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Pasadena Humane Society Aids Pets During Crisis

Photo courtesy Pasadena Humane Society
A Pasadena Humane Society volunteer recently distributes food as part of its Helping Paws program, a pet food bank offering free food and supplies to animal owners in need. The nonprofit expects more people to struggle with feeding and keeping their pets amid the coronavirus fallout.

With the effects of the coronavirus trickling into every crevice of modern-day sustainability, the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is gearing up to help those it knows are most impacted in times of crisis: unemployed people and their pets.
Even those people who had been doing relatively well economically are expected to struggle financially because of the closures that were enacted to stem the spread of COVID-19, especially if they are part of the retail, restaurant, hotel or service industries. In times of hardship, people often need to abandon their rented homes and apartments with their beloved animals.
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Judges, Courtroom Staff, Attorneys Must Quarantine for 14 Days

Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile recently announced that a judge assigned to a Dependency department in the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse in Monterey Park notified the court Tuesday of being diagnosed with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Although the judge has not been tested, in an abundance of caution, the court has asked the affected judge and court staff to self-quarantine. Due to privacy issues, names will not be released.
The court also has notified the agencies and attorney offices assigned to handle the cases in the affected department, including the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers; Children’s Law Center; Office of the Los Angeles County Counsel; and the Sheriff’s Department.
After receiving notification from the judge, the court cleaned and disinfected the courtroom and the judge’s chambers according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The courthouse, which handles adoptions and juvenile dependency, will remain open. The court will make every effort to advise all people who may have been exposed to the affected judge.
For the latest updates on coronavirus-related impacts to court operations, consult the court’s COVID-19 News Center located at the top of its homepage at lacourt.org.

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COVID-19: Don’t Forget the Basics of Prevention

By Mary Virgallito, Special to The Outlook

Mary Virgallito

During a time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty, I’d like to take this opportunity to review what is currently known about COVID-19 and provide a refresher on the basics about preventing the spread of respiratory diseases. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and so the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed.
How it is spread: COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses or inhaled into the lungs of people within close contact (about 6 feet) of an infected person who has produced these droplets. Surface-to-person transmission of COVID-19 has not yet been documented but current evidence suggests that the virus can remain viable for hours to days on a variety of surfaces. Therefore, it is recommended to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily, including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work for this purpose.
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Huntington Hospital Opens Temporary Blood Donor Center

As the only trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley, we rely on the community’s generosity to help us maintain a full supply of blood. Your support is extremely valuable and makes a huge difference in meeting the health needs of the community.
Huntington Hospital has moved the community Blood Donor Center to 800 S. Fairmount Ave. in Pasadena. Blood donation hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. To schedule a donation, call (626) 397-5422.
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Four Ways to Navigate the New Abnormal

By Jay Wagener, Special to The Outlook

Jay Wagener

As we head further into our nation’s response to COVID-19, it feels like every day we are bombarded with an entirely new mass of information, including rules and regulations regarding how we are supposed to carry on our daily lives. Since these rules are mandatory, we are forced to adapt to these changing circumstances.
Two weeks ago we were planning vacations, going to movies, eating at restaurants, planning to graduate and going to work. One of my patients, who had lobbied for years to have a work-from-home week, told me he would give anything to go back to work for just one day. This new abnormal has become the new normal. COVID-19 has forced us to examine how we will adapt to a new way of being.
The way in which we adapt to these new circumstances is the challenge. Psychologists call the successful adaptation process “resilience.” The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, tragedy, threats of significant sources of stress such as serious health problems or workplace or financial stress. As much as resilience involves ‘bouncing back’ from these difficult experiences, it can also involve personal growth.”
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Officials Brace for Possible COVID-19 Spike, Discuss Care Site Options

Photo by Mitch Lehman / Outlook
Pasadena’s Eaton Canyon Nature Center reported sizable crowds after government announcements directed people to stay home because of coronavirus concerns, but reminding them they could get out and walk.
As of Tuesday, local parks and trails remained open, although nearby cities announced closures due to overcrowding.

As occurrences of the coronavirus surged in Los Angeles County and California this week, local officials announced a doubling of Pasadena cases and expectations of a further increase, and said they are seeking alternate care sites should the patient load outpace the availability of beds as the health crisis worsens.
Huntington Hospital and the city are collaborating with local public health departments, as well as other hospitals, to identify possible sites to treat and quarantine patients, much like the county’s arrangement to use the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel in Pomona should the local health care system become overwhelmed.
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Huntington Hospital’s Letter to the Community

By Dr. Lori Morgan, President and CEO, Huntington Hospital

Dr. Lori Morgan

Even as the spread of COVID-19 impacts the health of our community and upends our daily living, we want to assure everyone that Huntington Hospital remains committed to the mission and purpose that has guided us for more than 128 years: to provide excellent health care and compassionate service to each patient entrusted to our care. As it should be, our main focus is caring for our patients and community in this unprecedented health crisis.
Huntington Hospital is doing everything it can to ensure the finest care for all its current and future COVID-19 patients. Our highly skilled medical professionals are following all the right processes and procedures to help protect those most in need. Importantly, we are preserving limited supplies of essential medical resources and taking steps to increase hospital bed capacity for COVID-19 patients. We are also focusing first on those patients most severely and seriously in need right now.
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Pasadena Can Succeed — Together — in Coronavirus Fight

By Terry Tornek, Mayor of Pasadena

Mayor Terry Tornek

As you know, Pasadena, Los Angeles County and the state of California have all issued unprecedented anti-virus regulations — called “Safer at Home.”
These regulations ask everyone to stay at home and have closed most businesses. We have taken these draconian steps because our medical professionals told us that it is the only way to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. If we don’t slow it down, if the number of cases continues to double every few days, our medical system will be overwhelmed and more people will die.
These rules are in effect until April 19, but that will most likely be extended; perhaps for MONTHS. We just can’t be sure right now.
In spite of our best efforts, more people will be infected. If you don’t feel well, call your doctor — don’t go to the emergency room.
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LCUSD Cancels Student Trips Amid Coronavirus Precaution

The La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board instructed Superintendent Wendy Sinnette this week to cancel student out-of-state field trips involving air travel because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the district is also assessing the importance of large group activities amid social distancing precautions.
At a regular meeting of the board Tuesday night, Sinnette and LCUSD’s Chief Technology Officer Jamie Lewsadder delivered a detailed report about the district’s plans regarding the possibility of school closures. The board also discussed upcoming air-travel field trips outside California as an agenda item and voted to cancel them.
Following the meeting, Sinnette sent out a district-wide letter about the decision.
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a respiratory illness that has spread worldwide. In a statement Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said there were 27 cases in the county, including three reported by the city of Long Beach. Officials also reported the county’s first coronavirus-related fatality; the woman who died was an older woman with underlying health issues and a nonresident who had been visiting friends.
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