Newly announced business restrictions were discussed by Los Angeles County leaders on Wednesday, as COVID-19 cases surge countywide.
Starting Friday, all restaurants and businesses deemed “non-essential” within Los Angeles County are set to have imposed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
Barger clarified the restrictions are not a curfew for the general public, just restricting non-essential businesses including breweries, wineries and restaurants.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer further outlined the reasoning behind the restrictions which include limiting crowds, which can contribute to the rise in coronavirus cases.
Ferrer warned if new cases do no slow, more restrictions could be in place.
“I know it’s frustrating for all of us to feel like we’re moving in the wrong direction, and I do not want us to look at the past months and all the work we’ve done to slow the spread and see failure,” said Ferrer. “We have not failed. We have taken action in the past and we worked together both early in the pandemic and in the summer, and we’ve been successful in preventing transmission in our communities, and we just have to get back to doing that work.”
If the five-day average in cases rises above 4,000, the Department of Public Health could limit restaurants to only serve food through take-out.
See Related: Los Angeles County Curtailing Hours For Restaurants, Non-Essential Businesses
If the case average rises above 4,500, or hospitalizations are more than 2,000 per day, the county could impose a true curfew via “Safer at Home” order for at least three weeks, limiting business operations and resident activity between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with essential workers exempt, Ferrer said Wednesday.
“We are reminded that we face one of the most dangerous moments in this pandemic and that the only effective path forward requires immediate action and unfortunately, additional sacrifice,” said Ferrer Wednesday.
The restriction comes on the heels of a rise in reported hospitalizations and positive cases over the weekend, with over 1,000 people hospitalized and the highest one-day case report not associated with a backlog since July, according to the Department of Public Health.
On Wednesday, 3,944 Los Angeles County coronavirus cases confirmed bringing the countywide total to 348,336, according to the Department of Public Health.
36 additional deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total in L.A. County to 7,335 deaths, according to public health.
Over 3,420,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted as of Tuesday, with about 9 percent of those tests returning positive.
There are 1,188 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, 27 percent of which are in the ICU. Wednesday’s hospitalizations are the highest it has been in nearly two months, and nine days showing an increase in hospitalizations officials said.
As of Wednesday, 114 new cases were reported in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a total of 8,319 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since testing began in March. These include:
- 5,303 in the City of Santa Clarita* (+82)
- 196 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country (+2)
- 2,288 in Castaic* (+15)
- 45 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus (+1)
- 249 in Stevenson Ranch (+2)
- 57 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
- 113 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde (+1)
- 31 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall (+1)
- 15 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
- 12 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
- Seven in unincorporated Sand Canyon
- Three in unincorporated San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon
Additionally, 98 cumulative cases were confirmed in nearby Acton as well as 55 in Agua Dulce.
*As of Tuesday, Nov. 17 officials have recorded 1,895 cumulative cases have been reported at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center, including 1,373 at the North County Correctional Facility. Those cases are distributed between both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.
An analysis of available data indicates that as of Tuesday, Nov. 17, approximately 23.2 percent of all cumulative cases in and around the Santa Clarita Valley can be attributed to the inmate population at the North County Correctional Facility and the Pitchess Detention Center.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 18, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 11,502 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 1,188 have tested positive, and 10 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.
There are 20 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, Nov. 18 while 348 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.
There has been a total of 35 coronavirus deaths at the hospital, with at least 80 COVID-19 deaths reported across the Santa Clarita Valley.
See All Coronavirus Coverage: Coronavirus Coverage – COVID-19 Map
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