KTLA

Some L.A.-area restaurants close amid COVID-19 surge

With Los Angeles seeing another COVID-19 surge, some area restaurants have been shutting their doors to keep customers and workers safe — some voluntarily closing to be cautious and others after reporting new coronavirus infections.

Bottega Louie in West Hollywood is one of the restaurants shuttering in response to the latest surge. Meanwhile, The Village Idiot in Fairfax temporarily closed because a fully vaccinated staff member tested positive for the virus, according to their Instagram page.

L.A. County has not placed new capacity limits on restaurants, so far only responding to the spike in infections by mandating face masks in all indoor public spaces, including bars and restaurants.

Of the 27 current outbreaks of three or more cases reported at non-residential settings countywide, eight are at eateries or bars, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

Gene Kang and Steve Kuzj report for the KTLA 5 Morning News on July 22, 2021.