Los Angeles Health Official Predicts County Will ‘Slowly Lift Restrictions over the Next 3 Months’

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

Los Angeles County officials are eyeing “with all certainty” to extend its stay-at-home order for three more months as part of an effort to combat the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, reports The Los Angeles Times.

Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, told the county’s Board of Supervisors that officials are likely to extend the stay-at-home efforts through July and said the country’s “hope is that by using the data, we’d be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months.”

“Without widely available therapeutic testing for the coronavirus or rapid at-home tests that would allow people to test themselves daily, it seems unlikely that restrictions would be completely eased,” notes the Times.

The report comes after officials announced Monday that the county’s beaches will reopen with restrictions. Visitors will be required to engage in social distancing and wear face coverings on the sand.

“Beginning on Wednesday, May 13, beaches operated by Los Angeles County, including those in Manhattan Beach, will be reopened with restrictions for limited active uses with physical distancing as a requirement,” said a press release.

“Following numerous discussions and meetings with Los Angeles County, I am excited that one of our most valued resources, the beach, will once again be accessible to the public,” Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery said in a separate statement.

As of Tuesday, Los Angeles County has 32,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,569 deaths. California has 67,939 cases and 2,770 fatalities, according to data tracked via Johns Hopkins University.

On Friday, California began to loosen restrictions for certain businesses to reopen, such as select retailers with curbside pickup and clothing stores. However, shopping malls, offices, gyms, and dine-in restaurants still remain closed.

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