- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lake County Public Health officer begins to loosen shelter in place restrictions
The story has been updated to show that the new addendum has a June 1 expiration date.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A month after the Lake County Public Health officer instituted a countywide shelter in place order to protect against the spread of COVID-19, he has issued revisions that allow some businesses to reopen and loosened restrictions on recreation and nonmotorized use of the lake.
The shelter in place order has a May 3 deadline, but the Thursday addendum said it is in place until June 1, and the language does not make clear if it cancels out the previous order.
Pace’s statement was released by the county at 1:35 p.m. Thursday, 25 minutes before the loosened restrictions became effective.
“Since the anticipated surge in coronavirus cases has not materialized, we are taking the first steps toward loosening up some of the restrictions that limit social mobility and business activity in Lake County. The Governor’s Orders have the ultimate authority, however; local Public Health Orders can be more restrictive, but not less,” Pace wrote.
As of Tuesday, Lake County’s confirmed COVID-19 cases remain at six, with five of them recovered.
Pace said that if infection numbers begin to rise, the county will be prepared to tighten restrictions back down in order to prevent big case surges.
His changes to the order followed a spirited discussion at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting in which board members debated easing the rules while trying to protect the public, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace’s Thursday addendum to his shelter in place order “is not intended to further restrict the ability of families living within the same household to engage in essential activities. The intent is to enable additional opportunities for individuals and business to resume relatively low risk activities, while observing social distancing, and gathering in groups no larger than two,” he said.
He also noted that the economy is a primary concern now, due to the terrible impact the county’s public health measures have had on business.
“Once the governor makes some changes in the order, we can begin to loosen some restrictions. These will happen on a step by step basis, with a lot of planning. A few groups are already working on plans to begin to relax the restrictions in a safe and equitable way,” Pace said.
The order allows for the following activities.
Recreational activities that will be allowed include:
– Limited opening of golf courses.
– Hiking and jogging at parks that are open.
– Canoeing, kayaking and other paddle-propelled, hand-launched watercraft are allowed in the lake, excluding sailboats.
– Highland Springs shooting ranges can open.
– Other solitary recreational activities that do not involve physical contact or group activity (like shooting baskets, Frisbee golf, archery) will be allowed.
– Fishing from the shore.
Certain businesses will be allowed to reopen:
– Pet grooming.
– Real estate transactions can be pursued. They should be done as much as possible virtually but can be done in person when necessary.
While there has been public interest, hair salons and cosmetology are still not permitted to operate under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order, Pace said.
While the county can be more restrictive than the governor’s order, it cannot be less restrictive, officials reported.
Pace said this loosening of restrictions “will hopefully allow the community to get some relief from staying inside all the time.”
“However,” he added, “significant health risks associated with COVID-19 do remain.”
As restrictions begin to loosen, Pace said it is essential that people follow guidelines that include maintaining social distancing, keeping good hygiene and preferably wearing masks when out in public.
The county has still not made masking mandatory, as is the case in neighboring Sonoma County and in certain situations in Mendocino County.
Mandatory masking was a point of discussion for board members on Tuesday, at which point Pace said masking may be necessary as more businesses are reopened.
On Thursday he said vulnerable populations – including those over age 65 and those with chronic medical conditions – should continue to stay safe at home.
In addition, Pace discouraged people from crossing county lines. He said that is an important way that the virus spreads. To date, Lake County’s confirmed cases have had out-of-county origins, based on Pace’s previous reports.
The shelter in place addendum is published below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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