A.M. Brief: State Opens Vaccine to Ages 65+, L.A. County Waits for Frontline Workers

California counties can start vaccinating all seniors over 65, but L.A. County wants to finish vaccinating frontline healthcare workers first. Also this morning: Mask enforcement increases, the L.A. River has a new master plan, and a new report details how violent gangs in the LASD operate in the community. Here is your Thursday news. Take it!

Morning News Rundown

Gov. Gavin Newson announced Wednesday that people 65 and older are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. For now, however, L.A. County will continue to focus on frontline healthcare workers. The county still hopes to vaccinate over 500,000 more healthcare workers by the end of January, though supply shortages and distribution hiccups have slowed that process. [L.A. Times]

On Wednesday, L.A. County released a draft of the new L.A. River Master Plan, which details how communities can develop projects along the 51-mile river corridor running from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach. Officials say the plan hopes to balance social and environmental concerns, while also offering a chance to revitalize public spaces. The update is open to public comment through March 14. [We Like L.A.]

Yesterday, Los Angeles City Council voted to ramp up mask enforcement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes fines and penalties for those who refuse to wear a mask at indoor public places, such as. like grocery stores, when requested by store management. Technically, the city has a law in place under Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Safer-at-Home order that calls for a $1,000 fine or six months in jail for mask violators. Nonetheless, due to a lack of enforcement, the council is beefing up the policy. [ABC 7]

Part of City Council’s motivation was to draw a line against a series of anti-mask demonstrations causing stirs inside retail outlets and malls in West Los Angeles. Based on an interview with one of the organizers of these pop-up stampedes, it doesn’t seem like they’ll end anytime soon. [LA Mag]

A new report from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Law underscores the dramatic proliferation of violent cliches within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In total, the report profiled 18 separate deputy gangs, such as The Executioners based out of the Compton station, that “foster a culture of violence and escalate uses of force against community members.” [CBS Los Angeles]