El Monte Examiner - 1/28/2021

Page 1

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Urgent Action Required to Alleviate Housing Crisis Mired by Pandemic

California Transitioning to Age-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility

P3

P7

Go to ElMonteExaminer.com for El Monte Specific News Local. Relevant. Trusted.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Since 1996

VOL. 10, NO. 4

LOCAL LEADERS AND RESTAURATEURS REACT TO LIFT ON OUTDOOR DINING BAN A roller coaster of coronavirus regulations has crippled the industry

Terry MILLER tmiller@beaconmedianews.com

G

overnor Gavin Newsom lifted the regional stayat-home order Monday morning and subsequently Los Angeles County officials said the county will follow the state’s COVID-19 restrictions by the end of the week. Outdoor dining can resume with occupancy limits starting Friday, when the county issues a new health officer order that will also rescind hours of operation restrictions for non-essential businesses that was in place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said at a Monday press conference following

Newsom’s announcement. Exactly what the new restaurant guidelines are remains to be seen, but restaurants are generally optimistic. L.A. County health officials suspended outdoor dining just before Thanksgiving, “prompting immediate outcry from pandemic-battered restaurateurs and pushback from residents and some politicians. Legal action since then has aimed to overturn the order,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Some restaurants across the state defied the order, harking back to prohibition era speakeasies. The anger and frustration on behalf of the restaurant owners and managers from some residents is palatable. As this newspa-

per pointed out in early December, “It is the worst of times, it was the epoch of incredulity, to paraphrase the Charles Dickens classic novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities.’” With the restaurant industry already hurting— plus a ban on outdoor dining —it would not be an understatement to say this, in fact, was the winter of despair. Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik pointed out in early December that according to public health data, “between 10–15 percent of positive cases were reported from dining out with someone who tested positive, while more than 50 percent were reported from being at a private social gathering with someone who tested positive.” According to

Patrons dining outdoors before it was banned in November. | Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Feik, city officials at the time were concerned that closing restaurants would “adversely incentivize residents to dine together,

indoors, and without any safety precautions in place,” a sentiment that has been echoed by Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

Read More on our website under News

‘Atmospheric River’ Expected to Bring Heavy Rains Through Friday Heaviest rains expected Thursday and Friday

Terry MILLER tmiller@beaconmedianews.com

C

alifornia is bracing for what meteorologists are calling an ‘atmospheric river,’ in the coming few days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes atmospheric rivers as “relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere — like rivers in the sky

— that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. These columns of vapor move with the weather, carrying an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River.” In a tweet the National Weather Service Los Angeles said Monday: “All eyes are now on our major long-duration winter storm slated to affect SoCal

through Friday night. We are expecting the Central Coast to be hammered with several inches of rain, and a bit less farther south. Keep an eye on our forecast for the latest details.” A 40% chance of rain, mainly after 10 a.m. is slated for Thursday and mostly cloudy, with a high near 60 degrees Fahrenheit. South southeast wind is projected at 5 to 10 miles per hour. A winter storm warning is in place

until Friday afternoon as the system might bring 2–4 inches of rain in some areas. Bitter and somewhat ironic news for California restaurants who are allowed to resume outdoor dining Friday after Governor Gavin Newsom lifted the regional stay-athome order this week. The owner of Copper Still Grill, Steve Kwan, was pleased about the new order allowing outside

dining again but has decided to ride out the storm over the weekend and perhaps set up his outdoor dining areas next week to be on the safe side. Copper Still Grill’s patio tents were destroyed in the last big windstorm a few weeks ago. Read More on our website

Heavy rains could bring with it

under News

flash flood warnings. | Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.