A surge in COVID-19 cases in California, the nation’s most populous state, prompted the governor to order a regional stay at home. Some businesses fought back, arguing that the order was unfair.
Signs of a new lockdown are everywhere in California, with state and local regulations ordering homes in some of the most populous parts of the state, this time covering the Christmas holidays.
“It’s not my business, it’s their business and I feel sorry for them,” said Joe, a resident of Northern California.
Under the new order, the restaurant industry will have to close alfresco dining areas and offer only delivery and takeout orders, which some restaurant owners have refused outright.
“We’re not going to follow these orders,” said Slapfish restaurant Group owner and chef Andrew Gruer. “We can’t live on takeout and take-out because we have 30 cents on the dollar for silicon Valley apps for food delivery.”
Many small businesses say the home order is unfair. Retail stores can still operate indoors at 20 percent capacity, and entertainment businesses can remain open, but not nail salons and hair salons.
Barber Lou Garcia-Reynoso, who is trained to maintain sanitation, has been ordered to shut down twice since March, but this time he has refused.
Association of barber barber shop owner Lou Garcia after said: “it’s not because we don’t will be coronavirus seriously, we are willing to take all necessary precautions, we want to do all these things, but when we see large enterprises continue to business, even if they didn’t our highly trained employees, we continue to do a little hard to accept.”
Some business owners said they also had trouble complying with Governor Newsome’s order because he attended a birthday dinner with a group of people in November after telling Californians not to throw big parties.
“The people who made the rules broke them, and that tells us two things,” said Andrew Gruer, owner and chef of Slapfish restaurant Group. One, they don’t care about us, and two, they don’t care about the rules, or they don’t think it’s serious enough to make them feel they should follow them.”
California Governor Gavin Newsome said: “I want to apologize to you because I have to walk the walk, not say one thing and do another.”
The governor says a sharp increase in hospital admissions and limited resources are why many Californians need to stay home.
California’s home stay order lasts at least three weeks, and in any of the five regions, it will come into effect when hospital icu capacity drops below 15 percent.
“The problem is we don’t have enough people to take care of everybody,” said Russell Bull, a lung health and critical care physician at the University of California, Los Angeles. The situation in this hospital is really dangerous when we don’t have enough people to take care of everyone.”
Beverly hills, mayor of leicester friedman said: “I think everyone need to observe and obey all the laws, I want to especially for any need state or county government agency licensing business for restaurants and other industries, all possible consequences, because if they break the law, their business license may be confiscated.”
But law enforcement officials in several southern California counties said they would not enforce home orders.
“In carrying out the governor’s orders, the Riverside County Police Department will not be intimidated, bullied, or used as a goon against the residents of Riverside County,” sheriff Chad Bianco said.
While small businesses anticipate the economic fallout from the lockdown, and doctors are bracing for the aftermath of the Christmas break, Governor Newsome said he does not expect another COVID-19 wave to hit California because the vaccine is coming.
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