Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) is threatening to permanently shut off water and power for those who are in violation of coronavirus safety requirements.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Garcetti granted authorization for the city to shut off utilities at “houses, businesses, and other venues” that violate coronavirus safety measures.
“I am authorizing the city to shut off Los Angeles Department of Water and Power services in the egregious cases of which houses, businesses, and other venues are hosting unpermitted large gatherings,” Garcetti said.
According to Garcetti, the decision comes as law enforcement officials are facing challenges dealing with large social gatherings.
Despite the closure of all nightclubs and bars, house parties have continued at other types of venues and Garcetti claims many of the violators are not first-time offenders.
“By turning off that power, shutting off that water we feel we can close these places down, which usually are not one-time offenders but multiple-offenders,” Garcetti said.
Garcetti’s decision comes amid the state of California’s ongoing fight against the coronavirus. Unlike most states that have seen significant increases and decreases in coronavirus cases, California has seen a slight decrease in cases after spiking in July.
As of Thursday, the state has more than 530,000 coronavirus cases with an average of 6,677 cases per day over the last week.
But despite the state’s recent increase in cases, house parties have become the norm in affluent areas of the city including Beverly Hills and Calabasas. In fact, city officials are now pleading with residents to refrain from holding large social gatherings at their homes.
Over the weekend, Beverly Hills residents called the Los Angeles Police Department over a large, unmasked social gathering that was held at a luxury Airbnb rental.
However, officers were unable to issue a citation due to the party being held on private property. LAPD officers were not able to ascend on the property until shots were fired around midnight.
The party is an example of the types of events state and local officials are concerned about as they have the potential to become a “super-spreader” for the coronavirus.
Garcetti’s new order is set to go into effect on Friday.
