LA County to suspend all in-person dining as COVID-19 cases surge
LOS ANGELES - As Los Angeles County sees an increase in COVID-19 cases health officials are taking action and modifying the current health order to suspend dining at restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries.
The modified order will take effect Wednesday, November 25 at 10 p.m.
Restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars will still be able to offer take-out, drive-thru, and delivery services.
Officials with LA Public Health say in-person dining will not be allowed for the next 3 weeks.
This comes just days after the county added new restrictions to non-essential businesses, ordering them to close between the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The COVID-19 restrictions now in place could lead to more job loss fears. The lockdowns could hurt the holiday rush and businesses.
Especially small businesses facing the reality of maybe having to shut down yet again.
On her way into work at Mo’s Place in Playa Del Rey Sunday, waitress Jan Geraci found out – she, like pretty much every other waitress in LA County is going to be laid off for the next three weeks.
Geraci also just moved and now doesn’t know how she’ll pay rent.
“I’m so upset, I don’t know what to do. How am I going to pay my bills?" she said.
Mo Krant opened Mo’s 26 years ago – and 2020 has cost him a fortune. Trying to figure out how to still pay his staff, rent, taxes, and other bills.
“I’m very, very, very disappointed,” Krant said.
Aside from the little notice restaurant owners receive to shut down again and all the wasted food, the workers worry about the three-week plan, like last time, will last much longer.
The other concern is if cases surge to 4,500 a day on average, we’re looking at a mandated curfew and safer at home order again, except for the essentials.
The health department says the modified health order will help reduce the possibility for crowding and the potential for exposure in settings where people are not wearing their face coverings.
The five-day average of new COVID-19 cases has increased to more than 4,000 cases. On Sunday, LA County reported 2,718 new cases and nine additional deaths, bringing the county's totals to 364,520 cases and 7,438 deaths.
County health officials say if the five-day average of cases is 4,500 or more, or hospitalizations are more than 2,000 per day, a Targeted Safer at Home Order will be issued for three weeks.
They say the order would offer additional restrictions while allowing essential and emergency workers to leave their homes.
RELATED: California issues 'limited' stay-at-home order for counties in purple tier, including all of SoCal
“The persistently high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks. We hope individuals continue to support restaurants, breweries and wineries by ordering for take-out or delivery," said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health.
"We also fervently hope every L.A. County resident supports all our businesses by following the Public Health directives that we know work to slow the spread. Unfortunately, if our cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, we will need to issue further restrictions to protect our healthcare system and prevent more deaths."
Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks (Courtesy: Gigi Graciette)
FOX 11's Shelly Insheiwat and Hailey Winslow contributed to this report.
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