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Mayor Garcetti Announces New Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Posted on 03/15/2020
Mayor Eric Garcetti at Press Conference

On March 15, Mayor Garcetti put in place temporary restrictions to stop large numbers of people from gathering and staying in close proximity. These new restrictions will be effective through March 31, 2020, unless they are extended.

These include the temporary closure to the public, within the City of Los Angeles, of the following: 

  • All bars and nightclubs that do not serve food;
  • All movie theaters, live performance venues, bowling alleys, and arcades;
  • All gyms and fitness centers;
  • All private social clubs;
  • In addition, all restaurants and retail food facilities will be prohibited from serving food to dine-in customers. 

There are a few important notes and exceptions to the above order:

  • Restaurants, as well as bars and nightclubs that serve food, may continue to prepare and offer food to customers via delivery service or take-out;
  • Houses of worship are urged to limit large gatherings on their premises and to explore and implement ways to practice their respective faiths while observing social distancing practices;
  • Cafeterias in hospitals, nursing homes, or similar facilities will be allowed to continue operations;
  • Grocery stores, pharmacies, and food banks will also be allowed to continue operations;

Everything we do right now will determine the outcome of this crisis. By keeping a safe distance from one another at this time, we can help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid putting a dangerous strain on our hospitals and healthcare workers.

These are the emergency steps we are taking to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 & protect people across LA, effective at midnight tonight. This isn’t easy & I don't make this decision lightly. We will do everything we can to help businesses & workers impacted during this time. pic.twitter.com/FAAOcRBDn7

— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) March 16, 2020

For the latest updates, please visit https://corona-virus.la/