San Bernardino County Waiting, for Now, to Expand Stage 2 Coronavirus Reopening – Redlands Daily Facts

San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts

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LOCAL NEWS • News San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening

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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 resume operations after weeks of novel coronavirus-related closures and restrictions, they’re waiting to see how 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’s four-phase plan to reopen businesses. Supervisors agreed to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 21, to further discuss the matter.

“Our small businesses have sat and waited,” Supervisor Robert Lovingood said. “They’ve waited patiently 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.

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] San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts

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M READ MORE Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central “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 by officials with Riverside, Orange and San Diego counties, asking for discretion in how and when to reopen businesses, rather than meeting the state’s criteria. On Monday, May 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated some of the controversial benchmarks counties were required to meet in order to move faster through the second phase of reopening, including no more than one case per 10,000 residents and no deaths for two weeks.

Hagman expressed concern over the risk to businesses if the county allows them to reopen earlier than allowed by the state. He also pointed out the potential liability to the county if the state pulls businesses’ licenses for violating the state’s stay-at-home orders.

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 the board later Tuesday. She cautioned Lovingood against defying the state and jeopardizing county taxpayers.

“There is just too much at risk,” she told Lovingood. “Everything you’ve talked about that businesses and our companies are risking right now, that is the same thing the taxpayers stand to risk if we exceed the governor’s grasp. As disappointed as we are about that politically, that’s the reality. There are 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 professional sports — 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 county residents 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 protective equipment 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 the California Institution for Men in Chino and nursing homes, he said.

The county is still behind on testing and contact tracing RELATED LINKS benchmarks, McBride said.

Coronavirus in San Bernardino County: Public health officials want to make mobile testing sites COVID-19 coverage from The Sun 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] San Bernardino County waiting, for now, to expand Stage 2 coronavirus reopening – Redlands Daily Facts

stationary, which would increase testing volume, said Leonard Hernandez, the county’s chief operating officer. Official: Stats behind San Bernardino The county is working to hire more people for testing and County coronavirus ‘hot spot’ report are ‘insane’ contact tracing, and may ask some current employees to

help, he said. Inland Empire economy could reopen faster under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new If the county is unable to meet the state’s benchmarks plan because of a lack of personnel on its side, businesses and residents are going to be angry, Hagman said. San Bernardino County reports 82 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths “This has to be the top priority,” he added. Fire agencies prepare to battle wildfires during a pandemic Newsroom Guidelines News Tips Contact Us Report an Error

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Sandra Emerson | Reporter 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] http://www.hidesertstar.com/covid-19/article_850d9214-9a27-11ea-848c-ab27b2d5372a.html

TOP STORY Supervisors consider opening businesses without state OK

By Jené Estrada Hi-Desert Star May 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 Ocer 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 ocially 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. ÿ !"ÿ#$ÿ!#%& '()'(012ÿ)(45ÿ46107(ÿ8099ÿ)2(@27 A)0B6Cÿ80'Dÿ16A2'CÿE261F)21

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IPQRSTUÿWÿXYP`a Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low – Daily Bulletin

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BUSINESSHOUSING • Explainer, News Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low $353,000 countywide median selling price — up 5.4% over 12 months.

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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] 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 Register  PUBLISHED: 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 California purchases 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, San Bernardino 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% off the county’s record high of $380,000 set in April 2007. S TOP ARTICLES 1/5

T 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] Coronavirus cuts San Bernardino County home sales by 21%, SoCal buying at record low – Daily Bulletin

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READ MORE Frumpy Middle aged Mom: Adventures in foreign Reality is harsh. The battle against the coronavirus hammered the economy. Cheaper mortgages helped house hunters, but many sellers pulled their homes off the market. That resulted in the region’s slowest-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% rise over 12 months.

2. Existing condos: 93 sales, down 48% over 12 months. Median of $335,000 — a 3.9% rise in a year.

3. Newly built: Builders sold 249 new homes, up 42% in a year. Median of $510,000 — a 4.7% rise over 12 months.

4. Builder share: 12.4% of sales vs. 6.9% a year earlier. San Bernardino County builders’ slice of the market ranks No. 2 among SoCal’s six counties.

5. Price rank: How San Bernardino County’s median compared to Southern California’s five other counties: No. 6 overall; No. 6 for single-family resales; No. 5 for condo resales; and No. 5 for new homes.

Sign up for The Home Stretch newsletter! Get a twice-a-week serving of hot housing news from around the region! Subscribe here.

What’s next? When ReportsOnHousing looked at countywide pending sales of existing homes as of May 14 there were 1,880 residences in escrow, down 22% in a year; and 4,440 listings, down 26% in this 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.

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] Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise

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LOCAL NEWS • News Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270

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By JEFF HORSEMAN | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise  PUBLISHED: 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 270 have died from the virus, according to numbers posted Tuesday, May 19, on the county’s public health website.

Also, updated mortality figures from the county show more Latinos have died from coronavirus than whites. 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. The county’s daily updates usually reflect diagnoses and deaths that happened over the course of a few days.

Official recoveries — those who are no longer in isolation, show no symptoms and have had their public health cases closed — rose by 38 to 3,871. One hundred ninety-five in the county are hospitalized with the virus, up nine from Monday, with 68 of those patients in intensive care, no change from the day before.

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] 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 confirmed cases with 134 recoveries, while long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, have 568 confirmed cases 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% were 65 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 American and two were of unknown race or ethnicity.

Seventy-five of 196 deaths — 38% — were among those 65 and older with underlying health problems. Another 38% were 65 and older with no underlying conditions, while 30 were younger than 65 with no health issues.

Staff Writer Nikie Johnson contributed to this report.

CASES BY COMMUNITY RELATED ARTICLES Here is the list of confirmed cases and deaths by city or Hemet cuts fire services as coronavirus unincorporated community. Numbers in bold indicate they blows hole in city’s budget are in the top 5 for most cases or deaths. California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says Anza: 6 cases, 0 deaths Banning: 74 cases, 2 deaths Riverside prepares for 10% budget cut as coronavirus strikes revenue Beaumont: 184 cases, 11 deaths Bermuda Dunes: 6 cases, 0 deaths McDonald’s workers in LA, San Jose 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] Riverside County passes 6,000 coronavirus cases; deaths now at 270 – Press Enterprise

Blythe: 45 cases, 1 death allege unsafe work conditions amid Cabazon: 3 cases, 1 death COVID-19 pandemic Calimesa: 20 cases, 1 death Forest Lawn takes Southland Memorial Canyon Lake: 12 cases, 0 deaths Day services virtual Cathedral City: 127 cases, 1 death Cherry Valley: 11 cases, 1 death Coachella: 214 cases, 3 deaths Corona: 305 cases, 11 deaths Coronita: 2 cases, 1 death Desert Edge: 3 cases, 0 deaths Desert Hot Springs: 61 cases, 0 deaths Desert Palms: 8 cases, 0 deaths East Hemet: 20 cases, 0 deaths Eastvale: 103 cases, 6 deaths El Cerrito: 14 cases, 0 deaths El Sobrante: 31 cases, 1 death French Valley: 42 cases, 0 deaths Garnet: 14 cases, 0 deaths Good Hope: 30 cases, 0 deaths Green Acres: 1 case, 0 deaths Hemet: 237 cases, 18 deaths Home Gardens: 46 cases, 0 deaths Homeland: 10 cases, 0 deaths Idyllwild-Pine Cove: 5 cases, 0 deaths Indian Wells: 13 cases, 0 deaths Indio: 231 cases, 5 deaths Jurupa Valley: 244 cases, 11 deaths La Quinta: 96 cases, 9 deaths Lake Elsinore: 139 cases, 8 deaths Lake Mathews: 9 cases, 3 deaths Lakeland Village: 36 cases, 1 death Lakeview: 5 cases, 0 deaths Mead Valley: 41 cases, 1 death Meadowbrook: 4 cases, 0 deaths Mecca: 43 cases, 3 deaths Menifee: 139 cases, 5 deaths

Moreno Valley: 666 cases, 20 deaths Murrieta: 112 cases, 7 deaths Norco: 31 cases, 1 death North Shore: 13 cases, 0 deaths Nuevo: 15 cases, 1 death Oasis: 33 cases, 0 deaths Palm Desert: 140 cases, 15 deaths Palm Springs: 122 cases, 9 deaths Perris: 275 cases, 4 deaths Rancho Mirage: 32 cases, 3 deaths Riverside: 1,106 cases, 84 deaths Romoland: 3 cases, 1 death San Jacinto: 105 cases, 4 deaths Sky Valley: 2 cases, 0 deaths Temecula: 128 cases, 0 deaths Temescal Valley: 37 cases, 0 deaths Thermal: 15 cases, 0 deaths Thousand Palms: 12 cases, 0 deaths Valle Vista: 13 cases, 0 deaths Vista Santa Rosa: 13 cases, 0 deaths Wildomar: 60 cases, 4 deaths Winchester: 1 case, 0 deaths Woodcrest: 27 cases, 3 deaths

Riverside County is not releasing numbers for communities with fewer than 2,000 residents. The location of some confirmed cases may still be under investigation.

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Tags: All Readers, Coronavirus, Health, public health, Top Stories PE

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] Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon

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] Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants, other retail soon - Los Angeles Times

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

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.

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.

CALIFORNIA

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.

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.

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.”

Times staff writers John Myers, Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report.

CALIFORNIA ORANGE COUNTY CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

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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] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

Healthcare workers speak with drivers at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (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 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

and employees with lost work and pay.

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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

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

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.

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 the public 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 about 350,000 of the county’s 10 million residents have been checked. Of those, 9% have tested positive.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

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 masks are 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

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.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

As L.A. County found itself in a coronavirus crisis in March, it became clear the highly infectious disease 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.

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County aims to reopen by July 4 - Los Angeles Times

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 several weeks. 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 we can all do to protect ourselves and one another.”

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Coronavirus infection rate in L.A. County is falling. But it’s still in the danger zone

May 18, 2020

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 4:01:23 PM] L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin

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NEWS • News L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders More than 39,570 county residents have been tested for the virus

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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] L.A. County reports 76 new deaths; officials study state’s criteria for further easing of stay-home orders – Daily Bulletin

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer speaks at the county’s Thurday, May 7 briefing. Photo: Facebook video S screenshot

C C By OLGA GRIGORYANTS | [email protected] | Los Angeles Daily News  PUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 4:14 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 4:44 p.m. By

With state officials allowing counties to ease stay-at-home orders if they meet new criteria, Los M Angeles 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. The mid-day report did not include updated numbers for Long Beach and Pasadena. Both cities operate their own health departments.

Roughly 5,914 people, or 15% of those who have tested positive — have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There are currently 1,549 who tested positive for coronavirus who are

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 of the 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 of them experienced underlying health conditions, according to health officials. Nearly 92% of people who have died from coronavirus had underlying health conditions and this fact has not changed for the last three weeks.

As of Tuesday, of the people who recently died with the coronavirus, 39% were Latino, 29% were white, 18% were Asian and 12% were African American and 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 1% identified as other races.

There are now 300 confirmed cases among people experiencing homelessness. About half of those cases occurred in people who were sheltered and those who were appropriately isolated, officials said. The majority of unsheltered who were tested positive for the virus were sheltered at Union Rescue Mission in downtown LA, Ferrer said.

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would ease restrictions, allowing businesses in 53 of the state’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 early June if the number of coronavirus-related cases and hospitalizations continues to decline. The reopening of churches, hair salons and in-store shopping could open their doors around the same time, Newsom said.

The new criteria announced by Newsom on Monday requires that counties have to have no more than a 5% increase in hospitalizations over a seven-day period or have no more than 20 hospitalizations total over a two-week period. They also must have no more than 25 cases per 100,000 residents or no 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 their businesses to reopen.

“L.A. County is in a different position than other parts of the state,” Newsom said, adding that the county 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 to guide them as they gradually, cautiously reopen businesses, spectator sports, schools and public settings in the weeks and months ahead.

Ferrer said on Tuesday during the daily briefing that the RELATED LINKS new guideline would allow the county to proceed more

quickly. Coronavirus: Death toll inches past 1,800 in Los Angeles County “As the governor noted particularly around the positivity rate, here in L.A. County, it just started to drop to about Coronavirus: Death toll inches past 1,800 9%,” she said. “The state has set the threshold of the in Los Angeles County positivity rate needing to be at 8% for over a week. We’re 51 new deaths logged as L.A. County not quite there yet.” officials defend effectiveness of coronavirus orders County officials are working on the reopening efforts, Ferrer added, to make sure they are “sensible” and allow “for everyone to be as safe as possible, particularly for workers. But we do it with a sense of urgency.”

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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] L.A. Surge Hospital for coronavirus patients to close in June - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA L.A. Surge Hospital for COVID-19 patients to close by the end of June

The Los Angeles Surge Hospital opened in April on the grounds of the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center to treat COVID-19 patients. The surge facility, funded by the state, will close in June after seeing relatively few patients. (Al Seib / 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] L.A. Surge Hospital for coronavirus patients to close in June - Los Angeles Times

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 opened five 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.”

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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.

Times staff writer Taryn Luna, in Sacramento, contributed to this report.

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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] Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA Nearly 5% of L.A. County residents might have coronavirus, new study shows

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM] Nearly 5% of L.A. County may have coronavirus, study says - Los Angeles Times

Healthcare workers speak with drivers at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (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.

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

As testing capacity has increased, so has the number of confirmed cases. But to date, only about 350,000 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

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 masks are still required, while gatherings are not permitted in the county.

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Coronavirus infection rate in L.A. County is falling. But it’s still in the danger zone

May 18, 2020

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.

Officials believe the drop is tied to stay-at-home orders imposed in late March.

“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

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/la-county-residents-more-coronavirus-cases-study[5/19/2020 12:26:30 PM] San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

By PAUL SISSON

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM] San Diego steps up as Imperial County hospitals are hit by rush of patients with the coronavirus - Los Angeles Times

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 executive officer 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.

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 predicted just 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.

Koenig, like the other executives involved, said she had not yet received confirmation of exactly what’s

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.”

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

government and with our colleagues at the state,” Koenig said.

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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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/imperial-county-hospitals-coronavirus[5/20/2020 8:39:40 AM] 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times

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California is finally winning coronavirus battle, even as deaths keep rising

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times

Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks as residents pay tribute to her and her medical personnel during a drive-by rally honoring frontline heroes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic at the Emergency Room entrance to Riverside University 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. 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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times 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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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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times 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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times California coronavirus hospitalizations The average daily number of hospitalized patients each week has been declining.

Intensive care Other patients

4,000

2,000

0 Apr. 7 Apr. 14 Apr. 21 Apr. 28 May 5 May 12

California Health and Human Services Agency Iris Lee

New California coronavirus cases The number of new cases confirmed in the past week declined compared to the week before. New cases reported by week

12000

8000

4000

0 Mar. 17 Mar. 24 Mar. 31 Apr. 7 Apr. 14 Apr. 21 Apr. 28 May 5 May 12

Times reporting Iris Lee

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times California COVID-19 deaths The number of new deaths each week has remained steady. New deaths reported by week

400

200

0 Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27 May 4 May 11

Times reporting Iris Lee

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times Santa Clara County coronavirus hospitalizations The average daily number of hospitalized patients has declined steadily each week.

Intensive care Other patients

200

150

100

0 April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12

Source: California Health and Human Services Agency Iris Lee

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times Santa Clara County COVID-19 deaths New deaths reported by week

0 Mar. 9 Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27 May 4 May 11

Times reporting Los Angeles Times

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times 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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times 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.

Ventura County coronavirus hospitalizations The average daily number of hospitalized patients by week

Intensive care Other patients

60 65 64 40 45 42 35 30

0 April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12

Source: California Health and Human Services Agency Iris Lee

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times San Joaquin Valley COVID-19 deaths New deaths reported by week

0 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 Times reporting Los Angeles Times

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.

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times Los Angeles County coronavirus hospitalizations The average daily number of hospitalized patients by week

Intensive care Other patients

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4 May 11

Source: California Health and Human Services Agency Iris Lee

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.”

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 5/20/2020 California is beating coronavirus, even with rising deaths - Los Angeles Times

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 » 83,844 3,419 confirmed deaths

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. 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 California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCALIFORNIA NEWS • News California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says

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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] California order discriminates against churches, U.S. says – San Bernardino Sun

FILE – In this April 11, 2020, file photo, a person films pastor Nicolas Sanchez, center left, celebrating Easter Vigil Mass at his church decorated with candles and pictures sent by his parishioners attached to their pews at St. Patrick Church in North Hollywood, Calif. S The head of the federal Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division told Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday, May 19, 2020, that his plan to reopen California discriminates against churches. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |  PUBLISHED: May 19, 2020 at 8:40 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2020 at 8:40 p.m. By

By Robert Jablon, Associated Press M

LOS ANGELES >> The head of the federal Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division told Gov. Gavin Newsom 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 is unprecedented in our lifetimes,” Newsom should allow some in-person worship under the current second phase of his four-part reopening plan.

Restaurants and other secular businesses are being allowed to reopen under social distancing

guidelines but not churches, which are limited to online and similar services.

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READ MORE Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central That places an “unfair burden” on them that violates civil rights protections through “unequal treatment of faith communities,” the letter said.

“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” said the letter.

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 his March 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-person services in the coming weeks.

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’s emergency powers.

Assemblymember Kevin Kiley said the extraordinary powers are for a governor “under conditions of extreme peril” and “were not meant to give a single person the ability to remake all of California law indefinitely.”

San Diego County supervisors voted Tuesday to ask the state to allow California’s second-most populous county to be a test case for more rapidly reopening businesses and allowing more gatherings and recreational options, including outdoor religious services with restrictions.

Sacramento County health officials said they received approval from the state Tuesday to accelerate reopening, and the county will allow “drive-through” religious services.

States and local governments have differed on whether houses of worship must meet social distancing 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 by Attorney General William P. Barr that argued the government can’t impose “special restrictions” on religious activity. Barr had taken the rare step of filing papers to side with a Mississippi church suing after several parishioners were ticketed for violating a stay-at-home order by attending drive-in services.

With federal prosecutors now weighing in, the national debate over how far coronavirus gathering limits can go to restrict religion could get even louder. President Donald Trump’s reelection appeal to devout conservative voters rests in part on his vocal advocacy for religious freedom, making the issue

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 most nation’s most populous state. The prosecutors follow a line of argument used in the church lawsuits in saying 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 true now more than ever,” the letter said. “Religious communities have rallied to protect their communities from the spread of this disease by making services available online, in parking lots, or outdoors, by indoor services with a majority of pews empty, and in numerous other creative ways that otherwise comply with social distancing and sanitation guidelines.”

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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] Coronavirus: Justice Department warns California over religious rights - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA Justice Department warns California coronavirus rules may violate religious freedoms

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.

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.”

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.”

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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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] U.S. Justice Department Tells California Its Reopening Plan Could Disfavor Churches Warning marks Trump administration’s latest eort to support those who say their religious rights have been violated; critics say such moves are politically driven

Attorney General William Barr, who has decried a ‘growing ascendancy of secularism,’ has drawn praise from conservatives as a champion of religious rights. PHOTO: OLIVER CONTRERASCNPZUMA PRESS

By Sadie Gurman Updated May 19, 2020 712 pm ET Justice Department oﬃcials warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday that his plan for gradually easing the state’s coronavirus lockdown could disfavor religious groups.

California’s March stay-home order and another this month outlining plans for a staggered reopening treat churches and religious services less favorably than secular activities, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division and the state’s four U.S. attorneys told Mr. Newsom in a letter urging him to adjust the restrictions. The reopening plan, for example, lets restaurants, factories, malls and other oﬃces operate with social-distancing earlier than in-person religious services.

“Whichever level of restrictions you adopt, these civil rights protections mandate equal treatment of persons and activities of a secular and religious nature,” they wrote in the letter, which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The letter is the latest move in a larger eﬀort under Attorney General William Barr to support people and groups who say their religious rights have been violated. Oﬃcials in states that have imposed restrictions say they are necessary to slow the spread of the disease that as of Tuesday had led to more than 91,000 deaths nationwide.

The issue has been a priority for President Trump, whose base includes the Christian conservative groups for which Mr. Barr has voiced support. Mr. Trump has also complained about some state and local restrictions, which he has said have hindered the economy’s revival.

ADVERTISEMENT Spokespeople for Mr. Newsom didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The governor, a Democrat, has said he would be guided by science and data in deciding when to reopen the nation’s most populous state, where at least 3,334 people have died from Covid-19. California oﬃcials have classiﬁed houses of worship—along with nail salons, barbershops, gyms and movie theaters—as higher-risk workplaces that require more space between gatherers.

“When the pandemic is over, we do not want to look back on this period of time and think that we allowed governments to take action to violate our constitutional and civil rights,” Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division said. Mr. Barr last month directed him and the top federal prosecutor in Detroit to lead a review of coronavirus restrictions and take action against those they see as going too far.

Justice Department oﬃcials said they sent the letter to Mr. Newsom to spark a dialogue with mayors and governors while signaling that the federal 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, said he welcomes the Justice Department’s scrutiny, but argued it isn’t being applied consistently.

ADVERTISEMENT “I once remember a Republican Party that was deferential to states’ rights, but that does not appear to be the philosophy guiding the Barr Justice Department,” Mr. Romero said. “Now you ﬁnd it’s increasingly scrutinizing the actions or policies of governors in states that don’t politically align with the Trump administration.”

Mr. Dreiband said the department’s approach was respectful of local oﬃcials’ broad authority.

Some experts have said some church services raise special concerns about the 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 Johns Hopkins University. “Although you can socially distance, there’s also singing, through which a respiratory virus is known to spread.”

ADVERTISEMENT Most churches around the country have opted for virtual services and programs, though some still want the option for some type of in-person events, including drive-in services.

The Justice Department has ﬁled what are known as statements of interest in two lawsuits brought by churchgoers who say they were taking necessary precautions. The statements of interest hold no force of law but represent a show of support from the Trump administration.

In Mississippi, the department sided with churchgoers who sued after being ticketed for attending a drive-in service in a parking lot. In Virginia, the department backed with a church suing the state’s Democratic governor over his order banning religious services of more than 10 people while allowing similar gatherings at businesses and stores. The lawsuit alleges the church’s pastor was issued a criminal citation because he held a service 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 Lighthouse Fellowship Church from holding in-person gatherings of 10 people or fewer.

ADVERTISEMENT Allowing the church to proceed with more than that would lead to “increased transmission of a deadly disease for which there is currently no cure” and “could easily transform the very services to which people turn for comfort into the kind of ‘hothouses for the virus’ that have exacerbated outbreaks across the country,” the ﬁling said.

Oﬃcials said they were looking for other civil rights cases that extend beyond churches, including those involving the rights to free speech and protest. Conservative interest groups have also tried to put cases on their radar.

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 of those who say their religious rights have been violated and held trainings for its lawyers on religious freedom. In speeches in recent months, he has warned of the “growing ascendancy of secularism” and said that religion, “long an essential pillar of our society, is being driven from the public square.”

“The entire administration to one degree or another engages in this,” said Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council and one of Mr. Trump’s most prominent conservative Christian supporters. “But the attorney general 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

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LIFESTYLE Can I see my friends yet? What the current coronavirus guidance says

The reopenings have a lot of people wondering: Can I hang out with my friends again 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] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

Getty Images)

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 be chafing at all the new rules and craving social interaction right now.

California and Los Angeles both have websites dedicated to COVID-19 resources that address essential 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

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

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.

What you can do now

As long as you practice physical distancing precautions, you can see your friends. Your faces must stay 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

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

that you care about the other person enough to keep them as safe as possible.

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.

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.

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

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.

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.

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

“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.

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 and scientists 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.

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] Can I see my friends? What the coronavirus rules say now - Los Angeles Times

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 massive party 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

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-05-15/can-i-see-my-friends-current-coronavirus-guidance[5/20/2020 8:39:48 AM] https://nyti.ms/3e206S1

As Reopening Starts, Americans Expect Recovery to Take Years Even 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 — to return 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 poll conducted this month for The New York Times by the online research platform SurveyMonkey. Sixty percent said they expected the next ﬁve 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 and federal 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 current economic 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 is likely to remain elevated for years. In testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, both warned that further job losses were likely — although they disagreed sharply about the best policies to foster growth.

Consumers’ bleak outlook, however justiﬁed, could have serious implications for the economic recovery. If Americans fear that their jobs are 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. Her husband, who sells tires for construction equipment, has lost some work, but they have saved money on day care now that both are at home.

Ms. Williams is cautiously optimistic about the prospects for an economic recovery, which she thinks will be faster than after the 2008-9 recession. 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, because we 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 somewhat worried about losing them.

Democrats are more pessimistic than Republicans, as they have been throughout President Trump’s term. But conﬁdence has fallen sharply among members of both parties. In February, before the coronavirus outbreak began to spread widely in the United States, nearly 80 percent of Republicans said they expected business conditions over the next year to be good; in May, just 35 percent said so. Among Democrats, 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 the pandemic’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 are relatively unconcerned about the health risks of returning to work. Most are confident that their finances will remain steady over the next year, even as they worry about the broader economy.

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• Americans expect ʻwidespread unemployment or depressionʼ lasting years. • Wall Street climbs with retailers in focus.

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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 expect their situation to improve over the next year. Many are skeptical that they will quickly find a new job, and are worried about the health risks 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 shut down 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 package extended the system to cover workers like her. But she has yet to receive a check. She has been borrowing from her brother to pay rent and meet other expenses.

After 12 years as a full-time massage therapist, Eve Gutierrez has been unable to work since 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 of California’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 recent years, in part because tech firms have offered in-office chair massages to their workers. Now those programs are suspended, and even when 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, is daunting, 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 — a rare 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 in place 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 jobs or 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 company selected 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 of the 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. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-0520202011589963481

WORLD States Step Up Reopenings, Hoping to Limit Economic Damage Slight declines in new cases prompt governors to allow some places to reopen, including restaurants, churches and schools

By Talal Ansari and Bojan Pancevski Updated May 20, 2020 1121 am ET

U.S. states and governments around the world are trying to revive their economies after months of shutdowns, as they take tentative steps to ease restrictions imposed to combat the spread 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 reimbursed at the 75% rate allowed under the law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.

THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS

• Johns Hopkins: U.S. cases near 1.53 million; deaths near 92,000

• Johns Hopkins: About 4.9 million conirmed infections world-wide; deaths above 323,000

• Germany moves to secure its coronavirus-drug production from foreign attempts to acquire German companies working on vaccines

• State governments estimate that ighting the pandemic has cost about $45 billion

Nearly 1.53 million people in the U.S. have conﬁrmed cases of the coronavirus, and almost 92,000 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 reported deaths.

Experts caution that oﬃcial numbers likely understate the extent of the pandemic in part because 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 to reopen services—to varying extents—including restaurants, churches and schools. All 50 states have started easing restrictions in some form, with Connecticut set to loosen its statewide curbs Wednesday.

Lockdown restrictions across the U.S. begin to ease. Above, the San Diego skyline on Coronado, Calif. on May 19. PHOTO: GREGORY BULLASSOCIATED PRESS

Beach towns across America are grappling with remaining restrictions as they move into their most important season. From Ocean City, Md., to the Jersey Shore to Cape Cod, the window between 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 and contact-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 Democrat said. She encouraged people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing to the best 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 registered voters would receive applications for absentee ballots in the mail ahead of the state’s August primary and November general elections. 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 to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” Mr. Trump said on Twitter Wednesday morning.

While researchers have found rare instances of absentee-voter fraud, studies show it isn’t widespread.

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 to vote by mail because of the pandemic would be allowed to do so in the November elections. The state’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 Advanced Research and Development Authority, a government organization set up in 2006 to deal with biological threats. The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package signed by President Trump in March included $3.5 billion for Barda to support the manufacturing, production and purchase of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for Covid-19, a sum that has outpaced similar eﬀorts in Europe.

UNDERSTANDING CORONAVIRUS »

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European pharmaceutical giants including Sanoﬁ SA have also been working to develop a vaccine, 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 Global Response, 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 German companies working on coronavirus vaccines.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government tightened a regulation that enables it to veto takeover bids for German health-care companies. Regulators will be able to probe a takeover bid from outside the European Union when an investor seeks to purchase over 10% of a German healthcare-relevant company’s shares. The bar for government intervention had been 25%.

The German government also moved to curb a string of coronavirus outbreaks in slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, imposing a ban on subcontracting, tougher hygiene inspection regimes and higher ﬁnes for breaching these rules.

Other countries allowing businesses and schools to reopen are taking new precautions as well to mitigate a return to growth of coronavirus infections.

As Spain’s strict lockdown unwinds, the government starting Thursday will require anyone over age 6 to wear face masks outdoors or in any closed space that is for public use, except when 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 outside Europe to voluntarily submit to a 14-day quarantine. Health authorities said there were no signs of rising infection rates nine days after restrictions began easing in the country but they urged 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 a record daily high of 1,179 fatalities on Tuesday. The South American nation now has the world’s third-largest total of conﬁrmed infections, with more than 271,000. Medical experts say the numbers there are not likely to peak until June.

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Iran on Wednesday reported 2,346 new cases, the most in a day since the government began a slow reopening of society in mid-April. India also recorded a new daily high, with 5,611 conﬁrmed cases on Tuesday.

Russia’s conﬁrmed number of cases, the highest in the world after the U.S., saw its smallest daily increase since May 1, as 8,764 infections reported overnight pushed the total past 300,000.

A fresh outbreak in China’s northeast, meanwhile, has driven the government to reimpose lockdown conditions across a number of cities in the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang. After weeks of zero infections in Jilin, there are now more than 30 cases since early May, in addition to four new domestically transmitted cases authorities reported Wednesday.

Write to Talal Ansari at [email protected] and Bojan Pancevski at [email protected]

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com. 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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NATION/WORLD As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control

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)

by: Associated Press Posted: May 19, 2020 / 08:42 PM PDT / Updated: May 19, 2020 / 08:42 PM PDT

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.

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] As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA 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.

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] As lockdowns ease, some states accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 data to make virus appear more under control | KTLA 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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