VOL . LVI NO. 19
MAY 8, 2020
IN THIS ISSUE
National Nurses Day was celebrated in the City on May 6 5
THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD FOR BEVERLY HILLS
BHCOURIER .COM
Beverly Hills Retailers Prepare to Reopen for Business BY L AUR A COLEMAN
A Mother’s Day Brunch that is “Quicker than Quick” 8
REGISTER TO RECEIVE
In a much anticipated press conference on May 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced detailed guidelines for how some businesses could begin to reopen with modifications as early as Friday, May 8. “At the end of the day, these are meaningful modifications (to the Stay at Home order),” he said, underscoring that the decision came in response to a flattening of the curve related to COVID-19 infections. “The guidelines we’re focused on today are extending opportunities in the retail sector,
the manufacturing sector and the logistics sector, all with adaptations, all with modifications, but all with an eye on turning the page and moving into a new phase in terms of our economic recovery.” The majority of businesses poised to reopen, including toy stores, florists, book stores, music stores, clothing stores, sporting goods stores and car dealership showrooms, will only open initially for curbside pick-up. To facilitate curbside pick-up in Beverly Hills, the City plans to convert parking
meters to free five-minute customer loading meters exactly as it has done for restaurants and pharmacies that remain open during this time. “Rodeo Drive looks forward to welcoming clients to our curbsides for contactless pick-ups,” Rodeo Drive Committee Vice President and manager of Valentino Kathy Gohari told the Courier. “We hope this leads our community in the right direction towards post-COVID business revitalization. (Retailers continues on page 10)
Clothing retailers along Rodeo Drive are among the places that can reopen with modifications including curbside pickup starting on Friday.
IMPORTANT NEWS AND HEADLINES BY EMAILING NEWSALERTS@BHCOURIER.COM News 4
Local Nursing Homes Face Challenges
The Scene at Home 6
BY BIANCA HEY WARD
Food & Wine 8
According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 4.2 percent of the population is living in nursing homes, congregate care, assisted living and board-and-care homes. In California, more than 400,000 people are cared for in licensed long-term care facilities every year. There are roughly 400 nursing homes in Los Angeles County. Of those 400, 153 facilities currently have confirmed COVID-19 cases amongst their healthcare worker or resident populations. The data, which is released and updated daily by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), includes the cumulative number of confirmed cases and deaths associated with COVID-19 for both healthcare workers and residents in skilled nursing facilities. The state requires all skilled nursing facilities to report their data. Some 87 percent have done so, while 13 percent have not. The CDPH thus warns that the count is not comprehensive.
Community 9 Birthdays and Fun & Games 1 6 -1 7 o n l i n e Classifieds 14
THE WEATHER, BEVERLY HILLS
Friday
82° | 61°
Saturday
79° | 60°
Sunday
75° | 58°
Monday
71° | 56°
Tuesday
68° | 56°
Wednesday
69° | 56°
Thursday
73° | 58°
SINCE 1965
As of May 6, California has reported 2,254 COVID-19 deaths, 763 of them in a nursing home, accounting for 33.85 percent of the state’s death toll. Nursing homes constitute 34.76 percent of the COVID-19 infected populous. The grim statistics have made nursing homes a point of contention as the virus continues to claim the lives of the vulnerable senior population, already in the higher risk age group. Los Angeles County reports that 425 residents of institutional settings, such as skilled nursing homes, have died of COVID-19, accounting for roughly 45 percent of the County’s death toll from the pandemic. The Courier has reviewed data filed by state and local health departments, which reveals that some 23 deaths have occurred in 16 facilities in the area bordering or close to Beverly Hills. (Nursing Homes continues on page 7)
Divorce During COVID-19 in Beverly Hills BY ANA FIGUEROA
The breakup of a family is trying under normal circumstances. But, these are no ordinary times. In an era of Stay at Home orders, social distancing and business shutdowns, child custody, support orders and property division are taking on added complexity. The Courier spoke with two prominent local family lawyers about the unique issues wrought by COVID-19. Initial Custody Conflicts “When the Stay at Home orders first took effect, several of our clients encountered disagreements about what rules should be in place in the children’s respective homes. Certain clients wanted to change the existing custody arrangements, (Divorce continues on page 10)
$145 PER YE AR — $ 3.00 PER COPY