PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will issue an updated Health Order that uses science and data to minimize the risk of COVID-19 while allowing for safe operations of business and individuals. The changes are effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and are in alignment with the State and County of Los Angeles Orders.

The updated Health Order and protocols will be issued by noon tomorrow, Nov. 19. An overview of changes is below.

New Capacity Limits for Businesses

• Non-essential businesses, including retail stores and personal care services, and offices for essential businesses, healthcare operations, or essential infrastructure may operate at no more than 25% maximum occupancy.
• Restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries that offer outdoor in-person dining should achieve no more than 50% maximum occupancy by separating different tables by eight feet. This requirement is to ensure that a physical distance of six feet between customers and workers is achieved while customers are seated.
• Outdoor family entertainment centers such as those located in public parks, batting cages and mini golf courses may operate at no more than 50% maximum occupancy to ensure a minimum six-foot distance between members of different households.

Changes to Personal Care Services

• Services may only be performed by appointment.
• Customers and staff both must wear face coverings for the duration of the service.
• Services that require either the customer or staff to remove face coverings, such as facials and shaves, are not permitted.
• Customers may not be offered or consume food or drinks onsite.

Limited Hours for Certain Businesses

• Restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars that serve sit-down dine-meals and non-essential retail businesses, must close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day. The last customer must be seated and finish their meal in time for the business to be completely closed by 10 p.m.

Face Covering Requirements

• A face covering is required over both your nose and mouth whenever you leave your placeof residence unless one of the limited exemptions applies.
• The following individuals are exempt from face covering requirements:
  • Persons age two years or under, due to risk of suffocation.
• Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance. Such conditions are rare. Persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition who are employed in a job involving regular contact with others should wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.
• Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
• Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
• Persons traveling in a car alone or solely with members of their household.
• People who are working in an office or a room alone.
• Persons who are actively eating or drinking provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence.
• Persons who are outdoors and maintaining at least six feet of physical distancing from others not in their household. Such persons must have a face covering with them at all times and must put it on if they are within six feet of others who are not in their household.
• Persons who are obtaining a medical treatment involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the medical treatment.
• Workers who are required to wear respiratory protection.

Gatherings

• Only outdoor gatherings are permitted.
• A maximum of three households may gather.
• A maximum of 15 people, within those three households, may gather.

The City of Long Beach will continue to monitor data and consult with Los Angeles County on any possible future restrictions to the Safer at Home Health Order.  

This action was put in place by the City Health Officer, Dr. Anissa Davis, and in accordance with the Emergency Powers granted to the City Manager through the Proclamation of Local Emergency. It is effective as of Nov. 20 and will continue until it is extended, rescinded or amended in writing by the Health Officer.

In August, the State unveiled its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a framework for tracking the spread of COVID-19 and establishing reopening guidelines using a four-tier color-coded system. On Oct. 13, the State announced counties falling in the purple tier, such as the County of Los Angeles, which includes Long Beach, could allow the above operations to resume with modifications. 

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep its residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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