COVID-19

Coronavirus Scams 1024 1024 SIB Staff

Coronavirus Scams

There are unscrupulous persons out there who are taking advantage of the Coronavirus nationwide circumstances. Please prepare & protect yourself and your family, but don’t panic. The Department is aware there are a few scams out there, please read the information below to avoid becoming a victim. At this time, our Department is not aware of any local cases. We are, however, monitoring COVID-19 and making sure the public is aware of these scams. 

DO NOT click on phishing emails, links, or attachments you don’t recognize; hackers maybe be able to access your personal information if you click, open, or log in to a fake page. You may receive emails from fraudulent accounts impersonating official websites or Doctors. For example, an email will come from @CDC-GOV.ORG vs. the official email sender of @CDC.GOV. Make sure you hover over the link to verify the URL & domain name (Uniform Resource Locator).  

IGNORE fraudulent online offers claiming they are selling COVID-19 knockoff products, cures or treatments. At this time, per CDC, there is no vaccine for Coronavirus. There are scammers claiming they are selling the “N95” respirator face masks vs. regular surgical masks, or hand sanitizer that is 60% alcohol. Please purchase from businesses you trust. 

BE AWARE of fraudulent fundraising campaigns or donation requests for cash, gift cards, and credit cards. There are scammers seeking contributions via emails or going door to door. At this time, CDC is not sending persons door to door for cash or soliciting donations through bitcoin or PayPal.

PRICE GOUGING California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a price gouging alert due to State of Emergency. 

To get information, resources, and updates from official Departments, please visit www.CDC.gov or https://www.cdph.ca.gov . For local Los Angeles County information please visit the local webpage at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/. If you believe you have been scammed, contact your bank and/or credit card company immediately and report it to your local law enforcement. If you think there is a situation where a business may be charging excessively, please file a complaint through the website at https://www.oag.ca.gov/ or call 800-952-5225.

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Coronavirus Update 800 170 SIB Staff

Coronavirus Update

LASD CUSTODY OPERATIONS WORKING WITH DPH AND CHS TO PREPARE FOR 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

As 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world and new cases are being reported throughout the United States, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Custody Services Division (LASD) has been working diligently with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services – Correctional Health Services (CHS) and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) to prepare.

Although we do not currently have any inmates in our custody who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, LASD and CHS continue to follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to assess and monitor inmates in our custody, as well as newly arriving inmates, for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and will arrange for quarantine as necessary. 

If an inmate meets the criteria of a suspected coronavirus patient, the inmate will be placed in isolation and staff will follow proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines. A surgical mask will be placed on the inmate patient who will be isolated in separate housing, away from general population housing.  If that inmate is confirmed to have COVID-19, they will be re-housed in the medical ward of the jail.  Proper PPE procedures for Department members and staff include safety eye goggles, an N-95 mask, disposable gloves, and a disposable gown.

Currently, Inmates who are scheduled to be released from custody will not be impacted; however, if the county jail system begins to see cases of COVID-19 within its housing locations, those housed in quarantined areas will go through a release protocol monitored by the Department of Public Health.  The Department of Public Health will additionally monitor them after their release from custody.  

The Department is working with the Superior Court of California-County of Los Angeles on a plan to minimize the impact on court proceedings for those who are quarantined if such need occurs.  Inmates will still have access to contact their attorneys.

Monitoring and potential quarantine procedures will remain in place until CHS and DPH officials determine it is safe to return to normal operations. 

To identify if your loved one is housed in a quarantined area, please visit the www.lasd.org and schedule a visit with your loved one.  If a pop-up message is displayed that your loved one is in an affected area, he/she is under observation (quarantine) until further notice. 

—— Information about COVID-19 ——

According to the Department of Public Health, COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by a virus.  Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The virus is spread through respiratory droplets produced through coughing and sneezing, close personal contact with an infected person, and on rare occasions from infected objects or surfaces.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit:  http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/#

Sheriff’s Statement on Declared Local Health Emergency 680 380 SIB Staff

Sheriff’s Statement on Declared Local Health Emergency

Sheriff’s Statement on Declared Local Health Emergency

LASD Executive Coronavirus Briefing and Planning Meeting

On March 11, 2020, Sheriff Villanueva and the Department's executive team met at the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center to discuss the Department's response to, and plan for, the potential spread of Covid-19 through the County of Los Angeles. The executive team toured the Emergency Operations Center and was briefed by the Department's tactical planning experts which are assigned to the Emergency Operations Bureau. Response readiness plans as well as equipment and resource needs were discussed in an effort to better prepare the Sheriff's Department to respond to any request if needed. Currently the Sheriff's Department is working with the County of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Health Services, the Correctional Health Services unit, and various other County/City agencies to ensure we are all ready for a county-wide response.To read more, please visit: https://lasd.org/sheriff-statement-corona-virus/ or https://lasd.org/coronavirus-update/, and http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/#

Posted by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Earlier today the Board of Supervisors declared a local public health emergency in the County of Los Angeles, in response to the novel coronavirus.  Although this declaration is precautionary, I want to assure the residents of this great county your Sheriff’s Department is prepared to keep residents safe.

The Sheriff’s Operation Center is staffed 24 hours a day with personnel continuously and vigilantly monitoring the needs for resources across Los Angeles County.  Our Emergency Operations Bureau is co-located and in constant communication with the County of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management to ensure we are ready for a county-wide response, if needed. 

We are collaborating with personnel from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Correctional Health Services unit, to ensure adequate resources are available to respond to any potential outbreak, not only for the public, but for those incarcerated in our jail system, as well. 

I want to assure the public we will do everything in our power to keep our residents safe. But it doesn’t just stop there; I urge you to take precautionary measures, to help ensure your own safety.

The Department of Public Health recommends the following to protect ourselves against respiratory illnesses:

  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds at a time,with soap and water. Do this especially after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Limit close contact, like kissing and sharing cups or utensils, with people who are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular, household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands.
  • Face masks are most effective when used appropriately by health care workers and people who are sick.
  • Get immunized to prevent influenza, if you have not already done so this season.

As the Department of Public Health mentioned, please continue to offer welcoming environments for ALL members of our community.  Neither the California State Public Health Department nor Los Angeles County Public Health recommend that any regularly-scheduled events be canceled due to novel corona virus.  There is no community spread of the novel corona virus in the United States at this time, and the risk to the general public remains low.