L.A. County to Halt In-Person Dining Amid COVID-19 Spike

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is pleading with Los Angeles County residents to adhere to the COVID-19 health protocols as the department confirmed 70 new deaths and 11,476 new cases Saturday. The bottom-line message is to stay home.

Los Angeles County proceeds into its darkest moment of the coronavirus pandemic yet as Public Health officials report 11,476 new cases on Saturday. While the latest count of new Covid-19 cases may be smaller than that of Friday and Thursday, Los Angeles County is far from in the clear as transmission rates soar beyond November levels.

A top health official in Los Angeles, Calif., fought back tears when speaking of the impact the novel coronavirus has had on the community.  Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the Los Angeles County's public health director, during a Wednesday news conference held back tears as she discussed the high number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths in L.A.  “Over 8,000 people who were beloved members of their families are not coming back,” she said while appearing to hold back emotion.

LOS ANGELES – Reciting the numbers of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the greater Los Angeles County region, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director was overcome with emotions breaking into tears as she discussed the mortality tally thus far during the daily press conference Wednesday.

On Dec. 5, a Los Angeles County-based restaurant owner went viral after posting a video of herself showing off her outdoor dining area, which she was forced to shut down after November orders from California Gov.

The long talked about “surge on top of a surge” seems to have arrived in California.

A California judge issued a ruling on Tuesday that said Los Angeles County acted “arbitrarily” and without rational justification when it banned outdoor dining late last month, according to reports. "The Restaurant Closure Order is an abuse of the Department’s emergency powers, is not grounded in science, evidence, or logic, and should be adjudicated to be unenforceable as a matter of law," wrote Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C.

Los Angeles County deputies on Saturday busted an “underground” illicit super-spreader event that resulted in nearly 160 arrests and the rescue of an underage human trafficking victim, authorities said on Tuesday.

A Los Angeles judge has tentatively ruled that Los Angeles County acted “arbitrarily” and without “rational” justification when it ordered a closure to all outdoor dining at restaurants as a coronavirus-control measure. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant notes, however, that due to the state’s overriding regional stay-at-home order that also includes an in-person dining ban, “outdoor restaurant dining in the county cannot reopen at this time.”

The day after Los Angeles County’s number of new cases topped 10,000 for the first time, state and local officials warned about the status of the region’s health care system.

A Los Angeles County supervisor got an earful of complaints Saturday from protesters who are upset about the county’s ban on outdoor dining as coronavirus numbers climb. The group targeted Supervisor Sheila Kuehl outside her Santa Monica home because she was recently caught dining outdoors at a nearby restaurant after voting in favor of the ban – which most bar and restaurant owners and employees in the county oppose, saying it threatens their ability to earn a living.

The coronavirus continues to take hold over Los Angeles county as Public Health officials confirmed a total of 8,949 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday alone.

Mere minutes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new regional stay-at-home order for the state to counter rising coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday that the looming shutdown could hit the battered region within days.

Roughly 50 people gathered outside the home of Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on Sunday to protest the start of new coronavirus restrictions. The protesters called for the reopening of L.A., as tightened restrictions that prohibited gatherings and severely limited capacity at most retail establishments were set to take effect on Monday.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl visited an eatery in Santa Monica, Calif., last week, just hours after she voted to ban outdoor dining at restaurants in the county due to COVID-19 safety concerns, according to a report.  Kuehl was seen dining outside at Il Forno Trattoria, an Italian restaurant near her house, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. She had referred to outside dining as “a most dangerous situation” during an L.A.

Los Angeles County public health officials said that 4,544 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed today, meaning that an enhanced round of safety measures will begin Monday. They include an upgraded stay-at-home order that will remain in place until Christmas Week.

Los Angeles County’s top hospital official on Tuesday said the county was struggling to accurately convey just how grave the region’s situation is vis a vis Covid-19.

LOS ANGELES – A legal challenge brought by  the California Restaurant Association to block the Los Angeles County Health Department’s order to shut down outdoor dining Wednesday was rejected by a LA County Superior Court Judge Tuesday.

On Tuesday, amid much contention, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors hotly debated a public health officer order that will close outdoor dining beginning Wednesday.

The California Restaurant Association (CRA) is seeking a court order to halt Los Angeles County's three-week dine-in ban, if "proper justification" for the measure is not provided.  On Tuesday, the association filed a request in Los Angeles Superior Court, demanding that the county of Los Angeles Department of Health provide "supporting medical and/or scientific studies and evidence that the operation of outdoor dining establishments poses an unreasonable risk" to the public.  Until evidence is