PandemicL.A. Imposes Sweeping COVID Restrictions

Published 4 December 2020

Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles has issued an order for residents to stay at home and minimize other contacts. The order, which supersedes one from June, prohibits public and private gatherings of people from more than one household and states that all businesses in the city which require people to work on location must stop operations. Walking, driving, travel on public transport, bikes, motorcycles and scooters are prohibited, other than for those undertaking essential activities.

Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles has issued an order for residents to stay at home and minimize other contacts. He warned that Los Angeles is nearing a “devastating tipping point” at which hospitals would be overwhelmed by infected people requiring treatment.

“We must minimize contact with others as much as possible,” Garcetti wrote in the order dated 2 December.

The steps outlined in the order were essential to avoiding city residents facing “needless suffering and death,” he said.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Garcetti’s order, which supersedes one from June, prohibits public and private gatherings of people from more than one household and states that all businesses in the city which require people to work on location must stop operations.

Walking, driving, travel on public transport, bikes, motorcycles and scooters are prohibited, other than for those undertaking essential activities.

The Times notes that there are several exemptions, including for outdoor religious services and the homeless. Businesses which can continue to operate include supermarkets, grocery stores, and health-care operations, but gyms and similar facilities are not exempted.

Sporting activities such as golf, tennis, and pickleball are permitted.

Garcetti noted that the city’s safety protocols on social distancing follow those developed by Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County has the most infections of any county in the U.S., with 408,396 confirmed cases and 7,700 deaths. 

Nationwide, COVID-19 deaths reached more than 2,700 Wednesday, the deadliest day so far.

A California travel advisory requires any traveler over the age of 16 traveling into L.A. to complete an online form upon arrival to acknowledge that they have read and understood the advisory. Failure to fill and submit the form is punishable by a fine of up to $500.