County again allows hair businesses to reopen, with small capacity
Those who missed out on getting a haircut the last time salons and barbershops were allowed to reopen will get a chance to do so again.
During the regular COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis announced that those particular businesses would be able to reopen, effective Wednesday, with a limited capacity of 25%. They must also have infection control safeguards in place and comply with the County’s Health Officer Order.
However, he suggested that those salons and barbershops that have been offering service outdoors continue to do so, in addition to allowing the limited capacity indoors.
In addition, effective Monday, Los Angeles County will allow schools to offer on campus services to small, stable cohorts of K-12 students who need learning support, including children with special needs that have an Individualized Education Plan and are English learners.
No other modifications to the health order were made and no other businesses were cleared to reopen.
“The virus is still widespread in our community and these improvements do not mean victory,” Davis said. “It’s still easy to transmit.”
He also warned the public to be cautious over the holiday weekend and abide by the health orders that have been in place since March. They include wearing a face covering when going outside your home, social distancing, avoiding crowded areas, washing hands and avoiding gatherings with people outside of your household.
Davis said a spike in cases and deaths was
seen after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays because of people attending gatherings and being in crowded spaces, and he’s hoping that will not happen after the Labor Day weekend.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, the Los Angeles County Health Services director, said so far, the number of people infected with COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization continues to slowly decrease.
“The rate appears to be leveling off,” she said.
The infection rate, or R, is at 0.94 this week. Last week, it was at 0.92.
“Any time it’s less than one, we can expect that cases will decrease gradually,” she said. “0.94 is still very close to one, so we need to continue to practice basic health measures.”
Though the transmission rate remains below one, the virus is still spreading and killing Los Angeles County residents.
On Wednesday, Davis reported an additional 51 deaths. Of those, 22 were over the age of 80 and 17 had underlying health conditions; 15 were between 65-79 and 10 had underlying health conditions; eight were between 50-64 and six had underlying health conditions; three were between 3049 and one had underlying health conditions; and two were between 18-29 and neither had underlying health conditions. There was also one death reported in Long Beach, however, Davis did not have information on that person. The total number of
COVID-19-related deaths is now at 5,878 in Los Angeles County. Of the 51 newly reported deaths, 12 or 24% were associated with skilled nursing facilities.
Of the 5,535 deaths in which race and ethnicity were known, 51% were Latinx, 24% were white, 15% were Asian, 10% were Black, less than 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 11% identified as “other.”
Davis reported an additional 1,457 cases on Wednesday, brining the total for Los Angeles County to 243,935. That number includes 10,674 in Long Beach and 2,387 in Pasadena.
There are 1,048 COVID-infected patients in hospitals, of which 31% are in ICU and 17% are on ventilators.
A total of 2.3 million people have been tested in Los Angeles County and 10% of those have been positive.
Here are the latest number of cases and deaths in the Antelope Valley:
Los Angeles County:
•Lancaster: 2,962 cases and 42 deaths (including cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks).
•Palmdale: 3,658 cases and 62 deaths.
• Acton: 61 cases, two deaths.
•Agua Dulce: 25 cases and no deaths.
•Desert View Highlands: 41 cases, one death.
• Lake Hughes: Two cases, no deaths.
•Lake Los Angeles: 195 cases and four deaths.
•Leona Valley: 17 cases and no deaths.
• Littlerock: 79 cases and no deaths.
• Littlerock/Juniper Hills: Eight cases and no deaths.
• Littlerock/Pearblossom: 79 cases and no deaths.
• Llano: Three cases and no deaths.
• Pearblossom/Llano: 21 cases and one death.
•Quartz Hill: 147 cases and 11 deaths.
Kern County:
•California City: 98 cases, 43 recovered, six presumed recovered.
• Edwards: 12, eight recovered, two presumed recovered.
•Rosamond: 226 cases, 103 recovered, 24 presumed recovered.
•Tehachapi: 1,026 cases, 548 recovered, 18 presumed recovered.