LA city residents ‘ordered to remain in their homes’ amid COVID-19 surge
Dec 2, 2020 / 10:21 PM PST
California
by: Sareen Habeshian
Posted: Dec 2, 2020 / 08:48 PM PST / Updated:
(KTLA) – All residents within the city of Los Angeles should continue to remain in their homes and follow the city’s “safer-at-home” order, which mirrors guidance from L.A. County, according to the mayor’s office.
A public order posted on the mayor’s website Wednesday detailed many of the restrictions, including a ban on some travel with a variety of exemptions.
Email and text alerts from the city’s NotifyLA System also went out Wednesday, although the mayor’s deputy press secretary, Harrison Wollman, said the guidance has been in place for days.
“The city uploaded the most recent version of its safer-at-home order today to match the county’s current order that was enacted earlier this week,” Wollman said. “The two orders are identical, and the process of publishing the official document on our website is a formality that occurs each time the order is revised.”
Many residents were notified with an email and text alert from the city’s NotifyLA System Wednesday night. A spokesman for the mayor’s office said although the NotifyLA System alerts were accurate, they did not include new restrictions.
Non-exempt businesses in the city have been ordered to cease operations that require in-person attendance of staff. There is a broad list of exceptions for various businesses and workers deemed essential or exempt.
People may lawfully leave their residences only to engage in defined essential activities.
Those experiencing homelessness are exempt from the requirement to stay inside.
Mirroring the county’s order, all public and private gatherings with people from more than one household are prohibited, except for outdoor faith-based services and protests.
Failure to comply with the new health order will constitute a misdemeanor subject to fines and imprisonment, according to the document. The mayor urged the Los Angeles Police Department and the city attorney to “vigorously enforce this.”
“My message couldn’t be simpler,” Garcetti said in his earlier briefing. “It’s time to hunker down. It’s time to cancel everything. And if it isn’t essential, don’t do it.”
The new order comes after Los Angeles County reported a total of 2,439 people hospitalized for the virus Wednesday, more than on any other day during the pandemic.