Today is Labor Day-the day we celebrate those who keep our communities and our country working. Trash collectors, plumbers, cab drivers, transit workers, plumbers, carpenters, ironworkers, electricians and many more labored to build our communities and work to keep them going. Thanks to al of you and hte many more who work to keep the greater Pasadena area, and our entire country, running. Healthcare workers continue to fight COVID-19 in the effort to keep us all safe and healthy. This Labor Day let's all remember those doctors, nurses, emergency room workers, technicians, food service and cleaning staff who are struggling daily as they work to save lives.
Pasadena health officials on Thursday reported the first COVID-19 fatality in nearly a month as nine new infections were detected. The latest casualty died earlier this week, said city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. She was a woman over 80 years old. The city’s last fatality was reported on Aug. 5.
Pasadena has seen a total of 2,411 novel coronavirus infections and 117 fatalities, according to city data. The city’s overall positivity rate was 9.3 percent. The average number of daily new infections detected over the previous seven days stood at 11.4.
The reopening of these operations coincides with the launching of a State of California framework titled Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a new four-tiered structure for tracking how communities are faring with COVID-19 in each of the state’s 61 local health jurisdictions and providing criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities.
Under the new framework, each county has been grouped into one of four colored tiers — purple (widespread), red (substantial), orange (moderate) and yellow (minimal) — based on metrics relating to the number of cases of COVID-19 and the amount of testing in the county.
Los Angeles County is one of 38 counties that will start in the purple tier, and the three local public health jurisdictions within L.A. County are assigned to the same tier based on combined countywide data. Pasadena has its own health department.
Barbershops and hair salons reopening protocols include the following:
• Physical distancing measures must remain in place.
• Staff and customers must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to service.
• Clients and staff feeling unwell should reschedule appointments.
• Everyone, including clients, must wear cloth face coverings while in the salon or barbershop, and clients are encouraged to wear face coverings with earloops to ensure the face covering does not interfere with hair service, Derderian said.
• Magazines, coffee and other amenities that entail high contact may not be offered.
• Clients are encouraged to use credit cards and contactless payment systems.
• If electronic or card payment is not possible, customers should come with exact cash payment or check, if available.
• Stylists may serve only one client at a time.
The new state framework prohibits all personal grooming services (other than hair services) from indoor operation while a county remains in tier 1. Services that still must be offered outdoors following their respective state licensing agency guidelines include esthetician, skin care and other cosmetology services.
Nail services, massage therapy, electrology, permanent makeup, tattoo and body piercing may not be provided at this time.
Huntington Hospital reported treating 30 COVID-19 patients on Thursday. Nine tests were pending.
In Los Angeles County, 1,193 new infections and 61 additional deaths were reported Thursday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. LA County's death toll from COVID-19 has exceeded 6000 with more than 248,000 cases. The overall positivity rate in the county remained at 10 percent, with more than 2.3 million tests administered, L.A. County public health officials said in a written statement.
California has had more than 736,000 cases and 13,708 deaths.
SOME RANDOM INFORMATION:
1. Vaccine researchers face a shortage of monkeys for animal testing. The Atlantic staff writer Sarah Zhang—who offered a sobering vaccine reality check in July—reports that there’s both elevated demand for monkeys and a huge drop in supply from China.
2. A new era of coronavirus testing is about to begin. Last week, the FDA authorized a new kind of test, which “holds the tantalizing promise of a pre-vaccine way out of the quagmire,” Alexis C. Madrigal notes.
3. Contract tracing still isn’t working in the U.S. It’s the most American COVID-19 failure yet, Olga Khazan argues. She cites three reasons for the lag: There are too many cases. Testing takes too long. And many Americans fear or distrust the government.
4. Pulling aside your mask to talk is counterproductive. In fact, consider not talking at all: Derek Thompson points out that silence in public spaces could actually be an effective antiviral strategy.
If you're heading to the beach to cool off during the holiday weekend, be in the know! Help us "beach responsibly", so we can keep LA County safe and open. To help us get there, we bring you our "Beach Rules": Bring your own mask (#BYOM) & wear it when out of the water; Keep a 6+ ft physical distance from others outside your household; No gatherings or events; Remember, dogs are not allowed on any beach operated by the LA County Department of Beaches & Harbors. We love our furry friends, but they don't belong at the beach! Bonfires are illegal on LA County beaches. Keep fellow beachgoers & local marine life safe by saying NO to flames on the beach. Bonfires, firepits and personal grills are not allowed on any beach or in any beach parking lot. Pack In, Pack Out to help keep LA County beaches pollution-free. Bring your own bag, fill it with all your trash, and take it with you when leaving the beach. ️Stay home if you or someone in your household is sick. Follow the rules so the beaches can stay open. To see all there is to know about LA County beaches, including what's allowed, open, closed, or for answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), click here.
- 6 Tips for Staying Safe this Holiday Weekend: First, only gather with members of your household this holiday weekend – there’s so much to do together in our beautiful county – explore a trail or have a picnic at one of our beautiful beaches early in the day. If you are outside of your home and around others, please wear a cloth face covering. Always use your own utensils, cups, food, drinks – do not share with others. Avoid crowds and be flexible and willing to change plans or move locations if you find yourself in a crowded area. Avoid confined spaces, especially places where physical distancing or staying more than 3 steps away from others isn’t possible, and people aren’t wearing face coverings. And if you are sick (or have been exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19), please isolate or quarantine as appropriate.
UNEMPLOYMENT:
Nationally, unemployment Insurance initial claims for the week of August 29 are being reported as dropping 12.9% below the prior week. While still elevated way above pre-crisis levels, the latest report suggests the numbers at least are headed in the right direction. The numbers are, however, misleading for a number of reasons. First, the numbers being reported are the seasonally adjusted series. Beginning with this week’s report, the method used to calculate the seasonal adjustment was changed substantially. While these revisions bring the adjusted numbers more in line with the more relevant unadjusted numbers, much of the improvement was statistical. In fact, the unadjusted numbers—which are more relevant in the current circumstances given that the crisis overwhelms whatever possible seasonal factors that are still in play—were largely unchanged, growing only 0.9% from the revised numbers of a week ago. Second, the reported numbers cover only the regular UI program. PUA initial claims by the self-employed grew by 25.0%. Combined regular and PUA claims grew by 11.1%, which even accounting for double-counting in the PUA component shows a rise with this latest report. Third, however, the situation did improve in the rest of the US. Growth in the national numbers is due to a spike in California claims, and is almost solely the result of a large spike in PUA claims. For the state, initial claims for the regular program grew 20.3%. PUA claims by the self-employed rose 56.2%--again suggesting a needless additional element of jobs destruction coming from last year’s AB 5. California PUA claims for the week of August 29 were 53% of the total for the US; continuing PUA claims were at 40%. Combined, initial claims for California were up 40.7%, fully reversing the progress from just a few weeks ago. Total California initial claims in fact were above the initial spike seen at the beginning of the PUA program. Further, the current wave of layoffs appears to be shifting from temporary layoffs and furloughs seen at the beginning of the crisis to permanent as companies restructure to cope with an uncertain but likely lengthy recovery period.
GRANTS, LOAN and MORE
Residential Rent Relief: Applications are now open for LA County COVID-19 Rent Relief through August 31, 2020. Assistance is available for LA County renters, with the exception of residents living in the City of Los Angeles, as the City also received its own allocation of CARES Act funds and has its own programs for City Residents. Eligible renters must qualify based on income and have struggled to pay rent, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their landlord must provide a W-9 and sign a participation agreement in order to have the rent paid on behalf of the tenant. Apply at 211la.org/lacounty/rentrelief, which is available 24/7, or by dialing 2-1-1 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. FAQ here.
LA County Assessor's Disaster Relief Program: If your property has been damaged by this year's civil unrest incidents which began on May 26, 2020 (or by any natural disaster or unforeseeable occurrence, such as an earthquake, fire, flood, etc.) you may be eligible for property tax relief through the Disaster Relief Program offered by LA County Assessor Jeff Prang's Office. Those found eligible for disaster relief will see a temporary reduction on the assessed value of their property - and property taxes - which will remain in effect until damage repairs are completed. To qualify, applicants must have sustained a minimum of $10,000 in physical damage to their property; and must submit a Misfortune & Calamity Claim (M&C) within 12 months of the disaster date Business owners considering this disaster relief should know: 1) Tax relief is only available for taxable property. Taxes are paid on business personal property (such as machinery, equipment, and furniture), but generally not on inventory or merchandise. 2) If the business rents the space, then relief for damage to business personal property (equipment and furniture) would be filed for by the business, while relief for damage to real property would be filed by the landlord. To learn more or apply to the County Assessor's Disaster Relief program, visit assessor.lacounty.gov/disaster-relief.
SBA Disaster Relief Deadline Has Been Extended: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) extended the deadline to apply for a disaster recovery loan to September 16, 2020 for LA County business owners who suffered physical or property damage due to the civil unrest incidents that began on May 26, 2020. Read this week's announcement for more on the deadline change and how you can apply. Last week LA County announcedthe creation of a COVID-19 Rent Relief Program which aims to assist low-income renters and property owners who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to COVID-19. Today, we offer you a multi-lingual Toolkit and FAQs, so it's easier to share the good word before the application filing period (August 17 through August 31) comes and goes!