The California Dept. of Education State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Governor Gavin Newsom have not ordered but suggested that students may not be able to return to school campuses before the end of the school year.

Glendale Unified School District announced that it will not be reopening schools in its district for the current school year but instead will transition from traditional classrooms to a remote learning model.

GUSD Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian issued the following:

“Thank you for your patience and collaboration as we transition from our traditional classrooms to a remote learning model this week. Our teachers and staff are working collaboratively to share best practices and develop resources to continuously improve our model. We are adding new resources to our Information Hub at www.gusd.net/remotelearning every day and we are working to respond quickly to all questions. You can find answers to frequently asked questions in the Information Hub.

“The Board of Education and our district leadership are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our entire Glendale Unified community. Based on recommendations from state and local health and education authorities, we have made a decision to extend remote learning through the end of the 2019-20 school year.

“We are considering many options for graduations and end-of-year celebrations. We recognize the importance of these momentous life events, especially for our seniors, and we will work closely with our students, staff and families to make these experiences as meaningful as possible for our amazing students.

“Our Nutritional Services Dept. will continue to serve breakfast and lunch for students at our grab-and-go sites Monday-Friday until schools reopen. Find locations and additional information at www.gusd.net/meals.

“We remain committed to ensuring our students maintain continuity of education and our highest-need families receive healthy meals and access to necessities while our schools are closed. We will continue to keep our community informed as we learn new information and appreciate your support and patience as we navigate this unique situation together.”

LA County

In her daily conference update, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Los Angeles County Public Health director, discussed the topic of masks and whether the public should be wearing masks when they are in public areas. She stated the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] is considering new guidelines for wearing a mask.

“Emerging evidence suggests that there may be a significant number of people infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic and capable of spreading the virus to others. New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that we need to think about using universal precautions all the time – assuming that each of us can infect others even when we aren’t sick,” according to a LA County Public Health Dept. statement.

“They don’t feel sick, don’t think they are sick but when tested they end up being positive,” she said.

That means they could have transmitted the disease without being aware of having it. Wearing a mask, like a regular surgical mask, is not something that would prevent the wearer from getting COVID-19 but may help prevent the spread by those who have the disease but are without symptoms.

If someone has tested positive, or is presumed to be positive, he/she needs to self-isolate but also must notify everyone he/she had come in close contact with within 48 hours prior to showing the first symptoms, she said.

The public does not have to use regular surgical masks; it is important to remember that the mask and glove needs of medical staff are priority. The public can wear homemade masks, bandanas or scarves when they go out to public areas, like the grocery store and pharmacies and other areas where there may be other people, but still practice social distancing.

“Our sadness is not diminished by the daily frequency of announced deaths related to COVID-19, and reminds us of our need to work together to protect each other,” said Ferrer. “The hard truth is we have some difficult days ahead as we work tirelessly to flatten the curve of this horrible virus. Though the end may not be as close as we’d like, if we all continue to do our part to slow the spread by staying home, social distancing, self-isolating when we are positive or presumed positive, and self-quarantining if we are [in] close contact of a positive case, we will  get to the end of the COVID-19 crisis more quickly, together.”

As of noon on April 1, 3,518 cases of COVID-19 were reported in LA County with 65 deaths. As of April 1, 733 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. The City of Glendale has 86 cases, La Cañada Flintridge has eight, Eagle Rock has 11, Sunland has eight and Tujunga has five.

Verdugo Hills Hospital

There are four patients with confirmed COVID-19 who are currently in the hospital; 13 have been sent home and nine were transferred. Of the number of patients with negative COVID-19 tests, 14 are currently in the hospital, 92 have been sent home and one was transported. Of the number of patients with pending COVID-19 tests, five are currently in the hospital and three were sent home.

Train Operator at Port of Los Angeles Charged with Derailing Locomotive Near U.S. Navy’s Hospital Ship Mercy

 A train engineer at the Port of Los Angeles was arrested this morning on federal charges for allegedly running a locomotive at full speed off the end of rail tracks near the USNS Mercy.

Eduardo Moreno, 44, of San Pedro, was charged today in a criminal complaint with one count of train wrecking as a result of an incident Tuesday afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint filed in United States District Court, Moreno admitted in two separate interviews with law enforcement authorities that he intentionally derailed and crashed the train near the Mercy.

Moreno ran the train off the end of tracks and crashed through a series of barriers before coming to rest more than 250 yards from the Mercy. No one was injured in the incident, and the Mercy was not harmed or damaged in any way. The incident did result in the train leaking a substantial amount of fuel oil, which required clean up by fire and other hazardous materials personnel.

The train crash was witnessed by a California Highway Patrol officer who took Moreno into custody as he fled the scene. The Los Angeles Port Police then took custody of Moreno, conducted an interview and obtained permission to search his residence. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Port of Los Angeles Police are now leading the investigation.

The CHP officer who witnessed the crash reported seeing “the train smash into a concrete barrier at the end of the track, smash into a steel barrier, smash into a chain-link fence, slide through a parking lot, slide across another lot filled with gravel, and smash into a second chain-link fence,” according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint. When the CHP officer contacted Moreno, he made a series of spontaneous statements, including, “You only get this chance once. The whole world is watching. I had to. People don’t know what’s going on here. Now they will.”

In his first interview with the Los Angeles Port Police, Moreno acknowledged that he “did it,” saying that he was suspicious of the Mercy and believed it had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19 or a government takeover, the affidavit states. Moreno stated that he acted alone and had not pre-planned the attempted attack. While admitting to intentionally derailing and crashing the train, he said he knew it would bring media attention and “people could see for themselves,” referring to the Mercy, according to the affidavit.

In a second interview with FBI agents, Moreno stated that “he did it out of the desire to ‘wake people up,’” according to the affidavit. “Moreno stated that he thought that the USNS Mercy was suspicious and did not believe ‘the ship is what they say it’s for.’”

The Los Angeles Port Police reviewed video recorded from the locomotive’s cab, according to the affidavit. One video shows the train clearly moving at a high rate of speed before crashing through various barriers and coming into close proximity to three occupied vehicles. A second video shows Moreno in the cab holding a lighted flare.

Moreno was held overnight on local charges, and he was turned over to FBI agents this morning. Moreno is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The train wrecking charge alleged in the criminal complaint carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center

Dignity Health-Glendale Memorial is currently offering a free virtual care service, Virtual Care Anywhere, for anyone in our community experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19, such as low-grade fever, a cough, or shortness of breath. The service is a safe and convenient way for medical professionals to evaluate patients virtually, while avoiding interactions with others and ensuring they receive the appropriate level of care in the right setting.

To use the service, visit dignityhealth.org/virtualcareanywhere, download the Virtual Care Anywhere app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or call (855) 356-8053 and use the coupon code COVID19. The service has a $35 fee, which will be waived for any patient who thinks they may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. After requesting a virtual care visit, a provider will contact the patient, typically within 30 minutes, although high demand may result in longer wait times.

Additionally, Glendale Memorial Hospital is accepting donations of new supplies for use by hospital physicians and staff, including Personal Protective Equipment (i.e. N95 masks, face shields, gloves, gowns). The hospital would also appreciate donations of hand sanitizers or disinfectant wipes. Please note, handmade masks are not being accepted at this time. Those who would like to make a charitable donation to support the work of Glendale Memorial can visit www.supportglendale.org for more information.