Are you and your employer obeying these 16 stay-at-home rules in Sacramento County?
You know, of course, you have to stay six feet away from others. And you know by now whether your job is considered essential enough for you to continue going to work.
But the revised emergency health order issued last week by Sacramento County to halt the spread of the coronavirus includes a long list of lesser-known but critical do and don’t-do directives you should be aware of.
Here are 16 of them, including the importance of taking care of pets and the value of taking your temperature:
(The order lasts until end of the day on May 1, unless extended by the county health officer.)
1. If you are an essential worker, your employer is supposed to check you for virus symptoms when you arrive at work. That typically involves taking the employee’s temperature. An elevated temperature is one key indicator of the virus.
2. At your workplace, all in-use desks and work stations must be placed at least six feet away from each other.
3. Employees of stores must remain six feet away from customers.
4. You can’t have visitors to your house, except to care for a sick family member or pet.
5. You can’t leave the county, unless you are conducting essential work, or caring for a sick family member out of county.
6. Homeless people should “refrain from being in encampments of more than 10 people” although health officials support adding beds to homeless shelters.
7. Actions to assure the health and safety of pets are considered essential activities.
8. The American River Parkway is open, but officials reserve the right to close it if public safety cannot be maintained.
9. Funerals are allowed, but are limited to 10 people in attendance.
10. News reporters are allowed to go out publicly to report on news.
11. Bicycle stores and repair shops are considered essential, as are car dealerships and repair shops.
12. Landscapers and gardeners are allowed, but only to maintain the “habitability” of residences and businesses.
13. Uber and other rideshares are allowed, but only to transport people to essential work.
14. Childcare programs are open, but must operate with “stable” or consistent groups of 12 or fewer children. Children cannot be switched from group to group.
15. Every essential business that continues must give every employee a written social distancing protocol. The county has published a sample here, at the bottom of this web page.
16. Police have the discretion to stop, cite and even arrest someone who is not obeying the ordinance: “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 to public health.”