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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s 12th case of COVID-19 was confirmed on Wednesday.

It’s the fourth case of COVID-19 confirmed in Lake County this week, as the county prepares to move into the next stage of reopening after receiving approval to do so from the state on Wednesday.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said the latest case was picked up by testing in the community.

He said the test results came in on Wednesday and contact tracing is underway to make sure there is no community spread.

The individual is stable and in home isolation, Pace said.

Two of the other patients confirmed to have the virus earlier this week also are in home isolation, Pace said.

The fourth active case, who tested positive over the weekend, remains hospitalized, Pace said. So far, only two of Lake County’s cases have required hospitalization.

Lake County’s earlier eight cases have all recovered, Public Health reported.

To date, Public Health reported that just over 1,400 of Lake County’s more than 64,000 residents have been tested.

“With the removal of the restrictions on the lake, some businesses opening, and Memorial Day weekend coming, we need to be particularly alert to further new cases,” Pace said in a Wednesday statement.

As restrictions are loosened, Pace said there is expected to be some community transmission of the virus, so he emphasized the ongoing importance of social distancing.

He also urged vulnerable individuals to continue to isolate at home.

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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The new seawall at Library Park in Lakeport, California. This picture is looking south to the First Street boat ramp. Photo courtesy of the city of Lakeport.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Major improvements that have been under construction at Lakeport’s Library Park are nearly finished.

The city of Lakeport plans to reopen Library Park to the public by June 1 after shelter in place orders are lifted for Lake County.

At the same time, the city reported that it is putting the finishing touches on the new seawall and the promenade.

Work on both projects began earlier this year, as Lake County News has reported.

The old cinder block seawall was damaged beyond repair during the February 2017 storms and was hit again in the March 2019 storms.

West Coast Contractors Inc. of Coos Bay, Oregon, which was awarded the contract last fall for a $799,773 bid, built the new 535-lineal-foot seawall.

On Feb. 23, the council awarded Granite Construction the contract for the new promenade that runs behind the seawall. The city reported that the construction contract is $399,696.

The Lakeport Public Works Department has determined that the sidewalk project has been completed in substantial compliance with the project plans and specifications.

At its Tuesday night meeting, the Lakeport City Council adopted a resolution accepting the project’s construction and authorizing the filing of the notice of completion.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Mireya Turner commended the work in the park.

“It’s just coming together so nicely and I can’t wait until that park opens again,” she said.

Public Works Director Doug Grider thanked Turner and credited his staff for their efforts. “They have truly been amazing.”

He said the work is nearly done.

“We’re really excited. The rain set us back a little bit, but we are very, very close,” Grider said, adding he expects City Manager Margaret Silveira will be bringing the council good news on the projects’ status within the next week.

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.
The new promenade at Library Park in Lakeport, California, looking south to the First Street boat ramp. Photo courtesy of the city of Lakeport.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace took his plan for moving Lake County into an accelerated reopening under the governor’s recovery roadmap to the Board of Supervisors during a special Monday morning meeting, with the board voting to send the state a letter of support for the proposal.

Pace’s plan, which he said he completed on Friday, will now go to the state for approval.

He told Lake County News on Monday evening that the plan is going to be submitted to the state by Tuesday morning at the latest.

As of Monday night, approximately 24 counties had submitted attestations for variances to proceed through the governor’s Roadmap to Recovery.

The board did not need to approve Pace’s plan but it did need to vote to send a support letter, which it did in a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Rob Brown voting no.

Also on Monday morning, the Lakeport City Council held a special meeting to approve its own support letter, which it did unanimously. Mayor George Spurr signed the letter later in the day.

An updated health order issued by Pace earlier this month puts Lake County’s COVID-19 shelter in place order in line with the state’s, meaning, it has no specific end date and is in effect until further notice.

One of the key requirements in Pace’s plan to reopen, and one of its most debated, is that people must wear masks while in businesses. This applies to both customers and employees.

Pace has been encouraging people to wear masks when in public and in recent weeks indicated he planned to require it as part of his reopening plan.

The requirement is not without precedent in Lake County.

In October of 1918, the Board of Town Trustees for Lakeport – a body which later became the city council – voted to pass an ordinance requiring the “wearing and use of influenza masks” to protect against the flu pandemic that was then in its second and deadliest wave.

That 1918 ordinance said mask regulation was “declared to be a public urgency and necessary to safeguard the public health” and that anyone violating it was guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of between $5 and $100.

Pace’s plan – which requires masking through Stage 2 – doesn’t currently have fines included in it.

Pace discusses plan, next steps

During the board meeting, Pace updated the board on the increase in local testing, and touched briefly on the two latest COVID-19 cases in Lake County that were confirmed over the weekend in connection to a Redwood Valley church service. Those cases bring Lake County’s total to 10.

Originally, Pace had intended to submit the variance request to the state to seek to move into the first local step in reopening on May 26, the Tuesday following Memorial Day weekend, with the second step to begin on June 9.

The plan calls for beginning with reopening restaurants to outdoor dining with social distancing requirements, and reopening lowest risk businesses with social distancing requirements. That will be followed in two weeks by the reopening of indoor dining for restaurants, with social distancing and reduced occupancy requirements.

He explained during the meeting that the timing was meant to give two weeks between the reopening of the lake and the start of reopening a new segment of businesses. During that time frame, Pace said he wanted to see the results of more testing to make sure that the county doesn’t experience a surge in cases.

“I understand the importance of opening and getting businesses going,” Pace said, but he added that if the county opens up and has problems – which he later explained would mean a surge in hospitalizations – it could face being shut down again.

With Memorial Day weekend coming up, Pace said he wanted to discourage people from visiting from outside of the county, explaining that it didn’t seem prudent.

“I think we need to quit assuming that we need to babysit these businesses,” Brown said.

Brown said he knows of several businesses that already have closed due to the shutdown.

“I trust them,” Brown said of local businesses. “We need them far more than they need us.”

Board Chair Moke Simon said he had been getting calls from community members about the masking issue, adding that he thought masking for businesses is the proper step forward.

Simon said he also supported opening ahead of Memorial Day weekend if possible. “I think our businesses are ready and willing to move forward.”

In response to questions during public comment, Pace said he knows masking is controversial, but that from the scientific point of view it’s not problematic. He said masks don’t protect the wearer but protect others around that person, especially if they have the virus and are asymptomatic.

He pointed out that motorcycle riders are required to wear helmets and people are required to wear seat belts while in cars.

At the request of Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, Pace agreed to add additional language about how to move into the later portions of recovery – Stage 3 and Stage 4 – and full reopening as Sierra County had in its variance attestation.

Pace said he wanted to have more time to trace contacts with regard to the latest Lake County cases. “From the Public Health point of view, it would be wiser to wait a little longer.”

However, Pace ultimately agreed to the earlier reopening, expected to begin on Thursday, subject to state approval.

Pace details the plans ahead in a statement issued on Monday, which can be seen here.

Businesses preparing to reopen will need to to have their own certification forms and plans posted in their facilities. Those plans can be found here.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While Californians observe the stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s roadways – including those in Lake County – and those who use them are seeing the impact.

With traffic volume down, the number of incidents on California’s roadways, including collisions and arrests for driving under the influence, continues to decline.

“People are adhering to the order, eliminating non-essential travel, and as a result, there has been a significant reduction in the number of commuters on the highways,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley.

According to preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, or SWITRS, there was a 75 percent decrease in the number of crashes in California this year from March 19 to April 30, as compared to the same period in 2019.

Additionally, the same SWITRS data indicated an 88 percent reduction in the number of people killed and a 62 percent decrease in the number of people injured in crashes.

The total number of truck-involved collisions also saw a 60 percent drop, with fatal truck-involved crashes down 88 percent.

California’s crash reduction rate is not the only positive to come from the quieter roadways. The number of DUI arrests made by CHP officers has decreased during March and April, from 7,224 in 2019 to 4,223 in 2020; nearly 42 percent.

However, not all of the state’s drivers have been on their best behavior during the pandemic. The open roads have led to a few brazen motorists testing the speed limit and eventually meeting up with a CHP officer for a citation.

Between March 19 and April 30, CHP officers issued 2,738 citations for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, which is an increase of 113 percent from last year.

In Lake County, Officer Joel Skeel of the Clear Lake Area CHP office offered the following statistics:

March 2019

DUI arrests: 28
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 570
Injury collision: 17

March 2020

DUI arrests: 15
DUI collision: 3
Citations: 246
Injury collision: 15

April 2019

DUI arrests: 20
DUI collision: 6
Citations: 597
Injury collision: 18

April 2020

DUI arrests: 19
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 134
Injury collision: 9

Skeen also offered totals for May, in order to show how things are adding up for the month so far.

May 2019

DUI arrests: 27
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 637
Injury collision: 24

May 2020

DUI arrests: 7
DUI collision: 4
Citations: 132
Injury collision: 10

“Resist the temptation to speed. Drivers are easier to spot when they are on a nearly empty roadway,” added Commissioner Stanley. “Remember, taking care of one another goes beyond wearing a face covering and physical distancing. As communities in California move into the next phases of reopening, continue to slow down, pay attention to the road, drive sober, and keep yourself and those around you from becoming a grim statistic.”

Editor’s note: The CHP issued a correction, noting that the number of citations issued by CHP officers statewide from March 19 through April 30 for speeding in excess of 100 MPH was 4,000 and not 2,738, resulting in a 113 percent increase and not a 46 percent increase as was originally reported.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino College is finding ways to celebrate its 2020 graduates in light of shelter in place restrictions, which have forced the postponement of this year’s commencement ceremony, originally scheduled for May 22. 

In April, a survey was sent to all graduating students to gather input about how best to move forward given the situation.

The overwhelming response from students was that they preferred to postpone the ceremony until large gatherings are allowed, instead of hosting a virtual ceremony.

“We felt it was imperative to hear from graduating students about how they wanted to be celebrated during this special time in their lives,” said Mendocino College Interim Superintendent/President Eileen Cichocki.

“I am deeply sorry that our commencement ceremony will not be able to proceed as planned. Commencement is my favorite day of the year, it is a culmination of the college mission and so rewarding to see students celebrating their tremendous achievements with their families, friends, and faculty who supported them along the way. I look forward to celebrating with our students when large gatherings are once again allowed,” Cichocki said.

For some, graduation is a milestone that marks the end of a chapter. For others, it is symbolic of everything they have overcome.

Gabriel Baca, who is graduating this semester with an Associate of Science degree in mathematics for transfer and an Associate of Arts in political science for transfer, said, "The commencement ceremony is the day that students' hard work pays off; celebrating alongside graduating friends and seeing the joyous tears in their families' eyes makes all that stress and those tireless nights of studying worth the sacrifice.”

Thanks to the Mendocino College Foundation, students are being gifted a $50 dinner voucher to be used on May 22 at a select group of participating local restaurants throughout the district. This will allow students to celebrate the actual day of graduation with a meal at home while at the same time supporting local restaurants during this time of reduced business.

“Public health and safety do come first, so I am thankful that I can still mark the occasion with my family while we wait for that glorious celebration. I think the graduate lawn sign and dinner voucher are great ways for the college to help keep that spirit of achievement and recognition alive,” said Baca.

The foundation has also provided funding to place banners throughout the district, including over State Street in downtown Ukiah, as well as yard signs for students to post in front of their homes to boast their achievements.

There will also be a listing of all 2020 graduates in a special magazine published by the Ukiah Daily Journal that will be circulated in both Lake and Mendocino counties.

According to Mendocino College Foundation Board President Tom Dow, “The foundation is honored to provide financial support towards this year’s commencement activities. Now more than ever, it’s important that we sufficiently honor and recognize our 2020 Mendocino College Graduates.”
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace has approved a plan for “test and tune” practice sessions at the Lakeport Speedway this Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24.

The practice will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

The events will be sanctioned by Northern California Racing Association.

Several requirements will be in place and participants are asked to please follow them, as this is the first step in showing that the speedway can abide by the specified guidelines in order to have a racing season.

Grandstands and concessions will be closed to spectators.

Participants are limited to a total number of six people – five in addition to the race car driver – and will be escorted to a designated pit area. Pit fees will be $35 for NCRA members and $45 for non-members.

• Participants will be required to sign the standard waiver/release as well as an additional COVID-19 waiver/release.
• All teams will pit 10 feet apart.
• Participants will remain in their designated pit area and will adhere to the 6-foot social distancing requirement from other participants.
• Participants will be allowed in the spectator area to watch their respective team car when it is on the track.

There will be no more than three cars on the track at a time, and pit crews will not be allowed to co-mingle.

The events will be monitored for compliance and will be reviewed after the weekend so that more events of this nature may be considered by Dr. Pace.

For more information call the speedway office at 707-274-1662.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – In the wake of more vehicle-related incidents, the Lakeport Police Department said it’s planning to increase traffic enforcement in the city.

The agency said its officers will be focusing more on traffic in response to an increase in traffic collisions within the city.

The issues the department is seeing include incidents involving driving under the influence incidents and other dangerous driving that have been reported to police.

“As things have been opening up more traffic is increasing and we are seeing some bad driving including a couple of drunk driving wrecks over the past weekend,” Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said in a separate social media post.

“Drive safe and don’t endanger other people’s lives,” Rasmussen said.
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Gregory Saabye, 39, of Clearlake Oaks, California, was arrested on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in Lakeport, California, after being found in possession of a stolen vehicle. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Police Department.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department took a Clearlake Oaks man into custody on Tuesday after finding him in possession of a pickup truck reported stolen out of Sonoma County.

Gregory Saabye, 39, was arrested early Wednesday, according to a Lakeport Police Department report.

Police said at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday Officer Tyler Trouette was conducting extra patrol in the area of Armstrong and South Brush streets when he noticed two men standing near a white Ford F-250 pickup in front of a residence.

The residence in question was known by Trouette to commonly attract and be frequented by individuals involved in narcotics use and sales as well as possession of stolen property, police said.

Officer Trouette turned his patrol vehicle around to contact the subjects who in that short amount of time had fled into the residence. Police said Trouette ran a records check of the license plate of the Ford truck and found it came back as a stolen vehicle from Santa Rosa.

Police said Officer Victor Rico responded to assist and the officers were ultimately able to make entry into the residence and locate Saabye in the backyard.

Through the course of their investigation, police said Rico and Trouette developed probable cause to believe Saabye was in possession of the stolen pickup and placed him under arrest for felony possession of a stolen vehicle.

Due to current booking restrictions, Saabye was not booked into the Lake County Jail, but rather was issued a citation and released from the scene. Police said the pickup’s owners were contacted and responded to the scene to retake possession of it.

Police said Saabye has a previous criminal history that includes vehicle theft, receiving stolen property and various drug charges.

Anyone with any information about the case is urged to contact Officer Trouette at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-5491, Extension 118.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council will discuss this week the proposed extension of an urgency ordinance first approved in April that established a moratorium on industrial hemp cultivation in the city.

The council will meet virtually at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21. The agenda can be found here.

Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on Lake County PEG TV’s YouTube Channel.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also visit the city’s new town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/8828 . Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.

Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.

To give the city council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit written comments prior to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 21.

On the agenda is the presentation of May’s adoptable dogs from Clearlake Animal Control.

The main item of business for Thursday is a public hearing to consider extending an emergency ordinance establishing a moratorium on industrial hemp cultivation in the city.

Due to ongoing developments, City Manager Alan Flora and Ryan Jones said in their written report to the council, “At this time, it is premature to make a policy recommendation on whether industrial hemp cultivation should be regulated by the City. As such, staff is recommending that the City extend the moratorium for an additional 10 months and 15 days, which is the maximum allowed by State law. The extension would allow for further research to be conducted on the subject, and/or federal and state regulatory agencies to release the regulatory framework for industrial hemp. City Council may subsequently extend the ordinance for one year by another four-fifths vote.”

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – includes warrant registers; minutes of the February and March meetings; leave of absence extension for office assistant Marcia Taylor; adoption of a resolution to update the lead workers job description; and the Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting minutes from March 11.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss a case of litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. and the proposed sale of the city-owned property at 2185 Ogulin Canyon Road.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night gave staff the go-ahead to approve applications for safe and sane fireworks sales during the first week of July but canceled the city’s annual fireworks display, a decision council members said they took with regret.

City Manager Margaret Silveira asked the council for the direction on processing applications from nonprofit groups for the safe and sane fireworks sales, which are allowed under a voter-approved ordinance passed in November 2009.

She said there usually are four organizations that sell the fireworks from July 1 to 4. All four organizations – which were not named in her report – have submitted their paperwork.

Safe and sane fireworks are only allowed in Lakeport; they are banned in the rest of the county.

Silveira said approvals would be contingent on the current health crisis. “Right now it’s looking really good,” she said of reopening efforts, but if there’s a surge in COVID-19 cases and the Public Health officer feels the county needs to go back to sheltering, those approvals could be revoked.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace has looked at and approved the social distancing plan submitted on behalf of the groups by Dennis Revell, working for TNT Fireworks, Silveira said.

Silveira said the only time the council can actually deny the sale of safe and sane fireworks is if the governor issues an emergency ordinance that addresses the risk of fire.

The second item in the discussion related to the city’s July 4 fireworks display, an event that during the discussion staff said brings an estimated 10,000 people – twice the city’s population – into the downtown.

Silveira said this year it would be very difficult to maintain social distancing with the fireworks display.

She said going forward with the display would mean needing to add the $20,500 price tag to the city’s budget deficit. Staff intends to present a budget update to the council at its next meeting.

Councilwoman Mireyta Turner said that, if the Public Health officer approved the plan, it didn’t seem like the council had much of a decision to make.

Councilman Kenny Parlet raised concerns about being able to enforce social distancing rules on the private properties – such as the city’s shopping centers – where many people go to shoot off the safe and sane fireworks.

During public comment, Michael Green, a member of the city’s planning commission, urged the council to approve the safe and sane fireworks sales but to cancel the larger display, noting, “I don’t have a lot of confidence that social distancing could be followed or would be followed at that celebration.”

Jen Hanson, representing the Lake County Channel Cats – one of the nonprofits that has been selling the fireworks for many years – said without the fundraiser they wouldn’t be able to offer swim lessons and other fundraisers can’t fill the need.

Hanson said there are a lot of illegal fireworks used in the city on July 4, and the Channel Cats have hired a cleanup crew that takes care of both the legal and illegal fireworks. They also have hired security and have told people where they can – and can’t – set off the fireworks.

“We’ve been pretty responsible,” Hanson said.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said he’s in support of the sale of safe and sane fireworks going forward.

He said by that point he’d had extensive discussions with Revell. “They have a good plan on the distancing,” he said, although Rasmussen said he needed to work with Revell on the messaging about where the fireworks are allowed.

The city ordinance requires Rasmussen to submit to the council a report on how he will deal with fireworks-related issues ahead of the July 4 holiday. He said he will have that plan ready for the council at its June 16 meeting.

If the main fireworks display doesn’t go forward, Rasmussen said he would have more resources to deal with issues related to other fireworks activity in the city.

“I’m not too concerned. I think we’re going to be able to work through it all. We just don’t have it all figured out today,” Rasmussen said.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina said the only reason the safe and sane fireworks sales were on the council agenda was because of COVID-19.

“It’s worth repeating that it’s not up to us whether we have these sales or not,” and that the council shouldn’t get in the way of that, Mattina said.

As far as the city’s main fireworks display, Mattina said was heartbroken that the big show won’t take place. “It’s just going to have to wait a year.”

Mayor George Spurr asked for separate motions on the two fireworks issues.

Parlet moved to cancel the July 4 fireworks display, adding that he did so “regrettably.”

“I’ll regrettably second,” said Mattina.

The motion passed 4-0. Councilman Tim Barnes was absent from the online meeting.

Turner moved to approve the sales of safe and sane fireworks contingent on Public Health and city staff approvals. That motion also passed 4-0.

In other business, the council pulled discussion of the Eleventh Street Corridor Multimodal Engineered Feasibility Study and will set it for an upcoming special meeting, and approved the 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant application for housing rehabilitation, micro-enterprise assistance and planning technical assistance programs.

The council also met in closed session, with City Attorney David Ruderman reporting that the council provided unanimous direction to proceed with litigation against 26 pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in the Northern District of California regarding opioids. He said there was no reportable action in discussions regarding the city manager and labor negotiations.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, the Public Health officer reported that the 11th case of COVID-19 in a Lake County resident has been confirmed.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said the case was identified through one of the clinics.

He said the individual is stable at home and has been isolating, so it appears that it is unlikely that there has been much community contact.

“We are doing contact tracing now,” Pace said.

This is the third case of COVID-19 confirmed this week, as Lake County News has reported. The two cases reported earlier this week were connected to a church service in Redwood Valley in neighboring Mendocino County.

The news comes on the same day that Pace said he intended to apply to the state for a variance to move more quickly through the reopening stages under the governor’s Roadmap to Recovery.

Based on reports from Public Health departments in counties across the state on Tuesday evening, there are more than 82,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 3,400 deaths.

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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On Monday the California Department of Public Health announced a new attestation opportunity for counties to move through Stage 2 of the governor’s Roadmap to Recovery, opening additional sectors of their economy at their own pace.

The agency, which began accepting the new variance requests on Monday, said the new attestation opportunity is in response to increased statewide and local capacity to respond to COVID-19, including stronger preparedness, continued stability in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, as well as increased ability to provide personal protective equipment to workers in essential sectors.

CDPH said the new attestation opportunity allows counties to move through Stage 2, opening additional sectors of their economy at their own pace.

To qualify, counties must attest that hospitalization and test positivity rates are stable or declining; that they have a significant level of preparedness with testing, contact tracing, personal protective equipment and hospital surge; and that they have adequate plans related to county-wide containment.

The department also announced that on Monday some sectors of the economy statewide can begin reopening with modifications, including office spaces and counseling services in places of worship, curbside libraries and drive-in movie theaters.

"Californians have done incredible work flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19," said Gov. Gavin Newsom. "As we seek an effective therapeutic or vaccine, we are moving into a new chapter in the fight against the disease – focusing on protecting public health by lowering the risk of transmission and aggressively moving to protect vulnerable communities. The virus will still be present in our communities, and it's as important as ever for Californians to take steps to protect themselves and their families. Wash your hands. Keep physical distance. If you have an underlying health condition that makes you more vulnerable to COVID-19, you should still stay home."

California began its regional variance process on May 7. Allowing this initial approach to move forward for approximately 10 to 14 days allowed the state and counties to see the early impact of these modifications to the statewide stay-at-home order.

Anticipating the need and appropriateness of allowing additional counties to control the focus of restrictions for their own jurisdictions, state public health leaders are now creating opportunities for additional counties to assume more local control in Stage 2 and improve local level preparedness.

Second regional variance

The state outlined a new process that will be similar to the first variance process allowing for prepared counties to advance at their own pace through Stage 2. To qualify, a county must attest to:

Case metrics: Stable or down trending hospitalizations, cases per population count and test positivity rate. This includes stable hospitalizations on a seven-day average of daily percent change of less than 5 percent; or no more than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over the past 14 days; 14-day cumulative positive incidence of less than 25 per 100,000; or testing positivity over the past 7 days of less than 8 percent

Adequate preparedness planning: A significant level of preparedness with testing, contact tracing, PPE and hospital surge, and planning for long-term care facility disease outbreak prevention and containment.

This includes:

– Testing capacity. Minimum daily testing capacity to test 1.5 per 1,000 residents. Testing availability for at least 75 percent of residents.
– Contact tracing. At least 15 staff per 100,000 county population trained and available for contact tracing.
– Hospital surge. Hospital capacity to accommodate a minimum surge of 35 percent of their baseline average daily census.
– Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) disease outbreak prevention and containment. Plans to prevent and mitigate infections in skilled nursing facilities. SNFs have more than 14-day supply of PPE on hand for staff, with an established process for ongoing procurement.

Response Planning: Producing plans related to county-wide containment, including testing, contact tracing, vulnerable populations, congregate settings, acute care surge, and essential workforce.

The California Department of Public Health began accepting second variance attestations beginning on Monday. This allows for approximately 10 to 14 days, the COVID-19 incubation period, between the introduction of the first variance and the second variance opportunity.

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