latimes--2020-04-27--Fateful choices as coronavirus raged through Riverside jail, hitting deputies and inmates

For two weeks in early March , Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Deputy Terrell Young routinely drove inmates , one at a time , from the Cois M. Byrd Detention Facility in Murrieta to a hospital for medical appointments .
During those trips he was exposed to several people , including inmates and a nurse , who would later test positive for the coronavirus infection .
When Young reported to work on March 22 , he felt ill and realized he had a fever .
Early in his shift , he notified a supervisor and went home .
But by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been spreading the virus — without knowing — for days .
Less than two weeks later , Young died at age 52 .
Now , the agency is grappling with one of the largest jail outbreaks of COVID-19 in the state .
The latest figures show some 136 inmates and 71 Sheriff ’ s Department employees have been infected .
Many have recovered , but a second deputy and now an inmate have died .
Early on , Sheriff Chad Bianco said he would not let inmates out early because of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inmates we have remaining in custody pose a much greater risk to public safety than the risk this virus poses to them while they are in custody , ” he said .
But civil rights advocates have described the agency ’ s efforts to protect people who live and work in the jails as woefully inadequate .
Inmates said they feared their jail terms could turn into death sentences .
Deputies worry about bringing the virus home to their families .
A federal judge found that the Sheriff ’ s Department “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking adequate precautions ” to protect those in custody and ordered officials to submit a plan to achieve physical distancing .
“ The sheriff is really , as far as I know , standing alone in refusing to reduce the jail population at all , ” said Sara Norman , an attorney with the Prison Law Office , who sued over jail conditions .
“ L.A. , not enough , again , but they are taking steps .
Only in Riverside has the sheriff said : Nope.
” The nation ’ s overcrowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , spreading among inmates and staff .
At Cook County Jail in Chicago , more than 460 inmates and 360 sheriff ’ s employees have tested positive .
Nearly half have recovered , but six inmates and one correctional officer have died .
At Rikers Island and other jails in New York City , roughly 378 prisoners are infected and three have died .
In California prisons , 178 people have tested positive and one has died .
To combat the spread , authorities have sped up the release of some lower-level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles County , which typically houses about 17,000 inmates , had just 11,866 inmates in custody .
Since the pandemic began , 71 L.A. County jail inmates and 61 Sheriff ’ s Department employees have tested positive .
A nursing staff member who worked in the jails died .
But Bianco has generally spurned the broad release orders adopted in other agencies .
In a court filing , the department said it already was releasing low-level offenders to ease overcrowding , including those who would otherwise qualify for compassionate release or who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
It ’ s unclear what criteria it uses for those releases .
“ There is no such thing as a low-level inmate in our custody .
We don ’ t hold them anyway , ” Bianco said during a news briefing this month .
“ If you don ’ t wan na catch this virus while you ’ re in custody , don ’ t break the law.
” Lisa Matus , who has two sons in the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning awaiting trials , said she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who makes him a judge now ?
” she asked .
“ You ’ re supposed to house and protect them , and your staff.
” Bianco compared jail cells with an apartment , saying there ’ s no social distancing inside a person ’ s bedroom .
The number of inmates allowed in dayrooms at one time , though , has been limited , he said .
“ To say that inmates have to have their own room while they come to jail and everything else , it isn ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times in an interview .
“ You don ’ t get your own room when you go to your apartment or your house .
They ’ ve chosen this as their home.
” The Sheriff ’ s Department refused to provide a breakdown of coronavirus cases at the jails it runs .
Bianco previously said authorities traced the first cluster of COVID-19 cases to one of Young ’ s hospital transports the week of March 16 .
It ’ s unclear where the exposure originated .
But employees who worked overtime shifts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time and spread the virus around the department , he said .
The day after Young went home early , nine co-workers called out sick with flu-like symptoms .
One of them recovered after 14 days on a ventilator .
Doctors at first didn ’ t think he would make it , Bianco said .
On April 2 , a week after learning he had COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , Young was dead .
Within 24 hours , another deputy , David Werksman , 51 , also died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Werksman , who spent 11 years on the bomb squad , may have contracted the virus at a funeral .
He said none of Werksman ’ s colleagues in the administrative office where he was assigned was symptomatic at the time .
Few attended their 88-year-old mother ’ s March 20 funeral — David and another brother , a rabbi and a few funeral home employees .
The details were worked out well in advance , he said , and the service concluded within five minutes .
Harry Werksman said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s coronavirus lockdown .
But he spoke to his brother while he drove home that weekend .
David told him he felt run down , but Harry attributed the fatigue to the stress of his recent loss .
When David began coughing and losing his voice , he went to the hospital and was sent home with the flu .
“ He was short of breath .
He was coughing .
And I was like , ‘ You sound terrible .
Are you sure you ’ re OK ?
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he reiterated , ‘ Yeah , I got the flu.
’ And I said OK. ” That was the last time they spoke .
He found out later that his brother was hospitalized March 29 and died four days later .
The deaths of the two deputies in such quick succession shocked co-workers .
“ You ’ re fighting an invisible beast and nobody knows where it ’ s at ; nobody knows how it ’ s going to strike or anything like that , ” said Bill Young , president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , Bianco said he believed a majority of employees who tested positive for the virus were somehow linked to one of Young ’ s hospital transports .
In the days before Young fell ill , Willie Meadows , 56 , said he and other inmates were “ packed like sardines ” onto a bus and taken from Cois M. Byrd to Larry D. Smith .
None of them wore masks or gloves .
Within 48 hours , Meadows said he felt sick .
He lost his appetite and had trouble swallowing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone conversations , Meadows sounded like he was underwater , his fiancee , Marita Person , said .
By April 1 , he had a fever of 99.6 and his housing unit was on lockdown , according to medical documents provided by his family .
The next day , he was swabbed for COVID-19 .
Four days later , the records show , his test came back positive .
It ’ s unclear when he was infected or whether his exposure was related to Young .
According to Meadows and Person , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected .
At first , there were 15 inmates housed there , and at some point , deputies added seven more , with two people sleeping on floor beds .
Meadows said he was recovering .
“ As close to death as I wan na get , ” Meadows said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department declined to answer questions about Meadows ’ account “ due to privacy for the inmate.
” On Sunday , an inmate who had been housed at the same jail as Meadows died of complications related to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not identified but had been in custody since August 2018 , came down with flu-like symptoms on April 13 and tested positive the next day , the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Six days later , his symptoms worsened and he was taken to a hospital .
Bianco has yet to release the court-ordered jail safety plan .
Norman suggested moving inmates to the new jail in Indio that currently sits empty , but the Sheriff ’ s Department said the facility was not ready to house people .
Bianco said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next couple of months .
Deputies are arresting fewer people — new bookings into jail have dropped to about 50 a day from 100 , and about 3,230 people are in custody in the jails , which have the capacity to hold about 3,700 , Bianco said .
But he said broader actions were unwise .
The California Judicial Council implemented a temporary zero-bail policy for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to reduce jail populations , which the Sheriff ’ s Department said it was complying with .
Bianco , though , has called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says it could result in the release of hundreds of inmates .
“ The truth is , our jail population is at historically low levels and we have more than enough space to isolate and quarantine infected inmates , ” he said previously .
“ The truth is these inmates receive excellent treatment and have greater access to medical care more readily than most of you who are not in jail.
” Activists and relatives of inmates recently held a car rally calling on Bianco to release inmates who can ’ t afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible to physically distance in a crammed dorm behind bars or to practice safe hygiene without sufficient cleaning supplies .
Some taped posters to their hoods and doors .
“ Where is my dad and how is he doin ?
” one read .
Some accounts from inmates and civil rights advocates about unsafe jail conditions are at odds with Bianco ’ s statements .
He said inmates received “ all of the cleaning supplies they could possibly want ” and that they were “ actually sick of us making them clean.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t feel good , they get isolated .
If they say they have a stomachache , they get isolated .
If they say something just doesn ’ t feel right , they need to see a nurse , they get isolated , ” Bianco said .
“ We monitor them for a period of time , if they start to develop any type of symptoms , they ’ re tested.
” Frank Cooper , 43 , was set to be released from San Bernardino County jail on April 16 .
His wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their property so that he could quarantine for 14 days before coming home .
But he never showed up .
She found out later that Cooper was transferred to Riverside County jail on a warrant in an unrelated grand theft case .
Cooper told The Times that he was placed in a holding cell for three days with no soap and the same mask he ’ d brought from the San Bernardino lockup .
He then was moved to a dorm where he said bunks were a foot-and-a-half apart and 25 inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
He tore up his bathroom towel so he could have a rag to wipe down his bunk and the phones .
Two people were removed from his unit in three days , he said , because they had fevers or were sick .
Other inmates were ordered to pack up the sick inmates ’ belongings and leave them by the door .
Cooper refused to touch the items , he said , noting that he has high blood pressure and is prediabetic .
“ If I get it , I might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
In a Facebook message to Bianco , Jackie Cooper pointed to her husband ’ s medical conditions and pleaded for his early release .
The sheriff responded : Frank Cooper will be allowed to spend the remainder of his term — his release was scheduled in November — on house arrest , with an ankle bracelet .
Bianco warned of the consequences for violating those terms .
“ There are no ‘ second chances , ’ ” he wrote .

A demonstrator waves a U.S. flag at a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy during a car rally to protest conditions in the county’s jails, which have endured a coronavirus outbreak.
For two weeks in early March, Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Terrell Young routinely drove inmates, one at a time, from the Cois M. Byrd Detention Facility in Murrieta to a hospital for medical appointments.
During those trips he was exposed to several people, including inmates and a nurse, who would later test positive for the coronavirus infection.
When Young reported to work on March 22, he felt ill and realized he had a fever. Early in his shift, he notified a supervisor and went home. But by then, he and others probably had been spreading the virus — without knowing — for days.
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Less than two weeks later, Young died at age 52.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Terrell Young. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
Now, the agency is grappling with one of the largest jail outbreaks of COVID-19 in the state. The latest figures show some 136 inmates and 71 Sheriff’s Department employees have been infected. Many have recovered, but a second deputy and now an inmate have died.
Early on, Sheriff Chad Bianco said he would not let inmates out early because of the disease.
“I feel very strongly that the inmates we have remaining in custody pose a much greater risk to public safety than the risk this virus poses to them while they are in custody,” he said.
But civil rights advocates have described the agency’s efforts to protect people who live and work in the jails as woefully inadequate. Inmates said they feared their jail terms could turn into death sentences. Deputies worry about bringing the virus home to their families. A federal judge found that the Sheriff’s Department “failed to demonstrate that it is currently taking adequate precautions” to protect those in custody and ordered officials to submit a plan to achieve physical distancing.
Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
“The sheriff is really, as far as I know, standing alone in refusing to reduce the jail population at all,” said Sara Norman, an attorney with the Prison Law Office, who sued over jail conditions. “L.A., not enough, again, but they are taking steps. Only in Riverside has the sheriff said: Nope.”
The nation’s overcrowded jails and prisons have become hotbeds of infection, spreading among inmates and staff.
At Cook County Jail in Chicago, more than 460 inmates and 360 sheriff’s employees have tested positive. Nearly half have recovered, but six inmates and one correctional officer have died.
At Rikers Island and other jails in New York City, roughly 378 prisoners are infected and three have died.
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In California prisons, 178 people have tested positive and one has died.
To combat the spread, authorities have sped up the release of some lower-level offenders and those with medical conditions.
Los Angeles County, which typically houses about 17,000 inmates, had just 11,866 inmates in custody. Since the pandemic began, 71 L.A. County jail inmates and 61 Sheriff’s Department employees have tested positive. A nursing staff member who worked in the jails died.
But Bianco has generally spurned the broad release orders adopted in other agencies. In a court filing, the department said it already was releasing low-level offenders to ease overcrowding, including those who would otherwise qualify for compassionate release or who are at high risk of contracting the virus. It’s unclear what criteria it uses for those releases.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
“There is no such thing as a low-level inmate in our custody. We don’t hold them anyway,” Bianco said during a news briefing this month. “If you don’t wanna catch this virus while you’re in custody, don’t break the law.”
Lisa Matus has two sons in a Riverside County jail where there is an outbreak of COVID-19. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Lisa Matus, who has two sons in the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning awaiting trials, said she was blown away by that statement.
“Who makes him a judge now?” she asked. “You’re supposed to house and protect them, and your staff.”
Bianco compared jail cells with an apartment, saying there’s no social distancing inside a person’s bedroom. The number of inmates allowed in dayrooms at one time, though, has been limited, he said.
“To say that inmates have to have their own room while they come to jail and everything else, it isn’t going to happen,” he told The Times in an interview. “You don’t get your own room when you go to your apartment or your house. They’ve chosen this as their home.”
The Sheriff’s Department refused to provide a breakdown of coronavirus cases at the jails it runs.
Bianco previously said authorities traced the first cluster of COVID-19 cases to one of Young’s hospital transports the week of March 16. It’s unclear where the exposure originated. But employees who worked overtime shifts in the jail may have become infected during that time and spread the virus around the department, he said.
The day after Young went home early, nine co-workers called out sick with flu-like symptoms. One of them recovered after 14 days on a ventilator. Doctors at first didn’t think he would make it, Bianco said.
On April 2, a week after learning he had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, Young was dead.
Within 24 hours, another deputy, David Werksman, 51, also died from complications of the virus.
Bianco said that Werksman, who spent 11 years on the bomb squad, may have contracted the virus at a funeral. He said none of Werksman’s colleagues in the administrative office where he was assigned was symptomatic at the time.
But Werksman’s older brother, Harry, doubts the sheriff’s claim.
Few attended their 88-year-old mother’s March 20 funeral — David and another brother, a rabbi and a few funeral home employees. The details were worked out well in advance, he said, and the service concluded within five minutes.
Harry Werksman, left, and his brother David Werksman, who was a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy who died from complications of COVID-19. (Family photo)
Harry Werksman said he didn’t go because of the county’s coronavirus lockdown. But he spoke to his brother while he drove home that weekend.
David told him he felt run down, but Harry attributed the fatigue to the stress of his recent loss. When David began coughing and losing his voice, he went to the hospital and was sent home with the flu.
“He was short of breath. He was coughing. And I was like, ‘You sound terrible. Are you sure you’re OK?’” Harry Werksman said. “And again he reiterated, ‘Yeah, I got the flu.’ And I said OK.”
That was the last time they spoke. He found out later that his brother was hospitalized March 29 and died four days later.
The deaths of the two deputies in such quick succession shocked co-workers.
“You’re fighting an invisible beast and nobody knows where it’s at; nobody knows how it’s going to strike or anything like that,” said Bill Young, president of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Assn.
At the time, Bianco said he believed a majority of employees who tested positive for the virus were somehow linked to one of Young’s hospital transports.
In the days before Young fell ill, Willie Meadows, 56, said he and other inmates were “packed like sardines” onto a bus and taken from Cois M. Byrd to Larry D. Smith. None of them wore masks or gloves.
Within 48 hours, Meadows said he felt sick. He lost his appetite and had trouble swallowing. It was hard to breathe. During phone conversations, Meadows sounded like he was underwater, his fiancee, Marita Person, said.
By April 1, he had a fever of 99.6 and his housing unit was on lockdown, according to medical documents provided by his family. The next day, he was swabbed for COVID-19.
Four days later, the records show, his test came back positive. It’s unclear when he was infected or whether his exposure was related to Young.
According to Meadows and Person, the rest of his 20-bed pod also was infected. At first, there were 15 inmates housed there, and at some point, deputies added seven more, with two people sleeping on floor beds. Meadows said he was recovering.
“As close to death as I wanna get,” Meadows said.
The Sheriff’s Department declined to answer questions about Meadows’ account “due to privacy for the inmate.”
On Sunday, an inmate who had been housed at the same jail as Meadows died of complications related to the virus. The inmate, who was not identified but had been in custody since August 2018, came down with flu-like symptoms on April 13 and tested positive the next day, the Sheriff’s Department said. Six days later, his symptoms worsened and he was taken to a hospital.
Bianco has yet to release the court-ordered jail safety plan. Norman suggested moving inmates to the new jail in Indio that currently sits empty, but the Sheriff’s Department said the facility was not ready to house people. Bianco said he hoped it would be ready in the next couple of months.
Deputies are arresting fewer people — new bookings into jail have dropped to about 50 a day from 100, and about 3,230 people are in custody in the jails, which have the capacity to hold about 3,700, Bianco said.
But he said broader actions were unwise. The California Judicial Council implemented a temporary zero-bail policy for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to reduce jail populations, which the Sheriff’s Department said it was complying with. Bianco, though, has called the policy “extremely reckless” and says it could result in the release of hundreds of inmates.
“The truth is, our jail population is at historically low levels and we have more than enough space to isolate and quarantine infected inmates,” he said previously. “The truth is these inmates receive excellent treatment and have greater access to medical care more readily than most of you who are not in jail.”
Activists and relatives of inmates recently held a car rally calling on Bianco to release inmates who can’t afford bail. They said it’s impossible to physically distance in a crammed dorm behind bars or to practice safe hygiene without sufficient cleaning supplies. Some taped posters to their hoods and doors.
“Where is my dad and how is he doin?” one read.
“Jails + COVID-19 = Death Chambers,” said another.
Some accounts from inmates and civil rights advocates about unsafe jail conditions are at odds with Bianco’s statements. He said inmates received “all of the cleaning supplies they could possibly want” and that they were “actually sick of us making them clean.”
“If they say they don’t feel good, they get isolated. If they say they have a stomachache, they get isolated. If they say something just doesn’t feel right, they need to see a nurse, they get isolated,” Bianco said. “We monitor them for a period of time, if they start to develop any type of symptoms, they’re tested.”
Frank Cooper, 43, was set to be released from San Bernardino County jail on April 16. His wife, Jackie, had rearranged the metal shack on their property so that he could quarantine for 14 days before coming home. But he never showed up.
She found out later that Cooper was transferred to Riverside County jail on a warrant in an unrelated grand theft case.
Cooper told The Times that he was placed in a holding cell for three days with no soap and the same mask he’d brought from the San Bernardino lockup. He then was moved to a dorm where he said bunks were a foot-and-a-half apart and 25 inmates shared three small bars of soap a day.
He tore up his bathroom towel so he could have a rag to wipe down his bunk and the phones. Two people were removed from his unit in three days, he said, because they had fevers or were sick. Other inmates were ordered to pack up the sick inmates’ belongings and leave them by the door.
Cooper refused to touch the items, he said, noting that he has high blood pressure and is prediabetic.
“If I get it, I might not make it through,” he said.
In a Facebook message to Bianco, Jackie Cooper pointed to her husband’s medical conditions and pleaded for his early release. The sheriff responded: Frank Cooper will be allowed to spend the remainder of his term — his release was scheduled in November — on house arrest, with an ankle bracelet.
Bianco warned of the consequences for violating those terms.
“There are no ‘second chances,’” he wrote.


latimes--2020-04-27--Battling lockdown fatigue, California messages both hope and fear. Will it work?

When the Spanish flu erupted in Los Angeles in the fall of 1918 , health officers had few means of warning the city ’ s half-million residents .
With a wartime ban on civilian radios in place , officials relied on newspapers , posters and crowded public meetings to urge Angelenos to keep their kids out of school , skip church and stay home .
Now , as the world battles an entirely new pandemic , city and county officials have vastly more ways to communicate with a population of roughly 10 million .
Television , radio , electronic billboards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone alerts are all being used to deliver the official line on social distancing , business closures and home sheltering .
But this fractured media landscape may prove to be a messaging nightmare as California enters its second month of lockdown .
While officials say the public ’ s adherence to health messaging has shown quantifiable results in “ flattening the curve ” of new COVID-19 cases , they caution that we are nowhere near the end of this emergency and that we can not become complacent .
Some residents are losing patience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters complaining of lockdown fatigue have demanded an end to restrictive health measures , while Ventura and Riverside counties have announced plans to ease stay-at-home restrictions .
To confuse matters further , President Trump has called on some states to “ liberate ” themselves from coronavirus lockdowns .
“ As of right now there ’ s a very small but vocal minority , ” said Los Angeles Emergency Management Department spokeswoman Kate Hutton .
“ The vast majority of our people are at home ... and we thank them profusely for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In years past , both the county and city have struggled to effectively communicate with the public during emergencies .
During the Woolsey fire in 2018 , Los Angeles County relied too heavily on social media , and left many older residents in the dark about the approaching fire .
A year later , a computer coding error prevented city staff from using emergency notification software to warn people of the Saddle Ridge fire .
Now , facing a much slower-moving disaster , officials are working to keep the public listening .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections with seeds of hope , but not over-promise results .
“ People have a tendency to tune out especially if you instill fear without a solution .
Then why listen ?
” said Wändi Bruine de Bruin , provost professor of public policy , psychology and behavioral science at USC .
“ But if you start people with too much optimism then people expect big outcomes quickly .
And if those outcomes don ’ t happen , then they feel that their efforts were a waste and why continue to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information center , emergency management officials from the city and county have so far struck the right tone about the threat and what Angelenos can do to stay safe without sowing irrational fear into the community , experts say .
In March , the county hired two communication firms at a cost of $ 400,000 and reorganized its emergency management plan so that what the public hears is consistent across departments .
It also created a digital billboard campaign and COVID-19 website and hosted weekly briefings with media organizations serving minority communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Joint Information Center spokeswoman .
The city , meanwhile , has sent out a dozen messages to more than a million email addresses , cell phones and landlines with quarantine and mask-wearing guidance and rules about essential travel and where to get tested .
On March 27 , the city sent an Amber Alert-style message to all cellphones in the county , and virtually every day , Mayor Eric Garcetti and county health officials host daily press conferences broadcast live on TV and social media .
“ You need to communicate with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It takes a multimedia approach to reach people , ” said Craig Fugate , who served as a top emergency manager for Florida Gov .
Jeb Bush and then as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Obama .
“ And a consistent messaging from local communities ’ leaders.
” When that message is undermined by a dissenting voice within the group , it ripples down into the public ’ s psyche , experts say .
“ There is a huge impact in terms of how people interpret these messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of communications studies at California State University Long Beach .
“ Notice that in Florida , there [ was ] an incoherent , inconsistent message .
When you get a mixed signal , people then do one of two things : They think that is not important , or they go into confusion , which is understandable human behavior.
” Empathy also helps a message resonate , Rodriguez said , like when California Surgeon Gen. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris at a press conference squashed a pernicious rumor that the coronavirus did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by encouraging Californians to maintain human connections , even if it ’ s just online .
“ People are starving for connection , attention , relationships .
It ’ s just confirming what people are already feeling in their bodies , ” Rodriguez said .
“ And in that way , it ’ s a huge statement of collective empathy .
We ’ re all feeling alone , afraid , and now our state government has said , ‘ We hear you.
’ ” Los Angeles and the state as a whole have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ spread , officials say .
Though the number of new cases and deaths reported each day continues to increase , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said social distancing has been successful in helping to flatten the curve here .
About 95 % of the county ’ s residents supported the existing stay-at-home order as of early April , according to a Loyola Marymount poll .
But since that poll , the rhetoric from the federal government and surrounding communities has shown public patience is waning .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amending its quarantine restrictions until at least May 15 .
But any easing of restrictions will have to be done with extreme caution , according to experts .
“ We continue to make progress , and the spread of COVID-19 has leveled out , but relaxing physical distancing measures very suddenly would negate and reverse all of that progress we ’ ve made to date , ” Los Angeles Department of Health services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly cautioned at a press conference Thursday .
Such was the city ’ s experience in 1918 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few major metropolitan cities then that wisely canceled its Liberty Day parade that year .
But the city ’ s closures also weren ’ t as strict as today ’ s or as long-lasting , said Alex Navarro , assistant director of the University of Michigan ’ s Center for the History of Medicine .
After local officials thought they ’ d endured the worst of the outbreak , they relaxed the rules .
“ I can ’ t speak to whether going out in public was more or less popular then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous stories across many American cities where there was a flood of people who went out as soon as the social orders were removed , lines around the block for theaters , ” Navarro said .
“ It led to another spike of cases ... that was deadlier than the first .
”

When the Spanish flu erupted in Los Angeles in the fall of 1918, health officers had few means of warning the city’s half-million residents.
With a wartime ban on civilian radios in place, officials relied on newspapers, posters and crowded public meetings to urge Angelenos to keep their kids out of school, skip church and stay home.
Now, as the world battles an entirely new pandemic, city and county officials have vastly more ways to communicate with a population of roughly 10 million. Television, radio, electronic billboards, email, social media and cell phone alerts are all being used to deliver the official line on social distancing, business closures and home sheltering.
Advertisement
But this fractured media landscape may prove to be a messaging nightmare as California enters its second month of lockdown. While officials say the public’s adherence to health messaging has shown quantifiable results in “flattening the curve” of new COVID-19 cases, they caution that we are nowhere near the end of this emergency and that we cannot become complacent.
Some residents are losing patience, however. Already, small groups of protesters complaining of lockdown fatigue have demanded an end to restrictive health measures, while Ventura and Riverside counties have announced plans to ease stay-at-home restrictions. To confuse matters further, President Trump has called on some states to “liberate” themselves from coronavirus lockdowns.
“As of right now there’s a very small but vocal minority,” said Los Angeles Emergency Management Department spokeswoman Kate Hutton. “The vast majority of our people are at home ... and we thank them profusely for it because it’s saving lives.”
California The pandemic’s toll: Lives lost in California Hundreds of people have died in California due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are some of their stories.
In years past, both the county and city have struggled to effectively communicate with the public during emergencies.
During the Woolsey fire in 2018, Los Angeles County relied too heavily on social media, and left many older residents in the dark about the approaching fire. A year later, a computer coding error prevented city staff from using emergency notification software to warn people of the Saddle Ridge fire.
Advertisement
Now, facing a much slower-moving disaster, officials are working to keep the public listening. They must balance grim news of deaths and infections with seeds of hope, but not over-promise results.
“People have a tendency to tune out especially if you instill fear without a solution. Then why listen?” said Wändi Bruine de Bruin, provost professor of public policy, psychology and behavioral science at USC. “But if you start people with too much optimism then people expect big outcomes quickly. And if those outcomes don’t happen, then they feel that their efforts were a waste and why continue to do this?”
Working together in a joint information center, emergency management officials from the city and county have so far struck the right tone about the threat and what Angelenos can do to stay safe without sowing irrational fear into the community, experts say.
In March, the county hired two communication firms at a cost of $400,000 and reorganized its emergency management plan so that what the public hears is consistent across departments. It also created a digital billboard campaign and COVID-19 website and hosted weekly briefings with media organizations serving minority communities, said Helen Chavez, the county’s Joint Information Center spokeswoman.
The city, meanwhile, has sent out a dozen messages to more than a million email addresses, cell phones and landlines with quarantine and mask-wearing guidance and rules about essential travel and where to get tested. On March 27, the city sent an Amber Alert-style message to all cellphones in the county, and virtually every day, Mayor Eric Garcetti and county health officials host daily press conferences broadcast live on TV and social media.
“You need to communicate with people using what they use. … It takes a multimedia approach to reach people,” said Craig Fugate, who served as a top emergency manager for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and then as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Obama. “And a consistent messaging from local communities’ leaders.”
When that message is undermined by a dissenting voice within the group, it ripples down into the public’s psyche, experts say.
“There is a huge impact in terms of how people interpret these messages,” said Jose Rodriguez, a professor of communications studies at California State University Long Beach. “Notice that in Florida, there [was] an incoherent, inconsistent message. When you get a mixed signal, people then do one of two things: They think that is not important, or they go into confusion, which is understandable human behavior.”
Empathy also helps a message resonate, Rodriguez said, like when California Surgeon Gen. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris at a press conference squashed a pernicious rumor that the coronavirus did not infect black people and followed that up by encouraging Californians to maintain human connections, even if it’s just online.
“People are starving for connection, attention, relationships. It’s just confirming what people are already feeling in their bodies,” Rodriguez said. “And in that way, it’s a huge statement of collective empathy. We’re all feeling alone, afraid, and now our state government has said, ‘We hear you.’”
Los Angeles and the state as a whole have had some success in slowing the virus’ spread, officials say. Though the number of new cases and deaths reported each day continues to increase, Gov. Gavin Newsom said social distancing has been successful in helping to flatten the curve here.
About 95% of the county’s residents supported the existing stay-at-home order as of early April, according to a Loyola Marymount poll.
But since that poll, the rhetoric from the federal government and surrounding communities has shown public patience is waning. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week the city won’t consider amending its quarantine restrictions until at least May 15.
But any easing of restrictions will have to be done with extreme caution, according to experts.
“We continue to make progress, and the spread of COVID-19 has leveled out, but relaxing physical distancing measures very suddenly would negate and reverse all of that progress we’ve made to date,” Los Angeles Department of Health services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly cautioned at a press conference Thursday.
Such was the city’s experience in 1918.
Los Angeles was one of the few major metropolitan cities then that wisely canceled its Liberty Day parade that year. But the city’s closures also weren’t as strict as today’s or as long-lasting, said Alex Navarro, assistant director of the University of Michigan’s Center for the History of Medicine.
After local officials thought they’d endured the worst of the outbreak, they relaxed the rules.
“I can’t speak to whether going out in public was more or less popular then, but I can say that we read numerous stories across many American cities where there was a flood of people who went out as soon as the social orders were removed, lines around the block for theaters,” Navarro said. “It led to another spike of cases ... that was deadlier than the first.”


latimes--2020-04-27--Skelton: In the coronavirus crisis, California isn't under one-party rule, it's under one-man rule

California no longer has one-party rule in Sacramento .
It now has one-man rule .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has told everyone who doesn ’ t have an “ essential ” job to stay home and protect themselves and others from the coronavirus .
If they must venture out , he lectured , stay six feet from anyone .
Legislating officially is an essential job , but it ’ s hard to perform without cozying up to colleagues .
And when meeting in their majestic chambers , lawmakers must sit close to seatmates .
So the Legislature did the healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decree and is essentially staying home for seven weeks .
Legislators are mostly staying out of the state Capitol anyway .
“ It ’ s been kind of an eerie ghost town in there , ” says Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) .
But power abhors a vacuum .
With the legislative and judicial branches basically shut down because of the virus , the executive has seized almost complete control over state government .
And many legislators are smarting .
They ’ re antsy to reenter the political arena and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the state ’ s approach to taming the virus , returning to normal life , restoring the economy and managing a bleeding state budget .
The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene May 4 .
“ We ’ re not in Sacramento , and that makes it hard for us to be the influence we ’ d like , ” state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) says .
“ It ’ s hard for us to sit back and not be in the works .
“ My colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s frustration not being there and doing what they can.
” Rendon says Newsom ’ s constant issuing of executive orders “ makes it a different way of governing .
That ’ s part of why we want to come back .
We want to have an influence .
That ’ s our job.
” The legislators ’ pique was evident at an Assembly budget hearing last week when lawmakers heard distressing news about the gloomy prospects for state tax revenues .
“ We have not been engaged and we have been trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wood ( D-Santa Rosa ) .
“ We often hear maybe five minutes before an executive order comes out or by watching live the governor ’ s daily updates… .
And that ’ s a challenge.
” Newsom has issued reams of executive orders — around 30 so far .
They include shutting down businesses , altering court operations , increasing spending on homeless shelters , providing worker benefits and allowing grocers to issue free single-use plastic bags to customers — which voters had previously outlawed .
It ’ s all apparently legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said any of it is illegal , although some small businesses have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the governor ’ s shelter-in-place order .
A governor has awesome power once he proclaims a state of emergency .
He can temporarily suspend laws and impose rules without legislative permission .
And Newsom has made full use of his police power .
One action that got heads shaking was Newsom ’ s unilateral decision to OK a $ 1-billion contract with a Chinese company to provide 200 million masks a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the money up front .
But so far the state hasn ’ t received any masks .
Despite requests from legislators and the news media to review the contract , Newsom has kept it secret .
A $ 1-billion expenditure is hefty even in good times , but it ’ s especially weighty when we ’ re heading into a bad recession .
It ’ s the kind of spending that should require legislative input .
When the Legislature returns , the two houses may operate differently .
All Assembly members will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as usual .
There won ’ t be floor sessions until June , when lawmakers scramble to pass a budget .
But the Senate is considering giving lawmakers an option to legislate remotely if they fear contracting the virus .
There would be lots of videoconferencing .
Assembly attorneys say remote legislating may be illegal .
Senate attorneys say it ’ s OK. Do whatever works , I say .
These are desperate times .
Forget purity .
Don ’ t expect an economic stimulus package using state tax money .
States can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can .
President Trump and Congress will do all the stimulating .
But Atkins and Rendon want to tap into infrastructure bonds that have already been authorized by voters and quickly push the borrowed money out into job-creating projects .
There ’ s $ 42 billion in unsold bond authorization .
Rendon is also contemplating a November bond issue to finance retraining of unemployed workers for environmentally clean “ green jobs.
” Don ’ t even think about paying for such new programs out of the General Fund budget .
The state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slightly more than $ 17 billion .
But that will dissipate fast as tax revenues wither .
It ’ s looking like the Great Recession all over again .
“ Without question , we got hit hard , ” says H.D .
Palmer , a spokesman for the state Department of Finance .
Legislators have been told to plan for a $ 35-billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year — with deeper holes in the future .
“ We ’ re going to have to rein in our expectations , ” Atkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues have never been through this.
” By May 14 , Newsom will pare down the $ 222-billion budget he proposed in January .
The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15 for the fiscal year starting July 1 .
But Rendon says that this time the June budget will only be an interim spending plan .
It will be updated in August after taxpayers file their returns and mail in their checks by July 15 .
Then the revenue picture will be clearer — and probably darker .
By then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses at an April 14 news conference an outline for what it will take to lift coronavirus restrictions.
California no longer has one-party rule in Sacramento. It now has one-man rule.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has told everyone who doesn’t have an “essential” job to stay home and protect themselves and others from the coronavirus. If they must venture out, he lectured, stay six feet from anyone.
Legislating officially is an essential job, but it’s hard to perform without cozying up to colleagues. And when meeting in their majestic chambers, lawmakers must sit close to seatmates.
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1 / 83 Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 83 Traffic remains light on the southbound 110 Freeway headed toward downtown Los Angeles on April 28. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 83 Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 83 Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 83 Friends play spikeball, a game perfect for social distancing on an open but restricted San Buenaventura State Beach. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 83 The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 83 Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 83 Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 83 Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 83 Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 83 Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 83 Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 83 Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 83 Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 83 Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 83 Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 83 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 83 Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 83 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center nurses carry supplies outside the hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 83 Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 83 Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 83 People make orders at a food truck along Shoreline Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 83 Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 83 Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 83 Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 83 A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 83 Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 83 A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 83 Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 83 The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 83 Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 83 Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 83 A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 83 Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 83 UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 83 Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 83 Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 83 A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 83 Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 83 Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 83 After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 83 An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 83 Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 83 As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 83 People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 83 The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 83 Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 83 Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 83 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 83 Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 83 Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 83 A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 83 A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 83 Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 83 Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 83 Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 83 A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 83 A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 83 A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 83 A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 83 Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 83 The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 83 Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 83 Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 83 Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 83 A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 83 Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 83 Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 83 The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 83 Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 83 Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 83 A masked passenger on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 83 Dede Oneal waits for a coronavirus test at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 83 A man in a mask passes a closed restaurant along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 83 Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 83 Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 83 A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 83 With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 83 A lone traveler makes his way to catch a flight in Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 83 Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 83 Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of the usual crowds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 83 Michael Ray, 11, plays before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 83 Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
So the Legislature did the healthy thing. It submitted to Newsom’s decree and is essentially staying home for seven weeks. Legislators are mostly staying out of the state Capitol anyway.
“It’s been kind of an eerie ghost town in there,” says Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood).
But power abhors a vacuum. With the legislative and judicial branches basically shut down because of the virus, the executive has seized almost complete control over state government. And many legislators are smarting.
They’re antsy to reenter the political arena and resume exerting influence over decision-making, particularly regarding the state’s approach to taming the virus, returning to normal life, restoring the economy and managing a bleeding state budget.
The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene May 4.
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“We’re not in Sacramento, and that makes it hard for us to be the influence we’d like,” state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) says. “It’s hard for us to sit back and not be in the works.
“My colleagues want to get back. There’s frustration not being there and doing what they can.”
Rendon says Newsom’s constant issuing of executive orders “makes it a different way of governing. That’s part of why we want to come back. We want to have an influence. That’s our job.”
The legislators’ pique was evident at an Assembly budget hearing last week when lawmakers heard distressing news about the gloomy prospects for state tax revenues.
“We have not been engaged and we have been trying to engage,” complained Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa). “We often hear maybe five minutes before an executive order comes out or by watching live the governor’s daily updates…. And that’s a challenge.”
Newsom has issued reams of executive orders — around 30 so far. They include shutting down businesses, altering court operations, increasing spending on homeless shelters, providing worker benefits and allowing grocers to issue free single-use plastic bags to customers — which voters had previously outlawed.
It’s all apparently legal. At least, no judge has said any of it is illegal, although some small businesses have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the governor’s shelter-in-place order.
A governor has awesome power once he proclaims a state of emergency. He can temporarily suspend laws and impose rules without legislative permission. And Newsom has made full use of his police power.
One action that got heads shaking was Newsom’s unilateral decision to OK a $1-billion contract with a Chinese company to provide 200 million masks a month. The governor gave the company half the money up front. But so far the state hasn’t received any masks.
Despite requests from legislators and the news media to review the contract, Newsom has kept it secret.
A $1-billion expenditure is hefty even in good times, but it’s especially weighty when we’re heading into a bad recession. It’s the kind of spending that should require legislative input.
When the Legislature returns, the two houses may operate differently.
All Assembly members will be present and attend committee hearings, as usual. There won’t be floor sessions until June, when lawmakers scramble to pass a budget.
But the Senate is considering giving lawmakers an option to legislate remotely if they fear contracting the virus. There would be lots of videoconferencing.
Assembly attorneys say remote legislating may be illegal. Senate attorneys say it’s OK.
Do whatever works, I say. These are desperate times. Forget purity.
Don’t expect an economic stimulus package using state tax money. States can’t print dollars like the feds can. President Trump and Congress will do all the stimulating.
But Atkins and Rendon want to tap into infrastructure bonds that have already been authorized by voters and quickly push the borrowed money out into job-creating projects. There’s $42 billion in unsold bond authorization.
Rendon is also contemplating a November bond issue to finance retraining of unemployed workers for environmentally clean “green jobs.”
Don’t even think about paying for such new programs out of the General Fund budget. The state has a “rainy day” reserve of slightly more than $17 billion. But that will dissipate fast as tax revenues wither.
It’s looking like the Great Recession all over again.
“Without question, we got hit hard,” says H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance.
Legislators have been told to plan for a $35-billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year — with deeper holes in the future.
“We’re going to have to rein in our expectations,” Atkins says. “A lot of my colleagues have never been through this.”
By May 14, Newsom will pare down the $222-billion budget he proposed in January. The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15 for the fiscal year starting July 1.
But Rendon says that this time the June budget will only be an interim spending plan. It will be updated in August after taxpayers file their returns and mail in their checks by July 15. Then the revenue picture will be clearer — and probably darker.
By then, some lawmakers may be fondly recalling one-man rule.


latimes--2020-04-26--Amid year's first heat wave, thousands of Californians pack the beaches

When Florida residents were allowed to start going to the beach again last weekend , photos of the crowds went viral along with the hashtag # FloridaMorons .
This weekend , amid the year ’ s first heat wave , thousands converged on some California beaches to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and to get a break from weeks of isolation at home .
There was some debate about the size of the crowds and the degree to which those who went to the beach were able to maintain social distance .
But images from places including Huntington Beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether allowing the beaches to reopen could set back California ’ s progress in slowing the spread of coronavirus .
It also is testing the exhortations of health officials , who urge staying at home as the best path to flattening the coronavirus curve and restarting the economy .
California was the first state in the nation to adopt a stay-at-home order , and experts say that swift action has prevented a greater death toll , like those of New York and New Jersey .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom urged residents to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressing fear it could cause more people to get sick .
Some communities , including Los Angeles County and many parts of the Bay Area , have kept beaches closed .
On Saturday , L.A. beaches remained largely empty .
“ My compliments to our community for staying away from the beaches in LA , ” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Saturday on Twitter .
“ From Malibu , Santa Monica , Venice , to Dockweiler - All Clear !
!
” “ We won ’ t let one weekend undo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday .
“ While the sunshine is tempting , we ’ re staying home to save lives.
” Dr. William Schaffner , professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University , sees no absolute rule of thumb in terms of the right time to open beaches .
He ’ s more concerned with how it is done .
“ Reopening , like beauty , is in the eye of the beholder , ” Schaffner said .
“ We have to be clear here .
We have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home and outlast the coronavirus until we get an effective vaccine.
” Getting to the beach may be more problematic than how people behave on the beach , he said .
“ I know that on the East Coast some of the difficulties they ’ ve had is not the beach itself so much , ” he said .
“ It ’ s the parking lots where things get very crowded and there is a tendency for friends to gather and talk .
And , of course , you violate the six-foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have cracked down on those who violate the rules .
Last week in San Mateo County , officials ordered 275 people off Linda Mar Beach and threatened arrests and citations if people continued to violate the order .
Polls have found wide support for the stay-at-home order among Californians .
Among those polled for a recent California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey , 75 % wanted the order to continue as long as needed .
Only 11 % wanted to stop the stay-at-home order , while 13 % had no opinion .
L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the “ unprecedented ” efforts to keep people inside and away from others were working , leading to a manageable growth in coronavirus cases .
“ But just as we absolutely can ’ t stop taking a course of antibiotics just because we feel better , where this virus is concerned , we really have to keep doing the right things , ” she said .
“ Cases are still on the rise , and this was California ’ s deadliest week since the start of this pandemic.
” Yet amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many .
Authorities kept a number of beach parking lots closed and were out in force trying to impose social-distancing rules .
One sunbather from the San Fernando Valley , who declined to give her name , said she drove to Ventura County to do what Southern Californians often do when the mercury rises .
“ It ’ s hot , ” the Canoga Park resident said .
“ It ’ s the go-to thing to do if you live in California.
” Although few people — including the lifeguard and police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules , reminded to stay six feet apart by a flashing road sign outside Santa Buenaventura State Beach .
At the north end of the beach , several dozen surfers fought their way atop 3- to 4-foot swells .
By midafternoon , with the beach largely emptied , Robin Hoag and Paige Leichtnam made their way over from their nearby home .
They have been hiking county trails and riding their bikes to work since their favorite beach was closed last month , but they waited for the visitors from L.A. County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave before coming back Saturday to play paddle ball .
“ It ’ s pretty laid-back now , ” Hoag said .
“ People will go wherever it ’ s open.
” Ashley Bautista , public information officer for Ventura County , said there was a law enforcement presence at all of the county ’ s beaches , and officers were informing visitors that they were only supposed to walk , run , swim or surf .
Beachgoers were complying , and beaches were not packed , she said .
“ We appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrifices , ” she said , “ and that local law enforcement is focused on education for compliance.
” In Orange County , a chilly breeze and cloudy skies didn ’ t deter hundreds of families , friends and couples from descending on Huntington Beach early Sunday .
Couples lay on beach towels watching dozens of surfers ride the waves as others played on the beach .
A mother kept watch over young boys digging holes with a shovel near the shore , while several teenagers flopped on boogie boards .
Most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many donned hats , sunglasses and umbrellas but few wore protective masks .
Eva Sanchez , in a red polka dot swimsuit , sat on a beach towel looking out at the ocean with husband Jorge , 21 , and their 7-month-old baby Mateo .
They kept their distance from other beachgoers .
“ I wanted to get out of the house for a little bit , bring [ Mateo ] to the beach because I bought him his clothes , ” said Sanchez , 20 , laughing .
The Azusa resident wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
She and her family were well stocked with hand sanitizer and were avoiding touching things unnecessarily .
“ I believe I ’ m taking my precautions , practicing social distancing , constantly washing our hands , ” she said .
“ So I ’ m not that scared.
” Asked if she was concerned about others not abiding by social distancing orders , she said : “ As long as it doesn ’ t interfere with me , I feel like that ’ s completely up to them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spokeswoman for the Huntington Beach Police Department , said no one was cited for violating social-distancing guidelines Saturday .
Christopher Sumners , 31 , drove to Huntington Beach from Corona on Sunday morning with several friends to relax and enjoy a day in the sun , he said , looking up at the cloudy skies .
“ And freedom , also , ” he said laughing , echoing his friend ’ s remark .
He and five friends lay on several beach towels and chatted , unconcerned by the threat of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better chances of winning the lottery or getting hit by a car than getting coronavirus , ” said Sumners .
“ Wash your hands like you were taught when you were a child and I think you ’ re fine , ” he said , adding that as long as people aren ’ t in enclosed crowded spaces , the chances of contracting the virus are slim .
Still , he believes the severity of the virus “ was blown out of proportion from the beginning.
” “ Whatever is going to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think it ’ s going to escalate any more than it already has , ” he said .
“ I mean , if you ’ re elderly or have prior health conditions I think you should stay inside , you should take the precautions , but if not , then I can ’ t see anybody stop living their lives for it.
” Sebastian Alcaraz was preparing in Newport Beach on Friday afternoon , as he has continued to do during the pandemic .
The 17-year-old from Long Beach said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January and lost his senses of taste and smell .
He now believes he was infected with the coronavirus .
Alcaraz ’ s friend , Natalie Peart of Huntington Beach , 23 , said she felt safe going to the beach .
“ We ’ re in California ; we ’ re the most chill people , ” Peart said .
“ Everyone ’ s social .
Nobody wants to give that up , you know ?
… People are going out because we ’ ve been quarantined for a month , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to be inside.
” Heather Rangel , press information officer for the Newport Beach Police Department , said Saturday that there had been no arrests or citations related to the stay-at-home orders .
Orange County health officials on Sunday reported 105 additional cases of the coronavirus and one new death for a total of 2,074 cases and 39 deaths .
Beaches have been a point of political debate in the coronavirus crisis .
Some surfers and others say they don ’ t see the danger of being allowed back in the water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials and in online polls .
“ There is no logical or defensible reason to disallow access to the ocean , provided we maintain responsible spacing , which is essentially guaranteed by Mother Nature , ” wrote Andrew Mactavish , one of more than 4,100 people to sign a Change.org petition to reopen Manhattan Beach .
“ This is a ridiculous publicity stunt on the part of paranoid and apparently ignorant public officials.
” Justis Brown , another petition signatory , added : “ Surfing is not a crime.
” Many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wealthiest communities proposed allowing locals , alone , to have access to the shore .
Terry Tamminen , who was Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger ’ s secretary for environmental protection when the state was preparing for the bird flu epidemic , cautioned against reopening beaches before health officials “ understand fully the extent of the infections and have adequately prepared hospital infrastructure for any future ‘ waves.
’ ” “ It seems like SoCal has managed much better than NYC or other places whose systems and health workers were totally overwhelmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can conclude that our infrastructure is in decent shape for whatever is next , ” he said in an email .
“ But giving first responders a chance to catch their breath ( literally and figuratively ) is equally essential — so reopening places where the disease could spread again before we get a meaningful ‘ break ’ wouldn ’ t be the best idea.
” It remains unclear when the state will ease the stay-at-home rules , which closed all but essential businesses and limited trips to such tasks as shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not cover beaches , so it is up to local authorities to determine when they can open .
Schaffner , the infectious disease specialist , said that as beaches open , what ’ s important is that people are given clear and detailed guidelines for how to behave .
“ You ought to have some subsidiary instructions , ” he said .
“ Don ’ t mingle in the parking lots .
Do you have to wear the mask when you ’ re on the beach ?
” He said that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people know what activities are and aren ’ t allowed .
“ You have to get down to the grains of sand and tell people what they ’ re expected to do , ” he said .
The coronavirus crisis has not hit all of California equally .
The virus has slammed Los Angeles County and Silicon Valley harder than some rural areas .
On Sunday , L.A. County reported 18 additional COVID-19 deaths and 440 new cases of the coronavirus .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the county ’ s total to 915 deaths and 19,538 cases .
The number of deaths in L.A. County doubled over the last week to nearly 900 .
That has prompted health officials to urge residents to stay home whenever possible .
“ We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying .
We know it ’ s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home , or stay outside [ in ] your own yard or your own neighborhood , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said last week .
Meanwhile , an autopsy report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle has shed new light on the earliest U.S. death attributed to COVID-19 .
Patricia Dowd , 57 , of San Jose , died Feb. 6 after suffering flu-like symptoms .
An autopsy revealed that she suffered a heart attack that caused her heart to rupture , and signs of infection were also found in her trachea , lungs and intestines , according to the Chronicle .
Dowd ’ s death was not confirmed to be related to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County officials told her family that she had tested positive .
County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the Feb. 6 death and two others in the county found to be linked to COVID-19 — one Feb. 17 and another March 6 — were evidence that the coronavirus arrived in the Bay Area far earlier than expected and spread .
Previously , the first documented fatality was outside Seattle on Feb. 29 .
“ As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county , we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Amid the shifting timeline of the virus ’ spread , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said last week that most of the six milestones he set to consider loosening the stay-home order he issued last month had not been met .
The only change the governor has made is to to again be scheduled in hospitals , citing sufficient capacity .
“ It will be those indicators that drive our decision-making , ” he said Thursday .
“ Not dates .
We don ’ t debate dates .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six milestones include the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases ; prevent infection of high-risk people ; prepare hospitals to handle surges ; develop therapies to meet demand ; ensure schools , businesses and child-care facilities can support social distancing ; and develop guidelines for when to ask Californians to stay home again if necessary .
On Friday , Newsom said , “ We will consider local conditions ” when deciding when to ease the rules .
“ We will consider those things not only from the perspective of the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perspective of the number of deaths and trend lines , but also in terms of our broader capacity .
”

Alex Wigglesworth, Dorany Pineda, Doug Smith, Kevin Baxter

In Huntington Beach, thousands of beachgoers seek relief from the heat on the shoreline April 25.
When Florida residents were allowed to start going to the beach again last weekend, photos of the crowds went viral along with the hashtag #FloridaMorons.
This weekend, amid the year’s first heat wave, thousands converged on some California beaches to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and to get a break from weeks of isolation at home.
There was some debate about the size of the crowds and the degree to which those who went to the beach were able to maintain social distance.
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But images from places including Huntington Beach also went viral and raised questions about whether allowing the beaches to reopen could set back California’s progress in slowing the spread of coronavirus. It also is testing the exhortations of health officials, who urge staying at home as the best path to flattening the coronavirus curve and restarting the economy.
California was the first state in the nation to adopt a stay-at-home order, and experts say that swift action has prevented a greater death toll, like those of New York and New Jersey. Gov. Gavin Newsom urged residents to avoid beaches and other public gathering places, expressing fear it could cause more people to get sick.
Some communities, including Los Angeles County and many parts of the Bay Area, have kept beaches closed. On Saturday, L.A. beaches remained largely empty.
“My compliments to our community for staying away from the beaches in LA,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Saturday on Twitter. “From Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, to Dockweiler - All Clear!!”
“We won’t let one weekend undo a month of progress,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday. “While the sunshine is tempting, we’re staying home to save lives.”
We won’t let one weekend undo a month of progress.
While the sunshine is tempting, we’re staying home to save lives.
The places we love — our beaches, hiking trails — will still be there when this is over.
And by staying home, we’re making sure our loved ones will be too. — MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 26, 2020
Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, sees no absolute rule of thumb in terms of the right time to open beaches. He’s more concerned with how it is done.
“Reopening, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder,” Schaffner said. “We have to be clear here. We have to reopen. We can’t stay at home and outlast the coronavirus until we get an effective vaccine.”
Getting to the beach may be more problematic than how people behave on the beach, he said.
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“I know that on the East Coast some of the difficulties they’ve had is not the beach itself so much,” he said. “It’s the parking lots where things get very crowded and there is a tendency for friends to gather and talk. And, of course, you violate the six-foot rule.”
Communities in the Bay Area have cracked down on those who violate the rules. Last week in San Mateo County, officials ordered 275 people off Linda Mar Beach and threatened arrests and citations if people continued to violate the order.
Polls have found wide support for the stay-at-home order among Californians. Among those polled for a recent California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey, 75% wanted the order to continue as long as needed. Only 11% wanted to stop the stay-at-home order, while 13% had no opinion.
L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said in a statement that the “unprecedented” efforts to keep people inside and away from others were working, leading to a manageable growth in coronavirus cases.
“But just as we absolutely can’t stop taking a course of antibiotics just because we feel better, where this virus is concerned, we really have to keep doing the right things,” she said. “Cases are still on the rise, and this was California’s deadliest week since the start of this pandemic.”
Yet amid the heat wave, the ocean beckoned to many. Authorities kept a number of beach parking lots closed and were out in force trying to impose social-distancing rules.
One sunbather from the San Fernando Valley, who declined to give her name, said she drove to Ventura County to do what Southern Californians often do when the mercury rises.
“It’s hot,” the Canoga Park resident said. “It’s the go-to thing to do if you live in California.”
Although few people — including the lifeguard and police officers — wore masks, most observed social-distancing rules, reminded to stay six feet apart by a flashing road sign outside Santa Buenaventura State Beach.
At the north end of the beach, several dozen surfers fought their way atop 3- to 4-foot swells. By midafternoon, with the beach largely emptied, Robin Hoag and Paige Leichtnam made their way over from their nearby home.
They have been hiking county trails and riding their bikes to work since their favorite beach was closed last month, but they waited for the visitors from L.A. County, where beaches are still closed , to leave before coming back Saturday to play paddle ball.
“It’s pretty laid-back now,” Hoag said. “People will go wherever it’s open.”
Ashley Bautista, public information officer for Ventura County, said there was a law enforcement presence at all of the county’s beaches, and officers were informing visitors that they were only supposed to walk, run, swim or surf. Beachgoers were complying, and beaches were not packed, she said.
“We appreciate that our community members are making these sacrifices,” she said, “and that local law enforcement is focused on education for compliance.”
People crowd the bike path around the Huntington Beach pier April 25. Many donned hats, sunglasses and umbrellas, and some brought hand sanitizer, but few wore protective masks. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In Orange County, a chilly breeze and cloudy skies didn’t deter hundreds of families, friends and couples from descending on Huntington Beach early Sunday.
Couples lay on beach towels watching dozens of surfers ride the waves as others played on the beach. A mother kept watch over young boys digging holes with a shovel near the shore, while several teenagers flopped on boogie boards.
Most people kept a safe distance from others. Many donned hats, sunglasses and umbrellas but few wore protective masks.
Eva Sanchez, in a red polka dot swimsuit, sat on a beach towel looking out at the ocean with husband Jorge, 21, and their 7-month-old baby Mateo. They kept their distance from other beachgoers.
“I wanted to get out of the house for a little bit, bring [Mateo] to the beach because I bought him his clothes,” said Sanchez, 20, laughing.
The Azusa resident wasn’t too concerned about the spread of the virus. She and her family were well stocked with hand sanitizer and were avoiding touching things unnecessarily.
“I believe I’m taking my precautions, practicing social distancing, constantly washing our hands,” she said. “So I’m not that scared.”
Asked if she was concerned about others not abiding by social distancing orders, she said: “As long as it doesn’t interfere with me, I feel like that’s completely up to them and how they view COVID-19.”
Angie Bennett, spokeswoman for the Huntington Beach Police Department, said no one was cited for violating social-distancing guidelines Saturday.
Christopher Sumners, 31, drove to Huntington Beach from Corona on Sunday morning with several friends to relax and enjoy a day in the sun, he said, looking up at the cloudy skies. “And freedom, also,” he said laughing, echoing his friend’s remark.
He and five friends lay on several beach towels and chatted, unconcerned by the threat of the coronavirus.
“I think you have better chances of winning the lottery or getting hit by a car than getting coronavirus,” said Sumners. “Wash your hands like you were taught when you were a child and I think you’re fine,” he said, adding that as long as people aren’t in enclosed crowded spaces, the chances of contracting the virus are slim.
Still, he believes the severity of the virus “was blown out of proportion from the beginning.”
“Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I don’t think it’s going to escalate any more than it already has,” he said. “I mean, if you’re elderly or have prior health conditions I think you should stay inside, you should take the precautions, but if not, then I can’t see anybody stop living their lives for it.”
Sebastian Alcaraz was preparing to surf at 11th Street in Newport Beach on Friday afternoon, as he has continued to do during the pandemic.
The 17-year-old from Long Beach said he was sick for about a week in January and lost his senses of taste and smell. He now believes he was infected with the coronavirus.
Alcaraz’s friend, Natalie Peart of Huntington Beach, 23, said she felt safe going to the beach.
“We’re in California; we’re the most chill people,” Peart said. “Everyone’s social. Nobody wants to give that up, you know? … People are going out because we’ve been quarantined for a month, and now it’s hot. Nobody wants to be inside.”
Heather Rangel, press information officer for the Newport Beach Police Department, said Saturday that there had been no arrests or citations related to the stay-at-home orders.
Orange County health officials on Sunday reported 105 additional cases of the coronavirus and one new death for a total of 2,074 cases and 39 deaths.
Beaches have been a point of political debate in the coronavirus crisis. Some surfers and others say they don’t see the danger of being allowed back in the water and have been pressing their case to officials and in online polls.
“There is no logical or defensible reason to disallow access to the ocean, provided we maintain responsible spacing, which is essentially guaranteed by Mother Nature,” wrote Andrew Mactavish, one of more than 4,100 people to sign a Change.org petition to reopen Manhattan Beach. “This is a ridiculous publicity stunt on the part of paranoid and apparently ignorant public officials.”
Justis Brown, another petition signatory, added: “Surfing is not a crime.” Many of those signing the petition in one of L.A.’s wealthiest communities proposed allowing locals, alone, to have access to the shore.
Terry Tamminen, who was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s secretary for environmental protection when the state was preparing for the bird flu epidemic, cautioned against reopening beaches before health officials “understand fully the extent of the infections and have adequately prepared hospital infrastructure for any future ‘waves.’”
“It seems like SoCal has managed much better than NYC or other places whose systems and health workers were totally overwhelmed by the pandemic, so at least we can conclude that our infrastructure is in decent shape for whatever is next,” he said in an email.
“But giving first responders a chance to catch their breath (literally and figuratively) is equally essential — so reopening places where the disease could spread again before we get a meaningful ‘break’ wouldn’t be the best idea.”
It remains unclear when the state will ease the stay-at-home rules, which closed all but essential businesses and limited trips to such tasks as shopping and medical appointments. The order did not cover beaches, so it is up to local authorities to determine when they can open.
Schaffner, the infectious disease specialist, said that as beaches open, what’s important is that people are given clear and detailed guidelines for how to behave.
“You ought to have some subsidiary instructions,” he said. “Don’t mingle in the parking lots. Do you have to wear the mask when you’re on the beach?”
He said that it’s crucial to be specific in letting people know what activities are and aren’t allowed.
“You have to get down to the grains of sand and tell people what they’re expected to do,” he said.
The coronavirus crisis has not hit all of California equally. The virus has slammed Los Angeles County and Silicon Valley harder than some rural areas.
On Sunday, L.A. County reported 18 additional COVID-19 deaths and 440 new cases of the coronavirus. Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported two new deaths and ten additional cases, bringing the county’s total to 915 deaths and 19,538 cases.
The number of deaths in L.A. County doubled over the last week to nearly 900. That has prompted health officials to urge residents to stay home whenever possible.
“We have high rates of illness and a lot of people in our county who are dying. We know it’s best right now for us Angelenos to stay home, or stay outside [in] your own yard or your own neighborhood,” Los Angeles County health director Barbara Ferrer said last week.
Meanwhile, an autopsy report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle has shed new light on the earliest U.S. death attributed to COVID-19.
Patricia Dowd, 57, of San Jose, died Feb. 6 after suffering flu-like symptoms. An autopsy revealed that she suffered a heart attack that caused her heart to rupture, and signs of infection were also found in her trachea, lungs and intestines, according to the Chronicle.
Dowd’s death was not confirmed to be related to COVID-19 until last week, when Santa Clara County officials told her family that she had tested positive.
County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the Feb. 6 death and two others in the county found to be linked to COVID-19 — one Feb. 17 and another March 6 — were evidence that the coronavirus arrived in the Bay Area far earlier than expected and spread. Previously, the first documented fatality was outside Seattle on Feb. 29.
“As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county, we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified,” the county said in a statement.
Amid the shifting timeline of the virus’ spread, Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that most of the six milestones he set to consider loosening the stay-home order he issued last month had not been met. The only change the governor has made is to allow some elective surgeries to again be scheduled in hospitals, citing sufficient capacity.
“It will be those indicators that drive our decision-making,” he said Thursday. “Not dates. We don’t debate dates. We look at the facts objectively.”
The six milestones include the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases; prevent infection of high-risk people; prepare hospitals to handle surges; develop therapies to meet demand; ensure schools, businesses and child-care facilities can support social distancing; and develop guidelines for when to ask Californians to stay home again if necessary.
On Friday, Newsom said, “We will consider local conditions” when deciding when to ease the rules. “We will consider those things not only from the perspective of the spread of the virus, not only from the perspective of the number of deaths and trend lines, but also in terms of our broader capacity.”