Los Angeles County Covid-19 Cases Rise Again, Triggering New Restrictions – Deadline

The rise in coronavirus cases has led Los Angeles County public health officials to issue a new round of “stay at home” orders. From Monday, certain public and private gatherings are prohibited, a decree lasting until December 20.

The new mandate prohibits all public and private gatherings of people outside the same household, with the exception of religious and public demonstrations. The orders come as coronavirus cases rise exponentially in Los Angeles and the country.

Officials reported that 4,544 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed today, leading to a series of heightened security measures starting on Monday and lasting until Christmas week.

To date, the five-day average of new LA County cases is 4751. Authorities had said that if the five-day average of cases was 4,500 or more, a “targeted home safety order” would be issued for three weeks, which would place additional restrictions on non-essential workers and those who obtain essential services to leave their homes. .

Here are details of the stricter limits on LA County residents that will begin Monday following a fifth consecutive day of 4,500 or more new cases of Covid-19:

• Gatherings: all public and private gatherings with individuals not
  in your home are prohibited, except for religious services and demonstrations,
  which are constitutionally protected rights.
• Occupancy limits in various companies; all individuals to these
  sites should wear face coverings and keep at least 6 feet away:
• Essential retail business: 35% maximum occupancy;
• Non-essential retail (includes indoor malls): 20% maximum occupancy;
• Personal care services: maximum occupancy of 20%;
• Libraries: 20% maximum occupancy;
• Fitness centers operating outdoors: maximum occupancy of 50%;
• Museums, galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens operating outdoors: 50% maximum occupancy;
• Mini-golf, batting cages, outdoor kart races: 50%
  maximum occupancy;
• Outdoor recreational activities that all require a face mask (except for swimming) and distance: beaches, trails and parks remain open; gatherings on these sites with members outside your household are prohibited.
• Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery fields, skateparks, bike parks and community gardens remain open to individuals or members of the same household. Pools that serve more than one household may only open for regulated swimming with one person per lane. Driving car movies / events / parades are allowed provided the occupants of each car are members of a household.
• Schools: All schools and day camps remain open respecting the reopening protocols. Kindergarten to grade 12 schools and day camps with an outbreak (3 or more cases over 14 days) should close for 14 days.
• Closed non-core businesses / activities:
• Playgrounds (except playgrounds in daycares and schools;
• Card rooms;
• Restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries remain closed for in-person eating and drinking due to high rates of transmission in the community, as customers do not wear face coverings, increasing the risk of HIV transmission. virus. Restaurants, wineries and brasseries remain open for pickup, delivery and take out. Breweries and wineries remain open for retail with a 20% occupancy rate.

“These targeted measures are in effect for the next three weeks and still allow for many essential and non-essential activities where residents are still masked and left behind,” LA County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said today. . “We know we are asking a lot from so many people who have been sacrificing themselves for months, and we hope LA County residents continue to follow public health safety measures that we know can slow the spread.

According to official estimates, every COVID-19 patient in Los Angeles County transmits the virus to an average of 1.27 people – the highest transmission rate the county has seen since the outbreak in March, before any protocol safety such as face masks and social distancing was in place. Based on this transmission rate, health officials estimate that one in 145 people in the county is now infected with the virus and transmits it to others.

“Acting with collective urgency now is essential if we are to end this push,” added Ferrer. “Please stay at home as much as possible and do not get together with other people outside your household for the next three weeks.”

Meanwhile, county officials also said today that 1,893 people with the coronavirus are hospitalized in the county, nearly a quarter of them in intensive care units. Just a month ago, 747 people hospitalized with Covid in Los Angeles County – a 253% increase.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti noted the alarming trend in a tweet today:

Two months ago, one in 880 LA County residents was predicted to be infected with COVID-19. Now it’s estimated to be one in 145.

We must act now to slow the spread.

Please stay home as much as possible.

– MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) November 27, 2020

City News Service contributed to this report.