Essential California March 27, 2020 Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, March 27, and you know what that means? We Californians have made it through our first full week of the statewide “stay at home” order. If someone had told us at the beginning of the month that this was the world we’d be waking up to on the last Friday in March, well, who could have believed them? But here we are. In the last two weeks, California has all but shut down in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. [Read the story: “Empty freeways, canceled flights: How life in California has changed since the coronavirus outbreak” in the Los Angeles Times] In looking at traffic patterns, my colleagues found that amid the social distancing restrictions, mass layoffs and stay-at-home order that took effect last Friday, the volume of vehicles on the road in California fell by 36% last week compared with the same time in February. Buses and trains are also almost empty. On Thursday, the U.S. surpassed Italy and China in a tally that no one wants to lead: The U.S. now has the most confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a global case tracker run by Johns Hopkins University. The number of known cases in California also saw a major increase over the last few days, surging to 4,052 on Thursday as testing continued to ramp up. The statewide death toll reached 83 on Thursday. Los Angeles County also saw a rise in confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The county reported an additional 422 confirmed cases Thursday, for a total of 1,230 cases. Cases doubled this week in Orange County, pushing the overall count to 256. But as my colleagues write, many of those now listed as being infected got sick before social distancing rules were imposed across California, “so it’s still not fully clear how much the restrictions might slow the spread. The hope is that confined movements eventually will make a difference.” How is the pandemic affecting your life? Tell us about it, and we may share some of what you write in a future newsletter. And now, here’s what’s happening across California: L.A. STORIES Air traffic is down 85% at LAX as local airports face historic declines due to the coronavirus. Los Angeles Times L.A.'s beloved taco trucks are in survival mode. With drastic reductions in foot traffic and revenue, many of the city’s popular taco vendors are fighting for their livelihoods. Los Angeles Times The nightly crowds have thinned at Tacos El Pecas, as seen Monday. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) As demand for government relief grows, L.A. restaurants form a united front. The push, at least in L.A., emphasizes outreach at three levels: city, state and federal. Los Angeles Times The luxurious Chateau Marmont in Hollywood abruptly fired most of its staff without severance pay and only a brief extension of health benefits. The coronavirus crisis has forced the closures of several other high-profile hotels, but not all have responded in the same way. In the City of Commerce, managers of the Commerce Hotel and Casino announced they would continue to pay the base salary of all 2,500 employees while the operation remains closed, as well as provide health insurance for those who had the benefit. Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles Times Book Club is rebooting with its first virtual meetup on March 30. Authors Steph Cha and Joe Ide will join Times reporter Maria L. LaGanga for an evening of new L.A. noir. Los Angeles Times