Thursday, July 2, 2020
In a strange turn of events, some people in Alabama have been caught hosting COVID-19 parties and competing over catching the virus first.
Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Californians to wear face masks and skip traditional gatherings with family and friends over the holiday weekend. “We’re not going into everybody’s backyard and enforcing,” he said. “We’re just encouraging people to be safe, to be thoughtful about themselves and others.” Newsom also teased an upcoming public awareness campaign aimed at getting people to wear a mask. — KTLA 5
Officials in Santa Monica announced they are cracking down on people not wearing face coverings where required with fines of up to $500. Businesses that violate health protocols can face fines of $500, $750 or $1,000. In West Hollywood, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies will issue citations for people without face coverings, with first-time offenders facing a $300 fine. — ABC 7
The hottest ticket in town: Were you able to confirm a COVID-19 test appointment? Then you’re one of the lucky ones, as appointment slots are filled or just unavailable. — NBC 4
After a landlord association sued the city over eviction protections enacted during the pandemic, attorneys for community rights organizations filed a motion to intervene in the legal action. “You can’t be safe at home if you don’t have a home,” said Faizah Malik, a staff attorney with Public Counsel, which filed the motion to intervene alongside two other public-interest law firms. “It is unconscionable and immoral for AAGLA to be seeking the right to evict poor families of color in the middle of a global pandemic where eviction can have deadly consequences.” — NBC 4
City officials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, say people are throwing COVID-19 parties in which the first person confirmed by a doctor to have caught the virus receives a payout collected through ticket sales. Several of these parties, where infected people are urged to attend so guests can contract the virus, have reportedly taken place over the last few weeks. — CNN
News from the other side of the continent:
The Los Angeles Public Library will offer to-go pickup at the following branches starting today:
* Arroyo Seco Regional Library
* Central Library
* Echo Park Branch Library
* Junipero Serra Branch Library
* Los Feliz Branch Library
* Mar Vista Branch Library
* Northridge Branch Library
* Pio Pico-Koreatown Branch Library
* San Pedro Regional Library
* Studio City Branch Library
* Sylmar Branch Library
* Westwood Branch Library
* Woodland Hills Branch Library
— KTLA 5
I think I’ve been hearing city, county, state and federal officials say we should wear masks, but maybe Kellyanne Conway didn’t get the memo:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
As Hospitalizations Rise, California Enacts Tighter Restrictions
Threat level orange: Angelenos at medium/high risk of COVID-19 infection, according to the city’s new warning system.
COVID-19 in California by the numbers:
* 237,319 confirmed cases
* 6,152 deaths
— L.A. Times
As coronavirus infections surge throughout the state, California officials announced the closure of all state beaches in L.A. and Ventura counties and restricted vehicle access to beaches in nine other counties over the Fourth of July weekend. — KTLA 5
Angelenos need to stay home as much as possible, according to the city’s new color-coded system describing the risk of coronavirus infection. Mayor Eric Garcetti said six of the seven critical indicators influencing the threat level have been recently worsening, including hospital capacity, positivity rate and the total number of cases. — ABC 7
L.A. hospitals need to prepare for a rise in hospitalizations, according to Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Director Dr. Christine Ghaly. “We are likely to fill our ICU beds in the very near future,” Ghaly said. — Deadline
Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug that has shown promise in treating COVID-19, is coming under scrutiny for agreements that activists say will restrict global access to the treatment. — L.A. Times
It’s not looking great in Arizona:
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
New Restrictions Aimed at Curbing COVID-19 Spread Expected Tomorrow
California backtracks as impending restrictions look to clamp down on rising COVID-19 cases.
Gov. Gavin Newsom looks to clamp down on rising cases of COVID-19 with new restrictions expected to be announced tomorrow. Family gatherings are of particular concern for virus spread. — KTLA
Do you have to wear a mask if you are on a plane? Yes. Of course. Any objections? — L.A. Times
In an effort to slow virus spread in the prison system, Newsom may release another 3,500 inmates who are considered medically vulnerable. — KTLA
Employees at the Beverly Hills Equinox gym are afraid to go back to work after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. The gym does not mandate members to wear masks. “I’m very scared,” said one of the workers speaking on condition of anonymity. — NBC 4
Monday, June 29, 2020
Officials Say 1 in 140 Could Be Positive for COVID-19
L.A. County sounds the alarm as COVID-19 cases surge, putting a pause on reopening bars and closing beaches over the Fourth of July weekend.
Health officials estimate 1 in 140 people are positive for COVID-19 and could be spreading the virus as cases surpass 100,000 in L.A. County, sobering numbers for those who have been frequenting bars these past few weeks. — N.Y. Times
Speaking of other nice things we can’t have, bars have been ordered to close throughout L.A. County due to virus spread, and also because alcohol “slows brain activity, reduces inhibition, and impairs judgment, factors which contribute to reduced compliance with recommended core personal protective measures.” — California Department of Public Health
What is behind the surge in coronavirus cases? It appears Memorial Day weekend was our undoing. — L.A. Times
Sorry hopeful beach-goers: The sandy strip of public land is closed for the holiday weekend. — KTLA 5
The woman who caused a kerfuffle at a North Hollywood Trader Joe’s after being shamed for not wearing a mask regrets nothing about her now-viral tirade. — ABC 7