Flower markets deemed an ‘essential business’ for Mother’s Day in Los Angeles

Does the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday make flower markets an essential business? In Los Angeles, it does, KABC reports.

While florists will open for curbside pickup elsewhere in California on Friday, a decision on retail flower sales in Los Angeles remains pending, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

But Mayor Eric Garcetti has exempted wholesale flower markets from city lockdown orders ahead of Mother’s Day this Sunday, KABC reported. A state stay-home order spares flower markets as agricultural operations.

“We thought that if those (in other parts of the state) stayed open, then this one should be as well, especially coming up for Mother’s Day and especially because it’s so critical for our flower industry,” Garcetti said, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Garcetti warned city officials will monitor the Los Angeles Flower Market downtown and other markets to ensure social-distancing rules are followed, KABC reported. They could be shut down if violations are found.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced that bookstores, music stores, toy stores, florists, sporting goods retailers and some other businesses could begin curbside pickup on Friday, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Offices, shopping malls and seated dining at restaurants will remain closed in California for the time being, according to the publication.

Garcetti said Tuesday that Los Angeles isn’t ready to reopen for business, KCAL reported.

“We want to make sure that we don’t do something reckless, and say, ‘Hey, we got out there a week or two weeks early,’ just to score political points,” he said, according to the station.