While Los Angeles County has not committed to the guidelines set by the state, there will be an opportunity for additional reopenings of schools, gyms and bars by Friday, June 12.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that schools, day camps, bars, gyms and professional sporting events will be allowed to reopen throughout the state; in past reopening phases, however, Los Angeles has waited and analyzed its own COVID-19 case numbers before applying the state’s reopening regulations.

Bars that pair themselves with restaurants had already opened, but now the rest of the bar scene has been given permission. Their regulations are the same as restaurants’, prioritizing outdoor seating and maintaining six feet between guests six feet. 

The reopening process for schools in California will encourage them to shut down the use of drinking fountains and other frequently touched resources. 

Staff will be asked to frequently clean door handles, light switches, sink handles, desks and any other in-class surfaces that are touched the most. School buses will be required to be disinfected daily, and drivers must be provided with wipes and gloves to clean off  surfaces. 

Students will be encouraged to engage in physical activities that do not require “shared playground equipment.”

Advisories for in-class setups include keeping the same group of students and teachers together for the whole day, keeping teacher desks at least six feet away from student desks and attempting to keep students seating arrangements as far from each other as possible.

As has been stressed by the state over the last three months, there will be a heavy focus on younger students washing their hands, not touching their faces and covering coughs and sneezes. All staff and students will be required to wear face coverings, with teachers encouraged to use face shields so students can still see their face for phonological purposes. 

As part of their reopening process, fitness centers will be asked to provide temperature and/or symptom screenings for all employees at the beginning of their shift. The same temperature checks will be extended to vendors and any other workers entering the facility.

Gyms will also be asked to put together cleaning schedules throughout the day, along with frequent disinfecting of equipment. Gym-goers will also be asked to disinfect any equipment and if they cannot, they will be asked to use a “ready to clean” tag for staff to be made aware that the area, or equipment needs to be cleaned. 

While several family entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen, such as bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages, arcades and movie theaters, close-distance activities will remain closed. That means ice and roller rinks, and laser tag facilities will not yet be opening. 

No specific guidelines have been given for professional sports, or the entertainment industry, but they will be setting rules for themselves, so long as they coincide with orders from Public Health.

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