The Post staff will be updating this blog with the latest information and news on the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, that first appeared in Wuhan, China, and has now spread to multiple countries.

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4:33 PM Saturday, May 9 | Residents on Saturday reported getting parking tickets at the El Dorado Park parking lot near the duck pond after the cones blocking the entrance to the lot were reportedly removed. The $69 parking tickets were not the COVID-19 citations that officials have largely refrained from handing out, but did reference the COVID-19 lot closure, according to a resident who got a ticket. This comes as Long Beach officials are beginning to reopen the city, including some retail stores for curbside pickup only and some recreational activities. Park parking lots, along with the beach bike path, will not reopen until Monday. However, starting today, city golf courses reopened with specific guidelines. Public trails, trailheads and their parking lots opened Friday. Beaches remain closed. What you can and can’t do in Long Beach and LA County starting Friday — Valerie Osier

3:17 PM Thursday, May 7 | As restrictions on some retail and outdoor activities in Los Angeles County are relaxed in the coming days, LA County health officials warned that the region is not out of the woods yet and restrictions could return if needed. LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that everyone in the county shares a responsibility to protect each other through wearing masks and physical distancing to ensure that this gradual opening of the economy does not result in a spike of cases which could lead to illness and death. If there is a spike over the next few weeks, Ferrer said that the county could revert back to more restrictions. “We do know that people are anxious to take steps to feel like we can recover collectively but we’re going to go extraordinarily slow,” Ferrer said. “We don’t want to be doing this at the expense of other people’s lives.” Ferrer reported Thursday that the county had recorded 815 new cases bringing the county’s total to 29,427. She also reported that 51 more people had died because of COVID-19, which means that over 1,400 county residents have now perished during the pandemic. Despite deaths continuing to be reported by both county and state officials, some retail and recreation spaces will start to open over the next few days. Ferrer used her daily press briefing to remind viewers of how easily the virus can spread and to emphasize how quickly the county’s hospital system could be overwhelmed as more people return to work and start moving about the county. She said that an antibody study had suggested that about 5% of the county had been infected by COVID-19 and if 1 million more people start to circulate around the county and get infected or infect others it could result in 50,000 new cases if the study’s figures held up. If a fraction of those people required hospitalization, it could easily flood area hospitals which only have capacity for about 2,500 patients on a given day, Ferrer warned. “It [reopening] will only work if we’re all being really careful and committed to slowing the spread,” Ferrer said. This means that businesses must adhere to county guidelines that Ferrer said should be viewed as rules rather than suggestions. Customers should be careful to give other shoppers and employees space and ensure that they’re wearing masks to help stop the transfer of droplets from coughs, sneezes and conversation. Ferrer concluded that while businesses are starting to reopen it shouldn’t be seen as a signal for everyone to leave the house. “Just because something opens up doesn’t mean you need to go out to purchase something right now,” Ferrer said. “You should only go out for what’s essential.” — Jason Ruiz

1:55 PM Thursday, May 7 | Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed more requirements for counties seeking to speed up the process toward reopening, with testing, new cases and death rates being among highest bars to clear. The guidance, which will be posted on the state’s Department of Public Health website in the coming days, was revealed in broad strokes during Newsom’s Thursday afternoon press briefing. Newsom said that the chances that some counties could meet these new guidelines and could see restaurants reopen in the next week was “very high” in certain parts of the state. Those areas will likely be in more rural parts of California, where deaths and infection rates have remained low or nonexistent, leading some to spurn the governor’s stay at home orders. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of Health and Human Services, said that the regional variances in how COVID-19 has impacted parts of the state could lead to some areas being able to expand their openings, which could include restaurants for dine-in service and shopping malls. First they would have to meet criteria like having infection rates of no more than one new case per 10,000 residents in a 14-day period and having no deaths during that same period. Testing capacity would have to rise to the level of having 1.5 tests per 1,000 residents and the region would have to have 15 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents. The full list of guidelines will be posted on the state’s Department of Public Health website in the coming days. “This is not etched in stone,” Newsom said. “We want to continue to work with people in industry to continue to modify these.” Friday will mark the first day that curbside pickup and delivery for some small retail businesses will be able to operate through city and county directives issued Wednesday. Guidance on what those businesses would have to provide in the form of sanitizing stations for customers and personal protective equipment for employees will be updated on the state’s COVID-19 website Tuesday, the governor said. Newsom also called for more federal funding to help the state weather its looming $54 billion budget deficit due to the COVID-19 economic fallout over the past few months. He said that the state’s financial fortunes had flipped from a year ago when the state reported a $21 billion budget surplus. Just 90 days ago the state projected a $6 billion surplus. However, the strain brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including nearly $12 billion in unemployment payments since mid-March, have put the state in a tough position—but one that Newsom said the state would survive. He called on the federal government to help. “One thing we don’t have as a nation-state is a printing press,” Newsom said, referring to the ability to print money. Newsom made these announcements on a day that the state’s hospitalization, intensive care unit and infection numbers continued a leveling off trend. Deaths in the state, however, continued to rise, with another 92 Californians dying due to COVID-19. He cautioned that while the state is reopening some businesses and outdoor activities it shouldn’t be seen as a return to normalcy, Newsom said. “Tell that to 92 families that were destroyed because they lost a loved one in the past 24 hours,” Newsom said. — Jason Ruiz

2:28 PM Wednesday, May 6 | A previous mandate that allows fast food chain workers access to COVID-19-related sick pay will now extend to all sectors of the economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. Newsom said that in spite of his actions last month provide leave for workers in the food sector who test positive for the virus or are forced to quarantine for other reasons, some of the state’s other essential workers, including first responders and nurses, were inadvertently left out. His announcement of the extension comes on National Nurses Day, something that Newsom noted during his press briefing, adding that it was “the least that we could do.” “If you’ve tested positive or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a physician you are eligible for this workers comp benefit,” Newsom said. The order will be retroactive to March 15 and will extend for 60 days from Wednesday’s announcement as the state begins to allow individual counties reopen portions of the economy. The new expanded order, which will require employers to pay employees like nurses, firefighters and other first responders if they contract the virus, will have updated guidelines released in the coming days that could provide more clarity. Full-time workers would be eligible for two weeks of supplemental sick pay through the order. Employers will be able to challenge employees’ sick leave claims, but the challenges will have to meet strict standards, Newsom said. He said it will generally be presumed that if a worker becomes ill after returning to work that they contracted it during the course of doing their jobs. — Jason Ruiz

1:03 PM Tuesday, May 5 | Due to social-distancing requirements, Long Beach City College today announced its 2020 commencement ceremony will be held virtually on Friday, June 12 at 5 p.m. The college is producing a recorded ceremony for those receiving their Associate Degree of Arts, Associate Degree of Sciences and Certificates of Achievement. It can be viewed by graduates, friends and family at LBCC.edu. “The Class of 2020 is an exceptionally determined group of students who deserve all the celebration possible,” said LBCC Interim Superintendent-President Lou Anne Bynum. “Our students, assisted by the incredible work of our faculty, staff and administrators, have persevered.” Local chef and LBCC alumnus Visoth Tarak Ouk, known as Chef T, is the ceremony’s keynote speaker. In addition to the virtual ceremony, the class of 2020 has been invited to walk at Veterans Stadium during the LBCC’s 2021 commencement ceremony. This year’s original in-person ceremony was scheduled for June 4. — Brandon Richardson

12:17 PM Tuesday, May 5 | Carnival Cruise Line announced plans this week to phase-in some North American trips from certain ports starting Aug. 1, but cruises from the company’s Long Beach base will continue to be suspended through Aug. 31. Previously, Carnival had tentatively targeted June 27 as a restart date, but this week’s announcement extends the local suspension through the end of August. Meanwhile, some cruises will resume elsewhere in the country beginning in early August, using eight ships departing Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida and Galveston, Texas, Carnival said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation. We are taking a measured approach, focusing our return to service on a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests,” Carnival said in the statement. Affected guests are being notified by email and will have the options of a combined future cruise credit and onboard credit package, or a full refund. — Staff Reports

5:38 PM Saturday, May 2 | Long Beach officials on Saturday announced one more person has died from coronavirus-related complications, bringing the death toll in the city to 37. The person was in their 80s with underlying health conditions, according to the city. Officials also reported a total of 745 cases in the city, up from 709. A total of 41 people are hospitalized with the virus, down from 54 on Friday. Of the 745 cases, 220 have been confirmed at 18 long-term care facilities. Eleven facilities have active cases. Officials also urged caution due to the beginning of mosquito season, noting that mosquitoes aren’t known to carry coronavirus, but they can carry other diseases. — Valerie Osier

2:14 PM Friday, May 1 | All frontline essential workers, including those who do not have symptoms, can now receive free COVID-19 testing at select Long Beach locations. Testing is also available for anyone who is symptomatic. Frontline essential workers include first responders and employees of essential businesses identified by the Long Beach Health Order. Frontline essential workers can make an appointment to test at one of the following three testing locations within Long Beach: Jordan Plus High School (walk-up testing), 171 W. Bort St.

Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus* (drive-up testing), 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway

St. Mary Medical Center (drive-up testing), 1050 Linden Ave. Appointments are required for all testing sites. Priority will continue to go to those exhibiting symptoms and individuals who are over 65 years of age or have underlying chronic health conditions. Frontline essential workers wanting to schedule an appointment may visit the testing page on the City’s COVID-19 website or call 562-570-INFO (4636). Testing availability also continues for anyone exhibiting symptoms, whether they are an essential worker or not, at one of the following six testing locations in Long Beach: Jordan High School, 6500 Atlantic Ave.

Cabrillo High School, 2001 Santa Fe Ave.

St. Mary Medical Center, 1050 Linden Ave.

Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus*, 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway

Long Beach City College, Veterans Memorial Stadium, 5000 E. Lew Davis St.

Beginning May 4: Jordan Plus High School, 171 W. Bort St. Once the Jordan Plus High School testing location begins full operations on Monday, Long Beach will have the capacity to test approximately 1,000 people per day. — Kelly Puente

4:28 PM Wednesday, April 29 | Beginning on Thursday, Long Beach will offer coronavirus testing for frontline workers regardless of whether they are showing symptoms. The testing will take place at a new site at Jordan Plus High School (171 W. Bort St.) and is one of 80 testing sites through a partnership with OptumServe, the federal government health services business of Optum. The news comes as Long Beach saw a jump in cases Wednesday as the city has ramped up testing in recent weeks. The city on Wednesday reported 629 positive cases for COVID-19, up from 602 on Tuesday. The city also reported three additional deaths, for a total of 36 deaths, all of which were people with underlying health issues. “We are grateful to Governor Newsom and the County of Los Angeles for establishing this test site in Long Beach, which will allow many residents to get tested,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “Increasing testing capacity is critical to tracking, controlling and preventing the spread of COVID-19.” Testing will take place at Jordan Plus High School, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, with parking available onsite. Staff will administer the nasal-pharyngeal swab test. Appointments are required. Below is key information about the new testing site: Testing on April 30 and May 1 at Jordan Plus will only be available to front line workers including first responders, critical government personnel, health care professionals and grocery workers. Individuals may be asymptomatic. Appointments can only be scheduled via phone. The phone line to schedule appointments will become active on April 29. At that time, essential workers can call 888-634-1123 to make an appointment for April 30 and May 1.

Beginning May 4, members of the community experiencing symptoms, in addition to essential workers, can begin to utilize the testing site at Jordan Plus. The appointment scheduling platform will become active online May 2 for appointments the following week.

While the new location is situated in Long Beach, it is not limited to Long Beach residents, and will be convenient to those living in Signal Hill, Rancho Dominguez, Compton, Carson and Bellflower, among other nearby cities. Beginning Monday, Orange Coast College’s Pacific Coast campus will also offer frontline workers who show no symptoms. The new site will initially have the capacity to administer 132 tests per day. The city is also working with Long Beach City College to open another testing site at Veterans Memorial Stadium. With the new testing sites, the city will have the capacity to test more than 700 people per day, in addition to the roughly 250 people per day who can be tested at St. Mary Medical Center. Click here for more information about the city’s testing. — Kelly Puente

2:53 PM Wednesday, April 29 | Los Angeles County health officials announced the single largest increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases Wednesday after 1,541 more county residents tested positive for the virus. LA County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said that out of the 139,000 tests the county has conducted, there has been a 14% positive test rate in the county, a mark that has not moved in the past few weeks. To date, 22,485 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The county also reported 56 new deaths Wednesday, bringing the total number of people how have died from the virus to 1,056. Among those who have died, 92% had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said. That data point has also held consistent and Ferrer reiterated the stay at home messaging for the county’s most vulnerable residents. “It’s so important for those who have underlying health conditions to please do your best to stay at home,” Ferrer said, adding that they should even limit direct contact with family members if possible. She said that the uptick in positive cases could be partially attributed to an uptick in testing and because of a lag in results from tests performed over the weekend. She noted that the county’s midweek briefings have often held the largest numerical increases. While the Ferrer confirmed an increase in positive cases both she and Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county’s director of health services, said that the stay at home order and physical distancing have helped the county to slow the transmission of COVID-19. Ghaly stood before images of a new model that showed predictions of how and when physical distancing guidelines are lifted how that could impact transmission rates of the virus. If the current guidelines remain in place, it is projected about 12% of the county would be infected by Aug. 1. If they were taken away completely, 99% of the county would be infected by COVID-19. “Safer at home and physical distancing is working and has been effective in flattening the curve in LA County,” Ghaly said, adding that physical distancing will be the new normal for quite some time. — Jason Ruiz

2:05 PM Wednesday, April 29 | Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new partnership between California farmers and the state’s food banks Thursday that will help pair excess food with residents who are experiencing food insecurity. Newsom said the new program, which includes a partnership between farmers, ranchers, the federal government, the state and philanthropists, will direct as much as 21 million pounds of California grown food to the state’s food banks. “We’re here in the bread basket of the world and we want to address that mismatch and work with farmers and connect them with food banks,” Newsom said. The state had previously issued a $20 million grant to help food banks across the state, a move that Newsom said resulted in 900,000 boxes of food being given to families in need. The program would expand this would allow for participating growers and producers of fresh foods to receive a 15% tax credit. Newsom said the program has already raised $3.6 million. Newsom said it will link over 120 farmers with 41 food banks across the state to deliver food that would “literally be thrown away.” A growing list of about 200 other producers have expressed interest in joining, Newsom said. The governor also announced two amendments to the state’s food stamp program, Calfresh. Newsom said the state has received a federal waiver to allow those using the program to shop online. Previously the state’s Calfresh cards could only be used for in-person transactions at grocery stores, farmers markets and some fast food locations. Now, Newsom said they’ll be able to use their cards for online purchases from Walmart and Amazon. Newsom said he’s hoping the state will be able to expand that network of stores. A second waiver announced by Newsom will allow the state to use “pandemic EBT waiver” funds to issue up to $365 additional dollars to children and families who were eligible for free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunches at schools, all of which have been forced closed by COVID-19. “Because we shut down the schools, those meals where the universe of about 3.8 million children are eligible, those programs aren’t always providing those meals in every case,” Newsom said. There is approximately $1.4 billion that the state could use from the federal CARES Act to fund these additional payments to eligible families. The payment period would extend from the period that schools were closed in March through the end of the school year in June. — Jason Ruiz

6:31 PM Tuesday, April 28 | On Tuesday evening, the city of Long Beach launched an online survey to collect input from residents, workers and business owners regarding the reopening process for Long Beach businesses. “We think the best ideas and most innovative ideas are going to come from the small business owners who know their business and customers,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a press release. The results of the ReopenLB survey will be used to guide the city’s reopening efforts once Gov. Gavin Newsom deems it safe to gradually lift the lockdown, according to the release. Respondents will be asked whether they feel safe to return to work or reopen their businesses. The results of the survey will be shared with the City Council. The survey will remain open until Monday May 4, 5 p.m. and can be accessed at www.longbeach.gov/ReopenLB. — Alena Maschke

11:59 AM Monday, April 27 | The City of Long Beach has a new partnership to help local small businesses navigate the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan application process. Rather than having to work through a bank or financial institution to submit an application and manage a loan, small businesses can now apply for the PPP through the National Development Council’s online portal. The council is a nationwide non-profit group that raises and directs capital funding to projects in low-income communities. A longtime partner with the city on community development projects, the council recently became a lender for the PPP program. Long Beach small businesses can apply through the NDC’s PPP application portal. City of Long Beach staff are also available to answer COVID-19 business and worker-related questions through the Business Hotline and Call Center at 562-570-4BIZ (4249) on online through the Economic Development department. — Staff Reports

2:41 PM Saturday, April 25 | Long Beach officials on Saturday said there were no new deaths related to the coronavirus, but 26 additional people tested positive for the virus, bringing the city’s total to 566 cases. Of the total amount of cases, 172 are associated with eight long-term care facilities in the city. Of the 29 total fatalities in Long Beach, 24 are associated with these facilities, according to officials. In all the fatal cases, each individual had underlying health conditions. Officials on Friday began to offer more details about the number of cases among residents and staff at five nursing homes. Officials reported 43 people are currently hospitalized and approximately 323 people have recovered from the virus in Long Beach. The city also reminded residents that beaches and beach parking lots are closed throughout the weekend, even with the small heat wave. Police will deploy more patrols in and around parks and beach areas to make sure people comply with the city’s health order, officials said. “Walking paths in public parks are open for the purpose of engaging in outdoor essential activities provided that social distancing requirements are strictly followed,” officials said. — Valerie Osier

3:22 PM Friday, April 24 | Long Beach on Friday reported that two more people died from coronavirus, bringing its total deaths to 29, and 22 new cases of the illness for a total of 540 cases. Mayor Robert Garcia said at a press briefing that COVID-19 is on track to become the leading cause of death in the city, similar to what the county announced Thursday. Garcia also said the city and its private partners have now tested a total of 5,800 people, and is looking to expand that testing beyond those who are symptomatic. The city will begin with offering tests to all residents and staff at nursing homes, which have been hotbed for the virus. The city may then extend testing to first responders who interact with the public. Garcia noted that this will be rolled out slowly in order to prevent backlogs from occurring in getting test results. “We want to make sure that as we transition, we’re doing it the right way,” he said. The city now has testing centers at Jordan and Cabrillo high schools, Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus, and St. Mary Medical Center. Garcia said the city is also working to open additional testing centers, with announcements coming. Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect that the city has tested 5,800 people total, not that it has capacity to test 5,800 per day. — Melissa Evans

4:41 PM Thursday, April 23 | Normally homeported in Long Beach, the Carnival Panorama is on the way across the Pacific Ocean, bound for the Philippines and Indonesia to return many crew members to their home countries. The 1,060-foot-long ship can normally hold over 5,000 passengers—but is now serving a new mission to repatriate crew members stuck on board during the shutdown impacting the cruise industry. Industry website CruiseRadio.net first reported that the Panorama departed Long Beach harbor over the weekend for an 8,200-mile journey, first to Manila, where it is expected to arrive on May 8, then on to Indonesia. “As the company moves to safe operational manning levels during our pause in operations,” said Carnival in a public statement, “we have begun the process of returning healthy crew members to their home countries throughout the world [by] utilizing some of our fleet as transport, given the limited number of commercial flights and charter options.” This is the second long distance journey for the brand-new Panorama. The 133,500-ton ship departed from the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy on Nov. 1 and made its way around the tip of South America in December. After a 17,000 mile journey, the Panorama arrived at its new home in Long Beach, marking the first new Carnival cruise vessel to be based on the West Coast in 20 years. Carnival is currently targeting June 27 as the tentative date to resume cruises. — Staff Reports

4:32 PM Thursday, April 23 | Long Beach officials reported the city now has confirmed 518 cases of coronavirus, up from 489 on Wednesday. No new deaths were reported, with the city’s total remaining at 27. Eight of the new reported cases were found in local nursing homes which have been an epicenter for the virus, both locally and regionally. Of the city’s deaths, 22 were associated with long-term care facilities, and all had underlying health conditions. Close to 300 people are believed to have recovered from COVID-19. The city is now reporting more details on where the cases are located by ZIP code and other demographic data about those who have been infected on a new dashboard. — Staff Reports

12:21 PM Thursday, April 23 | In his daily briefing, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday said 21 of the 24 largest student loan servicers have agreed to a 90-day halt on requiring payments for student loan debt. Students will not face any late fees or fines during that time, and will be provided support to develop new payment plans as the response to COVID-19 continues to ravage the economy. It was not immediately clear which loan servicers would participate. Newsom also announced that he signed an executive order prohibiting debt collectors to garnish federal stimulus checks through the federal CARES Act. The order is also retroactive, which will allow those who already received the money and had it taken to recoup the money. “If you did garnish those checks, you gotta give them back,” Newsom said. Exceptions to the order include money owed for spousal support and victim’s funds. The announcements came on the same day that unemployment claims topped 26 million over the last five weeks. — Melissa Evans

11:09 AM Thursday, April 23 | Long Beach-based rocket maker Virgin Orbit said today it is ready to deliver new “bridge” ventilators to hospitals in the next few days after receiving emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mayor Robert Garcia announced late last month that the local company was working to develop the devices as part of a consortium with UC Irvine. The ventilator developed by Virgin “is in essence a very simple, very reliable, mechanical device designed to automate common manual resuscitators,” according to a statement from the company. The devices are used to treat patients with respiratory failure, a symptom of the COVID-19 virus. The rocket maker is producing about 100 ventilators per week, the company said, and expects to deliver 100 of them to California’s Emergency Medical Services Authority in coming days. “Our team is so grateful to have the opportunity to channel our energies in a way that can hopefully make a difference in this crisis,” Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart said in a written statement. — Staff Reports

2:03 PM Wednesday, April 22 | Three more people linked to long-term care facilities have died from coronavirus, bringing the city’s total deaths to 27, officials said Wednesday. Overall, the city saw 489 positive cases, up from 477 cases on Tuesday. Those numbers include 44 people who are hospitalized and approximately 288 cases where people have recovered. As nursing homes continue to be an epicenter for coronavirus, the city has confirmed 147 cases in seven long-term care facilities. Of the 27 totals death, 22 have been linked to nursing homes. Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported 66 new deaths for a total of 729. The county reported 1,318 new cases for a total of 16,425. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer in a news conference said 40% of the county’s deaths have been linked to skilled nursing homes. In an effort to fight the growing problem in nursing facilities, the county on Wednesday announced a plan to test all individuals in those facilities, even if they have not shown any symptoms, Ferrer said. She said health officials needed to change their strategy as many people are asymptomatic but still spreading the disease. The county’s health department also hired five new employees who who will work specific to prevent the spread of coronavirus in nursing facilities. The county this week began reporting the number of cases per facility and plans to begin including the number of deaths at each facility later this week. The county’s new data on skilled nursing facilities comes amid calls for more transparency on the number of cases in nursing homes, which are hotspots for the virus because of their vulnerable populations. Long Beach, which has its own health department, provides names of long-term care facilities that have confirmed coronavirus cases and fatalities. However, the city releases only overall numbers for the group, making it impossible to determine whether one or more facilities could account for the bulk of infections and deaths. The city has not released the number of deaths per facility. On Friday, the California Department of Public Health released some data on infection rates in long-term care facilities, although the list is incomplete and does not include three Long Beach facilities that have reported cases. The list does not include deaths at facilities. Last week, Long Beach issued a new health order for long-term care facilities mandating tighter visitation policies and daily temperature screenings, the city is also prioritizing lab testing for both residents and staff and providing personal protective equipment for facilities that do not have sufficient supplies. — Kelly Puente

12:56 PM Wednesday, April 22 | In one step toward loosening statewide stay-at-home restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said hospitals can resume elective surgeries, but the state must meet several criteria before residents can return to work and school. The governor in a news conference said it’s still too soon to lift other restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, noting that the state must first increase testing capacity, with the goal of 60,000 tests a day. Currently, the state is conducting 16,000 tests daily, with the goal of 25,000 tests a day by the end of the month. Newsom said there is no clear date on when the stay-at-home order would be lifted. But for now, the state will allow scheduled surgeries, such as those for tumors or heart valves, Newsom said. He noted that many people have postponed essential surgeries, which could result serious health complications. “We know this is a fundamental health issue and we’re working with health directors in the healthcare delivery system to get scheduled surgeries up and running again,” he said. “We’re making sure we’re doing this while considering the safety of our healthcare system and our healthcare workers.” The news comes as healthcare workers across the country are seeing furloughs and layoffs as fewer people are scheduling elective surgeries and visiting emergency rooms out of fear of contracting coronavirus. While hospitals have made room to prepare for an increase in coronavirus cases, some states, including California, have yet to see a surge. In Long Beach as of Tuesday, 45 people were hospitalized for coronavirus. As for other restrictions, Newsom the state must increase its testing capacity, especially in rural and urban areas. The state on Tuesday announced 86 news testing centers in rural areas and communities of color, which have been disproportionately impacted by the disease. Last week, the state announced six sets of indicators to decide when it will be safe to gradually lift restrictions. Newsom said large gatherings like sporting events and concerts — even school assemblies or physical education classes — are out for the foreseeable future, and businesses will have to enforce social distancing and other safeguards. He warned that intermittent stay-at-home orders could be the new normal as the coronavirus flares up in certain parts of the state once restrictions are eventually eased. Before that happens, officials must be sure: — They have enough routine and widespread testing to monitor the population at large for coronavirus infections, and have the ability to trace patients’ recent contacts and isolate or quarantine those who test positive or may have been exposed to someone who has the virus. — They can protect the most vulnerable populations: those who are older, have underlying health issues, or are in crowded settings like nursing homes, prisons or jails. — That the state’s health care system can handle surges, with enough ventilators, staff and personal protective equipment ready to go. — That it has the best known treatment options identified and in proper supply to meet demand, and is working with academia, technology companies and medical researchers to develop more and better options. — That businesses, schools, and child care facilities can function while keeping people at least six feet apart to limit coronavirus spread. — Finally, that they can quickly reimpose restrictions like stay-at-home orders if the virus flares again. The Associated Press contributed to this report — Kelly Puente

2:31 PM Monday, April 20 | Two more people—both with underlying health conditions and connected to long-term care facilities—have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the city’s total to 24, officials said Monday. The overall total of positive cases was 464, up from 457 on Sunday. Of those, 125 have been connected to seven long-term care facilities. Of the 24 people who have died, all had underlying health conditions and 19 were connected to long-term care facilities like nursing homes, which continue to see surges in infection rates in both residents and staff. Long Beach, like many jurisdictions, has so far declined to release detailed information on outbreaks and fatalities in nursing homes, including how many people have died from coronavirus in individual long-term care facilities. For the first time on Friday, the California Department of Public Health released some data on infections rates in long-term care facilities, although the list is incomplete and does not include three Long Beach facilities that have reported cases. The list does not include deaths at facilities. State officials on Saturday said the list will be updated “regularly” and represents a “point in time snapshot” of 86% of facilities that have voluntarily reported data with the past 24 hours. Of the 1,224 skilled nursing’s facilities in the state, 261 have reported at least one case of coronavirus. “We are working with skilled nursing facilities on a reporting system that will ensure we can publicly report 100 percent of facilities in the coming days,” state health officials said in a statement. The list shows that Broadway by the Sea, 2725 E. Broadway, has seen the biggest outbreak with 26 residents and 14 staff members who have contracted the virus. State health officials said they will not provide specific numbers if there are less than 11 cases in a facility in an effort to “protect patient privacy and be in compliance with patient privacy laws.” At Pacific Palms Healthcare, 1020 Termino Ave., 12 staff members and less than 11 residents have contracted the virus, while Bixby Knolls Towers, 3737 Atlantic Ave., has less than 11 staff members infected. Royal Care Skilled Nursing Center, 2725 Pacific Ave., has reported less than 11 cases for both staff and residents. Long Beach Healthcare Center and Pacific Palms Healthcare have not yet reported data. — Kelly Puente

7:46 AM Monday, April 20 | California reported its first state prison inmate death from COVID-19 on Sunday as the state steps up efforts to prevent outbreaks among vulnerable populations, including people living in nursing homes, on the streets or in homeless shelters. The inmate died at a hospital after contracting the coronavirus at the California Institution for Men in San Bernardino County, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement. No further details were released to protect the inmate’s medical privacy, and next of kin was notified. Statewide, 115 inmates and 89 corrections employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, corrections officials said. Although this was the first inmate to die in California’s state prison system, there have already been deaths in federal custody including two inmates at the Terminal Island prison. Read the full story here. — The Associated Press

5:44 PM Sunday, April 19 | The Long Beach Fire Department is launching a specialized team to handle suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, city officials said today. The team, called the Mobile Assessment Team (MAT), will be made up of two paramedics and one ambulance, authorities said. The team will operate out of a central location in the city and be dispatched to patients who are known to have COVID-19 or who have symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, coughing or flu-like symptoms, Long Beach said in a news release. “This new mobile team will ensure that we are containing the spread of COVID-19 as best as possible and I’m grateful to our Fire Department for creating this new unit,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. The team will be outfitted with personal protective equipment and will undergo specialized sanitizing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said. “This sanitation process will be completed at a predesignated location to mitigate any potential spread to other facilities, equipment and materials,” the city said. The team will be staffed 12 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Long Beach officials. — Staff Reports

5:17 PM Sunday, April 19 | A man in his 80s was the latest person to die from COVID-19 in Long Beach, according to local health officials who also reported 12 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease on Sunday. Officials said the man had underlying health condition and was living in a long-term care facility, which have been hotbeds for the disease, accounting for 17 of the city’s 22 deaths. City officials have resisted revealing numbers of deaths or cases at each facility, instead revealing citywide totals and names of nursing homes with active cases. The latest figures bring the city’s total number of confirmed cases to 457, with 125 of them associated with long-term care facilities. Those figures include 50 hospitalized patients—two more since Saturday—and about 243 people who have recovered. Los Angeles County overall reported 24 more deaths today and 334 newly confirmed cases bringing the overall total to 600 deaths and 12,341 cases. It often takes a day or two for Long Beach’s latest numbers to be included in the county’s tally because the city has its own health department. Read more about the county’s number’s here. — Stephanie Rivera

1:53 PM Friday, April 17 | Los Angeles County health officials today announced 40 more deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total number to 495. Another 567 people in the county tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the county total to 11,391. Of the positive cases, 3,014 have needed to be hospitalized, which represents 26% of all positive cases, said Barbara Ferrer, the county health officer. The death total includes 177 people who live in institutional settings, the majority of them in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, she said. Throughout the county, 228 institutional settings have reported at least one case of COVID-19, with four nursing homes in the county reporting outbreaks of 40 or more cases, she said. Ferrer said the virus has affected many health care workers. A total of 1,441 of these workers, including nurses, physicians and others, have tested positive. Five healthcare workers have died as a result, three of them nurses. “These workers, all of them, all of our health care workers, help us when we’re sick, and they are our heroes,” Ferrer said. County officials said 87% of the people who’ve died have had underlying health conditions. Los Angeles County will soon have the ability to test up to 1,000 people a day in its labs and has opened 30 testing sites across the region. Getting more testing sites online is a critical step to move toward recovery from the pandemic response, Ferrer said. — Staff Reports

4:05 PM Thursday, April 16 | Grocery store workers, fast food employees and others that are part of the state’s food supply chain could be in line for additional paid sick leave after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new executive order Thursday that will mandate it for those workers affected by COVID-19. Newsom made the announcement at the start of Thursday’s COVID-19 briefing where he said that additional steps were needed to protect those essential workers who are on the front lines every day. “This is a serious issue and requires a serious response and a much more comprehensive response than we have offered,” Newsom said. “The grocery lines are also the front lines.” The new order would require companies to provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for workers in the food supply chain—farming, packaging, delivery, fast food, grocers—to any employee who is forced to isolate or quarantine, or becomes ill themselves. For part-time workers the amount of paid sick leave provided would be based on the hours previously worked by those employees. Employees having to use the new COVID-19 paid leave would not be required to exhaust any accrued vacation or sick hours that are normally provided by their employers according to the text of the executive order. “A lot of folks could have easily dialed it in, filed for unemployment and waited for this to pass,” Newsom said, adding that he had a deep admiration for those workers who continue to show up to their jobs. “No one that I know of in this essential work force has done that.” Newsom said the move was to close a “quite profound” gap that existed after the passage of the federal level Families First Coronavirus Response Act which targeted employers with 500 or fewer employees. Newsom’s order would target larger workforces. The order also included language that expanded hand-washing requirements to permit workers time to wash their hands on an as-needed basis, or at least every 30 minutes, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The governor’s order comes on the same day that he announced another 69 COVID-19 related deaths across the state as the running total for infections statewide reached 27,634. — Jason Ruiz

2:15 PM Thursday, April 16 | Los Angeles County health officials reported the deadliest day yet in the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting that 55 individuals died of the illness. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, said that the county also counted 399 new cases of COVID-19. The death toll, the third straight it has reached a record high, continues to “highlight the the devastating impacts” of the virus. A total of 455 people have died countywide. Ferrer said that of those who have died, 88% had underlying health conditions. She added that the county’s mortality rate for COVID-19 is now at 4.2%. Countywide there are nearly 1,600 people currently hospitalized, with nearly a third of those in intensive care units across the county. Of those patients, 22% are on ventilators, Ferrer said. Despite the high numbers of deaths being reported by the county, Ferrer was optimistic that the county could be flattening the curve while it sees a daily rise in death totals. The arc the county is on could be similar to what New York experienced, where rate of infection tapered off while the city simultaneously saw some of its deadliest days, she said. While there have been numerous companies throughout the region advertising tests that can determine if you have COVID-19, Ferrer said that they’re different from the ones the county is using and not as reliable. The county’s various testing stations use a molecular test that can determine if a person currently has COVID-19, while serology tests, which test for antibodies, can only tell if a person had the virus at some point. They can’t determine if a person has developed immunity to the virus, Ferrer cautioned. “These [the county’s tests] are the only tests that are appropriate for testing for COVID-19 at this time,” Ferrer said. — Jason Ruiz

11:23 AM Thursday, April 16 | Shipping giant UPS donated 10,000 N95 surgical masks to the ranks of Long Beach fire and police Wednesday, with the chiefs of both departments on hand to accept the donations. The effort was coordinated by Bruce DD MacRae, who is president of the Long Beach Police Foundation, and Laura Lane in the public affairs department at UPS. “Since Long Beach is one of the hotspots for the State of California, this was an easy call for UPS,” officials said. Chief Robert Luna of the police department and Chief Xavier Espino of the fire department accepted the donated masks, which are in high demand as first responders grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. Today UPS enhanced the lives of the men and women that protect us. Special delivery from my UPS to LBPD and LBFD. GOD bless our first responders. Use these in good health and thank you for all you do! From your UPS FAMILY! pic.twitter.com/Vaa8XiDEjY — Bruce DD MacRae (@dd_macrae) April 16, 2020 — Staff Reports

4:15 PM Wednesday, April 15 | The California Department of Motor Vehicles is extending driver’s licenses expiring during the statewide shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The department had already offered a 120-day, automatic extension to drivers over 70, who are currently receiving the corresponding documents in the mail. The new announcement now applies the same extensions to younger drivers whose licenses were set to expire between March and May. This category of drivers won’t need to take any action to receive the extension, but they won’t receive a document in the mail either. Those who need documentation that their license has been extended can request a free extension document online. Californians with a suspended license are not eligible. According to the department, law enforcement agencies have been informed of the extensions. All commercial driver licenses, endorsements and certificates expiring between March and June 2020 are now valid through June 30, 2020, in alignment with a recent emergency declaration from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Last month, the department broadened the categories of drivers who can renew their licenses online, as long as they meet certain criteria. The DMV has closed field offices across the state, but is planning to reopen with new protocols and restrictions in place. A timeline for the return of in-person services is yet to be announced. In-person driving tests have been canceled until further notice to conform with social distancing guidelines. — Alena Maschke

1:08 PM Wednesday, April 15 | Long Beach officials on Wednesday announced that one more person has died of complications from COVID-19, bringing the total deaths in the city to 18. The newest fatality, identified only as a man associated with a local long-term care facility, had underlying health conditions, according to Long Beach officials. In all, 13 of the city’s fatal cases have been associated with long-term care facilities like nursing homes or assisted-living centers. However, there was some good news on that front today. After weeks of seeing cases mount in about half a dozen facilities, one nursing home, Glen Park Assisted Living, has gone 14 days without any new COVID-19 cases, the city announced today. In total, the city has seen 379 cases of coronavirus since early March. Of the total number of cases, 84 positive cases were confirmed at seven nursing homes in the city. Right now, 49 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 40 yesterday. Separately, Los Angeles County reported 42 new deaths today, the highest single-day total so far. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia is expected to announce more details at a 3 p.m. press conference today. — Valerie Osier

4:45 PM Tuesday, April 14 | The number of deaths in Long Beach from COVID-19 complications continued to climb on Tuesday with three more fatalities, bringing the total to 17. Two of the deaths announced today are connected to nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, which now account for 12 of the city’s fatalities. The latest cases included a man and two women—all with underlying health conditions. The overall number of positive cases continued to climb, but at a slower rate compared with previous weeks. On Tuesday, the city reported 363 positive cases, up from 350 on Monday. Read the full story here. — Kelly Puente

4:46 PM Monday, April 13 | With the coronavirus conversation now shifting to antibody testing to determine who is immune and can go back to work, city health officials warned such research is still in its infancy. During an afternoon press conference on Monday, City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis said there are more than 70 companies marketing antibody testing, but only one is FDA approved. “There are a lot of companies that are making false claims so at this point what I would recommend is to be really cautious about utilizing an antibody test,” Davis said. Current studies are determining how effective antibody testing is and how accurate its results are, as well as what those results can be used for. “It’s thought that we can use antibody testing more to determine that you’ve been exposed to the virus and that you may be immune to the virus, rather than diagnosing an infection,” Davis said. In an NBC News interview published today, Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that while the testing could reveal the extent of infections nationwide, it hasn’t proven that an individual can develop protective immunity once they develop antibodies. “It’s still a scientific hypothesis that this virus will lead to protective immunity of some duration,” Redfield told NBC News. The CDC defines antibodies as proteins produced by one’s body to neutralize or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms. Immunity to a disease is achieved through the presence of antibodies. “I think there is this assumption that it may accelerate confidence in some individuals in returning [to work] as though I’m immune, but I really think its major role is going to be in more of a public health role and the impact that it has, as we try to develop some alternative care delivery mechanisms to be available for fall and winter, when in fact we will probably have additional coronavirus infections,” Redfield went on to say. At the press conference, Davis urged the community to stay tuned for new information coming out quickly. “But right now we’re still in the figuring-things-out phase,” Davis said. — Stephanie Rivera

1:23 PM Monday, April 13 | Two more Long Beach residents—both women with underlying health conditions—have died from complications related to COVID-19, marking 11 deaths in the span of a week, according to numbers released Monday. Overall, the city reported 350 positive cases of the coronavirus, up from 337 on Sunday. That includes 48 people who are hospitalized and approximately 148 cases where people have recovered. The latest numbers show an alarming increase of cases in nursing homes. Of the total 14 deaths, 10 are associated with long-term care facilities. The city has so far reported 73 positive cases in six long-term care facilities. The cases include both facility residents and staff members. Of the fatalities, all have had underlying health conditions and range in ages from 50s to 80s. Across Los Angeles County, at least 320 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have died, according to authorities, an increase of 25 from Sunday. Another 239 people tested positive for the virus Monday, the smallest single-day increase since March 26—something county public health director Barbara Ferrer called “a good thing.” In all, there are at least 9,420 confirmed cases across LA County. The county’s mortality rate continued to climb, reaching 3.4% Monday, according to Ferrer, who said one contributing factor to the rate rising recently is that people can be sick with the disease for a time before the take a turn for the worse and die. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia will give a news briefing 3 p.m. today. The briefing will be livestreamed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @LongBeachCity. — Kelly Puente

1:13 PM Monday, April 13 | The Long Beach Coronavirus Relief Fund has received over $1 million in donations to support local nonprofits helping the community’s most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched just under a month ago by the city and the Long Beach Community Foundation, the relief fund has received donations from the community, businesses and family foundations. “We are seeing unprecedented levels of compassion during these difficult times and I am so proud of the work that is being done through the non-profits to support our community,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. These nonprofits provide food, shelter, rental assistance and resources for businesses. Now, however, officials said they are adding priority funding for nonprofits that support emergency health workers (like those who assist community clinics and hospitals with overflow patients) and support mental health and domestic violence sheltering. “Careful advanced planning, an in-depth knowledge of the community and its nonprofits helped launch this program efficiently, which is benefiting thousands of Long Beach residents right now where the need is the greatest,” said foundation President and CEO Marcelle Epley. Organizations are awarded up to $20,000 each, with 31 nonprofits having already received grants, according to the nonprofit. Click here to see the list of nonprofits awarded grants. Click here to apply for a grant. To make a contribution text “SupportLB” to 501-55, pay via PayPal @SupportLB, or mail a check to the Long Beach Community Foundation, 400 Oceangate, Suite 800, Long Beach, CA and write Long Beach Coronavirus Relief Fund in the memo section. You can also pay with your credit card by visiting longbeachcf.org. — Stephanie Rivera

10:28 AM Monday, April 13 | Carnival Cruise Line has suspended its North American sailings through June 26 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Monday. Carnival had originally planned to resume service on May 10 but has now extended its suspension following orders from the Centers for Disease Control. The company plans to resume sailing on June 27. “This is disappointing, but we are committed to being a strong partner with the government and taking steps to maintain public confidence in our business,” the company said in a statement. The sailing suspension will impact the cruise lines in Long Beach and will likely have a greater impact on the local economy. In December, the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama made its new home in Long Beach, marking the first new Carnival cruise vessel to be based on the West Coast in 20 years. City officials had anticipated that the Panorama would log about 1.5 million passenger movements for 2020, and bring in an estimated $3 million annually through the passenger fees. — Kelly Puente

8:45 AM Monday, April 13 | Despite warnings that officers would step up enforcement of the city’s stay-at-home order over the Easter weekend, Long Beach police said they didn’t see the need to write any citations or arrest anyone for breaking social distancing rules. Police have been reluctant to write tickets for people violating Long Beach’s rules meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus—instead they’re trying to get them to comply voluntarily, but last week, LBPD Chief Robert Luna said in a telephone town hall meeting that officers would be given the discretion to cite people people starting over the Easter weekend. “That is absolutely the last thing we want to do as a police department,” Luna said. “But we also understand that the health of our neighbors are the top priority.” The decision came as Long Beach implemented even stricter rules on Easter, including entirely shuttering all parks even for passive uses like biking and walking. The parks reopened for those uses—with 6-foot social distancing—on Monday. Residents apparently took heed, with green spaces like El Dorado Park deserted on Sunday. That meant police didn’t write a single citation or make any arrests in connection with the stay-at-home order, LBPD spokesman Ivan Garcia said Monday morning. Violating the health order is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of between $50 and $1,000, and/or by jail time of not more than 90 days. There can also be civil penalties for nonessential businesses that flout the city’s orders to close. “Although our officers will have the discretion to issue citations, we are asking everyone to do the right thing and voluntarily comply with these orders. Minimizing the spread of the virus is a shared responsibility,” Luna said in a statement last week, noting that some people still aren’t obeying with the rules. — Jeremiah Dobruck

5:01 PM Sunday, April 12 | Two more people have died of complications from the coronavirus in Long Beach. City officials said today that both victims were connected to long-term care facilities, where COVID-19 has continued to be at its most deadly. In all, 12 people have died in connection with the virus, according to the city’s daily media briefing. Nine of them were associated with long-term care facilities such as nursing homes or assisted living centers. Health officials also announced five new confirmed cases of the virus, a relatively small number compared to increases in recent days, but local and county health officials have said numbers can be deceivingly low over the weekend because not all labs report results outside of normal business hours. In all, Long Beach has 337 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Out of that number, 71 cases have been at six long-term care facilities where patients have tested positive. Read the full story here. — Jeremiah Dobruck

4:59 PM Sunday, April 12 | Health officials for Los Angeles County reported 31 additional deaths from COVID-19 today and 323 new cases, bringing the county’s totals to 296 deaths and 9,192 cases. That amount of deaths is the largest single-day jump in the county so far, according to the Los Angeles Times. Because Long Beach has its own health department, county’s tally of deaths does not include the most up-to-date numbers from the city, including—but not limited to—two new deaths today. “As many Angelenos celebrate the Easter holiday today, I want to acknowledge those families that are grieving the loss of a loved one associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health. “…I also want to thank everyone for continuing to do their part to help suppress this virus; please stay at home whenever possible and when you go out in public, wear a cloth face covering.” As of Sunday, 2,246 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (24% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness Ferrer said. She added that testing capacity continues to increase in the county, with results available for more than 47,000 individuals and 14% of people testing positive. The county’s mortality rate from the illness—the percentage of people with the disease who have died—crept upward on Friday, reaching 2.9%. The county’s mortality rate last week was 1.8%. According to Ferrer, around 28% of the people who have died from coronavirus in the county were residents of nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities. The county is investigating cases at 159 “institutional settings,” such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, shelters, jails and prisons that have had at least one case. Those institutions have had a total of 1,062 cases and 67 deaths, all among residents. Long Beach’s long-term health care facilities have been similarly hard-hit, accounting for nine out of the city’s 12 deaths. A total of 53 cases have been confirmed in the county’s jails—eight inmates and 45 staff members. There were also 23 cases in prisons, while two staff members at the county juvenile hall in Sylmar have also tested positive. The numbers came as Angelenos celebrated an unusual Easter Sunday in which not only churches but all county parks and nature areas were closed to the public in an effort to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. The countywide parks closure was ordered “with the top priority being the health and safety of our park guests, team members, and community,” said Norma E. Garcia, acting director of L.A. County Parks and Recreation. “We know Easter is day of celebration for many park guests and fun tradition for LA County Parks, and we appreciate the public’s support and understanding as we collectively work to flatten the curve of the coronavirus.” Long Beach also shuttered its parks for Easter Sunday. — City News Service

2:38 PM Sunday, April 12 | El Dorado Park, the largest park in the city, usually attracts its biggest crowds on Easter Sunday, a day filled with egg hunts, barbecues and family gatherings. This time, however, stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak have left the 450-acre regional park deserted. Today, the only movement comes from the ducks swimming in nearby ponds and birds flying between trees. The full-blown closure is only for today and intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, officials said Friday. Even passive recreational activities like biking, walking and running—which are usually allowed even during the pandemic—are banned. “Closing parks on Easter Sunday is a difficult but necessary step to protect the health of our community,” Mayor Robert Garcia said during Friday’s closure announcement. “We realize the impact this will have during this important holiday and are asking for your cooperation to save lives.” To help enforce this one-day closure, Long Beach police increased their patrol of the park, but so far, it seems Long Beach residents have gotten the message, at least at El Dorado. Police spokesman Rudy Garcia said it’s been quiet, with no reported activity and no citations needed to enforce the closure. — Stephanie Rivera

3:03 PM Saturday, April 11 | Long Beach officials on Saturday reported a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions has died from complications due to coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the city to 10. Of the 10, all had underlying health conditions and seven are associated with long-term care facilities. Two victims were in their 50s, two were in their 60s, one was in their 70s, and five were over 80. Seven victims were women and three were men, according to officials. Officials reported 332 positive COVID-19 cases, up from the 316 reported on Friday. The number of cases will continue to rise as testing becomes more widely available, health officials have said. This week, Long Beach opened its first drive through testing clinic at the Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus that takes about 100 test appointments each day. Of the city’s 332 cases, 48 are hospitalized, officials said. A total of 69 cases are either residents or staff members at six long-term care facilities in the city. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, officials have extended the city’s health order through May 15, keeping all non-essential businesses closed. Police officers will also now start citing people for not following the health order, which is a misdemeanor and could cost up to $1,000. The city and county are also closing down all parks on Sunday, only for the day, to prevent people from gathering in them for Easter. In addition, cloth face masks or coverings are now required inside essential businesses for workers and customers. — Valerie Osier

10:48 AM Saturday, April 11 | Long Beach business organizations and the city’s economic development department are surveying local business owners to find out how to best help them recover from the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced this week. The organizations, including the Council of Business Associations, Downtown Long Beach Alliance and Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, intend to reach all businesses in the city with a wide-reaching survey to determine what resources businesses will need to weather the crisis. Each organization sent out the survey to their business contact lists on Friday. “By joining forces with these key business groups, we hope to get a comprehensive picture of the challenges our local businesses are facing across Long Beach,” said Long Beach Economic Development Director John Keisler. “This joint effort is critical in determining next steps to preserve the economic integrity of our business community and identifying the necessary resources for a strong recovery.” — Valerie Osier

1:43 PM Friday, April 10 | Long Beach, along with Los Angeles County, will close all parks—including open spaces—on Easter Sunday, which is traditionally the busiest day of the year for city parks, officials announced. The closure is only for Sunday, April 12, and intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, officials said. Even passive recreational activities like biking, walking and running—which are usually allowed—are banned that day. Sports facilities and beaches were already closed in March because of the city’s stay home order. “Closing parks on Easter Sunday is a difficult but necessary step to protect the health of our community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We realize the impact this will have during this important holiday and are asking for your cooperation to save lives.” The decision was made to prevent large gatherings while people still need to observe the stay home order. The city will post signs at all parks to remind people that they cannot use them. Parks will reopen for passive uses, like walking and biking, on Monday, April 13. — Valerie Osier

1:31 PM Friday, April 10 | A man in his 50s with underlying health conditions has died from complications from coronavirus, marking the city’s ninth death, officials said Friday. The overall number of coronavirus cases in Long Beach climbed to 316 on Friday, up from 303 on Thursday, as testing becomes more widely available. Of those, more than 41 residents are hospitalized and about 140 have recovered. Of the nine deaths, six are associated with long-term care facilities. So far, 68 cases have been identified at six long-term care facilities in Long Beach. Three victims were men and six were women, ranging in age from 50s to 80s, officials said. Lon Angeles County on Friday reported 475 more cases of coronavirus, bringing the county’s total to 8,430. The county also reported 18 more deaths, bringing the county’s total to 241. — Kelly Puente

2:46 PM Thursday, April 9 | Los Angeles County announced a program aimed at helping elderly people and those with disabilities get delivery of groceries and necessities at home at no extra cost. The program, called Critical Delivery Service, was launched by the county Department Of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services to help those who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. The delivery services are reserved for those who are: age 60 or older, have a temporary or permanent disability or are dependent adults. They can receive up to four deliveries or 40 miles worth of deliveries per month. Deliveries can be scheduled by calling 888-863-7411 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Then the individual must order their items by phone or online and pay for them to the pick up location. The coordinator for the service will then schedule a taxi driver to deliver items to the person and then call the person back to confirm it has been scheduled. — Valerie Osier

2:26 PM Thursday, April 9 | A local non-profit is trying to make getting groceries during COVID-19 as accessible as possible by collecting all the information people need to know before venturing out to neighborhood grocers: What are the special hours for vulnerable people? What are the best days to go? Are there any limits on specific items? Long Beach Fresh, a local non-profit dedicated to making healthier food options widely available in the city, has been gathering data on all the available places to get groceries for the past several weeks, said project Co-Director Tony Damico. They’re in the process of retooling their current food map to fit all the information, but for now, they have an Excel spreadsheet Grocer Guide that includes restaurant pop-up markets, special hours, restocking times and delivery information. “We certainly have refocused during COVID-19,” Damico said. “One of the early motivations was collecting data on the stores that had hours for the vulnerable population.” The group had about seven volunteers track down the information by calling stores and talking to the managers, scouring social media posts and checking websites, he said. They’re updating the excel sheet and PDF sometimes daily, as new restrictions and recommendations come out. This week, Kroger announced they would cut store capacity by half the building’s normal capacity. The group is also including all the restaurants that have converted into pop-up grocery stores. In some cases, restaurants are only doing outside pickup. They want people to be able to decide where they will shop based on their vulnerability needs, Damico said. — Valerie Osier

2:04 PM Thursday, April 9 | Another Long Beach resident has died from coronavirus complications, marking the city’s eight death, officials said Thursday. The latest victim was a woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions. Of the eight victims, two were men and six were women, and all had underlying health conditions. Five of the eight are associated with long-term care facilities, which have born a large brunt of the outbreak. Meanwhile, the city’s total number of confirmed cases climbed to 303, up from 285 on Wednesday. Across the region, Los Angeles County on Thursday reported 25 new deaths and 425 new cases for a total of almost 8,000 cases and 224 deaths. Long Beach’s nursing homes are being hit especially hard. On Thursday, city officials said 53 of Long Beach’s COVID-19 cases were reported at six long-term care facilities, up from 47 on Wednesday. The long-term case facilities with coronavirus cases are: Palmcrest Grand Assisted Living, Long Beach Healthcare Center, Pacific Palms Healthcare, Bixby Knolls Towers, Broadway by the Sea and Glen Park Assisted Living. The city has reported that 42 residents have been hospitalized from the virus and about 140 people have recovered, including five firefighters who had tested positive. Another 11 firefighters remain sick. Officials would not say how many additional firefighters are under quarantine or being monitored for possible exposure. — Kelly Puente

5:48 PM Wednesday, April 8 | Starting this weekend, Long Beach police officers are being given the discretion to cite people who ignore the city’s stay home orders, Police Chief Robert Luna said during a telephone town hall, Wednesday afternoon. The stay home order, implemented to slow the spread of coronavirus, requires that all non-essential businesses close and residents stay home unless they are an essential worker, grocery shopping or caring for another person. Residents can still go on walks in their neighborhoods as long as they practice social distancing and stay six feet away from others. The city has also closed all public beaches, trails, sports courts, golf courses, dog parks, playgrounds, skate parks, public park and public beach parking lots and picnic areas. Luna said a citation for not following the order can cost up to $1,000 and is a misdemeanor, which would go on the violator’s record. “That is absolutely the last thing we want to do as a police department,” Luna said. “But we also understand that the health of our neighbors are the top priority.” — Valerie Osier

5:47 PM Wednesday, April 8 | Long Beach reported Wednesday that one more resident has died from COVID-19, bringing the city’s total to seven. Out of that number, four deaths are linked to six long-term care facilities like nursing homes or assisted living facilities, the city revealed. Health officials did not say whether the four victims were residents at the facilities, only they were “associated” with them. The latest person killed by the coronavirus was a man over 80 years old with underlying health conditions, officials said. “Our hearts and our prayers and our love go out to the families affected,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. Long-term care facilities have been hit hard by the pandemic, accounting for 47 cases at six facilities in the city. The facilities are: Palmcrest Grand Assisted Living, Long Beach Healthcare Center, Pacific Palms Healthcare, Bixby Knolls Towers, Broadway by the Sea and Glen Park Assisted Living. Overall, 285 people in Long Beach have tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said 38 of those people are hospitalized. Of all the fatalities, one victim was in their 50s, two were in their 60s and four were over 80 years old, according to the city. Approximately 140 people have reportedly recovered from the virus, including five firefighters who had tested positive. Health officials have cleared the firefighters to go back to work. Another 11 firefighters and one police employee remained sidelined by the disease. Across the region, LA County reported 29 coronavirus-related deaths, which pushed the total to 199, while the overall number of cases topped 7,500. Read more here. — Valerie Osier

2:24 PM Wednesday, April 8 | Los Angeles County saw its most deadly day yet from COVID-19 with 29 coronavirus-related deaths, county health officials reported Wednesday. That pushed the total to 198, while the overall number of cases topped 7,500. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said the 29 new deaths include the three reported late Tuesday by health officials in Long Beach, which has its own health department, a situation that typically creates a 24-hour lag-time between the county includes those numbers in its totals. Shortly after the county’s briefing, Long Beach reported an additional death, pushing the countywide total to 199. The new deaths included 17 people over age 65, with 16 of those people having underlying health conditions. Seven of the deaths occurred in people between 18 and 40, and five of them had underlying health problems. Another 620 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the county, Ferrer said, raising the overall total to 7,530. That figure includes 256 cases inLong Beach and 80 in Pasadena, which also has its own health department. The mortality rate among coronavirus patients in the county continued to rise slowly, reaching 2.6% on Wednesday, Ferrer said. The figure means 2.6% of the people who have tested positive for the illness in the county have died. Last week, the mortality rate was 1.8%. The county’s coronavirus cases include 43 cases that occurred in jail settings—three inmates and 40 staff members—along with 10 cases in the state prison system—eight inmates and two staffers. Two cases have been reported in a county juvenile facility, both involving staff members at theBarry Nidorf juvenile hall in Sylmar. Twelve cases have been confirmed among the county’s homeless population, up from two on Tuesday. Four cases have been reported in homeless shelters, involving two residents and two staff members. Ferrer said there are now 131 institutional settings—such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, shelters, jails and prisons—that have had at least one case. Those institutions have had a total of 596 cases and 37 deaths, all among residents. As of Tuesday, roughly 36,500 people have been tested for the virus in the county, although Ferrer noted that number is likely low, since multiple new testing sites have opened in recent days but figures have not yet been gathered from those locations. The county has set a goal of testing 10,000 people per day. With roughly 10% of those people ultimately testing positive, Ferrer has warned that the daily increases in case numbers will likely approach about 1,000. New testing centers opened Wednesday at East Los Angeles College and at the Charles Drew University medical campus in Willowbrook. The county now has more than 20 testing centers across the region, including the location at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus. Those centers and others operated by individual cities are restricted to people showing symptoms ofCOVID-19. Ferrer noted that as of Wednesday, 324 health care workers have tested positive. More than half of them work in hospitals, but other cases have occurred at outpatient facilities and emergency medical services personnel.Nurses have had the largest number of cases, but doctors, paramedics and emergency medical technicians have also tested positive. Two health care workers in the county have died from the virus. — City News Service

7:32 AM Wednesday, April 8 | The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department established a web page Tuesday to update the public on COVID-19 cases within the department. Twenty-four sheriff’s department employees have tested positive for the virus and 394 are quarantined, according to the department, which employs more than 10,000 sworn personnel and about 8,000 more civilian staffers. By Tuesday, another 150 employees who had been quarantined were returned to duty, the department reported. Two Los Angeles County jail system inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, and 21 have had a temperature of at least 100.4 degrees or exhibited upper respiratory infection symptoms. Those inmates are in isolation, and 481 inmates, who had close contact with someone under observation, are being quarantined. More information is available on the sheriff’s department’sCoronavirus Information Updates page: lasd.org/covid19updates. — City News Service

6:23 PM Tuesday, April 7 | Long Beach began offering free drive-up COVID-19 testing today at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus, noting that up to about 100 individuals are able to be helped daily by appointment. In partnership with the city and county of Los Angeles, symptomatic community members can go to the city of Long Beach’s website and then be redirected to another site to make that mandatory appointment. However, after some readers noted not seeing Long Beach as a drive-up option, the Post inquired. It turns out that the Long Beach site is not listed when appointment slots are full, a city spokeswoman said. “We suggest applicants try again tomorrow for the next available appointment,” spokeswoman Marlene Arrona said. Other sites within Los Angeles County are also available to Long Beach residents. To see if you qualify and make an appointment click here. — Stephanie Rivera

3:09 PM Tuesday, April 7 | City health officials on Tuesday reported that three more people died of coronavirus, bringing the total number of fatal cases in Long Beach to six. All three victims—a man and two women—were in their 80s with underlying health conditions, according to officials. “Our love and prayers go out to their families and friends,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia tweeted. The city did not reveal whether the three resided in long-term care facilities. At least five facilities have been hit with the virus, although officials have declined to release how many cases are at each facility. This is the first time Long Beach officials have announced multiple deaths on one day. The last fatal case was on Friday when they said a woman in her 60s with underlying conditions died from the virus. The city also reported a total of 256 people have tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, up from 230 on Monday. Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, officials reported 22 new deaths and 550 new cases today, bringing the countywide totals to 172 deaths and nearly 7,000 confirmed cases. — Valerie Osier

2:20 PM Tuesday, April 7 | Preliminary—and limited—data shows a slightly higher rate of death for African American COVID-19 patients compared to other ethnic groups in Los Angeles County, health officials said today. LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, who shared the data, emphasized that it is incomplete. The department is still missing race and ethnicity information on 43% of the 169 deaths from COVID-19 that have been reported across the county. She said health officials will be watching the racial disparity closely as they try to gather the missing information. Ferrer said that of the 93 deaths health officials have data on, 19% were Asian, 17% were African American, 28% were Latinx, 27% were white and 9% were any other race. “When we look at these numbers by the total population of each group, African Americans have a slightly higher rate of death than other races and ethnicities,” Ferrer said. Authorities haven’t said if they have such demographic data on the three deaths in Long Beach, which were included in the county’s overall total numbers. It’s unclear what could be causing a racial disparity in fatal cases of the coronavirus, but Ferrer said health officials have found that people in wealthier communities have an easier time getting tests. “People who are living in wealthier communities have had, in fact, better access to testing and have been tested more than people living in communities where income levels are much lower,” she said. Ferrer shared the preliminary data at Tuesday’s daily media briefing where she announced 22 new deaths and 550 new confirmed cases—bringing the countywide case count to 6,910. — Jeremiah Dobruck

12:25 PM Tuesday, April 7 | Waiting in line to enter a supermarket has become the new normal in light of the coronavirus, but the waits could get a little longer at Kroger stores such as Ralphs and Food 4 Less, where more stringent capacity guidelines took effect today. The Kroger Co. implemented a rule that limits its stores to 50% of the designated building capacity “to allow for proper physical distancing in every store.” According to the company, the standard building capacity for a grocery store is one person per 60 square feet. Under the new guidelines, stores will limit capacity to one person per 120 square feet. That guideline will be even more strict at Los Angeles-area stores, which are reducing customers to 25% of the designated store capacity. “We are reducing the traffic in our stores to protect the safety of our associates, customers and community,” Ralphs spokesman John Votava said. Most grocery stores and other retailers that remain open during the pandemic have implemented capacity limits, forcing customers to wait in line—6 feet apart—before entering to control the crowds inside. Kroger officials said in a statement that the company is also exploring the use of one-way aisles in an effort to reduce crowding. Although the concept is under consideration by Kroger, it has not yet been introduced at Ralphs stores. — City News Service

10:48 AM Tuesday, April 7 | Law enforcement wants to know if you’ve seen price gouging in Long Beach during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they’re vowing to quickly investigate each complaint to make sure shoppers aren’t being ripped off. To that end, the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s office launched a website this week where consumers can report price gouging. They’ve already gotten complaints about certain grocery stores from major chains overcharging for milk, toilet paper and water, according to officials. To make sure they have the resources to look into each complaint and swiftly stop any gouging, the city prosecutor’s office has teamed up with its counterparts in the city of Los Angeles and the LA County District Attorney’s office, which both already had teams dedicated to consumer issues. “We don’t want to wait until after the emergency to investigate this type of conduct,” Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said. Read the full story here. — Jeremiah Dobruck

7:33 AM Tuesday, April 7 | California’s Judicial Council set bail at zero for most misdemeanor and lower-level felonies in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus in jails statewide by reducing the number of inmates. During a meeting by teleconference, the council Monday approved 11 temporary emergency rules designed to ensure public safety in the courts and jails while preserving civil rights. The rules, which take effect immediately, also allow local courts to set up remote hearings via teleconference technology and for counsel to appear on behalf of defendants in pretrial proceedings—as part of a bid to limit the number of people in courtrooms. Ready the full story here. — City News Service

2:12 PM Monday, April 6 | With more than 6,300 confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County—230 of which are in Long Beach—and many more flying under the radar, health officials say this week could be critical in defining the disease’s trajectory. “Our numbers could start skyrocketing,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s health department. Ferrer reported 420 new cases and 15 new deaths Monday, bringing the county’s totals to 6,392 cases and 147 deaths. That number includes the 230 confirmed cases and three deaths in Long Beach, which amounts to 17 new cases within the city—and no new fatalities—since Sunday. The city also reported about 71 cases of recoveries. “Our numbers are large,” Ferrer said, and they don’t account for the many people health officials believe are infected but haven’t been identified because they’re not showing symptoms. If all of those people are spreading the coronavirus, the number of cases could begin to explode unless everyone strictly abides by social distancing rules and stays homes as much as possible, according to Ferrer. “If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week to skip shopping altogether,” she said. The 420 new cases reported in LA County Monday were a slight dip from recent numbers, but Ferrer said that decline is an anomaly because test results don’t come in as reliably over the weekend. Week over week, there’s been a “significant increase,” she said. “It remains important that we continue to do what we know will work,” she said, urging everyone to abide by stay-at-home orders. She also advised everyone to wear face coverings when going in public, but she implored them to not use surgical masks or N95 respirators, which are needed by medical personnel. — Jeremiah Dobruck

6:12 PM Sunday, April 5 | California judicial leaders are expected to adopt a statewide emergency order setting bail at zero for lower-level offenses and suspending evictions and foreclosures to deal with the COVID-19 crisis that has crippled the state’s court system. The Judicial Council was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to vote on nearly a dozen temporary rules, including a proposal to hold criminal and juvenile proceedings by video or telephone in order to ensure that defendants are not held in custody without timely hearings. In criminal proceedings, the defendant must agree before a court hearing can be held remotely. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, trial courts must protect defendants’ constitutional rights to have the assistance of counsel and to be personally present with counsel, and at the same time take steps to protect the health of defendants, judicial officers, court staff, counsel, and all those who are required to be present in court,” a report prepared for the meeting said. The report said courts have been operating with a greatly reduced work force since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a shelter-in-place order on March 20 to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The proposal to lower bail at $0 for misdemeanor and lower-level felony offenses is intended to reduce the jail population and limit the spread of the coronavirus. — The Associated Press

1:34 PM Sunday, April 5 | The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Long Beach is now up to 213, city officials announced Sunday. No other details were available regarding the 15 new positive results since yesterday’s update. Officials said the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 remained at about 50—a number that may not be comprehensive because it relies on self-reported data for low-risk patients recovering at home. The number of confirmed cases is also not all-encompassing. Because of limited supplies, not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested. At least three people have died of the coronavirus in Long Beach. Los Angeles County overall had more than 5,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 132 deaths as of Sunday. “This is the most dramatic increase in deaths we have seen since the COVID-19 crisis began, and our condolences go out to each and every person impacted by these heartbreaking losses,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director said a day earlier. “Though COVID-19 can infect people of all ages, most of the deaths we see continue to be among individuals over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions. Now, more than ever, we must unify as a community to protect this vulnerable population by making sure they are able to stay home and take every precaution. “These are tough times, but we are a caring L.A. County, and we will get through this together.” City News Service contributed to this report. — Stephanie Rivera

11:58 AM Sunday, April 5 | Over 170 cats and dogs from the city’s animal shelter have been placed in foster or permanent homes as Animal Care Services continues to operate by appointment-only during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 69 dogs and 103 cats were recently adopted or fostered, city officials announced today. As of Friday, April 3, six dogs and eight cats, which were either being readied for foster homes or under medical or behavioral care or observation, remained in the shelter. “With Long Beach residents following the ‘Safer at Home’ order to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we recognized a greater opportunity for residents to foster shelter animals,” said Staycee Dains, Manager of Long Beach Animal Care Services. “The community is continuing to do a great job by not bringing animals to us unless the animal is seriously sick or seriously injured or is attacking. The fact that our kennels are empty is unprecedented and we owe that to our hardworking and tireless staff, and rescue partners and our community.” To read more about the nonprofits that helped empty the kennels click here. — Stephanie Rivera

3:00 PM Saturday, April 4 | Long Beach officials on Saturday announced the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has risen to 198 people, up from 171 cases on Friday. Broadway by the Sea, a long-term care facility, has now reported it has at least one positive case. There is now a total of five local long-term care facilities have reported coronavirus cases, but the city is not providing the number at each of because “the numbers may be constantly changing.” In a statement, Broadway by the Sea said, “We are not in a position to release specifics about any of our residents. Protecting the privacy and and dignity of each person in our care is our responsibility.” The facility said it believed statistical information was being made available by the city health department. The facilities are: Palmcrest Grand Assisted Living

Long Beach Healthcare Cente

Pacific Palms Healthcare

Bixby Knolls Towers

Broadway by the Sea Clusters of coronavirus cases have sprung up at nursing homes across the country. This week a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control reported the agency is aware of more than 400 long-term care facilities with cases. In the meantime, California regulators relaxed guidelines this week for who can be admitted to skilled nursing facilities as health officials scramble to make room in hospitals for other patients. The facilities must now accept patients, even if they have not been cleared of the disease, causing alarm among advocates. “Sacrificing the lives of beloved nursing home residents is beyond unconscionable,” Patricia McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, told the Los Angeles Times. “California’s directive is nothing less than a death sentence for countless residents. The state should instead look to alternative locations such as hotels and conference centers as much safer places to send COVID-19 patients for care,” McGinnis told the Times. Among the nearly 200 cases, about 50 people have self-reported that they have recovered, according to the city. They can only provide an approximate total because low-risk patients generally recover at home. Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Broadway by the Sea. — Valerie Osier

1:57 PM Saturday, April 4 | The Long Beach Health Department on Saturday issued guidelines recommending that people wear face coverings to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but health officials stressed that masks do not substitute for physical distancing and hand washing guidelines. “Even if you are not showing symptoms, you could be carrying COVID-19 and endangering those around you,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “Wearing something as simple as a cloth face covering when you go outside could help slow the rate of transmission and reduce the load on our hospitals in the critical weeks ahead.” Long Beach City Officer Dr. Anissa Davis in a statement said masks are an additional tool that can help prevent the spread of coronavirus, but residents should still take other precautions. “We emphasize that wearing facial coverings should not be a substitute for continuing to practice evidence-based defenses like washing your hands frequently and physical distancing,” Davis said. “Facial coverings can be useful in public settings where other physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as pharmacies or grocery stores.” On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encouraged people to use like T-shirts, bandannas and non-medical masks to cover their faces while outdoors. The new guidance comes as states are bracing for critical shortfalls in medical masks. Davis said residents should refrain from using medical N95 mask or respirators since they are in short supply and should be reserved for healthcare workers. The California Department of Public Health defines face coverings as material such as cotton, silk or linen that covers the mouth and nose. Coverings can be homemade or improvised from everyday items such as scarves, bandanas, T-shirts, sweatshirts or towel. The Long Beach Post, with the assistance of the City of Long Beach, is preparing to launch a digital e-commerce marketplace for local residents and businesses producing cloth face coverings for purchase during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Development of the online exchange is in response to increased requests from Long Beach residents seeking information on where they can purchase face coverings, as well as increased offers from local producers looking to help. The marketplace will be distinguished by only including non-medical face coverings. Medical-grade, surgical, N95 and similar type masks will be excluded as they are for use by first responders and medical personnel. Long Beach Post Publisher David Sommers noted the the Post won’t take a commission from individual sales and it is free for vendors to register and for shoppers to access the platform. “At a time when our entire community is stepping up to support each other, this project is a natural extension of our public service mission, beyond the essential journalism of our reporters and editors,” Sommers said. “With the upcoming launch of the marketplace, we’re providing a platform where vendors and seekers can communicate with each other and directly coordinate delivery.” — Kelly Puente

3:53 PM Friday, April 3 | In a major effort to prepare for a surge in coronavirus cases, Long Beach has turned its Convention & Entertainment Center into a 100-bed overflow hospital and will set up a public drive-up testing site at Long Beach College’s Pacific Coast campus, officials said Friday. “I want to remind folks that this is the calm before for the storm,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a news conference Friday. “We can expect a surge and a lot more people coming into our hospital systems in the coming days and weeks.” Long Beach’s efforts at the convention center follow Los Angeles and San Diego, which have also turned their convention centers into overflow hospitals. Garcia said the city is in the process of setting up 100 beds on the floor of the facility’s Pacific Ballroom. The beds will help ease the strain on the city’s five hospitals partners, including Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and St. Mary Medical Center. The USNS Mercy hospital ship, with 1,000 beds available, is also docked at the Port of Los Angeles, and the city’s efforts to reopen Community Hospital in East Long Beach took a step forward Friday. Officials with the roughly 100-year-old facility, which was shuttered because it sits on an earthquake fault, said in a statement that they are ready to reopen after hiring 100 employees and securing $2 million in medical equipment and services. The city next week is also planning to open a public drive-up testing clinic at Long Beach City College’s 