In the meantime, a decision is expected on Thursday as to whether Los Angeles County will allow all businesses under the less restrictive “red” level to actually reopen, especially indoor restaurants.
According to a plan announced last week, once the state reaches the 2 million dose stage in low-income communities, the “Plan for a Safer Economy” governing the reopening of business will be adjusted, which will make it easier for counties to advance through four-level matrix.
As of Wednesday, the state has administered 1,926,968 doses to severely affected communities, and Newsom said the value of 2 million will be reached by Friday. When this mark is reached, counties will be able to get out of the most restrictive “purple” level of the plan, when their average daily rate of new COVID-19 infections reaches 10 per 100,000 inhabitants – a lower standard than the current 7 at 100,000 inhabitants.
Under the new guidelines, Los Angeles and Orange counties would immediately qualify for the less restrictive “red” level, as both were below the 10 per 100,000 two-week standard. 5.2 per 100,000 population, while Orange County is 6 per 100,000.
The “red” level allows counties to reopen indoor restaurants, fitness centers and cinemas, while increasing capacity in retail stores and shopping malls.
“Southern California will be the beneficiary of this,” Newsom said during a visit to a mobile vaccination clinic in South Gate on Wednesday. “Specifically, LA will be a big beneficiary of this new value that is likely to be met on Friday. And as the weekend and next week move, you will see more activity, more leveling down. It’s encouraging and I hope people will be excited about what it means to move forward, as we have a number of other thresholds and goals that will allow us to move forward with more clarity, more conviction, and more confidence as we go through the next few weeks. and the following months. “
ABOUT: Newsom says state to reach vaccination target, leaving most SoCal counties in the red
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said it would take 48 hours after the state announced that the vaccination threshold had been reached for the county to officially go “red.” If the goal is reached by Friday, as Newsom announced, the county could advance as early as Sunday.
The idea behind the 2 million dose threshold is to ensure that vaccines are distributed fairly throughout the state, ensuring that low-income communities that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are not overlooked. in the vaccination effort. Newsom ordered that 40% of the state’s vaccine supply be allocated to ensure fairness in the distribution process.
Once Los Angeles County moves to the “red” level, it will be up to county officials to decide whether to fully align with state business reopening guidelines or to maintain stricter regulations. Ferrer suggested this week that the county might consider She repeatedly referred this week to a recent federal study that found meals in person create a higher risk of spreading COVID-19, an indication that the county cannot immediately re-authorize the meal to resume.
Asked on Wednesday whether meals will be allowed indoors, Ferrer was not hired, saying he was continuing talks with the Board of Supervisors and the restaurant sector. But she said the county plans to launch “red” operating guidelines for restaurants, cinemas and other companies on Thursday, so “we’ll have a definitive answer to that.”
“We look at what’s happening across the state, we look at what we’ve learned about what can create as much safety as possible when people are inside,” she said.
The state’s “red” guidelines allow indoor dining at 25% capacity, but counties are allowed to impose stricter regulations. The level also allows indoor fitness centers at 10% capacity and cinemas, museums and aquariums with 25%. it also allows theme parks such as Disneyland in Orange County and Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles County to reopen at 15% capacity, with only state visitors.
On Tuesday, two members of the Los Angeles County Supervisory Committee said they support full alignment with state guidelines, including the indoor restaurant.
“I feel pretty strong that I think we should align with the state guidelines on reopening the red level,” said supervisor Janice Hahn. “… I think that being different from this would cause confusion and probably a lot of anger, because there are so many places there, entities, that have really suffered and are waiting for some of these restrictions to be lifted.
“Especially if we’re talking about reopening Disneyland at a limited capacity, the opening day at Dodger Stadium will be fans in person,” she said. “… But I really hope that we can stay aligned, so there is no confusion from one county to another. “
IN CONNECTION: LA County could move to the red level immediately after this weekend, but will the inner table return?
Supervisor Kathryn Barger agreed with Hahn, saying LA County should align its public health order with the state and neighboring counties.
“I think clarity and consistency lead to the highest compliance rates,” Barger said, adding that he wants to avoid local residents traveling to other counties with lower restrictions.
Ferrer warned the council that although the number of cases and the positivity test rate have fallen in recent weeks, things could easily get worse if residents become cowards about infection control measures.
“This is the month I would say – March, early April – when we have to be extraordinarily careful,” she said. “Because I’ve been here before. I’ve been here with reopenings. I was here traveling on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’ve seen what happens around the holidays if we’re not really careful. … We need to keep everyone alive right now so they can be vaccinated and stay alive. So this would be a time for extreme caution. “
It specifically indicated the spread of virus variants that cause COVID-19, which can spread more easily from person to person. Ferrer said the variant first identified in the UK has increased its coverage in Los Angeles County and is now believed to be responsible for 10% of all COVID cases in the county.
“Increasingly, there is also concern about a fourth global wave of COVID-19, as cases began to rise in the last week of February, after six weeks of decline, especially in Europe,” she said.
Ferrer also noted that although the county has received the largest allocation of COVID-19 vaccine to date this week, at more than 300,000 doses, it is expected that this number will drop because the county will not receive any dose of the new single dose Johnson & Johnson for the next two weeks, due to a production and production problem. “
“Essentially, Johnson & Johnson gave everything they had right away and now we’ll wait a while until they have more to distribute,” she said.
The decline in vaccine supply will coincide with the extension of vaccine eligibility to people aged 16 and over in the coming months, with a health condition that puts them at risk of serious illness or death due to COVID-19. She said on Wednesday that eligibility had been extended to include cleaning workers, public transport workers and airport ground crew workers, along with social workers dealing with cases of violence and abuse and adoptive parents who provide emergency housing for young people.
Ferrer urged people to be patient in trying to make vaccination schedules due to the continuing lack of the vaccine and the growing number of people eligible for vaccines. She urged people with underlying health conditions to consult their doctor to see if they can arrange photos through their healthcare provider.
On Wednesday, the county reported another 119 COVID-19 deaths, although five of those deaths were actually announced Tuesday by health officials in Long Beach. Long Beach reported another death Wednesday afternoon, while Pasadena added two. The new deaths raised the death toll at the county level in the entire pandemic to 22,216.
Another 1,514 cases have been reported by the county, although Ferrer said the number includes “several hundred” cases attributed to a reporting backlog. Long Beach reported 22 cases Wednesday and Pasadena reported five. The new cases brought the total pandemic to 1,206,740.
According to state figures, there were 1,056 people hospitalized in the county due to COVID since Monday, with 309 people in intensive care.
As of Friday, 2,415,460 doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in the county. This includes 814,593 second doses, representing the number of
people who have been completely vaccinated.
Copyright © 2021 by City News Service, Inc. All rights reserved.