Tulare County will reopen businesses at a slower pace than some residents hoped for as the county's COVID-19 caseload surpassed 1,000 — falling far short of metrics laid out by the governor's office to begin restarting the local economy, health officials said.
"We just have too many cases," said Tammie Weyker-Adkins, Tulare County chief of staff and spokesperson. "I know it's disappointing news for the community."
More: 'It's their call': Visalia will not penalize businesses for reopening ahead of state plan
More: COVID-19 update: 1,013 confirmed cases reported in Tulare County, one additional death
Officials worked around the clock Thursday to determine whether Tulare County met the last-minute criteria that the governor put forth. Among the requirements are:
- No more than 1.5 cases per 1,000 residents for two weeks
- Ability to conduct 1.5 daily tests per 1,000 residents
- At least 15 contact tracers per 1,000 residents
- No recorded COVID-19 deaths for two weeks
- A two-week supply of PPE for vulnerable facilities, including nursing homes
- Ability to house 15% of homeless residents in county.
Tulare County falls short, Weyker-Adkins said. She couldn't offer a projection for when the county might meet the new guidelines to reopen, because "we are still seeing new cases, we haven't leveled off yet," she said.
On Friday, Tulare County reported 44 new cases and one more death, bringing the total to 1,013 cases and 44 deaths. The county currently faces multiple outbreaks at nursing homes and production facilities that are likely to drive the numbers higher, and its death rate remains the second-highest in California.
Tulare County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Haught said the data is putting a damper on the county's ability to reopen quickly and safely.
"We are concerned about the growing number of cases and the great need for contract tracing, which limits the County's ability to open businesses beyond the soft opening of phase two," she said. "The department will continue to monitor the metrics and work with the Board of Supervisors and our hospital partners to come up with a plan to continue to reopen the community and it's businesses as we begin to meet the metrics."
Weyker-Adkins said the county is working now to create an official list of retailers that can reopen with curbside pickup under the new soft opening order.
The news came as a disappointment to Tulare County Chairman Pete Vander Poel, who called for the county to be "the first to reopen" on Tuesday while ensuring the plan "protects our most vulnerable residents."
The chairman criticized the governor for "setting an unachievable metric" that many locales are struggling to meet while reiterating the county's commitment to following the state's guidance.
"Here in Tulare County, we feel very confident that we will continue to abide by the state order while continuing to open up business as much and as safely as we can," he said.
As those businesses start to reopen, hospital officials urged residents to remain vigilant to prevent a second surge hitting California.
"As businesses open and whenever people go out, we do encourage our community to adapt to the 'new normal' during this pandemic," Kaweah Delta CEO Gary Herbst said. "This includes continuing with responsible behaviors such as wearing face masks, social distancing, and washing their hands frequently.
"This is not the time for people to let their guards down."
Visalia doesn't take a stand
The news comes one day after the Visalia City Council held a special meeting addressing the city's COVID-19 response, where at least one council member expressed skepticism about the accuracy of health officials on the dais.
"We don't know how accurate the scientists are," Councilman Phil Cox said. "We get 100 degrees here in California, and this thing (coronavirus) may die out for a half year."
Earlier this week, the city announced it would not direct code and law enforcement to crack down on the governor's stay-at-home order, letting Visalia businesses decide for themselves whether it is safe to go back work.
"You have to do what you think is best for you and your family," Councilman Brian Poochigian said. "It's going to take six-to-12 months for people to feel safe to go out and shop again. We want to get ahead of that as much as possible."
Poochigian and other council members reiterated Thursday that any business choosing to reopen should do so safely and be mindful of the health of their fellow Visalians.
"We ask our business owners and businesses to follow the direction of the governor of the state of California through his executive orders," said Vice Mayor Steve Nelsen. "Now, you can agree with what he's doing, but you don't have to agree.
"We've always said do the right thing: Follow the lead of the governor, follow the lead of Tulare County public health."
Unlike other municipalities, Visalia has come to take a neutral stance on the stay-at-home order. While the city initially told businesses that it "may take action against you" for disobeying the governor's order, city leaders now say that authority rests exclusively with the county, state, and federal governments.
"The City Council did not close any businesses, and can therefore not open any businesses," City Manager Randy Groom said. "That is outside the scope of their authority under current conditions."
Poochigian said though the city will not fine or shut any businesses down, the state or county may still take action, particularly in the case of the hairdressers, beauticians, and other professionals licensed by the state.
"If I were a small business, I would wait a week or two to see what the state is going to do," Poochigian said. "I would wear a mask and make sure I have safety procedures in place so that my staff and customers are protected."
Joshua Yeager covers water, agriculture, parks and housing for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow him on Twitter @VTD_Joshy. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.
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