California counties warned: Enforce virus rules this holiday

John Antczak and Don Thompson, Associated Press

Updated

5:22 am PDT, Saturday July 4, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) – California counties that do not enforce health orders could lose state funding, the governor warned as coronavirus cases increased, prompting renewed closings of businesses and beaches by the weekend of July 4th.

With increasing hospitalizations and infection rates, Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered three weeks of bars, restaurant canteens, and other closed locations closed for 21 of the 58 counties, including the two most populous, Los Angeles and San Diego. .

Public health officials have pleaded with people to obey the requirements of social distancing and wearing masks, and to stay home this holiday because large crowds could further fuel the outbreak.

But police and other officials in some areas have publicly said they cannot or will not issue citations or crack down on those who ignore state directives.

While Newsom acknowledged the difficulty of law enforcement for 40 million people, he warned Friday that local governments could “jeopardize their eligibility for state funding” if they do not comply with and do not enforce them.

The state budget that went into effect this week includes $ 2.5 billion intended to help local governments pay for the services needed due to the pandemic, but the money depends on following emergency health orders.

“We are in unprecedented times,” the governor wrote in letters to local officials, saying it is important to fight the pandemic “as a unified California.”

Meanwhile, many communities have canceled annual fireworks shows and limited or closed beaches. Beach closings began Friday from Los Angeles County north through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. To the south, in Orange County, popular beaches like Huntington and Newport would close on Saturdays and Sundays.

Some, however, were intent on trying to keep it a normal summer: Dozens of surfers caught the waves Friday morning at Malibu’s Surfrider Beach despite the Los Angeles County ban.

“There are only so many sheriffs, so realistically, they can’t be everywhere all the time, and some people are just going to break the law and break the guidelines of public sense, common decency, and the recommendations of our trusted Public health officials, “said city spokesman Matt Myerhoff.

The San Diego County beaches remained open and saw tens of thousands of visitors on Friday. Many clustered into socially distant groups when they were not splashing in the shallow water. But first responders said that not everyone obeyed public safety rules despite reminders from the public address system. At Encinitas, lifeguards provided free masks.

Some communities made creative efforts to maintain the spirit of the holidays by offering “virtual fireworks” dreams.

Napa asked residents to submit photos of their decorated houses and patriotically dressed pets for a city contest. The city of Fremont was hosting a virtual “front porch parade,” with judges awarding prizes for the best decorations.

But authorities warned that even regular gatherings of families and friends have been identified as sources of COVID-19 infections.

On the state’s north coast, away from population centers with millions of people, Humboldt County said Friday that about a quarter of its 144 cases have been reported in the past two weeks.

“This has been largely driven by residents who meet and visit homes both locally and on the road, as well as illnesses that occur in the cannabis industry workforce,” said Dr. Teresa Frankovich, county health officer.

Meanwhile, California has also begun to put its teeth on health orders for companies that can still operate, such as limiting the number of clients and having them cover their faces.

About 200 state inspectors were deployed to enforce the rules on Friday, and similar numbers will be out on Saturday and Sunday, said Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services. About half are from Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the rest from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and other state licensing entities.

They are part of new “strike teams” from 10 state agencies that Newsom said Wednesday they would target the most restricted counties.

“We will directly address those who criticize public health and safety,” Ferguson said in a statement. Strike teams made 142 contacts with companies on Thursday, their first day of operation, Ferguson said, and issued seven citations: two in Kern County, three in Los Angeles County and two in Santa Clara County.

The state is also fighting an outbreak in its jails. The virus is suspected to have killed two other death row inmates on Friday at San Quentin State Prison, where about 40% of inmates are now infected, corrections officials said. Two other convicts previously died in prison near San Francisco.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that disappear within two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia and death.

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Thompson reported from Sacramento. Associated Press writers Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Robert Jablon in Los Angeles, and AP photojournalist Richard Vogel in Los Angeles contributed to this report.