Los Angeles County officials announced Wednesday that gyms, museums, hotels, day camps and campgrounds will be allowed to reopen throughout the county starting Friday.
The relaxing of the health officer order also allows for the reopening of sports arenas without audiences, zoos, aquariums, galleries, RV parks and outdoor recreation areas, including swimming pools. Businesses that comply with public health regulations, which will be announced Thursday, may reopen as soon as Friday.
County officials said earlier this week that music, film and TV production could resume with safety protocols.
Restaurants, retailers and hair salons have been able to reopen at diminished capacity since late May. Bars, nail salons and movie theaters remain closed.
Last Friday, Santa Monica started allowing restaurants to temporarily expand outdoor dining to adjacent sidewalks and private spaces in order to provide more space for physical distancing.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that customers and employees will need to continue wearing masks and maintaining six feet of distance from others.
“As more spaces reopen, it is so important for all of us – businesses and residents – to follow directives and to do our part to keep everyone as safe as possible," she said in a statement. "This is crucial if we are to reopen without creating huge increases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19."
Ferrer also encouraged anyone who has attended a protest over the last two weeks to get tested and self-quarantine.
To date, there have been 313 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths among Santa Monica residents. Nearly 8,400 people living in the city have been tested.
Twenty new cases have been confirmed in the city since last Thursday, and 32 were confirmed the week before that. One death was reported over the last week.
One hundred and twenty-one people residing in Santa Monica nursing homes have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started, and 30 have died. Ninety nursing home staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
madeleine@smdp.com
