Update:
L.A. County received permission to move forward with some aspects of opening on Friday, as anticipated in the story below. Get an updated story here.
Previous story:
Los Angeles County officials are hoping to find out as early as Friday whether they’ll be allowed to reopen restaurants for in-person dining, along with barbershops and hair salons.
The county submitted its variance application on Wednesday to the state, which decides if counties can reopen at an accelerated rate if they meet certain COVID-19 benchmarks.
Thus far, that variance approval has been granted within days for 47 counties, including all that surround L.A. County. The variance for Ventura County was approved within 48 hours.
“Regional data shows we have flattened the curve, indicating our readiness to move forward in phased recovery,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. Barger expressed hope that the approval would be granted by Friday. “This will put Los Angeles County on a level playing field with surrounding counties, which have already been granted variances.”
Read the full story on LATimes.com.
