Click Banner For More Info See All Sponsors

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!

This site is now closed permanently to new posts.
We recommend you use the new Townsy Cafe!

Click anywhere but the link to dismiss overlay!

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 32

  • Share this thread on:
  • Follow: No Email   
  • Thread Tools
  1. TopTop #1
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order


    Officials: Shelter-in-place to combat coronavirus spread imminent for Sonoma County
    TYLER SILVY
    THE PRESS DEMOCRAT March 17, 2020, 12:01PM

    A shelter-in-place order that would have residents largely stay in their homes and limit all but essential business operations across Sonoma County is imminent and slated to take effect as soon as midnight, top county officials confirmed Tuesday at a Board of Supervisors meeting.

    Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s interim public health officer, stopped short of issuing the order during the Board of Supervisors meeting, clarifying afterward that she planned to issue the order “as soon as possible.”

    It’s not yet clear how long such an order would last, or what such an order would cover, as county leaders batted ideas back and forth Tuesday morning in an effort to ensure the measure reflects local concerns, including carve-outs for farm and dairy operations, as well as questions about parks, farmer’s markets and more.

    Continues here (including latest updates)

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  2. Gratitude expressed by 2 members:

  3. TopTop #2
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order



    Advisory: Shelter in Place Order by Sonoma County Health Officer.


    A shelter in place order will be effective at midnight. Please read the details from the Health Officer below. See socoemergency.org, call 2-1-1, or text 898-211 for more information.

    SANTA ROSA, CA -- The Sonoma County Health Officer has issued a Health Order directing residents to shelter in place effective at midnight (12:00am) on Wednesday March 18, 2020. This Health Order will be in place for three weeks until April 7, 2020. The Health Order limits activity, travel and business functions to only the most basic and essential needs.

    This recent Order comes after the County received two additional cases of local transmission from coronavirus (COVID-19) yesterday, and two cases over the past weekend.

    All individuals currently living within the County are ordered to shelter at their homes. To the extent individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces, they must at all times as reasonably possible maintain social distancing of at least six feet from any other person when they are outside their residence.

    The guidance comes after substantial input from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and from international health experts.

    Social distancing is scientifically-proven to be one of the most effective methods to slow the transmission of communicable disease, such as COVID-19.

    “In light of the recent cases of local transmission of COVID-19 in the County, we are taking proactive action to curtail the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County Interim Health Officer.

    “We urge our residents not to panic, however, please take this Order seriously, as COVID-19 is a real threat to our community at this time. Please adhere to the social distancing of six feet from another person as well as continue to maintain good hygiene practices.”

    Please Remember
    • Keep a distance of at least six feet away from another person
    • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
    • Refrain from touching your face
    • Use hand sanitizer
    • Covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands)
    • Regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands

    This Order was issued in response to the six cases of COVID-19 in the County, as well as at least 258 confirmed cases and at least three deaths in the seven Bay Area jurisdictions who also jointly issued similar health orders yesterday.

    This also comes in response to the significant and increasing number of suspected cases of community transmission and likely further significant increases in transmission. The order defines essential activities as necessary for the health and safety for individuals and their families.

    Essential businesses are those that provide food, shelter, social services and homeless services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals; fresh and non-perishable food retailers (including convenience stores); pharmacies; child care facilities; gas stations; banks; laundry businesses and services necessary for maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of a residence.

    Health care operations are also essential businesses and include hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, dentists, pharmacies, licensed cannabis businesses, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, other healthcare facilities, healthcare suppliers, home health care services providers, mental health providers, or any related and/or ancillary health care services.

    Health care operations also includes veterinary care and all health care services provided to animals. This does not include fitness and exercise gyms and similar facilities. Licensed cannabis retail facilities/dispensaries shall operate only for the purpose of providing medical cannabis, and only via curbside pickup or delivery.

    Essential businesses also include: agriculture, food, and beverage cultivation, processing, and distribution, including but not limited to, farming, ranching, fishing, dairies, creameries, wineries and breweries in order to preserve inventory and production (not for retail business);

    In addition, health care, law and safety, and essential government functions will continue under the recommended action.

    Campgrounds, hotels and motels are considered shelters and therefore an essential service and will remain open.

    The goal is to limit groups congregating together in a way that could further spread the coronavirus.

    This Order comes days after Governor Gavin Newsom ordered adults, age 65 and older, to remain at home.

    The violation of any provision of this Order constitutes an imminent threat to public health and will be enforced by law enforcement.

    The Health Officer will continue to assess the quickly evolving situation and may modify or extend this Order, or issue additional Orders, related to COVID-19.

    For the latest information about the coronavirus in Sonoma County and advice from health experts on prevention and care, visit www.SoCoEmergency.org, call 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211. Updates and videos are also on the County of Sonoma Facebook page and Twitter feed @countyofsonoma.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  4. Gratitude expressed by:

  5. TopTop #3
    SonomaPatientsCoop's Avatar
    SonomaPatientsCoop
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    While this is a 3 week order, I'd like to point out life is unlikely to return to normal at that point... AND the order may well be extended.

    Newsom has suggested schools may not resume this session. Experts are suggesting it may be July-August (or later) before we are through the worst of this. And government documents leaked to The NY Times suggest an 18 month cycle before a vaccine is out and this is truly under control. (Should be interesting to see how the anti-vax crowd here responds when one for Covid-19 is available).

    This IS going to have a substantial impact on our communities, especially financially. And it seems increasingly likely strained communities and resources will be hit by fire season just as things are looking up...

    And final thought...PLEASE STOP HOARDING AND PANIC BUYING!!! There's not going to be a shortages- people are creating a false sense of scarcity and not only hurting others in the community but are adding to a sense of panic that will do nothing but make these coming weeks and months seem worse then they are.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  6. Gratitude expressed by 4 members:

  7. TopTop #4
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    My take on what we can expect:

    The shelter is place is all about "flattening the curve", basically it's about slowing the rate of new infections so at the peak of the contagion the health care system is not overwhelmed. What isn't said, but is depicted in graphic, is that is also about extending the duration of the epidemic.

    There's only 3 things that are going to stop the epidemic:

    1. a vaccine (estimated to be 12-18 months away) - thank god our genetic technology has made great leaps
    2. the vast majority of the (surviving) population contract covid-19 and recovers thus gaining immunity from it (such as in the 1918 Spanish Flu), assuming if that is true - that you get immunity, which may not be so.
    3. (edit) Universal testing catches every last person who is infected and isolates them.
    So the idea is to balance to social distancing / quarantining with the needs modern life. It may be loosened up (ie Shelter in Place Order lifted, but still recommending social distancing) if the medical system has capacity to absorb new cases, or if warm weather provides a pause, to allow the society to function again, only to be tightened up as the infection rate rises again in response. That cycle will continue until one of the 3 conditions above are met.

    It we are lucky, spring/summer will bring a natural decline in the infection rate, and the testing infrastructure is capable of testing every last one of us then. We would be very lucky indeed in that case.

    It will be interesting to see what happens in China, where new infections have almost stopped. Since it's hard to imagine they've caught every last infected person, my sense is that it will rear up again and they will implement another lockdown to curtail it.

    We are fortunate that we are not on the bleeding edge of this, and have some data and policies to analyze from China and South Korea, and a dire warning from Italy.

    I am thankful that Sonoma County has joined the rest of the Bay Area with a shelter in place order. We are on the leading edge of this practice. Hopefully this will keep our infection rate low now so more lives can be saved and we'll have more flexibility when it comes to temporarily relaxing it.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-19-2020 at 09:38 AM.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  8. TopTop #5
    Thad's Avatar
    Thad
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    The idea this might settle down come warmer weather should be compared to this.

    Africa Sees ‘Extremely Rapid Evolution’ of Pandemic

    https://www.courthousenews.com/afric...demic-un-says/
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  9. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

  10. TopTop #6
    SonomaPatientsCoop's Avatar
    SonomaPatientsCoop
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    @Barry

    While I agree with pretty much everything your post... talking to family and friends on the east coast and midwest... whiles some states are closing restaurants/bars/gyms/theaters...etc... many are not.

    So far the heaviest hit states are reacting strongly... but, and it's a big but- this virus seems to be both very contagious AND quite often is not symptomatic in people.

    On the left coast... it seems only CA has gone the "shelter in place" route, although with schools/restaurants/nars etc closed up and down the coast there seems to be a self quarantine in many areas.

    But, we are still in the very early stages of this. It's highly likely many other areas of the country will see rises in infection in the coming weeks, never mind the increases we will see as testing *finally{* comes online.

    My gut feeling is... there is no way "shelter in place" will be lifted as this virus grows around the country. So being an early adopter... this *will* be the reality for much, much longer than many expect. And "cabin fever" is real... even without the economic stress this is bringing.

    Things are going to get even weirder. Throw in the chaos this is causing with the election. The census. Sports, music, and most likely festival season being cancelled. Strange days indeed....
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  11. Gratitude expressed by 6 members:

  12. TopTop #7
    Goat Rock Ukulele's Avatar
    Goat Rock Ukulele
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Newsom saying 56% infection rate in the next 8 weeks without mitigation? Holy cow, that's 3,000,000 or more in need of hospitalization? Even if we had the MDs and Nurses, which we don't that isn't even close to doable especially since more than half of them will be sick. Which would drive death rate much higher. That would make Italy look like a picnic in the park. No wonder they are freaking.

    We need to open the checkbook and get the MDs and Nurses from Wuhan over here if we can. No time to waste. Of the many mistakes made by the Trump Administration the lack of testing will go down as the worst. If
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  13. Gratitude expressed by 4 members:

  14. TopTop #8
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Barry: View Post
    My take on what we can expect:

    The shelter is place is all about "flattening the curve", basically it's about slowing the rate of new infections so at the peak of the contagion the health care system is not overwhelmed. What isn't said, but is depicted in graphic, is that is also about extending the duration of the epidemic. ...
    Here's a very good article from the Washington Post that also makes the point that flattening the curve also extends it.


    Coronavirus will radically alter the U.S.
    Here’s what may lie ahead based on math models, hospital projections and past pandemics
    Last edited by Barry; 03-21-2020 at 12:20 PM.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  15. TopTop #9
    rossmen
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Strange days indeed. Tonite I had one of the weirdest experiences of my life. I swung by Sutter to drop off an almost full box of n95s. Place in full lockdown, only in is emergency. Didn't want to go there and the guard heard my knock. So grateful. Never imagined I would be donating dust masks to the county hospital.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-21-2020 at 09:45 AM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  16. Gratitude expressed by 5 members:

  17. TopTop #10
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele: View Post

    We need to open the checkbook and get the MDs and Nurses from Wuhan over here if we can. No time to waste. Of the many mistakes made by the Trump Administration the lack of testing will go down as the worst. If
    And the causes for lack of testing? Could it be that American greed caused supply chains to relocate to China? Even now China refuses to shipped needed circuit boards (and other supplies) for ventilator manufacture to the US. Such a high percentage of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment comes from China that they can control the flow on what's available in the US. Really, it wouldn't matter what administration would be in charge. The problems would be the same. Material shortages are in evidence and not because of policy.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  18. TopTop #11
    Goat Rock Ukulele's Avatar
    Goat Rock Ukulele
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Not greed but arrogance and stupidity. Trump wanted to undo everything Obama set up. So he eliminated the Global Pandemic Response Team from NSA. Our commercial, public health and academic labs are capable of all needed mass testing but they needed time to get up to speed. That time was squandered by the Trump Administration and CDC blunders even after being he was told by Pentagon what was coming. What we will experience now and in the coming month or more could have been largely avoided with a response akin to that of Singapore, Japan, South Korea, etc. Unfortunately we seem to be heading more toward the Italian model.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  19. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

  20. TopTop #12
    podfish's Avatar
    podfish
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele: View Post
    Not greed but arrogance and stupidity. Trump wanted to undo everything Obama set up. So he eliminated the Global Pandemic Response Team from NSA.
    it's also intellectual laziness, the disrespect of the 'deep state' (meaning non-partisan long-term employees) and a bias against government services -- that last not really a built-in Trumpy instinct but one inculcated by his allies who are using him as a means to that end.

    So he and his crowd were totally uninterested in maintaining a pro-active capability to handle what to them was a wildly speculative risk. Those same biases prevented them from taking prompt action.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  21. Gratitude expressed by:

  22. TopTop #13
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele: View Post
    ..even after being he was told by Pentagon what was coming. ..
    I don't believe the Pentagon alerted anyone. Would love to see a link to credible documentation. Remember the first Chinese doctor to recognize the virus was given the Putin treatment and his 5 colleagues were put in prison.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:23 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  23. TopTop #14
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by podfish: View Post
    it's also intellectual laziness, the disrespect of the 'deep state' ...
    Yes, so uninterested that Trump went against the outcries of the Dems and banned Chinese entry. Btw, the Dems didn't want the European bans either.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 09:20 AM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  24. TopTop #15
    Goat Rock Ukulele's Avatar
    Goat Rock Ukulele
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    On the front page of todays Press Democrat, And just about every other news outlet yesterday.

    From Washington Post

    WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Donald Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen, according to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting.

    The intelligence reports didn't predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take, issues outside the purview of the intelligence agencies. But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    I don't believe the Pentagon alerted anyone
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:20 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  25. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

  26. TopTop #16
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele: View Post
    On the front page of todays Press Democrat, And just about every other news outlet yesterday.....
    Is the Press Democrat still in business?

    "The intelligence reports didn’t predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take, issues outside the purview of the intelligence agencies. But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak."

    Even if true, this information is of minimal value. It is excepted that virus information was not willingly shared by China in Jan and Feb. What little leaked out was downplayed by China. Of course no sources are listed by WP (not unusual).

    NPR:
    Critics Say China Has Suppressed And Censored Information In Coronavirus Outbreak

    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 09:22 AM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  27. TopTop #17
    podfish's Avatar
    podfish
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    ...Even if true, this information is of minimal value. It is excepted that virus information was not willingly shared by China in Jan and Feb. ...
    this was the point of my followup. Trump and his whole administration are a bunch of amateurs and hangers-on who were kept out of the kitchen till recently. Bush got ripped, legitimately so, for ignoring the report that Al Quaida was poised to attack. Similar situation. The guys with the big-boy jobs are supposed to be able to synthesize information from intelligence agencies and others to anticipate problems before they arise. Trump is a seat-of-the-pants guy, who likes to cause crises and react to them. A movie analogy is James Bond vs. George Smiley. Bond just walks in, breaks something or gets caught, and counts on prevailing in the ensuing chaos. That's ok with a good script-writer, but Trump doesn't have one.

    No-one wants intelligence agency recommending policies - their job is to present information that those responsible (and accountable) can use to identify policies and actions. They shouldn't have been fooled by the fact China was suppressing things. Actually, that's the point of the report: they were told China was suppressing the story. They don't get credit for doing butt-simple obvious things like travel restrictions at the last minute because other alternatives are no longer available. Defending this bunch is only possible if you mischaracterize their actions and the context.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:24 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  28. Gratitude expressed by 5 members:

  29. TopTop #18
    Cat42Lassie
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    THANK YOU for your contribution!!!!

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by rossmen: View Post
    ... I swung by Sutter to drop off an almost full box of n95s. Place in full lockdown, only in is emergency. ...
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:25 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  30. Gratitude expressed by:

  31. TopTop #19
    SonomaPatientsCoop's Avatar
    SonomaPatientsCoop
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele: View Post
    Newsom saying 56% infection rate in the next 8 weeks without mitigation? Holy cow, that's 3,000,000 or more in need of hospitalization?
    whoa, whoa, whoa... back up a moment. Infection does not equal hospitalization. Indeed- the vast majority of infections seem mild. This was more in reference to the number of infections- including the many that would never show any symptoms... but also to point out the severity of such a scenario where the most vulnerable would be far more likely to be exposed.

    I believe Newsom was referencing the same study that made Trump finally take this seriously- the study from the Imperial College of London (the "gods" of epidemic.pandemic modeling) that, without reading through it again, I believe showed over 4 million deaths in the US if we did nothing.

    We are going to see (indeed already are) the numbers rise as testing ramps up. Time will tell how bad this gets. Hopefully in a few months everyone will be condemning Newsom for over-reacting (ignoring the reality that these steps may prevent the worst case scenarios)
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  32. Gratitude expressed by:

  33. TopTop #20
    SonomaPatientsCoop's Avatar
    SonomaPatientsCoop
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    And the causes for lack of testing?...
    Hmm. Could it be that Trump cut the funding to the CDC and NAID - especially the global pandemic groups working in multiple countries- including CHINA?

    The lack of testing has nothing to do with corporate greed... American companies have spun up testing pretty quickly. The problem was largely at the federal level, and one can make a strong case it was Trumps budget cuts behind every misstep.

    The initial test developed by the (underfunded) CDC failed outside of the CDC labs - the control sample was testing positive - some issue with the reagents apparently? This cost us several crucial weeks.

    One can argue why we didn't use tests from The Who etc. I have no solid answer on this other then the abundance of caution the US tends to use- unless we can confirm on our own that something works we tend to shy away...and I have seen reports that at least one of the foreign tests gave ~40% false positives... which likely slowed willingness to adopt other tests without solid evidence.

    I think two other issues were the fact the US simply does not have the lab capability to run such a huge number of tests, and related to that- a desire for simpler tests that check for antibodies that can be done locally and faster rather then tests that check for the RNA that require much more advanced facilities.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:40 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  34. Gratitude expressed by:

  35. TopTop #21
    Goat Rock Ukulele's Avatar
    Goat Rock Ukulele
     

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Right, most mild. However China has stated 15 percent required hospitalization but even if we say only 5 percent that's still 1,120,000 In CA Lets just pray we can keep those numbers down and Newsom's number is wrong by many factors.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by SonomaPatientsCoop: View Post
    whoa, whoa, whoa... back up a moment. Infection does not equal hospitalization....
    Last edited by Barry; 03-22-2020 at 12:40 PM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  36. Gratitude expressed by:

    M/M
  37. TopTop #22
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by SonomaPatientsCoop: View Post
    Hmm. Could it be that Trump cut the funding to the CDC and NAID - especially the global pandemic groups working in multiple countries- including CHINA?,....
    "In fact, all of Trump’s budget proposals have called for cuts to CDC funding, but Congress has intervened each time by passing spending bills with year-over-year increases for the CDC that Trump then signed into law."
    So were the cuts proposed or actually made? And even if made, would they have impeded testing? I disagree with you on your analysis. It's a product shortage and not a policy shortcoming. If product is not available, no policy can magically produce such. When GM has to partner to produce ventilators, the problem shows itself.

    https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trum...ry?id=69233170
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  38. TopTop #23
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    Let's keep this thread focused on what's happening in Sonoma County only. Any political comments can be posted on the new "Coronavirus and Politics" thread. Feel free to start a new sub-topic thread for other aspects of this crisis.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  39. Gratitude expressed by:

  40. TopTop #24
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order


    All parks closed in Sonoma County amid coronavirus outbreak
    CHANTELLE LEE
    THE PRESS DEMOCRAT March 23, 2020



    All parks in Sonoma County will be closed to the public beginning at midnight Tuesday until further notice, in the hopes of curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the region.

    The order includes all city, county and state parks, as well as parks on school grounds and beaches, said Bert Whitaker, director of Sonoma County’s parks system. Paved, multi-use pathways outside park boundaries will remain open, as will a few regional trails such as the Joe Rodota Trail and the West County Trail, but bicycles and horses will be prohibited from using them.

    The decision comes after crowds flocked to Sonoma and Marin county beaches over the weekend, leading to overflowing parking lots and packed stretches of sand. Many were not complying with the recommended six-foot distance considered to lower the risk of catching or spreading the virus.

    “The crowding of visitors is contrary to the shelter-in-place order,” Whitaker said. “Right now is the time to really reinforce to our community how serious our situation is, and we need to ask for everybody’s cooperation to get through this crisis we’re in.”

    {snip}

    Whitaker said parks “were not designed” to maintain distance from other visitors — and in fact, because of the topography and terrain of many parks, it is “impossible” to stay six feet apart from other visitors.

    Park officials will regularly patrol restricted areas, and while Whitaker said they will approach those who violate the order with “kindness,” if the issue persists, they will consider enforcement actions, such as citations.

    “It breaks our heart. We know how much the public loves these facilities,” Whitaker said of closing the parks. “(But) this overcrowding thing is not something we can tolerate right now.”

    State Parks announced it was closing vehicle access, effective immediately, to the following: Armstrong Redwoods, Austin Creek, Jack London, Petaluma Adobe, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma State Historic Park, Sugarloaf Ridge and Trione-Annadel.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  41. Gratitude expressed by 2 members:

  42. TopTop #25
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    The new Shelter in Place Order is at the link below.

    Extending The Shelter In Place Order No. C19-03 Beyond April 7, 2020 To May 3, 2020.
    DATE OF ORDER: MARCH 31, 2020

    It basically says: Stay The Fuck Home!

    ... and there is a number of exceptions...

    Anybody want to read the fine print and post your comments?

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  43. Gratitude expressed by:

  44. TopTop #26
    cyberanvil
    Guest

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order

    I am so disappointed with people. Not just the kids who seem oblivious to the dangers of Coronavirus, but the adults. All the parks are closed and taped in RP. Yet today there are people reporting that there are kids and adults playing ball and etc. in more than one park. The PD doesn't seem to be doing any drivebys. So disappointing.
    Last edited by Barry; 04-02-2020 at 10:15 AM.
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  45. Gratitude expressed by:

  46. TopTop #27
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order



    Order of the Health Officer:
    Requiring members of the public to wear Facial Coverings

    Excerpt
    8. All persons shall wear facial coverings before they enter any indoor facility besides their residence, any enclosed open space, or while outdoors when the person is unable to maintain a six-foot distance from another person at all times.

    9. This Order does not apply when the person is driving alone or with members of their households, unless the windows in the vehicle are lowered to interact with first responders, food service workers, or other persons who are not members of their households. Persons should refrain from purchasing medical-grade masks, such as surgical masks and N95 respirators; those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders coming into contact with infected persons.

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  47. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

  48. TopTop #28
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order


    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  49. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

  50. TopTop #29
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order


    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  51. Gratitude expressed by 2 members:

  52. TopTop #30
    Barry's Avatar
    Barry
    Founder & Moderator

    Re: Sonoma County Shelter in Place Order


    Health Officer Supersedes and Loosens Shelter-in-Place Order Due to Initial Successes Interrupting Community Transmission of COVID-19
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2020
    Contact: (707) 565-3040 - [email protected]

    The Health Officer has issued a new Shelter-in-Place Health Order, which among other changes, reduces restrictions in a number of important employment areas including construction, landscaping services, nurseries, car and bicycle sales.

    This loosening of restrictions is possible because of the significant interruption of community transmission of the virus due to compliance with the Order in Sonoma County. Sheltering-in-Place has worked to save lives and maintain health care system capacity.

    Like the Governor’s Executive Order (N-33-20), this Order, which becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. on May 4, 2020, does not have a specific end date. That is so the County can respond and make modifications as necessary (either loosening or tightening restrictions) as changes in the data and state orders may dictate.

    “We have made important progress in our fight against the virus. Opening the County up further is contingent upon our ability to keep up our efforts and reach critical milestones,” said Health Officer, Dr. Sundari Mase. “Our latest data shows staying at home prevented community spread of the virus. It is important that we now work to scale up testing and contact tracing to limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe.”

    “We all are eager to open up more businesses. To be successful we must be deliberate in how we open up our economy, while working to protect the safety of everyone involved,” Board of Supervisors Chair Susan Gorin commented on the new Order. “This involves extensive planning, which we have begun doing with our local businesses.”

    The Order eases restrictions on construction businesses, allowing all new construction, and all construction work on unoccupied structures. For occupied structures, exterior work is allowed, but interior work is only permitted if necessary for the safety, sanitation, and habitability of the structure. Under the Order a construction business must maintain strict compliance with construction site-specific field safety requirements. Examples of construction site-specific requirements include daily health screening for arriving staff, establishing cleaning and decontamination protocols, and designation of a safety officer.

    The Order also eases restrictions on real estate/rental viewing if there is strict compliance with sector specific social distancing and hygiene requirements.

    Furthermore, the Order eases restrictions for the following essential outdoor businesses where transmission risk is lower, including: arborists, landscaping, gardening, pool maintenance, plant nurseries, and environmental site remediation services. The Order also clarifies that florists are considered essential agriculture and that their retail sales can occur only via curbside, delivery, or shipping.

    Additionally, golfing is allowed as a recreational outdoor activity, and players, golf courses, and golf driving ranges are subject to strict golf safety requirements; owners and operators must provide security or patrolling, and will be responsible for ensuring golfers comply with these requirements.

    Automobile dealerships and bicycle shops can operate for retail sales, however they will have to maintain required social distancing protocols for staff and customers.

    The Order’s provision regarding minimum basic operations allowed for non-essential businesses remains unchanged. Those non-essential businesses may continue to sell existing inventory for delivery or shipping, but not curbside pickup.

    Lastly, the Order addresses faith-based services organizations, allowing them to offer food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, and to provide counseling and host religious services through virtual streaming or similar technology.

    The Order states that the Health Officer does not expect to permit private or public mass gatherings in the immediate future and the Health Officer will be continuing to assess whether mass gatherings are appropriate based upon infection rate and data related to the State’s critical reopening indicators.

    This Order represents an important step along the road to recovery while we closely follow the data and the success of mitigation strategies to make adjustments as needed.

    To move the County further down the road to recovery, the Health Officer will also be working with the County Economic Development Board (EDB) and industry leaders to develop specific COVID-19 mitigation measures to facilitate re-openings for all other businesses. Providing mitigation measure guidance to the community, including the ability for businesses to implement them, is a component to move to phase two of the Governor’s Resilience Roadmap issued on April 28, 2020.

    “We are optimistic that the Governor is looking at relaxing some of the restrictions that have closed businesses these past six weeks. We are in the process of assembling a Reopening Task Force in partnership with local chambers, industry groups, and economic development partners so businesses may come together and develop industry-specific COVID-19 mitigation solutions that will allow them to open as soon as they are allowed,” said Sheba Person-Whitley, Executive Director, EDB. “We understand there is an urgent need for this, and are preparing an unprecedented effort to complete this task together over the next week.”

    Visit www.SoCoEmergency.org to read the full Shelter in Place Health Order and frequently asked questions that have been developed to clarify this order. Find latest updates regarding the coronavirus emergency, local resources, and other helpful information at this site. Community members may also call 2-1-1 or text their zip code to 898-211 in order to text with a 2-1-1 operator.

    https://socoemergency.org/order-of-t...lace-extended/

    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  53. Gratitude expressed by 3 members:

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-12-2020, 07:21 AM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 09-15-2011, 10:08 AM

Bookmarks