The LA County Department of Public Health has confirmed 1,172 deaths and 24, 215 cases of the Coronavirus as of Sunday. This includes This is the highest number of new cases reported to date. As of April 28, 2020, Public Health has identified 22,485 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County.
As of Friday, 2020, Pasadena has reported 25 additional local Coronavirus fatalities from since last Monday increasing the death count to 56, the highest weekly toll to date. In Pasadena, the total number of cases was 439.
California has seen 51,905 casses and 2,122 deaths.
Congress approved and the President signed a bill adding $350 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program SBA loan initiative. If you need funds 
The Pasadena City Council meets Monday, May 4, 2020, at 2pm via remote video conference. You can watch the meeting here: WWW.PASADENAMEDIA.ORG. You can also email the Pasadena City Council at city_council@cityofpasadena.net to let them know you circumstances, ideas, issues and concerns. Or you can click here. You can also provide official public comment here: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-clerk/public-comment/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded their list of COVID-19 symptoms experienced by those testing positive for COVID-19. In light of new guidance, LA County residents are asked to pay close attention to these symptoms: Cough; Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; Fever; Chills; Repeated shaking with chills; Muscle pain; Headache; Sore throat; New loss of taste or smell. Call your provider if you are experiencing mild illness. If you need a provider, call 211. To schedule a COVID-19 test, visit https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs.
Safer at Home orders remain in place and all but essential businesses must remain closed.
Governor Newsom outlined the steps California would need to take to reopen post Safer at Home orders. You can view the presentation here:
Governor Newsom also introduced a program to hire local restaurants to feed senior citizens. Details and implementation is being worked out, but the basic details and framework can be found here:
GOVERNOR NEWSOM OUTLINES ROADMAP TO RECOVERY:
Governor Newsom announced his plan to reopen California once Safer at home restrictions are eased. The state plans to reopen those sectors in four stages:
Stage 1: Everyone is either staying at home or a member of the essential workforce. This is the stage we are in now, and will stay in until a modification to the statewide stay-at-home order.
Stage 2: Reopening lower risk workplaces, including: Non-essential manufacturing (toys, furniture, clothing, etc.), Schools, Childcare facilities, Retail businesses for curbside pick-up, Offices where working remotely isn't possible, but can be modified to make the environment safer for employees
Stage 3: Reopening higher risk workplaces, which require close proximity to other people, including: Hair salons, Nail salons, Gyms, Movie theaters, Sporting events without live audiences, In-person religious services (churches and weddings)
Stage 4: Ending the stay-at-home order, which would allow for the reopening of: Concert venues, Convention centers, Sporting events with live audiences
On the question of when we may be able to move from the first stage to the second, Newsom said he believes we are "weeks, not months away." Stage 3 and 4, however, are "months, not weeks" in the future.
Moving into Stage 2 will require a modification of the statewide stay-at-home order, but once we enter the second stage, local governments will have more options. At that point, counties will be allowed to relax restrictions more quickly or more slowly, based on conditions at the local level.
Governor Newsom released his blueprint for transitioning out of Safer At Home restrictions.
RESTAURANTS FEED SENIOR CITIZENS
Last Friday, the Governor announced an initiative to combine FEMA funding with state money to create a program to purchase meals from locally owned restaurants to feed local senior citizens. There are cost parameters and the program is intended to be run through local governments. To date, information has been very sketchy and details lacking from the State of California. This morning, the framework was made available. You can download it here: http://www.pasadena-chamber.org/sites/default/files/media/Cal%20OES_COVID-19_Emergency_Feeding_Program_Framework_23April2020.pdf
The County is excited to participate in the state’s new emergency meal program, a majority FEMA-funded program that will assist older adults and other eligible individuals who are socially isolated and unable to cook their own meals. Together, we can also help get the restaurant community back to work.
People who are interested in receiving meals through this program can learn more about the eligibility criteria and request updates here.
Restaurants interested in providing meals through this program can learn more about the eligibility criteria and request updates here.
WEBINAR OPPORTUNITY ON REOPENING SMALL BUSINESSES on TUESDAY
The Pasadena Chamber, in partnership with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lucy Jones Center and other local Chambers have been hosting informative webinars about coping with COVID-19, accessing support and more.
Friday a panel of experts in various areas will be available to answer questions virtually.
Tuesday's webinar will focus on steps to reopening small businesses once the Safer at Home restrictions are lifted or modified. I highly recommend these as they are helpful and also provide for break-out rooms where participants in business sectors can ask questions and get information in real time.
You can find information and register here: https://lasbdcnet.ecenterdirect.com
In my experience, these webinars are among the most informative I have experienced (mostly, not always).
SBA backed Paycheck Protection Program loans were [provided an additional $350 million in funding. Anyone who has not yet applied and needs a loan should contact your bank immediately.
SOME INFO
From the New York Times:
Bay Area counties loosened their shelter-in-place orders, allowing for more outdoor activity, including construction, landscaping, golf and the gathering of small groups of children, as long as they take precautions. [The Mercury News]
Telling people in Ventura they can’t surf is like telling them they can’t breathe air.” Around the world, from Bali to Brazil, from Costa Rica to California, there’s a growing schism between those who are allowed to surf and those who can’t get to the waves. [The New York Times]
DATA SUGGESTS HIGHER THAN REPORTED TOLL: Total deaths in seven states that have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic are nearly 50 percent higher than normal, according to new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s unclear whether the excess deaths are because of the virus or from other causes, but they reflect a global trend in which far more people have died than in previous years.
Here are the latest updates from the U.S. and around the world, as well as maps of the pandemic.
We’re also tracking the virus’s growth rate in hundreds of U.S. metro areas.
In other developments:
■ Adding to growing evidence that the virus can spread through the air, Chinese scientists reported capturing tiny droplets containing its genetic markers in two hospitals in Wuhan, where the outbreak started.
■ President Trump signed an executive order in an effort to keep meat processing plants open. Unions and labor advocates said the administration needed to do more to protect workers, thousands of whom have become sick.
■ The Treasury Department is trying to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars lent to big companies under the initial terms of a program intended to help small businesses.
■ Insisting that “governors don’t do global pandemics,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York blamed groups including the World Health Organization, various federal agencies and the news media for not doing their part to sound the alarm. His remarks came after an interview in which he expressed regret for not having provided sufficient warning.
■ Simon Property Group, the biggest mall operator in the U.S., plans to reopen 49 shopping centers in 10 states starting Friday.
■ The pandemic has locked down some cross-border trade, including the trafficking of poached wildlife.