latimes--2020-03-10--Why the Bay Area is issuing more severe coronavirus warnings than Southern California

Up to now , some Bay Area public health agencies have been more aggressive than those in Los Angeles and some other counties in issuing coronavirus-related restrictions .
But that could be about to change .
With the first case of the coronavirus believed to be transmitted within the community now reported in Los Angeles County , the experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area may offer a glimpse for what Southern California is in for .
The Los Angeles County director of public health , Barbara Ferrer , on Monday called for “ social distancing , ” a term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from crowded areas in hopes of dramatically reducing the spread of an infectious disease .
Her call came after one of two newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus in L.A. County had an unidentified source of exposure .
That indicates the virus is being passed through people in the community , even those without history of travel or close personal contact with people known to be infected .
Several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have already implemented extraordinary measures to implement social distancing after it became clear the virus was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have responded here and elsewhere throughout California .
UC Berkeley , San Francisco State , San Jose State , Santa Clara University , UC San Diego , and Stanford University are moving classes online ; a Stanford faculty member has tested positive for the coronavirus .
The danger became especially clear on Monday , when Silicon Valley reported its first death related to the new coronavirus Monday : a woman in her 60s who had been hospitalized for several weeks , and had been the first person in Santa Clara County to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without having traveled internationally or known contact with an infected person .
It was California ’ s second death related to the new coronavirus .
With the number of cases growing rapidly in Silicon Valley , rising to 43 Monday from just 11 on Thursday , the health officer of the county with the most number of cases statewide , Santa Clara County , issued a rare legal order enforceable by the sheriff banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people .
The San Jose Sharks , which had late last week continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation to halt mass gatherings , said it would comply with the new order .
In San Francisco , the St. Patrick ’ s Day Parade and performances of the San Francisco Symphony have been canceled .
But even smaller gatherings should be canceled , officials said , in the interest of halting the spread of disease .
“ All non-essential gatherings should be canceled , postponed , or done remotely , ” Dr. Scott Morrow , health officer for San Mateo County , said in a statement Thursday .
“ Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard definition of ‘ non-essential ’ or ‘ gathering ’ to guide your decisions .
Use your best judgment.
” Even a prom was canceled when the largest school district in Northern California , the Elk Grove Unified School District in Sacramento County , said Saturday it was moving up its spring break and closing schools and canceling all student activities this week after some parents and family members , but no students , tested positive for the virus .
The San Francisco Unified School District canceled or postponed nonessential events for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festival and a solo and ensemble music festival .
The health officer banned visitors from entering Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center , a violation of which is a misdemeanor .
“ We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge , ” Dr. Sara Cody , the public health officer for Santa Clara County , said Monday night at a press conference .
Some have chosen not to follow the recommendations of health officials ; the Golden State Warriors played at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday , a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised canceling mass gatherings .
But the public seemed to be hunkering down .
BART ’ s ridership was down last week by 8 % compared with the week before , a spokesman said , and the BART commute Monday morning seemed particularly light , coming as the region closely monitored the arrival of more than 3,500 stranded people on the Grand Princess cruise ship into the Port of Oakland .
At least 21 people — 19 of 1,100 crew members and two passengers — on the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that originated late last year in Wuhan , China .
Cities announced measures to avoid mass gatherings : Senior classes across San Francisco were canceled , from Argentine tango in Noe Valley to mah jong in Nob Hill .
San Jose ’ s senior meals program is transitioning to a boxed to-go , pickup format .
Libraries in San Francisco , Redwood City and Santa Clara were canceling all major events for at least a week .
The city council chambers in Santa Clara were reconfigured to allow for more space among seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their best to reassure commuters .
BART said it was wiping down hand-contact surfaces with “ hospital-grade disinfectant more frequently each day.
” People seemed to be staying at home .
On Sunday evening in San Jose ’ s Little Saigon , it seemed to be much easier to find a parking space for popular restaurants .
Along the streets in downtown Millbrae , near the San Francisco International Airport , the sidewalks seemed to have emptied out .
Health officials said they understood these recommendations and actions were disruptive .
But to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like an overreaction .
“ If we wait to take stronger action until we have multiple confirmed cases and deaths , the window of opportunity that we have now will have closed , ” Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco director of health , said Friday night .
“ We acknowledge that there will be unintentional hardships and sacrifices for our residents and businesses .
But it is the best thing for public health and to protect all of us from a worsening outbreak that is quickly spreading across the country and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Francisco , it may even seem like an overreaction .
Because the virus spread will be reduced and fewer people will get sick , ” Colfax said .
The goal of telling people to avoid crowds is to prevent many illnesses hitting the region all at once , health experts said .
“ Our goal is to not have them all at once , ” said Dr. Shanthi Kappagoda , clinical associate professor of infectious diseases at Stanford University , “ so that our local hospitals and clinics are not overwhelmed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do get infected have mild illness , certain populations , like the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions , are at far greater risk of severe illness and death .
Measures such as closing schools , churches and theaters were associated with lower peak death rates during the 1918 flu pandemic , a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 found .
In particular , the difference in how Philadelphia and St. Louis handled the flu was striking .
Philadelphia downplayed the significance of the flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 days into the outbreak , and by the time officials ordered school closures and other bans on public gatherings five days after the parade , it was too late — “ disease spread had already begun to overwhelm local medical and public health resources , ” the study said .
St. Louis , meanwhile , enacted social distancing measures two days after the flu arrived .
The result was that Philadelphia ’ s peak death rate was dramatically worse than St. Louis ’ .
U.S. officials warn that peak demand for intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators needed to help severely ill people breathe would be in extremely short supply in a pandemic .
That ’ s why slowing down the spread of the disease is so important , to reduce demand on hospitals , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s pre-pandemic strategy .
“ If I were going to have a bunch of 90-year-olds at a birthday party , I probably wouldn ’ t have that many there — and I certainly wouldn ’ t have a lot of kids running around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rutherford , an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco .
Fears of the virus are well-placed when it comes to protecting the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions and focusing efforts on “ keeping this virus away from nursing homes , long-term care facilities and elderly people whose lungs can ’ t recover from this , ” said Dr. Jeremy Faust , emergency physician at Brigham and Women ’ s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School .
Those at higher risk include those over the age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as diabetes , obesity , asthma , disease of the heart , lung or kidney and those with weakened immune systems .
If infection control fails , early diagnosis is important , to give more time to treat the patient , offering help such as providing oxygen or putting the patient on a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail .
Taking common-sense measures to protect the elderly should be a priority , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Journal of the American Medical Assn .
posted Friday .
Among the top priorities , he said , was getting nursing homes up to speed with regard to infection control .
“ You saw what happened in the Seattle area — that ’ s not the last time that ’ s going to happen , ” Fauci said .
Among the recommendations and orders issued by officials in San Francisco , San Mateo and Santa Clara counties : • San Francisco has canceled all nonessential mass gatherings of 50 or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by at least four feet from each other ( about the length of an average arm ) at City Hall , Moscone Center , Bill Graham Civic Auditorium , New Conservatory Theatre , War Memorial & Performing Arts Center , Palace of Fine Arts Theatre , San Francisco Public Library , Pier 27 and Pier 35 .
• Encourage people older than 50 and those with underlying health conditions from going to mass gatherings .
Underlying conditions include heart disease , diabetes , cancer , lung disease , obesity and weakened immune systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working within arm ’ s length of one another .
• Tell employees to stay home when they ’ re sick .
• Consider staggering start and ends times for employee shifts to reduce large numbers of people coming together at the same time .
• For events that still go on , ensure there ’ s handwashing , hand sanitizers and tissues available , and high-touch surface areas and hand rails are frequently cleaned .
• Telling the public to not go out when sick .
• Nursing homes and long-term care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for illness , and turn sick people away .
• Hospitals : If it ’ s not needed , the public should avoid hospitals , nursing homes and long-term care facilities .
Even healthy people should stay away if it ’ s not essential to go there .
• If you are ill : Call your healthcare provider first ; you might be able to be served by phone .
Visit emergency rooms only when essential .
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds .
• Cover coughs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available , or into the elbow .
• Use a paper towel or tissue to touch commonly touched surfaces like elevator buttons and door handles .
• Under all circumstances , stop touching your face , eyes , nose or mouth with your unwashed hands .
Lin reported from San Francisco ; Shalby from Los Angeles .
Times staff writers Soumya Karlamangla and Stephanie Chavez contributed to this report from Los Angeles .

The Grand Princess cruise ship sails into San Francisco Bay to dock at the Port of Oakland. Some of the more than 3,000 people onboard are infected with the new coronavirus.
Up to now, some Bay Area public health agencies have been more aggressive than those in Los Angeles and some other counties in issuing coronavirus-related restrictions.
But that could be about to change.
With the first case of the coronavirus believed to be transmitted within the community now reported in Los Angeles County, the experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area may offer a glimpse for what Southern California is in for.
The Los Angeles County director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, on Monday called for “social distancing,” a term officials use to describe keeping people away from crowded areas in hopes of dramatically reducing the spread of an infectious disease.
Her call came after one of two newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus in L.A. County had an unidentified source of exposure. That indicates the virus is being passed through people in the community, even those without history of travel or close personal contact with people known to be infected.
Several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have already implemented extraordinary measures to implement social distancing after it became clear the virus was also spreading in the community, and institutions have responded here and elsewhere throughout California. UC Berkeley, San Francisco State, San Jose State, Santa Clara University, UC San Diego, and Stanford University are moving classes online; a Stanford faculty member has tested positive for the coronavirus.
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The danger became especially clear on Monday, when Silicon Valley reported its first death related to the new coronavirus Monday: a woman in her 60s who had been hospitalized for several weeks, and had been the first person in Santa Clara County to be known to be infected with the virus without having traveled internationally or known contact with an infected person. It was California’s second death related to the new coronavirus.
With the number of cases growing rapidly in Silicon Valley, rising to 43 Monday from just 11 on Thursday, the health officer of the county with the most number of cases statewide, Santa Clara County, issued a rare legal order enforceable by the sheriff banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people. The San Jose Sharks, which had late last week continued to play a game despite a county recommendation to halt mass gatherings, said it would comply with the new order.
In San Francisco, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and performances of the San Francisco Symphony have been canceled.
But even smaller gatherings should be canceled, officials said, in the interest of halting the spread of disease.
“All non-essential gatherings should be canceled, postponed, or done remotely,” Dr. Scott Morrow, health officer for San Mateo County, said in a statement Thursday. “Unfortunately, at this time, I have no standard definition of ‘non-essential’ or ‘gathering’ to guide your decisions. Use your best judgment.”
Even a prom was canceled when the largest school district in Northern California, the Elk Grove Unified School District in Sacramento County, said Saturday it was moving up its spring break and closing schools and canceling all student activities this week after some parents and family members, but no students, tested positive for the virus.
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The San Francisco Unified School District canceled or postponed nonessential events for the next two weeks, including a mariachi festival and a solo and ensemble music festival. The health officer banned visitors from entering Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, a violation of which is a misdemeanor.
“We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge,” Dr. Sara Cody, the public health officer for Santa Clara County, said Monday night at a press conference.
Some have chosen not to follow the recommendations of health officials; the Golden State Warriors played at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, a day after the city’s health officer advised canceling mass gatherings.
But the public seemed to be hunkering down. BART’s ridership was down last week by 8% compared with the week before, a spokesman said, and the BART commute Monday morning seemed particularly light, coming as the region closely monitored the arrival of more than 3,500 stranded people on the Grand Princess cruise ship into the Port of Oakland. At least 21 people — 19 of 1,100 crew members and two passengers — on the ship have confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus that originated late last year in Wuhan, China.
Since moving to the Bay Area I have not once see the #BART this empty on a Monday morning commute into SF. Either people who are sick are finally staying home or the scare over the virus has them using other modes of transportation. I’m just happy to not be packed like sardines! — Jean (@jean_sn0w) March 9, 2020
Cities announced measures to avoid mass gatherings: Senior classes across San Francisco were canceled, from Argentine tango in Noe Valley to mah jong in Nob Hill. San Jose’s senior meals program is transitioning to a boxed to-go, pickup format.
Libraries in San Francisco, Redwood City and Santa Clara were canceling all major events for at least a week. The city council chambers in Santa Clara were reconfigured to allow for more space among seats for social distancing.
Transit agencies did their best to reassure commuters. BART said it was wiping down hand-contact surfaces with “hospital-grade disinfectant more frequently each day.”
People seemed to be staying at home. On Sunday evening in San Jose’s Little Saigon, it seemed to be much easier to find a parking space for popular restaurants. Along the streets in downtown Millbrae, near the San Francisco International Airport, the sidewalks seemed to have emptied out.
Health officials said they understood these recommendations and actions were disruptive. But to work, the measures need to seem like an overreaction.
“If we wait to take stronger action until we have multiple confirmed cases and deaths, the window of opportunity that we have now will have closed,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco director of health, said Friday night. “We acknowledge that there will be unintentional hardships and sacrifices for our residents and businesses. But it is the best thing for public health and to protect all of us from a worsening outbreak that is quickly spreading across the country and our region.
“If the plan works in San Francisco, it may even seem like an overreaction. Because the virus spread will be reduced and fewer people will get sick,” Colfax said.
The goal of telling people to avoid crowds is to prevent many illnesses hitting the region all at once, health experts said.
“Our goal is to not have them all at once,” said Dr. Shanthi Kappagoda, clinical associate professor of infectious diseases at Stanford University, “so that our local hospitals and clinics are not overwhelmed.”
While about 80% of those who do get infected have mild illness, certain populations, like the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, are at far greater risk of severe illness and death.
Measures such as closing schools, churches and theaters were associated with lower peak death rates during the 1918 flu pandemic, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 found.
In particular, the difference in how Philadelphia and St. Louis handled the flu was striking. Philadelphia downplayed the significance of the flu and allowed a citywide parade to continue 11 days into the outbreak, and by the time officials ordered school closures and other bans on public gatherings five days after the parade, it was too late — “disease spread had already begun to overwhelm local medical and public health resources,” the study said.
St. Louis, meanwhile, enacted social distancing measures two days after the flu arrived. The result was that Philadelphia’s peak death rate was dramatically worse than St. Louis’.
U.S. officials warn that peak demand for intensive care unit beds and the number of ventilators needed to help severely ill people breathe would be in extremely short supply in a pandemic.
That’s why slowing down the spread of the disease is so important, to reduce demand on hospitals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s pre-pandemic strategy.
Telling the public to avoid crowds can reduce the number of daily illnesses in an outbreak or pandemic, reducing the burden on hospitals and clinics. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )
“If I were going to have a bunch of 90-year-olds at a birthday party, I probably wouldn’t have that many there — and I certainly wouldn’t have a lot of kids running around infecting them,” said Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco.
Fears of the virus are well-placed when it comes to protecting the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions and focusing efforts on “keeping this virus away from nursing homes, long-term care facilities and elderly people whose lungs can’t recover from this,” said Dr. Jeremy Faust, emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.
Those at higher risk include those over the age of 70 and with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, disease of the heart, lung or kidney and those with weakened immune systems. If infection control fails, early diagnosis is important, to give more time to treat the patient, offering help such as providing oxygen or putting the patient on a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail.
Taking common-sense measures to protect the elderly should be a priority, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a video interview with the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Assn. posted Friday.
Among the top priorities, he said, was getting nursing homes up to speed with regard to infection control.
“You saw what happened in the Seattle area — that’s not the last time that’s going to happen,” Fauci said.
Among the recommendations and orders issued by officials in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties:
They include:
San Francisco has canceled all nonessential mass gatherings of 50 or more people where people aren’t separated by at least four feet from each other (about the length of an average arm) at City Hall, Moscone Center, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, New Conservatory Theatre, War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco Public Library, Pier 27 and Pier 35.
Recommendations to cancel concerts, sports events, conventions and large community gatherings.
Encourage people older than 50 and those with underlying health conditions from going to mass gatherings. Underlying conditions include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, obesity and weakened immune systems.
Tell businesses to suspend nonessential employee travel.
Minimize the number of employees working within arm’s length of one another.
Minimize or cancel large in-person meetings or conferences.
Tell employees to stay home when they’re sick.
Urge maximum flexibility in sick leave benefits.
Don’t require a doctor’s note for sick workers.
Consider telecommuting.
Consider staggering start and ends times for employee shifts to reduce large numbers of people coming together at the same time.
For events that still go on, ensure there’s handwashing, hand sanitizers and tissues available, and high-touch surface areas and hand rails are frequently cleaned.
Telling the public to not go out when sick.
Transit vehicles: increase cleaning of vehicles and high-touch surface areas.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities: Screen all staff and visitors for illness, and turn sick people away.
Hospitals: If it’s not needed, the public should avoid hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Even healthy people should stay away if it’s not essential to go there.
If you are ill: Call your healthcare provider first; you might be able to be served by phone. Visit emergency rooms only when essential.
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Stop shaking hands.
Cover coughs or sneeze with a tissue, if available, or into the elbow.
Use a paper towel or tissue to touch commonly touched surfaces like elevator buttons and door handles.
Under all circumstances, stop touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth with your unwashed hands.
Lin reported from San Francisco; Shalby from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Soumya Karlamangla and Stephanie Chavez contributed to this report from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-03-10--13 Cal State Northridge students self-isolating after possible coronavirus exposure

Thirteen Cal State Northridge students are self-isolating amid concerns they may have been exposed to the coronavirus during an event in Washington , D.C. , last week .
College officials on Monday said the students have not shown any symptoms after attending a conference where two attendees — who are not connected to the campus —tested positive for COVID-19 .
The students will self-isolate “ out of an abundance of caution ” for 14 days from the date of possible exposure as they monitor their health for symptoms of the virus , including fever , cough and shortness of breath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ The [ Los Angeles Department of Public Health ] and other health agencies monitoring this issue have stated that the risk of exposure for conference attendees is low , and LADPH is not recommending self-isolation of those who may have come in contact with these CSUN students , ” the statement read .
The college did not specify what out-of-state event the group attended .
It isn ’ t clear whether the event was the same one that 10 Cal State Long Beach students attended in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are no cases of the coronavirus on either campus , officials said .
The announcements from the universities comes as the coronavirus continues to spread across California , with multiple cases in communities including Long Beach , Sacramento and San Diego .
On Monday , health officials reported a second death , in Silicon Valley , from the virus .
The growing number of cases shows the the virus is spreading deeper into the state , and officials expect the numbers to rise well beyond 140 as more testing is done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instituted stringent cleaning procedures , and some , including UC Berkeley , UC San Diego , San Jose State , San Francisco State , Santa Clara , Princeton and Vanderbilt , have even opted to suspend in-person classes and have students move to online learning .
“ We will continue to see more cases of COVID-19 , ” L.A. County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said .
“ We continue to urge everyone to do their part : Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school and business closures .
”

Thirteen Cal State Northridge students are self-isolating amid concerns they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, officials say.
Thirteen Cal State Northridge students are self-isolating amid concerns they may have been exposed to the coronavirus during an event in Washington, D.C., last week.
College officials on Monday said the students have not shown any symptoms after attending a conference where two attendees — who are not connected to the campus —tested positive for COVID-19. The students will self-isolate “out of an abundance of caution” for 14 days from the date of possible exposure as they monitor their health for symptoms of the virus, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison said in a statement.
“The [Los Angeles Department of Public Health] and other health agencies monitoring this issue have stated that the risk of exposure for conference attendees is low, and LADPH is not recommending self-isolation of those who may have come in contact with these CSUN students,” the statement read.
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The college did not specify what out-of-state event the group attended. It isn’t clear whether the event was the same one that 10 Cal State Long Beach students attended in Washington, D.C., that prompted them to self-isolate.
There are no cases of the coronavirus on either campus, officials said.
The announcements from the universities comes as the coronavirus continues to spread across California, with multiple cases in communities including Long Beach, Sacramento and San Diego. On Monday, health officials reported a second death, in Silicon Valley, from the virus.
The growing number of cases shows the the virus is spreading deeper into the state, and officials expect the numbers to rise well beyond 140 as more testing is done in the coming days. Universities have instituted stringent cleaning procedures, and some, including UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, San Jose State, San Francisco State, Santa Clara, Princeton and Vanderbilt, have even opted to suspend in-person classes and have students move to online learning.
“We will continue to see more cases of COVID-19,” L.A. County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said. “We continue to urge everyone to do their part: Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick; plan for the possibility of school and business closures.”


latimes--2020-03-10--Sacramento ends coronavirus containment strategy, 14-day quarantine

Sacramento County officials announced that they would stop focusing on containing the novel coronavirus and instead implement “ community mitigation measures ” — a strategy that runs counter to other California counties that have called on residents to practice “ social distancing.
” “ It is no longer necessary for someone who has been in contact with someone with COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days , ” the county said in a Monday night statement .
“ This applies to the general public , as well as health care workers and first responders .
“ However , if they develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to protect those who are well.
” The county advised residents to stay home if they are sick and manage their symptoms with over-the-counter drugs , unless they are having difficulty breathing or their symptoms worsen after seeming to improve .
Additionally , residents who are older , have chronic health conditions or have severely weakened immune systems should consider staying home and away from crowded gatherings , the county said .
The statement comes as hopes of containing the virus are fading .
Ten people , including one person who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the strain of coronavirus in Sacramento County .
That number includes one elementary-school-aged student in Elk Grove .
Other communities in California have focused aggressively on containment .
Santa Clara County , with 43 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death , has California ’ s largest number of confirmed infections .
After declining an earlier recommendation to halt mass gatherings late last week , the San Jose Sharks said the team would abide by the county ’ s new order at SAP Center in downtown San Jose , which is enforceable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge , ” the Santa Clara County health officer , Dr. Sara Cody , said at a news conference Monday night .
“ The number and type of cases to date indicate that the risk of exposure to this virus in our community is increasing.
” There has been a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Santa Clara County , rising from 11 cases on Thursday to 43 on Monday .
Of the total , 21 in Silicon Valley are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown in the community , and not by having traveled to an area where the virus is circulating , nor by having been infected by someone with a confirmed case .

Downtown Sacramento rises from the banks of the Sacramento River near the historic Tower Bridge.
Sacramento County officials announced that they would stop focusing on containing the novel coronavirus and instead implement “community mitigation measures” — a strategy that runs counter to other California counties that have called on residents to practice “social distancing.”
“It is no longer necessary for someone who has been in contact with someone with COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days,” the county said in a Monday night statement. “This applies to the general public, as well as health care workers and first responders.
“However, if they develop respiratory symptoms, they should stay home in order to protect those who are well.”
The county advised residents to stay home if they are sick and manage their symptoms with over-the-counter drugs, unless they are having difficulty breathing or their symptoms worsen after seeming to improve.
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Additionally, residents who are older, have chronic health conditions or have severely weakened immune systems should consider staying home and away from crowded gatherings, the county said.
The statement comes as hopes of containing the virus are fading. Ten people, including one person who has recovered, have been confirmed to have the strain of coronavirus in Sacramento County.
That number includes one elementary-school-aged student in Elk Grove.
Other communities in California have focused aggressively on containment.
Santa Clara County, with 43 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death, has California’s largest number of confirmed infections.
After declining an earlier recommendation to halt mass gatherings late last week, the San Jose Sharks said the team would abide by the county’s new order at SAP Center in downtown San Jose, which is enforceable by the county sheriff and city police agencies.
“We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge,” the Santa Clara County health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, said at a news conference Monday night. “The number and type of cases to date indicate that the risk of exposure to this virus in our community is increasing.”
There has been a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Santa Clara County, rising from 11 cases on Thursday to 43 on Monday. Of the total, 21 in Silicon Valley are believed to have been infected by someone unknown in the community, and not by having traveled to an area where the virus is circulating, nor by having been infected by someone with a confirmed case.


latimes--2020-03-10--L.A. school board weighs emergency declaration for coronavirus rapid response

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday is expected to give Supt .
Austin Beutner “ emergency powers ” to take actions needed to close schools if necessary in the nation ’ s second-largest school district in response to the coronavirus outbreak The action is seen as a precaution that would allow Beutner to act quickly as the need arises .
As of Tuesday afternoon , there were no plans to close schools and no individual diagnosed with COVID-19 had a connection to an L.A. Unified school , according to the district .
The overall goals are to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district ’ s approximately 860 campuses and ensure that an education program continues to be provided .
“ We are preparing students for college , career and life , ” Beutner said in an interview .
“ That is our solemn mission ...
But we have to make sure along the way that they are safe .
So we ’ re balancing those two.
” What does an emergency declaration mean ?
Under the proposed action , which is scheduled for a vote at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon , the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That declaration would give Beutner the authority to relocate students and staff , revise student transportation arrangements and approve alternative educational options .
It also provides paid leaves of absence for employees due to quarantine or illness , allows staff to serve as disaster-service workers , and provides for necessary alterations , repairs or improvements to district property .
L.A. Unified is responsible for the education and safety of more than half a million district and charter-school students .
If adult education and early education numbers are included , that total rises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are about 100,000 full- and part-time workers .
The new emergency powers would also allow the superintendent or his designee to enter into necessary contracts , without going through the normal approval process , for any dollar amount required to respond to emergency conditions .
These costs could cover the relocation of students and staff , continued instruction , maintenance of food supplies , instructional materials , operational support supplies , equipment in support of online learning , daily student transportation and provision of additional staffing such as nurses The designation would come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berkeley , UC San Diego , UC Santa Cruz , San Jose State and San Francisco State announced Monday that they are suspending in-person classroom instruction and moving to online education .
Northern California ’ s largest school district , Elk Grove Unified , is shut down this week .
“ It all depends upon the facts and circumstances , ” Beutner said .
“ As a practical matter , the diagnosis of an individual at a school would create a high likelihood that , at that one school at least , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others.
” “ At that point it will get or could get complicated , ” he added .
“ So for instance , one high school has 2,623 students from 94 different zip codes — some as far as 30 miles away .
And 221 people work there from 88 different zip codes .
One could imagine it getting complex in a hurry .
But right now what we can do is focus on prevention.
” The district also is developing contingency plans for providing education services when schools are closed , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family hardships in the event of closures Officials in L.A. Unified and other school districts throughout the state understand the hardship that school closures would bring to families and acknowledge that campuses are generally not set up to provide comprehensive instruction online , especially in elementary schools .
Officials are also concerned about the hardship that closures would cause for families , especially in a district such as L.A. Unified , where about four in five students are members of a low-income household , and where both parents work and have limited childcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will be hardest hit in a situation like this are the most vulnerable , whom we serve in a large percentage in our schools , ” said school board member Kelly Gonez in an interview .
Some families also depend on L.A. Unified for food services — not only a school lunch for students , but sometimes breakfast and dinner as well .
And the campus frequently becomes a locus for medical services and family counseling .
“ It ’ s very complex , ” Gonez said .
“ And while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past — wildfires , etc.
, this is an unprecedented sort of issue and it doesn ’ t feel like a lot of the health authorities , especially at the federal level , are really doing their part to prepare everyone.
” What about meals for school-aged children ?
The federal government has loosened rules to allow students to be fed outside of normal school operations , if a school is closed due to coronavirus .
And California Gov .
Gavin Newsom also has indicated he will support this goal .
Locations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Summer Food Service and the Seamless Summer Option can also be approved “ to provide meals during unanticipated school closures due to COVID-19 at school and non-school sites , and in a non-congregate setting , ” L.A. County Office of Education spokeswoman Margo Minecki said in a statement .
In L.A. County , sites approved for summer meal service include school campuses , city parks , churches and local nonprofit centers .
About 80 % of district students qualify for free or reduced-price meals .
Such sites also could get permission to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals to be taken away from the site and consumed elsewhere , thereby allowing for social distancing , Minecki said .

Los Angeles schools chief Austin Beutner, center, now has emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, giving Supt. Austin Beutner the authority to take actions needed to close schools if necessary in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The action is seen as a precaution that would allow Beutner to act quickly as the need arises in the nation’s second-largest school district. As of Tuesday night, there were no plans to close schools and no individual diagnosed with COVID-19 had a connection to an L.A. Unified school, according to the district.
“What we’re asking for is emergency authority,” Beutner told the Board of Education before their unanimous vote. “That does not necessarily mean that there will be emergency action today, tomorrow or a week from now. This will allow us to take all appropriate action as the facts and circumstances could change quickly.”
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Some schools and school systems, mainly in Northern California, have gone well beyond planning.
After a Catholic school student and a custodian tested positive for COVID-19, the Archdiocese of San Francisco shuttered all 90 of its schools in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties from Wednesday until March 25, the archdiocese announced Tuesday. The Elk Grove Unified district, the largest in Northern California, closed schools for the entire week after an elementary school student was diagnosed with the virus.
One problem, said Beutner, is that there are no standard protocols for when to close a school or specific guidance on how long a school should remain closed.
“We look at the range of alternatives: isolated community, isolated individual, diagnosed to a specific place — that might cause us to take one set of actions,” he said after the meeting.
Then there’s consideration for schools like Hamilton High School: 2,623 students from 94 zip codes — some as far as 30 miles away. And 221 employees from 88 zip codes.
“So we’re planning for different scenarios. We don’t know which one’s going to happen or if any will happen,” Beutner said.
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What does an emergency declaration mean?
The declaration gives Beutner the authority to relocate students and staff, revise student transportation arrangements and approve alternative educational options. It also gives him authority to provide paid leaves of absence for employees due to quarantine or illness, assignstaff to serve as disaster-service workers, and order necessary alterations, repairs or improvements to district property.
The declaration also allows Beutner to pay for these measures without going through the usual contracting process.
L.A. Unified is responsible for the education and safety of more than half a million district and charter-school students. If adult education and early education numbers are included, that total rises to more than 670,000. There also are about 78,000 full- and part-time workers.
How would instruction be provided?
The district has been developing contingency plans but has released limited details.
Deputy Supt. Megan Reilly, who is overseeing the response planning, said the district already has two online learning tools that would be expanded. One platform allows students to receive and turn in assignments online. A separate system allows students to take self-contained online courses. That system has been used for students who need to pass courses quickly in order to graduate.
But there are three serious limitations: There aren’t enough devices for students to take home; not all families have internet at home, and many teachers and students are not trained to manage instruction online.
The district has no perfect solution for any of these challenges, but Beutner asked the state on Monday for $50 million to purchase devices. The superintendent also sent letters to all the major internet providers, asking them to supply free emergency broadband access.
Beutner also is asking the state for authority to assign students to independent study outside of the normal, more time-consuming process. And he wants the state to stockpile emergency supplies that schools might need.
How about the hardships faced by families and employees?
Officials in L.A. Unified and other school districts throughout the state understand the hardship that school closures would bring to families, especially in a district such as L.A. Unified, where about four in five students are members of a low-income household, and where both parents work and have limited childcare options.
“We know that those who will be hardest hit in a situation like this are the most vulnerable, whom we serve in a large percentage in our schools,” said school board member Kelly Gonez in an interview.
The campus frequently becomes a locus for medical services and family counseling. And some families also depend on L.A. Unified for food — about 17,000 students are homeless.
“We have a very large number of students who eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at school,” said school board member Jackie Goldberg. “I don’t think we have an answer for that yet. ... Are there ways to distribute food that don’t include passing the virus along with it?”
The federal government has loosened rules to allow students to be fed outside of normal school operations, if a school is closed due to coronavirus. And California Gov. Gavin Newsom also has indicated he will support this goal.
Locations that serve students food in the summer through the Summer Food Service and the Seamless Summer Option can also be approved “to provide meals during unanticipated school closures” at schools and elsewhere, said Margo Minecki, a spokeswoman for the L.A. County Office of Education.
In L.A. County, sites approved for summer meal service include campuses, city parks, churches and local nonprofit centers. To avoid the gathering of groups, families could pick up meals and take them home. More than two-thirds of L.A. County public school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and about 80% in LAUSD.
The district’s Reilly said employees still would be paid if schools are closed, and that no one should worry about facing repercussions for staying home when they are sick.
“If you are sick we are being very liberal” in allowing for sick time, she said.


latimes--2020-03-10--As coronavirus spreads rapidly, Silicon Valley bans mass gatherings of 1,000 or more

With Silicon Valley reporting a rapidly rising number of confirmed coronavirus cases , the health officer for Santa Clara County issued a rare legal order banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people .
Santa Clara County , with 43 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death , has California ’ s largest number of confirmed infections .
After declining an earlier recommendation to halt mass gatherings late last week , the San Jose Sharks said the team would abide by the county ’ s new order at SAP Center in downtown San Jose , which is enforceable by the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge , ” the Santa Clara County health officer , Dr. Sara Cody , said at a news conference Monday night .
“ The number and type of cases to date indicate that the risk of exposure to this virus in our community is increasing.
” There has been a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Santa Clara County , rising from 11 cases on Thursday to 43 on Monday .
Of the total , 21 in Silicon Valley are believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community , and not by getting infected by traveling to an area where the virus is circulating , nor by having been infected by someone with a confirmed case .
“ Because our emerging data tells that we have more extensive community spread than was apparent to us even five days ago , we must take more actions to slow the spread of disease and to protect the public , ” Cody said .
Cody acted Monday night just hours after she announced the first death in Santa Clara County , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying medical conditions .
The patient was the first in Santa Clara County to be identified as being infected by the virus through an unknown source , meaning it was the first sign that the virus had begun spreading in the community .
It ’ s not clear why Santa Clara County is seeing a particularly fast rise in cases over other counties .
Coronavirus cases could be on the sharp rise elsewhere , but a lack of testing capability is thwarting officials ’ ability to track the spread of disease .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , and , “ as we ’ ve tested more people , we ’ ve found more cases .
And we anticipate many more cases as commercial laboratories come online to test for this illness , ” Cody said .
Older adults and those with underlying health conditions , such as diabetes , obesity , asthma , disease of the heart , lung or kidney , and those with weakened immune systems , are at much greater risk for severe illness and death .
The virus can cause severe illness by moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the lungs and airways , where it hijacks those cells , destroying them and spreading more copies of the virus throughout the body .
About 19 % of those infected with the virus can suffer severe or critical symptoms , according to an analysis of nearly 45,000 patients in China .
About 5 % show critical symptoms , and half result in death .
Health officials have expressed strong worry about the virus getting into more nursing homes or long-term care facilities like the one in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing home , Life Care Center of Kirkland , have died from the coronavirus .
That ’ s out of 22 deaths in all of Washington state .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said it ’ s imperative nursing homes get up to speed with regard to infection control .
“ You saw what happened in the Seattle area — that ’ s not the last time that ’ s going to happen , ” Fauci said in a video interview Friday with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now that authorities have lost the ability to contain the virus to limited numbers of people in California , social distancing , or asking people to avoid crowds and keep people away from each other by six feet , is now one of the only tools public health officials have to slow the spread of the virus .
“ It ’ s easier for a hospital to take care of one new infection per day for two weeks than to have 14 infections all in one day , ” Cody said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surge capacity of hospitals and healthcare systems.
” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo urged the public to comply with the public health directives and recommendations , like encouraging those who are sick to stay at home .
“ These are trying days .
And the weeks ahead are going to be difficult for everyone in our community , ” Liccardo said .
“ And I am confident that if we take care of each other and we work together , we are collectively stronger than this virus .
”

With Silicon Valley reporting a rapidly rising number of confirmed coronavirus cases, the health officer for Santa Clara County issued a rare legal order banning mass gatherings of 1,000 or more people.
Santa Clara County, with 48 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death, as of Wednesday, has California’s largest number of confirmed infections. After declining an earlier recommendation to halt mass gatherings late last week, the San Jose Sharks said the team would abide by the county’s new order at SAP Center in downtown San Jose, which is enforceable by the county sheriff and city police agencies.
“We are clearly facing a historic public health challenge,” the Santa Clara County health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, said at a news conference Monday night. “The number and type of cases to date indicate that the risk of exposure to this virus in our community is increasing.”
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There has been a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Santa Clara County, rising from 11 cases on Thursday to 43 on Monday and 48 Wednesday. Of the total, 21 in Silicon Valley are believed to have been infected by someone unknown in the community, and not by getting infected by traveling to an area where the virus is circulating, nor by having been infected by someone with a confirmed infection case.
“Because our emerging data tells that we have more extensive community spread than was apparent to us even five days ago, we must take more actions to slow the spread of disease and to protect the public,” Cody said.
Cody acted Monday night just hours after she announced the first death in Santa Clara County, that of a woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions. The patient was the first in Santa Clara County to be identified as being infected by the virus through an unknown source, meaning it was the first sign that the virus had begun spreading in the community.
It’s not clear why Santa Clara County is seeing a particularly fast rise in cases over other counties. Coronavirus cases could be on the sharp rise elsewhere, but a lack of testing capability is thwarting officials’ ability to track the spread of disease. More testing recently became available in Santa Clara County, and, “as we’ve tested more people, we’ve found more cases. And we anticipate many more cases as commercial laboratories come online to test for this illness,” Cody said.
Older adults and those with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, disease of the heart, lung or kidney, and those with weakened immune systems, are at much greater risk for severe illness and death. The virus can cause severe illness by moving from the throat, nose and sinuses into the lungs and airways, where it hijacks those cells, destroying them and spreading more copies of the virus throughout the body.
About 19% of those infected with the virus can suffer severe or critical symptoms, according to an analysis of nearly 45,000 patients in China. About 5% show critical symptoms, and half result in death.
Health officials have expressed strong worry about the virus getting into more nursing homes or long-term care facilities like the one in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, where 19 people associated with a single nursing home, Life Care Center of Kirkland, have died from the coronavirus. That’s out of 22 deaths in all of Washington state.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it’s imperative nursing homes get up to speed with regard to infection control. “You saw what happened in the Seattle area — that’s not the last time that’s going to happen,” Fauci said in a video interview Friday with the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
Now that authorities have lost the ability to contain the virus to limited numbers of people in California, social distancing, or asking people to avoid crowds and keep people away from each other by six feet, is now one of the only tools public health officials have to slow the spread of the virus.
“It’s easier for a hospital to take care of one new infection per day for two weeks than to have 14 infections all in one day,” Cody said. “Sudden increases in infection can exceed the surge capacity of hospitals and healthcare systems.”
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo urged the public to comply with the public health directives and recommendations, like encouraging those who are sick to stay at home.
“These are trying days. And the weeks ahead are going to be difficult for everyone in our community,” Liccardo said. “And I am confident that if we take care of each other and we work together, we are collectively stronger than this virus.”


latimes--2020-03-10--Cybersecurity company linked to FBI raid of DWP files claim against city

A cybersecurity firm that worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is alleging in a new legal claim that there are widespread security gaps at the utility and that the DWP and city staff concealed those vulnerabilities from regulators .
Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC submitted a 10-page claim against the city earlier this year , alleging retaliation and breach of contract .
The firm alleges that Mayor Eric Garcetti personally ordered its contract canceled as a “ retaliatory measure ” after Ardent alerted officials to the utility ’ s physical and cybersecurity problems , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Atty .
Mike Feuer ’ s office , declined to comment .
Claims are typically submitted to the city before the filing of a lawsuit and are lodged to preserve a claimant ’ s right to sue .
Ardent worked out of Figueroa Plaza , a pair of downtown office towers that house several city agencies .
The firm was one of several companies named in a FBI search warrant served at the utility during agents ’ raid of city buildings last year .
Investigators searched Ardent ’ s computers on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about any security reviews done by the firm and documents related to DWP ’ s compliance with industry security standards , according to sections of the warrant reviewed by The Times and an eyewitness report .
Federal agents also sought evidence related to litigation sparked by the DWP ’ s botched rollout of a new billing software system in 2013 .
In its claim against the city submitted Jan. 10 , Ardent says its firm was hired in April 2019 by the DWP to perform cybersecurity work .
During the course of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ corporate IT network ” and concluded there were an “ extremely high number of unpatched vulnerabilities , ” according to the claim .
Ardent ’ s top staff informed DWP Board President Mel Levine and DWP ’ s senior executives about the security issues in an Aug. 12 , 2019 , email , the claim states .
In its claim , Ardent said it told Levine and others that it had uncovered evidence that DWP and city officials had made “ false statements and failed to disclose material facts ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City officials and DWP staff “ acted to conceal these facts from federal and state regulators , bond rating agencies , purchasers of municipal securities issued by the LADWP and the public at large , ” the claim states .
Later on Aug. 12 , Garcetti ordered Ardent ’ s contract suspended , according to the claim .
The claim alleges the city and DWP breached the contract with Ardent by failing to pay the firm more than $ 3 million .
DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo said the utility “ strongly disagrees ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Ardent contract was severed because of “ concern over their continued involvement in critical cyber issues.
” Ramallo declined to elaborate on those concerns and said the U.S. attorney ’ s office had advised the utility that public disclosures could hurt any investigation .
“ We want to assure our customers and stakeholders that cybersecurity is of the utmost importance to DWP , ” Ramallo said .
“ And the appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that our cybersecurity is compliant with all applicable laws and security standards.
” Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office also declined comment , said spokesman Ciaran McEvoy .
The firm ’ s most recent business filing with the secretary of state , made in November 2019 , lists Ardent ’ s president as Paul Paradis .
Paradis is a key figure in a scandal stemming from the city ’ s handling of a class action lawsuit filed over inaccurate DWP bills from the 2013 billing system .
He was hired by the city attorney ’ s office for legal work related to the fallout over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his company , Aventador , won a $ 30-million , no-bid contract from the DWP to fix the billing system and for cybersecurity work .
Aventador Utility Solutions LLC renamed itself Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC in March 2019 , according to state records .
Attorney Gregory W. Smith , who is representing Ardent in its claim against the city , declined comment .
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the FBI raid of the DWP and the city attorney ’ s office .

A cybersecurity firm that worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is alleging in a new legal claim that there are widespread security gaps at the utility and that the DWP and city staff concealed those vulnerabilities from regulators.
Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC submitted a 10-page claim against the city earlier this year, alleging retaliation and breach of contract. The firm alleges that Mayor Eric Garcetti personally ordered its contract canceled as a “retaliatory measure” after Ardent alerted officials to the utility’s physical and cybersecurity problems, according to the claim.
Rob Wilcox, spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office, declined to comment. Claims are typically submitted to the city before the filing of a lawsuit and are lodged to preserve a claimant’s right to sue.
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Ardent worked out of Figueroa Plaza, a pair of downtown office towers that house several city agencies. The firm was one of several companies named in a FBI search warrant served at the utility during agents’ raid of city buildings last year.
Investigators searched Ardent’s computers on the day of the raid and sought information about any security reviews done by the firm and documents related to DWP’s compliance with industry security standards, according to sections of the warrant reviewed by The Times and an eyewitness report.
Federal agents also sought evidence related to litigation sparked by the DWP’s botched rollout of a new billing software system in 2013.
In its claim against the city submitted Jan. 10, Ardent says its firm was hired in April 2019 by the DWP to perform cybersecurity work. During the course of its work, the firm scanned the DWP’s “corporate IT network” and concluded there were an “extremely high number of unpatched vulnerabilities,” according to the claim.
Ardent’s top staff informed DWP Board President Mel Levine and DWP’s senior executives about the security issues in an Aug. 12, 2019, email, the claim states.
In its claim, Ardent said it told Levine and others that it had uncovered evidence that DWP and city officials had made “false statements and failed to disclose material facts” about the utility’s security. City officials and DWP staff “acted to conceal these facts from federal and state regulators, bond rating agencies, purchasers of municipal securities issued by the LADWP and the public at large,” the claim states.
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Later on Aug. 12, Garcetti ordered Ardent’s contract suspended, according to the claim.
The claim alleges the city and DWP breached the contract with Ardent by failing to pay the firm more than $3 million.
DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo said the utility “strongly disagrees” with Ardent’s allegations. He said the Ardent contract was severed because of “concern over their continued involvement in critical cyber issues.” Ramallo declined to elaborate on those concerns and said the U.S. attorney’s office had advised the utility that public disclosures could hurt any investigation.
“We want to assure our customers and stakeholders that cybersecurity is of the utmost importance to DWP,” Ramallo said. “And the appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that our cybersecurity is compliant with all applicable laws and security standards.”
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar declined to comment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also declined comment, said spokesman Ciaran McEvoy.
The firm’s most recent business filing with the secretary of state, made in November 2019, lists Ardent’s president as Paul Paradis.
Paradis is a key figure in a scandal stemming from the city’s handling of a class action lawsuit filed over inaccurate DWP bills from the 2013 billing system. He was hired by the city attorney’s office for legal work related to the fallout over the faulty system. At the same time, his company, Aventador, won a $30-million, no-bid contract from the DWP to fix the billing system and for cybersecurity work.
Paradis has denied wrongdoing.
Aventador Utility Solutions LLC renamed itself Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC in March 2019, according to state records.
Attorney Gregory W. Smith, who is representing Ardent in its claim against the city, declined comment.
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the FBI raid of the DWP and the city attorney’s office.


latimes--2020-03-10--Coachella festival may be rescheduled due to coronavirus threat

As the coronavirus continues to spread and upend travel plans and day-to-day life , the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is set to become the latest casualty .
Multiple sources report that Coachella promoter Goldenvoice is in talks with artists to move the 2020 edition of the event , which was set to take place on two consecutive weekends starting April 10 , to Oct. 9 and 16 .
It is also working to move the Stagecoach country music festival to a fall weekend .
Coachella , which occurs every April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acts , with Rage Against the Machine , Travis Scott and Frank Ocean as headliners .
Set for April 24-26 , Stagecoach touts a lineup led by Thomas Rhett , Carrie Underwood and Eric Church .
Coachella is expected to draw 250,000 fans over its two weekends .
Neither Goldenvoice nor its parent company , AEG , has made an announcement concerning the fate of the festivals .
The possible postponements follow SXSW ’ s announcement on Friday that the city of Austin had pulled the plug on its March series of music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , organizers for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells , not far from Indio , canceled the annual tennis tournament after the Riverside County Public Health Department confirmed the first local case of coronavirus and declared a public health emergency .
Days later , three new cases were announced in Riverside County .
As of Monday , at least 545 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus in the U.S. , with at least 22 deaths .
Long considered the kickoff to the spring and summer concert season , Coachella @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commercial energy into the Southern California music scene for 21 years .
Palm Springs-area merchants work the April festival windfalls into their budgets .
Thousands of temporary workers relocate to the area to service the 250,000 festival attendees , who inject well over $ 700 million into the region ’ s economy .
Addressing the coronavirus situation last Wednesday , Riverside County director of public health Kim Saruwatari , whose purview includes Indio , told The Times that the county had been reaching out to event organizers to confer .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on anything , but we want to make sure we can protect the community , ” Saruwatari said .
“ This virus is changing day by day , hour by hour .
We ’ re monitoring it very closely .
We ’ re going to do our best to give advance notice , but it ’ s a fluid situation , and if we have to make a decision late we ’ ll do that.
” The possible postponement by Goldenvoice is the latest in a series of disruptions related to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancellation of SXSW , the Ultra Music Festival in Miami postponed its annual electronic music showcase earlier this month .
On Monday , rock band Pearl Jam postponed the North American leg of its upcoming tour .
The fate of Coachella is being watched closely by the promoters of the season ’ s other major outdoor music festivals , including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival , Electric Daisy Carnival , Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza .

April’s Coachella festival may be rescheduled for Oct. 9 and 16 due to coronavirus.
As the coronavirus continues to spread and upend travel plans and day-to-day life, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is set to become the latest casualty.
Multiple sources report that Coachella promoter Goldenvoice is in talks with artists to move the 2020 edition of the event, which was set to take place on two consecutive weekends starting April 10, to Oct. 9 and 16. It is also working to move the Stagecoach country music festival to a fall weekend.
Coachella, which occurs every April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, is slated to feature more than 150 acts, with Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean as headliners. Set for April 24-26, Stagecoach touts a lineup led by Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church.
Coachella is expected to draw 250,000 fans over its two weekends.
Neither Goldenvoice nor its parent company, AEG, has made an announcement concerning the fate of the festivals.
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The possible postponements follow SXSW’s announcement on Friday that the city of Austin had pulled the plug on its March series of music, media and film conferences. On Sunday, organizers for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, not far from Indio, canceled the annual tennis tournament after the Riverside County Public Health Department confirmed the first local case of coronavirus and declared a public health emergency.
Days later, three new cases were announced in Riverside County.
As of Monday, at least 545 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus in the U.S., with at least 22 deaths.
Long considered the kickoff to the spring and summer concert season, Coachella and Stagecoach have pumped both cultural and commercial energy into the Southern California music scene for 21 years. Palm Springs-area merchants work the April festival windfalls into their budgets. Thousands of temporary workers relocate to the area to service the 250,000 festival attendees, who inject well over $700 million into the region’s economy.
Addressing the coronavirus situation last Wednesday, Riverside County director of public health Kim Saruwatari, whose purview includes Indio, told The Times that the county had been reaching out to event organizers to confer.
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“We’re not ready to pull the trigger on anything, but we want to make sure we can protect the community,” Saruwatari said. “This virus is changing day by day, hour by hour. We’re monitoring it very closely. We’re going to do our best to give advance notice, but it’s a fluid situation, and if we have to make a decision late we’ll do that.”
The possible postponement by Goldenvoice is the latest in a series of disruptions related to the virus’ spread. In addition to the cancellation of SXSW, the Ultra Music Festival in Miami postponed its annual electronic music showcase earlier this month. On Monday, rock band Pearl Jam postponed the North American leg of its upcoming tour.
The fate of Coachella is being watched closely by the promoters of the season’s other major outdoor music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.
Staff writer Randall Roberts provided additional reporting.


latimes--2020-03-10--Three UC campuses, Harvard, Princeton join growing coronavirus cancellations

UC Santa Cruz and Whittier College on Tuesday joined a growing wave of colleges and universities across the country that are launching sweeping safety measures in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak , including the cancellation of in-person classes and several urging students to not return to campus after spring break .
As colleges turn to online learning for the remainder of the school year , many have also canceled admission tours and put tight restrictions on campus gatherings and travel .
UC Santa Cruz is the third University of California campus , joining Berkeley and San Diego , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning to reduce face-to-face interactions as much as possible .
Whittier College officials said Tuesday that classes will be canceled on Friday at the 1,700-student campus and will resume online only after spring break on March 23 .
San Jose State , San Francisco State and the private Santa Clara University are the largest California universities as of Tuesday that have made similar moves .
UC San Diego decided to conduct online classes for the entirety of the spring quarter , which begins March 25 .
Scores of universities in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced moves to online learning .
On the East Coast , Harvard and Princeton are urging students to stay home after their spring break , when classes will go online .
In New York , Columbia University , Barnard and New York University are transitioning to online classes on Wednesday .
A growing number of colleges , including Amherst College in Massachusetts , Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee , have taken similar actions .
The sweeping measures cut across core campus operations — including instruction , lab work , admissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fast-moving global coronavirus outbreak .
Caltech officials , citing an “ abundance of caution in light of the quickly evolving COVID-19 situation , ” announced cancellations of all on-campus visit programs indefinitely .
“ The long-term results of the coronavirus will remain to be seen , but it ’ s clear that the short-term challenge is probably the greatest that higher education has faced in a generation , ” said Ted Mitchell , president of the American Council on Education .
“ Every college and university is on a war footing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much information as possible.
” Mitchell said higher education has experienced such tumult only a few times in the last century .
After 9/11 , he said , widespread travel restrictions were initiated and some students were targets of racial and religious profiling .
During the Vietnam War , many campuses were inflamed by antiwar protests and lost some students and faculty members to the military draft .
The Great Recession of 2008 financially sapped higher education , but the damage took place more gradually , with the University of California losing one-third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Nathan Brostrom , who was UC chief financial officer at the time and now serves as interim chancellor at UC Merced .
The difference with the coronavirus , Brostrom said , has been the speed of its onslaught and the dramatic effect it is having across campus .
“ Literally every time I look at my computer , something new is coming up , ” Brostrom said .
“ The impact is felt on every part of campus operations .
All we can do is continually prepare and be nimble in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-in mobilization involves twice-daily meetings on emergency services and teleconferences with all UC campuses to share information and best practices .
They review health updates and policies on travel and large gatherings .
They nail down plans to continue instruction and research should the campus have to move to online learning .
Merced has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus or even reports of potential exposure , and its classes are not affected for now .
In addition , the UC financial expert said he was starting to assess the costs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any extra costs to bring 21 students home early from study-abroad programs in Italy , South Korea and Japan .
Already , the campus is paying for added expenses , such as mega-orders of hand sanitizer and extra campus cleanings .
And potential future costs loom .
Merced could lose needed revenue if the campus cancels summer sessions .
It could need to provide financial aid to the largely low-income student body if classes move online and obviate the need for federal work-study jobs on campus .
So far Berkeley , San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 10-campus University of California system to announce in-person class suspensions .
At those campuses , classes that can not be held remotely , such as laboratories and performing arts , will continue to meet .
Varsha Sarveshwar , a UC Berkeley senior and UC Student Assn .
president , said she fully backed the decision and called on all UC campuses to consider similar action .
“ It ’ s a really responsible decision on the part of the campus , ” she said .
She added that the transition should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began stepping up online learning last year when Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power during the Northern California wildfires .
At a UCLA student meeting Monday , officials said that they are paying close attention to public health reports but do not see a need at this time to suspend in-person classes or close dorms or dining halls .
Across town at USC , officials are preparing for a three-day test on online learning beginning Wednesday .
“ We are preparing the university to make substantial changes in a very short period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capability to move online should stronger measures become necessary , ” said Provost Charles F. Zukoski .
“ We are in uncharted territory , and we are being vigilant to protect our community.
” Except for San Jose and San Francisco State , the California State University ’ s 21 other campuses were are still holding in-person classes as of Tuesday , a university spokesman said .
At Cal State Long Beach 10 students were in self-isolation , and at Cal State Northridge 13 students were isolating themselves after possible exposure at in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the California community colleges “ all of our campuses are preparing for the possibility of a disruption and for moving students online , ” Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said .
Sierra College in Rocklin , outside Sacramento , declared a “ campus state of emergency ” Sunday after two employees were possibly exposed to COVID-19 on a cruise .
The employees , who do not work in classrooms , were on the same cruise as an elderly Placer County man who later tested positive for COVID-19 and died .
The college said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and must transition to remote instruction by March 18 .
Many lab classes will continue on site , and athletic competitions will proceed without spectators .
All events and non-essential travel through the end of March were also canceled .
In the Los Angeles Community College District , officials have worked to debunk false rumors about coronavirus cases at three campuses .
Five Pierce College students have been instructed to “ self-monitor ” their health after returning from a conference last week at which three other attendees not affiliated with the campus tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ William Boyer .
He said no students have shown symptoms of the illness that met public health agency standards for testing for the virus .

UC Santa Cruz and Whittier College on Tuesday joined a growing wave of colleges and universities across the country that are launching sweeping safety measures in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak, including the cancellation of in-person classes and several urging students to not return to campus after spring break.
As colleges turn to online learning for the remainder of the school year, many have also canceled admission tours and put tight restrictions on campus gatherings and travel.
UC Santa Cruz is the third University of California campus, joining Berkeley and San Diego, to suspend in-person classes and transition to online learning to reduce face-to-face interactions as much as possible. Whittier College officials said Tuesday that classes will be canceled on Friday at the 1,700-student campus and will resume online only after spring break on March 23.
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San Jose State, San Francisco State and the private Santa Clara University are the largest California universities as of Tuesday that have made similar moves. UC San Diego decided to conduct online classes for the entirety of the spring quarter, which begins March 25. Scores of universities in the United States, Mideast, Asia and Italy have announced moves to online learning.
On the East Coast, Harvard and Princeton are urging students to stay home after their spring break, when classes will go online. In New York, Columbia University, Barnard and New York University are transitioning to online classes on Wednesday. A growing number of colleges, including Amherst College in Massachusetts, Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, have taken similar actions.
The sweeping measures cut across core campus operations — including instruction, lab work, admissions and financial aid — as they confront the fast-moving global coronavirus outbreak. Caltech officials, citing an “abundance of caution in light of the quickly evolving COVID-19 situation,” announced cancellations of all on-campus visit programs indefinitely.
“The long-term results of the coronavirus will remain to be seen, but it’s clear that the short-term challenge is probably the greatest that higher education has faced in a generation,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. “Every college and university is on a war footing about this and are trying to assemble as much information as possible.”
Mitchell said higher education has experienced such tumult only a few times in the last century. After 9/11, he said, widespread travel restrictions were initiated and some students were targets of racial and religious profiling. During the Vietnam War, many campuses were inflamed by antiwar protests and lost some students and faculty members to the military draft.
The Great Recession of 2008 financially sapped higher education, but the damage took place more gradually, with the University of California losing one-third of its state funding over three years, said Nathan Brostrom, who was UC chief financial officer at the time and now serves as interim chancellor at UC Merced.
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The difference with the coronavirus, Brostrom said, has been the speed of its onslaught and the dramatic effect it is having across campus.
“Literally every time I look at my computer, something new is coming up,” Brostrom said. “The impact is felt on every part of campus operations. All we can do is continually prepare and be nimble in our responses.”
UC Merced’s all-in mobilization involves twice-daily meetings on emergency services and teleconferences with all UC campuses to share information and best practices. They review health updates and policies on travel and large gatherings. They nail down plans to continue instruction and research should the campus have to move to online learning. Merced has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus or even reports of potential exposure, and its classes are not affected for now.
In addition, the UC financial expert said he was starting to assess the costs of the coronavirus outbreak. Merced will pay for any extra costs to bring 21 students home early from study-abroad programs in Italy, South Korea and Japan. Already, the campus is paying for added expenses, such as mega-orders of hand sanitizer and extra campus cleanings.
And potential future costs loom. Merced could lose needed revenue if the campus cancels summer sessions. It could need to provide financial aid to the largely low-income student body if classes move online and obviate the need for federal work-study jobs on campus.
So far Berkeley, San Diego and Santa Cruz are the only campuses in the 10-campus University of California system to announce in-person class suspensions. At those campuses, classes that cannot be held remotely, such as laboratories and performing arts, will continue to meet.
Varsha Sarveshwar, a UC Berkeley senior and UC Student Assn. president, said she fully backed the decision and called on all UC campuses to consider similar action.
“It’s a really responsible decision on the part of the campus,” she said.
She added that the transition should not be too disruptive because Berkeley already began stepping up online learning last year when Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power during the Northern California wildfires.
At a UCLA student meeting Monday, officials said that they are paying close attention to public health reports but do not see a need at this time to suspend in-person classes or close dorms or dining halls.
Across town at USC, officials are preparing for a three-day test on online learning beginning Wednesday.
“We are preparing the university to make substantial changes in a very short period of time to ensure we have the capability to move online should stronger measures become necessary,” said Provost Charles F. Zukoski. “We are in uncharted territory, and we are being vigilant to protect our community.”
Except for San Jose and San Francisco State, the California State University’s 21 other campuses were are still holding in-person classes as of Tuesday, a university spokesman said. At Cal State Long Beach 10 students were in self-isolation, and at Cal State Northridge 13 students were isolating themselves after possible exposure at in Washington, D.C., last week.
At the California community colleges “all of our campuses are preparing for the possibility of a disruption and for moving students online,” Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said.
Sierra College in Rocklin, outside Sacramento, declared a “campus state of emergency” Sunday after two employees were possibly exposed to COVID-19 on a cruise. The employees, who do not work in classrooms, were on the same cruise as an elderly Placer County man who later tested positive for COVID-19 and died.
The college said faculty would begin providing instruction online Wednesday and must transition to remote instruction by March 18. Many lab classes will continue on site, and athletic competitions will proceed without spectators. All events and non-essential travel through the end of March were also canceled.
In the Los Angeles Community College District, officials have worked to debunk false rumors about coronavirus cases at three campuses. Five Pierce College students have been instructed to “self-monitor” their health after returning from a conference last week at which three other attendees not affiliated with the campus tested positive for COVID-19, said LACCD spokesman William Boyer. He said no students have shown symptoms of the illness that met public health agency standards for testing for the virus.
Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.