Contrary to what you may have heard, Los Angeles County is not closing for another three months.

The original message from the county's public health director Barbara Ferrer—and from the media that covered it—caused an uproar. But the actual directive moves L.A. into stage two of its reopening plan, permitting residents to resume outdoor activities. Beaches are no longer off limits, nor are golf courses, tennis courts, or hiking trails. It allows all retail businesses except those in indoor malls to reopen for delivery or pickup. Manufacturing and logistics sector businesses deemed nonessential are permitted to restart, so long as social distancing guidelines are put in place. The county will continue to lift restrictions as they observe downward trends in the area's COVID-19 outbreak.

That's a start. But it still tells Angelanos not to resume socializing with anyone outside of their immediate household.

Meanwhile, D.C.'s shutdown remains as restrictive as ever, and it's currently scheduled to stay that way through June 8. The sole regard in which Mayor Muriel Bowser is loosening the rules is with a pilot program allowing select retail establishments to restart for curbside and front-door pickup.

Cases in D.C. have decreased 4 percent over the last 14 days, and the curve has plateaued. As of yesterday, 25 percent of ICU beds were empty and the hospital system has yet to experience a ruinous patient influx.