West Hollywood Coronavirus Update: Los Angeles County Enters ‘Red Tier’ Of Reopening Protocols

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

March 15, 2021

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health revised its Health Officer Order on Friday, March 12, 2021, after qualifying for the second least restrictive tier (Red Tier) of the State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Community transmission of COVID-19 remains high and widespread even as daily counts are decreasing, so it is vital to remain vigilant about wearing face coverings, maintaining social distance, and frequently washing hands or using hand sanitizer.

Full details of the revised Health Officer Order are on the LA County Public Health website: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus. Under the Red Tier, the following business operations and their occupancy limits are now in effect, as of today, Monday, March 15, 2021.

• Indoor operations for museums, zoos and aquariums with a maximum occupancy of 25%;
• Indoor operations for restaurants with a maximum occupancy of 25%, or 100 people, whichever is fewer, and at least eight feet of spacing between tables following the guidance listed in Appendix I;
• Indoor operations for gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios with a maximum occupancy of 10%;
• Indoor operations for movie theaters with a maximum occupancy of 25%, or 100 people, whichever is fewer, utilizing reserved seating with at least six feet of social distancing in all directions between groups;
• Indoor retail operations and personal care services may increase maximum occupancy to 50% with face coverings required at all times and for all services;
• Indoor shopping malls may increase maximum occupancy to 50% with common areas remaining closed and food courts may reopen at a maximum occupancy of 25%;
• Institutes of higher education can reopen all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester; and
• Schools can expand in-person instruction to include grades 7-12 adhering to all State and County directives.

In addition, private gatherings will now be permitted indoors with up to three separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times.

For more information about re-opening tiers, visit the California Department of Public Health website: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.

Additionally, more Los Angeles County residents are now eligible to register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Starting today, Monday, March 15, 2021, people aged 16-64 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities are now eligible to receive vaccines, as their conditions put them at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19.

These underlying health conditions or disabilities include:

• Cancer, current with weakened immune system;
• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above;
• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent;
• Down syndrome;
• Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system;
• Pregnancy;
• Sickle cell disease;
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension);
• Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2); and
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%.
• Or, as a result of a developmental or other significant, high-risk disability, one or more of the following criteria applies:

• A COVID-19 infection is likely to result in severe life-threatening illness or death; or
• Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival; or
• Providing adequate and timely COVID-19 care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability.

These eligible persons join frontline healthcare workers; staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities; staff and residents at long-term care facilities; all people age 65 and over; people who work in education and childcare; emergency services and first responders; food and agriculture workers, people who live or work in congregate living spaces; janitorial, custodial, and maintenance services workers; and transportation and logistics workers — all of whom are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use www.VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up for a vaccination appointment. For people without access to a computer or the Internet, or people with disabilities, an LA County call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at (833) 540-0473.

People who are newly eligible and qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical condition should note that during registration for a vaccine appointment, they will be asked to state that they have a high-risk medical condition or disability. To protect confidentially, they will not be asked to disclose the specific condition. People getting vaccinated must provide documentation at all appointments with either a letter from a healthcare provider, a personal physician or an agency providing services or, if not available, the eligible person or their caretaker will be asked to sign an attestation.

To ensure that people at higher risk of transmission and illness are vaccinated first, Los Angeles County has established a phased system. For details visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidvaccinedistribution. For answers to frequently asked questions from LA County Public Health, visit: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/about/FAQ-Vaccine.pdf.

The State of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has, additionally, established an online tool called MyTurn to assist all Californians in finding out when they are eligible for vaccination. Visit https://myturn.ca.gov and answer a few brief questions to determine eligibility.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications for up-to-date information.

To view essential-business City meetings, tune in to WeHoTV at:

• www.weho.org/wehotv

Meetings can also be accessed via:

• www.youtube.com/wehotv

• Spectrum Channel 10 (in West Hollywood)

• SmartTV Apps: AndroidTV; AppleTV; FireTV; and Roku

For notifications by email, subscribe to the City’s E-Notifications at www.weho.org/email. Visit the City’s event and meetings calendar at www.weho.org/calendar and news archive at www.weho.org/news.

To receive urgent updates to your phone by text and to your email, text your ZIP code to 888-777.

For updates and information about the current numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States, in the State of California, and in Los Angeles County, visit:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH) www.cdph.ca.gov and covid19.ca.gov

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please contact the LA County Department of Public Health Chief Communications Officer, Carl A. Kemp, at (213) 240-8144 or media@ph.lacounty.gov. LA County Reopening Protocols, a COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, the Roadmap to Recovery, and additional details are available on its website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.