Everything you need to know to get through the COVID-19 pandemic in California

Keeping track of the news, reopenings and reclosings in California can be challenging. To help, The Times updates this page each week with news and information about the state’s progress, rules and more. We also will provide information for staying safe, healthy and sane.

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On this page:

Headlines and numbers: The latest | What we’re all wondering: Public restrooms | Recommended reading: Great stories

The six goals: Where things stand | Essential information and resources

The latest numbers

I’m out for a drive and have to use the restroom. What now?

It’s not a question you want to spend a lot of time answering in the moment, so be prepared. Many gas stations and some coffee bars do have restrooms open, though they sometimes have to close if they run out of soap or paper towels. You should consider bringing your own travel soap and disposable towels on a long drive, just in case.

If you do find an open public restroom:

• Wear a face covering.
• Don’t touch any surfaces unnecessarily.
• Definitely don’t touch your face.
• Keep your distance from people if there’s a crowd.
• Use a paper towels to open doors and touch surfaces (and throw it in the trash, not the toilet, where it could create a clog).
• Don’t linger.
• Use hand sanitizer when you get back to your car.

There’s also the option that female truck drivers are familiar with: Tinkle Belle and similar products.

Stay hydrated, and stay safe out there.

California

Parents, what are your questions about the coming school year?

Many schools in Southern California return to distance learning in the fall. Ask the L.A. Times your questions, and we’ll do our best to get answers.

July 17, 2020

Take a break from COVID-19 reading with these Los Angeles Times stories.

Check in on some 1990s music heroes. Liz Phair and Alanis Morissette were supposed to tour this summer. That’s not happening, so Phair interviewed Morissette instead. “But we’re going to do it next summer,” Morissette says. “There’s a lot of important work going on right now that we need to make space for.” And Phair writes: “Damn it. She’s younger than me. But so wise beyond her years.”

The hajj is going to be very different this year. In the best of times, it’s hard to land one of the slots Saudi Arabia parcels out for the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are duty-bound to make at least once in their lives, The Times’ Nabih Bulos writes. In the worst of times — cue the coronavirus — it’s well-nigh impossible, with the numbers for this year’s event, now underway, capped at just 1,000. But in these most technologically advanced of times, what if Mecca could be brought to you?

A well-deserved sendoff. This is a story about a woman who deserved a fiesta for her funeral. She worked at San Bernardino’s Mitla Cafe for 68 of its 83 years and was a rock in the community. The Times’ Gustavo Arrellano was there for the remembrance that came together in the cafe’s parking lot.

Perseverance is on its way to Mars. The writer, professor and scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson finds escape in NASA’s latest mission to the Red Planet — the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter built by La Cañada Flintridge’s JPL that launched this week to start a seven-month journey. Johnson writes: “To travel to another planet and put a rover on its surface now feels like a rebuke to the powerlessness we feel here at home.”

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Newport Beach police enforce closures along the Wedge in Newport Beach, a popular surf spot.   (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

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Spectators along the Wedge in Newport Beach, a surf spot, on July 4.  (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

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A bicyclist rides along Highland Avenue with the pier closed to beachgoers on July 3 in Manhattan Beach.  (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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Peter Gratzinger of Pacific Palisades heads to the water at Santa Monica State Beach, which opened to the public at 5 a.m. July 6.  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

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A bicyclist with her child rides along the closed bike path on July 3 in Manhattan Beach.  (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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A police officer and a lifeguard boat comb the shoreline in Venice Beach on July 5. Even though the beach was closed over the weekend a few still made their way to the shoreline.   (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

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No-parking signs from the July 4 weekend still block spots on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica on Monday.   (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

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Dusk sets in over the the Santa Monica Pier on Friday.  (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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Southern California residents watch the fireworks during the Drive-Up 4th of July Spectacular at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Saturday in Los Alamitos.  (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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Bella Nousiainen, left, with daughter, Helmi Nousiainen, of Los Angeles, at the Santa Monica Pier, which reopens after being closed to guests for months because of the coronavirus.  (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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Dr. Jamie Taylor checks the ventilators at the refashioned St. Vincent Hospital.   (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

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Shoppers and mannequins wear protective masks in the Los Angeles downtown garment district on Thursday.  (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

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Patrons wear face coverings at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in California has pushed the state’s total past 200,000 with more than 5,800 deaths.   (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD officers E. Rosales, left, and D. Castro, patrol the Metro Red Line at the Hollywood/Highland Metro Station Thursday.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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Visitors wear protective masks while walking through historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.  (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

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People wait in line to have a COVID-19 screening administered by the Community Organized Relief Effort at the Los Angeles City Mayor’s test site at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.  (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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A woman adjusts a protective mask while walkiing along Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach.  (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Ti mes)

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Cameron Johnson,18, left, headed to UC Berkeley in the fall and Simona Krasnegor,17, headed to UCLA in the fall, watched the sun set while sitting next to the Manhattan Beach Pier, following their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.  (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

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Jair Guido, 36, a veterinarian visiting from Durango, Mexico, right, wearing a sombrero with an American flag draped over his shoulders, walks with other pedestrians along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. Guido said that he wore this outfit to show people that he is proud to be a Mexican and that he loves America. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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A mask-wearing skateboarder and her dog make their way along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Pedestrians, some with face coverings, some without, walk past musicians Brent Kendell, background left, and Sam Jones, background right, as they perform at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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People wear masks while walking along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Pedestrians cross the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public, following growing concerns that an increase in coronavirus cases has been caused by residents failing to voluntarily take that precaution.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Sophia Strauss, left, and Sarah Hoffmeister celebrate after their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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New West Charter School vice principal Mark Herrera shouts at graduate Joe Reid to come and receive his diploma during a drive-up graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 at the charter school in Los Angeles.  (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

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A worker directs drivers at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA.

  (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

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Destiny VanSciner is tested for COVID-19 with an oral swab by family nurse practitioner Anniesatu Newland at a walk-in site at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Melissa Gomes fixes the tassel on the mortarboard of Sarah Anggraini as the new graduate gets ready for a photo at Chaffey College, which held a drive-through graduation, in Rancho Cucamonga.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Maricela Moreno, manager at El Tarasco in Marina del Rey, disinfects cash at the restaurant.   (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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Mildred “Millie” Stratton waves to a caravan of cars led by Alhambra police officers and firefighters. The parade past her home celebrated Stratton’s 102nd birthday.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Eric Larkin hands an order to Brittany Wright as she fastens her face covering outside the Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles.   (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

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A jogger passes Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles as local stay-at-home orders are increasingly relaxed months into the coronavirus outbreak.   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Hikers and bikers traverse the Santa Fe Dam trail as county parks officially reopen to the public.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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A woman, masked against COVID-19, walks past a building that features the image of Britney Spears at a shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Manon Guijarro, a new graduate of Pierce College, has her photo taken by friend Paige Johnson at Chris Burden’s outdoor work “Urban Light” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Mary Perez, a salesperson at High Class Jewels on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, helps a customer as he tries on a gold rope chain inside the recently reopened store.  (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

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Professional dog walker Lindsay Rojas takes golden retrievers Gomez, left, and Nikki for a stroll along Le Bourget Avenue in Culver City.   (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team banks over downtown Los Angeles in formation to salute healthcare workers and first responders on May 15.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Morales, center, a member of the USC class of 2020, participates in virtual graduation via Zoom with her brother Manny Morales, left, mom Pilar Morales and stepdad Victor Ramos from her home in Orange.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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On a recent day, there’s not a face mask in sight as a roller skater and others share the reopened walking path on the Strand in Manhattan Beach.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Crew members of a Hainan Airlines flight walk through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.  (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

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A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a shuttered business in Long Beach.  (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

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Thousands of rental cars are stored at Dodger Stadium as the coronavirus crisis has caused rentals to nosedive.   (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

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Some beachgoers actively use the beach while others relax on the sand, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s active-use-only order, in Huntington Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks outside the emergency room entrance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley as residents pay tribute to her and other medical personnel with a drive-by rally.  (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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A scene from “Knives Out,” with actor Don Johnson, seen at the Mission Tiki Drive-in Theatre in Montclair. Opened with one screen in 1956, the Mission Tiki expanded to four screens in 1975 and began renovation in 2006, updating to FM transmitters and digital projectors.  (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Gov. Gavin Newsom has laid out six benchmarks to help gauge how the state will move through the four phases of reopening.

Which California counties are reopening?

To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.

1. Testing

The governor says the state needs the ability to test, trace contacts, and isolate and support people who have the virus or have been exposed.

The facts: State benchmarks weren’t met before California started reopening. Now California is scaling back its testing task force, despite continued long lines and delayed test results.

And in L.A. County, contact tracing has failed to detect major outbreaks at workplaces. Orange County has also struggled.

Antibody tests have few regulations, and it’s unclear what actionable information can be gleaned from the results.

2. Prevent infections

The governor says the state needs to be able to prevent infection in people who are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19.

The facts: Strict physical distancing orders are being reinstated around the state. Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations keep rising even as officials beg the public to avoid crowds and keep physical distancing in hopes of preventing outbreaks that could overwhelm the state’s hospitals.

And many schools across California will begin the new school year with distance learning.

Everyone in California must wear a mask when leaving home.

3. Robust healthcare system

Newsom says the state needs hospitals and the health system to be able to handle surges.

The facts: Health officials say the public’s more careful social behavior recently, along with newly reissued restrictions on public life, has led to a recent decline in some numbers, including hospitalizations, the seven-day average for positive infections, and the projected transmission rate. But more cases and deaths continue to be reported each day.

4. Therapies

The governor says the state needs the ability to develop therapeutics to meet demand.

The facts: Studies are underway on numerous potential therapies. A common steroid is the latest drug to show positive results for patients with the most serious cases of COVID-19. Also, federal government researchers have reported that the antiviral medication remdesivir helped patients with advanced COVID-19 recover more quickly than a placebo treatment.

A Times investigation found that one promising treatment is not even being discussed by the federal government.

In the race for a vaccine, nearly 160 potential vaccines are in various stages of development. Is it possible one of them will succeed in 2020? Maybe — but a lot of things would have to go right. Many viral diseases have spread for decades without a vaccine, a reminder that there is no guarantee of success. The U.S. is nevertheless spending freely on potential vaccines.

5. Physical distancing

The governor says the state’s businesses, schools and childcare facilities need to be able to support physical distancing.

The facts: State and county officials are forcing closures in some sectors that had reopened.

The state is still recommending that retailers encourage physical distancing and implement “hands free” ways for customers to pay. Manufacturers should close indoor break areas, and warehouses should carry sanitation materials during deliveries and provide employees with personal protective gear. In-person worship services will be limited to 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is smaller.

Newsom also has said the state needs to enact policies that allow people to stay home when they are sick. One such policy was enacted by a Newsom executive order making it easier for essential workers who contract COVID-19 to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.

Businesses — especially lower-risk retail, manufacturing and offices — will need to adapt their workplaces, provide wage replacement for sick workers, and allow employees to work from home whenever possible, according to Newsom. Individuals are required to wear masks and are asked to continue adhering to physical distancing and to avoid nonessential travel.

6. Reinstate orders if needed

The governor says California needs the ability to reinstate its stay-at-home order and other measures if necessary.

The facts: In Southern California, a coordinated effort at communication has emerged. And the city of Los Angeles has issued a color-coded system for communicating risk. As of July 31, L.A. was at orange, meaning the risk of infection is very high and that people should minimize contact with anyone outside their households.

California

Coronavirus caught us off guard. Here’s what disaster preppers say we needed to do all along

Californians live in the land of wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Here’s what we can learn from people who take preparedness very seriously.

June 26, 2020

Here’s how to get tested in Los Angeles County.

Testing is by appointment only, so register online first. Most testing sites are drive-through, but some are walk-up.

Here’s the latest list of county and city testing sites.

• Antelope Valley Mall (1233 Rancho Vista Blvd., Palmdale)
• Pomona Fairplex (Gate 17, West McKinley and Fairplex Drive, Pomona)
• South Bay Galleria (1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach)
• Carbon Health in Echo Park — walk-up only (2110 Sunset Blvd., Suite M, Echo Park)
• Crenshaw Christian Center (7901 S. Vermont Ave., Vermont Knolls)
• Glendale Memorial Hospital (222 W. Eulalia St., Glendale)
• Hansen Dam Recreational Center (11798 Foothill Blvd. in Lake View Terrace, entrance on Osborne Street)
• High Desert Medical Group (43839 15th St. West, Lancaster)
• Hotchkin Memorial Training Center (1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles)
• VA Parking Lot 15 (100 Constitution Ave., Los Angeles)
• Northridge Hospital Medical Center (18460 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge, enter on Reseda Boulevard)
• Lincoln Park (3501 Valley Blvd., Los Angeles)
• AltaMed Medical and Dental Group — Commerce, Goodrich (972 Goodrich Blvd., Commerce)
• AltaMed Medical Group — Pico Rivera, Passons (6336 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera)
• AltaMed Medical and Dental Group — South Gate (8627 Atlantic Ave., South Gate)
• Long Beach City College (1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway)
• AltaMed Medical and Dental Group — West Covina (1300 S. Sunset Ave., West Covina)
• Charles R. Drew campus (1731 E. 120th St., Willowbrook)
• Santa Clarita (26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita)
• Pasadena (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena)
• East Los Angeles College (1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Monterey Park)
• Warner Center (6097 Canoga Ave. in Woodland Hills)
• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (8730 Alden Drive, Los Angeles)
• Kedren Community Health Center — walk-up only (4211 Avalon Blvd., Historic South-Central)
• Altamed Medical Group (2040 Camfield Ave., Commerce)

Business

Worried about getting the coronavirus at work? Here’s what you can do

From Cal/OSHA complaints to uniting with unions, workers can take some action if they feel their workplaces aren’t keeping them safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

April 29, 2020

Other essentials

• What’s open and what’s closed in L.A. and California? The Times is tracking it.
• Avoid nonessential travel. The L.A. County Department of Health puts it bluntly: Travel for leisure, vacation and entertainment is not essential.
• Here’s which trails, parks and beaches are closed in Southern California.
• And here’s what you need to know about California’s national parks.
• Wear a face covering in public.
• Trust your mask, and stop touching your face.
• Practice social distancing. Even people who feel healthy should keep six feet away from others. If you feel sick, stay home. If someone in your home has tested positive for the coronavirus, everyone should stay home and follow directions from your healthcare provider.
• To care for someone with coronavirus at home, monitor symptoms, prevent spread of the virus, treat symptoms and determine when to end isolation.
• The CDC has an updated list of symptoms to watch for.
• And the list of people at high risk has gotten longer.
• There are some cough syrups you should avoid if you think you have the virus.
• Doctor’s orders, rest and hydration are the best medicine.
• If you’re experiencing domestic violence, you can get help.
• Here’s how to help the seniors in your life.
• Here’s how to help food pantries or to receive groceries and supplies.
• If you want to donate to charity, here are tips for how to decide where to give.
• A new federal law provides for paid sick leave for some workers who didn’t previously have it, including those who have COVID-19, those in quarantine for COVID-19, those who are caring for a family member with COVID-19, those subject to a government quarantine or who have been advised by a doctor to self-quarantine, and those caring for children whose schools or daycare centers have closed.
• If you have lost work, you can apply for unemployment.
• Getting mortgage relief can be confusing. Here’s how to make it easier. There’s also a new deferral option.
• Renters have some eviction protections, and the L.A. City Council is considering rent relief measures.
• Fake news and misinformation can spread rapidly in times of crisis. Confirm the authenticity of accounts, check that social media posts link to reliable sources, and look for signs, like attribution, that the information itself is correct before sharing. Here are more tips.
• For your next trip to the grocery store, remember to make a list, check what you already have at home, don’t fret about getting the exact right ingredient for a recipe, and wipe down your shopping cart handle.
• Tax day was pushed to July 15, 2020, from the usual April 15.

Science & Medicine

Can the coronavirus live on clothes and shoes? And for how long?

You know you need to wash your hands after going to the grocery store — what about your favorite hoodie? Here’s what we know so far.

May 13, 2020

The Los Angeles Times is providing access to this page for free to all readers. This page was published March 16, 2020. Starting March 17, we updated twice each weekday. Starting April 6, we moved to updating once a day. Starting May 29, we moved to updating weekly. The news and information on this page is written and compiled by Times staffers Jessica Roy, Adrienne Shih, Nicole Santa Cruz, Fidel Martinez, Seth Liss, Lila Seidman, Faith Pinho and Matt Ballinger. Support journalism that makes a difference in our community by purchasing a digital subscription.