With COVID-19 quickly spreading in Los Angeles County, on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to develop a plan for establishing fines and more quickly shutting down businesses that fail to adhere to public Health Orders designed to control the spread of the virus.

Specifically, the motion, proposed by Supervisors Shelia Kuehl and Janice Hahn, provides for the following:

• Orders the Department of Public Health and County Counsel to provide a report on creating a system of enforcement, which would include variable fines based on the extent of noncompliance as well as fines for a first instance of noncompliance with COVID-19 Health Orders and safety protocols (such as physical distancing, facial covering requirements and disinfecting protocols)
• Contemplates the development of a protocol for revoking business permits for subsequent instances of noncompliance

The motion passed unanimously, and the report is due by July 21, 2020.

The Board continues to be very active in COVID-19 mitigation efforts. For instance, Supervisor Kuehl also stated that she would be introducing a motion to create a worker reporting system for employees to report violations of COVID-19 safety measures directly to the Department of Public Health. This is one of many recent measures the County has taken in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and assist with economic recovery. In April the Board of Supervisors passed a Worker Protection Ordinance, which included supplemental paid sick leave, and in June capped food delivery fees during the pandemic.