Los Angeles County to Implement Tighter Safeguards and Restrictions to Curb COVID-19 Spread

Effective Nov. 20, Los Angeles County will tighten pandemic safeguards and restrictions as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase significantly. These safeguards and restrictions protect the public health and safety of our residents, and their ability to be served in our hospitals.

COVID-19 cases have more than doubled since the beginning of November and hospitalizations have increased from an average of about 900 a day to well over 1,000 a day in the same time period.

The first measures, effective on Friday, are:

           For non-essential businesses permitted to operate indoors—including retail stores, offices.

            personal care services—occupancy will be limited to 25% maximum capacity.

The number of patrons at outdoor restaurants, breweries and wineries will be limited to 50% max outdoor capacity.

The number customers at cardrooms, outdoor mini-golf, go-karts and batting cages will be limited to 50% maximum outdoor capacity.

Services at personal care establishments may only be provided by appointment to customers wearing face coverings by staff wearing face coverings.
Services that require either the customer or the staff to remove their face covering, such as facials and shaves, are not permitted.

Food and drinks cannot be served at these establishments to customers.

Restaurants, breweries, wineries, bars, and all other non-essential retail establishments must close from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Outdoor gatherings remain the only gatherings permitted, and they must only include 15 people maximum who are members of no more than 3 households.

The Health Officer Order will be amended to reflect the above restrictions.

The county is currently reporting 2,884 cases as the five-day average and 1,126 hospitalized patients.

While the county continues to anticipate a potential surge of cases and hospitalizations, it has established thresholds for additional actions in the case of those increases.

If the five-day average of cases in the county becomes 4,000 or more or hospitalizations are more than 1,750 per day, the following restriction will be added:

Outdoor and indoor dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars will be prohibited and these businesses will only be able to offer pick-up and delivery. Businesses in this sector are being notified via email by DPH, which will work with them to ensure a smooth transition.

If the five-day average of cases in the County becomes 4,500 or more or hospitalizations are more than 2,000 per day, the following restriction will be added:

A Safer at Home Order will be instituted for three weeks. The Order would only allow essential workers and those securing essential services to leave their homes.A 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew would be mandated, with essential workers exempt.