Pasadena saw its biggest week yet in terms of new reported COVID-19 infections as the city announced 35 newly confirmed infections on Friday. That brought the week’s total to 214 cases over seven days since July 18, surpassing the previous record — which occurred just last week — when 183 new infections were reported. No new COVID-19-related deaths were reported Friday, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. There were a total of three over the past seven days.
California now has the most cumulative coronavirus infections, surpassing New York this week, Luke Money reported for the Los Angeles Times. As of today, The New York Times tracker showed the state has more than 433,000 cases, with over 68,000 infections recorded in the past seven days alone. In contrast, New York, the original epicenter, has seen fewer than 5,000 cases over the past seven days.
California has suffered a far lower Covid-19 mortality toll, with about 8,200 deaths compared to more than 32,000 in New York, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. California officials cited the state’s population, the largest by far, as a key reason for having the most cases. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, “We have a lot more people here. We’re also a bigger state and a more geographically diverse state.”
The number of confirmed U.S. cases has passed 4 million, and there have been more than 144,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
The number of people hospitalized because of Covid-19 is nearly as high as during the first peak in mid-April. “We’ve rolled back essentially two months’ worth of progress with what we’re seeing in number of cases,” Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health, told CNN’s Christina Maxouris and Jason Hanna.
Data from the online review site Yelp shows that 55 percent of pandemic-related business closures are now permanent, leading The Washington Post’s Andrew Van Dam to conclude that if a business is still closed at this point in the crisis, it’s probably for keeps. As leases come up for renewal, business owners will have a big decision on whether to gamble on the future.
Driven largely by a rise in claims by the self-employed, initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits continued spiking in California for the week of July 18 while easing in the rest of the country. Initial claims for the regular UI program were up 3% to 292,693, while initial PUA claims were up 29% to 163,525. For the US as a whole, the seasonally adjusted numbers for the regular UI program are being reported as an increase of 8% to 1,416,000. However, in the current circumstances the effects coming from the economic closures overwhelm any seasonal factors, and the unadjusted numbers are a better measure of what is actually going on in the streets. The standard deviation of the weekly data in the closer to normal results for 2019 was 43,171; in the COVID period beginning the week of March 21, it jumped 36 times to 1.6 million. In California, the increase the standard deviation at 46 times has been even higher. The unadjusted numbers for the US in fact showed a large drop of 9% to 1,370,970, with initial PUA claims rising only 2% to 974,999.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an avid Washington Nationals fan, had the honor Thursday night of throwing out the first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, which had been delayed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gabe Lacques writes for USA Today. Nationals Park was empty of spectators, but you could still hear pre-recorded sounds of crowds cheering over the speaker system, Melissa Block reports for NPR. In a much abbreviated season, each team will play 60 regular season games, instead of the usual 162. Oh, and the New York Yankees beat the Nationals 4-1 in a rain-shortened game.
LA County has approved a $1.22 billion CARES Act spending package to fund a broad range of essential services and relief measures to assist County residents and businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The plan covers spending in four (4) main areas: $656 million for public health measures including testing and contact tracing; $200 million for financial support for residents in the form of assistance for rent relief, food and child care; $160 million in grants to support small businesses; $150 million to support the County workforce’s response to the emergency, including disaster services workers and personal protective equipment for employees
LA County's Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Pasadena Public Health Department issued reopening protocols for hair salons, barbershops and personal care establishments in the County. The following are highlights from today's protocols, which have been updated to reflect new State guidance:
Hair Salons & Barbershops: Businesses must establish an outdoor reception area where customers can check in while still following physical distancing guidelines; Services that cannot be performed safely outdoors (or that would require a customer to have to enter the establishment) are not permitted. For additional guidance on permissible outdoor services, click here. For the latest from the Board of Barbering & Cosmetology, click here. Outdoor shaded areas can be configured to block wind, but cannot be enclosed or partially enclosed on more than one side. Businesses must comply with the Cal/OSHA standard for heat illness prevention for outdoor workers, including an effective heat illness prevention plan with written procedures on: Access to water, shade, and cool down breaks; emergency procedures for heat illness cases; monitoring of employees who are acclimatizing during a heat wave; and training on heat illness prevention and symptoms. For resources (including Cal/OSHA FAQs, a webinar and a sample written plan), visit the Cal/OSHA heat illness prevention page.
All establishments operating outdoors should have Cal/OSHA standard heat illness prevention plans and written procedures, as moving work outdoors creates additional hazards including the possibility of heat illness. Businesses offering electrology, tattooing, microblading & permanent make-up, and piercing services may not operate outside because they are invasive procedures that require a controlled hygienic environment to be performed safely. Businesses must establish an outdoor reception area where customers can check in while still following physical distancing guidelines. Businesses which offer pedicures outdoors shall be limited to portable tubs/bowls & must be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-registered liquid disinfectant that is labeled as a bactericide, fungicide and virucide (refer to manufacturer’s instruction on mixture). Disinfection should occur inside the nail salon & not in the temporary outdoor setting. Visit the LA County DPH online at publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus to learn more.
GRANTS AND MORE:
The Pasadena Community Foundation and the Pasadena Chamber have collaborated to create a small business grant program with $500,000 in funding from the City of Pasadena. The fund supports small (2 to 20 employees) storefront businesses with a grant of up to $10,000. You can find more information and the application here: https://pasadenacf.org/nonprofit-support/grant-programs/covid-small-business-relief-fund-grant/ The first round deadline was Friday, July 10, 2020 at 5pm. There will be an additonal round of applications and grants available.
The Fund will also accept donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. An additional $250,000 match from the city will double any donation amount until that donation threshold is reached. You can Donate To This Fund to support our local small retailers and restaurants by clicking here.
The Recovery Fund launched as a partnership between the County and the City of Los Angeles and supported by partners such as Wells Fargo Foundation, Citi, and MUFG Union Bank Foundation to offer grants, loans, and technical assistance. There are eight technical assistance providers that will support with outreach and marketing to reach small businesses across the County. They will also guide interested parties through the application process. The County is also leveraging its Disaster Help Center with 25 call agents to provide support. The first phase of the Recovery Fund will include grant opportunities of $5K for microentrepreneurs and $15K for small businesses and nonprofits. The grant program will offer a total of six rounds, opening July 6th through September 25th. Please visit www.LACOVIDfund.org for more information.
Visa iFundWomen Grant Program for Black women-owned businesses: Visa has extended its partnership with IFundWomen to support Black women-owned small businesses in the United States through a new grant program and educational resources. These grants provide an opportunity for recipients to grow their businesses and continue to offer much needed services to their local (and global) communities. Applications are being accepted from June 30, 2020 through July 31, 2020. Click Here to Apply
Small Business, Big Heart Grant Program TMC Community Capital: Small businesses are the heart of our community, yet they have been hit the hardest by recent events. To help businesses on their path to recovery, TMC Community Capital is offering grant support. Support your local businesses today! Tell us which businesses mean the most to the community. Community members can nominate a small business for a grant by sharing on our Facebook or LinkedIn why they matter to the community and adding #TMCSmallBizBigHeart. Click Here to Learn More