“If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week to skip shopping altogether”
By Sam Catanzaro
County health officials are urging residents to stay home, including for groceries and medication, as Los Angeles enters a “critical week” in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
At a press conference Monday afternoon, county health officials told residents that they should try to not leave their homes this week, even for groceries and medication. Instead, residents are encouraged to use delivery services to get goods.
“If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week to skip shopping altogether,” said Los Angels County Department of Public Health (Public Health) Director Barbara Ferrer.
According to Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of LA County Health Services, this will be “a critical week in helping to understand what the curve and the trajectory of this pandemic will be.”
To date, Public Health has identified 6,360 cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, including 147 deaths. As of Monday, 1,366 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (21 percent of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.
According to Public Health, as of Monday, there are 74 cases in Santa Monica.
“We cannot underestimate COVID-19, a virus that knows no boundaries, infects people of all ages, and can cause significant illness and death, particularly among people who are elderly or who have underlying serious health conditions. As we expect to see a significant increase in cases over the next few weeks, we are asking that everyone avoid leaving their homes for anything except the most urgent matters. And when you do leave, please make sure to cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering if you will be around others, maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from everyone else, and frequently wash your hands. If you are ill, please self-isolate and if you are a close contact of someone who is positive or presumed to be positive for COVID-19, please self-quarantine for 14 days,” Ferrer said.
