Los Angeles County Coronavirus Update: Health Chief Denies School Shutdowns Are Politically-Driven

Brandon Choe Photo EditorThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Saturday that 17 more people died from coronavirus overnight, with 1,062 new cases reported. Across all areas of L.A.

Harvey Weinstein was hit with six new counts of forcible sexual assault, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday. The new charges stem from alleged incidents involving two women, and adds three felony counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, the district attorney's office said.

Harvey Weinstein facessix new sex assault counts, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Friday. Weinstein was charged with six additional forcible sexual assault counts involving two victims stemming from incidents that allegedly occurred more than a decade ago, according to authorities.The new charges include an incident between September 2004 and September 2005 where Weinstein allegedly raped a woman at a hotel in Beverly Hills.

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorOne day after the county announced K-12 schools can apply for reopening waivers, Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that a number of businesses will be allowed to proceed with a staggered approach to reopening over the next 10 days.Those businesses include cardrooms (outdoors only, no food and beverages), indoor shopping malls (at 25% occupancy; food courts must stay closed), nail salons (outdoors only) and outdoor playgrounds (subject

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorAfter a motion was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health plans to open the school waiver program for in-person instruction for grades TK-2.Previously, schools had only been allowed to reopen for students with special learning needs.

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorLos Angeles County reported only one new coronavirus-related death on Monday. Officials were quick to point out that reporting lags over the weekend were likely contributing to the low number.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsLos Angeles Public Health confirmed Saturday an additional 1,236 positive cases of COVID-19. Officials also confirmed 18 new deaths and a total of 715 current hospitalizations.The latest COVID-19 counts come as health officials have been anticipating a rise in new COVID-19 positive cases and related deaths following the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorLos Angeles County health officials confirmed another 1,401 COVID-19 cases today, the highest daily total recorded in the past two weeks, further fueling concerns of a post-Labor Day surge, but hospitalization numbers were still holding steady.Health officials have been fearing a rise in cases similar to those seen after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, when quarantine-weary residents took advantage of newly opened businesses and flocked to beaches and

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an emergency proclamation for the counties of Los Angeles, Del Norte and Mendocino to bolster the response to various fires which have burned thousands of acres, destroyed homes and caused the evacuation of residents.In Los Angeles, the Bobcat Fire had burned close to 114,000 acres on Friday. The fire’s progress has slowed significantly in the past few days.

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing Editor“The metrics posted by the state yesterday indicate that we’ve posted number that qualifies us to reopen further,” said L.A. County Director of Health and Human Services Barbara Ferrer.

Vanessa Bryant on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over photos taken and shared by deputies of the January helicopter crash site where her husband and daughter, along with seven others, were killed.

Vanessa Bryant is officially taking Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his department to court over their involvement in taking and circulating photos of the helicopter crash site where Kobe and Gianna Bryant were killed along with seven others.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsUpon discussions about reopening Los Angeles County, Public Health has confirmed 1,343 new COVID-19 positive cases and 13 deaths on Saturday.The latest update, which also shows 732 in current hospitalizations, comes after Barbara Ferrer said the county is seeing its lowest average testing-positivity rate of the pandemic.While the numbers may show a small let-up, L.A. County is still far from in the clear.

Tom Tapp Deputy Managing EditorLos Angeles County could reopening more widely sometime in October, the county’s public health director said on Wednesday. But, said Barbara Ferrer, Labor Day numbers could potentially thwart that move.The county is in the most restrictive, or “purple,” level of California’s four-tier virus-tracking roadmap.

Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerPresident Donald Trump this morning tweeted that “animals” shot two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies last night in Compton, California.

Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies were shot and critically wounded late Saturday night in a horrific ambush as they were sitting in their patrol car in the Compton area.

Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerPresident Donald Trump this morning tweeted that “animals” shot two Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies last night in Compton, California.The two sheriffs were ambushed at point-blank range by an unknown shooter on Saturday night.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed a decrease in new coronavirus-related deaths, but an increase in new cases on Saturday.Public Health’s latest count shows a total of 29 new deaths and 1,177 positive cases. Saturday’s update brings Los Angeles County numbers back to around those confirmed before the Labor Day Weekend.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues, Halloween is going to look quite different in Los Angeles this year. On Wednesday, county health officialsreleased guidelines for Halloween celebrations, including restrictions on holiday traditions and suggestions for "safer alternatives" that can allow residents to minimize contact with others.

Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerThe heat wave of Labor Day weekend continues today across Southern California, bringing record temperatures and crowded beaches.There is a Stage 2 emergency in effect for the power grid, which means rolling blackouts are a possibility for parts of the state to help the overloaded system.Forecasters predict the Western San Fernando Valley to be particularly brutal, with Woodland Hills possibly going near 120 degrees on Sunday.The National Weather Service issued a