Trust the Science? LA County Health Dept. Bans Restaurants from Having TVs On for Customers

Julio Rosas | January 29, 2021 3:30 PM

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced new COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants now that the outdoor dining ban has been lifted that have people once again scratching their heads.

The Public Health Department is banning restaurants from having TVs on for their customers to watch programming while they are eating.

"Televisions or any other screens that are used to broadcast programming must be removed from the area or turned off. This provision is effective until further notice," the order states. It appears the order was created to curtail gatherings at restaurants for the upcoming Super Bowl LV, which will pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on February 7.

The LA County Health Officer Order has been updated to allow outdoor dining at restaurants, breweries and wineries, effective today, January 29, with the following new protocols in place: https://t.co/utgwHgG9Ub pic.twitter.com/uPv7wJMqOB
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) January 29, 2021

But as Fox 11 reporter Bill Melugin notes, the order will backfire as it will only increase indoor private gatherings who want to watch the big game.

NEW: Outdoor dining has reopened in L.A. County as of today, but now the Health Department is banning restaurants from having their TVs turned on for customers. @FOXLA
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) January 29, 2021

It’s obvious the Health Department wants to stop people from watching the Super Bowl outdoors at sports bars/restaurants, so they are now going to force people to watch it indoors with private home gatherings by taking the outdoor option away. Absolutely brilliant ??
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) January 29, 2021

The LA County Public Health Department came under intense scrutiny after they were the first to ban outdoor dining late last year, despite the science showing COVID-19 transmissions in that environment was very low. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) then placed the ban statewide before lifting the order in January after President Joe Biden's inauguration.