Beginning at midnight tonight Long Beach will begin complying with Los Angeles County's mandate to close all bars, gyms, arcades, and theaters. This measure is coming as a direct order from the Health Department. These new steps do not relate to retail establishments, which are being asked to exercise precautions in continuing their operations.
Additionally
, restaurants will no longer have onsite dining, but will instead be limited to take-out or delivery only. This is being implemented to reduce the likelihood of ra
pid co
mmunity spread of COVID-19 in public places while still allowing residents access to hot meals.
Further, for the purposes of these additional public health measures, the closure of gyms will include small work out venues like yoga and pilates studios, boxing clubs, and all other small fitness centers.
Also, the city is working closely with major grocery store chains throughout the city to ensure fair and equitable access to food products for all residents. The concerns over food access is something the city will make every effort address.
All of these are major steps for the city to take as we confront the reality and the seriousness of this pandemic. Please understand that these measures are being enacted with public health as the absolute focus. Reducing person to person interaction is the key to slowing community spread and is essential to giving our public health professionals an opportunity to manage this crisis and protect all residents. We all want to see the harms to our city, friends, family, and neighbors limited. By all of us taking the necessary precautions we can protect ourselves and reduce the impacts this outbreak has on us all.
Lastly, the City is working with
state and
federal agencies to identify
assistance for
small businesses and employees impacted by COVID-19. As a small business owner in Belmont Shore I am seeing, like so many of our local small businesses, how devastating these impacts are. I want to assure everyone that we will do
all we can to access resources and services to assist businesses and employees who are affected by the virus.
I realize things are changing rapidly and new information and updates are coming out all the time. But, I want to assure you that my office and my team are
at your service and will
continue to provide any and all assistance we can from both our office at City Hall as well as our Field Office at 340 Nieto Avenue. Please reach out to our office any time as our focus will continue to be providing effective information and responsive assistance for any request.
