Friday, April 17, 2020
As job losses continue to hit L.A. County, a surge of applications for Angeleno Cards overwhelms the submission system and increases the need for additional donations.
During a three-day application period for Angeleno Cards, 450,000 individuals applied, according to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, which caused the site to crash at some points. The relief fund will provide between $700 to $1,500 to eligible households. Calling for additional donations, Garcetti noted he donated the equivalent of one month of his salary, estimated at around $23,000. — Los Angeles Daily News
Job losses and furloughs have hit L.A. residents especially hard. Forty-five percent of L.A. County residents still have a job, according to a national survey. This is a decline of 16 percent from this point in March. Of those surveyed, 33% estimated they would run out of money within three months. — L.A. Times
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Lack of protective gear for medical personnel proves disastrous as news of coronavirus cases among coworkers raise panic and frustration.
“This is the highest daily total we’ve reported after reporting high totals both yesterday and the day before — and it really reflects the devastating power of COVID-19,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. With 399 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today, the grim total climbs to 10,854 cases countywide. L.A. also mourned 55 new deaths of COVID-19 patients, for a total of 455 fatalities throughout the ongoing pandemic. — LAist
Providence Saint John’s Health Center suspended 10 nurses after they refused to treat COVID-19 patients without first being provided protective N95 face masks. Angela Gatdula, a Saint John’s nurse who fell ill with COVID-19, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95 masks while nurses went without. She said the hospital told her the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe. — ABC 7
People infected with the novel coronavirus are almost certainly spreading it for close to two and a half days before their first signs of illness appear, according to Chinese scientists. In fact, the contagion of an infected person peaks roughly 18 hours before the first blush of fever, the first twinge of a body ache or the first bout of coughing. — L.A. Times
Is Animal Crossing: New Horizons the perfect video game to occupy our minds during the current lockdown? “The biggest barrier to playing video games is that people don’t necessarily think it’s for them,” said John Poelking, a gaming analyst with market research firm Mintel. “In a time like now, there’s going to be the people who haven’t considered it, realize there’s something for them and stick with it. The moment Animal Crossing is capitalizing on is the need to be social without being competitive.” — L.A. Times
Panic spread among DMV employees after its director said, “there have been DMV team member cases of COVID-19 in multiple offices in the state, including the Sacramento Headquarters building.” He added that offices were being cleaned and proper authorities were notified “as we maximize telework to the extent possible.” — KTLA
The L.A. Department of Transportation is screwing with the stoplights so motorists can’t speed down mostly-empty city streets. — CBS Los Angeles
Dr. Elvis Francois, the orthopedic surgery resident who went viral with his performances at hospitals is dropping an EP tomorrow. All the proceeds will be donated to The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund. “What we do as surgeons, what we do as physicians goes a very long way, but music moves people in a way that medicine can’t,” he said. — NBC Los Angeles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been volunteering with Project Angel Food to deliver meals to those in need in West Hollywood. The posh pair said it was their way to thank the nonprofit’s volunteers, chefs and staff who have been working tirelessly since the COVID-19 crisis began. — ABC 7
Starting May 1, AEG Presents, the DTLA company that (basically) brings you Coachella, will open a 30-day window to offer refunds for tickets to shows that have been rescheduled. Around 30,000 events have already been postponed as a result of the pandemic, and tickets to many of those were sold months ago. By some estimates, consumers have spent more than $1 billion on tickets to these events. LiveNation/Ticketmaster and StubHub are still dragging their feet on giving refunds for rescheduled gigs. — New York Times
Legendary director Roger Corman today announced he is accepting homemade mini-movies for the Corman Quarantine Film Festival. “The story can be anything you imagined,” Corman said. The contest is calling for short films — no longer than two minutes — which can be shot on a cellphone in your home or backyard. — CBS Los Angeles
DTLA’s 9th St Ramen has teamed up with cannabis brand Old Pal and Sweet Flower dispensary to treat Angelenos in hospitality and delivery services who risk their health every day. For the next week, 9th St Ramen will be offering 150 meals consisting of a “Take-home Ramen + Gyoza Kit,” free of charge for anyone that works in hospitality, grocery stores or food delivery. People can also contribute to their GoFundMe page, where every $10 donation will provide a meal for someone in need.
Strawberries, 24 million pounds of them, might be trashed each week due to the pandemic. Restaurants — which receive roughly 15% of California’s peak harvest berry crop, according to the California Strawberry Commission — have all but stopped ordering. Throw in the loss of other types of food-service operations, and Rick Tomlinson, president of the commission, estimates that as much as 30% of the berries that are set to be harvested through the peak might not have a home. — LAist
High-end omakase sushi joints are adjusting to the current situation by preparing their dishes in bento boxes. Michelin-star sushi experiences in a pretty package? Indeed. And at a discount. — EaterLA
Headline of the day: Suspects in ‘heinous toilet paper caper’ try to make ‘clean getaway’ but — despite not leaving ‘skid marks’ — are arrested: Port Hueneme PD. — KTLA
And finally, Dodger reliever Joe Kelly shows that he is peak 2019 playoff form:
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
As businesses plan their return strategies, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti warns large gatherings and events may not happen until 2021.
L.A. reported 42 more COVID-19-related deaths today, topping a new single-day record which had been established just yesterday. The county’s death toll is now at 402. There are now nearly 10,500 confirmed cases in the county. — FOX 11 Los Angeles
There might not be any large public gatherings until 2021, according to an internal Los Angeles Fire Department email procured by the L.A. Times. In a briefing with the LAFD, Mayor Eric Garcetti said that “large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events may not be approved in the city for at least one year,” according to the email. Both the mayor’s office and the LAFD say nothing is written in stone and the 2021 target is a “possible scenario.” — L.A. Times
One more thing on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic: Today is Jackie Robinson Day, a day that celebrates his historic entry into Major League Baseball, breaking the sport’s color barrier. For the last few years, every player in baseball dons Robinson’s now-retired #42, a tradition that started with the L.A. Dodgers. Before turning pro, the eventual hall of fame inductee grew up in Pasadena and attended UCLA, where he became the first Bruin to earn varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track.
African American students have it tough on community college campuses as the coronavirus is hitting Black America at disproportional rates. This makes groups like Black Collegians at Santa Monica College and its umbrella organization, Umoja Community, that much more vital for black students faced with tough choices about remaining in school. “It’s going to sound kind of crazy, but I feel like [the crisis] is making us tighter,” said LiDell Montague, Black Collegians’ director of publicity. — LAist
Google launched a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund aimed to benefit “thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally,” according to the company’s VP of News. Awards will range from “low thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region.” — Techcrunch
How serious is Mayor Garcetti about wearing a mask during these dark days? Look no further than his Twitter profile. — Twitter
Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi hopes to open his movie theaters by July 1. The chain includes several theaters in L.A. “A return to normalcy may span multiple months driven by staggered theater openings due to government limits, reduced operating hours, lingering social distancing and a ramp-up of consumer comfort with public gatherings,” Zoradi said. The chain hopes to get the popcorn popping in June while screening classic films, and then get back to business in mid-July when Christopher Nolan’s thriller “Tenet,” starring Robert Pattinson, tentatively hits the screen on July 17. — The Hollywood Reporter
Health care workers battling the coronavirus pandemic at 28 Southern California hospitals will enjoy free Cuties mandarins in their break rooms starting tomorrow thanks to the citrus company’s donation of 2.5 million mandarins. That’s about a half-million bucks worth of vitamin C. — City News
Having problems homeschooling your kids? Join the club. And in that club is Drew Barrymore. “I don’t know if there are good days and bad days,” she said. “I think there are good hours and bad hours. I cried every day, all day long. It was like every church and state. It was the messiest plate I’ve ever held in my life to be the teacher, the parent, the disciplinarian, the caretaker.” — CNN
Scores of LAPD officers showing symptoms related to the coronavirus, or who are in quarantine because of possible exposure, are being given the option of isolating at home or moving into the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. Which would you pick? Don’t fret, you aren’t paying for this. The tab is being sent to the Los Angeles Police Foundation, a nonprofit independent group that buys police equipment and offers other support to the LAPD. — L.A. Times
A plasma donor is needed to help a Torrance firefighter recovering from COVID-19. But it’s more complicated than usual. “Specifically, he needs plasma donated from a fully recovered COVID patient so their antibodies may help boost his ability to fight back,” the department said on a Facebook post. — CBS Los Angeles
Moby’s Little Pine restaurant in Silver Lake closed last month due to the pandemic and its former employees say the musician left them high and dry. “I am coverage-less in the middle of a global pandemic,” said one former employee, “because my health care has been canceled by a multimillionaire.” — EaterLA
If there is a bittersweet winner from this pandemic, it’s Netflix. The streamer’s stock, extending its three-day rally, closed up 3.2%, to $426.75 per share. That gives Netflix a current market cap of $187.3 billion, putting it just over Disney’s $186.6 billion after the Mouse’s stock finished down 2.5% Wednesday. — Variety
During any other time, this would just be gross, but in the days of the coronavirus, it could be deadly. Security camera footage shows three men in a Bellflower neighborhood spitting on someone’s front door. “One spits a huge loogie on the side of my door, which I cleaned up not too long ago. It was dried up and disgusting,” the homeowner said. “The other one was discovered when my husband went to go walk the dogs and when he came back inside the house, he noticed the doorknob was really slimy.” — CBSLA
A home version of the SAT college entrance exam is being prepared in case schools remain closed into the fall, College Board officials said today as they announced the cancellation of June testing. Instead of a paper-and-pencil test given under proctors’ supervision, the home version would be digital and rely on “remote proctoring.” That could include using the computer’s camera and microphone to monitor movement or talking, College Board President Jeremy Singer said on a conference call with reporters. — NBC Los Angeles
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
As stay-at-home orders keep Angelenos at home, county and city officials enact programs to alleviate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Health officials reported 40 additional deaths and 670 new cases of coronavirus in L.A. County. The total number of cases increased to 10,047 and the number of deaths increased to 360. The deaths reported on Tuesday were the highest in a single day in the county. The mortality rate increased to 3.6%. Twenty-six of the new cases were people who are currently homeless. — ABC 7
Gov. Gavin Newsom says there will be no large-scale events with thousands or even hundreds of attendees until there is either herd immunity and/or a vaccine. — ABC 7
City Councilman Mike Bonin wants empty streets to be open for residents who want to walk or bike during the stay-at-home order. “Our sidewalks are too narrow, our streets continue to be unsafe for biking and some motorists are taking advantage of congestion-free streets to speed recklessly even as more people are moving around on foot and bike,” he said. — City News Service
Pastors from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are suing Gov. Newsom and other officials over health directives that have prevented worshipers from attending church services due to the pandemic. The church wants to have groups in its buildings, the state wants everyone to stay at home. — CNN
The number of COVID-19 cases among crew members of the Navy hospital ship Mercy has risen to seven while it is docked in the Port of Los Angeles. — KCRA
Orange County residents who have been directly impacted by COVID-19 and did not file property taxes by April 10, will have their penalties waived. The O.C. treasurer is accepting penalty cancellation requests through June 30. “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the taxpayers here in Orange County, in the United States and all over the world. We want to be as compassionate and generous as possible,” said Treasurer Shari Freidenrich. “We will be canceling penalties for those homeowners, small businesses and other property owners that have been directly affected by COVID-19.” — NBC Los Angeles
L.A. librarians are building hundreds of face shields for hospital workers via 3D printing. — L.A. Taco
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved a motion to establish a public-private relief fund for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus outbreak. The fund will start with an initial $12 million from the county. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas says Goldman Sachs has pledged another $15 million, while Wells Fargo has pledged $1 million. — CBS Los Angeles
Busy day for the Board of Supes as they also voted to allocate emergency funding for renters. The proposed program would provide subsidies of up to $1,000 per month for up to three months for families who have recently lost jobs, though the details have yet to be worked out. — CBS Los Angeles
Both the website and phone number for low-income Angelenos attempting to apply for prepaid debit cards have been crashing all day. — NBC Los Angeles
There are 70 coronavirus vaccines in development around the world and three are in clinical trials. Experts expect it to take between 12-18 months to get a vaccine approved for mass use. — NBC Los Angeles
The L.A. Times, owned by the wealthiest man in town, is furloughing 40 non-union employees and cutting wages for senior managers blaming low advertising revenue. The now-unemployed people did not work in the newsroom and will not receive any pay. They could be out of work for four months. — New York Times
See how Eastside restaurants are adjusting and bonding with customers during these tough times. — Eastsider L.A.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Law enforcement officers still encounter some resistance, even as 95% of Angelenos support stay-at-home mandates aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
Los Angeles County reports 25 new COVID-19 deaths and 239 new cases, the lowest number of new daily cases since March 26. This brings the total number of cases to 9,420 and the number of deaths to 320 deaths. — NBC News
LAUSD campuses will remain closed through the summer. Classes will continue online, Superintendent Austin Beutner announced this morning. Students will not be penalized for not having access to services they need to complete courses, and no student will receive a failing grade for the spring semester. — KTLA
Ninety-five percent of Angelenos support the County’s stay-at-home orders, according to a poll from Loyola Marymount University. The poll also found that 76% of self-identified conservatives viewed the virus as a real threat, compared with 91% of their liberal counterparts. Conservatives also saw themselves as less vulnerable, with 74% saying they worried they would catch the virus, compared with 85% of liberals. — L.A. Times
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today ordered insurers to refund some premiums to provide financial relief to Californians who are stuck at home. The order would cover premiums for at least March and April and could extend through May. “With Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss,” Lara said. “Today’s mandatory action will put money back in people’s pockets when they need it most.” — KTLA
Marriott is donating $10 million worth of free rooms to health care workers and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, called Rooms for First Responders, provides rooms, supplies, gloves and meals for health care workers who are unable to return to their homes as they try to prevent exposing their loved ones to the deadly virus. — FOX 11 Los Angeles
Fifty-year-old Ramon Zuniga spent 28 days in the ICU due to COVID-19, 20 of them in a coma and on a ventilator. Then, he went home on Easter Sunday. “This is a complete and total miracle,” said his wife Maria. “One thing that helped us through this is we are very faithful to God and we had so many people, who we didn’t even know, including us in their prayers.” — L.A. Daily News
The L.A. Sheriff’s Department has issued 19 COVID-19-related citations and ushered one person into the pokey. “We’re looking for voluntary compliance,” said Sheriff Alex Villanueva, “and the overwhelming majority of the community has been doing that voluntary compliance.” — ABC 7
Up in Santa Cruz, police cited seven out-of-towners $1K each for going to a 7-Eleven to purchase non-essential drinks. — Cal Coast Times
Even though they are now required, not everyone is wearing masks, risking fines and possible jail time. — ABC 7
A large-scale COVID-19 antibody testing study launched in L.A. According to researchers, the findings could help shape strategies to get the U.S. economy up and running again. — NBC News
Shooting in L.A. can be a bit of a mess. And that’s something that needs to change as we look forward to life post-COVID-19. “I have worked on so many shows without a sufficient number of bathrooms, or toilets in the bathrooms, places to wash hands, get drinking water or dispose of trash,” said Deborah Jones, a draper with 19 years experience decorating sets for TV and film. — L.A. Times
Stimulus checks are in the mail for some. Here’s what you need to know — Long Beach Press-Telegram
States are forming regional pacts in order to work together on how to reopen following the stay-at-home orders each has issued to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. — CNN
COVID-19 will not stop a 43-story skyscraper from being built in DTLA. — L.A. Daily News
Looking for a silver lining? Gas prices dropped to $2.95 per gallon for regular, unleaded, a rate not seen since July 2017, a AAA spokesperson said. — Patch
Language and cultural barriers may be keeping some San Gabriel Valley businesses from seeking coronavirus help. In the SGV, about half of residents have limited English, according to a 2018 report from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles. The SBA site is only in English and Spanish. — LAist
Ticketmaster quietly changed its refund policy on rescheduled and postponed events. Fans loudly cry foul. — Digital Music News