L.A. Debunks Coronavirus Myths, Share Virus Data

In today’s briefing, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced two new pages to the city’s online COVID-19 library. This page will share the key coronavirus data the Mayor receives and bases his decisions on, while this one will dispel pervasive COVID-19 myths. So the next time someone in your neighborhood Facebook group tells you that 5G cell towers cause coronavirus, you can link them to the myths page.

Here we’ve paraphrased some myths the page currently debunks:

• Will you get a reward for snitching on your neighbors who aren’t following the Safer at Home order? You can make a complaint, but you will not receive a cash reward. (The Mayor did say “snitches get rewards” in contrast to the usual phrase “snitches get stitches” in an earlier briefing, but the true reward would be the flattening of the curve.) 
• Am I allowed to leave my own neighborhood during Safer at Home? Yes. You’ve been asked to reduce travel and only go out for essential purposes, but your motions are not being tracked.
• Can I get arrested if I go outside? Despite some Twitter rumors that people were getting in trouble for simply being outdoors, you will not get arrested just for taking a walk or jog. You also won’t be cited or arrested for not wearing a facial covering, though a business can refuse you service. 
• Can you spread the coronavirus even if you have no symptoms? Yes, and symptoms may not appear for up to 14 days after exposure. 
• Does COVID-19 come from 5G cell towers? Definitely not. 
  

You can read all the common myths (and the real info) here.

On the data page, you can now open a different briefing for each day moving forward. In today’s package, you could learn things like: at least 1,026 tests were performed on April 12, we currently have 1,025 available ventilators, and that there’s been a 31% reduction in crime since March 12.