latimes--2020-07-14--LAPD officer accuses top Garcetti advisor of sexual harassment

A Los Angeles police officer who served as a bodyguard for Mayor Eric Garcetti for seven years has sued the city , alleging that he was sexually harassed repeatedly by one of the mayor ’ s top advisors and that Garcetti witnessed some of the inappropriate behavior but did not stop it .
LAPD Officer Matthew Garza , who worked on the mayor ’ s security detail , alleged that longtime Garcetti consultant Rick Jacobs made crude sexual comments and touched him inappropriately over several years .
The harassment took place on trips Garcetti took to Arizona , New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an emailed statement , Jacobs said , “ This lawsuit is a work of pure fiction , and is out of left field .
Officer Garza and I worked together for many years without incident .
I will vigorously defend myself , my character and my reputation.
” Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said , “ the mayor has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and unequivocally did not witness the behavior that Officer Garza alleges.
” Garza , a sworn LAPD officer since 1997 , began working on Garcetti ’ s security detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit , filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court .
The lawsuit alleges sex/gender harassment and the existence of a hostile work environment in violation of the California Fair Housing and Employment Act .
The harassment began around 2014 and continued until October 2019 , except for a period beginning in mid-2016 when Jacobs was absent for unknown reasons , the lawsuit alleges .
Garza alleged that Jacobs would extend his hand for a purported handshake , but then pull Garza towards him to give a “ long , tight hug , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me my strong LAPD officers ” or some other “ inappropriate comment , ” according to the suit .
Jacobs also repeatedly talked about his young gay lover , his lover ’ s penis and having “ rough sex ” with his gay partners , according to the lawsuit .
The lawsuit also alleges that “ Garcetti was present on approximately half of the occasions when Jacobs behaved in this way , and witnessed Jacobs ’ conduct , but he took no action to correct Jacobs ’ obviously harassing behavior.
” “ On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Jacobs ’ crude comments , ” the lawsuit said .
Garza ’ s lawsuit says he traveled with the mayor ’ s team to Phoenix in March 2016 for a fundraiser .
At one point , Garza entered a hotel bar where he spotted Jacobs , who motioned for Garza to come over and “ sit on his lap , ” according to the lawsuit .
In May 2018 , Garza accompanied Jacobs and Garcetti to New Hampshire so the mayor could give a college commencement address , and as Garza was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions massaged Garza ’ s shoulders from the backseat .
Garcetti sat next to Jacobs , but didn ’ t stop the unwanted advances , the lawsuit alleged .
And on an October 2018 trip to Mississippi , the group stopped at a gas station .
Jacobs pointed to some Magnum brand condoms and asked Garza if he wears Magnum large condoms , according to the lawsuit .
The lawsuit also alleges that on “ over a dozen occasions , both while Jacobs was employed by the city and after he left city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office apologized to [ Garza ] for Jacobs ’ harassing conduct.
” “ Nevertheless , the mayor ’ s office never took any action to stop Jacobs ’ harassment of [ Garza ] , ” the lawsuit states .
Garza refused to return to the mayor ’ s security detail last month because of Jacobs ’ behavior , the lawsuit says .
He lost wages and other benefits because he was no longer working the higher-paying assignment , his suit claims .
Jacobs raised millions of dollars in support of Garcetti ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a top post in the mayor ’ s office before stepping down in 2016 .
He works on several Garcetti-backed initiatives , including the Mayor ’ s Fund for Los Angeles , a nonprofit .
The head of a Los Angeles County business organization accused Jacobs last year of threatening her group if its members opposed a tax measure supported by the mayor .
Jacobs denied making the threat .
For his part , Garcetti has sought to position himself as a leader in combating sexual harassment at City Hall .
Amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Garcetti ordered new reporting protocols , unveiled a city website for employees to lodge allegations and hosted a panel at the mayor ’ s official residence on sexual harassment and assault .
When asked at the time if his office had dealt with harassment allegations by employees , Garcetti indicated he didn ’ t know of any incidents .

Dakota Smith, Matt Hamilton, Richard Winton

Rick Jacobs, center, shown in 2016, was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a Los Angeles police officer against the city of L.A.
A Los Angeles police officer who served as a bodyguard for Mayor Eric Garcetti for seven years has sued the city, alleging that he was sexually harassed repeatedly by one of the mayor’s top advisors and that Garcetti witnessed some of the inappropriate behavior but did not stop it.
LAPD Officer Matthew Garza, who worked on the mayor’s security detail, alleged that longtime Garcetti consultant Rick Jacobs made crude sexual comments and touched him inappropriately over several years. The harassment took place on trips Garcetti took to Arizona, New Hampshire and elsewhere, the suit alleges.
In an emailed statement, Jacobs said, “This lawsuit is a work of pure fiction, and is out of left field. Officer Garza and I worked together for many years without incident. I will vigorously defend myself, my character and my reputation.”
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Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said, “the mayor has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and unequivocally did not witness the behavior that Officer Garza alleges.”
Garza, a sworn LAPD officer since 1997, began working on Garcetti’s security detail in October 2013, according to the lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges sex/gender harassment and the existence of a hostile work environment in violation of the California Fair Housing and Employment Act.
The harassment began around 2014 and continued until October 2019, except for a period beginning in mid-2016 when Jacobs was absent for unknown reasons, the lawsuit alleges.
Garza alleged that Jacobs would extend his hand for a purported handshake, but then pull Garza towards him to give a “long, tight hug,” while simultaneously saying, “I love me my strong LAPD officers” or some other “inappropriate comment,” according to the suit.
Jacobs also repeatedly talked about his young gay lover, his lover’s penis and having “rough sex” with his gay partners, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that “Garcetti was present on approximately half of the occasions when Jacobs behaved in this way, and witnessed Jacobs’ conduct, but he took no action to correct Jacobs’ obviously harassing behavior.”
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“On some occasions, the mayor would laugh at Jacobs’ crude comments,” the lawsuit said.
Garza’s lawsuit says he traveled with the mayor’s team to Phoenix in March 2016 for a fundraiser. At one point, Garza entered a hotel bar where he spotted Jacobs, who motioned for Garza to come over and “sit on his lap,” according to the lawsuit.
In May 2018, Garza accompanied Jacobs and Garcetti to New Hampshire so the mayor could give a college commencement address, and as Garza was driving the group, Jacobs on several occasions massaged Garza’s shoulders from the backseat. Garcetti sat next to Jacobs, but didn’t stop the unwanted advances, the lawsuit alleged.
And on an October 2018 trip to Mississippi, the group stopped at a gas station. Jacobs pointed to some Magnum brand condoms and asked Garza if he wears Magnum large condoms, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that on “over a dozen occasions, both while Jacobs was employed by the city and after he left city employment, staffers in Mayor Garcetti’s office apologized to [Garza] for Jacobs’ harassing conduct.”
“Nevertheless, the mayor’s office never took any action to stop Jacobs’ harassment of [Garza],” the lawsuit states.
Garza refused to return to the mayor’s security detail last month because of Jacobs’ behavior, the lawsuit says. He lost wages and other benefits because he was no longer working the higher-paying assignment, his suit claims.
Jacobs raised millions of dollars in support of Garcetti’s 2013 mayoral campaign and was later given a top post in the mayor’s office before stepping down in 2016. He works on several Garcetti-backed initiatives, including the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, a nonprofit.
The head of a Los Angeles County business organization accused Jacobs last year of threatening her group if its members opposed a tax measure supported by the mayor. Jacobs denied making the threat.
For his part, Garcetti has sought to position himself as a leader in combating sexual harassment at City Hall. Amid the national #MeToo movement in 2017, Garcetti ordered new reporting protocols, unveiled a city website for employees to lodge allegations and hosted a panel at the mayor’s official residence on sexual harassment and assault.
When asked at the time if his office had dealt with harassment allegations by employees, Garcetti indicated he didn’t know of any incidents.


latimes--2020-07-14--Trump says L.A. schools are making a 'mistake' by delaying reopening due to coronavirus

President Trump called the decision by Los Angeles schools to not reopen campuses next month a “ mistake ” during a CBS News interview on Tuesday .
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt .
Austin Beutner announced Monday that the nation ’ s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice because of the worsening coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles .
A growing number of school districts , including San Diego and some in the Bay Area , are following suit , saying conditions are simply not safe enough .
The Long Beach Unified School District announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying it “ will remain entirely online , at least through Oct. 5 , due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases in Southern California.
” Asked during the CBS interview to elaborate , Trump added : “ I would tell parents and teachers that you should find yourself a new person , whoever ’ s in charge of that decision.
” The president has been pressing schools and universities to reopen despite growing concerns from health officials that it is not safe to do so .
Beutner said Monday the LAUSD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and safety of some half a million K-12 students and 75,000 employees .
“ Let me be crystal clear , ” Beutner said in an interview with The Times .
“ We all know the best place for students to learn is in a school setting.
” But , he said , “ we ’ re going in the wrong direction .
And as much as we want to be back at schools and have students back at schools — can ’ t do it until it ’ s safe and appropriate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , state and federal officials to provide leadership and funding for regular and contact tracing , and said school districts need clearer guidance on when and how to reopen .
Beutner estimated it would cost $ 300 a year per student to test all students and staff members once a week .
“ The dollars pale in comparison to the importance schools will play in reopening what was the fifth-largest economy in the world , ” he said .
The decision pitted two imperatives against each other : the need to reduce health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to classrooms — where , experts say , they learn more effectively , while allowing their parents to resume a more routine work schedule , helping to boost a state economy in deep recession .

A gate in front of Hamilton High School on Robertson Boulevard. Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Austin Beutner has announced that schools will not reopen for classes next month amid the worsening coronavirus outbreak.
President Trump called the decision by Los Angeles schools to not reopen campuses next month a “mistake” during a CBS News interview on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday that the nation’s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice because of the worsening coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles.
A growing number of school districts, including those in San Diego and Long Beach and some in Northern California, are following suit. Long Beach Unified announced Tuesday that it “will remain entirely online, at least through Oct. 5.”
Trump has been pressing schools and universities to reopen despite concerns from some health officials that it is not safe to do so.
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Asked during the CBS interview to elaborate on his criticism of Beutner’s decision, the president added: “I would tell parents and teachers that you should find yourself a new person, whoever’s in charge of that decision.”
School systems across the country have had to balance the need to reduce health risks against the importance of returning students to classrooms — where, experts say, they learn more effectively while allowing their parents to resume a more routine work schedule, helping to boost a state economy in deep recession.
Beutner said Monday that the LAUSD could not come close to protecting the health and safety of about half a million K-12 students and 75,000 employees.
“Let me be crystal clear,” Beutner said in an interview with The Times. “We all know the best place for students to learn is in a school setting.” But, he said, “we’re going in the wrong direction. And as much as we want to be back at schools and have students back at schools — can’t do it until it’s safe and appropriate.”
The superintendent pointedly called for county, state and federal officials to provide leadership and funding for regular coronavirus testing and contact tracing and said school districts need clearer guidance on when and how to reopen.
At the same time, Beutner declined to get into a war of words with Trump.
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Beutner has tried to develop a channel of communication into the administration as part of district lobbying efforts. He personally knows Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, whose family foundation has contributed $75,000 over the last two years to Vision To Learn, the nonprofit Beutner founded before he became superintendent. The organization provides free glasses to low-income students. DeVos has supported the nationwide charity’s work in Grand Rapids, Mich., her home state.
Soon after campuses closed in mid-March, Beutner called DeVos, urging her help in obtaining federal reimbursement for L.A. Unified’s distribution of meals to needy households, regardless of whether adults or students were being helped.
So far, Beutner’s efforts to secure full funding for meal distribution have met with little progress — either from federal, state or local sources, Beutner said in an interview with The Times on Sunday.
When it comes to reopening, DeVos has sided with Trump, urging schools to return to a normal schedule.
Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond praised Beutner on Monday.
“I think he made a great decision,” Thurmond said. “L.A. County has a high number of cases. They took that into consideration, and I think they made a decision that’s in the best interests of protecting their students.”
“It’s a decision that — if conditions should change — that they can always walk back from,” he added.


latimes--2020-07-14--California sets new priorities for who is tested for coronavirus as demand surges

State officials adopted new guidelines Tuesday outlining who should be prioritized for COVID-19 testing in California as cases surged and counties reported delayed lab results .
The new rules mark a move away from the Newsom administration ‘ s plans for anyone , including those without symptoms , to be tested for the virus in California .
The guidelines instead adopt tiers that prioritize the testing of hospitalized patients with coronavirus symptoms , other symptomatic people , and then higher-risk asymptomatic individuals , according to state health officials .
“ Today ’ s testing guidelines ... set priorities — Tier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look to really focus our initial testing on people who have symptoms , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state ’ s secretary of Health and Human Services , during a briefing on Tuesday .
Through such testing , he said , “ we can make really important efforts in suppressing disease transmission.
” The change comes as California reports more than 330,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases , as well as increases in hospitalizations and the rate of positive tests over the last two weeks .
Some counties are reporting bottlenecks at testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a shortage of supplies as more people seek tests .
The new state testing guidelines are : • Testing by state and local health officials to investigate and manage outbreaks • Close contacts of those who test positive for the virus • People with no symptoms who live or work in high-risk settings ; those who work in high-risk settings and have frequent exposure to the public or to other people who may have the virus , such as at skilled nursing homes , in residential care facilities for the elderly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in healthcare offices and in emergency services • Hospital patients who need to be tested before hospital admission or a medical operation , or upon discharge to another care facility • Workers who have frequent interactions with the public or can not maintain six feet of distance from others , including those in retail , manufacturing , food service , agriculture , food manufacturing , public transportation , education and child care .
• Asymptomatic people who are not included in the earlier tiers “ but believe they have a risk for being @ @ @

A CORE worker checks the registration of a driver who was getting tested for COVID-19 at the Hansen Dam Recreation Center test site in Sylmar.
State officials adopted new guidelines Tuesday outlining who should be prioritized for COVID-19 testing in California as cases surged and counties reported delayed lab results.
The new rules mark a move away from the Newsom administration‘s plans for anyone, including those without symptoms, to be tested for the virus in California. The guidelines instead adopt tiers that prioritize the testing of hospitalized patients with coronavirus symptoms, other symptomatic people, and then higher-risk asymptomatic individuals, according to state health officials.
“Today’s testing guidelines ... set priorities — Tier 1 and Tier 2 priorities — that look to really focus our initial testing on people who have symptoms,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of Health and Human Services, during a briefing on Tuesday. Through such testing, he said, “we can make really important efforts in suppressing disease transmission.”
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The change comes as California reports more than 330,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as increases in hospitalizations and the rate of positive tests over the last two weeks. Some counties are reporting bottlenecks at testing labs that have resulted in delayed results or a shortage of supplies as more people seek tests.
The new state testing guidelines are:
Tier 1:
Hospital patients with COVID-19 symptoms
Testing by state and local health officials to investigate and manage outbreaks
Close contacts of those who test positive for the virus
Tier 2:
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms
People with no symptoms who live or work in high-risk settings; those who work in high-risk settings and have frequent exposure to the public or to other people who may have the virus, such as at skilled nursing homes, in residential care facilities for the elderly, at homeless shelters and correctional facilities, in healthcare offices and in emergency services
Hospital patients who need to be tested before hospital admission or a medical operation, or upon discharge to another care facility
Tier 3:
Workers who have frequent interactions with the public or cannot maintain six feet of distance from others, including those in retail, manufacturing, food service, agriculture, food manufacturing, public transportation, education and child care.
Tier 4:


latimes--2020-07-14--Naya Rivera death was an accidental drowning, medical examiner rules

The Ventura County medical examiner on Tuesday determined the cause of death of “ Glee ” star Naya Rivera , whose body was found Monday in Lake Piru , was an accidental drowning .
Rivera disappeared Wednesday during a boat outing with her young son .
Authorities have long believed her death was an accident .
“ Based on the location where the body was found , the physical characteristics of the body , the clothing found on the body and the physical condition of the body , as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body we found is that of Naya Rivera , ” Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a Monday afternoon news conference .
Detectives have found no indication of foul play or that Rivera ’ s death was a suicide , he said .
The body was taken to the Ventura County medical examiner ’ s office , where an autopsy was performed and a positive identification was officially made using dental records , officials said .
Officials found no signs of physical injury or disease during their examination .
Investigators say there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were involved in Rivera ’ s death , but they did submit samples for toxicology tests .
Search teams found Rivera ’ s body about 9:10 a.m. floating in the northeastern portion of the lake , said Capt .
Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Department .
The area had been searched extensively by dive crews and with sonar equipment over the last several days .
“ That particular area , when it was searched by divers , they were literally crawling on hands and knees at the bottom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make their way back out because visibility is so poor , ” Buschow said .
“ That gives you kind of an idea of what the conditions were like.
” Rivera ’ s body was probably submerged for days , concealed by the 15- to 20-foot-high trees and brush that grow on the bed of the lake , before surfacing Monday , he said .

The Ventura County medical examiner on Tuesday determined the cause of death of “Glee” star Naya Rivera, whose body was found Monday in Lake Piru, was an accidental drowning.
Rivera disappeared Wednesday during a boat outing with her young son. Authorities have long believed her death was an accident.
“Based on the location where the body was found, the physical characteristics of the body, the clothing found on the body and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area, we are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera,” Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a Monday afternoon news conference.
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1 / 8 Cast members from the TV show “Glee” and friends of Naya Rivera gathered Monday morning at Lake Piru. The 33-year-old actress rented a pontoon boat Wednesday and had been swimming with her 4-year-old son, who was the last one to see her before she went missing. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 8 A Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue dive team located a body Monday morning in Lake Piru in the search for 33-year-old “Glee” actress Naya Rivera. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 8 Cast members from the TV show “Glee” and friends held hands and shouted “Say her name: Naya” as they gathered Monday at the Lake Piru boat launch. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 8 A pontoon boat rented by actress Naya Rivera is cordoned off with police tape Thursday at the marina at Lake Piru. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 8 Searchers in a Ventura County helicopter scanned the shoreline Thursday for missing actress Naya Rivera. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 8 The Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue dive team returned to the marina Monday morning after locating a body believed to be Naya Rivera. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 8 Boats return with rescuers on Lake Piru as it is learned that a Ventura County Sheriff’s dive team located a body. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 8 Friends and co-workers of Naya Rivera gathered at the lake Monday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Detectives have found no indication of foul play or that Rivera’s death was a suicide, he said.
The body was taken to the Ventura County medical examiner’s office, where an autopsy was performed and a positive identification was officially made using dental records, officials said. Officials found no signs of physical injury or disease during their examination. Investigators say there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved in Rivera’s death, but they did submit samples for toxicology tests.
Search teams found Rivera’s body about 9:10 a.m. floating in the northeastern portion of the lake, said Capt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. The area had been searched extensively by dive crews and with sonar equipment over the last several days.
California Body of actress Naya Rivera found in Lake Piru, officials say A body found in Lake Piru is that of actress Naya Rivera, who disappeared five days ago during a boat outing with her young son, authorities said Monday.
“That particular area, when it was searched by divers, they were literally crawling on hands and knees at the bottom of the lake attached by ropes so they could make their way back out because visibility is so poor,” Buschow said. “That gives you kind of an idea of what the conditions were like.”
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Rivera’s body was probably submerged for days, concealed by the 15- to 20-foot-high trees and brush that grow on the bed of the lake, before surfacing Monday, he said.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-14--Police shooting of 17-year-old girl was justified, Orange County prosecutors say

Orange County prosecutors will not file charges against a Fullerton police officer who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl last year .
The decision by the Orange County district attorney ’ s office , detailed in a 12-page letter dated June 22 and released publicly Tuesday , came after a legal review determined that the actions of the officer , Scott Flynn , “ were objectively necessary , reasonable and justified under the circumstances.
” “ Although the incident is deeply saddening , resulting in the death of a minor with mental illness , Officer Flynn did not commit a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avery Harrison wrote in the letter .
“ To the contrary , he carried out his duties as a peace officer in a reasonable and justifiable manner.
” The fatal July 5 , 2019 , shooting of the girl — whom family members previously identified as Hannah Williams — happened on the eastbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim after the car she was driving collided with Flynn ’ s marked police vehicle .
Leading up to the collision , Flynn — who was on duty as a K-9 officer and taking his injured dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time — had been monitoring the other vehicle , a gray Dodge SUV , because he said it was moving erratically at an unsafe speed .
Flynn ran a records check and determined the vehicle was a rental .
“ It was at this time Officer Flynn believed that the driver might be fleeing from the commission of a crime because , in his 11 years of police experience , suspects involved in criminal activity often use rented vehicles during the commission of their crimes , ” the district attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SUV acting so erratically , he felt this could possibly be one of those vehicles.
” At one point , the SUV slowed abruptly , forcing Flynn to brake and change lanes to avoid crashing into it , according to the district attorney ’ s letter .
Once he pulled back even with the SUV ’ s rear bumper , it made “ an abrupt right turn ” and collided with the front of his vehicle .
After the crash , Flynn got out of his vehicle and moved toward the rear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corner by the bumper , Flynn saw the driver “ walking toward him with her arms raised , holding what appeared to be a black semiautomatic firearm , in a shooting position with the barrel raised and pointed directly ” at him , according to the district attorney ’ s letter .
Flynn fired three shots — striking Williams twice .
She later died at a hospital .
A replica handgun was found at the scene , prosecutors said previously .
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Williams point what looked to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the district attorney ’ s letter .
Body camera footage released by the Police Department last year also appeared to show Williams walking toward the officer with her arms outstretched .
S. Lee Merritt , an attorney for the Williams family , previously told the Los Angeles Times that it appeared the girl was suffering a mental health crisis during the confrontation .
Her stepmother told authorities that Williams had attempted to run away several times and “ had tried to hurt herself , ” according to the D.A .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking antidepressants and seeing a psychiatrist , her stepmother said .
The letter documents a few specific episodes — including an April 29 , 2019 , incident in which Williams allegedly resisted a police officer after running away from a mental health treatment facility .
“ During the physical struggle , Minor Doe [ Williams ] grabbed the officer ’ s duty pistol and was able to pull it out of the officer ’ s gun belt , ” the letter states .
“ The officer , with the assistance of a civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Minor Doe ’ s hand and no shots were fired.
” Sgt .
Eric Bridges , a spokesman for the Fullerton Police Department , declined to comment on the district attorney ’ s determination Tuesday , saying “ the case is still pending litigation right now.
” Bridges could not provide additional details about the nature of that litigation , but Williams ’ family filed a legal claim against the city shortly after the shooting .
Merritt told The Times last year that the claim — a precursor to a lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sue for damages .
He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday .

Orange County prosecutors will not file charges against a Fullerton police officer who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl last year.
The decision by the Orange County district attorney’s office, detailed in a 12-page letter dated June 22 and released publicly Tuesday, came after a legal review determined that the actions of the officer, Scott Flynn, “were objectively necessary, reasonable and justified under the circumstances.”
“Although the incident is deeply saddening, resulting in the death of a minor with mental illness, Officer Flynn did not commit a crime,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Avery Harrison wrote in the letter. “To the contrary, he carried out his duties as a peace officer in a reasonable and justifiable manner.”
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The fatal July 5, 2019, shooting of the girl — whom family members previously identified as Hannah Williams — happened on the eastbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim after the car she was driving collided with Flynn’s marked police vehicle.
Leading up to the collision, Flynn — who was on duty as a K-9 officer and taking his injured dog to a veterinary clinic in Yorba Linda at the time — had been monitoring the other vehicle, a gray Dodge SUV, because he said it was moving erratically at an unsafe speed.
Flynn ran a records check and determined the vehicle was a rental.
“It was at this time Officer Flynn believed that the driver might be fleeing from the commission of a crime because, in his 11 years of police experience, suspects involved in criminal activity often use rented vehicles during the commission of their crimes,” the district attorney’s letter states. “Due to the SUV acting so erratically, he felt this could possibly be one of those vehicles.”
At one point, the SUV slowed abruptly, forcing Flynn to brake and change lanes to avoid crashing into it, according to the district attorney’s letter. Once he pulled back even with the SUV’s rear bumper, it made “an abrupt right turn” and collided with the front of his vehicle.
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After the crash, Flynn got out of his vehicle and moved toward the rear of the SUV. As he turned the corner by the bumper, Flynn saw the driver “walking toward him with her arms raised, holding what appeared to be a black semiautomatic firearm, in a shooting position with the barrel raised and pointed directly” at him, according to the district attorney’s letter.
Flynn fired three shots — striking Williams twice. She later died at a hospital.
A replica handgun was found at the scene, prosecutors said previously.
The replica handgun allegedly held by the shooting victim. (Orange County district attorney’s office)
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Williams point what looked to be a gun at Flynn prior to the shooting, according to the district attorney’s letter. Body camera footage released by the Police Department last year also appeared to show Williams walking toward the officer with her arms outstretched.
S. Lee Merritt, an attorney for the Williams family, previously told the Los Angeles Times that it appeared the girl was suffering a mental health crisis during the confrontation.
Her stepmother told authorities that Williams had attempted to run away several times and “had tried to hurt herself,” according to the D.A.’s letter. She also had been taking antidepressants and seeing a psychiatrist, her stepmother said.
The letter documents a few specific episodes — including an April 29, 2019, incident in which Williams allegedly resisted a police officer after running away from a mental health treatment facility.
“During the physical struggle, Minor Doe [Williams] grabbed the officer’s duty pistol and was able to pull it out of the officer’s gun belt,” the letter states. “The officer, with the assistance of a civilian, was able to wrestle the gun out of Minor Doe’s hand and no shots were fired.”
Sgt. Eric Bridges, a spokesman for the Fullerton Police Department, declined to comment on the district attorney’s determination Tuesday, saying “the case is still pending litigation right now.”
Bridges could not provide additional details about the nature of that litigation, but Williams’ family filed a legal claim against the city shortly after the shooting.
Merritt told The Times last year that the claim — a precursor to a lawsuit — preserved the family’s right to sue for damages.
He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-14--Task force snares $4 million and a slew of drug dealers visiting from out of state

After a series of undercover operations , an Inland Empire task force has cracked down on drug trafficking , seizing $ 4 million and arresting 51 people on narcotics-related charges , authorities said .
When the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of many businesses that drug traffickers used to conceal their transactions , some dealers came to Southern California with cash in hand , according to a news release from the California attorney general ’ s office .
“ The increase in narcotic proceeds seizures is believed to be , in part , due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it harder for drug trafficking organizations to transfer or launder narcotic proceeds through commonly used businesses that were forced to temporarily close due to the pandemic , ” the attorney general ’ s office said .
Prosecutors say trafficking has been mostly person to person since the pandemic forced the shutdown of the majority of businesses in the state .
Traffickers have come to the Golden State from as far away as Florida and Maine , authorities said .
In 17 operations over 60 days , the Inland Crackdown Alliance — a coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies — intercepted a “ significant increase in out-of-state major narcotics traffickers ” who came to California to obtain drugs intended for distribution elsewhere .
Officials reported a 300 % to 500 % spike in arrests .
The suspects hailed from Washington , Texas , Ohio , Minnesota , New York , New Jersey , Massachusetts and Georgia .
No drugs were seized during the operations , but Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra said the arrests should send a message to those involved in the narcotics trade .
“ Even during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to hold criminals accountable .
”

A task force seized $4 million and arrested 51 people on charges of money laundering associated with drug trafficking.
After a series of undercover operations, an Inland Empire task force has cracked down on drug trafficking, seizing $4 million and arresting 51 people on narcotics-related charges, authorities said.
When the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of many businesses that drug traffickers used to conceal their transactions, some dealers came to Southern California with cash in hand, according to a news release from the California attorney general’s office.
“The increase in narcotic proceeds seizures is believed to be, in part, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on businesses, which has made it harder for drug trafficking organizations to transfer or launder narcotic proceeds through commonly used businesses that were forced to temporarily close due to the pandemic,” the attorney general’s office said.
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Prosecutors say trafficking has been mostly person to person since the pandemic forced the shutdown of the majority of businesses in the state. Traffickers have come to the Golden State from as far away as Florida and Maine, authorities said.
In 17 operations over 60 days, the Inland Crackdown Alliance — a coalition of federal, state and local enforcement agencies — intercepted a “significant increase in out-of-state major narcotics traffickers” who came to California to obtain drugs intended for distribution elsewhere.
Officials reported a 300% to 500% spike in arrests. The suspects hailed from Washington, Texas, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Georgia.
No drugs were seized during the operations, but Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said the arrests should send a message to those involved in the narcotics trade.
“Even during the pandemic,” he said, “we will continue to hold criminals accountable.”


latimes--2020-07-14--The first great California artist photographed San Gabriel Mission 140 years ago

Around 1877 , Carleton Watkins loaded his mule-drawn wagon with a hefty glass-plate camera and bulky processing equipment and headed out from San Francisco .
He was a man with a plan .
The first artist of international stature to emerge in California , he intended to photograph the 21 Franciscan missions of Alta California , built a century before when the state was a remote province of New Spain .
He ended up shooting 17 , most represented with multiple views .
Among them was Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , an imposing edifice near the border with Alhambra and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns whose names underscore the region ’ s Spanish ancestry .
The mission , founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771 for the forced colonial indoctrination of the indigenous Tongva people into the Catholic faith , suffered incalculable damage in a devastating fire early Saturday .
The timber roof and sections of the interior were destroyed .
The cause of the blaze is as yet unknown .
Some suspect arson , given the nationwide reckoning over racial justice following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
More than one Serra statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus of recent protests .
Because security had been increased around the mission ’ s grounds in the last two weeks , others wonder about a building renovation project that was nearly complete .
Visions of catastrophe 15 months ago at Notre Dame de Paris came rushing back .
The landmark cathedral in the French capital suffered horrific damage when its centuries-old timber roof caught fire during restoration work .
The cause of that blaze is still unknown , with current speculation focused on sparks from an electrical short circuit or a workman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French President Emmanuel Macron did a sharp U-turn , announcing that the historic structure would not be crowned with a new , modern spire , as he had once proposed .
Instead , the 1859 version designed by French Gothic Revival architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc , familiar from millions of photographs , will be reproduced as closely as possible .
The ambitious Watkins project to photograph all the California missions was never finished .
( Henry Chapman Ford , a painter based in Santa Barbara , published a rather humdrum set of etchings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although not San Gabriel , were also the subject of Ford ’ s popular and widely reproduced watercolors and oils . )
The photographer ’ s travels up and down the state with cumbersome equipment on less than adequate roads was interrupted and the plan set aside .
But , when he picked it up again around 1880 , Mission San Gabriel was on the docket .
The photograph shown here is not among Watkins ’ best , but it is revealing .
Watkins placed his camera ’ s tripod in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human endeavor as the vantage point from which the mission is seen .
A low horizon fills just over half the image with flat , empty sky , underscoring the rural landscape ’ s spatial openness .
A long , tall , bulky , shed-like building is planted firmly in the middle distance .
The edge of the structure ’ s left rear-corner anchors it in the composition ’ s exact vertical center .
The artist has further framed the building between two upright , vertical forms .
Most prominent at the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which rises out of the same tilled soil in which the photographer stood .
To the right , midway between the palm and the building , a wooden pole of indeterminate purpose rises beside a long , rambling wooden fence .
Together they provide essential scale for the mission in an otherwise wide-open landscape .
The building ’ s relative enormity — a place of shelter in the vast natural world — is cleverly emphasized .
They possess other metaphorical meanings too .
The palm is a classic Christian symbol of immortality — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his etching of San Gabriel — the palm ’ s Middle Eastern ancestry tracing back through ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt .
Paired with the fence pole , they together speak of human industry within which the framed church resides .
Watkins ’ photograph asserts the essential virtue and reward of work , both for parish and parishioner — even as the backbreaking labors of the indigenous people who were likely responsible for the mission ’ s actual construction are erased .
The photograph is very much an interpretive document about the building of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ bold and elaborate 1877 project to record all the California Missions was launched in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. centennial , which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence .
The International Exhibition of Arts , Manufactures , and Products of the Soil and Mine — the nation ’ s first world ’ s fair-style extravaganza — had just been held in Philadelphia .
One in five Americans was said to have traveled to see it .
Watkins sent his now-famous photographs of Yosemite for display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medal .
The West Coast was as far from that East Coast spectacular and all its industrial razzle-dazzle as it was possible to be .
Spain , rather than Britain , France or Germany , occupied the West ’ s memory bank .
Wielding the newest , most forward-looking artist ’ s medium — a camera — rather than paints or etching plates , Watkins soon zeroed in on its centennial history .
Born and raised in upstate New York , he hadn ’ t moved west until he was nearly 20 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes .
Watkins ’ photograph of the century-old Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , like others in the series , inserts the past into the future .
California ’ s distinctive history gets squarely embedded into a progressive American story .

Around 1877, Carleton Watkins loaded his mule-drawn wagon with a hefty glass-plate camera and bulky processing equipment and headed out from San Francisco. He was a man with a plan.
The first artist of international stature to emerge in California, he intended to photograph the 21 Franciscan missions of Alta California, built a century before when the state was a remote province of New Spain. He ended up shooting 17, most represented with multiple views.
For the record: An earlier version of this column said the mission is in Alhambra. It is in San Gabriel.
Among them was Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, an imposing edifice near the border with Alhambra and east of Cal State Los Angeles — towns whose names underscore the region’s Spanish ancestry.
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The mission, founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771 for the forced colonial indoctrination of the indigenous Tongva people into the Catholic faith, suffered incalculable damage in a devastating fire early Saturday. The timber roof and sections of the interior were destroyed.
The cause of the blaze is as yet unknown. Some suspect arson, given the nationwide reckoning over racial justice following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. More than one Serra statue on the West Coast has been the focus of recent protests.
Because security had been increased around the mission’s grounds in the last two weeks, others wonder about a building renovation project that was nearly complete. Visions of catastrophe 15 months ago at Notre Dame de Paris came rushing back.
The landmark cathedral in the French capital suffered horrific damage when its centuries-old timber roof caught fire during restoration work. The cause of that blaze is still unknown, with current speculation focused on sparks from an electrical short circuit or a workman’s cigarette.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron did a sharp U-turn, announcing that the historic structure would not be crowned with a new, modern spire, as he had once proposed. Instead, the 1859 version designed by French Gothic Revival architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, familiar from millions of photographs, will be reproduced as closely as possible.
The ambitious Watkins project to photograph all the California missions was never finished. (Henry Chapman Ford, a painter based in Santa Barbara, published a rather humdrum set of etchings of all of them in 1883; several, although not San Gabriel, were also the subject of Ford’s popular and widely reproduced watercolors and oils.) The photographer’s travels up and down the state with cumbersome equipment on less than adequate roads was interrupted and the plan set aside.
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Henry Chapman Ford, “Mission San Gabriel,” 1883, etching and drypoint.
(Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
But, when he picked it up again around 1880, Mission San Gabriel was on the docket. The photograph shown here is not among Watkins’ best, but it is revealing.
Watkins placed his camera’s tripod in a tilled field, establishing a space of human endeavor as the vantage point from which the mission is seen. A low horizon fills just over half the image with flat, empty sky, underscoring the rural landscape’s spatial openness.
A long, tall, bulky, shed-like building is planted firmly in the middle distance. The edge of the structure’s left rear-corner anchors it in the composition’s exact vertical center.
The artist has further framed the building between two upright, vertical forms. Most prominent at the left foreground is a tall palm tree, which rises out of the same tilled soil in which the photographer stood. To the right, midway between the palm and the building, a wooden pole of indeterminate purpose rises beside a long, rambling wooden fence.
Together they provide essential scale for the mission in an otherwise wide-open landscape. The building’s relative enormity — a place of shelter in the vast natural world — is cleverly emphasized.
They possess other metaphorical meanings too. The palm is a classic Christian symbol of immortality — Ford employed the same iconic device in his etching of San Gabriel — the palm’s Middle Eastern ancestry tracing back through ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Paired with the fence pole, they together speak of human industry within which the framed church resides.
Watkins’ photograph asserts the essential virtue and reward of work, both for parish and parishioner — even as the backbreaking labors of the indigenous people who were likely responsible for the mission’s actual construction are erased. The photograph is very much an interpretive document about the building of America.
The timing matters. Watkins’ bold and elaborate 1877 project to record all the California Missions was launched in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. centennial, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine — the nation’s first world’s fair-style extravaganza — had just been held in Philadelphia. One in five Americans was said to have traveled to see it. Watkins sent his now-famous photographs of Yosemite for display, and unsurprisingly, he won a medal.
The West Coast was as far from that East Coast spectacular and all its industrial razzle-dazzle as it was possible to be. Spain, rather than Britain, France or Germany, occupied the West’s memory bank. Wielding the newest, most forward-looking artist’s medium — a camera — rather than paints or etching plates, Watkins soon zeroed in on its centennial history.
Born and raised in upstate New York, he hadn’t moved west until he was nearly 20. He saw his new home with fresh eyes. Watkins’ photograph of the century-old Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, like others in the series, inserts the past into the future. California’s distinctive history gets squarely embedded into a progressive American story.


latimes--2020-07-14--Trump administration does about-face, drops rule that threatened foreign students

The Trump administration abruptly reversed course Tuesday , telling a federal judge in Boston that it was dropping a new policy that would have required international students to leave the U.S. if their colleges or universities were offering only online classes .
The announcement was made without explanation in a hearing with U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs , according to court documents , as part of a lawsuit brought by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
The suit challenged a rule issued last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
The judge said the administration had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo , ” in which foreign students could remain in the U.S. while taking classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The administration ’ s rule would have had a particularly severe effect in California , which hosts the largest number of foreign students in the nation .
Last year , 161,693 international students — primarily from China , India , South Korea , Taiwan and Japan — studied in California , according to the Institute of International Education .
California ’ s three public systems of higher education have also challenged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials did not comment on the reversal , and ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The rule , which would have denied visas to students unless their schools were providing in-person classes , could have left thousands of students facing a potentially dangerous choice : either return home or scramble to find courses that had a classroom component .
Many universities have pushed all or most of their classes online to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus .
“ If you really want me to go , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country is still locked down right now .
I can ’ t leave even if I wanted to .
How is that even enforceable ?
” said Tuzo Mulunda , a Harvard sophomore from Kenya .
She ’ s been living in a dorm since March .
She can ’ t go back to Kenya because its borders have been closed and are set to tentatively reopen in August .
“ Some people live in places where there ’ s horrible internet connection , ” she said .
“ So the only hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay here .
And if that ’ s out the window , then they ’ re literally being forced to take a year off.
” California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra , who filed suit along with Cal State and the California Community Colleges , said “ the Trump administration appears to have seen the harm of its July 6 directive , but it shouldn ’ t take lawsuits and widespread outcry for them to do their job.
” He accused the administration of compromising the health and safety of students .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Center for Immigration Studies , sharply attacked the decision , saying in a tweet that “ Sir Donald ” had “ bravely turned his tail and fled ” from the fight .
“ It ’ s not that big an issue .
It ’ s one example of the predominance of the weak-borders faction in the White House , ” he said in an interview .
“ If Harvard wants to educate foreign students online exclusively , why do they need to come here ?
” The administration has argued broadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are too lax and , in a time of high unemployment , are hurting American job hunters .
Evidence largely points to the contrary .
And many of those who study here either return home or take jobs that increase economic growth .
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick , policy counsel for the pro-immigrant American Immigration Council , said ICE could try to write a new version of the rule that would apply only to new students , excluding those who are already studying at American universities .
But “ they ’ ve already wasted almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall semester ’ s coming up very quickly , ” said Reichlin-Melnick , whose group is not part of the lawsuit .
The lawsuit was not dismissed Tuesday , meaning Harvard and MIT could return to court if the administration chooses to issue a new rule .
Even with the reversal , however , several factors unrelated to administration policy will probably lower the number of international students coming to U.S. campuses this fall .
The United States continues to ban travel from much of Europe and Asia ; other nations have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students may decide to stay home , given this country ’ s role as the leading hot spot in the pandemic .
In addition , U.S. consulates worldwide have been closed for routine visa services since late March and are only beginning to reopen this week .
The numbers are important for many universities , which depend on foreign students , who usually pay full tuition , to subsidize American students and research .
Among California campuses , USC was the No .
1 host for international students , followed by UCLA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC Irvine .
Last week , the state of California and its three systems of public higher education filed challenges to the ICE order in two separate lawsuits , arguing that the rule was “ arbitrary and capricious ” in violation of federal regulations and would result in grave harm to their international students , research enterprise , teaching staff and financial stability .
About 37,500 foreign students study at the UC ’ s 10 campuses .
In a statement , University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez and President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversal “ a win for common sense and public health.
” “ College and university leaders must be allowed to make decisions about campus operations that are guided by public health experts — not by a hastily drafted , arbitrary and mean-spirited policy , ” they said , adding that the university “ will be keeping a watchful eye on what the administration might propose next should we need to step in again.
” The 115-campus state community college system hosts 21,754 international students and the 23-campus Cal State system expects about 10,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said he was pleased by the change in direction — but wary .
“ We remain cautious about the intentions of ICE and the Trump administration as it relates to international students and we will continue to pursue further clarification and protections for all of our students , ” he said .
Ted Mitchell , president of the American Council on Education , which represents more than 1,700 colleges and universities , hailed the ICE rollback as the “ sensible and humane thing to do.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States remains the destination of choice for the world ’ s most talented students and scholars , with all of the benefits that brings , ” he said .
Bierman and Wailoo reported from Washington and Watanabe from Los Angeles .

Noah Bierman, Elliot Wailoo, Teresa Watanabe

The Trump administration abruptly reversed course Tuesday, telling a federal judge in Boston that it was dropping a new policy that would have required international students to leave the U.S. if their colleges or universities were offering only online classes.
The announcement was made without explanation in a hearing with U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, according to court documents, as part of a lawsuit brought by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The suit challenged a rule issued last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The judge said the administration had agreed to “return to the status quo,” in which foreign students could remain in the U.S. while taking classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The administration’s rule would have had a particularly severe effect in California, which hosts the largest number of foreign students in the nation. Last year, 161,693 international students — primarily from China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan — studied in California, according to the Institute of International Education.
California’s three public systems of higher education have also challenged the rule in separate proceedings.
White House officials did not comment on the reversal, and ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The rule, which would have denied visas to students unless their schools were providing in-person classes, could have left thousands of students facing a potentially dangerous choice: either return home or scramble to find courses that had a classroom component. Many universities have pushed all or most of their classes online to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.
“If you really want me to go, how am I supposed to go? My country is still locked down right now. I can’t leave even if I wanted to. How is that even enforceable?” said Tuzo Mulunda, a Harvard sophomore from Kenya.
She’s been living in a dorm since March. She can’t go back to Kenya because its borders have been closed and are set to tentatively reopen in August.
“Some people live in places where there’s horrible internet connection,” she said. “So the only hope of continuing with online classes was to stay here. And if that’s out the window, then they’re literally being forced to take a year off.”
Advertisement
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who filed suit along with Cal State and the California Community Colleges, said “the Trump administration appears to have seen the harm of its July 6 directive, but it shouldn’t take lawsuits and widespread outcry for them to do their job.”
He accused the administration of compromising the health and safety of students.
But Mark Krikorian, a leading immigration hawk with the Center for Immigration Studies, sharply attacked the decision, saying in a tweet that “Sir Donald” had “bravely turned his tail and fled” from the fight.
“It’s not that big an issue. It’s one example of the predominance of the weak-borders faction in the White House,” he said in an interview. “If Harvard wants to educate foreign students online exclusively, why do they need to come here?”
The administration has argued broadly that the United States’ immigration policies are too lax and, in a time of high unemployment, are hurting American job hunters. Evidence largely points to the contrary. And many of those who study here either return home or take jobs that increase economic growth.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel for the pro-immigrant American Immigration Council, said ICE could try to write a new version of the rule that would apply only to new students, excluding those who are already studying at American universities.
But “they’ve already wasted almost 10 days over this issue, and the fall semester’s coming up very quickly,” said Reichlin-Melnick, whose group is not part of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was not dismissed Tuesday, meaning Harvard and MIT could return to court if the administration chooses to issue a new rule.
Even with the reversal, however, several factors unrelated to administration policy will probably lower the number of international students coming to U.S. campuses this fall. The United States continues to ban travel from much of Europe and Asia; other nations have restricted travel to the U.S. and some students may decide to stay home, given this country’s role as the leading hot spot in the pandemic.
In addition, U.S. consulates worldwide have been closed for routine visa services since late March and are only beginning to reopen this week.
The numbers are important for many universities, which depend on foreign students, who usually pay full tuition, to subsidize American students and research.
Among California campuses, USC was the No. 1 host for international students, followed by UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley and UC Irvine.
Last week, the state of California and its three systems of public higher education filed challenges to the ICE order in two separate lawsuits, arguing that the rule was “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of federal regulations and would result in grave harm to their international students, research enterprise, teaching staff and financial stability.
About 37,500 foreign students study at the UC’s 10 campuses.
In a statement, University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez and President Janet Napolitano called the administration’s reversal “a win for common sense and public health.”
“College and university leaders must be allowed to make decisions about campus operations that are guided by public health experts — not by a hastily drafted, arbitrary and mean-spirited policy,” they said, adding that the university “will be keeping a watchful eye on what the administration might propose next should we need to step in again.”
The 115-campus state community college system hosts 21,754 international students and the 23-campus Cal State system expects about 10,300 students from abroad to enroll this fall.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said he was pleased by the change in direction — but wary.
“We remain cautious about the intentions of ICE and the Trump administration as it relates to international students and we will continue to pursue further clarification and protections for all of our students,” he said.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, which represents more than 1,700 colleges and universities, hailed the ICE rollback as the “sensible and humane thing to do.”
“It helps ensure that the United States remains the destination of choice for the world’s most talented students and scholars, with all of the benefits that brings,” he said.
Bierman and Wailoo reported from Washington and Watanabe from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-07-14--How California went from a rapid reopening to a second closing in one month

The first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order helped the state avoid the explosion of cases and deaths that New York and New Jersey had experienced , and officials said it was safe to begin reopening the economy .
But the last six weeks have been a disaster .
Coronavirus cases have spiked , along with hospitalizations .
In a few counties , hospitals are approaching capacity .
Schools in Los Angeles and San Diego as well as parts of the Bay Area say they won ’ t open campuses for in-person learning this fall .
And many of the businesses that were allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , indoor dining establishments , bars , movie theaters — are again closed in many areas .
The reversal of fortune has left residents angry and afraid — and wondering whether the conditions will get worse .
“ We made so much progress in March and April , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday .
“ There is no question that the pandemic has gotten worse , here in L.A. , across California and across this country .
… We did the right thing before .
And now we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is rundown of where things stand , from coverage by The Times : Why did the number of cases go up ?
Experts think the stay-at-home order was a big success .
But it also devastated the economy .
In May , officials began to rapidly reopen businesses .
People had been pent up in their homes and were eager to get back to routines — dining , shopping , Memorial Day barbecues , graduation celebrations , Father ’ s Day gatherings .
Around the same time , historic protests began , triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd while in police custody , which sparked demonstrations across the nation , including in the streets of California .
There is no strong evidence that the protests caused a major spread of the coronavirus .
But officials think social events , parties and people out in public without masks did cause infections to rise , beginning around Memorial Day weekend .
A Los Angeles Times analysis found that new coronavirus hospitalizations in California began accelerating around June 15 at a rate not seen since early April , immediately after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to social gatherings , officials said , they became worried the virus could easily spread in bars and restaurants .
Public health officials said indoor dining and drinking pose a more significant public health risk than other retail activities , even with social distancing .
Patrons must take off their masks to eat and drink , they often are engaged in conversation and they breathe in indoor air that may be contaminated by the virus and circulated by air vents — all of which can spread the coronavirus .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume , officials in Los Angeles County found that many were not following safety rules .
On June 27 and 28 , 49 % of bars and 33 % of restaurants were not adhering to physical distancing protocols indoors , while 54 % of bars and 44 % of restaurants were not enforcing mask and face shield requirements , health officials found .
Officials began rolling back reopenings just before the July 4 weekend .
It likely will be apparent in a few weeks whether the new closures will have done anything to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What do we know about the new closures ?
Most Californians were already seeing new restrictions this month .
But Monday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered a halt to all indoor dining and closed bars , zoos and museums .
At the same time , most counties — including Los Angeles , San Bernardino , Orange and Riverside — will be forced to shutter gyms , houses of worship , hair salons , malls and other businesses under the new order , which remains in effect indefinitely .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must close .
The move further pushes Californians back into their homes during a time when they are typically enjoying summer vacations .
The stricter measures to close gyms , churches and other services affect 29 counties that are among the most populous in the state , where 80 % of California residents live .
Here are the details : • Family entertainment centers ( for example : bowling alleys , miniature golf , batting cages and arcades ) • Bars , brewpubs , breweries and pubs across the state must close all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have remained on the state ’ s watch list for three consecutive days , including all Southern California counties and many in the Central Valley , must close the following businesses : • Personal care services , such as nail salons , body waxing and tattoo parlors Why was the action taken ?
“ We ’ re seeing an increase in the spread of the virus , so that ’ s why it ’ s incumbent upon all of us to recognize soberly that COVID-19 is not going away any time soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective therapy , ” Newsom said Monday .
As of Monday , California had seen more than 333,000 confirmed cases and more than 7,000 related deaths , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ tracker .
California averaged 8,211 new cases a day during the past week .
The previous week , the average was 7,876 .
Newsom has routinely highlighted the growing number of infections , even as the state was moving forward with reopening , including giving the green light to nail salons , tattoo parlors and massage therapy facilities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for transmissions .
Last month , Newsom issued orders requiring all Californians to wear masks or other face coverings while in public or in high-risk settings .
Almost 1,000 of San Francisco ’ s roughly 4,600 cases have been diagnosed in the last two weeks , said Dr. Grant Colfax , the city ’ s director of public health .
In San Francisco , nearly half of all those who have tested positive in the city are Latinos , he said , even though Latino residents make up just 15 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city has seen 7.8 new infections per 100,000 residents over the last seven days , far above its goal of no more than 1.8 new infections per 100,000 people .
“ This , again , indicates that the virus is spreading throughout the city , particularly ... in the southeast part of the city , ” Colfax said .
For every one person who contracts the virus , 1.25 people on average are now infected , he said .
“ We really need to drive that down to 1 or below as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The transmission rate also rose above 1 in L.A. County in June , but has since fallen back to 1 .
“ The virus currently rages on in our community , ” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said .
In California , day by day , more school systems are choosing to keep campuses closed and offer online learning only .
At the Los Angeles Unified School District , the nation ’ s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice , Supt .
Austin Beutner announced Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Beutner said , as coronavirus cases have skyrocketed in Los Angeles County , and the district can not come close to protecting the health and safety of some half a million K-12 students and about 75,000 employees .
The superintendent also pointedly called for county , state and federal officials to provide leadership and funding for regular coronavirus testing and contact tracing .
He said that school districts also needed clearer guidance on when and how to reopen .
Beutner estimated it would cost $ 300 a year per person to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Other school districts — including San Diego and some in the Bay Area — are following suit .
San Diego Unified ’ s teachers union said Monday it agrees with the district ’ s decision to delay in-person reopening .
Kisha Borden , president of the union , noted that some classrooms have windows that don ’ t open .
There is a growing consensus among experts that ventilation is crucial to prevent spread of the virus indoors .
“ We don ’ t feel it ’ s safe to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classrooms at this time , especially if we can ’ t guarantee social distancing , if we don ’ t have adequate ventilation in those classrooms , ” Borden said .
Meanwhile Orange County education leaders voted 4 to 1 Monday evening to approve recommendations for reopening schools in the fall that do not include the mandatory use of masks for students or increased social distancing in classrooms amid a surge in coronavirus cases .
The Board of Education did , however , leave reopening plans up to individual school districts .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer , in addition to the nightly disinfection of classrooms , offices and transportation vehicles .
The recommendations , contained in a white paper , widely support schools reopening in the fall .
The document states that remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been an “ utter failure ” and suggests allowing parents to send their children to another district or charter school to receive instruction if their home district does not reopen campuses .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Howard Blume, Melody Gutierrez, Hannah Fry, Maura Dolan

Hannah Mikus demonstrates how to administer a coronavirus self-test to drivers at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles.
Two months ago, California looked like a coronavirus success story.
The first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order helped the state avoid the explosion of cases and deaths that New York and New Jersey had experienced, and officials said it was safe to begin reopening the economy.
But the last six weeks have been a disaster. Coronavirus cases have spiked, along with hospitalizations. In a few counties, hospitals are approaching capacity.
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Schools in Los Angeles and San Diego as well as parts of the Bay Area say they won’t open campuses for in-person learning this fall. And many of the businesses that were allowed to reopen in May — shopping malls, indoor dining establishments, bars, movie theaters — are again closed in many areas.
The reversal of fortune has left residents angry and afraid — and wondering whether the conditions will get worse.
“We made so much progress in March and April,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday. “There is no question that the pandemic has gotten worse, here in L.A., across California and across this country. … We did the right thing before. And now we have to do the right thing again.”
Here is rundown of where things stand, from coverage by The Times:
Why did the number of cases go up?
Experts think the stay-at-home order was a big success. But it also devastated the economy.
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In May, officials began to rapidly reopen businesses. People had been pent up in their homes and were eager to get back to routines — dining, shopping, Memorial Day barbecues, graduation celebrations, Father’s Day gatherings. Around the same time, historic protests began, triggered by outrage over the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd while in police custody, which sparked demonstrations across the nation, including in the streets of California.
There is no strong evidence that the protests caused a major spread of the coronavirus. But officials think social events, parties and people out in public without masks did cause infections to rise, beginning around Memorial Day weekend.
A Los Angeles Times analysis found that new coronavirus hospitalizations in California began accelerating around June 15 at a rate not seen since early April, immediately after the coronavirus began rapidly spreading throughout the state.
In addition to social gatherings, officials said, they became worried the virus could easily spread in bars and restaurants.
Public health officials said indoor dining and drinking pose a more significant public health risk than other retail activities, even with social distancing. Patrons must take off their masks to eat and drink, they often are engaged in conversation and they breathe in indoor air that may be contaminated by the virus and circulated by air vents — all of which can spread the coronavirus.
When they did allow indoor dine-in service to resume, officials in Los Angeles County found that many were not following safety rules. On June 27 and 28, 49% of bars and 33% of restaurants were not adhering to physical distancing protocols indoors, while 54% of bars and 44% of restaurants were not enforcing mask and face shield requirements, health officials found.
Officials began rolling back reopenings just before the July 4 weekend. It likely will be apparent in a few weeks whether the new closures will have done anything to help slow the spread of the virus.
What do we know about the new closures?
Most Californians were already seeing new restrictions this month. But Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a halt to all indoor dining and closed bars, zoos and museums.
At the same time, most counties — including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside — will be forced to shutter gyms, houses of worship, hair salons, malls and other businesses under the new order, which remains in effect indefinitely. In addition, offices with nonessential workers in those counties must close.
The move further pushes Californians back into their homes during a time when they are typically enjoying summer vacations. The stricter measures to close gyms, churches and other services affect 29 counties that are among the most populous in the state, where 80% of California residents live.
Here are the details:
Statewide action closures
Dine-in restaurants
Wineries and tasting rooms
Movie theaters
Family entertainment centers (for example: bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages and arcades)
Zoos and museums
Card rooms
Bars, brewpubs, breweries and pubs across the state must close all operations, both indoor and outdoor
Localized action
Counties that have remained on the state’s watch list County Monitoring List for three consecutive days, including all Southern California counties and many in the Central Valley, must close the following businesses:
Gyms and fitness centers
Places of worship
Indoor protests
Offices for nonessential sectors
Personal care services, such as nail salons, body waxing and tattoo parlors
Hair salons and barbershops
Indoor shopping malls
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
Why was the action taken?
“We’re seeing an increase in the spread of the virus, so that’s why it’s incumbent upon all of us to recognize soberly that COVID-19 is not going away any time soon until there is a vaccine or an effective therapy,” Newsom said Monday.
As of Monday, California had seen more than 333,000 confirmed cases and more than 7,000 related deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times’ tracker.
California averaged 8,211 new cases a day during the past week. The previous week, the average was 7,876.
Newsom has routinely highlighted the growing number of infections, even as the state was moving forward with reopening, including giving the green light to nail salons, tattoo parlors and massage therapy facilities, which are some of the highest-risk sectors for transmissions. Last month, Newsom issued orders requiring all Californians to wear masks or other face coverings while in public or in high-risk settings.
Almost 1,000 of San Francisco’s roughly 4,600 cases have been diagnosed in the last two weeks, said Dr. Grant Colfax, the city’s director of public health.
In San Francisco, nearly half of all those who have tested positive in the city are Latinos, he said, even though Latino residents make up just 15% of the city’s population. Overall, the city has seen 7.8 new infections per 100,000 residents over the last seven days, far above its goal of no more than 1.8 new infections per 100,000 people.
“This, again, indicates that the virus is spreading throughout the city, particularly ... in the southeast part of the city,” Colfax said.
For every one person who contracts the virus, 1.25 people on average are now infected, he said. “We really need to drive that down to 1 or below as quickly and as soon as possible.”
The transmission rate also rose above 1 in L.A. County in June, but has since fallen back to 1. “The virus currently rages on in our community,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
What about schools?
In California, day by day, more school systems are choosing to keep campuses closed and offer online learning only.
At the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice, Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday.
The difficult decision became unavoidable in recent weeks, Beutner said, as coronavirus cases have skyrocketed in Los Angeles County, and the district cannot come close to protecting the health and safety of some half a million K-12 students and about 75,000 employees.
The superintendent also pointedly called for county, state and federal officials to provide leadership and funding for regular coronavirus testing and contact tracing. He said that school districts also needed clearer guidance on when and how to reopen. Beutner estimated it would cost $300 a year per person to test all students and staff members once a week.
Other school districts — including San Diego and some in the Bay Area — are following suit.
San Diego Unified’s teachers union said Monday it agrees with the district’s decision to delay in-person reopening.
Kisha Borden, president of the union, noted that some classrooms have windows that don’t open. There is a growing consensus among experts that ventilation is crucial to prevent spread of the virus indoors.
“We don’t feel it’s safe to bring 120,000 kids into enclosed spaces, into classrooms at this time, especially if we can’t guarantee social distancing, if we don’t have adequate ventilation in those classrooms,” Borden said.
Meanwhile Orange County education leaders voted 4 to 1 Monday evening to approve recommendations for reopening schools in the fall that do not include the mandatory use of masks for students or increased social distancing in classrooms amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
The Board of Education did, however, leave reopening plans up to individual school districts.
Among the recommendations are daily temperature checks, frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer, in addition to the nightly disinfection of classrooms, offices and transportation vehicles.
The recommendations, contained in a white paper, widely support schools reopening in the fall. The document states that remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been an “utter failure” and suggests allowing parents to send their children to another district or charter school to receive instruction if their home district does not reopen campuses.
Times Community News reporter Sara Cardine contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-14--L.A. County sets record for COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations as conditions worsen

Indicating the coronavirus surge is not slowing , Los Angeles County public health officials Tuesday reported the highest single-day count of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations since the pandemic hit .
The worsening conditions come as California closes many businesses that had been allowed to reopen in May as officials try to slow the outbreaks .
But Los Angeles said that if the trends don ’ t change soon , even more restrictive measures will be necessary .
Los Angeles County confirmed 4,244 new cases and 2,103 hospitalizations Tuesday .
Of those hospitalized , 27 % are in intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths — one of the highest single-day counts reported .
It ’ s possible that number may reflect a lag in reported deaths over the weekend , officials said in a statement .
Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that the city of Los Angeles is inching closer to the highest threat level and an imminent shutdown as dangers posed by the coronavirus continue to loom .
“ While the city of Los Angeles ’ COVID-19 threat level remains at orange , we are on the border of going to red , ” Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to all of us that we don ’ t. ” The county is not facing a ventilator or intensive care bed shortage , but the number of hospitalizations is rising .
And while the mortality rate has not skyrocketed , as younger people now account for the majority of new cases , the number of infections continues to rise .
Garcetti says the city is not in red-level territory yet , but that could change if the situation worsens .
“ Red is when everything shuts down again to our strictest level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re close to that , ” he said .
The virus ’ toll is worse in Los Angeles County and throughout the state now than in the pandemic ’ s history .
And while some parts of the country , such as former hot spot New York , have recently reported a decline in cases , hospitalizations and deaths , California has seen a continued surge .
There have never been more infections or reported daily positive cases in Los Angeles than there are currently — a reality that continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve never had as many people in the hospital as there are tonight in Los Angeles , ” Garcetti said .
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday that while the mortality rate is stable , the increase in hospitalizations will probably result in increased deaths .
The spike in cases can be attributed to a variety of reasons , many linked to the state ’ s reopening strategy .
Officials have reported that outbreaks at indoor work settings and factories as well as private gatherings are major areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county is aware of certain clusters , such as those at garment manufacturer Los Angeles Apparel , where 300 employees contracted the virus and four have died .
The mayor also said there are anecdotal reports of other outbreaks , such as one at an indoor dinner party for 30 people after a wedding that left half the diners infected .
More than 140,000 coronavirus infections and 3,894 related deaths have been recorded in Los Angeles County , the bulk of the state ’ s totals .
“ If we were an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the 20th most cases in the world .
Put differently , we have more cases in Los Angeles County than all of Canada , ” Garcetti said .
According to Johns Hopkins University ’ s coronavirus tracker , Canada has recorded more than 110,00 cases of the virus .
In the absence of a vaccine or medical therapies , officials have previously stressed the need for testing as the only true barometer of the virus ’ spread , and one of the few weapons available to fight against the illness .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high demand in Los Angeles County that has outpaced the availability of materials , officials are now shifting their message .
Over the last week , officials have increasingly emphasized that because a test result accounts for only a single day , it is not foolproof in determining whether a person is truly negative for the virus .
And in the time it takes for a person to receive a test result , the reality could change .
This has always been true , but the message previously was one of widespread encouragement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday that the state is working on new guidelines for testing to ensure that the most vulnerable have prioritized access .
“ Although we want to maintain access for the general population to testing , focusing first on those whose clinical course or community can really benefit from this more targeted testing approach — not as an exclusive but as an initial priority group — is very important for us .
Especially during this time where transmission is high and turnaround times have increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is testing about 105,000 people a day , Ghaly said , and the cost of a test is $ 100 on average .
The shift in language and guidance around testing comes as California reverses course on reopenings .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order Monday for all counties to cease indoor operations of various businesses , including restaurants , wineries and zoos .
More than 30 other counties , including Los Angeles , that had previously received that mandate were instructed to impose even stricter rules by shuttering indoor operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons and personal care facilities , fitness center , indoor malls and places of worship .
“ The virus is not going away anytime soon , ” Newsom said .

Nurses Janil Wise, left, and Melinda Gruman, working in the OB triage tent at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, discuss testing options last week for a pregnant patient who was exposed to a person with COVID-19.
Indicating the coronavirus surge is not slowing, Los Angeles County public health officials Tuesday reported the highest single-day count of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations since the pandemic hit.
The worsening conditions come as California closes many businesses that had been allowed to reopen in May as officials try to slow the outbreaks. But Los Angeles said that if the trends don’t change soon, even more restrictive measures will be necessary.
Los Angeles County confirmed 4,244 new cases and 2,103 hospitalizations Tuesday. Of those hospitalized, 27% are in intensive care. The county also reported 73 additional deaths — one of the highest single-day counts reported. It’s possible that number may reflect a lag in reported deaths over the weekend, officials said in a statement.
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Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that the city of Los Angeles is inching closer to the highest threat level and an imminent shutdown as dangers posed by the coronavirus continue to loom.
“While the city of Los Angeles’ COVID-19 threat level remains at orange, we are on the border of going to red,” Garcetti said Monday night. “It is up to all of us that we don’t.”
The county is not facing a ventilator or intensive care bed shortage, but the number of hospitalizations is rising. And while the mortality rate has not skyrocketed, as younger people now account for the majority of new cases, the number of infections continues to rise. Garcetti says the city is not in red-level territory yet, but that could change if the situation worsens.
“Red is when everything shuts down again to our strictest level. I do want to warn people that we’re close to that,” he said.
The virus’ toll is worse in Los Angeles County and throughout the state now than in the pandemic’s history. And while some parts of the country, such as former hot spot New York, have recently reported a decline in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, California has seen a continued surge.
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There have never been more infections or reported daily positive cases in Los Angeles than there are currently — a reality that continues to affect the rate of hospitalizations.
“We’ve never had as many people in the hospital as there are tonight in Los Angeles,” Garcetti said.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday that while the mortality rate is stable, the increase in hospitalizations will probably result in increased deaths.
The sharp rise in cases can be attributed to a variety of reasons, many linked to the state’s reopening strategy. Officials have reported that outbreaks at indoor work settings and factories as well as private gatherings are major areas tied to the surge.
Garcetti said the county is aware of certain clusters, such as those at garment manufacturer Los Angeles Apparel, where 300 employees contracted the virus and four have died. The mayor also said there are anecdotal reports of other outbreaks, such as one at an indoor dinner party for 30 people after a wedding that left half the diners infected.
More than 140,000 coronavirus infections and 3,894 related deaths have been recorded in Los Angeles County, the bulk of the state’s totals.
“If we were an independent country, Los Angeles County would have the 20th most cases in the world. Put differently, we have more cases in Los Angeles County than all of Canada,” Garcetti said. According to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker, Canada has recorded more than 110,00 cases of the virus.
In the absence of a vaccine or medical therapies, officials have previously emphasized the need for testing as the only true barometer of the virus’ spread, and one of the few weapons available to fight against the illness. But amid a nationwide shortage in supply and high demand in Los Angeles County that has outpaced the availability of materials, officials are now shifting their message.
Over the last week, officials have increasingly emphasized that because a test result accounts for only a single day, it is not foolproof in determining whether a person is truly negative for the virus. And in the time it takes for a person to receive a test result, the reality could change. This has always been true, but the message previously was one of widespread encouragement for the necessity of testing.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday that the state is working on new guidelines for testing to ensure that the most vulnerable have prioritized access.
“Although we want to maintain access for the general population to testing, focusing first on those whose clinical course or community can really benefit from this more targeted testing approach — not as an exclusive but as an initial priority group — is very important for us. Especially during this time where transmission is high and turnaround times have increased,” Ghaly said.
The state is testing about 105,000 people a day, Ghaly said, and the cost of a test is $100 on average.
The shift in language and guidance around testing comes as California reverses course on reopenings.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order Monday for all counties to cease indoor operations of various businesses, including restaurants, wineries and zoos. More than 30 other counties, including Los Angeles, that had previously received that mandate were instructed to impose even stricter rules by shuttering indoor operations at hair salons and barbershops, nail salons and personal care facilities, fitness center, indoor malls and places of worship.
“The virus is not going away anytime soon,” Newsom said.