Shelter in Place Order Amended: April 16, 2020
Order in effect: 11:59 p.m. on April 16, 2020 until 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2020.
Auburn, CA- Purpose of Order: The intent of this Order is to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Placer County by having people shelter in their place of residence (another way of saying stay home), while enabling essential services to continue. When people need to leave their places of residence to obtain or perform vital services or to conduct activities necessary for continuity of social and commercial life, they should maintain a distance of six feet from other persons. All individuals, businesses, and government agencies in Placer County are required to follow this Order. Failure to comply with the provisions of this Order constitutes a threat to public health and may be punished by fine, imprisonment, or both.
This Order replaces the March 19, 2020 Directive of the Health Officer to stay at home and the April 10, 2020 Order to Shelter in Place. It clarifies, strengthens, and extends the terms of the previous Directive to reduce person-to-person contact and increase physical distancing in order to further slow transmission of COVID-19. Where a conflict exists between this Order and any state public health order related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the most restrictive provision applies.
Reasons for Order
This Order is issued based on increasing occurrence of cases of COVID-19 within Placer County, scientific evidence regarding COVID-19, and best practices regarding the most effective approaches to slow the transmission of communicable diseases generally, and COVID-19 specifically. There is also evidence that the health condition and older age of many Placer County residents places them at risk for serious health complications, including death, from COVID-19. Due to the outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19, there is a public health emergency throughout the United States, California, and Placer County.
COVID-19 is difficult to contain because many individuals who contract the virus have mild symptoms or no symptoms, which means they may not be aware they carry the virus. Because evidence shows the disease is easily spread, gatherings can result in preventable transmission of the virus. The scientific evidence shows that at this stage of the emergency, it remains essential to continue to slow virus transmission as much as possible to protect the most vulnerable and to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed. One proven way to slow the transmission is to limit physical interactions among people as much as possible.
Extending and strengthening the restrictions in the previous Directive is necessary to further reduce the spread of COVID-19. Clarifying the restrictions in the previous Directive will increase compliance by reducing confusion. By reducing the spread of COVID-19, this Order helps preserve critical and limited health care capacity in Placer County.
As of 10 a.m. on April 16, 2020, there are 130 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Placer County, including 8 individuals who died of the disease. There are significant numbers of confirmed cases and deaths in surrounding counties, including 879 cases and 32 deaths in Sacramento County. This public health emergency has substantially worsened since the Directive was issued on March 19, with a significant increase in the number of positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Placer County and the greater Sacramento region. This Order is necessary to slow the rate of spread and the Health Officer will re-evaluate the Order as further data becomes available.
This Order comes after the release of substantial guidance from the County Health Officer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and other public health officials throughout the United States and around the world, including a variety of prior guidance and orders to combat the spread and harms of COVID-19. The Health Officer will continue to assess the quickly evolving situation and may modify or extend this Order, or issue additional Orders, related to COVID-19.
Authority for Order
The Health Officer of Placer County is issuing this Order under the authority granted by the California Health and Safety Code, Sections 101040, 101085, 120175, and 120175.5.
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