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Go to SanGabrielSun.com for San Gabriel Specific News M O N D AY, M A R C H 23 - M A R C H 29, 2020
V O L U M E 9, N O. 12
40 MILLION CALIFORNIANS ORDERED TO STAY AT HOME Unprecedented measures close nonessential businesses
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BY TERRY MILLER
he governor of California and local mayors, including Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek who just returned from Africa, held separate press conferences Thursday evening to address the COVID-19 crisis that has enveloped our nation and the rest of the world. The new order(s) which were quickly adopted by New York state Friday morning involve a wide range of harsh restrictions and laws which took effect at midnight Thursday, March 20. Los Angeles County currently has has 231 cases of COVID-19, including two deaths. Los Angeles County and city health officials Thursday ordered sweeping new restrictions asking nonessential businesses to close and residents to stay at home as much as possible to help contain the coronavirus, COVID-19. The “Safer at Home” order from L.A. County calls for nonessential businesses to cease operations that require workers to be present in person. A Los Angeles County sheriff’s official said on Twitter that the department did not plan on making arrests to enforce stay-at-home orders. Governor Newsom did, however, say that the state would be “more aggressively” policing xenophobic attacks against the Asian community. “We are better than that,” he said.
The governor was referring to attacks blaming people of Chinese descent for bringing this virus to the states. In fact, the president Thursday used a Sharpie to delete the word “corona” and replaced it with “Chinese” on his press confer-
Corona Lawyer Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison Found with unregistered firearms, silencers and hand grenade A California lawyer and former Rialto Police officer was sentenced this afternoon to 24 months in federal prison for possessing unregistered firearms, silencers and a hand grenade inside his pickup truck during a law enforcement stop. Sergio Lopez de Tirado, 44, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District
Judge Fernando M. Olguin after he pleaded guilty in April 2019 to one count of possession of unregistered firearms and a destructive device. On December 21, 2018, law enforcement found Lopez de Tirado asleep and
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ence script. The image was captured by an eagle-eyed New York Times photographer. Residents should stay at home when not participating in essential activities like shopping for food, hardware supplies and
Two San Gabriel Valley Residents Arrested in Marriage Fraud Scheme As part of a multistate investigation, two San Gabriel Valley residents were arrested this morning on federal charges that allege they orchestrated a scheme in which Chinese nationals paid up to $60,000 to enter into sham marriages with United States citizens in the hope of obtaining lawful permanent resident status – commonly called getting a “Green Card” – that would
allow them to legally reside in the United States. In addition to the two Los Angeles-area residents, special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested two Chinese nationals who each paid tens of thousands of dollars to enter into sham marriages with United States
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medication. Gatherings should not be held beyond people inside a single home. “The only time you should leave your home is for essential activities and needs,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. The L.A. county order took effect Thursday at midnight for most and Friday at 11:59 p.m. for workers in businesses. It will last through April 19, potentially longer. However, the stay-at-home order issued by the governor will remain in place until further notice. LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer said the order includes: CLOSED/PROHIBITED: • All public and private group events and gatherings of 10 or more people are prohibited anywhere in LA County. Smaller groups can gather if the organizer can guarantee social distancing of six feet and access to hand-washing or hand sanitizer. • Indoor malls, indoor shopping centers and nonessential retail businesses must close. • Indoor and outdoor playgrounds for children, except those at a child care center, must close. EXCEPTIONS: These businesses and services will be allowed to continue. However, they must continue to practice social distancing and other protective measures. • Grocery stores, supermarkets, food banks, farmer markets, schools and child care centers.
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L.A. COUNTY CONFIRMS SECOND CORONAVIRUS RELATED DEATH On Thursday, Los Angeles County public health officials confirmed that a second person in the county has died from coronavirus. The person was between 30 and 50 years old and lived in a “small community” near Pasadena and had underlying health conditions, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, head of
the county Department of Public Health. As of Thursday afternoon, L.A. county had 40 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 231 cases. County officials also said that drive-through testing has increased in the county and issued a plea for blood donations as there is a critical shortage.