Yolo County has released a local gathering guidance with recommendations and conditions on how residents and family can more safely gather to protect the health of individuals, families, friends and communities while reducing the risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This local order compliments the State’s recently released guidance and is being enacted to hopefully slow transmission and allow our recently reopened businesses and schools to remain open.
To avoid moving Yolo County back to the purple tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and help keep confirmed cases low, the Yolo County Health Officer has updated the amendment to the local order to restrict gatherings to three (3) households with a maximum of 16 people for two (2) hours or less, this includes everyone present such as hosts and attendees, and must be outdoors. These restrictions also apply to business social gatherings, such as holiday parties. Industries that manage gatherings as part of their operations, such as wedding venues, restaurants, and religious services should continue to follow state and local guidance for their specific industry.
The State of California recently released guidance for gatherings on October 9 that limits gatherings to no more than three (3) households for two (2) hours or less and outdoors only. While State guidance and orders are in effect, counties may choose to be more restrictive than the State, not less. Due to rising confirmed cases in the County and the approaching winter weather where indoor gatherings are more likely to occur, the County has taken the proactive measure to add a limit to the number of those gathering (16 people).
In addition to the limited number of attendees, the County’s guidance recommends:
- Organizing small, outdoor gatherings when possible
- Designating an organizer or host
- Staying home if you have symptoms of illness or are high-risk
- Maintaining six feet of distance or more from those not in your household
- Wearing face coverings
- Practicing healthy hygiene habits
- Minimizing the sharing of food and drinks
- Limiting the number of gatherings you attend
The guidance also provides lower risk alternatives for famlies and residents, such as scheduling virtual dinners, hosting move nights with those in the same household, organizing virtual game nights with friends or family, and more. For the local gathering guidance, visit: https://www.yolocounty.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=67000.
“Gatherings have proven to be one of our most pressing challenges in containing the spread of the virus,” said Chair of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Gary Sandy. “With the holidays just around the corner it will be necessary for everyone to keep them small in size and among immediate family and close friends only. It is everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to stop the spread of the virus and in so doing protect our community’s health and safeguard the continuing operation of local businesses.”
For more information about Yolo County’s Roadmap to Recovery for COVID-19, visit: https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-roadmap. Residents can call Yolo 2-1-1 for resource information. Follow Yolo County on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/YoloCounty/ or Twitter at: https://twitter.com/YoloCountyCA.