Story by Janice Park and Lenise Diaz
Contributors
Illustration by Alicia Zhang
Staff Illustrator
A lot has happened in the past week as California has transitioned into Phase 2 of reopening the state’s economy. However, there are a few differences between what California Governor Gavin Newsom is allowing statewide and what the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are actually permitting locally.
Newsom gave the green light for California to enter the first expansion of Phase 2 to reopen the state. Phase 2 will allow the reopening of select lower-risk stores to slowly and safely lift California’s stay-at-home order. Although Newsom has approved many establishments to reopen across California, the supervisors have decided to take a slower approach to reopening L.A. County. Still, L.A County. is allowing many spaces like hiking trails, equestrian centers, golf courses, tennis courts, archery ranges, and golf courses open, so long as visitors follow social distancing guidelines.
South Pasadena has been slowly transitioning into Phase 2 following Governor Newsom’s announcement on Friday, May 8, with the city reopening select retailers, including florists, toy stores, bookstores, sporting goods, and music stores for curbside pickup. The city is also reopening city bike trails and the Arroyo Seco Golf Course with strict social distancing regulations and will remain open as long as residents follow social distancing rules.
The state and the federal government have also been in direct communication with South Pasadena to answer any city concerns, with Senator Anthony Portantino and Congresswoman Judy Chu briefing the South Pasadena City Council about the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic.
California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy White announced that the CSU system plans to cancel most in-person classes in the fall and instead offer instruction primarily online, on Tuesday, May 12. White’s announcement followed on the same day that Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert who is part of the White House coronavirus task force, urged caution to the Senate in reopening schools for the fall. Other colleges and universities may also follow suit and cancel most in-person classes that have left many in the graduating class of 2020 disappointed.
Dr. Fauci and other health experts were part of a Senate hearing on Tuesday, talking about the possibility of a future vaccine and the dangers of reopening the country too soon. They predicted that there will be unfortunate consequences if the U.S. reopened its economy too soon, citing that the US still lacked critical testing capacity and the ability to track down the contacts of those infected. Fauci warned that “there is a real risk that you’ll trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control”; these remarks contradicted Trump’s declaration on Monday that “we have met the moment and we have prevailed.”
Although the coronavirus has long been identified as a respiratory illness, recent evidence has shown the virus can affect your entire body. Doctors are noticing odd symptoms appear throughout the body aside from the usual symptoms, including blood clots, multi-system organ failure, and “Covid toes”—red or purple swelling of the toes.
In South Pasadena where there is a notable presence of older adults, the city encourages residents to help stop the spread of coronavirus by wearing masks, staying six feet apart from others and adhering to social distancing rules. As of Friday, May 15, the city is experiencing a total of 109 confirmed coronavirus cases, with the majority being reported from the South Pasadena Care Center—a local nursing home.
Older adults and people who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for fatality from the virus according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with adults age 65 and older representing eight out of every 10 deaths reported in the U.S.
For more information regarding California and L.A. County updates about the coronavirus, visit the California and L.A. County Public Health websites.
All I want to know is when See’s Candy opens. My husband ate all my candy! Still love him dearly! ❤️ ❤️