Call 311 on businesses violating coronavirus health order, Sacramento County says
As the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in the community, Sacramento County encourages residents to call 311 to report businesses not complying with the recently amended stay-at-home order, and also to call regarding large gatherings that are violating social distancing protocols.
In a FAQ webpage for the latest health order, Sacramento County includes a section on how to report violations, particularly at “a bar, restaurant with dine-in customers or other nonessential businesses operating not in compliance” with the order. Of those two specific examples, bars are not allowed open in any capacity, while restaurants may stay open for outdoor dining only.
“The Public Health Order directs that there should not be gatherings in any formal setting ... To report a violation of the Public Health Officer Order, call 3-1-1,” the county says.
The county officially amended its COVID-19 public health order Tuesday, one day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled back reopenings statewide for all indoor business at restaurants, wineries, theaters, zoos, museums, card rooms and entertainment centers, as well as all indoor and outdoor bars. Newsom also ordered shopping malls, gyms, indoor church worship, nail salons and barbershops to shut down in counties that have been on the state health department’s watch list more than three days, which includes Sacramento.
The new county and statewide orders this week come as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen across California. They also come amid contemplation and decisions at the local level regarding whether to more strictly enforce the public health protocols, as opposed to continuing an informative approach of just warning violators.
In Sacramento County, public health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said last week the county was discussing mandatory enforcement of the stay-at-home order, but implementing such measures would first require approval from the county Board of Supervisors.
Beilenson said the county is hiring and training several dozen of what it will call “coronavirus navigators,” people from various ethnic groups and communities who will advise small businesses that may be uncertain of what the rules require.
Neighboring El Dorado and Yolo counties, though, have started cracking down harder. Yolo last week announced fines, ranging from $500 to $10,000 for businesses and from $25 to $500 for individuals, for violating the county’s mask mandate, social distancing requirement and other public health protocols. El Dorado a week ago allowed officials to suspend health permits for businesses that refuse to follow protocols after being given one warning that they’re required to do so.
Additionally, businesses licensed by the state — including bars and restaurants, barbershops and hair salons, and California card rooms — that violate the health orders can face discipline up to suspension or revocation of those licenses from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology or the state’s gambling regulatory agencies, respectively.
The tightening restrictions on businesses and gatherings come as the capital region and a majority of California have seen a surge in COVID-19 activity continue for about a month.
Since mid-June, the county has seen infection totals and concurrent hospitalizations soar. More than 2,600 of the 6,100 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases have come in the last two weeks, and the total number of patients in Sacramento County hospitals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 has risen from 39 as of June 20 to 169 in Wednesday’s update, according to data from the state health department.
As of Thursday morning, Sacramento County health officials had confirmed 94 deaths from the respiratory disease.
Have Sacramento’s 311 lines been used often for COVID-19 violations?
Calling Sacramento County 311, which is the county’s information, complaint and public service line, to report social distancing or business reopening violations has been an option throughout the health crisis.
The city of Sacramento has its own 311 line, which can also be used for health violations within city limits. A call placed to 311 will direct to the county line or the city line based on GPS data from the phone placing the call.
According to a map and log of all city 311 incidents reported in recent weeks, the city of Sacramento has received several dozen code enforcement calls related to COVID-19 since late June. They’ve been scattered throughout the city, but the biggest complaint clusters have come downtown and in midtown.
The city’s publicly available complaint log does not include business names of potential violators, only the general area by nearest cross streets.
Sacramento County releases monthly reports on 311 calls. But in its most recent reports available, for April and May, it did not specify which calls may have been related to the COVID-19 health order violations. The call types that would include such infractions appear to be categorized more broadly, such as “code enforcement” or “food facility complaints.”
In their own separate monthly reports, Sacarmento County park rangers said they received six COVID-19 or social distancing-related complaints via 311 in April and five more in May. It’s unclear what actions were taken in response to those calls.
Park rangers’ jurisdiction includes the American River Parkway, where tens of thousands converged during Memorial Day weekend in late May, prompting concern about social distancing and potential spread of the virus.
“Lots and lots of people, lots and lots of boats, and a lot of management of people for us,” Sgt. Paul Nanfito said that weekend. “ ... following COVID-19 events, we are definitely much busier than a normal Memorial Day weekend.”
