By Ronald Penh
The county of Los Angeles will reopen outdoor services for breweries, wineries, and cardrooms following a 3-2 vote from the LA county board of supervisors. Cardrooms will reopen by Oct. 5.
In addition, nail salons can resume indoor operations at 25% capacity by Oct. 1, indoor shopping malls can resume indoor operations at 25% by Oct. 7, and outside playgrounds can reopen at the discretion of cities and LA County Parks and Recreation. All activities will require face masks and physical distancing.
A school waiver program for grades from transitional kindergarten to the second grade will also open up which will allow schools to apply for in-person instruction for those grades. Applications can be submitted on Oct. 5 and the program will prioritize waivers to schools with higher percentages of students qualified for free/reduced meals.
LA County has observed a steady decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations, but Public Health director Barbara Ferrer still moves forward with caution as the county begins to reopen.
“As more sectors reopen and more students attend in-person classes in L.A. County, we must be sure that every business or sector that is re-opening complies with 100% of the safety directives,” Ferrer said in a LA Public Health press release from Oct. 1. “If the new re-openings result in increased community transmission, our recovery journey may need to slow down.”
Ferrer noted the importance of avoiding crowds, wearing face masks, and physical distancing, especially during the weekends when people are typically outdoors.
According to a LA Public Health release from Oct. 3, hospitalizations have declined significantly following the county’s peak in Mid-July in which there was an average of about 2,200 hospitalizations a day. Hospitalizations have remained steady the past couple of weeks in which the week of Oct. 3 observed an average of 717 hospitalizations a day, the lowest number the county has seen in six months.
However, the county still remains in the most restrictive tier in the state’s assessment of the risk of COVID-19 within a community. The county’s daily case numbers indicate that there is still widespread community transmission, which is a statistic that must be reduced in order for the county to continue on the recovery journey.
The Hustler Casino on West Redondo Beach Boulevard is currently closed and does not have a time frame on when they will reopen. You can contact the casino by phone at 310-719-9800.
The Lucky Lady Casino on Rosecrans Avenue opens up outdoor gaming on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. You can contact the casino by phone at 310-352-3400.
