Image via Instagram @beverlycenter
As a Los Angeles resident and avid mall goer, I can’t wait for malls to reopen (safely of course) amid the coronavirus chaos. Malls are not only a place to shop but also relax, dine, and socialize. Despite the fact many parts of the country have already opened up their malls, Los Angeles malls continue to stay closed. With no acknowledgement from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti of when malls will reopen, one can’t help to wonder when Los Angeles malls are going to reopen.
California and more specifically Los Angeles County has had one of the more aggressive coronavirus (COVID-19) lock downs. Los Angeles County was one of the first locations to implement lock downs in the country. Los Angeles also seems to be implementing one of the more slower openings in the country as well. With such strict restrictions and precautions, one can’t help to think malls are still a long ways from reopening.
Nonetheless, Eric Garcetti has just announced the first stage of the reopening of Los Angeles beaches. Los Angeles County beaches will reopen Wednesday (5/13/2020) for active use only. Surrounding beach areas like parking lots, piers, and boardwalks will still remain closed.
If beaches are beginning to reopen, that means malls are next right?
Well…not exactly.
The difference between beaches and malls is the overall size and open space differential. While one can safely social distance at a beach due to the wide-open space environment, this is not so in a mall where its walls confine people together in an enclosed building. Enclosed buildings make the transfer of the coronavirus much easier which is why places like churches, sporting arenas, and malls are still firmly closed.
So when will malls in Los Angeles reopen?
While there is no definite date, expect public shopping malls to be one of the very last things to reopen. Mayor Garcetti has previously stated that he will not be pressured nor rushed into the reopening of Los Angeles until the data and science dictate it is safe to do so. So, what is the science currently saying?
At the time of writing (5/11/20), coronavirus (COVID-19) cases counts in Los Angeles are the following according to the Los Angeles Times:
latimes.com
The LA Times is also reporting that over the past week, Los Angeles has averaged 861 new cases and 44.3 new deaths per day. While the curve is flattening in some areas of Los Angeles, other areas are experiencing spikes according to reports.
With such an active flow of new coronavirus cases, one can’t help to think malls are still a long ways away from reopening. But for individuals looking to see light at the end of the tunnel, the following quote from California Governor Gavin Newsom may provide some hope:
“Phase 3 is not a year away. It’s not 6 months away. It’s not even three months away. It may not even be more than a month away…we just want to make sure we have a protocol in place to secure customer safety, employee safety and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable.”
Phase 3 of reopening in California includes reopening of higher risk locations that involve close proximity between people. This includes locations like hair salons, barbershops, gyms, movie theaters and…malls. That means the reopening of malls may only be a few weeks away.
Want more good news? The first mall to reopen in California took place last week. That’s right, malls in the state of California are already reopening amid all the coronavirus chaos. The first mall reopening took place in Northern California in Sutter County. Yuba Sutter Mall was the first California mall to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With all that being said and all the evidence available to us at hand…our prediction is that Angelinos should expect the reopening of malls around mid-to-late June in Los Angeles County.
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