latimes--2020-04-29--Talk of reopening grows in L.A. and Orange County despite rising coronavirus death toll

Los Angeles County passed another grim coronavirus milestone Tuesday with more than 1,000 deaths even as officials begin preparing for when stay-at-home rules could ease and the economy could restart .
The county continues to be the coronavirus epicenter of California , accounting for an outsized number of deaths and total cases .
That has prompted officials to say the restrictions on movements must continue for now .
The county represents about a quarter of California ’ s population but about half of all COVID-19 hospitalizations .
As of Tuesday , the number of confirmed cases surpassed 21,000 .
Residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all county deaths .
Still , officials are developing a plan to ease the Safer at Home order , which is set to expire May 15 .
Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday that there were no plans to extend the current order , but that as the deadline approaches , officials will reevaluate what is best for the county .
More than 20,000 in the county of 10 million have tested positive for the novel virus , and more than 1,000 have died .
County officials have warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of the virus , the number of those who have been infected is than the official count .
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday to establish an action plan to work with businesses , labor partners and community leaders to lift restrictions .
Supervisor Janice Hahn , echoing an earlier statement by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , said gradually lifting restrictions would not be like flipping a switch : “ It ’ s more like a dimmer.
” “ I would caution everyone from thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or we ’ re nearing the end of this unprecedented tragedy , ” Hahn said .
“ This is not going to just go away .
Coronavirus is going to be around forever , and without a to prevent us from getting the virus or a therapeutic drug to treat you , we need to really be cautious in how we reopen our society.
” The Orange County Board of Supervisors also took up reopening guidelines on Tuesday .
The board unanimously approved a set of business guidelines seeking to “ strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection from the disease and the need for the economy to function again , ” Supervisor Don Wagner said .
“ These guidelines are intended to state clearly the minimum that business owners and operators must do , in addition to following all applicable jurisdictions ’ orders , ” he said .
Employers should require customer-facing workers to wear disposable gloves or wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every 30 minutes , per the guidelines .
“ Face coverings should be provided to all employees , ” the guidelines state .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , should have their temperatures taken and not be permitted to work upon a temperature reading above 100.4 degrees.
” Patrons “ should also wear appropriate face coverings , ” the guidelines add .
Businesses should “ make every effort to limit touch points , ” according to the guidelines , and “ significantly increase [ the ] frequency of sanitizing workstations and equipment.
” The guidelines also include wording related to physical distancing in the workplace — “ a minimum of six feet should be maintained between customer-facing employees and the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , between employee workstations .
Where six feet ... between workstations is impractical , face coverings should be worn.
” When practical , businesses also should allow telecommuting , according to the guidelines .
Regardless of what guidelines the county adopts , though , the ultimate say on when and how businesses can get back up and running is up to Newsom , who imposed the nation ’ s first statewide stay-at-home order last month .
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday a deal with mask manufacturer Honeywell to procure 24 million N95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to first responders and hospitals in need .
The city will get 100,000 masks in May , 500,000 more in July and 1.2 million per month by November , Garcetti said .
“ These will be lifesavers , quite literally , ” Garcetti said .
The announcement comes as hospitals grapple with a nationwide shortage of protective gear and a rise in price-gouging and counterfeit masks .
Officials said L.A. County alone burns through 5 million masks a month .
Elsewhere in Southern California , there was more grim news .
Riverside County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus-related deaths — the most reported in a single day since the pandemic began — pushing the county ’ s death toll to 141 .
The dramatic increase in the is the result of the county catching up on records from coroner officials .
The 23 fatalities occurred between April 21 and Monday , said John Welsh , a Riverside County spokesman .

Alene Tchekmedyian, Colleen Shalby, Luke Money, Hannah Fry

A man relaxes next to caution tape at Griffith Observatory on Tuesday as Los Angeles remains locked down because of the coronavirus.
Mayor Eric Garcetti has long said that expanding COVID-19 testing to all Angelenos, including those without symptoms, is a critical milestone that must be met before leaders can consider lifting some restrictions.
And now, he says, that milestone is a reality.
During a news conference Wednesday evening, Garcetti announced that all city residents were now eligible for free COVID-19 testing — a first-of-its-kind step for any major city in the U.S., he said. The mayor urged all residents to consider getting swabbed, noting that some people who feel fine can still be asymptomatic carriers.
1 / 37 Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Boyle Heights. Experts say widespread testing is crucial for states to be able to safely reopen their economies. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 37 Testing in Boyle Heights. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 37 A testing sample is sealed. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 37 Putting on personal protective equipment before testing. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 37 Testing in Boyle Heights. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 37 A patient is screened before testing. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 37 Information is collected from a patient. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 37 Boyle Heights COVID-19 testing. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 37 Juan Infante, a certified medical assistant, takes the temperature of a patient before she gets tested. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 37 Carson City Mayor Albert Robles does self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of a community center in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 37 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 37 A Carson resident passes a sealed self-test to a health official at a drive-up testing site. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 37 Carson resident Melvin Smith, 64, does self-testing. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 37 A person drops a specimen at a COVID-19 mobile testing site in Bell. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 37 A person swabs their mouth at a COVID-19 mobile testing site in Bell. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 37 A man talks with a healthcare worker outside Kedren Community Health Center in South LA, where they are offering walk-up coronavirus testing along with other medical services. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 37 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 37 A portrait and quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 37 Julie Montez, right, sits in her car as a nurse administers a coronavirus test at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 37 Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks at a drive-through public testing for coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 37 Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 37 Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 23 / 37 Gessie Lurlay is working as a coronavirus screener at the Camarena Health Center in Madera. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 37 Francis Gon-Gibbs, of LA County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, stands at the entrance of a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) 25 / 37 A man drops off his self-administered COVID-19 test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 37 Workers direct drivers at a drive-up test site for COVID-19 at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 37 A man misses the blue bin while dropping off his self-administered COVID-19 test at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 37 Workers help conduct drive-thru coronavirus testing at Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 29 / 37 A sign directs people to drive-thru coronavirus testing at Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 30 / 37 Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All In This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location, at the South Bay Galleria, in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 37 A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for COVID-19 at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 32 / 37 Coronavirus CO drive-thru sample collection takes place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 33 / 37 San Bernardino County health care worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-thru sample collection that took place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 34 / 37 Motorists, line up on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium, waiting to enter a parking lot and be tested for the coronavirus. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 35 / 37 Members of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. wear protective gear while handing out kits to people to swab the inside of their mouths to test for the coronavirus, inside a parking lot on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 36 / 37 Riverside County medical personnel screen a car of load of four people at a coronavirus drive-though testing facility for Coachella Valley residents in the parking lot of the Southwest in Indian Wells. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 37 Aerial views cars lined up for drive-through coronavirus testing inside a parking lot on Stadium Way near Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
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“You can’t put a price on the peace of mind of knowing that you can’t infect somebody around you,” he said.
The mayor also said that L.A. County residents could be tested at sites run by the city of Los Angeles.
Garcetti’s announcement came hours after a grim update from health officials: L.A. County saw its largest increase in new coronavirus cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began.
Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer announced 1,541 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, nearly 1,000 more than reported the previous day. The large increase, which pushed the county’s total number of infections past 22,400, is mostly the result of a boost in testing as well as a lag in weekend reporting, Ferrer said.
County health officials also reported 56 additional fatalities linked to the virus, bringing the county’s death toll to 1,056.
Of those who most recently died, 41 were older than 65, nine were 41 to 65 and two were 18 to 40. Information about the other cases wasn’t immediately available. Residents in institutional settings, including assisted living facilities and nursing homes, account for 47% of all county deaths, Ferrer said.
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
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Despite the increase in confirmed cases and new deaths, Ferrer said, the county’s rate of hospitalizations and the percentage of people testing positive for the virus have remained fairly stable. As of Wednesday, 4,715 people who have tested positive for the virus countywide have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. This represents about 22% of positive cases in Los Angeles County, Ferrer said.
“This is because of all the work you’re doing to slow the spread,” she said. “As we prepare for recovery, tracking the information on the number of new hospitalizations every day will be critically important to assessing how well we’re continuing our work to slow the spread.”
Health officials also noted that there has been increased testing at prisons throughout the county, which has also led to an increase in the number of confirmed cases.
The news comes after nearly half of the inmates at the federal prison at Terminal Island in San Pedro tested positive for COVID-19 in what has become the nation’s worst outbreak in a federal penitentiary.
As of Tuesday, 443 of the prison’s 1,055 inmates had the virus, along with 10 staff members. Two inmates have already died of complications related to the virus, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
Ferrer said the “large increase” in those testing positive at the Terminal Island prison is a reflection of a boost in testing within the federal penitentiary for those without visible symptoms. That testing began there last week, she said.
“The vast majority of them are asymptomatic,” she said. She did not say how many of those testing positive have been hospitalized.
Los Angeles County continues to be the coronavirus hotbed of California, accounting for an outsize number of deaths and total cases. The number of coronavirus infections statewide surpassed 48,000 on Wednesday, while the number of deaths passed 1,900.
Officials have said in light of those figures that restrictions on movements must continue for now.
Still, county officials are developing a plan to ease the Safer at Home order, which is set to expire May 15. Ferrer said this week that there were no plans to extend the current order but that, as the deadline approaches, officials would reevaluate what was best for the county.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this week to establish a plan to work with businesses, labor partners and community leaders to lift restrictions. Officials have emphasized that lifting restrictions will happen gradually rather than all at once.
“Restoring the local economy and uplifting employees and employers throughout the region is at the forefront of all of our conversations,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Wednesday. “I’m proud that we’re taking concrete actions and moving forward with plans in place. In addition to prioritizing economic recovery we remain deeply focused on the safety and well-being of all of our residents.”
The push to ease stay-at-home restrictions and open public amenities is also being widely felt in Orange County.
Laguna Beach city officials voted Tuesday to reopen the city’s beaches for several hours on weekday mornings after a six-week closure. A few miles north in Newport Beach, city leaders voted to keep their beaches open despite a stern rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom after crowds swarmed the beaches over the weekend.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a set of business guidelines for reopening the region, seeking to “strike a balance between the need for continued protection from the disease and the need for the economy to function again,” Supervisor Don Wagner said.
The guidelines, which outline physical distancing requirements in the workplace, also note that employers should require customer-facing workers to wear disposable gloves or wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every 30 minutes. Face coverings should be provided to all employees and workers should also have their temperatures taken before starting a shift, per the guidelines.
Regardless of what guidelines counties adopt, the ultimate say on when and how businesses can get back up and running is up to Newsom, who imposed the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order last month.
Newsom has released a four-part plan that he said could have some businesses running in weeks and some schools reopened by the summer.
But the outline, officials acknowledge, still has many uncertainties. It is contingent on improvement in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak and on increased testing to assess how the illness is spreading.
Under Newsom’s plan, some retail businesses, manufacturing, schools and open spaces could reopen first, with strict social distancing rules. Down the line, some entertainment venues and religious institutions could reopen. Live sports, concerts and other crowded events would be the last to resume.
Though the state has recently begun to see the number of hospitalized patients flatten and become relatively stable, California saw a modest increase in those numbers Tuesday and again Wednesday, Newsom said.
During the question-and-answer portion of Newsom’s daily briefing Wednesday, Wagner got on a reporter’s phone and mentioned Orange County’s vote on business guidelines from the previous day. Supervisors had directed county staff to send their guidelines to Sacramento in an effort to show that “it is possible for policymakers, medical professionals and the business community to be effective in a crisis,” according to a news release.
Newsom responded by noting that Orange County has the fourth-highest number of people hospitalized statewide amid the pandemic. The county had 175 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday.
“I’m concerned about that,” Newsom said. “We have a lot of work to do to keep people healthy and keep people safe.”


latimes--2020-04-29--A family of strawberry growers had big dreams. Then came the pandemic

They were picking strawberries , father and son , in the afternoon sunlight of the Oxnard Plain .
The men , 62-year-old Javier Carranza and his son Cruz , 43 , piled the ripened fruit into cardboard boxes destined for farmers markets .
Father on one row , son on another , moving steadily from mound to mound .
Once or twice , the pickers chomped into a berry , testing their crop for flavor .
Yes , these were ready for sale tomorrow .
Not any longer , like so many supermarket varieties picked before peak ripeness .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to offer a visitor a brilliant red strawberry .
The pandemic age gives this normally kind farm-life gesture a new layer of risk .
Could this organically grown fruit have been contaminated by something other than regular old dirt ?
The strawberry hadn ’ t been anywhere but here , where it was born .
In a bite , the spike of acid and sweetness shook the brain .
There is nothing like the taste of a fresh California strawberry , one of the state ’ s most plentiful and emblematic agricultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light , firm but juicy , the strawberry in peak form is a marvel of taste that has been grown on the coastal plains for generations .
Father and son continued their harvest .
It looked like an almost idyllic moment , as if the novel coronavirus pandemic was not swirling all around them — and now threatening their livelihood .
Peak strawberry season in Southern California approaches in May .
Yet with restaurants shuttered and some farmers markets suspended , demand has dropped .
The Carranza family is worried .
“ Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Javier said in a raspish , gentle voice .
“ And now it ’ s slower and slower .
Now we ’ re selling about half.
” Adding urgency to the uncertainty , this year the Carranzas did something they had never done before — gathered up money and invested in the trade directly .
They hold a single acre of strawberries , splitting costs and profit with the landowner , well-known farmer Phil McGrath , in addition to four more rented acres of flowers and greens .
“ We check one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are completely red , so that it has the best possible flavor , ” Cruz explained .
If not , “ what is going to happen with our product , sir ?
It stays here.
” The Carranza family is a rare unit in the state ’ s strawberry supply .
They are not laborers on a large industrial farm , like those paid by the box , but an entirely family-run enterprise that sells to restaurants and at five farmers markets : Santa Monica , Hollywood , South Pasadena , Ojai and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before the coronavirus began forcing closures .
Their button of land sits on the McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo , practically hugging the 101 Freeway .
The legacy farm — founded a century and a half ago by the ancestors of Phil McGrath — has been subdivided over the years .
Substantial acreage is leased to a company that grows crops for Driscoll ’ s , the biggest brand in berries in North America .
A portion of the land is leased to small organic farmers like the Carranzas .
Javier Carranza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1980s .
He began working at McGrath in 1997 as a fieldworker .
Soon his wife , Teresa , and his sons joined him .
Flavio Carranza , their youngest , arrived in 2002 at the age of 4 .
One recent evening , Flavio walked amid his family ’ s fields , pondering the future .
He is a sprightly guy with a small frame .
At 21 , he is around the same age as his brother Cruz ’ s oldest children , who are technically his nephews .
They all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My dad , my brother , my madrina , they ’ re out here front-lining the harvest , for the day of , ” Flavio said .
He speaks better English than his older brother or father , so Flavio , who functions as the family ’ s unofficial spokesman , and Cruz ’ s children take care of the customer-facing parts of the business : logistics , accounting , transport and selling at the market .
Cruz ’ s wife , Olga , also works on the family ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s matriarch , plays an important role , preparing meals for the fieldworkers of the clan , on a firm schedule .
“ And that ’ s how my family employs themselves , ” Flavio said .
The Carranzas immigrated from the Mexican state of Michoacán , which makes them something of an anomaly .
Most workers in the strawberry-picking season come from indigenous communities in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero .
An estimated 36,000 farmworkers pick crops in Ventura County alone .
Many have temporary worker visas , but many are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , living in close quarters and transported in packed buses , are especially vulnerable to the virus .
As of April 28 , Ventura County had 508 reported cases of coronavirus and 17 deaths .
In this regard , the Carranzas are relatively at ease .
They don ’ t live in a motel or flophouse , like many intermittent laborers , but on the McGrath property itself , in a trailer home .
Commutes are a short drive .
Or a good walk .
Flavio beamed when he pointed toward his home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in the afternoon , pick strawberries off the vine , and come home .
And that was it , ” Flavio said .
“ I didn ’ t know anything about it until I started working with my dad and my brother about four years ago.
” To an observer driving by , fields of crops might appear fixed features of the landscape .
But in truth , farmland is always shifting .
Crops rise and fall .
Farms are divided up .
Small farmers rent land from bigger ones .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies that reflect deep ties over generations among old-school farm-owning families .
It ’ s a network that the Carranzas , in their minor way , are trying to crack into .
The McGrath enterprise , begun in 1879 by Irish transplant Dominick McGrath , once covered more than 5,000 acres .
In 1971 , the land was divided among relatives , and Phil McGrath started running the 300 acres now known as McGrath Family Farm .
Most of that acreage is now leased to Reiter Affiliated Cos. , a farm that supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acres remain in small growers ’ hands , said Michael Roberts , another small farmer at McGrath , who spoke on Phil McGrath ’ s behalf .
On the small owners ’ acreage that remains , Roberts said , McGrath is trying to build a legacy as he enters retirement .
“ The Carranzas mentored me as well , ” Roberts said .
“ They taught me how to grow , and at this point , Phil has created a scenario where there ’ s a budding farming academy.
” Even before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks .
Drought .
Too much rain .
Disruption by wildfire .
Pests .
The Carranzas , for example , were fighting off a spider mite infestation on a small section of their strawberry patch .
As May approaches , the broader strawberry industry is holding its breath .
California produces more strawberries than all other 49 states combined .
When shutdowns first went into place , the overall demand for strawberries actually grew , said Carolyn O ’ Donnell , communications director for the California Strawberry Commission .
“ We think consumers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice to eat , ” she said .
But will that trend continue ?
Demand , O ’ Donnell said , “ picks up again on Mother ’ s Day and graduation and things like that , but we ’ re not sure what ’ s going to happen this year.
” Other questions consume the industry as well as the many cooks who might be sitting at home incessantly scrolling through troubling news feeds .
Can the agriculture machinery keep grinding during a global pandemic ?
Can essential workers — those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe ?
Community-based and indigenous-led organizations aimed at helping and protecting farmworkers abound in the Oxnard area .
The Farmworker Resource Program in Ventura County is circulating safety information about the coronavirus in the Zapotec , Mixtec , Triqui languages , which are spoken among indigenous natives of southeastern Mexico , said Talia Barrera , the program administrator .
They also do outreach in Purépecha , the indigenous language from Michoacán .
“ We have to keep being creative in our outreach efforts , ” Barrera said .
“ The growers are adapting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The calls on social media to shut “ everything ” down sounded impractical in a local ’ s cold analysis .
“ Just some realistic statistics , ” Barrera said .
“ In the county of Ventura , the ag industry is one of the largest .
They contribute over $ 2 billion , just the berries alone .
We have over 400,000 farmworkers [ in the state ] .
We have to make sure they ’ re well taken care of.
” Leaders in the organic strawberry industry say they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-owner of Harry ’ s Berries , said that their pickers are keeping one row apart and wearing masks .
Gean also praised farmers markets , which were temporarily shut down in Southern California , but have reopened in many locations with stricter social distancing measures .
“ They ’ ve taken extraordinary steps , ” she said .
Even so , the markets have not weathered the pandemic particularly well .
Not only have closures and regulations careened wildly since stay-at-home orders kicked in — one weekend South Pasadena was closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was reversed — restaurant clients who shop at the markets or order directly from the farms have been decimated by the lockdowns .
“ It slowed down just at the wrong time , ” said Tony Carranza , 20 , son of Cruz and Olga .
On a recent Wednesday , his sister Jennifer Carranza , 24 , was selling flowers and strawberries grown by her family at the Santa Monica farmers market .
She now wore a mask , as did all customers and vendors .
“ It ’ s weird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jennifer said .
“ We ’ re getting used to it.
” A week later , flower vending , viewed as nonessential , was banned inside the Santa Monica market , creating another setback for the Carranzas .
There are signs of hope .
The family is seeing an uptick in orders from local residents for produce boxes .
A few days a week Flavio and Tony drive around delivering produce to people ’ s doors .
What they don ’ t sell , the family channels to food bank distributors such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the public-facing store is called Abundant Table .
As life under lockdowns and the pandemic takes hold , the divide between people ’ s awareness of what they eat and where it comes from , Flavio said , feels more pronounced than ever .
“ Farming is just something that ’ s just thrown out there in society , it ’ s so abstract to the common person , ” he said .
“ So because of that , we ’ re too disconnected .
So many of the farms are family-owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see it.
” With the coronavirus , the clan ’ s entire chain , from start to finish , is being affected .
Work to prepare future crops is being put on hold .
“ Before we get to the actual part of selling the produce , and selling the flowers , there is a person who has to grow them in a greenhouse , ” Flavio said , referring to starters , or trays , the very first step of a seed ’ s cultivating existence .
“ To plant something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grower has to be planting , so that we can harvest in July .
It ’ s so intertwined .
If someone can ’ t do their job , it makes it a bit harder for the rest of us to follow through.
” At McGrath , a Pacific breeze is often perceptible from across the plain and Port Hueneme .
Growing up on this land , Flavio said , he hardly imagined learning the ins and outs of the family trade .
Flavio is enrolled at Cal State Channel Islands , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he admitted to feeling the pull of his clan ’ s business .
Rain or shine , the elder Carranzas are out there , tending , nursing , picking .
Javier and Cruz seem to relish their freedom in the field .
“ More peaceful , ” Javier said .
“ No one orders us around , everyone knows what they are doing and , well , that ’ s it .
Happy.
” Big farm or small , the act of harvesting is the same .
Though robot harvesters have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed by human hands .
“ As long as there is strawberry to pick , they are there , because they depend on it , ” Flavio said .
“ Families depend on that.
” Back on the ripest section of the Carranza family patch , the Seascape strawberries were so bright in color , each bulb looked to be near bursting .
“ They ’ re clean , ” the budding farmer said , encouraging .
How did he know ?
“ They ’ ll have dust on them , ” Flavio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part , that ’ s it.
” Another bite , grains of dust be damned .
Another strawberry explodes , eliciting a reflexive groan .

They were picking strawberries, father and son, in the afternoon sunlight of the Oxnard Plain.
The men, 62-year-old Javier Carranza and his son Cruz, 43, piled the ripened fruit into cardboard boxes destined for farmers markets. Father on one row, son on another, moving steadily from mound to mound.
Once or twice, the pickers chomped into a berry, testing their crop for flavor. Yes, these were ready for sale tomorrow. Not any longer, like so many supermarket varieties picked before peak ripeness. As if to emphasize it, Cruz leaned in to offer a visitor a brilliant red strawberry.
The pandemic age gives this normally kind farm-life gesture a new layer of risk. Could this organically grown fruit have been contaminated by something other than regular old dirt? The strawberry hadn’t been anywhere but here, where it was born. In a bite, the spike of acid and sweetness shook the brain.
Advertisement
There is nothing like the taste of a fresh California strawberry, one of the state’s most plentiful and emblematic agricultural staples. Crimson, shiny in any light, firm but juicy, the strawberry in peak form is a marvel of taste that has been grown on the coastal plains for generations.
Father and son continued their harvest. It looked like an almost idyllic moment, as if the novel coronavirus pandemic was not swirling all around them — and now threatening their livelihood. Peak strawberry season in Southern California approaches in May. Yet with restaurants shuttered and some farmers markets suspended, demand has dropped. The Carranza family is worried.
“Before the coronavirus, we sold everything,” Javier said in a raspish, gentle voice. “And now it’s slower and slower. Now we’re selling about half.”
Cruz Carranza, left, and his father, Javier, plant sunflowers on the family’s plot. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Adding urgency to the uncertainty, this year the Carranzas did something they had never done before — gathered up money and invested in the trade directly. They hold a single acre of strawberries, splitting costs and profit with the landowner, well-known farmer Phil McGrath, in addition to four more rented acres of flowers and greens.
“We check one by one, looking for those that are completely red, so that it has the best possible flavor,” Cruz explained. If not, “what is going to happen with our product, sir? It stays here.”
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The Carranza family is a rare unit in the state’s strawberry supply. They are not laborers on a large industrial farm, like those paid by the box, but an entirely family-run enterprise that sells to restaurants and at five farmers markets: Santa Monica, Hollywood, South Pasadena, Ojai and Santa Barbara. At least until recently, before the coronavirus began forcing closures.
Their button of land sits on the McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo, practically hugging the 101 Freeway. The legacy farm — founded a century and a half ago by the ancestors of Phil McGrath — has been subdivided over the years. Substantial acreage is leased to a company that grows crops for Driscoll’s, the biggest brand in berries in North America. A portion of the land is leased to small organic farmers like the Carranzas.
Javier Carranza moved north from Mexico in the early 1980s. He began working at McGrath in 1997 as a fieldworker. Soon his wife, Teresa, and his sons joined him. Flavio Carranza, their youngest, arrived in 2002 at the age of 4.
One recent evening, Flavio walked amid his family’s fields, pondering the future. He is a sprightly guy with a small frame. At 21, he is around the same age as his brother Cruz’s oldest children, who are technically his nephews. They all play a role in the family operation.
Javier Carranza, left, and his son Flavio with some of their crop. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
“My dad, my brother, my madrina, they’re out here front-lining the harvest, for the day of,” Flavio said.
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He speaks better English than his older brother or father, so Flavio, who functions as the family’s unofficial spokesman, and Cruz’s children take care of the customer-facing parts of the business: logistics, accounting, transport and selling at the market. Cruz’s wife, Olga, also works on the family’s crops. Teresa, the clan’s matriarch, plays an important role, preparing meals for the fieldworkers of the clan, on a firm schedule.
‘My dad, my brother, my madrina, they’re out here front-lining the harvest.’ — Flavio Carranza
“And that’s how my family employs themselves,” Flavio said.
The Carranzas immigrated from the Mexican state of Michoacán, which makes them something of an anomaly. Most workers in the strawberry-picking season come from indigenous communities in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. An estimated 36,000 farmworkers pick crops in Ventura County alone. Many have temporary worker visas, but many are without papers.
Advocates fear such workers, living in close quarters and transported in packed buses, are especially vulnerable to the virus. As of April 28, Ventura County had 508 reported cases of coronavirus and 17 deaths.
In this regard, the Carranzas are relatively at ease. They don’t live in a motel or flophouse, like many intermittent laborers, but on the McGrath property itself, in a trailer home. Commutes are a short drive. Or a good walk. Flavio beamed when he pointed toward his home.
“I used to just come out in the afternoon, pick strawberries off the vine, and come home. And that was it,” Flavio said. “I didn’t know anything about it until I started working with my dad and my brother about four years ago.”
To an observer driving by, fields of crops might appear fixed features of the landscape. But in truth, farmland is always shifting. Crops rise and fall. Farms are divided up. Small farmers rent land from bigger ones.
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The farmland is also a web of interconnected companies that reflect deep ties over generations among old-school farm-owning families. It’s a network that the Carranzas, in their minor way, are trying to crack into.
The McGrath enterprise, begun in 1879 by Irish transplant Dominick McGrath, once covered more than 5,000 acres. In 1971, the land was divided among relatives, and Phil McGrath started running the 300 acres now known as McGrath Family Farm.
Most of that acreage is now leased to Reiter Affiliated Cos., a farm that supplies Driscoll’s.
Today, 30 acres remain in small growers’ hands, said Michael Roberts, another small farmer at McGrath, who spoke on Phil McGrath’s behalf. On the small owners’ acreage that remains, Roberts said, McGrath is trying to build a legacy as he enters retirement.
“The Carranzas mentored me as well,” Roberts said. “They taught me how to grow, and at this point, Phil has created a scenario where there’s a budding farming academy.”
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Even before the pandemic, farmers always faced uncertainty and risks. Drought. Too much rain. Disruption by wildfire. Pests. The Carranzas, for example, were fighting off a spider mite infestation on a small section of their strawberry patch.
As May approaches, the broader strawberry industry is holding its breath. California produces more strawberries than all other 49 states combined.
When shutdowns first went into place, the overall demand for strawberries actually grew, said Carolyn O’Donnell, communications director for the California Strawberry Commission. “We think consumers were realizing that strawberries are a healthy choice to eat,” she said.
But will that trend continue? Demand, O’Donnell said, “picks up again on Mother’s Day and graduation and things like that, but we’re not sure what’s going to happen this year.”
Other questions consume the industry as well as the many cooks who might be sitting at home incessantly scrolling through troubling news feeds. Can the agriculture machinery keep grinding during a global pandemic? Can essential workers — those who grow and pick our food — stay safe?
Javier Carranza straightens out irrigation lines. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Community-based and indigenous-led organizations aimed at helping and protecting farmworkers abound in the Oxnard area. The Farmworker Resource Program in Ventura County is circulating safety information about the coronavirus in the Zapotec, Mixtec, Triqui languages, which are spoken among indigenous natives of southeastern Mexico, said Talia Barrera, the program administrator. They also do outreach in Purépecha, the indigenous language from Michoacán.
“We have to keep being creative in our outreach efforts,” Barrera said. “The growers are adapting and they’re implementing best practices.”
The calls on social media to shut “everything” down sounded impractical in a local’s cold analysis. “Just some realistic statistics,” Barrera said. “In the county of Ventura, the ag industry is one of the largest. They contribute over $2 billion, just the berries alone. We have over 400,000 farmworkers [in the state]. We have to make sure they’re well taken care of.”
Leaders in the organic strawberry industry say they’ve also stepped up. Molly Gean, co-owner of Harry’s Berries, said that their pickers are keeping one row apart and wearing masks. Gean also praised farmers markets, which were temporarily shut down in Southern California, but have reopened in many locations with stricter social distancing measures. “They’ve taken extraordinary steps,” she said.
Even so, the markets have not weathered the pandemic particularly well. Not only have closures and regulations careened wildly since stay-at-home orders kicked in — one weekend South Pasadena was closed but Hollywood was open; another weekend it was reversed — restaurant clients who shop at the markets or order directly from the farms have been decimated by the lockdowns.
“It slowed down just at the wrong time,” said Tony Carranza, 20, son of Cruz and Olga.
On a recent Wednesday, his sister Jennifer Carranza, 24, was selling flowers and strawberries grown by her family at the Santa Monica farmers market. She now wore a mask, as did all customers and vendors. “It’s weird and it’s different,” Jennifer said. “We’re getting used to it.”
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A week later, flower vending, viewed as nonessential, was banned inside the Santa Monica market, creating another setback for the Carranzas.
Jennifer Carranza sells strawberries April 1, before a mask requirement was put into place at the Santa Monica farmers market. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
There are signs of hope. The family is seeing an uptick in orders from local residents for produce boxes. A few days a week Flavio and Tony drive around delivering produce to people’s doors.
What they don’t sell, the family channels to food bank distributors such as Food Forward. At the McGrath farm, the public-facing store is called Abundant Table.
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As life under lockdowns and the pandemic takes hold, the divide between people’s awareness of what they eat and where it comes from, Flavio said, feels more pronounced than ever.
“Farming is just something that’s just thrown out there in society, it’s so abstract to the common person,” he said. “So because of that, we’re too disconnected. So many of the farms are family-owned. ... I don’t think they see it.”
With the coronavirus, the clan’s entire chain, from start to finish, is being affected. Work to prepare future crops is being put on hold.
“Before we get to the actual part of selling the produce, and selling the flowers, there is a person who has to grow them in a greenhouse,” Flavio said, referring to starters, or trays, the very first step of a seed’s cultivating existence. “To plant something in May, right now our starter grower has to be planting, so that we can harvest in July. It’s so intertwined. If someone can’t do their job, it makes it a bit harder for the rest of us to follow through.”
At McGrath, a Pacific breeze is often perceptible from across the plain and Port Hueneme. Growing up on this land, Flavio said, he hardly imagined learning the ins and outs of the family trade. Flavio is enrolled at Cal State Channel Islands, with hopes of possibly becoming a teacher. But he admitted to feeling the pull of his clan’s business.
Rain or shine, the elder Carranzas are out there, tending, nursing, picking. Javier and Cruz seem to relish their freedom in the field. “More peaceful,” Javier said. “No one orders us around, everyone knows what they are doing and, well, that’s it. Happy.”
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Javier Carranza describes the farming life as peaceful. “No one orders us around, everyone knows what they are doing and, well, that’s it. Happy.” (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Big farm or small, the act of harvesting is the same. Though robot harvesters have been tried, strawberries are only picked and packed by human hands.
“As long as there is strawberry to pick, they are there, because they depend on it,” Flavio said. “Families depend on that.”
Back on the ripest section of the Carranza family patch, the Seascape strawberries were so bright in color, each bulb looked to be near bursting. “They’re clean,” the budding farmer said, encouraging.
How did he know? “They’ll have dust on them,” Flavio chuckled. “But for the most part, that’s it.”
Another bite, grains of dust be damned. Another strawberry explodes, eliciting a reflexive groan.


latimes--2020-04-29--Three Cane Corso dogs saved after roaming Angeles National Forest for weeks

Spoiler alert : In this story , all three dogs survive through what in and of itself could make for another “ Homeward Bound ” movie .
Over the last few weeks , a dedicated group of a lot of people — volunteers from the Simi Valley-based Dog Days Search & Rescue , Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies and the Sheriff Department ’ s Montrose Search and Rescue Team — came together to save three abandoned Cane Corsos that were seen wandering on Angeles Crest Highway , near mile marker 46 , in the Angeles National Forest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogs to deputies at the Crescenta Valley sheriff ’ s station , but no one from the station or the Montrose Search and Rescue Team could ever get close enough to capture the dogs .
Dog Days Search & Rescue said in a post on its Facebook page that it first learned of the dogs in early April .
The group has spent the last few weeks visiting the dogs , feeding them , talking to them and helping them to get used to people .
The group also provided frequent updates about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the nonprofit ’ s first post in early April about the dogs , Dog Days Search & Rescue noted that bad weather was approaching , and because the dogs were living at a high elevation , the area they were roaming could get snow and cold weather .
The organization put three dog houses on top of pallets , covering them with tarps , and also provided plenty of fresh water in case they couldn ’ t reach the dogs because of the storm .
“ So we focused on the shelter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ With such a steep area we had to create a flat spot that was in a covered area away from ravines which would be filled with water or snow eventually .
After an hour of driving , avoiding a road closure , lots of digging and working in the cold and rain , we had our mission accomplished !
” The rescuers visited the dogs daily , first establishing a scent trail to the food to remind them there was food readily available and of the location of the shelter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stevie , George and Gracie .
On April 7 , during a break in a storm , a volunteer trekked up the mountain area , taking the dogs a “ juicy steak ” and food scent items .
The group was nervous about whether the dogs had made it through the storm and whether the shelter was still standing .
“ But today would not disappoint , ” the group wrote in its Facebook post .
Soon , the volunteer saw all three — first , George , then Gracie and Stevie .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” or a prolapsed eye gland .
The dogs appeared underweight , and they had poorly docked tails .
But the good news was , they had eaten the food the rescuers left , and appeared more curious about the humans who kept coming to see them .
The following day , two more volunteers braved the cold weather to care for the pack .
George was skittish toward them but happy to receive chicken from the volunteers .
Gracie and Stevie traveled down the hillside but were too scared to venture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have their safe spots on the mountain and love to bark at people from there , ” the group wrote about these very good boys ( or technically , two girls ) .
“ Today they all barked to say hello at various times.
” In the following days , the dogs survived more snow , moving thankfully closer to the shelter .
Throughout mid-April , the rescuers spent several hours on the mountain in hopes of rescuing the dogs .
“ We are working on desensitizing them to the traps to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” they wrote on April 12 .
“ We wish it were quicker and easier but many rescues are just not , especially remote ones in tough terrain.
” On April 14 , a fox gave an update about the dogs , via the rescue group ’ s Facebook page .
One of the challenges the group faced , as noted in its April 16 post , was that people outside the rescue operation kept feeding the dogs .
If the dogs weren ’ t hungry enough , they wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogs had such limited trust in humans , the group had to be especially careful about how it caught them .
“ We can not risk anything going dramatically wrong as it could affect the dynamic of the three and how we catch them , ” Dog Days Search & Rescue said in its April 16 post .
“ We have to take everything into account ; the weather , the remote location , the terrain they are in , the dangerous highway , their bond , and their habits and behavior.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new turn of events : There was a thief .
After spending several days with the dogs , the group ’ s volunteers were starting to see the personality of each .
Stevie , the male in the group , was the quiet one .
George , the largest in the pack , would eat anything and “ constantly has us laughing with her personality , ” the group wrote .
Meanwhile , Gracie “ is the Alpha and talker of the bunch.
” As the days rolled on , the dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who kept delivering them steak and chicken like their very own forest-based DoorDash service weren ’ t so bad .
Before the animal rescuers came , the dogs had been scavenging for food , eating trash and gravel .
“ Even though they are still very skittish some trust has been established and George , Gracie & Stevie are super excited to see us when we arrive , ” Dog Days Search & Rescue said in its April 24 post .
“ They talk to us , bark at us , follow us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fed.
” The next update provided the only breaking news that matters in this story .
On Monday evening , the group outlined in another Facebook post about the extensive plan it had to put in place to get George , Gracie and Stevie off the mountain .
Because the dogs weren ’ t easily going into the regular traps , they had to build something larger .
At 5,300 feet elevation , “ high in the mountains and far away from everything , ” the group built a temporary enclosure — 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to catch all three dogs safely .
“ It also had to be away from the busy highway turnout they were frequenting , ” the group said in its Facebook post Monday evening .
“ Building this would normally not be a problem but throw in a mountain , some steep ravines , thorny bushes and climbing up a hillside to find a flat , safe area to do it was a whole new challenge .
But we did it !
!
” Jo Ann DeCollibus , co-founder of Dog Days Search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went inside the enclosure , she used a walkie-talkie to radio a team member who triggered a mechanism that remotely closed the door , a device set up by animal tracker Mike Noon .
Next , members of the Montrose Search and Rescue team used ropes and other equipment to build a custom lowering system to take the dogs , first loaded into cages , finally off the mountainside .
In total , the rescue itself involved about 25 people .
DeCollibus said the three dogs were taken to a boarding facility where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fed special meals four times a day .
The thing that saved the lives of Gracie , Stevie and George , she said , was persistent animal lovers who made a lot of calls and didn ’ t give up .
“ It ’ s a feel-good story , ” DeCollibus said .
“ You want a happy ending , and you want to get them off the mountain .
”

Three Cane Corsos were saved Monday after living in Angeles National Forest for weeks.
Spoiler alert: In this story, all three dogs survive through what in and of itself could make for another “Homeward Bound” movie.
Over the last few weeks, a dedicated group of a lot of people — volunteers from the Simi Valley-based Dog Days Search & Rescue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and the Sheriff Department’s Montrose Search and Rescue Team — came together to save three abandoned Cane Corsos that were seen wandering on Angeles Crest Highway, near mile marker 46, in the Angeles National Forest.
Hikers and others had reported seeing the dogs to deputies at the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station, but no one from the station or the Montrose Search and Rescue Team could ever get close enough to capture the dogs.
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Cue the animal rescue group.
Dog Days Search & Rescue said in a post on its Facebook page that it first learned of the dogs in early April. The group has spent the last few weeks visiting the dogs, feeding them, talking to them and helping them to get used to people.
The group also provided frequent updates about the dogs on its Facebook page.
In the nonprofit’s first post in early April about the dogs, Dog Days Search & Rescue noted that bad weather was approaching, and because the dogs were living at a high elevation, the area they were roaming could get snow and cold weather.
The organization put three dog houses on top of pallets, covering them with tarps, and also provided plenty of fresh water in case they couldn’t reach the dogs because of the storm.
“So we focused on the shelter for today,” the group wrote. “With such a steep area we had to create a flat spot that was in a covered area away from ravines which would be filled with water or snow eventually. After an hour of driving, avoiding a road closure, lots of digging and working in the cold and rain, we had our mission accomplished!”
Advertisement
The rescuers visited the dogs daily, first establishing a scent trail to the food to remind them there was food readily available and of the location of the shelter.
Soon, the dogs had names: Stevie, George and Gracie.
On April 7, during a break in a storm, a volunteer trekked up the mountain area, taking the dogs a “juicy steak” and food scent items. The group was nervous about whether the dogs had made it through the storm and whether the shelter was still standing.
“But today would not disappoint,” the group wrote in its Facebook post.
Soon, the volunteer saw all three — first, George, then Gracie and Stevie.
George was suffering from “cherry eye,” or a prolapsed eye gland. The dogs appeared underweight, and they had poorly docked tails. But the good news was, they had eaten the food the rescuers left, and appeared more curious about the humans who kept coming to see them.
The following day, two more volunteers braved the cold weather to care for the pack.
George was skittish toward them but happy to receive chicken from the volunteers. Gracie and Stevie traveled down the hillside but were too scared to venture all the way down.
“They have their safe spots on the mountain and love to bark at people from there,” the group wrote about these very good boys (or technically, two girls). “Today they all barked to say hello at various times.”
In the following days, the dogs survived more snow, moving thankfully closer to the shelter.
Throughout mid-April, the rescuers spent several hours on the mountain in hopes of rescuing the dogs.
“We are working on desensitizing them to the traps to help this but this is a slow process,” they wrote on April 12. “We wish it were quicker and easier but many rescues are just not, especially remote ones in tough terrain.”
On April 14, a fox gave an update about the dogs, via the rescue group’s Facebook page.
One of the challenges the group faced, as noted in its April 16 post, was that people outside the rescue operation kept feeding the dogs. If the dogs weren’t hungry enough, they wouldn’t go inside the cage.
Because the dogs had such limited trust in humans, the group had to be especially careful about how it caught them.
“We cannot risk anything going dramatically wrong as it could affect the dynamic of the three and how we catch them,” Dog Days Search & Rescue said in its April 16 post. “We have to take everything into account; the weather, the remote location, the terrain they are in, the dangerous highway, their bond, and their habits and behavior.”
On April 18, the group reported a new turn of events: There was a thief.
After spending several days with the dogs, the group’s volunteers were starting to see the personality of each.
Stevie, the male in the group, was the quiet one. George, the largest in the pack, would eat anything and “constantly has us laughing with her personality,” the group wrote. Meanwhile, Gracie “is the Alpha and talker of the bunch.”
As the days rolled on, the dogs started to think that maybe the humans who kept delivering them steak and chicken like their very own forest-based DoorDash service weren’t so bad. Before the animal rescuers came, the dogs had been scavenging for food, eating trash and gravel.
“Even though they are still very skittish some trust has been established and George, Gracie & Stevie are super excited to see us when we arrive,” Dog Days Search & Rescue said in its April 24 post. “They talk to us, bark at us, follow us and can’t wait to be fed.”
The next update provided the only breaking news that matters in this story.
On Monday evening, the group outlined in another Facebook post about the extensive plan it had to put in place to get George, Gracie and Stevie off the mountain. Because the dogs weren’t easily going into the regular traps, they had to build something larger.
At 5,300 feet elevation, “high in the mountains and far away from everything,” the group built a temporary enclosure — 14 kennel panels with a soccer net roof — to catch all three dogs safely.
“It also had to be away from the busy highway turnout they were frequenting,” the group said in its Facebook post Monday evening. “Building this would normally not be a problem but throw in a mountain, some steep ravines, thorny bushes and climbing up a hillside to find a flat, safe area to do it was a whole new challenge. But we did it!!”
Jo Ann DeCollibus, co-founder of Dog Days Search and Rescue, said once the dogs went inside the enclosure, she used a walkie-talkie to radio a team member who triggered a mechanism that remotely closed the door, a device set up by animal tracker Mike Noon.
Next, members of the Montrose Search and Rescue team used ropes and other equipment to build a custom lowering system to take the dogs, first loaded into cages, finally off the mountainside. In total, the rescue itself involved about 25 people.
DeCollibus said the three dogs were taken to a boarding facility where they’re being monitored and hand fed special meals four times a day.
The thing that saved the lives of Gracie, Stevie and George, she said, was persistent animal lovers who made a lot of calls and didn’t give up.
“It’s a feel-good story,” DeCollibus said. “You want a happy ending, and you want to get them off the mountain.”


latimes--2020-04-28--Newport Beach council votes to keep beaches open, despite crowds and rebuke from Newsom

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday rejected a measure that would have closed its beaches for three consecutive weekends in May .
Instead , the council advised city staff to maintain beach access with additional enforcement of social distancing .
Any visitors to the city ’ s beaches will see an increased presence of police officers and lifeguards , and the council supported citing anyone who doesn ’ t follow the social distancing order , according to a city news release .
The council action followed a busy weekend in Newport Beach as thousands of visitors sought to escape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority of the beach visitors this weekend were practicing social distancing , but many were not , ” the city said in its statement .
The sudden increase in visitors generated significant stress to neighborhoods , as all city parking lots in the beach areas remain closed .
The Oceanfront Boardwalk , Newport and Balboa piers , and the Wedge beach area are also still closed .
The city said in its news release that it “ will continue to communicate the critical importance of responsible social distancing and adherence to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ order during the upcoming weekends.
” San Clemente , which also saw its beaches filled with visitors over the weekend , deferred taking action on a similar bid to close its beaches .
On Monday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom chided weekend beach crowds in Ventura and Orange counties , calling them an example of “ what not to do ” if the state wants to continue its progress fighting the spread of COVID-19 , which would allow an easing of statewide and local stay-at-home orders .
“ This virus doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus doesn ’ t go home because it ’ s a beautiful sunny day around our coasts , ” he said .
The counties pushed back , saying that most of those who hit the beach followed social distancing protocols , staying six feet apart on the sand .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Visitors walk past a statue of fallen Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson on April 28. San Clemente, which also saw its beaches filled with visitors over the weekend, deferred taking action on a similar bid to close its beaches. ( Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Other visitors expressed their views in other ways. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Outside the council meeting, opponents of beach and business restrictions made their presence known. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The city said in its news release that it would “continue to communicate the critical importance of responsible social distancing and adherence to the governor’s ‘stay at home’ order during the upcoming weekends.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The council action followed a busy weekend in Newport Beach as thousands of visitors sought to escape the Southern California heat wave. Pictured is an aerial view April 28. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Rusty Renk, standing, was among those at a special meeting by the Newport Beach City Council. The council advised city staff to maintain beach access with additional enforcement of social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Bicyclists ride past mostly closed businesses on April 28. Any visitors to the city’s beaches will see an increased presence of police officers and lifeguards, and the council supported citing anyone who doesn’t follow the social distancing order. ( Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The scene at Newport Beach on April 28. The Newport Beach City Council rejected a measure that would have closed its beaches for three consecutive weekends in May. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday rejected a measure that would have closed its beaches for three consecutive weekends in May.
Instead, the council advised city staff to maintain beach access with additional enforcement of social distancing. Any visitors to the city’s beaches will see an increased presence of police officers and lifeguards, and the council supported citing anyone who doesn’t follow the social distancing order, according to a city news release.
The council action followed a busy weekend in Newport Beach as thousands of visitors sought to escape the Southern California heatwave.
“The vast majority of the beach visitors this weekend were practicing social distancing, but many were not,” the city said in its statement.
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The sudden increase in visitors generated significant stress to neighborhoods, as all city parking lots in the beach areas remain closed. The Oceanfront Boardwalk, Newport and Balboa piers, and the Wedge beach area are also still closed.
The city said in its news release that it “will continue to communicate the critical importance of responsible social distancing and adherence to the governor’s ‘stay at home’ order during the upcoming weekends.”
San Clemente, which also saw its beaches filled with visitors over the weekend, deferred taking action on a similar bid to close its beaches.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom chided weekend beach crowds in Ventura and Orange counties, calling them an example of “what not to do” if the state wants to continue its progress fighting the spread of COVID-19, which would allow an easing of statewide and local stay-at-home orders.
“This virus doesn’t take the weekends off, this virus doesn’t go home because it’s a beautiful sunny day around our coasts,” he said.
The counties pushed back, saying that most of those who hit the beach followed social distancing protocols, staying six feet apart on the sand.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-28--L.A. County releases first neighborhood breakdown of COVID-19 deaths; poor areas hit hard

The first neighborhood-level glimpse of the COVID-19 death toll in Los Angeles County shows in grim detail that poorer areas are seeing an outsize number of fatalities .
Some of the highest death rates are in low-income neighborhoods of Central Los Angeles , a Times analysis of county health department data released Tuesday shows .
Working-class neighborhoods such as East Hollywood , Pico-Union and Westlake all have more than 40 deaths per 100,000 people , which is four times higher than the countywide rate of 9.9 per 100,000 .
Many neighborhoods across South L.A. also had higher death rates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week that those who live in lower-income communities in L.A. County are more likely to die of the disease than those in wealthier communities .
“ This data is deeply disturbing , and it speaks to the need for immediate action in communities with disproportionately high rates of death , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , said earlier this week .
“ This would mean increased testing , better access and connection to healthcare and support services , and more accurate , culturally appropriate information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the communities with the highest death rates in the county are home to long-term care facilities , including skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have been hot spots for coronavirus outbreaks .
That includes the Little Armenia neighborhood of Los Angeles , which topped the countywide list with 20 deaths and a death rate of 249 per 100,000 people .
There have been 19 deaths in the city of Bell with a rate of 52 per 100,000 people .
That places the southeast L.A. County city among the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countywide , according to the health department data .
All of those fatalities appear to be associated with the Bell Convalescent Hospital , a facility that is linked to 19 coronavirus deaths , county records show .
Some of the areas with the highest death rates also lead the nation in levels of overcrowding , including Pico-Union and Westlake where more than a third of housing units are crowded — meaning there is more than one person per room , excluding bathrooms .
A recent Times report found that Los Angeles County has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Codes in the United States , and public health officials said such housing conditions can accelerate the spread of the virus .
Officials have also found that African Americans are dying at the highest rate in the county .
The death rate for African Americans is 13.2 per 100,000 people , compared with 9.8 for Latinos , 7.9 for Asians and 5.7 for whites , according to county figures released earlier this week .
“ This is significantly higher than the mortality rate of all other races and ethnicities , ” Ferrer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 865 people who died whose race or ethnicity has been identified as of Monday .
The new community-level data were released as part of an interactive COVID-19 dashboard the county launched Tuesday that provides more detailed information on testing , cases and deaths than was previously available .
It includes graphs that show cumulative and daily figures for confirmed cases and deaths , along with information broken down by community , poverty level , age , gender and race .
After appearing to level off for a time , the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose at a rapid clip over the last week .
Some of that is because of increased testing , as well as the clearing of a backlog of pending test results , officials said .
L.A. County has one-quarter of California ’ s population , but has been home to about half of the deaths so far .
On Tuesday , an additional 59 coronavirus deaths were reported in the county , pushing the total past 1,000 .
The county health department said that 46 % of all deaths were among residents in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of skilled nursing facilities .
The California National Guard is now assisting with staffing at some nursing homes .
It ’ s taken weeks for the disproportionate effect on poor people of color to become apparent as health officials slowly roll out more complete demographic information .
Earlier in the outbreak , for instance , some of L.A. County ’ s whitest and wealthiest enclaves were reporting higher rates of infection than poorer neighborhoods of color , according to a Times analysis .
But county officials and health experts said that was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , and skewed by uneven access to testing and international travel by wealthy residents .
But that trend has shifted in recent weeks .
Lower-income neighborhoods , including the Vermont Square neighborhood of South L.A. and Pico-Union now rank among the top communities countywide in the number of reported cases per capita .

The first neighborhood-level glimpse of the COVID-19 death toll in Los Angeles County shows in grim detail that poorer areas are seeing an outsize number of fatalities.
Some of the highest death rates are in low-income neighborhoods of Central Los Angeles, a Times analysis of county health department data released Tuesday shows.
Working-class neighborhoods such as East Hollywood, Pico-Union and Westlake all have more than 40 deaths per 100,000 people, which is four times higher than the countywide rate of 9.9 per 100,000. Many neighborhoods across South L.A. also had higher death rates, figures show.
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County health officials said this week that those who live in lower-income communities in L.A. County are more likely to die of the disease than those in wealthier communities.
“This data is deeply disturbing, and it speaks to the need for immediate action in communities with disproportionately high rates of death,” Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said earlier this week. “This would mean increased testing, better access and connection to healthcare and support services, and more accurate, culturally appropriate information about COVID-19.”
One complicating factor is that some of the communities with the highest death rates in the county are home to long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have been hot spots for coronavirus outbreaks. That includes the Little Armenia neighborhood of Los Angeles, which topped the countywide list with 20 deaths and a death rate of 249 per 100,000 people.
There have been 19 deaths in the city of Bell with a rate of 52 per 100,000 people. That places the southeast L.A. County city among the top 10 highest of more than 300 communities countywide, according to the health department data.
All of those fatalities appear to be associated with the Bell Convalescent Hospital, a facility that is linked to 19 coronavirus deaths, county records show.
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Some of the areas with the highest death rates also lead the nation in levels of overcrowding, including Pico-Union and Westlake where more than a third of housing units are crowded — meaning there is more than one person per room, excluding bathrooms. A recent Times report found that Los Angeles County has five of the 10 most crowded ZIP Codes in the United States, and public health officials said such housing conditions can accelerate the spread of the virus.
Officials have also found that African Americans are dying at the highest rate in the county. The death rate for African Americans is 13.2 per 100,000 people, compared with 9.8 for Latinos, 7.9 for Asians and 5.7 for whites, according to county figures released earlier this week.
“This is significantly higher than the mortality rate of all other races and ethnicities,” Ferrer said.
Those rates were calculated based on the 865 people who died whose race or ethnicity has been identified as of Monday.
The new community-level data were released as part of an interactive COVID-19 dashboard the county launched Tuesday that provides more detailed information on testing, cases and deaths than was previously available. It includes graphs that show cumulative and daily figures for confirmed cases and deaths, along with information broken down by community, poverty level, age, gender and race.
After appearing to level off for a time, the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Los Angeles County rose at a rapid clip over the last week.
Some of that is because of increased testing, as well as the clearing of a backlog of pending test results, officials said.
L.A. County has one-quarter of California’s population, but has been home to about half of the deaths so far. On Tuesday, an additional 59 coronavirus deaths were reported in the county, pushing the total past 1,000.
The county health department said that 46% of all deaths were among residents in institutional settings, most of them residents of skilled nursing facilities. The California National Guard is now assisting with staffing at some nursing homes.
It’s taken weeks for the disproportionate effect on poor people of color to become apparent as health officials slowly roll out more complete demographic information.
Earlier in the outbreak, for instance, some of L.A. County’s whitest and wealthiest enclaves were reporting higher rates of infection than poorer neighborhoods of color, according to a Times analysis. But county officials and health experts said that was an incomplete picture of the true spread of the virus, and skewed by uneven access to testing and international travel by wealthy residents.
But that trend has shifted in recent weeks. Lower-income neighborhoods, including the Vermont Square neighborhood of South L.A. and Pico-Union now rank among the top communities countywide in the number of reported cases per capita.


latimes--2020-04-28--Orange County creating guidelines for when businesses reopen

The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a set of business guidelines Tuesday that could help inform the county ’ s eventual easing of stay-at-home rules that have helped slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The county is seeking to “ strike a balance between the need for continued protection from the disease and the need for the economy to function again , ” Supervisor Don Wagner said .
“ These guidelines are intended to state clearly the minimum that business owners and operators must do , in addition to following all applicable jurisdictions ’ orders , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers to wear disposable gloves or wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every 30 minutes , according to the guidelines .
“ Face coverings should be provided to all employees , ” the guidelines state .
“ All employees , before starting a shift , should have their temperatures taken and not be permitted to work upon a temperature reading above 100.4 degrees.
” Patrons “ should also wear appropriate face coverings , ” the guidelines add .
Businesses also should “ make every effort to limit touch points , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase [ the ] frequency of sanitizing workstations and equipment.
” The guidelines also include wording related to physical distancing in the workplace — “ a minimum of six feet should be maintained between customer-facing employees and the general public and , to the extent practical , between employee workstations .
Where six feet ... between workstations is impractical , face coverings should be worn.
” When practical , businesses also should allow telecommuting , according to the guidelines .
Regardless of what guidelines the county adopts , the state has the ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get back up and running .
There could be progress on that front , though .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus the next few weeks .
He said that call will be made based on data and shaped by public health considerations .

Tracey and Chad Robbins, with their dog, Huggy, kiss after their wedding ceremony at the Honda Center parking lot last week in Anaheim. The Orange County clerk-recorder’s office is using social distancing techniques to safely issue licenses and marry couples during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a set of business guidelines Tuesday that could help inform the county’s eventual easing of stay-at-home rules that have helped slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The county is seeking to “strike a balance between the need for continued protection from the disease and the need for the economy to function again,” Supervisor Don Wagner said.
“These guidelines are intended to state clearly the minimum that business owners and operators must do, in addition to following all applicable jurisdictions’ orders,” he said.
Employers should require customer-facing workers to wear disposable gloves or wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every 30 minutes, according to the guidelines.
“Face coverings should be provided to all employees,” the guidelines state. “All employees, before starting a shift, should have their temperatures taken and not be permitted to work upon a temperature reading above 100.4 degrees.”
Patrons “should also wear appropriate face coverings,” the guidelines add.
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Businesses also should “make every effort to limit touch points,” according to the guidelines, and “significantly increase [the] frequency of sanitizing workstations and equipment.”
The guidelines also include wording related to physical distancing in the workplace — “a minimum of six feet should be maintained between customer-facing employees and the general public and, to the extent practical, between employee workstations. Where six feet ... between workstations is impractical, face coverings should be worn.”
When practical, businesses also should allow telecommuting, according to the guidelines.
Regardless of what guidelines the county adopts, the state has the ultimate say on when and how businesses can get back up and running.
There could be progress on that front, though. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus could open within the next few weeks.
He said that call will be made based on data and shaped by public health considerations.


latimes--2020-04-28--USC says no to partial tuition refunds for coronavirus shift to online learning

USC will not give partial tuition refunds for the spring semester or upcoming summer sessions even though the campus has shifted to online instruction , Provost Charles F. Zukoski said Tuesday .
“ While this is not the semester any of us envisioned , we are continuing to provide a high-quality education , ensure academic progress towards degree , and offer a robust learning environment , ” Zukoski said in an email to the campus community .
“ Whether our instructors present their classes in person or online , they bring the same expertise , depth of knowledge , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to earn credits toward a USC degree.
” Zukoski ’ s message came one day after students demanded refunds for mandatory campus fees in class-action lawsuits against the University of California and California State University .
The lawsuits argue that the two public university systems should return millions of dollars to the 700,000 students they collectively serve because they can no longer fully access healthcare , campus centers and other services funded by their mandatory fees .
A Cal State spokesman said Tuesday that the university would “ vigorously defend ” itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have remote access to many services , including medical consultations , and Cal State has refunded some campus fees , he said .
A UC spokeswoman said officials had just learned of the lawsuit and would have no comment at this time .
At USC , Zukoski said the university was continuing to build new programs to make the online experience even stronger .
He added that all students who left their campus housing were given pro-rated housing and dining fee refunds .
He also said that both summer sessions , which run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be delivered online and regular grading policies with options for letter grades will return .
USC allowed students to choose letter grades or pass/no record during spring semester to reduce student stress caused by the pandemic .
Planning for fall semester is underway , Zukoski said .
University officials are trying to figure how to best test for the virus , trace contacts and physically separate those who come back to campus .
USC expects to announce their plan within two months .
“ We are focused on returning to activities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , teaching , learning , and creative and athletic experiences that recognize the risks of the spread of the disease , ” he said .
The provost also announced that USC has been allocated about $ 19 million in federal Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act funding , which is earmarked specifically for student emergency use and apportioned largely by a campus ’ proportion and number of low-income students who receive federal Pell grants .
USC is awarding maximum grants of $ 3,000 per student for use on food , housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , transportation and other needs .
Zukoski added that officials were disappointed that the funding was not available to international students and students without legal status .
However the university is assisting those students with separate funds .

USC will not give partial tuition refunds despite the shift to online learning due to the pandemic.
USC will not give partial tuition refunds for the spring semester or upcoming summer sessions even though the campus has shifted to online instruction, Provost Charles F. Zukoski said Tuesday.
“While this is not the semester any of us envisioned, we are continuing to provide a high-quality education, ensure academic progress towards degree, and offer a robust learning environment,” Zukoski said in an email to the campus community. “Whether our instructors present their classes in person or online, they bring the same expertise, depth of knowledge, and commitment to their teaching, and students continue to earn credits toward a USC degree.”
Zukoski’s message came one day after students demanded refunds for mandatory campus fees in class-action lawsuits against the University of California and California State University. The lawsuits argue that the two public university systems should return millions of dollars to the 700,000 students they collectively serve because they can no longer fully access healthcare, campus centers and other services funded by their mandatory fees.
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A Cal State spokesman said Tuesday that the university would “vigorously defend” itself against the lawsuit. Students continue to have remote access to many services, including medical consultations, and Cal State has refunded some campus fees, he said.
A UC spokeswoman said officials had just learned of the lawsuit and would have no comment at this time.
At USC, Zukoski said the university was continuing to build new programs to make the online experience even stronger. He added that all students who left their campus housing were given pro-rated housing and dining fee refunds.
He also said that both summer sessions, which run from May 20 through Aug. 11, will be delivered online and regular grading policies with options for letter grades will return. USC allowed students to choose letter grades or pass/no record during spring semester to reduce student stress caused by the pandemic.
Planning for fall semester is underway, Zukoski said. University officials are trying to figure how to best test for the virus, trace contacts and physically separate those who come back to campus. USC expects to announce their plan within two months.
“We are focused on returning to activities in clinical care and clinical education, research, teaching, learning, and creative and athletic experiences that recognize the risks of the spread of the disease,” he said.
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The provost also announced that USC has been allocated about $19 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding, which is earmarked specifically for student emergency use and apportioned largely by a campus’ proportion and number of low-income students who receive federal Pell grants. USC is awarding maximum grants of $3,000 per student for use on food, housing, healthcare, education-related technology, childcare, transportation and other needs.
Zukoski added that officials were disappointed that the funding was not available to international students and students without legal status. However the university is assisting those students with separate funds.


latimes--2020-04-28--L.A. to secure 24 million N95 masks. 'These will be lifesavers' in coronavirus battle

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday a deal with mask manufacturer Honeywell to procure 24 million N95 masks — @ @ @ @ @ to distribute and sell to first responders and hospitals in need .
The city will @ @ @ @ @ , 500,000 more in July and 1.2 million per month by November , Garcetti said @ @ @ @ @ lifesavers , quite literally , ” Garcetti said .
The announcement comes as hospitals grapple @ @ @ @ @ protective gear , and a rise in price-gouging and counterfeit masks .
Officials said L.A. @ @ @ @ @ million masks a month .
Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced an initiative Monday to decontaminate N95 @ @ @ @ @ responders and healthcare workers countywide to safely reuse them up to 20 times as they @ @ @ @ @ also said the goal in coming weeks is to open up testing to all asymptomatic @ @

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday a deal with mask manufacturer Honeywell to procure 24 million N95 masks — at 79 cents each — to distribute and sell to first responders and hospitals in need.
The city will get 100,000 masks in May, 500,000 more in July and 1.2 million per month by November, Garcetti said.
“These will be lifesavers, quite literally,” Garcetti said.
The announcement comes as hospitals grapple with a nationwide shortage of protective gear, and a rise in price-gouging and counterfeit masks.
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Officials said L.A. County alone burns through 5 million masks a month.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced an initiative Monday to decontaminate N95 masks that will allow first responders and healthcare workers countywide to safely reuse them up to 20 times as they battle the coronavirus.
Garcetti also said the goal in coming weeks is to open up testing to all asymptomatic residents.


latimes--2020-04-29--Coronavirus death toll higher in California than previously known, new data suggest

Total deaths across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic are more than 9 % higher than historical averages , according to newly released federal statistics , suggesting the toll could be hundreds or even thousands of deaths more than what ’ s been attributed to the disease thus far .
The new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show roughly 4,500 additional deaths from all causes have occurred in 2020 over what would be expected from historical averages , according to a Times analysis .
With the agency ’ s coronavirus death total for the state at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of about 3,500 suggests a broader implication on mortality attributable to the disease , experts say .
The statistics , they caution , are preliminary and more extensive research will reveal the true impact of the disease on California deaths .
But they say the new figures are an important early indicator in understanding it .
“ It does signal that , more likely than not , this COVID disease really did have a role in some or all of those excess deaths , ” said Bonnie Maldonado , a Stanford University professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The extent that it did will be important to understand.
” The federal death totals , and those attributed to the disease , lag behind those local figures , and they offer only a partial understanding of the true impact .
In California , where attention by health experts and social distancing orders perhaps slowed the coronavirus ’ spread , about 1,900 deaths directly linked to the disease have been reported locally .
The newly released figures paint an even darker picture of additional mortality in states hardest hit by the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The data come from official death certificates completed by doctors or medical officials .
They are compiled by CDC experts under a national vital statistics program that aggregates deaths reported by local and state health authorities .
On Monday , the agency released those newly compiled weekly death totals , by state , from 2014 to 2020 , allowing for a mortality comparison this year over the past .
It also released its own totals for coronavirus-related deaths , by county , and the total numbers of deaths from all causes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some combination of COVID deaths that are not declared COVID deaths and other deaths that are due to other causes people have not gotten treatment for , or have delayed treatment , ” said Eileen Crimmins , a professor of gerontology at USC who is the president of the Population Assn .
of America .
The statistics include figures for certain common types of death , including pneumonia , influenza , lower respiratory infections and heart disease .
Experts say some coronavirus deaths could have been wrongly categorized , especially as widespread and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s early weeks .
A catchall category for uncategorized types of death showed an increase over previous years , according to the data .
It ’ s possible those additional deaths are related to the disease , or related to a reluctance by some sick Californians to seek medical attention because of its presence in hospitals and clinics .
The growth may also be partially attributed to population trends or a historical anomaly , or some combination of all those factors , experts say .
More research and data collection over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You ’ re not going to see the full picture , but what you ’ ve detected is a signal , and I think that ’ s important , ” Maldonado said .
“ Over time I think we ’ ll have a better sense of the true impact of COVID on California deaths.
” The county by county figures released by the agency , which also lag behind local reporting , allow for a comparison of coronavirus deaths and their share of total mortality in each region of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the disease has been attributed to about 2.7 % of deaths from all causes this year — the second-highest rate in the state after that of San Mateo County .
Orange County ranks the lowest , at roughly 0.5 % , among the states included in the report .
The agency withheld totals from many smaller counties with low coronavirus figures .

A patient is removed in April from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 residents tested positive for coronavirus.
Total deaths across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic are more than 9% higher than historical averages, according to newly released federal statistics, suggesting the toll could be hundreds or even thousands of deaths more than what’s been attributed to the disease thus far.
The new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show roughly 4,500 additional deaths from all causes have occurred in 2020 over what would be expected from historical averages, according to a Times analysis.
With the agency’s coronavirus death total for the state at 1,017 as of Monday, the difference of about 3,500 suggests a broader implication on mortality attributable to the disease, experts say.
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The statistics, they caution, are preliminary and more extensive research will reveal the true impact of the disease on California deaths. But they say the new figures are an important early indicator in understanding it.
“It does signal that, more likely than not, this COVID disease really did have a role in some or all of those excess deaths,” said Bonnie Maldonado, a Stanford University professor and an infectious disease epidemiologist. “The extent that it did will be important to understand.”
The federal death totals, and those attributed to the disease, lag behind those local figures, and they offer only a partial understanding of the true impact.
In California, where attention by health experts and social distancing orders perhaps slowed the coronavirus’ spread, about 1,900 deaths directly linked to the disease have been reported locally.
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The newly released figures paint an even darker picture of additional mortality in states hardest hit by the disease, such as New York and New Jersey.
The data come from official death certificates completed by doctors or medical officials. They are compiled by CDC experts under a national vital statistics program that aggregates deaths reported by local and state health authorities.
On Monday, the agency released those newly compiled weekly death totals, by state, from 2014 to 2020, allowing for a mortality comparison this year over the past. It also released its own totals for coronavirus-related deaths, by county, and the total numbers of deaths from all causes.
“What we think is there is some combination of COVID deaths that are not declared COVID deaths and other deaths that are due to other causes people have not gotten treatment for, or have delayed treatment,” said Eileen Crimmins, a professor of gerontology at USC who is the president of the Population Assn. of America.
The statistics include figures for certain common types of death, including pneumonia, influenza, lower respiratory infections and heart disease. Experts say some coronavirus deaths could have been wrongly categorized, especially as widespread and rapid testing remained elusive in the pandemic’s early weeks. A catchall category for uncategorized types of death showed an increase over previous years, according to the data.
It’s possible those additional deaths are related to the disease, or related to a reluctance by some sick Californians to seek medical attention because of its presence in hospitals and clinics. The growth may also be partially attributed to population trends or a historical anomaly, or some combination of all those factors, experts say.
More research and data collection over time could help improve understanding, they say.
“You’re not going to see the full picture, but what you’ve detected is a signal, and I think that’s important,” Maldonado said. “Over time I think we’ll have a better sense of the true impact of COVID on California deaths.”
The county by county figures released by the agency, which also lag behind local reporting, allow for a comparison of coronavirus deaths and their share of total mortality in each region of the state.
In Los Angeles County, for example, the disease has been attributed to about 2.7% of deaths from all causes this year — the second-highest rate in the state after that of San Mateo County. Orange County ranks the lowest, at roughly 0.5%, among the states included in the report. The agency withheld totals from many smaller counties with low coronavirus figures.