Yesterday Mayor Eric Garcetti and Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced stay home orders throughout the County of Los Angeles to stay home due to the rising threat of COVID-19. This order is very serious and is meant to help save lives, but it is not a “lock down” – you can still leave home for essential trips including:

• The grocery store and pharmacy
• Outside for exercise (please stay six feet from others)
• The doctor’s office
• Local restaurant for takeout
• Essential errands to hardware stores, laundromats, etc.

Please do not:

• Gather in groups more than 10 people
• Take children to playgrounds or other high-use areas
• Go to work if you can telecommute
• Travel outside of the city
• Visit elderly family members if they are in an assisted living home or have compromised immunities

The intention of this order is to protect as many people as possible by decreasing potential exposure. If we all do our part, we will get through these unchartered waters together.

Also, the Mayor has announced that 13 City Recreation centers will be opening in the next few days to serve as temporary shelters for homeless individuals who have been health screened and are not sick. Additional Rec centers will be opened to provide approximately 6,000 beds total. The Public Health Director has been adamant that COVID-19 will spread like wildfire among the homeless if they are left on the street, and they must be brought inside to be protected, monitored, and safe from the elements in order to avoid becoming ill. This is in their interest as well as yours. Yesterday a federal judge convened a hearing with County and City officials to make a similar point. The first sites include all Rec centers that have both hot showers and ADA access. With these criteria, Woodland Hills Rec will be among the first 13 sites to open. LAPD and other city workers will be on site 24/7 to ensure safety and social distancing within the shelter. Further details are still being confirmed.

To learn more about the 'Safer at Home' order, please click here.

As always, for the most up-to-date information, please check the LA County Department of Public Health website as well at the city’s COVID-19 portal at https://corona-virus.la/.

Also, please go to my website to get local updates, tips, and critical announcements. http://blumenfield.lacity.org/