Fresno mayor extends shelter-in-place to May, adds penalties for violators
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced Friday he is extending the city’s shelter-in-place order through May 6, and the city may use police or code enforcement to penalize residents and businesses violating the order.
The update to the order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Plus, the mayor now is directing residents to shelter in place, rather than “calling” on them.
“There is a concern and anxiety in our community,” Brand said. “But there is also hope, and a lot of hope.”
It was Brand’s first news conference via Zoom. Since the coronavirus outbreak, Brand held news conferences at City Hall in the city council chambers and in the front yard of his home in an effort to “lead by example” on social distancing and shelter-in-place efforts.
He echoed the message from Queen Elizabeth, saying, “If we remain united and resolute, we will overcome it. Better days will return.”
The announcement comes ahead of the Easter weekend as Fresno County health officials urged residents to avoid gatherings for the holiday and area parks are closed or restricted. In Fresno city limits, park trespassers could be charged with a misdemeanor. Fresno parks will reopen after Easter.
Strict social distancing and more
The update directs essential businesses to enforce strict social distancing and sanitizing efforts by limiting the number of people who can enter businesses, requiring employees to wear face coverings and providing no-touch payment methods.
Residents are not required to wear masks outside of their homes. And the city has not enacted a curfew.
The mayor emphasized he doesn’t want to issue fines, but egregious and consistent violators will face fines, especially if people are endangered. Fines could be up to $1,000.
“My job is to protect the citizens of Fresno, and the best way I can do that is using existing resources,” he said.
The city of Clovis also announced it will fine violators or even issue misdemeanors. In Fresno, Brand said the police department doesn’t have the resources to police social distancing and he intends to mostly use civil penalties versus criminal ones.
However, city code does permit penalties including misdemeanors or jail time up to one year for violating the emergency order.
Councilmembers react
Last week, Councilmember Luis Chavez proposed fining or issuing misdemeanors to those violating social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. The action on Friday was a direct response to the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Fresno, he said.
“We are entering into a critical moment for our city, where our actions will directly affect how many people live or die,” Chavez said. “We can rebuild our economy and we will, but you can’t rebuild a dead person. Please be responsible and stay home. Lives are at stake.”
Councilmember Garry Bredefeld called the move by the mayor “heavy-handed” and “authoritarian” and accused Brand of hiding from residents that violations could include a misdemeanor or jail time. By making the order mandatory, the mayor essentially issued a citywide lockdown, Bredefeld said.
“The mayor is not a physician, yet he is forcing people to wear masks when doctors at the Centers for Disease Control have, at this point, not mandated them,” Bredefeld said. “Whether it’s Brand arbitrarily shutting down many ‘non-essential’ businesses that could remain open following CDC guidelines, or it’s threatening people with fines who are already complying with social distancing, we are witnessing authoritarian local government in real time.”
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 11:15 AM.