Placer pushes governor to be first California county to reopen movie theaters, gyms
Saying they have coronavirus infections largely under control, Placer County leaders on Tuesday sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking to be allowed to go full throttle into the next phase of reopenings, including higher-risk businesses such as nail salons, movie theaters and fitness centers.
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution telling state health officials to make them one of the first counties to move fully into Newsom’s Phase 3 of economic and social reopenings, less than three months after the contagious virus swept through California.
In particular, the county wants the state to let it reopen the eastern end of the county, including the northwestern side of the Lake Tahoe basin for tourism and visitors, by June 1. That would mean allowing hotels and short-term rentals to reopen for nonessential travel. The county’s active summer season in the mountains typically begins on the just after Memorial Day weekend.
Placer County’s move came just after the governor announced he is allowing up to 47 counties in the state to reopen barbers and hair salons immediately. It also comes one day after the governor gave the go-ahead to churches to allow group worship services, in congregational setting of 25 percent of capacity or 100 people or less, whichever is less.
Placer County, which has several mega-churches, is also asking that churches in its county be allowed to have more than 100 attendees at services.
County officials have been among the most adamant in the state about getting their economy reopened, pointing to what they call their success at flattening the growth curve of the virus in their county.
As of Tuesday, the county with a population of 400,000 reports it has had 188 confirmed virus cases and nine deaths. At the moment, the county’s three main hospitals are caring for just five COVID-19 patients, three of whom are in intensive care.
County officials acknowledged that some residents are concerned about moving too fast in reopening businesses that put people close to each in groups for extended periods of time, such as nail salons.
“We hear both sides of this issue and people are very passionate about it,” Bonnie Gore, Board of Supervisors chairwoman, said in a statement. “We are concerned about protecting the most vulnerable. That’s what we’ve been doing now for the past two and a half months.
“However, there is also a balance between protecting human life and protecting the other parts of life that are important — the economic and mental health of our residents. As we open up, we anticipate a spike will happen. The good news is that we’re well prepared to address those surges. As we move forward, we all have to continue being kind to one another and taking precautions to keep one another safe.”
In its resolution, Placer County also requested youth sports and programs to resume.
The county asked in its resolution for the state to offer guidance on safe ways of reactivating its tourism industry. Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said businesses and employees have suffered and need to be allowed to restart.
“This is about community members who are dramatically suffering,” she said in a statement. “Some of our small business people are losing everything they’ve worked their whole lives for.”
By allowing hair salons and barbershops to reopen, the governor on Tuesday essentially launched the start of Phase 3. But Newsom did not say how fast or slow he wants counties to move through that phase, or whether he is prepared to allow some counties, such as Placer, to move quickly beyond other areas of their region or the state as a whole.
Over the last few weeks, counties up and down the state have been reopening under Phase 2, which allows people to go to shopping malls and dine inside restaurants. It’s part of a state-run attestation system, where counties have proven they have the ability to track and contain coronavirus cases.
The Placer County resolution also asks the state to release an estimated $40 million that county officials say they expect to receive in federal CARES Act funding.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 7:01 PM.