Title
Chief Administrative Office recommending the Board receive an update from the Public Health Officer on the current status of COVID-19, including the actions being taken to monitor and track positive cases in El Dorado County, and requesting the Board of Supervisors discuss with the Health Officer the possibility of expanding her Stage 2 attestation to include allowing all businesses and industries identified in Stage 3 of the Governor’s Resiliency Roadmap to resume operations upon the issuance of and in accordance with industry specific guidelines by the California Department of Public Health.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
On May 8, 2020, the Board authorized the Board Chair to sign a letter on behalf of the Board of Supervisors attesting to the County's readiness to move through Phase 2, based on the Public Health Officer's attestation, affirming the Board of Supervisors' agreement that the businesses and facilities identified can open safely, without unduly endangering the people of El Dorado County or causing an unmanageable surge of cases, as long as the businesses and facilities implement all of the safety measures identified by the Emergency Operations Center's local readiness plan (Reopening Guidelines) and authorized staff to submit the County's local readiness plan (Reopening Guidelines), the letter of attestation from the Board of Supervisors in support of implementing an accelerated Phase 2 as may be modified by the Board of Supervisors and signed by the Board Chair, and the letter of attestation from the Public Health Officer, to the Governor's Office and the California Department of Public Health.
The attestation was submitted to the California Department of Public Health on May 8, 2020 and beginning May 12, 2020 businesses and industries identified in Stage 2 were permitted to resume business under the appropriate guidelines.
During the week of May 25, 2020, the Governor allowed businesses and organizations such as barbershops, hair salons and faith based organizations to move from Stage 3 to Stage 2 and resume business under specific guidelines issued by the California Department of Public Health. Subsequently, on Friday, May 29, 2020, the Governor announced that all industries in Stage 3 could resume operations in variance counties, including El Dorado County, to resume operations upon the issuance of guidelines from the California Department of Public Health, and upon approval from the County Health Officer. The governor explained that the state would provide the “how” and county health officers would be in charge of the “when”.
As a result of these actions, as well as the current status of active cases in El Dorado County, the Health Officer is ready to discuss with the Board the possibility of allowing businesses and industries identified in Stage 3 to resume operations upon the issuance of guidelines by the California Department of Public Health. The Health Officer and Sheriff also support transitioning daily operations of the COVID response out of the Emergency Operations Center and into the Public Health Department Operations Center, understanding that in the event of an unanticipated surge in the number of cases that begins to impact the capacity of the hospitals, further restrictions may be reinstated in order to protect the public health of our community.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to take any action at this time and request the Health Officer to provide another update on the status of COVID-19 after sufficient time has passed to assess the impacts of allowing businesses and industries such as barbershops, hair salons and faith based organizations or other Stage 2 businesses that have recently resumed operations.
OTHER DEPARTMENT/AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Public Health and Sheriff’s Office
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety, Healthy Communities, Economic Development
CONTACT
Don Ashton, Chief Administrative Officer
Dr. Nancy Williams, Public Health Officer