A.M. Brief: Dodger’s Opening Day Could See Fans in Stands

Fans back at Dodger Stadium by April? Universal Studios to reopen for food and shopping? As the positivity and infection rates keep going down, L.A. County inches toward a broader reopening.

Morning News Rundown

Could fans be back at Dodger Stadium in time for opening day? Gov. Gavin Newsom teased the idea yesterday during a news briefing in Long Beach. Newsom noted the state’s improved COVID-19 numbers and said that his administration has been working with Major League Baseball on guidelines to return fans to the league’s outdoor stadiums. [L.A. Times]

Los Angeles is on the cusp of moving to a less restrictive tier of reopening. Over the past week, L.A. County’s adjusted COVID-19 case rate has dropped to 7.2 new cases per 100,000 people. Assuming the current 7-day positivity rate of 3.5% holds and if the case rate stays below 7 cases per 100,000 for two weeks, the county will move to the red tier of reopening. [Public Health]

Residents of a Granada Hills neighborhood say a man has turned his mother’s single-family property into a de-facto garbage dump, with dense stacks of trash and junk piled high on the front lawn and backyard. Records show at least 11 formal complaints have been filed in the past three years. The Los Angeles City Department of Building and Safety said in a statement that the case is now with the City Attorney and has a pending court date. [CBS Los Angeles]

Officials from the Newsom administration say that California will begin allocating 40% of all vaccine doses for the state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Prioritization will go to 400 select ZIP codes -— many of which are in L.A. County — based on poverty metrics including income level and housing status. [AP]

Disney California Adventure has already booked a reopening date, and now, so has Universal Studios Hollywood. Starting March 12, Universal Studios will open for food and drink events that will feature limited capacity and no rides, in compliance with the state’s current reopening guidelines. Hundreds of furloughed employees are expected to be rehired to staff the reopening events. [L.A. Times]

A Bay Area assemblyman has introduced a new bill that would prevent California employers from discriminating against current or prospective employees based on evidence of past cannabis use. Proponents say the state’s current drug testing laws are antiquated and unfair. [LA Mag]