In a major shift, Los Angeles County officials said they hope to allow a list of commercial sectors to be reopened more broadly from Monday.
The changes come as the newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to plummet, while the number of Angelenos vaccinated against the disease slowly increases.
The reopening depends on California reaching its goal of administering 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to residents in its most disadvantaged areas – which seems likely to happen on Friday.
So, what will change when the county launches its last health order? What will be the restrictions? Here is an analysis:
Restaurants (1)
- The restaurants will be able to serve dinner indoors with a capacity of 25%.
- Clients must sit at least 2.5 meters away from other tables and, inside the house, only one house with a maximum of six people per table is allowed. Restaurants can allow up to six people at a table from three families to dine together at outdoor tables.
- Restaurants need a heating system, ventilation and air conditioning “in good working order” and, as far as possible, should increase ventilation.
- It is recommended that all employees interacting with customers indoors receive N95 masks, KN95 masks or double masks and a face shield.
Dating
- Private meetings will be allowed with up to three separate families, with the necessary masking and distance at all times. Fully vaccinated people would be able to meet in small numbers indoors with other fully vaccinated people, without masking and detachment requirements.
Other locations
- Museums, zoos and aquariums can open indoors with a 25% capacity.
- Gyms, fitness centers and yoga and dance studios can open indoors with a capacity of 10%, with the requirement for masking for all indoor activities.
- The cinemas can open indoors at 25% capacity, with reserved seats only where each group is seated at least six feet apart in all directions among any other groups.
Shopping
- Retail and personal care services can increase capacity to 50% with the necessary masking at all times and for all services.
- Indoor malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity according to the restaurant’s guidelines for indoor dining.
Schools
- Higher education institutes can reopen all permitted activities with the required security modifications, except for residences, which remain under the current restrictions for the spring semester.
- Schools can reopen for face-to-face classes for students from 7th to 12th grade, in compliance with all state and municipal guidelines.
LAUSD
- The Los Angeles school board unanimously approved an agreement with the teachers’ union on Thursday that aims to reopen primary schools in mid-April and elementary and high schools in late April or early May.
- Students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade can stay on campus from 8 am to 4 pm, five days a week. The caveat is that at least half of the instruction will remain online or will be spent on jobs that do not involve live interaction with a teacher.
- Elementary school students would have the option of returning to campus Monday through Friday for three hours of live, face-to-face interaction with their teacher and colleagues. Face-to-face classes will take place during the morning session, and an early afternoon session will be for students who remain in full-time distance learning.
- Children who came in person in the morning could go home or go to daycare on campus in the afternoon. Everyone would have tasks to do during the hours of the school day when they are not with the teacher.