Summery weather have you itching to spend more time outside? Well good news: As of this Friday, it’ll be a little bit easier (and, you know, legal) to explore the outdoors.
Starting this Friday, Los Angeles County will begin relaxing some of the restrictions in its “safer at home” order, including the reopening of trails and parks on Saturday. The news came Wednesday as part of the unveiling of the county’s larger, five-stage Roadmap to Recovery plan.
On May 8, we’ll be entering Stage 2 of the recovery efforts, which will allow some retails businesses to open for curbside pickup, including bookstores, clothing stores, florists, music stores, sporting goods stores and toy stores. Car dealership showrooms can open, as well, as long as they adhere to social distancing measures. These apply to both the county and city.
Of particular interest to sunshine-starved Angelenos, both county and city trails will reopen on Saturday, May 9, though you must must adhere to physical distance and use face coverings to access them. However, Runyon Canyon will remain closed. Golf courses will reopen, too, but pro shops will need to stay closed, and restaurants and concession stands there will only be able to offer takeout. Then on Sunday, county-run parks will open (but not botanical gardens, as that seems likely to be lumped into the forthcoming “outdoor museums” guidelines).
Beaches weren’t included the announcement, but the county did have a tidbit to share about their reopening. “There is a plan. It will go in effect at some point in the very near future,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. “That will allow for a slow reopening of our beaches in a way that’s as safe as possible. I know we can all look forward to that happening pretty soon.”
Later developments in Stage 2 will also lift restrictions on manufacturers, offices, essential health care businesses, outdoor recreation and libraries, as well as museums, cultural centers and galleries—though no date is given for these beyond “soon.” In all cases, these businesses will reopen in heavily modified ways to allow for social distancing, and in ways that encourage employees to still work from home.
Looking further out, tattoo shops, massage parlors, bars and nightclubs, movie theaters, bowling alleys and schools will be included in Stage 3, while Stage 4 will see the reopening of large conventions, entertainment venues and spectator sports. And finally, Stage 5 will see life in L.A. return to normal. In all of these cases, no dates are given other than “TBD.”
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