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San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2020/05/19/san-bernardino-county-waiting-for-now-to-expand-stage-2-coronavirus-reopening/[5/20/2020 8:18:00 AM]
By SANDRA EMERSON | [email protected] |PUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 4:58 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 10:37 p.m.
While San Bernardino County supervisors are eager for restaurants and churches to resumeoperations after weeks of novel coronavirus-related closures and restrictions, they’re waiting to seehow the county’s data pairs with new state guidelines on reopening various sectors.
After a lively debate Tuesday, May 19, about the risks associated with reopening ahead of the state,the supervisors agreed to hear more from county staff before expanding the second of the state’sfour-phase plan to reopen businesses. Supervisors agreed to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 21, tofurther discuss the matter.
“Our small businesses have sat and waited,” Supervisor Robert Lovingood said. “They’ve waitedpatiently as long as they can. They cannot suffer this economic suppression any longer.”
Lovingood and Supervisor Dawn Rowe supported moving forward with the county’s recovery plan,which assesses the risk of the virus’ spread at businesses and offers guidelines for reopening safely.However, the item was not on the agenda, so the board agreed to schedule a special meeting.
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San Bernardino County waiting, for now, toexpand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening
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San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2020/05/19/san-bernardino-county-waiting-for-now-to-expand-stage-2-coronavirus-reopening/[5/20/2020 8:18:00 AM]
“This is a serious thing we have to do in the right way,” Chairman Curt Hagman said.
The county sent two letters to the governor, one signed by 24 city mayors and a second signed byofficials with Riverside, Orange and San Diego counties, asking for discretion in how and when toreopen businesses, rather than meeting the state’s criteria. On Monday, May 18, Gov. Gavin Newsomeliminated some of the controversial benchmarks counties were required to meet in order to movefaster through the second phase of reopening, including no more than one case per 10,000 residentsand no deaths for two weeks.
Hagman expressed concern over the risk to businesses if the county allows them to reopen earlierthan allowed by the state. He also pointed out the potential liability to the county if the state pullsbusinesses’ licenses for violating the state’s stay-at-home orders.
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Coronavirus in San Bernardino County:COVID-19 coverage from The Sun
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The state has threatened to pull funding from counties who move forward too soon.
Supervisor Janice Rutherford said she was optimistic county staff would have positive news for theboard later Tuesday. She cautioned Lovingood against defying the state and jeopardizing countytaxpayers.
“There is just too much at risk,” she told Lovingood. “Everything you’ve talked about that businessesand our companies are risking right now, that is the same thing the taxpayers stand to risk if weexceed the governor’s grasp. As disappointed as we are about that politically, that’s the reality. Thereare hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.”
County officials continue to review Newsom’s latest loosening of the statewide stay-at-home order,which could see retail stores, churches, barbers and hair salons, restaurants and even professionalsports — without live audiences — return in a few weeks.
The county already meets the requirement that they maintain a positive test rate of less than 8%countywide, Gary McBride, county chief executive officer, said. Over the past week, 7.9% of countyresidents tested were positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, he said.
The state also requires skilled nursing facilities to have at least 14 days of personal protectiveequipment on hand with a plan for future inventory, McBride said.
About half of the deaths in the county have been tied to congregate living settings, including theCalifornia Institution for Men in Chino and nursing homes, he said.
The county is still behind on testing and contact tracingbenchmarks, McBride said.
Public health officials want to make mobile testing sites
San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2020/05/19/san-bernardino-county-waiting-for-now-to-expand-stage-2-coronavirus-reopening/[5/20/2020 8:18:00 AM]
Official: Stats behind San BernardinoCounty coronavirus ‘hot spot’ report are‘insane’
Inland Empire economy could reopenfaster under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newplan
San Bernardino County reports 82 newcoronavirus cases, no new deaths
Fire agencies prepare to battle wildfiresduring a pandemic
stationary, which would increase testing volume, saidLeonard Hernandez, the county’s chief operating officer.The county is working to hire more people for testing andcontact tracing, and may ask some current employees tohelp, he said.
If the county is unable to meet the state’s benchmarksbecause of a lack of personnel on its side, businesses andresidents are going to be angry, Hagman said.
“This has to be the top priority,” he added.
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Supervisors consider opening businesses without state OKBy Jené Estrada Hi-Desert StarMay 19, 2020
SAN BERNARDINO — The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors kicked off their regular
meeting Tuesday morning with a tumultuous update on the COVID-19 pandemic and the governor’s
newest guidelines on reopening businesses.
After hearing from county staff that the county does not meet the governors guideline’s for
reopening later stage two businesses, they scheduled a special board meeting on Thursday
afternoon to vote on whether they will move forward without the state’s approval.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that counties across the state will be able to move into
the next phase of reopening, the later phase of stage two. Later stage two reopenings include dine-
in restaurants and in-house shopping.
Newsom waived some of the previous guidelines for reopening, including having no COVID-19-
related deaths in 14 days, and replaced them with more lenient restrictions.
Now, counties can reopen if:
• Fewer than 8 percent of their coronavirus tests are coming back positive.
•Their hospitalization rates and ICU bed rates remain steady.
•They perform an adequate amount of testing and contact tracing.
“We estimate roughly 53 of the 58 counties would be eligible to move into this phase,” Newsom said.
San Bernardino County meets many of these requirements but is not conducting enough testing or
contact tracing to be allowed to reopen per the governor’s order.
County Chief Executive O�cer Gary McBride said county staff will be working to immediately
increase testing and contact tracing with the hope of pushing the county into the approved bracket,
but this may take some time as it requires the hiring and training of new staff .
The county may also have to make more permanent testing facilities, instead of relying on mobile
testing.
McBride could not estimate how long it would take for the county to be eligible to reopen.
Board Chairman Curt Hagman urged county staff to move quickly since the roadblocks stopping the
county from reopening are now based on the county’s ability to respond and not on the number of
positive tests and patients.
“If we are not able to self-certify on our side because of the county, then we’re going to have a very
unhappy community,” Hagman said.
The other board members agreed that they wanted to move forward urgently but Supervisor Robert
Lovingood said that he was done waiting. He urged the board to vote to open businesses now,
without the state’s approval.
“Our small businesses have sat and waited,” he said. “They have waited as long as they can. We do
not have two weeks to sit and wait.”
Hagman reminded Lovingood and the rest of the board members that, if they move forward without
state approval, the county could lose state funding and business owners could lose their licenses.
Businesses that have opened without the state’s approval in other counties in California have lost
their cosmetology and liquor licenses.
“What would be the consequences for our businesses if they lose their liquor license because we
allow them to open up but they lose their license from the state?” Hagman said. “I’m afraid our
actions might put our business leaders at risk.”
Despite this, Lovingood and 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Rowe asked for a special meeting, but
special meetings can only be called by the board chairman.
After some arguing, the members agreed to wait until they were briefed by county staff at 4 p.m. to
o�cially call the meeting.
Hagman agreed to tentatively schedule a special board meeting for 4 p.m. Thursday. They are
expected to review staff recommendations and call for a vote to reopen businesses in San
Bernardino County.
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Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low – Daily Bulletin
https://www.dailybulletin.com/...tm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow[5/20/2020 8:40:04 AM]
BUSINESSHOUSING
Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County homesales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low$353,000 countywide median selling price — up 5.4% over 12 months.
• Explainer, News
Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low – Daily Bulletin
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By JONATHAN LANSNER | [email protected] | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 7:01 p.m.
San Bernardino County homebuying was cut by one-fifth as coronavirus pushed Southern Californiapurchases to a record slow April.
DQNews reports for April in San Bernardino County …
• 2,003 homes sold, existing and new — down 21% in a year. In the previous 12 months, SanBernardino County’s sales count was 29,881 homes sold — up 1.9% in a year.
• $353,000 countywide median selling price — up 5.4% over 12 months. The latest median is 7.1% offthe county’s record high of $380,000 set in April 2007.
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Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low – Daily Bulletin
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Reality is harsh. The battle against the coronavirus hammered the economy. Cheaper mortgageshelped house hunters, but many sellers pulled their homes off the market. That resulted in the region’sslowest-selling April in the DQNews history books that date to 1988.
Here are five things you should know about key market niches in San Bernardino County in April …
1. Existing single-family houses: 1,661 sold, down 24% in a year. Median of $336,000 — a 4% riseover 12 months.
2. Existing condos: 93 sales, down 48% over 12 months. Median of $335,000 — a 3.9% rise in ayear.
3. Newly built: Builders sold 249 new homes, up 42% in a year. Median of $510,000 — a 4.7% riseover 12 months.
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4. Builder share: 12.4% of sales vs. 6.9% a year earlier. San Bernardino County builders’ slice of themarket ranks No. 2 among SoCal’s six counties.
5. Price rank: How San Bernardino County’s median compared to Southern California’s five othercounties: No. 6 overall; No. 6 for single-family resales; No. 5 for condo resales; and No. 5 for newhomes.
Sign up for The Home Stretch newsletter! Get a twice-a-week serving of hot housing newsfrom around the region! Subscribe here.
What’s next? When ReportsOnHousing looked at countywide pending sales of existing homes as ofMay 14 there were 1,880 residences in escrow, down 22% in a year; and 4,440 listings, down 26% inthis period.
Elsewhere in Southern California, according to DQNews’s tally of closed sales …
SoCal County: 13,826 sold, down 31.5% over 12 months. Median of $547,500 — a 4.3% increase.
Los Angeles County: 4,168 sold, down 35.2%. Median? $630,000 — a 3.8% increase.
Orange County: 1,985 sales, down 34%. Median? $755,000 — a 2.7% increase.
Riverside County: 2,574 sold, down 31%. Median? $412,500 — a 5.8% increase.
San Diego County: 2,499 sold, down 31%. Median? $594,500 — a 4.3% increase.
Ventura County: 597 sold, down 35%. Median? $600,000 — a 2.6% increase.
Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise
https://www.pe.com/...-at-270/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise&utm_source=twitter.com[5/20/2020 8:40:14 AM]
By JEFF HORSEMAN | [email protected] | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 4:58 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 5:09 p.m.
There are now more than 6,000 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Riverside County while 270have died from the virus, according to numbers posted Tuesday, May 19, on the county’s publichealth website.
Also, updated mortality figures from the county show more Latinos have died from coronavirus thanwhites. Previously, whites made up a plurality of COVID-19 deaths in the county.
Tuesday’s update shows a 1.7% increase in cases and an increase of nine deaths from Monday. Thecounty’s daily updates usually reflect diagnoses and deaths that happened over the course of a fewdays.
Official recoveries — those who are no longer in isolation, show no symptoms and have had theirpublic health cases closed — rose by 38 to 3,871. One hundred ninety-five in the county arehospitalized with the virus, up nine from Monday, with 68 of those patients in intensive care, nochange from the day before.
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Riverside County passes 6,000 coronaviruscases; deaths now at 270
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Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise
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More than 86,000 in the county have been tested for COVID-19. County jails have 192 confirmedcases with 134 recoveries, while long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, have 568 confirmedcases among patients and 270 among staff.
Of 242 people in the county who died from COVID-19, 58% or 140 were men and roughly 75% were65 or older, according to numbers posted weekly by public health officials.
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The county has data on race and ethnicity, as well as underlying health conditions, for 196 who died.Of those, 81 were Latino, 79 were white, 17 were black, 12 were Asian, two were Native Americanand two were of unknown race or ethnicity.
Seventy-five of 196 deaths — 38% — were among those 65 and older with underlying healthproblems. Another 38% were 65 and older with no underlying conditions, while 30 were younger than65 with no health issues.
Staff Writer Nikie Johnson contributed to this report.
CASES BY COMMUNITY
Here is the list of confirmed cases and deaths by city orunincorporated community. Numbers in bold indicate theyare in the top 5 for most cases or deaths.
Anza: 6 cases, 0 deathsBanning: 74 cases, 2 deathsBeaumont: 184 cases, 11 deathsBermuda Dunes: 6 cases, 0 deaths
Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise
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allege unsafe work conditions amidCOVID-19 pandemic
Forest Lawn takes Southland MemorialDay services virtual
Blythe: 45 cases, 1 deathCabazon: 3 cases, 1 deathCalimesa: 20 cases, 1 deathCanyon Lake: 12 cases, 0 deathsCathedral City: 127 cases, 1 deathCherry Valley: 11 cases, 1 deathCoachella: 214 cases, 3 deaths
Corona: 305 cases, 11 deathsCoronita: 2 cases, 1 deathDesert Edge: 3 cases, 0 deathsDesert Hot Springs: 61 cases, 0 deathsDesert Palms: 8 cases, 0 deathsEast Hemet: 20 cases, 0 deathsEastvale: 103 cases, 6 deathsEl Cerrito: 14 cases, 0 deathsEl Sobrante: 31 cases, 1 deathFrench Valley: 42 cases, 0 deathsGarnet: 14 cases, 0 deathsGood Hope: 30 cases, 0 deathsGreen Acres: 1 case, 0 deathsHemet: 237 cases, 18 deathsHome Gardens: 46 cases, 0 deathsHomeland: 10 cases, 0 deathsIdyllwild-Pine Cove: 5 cases, 0 deathsIndian Wells: 13 cases, 0 deathsIndio: 231 cases, 5 deathsJurupa Valley: 244 cases, 11 deathsLa Quinta: 96 cases, 9 deathsLake Elsinore: 139 cases, 8 deathsLake Mathews: 9 cases, 3 deathsLakeland Village: 36 cases, 1 deathLakeview: 5 cases, 0 deathsMead Valley: 41 cases, 1 deathMeadowbrook: 4 cases, 0 deathsMecca: 43 cases, 3 deathsMenifee: 139 cases, 5 deaths
Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise
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Riverside County is not releasing numbers for communities with fewer than 2,000 residents. Thelocation of some confirmed cases may still be under investigation.
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Moreno Valley: 666 cases, 20 deathsMurrieta: 112 cases, 7 deathsNorco: 31 cases, 1 deathNorth Shore: 13 cases, 0 deathsNuevo: 15 cases, 1 deathOasis: 33 cases, 0 deathsPalm Desert: 140 cases, 15 deathsPalm Springs: 122 cases, 9 deathsPerris: 275 cases, 4 deathsRancho Mirage: 32 cases, 3 deathsRiverside: 1,106 cases, 84 deathsRomoland: 3 cases, 1 deathSan Jacinto: 105 cases, 4 deathsSky Valley: 2 cases, 0 deathsTemecula: 128 cases, 0 deathsTemescal Valley: 37 cases, 0 deathsThermal: 15 cases, 0 deathsThousand Palms: 12 cases, 0 deathsValle Vista: 13 cases, 0 deathsVista Santa Rosa: 13 cases, 0 deathsWildomar: 60 cases, 4 deathsWinchester: 1 case, 0 deathsWoodcrest: 27 cases, 3 deaths
Tags: All Readers, Coronavirus, Health, public health, Top Stories PE
Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/as-state-loosens-criteria-orange-county-pushes-to-emerge-from-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:39:36 AM]
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Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/as-state-loosens-criteria-orange-county-pushes-to-emerge-from-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:39:36 AM]
Families practice social distancing while playing near the San Clemente Pier on Monday. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
By LUKE MONEY | STAFF WRITER
MAY 19, 2020 | 2:52 PM
The day after Gov. Gavin Newsom cracked the door for more counties to potentially lift additional
coronavirus-related restrictions, Orange County officials made it clear that they want to get through
as quickly as possible.
Officials hope to see larger parts of the retail economy — including shopping malls and restaurants
— reopen with social distancing restrictions as soon as possible.
While health officials said they are still planning how to move further into what the state calls Phase 2,
members of the Board of Supervisors said Tuesday that time is of the essence.
“We can put together a plan, and I’m still keeping my fingers crossed,” said Supervisor Andrew Do.
“I’m hoping that by this weekend, we’re going to enter Phase 2 fully.”
Doing so would mean shopping malls could reopen, for instance, as could restaurant dining rooms —
albeit with modifications.
CALIFORNIA
Newsom eases California reopening rules, allowing more counties to restart their economies
May 18, 2020
Even if Orange County doesn’t meet the exact letter of all the new reopening rules, which Newsom
Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/as-state-loosens-criteria-orange-county-pushes-to-emerge-from-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:39:36 AM]
unveiled Monday, officials emphasized their preference is still to send a plan to the state as quickly as
possible.
“To the extent that perfect is the enemy of the good, we don’t want to let that happen,” said
Supervisor Don Wagner. “If we need to supplement, let’s supplement.”
The focus, he added, should be: “Let’s open as much as possible. Let’s open as soon as possible. Let’s
open as safely as possible.”
Newsom said the loosened rules would allow 53 of California’s 58 counties to move further into the
second of four stages toward reopening.
Tracking California’s progress toward reopening
The relaxed restrictions were welcomed by larger urban counties that had decried the state’s previous
criteria as onerous, if not unattainable, for more populous areas.
Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/as-state-loosens-criteria-orange-county-pushes-to-emerge-from-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:39:36 AM]
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Under the revised metrics, counties will no longer be kept from loosening the shutdown rules if there
have been COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks.
Counties also will be able to move toward a more expansive reopening if they can show fewer than
25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days, or show that fewer than 8% of residents
tested for the virus over a seven-day period were positive.
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Essential California: The new new new reopening rules
May 19, 2020
Another factor is hospitalizations. Counties either have to show that the number of COVID-19 patients
in hospitals hasn’t increased by more than 5% over a seven-day period or that they haven’t had more
than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over a 14-day period.
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Orange County officials did not comment on the new rules Monday — except to say that they would
“be in touch after we have had time to review the governor’s announcement” — and did not
immediately respond Tuesday when asked whether there are metrics the county doesn’t meet.
Given that so many more counties can now petition the state to further relax coronavirus restrictions,
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said it’s important for Orange County to submit a plan as quickly as possible
so it secures a favorable position in the queue.
“We’ve got to really kind of turn the ship around as quickly as possible,” she said.
That’s especially the case as the pandemic continues to keep many storefronts closed — which, in
turn, has dammed the county’s revenue stream.
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Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/as-state-loosens-criteria-orange-county-pushes-to-emerge-from-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:39:36 AM]
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As of April 17, the county projected it would lose $126.1 million in revenue this fiscal year because of
COVID-19, according to projections discussed Tuesday. Next fiscal year, the chasm is projected to
deepen to $332.4 million.
While those figures are not set in stone — changes to California’s overall budget picture and potential
further support from the federal government are among the contributing factors — officials said it’s
clear there will be challenging times ahead.
CALIFORNIA
Coronavirus plunges California into worst budget deficit in state history
May 7, 2020
“The sole reason for economic difficulties in this time is that businesses have been shut down and
employees have been laid off,” said board Chairwoman Michelle Steel. “If we support businesses and
get them open as fast as possible, that will boost our economy and, most importantly, provide
essential jobs — because every private-sector job is essential ... to struggling Orange County
residents who have lost their work and their ability to put food on the table because of this crisis.”
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Times staff writers John Myers, Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report.
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L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
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L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4
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L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
Healthcare workers speak with drivers at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Rose Bowl inPasadena. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
By COLLEEN SHALBY, RONG-GONG LIN II, MAURA DOLAN
MAY 19, 2020 | 12:11 PM UPDATED 1:24 PM
Los Angeles County officials’ newest goal is to more fully reopen by July 4, officials said Tuesday.
But getting there will be slow going.
“We have to do a lot of things right so we can actually get to that date,” L.A. County Public Health
Director Barbara Ferrer said. “I think the reality is that we are going to really aim together to get there
as quickly as possible, but we’re going to pay attention to the data and science.”
The goal was announced during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, as business leaders
lamented the toll the coronavirus pandemic has placed on the economy, saddling business owners
L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
and employees with lost work and pay.
The current eased restrictions do not mean life has returned to normal, county leaders cautioned.
Parties and gatherings are still not permitted, and social distancing practices are still mandated.
“I have a great deal of concern that people are not listening to that message,” Supervisor Hilda Solis
said.
The reopening news coincides with the announcement by county health officials of another grim
milestone in the coronavirus pandemic: an additional 76 deaths and 1,183 new confirmed cases.
The daily increases come a day after a study suggesting that substantially more people have been
infected by the coronavirus than what Los Angeles County’s confirmed case count shows, backing
previous findings from preliminary serology findings reported last month.
The study tested 865 people for coronavirus antibodies during the second week of April, when
roughly 8,430 cases of the virus had been confirmed in L.A. County. The findings suggest that the
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L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
prevalence of antibodies among residents was 4.65%, an estimate that implies about 367,000 adults
had been infected by the virus at the time. The preliminary findings reported last month estimated
that 4.1% of county residents had contracted the virus.
The ongoing study from USC and L.A. County’s Public Health Department was published Monday in
the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
The study indicates that the county has a long way to go before herd immunity is established. Neeraj
Sood, the study’s lead author, also said the findings suggest that contact tracing methods to track
and limit the spread of the virus could be challenging. Contact tracing — the process of identifying
individuals who may have come into contact with an infected patient — is one of the state’s
requirements before counties can expand their reopenings.
Samples were taken from a random group of people in a 15-mile radius of eligible testing sites.Two
tests were inconclusive because of faulty kits. Of those whose tests were used, 60% were women, 55%
were ages 35-54, 58% were white and 43% had yearly household incomes greater than $100,000.
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Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County
More than 38,000 L.A. County residents have tested positive for the virus — a number that accounts
for the bulk of the state’s total of more than 80,000 infections. But officials have long warned thepublic that confirmed cases do not represent the true totality of the virus’ spread.
As testing capacity has increased, so has the number of confirmed cases. But to date, only about350,000 of the county’s 10 million residents have been checked. Of those, 9% have tested positive.
L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
The county continues to ease certain restrictions to restore the economy, while stressing the need for
residents to maintain social-distancing practices. Most retail stores and restaurants allow curbside
pickup, trails and parks have reopened and active recreation is allowed at the beaches. Face masksare still required, while gatherings are not permitted in the county.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although several counties have been given permission for dine-in service and in-store shopping —and more counties are making cases for further reopening — the grip the coronavirus has on L.A.
County is holding fast. The county’s case count and death toll have not seen a decline like in some
rural areas. Officials continue to grapple with how to reopen the economy without triggering a
resurgence of the outbreak.
CALIFORNIA
California is rapidly speeding up the reopening of the economy. Here’s what it means
May 19, 2020
“We’re many parts, and every part of the state of California is unique and distinctive,” Gov. Gavin
Newsom said Monday when asked about the state’s patchwork of modifications. The governor noted
that urban areas like L.A. County and the Bay Area may not be ready to move as quickly as other
communities.
L.A. County remains the center of the pandemic in California, with more than 1,800 deaths. Despite
the toll, there have been positive signs.
ADVERTISEMENT
L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 of reopening California | Striking photosfrom around the state
May 16, 2020
As L.A. County found itself in a coronavirus crisis in March, it became clear the highly infectiousdisease was surging out of control in the county, with every one person testing positive for the virus
infecting an average of 3½ other people.
Last week, L.A. County officials released data showing remarkable progress: The infection rate has
fallen. Instead of every patient infecting an average of more than three other people, every infected
person in L.A. County now infects just one other person.
Among L.A. County public health experts, this number is called “R,” which stands for the Effective
Transmission Number of the disease. This number can change when the public takes steps to change
behaviors, such as adhering to a stay-at-home order.
ADVERTISEMENT
L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM]
The fact that the disease was spreading from one infected person to more than three others
represented “a high rate of spread, much faster than what is seen, for example, with seasonal
influenza,” Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County, said Thursday.
Officials believe the drop is tied to stay-at-home orders imposed in late March.
“This represents tremendous progress, and we should all be very proud. It is also what allows us to
start easing health officer orders and the restrictions that we’ve all been living with for the past severalweeks. Safer at Home bought us time,” Ghaly said.
“It allowed our healthcare system to become more prepared. It allowed time for testing to be ramped
up. It allowed time to prepare to do more contact tracing efforts, and it showed the power of whatwe can all do to protect ourselves and one another.”
ADVERTISEMENT
CALIFORNIA
Coronavirus infection rate in L.A. County is falling. But it’s still in the danger zone
May 18, 2020
CALIFORNIA CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The stories shaping California
L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin
https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow[5/19/2020 4:46:54 PM]
NEWS
L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials studystate’s criteria for further easing of stay-homeordersMore than 39,570 county residents have been tested for the virus
• News
L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin
https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow[5/19/2020 4:46:54 PM]
By OLGA GRIGORYANTS | [email protected] | Los Angeles Daily NewsPUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 4:14 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 4:44 p.m.
With state officials allowing counties to ease stay-at-home orders if they meet new criteria, LosAngeles County officials got a grim reminder that the COVID-19 outbreak has refused to yield,Tuesday, May 19, with reports that another 76 residents passed away.
More than 39,570 county residents have been tested for the virus, including 1,183 new cases. Themid-day report did not include updated numbers for Long Beach and Pasadena. Both cities operatetheir own health departments.
Roughly 5,914 people, or 15% of those who have tested positive — have been hospitalized at somepoint during their illness. There are currently 1,549 who tested positive for coronavirus who are
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer speaks at the county’s Thurday, May 7 briefing. Photo: Facebook videoscreenshot
M
S
C
By
L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin
https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow[5/19/2020 4:46:54 PM]
hospitalized.
“We know that there are people across our community who have suffered a tremendous loss,”county’s Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said. “For those of you who mourning the loss ofthe loved ones to COVID-19, we wish you healing and peace.”
Of the other newly reported county deaths, 52 were older than 65 and 19 were ages 41-65 while 14 ofthem experienced underlying health conditions, according to health officials. Nearly 92% of peoplewho have died from coronavirus had underlying health conditions and this fact has not changed forthe last three weeks.
As of Tuesday, of the people who recently died with the coronavirus, 39% were Latino, 29% werewhite, 18% were Asian and 12% were African American and 1% were Native Hawaiian or PacificIslander and 1% identified as other races.
There are now 300 confirmed cases among people experiencing homelessness. About half of thosecases occurred in people who were sheltered and those who were appropriately isolated, officialssaid. The majority of unsheltered who were tested positive for the virus were sheltered at UnionRescue Mission in downtown LA, Ferrer said.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would ease restrictions, allowing businesses in 53 of thestate’s 58 counties to open faster than in some other counties.
The governor said he was eyeing an opening to allow holding sporting events without fans in earlyJune if the number of coronavirus-related cases and hospitalizations continues to decline. Thereopening of churches, hair salons and in-store shopping could open their doors around the sametime, Newsom said.
L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin
https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow[5/19/2020 4:46:54 PM]
Coronavirus: Death toll inches past 1,800in Los Angeles County
Coronavirus: Death toll inches past 1,800in Los Angeles County
51 new deaths logged as L.A. Countyofficials defend effectiveness ofcoronavirus orders
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The new criteria announced by Newsom on Monday requires that counties have to have no more thana 5% increase in hospitalizations over a seven-day period or have no more than 20 hospitalizationstotal over a two-week period. They also must have no more than 25 cases per 100,000 residents orno higher than an 8% positive rate among people testing for the coronavirus.
Newsom admitted that some areas, including Los Angeles County, have been hit especially hard,reporting half of the state’s coronavirus cases and deaths, could require more time to allow theirbusinesses to reopen.
“L.A. County is in a different position than other parts of the state,” Newsom said, adding that thecounty might be more cautious in easing its restrictions.
Ferrer said her team was studying the criteria. The county has vowed to rely on science and data toguide them as they gradually, cautiously reopen businesses, spectator sports, schools and publicsettings in the weeks and months ahead.
Ferrer said on Tuesday during the daily briefing that thenew guideline would allow the county to proceed morequickly.
“As the governor noted particularly around the positivityrate, here in L.A. County, it just started to drop to about9%,” she said. “The state has set the threshold of thepositivity rate needing to be at 8% for over a week. We’renot quite there yet.”
County officials are working on the reopening efforts, Ferreradded, to make sure they are “sensible” and allow “foreveryone to be as safe as possible, particularly for workers. But we do it with a sense of urgency.”
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L.A. Surge Hospital for coronavirus patients to close in June - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-surge-hospital-coronavirus-covid-19-closing-end-of-june[5/20/2020 8:39:28 AM]
CALIFORNIA
L.A. Surge Hospital for COVID-19 patients to close bythe end of June
The Los Angeles Surge Hospital opened in April on the grounds of the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center totreat COVID-19 patients. The surge facility, funded by the state, will close in June after seeing relatively fewpatients. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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L.A. Surge Hospital for coronavirus patients to close in June - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-surge-hospital-coronavirus-covid-19-closing-end-of-june[5/20/2020 8:39:28 AM]
By THOMAS CURWEN | STAFF WRITER
MAY 19, 2020 | 10:03 PM
The state-funded Los Angeles Surge Hospital, which has seen relatively few patients since it openedfive weeks ago to treat an anticipated overflow of COVID-19 cases, will close at the end of June, a
source in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration said Tuesday.
The hospital, located on the grounds of the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center near downtown Los
Angeles, was set up to handle as many as 270 patients a day. But the hospital has never had more
than 25 patients at a time, officials said.
When the coronavirus crisis began and officials feared hospitals would be overrun by patients, the
state signed a six-month, $16-million lease with Verity Health System, which owned St. Vincent and
had declared bankruptcy.
The state also paid healthcare companies Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health a monthly
management fee of $500,000 each to oversee the Los Angeles hospital.
“At the beginning of this crisis, we didn’t know what the challenges would be,” said Dr. Jamie Taylor,
who ran the surge hospital’s intensive care unit. “So creating this hospital was something that had to
be done. But now the smart thing to do is to adapt, based on what the community needs.”
CALIFORNIA
L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4, but must rely on data and science, official warns
May 19, 2020
L.A. Surge Hospital for coronavirus patients to close in June - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-surge-hospital-coronavirus-covid-19-closing-end-of-june[5/20/2020 8:39:28 AM]
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns The Times, purchased St. Vincent for $135 million in a deal that
was finalized in early April. His global health firm NantWorks is a creditor in Verity’s bankruptcy
proceedings.
The state’s lease was transferred to Soon-Shiong, but he was not involved in the operation of the
surge hospital.
The state had initially anticipated needing 50,000 hospital beds for COVID-19 patients. Hospitals
began to execute “surge plans” that would add 30,000 beds to their count. The rest would come from
medical centers like St. Vincent and Seton Medical Center in the Bay Area, as well as field medical
stations set up at convention centers and fairgrounds, and the U.S. Navy’s Mercy hospital ship. After
two months docked in San Pedro, the Mercy returned to its home port of San Diego last week.
At its peak, the Los Angeles Surge Hospital employed nearly 500 personnel, from doctors and nurses
to administrators and support staff. Many worked at the hospital while continuing to serve patients in
other facilities throughout Southern California.
Soon-Shiong said at the time he purchased St. Vincent Medical Center that he planned to use
buildings on the 10-acre campus for COVID-19 research.
Seton Medical Center, which has been exclusively treating COVID-19 patients, is also ending its
agreement with the state.
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Times staff writer Taryn Luna, in Sacramento, contributed to this report.
CALIFORNIA CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM]
CALIFORNIA
Nearly 5% of L.A. County residents might havecoronavirus, new study shows
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Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM]
Healthcare workers speak with drivers at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Rose Bowl inPasadena. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
By COLLEEN SHALBY, RONG-GONG LIN II, MAURA DOLAN
MAY 19, 2020 | 12:11 PM
A new study suggests that substantially more people have been infected by the coronavirus than
what Los Angeles County’s confirmed case count shows, backing previous findings from a preliminary
serology study reported last month.
The study tested 865 people for coronavirus antibodies during the second week of April, when
roughly 8,430 cases of the virus had been confirmed in L.A. County. The findings suggest that the
prevalence of antibodies among residents was 4.65%, an estimate that implies about 367,000 adults
had been infected by the virus at the time. The preliminary findings reported last month estimated
that 4.1% of county residents had contracted the virus.
Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM]
The ongoing study from USC and L.A. County’s Public Health Department was published Monday in
the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
The study indicates that the county has not yet reached a herd immunity level. According to the
author, Neeraj Sood, the findings suggest that contact tracing methods to track and limit the spread
of the virus could be challenging. Contact tracing is one of the state’s requirements before counties
can expand their reopenings.
Tracking the coronavirus in L.A. County
More than 38,000 L.A. County residents have tested positive for the virus — a number that accounts
for the bulk of the state’s total of more than 80,000 infections. But officials have long warned thepublic that confirmed cases do not represent the true totality of the virus’ spread.
As testing capacity has increased, so has the number of confirmed cases. But to date, only about350,000 of the county’s 10 million residents have been checked. Of those, 9% have tested positive.
The county continues to ease certain restrictions to restore the economy, while stressing the need for
Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM]
residents to maintain social-distancing practices. Most retail stores and restaurants allow curbside
pickup, trails and parks have reopened and active recreation is allowed at the beaches. Face masksare still required, while gatherings are not permitted in the county.
Although several counties have been given permission for dine-in service and in-store shopping —and more counties are making cases for further reopening — the grip the coronavirus has on L.A.
County is holding fast. The county’s case count and death toll have not seen a decline like in some
rural areas. Officials continue to grapple with how to reopen the economy without triggering a
resurgence of the outbreak.
CALIFORNIA
California is rapidly speeding up the reopening of the economy. Here’s what it means
1 hour ago
“We’re many parts, and every part of the state of California is unique and distinctive,” Gov. Gavin
Newsom said Monday when asked about the state’s patchwork of modifications. The governor noted
that urban areas like L.A. County and the Bay Area may not be ready to move as quickly as other
communities.
CALIFORNIA
Coronavirus infection rate in L.A. County is falling. But it’s still in the danger zone
May 18, 2020
Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM]
ADVERTISEMENT
L.A. County remains the center of the pandemic in California, with more than 1,800 deaths. Despite
the toll, there have been positive signs.
As L.A. County found itself in a coronavirus crisis in March, it became clear the highly infectiousdisease was surging out of control in the county, with every one person testing positive for the virus
infecting an average of 3½ other people.
Last week, L.A. County officials released data showing remarkable progress: The infection rate has
fallen. Instead of every patient infecting an average of more than three other people, every infected
person in L.A. County now infects just one other person.
Among L.A. County public health experts, this number is called “R,” which stands for the Effective
Transmission Number of the disease. This number can change when the public takes steps to change
behaviors, such as adhering to a stay-at-home order.
ADVERTISEMENT
The fact that the disease was spreading from one infected person to more than three others
represented “a high rate of spread, much faster than what is seen, for example, with seasonal
influenza,” Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County, said Thursday.
Officials believe the drop is tied to stay-at-home orders imposed in late March.
“This represents tremendous progress, and we should all be very proud. It is also what allows us to
start easing health officer orders and the restrictions that we’ve all been living with for the past severalweeks. Safer at Home bought us time,” Ghaly said.
“It allowed our healthcare system to become more prepared. It allowed time for testing to be ramped
up. It allowed time to prepare to do more contact tracing efforts, and it showed the power of what
San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM]
CALIFORNIA
San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hitby rush of patients with the coronavirus
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphologyexhibited by coronaviruses. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
By PAUL SISSON
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San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM]
MAY 19, 2020 | 10:35 PM
SAN DIEGO — Imperial County’s only two hospitals stopped taking COVID-19 patients delivered by
ambulance Tuesday, citing a sudden surge of admissions linked to cross-border traffic originating in
Mexicali.
The announcement, made Tuesday morning on Facebook by Dr. Adolphe Edward, chief executiveofficer of El Centro Regional Medical Center, came as county and state emergency services teams
scrambled to help meet demand.
They immediately sent ambulance strike teams to help transfer patients — some to facilities in San
Diego County — and promised that a mobile field hospital, staffed with state and federal personnel,
should be in place by the end of the week.
It was clear Tuesday evening that El Centro Regional and Pioneers Health Center in Brawley, which
reported having 65 and 28 COVID patients respectively as of Tuesday morning, were not yet
inundated. Edward stressed that both hospitals remain open for non-COVID cases, and the
ambulance diversion of COVID patients was undertaken to preserve the ability to handle emergencies
not related to novel coronavirus.
“We want to make sure that we don’t overwhelm either one of the hospitals to the point that we can’t
take care of you,” Edward said.
San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM]
Both hospitals continue to examine and stabilize all patients who arrive for treatment as required by
the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. However, transfers to other hospitals, including
those in Riverside County, are being scheduled through a state call center if they have COVID
symptoms and need to be admitted to an inpatient unit.
Several healthcare executives in Imperial and San Diego counties said Tuesday that anecdotal reports
linked the surge to hospitals in Mexicali, a city with a population of nearly 700,000, declining to take
additional patients with possible COVID symptoms, instead directing them north of the border.
“We believe they’re coming from Mexicali, but they’re not Mexican nationals, they’re U.S. citizens,”
Edward said.
It’s clear that the effects of the Imperial County activity increase, which local health officials predictedjust a few weeks ago, are already spilling over to San Diego County.
Scripps Health reported receiving five transfers from the east Tuesday, with several more possibly
being transferred soon. UC San Diego Health reported that its hospitals currently have eight COVID
patients with Imperial County ZIP Codes. Five of those were admitted in the past five days, and more
were on the way as of Tuesday night, said Dr. Christopher Longhurst, chief information officer at UC
San Diego Health.
“The current inbound is fluctuating,” Longhurst said.
Kristi Koenig, director of San Diego County’s emergency medical system, confirmed Tuesday night
that an ambulance strike team was sent east Tuesday to help another team already operating in the
Imperial County area, and state and federal agencies are working to move a mobile field hospital
south from Santa Clara to Imperial County. The 125-bed unit was likely to have about 80 beds
available at the outset, she said.
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Koenig, like the other executives involved, said she had not yet received confirmation of exactly what’s
San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM]
going on in Mexico and how the situation south of the border is affecting patient patterns popping
up in Southern California. But based on what was being reported out of Imperial, and on the long-
running amount of elevated COVID activity at South Bay hospitals, the physician said there is reason
to be concerned that the trend may continue.
“From what we can see, it looks really worrisome,” Koenig said.
With 161 beds at El Centro Regional and another 107 not far away at Pioneers, it was clear that the 93
total COVID patients cited Tuesday were not enough to fill up every available bed in Imperial County.
But Kathy Kennerson, chief strategic officer at El Centro Regional, said that capacity is not just about
beds. It’s about having enough medical personnel to staff those beds, and COVID patients, with
requirements for constant donning and doffing of personal protective equipment, demand more
resources.
“It’s challenging to staff in the current situation,” Kennerson said. “We’re trying to get more nurses,
but that is a limited capacity in Imperial County.”
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Larry Lewis, chief executive officer at Pioneers, agreed, saying in an email Tuesday evening that
Imperial County has seen a 48% increase in COVID patients over the past three days, forcing a
scramble for staffing.
“While we have sufficient inpatient ICU and medical-surgical beds, ventilators, negative air space and
equipment to add many more patients, it will take us a little bit of time to assemble additional nursing
and respiratory staff,” Lewis said.
Though San Diego County leaders have asked the federal and state government for additional
resources at the border, the immediate focus is on backstopping Imperial County hospitals, Koenig
said. But lines of communication, she added, remain open.
“We’re monitoring the situation very closely, and we’re in very close contact with the federal
San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM]
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government and with our colleagues at the state,” Koenig said.
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It’s clear that it has only been San Diego County’s larger healthcare systems that have kept Chula
Vista hospitals from filling up.
Chris Van Gorder, chief executive of Scripps Health, said that daily totals from the Border Patrol show
that 70,000 people crossed into San Diego County from Mexico on Monday alone. So far, he said,
Scripps has transferred a total of 56 COVID patients north from Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista.
The news that the average rate of positive COVID tests across San Diego is declining, Van Gorder
said, is belied by what’s going on in the south.
“We’re still seeing an 18% positive rate in Chula Vista,” Van Gorder said.
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5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 1/19
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California is finally winning coronavirus battle, even as deathskeep rising
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5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 2/19
Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks as residents pay tribute to her and her medical personnel during a drive-byrally honoring frontline heroes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic at the Emergency Room entrance to RiversideUniversity Health System in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
By RONG-GONG LIN II, IRIS LEE, SEAN GREENE
MAY 20, 2020 | 5 AM
SAN FRANCISCO — Three months into California’s battle with the coronavirus, there
are growing signs that the outbreak is ebbing even as the state death toll continues to
climb past 3,400.
While deaths remain a stubborn challenge, other metrics analyzed by the Los Angeles
Times show significant progress — enough that even some of the most cautious local
health officials have agreed to begin reopening the economy.
The number of newly identified coronavirus cases across California has declined last
week from the previous week, dropping to 12,229 cases from 13,041 the previous week.
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 3/19
That’s a notable achievement, given the amount of increased testing.
And across California, hospitalizations have dropped more than 15% from its peak six
weeks ago, The Times analysis found.
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5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 5/19
But with many other hopeful signs, Newsom dropped the requirement this week in a
move that will allow many urban counties to reopen much more quickly. A Times data
analysis found that some counties, including Contra Costa, Monterey, Napa, San
Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara and Yolo counties meet two key requirements
needed to move into the next phase of reopening, which includes dine-in restaurants
and shopping malls.
On Tuesday, Napa County said it had received state approval to reopen restaurant
dining rooms and retail stores for in-person shopping; wineries, hair and nail salons
still remain shut, and tourism is not allowed. Sacramento County said it also got a green
light to reopen dine-in restaurants.
“What’s really fantastic about this is that, for right now, our curve is not only flat, but it’s
actually decreasing in terms of number of hospitalizations,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San
Francisco’s director of health. “So this is very hopeful.”
Deaths remain a persistent problem, with an average of 500 Californians dying from
coronavirus infections every week, as is the growing disproportionate toll the disease is
taking on blacks and Latinos. There remains deep worry about a resurgence of disease
in the fall, and officials warn the disease may be with us for the next two years without a
widely available vaccine.
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 4/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom had initially tied reopening counties at a faster pace than the
statewide standard to zero coronavirus deaths over a two-week period, a benchmark
that some hard-hit counties like Los Angeles have little hope of achieving any time soon.
California Health and Human Services Agency
California coronavirus hospitalizationsThe average daily number of hospitalized patients each week has been declining.
0
2,000
4,000
Apr. 7 Apr. 14 Apr. 21 Apr. 28 May 5 May 12
Iris Lee
Intensive care Other patients
Times reporting
New California coronavirus casesThe number of new cases confirmed in the past week declined compared to the week before.
New cases reported by week
0
4000
8000
12000
Mar. 17 Mar. 24 Mar. 31 Apr. 7 Apr. 14 Apr. 21 Apr. 28 May 5 May 12
Iris Lee
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 6/19
But even officials who have taken the earliest, boldest steps to impose stay-at-home
orders are now saying the situation has stabilized enough to permit a slow reopening of
society.
There are two key indicators some officials are increasingly focusing on: hospitalizations
and the percentage of people testing positive.
In Santa Clara County — the home of Silicon Valley and once a national epicenter of the
coronavirus pandemic — in early April, 9% of people tested had positive results for the
coronavirus, a time at which there were fewer than 600 tests a day in Silicon Valley,
health officer Dr. Sara Cody said this week. In recent days, just 1% to 1.5% of people are
testing positive, and the county is now able to receive results from around 1,600 tests a
day.
“Hospitals have capacity... and finally, our testing capacity has also increased,” she said.
Times reporting
California COVID-19 deathsThe number of new deaths each week has remained steady.
New deaths reported by week
0
200
400
Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27 May 4 May 11
Iris Lee
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 7/19
Just last week, Cody warned against easing the stay-at-home order, saying relaxing it
“would see a brisk return of cases, of hospitalizations, and a brisk return of deaths.”
Since then, the number of deaths in Santa Clara County has continued to fall, dropping
to six last week, the lowest weekly tally in 10 weeks.
Source: California Health and Human Services Agency
Santa Clara County coronavirus hospitalizationsThe average daily number of hospitalized patients has declined steadily each week.
0
50
100
150
200
April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12
Iris Lee
Intensive care Other patients
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 8/19
The nine-county Bay Area recorded 43 deaths last week, a slight increase from the
previous week tally of 38, but still below the all-time weekly high of 61 deaths last
month.
On a statewide basis, Newsom this week said the decrease in the state’s hospitalizations
was a factor in loosening requirements counties need to meet to reopen more broadly.
“Remember: the whole purpose of the stay-at home order was to prepare and to
respond in the worst-case scenario,” Newsom said. In recent weeks, testing and the
supply of personal protective equipment is up, and “our capacity to meet surge has
been, I think, advanced.”
Two dozen mostly rural counties in Northern California have already entered a phase of
broader opening some call the Expanded Phase 2, allowing restaurants and retail stores
to legally reopen their doors for inside service in counties like San Benito, just east of
Monterey County.
Times reporting
Santa Clara County COVID-19 deathsNew deaths reported by week
0
10
20
Mar. 9 Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27 May 4 May 11
Los Angeles Times
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 9/19
They met strict criteria issued by the governor on May 7, whose requirements included
no deaths from coronavirus-infected individuals in the past 14 days, and no more than
10 cases per 100,000 residents in that same time period.
Those were just two of many standards Newsom asked counties to meet, and they were
strict: A Times data analysis at the time showed that 95% of California residents lived in
counties that failed those benchmarks.
Newsom’s new standards released Monday abandons the requirement that there be no
COVID-19 deaths in a county within the last 14 days.
Instead, hospitalization data is a key indicator. A county must have stable or falling
hospitalizations.
Hospitalization is considered stable if the average daily increase in patients is under 5%
over the past week. (Smaller counties can meet the standard if they show no more than
20 hospitalizations on any single day in the past two weeks.)
Another key rule measures the rate of disease in a county. A county must either have
less than 8% of people testing positive in the last week, or fewer than 25 new cases per
100,000 residents in the last 14 days.
Newsom estimated 53 of California’s 58 counties could meet these standards.
There are other standards counties must meet to open more broadly. They include a
minimum level of testing capacity, robust disease investigation teams, ample hospital
bed capacity, and plans to prevent or deal with nursing home outbreaks.
San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties are among the counties that are applying to meet
the new standard.
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 10/19
While Ventura County has reported six deaths in the last two weeks, failing the previous
rule, the county said Tuesday just 3.5% have tested positive for the virus in the last
week, and hospitalizations have been declining.
Newsom said counties that likely would not be eligible to enter this accelerated phase of
reopening include two in the San Joaquin Valley: Kings County, home to an outbreak at
a meatpacking plant in Hanford, and Tulare County, where outbreaks in nursing homes
have persisted. Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Tulare County has seen 28
residents die and 116 patients and 61 staff members infected.
Source: California Health and Human Services Agency
Ventura County coronavirus hospitalizationsThe average daily number of hospitalized patients by week
0
20
40
60
80
April 7
6565
April 14
4545
April 21
6464
April 28
4242
May 5
3535
May 12
3030
Iris Lee
Intensive care Other patients
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 11/19
In recent days in Los Angeles County, 9% of people tested for the virus have had
positive results, which fails the state maximum of 8%, said Barbara Ferrer, the director
of public health for Los Angeles County.
The weekly average number of people in L.A. County hospitalized with confirmed or
suspected coronavirus infections has declined in recent weeks.
Times reporting
San Joaquin Valley COVID-19 deathsNew deaths reported by week
0
10
20
30
40
Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27 May 4 May 11
Includes Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties
Los Angeles Times
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 12/19
On Tuesday, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger expressed a goal for a reopening of
L.A. County by July 4, something Ferrer said the county would aim for, but also remains
contingent on what the data says in terms of the progress of the outbreak.
Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious-disease expert at the
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said he thought California was taking
appropriate steps to reopen society safely.
It makes sense to allow places with few cases and sparse population to reopen sooner
than dense, urban places hit hard by the pandemic, said Kim-Farley, a former senior
official for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
“Obviously, we have some tensions that will always exist, some wanting to move faster
than others,” Kim-Farley said. “The idea here of ... trying to all agree on what are the
guideposts along the way and then, let’s open up accordingly ... these phased processes
are a good approach.”
Source: California Health and Human Services Agency
Los Angeles County coronavirus hospitalizationsThe average daily number of hospitalized patients by week
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4 May 11
Iris Lee
Intensive care Other patients
5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/californias-coronavirus-deaths-are-still-a-problem-but-heres-why-officials-still-want-to-reopen 13/19
Which California counties are reopening?
Kim-Farley said officials should increasingly focus public health resources on where the
coronavirus problem is greatest, like nursing homes.
Workers in skilled nursing facilities account for 44% of healthcare workers and first
responders in L.A. County with confirmed coronavirus infections. Kim-Farley said it
would be important, for instance, find ways to pay nursing home workers enough so
they don’t have to work at multiple locations, or paying them enough so they can live at
the facility for a period of time.
For all the focus on the improved numbers, experts still caution that things can get
worse. Outbreaks at institutions like prisons, nursing homes and homeless shelters
could spread to the broader community.
The 1918 flu pandemic saw a second wave of deaths many times worse than the first.
“It’s very easy to have a scenario where there’s more infections, and having more
infections results in overwhelming the health care system,” Ferrer said.
Cases statewide »
83,844confirmed
3,419deaths
As of May 19, 10:30 p.m. Pacific
Lin reported from San Francisco; Lee and Greene from Southern California. Times
staff writers Maura Dolan, Taryn Luna, John Myers, Colleen Shalby and Phil Willon
contributed to this report.
California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/...ches-u-s-says/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[5/20/2020 8:39:56 AM]
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California order discriminates against churches,U.S. says
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California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/...ches-u-s-says/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[5/20/2020 8:39:56 AM]
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |PUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 8:40 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 8:40 p.m.
By Robert Jablon, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES >> The head of the federal Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division told Gov. GavinNewsom Tuesday that his plan to reopen California discriminates against churches.
In a letter to the governor, Eric S. Dreiband said that despite a coronavirus pandemic “that isunprecedented in our lifetimes,” Newsom should allow some in-person worship under the currentsecond phase of his four-part reopening plan.
Restaurants and other secular businesses are being allowed to reopen under social distancing
FILE – In this April 11, 2020, file photo, a person films pastor Nicolas Sanchez, center left, celebrating Easter Vigil Mass at his churchdecorated with candles and pictures sent by his parishioners attached to their pews at St. Patrick Church in North Hollywood, Calif.The head of the federal Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division told Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday, May 19, 2020, that his plan toreopen California discriminates against churches. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
M
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A
By
California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/...ches-u-s-says/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[5/20/2020 8:39:56 AM]
guidelines but not churches, which are limited to online and similar services.
That places an “unfair burden” on them that violates civil rights protections through “unequal treatmentof faith communities,” the letter said.
“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” said theletter.
A message seeking comment from the governor’s office wasn’t immediately returned.
Newsom this week further relaxed guidelines for counties to reopen more businesses closed under hisMarch stay-at-home order that barred nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus.He said churches and other religious institutions could start welcoming back the faithful for in-personservices in the coming weeks.
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California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun
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A few churches have defied the ban on such services and sued to reopen, so far unsuccessfully.
Two Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a resolution to curtail the governor’semergency powers.
Assemblymember Kevin Kiley said the extraordinary powers are for a governor “under conditions ofextreme peril” and “were not meant to give a single person the ability to remake all of California lawindefinitely.”
San Diego County supervisors voted Tuesday to ask the state to allow California’s second-mostpopulous county to be a test case for more rapidly reopening businesses and allowing moregatherings and recreational options, including outdoor religious services with restrictions.
Sacramento County health officials said they received approval from the state Tuesday to acceleratereopening, and the county will allow “drive-through” religious services.
States and local governments have differed on whether houses of worship must meet socialdistancing rules. Some states have provided a degree of exemption for religious activity.
The letter by Dreiband and four U.S. attorneys for California cites a statement issued in April byAttorney General William P. Barr that argued the government can’t impose “special restrictions” onreligious activity. Barr had taken the rare step of filing papers to side with a Mississippi church suingafter several parishioners were ticketed for violating a stay-at-home order by attending drive-inservices.
With federal prosecutors now weighing in, the national debate over how far coronavirus gatheringlimits can go to restrict religion could get even louder. President Donald Trump’s reelection appeal todevout conservative voters rests in part on his vocal advocacy for religious freedom, making the issue
California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/...ches-u-s-says/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[5/20/2020 8:39:56 AM]
a politically potent one for his administration to take up.
The letter to Newsom doesn’t threaten immediate legal action but appears to be a warning to the mostnation’s most populous state. The prosecutors follow a line of argument used in the church lawsuits insaying that the religious groups can provide safe, socially distanced worship.
“Religion and religious worship continue to be central to the lives of millions of Americans. This is truenow more than ever,” the letter said. “Religious communities have rallied to protect their communitiesfrom the spread of this disease by making services available online, in parking lots, or outdoors, byindoor services with a majority of pews empty, and in numerous other creative ways that otherwisecomply with social distancing and sanitation guidelines.”
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Coronavirus: Justice Department warns California over religious rights - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/trump-justice-dept-accuses-california-of-violating-religious-rights-with-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:17:44 AM]
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Coronavirus: Justice Department warns California over religious rights - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/trump-justice-dept-accuses-california-of-violating-religious-rights-with-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:17:44 AM]
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office had no immediate comment on the letter. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)
By MATTHEW ORMSETH, ALEX WIGGLESWORTH
MAY 19, 2020 | 6:09 PM
The measures Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus and his plans to
unwind them may discriminate against religious groups and violate their constitutional rights, the U.S.
Justice Department warned in a letter Tuesday.
In a three-page letter to the governor, Eric S. Dreiband, an assistant attorney general and the head of
the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said Newsom had shown “unequal treatment of faith
communities” in restricting their abilities to gather and ultimately reopen.
“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” Dreiband
wrote.
Newsom’s office had no comment beyond confirming that it had received the letter.
Coronavirus: Justice Department warns California over religious rights - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/trump-justice-dept-accuses-california-of-violating-religious-rights-with-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:17:44 AM]
Dreiband raised issues both with California’s stay-at-home order and Newsom’s plan to roll it back.
While worshipers cannot gather in person, even while following social distancing protocols, California
has deemed employees in the entertainment and e-commerce industries essential and allowed them
to continue working in person, “regardless of whether the product they are selling and shipping are
life-preserving products or not,” Dreiband said.
“This facially discriminates against religious exercise,” he said.
Moreover, Dreiband wrote, the governor has permitted restaurants, shopping malls and offices to
resume operations in the second phase of his plan to reopen California’s economy, but houses of
worship cannot hold in-person services until its third, later phase.
“The Constitution calls for California to do more to accommodate religious worship, including in stage
2 of the reopening plan,” Dreiband said.
In April, the Justice Department intervened in a dispute between a Mississippi church and the city of
Greenville, whose police officers had broken up a service held in the church’s parking lot. At the time,
Atty. Gen. William Barr said religious groups “must not be singled out for special burdens.”
For the most part, religious institutions in California have followed the state’s stay-at-home rules,
canceling services and curtailing in-person contact.
A handful of churches, however, have flouted these rules. In Butte County, public health officials
upbraided a congregation for holding an in-person service for Mother’s Day, defying county orders.
One churchgoer has since tested positive for COVID-19, potentially exposing 180 other attendees to
the virus, according to county officials, who have since tried to track down every attendee and instruct
them to self-quarantine.
“For 7 weeks we have been kept out of our church and away from our church family,” the church’s
pastor, Mike Jacobsen, wrote on Facebook. “I am fully aware that some people may not understand
that for our church it is essential to be together in fellowship.”
Coronavirus: Justice Department warns California over religious rights - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/trump-justice-dept-accuses-california-of-violating-religious-rights-with-coronavirus-restrictions[5/20/2020 8:17:44 AM]
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Several churches and parishioners have asked federal judges to keep Newsom from enforcing the
restrictions on worship. None so far have been successful.
Wendy Gish, a parishioner at the Shield of Faith Family Church in Fontana, had asked a judge in Los
Angeles to strike down the prohibition. “My sincerely held religious belief is that God commands me,
and other believers, to regularly come together to worship him,” Gish said in a declaration.
U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal ruled against her.
“An in-person religious gathering is not analogous to picking up groceries, food or medicine, where
people enter a building quickly, do not engage directly with others except at points of sale, and leave
once the task is complete,” he wrote. “Instead, it is more analogous to attending school or a concert
— activities where people sit together in an enclosed space to share a communal experience.”
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In Sacramento, a federal judge denied a similar request from Cross Culture Christian Center, a church
in Lodi.
“Even in times of health, government officials must often strike the delicate balance between ensuring
public safety and preserving the Constitution’s fundamental guarantees,” U.S. District Judge John A.
Mendez wrote. “But during public health crises, new considerations come to bear, and government
officials must ask whether even fundamental rights must give way to a deeper need to control the
spread of infectious disease and protect the lives of society’s most vulnerable.”
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Justice Department Tells CaliforniaIts Reopening Plan Could DisfavorChurchesWarning marks Trump administration’s latest e�ort to supportthose who say their religious rights have been violated; critics saysuch moves are politically driven
By Sadie GurmanUpdated May 19, 2020 7�12 pm ET
Attorney General William Barr, who has decried a ‘growing ascendancy ofsecularism,’ has drawn praise from conservatives as a champion of religious rights.
PHOTO: OLIVER CONTRERAS�CNP�ZUMA PRESS
Justice Department officials warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom onTuesday that his plan for gradually easing the state’s coronavirus lockdowncould disfavor religious groups.
California’s March stay-home order and another this month outlining plansfor a staggered reopening treat churches and religious services lessfavorably than secular activities, the head of the Justice Department’s civilrights division and the state’s four U.S. attorneys told Mr. Newsom in aletter urging him to adjust the restrictions. The reopening plan, forexample, lets restaurants, factories, malls and other offices operate withsocial-distancing earlier than in-person religious services.
“Whichever level of restrictions you adopt, these civil rights protectionsmandate equal treatment of persons and activities of a secular andreligious nature,” they wrote in the letter, which was viewed by The WallStreet Journal.
The letter is the latest move in a larger effort under Attorney GeneralWilliam Barr to support people and groups who say their religious rightshave been violated. Officials in states that have imposed restrictions saythey are necessary to slow the spread of the disease that as of Tuesday hadled to more than 91,000 deaths nationwide.
The issue has been a priority for President Trump, whose base includes theChristian conservative groups for which Mr. Barr has voiced support. Mr.Trump has also complained about some state and local restrictions, whichhe has said have hindered the economy’s revival.
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Spokespeople for Mr. Newsom didn’t immediately respond to requests forcomment. The governor, a Democrat, has said he would be guided byscience and data in deciding when to reopen the nation’s most populousstate, where at least 3,334 people have died from Covid-19. Californiaofficials have classified houses of worship—along with nail salons,barbershops, gyms and movie theaters—as higher-risk workplaces thatrequire more space between gatherers.
“When the pandemic is over, we do not want to look back on this period oftime and think that we allowed governments to take action to violate ourconstitutional and civil rights,” Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney generalfor the civil rights division said. Mr. Barr last month directed him and thetop federal prosecutor in Detroit to lead a review of coronavirusrestrictions and take action against those they see as going too far.
Justice Department officials said they sent the letter to Mr. Newsom tospark a dialogue with mayors and governors while signaling that thefederal government is closely watching their virus orders.
Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union,which has also supported challenges to some coronavirus restrictions, saidhe welcomes the Justice Department’s scrutiny, but argued it isn’t beingapplied consistently.
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“I once remember a Republican Party that was deferential to states’ rights,but that does not appear to be the philosophy guiding the Barr JusticeDepartment,” Mr. Romero said. “Now you find it’s increasingly scrutinizingthe actions or policies of governors in states that don’t politically align withthe Trump administration.”
Mr. Dreiband said the department’s approach was respectful of localofficials’ broad authority.
Some experts have said some church services raise special concerns aboutthe spread of disease that aren’t as acute in other settings.
“There tends to be a lot of physical contact, handshaking, hugging in faith-based traditions,” said Chris Beyrer, a professor of epidemiology at JohnsHopkins University. “Although you can socially distance, there’s alsosinging, through which a respiratory virus is known to spread.”
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Most churches around the country have opted for virtual services andprograms, though some still want the option for some type of in-personevents, including drive-in services.
The Justice Department has filed what are known as statements of interestin two lawsuits brought by churchgoers who say they were takingnecessary precautions. The statements of interest hold no force of law butrepresent a show of support from the Trump administration.
In Mississippi, the department sided with churchgoers who sued afterbeing ticketed for attending a drive-in service in a parking lot. In Virginia,the department backed with a church suing the state’s Democraticgovernor over his order banning religious services of more than 10 peoplewhile allowing similar gatherings at businesses and stores. The lawsuitalleges the church’s pastor was issued a criminal citation because he held aservice with 16 people in April.
In a filing in response to the Justice Department’s statement, Virginia Gov.Ralph Northam said nothing in his executive order prevented LighthouseFellowship Church from holding in-person gatherings of 10 people or fewer.
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Allowing the church to proceed with more than that would lead to“increased transmission of a deadly disease for which there is currently nocure” and “could easily transform the very services to which people turn forcomfort into the kind of ‘hothouses for the virus’ that have exacerbatedoutbreaks across the country,” the filing said.
Officials said they were looking for other civil rights cases that extendbeyond churches, including those involving the rights to free speech andprotest. Conservative interest groups have also tried to put cases on theirradar.
Mr. Barr’s championing of religious rights has made him a long sought-after ally to many conservatives. Under Mr. Barr, himself a devout Catholic,the Justice Department has also intervened in court cases on behalf ofthose who say their religious rights have been violated and held trainingsfor its lawyers on religious freedom. In speeches in recent months, he haswarned of the “growing ascendancy of secularism” and said that religion,“long an essential pillar of our society, is being driven from the publicsquare.”
“The entire administration to one degree or another engages in this,” saidTony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council and one of Mr. Trump’smost prominent conservative Christian supporters. “But the attorneygeneral is at the tip of the spear.”
Write to Sadie Gurman at [email protected]
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
LIFESTYLE
Can I see my friends yet? What the current coronavirusguidance says
The reopenings have a lot of people wondering: Can I hang out with my friends again now? (Los Angeles Times;
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Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
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By JESSICA ROY | AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
MAY 15, 2020 | 8 AM
Slowly but surely, the restrictions are lifting. More stores are open for pickup. Beaches and hiking trails
are welcoming active sun-seekers again, though not loungers. (Also, good luck finding a parking
spot.)
This flurry of economic activity has a lot of people wondering: Does that mean I can hang out with my
friends?
The short answer is no, not right now. Just because you can go to the beach again does not mean
you can go and share a blanket with your friends just yet.
But it’s not a silly question. While getting together with friends and family is perhaps not as critical to
survival as shelter and food and a way to pay for those things, socialization is an essential part of our
well-being. Isolation is lonely, particularly if you’re quarantining by yourself. And the long days and
warm weather are just calling out for summer fun. Quarantine fatigue is a thing; it’s normal to bechafing at all the new rules and craving social interaction right now.
California and Los Angeles both have websites dedicated to COVID-19 resources that addressessential services, businesses, schools and childcare, but it’s hard to find specific information on when
we might be able to get together in small groups at people’s homes again. (Queries to both the state
and city departments of public health for specific information on social gatherings were not returned.)
CALIFORNIA
Even vigilant Angelenos are fed up with distancing and are bending the rules
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
May 16, 2020
A lot of our actions now and in the near future will need to be guided by common sense —
something that admittedly can feel in short supply. There are ways to socialize that respect our
human need to spend time with our loved ones while reducing the potential risk as much as possible.
They just require some forethought and nuance.
Here’s how you can see other people safely right now, what you can expect as restrictions ease, and
how to assess the potential risk to yourself, the people you live with and the people you want to see.
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What you can do now
As long as you practice physical distancing precautions, you can see your friends. Your faces muststay covered and you have to keep a minimum of six feet between you. Ideally, you should be
outdoors, where there’s better ventilation and the virus is less space-constrained.
The main thing is that you have to agree to follow those rules and best practices to minimize the risk.
Something like putting sanitized lawn chairs at a minimum of six feet apart on your front lawn or
going for a walk while wearing face coverings and maintaining that personal space bubble could be
acceptable if — big if — all involved are willing to strictly obey all social distancing and hygiene
guidelines, said Paula Cannon, a virologist and professor of molecular microbiology and immunology
at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
Keep in mind that the six-foot rule is the minimum, not the maximum, she said. If you can do 10 or 15
feet apart, that’s better than six, particularly if you’re engaging in an exerting activity or speaking
loudly. The more and harder you exhale, the more droplets you’re expelling.
It helps to frame it in “a way that becomes an act of love instead of an act of deprivation,” she said.
You’re not doing these things to deprive yourself of normal interaction. You’re doing this to express
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
that you care about the other person enough to keep them as safe as possible.
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And despite how much you love them, you can’t violate that six-foot boundary at all, even briefly.
Sorry: No hugs.
Hugging “really violates the whole concept of social distancing,” said Dr. David Reuben, the chief of
the division of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “There’s a time for every
purpose under heaven and it’s not the time for hugs.”
What to expect in the near future
As social distancing restrictions begin to ease in the coming weeks and months, smaller gatherings
will be considered safe again. But it’s not a switch that’s going to flip from “wear masks and stay six
feet apart at all times” to “throw a raging house party and invite everyone you’ve ever met.”
Every expert interviewed for this article said the parties of the near future will probably involve fewer
than 10 people total, should be outdoors or as close to it as possible, and you should still expect to be
practicing good hygiene and touching shared surfaces and each other as little as possible.
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So that rager, no. But how about a backyard barbecue with a small group of friends where you make
sure not to share utensils, people wear face coverings when they’re not eating, everyone washes their
hands a lot, the seating is spaced out, and no one crowds around the grill except the chef? We could
see things like that being OKd by as early as the end of June, said Robert Kim-Farley, a professor-in-
residence at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and an infectious disease expert and former
senior official with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. Hugs and handshakes will still not be
advised.
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
CALIFORNIA
L.A. County could keep stay-at-home orders in place well into summer, depending on conditions
May 12, 2020
And yes, if you’ve got a pool, you could use it: Chlorine kills the virus. Keep in mind, though, that
you’re still at risk from other people’s exhalations, as well as from shared surfaces like the pool ladder.
Everyone will need to take proper precautions before getting together. Guests who don’t feel well in
any way — even if it’s the sort of mild sniffles you might ordinarily power through with some over-
the-counter allergy meds — should stay home. Having everyone take their temperature before they
come over isn’t the worst idea in the world, though it isn’t foolproof; you can have the virus and not
have a fever. No single precaution will 100% prevent you from catching the coronavirus, but the more
layers of protection you add, the lower the risk becomes, experts say.
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Think of how many safety features your car has: Seat belts, airbags, bumpers, anti-lock brakes, backup
cameras, an alert when you’re drifting out of your lane. None of those things will singularly prevent all
car accidents or injuries, but used in conjunction they minimize your risk. That’s what you’re doing
when you wash your hands frequently, wear your mask, stay six feet away from others, and monitor
your symptoms and avoid leaving the house when you don’t feel well.
Assessing your risk
Before you decide to socialize, you need to assess the risk to yourself, the people you’re quarantining
with and the people you plan to see. There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
“We’re all going to have to be looking at the spectrum of risk and reward from an individual level to
ultimately a societal level,” Kim-Farley said.
If you are in a high-risk group for adverse effects from the coronavirus, you should keep that in mind
when you’re deciding whether to RSVP to a pool party. Similarly, if you’re healthy and at low risk but
live with someone who isn’t, it might be better to put off getting together until more time has passed.
And while many of us wish we could be with our older relatives now more than ever, you can pass the
virus to them without ever realizing you were contagious. Err on the side of caution whenever
possible.
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Another thing to keep in mind, he said: “The road to recovery won’t necessarily be a straight line. At
some point, if cases of the virus start to increase too quickly, we might revert back to a previous stage
of the road map, which could include having to cancel your party plans.”
SCIENCE
So you really want to see your friends? Here’s how to assess the risk
May 16, 2020
Kim-Farley also pointed out that we won’t necessarily have to wait for a vaccine to feel even semi-
normal again. Interventions like remdesivir aren’t a cure for the coronavirus, but if doctors andscientists are able to discover that an existing medication like that improves outcomes for high-risk
patients, it could be enough protection to warrant easing restrictions faster. He compared it to how
nursing homes often administer Tamiflu proactively to residents in nursing homes that have a single
case of the flu to prevent it from spreading. Most experts think we will likely see a vaccine within the
next 12-18 months, but could find the coronavirus’ Tamiflu a lot sooner than that.
Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM]
Ultimately, try to remember this: It won’t be this way forever. All of this is temporary. There will be
another summer when you can go to a Dodgers game and the Hollywood Bowl and throw a massiveparty for the Fourth of July where you pull in every guest for an extended hug. The best way to make
that happen as soon as possible is to follow the guidance that’s out there now.
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LIFESTYLE THINGS TO DO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC WELLNESS
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As Reopening Starts, Americans Expect Recovery to Take YearsEven those financially unaffected by the coronavirus shutdown donʼt foresee a rapid rebound for the economy, a Times survey finds.
By Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley
May 20, 2020, 10:57 a.m. ET
Businesses are beginning to reopen and new coronavirus cases are declining, but Americans don’t expect life — or the economy — toreturn to normal any time soon.
Only one in five Americans expects overall business conditions to be “very” or “somewhat” good over the next year, according to a pollconducted this month for The New York Times by the online research platform SurveyMonkey. Sixty percent said they expected the nextfive years to be characterized by “periods of widespread unemployment or depression.”
Those numbers are little changed from a month earlier, and may even reflect a slight decline in outlook, signaling that the reopenings andfederal and state political moves to deal with the pandemic have had little impact on confidence.
Other data tells a similar story. A survey from the University of Michigan last week found that consumers’ assessment of currenteconomic conditions had improved modestly in early May, but that their view of the future had continued to darken.
Consumers have good reason for that pessimism. Economists, who once expected a swift, “V-shaped” recovery, now say unemployment islikely to remain elevated for years. In testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, andSteven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, both warned that further job losses were likely — although they disagreed sharply about the bestpolicies to foster growth.
Consumers’ bleak outlook, however justified, could have serious implications for the economic recovery. If Americans fear that their jobsare in jeopardy or that business will remain slow, they may be less likely to spend even if their personal finances are stable.
Emily Williams, a financial analyst for a mortgage servicing company in South Carolina, has been able to do her job remotely. Herhusband, who sells tires for construction equipment, has lost some work, but they have saved money on day care now that both are athome.
Ms. Williams is cautiously optimistic about the prospects for an economic recovery, which she thinks will be faster than after the 2008-9recession. But she and her husband are saving money and preparing for the worst.
“Obviously we’re very thankful for our situation, but it also makes us kind of cautious,” she said. “We’re making sure that we save, becausewe don’t know what’s going to happen, especially with my husband’s job. We’re kind of preparing in case we later are impacted.”
Among those surveyed who were working before the pandemic, about one in 10 had lost their jobs in the last two months, and roughly one-third had had their hours cut or otherwise lost income. Of those who had kept their jobs, about one in three were at least somewhatworried about losing them.
Democrats are more pessimistic than Republicans, as they have been throughout President Trump’s term. But confidence has fallensharply among members of both parties. In February, before the coronavirus outbreak began to spread widely in the United States, nearly80 percent of Republicans said they expected business conditions over the next year to be good; in May, just 35 percent said so. AmongDemocrats, that share fell to 8 percent from 18 percent.
Perhaps the starkest divide, however, is between those who have already lost jobs and those who have been relatively unaffected by thepandemic’s economic toll.
Among those who have kept their job and their hours, more than 80 percent say their finances are at least as good as a year ago. They arerelatively unconcerned about the health risks of returning to work. Most are confident that their finances will remain steady over the nextyear, even as they worry about the broader economy.
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Americans expect ʻwidespread unemployment or depressionʼ lasting years.•
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For those who have lost their jobs, however, the picture is different. Two-thirds say their finances have taken a hit, and most don’t expecttheir situation to improve over the next year. Many are skeptical that they will quickly find a new job, and are worried about the healthrisks if they do return to work. And despite the federal government’s steps to expand access to unemployment benefits during the crisis,most were not yet receiving benefits as of early May.
Eve Gutierrez, a massage therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been unable to work since mid-March, when the pandemic shutdown massage studios and other in-person businesses.
Ms. Gutierrez, 39, is self-employed, meaning she wouldn’t ordinarily qualify for unemployment benefits. The congressional aid packageextended the system to cover workers like her. But she has yet to receive a check. She has been borrowing from her brother to pay rentand meet other expenses.
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After 12 years as a full-time massage therapist, Eve Gutierrez has been unable to worksince mid-March. Felix Uribe for The New York Times
“There’s a lot of frustration,” she said. Without her brother, “I don’t know what I would have done.”
Ms. Gutierrez is optimistic that she’ll collect unemployment benefits. But they will be a stopgap. Massage studios fall under Phase 3 ofCalifornia’s reopening plan, meaning it could be weeks or months before they are allowed to reopen in big cities.
Even then, Ms. Gutierrez doesn’t know what business will look like. The massage therapy business in the Bay Area has thrived in recentyears, in part because tech firms have offered in-office chair massages to their workers. Now those programs are suspended, and evenwhen offices reopen, it isn’t clear whether companies will bring massages back in what is likely to be an era of cost-cutting.
Ms. Gutierrez said that after 12 years as a full-time massage therapist, she would probably have to find other work. But that, too, isdaunting, with millions of other people unemployed.
“It’s definitely unsettling,” she said.
For workers who have kept their jobs and are able to work from home, the experience has been different. They have kept their incomes,and in many cases their expenses have fallen, leaving them in better financial shape than before the crisis.
Logynn Hailley lives in Austin, Texas, and works as an artist for a company that makes games like slot machines for mobile phones — arare example of a business that is thriving at a time of stay-at-home orders. She has received three job offers since the pandemic began.
Ms. Hailley’s life has changed in recent months, but it isn’t necessarily worse. She is working from home, doing yoga in the morning inplace of her commute and cooking at home instead of eating out. Her only outings have been a handful of trips to the grocery store.
“Other than that, my car hasn’t left the driveway, and I haven’t missed it personally at all,” she said.
Ms. Hailley, 40, said she felt fortunate, and a bit uncomfortable with how little she had been affected. She knows people who have lost jobsor gotten sick. She worries that states — including Texas — are opening up too quickly. She has stepped up her charitable giving.
“I definitely have some survivor’s guilt,” she said. The pandemic, she added, “is absolutely horrifying, and I have nothing to worry about,and I’ve been doing really well financially.”
About the survey: The data in this article came from an online survey of 5,733 adults conducted by the polling firm SurveyMonkey from May 4 to May 10. The companyselected respondents at random from the nearly three million people who take surveys on its platform each day. Responses were weighted to match the demographic profile ofthe population of the United States. The survey has a modeled error estimate (similar to a margin of error in a standard telephone poll) of plus or minus two percentage points,so differences of less than that amount are statistically insignificant.
U.S. states and governments around the world are trying to revive their economies aftermonths of shutdowns, as they take tentative steps to ease restrictions imposed to combat thespread of the coronavirus.
State governments in the U.S. estimate the collective expense of fighting the pandemic at some$45 billion, which most want the federal government to repay in full, rather than be reimbursedat the 75% rate allowed under the law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
Nearly 1.53 million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and almost92,000 deaths have been recorded, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.World-wide, there are some 4.9 million confirmed infections, and more than 323,000 reporteddeaths.
Experts caution that official numbers likely understate the extent of the pandemic in partbecause of limited and differing testing capabilities for the virus.
Slight declines in new cases in some states have prompted governors from New York to Ohio toreopen services—to varying extents—including restaurants, churches and schools. All 50 states
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-05�20�2020�11589963481
WORLD
States Step Up Reopenings, Hoping to LimitEconomic DamageSlight declines in new cases prompt governors to allow some places to reopen, including restaurants,churches and schools
By Talal Ansari and Updated May 20, 2020 11�21 am ET
Bojan Pancevski
THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS
Johns Hopkins: U.S. cases near 1.53 million; deaths near 92,000
Johns Hopkins: About 4.9 million con�irmed infections world-wide; deaths above 323,000
Germany moves to secure its coronavirus-drug production from foreign attempts to acquire Germancompanies working on vaccines
State governments estimate that �ighting the pandemic has cost about $45 billion
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have started easing restrictions in some form, with Connecticut set to loosen its statewidecurbs Wednesday.
Beach towns across America are grappling with remaining restrictions as they move into theirmost important season. From Ocean City, Md., to the Jersey Shore to Cape Cod, the windowbetween Memorial Day and Labor Day is make or break for hotels, restaurants, arcades and T-shirt shops.
Public-health experts say that to reopen safely, communities need widespread testing andcontact-tracing systems to find people who have come into contact with positive cases.
In Michigan, where stay-at-home restrictions remain in place but will begin to ease Friday,flooding in Midland County forced thousands to flee their homes after two dams breached. Gov.Gretchen Whitmer issued a state of emergency on Tuesday night.
“To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable,” the Democratsaid. She encouraged people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing to thebest of their ability.
As states begin to reopen, issues that had faded to the background are coming to the fore,including elections.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, also a Democrat, said Tuesday that all registeredvoters would receive applications for absentee ballots in the mail ahead of the state’s Augustprimary and November general elections.
Lockdown restrictions across the U.S. begin to ease. Above, the San Diego skyline on Coronado,Calif. on May 19.PHOTO: GREGORY BULL�ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Trumpthreatened to withhold federal funding from the state because of the move.“This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask tohold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” Mr. Trump said onTwitter Wednesday morning.
While researchers have found rare instances of absentee-voter fraud, studies show it isn’twidespread.
Georgia, Iowa, and West Virginia have also all recently chosen to automatically send absentee-ballot applications to voters. In Texas, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that voters who want tovote by mail because of the pandemic would be allowed to do so in the November elections. Thestate’s attorney general, a Republican, said he plans to appeal the decision.
The U.S. is racing to develop a vaccine, moving quickly to fund the Biomedical AdvancedResearch and Development Authority, a government organization set up in 2006 to deal withbiological threats. The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package signed by President Trump inMarch included $3.5 billion for Barda to support the manufacturing, production and purchaseof vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for Covid-19, a sum that has outpaced similar efforts inEurope.
European pharmaceutical giants including Sanofi SA have also been working to develop avaccine, though it isn’t clear to what extent European governments would fund those efforts.The European Union has contributed €1.4 billion ($1.53 billion) to the Coronavirus GlobalResponse, a fund it leads, to develop treatments.
Germany moved Wednesday to secure its own production of medical equipment and drugs,following reports that foreign investors and governments had attempted to acquire Germancompanies working on coronavirus vaccines.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government tightened a regulation that enables it to veto takeoverbids for German health-care companies. Regulators will be able to probe a takeover bid from
UNDERSTANDING CORONAVIRUS »
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outside the European Union when an investor seeks to purchase over 10% of a German health-care-relevant company’s shares. The bar for government intervention had been 25%.
The German government also moved to curb a string of coronavirus outbreaks inslaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, imposing a ban on subcontracting, tougher hygieneinspection regimes and higher fines for breaching these rules.
Other countries allowing businesses and schools to reopen are taking new precautions as wellto mitigate a return to growth of coronavirus infections.
As Spain’s strict lockdown unwinds, the government starting Thursday will require anyoneover age 6 to wear face masks outdoors or in any closed space that is for public use, exceptwhen it is possible to keep a safe two-meter (about 6 1/2 2 feet) distance from others.
In France, the government asked citizens and permanent residents returning from outsideEurope to voluntarily submit to a 14-day quarantine. Health authorities said there were nosigns of rising infection rates nine days after restrictions began easing in the country but theyurged people to remain cautious and get tested immediately if they show symptoms.
But there is no clear indication that the pandemic is retreating world-wide. Brazil posted arecord daily high of 1,179 fatalities on Tuesday. The South American nation now has the world’sthird-largest total of confirmed infections, with more than 271,000. Medical experts say thenumbers there are not likely to peak until June.
Iran on Wednesday reported 2,346 new cases, the most in a day since the government began aslow reopening of society in mid-April. India also recorded a new daily high, with 5,611confirmed cases on Tuesday.
Russia’s confirmed number of cases, the highest in the world after the U.S., saw its smallestdaily increase since May 1, as 8,764 infections reported overnight pushed the total past300,000.
A fresh outbreak in China’s northeast, meanwhile, has driven the government to reimposelockdown conditions across a number of cities in the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning andHeilongjiang. After weeks of zero infections in Jilin, there are now more than 30 cases since
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early May, in addition to four new domestically transmitted cases authorities reportedWednesday.
Write to Talal Ansari at [email protected] and Bojan Pancevski [email protected]
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As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA
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As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/as-lockdowns-ease-some-states-accused-of-fudging-or-bungling-covid-19-data-to-make-virus-appear-more-under-control/?taid=5ec515b2aa4703000103c1f8&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter[5/20/2020 8:29:29 AM]
A worker paints a woman’s nails at a nail salon amid the coronavirus pandemic in Austin, Texas, on May 8, 2020, following a slow reopening of the economy. (Sergio Flores / AFP / Getty Images)
Public health officials in some states are accused of bungling coronavirus infection statistics or even using a little sleight of hand to deliberately make
things look better than they are.
The risk is that politicians, business owners and ordinary Americans who are making decisions about lockdowns, reopenings and other day-to-day
matters could be left with the impression that the virus is under more control than it actually is.
In Virginia, Texas and Vermont, for example, officials said they have been combining the results of viral tests, which show an active infection, with
antibody tests, which show a past infection. Public health experts say that can make for impressive-looking testing totals but does not give a true picture
of how the virus is spreading.
In Florida, the data scientist who developed the state’s coronavirus dashboard, Rebekah Jones, said this week that she was fired for refusing to
manipulate data “to drum up support for the plan to reopen.” Calls to health officials for comment were not immediately returned Tuesday.
by: Associated Press
Posted: May 19, 2020 / 08:42 PM PDT / Updated: May 19, 2020 / 08:42 PM PDT
As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/as-lockdowns-ease-some-states-accused-of-fudging-or-bungling-covid-19-data-to-make-virus-appear-more-under-control/?taid=5ec515b2aa4703000103c1f8&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter[5/20/2020 8:29:29 AM]
In Georgia, one of the earliest states to ease up on lockdowns and assure the public it was safe to go out again, the Department of Public Health
published a graph around May 11 that showed new COVID-19 cases declining over time in the most severely affected counties. The daily entries,
however, were not arranged in chronological order but in descending order.
For example, the May 7 totals came right before April 26, which was followed by May 3. A quick look at the graph made it appear as if the decline was
smoother than it really was. The graph was taken down within about a day.
Georgia state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat with a doctorate in microbiology, said the graph was a “prime example of malfeasance.”
“Sadly it feels like there’s been an attempt to make the data fit the narrative, and that’s not how data works,” she said.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s office denied there was any attempt to deceive the public.
Guidelines from the Trump administration say that before states begin reopening, they should see a 14-day downward trend in infections. However,
some states have reopened when infections were still climbing or had plateaued. States have also been instructed to expand testing and contact tracing.
The U.S. has recorded 1.5 million confirmed infections and over 90,000 deaths.
Vermont and Virginia said they stopped combining the two types of tests in the past few days. Still, health officials in Virginia, where Democratic Gov.
Ralph Northam has eased up on restrictions, said that combining the numbers caused “no difference in overall trends.”
In Texas, where health officials said last week that they were including some antibody results in their testing totals and case counts, Republican Gov.
Greg Abbott said Monday that the numbers were not being commingled. Health officials did not respond to requests for clarification.
Georgia’s Department of Public Health also regularly publishes a graph that shows cases over time, except new infections are not listed on the day they
came back positive, which is the practice in many other states. Instead, Georgia lists new cases on the day the patient first reported symptoms.
That practice can shift the timeline of the outbreak and make it appear as if the state is moving past the peak.
Kemp spokesperson Candice Broce insisted that the governor’s office is not telling the department what to do and that officials are not trying to dress up
the data to make Kemp look better, saying that “could not be further from the truth.”
As for the May 11 graph, Broce said public health officials were trying to highlight which days had seen the highest peaks of infections. “It was not
intended to mislead,” Broce said Tuesday. “It was always intended to be helpful.”
Thomas Tsai, a professor at the Harvard Global Health Institute, said the way Georgia reports data makes it harder to understand what the current
conditions are, and he worries that other states may also be presenting data in a way that doesn’t capture the most up-to-date information.
Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said a lot of these cases are not necessarily the result of any attempt to
fool the public. For example, she said, states may not have updated information systems that allow them to tell the difference between an antibody test
and a viral test.
Still, if states are mixing a lot of testing numbers together, “you’re not going to be able to make good decisions about reopening and about what level of
disease you have in the community,” Nuzzo said.
As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA
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In other developments, the White House scrambled to defend President Donald Trump’s decision to use the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to fend
off the coronavirus. The drug is unproven against the virus, and the president’s move spurred fears that many Americans might start using the
medication, which carries potentially fatal side effects.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany emphasized that “any use of hydroxychloroquine has to be in consultation with your doctor.”
About 4.9 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected by the virus, and about 320,000 deaths have been recorded, according to a tally by
Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is low.
Russia and Brazil are now behind only the United States in the number of reported infections, and cases are also spiking in such places as India, South
Africa and Mexico.
New hot spots emerged Tuesday in Russia, and the country recorded nearly 9,300 new infections in 24 hours, bringing the total to almost 300,000,
about half of them in Moscow. Authorities say over 2,800 people with COVID-19 have died in Russia, but some say the number is surely higher than
that.
President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has sunk to 59%, the lowest in the two decades he has been in power, Russia’s independent pollster Levada
Center reported. The plunge reflects growing mistrust and uncertainty among the public, Levada said.
Some experts argue Russian authorities have been listing chronic illnesses as the cause of death for many who tested positive for the virus. Officials
angrily deny manipulating statistics, saying Russia’s low death toll reflects early preventive measures and broad screening.
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Some scientists looking for ways to prevent a return to exponential growth in coronavirusinfections after lockdowns are lifted are zeroing in on a new approach: focus on avoidingsuperspreading events.
The theory is that banning mass public events where hundreds of attendees can infectthemselves in the space of a few hours, along with other measures such as wearing face masks,might slow the pace of the new coronavirus’s progression to a manageable level even as shopsand factories reopen.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/superspreader-events-o�er-clue-on-curbing-coronavirus-11589977873
WORLD
Superspreader Events Offer a Clue onCurbing CoronavirusSome scientists think banning mass gatherings may be enough to keep the pandemic in check
A subway commute put Brazilians in close quarters in São Paulo last week.PHOTO: BRUNO ROCHA�ZUMA PRESS
By Updated May 20, 2020 9�28 am ET
Bojan Pancevski
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Researchers believe that the explosive growth of coronavirus infections that overwhelmedhospitals in some countries was primarily driven by such events earlier this year—horse racesin Britain, carnival festivities in the U.S. and Germany or a soccer match in Italy.
The study of superspreading events could help scientists better understand how the virus canpropagate in crowded conditions—in offices, schools, churches, gyms and public transportation—and guide governments in regulating such public occasions as weddings, trade conferencesand sports games.
There is little doubt about the mechanisms involved in superspreading events. A studypublished by the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. last week found that one minute ofloud speech was enough to produce thousands of droplets that remain airborne for about 12minutes, potentially able to infect anyone in the area. Similar studies have shown that virus-laden aerosols, particles smaller than droplets, can levitate for hours after being released inindoors spaces.
A more surprising finding is that mass infections tend to be more serious than those contractedin other circumstances, perhaps because of sustained exposure to a larger amount of virus.
“Most cases globally, and especially most deaths, happened after superspreading events,” saidHendrik Streeck, a virologist with the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, who published theworld-wide first study of a coronavirus superspreading event.
His research into the outbreak in the western county of Heinsberg, which in March became acenter of the epidemic in Germany, established that the infection spread across the region likewildfire after around 400 people took part in a traditional carnival party. They drank, sang,kissed and danced for several hours in a large hall on Feb. 15.
The people who attended not only got infected and then spread the virus across the county, butalso showed stronger symptoms and a comparatively severe illness, Dr. Streeck says—possiblybecause they received a higher load of the virus from close and prolonged exposure. Weekslater, thousands were infected across the region and dozens died.
Superspreading events exist in many infectious diseases, but with Covid-19 they are especiallydangerous because the virus has a longer period of incubation in which patients show nosymptoms but can infect others. Sars and MERS, two other deadly coronaviruses that producedsmaller global outbreaks in recent years, were also driven by superspreading events, researchhas shown.
The Mardi Gras festivities in Louisiana, a choir practice in Skagit County, Washington and ameeting of executives of the Biogen drug company near Boston are among the one-off eventsscientists think helped give the pandemic a fateful boost.
U.S. meatpacking plants, where hundreds have become infected, have also emerged assuperspreading sites: counties with or near meatpacking plants have been found to have nearlytwice as many Covid-19 cases as the national average, according to an analysis by theEnvironmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization.
In April, Blaine County in Idaho became one of America’s coronavirus hot spots when hundredsof people tested positive following an apres-ski party. Smaller events like weddings, parties andfunerals have also served to turbocharge contagion. In one case, an infected individual visited afuneral and a birthday party within three days in February, spreading the virus to 16 people,three of whom died.
“It is now pretty clear that large groups of people close together are good opportunities tospread the virus,’’ said Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. ChanSchool of Public Health.
The experience of several European countries seems to confirm the special role played bysuperspreading events. Over the past four weeks, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway
Bourbon Street was a sea of humanity on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans on Feb. 25.PHOTO: RUSTY COSTANZA�ASSOCIATED PRESS
and other countries that have exited early from lockdowns have removed most restrictions onpublic life except those targeting mass gatherings. So far, new infections have remained lowand constant. Sweden, which never had a mandatory lockdown, managed to control and thenreduce the spread by relying on only one restrictive measure: prohibiting gatherings of over 50people.
One remaining question mark regards schools. While no country where schools have reopenedhas so far reported a sharp increase in infections, some scientists fear schools could act asaccelerators for the pandemic.
Sars, another coronavirus that originated in China and is genetically near-identical to Covid-19,briefly spread world-wide in 2003 after a guest at the Metropole Hotel in Hong Kong infectedinternational visitors who then spread the disease across continents, according to ProfessorMichael Small, a lecturer in applied mathematics at the University of Western Australia.
Prof. Small, who holds the Chair in Complex Engineering Systems at CSIRO, the country’snational science agency, studied both coronavirus outbreaks and says the lesson is thatauthorities must curb all gatherings of more than 100 people.
“This could well be the end of the open-plan office,” he said. “You can see it clearly from thedata in many, many places: superspreading events cause bursts of infection that fuelexponential growth, but that can very quickly be reduced to linear growth if you limit the massgathering of people.”
His modeling shows that lockdowns could be replaced by targeted measures with a muchsmaller economic impact, such as banning mass events, asking a significant number of white-collar workers to work from home and encouraging widespread use of smartphone contact-tracing apps.
What about crowded subways and commuter trains? Prof. Small is confident that the use ofsubways during rush-hour is certain to turn into a super-spreading event.
When London authorities reduced the number of subway trains in March—causing greatercrowding than usual—they created superspreading conditions, said Prof. Michael Levitt, aStanford lecturer and Nobel Prize laureate. He advocates the use of face masks and regular
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testing of bus drivers, shopkeepers and delivery couriers. Bars should also be regulated, hesaid, because loud music there forces patrons to speak louder.
In Britain, which has one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in the world, authorities allowed fora series of mass events to take place in March, including large-scale concerts, soccer games andhorse races. George Batchelor, director of Edge Health, a data analytics firm that works withBritain’s health-care provider, thinks those gatherings prompted a significant increase inhospitalizations and mortality related to Covid-19 in the respective regions. He studied twosoccer matches and a horse race—all of which took place outdoors, preceded and followed bythe mass use of public transport and visits to bars and pubs.
“It would seem very unwise to allow for any such events any time soon,” Mr. Batchelor said.
Some of the lessons from the research are already being applied. In Germany, choral singinghas been banned from religious services and Bundesliga soccer games are taking place withoutspectators, while churches in Britain are considering a ticket system to avoid crowding.
Austria will allow cultural events, such as concerts with up to 1,000 visitors, under strictsecurity measures starting from August, while clubs and nightlife venues will remain closed, agovernment spokesman said, after outbreaks in such establishments in South Korea. A studypublished this week found that banning mass gatherings had the biggest contribution tobringing the epidemic under control in Germany.
Superspreading events could even reignite the epidemic when the situation appears undercontrol, said Prof. Cristopher Moore, a physicist with the Santa Fe Institute.
Dr. Streeck, the German virologist, agrees. While most experts expect a deadly second wave ofcoronavirus infections in the fall, he thinks a sharper focus on preventing superspreadingevents and vigilant monitoring could help avoid such a scenario.
“We are all conducting experiments in our countries—no one knows how to do this right,” hesaid.
Write to Bojan Pancevski at [email protected]
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San Bernardino could soon move long-stalled Arden-Guthrie development forward – San Bernardino Sun
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LOCAL NEWS
San Bernardino could soon move long-stalledArden-Guthrie development forwardThe 17.4-acre site southwest of East Highland and Arden avenues has satvacant for years
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San Bernardino could soon move long-stalled Arden-Guthrie development forward – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/...ment-forward/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[5/19/2020 1:15:19 PM]
By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunPUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 1:10 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 1:11 p.m.
San Bernardino is on the cusp of selling more than 17 acres of vacant land on the eastside of town tomove the long-stalled development of a community shopping center forward.
Initiated nearly two decades ago, the Arden-Guthrie project was to redevelop underutilized property inone of the city’s most crime-plagued neighborhoods to create jobs for low- to moderate-incomeresidents.
The 17.4-acre site southwest of East Highland and Arden avenues has sat vacant for years, however,as the statewide dissolution of redevelopment agencies in 2012 and ultimate loss of Home Depot asthe anchor tenant stalled development.
Dry vegetation and patches of sunflowers are seen on a vacant lot at the intersection Highland and Arden avenues near the 210Freeway in San Bernardino, California, on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. San Bernardino is on the cusp of selling the 17-plus acres of landto the developer of the long-stalled Arden-Guthrie project. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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San Bernardino could soon move long-stalled Arden-Guthrie development forward – San Bernardino Sun
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All the while, San Bernardino has been using a portion of annual Community Development BlockGrant funds to pay down debt on a $7 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentloan obtained in 2006 to help acquire the 7th Ward property, relocate residents and demolishstructures and roadways.
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San Bernardino could soon move long-stalled Arden-Guthrie development forward – San Bernardino Sun
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Long-stalled Arden-Guthrie project in SanBernardino has 3 months to find retailers
Redevelopment work more controversialin San Bernardino than elsewhere
Arden Guthrie nightmare
Arden-Guthrie plan a recipe for disaster
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Since Home Depot dropped out of the project three years ago, Redlands-based Mark Developmenthas been forging ahead in fits and starts, and now appears ready to purchase the property for $4.5million. According to a staff report prepared for the City Council meeting Wednesday, May 20, theproceeds of the sale would pay off the remaining balance on the HUD loan by the anticipated close ofescrow in 2021.
The sale, city staffers say, would free up yearly Community Development Block Grant funds for otherprojects around town.
Construction at the site, meanwhile, could begin as early as October 2021 and conclude in late 2022.
Mark Development already has secured interest fromnational credit tenants and a national hotelier, according tothe staff report. About 215 full-time jobs are expected atbuild-out, of which no fewer than 109 will be made availableto low- to- moderate-income residents.
The City Council meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday via webconference.
5 of 5Dry vegetation and patches of sunflowers are seen on a vacant lot at the intersection Highland and Arden avenues near the 210 Freeway in SanBernardino, California, on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. San Bernardino is on the cusp of selling the 17-plus acres of land to the developer of the long-stalled Arden-Guthrie project. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
By Martin Estacio Staff Writer Posted May 19, 2020 at 4:27 PM
VICTORVILLE — Investigators are conducting a homicide investigation afteremergency personnel responded to a local motel Monday night to what wasinitially dispatched as an assault.
Mara Rodriguez, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’sDepartment’s Victorville station, confirmed a murder had occurred at the Motel6 in the 16800 block of Stoddard Wells Road but said no further information wasbeing released.
According to freelance videographer Lewis Busch, who was at the scene, CPRwas performed on a victim in a second-floor room of the motel.
He said paramedics performed the life-saving procedure for at least 20 minutesbefore taking the person to an ambulance.
Busch said he could not tell if the person was a man or a woman.
Sheri� ’s investigating homicide at Victorville
motel
The Sheriff’s Dispatch log shows a call went out for a “187,” the penal code formurder, at 8:43 p.m.
Busch said firefighters were first dispatched for an assault at the motel. He saidthe dispatch log’s call also initially showed the call as a robbery.
Martin Estacio may be reached at [email protected] or at 760-955-5358.
Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.
Search for white semi-truck underway after fatal-hit-run in Ontario – San Bernardino Sun
https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/19/search-for-white-semi-truck-underway-after-fatal-hit-run-in-ontario/[5/20/2020 8:52:23 AM]
By JONAH VALDEZ | [email protected] | San Gabriel Valley TribunePUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 9:34 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 9:34 p.m.
Police are searching for the driver of a white semi-truck who drove away after colliding with a whitesedan in Ontario on Tuesday afternoon. The sedan driver died in the collision.
The collision took place about 1:29 p.m. in the intersection of Airport Drive and Terminal Way in frontof Ontario International Airport, the Ontario Police Department said in a news release.
NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY
Search for white semi-truck underway after fatal-hit-run in Ontario
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Search for white semi-truck underway after fatal-hit-run in Ontario – San Bernardino Sun
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After the crash, the white semi-truck continued traveling and left the scene, police said.
Police described the suspect’s vehicle as a white semi-truck with a sleeper cab, towing a 53-foottrailer. The trailer is missing its metal rear guard, police said.
Police are searching for the driver of a white semi-truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run with a white sedan on Tuesday, May 19, 2020,in Ontario. A nearby security camera captured images of the semi-truck. (Courtesy of Ontario Police Department)
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Search for white semi-truck underway after fatal-hit-run in Ontario – San Bernardino Sun
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Chino man arrested in fatal street-racingcrash in Ontario
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The driver who died in the crash was not immediately publicly identified.
Police urged the public to call their department at 909-986-6711 with information about the crash orthe driver’s identity.
For anonymous tips, callers were directed to call 800-78-CRIME.
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LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
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L.A. Fire Department to inspect vape and smoke shopsafter downtown explosion
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LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
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Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department investigate the scene of a fiery explosion on Boyd Street in thedowntown Los Angeles that injured 12 firefighters and damaged buildings and fire equipment. (Gary Coronado/ Los Angeles Times)
By RICHARD WINTON, JAMES QUEALLY
MAY 20, 2020 | 8 AM
The Los Angeles Fire Department will launch a citywide review of the way certain businesses store
volatile materials after an explosion seriously injured several firefighters in a downtown corridor that
some consider a haven for supplies used in the creation of unlicensed cannabis products.
Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said Tuesday that every fire station in Los Angeles will work to identify
businesses similar to Smoke Tokes, an East 3rd Street wholesaler that went up in flames Saturday
night.
An explosion there left a dozen firefighters injured, including several who were severely burned.
Carbon dioxide and butane canisters were found inside the building, though investigators have yet to
determine the cause of the blaze, authorities said.
“Those types of businesses pose a threat to the people who work there, the public that goes there,
and firefighters if they have to respond there,” Terrazas said.
The review will involve each fire station in the city identifying businesses that store volatile chemicals
and ensuring they are stored properly. Those businesses are required to display a diamond placard,
LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
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which would alert emergency personnel that there are potentially flammable and hazardous materials
inside.
Smoke Tokes did not have such a placard, which is normally issued by the city after an inspector
confirms the business is housing volatile materials properly, the chief said. In Los Angeles, there is a
permit system for the storage of large quantities of flammable gases, and proprietors are required to
document what they have on site.
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“We have 106 fire stations. We will canvass the city. We will identify the businesses. We will transmit
that information to the fire prevention bureau, and then we start inspecting them all,” Terrazas said of
the review, which will be launched upon completion of the investigation into the downtown blast.
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The investigation into the explosion is likely to take several weeks. Attempts to contact the owner of
Smoke Tokes have been unsuccessful.
The explosion Saturday night damaged several storefronts, melted fire helmets and left one firetruck
burned and covered in debris. A Fire Department spokesman said firefighters fled the building having
suffered burns and ran through a fireball to escape.
Investigators are trying to determine what drove the intensity and ferocity of the flames, the size of
which Terrazas said was abnormal.
LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/l-a-fire-department-to-inspect-smoke-shops-after-downtown-explosion[5/20/2020 8:31:20 AM]
“That very unusual fire behavior presents a new threat to our firefighters and to the public, to the
people who work in those businesses and facilities,” he said after watching footage that captured
what were believed to be fire’s most intense moments.
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Three firefighters remain hospitalized, according to Terrazas. Capt. Victor Aguirre suffered third-
degree burns and has a “long road to recovery,” the chief said. A GoFundMe campaign to aid in hisrecovery has already raised more than $150,000.
The explosion happened in the heart of a downtown business district that some police officers have
nicknamed “bong row” because of the concentration of retailers selling rolling papers, butane and
other supplies associated with vaping, tobacco and the extraction of THC for marijuana vape
cartridges.
Smoke Tokes is not a cannabis business, and three law enforcement sources told The Times that
neither an extraction laboratory setup nor cannabis was found inside the building. A criminal
investigation into the blast will be focused on whether volatile or explosive substances were stored
improperly, the sources said.
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LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
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The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not have permission to discuss the
ongoing inquiry, which involves more than 50 investigators from the Fire Department, the Los
Angeles Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Terrazas said there had been fires at similar businesses downtown and throughout the city in recent
years.
An explosion rocked the area in 2016, when a property that also bore the name Smoke Tokes caught
fire at a nearby address on 3rd Street. Fire officials could not confirm if the businesses were owned by
the same person. The owner of the structure involved in Saturday’s explosion also owns another
retailer on nearby Boyd Street, called Green Buddha USA, records show.
Last March, two men were critically injured after an explosion in a building that contained what
investigators described as a “possible honey butane lab operation” in Canoga Park, according to
LAFD documents.
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Saturday’s blast has also drawn concern from retailers and business operators in the legal cannabis
market. Some said stretches of 3rd, Wall and Boyd streets are havens for the sale of butane and other
supplies needed by those engaged in the sale of unlicensed cannabis products.
“In our experiences, it’s a well-known area for one-stop supplying of illicit cannabis extraction
products and counterfeit vape manufacturing,” said Wesley Hein, head of compliance and
government affairs for Mammoth Distribution in Woodland Hills.
Erik Hultstrom, founder of Legacy Strains and a member of the Southern California Coalition, a
cannabis trade organization, said the sale of such large quantities of butane has been going on in the
area for well over 10 years and has been fueled by the unlicensed marijuana trade.
While legal cannabis dispensaries buy vape pens and other finished products from licensed
distributors, Hultstrom said, unlicensed manufacturers can find many of the supplies needed to craft
LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-20/l-a-fire-department-to-inspect-smoke-shops-after-downtown-explosion[5/20/2020 8:31:20 AM]
their own products in the downtown corridor.
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“A licensed manufacturer would not be buying cases of butane cans from head shop row. Nobody
reasonable is buying 128 cans of butane to fill lighters,” he said. “You can almost liken this back to
when people would make bathtub gin and put anti-freeze in it. This exists because there’s illicit
products.”
A document obtained by The Times showed that at least one Boyd Street store in the area was hit
with a cease-and-desist letter last year after allegations surfaced that it was selling counterfeit
packaging meant to imitate a popular marijuana brand. Knockoff marijuana products are the lifeblood
of the city’s unlicensed cannabis economy, experts have said.
A 2019 Leafly investigation also found businesses in the area had been selling vitamin E oil to be usedas an additive for vape oils. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later linked vitamin E
acetate to a rash of hospitalizations stemming from the use of e-cigarettes and vape pens.
Los Angeles has struggled to tamp down on its illegal cannabis market. A Times investigation last yearfound that the number of unlicensed dispensaries in the city outpaced the number of licensed
operators, though city officials have since expanded their measures to combat the marijuana black
market to include cutting off water and power at such shops.
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Hein said that while many of the businesses in the downtown area where the explosion happened
operate legally, their businesses are propped up by selling to people involved in unlicensed cannabis
sales.
“If one wanted to make an illicit cannabis product, one would need the following things: You would
need cannabis oil. You would need terpenes. For those who wanted to make even more profits, you
would need additives such as vitamin E acetate. You would need cartridges and you would need
LAFD to inspect vape and tobacco stores after downtown blast - Los Angeles Times
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packaging,” he said.
“All of those are available or have been available, quite readily, in those three to four blocks.”
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