The stay-at-home order will continue until May 15, as LA begins to flatten the curve.
At a press conference on Friday, Los Angeles County health officials announced that the county’s stay-at-home order would be extended to May 15. This includes all current closures of businesses, beaches, parks and trails.
While Mayor Eric Garcetti said the public health interventions are “beginning to bend the curve,” it certainly doesn’t mark the end of the road.
The order came after a model showed that nearly 96% of the population would be infected by August if the social distancing and restrictions were lifted now. Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county’s director of health services, said that making changes now would pose the risk of overwhelming the healthcare system.
Why are we #SaferAtHome? Because the data shows us that physical distancing is working and will continue to work if we keep it up together. View the modeled projections here: https://t.co/pnc0G0wegs pic.twitter.com/4wlJ5YAKsB
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) April 13, 2020
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, stated that “we have in fact seen what we now could confirm is, in fact, the flattening of the curve in a way that’s actually saving lives and allowing us to have a chance at making sure that our healthcare system remains able to serve all who need care.”
The new order comes with a few changes. Firstly, essential businesses will be required to implement and document a social distancing and sanitation protocol. This document is required to be visibly posted at all entrances of individual business facilities.
Additionally, the county’s public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, announced that all public-facing employees would be required to wear face coverings starting April 16.
Although the order was originally set to April 19, it was always subject to an extension. And, as the safer-at-home order is proving to be effective, it may continue until projections show a stronger decrease in cases.
On the bright side, you can still enjoy the notably clearer air on the occasional trip outdoors.
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