California’s curfew stinks, but COVID-19 kills. Follow the rules — or harder days may be ahead
It’s official: California once again faces extremely grave danger from COVID-19.
Last week, Sacramento County moved back to the “purple tier” of coronavirus infections, the state’s most severe designation. Now, Sacramento County — like the majority of counties in the state — is under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from now until December 21.
The “limited stay at home order” means Californians in the state’s 41 purple tier counties must stay home during these hours unless they’re walking dogs, grocery shopping, picking up takeout, going to work or responding to an emergency.
Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t have the courage to announce the curfew himself. Instead, he dispatched Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary for Health and Human Services, to deliver the bad news.
Perhaps that’s just as well. After getting caught, sans mask, attending a Sacramento lobbyist’s vainglorious 50th birthday party at the French Laundry restaurant in contravention of state health guidelines, Newsom lacks credibility on the COVID-19 issue.
How tragic. The coming weeks will require cooperation and sacrifice from all Californians in order to reduce the death toll. We need strong moral leadership from our governor, now more than ever. Unfortunately, that’s one thing Newsom just can’t provide.
The same is true for the handful of California legislators, including some from the Sacramento area, who jetted off to Maui for a conference sponsored by a special interest. At a time when government officials are urging people to stay home and avoid family gatherings at Thanksgiving, our leaders have been caught violating their own rules and engaging in risky behavior.
The hypocrisy is astonishing. If every Californian followed the examples set by these “leaders,” California’s death toll would surge to unimaginable highs. Newsom and the legislators currently vacationing in Maui should hang their heads in shame, but no one should interpret their stupidity as a sign that COVID-19 is anything less than deadly.
More than 250,000 Americans have died, including over 18,400 in California. In Sacramento County, 536 people are dead. One in 28 Sacramento residents has now tested positive for the virus. This is a grave situation, and COVID-19 could infect and kill many more people in our community as we enter the holiday season.
Unfortunately, some people are still refusing to take the threat seriously.
In Sacramento, yoga studios and gyms remain open despite the fact that the county’s purple tier status requires them to cease indoor operations. Our feckless local government officials lack either the interest or the ability to enforce the rules.
In Roseville, the House of Oliver restaurant has mocked state health regulations, while Placer County officials have made it clear they won’t enforce any rules. On Thursday, the House of Oliver’s owner posted a video on Facebook in which he announced that the restaurant will defy the state’s curfew.
Such idiocy — no doubt rooted in the pressures of keeping a business afloat during an economy-crushing pandemic — is understandable to a degree. But it’s also deadly. Business owners who defy health rules are risking the lives of their customers and could wind up paying a heavy price if they get sued by customers who get infected in their establishments.
The good news is that most Californians are doing the right thing and making sacrifices to protect their own health, and the health of the entire community. We are wearing masks, avoiding group settings, maintaining a distance of six feet in public spaces and limiting unnecessary travel.
It’s crucial that Californians continue to maintain their vigilance against COVID-19, regardless of what some hypocritical leaders and irresponsible business owners decide to do.
The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday will be a real test. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking American to avoid holiday travel and refrain from sharing Thanksgiving Day with people outside of your immediate household. Families that insist on gathering despite the threat are urged to eat outdoors, wear masks and make sure only one person serves the food.
This may seem like a lot to ask. No one wants to spend Thanksgiving alone or under restrictive rules. Yet families that insist on gathering in the middle of the pandemic will be putting the lives of their loved ones at great risk.
What could be worse than having an empty seat at the table next Thanksgiving and knowing this tragedy could have been averted with a bit of common sense and caution?
So, please ignore the terrible examples set by Gov. Newsom and others, do the right thing and follow the official health guidelines. The darkest days may lie ahead of us, but if we respect science and adopt a spirit of perseverance and resolve, most of us can get through this alive.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "California’s curfew stinks, but COVID-19 kills. Follow the rules — or harder days may be ahead."