Grim Outlook: Los Angeles mayor forecasts no large gatherings until 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 12: An aerial view shows a sign near Interstate 5 announcing that all Los Angeles city parks are closed, to prevent Easter Day gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic continues to build in the region. (Photo by David McNew/Gett
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday he doesn't foresee large gatherings, such as sporting events and concerts, happening in the city until 2021, as the region continues to reel from the
COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands any time soon, so I think we should all be prepared for that this year,'' Garcetti told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"I think we all have never wanted science to work so quickly, but until there's either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention or herd immunity, the science is the science. Public health officials have been very clear: We've got many miles to walk before we're going to be back in those environments,'' he added.
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But I can hope we can perhaps watch sporting events without audiences on TV ... listen to concerts as we've been doing.''
Mayor Garcetti says there are five "pillars'' the city will be eying when it eventually considers when to lift some of the stay-at-home and business-closure orders in effect.
Those measure are:
-- expanded availability of testing;
-- ``real-time surveillance'' to detect and prevent new outbreaks;
-- ability to immediately respond to new cases;
-- sufficient hospital capacity for additional cases; and
-- ongoing research and development.
Garcetti said the matter was discussed Monday at a meeting of high-ranking city department staff, but no specific timeline on the resumption of large events was agreed upon.
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