Los Angeles County Car Dealerships and Some Retailers Can Reopen Friday

Retailers that sell clothes, toys, books, music and sporting goods will be allowed to open only for curbside pickup

COVID order Downtown Los Angeles
Mario Tama / Getty Images

Los Angeles County’s florists and car dealerships and some retailers can reopen on Friday with limitations, officials announced on Wednesday, as the county begins to enter the next phase of reopening its economy.

Retailers that sell clothes, toys, books, music and sporting goods will be allowed to open only for curbside pickup, which is in line with state guidelines announced on Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The county’s beaches will still remain closed.

The county later clarified on Wednesday that area golf courses and trails wouldn’t be opening until Saturday, May 9, after announcing they would be part of the Friday reopening. Face coverings will be mandatory at the trails and golf courses.

“This list is less about what products are sold and more about the ability to maintain social distancing,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, noting that in-store shopping would not be available. “The Department of Public Health will allow other businesses to open as soon as they can guarantee guidelines are in place to ensure safety of staff and their customers.”

Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Garcetti had cautioned that the city of Los Angeles would not be ready for those retailers to open by Friday. On Wednesday, he encouraged businesses to only open when they felt they could do so safely.

“This is guidance for businesses,” Garcetti said. “But it is not an obligation of any business to open. Do what you need to do to make sure that you are safe … and that your people are protected, as well as your customers.”

The mayor also announced that face coverings will be mandatory for all travelers at LAX, beginning on Monday, and for commuters using the city’s public transportation services (DASH, Commuter Express and Cityride buses).

On Wednesday, the county reported 55 new deaths and 851 new COVID-19 cases, making for a total of 1,367 deaths and 28,644 confirmed cases.

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