LOS ANGELES — Rising coronavirus cases and fatalities remain concerning — with four dozen more deaths confirmed July 23 — but there are signs Los Angeles County is beginning to turn the corner in efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to one of the county’s top health officer. “At least this week, we’re still seeing concerning data,” county health officer Dr. Muntu Davis told reporters in an online briefing July 23. “There are still high case counts, hospitalizations have exceeded 2,200 people for at least the last four days in a row and tragically people are still dying from COVID ..read more

STREET BEAT Brook M. Playa del Rey “I don’t feel it needs to be a law, but certainly just to be responsible and courteous, definitely. Establishments should certainly be able to enforce it to protect their customers.”  Teresa J. Mar Vista “I don’t believe it should be a law that everyone wears their mask, but I do believe in people who have their own private property mandating that anyone who comes on this property be required to wear a mask.” John Moore Culver City “I don’t think people should not be allowed to wear a mask because I think it’s an endangerment to others. If everyone jus ..read more

CULVER CITY — Summer activities are back in session at Culver City parks, with some modifications, as the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department gradually restarted their programming beginning in  late June, after Los Angeles County temporarily suspended park operations in late March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Corey Lakin, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department director, said his department modified and added programming to accommodate the coronavirus mandates imposed by Los Angeles County parks and public health officials. The vast majo ..read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is embarking on an “ambitious plan” to house 15,000 homeless Angelenos who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, while in part satisfying a federal court order. “We still have thousands of unsheltered people in Los Angeles County who are at risk of hospitalization or death if they contract COVID-19,” said Heidi Marston, executive director of the homeless services authority. “We need to get them out of harm’s way as quickly as possible. “COVID-19 has brought significant one-time resources from the state and the federal government. These resou ..read more

LYNWOOD — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has given his conditional approval to the sale of St. Francis Medical Center to Prime Healthcare. The announcement came July 18, about a week after a health care workers union filed a formal objection with Becerra — whose office must approve the sale — calling for him to reject the offer, saying the sale is “not in the public interest” and is likely to have a “negative impact on the availability and accessibility of health care in the community.” Becerra said his approval seeks to “protect access to care for the Los Angeles communities serve ..read more

NORWALK — The City Council July 21 unanimously approved changes to its previously approved small business loan program, which can now increase loans and help finance business activities, officials said. On May 19, the council approved $700,000 to fund forgivable loans to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a maximum loan of $10,000 per businesses to assist with past due rent payments. The changes include increasing the loan maximum to $35,000 per business and covering added costs such as constructing barriers between work stations and moving dining and other services outdoors. No ..read more

INGLEWOOD — The Los Angeles Clippers are one step closer to building their own state-of-the-art 18,500-seat arena in Inglewood. The Inglewood City Council introduced an ordinance July 21 to approve a development agreement that would allow Murphy’s Bowl LLC, doing business as the Clippers, to build the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center. “We’re excited for the L.A. Clippers to have a home of their own,” said the team’s owner, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer via a pre-recorded video message. “We want to simply make it the greatest place in the world for basketball.” If given final ..read more

SOUTH LOS ANGELES — As COVID-19 continues to impact many businesses, local retailers are struggling to find methods to keep their businesses afloat as the pandemic continues. Establishing a website and utilizing social media has proven to be one of the most effective methods for attracting new customers, but many business owners lack the funds to hire social media consultants, leaving them with questions about how to effectively use social media to increase traffic to their websites. Digital marketing consultant Felicia Kaplan, founder of Kstylemedia.com, a social media consulting company, rea ..read more

Ten Los Angeles Dodgers players have spoken out against racial injustice in a video released July 16 and committed to use their platforms to amplify the voices of Los Angeles social justice organizations. “For centuries, the Black community has lived in a different America,” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “Instead of addressing racism, inequality, and injustice, many of us simply look away. “Silence is no longer an option. I’m fighting for my teammates, their families, and their communities.” The other Dodgers speaking on the video were Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Kike Hernandez, Gavin Lux ..read more

From the onset of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the public that the virus could enter the body through the eyes and spread throughout the body through superficial blood vessels within the conjunctiva. The tissue that protects the eye from dust, debris, and infection-causing microorganisms is the conjunctiva.   “The virus can cause ocular signs and symptoms, including photophobia, irritation, conjunctival injection and watery discharge,” said Dr. Danielle Richardson, who holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and a doctor of optometry degree. Ri ..read more