latimes--2020-03-19--After 23 years, this beloved Highland Park elotero is moving to Mexico to be with his true love

For the last two decades , Andres Santos ’ life revolved around corn .
Each day , he woke before sunrise and spent his early hours shucking , chopping and cleaning dozens of ears of corn in a friend ’ s backyard .
Afternoons were spent boiling them in industrial-sized pots in his cramped studio apartment .
By nightfall , he loaded his 300-pound cart — carrying big tubs of mayo , bags of cotija cheese , bottles of lime juice and powdered chili — into a van and drove to the corner of Avenue 57 and Figueroa Street in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hours , selling corn on the cob and cups of esquites , a buttery soup of kernels and spicy ingredients .
He had legions of hungry devotees .
But after 23 years , the humble elotero , or corn man , of Highland Park has hawked his final kernel .
Santos , 59 , “ retired ” last month and headed home to Mexico to chase that grandest dream of all : love .
He plans to marry his long-distance girlfriend in his homeland and start another food business .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back , ” Santos said .
“ I am going with the idea of accomplishing the Mexican dream.
” Though Santos said he ’ s grateful for the opportunities this country and its people have given him , success always seems a few steps ahead of him .
“ I felt like a donkey chasing a carrot hanging from a string , ” he said .
“ You never reach the carrot.
” The last few years , his meager profits have been halved as Highland Park has undergone dramatic changes that made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gentrification .
He said he lost his sense of belonging as an influx of wealthier white residents replaced Latinos .
And yet , the corn man ’ s final night in Highland Park felt like a retirement party for a celebrity .
That night he would learn the community had not forgotten him .
Hawking corn certainly wasn ’ t the life Santos , a bespectacled man with thinning salt-and-pepper hair , ever envisioned .
He was a college graduate whose family owned a mini market in the central Mexican state of Morelos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hometown , fleeing an economic crisis that hit the family market hard .
His young daughter and her mother followed .
In Highland Park , Santos followed the footsteps of his father , who had come to the U.S. in the late 1980s and scraped by , selling corn and raspados , shaved ice , in the neighborhood .
His father , Isidro Santos Franco , died of a heart attack at 63 while handing two little girls cups of shaved ice in front of San Pascual Elementary School .
Santos recalled how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he was baffled by his father ’ s decision to be a corn man .
He had asked , “ How could you sell raspados and elotes in the U.S. ?
” But when he moved to Highland Park , Santos realized his father was on to something .
“ It was an extension of our pueblos , of our Mexico , ” he said .
“ I didn ’ t feel like a foreigner.
” For years , Santos had no trouble selling the cobs and esquites , with customers so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like him .
His days ended around 8 p.m .
But eventually , he started noticing that Latino-owned businesses were disappearing .
They blamed raising rents .
Then the other eloteros moved on too .
“ They didn ’ t see a market here anymore , and they went to other places , ” he said .
“ Mi raza , mis paisanos , they had to leave for a new cycle of life , and Americans arrived , taking their spots.
” Santos tried to keep up with the changes .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 10 p.m. as nightlife boomed .
He briefly attempted a new system that allowed him to take credit card payments .
He made social media accounts .
Nothing seemed to help .
He relied on an increasingly small number of loyal , mostly Latino customers for his earnings of about $ 180 a night , just enough to afford his $ 850-a-month apartment .
And then there were the street vending bans .
Around 2008 , Santos found himself targeted by a nearby business owner who reported him to Los Angeles authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bothered him before , arrested him , and he spent two nights in jail .
After that , he stopped selling corn for a while .
“ It was something that was traumatic , because in my whole life , I had never been in that situation , ” he said .
“ I felt very bad .
Depressed , humiliated.
” But eventually , he returned to Avenue 57 and Figueroa .
In the years since , L.A. has come to view street vending in a different way .
In 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentious debate .
Four years ago , Santos separated from his daughter ’ s mother , and he received an unexpected Facebook friend request from a long-ago love , his college girlfriend , Norma .
They had dated three decades ago , but he had put his work first and they both moved on .
They rekindled their romance from afar .
Norma visited him every few months , but he could never risk traveling to see her in Mexico because he was living in the country illegally .
“ I did feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After 33 years , can you imagine , to see someone who you tried with and was your girlfriend ?
But it was nice.
” They plan to marry within a few months .
The night before his last day selling in Highland Park , Santos — who usually prepped 150 to 180 ears of corn a day — prepared about 400 .
A Facebook post announcing his plans to leave had gone viral , and he had run out of corn that night , leaving a long line of customers without food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappoint them again , so he woke that last day at 4 a.m. , this time prepping nearly 600 ears of corn to make esquites , his hands moving swiftly , chopping the ends of each ear of corn before undressing it and brushing it clean .
He took a break only to get his hair cut .
“ I have to look presentable , ” he said .
That evening , within minutes of arriving at an Avenue 57 parking lot with his daughter , Andrea Santos , he was surrounded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plopped three scoops of corn kernels in broth and added mayo , a splash of butter , four spoonfuls of cotija cheese , a dash of chili and a squirt of lime juice .
Andrea worked in unison , preparing plastic bags , utensils and cups and taking customers ’ cash .
All the while , Santos was showered in compliments , well-wishes and honks from the road .
A representative for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ’ s office handed him a commendation , embossed with the city ’ s seal : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park community with delicious elotes for 23 years .
We wish you all the best in the new chapter of your life.
” There were selfies and hugs .
TV cameras rolled and fans chanted , “ Four more years !
Four more years !
” “ It makes me sad that you ’ re leaving , ” said Jorge Quezada , a Highland Park resident .
He asked Santos about his “ secret recipe , ” to which Santos replied : epazote and chicken broth powder .
On the crowded sidewalk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ line .
Some slowed their step to take a peek at Santos ’ cart , curious about what could possibly be drawing such a large crowd .
“ Is this new ?
” one woman asked before walking away .
“ It must be good , ” said another man dressed in a crisp white shirt .
He walked off too .
“ It ’ s funny , while I was standing in line , you see all these hipsters walking by , ” Quezada said , clutching a bag of esquites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of like looking down a bit , like ‘ Why are they buying food from the street ?
’ ” “ A neighborhood like this , you have to share , ” he added .
“ I don ’ t think the hipsters are there yet .
For them to see so many Latinos , it ’ s impeding on their world.
” Daisy Orozco-Meeker , 28 , had been standing in line but was hearing whispers that Santos had run out already .
With her friends holding her place , she went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find out if it was true and to leave a tip in case she couldn ’ t buy anything .
She also figured she could ask him what cheese he used , because she had always wondered .
“ He just turned around and he gave it to me , ” said Orozco-Meeker , who has been eating Santos ’ esquites since she was a child .
Before leaving , she and her friends found a Sharpie and asked him to sign the bag .
When he realized she wanted his autograph , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to save this , ” Orozco-Meeker said , “ and I ’ m going to frame it.
” After Santos ran out of food — with people still in line — many stayed to thank him , hug him , shake his hand .
Cars stopped by the curb , asking if they could still order .
“ You ’ re too late , ” he told them , apologetically .
For a moment , realizing what one viral moment did for his business , Santos entertained the idea of staying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently and took advantage of social media , all his nights could look like this .
Maybe , he thought , it could work .
But then he thought of Norma .
He laughed .
“ No , that woman would hang me , ” he said .
“ I can ’ t do this to her again .
”

Customers could not wait for Andres Santos, an elotero , or corn man, to get to his spot at Figueroa and Avenue 57.
For the last two decades, Andres Santos’ life revolved around corn.
Each day, he woke before sunrise and spent his early hours shucking, chopping and cleaning dozens of ears of corn in a friend’s backyard. Afternoons were spent boiling them in industrial-sized pots in his cramped studio apartment.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
By nightfall, he loaded his 300-pound cart — carrying big tubs of mayo, bags of cotija cheese, bottles of lime juice and powdered chili — into a van and drove to the corner of Avenue 57 and Figueroa Street in Highland Park. There, he stood for hours, selling corn on the cob and cups of esquites, a buttery soup of kernels and spicy ingredients.
He had legions of hungry devotees. But after 23 years, the humble elotero, or corn man, of Highland Park has hawked his final kernel. Santos, 59, “retired” last month and headed home to Mexico to chase that grandest dream of all: love.
He plans to marry his long-distance girlfriend in his homeland and start another food business.
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“It’s not my intention to come back,” Santos said. “I am going with the idea of accomplishing the Mexican dream.”
Andres Santos boils corn kernels for his esquites. After dumping buckets of corn into industrial sized pots, he adds epazote and chicken broth powder. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Though Santos said he’s grateful for the opportunities this country and its people have given him, success always seems a few steps ahead of him.
“I felt like a donkey chasing a carrot hanging from a string,” he said. “You never reach the carrot.”
The last few years, his meager profits have been halved as Highland Park has undergone dramatic changes that made the former working-class Latino neighborhood synonymous with gentrification. He said he lost his sense of belonging as an influx of wealthier white residents replaced Latinos.
Andres Santos cooks white Mexican corn at his apartment in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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And yet, the corn man’s final night in Highland Park felt like a retirement party for a celebrity. That night he would learn the community had not forgotten him.
Hawking corn certainly wasn’t the life Santos, a bespectacled man with thinning salt-and-pepper hair, ever envisioned. He was a college graduate whose family owned a mini market in the central Mexican state of Morelos.
In 1997, Santos left his hometown, fleeing an economic crisis that hit the family market hard. His young daughter and her mother followed.
Andres Santos with his daughter Andrea. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
In Highland Park, Santos followed the footsteps of his father, who had come to the U.S. in the late 1980s and scraped by, selling corn and raspados, shaved ice, in the neighborhood. His father, Isidro Santos Franco, died of a heart attack at 63 while handing two little girls cups of shaved ice in front of San Pascual Elementary School.
Santos recalled how, when he was still in Mexico, he was baffled by his father’s decision to be a corn man. He had asked, “How could you sell raspados and elotes in the U.S.?”
But when he moved to Highland Park, Santos realized his father was on to something.
“It was an extension of our pueblos, of our Mexico,” he said. “I didn’t feel like a foreigner.”
For years, Santos had no trouble selling the cobs and esquites, with customers so plentiful. There were several successful eloteros like him. His days ended around 8 p.m.
But eventually, he started noticing that Latino-owned businesses were disappearing. They blamed raising rents.
Then the other eloteros moved on too. “They didn’t see a market here anymore, and they went to other places,” he said. “Mi raza, mis paisanos, they had to leave for a new cycle of life, and Americans arrived, taking their spots.”
Customers wait in a line wrapping around the Forever 21 on Figueroa, taking photographs with Andres Santos as he prepared the esquites. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Santos tried to keep up with the changes. He shifted his hours, ending his days at 10 p.m. as nightlife boomed. He briefly attempted a new system that allowed him to take credit card payments. He made social media accounts.
Nothing seemed to help. He relied on an increasingly small number of loyal, mostly Latino customers for his earnings of about $180 a night, just enough to afford his $850-a-month apartment.
And then there were the street vending bans. Around 2008, Santos found himself targeted by a nearby business owner who reported him to Los Angeles authorities. Police officers, who had never bothered him before, arrested him, and he spent two nights in jail. After that, he stopped selling corn for a while.
“It was something that was traumatic, because in my whole life, I had never been in that situation,” he said. “I felt very bad. Depressed, humiliated.”
But eventually, he returned to Avenue 57 and Figueroa. In the years since, L.A. has come to view street vending in a different way. In 2018, it was officially legalized after years of contentious debate.
Andres Santos in his apartment in Los Angeles. Now, he’s returning to Mexico to start over. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Four years ago, Santos separated from his daughter’s mother, and he received an unexpected Facebook friend request from a long-ago love, his college girlfriend, Norma. They had dated three decades ago, but he had put his work first and they both moved on.
They rekindled their romance from afar. Norma visited him every few months, but he could never risk traveling to see her in Mexico because he was living in the country illegally.
“I did feel weird,” he said. “After 33 years, can you imagine, to see someone who you tried with and was your girlfriend? But it was nice.”
They plan to marry within a few months.
Andres Santos and his girlfriend, Norma, at a college graduation celebration. (Andres Santos)
The night before his last day selling in Highland Park, Santos — who usually prepped 150 to 180 ears of corn a day — prepared about 400. A Facebook post announcing his plans to leave had gone viral, and he ran out of corn that night, leaving a long line of customers without food.
He didn’t want to disappoint them again, so he woke that last day at 4 a.m., this time prepping nearly 600 ears of corn to make esquites, his hands moving swiftly, chopping the ends of each ear of corn before undressing it and brushing it clean. He took a break only to get his hair cut.
“I have to look presentable,” he said.
That evening, within minutes of arriving at an Avenue 57 parking lot with his daughter, Andrea Santos, he was surrounded by customers.
In foam cups, he plopped three scoops of corn kernels in broth and added mayo, a splash of butter, four spoonfuls of cotija cheese, a dash of chili and a squirt of lime juice. Andrea worked in unison, preparing plastic bags, utensils and cups and taking customers’ cash. All the while, Santos was showered in compliments, well wishes and honks from the road.
A representative for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office handed him a commendation, embossed with the city’s seal: “Thank you for providing the Highland Park community with delicious elotes for 23 years. We wish you all the best in the new chapter of your life.”
There were selfies and hugs. TV cameras rolled and fans chanted, “Four more years! Four more years!”
Sofia Borges and Lawrence Sanchez of Highland Park eat their esquites, corn removed from the cob and prepared with butter, mayonnaise, cheese and hot sauce. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“It makes me sad that you’re leaving,” said Jorge Quezada, a Highland Park resident. He asked Santos about his “secret recipe,” to which Santos replied: epazote and chicken broth powder.
On the crowded sidewalk, people squeezed by to get past Santos’ line. Some slowed their step to take a peek at Santos’ cart, curious about what could possibly be drawing such a large crowd.
“Is this new?” one woman asked before walking away.
“It must be good,” said a man dressed in a crisp white shirt. He walked off too.
“It’s funny, while I was standing in line, you see all these hipsters walking by,” Quezada said, clutching a bag of esquites. “Kind of snooty, kind of like looking down a bit, like, ‘Why are they buying food from the street?’”
“A neighborhood like this, you have to share,” he added. “I don’t think the hipsters are there yet. For them to see so many Latinos, it’s impeding on their world.”
Daisy Orozco-Meeker, 28, had been standing in line but was hearing whispers that Santos had run out already. With her friends holding her place, she went to the front of the line to find out if it was true and to leave a tip in case she couldn’t buy anything. She also figured she could ask him what cheese he used, because she had always wondered.
“He just turned around and he gave it to me,” said Orozco-Meeker, who has been eating Santos’ esquites since she was a child.
Before leaving, she and her friends found a Sharpie and asked him to sign the bag. When he realized she wanted his autograph, Santos grinned.
Andres Santos hugs longtime customer Laura Montiel. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m going to save this,” Orozco-Meeker said, “and I’m going to frame it.”
After Santos ran out of food — with people still in line — many stayed to thank him, hug him, shake his hand. Cars stopped by the curb, asking if they could still order.
“You’re too late,” he told them apologetically.
For a moment, realizing what one viral moment did for his business, Santos entertained the idea of staying. Maybe if he did things a little differently and took advantage of social media, all his nights could look like this. Maybe, he thought, it could work.
But then he thought of Norma. He laughed.
“No, that woman would hang me,” he said. “I can’t do this to her again.”


latimes--2020-03-19--Think the most isolated corners of the U.S. are safe from coronavirus? Think again

The Lyman Eagles had just walloped the Newcastle Dogies 46-34 in the first game of the Wyoming state high school basketball championships .
The girls exchanged high-fives at center court .
And then an announcement boomed out .
Because of the coronavirus , all fans , parents , cheerleaders and media would be banned from the Casper Events Center bleachers for the rest of the three-day tournament .
The Eagles — who had driven nearly 300 sagebrush-filled miles from Lyman , Wyo.
, population 2,067 — headed to the locker room in tears .
Fifteen minutes later , the voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse news .
The 2020 state basketball tournament , which had barely begun , was over for good .
“ We were just kind of all shocked , ” said sophomore Brice Hansen , 16 , who had scored nearly a quarter of her winning team ’ s points in the March 12 game .
The pandemic and its awful effects , she added , “ just felt so far away , and then , all of a sudden , it was affecting us .
It kind of went from zero to 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even isolation could keep the coronavirus at bay for only so long .
Wyoming , which has fewer people than any other U.S. state , reported its first COVID-19 case on the evening of March 11 .
Alaska , with just one person per square mile , fell victim to the virus the next day .
Idaho , whose capital , Boise , is hundreds of miles from the next city of any size , reported its first case on Friday .
West Virginia was the final holdout .
But on Wednesday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pandemic that has swept the globe ; shut down schools , restaurants , bars , theme parks , casinos and gyms ; caused massive unemployment ; canceled sporting events for athletes from kid to pro ; shaken stock markets ; and infuriated President Trump .
Geography gets some of the credit for the slow creep of confirmed cases into the United States ’ most remote regions .
Many people live in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming and Montana and Alaska because they believe in extreme social distance even in the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inadequate testing gets much of the blame for what could be an artificially small number of cases .
“ There may be something to the notion that the more rural you are , the less likely you are to run into this virus , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine .
“ But we all know the harder you look , the more you find.
” Wyoming ’ s young basketball stars weren ’ t the only ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ untimely end .
Casper , population 57,461 , is home to almost 10 % of Wyoming ’ s residents .
Located on the banks of the North Platte River nearly a mile above sea level , the Oil City earned its nickname during its early 20th century boom years .
That era is long gone .
On the morning of March 12 , the Casper Courtyard by Marriott was 98 % occupied , temporary home to three high school teams and their entourages .
Twenty-four hours later , the basketball players had cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third full .
It has stayed that way ever since .
Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters in downtown Casper also felt the tournament ’ s absence .
Taubert ’ s has been in business for 101 years .
In its 60,000 square feet of retail space , you can find portable spittoons for $ 18.95 or a pair of black Lucchese Ultra Caiman Belly boots for $ 959.95 .
There are saddles and lassos and fancy Western wear .
“ The tournament brings a lot of out-of-town people , ” said Lou Taubert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we sure miss ’ em .
The future remains to be seen ... .
If I could snap my fingers and change this corona deal , I would.
” On Sunday , Taubert fitted Anthony Valdez , 21 , with a “ silver belly ” gray cowboy hat to wear at his sister ’ s June wedding .
It was a key purchase , because the civil engineering student is set to be the best man .
Valdez said he had “ mixed feelings ” about the virus .
But Cara Valdez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the whole thing was overblown .
“ I don ’ t understand what a big deal it is , ” said Cara , who will host the wedding in her barn .
“ I believe there may be a cold thing going around .
It just doesn ’ t need to be as big a deal as it is.
” Wyoming is nowhere near as hard hit as California .
The 17 cases of the coronavirus recorded in the Equality State as of Wednesday pale beside the Golden State ’ s hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one had died in Wyoming .
But even in Casper , where the closest cities of any size are hundreds of miles away , concern over the fast-moving virus is ramping up .
Cher ’ s “ Here We Go Again ” tour at the Casper Events Center has been postponed until October .
The Home and Garden Show and the Foreigner concert are off .
Casper City Hall is closed to the public , and Evansville , a Casper suburb , has closed all government offices .
Late Sunday afternoon , Wyoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the state shut down until at least April 3 .
“ This recommendation is not necessarily based on epidemiological best practices , ” Gordon ’ s office said in a statement , “ but is an attempt to allow schools and communities to prepare to operate in a way that mitigates community spread of COVID-19.
” Small businesses like the Bourgeois Pig have been hit hard .
The downtown coffee shop with its steampunk vibe is set to celebrate its first anniversary in about three weeks .
If it lasts that long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had about a week ’ s worth of bleach and toilet paper .
When he went to the bank two days earlier , he told the bank staff that business was down 22 % .
One young teller responded : “ Don ’ t you think [ the virus is ] just an election hoax ?
” “ One good thing about this being such a red-state , ‘ aw , this is just a hoax ’ kind of place is that a lot of my regulars are still coming in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I look at the effects on my business , when I worked so hard to get here , I can make it two weeks , maybe.
” Casper-area schools are closed .
Personal protective gear and virus test kits are in short supply .
Churches are emptying out .
Those who tuned into live.hpcc.church for the 9 a.m. service at Highland Park Community Church on Sunday saw Pastor Mike Fackler , in rumpled jeans and a brown long-sleeved shirt , raise the question on everyone ’ s mind .
“ How are we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked , as church members posted comments in a live chat on the right side of their computer screens .
“ I want to bring us back to Jesus ... .
If you look through history , there is nothing that has [ caught ] God off guard.
” This is also an opportunity , he said , to be “ a voice of hope , ” to “ share the love of Jesus with the world starting right here in our neighborhoods.
” How , you ask ?
Just listen , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
“ Our president has done something awesome , ” Fackler said .
“ He has called the entire nation to pray.
” Five hundred miles away , in Evanston , population a hair under 12,000 , it was impossible find toilet paper on Saturday morning , between word of the state ’ s second confirmed case of COVID-19 and its third .
For those who fear the coronavirus , it ’ s impossible to be too prepared .
Which is why Walmart had been wiped out of toilet tissue before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a TP desert .
The Dollar Tree , ditto .
A hard-shopping trio filling the back of a Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot of Smith ’ s Food and Drug called out a friendly warning : “ Don ’ t go in there , it ’ s a madhouse , ” said Rebecka Neely , a 29-year-old dental assistant , as she recovered from the ordeal of a normal week ’ s shopping , an experience that aged them all .
“ We were all 12 when we went in ... .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are walking around with their guns on their hips .
They want to be prepared.
” Smith ’ s paper goods aisle had been plundered .
No toilet paper .
No paper towels .
A few boxes of tissues stood lonely vigil .
Every single bag of potatoes was gone .
Shelves of Hamburger Helper , Kraft Mac & Cheese , pasta and rice resembled gaptoothed smiles .
The produce section was in so-so shape , but when Maria Escalante stopped by a day earlier , she said , “ people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mother own Ana ’ s On Main Street , known for tamales and strong coffee .
She had to put together a fruit tray , but all she could find were two green avocados .
“ The town is going crazy , ” she said .
“ There ’ s no food .
That ’ s when I worry — when I can ’ t find a tomato or a banana.
” There was one obvious place left to hunt for that elusive roll of toilet paper on Saturday afternoon in tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Home Supply , the kind of place where you can buy a 12-gauge shotgun or a $ 999.99 rifle scope , a Sig Sauer , a Beretta , sacks of feed or New Hampshire Red pullet chicks for $ 3.49 each .
There on a high shelf in the camping gear aisle were five packs of toilet paper , perhaps the only rolls in the entire city .
But not just any TP : specially formulated toilet tissue for use in RVs and on boats .
As precious as gold .
Four rolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as grocery store kind .
That is , of course , if you could find it .

Shoppers stock up on canned items at WinCo Foods in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on March 13, the day Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency due to the new coronavirus. John Roark / Associated Press
The Lyman Eagles had just walloped the Newcastle Dogies 46-34 in the first game of the Wyoming state high school basketball championships. The girls exchanged high-fives at center court. And then an announcement boomed out.
Because of the coronavirus, all fans, parents, cheerleaders and media would be banned from the Casper Events Center bleachers for the rest of the three-day tournament. The Eagles — who had driven nearly 300 sagebrush-filled miles from Lyman, Wyo., population 2,067 — headed to the locker room in tears.
Fifteen minutes later, the voice was back, this time with even worse news. The 2020 state basketball tournament, which had barely begun, was over for good.
“We were just kind of all shocked,” said sophomore Brice Hansen, 16, who had scored nearly a quarter of her winning team’s points in the March 12 game. The pandemic and its awful effects, she added, “just felt so far away, and then, all of a sudden, it was affecting us. It kind of went from zero to 100 in, like, a day.”
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Even isolation could keep the coronavirus at bay for only so long. Wyoming, which has fewer people than any other U.S. state, reported its first COVID-19 case on the evening of March 11. Alaska, with just one person per square mile, fell victim to the virus the next day. Idaho, whose capital, Boise, is hundreds of miles from the next city of any size, reported its first case on Friday.
Members of the Lyman High School Eagles played one game in the Wyoming state high school basketball championships before the tournament was canceled due to coronavirus fears. Sage Bradshaw, Caroline Bradshaw, Charlsie Rose, Mandy Eyre and Brice Hansen, from left, together scored 35 points in their 46-34 win over the Newcastle Dogies. (Maria La Ganga / Los Angeles Times)
West Virginia was the final holdout. But on Wednesday afternoon, it became the 50th state infected by the pandemic that has swept the globe; shut down schools, restaurants, bars, theme parks, casinos and gyms; caused massive unemployment; canceled sporting events for athletes from kid to pro; shaken stock markets; and infuriated President Trump.
Geography gets some of the credit for the slow creep of confirmed cases into the United States’ most remote regions. Many people live in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming and Montana and Alaska because they believe in extreme social distance even in the best of times.
On the other hand, inadequate testing gets much of the blame for what could be an artificially small number of cases.
“There may be something to the notion that the more rural you are, the less likely you are to run into this virus,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “But we all know the harder you look, the more you find.”
Casper, population 57,461, is the second-biggest city in Wyoming, the least populous state in the U.S. Even though it’s hundreds of miles from the nearest city of any size, coronavirus fear is catching. (Maria La Ganga / Los Angeles Times)
::
Wyoming’s young basketball stars weren’t the only ones sent reeling by the tournament’s untimely end. Casper, population 57,461, is home to almost 10% of Wyoming’s residents. Located on the banks of the North Platte River nearly a mile above sea level, the Oil City earned its nickname during its early 20th century boom years. That era is long gone.
On the morning of March 12, the Casper Courtyard by Marriott was 98% occupied, temporary home to three high school teams and their entourages. Twenty-four hours later, the basketball players had cleared out. The hotel was barely a third full. It has stayed that way ever since.
Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters in downtown Casper also felt the tournament’s absence. Taubert’s has been in business for 101 years. In its 60,000 square feet of retail space, you can find portable spittoons for $18.95 or a pair of black Lucchese Ultra Caiman Belly boots for $959.95. There are saddles and lassos and fancy Western wear.
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Lou Taubert, owner of Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters in Casper, Wyo., says the coronavirus scare has cut into the business normally generated by the state high school basketball championships. (Maria La Ganga / Los Angeles Times)
“The tournament brings a lot of out-of-town people,” said Lou Taubert, who runs the family business, “and we sure miss ’em. The future remains to be seen.... If I could snap my fingers and change this corona deal, I would.”
On Sunday, Taubert fitted Anthony Valdez, 21, with a “silver belly” gray cowboy hat to wear at his sister’s June wedding. It was a key purchase, because the civil engineering student is set to be the best man.
Valdez said he had “mixed feelings” about the virus. But Cara Valdez, the mother of the bride, said the whole thing was overblown.
“I don’t understand what a big deal it is,” said Cara, who will host the wedding in her barn. “I believe there may be a cold thing going around. It just doesn’t need to be as big a deal as it is.”
Wyoming is nowhere near as hard hit as California. The 17 cases of the coronavirus recorded in the Equality State as of Wednesday pale beside the Golden State’s hundreds of cases and double-digit deaths. No one had died in Wyoming. But even in Casper, where the closest cities of any size are hundreds of miles away, concern over the fast-moving virus is ramping up.
The paper goods aisle at Smith’s Food & Drug in Evanston, Wyo., was nearly empty Saturday. (Maria La Ganga / Los Angeles Times)
Cher’s “Here We Go Again” tour at the Casper Events Center has been postponed until October. The Home and Garden Show and the Foreigner concert are off. Casper City Hall is closed to the public, and Evansville, a Casper suburb, has closed all government offices. Late Sunday afternoon, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon recommended that schools throughout the state shut down until at least April 3.
“This recommendation is not necessarily based on epidemiological best practices,” Gordon’s office said in a statement, “but is an attempt to allow schools and communities to prepare to operate in a way that mitigates community spread of COVID-19.”
Small businesses like the Bourgeois Pig have been hit hard. The downtown coffee shop with its steampunk vibe is set to celebrate its first anniversary in about three weeks. If it lasts that long.
Owner Josh Tinnell said Sunday that he had about a week’s worth of bleach and toilet paper. When he went to the bank two days earlier, he told the bank staff that business was down 22%. One young teller responded: “Don’t you think [the virus is] just an election hoax?”
“One good thing about this being such a red-state, ‘aw, this is just a hoax’ kind of place is that a lot of my regulars are still coming in,” Tinnell said. “Now that I look at the effects on my business, when I worked so hard to get here, I can make it two weeks, maybe.”
Amira Sexton, 6, of Charleston, W.Va., picks up a breakfast and a lunch that were delivered March 16 by her school bus driver Rob Rider and bus aide Rosemary Light. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice closed schools March 13 amid concerns over the coronavirus. (Kenny Kemp / Charleston Gazette-Mail)
Casper-area schools are closed. Personal protective gear and virus test kits are in short supply. Churches are emptying out. Those who tuned into live.hpcc.church for the 9 a.m. service at Highland Park Community Church on Sunday saw Pastor Mike Fackler, in rumpled jeans and a brown long-sleeved shirt, raise the question on everyone’s mind.
“How are we supposed to navigate this?” he asked, as church members posted comments in a live chat on the right side of their computer screens. “I want to bring us back to Jesus.... If you look through history, there is nothing that has [caught] God off guard.”
This is also an opportunity, he said, to be “a voice of hope,” to “share the love of Jesus with the world starting right here in our neighborhoods.”
How, you ask? Just listen, he said, to the man in the White House.
“Our president has done something awesome,” Fackler said. “He has called the entire nation to pray.”
::
Five hundred miles away, in Evanston, population a hair under 12,000, it was impossible find toilet paper on Saturday morning, between word of the state’s second confirmed case of COVID-19 and its third.
For those who fear the coronavirus, it’s impossible to be too prepared. Which is why Walmart had been wiped out of toilet tissue before lunchtime. Rip’s Grocery was a TP desert. The Dollar Tree, ditto. A hard-shopping trio filling the back of a Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot of Smith’s Food and Drug called out a friendly warning:
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
“Don’t go in there, it’s a madhouse,” said Rebecka Neely, a 29-year-old dental assistant, as she recovered from the ordeal of a normal week’s shopping, an experience that aged them all. “We were all 12 when we went in.... We’re an open-carry state. People are walking around with their guns on their hips. They want to be prepared.”
Smith’s paper goods aisle had been plundered. No toilet paper. No paper towels. A few boxes of tissues stood lonely vigil. Every single bag of potatoes was gone. Shelves of Hamburger Helper, Kraft Mac & Cheese, pasta and rice resembled gaptoothed smiles.
The produce section was in so-so shape, but when Maria Escalante stopped by a day earlier, she said, “people were standing around in disbelief.” Escalante and her mother own Ana’s On Main Street, known for tamales and strong coffee. She had to put together a fruit tray, but all she could find were two green avocados.
“The town is going crazy,” she said. “There’s no food. That’s when I worry — when I can’t find a tomato or a banana.”
There was one obvious place left to hunt for that elusive roll of toilet paper on Saturday afternoon in tiny Evanston. Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply, the kind of place where you can buy a 12-gauge shotgun or a $999.99 rifle scope, a Sig Sauer, a Beretta, sacks of feed or New Hampshire Red pullet chicks for $3.49 each.
There on a high shelf in the camping gear aisle were five packs of toilet paper, perhaps the only rolls in the entire city. But not just any TP: specially formulated toilet tissue for use in RVs and on boats. As precious as gold.
Four rolls for $6.49, around twice as much as grocery store kind.
That is, of course, if you could find it.


latimes--2020-03-18--West Hollywood mayor tests positive for coronavirus

West Hollywood Mayor John D ’ Amico has tested positive for coronavirus and is quarantined at his home , city @ @ @ @ @ to a notice posted on D ’ Amico ’ s Facebook page , West Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ to work remotely and city facilities will be sanitized .
“ Mayor D ’ Amico @ @ @ @ @ directed by his physician and public health directives , ” according to the statement .
@ @ @ @ @ to the diagnosis by instructing city staff members to begin working from home or other @ @ @ @ @ could undergo a thorough cleaning .

West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico, right, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico has tested positive for coronavirus and is quarantined at his home, city officials said Wednesday.
According to a notice posted on D’Amico’s Facebook page, West Hollywood city staff have been told to work remotely and city facilities will be sanitized.
“Mayor D’Amico is taking every precaution as directed by his physician and public health directives,” according to the statement.
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City Manager Paul Arevalo responded to the diagnosis by instructing city staff members to begin working from home or other remote locations so city facilities could undergo a thorough cleaning.


latimes--2020-03-18--Citing coronavirus, homeless families seize 12 vacant homes in L.A.: 'We have to do this'

A group of homeless and housing-insecure Angelenos seized more vacant , publicly owned homes in El Sereno on Wednesday , arguing that government officials have failed to provide the shelter that ’ s necessary for them to remain healthy during the coronavirus pandemic .
The occupation followed a similar takeover Saturday , when two families and a man moved into one of the neighborhood ’ s dozens of empty homes — all owned by Caltrans .
The state agency bought them years ago as part of a now-failed plan to extend the 710 Freeway .
The protesters have taken over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the properties indefinitely , organizers said .
“ With this health crisis and this housing crisis , we need every vacant house to be a home for those who don ’ t have a safe and stable place to sleep in , ” said Ruby Gordillo , 33 , while standing on the porch of a two-bedroom bungalow before moving in with her three children .
Gordillo and others involved in the protest have said they were inspired by a group of homeless mothers in Oakland .
Late last year , those mothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , after they were evicted , secured backing from Gov .
Gavin Newsom to force the Bay Area property ’ s sale to a community land trust .
Like the Oakland moms , the protesters in El Sereno are affiliated with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment , an organization that has advocated several statewide measures to expand rent control and tenant protections .
The L.A. protesters , who call themselves Reclaiming Our Homes , say their push is all the more urgent because of the spread of the coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public health experts are calling for increasingly stringent measures , including asking people to stay indoors and to keep their distance from one another to slow the virus ’ spread .
Though Newsom , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected officials have called for housing homeless residents in hotels , motels and on public property , the families say they haven ’ t acted with enough urgency .
“ Since they ’ re not , they ’ re being unjust , ” said Martha Escudero , 42 , who has spent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Los Angeles before moving into the Caltrans-owned home Saturday .
“ We have to do this.
” The state agency did not respond to a list of questions from The Times .
Escudero said the California Department of Transportation has made no attempts to evict the families since they moved in Saturday morning .
Caltrans acquired the modest homes in El Sereno among about 460 properties , including Craftsman mansions in South Pasadena , in preparation for extending the 710 Freeway .
That plan was abandoned in 2018 .
Caltrans has started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are required by law to be offered to former owners first and then to current tenants who meet certain income requirements .
But the vast majority are still owned by the state .
Many of the houses in El Sereno have boarded windows with signs warning against trespassing .
Since the occupation began , a group of state lawmakers has asked Newsom to immediately make the vacant Caltrans properties available for occupancy .
The governor has not weighed in on the protest but has instead spoken repeatedly about the need to prioritize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially seniors .
Garcetti on Tuesday said he was aware that the families had occupied at least one home .
He said that he had asked Caltrans if the city ’ s housing authority could take over the properties in El Sereno but that it would require state action .
“ We don ’ t have a ton of supply of vacant housing , ” Garcetti said .
“ We are primarily right now focused on hotels [ and ] motels… .
To get to the numbers that I think we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get there just with vacant houses.
” On Wednesday evening , Garcetti announced that the city will convert 42 of its recreation centers into temporary shelters for homeless residents , providing 6,000 new beds to help slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Newsom , meanwhile , announced $ 150 million in emergency funding to quickly move homeless people indoors .
The governor also said the state is in negotiations with more than 950 hotels to lease or buy properties that could be used to house unsheltered people or provide quarantine sites .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ properties , he said , including in Oakland to provide 393 rooms for homeless people who have tested positive for the virus or are at risk of contracting it .
In El Sereno on Wednesday afternoon , the protesters acted quickly and stealthily to occupy more houses .
They had directed reporters to a vacant home less than a mile away from the house that was taken over Saturday .
But the occupation was being staged on another block .
When the reporters arrived , protesters had formed a human chain — each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many wearing rubber gloves and surgical masks — to protect the families moving into the houses .
Gordillo broke into tears describing how she had previously crowded into a small studio apartment in Pico-Union with her husband and three children , using their bed as a dining table and a place for her kids to do homework .
“ We ’ re humbled to have you the taxpayers welcome us into your home , which is now my home and my family ’ s home , ” she said to the crowd before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total , organizers said , 11 additional homes were taken over Wednesday .
Not everyone in the neighborhood was pleased .
Standing outside watching two homes on her block being occupied Wednesday , Desiree Ramos said she understood the protesters ’ motivations but worried that she didn ’ t know them .
She also said many of the vacant homes had asbestos and black mold , and weren ’ t safe to live in .
“ This neighborhood is quiet , ” said Ramos , 38 .
“ It doesn ’ t look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that way.
” On Saturday , it was Gordillo ’ s and Escudero ’ s families who moved into the first two-bedroom property .
But they worried that overcrowding in the home wasn ’ t safe during the coronavirus pandemic .
So Wednesday , Gordillo and Benito Flores , 64 , a welder who had been living in his van before joining the families over the weekend , moved into vacant properties across the street .
“ Now they have their own homes , ” Escudero said .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

Supporters stood guard while a group of homeless and housing-insecure protesters took over several houses in El Sereno on Wednesday.
A group of homeless and housing-insecure Angelenos seized more vacant, publicly owned homes in El Sereno on Wednesday, arguing that government officials have failed to provide the shelter that’s necessary for them to remain healthy during the coronavirus pandemic.
The occupation followed a similar takeover Saturday, when two families and a man moved into one of the neighborhood’s dozens of empty homes — all owned by Caltrans. The state agency bought them years ago as part of a now-failed plan to extend the 710 Freeway.
The protesters have taken over 12 homes and plan to remain in the properties indefinitely, organizers said.
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“With this health crisis and this housing crisis, we need every vacant house to be a home for those who don’t have a safe and stable place to sleep in,” said Ruby Gordillo, 33, while standing on the porch of a two-bedroom bungalow before moving in with her three children.
Gordillo and others involved in the protest have said they were inspired by a group of homeless mothers in Oakland. Late last year, those mothers took over a vacant, corporate-owned property and, after they were evicted, secured backing from Gov. Gavin Newsom to force the Bay Area property’s sale to a community land trust.
Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, speaks Wednesday at one of the occupied El Sereno homes while Ruby Gordillo, center, and the Rev. Walter Contreras stand by. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Like the Oakland moms, the protesters in El Sereno are affiliated with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, an organization that has advocated several statewide measures to expand rent control and tenant protections.
The L.A. protesters, who call themselves Reclaiming Our Homes, say their push is all the more urgent because of the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. Public health experts are calling for increasingly stringent measures, including asking people to stay indoors and to keep their distance from one another to slow the virus’ spread.
Though Newsom, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected officials have called for housing homeless residents in hotels, motels and on public property, the families say they haven’t acted with enough urgency.
“Since they’re not, they’re being unjust,” said Martha Escudero, 42, who has spent the last 18 months sleeping on couches in East Los Angeles before moving into the Caltrans-owned home Saturday. “We have to do this.”
The state agency did not respond to a list of questions from The Times.
Escudero said the California Department of Transportation has made no attempts to evict the families since they moved in Saturday morning. Caltrans acquired the modest homes in El Sereno among about 460 properties, including Craftsman mansions in South Pasadena, in preparation for extending the 710 Freeway. That plan was abandoned in 2018.
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Protesters and their supporters pray inside of a home they occupied in El Sereno on Wednesday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Caltrans has started the process of selling the homes, which are required by law to be offered to former owners first and then to current tenants who meet certain income requirements. But the vast majority are still owned by the state. Many of the houses in El Sereno have boarded windows with signs warning against trespassing.
Since the occupation began, a group of state lawmakers has asked Newsom to immediately make the vacant Caltrans properties available for occupancy. The governor has not weighed in on the protest but has instead spoken repeatedly about the need to prioritize the homeless population during the pandemic, especially seniors.
Garcetti on Tuesday said he was aware that the families had occupied at least one home. He said that he had asked Caltrans if the city’s housing authority could take over the properties in El Sereno but that it would require state action.
“We don’t have a ton of supply of vacant housing,” Garcetti said. “We are primarily right now focused on hotels [and] motels…. To get to the numbers that I think we need to get to, we’d never get there just with vacant houses.”
On Wednesday evening, Garcetti announced that the city will convert 42 of its recreation centers into temporary shelters for homeless residents, providing 6,000 new beds to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Newsom, meanwhile, announced $150 million in emergency funding to quickly move homeless people indoors.
The governor also said the state is in negotiations with more than 950 hotels to lease or buy properties that could be used to house unsheltered people or provide quarantine sites. Deals have been reached on two such properties, he said, including in Oakland to provide 393 rooms for homeless people who have tested positive for the virus or are at risk of contracting it.
In El Sereno on Wednesday afternoon, the protesters acted quickly and stealthily to occupy more houses. They had directed reporters to a vacant home less than a mile away from the house that was taken over Saturday. But the occupation was being staged on another block.
Ruby Gordillo lets herself into a home in El Sereno as supporters stand by. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
When the reporters arrived, protesters had formed a human chain — each person standing six feet apart, with many wearing rubber gloves and surgical masks — to protect the families moving into the houses.
Gordillo broke into tears describing how she had previously crowded into a small studio apartment in Pico-Union with her husband and three children, using their bed as a dining table and a place for her kids to do homework.
“We’re humbled to have you the taxpayers welcome us into your home, which is now my home and my family’s home,” she said to the crowd before entering. “Thank you.”
In total, organizers said, 11 additional homes were taken over Wednesday.
Not everyone in the neighborhood was pleased. Standing outside watching two homes on her block being occupied Wednesday, Desiree Ramos said she understood the protesters’ motivations but worried that she didn’t know them. She also said many of the vacant homes had asbestos and black mold, and weren’t safe to live in.
“This neighborhood is quiet,” said Ramos, 38. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to stay that way.”
On Saturday, it was Gordillo’s and Escudero’s families who moved into the first two-bedroom property. But they worried that overcrowding in the home wasn’t safe during the coronavirus pandemic. So Wednesday, Gordillo and Benito Flores, 64, a welder who had been living in his van before joining the families over the weekend, moved into vacant properties across the street.
“Now they have their own homes,” Escudero said.
Times staff writers Anita Chabria and Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-18--Battling coronavirus, California asks Navy for hospital ship and two mobile hospitals

Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state has asked the Department of Defense to deploy the Navy ’ s Mercy hospital ship and two mobile hospitals to California to help care for the expected surge in hospitalizations of residents stricken by the novel coronavirus .
California has seen the number of confirmed cases continue to rise : at least 836 cases and 17 deaths as of Wednesday , compared with 157 cases and three deaths the week before .
Nearly 12,000 people in the state are self-monitoring for symptoms .
The governor said the state is working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 20,000 , the number needed if more than half of Californians come down with the coronavirus .
“ That ’ s just one scenario plan .
There ’ s others that are more modest .
Some may , some cases be more extreme , ” Newsom said Wednesday evening during a Facebook Live broadcast .
“ When you ’ re looking at getting an additional [ 19,000 ] to 20,000 beds in your system , you have to look at your existing surge capacity within the healthcare delivery system , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The state estimates that surge capacity in California ’ s existing hospital system could accommodate 10,000 patients .
The state also is in the process of procuring two hospitals that are currently off-line , one in Southern California and one in Northern California , along with leasing hotels and motels where coronavirus patients could be housed and treated .
If requests for the military medical assistance are granted , California should be close to reaching the 20,000-bed threshold , Newsom said .

Medical personnel screen patients outside the emergency room at Loma Linda University Health in Loma Linda, Calif., on March 17, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state has asked the Department of Defense to deploy the Navy’s Mercy hospital ship and two mobile hospitals to California to help care for the expected surge in hospitalizations of residents stricken by the novel coronavirus.
California has seen the number of confirmed cases continue to rise: at least 836 cases and 17 deaths as of Wednesday, compared with 157 cases and three deaths the week before. Nearly 12,000 people in the state are self-monitoring for symptoms.
The governor said the state is working to expand its cache of hospital beds by roughly 20,000, the number needed if more than half of Californians come down with the coronavirus.
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“That’s just one scenario plan. There’s others that are more modest. Some may, some cases be more extreme,” Newsom said Wednesday evening during a Facebook Live broadcast. “When you’re looking at getting an additional [19,000] to 20,000 beds in your system, you have to look at your existing surge capacity within the healthcare delivery system, and you have to look at procuring additional assets.”
The state estimates that surge capacity in California’s existing hospital system could accommodate 10,000 patients.
The state also is in the process of procuring two hospitals that are currently off-line, one in Southern California and one in Northern California, along with leasing hotels and motels where coronavirus patients could be housed and treated.
If requests for the military medical assistance are granted, California should be close to reaching the 20,000-bed threshold, Newsom said.


latimes--2020-03-18--UCLA seniors 'devastated' as campus cancels traditional graduation ceremonies

UCLA will cancel traditional graduation ceremonies and hold them remotely to prevent the spread of the coronavirus , Chancellor Gene Block announced Wednesday .
“ As we all work to limit the spread of COVID-19 , it has become increasingly clear that we will not be able to gather in person for spring 2020 commencement ceremonies , so the College commencement , doctoral hooding ceremony and all campus graduation ceremonies will be adapted to be virtual events , ” Block said in a message to the campus community .
The announcement devastated many seniors , who said they feel robbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journey .
Already , students are circulating at least three petitions signed by thousands of people urging UCLA officials to reverse what they regard as a premature decision , said Victoria Solkovits , a student leader and senior majoring in political science and human biology and society .
Solkovits said she and her family and friends have been crying ever since they learned of the decision on Twitter early Wednesday evening .
“ Devastated , confused , angry are the kind of emotions that me and a lot of my classmates are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We understand public health and public safety ... but commencement is truly one of the most memorable events in our lives .
So I think we ’ re all pretty astounded that they would think that this was the right decision at this time.
” UCLA ’ s decision follows a similar announcement last week by UC Irvine , which was the first of nine University of California undergraduate campuses to cancel in-person graduation events .
The campus , like scores of colleges and universities across the country , has moved to online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and stay there to avoid possible exposure to the infectious disease in dorms and dining halls .
UCLA will continue remote instruction and a suspension of all large gatherings through the end of spring quarter .
Block said UCLA College , whose commencement is the largest , will hold an “ engaging ” virtual ceremony on June 12 .
The name of the keynote speaker will be announced soon , he said .
He said the difficult decision to cancel traditional graduation ceremonies was “ driven entirely by our desire to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which includes all of the family and friends who would have joined us at our commencement ceremonies .
“ Please remember that , even for an event as momentous as commencement , the day does not define the journey , ” he said .
“ Even when we are apart , we remain deeply connected as Bruins.
” Solkovits , however , said such comments seemed to discount the importance of the ceremonies to students and their families .
To walk across a stage in cap and gown with thousands of fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other on , is a moment she has long dreamed of , she said .
“ For a lot of us , this is a group journey , ” she said .
“ Our families have been with us through it and this is a moment we were all hoping for together .
It feels like it ’ s being ripped away .
”

UCLA will cancel traditional graduation ceremonies and hold them remotely to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Chancellor Gene Block announced Wednesday.
“As we all work to limit the spread of COVID-19, it has become increasingly clear that we will not be able to gather in person for spring 2020 commencement ceremonies, so the College commencement, doctoral hooding ceremony and all campus graduation ceremonies will be adapted to be virtual events,” Block said in a message to the campus community.
The announcement devastated many seniors, who said they feel robbed of the joyous capstone to their college journey. Already, students are circulating at least three petitions signed by thousands of people urging UCLA officials to reverse what they regard as a premature decision, said Victoria Solkovits, a student leader and senior majoring in political science and human biology and society.
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Solkovits said she and her family and friends have been crying ever since they learned of the decision on Twitter early Wednesday evening.
“Devastated, confused, angry are the kind of emotions that me and a lot of my classmates are going through,” Solkovits said. “We understand public health and public safety ... but commencement is truly one of the most memorable events in our lives. So I think we’re all pretty astounded that they would think that this was the right decision at this time.”
UCLA’s decision follows a similar announcement last week by UC Irvine, which was the first of nine University of California undergraduate campuses to cancel in-person graduation events.
The campus, like scores of colleges and universities across the country, has moved to online learning and strongly encouraged students to return home and stay there to avoid possible exposure to the infectious disease in dorms and dining halls. UCLA will continue remote instruction and a suspension of all large gatherings through the end of spring quarter.
Block said UCLA College, whose commencement is the largest, will hold an “engaging” virtual ceremony on June 12. The name of the keynote speaker will be announced soon, he said.
He said the difficult decision to cancel traditional graduation ceremonies was “driven entirely by our desire to protect the health and safety of our community, which includes all of the family and friends who would have joined us at our commencement ceremonies.
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“Please remember that, even for an event as momentous as commencement, the day does not define the journey,” he said. “Even when we are apart, we remain deeply connected as Bruins.”
Solkovits, however, said such comments seemed to discount the importance of the ceremonies to students and their families. To walk across a stage in cap and gown with thousands of fellow Bruins, celebrating their accomplishments and cheering each other on, is a moment she has long dreamed of, she said.
“For a lot of us, this is a group journey,” she said. “Our families have been with us through it and this is a moment we were all hoping for together. It feels like it’s being ripped away.”


latimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus has forced thousands at Stanford and other private colleges to evacuate

At 5 p.m. Wednesday , hundreds of students were forced to leave Stanford University , an effort by one of California ’ s most prestigious academic institutions to stem the coronavirus outbreak and adhere to Santa Clara County rules banning gatherings of more than 50 people .
Universities across California and the United States are taking similar precautions , creating hardships for students who are homeless , don ’ t have safe places to shelter or have immunocompromised relatives at home .
On Tuesday evening , the University of San Diego told residential students to move out of their dorms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of schedule .
“ To date , only 1,100 of our 2,600 students in our residence halls have relocated , ” the private Catholic university said in a message that evening to the college community .
On Wednesday , only a few students were spotted on campus at Stanford .
Tresidder Memorial Union was devoid of students , as was White Memorial Plaza , where hundreds of students would typically be riding their bicycles , walking in small groups or lolling under trees to read and study .
Standing in front of Norcliffe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jonah Price , stopped to chat with a visitor while packing Price ’ s car .
Cartagena said she had taken everything out of her dorm room , assuming she won ’ t be returning this spring .
The news of a forced departure came suddenly and , students say , confusingly .
“ They ’ ve said we ’ ll come back on May 15 , ” Cartagena said .
“ But the way things are looking , I ’ m not sure I believe it.
” Across the state , colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let students stay in campus housing or send them home .
Campus officials want to downsize their densely populated dorms and classrooms to protect against the risk of spreading the infectious disease .
That is especially true in Santa Clara County , where six people have died of the virus , with 175 confirmed infections , as of Wednesday evening .
But as they are evacuated , some students may lack access to shelter , food , Wi-Fi or a safe place to call home .
The University of California ’ s nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dining facilities open to students who need them — although they are urging those who can to safely go home .
UC Merced , where two-thirds of its 8,800 students are from low-income families , has told all students who need to stay that they are welcome to do so , and it plans to continue its basic needs services , such as food and rent assistance .
The campus also has emergency funds available for needy students — those who lose jobs , for instance — and has offered loaner laptops and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning .
UCLA also will continue to serve its students on campus as needed .
But all dining halls and quick-service restaurants have become to-go operations with meals served in takeout containers .
“ We recognize that university housing could be a student ’ s permanent home , and not all students can leave , ” campus spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said .
Some private institutions such as Stanford and Pomona College have responded somewhat differently , requiring students to leave campus unless their petition or application is approved .
Though student protests over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process has unfolded more smoothly at neighboring Claremont McKenna College , a fellow member of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges .
Among 1,184 Claremont McKenna students living in campus housing , about 200 petitioned to stay and about 85 received approval to do so .
That included all international student applicants , who face potential health risks and visa problems if they leave the country , said Dianna Graves , assistant vice president and dean of students .
Graves said the top concern of those who petitioned to stay involved technology .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by providing enhanced internet and data plans , loaner laptops and iPads , connections via virtual private network and other services , Graves said .
At Pepperdine University in Malibu , about 1,000 students requested permission to continue living on campus .
About 200 will do so , more than half of them international students .
University officials were able to help the other students get home safely by providing financial support from donor gifts for flights and gas — or a safe place to live temporarily , said Connie Horton , vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , school officials said in a statement that they are “ working with students around the clock to help find housing and travel options for the move off-campus.
” The school says it will continue to pay student employees , help cover travel costs , offer Wi-Fi hot spots and laptops , and provide room and board refunds for students , moves that other private colleges have made nationwide .
But some say those efforts fall short of addressing the outbreak response ’ s effect on students who must return home and come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations .
And they say school officials have not offered them clear communication and guidance .
Student advocates with the group FLI Scholars , the acronym for first-generation and low-income students at Pomona College , surveyed 135 students who petitioned to stay .
The self-reported data indicate that 70 % were denied , they said .
School officials did not respond to questions about how many students had applied to stay and how many were accepted or rejected .
In their letter to students , officials said that they would “ not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay on campus while also doing our part to limit the spread of the virus.
” For their part , Stanford University officials declined to provide information on the number of students staying or the number of those who applied to stay but were rejected .
Ernest Miranda , senior director of media relations at Stanford , said university officials regretted being unable to accommodate everyone and are now “ working with students to address their particular needs and concerns.
” He noted accommodations were made primarily for international students who could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and students who faced severe hardships , such as homelessness , food insecurity or abuse , if they returned home .
For senior Kiara Dunbar , going home creates problems not just for her but also for her family .
“ My campus job is my only source of income at the moment , ” she wrote in an email to the university .
“ Without it , I become a financial burden… .
I am on full financial aid for a reason.
” In addition , according to many students , Stanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that costs are reduced when students live off campus .
“ When I ’ m here ( at school ) , I have full aid , ” tweeted Kelsie Wysong , a senior at Stanford .
“ When I go home , I won ’ t have a job like I did in high school to offset the costs of me living at home .
This creates a financial burden to my family.
” Stanford ’ s Miranda said the university is “ adjusting spring quarter financial aid packages to reflect reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on campus .
Groups such as the student-organized Stanford Mutual Aid and Stanford student government have jumped in to help students , providing them with grocery and Uber gift cards , said William Shan , a sophomore and a member of the newly sprung Stanford Mutual Aid .
Shan ’ s group has begun a matching program allowing alumni , faculty and Stanford-area community members to provide support for students in need .
It offers students financial aid , a couch to live on , a spare bedroom or even a suitcase , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quarantined in his bedroom in San Jose .
So far , the groups have collectively provided more than $ 100,000 to help students in need , Shan said .
“ We ’ re really in a position of privilege , ” said Jeffrey Rodriguez , a senior from Lakeside , who works six jobs to support himself and his family .
He said he recognizes he and his fellow students are in a unique position .
At Pomona College , Marie Tano , 21 , thought she had found a sanctuary when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town in Georgia .
For the first time , she didn ’ t have to worry about money , her food was taken care of , and she had access to healthcare , therapy and support to do well in school .
Yet Pomona rejected her petition to stay on campus , which she hopes the school will reconsider .
For now , she ’ s making plans to stay with alumni in Los Angeles .
Going home to Georgia is not an option , she said .
Her father is older , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She also has a history of health problems , and her doctors and therapists are near campus .
She questions how a school with significant resources can not accommodate more students .
“ The school has made me feel like a burden , ” she said .
“ This is a school with a $ 2-billion endowment .
”

Susanne Rust, Paloma Esquivel, Teresa Watanabe

Empty chairs and tables sit outside the usually bustling student union at Stanford University.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, hundreds of students were forced to leave Stanford University, an effort by one of California’s most prestigious academic institutions to stem the coronavirus outbreak and adhere to Santa Clara County rules banning gatherings of more than 50 people.
Universities across California and the United States are taking similar precautions, creating hardships for students who are homeless, don’t have safe places to shelter or have immunocompromised relatives at home.
On Tuesday evening, the University of San Diego told residential students to move out of their dorms by late Wednesday, four days ahead of schedule. “To date, only 1,100 of our 2,600 students in our residence halls have relocated,” the private Catholic university said in a message that evening to the college community.
On Wednesday, only a few students were spotted on campus at Stanford. Tresidder Memorial Union was devoid of students, as was White Memorial Plaza, where hundreds of students would typically be riding their bicycles, walking in small groups or lolling under trees to read and study.
“It’s eerily quiet,” said Tiffany Cartagena, a junior from Gainesville, Fla. “It’s depressing.”
Standing in front of Norcliffe Hall, she and her boyfriend, Jonah Price, stopped to chat with a visitor while packing Price’s car. Cartagena said she had taken everything out of her dorm room, assuming she won’t be returning this spring. The news of a forced departure came suddenly and, students say, confusingly.
“They’ve said we’ll come back on May 15,” Cartagena said. “But the way things are looking, I’m not sure I believe it.”
Across the state, colleges and universities are grappling with whether to let students stay in campus housing or send them home.
Campus officials want to downsize their densely populated dorms and classrooms to protect against the risk of spreading the infectious disease. That is especially true in Santa Clara County, where six people have died of the virus, with 175 confirmed infections, as of Wednesday evening.
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But as they are evacuated, some students may lack access to shelter, food, Wi-Fi or a safe place to call home.
The University of California’s nine undergraduate campuses plan to keep dormitories and dining facilities open to students who need them — although they are urging those who can to safely go home.
UC Merced, where two-thirds of its 8,800 students are from low-income families, has told all students who need to stay that they are welcome to do so, and it plans to continue its basic needs services, such as food and rent assistance. The campus also has emergency funds available for needy students — those who lose jobs, for instance — and has offered loaner laptops and wireless hot spots to help with online learning.
UCLA also will continue to serve its students on campus as needed. But all dining halls and quick-service restaurants have become to-go operations with meals served in takeout containers.
“We recognize that university housing could be a student’s permanent home, and not all students can leave,” campus spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said.
Some private institutions such as Stanford and Pomona College have responded somewhat differently, requiring students to leave campus unless their petition or application is approved.
Though student protests over the issue have roiled Pomona, the process has unfolded more smoothly at neighboring Claremont McKenna College, a fellow member of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges.
Among 1,184 Claremont McKenna students living in campus housing, about 200 petitioned to stay and about 85 received approval to do so. That included all international student applicants, who face potential health risks and visa problems if they leave the country, said Dianna Graves, assistant vice president and dean of students.
Graves said the top concern of those who petitioned to stay involved technology. The college was able to meet those needs by providing enhanced internet and data plans, loaner laptops and iPads, connections via virtual private network and other services, Graves said.
At Pepperdine University in Malibu, about 1,000 students requested permission to continue living on campus. About 200 will do so, more than half of them international students. University officials were able to help the other students get home safely by providing financial support from donor gifts for flights and gas — or a safe place to live temporarily, said Connie Horton, vice president for student affairs.
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At Pomona, school officials said in a statement that they are “working with students around the clock to help find housing and travel options for the move off-campus.”
The school says it will continue to pay student employees, help cover travel costs, offer Wi-Fi hot spots and laptops, and provide room and board refunds for students, moves that other private colleges have made nationwide.
But some say those efforts fall short of addressing the outbreak response’s effect on students who must return home and come from poverty, abuse or other risky situations. And they say school officials have not offered them clear communication and guidance.
Student advocates with the group FLI Scholars, the acronym for first-generation and low-income students at Pomona College, surveyed 135 students who petitioned to stay. The self-reported data indicate that 70% were denied, they said. School officials did not respond to questions about how many students had applied to stay and how many were accepted or rejected.
In their letter to students, officials said that they would “not be able to accommodate every student who requests to stay on campus while also doing our part to limit the spread of the virus.”
For their part, Stanford University officials declined to provide information on the number of students staying or the number of those who applied to stay but were rejected.
Hoover Tower looms on a quiet morning at Stanford University. (Philip Pacheco / Getty Images)
Ernest Miranda, senior director of media relations at Stanford, said university officials regretted being unable to accommodate everyone and are now “working with students to address their particular needs and concerns.”
He noted accommodations were made primarily for international students who could not return home because of travel restrictions and students who faced severe hardships, such as homelessness, food insecurity or abuse, if they returned home.
For senior Kiara Dunbar, going home creates problems not just for her but also for her family.
“My campus job is my only source of income at the moment,” she wrote in an email to the university. “Without it, I become a financial burden…. I am on full financial aid for a reason.”
In addition, according to many students, Stanford will be readjusting student financial aid, arguing that costs are reduced when students live off campus.
“When I’m here (at school), I have full aid,” tweeted Kelsie Wysong, a senior at Stanford. “When I go home, I won’t have a job like I did in high school to offset the costs of me living at home. This creates a financial burden to my family.”
Stanford’s Miranda said the university is “adjusting spring quarter financial aid packages to reflect reduced housing expenses” for students not living on campus.
Groups such as the student-organized Stanford Mutual Aid and Stanford student government have jumped in to help students, providing them with grocery and Uber gift cards, said William Shan, a sophomore and a member of the newly sprung Stanford Mutual Aid.
Shan’s group has begun a matching program allowing alumni, faculty and Stanford-area community members to provide support for students in need. It offers students financial aid, a couch to live on, a spare bedroom or even a suitcase, said Shan, who is at home, quarantined in his bedroom in San Jose.
So far, the groups have collectively provided more than $100,000 to help students in need, Shan said.
“We’re really in a position of privilege,” said Jeffrey Rodriguez, a senior from Lakeside, who works six jobs to support himself and his family. He said he recognizes he and his fellow students are in a unique position.
At Pomona College, Marie Tano, 21, thought she had found a sanctuary when she arrived to study from a small town in Georgia. For the first time, she didn’t have to worry about money, her food was taken care of, and she had access to healthcare, therapy and support to do well in school.
Yet Pomona rejected her petition to stay on campus, which she hopes the school will reconsider. For now, she’s making plans to stay with alumni in Los Angeles.
Going home to Georgia is not an option, she said. Her father is older, and she worries about making him sick. She also has a history of health problems, and her doctors and therapists are near campus. She questions how a school with significant resources cannot accommodate more students.
“The school has made me feel like a burden,” she said. “This is a school with a $2-billion endowment.”


latimes--2020-03-18--Coronavirus cases in Orange County jump to 42; officials clarify restrictions

Orange County had 42 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday up from 29 on Tuesday .
Orange County Health officer Dr. Nichole Quick said she anticipated that number would increase .
“ The more we look for this , the more we ’ re likely to find , so increasing cases are not unexpected , ” Quick said .
Orange County leaders held a news conference to clarify the health order issued Tuesday and calm local business owners who had expressed confusion about whether they were being forced to close .
“ There has been confusion about the wording @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health order , but let me make it very clear — Orange County is not on lockdown and , except for businesses directed to close by the state , all businesses can remain open , ” Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said .
After the release of Tuesday ’ s health order , many residents and members of the media thought officials were announcing a shelter-in-place order , which many Bay Area counties have implemented .
At Wednesday ’ s news conference , local leaders stressed that was not their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order in the county .
Rather , residents are asked to avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene , among other things .
Local leaders repeatedly stressed that Orange County was business friendly and that the sheriff had no intention of sending out deputies to patrol the streets looking to jail merchants .
The hope , officials said , is that local businesses that must close under the county order — all bars that don ’ t serve food , movie theaters , gyms and health clubs — will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food trucks and farmers markets must only offer food through delivery , pickup or drive-through while also practicing the recommended six-foot space for social distancing .
“ The most important point to make , I think , is that Orange County is not shut down for business .
We are asking for all of our citizens to be responsible in how you ’ re interacting out in the community , ” Supervisor Donald Wagner said .
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said of all the days to announce bars were closed , St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test to see how businesses and patrons would react .
Barnes said deputies did find some bars still operating , but they were able to resolve each incident without issue .
“ I think even the patrons there , as much as they wanted to celebrate St. Patrick ’ s Day , realized this was much bigger than one day a year , ” Barnes said .
Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said in response to the pandemic , firefighters and paramedics going on calls to help someone thought to possibly have the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , the agency has been better able to protect personnel because dispatchers are asking callers more questions about COVID-19 and supplying that information to first responders .
While on duty , 20 firefighters have been exposed to someone thought to possibly have COVID-19 , but thus far , only one Orange County firefighter has been exposed to a person with a confirmed case .
That firefighter is self-isolating at a hotel , he said .
The order was already changing life in Orange County .
In Huntington Beach , Sandy Lopez cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where on Wednesday , before cooking dinner with family members at home in Santa Ana , she sneaked out , escaping to the ocean for a long-awaited walk .
“ I need space to think , you know .
The world is racing by , and I ’ m confused with so many people saying do this , do that , don ’ t do this or that , ” said the office clerk , whose hours had been reduced at a real estate business .
“ Information is changing every day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to think through it .
First , we heard that Orange County has a curfew .
But I found out I misheard that , but there could be a curfew — maybe , next week .
Who can predict ?
I don ’ t know where it ’ s safe to go , so I thought , let ’ s just go to the beach.
” Lopez , 29 , stood yards away from the famed Surf City Pier , about to snap some selfies to share with East Coast friends .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but at least I have access to the water , ” she said .
Lopez lives with her parents and a younger sibling .
While her mother and diabetic father must remain indoors under medical advice , she and her sister plan to take turns standing in line weekly for groceries .
They are eating more soup , less fried food and trying to stay away from too many sweets — all for the sake of their health .
She isn ’ t a cook but has started to watch the Food Channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals .
Her mom usually takes care of kitchen stuff , she said , adding : “ I am so used to just driving a few blocks to the taqueria to grab some snacks — but again , I don ’ t know where it ’ s safe .
”

Dr. Dallas Weaver, 79, left, and his wife, Janet Weaver, 75, on the Huntington Beach Pier on Wednesday.
Orange County had 42 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday up from 29 on Tuesday.
Orange County Health officer Dr. Nichole Quick said she anticipated that number would increase.
“The more we look for this, the more we’re likely to find, so increasing cases are not unexpected,” Quick said.
Orange County leaders held a news conference to clarify the health order issued Tuesday and calm local business owners who had expressed confusion about whether they were being forced to close.
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“There has been confusion about the wording and meaning of yesterday’s public health order, but let me make it very clear — Orange County is not on lockdown and, except for businesses directed to close by the state, all businesses can remain open,” Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said.
After the release of Tuesday’s health order, many residents and members of the media thought officials were announcing a shelter-in-place order, which many Bay Area counties have implemented.
At Wednesday’s news conference, local leaders stressed that was not their intent and that there is no shelter-in-place order in the county. Rather, residents are asked to avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene, among other things.
1 / 44 The City of Santa Monica closed the Santa Monica Pier in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus. Very few people were on the beach in Santa Monica as the epidemic continues. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 44 Volunteer Nagma Shakur, 16, left, hugs her “Grannie” as she helps senior shoppers with their carts at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Altadena. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 44 People walk up the ramp, exiting the secure area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 44 David Barker, 56, is visiting with his friend living in a tent on skidrow in Los Angeles. Barker, who is not homeless, works in the area. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 44 Dr. Dallas Weaver, 79, and his wife, Janet Weaver, 75, of Huntington Beach, walk on the Huntington pier. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 44 Seniors, including Eileen Oda Leaf, 67, left, and her husband Dave Leaf, 67, right, both wearing protective masks, line up outside Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach early on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 44 Roberta Tabor, 66, of Hermosa Beach, has her ID checked by store director Dennis Sullivan at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors 65+ can go grocery shopping before anybody else. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 44 Seniors shop at Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour” where seniors can go grocery shopping before the store opens to the general public. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 44 Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees testing at UCLA Medical Center where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. Morocco listens to a female patient’s lungs through the car window. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 44 HOPICS outreach worker Ralph Gomez tosses a clipboard for a signature to homeless client Davis Soto, right, taking care to stay at least six feet away during outreach in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 44 Medical personnel screen patients outside the emergency room at Loma Linda University Health during the coronavirus pandemic. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 44 A nurse takes the vital signs of a woman in a medical tent outside the hospital on Catalina. (Francine Orr/Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 44 An employee of the Trader Joe’s store in Monrovia tells customers waiting in line that it would open doors to everyone at 9 a.m., not just seniors, who arrived believing doors would open earlier to older residents, as some of the people were told by employees and it was reported. Some grocery outlets were offering special morning hours of shopping to accommodate older residents. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 44 Kevin Ezeh, protected with face mask and gloves, addresses the Los Angeles City Council meeting standing under a tent erected outside City Hall. A television livestreamed video of the meeting and the public offered comments remotely. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 44 Orange County Undersheriff Bob Peterson listens during a board of supervisors discussion on combating the coronavirus in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 44 Dr. Mark V. Morocco oversees the testing at UCLA Medical Center. Testing for Covid-19 is going on at UCLA Medical Center, where people can drive up and get tested if they have the symptoms. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 44 A large tent is installed for public attendance at Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting. The public was not allowed in the council chamber. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 44 Shoppers queue up ahead of the Los Feliz Costco opening for business on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 44 Muhammad Faruq, an Uber driver, picks his ride Sotero Reyes, left, and Cristian Eguia, visitors from Houston, all in protective masks, from downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 44 Volunteer Rachel Figueroa, serves a free lunch to go to Destiny Mendez, with her mother, Estefany, at the Dream Center in Los Angeles. LAUSD students can get free breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Dream Center, Monday through Friday. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 44 Emma Bradley, left, and her husband, Samuel Bradley, of Palmdale are walking up the ramp to catch the Metrolink in Union Sation in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 44 Medical personnel surround a car that is going through a coronavirus drive-thru test clinic at the San Mateo County Event Center. Drive-thru test clinics for COVID-19 are popping up across the country as more tests become available. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 23 / 44 From left, Josh Akamine, of Oahu, Hawaii; Madison Shine of Oahu; Matthew Valencia of Los Altos and Dani Ikeda visit L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 44 Normally bustling Grand Central Market in downtown L.A. is open only for take out. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 44 L.A. has banned restaurants from offering seating at places such as Grand Central Market. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 44 Carlos Perez, a worker at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles sits in the empty restaurant. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 44 A line at the Martin B. Retting gun store in Culver City on Sunday extends out the door and around the corner. (Francine Orr / The Times) 28 / 44 A guest wears a mask in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 44 Students hug as they are let out of school at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 13, 2020. The school has 2,623 students who live in 94 different zip codes, some of whom travel upwards of 30 miles to school on 24 different school bus routes. 221 school staff live in 88 zip codes. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that schools will be closed due to the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 30 / 44 Blake Anderson, left, a freshman, walks with his father Oree Anderson, as school is let out at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. LAUSD announced that schools will be closed due to the Coronavirus. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 44 Students leave John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles at the end of the school day on Friday, Mar. 13, 2020. LAUSD announced it will shut down beginning Monday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times ) 32 / 44 Alexandria Casserly crosses the street while looking for toilet paper in downtown Los Angeles. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 44 A crew member stands on the stern of a cruise ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 34 / 44 Two children look at movie posters in the lobby of the Arclight theater Thursday in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 44 Disneyland guests wearing ponchos pass the Marketplace inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Thursday. Disneyland and California Adventure will temporarily close in response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 44 People shop at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 44 Disneyland guests take photos in front of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 44 Airline workers take precautions at Tom Bradley International Terminal in Los Angeles on Thursday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 44 An airport worker cleans a railing at Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 44 Two people arrive at Knott’s Berry Farm on Thursday in Buena Park. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 44 Cab drivers wait for riders at the Long Beach Airport. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 42 / 44 The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 43 / 44 A woman claims her luggage at he Long Beach Airport. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 44 / 44 The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Local leaders repeatedly stressed that Orange County was business friendly and that the sheriff had no intention of sending out deputies to patrol the streets looking to jail merchants.
The hope, officials said, is that local businesses that must close under the county order — all bars that don’t serve food, movie theaters, gyms and health clubs — will voluntarily follow the order. Restaurants, food trucks and farmers markets must only offer food through delivery, pickup or drive-through while also practicing the recommended six-foot space for social distancing.
“The most important point to make, I think, is that Orange County is not shut down for business. We are asking for all of our citizens to be responsible in how you’re interacting out in the community,” Supervisor Donald Wagner said.
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Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said of all the days to announce bars were closed, St. Patrick’s Day was a good test to see how businesses and patrons would react.
Barnes said deputies did find some bars still operating, but they were able to resolve each incident without issue.
“I think even the patrons there, as much as they wanted to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, realized this was much bigger than one day a year,” Barnes said.
Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said in response to the pandemic, firefighters and paramedics going on calls to help someone thought to possibly have the coronavirus are being supplied with protective gear. Additionally, the agency has been better able to protect personnel because dispatchers are asking callers more questions about COVID-19 and supplying that information to first responders.
While on duty, 20 firefighters have been exposed to someone thought to possibly have COVID-19, but thus far, only one Orange County firefighter has been exposed to a person with a confirmed case. That firefighter is self-isolating at a hotel, he said.
The order was already changing life in Orange County.
In Huntington Beach, Sandy Lopez cut a lonely figure along the boardwalk, where on Wednesday, before cooking dinner with family members at home in Santa Ana, she sneaked out, escaping to the ocean for a long-awaited walk.
“I need space to think, you know. The world is racing by, and I’m confused with so many people saying do this, do that, don’t do this or that,” said the office clerk, whose hours had been reduced at a real estate business. “Information is changing every day, and I want to be by myself to think through it. First, we heard that Orange County has a curfew. But I found out I misheard that, but there could be a curfew — maybe, next week. Who can predict? I don’t know where it’s safe to go, so I thought, let’s just go to the beach.”
Lopez, 29, stood yards away from the famed Surf City Pier, about to snap some selfies to share with East Coast friends. “They’re stuck, too, but at least I have access to the water,” she said.
Lopez lives with her parents and a younger sibling. While her mother and diabetic father must remain indoors under medical advice, she and her sister plan to take turns standing in line weekly for groceries. They are eating more soup, less fried food and trying to stay away from too many sweets — all for the sake of their health.
She isn’t a cook but has started to watch the Food Channel to find tips and inspiration for quick meals. Her mom usually takes care of kitchen stuff, she said, adding: “I am so used to just driving a few blocks to the taqueria to grab some snacks — but again, I don’t know where it’s safe.”