Full Notification

Los Angeles County Announces Sector/Activity Re-Openings Beginning March 15

Manhattan Beach, CA (March 12, 2021) - Beginning Monday, March 15, specific sectors and activities will be permitted to re-open following Los Angeles County meeting the State’s thresholds for case rate, positivity rate, vaccines administered, and healthy equity metric. The modified sectors and activities (within the red tier) permitted to re-open in Manhattan Beach include: 

• Restaurants - Permitted to re-open indoors at up to 25% capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; one household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible ventilation has been increased. Outdoor dining must only accommodate up to six people per table from 3 different households.
• Museum, Zoos and Aquariums - Permitted to re-open indoors at 25% capacity;
• Gyms, Fitness Centers, Yoga and Dance Studios - Permitted to reopen indoors at 10% capacity with masking requirement for all indoor activities.
• Movie Theatres - Permitted to re-open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
• Retail and Personal Care Services - Permitted to increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
• Indoor Shopping Malls - Permitted to increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
• Schools - Permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives. Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) will announce their respective reopening plans.
• Private gatherings - Permitted to occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing. The County’s Health Officer Orders and sector protocols has been updated to reflect the changes.

“After a difficult year, the City is continuing to see immense progress against the coronavirus. Our progress is proven by plummeting COVID-19 case counts, rising rates of vaccination, and overall much-improved health data” said Mayor Suzanne Hadley. “We look forward to additional re-openings which will boost the economic health of our local businesses, and the mental health of our residents. We hope we will continue this positive momentum by following public health guidance wherever possible.”

To date, the County has reported 1,146 cases of coronavirus and 19 deaths amongst Manhattan Beach residents. On a daily basis, the City has seen new cases reported dramatically decrease from nine per day two months ago to two new cases. Countywide the adjusted case rate is 5.2 new cases per 100,000 people. Additionally, the test positivity rate is 2.5%. 

Additionally, the County of Los Angeles has adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Guidance for fully vaccinated people and visits or small private gatherings. People who are fully vaccinated should continue to take steps to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. However, people who are fully vaccinated can visit indoors with a small number of other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or physically distancing.

In alignment with the State and County’s reopening framework, mandatory masking, distancing and infection control practices remain in place for every business and permitted activity, and certain sectors have additional safety modifications required or recommended. 

The City thanks residents and the business community for their understanding with the ever-changing regulations. As the community has done throughout the coronavirus pandemic, residents are encouraged to shop and dine local.