ROSEVILLE, Calif. — With most of California's counties beginning to move into the state's second phase of reopening, Placer County officials, who say they've largely controlled, the coronavirus are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom if they can move into the third phase.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to send the request to Newsom in hopes that they could get the approval to begin reopening nail salons, movie theaters and gyms with lower occupancy. The county also wants youth sports and programs to continue operating.
Board Chair and District 1 Supervisor Bonnie Gore said in a statement that the county is expects that a surge in cases could happen if they're allowed to reopen sooner, but they would have it controlled.
"As we open up, we anticipate a spike will happen," Gore said. "The good news is that we're well prepared to address those surges. As we move forward, we all have to continue being kind to one another and taking precautions to keep one another safe.”
Placer County, one of the first counties to receive approval to enter Phase 2 of reopening, has had 184 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, of which 164 have recovered. Nine people have died from the virus in the county.
In Newsom's roadmap to reopening, Phase 3 would mean opening up "high risk" businesses like hair and nail salons, gyms, movie theaters and churches.
On Monday, the California Department of Healt announced that churches could begin offering in-person service but with only 25% occupancy or 100 people — whichever is less. The county wants that restriction eliminated. On Tuesday, Newsom announced barbershops and hair salons could reopen with strict modifications. Newsom has given no indication as to when nail salons or movie theaters might begin to reopen.
District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said they've taken into consideration the county's businesses which have lost a considerable amount of money since the doors began to close to mitigate coronavirus spread.
Last week, the Westfield Galleria at Roseville, which is one the area's largest tax revenue generators, reopened for business with some modifications. But that has not been enough for many of the local businesses that have lost out on income because of the pandemic. With summer being a good time for tourism, the county asked Newsom to allow them to reopen no later than June 1.
"I'm not supporting this because of economic gains or county revenues," Gustafson said in a statement. "This is about community members who are dramatically suffering. Some of our small business people are losing everything they’ve worked their whole lives for."
The county is also asking Newsom to release the nearly $40 million they expect to receive from the federal government's so-called CARES Act in order to "reimburse local agencies for certain costs of their COVID-19 responses."
The board also approved on Tuesday an antibody study of its coronavirus infection rate which they say would provide better insight into Placer's infection and mortality rates.
READ MORE:
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- Barbershops, hair salons allowed to reopen immediately in some California counties, Newsom says
- George Washington, cows and an Egyptian mummy: The true story of herd immunity and how it might protect from coronavirus
- California's 6 key factors in coronavirus response before reopening the state
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