 30 other events at the facility, including car shows, a beer and food festival, a Fourth of July celebration, an Oktoberfest and a Day of the Dead event.
About 80 of the Fairplex’s 140 full-time year-round staff members have been furloughed.
The nonprofit Fairplex generated nearly $70 million in revenue in 2018, with about $45 million coming from the county fair and other events, according to the most recent financial report from the Fairplex.
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The county fair supports more than 500 full-time jobs during the fair event, creating an economic impact of $324 million in Los Angeles County each year, according to the Fairplex.
“We must make these short-term sacrifices to preserve the health of the people we love,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said of the cancellation. “We do this to protect our communities.”
The only events taking place at the nearly 500-acre facility are coronavirus testing, drive-through food pantries and free child care for the children of healthcare workers, first responders and other essential workers at the Fairplex Child Development Center. The Sheraton Fairplex Hotel, on the Fairplex property, is being used to house dozens of medical professionals and first responders who have been exposed to the virus or have tested positive and have nowhere else to self-isolate.


latimes--2020-05-14--Large workplaces are vulnerable to coronavirus super-spread as economy reopens, experts warn

Even as the economy begins to reopen , the coronavirus will remain a threat for some time to come , experts say .
And of particular concern are large workplaces .
Experts say so-called super-spreading events could become a leading cause of virus transmission .
Having people clustered together at work could set the stage for large numbers of people falling ill , as happened when 52 workers became infected at a Safeway distribution center in the San Joaquin Valley .
At a panel discussion Wednesday , the former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration talked about getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of an infection that could be with us for the long haul .
Dr. Scott Gottlieb , commissioner of the FDA from 2017 to 2019 , said , “ People rightly want to know when this is going to be over .
And the answer is : It might not be over for a very long time until we ’ re able to more fully vanquish this pathogen with our technology.
” The virus , he said , could be “ with us in perpetuity ” but become “ something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can conquer with vaccines and with therapeutics .
But in the interim ... we ’ re going to need to define a new normal.
” This new normal , he said in the webinar hosted by the American Public Health Assn .
and the National Academy of Medicine , involves allowing society to get back to work and back to the things we enjoy , “ but we ’ re going to have to do so differently.
” “ We ’ re going to have to sacrifice certain trappings and impose certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gottlieb said , “ and we ’ re gon na have to do things more safely than we ’ ve done before , and with more awareness to the risk of viral transmission.
” There are some positive signs of progress , he added .
Gottlieb said New York was experiencing sharp declines in disease , and there is improvement in hard-hit cities including New Orleans , Detroit and Boston .
But there will need to be a marshaling of resources to fight this virus , he said .
As of Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being infected with the coronavirus , according to Johns Hopkins University .
In the U.S. , more than 84,000 fatalities have been reported , including over 2,900 in California , which has reached a stubborn plateau in COVID-19 deaths .
The Golden State has been reporting an average of 500 deaths weekly over the past month .
Some experts worry the worst may be yet to come , with perhaps 147,000 deaths nationally and more than 5,800 in California by early August , according to one influential forecast published by the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metrics and Evaluation .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , warned Congress on Tuesday that states that pushed too quickly to reopen businesses could “ trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control.
” And in testimony prepared for Congress , Rick Bright , an immunologist who says he was ousted from his job overseeing drug and vaccine development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , warned that the world was facing “ a great public health emergency , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrought by the 1918 influenza which globally claimed over 50 million lives.
” “ While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront , the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID-19 this fall , ” Bright said .
Without a national , coordinated response to the pandemic , Bright said , “ 2020 will be the darkest winter in modern history.
” A vaccine is likely 12 to 18 months away .
It ’ s possible there could be a very large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading further as students return to school , experts say .
Gottlieb said there must be a focus on at-risk communities , helping people who lack access to testing and good care because of where they work and live , which puts them at higher risk of infection .
And there needs to be investment in staffing up teams of disease investigators to tamp outbreaks , he said .
Blacks , Latinos , Native Americans and Pacific Islanders are among the communities hit hard by the pandemic .
Here are three things experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about as the pandemic continues : Super-spreading events may be responsible for most infections New Zealand , which has done an excellent job of keeping the coronavirus from becoming a major disaster , discovered that half of all disease transmission came from large transmission events in that country , said Dr. Chris Murray , director of the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , the publisher of an influential pandemic forecast .
“ And that really , I think , puts the onus on employers and local governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a pretty small number , like 10 or less , just to avoid the risk of those hundred-people transmission events that we ’ ve seen quite routinely , ” Murray said .
That means that larger workplaces — such as places with assembly lines where people are close to one another — are particularly vulnerable as a threat for rapid spread of disease , said David Michaels , epidemiologist and professor in environmental and occupational health at George Washington University and assistant secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West Coast have already seen a number of mass disease transmission incidents that spread the coronavirus , which scientists call SARS-CoV-2 .
In Washington state , a single person who was showing signs of illness attended a 2½-hour choir practice at church on March 10 with 60 other people .
After the practice , 52 people fell sick with COVID-19 , a disease attack rate of 87 % , and two died .
The virus ’ spread was likely facilitated by people being less than six feet from one another and worsened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ Certain persons , known as superemitters , who release more aerosol particles during speech than do their peers , might have contributed to this and previously reported COVID-19 superspreading events , ” the CDC said in a news release this week .
“ These data demonstrate the high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibility of superemitters contributing to broad transmission in certain unique activities and circumstances.
” In the San Joaquin Valley , 52 workers at a Safeway distribution center in Tracy , Calif. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , and one worker .
Thousands of people nationwide who work at have been infected , and at least 20 have died .
The number of workers at a meat packing plant in California ’ s Kings County who tested positive for the virus has now risen to 182 , the .
COVID-19 has become a “ massive worker safety crisis , ” Michaels said .
Infection rates are rising rapidly in places where the epidemic is driven by exposure to the virus at work .
But there ’ s little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more commonplace .
For instance , he said , there was a coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts that officials belatedly discovered was associated with a Walmart store and linked to scores of infected employees .
“ When the initial cases started to appear , local health authorities had no idea they were all linked to only one workplace .
Once they finally put it together , they shut down the store , ” Michaels said .
“ But they said , if they had known earlier … they could ’ ve gone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramps up , it ’ s increasingly hard to determine whether an increase in reported cases is simply a result of more widespread testing or if it ’ s an early sign of a new surge in infections .
That ’ s a problem , said Murray , of the University of Washington .
“ What ’ s the early warning system for the next flare-up or the next hot spot ?
” Hospitalizations can serve as an indicator of disease progress .
But the problem is , hospital stays are a delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between infection and admission , Murray said .
“ So it ’ s a 10-day lag on what ’ s happening in the community , ” Murray said .
There could be improvements in how hospitals and governments report data .
For instance , it would be helpful if every state and county were to report the number of people admitted with COVID-19 to hospitals daily , Murray said , and not just the number of people who are in the hospital .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned Congress on Tuesday that states that pushed too quickly to reopen businesses could “trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control.”
Even as the economy begins to reopen, the coronavirus will remain a threat for some time to come, experts say.
And of particular concern are large workplaces.
Experts say so-called super-spreading events could become a leading cause of virus transmission. Having people clustered together at work could set the stage for large numbers of people falling ill, as happened when 52 workers became infected at a Safeway distribution center in the San Joaquin Valley.
At a panel discussion Wednesday, the former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration talked about getting back to work “differently” in the face of an infection that could be with us for the long haul.
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Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the FDA from 2017 to 2019, said, “People rightly want to know when this is going to be over. And the answer is: It might not be over for a very long time until we’re able to more fully vanquish this pathogen with our technology.”
The virus, he said, could be “with us in perpetuity” but become “something that we can live with, and that we can conquer with vaccines and with therapeutics. But in the interim ... we’re going to need to define a new normal.”
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This new normal, he said in the webinar hosted by the American Public Health Assn. and the National Academy of Medicine, involves allowing society to get back to work and back to the things we enjoy, “but we’re going to have to do so differently.”
“We’re going to have to sacrifice certain trappings and impose certain things that will make life different,” Gottlieb said, “and we’re gonna have to do things more safely than we’ve done before, and with more awareness to the risk of viral transmission.”
There are some positive signs of progress, he added. Gottlieb said New York was experiencing sharp declines in disease, and there is improvement in hard-hit cities including New Orleans, Detroit and Boston.
Advertisement
But there will need to be a marshaling of resources to fight this virus, he said.
As of Thursday, more than 297,000 have died worldwide after being infected with the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., more than 84,000 fatalities have been reported, including over 2,900 in California, which has reached a stubborn plateau in COVID-19 deaths. The Golden State has been reporting an average of 500 deaths weekly over the past month.
Some experts worry the worst may be yet to come, with perhaps 147,000 deaths nationally and more than 5,800 in California by early August, according to one influential forecast published by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned Congress on Tuesday that states that pushed too quickly to reopen businesses could “trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control.”
And in testimony prepared for Congress, Rick Bright, an immunologist who says he was ousted from his job overseeing drug and vaccine development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, warned that the world was facing “a great public health emergency, which has the potential to eclipse the devastation wrought by the 1918 influenza which globally claimed over 50 million lives.”
“While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront, the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID-19 this fall,” Bright said. Without a national, coordinated response to the pandemic, Bright said, “2020 will be the darkest winter in modern history.”
A vaccine is likely 12 to 18 months away. It’s possible there could be a very large coronavirus outbreak in the fall, potentially spreading further as students return to school, experts say.
Gottlieb said there must be a focus on at-risk communities, helping people who lack access to testing and good care because of where they work and live, which puts them at higher risk of infection.
And there needs to be investment in staffing up teams of disease investigators to tamp outbreaks, he said.
Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders are among the communities hit hard by the pandemic.
Here are three things experts on Gottlieb’s panel voiced concerns about as the pandemic continues:
Super-spreading events may be responsible for most infections
New Zealand, which has done an excellent job of keeping the coronavirus from becoming a major disaster, discovered that half of all disease transmission came from large transmission events in that country, said Dr. Chris Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the publisher of an influential pandemic forecast.
“And that really, I think, puts the onus on employers and local governments keeping the limits on group gatherings down to a pretty small number, like 10 or less, just to avoid the risk of those hundred-people transmission events that we’ve seen quite routinely,” Murray said.
That means that larger workplaces — such as places with assembly lines where people are close to one another — are particularly vulnerable as a threat for rapid spread of disease, said David Michaels, epidemiologist and professor in environmental and occupational health at George Washington University and assistant secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Obama administration.
California and the West Coast have already seen a number of mass disease transmission incidents that spread the coronavirus, which scientists call SARS-CoV-2.
In Washington state, a single person who was showing signs of illness attended a 2½-hour choir practice at church on March 10 with 60 other people. After the practice, 52 people fell sick with COVID-19, a disease attack rate of 87%, and two died. The virus’ spread was likely facilitated by people being less than six feet from one another and worsened by singing together, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
“Certain persons, known as superemitters, who release more aerosol particles during speech than do their peers, might have contributed to this and previously reported COVID-19 superspreading events,” the CDC said in a news release this week. “These data demonstrate the high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibility of superemitters contributing to broad transmission in certain unique activities and circumstances.”
In the San Joaquin Valley, 52 workers at a Safeway distribution center in Tracy, Calif., were found to be infected with the coronavirus, and one worker died . Thousands of people nationwide who work at meat packing plants have been infected, and at least 20 have died. The number of workers at a meat packing plant in California’s Kings County who tested positive for the virus has now risen to 182, the Fresno Bee reported .
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
Workers are at risk
COVID-19 has become a “massive worker safety crisis,” Michaels said. Infection rates are rising rapidly in places where the epidemic is driven by exposure to the virus at work.
But there’s little workplace testing, which he said must become more commonplace.
For instance, he said, there was a coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts that officials belatedly discovered was associated with a Walmart store and linked to scores of infected employees.
“When the initial cases started to appear, local health authorities had no idea they were all linked to only one workplace. Once they finally put it together, they shut down the store,” Michaels said. “But they said, if they had known earlier … they could’ve gone in there much earlier.”
An outbreak early warning system is needed
As coronavirus testing ramps up, it’s increasingly hard to determine whether an increase in reported cases is simply a result of more widespread testing or if it’s an early sign of a new surge in infections.
That’s a problem, said Murray, of the University of Washington. “What’s the early warning system for the next flare-up or the next hot spot?”
Hospitalizations can serve as an indicator of disease progress. But the problem is, hospital stays are a delayed warning, with an estimated 10-day gap between infection and admission, Murray said.
“So it’s a 10-day lag on what’s happening in the community,” Murray said.
There could be improvements in how hospitals and governments report data. For instance, it would be helpful if every state and county were to report the number of people admitted with COVID-19 to hospitals daily, Murray said, and not just the number of people who are in the hospital.


latimes--2020-05-16--L.A. County looking at whether some cities could reopen sooner than others

Even as coronavirus deaths and new cases continue to rise , Los Angeles County officials offered more insights Friday into what it would take to further reopen a local economy devastated by the pandemic .
L.A. County remains the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the state , with more than 1,700 deaths and more than 35,000 confirmed cases .
On Friday alone , officials announced 962 more cases and 47 additional deaths .
But like the rest of California , some areas of the county have seen far fewer cases and deaths than others .
That ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine whether it ’ s possible for individual cities that meet the benchmarks to move to the next stage of reopening before other parts of the county do .
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday that the cities of Santa Clarita , Lancaster and Palmdale have approached the county to inquire about reopening and appear to meet Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s criteria .
She said she ’ s asked county counsel and the Department of Public Health to provide an analysis of whether there ’ s anything in the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
Other Southern California counties — Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino and San Diego — are working to forge a coalition to jointly lobby Newsom so they can further reopen their local economies .
Los Angeles County and some Bay Area counties have urged caution in reopening too quickly , fearing it could lead to a second wave of outbreaks and ultimately hurt the economy more in the long run .
But some rural counties that have seen comparatively little impact from the coronavirus are reopening at a much faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state moves into what Newsom has deemed , it has become possible for those counties to go further in terms of reopening businesses , provided they meet certain criteria .
Nearly a third of California ’ s 58 counties have certified to the state that they have contained the spread of the virus , which allows them to reopen restaurants to dine-in service , as well as shopping malls and other businesses , Newsom said Thursday .
Those 19 counties are mostly in rural areas of Northern California with small populations .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s population and do not include urban centers such as Los Angeles or San Francisco .
The state is continuing talks with other counties that are trying to meet state standards for testing , hospital availability and numbers of cases .
While deaths continued to rise in Los Angeles , Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , also offered some encouraging news and a better explanation of how officials will determine when to ease stay-at-home rules .
There are 1,733 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals , with about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As we continue to see slight decreases in the number of people who are hospitalized over the last week and a half , we are encouraged , ” Ferrer said .
She said the average number of hospitalizations is one of several metrics officials are monitoring to determine when to relax additional stay-at-home restrictions .
“ There are two important questions that we need to be always answering through our recovery journey , ” Ferrer said .
“ The first question is how capable are we of slowing the spread of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ask is how effective are we at preventing the spread of COVID-19 ?
” To answer the first question , the county is looking at five metrics : • Whether there are enough intensive care beds .
• Whether there are enough ventilators .
• Whether hospitals have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment .
• Whether adequate resources are in place to investigate coronavirus cases reported to the Department of Public Health .
• Whether the county has the capacity to administer at least 15,000 tests per day .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is monitoring average daily deaths and hospitalizations to ensure those figures have either decreased or remained stable over the last 14 days .
Officials are also tracking deaths by race , ethnicity and community poverty level to make sure no one group is seeing outsized increases .
Another important component is making sure that the majority of skilled nursing facilities with coronavirus cases have been offered testing to all staff and residents in a timely manner , Ferrer said .
A total of 892 people living in institutional settings have died , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
They represent 51 % of the COVID-19 deaths reported by L.A. County .
As of Friday , more than 282,000 people in the county had been tested and received their results , with about 11 % testing positive .
Coronavirus hospitalizations appear to be stable in L.A. County , and the county has an adequate number of hospital beds , intensive care units and ventilators to treat the volume of patients expected over the next four weeks , according to projections released this week by a county Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it ’ s not yet known how the relaxation of stay-at-home rules will affect transmission of the virus .
If spread increases , healthcare facilities could see an influx in patient volume after two to four weeks , according to the county ’ s modeling .
Even with a marked increase , the county projects there still would be enough hospital beds and ventilators to treat the volume of patients on the high end of the models .
But there ’ s a chance the demand for intensive care beds could surpass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the predictions state .
For that reason , officials say they will be keeping a close eye on the data as stay-at-home rules are relaxed , and they could reimpose restrictions if hospitalizations shoot up .
Meanwhile , Newsom on Friday appealed to a group of Native American tribes to reconsider plans to reopen their casinos in the coming days , warning that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a continuing threat to public health .
While many tribal casinos that closed in March because of the virus remain shut down at least through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Diego County have notified customers that they are reopening in the next week .

Alex Wigglesworth, Luke Money, Patrick McGreevy

Carlos Marroquin, 53, owner of Planet Soccer, practices social distancing while talking to customer Benton Watkins, 13, of Santa Clarita, as he tries on a new pair of cleats inside the store in Newhall.
Even as coronavirus deaths and new cases continue to rise, Los Angeles County officials offered more insights Friday into what it would take to further reopen a local economy devastated by the pandemic.
L.A. County remains the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the state, with more than 1,700 deaths and more than 35,000 confirmed cases. On Friday alone, officials announced 962 more cases and 47 additional deaths.
But like the rest of California, some areas of the county have seen far fewer cases and deaths than others. That’s why Los Angeles County officials are trying to determine whether it’s possible for individual cities that meet the benchmarks to move to the next stage of reopening before other parts of the county do.
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Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday that the cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale have approached the county to inquire about reopening and appear to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s criteria.
She said she’s asked county counsel and the Department of Public Health to provide an analysis of whether there’s anything in the governor’s order that would permit the cities to do so.
Other Southern California counties — Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego — are working to forge a coalition to jointly lobby Newsom so they can further reopen their local economies.
Los Angeles County and some Bay Area counties have urged caution in reopening too quickly, fearing it could lead to a second wave of outbreaks and ultimately hurt the economy more in the long run.
But some rural counties that have seen comparatively little impact from the coronavirus are reopening at a much faster clip than urban counties. As the state moves into what Newsom has deemed Phase 2 of its reopening plan , it has become possible for those counties to go further in terms of reopening businesses, provided they meet certain criteria.
Nearly a third of California’s 58 counties have certified to the state that they have contained the spread of the virus, which allows them to reopen restaurants to dine-in service, as well as shopping malls and other businesses, Newsom said Thursday.
Those 19 counties are mostly in rural areas of Northern California with small populations. They represent about 4.5% of the state’s population and do not include urban centers such as Los Angeles or San Francisco.
The state is continuing talks with other counties that are trying to meet state standards for testing, hospital availability and numbers of cases.
While deaths continued to rise in Los Angeles, Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, also offered some encouraging news and a better explanation of how officials will determine when to ease stay-at-home rules.
Advertisement
There are 1,733 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals, with about 25% in intensive care units.
“As we continue to see slight decreases in the number of people who are hospitalized over the last week and a half, we are encouraged,” Ferrer said.
She said the average number of hospitalizations is one of several metrics officials are monitoring to determine when to relax additional stay-at-home restrictions.
“There are two important questions that we need to be always answering through our recovery journey,” Ferrer said. “The first question is how capable are we of slowing the spread of COVID-19?. … And the second question we ask is how effective are we at preventing the spread of COVID-19?”
To answer the first question, the county is looking at five metrics:
Whether there are enough intensive care beds.
Whether there are enough ventilators.
Whether hospitals have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.
Whether adequate resources are in place to investigate coronavirus cases reported to the Department of Public Health.
Whether the county has the capacity to administer at least 15,000 tests per day.
To answer the second question, the county is monitoring average daily deaths and hospitalizations to ensure those figures have either decreased or remained stable over the last 14 days. Officials are also tracking deaths by race, ethnicity and community poverty level to make sure no one group is seeing outsized increases.
Another important component is making sure that the majority of skilled nursing facilities with coronavirus cases have been offered testing to all staff and residents in a timely manner, Ferrer said.
A total of 892 people living in institutional settings have died, the majority of them in skilled nursing facilities, she said. They represent 51% of the COVID-19 deaths reported by L.A. County.
As of Friday, more than 282,000 people in the county had been tested and received their results, with about 11% testing positive.
Coronavirus hospitalizations appear to be stable in L.A. County, and the county has an adequate number of hospital beds, intensive care units and ventilators to treat the volume of patients expected over the next four weeks, according to projections released this week by a county Department of Health Services team .
Still, researchers say it’s not yet known how the relaxation of stay-at-home rules will affect transmission of the virus.
If spread increases, healthcare facilities could see an influx in patient volume after two to four weeks, according to the county’s modeling.
Even with a marked increase, the county projects there still would be enough hospital beds and ventilators to treat the volume of patients on the high end of the models. But there’s a chance the demand for intensive care beds could surpass the number available by early June, the predictions state.
For that reason, officials say they will be keeping a close eye on the data as stay-at-home rules are relaxed, and they could reimpose restrictions if hospitalizations shoot up.
Meanwhile, Newsom on Friday appealed to a group of Native American tribes to reconsider plans to reopen their casinos in the coming days, warning that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a continuing threat to public health.
While many tribal casinos that closed in March because of the virus remain shut down at least through the end of this month, three casinos in San Diego County have notified customers that they are reopening in the next week.


latimes--2020-05-16--You cured a deadly disease — and now you're afflicted by fame

After his discovery of a polio vaccine made Jonas Salk a household name in the 1950s , broadcaster Edward R. Murrow summed up the price of fame .
“ Young man , ” he told Salk , “ a great tragedy has just befallen you .
You have just lost your anonymity.
” “ He couldn ’ t go to a restaurant without people coming up to him , and it was terrible for his family , ” said Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs , whose biography “ Jonas Salk : A Life ” explores the consequences of the scientist ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : con artists , obsessives , stalkers .
But the worst part was his colleagues — he said , ‘ I am no longer one of them.
’ ” As the global coronavirus death toll surges past 300,000 , more than 125 groups are racing to develop vaccines and other treatments .
Many in the medical community predict an effective vaccine will be available in the next few years .
The person or people who create the first vaccine to halt the COVID-19 pandemic could spark the sort of fascination and adoration reserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If so , there are lessons to be learned from the fate of Salk and a handful of scientists like him .
“ I think the first vaccine to cross the line , I will feel sorry for the people involved , ” said Gary Kobinger , who is heading a team of 22 immunologists and virologists working at Laval University in Canada to find a vaccine .
“ Because they will be under tremendous pressure and scrutiny.
” Kobinger , director of the university ’ s Research Centre on Infectious Diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to blaze this sort of trail : he was a lead developer of the Ebola vaccine that won FDA approval last year .
He has worked to ensure the accomplishment wouldn ’ t dramatically alter his life — “ my days have never changed ” — but the novel coronavirus is on another level .
For this reason , the fact that Kobinger doesn ’ t expect to be first to the market with a coronavirus vaccine is a good thing , he said .
Not that the urgency isn ’ t there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important contribution I make in my life — that ’ s how I see it now , ” he said .
Some infectious disease experts and medical historians doubted that the first coronavirus vaccine would mint a modern-day Salk or Louis Pasteur , who developed the rabies vaccine in the late 1800s .
“ No single individual has in recent times made a vaccine , ” said Dr. Harry Greenberg , a Stanford University professor who has helped create several vaccines , including one for influenza .
“ It is a team sport.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , too .
But for several reasons , the discovery became known as the “ Salk vaccine.
” Perhaps most important , he understood the power of the media , which fashioned him into a star .
The public has always craved a hero .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the central figure in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 crisis , has become a sensation for his earnest advisories and steady appearances at news conferences alongside President Trump .
The 79-year-old immunologist has even bewitched 25,000-plus fans who signed a petition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Man Alive.
” And days after he said in an interview that he wouldn ’ t mind being portrayed on “ Saturday Night Live ” by Brad Pitt , the Oscar winner did just that .
But it ’ s a safe bet Fauci ’ s star would be eclipsed by the creator of a successful COVID-19 vaccine .
“ Even if it is a team , [ the media ] may pluck the person who will be a hero out of it , ” Jacobs said .
“ I hope they take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience .
I think there is a big downside.
” In 1948 , Salk , then a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , began studying polio in a project funded by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis , which later became known as the March of Dimes .
An infectious disease that affects mostly children and can result in paralysis , polio had been a terrifying affliction in the early 20th century .
Salk and members of his lab at the university produced an experimental vaccine in 1952 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving 1.8 million children , the success of the vaccine was announced to the world .
Salk , then in his early 40s , became “ the icon for the polio vaccine , ” Jacobs said .
In interviews and other appearances , Salk often tried to acknowledge the work of his colleagues , Jacobs said , but it was easier for the press to sell a simpler narrative — and his peers held it against him .
“ The newspapers just grabbed on to Salk — he was the story , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much he tried , it looked like he was telling the press , ‘ Aren ’ t I great ?
’ ” Salk ’ s group hadn ’ t been the only one working on a vaccine .
An effort led by Albert Sabin , a medical researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , also produced a vaccine , which later became the main one deployed in the U.S. for decades .
But Salk is the name that ’ s remembered .
That point is not lost on Kobinger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t always the best .
“ Let ’ s say the first [ coronavirus ] vaccine is licensed in December 2020 — there will be a second one in January and a third in March , ” he said .
“ Is the first more important than second or third ?
The second or third could be cheaper , more effective , stable and safer.
” Salk went on to found the nonprofit Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla , Calif. , in 1960 .
Its creation marked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career .
But there were plenty of lows .
His fame had a devastating effect on his marriage to Donna Lindsay .
“ She could not accommodate the celebrity , ” Jacobs said .
“ Suddenly she was supposed to smile and dress up and couldn ’ t do it.
” Two years after their divorce , Salk married Françoise Gilot in 1970 .
A French painter , she was Pablo Picasso ’ s former mistress , and someone who “ wouldn ’ t have looked twice ” at Salk if not for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of his sons said he became Frenchified ; he changed his look , he capped his teeth , ” Jacobs said .
“ But something was missing .
He was a very lonely person and he was continually looking for something.
” What Salk may have been looking for , at least in part , was his next great medical discovery .
It never came .
“ He didn ’ t want to rest on his laurels , ” Jacobs said .
“ He wanted to cure a disease and he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplish anything else.
” Salk tried to develop an AIDS vaccine , but it evaded him and he died in 1995 .
His unorthodox approach — a “ therapeutic vaccine ” meant to help immune response in those already infected — had led to disapproval and even snickering in the medical community .
“ I see him putting on his armor and getting onto his gray steed and galloping into the AIDS arena — and a lot of the young scientists are saying , ‘ Who the heck is that ?
What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
These days , virologists and others in the field stress that they work as parts of teams .
Greenberg , who led the laboratory research that was tapped to create the first vaccine for rotavirus — a potentially deadly diarrhoeal disease affecting infants and young kids — had this to say about his effort : “ In no way am I the discoverer of a vaccine.
” Greenberg was willing to explain what it felt like to work on vaccines that saved lives .
But the urge to downplay the accomplishments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings about it , ” Greenberg said .
“ I am proud of myself .
Obviously , I have some intelligence and I worked hard , but to be in the right place at the right time is more luck than anything else.
” UC Irvine professor Dr. Alan Barbour , who with colleagues invented a Lyme disease vaccine , seems to harbor even more complicated feelings : “ I was much more excited about finding the cause of the disease than the vaccine .
I was wary of what would happen.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Released in 1998 , GlaxoSmithKline ’ s LYMErix was effective at preventing Lyme disease infection but hit the market amid the growing anti-vaccination movement .
A story published in a scientific journal led some in the medical community to believe certain people could develop autoimmune arthritis after receiving it .
The Food and Drug Administration examined the arthritis claims and didn ’ t find a connection between the vaccine and the ailment , Vox has reported .
Four years into the drug ’ s existence , 1.4 million doses had been handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arthritis were made to the federal agency ’ s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System , Vox reported .
Still , the damage had been done and the manufacturer withdrew the drug in 2002 .
“ We are proud about our achievements — all I can say is it can be a mixed bag , ” Barbour said .
Barbour worried that the first coronavirus vaccine could face similar skepticism from doubters and others — perhaps on a much larger scale .
He said that whoever develops the initial vaccine is “ going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a hoax , or that a vaccine is going to make matters worse.
” Should a star virologist emerge in the COVID-19 fight , he or she might look to Pasteur as example of an esteemed medical mind who channeled stardom into new success .
After his rabies vaccine made him an international hero , he crafted a humble persona for the public that helped him promote “ medical science as a boon for humanity , ” said USC history professor Aro Velmet .
“ He was a very savvy PR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialties include technology and medicine .
Hoping to create a sprawling research institute , Pasteur wrote to prominent people , such as Czar Alexander III of Russia , saying , “ the person who cured rabies wants to cure other diseases , ” Velmet said .
It worked .
The Pasteur Institute was founded in 1887 — eight years before he died .
It became the largest nonprofit medical research facility in the world .
Pasteur was a hero , and so was Salk .
But these singular figures aren ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these seminal individuals seems likely to be heightened in the age of coronavirus .
“ The media ’ s desire to tell these heroic stories of virus hunters , ” said Velmet , “ has been around since the very first vaccine was invented .
”

After his discovery of a polio vaccine made Jonas Salk a household name in the 1950s, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow summed up the price of fame. “Young man,” he told Salk, “a great tragedy has just befallen you. You have just lost your anonymity.”
Salk quickly learned what Murrow meant.
“He couldn’t go to a restaurant without people coming up to him, and it was terrible for his family,” said Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs, whose biography “Jonas Salk: A Life” explores the consequences of the scientist’s celebrity. “And the dark side: con artists, obsessives, stalkers. But the worst part was his colleagues — he said, ‘I am no longer one of them.’”
As the global coronavirus death toll surges past 300,000, more than 125 groups are racing to develop vaccines and other treatments. Many in the medical community predict an effective vaccine will be available in the next few years.
Advertisement
The person or people who create the first vaccine to halt the COVID-19 pandemic could spark the sort of fascination and adoration reserved for a musician, athlete or actor. If so, there are lessons to be learned from the fate of Salk and a handful of scientists like him.
“I think the first vaccine to cross the line, I will feel sorry for the people involved,” said Gary Kobinger, who is heading a team of 22 immunologists and virologists working at Laval University in Canada to find a vaccine. “Because they will be under tremendous pressure and scrutiny.”
Dr. Jonas Salk receives a special citation from President Eisenhower at the White House in 1955. (PhotoQuest / Getty Images)
Kobinger, director of the university’s Research Centre on Infectious Diseases, knows what it’s like to blaze this sort of trail: he was a lead developer of the Ebola vaccine that won FDA approval last year. He has worked to ensure the accomplishment wouldn’t dramatically alter his life — “my days have never changed” — but the novel coronavirus is on another level.
For this reason, the fact that Kobinger doesn’t expect to be first to the market with a coronavirus vaccine is a good thing, he said. Not that the urgency isn’t there. “This could be the most important contribution I make in my life — that’s how I see it now,” he said.
Some infectious disease experts and medical historians doubted that the first coronavirus vaccine would mint a modern-day Salk or Louis Pasteur, who developed the rabies vaccine in the late 1800s.
Advertisement
“No single individual has in recent times made a vaccine,” said Dr. Harry Greenberg, a Stanford University professor who has helped create several vaccines, including one for influenza. “It is a team sport.”
It was in Salk’s day, too. But for several reasons, the discovery became known as the “Salk vaccine.”
Perhaps most important, he understood the power of the media, which fashioned him into a star.
I hope they take some warning out of Salk’s experience. I think there is a big downside. — Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs
The public has always craved a hero. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the central figure in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 crisis, has become a sensation for his earnest advisories and steady appearances at news conferences alongside President Trump.
The 79-year-old immunologist has even bewitched 25,000-plus fans who signed a petition to make him People’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” And days after he said in an interview that he wouldn’t mind being portrayed on “Saturday Night Live” by Brad Pitt, the Oscar winner did just that.
But it’s a safe bet Fauci’s star would be eclipsed by the creator of a successful COVID-19 vaccine.
“Even if it is a team, [the media] may pluck the person who will be a hero out of it,” Jacobs said. “I hope they take some warning out of Salk’s experience. I think there is a big downside.”
In 1948, Salk, then a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, began studying polio in a project funded by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which later became known as the March of Dimes.
Dr. Jonas Salk reads Life magazine at home with his wife, Donna, and their sons Jonathan, left, Peter and Darrell in 1955. (Associated Press)
An infectious disease that affects mostly children and can result in paralysis, polio had been a terrifying affliction in the early 20th century. Salk and members of his lab at the university produced an experimental vaccine in 1952.
After three years, and a study involving 1.8 million children, the success of the vaccine was announced to the world. Salk, then in his early 40s, became “the icon for the polio vaccine,” Jacobs said.
In interviews and other appearances, Salk often tried to acknowledge the work of his colleagues, Jacobs said, but it was easier for the press to sell a simpler narrative — and his peers held it against him.
“The newspapers just grabbed on to Salk — he was the story,” she said. “So no matter how much he tried, it looked like he was telling the press, ‘Aren’t I great?’ ”
Salk’s group hadn’t been the only one working on a vaccine. An effort led by Albert Sabin, a medical researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, also produced a vaccine, which later became the main one deployed in the U.S. for decades. But Salk is the name that’s remembered.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
That point is not lost on Kobinger, who noted that the first vaccine isn’t always the best.
“Let’s say the first [coronavirus] vaccine is licensed in December 2020 — there will be a second one in January and a third in March,” he said. “Is the first more important than second or third? The second or third could be cheaper, more effective, stable and safer.”
Salk went on to found the nonprofit Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., in 1960. Its creation marked a high point in Salk’s post-vaccine career. But there were plenty of lows.
His fame had a devastating effect on his marriage to Donna Lindsay. “She could not accommodate the celebrity,” Jacobs said. “Suddenly she was supposed to smile and dress up and couldn’t do it.”
Two years after their divorce, Salk married Françoise Gilot in 1970. A French painter, she was Pablo Picasso’s former mistress, and someone who “wouldn’t have looked twice” at Salk if not for his fame, Jacobs said.
“One of his sons said he became Frenchified; he changed his look, he capped his teeth,” Jacobs said. “But something was missing. He was a very lonely person and he was continually looking for something.”
What Salk may have been looking for, at least in part, was his next great medical discovery. It never came. “He didn’t want to rest on his laurels,” Jacobs said. “He wanted to cure a disease and he was afraid he would never be able to accomplish anything else.”
Harry Greenberg of Stanford University, who worked on a vaccine for rotavirus, says: “In no way am I the discoverer of a vaccine. ... To be in the right place at the right time is more luck than anything else.” (Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service)
Salk tried to develop an AIDS vaccine, but it evaded him and he died in 1995. His unorthodox approach — a “therapeutic vaccine” meant to help immune response in those already infected — had led to disapproval and even snickering in the medical community.
“I see him putting on his armor and getting onto his gray steed and galloping into the AIDS arena — and a lot of the young scientists are saying, ‘Who the heck is that? What is he doing here?’” Jacobs said.
These days, virologists and others in the field stress that they work as parts of teams. Greenberg, who led the laboratory research that was tapped to create the first vaccine for rotavirus — a potentially deadly diarrhoeal disease affecting infants and young kids — had this to say about his effort: “In no way am I the discoverer of a vaccine.”
Greenberg was willing to explain what it felt like to work on vaccines that saved lives. But the urge to downplay the accomplishments was apparent.
Louis Pasteur built on his fame after his rabies vaccine made him a hero. “He was a very savvy PR guy,” says one historian. (Edward Gooch Collection / Getty Images)
“I have complex feelings about it,” Greenberg said. “I am proud of myself. Obviously, I have some intelligence and I worked hard, but to be in the right place at the right time is more luck than anything else.”
UC Irvine professor Dr. Alan Barbour, who with colleagues invented a Lyme disease vaccine, seems to harbor even more complicated feelings: “I was much more excited about finding the cause of the disease than the vaccine. I was wary of what would happen.”
There was good reason for his concern. Released in 1998, GlaxoSmithKline’s LYMErix was effective at preventing Lyme disease infection but hit the market amid the growing anti-vaccination movement. A story published in a scientific journal led some in the medical community to believe certain people could develop autoimmune arthritis after receiving it.
The Food and Drug Administration examined the arthritis claims and didn’t find a connection between the vaccine and the ailment, Vox has reported. Four years into the drug’s existence, 1.4 million doses had been handed out, but only 59 reports of arthritis were made to the federal agency’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, Vox reported.
Still, the damage had been done and the manufacturer withdrew the drug in 2002. “We are proud about our achievements — all I can say is it can be a mixed bag,” Barbour said.
Barbour worried that the first coronavirus vaccine could face similar skepticism from doubters and others — perhaps on a much larger scale. He said that whoever develops the initial vaccine is “going to have to deal with people who think this is a hoax, or that a vaccine is going to make matters worse.”
Should a star virologist emerge in the COVID-19 fight, he or she might look to Pasteur as example of an esteemed medical mind who channeled stardom into new success. After his rabies vaccine made him an international hero, he crafted a humble persona for the public that helped him promote “medical science as a boon for humanity,” said USC history professor Aro Velmet.
“He was a very savvy PR guy,” said Velmet, whose specialties include technology and medicine.
Hoping to create a sprawling research institute, Pasteur wrote to prominent people, such as Czar Alexander III of Russia, saying, “the person who cured rabies wants to cure other diseases,” Velmet said.
It worked. The Pasteur Institute was founded in 1887 — eight years before he died. It became the largest nonprofit medical research facility in the world.
Pasteur was a hero, and so was Salk. But these singular figures aren’t the norm.
And yet the allure of these seminal individuals seems likely to be heightened in the age of coronavirus.
“The media’s desire to tell these heroic stories of virus hunters,” said Velmet, “has been around since the very first vaccine was invented.”


latimes--2020-05-16--Atmospheric river will focus rain on Northern and Central California

A deep low-pressure system that was about 1,000 miles west of Oregon on Friday will tap moisture originating in the subtropical Pacific and direct it toward Oregon and Northern California , the National Weather Service said .
The plume of moisture is predicted to be an atmospheric river at landfall , said F. Martin Ralph , a leading authority on atmospheric rivers and director of the Center for Western Water and Weather Extremes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography .
Atmospheric rivers are long , narrow , concentrated bands of water vapor carried along by strong winds in the lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are usually seen during the winter .
However , they are “ climatologically uncommon for this time of year , ” according to the National Weather Service .
An atmospheric river in May “ is somewhat unusual , ” Ralph said .
The forecast for San Francisco calls for a 90 % chance of at least a weak atmospheric river , and a 20 % chance that it could be a moderate one , he said .
Weak and moderate atmospheric rivers bring mostly beneficial rain and typically do not cause much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near San Francisco in May is about half of what is seen during the midwinter peak .
Atmospheric rivers can cause heavy rainfall , floods and mudslides .
But there are essentially no extremely strong or exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers in the San Francisco vicinity by May .
Atmospheric rivers are roughly 250 to 375 miles wide .
A strong one can transport from 7.5 to 15 times the amount of water that flows through the mouth of the Mississippi River .
Northern California remains the part of the state where precipitation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Pacific Northwest and large parts of the West continues to expand .
San Francisco stands at 48 % of normal for its water year .
Rain is expected to start in the North Bay Area late Saturday afternoon and spread southward Saturday night into Sunday .
Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday and showers could linger on Tuesday with below-normal temperatures .
In Southern California , light rain is possible Sunday night and Monday , with the best chances north of Santa Barbara .
As UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain points out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern California will ease the exceptional long-term dryness and bring a temporary reprieve from the early start of the wildfire season .

A deep low-pressure system that was about 1,000 miles west of Oregon on Friday will tap moisture originating in the subtropical Pacific and direct it toward Oregon and Northern California, the National Weather Service said.
The plume of moisture is predicted to be an atmospheric river at landfall, said F. Martin Ralph, a leading authority on atmospheric rivers and director of the Center for Western Water and Weather Extremes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow, concentrated bands of water vapor carried along by strong winds in the lower and middle levels of the atmosphere, and are usually seen during the winter. However, they are “climatologically uncommon for this time of year,” according to the National Weather Service.
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An atmospheric river in May “is somewhat unusual,” Ralph said. The forecast for San Francisco calls for a 90% chance of at least a weak atmospheric river, and a 20% chance that it could be a moderate one, he said. Weak and moderate atmospheric rivers bring mostly beneficial rain and typically do not cause much damage. The frequency of such storms near San Francisco in May is about half of what is seen during the midwinter peak.
Atmospheric rivers can cause heavy rainfall, floods and mudslides. But there are essentially no extremely strong or exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers in the San Francisco vicinity by May.
Atmospheric rivers are roughly 250 to 375 miles wide. A strong one can transport from 7.5 to 15 times the amount of water that flows through the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Lagging precipitation totals in Northern California can expect a boost that should delay the start of the fire season. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Northern California remains the part of the state where precipitation is most needed. Drought in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and large parts of the West continues to expand.
San Francisco stands at 48% of normal for its water year. Rain is expected to start in the North Bay Area late Saturday afternoon and spread southward Saturday night into Sunday. Isolated thunderstorms are possible Monday and showers could linger on Tuesday with below-normal temperatures.
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In Southern California, light rain is possible Sunday night and Monday, with the best chances north of Santa Barbara.
As UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain points out, soaking rains and cooler temperatures in Northern California will ease the exceptional long-term dryness and bring a temporary reprieve from the early start of the wildfire season.


latimes--2020-05-15--Earthquake: 3.1 quake shakes near Clovis, Calif.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported at 7:53 p.m. Friday , 119 miles from Clovis , Calif. , according to @ @ @ @ @ In the past 10 days , there have been 84 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or @ @ @ @ @ average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California @ @ @ @ @ a recent three year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 8.3 @ @ @ @ @ this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you @ @ @ @ @ small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
@ @ @ @ @ five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically @ @ @ @ @ computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor @ @ @ @ @ was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , @ @ @ @ @ asked questions .

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported at 7:53 p.m. Friday, 119 miles from Clovis, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
In the past 10 days, there have been 84 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three year data sample.
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The earthquake occurred at a depth of 8.3 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-05-15--Blunt force trauma listed as cause of death for Kobe Bryant, others in helicopter crash

Blunt force trauma was ruled the official cause of death for Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna and seven others whose died when their helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside on Jan. 26 .
The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner ’ s office released an autopsy report Friday along with toxicological testing results that did not detect any illegal substances or alcohol in the bloodstream of the helicopter pilot , Ara Zobayan .
The manner of death was declared an accident and death was immediate .
The coroner ’ s portion of the investigation , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
A federal investigation remains underway and there are civil cases pending .
Six doctors from the coroner ’ s office conducted the autopsies of the nine deceased , which included Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli , 56 , who perished with his 46-year-old wife , Keri , and 14-year-old daughter , Alyssa .
Christina Mauser , 38 , an assistant coach selected by Bryant to work at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks , was also on the helicopter , along with 13-year-old Payton Chester , an academy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 45 .
The 1991 Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying all nine left John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. on Jan. 26 , heading to the academy in conditions that included “ fog and low clouds obscuring the hillside , ” according to an earlier report from the National Transportation Safety Board .
The helicopter just missed hitting a previous hillside before crashing .
A legal battle ensued shortly after the crash with Bryant ’ s widow , Vanessa , filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helicopter , which employed Zobayan .
Zobayan ’ s brother , Berge , recently countered that Bryant knew the dangers of flying by helicopter .

NTSB investigator Carol Hogan examines wreckage as part of the NTSB’s investigation of the helicopter crash near Calabasas.
Blunt force trauma was ruled the official cause of death for Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others whose died when their helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside on Jan. 26.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner’s office released an autopsy report Friday along with toxicological testing results that did not detect any illegal substances or alcohol in the bloodstream of the helicopter pilot, Ara Zobayan.
Substances tested for included marijuana, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.
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The manner of death was declared an accident and death was immediate. The coroner’s portion of the investigation, which began Jan. 28, is now considered closed. A federal investigation remains underway and there are civil cases pending.
Six doctors from the coroner’s office conducted the autopsies of the nine deceased, which included Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, who perished with his 46-year-old wife, Keri, and 14-year-old daughter, Alyssa.
Christina Mauser, 38, an assistant coach selected by Bryant to work at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, was also on the helicopter, along with 13-year-old Payton Chester, an academy member, and her mother, Sarah, 45.
The 1991 Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying all nine left John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. on Jan. 26, heading to the academy in conditions that included “fog and low clouds obscuring the hillside,” according to an earlier report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The helicopter just missed hitting a previous hillside before crashing.
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A legal battle ensued shortly after the crash with Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February against Island Express Holding Corp. and Island Express Helicopter, which employed Zobayan.
Zobayan’s brother, Berge, recently countered that Bryant knew the dangers of flying by helicopter.


latimes--2020-05-15--Newsom urges California tribal casinos to reconsider opening, citing coronavirus

Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday appealed to a group of Native American tribes to reconsider plans to reopen their casinos in the coming days , warning that the coronavirus pandemic poses a continuing threat to public health .
Although many tribal casinos that closed in March because of the virus remain closed at least through the end of this month , three casinos in San Diego County have notified customers that they are reopening in the next week .
The Viejas Casino & Resort is scheduled to open Monday , the Sycuan Casino Resort is set to open its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casino will welcome customers starting May 22 , according to messages on their websites .
In a letter to tribal leaders , Newsom reminded them that more than 75,000 Californians have tested positive for COVID-19 in 54 of the state ’ s 58 counties and the numbers are increasing .
“ I understand that some tribal governments are planning on reopening casinos on their lands , ” Newsom wrote .
“ This deeply concerns me , and I urge tribal governments to reconsider and instead make those determinations based on how they align @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the statewide stage of reopening.
” The governor said he understands that partial reopening of casinos is crucial to tribes raising government revenue to take care of their communities .
“ However , I can not stress enough that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains a serious threat for all Californians , ” Newsom wrote , adding the state health officer has not authorized entertainment businesses that draw large crowds to operate .
A spokesman for the Viejas casino declined to comment .
Casino General Manager James Wild said in a posting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website that the business is taking precautions .
All guests and employees will be required to wear face masks and abide by physical distancing inside and undergo a noncontact temporal scan before entry .
“ We are certainly excited to welcome you back , and upon your return you will notice multiple safety measures implemented to ensure your well-being , ” Wild wrote .
The Sycuan Casino plans to reopen its property in phases , with every other slot machine turned off for a safer distance between players .
Table games will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per table .
“ Over the past several weeks , we have made extensive changes at our property and implemented an aggressive health and sanitation program to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our guests and team members for our reopening , ” Cody J. Martinez , chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation , said in a website message .
Another tribal manager declined to address the details of conversations with the governor .
“ Sycuan has had and continues to have a positive relationship with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception , ” said Chief Administrative Officer Adam Day in a written response to The Times .
“ And we always maintain the confidentiality of those government-to-government conversations , and this pandemic is no exception.
” A representative of the Valley View casino was not immediately available to comment on the governor ’ s letter .
The casino ’ s website noted the facility has been closed for eight weeks and said those visiting next week will be required to wear face masks .
“ The safety of our guests , our team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest priority , ” the message said .
Federal law provides tribes that operate casinos with sovereignty that limits the ability of the state to dictate how they operate on Indian land .
Newsom ’ s letter referred to that issue in urging cooperation .
“ I am not asking that tribal governments receive authorization from the state or local governments prior to moving forward with reopening or suggesting that tribal casinos remain closed indefinitely , ” he wrote .
“ However , in the spirit of sovereign-to-sovereign engagement I respectfully request that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has legally progressed into Stage 3 , your tribal casinos remain closed.
” Casinos in other parts of the state may open in the next few weeks as tribes say they are facing financial hardships .
“ For tribes , their gaming facilities are essential businesses , as they represent the only means of government revenues for healthcare , public safety , education and more , ” said Jacob Mejia , a spokesman for the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations , which represents several Inland Empire casinos .
“ They are extensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven by stock prices .
It will be up to individual tribal governments to determine the appropriate time and controls under which to reopen .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked tribal casino operators to reconsider plans to reopen in the next week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday appealed to a group of Native American tribes to reconsider plans to reopen their casinos in the coming days, warning that the coronavirus pandemic poses a continuing threat to public health.
Although many tribal casinos that closed in March because of the virus remain closed at least through the end of this month, three casinos in San Diego County have notified customers that they are reopening in the next week.
The Viejas Casino & Resort is scheduled to open Monday, the Sycuan Casino Resort is set to open its doors on May 20 and Valley View Casino will welcome customers starting May 22, according to messages on their websites.
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In a letter to tribal leaders, Newsom reminded them that more than 75,000 Californians have tested positive for COVID-19 in 54 of the state’s 58 counties and the numbers are increasing.
“I understand that some tribal governments are planning on reopening casinos on their lands,” Newsom wrote. “This deeply concerns me, and I urge tribal governments to reconsider and instead make those determinations based on how they align with the current local public health conditions and the statewide stage of reopening.”
The governor said he understands that partial reopening of casinos is crucial to tribes raising government revenue to take care of their communities.
“However, I cannot stress enough that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains a serious threat for all Californians,” Newsom wrote, adding the state health officer has not authorized entertainment businesses that draw large crowds to operate.
A spokesman for the Viejas casino declined to comment.
Casino General Manager James Wild said in a posting to customers on the casino’s website that the business is taking precautions. All guests and employees will be required to wear face masks and abide by physical distancing inside and undergo a noncontact temporal scan before entry.
“We are certainly excited to welcome you back, and upon your return you will notice multiple safety measures implemented to ensure your well-being,” Wild wrote.
The Sycuan Casino plans to reopen its property in phases, with every other slot machine turned off for a safer distance between players. Table games will be limited to a max of three players per table.
“Over the past several weeks, we have made extensive changes at our property and implemented an aggressive health and sanitation program to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our guests and team members for our reopening,” Cody J. Martinez, chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, said in a website message.
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Another tribal manager declined to address the details of conversations with the governor.
“Sycuan has had and continues to have a positive relationship with the governor, and this pandemic is no exception,” said Chief Administrative Officer Adam Day in a written response to The Times. “And we always maintain the confidentiality of those government-to-government conversations, and this pandemic is no exception.”
A representative of the Valley View casino was not immediately available to comment on the governor’s letter.
The casino’s website noted the facility has been closed for eight weeks and said those visiting next week will be required to wear face masks. “The safety of our guests, our team members and our local community remain our highest priority,” the message said.
Federal law provides tribes that operate casinos with sovereignty that limits the ability of the state to dictate how they operate on Indian land.
Newsom’s letter referred to that issue in urging cooperation.
“I am not asking that tribal governments receive authorization from the state or local governments prior to moving forward with reopening or suggesting that tribal casinos remain closed indefinitely,” he wrote. “However, in the spirit of sovereign-to-sovereign engagement I respectfully request that until a surrounding or neighboring local jurisdiction has legally progressed into Stage 3, your tribal casinos remain closed.”
Casinos in other parts of the state may open in the next few weeks as tribes say they are facing financial hardships.
“For tribes, their gaming facilities are essential businesses, as they represent the only means of government revenues for healthcare, public safety, education and more,” said Jacob Mejia, a spokesman for the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, which represents several Inland Empire casinos. “They are extensions of tribal government, not corporate entities driven by stock prices. It will be up to individual tribal governments to determine the appropriate time and controls under which to reopen.”


latimes--2020-05-15--Earthquake: 3.4 quake strikes near Ridgecrest, Calif.

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Friday at 6:46 p.m. , 35 miles from Ridgecrest , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 58 miles from Porterville , 61 miles from California City , 63 miles from Lindsay and 67 miles from Exeter .
In the past 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was inititially classed as magnitude 3.5 at a depth of 0.5 mile .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Friday at 6:46 p.m., 35 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 58 miles from Porterville, 61 miles from California City, 63 miles from Lindsay and 67 miles from Exeter.
In the past 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.34 miles. It was inititially classed as magnitude 3.5 at a depth of 0.5 mile.
Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-05-15--State strips medical license of UCLA doctor accused of sexually assaulting another physician

State regulators have opted to revoke the medical license of a UCLA cardiologist who was accused of sexually assaulting another physician when they both worked at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center .
The Medical Board of California moved Thursday to strip the license of Dr. Guillermo Andres Cortes , adopting the recommendation of an administrative law judge who heard days of testimony late last year about sexual misconduct allegations .
The revocation takes effect in 30 days .
Dr. Meena Zareh had accused Cortes of forcibly kissing her and penetrating her vagina with his finger inside a windowless call room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600-bed teaching hospital in Boyle Heights .
Two other women who worked as doctors at County-USC also alleged that Cortes assaulted them .
Testifying last year in a downtown L.A. hearing , Cortes denied all accusations of sexual assault , saying that he never touched Zareh in the call room that day .
Regarding the claims of the other two accusers , Cortes described having consensual sexual relationships with both .
The administrative law judge , Thomas Heller , concluded that Zareh “ proved by clear and convincing evidence ” that Cortes assaulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other two accusations .
Still , Heller believed Zareh ’ s assault warranted barring Cortes from ever practicing medicine in California .
“ The assault occurred in the workplace and violated professional , personal and workplace boundaries , '' Heller wrote in his decision .
“ To say that he can ’ t practice medicine again is pretty excessive , ” said Cortes ’ attorney , Peter Osinoff .
“ There have been no patient complaints against him .
The board revoked his license without placing him on probation or having him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How they can find he is too impulsive to be trusted with patients is way over the top , in my mind.
” Zareh told friends and family shortly after the alleged assault , then lodged a complaint with administrators in her residency program about three months later .
What followed , she said , was retaliation : Administrators pressured her to delay her medical education or pursue her studies outside USC .
She ultimately filed a civil suit against the county and USC , which is pending .
The Medical Board did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Cortes until after The Times published a report on her lawsuit in 2018 .
“ I ’ m very happy with this decision .
It sends a message that sexual assault by anyone including doctors is illegal and will not be tolerated , ” Zareh said in a statement after the Medical Board announced its decision .
She accused USC and L.A. County of silencing her .
“ As long as these institutions engage in such practices , female patients , healthcare providers and workers will not be safe from such assaults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesman for L.A. County , said the Department of Health Services “ took immediate action ” after learning about Zareh ’ s allegations against Cortes .
The County declined to comment further , citing the ongoing litigation .
A spokeswoman for USC ’ s medical school said the university “ takes allegations of inappropriate conduct very seriously ” and described the response to Zareh ’ s complaint as “ appropriate.
” “ We are glad that the Medical Board has vindicated Dr. Zareh ’ s complaint , ” said Leslie Levy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had testified in the hearing last year that after she met Cortes in 2012 , she discovered their shared interest in professional soccer and cardiology .
Although she found him physically attractive , the two did not date or have a sexual relationship , she said .
On Nov. 17 , 2015 , Zareh , then a third-year resident , sought out Cortes on the hospital ’ s fourth floor so she could give him a recommendation about a critically ill patient , she said .
He gestured for her to walk toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he set up his phone so he could continue watching a soccer game .
Zareh said they briefly discussed the patient , but when she turned to leave , he stood in the doorway and pushed her arms to her sides , she said .
Cortes overpowered her , she said .
She said “ no ” and “ stop , ” pleading with him to no longer touch her .
“ Please , let me go , ” she recalled saying .
“ I could not believe this was happening , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Times .
The attack , she said , lasted about three to five minutes .
Cortes testified that no attack ever took place .
Instead , he said he wanted to go into the call room to watch the soccer game , and that Zareh inquired about her cardiology fellowship application .
Cortes said he told her that USC would not be a good match for her because it was a more clinically focused program and she appeared to prefer research .
Heller , the administrative judge , cast doubt on Cortes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clear , detailed and composed in relaying her experience , and that her telling a friend soon afterward bolstered her credibility .
“ It is not believable that [ Zareh ] would completely fabricate a midday sexual assault at the hospital just because [ Cortes ] said USC was not a good cardiology fellowship match for her , ” Heller wrote .
The case was referred to authorities for a criminal investigation , but in 2017 , the L.A. County district attorney ’ s office declined to file a felony charge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney said the case lacked enough evidence “ at this time , ” according to a memo obtained by The Times .
Cortes left USC and pursued further graduate studies in cardiology in a paid post at UCLA ’ s David Geffen School of Medicine .
He was suspended with pay in May 2018 after regulators first moved to revoke his license .
He remains on paid leave .
A spokesman for UCLA said a medical license is required for the graduate post , suggesting that once the Medical Board ’ s revocation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be barred from continuing .
Osinoff , the attorney who represents Cortes , said his client is still deciding whether to ask the Medical Board to reconsider , or petition an L.A. County Superior Court judge to review the finding .

Dr. Meena Zareh testified that Dr. Guillermo Andres Cortes sexually assaulted her when both worked at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. This week, the Medical Board of California revoked Cortes’ license to practice.
State regulators have opted to revoke the medical license of a UCLA cardiologist who was accused of sexually assaulting another physician when they both worked at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
The Medical Board of California moved Thursday to strip the license of Dr. Guillermo Andres Cortes, adopting the recommendation of an administrative law judge who heard days of testimony late last year about sexual misconduct allegations. The revocation takes effect in 30 days.
Dr. Meena Zareh had accused Cortes of forcibly kissing her and penetrating her vagina with his finger inside a windowless call room in 2015 at L.A. County’s 600-bed teaching hospital in Boyle Heights. Two other women who worked as doctors at County-USC also alleged that Cortes assaulted them.
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Testifying last year in a downtown L.A. hearing, Cortes denied all accusations of sexual assault, saying that he never touched Zareh in the call room that day. Regarding the claims of the other two accusers, Cortes described having consensual sexual relationships with both.
The administrative law judge, Thomas Heller, concluded that Zareh “proved by clear and convincing evidence” that Cortes assaulted her, but he was unconvinced about the other two accusations. Still, Heller believed Zareh’s assault warranted barring Cortes from ever practicing medicine in California.
“The assault occurred in the workplace and violated professional, personal and workplace boundaries,”Heller wrote in his decision.
“To say that he can’t practice medicine again is pretty excessive,” said Cortes’ attorney, Peter Osinoff. “There have been no patient complaints against him. The board revoked his license without placing him on probation or having him evaluated for fitness to practice. ... How they can find he is too impulsive to be trusted with patients is way over the top, in my mind.”
Zareh told friends and family shortly after the alleged assault, then lodged a complaint with administrators in her residency program about three months later. What followed, she said, was retaliation: Administrators pressured her to delay her medical education or pursue her studies outside USC.
She ultimately filed a civil suit against the county and USC, which is pending. The Medical Board did not learn of Zareh’s accusation against Cortes until after The Times published a report on her lawsuit in 2018.
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“I’m very happy with this decision. It sends a message that sexual assault by anyone including doctors is illegal and will not be tolerated,” Zareh said in a statement after the Medical Board announced its decision.
She accused USC and L.A. County of silencing her. “As long as these institutions engage in such practices, female patients, healthcare providers and workers will not be safe from such assaults,” she said.
Michael Wilson, a spokesman for L.A. County, said the Department of Health Services “took immediate action” after learning about Zareh’s allegations against Cortes. The County declined to comment further, citing the ongoing litigation.
A spokeswoman for USC’s medical school said the university “takes allegations of inappropriate conduct very seriously” and described the response to Zareh’s complaint as “appropriate.”
“We are glad that the Medical Board has vindicated Dr. Zareh’s complaint,” said Leslie Levy, Zareh’s attorney.
Zareh had testified in the hearing last year that after she met Cortes in 2012, she discovered their shared interest in professional soccer and cardiology. Although she found him physically attractive, the two did not date or have a sexual relationship, she said.
On Nov. 17, 2015, Zareh, then a third-year resident, sought out Cortes on the hospital’s fourth floor so she could give him a recommendation about a critically ill patient, she said. He gestured for her to walk toward the call room and, inside, he set up his phone so he could continue watching a soccer game. Zareh said they briefly discussed the patient, but when she turned to leave, he stood in the doorway and pushed her arms to her sides, she said. Cortes overpowered her, she said.
She said “no” and “stop,” pleading with him to no longer touch her. “Please, let me go,” she recalled saying.
“I could not believe this was happening,” Zareh said in a previous interview with The Times.
The attack, she said, lasted about three to five minutes.
Cortes testified that no attack ever took place. Instead, he said he wanted to go into the call room to watch the soccer game, and that Zareh inquired about her cardiology fellowship application. Cortes said he told her that USC would not be a good match for her because it was a more clinically focused program and she appeared to prefer research.
Heller, the administrative judge, cast doubt on Cortes’ account. He noted that Zareh was clear, detailed and composed in relaying her experience, and that her telling a friend soon afterward bolstered her credibility.
“It is not believable that [Zareh] would completely fabricate a midday sexual assault at the hospital just because [Cortes] said USC was not a good cardiology fellowship match for her,” Heller wrote.
The case was referred to authorities for a criminal investigation, but in 2017, the L.A. County district attorney’s office declined to file a felony charge of penetration by force. A deputy district attorney said the case lacked enough evidence “at this time,” according to a memo obtained by The Times.
Cortes left USC and pursued further graduate studies in cardiology in a paid post at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. He was suspended with pay in May 2018 after regulators first moved to revoke his license. He remains on paid leave.
A spokesman for UCLA said a medical license is required for the graduate post, suggesting that once the Medical Board’s revocation takes effect next month, Cortes will be barred from continuing.
Osinoff, the attorney who represents Cortes, said his client is still deciding whether to ask the Medical Board to reconsider, or petition an L.A. County Superior Court judge to review the finding.


latimes--2020-05-15--Ralphs offers one-time 'thank you' bonus after union protests end of coronavirus pay raise

After Ralphs employees protested the grocery chain ’ s phasing-out of “ appreciation pay ” for working through the coronavirus outbreak , parent company Kroger said Friday it would award a new one-time bonus to all hourly grocery , supply-chain , manufacturing , pharmacy and call center workers .
Employees and union supporters gathered outside a Ralphs store on Vermont and 3rd Street on Friday morning to protest the company ’ s decision to end the $ 2-per-hour pay bump on Saturday .
Protesters said the risky working conditions that won them extra pay haven ’ t substantially changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which owns Ralphs and several other grocery chains , announced the new “ thank you ” bonus of $ 400 for full-time employees and $ 200 for part-time employees .
“ The new Thank You Pay bookends an Appreciation Pay first provided to frontline associates for their efforts at the start of the pandemic in March .
It also follows multiple Hero Bonuses that were paid in April through mid-May , with associates receiving their final payment by May 23 , ” Ralphs spokesman John Votava said in a statement .
John Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which represents more than 20,000 grocery workers in Los Angeles , Ventura , Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties , said that the bonus wasn ’ t enough , and that the company ’ s change in course was an attempt to “ exit the room more gracefully.
” “ A one-time bonus doesn ’ t reflect the critical and dangerous work grocery clerks are engaged in .
They ’ re not showing up ‘ one-time , ’ they ’ re showing up day after day , ” he said .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Grant , he said .
He said it was a part of broader protests by the union in California as well as other Western states including Oregon and Colorado .
There were small demonstrations outside Ralphs and Kroger-owned Food 4 Less stores in Canoga Park , Ventura and West Hollywood , Grant said .
Kroger did not respond to questions about its decisions related to bonus pay .

Kroger, which owns Ralphs and several other grocery chains, is phasing out a $2-per-hour coronavirus-related pay raise on Saturday. But it has agreed to a one-time bonus of up to $400.
After Ralphs employees protested the grocery chain’s phasing-out of “appreciation pay” for working through the coronavirus outbreak, parent company Kroger said Friday it would award a new one-time bonus to all hourly grocery, supply-chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center workers.
Employees and union supporters gathered outside a Ralphs store on Vermont and 3rd Street on Friday morning to protest the company’s decision to end the $2-per-hour pay bump on Saturday. Protesters said the risky working conditions that won them extra pay haven’t substantially changed.
Shortly after the protest, Kroger, which owns Ralphs and several other grocery chains, announced the new “thank you” bonus of $400 for full-time employees and $200 for part-time employees.
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“The new Thank You Pay bookends an Appreciation Pay first provided to frontline associates for their efforts at the start of the pandemic in March. It also follows multiple Hero Bonuses that were paid in April through mid-May, with associates receiving their final payment by May 23,” Ralphs spokesman John Votava said in a statement.
John Grant, president of UFCW Local 770, which represents more than 20,000 grocery workers in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, said that the bonus wasn’t enough, and that the company’s change in course was an attempt to “exit the room more gracefully.”
“A one-time bonus doesn’t reflect the critical and dangerous work grocery clerks are engaged in. They’re not showing up ‘one-time,’ they’re showing up day after day,” he said.
About 25 people gathered for the Friday protest, including Grant, he said. He said it was a part of broader protests by the union in California as well as other Western states including Oregon and Colorado.
Grocery workers picket a Koreatown @RalphsGrocery store— 3rd/Vermont. They want the company NOT to cancel “hero pay” starting tomorrow. It’s an extra $2/hr. to compensate them for the added on-job #coronavirus health risks. pic.twitter.com/quGSqmxsLL — Craig Fiegener (@CraigNews3LV) May 15, 2020
There were small demonstrations outside Ralphs and Kroger-owned Food 4 Less stores in Canoga Park, Ventura and West Hollywood, Grant said.
Kroger did not respond to questions about its decisions related to bonus pay.