Reopening Los Angeles: Flower shops among businesses allowed to reopen among loosened coronavirus restrictions
Just in time for Mother's Day, flower shops are among the businesses in Los Angeles County that have started to reopen.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Just in time for Mother's Day, flower shops are among the businesses in Los Angeles County that have started to reopen.
Operations were in full swing at the Flower District in downtown Los Angeles as eager shoppers, who were donning face coverings, flocked to local vendors for beautiful bouquets.
"My best friend called me and she said, let's go!" customer Alba Cortez said.
Cortez, who was shopping for her mom at the Calfornia Flower Mall, is a mother herself.
"For me, it gives me hope that things will get better," she said.
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Wholesale vendors had been shutdown for weeks until L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti gave the go-ahead to reopen. Because they're wholesale, not retail, the public can walk in and shop while adhering to standard precautions.
"I don't see anyone touching or getting too close to other people, so yes, I think it's pretty safe," said shopper Joann Threet David.
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Ruben Valencia is a councilman in Ontario. He drove to downtown to purchase several dozen roses to raffle off to his constituents.
"It's amazing. I've never experienced anything like this," he said. "I like to give back as well, so it's the right thing to do right now during these times."
While there's a lot of excitement out here, there's also some sadness.
One vendor with a closed-off section of the mall is one of the casualties. She focused on events, weddings and parties. They've all been canceled, and her business was forced to shut down.
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There's no question it all looks a little different this year, but businesses and their customers are glad to be back, well aware that this may be the "new normal."
"It's going to change a lot of things. But I think it's also going to make people more aware of what we should have been practicing a long time ago - just washing our hands and keeping our distance - and just being more cautious about other people's well-being," Cortez said.
