COVID-19: Los Angeles is on the road to recovery without letting down their guard, 80,000 people and now immunizing 25,000 residents per week.
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Los Angeles County has moved to "Red" in the state's four-tiered reopening system, which will allow many businesses and services to resume serving the public, due to the large number of people who have been able to get immunized against COVID-19, but now is not the time to let down our guard, experts said.
After an extremely difficult year for the county health-wise due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the area is taking a breather and beginning to enter a renewal of sorts, as thoughts of returning to "normalcy" are far removed and thoughts of becoming a better county are closer.
So said Los Angeles County, California, Second District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who said during a briefing by Ethnic Media Services that "regaining a sense of normalcy is difficult, because I hope that what we're going to learn from this pandemic will make us a better county rather than a return to normalcy.
Switching to a "red" level, he noted, will allow the opportunity to experience the reopening of indoor canteens, cinemas, museums and schools, but with restrictions and limited capacity.
She said she is aware of the needs of the district's small businesses and businesses that have struggled with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and announced that through an organization, a free 30-day supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being offered to any business in LA County with 100 or fewer employees.
He noted that the organization through which this action is being carried out is PPE Unite, for which, businesses must register through the website www.ppeunite.org and then pick up the protective equipment.
He also shared that the county has launched a small business stabilization loan program, which ranges from fifty thousand to three million dollars, capital that can be used for equipment, inventory purchases, or to refinance existing loans.
In this regard, he said that loan applications will be accepted until April 16, 2021. Applications can be processed through the site https://bizstabilization.lacda.org/.
"You have my personal commitment that we will deliver these critical resources to our neediest businesses," Mitchell said.
On the other hand, he assured that there is a concern in the county, due to the lack of equity and distribution of vaccines, so actions were taken that resulted in the vaccination against COVID-19 to more than 70,000 African American and Latino residents in South Los Angeles.
"The county has partnered with community organizations to make sure our communities of color are not disproportionately impacted by this pandemic, and have access to the vaccine they need so they can return to work safe and protected," he said.
A year ago, no one would have imagined that schools and small businesses would be opening until now. But the health guidelines have paid off, the Los Angeles County supervisor said.
"We have reached this moment because of our collective effort to socially wear our masks, get tested and get vaccinated when it's our turn to get vaccinated," he stressed.
For his part, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health official Dr. Muntu Davis recalled that last Friday the state announced that two million doses have been administered to people in the lowest-income communities across the state.
He reported that, as of today, Los Angeles County is aligning with the state's red reopening framework, which includes mandatory face shielding, social distancing, and infection control practices for every business and permitted activity, so additional safety modifications are required or recommended for certain sectors.
He noted that museums, zoos and aquariums may operate indoors with a maximum occupancy of 25 percent, while gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios must have a maximum capacity of 10 percent, and masks are required for all indoor activities.
In the case of movie theaters, they may have a 25 percent maximum occupancy with reserved seating only and with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between people who do not live together.
In retail and personal care services, occupancy increases to 50 percent with mandatory masking at all times.
In the case of restaurants, they may operate indoors with a maximum of 25 percent occupancy, provided they have the best possible ventilation, distance between tables of 8 feet, one fireplace per indoor table with a limit of 6 people, outdoor dining with up to three different fireplaces per table, with a limit of 6 people.
He also noted that the County Health Department strongly recommends that all restaurant employees who interact with patrons indoors wear additional face shield protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be N95 tested masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield.
Similarly, all restaurant employees should be informed and offered opportunities and time to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Shopping centers shall have a maximum occupancy of 50 percent with areas remaining closed. Food courts may be at 25 percent maximum occupancy attached to the restaurant with protocols for indoor dining.
Davis further stated that institutes of higher education may reopen all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the spring semester.
At last, schools will be allowed to reopen for face-to-face instruction for students in grades 7-12, adhering to all state and county guidelines.
In private homes, meetings may be held with up to three different households, in a maximum of 15 people, all with masks and required distancing at all times, without ingesting food and beverages inside.
For those who are fully immunized, they can gather indoors in small numbers, and in the event that they are living with others who are fully immunized they can be without the use of masks and distancing.
He reminded that outdoor activities are safer, continue to wear masks, keep a physical distance, if you are exposed or have symptoms, get tested, and get vaccinated when it is your turn.
"These reopenings are the result of hard work and sacrifice on the part of businesses and individuals. Thank you to all those who have had to endure sacrifices and who have made the prevention of COVID-19 transmission part of their daily lives," he stressed.
He added that new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may spread more easily or cause more severe disease in the county, but "their impact on our local pandemic is largely unknown.
Both officials explained that although there is still fear of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, it is necessary to get it in order to move forward and get out of this pandemic.
Dr. Sarah Lopez, patient safety officer for Harbor UCLA Medical Center's Department of Health Services, emphasized that the three vaccines available in the United States, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are highly effective and safe, "all preventing severe COVID, which requires hospitalization and results in death.
He further stressed that, to get to herd immunity without the use of vaccines, it would take about 159 months - 5 years, "I don't know about you, but I feel like 2020 was very long and to have to do this for another five years is really unimaginable."
He explained that if 25 percent of the population is vaccinated, herd immunity would be reached in 30 months, if 50 percent is vaccinated, herd immunity would be reached in about 10 months, and if 75 percent is vaccinated, herd immunity will be reached by this summer.
Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John's Well Child and Family Center, recalled that what was seen on the front lines of those fighting COVID-19 "was unbelievable suffering and unbelievable infection rates."
"People who worked on the front line and essential workers didn't have the ability to quarantine themselves at home and so they got infected and took it home and infected their families, and we're talking about factory workers, garment workers, warehouse workers, restaurant workers, grocery store workers, who live primarily in South Los Angeles. If they tested positive they weren't allowed to come back. They lost their homes. So we saw a tremendous amount of suffering," he added.
He explained that the organization he works for has been able to vaccinate, as of this weekend, 80,000 people and is now immunizing 25,000 residents a week.
