Question: Are the new restrictions in Los Angeles too strict?

As Covid-19 cases increase, new restrictions have been put in place in Los Angeles County. On Sunday, November 22, it was announced that outdoor dining would no longer be allowed in Los Angeles County for at least three weeks. On Friday the 27th, the day after Thanksgiving, L.A. County announced a new stay-at-home order which prohibits all private and public gatherings which include people from multiple households, except for religious gatherings and political protests, and also puts additional occupancy limits on businesses.

From the LA Times:

• Officials have warned that even more strict rules — perhaps a more formal stay-at-home order — are likely if L.A. can’t begin to bend the curve on this third wave.
• Two months ago, officials estimated that 1 in 880 L.A. County residents were infected with the coronavirus; now, they believe it’s 1 in 145 and climbing, meaning the activities that people once enjoyed safely now pose more risk.
• Public health officials on Saturday reported 3,143 new cases of the virus and 19 deaths but said that the numbers were low because no community testing was offered on Thanksgiving, and only limited testing was performed the day after. Nonetheless, officials said, the proportion of tests coming back positive doubled over the last two weeks, reaching 7.4%.
• Even though she works outside at a kiosk — just outside Skechers — Anabel Velazquez worries about the health risk. She says people take offense when she reminds them to wear a mask or wear it properly — which is ironic because she sells masks and was herself sporting one with a Playboy logo.

From The Guardian:

• Restaurants across the state have also invested significant resources in setting up outdoor dining, which has added to the frustration with the shutdown. Guerrilla Tacos spent roughly $27,000 to create an outdoor space and has been selling out reservations, making a slim profit.
• Other LA restaurant owners said they were worried this shutdown would force them to permanently close.
• Some conservative parts of the state, including Huntington Beach, south of LA, have protested against Newsom’s restrictions, with some urging him to “open California” at a rally after curfew rules went into effect Saturday night.
• Newsom recently faced scrutiny after photos emerged of him dining out with other families at French Laundry, one of California's most expensive and upscale restaurants.