Pasadena Restaurants, Barbershops and Salons Can, With Restrictions, Resume In-Person Services

Los Angeles County restaurants were cleared Friday morning to reopen for limited dine-in service, and barbershops and hair salons were cleared for in-person services, as the state-approved the county’s request to move deeper into California’s roadmap for restarting the economy.

“It’ll be welcomed by the restaurants and the salons who have essentially been closed down,” said Pasadena Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Paul Little.

Friday evening, the city’s public officer, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, released her revised order listing required guidelines which must be followed in order for affected Pasadena businesses to reopen.

City Manager Steve Mermell told Pasadena Now that city officials “have been expecting approval of the variance for Los Angeles County. Guided by the policy direction of the City Council, staff has been hard at work developing the plans and protocols to enable our various business sectors to re-open within the parameters established by the California Department of Public Health.”

“While we are grateful that more parts of our local economy may operate again, we must be mindful that until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, it is vitally important that we follow the advice of health professionals to reduce the risk of transmission,” Mermell said.

Councilmember Andy Wilson said the restaurants, barbershops and salons “will need to operate differently.”

Wilson sits on the city’s Economic Development and Technology Committee which as recently as Thursday met to grapple with issues surrounding reopening restaurants.

Last week the committee discussed the idea closing Colorado Blvd. in Old Pasadena, either partially or completely, to allow businesses like restaurants with limited indoor space take advantage of sidewalks and the area reserved for curbside parking.

But for now, Wilson says, the emphasis should be getting restaurants back in business quickly.

“There was extensive conversation about street potential street closures for retail and restaurants. I think that’s a longer-term conversation. Let’s get them open,” Wilson said Friday.

Dr. Goh’s order on Friday will have a major impact on the customer experiences, with facemasks, social distancing and screening for symptoms of sickness key requirements.

“Dining in restaurants and getting a haircut will be a different experience than we are used to,” a statement accompanying her order said.

Los Angeles County — home to roughly half of the state’s coronavirus cases and deaths — had been one of only about a dozen California counties not to have received a “variance” from the state allowing more types of businesses to reopen.

The variances are granted based on a list of criteria, including infection rates, hospital capacity, testing availability and ability to trace contacts of infected residents.

The county submitted a request for a variance earlier this week, and it was granted Friday morning.

“This further brings our communities together and resumes a sense of normalcy, representing monumental progress for Los Angeles County on the path toward recovery,” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathryn Barger said.

County health officials released reopening protocols Friday afternoon, and businesses will be free to open as soon as they can meet them, potentially as early as Friday night.

For restaurants, the guidelines include a restriction to 60% of capacity. Customers and employees will be screened for symptoms such as cough or fever, physical distancing measures will be enforced and customers will be required to wear face coverings when not eating. Customers are encouraged to make reservations, and they will be asked to wait for their table either in their cars or outside the restaurant. Bar areas of restaurants will remain closed.

Hair salons will also be required to enforce physical distancing, and employees and customers will also be screened for health symptoms. Customers and employees will be required to face coverings.

Los Angeles County previously revised its Health Officer Order on Tuesday, clearing the way for all retailers in the city, including those inside enclosed shopping malls, to reopen for in-store shopping with restrictions on capacity and mandatory face coverings.

The revised order also allowed the reopening of offices, swap meets, flea markets and drive-in movie theaters. Houses of worship were also cleared to again hold in-person services, with limited capacity and restrictions on activities.

With that new order in place, several Southland shopping malls reopened this week, including the Citadel Outlets in Commerce and the Glendale Galleria. The Beverly Center reopened Friday, and Westfield Century City is set to open Saturday. Only a limited number of stores are open, and hours are limited.

The county health order continues to require residents to wear cloth face coverings when interacting with people outside their own households. It also calls for continued social-distancing. Reopened businesses also must adhere to strict safety protocols, requiring face coverings, limited capacity inside stores and hand-washing and sanitizing stations.

County public health director Barbara Ferrer again stressed the need for business to adhere to all requirements before reopening.

“The only reason we were able to successfully submit a variance was because of all the work everyone has done throughout our county,” she said. “We do ask businesses to please adhere to the directives that are included in the health officer order and to the protocols prior to reopening. Compliance with the protocols is required. Reopening as safely as possible and in ways that protect both employees and customers will require a lot of effort, and we do appreciate everyone’s commitment to doing this right.”

News of the long-awaited restaurant and hair salon reopenings came on a day the county reported another 50 deaths due to the coronavirus, while Long Beach reported four more, raising the county’s overall number of fatalities to 2,294.
Another 1,824 cases were also reported by the court.