According to new data from Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health, COVID-19 cases traced back to the county's restaurants and bars accounted for just 3.1%, or 70 of the total 2,257 confirmed cases found from 204 "outbreak" locations.
L.A. County Supervisor Board Chair Kathryn Barger issued a statement Monday opposing the new restrictions.
“These proposed measures by the Department of Public Health will further devastate local businesses and employees who have been asked to shoulder an unfair burden this year,” Barger said. “Businesses throughout the county have invested thousands of dollars to ensure safety for their employees and customers only to be punished for the recent surge they have done everything in their power to prevent.”
Barger noted that increased case counts are not coming from businesses reopening, but from gatherings where people aren’t wearing masks, citing Public Health data that only 10 to 15 percent of positive cases reported dining out with someone who tested positive, while more than 50 percent reported being at a private social gathering with someone who tested positive.
She argues that by closing restaurants that are in compliance, the county may adversely incentivize residents to host and attend more private gatherings without safety precautions in place.
"Businesses have made incredible sacrifices to align with safety protocols to remain open in order to pay their bills and feed their families,” Barger added. “Our hospitalization rates are among the lowest we’ve seen. Yet, the rationale for further closures is tied to the number of patients in the hospital. We’ve come a long way to support workers and residents who are struggling to stay afloat and should not regress on the progress we’ve made.”
She encouraged residents to help slow the spread by maintaining physical distancing and wearing face coverings.
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