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500,000 People In LA County Went To Bars The Day After They Reopened
A cocktail is displayed at a bar in Brooklyn (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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On June 20, the day after bars were allowed to reopen in L.A. County, about 500,000 people decided to go out for a drink, according to the Department of Public Health.
Compare that to the days or yore, before the COVID-19 pandemic (remember that?), when about 700,000 people went out to nightlife spots such as bars, breweries, wineries, and lounges every weekend. Once the county-wide Safer at Home policy went into effect, that number dropped to around 200,000 (which still feels like a lot seeing as bars were closed ... but OK). We have reached out to the department for clarification on that number.
Between April 6, when nightlife visits were at their lowest, and June 20, visits to bars increased by 157%.
That means a LOT of the people who went out in the Before Times, are going out again. Those numbers do not include private parties, which the department only finds out about if there is a major outbreak.
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In a statment, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said: "Because this virus has not changed and is still easily transmitted among people in contact with each other, it is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible."
California has paused reopening of any further economic sectors, and doesn't plan to move forward anytime soon.
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