Yuba-Sutter health chief asks people to stay in, restaurants to shut amid ‘dire’ COVID surge

Months ago, Yuba and Sutter counties announced defiantly they would not follow the governor’s COVID-19 closures rules, insisting on handling their situation locally, giving residents more leniency to do what they felt is best and keeping more businesses open than the the state mandates allowed.

On Friday, faced some of the biggest increases in virus infections in the state, the bi-county health officer there called on residents and businesses to adhere to some of the strictest safety precautions in the state.

That includes staying at home unless necessary, closing in-class education, and shutting down outdoor dining at restaurants.

The statement was issued as a strong advisory, not as an order. County officials said the advisory will not be enforced by government, but officials called on residents to do their part voluntarily to “turn the tide.”

The advisory, issued by by Dr. Phuong Luu, also asked local governments to suspend all in-person functions.

Phuong’s advisory is a more narrow version of a potential mandatory shutdown California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he intends to impose on any or all of five regions around the state if the hospital intensive care unit usage tops 85%. One region, the Bay Area, voluntarily on Friday announced it would heed the governor’s new shutdown rules, even though ICU numbers in those counties have not yet hit the governor’s 85% threshold.

Yuba and Sutter are part of a 13-county greater Sacramento region under the governor’s plan, where ICU units in total are at about 78% of capacity.

Adventist-Rideout, the hospital that serves the two counties, has already hit capacity, as hospitalizations tripled in the last few weeks, county health officials said. The virus infection positivity rate in Sutter County is now the highest of California’s 58 counties. Yuba is third highest.

“The situation is dire and ICU capacity is zero, although that fluctuates every day,” Luu spokeswoman Rachel Rosenbaum said.

Luu, in her news release, said she understood the difficulty people and businesses face, but underscored the seriousness of the moment.

“I understand this is a heavy lift but we are asking this for not only our friends and relatives, but our nurses and doctors, and other hospital staff — some of whom are already near their breaking point,” Luu wrote. “I desperately call for your assistance.”

The advisory period starts on Monday, and will be in place for three weeks, Luu wrote. The two counties do not have an existing COVID-19 health order in place. Luu rescinded the most recent order in October, but has been advising residents to follow the governor’s restrictions in the state’s four-tier system.

Luu asked residents to “strive to limit outings outside of your home to once per week for vital activities (groceries, medicines,care of elderly or dependent relatives) and do not allow others outside of your household into your home.”

County officials say they have seen a number of people dining outdoors at restaurants with people who are not members of their immediate household.

“When eating and drinking,” Luu wrote, “we cannot have on our face mask. We know masks work to protect yourself and persons within close proximity. Residents have not been dining only with their own household members — propagating chains of transmission through what is essentially mini gatherings. Currently, these risks are too great in the midst of pervasive COVID-19 transmission.”

The advisory reflected the dilemma facing officials in rural counties, where suspicion of government runs deep and top-down mandates are often ignored.

Randy Fletcher, a member of the Yuba Board of Supervisors, noted that residents pushed back on earlier shutdown orders and county officials believe an advisory is the best way to get people to cooperate.

“It’s really a balance,” Fletcher said. “Do you come out with a mandate, and order people, with no enforcement? If you don’t enforce, ask for their support.”

Opposition to Newsom’s policies persist in the Yuba-Sutter area. Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, blasted the governor’s latest order on Facebook, saying: “This is insane and shows a complete failure of leadership.”

Yuba County Supervisor Gary Bradford said he supports Luu’s advisory, saying that it responds to local conditions and strikes a balance “between overwhelming our healthcare system and killing our local economy.

“It is important to note that rather than closing businesses the Public Health Advisory identifies what the community can do to protect each other and our healthcare system.

“I believe asking our community to take personal responsibility and work together to slow the spread in our community and relieve stress on our hospital will be more successful than mandating additional business closures or ordering people to stay home.”

This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 4:54 PM.