Manhattan Beach Rallies To Say 'No' To 3-Week Outdoor Dining Ban

The agenda for the upcoming November 24 virtual Board meeting is now available: https://t.co/uldHIZDCNL To participate and listen in see details pic.twitter.com/J6PzcIhUtZ
— LACountyBOS (@LACountyBOS) November 19, 2020

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Owners and supporters of Manhattan Beach businesses are asking the Manhattan Beach and South Bay communities to voice opposition to the outdoor dining ban forecast to take place tomorrow [Wednesday, Nov. 24] at 10 p.m. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the three-week ban on outdoor dining this past Sunday, Nov. 22 during a news conference.

The LA County Board of Supervisors, which oversees the county, is meeting today [Tuesday, Nov. 3] beginning at 9:30 a.m. to tackle a lengthy slate of agenda items. Supervisor Kathryn Barger yesterday announced her opposition to the outdoor dining ban, saying, "“These proposed measures by the Department of Public Health will further devastate local businesses and employees who have been asked to shoulder an unfair burden this year. Businesses throughout the County have invested thousands of dollars to ensure safety for their employees and customers only to be punished for the recent surge they have done everything in their power to prevent.”

Barger points to data showing that Public Health has reported between 10-15% of positive cases reported dining out with someone who tested positive, while more than 50 percent reported being at a private social gathering with someone who tested positive. By closing restaurants that are in compliance, the County may adversely incentivize residents to host and attend more private gatherings without safety precautions in place, she explained.

Public Health has shown the compliance rate among businesses averages more than 95 percent. She notes that LACounty has one of the lowest positivity rates in the state and will be the only area to close outdoor dining, indicating this is not a best practice in the effort to slow the spread.

“Businesses have made incredible sacrifices to align with safety protocols to remain open in order to pay their bills and feed their families,” said Supervisor Barger, who chairs the board. “Our hospitalization rates are among the lowest we’ve seen. Yet, the rationale for further closures is tied to the number of patients in the hospital. We’ve come a long way to support workers and residents who are struggling to stay afloat and should not regress on the progress we’ve made.”

The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation predicts that approximately 700,000 jobs in the food industry would be lost during this shutdown. The LAEDC also highlights the fact that approximately 75% of all projected job losses would be those earning $50,000 or less.

“Increased case counts are not coming from businesses reopening, but from large gatherings where people aren’t wearing masks,” Barger said. “We aren’t helpless in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and can protect ourselves and our neighbors by maintaining physical distancing and wearing face coverings.”

To make an ecomment about the outdoor dining ban and whether or not you support it, visit the Board of Supervisors online here.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes Manhattan Beach, can be reached online here on her website. Her Communications Director Liz Odendahl told Manhattan Beach Patch yesterday the supervisor "plans to ask Barbara Ferrer a series of questions tomorrow during the Board meeting about the rationale and strategy behind the outdoor dining closure."

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