LA County Releases Additional Guidelines For Reopening, Reports 35 New COVID-19 Deaths
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday issued new guidelines after announcing Wednesday that nail salons, indoor malls, cardrooms and outside playgrounds would be allowed to reopen.
Starting Thursday, nail salons were allowed to reopen with 25% capacity, though health officials urged salons to continue offering outdoor services as much as possible.
Starting Monday, schools can begin applying for waivers to reopen for TK-2nd grade on-campus instruction and cardrooms can begin outdoor operation — though they cannot serve food or beverages at tables.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, indoor shopping malls can reopen with 25% capacity, though all food courts and all common areas must remain closed.
Outside playgrounds will be allowed to reopen at the discretion of cities and L.A. County Parks and Recreation, though face coverings and social distancing are required.
Health officials said they expected to announce the reopening timeline and process for outdoor operations at breweries and wineries that serve food in one week.
"As more sectors reopen and more students attend in-person classes in L.A. County, we must be sure that every business or sector that is reopening complies with 100% of the safety directives," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said. "If the new re-openings result in increased community transmission, our recovery journey may need to slow down."
Also on Thursday, the department reported 1,148 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 35 additional deaths, bringing countywide totals to 271,371 cases and 6,610 deaths.
A total of 746 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Thursday, 27% of whom were being treated in intensive care units. With testing results available for nearly 2,677,000 people, the county's overall positivity rate was holding steady at 9%.
More information about the county's reopening protocols can be found online.
