In a devastating blow to Los Angeles’ struggling restaurant industry, LA county public health officials announced Sunday that they would suspend outdoor dining at restaurants amid a spike in new coronavirus cases.
While parts of the LA retail economy have been hit harder by the epidemic than the once booming dining world, many landmark names have closed in recent months and many more are on the verge. After being forced to close indoor dining rooms in the spring, officials found a lifeline to many dining halls, allowing them to serve outdoors, often in patios and makeshift dining halls, where parking spaces and streets were being built.
The new rule takes effect at 10pm on Wednesday and will ban restaurants from taking and delivering for the first time since May – with breweries, wineries and bars. It will remain in place for at least three weeks, officials said.
Winery and breweries can continue retail operations.
“There’s a constant need for a greater number of additional safety measures that are limited to blending into settings where people aren’t wearing masks,” said Barbara Farrell, LA County Health Director.
Officials warned earlier in the week that if new cases reach an average of 4,000 in five days, or if they are hospitalized, that is 1,770 per day.
The five-day average had reached 4,097 by Sunday, the public health department said. As of Saturday, LA County hospitals had 1,473 confirmed coronavirus patients, an increase of about 92% from a month earlier.
Authorities on Sunday reported 2,718 new cases of the virus and nine deaths, with 4,365 in LA County, 40 cases and 43,438 deaths expected.
“While I know our case counts are growing rapidly, we would have openly discussed this step during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors so that people could understand the rationale behind it,” County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
“Some of these restaurants are barely stopping. I hope this is not the last nail in their coffin. I wish there was a way to put more restrictions instead of stopping eating altogether. “
As expected, the founders welcomed the news with disappointment.
“What do I think about it? It’s horrible. That’s the second punch, “said Michael Simhae, owner of Della Terra, an Italian restaurant in Fairfax, about 10 minutes after the new bans were announced.
“It would be horrible for my staff. They can’t get unemployment. They work from paycheck to paycheck. What are we going to do?”
Simha said he has spent money on heaters and foodings so he can finish meals outside as the temperature drops.
“We opened the back patio. Simha, who opened his restaurant in 2009, said, “We spent money to strengthen it, put it in a heater, and spend the money.” Simha said, “I can’t get back the money I spent.
“I am more concerned about my staff. That’s what I’m worried about. Who knows after three weeks? How much even after this? How will they pay the rent? What will they tell their children? Simha said. “What does it mean when you have no means of putting food on the table?”
It couldn’t help but feel like the restaurant industry is being targeted and no help has been provided to keep the business going.
“I guarantee that those who make these decisions will receive the same pay regardless of whether there is a shutdown.”
Late last month, new coronavirus cases began to gain momentum. Officials said they are now accelerating faster than in July, when new cases and hospital admissions caused both L.A.
Health officials have blamed a variety of factors, including holidays, sports championships, protests, both social gatherings and the overall sense of fatigue when it comes to workplace outbreaks and compliance with the rules.
They are urging everyone to stay home as long as possible for the next two to three weeks to stem the rising tide of infection and avoid overcrowding in the healthcare system.
An employee of Semi-Tropic, an eco-park bar and eater who arranged the outdoor seating in the front parking lot, said on Sunday that it was surprisingly late.
“As everyone knows the shutdown was imminent, a lot of people were trying to make time for their drinking time,” who declined to give his name.
This will be the second time this epidemic has hit him. For the first time, it took 10 weeks for her to go through unemployment.
“Someone said that what we feel is to withdraw our addiction to certainty.” “That’s the way I’m trying to think about it. I am talking to a therapist, taking medications and learning techniques to cope with it. “
Officials said the five-day average number of cases, cases .. cases were reported and peaked at 4,500,000, or if the hospital increased by more than 2,000,000 per day, LA County also faced stricter rules to prevent the spread of the virus. Can.
In that event, authorities plan to impose a three-week stay-at-home order that will only allow essential workers and those receiving essential services to leave their homes.
County Supervisor Sheila Quehle said Sunday that she fears the way the numbers are going up is likely.
Cowell said he understands that the move to postpone outdoor dining comes as one more shock to businesses already suffering, but the move needs to be reversed to handle the rising rate of infection.
“The more we open, the lower the case rate,” he said. In restaurants and wineries and breweries it is especially difficult because people sit for long periods without a mask. And even outside, the virus still carries in the air. “
He urged people to redouble their efforts to comply with public health guidelines: Wear facial ingots. Stay six feet away from the other. Avoid gatherings.
“Clearly, as the case rate increased, it was an indication that not everyone would be accommodated,” he said. “I think everyone really knew that we would have to close again when we reached a certain rate.”
Earlier this week, LA County announced that nonsensical businesses should close at 10 p.m. and limit their maximum capacity during business hours, and limit the size of outdoor gatherings to 15 people.
Governor. Gavin News also imposed a revised stay-at-home order that took effect on Saturday and will remain in place until December 21. The order prohibits very unusual activities in counties from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside the home, which is strict. Purple color level of the state’s four-phase reopening plan. About 94% of the state’s population lives in purple counties, including all of Southern California.
While some residents have denounced the new statewide ban – most law enforcement agencies in Southern California have said they do not plan to enforce them.
A minute after the governor’s order was carried out on Saturday night, about 200 protesters gathered at Huntington Beach Pier, donating lots of bright red caps and waving American flags.
It came a day after Orange County reported its one-day highest number of new coronavirus cases, with 1,169 new cases reported on Friday.
On Sunday, Orange County reported 552 new cases and three deaths from the virus, leading to a total of 69,694 cases and 1,554 deaths. Hospital admissions continued, reaching 380 patients, an increase of about 126% from a month earlier.
Protesters have also gathered in LA County. Protests outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s official residence on Friday led to a bill called “Curfew Protest Block Party: No More Lockdown.” Another was outside the mayor’s home on Sunday afternoon.
Times staff writer Roseanne Xia contributed to this report.
