LA Restaurants Vastly Improve Adherence To COVID-19 Rules

At a press conference on July 9, Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that LA restaurants had significantly improved compliance with new COVID-19 regulations, according to inspections from the weekend of July 3-5.

The inspectors visited 1,101 restaurants, and reported the following data:

• 99% of restaurants were in compliance with the order to only provide outdoor dining, takeout, or delivery.

• 98% were complying with physical distancing standards.

• 99% of customers were wearing face coverings.

• 82% of employees were wearing face shields.

• All 82 bars visited were closed.

• All 8 breweries and wineries visited were closed.

It’s a small sample size, but very good news compared to inspections the previous weekend, when a report showed that 44% of restaurants visited had service workers who weren’t wearing masks or face guards, and 33% of dining rooms weren’t adhering to physical distancing protocols.

The report also comes on the heels of news that LA County will rapidly expedite the process for fining and shutting down restaurants that violate the COVID-19 guidelines.