In a recent email to various community stakeholders – including numerous Venice merchants who have been urging the city to dramatically loosen the restriction on large public events – Assistant City Manager Len Bramble noted that while some virus trends had improved since 2020 ended, there still wasn’t enough clear evidence to justify allowing huge open gatherings to resume. In summary,” Bramble wrote, “at the present time we do not believe that the COVID situation that existed (in December) has improved sufficiently to justify a relaxation in permitting special events larger than the limited small manageable ones that we are currently permitting. It is simply too soon.”
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.”