LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday said he is authorizing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, starting Friday, to shut off utility service to properties where "egregious" cases unpermitted large parties and gatherings take place.

Without specifically referencing any particular gathering, Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County Department of Public Health, acknowledged recent widely publicized parties that made headlines, calling such massive collections of people a "bad idea" and a breeding ground for the virus among younger residents who can in turn infect older and more vulnerable residents.

On Friday night, dozens of people attended a private party at a bar in Hollywood, and earlier this week, hundreds of people attended a house party just outside Beverly Hills that ended in a fatal shooting.

"Gatherings are simply not allowed at this point under the health officer order," Ferrer said. "Because they create a lot of risk for transmission at activities that really are not essential. These parties and gatherings with people not in your household hurt all of us as we try to reduce our case rates so we can get our children back to school and get other adults back to their jobs. We ask that everyone make good decisions. Don't host large parties and don't attend a party if you're invited. It isn't worth the risk you run and it certainly isn't worth the risk you're creating for our collective recovery journey." 

She expressed frustration at people who would host or attend a party.

"I do think an equally important question to ask is why so many people are willing to put our entire community at risk during this unprecedented pandemic," she said.