Shelter-in-place order closes down Yolo County

By Lyah Fitzpatrick,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

Yolo County residents were “ordered to shelter at their place of residence” effective March 19 at 12:01 a.m. to April 7. The order was issued by Health Officer of Yolo County Dr. Ron Chapman on March 18.

In the statement, social distancing requirements urged a six-foot distance between individuals, 20-second hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning used surfaces. The order reads that “gatherings are strongly discouraged and should be avoided unless essential for the health, safety, or welfare of those present.”

Section 10 of the statement details specifics regarding “Essential” circumstances that would exempt an issue from violating the order. These circumstances include “essential activities,” “healthcare operations,” “essential infrastructure,” “essential governmental functions,” “essential businesses,” and “essential travel.” Details can be found in the link following the article. 

The order was “based on evidence of increasing occurrence of COVID-19 within the county […]”, including four confirmed cases of the virus as of March 18 at 5 p.m.

It was also in reaction to COVID-19 related declarations from the county, state and federal levels. At the higher levels mentioned, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on March 4 and U.S. President Donald Trump announced a national emergency concerning COVID-19 on March 13.

Lastly, the order noted science was a crucial contributor to the statement’s release: “The scientific evidence shows that at this stage of the emergency it is essential to slow virus transmission as much as possible to protect the most vulnerable and to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.”

Although some parts of the order are recommended actions, a warning still leads the release: “Violation of, or failure to comply with, this order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.”

Order Document: https://www.yolocounty.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=62366