Placer County amends stay-home order. What it means for golf courses, parks and more
Placer County had the unfortunate distinction of reporting the first resident to die of the coronavirus in California, a state where nearly 1,000 have succumbed as of Friday.
But now, it appears the county is becoming one of the first in the state to roll back some restrictions within its stay-at-home order, offering a small glimpse of the eventual return to normalcy amid a worldwide pandemic.
Placer County Public Health on Thursday evening amended sections of its order governing outdoor activities and businesses, in effect allowing a number of parks, golf courses and sports courts to reopen under certain conditions.
Per the order, golf courses and shooting ranges can stay open if they adhere to additional physical distancing guidelines set by Placer County health officials. People can also use tennis, pickleball, basketball and volleyball courts, but only with members of the same household. Dog parks can reopen, but only “if seating areas are closed, hand sanitizer is provided at the entrance/exit ... and users bring their own water and waste bags,” the revised order says.
Things like climbing walls, pools, park playgrounds and picnic areas must remain closed.
The amendments are an effort to allow for outdoor physical activity and exercise to continue safely, according to Public Health Director Dr. Aimee Sisson.
In Sacramento County, public health officials made the controversial decision earlier this month to keep golf courses open.
Dr. Peter Beilenson, director of health services, visited two area golf courses and, satisfied with the level of social distancing he was seeing, made the call to continue to keep courses open.
“The putting green could have been a problem, but everyone was six feet apart,” he said. “The driving range the same. I went out on the golf course and saw social distancing.”
Some on social media said keeping golf courses open was an example of classism; golfers countered that it’s easy to keep physical distance when golfing, especially compared to other sports.
As of Thursday morning, Placer County had reported 130 lab-confirmed cases, according to the health department’s online dashboard. A chart of new cases per day shows the county’s growth curve flattening: after a sharp rise in mid-to-late March for the first 100 cases, the total infection count has grown by just 15 cases between April 7 and this Thursday, a nine-day stretch.
Of the confirmed cases, 110 are in the southern third of the county, the Rocklin-Roseville-Lincoln area; 11 are in “mid” Placer, which includes Auburn and the foothills; and just nine are in east Placer, near Lake Tahoe, according to the online dashboard.
“The State of California and counties are beginning to consider what a path forward could look like in terms of thoughtfully and safely modifying stay-at-home policies,” the county wrote in a tweet.
“But for now, it’s important to keep in place the measures that have helped us flatten the curve.”
