Los Angeles Mayor Asks Residents to Cancel Non-Essential Travel Ahead of Thanksgiving

Lorenz Duchamps
By Lorenz Duchamps
November 25, 2020US News
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Los Angeles Mayor Asks Residents to Cancel Non-Essential Travel Ahead of Thanksgiving
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a press conference on COVID-19 in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 4, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

The mayor of Los Angeles, California, informed residents on Tuesday that people are advised to cancel all non-essential travel amid an increase in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases.

“We’re asking everyone to cancel non-essential travel. If you must travel, travelers arriving at LAX or Van Nuys Airport from another state or country will be required, starting tomorrow, to fill out an online form to acknowledge California’s recommended 14-day self-quarantine,” Eric Garcetti wrote in a retweet from LAX Airport.

Los Angeles International Airport—commonly referred to as LAX—said in a statement that every visitor over the age of 16 who is traveling from outside of the city has to fill out the online form.

The form has to be submitted online before visitors arrive at LAX, Van Nuys Airport, or Union Station, the statement continued. People that fail to fill out the form can get punished with a fine of up to $500.

According to the “Traveler Form” page on its website, non-essential travel includes “travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature.”

“Work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security” fall within the category of essential travel.

NTD Photo
Travelers walk past a test system of thermal imaging cameras that check body temperatures at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 24, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials said in a statement they advise people to not “plan, host or attend holiday gatherings for multiple households” while celebrating the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

“Given the huge surge in cases nationwide, we strongly recommend that you only celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with people from your household and that you not gather with people from outside your household, even outdoors,” officials said.

The new precautions come as Los Angeles is seeing a recent surge in both CCP virus cases and hospitalizations. Officials also reported the highest number of deaths since early September.

“The increases in cases and hospitalizations must slow to avoid overwhelming our hospitals and healthcare staff, and save lives,” officials said, according to the release.

As of Nov. 24, there were 1,575 people with the CCP virus hospitalized in Los Angeles County and 26 percent are in the intensive care unit. The total of people hospitalized two weeks prior was 888.

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