LA County Issues New Stay-At-Home Order To Take Effect Monday
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — COVID-19 restrictions will be tightened even further in Los Angeles County, according to a new, targeted safer-at-home order that will take effect Monday.
Los Angeles County Public health reported 24 new deaths Friday, and 4,544 new cases of COVID-19. The current five-day average of new cases is 4,751. There are 1,893 currently hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, and 24% of them are in intensive care. A month ago, there were 747 people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to Los Angeles County Public Health.
L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl says the county is trying to keep hospitals from getting overrun and are working to protect healthcare workers.
"Look at your healthcare workers. They're exhausted, many of them have tested positive, which means they have to stay home," Kuehl said. "We're running out of ICU beds, the hospitals -- they're not full, but if you want elective surgery, you won't get it."
"This is not easy for the supervisors. We are getting lots and lots of mail from very angry people. It's not like we don't get it. We all have families," Kuehl also added.
The new order, which will be in effect until at least Dec. 20, advises residents to stay at home as much as possible, always wear a face-covering outside the home, and prohibits all public and private gatherings except for constitutionally-protected church services and protests.
Several businesses will be impacted including essential retail, which will be limited to 35% maximum capacity; non-essential retail, like malls, will be kept at 20% maximum occupancy; and the outdoor operations of fitness centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, gardens, mini-golf, batting cages and go-kart racing will be set at 50% capacity.
Beaches, trails, parks, golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, skate parks, bike parks and community parks will remain open, but gatherings of mixed households will be prohibited. All schools and day camps may remain open if they adhere to reopening protocols, but schools with three positive COVID-19 cases or more over 14 days must close for two weeks.
Non-essential businesses and activities like outdoor playgrounds and cardrooms will be closed.
