How will Stanislaus County enforce the state’s stricter COVID-19 restrictions?
Stanislaus County’s approach to enforcing the state’s coronavirus orders won’t change as local communities learn to live under tighter restrictions imposed by the state, the county’s chief executive said.
The county will keep relying on a complaint-driven process of education and voluntary compliance. A state action Monday placed Stanislaus and 40 other counties in the most restrictive purple tier of the state’s coronavirus strategy. It requires the closure of indoor restaurant dining and fitness centers and limits retail stores to 25 percent capacity.
“It will be no different,” Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes said Tuesday. When the county receives complaints from the public, it contacts the individual businesses that are ignoring the state health orders.
“The vast majority of businesses comply once they are contacted,” Hayes said. The county rarely has to make a follow-up call, he said.
Because of where the businesses are located, cities have handled the few cases of open noncompliance through code enforcement procedures.
The Turlock Police Department plans to continue asking for voluntary compliance with restrictions, Sgt. Michael Parmley said. Turlock places an emphasis on education for businesses and the public.
Ceres Police will likewise stick with an outreach approach, Sgt. Greg Yotsuya said in an email. Neither departments currently plan to perform in-person compliance checks at businesses.
Modesto in the past has used administrative citations for businesses that fail to come into compliance, like the Velvet Grill restaurant. In that case, the city settled for far less than the restaurant was fined.
City spokesman Thomas Reeves said Tuesday, “We will continue to educate and enforce with the process we had followed previously: educate, Cease & Desist, Notice & Order, Fines/Hearing, etc. We are only staffed up to handle complaint-based enforcement, as before.”
County government says it is responsible for code enforcement and violation of health and safety rules in unincorporated areas.
Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said in a text message that the “shortest answer is no, we are still not going to arrest people.”
“The county and cities will continue to work collaboratively and provide educational contacts to businesses that are reported in violation.”
In July, the county Health Services Agency threatened penalties under the California Health and Safety Code in ordering a production facility in south Modesto to take measures to protect employees after more than 30 tested positive for the coronavirus. Officials said the business complied by requiring face coverings for employees, screening and installing barriers to keep workers 6 feet apart.
Hayes said another factor that comes into play are potential visits from state licensing agencies. An agency like Cal OSHA can get involved with enforcing safety regulations at workplaces.
The public won’t see sheriff’s deputies issuing citations to people who are not wearing masks. Hayes said business owners are expected to monitor use of face coverings by customers. He said denial of service is an effective way of gaining compliance from shoppers.
Bee staff writers Kristin Lam and Erin Tracy contributed to this story.
