Freeway Closure, St. Patrick's Day Fun: 5 Things To Know In LA

From freeway closures to business reopenings and St. Patrick's Day happenings, here are five things to know about in Los Angeles this week:

• Reopenings! For the first time in a year, date night in Los Angeles could involve something as decadent as dinner and a movie. As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, Los Angeles County officially allowed openings outlined in the red tier of the state’s blueprint for reopening. That means gyms, restaurants and movie theaters can reopen for indoor service at limited capacity. While restaurants and gyms across the county threw open their doors immediately, movie theaters have been a bit slower to welcome back customers. AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie theater chain, opened the doors to its flagship cinemas Monday afternoon in Burbank and Century City. The company is planning more theater openings by Friday just in time for date night! Check out a complete list of films and theater openings here.
  
• Mixed messages! If we've learned anything a year into the pandemic, it’s how to navigate mixed messages. Yes, restaurants and theaters are reopening, but the coronavirus is still circulating in the community. Health officials advise against socializing maskless with unvaccinated adults of other households especially if you are at high risk of severe coronavirus illness. So, while the dinner-and-a-movie date night is now an option, most voters in California say they have no plans to immediately partake, according to a new survey by Emerson College Polling. About half of the adults surveyed said they wouldn’t be comfortable eating out or attending sporting events just yet.
  
• Wednesday is St. Patrick’s Day! Last year’s holiday was notably subdued by the onset of the pandemic, but this year, things are looking up. Los Angeles is celebrating with comedy shows, green donuts, green beer (of course), a 5K, and HiKing-with-A Leprechaun in Griffith Park. Check out Patch’s roundup of St. Patrick’s Day events.
• DUI Checkpoints and saturation patrols: The California Highway Patrol will be on high alert Wednesday for revelers who are driving under the influence. Additionally, police departments around the county such as the Burbank Police Department have announced plans to hold DUI checkpoints Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department has not officially announced plans to hold checkpoints on St Patrick’s Day, but officers will be on alert for impaired drivers. The CHP made 67 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol on St. Patrick's Day last year, and alcohol or drug-related crashes resulted in injuries to 31 people.
  
• Freeway Closure: Caltrans plans to shut down the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway Wednesday and Thursday nights from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m from Grand Avenue to the Orange (57) Freeway in West Covina. The closure includes the eastbound I-10 connectors to the 57 Freeway and State Route 71.