LOS ANGELES – Saying current restrictions unfairly hurt small businesses, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn asked Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday to allow all retailers in the state open their doors to customers with limited capacity, mandatory face coverings and social distancing.
In a letter to Newsom, Hahn said current requirements that “non-essential” retailers offer curbside pickup service only during the coronavirus pandemic are unfair to small businesses, while allowing big-box stores such as Target, Costco and Walmart to welcome customers inside.
“Many of these small businesses are not set up for online orders and curbside pickup has not been a good fit for them,” Hahn wrote in her letter. “They want to reopen for in-store shopping in a way that protects the health of their employees and customers…”
Officials from the governor’s office could not be reached for immediate comment.
Hahn asked Newsom to amend the state’s current health restriction to allow all retailers to offer in-store shopping, while limiting the number of people inside, mandating face coverings for customers and employees and requiring physical distancing.
“If these measures are working to keep essential retail businesses open and safe like Target, Home Depot and Costco, they can certainly be applied to all retailers,” she wrote.
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