Fresno County is not flattening its curve. How will it affect reopening plans?
While San Joaquin Valley counties to the north and south are getting state approval to move further into Stage 2 of reopening their economies, Fresno County is not flattening its curve, according to Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra.
Kern, Kings, Madera and Merced counties all received state approval to move forward with reopening. Tulare County supervisors voted to flout the state guidelines and reopen without approval. Fresno County’s application was submitted Tuesday afternoon.
Few details about Fresno County’s application had been made public until Thursday afternoon, when it was announced that the state had approved Fresno County’s declaration that it meets the necessary criteria to accelerate the reopening of dine-in restaurants, as long as those businesses conform to conditions to keep people as safe as possible from the coronavirus pandemic. Retail stores may follow soon, the county said.
Vohra updated his health order this week as part of the application to include a new policy for face coverings, which county supervisors immediately pushed back on. While Vohra said he hopes the county’s application will be approved, he also acknowledged Fresno County has work to do to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“Fresno is not flattening the curve,” Vohra said during a Zoom media briefing Wednesday afternoon. “Having this (face coverings) order will definitely help slow the spread and, and hopefully it will also add a layer of protection.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday loosened the benchmarks for counties to reopen, noting that the adjustment should allow 53 of 58 counties to move forward. He expressed concerns about outbreaks at Tulare County nursing homes and Kings County meat packing facilities, but didn’t specify which five counties likely couldn’t move forward.
On Wednesday, Vohra said county officials didn’t know whether Fresno was among the 53 counties or the five counties. But county officials believe that Fresno could make a phased reopening work, which is why they submitted the application.
But a phased reopening is key, Vohra said.
“We can’t have a stampede into the town square, where everyone just throws open their doors, because that will lead to a very rapid spread of the virus, and that will capsize our healthcare system,” he said. “…We have to really respect the fact that we’ve achieved a very fragile success — that our health care system still remains vulnerable.”
Mask policy
Vohra’s updated health officer order was posted to the county’s website Wednesday and including a new policy for face coverings.
But almost immediately, Supervisors Steve Brandau and Buddy Mendes said the policy would not be mandated. Soon after, a county spokesman sent out a clarification noting masks will not be required. Instead, they’d be recommended.
Brandau said in a Facebook video that making the masks mandatory gave him a lot of “consternation,” and he was concerned about how it would affect small businesses. In response to news reporters, Mendes sent a number of tweets saying the masks would not be mandatory.
Later during the Zoom briefing, Vohra said he stood by the mask recommendations. He said it wasn’t an easy decision for him to make, but he believes it will help Fresno County flatten its curve.
“I see this in the same realm of harm reduction as speed bumps, seat belts and even car seats,” he said. “These are all things that when they were first introduced appeared to be very inconvenient but over time proved to save lives. And now, we really can’t imagine life without them. And I feel like for the time being, this is where masks are going to be.”
Vohra said he hopes the new policy will help empower small businesses to protect their employees with “No mask, no service” rights.
“I really want everyone to feel that this is a moral obligation to help protect the rest of the community,” he said.
Tulare County
Tulare County’s Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to move forward with reopening the county’s economy without state approval. At least one county supervisor, Eddie Valero, who voted against reopening, said there were multiple violations of the Brown Act, which is California’s open meeting law.
In a letter to the county administrative officer on Wednesday, officials with California Office of Emergency Services noted the vote could threaten the county’s eligibility for disaster funding.
Valero said in a Facebook post that the move by the board majority opened the county up to legal fights.
“Sadly, we are estimated to lose many millions, and this will also have ramifications to our cities,” he wrote. “They, too, will not be receiving funding due to our county decision.”
After the county vote, city leaders made known their disappointment and said publicly they plan to follow state guidelines.
Visalia City Manager Randy Groom said in a letter on Wednesday to Cal OES that it would be “harsh and unreasonable” to penalize cities for the county’s actions. He called the county supervisors’ actions “abrupt.”
He urged the director of Cal OES not to penalize the incorporated cities within the county.
The Tulare City Council on Tuesday night voted to continue following state guidelines. City officials said in a news release that the city doesn’t plan to contradict state guidelines, and doing so would create health and safety risks and jeopardize state funding.
“The city of Tulare is facing unprecedented shortfalls in its budget due to COVID- 19, and as such, are unwilling to take any action that further risks the city’s financial future,” the news release said. “The city of Tulare is eager to get businesses open and residents’ lives back to normal. However, we are committed to doing so only in a safe manner for all.”
Farmersville Mayor Greg Gomez also expressed disappointment about the county’s decision. In a tweet late Tuesday afternoon, he said the supervisors moved forward without any input from the cities and violated their own health officer’s advice.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 7:14 PM.