On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a "limited stay at home order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier." This would include Kern County, as well as 40 other counties.
Starting Saturday, all non-essential work, movement, and gatherings must cease between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The move comes only days after the state-imposed restrictions limiting business operations in those 41 counties, which have the most significant increases in virus cases.
The order will last one month, until Dec. 21, but could be extended.
23ABC reached out to state and local leaders for their reactions to the announcement.
Governor's Office of Emergency Services:
This order provides an important new tool for local officials & law enforcement personnel to use to protect public health and safety, should they need it. The State COVID-19 Enforcement Taskforce has been in close contact with Sheriffs and police chiefs across the state and will continue to work closely with them to implement the order and coordinate strategic, targeted enforcement actions with the goal of adjusting behavior, interrupting dangerous actions and defiance of public health orders, and restoring compliance.
Assemblyman Rudy Salas:
As we move further into flu season, we must do more to keep families safe as coronavirus cases continue to increase. However, we need to be mindful of the personal and financial impacts that further restrictions will put on our workers, small businesses, and our community as a whole. I look forward to working with our local businesses, the Department of Public Health, and the Governor to meet our Valley needs.
Senator Shannon Grove:
Californians are eagerly waiting for Governor Newsom to provide data that shows transmission rates are higher between 10:00PM to 5:00AM. Californians should do their part to keep safe, but we have to also help our small businesses survive this pandemic, and this Governor.
California State Senator Melissa Melendez:
The ‘Do as I say not as I do’ principle is on full display with this unscientific edict. The governor has shown he’s capable, as a responsible adult, to make the decision for himself about whether it’s safe to attend a birthday party without masks and social distancing. Apparently this order doesn’t grant that same courtesy and responsibility to us common people. Doesn’t he know the same individuals with covid who would be attending said gatherings after 10pm still may have had the virus before the curfew and traveling in public places presumably. This order doesn’t apply to the homeless either so he doesn’t seem to care about them. So what does this “limited stay at home order” actually solve? This is nothing more than a penalty box move for us common-sense Californians who are calling him out for his posh, anti-health guidelines lifestyle. Happy Thanksgiving!
Michelle Corson, Public Information Officer for Kern County Public Health:
This is a state-issued order, which means any enforcement would be coming from the state, at this time -- public health -- we are going to continue doing what we've done and that's educate our residents and businesses about any state guidelines and mandates that come down. so that will be the role that we play here at the local level."
