Coronavirus: L.A. County allows reopening of some retail businesses, hiking trails starting Friday

Los Angeles County officials announced on Wednesday, May 6, that the first round of businesses may reopen Friday with limited operations, following approval by Gov. Gavin Newsom to begin lifting restrictions on the coronavirus-quelled state economy.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said that trails, golf courses, florists, car dealers and retail businesses selling toys, books, clothing, sporting goods and music can open with curb-side pickup only starting Friday.

Other “non-essential” businesses like manufacturing, offices, and other retail stores could reopen as soon as next week per a five-stage ‘Recovery Roadmap,’ said officials.

Business are expected to rely on pickup and delivery, maintain physical distancing and continue to wear face coverings, under protocols that will become available Thursday. County staff will be deployed to monitor trails to ensure they don’t become overcrowded, added Barger.

“What’s best for other counties may not necessarily be right for Los Angeles County as we are the most densely populated county in the state,” said Barger. “Our guidelines will certainly look different than others.”

L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara outlined a five-stage plan to opening the local economy safely as she reported an additional 851 coronavirus cases, bringing the total confirmed county coronavirus infections to 28,644.

She also reported 55 new deaths of COVID-19 patients, bringing the total number of deaths countywide to 1,367. In total, 769 cases have been reported in Long Beach and 453 in Pasadena, cities that operate separate health departments.

Despite the daily death toll and expected increase in positive cases, Ferrer said other “low-risk, non-essential businesses” can be expected to reopen as soon as next week. Those businesses, per stage two of the plan, include manufacturing, offices, other retail stores, museums and essential health care services.

Stage three included the opening of  K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and “higher-risk” businesses like body art and massage businesses, bars and night clubs, movie theaters, and bowling allies. The timeline for this stage remained to be determined.

Stage four encompassed opening the “highest risk businesses” like entertainment venues, large conventions and sporting centers. Stage five was defined as fully normal operations.

“Throughout all of the stages it’s incumbent on every one of us to protect each other by adhering to distancing requirements, use our face coverings when we’re around others, wash our hands frequently, isolate ourselves when we’re sick and quarantine when it’s appropriate,” Ferrer said.

Throughout the reopening process, Ferrer said the department of public health will be reviewing and evaluating effects of relaxed restrictions including monitoring hospitalization and death rates.

The health system must continue increasing testing capacity while tracing and isolating those who test positive, while maintaining ventilators, PPE supply and space for a possible surge.

Ferrer also delivered her daily numbers update on coronavirus deaths and cases in L.A. County. Of the 58 people who’ve died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, she said, 41 were over 65 and, of those victims, 27 had underlying health conditions.

Twelve victims were between 41 and 65 and 11 of them had underlying health conditions. So far, 92% of those who have died had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said.

Ferrer reported that 682 of total county coronavirus deaths are connected to institutional settings, representing 50% of total deaths. The majority of those deaths resided in skilled nursing facilities.

“My heart again goes out to all the loved ones of people who have passed,” said Ferrer. “I hope you know one of our most important priorities today is to reduce the outbreaks and the heartache that’s happening in our institutional settings where our most vulnerable reside.”

As communities across California continued to report more cases and deaths linked to COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that some retail stores across the state could reopen with modifications as early as Friday. The news came as pressure grows to ease stay-at-home orders that effectively halted the state economy.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, however, said Monday that different cities would need to take different steps when emerging from the pandemic-induced shutdown and that city and county officials were still trying to determine the safest course.

Garcetti said he did not expect city businesses to be able to offer curbside delivery on Friday according to Newsom’s re-opening plan. He said that he hoped steps restricting commerce could begin to be rolled back by May 15, the expiration of his “Stay-At-Home” order.

Garcetti was scheduled for a nightly update at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, when details of the city’s plan may be announced.

On Tuesday, Garcetti said he supported working on the reopening of “low-risk spaces” like hiking trails in coming days and weeks. He also gave permission for flower wholesalers to open ahead of Mother’s Day this Sunday.