Amid reports of large parties that flout coronavirus-spurred public safety orders, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, Aug. 5, that he will begin authorizing shutting off water and power services at the properties of repeat offenders.
“The consequences of these large parties ripple far beyond just those parties,” Garcetti said in a series of stern statements delivered during an online video briefing.
Starting Friday evening, the Los Angeles Police Department will begin logging and responding to large gatherings, and if there are “egregious cases,” the process will begin to notify the parties responsible and to shut off Department of Water and Power service within 48 hours, he said.
Garcetti described such parties as “super-spreader” events that can have a disproportionate impact on how many people get infected with the virus. They have the potential to “ripple throughout our entire community, because the virus can quickly and easily spread,” he said.
“While we have already closed all nightclubs and bars, these large house parties have essentially become nightclubs in the hills,” he said. “Many times the homes are vacant or used for short term rentals.”
As of Wednesday, a total of 4,825 in Los Angeles County who tested positive for the virus have died, according to public health figures.
Earlier in the day, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said relying solely on enforcement to quell such gatherings would be “foolhardy.”
“We’re not against laws and enforcement,” Ferrer said, who added that public health officers have closed down many businesses for violating the county’s safety orders. “But when you’re in the middle of a pandemic, you have to make people feel like they are part of this team. This is a situation where we cannot just rely on enforcement.”
Ferrer urged an educational approach, reminding residents of how COVID-19 spreads and urging teamwork in helping to stem the growth of the resurgent virus.
A large party along Mulholland Drive that ended with a fatal shooting drew attention to such gatherings this week.
A party at a bar in Hollywood, called the Sassafras Saloon — that appeared to have been held in honor of law enforcement officials — also drew some scrutiny amid reports of gatherings that defy “Safer-At-Home” at home orders.
Initially reported as being an event for Los Angeles Sheriff’s officials, only a Los Angeles Police Department officer appears to have been identified as one of the attendees, according to a CNN report. Sheriff’s officials have denied that department personnel were responsible for hosting any such event.
Garcetti said that in regards to the reported bar gathering, “there’s an active personnel investigation going on about Los Angeles Police Department, so I can’t speak in greater detail.”
Garcetti added that “regardless of who was there,” if a bar violated indoor spaces, “penalties can come to them.”