[May 15]
Health Officer Issues Revised Health Order Following Governor Newsom’s Statewide Expansion Of Activities For Stage 2 Reopening
County Health Officer Dr. Doohan issued a revised Shelter-In-Pace (SIP) Order in alignment with additional Stage 2 modifications allowed by Governor Newsom’s Stay-At-Home Order moving California into Stage 2 of his four-staged plan to reopen the State. The Governor’s Stage 2 Order allows the gradual reopening of lower-risk workplaces with adaptions outline in the State’s workplace safety guidance.
Mendocino County’s revised SIP goes into effect tonight, May 15 at 11:59 p.m. and will be in place until June 8, 2020.
In accordance with the statewide directives, and in light of the collective efforts taken to date in Mendocino County to slow the virus’ trajectory, the Stage 2 modifications allows for additional lower risk business activities to resume while the Health Officer continues to locally monitor certain COVID-19 indicators. In addition, the Order allows for limited group actives within a Stable Group of 12 referred to as a “Social Bubble” from either a Household Support Unit, a Childcare Unit, or a Children’s Extracurricular Activity Unit for the purposes of engaging in those activities allowed under this Order. The “Social Bubble”, and in particular the Household Support Unit, acknowledges the interdependence of individuals within smaller rural communities on one another, such as involving family supports who may live in different residences but nonetheless support one another in activities, such as carpooling, childcare, recreation, religious services, etc. Social Bubbles are not required to engage in social distancing from each other when they are engaging in activities permitted under this order, but they should continue to comply with all other applicable requirements (i.e., staying home while sick, obeying quarantine and isolation orders, etc.). Each type of Social Bubble is counted separately, such that a child may be part of a Children’s Extracurricular Activity Unit and a Childcare Unit, but may not participate in two different Childcare Units. Residents are encouraged to read the definition within the order for each category of a “Social Bubble.”
The major changes to the revised Stage 2 Shelter-In-Place Order include:
- Expansion of “Outdoor Businesses” to include outdoor museums, galleries and botanical gardens pursuant to COVID-19 Industry Guidance.
- Outdoor Business now also includes service providers such as landscape and gardening, or environmental site remediation, at residences and businesses, for all purposes.
- Select “Limited Services” may operate such as businesses which do not generally require close customer contact, and can provide services while maintaining appropriate social distancing from customers or the public, such as laundromats, dry cleaners, other laundry services, auto repair shops, car washes, landscapers, pet grooming, and dog walking.
- Additionally, Limited Services also includes businesses for which service provision may require entry to private residences or community facilities, but social distancing can still be maintained, such as residential and janitorial cleaning services, HVAC services, appliance repair persons, electricians, plumbers, other mechanical tradespersons, handypersons, and general contractors.
- Office-based businesses may open if telework is not possible, pursuant to COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Office Workspaces.
Individuals may participate in activities within a “Social Bubble” which means a Stable Group of 12 individuals who form either a Household Support Unit, a Childcare Unit (18 and under), or a Children’s Extracurricular Activity Unit (18 and under) for the purposes of engaging in those activities allowed under this Order. Social Bubbles are not required to engage in social distancing from each other when they are engaging in activities permitted under this order, but they should continue to comply with all other applicable requirements (i.e., staying home while sick, obeying quarantine and isolation orders, etc.).
The updated Order also includes the concept of a Work Group, defined as a group of individuals, with not more than 12 individuals over a 4 week period, who engage in certain work-related activities, such as employment, volunteer activities, and the live-streaming or video-recording of events.
Race track facilities have been added to the list of shared facilities for recreational activities that may occur outside of the residences and must comply with social distancing and health/safety protocols.
In addition to the Revised SIP, Health Officer Dr. Doohan issued Guidelines for Drive-In and Drive-Through Events. Although gatherings are currently banned by the State, the County permits events with a limited number of individuals practicing social distancing to be recorded or live-streamed so that multiple individuals can participate remotely, including in their vehicles, in accordance with the issued Guidelines.
The Health Order and a summary of the major changes are available online at https://www.mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus/health-order. The order is enforceable by imprisonment and/or fine thus we urge all residents to closely read the order and follow it.
More information on Governor Newsom’s resilience roadmap and four-staged plan to reopen California, please visit: https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap/. For more information on the businesses/sectors that fall within the various stages of re-opening, please view the Resilience Roadmap Business Sector Chart.
For more on COVID-19: www.mendocinocounty.org
Call Center: (707) 234-6052 or email callcenter@mendocinocounty.org
The call center is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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