072520 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

Page 1

JULY 25-28, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 58 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

California continues to break coronavirus records as cases, deaths once again skyrocket

Young Filipino US soldier found dead cracks down on businesses, infection rate among younger adults increases near Texas Army base LA County most COVID-19 cases in the country with over 409,000 24, 9,718 new cases were reported and the statewide K M Third death of soldier near base within past month

A YOUNG Filipino U.S. soldier was found dead last week near the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, marking the third soldier death in the area within the past month. Private Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive on July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Lake, about 20 miles from the base, officials said on Tuesday, July 21. “The Black Knight family is truly heartbroken by the tragic loss of Private Mejhor Morta,” said Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong, commander of 1st Bn. 5th Cav. Regt. “I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.” He added, “My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time. Private Morta was a great Trooper and his loss is felt by every member within our formation.” Morta lived in Pensacola, Florida before u PAGE A3

by

LARIZE EDENILLA AJPress

AS CALIFORNIANS grow more restless over the coronavirus pandemic, the state continues to break its own records. This week, California now, cumulatively, has the

cases, surpassing New York, the former leader in cases, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University. On Wednesday, July 22 alone, 157 deaths were recorded, marking it as the state’s highest one-day toll so far, pushing fatalities up to 8,000. By Friday, July

Maria Ressa denies tax evasion charges by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

48 Fil-Am elected officials, leaders endorse Biden for president FORTY-EIGHT Filipino American elected officials and leaders are among the over 250 Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) who have publicly thrown their support behind former Vice President Joe Biden. The Fil-Ams include elected officials, California Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Todd Gloria; Artesia Councilmember Melissa Ramoso; Peter Urscheler, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania mayor; and Hawaii state Senators Donovan Dela Cruz and Lorraine Inouye. Other high-profile names include actors Lou Diamond Philipps, Tia Carrere and Mark Dacascos. Overall, the group consists of AAPI elected officials, community leaders, small business owners, activists and artists around the country. “2020 is truly the most critical election of our lifetimes because the choice before us — and the consequences of our choices — could not be more stark. We need to elect a president who will bring leadership back to Washington, who can help re-center our nation’s moral compass, heal our nation’s u PAGE A3

7-day average shot up to 9,881 cases per day, up by nearly 1,000 from the previous week. The rise in cases and deaths, coupled with the public’s growing impatience with the stay-at-home order. Los Angeles County, in particular, has been scramu PAGE A2

CONSTANT REMINDER. A larger than life mural painting of comic Pinoy superhero, Captain Barbel, dons a face mask along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City on Friday, July 24. This is to remind passersby to wear a face mask in the fight against COVID-19. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

RAPPLER co-founder and chief executive officer Maria Ressa on Wednesday, July 22, pleaded not guilty to her fifth tax evasion case before the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC). Ressa was arraigned by Pasig RTC Branch 157 Judge Ana Teresa Cornejo-Tomacruz over her alleged failure to supply correct information to Rappler’s value-added tax (VAT) return for the second quarter of 2015 which amounted to P294,258.58 (US$5963.29). The Rappler CEO said that during the hearing, the charge sheet was asked to be amended by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to include Rappler Holdings Corporation as her co-accused. The timing of the amendment, done just right before her arraignment despite the case being filed two years ago, was questioned by Ressa. “The information or the charge sheet for the criminal charge for the five tax evasion charges was written in such a hasty manner that they forgot to put the u PAGE A2

US donates P14.8M worth of PPE to PH by AJPRESS THE United States recently donated P14.8 million ($300,000) worth of personal protective equipment to the Philippine General Hospital and other coronavirus treatment centers in the Philippines. The U.S. Embassy in Manila said that the donation was made through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It also noted that the latest donation brought the overall U.S. assistance to the Philippines for COVID-19 response efforts to nearly P981 million ($19.8 million). “This delivery of PPE demonstrates our

ongoing commitment to the Philippines to stop COVID-19,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim in a statement on Monday, July 20. “During this month, which began with a commemoration of Philippine-American Friendship Day, we are honored to support our Filipino friends, partners, and allies with the PPE they need to assist communities confronting the pandemic,” he added. The donation’s recipients were determined by a needs assessment based on pandemic infection rates, current PPE supply levels, and projected future needs. Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Pope, director of DTRA’s Cooperative Threat Reduction DTRA and USAID staff met with Philippine General Hospital Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi (left), u PAGE A4

and delivered a donation of more than P3.6 million in PPE (right). Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila

Philippine government suspends Nursing homes to receive $5 billion non-essential outbound travel anew funding, Trump administration says by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MALACAÑANG on Thursday, July 23, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management for Emerging Infectious Diseases has once again suspended nonessential outbound air travel of Filipinos. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, only one travel and health insurance company agreed to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses should a traveler contract the novel u PAGE A3

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be providing $5 billion to nursing homes among other actions to help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration said Wednesday, July 22. The fund is part of the Provider Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “Nursing homes in higher risk OPLAN SITA. Members of the Quezon City Police District in Kamuning Station 10 check the driver’s license of motorists passing along Scout Ybardollaza Street in Quezon City on Tuesday, July 21. areas will be receiving more funding,” President Donald Trump “Oplan Sita” aims to enhance crime prevention by beefing up police visibility in the city. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler said in his coronavirus briefing.

“This money can be used to address critical needs, including the hiring of additional staff, increasing testing and providing technology support so residents can connect to their families.” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said after the briefing that CMS would announce the official mandates in a forthcoming rule. In order to qualify to receive the funding, nursing homes will be required to participate in a “Nursing Home COVID-19 Training” created by CMS in partnership with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), according to the agency. Increased testing will also be required for nursing home personnel in “states with the worst outbreaks,” Trump added. Testing was previously recommended, but not required. Under the new testing requirement, all nursing homes in states that have a 5% positivity rate or higher will be required to test their staff weekly. This comes after HHS and CMS announced last week that all nursing homes would be receiving rapid point-of-care diagnostic devices. u PAGE A4


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.