COVID Spike is Not Our Fault, Restaurant Owners Plead, as LA County Shuts Down Again

The Independent Hospitality Coalition is extremely disappointed that the County of Los Angeles would take such drastic actions without consultation with members of the hospitality industry.

Once again, despite any scientific proof that community spread of COVID-19 has increased due to socially-distant outdoor dining, the County of Los Angeles has determined to stop all outdoor dining. Instead of focusing on the facts, the Department of Public Health has looked for any easy target to place the blame for the spread of COVID-19.

Many of our members were able to open and operate safely while cases and hospitalizations were dropping. Only after more private events started occurring, such as Halloween parties, did cases start to spike. By banning all outdoor dining during these colder winter months, people will instead host more indoor parties, which will undoubtedly lead to more infections. Furthermore, curfews and outdoor dining restrictions have only exacerbated the problem and pushed more social gatherings indoors.

We ask that the County of Los Angeles meet with real stakeholders in the hospitality industry , including the Independent Hospitality Coalition, to help craft effective guidelines for the remainder of the pandemic.

Thank you for your help, Independent Hospitality Coalition