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.
Outdoor Dining To End Wednesday As COVID Cases Rise

Last week, L.A. County public health officials warned that more restrictions would come if the number of new coronavirus cases reached a certain threshold. That threshold has been reached, and beginning Wednesday, Nov. 25, outdoor dining at restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries will no longer be allowed.
The decision comes on the heels of a modified safer-at-home order that took effect Friday, and requires that residents stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
According to a statement from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the new restrictions on outdoor dining will remain in place for at least three weeks. Businesses may offer take-out, drive-through and delivery services only during that time.
The action comes after the county reached a five-day average of more than 4,000 cases; the county reported 2,718 new cases on Sunday, making the five-day average 4,097. Sunday’s numbers include nine deaths.
“The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County’s Director of Public Health. “We hope individuals continue to support restaurants, breweries and wineries by ordering for take-out or delivery. We also fervently hope every L.A. County resident supports all our businesses by following the Public Health directives that we know work to slow spread.”
If cases continue to rise and the five-day average reaches 4,500, officials will institute another safe-at-home order, likely similar to the one issued in March at the onset of the pandemic.
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.

-
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.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?