The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health admitted during a Board of Supervisor's meeting Tuesday that there is no hard scientific evidence linking the recent COVID-19 surge to back up their move to shut down outdoor dining.
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In laying out the department's case to proceed with the recently proposed restrictions set to take effect on Wednesday, Dr. Muntu Davis said that restaurant-specific contact tracing data around the coronavirus was scarce, “as a public health department we have to look at the highest risks, and where we can reduce those risks,” adding that restaurants fit the high-risk category.
Instead of specific data, the health official cited a CDC study that targeted 11 different outpatient healthcare facilities in 10 states as the "best information we have." The study found that those patients with COVID-19 were twice as likely to have dined out at a restaurant.
However, according to FOX 11's Bill Melugin, the study's application to Los Angeles County's situation is flawed due to the fact that the research does not discern between indoor and outdoor dining and was conducted throughout the United States rather than within the specific community.
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Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger argued that without firm data showing that restaurants are specifically a leading cause in the spike in COVID-19 cases, she “cannot in good conscience” support the proposed modification to shut down outdoor dining on Wednesday.
“I feel that what is happening today is truly going to devastate not only the workers but their families,” Barger added, saying that she felt the closures were “arbitrary and punitive.”
Supervisor Janice Hahn noted she had never seen the type of community pushback that the board has been hearing and noted that the public is "really losing faith and trust in the decisions that we’re making.” She questioned why the Department of Public Health wouldn't just target restaurants not following the rules rather than prohibiting all outdoor dining.
Dr. Barbra Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health, said that she wanted to be “realistic” about enforcement.
“There are 31,000 restaurants in LA County, and our team, as hard as they’re working, they get to about 300 a week," Dr. Ferrer said.
She pointed out that social media has detailed multiple examples of restaurants not following social distancing guidelines, and that roughly 19 percent of restaurants her office has investigated have been found not in compliance with COVID-19 related guidelines.