County approves plan for local phases of COVID-19 recovery in hopes of avoiding return to more restrictive purple tier

Supervisor Jeff Hewitt listens to comments about his COVID-19 recovery plan during County Board of Supervisors meeting.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

After hearing the Riverside County public health director cite statistics that could result in the county’s move back to a more restrictive COVID-19 recovery tier, the Board of Supervisors today approved a plan designed to give the county more flexibility in reopening local businesses.

However, Supervisors were quick to warn the public that the plan still is in line with most state mandates regarding COVID-19 recovery, and that there is no guarantee the plan will enable the county to move forward quicker than the state’s guidelines allow.

“This plan has just a couple of things that differ from what the state allows,” Supervisor Karen Spiegel said before the vote to approve. “My concern is we are giving false hope to small businesses. This does not mean we are fully opening today. I’m concerned that has been misinterpreted.”

Even so, supervisors acknowledged the damage that would occur to the local economy if the state returns the county to the purple tier, where it was until Sept. 22. That would result in the closure once again of indoor services for restaurants, gyms and other businesses.

“If we get moved back into purple going into the holidays, there will be a revolution out there,” said Supervisor Kevin Jeffries.

Will the plan approved by supervisors today help the county avoid such a move backwards? Only time will tell. The plan – a revised version of Supervisor Jeff Hewitt’s original plan pitched two weeks ago – does not include specific dates for moving forward and still requires the County CEO to make a recommendation to the state based on COVID-19 numbers at the time. The Board doesn't meet again for two weeks.

“We can’t open any business because we have no restrictions on businesses to lift,” Jeffries said. “That has been misinterpreted over and over by the media. The county didn’t close businesses; the state did. Only the courts can overrule a governor’s orders. It’s the individual businesses that have the authority to file lawsuits against the state.”

Earlier in the meeting, supervisors heard sobering statistics from County Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser and Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari.

“There’s no good way to say it. Both our positivity and case rates are increasing,” Kaiser said. “Our adjusted case rate is nearing the level of purple again. While we expect to say in the red tier through the end of the week, if the trend continues, we have been told by the state that we will face the possibility of moving backwards.”

Saruwatari reported that the county’s positivity rate (per 100,000 residents) is 5 percent, but its raw case rate is 6.8 percent and its adjusted case rate is 7.6 percent. In order to avoid a return to the purple tier, the county’s adjusted case rate must stay under 8 percent.

The recovery plan approved by the supervisors includes three phases, with Phase 1 corresponding to where the county is now. Phase 2 would allow group events at 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Phase 3 would reopen wineries and bars for indoor service and would allow wedding receptions at 25 percent capacity or 100 people.

The plan was presented with a proposed Oct. 13 move to Phase 2 and an Oct. 27 move to Phase 3, but the motion (by Jeffries) that passed 4-1 removed specific dates. In addition, it orders county staff to work with state officials for clarification on the opening of hotels and wedding venues.

Hewitt was the lone “no” vote because the dates were stricken from the plan.

“Standing up for our constituents is not necessarily a self-inflicted wound,” said Hewitt, referring to concerns of other supervisors that the state could withhold funding if the plan deviates too much from state guidelines. “We don’t need the state, who knows nothing about Riverside County, telling us what to do.”

County official Juan Perez, who presented the proposal to the supervisors, said the proposed dates would’ve been pushed back, had he seen the data released today.

“We’ve been threatened today with being sued, spending 10 years in prison …” Jeffries said, referring to comments made earlier by members of the public. “As frustrated as I am having people yell at me, I understand. There’s nobody else for you to talk to. You can’t contact the governor. So you come to us.”