Every year, same-level slips and falls send five million people to the emergency room with sprains, strains, bruises and breaks. Thats almost one a minute every single day. With numbers like these, its no wonder that most facilities view payouts from slip and fall claims as an inevitable cost of doing business.

And its a major expense. Consider these figures from insurance provider Zurich North America:

For every $1 in direct costs, the company estimates $3 of indirect, uninsured costs that can add another $54,000 to a workers comp claim and $31,000 to a general liability claim.

But there is an upside. Combining the right products with best practices can put an end to slips and falls. The key is finding and mitigating your facilitys Risk Zones.

A Risk Zone is any area where slips and falls occur because of the following factors:

In 2017, a New Pig Corporation safety survey found that 70% of facility managers outsourced responsibility for safe walking surfaces to their rental mat or cleaning service. The problem with this approach is that vendors dont bear the risk or pay the claims. Thats why its up to you to take control of your Risk Zones.

These five steps will help you get started:

Read this article:
5 Steps To Eliminating Slips And Falls - Facility Executive Magazine

EDMONDS Nicer weather has led to more people parking on Sunset Avenue north of the ferry terminal and walking along the street for the waterfront views. That foot traffic pushes walkers who want to keep six feet from others off the sidewalk onto the one-way road, and into harms way.

Mirroring similar closures in Seattle and Everett, the city of Edmonds on Friday indefinitely restricted access for non-residential traffic and parking on Sunset Avenue North. Fewer cars on the road will give pedestrians more room to see the waterfront and maintain social distancing, city spokeswoman Jamie Holter said. With some walkers on cellphones and not paying attention to oncoming cars, it was only a matter of a time before there was an accident, she said.

There was just a lot of conflict between the people who were walking around the (parked) cars and the people who were on the road, Holter said. This is sort of the direction that some places are going because we know people need to get out and get around. This gives them another space to go. Its hard to find space to walk, especially for the older folks.

The Sunset Avenue closure comes while the city of Seattle plans on closing up to 15 miles of streets to non-local traffic to provide more space for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Seattle program is starting with 2.5 miles of roads in the Central District and West Seattle, and then expanding throughout the city.

We hope the effort keeps people moving and enjoying the spring weather during this tough time, said Seattle Department of Transportation Director Sam Zimbabwe.

While parking lots, bathrooms and other facilities at parks across the state are closed, trails and walkways remain open. With nowhere to park, visitors are leaving their cars along nearby roads.

In Everett, the city closed a road near Howarth Park.

The stretch of Olympic Boulevard between Havens Road and Ridgemont Drive is now restricted because of parking and garbage issues, city spokeswoman Kimberly Cline said in an email.

Our parks director noted that nice weather has drawn a few crowds, but overall people seem to be enjoying the parks as requested during this time, she said. We want people to be able to get fresh air and exercise in city parks but to also follow the states stay-home, stay-healthy guidelines.

That includes not blocking park gates with your vehicle and packing out your garbage.

In Mukilteo, Mayor Jennifer Gregerson looked into road closures around areas like Lighthouse Park to prevent congestion but hasnt taken any steps to do so, she said.

People have been good about not crowding when they walk to the waterfront, she said in an email. When people see concerns, they have also quickly been notifying our police so we can do education on the physical distancing rules.

In Edmonds, the police department wont be enforcing the Sunset Avenue closure, Holter said. Rather, officers will ask drivers not to park along the road and educate them on social distancing.

We hope the people of Edmonds will see what were doing and maybe do a little bit of self policing, she said.

Public feedback has mostly been positive, Holter said.

Some opposition comes from physically disabled people and the elderly, who arent comfortable parking and walking from nearby streets such as Edmonds Way and Bell Street, she said.

The decision is also intended to discourage people from driving down to the waterfront to see the views.

It goes back to, If you have to take the car, its too far, she said.

Joey Thompson: 425-339-3449; jthompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @byjoeythompson.

Gallery

The city of Edmonds closed Sunset Avenue North to non-residential traffic, starting last Friday, because congestion was creating a hazardous situation for pedestrians. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

The city of Edmonds closed Sunset Avenue North to non-residential traffic, starting last Friday, because congestion was creating a hazardous situation for pedestrians. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

See original here:
Edmonds waterfront road closed to make room for walkers - The Daily Herald

Southern Californians can still walk, hike and bike outdoors without violating Gov. Gavin Newsoms stay-at-home order. But public officials urge residents to stay home as much as possible and wear masks when they go out.

After closing all parks to visitors on Easter Sunday, Los Angeles city officials reopened them Monday with many restrictions still in place. County officials took similar steps at many community parks, regional parks, lakes and botanic gardens.

Local, state and federal agencies continue to enforce closures or severely limited access at hundreds of beaches, parks, trails and forests, all phased in since early March.

As these closures have multiplied, traffic has thinned on Southern Californias freeways and the areas residential streets and sidewalks have seen a surge in walkers, most of them now masked.

That surge in turn prompted community groups to press for greater distancing in neighborhood walks informally limiting the public stairwells of Los Feliz to one pedestrian at a time, for instance.

Los Angeles Countys beaches, piers, beach bike paths, beach access points, public trails and trailheads are closed through May 15 under the countys current Safer at Home order. That order covers beaches in every coastal city and unincorporated area of the county. The city of Los Angeles closed its hiking trails as well.

Stay at home, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has said. Go for a walk around the block if you need to get out.

On Wednesday, pandemic measures disrupted another California spring ritual: the opening of trout season along the rivers and lakes of the Eastern Sierra.

The opener (a.k.a Fishmas among anglers) was set for April 25. But in a remote meeting on Wednesday the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously give Fish and Wildlife Department director Charlton Bonham emergency powers to suspend, delay or restrict recreational fishing in specific areas until May 31.

Many anglers called in to object to the proposal. But local leaders in Inyo, Mono and Alpine counties, wary of an influx of visitors during the pandemic, supported it and urged a delay of the fishing season.

No one wants to be the grinch who postponed Fishmas, said Stacy Corless, a Mono County Supervisor who supported the measure. The decision goes next to the state Office of Administrative Law for review. Formal action by Bonham to delay the season is expected after that.

Heres an update on whats happening where. If you do go outside for a walk, remember these tips for keeping safe. Local and state officials stress the need to take greater care in maintaining a social distance of at least six feet from others.

1/72

Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

2/72

A man gets some exercise on Santa Monica Beach, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

3/72

A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street on Saturday morning in Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

4/72

Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

5/72

A metro bus driver wears a face mask while driving the route along Soto Street, Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

6/72

UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responders vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

7/72

Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood with a protective face covering against the coronavirus. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

8/72

Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each at 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

9/72

A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park on Saturday in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

10/72

Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USCs Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

11/72

Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

12/72

After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

13/72

An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

14/72

Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

15/72

As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

16/72

People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

17/72

The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for health care workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

18/72

Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors now is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

19/72

Pascacio DaVinci uses two campers as housing and storage for his artwork. He has been a street vendor in South L.A. for more than 20 years. If its my time to die, its my time to die, he said. Mask or no mask, it wont matter. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

20/72

Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

21/72

A man drops off his self-administered coronavirus test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

22/72

A mural and quote by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

23/72

A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

24/72

Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

25/72

Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

26/72

Anthony Antonio, left, buys a mask along Prairie Avenue in Hawthorne. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

27/72

A man wearing a mask walks along Anaheim Street in Long Beach. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced an order requiring all residents to wear a face covering when visiting the majority of essential businesses, in hopes that it will protect workers and slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

28/72

A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

29/72

LAPD clears people from using the skate park at Venice Beach during the coronavirus stay-at-home order in Venice Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

30/72

The sun sets as a lonely figure cycling up the 1st Street bridge toward Boyle Heights. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

31/72

Matthew Huff, left, who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and works as a personal trainer and rideshare driver, works out with his friend Cuauhtli, last name not given, at a park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

32/72

Wearing gloves and a mask, Robyn Freeman of Orange County prays after taking Communion on Sunday at the Godspeak Calvary Church in Newbury Park. Communion was given at the church using social distancing and other precautions. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)

33/72

McDonalds employees and supporters strike outside a McDonalds in Crenshaw demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

34/72

A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonalds employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

35/72

June Gilmore, of Laguna Woods, uses a loud speaker and sign as her husband, Brian Gilmore, honks his horn while joining mostly Laguna Woods seniors protesting after learning nearby Ayres Hotel will be used to treat homeless COVID-19 patients. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

36/72

Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, Were All in This Together, while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

37/72

On Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz, Greg Barris, in cowboy hat, picks up fresh produce he ordered through County Line Harvest, a local vegetable farm. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

38/72

Chantael Duke, 32, sits on the steps off of Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. She lost her two jobs due to coronavirus closures. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

39/72

Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

40/72

Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group."Its hard. My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio, Grace said. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

41/72

A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

42/72

A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

43/72

A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

44/72

A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

See more here:
As of April 15: What's open and closed among beaches, parks and trails in Southern California - Los Angeles Times

Southern Californians can still walk, hike and bike outdoors without violating Gov. Gavin Newsoms stay-at-home order. But public officials urge residents to stay home as much as possible and wear masks when they go out.

Local, state and federal agencies continue to enforce closures or severely limited access at hundreds of beaches, parks, trails and forests, all phased in since early March. Yet as the measures move into their second month of enforcement, differences in government policies and enforcement have become more apparent.

Ventura County on Saturday allowed the reopening of golf courses and bike shops among various modifications to the its Stay Well At Home order. That order, which continues to close campgrounds, gyms, swimming pools and many other facilities, is effective through May 15.

The Ventura County city of Port Hueneme, experimenting with a soft reopening, has reopened its beach (and a parking lot) to walking, running, biking and solo surfing and paddle-boarding. Its pier, restrooms, playground and street parking remain closed, and the city says it is highly discouraging people from sunbathing, sitting or bringing any item that promotes a stationary presence.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Countys tennis courts, beaches, piers, beach bike paths, beach access points, public trails and trailheads are closed through May 15 under the countys current Safer at Home order. That order covers beaches in every coastal city and unincorporated area of the county.

The National Park Service has closed Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks. Meanwhile its federal cousin the Bureau of Land Management has left open much of Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, where dune buggies and dirt bikes continue to roar and leap. A BLM spokeswoman estimated 9,000 visitors there during the last week.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN that its difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands any time soon and said it was unlikely the city would allow any large events in 2020.

Also Wednesday, the state Fish and Game Commission took a key step toward postponing trout-fishing season. In giving the state Fish and Wildlife Department director authority to suspend, delay or restrict recreational fishing in specific areas until May 31, the group made it all but certain that the scheduled April 25 trout season opener (Fishmas in angler slang) will not take place in the lakes and rivers of the Eastern Sierra.

Heres an update on whats happening where. If you do go outside for a walk, remember these tips for keeping safe. Local and state officials stress the need to take greater care in maintaining a social distance of at least six feet from others.

1/72

Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

2/72

A man gets some exercise on Santa Monica Beach, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

3/72

A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street on Saturday morning in Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

4/72

Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

5/72

A metro bus driver wears a face mask while driving the route along Soto Street, Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

6/72

UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responders vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

7/72

Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood with a protective face covering against the coronavirus. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

8/72

Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each at 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

9/72

A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park on Saturday in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

10/72

Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USCs Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

11/72

Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

12/72

After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

13/72

An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

14/72

Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

15/72

As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

16/72

People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

17/72

The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for health care workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

18/72

Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors now is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

19/72

Pascacio DaVinci uses two campers as housing and storage for his artwork. He has been a street vendor in South L.A. for more than 20 years. If its my time to die, its my time to die, he said. Mask or no mask, it wont matter. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

20/72

Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

21/72

A man drops off his self-administered coronavirus test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

22/72

A mural and quote by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

23/72

A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

24/72

Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

25/72

Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

26/72

Anthony Antonio, left, buys a mask along Prairie Avenue in Hawthorne. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

27/72

A man wearing a mask walks along Anaheim Street in Long Beach. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced an order requiring all residents to wear a face covering when visiting the majority of essential businesses, in hopes that it will protect workers and slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

28/72

A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

29/72

LAPD clears people from using the skate park at Venice Beach during the coronavirus stay-at-home order in Venice Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

30/72

The sun sets as a lonely figure cycling up the 1st Street bridge toward Boyle Heights. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

31/72

Matthew Huff, left, who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and works as a personal trainer and rideshare driver, works out with his friend Cuauhtli, last name not given, at a park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

32/72

Wearing gloves and a mask, Robyn Freeman of Orange County prays after taking Communion on Sunday at the Godspeak Calvary Church in Newbury Park. Communion was given at the church using social distancing and other precautions. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)

33/72

McDonalds employees and supporters strike outside a McDonalds in Crenshaw demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

34/72

A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonalds employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

35/72

June Gilmore, of Laguna Woods, uses a loud speaker and sign as her husband, Brian Gilmore, honks his horn while joining mostly Laguna Woods seniors protesting after learning nearby Ayres Hotel will be used to treat homeless COVID-19 patients. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

36/72

Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, Were All in This Together, while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

37/72

On Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz, Greg Barris, in cowboy hat, picks up fresh produce he ordered through County Line Harvest, a local vegetable farm. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

38/72

Chantael Duke, 32, sits on the steps off of Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. She lost her two jobs due to coronavirus closures. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

39/72

Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

40/72

Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group."Its hard. My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio, Grace said. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

41/72

A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

42/72

A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

43/72

A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

44/72

A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

45/72

Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for the family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

46/72

Read this article:
As of April 17: What's open and closed among beaches, parks and trails in Southern California - Los Angeles Times

The Apartments At Metro Centre arethe next level in modern living. Located at Metro Centre in Owings Mills, this apartment building offers 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments just steps from the Owings Mills Metro Station. Enjoy contemporary and convenient features in every unit, plus a wealth of community amenities - including a two-level club room, rooftop reflection pool and lounge, and fitness center with adjoining yoga room. In the heart of the Owings Mills Metro Centre, a Transit-Oriented Development just 15 minutes from Baltimore, Metro Crossing is surrounded by all you need to live, work, and play in one place. With a variety of shops, restaurants, office space, and community events, Metro Centre offers a walkable, bikeable neighborhood with all the excitement of city living. We are running a great special with reduced application fees to only $10.00, also if you apply April 30, 2020 and move in May 31, 2020 you will receive $500.00 off your first month's rent!

WE OFFER:

Free garage parking

Pet-friendly apartments

Dog Park

Electric car charging stations

Bike racks

At Metro Crossing we have wonderful amenities such as;

Rooftop deck with pergola, infinity pool, grill, fireplace, outdoor couches, dining tables, and lounge seating

Two-story clubroom with player piano, multi-media center, billiards, lounge seating, fireplace, and free wifi at Metro Crossing.

Fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, access to fitness consultation, and yoga room

Grand lobby with mailroom, smart TV, lounge seating with fireplace, and free wifi

At The Met we offer some mutual but great alternative amenities such as;

Outdoor Pool, theater room, party room, yoga room, computer/gallery with free wifi and fitness center at The Met.

Catering kitchen

Conference Room

Metro/Bus lines

24-hour maintenance

Elevator convenience

Online service requests

On-site management

Controlled access entry

Convenient back entrance loading zone

Package lockers through LuxerOne

CCBC satellite campus and largest branch of Baltimore County Public Library in community

Retail shops and restaurants

Minutes from Stevenson University, T. Rowe Price, CareFirst and other major employers

Modern kitchens with quartz countertops

Quartz islands with bar seating

Contemporary wood cabinets

Stainless steel Energy Star appliances

Full-size Energy Star washers and dryers

Walk-in closets

Juliette balconies (Metro Crossing)

Unique sliding barn-style doors (in some floor plans)

Floor-to-ceiling windows

Wood grain flooring

Premium carpet in bedrooms

Linen porcelain tile and quartz vanity tops in bathrooms

Modern track lighting and designer fixtures

9' ceilings

Gas furnaces

Electronic deadbolts

Trash chutes & recycling on every floor

Extra storage available

iButton key entry system

Spotlight lighting above entry doors

Beautiful paved exterior walkways

Call us today at 410-363-3309 to schedule your virtual tour!

Excerpt from:
Beautiful Modern Apartments Minutes Away From Retail And Shopping - Owings Mills, MD - Patch.com

Southern Californians can still walk, hike and bike outdoors without violating Gov. Gavin Newsoms stay-at-home order. But public officials urge residents to stay home as much as possible and wear masks when they go out.

Local, state and federal agencies continue to enforce closures or severely limited access at hundreds of beaches, parks, trails and forests, all phased in since early March. Yet as the measures move into their second month of enforcement, differences in government policies and enforcement have become more apparent.

Ventura County on Saturday allowed the reopening of golf courses and bike shops among various modifications to its Stay Well at Home order. That order, which continues to close campgrounds, gyms, swimming pools and many other facilities, is effective through May 15.

The Ventura County city of Port Hueneme, experimenting with a soft reopening, has reopened its beach (and a parking lot) to walking, running, biking and solo surfing and paddle-boarding. Its pier, restrooms, playground and street parking remain closed, and the city says it is highly discouraging people from sunbathing, sitting or bringing any item that promotes a stationary presence.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Countys tennis courts, beaches, piers, beach bike paths, beach access points, public trails and trailheads are closed through May 15 under the countys current Safer at Home order. That order covers beaches in every coastal city and unincorporated area of the county.

The National Park Service has closed Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks. Meanwhile its federal cousin the Bureau of Land Management has left open much of Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, where dune buggies and dirt bikes continue to roar and leap. A BLM spokeswoman estimated 9,000 visitors there during the week after Easter.

On April 15, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN that its difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands any time soon and said it was unlikely the city would allow any large events in 2020.

Heres an update on whats happening where. If you do go outside for a walk, remember these tips for keeping safe. Local and state officials stress the need to take greater care in maintaining a social distance of at least six feet from others.

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Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

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A man gets some exercise on Santa Monica Beach, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

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A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street on Saturday morning in Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

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Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

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A metro bus driver wears a face mask while driving the route along Soto Street, Los Angeles. Life around Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. and Soto St. has slow down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. Most of the people are adhering to the orders by mayor to wear masks while out running errands. Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

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UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responders vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood with a protective face covering against the coronavirus. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

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Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each at 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park on Saturday in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USCs Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

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An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

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People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for health care workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

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Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors now is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Pascacio DaVinci uses two campers as housing and storage for his artwork. He has been a street vendor in South L.A. for more than 20 years. If its my time to die, its my time to die, he said. Mask or no mask, it wont matter. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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A man drops off his self-administered coronavirus test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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A mural and quote by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Anthony Antonio, left, buys a mask along Prairie Avenue in Hawthorne. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

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A man wearing a mask walks along Anaheim Street in Long Beach. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced an order requiring all residents to wear a face covering when visiting the majority of essential businesses, in hopes that it will protect workers and slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD clears people from using the skate park at Venice Beach during the coronavirus stay-at-home order in Venice Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

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The sun sets as a lonely figure cycling up the 1st Street bridge toward Boyle Heights. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

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Matthew Huff, left, who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and works as a personal trainer and rideshare driver, works out with his friend Cuauhtli, last name not given, at a park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

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Wearing gloves and a mask, Robyn Freeman of Orange County prays after taking Communion on Sunday at the Godspeak Calvary Church in Newbury Park. Communion was given at the church using social distancing and other precautions. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)

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McDonalds employees and supporters strike outside a McDonalds in Crenshaw demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

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A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonalds employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

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June Gilmore, of Laguna Woods, uses a loud speaker and sign as her husband, Brian Gilmore, honks his horn while joining mostly Laguna Woods seniors protesting after learning nearby Ayres Hotel will be used to treat homeless COVID-19 patients. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, Were All in This Together, while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

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On Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz, Greg Barris, in cowboy hat, picks up fresh produce he ordered through County Line Harvest, a local vegetable farm. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

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Chantael Duke, 32, sits on the steps off of Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. She lost her two jobs due to coronavirus closures. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

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Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group."Its hard. My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio, Grace said. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

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A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)

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A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

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A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for the family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Homeless artist Matteo defends his work against removal by the Los Angeles Sanitation Department and police in Venice. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

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What's open and closed this week: Beaches, parks and trails in Southern California - Los Angeles Times

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. Yosemite Village is normally a crush of humanity and traffic congestion. On Saturday, it was peaceful like few times before the only sounds coming from the wind and the few local residents.

A young bobcat ambled by the nearly abandoned administrative buildings, while ravens prattled and danced in the empty parking lots, and coyotes trotted along the valley's empty roads and walkways.

Tourists aren't allowed in California's most popular national park, but if they could visit, they might feel as if they had been transported to another time. Either to a previous era, before millions of people started motoring into the valley every year, or to a possible future one, where the artifacts of civilization remain, with fewer humans in the mix.

On March 20, the national park was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus leaving the 7.5-mile-long valley to only a skeleton crew of 100 to 200 park and concession employees.

This month is typically a busy month in Yosemite: Of the almost 4.6 million tourists that visited the valley in 2019, about 308,000 came during April.

But on this spring day, the air was crystal clear not a hint of diesel or exhaust tainted the sweet, spring breeze. And the valley was nearly silent, except for the rushing waters of the Merced River and the wind blowing through the ponderosa pines.

"You couldn't ask for a better place to be isolated," said Warren McClain, a saucier at the Ahwahnee Hotel who has worked in the park since 2017.

He and his co-workers, Dane Peterson and Billy Sanchez, were skateboarding and cycling along Northside Drive, just east of Horsetail Fall, soaking in the bright, warm sun.

Wildlife is coming out of hiding now, they said, as it did during previous government shutdowns of the park in 1990, 1995, 2013 and 2019. The difference is that this park closure is expected to be the longest on record.

"The bear population has quadrupled," said Peterson, noting a surge of large megafauna into the fields, thoroughfares and open spaces of the park.

"It's not like they aren't usually here," he said of the bears, bobcats and coyotes that he and other employees now see congregating outside their cabins and apartments. "It's that they usually hang back at the edges, or move in the shadows."

Just three days after a snowstorm blanketed the region, spring has come to the valley. The sun was bright, the air clear, and fronds and green sprouts of vegetation burst through the dirt.

A healthy-looking coyote, still adorned in her winter coat, stalked and then captured a fat gray squirrel outside the entrance of Camp Curry. She grabbed the rodent by the neck, shook it and then proceeded to eat it whole, saving the tail for last.

The few employees sheltering in place are taking advantage of the valley's unimpeded natural amenities. Some are hiking to Mirror Lake and the falls, enjoying trails that are empty aside from the critters.

As of Saturday, the valley was completely free of the virus. Nobody was wearing masks. And social distancing didn't seem to be happening except at the Village Market.

Only 10 people at a time are allowed in the small grocery store, and three wash stations are outside the entrance. Customers are required to scrub and disinfect their hands before entering.

"If the virus comes into the valley, it's going to come through here," said Ken Concroft, a market employee who was managing the wash stations out front. He said the biggest risk comes from visitors who own property in places such as Foresta and The Redwoods, which are inside the park boundaries.

He and other employees fear "people who are from the city" visiting their second homes and inadvertently bringing the virus with them.

He said three visitors had come in that morning.

Entry at the park gates is permitted only to employees, essential workers and those who can show the deeds to their houses.

The wash stations, social distancing measures and newly installed plexiglass sheets that separate customers from cashiers are all steps the market has taken to prevent the spread of virus in the valley.

Concroft was interested to hear that many stores outside the park are now prohibiting the use of cloth bags, eyeing them as sources of viral transfer.

"We'll have to consider that, too," he said. "We're doing everything we can to keep it out."

For gateway towns such as Oakhurst, Mariposa and Groveland, Yosemite's shutdown has hobbled numerous businesses, as it has in communities near other closed national parks. Outside of California, some of those closures have come recently and followed weeks of controversy, in which town leaders accused the Interior Department of being slow to close parks as a protective measure.

Char Miller, a historian at Pomona College, said the park probably was very similar today to how it appeared to visitors in the 19th century.

He referred to journal entries, written by early visitors, such as Alice Ives Van Schaack, who visited Yosemite in 1871 and marveled overits natural wonders and majesty. Upon seeing Yosemite Valley for the first time, she later wrote, "I felt Heaven itself could not be much lovelier."

Miller said that geological marvels such as El Capitan and Half Dome "remind us of how short our time is here."

"One thing we can know for sure is that Yosemite is enduring," he added. "It was here before us, and will remain after we leave."

The rest is here:
Wildlife is reclaiming Yosemite National Park: 'The bear population has quadrupled' - The Keene Sentinel

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Some of the primates were playfully swinging in their jungle gym Friday morning as the two lions, Lex and Bella, peacefully stretched out in the grass nearby, basking in the sun on the chilly spring day.

The bison roamed under the elevated boardwalk. The peacocks roamed the walkways squawking and ruffling their feathers. Its mating season.

Everything looked normal at the Cape May County Park and Zoo, except it was empty. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the zoo has been closed to the public since mid-March, but staff is still on site, albeit reduced, to care for the animals.

Typically, there are 17 to 20 staff members at the zoo, but that has been reduced to about 12.

We cut down the staff to a much smaller crew because were in an effort to obviously maintain social distancing and keep our staff healthy, said Alex Ernst, zoo veterinarian. If we can keep our staff healthy then we can keep the animals healthy.

He said the quality of care for the animals has not been compromised. No staff or animals have shown symptoms of COVID-19.

The zoo has about 500 animals. Ernst said the known susceptible animals that could contract the virus from humans are big cats like the tiger at the Bronx Zoo that tested positive or primates, due to their genetic similarities to humans. To further protect the primates, lions and tigers in the zoo, staff members have eliminated all close contact with them, but still maintain the same amount of care at a safe distance. Staff members are also wearing personal protective equipment and no longer work in pairs, for the time being.

Staff has also been split up into two teams. Only one team will work a single days shift to decrease the chances of a staff member spreading the virus to the entire staff. If an employee did test positive, they would no longer come to work and would be expected to self-isolate for 14 days. The animals they came in contact with would be closely monitored for symptoms as well.

Not only does care continue, but animal enrichment as well.

Because we cannot have as much contact with the animals, some of the species dont get their training that theyre used to, said Jen Berg, supervising animal keeper of carnivores and primates. A lot of the cats are used to having that time with us where they come to the fence and rub up, which theyre not getting. But we try to make up for it in other ways by still giving them their different treats. We just have to put it in their dens before they come in.

Training, she explained, is husbandry behaviors such as cleaning the animals space and veterinary care, such as oral medication or injection training.

She said some staff has also seen a change in animal behavior. The animals enjoy people watching, but there are no people around.

The cats ask for a lot more attention from me and are a lot more tuned in to little things, Berg said. They usually know when Im around, but if maintenance (staff) was doing something theyre especially tuned into them or little things that they wouldnt necessarily always notice when theres full public here.

Peter Cyr, senior zookeeper, said its sometimes hard to tell whether or not the animals miss the stimulus of having the public interacting, so staff members try to keep them entertained.

We put out their food, we give them toys and we have a number of different things for just visual distractions, he said.

But in some ways, he said, its been easier to care for the animals without the public in the zoo, because some people come in and think its a theme park and throw stuff.

The downside though, is that the public is our bread and butter, Cyr said. Its gratifying, working with the public. You can educate, you can reach out and actually make a connection with a little kid who is interested in animals.

And not only is foot traffic lacking, but visitor donations as well. The zoo is free to visit, but relies heavily on donations. It also receives funding from the county.

April and May, and the early part of June, we kind of call it field-trip season, Ernst said. We get school groups in from literally the entire region, and were obviously not getting that right now.

Spring break is also a busy week for the zoo, but not this year. Ernst said without the school trip fees and donations from visitors it usually gets between March and May, the zoo is losing at least $140,000.

The county counts on us to generate as much donations as we can so we can be as self-sufficient as possible, he said. Thats whats going to be the challenge going forward. This obviously appears as if its going to go longer than April and we could lose a good chunk of May, or maybe June. The uncertainty is whats difficult for us right now. Then once we do go back to normal, we still dont know exactly how thats going to impact visitation.

And when social distancing practices do start relaxing, Ernst believes the zoo will play an important role in going back to what we know.

I think that when we finally do start taking those steps to go back to normal, the Cape May County Zoo is going to be integral to this area, he said. Its an outdoor venue, its expansive. It would be very easy to visit the zoo and maintain your social distancing.

We want to conserve the wild populations and bring awareness of these animals to the general public, he added. And we cant get that message out there right now. I guess I do miss that ... and then just the general chaos and kids running and laughing and just all of that. Its quiet and peaceful, but its not supposed to be.

Peter Cyr zookeeper at Cape May Zoo caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Jen Berg, 30, of Cape May Court House, helps care for some of the approximately 500 animals.

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Peter Cyr, the zookeeper at the Cape May County Park and Zoo, cares for camels at the zoo in Cape May Court House on Friday.

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

A peacock walks around the zoo on Friday. The zoo has been closed to visitors since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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It's quiet and peaceful, but it's not supposed to be:' Cape May Zoo staff maintains animal care, but misses the public - Press of Atlantic City

Signage urging social distancing is seen in Prospect Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York could be reaching a "plateau" in hospitalizations, he warned that gains are dependent on people continuing to practice social distancing. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

If a park, beach or recreational facility is open for public use, visiting is OK as long as you practice social distancing and everyday steps such as washing hands often and covering coughs and sneezes. Follow these actions when visiting a park, beach, or recreational facility:

Stay at least six feet from others at all times. This might make some open areas, trails, and paths better to use. Do not go into a crowded area.

Avoid gathering with others outside of your household.

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Bring hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to use if soap and water are not available.

Link:
The do's and don'ts of visiting parks to prevent virus spread - Quad City Times

by Tami Gebel, Occupational Therapist, Veterans Memorial Hospital

April is National Occupational Therapy Month. During this month of celebration, the occupational therapists at Veterans Memorial Hospital want to remind community members of ways to stay safe and independent in their own homes and most importantly, how to prevent falls.

Occupational therapists who work in hospitals often are referred to assist people who have fallen at home. A fall at home could result in fractured arms or legs, not to mention multiple bruises and tarnished pride. Often, many of these falls could have been prevented, had the people taken precautionary steps to make their homes safe and clutter free.

Here are a few suggestions to prevent falls at home:

1) Remove obstacles to make clear walkways between rooms.2) Have dim lights on at night to help see the way from the bedroom to the bathroom.3) Use a bath tub bench to sit on during showers or baths to prevent falls in the tub.4) Remove all throw rugs in hallways and in doorways.5) Install banisters on both sides of staircases.6) Avoid storing items on high shelves that require the use of a stool to obtain.7) Do daily activities at a moderate or slow pace; hurrying often leads to trips and falls.8) Wear shoes or rubber soled slippers when walking in the house.9) Do not sit in chairs that have wheels on the base.10) Always carry a cordless phone or have Life Line installed.

If you have any questions or want more information, please call the occupational therapists at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-5528.

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April is National Occupational Therapy Month: How to stay independent and safe in your home | The Standard Newspaper - Waukon Standard