Is California reopening too soon? Health officer says it poses ‘very serious risk’
A California health official who helped lead San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order said that the state is reopening too quickly and could pose a “very serious risk” for spreading coronavirus.
Dr. Sara Cody said during the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday that she found the pace at which the state is reopening to be “concerning.”
Cody said that the ramifications of the latest move to reopen won’t be seen for at least “14 days” when the incubation period for the virus is over.
“The state modifications are being made without a real understanding of the consequences of what the last move has been and with the possibly serious effects for health and the possibly serious risk of an exponential growth in cases and therefore a risk to social and economic well being,” Cody said during the meeting.
“This announcement to authorize county health officers to allow religious, cultural and political gatherings of 100 people poses a very serious risk of the spread of COVID-19 based on probability alone,” Cody continued.
San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order was issued on March 16 and served as a model for similar orders across the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reported. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 19.
Newsom released guidelines on Monday for reopening religious institutions with restrictions, including a limit on people attending a service and disinfecting protocol, NBC Los Angeles reported.
California is limiting attendance to 25% of the building’s capacity of 100 people, according to NBC Los Angeles. The restriction will be in place for at least 21 days after the religious institution reopens, according to the outlet.
Over 3,800 people have died from COVID-19 in California as of Wednesday, May 27, according to Johns Hopkins University. There are over 99,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in California.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Is California reopening too soon? Health officer says it poses ‘very serious risk’."