Dine-in Restaurants, Salons, Barbershops Can Reopen in L.A. County

OnFriday, Supervisor Janice Hahn announced that Los Angeles County was approvedfor a variance by Governor Gavin Newsom that allows for restaurants to resumein-person dining, and for barbershops and hair salons to reopen.

Earlierin the week, the county announced the reopening of churches, drive-in movietheaters and retail shops with strict modifications. With the approval of thisvariance, L.A. County will join other counties across the state that havealready reopened salons, barbershops and restaurants with social distancingguidelines in place.

OnTuesday, Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced that the state would seek avariance from the state, which decides whether counties can reopen ataccelerated rates if they can attest to meeting certain COVID-19 criteria setby the California Department of Public Health.

Ifat any time, the County’s rate of infection and other key metrics return tounsafe numbers, the Department of Public Health can limit or close reopenedsectors.

“Weare only able to take this important step forward because everyone did theirpart. As we move along in our progress to reopen, let’s continue to keep ourguard up. This highly contagious virus hasn’t disappeared; it is still outthere, imposing a real threat to our communities. We cannot go back to businessas usual,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “I urge everyone to continue doingtheir part by abiding by physical distancing and face covering requirements andby adhering to our new public health directives for reopened businesses. Whileour measure to reopen will provide economic relief to our workers and smallbusinesses, extreme caution must be taken to prevent another spike in confirmedcases and fatalities. We must remember that our communities of color have beendisproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and they will likely continue to bearthe brunt if the coronavirus comes back with a vengeance.”

Diningin restaurants and getting a haircut will be a different experience. Just as isrequired for all out-of-home activities, clients and staff will have topractice physical distancing and wear cloth face coverings. There will belimited capacity and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

Key,specific guidelines for customers at hair salons, barbershops and in-personrestaurant dining:

Barbershops and hairsalons

• Physicaldistancing measures will be in place.
• Employeesand customers will be screened for symptoms, including cough and fever. Clientsfeeling unwell should reschedule their appointment.
• Everyone,including clients, must wear cloth face coverings while in the salon or barbershop and clients are encouraged to wear face coverings with earloops to ensurethe face covering does not interfere with the hair service.
• Magazines,coffee and other amenities will not be available.
• Clientsare encouraged to use credit cards and contactless payment systems. Ifelectronic or card payment is not possible, customers should come with exactcash payment or check, if available.
• Stylistsmay only serve one client at a time.
• For the detailed protocols, click here.

In-person dining inrestaurants

• Physicaldistancing measures will be in place.
• Employeesand customers will be screened for symptoms, including cough and fever. Patronsfeeling unwell should not eat at a restaurant.
• Outdoorseating and curbside pickup are prioritized.
• Reservationswill be encouraged.
• Customerswill be asked to wait for their table in their cars or outside the restaurantto prevent crowds from gathering.
• Dinersmust wear cloth face coverings when not eating.
• Barareas will be closed.
• Occupancycapacity will be limited to 60% for the next three weeks.
• For the detailed protocol, click here.

Still closed:

• Nail salons.
• Spa services, including massage, facials and waxing.
• In-person dining in restaurants.
• Gyms and fitness centers.
• Beach piers.
• Indoor entertainment venues including arcades, bowling alleys, movie theaters, live performance theaters, concert halls, stadiums, arenas, theme parks, gaming facilities and festivals.
• Indoor museums, galleries and zoos.
• Click here for a detailed list of what’s open and closed in L.A. County.

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