Los Angeles County card rooms opened for outdoor-only business Monday, the latest economic sector permitted to reopen under gradually loosening coronavirus restrictions.
“Things will look a little different here at The Bike, but we are committed to providing the same exceptional service you have come to know and love,” The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens proclaimed on its website, announcing its reopening.
The casino noted that due to health restrictions, “we will have limited availability of tables and not all games may be available.”
Hollywood Park Casino reopened its doors at 10 a.m., while Commerce Casino was welcoming guests at 8 a.m. Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens was open at 9 a.m. Larry Flynt’s Hustler Casino and Lady Luck Casino were expected to reopen later Monday.
Los Angeles County health officials last week cleared card rooms to reopen beginning Monday, but restricted them to outdoor gaming operations only at 25% of normal capacity, with mandatory face coverings and no food or beverage service at gaming tables. Indoor activities at the casino are restricted primarily to employee duties.
The county on Monday also began accepting waiver applications from schools that want to provide in-person instruction for students in pre- kindergarten through second grade. The waivers, which must be approved by the county and the state, will be limited to 30 schools per week, with priority given to campuses in the generally lowest-income areas.
Schools that are granted waivers will have to limit groups of students to no more than 12, and no more than two supervising adults in each classroom. Those teacher-student groups must remain together for the entire day “for all activities,” according to the county. Schools in the county were previously cleared to offer in-person instruction to high-need students.
Nail salons in the county were permitted to reopen with indoor operations beginning last Thursday, but they were limited to 25% of capacity. Health officials urged salons to continue offering outdoor services as much as possible.
Indoor shopping malls will be permitted to reopen on Wednesday, also limited to 25% of capacity.
The county Department of Public Health on Monday reported another seven coronavirus-related deaths, while Pasadena health officials announced two fatalities, lifting the countywide total since the onset of the pandemic to 6,656. The county also announced 472 confirmed infections, while Long Beach health officials added 76 more, raising the cumulative total to 275,018.
Case numbers are traditionally lower early in the week due to reporting lags from weekend testing.
Hospitalizations in the county related to the coronavirus were at 674 as of Monday, up one from Sunday.
Speaking during an online media briefing Monday afternoon, Ferrer offered her best wishes to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump – – along with others in the administration — who have recently tested positive for the virus. But she also stressed the need for people who are infected with the virus or are exposed to follow the rules for isolating and quarantining — even if national leaders appear to be violating those mandates.
“Everybody is sort of wondering, `Aren’t these people supposed to be quarantining?’ or `Why aren’t they isolating?”‘ Ferrer said. “We want to be clear. Here in L.A. County we have really benefited from everyone doing their part around isolating and quarantining. … Even if you’re seeing other people that don’t seem to be really quarantining and isolating not only as we tell people it’s important to do, but also as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) does, that doesn’t mean it’s OK not to do that.
“I mean, again, we’ve just had a really good example of how testing every day does not protect everybody.”
Ferrer said anyone infected with the virus needs to isolate for at least 10 days, and remain quarantined until symptoms subside and the patient is fever-free for at least 24 hours. Trump, who was diagnosed last week, raised eyebrows when he Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend and was driven past onlookers outside the hospital.
“Any person who tests positive for COVID-19 should know that they’re able to infect others for up to 10 days after being diagnosed, even if the person never had any symptoms or their symptoms have subsided,” Ferrer said.
As of today, the number of confirmed infections in West Hollywood hasn’t increased beyond 585, which is the total count to date as of yestereday. The number of people in West Hollywood who have died of COVID-19 related illnesses is still listed as five.
In Beverly Hills, the number of confirmed infections as of today is reported to be 704, a reduction of one from yesterday’s count, which likely is the result of an error in identifying the address of one of those infected. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in Beverly Hills to date 12. The number of COVID-19 infection confirmed among Culver City residents remains 396. The number of deaths remains at 29. The number of infections in Hollywood has increased by one to 1,248. The number of deaths remains at 14. The Melrose neighborhood’s number of infections has increased by one to 1,975. The number of COVID-19 related deaths is 72.
Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1 (833) 540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 can continue to call 211 for resources or more information.
One way the virus can be transmitted is through a cough, a sneeze or even through air that comes from the mouth when someone talks. For that reason, residents must wear face coverings when out in public and can be cited for not doing so. The citations come with a $250 fine and a $50 administrative fee.
West Hollywood residents with questions about the COVID-19 pandemic or who are looking for resources to deal with it can find answers on the City of West Hollywood’swebsite. Here is a list of links to sections about particular subjects and issues:
