VENICE – Merchants who have relied on sales to people who frequented larger special events – notably Howard Alan-hosted arts festivals – are still hopeful that the city of Venice will greenlight larger gatherings, but Assistant City Manager Len Bramble said the risks of COVID-19 still are too great.
“In our heads and our hearts, we’re not ready yet,” Bramble said Friday afternoon, when asked about the prospect after participating in a small and socially distanced unveiling of an interactive sea turtle sculpture at Venice Beach.
“Really, we spent a good amount of time comparing statistics and other things between Dec. 8, when the city last evaluated this, and we had to say ‘no’ then, to now,” he continued on Friday. “Yesterday was the most recent data.”