Holidays Come With More Lockdowns

According to recent intensive care unit data, Southern California ICU bed availability is less than 15%, thereby triggering the additional Regional Stay-at-Home Order. Among those sectors shut down are bars, breweries, distilleries, and wineries (except for production, manufacturing and retail), hair salons and barbershops, and personal care services. The LA County ban on outdoor in-person dining in Los Angeles County restaurants was overturned on Tuesday when an LA judge issued an injunction overturning the county ban. The matter was brought to court by the California Restaurant Association (CRA). Unfortunately within the state Order is a restriction on outdoor in-person dining. We’ll see if the CRA will pursue the ban at the state level.
The shutdowns are in line with the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a plan to reduce COVID-19 and “keep Californians healthy and safe.”

No one can argue that the COVID-19 numbers are daunting. According to the California Dept. of Public Health, as of Tuesday there were 1,389,707 reported COVID-19 cases in the state with 20,047 fatalities – a little under 1.5%. While sad, needless and avoidable, 1.5% of victims who perish means that over 98% of people who get COVID-19 survive – a point that (in my opinion) isn’t highlighted often enough.
It’s interesting how differently the shutdown is being received this time around. If you remember, in March through April, it was not uncommon to see folks wearing masks and even gloves when visiting the supermarket – about the only place they would go. But combined with bad choices by our elected officials that ended up undermining the intent of the newly issued Order, plus COVID fatigue, people are just not rallying around directed safer practices.

For example, despite the accelerated numbers, people are griping about wearing the dreaded mask. I understand one patron of the Harvest Market refused to wear a mask because that’s “not how God made him.” Well, brother, God made you naked and yet you (thankfully) have clothes on.

I hate the mask, too, but if wearing it curbs the spread of COVID-19 that has to be the ultimate goal. The problem, as I see it, is who do you believe? President Trump rarely wears a mask in public, undermining the importance of face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Health officials, though, are adamant that the wearing of masks protects everyone, both the wearer and those s/he comes in contact with. (To learn more, read Mary O’Keefe’s cover story in this week’s issue.)

Hope comes in the vaccine, which was administered to some Englishmen this week. With some exceptions, there was little negative response to the vaccine, building confidence that perhaps, finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
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If you want to maintain social distance, yet enjoy the holidays, the Glendale Area Schools Credit Union and CV Weekly, with several other sponsors, is hosting the Merry & Bright Self-Guided Holiday Light and Display Drive-By Tour. In next week’s paper we will print the addresses of those who want to share the holiday spirit with their neighbors. There’s still time to have your address included; email MerryBright@cvweekly.com with your address and we’ll include it in the tour list beginning next week.