In a major milestone, Los Angeles County has met the state’s threshold to reopen key sectors and starting on Monday will permit a wide range of indoor operations to resume in sectors including middle and high schools; restaurants; movie theaters; gyms and museums, zoos and aquariums, all with safeguards in place.
The move into the state’s less restrictive Red Tier comes as case rates continue to fall significantly from their winter peak.
The County’s Health Officer Orders and sector protocols will be updated later today to reflect the changes.
In alignment with the state’s reopening framework, mandatory masking, distancing and infection control practices remain in place for every business and permitted activity, and certain sectors have additional safety modifications required or recommended. Key sectors reopening include:
“Los Angeles County is experiencing the lowest case levels that we have seen throughout this pandemic; and as we enter the Red Tier, we are doing so with extensive research on what activities are high risk and how we can safely begin to reopen critical parts of our community and economy,” said 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
To date, L.A. County’s adjusted case rate is 5.2 new cases per 100,000 people. The test positivity rate is 2.5%, and in areas with the fewest health affirming resources, L.A. County has a test positivity rate of 3.6%.
This shift to less restrictions shows that efforts by residents to slow the spread of COVID-19 is working. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging people to continue taking infection control precautions to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 in our communities.
People should continue to wear face coverings when in public, continue practicing physical distancing and avoiding crowds and large gatherings. Fully vaccinated people should also continue with these practices, with some exceptions, including the ability to visit with other fully vaccinated people, indoors, without masks, per new guidance.
