Posted on 04/07/2020 11:52:49 PM PDT by L.A.Justice
San Bernardino County on Tuesday mandated residents cover their faces when leaving home while also ordering all faith-based services be conducted online as officials ramped up attempts to tamp down the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The formal orders go into effect at midnight and were issued as the county reported a total of 530 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 16 deaths linked to the virus.
Whenever residents leave home, they must cover their mouth and nose with something that secures to the ears or back of the head, according to a news release from the county. Bandanas and handkerchiefs, neck gaiters and a homemade cloth with ear loop covers were listed as acceptable examples of a face covering.
However, people should avoid using N95 and surgical masks, which are in short supply and desperately needed for health care workers and emergency responders.
Similar orders are in place elsewhere in California, including neighboring Riverside County. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended people cover their face when leaving home.
Officials continue to remind the public that facial coverings are an additive preventive measure and not a replacement for strict physical distancing and stay-at-home measures.
“Staying home, practicing social distancing and frequent handwashing are far more effective ways to combat the spread of COVID-19, and face coverings are not a substitute for those practices,” said Dr. Erin Gustafson, the county’s acting public health officer.
With holidays like Easter and Passover coming up, San Bernardino County officials also said that religious services may only be held electronically “through streaming or online technology,” according to the release.
Residents should not leave home for driving parades or drive-up services, officials said. They also can’t go out to pick up pre-packaged Easter eggs, bags filled with candy or toys at a drive-thru location because those items have been deemed nonessential, the release stated.
“We understand that this is an important time for Christians around the world and it is natural to want to worship and celebrate with our families,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagrman said. “Right now, however, is a critical time for our country and our community – we can still celebrate this time from the safety of our individual homes while we help flatten the curve and save lives.”
Home-based worshipping and activities such as Easter egg hunts are encouraged by the county, but should be limited to immediate household members inside a home or in a residential backyard, according to the release.
Those who violate the order could face a fine of up to $1,000 or as many as 90 days imprisonment, or both, officials warned.
Riverside County is south of SB County...It issued a similar order...However, no police chief in that county mentioned any plan to cite people who don't wear masks...Yet...
SB County is not as liberal as LA County...There are more Republicans in San Bernardino County than LA County...There are not many Republicans left in LA County.
City of Carson just passed a law requiring people to wear masks...But, no fine for not wearing...
In the car too? Or just when outside? I’m in LA county so need to be prepared for whatever measures.
What do those do to stop the virus?
Where did they get the authority?
90 days imprisonment? Really. Probably be out same day tho given they released all their non-violent offenders from jail, yeah? /s
The virus takes one look and says, "uh-uh."
I have a supply of P95 masks, and will wear them any time I choose to.
Mitigates your infection and prevents you from infecting others.
In the car too? Or just when outside? I’m in LA county so need to be prepared for whatever measures.
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In the car? I don’t know...
LA Mayor Garcetti just issued an order about masks in City of Los Angeles...
Grocery store employees must wear masks...The customers must wear masks while in the store...But, he is not ordering people to wear masks outside the store.
Where did they get the authority?
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Public Health Officer issued the order in SB County...County supervisors supported the order...
Mitigates your infection and prevents you from infecting others.
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I guess it’s better than nothing...But, I might still end up with coronavirus even with the mask on...Nothing is 100%...
Agreed. It sucks.
I did not believe that, but I had no idea why they would lie.
Then, the issue of acute shortages of surgical masks suddenly appeared, and I realized the purpose of the anti-mask campaign was to prevent stockpiling and price gouging.
If we had sent a box of surgical masks to every address in the USA five weeks ago, I'll bet the infection rate would be a fraction of what it is now.
We didn’t *have* 300 million boxes of surgical masks.
Also, the information they were basing that off of was from China, who was claiming it wasn’t aerosolized or airborne and that person to person transmission had to be caused by close contact. They claimed this for the longest time, after initially claiming person to person transmission was impossible...
I thought that was obvious.
My point - years ago, federal and state governments made conscious decisions to deprive the general public of surgical masks during respiratory epidemics.
Re: China said it was not airborne.
That sounds like a claim a USA epidemiologist would want to lab confirm before repeating it on national television.
Now you’ve done it. They know which house to raid. Oh, and if you happen to have guns, they will take them too.
Unfortunately, the powers that be apparently didn’t confirm that, for reasons not yet made public. They instead assumed that China wasn’t lying and didn’t start doubting it until cases started showing up outside China and they didn’t match the prior literature.
We were supposed to have a reserve of masks for healthcare but the Obama Admin dumped them without replacement. Then Congress thought that Russia Russia Russia was more important than cleaning up the mess caused under Obama.
If the world ever needed an enema, San Bernardino is where God would put the tube.
There were quite a few beaners in SanBerdoo, and Rialto, back in the ‘80’s. I wonder how the sprawling metropolis of Adelanto is handling this? Or that sprawling, bustling, high-rolling mecca of Barstow/Fort Irwin?
The end justifies the means, in government think. Listen to "authorities" at your own risk. There's a reason losers choose a career in government. Once in, they take care of their own.
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