Los Angeles County has extended its “safer at home” order through May 15 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Barbara Ferrer, the director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said at a Friday press conference she could not “definitively answer” when things in L.A. might open back up again.
“We do know that we will be lifting some of the restrictions and we do hope that we’re able to take a hard look this summer at what makes sense for us to be relaxing … some of the closures right now that are making it impossible, for example, for some people to get back to work. But it really does depend on the data,” Ferrer said.
Though all nonessential businesses will remain closed, the order still allows Angelenos to go out for essential activities like grocery shopping and going to the pharmacy. But effective on Friday, all L.A. residents must wear a face covering when going out for essential activities, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered.
The “safer at home” order is in effect alongside the statewide “stay at home” order that Gov. Gavin Newsom issued in mid-March. That order is in effect “until further notice.”
As of Thursday, there have been a total of 7,955 cases and 223 deaths across L.A. County, according to the Department of Public Health.