City Of Malibu: County Announces Re-Openings As Of March 20

Press release from the City of Malibu:

March 22, 2021

(mARCH 20, 2021) - LA County Dept of Public Health Updated Health Officer Order to Allow Further Openings for Certain Sector as of March 20, 2021. 

The Order was modified to reflect updates that allow breweries, distilleries, and wineries to reopen for outdoors only if not serving a bona fide meal; add a specific protocol for Limited Services, Appendix W; and increase the number of participants obtaining in-person behavioral health or substance use disorder support in therapeutic small group meetings and obtaining in-person faith based small group counseling services, where the services cannot reasonably be practiced remotely. See the updated Order. All of LADPH’s Health Officer Orders and sector protocols are available on its website. Vaccination Eligibility - For the latest information on vaccine eligibility and required documentation, please see the Vaccination Appointment page.  

(MARCH 15, 2021) - LA County Announces Reopenings as of March 15 - Grades 7-12, Indoor Dining, Movie Theaters, and Other Sectors  

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) announced on March 12 that it modified its Health Officer Order to closely align with the State’s re-opening framework and reflect the changes allowed in the Red Tier. The changes go into effect on Monday, March 15. 

The modifications to the Health Officer Order include the following:

• Museum, Zoos and Aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity.
• Gyms, Fitness Centers, Yoga and Dance Studios can open indoors at 10% capacity with masking requirement for all indoor activities.
• Movie Theatres can open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
• Retail and Personal Care Services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
• Restaurants can open indoors at 25% max capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; one household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible ventilation has been increased. Public Health strongly recommends that all restaurant employees interacting with customers indoors are provided with additional masking protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be fit tested N95 masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield. In addition, Public Health strongly recommends that all employees working indoors are informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated. Outdoor dining can accommodate up to six people per table from 3 different households.
• Indoor Shopping Malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
• Institutes of Higher Education can re-open all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester.
• Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives.
• Private gatherings can occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing.

Businesses must implement all the requirements in the sector specific Public Health protocols. It is critical that directives and infection protocols are followed to minimize COVID-19 spread as much as possible. The comprehensive protocols for all sectors that reopen will be posted online later today.

See the press release: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=3017

The Order is issued to account for the continued decline in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and testing positivity rates in the County and the County's eligibility to move into the less-restrictive Red Tier of the State's Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework. See the updated Order for complete details: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/HOO/HOO_SaferatHomeCommunity.pdf.

See all previous Orders, revised protocols, the list of what is and is not open, guidance for gatherings, guidance for fully vaccinated people and more at:   http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/reopening-la.htm. 

This press release was produced by the City of Malibu. The views expressed here are the author’s own.