Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a new pandemic stay-at-home order Wednesday, saying that Los Angeles “is now close to a devastating tipping point, beyond which the number of hospitalized patients would start to overwhelm our hospital system.”
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 7,593 new cases of COVID-19, smashing the previous week’s record of 6,124. The seven-day average positivity rate is 7.3%.
The order requires people to remain in their homes and to congregate with no one outside their household. People who are homeless are exempt from the requirement.
All businesses in Los Angeles that require in-person attendance must cease operations. The order also states that “all travel, including, without limitation, travel on foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, automobile, or public transit is prohibited.”
There are exceptions to these rules for essential businesses, including healthcare operations, grocery stores, organizations and businesses that provide food, shelter, and social services, gas stations and auto repair shops, and banks.
Restaurants may remain open but only for curbside pickup, and schools may remain open to provide distance learning.
Media businesses are also allowed to remain open, as are music, film, and television production.
