ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF
MONTEREY
IMPLEMENTING THE TERMS OF THE REGIONAL STAY AT HOME ORDER ISSUED DECEMBER 3, 2020 BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO PREVENT THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19
DATE OF ORDER: DECEMBER 9, 2020
Summary of the Order
To slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19"), this Order of the Monterey County Health Officer implements the restrictions on businesses and activities set forth in the December 3, 2020 Regional Stay at Home Order issued by the California Department of Public Health, commencing at 10 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, 2020 and continuing until 6 a.m. on Monday, January 11, 2021. These restrictions apply throughout Monterey County and are in addition to other restrictions set forth by the State of California.
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040 and 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE
COUNTY OF MONTEREY (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS:
1. Basis of Order. Monterey County ("County') is in the midst of a local,
regional and statewide surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that began in the middle of October 2020. On October 15, 2020, the seven-day average COVID-19 daily case rate was 11.5 cases per 100,000 people in the County. By December 1, 2020, the adjusted rate had more than tripled, to 40.3 cases per 100,000 persons in the County. Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients have also increased, from 51 patients in County hospitals as of October 14, 2020, to 105 patients in County hospitals as of December 7, 2020.
Data reported by the State of California indicates that 10 percent to 30 percent of COVID-19 hospitalized patients will require intensive care. Of 105 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the County on December 7, 2020, 42 were in intensive care units (ICUS), and only 15 ICU beds were available in the County for all patients, leaving the County with 26 percent available ICU
capacity. Available ICU capacity in hospitals in the Bay Area Region was 24.5 percent on December 8, 2020 and is projected to fall to 15 percent by December 15, 2020. If the current trends continue, according to State projections, Bay Area Region hospitals collectively may be operating at 91 percent of their full capacity by December 24, 2020, and by January 1, 2021, the demand for ICU beds may exceed the current supply.
Surge plans are in place to convert non-ICU hospital beds to ICU beds if necessary and move non-COVID-19 patients to State supported temporary hospital facilities. However, due to limitations in the availability of qualified and trained medical personnel, expanding ICU capacity in this manner is not ideal from the standpoint of patient care. For this reason, the objective now is to manage existing ICU capacity so that all patients who need intensive care have access to an ICU bed. Reducing the number of transmissions of the COVID-19 virus in Monterey County is critical to meeting this objective.
Gatherings of people, social or otherwise, pose risks of virus transmission, even with social distancing and the use face coverings, as neither is 100 percent effective in preventing transmission of the virus that causes COVID 19. The transmission risk is higher indoors than outdoors, but even outdoor gatherings can result in viral transmissions, particularly in locations where people remove their face coverings to eat or drink. Large gatherings are more risky than small gatherings, and prolonged interactions, i.e., longer than 15 minutes, are more risky than brief interactions.
The California Department of Public Health issued a Regional Stay at Home Order on December 3, 2020, ("State Order") which imposes new restrictions on gatherings, travel, and business activities, effective regionally when available ICU capacity regionally drops below 15 percent. A copy of the State Order is attached hereto. To protect the health and safety of Monterey County residents, it is necessary to implement the State Order restrictions before the State Order becomes effective for the Bay Area Region.
2. Implementation of State Order. Commencing at 10 p.m. on Sunday,
December 13, 2020, the restrictions set forth in Sections 2.a. through 2.i. and Section 3 of the State Order will apply throughout the County.
3. Other Orders. To the extent that this Order conflicts with the Health
Officer's May 26, 2020 Order and June 11, 2020 Supplement Order, which authorizes businesses to operate in the County in accordance with State guidelines and restrictions applicable to the tier of the State Blueprint that the County is in, or any other Order issued by the Health Officer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Order will control.
4. Enforcement. Pursuant to Government Code sections 26602 and 41601
and Health and Safety Code section 101029, the Health Officer requests that the Sheriff and all chiefs of police in the County ensure compliance with and enforce this Order. The violation of any provision of this Order constitutes an imminent threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.
5. Effective Date and Time: This order takes effect at 10 p.m. on Sunday,
December 13, 2020, and will remain in effect until 6 a.m. on Monday, January 11, 2021, unless it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer.
6. Copies; Contact Information. Copies of this Supplement shall promptly be:
(1) made available at the County Government Center at 168 West Alisal Street, CA 93901 and the County Health Department at 1270 Natividad Rd., Salinas CA 93906; (2) posted on the County Health Department website www.mtyhd.org; and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Supplement.
IT IS SO ORDERED:
December 9, 2020
song, Edward Moreno, MD, MPH Health Officer of the County of Monterey
Attachment: 12/3/20 CDPH Regional Stay at Home Order
Other bay area counties, including Santa Clara and San Francisco, have also issued stay at home orders before hitting the threshold.
Under stay at home orders, critical infrastructure, schools, non-urgent medical and dental care and child care and preschools are allowed to remain open with precautions, but there are changes to these sectors:
Outdoor Recreational Facilities- Only allowed to operate outdoors to facilitate physically distanced health and wellness through outdoor exercise without food, drink or alcohol sales. Overnight campgrounds are not allowed to open.
Retail- Operate indoors at 20% capacity, or 35% at standalone grocery stores, with somebody monitoring the entrance. The state also says special hours should be offered to seniors and other people with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Shopping Centers- Operate indoors at 20% capacity with somebody monitoring the entrance. The state also says special hours should be offered to seniors and other people with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Hotels and Lodging- Allowed to operate for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, accommodation for essential workers and housing solutions, including measures to protect the homeless.
Restaurants- Open for take out or delivery only.
Offices- Remote work only, except for those in critical infrastructure sectors when remote work is not possible.
Places of Worship and Political Expression- Outdoors only.
Entertainment Production- Allowed to operate without live audiences.
Hair salons, barbershops, personal care services, museums, zoos, aquariums, movie theaters, wineries, bars, family entertainment centers, cardrooms, limited services, live audience sports and amusement parks except those falling within critical infrastructure will not be allowed to operate.
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