LATEST, March 25, 9:10 a.m. San Francisco County reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday morning, bringing the county total to 178. The county reported the first death in a resident on Tuesday night. Read the full story.
March 25, 8:15 a.m. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the Bay Area continues to climb, with now more than 1,000 cases in the nine-county region.
San Mateo County announced Wednesday morning four more deaths, bringing the county total to five. Health officials haven’t released details on the patients. In San Mateo, 165 individuals have tested positive for the respiratory illness.
San Francisco County health officials reported the county’s first death of a resident with COVID-19 on Tuesday evening. The patient who passed away was a man in his 40s with “multiple, significant” underlying health conditions, officials said in a statement.
March 25, 8:10 a.m. San Francisco-headquartered Gap Inc. announced Wednesday that the company “is pivoting resources so that factory partners can make masks, gowns and scrubs for healthcare workers on the frontlines and is connecting some of the largest hospitals in California with its vendors to deliver PPE [personal protective equipment] supplies.”
March 25, 8 a.m. To prevent crowds from gathering at beaches, the City of Pacifica announced Wednesday it is closing the parking lots and some facilitiesat its city beaches.
Those include north and south lots at Pacifica State Beach (Linda Mar Beach); parking lots at the Pacifica Community Center; north and south lots at the Rockaway Beach; Council Chambers lot on Beach Boulevard; Beach Boulevard parking south of the Council Chambers and Fisherman’s Lot in 800 block of Palmetto Avenue.
The Pacifica Pier is also closed.
Half Moon Bay say it’s also closing parking lots at beaches.
March 25, 7:30 a.m. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said there have been reports of so-called nonessential businesses ignoring orders to shut down.
While he hopes for voluntary compliance, those ignoring warnings could face misdemeanor charges and the city could shut off the business’s water and electricity, Garcetti warned.
Such businesses are “irresponsible and selfish … it will put all of us at risk,” Garcetti said.
Following Monday’s COVID-19 mandate that all bars must shut down and all restaurants must close dining rooms, workers across California are suddenly finding themselves unemployed — or dangerously near it.
Servers and bartenders have been on the minds of many since Monday’s announcement, as tipped workers will suffer tremendously from the closure of dining rooms. But they’re only the latest group of workers affected by COVID-19’s rapid spread. Staffers at music venues, hotels, the convention center, trade shows, and more are finding themselves without work.
This has left countless individuals wondering — what are my options? Here’s a quick resource guide for those affected.
I just got laid off. What government assistance do I qualify for?
Legislators are working on different relief programs for workers, but none have been approved yet. Unemployment benefits through the State of California are your best bet right now. You’re eligible if you lost work due to no fault of your own. You also need to be available for work, actively looking for work and ready to accept work immediately. Check out the state’s resource guide to learn all eligibility requirements, and apply.
I haven’t lost my job yet, but my hours have been cut. Can I still get unemployment?
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order on March 12 waives the one-week unpaid waiting period, so you can collect unemployment benefits for the first week you are out of work. Unfortunately, the money doesn’t come in any faster. But at least you’ll be getting paid for all the time you’re out of work.
Home to the largest homeless population in the country, California officials are rushing to get tens of thousands of people off the streets and into shelters and tents to slow the spread of the coronavirus among one of the most vulnerable and difficult-to-reach groups.
There has been only one confirmed death among California’s estimated 150,000 homeless people, but authorities believe that without swift intervention, it’s only a matter of time before the virus sweeps through homeless encampments and gathering spots where people are in close proximity and can’t practice proper hygiene, like hand-washing.
Los Angeles has suspended an ordinance requiring tents to come down at night and has lined up dozens of trailers to use as isolation shelters. A charitable group in San Francisco was passing out tents so people could use them to separate themselves from others. Both cities also are using recreational centers and other large, open indoor spaces to create emergency shelters that have more space between beds.
Mel Tillekeratne, a leading Los Angeles homeless advocate, said Thursday that people living in encampments are “beginning to feel the fear” over the virus. He’s the founder of the Shower of Hope, which contracts with local governments to provide pop-up stations with showers and other services for homeless people.
“They’re asking, ‘How can I get hand sanitizer?’ ‘How can I get information?’” Tillekeratne said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed state and local officials to rent hotel rooms and deploy travel trailers to house the homeless. Lawmakers have given the Democratic governor up to $1 billion to spend on the crisis, and on Wednesday he announced the first $150 million would go to local governments to house the homeless.
A significant portion of the homeless population is addicted to drugs or alcohol or is mentally ill, conditions that in the past have made them resistant to accept help.
Newsom has said he is not worried about that, adding that the state has “the capacity to encourage people off the streets.”
“I think there’s a lot of mythology about resistance; I think it’s wildly overstated,” Newsom told reporters this week. “I’m not ratcheting up a mindset of enforcement police state.”
Tillekeratne said it’s hard to imagine a scenario where authorities are rounding up homeless people exhibiting signs of the coronavirus and forcibly bringing them to shelters. However, he acknowledged that some won’t want to go.
“Not everyone’s going to want to come in. But if we can target those that are the most vulnerable, we can fill a lot of beds,” Tillekeratne said.
Ron Lawrence, president of the California Association of Police Chiefs, said in cases where people refuse to comply, police have the authority to enforce health orders to prevent the spread of disease. Disobeying is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail.
Joseph Giacalone, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former New York City police sergeant, said police could take into custody people who are showing severe virus symptoms but refuse to accept help.
“They’re a threat to themselves and others at that point,” he said.
Giacalone said police would likely be allowed to use force if necessary to transport the person to a hospital if they are showing obvious signs of medical distress. In the case of COVID-19 symptoms, he said the person would likely need to be having severe respiratory problems or issues walking or moving.
“A runny nose isn’t going to cut it,” he said.
The number of homeless people up and down the West Coast has surged in recent years, and Seattle and Portland, Oregon, are among the cities also taking steps to protect them.
Volunteers and agency workers have fanned out in the Portland area to visit around 2,000 homeless people, Multnomah County spokesman Denis Theriault said.
“People have told us they were worried they might have been forgotten, that it was nice that someone was just giving them a little bit of something,” he said.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
In California, Sacramento is among more than 15 counties that have ordered virtually everyone to stay home. For the homeless, that means limiting encampments to 10 people or fewer. Sheriff Scott Jones said that as a last resort, people who refuse could be issued citations but that they would be jailed “in only the most extreme cases.”
In San Francisco, officials are waiting for travel trailers to arrive from the state to isolate homeless people who test positive for the virus. They are seeking 3,500 hotel rooms to quarantine people who need it.
Trent Rhorer, San Francisco’s Department of Human Services director, said it’s difficult for officials to protect the homeless in traditional shelter settings. About 2,000 adults are in shelters where social distancing isn’t possible. An additional 19,000 people live in low-income housing with shared bathrooms and kitchens.
Rhorer said the city plans to monitor people in shelters, hoping to identify those with symptoms who need isolation.
At least one homeless person has died from the coronavirus. Officials in Santa Clara County, at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, said they are trying to figure out where the person lived and whom they were around.
Andrea Urton, chief executive of HomeFirst, which operates the county’s largest homeless services center, said people are sleeping on shelter beds about 3 feet (1 meter) apart, alternating head-to-toe directions to reduce the possibility of infection. The center isn’t accepting new clients.
Two people who showed signs of illness were taken to a motel with a “box of medical supplies and a food box so they can isolate,” she said.
“When this thing started, we went into full crisis mode,” Urton said. “There’s a huge sense of urgency, and I think everyone is doing everything they can.”
Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco, said she wants to see the city commandeer empty hotel rooms. She said some shelters have more than 100 people on the floor. Others are in bunk beds in close quarters, all while sharing bathrooms.
“They’re still allowing people to come in for one night at a time — it’s absolutely insane,” she said. “(Homeless people) are really nervous. They want to prevent the spread of the virus, and they’re not being given the opportunity to do so.”
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Associated Preporters Don Thompson and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento. Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed reporting.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced all “bars, nightclubs, wineries, brewpubs and the like” must close temporarily due to the threat of coronavirus. “We are directing that all bars, nightclubs, wineries, brewpubs and the like be closed in the state of California,” Newsom announced Sunday afternoon, calling them “nonessential” businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We have absolute expectation this will be socialized in real-time today,” he said. The directive does not apply to restaurants, which are still considered essential, as Newsom said some individuals cannot safely prepare food in their homes. “We don’t believe this is necessary at this moment,” he said. However, all restaurants will be required to halve their occupancy in order to achieve appropriate social distancing.
Los Angeles’ annual gay pride celebration has joined a growing list of events across the country that have been postponed, canceled or suspended amid fears of the coronavirus pandemic. The LA Pride Festival and Parade, now in its 50th year, will be pushed back to a yet unknown date from its traditional mid-June kickoff, organizers announced Thursday.
Due to the concerns of COVID-19, CSW will postpone all events related to the 50th Anniversary of LA Pride that were scheduled for June 2020. Organizers are assessing the situation. More information to be provided around the postponement as details become available.1,1913:54 PM – Mar 12, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy580 people are talking about this
The decision came after the city of West Hollywood, the gay enclave where the march takes place, implemented a series of cancellations for all city-sponsored and funded events prior to June 30, and advised others to do the same. Estevan Montemayor, board president of Christopher Street West, the nonprofit that organizes LA Pride, said the decision to postpone the event was made in the interest of public safety.
“This postponement is going to give us a little more time to work with our city officials to make sure that first and foremost everyone is safe and healthy,” he told NBC News. “That is the priority for everyone.”
Los Angeles’ annual pride festival traces its roots to 1970, making it one of the first such events in the country. Since its debut, it has been held in June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, widely thought of as the event that helped spark the modern-day gay rights movement. The hugely anticipated event — which draws hundreds of thousands of people from across the country — reportedly generated nearly $75 million in economic output last year.
Montemayor said Christopher Street West is still working with city officials to confirm a new date, but he emphasized that the event would not be canceled.
“We hosted the world’s first legally permitted Pride parade on Hollywood Boulevard on June 28, 1970,” he said. “That is a significant milestone. We are going to make sure we commemorate it.”
Across the country in New York City, the site of the iconic Stonewall uprising, organizers of the annual NYC Pride march announced on Friday that they are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation but currently have no plans to postpone this year’s June event, which attracts millions of people from around the world every year.
LA Pride, however, is not without company when it comes to canceled or postponed events. Amid growing COVID-19 fears, a number of professional sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL and MLB have paused or suspended their seasons; a slew of conferences, including South By Southwest and the Electronic Entertainment Expo have been canceled; and music festivals such as Coachella and Stagecoach have been postponed until the fall.
States and cities across the country have also tried to minimize the spread of the virus by limiting large crowds. Washington state, for example, has banned gatherings of more than 250 people in several counties, and New York has prohibited most gatherings of more than 500 people. Maryland, Michigan, Ohio and Oregon have closed schools statewide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists event cancellations as one measure that may slow the virus, which has claimed over 40 lives in the U.S. and 5,000 across the globe. The CDC is urging those in higher risk populations, including older adults and those with serious chronic medical conditions, to avoid large crowds whenever possible.
As for Montemayor, he said the LGBTQ community is particularly poised to handle the uncertainty spawned by this current pandemic, which on Friday was officially declared a national emergency by President Donald Trump.
“Our community has always been incredibly resilient, especially in the face of uncertain times,”he said. “We’ve faced this before — we always have. We’ll come together, we’ll beat it, we’ll overcome it, and we’ll all rise up very shortly to convene and celebrate this big, bold, beautiful community.”
As scrutiny of the treatment of transgender inmates continues to grow, the California prison system has updated its policy on transition-related care, including gender reassignment surgery, although the new guidance is getting mixed reviews at best from transgender advocates.
One transgender advocate said the document “appears to contain some important improvements,” but “there are still a few areas where the policy appears problematic or unclear.” Another said the changes “do nothing to change” access to transition-related care for inmates. In defense of the policy, a spokesperson for the California prison system says the new guidance is “expected to improve access to care.”
The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, which is credited with being the first state prison system to implement any policy granting transgender inmates access to gender reassignment surgery, shared the updated 30-page guidance and a summary with the Blade last week.
The new guidelines, developed by California Correctional Health Care Services, dedicate a full page to specific criteria for granting inmates gender reassignment surgery: Persistent gender dysphoria; being at least 18 years old; having continuously used hormone therapy for 12 months; full-time living in a new gender role and keeping any other medical and mental health conditions well-controlled.
“Individuals may live successfully as transgender persons without surgery,” the guidelines say. “Gender affirming surgery may be considered for those individuals who are diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria and demonstrate significant distress not attributable to conditions of confinement, mental illness or other factors, but are due to lack of reasonable response to available nonsurgical treatments and there are no available, additional treatments other than surgery that are likely to improve or alleviate their symptoms.”
In a letter dated Nov. 8, 2019 to the Blade, the state prison health system reveals 130 inmates requested male-to-female gender reassignment surgery since the policy was announced, but only seven were granted the procedure in the same time period. Meanwhile, 51 inmates requested female-to-male gender reassignment surgery, but only 10 obtained the procedure.
Terry Thornton, a California Department of Corrections spokesperson, told the Blade this week the new policy came out, however, because guidelines “are continually revised to align with community standards and as needed to ensure operational efficiency.”
The California prison system isn’t done. Thornton said a supplement to the transgender inmate guide on requests for gender reassignment surgery is currently undergoing a revision, but it’s unknown when that will be complete.
The previous policy, established in 2015, was brokered by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris as a result of lawsuits filed by transgender inmates Michelle Lael-Norsworthy, who was serving time for second-degree murder, and Shiloh Quine, who’s serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery. Both inmates had obtained medical clearance for gender reassignment surgery and sought the procedure, but were denied.
(In response to the Blade report last year that few inmates were granted gender reassignment surgery despite the deal Harris brokered — and promoted on the campaign trail — the California Democrat’s presidential campaign said the the policy should be reviewed because anti-transgender bias may be in play. Harris’s Senate office didn’t respond to the Blade’s request to comment on the update.)
Ensuring transgender prisoners have access to gender reassignment surgery, which would come at taxpayer expense, has been a controversial issue and may even soon be adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court as a result of a case percolating up from Idaho.
But the key difference in the new California policy seems to be hormone therapy, not gender reassignment surgery.
Thornton said the new guidance provides guidelines on hormone therapy for transgender inmates to primary care doctors as opposed to endocrinology specialists, which she said “is expected to improve access to care.”
“The new Transgender Care Guide, which more clearly aligns with WPATH criteria, expands its education to primary care providers and gives a more detailed step-by-step approach to care for transgender men and transgender women,” Thornton said. “This new guide improves education for providers about the terminology and diagnoses related to transgender care.”
Thornton added the guidance updates access to hygiene items and clothing for transgender inmates.
“All of these improvements will enable primary care providers the ability to more effectively meet the needs of the transgender population,” Thornton said. “CCHCS and CDCR will continue to expand education to providers and patients about transgender care.”
Despite the changes, advocates for ensuring transgender inmates have access to gender reassignment surgery were largely unimpressed, saying the guidelines still hamper access to transgender-related care.
Shawn Meerkamper, senior staff attorney with the San Francisco-based Transgender Law Center, flat-out rejected the changes.
“For years, California’s prisons have had in place a sham policy that serves to deny critical and often life-saving health care to the overwhelming majority of trans people who need it,” Meerkamper said. “Unfortunately, these updates do nothing to change that reality for the hundreds of transgender people in California prisons who desperately need access to medically necessary transition-related surgeries.”
Harper Jean Tobin, director of policy at the National Center for Transgender Equality, took a more nuanced approach, saying the new guidance “appears to contain some important improvements,” but at the same time “there are still a few areas where the policy appears problematic or unclear.”
For starters, Tobin took issue with the California prison system housing transgender inmates consistent with their gender identity in sex-based facilities on a case-by-case basis as opposed to implementing a blanket policy ensuring a mismatch won’t happen.
“The new policy says prisoners ‘have traditionally’ been housed based on external genitalia, and ‘may possibly be moved’ following surgery,” Tobin said. “CDCR also says that new state legislation ‘may allow’ placement consistent with gender identity in other cases — but in fact that is already permitted and under federal law it is required to be considered in every case.”
A recent NBC News report from Kate Sosin documents the conditions transgender inmates face across the United States, few are housed consistent with their gender identity, and that mismatch can have dire consequences.
Of the 10 transgender women at a Chino, Calif., facility who spoke to NBC News during a weekend visit last year, nine reported having been sexually assaulted behind bars. Half said they’d sought a transfer to a women’s prison, but were denied.
Other issues transgender inmates face, per the NBC News report, include not being called by the name they prefer.
Tobin also criticized the guidance’s incorporation of self-injurious or suicidal behaviors as factors that could prevent a transgender inmate from obtaining treatment for gender dysphoria, which she said “appears contrary to the standards of care.”
“Nearly 40 percent of transgender adults have attempted suicide at some point, suicidal ideation is even more common, and ‘self-injurious behaviors’ could include attempts at self-surgery among patients facing denials or prolonged delays in care,” Tobin said. “These may be severe symptoms of GD, not contraindications to treatment, and CRDC’s policy should not suggest otherwise without great caution.”
Further, Tobin faulted the guidelines for calling on medical providers to rule out other mental health disorders in inmates that may co-occur or mimic gender dysphoria before providing transition-related care, saying that practice is contrary to standards from the American Psychological Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
“Accepted clinical guidelines for gender dysphoria recognize that co-occurring mental health conditions are common, because gender dysphoria itself can cause depression and anxiety, and because being transgender makes individuals a target for abuse and trauma,” Tobin said.
Thornton, in response to concerns about housing in the updated guidelines, said placement for all inmates, not just transgender inmates, takes many factors into account.
“All inmate housing is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, which includes an inmate’s criminal history, behavior, rehabilitation opportunities, medical and psychiatric needs, program needs as well as their safety and security,” Thornton said.
As an example, Thornton said a transgender man requesting a hysterectomy would not be moved to a male facility following the procedure, while a transgender woman undergoing a vaginoplasty would be moved.
With respect to ruling out other mental health conditions being a requirement before treating gender dysphoria, Thornton said that practice is consistent with medical standards as defined by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
“People who engage in self-injurious or suicidal behaviors may have other mental health concerns that, until optimally managed, could possibly preclude medical treatment of gender dysphoria,” Thornton said.
All in all, Thornton said, the updated guidelines demonstrate a commitment from the California prison system to provide adequate treatment and facilities for transgender inmates.
“CDCR is the only prison system routinely approving gender-affirming surgery and is working to build trust with its patients, their families, and community advocates,” Thornton said. “CDCR has policies in place to improve safety, help prevent sexual abuse, create a more respectful environment, improve outcomes for reentry and improve medical care for its incarcerated transgender community and is committed to creating safe and humane environments for all people housed in California prisons.”
Across California on Tuesday, openly LGBTQ+ candidates and pro-equality allies running for office dominated in key races up and down the ballot. With the backing of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, San Diego mayoral candidate Asm. Todd Gloria emerged from his primary as the clear frontrunner, pro-equality ally Asm. Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita) placed first in both her special election and primary election for the 25th Congressional District and state senate candidates Asm. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) and Abigail Medina (D-San Bernardino) both advanced to the November election. If elected, Eggman and Medina would make history as the first two LGBTQ+ women of color to serve in the California Senate. Both dual-endorsed candidates for California’s 53rd Congressional District Sara Jacobs and Georgette Gómez also advanced to the November election. Additional information about many of Equality California’s priority races is included below.
“Yesterday’s results clearly demonstrated that openly LGBTQ+ Californians and our allies are winning in every corner of the state with a broad, diverse base of support from voters,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur. “As importantly, voters overwhelmingly rejected candidates who engaged in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and homophobic campaign tactics. Californians have had enough of the hate and division in Washington — they’re looking for leaders who will unite our communities and fight for our common values. Supporting LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice is a winning strategy across California. And candidates who refuse to stand on the right side of history will soon find themselves standing alone.”
Notably, three Democratic candidates who had engaged in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and campaign tactics suffered embarrassing defeats on Tuesday. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for his CA-25 bid, online talk show host Cenk Uygur barely received 5 percent of the vote in both the special election to serve the rest of U.S. Representative Katie Hill’s (D-Santa Clarita) first term and the 2020 primary electionfor the seat. Senate hopefuls Mani Grewal (D-Modesto) and Kris Goodfellow (D-Redlands) both fell short of advancing to the November election after engaging in anti-LGBTQ+campaigns against Eggman and Medina.
Equality California ran a robust get-out-the-vote operation to boost priority state, local and federal candidates. Equality California Political Action Committee, the state PAC affiliated with the civil rights organization, ran independent expenditure campaigns — including combinations of direct mail, robocalls, peer-to-peer text messaging and digital advertising — in Senate Districts 5, 11, 21 and 23; Assembly Districts 78 and 42; and the San Diego Mayor’s race. Equality California staff and board members volunteered as canvassers supporting endorsed candidates in Congressional District 25 and Senate Districts 11, 15, 21, 23 and 37.
According to the first wave of NBC News’s exit polling on Tuesday, LGBTQ+ voters made up 11 percent of California’s primary electorate. This tracks with Equality California’s polling, which shows that LGBTQ+ Californians make up 12 percent of registered voters in the Golden State and reinforces the fact that the LGBTQ+ community is a critical, powerful voting bloc in California that should not be ignored or taken for granted.
Other openly LGBTQ+ candidates advancing to the November general election include Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), Assemblymembers Evan Low (D-Campbell) and Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), as well as senate candidate John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Assembly candidate Jackie Smith (D-Rocklin). Assembly candidates Scott Rhinehart (D-Mission Viejo) and Alex Lee (D-San Jose) are currently in second place in races that are too close to call. Senate candidate Joy Silver is currently in third place in the special election race for Senate District 28 — also too close to call — which will almost certainly go to a May 12 runoff.
Key Races in which Equality California engaged:
San Diego Mayor: Assemblymember Todd Gloria is the clear frontrunner in his race to make history as the first LGBTQ+ San Diegan to be elected mayor of California’s second-largest city. Equality California was an early endorser of Gloria’s mayoral bid and has supported the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Vice Chair throughout his career, including in his previous campaigns for San Diego City Council and California Assembly.
Congressional District 25: Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita) emerged victorious in both the special election to serve the rest of U.S. Representative Katie Hill’s term and the 2020 primary election and will likely face off against Republican Mike Garcia in both contests. Anti-LGBTQ+ candidates Cenk Uygur and former U.S. Representative Steve Knight — whom Hill defeated in 2018 with Equality California’s help — were rejected by voters.
Congressional District 50: Ammar Campa-Najjar (D-Jamul) placed first in the primary election to replace disgraced former U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter. It appears he will face Republican former U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, who has a long history of corruption scandals of his own and was recently slammed by the San Diego Union-Tribune for running an anti-LGBTQ+ ad targeting openly gay Republican Carl DeMaio in the primary.
Congressional District 53: After Equality California dual-endorsed nonprofit leader Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) and openly LGBTQ+ San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez, the two candidates will advance to the November runoff, ensuring that the district will continue to be represented by a pro-equality champion after U.S. Representative Susan Davis (D-San Diego) retires.
Senate District 5: Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) emerged victorious, while anti-LGBTQ+ Democrat Mani Grewal placed a distant third, despite significant last-minute outside spending on his behalf. Last August, Equality California criticized Grewal for an anti-LGBTQ+ ad attacking bipartisan legislation sponsored by Equality California and law enforcement officials, costing Grewal the support of two lawmakers and the Legislative API Caucus. Equality California also ran an independent expenditure campaign on Eggman’s behalf, including direct mail, paid phone calls, text messages and targeted digital ads.
Senate District 11: Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) bested his Democratic primary challenger by more than 20 points, winning nearly 55% of the vote. Equality California ran a $2+ million independent expenditure supporting Wiener in 2016 and considers his reelection to be a top priority in 2020.
Senate District 23: Abigail Medina (D-Highland), who is openly lesbian, advanced to the November election and is currently in first place in this key pickup opportunity for Senate Democrats. Last week, Equality California condemned her Democratic opponent Kris Goodfellow for running a smear campaign attacking Medina’s sexual orientation and ethnicity. Goodfellow is currently in fourth place and will not advance to the November ballot. Equality California also ran an independent expenditure campaign on Medina’s behalf, including direct mail, paid phone calls, text messages and targeted digital ads.
Assembly District 42: After leaving the Republican Party last year, incumbent Asm. Chad Mayes (I-Yucca Valley) — who scored a 100% on Equality California’s legislative scorecard last year — is currently in first place and has almost certainly secured a spot on the November ballot in his re-election race. If he wins in November, Mayes would be the first independent candidate to win a race for state office in over 25 years. Equality California ran an independent expenditure campaign on Mayes’ behalf, including direct mail, paid phone calls, text messages and targeted digital ads.
To see a full list of Equality California’s endorsed candidates, visit eqca.org/elections.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man died after falling ill with the virus while on a cruise ship.
Officials are trying to locate hundreds of other Californians who disembarked from the Grand Princess ship in San Francisco last month after a trip to Mexico. Officials want to determine whether they also might have contracted the virus.
That same ship, after a subsequent trip to Hawaii, canceled its stop in Baja California and was scheduled to return early to San Francisco on Wednesday, but it was being held off the coast so public health officials could screen everyone onboard, the governor said.
Some passengers on the vessel — both current and those exposed earlier — told The Times the response by the company and health officials has been filled with missteps. In particular, passengers interviewed by the Times said the company, Princess Cruises, was lax on health screening protocols prior to boarding and withheld information about the risks they faced, even as the ship’s condition became international news.
The virus has now been reported in 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people.
Newsom said he felt confident that the state could prevent the virus from being spread by passengers of the cruise who already had returned to California.
“We have the resources,” Newsom said. “We have the capacity. By this evening, we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise. They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.”
Newsom said his emergency declaration is intended to help California prepare for and contain the spread of the coronavirus by allowing state agencies to more easily procure equipment and services, share information on patients and alleviate restrictions on the use of state-owned properties and facilities.
“This proclamation, I want to point out, is not about money,” Newsom said of the emergency declaration. “It’s about resourcefulness. It’s about our ability to add tools to the tool kit.”
Placer County public health officials announced that patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico last month died. The individual, later identified as a 71-year-old Rocklin resident, had underlying health conditions and was the county’s second confirmed case of COVID-19, reported Tuesday night. Officials said close contacts of the patient were being quarantined and monitored for the illness.
The person’s likely exposure occurred during travel on a Princess Cruises ship that departed Feb. 10 from San Francisco and sailed to Mexico, returning Feb. 21, officials said.
The patient tested positive Tuesday and had been placed in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center.
The person probably had minimal community exposure between returning from the cruise and arriving at the hospital by ambulance Thursday, health officials said. Ten Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers and five emergency responders, who were exposed before the patient was put in isolation, are now in quarantine.
None of those 15 workers is exhibiting symptoms, officials said.
It’s possible that other cruise passengers may have been exposed, officials said. Placer County Public Health is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and contact other cruise passengers.
By one estimate, more than 50% of the roughly 2,500 passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Mexico and back on the cruise ship with the Placer County victim are Californians, Newsom said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Placer County health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said. “While we have expected more cases, this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease, and one that we never wanted to see.
“While most cases of COVID-19 exhibit mild or moderate symptoms, this tragic death underscores the urgent need for us to take extra steps to protect residents who are particularly vulnerable to developing more serious illness, including elderly persons and those with underlying health conditions.”
Sisson said the resident first developed symptoms while on the cruise and continued to show symptoms while traveling through the Port of San Francisco.
The individual called 911 and was taken to the hospital Thursday, then tested for COVID-19 on Sunday. The results returned positive Tuesday, and the patient died Wednesday morning, Sisson said.
Placer County has six pending tests for COVID-19, and Sisson said she expects to see cases of community transmission soon.
“I urge Placer County residents to be vigilant and to take steps to protect themselves,” Sisson said. “Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands…. We are not at the point where I would consider canceling events, closing schools or requiring widespread distancing measures, but we do want the public to prepare for that possibility.”
Sisson recommended that residents have two weeks of supplies on hand in case they are asked to quarantine.
Rocklin Fire Chief Bill Hack said emergency responders are wearing protective masks and goggles when responding to 911 calls until it is clear whether a person has respiratory symptoms that could indicate COVID-19. Three of the five emergency responders who have been quarantined related to the Placer County death are Rocklin city firefighters.
“They’re obviously being hyper-vigilant that if they start to become symptomatic they know what to look for and they know what steps to take,” Hack said. “They’re in good spirits at this point.”
Placer County is requesting that any other individuals who were on the Grand Princess cruise to Mexico self-quarantine.
Princess Cruises said it was notified by the CDC that it is investigating a small cluster of cases in Northern California among guests who sailed on the Grand Princess Mexican voyage.
The company said 62 guests on that voyage remain onboard for the trip to Hawaii that was returning to San Francisco after canceling its stop in Ensenada, Mexico.
Eleven passengers and 10 crew members on the boat were showing symptoms Wednesday, the governor said. “That number may significantly understate” the scope of infection, he said, or “it may indeed be abundance of caution.”
The state will contact every county health official with passengers in their area by Wednesday night, he said.
Newsom addressed the death shortly after the announcement.
“Jennifer and I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this death in Placer County,” he said in a statement. “The state is working with federal officials to follow up on contact tracing of individuals that may have been exposed to provide treatment and protect public health.
“This case demonstrates the need for continued local, state and federal partnership to identify and slow the spread of this virus. California is working around the clock to keep our communities safe, healthy and informed.”
Newsom previously requested that the Legislature make $20 million available for the state to respond to the coronavirus and announced the California Department of Public Health is dipping into its reserves of millions of N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus fights.
Newsom said Wednesday that a coronavirus lab test is now considered an essential benefit covered by government-sponsored health plans and private insurers. The governor added he is also extending price gouging protections in response to Amazon vendors’ taking advantage of people seeking hand sanitizer and other in-demand goods.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, declared a health emergency Wednesday as the number of coronavirus cases in the county increased to seven, including six new patients.
None of the new cases are believed to be “community spread,”officials said. All individuals were exposed to COVID-19 through close contacts with others who were infected.
The additional cases were confirmed Tuesday night. Officials said three of the new cases were travelers who had visited northern Italy, two were family members who had close contact with a person outside of the county who was infected, and one had a job that put them in contact with travelers.
One patient has been hospitalized, and the others are isolated at home.
Additionally, the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach are declaring public health emergencies related to the novel coronavirus. There are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in either city.
The county’s move comes as the government has increased testing, which officials have warned will result in the identification of a significant number of new cases.
L.A. joins a growing number of California jurisdictions to take health-emergency action, which is designed to better marshal resources from across government agencies and give the fight against the virus more focus.
“I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news briefing. “We need every tool at our disposal.”
Supervisor Hilda Solis acknowledged the ongoing spread of misinformation about the virus and xenophobia toward Asian communities.
“There’s been too much misinformation spreading around,” Solis said. “As we expected, it’s cultivating fears and leading to racial profiling.”
Los Angeles County will increase its capacity for testing of the virus at its public health laboratory. Officials will begin daily radio briefings for the public, post new guidelines for schools and colleges, and over the next week will send “technical assistance teams” to make site visits to temporary housing facilities including homeless shelters.
Officials urged the public to frequently wash their hands, opt for verbal salutations in place of hugs and handshakes and try to maintain a distance of six feet from strangers.
“We have to be prepared. We have to protect the well-being of our loved ones and our neighbors,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
Officials said they had tested more than two dozen people for COVID-19 before these recent test results came back positive and reiterated that there had been no sign of community spread in the county.
“I want to reassure everyone — we are not there today,” L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
The screener, who is attached to the CDC, last worked Feb. 21 at LAX and, after developing potential symptoms, alerted medical professionals and authorities. The person was formally identified Tuesday as having the COVID-19 virus and so far has a mild case and is isolated at home.
Family members of the person have also been tested, according to one of the sources. So far, nothing has been done to change intake at the airport. Sources say the person was wearing protective clothing during the screening process.
Marin County health officials Tuesday declared a local health emergency despite there being no cases of coronavirus reported among county residents. San Francisco, which has no reported cases, and Orange County, which has three cases, declared health emergencies last week.
The move comes amid more sobering news about the spread of the virus in the United States, including nine deaths in Washington state, a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and a warning that more cases are on the horizon.
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that they, there are going to be more cases in the community,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that the global mortality rate from coronavirus had risen to 3.4%, with more than 3,000 fatalities. The death rate so far is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it.
Still, he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus.
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu, which is often spread by people who are infected yet don’t have symptoms. That doesn’t seem to be the case for COVID-19, he said.
“There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics … which is why we must do everything we can to contain it,” Tedros said.
Earlier reports had pointed to a mortality rate of about 2% for COVID-19. Experts say they suspect all analyses so far have overestimated the disease’s fatality rate because milder cases are largely not being diagnosed. In 80% of people, the disease causes only mild illness, experts say.
More than 50 people in California have the virus, with new cases reported in Berkeley and Santa Clara, Placer and Orange counties. Kaiser Permanente announced late Tuesday it was treating a patient in Los Angeles.
The city of Berkeley said its case involved an individual who visited a country with an outbreak. That person has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
“While the risk of infection remains low, the expanded presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare for,” said Berkeley’s public health officer, Dr. Lisa Hernandez. “There are steps that all of us in the community can take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.”
In Orange County, two cases are pending confirmation from the CDC. The cases involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s who had both recently traveled to countries with widespread transmission, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
Santa Clara County announced three more cases of coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total count there to 14 — the highest number of cases in the sate.
One is a man who’s currently hospitalized. The source of his exposure to the virus is currently under investigation. Two other men are close contacts of an existing case.
California is also speeding up testing of possible coronavirus patients. This more aggressive testing, Newsom said, “may lead to a more rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases reported. That is not necessarily a sign that the rate of infection is increasing, but that our ability to test more people more rapidly is leading to better detection.”
Dr. Mike Ryan, who runs WHO‘s emergencies program, pushed back against officials who wanted to “wave the white flag” and surrender to the disease’s hold. China took drastic steps to fight the virus, he said, and case numbers are now on the decline there.
Countries such as China and South Korea “implemented very, very strong measures that have affected their own economies and their own societies,” Ryan said. “It’s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there remained many unknowns about the virus, including the degree to which people who do not express symptoms can transmit it to others. He said doctors know that it happens but have not yet gauged the extent, a key piece of data that will help determine decisions on how to contain it.
Fauci said that Chinese data are believed to be accurate and that the spread of the virus there is slowing thanks to “draconian” methods that would never occur in the United States, including stringent travel and public gathering restrictions.
“They have taken social distancing to its furthest extreme,” he said.
Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced the endorsement of three pro-equality candidates for the California legislature and six openly LGBTQ+ champions for local offices.
Equality California endorsed the following candidates:
Senate District 31: Richard Roth
Assembly District 37: Steve Bennett and Cathy Murillo (dual endorsement)
Alameda County Judge: Elena Condes
Yolo County Supervisor: Linda Deos
Corona City Council District 3: Meg E’amato
Monterey Park City Council District 4: Henry Lo
Huntington Park City Council: Eddie Martinez
Loma Linda City Council: Gabriel Uribe
Names shown in bold indicate an openly LGBTQ+ candidate.
Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Rick Zbur:
“Today, we are proud to endorse Richard Roth, a strong pro-equality ally, for his reelection to the California Senate. Voters in Assembly District 37 have two qualified, pro-equality champions to choose from, which is why we are excited to dual-endorse Steve Bennett and Cathy Murillo.
“One of Equality California’s highest priorities is to build a bench of LGBTQ+ leaders across the Golden State. Over the past few years in particular, it has been incredible to see so many openly LGBTQ+ champions run for — and win elections to — public office, up and down the ballot. That’s why we are proud to endorse Elena Condes, Linda Deos, Meg E’amato, Henry Lo, Eddie Martinez and Gabriel Uribe in their respective races this year. They represent some of the best emerging LGBTQ+ leaders in our state.”
For a full list of Equality California’s 2020 endorsements to date, visit eqca.org/elections.
A new Pride festival is coming to the Los Angeles area this May.
This year, for the first time, City of Glendale, California, also known as the ‘Jewel City,’ is offering a fully immersive Pride held on Saturday, May 30, 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Glendale’s Central Park, 216 South Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91203.
Pride is the grassroots effort of several Glendale-based organizations and volunteers including glendaleOUT, Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS), Equality Armenia, The Blunt Post, and with media sponsorship by Revry. The festival is strategically located in Downtown Glendale’s shopping and nightlife district, adjacent to the library, the Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria.
The Pride festival and its programming will raise awareness and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community as well as individuality, empowerment, and inclusivity within Glendale. With a focus on family-friendly art, events and community connection, the event will include storytelling time for kids and more to celebrate love in every color.
The festival will feature diverse music and entertainment by a local DJ and emcee and wrap-up with a dance party at sundown.
“Silverlake, West Hollywood … why do I have to export my gay? Why can’t I be gay where I live? So, I set about doing that. With Gary Freeman and Nick Macierz, with ace/121 gallery and Roslin Art Gallery, with Arno Yeretzian at Abril Books. Soon it was with Gay Straight Alliance chapters in the Glendale Unified School District and Alicia Harris,” said Grey James, Founder of Glendale Pride.
“The dots started connecting quickly. People are showing up. Like everyone’s been waiting for this moment. I look at the group that is working on this and I am so amazed and grateful. It’s very satisfying to witness this momentum and all the individuals driving it so kindly,” he added.
The festival will be a free community event, without an entrance fee, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. A Kids’ Village will create a special space for Rainbow Families with unique programming such as “Drag Story Telling.”
For more information about Glendale Pride, please visit GlendalePride.org