County Acts to Get Tough With Restaurants, Businesses for Flouting Health Orders; Pasadena Hints at “Appropriate Action”

While the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved closer to ordering fines and possibly even closures of restaurants and other businesses for failing to comply with public health orders requiring masks and social distancing, a spokesperson said Pasadena would only say the city plans to “take action” against offenders.

“We are working cooperatively with local businesses but for those that don’t comply with our Health Orders, after warnings we will take appropriate action to protect public health,” said Pasadena spokesperson Lisa Derderian.

She also note that the County “has no authority in Pasadena on this matter.”

The exception would be businesses in the unincorporated portion of East Pasadena, in the so-called “County strip” largely adjacent to and including Rosemead Boulevard.

But County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Janice Hahn were much more specific in their motion Tuesday.

The pair co-authored the motion calling for a fine the first time businesses are out of compliance and pulling permits for repeat offenders.

“The recent spike in cases and hospitalizations is very, very serious and jeopardizes our ability to care for people who get sick,” Kuehl said. “This motion says, `Business owners, please take this seriously. You are part of our community. Act responsibly, and if you won’t, we will take action. The first time we will fine you. The second time, we will shut you down.”‘

Kuehl said she had visited restaurants where owners were willfully ignoring clear orders to separate diners by six feet and require all staff to wear masks and protective shields while serving diners.

In addition to anecdotal evidence, Kuehl pointed to public health inspections during the last weekend in June, when 49% of bars and 33% of restaurants were found not adhering to physical distancing protocols indoors and roughly half of workers at both types of locations were not wearing the mandated face coverings.

Tens of thousands of restaurants, bars, retail stores, gyms and other businesses in Los Angeles County will be covered by the motion.

The board asked Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, to report back in 14 days with a plan for fines. It suggested that fines may be variable based on occupancy as well as the level of noncompliance, but did not suggest specific amounts.

The board also called for a protocol to be set that as soon as a business has been fined once, it will be subject to having its permit revoked as early as a second visit.

The motion also seemed to suggest a wide-ranging crackdown, with the board asking its lawyers to determine whether county employees outside the health department could be authorized to assess fines.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger singled out the restaurant industry, calling the noncompliance “a complete and utter failure on the part of that industry.”