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County Leaders Urge Public to Stay Home This 4th of July
Arcadia Weekly Jul 02, 2020
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Courtesy photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
Beaches closed and safety rules in effect at county parks as COVID-19 emergency continues
Los Angeles County leaders are urging residents to stay home this 4th of July holiday weekend to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the healthcare system is not overwhelmed. They are asking each resident to do their part to keep the County safe and moving ahead toward recovery.
Rather than going forth on the 4th, residents should celebrate with members of their own households, avoid large gatherings, and practice the basic rules that keep everyone safer during the pandemic: cloth face coverings, physical distancing of at least 6 feet from non-household members, frequent and thorough hand-washing, and resisting the urge to touch your face.
With COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations on the rise, the County modified its Health Officer Orders this week. To prevent gatherings where the virus can spread, all beaches, beach parking lots, beach bike paths, beach facilities and beach accessways will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3, until 5 a.m. Monday, July 6. Public fireworks displays have been cancelled.
In addition, new Health Officer Orders are in place to comply with new state directives mandating the temporary closure of indoor operations at restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, card rooms, zoos, aquariums and museums.
And if you’re hoping to get in a holiday weekend workout, new County directives require all patrons and employees of fitness facilities to wear cloth face coverings masks and gloves at all times while inside the facility.
Although Grand Park in downtown L.A. will be closed to public gatherings and picnics on the holiday, its annual 4th of July Block Party will go on — virtually. Catch the show on ABC7 Saturday from 7 to 8 p.m. The program can be viewed on the County Channel (92 or 94 on most cable systems) and streamed at july4.grandparkla.org from 8 to 10 p.m.
Health care leaders said the region is at a critical juncture in the pandemic that has already claimed the lives of more than 3,400 Los Angeles County residents and infected more than 105,000 people here. People of all ages are at risk. Those with underlying health conditions, who are at higher risk for serious illness or death due to COVID-19, should take special precautions and stay at home wherever possible.
“I know that many residents are frustrated and heartbroken that we may be taking steps backwards, but I am confident that with these actions, we have a chance to really prevent as many future cases, hospitalizations and deaths as we can,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health. “Over the holiday weekend, I ask that you avoid the Three C’s: Crowds, Confined Spaces, and Close Contact with people from outside of your household. These actions, as well as practicing physical distancing and wearing a cloth face covering whenever you are around others, do save lives.”
Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the Department of Health Services, also emphasized the need for caution in celebration: “The spike in COVID-19 cases and the uptick in hospitalizations we’ve seen in recent days is alarming and an important reminder of the need to aggressively practice prevention measures like face coverings and physical distancing to limit transmission of the virus causing COVID-19. While prepared to care for an increase in patients, we must all take action to prevent excessive strain on hospitals. The sentinel bell is ringing loudly in every part of our County. As we commemorate Independence Day and the way of life we celebrate this weekend, including access to healthcare, following simple public health guidance will be key to the continued reopening of society and the preservation of our hospital system and its dedicated workforce.”
For more information, please go to COVID19.LACounty.gov.
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