Friday, June 5, 2020
California will allow schools, day camps, bars, gyms, campgrounds and professional sports to begin reopening with modifications starting next Friday.
County health officials announced there have been 1,445 news cases of COVID-19 and 36 related deaths as of last night. This brings the total number of cases in the county to 61,045 and the total number of related deaths to 2,565. — Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
All COVID-19 testing sites in the city of L.A. and throughout the county have reopened following days of protest and city-wide curfews. Anyone with or without symptoms can sign up for a free test. — KNX
California officials will release guidance for counties to follow as the state allows schools, day camps, bars, gyms, campgrounds and professional sports to begin reopening with modifications starting next Friday. The rules for schools and day camps will apply statewide. But only counties that have met certain thresholds on the number of cases, testing and preparedness will be allowed to start reopening the other sectors. — AP
Film and TV production could start back up as early as June 12 with approval from county public health authorities. “As we continue to release guidance on how different sections can reopen with modifications, it is important to remember guidance doesn’t mean ‘go,’” said Dr. Sonia Angell, the director of the CDPH, in a statement. “Your local health officer will make the final decision about which sectors will open, guided by data specific to your community.” — Variety
Since the quarantine has given Emmy voters much more time to sample the contenders, will this year’s nominations be the “most informed slate ever”? — L.A. Times
L.A. County officials say they are keeping an eye on numbers that could signal an increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, as more people interact with each other in the ongoing protests over police brutality or at businesses reopening. — Los Angeles Daily News
According to the mayor’s office, more than 400 homeless people have tested positive for COVID-19. As cases continue to rise in the county, what’s it like for the health care workers risking their lives to administer those tests? — Spectrum News 1
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Use of Pepper Spray, Tear Gas by Law Enforcement Can Help Spread COVID-19
Minorities are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, according to witnesses speaking to a House of Representatives subcommittee.
L.A. County health officials announced 1,469 new cases of the coronavirus and 44 related deaths since last night. This brings the total number of cases to 59,650, and related deaths to 2,531. — Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Numbers across the state rose too, as California reached 119,721 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 4,383 deaths. — Mercury News
Most Californians support the restrictions in place aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, or want stricter regulations, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. More than a third of Californians said they or someone in their household lost a job due to the coronavirus outbreak and half said they or a household member either saw their pay cut or had work hours reduced. — L.A. Times
Infectious disease experts say law enforcement should stop using tear gas or pepper spray on protesters as their use might help spread the coronavirus. Spraying people with tear gas causes them to cough, shout and scream — and that will send infectious droplets from an infected person to others, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious diseases specialist at UC San Francisco. — L.A. Times
Witnesses addressing a House of Representatives subcommittee on racial disparities said minority Americans are more likely to be infected and die from COVID-19. They attributed this to inferior health, housing and economic conditions in minority populations due to structural racism. — The Guardian
A total of 301 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, 2,162 inmates have tested positive, with 1,420 of them showing no symptoms. — Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Health Officials Fear Protests Will Result in Spread of COVID-19
Researchers looking for a treatment for COVID-19 face another hurdle as hydroxychloroquine proves ineffective in large study.
The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in L.A. County rose to 58,234 after officials reported 1,155 new cases. The total number of related deaths rose to 2,489, as 46 more people lost their lives to the deadly virus. — Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Two more inmates at a Southern California prison have died due to COVID-19. They were the 11th and 12th such deaths in the state’s corrections system. About 450 of the prison’s more than 3,300 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. — AP
Health officials are concerned a spike in cases of COVID-19 may be headed our way following the ongoing demonstrations against police brutality. “There’s a lot of risk at these gatherings becoming super spreader events,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. — ABC Los Angeles
Thousands of foster families in California will have to wait longer before they’re able to adopt, as family courts remain closed during the pandemic. “I was looking forward to having some closure. I was looking forward to that sense of permanency. I was looking forward to my daughters having my last name,” said Natalia Bergman, who had an April 7 court date to finalize the adoption of twin girls she and her husband had fostered for more than two years. — L.A. Times
Hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug President Donal Trump touted as a possible treatment for COVID-19, proved ineffective in the first large, high-quality study to test it in health workers and others closely exposed to people with the disease. — AP
A full autopsy of George Floyd, the handcuffed black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police, was released Wednesday and provides several clinical details, including that Floyd had previously tested positive for COVID-19. — AP
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
COVID-19 Antibody Therapy Human Trial Underway
All but three coronavirus testing sites in L.A. remain closed during ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd.
Health officials confirmed 1,202 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 60 related deaths in L.A. County. This brings the total number of cases to 57,118 and the total number of deaths to 2,443. — Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Here are the latest numbers of COVID-19 cases and related deaths across Southern California:
Orange County: 6,574 cases, 150 deaths
Riverside County: 8,155 confirmed cases, 342 deaths
San Bernardino County: 5,501 cases, 208 deaths
Ventura County: 1,164 cases, 34 deaths
San Diego County: 7,554 cases, 269 deaths — ABC Los Angeles
Overall, confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in California. As of June 2, the state has recorded 117,214 confirmed cases and 4,305 related deaths. — L.A. Times
Cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. top 1.8 million, including 105,644 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. — CNN
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company has launched the first human trial of antibody therapy for COVID-19. “Until now, scientists have been trying to repurpose medicines, drugs, that were designed for new diseases to see if they work in Covid-19, but as soon as this epidemic started, we got to work making a new medicine against this disease,” said Dr. Dan Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s senior vice president and chief scientific officer. — CNN Wire
Dodger Stadium, Carbon Health-Echo Park and Kedren Community Health Center are the only COVID-19 testing sites open in Los Angeles, as city officials close the remaining locations citing concerns over “civil unrest.” Officials say they hope to reopen test centers Wednesday. — L.A. Times
As states partially reopen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines for employers resuming operations in office buildings, including improved ventilation, increased distance among workers and stricter hygiene protocols. — NBC Los Angeles
Anaheim residents impacted by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic may qualify for up to three months of rent assistance. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program will give these affected tenants up to $2,100 per household to pay deferred rent since April, under Anaheim’s three-month eviction moratorium. — Telemundo/NBC Los Angeles
Monday, June 1, 2020
Coronavirus: US Will Take $8 Trillion Hit
COVID-19 testing sites are limited to Dodger Stadium and a few others around the area.
COVID-19 deaths keep coming despite the unrest in the streets. Today, the county reported 22 new deaths, bringing the total to 2,384. It also announced 978 new cases, bringing the total to 55,968. — ABC Los Angeles
More than 70 businesses are being prosecuted for allegedly flouting COVID-19 rules. Penalties if convicted: up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail. “Businesses should not open until they can adhere to all the protocols, and they must post a completed checklist in a public place before they open,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. — L.A. Times
Danny Mendoza, a correctional officer in the California state prison system, died Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus. He could be the first staff member of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to fall victim to COVID-19. — KTLA
Relaxed parking enforcement in Los Angeles will continue through July 1 as residents are asked to stay home to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. LADOT said it will not issue parking tickets for the following:
- During residential street sweeping
- Expired registration on vehicles
- Rush hour and gridlock zone parking restrictions
- Abandoned vehicles and overnight parking
- Vehicles displaying recently expired permits within preferential parking districts. (They will have a two-week grace period to renew after the expiration date.) — KTLA
Three more SoFi Stadium construction workers tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total of infected workers at the site of the L.A. Rams’ stadium in Inglewood to eight. — L.A. Times
Long Beach closes all coronavirus testing sites after looting and mayhem. According to the city, the sites will remain shuttered until further notice. — CBS Los Angeles
While L.A. County closed many coronavirus testing sites, several locations are still open: San Gabriel Valley Airport, South Bay Galleria, Pomona Fairplex, and East Los Angeles College. — Monrovia Weekly
Also open for testing is the testing site at Dodger Stadium, which is the largest in the nation. — CBS Los Angeles
The coronavirus will cost the U.S. economy $8 trillion. “Business closures and social distancing measures are expected to curtail consumer spending, while the recent drop in energy prices is projected to severely reduce U.S. investment in the energy sector,” writes CBO Director Phillip L. Swagel. — CNBC
Inland Empire Amazon employees say the company has “incrementally” made changes for a safer workplace, but positive COVID-19 cases continue to pop up. — NBC Los Angeles