
Thanksgiving offers profound risks if large numbers of guests hailing from different households - especially those traveling from far away - gather.

State health officials have released new guidelines for socializing that prohibit gatherings among more than three households.Ĭalifornia has generally banned large gatherings but says shorter, smaller ones of no more than three households may be held, provided they take place outdoors in the hardest-hit counties, and that attendees physically distance and wear face coverings. “But we continue to believe that this is not a choice between health and business - that that’s a false choice, that what we really need to do is do everything we can at this moment to get these very rapidly rising cases back down.”Ĭalifornia As holidays approach, California unveils new rules on family gatherings, social events “We know and feel and hear about the hurt of many businesses, and the difficulty,” Ghaly said. Ghaly said the state planned to stick with the current road map, which categorizes counties based on their average daily number of new coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents and the percentage of conducted tests that detect the virus. The tiers begin with purple, the most restrictive, then shift to red, then orange, then yellow - each carrying its own limitations on what kinds of businesses can reopen and how widely they can do so. Reopening businesses and activities is guided by the state’s four-tiered, color-coded system.

“All of that said,” he added, “this is a quickly, rapidly evolving situation, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that we appropriately protect the public health of California.” On Friday, Ghaly said the state was “not looking, today, at a statewide stay-at-home order.” Officials are trying to avoid a repeat of the lockdown California experienced in the spring. Los Angeles County is examining other options as well.Īmong them: reducing occupancy levels at sites where people are indoors dedicating more resources to ensuring businesses follow public health orders and encouraging certain safety measures, such as telling everyone who can work from home to go back to doing so, Ferrer said. That might help us keep our businesses open so long as they are perfectly compliant.” But we would have to see if it worked in other jurisdictions.

“And if we can’t make those choices ourselves, you’re forced to sort of look at, structurally, how do you make it harder for people to intermingle, particularly in activities where we know there’s going to be spread.”Īdded Supervisor Sheila Kuehl: “After people drink for a while, perhaps they lose inhibition and judgment, and so possibly a curfew might help. “I think it makes sense to do everything we can to encourage people not to be out and about, not to be mingling with others,” she said. County’s public health director, said two local possibilities were a curfew or a limitation on businesses’ hours of operation. Only takeout orders are allowed after that.īarbara Ferrer, L.A. One idea Los Angeles County officials have discussed is a curfew of some type designed to limit the time businesses are open and people are “mingling.” New York imposed a curfew last week on restaurants and bars beginning at 10 p.m. It also asks those arriving from another state or country to quarantine for 14 days.

The advisory encourages residents to avoid nonessential travel. California California issues travel advisory ahead of holidays as COVID-19 surges
