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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Court Executive Officer Krista LeVier said the closure will last from Wednesday, March 18, through Wednesday, April 1.
The last time the local courts were closed was in August 2018, when California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye granted an emergency order to shut the courts in Lakeport due to the Ranch fire, which caused a mandatory evacuation of the city.
The courts had managed to stay open during the fall’s public safety power shutoffs thanks to generators purchased for the courthouse.
No cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, have so far been confirmed in Lake County. LeVier said the closure is out of “an abundance of caution to help limit the spread of the virus.”
LeVier also cited Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 12 executive order that mandates compliance with state and local public health officials regarding measures to control the virus’ spread.
Then, on Monday, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace issued Order No. c20-2 which prohibits any gatherings over 100 people and recommends that gatherings of less than 100 people be canceled. The order also requires that gatherings of 35 or more people comply with strict COVID-19 risk mitigation measures, including social distancing.
LeVier said that, in order to comply with Dr. Pace’s order and to protect court users and staff from the spread of COVID-19, the court has decided to implement the closure.
She said the court will consult with Dr. Pace to determine when it is safe to resume normal operations, resume limited operations or remain closed.
There is a “delicate balance between public safety and the timely administration of justice,” and court officials said that under Government Code Section 68115, the court has received an emergency order from Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye to extend statutory timeframes and declare March 18 through April 1 court holidays.
During the two-week court closure, LeVier said the court will only handle in-custody arraignments, juvenile detentions and preliminary hearings in which time has not been waived.
Court clerk’s offices will be closed and the Self-Help Center will be closed, LeVier said.
She said all regular court calendars will be rescheduled. Notice of the new date will be sent to people or to their attorneys.
Jurors scheduled to appear will be rescheduled and sent a new notice, any restraining order currently in effect will be extended to the new hearing date and any family law temporary emergency orders will be extended and remain in effect until the new hearing date, LeVier reported.
Over the last several weeks, the Lake County Superior Court also has been consulting with the Judicial Council of California, which reported that it is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and sharing information with all courts.
The Judicial Council said it has advised courts to follow the guidance provided by the Department of Public Health, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to limit the spread of the virus.
LeVier told Lake County News that in the lead up to the decision, the local judges – under the leadership of Presiding Judge Michael Lunas – had met to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on court operations.
They had met with Dr. Pace and taken a number of measures, including widely distributing hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and antibacterial cleaning spray in both its Clearlake and Lakeport locations, she said.
Court janitorial staff were directed to increase the nightly routine to disinfect and sanitize high use surfaces and public restrooms. She said the court also has N95 masks for individuals who appeared in court and seemed to be ill. The court also had planned to make masks available at the screening station in Lakeport.
On Monday, the Mendocino County Superior Court announced that it was limiting access to the courthouses in Fort Bragg and Ukiah. The court there is practicing social distancing, rescheduling some case appearances and vacating jury trials through the end of the month. Normal operations are due to resume there on Monday, April 6.
LeVier said the Lake County Superior Court will update the community on the quickly evolving situation with posts that can be found on its website.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The National Weather Service’s observation stations around Lake County have recorded the following rainfall totals, in inches, over the 72-hour period ending at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday:
– Bartlett Springs: 0.83;
– Hidden Valley Lake: 0.41;
– High Glade Lookout:0.27;
– Indian Valley: 0.29;
– Kelseyville: 0.76;
– Lakeport: 0.56;
– Lower Lake: 0.40;
– Lyons Valley: 0.32;
– Middletown: 0.87;
– Soda Creek: 1.07;
– Whispering Pines: 0.44.
The forecast calls for rain and cooler temperatures countywide on Tuesday and Wednesday, with light winds both days. Temperatures will range from the high 40s to low 50s during the day and from the low to high 30s at night.
There is a break in the weather and sunnier conditions expected on Thursday and Friday. For those two days, temperatures will be in the mid-50s during the day and the high 30s to low 40s at night.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service is predicting chances of showers from Saturday through Monday.
During that three-day period, temperatures during the day will hover in the mid-50s and drop to around 40 degrees at night.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Pace said that, as of Monday, no cases of COVID-19 – the illness caused by the novel coronavirus – have been confirmed in Lake County.
“However, given the exponential spread of the coronavirus in the Bay Area, I am recommending strong measures to protect the health of our community. These steps will include closing schools, preventing large group gatherings, and generally discouraging commingling of people in public,” Pace said in a statement issued by the Public Health Department.
Pace said neighboring counties are seeing sharp rises in cases, and in response, many area schools and universities are already closing, large corporations are recommending telecommuting to prevent the spread of the virus in workplaces, sporting events have been canceled, and leisure activities severely limited.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on March 4. He also announced significant recommendations on March 15 for people 65 and over to self-isolate, for bars and tasting rooms to close, for restaurants to minimize social gathering, and to improve services for homeless people.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on March 13.
Last week, Pace declared a local health emergency, ratified by the Board of Supervisors on March 10.
Sheriff Brian Martin declared a local emergency on March 13, and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport declared local emergencies on Friday.
The Lake County school superintendents decided to close all public schools for four weeks – which for some schools includes spring break – from March 16 to April 10.
The local health and emergency declarations will allow the ability to access staffing, supplies, and funds from state and federal sources if needed, Pace said.
As to why such disruptive steps should be taken, Pace explained that part of the strategy involves trying to slow the entrance and spread of the virus before it gets a firm foothold in the community.
“Most of the medical community is convinced that even if we haven’t proven the presence of a case yet, it is probably here or coming soon. From a prevention point of view, it is wiser to try to initiate these safety measures before people start getting sick, and health care facilities get overburdened,” Pace said.
When watching how things have unfolded in China and Italy, Pace said it becomes clear that a huge part of the problem is that there were too many patients needing help over a short period of time.
He said the staff was overwhelmed, the beds were full and patients were turned away, and there were inadequate numbers of mechanical ventilators – particularly important for very sick people to help them breathe through the worst phase of the illness.
“In our rural county, we have a dedicated, professional health care workforce, and our hospitals, clinics and nursing facilities are diligently preparing for the possibility of a ‘surge,’” Pace said. “In reality, though, we have a limited number of ventilators and perpetual challenges maintaining sufficient numbers of health care and medical workers.”
He added, “If this virus continues to escalate, the regional hospitals will be impacted in terms of beds and staffing, and our two Critical Access hospitals will likely need to manage primarily with local resources. We also have a population that is older and with more underlying medical problems than in other parts of the state. Preventing the surges, if possible, is an important strategy.”
Pace said taking strong preventive measures is in the best interest of the health of the Lake County community.
“These steps we are ordering will be a hardship for many, and some of the people whose lives are most disrupted may not be the ones who will benefit. For example, young people who are unable to attend school and have to study from home are not the ones most at risk from the virus. Closing schools minimizes the risk of students bringing the virus home to vulnerable family and community members,” he said.
Pace said Public Health supports all measures that limit group gatherings in the community.
While the state guidelines recommend groups no larger than 250, Pace’s Public Health Order number c20-2 prohibits groups larger than 100. It also requires groups between 25 and 100 people to implement all of the COVID-19 mitigation measures as listed in the order.
These conditions include excluding sick people, keeping 6 feet of “social distance” when with non-family, and restricting group size to less than 10 for vulnerable populations, like seniors or people with underlying medical conditions.
As to what this looks like in practice, Pace offered the following guidance:
· Schools: Pace said he supports the change in operation of schools for an indefinite period. See Public Health Order No. c20-1.
· Non-essential group activities: recommend canceling until further notice, see Public Health Order No. c20-2.
· Senior centers (serving some of the most vulnerable community members): Cancel group activities of more than 10 people. Keep 6 feet distance between people. Have clients and staff that are sick stay home. If possible, provide meals on a “take-home” basis.
· Long-term care facilities: Eliminate visitation, except for families of dying residents. Eliminate group activities and dining, unless in small groups with adequate social distance.
· Theatres, Movies, restaurants: limit number of patrons, keep 6 feet social distance between non-family members, increase cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces.
· Bars and tasting rooms: recommend to close immediately as per the governor.
· Workplaces: Encourage telecommuting, sick workers stay home until well and establish liberal sick leave policies, minimize group activities, cancel travel, encourage video-conferencing.
· Hospitals: Discontinue visiting except for families of dying patients; continue planning for prevention of contagion and preparing for possible surges. Increase testing capabilities as soon as possible (the limitation currently is at the state level). Public Health recommends taking significant steps to protect the health care workforce. This includes shifting all possible non-urgent care visits to virtual visits.
Pace acknowledged that these measures may seem overly harsh and difficult to manage.
“Certainly, we are asking people to drastically change the way they live for the coming weeks. We suspect what we are seeing in Europe is a look into what we may be seeing here in a few weeks. Just two days ago, Spain and France closed almost all businesses – except for groceries, pharmacies, health care, gas stations and banks – and essentially told people they needed to stay home. In watching the situation in Asia – especially Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan – the places that took quicker and more decisive actions did better in the long run,” Pace said.
“In Lake County, we know how to do this. Almost everyone has learned that following Sheriff Martin’s orders for a quick evacuation is a good thing. Taking the time to clear brush and make the preparations that the Fire Chiefs recommend can be life-saving. We are asking for the same kind of recognition that changing the normal routine of your family may save the lives of some of the more vulnerable,” Pace said.
He concluded, “Of course, it is possible that these steps are going to be unnecessary or counter-productive. If the virus passes by without significant impact, feel free to come and tell me that I over-reacted. However, the evidence points to the need for decisive action now. Thank you for your cooperation.”
State officials release guidance to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in food and beverage venues
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
“These are aggressive, but necessary actions to protect our communities,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We all have a role to play when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. These establishments that are remaining open should think creatively about how they can continue to provide services to the community. Shifting operations to focus on pick up and delivery options should be prioritized.”
The guidance will protect individuals attending and working at these venues and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health's Guidance page.
Retail beverage service venues
· Bars, wineries, breweries and pubs should be closed, except for venues that are currently authorized to provide off sale beer and wine to be consumed off premises are allowed.
· This guidance is not intended to affect production of beer and wine.
· Bars, breweries, pubs and wineries that include meals provided by a full kitchen should follow the restaurant guidance below if they provide delivery or pick-up options.
Restaurants/cafeterias
· Restaurants should be closed for in-restaurant seated dining and should be open only to drive-through or other pick-up/delivery options.
· Remind employees of best hygiene practices including washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
· Increase frequency of cleaning and sanitizing per CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection guidance of all hard surfaces, including tables and countertops that are being utilized by employees and patrons during pickup/delivery options.
Food trucks
· Increase frequency of cleaning of menus, cash registers, receipt trays, condiment holders, writing instruments and other non-food contact surfaces frequently touched by patrons and employees.
· Ensure that social distancing of 6 feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate together, stand in line together, etc.
· Limiting the number of people in lines.
· Increase frequency of cleaning and sanitizing per CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection guidance of all hard surfaces.
· Remind employees of best hygiene practices including washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Grocery stores and charitable food distribution sites
· The food distribution chain is critical to the public’s health.
· Grocery stores and charitable food distribution sites should remain fully open and operational.
As with other settings, ensure that social distancing of 6 feet per person for nonfamily members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate in activities together, stand in line together, etc.
· Social distancing of six feet per person, particularly between individuals who have come together on a one-time or rare basis.
· Limiting the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance.
· Increase cleaning and sanitizing frequency of restroom and other high contact areas.
· Train employees on best hygiene practices including washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
· Additional opportunities throughout the venue for persons to reduce the spread of the virus through hand washing or sanitizing stations.
· Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID-19.
· Stores that have online ordering with outside pick-up or delivery options should encourage use of these when possible in lieu of indoor shopping.
Certified farmers’ markets
· Space booths accordingly to increase social distancing among patrons in line and walking about the market.
· Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate in activities together, stand in line together, etc.
· Limit the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance.
· Increase cleaning and sanitizing frequency of restroom and other high contact areas.
· Train employees on best hygiene practices including washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
· Offer additional hand washing or sanitizing stations throughout the venue.
· Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID-19.
· Encourage activities such as pre-bagging to expedite purchasing.
· Suspend sampling activities.
· Increase frequency of cleaning of tables, payment devices, and other surfaces.
· Eliminate non-essential/non-related services, such as bands or other entertainment.
· At the end of the market, continue to utilize local food recovery systems to feed/donate extra products to populations in need.
· If applicable, continue accepting EBT payment.