The LA County Board of Supervisors announced Monday that Los Angeles County beaches will be closed over the Fourth of July weekend, according to a Facebook post from the Los Hills Sheriff's Station online.
Supervisor Janice Hahn told KNX 1070 News Monday afternoon that the LA County Board of Supervisors have decided to close all of the LA County beaches for the July 4th weekend.
According to the Lost Hills Station Facebook page on Monday "Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced the closure of our beaches, piers, beach bike paths, and beach access points beginning 7/3/2020 through 7/6/2020. The Malibu/Lost Hills Station Beach Team will be patrolling the beaches throughout the weekend and late into the evening. This new order makes it illegal to trespass at these locations and is punishable by law to include, but not limited to, a $1000 fine."
Bars have been closed down per Gov. Newsom's orders on Sunday for LA County and six other counties who have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases.
The County Health Officer Order was amended Sunday to require that all bars, breweries, brewpubs, pubs, wineries and tasting rooms in L.A. County close unless they are offering sit-down dine-in meals. This includes closing bar areas in restaurants.
On Monday, LA County saw a record number of new daily COVID-19 cases and the number of hospitalizations.
On Monday morning, Barbara Ferrer issued a warning about the rise in COVID-19 cases.
There has been a sharp increase in new cases and hospitalizations in LA County. The State-mandated closing comes as the Department of Public Health is reporting significant increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations and the testing positivity rate.
There are 1,717 people currently hospitalized, higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen in recent weeks. To date, Public Health has identified more than 100,000 cases and more than 3,300 deaths.
WHAT'S REOPENED SO FAR?
NAIL SALONS, TATTOO PARLORS,
LA County Public Health officials announced more sectors of the economy can reopen beginning Friday.
According to a press release, the Health Officer Order will allow for the following sectors to reopen once they implement the required protocols for infection control and distancing:
-Cardrooms, satellite wagering facilities and racetracks with no spectators
-Personal care services including: esthetician, skin care and cosmetology services; electrology; nail salons; body art professionals, tattoo parlors, microblading and permanent make-up; and piercing shops; and massage therapy
-Bars, wineries, breweries and tasting rooms
"Employees and visitors to these businesses will need to wear a cloth face covering when around other people and practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Some employees may be required to wear face shields. It is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible. Businesses should take the time to put all of the protocols in place before reopening," the press release said.
Just today, Gov. Newsom announced a statewide mandate for everyone in California to wear a mask in public indoor spaces and outdoors.
Here's what's open so far in LA County.
GYMS
LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday a modified health officer order for reopening additional businesses will be forthcoming and announced on Thursday.
Ferrer said the effective date for reopening the additional businesses is to be June 12, Friday. That is similar to the order from California Gov. Newsom dictating what can reopen Friday.
The following sectors can reopen once they implement the proper protocols:
Day camps
Museums, galleries, zoos and aquariums
Campgrounds, RV parks and outdoor recreation
Music, film and television production
Hotels, lodging and short-term rentals for tourism and individual travel
In recent weeks, the County of LA was approved for a variance by Governor Newsom, meaning that restaurants, salons, and barbershops will be able to reopen.
All retail including inside and outside of malls can reopen at 50 percent capacity as well as offices, houses of worship, flea markets, drive-in theaters, pools, hot tubs and saunas that are in multiunit residences or part of a homeowners association can now reopen, according to Barbara Ferrer from the LA County Public Health Department Wednesday.
The LA County Board of Supervisors has voted to apply to the state Wednesday for a variance that would allow the county - as a whole - to move from Phase 2 into Phase 3 of reopening under the governor’s plan.
Ferrer said they were pulling data Wednesday for the application to apply for a variance.
"We feel confident we will meet the criteria," she said adding that the county will continue to reopen in a phased approach between now and July 4.
“With the greenlight from Governor Newsom, people can go back inside our houses of worship and retail shops, with common sense guidelines in place,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “I am hopeful that we can continue to work with the Governor to restore life in Los Angeles County in safe, measured ways -- getting people back to work and doing everything within our own power to prevent the spread of this virus.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP, FLEA MARKETS, DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS
The following can also reopen under the updated Health Officer order:
-Faith-based organizations may resume services, with the number of congregants limited to less than 25% of the building’s capacity, or a maximum of 100 people, whichever is lower.
-All retail, including those located in indoor and outdoor retail shopping centers, may now open for business at 50 percent capacity.
-Flea markets, swap meets and drive-in movie theaters may resume operations.
Last week, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn sent a letter to Gov. Newsom to allow retail businesses statewide to reopen under the same health protocols that “essential” retail businesses have been allowed to operate under.
First the LA County Health officer will have to amend the local health order to mimic the state's.
Hair salons, barbershops and nail salons will remain closed in this phase of the reopening.
Beach bike paths, indoor malls can open for curbside service, and car parades will be allowed in LA County Friday ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced on social media Thursday that LA County's beach bike paths are now open.
-indoor malls open for curbside service. Retail establishments and their customers must practice social distancing and wear face coverings, and the businesses must also be in compliance.
-Car parades are now allowed so that graduations, birthdays and other special days can be safely celebrated. Car parades can not include participants on a bicycle, a motorcycle, a convertible with the top open, or a car with no doors such as a golf cart. The parade must take place in an outside location large enough to accommodate the social distancing requirements.
The host must:
-At its own cost, arrange for and provide security sufficient to ensure compliance with the State’s Order and address any traffic and safety issues.
-Develop a parade plan that deals with State’s Order, traffic and safety issues, parade participants, and social distancing requirements.
-Ensure participants and personnel adhere to the face covering and physical distancing requirements.
-The host may provide a significant document to one vehicle parade participant at a time, such as a diploma or other paper, while adhering to face covering and social distancing requirements.
On Thursday, Hahn also urged Governor Newsom to allow retail businesses statewide to reopen under the same health protocols that “essential” retail businesses have been allowed to operate under.
Under the State of California’s stay at home order, “non-essential” retailers are closed and have only recently been allowed to open for curbside pick-up only.
“What seemed to be a necessary measure at the early onset of this crisis has unintentionally created winners and losers in this ‘pandemic economy,’ with large retail businesses able to operate, while small retail businesses are struggling and limited to curbside pickup,” said Supervisor Hahn in a press release. “This needs to change.”
According to the press release, Hahn urged that these restrictions be adjusted to the smaller retail shops that are losing business everyday to big box stores in a letter to the Governor. She has proposed updating the State’s public health order to immediately allow all retailers to open with:
Limited capacity
Face covering or mask requirement for employees and customers
Earlier this month, low contact recreation facilities reopened in LA County.
Those include tennis and pickleball courts, equestrian centers, model airplane areas, community gardens, bike parks, shooting and archery ranges, can reopen beginning Friday once they comply with the health order directives.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer announced the latest LA County Health Officer order that allowed more businesses to reopen with new restrictions Wednesday.
She said more low-risk businesses could reopen Wednesday in LA County under the new Safer at Home order.
SAFER AT HOME ORDER EXTENDED
The new Safer at Home order has been extended indefinitely.
"This health officer order does not have an end date. It will go on and be modified over time, as appropriate," Ferrer said Wednesday.
The following categories can reopen under the new order:
-all retailers are able to reopen for door side pickup and deliveries with the exception of those inside malls and indoor shopping centers. Retailers that are inside malls that have outdoor entrances can do door side pick-ups.
"This is to just to offer curbside, door side or other outdoor or outside pick up or delivery. The public is not allowed to go into the retail businesses," Ferrer said of the retail businesses opening this week and last week.
-manufacturing and logistic businesses that supply the lower risk retail businesses may also now reopen, according to Ferrer.
"These are requirements that ensure physical distancing that require cloth face coverings for both employees and for customers, require regular cleaning of high touch surfaces and making sure that hand washing or hand sanitizing is easily accessible at all times," she said.
TRAILS and GOLF COURSES, FLORISTS, CLOTHING STORES, MUSIC STORES
Earlier this week, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told LA County residents "thank you" after the first-weekend curbside pick up was available and open for certain sectors of the economy.
She stressed the public should keep social distancing, and staying 6 feet away and wearing masks.
"Overall we had no issues with crowding, everyone kept a safe distance and wore masks when it was appropriate. That is exactly the type of response we had hoped for," Barger said.
LA County Parks and Recs reported larger but manageable crowds on their trails, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
She said traffic was "fairly low" Sunday at the golf courses due to Mother's Day but users did adhere to the physical distancing protocols. She said at the flower businesses, inspectors witnessed vendor enforcing social distancing but also saw many vendors who didn't follow social distancing measures and not requiring wearing facial coverings. She said 162 businesses were in violation of the health officer order.
"Businesses should not open until they can adhere to all the protocols," Ferrer said.
LA County officials announced this week that the following can reopen last Friday. The order goes into effect on Friday:
-florists
-car dealers
-stores that sell toys, sporting goods, books, clothing and music.
Only curb-side pick up for retail will be available.
Trails and golf courses can reopen Saturday May 9.
Local, community and regional parks, botanic gardens (except Descanso Gardens) will also remain open on Mother's Day for walking, jogging and passive use and will adhere to the social distancing guidelines.
That being said, businesses, trails and golf courses have to adhere to certain restrictions and can't open until they meet the prerequisites of the reopening protocols in place.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, from LA County Public Health, said Friday to check before heading out to a trail or a golf course or a business to ensure they are open safely for customers.
For more information: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/recovery/
TO SEE REOPENING PROTOCOL FOR:
Trails: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening-Trails.pdf
Golf Courses: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening-GolfCourses.pdf
Retail: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening-Retail.pdf
"This list is less about what products are sold and more about the ability to maintain social distancing," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.
There are four benchmarks that must be met before LA County eases its Stay at Home orders, which were under effect until May 15, similar to the city of LA. The benchmarks were unveiled to the public last month.