Fresno’s nonessential shops should remain closed through May, city councilman says
Fresno Councilmember Nelson Esparza said Wednesday the city should uphold its shelter-in-place order through at least May 31, an opinion that falls sharply on the opposite side of some of his outspoken colleagues on the council.
Esparza’s announcement comes in a week that saw both councilmembers Mike Karbassi and Garry Bredefeld call for business to resume with certain safety measures.
Esparza said the science says sheltering-in for residents and the shuttering of nonessential businesses remains necessary.
“If you follow the number of confirmed cases in Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley at large, it’s very clear that we’re at a point where we can’t even confirm that we have hit the peak number of infections or casualties yet,” he said. “It’s a very dangerous proposition to be discussing a reopening in May when we don’t even know if we’re on the other side of this thing yet.”
Esparza said he supports the six metrics Gov. Gavin Newsom established, which would allow officials to ease businesses back into the economy. Fresno County has not yet met any of those six factors.
Newsom on April 14 said that those include monitoring of the population, protecting the most at risk, preparing for a surge in positive cases and other responsibilities.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 23 new patients since Monday. The total of confirmed cases in the county is now 521. Seven deaths of patients in the county have been blamed on COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Other parts of the central San Joaquin Valley have continued to see the number of positive cases rise, as well.
Esparza said officials cannot determine a strict timeline for coming out of the shelter orders.
“There are countries and communities out there who have shown us that it is possible to slow the virus, and then there are those who are showing us the deadly consequences of not adhering to the advice of the medical professionals,” he said. “I want Fresno to be in the category of communities that are saving lives.”
Council at odds
Esparza made his comments in a news release on Wednesday, while Karbassi and Bredefeld held press conferences with small gatherings at City Hall on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Karbassi said the city should allow a slow rollback into the economy for small businesses that can follow safety guidelines starting May 7. He argues big box stores are open so small shops should be too.
Bredefeld said businesses should be allowed to open immediately if the owners are comfortable and can follow safety guidelines, like wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Leaders have expressed concerns that the city could take a deep enough financial hit from shuttered shops to require furloughs or even layoffs of city workers.
City administrators have so far predicted a $40 million shortfall through next fiscal year, and have said the number could potentially be much worse.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 11:04 AM.
