Tourism-dependent Tuolumne County asks folks not to visit during coronavirus battle
Tourists should not visit Tuolumne County until the coronavirus emergency is over, leaders there reluctantly said.
They asked people near and far to postpone plans to visit the Gold Rush towns, the extensive forest and other attractions in the county just uphill from Stanislaus.
“We promise the lakes, trees, mountains and endless views will be just as beautiful once all of these restrictions are lifted,” said a Facebook post Monday by Tuolumne County Sheriff Bill Pooley.
Some hotels remain open for essential business, and many restaurants have shifted to takeout and curbside pickup, said Lisa Mayo, president and CEO of Visit Tuolumne County. The local agency promotes the place to people as near as Modesto and as far as Asia.
2,400 tourism jobs
Tourism generated about 2,400 jobs in the county in 2018, said the most recent annual report from Visit California, a state agency. That was 12 percent of Tuolumne’s total jobs. Visitor spending that year totaled about $264 million, including lodging, food, entertainment, transportation and other items.
The county has reported one resident who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, a 34-year-old woman who was infected in another area and recovered after self-quarantine at home. Another woman, a 31-year-old from Mono County, was treated in Sonora after being infected in her home county.
No deaths have been reported in the county, and the do-not-visit request aims to keep it that way. Spring typically is a slow season for tourism, but summer brings crowds for camping, hiking, boating, antique shopping, live theater and other activities.
Yosemite, other closures
The Stanislaus National Forest last week closed campgrounds and other developed recreation sites, though roads and trails stay open. The adjacent Yosemite National Park is completely closed. Large parts of both the forest and park are in Tuolumne County.
The coronavirus is the latest challenge to a tourism sector that has had its share. In recent years, they have included wildfires, flooding and a federal government shutdown that affected Yosemite.
“We can’t wait to see you in Tuolumne County, and we’re going to need your love more than ever once this pandemic has come to an end,” said a posting on the Visit Tuolumne County website.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 2:56 PM.
