LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered a sweeping set of restrictions on businesses in Los Angeles, closing gyms, bars and movie theaters and in-person dining in restaurants to help contain the new coronavirus.
Garcetti said restaurants may no longer serve food in-person in their dining rooms. But they will be allowed to continue serving by delivery, takeout and drive-thru.
“This is an absolutely critical moment in our city’s history,” Garcetti said.
He is also ordering public businesses such as bars and nightclubs, gyms and movie theaters to close. He said he could not order churches and other religious institutions to close, but he encouraged them to do so voluntarily.
The mayor’s announcement comes just hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom called for bars and nightclubs to close to help contain the virus and for restaurants to reduce their occupancy by 50%.
Newsom’s statements were intended as guidance and not an order of the state government.
But Garcetti took it a step further, saying he has signed an order to legally place the restrictions into effect.
The number of coronavirus cases in California has increased to 335, a 14% increase from just the day before, Newsom said.
He said there have been six deaths in the state related to COVID-19.
The number of cases in Los Angeles County has increased to 69.
Worldwide, the number of cases has increased to more than 162,000 with 6,000 deaths according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
In the United States, the number of cases has exceeded 3,200, with 62 deaths.
