The city of Long Beach, which has its own public health department and can operate independently of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, confirmed this morning that it plans to adapt with the state’s reopening changes, which can start to take effect. at any time. The move, announced in a public press conference by Mayor Robert Garcia in front of Kress Market in Pine Avenue, means that – once approval from government officials comes down to it – restaurants in Long Beach will be allowed to eat within 25% immediately.
This may not necessarily be the case for the rest of LA County.
Currently, all of Los Angeles and surrounding provinces such as Ventura and Orange remain in the most restricted press level of the state. But a fair plan for the distribution of vaccines outlined by government officials is changing the criteria to move to the lower, less restrictive red level, meaning much of Southern California could be wider open to indoor eateries and other limited activities. capacity (such as indoor gyms, movie theaters, increased retail capacity, museums and even public events) as soon as the word comes.
“Restaurants may open indoors with a maximum capacity of 25%, along with the outdoor meals already in place,” said Long Beach Mayor Garcia. “We will also ensure that there are rules and regulations regarding restaurants and other facilities, which are related to distancing and PPE protocol. We want our restaurants to be prepared. ”
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Long Beach and Pasadena each have their own independent public health departments, and can act in the interests of their own cities with regard to things like public health orders and travel and business restrictions – although those public health departments are similar to the much larger department of public health in Los Angeles County. All local public health departments can set up more restrictive (but not less) public health orders than the state requires.
Eater has issued the city of Pasadena to confirm its own plans to reopen for indoor eateries over the weekend, but has not yet received a formal response. Last fall, the city broke up with DP County, LA, to eat out longer than the rest of the province, at least until the state closed business wide just days later.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials have not formulated their own plans to go into the red level, although director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said her office will make some changes to the state’s announcement that could be more restrictive – including a restriction on indoor dining. In a media briefing this week, dr. Ferrer extensively discusses a CDC report indicating a higher risk of COVID-19 infection with unmasked meals in indoor environments. Her office is likely to announce its changes to the red level within 48 hours of the state reopening announcement, said Dr. Ferrer said.
The state’s reopening plan depends on an effort to distribute vaccines targeting the communities hardest hit. Once two million doses are distributed in those areas, the qualifying criteria for moving between levels – things like test positivity – will shift, allowing almost all of Southern California to move to the less restricted red level. A formal announcement to the front has not yet been made, but the mayor of Long Beach, Garcia, has indicated that one can make it as soon as possible today, although tomorrow is more likely. “It really depends on the state,” Garcia said.