Report from LA
The LA County hospitalizations for Covid 19 are falling. The daily death rates are all over the place – 12 and 14 per day over the weekend, over 50 today. About 5% of our 10 million population has been tested; of those about 8% were positive. About 2200 Los Angelenos have died. The burden of the disease has shifted from the wealthier communities (which can shelter in place and work from home) to the poorer communities where the rates of transmission have been much faster and many essential workers live. New outbreaks are emerging in nine of the food processing plants in the City of Vernon, hitting such local icons as Dodger Dogs and Vie de France breads and pastries. We are still the epicenter of the disease in CA, but spared the truly terrible devastation of NYC and its environs.
The beaches, trails and hiking paths are open, and the state and the county are reopening businesses. It’s a welcome relief from pent up cabin fever, and people are taking full advantage.
The latest order from the LA Health officer reopened most businesses but with safety restrictions on mask wearing and social distancing in public places. “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. Houses of worship can operate at 25% capacity or with a maximum of 100 people, whichever is lower, and retail establishments can operate at 50% capacity. Pools, hot tubs and saunas that are in a multi-unit residence or part of a homeowners’ association can also open. Political protests with limited numbers of participants are also allowed. This Order aligns the County with the State’s Orders. Everyone must continue to follow distancing and infection control protocols and wear a clean cloth face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in contact with other people not in your household. Public and private gatherings of any number of people outside of a single household unit are still not permitted except for public protests and faith-based services as described in the Order. The Health Officer Order continues to require specific higher-risk businesses to remain closed and prohibit dining in at restaurants. Restaurants are still allowed to serve food to customer via delivery, take-out or drive-thru.” http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2406 However no hair cuts as of yet, so I’m getting ever shaggier — back to the 60’s, but my hair is quite a different color now.
As I drove on Lincoln Blvd. through Venice, I saw very few signs of a return to business, same on Main St in Venice and Santa Monica. There is still very little traffic on what are typically very busy streets, thank heavens for that. I saw relatively few people on the beach or in the water; this could be due to “May Grey” our coastal fog. I did our first food take-out from a local restaurant last night; there was only one other customer and a solitary fellow nearby asking for “spare change”. Over the Memorial Day weekend, it was a different story -- lots of people in their 20’s on the hiking trails, and very few were wearing their masks or preserving social distancing. Many shelves in the local super markets are barren of some essential items, like flour for making bread or cakes; however toilet paper has made a comeback with some strange brands making a new appearance on our grocery shelves, same with bleach. We’ll see in a few weeks if the number of cases and deaths kicks up or stays on its downward trajectory.
Love to and safety for all.
Lucien Wulsin
May 27, 2020