Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday that all residents will be forced to wear face coverings when they leave their homes.
“We’re requiring all Angelenos to wear face coverings when they leave the house,” Garcetti said in a statement. “There are exceptions in place for small children or those with disabilities.”
We’re requiring all Angelenos to wear face coverings when they leave the house. There are exceptions in place for small children or those with disabilities. pic.twitter.com/j7ecKiYQ4e
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 14, 2020
“Our Safer at Home order will remain in place beyond May 15. Depending on public health conditions, we will continue to adjust the order to safely allow more businesses to operate and more people to get back to work,” Garcetti added. “All retail locations — from electronics to beauty stores — will now be allowed to open for curbside and doorside pickup and delivery. We are also allowing manufacturing that supports retail that is opening at reduced capacity as long as they can adhere to safety protocols.”
The announcement from Garcetti comes after Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said earlier this week, “Based on all of the data that we’re looking at … we know with all certainty that we’ll be extending health officer orders for the next three months.”
Garcetti walked back those claims on Wednesday evening during a news conference, saying that those remarks were not accurate.
“Let me cut to the chase, I know yesterday a lot of people felt very depressed, they saw and heard coverage in the news that implied somehow for the next three months Los Angeles County would be on lock down,” Garcetti said. “No, Los Angeles County is not going to be on lock down for three months.”
“Look at this past week and this week and brave steps forward,” Garcetti continued. “This hasn’t been a week of retreat, we’ve had to make tough calls, but based on the advice of our public health officials and people who are that suffering to take steps forward.”
Earlier this week, California State University announced that it was cancelling in-person fall courses across its 23 campuses.
“Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus,” the school said in a statement. “Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university’s core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.”
The school continued, “Some possible examples of potential exceptions – and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place – include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state’s healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization.”
“The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks,” the statement concluded. “Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.”
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