PE: Riverside County coronavirus health orders likely to be lifted [Board of Supervisors]

Seems still premature. With a county of 2.4 million and only 50,000 tested only means 2% have been tested. Our rate of infection seems to be steady but lifting restrictions next week may see a surge in cases. What information are the county supervisors using to base this decision on after the extension last week? What other counties/ cities in CA can we use as an example who have lifted restrictions, and what are their patterns for rate of infection, cases, and deaths?

I love how golf courses are an issue. Rich assholes scared they’ll lose their game.

Full article:

Public health orders mandating the use of face coverings and social distancing to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus in Riverside County, among other restrictions, could be lifted Tuesday, May 5, by the Board of Supervisors.

The agenda includes an item, sponsored by Supervisors Karen Spiegel and V. Manuel Perez, that would rescind the order issued earlier this month and extended on Wednesday, April 29, by Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser until June 19.

The proposal also calls for rescinding county orders that closed all schools until June 19, restricted short-term rentals to coronavirus-related business and placed restrictions on play at golf courses.

State public health orders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order issued March 19, would remain in effect.

By rescinding the county’s orders, supervisors want to put the county on par, regulation-wise, with the rest of California. Legally, the county can be more strict than the state, but not less stringent.

The county has been more strict than the state by requiring residents to cover their noses and mouths in public. Face coverings don’t have to be hospital grade, but Kaiser’s order was intended to prevent the airborne spread of virus-laden droplets spread by infected people.

Kaiser and county Director of Public Health Kim Saruwatari were unavailable for comment, according to county spokeswoman Brooke Federico.

In a memo to colleagues, Spiegel and Perez lauded the county’s progress in testing more than 50,000 for the virus, slowing the rate of infection so that it hasn’t overwhelmed county hospitals as well as the board’s formation of an economic recovery task force.

“We want people to be healthy, safe and have an income to support their families,” the memo read. “(Rescinding the orders) creates the pathway for our residents and businesses to meet these needs.”

In a news release, Perez praised Kaiser’s actions, which “have no doubt made a measurable impact in saving lives in our county.”

“His early and proactive leadership got us very far ahead as a county. That, combined with data and strong economic arguments, is why I have the confidence that it is appropriate to lift these measures while we continue to align ourselves with the state’s stay-at-home order and roadmap for reopening.”

Earlier Thursday, Supervisor Jeff Hewitt posted a letter on Facebook in which he called on the orders to be lifted. He wrote that he was “shocked and disappointed” to see Kaiser “continue a campaign of fear in such a way.”

“Over the course of the shutdown, thousands of businesses have closed their doors, many of which will never re-open,” Hewitt wrote. “Families have been separated from their loved ones, and hundreds of thousands of hard-working people have been forced to stay at home and not earn a living for their families.”

“I for one have had enough … I will not stand idly by and see (the county) consumed by fear.”

Reached via email, Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said he supports lifting the orders. Supervisor Chuck Washington was not available for comment Thursday evening.

During a Wednesday, April 29, news conference, Kaiser said face coverings and social distancing will be the “new normal” for the immediate future.

“COVID-19 has not been eliminated, and it’s arguable whether we can even say it’s been suppressed,” he said. “We expect sporadic outbreaks throughout the summer. And since there will still be virus in circulation, there is a decent chance that it will be back in the fall, and when it is, it will be very hard to get that genie back in the bottle.”

In a county news release issued Thursday evening about a possible decision to rescind county public health orders, the county noted that the state Department of Public Health and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of face coverings, social distancing, and frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As of Thursday, the county has 4,031 confirmed coronavirus cases and 149 deaths blamed on the virus. More than 50,000 in the county have been tested.

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Whats it say about schools? I didn’t comprehend it.