Tuesday, June 2, 2020

L.A. County Business Leaders Urge Officials to Lift Restrictions on Reopening

By ELIZABETH MARCELLINO, City News Service

Leaders in the film, sports, theme park, business and restaurant industries Tuesday presented detailed plans for reopening to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, urging county officials to allow them to move as quickly as safely possible.

Members of the Economic Resiliency Task Force have been working for weeks with other industry representatives, including unions, on safety guidelines and best practices.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who chairs the committee, began by offering her support for peaceful protests in the name of George Floyd, whose in- custody death in Minneapolis has sparked demonstrations across the U.S. and around the world.

“This board is committed to protecting the right of protesters to exercise their First Amendment right,” Barger said. “I want to remind everyone that it is our vulnerable communities who are experiencing the most severe health and economic impacts of this virus. Family-owned businesses have the smallest margin of error to financially recover …

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

LA Courts to Offer Remote Court Appearance Technology for Some Cases

By ELIZABETH MARCELLINO, City News Service

Los Angeles County’s court system is expanding its technology to allow attorneys and self-represented litigants to appear remotely through audio or video appearances in certain cases starting later this month, it was announced Tuesday.

The program, called LACourtConnect, will be available first for cases involving civil settlements and probate matters on calendar starting the week of June 22.

Throughout the rest of the summer, the program will launch in phases for all limited civil, unlimited civil and complex, family law and traffic courtrooms, according to court officials.

“LACourtConnect will provide a safe and convenient alternative to coming through the courthouse doors to appear for your hearing,” Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile said. “As we restore court operations on June 15 and gradually resume hearings beginning June 22, we want to assure litigants and attorneys the court will open its doors with infection control measures, social distancing and face covering requirements.”

Court fees for each remote appearance will be $15 for an audio appearance,

Monday, June 1, 2020

Los Angeles County Announces 22 New COVID-19 Deaths

978 new cases confirmed on Monday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

County health officials announced 22 new deaths and 978 new cases of the Coronavirus on Monday.

To date, 55,968 positive cases of the virus have been identified in LA County, leading to 2,384 deaths.

“This is a very difficult time in our communities, and there are many people who are experiencing the profound sorrow of loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19. We are deeply sorry for your loss. Please know we think of you every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health.

Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,200 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health) 41 percent of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 28 percent among White residents, 17 percent among Asian residents, 12 percent among African American residents, 1 percent among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1 percent among residents identifying with other races.

Friday, May 29, 2020

Friday, Los Angeles County Announces 50 New Deaths Related to Coronavirus

1,824 New Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 announced

STAFF REPORT

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday confirmed 50 new deaths and 1,824 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the county.

Officials said some of the new cases reported are from a backlog of test results.

Thirty-three people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 13 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and four people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Forty people had underlying health conditions including 30 people over the age of 65 years old, seven people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and three people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.

To date, Public Health has identified 51,562 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,290 deaths. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

As Malls Reopen, County Reports 48 More COVID-19 Deaths

1,094 New Cases Confirmed

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Another 48 Coronavirus deaths were reported in LA County on Thursday, as local shopping malls began reopening their doors thanks to loosened health restrictions.

Meanwhile, county officials awaited word from the state on the possible return of dine-in restaurants and hair salons.

The new fatalities lifted the county’s death toll to 2,241.

County health officials also announced another 1,094 confirmed cases of the illness, bringing the total to 49,774.

The new cases were announced as more businesses took advantage of relaxed health restrictions and began welcoming customers inside. Thousands of residents weary of curbside-only shopping — or perhaps just looking for a chance to get out of the house — made their way to malls such as the Citadel Outlets in Commerce and the Glendale Galleria Thursday, taking advantage of the newly reopened retail centers.

`We feel very confident, and we feel very confident because all of the work everybody has already done to get us here,”

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

County Confirms 53 Additional COVID-19 Deaths

CITY NEWS SERVICE

933 new cases confirmed on Wednesday

County health officials confirmed 53 deaths from 933 cases of the Coronavirus on Wednesday.

“For all of you who have lost someone you love to COVID-19, we are so sorry. Through this sad and difficult time, we keep you in our thoughts and prayers every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health has identified 48,700 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,195 deaths. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

The increase in deaths comes on the heels of a new order issued on Tuesday.

The new Health Officer Order issued yesterday, called Safer at Work and in the Community, allows for the reopening of houses of worship, office worksites, in-store shopping at retail establishments, including indoor malls and shopping centers, flea markets, swap meets and drive-in movie theaters.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

County Allows In-Store Retail Sales, Churches, to Resume With Restrictions Wednesday

By ELIZABETH MARCELLINO, City News Service

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to seek state approval to authorize the reopening of more businesses — such as dine-in restaurants and hair salons — though the county’s health officer may add additional restrictions on such operations.

Meanwhile, the county also announced a revised health order Tuesday that further loosens other coronavirus restrictions, including allowing the resumption of in-store retail shopping.

As of Tuesday, Los Angeles was one of just 11 of California’s 58 counties not to have received a “regional variance” from the state. The variances allow counties that meet certain coronavirus health criteria to move deeper into California’s four-stage “roadmap” that guides the reopening of different business sectors.

The county — and most of the state — is in Stage 2 of that roadmap, although the state is slowly moving into Stage 3, with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday authorizing the reopening of barbershops and hair salons and earlier clearing the way for churches and other houses of worship to restart in-person services.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Supervisor Barger Announces County Will Apply for Variance to Move Forward in Phased Reopening and Will Align with State’s Public Health Order

Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced that Los Angeles County has achieved necessary readiness criteria and will apply for a variance with the State of California tomorrow. If granted, the variance from the State public health order will allow Los Angeles County to advance further in Stage 2 and into Stage 3 of the State’s Roadmap to Recovery.

“Los Angeles County has dedicated critical resources to meet the benchmark criteria to support our efforts to reopen, including ensuring adequate hospital capacity, increasing access and availability of testing and contact tracing, and implementing protections for vulnerable populations,” said Supervisor Barger. “Regional data shows we have flattened the curve, indicating our readiness to move forward in phased recovery. This will put Los Angeles County on a level playing field with surrounding counties, which have already been granted variances.”

In addition, L.A. County will align with the Public Health Orders issued by the State to ensure consistency as the region progresses in reopening.

“Aligning Los Angeles County’s health orders with the State’s is going to provide immediate relief to our communities,” Supervisor Barger said.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

LA County Sees Highest Number of COVID-19 Cases in One Day

By ARON BENDER

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 27 new deaths and 1,843 new cases of COVID-19.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, cautioned that the numbers through Monday night include results from a backlog of tests.

One of the people who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old, the other 26 were 41 and older.

“As improved infection control practices and testing have increased over the last month, deaths among residents in nursing homes have dropped from 174 deaths for the week ending May 2, to 60 deaths for the week ending May 23,” Dr. Ferrer said.

LA County’s stay-at-home orders now allow for “the reopening of beach bike paths and parking lots, indoor mall curbside service, and select vehicle parades,” according to a statement. “Retailers remain closed to public entry along with beach piers, and public and private gatherings of any number of people outside of a single household unit are still not permitted.”

Monday, May 25, 2020

County Reports 12 New COVID-19 Deaths on Monday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

County health officials confirmed 12 new deaths and 1,047 new cases of the Coronavirus on Monday.

The numbers are among the lowest reported by the county since the pandemic began two months ago.

“On this Memorial Day, as we join with those mourning the loss of their loved ones to COVID -19, including the families of the 1100 veterans who recently passed away from COVID-19, we want to honor the memory of all the members of the armed forces who courageously gave of themselves to protect our country,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health. “We take to heart the lessons of courage and caring that mark this day of remembrance. As we prepare to re-open many places and spaces that are still closed, it will require an extraordinary effort by all of us to prevent outbreaks among workers and residents. Please take care of each other by wearing a face covering, keeping your distance when around others not in your household,