COVID-19: Los Angeles walks to recovery without letting their guard down, 80,000 people and they are 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-tier 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, however, now is not the time to let down our guard, experts said.
After an extremely difficult year for the county in terms of health 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 away and thoughts of becoming a better county are closer.
This was stated by 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 will 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 dining rooms, 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 pointed out that the organization through which this action is being carried out is PPE Unite, for which businesses must register through the following 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 $50,000 to $3 million, capital that can be used for equipment, inventory purchases, or to refinance existing loans.
In this regard, he stated that loan applications will be accepted until April 16, 2021. Applications may be processed through the following website https://bizstabilization.lacda.org/.
"You have my personal commitment that we will deliver these critical resources to our neediest businesses," Mitchell assured.
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 ensure that 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 noted.
A year ago, no one would have imagined that schools and small businesses would be opening until now. However, the health guidelines have paid off, said the Los Angeles County Supervisor.
"We have reached this moment because of our collective effort to socially wear our masks, get tested and get vaccinated when it is our turn to do so," 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 reopening framework for red level, 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 must be worn 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, as long as 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 customers indoors wear additional face shield protection (over and 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 directives.
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, you should continue to wear masks, keep your 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 companies 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 day-to-day 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, however, "their impact on our local pandemic is largely unknown."
Both officials explained that although there is still fear of getting the vaccine against COVID-19, it is necessary to get it in order to move forward and get out of this pandemic.
Dr. Sarah Lopez, patient safety officer at Harbor UCLA Medical Center's Department of Health Services, emphasized that the three vaccines available in the U.S., such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are highly efficient and safe, "all prevent severe COVID, which requires hospitalization and causes 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 that 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 approximately 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 were not allowed to come back. They lost their homes. So we saw a tremendous amount of suffering," he added.
He explained that the organization in which he works has been able to vaccinate, as of this weekend, 80,000 people and is now immunizing 25,000 residents a week.
