The surge in coronavirus cases across Los Angeles County has prompted residents to flock to free testing sites in the area, including at D...
The surge in coronavirus cases across Los Angeles County has prompted residents to flock to free testing sites in the area, including at Dodger Stadium, where a long line of cars snaked around the parking lot on Tuesday.
The images of Angelenos lined up for hours outside a baseball stadium to get tested come as Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses on Tuesday while readying plans for a mandatory curfew for all but essential workers if coronavirus cases keep spiking.
The county of 10 million residents - the nation's most populous - has seen daily confirmed cases more than double in the last two weeks to nearly 2,900.
Hospitalizations have topped 1,100, a rise of 30 per cent in that period.
Drivers wait for hours to get a free COVID-19 test in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Los Angeles County has reported alarming surges in COVID-19 cases, prompting authorities to reimpose stricter lockdown measures
Several free testing sites have had to expand their hours of operation as demand has surged in light of the spike in case numbers
The county, which for most of the pandemic has had a disproportionately large share of California's cases, issued new restrictions ordering nonessential retail businesses to limit indoor capacity to 25 per cent and restaurants to 50 per cent capacity outdoors.
Restaurants already are not allowed to serve customers indoors.
All those businesses must close at 10pm. The changes take effect Friday.
Additionally, services at salons and other personal care businesses may only be provided by appointment and customers and staff must wear face coverings.
The row of cars waiting to enter the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is seen above on Tuesday
LA County officials warned on Tuesday that they will impose mandatory curfews if cases continue to climb
The county, which for most of the pandemic has had a disproportionately large share of California’s cases, issued new restrictions
The county has ordered nonessential retail businesses to limit indoor capacity to 25 per cent and restaurants to 50 per cent capacity outdoors. Restaurants already are not allowed to serve customers indoors.
Additionally, services at salons and other personal care businesses may only be provided by appointment and customers and staff must wear face coverings, according to county officials. The new changes go into effect on Friday
The new restrictions also require that all gatherings must be outdoors and limited to 15 people from no more than three households
A county official holds a sign asking motorists to confirm that they have made an appointment at the testing site
Motorists in Los Angeles, who are accustomed to waiting in traffic jams, patiently line up for a free COVID-19 test on Tuesday
Services such as facials that require customers to remove their face coverings are not permitted.
All gatherings must be outdoors and limited to 15 people from no more than three households.
The county also warned of increasingly restrictive policies if cases keep rising.
If the five-day average of cases tops 4,000 or hospitalizations are above 1,750 per day, outdoor restaurant dining will be banned.
If cases reach 4,500 per day or hospitalizations top 2,000, the county will impose a three-week lockdown that will restrict people to their homes for all but essential services.
A nighttime curfew for all but essential workers would run from 10pm to 6am.
'Los Angeles County is at a critical moment to save lives and curb the spread of COVID-19,' said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health.
Beginning on Friday, all restaurants, breweries, wineries, bars and all other non-essential retail establishments must close from 10pm to 6am
On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 3,061 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths, bringing the county's totals to 339,560 cases and 7,269 fatalities
On Saturday, the county reported 3,780 new cases, the highest number of positive cases in one day not associated with a backlog since mid-July
The county reported 2,795 cases on Monday - a day when case reports are traditional lower due to a lag in reporting of test results over the weekend
Statistics show that LA County has also seen a steady increase in hospitalizations
The number of county residents hospitalized with the virus surpassed 1,000 on Sunday for the first time in months, jumping from 966 on Saturday to 1,014, then up to 1,049 on Monday
A long line of motorists wait to get a COVID-19 test at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Recent statewide figures show an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalization, though the number of total deaths has yet to spike. But officials say that the rate of deaths is considered a 'lagging indicator,' meaning it tends to increase several weeks after a spike in hospitalizations
Most of California's 58 counties are reimposing strict lockdown measures due to a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases
'Lives and livelihoods are at stake and our entire community will be affected by our collective action if we do the right thing.'
Further restrictions could be a death knell for restaurants already struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, said Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association.
'Indoor dining at restaurants has been closed in Los Angeles since March - yet, coronavirus cases are spiking. What evidence do they have citing outdoor dining as a major source of the spread?' Condie said in a statement Tuesday evening.
The county's announcement came a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed an 'emergency brake' on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening.
Those counties joined Los Angeles and 13 others already at that level, and together they account for 94 per cent of the state's nearly 40 million residents.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday urged residents to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread.
'This is a different kind of moment, a new level of danger,' Garcetti said.
'If we don't make these decisions now, there really is only one outcome: We will almost certainly have to shut things down again. And more people will get sick and die.'
Most states are seeing huge surges of coronavirus cases and imposing new restrictions.
On Tuesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered a three-week statewide curfew from 10pm to 5am for most residents.
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