SAN DIEGO COUNTY, California — California Department of Public Health released new guidance for public gatherings on Friday evening. The new guidelines go into effect in San Diego County on Saturday, October 10.
Some of the mandatory requirements listed are:
- Private gatherings are allowed up to three households.
- The gatherings must take place outdoors. If at someone’s home, guests may go inside to use a bathroom.
- Gatherings should be two hours or less. The longer the duration, the risk of transmission increases.
- Face coverings must be worn in accordance with the CDPH Guidance on the Use of Face Coverings (PDF) unless an exemption is applicable.
- Seating must provide at least 6 feet of distance (in all directions—front-to-back and side-to-side) between different households.
- Don't attend gatherings if you feel sick or are in a high-risk group
Any interaction with others increases the risk of transmitting COVID-19. The smaller the gathering, the lower the risk. The new guidance recommends keeping the households you gather with stable over time.
Those in a high-risk group, such as older adults and people with chronic medical conditions, are strongly urged not to attend gatherings.
Some San Diegans sounded off on the new rules while in Balboa Park.
"The guidelines are a little bit ridiculous and seem silly to me with the government telling us how much we can breathe outside and what kind of notes we need to take when people visit, that's just ridiculous,” said Janel Orgill, who just moved to San Diego from Utah.
"I'd like to think that our public health officials are trying to keep us all reasonably safe, so it’s hard to say is that too much control, is that too little, I don’t think we’ll know until 10 years from now and say yeah you know, that was silly to shut that down or you know maybe it wasn’t,” said Coronado resident Genie Randell with her husband and dog Penelope.
Read the complete list of mandatory requirements set by the state here.
This is an updated plan for Californians to gather outside their household and replaces the prior gatherings guidance issued on September 12, 2020, and March 16, 2020.
News 8 spoke to County Supervisor Jim Desmond who said, “This is more absurdity from the state these guidelines read like a comedy sketch this is just more big government intervening in our lives. We should allow adults to be able to make their own decisions.”
Nathan Fletcher gave a statement to News 8 which read, "I hope this will bring some relief to families and friends who want to safely and responsibly gather. With all of these steps, we have to continually remind one another to continue to be safe and also slow the spread.”