tentenWhile updating Los Angeles County on COVID-19 statistics and protocols Monday, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer explained that Los Angeles bars were shut down because the rate of “community spread” and the inability of bars to adhere to safety regulations.
As businesses were inspected over the weekend, it was reported that 49 percent of bars were not following physical distancing protocols, and 53 percent of them did not have employees wearing face coverings.
“… There are a number of businesses and individuals who have not followed the directives and they’ve gone back to living as if COVID-19 is not in our community,” Ferrer said. “We do have data that there have been gaps in compliance amongst businesses.”
Ferrer added that there have been several complaints about businesses, ranging from businesses not clearly posting safety guidelines, to not complying with face covering and physical distancing measures.
Of all Los Angeles businesses that were inspected, 65 percent were not in compliance with COVID-19 safety measures, with 83 percent of restaurants not complying.
CA’s response to #COVID19 is based on science.
That’s why we asked counties that are experiencing high transmission and positivity rates to close down bars & toggle back re-openings.
We will continue to monitor counties across the state & take appropriate action when necessary.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 29, 2020
He then tweeted Monday that California’s decisions are based on scientific evidence, and “that’s why we asked counties that are experiencing high transmission and positivity rates to close down bars & toggle back re-openings.”
Almost 3,000 New COVID-19 Cases
Public Health announced that 2,903 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded Sunday, with 22 deaths. The 2,903 cases are a new single-day high in Los Angeles County, bringing the overall total to 100,772 positive cases, with 3,326 total deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The county’s seven-day positivity rate has increased from 4.6 percent in late May, to 8.4 percent today. The state’s goal for each county is to stay under 8 percent, and Los Angeles has been monitored by the state because of its high positivity rate. The state is actively monitoring several counties, adding Orange County to the list on Monday.
In the last 14 days, there has been a 27 percent increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, but Public Health said the numbers have not yet reached the number of hospitalizations that occurred in late April when they were at their peak.