latimes--2020-05-10--Desert mystery: Why have pronghorn antelope returned to Death Valley?

More than a century after railroads , ranchers and hunters vanquished their ancestors , pronghorn antelope are returning to this unforgiving expanse of desert along the California-Nevada border .
A photo of a lone male and a harem of five does shared on Death Valley ’ s Facebook page in late April was only the latest indication that the American pronghorn , North America ’ s land speed champion , may be extending its migratory range into the Mojave Desert once again from cooler seas of sage nearly 100 miles to the north and east .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn .
announced to wildlife advocates nationwide .
“ If nothing else , enjoy the feel-good photo and I hope you ’ re doing well.
” The pronghorn ’ s reappearance here is a bit of a mystery , as most animal species are making tracks for higher and cooler elevations as the climate warms .
Some say the interloping antelope could find themselves in dire straits once summer heat blankets the park .
Along with the recent photo , park officials noted : “ Pronghorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our park !
While on patrol , rangers have recently spotted a herd of these quick-footed animals and at least one lone male exploring the park , likely the result of a migration that has been years in the making .
“ While pronghorn have been witnessed in the park on occasion for the past two years , ” they added , “ this increase in their presence suggests these graceful creatures may become long-term residents of the valley.
” Recently , a group of biologists spent the morning photographing a doe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a patch of desert scrub just east of the park ’ s northern boundary near the town of Beatty , Nev. Additional analysis is needed to determine whether the deer-like animals with forward jutting black horns are establishing residency in the usually desolate 3.3-million-acre park .
In the meantime , their spring season ventures into the Mojave in recent years open the door to some obvious questions .
Exactly where are they coming from ?
Are they rediscovering ancient migratory routes in arid lands punctuated by scattered mountains and plateaus or creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising temperatures are upsetting the delicate balance between life and death for such species as desert tortoises and Joshua trees ?
One biologist who has been tracking recent pronghorn wanderings from the Ubehebe Craters volcanic field in the northern half of Death Valley to the tiny desert berg of Shoshone near the park ’ s southern end has proposed an answer .
“ Pronghorn are following lush buffets of rain-fed wildflowers , ” said Laura Cunningham , California director of the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project and a resident of Beatty , about five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve been getting some nice blooms triggered by erratic storms in the higher elevations of the northern Mojave Desert over the past five years or so , ” she said .
“ By piecing storm events , wildflower blooms and reported pronghorn sightings together , it ’ s hard not to think that there may well be new migratory patterns unfolding before our eyes.
” “ In other words , ” she added , “ pronghorn are taking a giant step out of the sage and into the desert to dine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern Mojave : [ Desert ] dandelions , desert pincushions , primrose and desert golds.
” Kathleen Longshore , a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey , would not go that far .
But she pointed out that seasonal rainfall patterns vary significantly over the national park and can have huge ecological consequences .
It is not all that unusual for northern sections of the park to get hammered by late-winter storms that alter the rugged landscape with layers of mud and rocks and refresh the entire landscape with carpets of grass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laura ’ s theory , ” Longshore suggested , by documenting the movements of members of a pronghorn population in the Nevada National Security Site , about 50 miles northeast of Death Valley ’ s boundary line , that were recently fitted with tracking collars .
“ It shouldn ’ t be difficult to determine whether some of the pronghorn showing up farther south than they should be may have wandered out of that Nevada security site herd to browse land that greened up after seasonal storms , ” she said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re not going to hang around in the desert much longer .
The Mojave is a tough place for pronghorn in summer.
” Pat Cummings , a game biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife , agrees .
“ If those animals don ’ t have a source of standing water , they ’ re going to be in a pickle , ” he said .
“ In Death Valley , the party is over in June.
” The highest temperature ever recorded on the planet was in Death Valley on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The park ’ s headquarters in Furnace Creek is 190 feet below sea level .
Nearby Badwater , at 282 feet below sea level , is the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere .
On summer days , some visitors crack eggs there just to watch them fry in the heat , inadvertently creating problems for park staffers by attracting coyotes .
Scientists say pronghorn evolved in cooler climates when the Western Hemisphere was home to the American cheetah and , in order to survive , they developed superb survival equipment — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronghorn , which have been clocked in bursts of 60 mph , do not run for cover , but for wide open spaces .
Prior to the westward expansion an estimated 40 million pronghorn inhabited the grassland , deserts and sagebrush flats of western North America from Canada ’ s prairies to northern Mexico .
By the early 20th century , their numbers had been reduced to fewer than 20,000 .
Bucks weigh up to 150 pounds , does around 90 .
From ground to shoulder they stand about 36 inches high .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skull , giving them a field of view of more than 300 degrees .
Before the mid-19th century , pronghorn roamed the hills and flatlands of the San Fernando , San Gabriel , Antelope , Perris and Moreno valleys and the Baldwin Hills .
In his book “ Here Roamed the Antelope , ” Glenn A .
Settle quoted Antelope Valley pioneer John D. Covington ( 1867-1949 ) : “ When I was a boy , 30 cowboys and myself made a count one day and counted , as nearly as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1906 book , “ California ’ s Mammals , ” Frank Stephens wrote : “ In 1877 I saw two dozen antelope near Perris .
In 1878 I saw one near Riverside .
Today [ 1906 ] , there are very few in southeastern California.
” Now , pronghorn have joined a small but growing list of animals reclaiming ancient haunts without the help of costly , and often controversial , state and federal reintroduction projects .
Among them are wolves in Northern California forests and Pacific fishers , red foxes and wolverines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada range .
Peering through binoculars at the doe nibbling wildflowers near where her kid was hiding , motionless , in grass and desert shrub from predators , Cunningham mused to no one in particular , “ Wouldn ’ t it be great to see baby pronghorn taking their first steps in Death Valley ?
”

More than a century after railroads, ranchers and hunters vanquished their ancestors, pronghorn antelope are returning to this unforgiving expanse of desert along the California-Nevada border.
A photo of a lone male and a harem of five does shared on Death Valley’s Facebook page in late April was only the latest indication that the American pronghorn, North America’s land speed champion, may be extending its migratory range into the Mojave Desert once again from cooler seas of sage nearly 100 miles to the north and east.
“It’s not all gloom and doom, woohoo!” the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn. announced to wildlife advocates nationwide. “If nothing else, enjoy the feel-good photo and I hope you’re doing well.”
The pronghorn’s reappearance here is a bit of a mystery, as most animal species are making tracks for higher and cooler elevations as the climate warms. Some say the interloping antelope could find themselves in dire straits once summer heat blankets the park.
Advertisement
Laura Cunningham, California director of the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project, sits among wildflowers in the Mojave Desert near the town of Beatty, Nev. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Along with the recent photo, park officials noted: “Pronghorn may be some of the newest residents to our park! While on patrol, rangers have recently spotted a herd of these quick-footed animals and at least one lone male exploring the park, likely the result of a migration that has been years in the making.
“While pronghorn have been witnessed in the park on occasion for the past two years,” they added, “this increase in their presence suggests these graceful creatures may become long-term residents of the valley.”
Recently, a group of biologists spent the morning photographing a doe that was guarding a newly born fawn in a patch of desert scrub just east of the park’s northern boundary near the town of Beatty, Nev.
Additional analysis is needed to determine whether the deer-like animals with forward jutting black horns are establishing residency in the usually desolate 3.3-million-acre park. In the meantime, their spring season ventures into the Mojave in recent years open the door to some obvious questions.
Advertisement
Exactly where are they coming from? Are they rediscovering ancient migratory routes in arid lands punctuated by scattered mountains and plateaus or creating new pathways into areas where drought and rising temperatures are upsetting the delicate balance between life and death for such species as desert tortoises and Joshua trees?
One biologist who has been tracking recent pronghorn wanderings from the Ubehebe Craters volcanic field in the northern half of Death Valley to the tiny desert berg of Shoshone near the park’s southern end has proposed an answer.
Pronghorn antelope may be rediscovering ancient migratory routes in arid lands punctuated by scattered mountains and plateaus, lured by blooming wildflowers near the Mojave Desert town of Beatty Nev. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
“Pronghorn are following lush buffets of rain-fed wildflowers,” said Laura Cunningham, California director of the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project and a resident of Beatty, about five miles east of the park.
“We’ve been getting some nice blooms triggered by erratic storms in the higher elevations of the northern Mojave Desert over the past five years or so,” she said. “By piecing storm events, wildflower blooms and reported pronghorn sightings together, it’s hard not to think that there may well be new migratory patterns unfolding before our eyes.”
“In other words,” she added, “pronghorn are taking a giant step out of the sage and into the desert to dine on the flowers of spring in the northern Mojave: [Desert] dandelions, desert pincushions, primrose and desert golds.”
Advertisement
Kathleen Longshore, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, would not go that far. But she pointed out that seasonal rainfall patterns vary significantly over the national park and can have huge ecological consequences.
It is not all that unusual for northern sections of the park to get hammered by late-winter storms that alter the rugged landscape with layers of mud and rocks and refresh the entire landscape with carpets of grass and wildflowers.
“We can test Laura’s theory,” Longshore suggested, by documenting the movements of members of a pronghorn population in the Nevada National Security Site, about 50 miles northeast of Death Valley’s boundary line, that were recently fitted with tracking collars.
“They’re not going to hang around in the desert much longer. The Mojave is a tough place for pronghorn in summer.” — Kathleen Longshore, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey
“It shouldn’t be difficult to determine whether some of the pronghorn showing up farther south than they should be may have wandered out of that Nevada security site herd to browse land that greened up after seasonal storms,” she said.
In any case, she added, “They’re not going to hang around in the desert much longer. The Mojave is a tough place for pronghorn in summer.”
Pat Cummings, a game biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, agrees. “If those animals don’t have a source of standing water, they’re going to be in a pickle,” he said. “In Death Valley, the party is over in June.”
Advertisement
The highest temperature ever recorded on the planet was in Death Valley on July 10, 1913 — 134 degrees.
The park’s headquarters in Furnace Creek is 190 feet below sea level. Nearby Badwater, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere. On summer days, some visitors crack eggs there just to watch them fry in the heat, inadvertently creating problems for park staffers by attracting coyotes.
A pronghorn antelope pauses while eating wildflowers along a highway where cattle once grazed near the Mojave Desert town of Beatty, Nev. “Pronghorn are following lush buffets of rain-fed wildflowers,” said Laura Cunningham, California director of the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Scientists say pronghorn evolved in cooler climates when the Western Hemisphere was home to the American cheetah and, in order to survive, they developed superb survival equipment — speed and vision. When threatened, pronghorn, which have been clocked in bursts of 60 mph, do not run for cover, but for wide open spaces.
Prior to the westward expansion an estimated 40 million pronghorn inhabited the grassland, deserts and sagebrush flats of western North America from Canada’s prairies to northern Mexico. By the early 20th century, their numbers had been reduced to fewer than 20,000.
California He was touted as the Mojave Desert’s savior. Authorities said it was all a ruse Jim Mattern, known as Death Valley Jim, was once called the desert’s “last best hope.” That was before he was convicted of conducting unauthorized national parks tours, and banished from Death Valley and Joshua Tree.
Bucks weigh up to 150 pounds, does around 90. From ground to shoulder they stand about 36 inches high. Pronghorn have large eyes that protrude from the skull, giving them a field of view of more than 300 degrees.
Advertisement
Before the mid-19th century, pronghorn roamed the hills and flatlands of the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Antelope, Perris and Moreno valleys and the Baldwin Hills. In his book “Here Roamed the Antelope,” Glenn A. Settle quoted Antelope Valley pioneer John D. Covington (1867-1949):
“When I was a boy, 30 cowboys and myself made a count one day and counted, as nearly as we could, 7,000 antelope.”
Desert dandelions and desert pincushions carpet an area frequented by pronghorn antelope near the Mojave Desert town of Beatty, Nev. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
In a 1906 book, “California’s Mammals,” Frank Stephens wrote: “In 1877 I saw two dozen antelope near Perris. In 1878 I saw one near Riverside. Today [1906], there are very few in southeastern California.”
Now, pronghorn have joined a small but growing list of animals reclaiming ancient haunts without the help of costly, and often controversial, state and federal reintroduction projects. Among them are wolves in Northern California forests and Pacific fishers, red foxes and wolverines clinging to survival in the cold, steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada range.
Peering through binoculars at the doe nibbling wildflowers near where her kid was hiding, motionless, in grass and desert shrub from predators, Cunningham mused to no one in particular, “Wouldn’t it be great to see baby pronghorn taking their first steps in Death Valley?”


latimes--2020-05-10--'We want to study you.' For black Angelenos, coronavirus triggers fear of another Tuskegee

The invitation to participate in a COVID-19 antibody study arrived in Jacquelyn Temple ’ s inbox early last month .
Initially , the 72-year-old Leimert Park resident felt hope .
She wondered whether the study and accompanying blood test could answer why she had been experiencing months of respiratory problems , even through her coronavirus test had come back negative .
Maybe , she thought , the test would reveal that she had been exposed and recovered .
Then she was hit with what she calls “ a Tuskegee moment.
” “ Every time I think about ‘ experimental ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ or ‘ there ’ s no cure , but we can treat you ’ ... Tuskegee is in the back of my mind , ” Temple said after deciding to go forward with the antibody study anyway .
Such seeds of mistrust were sowed almost a century ago in a rural corner of Alabama where , for four decades , medical researchers used hundreds of black men as guinea pigs in a government study now known as the Tuskegee experiment .
In the study , which began in 1932 , researchers told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bad blood.
” They were not .
Instead , the researchers watched as syphilis ravaged the men ’ s bodies .
Even when a cure for the debilitating disease became widely available , the researchers went to great lengths to ensure the men were denied treatment .
Exposed by a whistleblower in the early 1970s , the Tuskegee experiment is the most infamous in a litany of abuses and questionable studies conducted on black Americans in past decades .
For many across the country , it is a metaphor for discrimination and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can not think of a more damning betrayal of a doctor-patient relationship than that , ” said Dr. David M. Carlisle , president and chief executive of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science .
Now that the nation is in the grips of a pandemic , public health officials must confront a legacy of distrust — handed down from generation to generation — of medical research , healthcare workers and government mandates .
Some are pushing back on the common refrain that black people are dying of COVID-19 at disproportionate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , such as hypertension and heart disease .
Instead , they are examining the lasting effects of the Tuskegee experiment , and how the often unfair and unequal treatment of black patients has factored into prevention and care during the pandemic .
There are reasons for concern .
In late April , Los Angeles become the first urban area in the nation to offer widespread testing for the novel coronavirus , regardless of symptoms .
But preliminary racial data show that black people are underrepresented among the ranks of those tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disparity of COVID without talking about the recognition of how those disparities arose and what they reflect , ” said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris , California ’ s surgeon general .
“ Because it ’ s not that black people are inherently sicker than others.
” A lot of it boils down to trust , some experts and researchers say .
Decades of discrimination , reinforced by segregated hospitals and an overall lack of access to adequate medical care , have often worked against establishing even a fragile bond between black patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this lack of confidence in physicians and hospitals makes black people less likely to seek medical care or to adhere to recommended treatment plans .
That is particularly problematic when it comes to combating the coronavirus , Burke Harris said .
The most vital tool health officials have in a pandemic is trust that policies and decisions are being made in the public ’ s best interest .
This belief impacts behavior , including whether people obey stay-at-home orders , practice social distancing and follow guidance to wear masks , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early days of the pandemic .
A rumor that black people were immune from the coronavirus was running rampant on social media , likely giving some a false sense of security as they continued with their daily routines against the advice of health officials and elected leaders .
It wasn ’ t until cities across the country began releasing statistics showing black people contracting and dying of the coronavirus at high rates that the rumor was debunked .
“ It ’ s clear that some of our young people didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the myth initially that blacks couldn ’ t catch the coronavirus , ” said South L.A. activist Najee Ali .
“ That myth spread like wildfire on social media , but there was never a concentrated effort from leaders to dispel that myth.
” In the past , elected leaders have leaned on trusted messengers , particularly in communities of color .
Pastors , respected elders and activists are frequently enlisted to distribute critical information in town hall meetings , church sermons and other group gatherings .
But with the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down .
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Gov .
Gavin Newsom have banned large gatherings to slow the virus ’ spread .
Dr. Bill Releford , an Inglewood podiatric surgeon , first noticed the disconnect between black patients and the preventative recommendations of their doctors back in 2007 .
He was treating a large number of people who needed to have toes , a foot or a leg amputated because of complications from diabetes .
He also noticed that his patients and other black Angelenos lacked access to healthcare to properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So Releford founded the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program , an Inglewood-based organization that offers checkups at barbershops .
More recently , he expanded the program nationwide , organizing volunteers to screen 30,000 men .
Some arrive in such dire conditions , with their blood pressure at dangerously high levels , that they have to be taken straight from barbershops to the emergency room , he said .
“ The same pattern we see for diabetes and high blood pressure , we ’ re seeing with COVID-19 , where there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Releford said .
Over the years that the podiatrist and his team have treated patients , the legacy of the Tuskegee experiment has come up often .
Formally known as the “ Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male , ” it lasted from 1932 to 1972 , when a former federal investigator leaked the details of the experiment to a journalist .
The whistleblower revealed that doctors with the U.S. Public Health Service were using black men in Macon County , Ala. , as test subjects , deliberately withholding treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after penicillin had been found to cure it .
In total , roughly 600 black men — 399 with syphilis and 201 without — were recruited and duped to participate in the study .
In 1974 , the men sued and reached a $ 9 million legal settlement .
The federal government agreed to provide medical benefits and burial services to all living participants .
Years later , the wives , widows and children of those who were part of the experiment also were added .
But the damage was done .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became blind or paralyzed .
Several of their wives contracted the disease and passed it on to their children during birth .
To this day , 11 offspring of the men who participated in the study still receive government medical and health benefits .
In 1997 , President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology on behalf of the federal government .
“ We can stop turning our heads away , ” the president said during a White House ceremony that was attended by five survivors .
“ We can look at you in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American people : What the United States government did was shameful , and I am sorry.
” The Tuskegee experiment continues to echo in various ways .
Researchers , for example , cite it to explain why black people are less likely to participate in experimental cancer treatments , clinical trials and even to get an annual flu shot .
It ’ s unclear what this will mean if a vaccine is developed for the coronavirus .
Earl Ofari Hutchinson , president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable , unofficially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his weekly radio show and found that the group was overwhelming against taking any such vaccine .
To Releford , who now passes out free face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to passersby outside closed South L.A. barbershops , it ’ s clear to him that the wounds of the Tuskegee experiment have not fully healed .
“ The messages of the past do not go away , ” Releford said .
“ We have not as a country reconciled how these misdeeds have affected our people , particularly African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a real conversation , I don ’ t think this issue is going to go away .
”

The invitation to participate in a COVID-19 antibody study arrived in Jacquelyn Temple’s in-box early last month.
Initially, the 72-year-old Leimert Park resident felt hope. She wondered whether the study and accompanying blood test could answer why she had been experiencing months of respiratory problems, even through her coronavirus test had come back negative. Maybe, she thought, the test would reveal that she had been exposed and recovered.
Then she was hit with what she calls “a Tuskegee moment.”
“Every time I think about ‘experimental’ or ‘we want to study you’ or ‘there’s no cure, but we can treat you’ ... Tuskegee is in the back of my mind,” Temple said after deciding to go forward with the antibody study anyway.
Advertisement
Such seeds of mistrust were sowed almost a century ago in a rural corner of Alabama where, for four decades, medical researchers used hundreds of black men as guinea pigs in a government study now known as the Tuskegee experiment.
In the study, which began in 1932, researchers told the men they were being treated for “bad blood.” They were not. Instead, the researchers watched as syphilis ravaged the men’s bodies. Even when a cure for the debilitating disease became widely available, the researchers went to great lengths to ensure the men were denied treatment.
Men included in the syphilis study posed for a photo in the 1950s in Tuskegee, Ala. (National Archives )
Exposed by a whistleblower in the early 1970s, the Tuskegee experiment is the most infamous in a litany of abuses and questionable studies conducted on black Americans in past decades. For many across the country, it is a metaphor for discrimination and racism within the medical system.
“You cannot think of a more damning betrayal of a doctor-patient relationship than that,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, president and chief executive of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
Now that the nation is in the grips of a pandemic, public health officials must confront a legacy of distrust — handed down from generation to generation — of medical research, healthcare workers and government mandates.
Some are pushing back on the common refrain that black people are dying of COVID-19 at disproportionate rates because they suffer more from preexisting conditions, such as hypertension and heart disease. Instead, they are examining the lasting effects of the Tuskegee experiment, and how the often unfair and unequal treatment of black patients has factored into prevention and care during the pandemic.
There are reasons for concern. In late April, Los Angeles become the first urban area in the nation to offer widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, regardless of symptoms. But preliminary racial data show that black people are underrepresented among the ranks of those tested.
Advertisement
From 1932 to 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service used black men in Macon County, Ala., as test subjects, deliberately withholding treatment for syphilis long after penicillin had been found to cure it. (National Archives )
“We can’t talk about the disparity of COVID without talking about the recognition of how those disparities arose and what they reflect,” said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s surgeon general. “Because it’s not that black people are inherently sicker than others.”
A lot of it boils down to trust, some experts and researchers say.
Decades of discrimination, reinforced by segregated hospitals and an overall lack of access to adequate medical care, have often worked against establishing even a fragile bond between black patients and often nonblack doctors. Research shows that this lack of confidence in physicians and hospitals makes black people less likely to seek medical care or to adhere to recommended treatment plans.
That is particularly problematic when it comes to combating the coronavirus, Burke Harris said.
The most vital tool health officials have in a pandemic is trust that policies and decisions are being made in the public’s best interest. This belief impacts behavior, including whether people obey stay-at-home orders, practice social distancing and follow guidance to wear masks, she said.
There were reasons to worry in the early days of the pandemic. A rumor that black people were immune from the coronavirus was running rampant on social media, likely giving some a false sense of security as they continued with their daily routines against the advice of health officials and elected leaders.
A man included in the syphilis study received an injection in the 1950s in Tuskegee. (National Archives )
It wasn’t until cities across the country began releasing statistics showing black people contracting and dying of the coronavirus at high rates that the rumor was debunked.
“It’s clear that some of our young people didn’t take this seriously, which included passing on the myth initially that blacks couldn’t catch the coronavirus,” said South L.A. activist Najee Ali. “That myth spread like wildfire on social media, but there was never a concentrated effort from leaders to dispel that myth.”
In the past, elected leaders have leaned on trusted messengers, particularly in communities of color. Pastors, respected elders and activists are frequently enlisted to distribute critical information in town hall meetings, church sermons and other group gatherings. But with the coronavirus, those normal channels of communication have been shut down. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have banned large gatherings to slow the virus’ spread.
Dr. Bill Releford, an Inglewood podiatric surgeon, first noticed the disconnect between black patients and the preventative recommendations of their doctors back in 2007. He was treating a large number of people who needed to have toes, a foot or a leg amputated because of complications from diabetes.
Thomas Uwal, left, Human Services Superintendent for the city of Inglewood, shows his appreciation after Dr. Bill Releford, right, founder of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, donated 650 surgical masks and 100 bottles of hand sanitizer to the Inglewood Senior Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
He also noticed that his patients and other black Angelenos lacked access to healthcare to properly diagnose and treat such chronic illnesses. So Releford founded the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, an Inglewood-based organization that offers checkups at barbershops.
More recently, he expanded the program nationwide, organizing volunteers to screen 30,000 men. Some arrive in such dire conditions, with their blood pressure at dangerously high levels, that they have to be taken straight from barbershops to the emergency room, he said.
“The same pattern we see for diabetes and high blood pressure, we’re seeing with COVID-19, where there’s a lack of testing and treatment,” Releford said.
Over the years that the podiatrist and his team have treated patients, the legacy of the Tuskegee experiment has come up often.
Formally known as the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male,” it lasted from 1932 to 1972, when a former federal investigator leaked the details of the experiment to a journalist. The whistleblower revealed that doctors with the U.S. Public Health Service were using black men in Macon County, Ala., as test subjects, deliberately withholding treatment for the highly infectious disease syphilis long after penicillin had been found to cure it.
In total, roughly 600 black men — 399 with syphilis and 201 without — were recruited and duped to participate in the study.
In 1974, the men sued and reached a $9 million legal settlement. The federal government agreed to provide medical benefits and burial services to all living participants. Years later, the wives, widows and children of those who were part of the experiment also were added.
But the damage was done.
Some died from complications of syphilis. Others became blind or paralyzed. Several of their wives contracted the disease and passed it on to their children during birth. To this day, 11 offspring of the men who participated in the study still receive government medical and health benefits.
Herman Shaw, 94, a victim of the Tuskegee experiment, after receiving an official apology from President Clinton on May 16, 1997, in the White House. (Greg Gibson / Associated Press)
In 1997, President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology on behalf of the federal government.
“We can stop turning our heads away,” the president said during a White House ceremony that was attended by five survivors. “We can look at you in the eye and finally say on behalf of the American people: What the United States government did was shameful, and I am sorry.”
The Tuskegee experiment continues to echo in various ways. Researchers, for example, cite it to explain why black people are less likely to participate in experimental cancer treatments, clinical trials and even to get an annual flu shot.
It’s unclear what this will mean if a vaccine is developed for the coronavirus. Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, unofficially polled his social media followers and listeners on his weekly radio show and found that the group was overwhelming against taking any such vaccine.
To Releford, who now passes out free face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to passersby outside closed South L.A. barbershops, it’s clear to him that the wounds of the Tuskegee experiment have not fully healed.
“The messages of the past do not go away,” Releford said. “We have not as a country reconciled how these misdeeds have affected our people, particularly African Americans, for generations. So until we have a real conversation, I don’t think this issue is going to go away.”


latimes--2020-05-10--Small towns across the Sierra fear tourists will bring coronavirus with them

The Sierra Nevada towns that dot Alpine County have no hospital .
Nor do they have a single doctor ’ s office or clinic .
In this region of small unincorporated towns , the workers who comprise its fellowship of coronavirus first responders look a bit different from their counterparts in metropolises a few hours away .
They ’ re a mix of civic-minded locals serving as volunteer firefighters and EMTs , and ambulance contractors who come when called from neighboring counties .
Until the coronavirus outbreak , a nurse practitioner ran the county ’ s only healthcare facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Army clinic in Texas .
Now , residents must go out of the county , in some cases across the state line to Nevada , for healthcare , or call 911 .
That ’ s why health and law officials in the least populous county in the state — and other nearby rural counties that draw anglers , backpackers and skiers — have united in a single message to tourists who can ’ t seem to keep away : Stay home .
Alpine County Sheriff Rick Stephens issued a blunt plea in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the county .
“ I , myself , haven ’ t seen my children or grandchildren in over two weeks , ” he said in a statement .
“ My staff is isolating themselves on their days off so that we may be here to serve you .
Lately , they had to respond to calls that were unnecessary due to visitors not following the advice given by the CDC and our local public health officer .
You will be putting my staff and their families in danger from unnecessary exposure.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health officer , agreed there ’ s no medical care to treat visitors who fall ill with COVID-19 .
“ There ’ s no way we would even have ground or air resources to get them out , ” Johnson said .
“ It ’ s a dangerous assumption that you can come and look at us as a safe haven .
It is an unsafe haven.
” Remote California counties in recent weeks have seen waves of tourists hoping to escape their cramped apartments and stay-at-home orders in cities such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alpine County a few weeks ago , visitors snapped up all the gas and food at one of the area ’ s few convenience stores , leaving shelves bare , tanks empty and residents without other options , Johnson said .
The county , which locals dub the “ California Alps , ” has just one confirmed coronavirus case among its 1,100 residents , which officials said may give visitors a false sense of security .
The community probably has more cases and instances of community spread , Johnson said .
A new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County as part of the state ’ s initiative to expand testing in rural California .
Johnson hopes that will provide his county with more perspective on the level of coronavirus activity there .
“ I have no idea if there ’ s a lot of mild disease going on in the community , ” he said , adding that the vast majority of the area ’ s older residents are “ extremely compliant ” with stay-at-home orders .
Although 17 of the Golden State ’ s remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases apiece , they grapple with the same problems as big cities : a shortage of testing kits and protective equipment for their first responders as they prepare for a possible surge in patients .
Many rural towns are served by one of California ’ s 34 critical access hospitals , which serve sparsely populated areas that are more than 35 miles from the nearest hospital , and house as many as 25 beds .
These facilities , which include hospitals 15 miles from another hospital in mountainous terrain that makes emergency response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions .
Rural hospitals often transfer their most critical patients to larger facilities because they lack intensive care units .
Many would probably need to transfer gravely ill COVID-19 patients who require ventilators .
“ It ’ s not just having the piece of equipment , ” said Jan Emerson-Shea , chief spokeswoman at the California Hospital Assn.
, an industry trade group .
“ You have to have the staffing who knows how to use it .
They don ’ t have that level of skill set .
They don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just getting ventilators isn ’ t going to help them.
” But not all small hospital administrators have faith that larger hospitals will be able to take their COVID-19 patients if they , too , are overwhelmed .
The only hospital in Mariposa County , known as John C. Fremont Healthcare District , does not have an ICU , but over the last two months it has worked with local public health officials to procure ventilators .
Normally , the hospital would transfer critical patients to Fresno or Modesto , each about 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals there are overwhelmed , Mariposa officials anticipate being told to seek help elsewhere .
Instead , since early March , the hospital ’ s nurses with ICU training and experience have provided a group of nurses with a crash course in critical care ventilator management .
Under normal circumstances , the hospital wouldn ’ t offer that training , in part because it doesn ’ t have an ICU .
The hospital also created a COVID-19 wing that can serve up to 16 patients .
“ We do have a plan because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ We can ’ t take your patients , you need to keep them there , ’ ” said Thomas Wilkinson , the hospital ’ s chief nursing officer .
As cases of COVID-19 mount in California , counties like Mono — small , rural , wedged between the Sierra and the Nevada state line — have been left to vie for resources : not only medical treatment and equipment but also food and other essentials .
Stacy Corless , chair of the Mono County Board of Supervisors , said in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks and food delivery programs but “ everyone is left empty-handed ” because the local economy depends on the steady stream of tourism that officials have been forced to stave off .
Some locals were initially feeling wary about visitors who trickled into town looking to escape big-city outbreaks .
The county supervisor said she was hounded in March by residents asking whether officials could put up a road block or check drivers ’ IDs as they come up the mountain .
However , in early May , Corless said everyone had gained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
“ As is the case pretty much everywhere , folks in Mono County now realize that we crushed the curve , ” Corless said .
“ They are anxious to safely reopen the economy.
” Some 26 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Mono County , and one person has died .
The hospital , Corless said , has basically been “ flipped upside down ” to accommodate a COVID-19 patient area and a “ clean ” area for others .
By early May , the hospital had surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grapple with how to plan for a future with so many unknowns , many have sought refuge in helping others .
Although Mono County doesn ’ t have the political power of its coastal neighbors , it does have a strong community of people who are busy sewing masks for healthcare and other essential workers .
In Inyo County , within a few days of a call for volunteers,120 people signed up to sew and quilt masks for workers .
For locals , banding together is a familiar feeling , an act replicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural disaster strikes .
In Inyo , with one of the state ’ s largest percentages of residents 65 and older , neighbors are checking in on neighbors , going block by block , making sure the elderly have what they need .
“ In small , rural , isolated towns there are a lot of people who really want to help out , ” said Inyo County Supervisor Jeff Griffiths .
“ We have food delivery for seniors who are quarantined , personal shopping for people who shouldn ’ t be going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older folks living by themselves , and we also have a volunteer hotline that is able to help people navigate the resources out there.
” Inyo County has 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases and one coronavirus-related death .
Healthcare workers “ have the equipment that we need in the hospital setting , ” Griffiths said .
There are two critical access hospitals in the county , one with 24 beds and another with about 10 , he said .
But Inyo has had difficulty keeping shelves stocked at its five grocery stores , Griffiths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stop along the road to the ski slopes of Mammoth Mountain , is a destination for campers , climbers and nature lovers who make trips to Death Valley National Park , the city of Bishop , Lone Pine and Badwater Basin .
As in neighboring Mono County , tourism is a bedrock of the local economy .
“ There ’ s been a bit of perception from people from the more metropolitan areas that this is a good place to escape to and that outdoor recreation is an appropriate thing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The county has asked visitors to stay away until the virus is under control .
It ’ s a loss for a region that would see hundreds — if not thousands — of climbers during peak season .
“ We prioritize the safety of folks over recreation , ” Griffiths said .
“ We love it when you visit , just don ’ t visit us right now .
”

A pair of wooden bear sculptures seem to guard a closed Grizzly Mini Mart and Gas Station along Highway 140 in the heart of Mariposa on April 29. The gas station is one of the few businesses still open during the day in Mariposa.
The Sierra Nevada towns that dot Alpine County have no hospital. Nor do they have a single doctor’s office or clinic.
In this region of small unincorporated towns, the workers who comprise its fellowship of coronavirus first responders look a bit different from their counterparts in metropolises a few hours away. They’re a mix of civic-minded locals serving as volunteer firefighters and EMTs, and ambulance contractors who come when called from neighboring counties.
Until the coronavirus outbreak, a nurse practitioner ran the county’s only healthcare facility, but she recently left to help in an Army clinic in Texas. Now, residents must go out of the county, in some cases across the state line to Nevada, for healthcare, or call 911.
Advertisement
That’s why health and law officials in the least populous county in the state — and other nearby rural counties that draw anglers, backpackers and skiers — have united in a single message to tourists who can’t seem to keep away: Stay home.
Alpine County Sheriff Rick Stephens issued a blunt plea in late March to anyone considering a trip to the county.
“I, myself, haven’t seen my children or grandchildren in over two weeks,” he said in a statement. “My staff is isolating themselves on their days off so that we may be here to serve you. Lately, they had to respond to calls that were unnecessary due to visitors not following the advice given by the CDC and our local public health officer. You will be putting my staff and their families in danger from unnecessary exposure.”
Dr. Richard Johnson, the Alpine County public health officer, agreed there’s no medical care to treat visitors who fall ill with COVID-19.
“There’s no way we would even have ground or air resources to get them out,” Johnson said. “It’s a dangerous assumption that you can come and look at us as a safe haven. It is an unsafe haven.”
Remote California counties in recent weeks have seen waves of tourists hoping to escape their cramped apartments and stay-at-home orders in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. In Alpine County a few weeks ago, visitors snapped up all the gas and food at one of the area’s few convenience stores, leaving shelves bare, tanks empty and residents without other options, Johnson said.
Advertisement
The county, which locals dub the “California Alps,” has just one confirmed coronavirus case among its 1,100 residents, which officials said may give visitors a false sense of security.
The community probably has more cases and instances of community spread, Johnson said. A new testing site will open soon in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County as part of the state’s initiative to expand testing in rural California. Johnson hopes that will provide his county with more perspective on the level of coronavirus activity there.
“I have no idea if there’s a lot of mild disease going on in the community,” he said, adding that the vast majority of the area’s older residents are “extremely compliant” with stay-at-home orders.
This 2014 photo shows the wood-beam Markleeville General Store, a de facto community center, in Alpine County. The store on Highway 89 serves as a full grocery store and also sells fishing and camping gear. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Although 17 of the Golden State’s remote counties still have fewer than 30 confirmed cases apiece, they grapple with the same problems as big cities: a shortage of testing kits and protective equipment for their first responders as they prepare for a possible surge in patients.
Many rural towns are served by one of California’s 34 critical access hospitals, which serve sparsely populated areas that are more than 35 miles from the nearest hospital, and house as many as 25 beds. These facilities, which include hospitals 15 miles from another hospital in mountainous terrain that makes emergency response especially challenging, have contracts with larger institutions.
Rural hospitals often transfer their most critical patients to larger facilities because they lack intensive care units. Many would probably need to transfer gravely ill COVID-19 patients who require ventilators.
“It’s not just having the piece of equipment,” said Jan Emerson-Shea, chief spokeswoman at the California Hospital Assn., an industry trade group. “You have to have the staffing who knows how to use it. They don’t have that level of skill set. They don’t provide that level of care, so just getting ventilators isn’t going to help them.”
But not all small hospital administrators have faith that larger hospitals will be able to take their COVID-19 patients if they, too, are overwhelmed.
Matthew Matthiessen, chief executive of John C. Fremont Healthcare District, has his temperature read while being screened by EMT Doug Michael in Mariposa on April 30. All employees at the hospital have to be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 and are asked questions if they have any symptoms of the disease before they are allowed to go to work. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The only hospital in Mariposa County, known as John C. Fremont Healthcare District, does not have an ICU, but over the last two months it has worked with local public health officials to procure ventilators.
Normally, the hospital would transfer critical patients to Fresno or Modesto, each about 90 minutes away by ambulance, but if hospitals there are overwhelmed, Mariposa officials anticipate being told to seek help elsewhere.
Instead, since early March, the hospital’s nurses with ICU training and experience have provided a group of nurses with a crash course in critical care ventilator management.
Under normal circumstances, the hospital wouldn’t offer that training, in part because it doesn’t have an ICU. The hospital also created a COVID-19 wing that can serve up to 16 patients.
“We do have a plan because what we expect is to be told, ‘We can’t take your patients, you need to keep them there,’” said Thomas Wilkinson, the hospital’s chief nursing officer.
As cases of COVID-19 mount in California, counties like Mono — small, rural, wedged between the Sierra and the Nevada state line — have been left to vie for resources: not only medical treatment and equipment but also food and other essentials.
Stacy Corless, chair of the Mono County Board of Supervisors, said in March that the county has set up food banks and food delivery programs but “everyone is left empty-handed” because the local economy depends on the steady stream of tourism that officials have been forced to stave off.
Some locals were initially feeling wary about visitors who trickled into town looking to escape big-city outbreaks. The county supervisor said she was hounded in March by residents asking whether officials could put up a road block or check drivers’ IDs as they come up the mountain.
However, in early May, Corless said everyone had gained a new, optimistic perspective about the outbreak.
“As is the case pretty much everywhere, folks in Mono County now realize that we crushed the curve,” Corless said. “They are anxious to safely reopen the economy.”
Some 26 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Mono County, and one person has died.
The hospital, Corless said, has basically been “flipped upside down” to accommodate a COVID-19 patient area and a “clean” area for others. By early May, the hospital had surge capacity, she said.
This 2018 photo shows a natural meadow near Alkali Lake in Mono County. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
As residents grapple with how to plan for a future with so many unknowns, many have sought refuge in helping others.
Although Mono County doesn’t have the political power of its coastal neighbors, it does have a strong community of people who are busy sewing masks for healthcare and other essential workers.
In Inyo County, within a few days of a call for volunteers,120 people signed up to sew and quilt masks for workers.
For locals, banding together is a familiar feeling, an act replicated during wildfire season or any time a natural disaster strikes. In Inyo, with one of the state’s largest percentages of residents 65 and older, neighbors are checking in on neighbors, going block by block, making sure the elderly have what they need.
“In small, rural, isolated towns there are a lot of people who really want to help out,” said Inyo County Supervisor Jeff Griffiths. “We have food delivery for seniors who are quarantined, personal shopping for people who shouldn’t be going out at all, check-up calls for older folks living by themselves, and we also have a volunteer hotline that is able to help people navigate the resources out there.”
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is a protected area high in the White Mountains in Inyo County in eastern California. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Inyo County has 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases and one coronavirus-related death. Healthcare workers “have the equipment that we need in the hospital setting,” Griffiths said. There are two critical access hospitals in the county, one with 24 beds and another with about 10, he said.
But Inyo has had difficulty keeping shelves stocked at its five grocery stores, Griffiths added. The county of 18,000, a stop along the road to the ski slopes of Mammoth Mountain, is a destination for campers, climbers and nature lovers who make trips to Death Valley National Park, the city of Bishop, Lone Pine and Badwater Basin. As in neighboring Mono County, tourism is a bedrock of the local economy.
“There’s been a bit of perception from people from the more metropolitan areas that this is a good place to escape to and that outdoor recreation is an appropriate thing to do during a pandemic,” Griffiths said.
The county has asked visitors to stay away until the virus is under control. It’s a loss for a region that would see hundreds — if not thousands — of climbers during peak season.
“We prioritize the safety of folks over recreation,” Griffiths said. “We love it when you visit, just don’t visit us right now.”


latimes--2020-05-10--In the coronavirus crisis, Newsom uses social media to raise awareness of the pandemic — and his pro

In the coronavirus crisis, Newsom uses social media to raise awareness of the pandemic — and his profile

As Gov .
Gavin Newsom delivered a somber briefing in late April about the devastation wrought by coronavirus , his personal Twitter and Instagram feeds never ceased to whir .
Newsom ’ s Instagram account teased an upcoming interview about the pandemic with U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe and praised a cadre of California doctors and nurses flying to New York , a COVID-19 hot spot .
His Twitter account posted grim figures on virus-related deaths and a warning that Californians “ MUST take this seriously.
” Meanwhile , hundreds of thousands of viewers were tuned into Newsom ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response posted to the governor ’ s official Facebook and Twitter pages .
Newsom ’ s social media dexterity has come to good use in the coronavirus crisis , helping the governor amplify his message on state policy during the pandemic and expand his political reach in ways unavailable to his predecessors .
The first California governor to fully embrace social media while in office and unleash it as an extension of the bully pulpit , Newsom has capitalized on viral moments , enlisting celebrities as his surrogates to persuade the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order and touting his frequent television appearances to discuss the pandemic on Facebook and Twitter .
Though they might seem to be impromptu missives fired off at all hours of the day , Newsom ’ s tweets and other social media posts are part of a well-oiled machine , written and at times meticulously planned by staff and paid political advisors .
That includes his stream of updates on the pandemic and , though now mostly on hiatus during the crisis , his chippy Twitter feud with President Trump .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as anybody can do using those platforms , ” said GOP political consultant Tim Rosales , who ran the 2018 gubernatorial campaign of Republican John Cox , who lost to Newsom .
“ His approval ratings are going up among all groups , including Republicans .
People feel he ’ s connecting with them .
It ’ s not something that every executive and governor can do.
” Since Newsom took office as governor , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram have offered him an easy entree into national debates over gun control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consuming the American consciousness on any given day .
His ubiquitous social media presence has elevated his profile coast to coast , adding to speculation about a possible future White House run .
Newsom and his team regularly turn to social media to promote his national television appearances on networks including CNN and MSNBC , as well as frequent guest spots on talk shows such as “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show , ” “ The Daily Show With Trevor Noah , ” “ The View ” and “ Late Night With Seth Meyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother , Josh Meyers , to impersonate Newsom in a series of videos .
Veteran California Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow said Newsom has been much more effective using social media to expand his national profile than one of his close allies from the San Francisco Bay Area , former presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris .
Newsom ’ s growing name recognition has given him a “ political saving account ” should he one day make a run for the White House , Sragow said .
“ He ’ s creating options for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that , ” Sragow said .
The governor also hasn ’ t been shy about bringing in star power to help push his message on social media .
Newsom recently assembled a team of celebrities for a social media public service campaign urging Californians to heed his stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
The governor enlisted “ Seinfeld ” collaborators Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Larry David , now of “ Veep ” and “ Curb Your Enthusiasm , ” respectively , to pitch in along with comedians Ken Jeong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rapper Snoop Dogg asked people to stay home .
Football Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez did the same .
Last year , with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James at his side and HBO cameras rolling , Newsom signed a new law giving college athletes the right to paid endorsement deals .
The governor ’ s office and political team plastered Twitter , Facebook and Instagram with two dozen posts about James ’ support for the “ Fair Play to Pay Act.
” Newsom ’ s reelection campaign also unleashed a nationwide blitz of paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking folks to chip in with a campaign contribution .
During the coronavirus crisis , Newsom has used curated posts on Facebook and Twitter to help fine-tune and distill messaging from his loquacious daily news conferences on the pandemic .
Newsom ’ s administration and supporters have turned “ Meet this moment , ” a favorite catchphrase of the governor ’ s often used during those briefings , into a hashtag on Twitter , with Newsom ’ s wife , First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom , donning a hat with the slogan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long worked to cultivate his image as a tech-savvy politician .
“ How to take the town square digital and reinvent government ” is the subtitle of his 2013 book , “ Citizenville.
” And when Newsom launched his first — albeit short-lived — run for governor in April 2009 , the announcement of his candidacy came in a tweet .
Amanda Renteria , who was political director for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential campaign , said that Facebook and Twitter have transformed the way many Americans digest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has millions following him on those platforms , is primed to take advantage of it , she said , especially through his daily live briefings on the pandemic .
“ He immediately began to communicate .
That ’ s just been his style , ” said Renteria , who ran against Newsom in the gubernatorial primary .
“ Over-communicating is really important to leadership .
It ’ s exactly why Trump is Trump .
He has figured out how to be camera-forward all the time.
” Before the pandemic , Newsom and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dice each other for more than a year , with Twitter as their battlefield of choice .
A Times analysis found that between March 1 and Dec. 31 , 2019 , Newsom tweeted more about Trump and his administration than any other governor in the country with two exceptions : former Democratic presidential candidates Gov .
Steve Bullock of Montana and Gov .
Jay Inslee of Washington .
For Newsom , the Twitter battle helped to cement him as a top leader of the Democratic Party ’ s resistance against the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ homelessness to go unchecked in California and failing to clear forest floors of flammable leaves and pine needles presented a reliable way to rile up his base .
That feud has nearly disappeared from view since the pandemic hit , with both politicians offering each other praise on Twitter and at news conferences .
In late March , Newsom lauded Trump for dispatching the Navy hospital ship Mercy to the Port of Los Angeles to help free up capacity in Southern California hospitals for those stricken with COVID-19 .
He has also credited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for testing , as well as mobile military medical units .
Trump has been just as uncharacteristically effusive .
“ Governor @ GavinNewsom of California has been very nice & highly supportive about the great job we have done , working together , for California , ” Trump tweeted on April 11 .
The thawed relations have since become fodder for a Trump campaign reelection ad , which prominently features Newsom praising the president for his actions to help California respond to the coronavirus crisis .
Along with Newsom ’ s personal accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are official accounts for the California governor ’ s office on those platforms .
The Times made requests over several months to speak with Newsom about his social media operations , which he declined through a spokesman .
Nathan Click , Newsom ’ s communications director , said the posts on the government accounts , which largely promote official announcements and livestream the governor ’ s events , are produced by Newsom ’ s government-salaried communications staff .
Click said Newsom ’ s personal accounts on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by political advisors as well as governor ’ s office staffers on their off-time .
He declined to say how many of the posts Newsom writes himself , and said the governor “ channels his personal and general thoughts ” on what is happening in the state and the rest of the world in directing his staff on what to post .
Having a team of staff members curate an elected official ’ s online presence is not unique to Newsom .
Many top politicians rely on aides and political consultants to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Larry Hogan told The Times he rarely posts on Facebook and stays away from Twitter altogether , leaving it to members of his staff .
But he does tell them what to say in those tweets , word for word .
He credits social media for giving him a direct connection to constituents .
“ They see the real me , ” Hogan said during a visit to San Francisco for a National Governor ’ s Assn .
event in January .
“ If it was some sanitized version of somebody else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that didn ’ t sound like me , they would be — ‘ You know , he sounds like a politician.
’ ” Bullock said though valuable , social media has significant limitations .
“ Often we people substitute the Twitterverse for the real universe , ” the Montana governor said at the event .
“ Most people ’ s lives are too busy to give a damn about that stuff.
” A 2019 Pew Research study found that 69 % of Americans reported using Facebook , compared with 37 % who used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among other social media platforms , 28 % of Americans said they used Pinterest , 27 % used LinkedIn , 24 % used Snapchat , 20 % WhatsApp and 11 % Reddit .
Before the coronavirus hit , Newsom was by far the most followed governor on Twitter , with about 1.5 million followers on his personal account , and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo was a distant second , with about 863,000 .
Cuomo , who has received widespread praise for his response to the outbreak , has since rocketed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers on Twitter .
Newsom ’ s following grew as well , to 1.7 million .
“ People are looking to their political leaders to provide information they can trust , ” said Dr. Raina Merchant , an emergency room physician and director of the Center for Digital Health at the University of Pennsylvania ’ s Perelman School of Medicine .
“ There ’ s an incredible amount of anxiety out there.
” With so many Americans relying on Facebook , Twitter and other platforms , social media has become the most direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders to reach people with accurate information about the coronavirus , and to dispel rumors and misinformation , Merchant said .
“ There ’ s just a lot more people who are on social media .
So these types of conversations are very important , ” she said .
“ Now it ’ s just become a part of our daily fabric.
” When it comes to campaigning , Facebook is the social medial platform most relied upon by candidates , said digital strategist Michelle Jeung , co-owner of the political consulting firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ micro-target ” advertising based on geography , gender , age , political party and interests .
“ Twitter , that ’ s where you go to talk to reporters , ” said Jeung , who worked for Newsom ’ s Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa in the 2018 governor ’ s race .
“ When you want to talk to voters , you go to Facebook.
” In 2019 , Newsom ’ s reelection campaign spent more than $ 300,000 on digital ads and consultants , the committee ’ s biggest expense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent campaign finance reports .
Just days after news broke in September that Trump planned to revoke a decades-old rule allowing California to set its own car emissions standards , a Newsom Facebook ad urged supporters to “ fight Trump ’ s attack on the environment.
” Those who clicked on the ad were encouraged to “ fight back ” by donating to his campaign .
Other ads urged followers to support the governor ’ s efforts to enact rent control , oppose the death penalty , protect immigrants and push for universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection campaign has not posted a new Facebook ad since October , and the governor ’ s political activity on social media platforms has all but evaporated .
Instead , Newsom uses those accounts to retweet and post coronavirus updates and announcements from the governor ’ s office .
Dan Newman , Newsom ’ s political strategist , said Californians expect to hear from the governor about the crisis at hand , not about politics .
“ This is truly one of those cases where good policy is good politics , ” Newman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good leader in this crisis , you have to assume it will translate well politically .
”

As Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a somber briefing in late April about the devastation wrought by coronavirus, his personal Twitter and Instagram feeds never ceased to whir.
Newsom’s Instagram account teased an upcoming interview about the pandemic with U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe and praised a cadre of California doctors and nurses flying to New York, a COVID-19 hot spot. His Twitter account posted grim figures on virus-related deaths and a warning that Californians “MUST take this seriously.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of viewers were tuned into Newsom’s livestream on the state’s coronavirus response posted to the governor’s official Facebook and Twitter pages.
Advertisement
Newsom’s social media dexterity has come to good use in the coronavirus crisis, helping the governor amplify his message on state policy during the pandemic and expand his political reach in ways unavailable to his predecessors.
The first California governor to fully embrace social media while in office and unleash it as an extension of the bully pulpit, Newsom has capitalized on viral moments, enlisting celebrities as his surrogates to persuade the state’s residents to abide by his stay-at-home order and touting his frequent television appearances to discuss the pandemic on Facebook and Twitter.
Though they might seem to be impromptu missives fired off at all hours of the day, Newsom’s tweets and other social media posts are part of a well-oiled machine, written and at times meticulously planned by staff and paid political advisors. That includes his stream of updates on the pandemic and, though now mostly on hiatus during the crisis, his chippy Twitter feud with President Trump.
“I think he’s doing just about as well as anybody can do using those platforms,” said GOP political consultant Tim Rosales, who ran the 2018 gubernatorial campaign of Republican John Cox, who lost to Newsom. “His approval ratings are going up among all groups, including Republicans. People feel he’s connecting with them. It’s not something that every executive and governor can do.”
Since Newsom took office as governor, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have offered him an easy entree into national debates over gun control, healthcare, immigration and other issues consuming the American consciousness on any given day. His ubiquitous social media presence has elevated his profile coast to coast, adding to speculation about a possible future White House run.
Newsom and his team regularly turn to social media to promote his national television appearances on networks including CNN and MSNBC, as well as frequent guest spots on talk shows such as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,” “The View” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers” — the host recently drafted his brother, Josh Meyers, to impersonate Newsom in a series of videos.
Advertisement
Veteran California Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow said Newsom has been much more effective using social media to expand his national profile than one of his close allies from the San Francisco Bay Area, former presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. Newsom’s growing name recognition has given him a “political saving account” should he one day make a run for the White House, Sragow said.
“He’s creating options for himself. He’s smart to do that,” Sragow said.
The governor also hasn’t been shy about bringing in star power to help push his message on social media.
Listen to Larry David:
“You’re hurting old people like me. Well, not me...I’ll never see you.” #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/1f79k9I0q7 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 31, 2020
Newsom recently assembled a team of celebrities for a social media public service campaign urging Californians to heed his stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The governor enlisted “Seinfeld” collaborators Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Larry David, who went on to star in “Veep” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” respectively, to pitch in along with comedians Ken Jeong, Will Ferrell and Kumail Nanjiani. Rapper Snoop Dogg asked people to stay home. Football Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez did the same.
Last year, with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James at his side and HBO cameras rolling, Newsom signed a new law giving college athletes the right to paid endorsement deals. The governor’s office and political team plastered Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with two dozen posts about James’ support for the “Fair Pay to Play Act.” Newsom’s reelection campaign also unleashed a nationwide blitz of paid Facebook ads touting the law — and asking folks to chip in with a campaign contribution.
During the coronavirus crisis, Newsom has used curated posts on Facebook and Twitter to help fine-tune and distill messaging from his loquacious daily news conferences on the pandemic. Newsom’s administration and supporters have turned “Meet this moment,” a favorite catchphrase of the governor’s often used during those briefings, into a hashtag on Twitter, with Newsom’s wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, donning a hat with the slogan in a recent tweet.
This #DenimDay, my heart is with all survivors of sexual assault. Together, we can and will end the culture of silence. And, in partnership, we will bring an end to violence against women and create a safer future for our children. pic.twitter.com/FSeMPS2pzZ — Jennifer Siebel Newsom (@JenSiebelNewsom) April 29, 2020
The governor has long worked to cultivate his image as a tech-savvy politician. “How to take the town square digital and reinvent government” is the subtitle of his 2013 book, “Citizenville.” And when Newsom launched his first — albeit short-lived — run for governor in April 2009, the announcement of his candidacy came in a tweet.
Amanda Renteria, who was political director for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, said that Facebook and Twitter have transformed the way many Americans digest their news. And Newsom, who has millions following him on those platforms, is primed to take advantage of it, she said, especially through his daily live briefings on the pandemic.
“He immediately began to communicate. That’s just been his style,” said Renteria, who ran against Newsom in the gubernatorial primary. “Over-communicating is really important to leadership. It’s exactly why Trump is Trump. He has figured out how to be camera-forward all the time.”
Before the pandemic, Newsom and Trump used those communication skills to slice and dice each other for more than a year, with Twitter as their battlefield of choice.
A Times analysis found that between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2019, Newsom tweeted more about Trump and his administration than any other governor in the country with two exceptions: former Democratic presidential candidates Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington.
For Newsom, the Twitter battle helped to cement him as a top leader of the Democratic Party’s resistance against the president. For Trump, accusing Newsom of allowing homelessness to go unchecked in California and failing to clear forest floors of flammable leaves and pine needles presented a reliable way to rile up his base.
That feud has nearly disappeared from view since the pandemic hit, with both politicians offering each other praise on Twitter and at news conferences.
In late March, Newsom lauded Trump for dispatching the Navy hospital ship Mercy to the Port of Los Angeles to help free up capacity in Southern California hospitals for those stricken with COVID-19. He has also credited Trump for sending California much-needed specimen swabs for testing, as well as mobile military medical units.
Trump has been just as uncharacteristically effusive.
“Governor @GavinNewsom of California has been very nice & highly supportive about the great job we have done, working together, for California,” Trump tweeted on April 11.
The thawed relations have since become fodder for a Trump campaign reelection ad, which prominently features Newsom praising the president for his actions to help California respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Along with Newsom’s personal accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, there are official accounts for the California governor’s office on those platforms. The Times made requests over several months to speak with Newsom about his social media operations, which he declined through a spokesman.
Nathan Click, Newsom’s communications director, said the posts on the government accounts, which largely promote official announcements and livestream the governor’s events, are produced by Newsom’s government-salaried communications staff. Click said Newsom’s personal accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are funded through his reelection campaign and managed by political advisors as well as governor’s office staffers on their off-time.
He declined to say how many of the posts Newsom writes himself, and said the governor “channels his personal and general thoughts” on what is happening in the state and the rest of the world in directing his staff on what to post.
Having a team of staff members curate an elected official’s online presence is not unique to Newsom. Many top politicians rely on aides and political consultants to run their social media operations.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told The Times he rarely posts on Facebook and stays away from Twitter altogether, leaving it to members of his staff. But he does tell them what to say in those tweets, word for word. He credits social media for giving him a direct connection to constituents.
“They see the real me,” Hogan said during a visit to San Francisco for a National Governor’s Assn. event in January. “If it was some sanitized version of somebody else, writing some really well-written eloquent piece that didn’t sound like me, they would be — ‘You know, he sounds like a politician.’ ”
Bullock said though valuable, social media has significant limitations.
“Often we people substitute the Twitterverse for the real universe,” the Montana governor said at the event. “Most people’s lives are too busy to give a damn about that stuff.”
A 2019 Pew Research study found that 69% of Americans reported using Facebook, compared with 37% who used Instagram and 22% who used Twitter. Among other social media platforms, 28% of Americans said they used Pinterest, 27% used LinkedIn, 24% used Snapchat, 20% WhatsApp and 11% Reddit.
Before the coronavirus hit, Newsom was by far the most followed governor on Twitter, with about 1.5 million followers on his personal account, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a distant second, with about 863,000.
Cuomo, who has received widespread praise for his response to the outbreak, has since rocketed past Newsom and now has 2 million followers on Twitter. Newsom’s following has grown as well, to 1.7 million.
“People are looking to their political leaders to provide information they can trust,” said Dr. Raina Merchant, an emergency room physician and director of the Center for Digital Health at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “There’s an incredible amount of anxiety out there.”
With so many Americans relying on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms, social media has become the most direct way for elected officials and public health leaders to reach people with accurate information about the coronavirus, and to dispel rumors and misinformation, Merchant said.
“There’s just a lot more people who are on social media. So these types of conversations are very important,” she said. “Now it’s just become a part of our daily fabric.”
When it comes to campaigning, Facebook is the social medial platform most relied upon by candidates, said digital strategist Michelle Jeung, co-owner of the political consulting firm MJE Strategies. Facebook allows politicians to “micro-target” advertising based on geography, gender, age, political party and interests.
“Twitter, that’s where you go to talk to reporters,” said Jeung, who worked for Newsom’s Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa in the 2018 governor’s race. “When you want to talk to voters, you go to Facebook.”
In 2019, Newsom’s reelection campaign spent more than $300,000 on digital ads and consultants, the committee’s biggest expense, according to the governor’s most recent campaign finance reports.
Just days after news broke in September that Trump planned to revoke a decades-old rule allowing California to set its own car emissions standards, a Newsom Facebook ad urged supporters to “fight Trump’s attack on the environment.” Those who clicked on the ad were encouraged to “fight back” by donating to his campaign.
Other ads urged followers to support the governor’s efforts to enact rent control, oppose the death penalty, protect immigrants and push for universal healthcare.
But Newsom’s 2022 reelection campaign has not posted a new Facebook ad since October, and the governor’s political activity on social media platforms has all but evaporated. Instead, Newsom uses those accounts to retweet and post coronavirus updates and announcements from the governor’s office.
Dan Newman, Newsom’s political strategist, said Californians expect to hear from the governor about the crisis at hand, not about politics.
“This is truly one of those cases where good policy is good politics,” Newman said. “If you’re a good leader in this crisis, you have to assume it will translate well politically.”


latimes--2020-05-11--California's coronavirus outlook worse than researchers expected, as cases, deaths rise

While California has avoided the grim death toll of coronavirus hot spots like New York , there are growing concerns that the state ’ s most populous regions have not yet seen the rapid decline in deaths and cases needed to significantly reopen the economy .
Cases and deaths in the state have remained relatively flat in recent weeks , with some areas , including Los Angeles County , continuing to see rapid growth , and some rural areas seeing much less .
California is one of a handful of states where are rising faster than researchers expected , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relied-upon model of the COVID-19 outbreak .
Christopher Murray , director of the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , said Sunday that the institute ’ s latest projections suggested the nationwide fatality count would reach 137,000 by Aug. 4 .
The current total is nearly 80,000 .
Researchers that California could see more than 6,000 COVID-19 deaths by the end of August , up about 1,420 from projections they released last Monday .
It ’ s the fifth-largest increase in projected death tolls among U.S. states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
The upward revisions “ are a result of a combination of updated daily death and case data , recent actions to ease previously implemented social distancing measures and steadily rising levels of mobility in many places , ” the researchers said in notes released with the data .
The picture is mixed in some of the country ’ s most populous states , Murray said .
“ Some good-ish news coming out of New York and New Jersey and Michigan , where the death cases and death numbers are coming down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” “ Some other states where cases and deaths are going up more than we expected — Illinois and then Arizona , Florida , California as examples of that.
” California added 2,244 coronavirus cases and 64 related deaths on Saturday .
About 40 % of the new cases — 907 — were reported by Los Angeles County , as were 45 of the new deaths , or about 70 % of the statewide death toll .
The state recorded 826 more cases and 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its total to more than 67,500 cases and 2,700 deaths .
In L.A. County , the toll rose to and 1,531 related deaths .
The continued increase has prompted public health officials to urge caution even as some recreation areas and “ The virus has not changed , ” Barbara Ferrer , director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health , .
“ It can still spread easily , and it can still result in serious illness and death.
” State and local officials this weekend began to ease some stay-at-home restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s still not clear when many businesses will reopen .
Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy , including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls , a Times data analysis found .
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks that each of California ’ s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard .
Can the county show that people have stopped dying from COVID-19 ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level ?
Can officials adequately test people ?
Do they have enough detectives to track down newly infected people ?
And do they have enough medical supplies ?
About 95 % of Californians live in counties that don ’ t meet that standard , The Times ’ analysis found .
Not a single county in Southern California or the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria .
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis , allowing the larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step toward easing restrictions , Long Beach will reopen beach bike and pedestrian paths , as well as tennis courts and the parking lots of public parks , on Monday .
Beaches and beach parking lots will remain closed .
People who use the parks , paths and tennis courts will be required to stay six feet apart and refrain from lingering or gathering in groups .
Gatherings and picnics remain prohibited .
reported its largest one-day increase in new cases Saturday , adding 273 cases and three deaths , for a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the in Chino , where at least 386 inmates had been infected and four had died as of Sunday , according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
Case counts also have shot up in , where an outbreak at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc has and 14 staff .
At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds , 114 inmates and 20 staff have become infected , officials said .
Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lompoc have 976 infected inmates , making it the largest outbreak at a federal penitentiary in the nation , according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
That accounts for roughly 75 % of the 1,308 cases reported by Santa Barbara County to date .
Of the 58 new cases the county reported on Sunday , 56 were associated with the federal prison complex in Lompoc , officials said .
The nation ’ s second-largest outbreak at a federal prison was at Terminal Island in San Pedro , where on Saturday a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die after testing positive for the virus .
Scott Cutting , who was serving a 26-month sentence for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns , had been hospitalized since April 14 , officials said .
A total of 699 inmates and 15 staff members at the Terminal Island prison had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday , according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
The virus continues to spread in Orange County , where the number of new cases is doubling every 18.5 days , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County and every 24.3 days in Riverside County .
Orange County recorded 122 more cases and two new deaths Sunday , bringing its total to 3,502 cases and 76 deaths .
There were 178 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals , including 59 in intensive care .
The county has been the site of numerous acts of resistance against statewide stay-at-home orders since they were announced by Newsom on March 19 .
Demonstrators have been gathering regularly in Huntington Beach to most recently on Saturday , when a crowd of about 1,500 amassed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully reopen .
have taken place in San Clemente , Newport Beach and Laguna Beach .
Some businesses have chosen to reopen in defiance of the orders , including a surf-themed that reportedly became so busy that it The county ’ s beaches also became flashpoints for controversy last month , when Newsom ordered their temporary closure after some during a heat wave .
Many local officials saying beachgoers were following social distancing rules , and news photographs that showed crowding were misleading .
The beaches reopened last week after local officials agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Huntington Beach is challenging Newsom ’ s temporary closure .
The city of Newport Beach in support of the action .
Though urban and densely populated counties have been hit hardest by the virus , there were also signs it was spreading to some rural areas .
Trinity County reported its first case of the coronavirus on Friday , the county public health department said in a news release .
Officials released few details but said they were working on identifying other individuals who might have been exposed .

Alex Wigglesworth, Laura King, Richard Winton

While California has avoided the grim death toll of coronavirus hot spots like New York, there are growing concerns that the state’s most populous regions have not yet seen the rapid decline in deaths and cases needed to significantly reopen the economy.
Cases and deaths in the state have remained relatively flat in recent weeks, with some areas, including Los Angeles County, continuing to see rapid growth, and some rural areas seeing much less.
California is one of a handful of states where coronavirus cases and deaths are rising faster than researchers expected, according to the latest calculations in a widely relied-upon model of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Advertisement
Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said Sunday that the institute’s latest projections suggested the nationwide fatality count would reach 137,000 by Aug. 4. The current total is nearly 80,000.
Researchers are now predicting that California could see more than 6,000 COVID-19 deaths by the end of August, up about 1,420 from projections they released last Monday. It’s the fifth-largest increase in projected death tolls among U.S. states, after Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona and Florida.
The upward revisions “are a result of a combination of updated daily death and case data, recent actions to ease previously implemented social distancing measures and steadily rising levels of mobility in many places,” the researchers said in notes released with the data.
California Coronavirus updates: White House orders staff to wear masks after Pence aide is infected The Los Angeles Times will provide around-the-clock updates on COVID-19 from across Southern California and around the world.Tracking the coronavirus in California: latest numbers | Support our journalism with a subscriptionHave a question about coronavirus? Send us your questions here. | You also can sign up for our newsletterSee latest photo galleryCoronavirus updates for May 8-10 are here
The picture is mixed in some of the country’s most populous states, Murray said.
“Some good-ish news coming out of New York and New Jersey and Michigan, where the death cases and death numbers are coming down faster than expected,” he said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Some other states where cases and deaths are going up more than we expected — Illinois and then Arizona, Florida, California as examples of that.”
California added 2,244 coronavirus cases and 64 related deaths on Saturday. About 40% of the new cases — 907 — were reported by Los Angeles County, as were 45 of the new deaths, or about 70% of the statewide death toll.
Advertisement
The state recorded 826 more cases and 23 more deaths by Sunday afternoon, bringing its total to more than 67,500 cases and 2,700 deaths. In L.A. County, the toll rose to 31,703 coronavirus cases and 1,531 related deaths.
The continued increase has prompted public health officials to urge caution even as some recreation areas and businesses are permitted to reopen.
“The virus has not changed,” Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said Friday . “It can still spread easily, and it can still result in serious illness and death.”
State and local officials this weekend began to ease some stay-at-home restrictions, but most remain in place, and it’s still not clear when many businesses will reopen.
Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy, including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls, a Times data analysis found.
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks that each of California’s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard. Can the county show that people have stopped dying from COVID-19? Have new cases fallen to a manageable level? Can officials adequately test people? Do they have enough detectives to track down newly infected people? And do they have enough medical supplies?
About 95% of Californians live in counties that don’t meet that standard, The Times’ analysis found. Not a single county in Southern California or the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria.
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis, allowing the larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly.
In the latest step toward easing restrictions, Long Beach will reopen beach bike and pedestrian paths, as well as tennis courts and the parking lots of public parks, on Monday. Beaches and beach parking lots will remain closed.
People who use the parks, paths and tennis courts will be required to stay six feet apart and refrain from lingering or gathering in groups. Gatherings and picnics remain prohibited.
San Bernardino County reported its largest one-day increase in new cases Saturday, adding 273 cases and three deaths, for a total of 2,902 cases and 114 deaths. Some of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the California Institution for Men in Chino, where at least 386 inmates had been infected and four had died as of Sunday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Case counts also have shot up in Santa Barbara County , where an outbreak at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc has sickened 862 inmates and 14 staff. At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds, 114 inmates and 20 staff have become infected, officials said. Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there.
Combined, the two federal prisons in Lompoc have 976 infected inmates, making it the largest outbreak at a federal penitentiary in the nation, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. That accounts for roughly 75% of the 1,308 cases reported by Santa Barbara County to date. Of the 58 new cases the county reported on Sunday, 56 were associated with the federal prison complex in Lompoc, officials said.
The nation’s second-largest outbreak at a federal prison was at Terminal Island in San Pedro, where on Saturday a 70-year-old man became the seventh inmate to die after testing positive for the virus. Scott Cutting, who was serving a 26-month sentence for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, had been hospitalized since April 14, officials said.
A total of 699 inmates and 15 staff members at the Terminal Island prison had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The virus continues to spread in Orange County, where the number of new cases is doubling every 18.5 days, compared with every 22.8 days in Los Angeles County and every 24.3 days in Riverside County.
Orange County recorded 122 more cases and two new deaths Sunday, bringing its total to 3,502 cases and 76 deaths. There were 178 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals, including 59 in intensive care.
The county has been the site of numerous acts of resistance against statewide stay-at-home orders since they were announced by Newsom on March 19.
Demonstrators have been gathering regularly in Huntington Beach to protest the rules, most recently on Saturday, when a crowd of about 1,500 amassed to call for the state and nation to fully reopen. Similar protests have taken place in San Clemente, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.
Some businesses have chosen to reopen in defiance of the orders, including a surf-themed restaurant in San Clemente that reportedly became so busy that it ran out of food.
The county’s beaches also became flashpoints for controversy last month, when Newsom ordered their temporary closure after some became crowded with visitors during a heat wave. Many local officials publicly challenged the decision, saying beachgoers were following social distancing rules, and news photographs that showed crowding were misleading.
The beaches reopened last week after local officials agreed to permit active recreation only, but the city of Huntington Beach is moving forward with a lawsuit challenging Newsom’s temporary closure. The city of Newport Beach filed an amicus brief in support of the action.
Though urban and densely populated counties have been hit hardest by the virus, there were also signs it was spreading to some rural areas.
Trinity County reported its first case of the coronavirus on Friday, the county public health department said in a news release. Officials released few details but said they were working on identifying other individuals who might have been exposed.