Los Angeles COVID-19 update: County confirms 51 additional deaths, 2,645 new cases as hospitalizations decline

LOS ANGELES -- Note: More recent updates for Los Angeles County can be found here.

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Los Angeles County health officials confirmed 51 additional deaths and 2,645 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

The county totals stand at 206,761 cases and 4,967 deaths.

Officials said while the latest numbers are high, hospitalizations continue to decline. There were 1,610 confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized; 31% are confirmed cases in the ICU.

Los Angeles County public health officials on Friday confirmed an additional 53 deaths and 3,116 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the region's totals to 2014,106 cases and 4,918 deaths.

Officials noted that reported case numbers may not be accurately reflected as a glitch as led to a backlog of between 250,000 and 300,000 unprocessed health records across California, many of them test results.

The issue has been fixed, but working through the backlog is expected to take 24 to 48 hours, officials say.

However, other key indicators that track the county's coronavirus status, such as hospitalizations and deaths, are not affected by the reporting issue.

There are currently 1,680 individuals hospitalized with the virus, which officials say shows a downward trend in the number of daily hospitalizations. Those figures are compared to last week, when the county reported more than 2,000 hospitalizations a day.

The city of Los Angeles is working to add more small testing sites throughout the city. Mayor Eric Garcetti says the latest effort is a partnership with the testing company Curative to add small kiosks to local neighborhoods, which will make the testing experience almost like using a self-serve vending machine. The company is running a test program with kiosks in Berkeley right now. Another plan to add testing will be through mobile vans that will drive around the city to provide testing services.

In the meantime, LA County has passed the milestone of 200,000 cases and is nearing 5,000 deaths. The county reported 3,290 new cases on Thursday and 48 new deaths. Some of those new cases are the result of a backlog of results from one lab. Nearly 1.86 million people have been tested in LA County with a 10% positivity rate.

The county has opened thousands of investigations into businesses and others violating health protocols and closure orders, and acted to shut down 27 bars and restaurants as well as 76 other businesses like nail salons and gyms.

Disturbed by reports of a large party at a mansion in the hills, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a new measure designed to crack down on party houses and other venues that violate health orders.

If a large party is held at a home or business in violation of health orders, the Department of Water and Power will be authorized to shut off utility service at the property, Garcetti said.

The shutdown will take place after police verify a large, illegal party is being held. The shutdown process can take up to 48 hours.

"These large house parties have essentially become nightclubs in the hills," Garcetti said.

Garcetti specified the orders were not intended to target small gatherings in homes.

"These are focused on the people determined to break the rules, posing significant public dangers and a threat to all of us" Garcetti said.

The mayor made the announcement as he also said there have been more than 1 million coronavirus tests conducted in the city of Los Angeles, and 1.8 million in the county. The positivity rate on those tests is about 10% in the county and 7.1% in the city. Overall, he said, the city is seeing a decline in cases and hospitalizations since the mid-July peak.

L.A. County's COVID-19 case count has been underreported due to a state technical problem, but the issue has not impacted data on hospitalizations, which county officials said continues to decrease.

A team is now working on contacting 81 labs to get coronavirus test results from July 26 to the present to obtain the correct number of positive cases during that time period. Officials said they are implementing a system for labs to report positive test results to the department "immediately" to ensure a correct count and help to contact trace.

Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's top health official, said Tuesday a technical problem has caused a lag in California's tally of coronavirus test results.

"This issue has undercounted the County's positive cases and affects the number of COVID-19 cases reported each day and our contact tracing efforts," a statement from L.A. County's Department of Public Health said.

Officials added the lag should not delay lab results for patients since test results are reported directly to providers and hospitals.

"Public Health has noted issues with the State electronic lab reporting system for about two weeks," the county said. "Once the data reporting issues are fixed, the number of cases is expected to increase."

Hospitalization data has not been impacted by the technical problem, county officials said. Confirmed cases in the hospital is at 1,757, and 31% of those are in the ICU. Last week, daily hospitalizations were more than 2,000 patients last week.

"Hospitalization data for Los Angeles County still shows a decrease, and we continue to be cautiously optimistic that our efforts over the past few weeks may be starting to slow the spread," Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.

After a disturbing surge in coronavirus cases in mid-July, LA County is starting to see numbers go back down slightly, officials said Monday. The county's overall case rate is still higher than it was at the start of July and still high enough to remain on the state watchlist - but it's not as bad as it was about two weeks ago, county health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said.

The county started July with an average of around 2,300 new cases per day, she said. That number then surged well over 3,000 cases per day in mid-July. But as the month ended, the average fell to around 2,500 cases per day. Ferrer said that is an indicator that business closures and mask enforcement measures are helping to limit the spread.

Based on the county's population, the case rate is about 355 per 100,000 people - a drop from last week, when it was 400 per 100,000. But to get off the state's watchlist, the number will have to go below 100 cases per 100,000, she said.

"We still have a ways to go to reduce community transmission," Ferrer said.

Los Angeles police officers are doing their part to slow the spread of coronavirus, passing out face coverings on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday morning.

The police department says this is an opportunity for officers to educate the public on the importance of wearing a face covering.

A handful of other local cities have fines in place for anyone not wearing a mask.

And on Sunday, health officials reported 23 additional deaths due to the coronavirus and 1,476 new cases in Los Angeles County. To date, officials have confirmed a total of 192,167 positive cases and a total of 4,692 deaths.

Meantime, in an effort to ramp up COVID-19 testing, the city of Los Angeles has deployed pop-up testing centers across the city, including a new one outside the William Mead Homes near Chinatown.

Community members can walk up to these sites from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a free test.

The Chinatown testing site was promoted by L.A. City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, who represents a section of L.A. that's been particularly hard hit by the virus.

Health officials on Friday confirmed an additional 69 deaths and 2,651 new COVID-19 cases, bringing Los Angeles County's total to 188,481 positive cases and 4,621 deaths.

Officials said the increase in deaths reported was significantly higher than what was reported last week, with an average of nearly 38 additional deaths per day.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 91 additional deaths due to the coronavirus, and 4,825 new cases. The total number of deaths increased to 4,516 and there are now 183,383 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County.

While the number of deaths was the highest the county has ever seen in one day, Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said the increase was due in part to a backlog of test reporting dating back to last week.

Health officials said the positivity rate in Los Angeles County is 10% with about 1.6 million people tested for coronavirus so far.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said more than half of the deaths from coronavirus in LA Count occur in institutional settings, such as nursing homes.

But outside those institutional settings, he noted, about two-thirds of the deaths involve men.

"So men: Mask up. Take responsibility and social distance," Garcetti said.

He added there are a few positive signs on the horizon. LA has seen a slight drop in the positivity rate. As of this week, 1 in 450 LA County residents are currently infectious, he said. That is an improvement from last week, when the figure was 1 out of 320.

He also said research from UCLA projects LA could see a small drop in cases over coming weeks as long as people take precautions like wearing masks.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 51 additional deaths due to the coronavirus, and 2,708 new cases.

Meanwhile, a new testing site was scheduled to open in Montebello, with two other locations in the county opening this week.

Testing will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday by appointment only at the Montebello Civic Center, 1600 W. Beverly Blvd.

Tests are free and proof of medical insurance is not required.

For more information or to schedule an appointment at the drive-thru testing site, visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing or dial 211.

A testing site opened in South Gate on Monday.

Los Angeles County officials announced a new set of Cs -- compliance, containment and collaboration -- "that will move with us in the long-term recovery that we all want to see happening as soon as possible."

The location is the second large-scale COVID-19 testing site that the county has launched, officials say.

On-site testing will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only at South Gate Park, 4900 Southern Ave.

A third testing site will open on Wednesday in Panorama City.

These new sites will be able to test close to 2,000 people a day, five days a week, once they're fully up and running. Testing is prioritized but any L.A. County resident can make an appointment online.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County officials have stressed the importance of avoiding the three "Cs" in controlling its spread, which stand for crowded places, confined spaces and close contact with others outside households.

While they are still "vitally important," county public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer on Monday announced a new set of Cs "that will move with us in the long-term recovery that we all want to see happening as soon as possible."

The additional Cs stand for compliance, containment and collaboration. Here's a breakdown of what those mean:

Compliance: This applies to individuals maintaining physical distancing guidelines, wearing face coverings in public and avoiding gathering with people that you don't live with. Basic cleanliness protocols such as hand-washing and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces also apply. This also applies to individual businesses.

"Compliance really is about everyone doing their part," Ferrer said.

Containment: One way to achieve this, Ferrer said, is through expanded testing, particularly in the hardest communities to identify those who may be positive but not know it.

"We know that our brown and black neighbors and those in poorer communities are bearing the brunt of this virus. They are infected at a higher rate and see the worst outcomes," Ferrer added.

Case interviews and contact tracing also fall under this category to ensure that those who may be positive or those who may have been exposed to someone who has the virus can appropriately self-isolate.

This is a critical component, but cooperation from citizens is a big part of making the tool effective. Ferrer announced a new program that would give $20 gift certificates in exchange for "full participation" when being interviewed by contact tracers.

Collaboration: This relies on a unified response across all sectors and government jurisditions on health and economic imperatives "to ensure that there are clear messages to the public, uninterrupted supply chains for testing supplies and personal protective equipment, and unity on strategies for reopening," Ferrer said.

"There's is mounting evidence that these strategies work. The task in front of us is for us to thread the needle so that we can continue with our recovery journey while protecting the health and well-being of our residents, our workforce and our community. We have to figure out how to do both."

Officials on Monday confirmed an additional 17 deaths and 2,039 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the region's totals to 4,375 deaths and 176,028 positive cases.

Los Angeles County officials confirmed 10 new deaths and 1,703 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. But they said Sunday's numbers were incomplete because of delays in the state electronic lab reporting system. The actual number for Sunday's update is expected to increase once complete data is reported.

In total, the county has reported data from 1.64 million tests, with 10% of people reporting positive.

Los Angeles County officials confirmed 53 additional deaths and 3,628 new COVID-19 cases. There were 2,016 people hospitalized with 30% in the ICU.

Officials said Saturday's higher case numbers were, in part, due to backlogged positive test results.

The county totals stand at 172,325 cases and 4,351 deaths.

Health officials said 92% of people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.

Officials also said younger adults still make up the majority of new positive cases with 76% of new cases on Saturday occurring in people under 50 years old, and 54% of those new cases were among people under 30.

Los Angeles County health officials shared some promising news in the fight against COVID-19.

The health department said the county is beginning to turn the corner in efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

Health officials say there is already more encouraging data, with the daily positivity rate remaining flat at about 8.5%.

In South Los Angeles, a new pop-up testing site opened amid growing hospitalization and ICU rates throughout the state.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is rolling out a new compliance and enforcement plan to try and slow the spread of COVID-19, fining those businesses that are found to be out of compliance.

Last weekend, inspectors visited hundreds of restaurants and found 93% were in compliance with physical distancing requirements. They also found that 96% of employees and 98% of customers were wearing face coverings.

The county's Department of Public Health has investigated more than 17,000 restaurants, over 3,500 grocery stores and over 3,000 other businesses since the onset of the pandemic. Nearly 30 restaurants, one grocery store, one pool and nearly 70 other businesses were shut down for being in violation of county health protocols.

Starting at the end of August, fines will be issued to businesses that are found out of compliance with various health measures. Fines will range from $100-500 for the first offense and a 30-day permit suspension for multiple violations.

However, the responsibility doesn't fall entirely on businesses and officials say everyone should be doing their part to stop the spread of the virus.

County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis says there's multiple factors that come into play in terms of what's been driving the increase in cases.

"People have gotten together and we have data that people are saying they're more in contact with people outside of their house or their homes," he added. "We know that not everybody or a high percentage of people may not be wearing their face coverings when in close contact."

Officials on Thursday confirmed an additional 49 deaths and 2,014 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's total to 166,848 positive cases and 4,262 deaths.

Health officials said on Monday that recent data shows Latinas represent the majority of COVID-19 cases among pregnant women in Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said pregnant women are "a group that we watch closely because according to new information recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and are at increased risk of ICU admission and for being placed on mechanical ventilation when compared to non-pregnant women."

"This is also an area where healthcare inequities are quite pronounced, which is something we should all be concerned about," she added.

Officials said as of July 17, there were 812 cases of COVID-19 among pregnant women in the county. Of that total number, 638, or 79%, were symptomatic at the time of testing and 21% were asymptomatic. There has only been one COVID-19 death among pregnant women in the county.

Data showed pregnant Latinas are the most likely pregnant women to become positive for COVID-19. They represent three out of every four cases of COVID-19 among pregnant women.

"Unfortunately, this inequity is a mirror image of the inequity the Latinx community has experienced since the beginning of the pandemic," Dr. Ferrer said.

Dr. Ferrer said many Latinas or their partners are essential workers, and because of that, they are at a higher risk of being exposed to coronavirus at work and at home.

"In addition to this, many Latinx workers may also be low-wage workers that have little control over their working conditions and little flexibility to change their job duties in a way that enables them to work from home. This is another reason why we are so insistent that employers need to ensure they are compliant with every single one of the workplace protocols," said Dr. Ferrer.

Dr. Ferrer said "Latinx" workers are not only becoming infected at a higher rate than others, but they are more likely to bring the infection home to a family members, including their pregnant partners.

Health officials also confirmed 9 additional deaths and 3,160 new COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County. The county totals stand at 159,045 cases and 4,104 deaths.

Dr. Ferrer said there have been about an average of 3,100 new cases since last week.

Los Angeles County is reporting its highest-ever number of hospitalizations in a single day from the coronavirus. The county is reporting 2,216 people currently hospitalized, surpassing the previous record of 2,193 that was seen on July 15.

The county reported 2,848 new cases on Sunday along with 11 additional deaths.

More than half of the total number of cases of coronavirus in Los Angeles County are in people who are 41 years old or younger. The trend has continued to move younger in contrast to the start of the pandemic when the older population was seeing higher numbers of cases and hospitalizations.

More than 1.5 million tests have been conducted in LA County, with a positivity rate of 10%, a number that has crept upward in recent weeks as the entire state sees a surge in cases.

Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city and county are providing an additional $10 million to local small businesses that did not receive help from the federal paycheck protection program. The Los Angeles Regional COVID-19 Recovery Program is providing grants in six rounds of approvals. More information about applying is available here.

Also, the city has partnered with artist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One to produce a graphic that can be printed as a poster to remind people to wear masks. The graphic can be downloaded here.

Garcetti said the city has received 549 complaints about businesses not following health protocols for remaining open during the pandemic. The city is relaunching its Business Ambassadors program, in which dozens of city workers visit businesses where problems have been reported to remind and educate them about the proper procedures.

Health officials on Thursday reported the county's highest one-day total of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. The county reported 4,592 new cases in its Thursday update, along with 59 additional deaths. That broke the single-day record which was set just earlier this week

The new county total is 147,468 positive cases since the pandemic started and 3,988 deaths.

The record comes as the entire state of California is reporting a new surge in cases, believed to be tied to the reopening of businesses and activities.

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Health officials on Wednesday said hospitalization rates are at the highest now since the onset of the pandemic in Los Angeles County.

"In the last few weeks, hospitalizations have increased significantly, and we are on a upward trajectory. The shift from declining rates to increasing rates happened very rapidly, and we now see a three-day average of over 2,000 people hospitalized on a given day, which is more people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 than at any other point during the pandemic," Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said on Wednesday.

Officials said there's a higher rate of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County in areas with poverty.

Officials also confirmed 44 additional deaths and 2,758 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3,932 and total cases to 143,009.

Health officials on Monday reported a sharp increase in COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace in Los Angeles County.

Between March 15 and July 11, outbreaks in the workplace increased from less than 5 cases to more than 40.

Officials also confirmed 13 additional deaths and 2,593 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3,822 and total cases to 136,129.

Los Angeles County officials confirmed 18 new deaths and 3,322 new COVID-19 cases.

Nearly 2,100 people are hospitalized, with 26% in the ICU and 19% on ventilators. Officials noted the hospitalization rate "remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago."

The county totals stand at 133,549 cases and 3,809 deaths.

1 p.m.

Los Angeles County officials confirmed 57 new deaths and 2,916 new COVID-19 cases. More than 2,000 people are currently hospitalized, with 27% in the ICU and 18% on ventilators. Officials noted the hospitalization rate "remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago."

The county totals stand at 130,242 cases and 3,793 deaths.

Testing results are available for over 1,313,000 individuals, with 9% of all people testing positive.

6 a.m.

L.A. Apparel's manufacturing facility won't reopen anytime soon after a deadly coronavirus outbreak.

County health officials say they've ordered the continued closure of the South Los Angeles facility after more than 300 workers there contracted the virus. Four workers have died.

The facility on 59th Street was originally closed on June 27.

Inspectors say they found "flagrant" violations of safety protocols and the company refused to cooperate with what was then about 150 cases.

There has been no comment from L.A. Apparel yet.

The number of coronavirus hospitalizations in Los Angeles County continues to be of concern to public health officials as the numbers have steadily been increasing. Just over 2,030 people in the county are currently in the hospital after testing positive for the virus.

The county has seen a drop in testing, which officials say is partially due to testing site closures over Fourth of July weekend as well as increased demand.

On June 26, the county reached an average of 26,173 tests administered in one day. On July 4, that number dropped down to 15,276.

"Up until even a week ago, there were thousands of unused slots that were available across the city and the county every week," said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the director of the L.A. County Department of Health Services, during a Wednesday press conference. "So there really was adequate testing. It's really only over the past one to two weeks where that mismatch of supply and demand has become increasingly apparent."

She added that it's very likely that testing access will "continue to be insufficient" in the days and weeks to come.

County public health officials on Friday confirmed an additional 51 deaths and 2,667 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the region's totals to 127,358 cases and 3,738 deaths.

4 p.m.

Los Angeles County officials on Thursday confirmed an additional 50 deaths and 1,777 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's totals to 124,738 cases and 3,698 total deaths.

During a press briefing, county health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer was pressed about recent remarks from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti who warned the city could be placed under a second stay-at-home-order if the trend of rising cases continues.

"We are deeply committed to being on a recovery journey and we need everyone else to be deeply commited to be on a recovery journey," Ferrer said. "That means that we're all in."

Other figures that are of concern to health officials is the county's hospitalization rate. As of Wednesday, there were 2,037 people in the hospital with COVID-19. It's the second day in a row that the county reported over 2,000 hospitalizations.

9 a.m.

Los Angeles County is changing its recommendation for who should get tested.

After the county reopened businesses and protests erupted over the death of George Floyd, officials encouraged everyone -- including people without symptoms -- to get tested.

But with both the number of cases and demand for testing going up, officials say it's time to change who gets priority.

"Tests should be prioritized for people who have symptoms, those who think they've been exposed, or are essential workers, or work in a high risk environment," L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "We are receiving reports people are getting tested so they can just go out, hang out with folks. That's not what these tests are for. A COVID test isn't an excuse to break the rules and engage in social gatherings outside your household. It's not an excuse to not wear a mask and not maintain social distancing. A test is not a passport to party.""

Testing appointments in the county are booked for the rest of the week.

The county plans to open 8 more testing sites to help.

Health officials reported 65 additional coronavirus deaths and 2,496 new cases, bringing the total number of deaths in Los Angeles County to 3,642 fatalities and 123,004 cases.

Officials said there were more than 2,000 people currently hospitalized in Los Angeles County on Wednesday. About 26% of those patients were confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% were confirmed cases on ventilators. Health officials said this number remains significantly higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago.

The county health department reported 4,015 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. But county officials said the high numbers are due to a backlog of about 2,000 cases received from a lab reporting results from an extended holiday weekend of July 2-5. The county is also reporting 46 new deaths.

Even accounting for the backlog, the county has been seeing an alarming rise in cases in the last week or two, believed to be linked to the reopening of businesses and activities. The county's long-term positivity rate for the testing of 1.2 million people has been 9%, but in the last seven days, the rate has risen to 11.6%.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have introduced an enforcement plan designed to take action against restaurants and businesses that are not in compliance with health protocols tied to reopening.

Businesses will be subject to fines for their first violations and could have their permits pulled for repeated offenses.

During the last weekend in June, county inspectors found nearly half of the bars and a third of restaurants were not following physical distancing protocols.

"If you're not in compliance, there will be a price to pay," said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. "Because your failure to comply causes others to pay the price with their health. We will fine you if you are out of compliance. We will shut you down."

Los Angeles County officials on Monday confirmed an additional 48 deaths and 1,584 COVID-19 cases.

The county's totals now stands at 116,570 confirmed cases and 3,534 deaths, though officials noted that totals on Mondays are usually lower as some results from over the weekend are still being counted.

Officials also highlighted the number of people currently hospitalized, with 1,921 patients.

County health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said the county is seeing an alarming rise in cases among the younger population. Almost half of the newer cases are among younger people, and that demographic is also seeing an increase in hospitalizations.

The largest testing site in the county, Dodger Stadium, was closed Monday as the nonprofit group which runs that site kept it closed for a long holiday weekend, but it is expected to reopen Tuesday. Hansen Dam was also closed on Monday. Other sites around the city and county remained open.

After a slight delay in updates, Los Angeles County officials are reporting the county's highest-ever single-day total of new coronavirus cases. The county reported 3,187 new cases on Friday, the first time the daily update has passed the 3,000 mark.

The county did not report numbers earlier on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as its data systems were being updated. The information for those days was reported Sunday: Over the three-day period, the county saw at least 7,232 cases, with some lab reports still to come in.

There were only 30 new deaths reported over that three-day period, a relatively low number compared to past reports, but county officials say that number is undercounted, with a number of reported deaths still pending verification.

Los Angeles County is now reporting a total of 115,013 COVID-19 cases and 3,485 deaths.

The numbers come out as the county is seeing an alarming spike in coronavirus hospitalizations.

Officials reported a 41% jump in the last three weeks.

At the same time, the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU is up 35% in the last two weeks.

The county's Department of Public Health issued a memo Saturday stating that if this trajectory continues, the number of ICU beds in the county would likely become inadequate in the near future.

Health experts in Los Angeles County are asking the public to not indulge in traditional holiday activities.

"Please avoid interaction with others who are not within your household. These are small sacrifices for all of us to take in the interest of preventing further transmission," said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the director of L.A. County Health Services.

Appointments won't be available at city and county testing sites until Monday, but more people are being tested in California. Last week, the state ranked 17th in the country in testing and is currently ranked 14th.

Although Mayor Eric Garcetti said he plans to order in, restaurants throughout the county that offer outdoor seating will be open for business.

"Outdoor spaces, properly spaced are very safe. That's not the place you're probably going to get an infection. It's in a closed environment for more than 10 minutes. Six feet or less," Garcetti said.