Coronavirus cases spike to 94 in L.A. County as officials issue more emergency restrictions

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

SACRAMENTO  —  Coronavirus cases in California continued to rise as officials turned to extraordinary steps to slow the spread.

L.A. County officials announced the closure of all bars, fitness centers, and movie theaters and directed restaurants to move to takeout only. The directive applies to all 88 cities and unincorporated regions of the county, including Los Angeles, which issued a similar directive Sunday. Officials are also banning gatherings of over 50 people following a recommendation made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County Department of Public Health director, also announced 25 new confirmed cases, bringing the county’s total to 94. There have been 41 new cases in the county over the last 48 hours, she said. At least 15 of the cases are likely due to community transmission.

“Residents at this point must assume that there may be people who are infected everywhere in the county,” Ferrer said.

The county also released a list of specific cities and neighborhoods where cases of the virus have been confirmed. The city of Los Angeles currently has the largest count with more than 25 confirmed cases. Other affected cities include Beverly Hills, Arcadia, Alhambra, Glendale, Torrance and West Hollywood, among others.

Elsewhere in the state, public health officials provided more grim news Monday afternoon.

Riverside County confirmed its first two deaths associated with COVID-19, two patients in the Coachella Valley.

“Sadly, these outcomes are expected as we face a serious challenge and continue to make the necessary decisions to protect the health of the community,” Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said in a statement.

Santa Clara County confirmed two additional deaths, bringing that country's total to four. And Sacramento County confirmed one person had died, bringing its total to two deaths, both people who were older than 70 and had underlying health conditions.

Officials said that all hospitals were preparing for a surge in patients.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday urged people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to isolate themselves from others — a directive that reflects the fast-moving nature of a public health crisis that threatens the well-being of some 40 million Californians.

President Trump announced new guidelines that urge people to participate in schooling from home, avoid eating and drinking at bars and restaurants and food courts, avoid discretionary travel from home and avoid gathering in groups of more than 10.

“If everyone makes these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus,” he said. “It’s important for the young and healthy people to understand, while they may experience milder symptoms, they can easily spread this virus,” adding that “we especially worry about our senior citizens.”

As the Silicon Valley region reported 114 coronavirus cases and rising, six counties in the Bay Area were to be placed under a shelter-in-place directive by public health officials, San Mateo Mayor Joe Goethals said Monday. It’s a move that will close virtually all businesses and direct residents to remain at home.

Later, Santa Cruz County issued a similar order, bringing the total affected counties to seven.

Asked if L.A. County should expect a similar shelter-in-place order, Ferrer said that, at this point, the county didn’t have the same trajectory as what was happening to the north and hoped the spread of the virus would slow down.

But she cautioned: “Nothing’s off the table for anyone anywhere in the United States.”

In Sacramento County, officials confirmed a second death related to coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to seven. The Associated Press reported the victim was a substitute teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District, who died Sunday after contracting the coronavirus.

The instructor, who also was a temporary volunteer, worked at Sutterville Elementary School in February, the district announced.

On Monday, the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted a dramatic increase in social distancing measures in response to the pandemic. There has not been, however, a corresponding rise in testing and isolating contacts, which are both required to stop an outbreak, he said.

“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded, and we cannot stop this pandemic if we do not know who is infected,” Tedros said during a news briefing Monday. “We have a simple message for all countries: Test, test, test.”

He said that all people suspected of having COVID-19 should be able to get tested. Responding to the outbreak requires a political commitment at the highest level, he said.

“That whole government approach should ... be able to mobilize the whole society and make sure that this response becomes everybody’s business,” he said.

Tedros said that crises such as pandemics tend to bring out the “best and worst in humanity.” The world is likely still early in this outbreak, he added. “This is the defining global health crisis of our time,” he said. “The days, weeks and months ahead will be a test of our resolve, a test of our trust in science and a test of our solidarity.”

 

In Los Angeles, bars and nightclubs have closed and restaurants have halted dine-in service and limited their business to takeout orders until March 31, following an order from Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Movie theaters, gyms, and fitness centers also will be closed, Garcetti said in a video news conference Sunday. Grocery stores, pharmacies and food banks will remain open. And Garcetti announced a moratorium on evictions for renters.

On Monday evening, Garcetti announced that the city will ease a number of parking enforcement policies, including not ticketing people for violating street sweeping policies in residential areas, and not ticketing parents and caregivers who violate parking policies while picking up meals around schools.

Metered parking will still be enforced, along with colored curb parking rules, Garcetti said.

“Nobody should be penalized for being responsible,” Garcetti said. “There’s no need to worry about the financial cost of keeping your car at home while you practice safe social distancing and you help our city flatten the curve.”

Garcetti also announced that half of LAPD detectives will work on the streets of L.A. to supplement patrol officers and help ensure public safety during the coronavirus crisis.

The mayor said he is not considering enforcing a curfew because the city hadn’t seen issues with looting or spikes in crime at night.

“That seems to be something that’s an answer for a different sort of emergency,” Garcetti said. “It’s less that people can’t move at nighttime than where they were going that we needed to stop, and that’s why we had to make the difficult decision” to place restrictions on bars, movie theaters, and other venues.

Santa Monica ordered the temporary closure of its iconic pier on Monday morning, which applies to the adjacent parking deck and businesses.

“We welcome thousands of guests to our pier each and every day, so we take this step out of the deepest desire to keep people at home and healthy,” City Manager Rick Cole said in a statement. “We love our pier and the joy it brings to everyone that visits, but in this moment, we must take aggressive actions to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Fears over store closures prompted people to flock to grocery stores and get supplies in bulk. The rush has, at times, triggered fights and disagreements over the limited supply of popular items.

On Monday, Garcetti and representatives of various grocery store chains said there was no shortage of food in Los Angeles and asked that residents allow time for stores to restock and give priority to seniors while waiting in line.

Also, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that the department would increase the presence of its deputies in the field, with their efforts focused on shopping centers, supermarkets, and big-box stores.

This is being done as a precautionary measure “in case there’s any sort of conflict,” he said during a news conference.

Deputies were called to a Costco in Chino Hills earlier this month when a crowd of customers became unruly after finding that water, paper towels and toilet paper were out of stock.

Villanueva also cautioned residents against stockpiling guns. Gun sales are surging in many U.S. states, especially those hit hardest by the coronavirus, including California, New York, and Washington, over fears that the virus may cause an unraveling of social order.

“You have a lot of people now who are at home, normally they’re not, cabin fever sets in and you have a crowded environment,” Villanueva said. “Weapons are not a good mix.”

The sheriff said several of the department’s employees came into contact with people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 over the weekend but none had tested positive for the virus. They all are self-isolating, he said.

Deputies who must respond to emergency calls where someone is exhibiting symptoms are being equipped with protective gear. The department is screening callers to ensure that deputies are protected, he said.

“This is about being prepared, not scared,” he said.

At a Vons in Koreatown on Monday morning, at least 50 people were waiting in a line to enter an hour before the store opened. A store clerk instructed the crowd to remain calm as only 30 customers would be let in at a time.

“Don’t panic, trust in God, and don’t run over each other!” the clerk shouted to chuckling customers.

As businesses across Los Angeles took action, more than 50,000 of the city’s government employees are still being asked to go to work.

City employees can’t refuse to go to work out of fear that they’ll be infected with the virus, Wendy Macy, general manager of the city’s personnel department, wrote in a memo to department heads Friday. Telecommuting options are available for some employees, and some exceptions are allowed, according to emergency guidelines issued by the city’s personnel department.

On Sunday, Newsom also called on bars and brewery and winery tasting rooms statewide to close their doors to patrons as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state continued to rise.

“We recognize that social isolation for millions of Californians is anxiety-inducing, but ... we need to meet this moment head-on and lean in,” Newsom said.

But Newsom again stopped short of using the full force of his authority to mandate response measures to protect Californians from the virus that causes COVID-19, a global pandemic that has resulted in 392 confirmed cases in the state, including one homeless person in Santa Clara.

Instead, the governor said his request of bars and pubs was akin to an announcement he made last week asking for the cancellation of gatherings of 250 people or more. The governor is allowing restaurants to remain open and advised customers to practice “deep social distancing” when dining out — in effect, a recommendation to reduce occupancy by half.

Taking heed of the governor’s orders, the California Supreme Court announced Monday that it was suspending in-person hearings. Lawyers will appear for cases remotely via video or telephone conferences. The public still will be permitted to attend hearings, but seating will be limited to ensure appropriate distancing, the court said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced even more stringent recommendations, suggesting that events of 50 people or more should be suspended for about two months. When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual, but in-person events of that size should be canceled or postponed, the agency said Sunday.

The efforts came as more coronavirus cases were reported, including a positive test for a police officer at Los Angeles International Airport. Los Angeles County reported 16 new cases Sunday, bringing the county’s total to 69.

A USC student who recently returned from international travel but had not been on or near the USC campuses also tested positive for the coronavirus, the university said Sunday. The student was reportedly in good condition and self-isolating at home.

Of California’s confirmed cases, 70 are believed to be from community transmission, the state Department of Public Health said. The rest are a mix of confirmed person-to-person transmissions related to travel or patients returning to the country after contracting the disease elsewhere.

Newsom’s guidelines follow other broad efforts announced in recent days to combat the virus in California. Most of those have been taken on the local level, including the decision by dozens of school districts to shut down for the next two weeks or longer.

The governor said he would issue additional directives on Tuesday to schools that remained open and said he was especially focused on providing support to low-income families.

He suggested some local school officials had not fully thought through the consequences when closing their campuses, including how to continue providing meals to students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches and how to ensure that students with special needs received adequate care and supervision.

The virus also has disrupted college entrance exams. The company that administers the ACT announced Monday that it had moved its testing date from April 4 to June 13 in response to concerns over the pandemic.

“ACT is committed to making every effort to help those students impacted by this test date change, particularly those high school seniors who are facing deadlines for fall 2020 college admission,” ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda said in a statement.

Meanwhile, older Californians are subject to Newsom’s directive that seniors practice self-isolation. The governor estimated that his directive would affect 5.3 million of the state’s residents. That number includes those most at risk simply due to their age, he said but does not include the millions more with underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable.

The governor’s office said his request for seniors to remain at home also extended to residents with underlying health issues, such as chronic kidney disease, asthma, chronic liver disease, metabolic disorders, heart disease or if they’re pregnant or have other conditions that make them more susceptible to serious illness from the coronavirus.

In a statement, Garcetti commended Newsom’s guidance.

“Everything we do right now will determine the outcome of this crisis, and we can save lives if we stay calm, care for one another, and take forceful steps to protect our communities,” Garcetti said. “That’s why we must follow the guidelines laid out by Gov. Newsom, build on them for local needs, and put the health and safety of the most vulnerable above all else.”

The governor also announced that the state’s 108,000 homeless people would be the top priority for mitigation policies, with a significant push to move them indoors.

Though details remained unclear, he said the state had hotels and motels that could be used to provide shelter, along with an additional 450 state-owned trailers sent to “critical points” to supplement those that were deployed in Los Angeles, Stockton, Sonoma and other places before the outbreak.

Last week, Newsom issued an executive order allowing the state to commandeer some private properties to provide beds for isolation. Newsom said the goal of the newly announced measures aimed at the unsheltered population was to “get people into environments where we can address their growing anxiety and our growing concerns.”

He stopped short, however, of saying the attempt to bring people indoors would be mandated or require law enforcement intervention.

In recent days, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the CDC have also detailed guidelines for homeless shelters and encampments, many of which include increasing sanitation and providing detailed suggestions for handling ill people in shelter settings.

“I am not ratcheting up a mindset of enforcement,” Newsom said.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, co-head of Newsom‘s statewide task force on homelessness, said Newsom‘s move to bring homeless people inside was crucial.

“They are very susceptible to disease and infection,“ said Steinberg of unsheltered populations. Leaving them outdoors, he said, is “really an invitation for a more widespread of the disease.”

Randy Simonsen, a 65-year-old homeless man in Sacramento, said he would like to go indoors during this crisis. He listened to the governor’s speech on a transistor radio and heard the call for older residents to stay home. But “I don’t have one,” Simonsen said.

In L.A. County, Dockweiler State Beach may be used to temporarily house people who have been ordered to isolate or quarantine because of the coronavirusThe beach’s RV park on Vista del Mar is one of several locations the county could use for that purpose, according to a news release from the city of El Segundo. Officials said the public should avoid the area.

Anxious Californians continued to clear the shelves of local grocery stores. The Los Angeles Police Department assured residents on Twitter that there was no food shortage and stores would restock.

“The water supply is clean & safe to drink, so there’s no need to buy water in bulk,” the department said.

Grocery chains have announced changes to deal with the relentless throngs of shoppers.

Ralphs, for example, said it was working with suppliers to replenish high-demand products, and its store hours have been curtailed so employees have more time to restock. Albertsons — which operates the grocery chains Vons, Pavilions, and Safeway — said it was taking similar steps.

Starbucks announced new efforts to limit the number of people gathering at its coffeehouses. All of its stores in the U.S. and Canada will move to a “to go” model for at least two weeks and will remove all seating in cafe and patio areas, the company announced Sunday.

As airports across the country were thrown into chaos this weekend because of hastily rolled-out health screenings for travelers returning from Europe, LAX remained relatively calm. But average wait times were still about 30 minutes longer than usual, said LAX spokesman Heath Montgomery.

Though many businesses have been affected by a slower stream of customers, bars in West Hollywood were packed on Sunday afternoon.

At Rocco’s WeHo and Flaming Saddles, drag queens danced to deafening music as they were cheered on by crowds handing them dollar bills on the stage. In these places, at least, life seemed to go on as normal.

Not everyone was proceeding with business as usual. At the Abbey, West Hollywood’s most popular gay bar, the gates were closed. On each door, a sign read: “As we continue to navigate the rapidly changing conditions with COVID-19, the Abbey is closing temporarily. We plan to open as soon as our public health officials tell us it is safe.”

Jimmy Han, who owns Frank ‘n Hank bar in Koreatown, said he decided to close his bar down Saturday after seeing customers not follow the 6-foot social-distancing rule he tried to implement.

“I’ll be losing a lot of money and so will my employees, but honestly, that’s the least of our concern right now,” he said. “We’re more worried about public health and how this is going to impact the economy long term.”

Publish : 2020-03-18 00:07:16

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