By Nick Eismann
Amid rising Coronavirus cases in LA county, health officials announced a new stay at home order on Friday, to be put in effect Monday.
City health officials are alarmed by the spike in cases and warned people not to gather during the Thanksgiving holiday to help curb the spread. LA county officials are now reporting that 1 out of every 145 people in the county have been infected from the Coronavirus, that is a sharp increase in the estimate two months ago which was 1 in every 880 people.
On November 17, LA County established thresholds for additional measures if the five-day average of cases exceeded 4,500, or if hospitalizations were more than 2,000 per day. On Friday, the county reported 4,544 new cases and the current five-day average is 4,751.
The new stay-at-home order will go into effect Monday and residents are encouraged by health offiicials to stay inside as much as possible, avoiding non-essential activities and to wear a face covering when going outside.
Gathering, both in public and private with individuals who are outside of one household are prohibited. This excludes faith based services and protests as both of these actions are protected by the constitution.
The county also set new occupancy limits for various businesses.
Essential retail – 35% maximum capacity
Non-essential retail (including indoor malls) – 20% maximum occupancy
Personal care services – 20% maximum occupancy
Libaries – 20% maximum occupancy
Fitness centers which are operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Mini-golf, batting cages, go-kart racing operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
All outdoor recreational activities except swimming will require face coverings and social distancing.
Beaches, trails, and parks will remain open however the county prohibits gatherings at these sites with members from outside a single household.
Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery ranges, skate and bike parks and community gardens will be open for individuals or members from a single household. Pools will remain open with regulations that allow one person per lane.
For more info go to http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/
