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In-Person Dining Suspended for at Least Three Weeks

Nov 22, 2020 07:19PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Following a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced that it is suspending in-person dining, effective on Wednesday night.

The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order will be modified to restrict dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars, effective Wednesday, November 25 at 10:00 p.m.

According to the order:

  • In-person dining will be suspended for at least three weeks as of Wednesday night.
  • Takeout, drive-thru, and delivery services will be permitted.
  • Wineries and breweries will be able to continue retail operations while adhering to current safety protocols.
Reached on Sunday night, Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery said that the city had not yet received the official order from the county. Once the city receives the order, he said, they will review it and issue a press release. 

Montgomery added: "The timing of this latest order from LADPH is frustrating, disheartening and devastating all at the same time. Just as our businesses and restaurants were allowed to 'reopen' and begin to recover from the previous lockdown,  they end up going In reverse through no fault of their own...and the timing of all this just before thanksgiving and Christmas just over a month away."

Montgomery continued: "Everyone understands that LADPH is doing all it can to protect all communities from COVID-19. And our common goal is to assist all businesses move forward these next three weeks by following all DPH guidelines and stop the rise in COVID cases. Then hopefully we can reopen to allow outdoor dining. We do not want to regress into more punitive or restrictive measures."

COVID-19 Cases Spiking


Los Angeles County confirmed 2,718 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. Currently, the five-day average is 4,097 new cases.

Additionally, there are 1,401 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized in Los Angeles County and 26% of these people are in the ICU. Over the past 7 days, the number of hospitalized patients increased by nearly 35%.

In Manhattan Beach, the case count has increased by 48 in the last two weeks. The cumulative case total stood at 440 on November 8, compared with 488 on November 19.

“As we modify our Thanksgiving holiday celebrations, we are reminded of the many families who will miss their loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19. We send wishes for healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County's director of public health in a statement. “The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks. We hope individuals continue to support restaurants, breweries and wineries by ordering for take-out or delivery. We also fervently hope every L.A. County resident supports all our businesses by following the Public Health directives that we know work to slow spread. Unfortunately, if our cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, we will need to issue further restrictions to protect our healthcare system and prevent more deaths.”

The new restrictions come in the wake of Manhattan Beach's plan to expand street dining to allow for more spacing between patrons. As of Friday, the city had planned to shut down part of Manhattan Ave. and the north and south pier parking lots to allow for more outdoor dining space. Those plans will remain in limbo until in-person dining is once again permitted.



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