LA residents told ‘stay in homes NOW’ as mayor bans travel and shuts non-essential businesses due to Covid

LOS Angeles residents have been told to “stay in homes now” as the mayor banned travel and shut non-essential businesses due to Covid.

Mayor Eric Garcetti warned on Wednesday the city was nearing “a devastating tipping point” and ordered residents to stay in their homes and avoid social gatherings in new lockdown measures to rein in a surge in Covid infections.

“It’s time to cancel everything,” Garcetti said during the press briefing.

His order limits nearly all social gatherings of people from more than a single household, mirroring a directive by county health officials last week, but exempts religious services and protests protected by the constitution.

“My message couldn’t be simpler. It’s time to hunker down. It’s time to cancel everything. And if it isn’t essential, don’t do it,” the mayor added.

“Don’t meet up with others outside your household. Don’t host a gathering. Don’t attend a gathering.

“Our city is now close to a devastating tipping point, beyond which the number of hospitalized patients would start to overwhelm our hospital system, in turn risking needless suffering and death,” the mayor said.

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the US and has a population of over 3.9 million. Los Angeles county, which is home to the city, has recorded 414,185 infections and a death toll of 7,740, according to LA Public Health.

The way to avoid a “dreaded scenario” is to refrain from gathering with people from outside your household wherever possible, Garcetti said.

He also directed businesses requiring the presence of workers to close, and set restrictions on travel, but specified certain exceptions to both.

People may “lawfully” leave homes to engage in exempted activities like healthcare operations, supermarkets and restaurants, the directive said.

The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Wednesday that the pandemic was still raging nationwide and that the country faced its grimmest health crisis yet over the next few months, before vaccines become widely available.

More than 270,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 to date.

The University of Washington’s influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has projected the toll could reach nearly 450,000 by March 1 without greater social distancing and mask-wearing.