Outdoor Dining, Hair Salons Reopen in Ventura County, But Not Yet in L.A.

California lifted its limited stay-at-home order on Monday, allowing the reopening of outdoor dining and indoor haircuts in most of the state – including Ventura County, but not L.A. County.The state’s limited health order went into effect in late November as coronavirus cases surged. The state’s website cited improved availability of ICU beds as the rationale for ending the order.With the order lifted, restaurants can operate outdoor dining operations if they follow health protocols such as distancing and mask-wearing. It also allows personal care companies, such as barbershops, hair salons and nail salons, to reopen. Indoor shopping malls can operate at reduced capacity. And it repeals the 10 p.m. curfew.While the relaxation applies in Ventura County, L.A. County enacted its own lockdown regulations in November with a 3-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors. So it’s up to county officials to change their rules.Supervisors Katherine Barger and Janice Hahn – who together represent the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley – issued statements in support of reopening. Also, Supervisor Hilda Solis announced she will vote so “Los Angeles County will essentially align with the state” by the end of this week.“I support following the governor’s recommended guidelines for Southern California, and reopening outdoor dining, personal care services and other industries that were previously closed,” Barger said in a statement. “A data-driven and pragmatic policy approach is essential to protecting public health, while balancing the devastating social, emotional and economic impacts of this virus.”“We should align ourselves with the state as much as possible which means, among other things, reopening outdoor dining with commonsense health protocols in place as soon as possible,” Hahn said in her statement. “The restaurant industry was devastated by this lengthy shutdown and I know this would be welcome news to them.”Hahn and Barger both voted against implementing the stricter rules in November.