What it do with Lue

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY—-In an effort to protect the public from further spread of COVID-19, the County’s Acting Health Officer has formally ordered everyone in San Bernardino County to wear a face covering when leaving home.

Face coverings may include coverings that secure to the ears or back of the head and encompass the mouth and nose. Homemade cloth ear loop covers, bandannas and handkerchiefs, and neck gaiters may be used to reduce the spread of COVID-19 particularly among asymptomatic people. Surgical masks and N95 masks must be preserved for healthcare workers and emergency responders.

“Staying home, practicing social distancing and frequent handwashing are far more effective ways to combat the spread of COVID-19, and face coverings are not a substitute for those practices,” said Dr. Erin Gustafson, the County’s Acting Public Health Officer.

Tuesday’s order also says faith-based services must be electronic only through streaming or online technology. People may not leave their homes for driving parades or drive-up services or to pick up non-essential items such as pre-packaged Easter eggs or bags filled with candy and toys at a drive-thru location.

“We understand that this is an important time for Christians around the world and it is natural to want to worship and celebrate with our families. Right now, however, is a critical time for our country and our community – we can still celebrate this time from the safety of our individual homes while we help flatten the curve and save lives,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “When we stay home we help our healthcare workers and our emergency responders and vulnerable populations beat COVID-19.”

Many churches and houses of worship are hosting “virtual” services, streamed online. The County encourages single-family, home-based worshipping and activities, including Easter egg hunts among household members inside the house or in residential back yards.

As of today, San Bernardino County has 530 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the deaths of 16 county residents have been associated with the disease.

The Acting Health Officer’s order may be viewed here. Violation of the order is a crime punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or imprisonment up to 90 days, or both.

For information about the coronavirus crisis, visit the County’s coronavirus website at sbcovid19.com. New information and resources are updated daily. The public can also contact the COVID-19 hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911, or email the County at coronavirus@dph.sbcounty.gov.

CURB celebrates each release that Governor Gavin Newsom has used his executive authority to grant in the face of COVID-19. In states like New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has not expressed half of the urgency to protect public health as Newsom has in California. Although, with over 122,000 people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections (CDCR), 3,500 expedited parole dates does not impact the prison population nearly enough to slow the spread of the COVID-19. 

There are positive cases of the virus at 10 of the 35 prisons in CA, currently affecting 25 staff and four prisoners. If Governor Newsom’s intent is to take “extraordinary and unprecedented protective measures” to slow the spread of the virus and protect those who live and work within California’s 35 prisons, he must not continue to exclude people who are convicted of violent offenses. Tens of thousands of people are serving decades under the 3-Strikes Law, over 5,000 people are serving a Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) sentence and over 30 thousand people are 50 years of age and older in CDCR. Granting commutations for thousands of elders and medically vulnerable people, including those serving an LWOP or other life sentences would be extraordinary, unprecedented and a lifesaving move, protecting the health of people across California.

BY COURTNEY SHEA

COVID-19 is changing the way we handle everything from work to play to fresh produce and other groceries. With so much uncertainty and anxiety in the air, it’s only natural to wonder whether that perfectly ripe avocado could be a potentially deadly weapon. But what are the actual facts around food safety? Is now a good time to go vegan, and do I really need to be washing my vegetables in soap and water?We consulted the experts. Some useful best practices and myth-busting below. 

Do I need to wash fruit and vegetables with soap?

The debate around giving your fruits and veggies a bubble bath blew up last weekfollowing a viral video in which a family doctor from Michigan said soap and water was a good way to keep veggies COVID-19 free, which sounds like it makes sense (treat your honeydew melon as you would your hands). Since then a whole bunch of experts have refuted this advice, many pointing out that of the 1-million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, not a single one has come from contaminated food. Still not convinced? 

Okay, there is also this from the FDA: “Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended.” Jodi Koberinski, a food safety researcher at the University of Waterloo, agrees, noting that dish soap is likely to cause more problems than it solves including nausea, diarrhea, and cramping. “It is not made for and not safe for human consumption,” she explains. 

But what if I rinse everything really well?, you may be thinking. The problem is that fruits and vegetables are porous and may absorb harmful chemicals that won’t come out with even the most rigorous rinse. 

Okay, but isn’t a little diarrhea better than contracting COVID-19? First off, nobody said anything about a little diarrhea — you can get really sick, and so can your kids, if you have them. Secondly, that question is based on exactly the kind of false equivalency we need to be avoiding right now (along with bars, playgrounds, and IRL hangs). “Technically, it may be possible to contract COVID-19 from the surface of a piece of fruit,” says Koberinsk, noting that is not the threat that people should be focused on. And also that there’s no evidence that soap and water kills the COVID-19 virus on fruits and vegetables anyway. (Ditto for lemon juice, baking soda, and bleach — whatever you do, please don’t wash your edibles in Clorox.) 

In other words, contracting COVID-19 through produce isn’t something you need to stress about. So chill out. And then do the same for your produce, washing them in cold (wan-wan) water, which will remove between 90% and 99% of germs and bacteria. For items with tough skin (avocados, potatoes) you can also use a scrub brush. It’s okay to wash that with soap. Same goes for your hands before and after you handle food of any kind. 

Should I quarantine my groceries before I bring them inside? 

This one is a little more straight forward: No, there is absolutely no reason to leave groceries outside or in the garage or the car, despite what you may have read on that fountain of misinformation known as the Internet. “This is absolutely not a good idea,” says Koberinski.And, in fact, the potential risks of ignoring best practices around refrigeration (ie, putting things that need to be in the fridge in the fridge) make this behavior not just excessivebut dangerous. 

“It’s really important to remember basic food safety,” says Koberinski. “Both because best practices haven’t actually changed much. And also because any kind of sickness may weaken the body’s ability to withstand a truly virulent illness.” (Cough, cough, COVID-19.)  

By all means, she says, bring groceries inside when you come home from the store. Place your bags and do your unloading on a surface that you can wipe down — with any alcohol-based cleaning spray — once everything has been put away. 

Should I disinfect all the grocery packaging too? 

Paranoia around packaging spiked last month after a new study showed that the COVID-19 virus can survive longer on certain surfaces (24-hours on cardboard, up to three days on plastic and stainless steel). So you can go to the hypothetical scenario where an infected grocery shopper has contaminated your box of Cheerios, and use this as justification for sanitizing every bit of packaging that passes your threshold. 

Or, you can simplify by washing your hands and surfaces before and after all eating. If that doesn’t feel like enough, Koberinski suggests discarding packages rather than disinfecting. A lot of groceries (like cereal and crackers) have a bag within the box. Others can be stored in homemade jars of Tupperware. That way you’re feeling protected without wasting valuable cleaning products, which is probably the more relevant safety concern, Koberinski says. 

What about using a UV light to kill the virus on groceries? That wouldn’t waste cleaning products. 

UV lights don’t work, either. In short, because the level of UV required to kill COVID-19 is extremely unsafe. 

Is now a good time to go vegetarian? I’ve heard meat holds particular threats.

There are plenty of reasons to consider a plant-based diet, but COVID-19 safety is not one of them. Particular worries around meat may come from the fact that the virus is believed to have originated with animals. But as far as food safety goes, that has zero baring. “Heating meat to the recommended temperature is the recommendation, same as always,” says Koberinski.

What about reheating takeout just to make sure it’s coronavirus-free?

Obviously you want to be careful about all food that is coming into your home, and if you don’t feel secure about food safety practices of a particular restaurant maybe just stick to home cooking, since repeated reheating isn’t safe either. 

Is there a problem with being extra cautious?

If by that you mean upping safety measures, and erring on the side of caution, then no. Obviously people have every reason to feel scared and since the grocery store is pretty much the only place anyone’s allowed to go these days (as infrequently as possible), concerns around food safety are something we’re all talking about. That’s a good thing, and if COVID-19 gets us to think more seriously about food safety in the long term, that’s good too, says Koberinski. At the same time, she says, “We don’t want everyone turning into a cartoon version of a germaphobe or shelling out big bucks for bogus miracle cures.” Safety is important, but so are the facts. 

 

Governor also announces COVID-19 Testing Task Force to boost California’s testing capacity

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of a new website, covid19supplies.ca.gov, to get critical medical supplies to the front lines of California’s fight against COVID-19. The website will allow individuals and companies to donate, sell or offer to manufacture 13 of the most essential medical supplies, including ventilators, N95 respirators and testing materials. 

Governor Newsom also announced the COVID-19 Testing Task Force, a public-private collaboration that will work with stakeholders across the state to quickly and significantly boost California’s testing capacity. The Task Force plans to scale up testing as demand increases.

“These actions marshal the generosity and innovative spirit of Californians to help us achieve two essential goals: getting more lifesaving supplies into our health care system and increasing our testing capacity,” said Governor Newsom.

Governor Newsom called on companies, organizations and individuals who have medical supplies to contribute, either for donation or purchase, to support California’s response to COVID-19 and visit covid19supplies.ca.gov.

Additionally, three specific collaborations have launched today as part of the testing effort:  

• Collaboration with the University of California, San Diego and University of California, Davis to establish high throughput testing hubs. 
• Collaboration with Stanford Medicine to launch the first serology test invented in California. 
• Collaboration with Abbott Laboratories to deploy the first rapid point-of-care test across 13 health care delivery systems and 75 sites.

The Task Force, co-chaired by California Department of Public Health Assistant Director Charity Dean, M.D., M.P.H. and Blue Shield of California President and CEO Paul Markovich, will ensure the state has sufficient capacity and supplies to administer a significantly greater number of tests.

“The Task Force is connecting with laboratories across California to tap into unique technologies to improve and refine our testing capabilities to ensure we’re meeting the needs of patients across the state,” said Dr. Dean.

The Testing Task Force is focusing on: 

• Ensuring California has lab capacity to rapidly turn around test results and increase capacity strategically to meet demand; 
• Improving the supply chain to ensure that California can both collect samples and evaluate results without delay; 
• Enabling new, high-quality tests to launch in California as soon as possible; 
• Improving our ability to accurately track and evaluate COVID-19 testing capacity, results and reporting; and 
• Building the workforce necessary to meet our testing goals.

“The Task Force will work together with California academic systems, private systems, public health experts and others to ensure we’re creating the most streamlined and effective way to evaluate testing data,” Blue Shield of California President and CEO Paul Markovich said. “This kind of public-private collaboration will allow us to tap into the systems needed to get the results California deserves.”

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

Usually it’s come as you are, but this past Sunday the message to parishioners of African-American churches across the Golden State was tune in online.

Worship houses from Southern California to beyond the Bay Area have been instructed not to hold in-house services for some time due to the novel coronavirus outbreak making its way around the globe.

“We may not be able to touch in the natural but we are connected in the spirit,” the Rev. Jacqueline Thompson, pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, told her parishioners via video stream last Sunday. The 100-year-old congregation is one of the oldest Black churches in the Bay Area.

For Clint Thompson of Santa Monica the governor’s shelter in place order meant abandoning his weekly jaunt to West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles for Sunday service. The popular South Los Angeles church canceled its service and instead live-streamed Bishop Charles E. Blake’s message online. Thompson, a 37-year-old actor, said he watched the service for his weekly inspiration, but noted that he missed sitting in the pews.

“The service is good and its theatrical,” he said. “The music is good, the praise dancing. It feels like a live music festival.”

Thompson isn’t the lone California worshipper who will be catching the gospel online during this time.

Churchgoers across the state are tuning into worship services online via video streaming on their websites or social media pages in response to government officials across the state requesting that church services not convene anytime in the foreseeable future to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes.

Sermons, choir performances, praise and worship, and other church service mainstays go on as usual. But they happen in front of a handful of worshippers, camera crews and technicians responsible for posting the services online — instead of the dozens to hundreds of people who usually pack California Black church benches on Sunday mornings.

The Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr., pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, said not preaching in front of hundreds of familiar faces is a strange feeling, but it is an essential one because of the health risks that come with the rapidly spreading respiratory illness. Curry said when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a health emergency that put restrictions on public gatherings larger than 250 people, his church’s services were immediately cancelled. They began taping them for the internet.

“I’ve preached in small groups, but its hard when you are standing in a sanctuary that you know holds 700 people, and you might be preaching to ten, and you are trying to make it feel like Sunday morning, and you’re far from Sunday morning,” he said. “It’s different, but it’s a service that is needed, so I make it happen for my people to the best of my ability.”

Last Sunday, was men’s Sunday at Allen Temple Baptist in Oakland. The members of the men’s chorus performed on stage in a formation that allowed six feet of social distance among them. Each man had his own mic.

“We’re scared right now, lord. We don’t understand what you are doing and we don’t like it,” Thompson, the pastor at Allen Temple, prayed during her Oakland church’s live stream that was broadcast on Facebook and on the church’s website.

“But remind us that you are gracious. Even in the midst of this, thank you for slowing us down and connecting us with family and what is important in this world,” she added.

The spread of the coronavirus, officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, has sickened more than 329,000 people on six continents according to official tallies by governments and health organizations. It has caused the deaths of at least 14,522 people, as of Monday morning.

In the United States, there have been 428 deaths and 33,018 health cases attributed to the illness.

In California, so far, there have been 33 deaths related to COVID-19 and an estimated 1,849 people have tested positive.

The high infection rate of the untreatable virus has changed life across the globe, shuttering businesses, schools, offices, restaurants, sports and entertainment venues and any other places groups of people might gather.

Governments have urged people to stay indoors.

California’s Black churches say they are taking the pandemic seriously by vigorously cleaning their worship houses and closing their doors to the public for regular church activities.

Pastor “J” Edgar Boyd of First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles said in an online statement his church is working on ways for the church body to stay connected through video chats and conference calls.

“Please know that we are praying for the safety, physical wellbeing and spiritual strength for you, your household, and for your entire family,” Boyd wrote.

Curry said no services have taken place at his church since March 15. The church has been streaming its 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services, and Sunday was the first time they broadcast their Sunday school service, which had about 130 viewers. He said churchgoers watch online messages.

“I don’t care what a church does, even if it is in a minimized form, I think every church has to have some type of online presence,” Curry said.  “They will figure out how to watch it. Even if they have to bring their grandkids over to get them online. They will figure out how to access it.”

The pastor hinted at a question some churches will have: How to deal with deaths in church families? One of Curry’s congregants recently died, and another expected to pass soon.

“We have to find a way to figure out how to celebrate that individual’s life,” he said.

Pastor Touré Roberts of The Potter’s House at One L.A. said in his Sunday morning sermon, that it seems like the world has been flipped on its head during the coronavirus emergency, but he saw a silver lining

“There are sometimes it feels like the world wasn’t turned upside down, but it was turned right-side up,” he said. “People are spending more time with their families. People are texting one another and checking on one another. In the midst of all this craziness, it seems we are getting our priorities straight, and I have just come to suspect that God is somewhere in it.”

At Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, a 168-year old African-American congregation, pastor Amos Brown prayed a solemn prayer for those affected by the Coronavirus crisis.

“We pray for those on hospital bed waiting for healing, waiting for medical supplies desperately needed in this time of a pandemic worldwide,” he said.

SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today released the below statement following the announcement of a commitment from California counties to cancel penalties and other charges for homeowners, small businesses and other property owners with demonstrated economic hardship, on a case-by-case basis, due to COVID-19. Property owners that can afford to pay these taxes should continue to pay on time.

“This is good news for Californians. I would like to thank the California State Association of Counties and the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors for committing to providing economic relief for residents and small businesses facing hardships due to COVID-19,” said Governor Newsom.

More information on the counties commitment can be found here. 

By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services

Not only has the corona virus wrought havoc worldwide, it’s also become a new pretext for fraudsters trying to take advantage of people’s trust to steal their money. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, COVID-19-related crimes are being reported by the thousands, have doubled in just the past week and are growing faster still.

The FTC has received more than 10,000 complaints so far this year, (https://tinyurl.com/FTC-coronavirusreports), with losses approaching $7 million and a median of more than $500. More than half of those reports arrived in just the past 10 days. On March 31, the FTC reported fielding 7,800 complaints this year, “double what they were a week ago.” As of April 2, the number had grown to 9,918.

Complaints describe perpetrators claiming to represent the government or a business, often trying to take advantage of travel and vacation-related reports about cancellations and refunds. Other complaints cited problems with online shopping and mobile texting.

The federal agency is updating the numbers the exponential growth of coronavirus-related complaints at its Explore Data web page (https://tinyurl.com/FTC-complaint-data), and offers information on types of scams and how to avoid them at https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/ftc-in-action.

If you have been targeted by a fraudulent operation, please report it to the FTC: FTC.gov/complaint.

As a general rule, don’t click on links in emails that claim to be from the government or a bank, even if they look legitimate, and don’t respond to those emails. The criminals are good at copying the look of those institutions’ correspondence. It’s better to call the government agency or bank directly. But even there, be careful to find out the correct phone number on your own, and don’t trust the number in any unsolicited call or email.

Also, most phone calls trying to defraud people are “robocalls” — calls made by machines — so if you pick up a call and there’s no person on the other end of the line, just hang up. But fraudulent calls are sometimes made by individual people, too.

Because the government has passed legislation offering various kinds of financial relief to consumers, some scammers are trying to take undue advantage of that, also. In one effort to combat this type of crime, the Small Business Administration is asking people to contact them directly, either by phone or at the sba.gov/coronavirus website, to find out what kind of help is legitimately available.

Similarly, be wary of people or callers offering a fast-track to such financial help. And never give your Social Security, tax ID, bank account numbers or any other such highly personal information to someone you don’t know.

Even if you’ve received a check in the mail, proceed with caution. Not all “coronavirus relief” checks can be trusted. The FTC has a blog with advice about how to spot a bogus relief check (https://tinyurl.com/SBA-fake-coronovirus-checks). 

In recent weeks, the FTC has had to notify numerous technology companies such as internet service providers (https://tinyurl.com/FTC-coronavirus-fraud-warning) that they are making it easier for people operating illegal telemarketing and robocalls involved with coronavirus-related scams.

Those companies included: USTelecom; Connexum; VoIPMax; SipJoin Holding, Corp.; SipJoin Holdings Corp.; iFly Communications; Third Rock Telecom; Bluetone Communications, LLC; VoIP Terminator, Inc. — also known as BLMarketing — J2 Web Services, Inc.; Voxbone US LLC; VolPMax; and Comet Media, Inc. 

“It’s never good business for VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocols) providers and others to help telemarketers make illegal robocalls that scam people,” FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith said. “But it’s especially bad when your company is helping telemarketers exploiting fears about the coronavirus to spread disinformation and perpetrate scams.”

The FTC reports that it also is prosecuting another company, Globex Telecom, and software provider James B. Christiano, for this kind of activity The Department of Justice is a prosecuting two VoIP companies for “committing and conspiring to commit wire fraud by knowingly transmitting robocalls that impersonated federal government agencies.”

The FTC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have warned other companies about selling unapproved products that may be falsely claiming to be helpful in treating or curing COVID-19. 

These include Gaia’s Whole Healing Essentials, LLC; Health Mastery Systems/Pure Plant Essentials; Homeomart Indibuy; Neuro XPF; FullerLifeC60, LLC; Halosense, Inc.; JRB Enterprise Group Inc.; Carahealth; Corona-Cure; Vital Silver; Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd.; N-ergetics; GuruNanda, LLC; Vivify Holistic Clinic; Herbal Amy LLC and the Jim Bakker Show.

Although the FTC strongly recommends against communicating with ANY unknown person or business, the opposite is true when it comes to notifying friends and family to be careful.

“Share these tips with your co-workers, family and social networks,” the agency says.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Due to the mandatory closing of all non essential business, Art Angels LA has had to close its’ gallery doors temporarily. Wanting to find a way of bringing art to the community, Gallery owners Kat Emery and Jacquelin Napal commissioned one of their favorite artists; PUNKMETENDER to paint and install a mural on the exterior of the gallery. 

The beautiful and timely mural is one example of how small businesses are reflecting themes of resilience to the community and supporting their artists during uncertain times. 

“We chose PUNKMETENDER because butterflies are a powerful symbol of hope and transformation in a period of challenging and uncertain times,” says Kat Emery, co-owner of Art Angels Los Angeles. “He is the hero we needed and he certainly delivered on this mural, bringing the life of the gallery to the streets in this time of closure.”
 
To many cultures, the butterfly is a symbol of a battle won, a beautiful goal achieved through perseverance. After all, only through the chrysalis can the plain caterpillar reach the heights of the butterfly. However, the butterfly’s most common symbolism is one pertaining to growth and progress. It teaches us to be aware of the heights we could reach, and to consciously work towards the summit. It reminds us that the long journey behind us is daunting — it is meant to be this way.

“We hope the mural is a reminder of connection and inspiring to the community,” say Jacquelin Napal, co-owner of Art Angels LA. “After all, only through trials can we really taste the sweetness of victory.”

“After the mandatory closure of the gallery all our fine art specialists started working immediately from home,” said Kat Emery, co-owner of Art Angels. “We are utilizing all our online platforms to assist collectors with their art choices including exhibition videos and view in room programs,” adds Emery. “It has never been easier to purchase art from the comfort of your own home.”

Art Angels’ website gallery provides View in Room functionality for every artwork, the latest online viewing rooms, updated on future exhibitions. 

For high resolution images, click here: EXTERIOR MURAL. To interview gallery founders or the artist, contact Julie Du Brow or Shaun Thompson above.

————————————————

PUNKMETENDER | Series Statement

The mysterious artist Punk Me Tender is known for his very graphic, raw form of art. Inspired by women, fashion, and style, his art offers a new look on the female body, claiming that desire is the biggest drive in everybody’s soul.

?Born in France on September 4th, 1982, the artist came to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. Whether it is art in the form of graffiti, a mural, or photography, his works are always a surprise and unexpected. Like many artists, Punk Me Tender doesn’t have a strategy for his art. He only acts based on instinct and doesn’t follow any rules. Much of his photography has themes of sensuality and wanting.

??His murals show women in varied color schemes and are a sensation. His mixed media pieces utilize black and white photography, bright splashes of pinks and blues, and incorporate real pieces of clothing. The artist maintains that a mix of graffiti and fabric is an original approach that never fails to intrigue and captivate the viewer. 
?
??His identity is kept secret in order to maintain freedom and express himself as he desires. When interviewed he uses a surrogate, such as a model, to speak for him. The artist sees women as heroes and has a deep passion for them.  

VIEW THE COLLECTION

ARTWORKS  –  INSTALLATIONS

About Art Angels Los Angeles Gallery
With flagship galleries in Los Angeles and Miami and permanent art curations in Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach and Catch Restaurant Los Angeles, Art Angels was founded in 2013 by Jacquelin Napal and Kat Emery. Art Angels’ contemporary and provocative style has attracted collectors from around the world. Art Angels describe themselves as a premium luxury brand who are inviting and very approachable. The Gallery exhibits a selection of both established and emerging artists, offering a truly eclectic mix for their clientele. Showcasing a number of barrier breaking exhibitions including David Yarrow, Russell Young, Flore, Nick Veasey and Mike Dargas to name a few, the gallery was quick to build a cult following – so much so that they have recently expanded their LA gallery and recently opened a new space in Miami, with more to come. The rapidly successful gallery has become the go-to destination for artists and collectors alike, who want to be a part of something visionary and unique. Now one of the leading galleries in Los Angeles and a major player in the art and creativity sphere, the gallery has a core team of art specialists dedicated to providing collectors, designers, developers and corporations with the tools needed to offer innovative and creative art from around the world. For more information on Art Angels Galleries, upcoming exhibitions and current collections, contact Gerry Conedy, Gallery Director at Art Angels LA, 619.994.3130. 9020 Beverly Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90048. www.artangels.net. Instagram: @art_angels.

Starting April 2, healthcare workers, police officers and firefighters with valid ID or uniform will receive free coffee and Egg McMuffin sandwich at participating McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial counties

WHAT:	To help support those who are working around the clock to keep us safe, McDonald’s Southern California franchisees will offer free breakfast to first responders beginning April 2 at the company’s 700+ locally owned and operated restaurants in Southern California. All healthcare workers, police officers and firefighters with a valid ID or uniform are eligible to receive a free small coffee and Egg McMuffin sandwich during breakfast hours at participating McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial counties. “We’ve been inspired by the commitment of our first responders working tirelessly to keep our communities safe,” said Paul Tulaphorn, McDonald’s franchisee and association president of the local McDonald’s owner operators group. “On behalf of our franchisees and employees, McDonald’s Southern California region stands ready and proud to serve our local heroes.”
WHEN:	Starting April 2, during breakfast hours (until 10:30 a.m.)
WHERE:	Valid at participating McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial counties.

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health today announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19. California now has 10,701 confirmed cases and 237 deaths. As of April 2, local health departments have reported 156 confirmed positive cases in health care workers. For more information on COVID-19 and California’s response visit the California Department of Public Health website.

Testing in California
As of April 2, approximately 94,800 tests had been conducted in California. At least 35,267 results have been received and another 59,500 are pending. These numbers include data California has received from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the 22 state and county health labs currently testing.

How People Can Protect Themselves
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense: 

• Staying home except for essential needs/activities.
• Practicing social distancing.
• Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.
• Following guidance from public health officials.

What to Do if You Think You’re Sick
Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath) and may have had contact with a person with COVID-19, or recently traveled to countries with apparent community spread, call your health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

More information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available at www.covid19.ca.gov.

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available atwww.cdph.ca.gov/covid19guidance.