Morning Briefing: Hitting The Bar?

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Saying that bars and restaurants are struggling right now would be the understatment of the year. It makes sense, economically, to reopen them.

But the county didn't give owners and managers enough time or resources to do it right.

And now we're seeing the consequences. Half-a-million Angelenos went out for a drink last weekend. And the chances are pretty high that they went to an establishment that wasn't in compliance with public health guidelines.

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Kylie Brakeman, who works as a waiter at an L.A. restaurant, had some advice for how to be safe: don't eat out.

She added: "Seriously, you don't know how many people touch your forks before they touch your mouth."

Bon appetit!

– Gina Pollack

The Past 24 Hours In LA

Coronavirus cases are on the rise in L.A. County. Hospitalizations and positivity rates are also up. Officials urged Angelenos to "take immediate action to reverse the trends we are seeing" by following the rules.

But lots of people are still going out to bars and restaurants. Last Saturday, the day after bars were allowed to reopen, 500,000 people went for drinks. Most of those bars and restaurants, 83% of them to be exact, were not following coronavirus safety precautions. Reminder: wait staff should be provided with masks, tables should be six-feet apart, and the restaurant should not be at more than 50% capacity. Here are the full guidelines.

Children being held in ICE custody (yes, that's still happening) must be released by July 17. Federal Judge Dolly Gee of California issued the scathing order Friday afternoon, saying the Trump administration had failed to provide even the most basic health protections for children and their families amid the pandemic.

It's been 33 days since a police officer kneeled on George Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. L.A. protests continued on Saturday across SoCal, but some organizers were dissapointed that turnout has been dwindling. One protester said the movement is not a "fad" or "trend," and called on white allies to bring more people back onto the streets.

Nurses are striking at Riverside Community Hospital — some of them say there're not able to take breaks because of staffing shortages; 60 workers there have already been infected with COVID-19. L.A. County has tasked Inspector General Max Hunstman with overseeing nursing homes ... and holding them accountable for multiple deaths.

Photo Of The Day:

We never thought summer at Dodger Stadium would look like this.

An aerial view of cars lined up to be tested for COVID-19 in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium. New coronavirus cases continue to rise, with L.A. County seeing a surge. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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