LA To Hit Red Tier; Indoor Dining, Increased Vaccines Coming

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County is on track to reopen indoor dining, movie theaters and fitness centers at limited capacity, but constrained vaccine supplies still limit the county as it moves to open up eligibility for more people starting Monday, health officials said Friday.

The county will move into the less-restrictive red tier Sunday and will align with the state’s reopening framework beginning Monday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials announced Friday.

Museums, zoos and aquariums can open at 25 percent indoor occupancy. Gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios are at 10 percent maximum occupancy. Malls can increase maximum occupancy to 50 percent, with common areas remaining closed. Food courts can have 25 percent max occupancy and must adhere to restaurant protocols for indoor dining.

About 2 million doses have been administered to people in some of the most under-resourced communities across state to date, but Black and Latino residents remain the least-vaccinated Angelenos.

Additional groups will become eligible for vaccines beginning Monday, including people 16 to 64 with preexisting conditions. The California Department of Public Health Provider Bulletin said the conditions include the following.

• Cancer, current with debilitated or immunocompromised state.
• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above.
• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent.
• Down syndrome.
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant.
• Pregnancy.
• Sickle cell disease.
• Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies (excluding hypertension).
• Severe obesity.
• Type 2 diabetes.

People in this group can get reserved slots at large community PODs beginning Thursday and are also free to use other sites. They are also urged to connect with their medical providers to see if they can get the vaccine there.

Masks are still required in public, Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Muntu Davis said Friday in a news briefing.

Restaurants can open at 25 percent maximum occupancy with the following modifications and rules, Davis said.

• The HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible, ventilation has been increased.
• Tables must be 8 feet apart.
• Private gatherings can include up to three households, with masks and distancing at all times.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are urged to avoid indoor gatherings and instead gather only outdoors, Davis said. It’s still important to get tested if you have symptoms and get vaccinated when it’s your turn, he added. Outdoor activities remain safer than indoor ones, Davis said.

"These reopenings are the result of a great deal of hard work and sacrifice by businesses and individuals alike," Davis said. "Thank you to everyone who has had to endure sacrifices and who have made preventing COVID-19 part of their day-to-day life. As certain activities are allowed to resume, we urge all residents to proceed with caution. COVID-19 cases rates, hospitalizations and deaths continue to fall but still remain very high."

"Vaccinations are occurring as quickly as supplies allow," Davis added. "But most people in our communities are still not vaccinated. New variants of the virus may spread more easily or cause more severe illness."

Just because the reopenings are happening and activities are allowed again, doesn't mean people are not at risk, Davis said. Officials urge residents to maintain physical distance, avoid crowds and wear double masks, which are effective at preventing COVID-19, Davis said.

"The fewer people you encounter, and the fewer interactions you have, the smaller the chance that the virus will spread," Davis said. If conditions worsen, strong state or local measures could be necessary again.

About 260,000 doses of vaccine are expected to reach Los Angeles County by next week. Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not included in this figure, Los Angeles County Public Health Chief Science Officer Paul Simon said.

More than 500 vaccination sites are now available in the county, Simon said. By next week, more than 5 million Los Angeles County residents will be eligible for vaccines. Mobile teams will go to 79 senior housing locations, Simon said. That’s about double the number reached this week.

"It is important to note that we have a way to go in ensuring that all who want the vaccine in these groups will be able to receive one given the limited supplies," Simon said. Vaccines are still available by phase group and age, and will soon include people with high-risk and preexisting conditions.

Saturday will be set aside for early childhood vaccination appointments. Five large PODS, including Six Flags Magic Mountain, will have specified days for specified groups. March 24 will be a day for food and agricultural workers at the Six Flags Magic Mountain site. Emergency services, janitorial and public transit workers will have designated appointments at multiple sites.

People will not need to provide their condition, but instead to provide a letter from a doctor or sign a waiver. “We certainly hope that people won't try to take advantage of the situation and will be honest in terms of presenting legitimate chronic health conditions that are serious and or disabiliteis that are significant.” Simon said. “We don’t feel it’s realistic for our staff at the multiple community sites to screen people. We don't have either the medical expertise or the knowledge of the patient's medical history to make that determination.”

Health officials in the county are hopeful that vaccine supply will increase over the next few weeks, particularly in April.

Vaccination rates are lowest among Latino and Black communities, Simon said. These gaps and inequities are concerning.

With new coronavirus variants — and for people who are at high risk for the virus — it’s important to take precautions, especially as reopenings begin. "There's a lot of activity that is happening now. A lot of things are increasing in capacity. Things are starting to reopen in a number of places, and we have to be careful as we look and see what happens as more people are out and about and interacting with these new activities or the expanded capacity."

To schedule a vaccine appointment, visit the county's website. Appointments are mandatory to receive the vaccine and fill up quickly. COVID-19 vaccines are free.

For more news and information about the vaccine rollout in California, visit Patch's information hub. Also, be sure to check out How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In California.