latimes--2020-11-20--Negative COVID-19 test 'not a passport' to travel, officials warn, as demand surges

California residents who think a negative coronavirus test gives them the green light to travel this holiday season should think again , officials say .
Public health officials across the state are warning that using testing to justify hitting the road or gathering in other ways doesn ’ t work .
As California struggles amid an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases , and Thanksgiving and other holidays are right around the corner , demand for testing in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties has skyrocketed .
The same situation is playing out nationwide , straining testing sites that are running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen the repeated failure of this type of testing strategy across the country , including in Washington , D.C. , ” Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco ’ s director of health , said at a briefing this week .
“ A negative test can not be an excuse to put yourself or others at risk.
” A person who tests negative can still carry the virus if it ’ s early in their infection , health officials say .
Testing “ is an identifier at that moment , ” Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Thursday , noting that it isn ’ t a preventive measure nor a barometer for future illness .
Even before the statewide surge in cases , officials were strongly advising against nonessential travel .
Anyone leaving the state or arriving from out of state should quarantine for 14 days , regardless of their test results , Davis said .
Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans to stay home .
San Francisco officials have asked residents not to misuse testing facilities in an effort to travel , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to the virus .
“ If people need tests for any other reason — like travel or visiting — they need to go to their private provider , ” the city said in a statement .
“ City resources can not support testing for behaviors , such as travel and visits with extended family , that are currently not recommended during this surge.
” San Francisco currently tests about 6,000 people a day , with results available in one to two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped short of advising residents to avoid testing , but health officials warn that test results are merely a snapshot in time and not intended as a free pass to willfully disobey health orders or recommendations .
“ Your test result that you got Saturday morning was from Thursday when you got tested , and it said , ‘ On Thursday , you were negative , ’ ” said Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County ’ s director of public health .
“ It says nothing about whether you ’ re still negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot up in recent weeks , a spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that capacity has not been reached at city sites .
Officials anticipated the increased interest , expanding hours and adding supplies .
The city is testing an average of 27,000 people a day , with a capacity to test about 34,000 people daily , the mayor ’ s office said .
Two weeks ago , the testing average was 14,000 a day .
On Wednesday , 29,875 people were tested .
Testing is available for all L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge we have seen since the start of the pandemic , our sites are operating smoothly , ” Garcetti said .
Still , “ a negative test is not a passport to gather with others — for Thanksgiving or anything else , ” he warned .
“ I do want people to understand that testing on Thursday so you can party on Saturday : That doesn ’ t work .
It ’ s not a good idea , ” Ferrer said .
“ It ’ s not effective , and you really are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Earlier this week , Los Angeles International Airport rolled out testing sites at three terminals to offer to fliers , in part to help potentially avoid quarantining at their destination .
Some states , including Hawaii , require travelers to show a negative test to enter .
Although air travel has been increasing in recent months , the number of fliers nationwide is only 30 % of last year ’ s total , LAX spokesman Heath Montgomery said .
There ’ s a possibility that in December , the number of travelers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people still flying for the holidays , he said .

California residents who think a negative coronavirus test gives them the green light to travel this holiday season should think again, officials say.
Public health officials across the state are warning that using testing to justify hitting the road or gathering in other ways doesn’t work.
As California struggles amid an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases, and Thanksgiving and other holidays are right around the corner, demand for testing in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties has skyrocketed. The same situation is playing out nationwide, straining testing sites that are running short of key supplies.
Advertisement
“We have seen the repeated failure of this type of testing strategy across the country, including in Washington, D.C.,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of health, said at a briefing this week. “A negative test cannot be an excuse to put yourself or others at risk.”
A person who tests negative can still carry the virus if it’s early in their infection, health officials say.
Testing “is an identifier at that moment,” Los Angeles County public health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said Thursday, noting that it isn’t a preventive measure nor a barometer for future illness.
Even before the statewide surge in cases, officials were strongly advising against nonessential travel. Anyone leaving the state or arriving from out of state should quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their test results, Davis said. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans to stay home.
San Francisco officials have asked residents not to misuse testing facilities in an effort to travel, adding that the services are intended for essential workers, those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to the virus.
“If people need tests for any other reason — like travel or visiting — they need to go to their private provider,” the city said in a statement. “City resources cannot support testing for behaviors, such as travel and visits with extended family, that are currently not recommended during this surge.”
Advertisement
San Francisco currently tests about 6,000 people a day, with results available in one to two days, officials said.
Los Angeles officials stopped short of advising residents to avoid testing, but health officials warn that test results are merely a snapshot in time and not intended as a free pass to willfully disobey health orders or recommendations.
“Your test result that you got Saturday morning was from Thursday when you got tested, and it said, ‘On Thursday, you were negative,’ ” said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health. “It says nothing about whether you’re still negative on Saturday.
“That’s actually a false sense of security. It’s a false narrative.”
Though testing demand has shot up in recent weeks, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that capacity has not been reached at city sites. Officials anticipated the increased interest, expanding hours and adding supplies.
The city is testing an average of 27,000 people a day, with a capacity to test about 34,000 people daily, the mayor’s office said. Two weeks ago, the testing average was 14,000 a day. On Wednesday, 29,875 people were tested. Testing is available for all L.A. County residents.
“Despite the highest testing surge we have seen since the start of the pandemic, our sites are operating smoothly,” Garcetti said.
Still, “a negative test is not a passport to gather with others — for Thanksgiving or anything else,” he warned.
“I do want people to understand that testing on Thursday so you can party on Saturday: That doesn’t work. It’s not a good idea,” Ferrer said. “It’s not effective, and you really are in some ways wasting a valuable resource.“
Earlier this week, Los Angeles International Airport rolled out testing sites at three terminals to offer to fliers, in part to help potentially avoid quarantining at their destination.
Some states, including Hawaii, require travelers to show a negative test to enter.
Although air travel has been increasing in recent months, the number of fliers nationwide is only 30% of last year’s total, LAX spokesman Heath Montgomery said.
There’s a possibility that in December, the number of travelers could climb to 50%, with some people still flying for the holidays, he said.


latimes--2020-11-20--Dough! Truck carrying 50,000 pounds of cookie batter overturns near Cajon Pass

It would be enough to make the Cookie Monster weep .
A semitruck hauling hundreds of boxes of cookie dough overturned Thursday morning on the 15 Freeway near the Cajon Pass , sending sweet stuff tumbling into the brush .
“ There was a lot in that truck , ” Caltrans spokesperson Emily Leinen said .
California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Tovsen said the driver estimated the load was 50,000 pounds .
As the driver was traveling south on the 15 , the truck veered to the right , though it was unclear why , Tovsen said .
The truck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good working order ” with no mechanical issues , he said .
“ [ The truck ] collided with the guardrail , slid all the way down the guardrail until it ended , ” Tovsen said .
The vehicle then careened down the embankment , where it flipped onto its side .
A co-driver was sleeping in the truck ’ s berth at the time of the crash , Tovsen said .
Leinen said the driver and the other person in the truck both suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 10 miles as Caltrans crews removed the spilled load and repaired the metal beams along the freeway and the truck was towed from the overpass .

Caltrans crews help clean up the dozens of boxes of cookie dough alongside the Cajon Pass on Thursday.
It would be enough to make the Cookie Monster weep.
A semitruck hauling hundreds of boxes of cookie dough overturned Thursday morning on the 15 Freeway near the Cajon Pass, sending sweet stuff tumbling into the brush.
“There was a lot in that truck,” Caltrans spokesperson Emily Leinen said.
California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Tovsen said the driver estimated the load was 50,000 pounds.
Advertisement
SBCO: SB I-15 at the Truck Escape Ramp near Cajon. Lanes #4 closed due to overturned semi recovery. Unknown duration of clear. #Caltrans8 pic.twitter.com/M5ET2odkZp — Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) November 19, 2020
As the driver was traveling south on the 15, the truck veered to the right, though it was unclear why, Tovsen said. The truck was later found to be “in good working order” with no mechanical issues, he said.
“[The truck] collided with the guardrail, slid all the way down the guardrail until it ended,” Tovsen said. The vehicle then careened down the embankment, where it flipped onto its side.
A co-driver was sleeping in the truck’s berth at the time of the crash, Tovsen said.
Leinen said the driver and the other person in the truck both suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.
The crash backed up traffic for nearly 10 miles as Caltrans crews removed the spilled load and repaired the metal beams along the freeway and the truck was towed from the overpass.


latimes--2020-11-20--L.A. is facing the most dangerous moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's how we got here

Los Angeles County is facing its most dire moment since the pandemic began .
COVID-19 is spreading at unprecedented rates .
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has shot up by more than 75 % over the past month .
There are threats of a new stay-at-home order .
And perhaps most troubling , no one is not sure how much worse it will get .
Much depends are how people sent Thanksgiving .
With so many people infected , traditional holiday gathering could turn into super spreader events , making an already critical situation much worse .
Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the point that the dangers are everywhere , especially from people who seem perfectly healthy .
“ It is safe to assume that many people are infected without even knowing it yet , ” Dr. Muntu Davis , the L.A. County health officer , said this week .
But officials also stress we still have time to improve conditions .
After all , L.A. County has rallied before to curb the spread of COVID-19 — twice , in the spring and then the summer .
“ This has been a community that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , said .
“ And if there ever was a time to get back to doing the right thing , it ’ s right now.
” There are some advantages to what ’ s happening now compared to the first weeks of the pandemic — mortality rates among those who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are down as a result in improvements doctors have learned in treating patients .
But if coronavirus infections continue to spread and hospitalization rates become worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will die , ” Ferrer said .
“ If we start exceeding the level of surge on cases that we saw in July , we will have a big problem in hospitals , ” Ferrer said .
Yet there ’ s no certainty that a worsening rate of deaths will come .
“ The hope is that we do every single thing we can starting right now .
We ’ re a little behind , to be honest , ” she said .
Ferrer pointed out that officals been warning about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and she ’ s hopeful that people have already taken heed of the warnings , and that a reduction in new daily cases will come soon .
The last surge in L.A. County lasted four months .
The surge in coronavirus cases started shortly after Memorial Day , but because of the many weeks it takes for people to become seriously ill with the virus and subsequently die , the peak in deaths in the summer occurred two months later , at the end of July .
It was only at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a low point in that wave of disease .
Here are five reasons why California faces its most dangerous moment yet in this pandemic .
Daily cases have been climbing in L.A. County since late October , and accelerated acutely in the last several days .
A Times analysis found that L.A. County is reporting an average of 3,362 coronavirus cases a day over the previous five days as of Thursday .
If that rate hits 4,000 cases a day — a scenario that could plausibly happen in a matter of days — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an end to outdoor restaurant dining and require eateries to serve food only by delivery or takeout .
And if that rate hits 4,500 a day , authorities warn they ’ ll order a stay-at-home order , which would allow only essential and emergency workers and those securing essential services to leave their homes , and impose a 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew that would generally only exempt essential workers .
Earlier this week , Ferrer said the county was on pace to see an average of 4,000 coronavirus cases a day by early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of daily cases in recent days may mean that threshold might be achieved much sooner than anticipated .
Hospitalizations have climbed in L.A. County for the past six weeks COVID-19 hospitalizations have been climbing in L.A. County for the past six weeks , and have the pace of the increase has quickened in the last 2½ weeks .
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide has shot up by more than 75 % over the past month — from 730 on Oct. 18 to 1,298 as of Wednesday .
If COVID-19 hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , officials say they plan to order restaurants to close outdoor dining areas .
And authorities plan to issue a new stay-at-home order if hospitalizations pass 2,000 .
Ferrer said it ’ s possible that the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infections could be between 1,600 to 2,600 by early December .
Latino residents are being hit harder by COVID-19 , again Latinos — California ’ s largest ethnic group — are being hit harder by the pandemic yet again in Los Angeles County .
In mid-July , Latino residents suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases of white residents , a disparity that shrank to less than twice that of white residents by mid-September .
But in recent weeks , the disparity has grown again , Ferrer said .
Latino residents are also experiencing increasingly disproportionate rates of being hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County .
In mid-July , Latino residents had an age-adjusted hospitalization rate triple that of white residents , a gap that narrowed later that summer .
“ Unfortunately ... the gap is growing once more , ” Ferrer said .
Latino residents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 than white residents , and there is a fear that the gap will widen in the coming weeks if the overall death rate does rise , Ferrer said .
The disparities are also being seen elsewhere .
In Santa Clara County , where Silicon Valley is located , coronavirus case rates among Latino and Black residents are increasing more sharply than among white residents , said Dr. Sara Cody , the Santa Clara County health officer .
“ When our rates are low , those disparities decrease .
And as the rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cody said .
The transmission rate of the virus is at its worst level in months The effective transmission rate of the coronavirus in L.A. County is now estimated at 1.18 , meaning that every person infected with the virus on average transmits it to 1.18 people .
“ This is a marked increase from last week , when we estimated that the [ transmission rate ] was 1.03 , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County director of health services .
The latest number is close to reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late June .
The current increase in hospitalizations in L.A. County is being caused by accelerated transmission of the disease three weeks ago , Ghaly said .
San Francisco ’ s virus transmission rate is even worse .
“ It ’ s at 1.3 , ” Mayor London Breed said on Tuesday , up from a rate of 1.2 last week .
The supply of hospital beds is once again at risk Until this week , there had only been a gradual increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in L.A. County , Ghaly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week shows a marked difference , ” Ghaly said .
“ We are seeing a significant increase in the number of new patients that must be admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.
” In September , L.A. County recorded about 100 new cases of patients with COVID-19 needing hospital admission every day .
“ Now , that number is closer to 200 , ” Ghaly said .
The sharp increase in hospitalizations is a warning sign .
“ It is highly likely that we will experience that highest rates of hospitalizations that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date within the next month unless we take action immediately to substantially reduce transmission within our communities , ” Ghaly said .
“ And even if we do take decisive action today — even if everyone does their part — we will continue to see an increase in hospitalizations for at least the next two to three weeks , as it typically takes that long for those who have been exposed to become ill and require hospital-level care , ” Ghaly added .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Sean Greene

Los Angeles County is facing its most dire moment since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The coronavirus is spreading at unprecedented rates. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has shot up by 78% over the past month. There is a risk a new stay-at-home order may be coming.
And perhaps most troubling, no one is sure how much worse it will get.
Much depends on how people spend Thanksgiving. With so many people infected, traditional holiday gatherings could turn into super-spreader events, in which a large number of people are infected, making an already critical situation much worse. Public health leaders have been trying to drill down the point that the dangers are everywhere, especially from highly contagious family and friends who seem perfectly healthy.
“It is safe to assume that many people are infected without even knowing it yet,” Dr. Muntu Davis, the L.A. County health officer, said this week.
Advertisement
But officials also stress we still have time to improve conditions. After all, L.A. County has rallied before to curb the spread of COVID-19 — twice, in the spring and then the summer.
“This has been a community that has rallied before and done the right thing,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director. “And if there ever was a time to get back to doing the right thing, it’s right now.”
There are some advantages to what’s happening now compared with the first weeks of the pandemic — mortality rates among those who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are down as a result in improvements doctors have learned in treating patients.
But if coronavirus infections continue to spread and hospitalization rates become worse than the summertime record, “more people will die,” Ferrer said.
“If we start exceeding the level of surge on cases that we saw in July, we will have a big problem in hospitals,” Ferrer said.
Advertisement
And in just the past several days, there has been an increase in daily COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County. For the seven-day period that ended Friday, an average of 22 COVID-19 deaths have been reported daily, a number that hasn’t been seen since Oct. 1.
That’s an 86% increase in average daily deaths in just eight days.
“The hope is that we do every single thing we can starting right now. We’re a little behind, to be honest,” she said.
Ferrer pointed out that officials have been warning about the increase in cases for three weeks now, and she’s hopeful that people have already taken heed of the warnings, and that a reduction in new daily cases will come soon.
But a portion of today’s coronavirus cases — 12% — are expected to end up in the hospital in two to three weeks, and a certain fraction of them will result in deaths.
The last surge in L.A. County lasted four months.
The surge in coronavirus cases started shortly after Memorial Day, but because of the many weeks it takes for people to become seriously ill with the virus and subsequently die, the peak in deaths in the summer occurred two months later, at the end of July.
The peak in deaths in this wave of the pandemic in L.A. County occurred two months after the surge in coronavirus cases was detected. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
It was only at the beginning of October that daily deaths hit a low point in that wave of disease.
Here are five reasons why California faces its most dangerous moment yet in this pandemic.
Daily cases are heading to unprecedented levels
Daily cases have been climbing in L.A. County since late October, and accelerated acutely in the last several days.
A Times analysis found that L.A. County is reporting an average of 3,613 coronavirus cases a day over the previous five days as of Friday. If that rate hits 4,000 cases a day — a scenario that could plausibly happen in a matter of days — county officials say they’ll order an end to outdoor restaurant dining and require eateries to serve food only by delivery or takeout.
And if that rate hits 4,500 a day, authorities warn they’ll order a stay-at-home order, which would allow only essential and emergency workers and those securing essential services to leave their homes, and impose a 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew that would generally only exempt essential workers.
Officials say they’ll give a three-day notice before a new health order is made effective.
Earlier this week, Ferrer said the county was on pace to see an average of 4,000 coronavirus cases a day by early December. But an even worse acceleration of daily cases in recent days may mean that threshold might be achieved much sooner than anticipated.
If L.A. County continues its current increase in daily coronavirus cases, the region could see an average of 4,000 new cases a day within three weeks. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
Hospitalizations have climbed in L.A. County for the past six weeks
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been climbing in L.A. County for the past six weeks, and the pace of the increase has quickened in the last 2½ weeks.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide has shot up by more than 75% over the past month — from 730 on Oct. 18 to 1,298 as of Wednesday.
If COVID-19 hospitalizations pass the threshold of 1,750 in L.A. County, officials say they plan to order restaurants to close outdoor dining areas. And authorities plan to issue a new stay-at-home order if hospitalizations pass 2,000.
Ferrer said it’s possible that the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infections could be between 1,600 to 2,600 by early December.
Latino residents are being hit harder by COVID-19, again
Latinos — California’s largest ethnic group — are being hit harder by the pandemic yet again in Los Angeles County.
In mid-July, Latino residents suffered four times the daily age-adjusted rate of coronavirus cases of white residents, a disparity that shrank to less than twice that of white residents by mid-September. But in recent weeks, the disparity has grown again, Ferrer said.
Latinos are increasingly being disproportionately infected by the coronavirus compared with other racial and ethnic groups. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
Latino residents are also experiencing increasingly disproportionate rates of being hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County. In mid-July, Latino residents had an age-adjusted hospitalization rate triple that of white residents, a gap that narrowed later that summer.
“Unfortunately ... the gap is growing once more,” Ferrer said.
Latinos in L.A. County are hospitalized at greater rates than other racial and ethnic groups. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
Latino residents are also disproportionately dying at higher rates from COVID-19 than white residents, and there is a fear that the gap will widen in the coming weeks if the overall death rate does rise, Ferrer said.
The disparities are also being seen elsewhere.
In Santa Clara County, where Silicon Valley is located, coronavirus case rates among Latino and Black residents are increasing more sharply than among white residents, said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer.
“When our rates are low, those disparities decrease. And as the rates increase, so do the disparities,” Cody said.
The transmission rate of the virus is at its worst level in months
The effective transmission rate of the coronavirus in L.A. County is now estimated at 1.18, meaning that every person infected with the virus on average transmits it to 1.18 people.
“This is a marked increase from last week, when we estimated that the [transmission rate] was 1.03,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County director of health services.
The latest number is close to reaching the previous summertime high of 1.26, recorded in late June.
The current increase in hospitalizations in L.A. County is being caused by accelerated transmission of the disease three weeks ago, Ghaly said.
Each person infected with the coronavirus is on average transmitting it to 1.18 people, setting the stage for a rapid spread of disease. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services )
San Francisco’s virus transmission rate is even worse. “It’s at 1.3,” Mayor London Breed said on Tuesday, up from a rate of 1.2 last week.
The supply of hospital beds is once again at risk
Until this week, there had only been a gradual increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in L.A. County, Ghaly said.
“But the data from this week shows a marked difference,” Ghaly said. “We are seeing a significant increase in the number of new patients that must be admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.”
In September, L.A. County recorded about 100 new cases of patients with COVID-19 needing hospital admission every day. “Now, that number is closer to 200,” Ghaly said.
The sharp increase in hospitalizations is a warning sign.
L.A. County is on track to see the highest number of hospitalizations during the pandemic. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)
“It is highly likely that we will experience that highest rates of hospitalizations that we have seen in the COVID-19 pandemic to date within the next month unless we take action immediately to substantially reduce transmission within our communities,” Ghaly said.
“And even if we do take decisive action today — even if everyone does their part — we will continue to see an increase in hospitalizations for at least the next two to three weeks, as it typically takes that long for those who have been exposed to become ill and require hospital-level care,” Ghaly added.


latimes--2020-11-20--California Republican leaders go all in on Trump's election subterfuge, but some are more vocal than

California Republican leaders go all in on Trump's election subterfuge, but some are more vocal than others

To U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , the general election was a resounding success for his party .
“ Not one Republican incumbent lost , ” McCarthy said during a news conference last week .
Except , of course , President Trump .
Now , more than two weeks after the election and several failed attempts to overturn it , the Bakersfield Republican still refuses to accept Trump ’ s defeat .
And closing ranks right behind him : the entire Republican delegation of elected leaders in California .
Their reactions range from enthusiastic support to quiet acquiescence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shannon Grove , the state Senate minority leader , who tweeted images comparing Trump to Moses fighting a battle , saying she still believes the president will serve for “ the next 4 years.
” Rep. Tom McClintock , of Elk Grove , took aim at mail-in voting during a House floor speech this week , calling it , without evidence , a “ corrupted process ” that allows ballots to be sent to “ untold numbers of people who have moved or died.
” Most state Republicans , however , have remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their views even when asked .
Of the nearly two dozen GOP members of the U.S. House and California State Senate contacted by The Times , only Rep. Doug LaMalfa ( R-Richvale ) and incoming member Darrell Issa ( R-Vista ) agreed to an interview .
None have publicly congratulated President-elect Joe Biden , and several have amplified Trump ’ s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud .
Few would explain their contradictory stance , in which they claim that the presidential balloting was corrupt while at the same time claiming their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for failing to support the outcome of the election may be chalked up to politically expedient posturing in the face of a potential Trump backlash , experts say , including among officials who are secretly yearning for the day they can abandon him .
Ron Nehring , the former chair of the California Republican Party , said he believes that while most Republican officials privately accept that Biden won , they “ go where the voters are ” when it comes to their statements , or lack thereof .
“ Republican lawmakers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt as he pursues whatever recount and legal options are available to him , ” Nehring said .
“ He is the president and the leader of the party , and they are giving him the room to exhaust the options that are available to him.
” But critics , including former Republicans and election experts , roundly condemn the politicians , saying their actions represent a vivid display of how far right the party of Ronald Reagan has drifted .
“ They have flocked together in their cowardice in the House and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , so the fact that they remain in that formation isn ’ t surprising , ” said Reed Galen , a co-founder of the Lincoln Project , a political action committee of Republican operatives working to unseat Trump , who has worked on campaigns for George W. Bush , John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger .
The election results are not in serious dispute .
Senior Trump administration officials from multiple federal agencies have said that the election was the most secure in American history , and election officials from both parties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was free of widespread fraud or irregularities .
But with Trump ’ s ongoing defiance , political experts say , California Republicans face three unappealing options : Echo false claims of voter fraud and undermine democratic norms ; risk angering voters and party leaders by refuting Trump ’ s claims or congratulating Biden ; or say nothing as the president ’ s stream of misinformation casts doubt on the integrity of the election .
That political calculus is especially tricky for California Republicans who won congressional seats back from Democrats and must now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump as they enter the Biden era .
In deep-blue California , those victors may see their constituencies shift after the state draws new district maps next year .
One of the candidates who flipped a seat in Orange County , Young Kim , has braved criticizing Trump in the past , condemning his use of the term “ kung flu ” and opposing his administration ’ s separation of families at the border .
The other congresswoman-elect to unseat a Democrat there , Michelle Steel , has aligned herself with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he visited California in 2018 and downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and the importance of mask-wearing while serving as chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors .
Kim and Steel did not respond to requests for comment .
Republicans are leading in two additional races — one in northern Los Angeles County and the other in the Central Valley — that are too close to call .
For those in deep-red districts , anything less than complete support for the president is unthinkable , experts say .
It ’ s a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no small amount of self-preservation .
Do they really want to come out and say something against Trump , or come out and tell the truth , and risk the ire of Trump , or Trump Jr. , or Marjorie Taylor Greene ?
” Galen said , referring to the congresswoman-elect from Georgia who said face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are “ oppressive ” and has supported the conspiracy movement QAnon .
The refusal to accept an election could set a bad precedent for the U.S. , which is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never experienced challenges to an election on such a scale , say political experts .
The allegations of widespread voter fraud with virtually no evidence undermine public confidence and could set the stage for a further erosion of democratic norms .
“ If the losers claim without evidence that they ’ ve only lost because they have been rigged out of victory , then it suggests that the next time around , maybe those who say they were cheated had better commit fraud as well because there are no rules , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at Stanford University ’ s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies .
Diamond said he ’ s worried not only about those who openly defy democratic norms , like Trump , but also those who are silent in the face of the attacks .
“ You never see a breakdown in democracy without a good bit of spineless semi-loyal behavior on the part of actors who ought to know better , ” Diamond said .
So far , McCarthy ’ s actions have paid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his colleagues have viewed his tight alliance with Trump as a potential liability .
He won reelection unopposed as House Republican Leader this week following his party ’ s strong showing in the House .
That showing included the election of two Republican Congress members who have expressed support for QAnon .
The platform ’ s followers believe that the world is controlled by a ring of Satan-worshipping pedophiles , including prominent Democrats , who are plotting against Trump .
McCarthy , who last week welcomed the lawmakers to the House Republican delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Former congressman Issa , who was reelected to Congress this month after a two-year hiatus , said it ’ s “ only fair ” for the president to pursue all possible legal remedies in determining the outcome .
“ Just as Vice President Al Gore took 36 days to concede , and did not do so until he had exhausted all his appeals , I believe Trump has a right to his days in court .
I would stand by anybody ’ s decision to do so , ” Issa said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and George W. Bush in 2000 .
The 2000 election hinged on 537 votes in one state , Florida .
Biden is leading by tens of thousands of votes across multiple states that Trump is contesting .
Election studies show recounts , on average , change vote tallies by only a few hundred votes .
Issa said his own margin of victory — around 28,000 votes equaling a nearly 8-percentage-point lead — was wide enough that he was not concerned that the outcome was in question .
Grove , the state Senate minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow Republicans , and has retweeted messages raising questions about voter fraud .
One post from Nov. 10 said : “ Are we really supposed to believe that Donald Trump flipped precincts in Beverly Hills California but couldn ’ t hold on to Erie County Pennsylvania ?
” Melissa Melendez , a state senator representing parts of Riverside County , went on the attack against Democrats : “ We all know what you ’ re doing .
We are not going to let you cheat and steal this election , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokeswoman for Grove did not provide a comment to questions posed by The Times .
Melendez ’ s communications director said her “ schedule doesn ’ t permit ” her to speak with a reporter about her views .
The Sacramento Bee slammed Grove , Melendez and LaMalfa in a recent editorial , writing that they must “ admit reality , stop spreading divisive lies and respect the will of the voters.
” Refusing to acknowledge the election results , the editorial board said , will “ lead their party deeper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-Tulare ) , long a Trump loyalist , has offered a relatively muted take on the results .
In an appearance on “ Lou Dobbs Tonight ” on Fox Business Network last week , Nunes evaded several questions from Dobbs about why Republicans weren ’ t doing more to defend Trump in his election fight .
At the end of the seven-minute interview , Nunes asserted that several states were still “ way too close to call ” and said Democrats were performing a “ well-choreographed play ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A representative for Nunes did not return requests for comment .
LaMalfa said he ’ s not ready to accept the election results .
He conceded that “ it might all be a long shot , ” but that Trump has a “ very skinny ” path to victory .
He said he would wait to see the outcome of the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuits in states like Michigan , Arizona and Pennsylvania and a recount underway in Georgia before accepting the result of the election .
LaMalfa just won reelection to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was elected legitimately because “ the large cities are known for corruption , ” but his more rural area is not .
Times staff writers Sarah D. Wire and Anh Do contributed to this report .

Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield won reelection unopposed as House Republican Leader this week following his party’s strong showing in the chamber.
To U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the general election was a resounding success for his party.
“Not one Republican incumbent lost,” McCarthy said during a news conference last week.
Except, of course, President Trump.
Now, more than two weeks after the election and several failed attempts to overturn it, the Bakersfield Republican still refuses to accept Trump’s defeat.
And closing ranks right behind him: the entire Republican delegation of elected leaders in California.
Advertisement
Their reactions range from enthusiastic support to quiet acquiescence. Some adopt a triumphant tone, like Shannon Grove, the state Senate minority leader, who tweeted images comparing Trump to Moses fighting a battle, saying she still believes the president will serve for “the next 4 years.”
Rep. Tom McClintock, of Elk Grove, took aim at mail-in voting during a House floor speech this week, calling it, without evidence, a “corrupted process” that allows ballots to be sent to “untold numbers of people who have moved or died.”
Most state Republicans, however, have remained silent, refusing to offer an explanation of their views even when asked. Of the nearly two dozen GOP members of the U.S. House and California State Senate contacted by The Times, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and incoming member Darrell Issa (R-Vista) agreed to an interview. None have publicly congratulated President-elect Joe Biden, and several have amplified Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud.
Few would explain their contradictory stance, in which they claim that the presidential balloting was corrupt while at the same time claiming their own elections were legitimate.
The motivations for failing to support the outcome of the election may be chalked up to politically expedient posturing in the face of a potential Trump backlash, experts say, including among officials who are secretly yearning for the day they can abandon him.
Advertisement
Ron Nehring, the former chair of the California Republican Party, said he believes that while most Republican officials privately accept that Biden won, they “go where the voters are” when it comes to their statements, or lack thereof.
“Republican lawmakers are giving the president the benefit of the doubt as he pursues whatever recount and legal options are available to him,” Nehring said. “He is the president and the leader of the party, and they are giving him the room to exhaust the options that are available to him.”
But critics, including former Republicans and election experts, roundly condemn the politicians, saying their actions represent a vivid display of how far right the party of Ronald Reagan has drifted.
“They have flocked together in their cowardice in the House and Senate for the past three or four years, so the fact that they remain in that formation isn’t surprising,” said Reed Galen, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a political action committee of Republican operatives working to unseat Trump, who has worked on campaigns for George W. Bush, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The election results are not in serious dispute. Senior Trump administration officials from multiple federal agencies have said that the election was the most secure in American history, and election officials from both parties in battleground states have said that the vote was free of widespread fraud or irregularities.
But with Trump’s ongoing defiance, political experts say, California Republicans face three unappealing options: Echo false claims of voter fraud and undermine democratic norms; risk angering voters and party leaders by refuting Trump’s claims or congratulating Biden; or say nothing as the president’s stream of misinformation casts doubt on the integrity of the election.
That political calculus is especially tricky for California Republicans who won congressional seats back from Democrats and must now figure out how to negotiate their relationship with Trump as they enter the Biden era. In deep-blue California, those victors may see their constituencies shift after the state draws new district maps next year.
One of the candidates who flipped a seat in Orange County, Young Kim, has braved criticizing Trump in the past, condemning his use of the term “kung flu” and opposing his administration’s separation of families at the border.
The other congresswoman-elect to unseat a Democrat there, Michelle Steel, has aligned herself with Trump, greeting him at the airport when he visited California in 2018 and downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and the importance of mask-wearing while serving as chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Kim and Steel did not respond to requests for comment.
Republicans are leading in two additional races — one in northern Los Angeles County and the other in the Central Valley — that are too close to call.
For those in deep-red districts, anything less than complete support for the president is unthinkable, experts say. It’s a matter of political survival.
“There is no small amount of self-preservation. Do they really want to come out and say something against Trump, or come out and tell the truth, and risk the ire of Trump, or Trump Jr., or Marjorie Taylor Greene?” Galen said, referring to the congresswoman-elect from Georgia who said face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are “oppressive” and has supported the conspiracy movement QAnon.
The refusal to accept an election could set a bad precedent for the U.S., which is the world’s oldest democracy but has never experienced challenges to an election on such a scale, say political experts. The allegations of widespread voter fraud with virtually no evidence undermine public confidence and could set the stage for a further erosion of democratic norms.
“If the losers claim without evidence that they’ve only lost because they have been rigged out of victory, then it suggests that the next time around, maybe those who say they were cheated had better commit fraud as well because there are no rules,” said Larry Diamond, an expert in democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Diamond said he’s worried not only about those who openly defy democratic norms, like Trump, but also those who are silent in the face of the attacks.
“You never see a breakdown in democracy without a good bit of spineless semi-loyal behavior on the part of actors who ought to know better,” Diamond said.
So far, McCarthy’s actions have paid off in Washington, even though some of his colleagues have viewed his tight alliance with Trump as a potential liability. He won reelection unopposed as House Republican Leader this week following his party’s strong showing in the House.
That showing included the election of two Republican Congress members who have expressed support for QAnon. The platform’s followers believe that the world is controlled by a ring of Satan-worshipping pedophiles, including prominent Democrats, who are plotting against Trump. McCarthy, who last week welcomed the lawmakers to the House Republican delegation, did not agree to an interview.
Former congressman Issa, who was reelected to Congress this month after a two-year hiatus, said it’s “only fair” for the president to pursue all possible legal remedies in determining the outcome.
“Just as Vice President Al Gore took 36 days to concede, and did not do so until he had exhausted all his appeals, I believe Trump has a right to his days in court. I would stand by anybody’s decision to do so,” Issa said, referring to the contested race between Gore and George W. Bush in 2000.
The 2000 election hinged on 537 votes in one state, Florida. Biden is leading by tens of thousands of votes across multiple states that Trump is contesting. Election studies show recounts, on average, change vote tallies by only a few hundred votes. Issa said his own margin of victory — around 28,000 votes equaling a nearly 8-percentage-point lead — was wide enough that he was not concerned that the outcome was in question.
Grove, the state Senate minority leader, tweeted several congratulatory notes for fellow Republicans, and has retweeted messages raising questions about voter fraud. One post from Nov. 10 said: “Are we really supposed to believe that Donald Trump flipped precincts in Beverly Hills California but couldn’t hold on to Erie County Pennsylvania?”
Politics Biden approaches 80 million votes in historic victory President-elect Joe Biden is close to winning more than 80 million votes, more than any presidential candidate in history.
Melissa Melendez, a state senator representing parts of Riverside County, went on the attack against Democrats: “We all know what you’re doing. We are not going to let you cheat and steal this election,” she said on Twitter the day after the election.
A spokeswoman for Grove did not provide a comment to questions posed by The Times. Melendez’s communications director said her “schedule doesn’t permit” her to speak with a reporter about her views.
The Sacramento Bee slammed Grove, Melendez and LaMalfa in a recent editorial, writing that they must “admit reality, stop spreading divisive lies and respect the will of the voters.” Refusing to acknowledge the election results, the editorial board said, will “lead their party deeper into the fever swamps of absurdity.”
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), long a Trump loyalist, has offered a relatively muted take on the results. In an appearance on “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox Business Network last week, Nunes evaded several questions from Dobbs about why Republicans weren’t doing more to defend Trump in his election fight.
At the end of the seven-minute interview, Nunes asserted that several states were still “way too close to call” and said Democrats were performing a “well-choreographed play” to “cover” up the outcome.
A representative for Nunes did not return requests for comment.
LaMalfa said he’s not ready to accept the election results.
He conceded that “it might all be a long shot,” but that Trump has a “very skinny” path to victory. He said he would wait to see the outcome of the Trump campaign’s lawsuits in states like Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania and a recount underway in Georgia before accepting the result of the election.
LaMalfa just won reelection to the House, and said he trusts that he was elected legitimately because “the large cities are known for corruption,” but his more rural area is not.
Times staff writers Sarah D. Wire and Anh Do contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-20--New COVID-19 restrictions hit L.A. County today: What you need to know

Starting Friday , Los Angeles County will order restaurants and nonessential stores to close their doors to the public at 10 p.m. and place a cap on the number of people allowed at outdoor gatherings — a maximum of 15 people from no more than three households .
It ’ s part of an attempt to slow the dangerous spread of COVID-19 .
Here are the details : • For nonessential businesses permitted to operate indoors — including retail stores , offices , personal care services — occupancy will be limited to 25 % maximum capacity .
• The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wineries will be limited to 50 % of the maximum outdoor capacity .
• The number of customers at outdoor cardrooms , mini-golf , go-karts and batting cages will be limited to 50 % maximum outdoor capacity .
• Services at personal care establishments may only be provided by appointment to customers wearing face coverings by staff wearing face coverings .
Those that require either the customer or the staff to remove their face covering , such as facials and shaves , are not permitted .
Food and drinks can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Restaurants , breweries , wineries , and all other retail establishments deemed nonessential must close their doors to the public from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m .
But they can continue to offer takeout and delivery service during those hours .
With COVID-19 spreading at a rapid rate , officials have warned that other public health interventions may become necessary to stem transmission .
Among those contingencies : • If L.A. County reaches 4,000 average cases daily over a five-day period , officials would stop outdoor dining at restaurants , returning eateries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the first time since May .
• Should the numbers of new cases further worsen to more than 4,500 cases a day on average over a five-day period , the county would impose a new stay-at-home order that would only generally allow essential workers and people securing essential services to leave their homes , as well as implement a 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew that only exempts essential workers .
L.A. officials said they are alarmed by the rapid spread of the .
For the two-week period that ended Thursday , average daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from more than 1,700 cases a day to nearly 3,400 cases a day .
If the number of new daily coronavirus cases on Friday , Saturday and Sunday remains the same as Thursday ’ s , when 4,943 new cases were reported , L.A. County could cross a red line as early as Sunday that would put the region on the cusp of a new stay-at-home order .
Whether such an order would be issued automatically or after a few days hasn ’ t yet been decided , L.A. County Health Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home measure would be another body blow to businesses struggling to survive amid the pandemic .
Davis and others said they want to keep businesses open but might not have a choice if the outbreaks can not otherwise be slowed .
“ At this point , no one should be still underestimating the spread of this virus , nor should anyone be questioning the actions we still need to slow the spread and lessen its impact on our collective health and our local economy , ” Davis said .
“ With the surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , it is safe to assume that many people are infected without even knowing it yet.
” Meanwhile , California public health officials on Thursday announced starting this weekend that is designed to “ reduce opportunities for disease transmission with the goal of decreasing the number of hours individuals are in the community and mixing with individuals outside of their household.
” In other words , it ’ s intended to discourage social gatherings such as late-night meals at outdoor restaurants and private parties .
Here ’ s what the mandatory order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of other households and all activities conducted outside one ’ s residence , lodging or temporary accommodation with members of other households from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m in , which represent roughly 94 % of California ’ s population .
• Allows people to leave home to walk their dog or take walks with people they live with , buy groceries or pick up drugs at the pharmacy late at night , pick up or receive takeout food , travel to the emergency room or urgent care or for other essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with the operation , maintenance or use of critical infrastructure ; • Goes into effect Saturday and lasts through Dec. 21 , though it could be extended .
• Does not apply to people experiencing homelessness .
Nothing in the order prevents any number of people from the same household from leaving their residence , lodging or temporary accommodation , as long as they do not engage in any interaction with ( or otherwise gather with ) any number of people from any other household , except as specifically permitted by .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this order might be enforced if needed .

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Mario Ynostrosa, right, with Los Angeles Restoration Church, gives hand sanitizer to people waiting in line for food Thursday at MacArthur Park.
Los Angeles County on Friday ordered restaurants and nonessential stores to close their doors to the public at 10 p.m. and place a cap on the number of people allowed at outdoor gatherings — a maximum of 15 people from no more than three households. It’s part of an attempt to slow the dangerous spread of COVID-19.
Here are the details:
For nonessential businesses permitted to operate indoors — including retail stores, offices, personal care services — occupancy will be limited to 25% maximum capacity.
The number of patrons at outdoor restaurants, breweries and wineries will be limited to 50% of the maximum outdoor capacity.
The number of customers at outdoor cardrooms, mini-golf, go-karts and batting cages will be limited to 50% maximum outdoor capacity.
Services at personal care establishments may only be provided by appointment to customers wearing face coverings by staff wearing face coverings. Those that require either the customer or the staff to remove their face covering, such as facials and shaves, are not permitted. Food and drinks cannot be served at these establishments to customers.
Restaurants, breweries, wineries and all other retail establishments deemed nonessential must close their doors to the public from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. But they can continue to offer takeout and delivery service during those hours.
With COVID-19 spreading at a rapid rate, officials have warned that other public health interventions may become necessary to stem transmission. Among those contingencies:
If L.A. County reaches 4,000 average cases daily over a five-day period, officials would stop outdoor dining at restaurants, returning eateries to offering only delivery and takeout service for the first time since May.
Should the numbers of new cases further worsen to more than 4,500 cases a day on average over a five-day period, the county would impose a new stay-at-home order that would only generally allow essential workers and people securing essential services to leave their homes, as well as implement a 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew that only exempts essential workers.
L.A. officials said they are alarmed by the rapid spread of the infection . For the two-week period that ended Thursday, average daily cases over a five-day period have doubled, from more than 1,700 cases a day to nearly 3,400 cases a day.
Advertisement
In the most pessimistic scenario, L.A. County could cross a red line as early as Thanksgiving week that would put the region on the cusp of a new stay-at-home order. Officials said they would give three days’ notice before a new health order would go into effect.
A new stay-at-home measure would be another body blow to businesses struggling to survive amid the pandemic. Officials said they want to keep businesses open but might not have a choice if the outbreaks cannot otherwise be slowed.
“At this point, no one should be still underestimating the spread of this virus, nor should anyone be questioning the actions we still need to slow the spread and lessen its impact on our collective health and our local economy,” L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said. “With the surge in transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, it is safe to assume that many people are infected without even knowing it yet.”
Meanwhile, California public health officials on Thursday announced a limited nighttime stay-at-home order starting this weekend that is designed to “reduce opportunities for disease transmission with the goal of decreasing the number of hours individuals are in the community and mixing with individuals outside of their household.”
In other words, it’s intended to discourage social gatherings such as late-night meals at outdoor restaurants and private parties.
Here’s what the mandatory order does:


latimes--2020-11-20--Garcetti's signature homeless program shelters thousands, but most return to the streets

In the spring of 2018 , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti put his personal stamp on the city ’ s response to homelessness by announcing a departure from its primary focus of building permanent housing .
Garcetti proposed to open a homeless shelter in each of L.A. 's 15 council districts .
Garcetti has largely made good on that goal , defying the skepticism that greeted his plan , called A Bridge Home .
Rallying council members to the cause and making deals for public and private land from San Pedro to Canoga Park , the mayor has opened at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council district .
So far , 20 are up and running and five more are nearing completion .
By early next year they will have added nearly 2,000 new shelter beds to the city ’ s inventory .
But a Times review shows that Garcetti ’ s signature homelessness program , which has cost about $ 200 million , has had less success living up to its promise to move people on the streets into permanent housing and improve the communities around the shelters with enhanced policing and increased sanitation services .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods if we accepted this , ” said Christina Tullock , who cares for her ailing mother in a condo across the street from the shelter in Venice .
“ Exactly the opposite has happened.
” Where she lives , encampments have grown , crime is up and residents live in fear .
She said she can ’ t take her mother for a walk and sleeps with a baseball bat .
“ I ’ m scared.
” Moreover , data provided to The Times by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that the program isn ’ t coming close to Garcetti ’ s goal of having shelter residents stay only three to six months , then move on to permanent housing .
The mayor has set a goal of ending homelessness in Los Angeles by 2028 .
Of nearly 1,500 people who were in the shelters and left through early November , only 15 % moved on to permanent housing .
In contrast , two-thirds either went back to the street or left without saying where they were going .
In an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bridge Home has begun to fill a gap in the city ’ s homeless housing options and will improve with time .
“ To me , the last 18 months was about building these , ” he said .
“ I think the next 18 months is about managing them and setting up a system , some of which we control , some of which we don ’ t. ” The mayor said he understood that residents have legitimate concerns about crime and unhealthy conditions and that those may have been exacerbated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police patrols he initially promised around the shelters .
He said police Chief Michel Moore advised him that the officers patrolling the sites were not being used efficiently because there was little for them to do .
Garcetti said the shelters are still receiving a “ priority ” response .
Sidewalks are clean around a majority of the shelters , which tend to be on major streets or industrial areas separated from residential neighborhoods .
But homeless encampments have persisted or even spread around a few , alarming and frightening people who live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed through by Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin over intense opposition , has been a particular problem , outraging residents who email city officials and news outlets almost daily with complaints about crime , drug dealing and fires in the tents and tarp shelters that line nearby streets posted as a special enforcement zone .
Between late February , when the shelter opened , and last week , the LAPD said there had been an 88 % spike in violent crime in an area surrounding the shelter compared to the same period last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a supporter of the shelter , nonetheless said she sees residents of the shelter who still keep belongings on the street and hang out there during the day .
“ Having the encampments next to the Bridge Home is directly in opposition to what they ’ re trying to do , ” she said .
Encampments also still line the sidewalks around El Puente , a downtown shelter near Olvera Street that was the first of the new sites to open , and on Aetna Street near the Van Nuys Civic Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body shop a block from the Van Nuys shelter , said the city officials who sought his support for the shelter have failed to deliver on their promise that the homeless encampments in front of his business would be cleaned up .
“ This is a bad situation , ” he said .
“ It gets worse.
” A block from the El Puente shelter , on a bridge running over the 101 Freeway , Eric Davido sat outside his tent in a Dodgers cap , forlorn , smoking methamphetamine and listening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been homeless for 20 years , struggling with addiction , and at the outset of the pandemic got a placement in the El Puente shelter .
“ They said they wanted to keep me there as long as I was getting my life in order — getting my birth certificate , things like that , ” Davido said .
But over the summer , he said , he got into a confrontation with a security guard and returned to the area where he had bedded down before .
In Venice , a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly participated in the revolving door from street to shelter , then back to the street .
In the shelter , he said , he had belongings stolen and chafed at the rules about when he could come and go .
So he left and received a 14-day motel voucher , but then was back on the street .
“ I ’ m a night owl .
That is when I wan na be out and about , ” he said .
“ How are they gon na keep me inside ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a North Hollywood shelter that won over its next-door neighbor by beefing up security .
“ There was a problem that some people were hanging out in front of the building and not doing good things , ” said the owner of the adjacent building , Robert Freeman .
Freeman said he confronted the shelter operator , Hope of the Valley .
He was so pleased with the response that he made a donation to the organization .
Garcetti said that shelters that prove problematic , such as Venice or Hollywood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even eliminated .
Though he structured A Bridge Home as a three-year program , the mayor said he expected many of the shelters to stay open longer .
“ If the community wants it for longer , or we collectively decide that we want it for longer , let ’ s do it , ” he said .
The homeless services providers that operate the shelters say they are not daunted by the growing pains .
“ Overall I think it ’ s great , ” said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer , president and chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will operate two shelters in the San Fernando Valley .
“ What I think is most positive about it is they are popping in every council district .
I think it was a tough promise to make and therefore keep.
” “ We will see improvement , ” said Jennifer Hark-Dietz , deputy chief executive of PATH , a statewide homelessness services provider and supportive housing developer .
PATH operates six of the shelters .
The data provided by LAHSA showed that 31 % of those leaving the shelters went back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another 13 % found other temporary housing , either with friends or family or in a program ; 4 % checked into a mental hospital , detox program or nursing facility ; 2 % went to jail , and seven—less than half a percent—died .
Fewer than half the placements in permanent housing included supportive services , such as case management and housing assistance .
Most were in subsidized rentals or with family or friends .
LAHSA ’ s executive director , Heidi Marston , said it ’ s not surprising that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing .
“ Nationally you see about 75 % of exits have been to unknown locations , ” Marston said , reflecting the fact that residents are free to come and go as they please and that there isn ’ t enough subsidized housing for those who need it .
Marston said the new shelters , with partitioned sleeping areas , pet accommodations and ample space for case managers and housing navigators , should prove more effective over time .
The shelters were designed to provide “ access , dignity , healing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need , ” an improvement over the typical shelter with dozens to hundreds of people in a large open space , Marston said in an interview .
Several shelters had COVID-19 outbreaks , prompting quarantines .
Others were forced to reduce the number of beds to adhere to public health guidance .
People in the shelters were sometimes moved into hotels that the county and city had rented through a statewide program , Project Roomkey .
At its peak that effort housed nearly 4,000 homeless people , but it ’ s now being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bridge Home is hardly assured .
The program is burdened by a slow start and ballooning costs .
Initially funded by $ 20 million , its budget has grown , largely with emergency state funding , to nearly $ 187 million , of which about $ 30 million is for operating costs .
Los Angeles County has pitched in a three-year commitment to fund about 800 beds , fewer than half the total , leaving the city dependent on continued state money to keep the shelters running .
Some of the shelters are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the shelters are in commercial-style tents that are partitioned inside for individual sleeping pods .
Though they could be quickly dismantled , they are manufactured to last 25 years .
The city owns the structures and could relocate them if needed .
The nine on city-owned land could be maintained indefinitely .
Eight others have been placed on land the city has leased for three years from other agencies , including the state of California , L.A. Metro and the L.A. Department of Water and Power .
Two shelters are in buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehabbed as shelters : the former Gardner Library in the Fairfax district and the former Children ’ s Museum in the Civic Center Mall .
The mayor ’ s A Bridge Home website shows 23 completed sites and six in development .
But three of those sites are not actually part of A Bridge Home .
One is a county shelter opened by Supervisor Janice Hahn .
One , on a vacant lot owned by the city Housing Authority , has been committed to permanent housing .
A 42-bed residence operated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by motel vouchers after LAHSA rejected Aviva ’ s application on technical grounds .

In the spring of 2018, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti put his personal stamp on the city’s response to homelessness by announcing a departure from its primary focus of building permanent housing. Garcetti proposed to open a homeless shelter in each of L.A.’s 15 council districts.
Garcetti has largely made good on that goal, defying the skepticism that greeted his plan, called A Bridge Home. Rallying council members to the cause and making deals for public and private land from San Pedro to Canoga Park, the mayor has opened at least one shelter in all but one council district. So far, 20 are up and running and five more are nearing completion. By early next year they will have added nearly 2,000 new shelter beds to the city’s inventory.
But a Times review shows that Garcetti’s signature homelessness program, which has cost about $200 million, has had less success living up to its promise to move people on the streets into permanent housing and improve the communities around the shelters with enhanced policing and increased sanitation services.
“They told us we would have cleaner neighborhoods if we accepted this,” said Christina Tullock, who cares for her ailing mother in a condo across the street from the shelter in Venice. “Exactly the opposite has happened.”
Advertisement
Where she lives, encampments have grown, crime is up and residents live in fear. She said she can’t take her mother for a walk and sleeps with a baseball bat: “I’m scared.”
An umbrella shades Richard Thompson as he camps out with others in a Venice parking lot across the street from one of 20 homeless shelters that have been established by Mayor Garcetti. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Moreover, data provided to The Times by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which manages the shelter service contracts, show that the program isn’t coming close to Garcetti’s goal of having shelter residents stay only three to six months, then move on to permanent housing. The mayor has set a goal of ending homelessness in Los Angeles by 2028.
Of nearly 1,500 people who were in the shelters and left through early November, only 15% moved on to permanent housing. In contrast, two-thirds either went back to the streets or left without saying where they were going.
In an interview, Garcetti acknowledged disappointments but said A Bridge Home has begun to fill a gap in the city’s homeless housing options and will improve with time.
“To me, the last 18 months was about building these,” he said. “I think the next 18 months is about managing them and setting up a system, some of which we control, some of which we don’t.”
Advertisement
The mayor said he understood that residents have legitimate concerns about crime and unhealthful conditions and that those may have been exacerbated by the decision to pull back the dedicated police patrols he initially promised around the shelters. He said Police Chief Michel Moore advised him that the officers patrolling the sites were not being used efficiently because there was little for them to do.
Garcetti said the shelters are still receiving a “priority” response.
California L.A. council votes to resume major cleanups near shelters Supporters of the decision said it was needed to maintain cleanliness and keep promises that city leaders made to neighbors. Critics said it would put homeless people at greater risk during the pandemic.
Sidewalks are clean around a majority of the shelters, which tend to be on major streets or industrial areas separated from residential neighborhoods. But homeless encampments have persisted or even spread around a few, alarming and frightening people who live nearby.
The shelter in Venice, pushed through by Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin over intense opposition, has been a particular problem, outraging residents who email city officials and news outlets almost daily with complaints about crime, drug dealing and fires in the tents and tarp shelters that line nearby streets posted as a special enforcement zone. Between late February, when the shelter opened, and last week, the LAPD said there had been an 88% increase in violent crime in an area surrounding the shelter compared with the same period last year.
Tullock, who describes herself as a supporter of the shelter, nonetheless said she sees residents of the shelter who still keep belongings on the street and hang out there during the day.
Advertisement
“Having the encampments next to the Bridge Home is directly in opposition to what they’re trying to do,” she said.
A Bridge Home shelter at Main Street and Sunset Avenue in Venice is one of 20 homeless shelters established by Mayor Garcetti. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Encampments also still line the sidewalks around El Puente, a downtown shelter near Olvera Street that was the first of the new sites to open, and on Aetna Street near the Van Nuys Civic Center.
Varoojh Darabdian, who owns a body shop a block from the Van Nuys shelter, said the city officials who sought his support for the shelter have failed to deliver on their promise that the homeless encampments in front of his business would be cleaned up.
“This is a bad situation,” he said. “It gets worse.”
A block from El Puente, on a bridge running over the 101 Freeway, Eric Davido sat outside his tent in a Dodgers cap, forlorn, smoking methamphetamine and listening to jazz. The 60-year-old said he has been homeless for 20 years, struggling with addiction, and at the outset of the pandemic got a placement in El Puente.
Eric Davido, who previously stayed in the El Puente shelter, sits outside his tent on a bridge over the 101 Freeway. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“They said they wanted to keep me there as long as I was getting my life in order — getting my birth certificate, things like that,” Davido said. But over the summer, he said, he got into a confrontation with a security guard and returned to the area where he had bedded down before.
In Venice, a man who gave his name only as Arkansas similarly participated in the revolving door from street to shelter, then back to the street.
In the shelter, he said, he had belongings stolen and chafed at the rules about when he could come and go. So he left and received a 14-day motel voucher, but then he was back on the street.
A man who identified himself as Arkansas visits with Elisabeth Axiotis, who is camped out in a Venice parking lot across the street from one of Mayor Garcetti’s 20 homeless shelters. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m a night owl. That is when I wanna be out and about,” he said. “How are they gonna keep me inside?”
There have been success stories, such as a North Hollywood shelter that won over its next-door neighbor by beefing up security.
“There was a problem that some people were hanging out in front of the building and not doing good things,” said the owner of the adjacent building, Robert Freeman.
Freeman said he confronted the shelter operator, Hope of the Valley. He was so pleased with the response that he made a donation to the organization.
Advertisement
Garcetti said shelters that prove problematic, such as Venice or Hollywood, may be scaled back, moved or even eliminated.
Elisabeth Axiotis is camped out in a Venice parking lot across the street from A Bridge Home shelter. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Though he structured A Bridge Home as a three-year program, the mayor said he expected many of the shelters to stay open longer.
“If the community wants it for longer, or we collectively decide that we want it for longer, let’s do it,” he said.
The homeless services providers that operate the shelters say they are not daunted by the growing pains.
“Overall I think it’s great,” said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and chief executive of L.A. Family Housing, which will operate two shelters in the San Fernando Valley. “What I think is most positive about it is they are popping in every council district. I think it was a tough promise to make and therefore keep.”
Advertisement
“We will see improvement,” said Jennifer Hark-Dietz, deputy chief executive of PATH, a statewide homeless services provider and supportive housing developer. PATH operates six of the shelters.
The data provided by LAHSA showed that 31% of those leaving the shelters went back to the streets and 35% to unknown destinations. An additional 13% found other temporary housing, either with friends or family or in a program; 4% checked into a mental hospital, detox program or nursing facility; 2% went to jail; and seven — less than half a percent — died.
Fewer than half the placements in permanent housing included supportive services, such as case management and housing assistance. Most were in subsidized rentals or with family or friends.
Homeless tents along Los Angeles Street over the 101 Freeway near one of the Bridge Home shelters in downtown Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
LAHSA’s executive director, Heidi Marston, said it’s not surprising that so many people left without receiving permanent housing.
Advertisement
“Nationally you see about 75% of exits have been to unknown locations,” Marston said, reflecting the fact that residents are free to come and go as they please and that there isn’t enough subsidized housing for those who need it.
Marston said the new shelters, with partitioned sleeping areas, pet accommodations and ample space for case managers and housing navigators, should prove more effective over time.
The shelters were designed to provide “access, dignity, healing, and giving people the space that they need,” an improvement over the typical shelter with dozens to hundreds of people in a large open space, Marston said in an interview.
Several shelters had COVID-19 outbreaks, prompting quarantines. Others were forced to reduce the number of beds to adhere to public health guidance.
People in the shelters were sometimes moved into hotels that the county and city had rented through a statewide program, Project Roomkey. At its peak that effort housed nearly 4,000 homeless people, but it’s now being shut down.
The long-term viability of A Bridge Home is hardly assured. The program is burdened by a slow start and ballooning costs. Initially funded by $20 million, its budget has grown, largely with emergency state funding, to nearly $187 million, of which about $30 million is for operating costs.
California Program to house homeless people in hotels is ending after falling short of goal After reaching less than 30% of its goal to shelter homeless people who are vulnerable to the coronavirus, Project Roomkey is starting to phase out in the face of funding uncertainty.
Advertisement
Los Angeles County has pitched in a three-year commitment to fund about 800 beds, fewer than half the total, leaving the city dependent on continued state money to keep the shelters running.
Some of the shelters are inherently longer-lasting than others.
About half the shelters are in commercial-style tents that are partitioned inside for individual sleeping pods. Though they could be quickly dismantled, they are manufactured to last 25 years. The city owns the structures and could relocate them if needed.
The nine on city-owned land could be maintained indefinitely. Eight others have been placed on land the city has leased for three years from other agencies, including the state of California, the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
Two shelters are in buildings owned by the city that have been rehabbed as shelters: the former Gardner Library in the Fairfax district and the former Children’s Museum in the Los Angeles Mall downtown.
The mayor’s A Bridge Home website shows 23 completed sites and six in development. But three of those sites are not actually part of A Bridge Home. One is a county shelter opened by Supervisor Janice Hahn. One, on a vacant lot owned by the city Housing Authority, has been committed to permanent housing. A 42-bed residence operated by the nonprofit Aviva currently has 15 residents funded by motel vouchers after LAHSA rejected Aviva’s application on technical grounds.
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-20--When the vaccine is ready, will L.A. County be able to distribute it?

The scientists have designed the vaccine .
Now , government bureaucrats must figure out how to quickly and fairly distribute the life-saving COVID-19 medication .
For Los Angeles County , this effort has already included acquiring 16 ultra-cold storage freezers to be installed across the region .
They can store tens of thousands of doses at temperatures as low as minus 86 degrees Celsius .
But the bigger question involves where the vaccine will go from there .
It ’ s shaping up to be the largest and most complex public health effort in the county ’ s history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling behind .
The county has already struggled with another essential element of the pandemic response : providing widescale coronavirus testing .
Distributing the vaccine in a safe and equitable manner is an even more vital task , and some officials have already expressed their concerns .
County Supervisor Janice Hahn recently called the county ’ s preliminary plans “ too vague.
” She said they failed to address key logistical issues , such as how the county would store the Pfizer vaccine , which must be kept at minus 70 C. Supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would keep doses of the vaccine cold enough to transport .
And Supervisor Hilda Solis wanted to see more explanation for how the county would equitably dole out the vaccine and ensure that communities of color have ample access .
“ I ’ m just going to implore you ... to really be ready , ” Hahn told Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer at a recent board meeting .
“ I just don ’ t think we can afford some lag time in knowing how we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county is formulating a priority list for getting the vaccines , which will be free to any resident who gets vaccinated .
First in line will be healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Essential workers at high risk of contracting the coronavirus would be among the next most likely candidates , based off preliminary guidance from state and federal officials .
Nursing home residents and employees will also likely be a priority population in the early phases of the vaccine ’ s rollout .
People with serious medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease , serious lung disease and sickle cell disease , and residents 65 and older are also included in the county ’ s preliminary plan as key populations to vaccinate .
For others , the wait could take months .
Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser , Los Angeles County chief medical officer , said a 35-year-old with no health risks who isn ’ t an essential worker probably won ’ t be able to get a vaccine until at least spring of next year .
“ I could be wrong — maybe more vaccine will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well be that people don ’ t want to take the vaccine , so we might expand it to other groups if we have more supply , ” Gunzenhauser said .
“ There ’ s a lot of unknowns , so this really is guesswork.
” Eventually , the vaccine will be widely available to any resident , but county officials are still grappling with how to make them most accessible .
Hahn would like to see the county use schools as distribution sites , an idea that L.A. Unified Supt .
Austin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials to explore using libraries , senior centers and clinics in underserved communities .
The county has also considered expanding current COVID-19 testing sites to offer vaccination as well .
Some of the first doses of vaccine are expected to be stored at Cedars Sinai Medical Center .
The hospital was one of a handful of healthcare facilities designated by the state to receive early vaccine shipments because of its cold-storage capacity , the county public health department said .
About 20 L.A. County hospitals applied , Gunzenhauser said .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California or L.A. County will receive .
The federal government has placed an initial order with Pfizer for 100 million doses , and under the agreement , can acquire up to an additional 500 million doses .
At least in the beginning , the federal government will allocate a certain amount of vaccines to each state .
California will apportion its share mostly among local health departments , with the remainder going to state facilities and some healthcare systems with locations in multiple counties , like Kaiser Permanente .
Because the Pfizer vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — a precise planning process that ensures it ’ s kept at a specific temperature while transported and stored — the county ’ s Department of Public Health is buying five ultra-cold freezers in addition to three from the state , which will be placed strategically across the county .
The freezers , purchased with $ 55,000 from the county ’ s federal coronavirus relief money , are expected to arrive by December .
A separate agency , the county Department of Health Services , recently received eight freezers it ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will eventually distribute to patients at the county ’ s four public hospitals and 27 health clinics .
With such high demand , there was a backlog , said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the county ’ s director of health services .
“ Obviously , for hospitals that have been able to acquire the freezers , they can serve as a hub-and-spoke-like model , ” Ghaly said of agency ’ s potential role in the county ’ s distribution plan .
The logistics will be less complicated for the second vaccine , Moderna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t require an ultra-low temperature cold chain , county officials said .
Gunzenhauser said the entire planning process is “ really a fast-moving train ” and that it could change as more becomes known about the vaccine and how much will be available .
“ The government ’ s plan is have two doses for every person , ” he said .
For L.A. County , that ’ d be more than 20 million doses .
The county has already struggled with the challenges of the pandemic , in particular in trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for testing supplies and to find appropriate sites , initially failing to provide testing sites equitably in communities of color .
The county isn ’ t alone in the meeting the task .
Every state and local health agency in the country is making plans amid uncertainty , and many say their decisions hinge on first knowing which vaccine will be available , according to an analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation .
Officials in other countries , including Canada , Scotland and England , share similar concerns .
In the Bay Area county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents to not let pandemic fatigue set in .
“ Hunker down , stay at home , wear masks and avoid gatherings to get through the dark winter to a glorious vaccine spring , ” said Dr. Chris Farnitano , the county ’ s health officer , at recent public meeting .
Ferrer has given similar cautionary advice , and emphasized that the county ’ s distribution effort will benefit from its experience providing thousands of flu shots a year , as well as learning from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic how to distribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not impossible , she said .
“ We will absolutely be ready to distribute as soon as we have vaccine to distribute , ” Ferrer said at the Board of Supervisors meeting .

A nurse prepares a shot as part of a clinical trial of an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc.
The scientists have designed the vaccine. Now, government bureaucrats must figure out how to quickly and fairly distribute the life-saving COVID-19 medication.
For Los Angeles County, this effort has already included acquiring 16 ultra-cold storage freezers to be installed across the region. They can store tens of thousands of doses at temperatures as low as minus 86 degrees Celsius.
But the bigger question involves where the vaccine will go from there. It’s shaping up to be the largest and most complex public health effort in the county’s history, and concerns are growing that officials are falling behind. The county has already struggled with another essential element of the pandemic response: providing widescale coronavirus testing.
Distributing the vaccine in a safe and equitable manner is an even more vital task, and some officials have already expressed their concerns.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn recently called the county’s preliminary plans “too vague.” She said they failed to address key logistical issues, such as how the county would store the Pfizer vaccine, which must be kept at minus 70 C. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl wondered how logistically the county would keep doses of the vaccine cold enough to transport.
Advertisement
And Supervisor Hilda Solis wanted to see more explanation for how the county would equitably dole out the vaccine and ensure that communities of color have ample access.
“I’m just going to implore you... to really be ready,” Hahn told Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer at a recent board meeting. “I just don’t think we can afford some lag time in knowing how we’re going to distribute this vaccine.”
“We’ll be ready,” Ferrer said. “I promise.”
For now, the county is formulating a priority list for getting the vaccines, which will be free to any resident who gets vaccinated. First in line will be healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential workers at high risk of contracting the coronavirus would be among the next most likely candidates, based off preliminary guidance from state and federal officials.
Nursing home residents and employees will also likely be a priority population in the early phases of the vaccine’s rollout. People with serious medical conditions, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, serious lung disease and sickle cell disease, and residents 65 and older are also included in the county’s preliminary plan as key populations to vaccinate.
For others, the wait could take months.
Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, Los Angeles County chief medical officer, said a 35-year-old with no health risks who isn’t an essential worker probably won’t be able to get a vaccine until at least spring of next year.
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
Advertisement
“I could be wrong — maybe more vaccine will be available — and it could very well be that people don’t want to take the vaccine, so we might expand it to other groups if we have more supply,” Gunzenhauser said. “There’s a lot of unknowns, so this really is guesswork.”
Eventually, the vaccine will be widely available to any resident, but county officials are still grappling with how to make them most accessible.
Hahn would like to see the county use schools as distribution sites, an idea that L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner supports. Solis has asked public health officials to explore using libraries, senior centers and clinics in underserved communities. The county has also considered expanding current COVID-19 testing sites to offer vaccination as well.
Some of the first doses of vaccine are expected to be stored at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. The hospital was one of a handful of healthcare facilities designated by the state to receive early vaccine shipments because of its cold-storage capacity, the county public health department said. About 20 L.A. County hospitals applied, Gunzenhauser said.
It’s not yet clear how much vaccine California or L.A. County will receive.
The federal government has placed an initial order with Pfizer for 100 million doses, and under the agreement, can acquire up to an additional 500 million doses.
At least in the beginning, the federal government will allocate a certain amount of vaccines to each state. California will apportion its share mostly among local health departments, with the remainder going to state facilities and some healthcare systems with locations in multiple counties, like Kaiser Permanente.
Because the Pfizer vaccine requires an ultra-cold temperature “cold chain” — a precise planning process that ensures it’s kept at a specific temperature while transported and stored — the county’s Department of Public Health is buying five ultra-cold freezers in addition to three from the state, which will be placed strategically across the county.
The freezers, purchased with $55,000 from the county’s federal coronavirus relief money, are expected to arrive by December. A separate agency, the county Department of Health Services, recently received eight freezers it ordered to store the Pfizer vaccine, which it will eventually distribute to patients at the county’s four public hospitals and 27 health clinics. With such high demand, there was a backlog, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county’s director of health services.
“Obviously, for hospitals that have been able to acquire the freezers, they can serve as a hub-and-spoke-like model,” Ghaly said of agency’s potential role in the county’s distribution plan.
The logistics will be less complicated for the second vaccine, Moderna‘s, because it doesn’t require an ultra-low temperature cold chain, county officials said.
Gunzenhauser said the entire planning process is “really a fast-moving train” and that it could change as more becomes known about the vaccine and how much will be available.
“The government’s plan is have two doses for every person,” he said.
For L.A. County, that’d be more than 20 million doses.
The county has already struggled with the challenges of the pandemic, in particular in trying to create a testing infrastructure. Officials scrambled for testing supplies and to find appropriate sites, initially failing to provide testing sites equitably in communities of color.
The county isn’t alone in the meeting the task.
Every state and local health agency in the country is making plans amid uncertainty, and many say their decisions hinge on first knowing which vaccine will be available, according to an analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation. Officials in other countries, including Canada, Scotland and England, share similar concerns.
In the Bay Area county of Contra Costa, officials are advising residents to not let pandemic fatigue set in.
“Hunker down, stay at home, wear masks and avoid gatherings to get through the dark winter to a glorious vaccine spring,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county’s health officer, at recent public meeting.
Ferrer has given similar cautionary advice, and emphasized that the county’s distribution effort will benefit from its experience providing thousands of flu shots a year, as well as learning from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic how to distribute medicine quickly.
Although unprecedented, it is not impossible, she said.
“We will absolutely be ready to distribute as soon as we have vaccine to distribute,” Ferrer said at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
Times staff writer Noam N. Levey contributed to this report.