Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Garcetti: LA Could Start Reopening With 'Baby Steps' In 2-6 Weeks
File: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shows a Memorandum with COVID-19 city department guidelines on Thursday, March 12. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)
()
Los Angeles could begin tiptoeing toward normalcy as soon as two weeks from now, Mayor Eric Garcetti said today. Of course, there are plenty of caveats.
It's been more than a month since Garcetti first issued his "Safer at Home" order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. "Nonessential" businesses were closed or shifted to remote work, and residents were required to stay home unless working "essential" jobs or seeking "essential" services.
On April 27, speaking with Larry Mantle on KPCC's public affairs show AirTalk, Garcetti repeated what we have heard from elected leaders and public health officials for weeks now: Reopening safely will require more testing and plenty of safeguards to prevent new outbreaks.
"My sense is probably in the next two to six weeks we'll see some baby steps forward," Garcetti said, adding that "it's not really about a date, or how few cases you have — it's about the infrastructure you have to handle opening up." He continued:
Support for LAist comes from
"So the good news is the bad news here. The good news is... what we've been doing has worked. It has saved thousands of lives. But the bad news is that means according to the USC prevalence study, we have about 96% of us that could still get this, and if we open up the wrong way, we could have, by August 1, 95% of us with COVID-19. And I don't have to tell you the tens of thousands of deaths that would cause."
"So it's really about scaling, testing, safeguarding Angelenos — and still continuing to stay at home, probably for the majority of things that we do, and for the majority of workers.
But seeing those numbers come down, testing those for two to three weeks, seeing if there's a spike. If not, take another step forward. So it has to be kind of a series of sequences.
But certainly the federal, state, county government — and we're trying to assist them — really need to focus on making sure we have the people to track and trace, and the testing to make sure we know what the prevalence is and the infectiousness at any given time."
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW:
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist