Heidi de Marco, Kaiser Health News Pauline Lawrence is a house well being aide for a 97-year-old man who relies on her.
Pauline Lawrence is a house well being aide for a 97-year-old man who relies on her.[partner-box]WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Pauline Lawrence is 63, an age that places her at elevated danger if she contracts COVID-19.
Yet, three days every week, she spends 16 hours with somebody at even higher danger: a 97-year-old man who relies on her and two different dwelling well being aides to outlive.
“Somebody has to take care of him,” stated Lawrence, an immigrant from Jamaica who lives together with her 30-year-old son in a South Los Angeles condominium. “I will stand up to do what I have to do to help.”
Under California’s statewide stay-at-home order that’s supposed to stem the unfold of the novel coronavirus — in addition to related orders issued by cities and counties — many companies should shut down fully. More than 30 governors have issued related orders for his or her states.
But the orders permit “essential” companies to stay open and “essential” staff to remain on the job.
Who’s thought-about “essential”? For starters, well being care staff, legislation enforcement personnel, plumbers and grocery retailer clerks. But many staff dubbed important will not be as apparent, together with hashish dispensary and leisure trade workers underneath California’s statewide order, and gardeners and landscapers underneath the Los Angeles County order.
Among the individuals who proceed to work with out the luxurious of working from dwelling are a excessive proportion of low-wage earners, those that earn median hourly wages of $10.22, in line with a recent national analysis by the Brookings Institution. And amongst low-wage earners, black and Latino staff are overrepresented in contrast with their share of the whole workforce.
Lawrence cares for Charles Smurr, 97, a retired workplace supervisor. Smurr lives alone and relies on three dwelling well being aides to assist him together with his wants, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. day by day. “I’m not afraid to keep working,” Lawrence says. “I’m a woman of God.” Lawrence, who wears protecting gear throughout her complete shift, disinfects the whole lot when she enters the two-bedroom condominium and as she works. After she leaves, she says, she does her finest to forestall any germs from getting into her dwelling. “I take my clothes off and put them in a plastic bag before I enter my house.” Jose Solorio, 56, Ismael Garcia, 33, and Oscar Bravo, 41, are landscapers in Pasadena, California. “We are worried like everyone else, but our risk is lower than if we worked in an office,” Garcia says. Jose Solorio says he’ll proceed to work so long as he can. Like his co-workers, he’s the principle supplier for his household. “It’s in God’s hands,” he says about the specter of getting sick. Tony Serrato, 34, is a prepare dinner at Pie ‘n Burger in Pasadena, the place takeout orders preserve him busy. His hours had been minimize when the stay-at-home order went into impact, and he now works 20 hours every week, down from 40. “It’s not enough, but it’s something,” he says. Serrato prepares a burger Thursday. Pie ‘n Burger employs just two workers per shift under the new coronavirus rules: one cook and one person answering the phones. Owner Michael Osborn says the restaurant is doing only about one-third of its regular business and is producing about 120 burgers a day. Osborn had to cut 25 employees when restaurants were ordered closed except for takeout or pickup service. He describes it as the hardest thing he’s ever needed to do. Gustavo Rojas, 33, works as an auto mechanic at Homer’s Auto Services in Monrovia, California. Rojas says work is constant however slower than earlier than. “Everyone needs their car,” he says. Rojas is a part of a three-man crew. The mechanics don’t put on masks and solely generally put on gloves, however Rojas says they wipe down high-touch components of every automobile when it arrives on the store, with a deal with the steering wheel. Victoria Garrido, 23, is a gross sales affiliate at Get Yok’d Sports Nutrition, a complement and well being meals retailer in Pasadena. Sales have fallen 70% because the stay-at-home orders went into impact, says proprietor Sarb Derzakarian. With solely about 25 clients a day, he says, he doesn’t know the way lengthy he can preserve the shop open. Garrido and different workers disinfect after every buyer leaves. Garrido cleans the door handles, bank card machines and anything the client has touched. “I want to wear a mask,” says Garrido, “but it’s hard to work like that.” Tommie Ramirez, 29, is a “budtender” at The Pottery, a hashish dispensary within the Mid-City neighborhood in central Los Angeles. Ramirez wears gloves at work and practices social distancing however worries about bringing the virus dwelling to her aged dad and mom. Ramirez grabs a hashish tincture for a buyer. The dispensary has taken precautions to maintain workers and clients protected, together with putting indicators across the store. This story will be republished without spending a dime (details). WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Pauline Lawrence is 63, an age that places her at elevated danger if she contracts COVID-19.
Yet, three days every week, she spends 16 hours with somebody at even higher danger: a 97-year-old man who relies on her and two different dwelling well being aides to outlive.
“Somebody has to take care of him,” stated Lawrence, an immigrant from Jamaica who lives together with her 30-year-old son in a South Los Angeles condominium. “I will stand up to do what I have to do to help.”
Under California’s statewide stay-at-home order that’s supposed to stem the unfold of the novel coronavirus — in addition to related orders issued by cities and counties — many companies should shut down fully. More than 30 governors have issued related orders for his or her states.
But the orders permit “essential” companies to stay open and “essential” staff to remain on the job.
Who’s thought-about “essential”? For starters, well being care staff, legislation enforcement personnel, plumbers and grocery retailer clerks. But many staff dubbed important will not be as apparent, together with hashish dispensary and leisure trade workers underneath California’s statewide order, and gardeners and landscapers underneath the Los Angeles County order.
Among the individuals who proceed to work with out the luxurious of working from dwelling are a excessive proportion of low-wage earners, those that earn median hourly wages of $10.22, in line with a recent national analysis by the Brookings Institution. And amongst low-wage earners, black and Latino staff are overrepresented in contrast with their share of the whole workforce.
Lawrence cares for Charles Smurr, 97, a retired workplace supervisor. Smurr lives alone and relies on three dwelling well being aides to assist him together with his wants, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. day by day. “I’m not afraid to keep working,” Lawrence says. “I’m a woman of God.” Lawrence, who wears protecting gear throughout her complete shift, disinfects the whole lot when she enters the two-bedroom condominium and as she works. After she leaves, she says, she does her finest to forestall any germs from getting into her dwelling. “I take my clothes off and put them in a plastic bag before I enter my house.” Jose Solorio, 56, Ismael Garcia, 33, and Oscar Bravo, 41, are landscapers in Pasadena, California. “We are worried like everyone else, but our risk is lower than if we worked in an office,” Garcia says. Jose Solorio says he’ll proceed to work so long as he can. Like his co-workers, he’s the principle supplier for his household. “It’s in God’s hands,” he says about the specter of getting sick. Tony Serrato, 34, is a prepare dinner at Pie ‘n Burger in Pasadena, the place takeout orders preserve him busy. His hours had been minimize when the stay-at-home order went into impact, and he now works 20 hours every week, down from 40. “It’s not enough, but it’s something,” he says. Serrato prepares a burger Thursday. Pie ‘n Burger employs just two workers per shift under the new coronavirus rules: one cook and one person answering the phones. Owner Michael Osborn says the restaurant is doing only about one-third of its regular business and is producing about 120 burgers a day. Osborn had to cut 25 employees when restaurants were ordered closed except for takeout or pickup service. He describes it as the hardest thing he’s ever needed to do. Gustavo Rojas, 33, works as an auto mechanic at Homer’s Auto Services in Monrovia, California. Rojas says work is constant however slower than earlier than. “Everyone needs their car,” he says. Rojas is a part of a three-man crew. The mechanics don’t put on masks and solely generally put on gloves, however Rojas says they wipe down high-touch components of every automobile when it arrives on the store, with a deal with the steering wheel. Victoria Garrido, 23, is a gross sales affiliate at Get Yok’d Sports Nutrition, a complement and well being meals retailer in Pasadena. Sales have fallen 70% because the stay-at-home orders went into impact, says proprietor Sarb Derzakarian. With solely about 25 clients a day, he says, he doesn’t know the way lengthy he can preserve the shop open. Garrido and different workers disinfect after every buyer leaves. Garrido cleans the door handles, bank card machines and anything the client has touched. “I want to wear a mask,” says Garrido, “but it’s hard to work like that.” Tommie Ramirez, 29, is a “budtender” at The Pottery, a hashish dispensary within the Mid-City neighborhood in central Los Angeles. Ramirez wears gloves at work and practices social distancing however worries about bringing the virus dwelling to her aged dad and mom. Ramirez grabs a hashish tincture for a buyer. The dispensary has taken precautions to maintain workers and clients protected, together with putting indicators across the store.