Updates: Governor reveals reopening guidelines; Riverside County says limited curbside retail to resume
Rebecca Plevin Melissa Daniels
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued the broadest loosening of his stay-at-home order so far, allowing some retailers to reopen but not have customers in stores.
Riverside County confirmed in a news release that limited curbside retail would resume here on Friday, emphasizing that the "county is not placing additional restrictions determining which businesses may operate in the governor's reopening phase that starts tomorrow."
The county reiterated that this does not include eat-in restaurants or beauty salons, consistent with the governor's announcement.
"Gov. Newsom announced a limited move into stage two of the four-stage economic reopening plan, allowing gradually for more modes of commerce to resume, with modifications," said Riverside County Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.
The governor's announcement was the result of improvement in battling the coronavirus and it moves California into the second phase of a methodical four-step process to full reopening. It covers only a sliver of retail businesses as well as manufacturers' warehouses considered low risk for the virus.
Stores that will be allowed to open with curbside service if they meet other safety requirements include bookstores, clothing stores, florists and sporting goods stores. Higher-risk businesses like hair salons and gyms, offices and dining in restaurants will come later.
Newsom's plan may allow some local governments to move faster than the state if they hit certain criteria. Counties must show they can meet certain testing and tracing requirements and that their health care systems can handle a potential surge. Some counties have already moved ahead with broader reopenings in violation of the state's order.
Since the stay-at-home order was issued on March 19, more than 4 million people have been put out of work in the nation's most populous state. Thursday, several dozen protesters at the state Capitol carried signs that read: "My rights don't end where your fears begin." Last week, hundreds of people swarmed the Capitol in a much larger protest that included more than 30 arrests.
Newsom has said repeatedly he won't bow to political or economic pressure to reopen the state and will instead rely on a four-step plan driven by science and data. Thursday began phase two. The next phase, which could reopen salons, gyms, movie theaters and in-person church services, could be months away. Phase four would end all restrictions and allow for large gatherings at concerts and sporting events.
The Newsom administration is tracking six indicators to determine when to ease restrictions. They include the state's ability to test people for COVID-19 and trace who might have been exposed to it, and the capacity of hospitals to handle a potential surge of new cases.
So far, Newsom has said the state is on track to meet its goals.
In anticipation of the new guidelines, Riverside County supervisors Tuesday delayed a vote on a plan to rescind county-specific public health guidelines that in some cases are more strict than the state's. Supervisors will meet in emergency session on Friday to debate the measure in the context of Newsom's revised guidelines.
In Palm Springs, city leaders will consider reopening recreational activities such as golf, tennis and pickleball during the City Council meeting Thursday night. But Mayor Geoff Kors warned that, despite a staff report recommending a limited reopening of those activities, nothing is certain.
LA Pride canceled amid coronavirus fears
Organizers have canceled LA Pride, one of California's largest gay and lesbian rights festivals, amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Thursday.
The 50th annual LA Pride Parade and Festival will be held digitally this year, according to nonprofit organizer Christopher Street West.
The event typically occurs in June and attracts thousands of people to West Hollywood for the celebration.
Officials hope to resume the festival in-person in 2021.
Palm Desert DMV office to reopen Friday
Palm Desert's DMV office will be among a handful statewide that will reopen for business on Friday, serving people with appointments and transactions that can only be done in person.
The Palm Desert office, at 74-740 Technology Drive, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays when the office will open at 9 a.m.
Offices were all temporarily closed on March 27 to allow for extensive cleaning and development of new protocols to help protect against the spread of coronavirus.
When the offices reopen, employees will maintain physical distancing while serving customers. They will also have access to disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, facial shields, gloves and soap and water.
Customers will be required to wear a face covering and remain 6 feet apart in line. A text message service will be offered to customers that will allow them to wait outside the building until notified they are ready to be served.
The DMV also will provide hand-washing stations for customer use.
Entry into the building will be metered, and customers may experience extended wait times.
The following in-person transactions are being offered:
Paying registration for a vehicle impounded because of registration-related issues.
Reinstating a suspended or revoked driver license.
Applying for a reduced-fee or no-fee identification card.
Processing commercial driver license transactions.
Applying for a disabled person parking placard.
Adding an ambulance certificate or firefighter endorsement to a driver license.
Verifying a transit training document to drive a transit bus.
Processing DMV Express customers for REAL ID transactions, if time and space allow.
Behind-the-wheel driving tests remain suspended.
The DMV plans to open the remainder of its 170 field offices in phases during the coming weeks. In the meantime, the DMV encourages people to continue using online and Virtual Field services to complete transactions such as driver license and vehicle registration renewals.
For information or to schedule an appointment, visit dmv.ca.gov or call (800) 777-0133.
Immigration detainee in San Diego dies of COVID-19
A 57-year-old Salvardoran man who was being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center, a federal immigration detention center in San Diego, died Wednesday morning from complications of the coronavirus, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Carlos Escobar-Mejia is the first detainee in the ICE custody to die of complications of COVID-19, according to the agency.
Escobar-Mejia had been sickened by the coronavirus and hospitalized at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Calif., since April 24. ICE medical staff had previously determined Escobar-Mejia had hypertension and he had identified himself as a diabetic. Both conditions are known to make people more vulnerable to severe illness and death from the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Otay Mesa has the largest COVID-19 outbreak among any ICE facility in the country. As of Thursday morning, the facility had tested 181 detainees at the facility and confirmed that 140 people — or about 77% of those tested — were positive for the virus, according to ICE.
As of April 6, ICE reported the facility had an average daily population of 998 people.
A spokesperson for CoreCivic, which owns and operates Otay Mesa, said in a statement Thursday that it is "deeply saddened" by Escobar-Mejia's death.
"We extend our heartfelt sympathy to this individual's loved ones," said company spokesperson Amanda Gilchrist.
Escobar-Mejia was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol near Campo, Calif., and entered ICE custody on Jan. 10, according to the agency. He was transferred to Otay Mesa pending deportation proceedings. An immigration judge denied him bond April 15 after deeming him a flight risk, the agency said.
He had originally entered the U.S. in 1980. He was previously in ICE custody for three months in 2012, following his arrest on local charges by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, ICE said.
As of Wednesday, ICE reported that 1,460 of the country's 29,675 immigrant detainees had been tested for COVID-19. Of those, 705 had tested positive.
Coronavirus in Coachella Valley: How to get tested; where to find city and county info Coronavirus in Coachella Valley: Cases so far California coronavirus: Riverside County numbers and latest maps Coronavirus FAQ: What city rules are in effect after county board rescinded health orders?
Coronavirus case updates by county
Riverside County health officials Thursday reported 84 new COVID-19 cases and six new virus-related deaths. That makes a total of 4,756 cases and 192 people who have died in the county since the pandemic began. It was exactly two months ago on March 7 that the county reported its first case.
Riverside County has confirmed about 192 cases per 100,000 people. The county is outpacing California's overall testing rate with about 2,629 tests administered per 100,000 residents to date.
In total, the county and private labs in the county have administered 63,399 tests. Statewide, with 809,036 tests conducted as of May 6, the testing is about 2,048 tests per 100,000 people to date.
County officials reported on Thursday eight new cases and one additional death in the Coachella Valley's nine cities, which have 778 positive cases and 32 virus-related deaths:
Cathedral City: 105 cases and 1 death
Coachella: 150 cases and 3 deaths
Desert Hot Springs: 47 cases and 0 deaths
Indian Wells: 14 cases and 0 deaths
Indio: 147 cases and 5 deaths
La Quinta: 78 cases and 4 deaths
Palm Desert: 106 cases and 7 deaths
Palm Springs: 103 cases and 9 deaths
Rancho Mirage: 28 cases and 3 deaths
Unincorporated communities: Bermuda Dunes: 4 cases and 0 deaths; Desert Edge: 3 cases and 0 deaths; Desert Palms: 8 cases and 0 deaths; Garnet: 9 cases and 0 deaths; Mecca: 33 cases and 1 deaths; North Shore: 9 cases and 0 deaths; Oasis: 18 cases and 0 deaths; Sky Valley: 2 cases and 0 deaths; Thermal: 11 cases and 0 deaths; Thousand Palms: 7 cases and 0 deaths; Vista Santa Rosa: 3 cases and 0 deaths
California: 60,614 positive cases and 2,504 deaths, as of data released on Thursday.
Cathedral City, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage had the same number of cases from the day before. Desert Hot Springs and Indio each had two new cases, and Coachella, Indian Wells, Palm Springs and Palm Desert all reported one new case. Palm Desert reported an additional death.
San Bernardino County public health officials on Thursday reported that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 2,562.
That means the county is reporting 117 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents, with the number of cases doubling at a rate of 11.9 days. The county also announced that the death toll had risen to 108, up four since Wednesday.
San Bernardino County officials said 26,006 patients have been tested, of which 9.6% have tested positive for coronavirus. The county has reported multiple outbreaks in healthcare settings, as well as the state prisons for men in Chino where 82 inmates and one have died.