Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday said he expects the city to retreat from the record-high coronavirus case increases seen this week without a renewed stay-home order, but a key to achieving that will be widespread mask use.
Garcetti pointed to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent statement that the pandemic would be under control within months if everyone wore a mask.
To further that end, the mayor unveiled a poster created by artist Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One encouraging universal adoption of face coverings. The artwork is available to download for printing at coronavirus.lacity.org/maskart.
“This is how you save the economy. This is how you reopen more businesses,” Garcetti said in a Friday evening briefing. “This mask is not just about lives, which it is first and foremost, it’s about jobs.”
The mayor earlier this week threatened to reinstate the city’s stay-home order if the rate of virus transmission and hospitalizations didn’t improve.
The county has since set new records for the daily increase in new cases on both Thursday and Tuesday, with 4,592 and 4,244 new infections, respectively. The total number of cases added this week — 23,310 — far surpasses last week’s record of 17,128 cases.
Meanwhile, the county’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have remained at an all-time high.
“This is an extremely dangerous situation and it remains that way,” Garcetti said.
But he stopped short of enacting restrictions, saying he’s hopeful that Angelenos are working to contain the spread, and the effects will be seen in the coming week. He also said that while hospitalizations are at a record high, hospital stays have become shorter as doctors learn how to best treat the disease.
“Doctors are now using high-flow oxygen in many cases instead of ventilators. We have news that drugs have also been effective and helping reduce blood clots, treating inflammation or helping people with lung injuries or oxygen deficiency,” he said. “All of that is helping to shorten hospital stays.”
The mayor also plans to renew efforts to educate businesses on how to comply with COVID-19 orders after the city fielded 549 complaints of violations in the past two weeks.
So far, L.A. County has confirmed more than 150,300 cases and 4,047 deaths. It remains the epicenter of the pandemic in California.
Friday also marks the deadline for applications in L.A.’s $103 million rent relief lottery. Eligible city residents must register online by 11:59 p.m., or call 844-944-1868 by 10 p.m.
About 50,000 households will be chosen at random to benefit from up to $2,000 in rental costs, will be paid directly to landlords.
Renters in multifamily units can apply, regardless of immigration status, if they make 80% or less of the average median income. That works out to $58,450 for one person or $83,500 for a family of four.
Garcetti said around 200,000 applications have been submitted so far, but some will need to be weeded out as the renters did not live in the city of Los Angeles.
