Angry at COVID-19 orders, Orange County merchants and officials don’t want to focus on LA | National

“We understand why these steps are being taken. We are none other than concerns and solidarity with front-line hospital workers,” Hicks said. “But as long as the restaurant adopts the proper protocol, we believe that eating outdoors is not the cause of the coronavirus epidemic.”

He said the restaurant reopened in May and there were no known cases of coronavirus due to his customers or his 60 employees. He is now worried about future financial difficulties.

“We believe that a complete closure of the industry is exorbitant,” he said. “We adhere to it, but hope that local legislators, and at the state level, will address outdoor dietary changes as long as outdoor dining is responsibly served by customers and restaurants. I’m out. “

Home orders were prompted by a shortage of hospital intensive care units throughout Southern California. The move was set to be triggered on Saturday if the ICU capacity in the California region fell below 15%. According to data released by the state, ICU capacity in Southern California was 12.5% ​​on Saturday and 8.6% in the San Joaquin Valley. Bay Area County voluntarily imposed a curfew on Sunday night.

Some parts of Southern California have been hit harder than others. LA County broke one day’s case record in four of the last five days. On Saturday, 9,218 cases of coronavirus were reported, according to an independent Los Angeles Times tabulation.

California hospitalized 9,430 patients on Saturday, hitting a new high for COVID-19 hospitalization for seven consecutive days. This is more than four times the number on October 24, when 2,254 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized.

The California intensive care unit was never busy with COVID-19 patients. On Saturday, 2,182 people were infected with the ICU, breaking records for the third consecutive day. During the summer surge, that number never exceeded 2,058.

However, several other counties in Southland, including Orange, argue that their condition is not as bad as the Hot Zone and that maintaining the state should not bring them together with LA County.

Orange County supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she supported a regional approach so that counties could help each other when hospitals were full, but said the state categories were simply too broad.

“Grouping 11 counties in Southern California into one region is problematic, especially in one county that makes up more than 25% of the state’s population,” she said, Los Angeles, the state’s most populous county. Said by mentioning.

Bartlett said Orange County’s ICU capacity is over 20% and regional availability is 12.5%. Business units such as restaurants and theme parks are “unfairly punished” by the new rules for being forced to shut down or shut down, she said.

“Based on the current number of beds in the ICU, I think Orange County is in pretty good shape, but that can change very quickly,” Bartlett said. “Our ICU bed capacity has literally dropped by 15% in a week, so things need to be closely monitored.”

Bartlett said she and Orange County supervisor Don Wagner will submit a resolution on Tuesday confirming the county’s efforts to control coronavirus restrictions as locally as possible.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office Don Burns has to send an agent to enforce compliance with stay-at-home orders and rules governing face coverings and social distance, similar to the ministry’s policy throughout the pandemic. Stated.

“Compliance with health orders is a matter of personal responsibility, not law enforcement,” he said in a statement.

Orange County has been financially pandemic, Disneyland has been closed, and the tourism economy is virtually dead.

Hilary Goldner, co-owner of Sweet 1017 Hairdressing in Seal Beach, heard news about the order through a text message from staff. After a busy Saturday, she is preparing to close the salon for three weeks.

“It’s devastating,” she said. “We have already experienced two closures, and this is the busiest time of the year. Everyone is trying to move their lives forward, and we play that role. It’s a shame and a shame. “

Goldner said he understands that the hospital is being blamed, but does not believe that the hairdresser is contributing to the spread of COVID-19.

“We already feel that we are in compliance,” she said. “We are in the mask. The client is in the mask. We are disinfecting. We go further for the safety of our clients.”

(C) 2020 Los Angeles Times

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