Los Angeles County could be on pace to see strict stay-at-home orders as early as Sunday if the current rate of new cases continued, according to Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis on Thursday, Nov. 19.
A stay-at-home order would include returning to restrictions in April where only essential workers are to leave their homes, as well as people accessing essential services. It would also include a countywide curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in addition to restaurant and salon closures.
The county reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, averaging more than 4,500 daily cases over the past two days. The county posted another 29 deaths, raising its death toll since the pandemic began to 7,363.
“While we know this number is in part due to an increase in COVID cases being done, the number is nonetheless concerning,” Davis said.
Under new guidelines outlined by public health officials this week, if the county sustains average daily cases over five days of more than 4,500 daily cases, the county would return to widespread closures and orders to stay home.
“This is the highest number of daily coronavirus cases we’ve reported without there being a backlog of cases since the summer,” Davis said.
New coronavirus cases in L.A. County have increased 68% from Oct. 28 to Nov. 10. Compared to June 20 to July 3, when the county last experienced a surge, cases increased 43%.
“Everyone has to get back to being very diligent,” Davis said.
Such restrictions would also be triggered if the 5-day average for hospitalizations crest above 2,000, officials said earlier this week. The county reported that hospitalizations climbed to 1,238 on Thursday.
Currently, about 200 people are being admitted into L.A. County hospitals with COVID-19 each day, up from about 100 in September, officials said.
That rate was alarming, especially considering that people sick with influenza were expected to occupy a significant number of hospital beds, according to Dr. Christina Ghaly, who heads the county’s Department of Health Services. The number of available beds for coronavirus patients was set at about 2,500 without using surge capacity. During the summer, the department estimated available COVID beds at around 4,000.
Some tougher restrictions were already scheduled to kick in later this week.
On Friday, Nov. 20, restaurants, breweries and wineries will need to reduce outdoor capacity by 50%, and close between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., though they can remain open for pickup and delivery.
The new directives also include:
- A cap of no more than 15 people at outdoor social gatherings, and no more than three households at any gathering;
- A cap of 25% occupancy on the number of people permitted at indoor retail sites, personal care businesses and offices;
- A cap of 50% capacity at outdoor restaurants, breweries and wineries;
- The number of customers at cardrooms, outdoor mini-golf courses, go-kart tracks and batting cages will be limited to 50% of maximum outdoor capacity;
- and
- Personal care establishments will be required to serve customers only by appointment, and services that require people to remove masks will not be
- permitted.
The tightened measures arrive as infections grow at levels not seen since summer in L.A. County — and with the flu season and the holidays looming on the horizon.
This is a breaking story; watch for updates.