Officials Target July 4 For Safe Reopening, But Do So Cautiously

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA — Reopening segments of Los Angeles County has already been more challenge than health and government officials anticipated, but the county are hopeful to remain on a recovery journey with a target date of July 4 set for a safe reopening. But meeting that deadline, officials said Tuesday, will require work.

The past two weeks have seen a steady decline in positive tests, county health director Barbara Ferrer said in the county's daily briefing on Tuesday, but on a day when 76 new coronavirus-related deaths and additional 1,183 positive cases were announced, there is still plenty of work to be done. As of Tuesday, 1,913 people have died from the coronavirus and 39,573 county residents have tested positive. While 92 percent of the deaths involved people who had underlying health issues, the county will need to show a drastic reduction in both deaths and positive cases before it can think about moving toward reopening.

Ferrer said that more positive cases are announced on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as health officials catch up from a backlog of test results.

Both Ferrer and County Supervisor Hilda Solis said Tuesday that the July 4 date is merely a goal, but both understand the urgency to reopen the county’s economy sooner than later. But for the county to realistically reopen more than it is now will be a process, officials said, and won’t be taken lightly.

``Everyone is fatigued and I think we all feel like enough is enough,'' Ferrer said. ``I wish the virus said enough is enough, also. I wish it would just go away, and I know you all agree with me. We wish this wasn't going on so long and why is reopening so hard. And I think we all really felt like once we started to reopen, everything was going to be good and we were just going to be able to move on pretty quickly.

“And I think the reality is ... we are going to really aim together to get there as quickly as possible. But we'regoing to pay attention to the data and we're going to pay attention to the science. I think it is correct to note it's going to take all of us together to be able to do this quicker rather than slower."

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated that he is relaxing the standards counties need to meet to begin to reopen segments of their economies. But as Los Angeles County continues to see large number of both confirmed cases and deaths, local residents will need to remain patient as local officials continue to work toward a possible July 4 deadline.

The date emerged during the second meeting of the county's Economic Resiliency Task Force, a collection of elected officials and business leaders assembled to recommend steps for creating jobs and returning the county to full employment.

``I understand the urgency to reopen and know many of the experts the county has assembled for this task force have been working hard to develop safe and efficient plans to revitalize their sectors as early as next month,'' county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement following the meeting. ``I remain focused on working with industry leaders and health officials to safely make way for Los Angeles County to reopen by the Fourth of July.''

Ferrer said that the county’s positive test rate now sits at 9 percent as opposed to the 13-15 percent mark it sat at the height of the pandemic two weeks ago. She said much of the drop has come with increased testing as people who are not demonstrating symptoms of the coronavirus are now being tested. Over the past week, the positivity rate, Ferrer said, has ranged between 10 and 11 percent.

As Memorial Day approaches, both Ferrer and Solis re-iterated the need for residents to take caution as beaches and county running trails and other locations have opened on a limited basis. Solis said Tuesday that the only way the July 4 goal could be met is if people continue to take caution in their activities.

``That (July) is a goal, but we have to get there, and we have to do it by measurement, we have to do it by scientific evidence and data and making sure everybody is adhering to the public health order,'' Solis said. ``And I can tell you as one supervisor, I have a great deal of concern that some people are not listening to that message."

City News Service contributed