Los Angeles Mayor says all citizens should wear masks, COVID-19 task force weighs new guidance
Immunology expert, Dr. Tania Elliott, breaks down why masks should only be reserved for health care workers on ‘The Daily Briefing.’
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The nation's second-largest city reported it's smallest increase in coronavirus cases in weeks on Monday, but Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that a spike in numbers could mean more restrictions.
The city had 192 new COVID-19 cases in the city, increasing the total to 2,851 infections, as of Monday. The 7 percent daily increase there on Monday was the first in three weeks that was not in the double-digits.
“This will be a critical week in our fight against this crisis,” Garcetti said during a briefing.
LOS ANGELES BRACES ITSELF FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS DEATHS, ASKS RESIDENTS NOT TO GO OUT SHOPPING
In an interview with The Associated Press, the Los Angeles mayor said that if COVID-19 infections soar in the city, he's considering requiring people to stay in their neighborhoods to prevent individuals from traveling long distances for shopping or exercise.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday that more restrictions on public and business activity could happen if there is a spike in coronavirus cases. (Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti via AP)
“There are all sorts of things that are always on the table to consider,” Garcetti told the AP, adding there are “places, industries that right now are deemed pretty critical, but if it gets bad enough, that we can say maybe a couple of these things we'll just have to suspend and live without.”
Since mid-March, Los Angeles has closed gyms, bars, sit-down restaurants in addition to limiting business activity to essential workers only.
Pedestrians wearing protective masks during the coronavirus outbreak walk in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
At his news briefing on Monday, Garcetti said that no additional action regarding neighborhood restrictions is imminent.
“We can’t yet do that, nor do we have an enforcement mechanism, nor are we a country where, thankfully, we monitor people’s cell phones or where they are all the time and I don’t think we’re gonna do that anytime soon,” Garcetti told reporters.
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City officials may soon start clamping down on construction sites where workers are too close to each other.
Few cars occupy the Arroyo Seco Parkway toward downtown Los Angeles during rush hour, Thursday, April 2, 2020, in Los Angeles, during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
As part of what the mayor called a "make-or-break week," he announced that Los Angeles County residents, not just those at greatest risk from COVID-19, can now apply for a test through the city if they are experiencing symptoms, according to FOX11.
Garcetti said the city has the capacity to test 18,000 people this week, while the county and other partners can conduct an additional 18,000 tests for a total of 36,000 by the end of this week.
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In preparation for a spike in cases and fatalities that could come in two to five weeks, the mayor said he is seeking more ventilators and protective gear for hospital workers.
Los Angeles County officials on Monday suggested people avoid shopping this week in order to slow the spread of the virus. The mayor said the most important thing this week is for residents is to stay home.
"Use some discretion," he said.
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As of Tuesday, there were 16,349 cases of COVID-19 in California, with at least 388 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Fox News' David Aaro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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