The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) expects L.A. County to move to the “red” tier of re-opening by next week as COVID-19 case rates continue to drop.
The State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy less restrictive red tier is expected to allow for additional re-openings between midnight on Monday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 17, according to LADPH officials.
LADPH officials stated that the exact date of re-opening depends on when 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to people in the most under-resourced communities across the state.
“We plan to move into the red tier very soon, and that allows for more re-openings and permitted activities in L.A. County. This milestone is the result of businesses and individuals working together and doing their part to prevent COVID-19 from spreading,” said LADPH DIrector Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
Newly permitted activities and modified safety protocols in the red tier are expected to include the following:
- Museum, Zoos and Aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity.
- Gyms, Fitness Centers, Yoga and Dance Studios can open indoors at 10% capacity with masking requirement for all indoor activities.
- Movie Theatres can open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
- Retail and Personal Care Services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
- Restaurants can open indoors at 25% max capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; one household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible ventilation has been increased. Public Health strongly recommends that all restaurant employees interacting with customers indoors are provided with additional masking protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be fit tested N95 masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield. In addition, Public Health strongly recommends that all employees working indoors are informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated. Outdoor dining can accommodate up to six people per table from 3 different households.
- Indoor Shopping Malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
- Institutes of Higher Education can re-open all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester.
- Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives.
- Private gatherings can occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing.
An additional 1,378 COVID-19 cases were reported in Los Angeles County on Thursday, along with 101 deaths.
This brings the county’s cumulative total to 1,208,024 positive cases of COVID-19 and 22,304 deaths since the onset of the pandemic, according to the LADPH.
Testing results are available for over 5,927,000 people, with a cumulative 19 percent of people testing positive.
As of Thursday, there were 1,056 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County, 30 percent of which were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The Southern California Region has 27.6% staffed adult intensive care unit (ICU) capacity remaining as of the state’s last update on Tuesday, March 9, according to state health officials.
Residents are encouraged to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19, to not gather in crowds, stay home when sick, wear a face covering and maintain physical distance from others when outside of the home.
A travel advisory remains in effect for L.A. County. Anyone who is arriving in Los Angeles County must self-quarantine for 10 days. Residents are asked to remain at home or lodging for 10 days and avoid contact with others.
On Thursday, 54 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Santa Clarita Valley, with 25,892 cumulative cases having been reported in the valley since March of 2020, according to the LADPH. These cases include:
- 19,548 in the City of Santa Clarita* (+45)
- 45 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
- 805 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country (+2)
- 3,634 in Castaic* (+3)
- 66 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
- 1 in Placerita Canyon
- 15 in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon
- 17 in unincorporated Sand Canyon
- 132 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
- 39 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country (-1)
- 1,086 in Stevenson Ranch (+3)
- 320 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde (+2)
- 184 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
*As of Sunday, March 7, public health officials have recorded 1,978 cumulative cases have been reported at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center, including 1,439 at the North County Correctional Facility. Those cases are distributed between both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals. Those cases are distributed between both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.
In nearby Acton, there have been 456 (+1) cumulative cases, as well as 259 (+2) cases in Agua Dulce.
There were six COVID-19 patients in Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Wednesday, March 10, while 1,171 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March 2020, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.
One additional death was reported at Henry Mayo on Monday, with a total of 145 coronavirus deaths at the hospital, with at least 255 COVID-19 deaths reported across the Santa Clarita Valley since March 2020.
See All Coronavirus Coverage: Coronavirus Coverage – COVID-19 Map
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