County Of Los Angeles - Update 4/5/21 - LA County Officially Moves To The Orange Tier, Travel Advisory Updates

Press release from the Venice Chamber of Commerce:

April 05, 2021

LA County Officially Moves to the Orange Tier

At 12:01 a.m., changes to the Health Officer Order took effect, reflecting our move into the Orange Tier. As a result, many business and sector protocols were updated over the weekend, including bars, breweries, wineries, and distilleries, family entertainment centers, gyms, movie theatres, restaurants, retail establishments, grocery stores, and outdoor live events.

It is critically important that businesses follow the safety measures laid out in these protocols. As we have seen in the past, re-openings and increasing capacity limits often lead to an increase in cases. We ask that businesses take every precaution necessary to protect your employees and customers. Our inspectors are out and are happy to provide any clarity or technical assistance should you need it.

Travel Advisory Updates

Effective today, Los Angeles County is updating our travel advisory.

The Centers for Disease Control and LA County continue to urge that everyone avoid non-essential travel during this time when there are significant hot spots across the country and the world and significant risk from more infectious variants.

Travelers who are fully vaccinated, meaning 2 weeks have passed after their second dose for Pfizer or Moderna, or after their single dose of Johnson and Johnson, are, however, at lower risk and can now travel and will not be required to test or quarantine upon their arrival in Los Angeles County if they do not have any symptoms of illness.

Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine for 7 full days after travel if they receive a negative COVID-19 test result taken 3-5 days after their arrival. If a traveler does not get tested after they arrive in Los Angeles County, they must quarantine for a full 10 days.

All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their arrival, and should get tested and isolate if they develop symptoms.

Visit publichealth.lacounty.gov for more information.

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Update 3/15/21

Red Tier Reopenings, Vaccination Eligibility Expansion and Small Business Stabilization Loan Program

Red Tier Reopenings

In a major milestone, Los Angeles County has met the State’s threshold to reopen key sectors and starting TODAY will permit a wide range of indoor operations to resume in sectors including: middle and high schools; restaurants; movie theaters; gyms; and museums, zoos and aquariums, all with safeguards in place.

In alignment with the State’s reopening framework, mandatory masking, distancing and infection control practices remain in place for every business and permitted activity, and certain sectors have additional safety modifications required or recommended.

The County’s Health Officer Orders and sector protocols have been updated to reflect the changes.

This shift to less restrictions shows that efforts by residents to slow the spread of COVID-19 is working. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging people to continue taking infection control precautions to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 in our communities.

People should continue to wear face coverings when in public, continue practicing physical distancing and avoiding crowds and large gatherings. Fully vaccinated people should also continue with these practices, with some exceptions, including the ability to visit with other fully vaccinated people, indoors, without masks, per new guidance.

Head over to our social media toolkit to find creative ways to share this important information with your community!

Vaccination Eligibility Expansion

Today, March 15th, people aged 16-64 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities are now eligible to receive vaccines, as their conditions put them at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19.

Persons who are newly eligible and qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical condition should note that during registration for a vaccine appointment, they will be asked to state that they have a high-risk medical condition or disability.

To protect confidentially, they will not be asked to disclose the specific condition.

People getting vaccinated must provide documentation at all appointments with either a letter from a healthcare provider, a personal physician or an agency providing services or, if not available, the eligible person or their caretaker will be asked to sign an attestation.

All eligible persons will also need to provide identification (government ID not required) and proof that they live within LA County at their appointment.

For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit: VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

Small Business Stabilization Loan Program

The Los Angeles County Development Authority has launched an affordable and flexible business loan program to support and help stabilize businesses in the region. Small Business Stabilization Loans range from $50,000 to $3 million, and can be used for working capital, equipment purchases, inventory, or refinancing of existing loans at higher interest rates.

The Small Business Stabilization Loan Program will accept applications through April 16, 2021, or until $20 million in funding requests is received, whichever occurs first.

The Program pairs the loan with technical assistance from partners that offer complementary online webinars, one-on-one financial consultations, application assistance, and an evaluation of a business' readiness to submit an LACDA loan application. The final “How to apply for an LACDA loan” webinar, a pre-requisite for submitting a Small Business Stabilization Loan application, will be held on March 25, 2021, in English and Spanish.

To register for a webinar, or obtain more information on the requirements to apply for the Small Business Stabilization Loan Program, please visit BizStabilization.lacda.org, or call (626) 586-1550.

This press release was produced by the Venice Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed are the author's own.