LA Official Bans Residents from Outdoor Dining, Eats Out Afterwards
Tuesday, a California County supervisor came under fire after she decided to eat out, hours before she voted to ban residents from enjoying outdoor dining.
According to a report from Fox 11, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl voted against outdoor dining, citing it as one of the “most dangerous” situations. Unfortunately, just a few hours after she had cast her vote, Kuehl was reportedly seen eating at Santa Monica restaurant Il Forno Trattoria.
When confronted, the County Supervisor did not deny the reports. She explained that she dined out on the last day that it was legally allowed to do so, especially since the dining ban took effect on Wednesday. In a statement, Kuehl’s spokesperson claimed that the County Supervisor “loved” eating at the II Forno and had taken the necessary precautions to stay safe. She also expressed her sadness that similar restaurants had suffered a decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The spokesperson also vowed that Kuehl would not dine out unless the Public Health Order lifts its restrictions.
The restaurant’s management also declined to comment on the issue, stating that they did not want to get involved.
During a meeting with the LA County Board of Supervisors, Kuehl branded the coronavirus pandemic as a serious “health emergency.” She also argued that there was no way to ensure that the restaurant servers are protected from the coronavirus, and possibly, from spreading the virus at the next table.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that public officials were caught breaking their own coronavirus policies. Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was also caught violating his COVID-19 guidelines after attending a dinner party dining at an upscale restaurant.
Newsom, along with his wife and other influential figures, including CEO of the California Medical Association, Dustin Corcoran, checked out all the possible violations of coronavirus restrictions, including attending a large gathering and wearing a mask and eating out in enclosed spaces. The California Governor had since admitted his own mistake and vowed: “to preach and practice, not just preach.”
EXCLUSIVE: We've obtained photos of Governor Gavin Newsom at the Napa dinner party he's in hot water over. The photos call into question just how outdoors the dinner was. A witness who took photos tells us his group was so loud, the sliding doors had to be closed. 10pm on @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/gtOVEwa864
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) November 18, 2020
In addition, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also urged local residents to avoid traveling this holiday season to visit family and friends. In a social media post, Hancock advised residents to travel and instead, opt for virtual gatherings.
Pass the potatoes, not COVID.
— Michael B. Hancock 😷 (@MayorHancock) November 25, 2020
🏘️Stay home as much as you can, especially if you're sick.
💻Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners.
❌Avoid travel, if you can.
🍲Order your holiday meal from a local eatery.
🎁Shop online with a small business for #BlackFriday. pic.twitter.com/acQpWs2Ism
The Mayor posted the tweet just thirty minutes before he boarded a plane to be with his family. A spokesperson tried to downplay the Mayor’s hypocrisy by stating that Hancock refused to hold a large family gathering and had only traveled back to Denver to join his wife and daughter.