With a decision still pending on possible reopening of indoor shopping malls and hair salons, Los Angeles County health officials today stepped up their campaign against public gatherings over the upcoming Labor Day holiday, despite downward coronavirus trends.
The county Department of Public Health reported another 45 deaths due to the virus on Tuesday, while Long Beach reported one additional fatality for a total of 217. The new deaths raised the countywide death total since the start of the pandemic to 5,830.
The county also announced another 840 new coronavirus cases—a rare dip below the 1,000 mark—while Long Beach reported 150 new cases. Long Beach officials noted the count includes backlogged cases from June and July.
The total number of countywide cases since the pandemic began stood at 242,781 as of Tuesday.
According to the county, the seven-day average daily number of newcases has dropped to 1,300, continuing a steady decline. Health officials have been reporting downward trends in new cases, deaths and hospitalizations—with 1,057 people hospitalized with the virus as of Tuesday.
But while things are trending in the right direction, health officials continued what is likely to be a daily call for residents to avoid large gatherings over the upcoming holiday weekend, fearing a repeat of case spikes seen after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends.
In a statement, the county Department of Public Health warned again that “it is important not to gather with people who aren’t part of your household as it puts you at risk for COVID-19.”
The county released a list of activities that are banned by the HealthOfficer Orders, “even if they feel safe.” Those activities included baby showers, gender-reveal parties, backyard barbecues for Labor Day, student study groups, Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur dinners and “gathering at the each with friends over the hot weekend.”
Health officials did not make any immediate announcements about the possibility of indoor shopping malls and hair salons being permitted to reopen.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Monday that such an announcement could be made Tuesday afternoon, but there were no immediate disclosures about changes in the Health Officer Orders.
Under new guidelines from the state, indoor shopping malls can reopen with restrictions, including a 25% capacity limit, as can indoor hair salons and barbershops, also with restrictions. But even though the state allows those businesses to reopen, individual counties can maintain tighter restrictions, based on the local health situation.
“As we look at the possibility of re-opening more businesses and, eventually, schools, there is a lot at stake,” county public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
Post reporter Valerie Osier contributed to this story.