When California issued its stay-at-home order on March 19 in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus, most counties went beyond the state’s guidelines to impose more stringent policies, each with varying expiration dates.
Some counties, like San Francisco, took measures well before the governor shuttered all nonessential businesses and mandated that all Californians should stay home and restrict their social interactions.
Now, 40 day later, several places have begun to ease local restrictions. Golf courses and beaches have reopened in some areas. Other areas are petitioning the governor to be allowed to open restaurants and places of worship
Many have argued their regions have already flattened the curve in the fight against the coronavirus and that the shuttered economy is hurting them financially.
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All the while, the number of COVID-19 cases — and deaths — continue to climb in the state. There have been more than 45,000 infections and nearly 1,800 deaths in California.
In Los Angeles County — the state’s most populous region — officials are developing a plan to ease the Safer at Home order, which is set to expire May 15.
More than 20,000 in the county of 10 million have tested positive for the virus, and nearly 950 have died. County officials have warned the public that although social distancing practices have worked to slow the spread of the virus, the number of those who have been infected is likely far higher than the official count.
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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday to establish an action plan to work with local businesses, labor partners and community leaders to lift restrictions.
Supervisor Janice Hahn, echoing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sentiments, said gradually lifting restrictions would not be like flipping a switch: “It’s more like a dimmer.”
“I would caution everyone from thinking that we have an end in sight, or we’re nearing the end of this unprecedented tragedy,” Hahn said. “This is not going to just go away. Coronavirus is going to be around forever, and without a vaccine to prevent us from getting the virus or a therapeutic drug to treat you, we need to really be cautious in how we reopen our society.”
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The framework, co-authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis, lays out a set of priorities:
- Reopening of the economy through an economic resilience task force
- Recovery through a permanent 501c fund
- Reinvention among businesses concerning how they function, including using continued telecommuting services
- Resurgence of the economy through a doubling of L.A. County Works initiative
- Resiliency concerning educational efforts for youth
“This is a dark time for everyone,” Hahn said. “I don’t think we should be persuaded by petitions or people pressuring us to reopen too soon.”
In six San Francisco Bay Area counties, stay-at-home orders have been extended through the end of May, with some restrictions expected to be lifted before then.
Meanwhile in El Dorado County, where infections have tapered off after 43 infections have been confirmed and zero deaths have been reported, the public health officer is allowing the county’s stay-at-home directive to expire Thursday, its original expiration date.
Lifting local restrictions are allowed as long as they don’t undermine the state’s guidelines, Newsom has said.
