Merced County face covering rule in businesses on hold, 6 new coronavirus cases confirmed
Preventative coronavirus restrictions in Merced County softened a bit Thursday morning, as a face covering requirement set to go into effect locally was placed on hold.
Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rose by six to 125, according to County Public Health.
A total of 76 county residents have recovered from the infection, 46 are still sick and three have died.
A more stringent county health order requirement mandating all residents wear cloth face coverings within businesses was set to go into effect Friday, May 1.
An amendment to the health order today lifts that stipulation for now, County Public Health confirmed.
The temporary hold addresses section 5 of the health order. It required businesses to develop a social distancing and safety plan, limited the number of patrons allowed in a business and directed all employees to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, among other preventative measures.
The temporary suspension came following feedback from local businesses and the agricultural community, a County Public Health news release said.
“Just looking at the language, it was too vague,” County Supervisor Daron McDaniel told the Sun-Star. He posted about the amendment on his Facebook page.
The mask requirement imposed restrictions upon individuals unnecessarily, McDaniel said. He has been pushing for Gov. Gavin Newsom to approach policies from a regional perspective rather than imposing restrictive mandates state-wide.
Lifting the mask requirements is a step in the right direction for softening restrictions in Merced County, McDaniel said.
“We don’t see in rural America what they’re seeing in urban America,” he said, noting that the relatively low confirmed coronavirus numbers in rural Merced County do not justify the limitations placed on businesses and the economy.
Plus, large box stores with heavy foot traffic remain open while local small businesses must remain closed. This prevents federal stimulus money from being spent in the local economy, he said.
“I’m seeing my friends and my neighbors hurting right now,” he said.
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, McDaniel called on mom and pop businesses to send him plans for how they could operate their business safely under certain precautionary measures.
McDaniel said he has received several plans already, and is sending them to the appropriate people with the hope those ideas may eventually become a reality.
“Merced County remains committed to protecting public health while concurrently working with businesses to assist them during this difficult time,” the news release said. “County officials are already evaluating preliminary options for reopening parts of the economy without putting our community at risk for a spike in cases.”
However, the county has no authority over state-wide orders.
“Local entities (such as Merced County) must operate within the confines of the Governor’s Executive Order and cannot supersede its directives,” the release said.
Additionally, some large stores in the region, like Costco, are requiring customers to wear masks to enter the store.
McDaniel said it is frustrating to hear his constituents requests, but have no power to effectively answer their pleas.
“At the end of the day, it’s the health officer making the call at the direction of the state,” McDaniel said.
But McDaniel says he has confidence that the governor is listening to the needs of rural communities.
Following a call last week with Newsom where transitioning to a regional approach was discussed, McDaniel said the governor noted that as a possibility in his address the next day.
“I think our governor is listening to us,” he said.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 12:34 PM.
