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Morning Brief: Fully Reopening California, Remembering A Beloved Tongva Elder, And Where To Find Thousand Layer Pancakes
Masked shoppers walk through downtown L.A.'s Chinatown. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
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Good morning, L.A. It’s April 7.
In a press conference yesterday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he expects the state to eliminate the color-coded tier system and “start to open up as business as usual” on June 15.
A key metric in the decision is the 20 million total vaccine doses that have already been administered in California.
State officials have used the color-coded tier system to reopen gradually since August of 2020. Introduced as part of officials’ Blueprint for a Safer Economy. the system uses four tiers — purple, red, orange and yellow — to determine which businesses and public spaces can open, and at what capacity.
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L.A. moved from the most restrictive purple tier to the second-most restrictive red tier in mid-March, and from the red tier to the less restrictive orange tier this week.
By the end of April, Newsom anticipates that over 30 million people will have received at least one dose of the vaccine. By June 15, officials believe that every Californian who wants a vaccine will have had the opportunity to get not just one, but both doses.
“This is a big day,” Newsom said. “We are seeing bright light at the end of the tunnel.”
Included in the state’s plan to return to “business as usual” is the expectation that all schools in the state will fully reopen by mid-June, including colleges and K-12 classrooms. Currently, LAUSD plans to begin reopening classrooms over the course of the month of April, joining the majority of other districts in the county.
Newsom was clear in yesterday's announcement that masks will still be required on June 15 and beyond, and that the state is not completely out of the woods.
“It is incumbent upon all of us not to announce, ‘mission accomplished,’ not to put down our guard, but to continue that vigilance that got us where we are today,” he said.
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
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What Else You Need To Know Today
- A KPCC/LAist investigation examines how ReNew Health, a nursing home chain, and the state-run system designed to regulate it, failed California's most vulnerable.
- LAUSD is offering a child care subsidy to employees with young children as schools reopen.
- More than a year after he was convicted of two felony sex crimes, Harvey Weinstein has appealed his verdict, arguing that his trial wasn’t fair.
- When Disneyland and California Adventure reopen on April 30, guests will need a reservation to get in.
- Julia Bogany, a revered Tongva elder and cultural ambassador, has died at the age of 72.
Before You Go … The Thousand Layer Pancake Of Your Dreams
Vivian Ku is the chef and restauranteur behind Joy in Highland Park and Pine and Crane in Silver Lake. (Photo by Emily Henderson/ LAist)
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L.A. is a city that loves its street food. Tostadas de ceviche. Bacon-wrapped elote dogs. Tijuana-style tacos. And thousand layer pancakes.
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A popular snack in Taiwan, thousand layer pancakes, or cong zhua bing, are also the specialty at Highland Park’s Joy. The restaurant recently reopened for service seven days a week, and brought back its full menu.
Owner Vivian Ku of Silver Lake's Pine and Crane describes Taiwanese food as a blend of influences from Japan, China and groups indigenous to the nearly 14,000-square-mile island. Her family's roots reflect that mix.
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