Democrat-controlled Los Angeles County’s lockdown orders will “with all certainty” continue to stay in place until August unless a “dramatic change in this virus or in the tools” becomes available.
“Our hope is that by using the data, we’d be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, adding, “Based on all of the data that we’re at … we know with all certainty that we’ll be extending health officer orders for the next three months.”
“Neither Ferrer nor county health officials were immediately available to directly offer additional details,” The Los Angeles Times reported. “Ferrer’s comments came shortly before Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was modifying the state’s stay-at-home orders to allow individual counties to approve the reopening of malls for curbside pickup service only. The order also allows for the reopening of some offices if teleworking is not feasible.”
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Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti then called into CNN because he said he wanted to “reassure people” because he realized that “there was a lot of panic” with the announcement.
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Video: LA Mayor Eric Garcetti calls into CNN with Jake Tapper to do some damage control, telling Jake that the three month extension will not mean everything stays closed.
“Well, I want to reassure people because I think there was a lot panic suddenly” when the story came out
California State University, which is the largest four-year public higher education system in the state, then announced that it was canceling in-person classes, with limited exceptions, at all of its 23 campuses for the fall semester.
“Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus,” the school said in a statement. “Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university’s core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.”
“Some possible examples of potential exceptions – and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place – include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state’s healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization,” the school added.
“The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks,” the statement continued. “Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.”
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