The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued a revised Health Officer Order: “A Safer Return Together at Work and in the Community.” The Order took effect on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 and it aligns Los Angeles County with guidelines from the State of California. It urges everyone to exercise caution and good judgment as physical distancing requirements and capacity limitations are removed. Almost all sectors and businesses will be able to return to usual operations with some exceptions. The State of California and LA County Public Health will continue to issue separate guidance to be followed for youth, schools and daycares, healthcare, and high-risk congregate settings. The Health Officer Order is posted by LA County Public Health on its website, available by clicking here. Additional separate guidance is available by visiting: publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus.
“I’m thrilled to be able to say to West Hollywood’s residents, businesses, and visitors that we can take this impactful next step in reopening and getting back to normal,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “The pandemic showed all of us what it looks like when our businesses are shuttered and our streets are empty. It’s amazing, once again, to see and experience our City’s businesses, restaurants, bars, and streets brimming with people. I’m happy to report, as well, that the latest numbers from the LA County Public Health Department show that 70 percent of our residents are vaccinated. This is great news, all around.”
The City of West Hollywood has been in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak since March 16, 2020. Due to this, West Hollywood City Hall and many public City buildings and facilities were shut to in-person transactions; services were transitioned to a virtual environment to safeguard community health and safety. With the revised LA County Public Health Order to return to usual operations, the City of West Hollywood is implementing plans to reopen in-person services at City Hall in July 2021; details will be forthcoming on the City’s website www.weho.org. City Hall remains fully accessible for services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website.
LA County Public Health has outlined limited exceptions to usual operations, which include mega-events defined as large crowds greater than 5,000 people if indoors, or 10,000 people if outdoors. Regardless of whether these events have assigned seating or not, and whether they are general admission or ticketed, they are considered higher risk for COVID-19 transmission. Mega-events are required to verify either full vaccination status or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours pre-entry for all attendees. Participants must also follow the state’s mask guidance at these events. For outdoor mega-events, the same guidance on verifying the vaccination or test status of attendees is offered as a strong recommendation rather than a requirement and attendees who do not verify their status will need to wear masks.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released updated guidance on masking on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, as follows:
- Masks are not required for fully vaccinated individuals, except in the following settings where masks are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status:
- On public transit – (such as airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares) and in transportation hubs (such as airports, bus terminals, marinas, train stations, seaports or other ports, subway stations, or any other areas that provide transportation);
- Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings;
- In healthcare settings (including long-term care facilities);
- In state and local correctional facilities and detention centers; and
- In homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers.
Additionally, masks are required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses (such as retail stores, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public).
Cal/OSHA sets standards for workplaces and, at this time, there are no changes in workplace restrictions, which require masks indoors and social distancing indoors, and which require masks in outdoor workplaces unless six feet of distance is maintained.
In settings where masks are required only for unvaccinated individuals, businesses, venue operators or hosts may choose to:
- Provide information to all patrons regarding vaccination requirements and allow vaccinated individuals to self-attest to their vaccination status before they enter;
- Implement vaccine verification to determine whether individuals are required to wear a mask; or
- Require all patrons to wear masks.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a helpful information sheet regarding mask requirements: WhenToWearAMask.pdf
Health officials urge all people to get vaccinated. Residents ages 12 and older with internet access are urged to use www.VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up for a vaccination appointment. For people without access to a computer or the Internet, or people with disabilities, an LA County call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at (833) 540-0473.
Additional information, such as links to West Hollywood-area drug store chains offering vaccinations, is available on the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/coronavirus in the Vaccines and Testing Information section.
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after they have received the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks or more after they have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall is currently shut to in-person transactions, but City Hall remains accessible for services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.
City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications for up-to-date information.
To view essential-business City meetings, tune in to WeHoTV at:
Meetings can also be accessed via:
- www.youtube.com/wehotv
- Spectrum Channel 10 (in West Hollywood)
- SmartTV Apps: AndroidTV; AppleTV; FireTV; and Roku
For notifications by email, subscribe to the City’s E-Notifications at www.weho.org/email. Visit the City’s event and meetings calendar at www.weho.org/calendar and news archive at www.weho.org/news.
To receive urgent updates to your phone by text and to your email, text your ZIP code to 888-777.
For updates and information about the current numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States, in the State of California, and in Los Angeles County, visit:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- California Department of Public Health (CDPH) www.cdph.ca.gov and covid19.ca.gov
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus
For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please contact the LA County Department of Public Health Chief Communications Officer, Carl A. Kemp, at (213) 240-8144 or media@ph.lacounty.gov. LA County Reopening Protocols, a COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, the Roadmap to Recovery, and additional details are available on its website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.
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