We've seen multiple days with new record deaths from the virus this week. Social distancing remains essential.
The good news: we *may* have passed the outbreak's peak. That means it's time to start looking ahead to what's next. (thread)
As always, lack of testing makes case numbers difficult to trust -- but hospitalizations are slowing too. On 4/2, they grew by 20%. Growth has been lower ever since.
Today, for example, we saw significantly fewer deaths than yesterday.
We have plenty of evidence from other cities of the nightmare we have avoided -- and what awaits us if we don't stay vigilant.
I'm thrilled to see that already appears to be happening, with Governor Newsom shipping 500 ventilators to New York. politico.com/states/califor…
Like so many crises, this one is the product of decades of disinvestment and institutional racism. latimes.com/california/sto…
But it also increases the already-urgent need for relief for the millions in LA who have been hit financially.
What we need now: urgent action on longterm relief for *all* unemployed Angelenos and public funding to create new, safe jobs.
Hotel rooms are being made available, but not quickly enough.
We have to plan for 20% unemployment at this point. Without major intervention, our city is facing economic tragedy at an unprecedented scale.
This crisis, even after the virus is weakened, requires the most urgent economic mobilization of our lives. That action must be taken now.