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‘We need to do everything now’: Los Angeles shuts bars, restaurants and venues to slow spread of coronavirus

'Our decisions will determine the fate of our loved ones, the length of this crisis'

Conrad Duncan
Monday 16 March 2020 11:52 GMT
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LA mayor announces shutdown of bars and restaurants due to coronavirus

Los Angeles has joined New York City by going into partial lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak in the US, closing bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues to slow the spread of the virus.

Eric Garcetti, LA’s mayor, announced a range of emergency measures on Sunday designed to limit large gatherings and encourage social distancing between residents.

Under the new measures, bars, nightclubs, dine-in restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues, such as cinemas and live music venues, would be closed to the public from midnight on Monday.

Bars and restaurants will still be allowed to sell food but only through takeaway services.

Mr Garcetti’s statement came as the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended cancelling or postponing all events with more than 50 people for the next two months.

“Our decisions will determine the fate of our loved ones, the length of this crisis,” the mayor said.

“We need to take these steps to protect our city right now… The work we do now will have an impact on the city’s history.

“We need to do everything now to stop the spread of this virus.”

On Sunday, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio ordered entertainment venues to close and limited all restaurants and bars to deliveries to combat the city’s growing crisis.

The mayor said his city was facing an “unprecedented threat” and needed to respond with a “wartime mentality”.

Mr Garcetti noted that he could not force churches, mosques or synagogues to close but asked them to close as well for the safety of the public.

“Let me be very clear: gathering in big groups puts lives at risk,” he added on Twitter.

“We need everyone to stay home as much as possible, avoid being in crowds, practise social distancing.”

However, the mayor encouraged LA residents to still support local shops by buying products online and ordering takeaway deliveries.

Mr Garcetti also said there would be a moratorium on evictions for renters during the city’s outbreak and officials have been working on a fund for small businesses who may need loans due to loss of income.

LA’s state, California, has one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the US, with 371 confirmed cases and six deaths, as of Monday morning.

There have been more than 3,000 confirmed cases reported nationwide of Covid-19 in the US, with 69 deaths.

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