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California City Will Remove Public Seating as Coronavirus Cases Spike

A city near Los Angeles is closing outdoor seating spaces on public property starting Sunday evening amid a spike in COVID-19 cases across the county, New York Post reports.

Manhattan Beach is closing outdoor seating spaces on public property, starting Sunday evening as new COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Los Angeles County.

The city, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles said starting at 10 p.m. on Sunday, tables and chairs in outdoor seating spaces will be removed until further notice.

At the beginning of the current surge on Nov. 1, Manhattan Beach had 425 confirmed cases of COVID-19. As of Saturday, that number nearly doubled to 821 cases.

On Dec. 31, the daily number of new cases reached 21, and on New Year’s Day, it hit 26, an all-time high.

“We must continue to respond to the ever-changing dynamics of this pandemic. We are asking residents to stay home if possible, and mainly go out for work and essentials, or to exercise outdoors,” said Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley.

“This recent spike in the virus is significant despite the good news last month of our Manhattan Beach firefighters receiving some of the first COVID-19 vaccinations,” Hadley said. “Although public seating areas will be closed temporarily, please continue supporting our local businesses that offer pick-up, curbside, take-out and delivery services.”

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About Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith is a newcomer to Washington D.C. She met and married an American journalist and moved to D.C. from the U.K. She graduated with a B.A. in Graphics, Media, and Communications and worked in design and retail in the U.K.

Photo: Wooden brown empty table on white background.