Return of outdoor dining in Pasadena leaves customers rejoicing

Outdoor dining is back in Pasadena days before the rest of Los Angeles County's reopening date as the city follows its own health department's guidelines.

PASADENA, Calif. - "isn’t this great?" said one person sitting at a table outside a popular Italian restaurant in Pasadena.

Sipping a glass of wine, the person sharing the table added, "Isn’t Pasadena great?"

It is, to those who live here or can drive over to enjoy outside eating at local eateries. The return of outdoor dining comes as Governor Gavin Newsom lifted the stay-at-home order for the state.

Pasadena -- like the rest of Los Angeles County -- is now in the purple tier, which allows outdoor dining. As Pasadena follows its own health department's guidelines, restaurants in the area are allowed to reopen their outdoor dining spaces a couple of days before restaurants in Los Angeles County can.

"It’s unfair," says one resident in Montrose, where restaurants remain closed, except for pickup or delivery.

The resident says Los Angeles County has mismanaged the pandemic and concentrated on closures, rather than hospital preparedness.

They can "tell us to wear masks, but can’t get enough masks for their medical personnel," adds another Montrose resident.

Los Angeles has remained at the lowest COVID-tier since the beginning of the pandemic. Even with the most strict guidelines, the county has not been able to get out of the hole, which has many residents wondering just how effective those guidelines are, especially without the necessary enforcement.

We keep hearing the phrase, "It’s politics, not science." Most we spoke with say they are not denying the virus or its dangers. They have questions about decisions made by the state and county governments that seem more political than scientifically-driven.

"Well, if we waited this long," says one woman looking at the restaurant closed sign in Los Angeles. "We can wait until Friday or wait... isn’t it supposed to pour rain this Friday?"

You can click here to check the other businesses that are reopening under the purple tier.

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