KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The Santa Clarita fireworks show on the Fourth of July has been canceled after Los Angeles County prohibited any firework displays during the holiday weekend.
Santa Claria Mayor Cameron Smyth discussed the change — less than one week before the planned Fourth of July celebration at the Valencia Town Center — live on air during “Eye on The Valley” on KHTS.
“Unfortunately, the L.A. County Department of Public Health yesterday issued an order that canceled all firework shows. It was kind of an arbitrary decision, without talking to us,” Smyth said.
The County has decided that any firework show would be a violation of the health order, according to the mayor.
“We had reached out after that order came down yesterday just to clarify that the City had already taken mitigation measures to ensure that there will not be large gatherings associated with the fireworks show,” Smyth said.
The town center was going to be blocked for pedestrian and vehicle traffic and the City was going to live stream the show, among other mitigation efforts, according to Smyth.
“We wanted people to watch from their homes or large spaces where they can practice social distancing,” he said.
Even after explaining all of the measures in place to ensure distancing protocols were followed, the County still moved forward with the planned prohibition.
“That appeal, if you will, was denied and we’re going to have to cancel the fireworks show for the year,” said Smyth.
Along with the cancelation of firework displays, Los Angeles County also closed all beaches.
See Related: Fireworks Prohibited, Beaches Closed In L.A. County During 4th Of July Weekend
From 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 6, all fireworks displays within Los Angeles County will be prohibited, and all beaches will be closed to “prevent dangerous crowding that results in the spread of deadly COVID-19,” according to he Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH).
“Closing the beaches and prohibiting fireworks displays during this important summer holiday weekend was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but it’s the responsible decision to protect public health and protect our residents from a deadly virus,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the LADPH. “The Fourth of July holiday weekend typically means large crowds and gatherings to celebrate, a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19.”
The announcement comes after officials announced Monday that more than 2,900 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified, the single largest one-day case count since the pandemic began.
“Data shows increases in people testing positive for the virus and increases in hospitalizations as a result,” a statement from the department reads. “Projections by the Department of Health Services show a marked increase in hospitalizations in the coming weeks, which could cause a surge in our healthcare system.
Monday’s updated health order does not yet apply to the city of Long Beach, which has its own health department.
As for Santa Clarita, the annual fireworks display scheduled to take place on the 4th of July is prohibited under the new order, as the City of Santa Clarita does not have its own health department, and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“We all need to take this virus more seriously and residents and business owners must do their part,” Ferrer said. “Physical distancing isn’t optional, wearing a face covering isn’t optional, spending time only with those you live with isn’t optional — these are requirements in the Health Officer Order and are the tools we have to protect each other, our families and those most vulnerable in our communities.”
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Yes, perfect. Cancel fireworks and displays of patriotism or religion…well Christianity mainly. Yet we can congregate in large groups to further the destruction of American values and security. Way to go California, the liberal Marxist agenda is firmly pressing forward.
Nobody should be congregating anywhere, period. This includes groups associated with BLM protests along with those “nobody tells me what to do” protestors along with the the “we love the cops” folks. Why do some idiots politicize everything. What the heck is wrong with you people? Just some basic common sense and it doesn’t have anything to do with singling out your religion…I really doubt your religious leaders are harping on these restrictions and if they are go find another pastor or congregation to follow because they don’t have your best interest in mind.
CA Sucks, I think you might have a different opinion after reading Dr. Barbara Ferrer public health directives yesterday; however you will have to look hard to find it.
Last updated June 29, 2020 at 4:44 PM
COVID19.CA.GOV.
Stay home Q&A
The Governor has ordered Californians to obey these directives of the State Public Health Officer, and they have the same force and effect as other State Public Health Officer directives.
Questions and answers:
Under Protected activities,
Question one, and answer,
CAN I ENGAGE IN POLITICAL PROTEST GATHERINGS
Yes, although in-person protests present special public health concerns.
If you do wish to engage in in-person protest outside you must follow the guidelines for political protest gatherings below.
In particular, activities like chanting, shouting, singing, and group recitation negate the risk-reduction achieved through 6 feet of physical distancing. For this reason, people engaging in these activities should wear face coverings at all times.
However, state public health directives do not prohibit in-person outdoor protests as long as you maintain a physical distance of 6 feet between persons or groups of persons from different households at all times. When you can’t maintain a safe physical distance of 6 feet from people not in your household, you must wear a face covering or mask. Local Health Officers are advised to consider appropriate limitations on outdoor attendance capacities, factoring their jurisdiction’s key COVID-19 health indicators. Failure to maintain adequate physical distancing may result in an order to disperse or other enforcement action. Masks and face coverings are strongly recommended.
This limitation on attendance will be reviewed regularly. This review will assess the impacts of these imposed limits on public health and provide further direction as part of a phased-in restoration of gatherings that implicate the First Amendment.
As I said in another post, no big loss! Personally, I don’t want to be stuck in that mall area trying to get out of there after anyway, and their generic fireworks are like anywhere else, really! Meh. Go up the hill at Golden Valley and park on the side of Target, pull up some chairs, maybe an ice chest, and watch the fireworks from all over the valley there in back of the store! Lots of parking, easy in and out! It’s a better show anyway! Best little secret! ?
Enjoy! Happy 4th!
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Time to protest for fireworks. Time City quit allowing unelected bureaucrats to continue their control over our lives. City, we elected you to provide services, not kneel to ridiculous rules. You have taken beyond reasonable steps to have our 4th celebrated safely. Schedule the damn fireworks. There is no real problem with covid-19. The growth of cases is among the 30 age bracket. Most have symptom’s like a cold, few are being hospitalized and fewer are having serious stays in ICU. Deaths have flatlined as first predicted but not meeting the power hungry democrats approval is being ignored in the press.
At 79 I will not condone further use of this manmade “emergency” limiting my life. Not intending to kiss the first pretty girl I see, it would cause trouble at home, but I sure as hell intend to get out and about.
See you all out as we watch the fireworks.
Name *
You sound like a senile old man who just doesn’t get it! Plus, your statements are completely false, for your information! No real problem?? Man made emergency?! Everything you said is completely ignorant of what is actually going on! You need to pay more attention to the news and not try to conveniently bend it to your personal liking, ‘cause you’re seriously mis-informed! But, ignorant at your age as you are, you’ll get it and then die, but that’s YOUR problem! Soon as you opened your mouth, you stuck your foot right in it! You should be smarter than that. Sad….
p s hiett
The point you missed is the double standards that are accidentally on purpose being overlooked in one type of Protest gathering vs. another.
While allowing protests is a constitutional Right, lately the public officials that have had the actual authority to allow officers to go on and enforce & disperse crowds when things get unhealthy, unsafe and out of hand are looking the other way with the violent protesters.
Nowadays the law enforcement agencies’ hands are tied at “certain times” when trying to disperse unsafe crowds so that they are not being allowed to enforce all the laws…. all of the time.
By leaving it up to the discretion of the Local public health officials, it allows for some convenient favoritism when choosing to disperse or deem a gathering unsafe now.
We are seeing local officials tip toe around who they deem are the more ‘politically sensitive’ groups”. People who care about our nation are watching and looking on in horror, at the protests that have been allowed to continue although obviously Unhealthy and unsafe. So it is up to their interpretation really?
A lot of political hypocrisy in California lately more so than ever . So I also agree In that, especially as of lately…that California sucks for many of the lawful citizens now.
“Local Health Officers are advised to consider appropriate limitations on outdoor attendance capacities, factoring their jurisdiction’s key COVID-19 health indicators. Failure to maintain adequate physical distancing may result in an order to disperse or other enforcement action.”
Genie
My point was to show CA Sucks the hypocrisy of the Governors directives, I felt most folks were unaware as I was that they cut out a special exception in the Governor directives to protest, but no gathering at the fourth celebrations as well as going to the beach, I heard on the radio yesterday an interview from a reporter who attended the press conference of Dr. Barbara Ferrer, he explained in his report, “no questions were allowed from the press”, but went on to say they (press) found it (protesting allowed) deep in the directives and the fact that it was not being covered during the press conference troubling.
I guess CA Sucks didn’t get my point as well as yourself, my bad, based on other comments here, it appears that my post came off as neutral, and that was clearly not my intent.
My bad
From What turnip truck did some of you fall?! What I’ve seen through this pandemic is GREED! Much of our nation has become Greedy. Do any of you watch the numbers? Daily they increase dramatically since we’ve opened. Too many people can’t be trusted to wear a mask or social distance. The virus can be passed to others many days before you have symptoms! How many people did you infect who cares for an elderly grandparent at home, a special needs child, etc. wake up! It’s NOT About YOU! It’s about all of us!
You got THAT right! Why is it that so many folks don’t understand that?!
If the City Council would just make a declaration that they are collectively acting as Democrats for July 4th only they would be able to do anything they want in defiance of all applicable laws and non-elected agency orders. Then we could have the fireworks show.
Following the stay at home order will result in more people buying their own fireworks which will increase the chances of burn injuries and structure fires, and wild fires. Yes, I know they are illegal but do you really think that will discourage everyone?
At least the non-participating victims will know that the County STOPPED the virus, right?
Pretty crazy how protests, BLM gatherings, etc are allowed but not a fireworks show celebrating our freedom. I’m sick of this BS. Newsom is the absolute worst!
Get over the fireworks show. They’ve over-rated. Not important, compared to keeping exposure to each other down. Caring about others is an American Value that we should put into practice. July 4 is the perfect day to make that commitment.
Ironic comment, especially that ‘caring about others is an American value’ seems oddly absent from most of the posters here! Nothing but Trolls who want to attack everyone else, call them names, and equate their points of view by conveniently branding them with whatever ridiculous political drivel they want to come up with! You know who you are! Sad….. Guess consideration of others, treating people the way you want to be treated, and accepting other people’s ideas and agreeing to disagree has gone out the window these days! Just sad to see that happen.
I agree, Arn. It is sad to learn that so many people have such anger and really aren’t nice,